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Showing posts from February, 2023

Why Qualcomm taking away your SIM card might be a bad idea

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Qualcomm revealed this week during MWC 2023 that it will be adding the “world’s first commercially deployable iSIM” (Integrated SIM) to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform . In other words, Android phones with this chipset will be ditching swappable SIM cards, opting for a hardware solution instead. Qualcomm accomplished this thanks to some help from French electronics company Thales Group, a name that most people probably won’t recognize but may be familiar with its tech. That’s because Thales is the same company behind eSIM (Embedded SIM) which is present on the iPhone 14 line . Essentially, Qualcomm is bringing Apple tech to Android. The difference with this new hardware is it will be integrated (hence the name iSIM) onto the processor of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 rather than existing as its own chip on the motherboard. iSIM benefits On the surface, moving the location of the internal SIM card may seem rather arbitrary; however, according

This smart Casio G-Shock is the Garmin beater I've been waiting for

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support The Casio G-Shock G-SQUAD line of watches are sports watches at their heart, equipped with simple, effective training tools. Last year’s revamp of the line offered step counts and running pace tracking, calories burned, and a dedicated stopwatch for interval workouts. Sometimes it’s more useful to pare things down, so you can focus on your watch.  Connecting to your phone to share some of these metrics via Bluetooth, it was a good activity tracker without all the noise associated with a smartwatch - plus it lasts for seven years and is cheaper than most of the best smartwatches . However, G-Shock just got a whole lot smarter. After the release of the GBD-H1000 series, which used Google’s Wear OS as a basis, the new G-SQUAD GBD-H2000 line uses Polar’s advanced suite of tracking technology, as the Finnish sports hardware company shares its fitness tracking algorithms with Casio for the first time. The GBD-H2000 offers an optical heart rate sensor

Human brain cells are trouncing computers in raw speed and power

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Scientists are using human brain cells to create biocomputers that offer “unprecedented advances in computing speed, processing power, data efficiency and storage capabilities” over the current zeitgeist in computer processing, artificial intelligence (AI). Per an article in academic journal Frontiers in Science (FiS), scientists note that this form of biocomputing, known as organoid intelligence (OI), is a natural progression because AI was inspired by our understanding of the human brain. OI is driven by lab-grown cell-cultures known as brain organoids, three-dimensional clusters of brain cells, sharing structures, such as neurons and other cells that power our capacity for memory and to learn. Organoid intelligence  This certainly sounds impressive, but, just like AI, OI has to break the skepticism barrier on its own. After all, isn’t the reason why we defer most of the tasks in our daily lives to computers precisely because they operate fa

Apple may be reviving the iPhone SE 4 by taking a new approach for development

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support The iPhone SE 4 lives...maybe. In a recent Twitter thread, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the tech giant has restarted development on the iPhone SE 4 – two months after it was reportedly canceled. The reason the project was axed in the first place, according to Kuo’s post on Medium , was because Apple wanted its mid-range device to house its first in-house 5G baseband chip so the company wouldn’t have to rely on Qualcomm. However, the hardware just wasn’t “up to par with Qualcomm’s [tech]” so the whole thing got scrapped back in early January. But now it appears Apple has a solution . Instead of making everything from scratch, the iPhone SE 4 will now reportedly be a modified version of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 . Kuo claims the device will come equipped with the aforementioned “baseband chip produced by a 4nm process”; however, it will only support sub-6GHz 5G and not the faster mmWave spectrum, just like the previous model . Th

The Umbrella Academy season 4's new cast reveals have me worried

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Netflix has revealed three new characters who will appear in The Umbrella Academy season 4 – and I'm not sure what to make of them. The streaming giant has confirmed that Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and David Cross have signed on to appear in The Umbrella Academy 's fourth and final season. According to Netflix's press release, Offerman and Mullally will play community college professors (and husband and wife) Doctors Gene and Jean Thibedeau. Cross, meanwhile, will portray a shy businessman called Sy Grossman, who longs to be reunited with his lost daughter. So, what's the problem? First, let me say this: I have nothing against this talented trio. Offerman is a fantastic hire for one of the best Netflix shows around – his performances in The Last of Us , Parks and Rec , Devs , and many other productions are proof of that. Mullally – Offerman's fellow Parks and Rec alumnus – is equally wonderful in Bob's Burgers , and

Some of the world's biggest telecom networks are making their APIs much easier to use

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support The GSMA has announced the introduction of open network APIs that it hopes will help provide developers with universal access to telecom networks like never before. Unveiled at MWC 2023 in Barcelona, Open Gateway has been described as a “paradigm shift in the way the telecoms industry designs and delivers services in an API economy world”. The GSMA says Open Gateway is designed with developer-friendly tools and code in an effort to encourage developers to tap into the network APIs and deploy services both more quickly and easily.  GSMA Open Gateway Open Gateway has initially launched with eight universal network APIs: SIM Swap; Quality on Demand; Device Status (Connected or Roaming); Number Verify; Edge Site Selection and Routing; Number Verification (SMS 2FA); Carrier Billing - Check Out; and Device Location (Verify Location). In the year ahead, the Open Gateway initiative plans to launch even more APIs to help connect developers to participa

Why securing your smartphone might be the best move you make

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support We're all aware of the need to keep our computing devices secure, with a range of security solutions available for PCs and laptops - but what about our mobile devices? Smartphones have made huge leaps forward in terms of power and capabilities over the past decade, becoming high-level computing devices in their own right, holding not just our apps, photos and games, but also becoming an entry point for work. With many of us now embracing hybrid working, having a smartphone geared for work is a crucial tool, but they also need to be kept safe from cyber-threats - so here's some tips to keep your mobile devices safe and secure. Keeping safe online Sadly, some parts of the Internet aren’t really a safe place to visit, and this can be true when mobile browsing as well as being on a PC. Dodgy websites can look to infect your device with malware or other malicious software, installing trackers or keyloggers, with phishing websites looking to

Leaked iPhone 15 Pro Max images show off the phone from all angles

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Leaks around the iPhone 15 are arriving thick and fast at the moment, with the latest imagery reveal focusing on the most expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max model – and there are a few changes from the current model to talk about. These renderings are courtesy of well-known tipster Ice Universe , and we get a look at the iPhone 15 Pro Max from just about every angle possible. The images are apparently based on schematic information that Apple has given to its supply chain partners. Intriguingly, the same leak refers to the "iPhone 15 Pro Max (or iPhone 15 Ultra)" – we had previously thought that the iPhone 15 Ultra might be a completely separate model, but the implication here is that it will be rebranded Pro Max. Exclusive:iPhone 15 Pro Max(or iPhone 15 Ultra),Rendering based on CAD.Compared with 14ProMax,bezel is narrower,but thicker.Titanium alloy middle frame with frosted process, Type-C ,No physical button design. pic.twitter.com/d4f

MWC 2023: foldable phones, chatbots, 6G and everything to expect

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Mobile World Congress (MWC) is back, promising a slew of big launches across the phones space including new handsets, new technologies and more.   It's the biggest mobile tech show of the year, when major players from all across the industry get together to show off products, make deals, and check out some of the innovations that will be making their way to consumer devices over the next 12 months. In recent years, we've seen fewer smartphone launches at MWC – these now tend to be at separate events, including Samsung Unpacked – but there will still be a lot of news and announcements coming out of the event across several days. We'll be on the ground at MWC as always, and will be bringing you all the big news as it happens. Ahead of the official start of the event, here are the most exciting launches to look out for. When is MWC 2023? MWC 2023 runs from Monday, February 27 to Thursday, March 2 – though expect most of the big annou

Quordle today - hints and answers for Sunday, February 26 (game #398)

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support If you're already a Wordle addict then Quordle could be your next must-play game. This spin-off takes the familiar Wordle format and makes it harder by giving you four puzzles to solve simultaneously.  As you might imagine, it's hard! So if you already find yourself searching for Wordle clues , you'll probably need some for Quordle too. I'm a Quordle and Wordle addict who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #398 and bookmark this page so you can easily return tomorrow.  SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.  Quordle today (game #398) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4 *. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A,

Unofficial iPhone 15 Plus renders reveal the phone's revamped design

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support You don't have to wait long for an iPhone 15 leak or rumor at the moment – they're spilling out pretty much every day – and we've now got some unofficial renders showing off the revamped design of the iPhone 15 Plus model. These renders are based on schematic information given to third-party supply chain partners and obtained by 9to5Mac , which we'd say is one of the more trustworthy sources out there when it comes to Apple information. In terms of the changes coming to the phone's design, we've got the more rounded edges to the screen and chassis that have been mentioned in earlier rumors . There's also a USB-C port rather than Lightning, another switch that's expected this year. How the iPhone 15 Plus might look (Image credit: 9to5Mac) To the millimeter There's a thicker camera bump this time around, and it appears that the Dynamic Island is coming to the iPhone 15 Plus (and the iPhone 15) – so it

Quordle today - hints and answers for Saturday, February 25 (game #397)

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support If you're already a Wordle addict then Quordle could be your next must-play game. This spin-off takes the familiar Wordle format and makes it harder by giving you four puzzles to solve simultaneously.  As you might imagine, it's hard! So if you already find yourself searching for Wordle clues , you'll probably need some for Quordle too. I'm a Quordle and Wordle addict who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #397 and bookmark this page so you can easily return tomorrow.  SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.  Quordle today (game #397) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4 *. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A,

Marvel's Thunderbolts casts a big Invincible star – and he'd be perfect for one role

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Marvel Studios has reportedly cast Invincible 's lead voice actor Steven Yeun in its forthcoming Thunderbolts movie. According to Deadline , the Oscar-nominated star has joined the Marvel Phase 5 movie in an undisclosed role. However, the outlet suggests that Yeun has not only been cast as a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, but that he'll feature prominently in other upcoming Marvel projects. Yeun's star has been on the rise in Hollywood in recent years. Since leaving The Walking Dead in 2016, Yeun has featured in plenty of popular movies and TV shows. Those include Invincible – he'll voice Mark Grayson again in Invincible season 2 later this year – on Prime Video , Jordan Peel's Nope , and A24 drama Minari , for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination in 2021. Marvel declined to comment when Deadline reached out regarding Yeun's supposed casting. Given Deadline'