EU is pressuring TikTok to comply with the newly adopted Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA is meant to improve content moderation on social media platforms, including creating transparency on why certain content was removed and how advertisers target users.European Commissioner Thierry Breton told Shou Zi Chew that TikTok must start adhering to the new rules well ahead of the September 1 deadline. According to the new regulations, social networks can face fines up to 6% of their annual revenue and things might escalate to banning the platform from operating in the EU.“With younger...


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Amazon Music gets price hike in US and UK
Amazon Music Unlimited plans will be $1/£1 more expensive for users from February 21 as the latest price hike in the music streaming world. US users will now pay $10.99 per month for their individual (non-Prime) subscription while those in the UK will be charged £10.99 instead of the £9.99 current pricing.Student pricing in both regions is also getting a $1/£1 from $/£4.99 to $/£5.99 per month. Amazon’s customer service page explains that the new raised prices will “help bring even more content and features” to users. Amazon Music is the third largest streaming platform in the world...


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Google to lay off 6% of its global workforce
After Amazon, Microsoft and Meta carried out massive layoffs, Google is doing the same and plans to let about 6% of its global workforce go. That amounts to approximately 12,000 people.For comparison, Amazon's latest round of layoffs cut 18,000 jobs (6%), Microsoft's cut was 10,000 jobs (5%), while Meta had to release 11,000 people (13%). So Google's layoff isn't disproportionately bigger, but that's still a lot of people about to be left without a job. Everyone in the tech industry - and not only - is bracing for the economic downturn and it's looking for a way to cut costs. Naturally,...


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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is bringing an improved portrait video mode
The Galaxy S23 series is bringing upgraded video capture capabilities, including support for 8K at 30fps (previous models topped out at 24fps). There’s more – according to leakster Ice Universe, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will have improved portrait video mode.The resolution cap is reportedly going up to 4K at 30fps, while the current S22 Ultra only records 1080p/30fps videos in portrait mode. On top of that the separation between subject and background will be better.The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will be the first (and for now only) phone equipped with the ISOCELL HP2It’s not clear if...


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Apple orders OLED panels for iPad Pro, first to arrive in 2024
Apple placed orders for OLED panels for future iPad Pro and MacBook Pro devices, Korean sources revealed. As per insiders 11" and 12.9" tablets are expected to arrive in 2024, while laptops with the new panels are scheduled for 2026.The source also claims that foldable panels are being considered, but there isn’t any definite plans on those.Apple currently uses LCD for its iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 tablets. The new panels are currently in development and limited scale manufacturing, and it will take some time before they are available for final assembly.The situation with...


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Samsung showcases 360-degree foldable screen and hinge prototype
Samsung Display showcased its new prototype display and hinge that folds both inwards and outwards. The “Flex In & Out” concept allows the hinge to fold the device in 360 degrees while creating a significantly less visible crease.The prototype was demoed to The Verge, which did not provide any info on whether the new panel and hinge will be ready for commercial products anytime soon.Samsung Flex In & Out displayThe display comes with a new hinge design that allows the device to fold completely instead of leaving a small waterdrop-shaped hole in the crease. The prototype was...


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Indian iQOO Neo7's design and colors revealed
vivo sub-brand iQOO will introduce the Neo7 in India on February 16, which will be different from the Neo7 launched in China last October since the Chinese Neo7 is powered by the Dimensity 9000+ SoC while the Indian Neo7 will come with the Dimensity 8200 at the helm. The brand also confirmed that Indian Neo7 will support 120W charging, suggesting it could be a rebranded Neo7 SE unveiled in China last month.While iQOO hasn't detailed Indian Neo7's specs sheet yet, it today revealed the smartphone's screen specs, design, and color options, which pretty much confirms the Neo7 Indian...


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Sony announces 13 more launch titles for the PlayStation VR2, the total is now over 30
When Sony unveiled the PlayStation VR2, it announced several launch titles including heavy-hitters like Horizon Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil: Village and No Man’s Sky. Since then it added 11 more titles to the list and has confirmed that Grand Turismo 7 will also be part of the VR experience through a free update. All racing modes will be supported except for split-screen multiplayer for obvious reasons (online multiplayer will work, though).Anyway, Sony keeps expanding the list of launch titles. The PSVR2 is set to ship on February 22, these games will be released through...


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Twitter terminates third-party clients access after new developer rules
Twitter updated its Developer Agreement, essentially blocking third-party clients for good. Platforms like Twitterriffic and Fenix are now practically unusable, as they no longer have API access and were shut out earlier this week.The new rules state that it is not allowed to “create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications”. Developers of such apps were simply told their platforms are now “suspended”.Twitter is enforcing its long-standing API rules. That may result in some apps not working.— Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev) January 17, 2023...


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T-Mobile reveals 37 million accounts got their data stolen by a hacker
T-Mobile experienced a second breach in security in less than 18 months. The carrier revealed that a hacker stole data, including names, birth dates, and phone numbers, from 37 million customer accounts.The “bad actor” was initially found to obtain data on January 5, and the carrier plugged the hole with help from outside cybersecurity experts by the next day.According to the telecom, there was no evidence its security systems were compromised, and the mechanism the hacker used did not reveal more sensitive data like social security numbers, government identification numbers,...


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Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite gets Android 13-based One UI 5.0 update
Samsung released the Android 13-based One UI 5.0 stable update for the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022) last month, and now it's the 2020 model that's getting a taste of Android 13 and One UI 5.0.The update is rolling out for the LTE model (SM-P615) and has firmware version P615XXU4FWA5. It comes with a new taskbar for the tablet and improves multi-tasking. The update also brings a refreshed lock screen customization menu and performance optimization to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.However, the One UI 5.0 update comes with the dated November 2022 security patch when some Samsung devices have...


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Realme GT Neo 5 seemingly passes through Geekbench with 16GB of RAM
Realme's upcoming GT Neo 5 has been leaking a lot lately, ahead of what could be an official introduction at MWC in Barcelona next month. The phone is officially confirmed to be the first one to sport 240W fast wired charging, and according to various leaks it will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC.A prototype GT Neo 5 has allegedly been spotted in the Geekbench online database today, achieving a 1,279 single-core score and a 3,902 multi-core score.The prototype in question has 16GB of RAM on board, and runs Android 13, unsurprisingly. Its model number is RMX3708,...


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Here's the upcoming Poco X5 in cricketer Hardik Pandya's hand
The Poco X5 has been on a constant diet of certifications recently, before its official launch that should happen soon. But little did we know that cricket stars already had access to it, even if it's not official yet!Case in point: here's Hardik Pandya carrying what seems to look like the upcoming X-series device from Poco, taking a call on it without trying to hide it in any way. That gets us to believe that Poco and Pandya have a partnership going on, which if you're a cricket fan you may or may not be happy about.Hardik Pandya handling what looks like the Poco X5Will we...


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Canalys: Xiaomi lost to Samsung in India in Q4, still on top in full 2022
Canalys is ready with its report on the Indian market for Q4 of last year and the full 2022. This is the first time we saw a decline in shipments in Q4 compared to Q3. Year-on-year the final quarter saw volumes drop by an astonishing 27% and pushed the overall result for the year to a 6% decline compared to 2021.For the first time in 20 quarters Samsung took the top spot as the biggest smartphone vendor for the first time since 2017, dethroning Xiaomi. However, the latter remains on top for the full 2022 year.Even though Samsung's 2022 shipments dropped by 21%, it managed to...


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Samsung Wallet is now available in 8 more regions, including India and Brazil
Samsung Wallet arrived last June, bringing Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass under one roof. It's been rolling out globally since, the Korean company now announcing the service is expanding to eight new markets, bringing the total to 29.The new regions are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan, and the roll-out is scheduled for the end of January.Samsung Wallet app Samsung Wallet is a one-stop service for all types of cards - credit and debit, library cards, memberships and gift cards and even some digital supported keys, as well as...


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Leaked Honor Magic teaser suggest it's going after the Galaxy series at MWC
It appears that our initial expectations were true after all. Honor will introduce the new Magic5 series at this year's MWC in Barcelona. In case you've missed it, Honor hasn't officially confirmed its presence at this year's MWC, but the event's website revealed it will be more extensive that the company's participation last year.Now what looks like a teaser image was shared by a noted tipster. The image reads "Go beyond the Galaxy to witness the real Magic", with the capitalization of Galaxy a clear challenge of Samsung's flagship series. So Honor is clearly aiming high with its...


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Twitter Blue subscription now available on Android as well
Twitter Blue is finally available for purchase via the Android app, just days after the social media announced a new payment plan for an annual subscription. The price of the magical blue checkmark is $11 per month, just like iOS, which is over 35% more than what it costs on web.Twitter does not quote the reason for the massive price difference, but it's obvious that the company wants to offload the Play Store fees for in-app purchases on the users rather than paying them itself.Twitter Blue users receive priority ranking in replies, the ability to edit tweets, and a 60-minute cap...


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Global OnePlus 11 to come with 80W fast charging [Update: US only]
The OnePlus 11 debuted in China earlier this month and the phone is even on the shelves for some time now. However, we are still awaiting the global release of the handset and now we learn it will bring at least one change.While the Chinese version boasts 100W charging support, the global option will settle for 80W SuperVOOC.The information comes from leaked marketing text matirals. The text mentions some of the highlight features, charging tech included. Notably, the OnePlus 10 Pro also had 80W SuperVOOC for most markets, so there is no upgrade in this department.[UPDATE] A...


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Galaxy Watch5 and Watch4 update adds support for doorbell cameras, thermostats
The latest update for the Samsung Galaxy Watch series gives them even more control over gadgets in your smart home. This works with Samsung and third-party devices that integrate with the SmartThings platform.The update (v1.1.08) is rolling out to the Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro as well as the Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic.With it installed, the watches can control your thermostat by setting the heating or cooling set point temperature. You can also open and close automated blinds or adjust their level manually. Additionally, you can control the fan speed of air purifiers in the...


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Samsung Galaxy phones and laptops get new Phone Link feature: Recent Websites
Samsung Galaxy phones usually are the first to get new features enabled in Microsoft’s Phone Link app that connects Android devices with Windows computers. There is a new one called “Recent Websites” that allows you to easily continue your last browsing session from your phone on your Galaxy Book laptop.How it works is pretty simple – just open the Phone Link app (or use the flyout menu from the task bar) and you will see a list of the last sites you visited on your Galaxy phone. You can tap on an individual site or on Open All to load them in your laptop's browser.Here’s a...


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