Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Starlink’s ‘Snow Melt Mode’ seems to be really good at attracting cats

Starlink’s satellites have an unintended purpose.

The satellite internet company that aims to offer internet services to rural and remote communities around the world with its dishes has a knack for attracting cats with its warmth.

Starlink user Aaron Taylor snapped a photo of a Starlink dish covered in cats enjoying its warmth with the device set to ‘Snow Melt Mode.’

The feature “produces additional heat to mitigate signal attenuation caused by snow build-up on the face of the user terminal,” and apparently, also attracts felines looking to keep warm in cold winter weather.

Starlink currently has 140,000 subscribers worldwide and is available in 20 countries, including Canada.

In late 2021, the SpaceX-owned company confirmed that it was delaying the delivery timeline of Starlink dishes to 2022 for some customers due to the ongoing worldwide silicon shortage.

Source: @Tippen22 Via: Tesmanian 

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s iPhone 14 reportedly to feature hole-punch camera, ditch notch

Even though the iPhone 14 is several months away from release, rumours surrounding the upcoming smartphone are already starting to appear.

According to ‘Power On,’ a weekly newsletter created by Bloomberg’s often reliable Mark Gurman, Apple’s iPhone 14 lineup will feature several significant changes.

First off, the smartphone will reportedly ditch the notch for a front-facing hole-punch camera similar to what Samsung has offered in its ‘S’ series smartphones for several years. Gurman’s report also mentions that 5G is likely coming to the next-generation version of the iPhone SE.

Alongside the iPhone 14, Bloomberg also confirmed that a new Apple Watch SE and a rugged version of the Apple Watch are on the way, corroborating previous reports regarding both devices. As expected, an Apple Watch Series 8 is also currently in the works.

In the same report, Gurman also mentions Apple’s often-rumoured mixed-reality headset, iOS 16, macOS 13 and a significantly redesigned MacBook Air powered by the tech giant’s in-development M2 chip.

Source: Bloomberg Via: More 

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s rumoured Pixel 7 Pro could feature an under-display selfie camera

Google’s Pixel 7 might include Samsung-esque technology.

First discovered by LetsGoDigital, Google recently published a patent to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a smartphone that features an under-display camera.

The USPTO describes the patent as a “display configuration for mobile computing devices.” The patent was published back in December but was only spotted recently.

The patent outlines a smartphone with a larger display than we’ve seen before from a Pixel device. However, the overall body of the device doesn’t seem to be larger than the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. According to Android Headlines, this isn’t the first time Google has published a patented related to an under-display camera, though this is reportedly the most cost-effective approach to the technology.

The patent outlines how the smartphone would feature an emissive display with a small “non-emissive” part where the camera looks through. Alongside the front-facing camera, a light sensor and other sensors will be placed under the camera. The smartphone also features an in-display fingerprint scanner.

At this point, several smartphone manufacturers offer this technology, including most recently Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3. Even Apple is reportedly working on bringing the technology to its upcoming iPhone 14. 

Google’s Pixel 7 Pro will likely be revealed in October at the tech giant’s annual ‘Made By Google’ hardware event.

Image credit: LetsGoDigital

Source: LetsGoDigital

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung’s new Eco Remote can convert router radio waves into energy

Samsung has refreshed the solar-charging television remote it first showed off at CES 2021 with a cool new feature that allows the device to convert a router’s radio waves into energy.

While converting unused radio frequency (RF) energy into usable power for a TV remote is a novel concept, the device also still features a built-in solar panel for charging. In theory, this means that the remote will always maintain a charge.

Other features include dedicated buttons for Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video. The remote is also made with recycled materials and is available in ‘White’ and ‘Black.’

At CES 2022, Samsung also confirmed that Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now are coming to its televisions and revealed a new version of its popular The Frame TV.

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung’s new The Frame TVs feature a glare-free matte display

Samsung’s popular The Frame TV is getting a relatively minor upgrade in 2022.

The tech giant’s popular and very stylish ‘lifestyle TV’ that’s designed to showcase artwork or personal photos when it’s off, is getting a new anti-reflective display that offers a more “lifelike” texture that Samsung says feels more like paper.

Though The Frame has always been able to match the white balance and brightness of artwork based on the ambient lighting in a room, the image always still looked like it was being displayed on a television due to glare. In theory, this should no longer be an issue with Samsung’s 2022 The Frame TVs.

In 2022, Samsung is releasing The Frame in seven different sizes, starting at 32-inches and going ll the way up to 85-inches. The quantum dot colour panels all support 4K HDR at 120Hz, but don’t offer local dimming or Dolby Vision HDR.

Specific Canadian pricing and a release date for Samsung’s 2022 The Frame televisions hasn’t been released yet but should be revealed in the coming months.

Image credit: Samsung

Source: Samsung

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Stadia and Nvidia’s GeForce Now are coming to Samsung’s 2022 TVs

Ahead of the official start of CES, Samsung has revealed that several of the TVs in its upcoming 2022 lineup will feature built-in support for game streaming services Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now.

Both game streaming platforms are part of the company’s new ‘Gaming Hub’ feature. As it stands right now, it’s unclear if the Samsung Stadia TV app will support 4K streaming.

Samsung says that its Gaming Hub will also support consoles connected through HDMI, giving players a central home for all of their gaming content and settings like refresh rate and VVR. The tech giant goes on to say that its TVs will support third-party controllers, likely including the Xbox Series X/S gamepad and the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller.

PC game streaming service Utomik will also be part of the Gaming Hub.

Samsung also revealed a new version of its popular The Frame TV, a new Eco remote, and confirmed that the ability to view NFTs is coming to its 2022 television — because every tech product inexplicably needs to be associated with NFTs in some way now.

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Mobile Syrup

ICON.AI’s new Sound Mirror is an Alexa-controlled smart mirror for your home

Announced in the lead-up to CES 2022, ICON.AI made public a smart mirror dubbed Sound Mirror. It was granted an innovation award by CES and brings some neat features to the home.

The Sound Mirror is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a replacement fixture for your regular everyday mirror at home but is powered by Amazon’s Alexa assistant. The full-sized mirror features a hands-free smart speaker and will be available in two designs: a circular design as well as an ovular horseshoe shape.

As listed on the Sound Mirror website, the smart mirror supports BlueTooth as well as Wi-Fi for home networking. Users can cast music and podcasts from Spotify, Apple Music, TuneIn, Pandora, and iHeartRadio. Additionally, Alexa commands can also be made as the device will integrate right into the Amazon ecosystem.

ICON.AI describes the Sound Mirror as an “acoustic mirror”. It’s intended to be used in a vertical configuration. As such, the speaker can be found near the bottom quarter of the mirror face.

Of course, the mirror can be used as a replacement for any current bathroom mirror. It’s available in four finishes (gold, chrome, matt black, and matt white). Custom colours are also available.

Pricing and availability have not been outlined by ICON.AI as of the time of writing.

Image credit: ICON.AI

Source: TechRadar

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung announces Odyssey Neo G8 4K monitor ahead of CES 2022

Days away from CES 2022, Samsung has announced the Odyssey Neo G8 4K curved monitor. The new display is a smaller, 32-inch version of the 49-inch Odyssey Neo G9 but retains that 1000R curvature.

Details of Samsung’s Odyssey Neo G8 have broken in the lead up to CES 2022 opening its doors on January 5. While maintaining a similar design philosophy as the G9, the Odyssey Neo G8 is said to provide 2,000 nits of peak brightness and quality display by utilizing a Quantum Mini-LED panel.

Additionally, the gaming monitor provides a boost in resolution from the G9. Samsung claims this is the first 4K monitor to provide 240Hz and a 1ms response time. The G9 provides the same refresh rate and response time. However, it runs on a WQHD panel, limiting the resolution. AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro and NVidia’s G-Sync offer similar support but this proves to be a significant innovative step from Samsung itself.

Having access to 240Hz should provide an exceptional gaming experience for players. A higher framerate provides smoother gameplay and reduces the chances of screen tearing, stuttering, or other visual setbacks. Of course, this requires the use of a PC powerful enough to run a 4K resolution at a high framerate.

Samsung has yet to provide specifics on pricing or even when we can expect the monitor to ship. The Odyssey Neo G9 is available in Canada for $1,999. This gives us a rough idea of how much the 32-inch display will cost.

Image credit: Samsung

Source: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s new monitor will reportedly cost less than the company’s usual display

Apple is working on a new external monitor rumored to cost half the price of the company’s professional display.

The news was outlined in the latest version of Mark Gurman’s newsletter, Power On (seen by 9to5Mac). The Bloomberg journalist said he’s “hoping” the monitor comes out this year.

Gurman wrote about the monitor in his December newsletter as well. He said the price drop could come from Apple reducing the screen’s brightness, and making the monitor itself “slightly smaller.”

Source: 9to5Mac

 

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Mobile Syrup

Apple AirPods Pro 2 believed to feature lossless audio support and a trackable charging case

Apple is reportedly well into development on its AirPods Pro 2 and a new report shines a light on what features to expect. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the AirPods Pro 2 will support Apple Lossless Audio Codec(ALAC) audio as well as a trackable charging case.

In Kuo’s latest note to investors, seen by MacRumors, it’s believed ALAC will make its way to the new AirPods Pro model. ALAC is a feature that has been sorely missing from the standard AirPods Pros.

Additionally, Kuo claims the AirPods Pro 2 would feature a trackable charging case. In the event that the device is lost, the user is said to be able to trigger a sound to emit from the device to help locate the case. It’s likely that this feature will work in tandem with Apple’s Find My app. A similar feature exists now, but the sound only emits from the individual AirPods.

ALAC supports up to eight channels of audio and uses half the storage space that uncompressed data would require. It also provides a listening experience that’s comparable to the original studio recording. For many audiophiles, lossless is preferred.

Currently, ALAC is supported on a multitude of Apple devices through Apple Music. These include Mac, HomePod, and Apple TV 4K. ALAC is also available on Android devices. However, Apple’s suite of AirPods, including the AirPods Max and Beats, all use Apple’s AAC Bluetooth Codec. Thus, AALC support on AirPods Pro 2 would be a major improvement over the Bluetooth connections. The current audio support provides excellent audio quality already. Though, those with a keen ear point out the difference and improvements ALAC brings.

AirPods Pro 2 is expected to launch sometime during the fourth quarter of 2022 and will feature a new design.

Source: MacRumors