Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung wants to copy-paste the human brain onto memory chips

Samsung has developed a new way of making computer memory chips by copy-pasting the structure of the human brain onto an electronic circuit.

This “copy-and-paste approach” maps out and measures the complicated network of interconnected synapses in our brains, and then replicates that neural map onto a “3D network of solid-state memory.”

That memory could range from “off-the-shelf flash storage” like SSD to “resistive RAM” (RRAM), according to a press release from the Korean company.

Rather than just drawing inspiration from a specific feature or function of the human brain, this new design method is neat because it “returns neuromorphic electronics to its original goal of reverse engineering the brain” as a whole, according to a scientific paper published in Nature Electronics.

However, as Engadget points out, even a huge multinational manufacturer like Samsung is still a ways away from developing a neuromorphic chip with the 100 trillion memory units required to accurately mimic the human brain’s 100 billion or so neurons.

Despite global shortages, Samsung’s chip production continues on.

The Seoul-based company is the rumoured producer of the Tensor chipset for Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones, and is reportedly working on a new self-driving chipset for Tesla.

Source: Engadget

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Mobile Syrup

Tbooth is currently offering double value for device trade-ins

Tbooth Wireless is currently offering a ‘Double Your Trade-in Value’ promotion where you can get up to $800 in credit for your old phone.

Shared by RedFlagDeals user ‘vado66,’ the deal is available in-store only and rewards you with up to $800 to spend in-store with an eligible two-year plan when you trade in an old device.

According to vado66, who traded in his old 64GB iPhone XS Max with a cracked back, “they gave me a $566 trade-in value + $200 on top.” vado66 opted for a new 128GB iPhone 12 and got an additional $66 off for making a $174 down payment. Further, Tbooth also waived off the $50 activation/service fee.

If we do the math, that’s $566 for the trade-in, an additional $200 credit courtesy of Tbooth and $66 off for making a down payment equals $832 slashed off vado66‘s new device’s cost. All that is left to pay is the device’s outstanding balance along with the monthly bill of whatever 24-month plan you opt for.

This is a solid deal for anyone looking to purchase a new iPhone 13 lineup device at a significantly lower cost.

Source: RedFlagDeals

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo Switch getting a six-button Sega Genesis controller, but only in Japan

Last week, Nintendo made the surprise announcement that Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games are coming to Switch Online as part of a new paid ‘Expansion Pack’ tier. Nintendo will also sell $64.99 N64 and Genesis controllers to use with these games.

Now, the company has revealed a special version of the Genesis controller that has six buttons instead of the usual three. However, it will only be offered in Japan, a Nintendo of America spokesperson confirmed to Polygon.

The spokesperson didn’t provide a specific reason for this exclusivity outside of a general “different regions make different decisions based on a variety of factors” statement. That said, the spokesperson did note that the three-button configuration was “by far the more widely used and well-known SEGA Genesis controller in these regions.”

Switch Online

As Polygon explains, this was certainly true. The six-button controller didn’t release until several years after the launch of the Genesis. It was introduced then in response to the increasing popularity of input-heavy arcade games like Street Fighter and Streets of Rage.

It’s important to note that while Nintendo Switch accessories are technically region-free, the company says it “cannot ensure compatibility between systems and accessories for all regions.” Therefore, you might want to keep that in mind if you’re thinking of importing the six-button gamepad or any other Japan-exclusive peripherals.

For now, though, the three-button controller and Switch Online Expansion Pack are set to launch sometime in October. Nintendo says specific pricing and release timing will be revealed at a later date.

Source: Polygon

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s iPhone 14 will reportedly feature a ‘complete redesign’

The iPhone 13 series is very similar to the iPhone 12 lineup in regarding its look and overall performance.

However, according to Bloomberg’s nearly always reliable Mark Gurman, that could change with next year’s iPhone 14. Gurman says that the iPhone 14 will feature a “complete redesign” and the first significant update to the smartphone’s look since 2017’s iPhone X.

You could also argue that, at least as far as design is concerned, the move from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 12 was substantial because of its squared-off sides and entirely redesigned cameras.

Beyond stating that the iPhone 14 will adopt an entirely new look, Gurman didn’t offer additional details regarding the iPhone 14’s redesign. However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently stated that Apple will ditch the display notch with its 2022 iPhone lineup, saying that the smartphone will feature a hole-punch front camera like most high-end Android smartphones.

Other recent rumours indicate Apple will likely drop the iPhone mini from its lineup in favour of a larger “regular” model alongside its “Pro” devices. We’ve also seen reports regarding an under-display Touch ID fingerprint sensor, though it’s unclear if this technology will make its way to Apple’s 2022 smartphone line or in future devices.

As always, approach these rumours with an air of skepticism. Apple’s iPhone 13 series only just released, and iPhone 14 devices are a year away, so the tech giant’s strategy regarding the smartphone line could easily shift in the coming months.

Source: Bloomberg Via: Engadget 

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Mobile Syrup

Apple reportedly told a union that it had under 20 million TV+ subs in July

Apple TV+ reportedly had under 20 million subscribers in July, according to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

While Apple has never publicly revealed TV+ subscriber details, the TV and movie workers union says it learned of this figure from Apple because it allowed the company to pay production crews lower than most streamers due to its comparatively lower subscriber count. For context, Netflix had 209 million subscribers and Disney+ had 116 million as of Q2 2021.

The IATSE is bringing this up because tens of thousands of its union members could walk off their job as part of a strike to increase wages. As CNBC notes, Apple paying its TV+ production crews discounted rates despite being the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company highlights some of the issues that the IATSE are speaking out against. CNBC reports that an Apple spokesperson declined to comment on TV+ subscribers but said the company’s rates are in line with leading streaming services.

Therefore, it’s unclear how the reported 20 million-odd subscriber count stacks up to Apple’s own internal projections for TV+. It’s also unknown how the release of notable programming like Ted Lasso Season 2 (July 23rd), The Morning Show Season 2 (September 17th) and Foundation (September 24th) may have contributed to Apple TV+ subscriber growth.

Image credit: Apple

Via: CNBC

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Mobile Syrup

Bell’s 30GB/$65 is a solid deal for current Bell internet customers

Bell is offering a 30GB unlimited data plan for $65 per month exclusively to Bell internet customers, according to RedFlagDeals user ‘Toronto Gamblers.’

Per the post, current Bell internet users can save up to $120 on a new phone for 24 months, with $5 bill credits per month and a 30GB plan for $65/month.

Regularly, Bell’s $30GB plan costs $80 per month, but with the new promotion, you only pay $65, saving you $15 per month, which totals to be $360 saved over the course of your two-year contract.

This is a solid deal if you’re looking to purchase a new smartphone, as you’ll automatically get a $120 discount along with a 30GB plan for $65 per month.

While the offer is not visible to me on Bell’s website, it might be because I don’t have a Bell internet connection. If you’re an existing Bell internet customer, log in to the website and head to the ‘Promotions‘ section or reach out to Bell to claim the offer.

Source: RedFlagDeals

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Mobile Syrup

Some iPad mini users notice ‘jelly scrolling’ display refresh rate issue

As Apple’s new iPad mini (2021) has started making its way into the hands of customers, it’s being met with some trepidation as select users report a weird refresh rate problem with its display.

The issue is only noticeable when the tablet is in portrait mode with the camera at the top of the device and on web pages with a lot of text. If you’ve lined up these variables and scroll quickly, you’ll notice that one side of the screen refreshes faster than the other, making it look like the text is slanted as you navigate down a page.

This has been noticeably captured by Dieter Bohn from The Verge on Twitter. While his example makes the problem look quite bad, I didn’t notice this in my time with an iPad mini. I will say that I primarily use the tablet in landscape mode, though. I’ll also mention that while I found it particularly noticeable when visiting The Verge and Polygon, I’m not entirely sure it’s happening on all sites. For example, CBC and MobileSyrup both didn’t seem to be affected by the jelly scrolling bug.

Still, this is a weird issue nonetheless, and a reader who contacted 9to5Mac even said that when they went to return their mini because they thought it was defective, they noticed that the display units all suffered the same problem. This suggests that all new Minis likely suffer the same issue.

What I find the most interesting is that people are noticing this more than the thin-feeling front glass panel. I noted in my review that when you press too hard on the screen, you see a considerable amount of LCD distortion. Even if you’re using the Apple Pencil in apps that support pressure sensitivity, I find that to hit max pressure, you need to push down on the screen hard enough to distort it.

It’s unclear if the refresh rate issue can be fixed through a software update or if it’s a hardware issue.

Source: @backlon, 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

iPhone 13 Pro teardown reveals how Apple achieved a 20 percent smaller notch

iFixit is back with another teardown, and this time, they’ve disassembled an iPhone 13 Pro.

Similar to previous iterations, iFixit says the iPhone 13 Pro is adhesive-sealed and has display wires positioned on the left side of the chassis. But most importantly, this year’s Pro flagship has an L-shaped battery with a capacity of precisely 3,095mAh.

Compared to last year’s iPhone 12 Pro’s 2,815mAh battery, this is a significant gain and allows the new device to last about 1.5 hours longer on a single charge, even while boasting more battery demanding features, including a 120Hz refresh rate display. Further, switching out the battery will no longer result in your phone getting blocked. However, you’ll still be greeted with a warning message, but the iPhone 13 Pro will continue to operate normally.

Other internal components have been reorganized to save space too. For example, according to iFixit, the Face ID flood illuminator and dot projector have been consolidated into a single module, allowing Apple to make the notch on the iPhone 13 Pro 20 percent smaller than on the iPhone 12 Pro.

iFixit also reports that the triple-camera array on the rear of the iPhone 13 Pro is larger than that of the iPhone 12 Pro, likely to account for a larger and better wide-angle shooter and a new telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

iFixit‘s teardown of the iPhone 13 Pro hasn’t concluded yet, and part two with more information is expected to be coming soon. Learn more about the iPhone 13 Pro teardown here.

Image credit: iFixit

Source: iFixit

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Mobile Syrup

Apple says iPhone 13 ‘Unlock with Apple Watch’ fix is coming soon

After several reports, Apple finally confirmed that ‘Unlock with Apple Watch’ doesn’t work with the iPhone 13 series through an updated support document.

However, the tech giant says that a fix is coming in an upcoming update. The support document update reads as follow:

“Apple has identified an issue where Unlock with Apple Watch may not work with iPhone 13 devices. You might see “Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch” if you try to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask, or you might not be able to set up Unlock with Apple Watch.

This issue will be fixed in an upcoming software update. Until the update is available, you can turn off Unlock with Apple Watch and use your passcode to unlock your iPhone 13.

To turn off Unlock with Apple Watch, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode.”

Until the update drops, Apple says that iPhone 13 users should turn off the ‘Unlock with Apple Watch’ feature and use a passcode to unlock the smartphone. You can find this under the Apple Watch settings and then ‘Face ID & Passcode.’

While a minor issue, it seems strange that Apple wouldn’t be aware of this problem before releasing the iPhone 13 series, especially given how useful it’s been amid the pandemic and face mask mandates.

Given Apple’s track record for quickly fixing issues, an update to solve the Unlock with Apple Watch problem will likely drop shortly.

Source: Apple Via: MacRumors 

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Mobile Syrup

Apple could make landscape the default for iPad, move selfie camera

Apple could soon move the front-facing camera in iPads to work better in landscape.

The news comes from leaker Dylan (@dylandkt), who has previously shared leaks about upcoming MacBooks. In a recent tweet, Dylan claims that future iPad Pro models “will feature a horizontal camera placement and a horizontally placed Apple logo on the back.”

Dylan also indicated Apple will make landscape mode the ‘default’ for iPad Pros but notes they haven’t confirmed if the changes will be ready for the next generation of iPad Pro.

Although it may seem like a small change, moving the camera could have significant benefits for users. Currently, iPads have the selfie camera on one of the narrow sides — the ‘top’ when you hold the tablet in portrait mode. But as Apple adds and expands on iPad capabilities, it encourages people to use the iPad in landscape mode.

A prime example? The absurdly expensive Magic Keyboard accessory effectively turns the iPad Pro into a laptop. Plus, it forces people to use the iPad in landscape mode.

It’s not really an issue until someone tries to join a video call. Having the camera on the left or right side (depending on how people orient the iPad in landscape) can be confusing, and often people just don’t know where to look. Features like ‘Center Stage’ can help, but ultimately, moving the camera to the long side of the tablet and conditioning people to use the iPad in landscape mode would go a long way to addressing the problem.

Or, you know, Apple could add a small LED light next to the camera so people know where to look. But maybe that’s asking too much.

Source: Dylan (Twitter) Via: Gizmodo