Microsoft’s cloud-based desktop device functions like a thin client PC, designed to connect a user to the cloud server and allow them access to Windows 11. Most of our photos, documents, and other data reside in the abstract “cloud” today anyway, so it’s not a stretch for users to consider shifting their operating system there as well.

Image: Windows 365 Link

Secure by Design—Windows 365 Link Release Announced by Microsoft

The recent Microsoft Ignite 2024 event that took place on November 19 had a score of announcements that made their way to users. The Copilot AI was central to the discussion and so was Microsoft’s emphasis on security, but we did see a few other announcements like the Windows 356 Link release that caught our eye. 

Microsoft’s cloud-based desktop device is essentially a mini PC that can be connected to monitors, keyboards, and other peripherals to create a desktop experience, all while the operating system works from cloud-based servers that don’t require any local storage or loading. It is the “first cloud PC device for Windows 365” and it’s designed with all of Microsoft’s security features automatically enabled.

Microsoft Windows 365 Link Cloud PC Specifications

The new mini PC is 1.18 inches in height and measures 4.72 by 4.72 inches. It has three USB-A 3.2 ports, one USB-C 3.2 port, one HDMI port and DisplayPort, an ethernet port, a Kensington lock port, and a port for the power cord. Interestingly, it also accommodates a 3.5mm headphone jack and supports Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.

There’s no cooling fan to regulate the heat but it doesn’t seem that Microsoft thinks the mini PC will heat up to the point where it needs one. 

Microsoft Prioritizes Security with the Mini Cloud PC

To use Windows 365 Link, organizations must be using Windows 365 with Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Entra ID and should meet the existing Windows 365 requirements first. With support for passwordless authentication using Microsoft Entra ID, it’s a noteworthy investment for businesses with a vast network of workers.

“Windows 365 Link also provides passwordless authentication using Microsoft Entra ID. This enables users to sign in with multifactor authentication using the Microsoft Authenticator app, a cross-device passkey using a QR code, or a FIDO USB security key.”

The device’s “locked-down operating system” has no local information storage and no local admin users, which reduces the access points for someone trying to attack the system. The lack of any local capabilities is also a problem as it requires an active internet connection at all times in order to access the cloud but if you can guarantee that, you should have nothing to worry about. 

Microsoft Windows 365 Link Pricing and Availability

Microsoft’s cloud-based desktop device is priced at $349, which is more affordable than the Apple M4 Mac Mini at $599. The Windows 365 Link release is scheduled for early next year, in April 2025. 

The company has a preview program available for those who want to try out the device but they need to join the program by December 15, 2024. The preview is also limited to the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, so if you live outside these regions, you’ll have to wait for the official release and see if the company releases the Windows 365 Link in your region as well. 

For organizations that want to upgrade their systems and set up a more secure operation for the many company secrets, then the Windows 365 Link release should be one to look forward to or even preview right now. 

The post Need A Mini Cloud PC? Keep Your Eyes on the Windows 365 Link Release appeared first on Technowize.

Apple’s transition from lightning devices to USB-C has not been smooth. Apple’s online store in the U.S. and several other countries has already listed the lightning to 3.5mm headphone adapter as “sold out.” Some countries still have the headphone adapter available in online stores, which will not be replenished once it runs out of stock.

Image – USB-C Adapter

The Fall of the Lightning to 3.5 mm Adapter – End of an Era

In 2012, the first Lightning connector was revealed alongside the iPhone 5, replacing the former proprietary charger, the bulky and prone-to-failure 30-pin connector. Lightning was much smaller allowing more space for other components inside the smartphone. For the first time, the charger was reversible, it would fit both ways.

All the Lightning connectors had small Apple chips, to regulate the voltage, which was done to improve safety.  The company has also made money by charging third-party accessory makers to use the Lightning port through its “Made for iPhone” program. It’s clear why they would want to keep the Lightning standard around for as long as they can.

Introducing the iPhone USB-C Adapter

In 2018, Apple moved to a USB-C adapter, revealing it with iPad Pro for the first time. The release was followed by iPad Air in 2020 and iPad Mini in 2021. Later on, Apple moved their iPhones to the USB-C port not sure if the company was planning it or it was because of the European Union stepping in and passing a law in 2022 that states, phones, cameras, and tablets sold in the region must necessarily have a USB-C port. Apple agreed to follow the rule, but complained that such strict regulations “stifle innovation.”

In September, Apple moved the Airpod family to the USB-C. Last month, the company transitioned all the Mac devices and accessories to the USB-C adapter including magic trackpad, magic keyboard, and magic mouse. 

Although the end of the Lightning era is inevitable, how smoothly this transition unfolds for consumers and accessory makers remains to be seen. One thing is clear, Apple’s embrace of USB-C represents a step toward unifying charging and accessory standards, paving the way for a more streamlined future across its entire product lineup.

The post Apple Phases Out of Lightning Connector Switches to USB-C Adapter appeared first on Technowize.

As per the reports, Apple is planning to ditch the home button for the Face ID similar to other recent models. With all the new features packed in, the fourth generation of the SE series is expected to be expensive. The iPhone SE series, which used to start at $429, will now range between $459 and $499 for the iPhone SE 4.

Image: The older Apple iPhone SE model is going away with a whole new design aesthetic expected for the upcoming model.

What is 5G Modem Mentioned in the iPhone SE 4 Rumors?

Since 2019, Apple has been trying to dispose of Qualcomm’s modems but the different prototypes built by the company failed to perform. After all the failed attempts, Apple is now finally ready to introduce its first 5G modem to its users. This is one of the major highlights of the iPhone SE 4.

This 5G modem is expected to handle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS and to improve the integration between the hardware and software of the iPhone. In addition to operational benefits, Apple is expected to see extensive financial profit by using its own 5G modem. 

Inside the iPhone SE 4’s Unique Features

Apple is planning to give a new look to the upcoming generation of the iPhone SE. The new model will look similar to the iPhone 14 while earlier models had the look of the iPhone 8. According to sources, the SE 4 will have a display size and resolution similar to the iPhone 14, including flat sides, an OLED panel, and a notch on the top. The display size of the model is expected to be 6.1 inches.

New exclusive renders for the upcoming iPhone SE 4

• New design
• OLED display
• Action button
• USB-C
• Larger battery

This phone looks like it’s going to be pretty great, especially for the price! pic.twitter.com/tl9ZWDPTAq

— Shea (@concept_central) November 14, 2023

With the introduction of the Face ID, Apple is putting an end to the home button and Touch ID in this series. The company wants to add Apple Intelligence features to the new model and to ensure compatibility, the SE 4 will use the A18 chips. A similar variant of the SoC used in iPhone 16 will be used in the upcoming model, with a 5-core GPU to make it more effective.

The brand has always received mixed reviews for its chargers and their efficiency. This time, Apple is expected to include a USB-C port in the iPhone SE 4 instead of the lightning port that Apple used to be known for.

The camera will have a 48-megapixel lens similar to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, but there will be a single lens instead of a dual-lens camera to cut the costs. For the first time in the SE series, Apple is expected to add a multi-functionality Action button instead of the basic mute button, a detail that was earlier introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro model.

With several new features on display, Apple is set to surprise its users with the upcoming model of the iPhone SE by early 2025.

The post iPhone SE 4 Rumors Suggest We’re Going to be Greeted by an A18 Chip appeared first on Technowize.

Image: AirPods Pro 2

Apple’s Hearing Aid AirPods Could Be a Big Step Forward For Its Customer

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 aims to be an essential assistant in assessing and supporting a user’s hearing health. Those with mild to moderate hearing issues will be able to use the audio device to enhance their hearing and make it through their daily routines with greater ease. 

The application is expected to include a clinically validated hearing test which will allow users to customize the details of their listening preferences. The 5-minute hearing test via the app on the iPhone will allow users to complete a quick check-up to determine the nature of their hearing and the kind of support they need for it to improve. Customization options can include tone, volume, and balance settings that will allow audio that is channeled through the device to be audible to the user.

The AirPods Pro 2 hearing features will also include hearing protection for those who need safeguards against loud noise in their environment that needs to be filtered out for their comfort. These elements combined could benefit those with a wide range of hearing conditions that they might not otherwise think to seek help for considering the expense of investing in hearing aids.

The FDA has approved the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds and its Hearing Aid Feature (HAF) and these capabilities will likely arrive with an iOS 18 software upgrade in October. Other compatible AirPod devices could also see the hearing aid functionality when paired with an iOS 18-compatible iPhone or iPad, but attention has been focused on the Pro 2.

Why is the Apple AirPods Pro 2’s Hearing Health Feature a Big Deal?

Over the last two years, the FDA has allowed for the proliferation of Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids that are available at much more reasonable prices for the millions of adults in the U.S. with hearing issues. According to the FDA, “close to 30 million adults living in the U.S. have some degree of hearing loss” and only about one-fifth of those who could benefit from hearing aids actually seek intervention. 

“Using hearing aids may reduce the frequency or severity of cognitive decline, depression, and other health problems in adults. Added benefits can include improved social participation and a better quality of life.”

—FDA

These over-the-counter hearing aids were approved to make them more accessible to a larger number of users who can use air-conduction technology rather than any surgical implantation. This makes them more affordable and allows software customization to perfect its functionality for each individual user. 

Similar to these OTC hearing aids, the AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid will allow adults in the U.S. to seek auditory support at a more nominal cost without the pressure of seeking surgical support. The $249 USD price tag may be high for a simple pair of earbuds, but with such enhanced capabilities, they could be life-changing for its users. The AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid update has stolen some of the attention from the AirPods 4 and the AirPods Max, but those devices have their own functionalities and uses apart from the AirPods Pro 2’s hearing features.

The post Tech That Takes Us Forward: AirPods Pro 2 Will Double as Hearing Aids appeared first on Technowize.

The PlayStation 5 Pro graphics card is expected to see 67% more Compute Units than the older model, which should guarantee a smoother viewing experience for its user. With artificial intelligence to back up its functionality, the PlayStation 5 Pro specs are set to be impressive. But are they impressive enough to demand such a high price? Many users are doubtful.

Image: PlayStation 5 Pro

PlayStation 5 Pro Launch Confirmed—Get Set For a Gaming Behemoth 

The PS5 Pro has a release date set for November 7, 2024, and Sony guarantees that this will be the “most visually impressive way to play games on PlayStation.” Preorders for the device will open on September 26, 2024, directly on the PlayStation website and a few other participating retailers. 

If you prefer buying from third-party websites, then on October 10, 2024, more participating retailers will begin accepting orders. Sony has priced the PS5 Pro at $699 USD, but that’s a significant leap from the previous device. The PS5 was priced at $499.99 USD with the Digital edition available at $399.99 USD.

So What Can $699 Get You? Let’s Take a Look at the PlayStation 5 Pro Specs

The PlayStation 5 Pro launch was led by Mark Cerny who took us through the technical presentation slowly in an attempt to get us to fully understand the features of the new device. The PlayStation 5 Pro’s graphic support is its main selling point, however, it’s a little hard to show us how good the visuals are when we see them through our own low-quality mobile screens. The emphasis on the PlayStation 5 Pro specs was also derailed a little by the announcement of the price, but there’s no denying that the device has some interesting capabilities.

The PS5 Pro has an upgraded GPU architecture that features 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory. This should provide 45% faster rendering of games for players, eliminating any lags and processing delays. The hardware accelerated ray tracing “allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.” The AI-driven upscaling through the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution can further guarantee sharp and detailed images every time. 

Official comparisons of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro. #PS5Pro patch releases November 7 for #SpiderMan2PS5 pic.twitter.com/ol4iY4YAqf

— Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ??? Countdown – Fan Page (@SpiderManCD) September 12, 2024

There is also a Game Boost feature coming with the PlayStation 5 Pro launch which can ensure backward compatibility with more than 8500 PS4 titles, enhancing them to match up to the new console. Regions that support Wi-Fi 7 will be able to access it through the console and VRR and 8K gaming are also supported. 

Games like Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Hogwarts Legacy, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and many other titles are being enhanced to match up to the PS5 Pro. You can identify these games through a “PS5 Pro Enhanced label,” allowing you to re-experience your favorite titles in high definition. As a freebie, Astro’s Playroom will come preinstalled on every console to get gamers started with their catalog. 

The PlayStation 5 Pro specs mentioned also highlight a 2TB Solid State Drive and a familiar DualSense wireless controller. The PS5 Pro is also a disc-less console which means that if you want to upgrade to a console with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive, you have to be willing to purchase it separately. If you want your console to stand upright, you also need to go ahead and purchase a stand for it. It’s a lot of money for a digital-centered console. 

Image: The promise of high-quality visuals is exceedingly tempting.

Will the PlayStation 5 Pro Release Revive Sony’s Consoles?

The PlayStation 5 Pro specs are impressive, we won’t deny that particular detail, but the global console sales numbers are already declining. Last month, the company reported that they sold 2.4 million units of the older PS5 console in the fiscal first quarter. Compare that to the 3.3 million units that were sold during the same period in the previous year and you have an extremely big difference in the numbers.

The upgraded graphics on the PlayStation 5 Pro could attract a large number of buyers but there’s no guarantee that it will allow console sales to pick back up. The faster rendering could improve the gaming experience but for an average player, the difference may not be substantial enough to warrant replacing their old consoles with the new, more expensive one. Sure, PC gamers may spend a lot of time and money on customizing and creating a PC of this caliber but those gamers aren’t likely to be the target audience for this console anyway.

Especially considering the limited handful of existing games that are being upgraded to make full use of the console’s capabilities, there isn’t much “new” content or experience to look forward to. The design of the device has not changed substantially either, so if you’re a fan of consistency, you’ll be happy to see the uniformity, but otherwise, the lack of a design might be a mood killer. 

The console wasn’t meant to define a new generation of devices so the upgrades were never going to be monumental. However, it does prompt many to wonder whether the mid-gen gadget is worth an investment. 

It is unlikely that the PS5 Pro sales will be able to outrun the sales of the PS5 but perhaps the console will review interest in both the old and new consoles and allow Sony to get back on track with its sales. 

The post The PlayStation 5 Pro Launch Is a Tad but Underwhelming appeared first on Technowize.

As it turns out, Huawei knew exactly how to make it work, with the Mate XT dual hinge design now on display. The company’s decision to schedule the event mere hours after Apple’s iPhone launch was just as audacious as the Huawei tri-fold gadget’s release price.

Huawei Tri-Fold Smartphone Released—3.6 Million Pre-orders and Counting

The Huawei Mate XT was announced on September 10, only a few hours after Apple unveiled its iPhone 16 series. The Apple event was announced much earlier but Huawei wasn’t threatened by competition, choosing to instead steal the Cupertino company’s thunder for itself. As many outlets have suggested, the decision to schedule the event so close to Apple’s was likely intentional, designed as a way to taunt the U.S. for banning the Chinese brand from entering its market.

Citing security and privacy concerns Huawei’s networking equipment was first restricted in the U.S. around 2012, and in 2019, the ban was expanded and formalized, disallowing the company from selling in U.S. markets. The U.S. government is now looking into a ban on China-made electric vehicles for similar reasons but the competition created by these products is just as big of a reason to restrict these devices as the concerns surrounding security. 

Huawei’s newly released tri-fold smartphone features a dual-hinge system, where three screens can be unfolded to leave you with a 10.2-inch 3K display. A user can choose to use a single panel for regular use, just as you can use the outer screen on the Google Pixel 9 Fold. For a wider screen, the device can be unfolded once to reveal a 7.9-inch two-panel screen, or you can go all out to experience the 10-2-inch tablet-like marvel.

Today we bring you a product that everyone can think of but could not make. Our team has been working hard for five years and has never given up.

—Huawei Executive Director Richard Yu 

What’s also interesting is that the Huawei foldable is a $2800 USD phone. Technically the device will not see a U.S. release anytime soon so there’s no use checking the price in dollars—the phone is 19,999 yuan in China.

The Mate XT’s Ultimate Design

The Huawei tri-fold smartphone that was just released is magnificent to look at, with its leather texture back panel and the gold and black hinges and outer edges. The logo plate looks a little jarring on the back of the device but it’s designed to match the hinge well enough. Available in two colors—red and black—the Mate XT’s design is classy and chic. 

Supposedly, Huawei’s Tiangong hinge system is the first to successfully optimize the internal and external screen bends which makes the three-panel system possible. This is obviously the highlight of Huawei’s foldable $2800 phone, but it has other strengths as well.

The device also flaunts some of its optimization of the HarmonyOS and the Pangu large model technology, to support AI functionalities. From AI photo editing to AI transitions, the device doesn’t shy away from embracing the trendy tools that we’re coming to expect from the latest generation of smartphones. The device has 16 GB RAM and starts with 256GB storage, although that can be increased if you’re willing to pay more. 

The Mate XT has a 5,600 mAh battery and support for wireless charging. One disappointing element is its simplistic camera setup. There’s a 50 MP ultra-wide lens, a 12 MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP periscope telephoto camera. The 8 MP front camera feels extremely silly for a smartphone at this price.

Huawei Mate XT Tri-Fold Price

The Huawei tri-fold smartphone’s pricing strategy is quite extreme even if you take the investment into the hinged system into consideration. At this price, you could easily buy two PCs or multiple iPhones instead. The smartphone is a luxury item, an art piece, and a statement against the Western powers. All three reasons combined were probably the reasons for the over 3.6 million pre-orders in China, and this was before the Huawei Mate XT price was even revealed. 

More buyers could be expected to sign up for the phone but we wonder how many will cancel their preorders if they still can. The Huawei foldable phone’s $2800 USD price is much higher than we had expected and this might be true for at least some of the buyers.

Final Thoughts on the $2800 Foldable Huawei Phone

Smartphones are just as much a status symbol as they are a communication device. The more expensive a smartphone is, the smaller its customer base becomes but this works in favor of the device rather than against it. iPhones manage to enjoy the best of both worlds, commonly perceived as a premium purchase while also widely used by a large number of users across the globe. While its exorbitant pricing has occasionally worked against it, for example with the Apple Vision Pro, most often, the company is able to see its products gain significant popularity.

Alternate brands like Xiaomi and Huawei may not seem as popular at first glance, but these companies have products that sell just as quickly. China is a huge market for technology, and while the residents used to be big buyers of tech from outside, local brands are now dominating the conversation. 

Apple doesn’t have a foldable smartphone yet so it already falls behind Huawei in this segment but other foldable phones have been seeing some tough competition from the Chinese brand. Earlier this year, much before the Huawei Mate XT was in the picture, the company managed to outclass Samsung in the folding phone segment. With big bets like Huawei’s current tri-fold smartphone release, finding success will only become more likely.

How will the device hold up to use? Will the tri-fold hinge be convenient to use without unexpectedly folding? How long will it take for the screen to show creases, especially on the side that is exposed to the outside? What’s next, five folds? Is the “fold-pocalypse” upon us? The questions are stacking up but we’ll have to see how the device holds up over time and how competitors respond next.

The post Huawei Releases its Tri-Fold Smartphone With Some Luxury Folded In appeared first on Technowize.

Image: Apple’s Guided Tour of iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro

Rumored iPhone 17 Slim Specs Take on a New Shape

All the details we know about the iPhone 17 Slim come largely from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, an expert in the field who’s known to get things right. According to him, the iPhone Plus only contributes to around 5-10 percent of the company’s smartphone shipments, which doesn’t give them sufficient reason to keep working on the devices that its customer base does not want. This has potentially led them to graduate away from the Plus line of devices. 

The Apple Vision Pro headsets haven’t been selling too well either but while they aren’t dropping that particular product entirely, there are rumors of a cheaper version of devices. In this case, contrary to expectations, the iPhone 17 Slim may not be cheaper. Before we get into that aspect of the device, let’s understand the iPhone 17 Slim features. 

The main selling point of the devices is that they’re going to be thin. Beyond that, the device should feature a 6.6-inch screen with a 1260×2740 resolution OLED display that will make it slightly smaller than the current iPhone 15 Plus. A titanium frame can be expected although it may not be as sturdy as the current Pro devices. The Information suggests the device will have an aluminum chassis, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes a titanium frame will make an appearance, albeit with a lower percentage of titanium than the current iPhones.

Internal Upgrades on the iPhone 17 Slim 

With Apple’s first 5G chip to make a debut, the iPhone 17 Slim specs also mention an A19 SoC similar to that on the iPhone 17 Pro but not as advanced. Apple Intelligence should most likely feature in all of the company’s products going forward, and the iPhone 17 Slim will be no different, but again, we cannot guarantee it’ll be capable of everything that the Pro model features. 

These details add to the confusion around the device as many expect the iPhone 17 Slim will be the most premium model, making it the most expensive of the bunch. Something just isn’t adding up. Maybe there’s a switch to a solid-state battery or some other internal specs that we haven’t picked up on yet.

iPhone 17 Slim Camera Details

Apple enthusiasts who believe in the supremacy of the iPhone camera might be disappointed to find the device with only one rear camera, but we’re certain the company won’t entirely compromise on its quality. The device is expected to have a single wide-angle rear lens after doing away with the secondary ultra-wide lens, a detail that makes sense considering the device’s ambitions to cut down on size. 

However, according to MacRumors, the camera setup might have multiple rear cameras that will be relocated to the “top center” of the device. This shift feels almost too jarring on an iPhone. Change is good though, and we’re interested to see if the company does experiment with this form factor.

It should be easier to fit a single camera in there and we’re always willing to accept a single lens that does its job well rather than the unnecessary 2MP camera that smartphone makers throw in there just to say the camera setup is elaborate. Quality over quantity, we always say. The iPhone 17 Slim may also feature a 24MP front camera with a six-element lens. For comparison, the iPhone 15 has a 12MP front camera with five plastic lens elements.

The iPhone Slim Features Aren’t Convincing Enough Yet

All this talk of the iPhone 17 is making us forget that the iPhone 16 hasn’t been released yet. We might be asking for too many details too soon in Apple’s slim iPhone strategy considering we’re only just getting set for an iPhone 16 release this September. The iPhone 17 Slim specs will become clearer closer to September 2025, which is when the phone should be released. Rumors about a potential Apple flip phone also keep circulating on and off, but it’s unlikely that we’ll see any concrete evidence of it this year.

Conceptually, the iPhone 17 Slim specs sound okay, but if the company is planning to price it higher than the iPhone Pro Max, there has to be a greater appeal to it other than just a skinnier device. If the computing power, memory, and battery life remain unchanged, at least the camera module and Apple Intelligence features will have to be out of this world to push more buyers to open up their wallets.

The shaky performance of the Vision Pro headset is enough to indicate that a classy design isn’t everything, and even those loyal to the brand identity have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to expensive purchases. Despite our conviction, however, Apple’s minimalistic aesthetic could unexpectedly turn things around and find a consumer base that is satisfied with the thin form and upgraded design being the only major change.

The advertising for the company’s thinnest iPad Pro model ever went dramatically wrong, so when they do finally release the iPhone 17 Slim, their marketing strategy is going to be just as closely watched as the device itself.

The post The Predictions Are Pouring in Regarding the iPhone 17 Slim Specs appeared first on Technowize.

Now we have more details about the Galaxy Ring specs and pricing so you should get a better idea of whether it is worth the investment for you.

Image: The new Samsung Galaxy Ring

Samsung Ring Review—What Does a Smart Ring Even Do?

The concept of smart rings has blown up in the last few years but we still have only a handful of brands making them and just as small of a percentage of the population putting them to use. The Samsung Galaxy Ring, like others in the category, is a health and fitness tracker. It’s designed to be the next iteration of the smartwatch, equipped to use mini sensors to test functions like heart rates, daily movement, and other health-related details. 

For those who don’t find a watch comfortable to wear or prefer to wear old-school watches that are less bulky, smart rings can be a good alternative to still have access to fitness and sleep reports. These rings are designed to be much more discreet because they lack giant touch screens and they’re significantly more stylish than a watch. Case in point, we have the simple and sleek metal-toned Samsung Rings awaiting a review.

Galaxy Ring Specs—What Kind of Parameters Are We Looking At?

Samsung made quite a few announcements for its wearable fitness tracker category during the recent event including a new Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra, but we’re here to focus on their smart ring. The Galaxy Ring is lightweight, ranging between 2.3 grams to 3.0 grams, and users can find their perfect fit using the sizing kit before they receive the product, so the variety in sizing is great. 

The device comes in three colors, Titanium Black, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gold, and if it wasn’t obvious, the Galaxy Ring features a “Titanium” Grade 5 finish. 

Is the Battery Life on the Galaxy Ring Good?

A 7-day battery on the device is quite impressive but this number is reserved for the larger ring sizes. The smaller rings have a smaller battery which means its ability to charge up is also lower, but we’re not exactly sure just how much lower it is. It helps that the charging case also doubles up as a backup battery reserve. The case is simply designed and comes with a cover so you can pack up your ring and carry it on the go. Its battery life is probably one of most interesting as well as ambiguous things we’ve had to note in this Samsung Ring review.

Is the Galaxy Ring Water Resistant?

The device has a 10 ATM and IP68 rating. These Galaxy Ring specs mean the ring is water-resistant—it has a resistance rating of 100 meters and can be submerged in 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. You could swim wearing the ring but high-pressure water activities are best avoided. 

Galaxy Ring Features—Reviewing Its Actual Functionality

Smart rings are significantly smaller than a smartwatch or a smartphone—there are only so many sensors you can cram into the space available. As such, the smart ring has the most basic measurement capabilities you need to track the essentials. Sleep tracking is a major selling point of the ring and it records a few different metrics to assess the quality of your sleep.

The Galaxy Ring features support for an Energy Score on the Samsung Health app which uses the assistance of AI to consolidate four major details—sleep score, activity, sleeping heart rate, and sleeping heart rate variability. This energy factor is a great way to assess how much energy you have for your day-to-day routine and where you can stand to make improvements. 

The Samsung Ring’s list of features also includes menstrual cycle tracking powered by Natural Cycles, and the actual measuring is done through overnight skin temperature monitoring. Lastly, the watch has a few key alerts it can provide such as a Heart rate alert or an inactive alert. The ring won’t notify you on its own like a watch does, but you can receive the alerts on your phone. 

Does the Galaxy Ring Have Gesture Support?

If you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone running One UI 6.1.1 or anything above it, you do have some limited gesture support available. This means one of the Samsung Galaxy S24s or the Galaxy Z Fold 5s will serve you well, but older models, for example those that came after the Galaxy Z Flip 3, should also serve you well. 

With a double pinch gesture, you can control your phone camera and take a picture or dismiss an alarm that comes up. This means you can tell your alarms to pipe down without even opening your eyes in the morning—a dangerous power to leave on many of our fingers. The gesture support is quite limited compared to what we expected and is one of the more disappointing elements we’ve had to note for the Samsung Ring review. 

Rumors of the Apple Ring expect the device will be capable of much more, but that particular gadget is still a distant dream. 

The Galaxy Ring Price Might Cause You To Hesitate—No Subscription Plans for Now

The Galaxy Ring is priced at $399 USD. For comparison, the Oura Ring starts at $299 USD, the Ultrahuman Ring Air costs $349 USD, and the Amazfit Helio Ring is priced at $299.99 USD. Despite having cheaper alternatives on the market, one reason why the Galaxy Ring could be more affordable for you compared to the popular Oura Ring is that the Oura has a subscription plan for which you need to be ready to pay $5.99 USD every month or $69.99 USD every year. T

he Galaxy Ring has no subscription plans although the rumors had suggested it would. The Oura Ring does not make it necessary for you to have a Samsung device to experience all its features though, so that might factor into your decision.

Final Verdict On the Samsung Galaxy Ring

To summarize all our thoughts on this Samsung Ring review, we like what we see and Samsung has introduced a decent ring to the market. It isn’t doing anything revolutionary that other rings are capable of doing, but it’s not a bad ring. Especially if you’re a Samsung smartphone user already, it’s a great buy. If you use a Galaxy Watch that does your tracking but you don’t like having it on all the time, the ring can give you a good way to switch between devices that suit the occasion. 

We can imagine the convenience of having the ring on while sleeping and dressing up for occasions where the watch ruins the outfit. And then when you need more intensive exercise tracking, the watch can step in. If this sounds excessive to you, you’re right, it is. You don’t need two separate health trackers to remind you that you’ve been sitting too long at your 9-to-5 every day.

Still, it’s always good to have the option for those who do want a comprehensive setup of fitness devices and the Galaxy Ring features do just enough to be worth the investment.

The post Samsung Ring Review—Do We Finally Have One Ring to Rule Them All? appeared first on Technowize.

Sony’s decision to stop Blu-ray production for these particular use cases comes as a result of a weak market and the product’s failure to meet business targets. Despite the unfortunate news, we can’t fault them for it considering they might be running into serious losses with this product line. The good news is that while these recordable Blu-rays are being discontinued, their other disc production endeavors will continue on uninterrupted, so you don’t have to begin mourning the death of physical media just yet.

Image: Pexels

Sony’s Blu-ray Production for Consumer Markets to Start Winding Down

Sony’s decision to halt the production of “recordable optical disc media” was first circulated as rumors, but the company confirmed that their “storage media business has continued to be in the red” prompting them to take this step. We don’t have an exact date for when the recordable Blu-rays will be discontinued, but the company should be working on planning out their last batches soon. 

The available stock will still be on sale so if you use these recordable discs, you don’t have to panic yet. However, stocking up and looking for an alternative might also be in your best interest. Sony has had a long history of being the biggest innovator in the category, but companies like Ritek, HP, and Verbatim might have some options for you.

Obviously, the end of Sony Blu-ray that’s being reported doesn’t include all forms of physical disks, but as things stand, it could happen over the next few years. Sony is stopping Blu-ray production for specific products that are produced at its Tagajo City plants in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Discs for the PlayStation and Xbox, for example, are produced separately at DADC (Digital Audio Disc Corporation) facilities and will continue to be around for a little longer.

Good news for physical media lovers! Sony won’t phase out Blu-ray movie and game discs, just stopping production on consumer BD-R. Time to dust off that ol’ DVD collection and celebrate! #BluRay #PhysicalMedia #Sony #MovieNight

https://t.co/HzOzZxby9s

— Today in Brief (@Today_in_Brief) July 3, 2024

Is It a Big Deal That Sony Is Stopping Blu-Ray Production for Recordable Discs?

Over the last few years, the shift to digital media has been promoted by the popularity of streaming platforms that have stolen the joy of buying movie CDs and online game stores that have forced consumers to buy all their games online. Games getting a physical release is now seen as a big deal when a decade ago, it would be a foregone conclusion. 

The general public has grown more comfortable with owning digital content only, which makes producing physical storage a dying business. Again, only recordable Blu-rays are being discontinued so movies and video games are not being affected, but these forms of media have set the trend for what consumers are familiar with.

Sony’s own digital shift has been noted with their consoles skipping on a disc drive with the PS5 Slim and even the Xbox One S/X and the Xbox Series X have moved away from the integration. We are actively witnessing the shift away from physical media records.

The growth of unlimited cloud storage has also prompted many to switch over from recording information on physical discs to uploading everything to the internet. It’s more convenient and requires less physical space.

When people do record their personal documents on physical storage devices, hard drives, and SSDs have a much greater potential to help out. Laptops no longer come with a disc drive and the newer generations have never even seen a CD or DVD in real life, so burning content onto discs is truly a lost art. 

Still, when it comes to movies on Blu-ray, there’s still a sufficient demand for discs so the physical format is not going anywhere, anytime soon.

Image: Pexels

Will These Recordable Blu-Rays Ever Make a Comeback?

Vinyl records are making a comeback and so are brick phones. Tapes are still used for backing up data at many organizations, providing an affordable and reliable record of information for those who don’t solely want to rely on the cloud. With the circular nature of trends, many pieces of technology from the past are making a comeback but this doesn’t necessarily apply to all technology. 

It’s possible that we will see a resurgence of Blu-ray tech someday, but even if that does happen, the collectors market will grow and Ultra HD Blu-rays for movies will probably get some attention—not the ones being terminated by Sony Blu-ray production services right now.

The discontinuation of recordable Blu-rays is a predictable progression of tech as these discs have limited storage space and are not as reliable as other storage options. Once Sony’s writable Blu-rays end their support for consumers, competitors do have the option of taking over and popularizing it in their stead, however, it is unlikely that anyone will find it profitable enough to step in.

When Sony stops writable Blu-rays from entering the market, only a small section of the population will be affected, but it is indicative of where the culling of physical storage is headed next.

The post The End of an Era—Sony to Stop Recordable Blu-Ray Production appeared first on Technowize.

Details of the Nothing CMF Phone 1 have been revealed one day at a time on the company’s X/Twitter page, but a few mysterious features still demand a more in-depth showcase. The CMF Phone 1 launch date may be the same as its “reveal” date, which is scheduled for July 8, 2024, at 10:00 BST (5 AM ET or 2 AM PST).

Image: The Nothing CMF Phone 1

Design Details of the Nothing CMF Phone 1 Revealed

Unlike other brands, Nothing doesn’t rely on rumors to promote curiosity about its products in the days leading up to its launch. The company has taken to X/Twitter to drop bits and pieces of the device’s specifications on its own to keep its audience coming back for updates. 

Just like the wonderfully designed Nothing Phone 2 and (2a), which were its most recent smartphone releases, the Nothing CMF Phone 1 design is unique in its own right. While the phone doesn’t feature the customizable glyph details on the rear casing as we’d seen with the original Nothing series, the Nothing CMF Phone 1 design has prioritized functionality without compromising on style.

The Nothing brand of devices has a solid reputation for being more affordable than the majority of its competitors, and yet it was revealed that the company would use this launch to make better designs more “accessible.” Despite the affordable identity, Nothing doesn’t launch skeletal phones with zero features. Instead, it takes on an innovative approach to its design.

Nothing CMF Phone 1 Design Details Center on Functional Style

With the Nothing CMF Phone 1, the company revealed its choice to stick to a bold color palette, skipping the iconic white color to revive the black and orange colors now firmly associated with the brand. The back panels of the device are also available in blue and light green for those who want to try something different. 

The vertically aligned dual-camera cutout is nothing fancy, but what is appealing about the device is its compatibility with other accessories. Without explaining the Nothing CMF Phone 1’s details, the teaser images showed a dial integration on the back of the device for a lanyard attachment, and another image showed that the device could alternatively accommodate a kickstand for a convenient viewing setup on the go.

yes mr. wayne, it does come in black… and also in blue, light green, and orange. pic.twitter.com/BZFZbfZfu1

— CMF by Nothing (@cmfbynothing) July 3, 2024

A turn for the best.
CMF Phone 1. Coming 8 July. pic.twitter.com/SG4vowRRdQ

— CMF by Nothing (@cmfbynothing) June 25, 2024

The CMF Phone 1 design also showed mini screws on the back of the device and if you thought this was just an aesthetic choice, you would be wrong. The device is expected to arrive packaged with a mini screwdriver, which means there could be further accessory integration. From the images, it appears the rear cover is intended to be swappable, but nothing has been revealed about the kind of attachments it is planning to support. One of the images showed a puffed-up pack at the back, one that could be anything from an extended battery piece to a storage attachment for your Pokemon cards. 

Nothing Phones have never been designed to support our habits of slapping a protective case onto everything and this one looks like it’s going to be particularly dismissive of any attempts to cover it up. Whether these attachments will be free or whether they’ll require multiple purchases for the full experience is also up in the air. The exact capability of the CMF Phone 1’s design will be revealed on July 8, so we can have our own speculations to guide us until then. 

CMF Phone 1 Specifications—What’s Cooking On the Inside?

The Nothing CMF Phone 1 details have kept us sufficiently distracted with the external appeal of the device, but what about its internal features? Some of the CMF Phone 1 specifications have been announced. Right from Day 1 of unveiling the CMF Phone 1, we’ve heard that the device has a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits peak brightness. The device also has HDR10+ support so you’ll enjoy a vivid visual experience when you’re not distracted by the rear setup of the device.

Nothing’s CMF Phone 1 also revealed that it will feature 16GB RAM and will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor—different from the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip on the Nothing Phone (2a). Typical sensors like navigation support with a digital compass and motion sensors for movement will also be available, but the application of these sensors could still be noteworthy. We aren’t fans of Fingerprint On Display (FOD) sensors because they can be quite glitchy with daily use, but that is what the Nothing CMF Phone 1 will come equipped with.

Nothing CMF Phone 1 Revealed Details About the Battery

Battery power is an essential consideration on any smartphone—the longer it lasts the better. On Day 5, Nothing boasted about its 5,000 mAh battery that can support “2 days of use or 22 hours of non-stop YouTube!” It is a tall claim and we’d have to see the device in action to give this detail some credence but we like the direction the device is headed, that’s for sure.

Incomplete Camera Specs of the CMF Phone 1

The Nothing CMF Phone 1 has a 50 MP Sony camera with an f/1.8 lens but there is no sign of Optical Image Stabilization, which is what all the fans want to see. It does claim to have advanced algorithms like Ultra XDR so you should be able to capture images with better detail, powered by high-intensity light captures. There are no specification lists available for the second camera. 

The layout of the camera module looks similar to the Nothing Phone 2 although it does have a more outwardly protruding case. We don’t think Nothing has planned on giving the device a better camera than its predecessors, so photography enthusiasts will have to make do. 

Taking into account everything the Nothing CMF Phone 1 has revealed, one thing that’s clear is that no brand is experimenting with a smartphone like Nothing. Apple might play around with titanium and aluminum, Google may obsess over AI, and Motorola may be onto something with its flip phones, but Nothing’s focus on customizability and design gives customers something new to look forward to each time. 

Estimates by TechRadar suggest the device could be priced as low as $215 USD but we’ll know more during the Community Update on July 8. Along with the final Nothing CMF Phone 1 reveal, the company will also launch its CMF Buds Pro 2 and Watch Pro 2, so if you’re not in the market for a smartphone, perhaps they could impress you with their accessories instead. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the community edition of the Nothing Phone (2a) to make an appearance.

The post Customizability Like No Other: Nothing CMF Phone 1 Revealed appeared first on Technowize.