AfterDawn: Tech news

Latest news

AfterDawn: News

New macOS Big Sur moves Apple closer to Intel-less future

Written by Matti Robinson @ 23 Jun 2020 12:41

New macOS Big Sur moves Apple closer to Intel-less future Usually iOS updates are the most important news from WWDC, and iOS 14 has some big changes, this time around macOS probably takes that cake as the most influential one.

This is mainly due to the fact that Apple finally made official what had been rumored. The company revealed, in a "one last thing" fashion I might add, that its abandoning Intel and told about its plans about transitioning to its own ARM-based CPUs.

Big Sur will be the first transitionary macOS update, which means that first Apple-designed CPUs will land in Macs within this year.

Apple has been slowly inching away from chips designed by third-parties into proprietary processors. Apple's own chips can now be found in the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Apple's new iPadOS turns your iPad more into a computer, sort of

Written by Matti Robinson @ 23 Jun 2020 11:05

Apple's new iPadOS turns your iPad more into a computer, sort of Apple has announced a slew of software updates yesterday in its first virtual WWDC. One of the more interesting updates is the new version of iPadOS that pushes iOS towards computers.

The two operating systems are now developed separately, and this allows iPadOS to venture into more computer-like interface and functions.

The iPadOS 14 features now a side bar navigation that allows easier access to important features within apps. The menu allows the use of folders as well as well as drop down menus to group items like media albums.

While iPadOS is separate from iOS (read about the new iOS 14 here), there are of course lots of features that are added to both of them. This includes the new and improved Siri.

As you might imagine, Apple has been working on making Siri's answers better but it has also updated the UI. Siri now appears as a popup notification, which can both provide information as well as link to results.

Same kind of approach has been taken with phone calls too. They no longer take up the whole screen, instead a small window allows you to answer or decline the call.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Apple announces iOS 14: Finally widgets on the home screen!

Written by Matti Robinson @ 22 Jun 2020 1:34

Apple announces iOS 14: Finally widgets on the home screen! Apple's WWDC took place today virtually in Apple Park. The company's first product announcement was perhaps unsurprisingly the new version of iOS.

The iOS version 14 brings along some interesting new features. App Library makes the iPhone home screen combines apps automatically into libraries of related apps based on

Improved widgets now have more sizes, more information and you can finally move them into the home screen in addition to the widget view.

There's also a new widget type called Smart Stack. It automatically knows what to show depending on the time of the day.

Another neat feature added is picture-in-picture, which can play video and audio on top of your app or home screen.

Siri has been updated to show results quicker and on top of your current app as a notification. There's also updates to Siri's abilities, including sending audio messages, and new app called Translate will now translate between 11 languages.

Messages has been updated with pinned conversations, which helps you get to important messages even if they haven't been updated in a while. Memojis get now more styles, stickers and options, and inline messages and mentions have been added to groups.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Google launches Keen, AI-powered interest-based service

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 22 Jun 2020 11:04

Google launches Keen, AI-powered interest-based service Google has pretty silently launched a whole new product, dubbed as Keen. At first, it seems that Keen is sophisticated attack on Pinterest, a service/app that tries to make topple Pinterest's de facto status among various hobby groups.

But looking at deeper level, Keen might be something else too. It basically is a interest-based system, where users can create interest groups, then add content (images, links and more) to those groups. Google's own search algorithms and its in-house AI will then add further content, automatically, to the group.

Keen was born out of Google's Area 120, a project where Google engineers can test and invent new products - and was then promoted as a public product, over the past weekend.

As far as the Pinterest comparisons go, Keen could be used for something entirely different too: some wonder if it could become a sophisticated, personalized, interest-based "search bubble" for specific topics, that Google feeds with new content. Bit like partially crowd-sourced version of existing Google Discover service.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Apple getting rid of Intel processors starting later this year

Written by Matti Robinson @ 22 Jun 2020 10:46

Apple getting rid of Intel processors starting later this year It has been rumored that Apple is moving away from Intel processors in order to unify their lineup of devices, and ultimately have their own processor lineup to deploy on each of their devices.

This would make Apple more self-sufficient and improve profit margins, it also means that ARM-based apps would be available to a larger set of devices.

According to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is starting this transition as early as later this year, MacRumors reports. Information from Bloomberg said it would happen in 2021.

If Kuo's details are correct, the first ARM-based devices to replace Intel should come out in late 2020 or early 2021.

Apple's annual WWDC starts later today – the keynote is just hours away – and according to some rumors, Apple would be addressing the transition in CPUs during the conference. It might be that this happens during the keynote, although it is unlikely that they would actually reveal or at least release such a device.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

FYI: These 38 apps should be removed from Android devices

Written by James Delahunty @ 17 Jun 2020 7:21

FYI: These 38 apps should be removed from Android devices Google has removed 38 popular applications from the Play Store due to alleged fraudulent activity after a combined 20 million+ downloads.

A White Ops report details how thirty-eight apps - most of which are selfie apps that add filters to users' pictures - engaged in fraudulent ad activity and made it difficult for most users to uninstall the app from their devices.
The activity, which falls afoul of Google's policies, included:

  • Out-of-Context (OOC) Ads: Rendering OOC ads including native and interstitial, from major ad-networks.
  • Out-of-Context Navigation: Launching out-of-context navigation intents to URLs received from the command and control server (C2).
  • Removal of App Icon: Remove the app icon from the device's home and apps folder, to make it difficult for the user to uninstall the app.
Google has already removed apps from its Play Store, but what's worrying is that apps were downloaded a whopping 20 million times before removal.

In addition to showing ads on Android even when not in use and hijacking ad screens from other apps, the apps also hid in the operating system so that they could not be easily removed by less experienced users who can't navigate through Android settings easily.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

AMD announces new Ryzen 3000XT Series

Written by Matti Robinson @ 17 Jun 2020 11:02

AMD announces new Ryzen 3000XT Series AMD has unveiled some new processor hardware that might get you excited, especially if you've been waiting for new midrange gaming CPUs.

AMD's new 3000XT Series brings XT branding first time ever to Ryzen series with three new CPUs. The new 3rd gen Ryzen desktop chips are: AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT and AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT.

According to the company, these new chips provide better clock speeds and Boost performance thanks to improved Zen 2 architecture compared to their predecessors (3600X, 3800X, and 3900X). The performance has been upgraded from previous 3000 Series but TDP values stay the same.

The CPUs are meant for content creation and gaming in mind and excel in these aspects thanks to their multi-core and multi-thread capabilities. The top line Ryzen 9 3900XT provide 12 cores and 24 threads and gets up to 3.8 GHz with a Boost clock maxing at 4.7 GHz. TDP stands at 105 W.

The middle variant, Ryzen 7 3800XT, features 8 cores and 16 threads at 3.9 GHz and 4.7GHz Boost with same 105 Watt TDP and the cheapest of them all, Ryzen 5 3600XT, is a 6 core processor with 12 threads and clock speeds of 3.8 GHz and 4.5 GHz. Power consumption is slightly lower at 95 W.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

EU begins antitrust investigation on App Store, Apple Pay

Written by Matti Robinson @ 17 Jun 2020 10:39

EU begins antitrust investigation on App Store, Apple Pay European Commission has begun investigating Apple's services for violations in EU law. Two different branches of the investigation take Apple Store and Apple Pay under magnifying glass.

The investigators belief that Apple might has managed its app store and payment platform in a way that violates EU's antitrust rules sparked the investigation.

This comes after music streaming giant Spotify, shopping network Rakuten, and others claimed that App Store and Apple Pay are squashing the competition with fees and compatibility issues.

Apple's management fee for competing music platforms is a very steep 30 percent. This almost third of a cut makes it very hard for the likes of Spotify to compete against Apple Music on the App Store. Memberships bought elsewhere can bypass this fee, which is why Apple also thinks they are not in the wrong.

In fact, previously Apple has argued Spotify barely pays any fees at all. The spat has been ongoing for a while now with both sides with their own arguments.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Foodora confirms massive data breach: Over 700'000 account details leaked

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 16 Jun 2020 7:54

Foodora confirms massive data breach: Over 700'000 account details leaked One of the Europe's largest food delivery companies, Foodora, has confirmed that its user account data has been compromised. Company, owned by its parent, Delivery Hero, is based in Germany, but operates in 14 countries, mostly across Europe.

In data breach, more than 700'000 user accounts have been leaked. Leaked data included user names, addresses, phone numbers and full names of Foodora customers. Additionally, at least some passwords were leaked, too. Foodora maintains that none of the payment information or credit card details have been breached.

According to reports, many of the Foodora users involved with the security breach, have started getting suspicious emails, typically localized to the customer's language or country of residence. It is strongly recommended to check whether your data has been compromised - you can use services like this to see if your account was one of the compromised ones.




AfterDawn: News

World's largest messaging app now has a payment platform

Written by Matti Robinson @ 15 Jun 2020 2:01

World's largest messaging app now has a payment platform Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has introduced a new payment feature to its app. The company has announced WhatsApp payments that will be introduced first in Brazil.

According to the press release, WhatsApp's new feature will allow people to send money securely and use it for making purchases with local businesses while on the chat.

This is especially important for the small and micro businesses in Brazil's communities that rely on easy and cheap payment methods.

WhatsApp has profiled itself as the messaging platform for small businesses. The app lets customers ask questions in the chat, browse catalogs, and now finally pay their purchases in-app.

The feature, however, is not only for businesses and business transactions. The company says that it can be used to sending money to loved ones, and makes it as easy as sending a message.

The backbone of WhatsApp's payment feature is Facebook Pay, and this will allow users to use the same payment information in all Facebook-owned apps in the future.

When it comes to security, the app requires a fingerprint or a six digit PIN to approve payments.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Sony shows off PlayStation 5

Written by James Delahunty @ 12 Jun 2020 12:08

Sony shows off PlayStation 5 Sony showed off the upcoming PlayStation 5 (PS5) console in an online launch event on Thursday.

It provided the first glimpse of the PS5 console itself after it had previously shown off the DualSense controller (which features haptic feedback). The reveal was online rather than a live event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Resembling the controller, the PS5 console contains a black core and features two curved white sides sitting atop a black base (upright). It also features a blue glow. Some have likened its appearance to a large Wi-Fi router - you be the judge!

There will be two PS5 consoles available at launch, with the key difference being a basic console will feature a Blu-ray drive while an all-digital version will not.

During the roughly hour-long event, Sony showed off a variety of games that will catch the eye, among them the likes of Grand Turismo 7, Hitman 3, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

You can watch the hardware reveal at:

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

AfterDawn's 21st birthday

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 10 Jun 2020 4:00

AfterDawn's 21st birthday Damn. It is once again time for me to look back and realize how old I am. And how long it has been when we originally launched this little project of ours, called AfterDawn. Exactly 21 years ago we launched our site - to the whopping userbase of appx. five people (our friends who we bombarded with links to our site via IRC).

To somehow put this time in some kind of a context: when our site was launched, the dominant search engine was called AltaVista and majority of our first year users were still using dial-up modems to connect to the Internet.

Technologies have changed - we started AfterDawn as a source of information for people interested in MP3 technology and software. Somehow we then pivoted to cover DVDs, video technologies and P2P. And then, online services. And then mobile phones. And, and.. Only thing that has been constant in this business, is the fact that everything changes. The way how people read news has changed dramatically, as have the technologies people use and we cover. We have simply adapted to the new realities. And will continue to do so, in order to stay relevant.

These past 21 years have been an incredible journey for me and my colleagues. To get some kind of an idea what this journey has involved, you might want to read my last year's coverage where I tried to summarize all the changes we've gone through over these past 21 years.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

PS5 event delayed due to protests will be held Thursday

Written by Matti Robinson @ 09 Jun 2020 10:41

PS5 event delayed due to protests will be held Thursday Sony was meant to have a PlayStation 5 themed virtual conference of sorts last week but due to tragic death of George Floyd in police custody and the following protests, the company decided to reschedule.

Fortunately the postponing didn't move the event too far back, since they've already decided to share with us the new date.

Although around the world protests have still gathered tens of thousands to voice their opinions about race relations and police brutality, while some are turning to violence by attacking police officers, destroying property and looting stores, Sony has decided the atmosphere has calmed down enough.

Sony's event will be held this Thursday, two days from now on the 11th, and will include showcasing PS5 games played on the actual console. They've also announced that they hope viewers of the event are using headphones to get everything out of the audio experience they are going to demonstrate.

Sony has already introduced the new, improved, and much more futuristic PS5 controller, which in addition to new looks and features dropped the name DualShock for DualSense.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Apple to offer more interest-free payment plans on Apple Card

Written by Matti Robinson @ 08 Jun 2020 11:02

Apple to offer more interest-free payment plans on Apple Card Apple is planning on extending their Apple Card payment plan benefits. Previously iPhone buyers would get interest-free payment plans by using their Apple Card. Now other products are joining iPhone.

Last year the company introduced Apple Card to iPhone users. The credit card developed in cooperation with Goldman Sachs offers benefits like a three percent cash back and previously mentioned interest-free iPhone payment plan.

Bloomberg reports that Apple is going to extend the payment plans soon to include iPads, Macs and other Apple products.

The plan consists of either 6, 12 or 24 months of interest-free payments depending on the device. The program is going to include the likes of AirPods, HomePod, or Apple TV with 6-month plan and iPad, Mac, Apple Pencil or iPad keyboard with 12-month plan.

The iPhone remains as the one with 24-month payment plan that is de facto practice in the smartphone business.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Premier League games will be streamed by Amazon for free

Written by James Delahunty @ 04 Jun 2020 11:32

Premier League games will be streamed by Amazon for free Amazon will stream a few Premier League matches for free when the English top division of football returns later this month.

The Premier League has been on hold for several months as a protective measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier League matches are attended by tens of thousands every weekend and broadcast around the world to millions of football fans. Of course, games are also streamed by broadcasters and services around the world.

In the UK, Amazon first started to stream Premier League matches on its Prime service last year. Sky Sports and BT Sport typically dominate the rights to broadcast the Premier League in its home country, but services like Amazon are looking to break into the business in gradual steps over the coming seasons.

Amazon has announced that when the Premier League returns from June 17, it will be streaming an additional four matches. Those additional four matches will be available to view for free, and the viewer will not require an Amazon Prime membership to watch.

Amazon is not alone in showing games for free either, with 33 being free to view across a variety of services from the 92 remaining matches of the season. BBC Sport will also be showing some matches for free, making it the first time the national broadcaster in the UK will air games from the Premier League live.

Read more...



  Newer entries Older entries  

News archive