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How Oppo fit a 10x zoom camera into its 5G phone
Oppo may have already teased its first 5G smartphone in Zurich earlier this month, but today, the company is bringing its entire Reno family -- including the mid-range Reno and the flagship Reno 10x Zoom -- to Europe. This means the Chinese brand will be going head to head with Huawei using its very own 10x hybrid zoom camera outside of its home territory. With the $1,000 Reno 5G leading the party ahead of its May launch, the Reno 10x Zoom follows with a €799 (about $890) base price due in early June, whereas the Reno lands at a more modest €499 ($560) on May 10th.
Facebook explores folding Messenger back into the main app
Facebook's Messenger might return to the main app, letting you access your social media feeds and messages in one spot, according to testing spotted by researcher Jane Manchun Wong. The Messenger app icon would remain, but instead of launching a standalone app, it would open Facebook and take you directly to a section called "Chats." That's roughly how it used to work before Facebook released Messenger as a standalone app in 2011 and removed it completely from the main app in 2014.
Google Assistant will finally work with business G Suite accounts
Google has been steadily rolling out G Suite updates like AI grammar suggestions in Google Docs, streamlined two-step verification, new Tasks features and shortcuts to make Google Doc and Sheet creation faster. Today, at the Cloud Next '19 event, Google announced its newest batch of G Suite changes.
Razer says software, not hardware, is holding back mobile gaming
In between launching a range of outlandish pink products and affordable accessories so far this year, Razer made the surprising move of abandoning its online game store and mobile team. The latter, in particular, is an awkward move after two generations of Razer Phones, while the likes of ASUS, Xiaomi, Nubia and Vivo are capitalizing on the rapidly growing mobile gaming market. Never one to admit defeat, CEO Min-Liang Tan said this was just part of his company's evolving mobile gaming strategy, with its focus shifted to software as the industry transitions to 5G.
OnePlus 6T review: Trivial changes hamper a great phone
Never missing an opportunity to spread the good word, not only did OnePlus push out the 6T just in time to mark its fifth anniversary but it also released a tantalizing Thunder Purple edition shortly afterward, followed by the limited McLaren Edition with a whopping 10GB of RAM. It wasn't like the company needed this extra marketing ammo; the 6T brought exotic features, like an in-display fingerprint reader and dewdrop notch to the West. It's also the company's first ever tie-in with a US carrier, available on T-Mobile. The biggest question was whether the OnePlus 6T would make a fitting successor to my previous main phone, the OnePlus 6. Back in May, I concluded that the 6 was a very compelling package tagged with an attractive price. It's a hard act to follow. I've since switched to the 6T, and while it does offer some upgrades, there are some new trade-offs, too.
My robot butler dreams are getting closer to reality
The last time I fully interacted with a robot was when ASUS launched the Zenbo back in 2016. As cute as it was, the fact that it lacked arms meant it couldn't exactly help out with everyday tasks. Ironically, two years later Honda discontinued its iconic humanoid robot, Asimo, which painted a grim future for home robots. But not all is lost. Chinese robot maker Ubtech has been developing its own machine with all four limbs, which ended up being the Walker. Here at CES, I got to spend some quality time with this charming robot, and despite the controlled nature of the demo, I got a taste of what life might be like in the near-future.
Google Pixel 3 XL hands-on in Hong Kong -- three days early
With some smartphones, it seems inevitable that the closer the launch date, the more leaky they get. Google's upcoming Pixel 3 series -- due to launch in New York next Tuesday -- is no exception, and I'm speaking as someone who had just gotten up close and personal with a Pixel 3 XL earlier today. I borrowed the phone from Hong Kong mobile shop WahPhone Digital, which is actually offering this fully-boxed device for a mere HK$15,880 or around US$2,030. Ouch.
I tried to beat an overclocking robot and failed
Extreme overclocking is hard. I had my first taste of this delicate hobby at last year's Computex, in which, with a lot of back and forth between pouring liquid nitrogen and torching, I managed to push Intel's 4.2GHz Core i7-7700K processor to an epic 7GHz. Still, I had it easy. Professional overclockers from G.SKILL and HWBOT had set everything up in the first place. Even the pros can find this all a little mundane. EVGA's Vince "Kingpin" Lucido and Illya "Tin" Tsemenko are well-known for their GPU-overclocking records over the years, but they, too, grew tired of the tedious "monkey work," to the point where they decided to build a rig that could overclock itself. The result is the Roboclocker, a PC that can intelligently and efficiently pump liquid nitrogen to both its CPU and GPU. While this may not be the first automatic liquid-nitrogen-overclocking rig, it's the first of its kind to actually break records.
The 'Astroneer' universe is set to expand in December
The team behind planetary exploration game Astroneer have been hinting at its 1.0 update for a while, and now it's confirmed -- December 2018. So fans of the Minecraft-esque space adventure won't have to wait too much longer to experience the new planets, vehicles and climate events -- plus loads of other features -- that the team has been teasing in its development roadmap.
A brief (and depressing) history of gaming phones
ASUS' surprisingly ambitious ROG Phone is a clear sign the company has confidence in the gaming smartphone category. And it wasn't that long ago that the likes of Razer, Xiaomi and Nubia thought they saw an opportunity for a cash grab here. But as history has shown, gaming hardware is risky business, especially a segment this niche. Remember, not even Nokia at the height of its powers could crack the gaming phone equation with its legendary infamous N-Gage. While we wait for the ROG Phone to arrive later this year, let's take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of its precursors.
OnePlus 6 review: A big step closer to the perfect smartphone
I still remember that day, more than four years ago, when OnePlus came out of nowhere with its promise "to spare no expense" to bring us "the perfect smartphone." Ever since then, the OnePlus handsets have consistently punched above their weight against the other flagships, especially in terms of build quality, performance and value. While the OnePlus 5 and 5T might have looked a little generic, design-wise, the company has upped its game with the OnePlus 6, while hitting pretty much all the checkmarks: the latest specs, better cameras and slick performance, all packaged within a beautiful new glass body. Even with a slightly higher price, starting at $529, the OnePlus 6 is a desirable handset -- and one that can stand toe to toe against the likes of Apple and Samsung this year.
Use Echo speakers to send announcements around your home
Amazon keeps building out its Alexa ecosystem by adding more features and integrating products. But the platform has more potential than just allowing, say, your Fire tablets in on the voice control fun. But now Alexa has a new ability, Announcements, that lets customers speak into one Echo device and have the message barked out of all the other ones in a network. Basically, it gives your Alexa-connected house a one-way intercom feature.
'Yakuza 6' makes Tokyo's red-light district virtually real
I'm a relatively late fan of Sega's famed Yakuza franchise. It was the 2015 prequel, Yakuza 0 on the PS4, that got me hooked: It was the series' first title to be localized in Chinese, which helped me understand its rich storyline on the humble beginnings of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and his strangely charming acquaintance, Goro Majima. What also fascinated me about these open-world games was how most of the world was based on Tokyo's Kabukicho and Osaka's Dotonbori, often with incredible attention to detail.
I can finally do cartwheels in VR with HTC's Vive Focus
After fully unveiling the Vive Focus, HTC finally allowed lucky folks like myself to properly test out the six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) standalone VR headset. For the first time, I can actually walk around in VR without being tethered to a PC nor confined to a fixed space. It's a truly mobile VR solution -- more so than smartphone-based VR headsets, which only let you look around on the spot (3DoF). Naturally, I used this opportunity to test this 6DoF tracking to its limits, even if it meant doing cartwheels while wearing the Vive Focus.
ICYMI: Skydiving from drones while Lowe's exoskeleton does heavy lifting
Today on In Case You Missed It: Latvian UAV company, Aerones, which specializes in heavy-lift drones, has made publicity stunts an annual tradition and this year is no different. They perched a man atop a 330 meter electrical tower, then sent their 28-rotor drone up to pick him up, then release him to gently parachute back to the ground. It's the future of commuting. We also take a look at a new, unpowered exoskeleton that Lowe's home improvement and Virginia Tech have developed. It utilizes carbon fiber rods situated around the wearer's legs that flex as the user bends over bend and spring back once they stand back up. It makes picking up heavy items a breeze and has been well-received by store employees during recent trial runs. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @Terrortola.
Xiaomi still isn't ready to sell phones in America
Whenever I write about a new Xiaomi product these days, the response is usually sour comments along the lines of, "Why bother telling us when these won't be coming to our side of the world?" I, too, get frustrated (as if the poor data connection in Beijing wasn't enough to wind me up), because it has indeed been a long wait since I attended Xiaomi's first product launch almost six years ago. That bitterness has only gotten worse as the company's smartphones have become increasingly more appealing. Case in point: There are no plans for its new Mi 6 to enter the US or Europe. Meanwhile, Shenzhen-based OnePlus -- a much smaller and younger competitor, mind you -- has been able to form impressive lines in the US, UK and other places Xiaomi doesn't dare go.
ICYMI: Cadillac takes on Tesla's Autopilot and a biometric thrill ride
Today on In Case You Missed It: When people think semi-autonomous driving, Tesla's Autopilot system is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But Cadillac wants in on the robot-driving action. The automaker is launching it's own system called Super Cruise on the upcoming 2018 CT6. The company says it's the "industry's first true hands-free driving technology for the highway." The new semi-self-driving technology will not only keep track of the road, but also the driver to make sure that they pay attention even if they don't have to have their hands on the wheel at all times.
LG G6 ditches modularity in favor of essentials
LG's handful of recent teasers for its new G6 flagship left us wondering if there'd be any surprises left for us at its launch event today. Back in early January, the company was rather frank about moving away from the G5's modular design due to a lack of consumer interest, followed by a promise of increased safety measures after the Samsung Note 7 fiasco. While it may seem as if LG has taken a more conservative approach this time, it used three teasers to emphasize the G6's unique 18:9 "FullVision" display.
HTC will intro half as many smartphones this year
HTC may have taken a bolder approach in the smartphone world with its new U Ultra and U Play, but it's decided to play it safe with its roadmap for the rest of the year. After today's launch event in Taipei, I caught up with President of Smartphone and Connected Devices Business, Chialin Chang, who confirmed that HTC will only be releasing six to seven smartphones this year. While that's a drastic cut from last year's eleven to twelve models, he claims this has so far allowed the company to focus on its smartphones' core features, in a bid to put up a better fight against other brands.
The Passport foldable drone makes for a fun travel companion
My first drone flight experience was with the DJI Phantom 2 Vision, and as much as I appreciated its advanced capabilities at the time, I longed for something more compact -- a device so small that I wouldn't need to carry a separate bag or case for it, preferably without sacrificing performance. Eventually, a Chinese startup called Zero Zero Robotics released the $599 Hover Camera Passport, which comes in the unique form of a foldable cage while packing cool features like body tracking, face tracking and orbiting. I got to spend some time with the Passport over the past few weeks, and eventually it got to the point where I rarely leave home without it, lest I find time to take it for a quick spin.
