wake
Latest
Google's Pixel phones get lift-to-wake and double-tap features
Google's well-reviewed Pixel and Pixel XL are the Android phones to have right now, but they're still missing some much-liked features from the Nexus 6P and 5X. Namely, the models lack the "Moves" that let you double-tap or merely lift the phone to wake it up. However, some Canadians are reporting that those functions are available in the latest OTA update, so folks in other regions should see them soon, too.
Toshiba Thrive experiencing sleep / wake / reboot issues? (updated)
Toshiba's Android-powered Thrive just started shipping to end users during the past couple of weeks, but already we're seeing an alarming amount of bug reports crop up over at the outfit's own site. Specifically, legions of users are suggesting that their Thrive is having a whale of a time coming out of Sleep mode without a full, hard reboot, and some are even suggesting that it'll turn on by its lonesome on occasion. Hard to say if this is something that could be remedied via a future firmware update, but here's hoping, right? Let us know if you're seeing the same troubles in comments below -- we haven't seen any of this in the handful of days we've been testing our own, but we'll be sure to report more thoroughly in our upcoming review. Update: We spoke too soon. Although our Thrive review unit behaved just fine at first, we, too, have since found that it's unable to wake from sleep without a hard reboot. In our case, it happened after charging the Thrive overnight, as opposed to letting it sit around unplugged. Since then, Toshiba has acknowledged the problem and promised a fix is on the way, though it's still unclear when, exactly, the company will pull through. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Recent MBPs suffering from 'narcolepsy'
There's an active thread on Apple's support boards about current-model MacBook Pro machines, running current builds of Leopard and Snow Leopard. These MBPs are refusing to wake from sleep. Specifically, users find a black screen when trying to rouse their machines, despite hearing the disk spinning up and (in some cases) seeing the screen contents displayed without a backlight. Only a hard restart (holding the power button until the machine shuts off) can revive it. The issue seems to be more prevalent on machines running Mac OS X 10.6.3, but some 10.5 users have spotted it as well. In long-running thread (12 pages worth), the affected users have identified a few potential triggers: The Sudden Motion Sensor, overloaded virtual memory swap files, and an excess of remembered Wi-Fi networks. After disabling the motion sensor (how-to here), several users reported that the issue all but disappeared. It wasn't eliminated entirely for everyone that tried it, but it seemed to occur much less frequently. Another group reported a sharp decline in the issue after cleaning out the machine's list of remembered networks. To do this, launch System Preferences and click Network. Select Airport in the left hand column and then click Advanced. A new slip appears with a list of your "Preferred networks." This is a listing of all of the Wi-Fi networks you've ever successfully connected to. If you're the type who hops from coffee shop to library to bookstore, it could be quite long. Simply select any you'd like to eliminate and click the "-" beneath the list. Just remember that, should you encounter those networks again, you may have to re-enter your access info. My MBP is an ancient artifact, and so far free of this issue. Now, the inevitable question: Has this trouble plagued your machine, and if so, have you found a fix?
