A pair of photos have leaked showing what is claimed to be iPhone 8 wireless charging hardware. The hardware, assuming it is what the leakster says it is, likely pertains to the charging pad rather than the phone's internal components. Wireless charging is one of multiple features expected to be available in the upcoming anniversary edition of the iPhone, a model that is currently being referred to as the iPhone 8.

Continue Reading

Earlier today, the Essential Phone went up for pre-order at a number of different locations, including Sprint, Amazon, and Essential's own store. That announcement was made in a rather long blog post that outlined what makes the Essential Phone special in a sea of other flagship devices. While some of that content is precisely what you'd expect to read when a new phone is being marketed, there were a few interesting promises being made that anyone considering the phone will want to pay attention to.

Continue Reading

Amazon's war on the Google Assistant - and pre-emptive assault on Apple's HomePod - continues today, streamlining the ways for Alexa to spread to third-party hardware. The retail behemoth has been pushing Alexa as a simple way for device-makers to add AI smarts to their products without going to the time-consuming hassle and expense of developing their own virtual agent. Now, it's even closer to being a plug-and-play process.

Continue Reading

Following a recent leak, Sony has officially detailed the features PlayStation 4 owners can expect to get in the upcoming system update 5.0. The firmware is currently in beta testing, and it brings a wide variety of changes, not the least of which is a redesigned master and sub-account system that makes it easier for families to manage their accounts. Changes are also coming for VR, managing friends, and more.

Continue Reading

Today users are finding the Google App completely re-done in Google's latest image of what a system app should be. This app is accessed on Pixel phones by swiping all the way to the left on one's own home screen. This app is also known simply as "Google" in the Google Play app store.

Continue Reading

A new study published in the journal The Lancet details a treatment breakthrough that successfully eliminated peanut allergies in some afflicted individuals for up to four years. The treatment involved a combination of peanut oral immunotherapy (PPOIT) and probiotics, and though it isn't a proper cure for the allergy, it did produce a tolerance in afflicted individuals that allowed them to, in some cases, eat peanuts for a long period of time without experiencing an allergic response.

Continue Reading

While some Bluetooth speakers try to pack the best sound quality into as small a package as possible, the new JBL Boombox is taking the opposite approach. Definitely a boombox for the current decade (and century), the Boombox is one of the largest Bluetooth speakers we've ever seen. That increased size comes with some attractive benefits, though, such as a long-lasting battery and the promise of "exceptional sound and hard hitting bass."

Continue Reading

After launching on a limited scale back in May, Comcast is ready to roll out its Xfinity Mobile service nationwide. Today Comcast announced that Xfinity Mobile is available in all of Comcast's service areas, bringing it online in rather large swathes across the country. Xfinity Mobile, as some of you already know, is a service billed as a less expensive and more flexible cellular option for folks who are existing Xfinity Internet subscribers.

Continue Reading

I just made to TINY changes to SnapChat and fixed two relatively giant issues with my phone. The app requests a bundle of permissions when it's first downloaded on a smartphone - that can be an issue. But it's not unfixable. As a couple of Reddit-based smartphone users made plain to me over the past 24 hours: SnapChat causes some seemingly-unrelated problems that I might never have guessed.

Continue Reading

The car world may be going all-wheel drive, but BMW still has rear-wheel drive ambitions: welcome, then, the BMW Concept Z4. Previewing, as the name suggests, the third-generation Z4 that will replace the seven year old second-gen car, the droptop two-seater is being shown off for the first time at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2017 this week. It's a chance to bring the sporty convertible bang up to date with BMW's current design language.

Continue Reading

The next generation in Skype functionality is coming to Apple and non-Windows 10 computers. Yes, you read that correctly, non-Windows 10, as in every version of Windows before Windows 10 version 1511 (OS Build 10586). For everyone who has the newest version of Windows 10, there's also good news to be had.

Continue Reading

Today Nintendo revealed the first Switch console bundle heading to the US. This isn't the first Switch bundle the world has seen, of course, as the US missed out on those excellent-looking Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundles earlier in the year. The focus of this bundle will likely get prospective Switch owners just as excited though, as Nintendo will be packing in copies of Splatoon 2 along with a unique Joy-Con color scheme.

Continue Reading