Just a day after Bethesda announced new details about the next-gen version of The Elder Scrolls Online, Square Enix is doing the same for its own MMORPG. Final Fantasy XIV Online is getting a PlayStation 5 beta, and not only is that beta going live later this month, but it'll also allow PS4 players to bring their characters forward and use them in the test.
This week the first release of Android 12 is rumored to take place. This first release is expected to be called the Android 12 Developer Preview. The first Android 12 Developer Preview release will likely be relegated to Google Pixel smartphones of several sorts. If you own one of the last several Google Pixel smartphones, you'll be in business.
In the latest Beta Bedrock version of Minecraft on several platforms, a Glow Squid was released. This Glow Squid is lovely on its own, with sparkles and aqua color light amid 8 tentacles and swimmy goodness. But the real greatness of the Glow Squid is in the ingredient item it drops.
This week Apple added a long-awaited feature to Siri, allowing a default music app choice for all users. This update will allow users to set a default music app when first requesting a play of a new track of music. This update arrives courtesy of the latest iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 delivered to users this week.
Today Apple delivered the iOS 14.5 public beta for the masses. This is the latest version of iOS, Apple's mobile operating system made specifically for iPhone devices. Perhaps the most noteworthy addition this update adds is an opt-in to a Face ID unlock with a partially-obscured face - for people wearing a face mask.
OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro just got the authorization from OnePlus for OxygenOS 11 open beta 1 based on Android 11. This might very well be the biggest update the smartphone family get in the few years most users will be handling the hardware. With this system upgrade, users will gain access to "fresh new UI visual designs", ambient display, and a whole lot of camera features.
Today Gboard released a significant change to the way your (beta build) keyboard appears in your phone. This update appeared as the default for beta users across the internet. As the change is default, some users were likely caught off guard - but don't worry! Nothing's broken. This is just the first day of the rest of your life.
Android 11 was released to the public on September 8, 2020. In the old world order, it wouldn't be until January or February the following year at the earliest before Samsung Galaxy phone owners would even hear anything about the update from Samsung. In less than three months, however, Samsung has already rolled out betas for its One UI 3.0, based on Android 11, of course, to its most recent flagships. Granted, it's still in beta testing but things are seemingly on track for a stable release soon given how things are moving smoothly except for one specific case.
It's a big week for Apple and not just because of the Apple Silicon M1 and new Macs running on it. The company also released new software, including the very first ARM-based macOS version, Big Sur. To assure its mobile users that iOS isn't being forgotten in the flood of Mac news, Apple has also rolled out the first beta version for the upcoming iOS 14.3 and, unsurprisingly, it holds quite a few hidden treasures beyond what the changelogs say.
Samsung has earned the bad rap for being slow on Android updates, be it the major ones or even the monthly security fixes. That, however, may be a thing of the past and its has turned over a new leaf, even going so far as committing to three years of updates starting with this year's flagships. Continuing that new tradition, Samsung has just expanded the reach of its One UI 3.0 beta, which carries with it Android 11, to more phones, including last year's Galaxy Note 10.
This week the Samsung One UI 3.0 beta update was released for a set of Samsung Galaxy smartphones in both S20 and Note 20 families. The Samsung Galaxy S20 series was gifted its fourth One UI 3.0 beta release (yes, 4th 3.0 beta, if that makes any sense at at all,) and another (the second) beta for both the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. If you are in the beta program, now's the time to check for an update.
The Galaxy Note 20 series might be Samsung's latest "normal" flagships but it wasn't the first to get the beta version of its upcoming One UI 3.0. That privilege, naturally, belongs to the Galaxy S20 from earlier this year which got their Android 11 appetizer just a few weeks ago. Now Samsung is opening the doors a bit to owners of the Galaxy Note 20 in the US to take the beta version of the software for a spin, presuming their particular model is actually eligible for the beta program.