Tech Talk

Leaked specs of the phone suggest it might be a premium mid-ranger. What you need to know An upcoming Xiaomi phone with a 4K display has passed through TENAA. The device is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 700-series chipset. Sony's Xperia 1 III is currently the only Android flagship with a 4K OLED display. Xiaomi could soon launch its first-ever phone with a 4K OLED display, according to a new listing on TENAA. The TENAA listing for the Xiaomi 2109119BC reveals the device will have a 6.55-inch OLED display with 3,840 x 2,160 resolution (via GoAndroid ). It is apparently powered by an octa-core chipset running at 2.4 GHz, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Going by the chipset's clock speed, the phone could be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778G or 780G chipset. The listing also suggests the phone has a triple-lens camera system with a 64MP main sensor and two additional 8MP sensors. More interestingly, the listing claims the phone wi

Here's what we know so far about Google's foldable Pixel phone. Or phones, according to rumors. A mock-up of how the Google Pixel Fold could look. Samsung, Huawei, and Motorola all pioneered the category of foldable phones, pushing out expensive prototypes bordering on unfinished tech demos to eager consumers. But with the arrival of the superb Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 , Samsung changed the conversation around foldable phones, proving they can offer a premium experience that slab-shaped phones can't. Now, we're hoping Google gives Samsung a run for its money with its own foldable phones. Throughout 2021, we've seen a series of leaks about a hypothetical Pixel Fold that would launch alongside the highly-anticipated Pixel 6 . Google hasn't announced it yet; but we have reason to suspect the Pixel Fold will arrive soon, along with a new operating system update focused on foldables: Android 12.1 . What will the Pixel Fold look like, when will it arrive,

Major upgrade PS5 DualSense $70 at Amazon Pros Adaptive triggers Improved haptic feedback Light bar surrounding touchpad New textured grips, triggers, and thumbsticks USB-C charging Built-in microphone and create button Cons Symmetrical thumbstick layout There's good reason Sony didn't simply call this the DualShock 5. DualSense attempts to revolutionize the line with a more ergonomic form factor and features like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback to enhance your immersion. It truly is the next big step that Sony is taking, and it speaks wonders for what the company plans with the PS5 in the coming years. On its way out DualShock 4 $65 at Amazon Pros Touchpad Share button Built-in speakers Light bar used for certain games Cons Light bar can drain the battery Grips aren't comfortable to hold Symmetrical thumbstick layout Face buttons and D-pad feel squishy to press Micro-USB for charging The DualShock 4 added a light bar and touc

Now you can talk to teammates on the phone. What you need to know The native Stadia app on Android now allows in-game voice chat and party chat. Players started noticing the new feature this week when headsets started to connect and an option for party chat appeared within the app. The feature comes almost two years after Stadia's launch and a year after the iOS web app offered party chat. Google quietly rolled out the ability to talk to strangers and friends within games and party chat for Stadia players through the native Android app this week. Earlier this week, Stadia players started noticing their headsets were connecting to the Android app, and were able to talk to and hear other players in-game while playing on the mobile platform. Soon after, players found a party chat option enabled within the app and were able to start parties, invite others, and send text chat messages. After years of APK teardowns... Finally... Stadia Party on the Stadia Android app! :D

Looking for good players. What you need to know Stadia players can now make and join public parties based on game and other specifications. Private parties are still an option, but public parties requires owning specific games before creating. Public parties are supported in 20 games initially, including Destiny 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2, with more coming soon. Google has quietly added public party support for Stadia this week, allowing players to join other like-minded players and play online multiplayer games together. The new Stadia feature can be found under the "Parties" option in the Friends panel. Players can either start a party or choose from one of several public parties already listed. Making a private party is still an option, though making a public party requires choosing a supported game, writing a brief description, and setting how many additional players can join. Public parties can support up to 10 players. Currently, 20 Stadia games support

It's time to practice safe texting. If you use Google's stock Messages app to send your text and SMS messages, we have good news — your chats can now be completely secured from prying eyes! We'll show you how to enable end-to-end encryption in the Google Messages app so that you don't have to worry about your private messages potentially falling into the wrong hands. How to enable and use end-to-end encryption in the Google Messages app End-to-end encryption for Google Messages only works if both the sender and the receiver have it. So if you would like to send an encrypted text to someone, make sure they have it on their phone too. Open Google Messages . Tap the three dots in the upper right corner. Tap on Settings . Tap on Chat features . Turn on the toggle for Enable chat features . A prompt will pop up asking Enable chat features from Google? , tap Yes, I'm in . Verify your number. Open an existing chat or start a new one. You should se

Smart glasses are on the rise. What you need to know The Nreal Air AR sunglasses provide a full-vision virtual display for streaming content or playing mobile games. They have a micro-OLED chip, 49 pixels-per-degree (PPD), and a 90Hz refresh rate. It must be tethered to your iOS or Android phone to display content, but act as regular sunglasses otherwise, with a 77g/ 2.7oz weight. Nreal Air will ship to Asian markets in late 2021, followed by "other markets" in 2022. In early 2020, contributing editor Russell Holly tried out Nreal Light smart glasses and called them "the first set of Mixed Reality glasses actually worth buying." With them, you could use virtually any Android app in holographic form around your living room, or play 3D-native games on a tabletop. It wasn't perfect: it had to be tethered to your phone via USB-C, its field of view (FOV) was narrow, and its cameras were very blatantly visible — but it was a promising tool. Now, Nreal is

When you live in a home with pets, it's not uncommon to find fur balls collecting in different areas of the house. Cats and dogs never seem to stop shedding, which makes cleaning up a bit of a hassle. The best way to keep your home clean is with a reliable robot vacuum like the iRobot Roomba i7+ that takes care of the furry mess every day. We've researched and gathered a list of the best robot vacuums for pets, which varies from our picks for best robot vacuums overall. See which one fits your needs. Best overall: iRobot Roomba i7+ This is most definitely an expensive choice for your home, but it's also one of the only robot vacuums on the market that can dump its dustbin load and continue working. When you spring for the i7+, you get the vacuum and the Clean Base where dustbin loads are stored. You can also purchase a less expensive i7 vacuum on its own, but it won't be compatible with the Clean Base. iRobot designed the Clean Base's bags to hold up to 30 b