Pixel 4 versus Galaxy Note 10: Biggest letdowns and best killer features - CNET

The Note 10 may not be alone at the top for long.

Sarah Tew/CNET

A few weeks ago, I gave the Galaxy Note 10 a CNET Editors' Choice award, calling it out as one of the best phones for most people. It's sleek, powerful, has excellent battery life and -- while it's missing a headphone jack and a microSD card slot -- the benefits far outweigh the trade-offs, especially for the $950 price. But here comes Google's Pixel 4 ($800), wants to up the ante with impressive camera claims and innovative new motion control software that helps make the brand new face unlock feature work.

If you'll be shopping for a phone before 2019 is out, these two are absolutely in the running, along with the standard and extra-large models (Note 10 Plus, Pixel 4 XL). 

The Pixel isn't as stunning to look at as the Note 10, but in many ways, it has an edge on Samsung's formidable competition. Now that the Pixel 4 will sell across all major US carriers, Google now has a chance to get the word out about its less expensive, feature-packed phone.

We're still testing the Pixel 4, so while we don't have a final determination yet, we do have a good idea of how these two phones match up.

Now playing: Watch this: Pixel 4 and 4 XL hands-on: Dual rear cameras, radar face...

5:31

The Note 10 is far easier on the eye

There's no way around it: the Pixel 4 looks like a brick compared to the slick Note 10. Google's phone lacks a fancy design, but compared to the Pixel 3, it's a major redesign that loses a signature glass panel bisecting the back.

While the matte backing in white, black and orange looks dull alongside the Note 10's deep, glossy finish, the Pixel 4 is less of a fingerprint magnet without its case. The camera cluster on the back stands out more, but also looks less original, mimicking the iPhone 11 Pro and Huawei Mate 30. 

I'm not a fan of the slightly textured coating along the frame, but if you're putting a case on your phone anyway, eye candy design matters much less.

Screen versus screen: How important is a 90Hz display?

The Note 10's 6.3-inch display dwarfs the Pixel 4's 5.7-inch screen, even though it's slightly thinner. But Google includes a software setting to refresh the screen rate at 90Hz, which makes scrollings, transitions and gaming smoother. This screen feature wouldn't be a reason to buy the phone, though it might make you like using it a tad better.

A 90Hz refresh rate also is also known to drain the battery faster, but you can always turn this off in the settings, or turn it on again when and if you want it. Some devices, like the ROG Phone II gaming phone and  OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7T, also have a 90Hz screen. Samsung phones don't -- at least not yet.

The OnePlus 7T also has a 90Hz screen.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Pixel 4's face unlock beats the Note's in-screen fingerprint scanner

Google's secure face unlock feature is important because it totally does away with the fingerprint scanner and helps create a momentum around face unlock that hasn't existed in Android phones. Sure, the Android OS includes face unlock by default, but that flavor of it isn't secure enough for mobile payments. On the Pixel 4, it is.

Unlocking the Pixel 4 this way is fast and you don't have to lay a finger on the device to use it, which can take some of the pressure off your digits if you find yourself unlocking the phone scores of times a day. It's also (so far) more accurate than the Note 10's in-screen fingerprint reader, which needs you to deliberately place your print on the screen, further gumming up the glass.

We'll need to spend more time with face unlock to ferret out any of its quirks before we can declare face the winner over thumb for sure.

The in-screen fingerprint reader so far hasn't lived up to the hype.

Angela Lang/CNET

Some Pixel 4 gesture controls fall into gimmick territory

A small chip in the Pixel 4's face, called Soli, is what helps trigger the phone's face unlock process, but it's also responsible for more. Google uses the radar generated by the Soli chip to support a handful of gestures. Together, Google calls the feature Motion Sense.

Gesture navigation has been around on phones from time to time and usually uses the camera to see where you are. Radar doesn't need to see you, it senses you, which gives you better range for your gestures.

Some seem actually useful so far, like waving your hand to dismiss an alarm or a phone call, and reaching toward the phone to make those sounds quieter before you flick the notification away. But other gestures to advance a musical track or go back rehash other brand's gestures that never felt like they fit into daily life -- not mine, anyway.  

You can't do this on the Pixel 4.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Note 10's stylus gives you more tools to use

I have to mention the stylus, because that's what makes the Note the Note. Mainstream buyers don't necessarily need to pay extra for the Note 10 just to have the stylus, but if you have it, there's a lot you can do. This is just one way that the Note reminds you it's a premium device.

Camera showdown: Night mode will tell all

For the first time, the Pixel gets a second camera on the back that adds 2x telephoto capabilities. The Note 10 has three of them, tossing in a third, wide-angle lens. 

I really like having wide-angle because it can add drama to shots, but when push comes to shove, it'll be the quality of the low-light and zoom photography that could take the Pixel further. There are other camera features besides, like dual exposure controls for harder-core shutterbugs, and an astrophotography mode that automatically kicks in so you can take clearer pictures of the stars.

We'll be thoroughly comparing the Note 10 and Pixel 4 cameras, from auto shots and portraits to selfies and night photography, so stay tuned for those results.

Google's Pixel 4 camera could be its rabbit in the hat.

Angela Lang/CNET

Pixel 4 is stingy on battery life and storage

Battery life and storage are a phone's bread and butter. It's never the star of the show, but if either one is weak, you'll know. The Pixel 4's battery actually shrinks compared to the Pixel 3 (2,800 mAh vs. 2,915 mAh). For reference, the Note 10 has a 3,500-mAh battery.

The Pixel 4 XL's battery life should go much further, at 3,700 mAh, compared to the Note 10 Plus' 4,300-mAh ticker. Of course, the Pixel phones are smaller than the Notes, but battery life on Samsung's phones is excellent.

Storage gives you the same story. Google holds back both Pixel 4 models at 64GB and 128GB options, while the Note 10 comes with 256GB of onboard storage right out of the gate. Neither phone has a microSD card slot. If you level up to the $1,100 Note 10 Plus, you'll get the option to buy a storage card to go along with the 256GB and 512GB configurations.

Now playing: Watch this: Should you upgrade to the Pixel 4?

7:06

The Android advantage

One of the Pixel's most important selling points has always been its deep Android ties. Pixels are the first to get new versions of Android and security patches. Experimental features often come to Pixels first, too, well before they're integrated into Android.

For example, Pixel 4 has Android 10 right out of the box, and owners can start using features like systemwide dark mode right away. The Note 10 runs on Android 9, and likely will for some time. It's not unusual for Samsung phones to lag 6 months behind on Google's Android updates while Samsung's engineers make sure the new software works with its interface for Galaxy phones.

Every Android 10 advantage comes to Pixel phones first.

Juan Garzon / CNET

Who they might be for and what comes next

We're still reviewing the Pixel 4, but so far it's setting itself up to be a compelling phone for people who want to pay a little less than premium for a suite of camera tricks and a no-fuss phone. Face unlock could well become a deciding factor for people who are intrigued by the iPhone's Face ID. 

However, the Note 10 is for those who want as large a screen as possible and true all-day battery life. The built-in stylus doesn't hurt, and I use the wide-angle camera lens more often than I figured I would.

For more on the Pixel 4, read on to see how the phone compares to even more rivals, and get to know all of the Pixel 4's new camera tricks.

Pixel 4 and 4XL vs. Note 10 and 10 Plus

	Google Pixel 4	Samsung Galaxy Note 10	Google Pixel 4 XL	Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Display size, resolution	5.7-inch OLED; QHD screen, pixels TBD	6.3-inch AMOLED; 2,280x1,080 pixels	6.3-inch OLED; QHD screen, pixels TBD	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,040x1,440 pixels
Pixel density	444 ppi	401 ppi	537 ppi	498 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 in.	5.94 x 2.83 x 0.31 in.	6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 in.	6.39 x 3.04 x 0.31 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	68.8 x 147.1 x 8.2 mm	151 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm	75.1 x 160.4 x 8.2 mm	162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	5.7 oz.; 162g	5.93 oz.; 168g	6.8 oz.; 193g	6.91 oz.; 196g
Mobile software	Android 10	Android 9.0 Pie	Android 10	Android 9.0 Pie
Camera	12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)	12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultra wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto), 3D depth (HQVGA)
Front-facing camera	8-megapixel	10-megapixel	8-megapixel	10-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	2.84GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, or Samsung Exynos 9825	2.84GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, or Samsung Exynos 9825
Storage	64GB, 128GB	256GB	64GB, 128GB	256GB, 512GB
RAM	6GB	8GB	6GB	12GB
Expandable storage	No	No	No	Up to 1TB
Battery	2,800 mAh	3,500 mAh	3,700 mAh	4,300 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	No	In-screen	No	In-screen
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	No	No	No
Special features	Soli motion sensing and touchless gestures; 90Hz display; water-resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging	S Pen stylus; Wireless PowerShare; hole punch screen notch; water-resistant (IP68)	Soli motion sensing and touchless gestures; 90Hz display; water-resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging	S Pen stylus; Wireless PowerShare; hole punch screen notch; water-resistant (IP68)
Price off-contract (USD)	$799 (64GB), $899 (128GB)	$949	$899 (64GB), $999 (128GB)	$1,099
Price (GBP)	£669 (64GB), £769 (128GB)	£899	£829 (64GB), £929 (128GB)	£999
Price (AUD)	AU$1,049 (64GB), AU$1,199 (128GB)	AU$1,499	AU$1,279 (64GB), AU$1,429 (128GB)	AU$1,699

$949

CNET may get a commission from retail offers.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnet.com/news/pixel-4-versus-galaxy-note-10-biggest-letdowns-and-best-killer-features/

2019-10-18 11:00:11Z
52780406029379

Samsung says fingerprint security fix is coming as early as next week - The Verge

Samsung says that it plans to release a patch for its phones’ in-display fingerprint sensors as early as next week, after reports emerged that the biometric security method could be rendered useless by certain screen protectors. The issue relates to some “silicone screen protecting cases,” according to Samsung, and affects the Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10 5G, as well as the or Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus.

According to the company, the issue is caused by the phones’ ultrasonic fingerprint sensor incorrectly reading 3D patterns in the screen protector as fingerprints. As a result, any person could then unlock a phone wrapped in such a case, creating a security issue.

Until the patch is available, Samsung is advising users not to use any such covers. It says users should remove the cover, delete any previously-registered fingerprints, and then re-register them without the cover applied. If you’re using the screen protector that came pre-applied to your phone then you should be fine. But for everyone else, it couldn’t hurt to try and unlock your device with a non-registered fingerprint, just to check.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/18/20920522/samsung-galaxy-s10-note-10-fingerprint-recognition-patch-next-week-bug-biometric-security

2019-10-18 10:45:43Z
52780409816827

OnePlus 7T Pro review: small updates make a great phone slightly better - The Verge

In the right circumstances, there’s nothing wrong with a minor spec bump, especially when it comes just six months after the device it’s improving on. That’s exactly what OnePlus has done with the £699 OnePlus 7T Pro, a newly upgraded version of the OnePlus 7 Pro from earlier this year. It’s coming to Europe and Asia but not the US.

If you’ve already read The Verge’s OnePlus 7T review, you’ll know what sort of improvements to expect from the Pro model. There’s a new macro camera mode, a bigger battery, and the phone’s processor is also slightly faster at rendering graphics. There’s nothing mind-blowing here, but it’s also a list of improvements that’s been added without having to make any compromises.

Then again, if you’ve already read our OnePlus 7T review, you’ll also know that we called that phone “the best of the 7 Pro, for less” because with it, OnePlus took the Pro’s super-slick 90Hz refresh rate, and included it on a device that costs between $70 and $100 less. The OnePlus 7T Pro is objectively a better phone than the OnePlus 7 Pro, but it’s now got much stronger competition from its own maker in the form of the OnePlus 7T.

The OnePlus 7T Pro is a very similar device to the OnePlus 7 Pro that was released earlier in the year. In fact, if you go back and read our OnePlus 7 Pro review from May, almost all of the points still apply to this new device.

In particular, the 7T Pro’s OLED screen is every bit as stunning as it was on the 7 Pro. It’s still got a super-smooth 90Hz refresh rate, it’s still super crisp, colorful, and bright, and it still curves elegantly around the edges of the device. It’s also still completely notchless, thanks to the phone’s small 16-megapixel pop-up selfie camera and an in-display fingerprint scanner that’s still wicked fast.

When it comes to the changes OnePlus has made to the new phone, they can be a little hard to quantify. Take the processor spec bump as an example. OnePlus has equipped its latest device with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor, which, in theory, means it’s 15 percent faster at rendering graphics.

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we’re going to start counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.

While you’re setting up the OnePlus 7T Pro, you need to agree to the following in order to use your phone:

Additionally, there are a couple of optional agreements that you need to get past during setup:

• Participation in the User Experience Program
• System stability reporting
• Push notifications for surveys and product updates
• Built-in app updates for the phone, contacts, and settings apps

That leaves us with four mandatory agreements and four optional agreements for the OnePlus 7T Pro.

In practice, however, the actual improvement is hard to discern. What I will say is that I never once experienced slowdown while using the phone. The recently released Call of Duty: Mobile ran brilliantly, despite the phone’s high-resolution 1440p display, and there were no hiccups as I switched between apps. Is this an improvement over the 7 Pro? It’s hard to say, but I’m certainly not complaining.

It’s a similar story when it comes to battery life. The OnePlus 7T Pro has a 4,085mAh battery, which is technically a whole 85mAh more than the 7 Pro. Does this make a measurable difference? Who cares. What matters is that I struggled to drain the phone by more than 50 percent in a day. When I let the phone run down to zero, I found that it lasted me from 8AM until 4PM the following day. These were two comparatively light days of usage filled with mainly email reading and Twitter browsing, but you get the idea.

The OnePlus 7T Pro uses the company’s new Warp Charge 30T, which is apparently 23 percent faster than the Warp Charge 30 standard found in the 7 Pro. It works well, and it could charge my device quickly without it getting excessively warm. When charging a completely powered-down device, I found that I got 28 percent of charge after just 12 minutes, 46 percent after 20 minutes, 96 percent after an hour, and I was left with a fully charged device roughly one hour and five minutes after plugging it in. It’s still a bummer that OnePlus is using its own proprietary fast-charging technology (so you won’t get these same results from third-party chargers), but at least it works well.

The camera hardware inside the 7T Pro is basically unchanged from the 7 Pro, so I’m not going to spend too much time covering old ground. We went over this triple-camera array pretty extensively in our original 7 Pro review as well as when we compared it to the Pixel 3A. Suffice it to say, you’ll get reasonable photos out of the OnePlus 7 Pro, but they won’t be class-leading like the Pixel’s photos.

That’s not to say the camera is completely unchanged, though, because the OnePlus 7T Pro has inherited a couple of tricks from the 7T. There’s a new macro mode that will let you focus on objects that are as little as 2.5cm away, and the Nightscape mode now works when you’re using the wide angle camera. Both modes produce reasonable images, but it’s nothing mind-blowing.

In terms of software, you’re getting the same OxygenOS-flavored version of Android 10 that was present on the OnePlus 7T, and you can get a full rundown of its features in our previous review.

The OnePlus 7T Pro is every bit the great phone that the One Plus 7 Pro was when it released earlier this year. While a lot of upgrades — like its bigger, faster-charging battery and faster processor — are minor, none of them come with any noticeable downsides. In pretty much every way, the 7T Pro is a better device than the 7 Pro was — although the difference is small enough that I don’t think any 7 Pro owners out there need to worry about upgrading.

It’s a better device, but I don’t know if that means it’s the better purchasing decision. Last time around, you basically had to buy the OnePlus 7 Pro if you wanted its lovely high refresh rate screen. But this time, you can get a 90Hz display on the OnePlus 7T, and it costs £150 less. Sure, if you opt for it, you’ll have to put up with a notch, a lower resolution display, and a screen that doesn’t curve around the edges of your device, but those seem like reasonable compromises considering the price difference. There’s also the recently announced Google Pixel 4. At £669, it doesn’t offer you as much savings, and it’s got much bigger screen bezels, but given Google’s track record, it could get you a better camera.

The OnePlus 7T Pro is a high-spec phone with a reasonably good camera at a price that’s still cheaper than many other flagships. I don’t think it’s quite the steal it was now that the OnePlus 7T has inherited what I think is the 7 Pro’s best feature, its 90Hz refresh rate. But if you want to make sure you’re getting the absolute best phone that OnePlus currently produces (and one of the best smartphone screens, full stop), then the 7T Pro could yet earn its price premium.

Photography by Jon Porter / The Verge

Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/18/20918732/oneplus-7t-pro-review-specs-features-price-camera-battery-life

2019-10-18 07:00:00Z
52780412255736

Google Store trade-in offers a measly $295 to Pixel 3 owners upgrading to Pixel 4 - 9to5Google

Google’s Pixel 4 sure seems like the best in the series to date, but the company isn’t giving owners of its previous devices a break when it comes to trade-in values. Even if you have a maxed-out Google Pixel 3 XL that debuted just a year ago, the Google Store trade-in will only value your device at $295.

Nomad case for Pixel 3

If you head over the Google Store and try to buy Google’s Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL, you’ll see an option during checkout to trade in your current smartphone to get the newer hardware. Not all devices are accepted, but it includes major brands including Google’s own Pixel lineup, Apple iPhones, Samsung devices, and more.

Google advertises this program as offering up to $400 off your Pixel 4, which is actually not too bad, but it’s a bit painful to see that not a single one of Google’s previous flagships are eligible for that amount.

Even if you have a Google Pixel 3 XL with 128 GB of storage in pristine condition — the top tier of last year’s lineup, it should be noted — Google will only give you $295 for your trade-in. That value just continues to plummet at $260 for the 64 GB, and a maximum of $250 for the smaller device. Things are even worse for older Pixels, where a top-tier Pixel 2 XL only grabs $158.

Want to trade-in for a Pixel 4? You’ll get a maximum of $295

Considering that T-Mobile is literally offering matching bill credits — effectively making a Pixel 4 free — with the trade-in of a previous Pixel device including the 3, this is a really pathetic offering from Google. Still, it’s not too far from what most people would get by selling through a third-party. Looking at Swappa, Pixel 3 XL devices are selling for as little as $275.

Making matters just a bit more insulting, you can trade-in an iPhone XS Max for $600 or an iPhone X for $395. Google should really take notes from Samsung if it wants to move phones.

More on Google Pixel:

---

Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://9to5google.com/2019/10/17/pixel-3-trade-in-offers-google-store/

2019-10-17 13:08:00Z
52780406029379

Google kills Daydream VR headset, Google Clips camera - Ars Technica

• The Daydream View. It's cloth!

• Inside the headset.

• The cloth is stiff enough for headset duty, but it's flexible.

• This makes loading the phone a snap. Just slam it in wherever and close the flap.

• Moving the phone back and forth across the nubs moves the image.

• Different nub contact point, different image center point. You'll never do this during normal usage, but it was a cool demo.

• The face cushion pops off with velcro.

• The inside of the device without the cushion.

• The remote. The front has a trackpad, action button, and home button.

• The back has a "G" logo and lanyard holes.

• The store/platform interface is quite easy to use, in VR or out.

• Google Street View is a lot more impressive in virtual reality.

• YouTube already has a wide variety of 360 degree videos that work well in VR.

• Wonderglade is a collection of four extremely simple mini-games appropriate mainly for very young children.

• VR Karts is a bog standard kart racer that gets tiresome extremely quickly.

• The simple block sliding puzzles of Mekorama are cute, but they don't really gain much from VR.

• Looking at and creating beautiful 3D panoramas in Google Photos VR is the closest thing Daydream has to a killer app.

Google's big hardware event happened yesterday, which saw the announcement of the Pixel 4, Pixelbook Go, Nest Wi-Fi, Nest Home Mini, and new Pixel Buds. While the "Made by Google 2019" event was going on, Google was quietly shutting down enough products that it could have also held a mini "Killed by Google 2019" event that same day. Pour one out for the Google Daydream VR headset and the Google Clips camera.

Google Daydream now sleeps forever

Google Daydream View launched in 2016 and was Google's swing at proper phone-based virtual reality. Like the Samsung and Oculus collaboration Gear VR, the Daydream View was a cheap, light, "dumb" headset that featured VR lenses and little else. You slotted a smartphone into the front, and the phone switched to a VR mode, rendering a stereoscopic image that was blasted into your eyeballs through the lenses. You already have an expensive smartphone, so why not dip your toe in the VR waters with a cheap $100 headset.

Google originally experimented with phone-based VR with Google Cardboard, but the Daydream View added key features, like a head strap, a controller, and a material that wasn't literal garbage. Unlike Cardboard, Daydream made it so you'd actually want to stay in VR for more than 5 minutes. There was even a second-generation Daydream View headset released in 2017.

The Daydream View, and it seems like Google's VR phone ambitions in general, are dead. Not only is the Daydream View no longer for sale in Google's Store, but the Pixel 4 isn't compatible with Daydream headsets. Daydream support has mostly died in the Android ecosystem, too. Despite support from Samsung, LG, Motorola, Asus, and Huawei, Daydream support is no longer included on current flagships. Ironically, the Pixel 4's 90Hz display would have offered one of the best phone VR experiences available, as a higher frame rate would have been significantly more comfortable than the 60Hz or 72Hz that most phone displays run at in VR mode. Oculus and Valve both recommend at least 90 frames per second for comfortable VR.

In a statement to Engadget, Google gave a post-mortem on the project.

We saw a lot of potential in smartphone VR—being able to use the smartphone you carry with you everywhere to power an immersive on-the-go experience. But over time we noticed some clear limitations constraining smartphone VR from being a viable long-term solution. Most notably, asking people to put their phone in a headset and lose access to the apps they use throughout the day causes immense friction.

There also hasn't been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we've seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset. So while we are no longer selling Daydream View or supporting Daydream on Pixel 4, the Daydream app and store will remain available for existing users.

We're investing heavily in helpful AR experiences like Google Lens, AR walking navigation in Maps, and AR in Search that use the smartphone camera to bridge the digital and physical worlds, helping people do more with what they see and learn about the world around them.

With Google quitting the market, phone-based VR is essentially dead. Samsung and Oculus quit supporting the Gear VR with new devices, too, choosing instead to focus on standalone headsets that basically take all those phone parts and make them a permanent part of the headset.

Google shutters Google Clips

Google Clips has been removed from the Google Store, marking the quiet death of one of Google's more head-scratching product releases over the years. Clips was an action camera that... took pictures for you? It didn't have a viewfinder—you just set it up somewhere and relied on "AI" to decide what moments were important enough to take pictures of. Did we mention it was two hundred and fifty dollars? It was two hundred and fifty dollars.

The device was panned in reviews for poor image quality and for not recording sound for its video clips. I can't imagine using it for a genuinely important event without being filled with picture anxiety. Is this thing actually working? Will it really capture this one important moment? I also don't get the idea here: if you think an auto-recording camera is valuable, why not just write a smartphone app?

Google Clips was just one of those schadenfreudian products that seems like a bad idea on paper, seemed like a bad idea when it was announced, was poorly reviewed, and then flopped in the market. It's the definition of a DOA product that will not be missed.

Google frequently dips its toes into new markets, and while it's easy to declare that the juggernaut of a company will dominate any new market it chooses to step into, more often than not, that just isn't the case. It's far more likely that the company either goes to market with an unpopular idea or just loses interest in something that is popular—but not popular enough for a company that is used to having billions, not millions, of users.

Google's frequent product shutdowns make any new Google product tough to immediately jump behind when it is unclear just how committed the company is to any new project. The recent lack of confidence in Google's brand is something the company is having to deal with most recently for Google Stadia, where many users and industry experts openly wonder how long Google will stick it out in the gaming realm.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/google-kills-daydream-vr-headset-google-clips-camera/

2019-10-17 11:52:00Z
52780406029379

Intel driver update for Windows 10 causing display aberrations - Neowin

While it seems that we are on the precipice of the Windows 10 November 2019 Update being rolled out to the general public in its finalized form, a good number of us may be using the May 2019 Update, particularly after Microsoft gave it the rubber stamp for broad deployment last month. However, it seems that an Intel display driver update delivered via Windows Update is causing problems that, at the time of writing, may mainly impact HP computers such as the ProBook 450 G6.

According to a post on Microsoft's community forum, KB4517389 included Intel Display Driver Update 26.20.100.7157 and led to a variety of poor user experiences. One user on Reddit reported Chrome becoming blacked out and Edge crossing out images and search boxes while another user on Twitter reached out to Microsoft Support after observing pixelation issues.

Let's check all the possible factors that's causing the issue after the update, Sai. We have to know the troubleshooting steps that you've done on your end first, so we can skip those and proceed with the things that you haven't done yet.

-Levi

— Microsoft Support (@MicrosoftHelps) October 14, 2019

Although the problem with display glitches is inconvenient, it doesn't appear to render affected machines completely inoperable. As a result, this provides users the opportunity to simply roll back the driver update to avoid the issue until the offending update is automatically downloaded again. However, you can now pause updates for up to 35 days if you've installed the May 2019 Update as follows:

1. Press Win + I (for India)
2. Click "Update & Security"
3. Click "Pause updates for 7 days"
4. Repeat to pause updates for up to 35 days as desired

Of course, if you want to resume updates for your affected machine, simply click on "Resume updates" on the Windows Update screen which will then force an immediate check for available updates. In the meantime, Microsoft has yet to acknowledge the issue but users may be able to obtain a later driver directly from their device manufacturer to remedy the problem.

Via: Windows Latest, TechDows, Image via jba2876 (Reddit)

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.neowin.net/news/intel-driver-update-for-windows-10-causing-display-aberrations

2019-10-17 09:20:00Z
52780411418253