During a recent OTK livestream, popular Twitch streamer Thomas Chance “Sodapoppin” expressed his regrets for not moving to Microsoft’s Mixer when it was scouring platforms for talent.
Mixer gained immense popularity in 2019 and also signed massive exclusive deals with streaming phenomena Tyler “Ninja” and Michael “Shroud.”
Expressing his frustration, the Twitch streamer revealed that he missed out on an unbelievable amount of money that other streamers received for joining the interactive streaming platform. With that being said, Mixer’s acquisitions didn’t amount to much as it was shut down in 2020.
The streamer lamented nonetheless:
“I f**king wish I went to Mixer.“
Sodapoppin reveals why he is jealous of Ninja and Shroud for moving from Twitch to Mixer
Sodapoppin has been among the top Twitch streamers for over a decade, boasting over 8.8 million followers on the platform. This figure makes him the 10th biggest channel on the Amazon-owned medium, behind high-profile streamers such as Ninja, xQc, and Pokimane.
The 28-year-old is mainly known for his IRL and gaming streams, which include various top titles such as World of WarCraft.
Sodapoppin recently joined the One True King Twitch channel for a livestream of their new PC building service Starforge. However, during the August 11, 2022 broadcast, the Twitch powerhouse revealed why he was willing to ditch the purple platform for the now defunct Mixer in 2019.
The streamer even explained why he was jealous of Ninja and Shroud, both of whom accrued a massive fortune in their deals with Mixer. Furthermore, following the platform’s downfall, both streamers were able to return to Twitch, much to Sodapoppin’s annoyance. The clip has already crossed over 63k views on Twitch alone.
Regretting his decision, the American streamer lamented:
“I f**king wish I went to Mixer, I’m so jealous. These f**k-sticks signed these contracts for tens of millions of dollars, and then they got to come back! They shut down, and they get to keep the f**king money.”
I have further added:
“Do you know how that feels, to like get a contract and be like ‘Hmm, morals?! And I keep getting f**ked! I’m just gonna start doing shady sh*t. It hurts. Goddammit. The Mixer deal, f**k man, I wish I’d signed that s**t, I really do.”
About Mixer
Emphasizing on interaction between streamers, viewers and low stream latency, the start-up was acquired by Microsoft in 2016 for an undisclosed amount. It quickly entered the limelight with incredible features such as faster-than-light technology and multiple highly synchronized feeds.
Due to its increasing prominence, many reckoned Mixers could dominate the streaming industry and compete against Twitch. However, that wasn’t the case as it egregiously failed to replicate its rival’s follower count.
Millions invested in securing top creators didn’t translate to significant viewership as their overall growth on the platform was painfully poor. Following much scrutiny, it was shut down by Microsoft in July 2020.
WhatsApp users have for long agonized over their online activity being advertised to other WhatsApp users without their consent. Meta seems to have heard you and updated its privacy features accordingly.
Starting August 2022, you won’t have to sneak out of a WhatsApp group at 2 AM in the hope that no one will notice. Here are the details.
WhatsApp to Introduce 3 New Privacy Features
WhatsApp has added new features, long demanded by users, that should help you keep your messages secure and enhance your privacy online.
1. Leave Groups Silently on WhatsApp
Starting later in August 2022, it will be possible to exit a WhatsApp group privately without alerting everyone in the group. Instead, only the admins will be notified.
This will definitely eliminate the drama or embarrassment that comes with leaving a group, and the inevitable DMs from people wanting to know why you abandoned them. If you are like this writer, who likes to leave a party quietly, this feature will be a welcome relief.
2. Choose Who Can See When You’re Online on WhatsApp
WhatsApp started by letting everyone see when you are online. Then, it made it possible to hide your online status from everyone. Then, it made it so that only people who are in your contacts list, and people you have messaged with before, could see you online.
Now WhatsApp will make it possible for you to pick and choose who can and can’t see when you are online. One can only hope that those among your friends and family that you haven’t white-listed into this exclusive club won’t take offense.
3. Screenshot Blocking For WhatsApp’s View Once Messages
View Once, or disappearing photos, is a feature that has become popular for a wide array of reasons, not the least of which is that it goes a long way in preventing revenge porn by jilted lovers who happen to have your private photos. However, there was always the risk that someone could screenshot the disappearing photo.
WhatsApp will now enable screenshot blocking for View Once messages for an added layer of protection. This feature is currently undergoing testing. WhatsApp is yet to announce when it will go live.
Why Has WhatsApp Rolled Out These Privacy Features?
Image Credit: WhatsApp Blog
According to a post on Meta Newsroom, these three new features on WhatsApp will give you more control with added interlocking layers of protection.
However, People Magazine reports that these changes are in part driven by a new WhatsApp global privacy report that found:
72% of people value being able to speak in an honest and unfiltered way, with 45% not being able to engage without doing so safely and 59% worried that their private messages will be shared without their knowledge or consent.
One also cannot underestimate the impact of increasing legal scrutiny of big tech by regulators and courts. The more secure the app can make itself, the more liability and negative publicity it avoids from future, undetermined, legal suits related to crime or abuses perpetrated on the app.
Also, WhatsApp prides itself on its end-to-end encryption, and it is surely aware of the need to mitigate the competitive threat from other platforms like Signal, which have very robust privacy protections as well.
Wait a Few Weeks to Use WhatsApp’s Latest Privacy Features
WhatsApp has pointed out that these features are still undergoing tests and are not yet live on the app, so do not be frustrated when you cannot find them.
We are willing to wait because these features will certainly improve your WhatsApp experience, not to mention safety.
OLIVEX EXPANDS ITS WEB3 WITH INVESTMENT IN BREATHONICS
AND PARTNERSHIP WITH PARASOL
HIGHLIGHTS
OliveX further commits to its strategy to build an open and fully interoperable fitness metaverse with strategic investment in its fifth move-to-earn fitness company Breathonics
Investing in and incubating up-and-coming Web3 fitness games is a pillar of the expansion of OliveX’s fitness metaverse
Three-yearagreement with Parasol Corp for three new fitness games to be rolled into the fitness metaverse
The Parasol development team specializes in combining fitness and interactive experiences with storytelling in a fun and approachable manner
August 12, 2022 – OliveX Holdings Limited (OliveX or the Company) (NSX:OLX), through its wholly-owned subsidiary OliveX (HK) Limited, is pleased to announce two partnerships as part of its committed strategy to build a diverse portfolio for its interoperable fitness metaverse. The Company entered an agreement with Hong Kong-based Silentmode Limited (Silentmode), a health technology startup that owns the mental health training app Breathonics, pursuant to which OliveX has committed to participate in a strategic equity investment in Silentmode as well as provide advisory services in connection with their proposed digital utility token launch. As part of the proposed strategic investment, OliveX Founder and CEO Mr Keith Rumjahn will take up a position as a non-executive director, providing Silentmode with advice and expertise with regards to coin pairings, marketing, exchange relationships and more.
Figure 1 – OliveX’s Fitness Metaverse
This investment is a further step towards the Company realizing its vision to invest in, and assist in developing, a number of move-to-earn titles in order to contribute to creating a fully interoperable metaverse, and follows the Company’s existing investments in DEFY Labs Pte. Ltd and Genopets, as previously announced.
Additionally, the Company finalized a partnership agreement with development studio Parasol Corp Pty Ltd for the development of three new games over three years, each of which will be underpinned by the ecosystem-wide DOSE utility token. The first game, tentatively titled ‘We Fight Monsters’, is for lovers of bodyweight workouts as well as fitness gaming.
Mr Rumjahncommented:
“From the very first day we began building the fitness metaverse OliveX’s business ethos was to be inclusive and collaborative. Building a great game is equally important as finding the right Move-and-Earn partners to invest in and incubate in order to create a fully interoperable metaverse.The investment in Breathonics gives us an entry point on a fitness tool with tremendous potential for creativity in collaboration with Silentmode, and another element with which to enhance our wider metaverse offering.”
“Creating games that are fun is our first priority and the design of ‘We Fight Monsters’ has it all: a captivating narrative gives players reason to move through HIIT-based movements to progress through the game. To effectively expand the ecosystem, OliveX is actively widening its gamified fitness offerings to focus on fitness, fun and inclusion for players of all ages, abilities and interests so as to further broaden its game options.”
About Silentmode
Silentmode is a Hong Kong-based private company with a business focus on creating breathing exercise products and applications, including its Breathonics app as well as associated hardware products.
The Breathonics app is designed to control and improve breathing quality through eight breathing protocols organized as practical solutions that help manage mental and physical health. As an underappreciated element of fitness, Breathonics’ 40+ science-based exercises are an ideal addition to the movement encouraged in OliveX’s Dustland games.
Silentmode will also enter the Web3 arena through the creation and public launch of its own digital utility token within 24 months, to be integrated with the existing Breathonics app.
About Parasol
Parasol Corp Pty Ltd is a Melbourne-based indie game development studio with a business focus on the creation and development of fitness and augmented reality games. Parasol is best known for its guided audiobook HIIT adventure ‘Warlocks and Workouts’, which combines propulsive chapter-based fantasy storytelling with interval training.
Parasol’s first game for OliveX, ‘We Fight Monsters’ will be set in the gothic wilds of a fallen empire known as the Vault of Kings. Users will step into a rich tapestry of lore and visual exploration as they explore the land, hunting for the Eldar vampire who destroyed their home. ‘We Fight Monsters’ will take fitness gaming to the next level, with unique gameplay, bosses and loot to personalize the game experience, further enhanced with NPCs and NFT rewards.
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Figure 2 – ‘We Fight Monsters’ is currently in development and is expected to roll out
its Alpha phase in Q4 22/23. Breathonics is currently available for download.
About OliveX
OliveX is a digital health and fitness company delivering unique user experiences through fitness gamification, augmented reality, and move-and-earn experiences. The OliveX fitness metaverse provides platforms that merge the real-world and the digital universe to connect consumers exercising at home, the gym, or outdoors with brands, influencers, and coaches in over 170 countries.
As part of its long term strategy to expand the fitness metaverse, OliveX is committed to its core development principles of building blockchain fitness games, investing in and incubating emerging blockchain titles, and partnering with global brands on the Sandbox. The Metaverse will ultimately be underpinned by OliveX’s bespoke cross-platform DOSE token, an ERC-20-compatible fungible token.
ENDS
For further information, photography or interview requests, please contact:
Restrictions on our Games, Fitness Metaverse, and $DOSE
Restrictions due to compliance regulations for different jurisdictions apply. Residents from certain jurisdictions may not earn
$DOSE or participate in NFT sales and/or campaigns in our fitness metaverse. Additional restrictions may apply depending on the type of game or experience you are attempting to access.
players of Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds would have received another notice to update their game client in recent days, with Netmarble rolling out a new update to the smartphone mobile game dubbed ‘Fight for the Throne’.
In “Fight for the Throne,” players battle to become the strongest kingdom in the server. Four kingdoms enter the battle as they attempt to bring the dragon to their own base. The winning kingdom will need to reach a specific score and implement unique strategies to overcome their opponents. The winning army will be designated as a “Capital Kingdom” on the server and will receive honor and rewards for their efforts. A Special Kingdom Skin (Kingdom decorative element) and costume will be awarded as well as its very own policy for special events on the server. Want to see what the costumes are like for the Kingdom Lord and Kingdom Members? They are freaking adorable!
Furthermore, this update allows players to have their own pet, separate from the familiars that fight alongside you. According to Netmarble, these cute creatures “follow the player and provide added fun and collectability to the game’s overall experience”. Additionally, a new play mode has been added where players can choose the quest’s mode in ‘Auto / Semi-Auto / Manual’ for their play preference.
Other new in-game events added in this update to Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds include:
‘Fight for the Throne’ Opening Event: A newly added Cheer feature allows players to cheer kingdoms, joining the fight. Players who use this feature during a specific cheering period will receive a 4★ Decoration Chest.
Cooking Competition Episode Eve Event: Based on mission points, players can obtain the 4★ Sore Boar Familiar and various power up materials. Mission Points can be earned by completing various missions such as Cook in the Kingdom and Conquest Missions.
Celebration Event for ‘Capital Kingdom’ update: New daily missions will be available across a 7 day period including Missions Use HP Potion, Defeat World Boss and more. Players will receive Power Up Materials and chances to win a 4★ Weapon Bundle Chest, which provides a variety of 4★ weapons.
Developed by Netmarble and based on the popular PS3/PS4 era video game duology Ni no Kuni, Ni no Kuni: Cross is now available on iOS and Android players, in addition to the PC using cross-play.
This week brought some shocking news for iOS 16 beta testers, with Apple bringing back the iPhone battery percentage to the status bar after a number of years.
Other news and rumors this week included word that Apple has started recording portions of its media event planned for next month to introduce the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8, claims about iPhone 14 Pro pricing and Apple’s plans for switching AirPods over to USB-C charging, and more, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!
iOS 16 Beta 5 Adds Battery Percentage to iPhone Status Bar
Five years after Apple introduced the iPhone X with a notch, and relegated the battery percentage indicator to Control Center, Apple has finally added the battery percentage back to the iPhone’s status bar in the fifth developer beta of iOS 16 released earlier this week.
The new battery icon is available on most iPhone models with a notch. The battery percentage appears within the battery icon to save space, but not everyone is a fan of this design.
Check out our list of everything new in iOS 16 beta 5 for other new features and changes in the beta. Apple also released new betas for iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16.
Apple Reportedly Preparing Pre-Recorded iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 Event
It appears that Apple’s annual iPhone event won’t be a fully in-person event again this year, as Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman this week claimed that Apple has started to produce a pre-recorded video for the event. It’s possible that Apple will still invite media to the event for in-person hands-on demos with new products.
Unsurprisingly, Apple will likely unveil its iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 product lineups at the September event, and at least five other products are expected to be announced this year.
iPhone 14 Pro Models Rumored to Be More Expensive
Apple plans to increase the prices of iPhone 14 Pro models compared to iPhone 13 Pro models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
While higher prices would be disappointing for customers, research firm TrendForce predicted that iPhone 14 Pro models could start with 256GB of storage, compared to 128GB for iPhone 13 Pro models. Pricing for iPhone 13 Pro models currently starts at $999 in the United States.
Two New Connectors Rumored for Next-Generation iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature the same design as the current model, but with two new four-pin connectors on the top and bottom, according to a report from the Japanese website Mac Otakara.
Apple is expected to release new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with M2 chips and support for MagSafe wireless charging later this year — possibly alongside the delayed release of iPadOS 16 in October.
USB-C AirPods Expected to Launch in 2023
Apple plans to switch to USB-C charging cases for all AirPods models in 2023, but the second-generation AirPods Pro launching later this year may still have a Lightning charging case, according to a recent tweet from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo also expects the iPhone 15 to switch to USB-C in 2023, along with several accessories, such as the MagSafe Battery Pack and the Magic Mouse.
‘It’s Time for Apple to Fix Texting’ Says New Android Website
Google’s Android team has launched a new “Get the Message” website that again calls on Apple to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS) alongside iMessage in the Messages app on iPhone.
Google has been pushing Apple to switch from SMS to RCS for months now, with no response from Apple. RCS would allow for read receipts, audio messages, and more for conversations between iPhones and Android smartphones.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big- picture view.
So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
Over the past couple of months, the Samsung Galaxy Watch was circulating the web with a Pro suffix attached to its name, and at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on August 10, 2022, we found out why. Alongside the newly released foldables, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, the Korean OEM introduced new additions to its wearable lineup, Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. While Watch 5 is an iterative upgrade over its predecessor, Watch 5 Pro is a move against Garmin that sees Samsung shift into a category it hasn’t tackled before. But the change means giving up on the niceties of Galaxy Watch 4 Classic for a more sport-oriented look and feel.
POCKETNOW VIDEO OF THE DAY
Now, the top-of-the-line hardware no longer features a rotating bezel, and if you’re part of the equation that considers it a must-have, you might wonder how last year’s model stacks up against this year’s best wearable from Samsung. Hence, this article compares the $449 Galaxy Watch 5 Pro against the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which starts at $349, to see which of the two might be the wearable to choose.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Increased Endurance
Do you need a fitness-focused smart wearable that will ensure you’re able to track your activity levels without worrying about battery life? The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has many new features and a design geared to the rugged lifestyle making it worth considering for outdoor activities.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
Traditional Design
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is the device for those looking to own a traditional-looking timepiece that does more than meets the eye. It’s one of the best smartwatches for Android users.
Design and Display
Source: Pocketnow Video
Source: Pocketnow Video
You’ll see many similarities if you put the spec sheets for Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic next to each other. Still, their designs aren’t on that list, irrespective of the closeness in the two wearables’ dimensions.
The newer model, as mentioned earlier, gives up on the rotating bezel in favor of a capacitive one. But seeing its fitness-oriented marketing, the decision makes sense to me. The wearable even has its display inlaid, ie, at a greater depth, making it harder for rocks and other hazards to cause any damage. And if some do make it there, the new Sapphire Crystal material will keep major scratches at bay.
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic also has a slightly inlaid look due to the physical bezel which comes up, but it does have the older Corning Gorilla Glass DX solution, which might not hold up as well as Sapphire. The other noticeable change in the designs is the material case. Galaxy Watch 4 Classic uses Stainless Steel while Galaxy Watch 5 Pro goes the way of Titanium, a lighter material that might be more durable in some cases.
Apart from these elements’ visual differences, the two wearables remain pretty similar. They feature 1.36-inch displays — the smaller 42mm Classic has a 1.19-inch screen — and come with an IP68 rating and other environmental protection certifications like 5ATM and a MIL-STD-810 rating (Watch 5 series has an improved 810H rating versus the 810G on Watch 4 series). There’s the same 20mm band support and proprietary puck-based wireless charging, though [the newer generation has some improvements].
Health and Software Features
Source: Samsung
The two devices’ health and wellness capabilities share a lot of hardware. Still, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has the added advantage of its infrared-based body temperature sensor and larger BioActive sensor. Samsung says with the new curvier back panel on Watch 5 Pro and the larger-sized 3-in-1 sensor, the wearable can provide more accurate results when it performs Blood-Oxygen monitoring, Body Composition analysis, and more.
Nevertheless, suppose the wellness aspect doesn’t hold that much of a priority in your wishlist. In that case, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will hold up just fine as it comes with everything except the newer temperature sensor. Samsung offering the wearable next to the latest models is also something to keep in mind.
When Galaxy Watch 5 Pro becomes available on August 26, the software — OneUI Watch 4.5 based on Wear OS 3.5 — running on it should be similar to the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. But the Pro does feature some additions that might not trickle down, namely support for GPX files and Trackback, which can trace back the steps you took on a trail.
Performance and Battery
As I wrote in my Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 4 comparison, the processor sees no change or upgrades; This means the Exynos W920 in Galaxy Watch 4 Classic also powers the newer Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Hence, moving between applications, notifications, and the variety of tiles that provide data should remain the same. The bezel-based movements of the Classic will likely feel more seamless and enjoyable to use.
Source: Pocketnow Video
However, while performance and swapping between screens will remain the same, Watch 5 Pro boasts a tremendous increase in battery life that will positively affect any user’s experience. Samsung claims the new wearable can work for 80 hours on a single charge before you’ll need to take it off. Not only that, there’s even support for new faster wireless charging. Galaxy Watch 4 Classic talked up a 40-hour endurance, but its charging speeds were slower.
verdict
Source: Pocketnow Video
With that, we come to the verdict on choosing between the two wearables. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has some new features that make it relative to the $800 Garmin wearables on the market. Whether it will stack up to the competition is unknown at this point. Still, it has a bigger battery and a rugged aspect, making it a great fitness wearable. The fact that it comes in at $449 is also positive — almost half of its planned competition costs.
On the other hand, I believe Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is for a different type of consumer. It’s for those who spend their time within the concrete construct and not as much in the wild.
Hence, if you’re okay with your fitness metrics not coming from the latest hardware but still being good enough and don’t mind the slower charging, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is still a great buy in 2022. But if you’re looking to get something more out of your wearable, especially if you enjoy trekking on trails, the Watch 5 Pro boasts battery life and extra software-based convenience to consider buying it.
Which Galaxy Watch will you be pairing with your smartphone this time? Let us know with a comment below.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Increased Endurance
Do you need a fitness-focused smart wearable that will ensure you’re able to track your activity levels without worrying about battery life? The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has many new features and a design geared to the rugged lifestyle making it worth considering for outdoor activities.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
Traditional Design
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is the device for those looking to own a traditional-looking timepiece that does more than meets the eye. It’s one of the best smartwatches for Android users.
Ultimately when it comes to any free-to-play mobile game, the development team needs to rake in the money, and in many cases that comes down to the gacha system. For a select number of a premium currency, available in small amounts through in-game exploration/events and in-bulk through real world money, you have the chance of unlocking rare characters and weapons that would otherwise be unavailable to you. Tower of Fantasy, a new mobile and PC adventure-exploration game from Hotta Studio and Level Infinite released a couple of days back, does just this. While it has been compared in many ways to its competitor, Genshin Impactone way I would argue the game does it better is in the gacha system – or at least the implementation of its Pity System when you are seeking to pull Simulacra / Weapons.
The Pity System in Gacha mechanics is where, as its name implies, the game takes pity on you for your misfortune. Typically if you do not pull an SSR character after X number of pulls, your next pull will be guaranteed to contain one of the characters. If you do pull an SSR character, the counter starts back at 0 and you begin pulling from there again. While the game’s multiple currencies can be confusing at first, Tower of Fantasy does a few things differently which I would argue makes things a little bit fairer – at least for the premium pulls (Choice Weapons and Limited Pull):
Full transparency about how many pulls you have to go until hitting 80. This could be seen as a positive or negative as it could just encourage you to “spend a little more to hit the 80”, but it is nice to know how close I am to hit the target without having to count back through my pull history.
Perhaps the most significant element, is that pulling an SSR Simulcara/Weapon in Pulls 1-79 does not reduce the counter at all. So technically you could pull an SSR character on pull 78, and in two turns still be guaranteed an SSR. It is nice to see that a ‘Guaranteed SSR in 80 Pulls’ actually means you will pull an SSR on your 80th pull.
Selective SSR Simulcara/Weapon Pull Event – Sometimes you don’t want to leave your character choices up to lady luck, so when launching the game, the development team have implemented a ‘Newcomer’ point-gaining event, where undertaking tasks in the game will eventually allow you to unlock a chest letting you choose whatever SSR character you wish. Granted, you only get to choose from the base weapons (Thunderblades, Rosy Edge, Icewind Arrow, Absolute Zero, Scythe of the Crow, Chakram of the Seas, Negating Cube, Dual EM Stars or Molden Shield V2), but a free SSR is a free SSR, especially if you are like me and have pulled two of the same SSR in a row.
Tower of Fantasy is now available on the PC, Android and iOS platforms. More information on how to download the game can be found HERE. As indicated above, the game itself is free to play and requires no purchase, however makes its money through a gacha-style ‘Special Orders’ system. While the game isn’t too bad with providing you free currency to pull N-SSR tier Simulcara/Weapons, the pull rates for SSR is very low at first, so keep that in mind before picking up the game to play.
A modder has discovered a way to push the refresh rate of the Google Pixel 6a’s display to 90Hz.
Each of the entries in the Pixel 6 lineup features a unique display: the Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate; the Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate; and the Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch display with a 60Hz refresh rate. But now it seems the Pixel 6a could be limited by software, not hardware.
A number of Pixel 6a owners—including 9to5Google contributor Max Weinbach and The Verge senior editor Sean Hollister—have confirmed that the mod supplied by “The Lunarixus” works on their devices. (I don’t have a Pixel 6a on-hand for testing.) But there are some important caveats that could stop most people from using the mod.
The first is that not everyone could get the mod to work on their device at first. Installing the mod is a fairly complex process, although The Verge reports that The Lunarixus is working on a custom ROM that will simplify installation, and even if the steps are followed correctly there’s no guarantee the refresh rate will increase.
The second is that some testers noticed a green tint on their displays after they installed the mod. Not everyone had this problem, but having a noticeable color accuracy problem will probably outweigh the benefits of increasing the Pixel 6a’s refresh rate by 30Hz, at least for people using the device as their primary smartphone.
The third is that it’s not clear what kind of impact this mod can have on a Pixel 6a. The Lunarixus says:
“With that being said,” The Lunarixus says“I’m not going to claim it causes 0 damage, as stated Google opted to run an s6e3fc3 controller at 60Hz and until a statement from Samsung Display or Google comes out we won’t know the reasoning behind the removal of the frequency. “
Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
All of which leaves us with a mod that can make Google’s mid-range smartphone better than it comes out of the box… as long as it doesn’t result in a distracting green tint or damage the hardware in unexpected ways. This will be worth keeping an eye on as The Lunarixus improves the installation process and more people test the mod.
Photos of the fastest version of the current Porsche 911 to date, the new GT3 RS, have surfaced online ahead of its full reveal on Thursday.
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the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3RS has made an early debut in patent images, ahead of its full reveal on 18 August 2022 at 1:00am AEST.
Images shared widely on social media overnight show the hottest iteration of Porsche’s latest-generation 911 to date, sporting a hardcore racing-inspired look with a tall rear wing, wider quarter-panels and aggressive wheel-arch cooling vents.
Key upgrades over the ‘standard’ 911 GT3 include enlarged vents in the front decklid (the bonnet), the GT3 RS’ signature brake cooling vents over the front wheel, fins on the roof, and wider wheel arches housing new-design centre-locking alloy wheels.
Star of the show is a new ‘swan neck’ rear wing seemingly plucked from a race car – and one of the largest of any current road car – which photos confirm will be adjustable to suit different race tracks.
It’s unclear if the new car will offer active aerodynamics – as rumored – with a deployable flap that lifts up to reduce drag at high speeds, akin to a Formula One car’s Drag Reduction System (DRS).
The GT3 RS ditches the powered pop-out handles of all other 992-generation 911 variants for traditional mechanical units – likely to save weight – while the vents and black fins behind each wheel are more aggressive than any other production 911 ever built.
Other highlights include what appears to be a carbon-fibre roof, and a large front air intake, rear diffuser, and centre-mounted dual exhaust tips shared with the non-RS 911 GT3.
The car pictured also wears a white and red color scheme (with red wheels) inspired by the original ‘996.2’ 911 GT3 RS of 2003, and the later ‘997.2’ 911 GT3 RS (3.8-litre) of 2010.
Inside, upgrades over the ‘standard’ 911 GT3 include red door pulls in place of mechanical handles, a yellow 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel, and GT3 RS-specific instrument cluster and infotainment screen graphics.
The steering wheel is home to four rotary dials, rather than just one, allowing for manual control of the car’s performance systems.
While the resolution of the leaked photo makes the functions of these dials difficult to identify, it appears the red-accented switch alters the adaptive suspension, the blue-accented dial controls the car’s torque vectoring system, and the white-accented dial changes the overall drive mode (the yellow dial’s function is unknown).
Powering the new GT3 RS is set to be a version of the latest GT3’s 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-six engine – though if comments from executives are anything to go by, it may be 7kW down on the regular GT3, with an output of 368kW (vs 375kW).
“The new 911 GT3 RS is even more optimized for track use than its predecessors. The spontaneously responsive, high-revving four-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine with approximately 500 PS [368kW, down on the standard GT3’s 375kW] has proven ideal for use at trackdays and club sport events,” said Andreas Preuninger, director of Porsche GT cars.
“That’s why we focused primarily on aerodynamics and chassis questions in the development of the new 911 GT3 RS,” said Preuninger in a media statement, hinting the GT3’s engine won’t be modified for the RS.
The GT3 RS was previously rumored to develop about 390kW – 7kW more than the model it replaces – given the GT3 below it received a similar power boost for its latest generation.
Power is slated to be sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission only – rather than the GT3’s available six-speed manual, given the race track focus of RS-branded Porsche models, driving which favors faster-shifting car gearboxes.
Full details of the new 2023 Porsche 911 GT3RS are set to be revealed this Thursday, August 18, at 1am AEST. An Australian launch is likely to occur sometime next year.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines as a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
BMW X5 M facelift is likely to be introduced by next year. (Image: Autoexpress)
BMW has started testing its upcoming X5 M facelift SUV. It has been over a decade since BMW last slapped on the M-badge to its X5 SUV back in 2009. However, things are about to get interesting again now as the company was spotted pushing the new X5 M around the Nurburgring test track. The latest spy shots arriving from the UK suggest that BMW is working on a new X5 M, based on the upcoming facelifted X5 SUV.
Majority of the test car profile can be seen smartly hidden under thick sheets of camouflage, however some key details are still visible hinting at the remastered design of the SUV. At the front the car can be seen featuring a slimmer pair of headlight units. A similar design language was also seen on the company’s newly revealed 7 Series and iX electric SUV. The snout of the SUV can be seen sporting a new pair of kidney grilles with a more angular design. Also, the company hasn’t used any wider/larger grille design which has been a topic of debate among critics lately. Inside the new grille can be seen horizontal slats – a change from the vertical ones found on the existing model. Although, BMW has covered up details like a pair of fog lights and vertical cooling slats, the use of a reprofiled intake is evident.
(Also Read: BMW M4 Competition 50 Jahre M Edition launched)
The test prototype continues to ride on a set of 22-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. The wheels are also the same kind as found on the current Competition car. Other than this, details such as X5 M’s roof spoiler and quad tailpipe setup remain the same as the outgoing model, however, thicker camouflage around this section hint that it could feature minor design change on to the diffuser. Another key change expected on the rear profile is the use of new tail-lights which could be updated from the current model.
On the inside, expect the new X5 to come with BMW’s new iDrive 9 infotainment system that has appeared on the new i7 as well as the iX electric SUV. This infotainment system features a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 14.9-inch touchscreen beneath a single sheet of curved glass. The company will also provide the car with a redesigned dashboard to accommodate the new infotainment system.
Concrete details on the upcoming X5 M facelift’s powertrain will be unknown in the later stage. However, the current X5 M Competition is available with a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 616bhp and 750Nm of torque. Th new X5 M is also expected to retain the same drivetrain, albeit more power could be on the cards.
