Technology

Back in the day, when you buy a product and pay the company for it, the deal is done. The company would have made its money from you and that was that until you purchased from them again. However, it’s not particularly sustainable as companies would essentially need to keep courting buyers.

This also means that during particular times of the year, revenue could be down. This is why we’re seeing an uptick in subscription services that at least guarantees that existing customers continue generating revenue for companies, even if they aren’t necessarily buying new products. This is the case with Toyota who are now charging customers $8 a month in order to keep using their key fobs for remote start.

Earlier this week, we reported that OnePlus had started to roll out the Android 12 update to the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro smartphones. If you haven’t updated your phone yet and don’t see the update, it is because the company has since announced that they have actually pulled the update for the phones.

This is according to various user reports in which many users were posting on Twitter, Reddit, and OnePlus’ forums where they were encountering all manner of bugs that made their phones difficult to use. This included basic phone functions like making or receiving phone calls, a broken Autofill feature, the inability to change icons, customize status bar icons, and more.

If you’re a PlayStation owner, there’s a good chance you know about Sony’s PlayStation Now streaming service. This is Sony’s game streaming service that was launched several years ago, but it is currently only available on Sony’s PlayStation consoles and PCs.

However, according to a report from The Verge, they have uncovered confidential documents during the Epic VS Apple trial that revealed that Sony apparently had plans to bring the service onto mobile devices.

Every year, Sony announces new cameras. These announcements take place throughout the year, but it seems that come 2022, Sony might hold off on announcing any new camera until the second half of 2022. Why is this, you ask? It turns out the global chip shortage is to blame for all of this, according to Sony Alpha Rumors.

As you might have heard, the world is currently facing a chip shortage which has caused all kinds of product delays across various industries, such as gaming, mobile devices, and more. So it shouldn’t really come as a surprise to learn that it has affected cameras as well, so for Sony to delay announcements until the later part of the year makes sense.

Photography requires light, this is why having lenses with wide apertures can be useful in low-light situations since a wider aperture essentially allows more light to hit the camera’s sensor. It is also why when shooting in a studio, lighting is extremely important. But what if there is almost no light available?

Sure, there are cameras that can shoot infrared photos, but those tend to be a bit more specialized and niche, but Canon thinks that they can solve that problem. According to a report from Nikkei Asia (paywall), it appears that Canon has developed a new imaging sensor that is capable of snapping photos in color even in near-total darkness.

For some companies, such as Epic who made millions in Fortnite, this is a lot of money going to Apple’s coffers. As such, many have called on Apple to allow users to download apps from other places, like how Android supports third-party app stores. According to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook who spoke at The New York Times “DealBook” summit last month, perhaps they should use Android instead.

According to Cook, “If you want to sideload, you can buy an Android phone. That choice exists when you go into the carrier shop. If that is important to you, then you should buy an Android phone. From our point of view, it would be like if I were an automobile manufacturer telling [a customer] not to put airbags and seat belts in the car. He would never think about doing this in today’s time. It’s just too risky to do that. And so it would not be an iPhone if it didn’t maximize security and privacy.”

This is according to a report from XDA Developers in which they have discovered that OnePlus has started to roll out the OxygenOS 12 update based on Android 12 to users. According to the report, the update has the build number LE2115_11.C.36 for the OnePlus 9, and LE2125_11.C.36​ for the OnePlus 9 Pro, so keep an eye out for those if you own either handset.

OnePlus has also since officially acknowledged that they are rolling out the update in a post on their forums. “We are thrilled to announce we have successfully started the rollout of OxygenOS 12 based on Android 12 for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro devices. This update has reached a few users already and will continue to roll out incrementally.”

The design style of Nintendo’s Zelda series has always been somewhat cartoony, with some titles in the series being more cartoony than others. While it might not sport the most realistic graphics, there is a certain charm to the design of Zelda games that have always managed to keep the game lighthearted and fun.

However, what if Nintendo were to one day use a different engine to build Zelda on? That’s what designer RwanLink on YouTube has decided to find out, where recreated different environments from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time using Unreal Engine 5, and we have to say that the game looks stunning!

Microsoft’s Xbox platform has a subscription service called Xbox Game Pass which is basically like the Netflix of games. Subscribing to Game Pass will give users access to a library of games that they can play whenever they want for a fixed price every month. This is obviously cheaper compared to purchasing individual titles, but you might not necessarily have access to the latest games.

That being said, it seems that Sony could be developing something similar of their own. This is according to a report from Bloomberg in which they claim that Sony is apparently developing a similar service codenamed “Spartacus” in which it would essentially offer up the same features as Xbox Game Pass.

While audiophiles and purists might prefer more traditional hi-fi speaker setups for their entertainment systems, sometimes a soundbar might be more practical. They take up less space and if you have a smaller living room or bedroom, they’re usually more than enough to fill it up.

If you do prefer a soundbar setup, then you might be interested to learn that Verizon and Bang & Olufsen have teamed up for the Stream TV Soundbar and Stream TV Soundbar Pro. What so special about these soundbars is that they are more than just a speaker system and actually come with Android TV built into it.

As you might have heard, Sony has recently gotten into drones. In fact, if you really love Sony’s products, then you might be interested to learn that Sony’s Airpeak S1 drone is currently available for pre-order, although it will set you back a whopping $9,000 to get your hands on it.

For those hearing about this for the first time, the Sony Airpeak S1 is the company’s first drone designed for professionals. Usually drones come with their own cameras, which is fine, but for professionals who desire better quality and customization, the Airpeak S1 can actually support the company’s full-sized mirrorless Alpha series digital cameras.

Yes, a phone that’s about 2 years old isn’t even getting Android 11, and don’t get us started on Android 12! According to the company, “Nokia phones are about offering the best possible smartphone experience, day in and day out. It’s something we take pride in. That is why we had to make the tough choice not to offer the Android 11 software upgrade for Nokia 9 PureView. Incompatibilities between the camera and the software would have led to a compromised experience that does not meet our high standards.”

To make it up to those who did buy the phone, the company has announced they will instead be offering customers a 50% discount on a budget Nokia phone like the Nokia XR20. It’s a very odd decision because why would anyone go from a high-end device to a budget handset, one that they would still have to pay for even with a 50% discount, just for an Android update?

Sony’s PS5 is in demand right now. The PlayStation branding and reputation, plus the rave reviews of the PS5 have resulted in it being high in demand, and couple that with the global chip shortage, we’re looking at a situation where demand has greatly exceeded supply.

This is why scalpers have been buying up as many PS5 units as they possibly can and then reselling them for a much higher amount. It is also why anyone with a PS5 will have no trouble finding someone willing to buy it either, which is the case with a 19-year old teen who tried to sell his PS5 console but ended up with him getting shot.

There are many gaming controllers out there for mobile devices, but some of them require that you prop your phone up in order to play it. However, it seems that Sony has actually filed a patent for a mobile controller that resembles the DualShock controller design except that this is for mobile devices.

The patent describes a controller system where users can clamp a phone in between the controller, meaning that you can hold your phone and play using the controller at the same time. This isn’t an entirely new concept as other companies such as Razer already offer up similar controllers, but we suppose this is an option for those like Sony’s DualShock controller series.