According to a report from South Korean news outlet Yonhap, Samsung is getting ready to grace us with three new phones in late August. The list includes the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3. So if you’ve been saving up for the next Samsung flagship, now you know when they are coming.
You might have noticed, there was no mention of a Galaxy Note device here. That’s because there have been rumors for a while now that Samsung would be dropping the Note series from its lineup.
Sorry all you long-time Note fans, I guess Samsung figures the Galaxy Fold is the natural successor to the Note series of phones, and with its large display and S Pen support, it practically is.
Previously, leaks had pointed to the Galaxy S21 FE launching on August 19, and while there is no official date for Samsung’s next event, this does track with the latest report from Yonhap.
Last year, the Galaxy S20 FE launched in October, and the Galaxy Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip debuted in September. Samsung usually holds an event for the Note series in August, but this year it looks like it is consolidating events, and taking the opportunity to launch its replacement alongside the other models.
Not much is known about the trio of phones that are set to launch in a few months, but some leaks have pointed towards the Galaxy Fold 3 featuring an under-display selfie camera, and a lower price for the Galaxy S21 FE. There are also rumors that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 could have a larger display and cheaper prices this time around as well.
One thing is for sure, history has shown the closer we get to the event, the more information that will leak out. So you won’t have to wait much longer to discover more about Samsung’s latest smartphones.
The app Clubhouse took off last year during the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing people to create audio-only chatrooms. In fact, it became so popular that well-known tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg even took part in group chats on the app.
Part of what makes Clubhouse so well-liked is that each room is controlled by moderators, and features speakers and listeners to prevent it from turning into a mess with users screaming over each other.
However, there are two major problems with Clubhouse, the first being that you’ll need an invite to use it, and the second being that it was only available on iOS. Thankfully, that second reason has now been resolved, because Clubhouse made the announcement on its blog that it was rolling out a beta for the Android version of the app.
The rollout does come with some caveats though. For starters, you’re still going to need an invite to be able to use the app. Secondly, the beta is only available in the U.S. at this time. Not to worry though, according to the post, it will expand to other English-speaking countries and eventually the rest of the world.
For now, the team just wants to collect feedback from the community, fix any issues, and add additional features. Below is a list of features the app is currently lacking, and there are a lot. This is a beta after all. Afterward, they plan on rolling the app out more broadly.
Topic following
Localization and in-app translations
Club creation or club management
Twitter account or Instagram account linking
Update name or update username in-app
Sidebar
Payments (currently U.S. only for iOS)
You can report someone from their profile but reporting via the recent speaker choice will be coming soon
The big problem for Clubhouse is that it’s facing competition from some major players. Twitter has Spaces, Reddit has Reddit Talk, Spotify is looking to host audio chats with creators, and Facebook has a similar feature in the works as well.
While Clubhouse may have kicked off the boon, ignoring Android users for the better part of a year may come back to haunt them as competitors spring up left and right.
ISO 9001 certification implies that a firm is certified to a Quality Management System. The certification offers numerous opportunities that include tendering for work, increased business performance, strategic vision, optimized supply chain management, improved services, and products, and creating a marketing advantage.
Let us see more about how ISO 9001 certification can benefit your business.
About ISO 9001 Quality Management System
ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized standard for Quality Management. This standard is designed to speed up the performance of the business as well as instil continual improvement as well as strategic decision-making in the business. It is beneficial to enhance the product quality, service quality and guarantee better customer satisfaction.
The certification aims to drive the satisfaction of the customer with a broad range of strategies that give a competitive advantage to your organization. This standard applies to all sizes of organizations irrespective of the services and products they offer to the market.
According to CEO & Founder of Best Practice Biz, Kobi Simmat, “Being certified to a Quality Management System allows your organisation to provide evidence of how you meet and exceed your customer needs to relevant stakeholders. ISO 9001 provides endless opportunities including tendering for work, optimised supply chain management, increased business performance and strategic vision, improving your products and services and creating your marketing advantage. ISO 9001 will set your business up for success.”
How Is ISO 9001:2015 Significant For A Business?
The ISO 9001: 2015 summarizes a framework for the management system standard. It helps in guiding the decision-making in the organization to focus on the quality management principles. In this way, it helps fulfil the expectations of customers and provides you a competitive advantage that you have been searching for.
How does ISO 9001:2015 make a business successful?
When implemented, an ISO 9001 standard assists in improving the performance of a business. It also provides a sound basis that helps in the consistent delivery of services and products that fulfil the requirements of stakeholders. This is an international standard that consolidates the services and product quality as well as addresses key risks in the supply chain department.
An ISO 9001 quality management system boosts business performance and brings it in line with the best level of industry standards. In this way, it offers your top management the necessary tools along with the decision-making framework required to consistently fulfil the expectations of the customers.
What Are The Benefits Of Being ISO 9001 Certified?
When an organization certifies to an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System then it clearly shows that its operations work to maintain the quality of services, and products. In this way, it ensures a better level of customer satisfaction and maintains a competitive advantage in this competitive marketplace.
Declare Tender for work and conformance with the standard
Gives competitive advantage to your organization
Optimized supply chain management.
Increases business performance
Increases strategic vision and planning.
Enhance the reputation of your organization
Legal compliance
Improves services and products quality
Improves operational efficiency
Creates marketing advantage
Conclusion
ISO 9001 certification is a standard that shows how the organization meets and exceeds the needs of its customer to relevant stakeholders. The certification sets your business up for success.
Oppo announced today that their Find X3 series (including the Neo, the Lite, and the Pro) will enjoy three years of security patches, up from the previous two years for other Oppo devices. This puts them on par with Google, which is a good step for the manufacturer. While behind Samsung’s policy of four years, Oppo is currently investigating this possibility to see if the hardware can handle it. One thing to note, however, is that these devices will only get two years of software updates. This means that the phone that launched with Android 11 will be upgraded up to Android 13.
Oppo has become the fourth-largest phone manufacturer and the Find X3 Pro is a very amazing phone, with this new update policy making it even more attractive. You can read more about the Find X3 Pro here.
When it comes to purchasing a mobile device, buying an unlocked phone might be one of the smartest routes to take. There are plenty of reasons to consider an unlocked phone, including freedom to select and change carriers.
Given that technology outpaces consumer demands, most of us don’t really need a brand new flagship phone. But for those who like to stay on the cutting edge of technology, a high-end phone is always interesting.
If you’re shopping around for a new phone, and want to work with a fairly open-ended budget, we’ve got good news. There is a lot to choose from as it pertains to unlocked handsets in that price range.
We’ve gathered up a handful of attractive options that fall in the area of $600 or higher. Here, we showcase a variety of phone makers and models with some of the standout features.
How we Decided
We set a few basic guidelines in place to help consolidate the list of candidates. The models that follow all had to adhere to a couple of pre-requisites. Each phone has to run Android 11 or newer and have at least 8GB RAM. Additionally, we trimmed our list to devices with batteries of 4,000mAh or higher capacity.
This means current versions of software, plenty of memory for any task, and battery that easily lasts through a day or more.
Google Pixel 5
Google’s latest smartphone, the Pixel 5, builds on its predecessors in all the right ways, including price. Slightly less expensive than the previous generation, it’s a well-rounded phone that dances between mid-range and high-end hardware.
It runs the newest and most powerful version of Android yet and features another excellent camera experience, especially for the point-and-shoot user types. Standout details include water-resistant coating, wireless charging, and the return of the fingerprint reader.
The most powerful handset that OnePlus has ever produced, this one has pretty much every bell and whistle imaginable. Starting with the 6.7-inch display with an incredibly high 120Hz refresh rate and Fluid Display technology, things only get more interesting.
Strength comes from the Qualcomm snapdragon 888 processor with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, while the Android 11-based OxygenOS software gives users a delightful interface.
Perhaps most interestingly for this year, however, is the inclusion of Hasselblad camera tuning which results in more accurate and natural colors. It goes quite well with the 48-megapixel, 50-megapixel ultra-wide, and 3.3x telephoto cameras.
The cream of the crop when it comes to Samsung’s 2021 phone lineup, very few handsets can rival its performance. Not only that, but it’s prettier than ever with the new color options, too.
Come for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and the 12GB RAM, stay for the 5,000mAh battery and quad-core camera. Of course there’s plenty in between as well and it’s all in service of high-end prowess.
Everything runs smoothly but it looks even smoother when you’ve got a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ display that delivers to the tune of 120Hz refresh rate.
A gamer’s delight, this is the sort of phone that you look for if refresh rates, touch sampling rates, and cooling fans are a concern. That’s to say they’re high on hardware and often feature extra touches designed specifically for mobile gaming.
Powered by Android 11, this one offers up a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS3.1 storage. We’re talking cream of the crop stuff.
The 6.78-inch screen has a 2448 x 1080 resolution and boasts incredibly high brightness (800 nits), touch sampling rate (144Hz), and HDR10+ certification. In other words, every game you throw at this one is gonna look great.
Other standout features include Gorilla Glass Victus, a triple camera array, multiple inputs for gaming controls, high-end audio, and a 6,000mAh battery to make sure your gaming lasts as long as you do.
There are plenty of wireless service providers to choose from, at least here in the United States. In fact, some readers might think there are too many options to consider. But when it comes down to it, many of them rely on the networks offered by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
Ultra Mobile, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), is one such carrier. Indeed, it has its own rate plans and features, but it licenses coverage from T-Mobile.
Customers can also purchase a phone directly from Ultra Mobile. There’s quite a robust selection to choose from, but select models rise to the top.
What follows are some of the best Android phones available at Ultra Mobile today. These aren’t the most powerful, but rather the best for particular needs.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
“The cream of the crop when it comes to Samsung’s 2021 phone lineup, very few handsets can rival its performance. Not only that, but it’s prettier than ever with the new color options, too.
Come for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and the 12GB RAM, stay for the 5,000mAh battery and quad-core camera. Of course there’s plenty in between as well and it’s all in service of high-end prowess.
Everything runs smoothly but it looks even smoother when you’ve got a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ display that delivers to the tune of 120Hz refresh rate. “
If you’re on the hunt for a phone that you plan to own for a few years, you don’t want to cut corners. You want a flagship phone. The problem is that too many of them cost way more than we’re willing to spend.
The Fan Edition of the flagship S20 is what happens when you keep the most important stuff and toss aside the frills (and extra cost).
Here, you get a large screen with high refresh rate, a large battery, three rear cameras, and a modern Android and user interface. Offered in two attractive colors, it’s the S20 you deserve.
One of the best things about today’s breed of smartphones is that you can often purchase a generation or two later and still end up with more than you need. Or, you can go with the Galaxy A series which is a way to get many of the better features found in more prominent models.
For about one third of today’s top phones you can get something that will last a couple of years. We’re talking plenty of hardware, a beauty of a screen, and one of the better cameras around. Here you’ll get a sizable (6.5-inch) screen, plenty of memory and storage, and a quad-camera setup on the back.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly approach to a phone with a digital stylus, this Motorola is your ticket. Priced a fraction of the Samsung counterpart, it’s an incredible mid-range phone with a quad-camera experience.
Powered by a largely untouched Android 10, it offers up a 6.4-inch screen, a bunch of storage (128GB), and a strong battery. Throw in a headphone jack, USB Type-C charging port, and dual speakers and we’ve got an affordable winner that suits many users.
We absolutely love what Motorola does with its Android phones. They run a bare bones software experience that leaves things the way Google intended, and feature affordably priced alternatives to flagships.
Here, you get a big (6.2-inch) screen, a very modern build of Android (10), and respectable smattering of mid-range hardware. Key details include an octa-core processor, 32GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot for external media.
Other things we appreciate? A water resistant coating, USB Type-C charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Master & Dynamic’s latest audio offering is the MW08, a successor to the MW07 line (2019) of truly wireless earbuds. Priced $299, they’re available in a variety of colors: white, black, blue, and brown.
Although they bear a striking similarity to its predecessors, the new earbuds are composed of different materials and boast improved battery life and active noise cancellation (ANC).
Our team has been provided a pair of MW08 earbuds and spent a few weeks listening to music, audiobooks, and podcasts in a variety of environments. Here’s our review of the Master & Dynamic MW08.
Design
At first blush the MW08 looks identical to other models in the Master & Dynamic lineup, but they’re subtly different. They’re a tad bit smaller which makes them a smidge lighter, leading to a more comfortable in-ear experience.
Also, flipping them over reveals that the built-in stabilizer fins or wings that helped keep the MW07 stay in ear are not present. You won’t need them, though, because these are comfortable to wear, even for longer periods.
As for materials, these are premium earbuds all the way through. The polished ceramic looks sharp; we were able to see both the black and white versions of the finish and each were attractive. The only plastic you’ll really find here is just behind the outer housing and stainless always classes things up.
The white earbud’s carrying case, which sits and opens along on its narrow edge, comes in with a stainless steel finish. We have a pair of the MW07’s that also come with a stainless steel case and found it picks up scuffs and scratches quite easily. So, if that’s something that concerns you, opt for the black version of the MW08 as it has a matte black case.
The case charges up via USB Type-C and has three lights to indicate the level of battery. Master & Dynamic says the case can charge up to 50% in just 15 minutes and we can verify that is accurate. Moreover, it only takes 45 minutes to full charge the case.
As far as battery life goes, Master & Dynamic say you should get about 12 hours of playback at 50% volume levels with around 10 hours for ANC mode. Our testing saw it falling short of these figures but not by much. The case allows for nearly three more full charges, too. Our habit of charging once every week or so was just fine for our needs, especially considering the speed.
Features
The MW08 retains the same physical controls from the previous generation, something we immediately appreciate. That is to say that they are easy to locate without looking and respond firmly to pressing. Also great, it takes very little time to figure them out.
The left earbud has two buttons which control volume levels but long pressing them enables and disables ANC and ambient listening modes.
The earbuds have a built-in optical sensor that can detect when they’re removed from your ear, immediately pausing music. There is an option to disable this feature in the companion mobile app but it does help with battery life.
I like the tactile feel that comes with a physical button press, and the MW08’s are quite clicky and more responsive than the tap-based stuff used by other brands. You’ll want to brace the underside of the earbud when pushing any buttons, though, but a simple pinch of the earbud suffices; it’s a one-handed gesture on either ear.
When it comes to pairing, the MW08 only allow you to have one device actively paired with them at a time. Should you have a laptop, tablet, or another user in the house that might like to share the earbuds you’ll have to put them into pairing mode (long press right ear bud) each time you switch. It’s not a deal-breaker for us as we tend to stick with one device for music needs, but it’s worth pointing out.
Active noise cancellation is present and from our very unscientific testing, we think it’s considerably better at blocking external and environmental noises. It does a great job of filtering and removing voice in particular. If you plan to wear your earphones in a home office, coffee shop, or library, you’ll likely not hear a thing other than your music.
New for the MW08 is an M&D Connect app from Master & Dynamic. Simple and straightforward, it gives listeners a bit of control over their audio experience. It’s a good start for the company as it allows for switching between Max ANC and All Day ANC settings as well configurations for battery and ambient mode.
We’d really like to see the ability to manage EQ settings for various types of audio content but that’s more of a want than a need. On their own, the MW08 are balanced nicely and the overall experience is a solid one. Perhaps an update will allow for this in due time.
Audio
We’re huge fans of the Master & Dynamic brand and have yet to come across one of its products that leave us unfulfilled or needing more, especially when it comes to the sound. The MW08 are just the latest for a company who continually steps up to the plate only to knock homers out of the park.
Giving that we are not an audiophile website or one that centers around headphones, we know good audio when we hear it. The experience here is right in line with expectations in that it’s warm and inviting, evenly distributed, and crisp.
We’ll occasionally enable the ambient listening mode so that we can half-listen for someone who may be looking to get our attention. Moreover, we’ll usually dip in and out of ANC based on what we’re doing. Regardless of the mode we find that it’s quite apparent when they’re enabled and when they’re disabled; it’s not ambiguous at all.
Taking calls on truly wireless earbuds is always a touch strange if only because it sounds like the caller is inside your head. With that in mind, voice is very clear and balanced for phone calls.
Conclusion
Master & Dynamic have another winning pair of earbuds with the MW08 and we feel very comfortable recommending them for people looking for a quality set.
We’d like to see wireless charging in successive models, and we’d appreciate being able to pair to more than one device at a time, but those details don’t deter us this round.
We suggest the matte black case if you play it a little fast and loose with your accessories as the stainless steel does show its wear and tear easily. Either way, the ceramic earbuds look and sound excellent.
Learn more about the MW08 true wireless earbuds at the Master & Dynamic website where you can purchase them in a handful of colors for $299.
Recently, Israeli security firm Check Point Research announced that it found a flaw in Qualcomm’s chips that could allow hackers to listen in on your calls. This is a big deal considering a very large portion of Android devices are powered by the Snapdragon series of processors made by Qualcomm.
Popular smartphones from Samsung, Google, OnePlus, LG, and more all use Qualcomm’s chipsets. Check Point says that it’s possible up to 30% of all Android phones could be affected. However, if you’re using a phone powered by another chipset, such as MediaTek, Exynos, or Kirin–then your device would be unaffected.
According to the report, the flaw is located in the Mobile Station Modem and has been present in Qualcomm chips since the early 1990s up until present day.
We discovered a vulnerability in a modem data service that can be used to control the modem and dynamically patch it from the application processor. An attacker can use such a vulnerability to inject malicious code into the modem from Android. This gives the attacker access to the user’s call history and SMS, as well as the ability to listen to the user’s conversations. A hacker can exploit the vulnerability to unlock the SIM, thereby overcoming the limitations of the service providers imposed on the mobile device.
It is not known if the flaw has been exploited out in the wild yet, but Check Point first reported it to Qualcomm back in October of 2020. In a statement to Tom’s Guide, Qualcomm says it made a fix available to patch the flaw back in December 2020.
However, the catalog number for the bug, CVE-2020-11292, has not been referenced in any security bulletins published for Android. Perhaps Google patched it quietly, or another manufacturer such as Samsung has done so. Regardless, if you haven’t received a security update for your phone since November 2020, then your phone is most likely vulnerable.
There’s really nothing you can do about it at this time though, except for continuing to check for updates for your phone. The good news is, Qualcomm says a scenario where your phone would be exploited by this flaw is very unlikely because it would require breaching Android security first.
Furthermore, Check Point also left out many technical details about the vulnerability to prevent aiding any hackers in using it, and there have not been any reports of it being used as of yet.
The ongoing battle between Google and Roku continues. Google sent another update email out a few hours ago offering a new, slick solution to YouTube TV users who might have been left out in the cold when Roku pulled the app from its TV platform.
You can now access YouTube TV directly from the standard YouTube app on Roku devices. This means the YouTube TV app is pretty much irrelevant if you don’t mind searching a bit for the new option inside YouTube’s proper app.
To get this newfound option you need to follow the following steps laid out by Google.
Open up the main YouTube app
Motion to the left of the screen with the remote to reveal the Menu
Scroll past the Settings option at the bottom
Select “Go to YouTube TV”‘
Boom! Now, even if you missed out on installing YouTube TV before this heated dispute, you can now access all the live TV you’ve been paying for through the YouTube app on Roku.
Google is rolling this new addition to the YouTube app over the next few days according to this announcement. So, if you don’t see the YouTube TV option right away give it some time. It’s also reminding users of Roku devices that both companies are still actively trying to come to a resolution that would see the YouTube TV app return.
Either way, it’s both sad and clever to see Google implement this tweak to keep YouTube TV subscribers happy on Roku devices.
Mother’s Day is this weekend and Google has some new features for Assistant to make running your household even easier. For starters, it is expanding the Broadcast feature to work on phones.
Broadcast is one of the most useful features when communicating with the members in your house. It allows you to send a message across all Assistant-enabled devices such as, “time for dinner” to gather everyone to the dining table at once. That beats yelling, and it’s like having your own personal intercom system.
How could Google make this even better? By extending it to your phone of course. Now, with Family Broadcast when you send a Broadcast message, it will pop up on everyone’s phone, no matter if they have an Android or an iPhone. Plus, they can even reply back using their voice. Just make sure each person has the Google app installed and that you have them in your Google Family Group.
Next up, Family Bell is expanding to eight new languages, including French, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Hindi, and Korean. The change won’t happen by Mother’s Day, but Google says it will be rolling out over the coming weeks. What is rolling out immediately, is the ability to have Family Bells ring across multiple Assistant smart speakers or displays.
In case you didn’t know, Family Bell is like setting a reminder on steroids. It allows you to create reminders for those tasks you always forget to do and pick which Assistant-enabled speaker or display you want it to pop-up on. It even allows for repeating reminders so you can make sure to get the trash out every week, or whatever else you keep forgetting to do. Also, just like with timers and alarms, you can just say “stop” when you hear the Family Bell without having to say “Hey Google” first.
More stories and games are coming to Assistant smart displays and speakers as well. It’s all kicking off with some Harry Potter stories thanks to Google’s partnership with Pottermore Publishing. Just say “Hey Google, tell me a Quidditch Story” and you’ll be able to learn more about the fantastical sport from the world of Harry Potter. And later this year, there will be more stories to come from the Wizarding World.
The “Who Was?” series is also coming to smart displays from Penguin Random House. Just say “Hey Google, talk to Who Was Heroes” and you can listen to stories about Ida B. Wells, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and more than 100 others. A full list can be viewed by saying, “Hey Google, tell me a story.”
Do you think you’re smarter than a fifth grader? Well, now you can find out, because you the popular game show has come to smart displays. All you have to do is say, “Hey Google, talk to Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” and get ready to have some fun.
Google also has a special Easter egg for Mother’s Day. If you want to see what it is, then try setting a timer on the special day and find out.
Additionally, there are some new songs joining the handwashing song for kids. You can now request songs for cleaning up, brushing your teeth, and even for sleeping. To do that, just try these commands, “Hey Google, sing the clean up song,” “Hey Google, sing the brush your teeth song,” or “Hey Google, sing the go to sleep song.”
