Apple’s iPhone 8 might look a lot like this

Apple’s radically redesigned iPhone 8 is many months away, but the web is filled with rumors, speculations, and concepts. That’s right, many designers out there think they know how the iPhone 8 will look like, although not all of the iPhone 8 concepts out there are always exciting. The following images, meanwhile, show a concept iPhone 8 that might be very close to what Apple will actually launch this year.

Designer Moe Slah’s iPhone 8 is heavily anchored in existing rumors. His phone is just as big as the iPhone 7 Plus, but packs a bigger 5.8-inch OLED display. That’s possible as there’s no home button on the front side, which eliminates the lower bezel almost entirely. The top bezel is also very minimal, including only the front-facing camera and sensors.

It’s unclear from these renders whether the phone has a wraparound curved display or not. That’s not to say the edges aren’t curved, they’re not just as curved as what you’d see on a Galaxy S6 or S7.

The fingerprint sensor is embedded in the display in Slah’s concept, matching existing rumors. But Apple might go even further than eliminating just the home physical button. Curved screen edges might let it replace the physical volume and mute buttons with virtual solutions. Slah’s iPhone 8 still has physical buttons on the sides.

The designer envisioned other user interface changes dictated by the new design, which affects both the locked and unlocked screen, as seen in these images. There’s a new the home screen look, new notifications, and a revamped Control Center. The image above shows how the Music app would look like on a bigger display. Check out Slah’s iPhone 8 concept over at Behance.

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Resident Evil 7: PS4 may offer the “complete package,” but it’s “generally excellent” on all platforms

According to Digital Foundry, the visual experience for Resident Evil 7 is “generally excellent across all platforms,” but there will always be one version which stands out from the rest – whether that be PC, PS4 or Xbox One.

When testing the game on PlayStation 4, Digital Foundry found it ran “in native 1080p with a solid 60fps,” and the PS4 Pro sku offered a “minor resolution boost and tweaks in lighting.” 

The Xbox One release seems to have taken “a small hit to image quality,” and the frame-rates tended to “fall short of sustaining a locked 60fp.” Still, Digital Foundry said the Xbox One version of Resident Evil 7 is still “excellent overall,” and console owners should still pick the game up. 

PC players will find this version of the game is the “most technically accomplished release,” as it offers higher resolutions with “the most refined presentation available.” This is due in part to added motion blur effects and quality anti-aliasing. 

However, when PSVR support is taken into consideration, right now, the PS4 version “offers the complete package.” At least until other VR models are supported for PC users. 

Sounds like you can’t go wrong no matter which platform you choose. That’s good news for everyone. 

You can get a full analysis of how Resident Evil 7 fares on PC, PS4 and Xbox One in the video above and through the link to the full report on Eurogamer. 

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This is the first image of the Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 will be unveiled on March 29th, according to a new report from Venture Beat that also includes the first photo we’ve seen of the coming flagship. The back of the device is very similar to last year’s Galaxy S7 (with the exception being a relocated fingerprint sensor), but the front marks a fairly radical departure from Samsung’s typical design. Gone are the physical home button and touch-sensitive navigation buttons; instead, a large, curved display that seemingly runs edge to edge dominates the Galaxy S8. Samsung is said to be planning a worldwide April 21st release for the device. 

Venture Beat’s report closely aligns with a recent scoop by The Guardian that revealed some of Samsung’s key plans for the Galaxy S8. The company is planning two screen sizes (5.8- and 6.2-inches) for the S8, its first flagship smartphone to follow last year’s Note 7 debacle. The big “infinity display” screens — larger than even the Note’s 5.7-inch display — have an unconventional aspect ratio of 18.5:9, according to the reports. That design decision should help the devices feel fairly similar to last year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in the hand. According to both reports, the hardware specs of Samsung’s upcoming phone break down like this:

• Display: 5.8-inch or 6.2-inch QHD AMOLED display
• Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.7 rear camera, 8-megapixel f/1.7 front
• Processor: Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos (varies by market) 
• Storage: 64GB with microSD expansion
• Memory: 4GB
• Battery: 3000mAh (5.8-inch model) or 3500mAh (6.2-inch model)
• Other: Headphone jack, USB Type-C, water resistance

Samsung is planning a feature resembling Windows Continuum that will give the Galaxy S8 desktop PC-like functionality when plugged into an optional HDMI dock, the report says. And the phone will have a dedicated button to activate Samsung’s own take on the personal assistant, reportedly called Bixby, a new feature made possible by the company’s acquisition of Viv Labs in 2016. Venture Beat claims Bixby is “said to be able to handle more complex commands than its competitors” like Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. New to the S8 is a USB-C jack, and Samsung is indeed keeping the headphone jack around.

The cameras will reportedly go largely unchanged from last year’s models, but will gain new software features; the iris scanner first seen in the recalled Note 7 will also be carried over to Samsung’s latest smartphone. The device might be priced higher than the S7 that it’s succeeding; we should know more about that when Samsung holds its yet-to-be-announced Unpacked event in New York City in March. You can bet the company will spend plenty of time discussing precautions it has taken with the S8 to avoid another battery disaster. 

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NHTSA closes Tesla Autopilot death investigation, won't pursue recall

Last year, Joshua Brown died when his Autopilot-enabled Tesla Model S collided with a tractor-trailer. After a lengthy investigation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has finally reached a conclusion.

At a press briefing today, NHTSA said a defect in either Autopilot or the specific autonomous emergency braking system was not to blame in Brown's death. The agency will not require a safety recall for Autopilot-equipped Tesla models.

"At Tesla, the safety of our customers comes first, and we appreciate the thoroughness of NHTSA's report and its conclusion," said a Tesla spokesperson via an emailed statement

Autopilot is the name for a suite of semi-autonomous driving aids meant to reduce some of the tedium of the daily commute. In some circumstances, it is capable of bringing the car to a stop, but it's not meant to replace a vigilant driver. 

In Brown's case, neither he nor the Autopilot applied the brakes when a truck crossed the car's path. However, NHTSA's findings concluded that the system performed as designed. You can read NHTSA's full closing statement here. 

NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas said during the briefing that the driver had approximately 7 seconds to respond to the truck ahead. 7.0 seconds at 74 mph (the vehicle's speed at the time of the crash) covers approximately 759 feet. Removing 1.5 seconds, the mean driver response time to a surprise situation per a University of Helsinki study, puts the total distance to brake at 596.9 feet. Car and Driver tested a base Model S 60 and found its stopping distance from 70 mph to be 174 feet. Even assuming a whole extra second to respond, Thomas had plenty of time to come to a stop.

In October, Tesla said all cars produced thereafter would come equipped with a suite of sensors and other hardware that will eventually enable Level 5 (no driver required) autonomous driving. 

The new Autopilot system leaves the assembly plant disabled. Tesla plans to slowly release various Autopilot features via over-the-air updates. It's starting with the systems that will bring the new Autopilot cars to parity with the old ones, so systems like adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning will be among the first enabled.

Autopilot has many fans, but it also has many concerned over a potential overstatement of its abilities. With the phrase "self-driving car" being thrown about, and with a public that might not fully understand the various SAE levels of vehicle autonomy, it's not difficult to see how some people might assume too much of Autopilot. 

Tesla has addressed those concerns with Autopilot updates that increase warnings to the driver when human intervention is required, and it can even block out a driver who doesn't respond to repeated requests to take the wheel. 

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Nokia P1 Android Phone With Snapdragon 835 Tipped to Launch at MWC 2017

After the launch of company's first Android smartphone earlier this month, Nokia has now been tipped to launch its Android-based P1 smartphone at MWC 2017. Further, it has been suggested that the smartphone will be based on Sharp Aquos Xx3 (seen alongside) smartphone, which was launched last year in Japan.

The Nokia P1 smartphone's price is expected to start around $800 (roughly Rs. 54,500) for the 128GB model and around $950 (roughly Rs. 64,700) for the 256GB variant, as per a report by Russian publication Worket (via PhoneArena). The phone has been tipped to run Android Nougat out-of-the-box and sport a 5.3-inch display, covered in Gorilla Glass 5, with either full-HD or QHD screen resolution. The Nokia P1 is expected to pack Snapdragon 835 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM.

In terms of optics, the smartphone is expected to feature a Zeiss-certified 22.6-megapixel rear camera, as per the report. In terms of water and dust resistance, phone is expected to be IP57-certified. The phone has been tipped to feature a 3500mAh battery with support for quick charging. There is a fingerprint scanner on the right of the device as well, as per the report.

HMD Global, which currently holds the licence to manufacture and distribute Nokia phones, has already sent out invites for its MWC 2017 event on February 26 where the company is expected to launch more Nokia smartphones. So far, the company has launched the Nokia 6 smartphone in China, with no plans to bring it outside the country.

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Sony Xperia XA successor leaks

Smartphone business doesn't mean just high-tier products for Sony Mobile. The Japanese company has a pretty solid mid-range Xperia lineup as well, and new ones are expected to be unveiled as early as February.

Although Sony Mobile was present at CES trade fair early this month, it did not introduce any new smartphones. It looks like the handset maker is saving all the announcements for MWC 2017, which is set to take place in late February.

One of the phones that could be unveiled next month is the Xperia XA's successor. This isn't the first time we hear about the phone, as some of you probably read our previous report that mentioned the first leaked render of the device.

Today, a new set of renders of the alleged Xperia XA successor leaked, but this time there are a couple of things pretty visible such as the USB Type-C port, 3.5mm audio jack, and the popular strap hole, which makes a comeback.

Design-wise little has changed, as the phone shown in these images feature the same “unified design concept” introduced last year at Mobile World Congress.

Unfortunately, we can't tell for sure whether or not this is indeed the Xperia XA successor, but it does look like a new Xperia smartphone that hasn't been announced yet.

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FIFA 17 update 4 for Xbox One and PS4 is now live: FUT changes detailed

The latest update for FIFA 17 is now live on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

It hit the PC version of the game last week, and brought with it a number of changes.

Just boot up your console, start FIFA 17, and the update should apply automagically. It’s just under 1GB in size. Be patient if the download is slow, everyone is jumping on it.

Here’s what you’ll find has changed in the FIFA 17 update for Xbox One and PS4.

Addressed the following in FIFA Ultimate team:

• Displaying correct kit on the player in the kit select screen.
• Players will no longer be able to set custom player positions in Team Management during gameplay.
• An issue in Squad Building Challenges where switching a higher rated player with a lower rated player resulted in the overall squad rating going up.
• Removed Est. Date, Crest and Squad Name from the FUT Champions matchup screen.
• Changed the latency bar graphic to give more detail on connection quality.

Addressed the following in Career Mode:

• An issue where the current weekly wages from the budget tab do not properly reflect the actual weekly wages.

Visual / Presentation changes:

• Improved camera selection for slow motion goal replays.
• Addressed EATV buffering.
• Addressed audio balance of French commentators.
• Gameplay commentator language for The Journey now defaults to language selected in Game Settings.

Addressed the following in gameplay:

• Adjusted the defensive line position for low pressure tactics.
• Addressed an issue where a pass was made without a button press.

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Microsoft Designs a Phone-Tablet You Can Fold Like Origami

Microsoft has applied for a patent on a foldable mobile device that morphs a phone into a tablet.The design hinges on, well, a hinge. The computer employs a flexible joint that allows its display to contort into "a plurality of planar surfaces," or various screen sizes, according to its patent application.Microsoft's (MSFT, -0.30%) filing entered the public domain on Monday, as first noted by the Microsoft-focused tech blog MSPoweruser. Initially submitted in October 2014, the patent is pending approval with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under application number US14515766.Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The patent application notes that people use different computers, depending on their dimensions, for different purposes. For instance, people will text and call with a smartphone, while relying on a tablet for other tasks, such as drafting emails and reading documents.Instead of forcing consumers to make compromises—buying a "phablet" or purchasing more than one device—Microsoft aims to create an all-in-one device. The option would signal a new category of computers for consumers.You can see these different ways of manipulating the device in the patent application's accompanying images and diagrams.

"Open" hinge, aka tablet form, via patent application 

"Closed" hinge, aka phone form, via patent application 

Here are other views of the device's possible origami-like configurations, per the application.

Phone" form via patent application 

 

"Tent" form via patent application

The designs recall Microsoft's ill-fated Courier "booklet" device, which the company scrapped in April 2010 after infighting about its product strategy.Though the plan is intriguing, it is worth noting that this is merely a patent for a conceptual model. Like its rivals, Microsoft files many patents each year, plenty of which are never turned into a product or incorporated into existing products.Still, the application offers tantalizing hints about the kind of designs that Microsoft is mulling for future models of its Surface line.Kabir Siddiqui, lead mechanical engineer at Microsoft and the phone-tablet's inventor, has turned out designs for other products, such as the Surface kickstand, one of the device's most iconic features, as tech blog The Verge notes.

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The iPhone 8 is already causing problems for Apple’s competitors

The iPhone 8 is rumored to have an OLED display , a first for Apple’s iPhone. But OLED screens have been in use for quite a few years, with Samsung being the most prominent smartphone maker to use such displays in its top smartphones. However, as we’ve said before, the iPhone is still the only phone that matters when it comes to setting new mobile trends. And a new report seems to further reinforce that idea, as it looks like iPhone 8 rumors were enough to convince some Apple competitors out there to bulk up on OLED supply.

According to Digitimes’s sources, some of Apple’s China-based rivals are worried that the iPhone maker will eat up all the available OLED display, and they have rushed to secure production capacity for small- and mid-sized OLED panels. The sources expect the increased OLED demand to cause shortages.

Samsung is going to be Apple’s main OLED display supplier this year, reports said, but even Samsung won’t be able to meet Apple’s demand in the future.

Apple is rumored to launch three new iPhones this year, including the iPhone 8 with an OLED display and two iPhone 7s versions that will have LCD screens.

The same unnamed sources said that LCD display demand will remain tight this year, as display size of mainstream smartphone models is moving from 5-inch to 5.5/5.7-inch screens.

The report also notes that other key components might face shortages this year, aside for displays, including memory products and optical sensing devices. The reason is similar, strong demand from China-based smartphone makers.

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Nokia 8 Specifications Leak Rubbished By Qualcomm

Ever since Nokia has announced its comeback there have been a lot of speculations about its specifications. One hears that Nokia is coming back with some features that will give stiff competition to the likes of Motorola and Samsung – the two most dominant Android companies in the Indian market. Earlier this week the specifications of Nokia 8 leaked in the market.

A Youtuber released a video with a sneak peek of the phone. The claims were such that the phone would release in two variants. These two alternatives will have different specs each. The alleged specifications of each variant are mentioned below:

Speculations for the higher end model

• 6GB RAM
• Latest Snapdragon 835 processor
• 24 Megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilization
• Dual front speakers
• 12 Megapixel front camera
• 128 GB storage with Micro SD support

Speculations for the lower end model

• 4GB RAM
• Snapdragon 821 processor
• Fingerprint Sensor
• 4G LTE
• 64GB storage option with Micro SD support

Common ‘alleged’ features

The common thing between the two phones will be that both the phones will feature the latest Android update – 7.0 Noughat. Apparently, both the variants of the phone will have Carl Zeiss Optics feature. Rumor suggests that the Super AMOLED display (2560 x 1440 pixels) will readily have a screen size of 5.7 inches on it.

The lower end model is for the Nokia enthusiasts who want a budget-friendly mobile from the brand. According to the news leaks, Nokia 8 goes by the code name “Supreme.”

In the Nokia 8 video, we cannot see any physical buttons on the phone. It seems to be pretty similar to the Nokia 6 in design. Talking about design, the phone looks to have a unibody sleek metal design. Also if you see the top right corner of the phone near its camera, there is a small rectangle marked “HRM.” According to some speculations, it is the Heart Rate Monitor.

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Apple to raise UK app prices by 25pc after post-Brexit fall in pound

Apple is raising the prices of apps in the UK by 25 per cent after the recent falls in the value of the pound in the dollar.

The change means that an app or in-app upgrade that previously cost 79p will now sell for 99p.

The move brings the pound to effective parity with the US dollar when it comes to buying apps - with a 99p app in Britain costing 99 cents in America, although the latter does not include VAT.

It follows higher prices for iPhones, iPads and Mac computersintroduced in the second half of last year. The price changes for software do not affect the price of songs, films and TV shows in the iTunes Store.

Since June’s vote to leave the EU, the pound has fallen from more than $1.45 to under $1.22, as Theresa May has signalled a clear break from the single market.

App developers do not fully price their own apps but choose one of several “tiers”, which developers must apply across the countries they sell apps in.

The first tier is a price of 99 cents in the US, 79p in the UK, €1.09 in the eurozone, and so on. The change, which will take effect in the next week, pushes the UK price to 99p, according to a letter to developers seen by Apple website 9to5Mac.

An Apple spokesman said: "Price tiers on the App Store are set internationally on the basis of several factors, including currency exchange rates, business practices, taxes, and the cost of doing business. These factors vary from region to region and over time."

Sales from Apple's App Store rose by 40pc to $28.5bn (£23.5bn) last year. Prices are also set to rise in India and Turkey.

Although the 20p difference may not seem significant, it means that in-app purchases such as the full game of Super Mario Run will rise from £7.99 to £9.99.
Apple, Microsoft and Tesla have all increased
the cost of certain products in response to the falling pound. Apple’s new iPhone 7 starts at £599, against £539 for the previous model, while the prices of some laptops were increased by 20 per cent.
Microsoft has raised the price of cloud computing and enterprise software for UK businesses, while Tesla has increased prices by 5pc.

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Analyst: Apple’s next MacBook Pros will have Kaby Lake processor, more RAM

Well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo at KGI Securities in Taiwan has issued a new note indicating that this year’s MacBooks will be upgraded with Intel’s Kaby Lake processors, as well as 32 gigabytes of RAM in the 15-inch model. 

Details from the note were published earlier by MacRumors. 

According to Kuo, a new 12-inch MacBook will begin production in the second quarter of this year, new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros will begin production in the early third-quarter, and a new 15-inch MacBook will begin mass production in the final quarter of the year, featuring 32 gigabytes of memory and aimed at high-end users. It’s unclear whether this last machine will fall into the “Pro” lineup or have simply the “MacBook” nomenclature. 

Not surprisingly, Kuo says that all new laptops are predicted to run on Intel’s Kaby Lake processor, the latest revamp in Intel’s Core family of chips. The newest MacBook Pros, released last fall, run on Intel’s 2015 Skylake processors. 

Of course, there are always plenty of rumors swirling around upcoming Apple products, so we take these notes with a grain of salt. But Kuo has been one of the more reliable sources out there, making accurate predictions that range from specific iPhone features to predicting the high price of a high-end Apple Watch to Apple’s whole product roadmap for the year. 

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Apple to offer 32GB of desktop RAM in top-end 2017 MacBook Pro, 16GB for 12" MacBook

Answering the call of professional users, Apple is predicted to offer a high-end MacBook Pro model in 2017 with up to 32 gigabytes of —potentially desktop-class —RAM, while bumping 12-inch MacBook to 16GB of RAM.

In a note to investors obtained by AppleInsider on Monday, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says he expects Apple's 2017 laptop line to focus on internal component updates, notably platform-wide adoption of Intel's Kaby Lake architecture.

Of interest to professionals, Apple is predicted to start manufacture of a 15-inch MacBook Pro with up to 32GB of RAM in the fourth quarter, double the memory allotment of current top-of-the-line models. Kuo speculates the company will be forced to adopt desktop RAM due to restrictions of current memory system designs.

Apple took flak in releasing its latest MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models with a hard memory cap of 16GB, an minimal allotment viewed as a negative for imaging and video professionals. Responding to customer criticism, Apple said the move was made in a bid to maximize battery life.

On more than one occasion, SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller defended the decision to limit RAM allotments to 16GB, saying higher amounts would require a power-hungry memory controller unsuitable for use in portable machines.

"The MacBook Pro uses 16GB of very fast LPDDR memory, up to 2133MHz," Schiller said in November. "To support 32GB of memory would require using DDR memory that is not low power and also require a different design of the logic board which might reduce space for batteries. Both factors would reduce battery life."

Essentially, the Intel Skylake CPUs used in Apple's MacBook Pro only support up to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM at 2133MHz. Though Intel does make processors capable of addressing more than 16GB of memory, those particular chipsets rely on less efficient DDR4 RAM and are usually deployed in desktops with access to dedicated mains power.

In order to achieve high memory allotments and keep unplugged battery life performance on par with existing MacBook Pro models, Apple will need to move to an emerging memory technology like LPDDR4 or DDR4L. Such hardware is on track for release later this year.

Beyond the high-end 15-inch model, Kuo expects Apple to start production of new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros in the third quarter of 2017.

As for the 12-inch MacBook, Kuo believes next-generation versions of the thin-and-light will enter mass production in the second quarter with the same basic design aesthetic introduced in 2015. New for 2017 is a 16GB memory option that will make an appearance thanks to Intel's new processor class.

Debuted in 2015, the MacBook thin-and-light has for its short lifetime maxed out at 8GB of RAM, limiting its utility as a professional machine.

On MacBook sales, Kuo blames unforeseen production delays for Apple's poor year-over-year performance in 2016. Recent statistics from market research firm Gartner showed Mac shipments slump 8.7 percent for the year, the worst result from a top-five PC vendor.

According to Kuo, Apple has rectified supply chain bottlenecks and is on scheduled to return Mac to growth in 2017. Further, channel checks reveal replacement demand for MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is better than expected despite carrying a hefty price premium, the analyst says. To keep up with demand, capacity has been expanded by 50 percent.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar, however, is not faring as well. Kuo believes Apple will apply deep discounts to boost shipments later this year as it looks to the low-end pro model as a replacement for the 13-inch MacBook Air.

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