Leaked Nokia 8 Pro specs show off a promising 2018-ready flagship

If there’s one thing about the Nokia 8 Sirocco that can seem lacking, it’s that it’s running on a Snapdragon 835 processor, which is a generation behind from what current flagships are supposed to be rocking. But it seems Nokia phone manufacturer HMD Global has something else up its sleeve this year with a Pro version of this device. A specs list for a Nokia 8 Pro device was posted on HowToTechNajia a few days ago. It packs in the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip, a 6-inch display with a 2,160 x 1,080 resolution, 6GB/8GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of internal storage, dual 16-megapixel rear camera, 13-megapixel front camera, 4,000mAh battery with wireless charging, Android Oreo, and USB-C port. It’s better in every way over the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The phone will reportedly come out in the third quarter of the year. It must be remembered that at the moment this is still just a rumoured device and we don’t know yet if it’ll be an actual release. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for this one.

Source: BGR

Toyota now has a self-driving car company to focus on software systems

Toyota fully committing to its autonomous driving initiatives and is now making sure the research it has been working on in the field gets the focus it needs. The company just established the Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development or TRI-AD, for short. It’s a sub-company underneath the Toyota Research Institute, which is already working on the company’s self-driving car programs. Toyota is partnering with auto-parts manufacturer Aisin Seiki and Denso and will be investing US$2.8 billion into the company and hire around 1,000 employees for the company.

The focus of TRI-AD will be on developing software systems for self-driving vehicles. “Building production-quality software is a critical success factor for Toyota’s automated driving program,” said Dr. James Kuffner, the former CTO of TRI and the new CEO of TRI-AD. “This company’s mission is to accelerate software development in a more effective and disruptive way, by augmenting the Toyota Group’s capability through the hiring of world-class software engineers. We will recruit globally, and I am thrilled to lead this effort.”

Source: BGR

Are we getting another version of Snap’s Spectacles?

We aren’t just getting one new iteration of Snap’s Spectacles. Rumour has it the company is working on two new Spectacles models. The second-generation version will offer bug fixes, performance improvements, and new colours. Meanwhile, the company is also preparing another version that could come with two lenses and feature more advanced camera technology that could cost up to $300. The second-generation model is supposedly far along in the production process and we should expect a Q2 or Q3 launch. With the big US$40 million loss on the first generation verson of Spectacles, Snap is expected to produce fewer units this time around.

On top of this, Snap has reportedly acquired imaging company FiveFocal at the end of 2017 to expand its camera ambitions. Snap is also reportedly in talks with major glasses manufacturers Warby Parker and Luxottica to license out its camera tech.

Source: The Verge

Netflix looking to get Keanu Reeves to star in upcoming superhero movie

Anna Hanks/Flickr

Even when faced with less than warm reception for it movies, Netflix still isn’t backing down from trying to make films. It’s being reported that Netflix has greenlit a new superhero film called Past Midnight and it wants Keanu Reeves to be its start. The movie is going to be co-directed by Rick Famuyiwa and the Russo Brothers. Written by TJ Fixma, Past Midnight is reportedly a story about “a new kind of vigilante superhero.” Not much else is known about the production but the team behind it is pretty promising. Famuya is known for directing the 2015 film Dope and will be directing the upcoming adaptation of Charles Burns’ Black Hole. And you might have known projects of the Russo Brothers, ever heard of Captain America: Winter Soldier or Avengers: Infinity War?

Source: io9