Qualcomm launches new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip

Qualcomm

Qualcomm recently unveiled its latest SoC, which sports a new name and is expected to arrive on new devices before the year ends. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 focuses on six essential technology you'd expect a mobile chipmaker to concentrate on in 2021. That includes 5G connectivity, camera sensors, AI, gaming, audio, and security.

Its 5G modem-RF can hit up to 10-gigabit download speeds with FastConnect 6900 Mobile Connectivity System, which Qualcomm says surpasses WiFi 6 speeds. For imaging, it gets an 18-bit ISP with better dynamic range, colour, and speeds. It also supports 8K HDR video, a new Bokeh Engine for Portrait Mode-style in videos, and Always-ON ISP that offers low power consumption for tasks like face unlock.

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Microsoft Xbox will soon make it easier to share gameplay clips

Microsoft

Microsoft Xbox will soon make it easier to share game clips on its mobile app. Microsoft's Larry Hryb (@majornelson) shared the news through a tweet, saying the unique public URLs that will be available on the app and collected in a new "trending content" area so you can see what other gamers are playing. 

"With Link sharing, just go to the capture you want to share in the Xbox mobile app to get a link, then paste it anywhere to share with your friends, who don't need to be signed-in to view your capture. We are now testing this long requested feature," Hryb said in the thread.

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Pixel 6 might not charge with just any old cable

The Google Pixel 6 doesn't come with a USB-C adapter in the box. You get a USB-C-to-USB-C cable but not the box, and that might cause some charging issues. Reports claim that some Pixel 6 owners have charging troubles with incompatible USB-C cords. A user posted in a Google forum back in October saying that when they used an old charging cable that "Nothing happens." The user wrote, "No charge, no warning, no nothing. It's like it's not connected." 

A Google Platinum Product Expert instructed the user to buy a USB-C cable compatible with the Pixel 6's fast-charging USB Power Delivery specification. The company suggests using a USB-C cable with a USB 2.0 power adapter at minimum instead of the USB-A one. Because the latter might charge your phone slowly or not at all. This might defeat the original intention of being more eco-friendly, but it is what it is. If you're wondering why you're running into a charging problem, this clarifies things a bit.

Source: Gizmodo

The Weeknd named Apple Music's 'Global Artist of the Year'

Apple

Apple Music held its third annual Apple Music Awards and named the artists it considered had an impact on global culture in 2021. Toronto-born singer, songwriter, and producer The Weeknd took home the Global Artist of the Year award. Apple Music also handed out awards for Songwriter of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Top Song and Top Album of the Year, and a new regional Artist of the Year categories from Africa, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia.

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