Huawei signs patent cross-licensing deal with rival OPPO

Huawei may finally have some of its key connectivity features accessible outside of China. The company has signed a cross-licensing agreement with BBK Electronics' OPPO. Huawei can share its connectivity know-how, while OPPO can provide patents regarding audio and video tech. The announcements from both companies don't go into the detail about the deal. 

Due to US sanctions, Huawei hasn't been able to fully utilize its key technologies or make money out of them. The deal will at least help them earn additional revenue. OPPO, together with vivo (another BBK Electronics company), has shipped over 51 million units in the last quarter, meaning Huawei can earn handsomely from their agreement. It will be interesting to note if lawmakers will pay attention to this deal, and if that'll affect BBK's business.

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Trailer for 'Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord' shows co-op VR gameplay

The full trailer for Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord has finally dropped showing us what we can expect from the virtual reality game. The trailer shows four Quest 2 users donning headsets to battle dark forces descending on San Francisco. The in-engine (pre-alpha) footage follows players using an arsenal of PKE Meters, Proton Packs, and traps to hunt down and ensnare slippery phantoms. The game is coming to the Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation VR2 in 2023.

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2 unreleased Mac models were found in Steam's database

A couple of unreleased Mac models were spotted in Steam's November 2022 survey. This survey gathers anonymous information from willing Steam users on details about their computers (including computer models, memory, CPU type, and more). Two unreleased Macs with the identifiers "Mac14,6" and "Mac15,4" were seen at the bottom of the list alongside identifiers for Apple devices like the Mac Studio, M2 MacBook Air, and 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro. The two devices were listed with 0% usage on Steam's platform, but their inclusion in the list suggests the company is testing the devices with upcoming Apple silicon chips on the gaming platform.

The "Mac14,6" was already spotted before in two separate Geekbench score entries with the M2 Max processor. That chip is rumoured to come out in the upcoming 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which has been reportedly delayed to 2023.

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Google Chrome rolls out passkey support

Screenshot: The Verge

It's now possible to go passwordless on Chrome. Google Chrome now brings passkeys to Chrome Stable M108 after going through a testing period in October. It's now available on desktop and mobile, running Windows 11, macOS, and Android. You can sync passkeys from Android to other devices either through Google's password manager or a supported third-party app like 1Password or Dashlane. A passkey is a unique identity stored on your phone, computer, and other devices (similar to a USB security key). Sites or apps that support the passkey API can let you login through a quick confirmation combined with your device's biometrics or other secure authentication methods.

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