HTC launches blockchain phone you can only purchase using cryptocurrency

While HTC has been scaling back on its hardware business, it hasn’t fully left. In fact, the Taiwanese company just launched a blockchain-centric phone it’s calling the Exodus 1. Said device is now available for pre-order and can be bought online for 0.15 bitcoins or 4.78 ether tokens (which is roughly US$960 or around CA$1,250). It’ll ship in December. As a niche, premium device, the Exodus 1 does pack in some high-end specs. It features a 6-inch quad-HD+ display, 16-megapixel dual rear camera and 8-megapixel dual front camera with 4K video, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB internal storage.

What makes it special though is the software inside the device. It comes with HTC’s own Zion cryptocurrency wallet and a secure enclave for your private keys, virtual cash, and, in the “very near future,” all of your data, too. It’s an area isolated from the Android operating system. The phone will also run decentralized apps on the blockchain and have a “Social Key Recovery” function that will give you access to your funds if you lose your keys. It’ll use a designated number of trusted contacts.

Source: Engadget

We might see Samsung’s foldable Galaxy X smartphone next month

It might seem like a long shot but a teaser for Samsung’s upcoming developer conference hints at the appearance of the rumoured foldable Galaxy X phone. The South Korean company is drumming up excitement for the press conference by tweeting an animation that shows two lines unfold from a single hinge to form a right facing arrow pointing at the dates of the conference (November 7, 2018). The words “Where Now Meets Next” appear next to it. We won’t be surprised if we do see, at the very least, a prototype of the phone as Samsung’s mobile chief DJ Koh has previously hinted that we would see the phone before the end of the year but it’ll be available in 2019.

Source: Tech Radar

Non-Google approved wireless chargers will cap Pixel 3 wireless charging at 5W

If you were expecting that your existing wireless charger can charge your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL quickly, we have bad news for you. Google just confirmed to The Verge that at the moment only the Pixel Stand can pull fast 10W wireless charging on the new Pixels. Google says they are working with its partners from its Made for Google program to develop fast wireless 10W chargers that are “certified for use with Pixel 3.” They cited Belkin specifically, who will be coming out with a Google-approved Qi charger that can charge the phones at full speed. Other wireless chargers will be stuck at charging at the industry standard Qi 5W.

Spotify is testing out a new timeline feature to help promote new releases

While helpful, the Discover Weekly and Release Radar playlists on Spotify are rather limited resources for new music. Looking for new releases on the streaming service is somewhat a tedious process. It’s still a couple of taps away and as The Verge points out, these aren’t as attuned to your listening habits (although the redesign of the app for Premium users might be a step in the right direction). But a new feature Spotify is testing out with some users might change that. It could also be the service’s answer to helping promote new releases.

There’s a new “What's New” section that collates new releases in a timeline of sorts. Spotify confirms the existence of this test and says they are “always testing new ways to create better listening experiences for more users, while continuing to find ways to connect artists to their fans.” Whether this gets a wider release is something we don’t know yet. But as a music lover and heavy user of the service, I’d like to see this one for myself.