OnePlus 6T leak hints at in-screen fingerprint reader and smaller notch

OnePlus 6T box leak

The launch of a T version of OnePlus handsets has become an annual event, and a new leak gives us a good idea of what to expect from the upcoming OnePlus 6T.

What purports to be images of the retail box for the OnePlus 6T has been shared on Weibo and -- assuming it is genuine -- it gives us a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming handset. We can see that there appears to be a smaller, redesigned notch, and also a fingerprint reader that's built into the screen.

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TiVo discontinuing dial-up service

For many consumers, dial-up internet is a distant memory. Broadband has long replaced the slow and unreliable telephone-based internet connection. Believe it or not, some people in rural areas still utilize it -- ugh, those unfortunate people.

Surprisingly, TiVo still offers dial-up access to some of its users, allowing them to download program guide information. Yes, really. Sadly, today, the company began alerting those users that it will be discontinuing dial-up connectivity later this month -- the end of an era.

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Google Chrome gets a 10th Birthday makeover

When Google released its Chrome web browser ten years ago, everything changed. At the time Microsoft's terrible Internet Explorer reigned supreme -- it was a slow and bloated piece of software with massive security issues. Many people only used it because it came pre-installed on Windows. It seemed unfathomable to even try to compete since Microsoft's browser was already installed -- how do you convince users to switch?

Google managed to convince consumers to switch through speed and good design. You see, Chrome was simplistic and focused. More importantly, it was fast. Users were given a clear reason as to why Chrome was superior. Over time, Chrome has become more bloated, but it remains the best web browser on all platforms. Today, the search giant celebrates the Chrome web browser's 10th birthday with a makeover -- on both desktop and mobile.

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Windows 10 edges ever closer to overtaking Windows 7 -- could it happen this month?

Depending on which market share monitoring service you trust, Windows 10 either overtook Windows 7 back in December 2016 (Microsoft), in February this year (StatCounter), or is still trailing its predecessor, but catching up quickly (NetMarketShare).

NetMarketShare’s latest round of usage figures show Windows 10 putting on a burst of growth in August, while Windows 7 lost more users than expected in the same time frame.

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New tools bring natural language search to big data

Big data magnifier

Businesses need easy and fast access to information in order to make effective decisions, but with the rise of big data important information can be hard to access and remain locked away.

Visual analytics specialist Arcadia data has announced new search-based BI and analytics which will be available in an upcoming release of its flagship product, Arcadia Enterprise.

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Six out of 10 Brits think technology will make jobs obsolete

Developer recruitment

Technology is destroying jobs, 61 percent of British respondents to a new survey believe, despite evidence to the contrary.

The study by polling organization YouGov for recruitment site LynxPro finds only 14 percent believe technology is having no impact on the jobs market, while just 11 percent think it's creating jobs.

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Samsung to debut new features on mid-range phones rather than flagships

Samsung Galaxy Note9

Samsung has revealed that it plans to change its strategy when it comes to debuting new smartphone features. Flagship devices are usually where the latest technology and newest features are found, but in a bid to appeal to millennials, the company is going to do more with its mid-range handsets.

The mid-priced section of the market has suffered from something of a slow down of late, and Samsung is hoping to rejuvenate interest by using its cheaper Galaxy A range of phones to showcase new technology.

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StarTech Thunderbolt 3 Dual-4K Docking Station with SD Card Slot is the ultimate MacBook Pro dock [Review]

When I bought my first-ever Apple computer in 2016 -- a MacBook Pro with touchbar -- I was a bit nervous about the lack of ports. While on the go, I am pretty much fine with only having USB-C, but when home, I like to connect my laptops to a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and hardwired Ethernet. In other words, I make my notebooks serve double-duty as makeshift desktops too. I would need to leverage dongle/adapters to meet my needs.

Thankfully, the MacBook Pro USB-C ports are also Thunderbolt 3, meaning the laptop is compatible with high-end docking stations. Yes, there are normal USB-C docks on the market too, but the Thunderbolt 3 models are far superior -- they can have more ports and provide better quality video to monitors. Since they are pricey, selecting the best model can be daunting. Luckily, after much testing, I am confident to say I have found one worth your hard-earned money -- StarTech Thunderbolt 3 Dual-4K Docking Station with SD Card Slot.

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Google's new Content Safety API will fight child abuse images with AI

Google logo on office

Google has announced the release of a new Content Safety API with the aim of helping to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online.

The announcement comes as UK home secretary Sajid Javid called on technology companies to do more to tackle the problem of child abuse imagery on the internet, and the API has two main aims. The first is to make it quicker and easier to detect and remove CSAM, while the second is to do so without having to expose human content-checkers to so much abuse content.

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Android 9.0 Pie-based Oxygen OS Open Beta 1 lands on the OnePlus 6

OnePlus 6 Android Pie Open Beta

If you have a OnePlus 6, you can now get your first taste of Pie as the Android 9.0-based Open Beta has arrived.

OnePlus is often among the first handset manufacturers to release upgrades to the latest Android versions, and things are no different with Pie. At the moment it's not clear how many betas there might be, or when OnePlus intends to release the final version of its slightly-customized version of the operating system, but this beta release is the first step on that journey -- at least for those who weren't tempted by the earlier developer preview.

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Unless you upgrade to Android Pie, a vulnerability leaves your phone trackable -- and Google won't fix it

Android figure on smartphone

A vulnerability in the Android operating system means that it is worryingly easy to track and locate phones. While the issue has been addressed in Android Pie, Google has no plans to patch the vulnerability in earlier versions of its mobile OS.

The vulnerability (CVE-2018-9489) was revealed in a report from Nightwatch Cybersecurity which warns that it can be used to "uniquely identify and track any Android device" and also to "geolocate users". As well as Google's own Android builds, the problem is also said to affect forked versions such as FireOS.

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LibreELEC 9.0 Alpha Linux distro gets Kodi 18 'Leia' Beta 1 update -- download now!

Let's be honest -- in a world with easy legal streaming thanks to inexpensive services like Netflix and Hulu, Kodi media center is probably used mostly by pirates. It is not likely the average consumer is storing video and music files locally to play on their TV -- it simply isn't worth the hassle these days. With that said, not all Kodi users are thieves -- I am sure some are legally buying media for playback on the media software... maybe...

Regardless of why you use Kodi (I'm not judging), the best way to experience it is through a Linux distribution that focuses on it. LibreELEC, for instance, is a lightweight distro that exists only to run the Kodi media center. It is quite popular with Raspberry Pi owners, but it runs on other hardware too, including x86_64 and WeTek boxes. Kodi 18 "Leia" recently achieved Beta 1 status, and as a result, LibreELEC 9.0 Alpha has been updated with it. In other words, the most bleeding edge LibreELEC now runs the most bleeding edge Kodi.

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Experts voice concern after discovering Google's Titan Security Key is made in China

Google Titan Security Key

While the US and UK governments continue to eye China with suspicion, blocking the use of some Chinese hardware because of national security concerns, it has come to light that Google's Titan Security Key is produced in China.

The keys are supposed to boost security through the use of two-step verification, but security experts are calling for transparency about the supply chain for the hardware after it was revealed it is produced by Chinese company Feitian. There are concerns that the devices could be compromised by Chinese hackers (state or otherwise) to spy on users.

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Mozilla to boost Firefox privacy by automatically blocking all tracking

Firefox logo

Mozilla has announced some of its plans for Firefox, and there's a strong focus on privacy. At an as-yet unspecified point in the "near future" the browser will block all tracking by default, although it is being trialed this month.

In addition to this -- which is a change from the current Do Not Track option -- Firefox will include a new set of options which Mozilla says will give users greater control over the information they share with websites. As well as helping to improve privacy, Mozilla is also hoping to improve the performance of its web browser with a new set of controls that it says will empower users and give them a voice.

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Google is able to track your offline purchases thanks to a secret deal with Mastercard

Mastercard and Google

It's no secret that Google -- and other companies -- track your online purchases; it's one of the reasons you see the ads you do, for instance. But a secret deal between Google and Mastercard means that it is also possible for the internet giant to track your offline purchases.

Google offers a service called Store Sales Measurement that makes it possible for advertisers to determine whether their online ads results in offline sales. A report from Bloomberg reveals that this was all made possible because of the deal between Google and Mastercard in the US-- one that raises serious privacy questions.

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