What is the Presidential Alert text from the National Wireless Emergency Alert System?


Today -- Wednesday October 3 -- your phone will receive a text message; assuming you're in the US, that is, and use Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T or Sprint as your carrier. The text should arrive from 11:18AM PT / 2:18PM ET, and it will feature the dramatic heading of Presidential Alert.
You may be reading this because you wonder what on Earth is going on -- particularly if your phone has made a strange noise -- but there's nothing to worry about. Not this time, anyway.
Android rooting tool SuperSU disappears from Play Store


If you haven't already made the jump to Magisk to cater for your handset rooting needs, now is very much the time to do so. The long-popular SuperSU has been removed from the Google Play Store, meaning one of the most popular rooting tools has been lost.
The disappearance is not entirely surprising as SuperSU has not been updated for some time and plenty of other root apps have grown in popularity -- but it will still come as a disappointment for its many fans.
Sign up with The Lab and you could get a OnePlus 6T early


If you're a fan of OnePlus handsets, you might like the idea of getting your hands on the OnePlus 6T not only free of charge, but before the official launch.
As part of its marketing program, OnePlus has opened up The Lab -- as it has done with previous models of its phones. This gives you the opportunity to sign up to review the phone, which means you'll be given one for free!
Google brings Emergency Location Service to Android users across the US


Google has expanded Android's Emergency Location Service to more people in the US, making it easier for emergency services to locate people when responding to a 911 call out.
Emergency Location Service (ELS) has been around in Android for a couple of years now, and it uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks and sensors to provide responders with accurate location information about callers, no matter whether they are inside or outside.
OnePlus confirms that the OnePlus 6T has no headphone jack and announces Type-C Bullets earbuds


News about the OnePlus 6T is coming thick and fast now, and the latest revelation comes direct from the horse's mouth. Company co- founder Carl Pei has confirmed that the upcoming handset is ditching the headphone jack, saying that it helps make way for "more new technology".
So, moving forward you'll have to use either wireless headphones with the OnePlus 6T, or use a USB-C pair. And funnily enough, OnePlus has a set of Type-C Bullets earbuds that fits the bill!
The price you pay Apple for (so-called) iPhone innovation


Trendsetter Apple has done it again! Just when you thought there was no innovation left in the smartphone market, CEO Tim Cook delivers the wildly price-disruptive iPhone XS Max 512GB for heart-stopping $1,449. Smartphones simply don't cost this much. What other company would stoop so low by reaching so high? This thing is a monster with its 6.5-inch (nearly) edge-to-edge display; 2688 x 1242 resolution at 458 pixels per inch (less than Google Pixel 2 XL at 2880 x 1440 and 538 ppi); and dual-SIM support (so telemarketers can ring more often on two numbers).
For anyone whose hands aren't too small to hold the new thang, iPhone XS Max is sure to draw maximum attention, letting all the little people know just how big a deal you are. Praise be Mr. Cook. Only the privileged can afford this beautiful, beastly slab, short of taking out a second mortgage or cashing in their 401K.
Apple officially announces iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max


As ever, there has been much hype and excitement about this year's Apple event and the promise of new iPhones. This year there have been more leaks than normal, and now everything has been revealed at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino
This time around -- as expected -- Apple has announced three new handsets: the "cheap" iPhone XR, the 5.8-inch iPhone XS and the huge 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max (not the XS Plus as had been thought for a little while). Here's what you need to know about the trio of smartphones, including confirmation of dual-Sim support.
Confirmed: the OnePlus 6T definitely has an in-display fingerprint reader


Whether genuine leaks or a carefully orchestrated PR campaign, details of OnePlus phone releases nearly always slip out ahead of the big day. The OnePlus 6T is no different.
We've already heard rumors that the upcoming handset will ditch the cumbersome rear-mounted reader in favor of one that's built directly into the screen. Now OnePlus has confirmed that this is in fact the case.
Huawei will let users force their phones into Performance Mode in EMUI 9.0


Earlier this week it was revealed that Huawei has been gaming benchmarks by switching its phones to a faster mode when benchmarking tools were detected. After this caused 3DMark-maker UL to delist numerous Huawei phones, the Chinese manufacturer has responded by saying it will open up Performance Mode so users can access it whenever they want.
The company says that it "respects consumers' right to choose what to do with their devices" and that with this in mind it will let everyone running EMUI 9.0 to force the use of this faster mode.
Huawei has been cheating in benchmarks


UL -- the company behind benchmarking software 3DMark -- has delisted a number of Huawei phones after the Chinese handset manufacturer was found to be cheating in benchmarks.
As has been the case with handsets from some other manufacturers, the Huawei P20, P20 Pro, Nova 3 and Honor Play were found to increase performance when benchmarking software is running. Interestingly, Huawei has not denied the accusations leveled at it.
OnePlus 6T leak hints at in-screen fingerprint reader and smaller notch


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


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.
Apple offers free logic board repairs after defects are found in some iPhone 8 handsets


Although it has been revealed that the iPhone 6 is Apple's most problematic handset, the company has just announced a replacement program for iPhone 8 owners after discovering a logic board issue with "a very small percentage of [...] devices".
Apple says that the problem can result in unexpected restarts, freezes and an inability to turn on a phone. Affected devices were sold between late 2017 and early 2018, and anyone who has one can take advantage of a free repair.
Google's Two Pixel Problems


Like unwanted mushrooms popping up after rain, Pixel 3/XL rumors are everywhere. Google gets gravy from all the free fan- and blog-post hype. Am I imagining, or is there even more buzz than for the next iPhone(s), which presumably comes soon (Apple sent out invites yesterday for a September 12 product event).
Buzz is the measure of interest—and while iPhone has commanding market share, Pixel's mindshare is formidable. Someone tell me: Is Google's new device really going to be that good? The leaked photos aren't that inspiring with respect to design (little is different). Or perhaps expectations about iPhone X (and its companions) are low—and maybe for good reason.
Report: Apple to launch three iPhones later this year


Following the success of the iPhone X, the tech world is waiting to see what Apple has up its sleeve next -- and with new devices expected to be announced mid-September, we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out. Now a new report suggests that next month we'll see not just one or two new iPhones... but three.
Citing "people familiar with the matter", Bloomberg says that Apple is set to launch no fewer than three handsets with the full-screen look of the current iPhone X. The trio of phones has been designed to have broader appeal with a wider range of pricing, sources say.
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