Germany: We can extend smartphone’s lifespan with seven years of security patches

To all smartphone users, we all wish updates arrived faster and for more extended periods of time. Sometime, we feel like upgrading to a new phone every two or three years is an unnecessary expense. And to environment, it is a concern; as many try to reduce waste created from constantly replacing gadgets. The German government has proposed a new policy to end that. The new policy would extend the smartphone’s lifespan — and repairability — of your device for years to come.

Germany extends smartphone's lifespan with seven years

While the European Union is currently considering requiring five years of security updates for smartphones, Germany’s federal government recently submitted a request to create a seven-year mandatory period for patches (via Heise). While this wouldn’t include completely new OS versions — your Galaxy S21 wouldn’t receive Android 18 under these regulations — it would include provisions for affordable replacement parts, all in an effort to reduce digital waste.

Meanwhile, tech advocacy group DigitalEurope is requesting that the EU’s requirements be set at three years of security updates, effectively meeting the standard already set by Samsung, Google, Apple, and even OnePlus. Germany’s proposal is basically unheard of in mobile computing, though seven years of security updates are pretty standard for desktop OSes. For example, Windows 8 succeeded Windows 7 in 2012 but continued to receive patches until January 2020 — nearly eight years later.

We can expect of longer-lasting smartphones in the future. As one user on Reddit pointed out, it is in the midst of an election is ongoing in Germany, so this could just be a case of some old-fashioned political promises to turn out the vote. Even if Germany’s seven-year proposal doesn’t pan out, the European Union is set to possibly enact its five-year policy by 2023. So we can expect of the longer smartphone’s lifespan in least 2 year from now on.


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Nintendo Switch Confirms Release of Dying Light – A Beloved Action Game

The action game got so many love previously on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms is finally headed to the Nintendo Switch. Specifically, that game is from developer Techland – Dying Light. The arrival of the original game on Switch is something that fans have been asking about for quite some time; while the upcoming sequel, Dying Light 2, seemingly won’t be heading to the platform any time soon.

dying light

Within recent days on Dying Light’s official Twitter account associated with the game, Techland confirmed the release of Dying Light on Nintendo Switch. Specifically, the studio revealed that the version that would be heading over to Switch is Dying Light Platinum Edition. Notably, this iteration of the game contains all of the added pieces of DLC and expansion content that were released after the initial launch of Dying Light all the way back in 2014. Basically, this iteration will give you everything that you could be looking for if you haven’t played the title before.

Techland is releasing a special physical version of Dying Light that may interest collectors while the game on Switch will be sold in a digital capacity. This physical iteration will come in a unique box that will contain the game itself, a large map, a “survival guide” that features a number of callbacks to the game, and stickers associated with the title.

At this point in time, we’ve got no idea when DyingLight will be coming to Nintendo Switch. A rumor teased that October will be the window in which the game will arrive. But the company has yet to publicly confirm this. Whenever a more specific release date is given, we’ll be sure to update you here.

Are you going to look to play DyingLight on Nintendo Switch?


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Xiaomi 12 may have a lower resolution camera than its predecessor

Xiaomi is said to be ditching the 108MP sensor on Xiaomi 12

Xiaomi launched the Mi 10 series last year with a 108MP camera on the back to start the megapixel wars between smartphone companies. This year, it looks like they’re putting a high-resolution phone camera on the rear burner

It is reported that the Xiaomi 12 is rumored to come with three 50MP sensors instead of 108MP like the Mi 11 series. It means that the upcoming flagship phone from Xiaomi may own a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide shooter, and a 50MP telephoto camera.

Xiaomi 12 may have a lower resolution camera than its predecessor

If this information is true then this is a large-scale change of Xiaomi’s flagship phones. Especially about the camera. The Xiaomi 12 was previously rumored to come with a 200MP sensor from Samsung, but the latest rumor suggests otherwise. It is possible that this resolution is being prepared for the Xiaomi 12 Ultra, which could become one of the best Android phones.

In addition, the leak also claims that the phone’s telephoto camera will be capable of 5x periscope zoom. It is said to be a more realistic focal length than the 10x periscope lens that Xiaomi is also said to be working on given the smoother zoom quality it offers.

The rumor comes a week after Xiaomi confirmed that it dropped the Mi branding to streamline its global product strategy around flagship phones. There is currently no official launch date for the Xiaomi 12, but it is expected to be released early next year.

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Google Pixel 6 launch date leaked. Will it coincide with the iPhone 13 launch date?

Google Pixel 6 launch date leaked. Will it coincide with the iPhone 13 launch date?

A new leak says that the Google Pixel 6 will be able to launch next month. September seems to be a pretty important month for smartphone launches as there are many big companies preparing to launch new phones at this time.

There are leaks that Google may launch Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on September 13. But leaks can often be wrong. Last year, Google launched the Pixel 5 on September 30. September is sure to be an eventful month for the smartphone market. The new iPhone 13 is expected to launch on September 14 or September 15. And Samsung may also launch the Galaxy S21 FE next month. Although not a high-end flagship, the phone is still expected to carry the Snapdragon 888 chipset which is worth looking forward to.

Google Pixel 6 launch date leaked

Google Pixel 6 series: What to expect

Google has confirmed the design and key details of the Pixel 6 series. What we’re most looking forward to is the company’s in-house Tensor chip. It is reported that Google has partnered with Samsung to produce SoC. However, besides touting AI intelligence and machine learning, the company has yet to reveal any other details.

Other than the brand new silicon, Google’s Pixel 6 series will have an attractive design, a body-length camera bump being the standout change. Some of the confirmed specs include a high refresh rate display, a triple camera setup (main + ultra wide + telephoto) on the Pro model, in-display fingerprint sensors on both phones, and more.

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Now you can get Google Fi VPN on iPhone

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Now you can get Google Fi VPN on iPhone

It’s always a good idea to add another layer of protection on your internet connection no matter how much you trust it. And an easy way to do that is to have a trusted virtual private network (VPN) app on your devices like smartphone or tablets,… Especially when you want to use any of your devices to connect to free Wi-Fi hotspots. VPN services will help prevent snooping and anonymize your internet traffic. Make sure that the VPN you choose should also come from a trusted source. And it so happens that Google is running its own VPN service through some of its products. That includes the Fi cellular network and premium Google One cloud subscriptions. The good news is that Google Fi VPN is finally available on iPhones running on Google’s network.

We’ve heard back in February that Google Fi VPN is heading to the iPhone. Google said at the time the service would be available in spring, without offering any release dates. The Fi VPN service was available on Android devices on the Fi network.

Google started rolling its Fi VPN service to iPhone users in mid-June, but it’s only now that the service is widely available, per 9to5Google.

How to enable Google Fi VPN on iPhone
First, you have to enable the Fi VPN on your iPhone is to switch to Google’s MVNO cellular service. That’s what Fi is, and you can’t use Fi VPN without it. The VPN service is totally free, so you won’t have to pay extra to secure your internet traffic.

To anyone who has ever used a VPN service on an iOS device, enabling the Fi VPN should be straightforward. You have to enable the Fi VPN from the main app as with other VPN apps. Then you will have to ensure that you allow the Fi VPN profile to install on your device.

Google already has a support document in place that lists all the steps involved in enabling the Fi VPN on your iPhone. So what you have to do?

1. Open the Google Fi app.
2. Scroll to Phone settings.
3. Tap Privacy & security.
4. Turn on or off Protect your online activity.
5. In the pop-up, tap Got it and then Allow.
6. Enter your device passcode or fingerprint.
7. When the status bar shows VPN, you’re connected.
Then, you will have added Google Fi to your VPN configurations and allowed it to use its VPN for all the internet connections on your device. You can always disable it and move between different VPN providers if you have more VPN profiles installed.

Google’s Fi VPN appears to be a trusted source in VPN service. Google says in the same support document that it won’t tie your VPN internet activity to your Google profile and that all the data is protected in transit. And Google should be trusted over shadier VPN services out there.


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