Xiaomi starts rolling out Marshmallow update for Redmi Note 3 in India

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 started selling in India in March this year with a starting price of Rs 9,999. It's currently the company's best-selling smartphone in India and features a 5.5-inch Full HD display, the Snapdragon 650 processor, 2/3 GB of RAM, and a primary 16 MP camera.

The device was originally released with Android Lollipop and Xiaomi's MIUI 7 on top. And although the company has updated the smartphone's user interface to MIUI 8, the Android version stayed the same.

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In hopes of keeping its customers happy, Xiaomi has recently started rolling out the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the Redmi Note 3. The update, which comes in at a hefty 1.3 GB is a nightly build, however, Xiaomi claims that it's Beta Stable. It's currently only available to a random selection of users, but we expect that the final build will be available to Redmi Note 3 owners across the country soon.

This is quite a big update and should bring a few interesting and useful features to the device. If you get your hands on it, do let us know what you think of it by posting a comment down below.

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South Korean President impeached, Samsung accused of bribery

In case you weren't aware, a dramatic soap opera has been playing out in recent months at the highest levels of South Korean politics. Involving corruption, bribery, shamans, show horses, secret societies and all manner of other peculiarity, the situation has finally resulted in the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye amidst allegations that seven Korean conglomerates including Samsung are guilty of bribery.

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The corporations are accused of accepting "government favors in relation to duty-free licenses" following bribes paid either to the President or her controversial "advisor" Choi Soon-sil. Choi has been accused of manipulating and controlling the President for years and has long been suspected of using her close relationship with the President for personal gain. If you need a primer, read this.

The impeachment motion said that "considering the wide range of the president's authority, a total of 36 billion won ($30.9 million) given by Samsung, SK and Lotte is viewed as bribery, as they have direct interest in succession, special pardons and duty-free business rights". Prosecutors are expected to re-summon the leaders of the businesses accused of bribery, with potentially dire consequences.

"The possible prosecution of business heads by the special prosecutor will be critical to the companies. If group chiefs are prosecuted for bribery, they may face challenges in holding on to financial affiliates by losing their eligibility as a major shareholder," professor Chun Sung-in of Hongik University told The Korea Herald.

The possible prosecution of business heads by the special prosecutor will be critical to the companies involved.

Samsung's heir-apparent Lee Kun-hee, recently appointed to the board of directors, faced a grueling parliamentary examination in front of Korea's National Assembly on Tuesday, facing 80 percent of the questions directed at the assembled business leaders.

It was a pitiful public appearance for the reclusive man expected to assume control over Samsung's sprawling empire upon the passing of his father Lee Kun-hee. Although no new facts were uncovered during the hearing, the President's impeachment will undoubtedly reveal new angles for prosecutors to pry into.

It goes without saying that the last thing Samsung needs right now is a political scandal at the highest levels of its executive branch. At this stage it is impossible for forecast how it might affect the company as a whole. But this story is so far-ranging that Samsung's role in it is just a small part of the broader impact it will have on South Korea as a nation.

Prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is now the acting president of South Korea until the Constitutional Court gives a final ruling on the President's impeachment and new leadership can be put in place. In the interim, analysts fear the effects of the political instability on investors, foreign companies and trade. The Korean economy is expected to be thrown into a "vortex of uncertainty" following the impeachment.

What do you expect to come out of this story?

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AT&T to refund more than $88 million to customers for unauthorized charges

Shutterstock

Back in 2014, the FTC cracked down on AT&T for placing unauthorized third-party charges on its customers' phone bills, a practice known as "mobile cramming". On average, the company charged its users $9.99 per month for ringtones and text message subscriptions containing love tips, horoscopes and fun facts, without their consent. AT&T kept 35 percent of the money, while the rest went to Tatto and Acquinity, the two other companies involved.

AT&T already settled the case in 2014 and will now start issuing refunds totalling over $88 million, which represents the most money ever returned to consumers in a mobile cramming case. The refunds will be issued within the next 75 days to more than 2.5 million current and 300,000 former AT&T customers. According to the FTC, the average refund amount is $31.

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AT&T received a high volume of complaints related to mobile cramming prior to the FTC and other federal and state agencies stepping in on consumers' behalf. I am pleased that consumers are now being refunded their money and that AT&T has changed its mobile billing practices. — Edith Ramirez, FTC Chairwoman.

The 2.5 million current AT&T users will receive a credit on their bill within the next 75 days, while the 300,000 former customers will get a check in the mail, which has to be cashed within 60 days.

Are you happy to see that the FTC has stepped in on consumers' behalf and made sure that they get refunded? Let us know down below.

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TSMC wants to build a new factory for 5nm and 3nm chips

WSJ

Samsung may be the first to mass produce the industry's first 10nm SoC, but that doesn't mean TSMC can't prepare for what's to come in the future – the Taiwanese chipmaker is apparently planning to build a new factory for future processors built on a 5nm and a 3nm design.

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October 20, 2016

TSMC wants to make chipsets even smaller – I mean, who doesn't? That means more room for other components all the while being more power-efficient. But before we get ahead of ourselves, the reality is that these 5nm and 3nm chipsets are a long way away. After all, TSMC hasn't even unveiled its 10nm chips yet. According to leaked documents, TSMC will begin 10nm production this year for next iPhone's A11 chipset.

However, the Taiwanese semiconductor giant certainly seems to be looking ahead as the competition to produce smaller and smaller chips grows. Nikkei Asian Review reports that TSMC is planning on building a $16 billion advanced chip facility in order to maintain its lead in the global market:

We're asking the government to help us find a plot that is large enough and has convenient access so we can build an advanced chip plant to manufacture 5-nanometer and 3nm chips.

Easier said than done, however. The smaller the chip, the more advanced it is, but also the harder it is to manufacture. TSMC has previously said that the company is looking to push out 7nm chips by 2017 and 5nm chips by 2020, but I personally think that's overly optimistic. Mass producing 10nm chips is hard enough as it is – and that's precisely why Samsung is one of the very few companies with the necessary resources to do it. Thermal challenges as well as other optimization issues are going to take a significant amount of time to be addressed fully when it comes to even smaller structures.

Thermal challenges as well as other optimization issues are going to take a significant amount of time to be addressed fully when it comes to even smaller structures.

The race to see who produces the smallest chips the fastest will continue, but it is highly unlikely that we will see anything smaller than 10nm before 2018 or later.

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Sony wants to be the first manufacturer (besides Google) to release Android 7.1.1 Nougat

Sony aims to be the first manufacturer outside of Google to release Android 7.1.1 Nougat. According to Xperia Blog, Sony's developer team has stated that issuing Android 7.1.1 is its "number one priority" and that "if you spot any other vendor (excluding Google) releasing this faster than us, prepare your rotten tomatoes!"

Android 7.1.1 was recently released on December 5 for the Google Pixel phones and Nexus devices, and Google made the source code available to manufacturers via the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on the same day. When exactly Sony intends to release its take on Android 7.1.1, and to which devices, isn't yet known.

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Sony was previously one of the first manufacturers to roll out the Android 7.0 Nougat software, bringing a beta build of it to its Xperia X Performance handset on November 2. Sony has already confirmed that the Android Nougat update will at some stage roll out to its Xperia X and Z5 series, as well as the Z3+ and Z4 Tablet.

Do you think Sony will be the next manufacturer to release an Android 7.1.1 Nougat build? Give us your take in the comments.

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Samsung working on two foldable smartphones, dual-screen version arriving early 2017

Strap yourselves in kids, we're about to take a trip to the future. After years of teaser videos, leaked roadmaps, concept designs and flexible display panel demonstrations, Samsung is finally nearing a foldable product release. According to South Korea's ET News, Samsung is working on two different types of foldable smartphone with a separate dual-screened version to be released in early 2017.

The dual-screened smartphone that may appear at CES or MWC is said to be hinged though, not actually bent. Featuring two flat panels side by side with a hinge in between, it is reportedly similar to a prototype demoed recently by Japan Display. The device will presumably have three orientations: folded out with screens on the front and back, folded in to protect the displays in transit, or laid out flat like a tablet.

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According to ET News, this dual-screened smartphone is primarily intended to gauge user interest and introduce consumers to some of the features and benefits of foldable smartphones before truly foldable devices are officially launched. The example is given of the Galaxy Round and Galaxy Note Edge as precursors to the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Samsung will apparently produce a small amount of dual-screened smartphones in early 2017 and assess the market's response. This feedback will then be applied to two foldable designs the company is said to be working on and will go a long way towards determining when they are released.

Samsung is said to be "thinking deeply" about the release date for its foldable designs, as "its goal is to introduce [an] innovative product with [a] high level of perfection to markets faster than its competitors." Industry insiders have claimed Lenovo's foldable designs are still a while away from being produced at scale.

The two styles of foldable smartphones Samsung is working on are described as an "out-foldable" design and an "in-foldable" design. We've already seen an example of an in-foldable design in the concept device we saw as far back as 2014 in Samsung's infamous advertisement and that we've seen in patent applications as recently as a month ago.

The out-foldable design is seen as the "next step" in foldable smartphones. "When an out-foldable smartphone is folded, OLED panels are placed on the front and the back. Panels also work at the part where it is bent, and this smartphone can be used as a tablet when it is not folded." To get an idea of how this works, just take a look at Lenovo's foldable concepts demoed earlier this year.

So there you have it, foldable smartphones are coming. Again. Still. This may seem like a story we've all heard many times in the past, but this is the first time we've heard about a precursor product being prepped for release with actual foldable designs coming in its wake.

Whether we'll see them by the end of 2017 will largely depend on how well the dual-screened version goes down in the first half of the year. As much as Samsung will want to ensure it has an impeccable product on its hands before releasing its first truly foldable devices, it must also be noted that it will absolutely want to beat competitors like Lenovo, OPPO and even Xiaomi to market.

Would you buy a foldable smartphone? Or would you rather hold out for second-gen tech?

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Super Mario Run gameplay video shows off new modes and content

Nintendo has unveiled further details about its upcoming mobile Mario game, Super Mario Run. Launching December 15 on iOS, and coming to Android later, the new title plays on the classic side-scrolling platform action found in numerous Mario games but merges it with the auto-runner formula popularized on mobile devices.

To allow the Mario experience to work one-handed, Mario automatically runs across the screen and players are only in control of how and when he jumps. There are mechanics in place to temporarily stop Mario in his tracks, help him change direction, and jump greater distances, to allow players reach the end of each level without the need for additional buttons.

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The Nintendo team appear to have incorporated many of the traditional Mario gameplay facets; the levels, enemies, power-ups etc – though it has also added some new modes. Toad Rally lets you challenge friends and rivals from around the world in a bid to collect the most coins within a time limit, while Kingdom Builder offers some form of base-building, using coins to unlock structures and extra mini-games. Check out the new gameplay footage in the video below.

Super Mario Run will be free to play on iOS for the first few levels, but unlocking more will require a one-time purchase of $9.99. It's coming to Android sometime in 2017.

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