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mercredi 4 novembre 2020

ARM announces the Cortex-A78C CPU for laptops with up to 8 big cores

In May, ARM announced its latest IP for mobile in the form of the Cortex-A78 CPU, Mali-G78 GPU, and the Ethos-N78 NPU. The company also announced its Cortex-X Custom (CXC) program, with the Cortex-X1 being the first CPU core under the program. The program allows for customization and differentiation beyond the traditional roadmap of ARM’s Cortex products. The company says it has seen great success with this generation of ARM-based processors and the rapid expansion into markets outside of traditional phones. Now, the company is looking to address some of these markets with its latest CPU product, the Cortex-A78C.

The ARM Cortex-A78C CPU is a new CPU that is built on the foundation of the regular Cortex-A78. ARM says it is purpose-built to be a part of a scalable and secure compute solution for next-generation on-the-go devices such as always-on laptops. The Cortex-A78 family includes the regular Cortex-A78 for smartphones, the Cortex-A78AE for complex autonomous applications, and now the Cortex-A78C for laptops. The value draw of the Cortex-A series has been PPA (performance, power, and area). The Cortex-A78C builds on these designs with the latest architecture updates for enhanced compute performance, scalability, and security.

The Cortex-A78C’s major feature is that it enables more homogenous multi-big core computing with support for up to eight big CPU core clusters. The octa-core (up to eight big CPU cores) lead to more scalable multi-threaded performance improvements when compared to the regular Cortex-A78, which supports only four big CPU cores along with four little CPU cores (in the form of the Cortex-A55) in the DynamIQ shared unit (DSU). ARM notes that big.LITTLE is the de facto standard in mobile, and it will remain so in the future. The eight core configurations of the Coretx-A78C will lead to higher multi-threaded performance, which is a plus for demanding workloads. The Cortex-A78C also increases the L3 cache to 8MB to further improve performance, especially for workloads having large data sets.

ARM says these enhanced features are ideal for enabling high performance, heavily threaded workloads, such as physics in gaming and professional productivity applications. The eight core configurations further extend and enhance all-day gaming capabilities when combined with Mali GPUs, as according to ARM, the Mali-G78 provides the graphics performance and battery life improvements for more immersive on-the-go gaming experiences. The increased L3 cache, on the other hand, will empower developers to bring enhanced gaming experiences such as AAA gaming to next-generation devices.

The Cortex-A78C also provides updates for data and device security. ARM points out the Pointer Authentication (PAC) feature, which minimizes the attack surface to ensure data on the device is kept secure. The company notes that sophisticated computer attacks exploit the use of gadgets in Return-Orientated-Programming (ROP) and Jump-Orientated-Programming (JOP). PAC significantly reduces exploits and prevents attackers from taking control of the software control flow, which loads to ROP exploits being reduced by over 60% and JOP exploits by over 40%. According to ARM, reducing these potential exploits is necessary for ensuring that users’ data is kept safe on devices even when installing third-party apps.

In conclusion, ARM says that while the Cortex-A78 is a mobile-focused core for next-generation phones, the Cortex-A78C’s new features provide the performance, scalability, and security needed for the next-generation on-the-go devices

ARM’s announcement of the Cortex-A78C is timely when considering the rumored launch timing of Apple Silicon-powered Macs, which are generally expected to be announced on November 10 at Apple’s online event. The announcement may also come at a right moment for Qualcomm. At its Tech Summit in December, the company may announce a successor to the Snapdragon 8cx SoC for always-on PCs, which was launched nearly two years ago with four ARM Cortex-A76 big cores. Moving to eight Cortex-A78C cores along with a successor to the Adreno 680 would provide quite a big performance boost.


Source: ARM

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Want to learn app development? This bundle of training and ebooks is just $30 today

Many of us would happily spend any day messing around with Android for free. But what if you could make a living from coding apps? If you want to become a pro, The 2021 Android Development eBook & Video Course Bundle is an incredible resource. The bundle contains six ebooks and 46 hours of video tutorials — and it’s now just $29.99 at the XDA Developers Depot. 

With more than 2.5 billion Android devices in active use around the world, there has never been a better time to learn app development. Many people build businesses on Google Play, and mid-level Android developers can expect to earn over $100,000 a year in full-time employment.

Featuring six ebooks and five video courses, this bundle provides the ideal starting point for any aspiring app maker. Through rich guides, you learn Android programming from scratch and discover how to utilize the latest features in projects.

You also learn how to build a beautiful UI, use developer tools such as Spring, and create 2D/3D games from scratch. 

You learn from genuine experts, such as Raja Biswas: an IT engineering grad who has gone on to become a superstar instructor. All the content comes from Packt Publishing, an e-learning outfit that has produced over 6,500 ebooks and videos over the past 14 years. 

The content is worth $880 in total, but you can get lifetime access today for only $29.99.

 
The 2021 Android Development eBook & Video Course Bundle – $29.99

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

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Google fixes two more zero-day Chrome flaws that were already being exploited

Google’s Project Zero white-hat hacker squad have patched two new zero-day bug fixes for vulnerabilities in the Chrome Browser, already being actively exploited in the wild – the third time in two weeks the team has had to patch a live vulnerability in the world’s most used web browser.

Ben Hawkes, the head of Project Zero took to Twitter on Monday to make the announcement:

The first, codenamed CVE-2020-16009, is a remote code-execution bug in V8, the custom Javascript engine used in Chromium. The second, coded CVE-2020-16010 is a heap-based buffer overflow, specific to the Android version of Chrome, which lets users outside the sandbox environment, leaving them free to exploit malicious code, perhaps from the other exploit, or maybe a completely different one.

There’s a lot we don’t know – Project Zero often uses a ‘need to know’ basis, lest it actually turns into a ‘how to hack’ tutorial – but we can glean some bits of information. We don’t know, for example, who is responsible for exploiting the flaws, but given that the first (16009) was discovered by the Threat Analysis Group, which could well mean it’s a state-sponsored actor. We don’t know which versions of Chrome are being targeted, so we’re recommending that you assume the answer is “the one you have” and update wherever possible if you’ve not had the latest version automatically. The Android patch is in the latest version of Chrome, currently available from the Google Play Store – you may need to trigger a manual update, to be sure of receiving it in a timely manner.


 

Source: Twitter

Story Via: Ars Technica

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The high-quality LG CX 55-inch 4K TV is under $1,400 at Amazon, plus get a free XBOOM speaker!

There will be plenty of TV deals over the holiday shopping season, but that doesn’t mean you should wait on this one. The LG CX 4K Smart TV is down to just $1,397, $100 lower than its low price just a couple weeks ago. While that might still seem like a lot, this TV is worth every penny, and then some.

The 55-inch LG CX is an OLED TV, which means that the pixels emit their own light. OLED screens have a wider depth of color than a normal LED screen, so you’ll see true black as well as bright and vivid colors. For gamers, the LG CX has NVIDIA G-Sync built-in and a 120hZ refresh rate to produce minimal lag. That’s something not even a lot of computer monitors can do! LG’s ThinQ technology makes it easy to stream anything you want, and the remote control also accepts voice and motion commands, perfect for accessibility. Finally, with 4 HDMI ports and 3 USB ports, you’ll have space to plug in every console and device you need to complete your home theater experience.

Other models of the LG CX are on sale, too! The 65-inch model is $1,897, $400 off the $2,297 MSRP. That’s a pretty big TV! Finally, these TVs come with an additional promotion–a free LG XBOOM speaker. The portable Bluetooth speaker has up to 10-hours of playback on a single charge, a dual action bass, and is water-resistant. Not a bad bonus at all!

    LG Alexa Built-In CX 55-inch 4K Smart OLED TV
    Get one of the best TV experiences around at a big discount. The LG CX 55-inch smart TV is just $1,397 at Amazon, and with its beautiful OLED screen, Alexa capabilities, and gaming-ready technology, you really can't go wrong.

The LG XBOOM promotion lasts until November 21st, but there’s no telling that the LG CX TVs will stay at this price for that long. If you’re interested, grab one before it’s too late!

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Pixel 5’s wireless charging kicks in whenever you plug in a USB cable

Google has revealed a new approach to reverse charging on the flagship Pixel 5, which could make it a little less fiddly to use. Reverse Charging has become an increasingly popular feature in recent years, after first coming to mainstream attention with the Huawei P30 Pro. As the name suggests, it reverses the Qi charging unit in the device, allowing you to charge other wireless products from the handset battery.

The problem in the past has been that, in order to protect the phone’s battery, the feature needs to be turned on manually each time it’s used, and the toggle switch is usually buried deep in the settings pages.

The Pixel 5 does it differently – reverse charging is automatically turned on whenever the phone is plugged into a power source via USB-C. You’ll be told the first time you use it, but after that, it’ll happen silently in the background. The feature, referred to by Google as ‘Battery Share’ only stays on for a short time before disabling if it doesn’t detect anything that needs charging, so there’s no need to worry about your phone overheating for no good reason.

If you’re running off battery power, you can still trigger Battery Share from the settings menu. This should only really be used if you find yourself in a fix, however, as it drains the battery significantly, but a lot of juice is lost in transfer so it can only really offer you a ‘jump start’ for another device unless you don’t mind your phone being dead.

On the other hand, whilst it’s plugged in, using your Pixel 5 as a Qi charging pad gives it a nice extra string to its bow while it’s sitting on the table, on charge. At the very least, it’s one less messy USB cable cluttering up the place.


Source: Google Support
Story Via: 9to5 Google

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OnePlus Nord N100 gets OxygenOS 10.5.1 update with touch and camera improvements

OnePlus launched two sub-premium phones – the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 – in October. Each of them serves different audiences: The Nord N10 is targeted at users who want 5G connectivity on a budget, whereas the Nord N100 is aimed at users who want to enjoy OnePlus’ excellent software support but some compromises in areas like hardware configuration. While the devices are yet to reach most buyers, one of them has already gotten its first update. OxygenOS 10.5.1 is now rolling out to the Nord N100, and it brings a number of small changes.

OnePlus Nord N100 XDA Forums

The changelog mentions a number of system changes that you would expect to see straight after a release. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth related optimizations and general system stability improvements, these are all things that generally get fixed through the initial OTA update. Besides this, the new build also brings improvements to the camera quality and stability.

Here’s the complete changelog for OxygenOS 10.5.1 for the OnePlus Nord N100:

  • System
    • Optimized the touch and interaction experience
    • Improved system stability
  • Camera
    • Improved the shooting experience with camera
  • Network
    • Improved the performance and stability of Wi-Fi transfers
  • Bluetooth
    • Improve Bluetooth compatibility

Just like typical OxygenOS stable channel updates, the latest OTA for the Nord N100 is only being rolled out to a small percentage of users for the time being. Once the company confirms that there aren’t any bugs in the release, the update should roll out to more users.

We currently don’t have access to download links for this OxygenOS update for the OnePlus Nord N100. We will update the post as soon as the download links are available. It’s also worth noting that the aforementioned build is meant for the European variant, since the device hasn’t gone on sale in North America yet.


Source: OnePlus Forums

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[Update: Normal] Some Pixel 5 owners are reporting a gap between the display and the body

Update 1 (11/04/2020 @ 06:56 AM ET): Google mentions that the gap on the Pixel 5 body is normal and should not affect the device. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on October 20, 2020, is preserved below.

Google’s latest flagship handset, the Pixel 5 has been due a potentially showstopping problem, and it looks like we may have found it in the form of a possible design flaw. Some users of the XDA Forums are amongst those who have complained that the glass display panel on their device doesn’t sit flush with the casing. The number of reports is growing steadily as more and more units reach their new owners, suggesting that the problem isn’t isolated—though we might add that it certainly doesn’t apply to every single handset sold.

Various photographs of phones sporting the unsightly gap suggest that it isn’t isolated to one specific point, but rather than there’s just not enough room to snap the two halves together, suggesting a millimetres wide mismatch between parts. It doesn’t seem to be limited to one color variant, nor does it seem to be a flaw that develops over time—most people have spotted it straight out of the box.

Image credits: XDA Senior Member superleeds27

The biggest concern here isn’t the functionality of the phone—they all seem to work perfectly—but it does bring into question the potential for ingress of dust and, more importantly, water. The Pixel 5 has been certified as IP68, which should mean that almost nothing gets in or out. Clearly, that’s not going to be true if there’s a whacking great hole in the casing.

We all know that most flagship phones have at least one boo-boo to overcome—but so do the manufacturers and the fact that this issue has been allowed as far as the end consumer leaves Google sporting a potentially very red face. Given the lukewarm reception and sales for the Pixel 4, the company needed for this launch to go flawlessly.

Google Pixel 5 Forums

We’ve asked Google for comment on the matter and will update this article once we have a statement.

Thanks for the tip, XDA Recognized Contributor TokedUp!
Featured image credits: XDA Junior Member Sylabo


Update: Google Pixel 5 body gap is said to be “normal part of design”

According to a response from Google over at the Pixel support forums, the gap seen on the Pixel 5 body is deemed to be a normal part of the design of the phone.

Hi Pixel Community,

We’ve had a chance to investigate units from customers and, combined with our quality control data from the factory, we can confirm that the variation in the clearance between the body and the display is a normal part of the design of your Pixel 5. There is no effect on the water and dust resistance or functionality of your phone. We will work with customers on an individual basis to address any concerns they may have.

While Google reassures that the phone should be unaffected even if you have a gap, they also mention that they will work with customers on a case-by-case basis. If the gap on your device is too large and worries you, it’s best that you approach the company for it.

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