Qualcomm’s new Bluetooth chips will bring BLE Audio to mid-tier true wireless earbuds

After launching the QCC514x and QCC304x Bluetooth SoCs earlier this year in March, Qualcomm has now launched the QCC305x chips for next-gen mid-tier and entry-level TWS earbuds. Designed to provide more flexible and cost-sensitive wireless audio options, the new Bluetooth chips are a significant improvement over the QCC304x, and they support many of Qualcomm’s premium audio technologies and the new Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio standard.

The new QCC305x Bluetooth SoCs offers support for the following premium audio technologies:

• TWS earbuds powered by the new Bluetooth chips will support Audio Sharing, which will allow users to stream audio from one smartphone to multiple supported earbuds at the same time.
• Unlike the QCC304x chip, the new QCC305x SoCs include support for always-on wake word activation for virtual assistants.
• The chips also feature Qualcomm Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, which is expected to usher in a new era of mid-range TWS earbuds with ANC support.
• To enable high-quality listening and low latency streaming while watching videos or playing games, the chips support Qualcomm aptX Adaptive at up to 96KHz audio resolution.
• The QCC305x SoCs also include support for Qualcomm aptX Voice and Qualcomm cVc Echo Cancellation and Noise Suppression for enhanced voice clarity on calls.

Highlighting the benefits offered by Qualcomm’s new Bluetooth chips, James Chapman, VP and GM Voice, Music, and Wearables at Qualcomm Technologies International, said:

“We are entering a new era for the expanding truly wireless earbud category, which is diversifying at a terrific rate bringing new use-cases and feature enrichment to products in virtually all tiers. Not only do our QCC305x SoCs bring many of our latest-and-greatest audio features to our mid-range truly wireless earbud portfolio, they are also designed to be developer-ready for the upcoming Bluetooth LE Audio standard. We believe this combination gives our customers great flexibility to innovate at a range of price points and helps them meet the needs of today’s audio consumers, many of whom now rely on their truly wireless earbuds for all sorts of entertainment and productivity activities.”

Additionally, Qualcomm revealed that it worked closely with the Bluetooth SIG to bring BLE Audio support to its next-gen Bluetooth chips. This new standard, which was announced earlier this year in January, will extend the capabilities of Bluetooth Classic Audio and offer a host of new possibilities for wireless audio use cases.

Qualcomm further highlighted that the QCC305x SoCs are designed to support superior end-to-end operability from a Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered smartphone to Qualcomm Technologies powered earbuds. To enable this true end-to-end experience, Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon 888 SoC, which features the Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 connectivity system, brings mobile-side support for Bluetooth 5.2, LE Audio, aptX audio, and other features.

The post Qualcomm’s new Bluetooth chips will bring BLE Audio to mid-tier true wireless earbuds appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3nqwIdu
via IFTTT

For a limited time, you can still save an extra 40% on lifetime cloud storage with Koofr

Green Monday has come and gone, but some of the best deals are hanging around a little longer. For a limited time, you can still get an extra 40% off Koofr Cloud Storage at the XDA Developers Depot with the promo code GREEN40. That means lifetime 100GB backup for just $17.99, and even bigger savings when you upgrade.

Koofr is actually more than a cloud storage provider. This platform acts as a hub for your online files, allowing you to access Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, and OneDrive in one place. It even has universal search. 

You can add files to Koofr separately, or use the built-in storage to transfer files between different accounts. It works on the web, on mobile, and via WebDAV. 

The company behind this service prides itself on privacy, and all your files are secured with strong encryption. That applies to both storage and transfers.

There are no limits on uploads, and the platform has plenty of useful features — including duplicate finding and batch renaming. 

This Green Monday deal includes lifetime service, making Koofr a good option for long-term storage. It’s also a great way to link your cloud accounts and access your files on the go.

Order today with code GREEN40 to get 100GB for just $17.99 (MSRP $540). You can also get 250GB for $35.99 (MSRP $1,080) or 1TB for only $101.99 (MSRP $2,700).

 

Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (100GB) – $29.99

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

The post For a limited time, you can still save an extra 40% on lifetime cloud storage with Koofr appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/37qoyvS
via IFTTT

Google One’s most expensive storage plans get a 50% price cut

Google has reduced the price of its higher capacity Google One cloud storage tiers, a few months after announcing changes to the free storage component of Google accounts, which saw it remove the free unlimited photo backups from Google Photos, instead, applying them to your remaining Google Drive capacity, along with Google Workspace documents, which had also been hitherto exempt.

The decision has led to more demand for Google One’s higher tiers, which have hitherto been significantly more expensive per gigabyte than its 1TB and 2TB offerings. Today, however, Google has slashed its prices by 50 per cent on plans of 10TB and above. It sees the 10TB tier reduced from $99.99 to $49.99, 20TB down from $199.99 to $99.99 and the 30TB option down from $299.99 to $149.99.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the company has confirmed that existing customers will get the new pricing automatically: “For members that need more space, we’re cutting the price of our 10 TB, 20 TB, and 30 TB plans by 50%. If you’re already on a qualifying plan, you’ll start seeing savings automatically.” There are no plans to reduce the pricing of lower tiers, but the new pricing applies in all territories at the local currency equivalent.

Google has always applied “Moore’s Law” to its cloud storage offering and has cited the quantities of scale afforded by an increasing customer base as the reason for previous price cuts. Whether that’s the case once again, or whether it’s designed as a sweetener for those left disillusioned by the policy changes, remains to be revealed.

Google One users also get additional benefits, with all tiers of 2TB and above qualifying for a free VPN (currently available on Android in the US, and coming to other regions and operating systems soon), as well as 10% cashback on hardware purchases through the Google Store, and deals on hotels (slightly randomly).

The post Google One’s most expensive storage plans get a 50% price cut appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/34k1Wvk
via IFTTT

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 listed by dealers in Europe, expected to launch by early 2021

The Surface Pro 8 is expected to launch very soon as the upcoming tablet has been spotted by various retailers in Europe. The new portable Windows machine will be available in standard Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + LTE model options, suggest certain databases of European retailers. It is also expected that Microsoft will offer up to 32GB of RAM, although that might only be offered with the non-LTE variant.

The report comes from Winfuture, which suggests that the Surface 8 Pro, apart from offering support for the Surface Pen and the Surface Type Cover, will now come in a new Black color option alongside Platinum Grey. Microsoft had introduced this color on the Surface Pro X last year, and it seems that it might expand it to the regular Surface Pro lineup. Notably, the Black color option will not be offered with the LTE version.

There is also confirmation that the LTE version of the Surface Pro 8 in Europe will feature a wireless module and antennas integrated directly from the factory. Don’t expect a 5G variant anytime soon, and to be honest, it doesn’t make a lot of sense considering the limited availability of the network around the world. The base variant of the LTE version of the Surface Pro 8 is expected to arrive with an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 processor with Intel Xe graphics, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of internal storage. There doesn’t seem to be a Core i7 option available with LTE, which means that regular customers can only look at a maximum of 16GB RAM and 256GB storage. According to an alleged image of the Surface Pro 8, the memory is going to be clocked at 4267MHz. Also, while it is not mentioned, the display is expected to be similar to last year’s model having a 12.3-inch dimension with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a 2736 x 1824 pixel resolution.

The non-LTE Surface Pro 8 is expected to be offered in a high-end variant with 32GB of RAM,  an Intel Core i7-1165G7 quad-core processor with a turbo clock speed of 4.7GHz, and a 1TB SSD. This variant is expected to be priced around €3000 ($3,650 approx).

The new Surface Pro 8 is expected to launch in January 2021. During the same launch event, Microsoft is also expected to launch the Surface Laptop 4, which would be more of a bump to the internals rather than a new design just like the Surface Pro 8. However, it is speculated that the new Surface Laptop 4 could launch in a separate AMD version, just like last year. Speaking of which, AMD is expected to launch the new Ryzen 5000 mobile chipsets at CES 2021. Will Microsoft make use of the new chips? Time will tell.

The post Microsoft Surface Pro 8 listed by dealers in Europe, expected to launch by early 2021 appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3oYXZnK
via IFTTT

Facebook to shift UK to US user agreement after Brexit, with more countries to follow

Facebook has announced that its United Kingdom customers will be migrated to a US user agreement in 2021. The move is a response to the end of the Brexit transition period on 31st December, after which time the country will no longer be covered by EU laws. Until recently, customers in Blighty were covered by agreements with Facebook’s European headquarters in the Republic of Ireland, in order to comply with European Union data protection laws, including GDPR. When customers are migrated back to Facebook’s California base, they will no longer have the same protections, although the company will have to meet the equivalent UK laws, which are expected to mimic GDPR, in the short to medium term.

Facebook has said that it plans to move all non-EU countries over to the US agreement and has hinted that it could consider moving EU residents too if it feels the regulations it is working under have become too unwieldy. The company has confirmed, however, that its GDPR-compliant security controls page will be rolled out globally. In a statement to Reuters, it purrs soothingly: “We apply the same privacy protections everywhere, regardless of whether your agreement is with Facebook Inc or Facebook Ireland,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said in an interview that it will apply GDPR rules globally “in spirit”. What that looks like in reality is a different matter, because Facebook has been clobbered with multiple fines from the EU and will doubtless be keen to find a way to duck its jurisdiction.

The news comes at a difficult time for Facebook, which is already under investigation under competition rules, which could lead to it being forced to sell off WhatsApp and Instagram, which, the case claims, it bought in order to stifle competition. Given that Britons voted for Brexit under the promise of ‘taking back control’ from the European Union, this is just one more slice of reality – it has taken back control, and handed it straight to the US. Not really what campaigners had in mind. Other big tech firms are already getting ready for the changes too, with LinkedIn moving all non-EU customers to Microsoft’s US base, whilst Google did the same thing in February when the UK “officially” left the EU and entered the current 11 month transition period which expires on New Year’s Eve.

The post Facebook to shift UK to US user agreement after Brexit, with more countries to follow appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/37owG09
via IFTTT

Instagram Lite is a 2MB app that removes Reels, Shopping, and IGTV for a clean, no-frills experience

At the “Facebook Fuel For India” event today, Instagram launched Instagram Lite, a no-frills version of its photo and video sharing service. At less than 2MP in size, Instagram Lite is primarily developed for users with limited internet bandwidth and low-memory phones (read Android Go edition phones). However, we believe it will have an equally strong appeal to those who have grown frustrated with the cluttered user experience on the main app as a result of continuous feature downpour over the past months.

Instagram Lite puts emphasis on speed, performance, and responsiveness. The overall experience of the app is similar to that of the full-fledged version, but it removes several key functionalities such as Reels, Shopping, and IGTV to offer users a clean and light experience. Depending on how you value those specific sub-functions, this app could either be a good or a bad thing.

The app is available in multiple regional Indian languages, including Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu.

“With the test of Instagram Lite, and the next edition of Born on Instagram, we’re aiming to democratize expression and creativity for a greater number of people in India. We’re also hoping to gain valuable insights before a global rollout of Instagram Lite.”

Vishal Shah, VP of product, Instagram, at the Facebook Fuel for India event

The Instagram Lite is only available in India at the time being, but the Facebook-owned company plans to bring it to global markets at a later date. Although Instagram Lite is officially limited to the Indian market, for now, you should be able to sideload it on your Android phone.

As per the official app listing, the Instagram Lite first became available for download on the Google Play Store on December 9 and already boasts 5 million+ downloads at the time of writing this article. The new Lite app comes after the company shut down the old Lite version earlier this year, which was available in markets like Mexico, Kenya, and the Philippines.

Instagram Lite (To be announced, Google Play) →

The post Instagram Lite is a 2MB app that removes Reels, Shopping, and IGTV for a clean, no-frills experience appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2KwwliM
via IFTTT

Google acquires company that turns old PCs into speedy Chromebooks

Google has announced the purchase of Neverware, a software company which allows users to turn old PCs and Macs into Chromebooks. The company, which had already received significant Series B funding from Google, will join the Chrome OS team to make the company’s Cloud Ready OS an official Google product.

News broke on Monday with an announcement on the Neverware site:

“We’re pleased to share some very exciting news: Neverware and CloudReady are now officially part of Google and the Chrome OS team! We’re looking forward to sharing more details with all our CloudReady customers, users, and fans in the coming weeks and months, but for now, please review the following for answers to some of your anticipated questions”.

CloudReady OS is a fork of Chromium, the open-source version of Google Chrome. It has almost identical branding and capabilities, and because of Chrome OS’s lighter resource footprint, it can turn machines that are no longer capable of running a modern Windows or macOS deployment into zippy little Chromebooks (technically, Chromiumbooks until now, but let’s not be pedantic).

Google has now confirmed the acquisition with a statement of its own: “We can confirm that the Neverware team is joining the Google Chrome OS team. As we continue to support customers with their transition to the cloud, Neverware has offered a valuable solution, CloudReady, that allows customers to unlock the manageability, speed, and productivity of a Chrome device. Following our partnership over the past few years, we’re looking forward to working more closely with the team to support more customers in their transition to deploy Chrome OS.”

Google has said that, in the longer term, Cloud Ready OS will become based on Google Chrome, rather than Chromium. The company has worked on a freemium model, with the free home edition flanked by enterprise and education editions that come with paid-support.

Providing that the acquisition doesn’t become a victim of Google’s seeming corporate ADHD and end up in the Google Graveyard, the possibilities that Cloud Ready can bring for Google and potential users is immense, whether it’s resurrecting tired school computers, finding a low-cost way of deploying GSuite on a BYOD basis or just keeping computer waste out of landfill, it all means more Chromebook users for Google, at a time when it seems particularly keen to make Chrome OS a genuine Windows competitor.

The post Google acquires company that turns old PCs into speedy Chromebooks appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/34fU3Hm
via IFTTT