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mardi 2 novembre 2021

Apple’s new Beats ANC Fit Pro are good AirPods Pro alternatives

Apple has revealed the new Beats Fit Pro ANC earbuds. This release comes less than a month after that of the AirPods 3rd Gen. These new true wireless earbuds pack a feature set similar to that of the AirPods Pro. However, they have a completely different design that matches the Beats brand and is more fitness-focused.

The Beats Fit Pro are available in four colors — Beats Black, Beats White, Stone Purple, and Sage Gray. When it comes to features, they support most of those you’d see on AirPods, such as instant pairing with iPhones (thanks to the H1 chip), Hey Siri support, Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Find My support, and more.

Beats Fit Pro

The new Beats are designed without the stem present on AirPods. Instead, they have wingtips that help them securely remain stable in your ears. While both the Fit Pro and AirPods Pro offer around 24 hours of listening time per case full charge, the former doesn’t support wireless charging. Fortunately, they both are water and sweat resistant, so you can work out worry-free.

As for pricing, the Beats cost $199 in the US, compared to $249 for the AirPods Pro. So they’re cheaper AirPods Pro alternatives that will offer almost exactly the same features.

    Beats Fit Pro
    The new Beats Fit Pro offer features similar to those of the AirPods Pro, such as ANC, Hey Siri, Spatial Audio, instant pairing, and more. They have a lower price tag, too.

Apple giveth and Apple taketh away

According to MacRumors, Apple has discontinued several Beats models after the Fit Pro’s release. These models include Powerbeats, Beats Solo Pro, and Beats EP, which were priced at $150, $250, and $130 respectively. This leaves Beats fans with seven options to choose from — Beats Studio Buds, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Pro, Beats Flex, Beats Studio 3, Beats Fit Pro, and Beats Pill+.

beats models not available on the online apple store

Attempting to view any of the discontinued Beats products on the Online Apple Store brings up a large banner. It states that they’re no longer available, with a suggestion to view similar products.

Do you plan on buying the Beats Fit Pro or the AirPods Pro? Let us know in the comments section below.

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LG is offering Apple TV+ trials to eligible users later this month

Apple has been slowly expanding its TV+ service support across platforms and devices. When the subscription service first launched, it was limited to Apple devices and very few other platforms, such as the web. Since then it has landed on smart TVs from different manufacturers, including Samsung and LG. In hopes of boosting smart TV sales, LG will be offering free Apple TV+ trials to eligible users later this month.

In a newsroom post, LG announced that users who have bought a 2016-2021 4K or 8K LG Smart TV will be able to redeem a three-month Apple TV+ trial. The deal is available starting November 15 and will last until February 13, 2022. Eligible users will be able to claim their free goods from the Apple TV+ advertisement on the TV’s home menu. Alternatively, users can redeem it by navigating to LG Content Store and following the simple instructions provided.

The offer is available in over eighty countries, where TV+ is available. However, only new subscribers are eligible to claim it. So if you’ve already tried or signed up to Apple’s service, you’re out of luck. It’s worth noting that once the three-month free trial ends, the subscription will auto-renew and charge you based on your Apple ID’s region. So make sure to set a reminder to cancel a few days beforehand, if you don’t plan on paying Apple.

What’s TV+?

Apple TV+ is the first original-only streaming service with a catalog that is steadily growing. As a result, all TV+ shows and movies are available where the service is, with no regional catalog restrictions — similar to those of Netflix. It launched two years ago and had a somewhat rough start, but it’s slowly populating its virtual shelves. It might become a serious competitor against rivals down the road.

Are you an Apple TV+ subscriber? Let us know in the comments section below.

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PSA: You can speed up Pixel 6 and 6 Pro’s fingerprint scanner with this setting

Last month, Google officially lifted the covers off of the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Google’s latest phones feature a refreshing design, upgraded camera hardware, Google’s in-house Tensor SoC, the latest version of Android, and much more.

Google Pixel 6 Pro Review: Fantastic everyday phone with an undeniable Exynos inspiration

Interestingly, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are also the first Pixel phones to come with an under-display fingerprint scanner. If you own a Pixel 6 and find that the fingerprint scanner is a bit slow, there’s an easy solution to enhance its performance.

As pointed out by Twitter user @ZAKtalksTECH, Google has included an option to increase the display’s touch sensitivity, which apparently also improves the in-display fingerprint scanner.


To enable this option, go to Settings > Display and look for an option called “Increase touch sensitivity.” As per the description, the option is actually meant to improve touch sensitivity when using screen protectors. However, enabling this option also seems to speed up the in-display fingerprint scanner. In our quick testing on our Pixel 6 Pro review unit, we noticed that enabling this setting definitely improved the fingerprint scanner. The difference in performance was quite noticeable when we turned it on and off.

Note that both Pixel phones feature Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the front, so you don’t really need a screen protector or tempered glass. But still, if you plan to apply some kind of protection for extra peace of mind, you should turn on this option.

    Google Pixel 6
    The Pixel 6 features a fresh design, in-house Tensor SoC, an under-display fingerprint sensor, and flagship cameras.

Google isn’t the first brand to offer an option to increase screen sensitivity. Brands like Samsung have long provided a similar solution to avoid touch input issues when a screen protector or a tempered glass is applied on display.

Do you own a Pixel 6? Did you notice any improvements to the fingerprint scanner after enabling the touch sensitivity option? Let us know in the comments below.

The post PSA: You can speed up Pixel 6 and 6 Pro’s fingerprint scanner with this setting appeared first on xda-developers.



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You can get Forza Horizon 5, Minecraft and more with Xbox Game Pass for just $1/₹584

Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s subscription service for games on PC and Console, and the company is giving out a killer deal with the titles it adds every month to the service. For the month of November 2021, Microsoft is adding several high-profile releases like Forza Horizon 5, Minecraft: Java and Bedrock Editions, and more, plus offering an insane deal for users in the US and users in India who want to try out Xbox Game Pass.

Games coming to Xbox Game Pass in November 2021

Here are the games coming to Xbox Game Pass this month:

  • Minecraft: Java and Bedrock Editions (PC) – November 2
  • Unpacking (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – November 2 (Day One)
  • It Takes Two (Cloud, Console, PC) EA Play – November 4
  • Kill It with Fire (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – November 4
  • Football Manager 2022 (PC) – November 9 (Day One)
  • Football Manager 2022: Xbox Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 9 (Day One)
  • Forza Horizon 5 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 9 (Day One)
  • Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition (Console) – November 11
  • One Step from Eden (Console and PC) ID@Xbox – November 11

What this means is that if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can play all of these games as well as the other titles in the service in the month of November on supported platforms. And there are more titles coming in the next few months, including Halo Infinite on December 8, so you get some great mileage out of your subscription.

Xbox Game Pass for PC deal

And what truly makes this exciting news is the fact that Microsoft is offering Game Pass to users in the US, India and possibly other regions at very attractive rates. New subscribers in the US can get Xbox Game Pass for PC for just $1 for 3 months (and $10 per month after that), which is an insane deal considering Day One access for games like Forza Horizon 5.

Xbox Game Pass for PC (USA)

    Xbox Game Pass for PC (USA)
    Microsoft is offering its Xbox Game Pass subscription service to new customers in the USA for just $1 for three months of access!

For users in India, Microsoft has an even sweeter deal for you. You can get Xbox Game Pass for PC for just ₹584 for a total of 8 months (and ₹584 per month after that). Note that the listed price of ₹489 is before tax. The longer duration means you can enjoy all of these present and upcoming titles for longer at discounted prices.

Xbox Game Pass for PC (India)

    Xbox Game Pass for PC (India)
    Microsoft is offering its Xbox Game Pass subscription service to new customers in India for just ₹584 for a total eight months of access!

If you’d just like to make use of the discounts, do remember to turn off recurring payments so that you do not get charged once your discount period ends.

The post You can get Forza Horizon 5, Minecraft and more with Xbox Game Pass for just $1/₹584 appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Photos Memories widget receives new frame styles

In June, we learned that the Google Photos app for Android was preparing to add a new Memories widget. While the widget wasn’t accessible to end-users at the time, Google finally rolled it out to users in August. Now Google is adding some fun new frame styles for the widget, allowing you to show off your favorite photos in fun and interesting shapes on your homescreen.

Google officially announced last week that the Google Photos Memories widget would be the first to use the new freeform widget frames. And pretty sure Google has started rolling out a new update to the Google Photos app, which brings these new frame styles for the Memories widget.

To access new frame styles, update your Google Photos app to the latest version from the Google Play Store and then open the widget picker by long pressing on the homescreen. From the picker, select the Memories widget and drag it on the homescreen. When you drag and drop the Memories widget on the homescreen, you’ll be greeted with a new screen asking you to select a frame style. You can choose from six frame styles, as shown in the screenshots attached below.

Frame styles for Google Photos widget Memories widgets on homescreen

Screenshots credit: Mishaal Rahman

You can add multiple widgets with different frames on your homescreen, and they’re resizable, too.

New frame styles for the Memories widget come as part of the Google Photos app version 5.65, which has started rolling out on the Google Play Store. If the update isn’t live for you, you can also sideload the latest APK from APKMirror. However, as Mishaal points out, it’s generally not recommended to sideload Google Photos updates as you might lose some features.

Google Photos (Free, Google Play) →

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lundi 1 novembre 2021

macOS 12 Monterey is bricking some older Macs, so you may want to hold off on the update

Apple released macOS 12 Monterey to the public early last week. This major version was first revealed during the opening keynote of WWDC21, back in June. It had been in beta testing since then to ensure a smooth experience for the public. Ironically, it seems like the stable build has been bricking some users’ older Macs, based on online complaints.

According to MacRumors, tweets by angry and concerned users who are unable to power on their Macs have surfaced online. The update process to macOS 12 simply bricked their premium computers and rendered them useless. Macs are harder to restore when bricked, compared to iPhones, iPads, and iPods. In some cases they will even require physical repair as well.

It seems like the issue is mostly affecting older Macs, particularly Intel-powered ones. It isn’t as widespread as last year’s Big Sur bricking catastrophe, but it’s still killing enough devices for a PSA. If you have concerns or heavily depend on your Mac for work or studies, we suggest you wait for a future macOS update.

Apple is currently testing macOS 12.1 beta, but that isn’t expected to be released this month as stable to the public. It’s unclear if this version fixes the bricking issue, but it’s safe to assume Apple is aware of the problem now, considering Apple Support has acknowledged and replied to some of the tweets.

Have you updated your Mac to macOS 12 Monterey yet? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post macOS 12 Monterey is bricking some older Macs, so you may want to hold off on the update appeared first on xda-developers.



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Lenovo ThinkBook Plus shown off in leaked image with a second screen for drawing

Lenovo is working on a laptop with a second screen that might be tailored to digital artists, according to a new leaked image. Evan Blass recently shared an image of the laptop – seemingly called Lenovo ThinkBook Plus – on Twitter, featuring a 17-inch primary display as well as a small screen on the keyboard deck.

Based on the image, the laptop may be targeted towards digital artists, seeing as it’s running some kind of drawing app. The second screen seems to play a key role here, bringing the canvas closer to the user and supporting pen input for more accurate input. It looks like the user would be able to zoom in on the image on the smaller screen without it affecting the image on the main display, allowing users to make more precise adjustments while still seeing the big picture.

Unfortunately, this single image is all we have to go off of. However, a Lenovo ThinkBook Plus wouldn’t be a completely new line for Lenovo. The company currently has the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 available for sale, and it too features two displays, but it’s a very different concept. The secondary display in this laptop is on the lid, just on the other side of the main display, and it’s an e-ink panel. This is meant to give users quick access to information without using as much power, and while it does support doodling with an active pen, it’s not meant for art at all. The main display itself is a 13.3-inch panel, so it’s a much smaller laptop than this would be.

There are a few laptops out there that try to cater to digital artists, and recent launches like the Surface Laptop Studio try to do it by allowing users to pull the main display closer to them or fold it over the keyboard. This is certainly a different approach, and it makes for an odd-looking keyboard deck with the keyboard itself being pushed off to the side.

There’s no indication as to when this 17-inch Lenovo ThinkBook Plus will launch, or if that’s even its final name. We’ll have to wait for the company to make an official announcement.

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