Apple could finally bring multiple user support to iOS

One key feature missing from iOS is multiple users. Even though the feature is present on the Macs, the iPhone and especially a device like the iPad really needs multiple user support. It looks like this is about to change as Apple has been granted a patent which details support for multiple users. As spotted by Apple Insider, the patent granted to apple is titled "Provision of domains in secure enclave to support multiple users."

While the patent details more than one user being able to use a device, it also highlights the security aspects of the patent. According to Apple Insider, the patent reads, "A computing device can employ several passcodes and associated encryption keys, where multiple passcodes or encryptions keys may be associated with each different user account on the system”. Even though the patent says computing device, it could be more indicative towards the iPad or the iPhone as Macs already support multiple users. Also support for multiple passcodes and encryption keys could mean secure login to the device and associated apps and services that require a login. 

The patent also goes on to highlight other security measures to ensure that there is no way in which multiple user support could lead to a breach of data. This isn't the first time a multiple user patent has been published. According to Forbes, the first multi-user patent was published back in 2013.

Multiple user support on a device like the iPad seems like a no-brainer. For a professional using an iPad as his primary computing device and then coming back home, the rest of the family can use the device for gaming, entertainment or simply social networking. 

If you are in the market for an iPad Air, you can check our review of the 2020 iPad Air here. You can also see what the rumour mills are saying about the upcoming 2021 iPad here.

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Steam Winter Sale: The Best Deals on PC Games

Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Need for Speed Payback, Sea of Thieves, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Control, Crusader Kings 3, Death Stranding, Doom Eternal, Fall Guys, FIFA 21, Hades, Red Dead Redemption 2, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — the best deals on PC games in the Steam Winter Sale, which runs from December 22 to January 5.

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OnePlus Watch to launch in early 2021, CEO Pete Lau confirms

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the company is planning to launch a smartwatch in early 2021. In all likelihood, the rumoured OnePlus Watch could make an appearance during the launch of the OnePlus 9 series next year. OnePlus has been transparent about its plans to enter the wearable segment and has been developing a smartwatch from a while now. Previously, the OnePlus Watch moniker had leaked and was expected to be announced during the OnePlus 8T launch, but it remained a no-show.

“Many of you said you wanted a watch, and as you might have heard over the weekend—we're making one, to be released early next year. Wishes do come true,” tweeted Pete Lau, CEO at OnePlus. In his tweet, he is referring to a report by InputMag in which Pete revealed that OnePlus is working with Google to improve WearOS and improve its value for users. The OnePlus Watch, as it is rumoured to be called, is due out in early 2021, but we still don’t know much about it since the company is keeping everything under wraps for now.

Many of you said you wanted a watch, and as you might have heard over the weekend—we're making one, to be released early next year. Wishes do come true. https://t.co/H1Fqv9srXj

— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) December 22, 2020

Previous reports have tipped the OnePlus smartwatch to feature a round dial as hinted by the prototype design shown-off by the company dating back to 2015. OnePlus had a design for a smartwatch back in the day but shelved it to focus more on its smartphone ecosystem. Since then, WearOS has improved and the smart wearables market has got popular amongst end-users. OnePlus has also managed to have a stronghold over the smartphone market and has expanded into audio and televisions. 

OnePlus wants to improve the synergy in how users interact with smart devices like televisions. “For your smartwatch, in terms of notifications being able to seamlessly appear on the TV or using your smartwatch to also control the smart display or your smartwatch detecting that you've fallen asleep and then also eventually putting your smart display to sleep,” Lau told InputMag.

Earlier reports have hinted that OnePlus could launch the OnePlus 9 series earlier than usual in 2021. The company announced the OnePlus 8 series in April this year and if rumours are to be believed, we could get the OnePlus 9 sometime around mid-march 2021. The OnePlus Watch could likely make its debut alongside the OnePlus 9, however, there is no official word regarding the launch of the smartwatch yet.

 

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Cyberpunk 2077 Game Sales Top 13 Million After Refunds

Cyberpunk 2077 had sold 13 million copies by December 20 after factoring in refunds, Polish gaming studio CD Projekt SA has announced. Sony pulled the title from its PlayStation store while Microsoft offered full refunds for Xbox users after users complained about too many glitches in the PS4 and Xbox One version of the game.

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Lava BeU with HD+ display, Android 10 Go Edition launched at Rs 6,888 in India

Lava BeU has launched in India as an entry-level smartphone bringing features like dual cameras, Android 10 Go Edition and large capacity battery to boot. Lava says that the phone is designed “keeping the needs of women in mind” and has an “in-built safety app”.  To that effect, the BeU has a rose pink back cover, crystal-studded camera module and a floral speaker grille on the back.

Introducing Lava BeU, a phone crafted specifically for the modern free spirited woman, bringing classy design, 13MP+2MP rear camera, 8MP selfie camera and an in-built safety app, all together in one phone. Now available at INR 6,888 Know More : https://t.co/q8mQfbjM36 pic.twitter.com/tpxY1cHDpg

— Lava Mobiles (@LavaMobile) December 22, 2020

Lava has separately confirmed to Gadgets360 that it would announce as many as four new smartphones on January 5 that will be priced between Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000. Let’s take a brief look at the price, specifications and availability of the Lava BeU in India.

Lava BeU price and availability

The Lava BeU is priced at Rs 6,888 for the sole 2GB+32GB model and is listed on the official website. The phone will be available to purchase in the coming weeks from offline and online retailers.

Lava BeU specifications

The Lava BeU features a 6.08-inch HD+ (1560 x 720 pixels) resolution display with a 2.5D curved glass along with a u-shaped notch cutout for the selfie camera. The phone has a plastic built and measures 9.82 millimetres in thickness and weighs 175.8 grams. It is being offered in a single Rose Pink colour.

The phone is powered by the Unisoc octa-core processor running at upto 1.6GHz and is paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. There is an option of expanding the storage further by using a microSD card of upto 256GB. The BeU runs on Android 10 Go Edition which is a toned-down version that is optimized especially for budget smartphones.

The Lava BeU has a dual-camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 13MP camera with an f/1.85 aperture along with a 2MP secondary camera and LED flash. On the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera with features like screen flash, beauty mode and more. The cameras can record 1080P videos with options like HDR mode, Time-lapse, Slow motion, AR stickers and more.

The phone supports dual SIM and is powered by the 4,060mAh battery that the company claims can provide a talk time of about 16 hours. The bundled charger takes around 3 hours to fully charge the phone from 0-100%. 

 

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Apple is moving forward with an electric car project, targeting 2024 release: Report

Apple is reportedly revising its initial plans for Project Titan to go forward with its self-driving car technology to start its electric vehicle production by 2024 with a "next level" battery technology. The project started with an objective to build an electric car, which was later restricted to focusing on building a self-driving car system.

Reuters reports that two people familiar with the development of Apple's autonomous electric vehicle told that Apple has advanced to a stage that it now aims to build its own vehicle for consumers. However, pandemic-related delays could delay the start of production into 2025 or beyond.

Apple is placing its battery technology at the centre, which is said to radically reduce the cost of batteries and increase vehicle range, a third person who has seen Apple's battery design told Reuters. Batteries are the heart of any electric vehicle, so a company of Apple's scale is expected to keep it in focus.

Apple plans to use a new "monocell" design that strengthens individual cells in the battery and frees up space inside the battery pack by removing pouches and modules that hold battery materials, one of the people told Reuters.

The person added that the new design allows more active material to be packed inside the battery, giving the car a potentially longer range. Apple is also said to be researching on a battery using LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, which essentially is less likely to overheat and is thus safer than existing lithium-ion batteries.

”It’s next level," the person said of Apple's battery technology. "Like the first time, you saw the iPhone."

The battery is not the only challenge though. Making a vehicle also brings a supply chain challenge that requires a huge sum of money and time. The reason why Tesla took 17 years to finally convert it into a sustainable profit-making venture.

"If there is one company on the planet that has the resources to do that, it's probably Apple. But at the same time, it's not a cellphone," said a person who worked on Project Titan.

Sources also say that Apple could rely on a manufacturing partner to build vehicles and "there is still a chance Apple will decide to reduce the scope of its efforts to an autonomous driving system that would be integrated with a car made by a traditional automaker, rather than the iPhone maker selling an Apple-branded car"

Apple is also said to find partners for elements of the system, including lidar sensors, which help self-driving cars get a three-dimensional view of the road.

New leadership, new approach?

Back in 2018, Apple CEO, Tim Cook confirmed that the company is working on "autonomous systems", though his focus was more on the software side. Later in 2018, Apple veteran Doug Field returned from Tesla to oversee the Project Titan. The project is now run-day-to day by Field under the purview of John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of AI and machine learning. 

Before Giannandrea, Project Titan was headed by Bob Mansfield, former Apple SVP of hardware engineering. Mansfield retired in 2012 but remained an advisor at Apple and came out of retirement in 2016 to head the self-driving vehicle division.

The latest report comes soon after the change in leadership took place. Not just that, the project went under major restructuring and staff cuts in the last two years. 

The report doesn't shed light on a lot of factors, and 2024 looks to be an ambitious timeline for a newcomer into the automotive industry. Apple has declined to comment on the report.

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Black Panther, Captain Marvel and more are now available in Fortnite

Some of Marvel’s most popular characters have made their way to Fortnite, and now players can add Black Panther to that list. In addition to Black Panther, players also have access to Marvel characters like Captain Marvel, and Taskmaster as a part of the Marvel Royalty and Warriors pack which costs around $24.99 (Roughly Rs 1840).

Epic Games hinted at the arrival of Black Panther when they released the Wakandan Salute emote yesterday. Black Panther was one of Marvel's most successful film releases back in 2018. The film grossed over $1.35 Billion worldwide.

The rightful king of Wakanda has come to the Island. Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Taskmaster arrive in the @Marvel Royalty & Warriors Pack! Grab the Pack in the Shop now. pic.twitter.com/qmaPtgZsII

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) December 22, 2020

The last season of Fortnite was Marvel-themed, which had a large statue of Black Panther on the map and players could activate the Black Panther superpower. Although there was no skin available in the previous season. It is possible that this was due to the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, who played the superhero in the 2018 film.

Wakanda Forever. Complete the new Wakanda Forever Quests and earn the Wakandan Salute Emote for free! pic.twitter.com/NLByKF5TiR

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) December 21, 2020

Marvel is planning a sequel of Black Panther in 2022, but they will not recast the character of Chadwick Boseman for the movie. The new season of the game is primarily focused on bounty hunters in the game universe. Epic has also created several original characters for the season, and you can have Baby Yoda float next to you after you reach level 100.  

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