January 2020 security patches rolling out with numerous fixes for Pixel devices

Google kicked off 2020 with the first Android security update of the year. After failing to deliver the last update of 2019 to some Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL owners, they finally managed to fix the delay. The January 2020 security patch includes fixes for a lot of security vulnerabilities and exploits. It’s worth noting that most of them are categorized as high severity vulnerabilities, so fixing them should drastically improve the security of the devices.

If you’re one of those users who didn’t receive the December 2019 Android security patch until now, you will receive a cumulative update of these two months. As for me, I received the last update on time, so this one was only 12.7MB in size. The newest security patch is available on all supported Pixel devices, which means that OG Pixel and Pixel XL users are left out of luck. Apart from the various security improvements, the January 2020 security patch also includes numerous functional updates. Google fixed some noticeable bugs on the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL devices. One of those annoyances was the notification ghosting issue, which I can confirm is now fixed on the Pixel 3.

If you’re already running the latest December Android security patch, this should be a pretty small update for you. Though, you may receive a joint December/January security update, which is larger in size. To no one’s surprise, Essential was quick to follow up with an update, also including audio improvements in the package.

Download Factory Images | Download OTA Images

Android Security Bulletin | Pixel Update Bulletin

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Source: Google

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The ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 is a high-end Chrome OS laptop with a 10th gen i7 processor

ASUS is one of the few companies that still constantly pumps out Chromebooks. Their Flip C434 was one of the most popular Chrome OS devices of 2019 due to its form-factor and more than capable internals. Now ASUS is taking it a step further by improving some very important specifications, as well as adding some touches on the outside, too. The new ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 shares an overall look with its predecessor. It’s still a 14-inch 2-in-1 Chrome OS device in a magnesium body. Though, we should mention that it’s 350g lighter and 1,94mm slimmer.

The biggest improvement over the previous model is the new line of processors. The Chromebook Flip C436 uses 10th Generation Intel processors up to i7. This SoC allows the Chromebook to have WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5 support. You can accompany the new processor with 16GB of RAM and a proper 512GB SSD. Memory of this size was not supported in the previous model of Chromebook Flip. Unlike most Chromebooks with slow eMMC storage, the ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 has NVME SSD onboard.

You will also find a fingerprint sensor on the newer model of the Chromebook. USI-compatible stylus support is yet another welcomed addition which will make selecting a stylus for the device much easier. You will also notice a different port selection. Last year’s model included a full-sized USB port, while this one only has two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports. What hasn’t changed is the 1080p 14-inch display, though it has noticeably smaller bezels with an 85% screen-to-body ratio.

Chromebook Flip C436
CPU	Intel® Core i7-10510U Processor Intel® Core i5-10210U Processor Intel® Core i3-10110U Processor
Display	14-inch four-sided NanoEdge display with only 4.9mm slim bezel and 85% screen-to-body ratio
OS	Chrome OS
Graphics	Intel® UHD Graphics
Main memory	LPDDR3 8GB/ 16GB (2133MHz)
Storage	128GB/ 256GB/ 512GB PCIe Gen3 x2 NVMe M.2 SSD
Wireless	Dual band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Bluetooth® 5.0
I/O	2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C (Full function) 1 x micro SD card (up to 2TB extension) 1 x audio jack COMBO
Battery	42WHr battery Li-Polymer, 3 cell
Dimensions	319.54 x 205.3 x 13.76 mm
Weight	1.1kg

That’s basically everything that’s new with the ASUS Chromebook Flip C436. The pricing and availability of the device are still unknown, as ASUS has just unveiled it at CES. Expect more information about those in the upcoming days. Chromebook Flip will be available in Aerogel White and Transparent Silver.

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Source: ASUS | Via: Business Wire

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Lenovo’s new Smart Tab M10 2nd Gen is an affordable 10-inch tablet that doubles as a smart display

Lenovo has made a marked commitment to smart displays, even being one of the first manufacturers to roll out a Google Assistant-powered smart display. The concept of a Smart Displays is pretty simple – you connect it to your Google account, and you can access all of the Google Assistant’s features with a constant, visual aid as well. Lenovo is taking that a step further, as at CES 2020, they’ve announced a follow-up to last year’s Smart Tab M10, the Smart Tab M10 FHD+ 2nd Gen that doubles as a smart display. This is made possible through the Google Assistant’s ambient mode, which can be enabled on selected Android devices.

Lenovo says that most tablets when at home are unused for 23 hours a day on average. This means that turning them into a smart display gives them more use, and at a starting cost of $189, the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 2nd Gen might be worth investing in. It comes with a smart charging station that holds the tablet upright while charging it and will turn it into a smart speaker with a screen. It can pick up your voice from across the room as well, with a dual microphone setup and a dedicated signaling chip for processing information from both. The tablet automatically converts into a smart photo frame when not in use.

The tablet is also designed for families, and natively supports multiple accounts and face unlock for each user. There’s also a kids mode, a posture alert, and a bumpy environment alert. When it detects that the user’s posture is poor, it can alert them to that fact. When it detects a bumpy environment, such as a car or a van, it can tell the user to stop using the device.

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 2nd Gen will be available in North America in 2020, at a starting price of $189.

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Lenovo’s foldable PC, the ThinkPad X1 Fold, launches this year for $2499

Back in May last year, Lenovo first unveiled a preview of the world’s first foldable PC as part of its ThinkPad X1 family. At the time, the company merely showcased the design of the upcoming device featuring a large foldable display with thick bezels on all sides. Later in the year, Mircosoft also followed suit with the Surface Neo — a dual-screen foldable tablet running Windows 10X. But while Microsoft’s Surface Neo is still a long way out, Lenovo has now revealed details of its upcoming foldable laptop at CES 2020.

The foldable laptop, which has been dubbed ThinkPad X1 Fold, features a 13.3-inch foldable pOLED display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Lenovo aims to reimagine mobile computing with the X1 Fold, offering users a unique chassis built with a combination of lightweight alloys and carbon fiber. Developed in collaboration with Intel, the always-connected ThinkPad X1 Fold will be powered by Intel Core processors with Intel’s Hybrid Technology and it will initially be available with Windows 10 in mid-2020. The company is also planning on offering the device with Windows 10X, much like the Surface Neo, at a later date.

Lenovo claims that the ThinkPad X1 Folio will weigh in at just 1kg, including the leather folio case which has a built-in kickstand to prop up the display. The unique notebook features a multi-link torque hinge mechanism to manage stresses when folded or unfolded. Lenovo had to work through six different hinge designs and more than twenty variations to arrive at this final design. For those of you who aren’t comfortable with the idea of typing on a touch screen, Lenovo will also be releasing an optional Bluetooth Mini Fold keyboard for the device and a ThinkPad X1 Fold Stand to quickly place the device in either portrait or landscape orientation.

The ThinkPad X1 Fold with Windows 10 is expected to be available in mid-2020 with prices starting from $2,499. The company has released no concrete information about the Windows 10X version and it might be available at a later date. The aforementioned ThinkPad X1 Fold Stand will go on sale in the second half of 2020 and the company will reveal its pricing closer to the launch date.

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Possible Sony Xperia 5 Plus leaks with headphone jack, triple cameras, side-mounted fingerprint scanner

Sony has been trying out taller than usual smartphones for the last year or so. Their previous two models, Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 both have very unique aspect ratios of 21:9, which makes both of them very tall. Now, it looks like the company is going to continue with this feature, as new leaks of Sony Xperia 5 Plus shows a display of the same kind. It also shares other characteristic design choices with previous models.

New renders, courtesy of OnLeaks, show a tall 6.6-inch OLED display with very small bezels on top and bottom. Thankfully, these bezels are filled with dual front-facing stereo speakers. OLED displays are something Sony’s previous mid-rangers didn’t have, which makes us think the Xperia 5 Plus is a flagship. At the top, you’ll also see an 8MP selfie camera. Sony also kept the boxy look from the previous two flagships that I’ve mentioned above. As for the new stuff, you’ll see a Time-of-Flight sensor on the back of the phone, inside the triple camera system.

Speaking of features that set the phone apart, the Xperia 5 Plus also has a 3.5mm audio jack on the top frame. The addition of the headphone jack was a surprise for me, as it’s a feature often found in mid-range or budget devices, and this device looks like a flagship. We may have a bigger display to thank for that addition, as it adds a little bit of additional space inside the device frame. Another thing we can see is the side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which means Sony isn’t hopping on the under-display or Face Unlock-only trend just yet.

That’s basically everything we know about this device right now. Keep in mind that the Sony Xperia 5 Plus may not even be the real name of the device. It goes without saying that the release date and price of this device are unknown to us. Though it may be revealed at CES 2020 this week, I still wouldn’t place any bets on it.

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Via: Slashleaks

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[Update: Surprise Beta] ASUS drops plans to update the ZenFone 4 to Android Pie

Update (1/06/20 @ 11:20 ET): After seemingly dropping plans to update the ZenFone 4 to Android Pie, ASUS surprisingly rolls out another beta.

Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer Asus launched the ZenFone 4 back in late 2017, running Android Nougat out of the box. The device was then updated to Android Oreo shortly thereafter. Earlier this year, to the joy of ZenFone 4 owners worldwide, the company rolled out an Android Pie beta update for the device. However, the joy was shortlived, as Asus has now officially dropped plans for the Android Pie update.

As reported by Android Police, the Asus ZenFone 4 won’t be getting an official Android Pie update after all. In a recent post on the company’s ZenTalk forums, the company has revealed that in order to “preserve the system performance and stability of ZenFone 4(ZE554KL), ASUS does not have plans to further upgrade Android 9 (Pie), but will continue to maintain in Android Oreo.” 

Asus further noted that users could still install the last Android Pie beta release on their devices, however, the company would not support the release with routine updates. This news was met with strong criticism from the community, with users vouching to never buy another smartphone from the company.

The ZenFone 4 is the mid-range option in the company’s lineup for 2017. It features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630 Soc, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 5.5-inch FHD display. The device has two cameras on the back (12MP + 8MP wide-angle), and an 8MP selfie shooter. The device is backed by a 3,300mAh battery. The device was launched alongside the ZenFone 4 Pro and the ZenFone 4 Max. As of now, we have no information on the company’s plans to release updates for the other two devices.

Source: Asus | Via: Android Police

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Update: Surprise Beta

After originally dropping plans to send the final Android Pie beta update the ZenFone 4, ASUS released a surprise second Android Pie beta. The changelog is very short, but this was an unexpected update. It does fix an issue that some people had with random noise on phone calls and notification sounds. Download from the support site below.

Build number: WW-16.0620.1910.19

1. Update Google security patch
2. Fixed random audio noise issue on phone call and notification sound

Source: ASUS | Via: Reddit

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Samsung Galaxy Chromebook has a 4K display and 10th Gen Intel Core i5

The market for high-end Chromebooks is a small, yet significant one, yet the major player in this segment seems to be Google itself. Most Chromebooks on the market feature mid to low range specs and affordable pricing, yet the Pixelbook and the Pixelbook Go are two Chrome OS-based devices that carry as much processing power as a high-end Windows laptop. Whether you need that amount of power in your Chromebook is up to everyone’s usage and opinions on this matter, though. Samsung is also planning to enter this market segment with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook, so at least you’ll have alternatives to choose from.

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is part of Samsung’s new series of Galaxy Book laptops, which have also included the Galaxy Book Flex and the Galaxy Book Ion. Both of these are powered by Windows 10 and offer mostly conventional high-end specifications. The Galaxy Chromebook takes cues from these devices to a Chrome OS perspective. Just like the Galaxy Book Flex, the Galaxy Chromebook features a 360-degree hinge which allows the user to engage with the device both as a tablet and a laptop, something which is further complemented by the laptop’s slim, light profile: at 9.9mm, it is barely any thicker than your current phone with a case. Given how Chrome OS provides Android apps, the tablet experience should work splendidly.

As for the specifications, the device features a 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor with up to 16 GB of LPDDR3 RAM, up to 1 TB of SSD storage, and a 4K AMOLED display. It will set you back $999.99 for the entry model, while pricing for the higher-specced version remains unknown. The device is set to launch during the first quarter of the year.

Galaxy Chromebook
Dimensions		302.6 x 203.2 x 9.9mm
Weight		1.04kg
OS		Chrome OS
Display		13.3” 4K AMOLED Display (3840×2160), Touch Screen
CPU		Intel® 10th generation Core Processor
Graphics		Intel® UHD Graphics
Memory		Up to 16GB (LPDDR3)
Storage		Up to 1TB SSD
WLAN		Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2×2
Camera / Mic		1MP (Front), 8MP (on Keyboard deck) Internal Digital Dual Array Mic + Mono Mic
Audio		Stereo Speakers (2W x 2)
Pen		Built-In Pen
Security		Fingerprint
Keyboard		Backlit
Material		Aluminum
Ports		USB-C (2) | 3.5pi HP/Mic | UFS/MicroSD Combo
Battery		49.2Wh (Typical)

Are you excited about Samsung’s newest Chromebook?

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Source: Samsung

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