OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 edition will reportedly be released on November 5

OnePlus is no stranger to releasing special editions of its smartphones. After cutting ties with long-time partner McLaren, OnePlus has been hard at work finding someone to work alongside. It appears to have found a new friend in CD Projekt Red, as there is a Cyberpunk 2077-themed OnePlus 8T in the pipeline.

Some teaser images from Weibo (via GSMArena) give us a glimpse into the special edition OnePlus 8T. However, first images of the Cyberpunk 2077-flavored emerged via Twitter leaker Max J several days before the OnePlus 8T’s official release. Unfortunately, the teaser doesn’t reveal much in the way of what OnePlus has in store for us. However, if previous themed devices are anything to go by, we can expect heaps of UI tweaks, custom animations, and wallpapers, along with black and yellow accents on the body. OnePlus will probably unveil the OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 edition soon.

The device is expected to be up for pre-order on November 5- two weeks before the Cyberpunk 2077 goes live across all platforms on November 17. It’ll be interesting to see what OnePlus and CD Projeckt Red have in store for us. Samsung and Epic Games teamed up to give Fortnite Mobile players an exclusive Galaxy skin. It would be nice to see a similar promotion with the OnePlus 8T. If the Cyberpunk aesthetic piques your interest, keep your eyes peeled, as OnePlus will only manufacture a limited number of units.

Omnivision launches a world-first 1.0 micron 64MP sensor for smartphones

Omnivision is, like Samsung and Sony, a manufacturer that supplies its image sensors to smartphone OEMs. Recently, it has provided Xiaomi with the 48MP main cameras for its Mi 10 Ultra premium device. Now, it has announced the OV64A, a potential upgrade in 64MP modules.

Currently, it is estimated that image sensors of 50MP or greater resolution will represent 322 million unit shipments in 2021. Omnivision intends to grab its piece of that pie with the OV64A, a new CMOS sensor with 1 micron pixels (whereas those of its predecessor the OV64B are 0.7 microns). Its maker asserts that this will improve on functions such as low-light shooting in the newer sensor compared to previous 64MP counterparts.

The new module is made with Omnivision’s latest PureCelPlus-S stacked die technology, and also has an on-chip, 4-cell (4C) color filter array. This may make for clear, real time 64MP Bayer output and 8K video. These new specs also allow for 4C half-shield phase detection, rated for fast autofocus (AF).

The OV64A has a 1/1.34-inch optical format, whereas the OV64B is 1/2-inch and existing counterparts such as the Sony IMX686 and Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 are 1/1.72-inch. The new Omnivision component is also rated for pixel-binning for 16MP images with 4C binning at 60 fps; 8K video at 30 fps; 4K/2K video at 120 fps; 1080p at 240 fps and 720p at 480 fps.

Then again, as with its predecessor, optical image stabilization (OIS) never figures in its specs. Omnivision has stated that OV64A samples are already in the hands of mobile device OEMs, and that it will go into mass production by the last quarter of 2020.

MINISFORUM X35G: Mini-PC with a Thunderbolt 3 port and Ice Lake processor to start shipping in November

The MINISFORUM X35G has reached its campaign goal on Indiegogo, having been brought to the crowdfunding platform last month. To date, the Mini-PC has received over US$21,000 in funding, although there are still 25 days left to run on the campaign.

MINISFORUM has equipped the compact machine with a Core i3-1005G1, a 15 W processor from Intel’s Ice Lake architecture. The CPU can boost to 3.4 GHz and is complemented by 16 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM. However, there are two SO-DIMM slots, so the machine should be capable of running more than 16 GB. The X35G is actively cooled via two heatpipes, a heat sink and a fan. These not only have the job of keeping the processor and RAM cool, but also the M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 and 2.5-inch drives should you choose to use both.

One of the highlights of the X35G is its Thunderbolt 3 port, which sits at the front of the device. MINISFORUM has equipped the machine with plenty of other ports though, including dual Gigabit Ethernet, two dedicated video outputs and four USB ports. There is also a microSD card reader and a 3.5 mm input.

The X35G can still be ordered from US$350, although this does not include any storage. MINISFORUM charges US$400 for 256 GB of storage and US$430 for a version with 16 GB of Intel Optane Memory and a 1 TB HDD. The company aims to begin shipping the X35G next month. CNX Software has also published a review of the device, which is well worth a read.

Canon launches the EOS M50 Mark II with new tap-to-focus and YouTube Live streaming features

Canon has announced the second-gen EOS M50 interchangeable-lens camera. Its maker asserts that it packs the best features of its immediate predecessors, along with attractive new features for content-creators and vloggers. Chief among these are vertical video and access to Wireless YouTube Live streaming, albeit with certain caveats (for example, the channel in question must have at least 1000 subscribers).

The EOS M50 Mark II is rated for up to 24p 4K UHD recording. It also has a new vari-angle LCD touchscreen, which supports new buttons that start a recording and act as a movie self-timer. It can also respond to taps that auto-focus on a subject while simultaneously using the EVF, thus keeping a subject in focus.

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II will become available in late November 2020, and will sell for around US$599.99. That estimated price is for the body only, however, although it will also be available in bundles with the EF-M 15-45mm lens for $699.99 or with that lens and the EF-M55-200mm double zoom lens for $929.99.

Latest C-Force CF011C portable monitor addresses some of the biggest issues plaguing the category

We last reviewed a 15.6-inch C-Force portable monitor earlier this year where we found its light weight and ease of use to be of value on flights or temporary offices as a secondary display. Nonetheless, it still suffered from all the drawbacks common on many inexpensive portable monitors including a limited color space, a dim display, slow response times, pulse-width modulation, and poorly calibrated colors.

The latest C-Force monitor, called the CF011C, has been redesigned with even narrower bezels while keeping the same ports and features as the CF011F (sans the MicroSD reader). The more notable updates, however, relate to the panel itself as C-Force has upped the color space (60% to 100% sRGB) and brightness (200 nits to 459 nits) significantly for a much better visual experience. Colors are no longer muted and the brighter backlight helps in brightly lit environments.

Additionally, power consumption hasn’t changed by all that much from the older CF011F despite the improved colors and brightness levels. The minimum and maximum brightness settings demand about 3.2 W and 9.2 W, respectively, compared to 5.8 W and 9.2 W on the CF011F.

One major drawback that remains is the relatively slow black-white and gray-gray response times which makes the CF011C a poor choice for fast-paced games. Gamers will therefore still want to consider spending more on other portable monitors like the Asus MB169B+ where motion blur is minimal.

The C-Force CF011C is now available through the manufacturer’s online store for $199 USD. C-Force sent us a sample unit in order for us to provide the measurements shown below.

Apple announces Homepod Mini, a tiny smart speaker with a big feature set

Apple today announced the Homepod Mini, a lilliputian smart speaker that looks to be about 1/3 the size of the standard Homepod.

The top of the device serves as a touch panel for controlling the device. It also illuminates in a myriad of colors when the user calls on Siri for queries or controls.

Sound is put out by a single large driver and two large bass woofers which fire out the side of the device. Apple has designed the audio to blast out in a sphere.

The Homepod Mini features Apple’s S5 chip allows for “computational audio,” which is a fancy way of saying software helps to enhance the audio experience. The device constantly scans music data to tune and rebalance audio for an “optimal audio experience,” according to Apple. The Homepod Mini can also be paired with a second Mini for a stereo experience.

Apple emphasized privacy and security as a key feature of the Homepod Mini. Personal requests are only carried out when your iPhone is with you (likely within proximity of your voice). 

Homepod Mini supports Apple Music and Podcasts, as well as iHeartRadio. In the future, the speaker will also integrate with Amazon Music and Pandora.

Because this is an Apple device, it integrates well with Apple’s ecosystem, particularly with the iPhone. The Homepod Mini can send messages, update you on the weather, and more via Siri. Apple also showed that Siri on the Homepod Mini can even differentiate between the voices of multiple people, customizing requests based on voice alone.

The Homepod Mini also integrates with the iOS Home app for smart home controls. A new feature, called Intercom, lets users send a voice message from a Homepod Mini to another Homepod Mini, a vehicle with Apple CarPlay, an iPhone, an Apple Watch, Airpods, and other Apple devices.

Homepod Mini will be available on November 6 for $99. It will ship out starting November 16.

ASUS drops support for Ryzen 5000 processor series on X470 motherboards

AMD may have announced that the Ryzen 5000 series would support X470 and B450 motherboards from January 2021, but ASUS has other ideas. Multiple motherboard manufacturers, including ASUS, have already released updated BIOSes for 500 series chipsets, but the company has dropped X470 motherboards from future plans.

ASUS is yet to officially confirm this, but it is letting consumers know privately that this is the case. Apparently, the engineering department at ASUS has confirmed this, rather than a sales representative or customer service advisor. You can read the ensuing Reddit thread here, which has, unsurprisingly, received plenty of attention from AMD fans.

In May, AMD confirmed that it would ‘enable our motherboard partners with the code to support…AMD B450 and X470 motherboards’, giving some hope for Ryzen 5000 support. However, AMD has not instructed its partners to support B450 and X470 motherboards, so ASUS has decided against doing so. Seeing as ASUS is yet to confirm this publicly, then we would not be surprised if other motherboard manufacturers follow suit in dropping support for the B450 and X470 chipsets. 

The new Beats Flex are surprisingly budget wireless earphones from Apple

Apple has devoted much of its latest Special Event to the iPhone 12 series, which has been revealed to be as expensive as its predecessors in some cases. However, the company has launched accessories that are much less so. The Beats Flex earphones offer some popular wireless features for a relatively bargain price.

These new products share a “neckbud” form-factor with the Powerbeats, although they resemble something like the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z product in looks. Despite their unusually budget nature, they still have the W1 chipset from the original AirPods.

This module allows for “seamless” pairing with any and all of a given user’s Apple mobile devices, “Class 1 Bluetooth” and potentially superior connection integrity and Audio Sharing, which allows the same stream to be synced across multiple Beats- or Apple-branded audio devices.

Beats also asserts that these new Flex earphones are rated for “accurate bass and ultra-low distortion” due to their “advanced acoustic platform”. Besides this, they boast automatic pausing as a result of connecting them at the earbuds with their integrated magnets, as though Android OEMs have not done this with their own branded neckbuds for quite a while now.

These new wireless earphones are now available in Apple’s web-store, if only in their Beats Black or Yuzu Yellow colorways, for US$49.99. There are also Flame Blue or Smoke Gray options, although they will only go on sale later in winter 2020.

Auzai 21.5-inch monitor is super cheap and super average

Auzai is currently selling a 21.5-inch 1080p monitor for less than $100 USD on Amazon. The company recently sent us a unit to test and, after playing around with it for a couple of days, it may be wise to hold onto your hundred dollar bill if you value higher quality monitors.

The first major drawback of the monitor is its TN panel and subsequent limited viewing angles. Though 100 mm VESA mounting is supported, don’t expect great colors when rotated.

The second drawback is the general graininess of the overall image. It’s not an issue when sitting at a normal distance from the screen, but image quality differences are obvious when compared to something pricier like the Dell Ultrasharp U2415.

Thirdly, the next disadvantage relates to the color accuracy of the display. Though color coverage is actually pretty good at 95 percent of sRGB, color accuracy is just average at best with the color red being the most inaccurate even after calibrating the display.

Fourthly, the plastic base allows for almost no angle adjustments outside of a narrow tilt of just a few degrees. Users can remove the entire base with just a Philips screwdriver if desired.

The last noticeable disadvantage to keep in mind is the proprietary AC adapter. Not only are standard AC power cables not supported, but the included adapter is relatively short at around 3.5 to 4 feet in length.

The cheap Auzai monitor works well for web browsing, emailing, video, and other casual scenarios and the very light weight makes it easy to handle. More serious office workers or gamers are going to want to invest a little more on monitors with crisper and better calibrated displays.

Samsung unveils new Plus-line SDXC cards for 2020

Samsung has announced products that may be for professional photographers, vloggers or prosumers looking for a new and reliable full-sized SD card. The 2020 EVO Plus and PRO Plus models are all SDXC, but for the smallest 32GB SKU of each line, which are SDHC.

This variant of the PRO Plus series is also the only one that misses out on sequential write speeds that may reach 90 megabytes per second (MB/s), contenting itself with up to 60MB/s instead. However, it does get the sequential read speed of up to 100MB/s also associated with its 64GB, 128GB and 256GB siblings.

The latest EVO Plus cards, on the other hand, have that spec across the board. All of these share U3/Class 10 specs with the PRO Plus variants, except (again) for the 32GB EVO Plus (which is U1 and Class 10). However, all of this new UHS-I memory is equipped with Samsung’s new “seven-proof” protection.

This means they are resistant to drops of up to 5 meters, as well as the wear and tear that can result from up to 10,000 navigational swipes on the device in which a given card is installed, in addition to the more usual magnet-, shock-, water-, temperature- and x-ray-proofing conferred on “pro-level” SD cards.

The new Plus-series cards can be pre-ordered from now, and cost from US$6.99 for the EVO’s 32GB variant to $39.99 for its top-end 256GB version. The PROs range from $9.99 to $49.99 for the same sizes. They will all ship from Octber 19, 2020, with the exception of the 32 and 64GB PRO cards that are not projected to do so until November 2020.