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Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds get multipoint audio with new firmware update
Users are waiting and watching, though
Sony’s personal audio gear is well known for offering spectacular active noise cancelation, be it with our headphones of the year, the Sony WH-1000XM5, or the WF-1000XM4, which rank highly among the best wireless earbuds. We loved the latter when they launched in 2021, but not every product is perfect. Our biggest gripe with the earbuds was the lack of multipoint connectivity support available on several similarly priced offerings. Sony is many months late in adding this feature, but an update is rolling out now.
The first Google Pixel Buds A-series update fixes a volume bug
It was still a good idea to clean your ears
Google did a damn good job of keeping most features of the 2020 Pixel Buds but drastically reducing the price of the Pixel Buds A-series. They still sound pretty good, are quite comfortable to wear, and...still have some static. While a new update is not fixing that, it's getting rid of a pesky volume bug.
Samsung's latest Galaxy Buds Pro firmware brings features from the Buds2
Including a lot more control over Ambient Sound mode
Samsung is one of the few manufacturers that consistently brings features from newer designs to older hardware via software upgrades. Usually it's phones (like the older Galaxy Z Flip series this morning, for example), but Samsung's also looking after its galaxy of accessories. Today the Galaxy Buds Pro get some of the newer features developed for the non-pro Galaxy Buds2.
The OnePlus Nord is getting an update, but it's not Android 11
Nothing but small bugfixes for the Android 10 build
OnePlus is currently working on bringing Android 11 to the Nord, but it's only available in beta right now. And it looks like it will remain that way for a little longer, as the company has just pushed another Oxygen OS 10 build to the midrange phone.
One of the two latest entries to the OnePlus' new budget lineup, the Nord N100, has just received its first Oxygen OS update to version 10.5.1. It looks like it just consists of a few last-minute fixes for some issues that may have popped up in a late testing phase ahead of the launch, as there isn't a new security patch or even Android 11.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 picks up some Tab S7 goodies with One UI 2.5
The update is rolling out first to those in Germany
Samsung’s been busy pushing the latest edition of One UI to its entire fleet of flagship phones, even covering the Note10 and the S10 from last year. Between all that, the company hasn’t forgotten its tablet range, which has also started getting some similar treatment. The Galaxy Tab S6, Samsung’s 2019 flagship slate, is picking up One UI 2.5 with a bunch of new features, including a couple from the recent Tab S7.
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Over the last three days, there have been widespread reports of Google Home smart speakers becoming entirely unresponsive. Most of those affected appear to be in the Google Home preview program, which allows the adventurous to test early firmware releases. While a factory reset has fixed the issue for some, for others, it reportedly makes things worse, rendering the device no longer discoverable.
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Even though you probably don't notice that any of your Google Home devices are constantly receiving firmware updates, they get new software all the time. Most likely, you'll only realize it when something goes really wrong, which is exactly what more and more people are reporting on Google's help forum and Reddit. They say their Google Homes and Google Home Minis have been bricked following an OTA, and they receive little to no help from Google when they're outside of warranty.
Google tried to take on Apple's AirPods with its Pixel Buds, but as we all know, that didn't work out too well – the Pixel Buds aren't truly wireless and connect to each other with a cord, and coupled with some additional issues like poor audio and a finicky charging case, they never stood a chance. However, if you bought them prepared for these problems, you still got headphones with stellar Google Assistant support and quick pairing, so there's that. Now, the Buds are receiving a new firmware update that packs reduced lag, better connectivity, and improved battery stats.
The stable release of Android 9 Pie appears to be going out to Xiaomi Mi A2 handsets right now. It includes lots of the features Pixel phones have now had for some time, including adaptive battery, gesture navigation (crap though it may be), and app actions.
Recently in the US, Verizon inadvertently trolled Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners on its network by releasing an update that supposedly brought Android Oreo to the devices. It turns out the carrier had just attached the wrong changelog, and Oreo wasn't imminent at all. To rub salt into the wounds of those customers, S7 and S7 edge units in the UK are now actually receiving the Oreo update.
Chrome OS is one of the most secure desktop operating systems on the market (privacy concerns about the Google ecosystem aside). Automatic system updates, verified boot, and system drive encryption all keep your Chromebook safe from attacks. Most models also use a Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, for generating the cryptographic keys that protect local data.
While some Bluetooth earphones like Bose's SoundSport Free can be updated easily over-the-air, others require a desktop updater. Jaybird's RUN and Freedom are among the second group, and although updating is a little annoying, it can be done. And if you happen to own a pair of the RUN wireless buds, you'll be happy to learn that version 1.1 of the firmware makes signal reception much better.
Here's an interesting example of a product getting better with age. The Amazon Tap speaker was introduced as a mobile, battery-powered alternative to the Echo, with access to the same Alexa voice commands, but limited in that it could only accept said commands with a button press. This made the less-expensive Tap, while interesting, not all that much better than a smartphone for voice searches. But the latest firmware update from Amazon enables hands-free Alexa commands, like the Echo and Google's Assistant on the Google Home. Talk about a value add.
I'm honestly conflicted. When I spotted this new software on T-Mobile's support pages, I had to do a double take. How come a phone that's still stuck on Android 4.4.2 KitKat is getting the November 2016 security updates? It's ridiculous and awesome to a point that I just couldn't pass up the news.
Sony was one of the first companies to offer Cast-enabled speakers. Instead of buying a regular speaker and then plugging in a Chromecast Audio, you could save on power outlets and wires and just grab one with Google Cast capabilities built right in. The problem with these speakers, as some of you have discovered, is that their software updates seem to be totally reliant on the manufacturer.
Even though it was announced almost a year and a half after the original LG G Pad 8.3, the G Pad X8.3 (notice the X?) is only a small improvement over its predecessor. The size, screen, software, storage, battery, remained more or less the same. Only the processor was bumped from a Snapdragon 600 to a 615 and the camera from a 5MP to an 8MP shooter.
As the resident teardown guy, Update Wednesday was a huge letdown this week. After slicing and dicing a dozen or so apks, all I saw were bug fixes, minor adjustments, and updates with full changelogs. Come on Google, I can't write about the neat stuff if none of the secrets are allowed to leave Mountain View. Fortunately, I did get to look at an unreleased version of Play Services, and there are a few interesting things to take away from it. (Sorry, we don't have an APK to share with this one.)