HONOR has just introduced the HONOR V Purse in Shanghai, China; This cutting-edge outward foldable smartphone was planned for fashion fans who also want the latest tech, measuring 8.6mm when folded and 4.3mm when unfolded. We’re talking about a new record for the world’s thinnest foldable smartphone released so far, which emerged from a concept first unveiled at IFA fusing fashion and technology, creating a unique category of stylish tech products.
George Zhao, CEO of HONOR, emphasizes the brand’s commitment to catering to the demands of consumers seeking fashionable digital lifestyles — The HONOR V Purse, he states, blends innovation and chic design, pushing the boundaries of smartphone form factors and introducing runway-worthy smart products.
Carry it as a Purse or Wear it Over the Shoulder
The device boasts an innovative hinge system, featuring 1.2mm-thick super springs and miniature gears with a diameter of just 1.73mm. Despite its extreme thinness, the brand promises robustness and durability. It transforms into a fashionable accessory with customizable always-on display (AOD) designs and interchangeable straps, enabling users to carry it as a purse or wear it over the shoulder.
Cameras
Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the 50MP main camera, which can serve as a wearable photo studio. The large screen can function as a fill light for portrait shots, and it can be folded for use as a digital viewfinder. Additionally, a 12MP ultra-wide and macro camera adds versatility for various photography scenarios.
Display
The device sports a 7.71-inch 2K flexible OLED display with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits and advanced eye protection features. HONOR has also designed the V Purse for durability, passing rigorous tests for screen protection and impact resistance.
Battery
The HONOR V Purse relies on Silicon-carbon batteries, providing a total capacity of 4,500mAh, and incorporates low-voltage charge-gathering technology for extended battery life.
Operational System
MagicOS 7.2 enhances the user experience with new features and multi-device connectivity options, including the ability to separate work and personal data securely.
Width: Folded state: 74.7 mm; unfolded state: 135.6 mm
Thickness: Folded state: 8.6 mm; unfolded state: 4.3 mm
Weight: 214 grams
Availability and Price
The HONOR V Purse is available in Gold, Blue, and Black, with preorders starting from September 19 in China, priced at 5,999 (~$822) RMB for the 16GB + 256GB model.
MIT scientists might be one step closer to making insulin injections a thing of the past. In a new study this week, they’ve shown that it’s possible to implant a medical device inside mice that produces its own supply of insulin for up to a month. More research will be needed before this technology would be widely…
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SpaceX’s plans for a second launch of its Starship megarocket could face new delays, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) launches a review of environmental impacts and potential threats to endangered species in the Boca Chica region.
A puzzling situation has emerged in South Carolina as an F-35B pilot ejected from their aircraft, leaving the advanced stealth fighter missing. The incident occurred north of Joint-Base Charleston, with the pilot landing safely in a Charleston neighborhood under a parachute and in stable condition. However, the whereabouts of the ejected F-35B remain unknown.
The F-35B originated from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and was part of a two-ship flight, with the other F-35B safely landing at MCAS Beaufort. The circumstances leading to the ejection are undisclosed. The search for the missing aircraft is currently underway in the Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion areas.
Based on the jet’s last-known position and in coordination with the FAA, we are focusing our attention north of JB Charleston, around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion.
Remarkably, fighter aircraft continuing to fly autonomously after a pilot ejects is not unprecedented. Historical cases include the “Cornfield Bomber” and a Soviet MiG-23. These occurrences often result from the aircraft’s momentum and weight distribution:
The missing F-35B, despite being shorter-ranged, could have covered significant distances on autopilot depending on its fuel state. The lack of reports of a crash suggests it may have gone down in a sparsely populated area, making detection challenging. Additionally, issues with the jet’s avionics and its stealthy configuration may complicate tracking efforts.
The absence of a working transponder on the F-35B further hinders locating the aircraft. Joint Base Charleston has solicited public assistance in finding the jet, which has garnered surprise and criticism.
In response, an Air Force Special Operations Command HC-130J is conducting a search pattern from Lake Marion to the North Carolina border, with state police helicopters also involved in the search. The U.S. Marine Corps has initiated a safety stand-down for its entire aviation fleet following recent aviation mishaps to address safety protocols and operational standards.
Additional aircraft are searching to the northwest of lakes, these include Cessna 182 with the Civil Air Patrol and a DoD King Air 200: pic.twitter.com/RXcxsAxiZL
Both the Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have pledged support for the investigation into the missing F-35B. While the pilot’s safety remains paramount, the search for the advanced fighter continues, raising questions about its configuration, avionics, and the challenges of tracking a stealth aircraft in these circumstances.
A Microsoft employee’s inadvertent mistake led to the exposure of a massive 38 terabytes of sensitive data on GitHub, a popular platform for open-source projects. This security blunder was discovered by Wiz security researchers, who promptly reported the issue to Microsoft.
The incident occurred when the Microsoft employee was publishing a repository containing open-source AI training data on GitHub. Within this repository, there was a URL linked to an internal Azure storage account owned by Microsoft. Unfortunately, the URL was equipped with an overly permissive Shared Access Signature (SAS) token, granting full control over the Azure storage resources.
The exposed data contained personal computer backups, reportedly belonging to two former Microsoft employees.
The Leaked Data Included Sensitive Information
This lapse in security not only allowed the Wiz security team but potentially malicious actors as well, to access, modify, or delete files within the storage account. The compromised data included sensitive information such as passwords for Microsoft services, secret keys, and over 30,000 internal Microsoft Teams messages exchanged by 359 Microsoft employees.
Additionally, the exposed data contained personal computer backups, reportedly belonging to two former Microsoft employees.
Despite the magnitude of the breach, Microsoft downplayed its severity, emphasizing that no customer data or internal services were compromised, and no further action was required from customers. The company took swift action by revoking the SAS token on June 22 and fixing the leak by June 24.
“Additional investigation then took place to understand any potential impact to our customers and/or business continuity […]” “Our investigation concluded that there was no risk to customers as a result of this exposure.”
In response to the incident, Microsoft recommended best practices for managing SAS tokens to minimize risks, including restricting URLs to essential resources, limiting permissions to the minimum necessary, and setting shorter expiration times for SAS URLs.
This incident highlights the importance of robust security measures and proper configuration of access controls, even within large organizations like Microsoft. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges in safeguarding sensitive data and the need for continuous improvement in security practices. Microsoft pledged to enhance its detection and scanning tools to proactively identify and address similar issues in the future.
YouTube has cut off the flow of money to Russell Brand’s account after the Times of London reported that four women had accused the actor and comedian of rape and sexual assault. The move comes just after the BBC pulled a variety of programming featuring the disgraced star.
If you thought we were done learning juicy details about the internal workings of Xbox after this summer’s Federal Trade Commission-Microsoft trial wrapped up, hoo boy, you can guess again. A jaw-dropping court document leak has revealed a ton of information about recent goings on within the Microsoft Gaming division, as well as critical details about its future plans. Perhaps the biggest nugget concerned a major Xbox Series X refresh that Microsoft has lined up for next year.
All-digital Xbox Series X refresh
Microsoft via FTC
Over the last few console generations, we’ve seen the likes of Sony and Microsoft release updated hardware midway through the cycle (the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X spring to mind). And while there are always rumors in the lead up to those new versions, we’ve never seen legitimate leaks of this magnitude before.
Codenamed “Brooklin,” a refreshed Series X will have double the internal storage at 2TB, lower power usage, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and other tech updates, according to a leaked document. This model will have a cylindrical design, compared with the boxy original Series X.
Critically, Microsoft is planning to ditch the console’s disc drive. It’s not yet clear as to whether there will be an external disc drive available (as is rumored to be the case for a PlayStation 5 refresh). It would mark a significant shift for Xbox to no longer offer a disc drive as standard and perhaps accelerate the death of physical game discs. What’s more, Microsoft plans to sell the updated Series X for $499, the same price as the current console.
Microsoft via FTC
Microsoft is planning to release an updated Xbox controller next year as well, per the unredacted filing. Codenamed “Sebile,” the peripheral is slated to have “precision haptic feedback” (perhaps to better compete with Sony’s DualSense), quieter inputs and, like some premium controllers, modular thumbsticks. There’s said to be support for “seamless” pairing and switching between devices with the help of new mobile app features.
Intriguingly, a “direct-to-cloud” feature is mentioned in a slide. That suggests Microsoft is focusing on reducing input latency for games streamed from the cloud, like Google tried with the Stadia Controller (RIP).
Sebile is slated to arrive in May, according to the documents. Microsoft is then expected to announce the new Series X (and a Series S refresh) in June, likely at its annual summer showcase. The $299 Series S refresh is now expected to go on sale around August or September 2024, with the beefed-up Series X scheduled to land a couple months later. It seems Microsoft is planning a clearance sale on the current Series S too, as a slide mentions a $199 offer for Black Friday 2024.
The next-gen Xbox could be a ‘cloud-hybrid’ console
Xbox
It seems we’re not yet midway through the current console generation, but of course Microsoft is thinking about what’s ahead. The next-gen Xbox, slated to arrive in 2028, is expected to support “cloud hybrid games.”
There’s not much detail available on that, but it’s clear the company has been moving in this direction for a while. Microsoft Flight Simulator, for instance, incorporates real-time weather data that it pulls from the cloud (that’s not a pun, I swear). Xbox has been making a major push into cloud gaming over the last few years too.
There’s an implication that the next-generation Xbox will have an always-online requirement for certain games. It’s entirely plausible that there will still be a sizable digital divide by 2028, which could prevent some folks in rural areas or other regions with poor internet access from properly being able to play games on Microsoft’s next major console.
Xbox head Phil Spencer really wants to buy Nintendo
Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer thinks it would be, like, super cool if the company bought Nintendo. Spencer suggested in an internal 2020 email discussing acquisition targets that he saw Nintendo as a white whale for the company, and one that he was personally invested in snapping up. He saw that as a potential “career moment,” per the email.
The document nods toward other possible acquisition targets, including another highly ambitious one in Valve. Spencer mentioned that his team was in active talks with Warner Bros. Interactive and Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media. Both of those were seemingly open to a deal and while the WB talks didn’t work out in Microsoft’s favor, the company did scoop up ZeniMax for $7.5 billion.
It seems highly unlikely that Microsoft would ever actually buy Nintendo. Antitrust regulators would surely have a lot to say about that, particularly after Microsoft’s ZeniMax purchase and its pending $68.7 billion deal for Activision Blizzard (which could close any day now). It’s not hard to imagine that Japanese officials in particular would be none too happy about an American business buying one of the country’s best-known brands. Still, it’s nice to have dreams, eh, Phil?
Upcoming games
The leak also shed some light on Xbox’s plans for upcoming games. It seems that new Doom and Dishonored games are in the pipeline. The latter would see Arkane returning to a successful series after Redfall — its most recent attempt to branch out into fresh IP — faceplanted this year. Fallout 3 Remaster, Oblivion Remaster and a Ghostwire: Tokyo sequel were also mentioned in the leaked documents.
It’s worth noting, however, that this Bethesda roadmap ran from fiscal years 2020 through 2024. A lot has changed since then, including Microsoft buying the publisher. Games get canceled all the time, so it’s unclear whether any of these unannounced projects will actually come to light. Still, it’s hard to imagine that there isn’t some kind of Doom title in development.
Aaron Souppouris/Engadget
This is all the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the leaked documents. There are details on everything from Game Pass revenue to Microsoft leaders’ reactions to the PlayStation 5 announcement and Spencer revealing he bought his own PS5 (he had to plump for a bundle with Horizon Forbidden West included).
The timing of this leak could not have been worse for Microsoft, as we’re going into the critical holiday period. The company was banking on Starfield being a must-have game (it isn’t, unfortunately) to help it shift consoles and Game Pass subscriptions in the last few months of the year. This news won’t help convince people who were on the fence to buy an Xbox soon either. Knowing that a revamped Series X is on the way next year will surely put some people off of buying one now (raises hand). That could result in Microsoft losing more ground against Sony and Nintendo, which appears set to debut a brand new console in 2024.
The FTC, which still has a lawsuit in the works in an attempt to block the Microsoft-Activision deal, has claimed it’s not to blame for the leak. “Microsoft was responsible for the error in uploading these documents to the court,” Douglas Farrar, director of the FTC’s office of public affairs, told NBC News. However all of this information got out there, some heads are surely rolling at Microsoft HQ today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/everything-we-learned-from-the-biggest-leak-in-xbox-history-161027198.html?src=rss
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