News
Xiaomi’s Black Shark gaming phone has high-end specs, liquid cooling
Has the Razer Phone been dethroned?
There’s a new high-end gaming smartphone in town, and it’s called the Black Shark. Doesn’t sound familiar? We can’t blame you.
It’s the first in its lineage but isn’t exactly coming out of nowhere. As you can see in the title of this piece, Xiaomi helped make its launch happen.
Black Shark is a portfolio company under Xiaomi’s own hardware ecosystem, meaning Xiaomi invested in it but it’s not part of the company’s smartphone lineup. All you really need to know is that this is a brand-new product and it comes with some hefty features.
Being a gaming phone, it delivers the highest-end specs: 6-inch 18:9 LCD with a 1080p resolution, Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 processor, up to 8GB of memory, up to 128GB of storage, and a generous 4000mAh battery. That matches the best Samsung, Sony, and even Xiaomi have to offer.
Keeping the system cool is an advanced multi-layer liquid cooling setup that’s normally found in gaming laptops. Although the Snapdragon chip is already proven to be efficient in maintaining temperatures, this design will at least lengthen gaming sessions and the phone’s overall lifespan.
But what really makes the Black Shark special is its ability to attach a gamepad on the side for improved control during games. It connects through Bluetooth and has its own built-in battery so it won’t suck energy from the phone. The gamepad will be given away for free to the first 50,000 customers and will cost CNY 179 (US$ 29) on its own.
For those interested in gaming and photography, there’s a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of 20- and 12-megapixel sensors, plus another 20-megapixel shooter in front. Android 8.0 Oreo runs the software, but it’s skinned with Black Shark’s own user interface.
The Black Shark is available for pre-order in China beginning today. Its 6GB memory with 64GB storage variant retails for CNY 2,999 (US$ 475) while the model with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage goes for CNY 3,499 (US$ 555). Available colors are black and gray as shown above.
Enterprise
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang resigns after scandals
NVIDIA’s week is finally and mercifully coming to an end. After being implicated in two extramarital affairs, now-former NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position.
It’s been a terrible week for Huang’s personal life. Last weekend, a bombshell report revealed that Huang engaged in an affair with Alice Huang, who is reportedly involved with Chinese intelligence. Quickly realizing the heaviness of the allegations, the CEO admitted quickly to the affair.
However, barely 24 hours ago, another report revealed that Huang had a second extramarital affair. Though he was clear of any more espionage allegations, his romantic affair of choice was another executive within the company. NVIDIA’s board of directors quickly debated whether Huang should be fired for his actions.
Now, Huang has voluntarily resigned from his position. The former CEO leaves behind his spot at the head of the table since cofounding NVIDIA in 1993.
In his stead, the board of directors have named incumbent CFO Colette Kress as the company’s interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Despite her interim role, Kress will continue her duties as CFO.
Additionally, the board has named Harvey C. Jones, a member of board since its founding, as its first chair of the board.
Though the company will leave most of the controversy behind with Huang’s departure, its next chapter is about to begin. Will its new direction maintain the company’s tenuous balance between AI and gaming, or tip the scales towards one segment?
SEE ALSO: NVIDIA CEO admits to having an affair with alleged Chinese spy
News
St. Peter reunited people with their deceased loved ones through tech
The new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign generates letters from the imagined perspectives of loved ones.
Grieving can take many forms. Sometimes, it manifests through a desire to hear a loved one again. We look at their old clothing, a gust of wind, or a butterfly, and imagine them talking to us one more time. This year, St. Peter, through the power of technology, gave 11,000 people that chance through its new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign.
During St. Peter Deathcare Week, which ran from October 27 through November 2, the deathcare provider started the “If Heaven Could Write” campaign, an interactive digital experience that offered participants a chance to reunite with their deceased loved ones. It was available in 37 St. Peter Chapels and 76 cemeteries nationwide.
Upon scanning a QR code which took them to a portal, participants answered questions about their loved ones. Then, the portal generates a personal letter from the imagined perspective of the participant’s loved one, giving them one more chance to converse.
Of course, an imagined letter can’t replace someone who passed away. Still, the experience affords us a way to grieve and process the loss. No, the letter isn’t really from your loved one, but you can imagine what they would have said while reading through it. And sometimes, that’s all we need.
Though St. Peter Deathcare Week has already come and gone for the year, those interested can still participate in the campaign through its link.
In a world with a love-hate relationship with extra buttons on a phone, Apple has gone to the deeper end and included two buttons in the latest iPhones: the Action Button and the Camera Control. Next year, Apple might consolidate the two buttons into one, ridding itself of the Action Button.
According to a Weibo leak from Instant Digital, Apple will merge the two buttons starting with next year’s iPhones. Though technically a new button in itself, the merged version will, based on the leak, retain more Camera Control than the Action Button.
Of course, both functions can coexist in the same button. The Camera Control activates with a single press, while the Action Button needs a longer press. In the merged button, a single press can still open the camera and a longer press can activate whatever the user sets it to.
Both buttons have had a storied past. The Action Button came in 2023, replacing the Ring/Silent Switch. Meanwhile, the Camera Control debuted a year later, offering control over the camera with a capacitive button. The current iterations retain both buttons on the same phone.
Personally, as someone used to creating content, the Camera Control button is ultimately a boon to get those shots quickly while in the moment. Retaining that functionality is definitely worthwhile.
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