News

Apple’s Phil Schiller says Face ID competitors ‘all stink’

Published

December 11, 2017

Luigi Leonardo

Facial recognition software is the hottest feature in smartphone security today. As with every new feature, phone makers are finger-pointing who did it first or better. Apple’s Phil Schiller, however, has some strong words for the competition.

“They all stink.”

Schiller is Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. He has been a member of the Apple executive team for the past 15 years. Thus, he has been instrumental in creating Apple’s decade-long iPhone legacy.

When one of Apple’s head honchos talks about their phone’s features, you stand up and listen. (In fact, most have, as Schiller is a constant presence in Apple’s iconic keynote events.)

In an interview with Bright.nl, Schiller talks about one of the iPhone X’s best feature: Face ID. The new tech brings the phone’s security to the next level. Further, it’s even a huge component of the phone’s quirky Animoji feature.

“[Our competitors’ facial scans] don’t work in all the ways we need Face ID to work,” he says. It’s no secret that Android phone makers have worked and are working on their Face ID competitors. For example, Samsung has the iris scanner.

Besides its benefits on convenience, Schiller stresses that Face ID is oodles more secure than its Android counterparts. “I think we’ve worked really hard to maintain the trust we have with users about how this information technology is and isn’t used… no Face ID data goes to third parties,” he adds.

Apple users have complete control over how their facial data is used. iPhones will always prompt its users whenever a third-party app even attempts to access the data. Apple also implements stringent review processes on all their supported apps to prevent any untoward breaches of security.

If that doesn’t work, expect Apple to make the necessary changes. “If it isn’t enough, we will apply stricter guidelines and policies. We try to be vigilant on this stuff,” Schiller concludes.

The assurance comes at an opportune time as other phones are announcing their version of facial recognition.

[irp posts=”24802″ name=”Apple iPhone X: Most fragile iPhone yet?”]

Gaming

Horizon Hunters Gathering is an upcoming co-op roguelite spinoff

If you liked Nightreign, you might like this.

Published

February 6, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Like Valve, the PlayStation’s tentpole franchises are allergic to the number 3. The Last of Us, the ongoing God of War arc, Spider-Man, and Horizon all don’t have a third game yet. These franchises, however, have all gotten rumors of spinoffs. Now, Horizon is getting more than just a rumor; an official co-op spinoff is happening. Say hello to Horizon Hunters Gathering!

Today, Guerilla unveiled Horizon Hunters Gathering, an official co-op roguelite set in the Horizon universe. The game will feature multiple players working to take down difficult enemies, bosses, and dungeons.

The title shares similarities with Elden Ring Nightreign. For one, players can choose between six characters with different roles. The main mode, called Machine Incursion, takes players to a wide map with powerups and roaming monsters. The map then has a shrinking ring that… well, you know what a shrinking ring does.

Horizon Hunters Gathering also has a different game mode called Cauldron Descent. Compared to the Nightreign type of gameplay, Cauldron Descent is a more traditional roguelite mode. Players enter a dangerous dungeon and choose alternate paths that vary in challenges.

Both game modes will be available through an upcoming closed playtest through the PlayStation Beta Program.

Because this is from Guerilla themselves, this is an official game. But it’s far from the only spinoff for the universe. Previously, NCSoft, a South Korean gaming studio, announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe. Like Horizon Hunters Gathering, Steel Frontiers has an unknown launch date.

News

Report: HONOR tops global smartphone shipment growth in 2025

HONOR also improves overall market share

Published

February 6, 2026

GadgetMatch

HONOR topped last year’s global smartphone shipment growth, according to an Omdia report. The manufacturer achieved an 11% year-over-year growth, which ranked first among the world’s top 10 smartphone vendors.

Furthermore, as per data from IDC, in the first three quarters of 2025, HONOR also led all top brands in overseas shipment growth across these premium segments:

Smartphones priced above US$ 300 (premium and upper-mid-tier)
Tablets in the US$ 300 to US$ 600 price band (upper-mid)

Such growth enabled HONOR to improve their overall market share to 6% in 2025. They’ve already edged Lenovo (5%), HUAWEI (4%), and realme (3%) after a strong calendar year.

Unarguably contributing to their performance are the releases of the flagships HONOR Magic V5 and HONOR Magic7 Pro, as well as mid-rangers like the HONOR 400 series and a handful of HONOR X series devices.

Meanwhile, Transsion, which holds the Infinix, TECNO, and itel brands, have an 8% market share combined, which is the same as OPPO and vivo. Xiaomi is at 13%, while giant players Apple and Samsung both have a 19% market share each.

Building on their growth, HONOR is set to unveil groundbreaking products at MWC 2026 in Barcelona this March.

These include the HONOR Robot Phone and the brand’s latest flagship foldable, the HONOR Magic V6. The impending releases accelerate the momentum of HONOR’s Alpha Plan.

Gaming

Valve is delaying the launch of the Steam Machine

But it’s still scheduled for the first half of 2026.

Published

February 6, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Overshadowed only by the Nintendo Switch 2, the upcoming Steam Machine was one of the most exciting gaming devices announced last year. Unfortunately, especially if you were waiting intently for the console’s launch, Valve is delaying the device by an undisclosed amount of time.

Initially, Valve anticipated a launch for the Steam Machine sometime in the first half of 2026. However, as the calendar rolls on into the second month of the year, the company has yet to announce either a price or a launch date for the console. Valve says that both should be out by now.

In a recent update, the company confirms that ongoing chip shortages have forced a reevaluation of the Steam Machine’s price and shipping date. This also goes for the Steam Controller and the Steam Frame. Valve is going back to the drawing board to figure out what is feasible for the console market.

On the bright side, Valve is still aiming to launch all three devices in the first half of the year. It’s just a matter of determining when that is.

The Steam Machine is just the latest in a growing line of devices affected by the chip shortage. Today, chipmakers are funneling their supplies to the supposed demand for AI servers. Naturally, more infrastructure means less chips reserved for regular consumers.

Also recently, NVIDIA was rumored to skip this year for a new GPU launch because of the AI “boom”. It’s the first time that this has happened in thirty years.