News
HTC U12 Life arrives with Dual Finish design, midrange specs
A mix of two phones?
In between all the launches happening at IFA 2018 in Berlin, HTC managed to squeeze in a midrange product that’s sure to turn lots of heads.
The HTC U12 Life is a midrange model in the U12 series, which currently consists of only the U12+ flagship phone. It’s characterized by the Snapdragon 636 processor, along with 4GB of memory and 64GB of expandable storage.
More interesting, however, is the U12 Life’s looks. It has a notch-less front with a standard 6-inch 1080p 18:9 screen, while the rear resembles a mixture of the original Pixel’s back panel and the iPhone X’s camera setup. HTC calls this a Dual Finish design, and it comes in either Twilight Purple or Midnight Blue.

Image credit: Mobile Geeks
As for imaging, there’s a 16- and 5-megapixel dual-camera setup on the back and front-facing 13-megapixel shooter with its own LED flash. Inside, you have a fairly large 3600mAh battery, and outside you can find stereo loudspeakers and the beloved 3.5mm audio port.
Despite the U11 Life having a pure interface under the Android One program, the U12 Life settles for HTC’s own Sense UI with Android 8.1 Oreo installed. No IP rating is in place, but HTC claims it can withstand light splashes of water. There’s also no Edge Sense like what we saw on the U11.

Image credit: Mobile Geeks
It’ll become available in September for the European market at a price of EUR 349. HTC hasn’t revealed rollout plans for other regions yet.
Apps
Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts
TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.
Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.
Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.
According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.
Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.
Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.
SEE ALSO: Live NBA action on Disney Plus now available in the Philippines
Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.
In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.
In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.
Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.
Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.
Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.
SEE ALSO: Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode
Entertainment
KPop Demon Hunters is officially getting a sequel
Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans will return to write and direct.
This feels like a formality at this point. Netflix and Sony have officially confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters is getting a sequel.
If you feel like you’ve read this exact title before, then you’re not alone. Since its massive success last year, the hit animated film constantly spawned talks of a potential franchise. It probably helped that the title quickly became Netflix’s most-watched film of all time. From the last we’ve heard of the rumors, Netflix was reportedly eyeing a 2029 premiere for the sequel.
Now, it’s official. As posted by Netflix itself, KPop Demon Hunters will get a sequel soon. Even better, the follow-up will be written and directed by the same duo, Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans.
Kang, who celebrated the first movie’s ability to tell a Korean story, says that there’s a lot more to explore in the film’s universe. “There’s so much more to this world we have built and I’m excited to show you. This is only the beginning,” she said.
Right now, the plot’s sequel is still unknown, especially since the Saja Boys were defeated in the first film.
Given how big the original movie got, the sequel is no surprise. Besides bagging the top spot on Netflix’s charts, the film also got an eventual release in theaters. KPop Demon Hunters is up for a potential Oscars win after it was nominated for Best Animated Feature. Its hit song, “Golden,” is also nominated for Best Original Song.
SEE ALSO: KPop Demon Hunters is now Netflix’s most-watched movie
-
Reviews2 weeks agoTECNO CAMON 50 Ultra review: End of an era?
-
MWC 20261 week agoInfinix NOTE 60 Ultra makes a motorsport-inspired debut
-
MWC 20262 weeks agoTECNO launches the all-new CAMON 50 series
-
MWC 20262 weeks agoTECNO showcases cool concepts at MWC 2026
-
MWC 20262 weeks agoTECNO unleashes Tonino Lamborghini collection
-
Computers2 weeks agoAMD announces Ryzen AI 400, AI 400 PRO series at MWC 2026
-
MWC 20262 weeks agoHONOR unveils Robot Phone concept at MWC 2026
-
MWC 20262 weeks agoTECNO debuts latest devices, HiOS 16, upgraded Ella at MWC 2026
