News
Samsung Galaxy S20, Note20 & Z-series get features from the S21
An update that makes your “old” flagship “new”
While we expect companies to roll out bug fixes, patches, and improve performance via a software update for years, Samsung is going a step further. It’s bringing features from its top of the line Galaxy S21 series to the Galaxy S20 series, Note20 series, and Z-lineup.
Officially called the One UI 3.1 update, it introduces a new camera mode called Single Take. When you tap capture, it’ll automatically capture multiple pictures and videos simultaneously, allowing you to go through the results later. This also ensures that your focus is in the moment and not fiddle around with various settings on your phone to capture a simple memory.
We all have pictures that include something unwanted. It may be a very tiny and even irrelevant thing, but it still has the potential to spoil a good picture. So, you can use the Object Eraser to edit out distracting objects; simply tap the area you wish to remove. The results may not be as accurate as Photoshop, but it’s more than enough to get some changes done on the go.
Samsung has added improved touch autofocus and autoexposure controller that lets you quickly adjust the picture’s brightness by swiping left or right anywhere on the screen.
If you’re a vlogger, the Pro Video mode can now support Multi Mic Recording. It’ll record audio from the phone’s microphone as well as the connected Bluetooth device. So, your videos can now have some natural background audio as well as your voice.
The South Korean giant might be a little late here as the feature is quite common across many brands now. The Eye Comfort Shield protects your eyes from blue light and automatically adjusts the display’s warmth to minimize strain.
Lastly, the Private Share feature lets you remove all metadata from your pictures. If you aren’t aware, your pictures have many critical meta data like date, time, location, camera settings, and user name. This feature scrubs out all the metadata from pictures so you can share them with anyone without worrying about leaking some private data.
Samsung is leading the flagship segment for the last few years, and its dominance is pretty much unchallenged in the Android world. A prime reason for this success is the company’s investment in not just the latest products, but also the previous generation.
Gaming
The Steam Controller literally screams when you throw it
Please throw it at padded surfaces only.
We love harmless Easter eggs. Think of Chrome’s jumping dino or Android’s yearly quirk. It’s always fun when a device or app hides a special surprise for those in the know. Today, Valve is keeping the tradition alive by putting a screaming Easter egg in its new Steam Controller.
The first of its trio of new hardware, the Steam Controller converts the iconic layout of the Steam Deck into controller form. Besides offering an accessible controller, it also connects seamlessly to Steam, offering an easy doorway to plug and, literally, play.
Since it launched on May 4, users have already been playing around with their Steam Controllers. Presumably, this also includes a few rage moments that involve throwing the controller over a frustrating game.
If you threw your controller already, you might have heard an interesting surprise. As spotted by users online, the Steam Controller lets out a Wilhelm scream whenever it’s thrown.
For the unaware, the Wilhelm scream is the world’s most iconic scream. If you’ve watched a few movies, there’s a high chance that you’ve heard it before, as it’s often used as a background scream in many, many movies.
Notably, this has a cooldown of approximately one minute, so you can’t spam it over and over again. This also works on padded surfaces, so you don’t need to throw your controller at a hard wall. It’s just one of those nice Easter eggs that add a little spice to a favorite controller.
All that said, please don’t throw your Steam Controller at hard surfaces.
Gaming
Assassin’s Creed Hexe leak reveals the return of a major character
Is Ezio Auditore coming back?
Undoubtedly, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is the most hype that the franchise has enjoyed in a while now. A lot of gamers are excited to replay one of the most prolific entries in the vast history-hopping series. But Black Flag isn’t the only entry getting some eyeballs. The mysterious Codename Hexe is also getting some love, and we might finally have some more information about the game, thanks to a new leak.
In 2022, Ubisoft teased Codename Hexe as a darker entry in the franchise. Four years later, the game is still shrouded in mystery. Today, a leaker (@xj0nathan on X) has shared some interesting details about the game.
For one, the game will reportedly be set during the Wurzburg Witch Trials in the 17th century, confirming earlier rumors that the setting would be dark one. Adding to that, Codename Hexe might have most of its gameplay in forest biomes, using a lot of trees to parkour around.
The return of an icon
Confirming rumors is just a tiny part of the leak. The more interesting bit is the alleged return of the franchise’s most beloved character: Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
Ezio has not been seen in an Assassin’s Creed game in over a decade. His story concluded in Revelations (with a neat epilogue in a short film called Assassin’s Creed: Embers).
In Codename Hexe, the iconic assassin will reportedly return to mentor the game’s protagonist named Anika. Currently, it’s unclear how he appears in the game’s setting. Some rumors hint that Isu technology might be involved.
Finally, the leak concludes with a blurry photo. Unfortunately, Ubisoft has been taking down reposts of the photo, so we won’t include it here. The original leaker himself took it down as well. It can, however, be described as a female assassin trudging through a dark forest with creepy lights in the background. It doesn’t reveal a lot of details, but it’s substantial enough to warrant takedowns.
SEE ALSO: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on July 9
Apps
Instagram takes on Snapchat yet again with new Instants feature
Posts disappear after they’re viewed once.
The popularity of Snapchat’s competitors is as fleeting as their disappearing messages. However, despite how volatile the market is, Instagram wants to try again with a new feature (and app) called Instants.
Pardon me if you’ve heard this premise before. Instants is a feature that lets users share disappearing photos. However, unlike the 24 hours allotted for Stories, Instants will disappear right after a friend views them, but they can still react and reply to them.
The idea of Instants is to trim the excess fat from what Instagram is these days. Instagram’s Adam Mosseri admits as much when he said users want as easier way to shoot content.
As such, users won’t have access to Instagram’s editing tools. They also can’t upload pre-shot content from their camera roll. Like its contemporaries like BeReal, the new Instants feature is about living in the moment and sharing exactly what users see.
Despite disappearing after a single view, Instants will be automatically archived, so they can be reuploaded as normal Stories later on.
It isn’t the Wild West, though. Even if it pares down all the extra features, Instants will still use the safety features available to all of Instagram. Users, especially young ones, can mute and block others’ Instants. Likewise, parents will have control over when and how their young children interact with the feature.
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