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Xiaomi could be working on a Wear OS smartwatch

It could be called the “Mi Watch”

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Google’s Android operating system is widely used by all phone makers and Apple’s iOS is the only prime competitor at the moment. While the Cupertino-based giant has a good hold of the smartphone market, it has been struggling with wearables.

Earlier called Android Wear, Wear OS was supposed to dominate the smartwatch space. But, the lack of close integration between the software giant and OEMs has pushed out lukewarm products. Every major brand including Moto, Lenovo, Samsung, LG, and more have tried their luck and failed to garner a positive response.

According to 9to5Google, the latest Wear OS 2.28 APK shows evidence of a possible Xiaomi smartwatch. Within this application, a new string called “xiaomi_companion_name” with the value “Mi Wear” appeared. Further digging has revealed “Mi Watch” could be a possible name for the smartwatch.

This is encouraging news for everyone because Xiaomi has the capability to push pocket-friendly smartwatches. Previously, we’ve seen the Chinese brand collaborate with Google’s Android One project and giving it a new lifeline. The A-series received positive response and revived the almost dead project.

Similarly, if Xiaomi is indeed working on a “Mi Watch” running Wear OS, it’ll push out a large number of units in the market. Better sales will also encourage developers to make third-party apps for the system, further enriching the ecosystem.

Xiaomi already leads the smart band market with the Mi Band. A direct product under the Xiaomi banner could be beneficial for everyone. Currently, the Mi Band is built by Huami, a partner company of Xiaomi. There are chances Xiaomi could rely on its partners to ship it.

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Apple reportedly shelved the iPhone Air series indefinitely

The delay is because of low sales.

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On its own, the iPhone 17 Air is a mighty device. However, if you consider that the vastly superior iPhone 17 Pro series is only a hundred bucks away from the Air series, the thinner iPhone model becomes less attractive. Based on actual sales, it looks like Apple users think the same way. In response to low demand, Apple has reportedly shelved the next iPhone Air indefinitely.

Since the series launched a few months ago, numerous reports have speculated that the iPhone 17 Air isn’t performing as Apple expected. Given how Apple held out a lot of hope for the iPhone 17’s new designs, the Air’s failure to meet expectations is a big blow. Soon after the first reports trickled in, Apple reportedly dialed back on production to balance out the lower demand.

Now, as reported by The Information, Apple has reportedly delayed the next iPhone Air model indefinitely. Previously, the company was scheduled to release a new model next year alongside the iPhone 18 series. That’s not happening now.

Right now, there is no timeline for the next Air, if it is coming. That said, it’s still likely that Apple is still working on a new Air. It just might take some time while the company figures out how to make the next model pop.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Air Review

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PlayStation might soon let you buy PC games

Cross-Buy might bundle your PS5 games with a PC version.

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Maintaining a gaming library between different platforms is a chore, especially for multiplayer games. It’s way too common to buy a new game on one platform, only to find out that your friends bought it on another. This could lead to double buying or forever missing out on playing with friends. Now, PlayStation, if a new leak is to be believed, will finally help cure the curse of platform mismatches.

Last week, @yAmethxst, an X user, posted leaked screenshots of new icons coming to PlayStation. The leak was also confirmed legit by Dealabs. Though some are less interesting (like a touchpad button), a couple of the new icons are hinting at a Cross-Buy function coming to the platform.

Based solely on the name, Cross-Buy doesn’t offer much. However, a complementary icon, which shows the PS5 logo and a PC logo side by side, confirms how Sony wants this to work. Cross-Buy will likely allow players to purchase two copies of the same game: one for the PlayStation and another for their PC.

There are a few gaps and questions to be answered, though. For one, which games are compatible with this feature? Is it exclusive to PlayStation’s first-party games, or are third-party games included?

Secondly, which platform on PC will the feature support? The likeliest suspect is Steam, but how about users who prefer the Epic Games Store or GOG?

There are so many mysteries about this feature. Heck, we don’t even know if this will actually work as we described. If anything, this is a welcome feature in the world of cross-platform gaming.

SEE ALSO: PlayStation announces a new duotone DualSense color

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EcoFlow launches PowerOcean in the Philippines

Solar battery system for secure, independent power solution

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EcoFlow has officially launched the EcoFlow PowerOcean (single-phase) solar battery system in the Philippines.

This marks the eco-friendly energy solutions provider’s entry to the market as it expands to Southeast Asia.

Leveraging its success in Europe and addressing the specific needs of the ASEAN market, the EcoFlow PowerOcean (single-phase) delivers reliable backup power, smart energy management, and cost-saving efficiency.

The system also addresses the problem of underutilized generated power from standalone panels, banking on its integrated solar-plus-storage type that is easy to install and capable of powering an entire home.

The EcoFlow PowerOcean’s inverter supports up to 12kW PV input and allows 95% depth of discharge. This ensures nearly all stored energy is put to use.

Meanwhile, the AI-driven TOU (time-of-use) scheduling system automatically decides when to charge, discharge, or feed energy back to the grid.

By factoring in real-time electricity prices, weather forecasts, and each household’s historical usage patterns, it charges during off-peak hours, prioritizes solar power during the day, and sells surplus energy when prices are high.

In addition, PowerOcean provides daily and monthly cost forecasts with over 90% accuracy. And it continuously refines its scheduling to capture every possible saving opportunity.

In Europe, households using PowerOcean have achieved up to 77.8% reductions in annual electricity bills.

Built to last

The EcoFlow PowerOcean’s plug-and-play system seamless integrates new and existing batteries to deliver scalable capacity and stable high-load performance.

Multiple appliances across the kitchen, living room, and home office can operate simultaneously without interruption. And the system can be expanded to 10 kWh or 15 kWh.

Plus, through its intuitive app, users can monitor real-time household power status, track generation and consumption trends, and control the system via voice commands.

That makes the PowerOcean an intelligent energy manager, aside from being a solar energy solution and storage technology.

Longevity is likewise assured. By using CATL’s battery cell with LFP battery chemistry, the PowerOcean offers a 6,000 life cycle, which means users can power their homes daily for more than 10 years. Furthermore, the system comes with an industry-leading 10-year warranty.

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