Learn about how TweakTown tests and reviews hardware. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you.
Stay Updated
Follow TweakTown for breaking tech news, reviews, and daily updates.
World's 1st phone to rock 8GB of RAM & Infinity Display
There are many second and third-tier smartphone manufacturers, some of them pride themselves in manufacturing knock-offs while others find other things that set them apart. Ulefone have found another niche, with the Ulefone F2, they've successfully combined the look of a Samsung infinity edge display with the 8GB of RAM of the OnePlus 5 and put them into one phone.
Their claim is that the Ulefone F2 is the first phone in the world with 8GB and an Infinity Edge Display. While this claim is oddly specific, it's really hard to ignore the fact that the Ulefone 2 looks like a complete ripoff of the Galaxy S8+ or Note7.
The Ulefone F2 also features a rear dual camera setup that looks a lot like the Xiaomi Mi 6, once again adding a popular feature to their phone that might set them apart. After all, there really isn't a phone with an Infinity Edge Display, 8GB of RAM and a dual camera, at least not yet, unless the Samsung Galaxy Note8 manages to pull that off.
Continue reading: World's 1st phone to rock 8GB of RAM & Infinity Display (full post)
Where's the Essential Phone? Misses launch date target
Back in May, Andy Rubin, the co-founder of Android, and his company Essential Products unveiled their first smartphone. The Essential Phone stirred up a lot of dust because of its stunning design and flagship specs.
Right after the official announcement, the phone was available for pre-orders at the company's website at a price of $699 or $749 if you go for 360-degree camera attachment. At the same time, Andy Rubin stated that the company would not open the device for pre-orders if it would not be available for shipment within 30 days. This would put the deadline for the first shipments on June 30th.
Read also: Andy Rubin's Essential phone is stunning and powerful
Continue reading: Where's the Essential Phone? Misses launch date target (full post)
Biggest data breach in India affects 120 million users
Jio, a mobile network operator in India, is currently experiencing what could be the biggest data breach in India.
Jio is one of the fastest growing carriers in India and the whole world and was made famous by their launch of a nationwide LTE network for a very low price. They launched their network in September of last year, and have over 120 million users in less than a year. However, it appears that their speedy launch may have come at a cost.
Jio's customer's data has been leaked revealing many sensitive details, including customer's names, last names, phone numbers, emails, SIM Activation Date and even their Aadhaar Number. Aadhaar is a 12 digit unique identification number issued to all Indian residents based on their biometric and demographic data, and the world's largest biometric ID system, with over 1.154 billion enrolled members as of 11 June 2017.
Continue reading: Biggest data breach in India affects 120 million users (full post)
Leaked iPhone 8 case confirms new design
OppoMart has listed protective cases for the iPhone 8 on its website, and they seem to confirm the rumored design.
According to the previous leaks and OppoMart's listing, the iPhone 8 will have a vertically lined up dual rear camera setup. It is also visible from the photos that the Home button is missing.
Read also: iPhone 8 to feature facial recognition only, no Touch ID
Continue reading: Leaked iPhone 8 case confirms new design (full post)
Oculus Rift and Touch bundle dropped to just $399
Oculus has just changed the VR landscape with a massive drop in the price of its Rift headset, which is now being bundled with the Oculus Touch for just $399 at all stores. This will include in-store, Amazon, Best Buy, and others.
At just $399, Oculus is fighting the good fight with mainstream consoles that are priced at under $400 like the Xbox One S and PS4. You'll need a PC or a good enough gaming laptop, but slashing $200 from the price of the Oculus Rift on its own - at its old price of $599, is a big deal. The other piece of this VR puzzle is the Oculus Touch controllers which used to be $200 on their own, are now bundled at a cheaper price than the Oculus Rift was just yesterday.
Oculus were offering a bundle for the Oculus Rift and Touch for $600 recently, but now Oculus is a massive $400 cheaper (half price!!) than the HTC Vive which sells for $800.
Continue reading: Oculus Rift and Touch bundle dropped to just $399 (full post)
China's new 200-day simulation: preparing for Mars?
In its race towards competing with the US and Russia in becoming a space superpower, China has started its new 200-day simulation of living on another planet.
Four students from Beijing University have started a new 200-day isolation experiment called Lunar Palace 365, where they will live on the resources that they would have if they were on the Moon, or Mars. The students will have to generate life-giving oxygen from plants, recycle their own urine into drinkable water, and being conservative with their supplies.
The biggest test of all, will be the psychological side of being isolated from the world. In this world of instant gratification from social media, what will people do with 200 days away from smartphones, their friends and family, and the world at large? The test will show how they will react to not having sunlight for 200 days, which will effect both their physical and mental health.
Continue reading: China's new 200-day simulation: preparing for Mars? (full post)
AMD Radeon Vega FE: Crysis 3 @ 46FPS average at 1440p
AMD is weeks away from launching the consumer-oriented Radeon RX Vega, but some gamers have got their hands-on the professional-oriented Radeon Vega Frontier Edition and ran it through its paces in games.
YouTuber 'DudeRandom84' has played around with the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition and Crysis 3, running it at 1440p with Very High settings enabled (including 2 x MSAA). Vega FE was pushing only 46FPS average, dipping below 35FPS in some points. This isn't the results most people are looking for, but there are a few caveats to be aware of.
First, this isn't the gaming card AMD is bringing out next month, this is a professional card that also games - not a gaming card that does professional content. Second, the drivers are still very early and I could almost put money down that AMD are making massive optimizations as we speak to not just Vega FE, but RX Vega. Third, I've been saying for a very long time that I expect the performance of Radeon RX Vega to not beat the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, and that it will sit somewhere between GTX 1080, GTX 1080 11Gbps and GTX 1080 Ti depending on the resolution and game used.
Continue reading: AMD Radeon Vega FE: Crysis 3 @ 46FPS average at 1440p (full post)
DayZ creator: ARK price increase is 'OUTRAGEOUS'
Last week ARK: Survival Evolved developer Studio Wildcard increased the price of their game from $30 to $60, setting the internet on fire before its August 8 release on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
Now we've had DayZ creator Dean Hall on Twitter, blasting the developers where he said: "Just so we're clear on my opinion: the price increase for ArK is ****ing OUTRAGEOUS". He continued, adding: "ArK: The game is nowhere near ready for that kind of price. It's greed - pure and simple. It represents a huge disconnect with the community".
Hall continued on Twitter, with people tweeting him back, look at the Twitter chain here:
Continue reading: DayZ creator: ARK price increase is 'OUTRAGEOUS' (full post)
Core i9-7900X overclocked to 6.01GHz on LN2, sets record
Intel's new Core i9-7900X has been on the market for just a few weeks, but it has already been pushed to world record heights of 6.01GHz on liquid nitrogen, setting a new 10-core CPU and highest ever single processor world record. The hardware used:
SOFOS1990 is no stranger to breaking OC world records, hitting 6016MHz at 1.6V on the 10C/20T processor at a super-cold -110C (-116F). Sofos used GIGABYTE's Aorus X299 SOC Champion motherboard, alongside the enthusiast grade Corsair AX1500i PSU.
1.6V is pretty damn high for voltage, and no processor will withstand that for hours on end let alone daily use. For overclocking purposes, it's fine - but that's where the super-chilly LN2 comes into play.
Continue reading: Core i9-7900X overclocked to 6.01GHz on LN2, sets record (full post)
Scientists use carbon nanotubes to combine CPU and RAM
AMD is advanced towards being the first to market with HBM2 on a consumer graphics card with the upcoming Radeon RX Vega, placing the VRAM onto the interposer, along with the GPU die. It's an incredible feat, and a big change from the spread of DRAM chips around the GPU, using precious PCB space. Well, researchers at Stanford and MIT are doing one better: putting the CPU and RAM onto a single unit.
The researchers have teased a prototype processor that is made from graphene carbon nanotubes, with resistive RAM (RRAM) layered on top. The team says that their prototype chip is "the most complex nanoelectronic system ever made with emerging nanotechnologies", creating a 3D computer architecture. Carbon is the key here, as the use of silicon for the CPU isn't good for the high temperatures required, as the RRAM cells would be damaged.
I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that DARPA and NSF are funding the project, with the carbon nanotube sensors also able to detect gases, because the information can be processed and measured on-chip.
Continue reading: Scientists use carbon nanotubes to combine CPU and RAM (full post)
PS5 hardware reset may cause Sony lots of problems
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has more predictions on Sony's next move in the games industry, but a non-iterative PS5 could cause lots of problems for Sony's current smoothly-rolling console roadmap.
With the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the cadence of games consoles has evolved to an iterative cycle that sees both systems branch out into a family of hardware. This move brings tremendous advantages like multiple systems with different price and performance tiers as well a full games compatibility on all consoles, but forced parity typically reduces performance potential.
Despite predictions that the iterative cycle will ensure a longer generation of consoles than the typical 8-year cycle, Sony Interactive Entertainment of America President and CEO Shawn Layden hinted the PlayStation 5 would break this rhythm and revert back to the traditional console market beat.
Continue reading: PS5 hardware reset may cause Sony lots of problems (full post)
Get a 'Life' in our Blu-ray giveaway!
To celebrate this week's release of the sci-fi action blockbuster 'Life' on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD, we have 10 Blu-rays to give away thanks to our friends at Universal Sony Home Entertainment.
Be careful what you search for. Life is a terrifying thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.
To go into the running to win a prize, simply correctly answer the following question in 50 words or less:
Continue reading: Get a 'Life' in our Blu-ray giveaway! (full post)
Assassin's Creed: Origins gets 20 minutes of gameplay
A new Assassin's Creed: Origins gameplay video shows some alpha footage...but it's not so exciting.
As a history buff fascinated with ancient Egypt, I have high hopes for Assassin's Creed: Origins. After all I've always wanted to see Egypt recreated in painstaking detail in a game like Assassin's Creed, and wrote up a big article explaining the possibilities. But the latest 20-minute gameplay video published by UK retailer GAME doesn't fill me with confidence.
The footage shows a world that doesn't seem alive. Sure the environments look great, and I for one will spend quite a lot of time simply soaking in the ancient atmosphere, but the vibrant and dynamic next-generation NPCs that I saw in Watch Dogs 2 simply aren't here. Bayek, the game's protagaonist, just seems like a god of sorts; no matter what the player did, the world itself didn't seem to react as I'd expect an impressive open-world would.
Continue reading: Assassin's Creed: Origins gets 20 minutes of gameplay (full post)
Musk unveils the first production Tesla Model 3
Musk recently announced that the Model 3 production would start earlier than expected and just on schedule, the first production Model 3 came out of Tesla's factory yesterday.
This is the first time that more than 400,000 customers who pre-ordered a Model 3 will get to see the final product.
Musk posted two photos of the electric car, and it looks stunning. Tesla's CEO also pointed out that Ira Ehrenpreis, Tesla investor, and board member, had rights to the first car as he was the first to place a full deposit, but gave those rights to Musk as his 46th birthday present.
Continue reading: Musk unveils the first production Tesla Model 3 (full post)
Analysis: Why EA is rotating Battlefield 1 to EA Access
EA recently revealed that Battlefield 1, the publisher's massively popular shooter, will soon be included as part of the publisher's $5 a month subscription service. We analyze why EA is now comfortable with offering Battlefield 1 to EA/Origin Access subscribers instead of pushing players to buy the full game at retail price.
Battlefield 1 isn't a year old yet, but soon it'll be available as a "free" download for EA Access and EA Origin subscribers on console and PC. The service, which costs $5 a month or $50 a year, gives users access to a growing pool of EA titles. I found Battlefield 1's arrival into the vault to be very, very interesting, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized EA's gameplan and decided to share my insights.
Why would EA make such a move? The publisher obviously has strong confidence in the subscription service and is keen on providing value. But it also has to do with how EA sees the World War I juggernaut FPS. The shooter has matured and reached the point where EA is more interested in getting people into the game's ecosystem rather than having them buy the game at full price.
Continue reading: Analysis: Why EA is rotating Battlefield 1 to EA Access (full post)
Konami misses opportunity with Castlevania on Netflix
Konami passed up a rare opportunity to accumulate big sales for its Castlevania series of games.
After watching the new Castlevania show on Netflix, I instantly wanted to play a Castlevania game. I'm sure I'm not alone here. The four-episode mini-series pulled us into that gothic world of devils and medieval mayhem, and I found myself wanting to further that experience in the best way I know how: video games.
But alas, Konami made no effort to roll out a new game or experience to commercial take advantage of my nostalgic whims. For millions of people, the Netflix series will be the first time they've experienced the franchise, and without an instantly accessible new product, they might not know where to start to further their experience. And more importantly, if they have to buy new hardware just to play the games, they may simply move on.
Continue reading: Konami misses opportunity with Castlevania on Netflix (full post)
PS5 will run 4K at 240FPS, out in 2019 says analyst
If there is a big rumor for the PlayStation 5 it would be the latest news on it, with the PS5 rumored to not just hit 4K, but be capable of driving it at 240FPS. Ridiculous, right?
A few weeks ago I was told exclusively that the PS5 would feature a dedicated GPU, something that would help drive 4K 60FPS... but 4K @ 240FPS Is an entirely new game. There's no amount PC hardware available that will easily drive 4K @ 240FPS, especially not a mainstream console.
Well, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Patcher has said that the PS5 Pro will be backwards compatible with both PS4 and PS4 Pro games, and it'll be here in 2019. Patcher was recently interviewed by Gaming Bolt, where he said: "I really like Shawn and I don't think he is attempting to mislead anybody. The PlayStation 4 Pro is better [from a technical perspective] than the PS4, so I think that's a half step towards the PlayStation 5".
Continue reading: PS5 will run 4K at 240FPS, out in 2019 says analyst (full post)
Caviar launches Nokia 3310 'Putin-Trump Summit' edition
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met for the first time this weekend during G20 summit in Germany. And what better way to mark this encounter than with a phone that features images of both presidents together?
Caviar, a Russian company known for special edition phones, mostly iPhones, which feature portraits of the Russian president, has launched a special edition of the modern Nokia 3310 named the Putin-Trump Summit.
The Caviar Nokia 3310 New Putin-Trump Summit, which is the full name of the phone, features portraits of both Trump and Putin on the back of the phone. There's also an emblem of the G20 summit below the portraits.
Continue reading: Caviar launches Nokia 3310 'Putin-Trump Summit' edition (full post)
iPhone 8 might not support wireless charging after all
Apple will announce new iPhone devices in September, and according to many sources, we should expect three new devices - two upgrades to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and a premium iPhone 8.
While the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus shouldn't bring many changes to the design and the features, the iPhone 8 is rumored to come with some changes.
The iPhone 8 is expected to rock an OLED screen and ditch the fingerprint sensor in favor of facial recognition. It was also rumored that the device would support wireless charging. However, the latest leak claims that this feature is still questionable.
Continue reading: iPhone 8 might not support wireless charging after all (full post)
Samsung predicts highest quarterly profit in its history
Samsung today announced earnings guidance for its Q2 2017 timeline, showing strong quarter-over-quarter growth in both total sales and operating profit, and the highest operating profits in the company's history.
Mobile juggernaut Samsung's Q2 2017 guidance forecasts $52 billion (60 trillion Korean won) in net sales during the second quarter, and a tremendous $12.13 billion (14 trillion Korean won) in operating profit, with both respective revenues recorded as median forecasts. Analysts note that this operating income is more than the combined Q1 quarterly earnings of titans Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google.
Samsung's second quarter forecasts sees both net sales and operating income up quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. Net sales are predicted to be 18.69% quarter-over-quarter and 17.78% year-over-year, whereas operating profit is up an incredible 41.41% QoQ and an astronomical 71.9% year-over-year.
Continue reading: Samsung predicts highest quarterly profit in its history (full post)






















