Tech Digest daily roundup: Sky Glass customers complain of screen flickering
Some early adopters of Sky’s new smart television, Sky Glass, have complained of teething problems with the system. The Sky-branded TV eliminates the need for a satellite dish and, with built-in Dolby Atmos, it claims there is no need for a sound-bar either. Some customers have complained of issues, including screen flickering and playback problems. A spokeswoman for Sky told the BBC that a software update will be released this week to address flickering issues. Numerous Sky Glass customers have taken to the British media giant’s community forums as well as social media to share their concerns about the new service, following its launch on 18 October. The issues include blinking and flickering screens, as well as pictures dropping out entirely. BBC
Google always includes exclusive features on Pixel phones, likely to lure more people and increase sales. One of these features is car crash detection, which automatically calls emergency services (in supported regions) when a crash is detected unless you choose not to. It now seems like Apple is working on something similar for the iPhone and Apple Watch. According to MacRumors, a report by The Wall Street Journal indicates that Apple has been silently testing this feature and collecting relevant data for the past year…The feature would use iPhone and Apple Watch sensors to detect potential car crashes and offer to automatically call 911, similar to how Fall Detection currently works on the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer models. XDA Developers
At its “Unleashed” event last month, Apple announced that the HomePod mini would be available in three new colors starting in November, including yellow, orange, and blue. The first real-world photos and videos of the new HomePod mini colors were shared today, providing a closer look at the yellow, orange, and blue models, which all have color-matched woven power cables and volume icons. There’s still a plain old white Apple sticker in the box along with a 20W USB-C power adapter. The new HomePod mini colors are now available to order on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Mac Rumours
Darktrace has suffered a second share crash in just over a week as traders braced for a potential wave of sales from major investors. Shares in one of Britain’s biggest technology companies fell by 15pc in anticipation of insiders including Mike Lynch, the former Autonomy chief executive, being freed to sell their holdings when a 180-day lock-up expires tomorrow on Wednesday. The company’s value had fallen by more than a fifth on Monday last week after analysts had said Darktrace was overvalued in a blow that came just days before it entered the FTSE 100. Telegraph
A rather unusual-looking Lenovo laptop was leaked over the weekend. Coming to us via reliable and prolific gadget leaker Evan Blass on Twitter, the laptop is reportedly part of the ThinkBook range and will sport a 17-inch screen… along with a smaller display where a number pad would normally be on a keyboard. A stylus strategically placed on the smaller screen implies it will likely be a touchscreen, allowing users to write, draw or doodle as necessary. Whether the main display also comes with stylus support is as yet unclear. Tech Radar
Have you guys seen this yet? 17-inch ThinkBook Plus from Lenovo… pic.twitter.com/OElc5ZM3pb
— Ev (@evleaks) October 31, 2021
NASA has postposed the launch of a SpaceX rocket taking four astronauts to the International Space Station on unspecified medical grounds. The space agency said the delay was not COVID-19 related, nor was it a medical emergency, but did not identify the matter further or the astronaut involved. It is the first time that NASA has delayed a launch on medical grounds since 1990, when astronaut John Creighton became ill before a Space Shuttle flight. Sky News
