It was only a few days ago we reported that Verizon’s Motorola Xoom is due for some Ice Cream Sandwich treat, now it looks like the update is happening real soon. Verizon has announced that the Android 4.0.4 upgrade for its Xoom tablet will be rolled out starting today. Along with the standard features of Ice Cream Sandwich, you can expect additional device enhancements and fixes. There’s a new customizable launch bar that lets you drag apps, shortcuts and folders for easy access from any home screen, while the new notification pop up box allows for an easier viewing of all inboxes and notifications.

Following its leak last week, Sony has today announced the Xperia M5, the successor to the Xperia M4 Aqua which comes with a more impressive camera. The Xperia M5 has a 5-inch Full HD display, waterproof omnibalance design and a new 21.5MP Hybrid Autofocus camera. Sony is dubbing this handset as a ‘super mid-range’ phone, presumably in a bid to set it between the mid-range and the high-end flagship tiers. The Xperia M5 key specs include:

Update, July 15: Newegg is making the deal even sweeter by bundling a pair of free Monster N-Pulse headphones, a $99 value according to the listed price. The offer is limited and is only valid for those who pre-order the ZTE Axon 7 through July 27. Check out the deal on Newegg. Original post, July 13: The Axon 7 is now available for pre-order in the United States, at a very attractive price. We expected the Axon 7 to cost less than $500 in the US, but it looks like ZTE has pulled all stops to make its second-generation Axon phone a  smash hit.

In September 2010, Nokia announced it had hired Stephen Elop, formerly of Microsoft. In a surprise move, he became the new CEO for the Finland-based mobile phone company. Then in February 2011, Elop announced that Nokia had signed a partnership with Microsoft to make Windows Phone its primary smartphone operating system, ahead of Nokia’s own Symbian OS. At the time, Nokia was still the biggest maker of mobile phones, but with the launch of the iPhone and the Android OS a few years earlier, the company knew that it needed to make some changes to stay competitive.

The year is almost over, which means it’s time for the Google Play Store to announce the best apps and games of 2019. The company held a special Users’ Choice vote for apps, games, movies, and books as well, and the winners are as follows: Google also chose the best app of 2019, with Ablo winning the top spot. Other categories this year include Best App for Personal Growth, Best Everyday Essentials, and Best Hidden Gems.

Your tech news digest, by way of the DGiT Daily tech newsletter, for Tuesday, 24 November 2020. 1. Elon Musk blows by Bill Gates to become the world’s second-richest personBill Gates has mostly been the richest person in the world for as long as I can remember, and even when he was unseated by the likes of Carlos Slim, it seemed like an aberration. Now Gates is a long way behind Jeff Bezos who looks set (even after a costly divorce) to be the first person to reach $200 billion in net worth, not that the numbers feel like they mean anything at this point.

But rumors and denials are part of our day-to-day tech news-reporting life, so we’ll just move on to the next bit of speculation regarding the Galaxy S4 because Android and Me has a very interesting report today. Samsung is apparently already testing a Galaxy S3 successor that will be powered by a “new Cortex-A15 processor.” Naturally, we’d expect Samsung to deny such reports the first chance it gets, but meanwhile let’s focus on the Samsung TE4, as it was spotted by Rightware.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge come sporting cutting edge camera technology, which was believed to be based on the Sony sensor found in the Note 4. However, it turns out that Samsung is also supplying the sensors in some of its S6 smartphones itself, but it’s pot-luck as to whether you’ll end up with a Samsung ISOCELL camera or a Sony IMX240. Naturally, potential Galaxy S6 customers might be concerned that one sensor performs worse than the other or that there are glaring differences between the two.

TL;DR A US trade commission has found that Google infringed Sonos patents in various products. The commission also declared that Google is barred from bringing affected products into the US. Affected products include Pixel phones, Chromecast devices, and Google Home speakers. Now, the US International Trade Commission has ruled (h/t:New York Times) that Google indeed infringed on all five Sonos patents in question. The court also declared that Google is barred from importing products that violate these patents.

Whether it’s cooking, beauty, or home improvement, YouTube has become the go-to platform over the years for tutorials and other guides. But Google thinks this type of content might require its own home, so it’s launched Tangi. Tangi is an experimental app born out of its Area 120 lab, and it hosts short-form video guides and how-to clips. The search company says Tangi’s name comes from “the words TeAch aNd GIve and ‘tangible’ — things you can make.