Chinese smartphone brand Realme is all set to launch its Realme 3 Pro handset in India today at an event in New Delhi. The company will be live-streaming the event, so no matter you are, you will be able to watch the Realme 3 Pro smartphone getting launched. The handset was first announced at the launch of Realme 3’s launch last month.
Realme has shared a few teasers of the device that shed some light on the specifications of the handset. Realme 3 Pro is expected to be priced under Rs 20,000 in India and will compete directly with Redmi Note 7 Pro. Here’s everything that you need to know about the launch of the smartphone:
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Realme 3 Pro launch: How to watch the live stream?
Realme will be launching its Realme 3 Pro smartphone at an event in New Delhi at 12:30 pm IST. If you wish to watch the live-stream of the launch event, you can do so on the company’s social media pages and its official website. We have also embedded the live-stream video on this page, so you can also watch the launch event here at 12:30 pm IST.
From the teasers of the smartphone, we know that the smartphone will exclusively be available on Flipkart. Realme is also touting the low-light photography capabilities of the handset. The smartphone went on ‘Blind Orders’ or pre-bookings on Friday.
Realme 3 Pro specifications, expected price in India
Realme 3 Pro smartphone is expected to carry a price tag that will be similar to its predecessor Realme 2 Pro’s. Also, considering that it will be competing directly with Redmi Note 7 Pro, the device will be priced below Rs 20,000.
Coming to the specifications of Realme 3 Pro, according to listings on Geekbench and Bluetooth SIG, the smartphone is said to run the Android 9.0 Pie based on Color OS 6.0. The handset will reportedly feature a 6.3-inch full-HD display and be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 processor clubbed with 6GB of RAM.
Other than this, Realme 3 Pro smartphone is said to sport a 48MP sensor on its back panel. Details about other specifications of the handset are only speculated as of now.
It has been suggested that the smartphone houses a 3,960mAh battery and its connectivity options will include 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a fingerprint sensor.
The company has said that its newest offering will be able to support popular battle royale game Fortnite.
The mid-range segment of the Indian smartphone market has seen a number of great additions lately. You can now buy smartphones under Rs 30,000 and expect to get a number of premium features and specifications. Most smartphones in this segment are good performers too. Here, we have listed down top 10 smartphones under Rs 30,000 that would make a worthy buy:
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Samsung Galaxy A70
The newest handset from Samsung had to be on top of our list of smartphones under Rs 30,000. Samsung Galaxy A70 is priced at Rs 28,990 and it will go on sale in India starting May 1. The smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with One UI and features a 6.7-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U Display. Powered by Snapdragon 675 processor clubbed with 6GB RAM, Samsung Galaxy A70 has 128GB of internal storage. The handset has a triple rear camera setup that comprises of a 32MP sensor, an 8MP sensor and a 5MP sensor.
Vivo V15 Pro
Vivo V15 Pro is for photography lovers on our list. The smartphone is priced at Rs 28,990 and comes with a triple camera setup on its back panel that includes a 48MP million quad pixel sensor, an 8MP super wide angle sensor, and a 5MP sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is a 32MP pop-up selfie camera on the handset. Vivo V15 Pro houses a 3,700mAh battery and features a 6.39-inch Ultra FullView FHD+ Super AMOLED display.
Samsung Galaxy A50
Samsung Galaxy A50 features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U Display and is powered by an octa-core Exynos 9610 processor clubbed with up to 6GB of RAM. The smartphone by Samsung comes with 64GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 512GB. The device has an in-display fingerprint scanner and houses a 4,000mAh battery that supports 15W fast charging. Samsung Galaxy A50 was launched at a starting price of Rs 19,990 in India.
Oppo F11 Pro
The handset from Oppo is available at Rs 24, 990 in India and it sports a 6.5-inch full-HD+ Panoramic LCD display and is powered by MediaTek Helio P70 SoC coupled with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup that comprises of a 48MP primary sensor and a 5MP sensor. The selfie camera of the device has a 16MP sensor that supports Face ID tech. Oppo F11 Pro comes with a 4,000mah battery and has a VOOC 3.0 charger that facilitates fast charging.
Nokia 8.1
One reason we love Nokia smartphones from HMD Global is that they are all a part of Google’s Android One program. Priced at Rs 26,999, Nokia 8.1 sports a 6.18-inch full-HD+ display, is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. The device has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 13MP sensors and has a 20MP selfie camera.
Asus Zenfone 5Z
The Asus Zenfone 5Z smartphone was launched by the Taiwanese electronics giant to compete with OnePlus 6. The smartphone comes with a 6.2-inch FHD+ LCD touch display and is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor. It has a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 8MP sensors. The handset houses a 3,300mAh battery and its base model was launched at Rs 29,999 in India.
POCO F1
The key highlight Xiaomi’s POCO F1 is the fact that it offers the powerful Snapdragon 845 processor at a starting price of Rs 20, 999. The smartphone comes with a 6.18-inch Full HD+ notched display and comes with a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors. The handset has a 4,000mAh battery.
Nokia 7.1
Another smartphone by HMD Global on our list, Nokia 7.1 was launched in India at a price of Rs 19,999. The smartphone sports a 5.84-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display and is powered by Snapdragon 636 processor clubbed with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It has a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors and houses a 3,060mAh battery.
Moto G7
The recently launched Moto G7 sports a 6.2-inch Max Vision Full HD+ display and it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC clubbed with 4GB of RAM. The smartphone houses a 3,000mAh battery comes with Android 9.0 Pie. The device packs a number of gestures that make life simple for the user and we really liked the smooth UI of Moto G7. The smartphone comes with a dual-rear camera setup with a 12MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is a single 8MP selfie camera. Moto G7 is priced at Rs 16,999 in India.
Honor 10 Lite
Honor 10 Lite is available at a starting price of Rs 13,999 in India and it comes with a 6.21-inch full-HD+ display and is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor. The smartphone has a 3,400mAh battery and it sports a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP and a 2MP sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is a 24MP sensor that is backed by AI.
The Windows ecosystem is not the same and has become much better when it comes to dealing with viruses, malware and attacks. These attacks could be just for kicks or to steal your precious data. With the latest Windows 10, the OS is becoming more robust and stronger. However, there are still loopholes that Microsoft tries to bridge with every update. These updates are sometimes far and few.
Which is why you still do need a good antivirus for your precious PC or laptop. These will not only save your data from being phished but will keep the door locked on those pesky hackers and peeping toms who want to watch your every move. At times we do feel that we are not going to any site that seems off, or are visiting just websites that are reputable and downloading from official portals only. However, there have been multiple instances where Windows users have confirmed that they were visiting only legit sources and not even using any external drives, yet their PC/Laptop got infected.
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So why does this happen?
It can be multiple things or a mix of these things that infected your PC or laptop with a virus or malware. It can be an official Email you opened which had a virus strand. Or could be your child installed software without your knowledge. You might be a victim of a phishing attack, which has also put in a code of malware in your system. The possibilities are numerous and one can never be too careful.
So what do you do? We have Windows defender is that enough?
Windows Defender is good, but that is not the best out there. There are plenty of good antiviruses out there and one of the best antivirus for Windows is Bitdefender, which we have seen in the recent past. You can also try the free antivirus software by the company and see its advanced protection. It will keep your system protected and the regular definition updates make sure new viruses are dealt with from the get-go.
Other than this you might want to see who is accessing your internet connection or some unwanted people are on your home or office network. Similarly, use the internet from only known sources and avoid public networks at all costs. Get a better mobile data plan and tether internet from it to your laptop or PC, if you are unsure of the open internet network.
Also, keep a safe password on your ID’s including your WiFi network key. These should be hard to crack. A good password should have minimum of 1 upper case character, 1 special character and should be at least 8 or more characters long.
So in a nutshell, you should invest in a good antivirus software for your PC or Laptop, because Windows is becoming strong, but there are plenty of awful people out there who are building viruses and malware to steal your precious data by finding code loopholes in your system.
Asus’s budget smartphones, Zenfonre Max M1 and the Zenfone Lite L1 have received a price cut of Rs 2,000 in India. In a press statement on Friday, the Taiwanese smartphone and electronics maker announced that the new prices for both the devices are now applicable on Flipkart. Both the Asus Zenfone smartphones were released in India in October 2018.
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Asus Zenfone Max M1 price and specifications
Asus Zenfone Max M1 is now being sold at Rs 6,999 instead of its original price of Rs 8,999. The new prices of the device can be seen on Flipkart.
Talking about the specifications, the Zenfone Max M1 sports a 5.45-inch (720 x 1440 pixels) HD+ IPS display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 aspect ratio. It comes in dual-SIM variant and is powered by the Snapdragon 430 SoC paired with 3GB RAM. Asus Zenfone Max M1 runs Android Oreo skinned with ZenUI 5.0. The device comes with 32GB of inbuilt storage with support for microSD card of up to 256GB. It also packs a 4,000mAh battery with 10W fast charging support.
On the camera front, the Asus Zenfone Max M1 comes with a single rear camera with 13MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, 1.12um pixel size and LED flash. While on the front, there is an 8MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size along with LED flash support.
Asus Zenfone Lite L1 price and specifications
The specifications of Asus Zenfone Lite L1 is more or less similar to the Zenfone Max M1. Asus Zenfone Lite L1 too sports a 5.45-inch HD+ display and is powered by the Snapdragon 430 SoC. But the Zenfone Lite L1 comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage variant and it comes with expandable support of up to 256GB. The device packs a 3,000mAh battery without the quick charge support.
On the camera front, the Zenfone Lite L1 sports a single rear camera with a 13MP sensor but unlike the Max M1, the handset comes with a 5MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture, 1.2um pixel size along with the LED flash support.
Earlier the smartphone was available at a price of Rs 6,999 in India and now, it can be bought at Rs 4,999.
With the prices of the budget level smartphones of Asus revised, the company is giving more options to the users. And since the new prices fall in the range of some of the earlier budget smartphones such as the Nokia 1, Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 and Xiaomi Go, the users have more devices to choose from according to their needs.
Chinese smartphone brand Oppo is reportedly all set to launch its A1K smartphone in India. The company is said to be planning to launch the upcoming Oppo A1K handset in the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market and the report suggests that the device will be priced under Rs 10,000.
According to a report in 91mobiles, Oppo A1k smartphone is all set to arrive in India soon. The technology website has shared a poster which they claim to have acquired from a retail chain source. The poster says that Oppo A1k smartphone will house a massive 4,000mAh battery and come with 32GB of internal storage.
In the poster, it can also be seen that the handset will come with a small waterdrop-shaped notch to house the selfie camera. The back panel of the smartphone can be seen to come with a single camera accompanied by a dual tone LED flash.
We should mention that there is no fingerprint sensor on the device, which can only mean that it will come with a face unlock feature.
Another thing that we must add is that Oppo A1k is not official as of now, so it can be a possibility that the company will be keeping the global launch of the smartphone in India. However, as of now, this is just a speculation and there is no word about it from the company. According to the NBTC certification, Oppo A1k smartphone will come with a 6-inch display or screen that is slightly bigger in size.
The handset is said to be powered by MediaTek’s Helio P22 SoC clubbed with 2GB of RAM. The listing also states that Oppo A1k smartphone’s dimensions are 154.4 x 77.4 x 8.4mm. The smartphone is said to weigh 165 grams and will be available in Red and Black colour options.
In an unrelated piece of news, Oppo has confirmed that it will be discontinuing its R series in favour of Reno and Find ranges. In an interview with MyDrivers, Oppo’s Senior VP Shen Yiren recently confirmed that the company is killing off its R series and would not be launching any more devices in the range. With this, the Chinese smartphone brand will now be focussing on its Reno and Find series.
The Reno series from Oppo is the newest among the three and the company recently took wraps off its Oppo Reno and Oppo Reno 10x Zoom Edition smartphones in China.
Technology giant Google killed off its Inbox by Gmail service earlier this month on April 2. However, a number of fans of Inbox by Gmail were able to use the older versions of the app on their smartphones till now. Those who did not like the idea of giving up on the app even downloaded the APK versions of Inbox by Gmail, which surprisingly continued to work even when the app was closed down by the search giant.
However, now these users have started reporting that fresh installs of the older APKs are no longer working for them. According to reports, an error signal is popping up every time users attempt signing in to their Inbox by Gmail IDs. This means that the older versions of the app are also about to lose support very soon. And if you are one among the people who have not been able to give up on Inbox by Gmail till now, you would now have no option but to live without it.
This change was first noticed by Android Police, and the report on the website claims that APK versions of Inbox by Gmail was updated and they could not get the older APKs to function. So most users who had this version of the Inbox for Gmail APK were automatically updated to v1.78, and now, they have a Gmail transition appearing.
The only way that the service will continue to work for you is if you have the app installed and turned off all the auto-updates for it. However, even the people who do have the app working for them have claimed that they have stopped receiving email notifications and they even need to refresh the app manually on their own. All of this indicates that the app is only limited for a very limited time.
Although Google closed down the Inbox by Gmail app on April 2, older Android versions of the app, as well as the iOS app, were unaffected even after it. However, now this seems to be changing.
It is worth adding here that in the last few months before closing down its Inbox for Gmail, Google added a number of features from the service to Gmail. Smart Reply, Nudges, and inline attachments are among the features from the email servive that made their way to Gmail. However, since only a few of the features that Inbox users loved made their way to the regular Gmail and many of them are not available even now, many users feel that using Gmail after being accustomed to Inbox is more of a downgrade.
If you miss the desktop version of the app, you can install the Inbox for Gmail extension on Chrome Web Store, which will make your Gmail look like Inbox. However, we should mention that this extension is not made by Google.
South Korean technology giant Samsung launched its Galaxy 20e smartphone recently in select markets. As the name suggests, the smartphone is a watered down version of the Samsung Galaxy A20 handset. And now, the company is planning to do the same with its Galaxy A10 handset as it will soon be seen launching its Samsung Galaxy A10e.
Samsung Galaxy A10e has been spotted on the Wi-Fi Alliance website, which clearly points towards an imminent launch. We should mention that Samsung Galaxy A10 is currently the most affordable smartphone in the company’s Galaxy A series. To recall, the Galaxy A10 handset was launched in India in February this year and its price has been set at Rs 8,490. With Galaxy A10e, Samsung is planning to get an even more affordable option of the device.
A new smartphone from Samsung’s Galaxy A series with model number SM-A102U has received the Qi-Fi certification, which can only mean one thing: It will be launched soon. And it is being speculated that the smartphone will hit the stores as Samsung Galaxy A10e.
According to the listing on the website, Samsung’s upcoming smartphone will run Android Pie and support dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. It is worth mentioning that the listing of the device was first spotted by DroidShout.
Image courtesy: Wi-Fi Alliance
However, we should also point out that not much is known about the Samsung Galaxy A10e as of now. However, if the South Korean technology adopts the same strategy that id did with Samsung Galaxy A20e, Galaxy A10e will be more affordable than Galaxy A10. And needless to say, it will be inferior in terms of hardware specifications as well.
To recall, Samsung Galaxy A10 sports a 6.2-inch HD+ Infinity-V Display and it is powered by an octa-core Exynos 7884 SoC clubbed with 2GB of RAM.
The smartphone has a single camera on the back which comprises of a 13MP sensor with an f/1.9 aperture. For selfies and video calls, there is a 5MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture on the front.
The device comes with 32GB internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 512GB. Samsung Galaxy A10 packs a 3,400mAh battery.
The smartphone was launched in India in February this year and it went on sale in March. The device was unveiled along with Samsung Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 smartphones, which are high-end models of the same range from the South Korean technology giant.
Do you often binge watch shows and films on Netflix? If the answer to that is yes, we have some news for you. The service is trying a shuffle button on its platform. According to a report that has recently surfaced online, the video-streaming platform has started testing the feature with some users of its Android app.
The report, which was first published on Android Police, claims that the company has already started testing the feature. There are two ways to make it appear: Firstly, there is a dedicated ‘Play a Popular Episode’ column on the home screen of the app which includes shows like The Office, Arrested Development, and Our Planet. If you are a fan of the first two, you can enjoy any random episode of the shows regardless of which season you want to watch. We should mention here that the shuffle feature makes perfect sense for nature documentaries where all episodes have their own theme.
Besides this, Netflix also has a ‘random episode’ button in playback controls that appears once you start watching a series. However, it does not appear for any and every series, the option only pops up for select series where the company feels it would make sense for the user to have access to it. This has obviously been done because there are plenty of shows which show one story being continued in many episodes and seasons. So, it obviously wouldn’t make sense for them to have the new feature.
For those who wish to rewatch some episodes of Friends, NCIS, or Grey’s Anatomy, having this feature makes perfect sense as they would be able to enjoy random episodes from the series. The new Shuffle feature also works well for anthology-type shows on Netflix like hello and Black Mirror.
In an unrelated piece of news, the platform is set to change its policy of not sharing viewership data of its original shows and films as the company has promised more transparency. Netflix has also added that the viewership data will be shared first with producers, followed by subscribers and then finally the press.
We should mention that this is a big step for Netflix as in the past, the company has declined to reveal the viewing habits of its members. The platform has also been criticised because on one hand, it is very secretive about its ratings and on the other hand, it does not shy away from making occasional claims about how strong the ratings are.
If you use Jio TV, you have a reason to be happy about. Reliance Jio has quietly added four new exclusive HD channels to its Jio TV video-on-demand and live TV platform. It is worth mentioning that tariffs are no longer a way to attract potentials subscribers. So, now telecom operators are trying to lure more users by expanding the content that they offer on their platforms.
We should mention that Reliance Jio already provides a large array of content to its subscribers. And now, the company is trying to for more ways to retain subscribers on its platform and to get more number of people to join it.
According to the listings on the Jio TV app, the users can now watch four new HD channels that are exclusively available on Reliance’s platform. These include Jio Bollywood Premium HD, Jio Bollywood Classic HD, Jio Tamil Hits HD, and Jio Telugu Hits HD.
The Jio Bollywood Premium HD has gone live last week, whereas the other three channels have been launched this week. All the four newly-launched channels stream movies with Bollywood Premium HD that shows relatively newer films and Classic HD that streams older films. As the names suggest, Tamil Hits HD and Telugu Hits HD have movies in respective regional languages.
With the addition of the new channels, Jio TV now offers a total of sixteen Jio exclusively channels.
We should mention that the new channels come on the heels of the addition of the picture-in-picture mode on the Android version of the Jio TV app. The feature enables the users to watch the Jio TV app while browsing other content on their smartphone.
For those unaware, Jio TV is a live TV application from Reliance Jio that comes with real-time access to over 600 TV channels to the telecom operator’s subscribers. We should mention that among the key features of the app are 7-day catch-up TV, pause support and recording support. The app is available in multiple languages including English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Malayalam, Assamese, Odia, and Urdu. The app is available on Android as well as iOS.
Recently, Reliance Jio has expanded its range of services in India with the launch of Jio News. As the name suggests, Jio News is an online aggregator that is available for both iOS and Android and can also be accessed on the Web. The new service is aimed to provide its users with real-time news updates about various major events such as Lok Sabha, Assembly Elections 2019 and IPL 2019.
Facebook’s photo-sharing app Instagram is now reportedly testing a new feature that would enable users to co-watch the video content on the platform with their friends and get to see their reactions on the video via their smartphone cameras at the same time.
The feature would give users of the app the option of starting the split screen view and using it they will be able to apply face filters and other visual tools to their personal camera feeds, according to a report in Social Media Today.
Reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong took to Twitter to speak about the upcoming feature. She said, “Instagram’s co-watching media picker is essentially tabs of Explore, Saved and Liked. It’s somehow also showing me photos though. Unless Instagram designed co-watching so we can stare at an image together, it will be fixed when released.”
Instagram's Co-watching media picker is essentially tabs of Explore, Saved and Liked
It's somehow also showing me photos though. Unless Instagram designed Co-Watching so we can stare at an image together, it will be fixed when released pic.twitter.com/dppinRAlBX
Besides letting users watch Instagram videos together, the upcoming feature will also provide them with interactive elements of being able to see and listen to their co-viewers in another minimized window. As of now, the option only supports two viewers, besides the Instagram Live function.
The report further added, “That could be somewhat restrictive, but then again, previous research has shown that 85 percent of the messages shared on Instagram are distributed to the same three friends, highlighting a desire for more intimate communication on the platform.”
We should mention that this is not the first time that a report about this feature has surfaced online. Last month, the feature got spotted for the first time and a report surfaced online which claimed that it will be called ‘Co-Watch’. It was also said that CoWatch would let you watch Instagram Stories, videos and IGTV content along with your friends, much like Facebook’s Watch Party. The feature was spotted in Instagram Direct Messaging code.
It is worth noticing that Facebook launched the Watch Party feature on its platform in July and it has said that it has facilitated more than 12 million ‘Watch Parties’. And this number has been given by the company for Facebook Groups starting July to November 2018.
It should be noted that as of now, Instagram has not commented on whether it is working on the feature or not.
In an unrelated piece of news, a different report has also surfaced online claiming that Instagram is considering to completely remove ‘Likes’ from its platform. With this in effect, only the person posting the picture or video will be able to see the likes and not his followers.
Are you waiting for the OnePlus 7 to be launched so that you can upgrade? Next week, you would know exactly how many more days you are supposed to wait as OnePlus CEO and Founder Pete Lau has confirmed in a tweet that the launch date announcement will be made on Tuesday, April 23.
Lau took to Twitter to announce about the upcoming announcement of the launch date of the next OnePlus handset. So far, a number of reports suggest that the company will be launching its OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G as a part of its next flagship lineup.
We should mention that prior to this, Lau had taken to Twitter to say that the next product from OnePlus will “unleash a new era of Fast and Smooth.” He further said in the same tweet that ‘Smooth’ is more challenging than fast. Lau also said that the next product will be a true test of hardware and software.
Stay tuned next Tuesday for our launch event announcement 😁
While there is no clarity as of now about what Lau meant when he said that the company wants the upcoming smartphone lineup will be smoother than faster, but it is being speculated that he basically dropped a hint that the next handset will be compatible to 5G networks. The smartphone is bound to provide a smoother experience if is compatible with 5G.
A report has also surfaced online saying that the upcoming smartphone will be launched globally in New York, London and Bengaluru simultaneously on May 14 next month. It has also been reported that the handset will be launched at 8.30 pm on the said date.
As we mentioned earlier, a number of speculations say that OnePlus is all set to launch three devices this year instead of one. Apart from the vanilla variant of the device7, the company will also be unveiling its OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.
As the names of the smartphones suggest, OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro are only different in terms of display, while the third model will come with 5G connectivity. However, all three smartphones are said to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor. It has also been reported that OnePlus 7’s base model will come with 8GB of RAM instead of 6GB RAM like most other previous smartphones by the company.
According to previous reports, OnePlus 7 will come with a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display and OnePlus 7 Pro, on the other hand, will feature a Quad HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. OnePlus 7 Pro is said to come with a triple rear camera setup with a wide angle and telephoto lenses. Both are expected to come with a pop-up selfie camera.
Chinese smartphone brand Lenovo is all set to unveil its Z6 Pro handset at an event on April 23. Just a few days are left for the launch of the Lenovo Z6 Pro smartphone, however, the leaks about the device are still surfacing online. And this is happening in spite of the fact that the company has listed down most of the details of the upcoming smartphone on its pre-order page.
The latest among these leaks is a photograph of the back panel of the Lenovo Z6 Pro smartphone. In the image, it seems like the back panel of the upcoming smartphone is made of glass. However, since there is no word from Lenovo about this, we don’t know about the specific details of the device.
But then we must add that the back panel of the smartphone in the image does have the quad camera set up on it, which was also revealed by the company in its reservation pages earlier. So that does confirm that the image does show Lenovo Z6 Pro. The leaked image, which first surfaced on Chinese social networking platform Weibo, also shows a gradient finish on the handset’s back panel in Black and Red. It can also be seen in the image that Lenovo Z6 Pro smartphone has three cameras in one single module and the fourth one is placed below them alone.
According to Lenovo’s listing on its website, Z6 Pro smartphone will come with four cameras on its back panel among these, the primary sensor will have a 48MP lens with AI enhancements.
The reservations page also says that Lenovo Z6 Pro will come with a 4,000mAh gaming-grade battery, 2.9-micron pixel size, a 125-degree wide-angle lens, six-axis OIS, and 2.39cm Super Macro mode. Other specifications of the smartphone include a 6.39-inch display, Snapdragon 855 SoC and 6GB/8GB/12GB RAM models.
It has also been confirmed that the upcoming device will come with a Red and Black glossy gradient back panel and it will sport a quad camera setup with three sensors in one module and the fourth one placed right below them.
Besides this, Cheng has shared a number of promotional posters of the smartphone on Weibo. While they leaked some aforementioned details, they also revealed that the handset will come with an on-screen fingerprint sensor and PC level liquid cooling system. Cheng also shared a video on the social network that shows a quad-rear camera setup on the smartphone along with a 48MP sensor. A screenshot from AnTuTu of a model number L78051 has also been shared by Chen on Weibo, which shows a score of 4,03,077.
The closer we are getting to Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference that is scheduled for June, the more the number of reports about the company’s plans are surfacing online. At WWDC 2019, Apple is expected to unveil the next major versions of its iOS, macOS and announce other software updates.
And now, a report has emerged on 9to5Mac which throws light on Apple’s plans for WWDC 2019 in detail. It has been reported that Apple plans to get the Siri Shortcuts feature and a Shortcuts app to the Mac with macOS 10.15. The shortcuts will enable users to create some custom Siri commands that will make certain apps perform the function of their choice. What’s more, these actions can also be linked with one another, so each shortcut can work for multiple apps. This makes the feature a much-loved tool for power users.
And now, these capabilities are coming to the Mac with the latest update. However, the report also added that Shortcuts would only work for ‘Marzipan’ apps. For those unaware, Marzipan apps are the applications that have been ported by Apple from iOS to the Mac including Home, Apple News, and Voice Memos.
It has also been reported that Apple has more plans for WWDC 2019 and it is being said that this year, developers would be able to bring their iPhone and iPad apps to the Mac computers too. We should mention that a number of those have support for Siri Shortcuts on iOS and it only makes sense to replicate this functionality on laptops and desktops.
In addition to this, 9to5Mac also says that Screen Time, which is a feature on iOS that shows how much time you have spent on your device every day and exactly which apps do you use the most, will also make its debut on macOS 10.15. Users will be able to set limits for app usage with Screen Time and in case they spend more time on a particular app, they would have to enter their passcode to continue their usage.
The report also said that the Cupertino based technology giant is redesigning its Apple ID and that the company is getting the iMessage’s visual effects to the Mac.
Apple’s WWDC 2019 conference will reportedly be scheduled from June 3 to June 7 this year. A prior report that surfaced online said that that developer conference would be held at the the McEnery Convention Centre in San Jose, California.
Nokia, a phone brand brought back from the brink of death has been launching new and innovative smartphones consistently. And it was all made possible after the acquisition of Nokia by HMD Global post which the company started launching all its smartphones under the Android One programme.
Smartphones under the Android One programme receive timely security patches and Android updates. And now, the Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and the Nokia 8 are getting a new software update which brings the March 2019 Android security patch to the handsets.
It should be noted that the updates were to be brought out earlier but they were delayed due to some reasons, but now the first generation of the Nokia phones have started receiving the updates. It has been reported that Nokia 8 is receiving the new update this week. Some users of Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 have also reported to receive the update. Furthermore, Nokia 9 PureView has started receiving a new update as well which speeds up its camera performance along with the fingerprint scanner along with the face unlock. In addition to this, the update for Nokia 9 PureView brings the April 2019 security patch.
According to a report by Nokia Mob, HMD Global has said in a community post last week that the March Security patch for the Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 had been delayed. The delay was because of a one-time issue related to the rollout, so the company decided to take the time to solve the problem and then roll out the update.
The size of the new March Security patch update for the Nokia 5 is 267MB, while for Nokia 6 it is 345MB and for Nokia 8 the file size is 95MB. With the security patch update, the Nokia users will get the solution for the severe critical security vulnerability in the Media Framework which could enable a remote attacker using a specially crafted file to execute the arbitrary code within the context of the privileged process. All three of the first-generation Nokia phones had already received the Android 9 Pie update earlier this year itself.
Furthermore, the Nokia 9 PureView is also getting the new update with the build number 4.22C and it has a file size of around 250MB. According to a report by NPU, the update comes with the April 2019 security patch update along with stability and UI improvements. As mentioned above, the update also brings speed improvements to the camera, the in-display fingerprint sensor along with the face unlock feature.
Facebook may not be handling users’ data effectively and is getting out of one data breach only to be caught in another, but this is clearly not affecting the company’s plans on expanding its services. The company is in fact, working on something that will enable it to learn even more about its users and their preferences. Okay, we won’t beat around the bush anymore. Facebook is now working on a voice-based virtual assistant that will facilitate easier voice search for its users.
Needless to say, the virtual assistant will be competing with the likes of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The report about the social media giant working on its digital assistant first surfaced on CNBC, which got in touch with two ex-employees of Facebook.
The ex-employees said that Facebook is working on an AI-powered virtual aide that will be present on its Oculus VR headsets and Portal. The two also said that the company is also in touch with a number of vendors who supply smart speakers and Facebook’s project is being led by Ira Snyder, the company’s head of AR/VR division.
We should mention that this would not be the first time when Facebook would be working on a virtual assistant as the company also launched ‘M’ in 2015. However, the difference is that M was a text-based smart assistant that was aimed at improving conversations and gives users various recommendations, while the one that will be launched will have support for voice-based searches too. It is worth adding that M was closed down last year because it did not interest a lot of users and was not intuitive enough.
But then, Facebook’s experience with M may benefit the company in creating the new virtual assistant, especially at a time when voice searches are really becoming a hit among users. It has also been estimated that this particular market will grow by 40% annually.
Speaking on the development, Facebook said to Reuters that the AI assistant “may work across our family of AR/VR products including Portal, Oculus and future products.”
As we mentioned earlier, two very big competitors Facebook would have to face in this space are Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The two together have captured 97% of the smart speaker market, and needless to say, a number like this is nearly impossible to beat.
It is worth adding that Facebook’s F8 developer conference will begin on April 30 this month and there is a big possibility that we may get to learn a lot more about the virtual assistant as the event.
Social media giant Facebook has admitted that it had access email contacts of as many as 1.5 million of its users without their consent. Furthermore, the company also stored these email contacts.
A report in Business Insider also claims that between May 2016 and March 2019, Facebook asked some of the new users on its platform to verify their email addresses by sharing the password of their email account. However, once users did this, the email contacts of the user automatically got imported and users did not have the option of stopping it or opting out of it.
In response to this, Facebook told Business Insider that the email contacts were uploaded “unintentionally” in the process. The company also added that these contacts had not been shared by the social media platform with anyone. Facebook also said that it is now deleting the contacts that got uploaded and has also fixed the issue that led to the problem.
It is worth adding that email verification is a very common practice for most online platforms. However, what happened in Facebook’s case is an exception. Usually, when a platform asks users to provide their email address, it sends users a link on their email ID that they have to click so that their account gets verified. On the other hand, Facebook asked users to verify that their accounts by handing over their passwords. The page asking for user’s email password said, “To continue using Facebook, you’ll need to confirm your email address.”
However, users did not have to go through this process as Facebook’s traditional verification options were hidden behind the link between the password box that read ‘Need help?’ Users could also verify their account via a code sent to their smartphone.
We must also add here that Facebook uploaded users’ contacts before May 2016 too when they provided their email password. In fact, that month, Facebook did delete the message that said that their contacts will be uploaded. However, it did nothing to stop the uploading.
While Facebook did mention below its password box that it would not store the password entered as a part of the process. However, Facebook has been embroiled in multiple data breaches since last year, and now, this has become the most recent one.
The social media giant has said that it is notifying all the users whose contacts were uploaded to the service and the process will be completed in the next few days.
Technology giant Google has been testing the Dark Mode for quite some time. And now, a report has surfaced online that claims that the new feature has finally been made available on the table version of Chrome for Android. In addition to this, Google has also started testing a new Reader Mode in Chrome Canary desktop users.
The mode basically removed all the unnecessary content from the page and only keeps the article text and images. Besides this, Google is also working to prevent man-in-the-middle (MiTM) phishing attacks on its browser. Let’s talk in detail about all the three changes.
The stable version of Chrome for Android has finally received support for Dark Mode, according to a report by Android Police. According to the report, the mode will be available with the release of Chrome v74 for Android. However, as of now, in India Google Play only has v73 so we recommend you to wait for the update to arrive rather than download it manually yourself.
Google started testing the Dark Mode feature in February this year and it has finally started making its way to the stable version of the app as well. We should also mention that Mac users also got support for Dark Mode last month and now, Android users have started getting it too.
Coming to the Reader Mode, it is now available in the Chrome Canary for desktop users. Users will be able to enable the flag by going to chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode section in the Chrome Canary version. Once you have enabled the flag, you should restart your browser and begin using the Reader Mode by clicking on the Chrome Dropdown menu on the top right and then choosing the option of Distill page.
We recommend using this mode when you are browsing news websites and blogs as it will remove all the ads on the page and only show the text and images. It is worth adding that this feature was first spotted by ZDNet.
Last but not the least, Google is taking steps to prevent man in the middle (MiTM) phishing attacks and will be blocking all sign-ins from embedded browser frameworks. This will be enabled starting June this month. The reason for the implementation of this feature is that Chrome is not able to differentiate between a legitimate sign on and a MiTM attack. The technology giant has announced about this feature on its security blog.
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi has revealed that its Redmi Note 7 Pro handset will soon be getting support for Fortnite. It is worth noticing that the company has announced this after its rival Realme, which is set to launch its Realme 3 smartphone with Fortnite support in India next week, took a jab at the company’s Redmi Note 7 Pro not being able to support the popular battle royale game. Xiaomi has revealed that it is working along with Qualcomm and Epic Games in order to get the Redmi Note 7 Pro certified for the game.
Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone in February this year and although the handset has support for PUBG Mobile, players cannot play Fortnite on it, which is also an immensely popular battle royale game. According to the Chinese smartphone brand, the processor used in its Redmi Note 7 Pro handset – Snapdragon 675 SoC – is relatively new and Epic Games is yet to certify it. So currently, the company is working with Epic Games and Qualcomm to get the certification.
Xiaomi took to its official forum to say, “One thing to understand here [the lack of Fortnite support] is that since Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 is relatively a newer chipset and hasn’t been launched in the US (the main market for Fortnite), the makers of Fortnite (Epic Games) haven’t had an opportunity to test and thus, certify the Snapdragon 675.”
As of now, there is no word on how much time the certification process is going to take. However, since Epic Games has already said that Fortnite would run on any Android smartphone that has Adreno 530 GPU or higher, it shouldn’t take long for Redmi Note 7 Pro considering it has Adreno 612 GPU.
Prior to this, while teasing the upcoming Realme 3 Pro smartphone which comes with support for Fortnite, CEO Madhav Sheth had taken a dig at the Note 7 Pro and its lack of support for the game.
In response to this, Xiaomi India’s MD Manu Kumar Jain had called Realme 3 Pro’s processor – Snapdragon 710 SoC – as an ‘older processor’ which is slower than Snapdragon 675. Xiaomi reinforced the same in its blog post when it said, “Some older chipsets, including the Snapdragon 710, have made it to Epic Games and thus been certified.”
To recall, Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone comes with a 6.3-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor clubbed with 4GB of RAM and runs Android Pie. The handset has a 4,000mAh battery that comes with support for Quick Charge 4+ fast charging.
A Google Pixel 3 owner recently found out that his device is defective. After contacting the company, and explaining them the issue, he was expecting a refund for the handset. However, what he got in place of the refund was something he definitely was not expecting, and neither was anyone else. According to reports, the customer received 10 Google Pixel 3 smartphones from the company. We should mention that the total worth of all the 10 Pixel 3 smartphones combines at $9,000 (approximately Rs 6,17,900).
A Reddit user with the username Cheetohz claimed that he had been refunded around $80 (approximately Rs 5,500) when the user returned his defective Pixel 3. But the user also received 10 Not Pink Pixel 3 units as a replacement order. Although many users would have been happy with what they got because of Google’s generosity or mistake, but Reddit user Cheetohtz wishes to return the extra units of Pixel 3. However, he also expects Google to refund the full amount of his original defective smartphone.
“Every large company has its fair share of customer service issues, but Google seems to always find the most perplexing ways to screw up,” a Reddit user pointed out the story about Google’s mess ups in its customer and product services to get the attention of the California-based technology giant.
According to the Android Police’s report, “After returning a defective Pixel 3, Google didn’t issue a refund. Instead, it sent 10 Pixels when the user bought a replacement.” The report also mentioned that the tech giant can’t force the user to return the Pixel devices but the user is definitely trying to return the 10 units he got. He that Google only refunded $80 for tax on the original faulty device.
The Google Pixel 3 for the 128GB internal storage variant costs $899 (approximately Rs 62,500) and since Google has already refunded $80 to the user, only around $800 remains to be refunded.
“That leaves $900 owed (apparently this was a 128GB model). However, Cheetohz (the user) went ahead and ordered a new pink Pixel in a separate transaction. Google’s shipper somehow thought the order was for 10 pink phones, and that’s what they sent,” the report added.
About this matter, Google’s official Reddit support account reached out to the user in the comment section of his post to get the matter sorted. This is one peculiar news, but what happens to the 10 Not Pink Pixel 3 units and what happens to the user’s refund is yet to be seen.
Battle royale games have become one of the most popular gaming genres for millennials and naturally, there are a number of new games that are being released in this genre. Games like PUBG, Fortnite, COD Blackout, Battlefield Firestorm are some of the most popular new battle royale titles and they are known for being too addictive.
However, with great popularity comes great criticism. And in case of these battle royales, their immense popularity has also resulted in bans. Earlier, it was reported that Nepal became the first ever country to put a nationwide ban on PUBG. And now, the government of Iraq has followed the suit and banned two of the most-popular battle royale titles – Fortnite and PUBG.
According to the Iraqi government, they called the vote to ban the games because of their detrimental influence on the younger population of the country. According to Reuters, the ban was put on these games “due to the negative effects caused by some electronic games on the health, culture and security of the Iraqi society, including societal and moral threats to children and youth.”
Last week, Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shi’ite cleric and former head of the Mahdi Army militia warned that the battle royale shooter games like PUBG and Fortnite were addictive and unhealthy for the children and called on the government to ban the game. In a statement, al-Sadr wrote that, “What will you gain if you killed one or two people in PUBG? It is not a game for intelligence or a military game that provides you with the correct way to fight.”
The ban was received with negativity reactions from the public and the government received huge criticism. But the criticism wasn’t just because of the ban on the games but also because of the misplaced priorities of the Iraqi government. As the government in Iraq is the real issue and the country itself continues to suffer with sectarian violence, bad infrastructure and unstable politics. It was all of this combined that led to public’s anger. According to the people of Iraq, the government is not focusing on the real issue and rather it is addressing non-issues and it doesn’t anything for the welfare of the country.
Earlier, we saw the Nepal became the first country to put a nationwide ban on PUBG. And before that we saw that some cities in the Indian state of Gujarat had banned the game (PUBG). The police in those cities had even arrested some of the college going young adults for playing the game in public during the ban.
Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram has reportedly considered hiding the number of likes on pictures that are uploaded by users so that their friends cannot see how many likes a particular post has. The app‘s unreleased feature was spotted today and it is said that it publically hides the like counts beneath all posts.
The new addition to Instagram was first spotted by code-hunter Jane Wong and according to her, the feature is being tested because the company wants “your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get.” If the feature is made active on Instagram, only the person who posts the photo will be able to see the number of likes that it has received.
However, Instagram has clarified that till now, it has not tested this feature. Speaking about the recently spotted feature, the company told technology website The Verge, “We’re not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we’re always thinking about.”
Instagram is testing hiding like count from audiences,
as stated in the app: "We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get" pic.twitter.com/MN7woHowVN
We should mention that the details of Instagram testing this feature comes days after a report in Independent said that British Information Commissioner’s Office has given a recommendation to social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat to offer the option of turning off likes and streaks, which encourage users to post more on their respective apps. The agency has recommended this ban to protect the safety and privacy of young users of social media platforms.
However, we must add that this would be an enormous change in how the social media platforms function. While we have to admit that ‘Likes’ can be very demotivating at times, they also encourage people to post more by acting as an incentive. But then, we also cannot ignore the fact that just for ‘Likes’, people at times post content that is not authentic.
This has particularly grown since the number of micro-influencers have gone up on Instagram. In order to get likes, people have started posting photos that are doctored with or have nudity, or even thirst trap photos.
While these posts may manage to get ‘Likes’ on the photo-sharing platform, they aren’t necessarily interesting. By removing the concept of ‘Likes’ publically from its platform, Instagram may be able to put an end or at least post of this nature.
It would lead to people posting only the content that they want to share with their followers and not any picture just to get more ‘Likes’.
Google’s Night Sight, a feature exclusively present in Google Pixel smartphones, enables them to produce some impressive low-light photographs. And now, to compete with Night Sight by Google, Samsung is bringing the dedicated Night Mode to its Samsung Galaxy S10-series of smartphones. This new feature is being pushed out to Samsung Galaxy S10 through a software update and it resembles Google’s Night Sight. The new feature comes out as an extension of the Bright Night feature which was spotted last year to improve the low-light shots and night photography.
In the new update for Samsung Galaxy S10-series, the users have to select the available Night Mode through the camera app to capture the images in the dark. The earlier feature used a software-based algorithm on the Galaxy S10 to detect when it was required to take the long exposure shots and adjusted settings accordingly. As mentioned before, this new feature is being rolled out through an update, however currently it is just being rolled out in Switzerland through the over-the-air update. But it will be rolled out on a global scale in the coming weeks.
According to a report by SamMobile, the new Night Mode is brought out by Samsung to improve its Samsung Galaxy S10’s low-light camera performance and to compete with the Google’s Night Sight. Earlier, we saw that a Bright Night feature was spotted in the South Korean technology giant’s code for the Samsung Camera application in the One UI beta version last year. The Bright Night feature used the software intelligence to improve the lighting in the images clicked by the camera. But the new Night Mode is not a beta version, as it is being rolled out as a stable update and it will be added to the camera app of the Samsung Galaxy S10-series. With this, the Night Mode can be used by the users anytime they want and it sits next to the Panorama Mode in the Mode Selection.
Once the Night Mode is selected, the user will be notified to hold the smartphone steady to capture the low-light photographs. There is a possibility that this mode uses the multiple frames and then adds them up together to deliver the bright images. And this process is similar to what Google uses in its Night Sight mode.
But there is also a possibility that Samsung might be using its own native algorithms to give the bright camera results. And this algorithm could be an improved version of the Bright Night feature. Other than the new Camera feature, the new update is also expected to bring the April 2019 security patch along with other minor fixes.
Mukesh Ambani – who happens to be the richest man in India – turns 62 years today. On the occasion of Reliance Industries’ Chairman’s birthday, we have made a list of the most expensive things that he owns. Take a look at them here:
In This Article
He owns one among the most expensive homes in the world
Image Courtesy: vastuhouseoffice
This one had to be on the top of our list. Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai, Antilla, has been built at an estimated cost of over $1 billion. It is said that Antilla is the world’s most expensive property after Buckingham Palace. The house has 27 stories and a six-floor garage that can accommodate 168 cars at once. The house is reported to have a movie theatre that can accommodate 50 people at once, nine high-speed elevators and three helipads. A total of six hundred employees are said to work at Antilla.
He has an Airbus 319 Corporate Jet
Image Courtesy: Success Story
Mukesh Ambani owns the Airbus 319 corporate jet that can carry up to 25 passengers at once. The plane is said to have a large entertainment cabin, a luxury sky bar and a dining area. The corporate jet has customised leather seating and a state of art cockpit. It is said to cost more than $100 million.
He owns a yacht
Representative image
Some call it a yacht, others like to say it looks like a floating palace. Mukesh Ambani’s yacht is 58 meters long, 38 meters wide and comes with a retracting solar glass roof. It has three decks and the yacht has a piano bar, lounge, and dining area. There are personal suites for guests and a dedicated reading room. The yacht is speculated to be more than $100 million in price.
He also has a Boeing Business Jet 2
Image Courtesy: Success Story
For his own private uses, Mukesh Ambani acquired the Boeing Business Jet 2 in 2017. The plane comes with 1004 sq feet cabin space and can seat 78 people at once. It has private suites and a lounge too. According to reports, the private jet cost $73 million to Ambani.
He has a Falcon 900EX
Image Courtesy: Success Story
The Falcon 900EX aircraft has a mid-flight office, a cabin with gaming controls, satellite televisions, music systems and wireless communication. The plane is said to have cost Ambani $43 million.
The BMW 760 Li
Image courtesy: Dummy Gallery
This one is the most expensive car in Mukesh Ambani’s collection yet. For, BMW 760 Li Ambani is said to have paid Rs 8.5 crore. The car is customised for him and it is bulletproof. The BMW is equipped with Z-category security detailing. In addition to the price of the car, Ambani also had to pay Rs 1.6 crore extra to get it registered in Mumbai.
Rolls Royce Phantom
Image courtesy: Carwale
The stunning luxury sedan is definitely one among the most attractive cars in Mukesh Ambani’s collection. It can go from 0 to 100 kmph in 5.8 seconds and its top speed is 249 kmph. Mukesh Ambani paid a whopping Rs 8 crore for the Rolls Royce Phantom.
He is the first man in India to own a Maybach 62
Image Courtesy: NewsDog
Yes, Mukesh Ambani owns a Maybach 62. He got it as a birthday present for his wife Nita Ambani. The car has a top speed of 250km per hour and can go from 0 to 100 kmph in 5.4 seconds. Mukesh Ambani is said to have got it customised and it cost him more than $1 million.
He also has an Aston Martin Rapide
Image Courtesy: NewsDog
Mukesh Ambani’s customized Aston Martin is one among the most expensive cars in this list. The car is said to go from 0-60 in just 4.4 seconds it has a top speed of around 203 miles per hour. Aston Martin Rapide is priced at $170,000.
And a Mercedes S class
Image courtesy: NewsDog
Mukesh Ambani’s Mercedes S Class is bulletproof and it comes with a conference centre and has TV screens and laptops. The car is said to go from 0 to 60 kmph in just 3.9 seconds. According to reports, Mukesh Ambani paid $150,000 for his Mercedes S class.
The company behind Fortnite, Epic Games has announced a list of new security features to keep its game, the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine users safe from cybercriminals. The most important change added by Epic games is the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) by using the dedicated authenticator app or email. The SMS-based authentication will be brought out soon by the company for the games and its platforms.
Epic Games will also use other detection techniques to make sure that the email which is used to login into the Epic Games account hasn’t been compromised anywhere else. The Epic Games will also help and guide the players by making them choose a strong password by integrating the ‘Have I Been Pwned’ during the password reset or when creating a new account.
According to a blog post by Epic Games, the Multi-Factor Authentication or MFA will help the user increase and strengthen the security of their account. Currently, the users can choose between using an authenticator app or receiving the 2-factor key on their registered email id. The users can then follow the steps to make their account more secure.
Also, Epic Games has said that the SMS-based 2-factor authentication will be enabled soon for its other games and platforms. The players who have enabled their MFA are receiving the Boogie Down emote for free in Fortnite.
The company has also started using the ‘Pwned Passwords list (v4)’ by ‘Have I Been Pwned’. This new feature makes sure that the passwords created by the users are strong and they haven’t been compromised in the past. If they have, then they will be asked to change and reset their password to something strong.
In addition to this, Epic Games will be making the email verification absolutely necessary now for all the new accounts in the future. But the existing users can also make their accounts more secure and use the email verification process anytime they want. The game studio will be adding a host of account detection techniques throughout the year to make sure that no email which has been used in the Epic Games accounts have been compromised.
On this note, Epic Games said’ “However, specific individual Epic accounts have been compromised by hackers using lists of email addresses and passwords leaked from other sites which have been compromised.”
But if the email of any user has been found to be compromised in the past, the Epic Games will lock the account. It will then ask the user to reset their password and make it strong so that it won’t be compromised easily.
Netflix is one among the most popular video streaming platforms and it has gained a reputation for being very secretive about viewership data on its original content. The case has been the same for shows and films. However, now the platform is set to change this policy as the company has promised more transparency.
Netfix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos spoke about the new transparency that is being undertaken by the company during an investors call earlier this week. He said to the investors that Netflix will begin releasing “more specific and granular data and reporting” to different groups soon. The viewership data will be shared by Netflix with producers, followed by subscribers and then finally the press.
According to the Sarandos, the company’s goal is to be “more fully transparent about what people are watching on Netflix around the world.” The video-streaming service has slowly started release more data and it was announced in December that more than 45 million accounts watched Bird Box within the first one week of its release.
However, it has not been disclosed by either Sarandos or Netflix CEO Reed Hastings that how the company collects its data or what type of information it is set to share with producers, subscribers and press. However, Hastings has acknowledged that Netflix will be become more and more transparent “quarter by quarter.” He also added, “The real metric is, can we keep our members happy and grow that subscriber base as we did so strongly in Q1?”
We should mention that this is a big step for Netflix as in the past, the company has declined the number of times to open up about the viewing habits of its members. Netflix has also been criticised because it, on one hand, it maintains secrecy about its ratings and on the other hand, it does not shy away from making occasional claims about how strong the ratings are. A good example of this is when the company claimed in 2015 that its series Narcos had more viewers than Game of Thrones.
Speaking further on the development, Sarandos said, “I would look at it like these are less financial metrics as they are cultural metrics. I think it’s important for artists to understand, to have the audience also understand the size of the reach of their work. So that’s why you’ll see us ramping up a little bit more and more and giving out — sharing a little more of that information.”
