Music streaming platform Spotify is aiming to become a major player in the sphere of podcasting, and it is spending millions to achieve its goal. And now, a report has surfaced online which explains how the company plans to promote its shows in the initial stage. Spotify will reportedly be placing suggested episodes into playlists that are generated algorithmically for its users.
According to technology website The Verge, Spotify placed several short podcasts along with personalized music suggestions in a playlist. It is worth mentioning that currently, Spotify does not have a podcast recommendation tool that is widely available. The app does not even offer specially curated podcast playlists for users. So, it seems like it has decided on this way to make recommendations.
We should mention that this year, Spotify has plans of spending $500 million on acquisitions that it plans on making in the podcast industry. Till now, it has acquired Gimlet Media, Parcast and a creation and hosting platform called Anchor. While no major changes have been seen on Spotify’s app, it is clear from the company’s actions what it intends on doing. The platform is expected to come up with a collection of shows that will exclusively be available on Spotify. It will also be working on ads and a way for people to discover podcasts.
The report further states that the playlist test is called Your Daily Drive, and it features music based on the user’s interests. However, it is also worth pointing out that apart from songs, the playlist reportedly had news podcasts, most of which were in Portuguese. According to the report, the reporter who got the playlist does not speak Portuguese. Maybe this is happening because the feature is currently in the testing phase, and hopefully it would be able to make better recommendations once it is rolled out to all. It may have also happened because the company might be only running the test in a Portuguese-speaking country, and accidentally shared the same shows to the reporter. It is worth mentioning that these podcasts were not made by Spotify.
Speaking about the company’s plans, a Spotify spokesperson told The Verge, “We’re always testing new products and experiences, but have no further news to share at this time.”
Algorithmic playlists that offer music and podcasts will definitely be a welcome feature on the music-streaming platform. Considering that the company’s Discover Weekly playlist is already a very popular feature if it plans to add podcasts to it, Spotify will be able to provide more than 100 million subscribers with podcasts.
The legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm is coming to an end. Or rather, the two companies have agreed for a settlement. But it comes at a cost that Apple will have to bear. American chipmaker Qualcomm has revealed in its Q2 earnings that it will be receiving $4.5 billion from the Cupertino-based technology giant as a part of the settlement agreement.
The settlement between Apple and Qualcomm was very unexpected, and it was decided upon while the trial between the two companies was going on. Both the technology giants have been involved in a patent dispute for the last few years now, and neither of the two wanted to back out.
However, according to a report in Bloomberg, Apple realised that Intel‘s modems, which the company has been using because of its dispute with Qualcomm, would not be ready in time to use in 5G iPhones. This, in turn, is causing a delay in the launch of a 5G iPhone, in spite of the fact that Apple first observes how a technology is perceived in the market and then comes out with its own version.
This reportedly led Apple to agree to pay a sum between $4.5 to $4.7 billion in order to make up with the American chipmaker. We should also add here that most 5G smartphones that we have or will be seeing this year will come with Qualcomm’s processor.
It is worth pointing out that the amount Apple has paid right now is separate from any royalties the company would have to pay to use Qualcomm chips in its devices in the future.
But paying this amount has got Apple a six-year global patent licensing agreement with the American chipmaker. The technology giant also has an option of extending it for another two years. And most importantly, the company’s legal fight with Qualcomm, which had spread to different parts of the world has come to an end. With this, Apple would again be able to get services from Qualcomm.
As we mentioned earlier, this is extremely critical for Apple, as Intel would not be able to ready 5G chips on time. So the company either has the option of producing its own 5G chips, or simply getting them from Qualcomm.
Speaking on the settlement agreement, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said, “We are also pleased to have reached multi-year agreements with Apple and look forward to continuing to support them as a customer.”
It is worth mentioning that according to a report by CNBC says that Apple’s cash on hand alone is 50 times the amount it had to pay to Qualcomm — $225.4 billion to be precise. Apple is also the first ever company to cross the valuation of $1 trillion. So, you can do the maths and find out how much $4.5 billion means to the Cupertino-based technology giant.
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Before the much-awaited launch of the OnePlus 7, that is scheduled for May 14, OnePlus seems to be focusing on its previous smartphones. The company has started rolling out its new OxygenOS Open Beta updates for the OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 5T with many new features such as live background app activity while using Quick Reply, new UI, better search functionality etc. The more recent OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 6T are also receiving the new OxygenOS Open Beta update. For the OnePlus 6-series the updates are similar to that of OnePlus 5-series with addition of the intelligent Cleanup feature in the File Manager. We should mention that this feature is exclusively available for the users in India only.
Manu J, the Product Operations Manager at OnePlus revealed the changelog of the new OxygenOS Open Beta 31 update for the OnePlus 5 and the Open Beta 29 update for the OnePlus 5T. The changelog was revealed on the official OnePlus forum.
The newest improvement and change which the new Open Beta update brings is the improved Quick Reply feature. Post the update, it can be used in the landscape mode seamlessly. Earlier, the app activity used to stop when using the Quick Reply feature in the landscape mode, but the new update has the issue resolved. OnePlus has also added support for more instant messaging applications which are compatible with the native Quick Reply feature while using the OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 5T in landscape mode.
The new OxygenOS Open Beta update hasn’t only brought the performance improvements but also the aesthetical and graphical improvements as well. Now, the system update page comes with a new look, along with the fixed system issue of sending the device overheating warnings.
Other than that, the OnePlus Community too has received changes and improvements such as improved Social Page UI, a new and improved search field with the arrival of grouped search results across different categories. There are also some improvements in the Bug Report section.
Coming to the OnePlus 6-series changelog, the OnePlus 6 is getting the OnePlus Open Beta 17 update while the OnePlus 6T is getting the Open Beta 9 update. As mentioned above, the changelog of the OnePlus 6-series is similar to the changelog of the OnePlus 5-series. But there is also an addition of the intelligent clean-up feature in the File Manager application of the OnePlus 6-series. But it should be noted that this new addition is only available for the Indian users of the OnePlus 6-series.
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Video streaming platform Netflix has started rolling out an upgrade to its audio streaming technology. With the upgrade, the maximum bitrate of audio on Netflix will go up and it will be adjusted automatocally based on the speed of internet connection. The new high-quality audio will take up the maximum bitrate of a 5.1 audio mix to 640 kbps. The company has also said that a Dolby Atmos mix will increase to 768 kbps.
As we mentioned earlier, the bitrate will also adjust according to the speed of the internet connection. So, it may even drop to 192 kbps so that the video keeps on getting streamed without any interruptions.
It is worth adding that Netflix has used the same approach earlier for its video feeds, which also adjust automatically. But then, till now, the bitrate of any video’s audio was set before it started streaming. And once the show or the film started, users did not have an option of adjusting it again. This was very annoying in some situations as it meant being stuck with low quality audio when your internet connection could actually run more. The only situation worse than this one was to wait for a show to buffer because it had a higher bitrate than the one the internet connection could take.
It should be noted that even with 5.1 audio bitrate of 640 kbps, which is basically the maximum that Netflix has, the video streaming platform is compressing the audio a lot compared to the 24-bit / 48 kHz mastering sample frequency.
Netflix has been leading the video-streaming platform since its inception. Addressing this, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook recently said that the company’s upcoming video service can co-exist with Netflix.
Although Cook has spoken about co-existing, we should mention that Apple plans to spend $2 billion on content in the next one year in order to make sure that its service is at par with others.
But then, on the other hand, Netflix spent $13 billion on content last year and in 2019, the video-streaming platform eyes to spend $15 billion.
Currently, Apple has no choice but to co-exist with Netflix in the video-streaming sphere, since it will take a lot more money and time to beat the latter in its own game.
We should mention that Apple is really leaving no stone unturned to lure customers to its service. The company has partnered with a number of celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carel, Kumail Nanjiani, Jason Momoa, Alfre Woodard, JJ Abrams and Sara Bareilles.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook has today said that the company’s upcoming video service can co-exist with Netflix and other competitors in the sphere.
Speaking about this, Cook was quoted saying, “There’s a huge move from the cable bundle to over-the-top. We think that most users are going to get multiple over-the-top products, and we’re going to do our best to convince them that the Apple TV+ product should be one of them.”
We should mention that this is a new conciliatory stance by Apple towards companies like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. A reason for this can be the fact that Apple now partners with them and relies on such companies for some of its current services revenues. This also includes the likes of Disney‘s upcoming streaming service that will be launched later this year.
Everybody knows that the Cupertino based technology giant aims to replace all of these services and to get as much revenue as possible. However, it is coming to the sphere a lot later than others and also does not have too much content to offer as compared to established players. Netflix and HBO, on the other hand, are known for their award-winning and high-quality content.
Although Apple is currently talking about co-existing with these services, we should also mention that the company plans to spend $2 billion on content in the next one year in order to make sure that its service is at par with others.
But then if we speak about Netflix, which leads this segment, it spent $13 billion on content in 2018 alone. This year, the video-streaming platform eyes to spend $15 billion.
So as of now, Apple has no choice but to co-exist with Netflix, since it will take a lot more money and time to beat the latter in its own game.
Having said that, Apple is really leaving no stone unturned for making its service as attractive as possible. The company has partnered with a number of celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carel, Kumail Nanjiani, Jason Momoa, Alfre Woodard, JJ Abrams and Sara Bareilles.
Apple is competing directly with the likes of Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime and others when it comes to video streaming. It will be quite a challenge for the Cupertino based technology giant to make its mark in the segment and surpassing all of them, is something that is definitely not happening in the near future.
Chinese smartphone brand Realme will soon be launching a smartphone that will have a notch-less screen and a pop-up selfie camera. And today, Xiaomi revealed a video teasing the phone with a pop-up selfie camera. It seems like the rivalry between Realme and Redmi will escalate in the coming months. Coming back to Realme’s smartphone, the main specifications, storage variant and pricing of the handset have been leaked online. According to the leaks, the ‘Realme X’ will be powered by the Snapdragon 730 SoC, while there might be possibility of another variant – ‘Realme X Pro’ – which will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC.
We also saw that the Realme device with the pop-up selfie camera may come with the model number RMX1901. Certain leaks also suggest that the company might be planning to launch a device with the name of Realme X Lite in China in the coming weeks.
Talking about the current leaked specifications, according to a tweet by @I_Leak_VN, the Chinese smartphone maker might be planning to launch two variants of the upcoming Realme device. The names of the two variants are speculated to be Realme X and Realme X Pro. As mentioned above, the Realme X will reportedly be powered by the Snapdragon 730 SoC and will come with a pop-up selfie camera. There is also the possibility of an in-display fingerprint scanner along with a sixth-generation optical sensing module. Its display will reportedly be protected with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and it will support the VOOC 3.0 fast charging.
On the camera front, the device (Realme X) will reportedly have a 48MP main sensor paired with a 5MP depth sensor. But the details about the front camera is currently not known.
Moreover, the leaks claim that the smartphone will come in three RAM and storage variant. The base variant will have 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage and will be priced at CNY 1,599 (approximately Rs 16,500), while the 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant will cost CNY 1,799 (approximately Rs 18,500). The top-end variant with the 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage will reportedly hold a price tag of CNY 1,999 (approximately Rs 20,600).
The Pro variant of the Realme X will reportedly be the flagship device from the company allegedly powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC. But it should be noted that the confirmation of the flagship device from the company hasn’t been made yet so the news about the flagship might not be right. But if it is, then it will go up against the confirmed Redmi flagship smartphone which will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC.
Xiaomi’s POCO F1 smartphone has received another price cut in India. The 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant of the Poco F1 has got a price cut of Rs 2,000 off on its earlier price. Now, the Poco F1 with the 6GB RAM variant will sell for Rs 20,999 instead of its earlier price of Rs 22,999. Even earlier, the smartphone had received a similar price cut where it was given a substantial price cut from its original price. The Poco F1 was launched in August 2018 and since its launch it has become one of the most sold smartphones in India as per a recent report. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC and packs up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.
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Poco F1 price (revised)
After the price cut, the Poco F1 with the 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage will sell for Rs 20,999 instead of Rs 22,999. The price cut was announced by Poco itself through its official Twitter handle.
The other variants of the Poco F1 with the 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage and with the 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage will sell on their regular prices. The one with 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage sells for Rs 19,999 while one with the 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage sells for Rs 27,999.
The new price cut will be made live from today onwards and can be purchased from Flipkart, Mi,com and Mi Home Stores. The Poco F1 comes in three colour options to choose from — Steel Blue, Graphite Black, and Rosso Red.
Poco F1 specifications
The Poco F1 sports a 6.18-inch Full-HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixel) IPS display with a notch on top. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. The device supports dual-SIM card and also has microSD card support up to 256GB. The Poco F1 packs a 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. It runs Android 9 Pie skinned with MIUI for Poco.
On the camera front, the Poco F1 packs a dual rear camera setup which comprises of a 12MP main camera paired with a 5MP secondary depth sensor. On the front, there is a 20MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture for selfies and video calls.
There is a LiquidCool Technology in the Poco F1 which keeps it from heating up while gaming or doing intensive tasks. Being a feature packed device, it is one of the most eligible mid-range smartphones right now.
South Korean technology giant Samsung has been working very hard on repairing its bad reputation when it comes to software updates. And if you look at how the company has been performing in the aspect for the past few months, you would see that it has improved. Since the beginning of the year, Samsung has been rolling out some crucial updates to old devices like Galaxy Note 9 and to the new ones like Galaxy S10. It has primarily been focussed on sending out One UI based Android Pie update to its various handsets including its flagships, mid-range devices and entry-level phones.
Last year’s flagship phablet Samsung Galaxy Note 9 got the One UI update in January 2019 itself. And now, the company is rolling out another update to the smartphone to bring some camera improvements and scheduling for the Night mode.
To begin with, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has got a new toggle that helps users switch between the standard and the wide-angle field of view when they are clicking selfies. It is worth mentioning that FOV is set to 68 degrees by default and it can be changed to 80 degrees so that more people can be included in the frame. We should also add that 68 degrees selfie mode was also added to Samsung Galaxy A50 (review) smartphone recently. The feature helps in cropping the standard field of view so that the person clicking the selfie remains in focus, and not the background behind them.
Besides this, the latest update has also got the option of scheduling Night Mode on Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Night Mode basically refers to a feature that enables users to switch on or schedule a system-wide dark theme.
The update was first spotted by SamMobile, the update has already started rolling out to Galaxy Note 9 users in Germany. It is also expected to roll out to other countries soon. The update also gets the April Android Security patch and the South Korean technology giant may add the security patch from May before it is rolled out to other countries.
In an unrelated piece of news Samsung’s Galaxy A70 smartphone has gone on sale in India today. The handset sports a triple rear camera setup, a massive 4,500mAh battery and an in-display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone is priced at Rs 28,990 in India and can be bought from Flipkart, Samsung online shop, Samsung Opera House and various retail stores. The smartphone was launched in March globally and made its way to India in April.
HMD Global has started rolling out the April 2019 Android Security patch update to Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 Plus users in India, according to reports. It is worth mentioning that Nokia 3.1 Plus smartphones that have the Android 9.0 Pie running are receiving the update now. The handsets running the Android 8.1 Oreo have reportedly already received the security patch earlier.
We should also mention that the April 2019 Android Security patch update has already been rolled out to Nokia 8 Sirocco and Nokia 6.1 Plus users in the country. The Finland-based technology company has built its reputation by providing timely software updates and security patches to Nokia smartphones. All Nokia smartphones that have been made by HMD Global are a part of Google’s Android One programme, which means that they get timely Android updates for two years and security patches for three years.
The April 2019 Android security patch update for Nokia 3.1 Plus is said to be 86.7MB in size and the update for Nokia 5.1 is reported to be 111MB in size. Both the updates are rolling out over-the-air and they will reach the end users in a phased manner. So, if your friend happens to get it before you do, don’t be surprised.
Once you get the update, you will get a notification to download it. In case you don’t, you can head to Settings>System Updates to check for it and install it manually. The report about the latest update for Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 Plus smartphones first appeared in NokiaPowerUser.
As of now, there is no word about whether Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 Plus users in other countries have received the same update or not.
The April security patch fixes a number of vulnerabilities and bugs that were present in the smartphones till now. The most serious one that has been solved enabled a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code if he used a specially crafted file.
As we mentioned earlier, Nokia 8 Sirocco and Nokia 6.1 Plus users are also getting the April Android Security update in India. The updates for both of these smartphones are based on the latest version of Android.
To recall, Nokia 5.1 is powered by 2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P18 processor and comes with a 5.5-inch full-HD+ IPS LCD display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. It comes with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. For imaging duties, Nokia 5.1 sports a 16MP primary sensor and an 8MP selfie camera. The handset packs a 3200mAh battery and offers 3G, 4G VoLTE, Wi-FI, Bluetooth and GPS for connectivity.
Google’s upcoming mid-range Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL smartphones are expected to be launched within the next few days. The launch date of these devices has not been confirmed officially yet but there is a strong possibility that the California-based search giant might unveil these devices on May 7 at the Google I/O 2019. And now, the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3a XL have received the Bluetooth SIG certification which further confirms the imminent launch of both the devices. On the Bluetooth SIG database, there are 4 models listed of each of the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL. And all of them come with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
Earlier, before the confirmation of the devices by Google certain leaks had surfaced online which revealed that a more affordable version of the high-end Pixel 3 devices is in the making. Then later, the Google Play Developer console, Google Store as well as the Android Q beta code revealed the availability of these devices. And lastly, Google had confirmed the presence of both the devices without revealing their launch dates. Since both the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL have received the mandatory Bluetooth SIG certification which was spotted by NashvilleChatter, we actually need no further confirmation about their launch.
The listing was published on April 30 with the certification awarded to Google LLC as well. As mentioned above, a total of 8 smartphones were spotted on the database. The devices for the Pixel 3a XL included G020A, G020B, G020C, and G020D, while for the Pixel 3a, G020E, G020F, G020G, and G020H were found. All the devices mentioned here runs Android 9 Pie.
If we talk about the specifications of the new Pixel series, they aren’t official but according to a recent Geekbench listing the Pixel 3a will be powered by the Snapdragon 670 SoC. On the other hand, the Pixel 3a XL will be powered by the Snapdragon 710 SoC. The Pixel 3a comes with 4GB of RAM while its bigger Pixel 3a XL also comes with similar RAM options. Other than that, the battery of the Pixel 3a will be 3,000mAh.
The main difference between the two devices is their screen-sizes. While the Pixel 3a comes with a 5.6-inch Full-HD+ (1080 x 2220 pixels) OLED display, the Pixel 3a XL will be seen sporting a 6-inch HD+ display. The Pixel 3a will be sporting a 12MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. More details about the Google Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL will be available around the time of the Google I/O 2019 on May 7.
Dell Technologies has launched a new Latitude series of Mobile PC today which is aimed at users to work on the move while being productive. According to the company, the new Latitude series of mobile PCs provide express technology options and enterprise-class security while being mobile. It comes with a next-generation biometric sign-in and multi-factor security options to keep their data safe. Here’s a look at all the details of the new laptops:
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Dell Latitude-series price and availability
The newly launched Dell Latitude series comes in many variants with varying prices. The Latitude 7×00 laptop starts at $1,299 (approximately Rs 90,244) while the Dell Latitude 7200 2-in-1 has a starting price of $999 (approximately Rs 69,403). The Latitude 5×00 laptops starts at $819 (approximately Rs 56,897), the Latitude 5×01 laptops comes at a starting price of $1,179 (approximately Rs 81,908) and the Latitude 5300 2-in-1 comes with a starting price of $949 (approximately Rs 65,929). And last but not the least, the Dell Latitude 3×00 laptops comes with a starting price of $599. (approximately Rs 41,614). All the newly launched Dell Latitude laptops will be available from May 1 onwards on the company’s official website Dell.com.
Speaking about the launch, Rahul Tikoo, vice president and general manager of Commercial Mobility Products at Dell said, “The modern workforce’s computing needs have changed. They’re not at their desks nine to five. They’re in motion between meetings, remote or frequently travelling, and one-size-fits-all laptops won’t cut it. Our new Latitudes make it easier and more enjoyable to work, collaborate and innovate anytime, anywhere. With security concerns looming over both employees and IT departments, businesses can rely on our new Latitudes, combined with Dell Technologies Unified Workspace, to make it simple for IT to ensure workers have the best device for their needs – up and running fast, working smarter and always secure, wherever they are.”
Dell Latitude 7000-series specifications and features
Dell Latitude 7000-series comes with a 13-inch and a 14-inch display sizes and according to the company they are the world’s smallest premium business-class notebooks. Both the Latitude-series laptops come encased in a durable and machined aluminium or carbon fibre materials. The display of the Latitude 7000-series is anti-glare, comes with narrow bezels and are optimized to minimize the battery drain.
Security is a primary factor in Dell Latitude 7000-series as they come with digital SafeScreen technology which narrows down the screen’s field of view for security while working in public.
The Dell Latitude 7000-series also includes the Latitude 7200 2-in-1 which comes with a thinner and lighter design. It also features a brushed anodized aluminum premium finish and backlit keyboard. The screen size of the laptop is 12-inches and the company has touted that it is the most secure, manageable and feature-rich detachable one in the Latitude series. The small laptop can be detached from its keyboard which can turn it into a tablet.
All the laptops of the Dell Latitude 7000-series come with up to 32GB RAM and up to 20 hours of battery life. Other features of the newly launched Latitude 7000-series laptops includes a narrow border 4×4, CAT16, cellular antenna with dynamic antenna tuning.
Dell Latitude 5000-series specifications and features
Dell’s Latitude 5000-series offers world’s smallest business notebooks with its 13-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch display sizes. They too come with a carbon fiber reinforced chassis and offer up to 20 hours of screen on time. The display comes in HD and Full HD variants with narrow bezels and touchscreen. Dell Latitude 5000-series are powered by the 8th Generation Intel Core CPUs with optional GPUs.
Other than that, the Latitude 5300 2-in-1 is the smallest of the lot as it comes in a 13-inch display size. Since it is a 2-in-1 laptop, its screen can be detached so that can be used as a tablet. It weighs 3.15 lbs and it has a 360-degrees hinge paired with a Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen display with anti-glare coating screen. It comes with up to 32GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage options.
Dell Latitude-3000 laptops specifications and features
The lowest of the lot is the Latitude 3000-series and it focuses more towards the entry-level business notebooks with enterprise-class capabilities. It comes in a 13-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch display sizes. Dell’s Latitude 3000-series comes with an updated look.
All the newly launched Dell Latitude laptops comes with powerful hardware and software integration. They come with ExpressCharge which provides an up to 80% battery charge in just one hour while the ExpressCharge Boost charges to up to 35% in just 20 minutes. Other features includes ExpressConnect, which detects and connects to the strongest Wi-Fi network.
Some of the new Latitude series comes with fingerprint readers built into the power button and Windows Hello-capable IR cameras for a more trusted biometric authentication. They also come with many features such as Dell SafeScreen, Smart Card Reader, SafeID, SafeBIOS.
WhatsApp is undoubtedly the most popular instant messaging app today. And in order to make itself more useful, Facebook keeps on adding new features to it. Here, we have listed down 10 useful and interesting features that will come to WhatsApp for Android this year. Note that these were found in WhatsApp for Android’s beta versions, and are expected to be rolled out soon:
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Dark Mode
This is probably the most anticipated feature of WhatsApp. Traces of the upcoming mode have been spotted in different beta versions. It is worth pointing out though, that the most recent beta v2.19.87 and v2.19.82 for WhatsApp’s Android app have given us a fair look at how the mode will look in the ‘Profile Section’ on the Settings page and Status bar. However, it is still in works and will be launched soon.
Forwarding Info
A new feature that has been spotted in WhatsApp’s beta version 2.19.87 is Forwarding Info. With this, users can see the number of times a message has been forwarded on the app. However, you can only see this when you forward that message to someone else too. Just long press on the message after sending it and then click on the information icon to find out.
Consecutive Voice Messages
This feature has been found in beta version 2.19.86 and it enables auto-playing two or more voice messages that have been sent one after the other. Just update your app to the said version and you will be able to listen to voice messages sent together consecutively.
Revamped Settings menu
This feature can be found in Android beta v2.19.45. The redesigned ‘Settings’ menu has a different layout and comes with new icons for a number of tools. Some tools have also been relocated and some new icons have also been added with the update. Once you update, you will see a number of tweaks. The most major one is the addition of ‘Payments’ option on the Settings page.
Shared Media options
WhatsApp’s Android beta v2.19.18 has changed the options users get in the Media section of chats. With the update, if you go press the three-dot icon of the Media section, you will see some new options like ‘Show in Chat’, ‘Set as…’ and ‘Rotate’. With ‘Show in Chat’ you can see when exactly the image was shared with you and by whom, and with ‘Set as…’, you can set the image as your profile photo or group icon.
Improvements in Picture in Picture mode
In WhatsApp’s beta v2.19.86 for Android, improvements for Picture in Picture mode have also been spotted. The mode enables users to watch videos from platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram within the app itself. With the improvements, you can switch chats without closing the video.
Fingerprint authentication
This is also one among the most-awaited features of WhatsApp and it was first spotted on version 2.19.83. With this, users will be able to unlock their WhatsApp using the fingerprint sensor on their smartphone. The feature can be enabled in Settings > Account > Privacy > Use Fingerprint to Unlock. You will be asked to register your fingerprint and the duration after which you want the app to be locked.
In-app browser
The feature has been spotted in WhatsApp Android beta v2.19.74 and it will open various links that your contacts send you within the app itself. As of now, when users press a link on WhatsApp, they are redirected to their default browser.
Search Image
WhatsApp will soon get a feature that will enable users to search images that they exchanged on the app. The new feature is called ‘Search Image’ and it would let Google search for images directly on WhatsApp chat. The feature has been spotted on Android beta version 2.19.73.
Advanced Search
WhatsApp will soon also get an ‘Advanced Search’ feature that will enable users to look for photos, links, audio, GIFs and videos within the app. We should mention that this is not the same as Search Image feature.
The Fitbit Inspire HR is the upgraded and more advanced version of the Fitbit Inspire. It comes with pretty impressive features packed in a simple and minimalistic body. The Fitbit Inspire HR is aimed at the fitness enthusiasts along with the first-time fitness tracker users.
Some of the features of the Fitbit Inspire HR include a Heart Beat tracker, Sleep cycle tracker, all-day activity tracker along with automatic exercise recogniser. Read more in this review below as we list down the good and the bad of the Fitbit Inspire HR.
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Design
The Fitbit Inspire HR comes with a simplistic design as it has a rubber band styled wrist strap. This is paired with a watch-style metallic clasp to put it in place and adjust the grip when worn. There is a long and lone button on the left side of the device which is used to control all the menu, icons and options of this fitness tracker. But, since its screen is a touch display, the users can also use it to control the smart device.
Fitbit Inspire HR
The back of the Inspire HR has the charging port, a blinking motion tracker along with heartbeat sensor. While the front of the device is dominated by the dark small screen with monochrome colour reproduction, meaning it just uses two colours – black and white on the screen to display the contents.
The strap of the Fitbit Inspire HR is smooth and comfortable and can fit any wrist size as it comes with two interchangeable straps inside the box. The straps can be taken out of the main device and put on without much hassle as there is a small hinge, which makes the work easier. Although the Inspire HR comes with a rubber strap but it can also be used with a stainless-steel strap, which is trendier and more stylish.
Performance
Now, coming to the main part of the review. The Fitbit Inspire HR performs well if we look at it from the perspective of a premium fitness tracker. The Inspire HR can be said as the mid-range fitness tracker from the company as it comes with cheaper and costlier variants of fitness trackers. But what makes the Inspire HR stand apart is its simple design filled with lots of features. Although the fitness tracker from Fitbit performs well on its own, however when paired with the Fitbit smartphone app, the Inspire HR becomes more user-friendly and gives out even more details.
Fitbit Inspire HR fitness tracker
Discussing the features of the Inspire HR, it comes with sleep stage tracker which tracks the duration of the user’s sleep along with the type of sleep – Light, Deep or REM. It can also be used to set alarms and reminders, which is is done with the help of vibrations. It has an inbuilt activity tracker that automatically recognizes which type of exercise the user is doing and gives the results accordingly.
The heart rate monitor of the Inspire HR is accurate and you will find yourself looking at it more often than you realise as it shows what your heartbeat is during all times. Also, the display of this device is bright. So, it doesn’t prove to be a challenge to see it in direct sunlight.
Fitbit Inspire HR fitness tracker
According to the company, the Inspire HR comes with up to 5 days of battery life, but it can increase or decrease depending on the usage. When used often, the battery life would decrease, but when used occasionally it could last for as long as 6 days. Fitbit has also claimed that the Inspire HR comes with up to 50m water resistant. Although we didn’t dip it in the ocean to find out the exact depth till which the Inspire HR would survive, but we did find it tackling water pretty well in our day-to-day activities. It can survive rain, shower, sweat, splash and pool time so there it passes with flying colours.
Fitbit Inspire HR fitness tracker with charging cable
When connected with a smartphone (via Fitbit app) and once the pairing is complete it becomes a second extension of the smartphone to which it is connected to. The application can be used to change the interface of the Inspire HR and more interfaces can also be downloaded. Once the user information and the user’s health goals are fed to the application the Inspire HR starts reminding of simple tasks and activities to the user like stretching your legs or breathing.
Other features of the Inspire HR include more than 15 exercise modes, GPS and smartphone notifications. All the features perform as their name suggests. The exercise modes can be chosen as per the workout being performed, the GPS keeps track of the Inspire HR. And lastly, the Inspire HR can also show the notification of the smartphones when paired.
Fitbit Inspire HR fitness tracker and charger
Since it comes with an all-day activity tracker it tracks all the activity the user had performed during the day. At the end of the day, the user can see how many calories he/she has burned, the number of steps he/she has walked etc. The Inspire HR also reminds and celebrates when the user has completed certain goals like walking 10,000 steps or completing an exercise schedule.
The celebration usually involves vibrations and fireworks, which is displayed on the Inspire HR. But it is also worth noticing that the steps tracker of the Inspire HR can be a bit misleading as it keeps counting even when you are travelling in a bus or car.
At the end of the week, the applications on the smartphone reminds you of all the goals you have achieved in the past week. The results will also be sent to the email used when first signing up with the Fitbit app. The weekly reports are called as ‘Weekly Progress Report’ and it would show the total number of steps the user has walked, total distance covered, average calories burnt daily, total active minutes, average restful sleep, average resting heart rate along with weight change. It also gives badges to the user on the completion of certain tasks such as distance covered (lifetime miles) or similar fitness achievements.
The smartphone app will also remind the user if there is an update available for the Fitbit Inspire HR, if there is then the smartphone will ask the update to be downloaded. Talking about the charging of the device, it comes with a magnetic charging port which connects itself when brought close to the Inspire HR.
This activity tracker takes quite a few minutes to juice up from 0% to 100%, to be precise around 1.5 – 2 hours. Also, when the fitness tracker reaches below 6% in power level, the display doesn’t automatically show the time but a battery low sign. Which is prominently displayed on the whole screen that can be a bit annoying.
Verdict and final thoughts
Overall at Rs 8,951, the Inspire HR is a good premium fitness tracker with many features and functions. Like other gadgets, it comes with its own fair share of pros and cons. But if the user is new to fitness trackers or he is looking for a simple fitness tracker for his exercise and monitoring his day to day activities, he can go for it.
Pros:
More than 15 exercise modes
Bright display
Lightweight
Cons:
Price
Steps tracker could be misleading
Battery drains quickly with increased usage
Lenovo-owned smartphone company Motorola has come up with some good smartphones this year and will be seen launching a few more handsets in the next few months. The company has also launched a number of smartphones in its Moto One series. And now, according to a new report, Motorola is planning to add a new smartphone in its budget segment smartphone series – Moto E-series. The next handset that the smartphone maker is speculated to launch in the series is Moto E6 and before its official announcement, some of its main specifications have been leaked online. According to leaks, the Moto E6 will reportedly feature a 5.45-inch display, a Snapdragon SoC and will have single rear and front cameras.
It has been a year since the Lenovo-owned smartphone maker, Motorola had launched a device in its E-series. The last device in the Moto E-series was the Moto E5 that was launched back in April 2018. However, according to the new leaks, Motorola is planning to add the new Moto E6 to its budget-centric smartphone series. According to the XDA Developers, the Moto E6 will be brought in the US through carrier partners. But till now, there is no official confirmation from the company itself about the device’s launch date, name, carrier partners, specifications.
Moto E6 specifications (leaked)
According to the leaks, the Moto E6 will reportedly sport a 5.45-inch HD+ (720 x 1440 pixels) display and will be powered by the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 SoC paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage. The Moto E6 will be reportedly run the Android 9 Pie. The new OS comes as the only logical move from the company as it has already said that the Moto E5 future updates are not guaranteed anymore.
On the camera front, the Moto E6 will reportedly pack a single 13MP rear camera (S5K3L6) with an f/2.0 aperture. The front camera will have a 5MP (S5K5E9) with an f/2.0 aperture.
Other than that, there is no official or leaked word about the battery, software, UI, price, launch date of the Moto E6. It should also be note that since the specifications here are based on recent leaks and are liable to change, they should be taken with a pinch of salt.
To recall, Moto E5 came with a 5.7-inch HD display and was powered by a Snapdragon 425 SoC. It came with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage with support of microSD card of up to 256GB. It also packed a 4,000mAh battery and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. So, its successor should pack features higher than the ones we saw in Moto E5.
In response to an analyst’s question at Apple’s Q2 2019 earning, CEO Tim Cook said that the pricing action the company took in the Indian market gave better results. Cook noted that the pricing change on some of its iPhone models in India had improved results for Apple in the country. He also said that the company has learnt from its recent Chinese market strategies and it will now cater the Indian consumers accordingly. The CEO also said that India was a challenging market in the short term but Apple is more interested in the long term benefits and potential from the country. And seeing India’s dominance over the smartphone market, Cook’s strategy and viewpoint is fair and profitable for the company on the long run.
About its lessons from China, earlier Apple had to adjust the prices of its products because of the falling sales. Cook also said that Apple has already made adjustments on the pricing to the country and the results after that has been positive. About its products prices in India, earlier Apple had discounted the price of its iPhone XR from Rs 76,900 to Rs 59,990 last month.
Tim Cook was quoted saying, “We have made some adjustments in India and we’ve seen preliminarily some better results there. Everything that we do (referring to pricing actions in China), does advise everything we do in the future so we try to learn the best we can and fold that into our thinking.”
Cook also commented about the importance of the Indian market for his company and he said that Apple is trying to expand its reach in India. To fulfill the local demands of the Indian consumers of iPhones, the company is trying to increase its manufacturing capabilities. The company has also set an assembling plant for the iPhone 7 with its supplier Wistron in Bengaluru. Wistron already assembles iPhone 6s in India but Cook has planned to further increase the manufacturing capabilities in India.
“I think India is a very important market in the long-term. It’s a challenging market in the short-term. But we’re learning a lot. We have started manufacturing there which is very important to be able to serve the market in a reasonable way. And we’re growing that capability there,” the CEO added.
Other than manufacturing plants, the Cupertino-based company is also planning to launch its own branded showrooms in India for which it is talking with the government. “We would like to place retail stores there. And we’re working with the government to seek approval to do that. And so, we plan on going in there with sort of all of our might,” said Cook.
It should also be noted that the Cupertino-based company had earlier said that the company won’t be reducing its products’ prices and it wanted to maintain its ‘premium device’ nametag. But the high prices of the iPhones were not received well in the country and thus after some time the sales of the smartphones in India dwindled. So, changing its strategy and using the lessons from its China’s fall might be a good decision for the company.
Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus is all set to launch its OnePlus 7 Pro and 7 smartphones on May 14. As the day of the launch approaches, the leaks about the two smartphones are increasingly surfacing online. And now, a set of photos have emerged online that show OnePlus’ Bullets Wireless 2 headphones and Warp Charge 30 Car Charger retail boxes.
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 headphones look like the successor of the Bullets Wireless headphones that were launched last year. The other product that can be seen – Warp Charge 30 Car Charger – is speculated to get the company’s Warp Charge 30 technology that the company introduced with its McLaren Edition smartphone last year.
The images were first shared by YouTuber Linus Tech Tips on Twitter and were later reposted by tipster Ishan Agarwal. They show the retail packaging of the upcoming Bullets Wireless 2 and Warp Charge 30 Car Charger.
While the actual devices are not visible, the retail boxes have the images of a car charger and wireless headphones made on them. As of now, there is no word on whether these accessories will be bundled with the upcoming smartphone or they will have to be bought separately.
Current speculations suggest that the two will have to be bought by customers and they will not be bundled with the OnePlus 7 Pro or OnePlus 7 smartphones.
The Chinese smartphone company recently confirmed that it will be hosting an event on May 14 to launch its much-awaited and talked-about OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 smartphones. The smartphones will be launched simultaneously in the United States, India and Europe. It is the first time that the company will be launching its flagships smartphone at three places at the same time. OnePlus is expected to reveal the details about the accessories during the launch event of the handset.
According to various reports, OnePlus 7 Pro will come with a 6.7-inch QHD+ (1440×3120 pixels) display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The device is said to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor and will come with up to 12GB of RAM. OnePlus 7 Pro will have 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage and the company has hinted that it will sport a triple rear camera setup. Coming to OnePlus 7, it is said to feature a 6.4-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) display and sport a dual camera setup on its back panel.
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With the start of the fifth month of 2019, Flipkart’s Flipstart Days has gone live with a number of discounts and bundled offers. The Flipstart Days sale is live from May 1 and will go on till May 3 and during this time, the online e-commerce platform is offering great deals on electronic products. The electronic products on which discounts can be availed include laptops, speakers, headphones, smartwatches, smart speakers and many other products. The customers will also be getting a 10% instant discount if the purchase is made using Axis Bank credit or debit cards during the sale. But the customers who were waiting for deals on smartphones will be disappointed as the Flipstart Days sale doesn’t bring any deals on handsets.
During the Flipstart Days sale, you can avail huge discounts and lucrative offers on laptops. Currently, gaming laptops are being sold at a starting price of Rs 53,990 on Flipkart while Ultrabooks can be purchased for a starting price of Rs 38,990. Customers who wants a basic laptop can get one for a starting price of Rs 13,990.
Other than this, a discount of up to 70% is available on headphones and speakers from major players like Sony, JBl, Skullcandy and other famous brands. During the sale, the e-commerce platform is also giving its customers up to 65% discounts on Bluetooth speakers.
The fitness enthusiasts will be delighted knowing that the Flipstart Days sale is offering discounts on fitness bands and smartwatches. The Apple Watch Series 3 42mm is being sold at Rs 25,900 during the sale while the 38mm watch dial of the same series is being offered at Rs 23,900. There are plenty of more fitness and smart fitness devices that are being offered during the Flipstart Days sale.
In the gaming department, the e-commerce platform is offering consoles and games at a discounted rate. During the Flipstart Days sale, the customers can buy gaming consoles bundled with games at a discounted price. Other than the normal discounts, there will also be exchange discounts and other payment offers bundled with the purchase of the console. Popular gaming consoles like the Sony PS4 and the Xbox One are available in the ongoing sale.
On its teaser page of the sale, Flipkart had also mentioned sale and discounts on smart home devices, and keeping its promise it is giving Google Home and Google Home Mini on discount. The Google Home is being offered at Rs 7,999 instead of Rs 9,999 while the Google Home Mini is being sold at Rs 3,999 instead of its original price of Rs 4,999.
For more details about the ongoing sale, you can visit the Flipkart’s official website or app.
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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt will be leaving Alphabet’s board in June this year. He has been a part of the company’s board since the last 18 years. A year back, Schmidt had stepped down from his role of executive chairman of Google’s parent company Alphabet.
It is worth mentioning that Schmidt’s exit from the company comes at a time when Google is struggling with an internal turmoil over its involvement with the US military contracts, its potential of making its way to China for business, and reported issues of sexual misconduct.
During his time at the company, Schmidt has always been one among the key players. Eric Schmidt first joined the Google board in 2001 and then was made the CEO of the technology giant. He was given the role of the CEO of Google to get business expertise to the company that was being built by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. He remained the CEO of the company for a decade. In 2011, he stepped down from the post and became the executive chairman of Google.
After 18 years of board mtgs, I'm following coach Bill Campbell's legacy & helping the next generation of talent to serve. Thanks to Larry, Sergey & all my BOD colleagues! Onward for me as Technical Advisor to coach Alphabet and Google businesses/tech, plus…..
Seven years later in 2018, Schmidt stepped down from that role as well and became a regular board member.
Alphabet has issued a press release today in which the company has said that Schmidt would not be seeking a re-election to the board when his current term comes to an end on June 19. The technology giant has also added that he will continue to be a “technical advisor” Alphabet which, we should mention, is a role that he has had since last year.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that he is stepping down from his position so that “the next generation of talent” can serve. He further spoke about what he will be doing next. Schmidt would now be seen teaching more and he will work on Schmidt Futures, his philanthropic organization. He also said that he would be using his role as a ‘technical advisor’ to “coach Alphabet and Google businesses.”
It is worth mentioning that Schmidt has played a big role in making Google what it is today. However, if we talk about recent years, his presence at the company has not been appreciated as much as it was earlier.
Six months back, a report in The New York Times said that Schmidt has been involved in sexual misconduct at the company. The same report also talked about a $150 million payout to Andy Rubin, who created Android during his time at Google, while a sexual misconduct inquiry was going on.
This was followed by multiple executives naming Schmidt in a lawsuit that accused the company of covering up sexual harassment.
The Redmi Note 7 was launched in February this year and it is touted as one of the best budget devices in the Indian market. Just two months after its launch, Xiaomi has started rolling out a new update to the smartphone. The new features that come with the update include an AI camera, floating windows for calls while gaming and more other controls over notifications. In addition to this, the new update brings the April Android Security patch.
The new MIUI update for the Redmi Note 7 holds the version number MIUI v10.3.5.0.PFGMIXM and it brings a host of new features, bug fixes and other major improvements over its previous update. Other than the features and improvements mentioned above, the new update for the Note 7 also comes with face unlock feature, system issue fixes, notification and battery information issue fixes. There are also improvements made over the camera of the Redmi Note 7 along with lock screen and many other.
Talking more about the new update of the Redmi Note 7 we see that it brings new camera modes for the AI camera of the smartphone. Other than that, the new MIUI update has also brought with it the April Android Security patch which is the major points of the update. In addition to this, the issue with the camera app which used to shut down automatically when it was closed and opened in the video mode has also been fixed.
Prior to this, the users of the Redmi Note 7 had complained about the face unlock feature, where the device was kept on lock screen even after being unlocked. In the new MIUI v10.3.5.0.PFGMIXM update that issue has been fixed and other improvements have been made to the face unlock feature of the Redmi Note 7. The users of the device can now restrict the notification shade from opening on the lock screen. They will now be able to choose to see the floating windows for incoming calls while gaming. According to the users who has already received the update, there is a redesigned start page in the Mi Cloud app along with many software issue fixes.
The new stable MIUI update will be available for the users of the Redmi Note 7 in the coming days. Although the device will remind them of the arrival of the new update, if it doesn’t, they can check for the new update manually as well.
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Yesterday, Realme had put out a teaser video which showcased a smartphone with a pop-up selfie camera and notch-less display. Although the company hadn’t said anything about the device but it will be the first Realme smartphone with a pop-up selfie camera. Just a day later, Realme’s close rival Redmi has also released a teaser video of its upcoming flagship device which will feature a pop-up selfie camera. Although we did see some leaks and rumours about what the upcoming Redmi flagship device will look like but now it is more certain that the handset is in development and it will feature a pop-up selfie camera.
The teaser video was released by Xiaomi on Chinese social networking platform Weibo which showcased a Redmi smartphone with full notch-less display and a pop-up selfie camera. The video was also merged with the Avengers Endgame trailer and it also showcased some of the earlier Redmi devices such as the Redmi 7, Redmi Note 7 and the Redmi Note 7 Pro. It might be a promotional video partnered with Marvel Studios but it is the first time the official smartphone teaser has been released by Redmi.
The confirmation of the upcoming Redmi flagship smartphone was also teased on Redmi’s official website. Xiaomi’s VP Manu Kumar Jain had also teased about the upcoming Redmi smartphone saying that it will be powered by the newly launched Snapdragon processor, which in this case is the Snapdragon 730 SoC.
Talking about the newly launched Snapdragon CPUs we see that Qualcomm recently launched the Snapdragon 730 SoC and the Snapdragon 730G SoC. Both the CPUs are based on the 8nm process and have 8 Kyro 470 cores paired with an Adreno 618 GPU. Earlier devices which were powered by the new Snapdragon CPUs were the Samsung’s Galaxy A80 which comes with Snapdragon 730G SoC. Although the Galaxy A80 has been launched by the company but it has not yet made its way to the Indian market. But we can see its availability in the coming weeks.
And even though Redmi is set to come up with its new flagship smartphone, the name of the device hasn’t been confirmed yet. Realme and Redmi have been competing a lot in India. With both the companies now launching smartphones with pop-up selfie cameras, the battle between the two is all set to get more intense. Till now, we have only seen pop-up selfie cameras in devices from Oppo and Vivo. But in just two weeks, OnePlus will also be launching its first smartphone with an elevating selfie camera.
Samsung Galaxy A70 smartphone has gone on sale in India today. The smartphone was unveiled by the company last month and at the time of the launch, the company had said that Galaxy A70 will be going on sale in India on May 1. If you are interested in buying the Samsung Galaxy A70 smartphone, you can head to Flipkart, Samsung online shop, Samsung Opera House and retail stores.
The pre-orders of the handset started on April 20 and went on till April 30. The key highlights of the Samsung Galaxy A70 include a 20:9 display, a triple rear camera setup, a massive 4,500mAh battery and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Here’s everything that you need to know about the smartphone’s sale in India:
In This Article
Samsung Galaxy price and launch offers
Samsung Galaxy A70 is available only in 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant in India that costs Rs 28,990. The handset is available in Black, Blue and White colour options. The device is available for purchase via Flipkart. Later during the day, interested customers will also be able to pick it up from Samsung online shop, Samsung Opera House, and retail stores.
As a part of launch offers, customers will be able to get a cashback of Rs 2,000 on purchases made on Flipkart via ICICI Bank credit cards. As of now, no offers with the handset have been listed on Samsung’s online shop. The smartphone was launched globally in March and made its way to India in April.
Samsung Galaxy A70 specifications
Samsung Galaxy A70 runs Android Pie skinned with One UI and sports a 6.7-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display that has an aspect ratio of 20:9. Powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor, the smartphone comes with 6GB of RAM and has 128GB of onboard storage. The device can also hold a microSD card of up to 512GB.
For imaging duties, Samsung Galaxy A70 has a triple rear camera setup that comprises of a 32MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, and a 5MP depth sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. The new offering from Samsung comes with a 32MP front-facing camera that can be used to click selfies and video calls.
Samsung Galaxy A70 houses a 4,500mah battery that has support for 25W Super-Fast Charging technology. The handset comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and has support for Widevine L1 certification that enables HD video streaming.
It’s that time of the year when Facebook tells the world what it has up its sleeve for the next year to come. The social media giant has shared an outline of what all it intends to do at this year’s F8 developer conference. Here, we have listed down all the new features and updates that are coming to Facebook and its products like Instagram, Messenger and Oculus. Take a look:
In This Article
Facebook Groups and Events are getting revamped
In a recent announcement, Facebook said that it will be downplaying News Feed and at its F8 developer conference, it gave us a better insight into its plans. As a part of FB5 update, the social media giant will highlight groups and events. The platform will now have a prominent groups tab and will offer you a personalised feed from the groups that you are part of instead of the regular updates from friends. Even when you will be on other parts of Facebook, updates from Groups will show up. A new feature called ‘Meet New Friends’, which will connect strangers who have something in common.
Instagram will start hiding public likes
Instagram is getting a new ‘Create Mode’ on its platform which will make it easier for people to share content other than just photos and videos. The app will also be getting a feature that will let users shop on the platform itself. In addition to this, Instagram will also be testing a feature in Canada which will completely hide the public likes from users’ posts.
Messenger will start focussing on ‘Close Friends’
Facebook Messenger is also set to change. You will now be able to set status messages or share photos with your trusted friends. Facebook is beginning in these changes in order to make it easier for people to arrange an offline meeting session. On iOS, Messenger app will now be taking less space on your device as the new version will only be 30MB in size. Facebook will soon also be launching desktop apps for Mac and PC.
Facebook will help you meet new people for dating
Facebook first spoke about its dating service last year. At this year’s F8, the social media platform said that it will be rolling out its service to 14 more countries. The company has introduced a feature called ‘Secret Crush’ which enables the user to create a list of friends on Facebook they like. If one of these friends also use the feature and add the user to their list, Facebook will notify both of them about the match.
New Oculus products will be out next month
Facebook has now opened pre-orders for its Quest and Oculus Rift S headsets. The new headsets are touted to replace the external tracking cameras with a more user-friendly system. Both the headsets are priced at $399 each and will begin shipping in 22 countries on May 21.
Samsung Galaxy A50 was launched as the top-end variant of the Galaxy A-series. But that, of course, changed after the launch of Samsung Galaxy A80. Nevetheless, the smartphones comes with some very impressive specifications like a big battery, a big Super AMOLED display, a top-end Exynos CPU and a rainbow-like back panel.
Two months after its launch, Samsung has released a major software update for its Galaxy A50 smartphone. The new update brings major changes over its past UI, as well as several bug fixes along with other major improvements over its older UI. The new update for the Galaxy A50 has added Live Focus effect along with Beauty Video Mode to enhance the imaging results of the smartphone. It also brings the April Android security patch.
It should be noted that the update also comes with Bixby Routines which was earlier introduced in the top-end Galaxy S10-series earlier this year. Samsung Galaxy A80 also comes with Bixby Routines. Much like Google Assistant, the feature helps the user of the smartphone to perform certain tasks with voice commands.
The new update also brings the April Android security patch for the Galaxy A50. Other than that, there is also improved in-display fingerprint scanner. The South Korean tech giant has also provided overall stability improvements on the Galaxy A50 with its newest major update. The new update also brings a 68-degree angle of view for the front camera along with enabled Live Focus effect and Beauty Video Mode which works both with the front as well as back cameras.
There is also Call and Messages Continuity feature in the new update and as mentioned above, improvements in the in-display fingerprint scanner and overall improvement of the Galaxy A50 have also been added.
To new update is in 666MB in size and to update their devices, the users of Samsung Galaxy A50 can head to Settings>Software Update>Download Updates Manually.
Also, earlier this month Samsung had already brought a new update which fixed the issue in Galaxy A50’s Smart View Connectivity feature. The company has also brought a new update earlier which fixed the new in-display fingerprint scanner.
A number of people are willing to go to great extents to get likes on social media. This holds particularly true for Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram. But now, it seems like the platform itself is going to change that. At the F8 developer conference, Instagram has announced that it will begin testing a new feature that will hide users’ public like counts from their posts.
The test will begin later this week, and initially, it will only be limited to Canada. Instagram has specified that likes will be hidden from the Feed, permalinked pages as well as on profiles. The photo-sharing app has said that it wants its followers to “focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.”
With this change being tested, only the person who owns the account will be able to see how many likes a particular Instagram post has got.
While this is the first time that Instagram has openly acknowledged working on the feature, reports about it have surfaced online in the past too. Earlier this mode, code hunter Jane Wong had posted screenshots of the feature. Back then, the photo-sharing app had denied when asked if this feature was being tested.
A spokesperson from Instagram had cleared the air when the screenshots surfaced saying, “We’re not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we’re always thinking about.”
But now we know that the company wanted to make this announcement during the F8 developers’ conference.
As of now, it is not clear whether this feature will be rolled out to other regions globally. However, it is bound to completely change the way people use the app.
While likes can boost people’s mood and morale, they can also do the exact opposite if the content that has been posted doesn’t do well. And then, people do all sorts of things to get likes on the app.
This has particularly gone up with the increasing number of micro-influencers on Instagram. To get more number of likes, people have started posting photos that are doctored with or content with too much nudity.
These posts may manage to get ‘Likes’ on the photo-sharing platform, but that does not make them interesting. By removing the concept of ‘Likes’ publically from its platform, the company may be looking to put an end to content like this.
This step will also lead to people posting only the content that they actually want to share with their followers and not anything for the sake of more ‘Likes’.
Popular video-sharing app TikTok is now finally back on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in India. This step has been taken after the Madras High Court lifted ban on the Chinese video app last week. Prior to this, the TikTok app was delisted from both the app stores after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court issued an order to the Centre to get it removed.
The ruling came after a PIL was filed against the social media app saying that TikTok escalated pornography and child abuse. However, later on, the ban was lifted when TikTok agreed that it will monitor content on its platform and ensure that pornographic videos are not uploaded on it.
Once the ban was imposed by Madras High Court, the TikTok app was unavailable on Google’s Play Store as well as Apple‘s App Store. It has been reported that the developer of the application – Beijing Bytedance Technology Co – had to bear a financial loss of up to $5,00,000 per day. The company also said that the ban put more than 250 jobs at risk.
We should mention that these financial losses include destruction in the value of its investments and loss of commercial revenue of the app. ByteDance had also said to the court that the ban would result in the reputation and goodwill taking a hit with advertisers as well as investors.
According to the company’s plea that it submitted to the court, “Banning has had adverse impact on the user base of this app, losing close to 1 million new users per day…It is estimated that approximately six million requests for downloads could not be effected since the ban came into effect.”
While the ban got lifted last week, the app was still unavailable to download from the App Store and Google Play Store until now. The Chinese app is now available to download from both the app stores. So, in case you haven’t downloaded it and wanted to try it out, you can now head to the app store to get the app.
According to Sensor Tower, TikTok had 88.6 million users in Q1 2019 in India. The ban on the Chinese social media and video sharing app has in general become a cause of concern for the social media industry in India as they may have the same fate if content on their respective platforms is not regulated.
This is probably the most anticipated feature of WhatsApp. Traces of the upcoming mode have been spotted in different beta versions. It is worth pointing out though, that the most recent beta v2.19.87 and v2.19.82 for WhatsApp’s Android app have given us a fair look at how the mode will look in the ‘Profile Section’ on the Settings page and Status bar. However, it is still in works and will be launched soon.
A new feature that has been spotted in WhatsApp’s beta version 2.19.87 is Forwarding Info. With this, users can see the number of times a message has been forwarded on the app. However, you can only see this when you forward that message to someone else too. Just long press on the message after sending it and then click on the information icon to find out.
This feature has been found in beta version 2.19.86 and it enables auto-playing two or more voice messages that have been sent one after the other. Just update your app to the said version and you will be able to listen to voice messages sent together consecutively.
This feature can be found in Android beta v2.19.45. The redesigned ‘Settings’ menu has a different layout and comes with new icons for a number of tools. Some tools have also been relocated and some new icons have also been added with the update. Once you update, you will see a number of tweaks. The most major one is the addition of ‘Payments’ option on the Settings page.
WhatsApp’s Android beta v2.19.18 has changed the options users get in the Media section of chats. With the update, if you go press the three-dot icon of the Media section, you will see some new options like ‘Show in Chat’, ‘Set as…’ and ‘Rotate’. With ‘Show in Chat’ you can see when exactly the image was shared with you and by whom, and with ‘Set as…’, you can set the image as your profile photo or group icon.
In WhatsApp’s beta v2.19.86 for Android, improvements for Picture in Picture mode have also been spotted. The mode enables users to watch videos from platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram within the app itself. With the improvements, you can switch chats without closing the video.
This is also one among the most-awaited features of WhatsApp and it was first spotted on version 2.19.83. With this, users will be able to unlock their WhatsApp using the fingerprint sensor on their smartphone. The feature can be enabled in Settings > Account > Privacy > Use Fingerprint to Unlock. You will be asked to register your fingerprint and the duration after which you want the app to be locked.
The feature has been spotted in WhatsApp Android beta v2.19.74 and it will open various links that your contacts send you within the app itself. As of now, when users press a link on WhatsApp, they are redirected to their default browser.
WhatsApp will soon get a feature that will enable users to search images that they exchanged on the app. The new feature is called ‘Search Image’ and it would let Google search for images directly on WhatsApp chat. The feature has been spotted on Android beta version 2.19.73.
WhatsApp will soon also get an ‘Advanced Search’ feature that will enable users to look for photos, links, audio, GIFs and videos within the app. We should mention that this is not the same as Search Image feature.
This is probably the most anticipated feature of WhatsApp. Traces of the upcoming mode have been spotted in different beta versions. It is worth pointing out though, that the most recent beta v2.19.87 and v2.19.82 for WhatsApp’s Android app have given us a fair look at how the mode will look in the ‘Profile Section’ on the Settings page and Status bar. However, it is still in works and will be launched soon.
A new feature that has been spotted in WhatsApp’s beta version 2.19.87 is Forwarding Info. With this, users can see the number of times a message has been forwarded on the app. However, you can only see this when you forward that message to someone else too. Just long press on the message after sending it and then click on the information icon to find out.
This feature has been found in beta version 2.19.86 and it enables auto-playing two or more voice messages that have been sent one after the other. Just update your app to the said version and you will be able to listen to voice messages sent together consecutively.
This feature can be found in Android beta v2.19.45. The redesigned ‘Settings’ menu has a different layout and comes with new icons for a number of tools. Some tools have also been relocated and some new icons have also been added with the update. Once you update, you will see a number of tweaks. The most major one is the addition of ‘Payments’ option on the Settings page.
WhatsApp’s Android beta v2.19.18 has changed the options users get in the Media section of chats. With the update, if you go press the three-dot icon of the Media section, you will see some new options like ‘Show in Chat’, ‘Set as…’ and ‘Rotate’. With ‘Show in Chat’ you can see when exactly the image was shared with you and by whom, and with ‘Set as…’, you can set the image as your profile photo or group icon.
In WhatsApp’s beta v2.19.86 for Android, improvements for Picture in Picture mode have also been spotted. The mode enables users to watch videos from platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram within the app itself. With the improvements, you can switch chats without closing the video.
This is also one among the most-awaited features of WhatsApp and it was first spotted on version 2.19.83. With this, users will be able to unlock their WhatsApp using the fingerprint sensor on their smartphone. The feature can be enabled in Settings > Account > Privacy > Use Fingerprint to Unlock. You will be asked to register your fingerprint and the duration after which you want the app to be locked.
The feature has been spotted in WhatsApp Android beta v2.19.74 and it will open various links that your contacts send you within the app itself. As of now, when users press a link on WhatsApp, they are redirected to their default browser.
WhatsApp will soon get a feature that will enable users to search images that they exchanged on the app. The new feature is called ‘Search Image’ and it would let Google search for images directly on WhatsApp chat. The feature has been spotted on Android beta version 2.19.73.
WhatsApp will soon also get an ‘Advanced Search’ feature that will enable users to look for photos, links, audio, GIFs and videos within the app. We should mention that this is not the same as Search Image feature.
At the end of the week, the applications on the smartphone reminds you of all the goals you have achieved in the past week. The results will also be sent to the email used when first signing up with the Fitbit app. The weekly reports are called as ‘Weekly Progress Report’ and it would show the total number of steps the user has walked, total distance covered, average calories burnt daily, total active minutes, average restful sleep, average resting heart rate along with weight change. It also gives badges to the user on the completion of certain tasks such as distance covered (lifetime miles) or similar fitness achievements.
The smartphone app will also remind the user if there is an update available for the Fitbit Inspire HR, if there is then the smartphone will ask the update to be downloaded. Talking about the charging of the device, it comes with a magnetic charging port which connects itself when brought close to the Inspire HR.
This activity tracker takes quite a few minutes to juice up from 0% to 100%, to be precise around 1.5 – 2 hours. Also, when the fitness tracker reaches below 6% in power level, the display doesn’t automatically show the time but a battery low sign. Which is prominently displayed on the whole screen that can be a bit annoying.
