YouTube to launch story feature 'Reels' akin to Snapchat, Instagram

Facebook took Snapchat’s prime feature, and marketed it in the most successful way possible. Taking inspiration from the most trending feature on social media, YouTube is going to launch its own version of Stories. YouTube will be calling it ‘Reels’, and the feature will be exclusive to YouTube Community launched last September for creators.

YouTube, in a blog post, announces its latest updates on Community and towards the end mentions about Reels. Through Reels, YouTube wants creators to increase engagements with their fans. YouTube says that Reels is the company’s “spin on the popular stories format, but designed specifically for YouTube creators”. Creators will be able to make short videos with duration extending up to 30 seconds. YouTube is also integrating features already available on Community for Reels. This means that creators will be able to add media on their videos like text, images, animated GIFs, music, and also “YouTube-y stickers”.

ALSO READ: Google Datally app launched in India to control real-time mobile data usage

Creators will also be allowed to link YouTube videos to Reels. However, unlike Stories, videos posted on Reels will not come with an expiry date. On Snapchat, Instagram and other social platforms, Stories posted have an expiry time of 24 hours. After the said duration, Stories disappear from their accounts.

YouTube has shared a video of how Reels looks like. From the video, we can see that you can create Reels of different categories, and add videos accordingly. Reels is currently in beta mode and the final product is expected to launch soon, but after proper experimentation. In addition to announcing Reels, YouTube has also expanded Community to creators with over 10,000 subscribers.

YouTube has also made some changes to the Community tab. Now the most engaged viewers will see Community posts in their Home feed regardless of being subscribed to the channel or not. YouTube also says that it has optimized notifications for Community. However, this doesn’t assure that notifications for every Community post will be received.

Google Datally app launched in India to control real-time mobile data usage

Back in June, Google was working on a dedicated app that could monitor and control the mobile data used by apps. Today, the company has launched the Google Datally app in the country that helps you understand which all apps are consuming data, control that usage, and in turn save mobile data.

Datally is live on the Google Play Store and is compatible with all phones running Android 5.0 Lollipop and higher. The app is close to 5MB in size, and is free for download. As Google says, with Datally app, “Users can track their data usage in real time, and get personalized recommendations on saving data along with notifications of public Wi-Fi spots available nearby.”

“Mobile data is expensive for many people around the world. And what’s worse, it’s hard to figure out where it all goes. That’s why we built Datally, an app that helps you to control, save more and do more with your data. We’ve been testing Datally in the Philippines for the past few months, and people are saving up to 30 percent on their data,” said Caesar Sengupta, Vice President, Next Billion Users, Google.

The application was for a software for measuring data use, and interestingly, “arranging and conducting incentive reward programs to promote the use and sale of computer software; provision of an on-line marketplace for buyers and sellers of goods and services; providing an online network for telecommunications companies and mobile application developers to bid on and exchange data by means of an online marketplace for the purpose of allowing users to redistribute data usage of telecommunications customers.”

Now whether this sparks another privacy debate is yet to be seen over the access to the use of mobile data. However, as Google explains, the app helps you understand your data through hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Datally also offers personalized tips on how you can save more data.

If you turn on the Data Saver option, the app can also block background data usage and track real-time data usage while using each of your apps. It can also block data with one tap if an app’s data usage gets out of control. Datally also prompts if you are near a public Wi-Fi to help you connect.

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) leak reveals Galaxy S8-like Infinity Display, dual front cameras

Samsung will soon be updating its Galaxy A series smartphones. The lineup is expected to consist of the 2018 iteration of the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, and Galaxy A7. Samsung is also rumored to launch the Galaxy A8 (2018), which would be the high-end model in the series. The smartphone’s alleged design has been leaked now which shows a Galaxy S8-like Infinity Display.

The leak (via GizChina) shows  cutout of what would be the display of the Galaxy A8 (2018). The smartphone has very thin bezels on top and bottom and almost none on the sides. The display also appears to be curved like the Galaxy S8. What’s striking is the dual-camera setup located on the top chin of the smartphone. Samsung only recently introduced the dual-camera setup on the Galaxy Note 8, and a dual-selfie camera module seems very unlikely.

ALSO READ: Samsung devices to receive Android 8.0 Oreo update leaked in list

With an edge-to-edge display, there won’t be a Home button on the smartphone. The fingerprint sensor will most likely be placed at the rear. This leaked design is in line with rumors and reports on the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018). For long, Samsung has been rumored for quite long to introduce Galaxy S8-like Infinity display on the 2018 Galaxy A series. Details on the smartphone’s features and specifications are still unknown.

Speaking about the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018), the smartphones are expected to feature a 5.5-inch and 6-inch full HD Infinity display, respectively. The smartphones could be powered by in-house Exynos 7885 SoC or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 paired with 4GB of RAM. For connectivity, the smartphones are so far rumored to feature a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type-C port. Going by Samsung’s schedule, the 2018 Galaxy A series should launch by December or the beginning of 2018.

Galaxy A7 2017 

Galaxy A5 2017 

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Samsung devices to receive Android 8.0 Oreo update leaked in list

Google officially unveiled Android 8.0 Oreo three months ago. However, the latest OS update is yet to be rolled out by many key manufacturers across devices. One of these is Samsung, which is yet to make some of its devices Oreo-sweet. Samsung is known to have released only the Oreo beta update for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, but there had been no clarity as to which devices from its portfolio will definitely get the stable Android Oreo release, until now.

Thanks to a Weibo user, who goes by the name ‘i ice universe’, a list of Samsung Android devices which will get the Oreo update has been leaked. Androidos.in reports that the user has a decent record of leaks, however, one must take the information with the proverbial pinch of salt.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) starts rolling out Android 7.1.1 Nougat update in India

According to the list, a total of 36 Samsung devices will receive the Oreo update. Notable mentions include the two-year-old Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones. Interestingly, the list also reveals some unannounced devices as well. From the Galaxy A series, the 2018-edition of Galaxy A5, Galaxy A7, and Galaxy A3 will receive the Android Oreo update. These phones have been rumored by far to run Android Nougat out-of-the-box when they are launched.

As for the existing devices, the Galaxy A5, Galaxy A7, Galaxy A3 (2017) models will receive the update. From the Galaxy J series, upgradable models will be Galaxy J7 (2016), Galaxy J7 Pro, Galaxy J5 Pro among others. Other devices are from the Galaxy On series and Galaxy Tab series with models dating up to two years old.

Recently, OnePlus started rolling out the Android Oreo update to its OnePlus 3 and 3T models. It is also expected the Oreo update will soon make its way to the OnePlus 5 and bring Face Unlock capabilities.





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OnePlus 5T starts receiving OxygenOS 4.7.2, optimizes Face Unlock, fingerprint sensor, more

OnePlus recently launched the OnePlus 5T, which went on sale two days ago in India and global markets. While it may still seem too early, the OnePlus 5T has already received its first software update. OnePlus has started to roll out the OxygenOS 4.7.2 update.

OnePlus software updates are usually posted on the company’s forum, but this one in particular hasn’t been announced as yet. However folks at Android Police using the OnePlus 5T have received the update. OxygenOS 4.7.2 is sized 107MB and comes with important optimizations and improvements. To start with, this update brings optimizations for fingerprint unlock and face unlock. OnePlus 5T has an iPhone X-like facial recognition system, but features a rear fingerprint sensor too as an alternative.

ALSO READ: OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T start receiving Android 8.0 Oreo update

OxygenOS 4.7.2 also improves accuracy for screen off gestures. When the smartphone is locked you can draw gestures on the screen for some key functions. The update also bring improvement to the Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) during 4K video recording on the OnePlus 5T. The update also comes with the recently discovered KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability patch for the OnePlus 5T. This vulnerability could allow attackers to spy on your Wi-Fi network service. Lastly, the OxygenOS 4.7.2 update brings the general stability improvements and bug fixes.

As with every OxygenOS update, this one too will be rolled out as an OTA update. If you haven’t received it yet, you should get it very soon. To recall, the OnePlus 5T features a 6-inch FHD+ Optic AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Under its hood runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor. In terms of memory, the OnePlus 5T comes in two variants of 6GB RAM plus 64GB storage, and 8GB RAM plus 128GB storage.

For photography, the OnePlus 5T sports a dual-camera module of 20-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors at the rear. Up front, it houses a 16-megapixel camera for selfies and video calling. On the software front, the OnePlus 5T runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It is fueled by a 3,300mAh battery.

OnePlus 5T

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OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T start receiving Android 8.0 Oreo update

Turns out, OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T users are luckier than the new OnePlus 5T users – at least in terms of receiving the new OS update. It was recently announced that the OnePlus 5T won’t receive an official build of Android Oreo until some point in 2018. However, if you own a OnePlus 3 or OnePlus 3T, an over-the-air update for Oreo is rolling out as we speak. An open beta for Oreo on the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T began rolling out in October, but this update is being made available for all users as an official build.

This means, that with the OxygenOS 5.0 update out for the said devices, users will soon have access to the likes of notification dots, picture-in-picture, Google’s Autofill API, and smart text selection. However, in typical OnePlus fashion, you’ll also find a variety of custom tweaks as well. 

OnePlus is adding a new folder design within its launcher. Users will also see a new option to upload photos they have clicked, directly to Shot on OnePlus. There will also be the recently announced Parallel Apps feature that allows users to have two separate instances of the same application is here as well. Similar to what is called dual apps on Xiaomi. Lastly, the update comes with the September security patch (and strangely not the more recent November one). 

Despite the seemingly small  changelog, it is a pretty big update, as the majority of changes are of course under the “Update to Android O” upgrade. 

OnePlus 5T  

OnePlus 5

Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) starts rolling out Android 7.1.1 Nougat update in India

The Galaxy J7 (2016) was updated to Android 7.0 Nougat in India almost two months ago, and we had assumed at the time that the update would also be offered to the Galaxy J5 (2016). According to Sammobile, Samsung has started rolling out Android 7.1.1 Nougat update, along with Samsung Experience 8.5 UX in India.

This update is rolling out over-the-air, and, if you receive an update notification, just tap on Install now. The update can take a couple of days to reach all the units. However, if you don’t receive a notification or can’t wait for it, you can check for the update manually by going to Settings -> About phone -> System updates -> Install now. 

The update comes with a host of improvements and features including new power saving and background management features. The update also brings added support for dual-SIM dual-standby for 4G and 3G networks. The new update will also allow users to integrate GIFs directly on your keyboard with compatible apps like Google Allo, Google Messenger and Hangouts. The update also allows users to launch actions within an app by long pressing the app. Apart from the Nougat update, users will also get Samsung‘s Experience 8.5 user interface, which includes some improvements like Samsung Cloud integration, a new Device Manager app, as well as shutter button zoom option for the camera.

Galaxy J7 2016 

Galaxy J5 2016 

Galaxy J7 Max 

Galaxy J7 Pro 

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Google Assistant can help troubleshoot your Pixel 2 phones

Google rolled out Android 8.1 Oreo Developer Preview for Pixel and Nexus devices last month. The preview build for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL may have an advanced and upgraded Google Assistant. A Pixel 2 XL user running the preview build of Android 8.1 Oreo discovered that Google Assistant ran a troubleshoot program on the smartphone. It started with the user questioning Google Assistant why his phone was not charging to 100 percent.

The conversation turned into a long one with Google Assistant also taking further actions wile troubleshooting, Android Police reports. The Assistant first asked the user if it was okay to “check a few things” on his smartphone to find out the problem. Then it started troubleshooting, and scanned the battery health which turned out fine. It even found out that there were no apps draining the smartphone’s battery. Failing to find the root problem behind the battery problem, Assistant suggested connecting to Google Support via call or chat.

The Pixel 2 XL user later inquired about more problems by simply typing ‘troubleshoot camera’ and ‘troubleshoot Bluetooth”. Google Assistant carried out the same procedures of checking the respective areas in the smartphone. It even suggested some basic instructions like restarting the smartphone for the camera issue. As for Bluetooth, Google Assistant laid out a step-by-step instruction of checking if the feature is turned on or not.

This feature worked on a Pixel 2 XL in the US, and appears to be exclusive to the region. Also, this doesn’t work on the first-generation Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones as of now. Since this feature is still in the developer build, it can’t be confirmed if Google will eventually make it available. This discovery comes after Google Assistant received a heap of features aimed at users and developers. Google Assistant can now be connected with Google Home and your smartphone. Developers also get to build apps in different languages, and check their status and ratings.

Google Pixel 2 

Google Pixel XL 

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Samsung Galaxy S9 spotted on Geekbench with Exynos 9810 SoC, Android Oreo

The rumor mill is currently buzzing with leaks on Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphones. Recently we came across reports of Samsung launching the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ at MWC 2018. It is now suggested that after the launch, the Galaxy S9 series will be available for purchase in April. Now, the Galaxy S9+ has been listed on Geekbench.

The benchmarking website lists a Samsung smartphone bearing the model number SM-G960F. While the listing doesn’t explicitly mention Galaxy S9, the specifications make it seem likely that it is the said smartphone. According to the listing, the Galaxy S9 has a single-core score of 2,680, and a multi-core score of 7,787. As of now, these scores make the Galaxy S9 the most powerful Android smartphone.

The smartphone runs on the latest Android 8.0 Oreo, and comes with 4GB of RAM. Powering the Galaxy S9 is the new Exynos 9 Series 9810 octa-core processor. In other markets, the Galaxy S9 is likely to launch with the latest Snapdragon processor – heavily rumored to be the upcoming Snapdragon 845 SoC. Although this un-released Galaxy S9 shows an impressive score on Geekbench, it still isn’t on par with the new Apple iPhone X or even the iPhone 8 series. The iPhone X has a single-core score of 4,197, and multi-core score of 10,051. 

However, it is still too early to draw any conclusions on the Galaxy S9. Recently, the Galaxy S9 has been rumored to feature 3D sensing cameras for facial recognition like Face ID on the iPhone X. The smartphone is also rumored to feature a dual-camera setup which “uses anti-glare BBAR layer ghost technology”. This technology in simple terms is used to eliminate glare, and dual images on photos.

Galaxy Note 8

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Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) support page listed on official website

Samsung will be upgrading its Galaxy A-series lineup soon. The possible lineup includes the 2018 iteration of Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, and Galaxy A7. Although Samsung hasn’t officially announced anything as yet, the Galaxy A7 (2018) may have been confirmed by the company. Samsung Kazakhstan has updated its official website (via Let’s Go Digital) with a support page for the Galaxy A7 (2018) with the model number SM-A730F / DS.

The Galaxy A7 (2018) had been rumored for quite some time now with the same model number. The support page listing doesn’t reveal any details on the Galaxy A7 (2018). Although, the DS initials does confirm that this is the dual-SIM variant. There have been leaked renders of the Galaxy A7 (2018) in the past which reveal an edge-to-edge display design. The smartphone has also been spotted with a Bixby button. With no Home button now, the Galaxy A7 (2018) will possibly feature a rear fingerprint sensor.

According to past rumors, the Galaxy A7 (2018) is expected to feature a 6-inch full HD+ Infinity Display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone could be powered by in-house Exynos 7885 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. The Galaxy A7 (2018) is also rumored to come with IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. More expected features include USB Type-C port, Samsung Pay support, and a 3.55mm audio jack. There are some reports which also suggest a dual-camera setup on the front of the Galaxy A7 (2018). On the software front, it could run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box.

In comparison, the 2017 iteration of the Galaxy A7 comes with a 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, 3GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. Under its hood, runs an Exynos 7880 octa-core chipset. For photography, the Galaxy A7 (2017) sports a 16-megapixel rear and a 16-megapixel front camera. On the software front, it runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. It is fueled by a 3,600mAh battery. 

Galaxy A7 (2017)

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Google Maps redesigned with the aim of highlighting important Information

Google Maps has updated driving, navigation, transit and explore maps to highlight information that the company thinks will be most relevant. The company has also updated color scheme and added new icons to help the users quickly identify exactly what kind of point of interest they are looking at.

Places like a cafe, church, museum or hospital will have a designated color and icon so that it’s easy to find that type of destination on the map. People will see these changes over the next few weeks in all Google products that incorporate Google Maps, including the Assistant, Search, Earth and Android Auto, Liz Hunt and Product Manager, Google Maps said.

The new style will also appear in the apps, websites and experiences offered by companies that use Google Maps APIs as well. The company recently announced that one can now virtually visit all planets and moons in our solar system using Google Maps.

Google Maps now enables a visit to Saturn’s natural satellites such as Enceladus, Dione or Iapetus, Rhea and Mimas as well as Jupiter’s Europa and Ganymede. Google has also added to its lineup imagery of Pluto, Venus and several moons as well as made it easier to find them in maps.


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This 10 year old was able to unlock his mom's iPhone X using Face ID

After Apple’s new and “secure” Face ID was duped using a mask, the technology is facing another low moment, now being fooled by a 10-year-old. This was discovered by Attaullah Malik and his wife Sana Sherwani, whose son Amaar, managed to break into Sherwani’s iPhone X. How? Because he looks a lot like his mother. 

Malik describes in his YouTube post, that after the couple received their new iPhone Xs, both of them set up the Face ID soon after. That’s when their son walked into the bedroom to admire their new pair of iPhone Xs. “There’s no way you’re getting access to this phone,” the older Malik remembers his wife telling her son, in a half-joking show of strictness. He continues, “Acting exactly as a kid would do when asked to not do something, he picked up her phone and with just a glance got right in.”

The parents were naturally shocked. Ten-year-old Ammar thought it was hilarious though. “It was funny at first,” Malik told WIRED in a phone call a few days later. “But it wasn’t really funny afterward. My wife and I text all the time and there might be something we don’t want him to see. Now my wife has to delete her texts when there’s something she doesn’t want Ammar to look at.”

These come just days after a couple of Vietnamese hackers used a composite 3D-printed mask, to fool Apple’s Face ID authentication system. They stressed that the face recognition is “not mature enough” to guarantee security for smartphones. Although, to be fair, the method used by them was largely impractical. Their method required obtaining a detailed digital scan of their victim’s face, and building a mask out of 3-D-printed plastic, silicone, makeup, and paper. But again, Apple’s Senior Vice President Phil Schiller has clearly said at the launch event that the Face ID can distinguish human’s real face from masks, thanks to its artificial intelligence (AI). 



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UC Browser disappears from Google Play Store, reportedly due to ‘malicious promotion’

One of the most popular web browsers in India, UC Browser, which has over 500 million downloads, suddenly stands disappeared from the Google Play Store. And the reason reportedly is misleading campaigns that the UC Browser has been alleged to be running. To put in perspective how big UC Browser is in India – it has a larger user base than Google Chrome in the country. If you go to Google Play store right now, and search for UC Browser, you will see only the Mini version of the browser in search results, with UC Browser nowhere to be found.

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This, according to Android Police’s Artem Russakovskii, was caused due to UC Browser using ‘Malicious Promotion’ methods. Russakovskii shared this information attributing it to an email from the UC Union, which is the company’s network affiliate.

ALSO READ: Motorola Moto X4 with dual rear camera, Snapdragon 630 SoC launched in India, Price starting at Rs. 20,999: specifications, features, launch offers and more 

In line with this report, Android Central too shared the content of an email, which points the reason of “take down” to be “malicious redirect ads served up by UC Web’s affiliates to inflate installs.” The entire email has been shared on Reddit. (Or you can read the mail below at the end of the story.) 

Affirming for the same reason is a tweet by a UC Browser employee Mike Ross, who explains that the app was taken down for a similar reason.

Google has lately been very strict about apps using dubious tricks to increase install base, or any app that is trying to trick a user in other ways. Just earlier this week, Google warned app developers not to use its Accessibility Services — designed for users with disabilities — for other purposes that may create security issues, adding that it will remove such apps from its Play Store. Apps like LastPass, Universal Copy, Clipboard Actions, Cerberus, Tasker and Network Monitor Mini use Accessibility Services. 




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Apple A11X chipset to feature an 8-core CPU, based on 7nm process: Report

Along with the new iPhone 8 duo and the iPhone X smartphones, Apple also announced a new A11 bionic chipset, which powers these devices. As is the custom, every time Apple introduces a new chipset, it also manufactures an ‘X’ version of the chips that generally power the new iPads. Presumingly, that is happening this time too. And if industry reports are to be believed, the A11X will be the first Apple chipset with eight CPU cores and will be built on the TSMC’s 7nm process.

Further, as stated in a report by GSMArena, the new octa-core CPU is expected to come with “three powerful Monsoon cores and five efficient Mistral cores. It should start shipping in the first quarter next year, right in time for the iPad Pro 2018 series launch”.

ALSO READ: Flipkart Billion Capture+ goes on sale in India: Price start from Rs. 10,999: specifications, features, launch offers and more

Few months ago, MacRumor has also shared a predicted benchmark score for the A11X chipset. According to the publication’s anticipation, A11X will score a 4,500 in single-core test, and 12,000 in multi-core test, and Compute would stand at 45,000. 

For perspective, the A11 Bionic is, as Apple says, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone. It features a six-core CPU design with two performance cores that are 25 percent faster, and four efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster than the A10 Fusion. The new, second-generation performance controller can harness all six cores simultaneously, delivering up to 70 percent greater performance for multi-threaded workloads. 

ALSO READ: Motorola Moto X4 with dual rear camera, Snapdragon 630 SoC launched in India, Price starting at Rs. 20,999: specifications, features, launch offers and more 

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Mozilla ditches Yahoo, makes Google the default search engine for Firefox Quantum browser

Mozilla today announced the biggest update for its web browser, Firefox. Now known as Firefox Quantum, Mozilla says that it’s “over twice as fast as Firefox from 6 months ago”. Firefox Quantum comes with a new layout, new features and is also optimized to consume less memory. The most surprising element in the launch of Firefox Quantum is, however, the integration of Google as the default search engine and not Yahoo.

Google had been Firefox’s default search engine since 2004, but back in 2014 Yahoo joined in. Although Google along with other search engines was built-in on Firefox, Yahoo became the default search engine. This deal was made after Yahoo paid over $300 million (approximately Rs 30 crores) a year, which was more than what Google offered to pay. However, now Google will be the default search engine for Firefox in the US, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

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Mozilla in a blog post says that the decision is part of the company’s ongoing search strategy announced in 2014. This online search strategy is “to evaluate and select the best search experience in each strategy in each region as opposed to having a single global default”.

With the new deal between Mozilla and Google, Yahoo isn’t happy with the change. Charles Stewart from Verizon (Yahoo’s new owner) was quoted by Bloomberg as saying, “Yahoo and Mozilla have enjoyed a productive relationship together since 2014. We are surprised that Mozilla has decided to take another path and we are in discussions with them regarding the terms of our agreement.” As of now, it is still unknown how much Google has offered to pay Mozilla for the search engine position.

ALSO READ: Motorola Moto X4 with dual rear camera, Snapdragon 630 SoC launched in India, Price starting at Rs. 20,999: specifications, features, launch offers and more 

Interestingly, Mozilla pits the new Firefox Quantum to be more than two times faster while using 30 percent less memory than Chrome. Primarily focusing on the speed, Mozilla says that it will eliminate the “Wait Face” that appears due to pages not loading, and videos not streaming.

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Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ announced in a gorgeous burgundy red color

Samsung has made an addition to the available color lineup of the Galaxy S8 duo smartphones, with an option of a new burgundy red one. Sadly, the new color has only debuted in Samsung’s home market, South Korea.

Samsung’s vide for the new model clearly shows how Samsung took some inspiration from the changing color of leaves this time of year. In addition to the rear of the device being Red, Samsung decided to color the aluminum frame and buttons which makes it look even better.

Details haven’t been released about a launch outside of South Korea, but don’t hold your breath. It’s pretty late for Samsung to make a big push for the phone since it hit the market about eight months ago. But we do hope that Samsung makes a red color Galaxy S9 from the beginning and sells it to all markets. 

As for specifications, the innards of the red galaxy s8 duo remain the same. The Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution and 586ppi. On the other hand, the Galaxy S8+ features a bigger 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution and 531ppi. Display of both the devices are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5.

Under the hood, both Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are powered by Samsung’s Exynos processor and Qualcomm’s top-end 835 processor, which varies according to markets. In India, the Exynos variants are expected to launch. Accompanying the processor on the both the devices is 4GB of RAM, and 64GB storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card. 

For photography, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ come with an 8-megapixel smart auto-focus front camera, and 12-megapixel dual-pixel rear camera with f/1.7 aperture. Both the phones come with Alway On display and IP68 water and dust resistance capabilities.

Galaxy Note 8 

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro begins receiving Android 7.1.1 Nougat Update in India

Launched in January this year, Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro is the company’s first smartphone to be equipped with 6GB of RAM. The smartphone is now being upgraded to the Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system. Reportedly, the Galaxy C9 pro has already started to receive the update, along with Samsung’s new UI version.

Though the majority of your will receive a notification for the update via OTA. But for the ones who don’t, you can always run the update manually. To do that, head to Settings -> About Device -> Software Update. If you have the update sitting in your device, then simply download and install. In case you haven’t, there is nothing to worry about. Considering that Samsung started the roll out from Wednesday, we can expect it to reach all Galaxy C9 Pro users in a few days.

Reportedly, the Galaxy C9 Pro update bumps the Android security patch of the handset to August, which still looks kind of dated considering the November patch is already out. Further, the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro is apparently also receiving a few software features that were first seen on the flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone. 

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro specifications, features

Taking a quick recap of the device’s specifications, the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro comes with a 6-inch full HD (1080p) Super AMOLED display with 2.5D curved glass on top. That screen size points the device more towards the phablet category. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 octa-core chipset paired with Adreno 510 GPU. It is equipped with 6GB of RAM, and 64GB onboard storage, which is expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card.

Taking a quick recap of the device’s specifications, the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro comes with a 6-inch full HD (1080p) Super AMOLED display with 2.5D curved glass on top. That screen size points the device more towards the phablet category. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 octa-core chipset paired with Adreno 510 GPU. It is equipped with 6GB of RAM, and 64GB onboard storage, which is expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card.

For photography, the phablet features a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/1.9 aperture, dual-tone LED flash and 1080p video recording capabilities. It also has a 16-megapixel front-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture. Fuelling the phablet is a 4,000mAh battery, fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button, and a Cirrus HiFi Codec for audio. 

Connectivity options on the device include dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE support, USB Type-C port, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS. On the software front, the phablet runs on Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 out-of-the-box wrapped under TouchWiz UI.

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Galaxy C9 Pro (Rs. 29,900)

Galaxy C7 Pro (Rs. 24,900)

Monument Valley 2 now available on Android

Monument Valley, the indie puzzle game is a favorite among iOS users. First launched in 2014, Monument Valley has been downloaded over 15 million times on iOS. At WWDC 2017, Apple made a surprising announcement of releasing the sequel to the visually appealing game. Monument Valley 2 was launched on iOS with a price tag of Rs 400. Within four months of its release on iOS, Monument Valley 2 has now made its way to Android.

Monument Valley 2 is available for devices running on Android 4.4 and above. Like iOS, the game on Android is also priced at Rs 400 with no in-app purchases. Its predecessor is priced at Rs 260 with in-app purchases rounding off to Rs 150 per item. Creator of the indie game, ustwo Games has a trailer for Monument Valley 2, which gives a glimpse at the main character Ro and her child’s journey. You can see from the trailer itself how beautifully the geometric world is crafted with adventures taking different shapes which is sure to excite you.

Monument Valley 2 follows the journey of Ro as she teachers her child on their encounters with magical architecture, illusionary pathways, and delightful puzzles. Monument Valley 2 has the same gameplay, and is set in the same universe as the first. If you haven’t played the first game then you can still go for the sequel as the developers say that the knowledge of the previous is not required. This time, users will guide Ro and her child as they explore the mysteries of the valley, its environments, and manipulate architecture as they continue their journey in the Sacred Geometry. 

Monument Valley 2 comes with some key features including a standalone adventure, individually crafted puzzles, contemporary visuals, and beautiful audio. The puzzles in Monument Valley 2 as ustwo Games puts it are illusory, meditative and use new interactions to explore the changing dynamics between characters. The visual in the game, which its popularly known for, has been inspired by an ecletic mixture of architecture styles, artistic movements, and personal influences.


Monument Valley 2 Download from Play Store here

Google Tez app Download from Play Store and App Store here


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OnePlus 5T will be priced the same as OnePlus 5: Report

When the OnePlus 5 launched, the company faced much criticism for the raising price of its smartphones. The base variant of OnePlus 5 is priced at Rs 32,999, while the higher model retails at Rs 37,999. OnePlus is all set to launch its next flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 5T on November 16 in New York. TechRadar now claims that it has seen official documentation showing that the OnePlus 5T has the same price tag as the OnePlus 5.

According to the document, the OnePlus 5T carries the same price tag as the OnePlus 5 in the UK. Prices will definitely vary in different markets, but probably be at what OnePlus 5 retails for. In addition to this, the document also reveals that the OnePlus 5T will launch with the same storage option of 64GB and 128GB. OnePlus hasn’t commented on this report yet. Interestingly, OnePlus founder Pete Lau had recently hinted on the possible pricing of the OnePlus 5T.

In a reply to a query on Weibo, Lau said that 4,000 RMB (approximately Rs 39,100) would be “enough” to purchase the smartphone. If this is to be believed then the OnePlus 5T would be costlier than the OnePlus 5 which retails at RMB 3,499 (approximately Rs 34,200) in China for the higher variant. But this doesn’t determine the exact pricing either. What’s confirmed is that the OnePlus 5T will be available via a flash sale on November 21 in India for early birds. The official sale will start on November 28. 

According to past leaks and rumors, the OnePlus 5T is expected to feature an edge-to-edge display, and a design similar to the Oppo R11s. In terms of specifications, the OnePlus 5T could flaunt a 6-inch full HD+ AMOLED display running Snapdragon 835 SoC under its hood.

For photography, the smartphone is rumored to sport the same dual-camera setup as the OnePlus 5, but with upgraded features. The phone is further expected to be fueled by a 3,450mAh battery with Dash Charging support. On the software front, it will possibly run on Android 8.0 Oreo with the latest OxygenOS out-of-the-box. 

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Google Assistant can now tell you what song is playing near you

Google Assistant will be your own little Shazam now. According to a report 9To5Google, Google Assistant will now give you an answer when you ask it, “What song is this?” Once the song is identified, Google Assistant presents you with a small info card that contains some lyrics, the artist, the album, when it was released, and what genre the song belongs to. Just like Shazam. The info card also contains embedded links to listen to the song through YouTube and Google Play Music, as well as an embedded link to search the song on Google.

If you don’t want to use voice for this query, Google Assistant also has “What’s this song?” as a suggestion in the carousel of choices. You will need to have voice set as the preferred input in settings for that option to pop up.

Do not, that this feature was pointed out by Android Authority’s Williams Pelegrin, uses the English version of Google Assistant and is located in the US, so that could affect whether the ability to identify songs is available in other regions. In case it is a worldwide rollout, the feature could still take a few days to reach, if it hasn’t already.

Last month, Google also rolled out a new feature for Google Home, where like Siri, Google Assistant could be summoned proactively. Which means, just saying “Hey Google” activated the digital assistant.

There were also reports that the functionality will soon be rolled out to compatible smartphones as well. As per Android Police, the support for “Hey Google” has not been released universally to all devices. It is currently working on some devices, and you will get a prompt for the update. You can also head to the Google Play Store for an update to the Google app. The Assistant will require you to re-train it for both the “Hey Google” and “OK Google” variations. Once you do that, you can then use either of the commands to ask about the weather, set reminders, or send text messages. 



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Twitter rolls out 280-character limit to all users

After running a successful trial with few users, Twitter has finally rolled out its new 280-character limit virtually for all users. In September, Twitter launched a test that expanded the 140-character limit so that users could express themselves easily in a tweet. “Our goal was to make this possible while ensuring we keep the speed and brevity that makes.

“Looking at all the data, we’re excited to share we’ve achieved this goal and are rolling the change out to all languages where cramming was an issue,” the micro-blogging platform said in a blog post. During the first few days of the test, many people tweeted the full 280-limit because it was new and novel but soon after, the behaviour normalised.

“We saw when people needed to use more than 140 characters, they tweeted more easily and more often. But importantly, people tweeted below 140 most of the time and the brevity of Twitter remained,” said Aliza Rosen, Product Manager, Twitter. Only five percent of tweets sent were longer than 140 characters and only two percent were over 190 characters.

In addition to more tweeting, people who had more room to tweet received more engagement (Likes, Retweets, @mentions), got more followers and spent more time on Twitter during the experiment. “Japanese, Korean and Chinese will continue to have 140 characters because cramming is not an issue in these languages. In fact, these languages have always been able to say more with their tweets because of the density of their writing systems,” the post said.

The average length of a tweet in Japanese is 15 characters, and only 0.4 percent of tweets hit the 140-character limit. But in English, a much higher percentage of tweets have 140 characters (nine percent). Most Japanese tweets are 15 characters while most English tweets are 34. According to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, this is a small change, but a big move for them.

“The 140 limit was an arbitrary choice based on the 160 character SMS limit. Proud of how thoughtful the team has been in solving a real problem people have when trying to tweet. And at the same time maintaining our brevity, speed, and essence!” Dorsey had tweeted during the time of trial. The 140-character limit has been around since 2006 and has become part of the product’s personality.

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