Upcoming WhatsApp feature will let you mute videos before posting on your status

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Nov 18, 2020

Huawei’s woes are far from over but the Chinese tech giant may have found an unusual ally in the CEO of Ericsson, which is one of its main rivals in the network and telecommunications business.

Borje Ekholm, the top executive at the Swedish company has kicked against his country’s Huawei ban. Speaking to the Financial Times, he says the decision will hurt competition. He is quoted to have said – “I belong in that category that believes competition makes us longer term, a better company. It may be painful shorter term but longer term it drives us to be more innovative and make better products for our customers,”.

Sweden announced a Huawei ban last month after advice from its armed forces and security forces; stating the reason as due to the Chinese company’s “extensive intelligence gathering and theft of technology”.

Borje Ekholm - CEO of Ericsson — Borje Ekholm – CEO of Ericsson | Image source: Ericsson

The ban means that Swedish carriers can not use technology and products from Huawei (and ZTE too) for their 5G networks. They have also been given till 2025 to phase out both Huawei and ZTE technology from their existing infrastructure. Huawei is appealing the ban and that is said to have caused the postponement of Sweden’s 5G spectrum which was scheduled for November.

Ericsson’s CEO also revealed that it has collaborated with Huawei on industry standards even though they are big rivals. The Financial Times’ report also says that Ericsson may be protecting its business in Huawei’s home country of China where it has won several deals.

Mr. Ekholm also warns that the focus should be on rolling out 5G coverage as soon as possible so that Europe is not playing catch up as it happened in the case of 4G where China and the US rolled out 4G fastest which ha led to them being the major players in the app business.

Official: The OnePlus Nord N100 has a 90Hz refresh rate

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Nov 18, 2020

The OnePlus Nord N100 is the cheapest OnePlus smartphone in the history of the Chinese manufacturer. The phone which is priced at €179 in Europe and £179 in the UK, has a punch-hole 60Hz HD+ display among its features, or so we thought.

OnePlus got called out for the low refresh rate since it said last year that all its future phones will have a fluid display a.k.a. high refresh rate. Turns out that is not the case and the Nord N100 does have a high refresh rate display.

According to Android Authority, the OnePlus Nord N100 they purchased for review has a 90Hz refresh rate. They then contacted OnePlus who retracted its earlier info about it having a 60Hz refresh rate and confirmed that the phone indeed has a 90Hz refresh rate. The official spec sheet also states it has a 90Hz refresh rate. So why did we get different info at launch?

The N100 is equipped with a 90Hz display. Actual refresh rate depends on settings, applications used, and processing limitations – OnePlus

Why OnePlus did not say why it didn’t market the phone’s high refresh rate, Android Authority has come up with a theory that says it is because it is not a “Fluid Display”.

OnePlus prides itself on the quality of its phones’ displays and the smooth experience users will get when they use them. However, the Nord N100 is a budget smartphone, actually a rebadged OPPO A53, and its entry-level specs will not provide a Fluid Display experience.

So rather than market the feature (90Hz refresh rate) and get dragged in the mud for the performance and drop in display quality, they decided to go with a 60Hz refresh rate. This is just a theory and not OnePlus’s official statement.

Nevertheless, the OnePlus Nord N100 has a high refresh rate and users will be able to switch between a 60Hz refresh rate and a 90Hz refresh rate. We don’t know if the high refresh rate will convince users to purchase the phone but it is worth knowing.

The Nord N100 is already available for purchase in Europe. It has a 6.52-inch LCD display, a Snapdragon 460 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, triple rear cameras, stereo speakers, an audio jack, and a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.

Google’s new ‘Zork’ Chromebook hits Google Play Console with AMD Ryzen 3 CPU

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Nov 18, 2020

Google might be working on a budget Chromebook with an AMD Ryzen processor. Today, it has been spotted on Google Play Console which reveals key specifications of the device.

Representative image: Google Pixelbook Go

This new tip comes from 91Mobiles, who have spotted the codename ‘Zork’ and specifications like CPU, RAM, and display specs. According to the listing, the Chromebook will be powered by AMD’s Ryzen 3 3250C CPU. Now, if you recall, this is not the first Chromebook with an AMD processor.

HP and Acer were the frontrunners of introducing Chromebooks powered by AMD CPUs back in early 2019. Their Chromebook 14, and 315 respectively were the first Chrome OS devices to be feature AMD’s A4 CPU. Later, a few Chromebooks have hit the market with the latest one being the HP Pro c645 Chromebook Enterprise. It powers the same AMD Ryzen 3 3250 CPU found on this listing.

Moving on, the listing shows the device has a FHD display with a 1920x1080p resolution and 160 DPI. For memory and GPU, there is a 4GB RAM and AMD Radeon Vega 3 graphics. Previously, a similar device with the codename ‘Zork’ was spotted on Geekbench(via MSP). This including another listing with AMD Ryzen 7 3700C, 8GB RAM denotes that Google might price the Chromebook across segments.

Interestingly, the Google Chromebook in testing seems to run on Android 9 as shown by the listing. However, we feel that it might be due to the emulator testing and the final version will just run Chrome OS. Apart from this, there is no other info on the listing.

Will this debut under the Pixelbook series? Only time will tell. That said, this is not the only Chromebook Google has been working so far. Another Chromebook, likely to be a successor of Pixelbook Go, codenamed ‘Halvor’ with 11th gen Intel CPU, 16GB RAM, Touch screen, 3.5mm jack, and more is in the works.

New Google Assistant update allows you to ask where your family members are

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Nov 18, 2020

New features are rolling out to the Google Assistant, most of which are family-focused and built around smart displays.

The first of the new features is Family Notes. Users will be able to add a sticky note (reminders or to-dos) to the main screen for everyone to see. Think of it as a reminder widget.

Google has also added new chimes and sound effects for the Family Bell feature that was announced back in August. The feature allows for the broadcast of special alarms such as bedtime, breakfast time, and movie time on different smart home devices. Along with the chime, the smart speaker or display will also say what the alarm is for. Family Bell can also be customized for a specific device. It has been reported by The Verge that the feature will have the ability to pause all bells for the day.

Another interesting feature that has been added to Google Assistant is the ability to ask where family members are. All you have to say is “Hey Google, where is my family?” or “Hey Google, where’s mom/dad (specific family member name)?” and the assistant will display the last known location of all members or a specific person on Google Maps. To use this feature, you need to have a Google family account and be aged over 13. Location sharing also has to have been turned on in Maps.

Other features that Google has added include new educational features such as interactive stories – users can say “Hey Google, tell me a story” and an interactive story will appear on the smart display. Google says you can also say “Hey Google, what can I learn with my family?” and family activities that can be completed by kids will show up.

Apple reduces commission rates for small and new App developers on the App Store

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Nov 18, 2020

Apple is facing a lot of heat lately w.r.t to its App Store policies. It already has an Epic Games’ lawsuit pending for next year. Amidst this, the company has taken a sudden step back and made a big announcement that will appease the App developers.

Apple today announced that it’s starting(via XDAdevelopers) a new “App Store Small Business Program”. According to the program, developers who qualify have to pay only a 15% commission. Precisely, if a developer earns less than $1 million in a given year, he is eligible for the program.

This is a big change from Apple who along with Google has recently been criticized for robust commission policies(earlier it was 30% flat). Moving on, Apple says the new program will begin on January 1, 2021. Talking about the program, Apple says it will release a comprehensive details of the policy only in December. However, you can take a look at the gist of it below:

It includes Existing developers who made up to $1 million in 2020 and new developers to the App Store. They can qualify for the program and the reduced commission.
If a developer surpasses the $1 million threshold, the standard commission rate will apply for the remainder of the year.
If a developer’s business falls below the $1 million threshold in a future calendar year, they can requalify for the 15 percent commission the year after.

Anyway, with this new program, the company has reportedly covered around 98% of the companies although they account for only 5% of App Store’s revenue in 2019. According to Apple, App Store revenue in 2019 generated $519 billion revenue with 85% of that benefiting third-party developers. That said, Apple will continue to charge the old 30% commission for those who sell digital goods and services more than $1 million in proceeds.

This is probably because it’s pissed off with the issue over Fortnite, Spotify, and 12 other companies. Back in August, Apple removed Epic Games’ Fortnite game from its App Store. This is because the latter reportedly violated App Store policies and opened direct micro-transactions with a 20% discount. Although Fortnite filed a lawsuit, Apple hit back with a counteraction saying it won’t exempt the game.

Later, it even filed a countersuit demanding seeking punitive damages and a full stop to unfair business practices. This turned hot as both Epic Games, and Spotify now joined together to form a CAF for advocating the Cupertino giant reforms. Let’s hope the new change at least benefits the newcomers in the future.

With over 40 million users, Yubo is perhaps the biggest social media app you’ve never heard of

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Get the Aflawise Q9 Projector at Discount

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Nov 18, 2020

The world is brimming with lots of social media apps that aggressively fight for the user’s time and attention. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, are the leading lights with millions of members, but this could change soon, as a budding French startup has launched Yubo, a social media app it believes will take on the leaders squarely. Yubo aims to take on the big guys with a seemingly different and unconventional approach.

Unlike Twitter, Facebook and the rest, Yubo doesn’t allow users to follow or like a post. Rather It aims to possibly break the notion that the social media’s virtual stage is the exclusive reserve of media icons, celebrities and so-called social media “influencers”. Yubo’s main concept is to let you meet new friends and socialize with other people in an interesting and engaging manner, with several rooms to soothe various segments of the market.

After launching Yubo, the user is prompted with a list of rooms that can be joined. An array of different rooms are available to suit the user’s preferences. In these rooms, people can stream videos real-time from their phones and also chat with other members of the room. Of course, the user is free to join any room of his choice. A lot of games and activities are available inside the room, creating a cool outlook. You can also make friends by adding room members.

This room-centric approach by Yubo is reminiscent of Yahoo’s chatrooms at the twilight of the last century, hence may not be entirely new after all. Yubo, however, looks like an innovative improvement of the once-popular chat rooms, pioneered by the precursors of Facebook, Twitter and the likes. We keep our fingers crossed to see if the Yubo idea will gain traction to enable it to challenge the status quo in the social media space. The app is available for Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded from their respective app stores.

UP NEXT: Oppo X 2021 unveiled as the world’s first smartphone concept with an extending display

Alfawise is offering up to 42% Off on its Projectors & 3D Printers at Gearbest

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Greeva Agnihotri

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Nov 18, 2020

Alfawise is a company that focuses on delivering dynamic home technology, with its products ranging from Android TV boxes to automatic robot cleaners. To help people make their life more tech-savvy and entertaining, the company is offering up to 42% off on various products at Gearbest. Some products are up for direct discounted purchase, while others require a coupon code.

Below mentioned is the list of products with the best deals.

Alfawise Q9 Smart Home Projector

Alfawise Q9 boasts a 1920 x 1080p high resolution with a 40 – 300-inch screen size on a 1.8 to 5m projection distance. 150W LED 16000 lumens lamp beads, and 1000:1 contrast ratio delivers crisp image quality. Its multi-interface design allows various devices to connect, adding to the versatility. Alfawise Q9 Smart Home Projector is a part of the flash sale with over 42% off. One can enjoy this deal by adding a $159.99 coupon code- GBALQ902, bringing its price down to just $174.99.

Coupon: GBALQ902

Alfawise C30 Pro Laser Engraving Machine

Alfawise C30 Pro offers a 460 x 360mm large engraving area with a 3000mw high-intensity laser. It can easily inscribe on surfaces like wood, plastic, paper, bamboo, ox horn, and leather. Open structure motherboard and replaceable laser module enable convenient customization. Alfawise C30 Pro Laser Engraving Machine is currently up for sale with 38% off and can be purchased for just $183.99 using the coupon code- ALFAWISEC30P.

Coupon: ALFAWISEC30P

Get the Aflawise C30 Pro Laser Engraving Machine at just $179.99

Alfawise U50 3D Printer

Alfawise U50 boasts a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a full metal body for stable and accurate printing. It can conveniently perform 260 x 260 x 270mm large-sized printing. The 5-step assembly and automatic feeding and unloading function further add to its versatility. Currently, Alfawise U50 3D Printer is available with a discount of 31% and can be purchased for just $209.99. It will be shipped from a local warehouse in Poland or Italy and will take anywhere between 1- 3 days to reach.

Get the Aflawise U50 3D Printer at just $209.99

Alfawise U30 3D Printer

Alfawise U30’s versatile design makes it perfect for both professionals and amateurs. With 0.1 – 0.4mm precision printing, 2.8-inch full-color touchscreen, and built-in power supply, this printer offers user-convenience and enhanced functionality. Alfawise U30 3D Printer is currently up for sale with 21% off and available for just $219.99. One can enjoy this discounted price after entering the coupon code- ALFAU303D. It will be shipped from a local warehouse in Poland or Italy and will take anywhere between 1- 3 days to reach.

With the holiday season just around the corner, these deals by Alfawise may prove as an added bonus. Taking advantage of these discounts, you can even gift these products to your friends and family. The offer is up only for a limited time, so hurry.

Coupon: ALFAU303D

Get the Aflawise U30 3D Printer at just $219.99

To know more about the Alfawise deals, click here.

Mysterious OPPO PDRM00 3C certified, likely to arrive with 65W fast charging support

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 18, 2020

A mysterious OPPO phone that has a model number of PDRM00 phone has received approval from the 3C authority of China. The identity of the device is not known yet. The 3C listing suggests that it could be an upper mid-range phone.

The OPPO PDRM00’s 3C appearance reveals that it carries 5G connectivity. The listing also reveals that the device could be shipping with a charger that has a model number of “VCA7JACH.” It offers maximum charging speeds of up to 65W.

At present, nothing else is known about the handset. Now that the device has received 3C certification, it may soon appear in the database of China’s TENAA authority. Probably, this device will go official in the home market in December.

Editor’s Pick: Oppo X 2021’s rollable OLED panel is made by BOE

OPPO is reportedly planning to launch the Reno5 series in December. Rumors have it that the OPPO PEGM00 / PEGT00 phone that was approved by TENAA earlier this month could be the Reno5. It is packed with specs lie a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with a punch-hole design, Snapdragon 765G chipset, up to 12 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, Android 10 OS, a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-mgeapixel quad-camera system, a 32-megapixel front camera, a 4,300mAh battery with 65W fast charging support.

It remains to be seen whether the PDRM00 OPPO ends up as a Reno5 series smartphone. The OPPO PDSM00 is another mystery phone from the brand. It was recently spotted at Geekbench with specs like Dimensity 1000+, 8 GB of RAM, and Android 10 OS.

(via)

Wahoo Elemnt Rival multisport GPS watch launched as a fitting rival to Garmin’s lineup

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Nov 18, 2020

Fitness brand Wahoo has launched its first multisport GPS watch, named the Elemnt Rival. It allows the user to seamlessly make transitions between various activity modes, which is quite ideal for multiple events like triathlons and any other fitness activity comprising different tasks. The watch is on sale now for $380.

Since its inception in 2009, Wahoo had carved a niche for sports and fitness enthusiasts for its bike computers and heart monitors among a few other products. However, the company is now ready to take on more established sport watch brands like Garmin and Polar.

The Elemnt Rival is targeted at individuals and athletes who engage in regular multiple sports activities like a triathlon, bike-to-run workouts as well as any other combination of several sporting activities.

The rival’s key talking point is its “Touchless Transition” that enables automatic switching between running, cycling and any other task without any input by the user. The mobile app of the watch allows for syncing thus offering an interface for other Wahoo products like bike computers. It also enables the user to focus on the task without unnecessary distractions. A manual option makes it possible the lap button to switch profiles without disrupting the main activity tracking.

The multisport GPS watch is primed to track body fundamentals like the heart rate and the likes. However, its performance is enhanced with a Tickr X heart monitor that provides an extra layer of data like the run cadence.

As should be expected, the Elemnt Rival can interface well with OS-level fitness data in Apple Health and Google Fit as well as other external platforms like Strava, Training Peaks, Today’s Plan, Train Xhale, and Relive.

The Rival watch has a decent battery life of 14 days in standard operation mode and 24 hours of continuous GPS use. This means that you might not have to recharge for several days, even with an extensive training regimen.

The price shows that It’s not the most affordable multisport GPS watch you can get, but it’s clearly priced to compete with the lower-priced similar products from Garmin and other competitors. Its edge of these alternatives is that it may be ideal for triathletes and multiple tasks athletes in general.

The smartwatch is presently available to buy on Wahoo’s official store for $379. It comes in Stealth Grey and Kona White strap colours.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi XiaoAI Speaker Art Battery Edition launched for 399 yuan ($59)

Realme sold over 8.3 million devices in 30 days during the Festive Days promo

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Nov 18, 2020

Realme is one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands and there is data to back up that claim. the company recently announced that it has shipped up to 50 million smartphones. For a company that opened shop in 2018, this makes it the fastest brand to hit such a milestone. Realme was founded in India but has now spread its tentacles to Europe and even China. The Indian market is key to the brand’s growth with the recent figures from Realme’s Festive Days Promo affirming this.

Data released by Realme shows that it sold a cool 8.3 million units of its products cutting across smartphones, smartwatches, smart bands, earbuds and others during the promo period from October 16 to November 15. Out of this staggering figure, smartphones cornered the lion share with over 6.3 million phones making up the entire sales. This represents a year-on-year growth of over 20%.

Realme expanded its product portfolio this year with the launch of several smartphones as well as wearables and smart TVs. The company equally introduced a smart plug, security camera, electric toothbrushes, and a few Active-noise cancelling wireless earphones.

The company equally hinted that of all the smartphones sold, the Realme 7 series took the front seat with over 1.6 million units sold in both offline and online channels. The Realme 7 series comprises the Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro. Realme is expected to expand the lineup further with the launch of the Realme 7 5G on Thursday (November 19). The device is said to be a rebranded Realme V5 5G for the global markets. The phone is expected to pack a 6.5-inch FullHD+ LCD display with 90Hz refresh rate. It will be powered by a Dimensity 720 SoC and co equipped with a 48MP quad-camera setup. There will also be a 16MP selfie camera and under the hood, a 5,000 mAh battery with 30W charging will keep the lights on.

Apart from India, the Chinese company is also looking to expand its market base to other regions. Realme recently partnered with Dutch retailer Belsimpel to sell its phones and other gadgets in the Netherlands.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi XiaoAI Speaker Art Battery Edition launched for 399 yuan ($59)

Samsung could be working on a ‘Lite’ version of Galaxy Z Flip clamshell phone

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Nov 18, 2020

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in September, the next iteration of the company’s Fold series. That aside, the company is also innovating various concepts of foldable displays through its patents. Now, a tip suggests that the company could also be working to get the foldable devices affordable to the masses.

The latest tip comes from DSCC’s Ross Young who says(via AH) that there’s no information regarding Galaxy Z Fold Lite anymore. This is in response to an older tweet that said Samsung could be working on multiple foldables including a Fold ‘Lite’ version. However, Ross says that he is hearing info about a Galaxy Z Flip Lite smartphone.

That’s surprising considering early rumors didn’t spoil anything about a ‘Lite’ version of the clamshell phone. But emphasized more on the Z Fold Lite. In fact, the latter was even mentioned in the recent rumors under the naming Galaxy Z Fold FE. Anyway, Ross goes on to say that the Galaxy Z Flip Lite will adopt the UTG(Ultra-Thin-Glass) like the predecessor.

We don't hear about Z Fold Lite anymore but we are hearing about Z Flip Lite with UTG…

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) November 18, 2020

If we recall, Samsung introduced the UTG technology with the Galaxy Z Flip back in February. Accordingly, it replaces the CPI(Colorless Polyimide) and promises more durability and scratch resistance. After this, Samsung has never looked back at the cost-cutting CPI solution. In fact, it has included the extra UTG layer on the Z Fold 2 as well. That said, it is very appreciative of Samsung not to compromise a cheaper foldable phone.

This is because Ross has replied to the user on Twitter agreeing that the Galaxy Z Flip Lite will be a cheaper foldable smartphone. And apparently, Samsung will make many of them to drive sales. Having said that, there is no information on the specs and launch date of the device.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if Samsung brings both the affordable Z Fold Lite or just the Z Flip Lite to the masses. In any case, if previous reports are true, we won’t see a ‘Lite’ version of the Z Flip anytime soon as the Z Flip 2 itself is likely postponed to Summer 2021.

Gionee M12 with 6.55-inch display, 48MP quad cameras, and 5,100mAh battery launched for ~$196

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 18, 2020

In September, the Helio P60 SoC powered Gionee M12 Pro went official in China. Today, Gionee announced the arrival of the Gionee M12 phone. Launched in Nigeria, the M12 is a budget phone that comes in two chipset versions. It comes with a trendy punch-hole screen and a 48-megapixel quad camera setup.

Gionee M12 specifications and features

The Gionee M12 is fitted with a 6.55-inch IPS LCD screen that delivers an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone offers a screen-to-body ratio of 91 percent. The upper-left corner positioned punch-hole features a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

The backside of the device has a vertical camera setup that includes a 48-megapixel Samsung GD1 lens with f/1.79 aperture, a 5-megapixel ultrawide shooter with 115-degree FOV, and a pair of 2-megapixel auxiliary lenses. The handset is preinstalled with Android 10 OS. It has a microSD card slot for additional storage.

Editor’s Pick: Gionee F8 Neo is an entry-level smartphone priced at ₹5,499 ($75)

The Helio A25 chipset edition of the Gionee M12 has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The Helio P22 powered model has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The device is backed by a 5,100mAh battery that supports 10W charging. It comes with other features like dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth, GPS, USB-C, a rear-facing fingerprint reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Gionee M12 pricing and availability

The Nigerian online retailer site Jumia is selling Gionee M12’s Helio A22 variant for NGN 75,000 (~$196) and the Helio P22 model for NGN 85,000 (~$223). Dazzling Black and Magic Green are the two color variants of the Gionee M12. It is unclear which other markets will be receiving the smartphone.

New update for OnePlus Game Space app brings OxygenOS 11 UI

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Nov 18, 2020

One of the main changes that OxygenOS 11 brings is a new user interface for stock OnePlus apps. While a lot of OnePlus phones are still running older versions of OxygenOS, OnePlus has updated some of its apps with the redesigned user interface. The latest app to get that treatment is the Game Space app.

The Game Space app has received an update to version 2.5.0 that brings with it the new user interface that we have seen on other recently updated apps such as the Weather app, Notes app, and Gallery app.

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Image source: XDA-Developers

The new UI replaces the carousel with a vertical card-based arrangement. The overflow button and game statistics button have also been brought closer down to make them easy to reach. The Game Space app also drops the color-shifting background (based on the color of the game’s icon) for a solid color (navy blue) wallpaper. This color change also applies to the game stats menu and settings menu of the app which used to be black on the old version of the app.

According to XDA-Developers, the new version of the app is already rolling out for users. I’m yet to get it on my OnePlus 7 Pro which has version 2.3.9 of the Game Space app. I already checked the Play Store and there is no update yet. There is also no APK of the new version of the app available yet for sideloading.

OnePlus’s plan is to make its default apps uniform across devices even if the Android version number is different. With the weather, gallery, and game space app out of the way, we hope the messaging and phone app are next in line to bring the new UI to older phones.

Jio Phone price in India to shoot up soon

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 18, 2020

In 2017, Reliance Jio announced the Jio Phone feature that came with support for 4G VoLTE. Currently, the handset is priced at Rs 699 (~$9). However, due to stock issues, it is easily available for purchase. Fresh information shared by 91mobiles reveals that it will be soon available for purchase easily. The only gripe is that its price will increase by Rs 300.

The publication revealed that the Jio Phone will soon be available with a price tag of Rs 999 (~$13). Reliance Jio is likely to make an official announcement on the price hike in the coming days. The publication has learned through its sources that the Jio Phone will be sold with a recharge pack of Rs 125 (~$2), which means the handset’s cost will shoot up to Rs 1,124 (~$15).

While some units of the Jio Phone were sold with Spreadtrum chipset, others were driven by Qualcomm’s chip. The images of the new retail packages of the JioPhone shows that all its units will be featuring the Qualcomm SoC.

Editor’s Pick: Qualcomm and Reliance Jio are partnering to bring 5G in India

Jio Phone specifications

Jio Phone 4G is a feature phone with a candybar form factor. It has a 2.4-inch display that supports a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. On its back is a 2-megapixel shooter and it has a front camera of 0.3-megapixel

The device runs on KaiOS that brings support for apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, and so on. As far as connectivity is concerned, it comes with VoLTE, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi support. It is backed by a 2,000mAh battery. The phone ships with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of native storage.

Google patents a Smart Ring with an integrated selfie camera module

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Nov 18, 2020

Amidst a bucket load of patents by companies, Google’s unique patent shows that users can take capture a picture/selfie without a smartphone. Accordingly, it’s new patent shows a smart ring that can take selfies as you wear it.

Google Smart Ring Patent — Credit: Google/USPTO

As spotted by Protocol(via Softpedia news), Google has applied for the patent at USPTO way back in May 2019. However, it got published only on November 10, 2020. USPTO is a United States Patent and Trademark Office. First, the abstract of the patent pretty much confirms that it’s a smart wearable device with a selfie camera.

Google Smart Ring- Structure & Functions

As per the patent description, the smart ring houses an aperture(opening) that is enough to fit a finger. Precisely, it says the aperture is shaped to fit the first finger(finger where the ring sits) of the user. Further, the smart ring has the following components housed inside:

A processor(to process, coordinate, transmit data)
An input device(button/joystick/touch sensor/lever/dial)
An optical sensor(Normal/autofocus camera- to capture images)
Transmitter(Transmit the image to an external device- Wireless)
Power Source(Optional- battery/fuel cells/ultra-capacitor)- to power processor, transmitter & autofocus camera.
An indicator(light source/speaker/haptic feedback device)

Additionally, the smart ring also requires a second wearable device typically a HUD(Heads-Up Display) for transmitting, displaying the images. For representation purposes, Google has shown Smart Glass schematics. Basically, the company says it has not included other implementations to avoid obscuring(keeping it secret) the embodiments.

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To begin with, Google says that the smart ring comprises two surfaces apart from the ring- One which houses the camera, and the other housing the input device. Additionally, both the surfaces are designed to tilt sideways to comfort the user and his/her finger range. Also, the housing that has a camera is capable of protruding out of the platform and beyond the ring.

This is according to the finger it is worn(eg: left index/ring finger). Typically, the finger may be anyone on either hand. Google even mentions that the circular body may also be a helix/spiral shape with a break. Accordingly, it will expand to tolerate the fingers of different sizes.

Function

As for the input device, a user can perform different actions with different levels of pressure(if button) to it. However, in the case of a touch sensor, it can detect different tap levels, and the right input finger to avoid accidental presses. Other actuation mechanisms can be can also be from a laptop/mobile, response from a human stimulus, eye-tracking via Smart Glass, and more.

Thus on actuating, the sensor captures the image and sends it to the processor. The camera may be a fixed/autofocus camera. According to the position, Google says the camera projects upwards, tilts sideways to capture the image. Also, the possibility of connecting to a HUD hints that it may also live feed the contents to a screen.

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That said the processing unit has a CPU, RF circuitry(RF transceiver/DSP/SIM), I/O, Power. The ring may also include a gyroscope, accelerometers for vibration/shock impact. Additionally, Google also talks about an optional control module. The smart ring may use either wired, Wi-Fi, WiMax, Bluetooth, NFC one-way/bi-directionally to send the data to the second device.

Secondary wearable device(HUD)

Talking about the second wearable device, Google says it could be anything from a smart Glass to a HUD(Heads Up Display). Precisely, it should have a display for viewing contents, processes, and a transmitter to communicate with the smart ring.

Also, other implementations of Google’s secondary wearable device hints at the possibility of a Helmet, Headbands etc. Nevertheless, this looks like an interesting patent from Google and we hope it becomes reality someday.

The 5-year-old Galaxy S6 series and Galaxy Note 5 are receiving a new update

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Nov 18, 2020

The year 2020 is bizarre in many ways. This year we have witnessed many out of support Android smartphones receiving updates. The Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, and Galaxy Note 5 are the latest devices to join this elite list. All these four handsets launched five years back in 2015.

The official support for the 2015 Samsung premium smartphones ended in 2018, three years from their release. Despite that, the Galaxy S6 series received January 2019 security patch earlier last year in UAE.

Now, the South Korean tech giant is rolling out another update to this trio along with Galaxy Note 5. This new update neither bumps up the security patch level nor brings new features. The changelog does not say much but according to SamMobile, it includes some security-related stabilization code.

In a nutshell, Samsung might have discovered a vulnerability and the company is addressing it by released a new patched build for these 5-year-old phones.

The update comes with the following firmware versions.

Galaxy S6 – G92xSKSS3ETJ1
Galaxy S6 Edge / Galaxy S6 Edge+ – G928SKSS3DTJ3
Galaxy Note 5 – N920SKSS2DTJ2

The surprise update is available in South Korea and some countries in Europe and Latin America. It may roll out in other regions as well. If you still own any of these devices and use it as your daily driver, then do head over to Settings to check for update.

After the installation of the update, these phones will continue to stay on Android Nougat with no new features.

Logitech G PRO X Superlight wireless gaming mouse weighing just 63g launched

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