Author: Yashonil Gupta

WhatsApp To Soon Introduce Fingerprint Locking and Dark Mode

WhatsApp is arguably the most popular networking app in the world right now. It has over 1.5 Billion active users and they are increasing every day. WhatsApp has also started to roll out features that the consumers want in the app like Stickers, Read receipts and much more. But there are some features that people are eagerly waiting for. But it looks like WhatsApp is still listening and trying to provide the people exactly what they want. Here are some of the features that WhatsApp has introduced or is going to, really soon.

Fingerprint Security

Some people are very concerned about the security of their chats on WhatsApp and it looks like the company has already started to address that issue of the users. The Fingerprint unlock for the app is available to some users for beta testing. What this feature doesn’t do however, is lock each conversation. There is only the option to lock the app as a whole.

WhatsApp beta for Android 2.19.3: what's new?
WhatsApp is finally working to implement the Authentication feature to protect the app using your Fingerprint, under development!
Info about other features are available in the article.https://t.co/yO6R6pOlsV
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) January 8, 2019

PiP Mode for WhatsApp Web

This was available since quite a while on mobile but has just now only started making its way into the desktop version of the app. Now users will be able to watch videos while chatting or doing anything else in the app. It is a useful feature and was definitely long-overdue in the desktop version.

Dark Mode

Who doesn’t like dark mode? The thought of getting a dark version for WhatsApp is enough to excite most people. And it looks like your wishes are about to come true as WhatsApp is all set to introduce dark mode really soon. This may come later in a span of a few weeks.

Along with these big updates, some small changes like private replies for iOS, a new Audio picker menu and new 3D touch actions for the iPhone.

Also Read: IAF Fighter Plane Crashes In UP, Pilot Safely Ejects

These are some features that are all set to come into the app into the feature updates and will make using WhatsApp much more fun and refreshing.

January 29, 2019
Antutu Releases AI (Artificial Intelligence) Benchmarking Tool

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming popular by each day. More and more companies are trying to offer some or the other AI centric feature in their smartphones. Antutu, the popular benchmarking tool to test the performance of a device, has released a new app called Antutu AI Review, which is meant to differentiate the AI performance of a device by giving it a score.

Antutu, in its blog post mentioned “In order to let everyone have an intuitive judgment on the AI ??performance of their mobile phones, Ann Bunny officially released the Antutu AI Review public beta, providing a quantifiable standard for everyone to judge the difference in AI performance of different platforms.”

Due to there being a difference in what AI means for different SoC makers, Antutu AI Review has tried to establish a unified standard for testing through cooperation with the above manufacturers. The test is divided into two sub-items, namely image classification and object recognition.Among them, the image classification is based on the Inception v3 neural network, the test data is 200 pictures; and the object recognition is based on the mobilenet ssd neural network, the test data is a 600-frame video. The final score is calculated based off accuracy and speed. The higher the both, the higher is the final score.

There is a catch however, if the speed is high but the accuracy of the image recognition isn’t, the benchmark will give a lower score. This is to prevent cheating as the device won’t be able to ramp up the speed and give wrong answers to get a higher score.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy M10 Unboxing And Hands-On

The AI Benchmarking tool by Antutu seems like a good idea at the right time as the war for AI is heating up and it would be interesting to see which companies are serious about it and what are just providing them as a gimmick. The app is available to beta test as an APK file and will be released for public soon.

January 29, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M20 Unboxing And Hands On
Samsung has been teasing the launch of their latest ‘M’ series for quite a while now. And while there have been a tonne of speculations and leaks regarding the device, nothing was confirmed then. But today, Samsung has officially released the Galaxy M20 along with the Galaxy M10 in India exclusively on Amazon. The phone boasts of a modern design, with a blend of good specifications and an aggressive price to boot.

Inside the Box
- Samsung Galaxy M20
- USB Type C Data Cable
- Fast-Charging Adaptor
- Ejection pin
- User Manual
Design

The Galaxy M20 takes an entirely different approach than what we have seen Samsung doing. Samsung Galaxy M20 is the first smartphone from the brand to sport a notch. The notch is a teardrop design which is considered the least intrusive among the other notches. Other than that, there is a small chin at the front, giving it an all screen look. Over at the back of the phone, there is a dual camera setup with an LED Flash. There is a Fingerprint sensor beneath it and a Samsung below the sensor.

Over at the bottom, there is a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C post and a microphone along with a speaker grille.

Display

The Galaxy M series is the first smartphone from Samsung to use their Infinity-V display. The screen on the Galaxy M20 is a 6.3-inch PLS TFT display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px and a Pixel density of 410 ppi and a screen-to-body ratio of 83.6 and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

Processor

The Galaxy M20 runs on the 14nm Exynos 7904. The Exynos 7904 is an Octa-core CPU and is combined with Mali-G71 GPU. The CPU consists of Dual Cortex A73 running at 1.8 GHz and a Hexa Cortex-A53 clocked at 1.6GHz.

Memory and Storage

The Galaxy M20 comes in two variants, one with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of Internal Storage and another with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of Storage. The smartphone supports two separate sim cards and has a dedicated memory card slot that supports memory cards upto 256GB.

Camera

The Galaxy M20 has a dual camera setup at the back. The smartphone is equipped with a 13MP f/1.9 sensor with a 5MP f/2.2 wide angle sensor with 120 degree field of view. Over at the front is an 8MP f/2.0. The phone supports 1080p recording at 30fps. The 8MP front camera also supports 1080p recording at 30fps.

Battery & Operating System

The Galaxy M20 has a massive 5000mAh battery powering it which means that the phone will last for more than a day on a single charge. The phone supports the Samsung fast charging technology up to 15W. A full charge takes 2.5 hrs or 150 mins to complete and according to Samsung, you will get 3hrs of talk time with a 15min charge.

The phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung Experience 9.5 out of the box.

Connectivity and Other features

Also Read: Zombies storm Battle-royale as PUBG Mobile beta teams up with Resident Evil 2

The Galaxy M20 has support for Bluetooth 5.0. The device also has a fingerprint sensor at the back and a support for VoLTE. The phone also has a face unlock feature for faster access to the device.

Pricing and Availability

The Galaxy M20 has been launched in India for Rs 10990 for the 3/32GB variant and for Rs 12990 for the 4/64GB variant and will be exclusively available to buy from Amazon India and Samsung Online Store starting February 5th.

You can watch our unboxing and hands-on videos below.

https://youtu.be/c-Bqw9Bv8fk
January 28, 2019
Samsung Will Now Use Eco-Friendly Materials For Its Packaging

Samsung Electronics on Sunday announced in a blog post that it would replace plastic packaging with Eco-Friendly materials. The company said that it will start taking steps this year to replace plastic packaging materials with paper and other environmentally sustainable elements.

In their blog post, Samsung wrote, “From the first half of 2019, the packaging used currently for Samsung’s products and accessories – ranging from mobile phones and tablets to home appliances – will be substituted with environmentally sustainable materials like recycled/bio-based plastics and paper.”

This makes Samsung one of the only companies to start an initiative like this one to help save the environment. The company also said that the plastic bags used to protect the surface of home appliances such as TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines as well as other kitchen appliances will be replaced with bags containing recycled materials and bioplastics, which are made from plastic wastes and non-fossil fuel materials like starch or sugar cane respectively.

“Samsung Electronics is stepping up in addressing society’s environmental issues such as resource depletion and plastic wastes,” said Gyeong-bin Jeon, head of Samsung’s Global Customer Satisfaction Center. “We are committed to recycling resources and minimizing pollution coming from our products. We will adopt more environmentally sustainable materials even if it means an increase in cost.” Samsung said in the post.

Samsung plans that by next year, it will only use Eco-Friendly packaging materials certified by forestry initiatives by next year. By 2030, Samsung aims to use 500 thousand tons of recycled plastics and collect 7.5 million tons of discarded products (both cumulative from 2009).

Also Read: Google I/O 2019 Dates And Venue Announced

Its great to see a big smartphone company stepping up to help the cause of the environment and start using Eco-Friendly materials for packaging and we hope that more companies join the cause and start an initiative like this on their own.

January 28, 2019
IAF Fighter Plane Crashes In UP, Pilot Safely Ejects

An Indian Air Force(IAF) Jaguar Fighter plane has crashed in UP’s Kushinagar area on Monday morning at 11:30am. Both the pilots managed to eject safely. No casuality has been reported yet as the plane crashed in the non residential area of Kushinagar. According to reports, the aircraft was on a routine mission from Gorakhpur Air Force station.

According to the statement by IAF given to ANI, “Today (Monday) morning, a Jaguar aircraft while on a routine mission from Gorakhpur, crashed. Pilot ejected safely. A court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the accident,”

The police and administration officials have rushed to the accident site. The IAF Fighter Plane had taken off from the Gorakhpur Air Base.

Similar incidents like these:

The news of crashing aircrafts of the defence force is not anything new, last year a similar incident happened in June 2018 when a Jaguar crashed in Gujarat’s Kutch soon after taking off. The pilot, Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan passed away in the incident. A Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet has crashed near Nashik in Maharashtra on June 27, 2018. A MiG 27 also crashed near Jodhpur’s Banad area on September 4, 2018.

Read More: More Images Of The Samsung Galaxy S10 Leak

The name of the pilot of the IAF Fighter Plane has not been yet ascertained. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident.

January 28, 2019
Google I/O 2019 Dates And Venue Announced

Every year, Google shows their software prowess and their hardware capability with the Google I/O. Last year, it was the human like AI calling project called Google Duplex that took everyone’s attention. Google also announced the release of Android P beta to phone from different manufacturers other than Google, which was a big step.

So because of all this, its no surprise people are eager and excited to know what Google has in store for us this year. And it seems like you don’t have to wait much longer. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has finally announced the dates and the venue for Google I/O 2019.

Glad the transmission was received:) See you at Shoreline Amphitheatre May 7-9 for this year's I/O! #io19 pic.twitter.com/CXWpQR4Eza
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) January 25, 2019

Talking on Twitter, Pichai shared an image and announced that the annual event will take place from May 7 to May 9 in the Shoreline Amphitheatre. The venue and dates are not surprising though, as Google has always chosen similar dates for the event. The venue too, will be familiar for most regulars as its not the first time Google is hosting the I/O there.

What to expect from Google I/O 2019?

Google I/O has mostly been about the developing technologies at Google and this year will be no different. It is expected that Google will enrol more Smartphone brands in the Android Q beta, to take the next step in eliminating Android fragmentation. New exciting features in Android Q are also expected to be announced. Google may also show new developments to their Assistant, with things like AI coming more into the picture.

Also Read: Apple Will Now Pay The Winners Of Its “Shot On iPhone” Photo Contest

One thing that Google is expected to do differently is launch new hardware this time around. Recent leaks showed that Google is working on devices like the mysterious Google Coral and the Pixel 3 Lite. If its any indication, there is strong possibility that these devices will launch at this year’s Google I/O.

From all of the leaked stuff about the Pixel 3 lite and the mystery that is the Google Coral and considering Google’s past year’s records, it seems like Google I/O 2019 will be the one to look forward to.

January 28, 2019
Apple Will Now Pay The Winners Of Its “Shot On iPhone” Photo Contest

Earlier this week, Apple announced the “Shot on iPhone” contests for photographers who wanted to showcase their talent. The pictures would be judged by a panel of 10 professionals and the winners would get a spot in Apple billboards across the world.

The contest asks the users of the latest iPhones in town, namely the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR to submit their best photos via Twitter, Instagram, email, or Weibo. The 10 best photos — selected by a panel of judges that includes Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller and former White House photographer Pete Souza will be featured “on billboards in select cities, Apple retail stores and online,” according to the contest site.

Well, Apple might’ve thought that exposure would be enough for them to participate but after facing a serious backlash for not paying the winning photographers anything, Apple has updated the contents on its website, in the original press release about the contest.

First spotted by The Verge, the new paragraph reads, “Apple believes strongly that artists should be compensated for their work. Photographers who shoot the final 10 winning photos will receive a licensing fee for use of such photos on billboards and other Apple marketing channels.”

Apple has also updated their rules in a PDF from “Prize has no cash value” has changed to “Winners will receive a licensing fee for use on billboards and other Apple marketing channels.” Considering the past, Apple hasn’t gotten out of their way much to correct their mistakes, not even admitting they made one in the first place in some cases.

Details as to the amount the winners will be paid are unclear. Some photographers suggested earlier this week that Apple pay $10,000 per photo to the winners, though others argued that exposure should be payment enough. However, now that Apple has decided to give a fee to the winners rather than just relying on exposure by them, it may be expected that more people come on board the idea of entering the contest, which is supposed to take place until February 7.

January 25, 2019
Xiaomi Sharesave Is Here To Make Purchasing Products from China Easier

In a blog post on Wednesday, Xiaomi announced the launch of Sharesave, a cross-border e-commerce platform to make shopping for Xiaomi products, or Xiaomi backed products from China much easier. The platform has been rolled out in India, with more companies to follow suit soon.

According to the post, “ShareSave aims to offer users outside of Chinese mainland a convenient and cost-effective way to purchase ecosystem products that have only been available within Chinese mainland. Using social e-commerce as its core model, ShareSave is a platform where users take the lead every step of the way for a #SharetoSave purchasing experience.”

The platform has a purchase model, which allows the buyers lucrative discounts or free product under certain circumstances. The pair-up model suggests that if you buy a product with a friend, you both will get exclusive discounts. The Drop feature seems to be a closed group in which you can invite friends and family and if enough members join a group, you get upto 100% price drop. There are also products that need to be backed up, for a sum $0.2, Xiaomi is promising up to 10 times the reward for backing up the products you like.

While there are a lot of options in the e-commerce space today, Sharesave separates itself from the rest due to its unique propositions, One is the cross border advantage, and it coming straight out of one of the largest smartphone makers in China is quite the advantage.

And while most Xiaomi products are slowly making its way to India, some interesting products that users may want to buy are still far from our reach, that is until now. Some products like Mi x Wiha Precision

Screwdriver, Yeelight LED Light Bulb, Soocas Sonic Electric Toothbrush X1 Lite etc. are quite a few things that are not readily available in the country. And while there is an option of ordering it through sites like AliExpress or Gearbest, Xiaomi’ s alternative does seem a lot more straightforward and reliable.

The Sharesave App is now available on the Play Store to download and while there aren’t many products on the app right now, Xiaomi is expected to keep adding them to the mix.

January 25, 2019
The Apple AirPods 2 Will Support Hands-Free “Hey Siri” Voice Command

The Airpods 2 have been in the rumors for quite a while now. Along with the much leaked and hyped Airpower, the second generation of the super successful Apple Airpods are all but confirmed to be on the way. The latest news comes on behalf of 9to5Mac where the latest beta of iOS 12.2 was decoded and was found to have a separate, hands-free command for the Airpods.

via 9to5Mac

Now, the first generation of the Airpods don’t support this feature and thus, it is all but confirmed that the second generation does. There is also a claim of the Airpods getting new health-centric features. What those are, isn’t very clear because there is only so much you can do while being plugged in the ears.

The Airpods were launched in 2016 and were appreciated for their super simple pairing and connectivity to the Apple products. The sound quality of the Airpods was average at best so it will be interesting to see Apple work on it this time. The hands-free Siri command can be very useful in certain circumstances like when you want to summon the assistant to do the work for you. One more feature coming definitely to the second-gen Airpods will be wireless charging support for the case right from the ground up.

The updates seem substantial and justify a new model of the Airpods. One thing we wish Apple would work on something to make the size of the Airpods much smaller than they already are and if possible, make them look a little less ridiculous while in the ears. Color options also would be appreciated this time around.

The launch date of Airpods 2 isn’t clear on the horizon yet, but we should expect it to see it sometime in 2019, possibly in the first half.

January 25, 2019
Resident Evil Is Headed To Netflix In The Form Of A TV Series

According to a report in the Deadline, Netflix is reportedly working on a series based on the Resident Evil franchise. The news will be a delight to the fans of the series as the series will be produced by Constantin Films, the production house behind the super successful Resident Evil movies.

Resident Evil TV series will be based on the plot of the premise of the movies, which means there will be zombies and maybe the same evil Umbrella corporation behind it. It will be interesting to see what Netflix brings to the table for the super successful franchise.

The Resident Evil film franchise, launched with the 2002 Resident Evil, consists of six movies to date, produced by Constantin, which had acquired the rights to the video game series, and distributed by Screen Gems. The movies, starring Milla Jovovich has earned over $1.2 billion worldwide at the box office, making it the most successful movie franchise based off a video game.

What’s Next for the Resident Evil Franchise?

The Resident Evil movies were loosely inspired by the games made by Capcom. There have been 6 movies made for the franchise and there also was a reboot promised with James Wan producing the project. Now it remains to be seen if the production house will go with both or either one of them. If the TV series is to be made along with the reboot, it is speculated that it will continue as a spin-off from the movies.

Also Read: Full Specifications And Pictures Of The Moto G7 Family Leak

What goes with the successful Horror franchise remains to be seen, but the fans of the series should be excited about a lot of things, including a remake of the Resident Evil 2 that is out today. Whatever happens though, we will know soon enough when either the reboot, the series or in the best case scenario, both are announced together.

January 25, 2019
Mysterious Google Device Leaks On Geekbench With Snapdragon 855

The year has barely begun and the leaks of all the upcoming smartphones also are on the rise. Amidst the high intensity of Samsung Galaxy S10 leaks, a mysterious device from Google has popped up on Geekbench. And it may be enough to get you a little excited. Code-named Google Coral, the device has some impressive, 2019 worthy, specifications from as far as the eyes can see. The leaked screenshot shows us some of the components that will power this mystery of a device.

Google Coral Specifications

The device may run on a Snapdragon 855, the latest from Qualcomm, 6GB of RAM, which is impressive considering Google only put 4GB of RAM in the Pixel 3 series. The device is also running Android Q, which probably won’t be out until Q3 of 2019, which is maybe what we are looking at as the timeline for the launch of the device.

What the leak doesn’t emphasize on, is what is under the hood of the device, but the Benchmarks suggest it is the latest and greatest from Qualcomm. As far as the benchmark scores go, the Google Coral scores an impressive 3296 in Single Core scores and a whopping 9235 in Multi-Core. This is on par with all the other leaks of the benchmarks the Snapdragon 855 can work out. One thing that is weird about this mysterious device is the timing of the leak. While there is no doubt that Google is working on the next generation of Pixel devices, but the timing is really too early for a leak. What this mystery device is, remains to be seen.

Also Read: Huawei Will Launch A Foldable 5G Smartphone At MWC 2019

Maybe Google is secretly working on a tablet device, or maybe it is the next-gen Pixel. We just hope Google nails it with the design this time. However, it is difficult to say until we know more of the Google Coral, and from what it seems right now, we may find out soon enough.

January 25, 2019