WhatsApp recently led a direct assault at telecom companies’ core business, voice calling. By introducing the voice calling feature, WhatsApp became a complete phone utility in itself. The feature is being rolled out gradually on Android and WhatsApp’s founder has announced that iOS users of the app will be bestowed with voice calling feature really soon.
WhatsApp’s co-founder, Brian Acton was speaking at Facebook’s F8 developers’ conference when he made the announcement. He said iOS users will be getting the voice calling update in a “couple weeks”.
There have already been a few unofficial efforts towards bringing the feature on iOS through jailbroken iPhones, but an official version is definitely better and secure.
As the date mentioned by the company is still vague, you can expect it to take a few weeks more. Facebook Messenger chief, David Marcus had said that WhatsApp had spent years creating and testing the voice calling feature before bringing it to Android phones. So maybe it’s better to wait a few weeks to get a fully functional voice calling feature instead of bug filled versions that may be available now.
It would also be interesting to see how the telecom companies respond to this as it’s a major threat to their core business. If past is an indication, they might steeply increase the price of data packs and may also try to take initiatives to break the internet. This is no ordinary feature, and we should anticipate a major legal battle soon between the old powers and the new innovative tech developers over the future course of communication technology.
The app-based taxi services have made it possible for us to travel with ease. What more can one expect than a car waiting at your doorstep? But the question still hovers around their registration issues.
Recent news points out that the Union Information Technology Ministry has been asked by the Delhi Government to block the mobile applications of Ola, Uber and Meru Genie taxi-hailing companies. That means soon these taxi service providers are going to cease their operations, unless they receive their licence in time.
This nationwide ban was issued for all unregistered web-based taxi companies in December last year because of a knee-jerk reaction to the rape of a female in the capital by a Uber driver. In spite of this ban, Uber the US-based taxi service company brought out UberX, a low-cost option with a new revised fare charts to operate in January. Ola, backed by Japan’s SoftBank Corp also applied for a radio taxi license, and they continued to contravene the December order.
As of now, license has been provided to Easy Cab, Yo Cab, Mega Cab, Meru Cab, Chanson Cab and Air Cab by the Delhi Transport Authority.
The government opines that they are not against these public convenient services. But they’d like them to follow proper guidelines by installing a GPS tracking system and an emergency button in the cabs for the sake of their smooth operation.
Instagram, the photo sharing app has been growing rapidly. It has overtaken Twitter in terms of the number of subscribers on its service. Its success has lead to a number of third party apps which let users add elements like collage, stickers and other add-on’s on their “grams”. The company has now introduced a new standalone app called Layout which lets users create collages from their camera rolls.
We checked it out, so you didn’t have to:
With Layout, Instagram seems to want to take on the multiple apps that its subscribers use for their photos on the service. Instagram users have been found to proactively use apps like Pic Stitch, Pic Collage, InstaCollage, PhotoGrid, and others. By having its own collage making app, Instagram can keep those users in its own ecosystem.
The first thing you see when you get into the app is the camera roll. Here you can select the pictures you want to include in your collage. Once you select the images you want to use, Layout gives you custom layouts that you can choose from. At once, a user can select up to 9 images. Each selection is instantly visualized in the photo grid.
Choose a layout
Instagram wanted to give a better user interface to the users in comparison to the conventional collage makers in the app store. Layout packs in unique features like faces, photo booth and easy to use editing options.
With Faces, you can filter out the unwanted snaps in your camera roll and keep only the ones with people’s faces in them. Instagram found that 90% of all the collages on its service consist of faces, so it makes it easy for users to skip through the random WhatsApp images and only have pictures with people in it.
Choose a layout
The Mirror feature
The Mirror Feature
Easy Sharing
The Photobooth feature was essential for an app like Instagram and its one of the most fun things to do at a party. The photobooth button on Layout starts a countdown timer and then takes a bunch of images which are laid out on the grid.
Layout makes editing the collage real easy. It offers intuitive options which most users will find easy to use. It lets you pinch and zoom the images to define the size and also enables you to pan the snaps. A replace option allows you to go back to the photo roll to change an undesired image. Layout also allows you to mirror the images and add some creative elements to your collages.
Once your images are done, you can save them on your device or share them on your preferred social networks including Instagram. At present Layout is only available for iOS users but it will be available for Android soon.
In a bid to stop spreading blasphemous content within the natives of Pakistan, the Islamic nation has banned the open-source blogging tool Wordpress.com. The website is not accessible in Pakistan as of now, and all the blogs hosted by the content management tool have been jammed. However, the self-hosted blogs by WordPress are still functional.
Meanwhile, visitors trying to access WordPress are directed to the message, “This website is not accessible.” The error message that appears on the websites in Pakistan is given in the screen-grab below:
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the regulatory body responsible for looking after telecommunications in the nation clarified the ban as a step for the welfare of the nation. It said that WordPress was put under restriction because of a “national security related issue.” According to hackread.com, an insider from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said that it will be a temporary ban and has been enforced because of its use by the terrorist group Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is operational in Pakistan.
Pakistan has banned many social networking sites in the past. Previously, they imposed a temporary ban on Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, and few more websites. The authority also discontinued YouTube in 2012 saying that it will be for a while, but the locals of Pakistan are not able to open the video-sharing website till date. Seems like Pakistan, just like the Indian authorities, finds it easy to block content they cannot bring under their control.
WordPress is one of the most prominent content management tool which is used by several websites on the internet. For now, the ban is said to be temporary but if it is extended it would be an issue for all the Pakistani websites who use WordPress to manage their content. We’ll bring you more updates as more developments come in. Keep checking iGyaan for more.
Facebook might have accidentally popped a small glance at the next major app coming from its stable. A message popped up on the Android app of some Facebook users which gave an indication that the social media giant is working on a new app called “Phone.”
The feature popped out with a FB-only tag and showed a dialer icon. However, on tapping the icon, it led to a ‘no page found’ error. It is said that the feature is still in works and the link might have accidentally showed up in the users feed. A report from Android Police stated that the Phone button seems like a replacement for a dialer and will automatically block spam calls and show detailed information about the incoming calls.
Whatsapp, which was acquired by Facebook last year, has also rolled out their version of the calling feature that allows you to make voice calls to one another using data connection or WiFi data. As of now, the only problem Whatsapp may be facing regarding the calling feature is the lag-time in between a call.
Facebook has already rolled out voice calling feature on Messenger. Android and iOS users in can call anyone through this app, consuming only cellular or WiFi data. The feature came to India last year. Now we hope Facebook doesn’t force us to download a whole new app to clutter our devices again. Instead they can include the feature in their existing app like Whatsapp did with their latest update.
From now customers of two of India’s largest e-commerce websites, Flipkart and Myntra, will not be able to make purchases on the go, unless they decide to download their apps. Both the online retailers have shut down their mobile websites and will be operating only through their mobile application.
From now on, whenever a user visits Flipkart.com or Myntra.com on their smartphones, a page will appear that will request you to download the application.
The move by the Indian retail players is not surprising as they were already pushing people to try their mobile version. Timely discounts had been announced for app shoppers, which has led to a tremendous growth in traffic by the mobile segment. According to the information shared by Myntra, “90% of its traffic is being generated through mobile devices. Close to 85% of this traffic is driven by Android, iOS and Windows platforms.”
India comprises of a large chunk of smartphone users and majority of them are potential customers who wish to make purchases while on the move. With the growing innovation in the tech sector, shopping behaviour of buyers is changing drastically. Myntra started its shopping app in May last year and within a short span of nine months, it has now become an app-only platform for mobile customers.
The Head of eCommerce Platform at Myntra, Prasad Kompalli stated about the company plans:
Myntra will be launching new innovations on the app in the future to make shopping a more seamless and personalised experience. The rate at which Indian consumers are adopting shopping on the app, is faster than even the US and China.
Shutting down the mobile websites is a progressive step. More than anything else, it indicates the dependance of mobile users on applications. But would you want to add an extra app on your dashboard?
Taxi aggregator service, Ola is one of the most prominent cab services on the Indian roads. It is currently in the process of raising Rs. 2500 crores to expand its business. While it’s taking care of its fundraising efforts, the company has launched a new food delivery service called Ola Cafe. This services will be well appreciated by working professionals.
Ola Cafe will be added to the existing app so won’t have to clutter your device by adding a new app. It will be available to users in select localities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai. Lunch is served from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, snacks are served from 3:00 PM to 7.00 PM while dinner is served from 7:00 PM to 11.00 PM.
Users can choose the item of their choice from the menu and specify the quantity and then place the order. The payment for the meals can be done through Ola Money or directly through cash. The company says it will deliver food within 20 minutes of order.
You can also cancel the order before it’s delivered. You can cancel the order from the app itself or by calling Ola. You cannot cancel the order once it’s delivered. You also cannot order the meals to a separate location as your current location is taken by default as the delivery address.
Ola had previously stated that it would enter the product delivery space, and food is as good a product to understand the challenges of a delivery business. It is not sure as of yet as to how many of its vehicles will be engaged in its food delivery wing. Ola had earlier stated that it has a fleet of 1 Lakh taxis across India, but it still is struggling to meet the growing demand for its basic cab service.
Ola’s prime competition, Uber has already launched a similar service called UberFRESH in America where it deliver lunch and dinner . Uber also delivers groceries, medicines, chocolates and a lot more in the United States. So it’s clear that Ola wants to beat Uber in the delivery business by having the first mover advantage in the massive Indian market.
OnePlus has put an end to the speculations. The Chinese company has provided a set release date for Lollipop updates on One devices, and it looks like the firm will not keep its huge fans waiting too long. Earlier, the Chinese electronics producer issued the upgrade launch date and had disappointed the customers by not delivering the same. But this time, OnePlus has spread a word through the official forum page of its website saying that Android Lollipop will be available on or before March 30.
The company declared the precise launch date of the update:
CM 12S: The official OTA update for the OnePlus One will be released on or before March 30, 2015
OxygenOS: The official release of our own Lollipop-based ROM will be available for download on or before March 27, 2015
The official forum page of OnePlus mentions the reasons behind the delayed Lollipop update roll out. The firm remarks that unforeseen complications like OS singing issue, instability of the camera module and many crucial driver flaws cropping in the new Lollipop version.
Not only this, to make its customers believe that they will release the new update unfailingly, OnePlus has made a bold statement of giving away five 64GB OnePlus One devices in case it misses either of the deadlines. Well, this shows how dedicated OnePlus is to keeping its promise.
Mobile payments have now been around for a while. A large number of users have by now grown accustomed to paying for their shopping through their phones. Apple and Samsung have also introduced new technologies that lets you use your phone as a credit/debit card. But the Chinese e-commerce company, Alibaba, has given a whole new look to mobile payment and has made spending your hard earned cash more fun.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma showcased their new facial recognition technology which lets users pay through their mobile devices. This new payment method is expected to be called “Smile to Pay”. This feature will let users pay for their purchases by just scanning their faces. It is something like the Apple Pay and Samsung Pay where users have to authenticate a payment by using their fingerprint instead here you get to do it with a selfie.
Mr. Jack Ma presented his innovation at the CeBit conference being held at Hanover, Germany. He gave a live demo in which he went to Alibaba’s website and clicked buy after which the facial recognition screen turned up. As soon as the software recognized Ma, the purchase was done. He said that this technology would replace passwords and this is the manner in which people will engage in online shopping in the future. Mr. Ma though did not give any more details about the technology. Smile To Pay is expected to be first released in China. We’ll learn more about it later, but you have to admit that it is a cool way to pay for your purchases.
During the latest Apple ‘Spring Forward’ event, one new feature that was somewhat overshadowed by the launch of the Apple Watch was ResearchKit. With this new software platform, Apple would involve users and health professionals to gather medical data which can be used to study various diseases. Apple might have found a successful way to crowdsource medical data.
Once the user gives ResearchKit the required permissions, it sends the users health data to Apple. The company then shares the data with doctors and scientists. The information can include the user’s weight, blood pressure and activity levels, as well as data on conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and breast cancer. It lets iPhone users to become the source of information for massive research projects which would help advance medicine for the future.
At present, ResearchKit is only available on the iPhone, and it uses hardware resources like the accelerometer in the device to capture the user’s physical data. It will also let educational institutes and research facilities to create apps which can gather medical data securely.
Using various tests and apps on the iPhone, users can easily monitor their health and also contribute to medical research.
The potential of the software has enticed many, and there have been huge signups for the service. In an interview, Apple chief Tim Cook said that about 11,000 people had signed up for the study using their iPhones in just 24 hours. Conventionally, it would have taken five medical centres over a year to gather up that many subjects.
But amongst the many encouraging responses, there are also some professionals who are raising concerns related to the new platform. The first and foremost is the security and privacy of the medical data. There cannot be a more personal data than the medical information of the person. This platform will keep a track of the signed up users twenty-four seven, and they have to trust Apple with this sensitive information.
The current areas of Research.
Apart from the privacy issues, there are also concerns that the data wouldn’t be as varied as Apple hopes it will be. As most of the iPhone buyers are financially independent and have college degrees, the data might not be all inclusive. But considering that the Apple smartphone is now available in almost all markets across the earth, it will lead to a massive amount of information from varied population that is not limited by geographies. Also, as the data is being collected through the iPhone’s internal sensors, it would be difficult to falsify the results, and the researchers will have access to quality health information.
ResearchKit has a long way to go, but it sure looks promising. It is an experiment worth considering by the medical community. Apple though has to come clear on its privacy policy for the platform and introduce it in clear language and illustrations that would be easy for anyone to understand. It should also engage Android and other OS users to join the platform to give the researchers a broader range of subjects to choose from. The smartphone ecosystem has finally evolved from mere communication devices to tools for bringing real world change.
The world’s largest social network Facebook is a powerful tool to connect with billions of people across the globe at any given time. With an active user base of 1.39 billion users, the responsibility for establishing the proper code of conduct for the website gets really tough for Facebook. This is why the biggest social network in the world has to constantly update its community policies. Facebook has now clearly spelt out what kind of actions are likely to get a user suspended from using their service.
The social networking giant has set a standard to make sure no nuisance befalls on the website and today the company has updated its community standards section to make clear what all is prohibited on the site. The company didn’t change the policy and instead provided details ‘on what is and is not allowed’.
Gratuitous nudity and violence will definitely get you banned from the website
Without seizing the freedom to share and freedom of free expression from the users, Facebook gave a detailed policy description for nudity and hate speech; “We remove photographs of people displaying genitals or focusing in on fully exposed buttocks.” It said that “images of female breasts if they include the nipple” is unacceptable “but we always allow photos of women actively engaged in breast-feeding or showing breasts with post-mastectomy scarring.”
Facebook banned the terrorist organisations like ISIS a while back, and they also made clear that encouraging groups that show violent, criminal or hateful behaviour is also prohibited on their platform.
These measures have been taken to put an end to online bullying. Posting tailored images to degrade a person, and threatening someone for financial or physical harm is illegal and banned. The company has also opted strict rules for revenge porn videos where intimate images or videos of women are shared online without their consent to degrade them in public.
Meanwhile, it should also be taken into account that there is no set method to scan the image automatically and remove the offensive content once posted on Facebook. The previous method of reporting abuse still follows, and once a user reports about an abusive post, it will take about 48 hours to eradicate the content from the website. Monika Bickert from Facebook talked about the rules saying:
Sometimes the best way to share information about atrocities in the world is Facebook. We recognize that is a very challenging issue.
Along with updating its rule book, the company also released its ‘transparency report’, which had requests by governments of each country for user data. The overall governmental applications were 34,946 in the first half of 2014 and 35,051 in the second half. The government of India, Turkey and Russia made most of the request, while the western countries including UK and the US, showed a decline in applications.
Overall, the new announcement shows the kind intentions of Facebook. With a medium like Facebook where videos go viral in a matter of minutes, 48 hours is too long skip a prohibited content from eyes of the 1.4 billion users. Facebook wouldn’t be able to stop the content from being posted as its a matter of freedom of speech. Also as it has a massive varied user-base raging from different regions of the world, it would be difficult to have a one size fits all policy. So as of now, the user complaint based feedback model seems like the best way let Facebook know of your discomfort with the content on their website.
Google is the most prominent advertising platform of the internet. With its broad range of offerings, Google provides multiple advertising venues for companies. Google will be debuting its ‘Behind the Scene’ series to showcase the power of branded video content on its YouTube platform. The series will be launched today, with Clean&Clear’s ‘See the Real Me’ campaign, which debuted last year on YouTube. The central idea of ‘Behind the Scene’ series is to showcase the brands and agencies on how to create more gripping video content.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”David Mogensen” author_title=”Head of YouTube Ads Marketing”]
Increasingly we’re hearing from brands that they want to become better content creators on YouTube, but they’re not exactly sure how to do it. We thought instead of telling them how to be better content creators we can show them by highlighting a brand that’s going on the same journey.
[/quote]
This move is targeted at attracting more marketing personal who are focusing on creating branded online content to reach the masses. YouTube is keenly interested to be a beneficiary of the branded content push. The ‘Behind the Scene’ series will be the first of its kind for YouTube. Mogensen said that more of such series could help in educating brands on creating exciting content that strikes a chord with the audience.
Clean&Clear is a Johnson & Johnson skincare owned brand. It launched its ‘See the Real Me’ series on YouTube last year to showcase how real girls, social media influencers and celebrities tackle personal challenges. Clean&Clear produced more than 120 videos and was viewed by almost 30 million viewers.
The ‘Behind the Series’ will include videos on ‘how to create content strategy’, ‘how to spark a conversation with the audience using content’ and ‘how to operationalize content creation’. It will also feature interviews with the executives of Johnson & Johnson and the story of the conceptualization, production and launching of the campaign. This series will also help marketing and advertising students to understand the nitty-gritties of online marketing using the power of YouTube and other social media services.
WhatsApp voice-calling is the feature Android users have been waiting for, for a long long time. The company has finally rolled out the update and the tool functions amazing on smartphones (on good network, of course.)
Now you don’t need to figure out a way to get an invite, users just need to download the latest version of the cross-platform mobile messaging service i.e. 2.12.5. Once downloaded, the free voice-calling service will be activated on your phones. It’s observed that some people, especially Samsung users, still don’t have access to the new calling feature, but it’s likely that they will receive it soon.
We tried the new WhatsApp free calling feature on an HTC model. Here’s what we found new in the mobile messaging service:
Split screen
The new version of WhatsApp has a divided screen, just what we saw in the leaked images, a few months back. The page is split into three parts with categories: Calls, Chats and Contacts. Earlier there used to be one screen with Chats where you could find the chat history with your WhatsApp contacts.
Call Log
Just like the chat history, there is a call history option in the updated version. Just tap on Calls to see incoming calls, outgoing calls and missed calls. The feature is very much similar to the call log option on your phone, with notifications about the date and time of the calls as well.
New WhatsApp Panel
WhatsApp has done major modifications in the app along with embedding the voice-calling tool. The Contacts section is shifted to the bottom and given it a place in one out of the three split columns of the screen. A dropdown option sits at the top right of the new panel, and on its left is Contacts field to add more contacts. The dropdown menu comprises of three options: Refresh, Status and Settings.
Uncluttered Format
WhatsApp has become more organised with the new version. Earlier, users have to go to the user’s profile to see a particular profile picture, but now it’s pretty easy. Click on the image of the contact and the picture appears in another window with options to start a call or chat.
Tried and Tested:
We tried the voice-calling feature from an HTC phone with a Samsung S3 device, which doesn’t have the access to the upgrade. The calling was average, and there was a gap of a mere few seconds while sending out one conversation and receiving it at the other end. Overall, it’s not as smooth as a regular call, but again it depends on the strength of your internet.
WhatsApp’s voice calling features has been a long awaited feature. The messaging app has virtually replaced SMS and now it is set to take its aim at the core business of mobile operators. The company had already begun offering the feature for some users through an invite system. It is being reported that WhatsApp has broadened the roll out process for voice calling, and it is available for all Android device.
This would be an exciting news for the users of the app. To get the update, users will have to receive a call from someone with the feature activated on their device. Once the user receives the call, the user interface will change, and three tabs will be introduced which represent calls, chats and contacts. The call section will feature call records like incoming, outgoing and missed calls.
WhatsApp has been offering the calling feature unofficially. It was reported a few days back that WhasApp had started offering invites for the feature. Those invites were time limited to a few hours. That time limit has been extended now.
Recently a malware was doing rounds that claimed to offer voice calling feature but simply directed the users to a malicious website. The website asks people to take part in a survey but ends up installing malware on the victim’s smartphone. So it’s advisable to not click on any random link and wait for the invite call to come to your device.
After unveiling the new MacBook and Apple Watch last week, Apple is paying attention to its software. It has released the beta version of iOS 8.3 for regular users. The Cupertino-based giant, for the first time, is inviting general public to test out the third beta of iOS 8.3 before officially releasing it officially.
The tech biggie has launched a webpage called Apple Beta Software Program. Users can sign in to test-drive the beta software and experience what Apple has more to offer. One can enrol their iPhones on the webpage and download the file software.
The software program page advises to back up the device, as the software is still in development mode. The new iOS 8.3 is expected to feature new emojis, easier logins for Google users, wireless CarPlay, and is likely to come with major bug fixes. It is highly possible that some applications may not run as directed as it’s not the final product.
Meanwhile, it is noticed that in spite of public release, only a few users have been able to try out the upcoming iOS. Apple hasn’t laid out the plan how it’s conducting the testing, but it is estimated that the users who took part in the ‘OS X Yosemite Beta Program’ will be able to give feedback to the iOS 8.3 program.
The official release of the new beta software for public use signifies that the iOS 8.3 has taken a step closer to the final public release, however we shouldn’t expect to arrive anytime soon since Apple released iOS 8.2 only a few days ago.
