Category: Apps and Software

Games, Apps, Softwares, Operating Systems and Software Hacks

Apple And Microsoft Plan An iCloud App For Windows 10

The American tech giants, Apple and Microsoft, are reportedly working in conjunction with one another for an iCloud app on Windows 10. While iCloud has been available on Microsoft’s platform for a while now, the cloud storage service will feature a sync capability based on tech similar to OneDrive’s Files On-Demand feature. This refreshed version of the Apple app is currently available in Microsoft’s Store and is free to download for everyone.

The iCloud app will now be able to access files on the cloud without ever needing full sync to the PC, this will potentially save disk space. The app will take pre-emptive measures by downloading placeholders of files. The contents of these files will be downloaded when it is marked for sync or fully accessed by the user. iCloud can also integrate seamlessly into Windows 10 File Explorer, offering separate files for applications like Keynote, Numbers and Pages.

Users can access documents stored on the iCloud Drive, images taken from iCloud Photos, Mail, Calendar, Reminders, Contacts, and Safari bookmarks. Apple and Microsoft are business competitors hence, it is a rare occurrence for both companies to work together, especially for a Windows 10 software. Notably, Apple has also been using Microsoft’s latest Windows API for better cloud storage sync-ing capabilities for its proprietary online data storage solution.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ Cameras Receive Night Mode With Latest Update

This collaboration arrives as a pleasant surprise to the tech industry, where competition in businesses goes neck-in-neck. Although these kinds of united work is always a welcomed sight. Previous iterations of iCloud for Windows had its fair share of criticism, so any pro-consumer practice only benefits either of the companies user bases. The new app should improve the overall user experience by fixing on a lot of the mistakes that were made in the past.

June 12, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ Cameras Receive Night Mode With Latest Update

Samsung used to be rather infamous for its slow update cycles in the recent past. However, with the adoption of the One UI, this trend has changed for the better, with a lot more diverse range of devices receiving Android Pie. The Korean giant is releasing a new software build that will update the last years’ flagships the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+. Following the update, both handsets will receive the Night Mode feature which allows in capturing well lit pictures in dark lighting conditions.

The latest build will carry the Galaxy S10 camera feature via an OTA update. Samsung freshly reworked its ‘Bright Night’ camera mode into a standalone Night mode feature, similar to that Google’s Night Sight and Huawei’s Night Vision. Previously, the camera software analyzed the ambient conditions and toggled the Night mode automatically but over an update, the feature can also be manually activated.

In addition to the camera functionality, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are also receiving June 2019s Android Security patch with the said update. Night mode, a dedicated long-exposure feature that lowers shutter speed for brighter images in low light conditions, can now be toggled by swiping across the camera UI. A new background blur intensity bad for the selfie camera in Live Focus mode is also included in the update. Samsung is also seeking to improve the stability of inbuilt apps such as Messaging, Contacts and Gallery. The changelog has pointed at the company improving overall system security with over 11 vulnerabilities being checked in the software.

Also Read: WhatsApp To Take Legal Action Against Businesses Abusing Its Platform

Updates for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ carry the version number G965FXXU5CSF2 and is reported to be sized around 570MB. The update will initially roll out in countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and should soon make an appearance to the global audience including India.

June 12, 2019
WhatsApp To Take Legal Action Against Businesses Abusing Its Platform

WhatsApp Messenger is one of the most popular smartphone applications in the world. It has millions of users all around the globe who rely on the platform to communicate. However, as the number of users goes up, the number of people wanting to exploit WhatsApp against its policies also increases. To counter such people or businesses, the company has announced that it will start taking legal actions against the business’; who are found sending bulk messages using the regular application.

About the decision

As mentioned above, WhatsApp has threatened strict legal action against the entity who has been found abusing its messaging platform. This action is being taken after countless companies were found to use third-party applications and services to spam users of the platform. Notably, WhatsApp also has a separate platform for business owners to advertise and manage their companies called WhatsApp for Business. The entities abusing the platform were found to spam using the regular messaging app, which violates the user policy of the company. The company has announced the new policy will arrive into effect starting December 7.

Also read: Huawei Nova 5i With Quad Rear Cameras Spotted On TENAA

It was previously reported that WhatsApp was being exploited with the help of clones and third-party tools. These were used to help digital marketers and political leaders in India spam the users of the messaging platform at the time of general elections in the country last month. One quirk about the plan by the Facebook-owned application is that it claims of an end to end encryption in the messages sent on its platforms. With the level of security, not even the company should be able to read the messages sent on WhatsApp Messenger. The company claims it has a plan in place to identify the spammers from outside the platform.

June 12, 2019
Facebook Is Paying Users For Tracking Their Smartphones

Facebook in a new announcement has planned to once again start paying users for being monitored. The ‘Study from Facebook’ application will monitor the user’s device, finding which apps are currently installed, duration of usage of said apps, track their location, and most importantly, record app data of users.

The monitored app data can uncover which features are being utilized in an app. The social media giant claims that it will not be able to track any specific information like messages, passwords or websites visited. The application has been launched months after Facebook’s last attempt at a user-monitoring software. Facebook Research, which was terminated after various controversies arose with the app being specifically marketed to teens, exclusively on the iPhone. The defunct app through special certification allowed itself to circumvent the App Stores and gain special access within Apple devices framework. This was a clear violation of Apple’s rules and regulations causing it to be shut down in January.

The company’s new move showcases its struggling effort in obtaining user’s data from their phones. Facebook, however, has learned a couple of things from its last public debacle. Study app will now only be available for people verified to be over the age of 18; being available exclusively on Android, where the users can choose to grant deeper access to the app. The monitoring software will now also highlight through different screens what type of user data has been collected and exactly how it’ll be used.

Also Read: Nintendo Roundup At E3

Facebook has yet to specify exactly how much it will be paying the user’s to use the app. Although a recent blog post has confirmed that all research participants will be compensated. A PayPal account is mandatory for the study that will reference data that the company already has over the user and the data collected. The Study app has been launched in India and the US. Initially, only the users invited for a study by Facebook can use the app.

June 12, 2019
Huawei Has Shipped 1 Million Phones With Their Own OS

In the month of May 2019, US Commerce department barred all American companies from having any trade relations with the Chinese tech titan, Huawei. The ban has been implemented on the basis of accusations that claim the Chinese company spies on user data with the help of back doors installed on its devices. This move has pushed the company in an uneasy spot where it cannot use either Android or Windows on its smartphones or computers.

However, the company is working rigorously to neutralise the havoc that the trade ban has caused. Huawei was previously reported to be working on its own operating system for mobile devices which is expected to debut later this year. The said OS is allegedly called HongMeng and is reported to be cross compatible with Android OS. This implies that applications from the Android platform will work seamlessly with the upcoming OS from Huawei. According to a fresh report published by China Daily, Huawei has already shipped 1 million smartphones with the HongMeng OS onboard for testing. Besides supporting Android applications, the OS is claimed to have increased security functions to protect personal data.

The OS will support mobile phones, computers, tablets, televisions, cars and even smart wearable devices revealed a senior Huawei executive in a WeChat group involving some internet experts. Intriguingly, Huawei has not started working on the OS following the US ban. Instead, the company has been developing such an operating system for over half a decade. This move was taken as the company had previously anticipated the rising dominance of Western companies in the field of software.

Another report published by South China Morning Post states that in the year 2012, Huawei’s founder arranged a closed door meeting in the company’s heavily guarded premised that lasted for several days. The meeting was intended so that the top official could brainstorm the development of an OS that would safeguard the company’s future if a deal with the US goes bad. Reports also suggest that the company has pumped billions of dollars in the project since its inception without any form of direct contribution to the company’s revenue.

Also Read: HTC Launches U19e And Desire 19+ In Taiwan

It seems that Huawei which is a leader across several fields of technologies has also maintained a strong grip in ensuring that it’s hard earned dominance stays regardless of tough times. All in all, Huawei has tackled the massive destruction causing trade ban with strong preparation. Though we will have to wait patiently till the hyped up HongMeng OS is officially rolled out later this year.

June 11, 2019
Microsoft Renames The Windows 10 Xbox App To Xbox Console Companion

Microsoft has always had its gaming console companion app pre-installed on every Windows 10 supported device. This was done in order to bridge the social gap between its PC and console gaming fans. In the latest Windows update, the company renamed its Xbox App to Xbox Console Companion. This update is a refresh right before the upcoming ‘new desktop experience’ by the company. Apart from the name, no functional changes have been made to the Windows application.

However, Microsoft has planned updates in the future that will lead to the revamp of the dashboard setup in the app. Furthermore, these changes will be made for an unannounced Xbox console settings menu. The future iterations may also team up with the launch of Microsoft’s xCloud, the online gaming and streaming service. It will also allow cross-platform game streaming amongst the user’s devices. However, no significant changes are mirrored in the Xbox apps for Android and iOS as of now.

When users will update the Microsoft store, they will receive a pop-up message from the company. The message will start with, “Pardon our dust.” and go on to describe the reason for the new name of the application. Xbox Console Companion receives a new icon and will be dedicated for Xbox users. An up-to-date version of Windows (10th May 2019 Build) is required to experience the new feature as promised by Microsoft.

The original Xbox app is made for managing games installed on the Windows 10 PC. It also provides a simple catalogue for users to browse games in Microsoft Store, or manage the Xbox Live profiles. The app has in-built functions like social chat. This allows for cross-platform chat with friends and participation in communities, sharing in-game achievements and tracking them, managing video clips and capturing screenshots. The latter two of the features were made possible to the users via the console’s DVR feature which also makes game streaming possible via an Xbox console to a Windows 10 PC.

Microsoft will hold a press conference at the gaming expo E3 2019 on June 9th. This event should unveil more details regarding the promised desktop experience and xCloud. The game streaming service will begin its trials in the latter half of the year 2019, as previously claimed by Microsoft. The rebranding of the desktop apps name after the overhaul of Windows 10 Game Bar lays the foundation for the future console’s framework. The Game Bar is now equipped with PC resource monitors, customizable widgets, and broadcast/game capture controls.

Also Read: Google Maps Will Now Provide Info on Trains and Buses In India

With social media now integrated directly with the GameBar, users will be able to access cross-platform voice and text chat. This feature is synchronized across Xbox devices, as well as multiplayer team management. Additionally, Spotify music controls can also be a part of Microsoft future plans to enhance user experience during gaming. The aforementioned features although, might be removed from the now repurposed Xbox Console Companion App.

June 5, 2019
Google Maps Will Now Provide Info on Trains and Buses In India

In a modern day world where time is money, information regarding an individual’s commute is extremely important. In Indian states like Mumbai where trains are the most common form of transportation for the masses, details regarding the status of various trains is quite crucial. In a new announcement, Google has unveiled its plans for adding practical (and much needed) features to Google Maps for its Indian user base.

With the new update, Google Maps can provide the user with real-time information on bus travel times derived from live traffic conditions. Furthermore, users will now also be able to track live statuses of Indian Railway trains. The update is set to be introduced to ten major cities in the country. A mixed-mode commute feature will also be introduced. This feature combines auto-rickshaws with public transport for a more detailed route to the user’s destination.

Bus & Public Transport

The aforementioned feature will work hand-in-hand with Google Maps pre-existing live traffic data and public bus schedules. This will provide accurate travel times regarding buses in real-time. Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Chennai, Mysore, Coimbatore, and Surat will be the first cities to receive this feature. The new update will be tested out for the first time in the real world and will help in relaying more detailed information regarding buses to the users.

Indian Railways

Trains will also receive a similar set of updates. Information regarding delays and travel times will now be available on Google Maps. Upon searching for the user’s current location and destination, the app will provide inter-state data regarding train routes. This feature was developed with the help of ‘Where is my train’ app, that was acquired by Google in the year 2018.

Mixed-Mode Commute

Also Read: How ARKit 3, RealityKit And HomeKit Will Help Developers In Creating Apps

With the inclusion of the new mixed-mode feature, route results now also highlight auto-rickshaws. This form of travel is popular in India for quick and short duration rides. Google Maps will suggest rickshaws during trips in public transport only if it is a viable alternative. This particular feature, however, will be only available in Delhi and Bangalore and will eventually spread to other cities as well.

June 5, 2019
How ARKit 3, RealityKit And HomeKit Will Help Developers In Creating Apps

The first day of the WWDC 2019 saw some radical updates being brought forth by Apple. The American multinational company announced the iOS 13, the all-new Mac Pro and iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS and macOS. Furthermore, since the event was a ‘developers’ conference’, Apple also unveiled new software frameworks, especially for developers. The development kits include ARKit 3 and RealityKit frameworks. Additionally, Homekit will now be added to security cameras and wi-fi routers. HomeKit is a software framework by Apple that helps iOS-based devices to communicate with smart-home appliances.

ARKit 3

Developers will find it much easier to formulate AR-based applications with the updated ARKit iteration, which receives a fair overhaul in features from the ARKit 2. Using Motion Capture, developers can track human movements and feed them directly into the applications. Motion Capture will also be able to accurately track the limbs and torsos in real-time. People Occlusion is another feature being included in the ARKit 3 framework. It will ensure that all the Augmented Reality based content will show up naturally in front or behind people.

RealityKit

RealityKit was also introduced by the company, and it enables developers to fabricate ‘photorealistic’ AR experiences, Apple states. This implies that real-world environments can easily accommodate virtual objects. Effects such as motion blur can be manually added into scenes, which will simulate a real-world environment instead of a virtual environment. The company also announced the integration of RealityKit with Swift’s Application Programming Interface (API).

HomeKit

Also Read: Samsung Collaborating With AMD For Radeon Graphics On Its Smartphones

Regarding Apple’s interface to make Home-based Apple devices more accessible via devices running iOS, HomeKit will undergo two new developments. HomeKit Secure Video will ensure that the security cameras connected to the HomeKit network will process and analyze security feed directly on the user’s device rather than on the cloud. Furthermore, the 10-day feed will be encrypted and uploaded to the user’s iCloud account. Alongside, HomeKit-enabled routers will create a virtual firewall between the complete network and the devices connected to it. This will make sure that the network will remain secure even if one of the devices is breached.

June 5, 2019
As Apple Retires iTunes, Here Is How It Paved The Way For Modern Music Platforms

When Apple first unveiled iTunes back in the year 2001, it revolutionized the music industry. Changing the way people purchased music and digital albums, iTunes remained as an iconic music symbol until now, because Apple has decided to break iTunes apart. iTunes is splitting into three different applications, namely Music, TV and Podcasts. However, the application will stay intact as a standalone iOS application and on Windows PCs. Let’s have a look at the interesting journey of iTunes through the years.

Formally launched on 9th January 2001, iTunes was introduced at a time where music was hugely downloaded via pirated websites and file-sharing platforms. The application had a fairly simple user interface, which made it easy for users to get accustomed to it. It had a simple billing procedure and a detailed yet vast catalogue of music and albums for users to pick from. In a nutshell, the iTunes application provided one of the best user experience at its time.

In the year 2003, iTunes made its way onto the Windows platform. This drastically expanded the reach of the application and made it accessible to a lot more users. This also removed the doubts regarding iTunes being an Apple-only service. However, Apple’s strategy regarding iTunes has always been closely linked with its devices, including iPhones, iPads and MacBooks.

Almost two years later, iTunes started offering TV shows for purchase. This marked one of the most defining eras for iTunes, where music was sold alongside videos, making iTunes the perfect go-to entertainment platform. If that wasn’t enough, Apple also introduced movies on iTunes in the year 2006. Apple was tasting a lot of success with its entertainment platform, so it decided to launch the ‘Genius’ feature within iTunes, which recommended new music to users based on previous listening patterns.

2008 was a really big year for Apple since iTunes became the largest music retailer in the United States. This literally marked the death of record stores, since most users were directly purchasing music from the iTunes store. To enhance the “music anywhere” functionality, the company launched iCloud almost 3 years later. It allowed users to back up their music files and other documents to the cloud. This meant that with an internet connection, users could access their music from any location.

With The launch of the iPhone in subsequent years, Apple required an initial setup and sync to be done using iTunes, and while this process has been reduced to device restores and wireless updates. iTunes will always be remembered as the pain point and the weak link for iPhone Jailbreakers.

In 2010 Apple also attempted to create a music social network dubbed “Ping”. This allowed users to follow artists and see short, timely postings by both friends and artists. This didn’t work as expected and Apple shut it down in 2012.

Skip forward to the present year, a lot of users were skeptical about iTunes’ departure from the scene. However, analysts stated that the iTunes shut-down is an integral part of Apple’s strategy to focus on subscription content and services. This will help Apple in radically boosting its revenue based on selective content delivering. Statistics exhibit that subscription services made up for about 80 percent of all online music and video revenue in the year 2018. Stats further reveal that Apple currently boasts of almost 56 million paying customers, indicating why it decided to branch out to three different applications instead of a single application.

Also Read: Apple Showcases The Updated watchOS 6 and tvOS 13 At WWDC 2019

Apple shutting iTunes doesn’t imply that all the content owned by users will be deleted in one go. The company will release some information shortly regarding the downloaded content. Expectedly, the content will be managed via Apple Music and other applications. Nonetheless, iTunes will always be one of those applications that revolutionized the whole culture of the entertainment when it was turning digital. And it did so in a way that a huge chunk of users depended on it for their daily dose of music and movies. Hopefully, Apple continues to introduce similar overhauls to the newly formed applications that can make up for the removal of iTunes from the Apple ecosystem.

June 4, 2019
Spotify Tests New ‘Social Listening’ Feature That Lets Users Listen To Music Together

The experience of jamming to your favourite tracks by your favourite artist is much more accessible in this day and age than ever before. Gone are the days of having to search for songs on CDs that were sold in malls or local stores. Multiple online music streaming services are now available such as Spotify, that now seek to make listening to great songs a shared and interactive experience. The Swedish music streaming company is reportedly starting to test a new feature by the name of Social Listening that would let multiple users add songs and make playlists in real time. This is a group feature that will allow users to share and listen to new tracks simultaneously. Spotify is supposedly testing this feature internally within its employees, however, no confirmation has been officially given by the company as of yet regarding the public release of the feature.

The leaked information has stated that ‘Social Listening’ lets users control music together with their own devices using the added function of scanning Spotify Codes or by opening links to pair with other users to begin sharing songs. Screenshots that were leaked show the screens of devices ready to be paired by scanning codes or shared links, in an Android version of the application.

Spotify’s only official response to the feature is that the company is always testing new products and experiences, but have no news that can be shared regarding this function. The company prior to this had revealed its tests on new hardware (a first for the Spotify) ‘Car Thing”, a voice-controlled music and podcast player for cars. The test was only limited to the United States, however, Spotify will invite a few selected premium users for the experience too. Again no confirmations on the company actually releasing the device for consumers.

Also Read: WhatsApp Profile Photos Now Can’ Be Saved, New Album Features

The new social feature that allows group-based interactive playlist feature by Spotify that has just been teased would most definitely be a welcome addition to the social functions within its application.

June 3, 2019
WhatsApp Profile Photos Now Can’ Be Saved, New Album Features

The popular instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, is planning on removing the functionality that allowed users from saving someone else’s profile photo. This change was first noticed in the beta version of the application for iOS devices but now seems to be rolling out for Android users too. The latest update also adds new album features; such as providing more information about the files that need to be downloaded. These changes were spotted by a renowned WhatsApp leaker.

WhatsApp for iOS: What’s New?

The latest update from WhatsApp brings about many changes in the beta version on iOS. As mentioned above, the messaging app has stopped allowing to save someone else profile picture. While it is not confirmed wy this feature was provided in the first place, the removal of it seems to be related to privacy concerns. Apart from this, album improvements have also been added to the beta update. With this, whenever a user receives multiple images in a chat, the app will now tell the total size and number of images to be downloaded. All the aforementioned features were spotted in the beta version 2.19.60.26 of WhatsApp for iPhone.

Also read: Top Smartphones Launch In India: June 2019

Another change that is reported soon to arrive on WhatsApp is the use of a new media format. The current voice messages and audio filed use a format known as opus. This offers low latency and subpar quality of audio, which will now be replaced with the M4A audio coding format. The new format is reported to offer better quality and support in third-party apps. This feature is only available on iOS as of now. With the latest update, a new pop up prompting users to change their number when they try to delete their account. These features may make their way to the stable update soon.

June 2, 2019
Amazon Textract Service Intended For Transcribing Data Is Now Live

Amazon has unveiled a new service named Textract which enables its Web Service customers to accurately harvest text from documents. The word Textract is a combination of ‘Text’ and ‘Extract’, and it does exactly what it says. The software performs the same task as a standard OCR (Optical Character Recognition) reader, but where the OCR scanner falls short, Textract accomplishes the task effortlessly.

Amazon’s software is designed to identify various document formats and analyze its contents to process them in the desired manner. For instance, if the concerned document is a table, Textract will reproduce data in a structured form that is closest to the original data arrangement. Forms, charts and receipts are scanned and reproduced in a similar manner. And the whole process can be completed without human intervention, rendering Textract as an independent software.

The stumbling block with basic OCRs is their inability to process mixed data or data which is arranged in an non standard format. For the same reason, organizations utilize manual labour for data entry, which defies the purpose of an automated OCR. On the other hand, Amazon claims that its new service is capable of processing millions of pages in a short duration of time. Noteworthy, unlike several other similar services, machine learning experience is not necessary to use Textract states Amazon.

Also Read: Apps On iOS Were Found Sending Large Amounts Of Data To Tracking Companies

Lastly, the Textract can identify organization-specific data such as security numbers and IDs and copy it into spreadsheets which are easily editable. Bigger chunks of data are loaded into databases which are then accessible via smart searches inside the Web Service. The Textract has been released in select parts of the United States (including Ohio, North Virginia, Oregon) and Ireland as of now.

May 30, 2019
Apps On iOS Were Found Sending Large Amounts Of Data To Tracking Companies

Apple is one of the few companies that take into account the privacy and autonomy of its customer’s data. The cost of such high levels of user privacy is the tighter regulations by Apple on its own economy (especially in regards to maintenance and repairs). A report, however, has pointed towards various application in iOS sending a huge sum of data to tracking companies.

The Washington Post conducted research over a myriad of applications on iOS that yielded data that caught apps sending personal information of the user data to tracking companies. The research was conducted over a period of one month in conjunction with Disconnect, a privacy-related firm. The results had shown apps sending 1.5GB worth of user information.

The data was apparently sent during late hours when the user was generally asleep. Charging the phone overnight had seemed to activate the service. The trackers showed activity when the interactions with the device’s functions were to be really low. This process only occurs if the user has the “background app refresh” function enabled in the settings. Although this function is enabled by default on any Apple handset.

The apps from Apple store used in the research were from some of the top companies such as Nike, Yelp, Spotify, Microsoft OneDrive, Mint, IBM’s The Weather Channel, DoorDash, Citizen and surprisingly even the Washington Post’s very own application. Data had uncovered over 5,400 trackers in apps within a mere week into the research. Most trackers are said to work seamlessly without the user ever finding out that they were present in the background processes.

For those unaware, data that is acquired can be used to send ads tailored according to the user’s activities. In other words, after the personal information is received by such companies, users would then start receiving ads for something they looked up or searched for online. Ever since the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal in 2018 was uncovered, the public has been far more concerned and aware of their private information being traded without their knowledge. The aftermath of the fiasco had tech giants and social media companies have stricter regulations placed around them.

DoorDash the food delivery service from California was discovered to have sent data to nine 3rd party trackers, while Citizen the app that sends crime-reports for incidents near the user’s location was found sending phone numbers, email addresses and the actual GPS location of the iPhone owners to a tracker called Amplitude. The developers of Citizen had been contacted and an update has since gone online removing the tracker.

Also Read: Alaka’i Unveiled A Flying Taxi That Runs On Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Apple in an official statement had addressed applications that do not adhere to the App Stores rules and regulations, that require developers to clearly post privacy policies and ask for user’s permission to collect data, to either abide by the rules or be taken down from the App Store. The report had shown not all data collected was harmful or bad to the user as some data was anonymised and stored. However, some trackers have not made clear what kind of data was collected, for what amount of time, and whom it is sent to there on.

May 30, 2019
Screenshots Of Ark OS, The Android Replacement By Huawei Leaked

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was barred from doing business with any American company a while ago. Because of the sanctions placed by the American government, it lost access to softwares like Android and Windows from its devices. The company was then granted a 90-day breathing window to fulfil all unfinished business with US companies. It was then reported that Huawei has secretly been working on its own Operating System (OS) for mobile devices in a bid to replace Android. According to the latest reports, the company has filed the name “Ark OS” with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). This application was filed on the 24th of May.

Ark OS

Reportedly, Huawei filed a claim at the DPMA for the design of certain elements of an interface. In the patent application, the company also shared screenshots of the menus inside the said interface. The images are starkly different from what the company has been doing with the current Android skin called EMUI. The applications showcased in the screenshots are allegedly Android-based. This insinuates that the purported Ark OS will support Android apps natively and will give an option to download them using a third party store.

Also read: Amazon Echo Show 5 Launched In India, Features A 5.5 Inch Display

The screenshots of the alleged Ark OS also repeatedly mention the name of the “Android Green Alliance”. This is a Chinese association formed up of companies like Tencent and Alibaba. It was formed a few years ago in an attempt to introduce quality and design standards of their apps in the Android OS. While it is not known what role will the Alliance play in the Ark OS; it may set up a standard for testing the quality of applications eligible to exist on the app store on the upcoming OS. Unfortunately, Huawei has not announced when its Android replacing OS might debut. But it is expected to make an appearance before the 90-day deadline for the company gets exhausted.

May 30, 2019
Microsoft Teases A New Operating System With AI Integration

Amidst major announcements in Computex 2019, Microsoft let a teaser out for its future plans on the software front. The long-awaited lite version of Windows OS (for the likes of Chromebooks) may or may not be included in the definition of Microsoft’s “modern” operating system.

This modern OS as stated by Microsoft is not just a software version and rather it is a benchmark that would define the future of operating systems. With the functionality of the OS at its essence, the ‘seamless’ word was used quite a lot by Microsoft on stage and seamless updates being at the centre of it. Windows updates have improved exponentially over the years as promised by Microsoft but the company is not stopping there. It is now seeking to make the entire process occur in the background, never requiring the user to actively check for updates.

Current iterations of Windows OS handle software updates very differently, with comments pointing towards the similarities in relation to Chrome OS. The ‘modern OS’ is also supposed to be highly secure from the ground up. “The state is separated from the operating system; compute is separated from the applications.” This line by Microsoft’s Spokesperson points towards cloud computing at a level the industry has not yet been comfortable with but is a step towards the future which the company has kept in mind. “Sustained performance” as Microsoft puts it that is “always connected” to have zero interruptions. Sharing the workload with cloud solutions online to enhance user experience on devices.

All of these “enablers’ will be supplemented by an AI. In other words prediction based algorithm to get end results faster for the User. Microsoft there on goes to mention other sci-fi, futuristic but not far-fetched input methods such as voice, touch, and gaze, apart from the conventional mouse and keyboard combo. All this in a light form factor that adds to the mobility of the machine on which the OS is loaded.

Also Read: New MediaTek SoC Is All Set To Bring 5G Network On Budget Devices

No finer details have been revealed as of yet. All that anyone has to go on is the teaser dropped today. The concept may still seem far away but more concrete information should soon follow in the coming months either through official channels or in the form of leaks and rumours.

May 29, 2019