Tag: update

WhatsApp Increases its Group Member Limit: Brace Yourself for Spam

Say hello to the world of social media and inanity that only seems to be increasing with every passing day. Amidst millions of pointless comments and cat-pictures that are exchanged every day, here is some news to make you shudder at the prospect of more spam. WhatsApp has increased the number of members that can be part of a group from 100 to 256.

The move has perhaps been made to make users stick to the platform, especially in the face of competition its facing from other companies like Hike, Viber and KakaoTalk, to name a few. The company is clearly trying to hard to keep up its status of being the world’s most popular messaging app. WhatsApp confirmed 1 billion users on the platform with 42 billion messages being exchanged every day.

Since Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp, it is only likely that the platform would be entering into different methods of generating revenue. Now that the platform is all set to be cost-free minus any charge at all, the move to increase members in a group could be aimed at creating an income from those using WhatsApp as a means to publicise themselves. From personal business to brokers to marketing firms, everyone seems to be using this platform to publicise themselves. And it is precisely this section of WhatsApp users the increased group limit seems to be directed at.

An average WhatsApp user is not likely to be effected by the update at all. Also, the update could have been announced on a trial basis as well. Even if Facebook is tinkering with the platform to test different ways of increasing its profits, a random figure like 256 (why not 250 or 300?) still seems an odd way to start. Let’s see what the company has in mind and what all it leads to.

February 5, 2016
Chrome for iOS Faster and more Stable after Major Update

Chrome for iOS has received a major update which the company says will give the browser a huge increase in speed and stability. The developers attribute this to using WebKit (WKWebView) instead of the older UIWebView.

With the introduction of the WKWebView rendering engine, Google said it has been able to update its Chrome Web browser in such a way that it can perform far better on iPhones and iPads than the previous version. The new 48th version of Google Chrome for iOS according to estimates is almost 10x faster and 5x more stable than previous generations of the browser.

This particular switch to WKWebView from the previous iOS rendering engine has enabled Google to reduce Chrome browser crashes for Apple device users by upto a whopping 70 percent. According to a blog post by Google software engineer Stuart Morgan, Even Google’s “Aw, Snap!” error page loads faster when the renderer does crash, he noted.

Morgan further added “Out-of-process rendering was one of Chrome’s earliest innovations, and we’ve always wanted to bring its benefits to our iOS users,” Morgan said. “Unfortunately UIWebView, the component used to render Web pages on iOS, is in-process, so that’s never been possible before.”

This particular news comes on the heels of all the troubles Apple’s Safari web browser has been facing on iOS devices in the last couple of days. The issue of Safari crashing during searches has bothered iOS users for some time now. A fix had been issued but the timing of Google’s latest announcement will certainly take away a number of frustrated Safari users away from the Cupertino-based company.

January 29, 2016
WhatsApp to Support Video Calling and Multiple Chat Tabs

According to a report published in Germany, WhatsApp users would soon be able to make video calls. A small window would appear on the top of the video feed which would allow the user to see their video image. The user would be able to move this window around while at the same time having the option of switching between front and rear cameras.

The video calling feature would come to iOS first followed by Android, and would be supported both by WiFi and cellular connections. Muting the microphone would be another option available to users.

Version 2.12.16.2 of WhatsApp is expected to have video calling. Keeping in mind that version 2.12.12 is already available in the App Store, the next WhatsApp update for iOS users may support this feature.

Along with video calling, new WhatsApp updates are also expected to include a makeover centered around WhatsApp’s trademark green colour. There will also be support for multiple chat windows at one time, allowing the user to move back and forth. We’ll keep you updated as and when new changes develop.

December 23, 2015
Now Use the Apple Watch to Control Your GoPro

GoPro has an iOS app and it’s great. But this was not enough and so, now the app has an amazing update which allows GoPro to be controlled using the Apple Watch.

The most important GoPro functions like starting or stopping recording, previewing shots and adding “HiLight” bookmarks can now all be taken care of using the Watch. This iOS app is compatible with the GoPro HERO3 or any of the Wi-Fi equipped GoPro models, though previewing shots on the Apple Watch is not compatible with the HERO3 or the HERO2 with Wi-Fi Bacpac.

The app has definitely made things more convenient for GoPro users by allowing them easier movement, especially if their devices are needed to be mounted in inaccessible locations minus any kind of viewfinders.

Apple Watch, after being panned by the majority of users, has still a long way to go in terms of customer satisfaction. The GoPro-Watch app has definitely helped its case but it’s still not too conclusive a factor. While GoPro users stand to benefit incredibly from it, it is pretty much pointless for others.

December 12, 2015
Google’s Now on Tap Makes it Easier to Take Screenshots with Android

Android users running on Marshmallow will no longer need to awkwardly take screenshots. A new update to Now on Tap gives you an easy option to take screenshots minus the lingering in your Gallery. Yes, the new update will let you take temporary screenshots, share it with whomsoever you want, and will get rid of the image after you’re done.

You will now see a share button at the bottom left corner of Now On Tap’s pop up menu. Generally, screenshots are for instant sharing of say a game score you want to brag about or some interesting meme you found on the internet and just had to send it to your friends, after which you really won’t be needing that ever again.

Furthermore, there needs to be a better way to take screenshots without having to press down on the Volume Down and Power Button together. And let’s admit it, getting the timing right isn’t always easy.

Now on Tap takes care of both these issues. When you tap the share button, it takes a temporary screenshot that you can share through Twitter, post it to Facebook, or send it as a text. Once you’ve shared the image, the screengrab disappears rather than fill up your precious internal storage. However, if you do choose to keep it around for a while longer, you can by simply sharing it Google Photos or Gallery.

It’s a neat little update that helps declutter your phone of screenshots as well as provides an elegant way to take them as well. The update will rollout everywhere over the next few days.

December 12, 2015
Facebook Would Soon Allow You to Post Comments Even When Offline

Facebook has announced that they are currently testing an update for its News Feed on Android devices for those with slow internet connection. They plan to enhance their efficiency even on slow connections by taking previously downloaded and unread items and pushing them to the top of all the posts.

The cached items will still be displayed by relevance and will replace the spinning icon that appears at the top of the page when you are waiting for the new posts to load. This will help you view stories that you might have missed, while new posts load in the background.

Furthermore, this update will extend to your interactions with friends on Facebook. Users will now be allowed to post comments on posts even when offline. Obviously, there’s a catch here, your comment will be posted as soon as a connection is detected next. But, you’ll be able to like and share posts without a connection.

Facebook is expected to test and roll out this update soon. It also mentions that users in developed markets will be able to benefit from this especially when they’re stuck in a place with bad connectivity.

Facebook has decided on bringing this update especially to Android devices as stats show that Facebook’s growing user base is emerging in markets within Asia, where the online connectivity in most places is rather slow. Facebook had also previously launched Facebook Lite which is basically a lightweight Android version of the Facebook app to eight countries – Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Recently, Facebook seems to be responsibly realising the impact it has made around the world and playing an important part in communication and information access. So, if this successfully works out all we can do is reap the benefits of it.

Source

December 10, 2015
iOS 9.2 Adds Mail Drop and Siri Support for Arabic

Apple released iOS 9.2 update, which comes with a few handy improvements and bug fixes especially for Apple Music, News and Mail.

Apple Music now lets you create new playlists when adding a song to a playlist. Earlier, you could only add to playlists that were already there before rather than letting you create new ones as and when you discover songs. The ‘Classical’ music section has been updated so you can browse works, composers and performers within the Apple Music catalog.

Apple News is another app that gets a major update. You now have a new section called Top Stories a feature that enables users to “stay current with the most important news of the day, selected by the Apple News editorial team.” However, the app is yet to make itself available in India.

The third major update goes to the Mail. Apple has finally increased the attachment size to 5GB for Mail Drop. In the past, the Mail Drop feature was limited to the Mail app for Mac.

There are also a host of minor add-ons like Arabic language support for Siri, 3D Touch functionality for iBooks and USB camera cable support for iPhone. The update is live right now so go ahead and update your Apple device(s).

December 9, 2015
Android 6.0.1 to Bring Quick Launch to Nexus 5, 6, 7 and 9

Users of Nexus 5, 6, 7 and 9 are going to get the camera quick launch option with the Android 6.0.1 update. Among new emoticons, this is another feature users will now be able to enjoy with the update.

Double pressing the power button would immediately launch the camera, as is possible with devices like 5X and 6P that run on stock Android. This sounds like a cool, short way to get to the camera.

However because the feature is tied down with the power button, it might sometimes cause the device to go to sleep, or ask the user for a security password before launching the camera if there is extra security on the lockscreen.

Google is sure to smoothen out these glitches as the update starts rolling. Let’s see where it goes from there.

December 8, 2015
Xiaomi To Roll Out Marshmallow Update For the Mi 4 and Mi Note Soon

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has been making the rounds pretty efficiently and is now expected to reach Xiaomi’s Mi 4 and Mi Note very soon. This piece of information was revealed in a Weibo post by Xiaomi’s MIUI operations manager.

Xiaomi Mi 4

If this does happen, then the Mi 4 and Mi Note would be the first of Xiaomi’s devices to receive the Marshmallow update. Further reports also suggest that the update will not bring a change to the company’s interface.

Mi Note Pink Edition

The Xiaomi Mi 4 flaunts a 5 inch 1920 x 1080 pixels IPS display and is powered by a 2.5 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor paired with 3 GB of RAM. The handset gets in juice from a 3,080mAh battery.

The Mi Note flaunts a 5.7-inch 1080p display, is powered by a Snapdragon 801 processor and comes with 3 GB RAM. The phablet is available in 16 and 32 GB variants and is fueled by 3000mAh battery.

December 4, 2015
Nexus Devices to Get Android Update with New Emoji Next Week

Good news for all Nexus users -stock Android Nexus devices are all set to receive an update as well as new emoji next week. Android’s Hiroshi Lockheimer announced on his Twitter handle that the new emoji will require a “new keyboard, new font, new code”. This, in turn, means a new system update is very much on its way. These designs will be part of the Unicod 8.0 standard, already been incorporated by Apple iOS 9.1

Look! New emoji coming to #Nexus next week. Fonts and tech details shared with OEMs to include in their updates too. pic.twitter.com/GwvKw2d67p

— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) December 3, 2015

However, those without a Nexus phone will have to wait longer for the update to arrive. Lockheimer stays mum on other new features and says he doesn’t want to “spoil all the surprises.”

Get prepared for new emoji -a lion, crab and unicorn -next week if you own a Nexus device. As for Android users without a Nexus device, hang in there for a little bit longer and the update shall be soon on its way.

December 3, 2015
Motorola Testing Marshmallow On Moto X Pure

We are aware that Motorola’s Moto X Pure Edition will soon be receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. Further reports suggest that David Shuster, Motorola’s Senior Director of Software Product Management, announced that Motorola has started the soak test for the update.

Last month Motorola had sent out the update to a couple of devices on a simple test drive, but this time around the real soak test will begin. If everything goes according to plan, then Motorola will be ready to launch it eventually. So, the Moto X Pure Edition should begin receiving this update in a couple of weeks.

The update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow is expected to bring significant changes such as the new Google Now on Tap, a granular permission model, improved volume controls, as well as a smart battery saving feature called Doze.

https://youtu.be/Kq06uPwt188

The Moto X Pure Edition is priced at $399 and comes with a 5.7″ 1440p Quad HD display and front-facing stereo speakers, 21MP primary camera and a 5MP secondary camera, 4k video capture, has a 3000 mAh battery with TurboPower charging, is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, has a 3GB LPDDR3 RAM, and 16GB/32GB/64GB internal memory that is expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card slot.

December 2, 2015
Sony Unlocks Seventh PS4 Core, Gives it an Edge Over Xbox One

The tussle between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the title of ‘ultimate gaming console’ has been gong on for a while now, with no clear winner. Now, some new reports have suggested that Sony has quietly released an SDK that will boost Sony’s position over Xbox One in terms of graphics.

Apparently, out of the eight Jaguar cores that is found in the PlayStation 4, two had been reserved for the operating system and other vital console tasks. Now, if the reports are true, then Sony has opened up one more core to developers to work on more graphically detailed games.

In a similar move, Microsoft released an update for Xbox One last year unlocking more GPU bandwidth and another of the system’s cores, giving developers access to the event core. However, the loss of the seventh core meant that Microsoft had to sacrifice certain Kinetic performance like voice commands – a feature that was quite popular with the system.

Now, while tests reveal that the Xbox is slightly faster than the PS4, the latter dominates in frame rates and higher resolution graphics. Sony’s console features a 1.84 teraflop GPU, while Microsoft’s is 1.31 teraflops. With the event core unlocked by Sony, the GPU increases by 0.13, which can be used by developers if they so choose.

PS4 users won’t see major changes soon, and it will take a while before developers begin work on more graphically advanced games. Sony has managed to sell more hits of the PS4 than Microsoft has with the Xbox One. One of the reasons behind this is Sony’s decision to slash the price of the console around the world. We’ll have to wait for a weeks before we get a clear picture on Sony’s rumoured update.

December 1, 2015
Instagram’s Next Update To Support Multiple Accounts On Android

If reports are to be believed, the the new Instagram app version 7.12.0 on Android might begin supporting multiple accounts on one device. This is the first time, since its inception, that Instagram has even thought of the possibility of multiple accounts.

However, not everyone who downloads the newest version of the app will receive this feature as it is still being rolled out in stages. Additionally, Instagram has not made any official statement yet. In case you did receive the update, then you should see an “Add Account” option under the “Clear Search History” option on the settings list. This basically means that you can now add or create another account to use simultaneously with your present account already logged in.

As of now, iOS doesn’t seem to have this feature even if they also have the same Instagram 7.12.0 version. If you want to check whether you have this feature, click here to update; and don’t forget to let us know about it.

November 28, 2015
Snapchat Makes Live Stories More Interactive With New Feature

In an attempt to make its Live Stories more interactive, Snapchat has introduced a new feature called Story Explorer. Users will now be able to see more of their favourite Live Stories.

https://youtu.be/Is5MVYepFBE

There will be an “Explore” tab at the bottom of some stories, and swiping it up would allow users to see more Snaps related to that particular story. The idea behind this new feature, as the company suggests, is to allow users to see different aspects of the same story and explore several perspectives.

“It’s the first time you’ll be able to experience that incredible game-winning dunk from thousands of perspectives throughout the stadium – or feel like you’re right there on the scene when breaking news unfolds.”

This new feature has been rolled out in New York and Los Angeles for now. Snapchat says in its official blog post that it will be made available in other places as well “very soon”. Looks like Snapchat might have provided social media with a reliable, authentic source of news after all, don’t you think?

November 24, 2015
OnePlus Android 6.0 Marshmallow Update Cycle Announced for One, Two and X

Users with OnePlus devices, time to rejoice for the company has announced its Marshmallow update schedule. Even though the company has still not revealed exact dates, the announcement mentions updates in early 2016.

This is what the company had to say in an official statement.

“For the OnePlus One, Cyanogen OS will be updating to Marshmallow in the first quarter of 2016. We created a community build of OxygenOS for the OnePlus One, but this isn’t what the product officially ships with. We will be updating the community build of OxygenOS for the OnePlus One when time allows.

The OnePlus 2 will also be updated in Q1, and the update will include the new standard Marshmallow API for the fingerprint sensor… We are working hard to bring Marshmallow as soon as possible to the OnePlus X, and will update you on a time frame at a later time.”

OnePlus has been in news lately after releasing one device after another – OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X respectively, both having wooed customers in their own special ways. And now the Android M update will be here too to provide customers with a smoother, more efficient experience.

November 16, 2015