Amid the global outrage over Facebook's plans to integrate chats among Whatsapp, Messenger and Instagram, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said this is going to be a long-term project.
from Gadgets Now http://bit.ly/2UsvVtB
via IFTTT
Facebook to merge WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram by 2020, Zuckerberg confirms
A report recently surfaced online stating that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg might combine its messaging systems into a single, unified system. Now, the information has been confirmed that the social media giant is planning to merge its WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram platforms, but not this year. The company’s CEO made the announcement during Facebook’s Q4 2018 earnings call.
Zuckerberg said that the project — “to whatever term we end up doing this” — would likely not show up until 2020 and beyond, TheVerge reported. Additionally, the merger of the three platforms would broaden the availability of end-to-end encryption. Those who are unaware, currently, only WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption and it is not available on Facebook’s Messenger and Instagram. Therefore, the CEO explained that merging these platforms would offer more secure end-to-end encryption.
Watch: Poco F1 Armoured Edition First Look
“The integration that we’re thinking about, we’re really early in thinking through this,” Zuckerberg said on the company’s Q4 earnings call. “There’s a lot more we need to figure out.” Furthermore, the move would also help fill ‘certain’ gaps in communication. For example, the CEO explained that there could a possibility that a person might use Marketplace on Facebook, but then have to use WhatsApp for messaging. The company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg also said that the merger would create an “iMessage-like layer for SMS,” further offering more functionality and security. While there is no information on how the company is planning to allow Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp users to communicate, several questions regarding users privacy have raised.
from BGR India http://bit.ly/2Wxegmv
via IFTTT
Fortnite for Android and iOS gets Bluetooth controllers support
Epic Games has finally added support for Bluetooth controllers in Fortnite for Android and Fortnite for iOS. The new patch version 7.30 for Fortnite on Android and iOS brings has enabled Bluetooth controller support apart from some bug fixes and extra gear.
The official update changelog mentions that Fortnite on Android will allow most Bluetooth controllers, such as ‘such as Steelseries Stratus XL, Gamevice, XBox1, Razer Raiju, and Moto Gamepad.’ When it comes to Fortnite for iOS, controllers that are ‘Made for iPhone’ (MFi) such as Steelseries Nimbus and Gamevice will be supported.
Other additions in v7.30 include ‘audio visualization icons for vehicles and balloons’ and the update will disable phone vibration if a gamepad is attached. Epic Games notes that it is also rolling out 60Hz support on select Android devices. Now the list includes Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (US variant), Honor View20 and Huawei Mate 20 X. Lastly, the chiller grenade has also been added and Solid Gold limited-time mode has returned, reports GameSpot.
Watch Video: Monster Hunter World Gameplay
Recently, Epic Games developers introduced a Spectator Mode where non-players were finally allowed to watch a gameplay. Considering that people watching other play Fortnite is such a big draw, it is surprising indeed that Epic Games took as long as it did to introduce this feature. Game streaming services like Twitch and YouTube Gaming have made a killing doing exactly this. And players have flocked to Twitch and YouTube to watch streamers like Ninja play the game.
from BGR India http://bit.ly/2TqnZZK
via IFTTT
Facebook plans to expand WhatsApp Payments to more countries this year
WhatsApp plans to expand its peer-to-peer payments solution to more countries before the end of current year. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, hinted at company’s plans to expand availability of payments on WhatsApp to more countries in a post on the social media platform. The social messaging company got peer-to-peer payments feature allowing users to transfer money to each other was launched first in India in 2018. The feature is being tested with limited users and the company is said to be exploring ways to expand it to more users in India. The feature is built on top of Unified Payments Interface, which allows for instant transfer of money between various bank accounts.
“Messaging is the area that’s growing the most quickly, and this year people are going to feel these apps becoming the center of their social experience in more ways. We’ll roll out payments on WhatsApp in some more countries. Private sharing in groups and stories will become more central to the experience. We’re going to onboard millions of more businesses that people can interact with,” Zuckerberg said in his Facebook post.
WhatsApp is used by over 1.5 billion users around the world and serves as one of the pillar of Facebook’s messaging strategy, which includes apps like Messenger and Instagram as well. The social messaging tapped into Unified Payments Interface to enable money transfer but hit a roadblock due to data localization norms and compliance terms with Reserve Bank of India. The announcement comes after reports emerged that Zuckerberg is contemplating the idea of merging the technical framework powering WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram.
Watch: Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition First Look
Merging these three platforms will allow WhatsApp user send message to a Messenger user and vice-versa. Zuckerberg has said merging the three entities is not planned for this year and is a 2020 and beyond goal for the company. He has also not said anything specific about the payments interface. It is not clear how the feature will be brought to other countries but WhatsApp stands to gain as more users adopt mobile payments and more countries encourage their citizens to go cashless.
from BGR India http://bit.ly/2MIA89N
via IFTTT
Google Pay for India, formerly known as Tez crosses 100 million installed on Play Store
Google Pay, formerly known as Google Tez is likely to be one of the most important and useful apps that the company has launched in recent years. This app is different from the Google Pay app that is available in other parts of the world. The difference here is that Google Pay for India is based on Unified Payments Interface, a framework that was created by Reserve Bank of India to make online payments easier between different banks. The app was initially launched as Google Tez and later rebranded to Google Pay. According to a new report, the app has crossed the 100 million installs on Google Play Store.
This was initially reported by Android Police hinting at the popularity of the app. Though, it is obvious that the 100 million installs do not signify the total number of users that are running the app. Instead, it signifies the number of times the app has been installed on Android devices. Install metrics also include the devices that have preinstalled the app out of the box, though the number of devices to do that pack Google Pay out of the box is not as high.
Watch: Vivo NEX Dual Display First Look
The handful of companies that pack Google Pay out of the box include HMD Global, a company that is responsible for bringing back the Nokia-branded smartphones in the market. The number of installations does not signify how popular the app is but 1,688,790 reviews with an average of 4.5 paint a positive picture for the app developers.
The app was able to achieve the milestone in little over a year after its launch. Though, as noted by the report, Google Pay for India is not the first app to achieve the milestone at this pace. Other apps that achieved the milestone in similar time include YouTube Go, Files Go, and Facebook Messenger Lite.
from BGR India http://bit.ly/2UvfRXQ
via IFTTT
Another Apple employee charged with stealing trade secrets by FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has accused second Apple employee of data theft and stealing trade secrets. The Apple employee, who is a Chinese citizen, has been accused of attempting to steal trade secrets related to Project Titan, the company’s autonomous car project. The details were revealed as part of a charging document unsealed on Wednesday. It is the second time that an Apple employee has been charged by FBI for trying to steal intellectual property related to the autonomous car project in the last seven months.
The news was first reported by the Bay Area affiliate of NBC News. The new charges introduced by FBI comes at a time when Apple is seeing significant decline in sales in Greater China and the political tensions between US and China are at an all-time high. The two countries are engaged in a trade ware which has already affected a number of tech companies. The US government is also expanding its scrutiny of Chinese telecom and tech companies and has recently indicted Huawei and its CFO Meng Wanzhou.
The FBI has accused Jizhong Chen, a Chinese national with charges including theft of trade secrets. The charges are allegedly based on actions that date back to the time when he was hired last summer as a hardware developer by the iPhone maker. He is reportedly among the 5,000 Apple employees working on Project Titan, the self-driving autonomous car project. Chen is said to be one of the 1,200 core employees working on the project and was on the electrical engineering team, reveals the charging document. Apple recently laid off 1,200 employees as part of restructuring of Project Titan team.
Chen was reportedly spotted taking pictures of the workspace where the project takes place by fellow employees. When Chen was asked about the activity by Apple’s global security team, FBI says he confirmed to have backed up his work computer to a personal hard drive and computer. Apple’s team has found Chen with “over two thousand files containing confidential and proprietary Apple material, including manuals, schematics, and diagrams,” the charging document reveals.
Watch: Apple iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max Hands-On
Apple’s security team also found hundreds of photographs of computer screens with sensitive company information in Chen’s possession including those of his own laptop. The charging document says Chen had photographs taken as recently as December and dating back to June 2018. The FBI also says that Chen had been placed on a “performance improvement plan” in December and was in danger of being fired by Apple.
Chen was arrested by FBI just a day before he was scheduled to fly to China. He told Apple that he had applied for two new jobs outside the company and was flying to China to visit his sick father. If proven guilty, Chen faces up to 10 years in prison and maximum fine of $2,50,000. The charges come after FBI had charged Xiaolang Zhang, a different Chinese national with stealing trade secrets in July 2018.
from BGR India http://bit.ly/2DLajmy
via IFTTT
UberBoat, UberBoat XL Services to Start From February 1 in Mumbai
In June 2017, UberBoat launched a similar service for tourists in Croatia who wish to explore the picturesque local islands.
from RSS Feeds | APPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2sVFhSS
via IFTTT
from RSS Feeds | APPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com http://bit.ly/2sVFhSS
via IFTTT
Facebook earns record revenue of $16.91 billion in Q4 2018
Despite facing intense scrutiny over data privacy, Facebook stock rose 12 per cent after it logged a record revenue of $16.91 billion --- up from $12.97 billion in the year-ago period -- in the fourth quarter that ended December 31.
from Gadgets Now http://bit.ly/2t1PZHn
via IFTTT
from Gadgets Now http://bit.ly/2t1PZHn
via IFTTT
Honor Days sale on Flipkart: Deals on Honor 9 Lite, 9N, 9i, 10 Lite and more
If you missed a good smartphone deal during the Republic Day sale, there’s nothing to worry about. Huawei’s e-brand is here with Honor Days sale on Flipkart where you can get good discounts on a range of smartphones. The sale has started today (January 31) and will go on till February 3. Besides upfront discount, there are no cost EMI and exchange offers that you can avail too. Here’s a look at all the deals.
Honor 10 Lite
Earlier this month, Honor launched its first smartphone of 2019, the Honor 10 Lite, which features a gradient finish back, dual rear cameras, and a 24-megapixel selfie snapper. Priced at Rs 13,999 for the base variant, and Rs 17,999 for the 6GB RAM with 64GB variant, Flipkart is offering up to Rs 14,900 off on exchange. There is also No Cost EMI starting at Rs 2,334 per month. Debit card EMI option is also available.
Watch: Honor 10 Lite First Look
Honor 9 Lite
Last year’s Honor 9 Lite featured four cameras, two at the front and two at the back. Launched at a starting price of Rs 10,999, the smartphone is now available for Rs 8,499 for the base model with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. A higher configuration model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at Rs 10,999.
Honor 9N
The Honor 9N was the first affordable Honor smartphone to come with a notched display. Launched at a starting price of Rs 11,999, the smartphone can now be purchased for Rs 8,499, whereas the other model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at Rs 10,499. The smartphone also comes with a glass back design and dual rear cameras.
Honor 9i
Launched in 2017, the Honor 9i was the first smartphone from the company to come with dual front and rear cameras. Launched at a starting price of Rs 17,999, the smartphone can now be bought for Rs 10,999. Exchange discount of up to Rs 10,800, and no cost EMI offers are also available.
Honor 7S, 7A
The entry-level Honor 7S with a full view display, 3,020mAh battery, a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front snapper was launched for Rs 6,999, and gets a flat discount of Rs 1,000, making it available for Rs 5,999.
The Honor 7A, on the other hand, which was launched for Rs 8,999, is also getting a flat Rs 1,000 discount, and you can buy it for as low as Rs 7,999. It comes with dual rear cameras and an 8-megapixel front camera.
from BGR India http://bit.ly/2BmEdfF
via IFTTT
Apple iPhone XS Max successor could come with triple-rear cameras, USB Type-C port: Report
Apple’s latest flagship smartphones, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max feature dual cameras at the back. But with Android phone makers going for three, four and even five cameras at the back, Apple is looking to add an extra sensor to 2019 iPhones to remain competitive.
LG, Huawei and Samsung have released their triple camera smartphones, where one is an ultra-wide angle sensor, which allows for a bit of creative flexibility. Now, according to a report by Mark Gurman on Bloomberg, Apple iPhone XS Max successor will come with a third camera sensor with a wide-angle lens.
Watch: Apple iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR First Look
It will also “capture more pixels so Apple software could, for example, automatically repair a video or photo to fit in a subject that may have been accidentally cut off from the initial shot,” the report said. Also, the Live Photos feature that captures three second clip before and after taking photos, will be extended to six seconds, the report added.
Design wise, the 2019 iPhones are expected to come with the same design as the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. However, there will be one change in the way you plug these devices. Gurman added that Apple is testing 2019 versions of iPhones wth USB Type-C ports, and will be ditching the company’s own Lightning connector. Apple isn’t definitive about making a switch, but it testing the new port means Apple is seriously considering it.
Also, the next gen iPhones are set to come with faster processors and updated Face ID sensors. For 2020, Apple may also add a ‘3D Camera’ at the back, that will help in scanning 3D photos and reconstruct them for real world.
from BGR India http://bit.ly/2UprEqS
via IFTTT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)