WhatsApp rolls out group video and voice calling

WhatsApp is the most popular IP-based messaging app worldwide, but it still suffers from feature limitations. The company has steadily increased the app’s feature set in the last few months, adding the ability to switch from a voice call to a video call in the middle of a call, new group features including user search and tools to catch up on messages, the ability for group administrators to block users from sending messages in a group, and a Mute shortcut buttonfor WhatsApp notifications in Android. The company has started labeling forwarded messages as well. It’s also developing a “Mark as Read” shortcut button for notifications.

Now, WhatsApp is rolling out group voice and video calls. The company originally rolled out voice calling in 2015, and added video calling later. The company states that its users spend over 2 billion minutes on calls per day. Users ca now make a group call with up to three people for a total of four participants in the group voice/video call. The procedure to do so is simple: Start a one-on-one voice or video call and tap the “Add Participant” button in the top right corner to add more contacts to the call.

">WhatsApp states that group calls are always end-to-end encrypted. The company also claims to have designed calling to work reliably around the world in different network conditions. Group voice and video calling is not a new feature, as other apps such as Google Hangouts have supported it for a long time. It’s taken WhatsApp quite a while to catch up, but it’s good to see the company addressing the feature deficit.

The group voice and video calling feature is now rolling out both in the Android and iPhone versions of the app.

Source: WhatsApp

iPhone 9 Leak Reveals Apple's Radical Design

We all know which is the most exciting model out of all Apple’s upcoming new iPhones, and it will also be the cheapest. The cost savings, however, were meant to come with one major compromise. But now this phone seems almost too good to be true… 

In a fascinating new report, acclaimed Japanese website Macotakara revealed Apple’s so-called iPhone 9 or ‘budget iPhone X’ will use a radical display technology called ‘Full Active LCD’. This allows the budget model to have even thinner bezels than the second generation iPhone X (details) and new iPhone X Plus (details).

iPhone 9 render beside iPhone X Plus showing slightly bigger bezels which may now be avoidedBEN GESKIN

What enables this is a touch sensor made by Apple partner Japan Pixels, which it calls ‘Japan Pixel Eyes’. 9to5Mac notes a Full Active LCD means manufacturers can have bezels as thin as 0.5mm when the current iPhone X has a 1mm bezel. 9to5Mac also cites the Wall Street Journal which wrote back in September 2017 that Apple was using Japan Display to develop a Full Active LCD.

There’s just one problem.

Macotakara states that mass manufacturing of Full Active LCDs has a very high failure rate and this has impacted iPhone 9 production to the extent it may delay the launch until from September to November. A hold-up which was already leaked earlier this week. For my money though, a Full Active LCD iPhone 9 would be well worth the wait.

Interestingly, Macotakara’s report puts it in a face-off with popular leakers Ben Geskin (who successfully leaked the iPhone X last year) and Ice Universe (who has leaked the last three flagship Samsung Galaxy phones), as both believe the iPhone 9 will launch with larger bezels (1,2).

3D print of Apple’s iPhone 9 (left) illustrates how bad thick lookMAC OTAKARA

For its part, Macotakara has multiple scoops to its name, including that Apple would pull the headphone jack from the iPhone 7. Someone has to be wrong, and given 3D modelling has shown an iPhone 9 with larger bezels looks terrible – we have to hope Macotakara wins out.

Either way, 2019 is clearly the year Apple starts taking risks again (including with its premium models) and that’s great to see. Especially if the widely reported leaks of substantial price cuts turn out to be true...

Google Pixel 3 XL Clearly White model leaks in new pictures

Early last month, the first live photos of the upcoming Google Pixel 3 XL (code-named “crosshatch”) were posted on the XDA-Developers forums. The pictures confirmed rumors such as the display notch, dual front-facing camera lenses, the sensor placement, a 4GB RAM and 128GB storage model, and the use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip. The pictures also showed off what looked to be a glass back which we have speculated may be for wireless charging docks like the upcoming “Pixel Stand.” Now, a new set of photos have been posted exclusively on our forums by XDA Junior Member dr.guru showing off what looks to be the Clearly White model of the Google Pixel 3 XL.

As you can see in the pictures shown above, the white is clearly visible around the edge of the device and on the rear. The bootloader information shows that this is an EVT 1.0 model (Engineering Validation Test), same as the earlier leaked model. These photos confirm the 4GB RAM model but also show off a 64GB storage version. The rumored display notch also makes a re-appearance and the new photos also show off the bottom-firing speaker much more clearly.

Apart from that, there isn’t much more new information that can be gleaned from these photos. The real-life photos match what we see in leaked 3D CAD renders but it doesn’t confirm aspects like wireless charging or the return of the Google Pixel 2‘s Active Edge squeezable frame. We also can’t tell from these photos if the display is OLED, though given the past history of the Google Pixel and Google Pixel 2 smartphones it’s a strong possibility that the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL will have an OLED display. According to the original poster of the photos, the rear of the device is “totally glass.” He states the “top part is glossy and the bottom is matte” but that it’s all “a single part.” He was unable to confirm if wireless charging is present, though.

Keep in mind that these photos show off an early engineering model. Given that the device is set for release in October, Google is likely past the EVT 1.0 stage in production. The company is likely at the DVT (Design Validation Test) stage where they are getting the hardware units ready for mass production. That means that aspects of these devices may have changed slightly since these EVT devices were manufactured. Furthermore, we don’t know the user who posted these photos nor how he came across them, so take these leaks with a grain of salt.

If we learn more information about the upcoming Google Pixel 3 XL in Clearly White or any other color variant, we’ll let you all know.

Your MacBook Pro's Next Big Mistake

By Ewan Spence

Alongside the announcement of the new MacBook Pro machines earlier this month, Apple also announced the availability of a new leather MacBook Sleeve. Available in Midnight Blue, Saddle Brown, and Black, the high-quality design has a fundamental flaw for those using it.

You can’t charge your MacBook Pro while it is in the case. Given the high price ($180 for the 13-inch sleeve, and $200 for the 15-inch version), this is a curious decision.

Check your charge before packing away your MacBook Pro (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The design of the sleeve allows the MacBook Pro to be placed either hinge first or trackpad first. My suspicion is that the solution Apple had in mind was to go in hinge first (so the Apple logos match up through the material), in which case the USB-C ports are covered up by the design.

But the opposite orientation, trackpad first and leaving the hinge exposed. For me this feels the natural orientation and given the demands of a professional laptop and the ABC rule while travelling (always be charging) I would have expected at least one of the USB-C ports to be accessible for charging.

There could be practical reasons why Apple’s design team has blocked the functionality. For example, the team may be worried about the snug fitting leather not allowing sufficient heat to escape during charging – in which case I would expect this to be a prominent ‘do not allow this’ in Apple’s certification.

A quick check on other sleeves available through the Apple website shows that this is not the case. If there is a worry about charging in situ, it has not been made clear to

Which leads me to my second line of reasoning. Apple decided that the fashionable look of the sleeve would override the practical sensibilities demanded of a protective case. Either Apple did not consider the use case of charging in situ, or it made a conscious decision to not include it.

I’m honestly not sure which option I prefer to be the truth. But what is clear is that this can be added to an ever-growing list of issues around the MacBook Pro that highlight a lack of focus and devotion from Cupertino. With thermal issues, poor bug hunting, problematic repair issues, safety nets removed, what has happened to Apple’s legendary focus on the user experience?

Still, why bother about the practicalities when you can have the twenty-first century equivalent of corinthian

Google bans cryptocurrency mining apps from the Play Store

As part of a sweeping update to its developer policies

By Dani Deahl on July 26, 2018 5:32 pm

  

Google has updated its Play Store developer policies to ban several more categories of apps, including cryptocurrency mining ones and apps with disruptive ads, as reported by Android Police.

When it comes to cryptocurrency apps, Google says mining apps are now prohibited, but apps that “remotely manage the mining of cryptocurrency” are still permitted. Apple recently banned apps that mine cryptocurrency, stating that, “the only cryptocurrency mining apps allowed are those that mine outside of the device, like cloud-based mining.”

Repetitive apps are now prohibited in the Google Play store. These are apps that mimic or provide the same experience as apps that already exist on the platform. Apps can be removed if they copy content from another app without adding anything new or unique, or if a developer makes multiple apps that have similar content and user experiences. Additionally, “apps that are created by an automated tool, wizard service, or based on templates and submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other persons are not allowed,” the company explains.

APPS THAT “REMOTELY MANAGE THE MINING OF CRYPTOCURRENCY” ARE STILL PERMITTED

Next, there are new restrictions on apps that deal with firearms and firearms accessories. Apps that “facilitate the sale of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or certain firearms accessories” are now banned, in similar fashion to how YouTube expanded restrictions dealing with these subjects earlier in the year.

The Google Play store defines restricted firearms accessories as items that enable a firearm to “simulate automatic fire or convert a firearm to automatic fire (e.g. bump stocks, gatling triggers, drop-in auto sears, conversion kits), and magazines or belts carrying more than 30 rounds.” Apps that provide instructions on manufacturing explosives, firearms, ammunition, and other weapons are also banned.

Also included in the new restrictions are apps that “appeal to children but contain adult themes,” apps that impersonate people or organizations or conceal their primary purpose, and apps that force users to click ads or submit personal information for ads before full use of the app is granted.

Lenovo’s Google Assistant-powered Smart Display is now available from $199

ABHIMANYU GHOSHAL  —  

4 HOURS AGO

Back in January, Google announced that it was working with third-party hardware makers on touchscreen-equipped smart speakers with the company’s Assistant on board. The first of those products is now available from Lenovo.

The imaginatively named Lenovo Smart Display comes in two sizes – an 8-incher with an HD screen, and a Full HD 10.1-inch version. Aside from that and the speakers, they’re practically identical on the inside, and bring the same kind 5-megapixel camera on the front.

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You can think of it as a Google Home with a screen: it can play music, control the smart appliances in your home, and answer questions. But it’s more than that, because it’s running Android Things, a new-ish IoT platform from Google with a brand new interface.

There’s no app store for it yet, so you’ll be restricted to the apps that do work with this OS right now: YouTube, Google Duo for video calls, Google Photos, and Spotify. Additionally, you can cast content from any app on your phone that supports Chromecast.

There are a couple more interesting features: you can ring people like you would with your phone, push a slider on the side to block the camera and disable the mic for privacy, and run multiple timers simultaneously.

Lenovo’s 10-inch Smart Display comes with a bamboo back, while the smaller one has a simple gray finish

All those features sound like they’d make the Smart Display a neat alternative to the Amazon Echo Show in your kitchen or bedroom. At $199, Lenovo’s starter device comes with a slightly larger screen and a smaller price tag than the $230 Echo Show. But given its currently limited range of apps, the Smart Display will likely make more sense if you’ve already bought into the Google ecosystem of services.

Our friends at The Verge, Tom’s Guide, and Android Central liked the Smart Display a lot; Ars Technica’s Valentina Palladino noted that while this device got a fair number of (Android) things right, it may be worth waiting to see what other hardware brands (like JBL, LG, and Sony) do with the new platform – or simply stick with a cheaper screen-less smart speaker.

Lenovo’s 8-inch Smart Display costs $199, while the 10-inch model is priced at $249. The Verge found that Costco members can snag a $50 discount on the larger one.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, you might want to check out the Chumby, the original smart display from a decade ago.

Are you interested in buying a smart display? Do you already have one? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Samsung Galaxy A6+ Review: A valiant effort but is it enough?

By Rehan Hooda | Published:Fri, July 27, 2018 11:25am

Does Galaxy A6+ manage to help Samsung take the fight to its competitors? Let's find out in my review for the Samsung Galaxy A6+.

   

Samsung India just launched one of its latest smartphone devices, the Samsung Galaxy A6+ in the market back in May. At the launch event, the company revealed its 2018 upgrades to the existing A series and J series of devices. The company is planning to take on the competition in the market with the help of the upgraded lineup. These competitors include Xiaomi, Oppo along with its sub-brand Realme, Vivo, Honor, and Lenovo-owned Motorola. The company initially priced the Galaxy A6+ for Rs 25,990 while later reducing the price of the smartphone by Rs 2,000 to Rs 23,990.

It is likely that Samsung India wants to put the pressure on the competition with the price reduction and hopefully attract users to its device lineup. The company sent us a review unit for the Samsung Galaxy A6+ (2018) and we were curious to check out what is new and different about this device to help it stand out from the crowd. I have been using the device for some time now. Does the Galaxy A6+ manage to help Samsung take the fight to its competitors? Let’s find out in my review for the Samsung Galaxy A6+.

That humongous notch-less display

One thing that you will notice as soon as you take out the device from its box is that massive 6-inch display. There is no display notch or near bezel-less design here.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Instead, the company has opted for what the company is calling the Infinity Display , a terminology that the company coined with the launch of Samsung Galaxy S8. The company has added a Super AMOLED panel with Full-HD+ resolution (2220×1080 pixels) and 18.5:9 aspect ratio on the Galaxy A6+.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Even though the colors and the contrast levels on the screen are excellent, there is still one fundamental issue with the device depending on how you like to use your smartphone. The problem here is the humongous size of the display making it almost impossible for one hand operation. Even with my comparatively large hands, it was almost impossible to reach the diagonally top edge of the device with my thumb.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

It would have been comparatively better if the device actually had a near bezel-less display instead of the tall display. Apart from that, there were no issues with the display of the device regardless of the situation that I was using it in.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Apart from the display, Samsung has constructed a great smartphone with a metal back and a glass front and it feels great in the hand putting it up there when it comes to the durability and hand-feel of the device.

Performance and Samsung Experience UI

Under the hood, the Galaxy A6+ comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core chipset paired with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB expandable storage. This is likely to be the Achilles heel for the device, one part where the entire package disappoints.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

The reason for this is not because the device is bad, but because the competition is offering far superior hardware for the same price when compared to this phone. In fact, one can find similar hardware with devices below Rs 10,000 in the market leading me to wonder what Samsung was thinking of while deciding on this processor for the Galaxy A6+.

The performance of the device is not as bad, but the device is a bit slow along with less than stellar performance while jumping in and out of a number of apps. Its performance wouldn’t be a problem if it were priced less. But at Rs 23,990, users expect better.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Gaming performance is decent in casual games such as Temple Run 2, but you will see noticeably longer load times when it comes to games such as Asphalt 8, and Modern Combat 5 with some skipped frames, or lag. Small things as the split second of the blank screen when the phone loads all the icons on the home screen don’t help my opinion of the device.

One thing worth noting is that the device did not get heated up even while pushing the device with heavy gaming sessions for hours at end. It did get somewhat warm but the heat dissipated quickly enough thanks to the all-metal back.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Samsung has added the usual Android-based Experience UI with the A6+ along with a number of in-house apps such as the Themes app, App store and Samsung Mall in addition to all the substitute apps that Samsung wants you to use in place of the Google apps. The company has also added Samsung Pay Mini in the device software along with Bixby, none of which served of much assistance as I prefer to use Google Tez personally while Bixby is nowhere near as good as Google Assistant.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

However, the under-powered processor does not bode well with all the bloatware regardless of the optimizations that Samsung has implemented with Experience UI.

Camera

Just in pure specifications, the smartphone is equipped with a rear dual-camera setup with a 16-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture, and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor with f/1.9 aperture.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Samsung has added a 24-megapixel camera up front with a f/1.9 aperture with a dedicated LED flash for selfies. Moving to the camera software, the company has added a number of options in the camera software, some of which are meaningful for the users.

 

 

 

 

 

However, I wish that Samsung makes some changes to make the experience a bit more user-friendly instead of the somewhat convoluted UI. What I mean by that is it would have been better if the company made it easier to switch from shooting photos to video simply by swiping from one of the vertical edges instead of switching to the ‘Bixby Vision’ visual search inside the camera UI.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Talking about the image quality, the device managed to take good images in proper light with good color reproduction, contrast, and sharpness. The device does fall short in dynamic range with blown out parts. However, the image quality falls apart in anything less than ideal conditions as noise tends to creep into the images. The images shot in low-light need quite a bit of work if the company has to take on the competition.

Battery

Samsung has packed a 3,500mAh battery in the device which will last you through a complete working day without any issues. It is likely that this is because of the power-efficient Full-HD+ Super AMOLED screen along with the low-clocked processor that is helping with the good battery backup. the device lasted about 7-7.75 hours on my moderate to heavy usage that included 1-1.5 hours of gaming, 1.5-2 hours of music, 15-20 photos, three email accounts on sync and constant WhatsApp and Telegram messages throughout the day.

Verdict: Is Samsung Galaxy A6+ worth the money?

Samsung probably realized that the price tag of Rs 25,990 was not going to work for the Galaxy A6+ so they decided to reduce it by Rs 2,000 to the current pricing of Rs 23,990. What was surprising was that the company decided to make this price cut so soon after the launch of the phone.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

This move was likely to ensure that the Galaxy A6+ stays somewhat relevant and competitive in the cut-throat Indian smartphone market. The price change can be seen both online on Amazon India as well as offline stores so regardless of where you buy the smartphone from, Galaxy A6+ will make your wallet Rs 23,990 lighter.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Nonetheless, here is my problem with the A6+. regardless of this price cut, even after including all the exchange offers one can use to bring down the price to the device, it is really hard to recommend this device. This difficulty is not because of the build quality, display, or even the battery of the device. But, as mentioned earlier, the internal specifications of the device are to be blamed for not being powerful enough to take on the competition. In addition to the weak hardware, the camera also does not come with a good camera making it less than ordinary in two critical sections.

While Samsung does need to consider the ‘offline premium’ – the additional costs to make the phone available at neighborhood retail stores – in this particular case it’s a bit too much. At Rs 23,990, the phone is simply too expensive to be featuring these specifications.

Image credit: Rehan Hooda

Because of these problems, I would want to conclude that only look for the Galaxy A6+ if you are a dedicated Samsungloyalist can can’t think of a smartphone from any other brand. Instead, you can look to a number of smartphones from the competition that offer more powerful hardware for about half the price of the A6+. Some of the noteworthy offerings include Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Note 5 Pro, and even the upcoming Xiaomi Mi A2, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, Moto G6, the recently launched Huawei Nova 3i, and more.

Published:Fri, July 27, 2018 11:25am