Snapchat is now rolling out their first TrueDepth-Enhanced AR Lenses for iPhone X and is now officially implementing Apple's TrueDepth camera technology in its Lenses selfie-feature. With the new silent update, iPhone X users who use Snapchat will be able to use augmented reality masks pop-ups that take advantage of the Apple's facial mapping technology.
Snapchat will use the Apple's facial mapping technology to impose mask on the user's face more realistically and track their motion more accurately. The lenses include a Mardi Gras-esque mask, a Day of the Dead skull, and a pretty gold-plated eye cover. Snapchat also says that the lenses will reflect the surrounding light more realistically.
The TrueDepth camera blurs the background in these lenses and accurately applies small details and 3D objects. At present, there are only three Lenses that utilize TrueDepth, but we can expect more to come as we move forward. The app will only have access to the visual facial mapping data, not the data that is used to unlock the iPhone X through Face ID, according to the developer's agreement. Apple says that Face ID mathematical image data is encrypted upon generation and is secured in the device itself, so no would have access to it.
Snapchat update with the new TrueDepth-Optimised AR Lenses for iPhone X ...
Snapchat is now rolling out their first TrueDepth-Enhanced AR Lenses for iPhone X and is now officially implementing Apple's TrueDepth camera technology in its Lenses selfie-feature. With the new silent update, iPhone X users who use Snapchat will be able to use augmented reality masks pop-ups that take advantage of the Apple's facial mapping technology.
Snapchat will use the Apple's facial mapping technology to impose mask on the user's face more realistically and track their motion more accurately. The lenses include a Mardi Gras-esque mask, a Day of the Dead skull, and a pretty gold-plated eye cover. Snapchat also says that the lenses will reflect the surrounding light more realistically.
The TrueDepth camera blurs the background in these lenses and accurately applies small details and 3D objects. At present, there are only three Lenses that utilize TrueDepth, but we can expect more to come as we move forward. The app will only have access to the visual facial mapping data, not the data that is used to unlock the iPhone X through Face ID, according to the developer's agreement. Apple says that Face ID mathematical image data is encrypted upon generation and is secured in the device itself, so no would have access to it.
Snapchat update with the new TrueDepth-Optimised AR Lenses for iPhone X ...
Twitter for months is now trying to push users to its own app showcasing its hostile behavior towards third-party apps. Features like group DMs, polls, and Moments never made it to third-party apps. In fact, it also introduced a token limit a few years ago causing popular clients to stop working suddenly.
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Back in December Twitter announced that a stream-line of APIs would stop working from 19th June 2018 as they will be replaced by a new Account Activity API. This service is open to large 3rd party app companies to try out, however, small developers have not been granted access to it making all third-party Twitter clients use the Twitter's legacy APIs.
This made Talon, Tweetbot, Tweetings, and Twitterrific publish apps-of-a-feather.com outlining the upcoming Twitter's API changes and how it would affect them and encouraged users to trend the hashtag #BreakingMyTwitter. Once it started trending, the official Twitter Dev account responded and announced that the API cutoff would be delayed; “delaying the scheduled June 19th deprecation date,” said in a Tweet.
It also mentioned that it “will provide at least 90 days notice from when the Account Activity API becomes available,” no specific time and date are available as of now. Though Twitter is backing out, for now, it is unclear if the 'Account ...
Honor has scheduled an event in London on May 15th where the company is expected to introduce the Honor 10 flagship smartphone. While the phone has been in the news for quite some time, today we have our first glimpse at the phone thanks to the promotional image that has been leaked in China. The poster of the handset has been spotted in the wild.
Going by the leaked poster image, for now, only the back of the phone is visible, the Honor 10 also has a very distinct multi-color pattern on the phone's back reminiscent of the recently launched Huawei P20and P20 Pro, but not identical though. The phone features a dual-rear camera, but there is no fingerprint sensor present on the back, meaning that it might be placed on the front below the 5.8-inch FullView display.
Just like the Huawei P20-lineup, the Honor 10 is also expected to have a top-notch on the front. According to the recently surfaced specifications, the Honor 10 is expected to be powered by the Kirin 970 SoC, 6GB RAM, and 256GB of storage. It is expected to run on Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 8.1 on top. It is also widely rumored that the company would announce the phone in ...
Essential rolled out the Android 8.1 Oreo update back in March with features like better multitasking, improved notifications and more. Today the company is rolling out a new 8.1 Oreo build with April security patch, Bluetooth 5.0, modem stability fixes and more.
The new build includes the newest April security patches, which Google just pushed out to the Pixel phones. It also includes the Bluetooth 5.0 certification, modem stability fixes, proper handling of external game controllers, and other general bug fixes. Though the device has support for Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, it is only now the company is providing, since the software for the same wasn't there up until now.
The company is doing a really good job in pushing out timely updates to the Essential PH-1, the phone is already running on the latest Android version out there. The new Android 8.1 Oreo build comes with a version number OPM1.180104.141 and is already started rolling out to users, you can check for the update from the system setting>about phone.
Apple today announced that its global facilities are powered by 100 percent clean energy which also includes retail stores, offices, data centers and co-located facilities in 43 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and India. The company also mentioned that nine additional manufacturing partners have committed to power all of their Apple production with 100 percent clean energy.
This brings the total number of supplier commitments to 23 and it is also improving the energy options for local communities, states, and even entire countries. Apple creates, with utilities, new regional renewable energy projects and these projects represent a diverse range of energy sources, including solar arrays and wind farms as well as emerging technologies like biogas fuel cells, micro-hydro generation systems and energy storage technologies.
Apple currently has 25 operational renewable energy projects around the world with total 626 megawatts of generation capacity, 286 megawatts of solar PV generation coming online in 2017. Apple also has 15 more projects in construction. All the Apple data centres have been powered by 100 percent renewable energy since 2014, and since 2011, all of Apple’s renewable energy projects have reduced greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) by 54% from its facilities worldwide and prevented nearly 2.1 million metric tons of CO2e ...
HP today has announced the Chromebook X2 which is the World’s First 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook with 12.3-inches Quad HD display and is powered by the 7th Generation Intel Core-Y series processor. It comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage.
It sports a 12.3-inches Quad HD (2400x1600) IPS WLED-backlit touchscreen display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection and features an exterior that has a premium look to it with a ceramic white anodized aluminum finish and an almost leather-like Oxford Blue surface on the keyboard. It comes with a magnetic hinge which makes it easy to switch between productivity mode to a creative mode.
Internally, the Chromebook X2 comes equipped with Intel Core M3-7Y30 processor clocked at 2.6 GHz Max Turbo with Intel HD Graphics 615 and the base model starts in at 4GB LPDDR3-1600 and goes up to 8 GB total. It packs 32 GB eMMC internal storage that is expandable up to 256 GB through a microSD card slot. The company promises up to 10 hours of battery life with a 48Wh 4-Cell Lithium-Ion battery. Connectivity wise, the 2-in-1 comes with Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2 and Bluetooth 4.2, two USB 3.0 Type-C ports.
It also comes with two integrated stereo HP speakers custom tuned by B&O Play. Also includes the HP Active Pen for sketch, ...
Samsung introduced the Dex Pad Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ desktop dock back in February at the MWC 2018 event and today the company has announced the availability of it. The Samsung Dex Pad will be available in the U.S. starting from May 13th.
Samsung Dex Pad is an upgrade to the original Dex Station that was introduced last year. It removes the need for a keyboard and a trackpad. With its USB Type-C port, you can connect your phone where it sits flat and can use it both as a keyboard dubbed “Touch Keyboard” and a trackpad dubbed “TouchPad.” It can be used as a tracked pad with such a large display of the S9 and s9+.
The DeX Pad is capable of powering displays up to 2560×1440. Connectivity is similar to the Dex Station with two USB ports, a USB Type-C port, and an HDMI port, but the Ethernet port is unfortunately gone. It is also compatible with Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note8. Samsung said that touch Keyboard functionality will be added in an upcoming software update.
Users can pre-order the DeX Pad on Samsung website starting today, and Samsung is offering it for free on purchase of Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ for a limited period. ...
Google today announced that it is banning fake id apps from the Play Store. Google has been following the trend of disallowing various apps that are considered inappropriate or dangerous.
There are literally tons of apps in the Play Store that promise to help you make a fake ID, however, most of them are of poor quality, and these apps are no longer in the clear. Google says that it doesn't allow apps that help users in misleading others, including, the apps that generate or facilitate the generation of ID cards, social security numbers, passports, diplomas, credit cards and driver's licenses.
It is also exempting "prank," for entertainment purposes apps as well. So it looks like Google is taking strict measure against apps that promise to help you make a fake ID and such apps won't be permitted in Play Store anymore. However, developers still have a chance of hosting such apps elsewhere. With such being pretty shady and cheap quality, there's no one will miss this section of apps.
Source | Via
Instagram is currently testing Nametags feature, Snapchat-like QR codes. This feature will let you create a special image that people can scan with the Instagram Stories camera and follow. This feature was first spotted on Instagram’s Android APK last month. Now we have more details and screenshots of the feature in action.
The Instagram Nametags feature will make it easier for people to promote their Instagram account visually. It also makes it simpler to follow the people whom you just met by scanning their profile's QR code. It also brings the ability to promote their Nametag across other social media handles in many more ways.
Instagram has even confirmed the feature to TechCrunch, and it was also recently spotted working on voice and video calls feature. Once the feature is rolled out, you will be able to hit the QR scanner button on your profile to bring up the Nametag editor where they can choose from a purple Instagram color gradient background and can also use a selfie picture or augmented reality-based face filters.
Since it is in testing, users can’t share or scan Nametags, but users can scan them to follow people. There is no time frame as to when this feature will be rolling to the public, ...
Google today announced that it is opening up its VR180 to developers and manufacturers. We can expect VR180 devices and apps in the future. it published on how developers can start engaging with the format and offer VR180 products.
Google introduced the VR180, a new video format last year and it lets you create VR photos and videos in 4K resolution with just the click of a button. It is extending the Spherical Video Metadata V2 standard which supports the mesh-based projection that is needed to allow consumer cameras to output raw fisheye footage.
It also created the Camera Motion Metadata Track so that you can stabilize the video according to the camera motion after video capture. Users can use the Cardboard or Daydream View to look back on photos and videos captured using VR180. Users can also share the footage with others using Google Photos or YouTube, on your phone or the web. It also publishing tools that will help with writing appropriately formatted VR180 photos and videos and playing it back.
Google believes that it can make creating virtual reality content much easier, and lead to more affordable devices that can take VR videos. Lenovo is set to release its first point-and-shoot VR180 camera on May 4th and we can expect more to come in the ...
OnePlus has released new Oreo-based open betas (Beta 25 for OnePlus 3T, Beta 34 for OnePlus 3, Beta 8 for OnePlus 5 and Beta 6 for the OnePlus 5T) that brings Android security patch for April 2018 as well as new membership card in Shelf that lets you scan subscription or membership cards with qrcodes or bardcodes and add it to your shelf.
The update also bring new Earphone mode features for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T as well as few additions to the OnePlus Clock on all the phones. Check out the complete changelog below.
System
Updated Android security patch to 2018-04
OnePlus Clock
Changes to alarm background color and other UI changes
Stopwatch updated with new UI
Card Package
Added new membership card in Shelf - Scan subscription or membership cards with qrcodes or bardcodes and add it to your shelf
Earphone mode (Only on 5 and 5T)
Added Autoplay - Autoplay paused music when connected to earphones
Added Notification ringtone options
Added Broadcast caller information - Announce caller information when using earphones
The update is about 133MB in size for OnePlus 3 and 3T and 118MB for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T and also brings Android security update for April 2018. If you’ve already flashed ...
Panasonic India today launched the new Lumix G7 and G85 Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM) cameras. The company says that they are aimed at quality of videos for filming, YouTube and still photography. These come equipped with 4K video recording & editing capabilities.
The Panasonic Lumix G85 packs a rugged design that is splash and dustproof. It comes with Dual-Image Stabilization and Focus Stacking capacity that enables a user to adjust the depth of field after shooting by combining multiple images shot with the Post Focus function in the camera. It comes integrated with an OLED LVF (Live View Finder) with 2360K-dot high resolution in approx. 1.48x / 0.74x (35mm camera equivalent) magnification capability.
The free-angle 3.0-inch large, approx. 1040K-dot touch-control monitor with approx.100% Field of view which makes shooting in high and low angles easier. It packs a new 5-axis Dual I.S.(Image Stabilizer) The PanasonicG85 packs a 16-megapixel Digital Live MOS Sensor with the new Venus Engine combine to achieve crisp, high-resolution images in detail with high contrast and max. ISO 25600 high sensitivity.
It can record 4K videos at 30p / 25p (50Hz Area) 30p (60Hz Area) or 24p in MP4. It can also produce real-time output to the external monitor/recorder via HDMI simultaneously while recording video. Additional features include ...
Google today launched the Home and Home Mini smart speaker in India for Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 4,499, respectively. It is already on sale in the country online on Flipkart as well as 750+ retail stores across the country including Reliance Digital, Croma, Bajaj Electronics, Vijay Sales, Sangeetha, and Poorvika. Reliance Jio, Flipkart and ACT Fibernet have announced several offers. Google already announced that all buyers get six months free Google Play Music subscription till October 31, 2018.
Offers from Reliance Jio
Get Google Home device from RRL Store or Flipkart gets a JioFi FREE with it
Do any FRC starting at Rs.149 (+Prime Rs.99) and instant additional data benefits 100GB (10GB data add-on x 10 vouchers) with 1 year validity in MyJio account
Offers on Flipkart
Extra 1.5 years / 18-month subscription to Gaana Plus and Saavn Pro (Only for purchases before 30th April on Flipkart) for Re. 1.
Up to Rs. 1,500 off on exchange
Extra 10% cashback when purchasing using HDFC Bank credit cards.
Offers from ACT Fibernet
ACT Fibernet customers subscribing to 12-month advance rental plans of 90MBPS and above get a free Google Home Mini. For the Delhi market, ACT Fibernet has launched a special Platinum promo Plan where customers subscribing to this plan can enjoy 150 Mbps broadband ...
We are now seeing a lot of Android smartphones with a notch design after the iPhone X and Essential Phone. ZTE Iceberg that has been IF World Design Guide website shows that it will be the first phone with dual-notch design that houses the usual set of sensors, earpiece and the camera on the top and the loudspeaker is present on the bottom notch. Both sides of screen can realize the interactive function of the system.
It also has transparent corners and the phone comes with wireless charging support. The image shows pins on the back for accessories or charging, fingerprint sensor on the back, dual rear cameras with dual-tone LED flash.
Development time for the phone, according to the site is 13 to 24 months and the phone is expected to release after 2018 in Asia, Europe, North America. Check out the full description about the phone's design below.
The ZTE Iceberg uses a seamless glass connection technique to combine two pieces of glass as one unibody, which makes the phone resemble a fragment of ice. The four corners of the phone are transparent to reveal the essential beauty of the glass material. The effect is beautiful and mysterious. ZTE put the speakers on the front of the ...
The return of the Lumia Pro Camera mode in the Nokia Camera app took center stage next to the Android One support announcement at the MWC 2018. This Pro camera mode is currently available in the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8 Sirocco out of the box, but it is unclear at the moment if this would be rolled out to other Nokia branded phones or not.
However, HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, said that the Nokia Camera’s Pro Camera mode would roll out to all devices with ZEISS optics. Now we have some sorts of official confirmation that HMD Global might release this feature for other Nokia phones as the APK of the latest camera app from a leaked Nokia 7 OTA update has been released online.
XDA Senior Member Hikari_Calyx, has pulled the leaked OTA which is an unreleased build for the Chinese variant of the Nokia 7 which also includes Pro camera mode with version 8.0260.50. The app is working perfectly on the Nokia 7 since it does have the Zeiss optics. The XDA member has also released the APK for other Nokia 7 users.
Technically, the app should work on any Nokia-branded device with Zeiss optics as HMD Global claimed it, but for now, ...
Facebook today has announced a new ‘Data Abuse Bounty’ program to reward people who report any misuse of data by app developers. Facebook aims to quickly uncover potential abuse of users information and it says that the new Data Abuse Bounty is inspired by the existing bug bounty program that we use to uncover and address security issues.
This program will reward people with first-hand knowledge and proof of cases where a Facebook platform app collects and transfers people’s data to another party that uses the data to sell, steal, uses for a scam or political influence. Much like the other bounty programs, Facebook will reward based on the impact of each report. The high impact bug reports can garn as much as $40,000.
Facebook will review all legitimate reports and respond when it identifies a credible threat to users information. Once it is able to confirm the data abuse, it will shut down the offending app and take legal action against the company selling or buying the data. Facebook also said that it will alert those we believe to be affected. To be eligible for the program, the app related to the bug should have more than 10,000 Facebook users, should have definitive abuse of data, and something that ...
After several leaks, Samsung has officially announced the Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo smartphone in India. It has a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, is powered by Exynos 7 series Octa-Core processor, runs Android 8.0 (Oreo) and comes with 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual rear cameras with f/1.9 aperture for capturing portrait shots with background blur and an 8-megapixel front camera. There is no sign of Bixby features as rumored earlier.
It has a fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button, comes with a removable back cover, dedicated dual SIM and microSD slots and a 3000mAh removable battery.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo specifications
5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD Super AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display
1.6GHz Octa-Core Exynos 7 Series processor
4GB RAM, 32GB Internal Storage, expandable up to 256GB via micro SD card
Android 8.0 (Oreo)
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture, 5MP secondary rear camera
8MP front camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture
Fingerprint sensor
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
Dimensions: 153.5 x 77.2 x 8.2mm; Weight: 174g
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), VHT80, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
3000mAh removable battery
The Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo comes in Black and Gold colors, is priced at Rs. 16990 and will be available across retail stores starting tomorrow, April 12th, ...
Pixel and Pixel XL 2016 marked the first official introduction of the Pixel-series by Google which also killed off the Nexus series. However, Google today has officially removed the original Pixel and Pixel XL from its online stores. Accessories” category now joins the latest Pixel 2 flagship in the online store listing.
Even after 18 months since the launch, Pixel and Pixel XL are still one of the best phones out there with timely updates and with $100 price deduction after the introduction of Pixel 2, the phones even more attractive. On the other hand, the original Pixel is also gone from the Project Fi store, Google’s MVNO product. Only the Google Pixel 2 and the Moto X4 which is the Android One variant in the US.. are available.
Given the surprising removal of the OG Pixel, it looks like Google has kept the device just because of the excess inventory, rather than keeping it for the sake of having last year’s device around at a cheaper price point, much like how Apple does. Though it worked for Apple, Google seems to be going with a very different approach considering the much-rumored mid-range Pixel coming this year.
Source | Via
ZTE's Nubia brand just announced Nubia Z18 mini, the company's latest mid-range smartphone in the 'Z series' in China, as it had promised. It has a 5.7-inch Full HD+ 18:9 aspect ratio display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection, is powered by Snapdragon 660 with 6GB RAM, runs Android 8.1 (Oreo) with nubia UI on top, has a 24-megapixel rear camera with f/1.7 aperture, PDDF + CAF hybrid focus for 0.1 second quick focus along with a 5-megapixel secondary rear camera for portrait shots. It also has NeoSmart AI engine and Snapdragon 660 AIE Artificial Intelligence Chip promising the best experience.
It has an 8-megapixel front camera with support for Face unlocking that scans up to 106 facial points and also lights up the screen when you lift the phone to unlock the phone quickly. It has a glass back that also has a Corning Gorilla Glass protection, all-metal Aluminum alloy frame and comes with a dedicated voice button. There is a fingerprint sensor on the back and packs a 3450mAh battery.
Nubia Z18 mini specifications
5.7-inch (2160 × 1080 pixels) 18:9 FHD+ In-Cell 2.5D curved glass display with 85% NTSC color gamut,
Octa Core Snapdragon 660 14nm Mobile Platform (Quad 2.2GHz Kryo 260 + Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 260 ...
According to new report from Bloomberg, Spotify is said to be working on new version of its free music service which also happens to be the first big product change since the company went public some while ago. For customers with mobile phones, the company is said to be tweaking the free service to make it easier to use.
It is also reported that the announcement is expected within a couple of weeks. The company is aiming to steer its free customers into its paid offerings since the paid version only accounts for less than half of Spotify’s customer base, but generated about 90% of its 4.09 billion euros in 2017 revenue. This model should work for Spotify since Stockholm-based Spotify had 157 million users at the end of 2017, of which around 71 million are paid, subscribers.
With the updated service, free mobile listeners will be able to access playlists more quickly and have more control over the songs they hear on top playlists, which resembles the Spotify’s ad-free subscription product. Spotify is aiming to reach about 200 million users by the end of the year and 96 million subscribers.
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