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Showing posts from June, 2018

This Robot Prepares a Pizza Every 30 Seconds

If you’ve ever stood there enchanted, watching a pizzaiolo swing flexible frisbee of dough in the air (even if you’ve watched it on TV), you would appreciate the craft. But to compete with traditional hands, there is the new robot by a French startup which has three arms and can prepare a to-be-baked pizza in just 30 seconds , bringing the time for preparing pizza down to only 5 minutes. The startup, called “Ekim”, has one ambition and it is to speed up the making and delivery of pizza. Reuters reports that the three-armed pizzaiolo will soon be deployed in an autonomous restaurant that delivers food 24×7. While the robot is not necessarily faster than an Italian chef, its three arms allow it to perform multiple tasks at once and deliver up to 120 pizzas each hour . This is three times what a human pizzaiolo can prepare, claims Philippe Goldman, the CEO of Ekim. The robot works pretty much like a vending machine but instead of hoarding pizzas, it will prepare fresh ones ...

Google Home App to Get an Updated Design With Material Theme

The Google Home app has more than 50 million downloads on the Google Play Store which means it is fairly popular. The app, which was earlier limited to casting to external displays via Chromecast, has gained popularity after the release of Google’s lineup of smart speakers. Now, considering that Google Assistant enjoys a privileged and vital position in the tech giant’s plans for the future, devices like Google Home (including all the different variants) are among Google’s key products. To attract more users to the ecosystem, the company is now working on a visual overhaul of the Google Home app , in line with the latest Material Theme (aka Material Design v2). While many of the elements in the app have already been transitioned to the Material Theme, Google is now scrubbing the remaining nooks and corners. Based on the screenshots shared by XDA , one of the key changes is the new bottom toolbar . The toolbar features dedicated buttons for Discover, Browse, Settings, and Devices ...

The Final Fantasy Franchise Is on a Huge Sale on Steam Right Now

If you like role-playing games, I’m sure Final Fantasy is one you’ve heard of. After all, it is one of the most remarkable and noteworthy RPGs out there, and it has been going strong ever since it was first released back in 1987. Since then, the game has seen multiple sequels, and almost each one of them has been received very well. If you’ve not yet played Final Fantasy, or if you’re looking to add some of the missing titles into your library, the ongoing Steam Summer Sale is the perfect time to do so. The entire Final Fantasy Franchise is on sale on Steam right now and there are some massive discounts on the games. Final Fantasy III Originally released back in 1990, and brought to PC in 2014, Final Fantasy III is currently 50% off on Steam and you can get it for just Rs. 259 right now. Buy Final Fantasy III on Steam ( Rs. 259 ) Final Fantasy IV The entire Final Fantasy IV bundle, containing the main game, and ‘Final Fantasy IV: The After Years’ is available at a 50% discount fo...

Warner Bros. Issues Statement Refuting Bethesda’s Allegations

Fallout Shelter publisher, Bethesda Softworks, last week filed a suit in a Maryland U.S. District Court against Warner Bros. and Behaviour Interactive, alleging that the newly-released Westworld game is a “blatant rip-off” of Fallout Shelter. Remarkably, Behaviour Interactive is one of the co-developers of Fallout Shelter alongside Bethesda Game Studios – a subsidiary of Bethesda Softworks. Now, in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz , Warner Bros. has refuted those charges, saying that Westworld is an original game from the ground up, and contrary to Bethesda’s allegations. uses no code from Fallout Shelter. Describing Bethesda’s allegations as ‘baseless’, ‘untrue’, and ‘unsubstantiated’, WB also denied allegations that it had ever directly or indirectly ‘induced’ Behaviour Interactive to lift any code from Fallout Shelter. “The assertions by Bethesda Softworks that Warner’s Westworld mobile game improperly used source code from Bethesda’s Fallout Shelter are as surprising ...

Tinder App is Now Perfectly Encrypted

Back in January this year, popular match-making app Tinder was found to be vulnerable to attacks by hackers, who could easily steal users’ pictures over a public Wi-Fi. Although Tinder fixed the vulnerability a month later, it has now added better safeguards including complete encryption of data transferred between the users’ handsets and its servers. Tinder addressed the issue in a letter to Sen. Ron Wyden who had requested the company to encrypt photographs on the platform. The senator had appealed Tinder to strengthen its security after an Isreali startup Checkmarx demonstrated the ease of stealing users’ pictures as well as completely taking over their feed using a simple tool called “TinderDrift”. So, um, this is pretty weird. Apparently Senator Wyden just got Tinder to properly encrypt your swipe data, so you can all get it on in private. pic.twitter.com/BniAVUi77Q — Matthew Green (@matthew_d_green) June 29, 2018 Before Tinder fixed the issue pointed out by Checkmarx...

Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is despised by many liberals and believers of the real “Internet Freedom” but one of his critics has gone as far as threatening the commissioner’s and his family’s life . A Norwalk, California-based man has now been arrested for threatening Pai over emails after the vote for the repeal of net neutrality was initiated in the USA last December. The man sent three emails to Pai’s official ID, of which the second was used to threaten Pai. The first of the three messages accused Pai of having his hands stained with the blood of two teenagers who allegedly committed suicide due to the vote against net neutrality. The second was an outright threat to Pai and his family , and even contained a list of Pai’s three different abodes. The last message has two different pictures , one of Pai alone and the other of Pai along with his family. The man’s whereabouts were tracked by the FBI which also reported that the man admitted to having sent these emails....

Oppo Launches O-Free Earbuds in China to Take on Apple Air Pods

Chinese smartphone company Oppo has launched a pair of truly wireless earphones on the lines of Apple’s Air Pods . Called the ‘O-Free Wireless Bluetooth Headset’, they come with real-time translation, which means, if someone is speaking a language that the user doesn’t understand, they will hear the context translated to their preferred language. They also come with Qualcomm’s ‘TrueWireless Stereo’ technology that the chipmaker claims will sync the audio between the two earbuds with zero latency. Just like the Pixel Buds, the O-Free also come with gesture-supported media controls that allows users to control audio playback as well as receive/decline incoming calls. Gestures can also be used to trigger voice assistants on the phone. The Oppo O-Free earbuds are based on Qualcomm’s QCC3026 chipset, which is designed as a lower-cost alternative to the company’s flagship QCC5100 SoC to help manufacturers create wireless earphones that are cheaper and more energy efficient. The company ...

Brave Browser Brings Tor Integration To Further Boost Privacy

Brave, the privacy-focused web browser which blocks website trackers and intrusive ads, is now further upping its pro-privacy game with the integration of Private Tabs powered by Tor. Yes, the same Tor which acts as a defense against web surveillance and lets you browse the web anonymously. Brave has released an updated version of its web browser, Brave 0.23, which brings Tor integration to the browser and employs the ‘onion-routing’ technology to safeguard the privacy of users. ‘Private Tabs with Tor’, as the new feature is called, is in beta phase and is claimed to protect the privacy of users not only on their device but also throughout the internet network they browse, leaving a minimal digital footprint of their online activity. While the regular private tabs in Brave do not save a record of online activity such as browsing history or cookies, the ‘Private Tabs with Tor’ further enhance the privacy quotient by preventing ISPs from tracking the websites visited by the user....

Adidas Confirms Security Breach That Affects Millions of Customers

Sports goods manufacturer Adidas has revealed a data breach on its US website. According to the official press release, the company first became aware of the incident on Tuesday, June 26, when it came to know that an unauthorized party was claiming to have acquired the details of some Adidas customers. On learning about the incident, the company says it “immediately began taking steps to determine the scope of the issue and to alert relevant consumers” . The company further says that it is “committed to the privacy and security of its consumers’ personal data” , and is “working with leading data security firms and law enforcement authorities to investigate the issue” . The company also said that it believes only a relatively limited amount of data has been compromised by the incident “According to the preliminary investigations, the limited data includes contact information, usernames and encrypted passwords” , says the press release. In what must come as a big relief to customers,...

Show Mode Dock Turns Amazon Fire Tablets into Echo Show Smart Displays

If you’re among those who own an Amazon Fire tablet but have no clue about what to do with it, you can now use it as an Echo Show smart speaker . Amazon has announced a set of accessories which convert the tablet into a stationary speaker powered by its smart assistant, Alexa. Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 tablets will also be receiving a software update for the “Show Mode” starting July 2. The two tablets already support Alexa including the ability to engage it hands-free, using your voice. The functionality will now be available as a dedicated mode which users will be able to switch on or off from the tablet’s quick settings. Amazon has also unveiled the Show Mode Charging Dock which will be available starting July 12 ( $35 ). The charging dock comes with a case for the Fire HD tablet which facilitates charging. It has two pogo pins which can connect to the back of the case for charging the tablets. Also, when the Fire HD 8 or 10 is made to rest on the dock, it automatically en...

Xiaomi Reveals MIUI 10 Global Public Beta Update Schedule

Xiaomi announced the MIUI 10 Global Beta ROM about a couple weeks ago, but today the company has shared a schedule for the Global Public Beta ROM rollout of the same. This means the public beta ROM will be available to download for all Xiaomi users and is not limited to just developers. The official post on MIUI Forum not only delivers this news to Xiaomi users, but also shares a rough timeline for the rollout of the Public ROM to all compatible devices. The MIUI Forum admin has revealed the device phases for rollout and expected timeline for the rollout, which will be tweaked based on further testing. Here’s the complete list of supported Xiaomi phones, along with a rollout timeline for the MIUI 10 Global PUblic Beta ROM: First Batch Initially, Xiaomi plans to roll out the MIUI 10 Global Beta ROM to flagship phones, as well as those phones that were launched just recently. These devices will start receiving MIUI 10 in early July, which means users will be able to enjoy the new...

Here Are All The Huawei And Honor Phones That Will Get the GPU Turbo Mode Update

Huawei debuted a GPU Turbo Mode, a graphics processing acceleration technology, on the recently announced Honor Play  smartphone, and also promised that it will soon be available on other Huawei and Honor smartphones. Following the GPU Turbo Mode’s arrival on the Honor 10 with an EMUI beta update last week, Huawei has now revealed the complete list of all devices that are set to the receive the feature, alongside the rollout schedule and region wise availability. At a recent event in China, Huawei also gave a demo on the improvements in graphics processing brought by the GPU Turbo mode. As per the release schedule, Huawei’s flagship devices such as the Mate 10 and the P20 Pro are the first in line to receive the GPU Turbo update in August. This will be followed by a wider rollout for the older generation of Huawei and Honor flagships as well as a few mid-range smartphones in September, however regional availability varies. GPU Turbo Rollout Schedule For Huaw...

Is Xiaomi Losing Customers Because of Flash Sales?

Xiaomi — the Chinese smartphone giant that started off as ‘yet another smartphone maker’ in the country, has now made its place among the top smartphone sellers in India. Its budget smartphones, like the Redmi Note 4 last year, and the Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro this year, have sold like hot cakes and it looks like Xiaomi can do no wrong. After all, the company has crossed Samsung to become the biggest smartphone seller in India just recently. However, a few days back when I was looking through Flipkart and Amazon, compiling a list of the best phones in the budget price range, I noticed something that had so far slipped under my nose. The Redmi Note 5 Pro — a smartphone that was launched around 3-4 months back, is still on flash sales in India. That got me thinking; is it really possible that Xiaomi has such an acute shortage of Redmi Note 5 Pro units that it still can’t hold open sales for it? Is this a marketing strategy to create hype around its phones? Most importantly, if this ...

Apple to Source iPhone OLED Panels From LG to Reduce Samsung Dependency

To cut down its dependence on Samsung, Apple is reportedly looking to source OLED display panels for some of its 2018 iPhones from LG. According to Bloomberg , LG Display will initially supply between 2 million and 4 million units to Apple, and even though that’s a relatively small number in the larger scheme of things, it’s expected to give Apple some leverage in price negotiations with Samsung, who’s the sole supplier for Apple’s iPhone X display panels. It’s worth noting that Apple has already invested a whopping $2.7 billion in LG Display, with one of the conditions for the investment said to be a dedicated production line for iPhone panels. While the Cupertino giant is said to be using OLED panels in only two out of three iPhone models this year, all three of its smartphones will reportedly ship with OLED displays in 2019 . While LG will be supplying some of the OLED panels for this year’s iPhones, Samsung is still expected to retain the lions’ share of the order from the Cup...

Moto E5 Could Officially Launch in India Soon; Already Listed on Amazon

First launched in Brazil back in April, Motorola  recently brought its Moto G6 series in India to give consumers a premium smartphone that rivals the budget devices from Xiaomi and Honor. However, the budget Moto E5 has been absent from the scene since its launch, the device is now speculated to make its India debut really soon. As for evidence, the folks over at TechPP have recently spotted a promotional poster for the Moto E5 outside a Moto Hub (offline Motorola retail store) and it suggests that the device is headed to India and should see a launch in the next few weeks. The poster, which you see below, only highlights the key hardware specs of the device and does not shed any light on the launch date or pricing. Hello, Moto E! No prizes for guessing what’s next from Motorola. Spotted outside a retail store in Delhi. #HelloMoto #Motorola #motorolaindia #MotoE https://t.co/l9hhqmdix6 pic.twitter.com/I02eXmmT73 — TechPP (@techpp) June 27, 2018 Also, a Moto E5 list...

Here Are All the Huawei and Honor Phones That WIll Get Android Oreo-Based EMUI 8.0 Update

With so many brands in the smartphone market offering almost similar priced and specced smartphones, the competition between them is pretty high. As such, one of the deciding factors is the frequency of software updates. While Google reigns at the top (obviously), it is very well followed by the likes of Nokia and OnePlus , who have been delivering their respective software updates quite swiftly. On the other hand, Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Honor and Lenovo have struggled to provide their customers with timely software updates. Nonetheless, another Chinese brand plans to take the lead, by offering better updates, for not just their current line up of devices, but also previous ones. As per recent reports , Huawei has confirmed the list of their devices under their own wing, as well as the ones from Honor, which will receive the Android 8.0 Oreo.  As for Huawei, the company has reported that their 2016 flagship device, the Huawei P9  will be getting the Andro...

How to Customize Your Galaxy Smartphone with Good Lock

Samsung has brought back its ‘Good Lock’ customization app from dead, and the app brings a ton of customization options to compatible Galaxy smartphones from the company. As of now, according to the company’s official press-release about the app, Good Lock is compatible with Galaxy-branded smartphones running Android 8.0 Oreo and above and is available from the ‘Galaxy Apps’ store in select few countries. Well, we got our hands on the Good Lock app and played with it on our Galaxy S9+. Here’s how you can customize your Galaxy smartphone using the Good Lock app. Customize Your Galaxy Smartphone with Good Lock The Good Lock app is less of an app, more of a container for a bunch of separate apps that work in tandem to completely customize your smartphone. Inside the Good Lock app, you’ll find the following options: LockStar QuickStar Task Changer ClockFace Some phones might have a ‘Routines’ option as well, but we were unable to get it on our Galaxy S9+. Lock Screen Customizatio...

Instagram Stories Has Twice as Many Daily Active Users as Snapchat

Instagram has today announced that Stories now has over 400 million daily active users . The active user base of Instagram Stories, once lambasted for being a Snapchat rip-off, is now more than double that of Snapchat’s daily users. As per Snap’s latest quarterly report, Snapchat has 191 million daily active users, a number which pales in comparison with the user count commanded by Instagram Stories. Indeed, Whatsapp Stories, which followed the Instagram feature, also has over 450 million daily active users. Snapchat which saw some users drop out after the widely- criticized redesign , is looking to gain some of the mojo back with a new Snap SDK which will allow third-party apps to incorporate Stories . Instagram Stories has kept growing at a rapid pace, thanks to the frequent addition of new features to make Stories more engaging, and even act as a marketing tool. The popularity of Stories is going to rise further, thanks to the new music stickers feature announce...

The Rock Announces New Workout Headphones In Under Armour Collection

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has just launched a pair of fitness-centric wireless headphones called the Project Rock! Built by JBL in partnership with Under Armour, these are adorned with The Rock’s signature Brahma bull insignia and are being launched along with a Spotify playlist, curated by Johnson, called Iron Paradise Airwaves. The headphones, which are essentially the Project Rock Edition of the new UA Sport Wireless headphones , provide you with high-quality Under Armour materials in every aspect. The foldable headphones offer SuperVent lining alongside the perimeter of the ear pads for breathability coupled with a so-called Under Armour grip material on the inner parts of the pads and headband for a soft feel and more stability. Furthermore, the pads are removable and hand-washable. They also come with a ventilated hard case to let them dry out between workouts. The headphones are powered by a 610mAh battery and should last up to 16 hours, depending on t...

Twitter Debuts Ad Transparency Center To Let Anyone See Your Ad Campaigns

Social media giants have recently been criticised heavily for their role in enabling the spread of fake news and misleading stories – be it about 2016 US Presidential elections where Russian propaganda ruled Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit and other major websites. One of the main factors was ads on the social networks, which Facebook has tried to make more transparent , and Twitter too has today launched a new Ads Transparency Center (ATC) to allow users to see what all ads an account is running on the platform. Twitter had first announced this transparency tool back in October last year and is now keeping its promise by making it available to everyone. Twitter will now  let users to search for usernames and view all ad campaigns (promoted tweets) run by an account in the past 7 days. The highlight of this feature is that ad campaigns will be visible to any and all Internet users, not specifically Twitter users. You can head over to the Ads Transparency Center via this ...

WhatsApp Group Admins Can Now Restrict Members from Sending Messages

WhatsApp has started rolling out the ‘Send Messages’ feature for group admins to restrict members from sending messages to the group. The feature, which is now available on both Android and iOS has been in the works for a long time, with the company believed to be working on this for months. When we checked on our devices, the feature was available on WhatsApp version 2.18.191 on Android, as well as version 2.18.61 on iOS. Do note that it is a server-side change, which means even people using older versions of the app may be able to access the feature without any issue. It can be accessed by going over to Group Info > Group Settings > Send Messages , where Admins will find two options – ‘Only Admins’ and ‘All Participants’. As is evident, selecting the first option will restrict all members from sending messages to the group, while selecting the second option, which will be enabled by default, will allow all members to send messages to the group. In case an admin does choos...