Xiaomi might bring Split Screen to Marshmallow devices [Update: Coming to Redmi Note 3, Redmi 3S, Mi 4 and Mi 3 soon]

Update - February 9th: As per our sources, Split Screen feature is already rolled out to MIUI China Alpha ROM users, and is expected to be rolled out to MIUI China Beta ROM users soon. The supported devices include Redmi Note 3, Redmi 3S/Prime/Plus, Mi 4 and Mi 3. Earlier: Split screen was one of the major features that Google announced with android Nougat back in 2016, but some smartphones launched in late 2016 and early 2017 didn’t get the Nougat update. Xiaomi rolled out the Nougat update to Mi 5, Mi Max, Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4 devices in second half of 2017 but core Nougat features like Split Screen and Quick Switch were not available (to Stable ROM users) until the announcement of MIUI 9 back in November. Redmi Note 3, Redmi 3S/Prime/Plus, Redmi 4/Prime (Chinese variant) are the Xiaomi devices launched in 2016 which are running on Marshmallow and despite being a capable hardware, users of these devices are not able to enjoy features like Split Screen and Quick Switch. Now, it seems that Xiaomi is working to enable Split Screen feature for these devices, a post from MIUI China Forum admin says: ‘分屏团队的工程师目前已在积极适配基于 Android 6.x 的机型，预计在1月初上线到6.x体验版机型进行测试，待测试完成后，就会上线到开发版及后续稳定版中。’ ‘Split screen team engineers are ...

Android Messages v2.9 hints at Allo-like web interface, payments to businesses and more

Android Messages has received a new update with version number V2.9. The update doesn't bring any major U.I change but there quite a few additions that hint at upcoming features including  Allo-like web interface, payments to businesses and more. Google is getting ready to introduce a web interface that would allow users to pair their phones with a computer for texting needs. It also hints that the company might also be planning to offer its enhanced chat features to work with RCS messaging. Finally, there may be the possibility of buying things from companies right from within Android Messages. A teardown of the APK further revealed more insights about whats coming. The Allo-like web interface is being codenamed "Ditto," but might be labeled "Messages for web" when it launches. Just like WhatsApp, you will need to visit a website and a follow a simple procedure to pair your phone to receive messages directly from the PC. Since the strings of code mention all the available browsers, it should have compatibility with most browsers. On the other hand, Google is speeding up RCS, encouraging people to "text over Wi-Fi" and suggesting that they "upgrade" immediately. It is interesting to see Google offering some functionality rather than dumping it ...

Xiaomi Mi 4i gets final MIUI 9.2 update

Xiaomi launched the Mi 4i back in 2015 MIUI 6 based on Android 5.0 (Lollipop). MIUI v8.5.3  was the last update for the above mentioned devices which company rolled out a few months back, and company decided to skip MIUI 9.0 update for the phone. Earlier this week the company started rolling out MIUI 9.2 Global Beta Stable update to the phone and, the main highlights of MIUI 9.2 include Interactive and Fresh UI changes, New Gallery App, Calendar Cards, App Vault, Mi Video App, New Mi Explorer. Now it has rolled out stable update for the phone for all the users, which is still based on Android 5.0 (Lollipop), so users will not be able to enjoy few features like Split Screen, Quick Switch and New Notification Shade that MIUI 9 brings. This will be the final MIUI update for the phone, as the company had confirmed. The update doesn’t bring any major features but it is certainly refreshing and should make the phone smoother than ever as MIUI 9 is focused towards optimization. The company deserves a pat on its back for providing support to the phone after almost 3 years. The new version for Mi 4i is MIUI 9.2.2.0.LXIMIEK and the update is 209MB in size, but the security patch ...

Google Chrome to mark HTTP sites as ‘not secure’ from July

Google just announced that from starting July it will mark all HTTP sites as 'not secure' with an aim to offer secure browsing. Starting with Chrome 68, the search engine giant will show all the non-HTTPS sites as not secure for browsing. This isn't surprising since Google already shows the HTTP sites with text fields as insecure when you enter any information. The company also says that over 68% of Chrome traffic on both Android and Windows, over 78% Chrome traffic on both Chrome OS and Mac and 81 of the top 100 sites on the web use HTTPS by default and are now protected. For years HTTPS was regarded as a requirement for sites handling critical information, like bank portals. But since the last couple of years, regular sites gaining traction with HTTPS thanks to the availability of free SSL/TLS certificates and even browsers started encouraging the shift. Google said that Chrome is dedicated to making it easy to setup HTTP sites to migrate to HTTPS. The Mixed content audits are now available to help developers migrate their sites to HTTPS in the latest Node CLI version of Lighthouse which is an automated tool for improving web pages. The lighthouse audit will help developers to find which resources a site loads using HTTP, and which ...

Snapchat lets you create custom face lenses, gets new text caption styles

Snapchat is rolling out few new features which now lets you create custom face lenses, new text caption styles for snaps. These face lenses are AR masks like puppy ears, flower crowns and more that overlay on your face. These lenses start at $9.99. It is available on the Snapchat desktop site, iOS app.  Snapchat says that there will be over 150 different lens templates at launch and these can be personalized with text. To create the custom lens, in the iOS app you have to tap on Settings, then select Filters and Lenses. From there you can choose from one of the pre-made face lens templates and can also add text if you wish. Snapchat says that users should complete their custom lens purchase at least 3 hours before the event for it to run on time. The tool is only intended for consumers and the company wouldn't allow brands to advertise them for their company. Snapchat recently rolled out new Bitmoji Deluxe with new skin tones, facial features and more. The company is also rolling out new font styles for captions on both your photo and videos. The new fonts include brush, italic, glow, gradient, rainbow, fancy, and old English and you can use more than one fonts on each snap. ...

Samsung DeX Pad dock for Galaxy S9 surfaces

The launch of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ is just a couple of weeks away, and we have most of the details regarding the flagships. Back in January, there were reports about Samsung trademarking a new DeX Station accessory for the S9 just there was for the S8 last year. The DeX accessory dubbed 'DeX Pad' now makes its first appearance, courtesy of Evan Blass. This DeX Pad accessory is aimed at turning the phone into a viable desktop computing solution. It will hold the phone on a flat surface rather than making it stand. This not just adds for comfort, but also brings the possibility of using the phone as a touchpad. With the phone's screen held down on DeX Pad and used as the desktop's cursor, you'd only have to connect a keyboard. [HTML1] The image falls in line with the description that was leaked back when Samsung trademarked. The DeX Pad will have a USB-C for connecting the phone, two USB-A ports for connecting external devices, and HDMI out for a display and it appears like it also has a cooling vent system. Of course this isn't a groundbreaking idea, since Microsoft and Huawei have already implemented the same. The rendered image also reveals the fact that ...

Twitter reports first-ever quarterly profit of $91 million in Q4 2017, user base continues at 330 million

Twitter has revealed financial earnings for Q4 2017 and Fiscal Year 2017 Results. The company has generated a total revenue of $732 million, an increase of 2% year-over-year. The company reports the quarterly GAAP net income at $91 million, with a GAAP net margin of 12% and GAAP diluted EPS of $0.12. The company further reveals the Quarterly non-GAAP net income at $141 million, or $0.19 per diluted share. This is an increase compared to the quarterly non-GAAP net income of $78 million, or $0.11 per diluted share for the same period last year. The Adjusted EBITDA is $308 million or 42% of total revenue, again a solid jump compared to $215 million or 30% of total revenue for the same period last year. The company has generated a solid $2.4 billion in the Fiscal Year 2017, but it still is a 3% decreases YoY. The GAAP net loss was around $108 million and a net margin of 4% in 2017, compared to $457 million and a net margin of 18% in 2016. The adjusted EBITDA for the entire Fiscal Year 2017 was $863 million with a 35% margin compared to $751 million and 30% margin for the previous year. Twitter says that the annual stock-based compensation expense decreased 29% YoY to ...

Panasonic Lumix GH5S cinema 4K HDR video recording camera launched in India for Rs. 184990

Panasonic has launched LUMIX GH5S, its latest flagship model under LUMIX G DSLM cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. This doesn’t have 5-Axis in-body Stabilization that was present in the GH5 that was launched and also uses new 10.2-megapixel Digital Live MOS Sensor with Dual Native ISO Technology and Venus Engine that allows for a maximum 51200 ISO in high-sensitivity recording with minimal noise. It can record Cinema 4K (4096 x 2160 resolution) video at 30 or 60 frames per second and shoot 14-bit RAW files at up to 10 frames per second. It can record 4:2:2 10-bit 400-Mbps All-Intra in 4K 30p/24p and 200-Mbps All-Intra in Full-HD. It also allows for 4K HDR video with Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) mode in Photo Style. It also has -5EV luminance detection performance with Low Light AF with higher sensitivity and optimized tuning of the sensor. Highlights of Panasonic LUMIX GH5S 10.2MP high-sensitivity MOS sensor with multi-aspect and dual native ISO (400 & 2,500) with a range from 160 – 51,200; extendable to 80 – 204,800 Magnesium alloy full die-cast front/rear frame and is splashproof, dustproof and freezeproof down to -10 degrees Unlimited in-camera recording of C4K: 60p50p 8-bit, 30p25p24p 4:2:2 10-bit, 4K: 60p50p 4:2:0 8-bit, ...

Qualcomm rejects Broadcom’s revised buyout offer

Last week Broadcom made its final offer to acquire Qualcomm at a value of $121 Billion, which is $82 per share which consist of $60.00 in cash and $22.00 per share in Broadcom  stocks. Qualcomm today announced that its Board of Directors unanimously rejected the unsolicited proposal by Broadcom. This comes after the first offer that was made by Broadcom got rejected by Qualcomm back in November and in December it rejected directors nominated by Broadcom to replace the Qualcomm's existing board of directors. Broadcom says that the proposal materially undervalues Qualcomm and falls well short of the firm regulatory commitment the Board would demand given the significant downside risk of a failed transaction. Qualcomm said that it would like to meet Broadcom to see if it can address the serious deficiencies in value and certainty in its proposal. In a letter to Hock Tan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Broadcom Limited, Qualcomm Board, said: The Board has unanimously determined that your amended offer materially undervalues Qualcomm and falls well short of the firm regulatory commitment the Board would demand given the significant downside risk of a failed transaction. However, the Board is committed to exploring all options for maximizing shareholder value, and so we would be prepared to meet with you to allow you to explain how you ...

Google fined Rs.135.86 crore by CCI for search bias

Indian Antitrust watchdog has fined Google a Rs.135.86 ($21.17 million) over “search bias” and abuse of its dominant position. Competition Commission of India (CCI) says that Google; a part of Alphabet is abusing its dominance in online web search and online advertising markets. Furthermore, CCI said that it did not find any actions from Google’s that oppose the specialized search design, AdWords, and online distribution agreements. Commenting on the same, a Google spokesperson said that the company is reviewing the “narrow concerns” identified by the Commission and will assess its next step. Last year, the European Commission imposed a record 2.4 billion euro ($3 billion) fine on the company for somewhat similar where the company was found favoring its shopping service and demoting rival offerings. Google has appealed against the order. However, Google is found guilty of placing its commercial flight search function at a position that is favorable to it on the search results page which indirectly is causing damage to the businesses trying to gain market access. This ruling also put an end to the probe that was first started by the watchdog in 2012 based on the complaints filed by Bharat Matrimony; a matchmaking website and a not-for-profit organization, Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS). The ...