Android Oreo adoption rate climbs to 0.7%, Nougat hits 26.3%

Google is out with Android distribution numbers for the month of December and the Oreo adoption now hit rate to 0.7%, which also includes the recently rolled out Android 8.1 Oreo as well.  The Oreo adoption is now 0.7% which is 0.2% increase from last month. The Nougat (Android 7.0 and Android 7.1 Nougat) adoption rate has now jumped to 26.3% from 23.3% in November which is a steady growth. Android 6.0 Marshmallow adoption rate has again fallen and is now at 28.6% down from 29.7%. The Lollipop operating system adoption now stands at 25.1%, which is again down from 26.3%. The KitKat OS now stands at 12.8% down from 13.4% which is a fairly decent downfall. Though the operating system is now outdated, Jellybean is currently at 5.6% down from 5.9%. Gingerbread and Ice cream sandwich constantly are at 0.4% and 0.5% respectively. Like always all the data is collected before the 7-day period ending on January 8th, 2017, according to Google. Source

Google publishes list of Chromebooks patched with Meltdown vulnerability

Meltdown and Spectre are most talked about security vulnerabilities in the recent times that affected most Intel, AMD, and ARM chipsets. Biggies like Microsoft, Intel, Google have already fixed and progressing towards fixing. Today Google has published a list of Chromebooks that are affected but are now patched.  The company has posted the table on Chromium Wiki of which majority of the models are already safe, or weren't affected Meltdown, to begin with. However, the tablet also shows the models with “EoL” tag which meaning 'End of Life', for such models, the update is never coming as they are no longer supported. Meltdown mostly affects Intel processors, so the and Intel-based Chromebooks are safe. But fixing Spectre is far more complicated, however, Chrome's optional Site Isolation feature can do the job in most cases and this can be turned on by switching the #enable-site-per-process flag. You can check the complete list of Chromebook from the Wiki page, and If your model has "Yes" or "Not Needed" in the "mitigations (KPTI) on M63" column, then you have nothing to worry about. Source|Via

Smartron t.phone P Unboxing and First Impressions

Smartron launched the t.phone P, its first budget smartphone in the t.phone series with a 5000mAh battery earlier today for Rs. 7999. Here we have the unboxing of the phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWdgZtiVrEI Box Contents Smartron t.phone P in Black color 2-pin charger (5V-2.1A) Micro USB Charger SIM Ejector tool Quick Start Guide and Warranty Information The phone packs a 5.2-inch HD 2.5D curved glass screen. Powered by 1.4GHz Snapdragon 435 SoC with 3GB of RAM, it runs on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat). It has a 5-megapixel camera on the front with LED flash and f/2.2 aperture. There is a 13-megapixel camera on the back with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture and PDAF. There is a fingerprint sensor on the back with smartron branding below it. There is also t.phone branding on the back. It has a metal back with plastic finish on the top and the parts where the antennas are present. The build quality is decent for the price. It has a hybrid SIM slot that lets you use two nano SIM cards or a nano SIM and a microSD (up to 128GB). It has 32GB of internal storage. It packs a huge 5000mAh built-in battery that lets you charge other phones using a OTG cable. It has 4G VoLTE ...

Samsung partners with NextRadio to unlock FM Radio chip on its smartphones

TagStation today announced that Samsung has extended its support to NextRadio to unlock FM chips in upcoming phones launched USA and Canada. The company pointed out that FM Radio is still essential in some parts of the world especially when cellular coverage is congested or unavailable. Smartphones launching these days come with a hardware that is capable of receiving free FM radio signals, and Samsung is the new OEM to take steps in bringing phones with unlocked FM chips. This will allow users to connect directly with the NextRadio app, listen to their favorite local stations, and use less battery and less data than streaming radio apps. Samsung joins the list which also includes recently joined LG, Motorola, and Alcatel. Though the company claims that upcoming Samsung phones will launch with unlocked FM chips, reports suggest there are already plenty of phones on the market with unlocked chips, including the Galaxy S7, S8, Note 8 and more . Commenting on the same Paul Brenner, President of NextRadio powered by TagStation said: Samsung should be lauded for taking this important step. They are providing their customers a more engaging, immersive radio experience and, as importantly, a means to connect with life-saving information in emergencies. Source

Xiaomi Quick Charge 3.0 Charger launched in India for Rs. 449

Xiaomi already sells standard 5V-2A charger in India. Today is has launched new  Qualcomm certified Quick Charge 3.0 charger in the country. This is compatible with Xiaomi own Mi MIX 2 and Mi Max 2 smartphones as well as Qualcomm's latest two-way fast charging power banks that are Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 certified. It has power output of 5V-3A/9V-2A/12V-1.5A and can withstand voltage surges up to 380V, similar to chargers that come bundled with its latest Mi A1, Redmi Y1, Redmi 5A and other smartphones. It also has automatic temperature control that keeps the charger below 30-degrees while in use to prevent over heating, says Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Charger comes only in Black color, is priced at Rs. 449 and is available for purchase at mi.com. This is just Rs. 100 more than its standard 5V-2A charge. It doesn't come with a USB cable in the box. Via

Smartron tphone P with 5.2-inch display, Snapdragon 435, 3GB RAM, 5000mAh battery launched for Rs. 7999

Smartron has launched tphone P, the company's latest smartphone in the tphone series with 5000mAh battery that promises up to 2 days battery life on a single chrage. It packs a 5.2-inch 2.5D curved glass display, is powered by Snapdragon 435 with 3GB RAM, runs Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with support for tcloud, tcare and tstore as well as tronX’s assistive and predictive AI. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 5-megapixel front camera, comes with a metal back, has a fingerprint sensor on the back and also comes with option to charge other devices using OTG since it has a huge battery. Smartron tphone P specifications 5.2-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD 2.5D curved glass display 1.4GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 435 processor with Adreno 505 GPU 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano/microSD) 13MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel, PDAF LED Flash 5MP front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel Fingerprint sensor Dimensions: 148.3x72.2x8.9mm; Weight: 160g 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS 5000mAh battery The Smartron tphone P comes in Black color, is priced at Rs. 7,999 and will be available exclusively from Flipkart starting from January 17, 2018. Commenting on ...

WhatsApp Security flaw could allow anyone enter group chats despite end-to-end encryption

German researchers have found a flaw that let's infiltrate any WhatsApp’s group chats despite end-to-end encryption. Wired reports that the flaws in WhatsApp’s security were discovered at the Real World Crypto security conference in Switzerland. Furthermore, anyone with control on app’s servers could insert new people into private group chats without needing admin permission. Once the new person enters the group, every person's phone in that group chat will automatically share secret keys with that person, giving them full access to all future messages, but not past ones. The new member addition will look like it has been done with admin's consent. Furthermore, "The confidentiality of the group is broken as soon as the uninvited member can obtain all the new messages and read them," said one of the researchers to The Wired. On the flip side, WhatsApp owned Facebook looks to have in settled mood given the fact that it isn't easy to gain access to the WhatsApp servers, which can only be controlled by staff, governments who legally demand access, and high-level hackers. The company's Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos responded to the report on Twitter, saying, "Read the Wired article today about WhatsApp scary headline! But there is no [sic] a secret way into WhatsApp ...

CORSAIR Wireless Gaming Keyboard, Gaming Mouse, Qi Wireless Charging Mouse Pad and more announced at CES 2018

CORSAIR has announced range of wireless gaming peripherals at the CES 2018 in Las Vegas. This includes K63 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard, K63 Wireless Gaming Lapboard, DARK CORE RGB Wireless Gaming Mouse, and MM1000 Qi Wireless Charging Mouse Pad that are powered by CORSAIR UNPLUG and PLAY wireless technology. The new CORSAIR K63 Wireless mechanical gaming keyboard has CHERRY MX Red mechanical keyswitches and lets you connect to your PC using ultra-fast 1ms 2.4GHz gaming-optimized wireless, low latency Bluetooth wireless, or a wired USB connection. It offers Per-key, customizable blue LED backlighting, controlled using CORSAIR Utility Engine (CUE) software along with per-key macros and programmable keys. It offers up to 75 hours of rechargeable battery life. The CORSAIR K63 Wireless keyboard features strong 128-bit AES encryption, protecting your keystrokes from wireless eavesdropping. It has clean and minimalist desktop, and combines with the K63 Wireless Gaming Lapboard for the best wireless solution. It has lightweight surround and memory foam cushion that comfortably and securely holds the keyboard in place, while a full-size replaceable mouse pad provides ample room and pixel-precise tracking. The new CORSAIR DARK CORE RGB wireless gaming mouse offers the same flexible three-mode connectivity - ultra-fast 1ms 2.4GHz, low-latency Bluetooth wireless or wired USB connection. ...

Facebook said to be testing new ‘Today In’ local news and events section in the app

Facebook wants to make it easier for us to stay updated with local news and events dubbed 'Today In'. Testing of the feature is running in just six cities for now: New Orleans, La.; Little Rock, Ark.; Billings, Mont.; Peoria, Ill.; Olympia, Wash.; and Binghamton, N.Y. Users from the mentioned places will be able to explore the new section to see local information, like stories from local publishers or emergency updates from local authorities. The company is using machine-learning software to surface content in the new section. According to the Facebook's spokesperson, former NBC news anchor Campbell Brown will approve and overlook the local news publishers who appear in the new section. Furthermore, the company says that it is all part of Facebook’s Journalism Project initiative which Facebook launched shortly after last year’s U.S. presidential election. The company has already launched few other news-related features last year including breaking news label and a label identifying stories disputed by outside fact-checkers. Though the news section will bring in more traffic for publishers, it doesn't bring any revenue at least during the time of launch. Even the getting traffic is questionable since it is dependent on how often Facebook users use the feature. Facebook will eventually roll this out to more cities. ...

GoPro to exit drone industry, but will continue supporting it

GoPro has announced that it will exit drone industry as it plans to sell its remaining inventory of Karma drones, but will continue supporting it. The move comes from the constant downfall of the company in the past few years. The company back in March has laid off 270 employees in response to weak sales. Once the company sells its Karma drones, there will 300 layoffs including some executives and it announced its decision to exit drone market in its Q4 results. The company expects revenue to be approximately $340 million for the fourth quarter of 2017. The revenue also includes a negative impact of approximately $80 million for price protection on HERO6 Black, HERO5 Black and HERO5 Session cameras, as well as the Karma drone. The company ended its fourth quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $247 million, up $50 million over the third quarter of 2017. However, the company claims that the sales of HERO6 Black camera performed as expected during the fourth quarter and it lowered the price of HERO6 Black from $499 to $399. Furthermore, the company is also looking for options to sell its company if there are options. The exit of Karma segment indicates that it has been a costly experiment for the company. Nick Woodman; GoPro CEO and Founder said that ...