Google Gboard v6.9 hints at Smart Reply suggestions, creating own GIFs and more

Google rolled out a new update to Gboard bringing version number to V6.9, while the update doesn't bring any major changes, it does hint at many upcoming features. The update hints at Smart Reply suggestions, new keyboard, creating own GIFs and more. Smart reply suggestions for incoming notifications are available to most Google apps like Allo, Gmail, and Inbox and it is now finding its way to Gboard as well. This feature will be showing smart reply suggestions based on the preceding messages while replying from the notification shade in the row above the keyboard. For this feature to get activated, users need to give Gboard “Notification access” in system settings. The V6.9 adds more details to the creating own Gif functionality. Details like how users can start recording by tapping a new "Make a GIF" button are quite evident. The V6.9 APK also reveals strings related to "Universal Media Keyboard" that can “Search all media.” Once it is activated, a new icon will show up next to the alongside GIF, sticker and emoji search. Features of this function could be a universal search for all of Gboard’s expressive feature or searching news media and articles. Google's Gboard will soon add more detailed Bitmoji interface since the since the ...

Google to consider page speed as ranking factor for mobile searches starting June

Google today announced that it would start considering  page speed as a ranking factor for mobile searches starting from June 2018. Google focused on desktop searches up until now, but for June it will start considering page speed for mobile searches as well. The company is calling it as "Speed Update," and will only affect pages that are slow to users and will only affect a small percentage of queries. Regardless of the technology used to build the page, the Speed update will have same impact standard to all pages. However, since the search query is still a very strong signal, pages with slow speed will still rank if it has relevant content. Google advises developers to access about how performance affects a user’s experience of their page and also to consider experimenting with a variety of user experience metrics. There is no direct tool to verify the impact of pages with the new update but suggests to use resources like Chrome User Experience Report, Lighthouse, and PageSpeed Insights to have an idea about how the page is performing and any suggestions regarding performance optimizations. Source

Coolpad receives $300 million funding, plans for Silicon Valley expansion with AI focus

Coolpad Group has received $300 million in funding from Power Sun Ventures after separating from LeEco in 2017. Coolpad with the new funding is aiming to expand its capabilities in artificial intelligence. Chinese property mogul Chen Hua, Founder, and Head, Kingkey Group, will be leading the new investment through Power Sun Ventures. With $300 million in cash, Coolpad will be expanding to Silicon Valley in an attempts to build up its capabilities in artificial intelligence. This line of funding should help Coolpad from recovering return to profitable growth after its shortfall with the collapse of LeEco. With the LeEco strategy backfiring, Coolpad from being top five smartphones brand in China and a well-known player in China fell drastically. Power Sun will invest a further $300m in coming years, during which Coolpad should be transformed from being a smartphone company to an AI-focused technology company by launching applications in communications, health, education, and gaming. Mr. Jiang Chao, CEO, Coolpad Group said: With this new investment, Coolpad  aims to shift its focus from being just into mobile business to an AI-focused technology company. We plan to expand this by creating AI focused applications across communications, health, education and gaming. Chen Hua, Founder, and head, Kingkey Group said: We are pleased to be investing  in Coolpad Group as we ...

Xiaomi introduces Game Speed Booster in MIUI Global Beta ROM – here’s how to enable it

Xiaomi introduced intelligent CPU acceleration and Dynamic resource allocation to focus on system optimization and fluent user experience with MIUI 9. These certainly helped in reducing app launch timings and made the overall performance better than ever on MIUI. Earlier this month, Xiaomi has introduced a dedicated Game booster to improve gaming performance. The option to enable Game Booster can be found under MIUI Security app. [gallery size="large" link="file" ids="240897,240898,240899"] A pop-up to create Game Speed Booster mode shortcut on home screen appears while setting up. The Cache and memory are cleaned by the system as soon as the Game Booster Mode is turned on so that users get the maximum memory required to run the game. Users need to manually add the games/apps for which they want to turn on the Game Booster mode. [gallery size="large" link="file" ids="240901,240902,240906"] There are a bunch of customization available in the Settings. Users can keep the screen brightness fixed, keep DND mode turned on, restrict background sync, turn off capacitive key lights, and take hands-free call while playing games. [gallery link="file" size="large" ids="240903,240904,240905"] We tested the MIUI Game Booster with Asphalt 8 on Redmi 4 and the performance was smoother but the phone did exhibit more heating as compared when the ...

Huawei partners with Google to integrate Android Messages app for SMS, RCS messaging on its phones

Huawei today announced that it would be teaming with Google to integrate Android Messages across their smartphone portfolio. Huawei will combine Android Messages and RCS messaging to offer native messaging and communications experience. The messaging service will include features like texting over Wi-Fi, rich media sharing, group chats, and typing indicators. It will also be able to offer Huawei users to make video calls directly from Android Messages through carrier ViLTE and Google Duo. Also, Messages from businesses will also be upgraded on HUAWEI’s devices through RCS business messaging from Google. To accelerate carriers development in deployment of RCS messaging across their networks, the company will team up with Google to offer the Jibe RCS cloud and hub solution to current and capable carrier partners. The integration of Android messages to Huawei phones will begin in the coming months. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, said: HUAWEI and Google together by forming this strategic partnership will provide consumers with the best global user experience on HUAWEI products with RCS and will enable carriers the ability to offer unique services through business messaging. Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP Platforms & Ecosystems, Google said: We are pleased to be working with HUAWEI to bring a better native messaging experience to hundreds of millions of people worldwide, through ...

Google to roll out fix for WiFi network crashing issue on Chromecast and Home devices starting today

Recently there were reports about the Home and Chrome cast devices crashing on WiFi Network and today Google has acknowledged the issue saying that it is aware of the Chromecast built-in devices may be affecting Wi-Fi network performance. Since it is a widespread issue, Google said that it is starting to roll out the update from today, January 18th. Google in the new help document said that people with an Android phone and devices such as a Chromecast or Google Home device connected to the same Wi-Fi network may experience this issue. The company summarizes the issue as a bug in the Cast software on Android phones may be incorrectly sending a large amount of network traffic is temporarily crashing Wi-Fi networks. The impact on the network will vary depending on the router. However, the company said that the team has identified the issue and will start rolling out the update via a Google Play services update from today i.e. January 18th. We will make sure to update the article if any further complications arise post the update. Source

Motorola Moto G6, G6 Plus with FHD+ 18:9 display and G6 Play surface in more images

Motorola Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play press images have yet again surfaced after being all over the internet yesterday. These press images offer a better look at the devices and also provide more details on the specifications and other details. If Lenovo's update cycle is any clue, we might see the new G-series phones at the MWC 2018 event in the coming month.  As for the specifications, the Moto G6 is expected to sport a 5.7-inch (2160×1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 display and powered by the Snapdragon 450 SoC with 3GB RAM+32GB storage and 4GB RAM+64GB storage with a microSD card slot for memory expansion. It comes with 12+5MP dual rear camera setup and a 16MP front camera. A 3000mAh battery and USB Type-C port on board. The phone should be available in black and silver colors. The Moto G6 Plus is said to sport a large 5.93-inch 18:9 display and is powered by the Snapdragon 630 SoC with same 3GB RAM+32GB and 4GB RAM+64GB storage variants. In the camera department, it has a 12+5MP dual rear camera setup and a 16MP front camera. A 3200mAh battery for battery needs. The rear side of both the phones resembles the recent Moto X4. We ...

Apple to accelerate investments in the US, to contribute $350 Billion in next five years

Apple announced that it is accelerating its investments in the U. S. standing by its commitment to support the US economy. With Apple's current phase of spending with domestic suppliers and manufacturers, the company estimates a $55 billion contribution for 2018 and a total of $350 billion in the next five years. The overall contribution of $350 will not include the Apple’s ongoing tax payments, the tax revenues generated from employees' wages and the sale of products. The company further mentioned that it is looking at investing $30 billion over the next five years and create over 20,000 new jobs through hiring at existing campuses and opening a new one. Apple is also planning to open a new campus in a new location which will be announced later this year and this new campus will initially employ technical support for customers. Over $10 billion of Apple’s expanded capital expenditures will be investments in data centers across the US. Apple has also announced that it is starting its work for a new facility in downtown Reno, which will support its existing Nevada facilities. Like most Apple facilities, the new campus announced today will also be powered entirely by green energy. The Cupertino company also said that it is increasing ...

Samsung Exynos 5 Series 7872 Hexa-Core 14nm processor with Bluetooth 5, iris sensor support announced

Samsung has announced new Exynos 5 Series 7872 hexa-core processor based on 14-nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology  for mid-range smartphones. It has built-in LTE Cat.7 modem that would offer download speed of 300Mbps and supports aggregation of up to two carriers. It has two 2.0GHz ARM Cortex-A73 and four 1.6GHz Cortex-A53 cores. "With the addition of powerful CPU, the Exynos 7872 improves the individual single-core performance by two folds, when compared to its predecessor, enabling faster web browsing, app launching and other operations on a smartphone in its class," said the company. It also supports out-focusing photography and a dual camera feature. "By combining the information from RGB and monochrome camera, the Exynos 7872 can create out-focus effect to make photographs more visually appealing," added Samsung. Highlights of Samsung Exynos 5 7872 SoC Hexa Core - 2.0GHz x 2 ARM Cortex-A73 CPUs + 1.6GHz x 4 ARM Cortex-A53 CPUs Mali-G71 MP1 GPU 14nm LPP FinFET process technology Cat 7 2CA download speeds of up to 300 Mbps, Cat.13 2CA upload speeds of up to 150Mbps (UL) up to WUXGA (1920×1200) display resolution Full HD 120fps encoding and decoding with HEVC(H.265), H.264 and VP8, and decoding with VP9 Up to 21.7MP for both rear and front cameras, iris camera sensor ...

Alcatel 3C with 6-inch full-screen display, fingerprint sensor announced

TCL has introduced a new entry-level smartphone - Alcatel 3C in Italy. The company introduced new 1, 3 and 5 smartphone series along with new smartphones -Alcatel 1X, Alcatel 3V, and Alcatel 5 that were showcased last week in CES 2018. Starting with the elephant in the room, the smartphone features a 6-inch IPS LCD screen with 18:9 aspect ratio with HD+ 1440x720 pixel resolution screen with 76% screen-to-body ratio, protected by 2.5D curved tempered glass on the top for the additional protection. The smartphone runs on an entry-level Quad-core processor from MediaTek (MT8321), paired with 1 GB LPDDR3 RAM and 16 GB onboard flash storage with a dedicated micro SD card slot. The Alcatel 3C offers an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP fixed focus selfie camera. Both the cameras do support HD video recording (up to 30 frames per second). The fingerprint scanner goes right below the main camera module and looks aesthetically pleasing. The Alcatel 3C gets its juice from the 3000mAh sealed battery.  Alcatel 3C specifications 6-inch (1440x720 pixels) 18:9 aspect ratio screen with HD+ IPS LCD screen 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT8321 processor 1GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 7.0 (Nougat) 8MP ...