Google Voice Wi-Fi calling beta starts rolling out

Google has finally started enlisting users to beta test for a data-only calling option on the Google Voice. Wi-Fi calling lets you reduce roaming charges when you’re on the go, stay connected when you have poor cell service and the ability to make calls from any device or from the web. For now, it is only available on mobile and the web, but iOS support will be available soon, says Google. Since it is in beta, incoming call recording or transfer options when you switch on data are not available. Bluetooth controls like answer or hang up are also missing. You won't be able to use earpiece mode when a Bluetooth device is paired and there is also chance that your calls might be dropped if you try to switch between Bluetooth and speakerphone. Google says that calls use approximately 0.2 MB of data per minute but might vary depending on available bandwidth and network quality. Since it in beta testing phase, users those who wish to try it out will have to fill up the sign-up form and update your Google Voice app. Source

Samsung’s earnings guidance for Q1 2018 reveals another record profit

Samsung has posted its earnings guidance for the first quarter of 2018, which reveals that it will post an all time high 15.6 (15.5 ~ 15.7) trillion Korean won ($14.6 billion approx.) in operating profits for the quarter, 57% up from a year earlier. This will beat the 15.15 trillion won ($14.13 billion) profit that it had posted in Q4 2017. The main reason for jump in profits is likely to be due to strong memory chip sales that is said to have contributed some 11 trillion won, while the Galaxy S9 sales along with the Galaxy Note7 could also be one of the reasons for the boost in profits in the mobile sector. Samsung is expected to continue its profit streak in second quarter from continued high demand for semiconductors and sales of the Galaxy S9 series. In the first quarter, revenue will rise about 18.6% from a year earlier to 60 (59 ~ 61) trillion Korean won, says Samsung's forecast. Samsung did not announce the performance of each business division. We should know the exact profit amount and division-wise results when Samsung releases its full earnings results later this month. Source

Nokia 6 2018 with 5.5-inch 1080p display, 16MP camera with ZEISS optics, Android 8.1 goes on sale in India for Rs. 16999

HMD Global announced the new Nokia 6 Android One smartphone at the MWC, which was launched in India earlier this week. Today the company has started selling the smartphone across the country. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, is powered by Snapdragon 630 Mobile platform, runs on Android 8.1 (Oreo), has a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, dual-tone LED flash, ZEISS optics and a 8-megapixel front-facing camera. It has a unibody metal design made of 6000 series aluminium and has Nokia’s Dual Sight / Bothie feature and will get face unlock through OTA update in Q2. It packs a 3000mAh battery with support for fast charging that can charge the phone up to 50% in 30 minutes. Nokia 6 2018 specifications 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display with 450 nits brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection 2.2 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 630 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 508 GPU 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, PDAF, 1.0um sensor, f/2.0 aperture 8MP front-facing camera, 1.12um sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 84˚ wide-angle lens Fingerprint sensor 3.5mm ...

Apple to launch Mac Pro only in 2019, design shaped by the Pro Workflow Team

Apple just confirmed that the Mac Pro machines will find their way into the market only in 2019 which might come as a let down to those who were hoping to see a Pro machine sometime this year. Back in 2017, at a roundtable conference, Apple has responded to the concerns of the Mac Pro users saying that it is developing a brand new Mac Pro that will be launched next year, i.e 2018. However, the Cupertino maker is now pushing back the launch date to 2019, but the company says it will be worth the wait. The company speaking to TechCrunch has revealed that the Pro workstation will now ship in 2019 so it doesn't affect the rest of the Pro line-up such as the iMac Pro. Talking about the same,  Tom Boger, senior director of Mac Hardware Product Marketing said:“We know that there’s a lot of customers today that are making purchase decisions on the iMac Pro and whether or not they should wait for the Mac Pro." On the bright side, the company revealed its plans for the Mac Pro and how well it is shaping up. It now has formed a Pro Workflow Team which will overlook Apple's hardware and software including its ...

Google Chrome Emoji shortcut starts rolling out for Mac, Windows and Chrome OS

Emoji are a way of expressing and are commonly used in conversation made on a smartphone or tablet. But now Google Chrome is working on making it easier to use emoji on desktops. All major operating systems now have an easy to bring up a special emoji/symbols picker which is usually hidden behind a key combination. [HTML1] Chrome is making it easier to reach out the Emoji picker by adding a shortcut to the menu that appears when you right-click in any text field on the web. The Emoji option will be the first-in-the list and opens the native emoji selector for your operating system. The Emoji context menu reads "Enables the Emoji picker item in context menus for editable text areas. – Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS." However, the feature currently is only available for developers since it still needs testing and is often times unstable. As for those who are using the Chrome Canary channel, you simply head to "chrome://flags/#enable-emoji-context-menu" and enable it right away. We're still weeks away before the feature finally makes its way into the stable version. Via

Chromebook Atlas with 4K display surfaces, expected later this year

There's never been a Chromebook with a 4K screen resolution, in fact, 2400 x 1600 resolution display on the Google Pixelbook is as close as we got so far on Chromebooks. However, it looks like things are going to change very soon as a new Chromebook with name 'Atlas' 4K display surfaced online. According to a Reddit user who discovered a few lines on the Chromium boards.yaml file, the upcoming Chromebook will have a display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which is indeed 4K. It also mentions the name 'Atlas.' But sadly that's all we know, for now, there even no way to tell if this Chromebook will ever see the light of the day. While some may argue about the need for Pixelbooks with the high-end display, there are still users who ask for top-end specs on a Chromebook. This could also be the beginning of Google’s plan to bring a high-end Chrome OS/Android tablet to the market. If all, there's a chance that Google might introduce the new Pixelbook with a 4K display at the I/O event this year or later this year along with new Pixel smartphones. Source | Via

Google Pixel 3 references surface in AOSP, hints at improved networking

Google Pixel first-generation was launched with Android 7.1 Nougat, Pixel 2nd generation came with Android 8.0 Oreo, and now the Pixel 3 series will obviously run on Android P whose first developer preview was released recently. Although we don't have the Pixel 3 at our disposal just yet, fortunately, we have our first traces of the device showing up in AOSP.  In a commit titled “Cherrypick ‘Add device config to decide which Auto Selection Network UI to use,’” the description states that a new configuration has been added to the Android framework “because the HAL V_1_2 only supports Pixel 3, and the new Auto Selection Network UI is based on HAL V_1_2.” HAL, it refers to a Hardware Abstraction Layer which is a piece of software that fills the gap between the Android operating system and the hardware. There is not much information available about the new HAL, but it is presumably for radio features that might be only found on the Google Pixel 3. There is no way to tell it for sure though. In another commit, there's a new “NetworkScan API,” but then again there is not much of information here either. It is safe to assume that the new HAL and the “NetworkScan API” will surely limit the ...

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery for Android and iOS releasing on April 25

Jam City, a Los Angeles based mobile games studio, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will release Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, a free-to-play RPG game (with in-app purchases) for Android and iOS devices on April 25th. In this game you embark on your own adventure by creating own character and experience life as a Hogwarts student, set in the wizarding world, years before Harry Potter received his Hogwarts letter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAulFHyjFAI You can explore never-before-seen rooms of Hogwarts Castle, investigate ancient mysteries, learn powerful magic and knowledge from Professors Dumbledore, Snape, and more, duel against your rivals and forge alliances with new friends to help you on your adventures. Actors from the Harry Potter films will provide voiceover work for the game, said the company. Dame Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall) Michael Gambon (Professor Dumbledore) Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick) Sally Mortemore (Madam Irma Pince) Gemma Jones (Madam Pomfrey) Zoe Wanamaker (Madam Hooch) Android users can pre-register for the game on Google Play, you can also sign up for beat test here. Game Features: Magic Spells, Potions & More - Attend classes to learn and master magical skills like casting spells and brewing potions. - Unlock new characters, spells, potions and locations as you advance through the years of Hogwarts. - Customize ...

Vodafone launches VoLTE services in UP East

After Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa and Rajasthan,Haryana,  Uttar Pradesh (UP) west, and Karnataka, Vodafone has launched its VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) services in Uttar Pradesh (UP) East in India. It is currently available in  cities of Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Allahabad and Faizabad, and, around 26,000 towns and villages in the UP East circle. Vodafone is calling it Super VoLTE and said that the technology delivers high-quality sound over voice calls across the Vodafone SuperNet 4G network so that users will experience ultra-clear voice quality and reduced background noise. If you have a VoLTE enabled handset, you can SMS 4G CHECK to 199 to know if you your smartphone is Vodafone Super VoLTE compatible. If you have Dual SIM handset, Vodafone SIM should be inserted in the SIM slot with data capability and network mode should be set as “4G/3G/2G (Auto)”. Vodafone already said that it will roll out VoLTE in Kolkata soon, and will extended the service across the country in a phased manner over the next few months. You can check out the list of Vodafone VoLTE supported devices here. Commenting on the launch of Vodafone VoLTE in UP East, Nipun Sharma, Business Head – UP East, Vodafone India, said: We have been making significant investments to expand, upgrade ...

American Express launches Amex Pay mobile payment solution in India

American Express has introduced the 'AMEX Pay' mobile payment solution in India that allows eligible Cardholders to make contactless or QR code-based payments to merchants using the mobile app. The AMEX IN mobile app is available for Android and iOS.  The Eligible  Cardmembers need to log in to the 'Amex IN' mobile app and then register for Amex Pay. Once you have your card registered for Amex Pay, you can make a contactless payment. All you have to do is simply tap your device at a merchant's contactless terminal. There is no need to open your Amex Mobile App to make a contactless payment. [HTML1] In order to make QR Code payments, just select the 'Pay with Bharat QR' option on the AMEX IN app, then scan the QR code, enter the amount if it is not pre-populated, enter your Card PIN then you should see the transaction successful message. You do not need to log in to your account to scan and pay using Amex Pay. All American Express credit or charge Card are eligible to use Amex Pay. You can use Amex Pay for payments wherever American Express contactless payments are accepted. Users can also make QR-Code payments wherever you see the American Express logo on a ...