Google Maps with redesigned Explore tab, new “For you” tab, personal recommendations and more rolling out

Google introduced a set of brand new feature to Maps last month; these new features will help you find the best spots to eat, drink, and play based on the things you’re into. The company today announced that many of these features are now rolling out to everyone worldwide.  Google Maps gets a new redesigned Explore tab gives you quick recommendations for restaurants, cafes in any area you’re interested in.  With the new trending lists from local experts and Google's algorithm, you can now find the best burger in town or track the top brunch spots in the city. You can also keep a track on your progress against any of the restaurants featured in the trending lists. The new Explore tab now surfaces the top events and activities happening in your area. You can see photos, descriptions, and filter by categories like “good for kids,” “cheap” or “indoor or outdoor” so you can find just the right activity to fit your mood. If you have the location history turned on, each restaurant and other cafes will feature “Your match,” a numeric rating that tells you how likely you are to enjoy a place based on your own preferences.   The new “For you” tab ...

Instagram updated with video chat, topic channels in Explore and new AR camera effects

Instagram has received a new update which brings features like Video Chat, topic channels in Explore, and new camera effects for Stories. With the new video call, you can video chat in Instagram Direct, either with just one person or a group. Topic channels on Explore give you new ways to discover your interests on Instagram. To start a video chat, swipe from right to Direct inbox and open any message thread. From there tap on the new camera icon in the right corner, and the video chat will ring your friends’ phones, so they don’t miss it. While on the video chat, you can minimize the video and multitask on Instagram, sending messages and photos in Direct, browsing your feed, posting a story and more. You can video chat with up to four people at a time and can expand the video chat with more friends. If there’s an active video chat in a group thread, the camera icon will turn blue. You can also mute a person if you don’t want to receive notifications from them. As for the Topic channels, it gets new additions to the Explore section; this gives you new ways to discover your interests on Instagram. Now when you open the page, ...

Facebook reverses its ban on cryptocurrency ads, will allow ads from pre-approved advertisers

Facebook back in January had announced that it is introducing a new policy to “prohibit ads that promote financial products and services that are frequently associated with binary options, initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency. The company back then regarding the policy has also said: “this policy is intentionally broad while we work to better detect deceptive and misleading advertising practices... We will revisit this policy and how we enforce it as our signals improve.” Now months after the policy, Facebook is now making changes to allow some ads while also working to ensure that they’re safe. Starting from June 26th, Facebook will update its policy to allow ads that promote cryptocurrency and related content from pre-approved advertisers. However, it will still continue to prohibit ads that promote binary options and initial coin offerings. Advertisers who wish to run ads based on cryptocurrency products and services must submit an application for Facebook to access the eligibility including any licenses obtained, whether they are traded on a public stock exchange, and another relevant public background on their business. Thanks to these restrictions, not everyone who wants to advertise will be able to do so. Since crypto has a lot of believers and followers, it is easy to see why Facebook wants to ...

Xiaomi announces Mi Explorer program in Spain, Mi A2 Android One smartphone expected to launch soon

Xiaomi has a tradition of involving Mi Fans in device exploration before the launch of devices, these explorers get devices before the official launch and are expected to participate in challenges given by the company. Before Redmi Note 3 India launch company recruited 100 Mi Fans under the Mi generation program in 2016 and last year, company recruited 50 hardcore Mi Fans as Explorers to test and explore Redmi Note 4 before its official launch in India. This time the company has gone a step ahead and announced that as a part of explorer program selected hardcore loyal fans will also get a chance to travel to Spain to attend a global launch event. The explorers will be assigned tasks/challenges during the explorer campaign, these explorers can keep the device with themselves upon completion of explorer program. Earlier this month, a hands-on video of Mi A2 was leaked in Spain and since global launch event is happening in Spain it will be safe to assume that Xiaomi is all set to announce Mi A1's successor soon. As per rumors, Mi A1 successor will be Android One counterpart of Mi 6X which was announced in April. Apart from Mi A1 successor, Xiaomi might ...

Samsung ISOCELL Plus tech offers higher color fidelity, enhances light sensitivity up to 15% in CMOS image sensors

Samsung has officially introduced its new ‘ISOCELL Plus’ technology for its  CMOS image sensors. It delivers higher color fidelity along with up to a 15% enhancement in light sensitivity, and also enables image sensors to equip 0.8-micrometer (µm) and smaller-sized pixels without any loss in performance, making it an optimal solution for developing super-resolution cameras with over 20 megapixels," says Samsung. In the existing pixel structure, metal grids are formed over the photodiodes to reduce interference between the pixels, which can also lead to some optical loss as metals tend to reflect and/or absorb the incoming light. For ISOCELL Plus, Samsung has replaced the metal barrier with an innovative new material developed by Fujifilm, minimizing optical loss and light reflection. The new Samsung ISOCELL Plus technology will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress Shanghai, held from June 27 to 29. The ISOCELL Plus  technology is already being used in 16MP S5K2P6,  1.12µm pixel size, 1/2.8″ sensor that is used in the Galaxy A6+, as well as 12MP S5K2L5, 1.25µm pixel size, 1/2.8″ sensor, both with Samsung Super-PD auto focus. Source

Apple Watch with larger display, cheaper MacBook Air, iPad with Face ID along with 3 iPhones to launch later this year: KGI

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of research firm TF International Securities, today in a fresh research note has detailed more details about the upcoming three new iPhones, 2019 iPhones as well. Furthermore, the company will also introduce redesigned Watch with a larger display, cheaper MacBook Air, iPad with Face ID said to launch later this year. Kuo states that he believes 2019 iPhones will have "marked innovations," but could take until September or October of this year for the exact design and feature become a bit more clear. Among the new iPhone models that will be launching in 2019, Kuo expects shipments of the 2019 LCD-based model to outshine the OLED models. Should Apple launch an iPhone with triple-lens rear cameras in 2019, it would obviously benefit camera-related companies in Apple's supply chain. Apple is also said to be introducing new iPad models equipped with Face ID, a new low-priced MacBook Air, and new Apple Watch models equipped with larger displays. The 2018 iPhones includes second-generation iPhone X, a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed the iPhone X Plus and a 6.1-inch version. The 6.1-inch iPhone will be available in stores in September of this year, despite the delay in the production compared to the second-generation iPhone X and so-called iPhone ...

Samsung Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy Tab S4 pass through the FCC

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launch is fast approaching and the flagship is now spotted passing through the FCC. The phone was approved on April 20th and the official documents have been posted this week. This launch also puts Samsung back on track with its launch cycles following the delays with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 international variant will have the model number SM-N960F, while the dual-SIM model will have an SM-N960F/DS and another variant with SM-N960X that should be released in Asian markets. However, the Galaxy Note 9 won't have any major changes in terms of design, but rumors state that it will pack a massive 4000mAh battery and faster wireless charging. Most of the specifications such as the chipset inside or the camera sensors are expected to be the same as the Galaxy S9+. It will also come with an S-Pen and also we could finally see a 512GB storage variant, but it is unclear whether the 512GB variant will be available as widely as the 256GB Galaxy S9. Finally, Samsung will also debut Bixby 2.0 which will offer improved response times. On another note, Samsung is also on the verge of launching Galaxy Tab S4 as the tablet is also ...

OnePlus 6 Midnight Black 8GB RAM, 256GB storage version announced in India for Rs. 43999, goes on sale on Amazon starting July 10

OnePlus launched its flagship OnePlus 6 smartphone in 6GB RAM with 64GB version, 8GB RAM with 128GB storage version in Mirror Black, Midnight Black and Limited-edition Silk White last month. It also launched the Marvel Avengers Limited Edition with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Today the company has announced the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage version of its Midnight Black version. The sale of the 256GB variant of the OnePlus 6 Midnight Black will commence on 10 July, 2018 on Amazon.in and on 14th July on oneplus.in and OnePlus exclusive offline channels. ‘Notify Me’ registration for the OnePlus 6 Midnight Black (8GB + 256GB) will go live on Amazon.in starting today. The company said that the 256 GB variant has been met with unprecedented popularity both globally and in India and has become a community favorite in a short time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hB2mvLY4Z4 Other specifications including the 6.28-inch FHD+ Optic AMOLED display, Snapdragon 845, 16MP + 20MP dual rear cameras, 16MP front camera, Dual SIM slots, and a 3300mAh battery with Turbo Charge are same as the original OnePlus 6. Check out our OnePlus 6 Review, if you are planning to get the phone.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 14nm, Snapdragon 439 and 429 12nm Mobile Platforms with Dual VoLTE, AI capabilities announced

Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon 632, 439 and 429 Mobile Platforms as new additions to Snapdragon 600 and 400 tiers. These promise better performance, better battery life, more efficient designs, impressive graphics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and are targeted at mid-range and budget devices. Compared to Cortex A53 CPUs on the Snapdragon 630, the Snapdragon 632 now uses Qualcomm's custom Kryo 250 CPUs combined with X9 LTE modem. This promises 40% higher performance compared to Snapdragon 625/626. It is based on 14nm process technology. Highlights of Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 Mobile Platform Octa-Core – Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 250 Performance + Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 250 Efficiency CPUs 14nm FinFET process technology Integrated X9 LTE, Snapdragon All Mode with support for LTE FDD, LTE TDD, LTE Broadcast, WCDMA (DB-DC-HSDPA, DC-HSUPA), TD-SCDMA, CDMA 1x, EV-DO, GSM/EDGE Cat 12/13 speeds of up to 300 Mbps down/150 Mbps up via 2x20 MHz uplink and downlink carrier aggregation, Up to 64-QAM Dual SIM Dual VoLTE (DSDV), Next-generation Calling Services, VoLTE with SRVCC to 3G and 2G, Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) with LTE call continuity, HD and Ultra HD Voice (EVS) Qualcomm Adreno 506 GPU Hexagon 546 DSP with Qualcomm All-Ways Aware technology 2x Image Sensor Processor (ISP) 14-bit – Up to 24 MP single camera, Up ...

ASUS Zenfone 5Z with 6.2-inch FHD+ 19:9 display, Snapdragon 845, AI dual rear cameras launching in India on July 4

ASUS introduced its flagship Zenfone 5Z smartphone at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona earlier this year. The smartphone started rolling out from Europe earlier this month. Today the company has announced that the phone will be launched in India on July 4th exclusively on Flipkart. ASUS Zenfone 5Z (Z5620KL) specifications 6.2-inch (2246 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 2.5D curved glass Super IPS display with 500 nits Brightness, 95.4% NTSC color gamut, DCI-P3, 1500: 1 Contrast Ratio, Glove Touch support, Corning Gorilla Glass protection Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU  4GB LPDDR4x RAM with 64GB  storage, 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128GB  storage, 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 256GB storage expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) with ZenUI 5.0, upgradable to Android P Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) with Dual VoLTE 12MP rear camera with dual-tone LED Flash, Sony IMX363 sensor, 1.4μm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, 0.03s Tri Tech auto-focus/Dual Pixel PDAF/ 4-axis OIS/EIS, Pro mode with RAW support, secondary 8MP camera with f/2.0 aperture, OV8856 sensor, 120-degree wide-angle lens 8MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture, OV8856 sensor, 83-degree wide-angle lens Fingerprint sensor 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio Dual speakers with NXP 9874 Smart AMP, Hi-Res Audio 192kHz/24b-bit, ...