Is Xiaomi messing up with Notification Panel again? [Update: Swipe to expand notifications back in recent MIUI 10 Beta update]

Update: Option to expand notifications by swiping down is now back with MIUI 10 Global Beta ROM 8.8.2, so chances are high for Xiaomi to bring back this feature to stable update in future. Earlier: MIUI Notification panel was amongst the things that users hated back in MIUI 8 days because it didn’t have basic stock android features like bundled notifications and had painful two finger swipe down gesture to expand notifications. Xiaomi addressed the complaint and announced New Notification Shade with MIUI 9 and started rolling out the feature to MIUI Global Beta ROM users in November 2017 but MIUI Global Stable ROM users had to wait till March 2018 as company enabled New Notification Shade with MIUI 9.5 update. Redmi Note 5 Pro users are yet to receive this feature as MIUI 9.5 update for Redmi Note 5 Pro is expected to be rolled out this week. [gallery link="file" size="large" ids="254568,254569,254557"] Now, it seems like MIUI 9 Notification Shade didn’t go well as company removed a feature and it also got a makeover with MIUI 10. We already brought you first impression of MIUI 10 (China ROM) on Redmi Note 5 Pro, later we also tried leaked MIUI 10 Global Beta 8.6.14 on Redmi ...

Gboard for Android gets support for 18 new languages, Handwriting Input gains four new languages

Google is rolling out a new update to Gboard which is bringing support for 16 new language variants, Handwriting Input for 4 others, though the official changelog says 18 new languages. Furthermore, it is adding support for Japanese in Android TV and improvements to Morse code.  New language support includes Buryat, Lower Sorbian, Cypriot Greek, Gondi, Hakka, Cornish, Mandeali, Siberian Tatar, Shekhawati, Talysh, and Mundari. The Google Handwriting Input has added support for four more languages: Amharic, Armenian, Georgian, and Tigrinya. More importantly, it is adding support for Android P compatibility, adds recognition support for Amharic, Armenian, Georgian and Tigrinya, accuracy improvements for several languages, and various bug fixes. You can download the Gboard and Google Handwriting Input from the Play Store. The official changelog includes: More reliable language downloads Morse code improvements Japanese support for Android TV 18 new language varieties, including: Buryat, Lower Sorbian, Cypriot Greek, Gondi, Hakka, Cornish, Mandeali, Siberian Tatar, Shekhawati, Talysh, and Mundari Adds recognition support for Amharic, Armenian, Georgian and Tigrinya. Accuracy improvements for several languages. Android P compatibility. Various bug fixes.

YouTube experimenting new swipe-based gesture navigation on its app

YouTube is said to be experimenting with new swipe-based gesture navigation and this would make the navigating between videos in the YouTube app a whole lot easier. You can slide with your finger to swipe between videos.  YouTube is testing this feature with its native app that we are familiar with and just adds swiping. Dragging to the left or right pulls you from video to video within the queue. However, this isn't widely rolling out yet and might take sometime before it rolls out to everyone. However, both Google and YouTube might decide to cancel this feature altogether even before the official rollout begins, since these kinds of tests are pretty common. At this moment, details about this feature are pretty slim, we should know more details when YouTube makes an announcement of the same. Source | Via

Samsung Galaxy Note9 promo video goes live accidentally, confirms 512GB version, new S Pen and more

Samsung has accidentally pushed out the official intro video for the Galaxy Note9 that was pulled immediately. This has confirmed 512GB storage version, which can be expanded further with 512GB microSD card. It also shows off the new S Pen stylus, 3.5mm audio jack on the bottom and powerful battery, thanks to 4000mAh battery, which will also support wireless fast charging technology. The S Pen will have a button on its surface along with a clicker on the bottom, according the image. On the back there are dual rear cameras arranged very much like the Galaxy Note 8, and the fingerprint sensor is now present below the camera module along with Samsung branding. The phone will retain the Iris scanner on the front. The Galaxy Note 9 is expected to be powered by the Exynos 9810 or Snapdragon 845 depending on the market, the camera sensors are expected to be the same as the Galaxy S9+. Samsung will also debut Bixby 2.0 which will offer improved response times. The phone is said to come in Black, Blue, Gray, Lavender and new Brown colors, and could be priced similar to the Galaxy Note9 , within the sub $1000 price range. We should know more details ahead of official ...

Musical.ly short video service gets rebranded to TikTok

Musical.ly, the short-form video app has announced that it is shutting down and the users will be migrated to TikTok which is also a similar short-form video-sharing app from Chinese internet giant Bytedance. This move comes after Bytedance closed the acquisition of Musical.ly in November 2017. As mentioned, the existing Musical.ly user accounts, content and followers will automatically move to the new TikTok app. Bytedance claims that TikTok has 500 million active monthly users worldwide, and the company concluded it made sense to merge Musical.ly and TikTok under one roof. Back in June, Musical.ly shut down Live.ly, its live-streaming companion app, and encouraged users to switch to Cheetah Mobile’s LiveMe. Musical.ly is an app that let users record themselves lip-syncing along to songs and audio clips. TikTok will get a series of new creator programs to provide technical support, performance insights and guidance on growth strategy. The upcoming features will include a “reaction” feature that allows users to react to friends’ interactive gesture filters, “fun-house mirror camera effects”; and greenscreen-like background effects. You can download the TikTok on Apple App Store and Google Play Store, if you already have Musical.ly app, it should have already been updated to TikTok. Alex Zhu, co-founder of Musical.ly and senior VP of TikTok, said in a statement said: Combining musical.ly and TikTok ...

ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 (6GB RAM) Review

ASUS launched the Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone in India back in April, and the phone went on sale from May 3rd in 3GB RAM with 32GB storage version and the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage versions starting at Rs. 10,999. The 6GB RAM with 64GB storage version with 16MP primary rear and 16MP front camera went on sale in India last week for Rs. 14,999 in June. How good is the 6GB RAM version in terms of performance and the camera quality compared to the 3GB and 4GB RAM models? Let us find out in the review. Display, Hardware and Design There is no change in the display. The 5.99-inch FHD+ display with a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels and a pixel density of 403. Contrast ratio of 1500:1 and 450 nits brightness is good, but the auto brightness is not consistent depending on the environment, which the company should fix via software update. The 6GB RAM model has a 16-megapixel front camera with soft LED flash and f/2.2 aperture compared to the 8-megapixel camera on the 3GB and 4GB RAM versions. We will discuss more in the camera part. It has dedicated dual SIM and a microSD card slots, arranged in a single tray. [gallery link="file" ...

Apple hit with $145 million fine over WiLan patent infringement

Apple is fined $145 million by the jury in San Diego over infringing two WiLan patents relating to wireless communications technology, WiLan, a unit of Quarterhill Inc. Apple, on the other hand, confirmed that it plans to appeal. The company earlier rejected claims of infringement in pre-trial filings. Going back in time, US jury in 2013 ruled in favor of Apple in a separate litigation in which WiLan had sought $248 million in damages. So, this isn't the first time both the companies are entering the patent war. WiLan was founded back in 1992. There is no further information about the fine, so it needs to be seen what happens next. Source

Worldwide tablet shipments declined 13.5% in Q2 2018, Apple and Samsung continue to lead: IDC

According to IDC, worldwide tablet market declined 13.5% in Q2 2018 as global shipments fell to 33 million. Slate tablets accounted for the majority of the market with 28.4 million units, which is down 14.5% from the previous year. On the other hand, the detachable tablets also declined during the quarter largely due to the high-profile product launches in the Q2 of 2017 and the absence of timely updates to those products in 2Q18. As expected, Apple leads the segment with the launch of a newer iPad towards the end of the first quarter, this combined with the renewed push into Education. Samsung maintained its position in the second place. However, the YoY shipments declined 16.1%. The company's both tablet and detachable shipments declined as the portfolio continued to age. Huawei shipped 3.4 million tablets in the Q2, cementing its place as the third largest tablet manufacturer worldwide. The majority of these shipments continued to be from Asia/Pacific. Although Huawei's detachable shipments remain limited, they grew more than 200% in the latest quarter. Lenovo shipments were relatively steady at 2 million units in the second quarter. This is a decline of 8.4% compared to the same period a year ago. Back in May of 2018, Lenovo took ...

Apple surpasses $1 trillion market cap, CEO Tim Cook thanks employees

Apple has officially crossed $1 trillion in market value and the company's CEO, Tim Cook has sent a full memo to its employees  calling the value a "milestone." The memo is sent to more than 120,000 Apple employees and in that Cook explains that it is a milestone, but it’s "not the most important measure of our success." Tim Cook says that the financial results are simply a byproduct of Apple’s continuing innovation. He goes to say that Steve Jobs founded Apple with the belief that human creative would be capable of solving the biggest challenges. Apple CEO reminded employees that they need to stay focused on the future of the company. Apple crossed the $1 trillion market capitalization milestone. Though Amazon was expected to be the first to hit the milestone, Apple was able to easily achieve the feat. Tim Cook in the memo said: Today Apple passed a significant milestone. At our closing share price of $207.39, the stock market now values Apple at more than $1 trillion. While we have much to be proud of in this achievement, it’s not the most important measure of our success. Financial returns are simply the result of Apple’s innovation, putting our products and customers first, and always staying true to our values. It’s ...

Huawei Mate 20 Lite with 6.3-inch FHD+ display, Kirin 710, 6GB RAM, dual front and rear cameras gets certified

Huawei is all set to introduce its flagship Mate 20 series soon, now the Huawei Mate 20 Lite with the model number SNE-AL00 has been certified by TENAA in China. This reveals a 6.3-inch FHD+ 19:5:9 aspect ratio curved glass display with a notch, Kirin 710 Octa-Core 12nm SoC with support for GPU Turbo feature, Android 8.1 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.2 and a 24-megapixel front camera along with a 2-megapixel secondary camera, similar to the Nova 3i. This features a 24-megapixel rear camera AI scene recognition along with a 2-megapixel secondary rear camera for portrait shots, arranged vertically, and a slightly bigger 3650mAh battery, compared to the Nova 3i. Huawei Mate 20 Lite rumored specifications 6.3-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:5:9 2.5D curved glass display Octa-Core Kirin 710 12nm (4 x 2.2GHz  Cortex-A73 +4 x 1.7GHz Cortex-A53) with ARM Mali-G51 MP4 GPU 6GB RAM, 64GB internal storage Android 8.1 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.2 Dual SIM (nano + nano) 20MP rear camera with LED flash, secondary 2MP rear camera 24MP front-facing camera, secondary 2MP camera Dimensions: 158.3×75.3×7.6mm; Weight: 172g Fingerprint sensor Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 LE, GPS + GLONASS 3650mAh battery The Huawei Mate 20 Lite is expected to come in Black color. We should know ...