Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) with Quad rear cameras, 6.3-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, up to 8GB RAM launched in India starting at Rs. 36990

Samsung just launched the Galaxy A9 2018 (SM-A920F) the company's latest top-end smartphone in the 'Galaxy A' series in India, as it had promised. It was announced last month at an even in Malaysia, packs a 6.3-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen, is powered by a Snapdragon 660 with up to 8GB of RAM, has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and packs a 3,800mAh battery with support for fast charging. The rear camera arrangement includes a main 24-megapixel sensor with f/1.7 aperture, 10-megapixel Telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture for 2x optical zoom, 8-megapixel 120° Ultra Wide Lens for wide-angle photos and the fourth 5-megapixel camera to capture depth information for portrait shots.  It also has a 24-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture. Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) specifications 6.3-inch (1080×2220 pixels) Full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display Octa Core Snapdragon 660 14nm Mobile Platform (Quad 2.2GHz Kryo 260 + Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 260 CPUs) with Adreno 512 GPU 6GB / 8GB RAM with 128 GB Storage, expandable up to 512GB via micro SD card Android 8.0 (Oreo) Dual SIM ( nano + nano + microSD) 24MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.7 aperture, 10MP wide-angle lens with f/2.4 aperture, 8MP 120° Ultra Wide camera with f/2.4 aperture and 5MP f/2.2 depth ...

Samsung Galaxy S10 series said to feature new DPSS Drilled M9 OLED Display

As we are inching closer to the Galaxy S10 launch, we are hearing more and more details about the flagships. Two latest reports suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S10 Will Feature next gen M9 Display Panels With Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) Laser Drilled Holes For The Front Camera And Infrared Sensor.  Given the strength of the Samsung display, the company should be very comfortable with display panels. Samsung introduced three new ‘notched’ screens at its developer conference earlier this month. One of them is an Infinity-O display, which, as the name suggests, features a circular cutout for the front camera, instead of a notch. Furthermore, now we heard that the panel will feature two holes, one for the front camera and the other for the Galaxy S10’s infrared sensor. Both these holes will be drilled with a Diode Pumped Solid State Laser drill. Samsung will use SFA, Phil Optics and Wonik IPS’ laser equipment to carry out this drilling. However, the company is not comfortable with DPSS and might adopt an alternative approach. Reports suggest that Samsung’s OLED panels for the Galaxy S10 will mark a generational upgrade over their predecessors. Samsung will use what are being termed as ‘M9’ OLED panels for ...

Google to remove Calendar SMS notifications on January 7th

Google has announced that starting from January 7th, 2019, SMS notifications from Google Calendar will no longer be available. Since Calendar offers in-app notifications, you can still get notified, regardless of your device or connection. All the previous Calendar notifications via SMS will be replaced with in-app and email notifications. You’ll see these notifications as event notifications in a web browser that has Calendar open or a mobile device if you have the Google Calendar app for Android or iOS installed. In an email, if you had set up SMS notifications for new events, changed events, canceled events, or event responses. Google will also make some changes to the Calendar API to support this change. Source

OnePlus 6 OxygenOS Beta update brings OnePlus Roaming, Video Enhancer and more

OnePlus has rolled out new Open Beta 7 for the OnePlus 6 the brings several new features including new OnePlus Roaming feature that allows users to use internet without a SIM card, somewhat like virual SIM. However, this doesn't work for calls. OnePlus says that this will work globally in most of the countries/regions, and it will list out the plans available for the country/regions you are in so that you can purchase a suitable plan and access the Internet without a SIM. This is similar to Mi Roaming feature that was introduced by Xiaomi few years back. It is easy to select destinations and buy data package in your own currency, including INR. You can pay for the package using credit card or Paypal. After arriving at the destination, choose the purchased plan from the ordered list and enable it. The update also brings Video Enhancer in Display settings to enhance colors while watching videos. Now you can assign a specific SIM for a specific contact or group of contacts when using dual SIM. The OnePlus 6 OxygenOS Open Beta 7 is about 350MB in size and also includes Android security patch for November 2018. Check out the complete changelog below. System Added Video Enhancer feature Added OnePlus ...

Skype calling rolling out to Amazon Alexa devices

Skype has announced that Skype calling will be available on Amazon Alexa devices. With Skype on your Alexa-enabled device, you can connect hands-free with family and friends around the world just by saying, “Alexa, call Mom on Skype.” In addition to audio and video calling, Skype is also including the ability for Alexa customers to call most landlines and mobile numbers internationally using Skype to Phone. Skype is offering 200 free minutes of Skype to Phone calls to 34 countries. To set up the Skype call, head over to settings, then to communication and link your Skype account. Use Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo Dot to make hands-free Skype voice calls wherever Alexa and Skype are available, or place high-fidelity Skype video calls from the Echo Show and Echo Spot directly to Skype on computers and mobile devices. Skype calling on Alexa is available now in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, India, Australia, and New Zealand with support for other countries rolling out soon. Source

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL users encounter ‘fatal error’ camera bug

Google's problems with bugs on Pixel phones never seem to stop and latest to join the list is the weird camera bug. Ironically, cameras are the biggest positive of the Pixel phones and this strange bug is causing it to crash. For some time, users have been running into a Pixel 3 fatal error camera bug which can render the camera completely useless. What makes it worse is that Google doesn't seem to be bothered about the same as it isn't doing anything to help fix the problem. The issue effects Pixel 3 phones in various forms; for some, a “can’t connect to camera” message appears on Pixel 3 when trying to use a 3rd-party application. When an app attempts to access the camera, the message appears and access to the camera is disabled from that point forward. For others, a message that reads “The camera driver encountered a fatal error,” appears when trying to access the camera. A simple restart usually solves such errors, but in the case of Pixel 3, the message simply re-appears on the Pixel 3 when an app tries to access the camera again. When this occurs, the flashlight is also disabled. For some, it also persists ...

Xiaomi takes over smartphone business of Meitu

Xiaomi has taken over the hardware business of Chinese selfie app and smartphone maker Meitu. Though the future smartphones will come with Meitu branding, Xiaomi will be responsible for design, R&D, and sales, while Meitu will still be involved in camera software. It is also possible that Xiaomi might bring selfie-centric phones across the world in the near future. Talking about the new deal, Meitu said: “mission is ‘to inspire more people to express their beauty,’ and the board believes that entering into this Strategic Cooperation Agreement will accelerate our pace in carrying out this mission.” As for Meitu, it isn’t a major smartphone manufacturer by any means as it only sold around 3.5 million handsets in the five years of its hardware business. For this reason, it might have come to the conclusion that Xiaomi would be “perfect partner” to help increase its growth. Xiaomi will initially pay a percentage of phone profits to Meitu, and will later move to flat per-phone licensing fees after five years or when a certain number of units have been sold overall. Meitu also says that the deal will allow it to focus on expanding its social network user base through pre-installations. Source

Google Photos for iOS gets the ability to adjust background blur and change focus

Google Photos for iOS gets the ability to adjust the background blur and change the focus. To edit, just pull up a portrait photo in Google Photos, then tap the editing icon to get to the editing menu, then click it one more time to edit depth and focus. New to iOS, adjust the background blur and change the focus of your portrait mode photo. Just pull up a portrait photo in Google Photos, click the editing icon to get to the editing menu, then tap it one more time to edit depth and focus. — Google Photos (@googlephotos) November 19, 2018 However, this feature is only limited to iOS devices that pack Portrait mode from the camera. If you have that, you should see this feature display under the 'Edit' in the Photos App. This feature was earlier available for Pixel 2 and 3 series and Moto phones. You can download the Google Photos app directly from the App Store here. Source

Instagram to remove inauthentic likes, followers and comments from accounts that use third-party apps

Instagram has announced that it will start removing inauthentic likes, follows and comments from accounts that use third-party apps to boost their popularity. The company said that it will use machine learning tools to help identify accounts that use these services and remove the inauthentic activity. Instagram says that third-party apps that generate inauthentic likes, follows and comments violate its Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. Accounts that are found using these services will receive an in-app message alerting them that it has removed the inauthentic likes, follows and comments given by their account to others. Furthermore, the company will also ask them to change their password. People who use these types of apps share their username and password, and their accounts are sometimes used by third-party apps for inauthentic likes, follows and comments. Accounts that continue to use third-party apps to grow their audience may see their Instagram experience impacted. Source

LG WK9 XBOOM AI ThinQ Smart Display with 8-inch touch display announced

LG has finally announced that the New Smart Display; LG XBOOM AI ThinQ model WK9 will be available in the United States with key markets in other regions to follow. The company mentioned that product at the IFA 2018 back in August. This smart display combines both Google Assistant and immersive sound quality from Meridian Audio.  The Smart Display was developed in collaboration with Google and comes with a touchscreen display. The WK9 also leverages on LG’s partnership with Meridian Audio to deliver delivering high-fidelity sound, precise vocal definition, and accurate bass, despite its compact size. It comes with a 5MP front-facing camera for video conference and 20W speakers. The WK9 sports an 8-inch touch display and it also features the ability to control other LG ThinQ products. It runs on Android Things, measures 370 x 244 x 145mm and weighs 1.51kg. The company mentioned that pricing and availability will be revealed closer to the launch date. Seo Young-Jae, head of the convergence audio and video business division at LG’s Home Entertainment Company Android Things Our partnerships with Google and Meridian Audio allows us to offer a new home entertainment experience with the smart capabilities of the Google Assistant and the premium audio know-how that only Meridian ...