Google Maps celebrates 15th anniversary with new app design, improved Live View and more

Released in 2005, Google Maps has now completed 15 years live. To celebrate, Google announced a bunch of new features like improved public transportation info, a more advanced Live View and a redesign to the organisation of info into 5 easy to access tabs as soon as you open the app. With the new update, Google Maps users will notice 5 tabs where all their info is organised, namely; Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute and Updates. Explore is where users will find out information, ratings, review on nearby restaurants, nearby attractions city landmarks and more. The Commute Tab will show information on the current route when travelling by car or public transit. The Saved Tab is the place where users can view, organise and share all their saved places like the new bakery across town or a famous restaurant. Contribute Tab is where users can share local knowledge, such as details about roads and addresses, missing places, business reviews and photos. Finally, the Updates Tab is sort of like a mini feed of trending, must-see spots from local experts and publishers. When it comes to using public transport, Google Maps already provides a ton of useful information to users. Now, using better crowdedness predictions, Google ...

OPPO Find X2 with 6.5-inch QHD+ OLED 120Hz screen, Snapdragon 865 to be announced on February 22 at MWC 2020

OPPO at the Qualcomm tech summit confirmed that it will introduce its next flagship smartphone powered by Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform in Q1 2020. Now the company has started sending invites for the launch of the phone on February 22 at MWC 2020. Details about the phone's screen surfaced recently revealing a 6.5-inch Samsung OLED curved display with (3168×1440 pixels) QHD+ resolution, becoming OPPO’s highest quality screen till date. For refresh rate, it is said to feature a 120Hz refresh rate. Charging will also be one of its fastest with a 65W wired charger, same as Reno Ace. In the camera department, it looks like the OPPO Find X2 will not come with an under screen front camera as the technology does not seem good enough. However, for the rear camera, OPPO will outfit the phone with Sony’s new 48MP IMX689  sensor with the all Pixel Omni-directional PDAF technology, which will improve the focusing speed. The OPPO Find X2 event takes place at Auditori Forum CCIB, Barcelona on 22nd February 2020 and starts at 2PM CEST (5:30 PM IST). The company is also expected to introduce Find X2 Pro alongside. We should know more details in the coming days.

HUAWEI, Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo said to create Google Play Store alternative

Earlier last year, Google suspended some of its business operations with HUAWEI which includes a ban on using Google Services and Play Store. Subsequently, the company got another 90-day license extension to do business with American firms and there have been reports that the company has been working on alternatives. On similar lines now, according to the latest reports, Chinese mobile giants Xiaomi, HUAWEI, OPPO, and Vivo are said to be working on a platform to rival Google Play Store. The four mobile giants are said to be creating a Play Store alternative called Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA) which will allow developers outside China to upload all of their apps on their respective app stores. GDSA is said to serve as a single place for apps from app stores of HUAWEI, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo and is said to help developers market their apps in the overseas market easily. There is a prototype website already and the service will include 9 regions in total which includes India, Indonesia, Russia, and others. The platform is said to go live by March, but it might change due to the coronavirus outbreak. If the four Chinese giants indeed join hands to take on Google Play Store with ...

realme C3 Review: Third time’s the charm!

realme has been in a launch spree lately and the brand that was introduced under OPPO back in 2018 launched its first smartphone realme 1 before branching out from OPPO. Within a year, realme launched an array of smartphones and has devices in its portfolio to cater to a wide range of users. realme C2 which was launched last year was an entry-level offering from the brand and now, the company has launched its successor - realme C3. This time around, realme C3 brings major changes compared to realme C2, both internally and externally. Flaunting the new 'Sunrise' design, realme C3 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G70 chipset and is the first smartphone in India to feature this new chipset. We put the realme C3 through multiple tests and in this review, let us see if the C3 is worth your money or not. Box Contents realme C3 (4GB + 64GB) in Blazing Red color micro USB cable 10W wall adapter Quick Start guide Physical Overview and Build Quality realme C3 adopts the new 'Sunrise' design that was first introduced on the realme 5i. The C3 comes in two color options - Blazing Red and Frozen Blue, and we got the Blazing ...

HMD Mobile rolls out VoWiFi for range of Nokia smartphones — Here’s how to enable it

Several OEMs started rolling out Wi-Fi Calling feature for their phones in the past few weeks in India. Today HMD Global has officially announced that voice over any Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) is being enabled on a range of Nokia smartphones for Jio and Airtel users in the country after testing it for the past two months. Jio users on Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8.1, Nokia 7.2, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.2, Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 6.1 will be able to use Vo Wi-Fi. Airtel users on Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8.1, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 6.1 will be able to use VoWi-Fi. How to enable and use Vo Wi-Fi on Nokia phones Open phone settings Search for Wi-Fi calling Enable Wi-Fi calling option Keep both VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling switched on. Connect to a Wi-Fi network to start making Wi-Fi calls anywhere in India using the same process as you do while making voice calls generally. Your phone will automatically toggle between Wi-Fi and cellular network for best quality calling. You can check out the list of phones that support Wi-Fi calling on Jio and Airtel here. Regarding the Wi-Fi calling ...

OnePlus smartphone patent hints at under screen front camera and hidden back camera system

It is easy to argue that the next major design change to smartphone design involves removing the front camera and hiding it under the display itself. OnePlus is also interested in the idea as it submitted a patent that shows a phone with an under screen front camera system along with a hidden back camera system. OPPO first showcased their concept device with an under-screen front camera back in June 2019 at the MWC Shanghai event. The device utilised customised camera modules and other technologies to overcome the drawbacks of placing the sensor under the front display. From the patent filed by OnePlus is seems as though they too are interested in a future where the front camera is placed under the display. In the patent, OnePlus shows a mobile device with a borderless screen, with no notch and no pop up camera. It is a reasonable assumption that OnePlus is looking to use an under-screen camera module then. Another design that was noted was a hidden rear camera system shown in more device drawings. It does not look like it was using OnePlus's electrochromic display technology that was showcased in the OnePlus Concept One. Instead, the rear camera are hidden by what ...

Apple introduces universal purchase options for Mac Apps and iOS apps

Apple has announced that they will be updating their Xcode 11.4 Beta to include the option of universal purchases across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS platforms. They also updated app categories to be more unified across the App Store and Mac App Store to work along with the unified purchasing. What this entails for consumers is that they will be able to purchase an app from the store just once and have it available across all of Apple's platform, if the developer chooses. Developers can also choose to sync customers’ in-app purchases and subscriptions across all these platforms. To support this change and to make it easier for customers to find an app, Apple is making changes to the categories in both the App Store and Mac Store. For iOS developers, apps can be categorised under "Developer Tools” and “Graphics & Design". MacOS app categories will now have "Books”, “Food & Drink”, “Magazines & Newspapers”, “Navigation”, and “Shopping". Photo and video apps for the Mac App Store have now been combined from "Photography” and “Video" to "Photo & Video". And lastly “Kids” will no longer be a subcategory within “Games” on the Mac App Store. The updates will come in effect starting March 2020 ...

Moto G8 Power with 6.4-inch FHD+ display, quad rear cameras, 5000mAh battery listed online, Moto G8 and G Stylus surface in more renders

Moto G8 Power got certified by the FCC last year confirming 5000mAh battery and Android 10, and the detailed specifications surfaced last week, now the phone surfaced on Amazon UK website briefly before it was removed. This reveals more specifications, including support for dual speakers. Moto G8 Power rumored specifications 6.4-inch (2300×1080 pixels) FHD+ LCD screen Octa Core Snapdragon 665 11nm Mobile Platform (Quad 2GHz Kryo 260 + Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 260 CPUs) with Adreno 610 GPU 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 512GB with microSD Android 10 16MP (f/1.7 primary) + 2MP (f/2.2 macro sensor) + 8MP (f/2.2 wide-angle) + 8MP f/2.4 rear cameras 25MP (f/2.0) front camera Fingerprint sensor 3.5mm audio jack, Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C 5000mAh with support for 18W fast charging Thanks to @evleaks, we now have more images of the G8 and G Stylus as well showcasing punch-hole screen. Moto G8 rumored specifications 6.39-inch (1560 x 720 pixels) HD+ LCD screen Octa Core Snapdragon 665 11nm Mobile Platform (Quad 2GHz Kryo 260 + Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 260 CPUs) with Adreno 610 GPU 2/3/4GB of RAM, 32/64GB internal storage, expandable ...

Harmano Sporto wireless earphones with 16-hour battery life launched in India for Rs. 1995

Harmana, a manufacturer of audio devices has launched their new Sporto wireless earphones in India. The neckband design earphones feature Bluetooth 5.0, great battery life and high quality sound resolution. Weighing in at 22gms, the lightweight earbuds feature magnetic ear cups that ensure tangle free usage. Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity ensure a strong stable connection with A2DP AVRCP support and a range of 10m. There is a multi function button that gives users control over music playback and the inbuilt microphone can help take calls. Sound quality is enhanced with Harmano's highly efficient CVC Noise Reduction Technology that ensures users can stream music without interruption from the surroundings. For battery life, the Harmano Sporto comes with a 180mAh battery that will provide 16+ hours of music playback. The earphones take 1.5 hours to charge completely. The Harmano Sporto wireless earphones comes in both Black and Red colour is available for purchase on Harmano.in and other retail outlets for a price of Rs. 1995. Commenting on the launch, Mahendra D Jangir, Founder and Director, Harmano said: Indian market is currently flooded with audio products of all ranges and kinds, but every consumer must be able to procure a product which is an absolute fit for them. We ...

Vodafone Idea to offer postpaid products and services under Vodafone RED brand

Vodafone Idea has announced that all its postpaid products and services will be exclusively offered to customers under its Vodafone RED brand. Beginning with Mumbai, this initiative will be rolled out in a phased manner to cover all circles over the next few months. Accordingly, in each circle, Vodafone RED postpaid plans will be available to customers from all stores and digital channels of both Vodafone and Idea brands. While all new postpaid customers will be on-boarded directly to Vodafone RED plans as per their usage and preference, all existing customers of Idea Nirvana, the postpaid offering under the Idea brand, will be migrated to similar Vodafone RED plans. The change is applicable to enterprise Idea postpaid customers as well. Prepaid products will continue to be offered under both Vodafone and Idea brands nationally across all circles via respective retail and digital channels. With the successful integration of two strong networks and deployment of new age technologies such as Dynamic Spectrum Re-farming (DSR), M-MIMO, TDD and Small Cells, customers of both Vodafone and Idea brands can now enjoy the combined strength of a high-powered, unified network via TurboNet 4G. The increased 4G coverage, more capacity, turbo speed and lower latency are resulting in ...