Android 11 Developer Preview with privacy and security enhancements, APIs for 5G, biometrics and more released

Google has released Android 11 Developer Preview ahead of the final release later this year so that developers can test it, this time bit early. This brings new features to help users manage access to sensitive data and files, and Google says it has hardened critical areas of the platform to keep the OS resilient and secure. For developers, Android 11 brings several features including enhancements for foldables and 5G, call-screening APIs, new media and camera capabilities, machine learning, and more. The Android 11 Developer Preview is available for Pixel 2 / 2 XL, Pixel 3 / 3 XL, Pixel 3a / 3a XL, or Pixel 4 / 4 XL on the Android developer website here. Developer Preview 2 will be available in March, Developer Preview 3 in April, Beta 1 in May during Google I/O, Beta 2 in June (with final APIs and official SDK), Beta 3 and the final stable release at the end of Q3 2020. New features in Android 11 5G - Dynamic meteredness API - with this API you can check whether the connection is unmetered, and if so, offer higher resolution or quality that may use more data. Extended to include cellular networks, so that you can ...

Realme X ColorOS Software Update Tracker [Update: A.12 with Jio, Airtel VoWiFi and February Android security patch]

realme launched the realme X smartphone in India back in July running ColorOS 6.0 on top of Android 9.0 (Pie). realme doesn’t follow a fixed update frequency but the company rolls out updates frequently. The company is supposed to roll-out Android 10 based realme UI 1.0 for realme X this month, you can check out this post to learn about new features that realme UI brings to realme devices. This post will help our readers in keeping track of ColorOS updates for realme X. [gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="305423,305424"] ColorOS updates rolled out for the realme X so far, [Feb 19, 2020]: realme has started rolling out RMX1901EX_11_A.12 with February security patch. The update weighs 220 MBs in size and brings support for Airtel and Jio VoWiFi along with bug fixes. [Download Link] [Jan 29, 2020]: realme official Francis Wang has confirmed that realme X series devices will receive two major Android updates, so we can expect realme X to receive Android 11 in the future. [Dec 30, 2019]: realme has started rolling out RMX1901EX_11_A.11 with December security patch. The update weighs around 206 MBs in size and improves system stability. [Download Link] [Nov 26, 2019]: realme has started rolling out RMX1901EX_11_A.10 with November ...

HUAWEI to introduce new devices at global virtual event on February 24

Huawei has announced that it will introduce new range of products at its "Huawei Consumer Business Product and Strategy" virtual launch event on February 24th in Madrid, after the GSMA cancelled the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona due to Coronavirus concerns. Richard Yu, Chief Executive Officer at Huawei Consumer Business Group, will unveil the latest innovations and exciting new technologies, said the company. According to recently rumors the company plans to introduce a new foldable smartphone other than the Mate XS, which will be powered by updated Kirin 990 SoC and an improved hinge mechanism. It is also said to have an upgraded camera and lower price. The company is also expected to introduce new Matebook X Pro models, new laptops, global version of its smartwatch, Mate Pad Pro 5G and lots more at the event. "Immediately following the livestream press conference, interactive demos will be on display for consumers to experience HUAWEI's cutting-edge products," said the company. The launch event is scheduled for Monday, February 24, 2020 2PM CET (18.30 IST). We should know more details in the coming days. As usual the company will offer its live stream on Youtube.

Emperion Nebulus ARM-based Windows 10 device that can run Android apps teased

Emperion, a company based in UK has teased a device, in a tweet, that has the form factor of a phone and is apparently running Windows 10 on an ARM based processor. The device is called Nebulus and will have the capability to run Android apps without an emulator. Emperion has not revealed much in the tweet except for showing an image of the device itself. Sources from Windows Central have managed to get more information, confirming that the device is powered by an overclocked version of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip. It will have a headphone jack, come with carrier unlocked and will have expandable storage up to 2TB via MicroSD. The device will be able to switch to desktop mode quickly via wireless or its USB-C port, similar to Continuum. While the phone will have a SIM card slot, the phone is unlikely to support phone calls as Windows 10 on ARM does not have native telephony abilities. Emperion will likely use Skype and LTE for calls and messages. Another interesting feature that Emperion confirmed is the ability to run Android apps without using emulators. At the moment, Android apps can run on Windows on emulators like Blue Stacks, etc. ...

Samsung launches new Dura Series and Copper Series Convertible Inverter ACs in India starting at Rs. 33499

Samsung has launched Dura Series and Copper Series Convertible Inverter Air Conditioners for the upcoming summer season. These new ACs come in 1-ton and 1.5-ton variants with three-star and five-star energy efficiency options. All the five new models come with the Convertible Mode. Features of Convertible Inverter Air Conditioners: Convertible Mode: The Series comes with a convertible mode where consumers can convert their 2 Ton AC to 1.5 Ton, 1.5 Ton to 1 Ton and 1 Ton AC to 0.8T. This unique feature enables the user to control the cooling capacity of the air conditioner while saving energy and providing optimal cooling at the same time. 8 Pole Digital Inverter Technology: With 8-Pole Digital Inverter technology, consumers can maintain the desired temperature without frequently turning the air conditioner on and off. This series produces less torque fluctuation which ensures effective and efficient operation with less vibration and noise. It results in faster cooling and reduced energy consumption. Stabilizer Free Operations: Can stably operate even in high fluctuation of voltage, eliminating the need of a separate stabilizer and providing better energy efficiency ratio.  With a 130V — 290V* operating range, these ACs can even sustain low voltage operation and remain stable. Triple ...

Seamless Release 1.0 standard for hassle free in-flight connectivity announced

Seamless Air Alliance, a group having members like Virgin Atlantic, Vodafone, Airbus, Airtel and more have launched their Seamless Release 1.0,  which is a standard aimed at providing in-flight internet connectivity to airplane passengers. The Seamless Air alliance was founded by Airbus, Airtel, Delta Air Lines, OneWeb and Sprint to standardise the in-flight connectivity technologies across the industry. At the moment, the in-flight connectivity offerings is a very messy affair, with many airlines offering different speeds with different rates and has a host of other problems like latency, etc. The alliance just announced their first Seamless Release 1.0 which has a comprehensive set of unique, testable, requirements for airlines and manufacturers to use during their development. It uses a modular platform that airlines and mobile operators can use to easily deploy, integrate and operate on- board networks, supporting multiple communication protocols for achieving seamless in-flight connectivity. Commenting on the launch, Jack Mandala, Seamless Air Alliance CEO said: Passenger demands for inflight connectivity are still ahead of the performance of systems putting increasing pressure on airlines to find a way to meet these expectations and gain passenger loyalty. Seamless Release 1.0 changes the game by enabling airlines to take advantage of new capacity and innovations faster ...

Apple’s iPhone SE 2 shipments may get delayed further as Coronavirus hits supply chain

The Coronavirus outbreak continues to cause supply issues for technology companies as Apple's next low-cost iPhone supply is likely more delayed. Apple originally planned to start mass-production of the devices in February but now it has been delayed well into late March. Apple was reportedly planning to hold a press media event for the launch of the iPhone SE 2, with the phone likely to go on sale from later that week on April 3rd. However, the outbreak of the Coronavirus is still affecting supply chains as production struggles to meet the orders and demands. Apple had initially instructed suppliers to manufacture nearly 80 million iPhones, of which 15 million devices would be the cheaper iPhone. However, with supplier chains currently working at around 30% to 50% capacity, it is highly unlikely Apple will be able to achieve its target. Suppliers are facing multiple issues like labor shortages to logistics transportation. The uncertainty in whether the Coronavirus is under control or not is putting another wrench in Apple's forecast for the first quarter of the year. Apple is lowering its revenue forecast for the quarter to better reflect the reduction in supply and it is hoping that the supply delay will not affect ...

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 with 10th Gen Intel Core processor launched in India starting at Rs. 70990

Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 7 back in October last year with PixelSense display, 10th Gen Intel Core processor, and more. It was announced alongside the Surface Pro X which is powered by Microsoft SQ1 processor. After 4 months, now Microsoft has launched the Surface Pro 7 in India and it comes in multiple storage variants. The Surface Pro 7 can be configured with up to Intel Core i7 processor and comes in 4GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM+ 128GB storage, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, and 16GB RAM+ 256GB storage variants. Coming to the specifications, the Surface Pro 7 sports a 12.3-inch PixelSense Display with a resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels along with 10-point multitouch. It is now powered by a powerful 10th Generation Intel Core processor along with Intel Iris Plus / Intel UHD graphics. It features 4GB/8GB/16GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128/256/512GB or 1TB SSD. It also comes with the Surface Pen that has 4,096 levels of pressure, Tilt sensing, and 0.1mm precision. Unlike the Surface Pro X, the Surface Pro 7 comes with a faster Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE technology and it also has a TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security. The battery life ...

Mozilla launches VPN service in beta for Android, Windows 10 and more

Mozilla, the makers of the famous Firefox browser, is entering the VPN market space with the launch of their beta VPN android app. The paid VPN service is developed in partnership with Mullvad and will use the WireGuard protocol to secure its connections. Mozilla is currently making this beta an invite-only service for the VPN. While the final VPN version will be a paid service, currently at $4.99 per month, Mozilla will also offer a free Firefox Private Network’s browser-level protection. Opera was another browser company that offered their own VPN service but it proved to be terrible as users complained of it having extremely slow speeds and poor security. Regarding user privacy, which has been a point of contention for many VPN's in the past, Mozilla has stated that they will have a no-logging policy through its Mullvad VPN partnership. It is using a newer WireGuard protocol and not other popular protocols like OpenVPN or IPsec which is used by most current VPN's. Mozilla claims the WireGuard protocol offer faster speeds and improved encryption, which can be a selling point for this VPN. The Firefox Private Network beta will be open to users in the US for testing, with Mozilla claiming it will come ...

ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 UM462 Review (Ryzen 7-3700U, RX Vega 10 Graphics, 512GB SSD)

The laptop market in India is filled with a plethora of models and users have a wide range of options to choose from as OEMs are rapidly expanding their lineup. On similar lines, ASUS has been expanding its laptop lineup with newer ZenBook, VivoBook models in India and recently we reviewed the premium ZenBook Pro Duo with dual-screen, gaming-centric ROG Zephyrus G, and VivoBook S532 with the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processor. While these are 15.6-inch laptops, there are users who like a smaller form factor as well and the company's ZenBook Flip 14 is targeted towards those users. We have been using the 14-inch ZenBook Flip 2-in-1 laptop for some time now and in this review, let us find out if the 14-inch convertible is worth your money or not. Box Contents ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 UM462 Power Adapter Charging cable Stylus Quick Start guide Warranty information Design and Build Quality ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 has a sleek design with sufficient physical ports. To the left of the laptop, there is a USB 3.1 Type-A Gen 1 port, USB 3.1 Type-C port, HDMI port, and a DC jack. To the right, there is a USB 2.0 Type-A port, audio jack, and ...