Techtonic

Google Currents' to Replace Google+ for Enterprise Users on July 6 By techtonic group Following the  shuttering of Google+  for consumers in 2018, Google announced that the G Suite version of the ill-fated social network will be rebranded as ' Google Currents '. Now, more than a year later, the company has announced that the new service will be officially launched July 6. The 'Currents' branding will also be introduced to the existing Google+ apps on Android and iOS, the company said. In an e-mail to  G Suite  administrators on Thursday, Google said that existing Google+ enterprise users will be automatically transitioned to the new platform. The new service will reportedly come with an 'updated look and feel'. It will also offer a number of new features, including content moderation and administrative privileges, the company said. It will also carry over some Google+ concepts, like 'tags' and 'streams'. Google Currents has been

Telegram Adds a Video Editor, New Media Player, GIF Improvements and More By techtonic group Popular secure instant messaging app Telegram is adding a bunch of new features to its app today. The company has released a fresh  Telegram update , and it brings along features like a new video editor, animated stickers and more. Here's everything that's new in Telegram. Video Editor Telegram's in-app  photo editor  is really good at its job. However, the app now supports editing videos straight within the app as well. This includes things like automatic enhancements, or manual adjustments. According to Telegram's blog post, users can adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation in videos. The app also supports zooming in on photos or videos. So you can use the brush tool precisely and doodle on videos. Animated Stickers in Media If you have ever wanted to make a cute scene out of a picture you take, Telegram has you covered. The app now supports add

Slack Partners with Amazon to Take on Microsoft Teams By techtonic group Slack has signed a multi-year agreement with Amazon. As part of the partnership,  Slack will use Amazon's infrastructure  to step up its service, and  Amazon employees will primarily use Slack at work . The technical integrations through this partnership include four main aspects: Amazon Chime infrastructure with Slack Calls AWS Key Management Service with Slack Enterprise Key Management (EKM) AWS Chatbot integration with Slack Amazon AppFlow integration with Slack Slack, which recently also rolled out a  new design , will use Amazon's Chime for audio calls, video calls, and screen sharing in calls. Switching to Amazon Chime is believed to drastically improve the overall calling experience in the platform. The company will also integrate AWS Chatbot and Amazon AppFlow into its platform. For the uninitiated, AWS Chatbot uses an interactive agent to keep teams in the loop with the lates

Google Play Store May Reinstate 'Mitron', But Not 'Remove China Apps' By techtonic group Viral indigenous social media app,  Mitron , may be reinstated on the Play Store soon. After removing the app earlier this week from the Play Store, Google now says that the developer needs to addresses certain issues if they want to resubmit the app for consideration.  "We’ve given this developer some guidance and once they’ve addressed the issue the app can go back up on Play" , said Sameer Samat, Vice President, Android and Google Play, in an official blog post. However, some of the other recently-removed apps, including ' Remove China Apps ', may not be so lucky. Without naming any particular app, Samat said that Play Store policies explicitly prohibit any software that  "encourages or incentivizes users into removing or disabling third-party apps .... unless it is part of a verifiable security service" . So basically, while Mitron might s

All Facebook Users Can Now Transfer Their Photos and Videos to Google Photos By Techtonic group Last December, Facebook introduced a new tool that lets users  transfer their Facebook images and videos to Google Photos . The feature went live in Latin America and Asia Pacific this February, followed by regions in the UK, US, and Canada. The company has  now made the feature available globally to all Facebook users . To use the feature, open Facebook Settings and  visit 'Your Facebook Information' . Here, you will have to  choose 'Transfer a Copy of Your Photos or Videos' . Facebook will now ask your password to verify your identity. Enter the password,  choose Google Photos as the destination , and  select 'Confirm Transfer' . After authenticating with your Google account, the process begins. Facebook will notify you with an in-app notification and an email once the transfer is complete. Facebook's photo transfer tool is part of the open-source  D

Abu Dhabi Sovereign Fund Mubadala to Invest Rs.9,000 Crore in Reliance Jio By Techtonic group Reliance Industries on Friday announced that  Abu Dhabi state fund, Mubadala Investment, will buy a 1.85% stake in Jio Platforms for Rs. 9,093.6 crores  ($1.2 billion). It is the latest in a series of high-profile investments in the digital arm of India's largest conglomerate. The six deals over the past few weeks have helped Reliance Industries mop-up a combined Rs. 87,655 crores. In a press statement, Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and MD of RIL, said:  "I am delighted that Mubadala, one of the most astute and transformational global growth investors has decided to partner us in our journey to propel India’s digital growth towards becoming a leading digital nation in the world. Through my longstanding ties with Abu Dhabi, I have personally seen the impact of Mubadala’s work in diversifying and globally connecting the UAE’s knowledge-based economy. We look forward to benefit

Google Camera 7.4 Update Brings 4K Video Resolution Toggle, 8x Zoom for Videos By Techtonic group Google has rolled out a new update for its stock camera app on Pixel phones today. The Google Camera 7.4 update brings two video-centric features in tow. It adds the option to switch video resolution from the quick settings menu and allow up to 8x zoom while recording videos on the  Pixel 4 . If you've used the Google Camera app, be it the official or modded version, you would know that switching the video resolution has always been a hassle. You need to leave the viewfinder and jump into the camera settings to access the same. Google Camera 7.4 is making it simpler to toggle the video resolution. You can now swipe down on the video tab to access the new 'Resolution' option in the quick settings menu. It lets you choose between  Full-HD (1080p) and 4K (Ultra-high resolution) . The option to select the 'Frames/sec' only shows up for the 1080p video recording

The iPhone 12 Launch May Get Delayed By Techtonic group The iPhone launch is one of the few tech events every year that garner a lot of interest from people. It's also a big day for Apple, and iPhone launches benefit everyone from Apple to its suppliers. The Cupertino giant usually launches the iPhone in September but a new report suggests that this may not be the case in 2020. According to a report from Bloomberg, the  iPhone 12  launch this year may be delayed by a couple of weeks. The report cites a Broadcom earnings call where the company's CEO made a statement about this. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said that a  "large North American mobile phone customer"  (likely Apple) normally contributes a double-digit uptick in revenue. However, he said that the company is  "not expecting to see this uptick in revenue until our fourth fiscal quarter." It's important to note that there's no official word on a delayed iPhone launch. However, the  Coron

Instagram Parteners with Swiggy, Zomato to Let Resturant Add 'Food Order' Stickers in Stories By Techtonic group Instagram recently gave users the option to promote small (and local) businesses by placing a sticker in their Stories. Now, the company has partnered with two of India's renowned food delivery apps -  Swiggy and Zomato  - to bring a similar feature to the restaurant owners. It has debuted a new  'Food Order' sticker  that restaurants can include in their Stories to drive sales. The Coronavirus-led lockdown saw almost all restaurants and eateries shut shop for several days. And even when they opened, netizens have been wary to eat outside or order in due to hygiene concerns. Well, as restaurants open up in line with the WHO safety guidelines, they can now head to Instagram to find a new 'Food Orders' sticker in the Stories section. This new sticker is interactive and will  enable users to place food orders  simply by tapping on the sam

Airtel XStream Fiber Offers 1000GB Data to New Customers By Techtonic group Airtel has reportedly started offering  1000GB additional data  at no extra cost to Airtel  XStream Fiber  customers. As reported by  TelecomTalk ,  the offer is applicable to new customers  signing up for the service within the promotional period. The  company will run the offer until the 7th of June . According to the report, the offer is already live in select cities across the country including Chennai, Coimbatore, Cochin, and Ernakulam. In case you're unaware, Airtel XStream Fiber offers a total of four plans - Basic, Entertainment, Premium, and VIP.  The aforesaid 1000GB promotional data is not applicable to the high-end VIP plan since it has no FUP . The Basic plan offers you 150GB of data at up to 100Mbps speed along with unlimited Local and STD calls at Rs.799. The Entertainment plan takes it to 300GB and up to 200Mbps at Rs.999, while the Premium plan offers 500GB and up to 300Mbps at

Fitbit Launches Low-Cost Emergency Ventilator 'Fitbit Flow' for COVID-19 Patients By Techtonic group Smart wearables maker,  Fitbit, has developed a low-cost, easy-to-use emergency ventilator called 'Fitbit Flow' . The device has obtained Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for use during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the company announced Wednesday. The device builds on standard resuscitator bags, like those used by paramedics. It also uses sophisticated sensors and alarms that work together to support automated compressions and patient monitoring, the company said. According to an official press release, the Fitbit Flow is inspired by the MIT E-Vent Design Toolbox and is based on specifications for Rapidly Manufactured Ventilation Systems. The company says it consulted with Oregon Health & Science University and the Mass General Bringham Center on its design and development. Fitbit is also working

Panasonic Launches its First Truly Wireless Earbuds By Techtonic group After announcing at them CES 2020 earlier this year, Panasonic has now started selling its  true wireless earbuds  - RZ-S500W and RZ-S300W in Europe. Panasonic RZ-S500W and RZ-S300W: Specs The factor that sets Panasonics' RZ-S500W apart from the crowd is the presence of  Dual Hybrid Noise Cancellation with almost 50 inside/outside noise-canceling levels . Yes, these earbuds come with proper ANC coupled with a wide range of customizability. However, the RZ-S300W lacks ANC. Panasonic says the earbuds offer MEMS microphones and a Labyrinth structure, aimed to offer superior call quality in noisy environments. You also get an ambient mode to quickly be aware of your surroundings. Just like most other TWS earbuds out there, these earbuds come with touch controls as well. What's more, you can summon your favorite voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa. You may install the Panasonic A

Global Smartphone Sales To Decline 12% in 2020 Due to Coronavirus: IDC By Techtonic group According to IDC,  the global smartphone market will decline 11.9% YoY in 2020 , with shipments totaling 1.2 billion units. The decline will apparently be largely due to the recession brought on by the  coronavirus  pandemic. As per the report, the market will decline 18.2% in the first half of the year as the macroeconomic impact of the pandemic continues to affect consumer spending. "What started as a supply-side crisis has evolved into a global demand-side problem. Nationwide lockdowns and rising unemployment have reduced consumer confidence and reprioritized spending towards essential goods, directly impacting the uptake of smartphones in the short term" , said senior IDC research analyst, Sangeetika Srivastava. She, however, exuded confidence that  5G  will be a catalyst for growth even as consumer sentiment remains depressed.  "5G is expected to be a catalyst throu

Amazon Reportedly in Talks to Aquire $2 Billion-Stake in Airtel By Techtonic group US technology and retail giant Amazon is reportedly planning on buying stakes worth $2 billion in Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel. As reported by Reuters, sources close to the talks claim the conversation is in its early stages right now. With this investment, Amazon will acquire close to 5% stake in Airtel according to its current market value. Amazon's interest in Airtel isn't unwarranted. The company has  invested in India  quite often. In fact, it has committed close to $6.5 billion in investments in the country. that said, as mentioned before, talks are in early stages right now. Therefore, the terms of the deal may change, or the deal may not go through as well. Interestingly, this report comes at a time when Reliance Industries' Jio Platforms is seeing a lot of investment activity as well. Over the past few weeks, multiple US-based companies have  invested in Jio Plat

Asus Announces Partnership With Unity; ROG Phone 3 Appears on Geekbench..Again! By Techtonic group Asus has partnered with Unity Technologies, a platform widely used for developing mobile games. It is now recognized as a 'Verified Solutions Partner of Unity' and is tasked with ensuring that its SDK is optimized for the Unity Editor. This partnership not only enables developers to test and develop their games on the Asus ROG Phone lineup. It also gives the Taiwanese phone maker an upper hand as developers will now be able to incorporate unique features, designed specifically for ROG Phones. The ROG brand will create a Unity plugin that combines five of ROG Phone's features. It includes the TwinView SDK, Gamepad SDK, Aura Light SDK, Refresh Rate Control SDK, and the Performance Boost SDK. Asus will add more SDKs to its Unity plugin as and when they become available on its devices. Junbo Zhang, General Manager of Unity Greater China in an official statement said th

Samsung Will Soon Launch The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in India By Techtonic group Samsung is all set to launch the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in India. The South Korean tech giant took to Twitter to announce that the tablet is "coming soon" to the country. However, the exact date remains uncertain. Samsung India ✔ @SamsungIndia See what the future holds. A Super carryable note-taking companion coming soon. # ChangeTheWayYouNote # TabRedefined # Samsung 189 10:58 AM - Jun 4, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 24 people are talking about this The  Galaxy Tab S6 Lite  features a  10.4-inch TFT LCD panel  with a 2000×1200 pixel resolution. You get an octa-core 2.3GHz  Exynos 9611 chipset  and Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. As far as the RAM and storage capacity is concerned, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite packs 4GB RAM and up to 128GB internal storage that can be further expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card. In terms of optics, Samsung has equipped a single 8MP lens at the rear and a 5MP camera for

Jio Subscribers Will Get 1 Year of Disney+ Hotstar VIP Free By Techtonic group Indian telecom giant Jio is on a roll lately. The operator's subscriber base is increasing at a steady pace and it has already become the  largest telecom operator  in Delhi NCR. Now, the operator is teasing a new bundle for its subscribers which will offer them free  Disney+ Hotstar  VIP subscription for a year. It's noteworthy that Jio has offered Hotstar subscriptions in the past as well. However, this is the first time it's bringing it for Disney+ Hotstar with its increased Rs. 399 per year price. With this subscription, users will get access to all of Disney+ Hotstar's content. This includes Disney shows and movies, Hotstar specials, live sports, and more. However it does not include Disney+ originals. There is still a lot that is unknown about this deal. For one, we don't know when the bundle will go live. Jio's website mentions 'Coming Soon' under the banner

Chrome Google Market Share Hits an All-tim High on Desktop By Techtonic group Google Chrome increased its browser market share for the fifth straight month in May. With this, the browser is now at an all-time high of 69.8 percent market share. It is still lower than the nearly 90 percent market share that Microsoft's Internet Explorer had in 2005, just before  Mozilla Firefox  started climbing the charts. Chrome is on track to breach the 70 percent mark in June. In that case, it will become only the third browser after IE and Netscape Navigator to hit the landmark. According to Net Applications,  Microsoft Edge  sits pretty at number two with 7.9 percent market share ahead of Firefox. Mozilla's open-source browser is at number three on the list with 7.2 percent,  having lost the second place to Microsoft Edge  earlier this year. Safari and Opera rounded out the top-five with 3.9 percent and 1.1 percent market share, respectively. As for Internet Explorer, the once m

Samsung Galaxy A31 with Helio P65 SoC, 48MP Quad-Cameras Launched in India By Techtonic group A couple of days after a  couple of new additions  to the Galaxy M-series, Samsung has today debuted a new Galaxy A-series smartphone in India. It's the Galaxy A31, which was  first unveiled  in March earlier this year. It's equipped with an AMOLED display, MediaTek chipset, and a massive battery pack. Yeah, a Mediatek chipset (instead of Exynos) in a mid-range Samsung phone. Galaxy A31: Specs and Features Galaxy A31 features a polycarbonate build with a glasstic real panel. It's very similar to what you may have seen on its predecessor, the Galaxy A30s. You have a quad-camera system housed in a rectangular cutout on the rear and an in-display fingerprint sensor on the front. The smartphone  includes a   6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display  with a 20:9 aspect ratio, 2400 x 1080 resolution. The sub-Rs. 15,000  Galaxy M11  includes a punch-hole cutout but the Galaxy A3

Samsung Patents AR Glasses With Turn-by-Turn Navigation By Techtonic group Samsung has filed a patent that showcases  AR glasses  capable of providing turn-by-turn navigation  in front of the driver's eyes. The patent got filed in November 2018 at South Korea and got approved last week. According to the patent, the setup  works with the help of two cameras  - an inner camera that communicates with the driver's glasses and another camera facing the road for analyzing the path. The patent image shows a driver riding the vehicle with AR glasses on. You might already be familiar with head-up displays on modern cars that show navigation information, but these AR glasses aim to take the concept a step ahead. These  AR glasses could be used for providing additional useful information . Typical examples for this would be displaying fuel prices while entering gas stations or highlighting popular spots and attractions across the city. In a distant future, it may also be capab

YouTube Music Will Soon Properly Identify Audiobooks, Live Shows and More By Techtonic group After adding the ability to  pre-save unreleased albums , YouTube Music is all set to roll out more features in the coming days. Hints about the new features were spotted by  9to5Google  in an APK teardown. According to the report, YouTube Music is prepping an external Bluetooth device setting. Also suggested by the report is the addition of a label for audiobooks and live shows. The report found strings that suggest  the app will allow external devices to start playback via Bluetooth . The code is apparently  "a direct copy paste from Play Music and aimed at car systems or wired headsets" . While the feature has long been a part of Play Music, it is yet to go live on YouTube Music. Meanwhile, YouTube Music v3.69 also just started rolling out on the Play Store. Code from this version reveals that  the app will distinguish between songs, audiobooks and live shows.  These ar

More than 100,000 Redmi Earbuds X Units Sold Within a Week: Xiaomi By Techtonic group Xiaomi finally put an end to the constant pestering and  brought  the Redmi Earbuds S to India earlier last week. These are one of the more affordable pairs of truly wireless earbuds available in India. The sub-Rs. 2,000 price tag seems to have worked in the company's favor as Xiaomi is already celebrating a major sales milestone. Within a week of its launch, more than 100,000 Redmi Earbuds S units were sold in the country, revealed Xiaomi India MD Manu Kumar Jain in a tweet on Wednesday. These TWS earbuds went on sale on 27th May and by 2nd June, over 100,000 units have been picked up by impatient users. Jain further also shared some insight into the TWS industry sales figures in his tweet. He went on to boast that Redmi Earbuds S sales represent close to 15% of the entire industry sales in a quarter. It may sound small but Xiaomi achieved the feat within a week of Q1. Imagine how it

Realme X3 Specifications Leaked Online By Techtonic group Realme launched the  Realme X3 SuperZoom  with Snapdragon 855+ chipset at €499 in Europe last week. The company is apparently also working on a regular  Realme X3  and Realme X3 Pro. Tipster Mukul Sharma has now shared the specifications of the Realme X3 on Twitter. The vanilla Realme X3 will allegedly feature specifications similar to the SuperZoom variant. According to the tweet, the handset will sport a  6.6-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display  with 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 - just like the Realme X3 SuperZoom. The tipster claims the handset will equip a  quad rear camera setup  featuring a 64MP primary Samsung sensor. an 8MP ultra-wide lens, 12/13MP 2x telephoto camera, and a 2MP macro lens. For selfies, the device will apparently feature a dual 16MP + 8 MP setup. The 16MP sensor will likely be a Sony IMX 471 wide-angle lens with a 79.3-degree field of view and f/2.