Instagram Like counts will disappear for the US users starting next week: CEO

Earlier this year, Instagram started testing hiding like counts on the app. The company started testing the feature in Canada in May and added six more countries, namely, Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Japan in July. Now, Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri has confirmed that like counts will disappear for some users in the US starting next week. The latest development follows after Facebook said in September that it is dabbling with no longer making a public display of how many "likes" are racked up by posts.

Mosseri tweeted, "Heads up! We've been testing making likes private on Instagram in a number of countries this year. We're expanding those tests to include a small portion of people in the US next week. Looking forward to the feedback.”

It is said that social media use may influence mental health, including leading to depression and anxiety. Hence, hiding likes count from anyone other than the post creator, users might feel less anxious about the perceived popularity of their content.

It was also reported that Facebook started testing the same by hiding reactions. It was spotted by reverse engineering master Jane Manchun Wong. She found the code inside the Android app of Facebook that hides the amount of likes on a post from everyone but the poster.

 “I observed that Facebook has recently begun prototyping this hidden like/reaction count feature in their Android app by reverse-engineering the app and playing with the code underneath,” Wong said in a blog post.

As of now, Instagram will be hiding like counts starting next week with the US users.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2Q2CMe8

Samsung W20 5G foldable phone to be launched on November 19 in China

Earlier this year, Samsung introduced a new smartphone segment with the launch of the Galaxy Fold. Now, the company is gearing up to launch its second smartphone in the segment, and it will be called Samsung Galaxy W20 5G. The company has confirmed that it will launch the W20 5G, a foldable phone on November 19 in China. 

The Samsung W20 5G will be the successor of Samsung W2019 that was launched last year. Samsung’s W-series smartphones have been flip-phones. Hence, W20 5G is expected to follow the same with a twist in its design language. Furthermore, At the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 in the United States,  the company teased a vertically folding smartphone too.

However, the poster released by Samsung shows a design like the Galaxy Fold. Moreover, a tipster, who tweeted the launch poster for the Samsung W20 5G claims that it will not be a flip-phone, but a 5G variant of the Galaxy Fold.  

The Chinese smartphone market is expected to get many new 5G smartphone launches in the upcoming months. In fact, Chinese carriers have already started accepting pre-subscriptions for 5G. Further, around  9.3 million users have signed up for next-generation communication technology even before it is rolled out in China. Hence, rolling out a 5G variant of the Galaxy Fold in China makes sense.

Xiaomi has also said that it will launch over 10 5G phones in China next year. The company has already launched two 5G phones - Mi Mix 3 5G and Mi 9 Pro 5G - in the local market this year. According to Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) projections, the demand for 5G smartphones could reach 300 million units by next year, which according to  Strategy Analytics projections equals to 10 percent rise in 5G phones by next year.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/36LW25G

Vivo V17 spotted on TENAA with diamond-shaped rear camera module

Vivo could launch a new smartphone in its V-series. The alleged Vivo V17 renders were leaked a couple of ago and now, the phone has been reportedly spotted on TENAA. The development comes after Vivo S5, an upcoming Vivo handset carrying the model number V1945A/T was spotted on TENAA. The Vivo S5 was leaked flaunting a similar diamond-shaped camera module.

The TENAA listings of Vivo V17 carry the model number V1945T/A, which was assumed to be Vivo 9s. But a quick look at the images on TENAA suggests that  V1945T/A and the Vivo V17 might be the same phones. 

Vivo V17 is tipped to feature a 6.38-inch full-HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels) AMOLED display. It could be powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0 GHz. The handset may come in two configurations with 6GB and 8GB of RAM paired with 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. It is expected to come equipped with an in-display fingerprint scanner. 

On the optics front, Vivo V17 is rumoured to sport a quad rear camera setup with a 48MP primary lens. It may rely on pixel binning to deliver brighter photos. It may be accompanied by an 8MP shooter + a pair of two 2MP sensors. It could have a 32MP selfie shooter.  The Vivo V17 is said to pack a 4390mAh battery. According to the TENAA listing, the phone dimensions are 159.25x75.19x8.68 mm.

To recall, earlier rumours have claimed that Vivo V17 may come in gradient finish on its glossy white rear panel with blue and pink accents. The smartphone was spotted with a prominent “Camera & Music” branding can be seen on the back. Therefore, Vivo V17 could be targeted at people who want good cameras alongside a capable media consumption device.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2QcvXaj

All 4 rocket engines attached to the core stage of NASAs Space Launch System

NASA has announced that it has been successful in structurally mating all four of the RS-25 rocket engines to the core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) for the Artemis I mission. Artemis I will be the first mission for the SLS as well as NASA’s Orion spacecraft. With all four rocket engines attached, NASA says that the core is now the rocket stage built by them since the Saturn V stages used for the Apollo Program that sent humans to the moon. The stage will provide more than two million pounds of thrust to send Artemis I to the Moon.

Formerly called Exploration Mission-1, Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA's deep space exploration systems which would include the Orion spacecraft, the SLS, and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test and NASA says that it aims to “provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.”

Once launched, the Artemis I mission will see the spacecraft travel 280,000 miles from Earth, farther than any spacecraft built for humans has traveled. It will also stay in space longer than any ship made for astronauts has before without docking to a space station. 

“This is a mission that truly will do what hasn’t been done and learn what isn’t known,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis I mission manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “It will blaze a trail that people will follow on the next Orion flight, pushing the edges of the envelope to prepare for that mission.” 

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2PZHDwH

MIUI 11 Global Stable update rolling out to Redmi 8, Redmi 8A

It looks like Xiaomi has started rolling out the MIUI 11 update for the Redmi 8 and Redmi 8A smartphones. Users who have received the update have posted screenshots if the same on the official MIUI forums, so it should make its way to other users sooner, rather than later. 

It should be noted that the MIUI 11 update is still based on Android 9 Pie and not Android 10. But it does come with the October 2019 security patch. Both feature the build number 11.0.1.0.PCPINXM. The update for the Redmi 8 is about 600MB in size, while its 544MB for the Redmi 8A. 

The update brings a new UI as well as the addition of new alarm tones that use sounds from nature. It also adds Mi Share, that allows for transfer of data between Xiaomi devices. YOu can check out the screenshots of the update here (Redmi 8) and here (Redmi 8A).

It was recently reported that Xiaomi had started rolling out the MIUI 11 update for the Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A. As per the report, the update for Redmi 6 is 508MB in size, while the update for the Redmi 6A is 517MB in size. Other devices that have received the MIUI 11 update include the Redmi K20 and the Poco F11.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/36LYvNv

Apple Arcade Adds 6 New Games, Taking Total to 100

Apple's subscription-based gaming service Arcade has now reached 100 total games on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV with the addition of six more games.

from RSS Feeds | GAMES - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/36MvIIH

Worldwide smartphone shipments rise by 08 in Q3 2019: IDC

It looks like global smartphone shipments have increased as compared to last year, but not by much. According to a report by IDC, worldwide smartphone shipments increased by 0.8% year over year in Q3 2019. However, the report also notes that this also reverses a seven quarter decline in shipments. 

The report states that in total, companies shipped 358.3 million smartphones during the quarter, which was an 8.1% from the previous quarter. It also notes that India led emerging markets. As far as China was concerned, there was a greater consolidation for the top 5 brands in Q3. IDC’s report also notes that the top Chinese brands all increased their local shipments in preparation for November 11, which is celebrated as Single’s Day and is the equivalent of Black Friday in the US.     

"The market returning to positive growth shows the resilience of this industry as well as the ongoing demand for mobile phones, all in the face of many global macroeconomic challenges," said Ryan Reith, program vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. "The number of factors in play for competition are incredible. It is clear Huawei continues to make big gains in China, which remains the world's largest market. Apple beat many expectations and is driving strong volumes in mature markets that face equally challenging headwinds. And most importantly, the top 5 OEMs accounted for more than 70% of the world's smartphone shipments for the first time ever this quarter. The industry and vendor landscape is still changing but the trend of consolidation is ramping along with it."

IDC’s report notes that Samsung gained share in Q3 2019 with an annual growth rate of 8.3%. It claims that thus was on the back of the Galaxy Note 10 launch in August as well as increased sales in the A-series of phones. The company managed to ship a total of 78.2 million devices. Huawei managed to shipp higher than expected phones as it shifted focus to the domestic market. Meanwhile, Apple is said to have shipped 46.6 million iPhones in Q3 2019, which is a marginal decline year over year, but is said to be better than expectations.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/36OVuw3