You can now ask Amazon Alexa for information about the Coronavirus

The Coronavirus pandemic has led to a lot of fear and misinformation spreading. Apps and services are doing everything they can to ensure people receive the right kind of information. Google has given users the ability to search for food and night shelters across a number of cities on Google Maps. You can read more about the locations of the shelters here. WhatsApp has reduced the number of people you can share a forwarded message to curb misinformation spreading about Coronavirus. You can read more about it here. Amazon has announced that users can talk to Alexa and get information about the Coronavirus. 

Amazon says, “Using Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) guidance, our Alexa team built an India-specific experience that lets you use Alexa to check your symptoms for COVID-19 at home. Ask, "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have coronavirus?", "Alexa, how do I know if I have coronavirus?", or “Alexa, Kya mujhe coronavirus hai?”. Alexa will ask a series of questions and provide ICMR and Ministry of Health guidance given your risk level and symptoms.”

Users can also ask Alexa to sing a song for 20 seconds, so they can keep time while washing their hands. A nice way to keep yourself entertained while washing your hands and not worrying whether you were short by 5 or 10 seconds. 

Amazon goes on to say, “Alexa can now answer questions related to COVID-19, and we are working to provide accurate and timely information from news and official government sources such as Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in India.” So if you are looking for the latest update on the number of active cases or even for local information, if it is available on an official credible source, you will also have access to that information. 

Going beyond Alexa, Amazon has made a number of books available for free through its Kindle app. So if you have Amazon’s e-reader or are simply logging onto the app on your smartphone or tablet, you have a wide variety of books to choose from to read for free.

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Apple reveals more details of COVID-19 contact tracing system

A couple of days ago, Apple announced that it was partnering with Google to start a contact tracing system for COVID-19. However, in a report posted by The Verge, Apple has talked a bit more about about the system and how it will work as well as its limitations. 

Before we get to that, here’s a quick recap. Apple and Google plan to implement COVID-19 contact tracing in two steps. The first step would be to release APIs that would enable interoperability between Android and iOS when using apps from public health authorities. The second step would launch later and would enable broader use of a Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform. You can know about about the initial announcement here. 

As per The Verge’s report, Apple is aware of the limitations of using Bluetooth. Notably, Bluetooth will only inform people if they have passed by someone and won’t be able to take into proximity. Bluetooth signals have a range much greater than the minimum distance people have been asked to maintain. As such, it opens up the possibility of false positives. Apple said that it is investigating this issue and that the public health apps will be able to include duration of proximity once they have figured out what counts as a proximity event. For example, having a five-minute interval could help curb false positives that may be caused by who walked by you.  

Apple also understands that the adoption of the system will be quite important too. As per the company, all a user has to do is update their phone to the latest version of the operating system and opt-in for the contact tracing API. Once done, their phone will start sending out Bluetooth signals and receiving the same signals sent out by other phones. Once users download a public health app that uses the system, it will share the user’s ‘proximity events’ from the past 14 days.

However, the system still does account for a multitude of other scenarios that may happen. Regardless, both companies plan to implement the first step in May, and we should learn more about the system post that.  

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How to watch OnePlus 8 series, new Bullets Wireless launch in India

OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro along with a new Bullets Wireless is set to launch on April 14, globally. The event is being hosted online due to the Coronavirus pandemic which has gripped the entire world and many industries. As such, even though OnePlus is announcing the products the availability dates in your region may vary depending on the kind of restrictions put in place.

The OnePlus launch is scheduled to start at 8:30 PM IST on April 14 in India and will be live-streamed on OnePlus’ website and YouTube. Here’s how you can watch the OnePlus 8 series launch event live stream in India.

How to watch OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro launch

OnePlus is hosting a virtual launch for its much-anticipated OnePlus 8 series of smartphones. The event begins at 8:30 PM IST in India and will be live-streamed on the OnePlus India website and the company’s YouTube channel.

You can visit the OnePlus India website or we’ve just embedded the YouTube video below that will go live at 8:30 on April 14. You can watch the unveiling of OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, new Wireless Bullets and more by following either of the two sources.

OnePlus 8 series launch: what to expect

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will be unveiled on April 14 in a virtual event hosted by the company to show off their next generation of mobile phones. Alongside, OnePlus has confirmed that it’s also introducing the new Warp Charge 30 wireless charging dock for the phones and a new Bullets Wireless earphones.

The new phones by OnePlus have been leaked numerous times in the lead up to the launch and key specifications of both the phones are out in the open. OnePlus 8 series has been tipped to launch starting at 719 Euros which is a bit on the high side but as the new phones come packing a top-of-the-line chipset with 5G support, prices are most likely going to increase even in other markets.

OnePlus also recently revealed that its new phones use fifth-generation matte frosted glass on the rear that is similar to the Silk White finish seen on some OnePlus cases. The phone has also broken as many as 13 records on DisplayMate tests and has been awarded an A+ rating by the lab.

The Warp Charge 30 wireless charging dock supports 30W fast wireless charging and is also compatible with Qi chargers. The presence of a wireless charger in itself is a confirmation that one variant of the upcoming phones will support wireless charging, something which the company has stayed away in the past.

Additionally, OnePlus has also confirmed that it’s going to announce a new pair of Bullets Wireless earphones that offer 10 hours worth of battery in 10 minutes. All this and possibly more will be unveiled by OnePlus on April 14 with the phones set to go on sale in China from April 17. Indian availability and pricing isn't known yet due to the nation-wide lockdown in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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Apple iPhone 9 on track for mid-April launch, iPhone 12 pushed to October: Report

Apple’s much-rumoured iPhone 9, the successor to iPhone SE, that could also launch as iPhone SE 2 is on track for a mid-April reveal according to the latest analyst report. The iPhone 9 was earlier speculated to be launched sometime in March, however, given the Coronavirus outbreak, many launches, events have either been postponed or scrapped off for the remainder of the year.

As such, Apple’s upcoming launch is expected to be a virtual affair. However, with no official details about the launch date yet, we doubt Apple will reveal the phone on April 15.

According to a report by MacRumours that cites research notes by analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 9 launch is scheduled to launch in mid-April. The phone has been leaked to feature a 4.7-inch display, A13 processor with up to 256GB storage options to choose from and the good ol’ Touch ID sensor.

The iPhone 9 is said to come with a 4.7-inch LCD screen with a 1334 x 720 pixels resolution to earn that affordable price tag. It could be powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic chipset with 3GB RAM and upto 256GB storage. The Touch ID is slated to make a return with this phone as Face ID is a more expensive solution, but the 3.5mm jack is expected to remain elusive. The pricing is speculated to start at $399 for the base offering.

Another interesting tidbit that we get to know from the research notes is that the upcoming iPhone 12 will be rolled out in two phases as the Engineering Verification Test (EVT) could have been postponed by up to two weeks for two variants and by mid-May for the 6.7-inch iPhone 12.

This, Jeff notes, will lead to a delay in the availability of the 6.7-inch iPhone 12, pegging it to be in October. While the other two variants could go on sale post-launch in September. This wouldn’t be new for Apple as in 2017, the company announced three phones in September with the iPhone X going on sale in November. The iPhone 12 series has been tipped to feature a 64MP primary camera and ToF (Time of Flight) sensor on the Pro and Pro Max variants.

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Xiaomi Mi A3 Android 10 update rolled out and recalled for the third time

A big reason for anyone to invest in a stock Android smartphone is regular updates, especially Android One certified smartphones, a lineup that Google announced to ensure the latest Android version hits users across price range and OEMs. All this sounds quite promising on paper. But the reality couldn’t be more different. The case in point is the Xiaomi Mi A3. The company rolled out the Android 10 update for the Android One device for the third time, and once again it had to recall it because of ridiculous bugs.

The journey of Android One, in its present avatar, started off with the Mi A1 in 2016. Back then, Xiaomi managed to capture an untapped market with good hardware and pure, stock Android at a reasonable price. The company did plough on to release on A-series device every year, offering an alternative to the otherwise popular MIUI ecosystem. But the Mi A3’s issues show Android One doesn’t really ensure regular updates as promised.

The latest attempt to push out the Android 10 update for the Mi A3 with the April 2020 security patch (embarrassingly enough, it was the third attempt at a global rollout) was once again met with a flurry of bug reports that range from random reboots to screen flickering. As a result, Xiaomi had to pull down the update for the third time, leaving users who had already updated stranded yet again.

What are the bugs that are keeping your device from getting updated? The bugs, as reported on the Mi India community, Reddit and XDA Developers are critical enough to hamper the overall user experience. That included -

- Random reboots - Fingerprint sensor visible even after unlocking - Slow unlock - Slow camera shutter - UI Lag - Excessive battery drains - Performance slowdown

These are the most common issues reported by users on the Mi Community. Thing e are bugs that would have surfaced while beta testing the update. It seems like Xiaomi is in a rush to push out the update and save face. Xiaomi had originally promised the update in October (the device launched in August) but the first update only started rolling out in late February. Lots of bugs meant the update was discontinued. Xiaomi made another attempt during mid-March but the same bugs were still present. Finally, the company made a third attempt which is not completely bug-free either.

The Xiaomi Mi A3 looks to be all set to go down as one of the buggiest devices, but it also raises a lot of questions about Google’s Android One program. Questionably, almost the entire lineup of HMD Global’s Nokia devices are running on Android 10 and so are a lot of devices that don’t even run on stock Android, including a host of Xiaomi’s own smartphones. But what is the issue with the Mi A3? Apart from the fact that it’s a bug magnet, nothing much is known right now.

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PUBG Mobile will get new Cold Front Survival mode on April 16

PUBG Mobile players will soon get a new mode to play with. Called ‘Cold Front Survival’, the new mode is set to be available from April 16. The developers have not released details about the mode, but they have released a bunch of teasers for the new mode on social media and one can hazard a guess as to what players can expect.  

Judging by the name, the game mode will focus on surviving the weather as much as enemies. Reports suggest that the mode will only be available on the Vikendi Map, which makes sense considering that the players would have to survive a blizzard. The game will most likely see players hunt for food and heat amidst a raging blizzard, while still keeping an eye out for enemies. The teaser images shared by the developers show players huddled around campfires, There is also a teaser image that shows a drone, suggesting that it may be added to the game. However, it is not yet known how that will work. Most likely it will be used to scan areas for supplies and enemies.

As the developers seem to be keeping their cards close to their chest, we’ll just have to wait till April 16 to know more. 

Band together to survive

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LGs upcoming smartphone is called the LG Velvet

LG has officially announced the name of its next smartphone. It is called the LG Velvet. The company teased the design language of the new phone a few days back and has finally revealed the name. LG has said that the new Velvet smartphone will be the first to implement the company’s new branding strategy for its mobile devices. LG is moving away from alphanumeric designations for their smartphone in favour of familiar and expressive names. According to LG, these names will “help the consumer capture the essence of the device best suited for his or her personality and ever-changing trends. The name “Velvet” is intended to evoke images of lustrous smoothness and premium softness, two key characteristics of the new phone”. Put simply, it looks like LG is trying to change their naming convention to suit the requirement of the user and bring about the essence of the device rather than following the traditional naming conventions we’ve seen. 

“Our new branding reflects current trends of addressing the unique personal tastes and emotions of the individual with a greater emphasis on design,” said Chang Ma, senior vice president of product strategy at LG Mobile Communications Company. “It’s a more intuitive approach that we are confident will resonate with today’s consumers and help us to establish a clearer brand identity.”

When LG unveiled the design of the smartphone the company said that the design is a “nod to the natural world with a visual form factor that differs from the industry trend and features a “Raindrop” camera and front-back symmetrical curves, among other evolutionary design departures from previous LG mobile devices”. With the raindrop camera at the back, one can see that the smartphone has the largest sensor up top and each sensor below that is smaller in size. 

It isn’t following the industry trend of bulky and big camera bumps at the back of a smartphone. The upper-left corner of the LG Velvet hosts three rear cameras and an LED flash in descending order by size, meant to evoke images of falling raindrops. LG has said that the main camera sits slightly above the surface while the other two lenses lie seamlessly under the smooth glass. This tactilely pleasing design layout offers the added benefit of taking up less space on the rear of the phone for a cleaner, sleeker overall look.

“Our upcoming smartphone will draw on the rich history of classic LG designs which have always been distinctive at first touch,” said vice president Cha Yong-Duk, head of LG’s Mobile Communications Design Lab. “This handset will be a first-look at the competitive edge we will be bringing to every LG smartphone going forward.”

LG’s release goes on to say that “another new design element that will be making its debut in the upcoming device is 3D Arc Design, where the edges of the display and rear are symmetrically curved, exuding a much more natural feeling in the hand than previous LG phones. This artful design touch means less sharp edges and angles that makes the phone not only more pleasing to the eye but also more pleasing to touch”.

It will be interesting to see how these distinguishing features differentiate the LG Velvet from competing devices. If information circulating the internet is to be believed, then the LG Velvet could be powered by the Snapdragon 765 with integrated 5G and will be a mid-ranged affordable smartphone.

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