Google Meet takes on Zoom and Skype, will be free for everyone starting May

Google has announced that its premium video conferencing platform, Google Meet, will be free for all users. The platform will be available from early May onwards and anyone with an email address will be able to use features like real-time captions, and layouts that have been available to business and education users. 

Google Meet Availability

The company notes that Google Meet will start becoming available to users from next week onwards and availability will expand to everyone over the following weeks, Users can sign up to be notified when it becomes available to them.      

Before this, Google Meet was exclusively a part of G Suite, which is its productivity solution for businesses, organisations and schools. However, once it becomes available to everyone, users will be able to partake by heading over to meet.google.com or the mobile apps for iOS and Android. The company also notes that Meetings were limited to 60 minutes for the free product, but it will not enforce this time limit until after September 30, 

The move to make Google Meet free for all users comes at a very opportune time as most people around the world are turning to video conferencing apps to stay connected amid the lockdown. Javier Soltero, Vice President & GM, G Suite notes in the company’s official blog, “Technology that connects us while we're apart helps keep us safe and productive. Over the past few months, we’ve seen the power of video meetings bring us together—whether we’re working with teammates, talking to healthcare professionals, sharing with loved ones, or learning from home.”

Google renamed Hangouts Meet to Meet earlier this month. In fact, the company plans to get rid of the Hangouts name in general as Google plans to discontinue the Hangouts app from June onwards. The company also recently updated the app to support a new layout that is more akin to its competitor, Zoom.

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LG Premier Pro Plus key specifications listed by Google Play Console

LG’s entry-level offering, the Premier Pro Plus, has been spotted on the Google Play Console listing bearing the model number LG L455DL. The Korean smartphone manufacturer hasn’t teased the Premier Pro Plus as it seems to be exclusive to Tracfone telecom.

The images of the phone were shared by Evan Blass on Twitter while a separate post on MyLGPhones revealed the user manual of the LG Premier Pro Plus. Both the leaks confirm the existence of the yet unannounced smartphone as the company is currently focused on the LG Velvet that’s due out on May 7.

LG Premier Pro Plus leaked specifications

Being an entry-level phone, the Premier Pro Plus could feature an HD+ (1560 x 720 pixels) resolution display. It is said to be powered by a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset with an octa-core CPU and runs on Android 9 Pie-based LG UX. 

The phone is expected to feature a dual-camera setup that consists of an ultra-wide-angle lens along with an LED flash on the back and a front-facing camera that’s housed within the waterdrop notch upfront.

LG Premier Pro Plus also has a fingerprint reader on the back along with a dedicated Google Assistant button and Type-C port for charging.

There’s currently no word of the launch of the LG Premier Pro Plus and whether it will make it to other regions in the coming months.

As for LG’s next smartphone, the Velvet launches on May 7 but most of the specifications have been confirmed by the company themselves. The LG Velvet features a 6.8-inch with a Full HD+ (2560 x 1080 pixels) resolution that uses an OLED panel. The screen tapers around the edges and the waterdrop notch cutout on the front gives it a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. 

The phone is confirmed to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon765G chipset with an octa-core CPU. This is paired with upto 8GB RAM and upto 128GB storage options to choose from. The raindrop camera setup on the back consists of a primary 48MP camera with an f/1.8 aperture, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 5MP macro camera. On the front, there’s a 16MP selfie camera housed within the notch cutout.

The Velvet has an in-display fingerprint sensor and comes with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast wired charging and 10W fast wireless charging. It is expected to be priced starting at 680 Euros which roughly translates to Rs 55,000 by direct conversion.

 

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The DC Arrowverse comes to an end as Hooq shuts down operations

Well, fans of the watered-down mediocrity that was the Arrowverse now have more bad news coming their way. After shows like Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow drifted into superhero parody and stopped being fun, it now looks like these shows are disappearing from streaming platforms as well. The shows were part of a tie-up between Hooq and Disney+Hotstar and were available on both platforms. But as Hooq is now shutting down operations, it seems that these DC shows have also been taken off Disney+Hotstar. And, it does not seem like these shows are being picked up by any other streaming service although Arrow and Black Lightning are still available on Netflix, but who knows for how long?

DC Arrowverse comes to an end on Hooq

One main reason for this is that Disney owns Marvel, DC comics biggest competitor in both comic books and film. It could have been a conflict of interest having your competitor’s shows on your platform while your characters shows are on some other streaming platform (Daredevil Luke Cage on Netflix). After Disney+Hotstar launched last month, we’ve gotten a lot of new shows like The Mandalorian and more from Disney.

Hooq claimed that technical issues affected the scheduling of newer episodes on the platform but after that clearly wasn’t the case. In fact, Hooq’s parent company, Singapore-based Singtel has filed to liquidate Hooqs services due to “significant structural changes”. And after amassing 80 million subscribers, Hooq is now going offline. 

Basically what this means is that shows like Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash and Batwoman are only available on TV in India whileArrow and Black Lightning are only available on Netflix. This also means that films like The Matrix trilogy, LEGO Batman and shows like Misfits, Krypton which were all streaming on Hooq have all been taken offline as well. It also appears that these shows and films have been taken off Disney+Hotstar as well. 

If you’d like to know more about Disney+Hotstar, you can click here. Or, if you’re into superhero shows on Netflix, you can check this out as well. 

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TikTok has the best quarter for any app, crosses the 2 billion downloads mark: Report

It looks like the popularity of TikTok isn’t going to slow down any time soon. According to a report by research and analytics firm, Sensor Tower, the app has been downloaded over 2 billion times globally on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This news comes a few months after the firm last reported that the app has been downloaded over 1.5 billion times. The report also notes that in Q1 2020, TikTok generated the most downloads for any app ever in a quarter with 315 million installs across Android and iOS. In fact, Google Play accounts for a majority of TikTok app downloads with 1.5 billion installs, or 75.5% of the total number. The Apple app Store generated 495.2 million downloads or 24.5%. 

Of course, a lot of this has to do with the fact that most of the world is currently under lockdown due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. As such, many people are turning to their smartphones for entertainment as well as connecting with others. 

“While TikTok was on the ascent before 2020, the app has hit new levels of popularity so far this year. Its record-breaking Q1 came during a global pandemic, leading in part to an increase in downloads, engagement, and revenue. The continuous rise of TikTok gives it an ever-bigger foundation to not only enjoy success for the short-term, but build for the long-term to keep competitors—both existing and emerging—at bay,” the report said.

Popularity of TikTok by Country

Sensor Tower also noted that India has the most number of downloads by any country with 611 million lifetime downloads. This makes up 30.3% of all TikTok users. By comparison, China is placed seconds with 196.6 million, which makes up 9.7%. It should be noted that the version of TikTok in China is known as Douyin and does not account for installations from third-party Android Store in the country. The United States takes the third spot with 165 million installs, which is about 8.2%.

TikTok User spend

The report also notes that lifetime user spending in TikTok has grown to $456.7 million. It further adds that this amount is 2.5 times the $175 million it generated when it reached the 1.5 billion downloads mark. However, when it comes to spending money, India was not on the top three list with China taking the top spot by generating $331 million or 72.3%. The US and Great Britain took the second and third spot with users spending $86.5 million and $9 million respectively.

The popularity of TikTok is such that even Apple has decided to create an official account on the platform. However, this popularity does come with issues, The platform is host to a number of fake information, especially about the Coronavirus. TikTok has also taken into account minors using its platform has started offering improved parental controls. 

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 series, Mi Note 10 Lite to launch today: Heres how to watch the live stream

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 series, alongside the Mi Note 10 Lite is scheduled for a global launch in just a few hours from now. One part of the Redmi Note 9 series, the Note 9 Pro and Pro Max have already been announced in India but due to the Coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent nation-wide lockdown, the phones are yet to go on sale. The Indian government also currently prohibits e-commerce companies from shipping non-essential goods like mobile phones and laptops to consumers.

The Mi Note 10 Lite is a pared-down version of the Mi Note 10 that was launched back in November 2019 with a 108MP penta-camera setup. However, the latest rumours indicate that the Note 10 Lite could come with a 64MP primary camera. The Redmi Note 9 has also been leaked just hours before the official launch.

How to watch Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 series launch event

Xiaomi is hosting an online launch event for the Redmi Note 9 series and the Mi 10 Lite due to the COVID-19 crisis that has forced people to stay at home. The launch event is scheduled at 8 PM UTC (5:30 PM IST) and the event will be live-streamed on the company’s social media handles. 

We’ve embedded the link to watch the live stream of the Redmi Note 9 series below.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 leaked specifications

The Redmi Note 9 was allegedly shown-off in official renders that leaked the other day. It is a toned-down version of the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Pro Max that were launched in India in March. However, there’s no word if the Redmi Note 9 will launch in India later this year to complete its existing series in the country.

It is expected to feature a 6.5-inch display with Full HD+ resolution and a punch-hole notch for the selfie camera on the front. The phone is made from plastic and will come in three gradient finishes. It is powered by the unreleased MediaTek Helio G85 chip with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage options to choose from.

The phone has a quad-camera setup that consists of a primary 48MP sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there’s a 13MP selfie camera that is housed within the punch hole cutout.

The Redmi Note 9 comes fitted with a 5,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W fast charging via Type-C. As per earlier leaks, the Redmi Note 9 could be priced starting at CNY 1,400 in China which is roughly Rs 15,000 by direct conversion.

As for the Mi Note 10 Lite, it could feature a 6.4-inch display with Full HD+ resolution and it could be powered by a Snapdragon 730G chipset that also powers the Mi Note 10. The camera setup is where things could change as the Lite variant is confirmed to have four cameras instead of a penta-camera setup on both the Mi Note 10 and Note 10 Pro.

 

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Nintendo Seen Extending Profit Streak as Housebound Consumers Switch On

Nintendo is expected to extend its decade-high earnings streak when it reports fourth-quarter results next week, powered by the hit Switch console which is expanding its reach among locked-down consumers.

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Nokia 9 PureView starts receiving the Android 10 update in India

If you are rocking a Nokia 9 PureView smartphone then there is good news for you. The smartphone has started receiving the Android 10 update. If you haven't received the update on your device, you can go into the settings and manually check for the update. When the Nokia 9 PureView launched, customers were promised two years of OS updates. As of today, Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8.1, Nokia 7.2, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 6.2, Nokia 6.1 Plus, Nokia 6.1, Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, Nokia 2.3 and Nokia 2.2 are all upgraded to Android 10. 

Nokia 9 PureView Android 10 update features

The update on the Nokia 9 PureView brings with it a bunch of new features as well. Users get access to gesture navigation and smart reply which are a part of Android 10. Users also get access to better privacy controls all in one place along with the ability to control location access to apps – be that always, just while in use, or never. Focus mode is also available in Beta. This lets users block out distracting apps when they need to concentrate on what’s important. Users also get access to Family Link which is now a part of the Digital Wellbeing settings. 

Nokia 9 PureView Specs

The Nokia 9 PureView is the company’s flagship handset powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor. The Nokia 9 PureView features a metal frame with a glass-sandwiched body and sports Nokia 8 Sirocco-like diamond-cut finish. 

The phone’s p-OLED display measures 5.99-inches diagonally and it sports a 2K resolution with an 18:9 aspect ratio and is HDR10 certified. Rated IP67 for water and dust resistance, the phone’s display is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. There’s also an under-display fingerprint sensor and AI-based face unlock feature. The device comes in only one variant of 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It is backed by a 3320mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3, USB Power Delivery as well as 10W wireless charging. 

Coming to the USP of Nokia 9 PureView, the camera setup. The handset comes equipped with five cameras on the back, each of which has a 12MP resolution and is made by Sony. Three of the five camera modules feature monochrome sensors while the other two are RGB sensors. There’s also a Time of Flight or ToF depth sensor for additional depth information. Finally, there’s a dual-tone LED flash that complements the setup. 

While there is no ultra-wide or telephoto lens on the Nokia 9 PureView, it employs all the five sensors at once to capture an image. The sensors have a fixed focal length of 28mm and are touted to deliver 12.4-stops of dynamic range, which should make for better capturing of details. The phone can record videos in 4K HDR at 30 FPS.

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