WhatsApp calling feature for desktop could be one step closer to its release

Earlier this month, WhatsApp was spotted testing the video and audio call feature on the WhatsApp desktop beta app and seems like it has started rolling it out to a few desktop users. It was in October when the calling feature for web and desktop app was first spotted in the WhatsApp Web client version 2.2043.7. 

As per a new report from WebBetaInfo, some users on WhatsApp desktop interface now have voice and video call buttons in the chat header. This is the first time multiple users have tweeted about the update, which makes it likely that the update has started rolling out to select users. The video and voice buttons are still labelled as 'Beta', which could mean that the feature is still in the testing phase and might not see a mass rollout yet. The screenshots shared in the report show that a pop-up window will appear when you've logged in WhatsApp on the web.

The pop-up shows options to accept or decline the incoming call. For an outgoing or received call, users will get to see mic, camera, options and red coloured end call button like the mobile app. 

With the number of reports pouring around the calling feature for WhatsApp desktop app and web, the feature is very likely to arrive sometime soon. It should work similar to how users make audio and video calls using the mobile app, but it's said that it will allow you to use external mics and webcams for better quality audio and video.

The calling feature was first introduced on the mobile app in early 2015, which was later updated with video calls in late 2016. The WhatsApp Web was also introduced in 2015, but the calling feature was long-awaited especially because Facebook Messenger already has audio/video calling from quite some time. Note that messenger allows you to call without needing a phone, but WhatsApp web is said to work only if the phone is connected to the internet and paired with the desktop.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/3nyfWZN

Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro official renders leaked ahead of launch

Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro official renders have leaked online ahead of their launch later this month. The new leak leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the look of the upcoming phones in the X60-lineup. Vivo is expected to announce three new phones, the X60, X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ on December 29. Moreover, the company has also announced its partnership with Zeiss optics for the gimbal camera system on the X60 series.

“The first “vivo ZEISS co-engineered imaging system” will be featured in the vivo X60 series. As part of the collaboration agreement, vivo and ZEISS will establish the vivo ZEISS Imaging Lab, a joint R&D program to innovate mobile imaging technology for vivo’s flagship smartphones,” Zeiss said in a press release.

Notable tipster Digital Chat Station has posted a bunch of images that reveal the Vivo X60 and X60 Pro from all sides. Going through the images, we can see that the X60 has a flat-screen while the X60 Pro has a curved display. There is a punch-hole cutout in the centre for the selfie camera and we also get to see the phones in different colourways. Moreover, the X60 series is also slated to be the first smartphone to be powered by the Exynos 1080 processor. 

Previous reports have indicated that the X60 is likely to have a triple camera array on the back while the X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ will have a rear quad camera setup. The upcoming phones also get a Zeiss branding on the camera module as a part of the collaboration. The X60 is also rumoured to be one of the thinnest 5G smartphones and is the successor to the Vivo X50 series that launched earlier this year in India.

Vivo X60 series leaked specifications

Vivo X60 series is rumoured to feature AMOLED screens that support 120Hz high refresh rate. The X60 and X60 Pro will be powered by the Exynos 1080 processor under the hood which the X60 Pro+ is rumoured to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. As the leaked renders indicate, the X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ will have a curved screen design.

The X60 is rumoured to have three cameras on the back that consists of a primary 48MP camera with f/1.6 aperture, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 13MP portrait camera. The X60 Pro has a quad-camera setup on the rear that has the same three cameras from the X60 in addition to an 8MP periscope camera that brings 5x optical zoom and upto 60X digital zoom.

As for the X60 Pro+, it is expected to have a 48MP primary camera with f/1.48 aperture along with the other three cameras as on the X60. The X60, X60 Pro and X60 Pro+ are equipped with the second-generation gimbal camera system that debuted with the X50 series.

Vivo X60 lineup is also expected to mark the debut of the company’s new OriginOS and will likely support 33W fast charging out-of-the-box. More details will be revealed as we near the launch date of the X60 series which is scheduled for December 29.

 

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/3r39lcd

Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen

The Echo Dot 4th Gen is a great smart speaker but despite a refreshing design and louder audio, it seems non-essential if you want to get the best value for money entry-level smart speaker. The Echo 3rd Gen is still a better deal with slightly inferior audio performance.

The Echo Dot 4th Gen arrives with a visual makeover to raise the benchmark set by the older Echo Dot speakers. It undoubtedly brings several changes over the 3rd Gen Echo Dot but also costs slightly higher, at Rs, 4,499. Amazon has moved on from the hockey puck-like shape to a spherical shape, that resembles a bonsai version of the bigger Echo 4th Gen.

Many of us look at the Echo Dot as the entry point into the smart home or voice assistance world, accompanied by the Google Nest Mini and the newly launched Mi Smart Speaker. While its affordable price does make it more accessible, it's often ignored that these speakers are made to work best in a group. Its small size and cheaper price tag allow you to set up multiple Echo Dots in each room to make the most of it. But that's something the cheaper Echo Dot 3rd Gen can do as well, so why to invest in the 4th Gen? We find out.

Design and build

The Echo Dot 4th Gen has morphed itself from a boring hockey-puck like shape to a bigger and not-so-discrete spheroidal form. Pulling it out of the box for the first time was quite refreshing as even though I saw it in pictures, I still wasn't sure of its size. The palm-sized speaker comes in black, white and blue (the one I received) colours.

As we said, the design is refreshing, but it does remind you of the last-gen Dot as it uses the same muted mesh-covered design, albeit in a different geometrical profile as a welcome change. Yet, it's worth noting that Amazon has kept the footprint the same as the older generation Dot speakers. Which means that despite a taller design, it will not take up more shelf space. Do note that it's not as easy to mount on a wall like the previous design.

The ball-shaped speaker is covered with fabric mesh at the top, split diagonally where the bottom half is made of plastic and has a flat rubberized base. Unlike the previous models, Amazon Echo's signature ring light surrounds the base. It illuminates in red, yellow and blue like other Echo speakers. I can't deny that the light effects do give off a futuristic feel in the dark.

The four constant buttons of the Echo Dot - volume up/down, microphone on/off, and a button to wake Alexa - are placed right on the top. The power connector and 3.5mm audio jack are at the back. The 3.5mm jack can be used to connect an external speaker, a must-have feature in small speakers, but sadly it does not double as a line-in, in case you need it.

Interestingly, this time, the pricier Echo 4th Gen has the same design as the Dot, but double its size. And, it’s not just the size, but the Echo 4th Gen is priced double at Rs 8,999.

Setup

Setting up the Echo Dot 4th Gen is easy - more if you already have an Alexa device setup at your home. If that's the case, you just need to tap on the '+' button in the 'Devices' section to add the new device. The app will scan for nearby devices, and it will automatically add it to your home.

If this is your first Alexa device, you'll need to download the Alexa app from Play Store or App Store and go through the process of sign-in/sign up. Then you need to add the device, connect it to the home Wi-Fi, link accounts like your streaming service, music service and more.

Once you’ve set it up, you can start asking questions and giving commands. For tasks like booking a taxi, head over to the Skills & Games section of the app to enable the Ola and Uber skills. The same goes for other requests that need an Alexa Skill to be enabled beforehand.

Audio quality

After the design, the other major upgrade is in the audio performance. It has a more powerful 1.6-inch speaker; larger than the 3rd Gen's 1.1-inch speaker, and slightly more powerful than the 1.5-inch Nest Mini. Even during tests, the new Echo Dot sounded more powerful and fuller than the other two.

You will enjoy the audio unless you demand heavy bass from it. It is fairly loud and has sharp mids for great vocals and speech, but the lack of bass might upset R’n’B or trap fans. Its round shape might get you thinking it offers directional sound, but it's uni-directional, and even the soundstage is somewhat shallow. 

The audio is much louder than the previous generation Dot, but it does face some competition from the Mi Smart Speaker. At the same price, the Mi Smart Speaker has a larger, more accommodating a 2.5-inch, 12W full-range driver to beat the Echo Dot in loudness and bass. The Echo Dot 4th Gen offers better-defined audio, whereas its competitor is a bit on the softer side. None of these speakers is good enough to crack a party, but if you care about the details more than loudness, the Echo Dot 4th Gen should be your pick.

If you wish to use your smart speaker as a go-to music player, you can pair two 4th Gen Dot speakers to get stereo sound, but I would recommend going for a Google Nest Audio or the 4th Gen Echo instead. If you've heard the previous Echo Dot speakers and find them suitable for your use, the 4th Gen is good enough for all use cases. 

Microphone performance and voice response

When I reviewed the Google Nest Audio, I found its microphone performance to be more impressive than the audio performance. It turns out the Echo Dot 4th Gen nails it too. 

In more than a month of usage, I don't remember when was the last time the new Dot disappointed at picking up voice commands. The mics are sensitive, and the AZ1 Neural Edge processor does an excellent job at recognition and response.

You only need to raise your voice if it's playing a song at volume 8 or above, and you are more than 10ft away from it.

Bottom line

The Echo Dot 4th Gen is a great entry-level smart speaker that hardly gives us a chance to complain and draws attention with its fresh look. Two compelling reasons to buy this speaker are its design and slightly louder audio output. For those who want to save more money, you can still consider the 3rd Gen Dot as there's nothing substantial to lose. On the flip-side, if you fancy the new design better in your setup, paying an extra Rs 1000 isn't a bad deal either. I would recommend you get it during sale events as the 4th and 3rd Gen Echo Dots sell as low as Rs 3499 and Rs 2499, respectively

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2LOQ3qP

LG launches its latest UltraGear 27GN950 4K Gaming monitor with a 144Hz display and more

Well, it seems that staying home for extended periods of time was actually beneficial to gamers and gaming companies. Who would have thought? Steam has seen a record number of players on the service, and it seems to just be growing. Keeping this in mind, LG today launched its new gaming monitor under its UltraGear series - 27GN950 for Rs 59,990. With a 144hz refresh rate, Nano IPS 1ms (GtG) response time, UHD 4K resolution, G-Sync compatibility and VESA Display HDR600 technology, the latest gaming monitor from LG is perfect for gamers looking to take their displays to the next level. 

The LG UltraGear 27GN950 comes with VESA Display Stream Compression (DSC) Technology, LG’s new gaming monitor supports 4K hi-resolution and HDR as well as the capacity to cover 10bit colour by a single DisplayPort connection, providing an enhanced viewing experience by reducing visual loss. The UltraGear’s new Nano IPS technology supports express high-fidelity colour for reproducing vivid scenes, while VESA Display HDR600 on the large UHD 4K screen, provides stunning visual immersion with sharp details and true and dynamic high-contrast HDR. It seems that this monitor is essentially prepping you for next-gen games. 

Commenting on the launch, Hak Hyun Kim, Director- Home Entertainment, LG Electronics said, “Despite the widespread economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the global video games and esports industry is thriving. With the onset of innovative technologies in gaming such as AR, VR, gamers today look for a totally immersive gaming experience that “takes them away from reality”

The newly launched monitor also comes with a 4-Side Virtually Borderless Display and V-Wing shaped adjustable stand with a flexible ergonomic stylish design that easily adapts with the environment and gaming style. Further, the RGB Sphere Lighting 2.0 with a sound and video sync mode also adds to the experience. 

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/37v3X9R

Qualcomm and Google announce partnership to ensure your next smartphone gets four years of Android OS updates

Qualcomm and Google have announced a partnership and will work together on expanding Project Treble to bring the latest Android OS updates to more smartphones next year. Smartphones will be receiving four years of Android OS version updates and four years of security updates, starting with the Snapdragon 888 and forward. To be fair, smartphone manufacturers including Google and OnePlus promise three years of major updates to their phones and the new announcement does not promise an extra year. 

According to a press release by Qualcomm, this collaboration means that smartphone manufacturers no longer need to modify Qualcomm’s chipset-specific software in order to seed an update. OEMs who are notorious for not providing regular updates to existing smartphones running on Snapdragon chips now have no reason to delay Android OS updates. Both Qualcomm and Google want to reduce the resources and time required to provide regular system updates to Snapdragon-powered smartphones.

“Google continues to work closely with our technology partners to increase the freshness of the Android ecosystem. Through this collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, we expect that Android users will have the latest OS upgrades and greater security on their devices,” said David Burke, vice president of Android engineering, Google. “Through this collaboration, we expect accelerated Android OS upgrade on Snapdragon-based devices while providing a superior user experience for end-users,” added Kedar Kondap, VP, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies.

Google announced Project Treble in 2017 as an attempt to streamline the otherwise irregular Android OS update cycle making it easier for OEMs to provide major OTA updates to smartphones. The new collaboration ensures that smartphone manufacturers can now provide up to four years of Android updates and four years of security updates for all phones compatible with Treble and powered by Snapdragon 888 onwards.

Do note, however, the four version updates include the Android OS version that runs on your phone out-of-the-box. So technically its three versions, something that Google, OnePlus and more already support on some of their phones.

Having said that, the collaboration is a welcome move to simplify the Android OS update process and ensure that more phones launched in 2021 get updated to the latest version along with improving the shelf life of smartphones. Google is also reusing the same OS framework software across different Qualcomm chips that ensure widespread support without incurring costs. 

Google says that this change is effective on all Snapdragon processors slated to launch with Android 11 in 2021. 

 

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2Kfc1Tr

OnePlus 9 series cameras could get supercharged with Leica partnership

The cameras on the OnePlus 9 series could be backed by Leica optics if the latest leak is to be believed. This new leak comes shortly after a pre-production unit of the OnePlus 9 surfaced online. The OnePlus 9 series is rumoured to launch in mid-March 2021 but the hype train has already left the station. We have a basic idea about what to expect from the upcoming OnePlus phones courtesy of some early leaks and speculations, which is why this new development comes as a surprise.

According to a tweet by popular tipster Teme on Twitter, OnePlus is likely to collaborate with Leica in the near future. Maybe it already has for the upcoming OnePlus 9 series, but we won’t know for sure unless it comes directly from the horse's mouth. That said, the tweet also highlighted smartphone brands that have partnered with camera pioneers. These include Huawei with Leica, Nokia and Vivo with Zeiss.

Huawei- Leica OnePlus- Leica Nokia- Zeiss Vivo- Zeiss Who takes Hasselblad

— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) December 17, 2020

Interestingly, Vivo recently announced that it had collaborated with Zeiss for optimizing its gimbal camera system on the upcoming X60 series. This was followed by a leak of the X60 Pro that gave us a glimpse of the camera module with Zeiss branding. If the leak about OnePlus partnering with Leica comes to be true we could see a similar branding appear on the upcoming OnePlus phones.

OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro are rumoured to be joined by the OnePlus 9E that sits between the OnePlus Nord and OnePlus 9. It is likely to be a toned-down version of the latter and very little is known about the phone at the moment.

OnePlus 9 series leaked specifications

The OnePlus 9 series is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. Several reports indicate that the phones could have an IP68 certification, NFC and dual stereo speakers. OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are likely to receive the same 65W fast charging support as the OnePlus 8T along with 40W fast wireless charging support.

OnePlus 9 is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch display while the OnePlus 9 Pro could have a 6.7-inch screen. The displays could support 120Hz refresh rate and is likely to retain the punch-hole notch cutout for the selfie camera.

The OnePlus 9 has been leaked previously sporting three cameras on the back that includes a 48MP primary camera, a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a macro camera or a depth sensor.

 

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2Wsl99O

Epic Games Kicks Off Holiday Sale With Cities: Skylines Free for 24 Hours

Epic Games is offering Cities: Skylines for free till tonight, December 18, 9:30pm IST, as part of its holiday sale. It is the first of 15 free games that the store plans to offer. The games will be free for 24 hours each.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/34oVKlJ