Google trolled Apple over SMS feature yet again: Heres why

During the Google IO 2023 keynote, the company’s VP of product management, Sameer Samat threw shade at Apple for not adopting the RCS messaging standard. We will see what specifically he said and why he said so. We shall also brief you on the significance of RCS and why Apple isn’t ready to jump on the RCS bandwagon.

First of all, what is RCS?

RCS: Rich Communication Services

RCS or Universal RCS Profile from GSMA aims to upgrade SMS with the ability to send rich multimedia messages over the internet. Some other features of RCS messaging include no character limit, typing status indicator, read receipts, and the option to share the location.

These are features that you would find on iMessage (Apple) and WhatsApp (Meta). The latter is available on Android. But, RCS would come as part of the built-in Messages app on all modern Android smartphones. 

Why Google is spearheading RCS?

Google seems to want Messages as the de-facto messaging app on Android. So far it has managed to band together carrier operators and Android smartphone manufacturers to adopt RCS.

Apple is the missing piece of the puzzle, so to speak. On the IO stage, Sameer Samat said, “When you are texting in a group chat, you shouldn't have to worry about whether everyone is using the same type of phone. Sending high-quality images and video, getting typing notifications and end-to-end encryption should all just work. That's why we've worked with our partners on upgrading old SMS and MMS technology to a modern standard called RCS. That makes all of this possible, and there are now over 800 million people with RCS. On our way to over a billion by the end of the year. We hope every mobile operating System gets the message and adopts RCS. So we can all hang out in the group chat together, no matter what device we're using.”

So, you probably get why Google is pushing for RCS. Let’s understand the other side of the coin now.

Why Apple isn’t ready to adopt RCS?

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As alluded to above, iMessage, the default messaging app from Apple brings all of the above features to iPhones and iPads already. But iMessage works between iPhones and iPads only. When an Apple user sends a rich multimedia message to an Android user, they either lose out on some features and the Android user's responses appear in a green bubble as opposed to the Apple user’s green bubble. 

This Blue Bubble vs Green Bubble is a real cultural thing in some markets like the US. Teens and singles get ostracised for being green bubble people. This, thus acts as a great lock-in tool for keeping people within Apple’s walled garden. 

It also trumpets “what happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone”. Even without RCS, you have alternatives like WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger with interoperability and being used by millions. So, for all these reasons, Apple, therefore, appears to have very less incentive to adopt RCS.

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Google Pixel 6a selling at lowest price of 499 on Flipkart, after Pixel 7a launch

Yesterday at the Google I/O, the much anticipated Google Pixel 7a was launched followed by the Google Pixel Fold, the Google Pixel Tab and other devices. So, after the launch of Pixel 7a, its predecessor Pixel 6a faced a major fall in its price. 

The Pixel 6a was launched in India at a price of ₹43,999. But after the launch of 7a, users can now grab the Pixel 6a from Flipkart at a price as low as ₹499 after applying all possible offers.

Let's have a look at what offers Flipkart has to offer for the Google Pixel 6a

Flipkart offers on Pixel 6a

On Flipkart, the sale price of Google Pixel 6a is ₹27,999. But, except for this massive discount, if you have a SBI credit card then you will get an added ₹750 discount on it. This would bring the price down to ₹27,249. That is not all, there is more to offer. You can additionally exchange your old smartphone and get a discount of up to ₹26,750 on the phone. But that would also depend on the model and condition of your old smartphone and accordingly the exchange value will be calculated. 

If this offer entices you to buy the Pixel 6a, then of course you would like to know its specifications before jumping in. So, let's have an overview of the specifications that this phone offers.

Pixel 6a specifications

The Pixel 6a comes with a 6.1-inch full HD+OLED HDR display with 2400 x 1080p resolution. The smartphone still runs on Android 12, but it is rumoured to be one of the first phones that would get an android 14 update. Also Google's in-house Tensor chipset powers up the phone. Talking about RAM and storage, this phone offers 6GB RAM+128GB storage. 

Coming to the camera, Pixel 6a has a dual rear camera of 12MP primary sensor and 12MP ultrawide sensor. Along with this comes a 8MP front camera. This phone is packed with a 4,306mAh battery and is supported by an 18W charger but not a fast charging one. Also, the phone has a IP67 rating, which denotes that the phone can survive underwater up to 1 metre and for almost half an hour. 

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Google Bard upgraded with amazing AI skills but is it better than ChatGPT

AI has been the focus of Google IO 2023 and the company has opened up Google Bard to the public in 180+ countries without a waitlist. We have tried various cool things on Bard and compared the results with ChatGPT. So, is the new Bard better than ChatGPT? Is it really the ChatGPT killer or the next-gen generative AI chatbot that Google wants it to be? Let’s find out.

How to get Google Bard in India

:

1. Go to bard.google.com

2. Sign in with your personal Google account.

3. Read and accept the terms and conditions.

Start using Bard.

But before you do, here are some things to know.

3 things about Google Bard that it wants you to know

1. Bard keeps a record of your past conversations and frames its following responses accordingly. So, you are advised against sharing sensitive information with Bard.

2. Bard admits that it is in an experimental state and may give inaccurate or inappropriate information. Google assumes no responsibility or liability for Bard’s views.

3. It warns you not to take its responses as professional advice from a medical, legal, or financial standpoint.

4. It is able to generate content like text, poems, code, scripts, musical pieces, emails, letters, etc. 

On to our test. 

We tried the following queries and fun things on Bard and ChatGPT. Here’s how both of them fared.

Google Bard vs ChatGPT: Who does generative AI better? 1. Coding and debugging codes

If you ask ChatGPT and Bard to debug code:

const date = new Date("21,3,2023") // incorrect code

console.log("date=>", date) // Invalid Date

Both of them are able to do it fine. 

I then asked ChatGPT and Bard to code a terminal-based game of tic-tac-toe, and both of them were able to do that too.

2. Review a product

I asked ChatGPT and Google Bard to review the Pixel 7A. While Bard gave a description of the product’s features and specifications and a generic conclusion, ChatGPT (3.5) didn’t do anything stating it doesn’t know about Pixel 7A. 

3. Explain complex or technical information

Well, this is tricky. Although both of them attempt at explaining things, if something’s too technical or esoteric, then these things tend to fail. For instance, I asked them to tell me about PHOLED displays and their responses included some inaccuracies. On multiple tries, the responses also showed inconsistencies. 

That said, Google’s responses were more technical in nature, if that’s something you want. Google tends to show citations/ sources of the information it is sharing but not always.

You also get the option to get related searches beneath some of Bard’s responses. This could be useful.

4. Compose and create

I asked both ChatGPT and Bard to create a resume for an editorial profile on a tech website. ChatGPT’s response was better in terms of how it was framed. It was more neat and comprehensible.

You can use them both to create text for a blog, email, etc. They can also help you in proofreading your write-up, check grammar, and bring some clarity if needed.

5. Carry a conversation

When I told both of them that I was feeling low to see how they will respond and what they will do to make me feel better, I felt Google’s responses were more humane (if you will). This is very important when you are conversing with a bot. But, of course, there have to be some guardrails that ensure the bot’s responses are safe. 

So, at least in our tests, we think Google’s AI chatbot does better. Your mileage may vary. Also, we haven’t tried GPT-4 for this test. It may perform differently than ChatGPT (based on GPT 3.5)

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CS:GO Paris Major 2023: FaZe, Apeks, and NiP reserve their berths on the bus to the Legends stage

The stage is set. On the penultimate day of the Challengers stage of the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, we saw three more teams join G2 and ENCE on the train to the Legends stage of the last-ever Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major. A total of seven best-of-three matches were played during the day, and when the dust (RIP Dust 2) had settled, we had five bands of CS players making their way to the next stage of the tournament.

Paris Major 2023 Challengers Stage - Day 3 - FaZe, NiP, and Apeks make the cut. paiN and Team Liquid left hanging

Things kicked off with Fluxo battling it out with Team Liquid, who are there at the Major with all the hopes and dreams of North American CS fans. Coming into this match, they were 1-2 down in their tally of wins, and things were looking bleak for them. But, they beat Fluxo 2-1 and evened out their score line. As it stands, Team Liquid sits at the cusp of qualification for the Legends stage.

The second match of the day saw Monte, who are yet to make the cut, face off against TheMongolz, who, after getting beaten 0-2 by the Ukrainian team, were given a ride to de_airport. Gamer Legion on the other hand, kept their qualification hopes alive by beating OG in their best-of-three match. Liquid also continued their run of form into their second match of the day when they beat their North American counterparts, Complexity, sending them back home.

FaZe rekindled the title dreams of their fans when they convincingly beat FORZE, who don’t seem to have found their footing as a roster. They have had their share of ups and downs and looked unsettled throughout the Challengers stage.

Might be the game's most crucial spray transfer, @vexite_ #BLASTTVMajor pic.twitter.com/36SheF4IiK

— BLAST.tv (@BLASTtv) May 10, 2023

The happiest surprise for the European CS fans was the qualification of Apeks. The team had had a great start to their Challengers stage journey but hit a couple of bumps on the way to the closing stages of this leg of the tournament. At the start of Day 3 of the Challengers stage of the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, they had two wins to their name in the three matches that they played. It all rested on their match against paiN, who were at the third spot in the table, with the same number of wins under their belt, by virtue of their superior round win-to-loss ratio.

Both teams duked it out in a three-map epic battle which saw the teams play on Ancient (won by Apeks, 16-11), Vertigo (won by paiN, 16-13), and Anubis (won by Apeks, 16-9). While it was all smiles for the Apeks players, the hopes of the fans and players of paiN, now is hanging by a string as they are set to face Monte, who have shown potential and could cast a dark shadow on the plans of paiN.

Ninjas in Pyjamas, in thier game of the day against Grayhound, beat the Aussie roster 2-0. And, at the end of it all, they were also handed their tickets to the Legends stage.

At the time of writing, the points table of the Challengers stage of the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 looks like this –

On the last day of the Challengers stage, with three spots to spare, it will be interesting to see which team gets entry into the Legends stage, and which one gets sent back home. Here’s a look at Day 4 of the Challengers stage –

To get all of our coverage of the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, check out this page. 

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Android users beware, WhatsApp bug secretly turns on microphone

After launching quite a few useful features recently, WhatsApp has been hit with a bit of a problem. WhatsApp users have noticed a glitch that sneakily turns on their phone’s microphone. Yes, you read that right – WhatsApp users could have their phone’s microphone turned on right now without their knowledge!

According to WhatsApp users, the glitch is that the microphone is being used much more frequently than it's supposed to or is required, especially in Android phones. WhatsApp claims that it is not a glitch from their end, instead a problem from Google. 

Over the past few weeks, WhatsApp on Android phones is triggering a pop-up requesting access to microphone permission, even when WhatsApp isn't used much on that particular device. This bug has affected Android devices like Samsung and Pixel phones. 

Also read: WhatsApp’s amazing new feature will let users edit messages after sending: Here’s how 

The curious microphone's activity was spotted in Android's Privacy Dashboard and also through the green dot notification that comes in Android status bar especially for camera and microphone on the top left. This is something that is worth worrying about, Android users, as none of us want our phones listening in on us. 

The cause behind this WhatsApp issue hasn't been recognised yet and hence there isn't a solution for it at this point. WhatsApp also took to Twitter and tweeted that this is an issue based on Android and WhatsApp has nothing to do with it and also mentions that they have asked Google to dig deep and solve the matter. 

Over the last 24 hours we’ve been in touch with a Twitter engineer who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp. We believe this is a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate. https://t.co/MnBi3qE6Gp

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) May 9, 2023

Also read: Twitter blue tick verification comes back after bug: This is how 

In order to set the record straight, WhatsApp reassured users they will always have control over their Android phone’s microphone. It also mentions that WhatsApp only has the access of using the mic during a call and for sending audio messages. 

WhatsApp may claim the microphone bug problem lies in Google’s Android operating system, but we hope they’re working with Google to help solve the problem quickly and efficiently.

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A new Call of Duty game reveal could be coming sometime this August

Well, it looks like we’re getting another Call of Duty game this year. With all the hullabaloo around the Activision Blizzard and Microsoft merger, the company is now looking at showing off its new Call of Duty game sometime in August. The new game doesn't have a name yet but it looks like it will be developed by Sledgehammer Games. The same developer who’d worked on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Vanguard and WW2. There are several reports that state the game will be revealed to the public on August 1. It seems that Activision is following the protocol as it has already Vanguard was also revealed on August 1, 2021. 

New Call of Duty game coming soon?

Following that pattern, we can assume that the new Call of Duty game will be revealed at the same time. Earlier rumours had pegged the game to be showcased at Sony’s Playstation event later this month but from what we can discern the PlayStation showcase could just focus on Sony’s exclusives. With a rumoured reveal in August, we could expect the game to hit store shelves sometime in November. The rumoured date for the launch is November 10. The game will also reportedly feature Zombies as well. As it should since the zombie add-on has been a fan-favourite over the years. 

The new Call of Duty game was previously thought to have been a part of the Modern Warfare series but there’s no way of verifying that claim. There are beta weekends in October that should give fans a taste of what’s to come but apart from that, all these rumours should be taken with a grain of salt as Activision has not officially released any statements. 

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Call of Duty 2023 Reveal Set for Early August; Will Launch on November 10: Report

Call of Duty 2023 is reportedly eyeing a release on August 1. As per Insider Gaming, Activision will unveil the shooter via an in-game event, instead of a special online presentation. Serving as a continuation of last year’s Modern Warfare II reboot, it is a full-fledged release developed by Sledgehammer Games.

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