WhatsApp Chat Lock: The secret to keep your chats even more private

WhatsApp is rolling out a brand new privacy feature, which was announced earlier this month but was available for WhatsApp beta users only. But now it's available for everybody, called the WhatsApp Chat Lock feature. 

According to Meta’s official announcement, the WhatsApp Chat Lock feature will now be rolled out to every user. This feature will allow users to safeguard any personal and confidential chats. One can access such chats by entering the device password, pattern, fingerprint or even face recognition.

Also, when WhatsApp Chat Lock is enabled for a certain chat, it will be moved into a different locked folder which can be accessed only through the device unlock options. Also, once you lock a chat, the notifications from the chat won't pop up anymore ensuring all security measures are taken.

Also read: WhatsApp for Android will allow chat transfer between phones without Google Drive

You can lock an individual chat as well as any group chat. WhatsApp hasn't applied any kind of restrictions to the new privacy enhancing feature. Let's have a look at how you can set up the WhatsApp Chat Lock feature on your device.

Set up WhatsApp Chat Lock

First, Open WhatsApp and select the conversation – individual or a group – that you would like to lock. Now go to the profile of the WhatsApp chat or the group details.  After the WhatsApp contact details page opens, scroll down and you'll get the option of "Lock Chat." Tap on "Lock Chat" and then they'll ask you to enter your device password, fingerprint or whatever lock option you have on your phone. Once done, your chat is locked and secured and no one can possibly open it without knowing your password or using your fingerprint.

After you lock the chat, you will have to pull down your WhatsApp home screen in order to get access to the locked chats. WhatsApp has just begun spreading the feature all across the globe and within the next couple of days all WhatsApp users will have access to this feature. 

Also, definitely look for updates on the App Store, then you can possibly get the update as and when it's available in your country. 

Also read: WhatsApp lands on Wear OS 3 smartwatches: Here’s all you need to know

This feature will definitely be of use to each and every user, as you simply don't have to lock the entire WhatsApp to just secure one confidential chat. 

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The Lord of the Rings MMO Is in Development at Amazon Games for the Second Time in Five Years

The Lord of the Rings is getting an MMO adaptation, Embracer Group confirmed. The open-world title will be developed by Amazon Games for PC and consoles — best known for New World — and feature stories from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit literary trilogy. This marks the studio’s second attempt at a LOTR MMO, following the cancellation of one in 2021.

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EU Backs Microsoft's $69 Billion Takeover of Call of Duty Maker Activision Blizzard

The EU on Monday gave the green light to Microsoft's $69-billion takeover bid for US video game giant Activision Blizzard, just weeks after the British competition regulator put the deal at risk by blocking it.

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Apple M3 Pro SoC could be more efficient than Apple M2 Pro

Apple M3 Pro specs have been tipped by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg through his Power On newsletter. The M3 Pro could bring 12 CPU cores and 18 GPU cores. This may seem similar to the Apple M2 Pro, but there are some key differences that you should know. 

Apple M3 Pro vs Apple M2 Pro (Expected)

Apple M3 Pro could have fewer performance cores as per Mr Kuo. That is, out of the supposed 12 CPU cores, 6 will be performance cores and the rest for efficiency. This is different from the Apple M2 Pro in terms of core structure. You get 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores on the M2 Pro.

This could be paired with 36GB of RAM (4 gigs more than its precursor). And offer a unified design, as in integrated with the CPU. This allows for quicker access to memory and hence results in higher efficiency. 

If we expand upon the logic used by Apple M2 Max and M2 Ultra design language, we suspect the Apple M3 Max could bring 14 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores. Meanwhile, the M3 Ultra can pack 28 CPU and 80 GPU cores. 

Also, Mr Kuo tells us the M3 Pro could be manufactured on a 3nm process from TSMC. 

Not just that, we should be hearing more about the Apple M3 series of chips before long as Apple is apparently testing the chips as we speak. Kuo says it is being tested on a forthcoming MacBook Pro.

As you may know, MacBook Pro is used for the Pro, Max, and Ultra chipsets because they could heat a lot more than vanilla M-series chips and a proper cooling system is required to dissipate the same. A bigger battery also gets used in the power they consume. Only a thicker and larger MacBook can house such a battery and cooling system, which the Air models lack.

We could also get to see an M3 Ultra within one of the upcoming Macs (desktop PCs from Apple).

Besides the core structure, the new chips could also feature other enhancements. Let’s see if we hear about them at this year’s WWDC which is slated to take place next month.

Power On: As Apple prepares to launch its next M2 Macs, the company is already ramping up testing of M3 chips. Here are the details and code counts of the next-generation 3 nanometer processors https://t.co/gjmjXDjKJX

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 14, 2023

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Deal alert: iPhone 14 Plus available at crazy low prices on Flipkart

Recently, different iPhones have been on sale every now and then on various e-commerce platforms. Now, the iPhone 14 Plus is available on Flipkart at a crazy price drop. But, this offer is applicable only for today viz. May 15, 2023. 

In case you didn’t know, the iPhone 14 Plus is priced at ₹89,900. But after the available deals on the Flipkart, the iPhone will be available for a price below ₹50,000. Hence, I would suggest that it's the best day to get your hands on the iPhone if you have been planning to get one. Let's have a look at the deals Flipkart has to offer.

Also Read: WWDC23: Apple Watch to get biggest updates, new features

Flipkart Exchange offer on iPhone 14 Plus

As mentioned earlier, the actual price of iPhone 14 Plus is ₹89,900. After the general discount on Flipkart, it is available for ₹80,999 which is a 9% discount on the product and you save around ₹8900. 

But, except for this discount, you can avail the exchange offer available on Flipkart as well. You can exchange your previous smartphone and get up to a discount of ₹33,000. But the best price for the exchange offer depends on the model and condition of your phone. 

Except for this particular exchange amount, you can also get an extra ₹3000 discount if your previous phones are of certain models that Flipkart lists out on its website itself. 

Flipkart Bank offer on iPhone 14 Plus

If you don’t plan to exchange your old smartphone, then you have another offer that you can avail. There are three bank offers- 

5% cashback on using Flipkart Axis Bank Card

₹4000 discount if you use your HDFC Bank Credit Card

Again, ₹4,000 discount for HDFC Bank Debit Card EMI transactions.

These were the deals that Flipkart has to offer for the iPhone 14 Plus. But this offer is available only for the day. So, get your hands on the iPhone before the offer is gone. 

Also read: iOS 17 will upgrade iPhone apps like Health, Wallet and Wallpaper

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iPhone 15 will be assembled in India, thanks to Tata Group

iPhone 15 has been rumoured for a while now and different leaks and tips have been revealing the nitty gritties of the device every now and then. However, a new report claims the upcoming iPhone will have a deeper Indian connection. 

Recent reports from TrendForce reveal that Tata Group is all set to become the fourth iPhone assembler for Apple. The pandemic has forced Apple to diversify its supply chain and take this step ahead. So, the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus is believed to be assembled here in India and Tata has all the rights of distribution all across the country.

Also read: Here are 5 leaked iPhone 15 series features that we know of so far

There are four iPhone assemblers now- Foxconn, Luxshare, Pegatron and Tata Group. So, TrendForce has also given a distribution pattern of the iPhone Series Assembly Orders from these 4 companies.

Cited from TrendForce

Apple's iPhone relocation plan

The report by TrendForce also suggests that there are 3 implications that can justify this relocation. 

Tata is the largest and one of the most prestigious conglomerates in India. So, they must have received a huge number of orders for the iPhone 15 series. Hence, this might indicate that India will be responsible for the first wave of shipments for the new iPhones.

Tata's entry in the iPhone assembly also indicates the exit of Wistron's exit.

iPhone 12 Pro Max assembly was fine by Luxshare when they joined in 2020. So, after that Tata will be the next company to undertake the assembly of the new iPhone that too at a huge scale. 

So, even though trends show Tata's share to be only 5% for the iPhone models in 2023, an acceleration is prevalent.

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Women in gaming face frequent online abuse and a lot harder glass ceiling

You could guess that eSports is a male-dominated space but you surely don’t know the extent of it. The glass ceiling is present in the new-gen eSports industry and female players may find it hard to break through. For instance, according to a recent Lumikai report, male players get 100 times bigger prizes than their female counterparts.

State of female esports players in India 

The number of women gamers is lagging behind men players by a 60:40 ratio. That is only 40% of players in India are women. Not only that, a more assuring finding is that women have been spending more time playing online and also contribute to 43 percent of the player base in the smartphone gaming space.

Jio’s disruption of the telecom industry, the resulting economical rates of phone plans, and the pandemic must have been a driving force behind this cultural shift. It is also reassuring to see the acceptance of gaming as a livelihood in general and that a lot of women are pursuing gaming as a serious career. 

Also Read: More Indian Women Are Choosing Gaming As A Serious Career Option

Another stat by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry states that female participants in competitive esports have soared to 22 percent in 2022 compared to 12 percent in 2020 (Ref: 2021 Women Mobile Gaming Report).

So, the number of pursuant seems to be ticking up. What’s concerning is the pay gap existing between them and their male counterparts. As per the Esports Federation of India, this difference is as big as 100 times.  

An even bigger issue is the rampant harassment that women face online. Local Circles in a 2023 report revealed about 86 percent of urban women gamers suffer online abuse in the form of sleazy comments, trolls, and cybercrimes.

Also Read: Women In Gaming Speak About Gaming In India, Their Challenges And Opportunities

The underrepresentation of women in leading positions in the gaming industry is also a matter of concern. 

The long and short of it is that the gaming industry needs to promote more diversity and inclusion. And we hope to find a crack in the aforesaid glass ceiling. We urge game publishers, tournament organizers and other stakeholders to develop a safe and empowering environment for female players. This could involve a working complaint and feedback system to record and report foul incidents. They should be able to keep their identity private to whatever extent possible. There should be a block option, if required. Family and friends should be there to hear out their problems and offer support and advice. Finally, women gamers reading this, we encourage you to seek professional help at times of emotional distress. 

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