Latest Technological Updates

Pic Credit: Oppo China The Oppo Watch 2, which has the same Apple Watch-style look as the first Oppo Watch but with better internal hardware, has released in China. Oppo Watch 2 features Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 4100 chipset, which boasts a battery life of up to 16 days on a single charge when used in low-power mode. The Oppo Watch 2 will be available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, with a curved OLED display that refreshes at 60Hz and has a 326ppi resolution. In addition to heart rate, sleep, and blood oxygen monitoring, both versions will include an optional eSIM. There are also over 100 sport tracking modes available, including 5ATM water resistance for swimming and a built-in GPS to ensure correct logging of exercise. For individuals who don't want or need LTE, the smaller 42mm size will also have a Bluetooth-only mode. The Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset is the most significant update to the Oppo Watch 2. This will definitely deliver a significant performance boost over

  Pic Credit: Nothing Nothing, the consumer tech startup founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has unveiled its Ear (1) true wireless earbuds . After months of teasing, concept images, and even a presale in which Nothing auctioned off 100 pairs of the noise-cancelling buds ahead to their formal reveal, the noise-cancelling buds are finally available with a unique semi-transparent design with audio features generally found in higher-priced competitors. The Ear (1)'s features an unusual aesthetic that displays some of their internal circuitry thanks to a transparent plastic design, and each earbud includes a color-coded circle (red or white) to indicate the corresponding ear. However, the Ear (1) buds' design choices aren't exactly subtle. A stem hangs down from the large rectangular portions that sit in the ear. They can withstand sweat and water splashes. Nothing's hardware and software have both been adjusted by Swedish electronics house Teenage Engineering, and they

Google has now revealed the information that is attached to search results in order to show people why they are receiving website recommendations. Such information will be displayed alongside related terms, matching keywords, and other pages that are visible in the local region. Google recently revealed the details of their search algorithm in the idea that by revealing this knowledge to people, they will be able to discover better results. The panel will also offer suggestions for how to improve searches, such as suggesting more precise terms or recommending the specific phrases being surrounded by quotation marks. This information is simple to find. When you run a Google search, the results will appear with three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner of the page. The search information is located in the "About this result" section, which may be accessed by clicking the three dots. The 'About this result' section was first introduced by Google in Februa

While Apple and Google's AI voice assistants Siri and Google Assistant have male and female voices, Amazon's Alexa voice assistant has a feminine voice for years. However, according to reports, the company has begun to roll out a new masculine voice for its AI-based assistant. Alexa, Amazon's voice-activated assistant, now has a male voice for the first time since its inception in 2014 which is named as Ziggy. In addition, a new wake word has been added to provide users more alternatives for invoking the assistant. Alexa’s New Male Voice When it revealed the new celebrity voices of Shaq and Melissa McCarthy a few days ago, the company also added the new male voice option. Users, on the other hand, were unaware of it until The Ambient discovered it. Shaquille O'Neal, Samuel L. Jackson, and Melissa McCarthy are among the few famous voices used. However, each of these voices costs $5. These voices can be configured to respond to certain words and questions, such as jokes

  Twitter is experimenting with new ways for assisting users in responding to a conversation. The microblogging site is exploring with a Reddit-style feature that allows users to downvote replies. According to Twitter , the experiment is being conducted to determine what types of responses users find relevant in a conversation. The regular heart or like button on tweets, which sits alongside the existing comment and retweet buttons, is shown on a promotional poster on the Twitter Support account. However, under a tweet's replies, there are now two additional upvote or like and downvote options, represented by thumbs up and down, respectively. On Facebook, the similar downvote (read dislike) button on posts or comments has been long overdue, despite the company's addition of the ability to react with several emojis. YouTube, on the other hand, has been providing like and dislike buttons for almost ten years. Twitter also stated that votes will not affect the order in whic

Pic Credit: Google Google TV is bringing three new features to Android TV, all of which are aimed at making it easier for users to find content. The first of the three features is a Watchlist, which we've seen on other Google platforms such as Google Search and the Google TV app, and is now available for Android TV users. Users can use this function to keep track of TV series and movies that they want to view later. To add series, movies, and other items to the list, long-press them in the Discover tab and select "Add to Watchlist." Pic Credit: Google Google has also added a row to the Discover tab that allows users to quickly access current content. Users will also be able to access the new feature through a new card in the Discover menu. After tapping the card, you'll be able to dislike or like the content that has been provided to them by clicking left or right. When you're done, your Discover tab will update with fine-tuned recommendations, according to

Pic Credit: Snap Snap announced on Monday that you would be able to pose your Bitmoji character in 3D on your Snapchat profile. Bitmojis have been a prominent feature of Snapchat profiles since 2017, when they were made the default image within Snapcodes, the QR codes displayed on profiles that link to your personal profile. Bitmojis on profiles were previously just heads and shoulders within Snapcodes. They're now more visible than ever before. Snapchat users will be able to display 3D full-body versions of their Bitmoji avatars on their profiles starting Monday. Users may now choose from a variety of positions, such as peace signs or 3/4 turns, as well as backgrounds, such as colourful wallpaper or city scenes, with the new design. Bitstrips, a producer of Bitmojis, was bought by Snap in 2016. Snapchat has since integrated the configurable, animated avatars into the rest of the app. This includes games in which a user's Bitmoji serves as their avatar, as well as a cartoon ser

Pic Credit: Apple Apple has officially revealed that Apple Music users in India will be able to listen to lossless audio. Not only that, but support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos will be introduced as well, and all of these capabilities will be available to all users – even for Android users — at no additional cost. With Spatial Audio / Dolby Atmos, the Cupertino giant is kicking things off with a few thousand tracks, but this library will only increase over time. Meanwhile, everyone will have access to lossless audio, which includes all 75 million songs in Apple's library. Lossless Audio In Apple Music Simply said, you'll have access to a far higher-quality audio file, and the level of detail you'll be able to hear on audio speakers that support lossless audio and high-res audio formats will be unrivaled. These High-Res and Lossless audio files are also significantly larger in size when compared to a standard high-quality audio file. Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio This is s

Pic Credit: Apple The days of requiring an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to participate in a FaceTime video conference are nearly gone. Apple is making it possible for users with Android phones and Windows laptops to join FaceTime calls with no iPhone required. This is widely considered as Apple's response to Zoom video calls. That is not to suggest that Apple devices are not included. In fact, they're still so important to FaceTime's core functionality that the system will rely on the future iOS 15 operating system, which is now available as a public beta and is designed to appear and operate more like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. In addition to the ability of FaceTime to video chat anyone outside Apple’s ecosystem, FaceTime also includes a new grid view, the capability to plan meetings, and a watch party feature called SharePlay. Here's how you'll be able to join FaceTime calls no matter what device you're using, whether you're downloading the iOS 15 developer beta ri

WhatsApp is introducing a new user interface for both audio and video calls; the objective is to make it easier to add new participants and join an ongoing group call. The new UI is now rolling out as part of the latest WhatsApp beta update, and it looks like it was inspired by Apple’s FaceTime. The new interface features improved and more visible toggles, as well as a bright white colour scheme. Previously, these toggles were a shade of grey and weren't as easy to use together could cause confusion as to whether the option was on or off. Those over at XDA Developers shared some screenshots (below), and these changes appear minor at best, but they're significant enough to improve the overall user experience. Take a look at the older toggles below as an example. Pic Credit: XDA Developers You'll notice that the toggles are greyed out, making it difficult to tell whether they're on or off, especially when the display is set to a lower brightness. This has finally

  Google Meet calls with three or more participants - basically, any group video conference - are now limited to 60 minutes for free users with personal Gmail accounts. Google had lifted this cap in September 2020 due to the pandemic, but has now decided to reinstate it. Over the past year, free Google Meet users with personal accounts have been able to use the platform's group calls without a time limit. As of July 1st, Google notes that this is no longer the case. The time limit was supposed to be enforced in September 2020, but the deadline was pushed back to March 2021. This offer was later extended until June 2021 in order to compete with rival Zoom, Skype, and all other popular video conferencing platforms. However, the offer is no longer being extended. All “calls with 3 or more participants” will be limited to 60 minutes. “At 55 minutes, everyone receives an alert that the call is about to end. The host can upgrade their Google account to extend the call. Otherwise, the cal

  The speakers in Amazon Echos aren't the most powerful. However, you can pair your Amazon Echo with any Bluetooth speaker to have your music play from both your Amazon Echo and your Bluetooth speaker, allowing you to increase the volume or spread the sound across your home. The Amazon Echo is a smart home speaker that houses Alexa, Amazon's voice-activated virtual assistant. Alexa can do everything from read the news to remind you of an appointment, and she can even play music from Spotify. Because the Echo isn't particularly loud, it's best to pair it with a Bluetooth speaker for the best listening experience. How to pair Alexa with a Bluetooth speaker is explained below: 1. Ensure that your Bluetooth speaker is ready to pair. Keep the button on your speaker that allows you to pair is pressed. Depending on your speaker, this will most likely be different. 2. Open the Alexa app on your phone. 3. At the bottom of the app, tap "Devices." 4. In the

  Pic Credit: Apple Apple has discreetly released a new MagSafe accessory for the iPhone 12 series, named "MagSafe battery pack." The new battery pack magnetically attaches to the back of the iPhone 12 (mini, Pro, Pro Max) and costs $99 on Apple's official website with a 5-7 business day delivery time. The only color option for the battery pack is white, and it has a smooth matte texture. It even contains a lightning port that can be used to charge your device. The MagSafe battery pack is also the first accessory that can be charged from any iPhone 12 model via reverse wireless charging. Previously, customers had to place battery cases on their iPhones in order to use the extended battery. Thanks to the iPhone 12 family's powerful magnets, this battery pack magnetically sticks behind the iPhone 12 series. MagSafe accessories, such as MagSafe wallet cases that work with your iPhone 12/12 Mini/12 Pro/ 12 Pro Max, were revealed alongside the debut of the iPhone 12 serie

  Pic Credit: Google Google has revealed that Android 12 will include 'Play As You Download' feature for games, allowing you to start playing a game before it has finished downloading. This might be especially handy for large games, as it means you won't have to wait as long to get into a game and start playing. This functionality isn't really unique, as it can be found in a variety of platforms other than Android. Play As You Download has been around for a while, with titles including World of Warcraft, FIFA 21, Call Of Duty, Rainbow Six Siege, and a number of other console games. The feature should work the same on Android 12 as it does on other platforms. By first downloading the essential files which are required to play before downloading the remaining files that aren't as essential to the internal game's experience. It's important to note that this is not the same as 'Instant Apps,' which allow you to launch lighter apps or games without having

  Pic Credit: YouTube YouTube Shorts, a TikTok competitor, is now available worldwide. Last year, the service debuted in India before extending to 26 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. YouTube Shorts now will be available in more than 100 countries across the world where YouTube is available. In September 2020, YouTube Shorts was released, with 15-second videos – the same time limits as TikTok (though TikTok later expanded maximum video length, first to one minute, and then, recently, to three minutes). YouTube Shorts is catching up to TikTok as the most popular short-form video platform, but Google's service is emphasising Shorts' connectivity with the rest of the YouTube ecosystem as a key selling feature. For creators, the key advantage of YouTube Shorts over TikTok is the ability to use YouTube's huge collection of audio content in their shorts. Shorts creators may now sample audio from YouTube videos, and the company says it's looking in

  Pic Credit: Google We've all used Google Maps to get somewhere, but maybe you're sick of hearing the same voice over and over again. On Google Maps, you may change the navigating voice in a matter of seconds. ·          On your smartphone, open the Google Maps app. ·          Head to Settings, then to Navigation Settings (which may be at the top on some smartphones). ·          You can then choose between Voice Selection and Voice Search. You'll be provided with a variety of voices at this stage, including numerous English-language alternatives. You may make Google Maps speak in a variety of languages, including British English, American English, Australian English, Nigerian English, and more. Another solution is to change your device's language and then reinstall the Google Maps application. Google Maps will borrow the language of the device on which it is installed. So you could change the language on your smartphone, install Google Maps, and then change it back. Of

  The second wave isn't quite over yet, but many of us are being forced to work and study from home due to lockdowns and movement restrictions. For the most part, this implies that meetings, activities, and classes that were once held in person are now held remotely. However, as more individuals are vaccinated, a return to some kind of normalcy is beginning to emerge. Offices and other institutions are gradually opening in limited capacities, but most organizations have settled for a hybrid approach in which the majority of employees continue to work from home. To help such workplaces find a suitable medium, Google has made some minor improvements to Calendar invites. The RSVP option in Google Calendar invites has now been extended to virtual meetings. Users of Google Workspace will be able to specify whether they plan to attend a meeting in person or virtually using the new feature. “Both the organizer and guests will be able to see how attendees are planning to attend the

WhatsApp is working on a new feature that would allow users to send images without compressing them excessively. The new feature is still in development and has not yet been made available to beta testers. In addition to video quality settings, users will be able to send videos on WhatsApp with minimal possible compression. Currently, WhatsApp does not allow this, and photos and videos are automatically compressed to fit within its restricted limit. This comes as WhatsApp is said to be getting ready to start public testing for one of its most anticipated features: multi-device support. The two features are currently in development for the Android app, according to WABetaInfo, one is multi-device support and the other will allow users to control the compression limit over images and videos. This new feature will eventually give three quality options when sending images and video: “Auto,” “Best quality” or “ Data saver” Pic Credit: WABetaInfo WhatsApp for Android beta v2.21.14.16 has b

  Facebook has been spotted testing a new feature that would allow users to publish a new post that is linked to a prior post on a related topic. The features will be especially useful for public figures since they will link all of the articles together and make them more visually appealing. By viewing the thread of posts, fans can more easily follow any updates over time. When new posts appear on followers' News Feeds, other posts in a thread related to it will also appear. Matt Navarra, a social media consultant, was the first to notice the feature and has since published numerous screenshots of how it works. Facebook also revealed about testing this new feature with a restricted group of public figures. Public figures are high-profile individuals with a public presence on Facebook who has a specific Facebook Page category. A View Post Thread button will be included in these threaded posts, according to Facebook. The button will make it simple for followers to navigate and vi

  Half a month after announcing that it would become an Oppo sub-brand, OnePlus has confirmed that its OxygenOS would be merged with its new parent company's ColorOS. The two companies have decided to "best leverage [their] shared resources" by standardizing the software experience across their whole portfolio. But what precisely does OnePlus mean when it says it's "working on combining the OxygenOS and ColorOS codebases"? Because the modifications are taking place behind the scenes, you may not notice a difference, according to the report. For all OnePlus devices released globally, OxygenOS will continue to be the operating system. As 9to5Google points out, ColorOS is already present on OnePlus phones sold in China, and it will likely remain so – the operating systems will now shade a codebase. The new OxygenOS will run on all new smartphones released by the sub-brand, while current handsets that are still receiving updates will receive the new platf

  Pic Credit: Dizo GoPods teaser on the Vietnamese website Dizo is a new brand within Realme that focuses on ecosystem and audio products. They launched their first products Dizo GoPods D true wireless earbuds and Dizo Wireless neckband earphones in India at a low price point, leaving Realme to focus on higher-end product lines. Both wireless earphones are Bluetooth-enabled and can be controlled by using the Realme Connect app. The new Dizo TWS earbuds are designed like Samsung's Galaxy Buds and include features such as passive noise cancellation and deep bass. The earphones are encased in an egg-shaped case with the same colour finish. The Dizo Wireless, on the other hand, has a neckband-style design for a secure fit. The earbuds are available in four colours: black, blue, green, and orange, and they cost Rs 1,399. During the first sale on July 7, Dizo is also providing introductory pricing of Rs 1299. The Dizo GoPods D TWS earphones are priced at Rs 1,599 and will be availabl