WhatsApp for iOS, Android: How to add bold, italics and strikethrough formatting options

Soon after WhatsApp announced that it introduced text formatting tools for Android beta, the features are now available for users running version 2.12.17 on iOS and version 2.12.535 for Android.

A report by Telegraph explains that once WhatsApp is updated, you add asterisks to either side of your text, e.g. *hello* to format your text into bold. To italicise, add underscores either side, e.g. _hello_ and to strike through text, add tildes either side, e.g. ~tilde~. One can also combine the new formats, such as _*bolditalics*_. For now this is not a feature per se but more like a temporary workaround. Moreover, it works cross platform, only if your friend has the above mentioned versions of WhatsApp installed on their smartphones.

Recently, WhatsApp also released an update which would display a progress percentage whenever an automatic local backup is in motion. However, the pop-up still blocks everything but it at least displays the percentage, so that one has a fair idea of how much time one will have to wait before the app is usable again. Another small change is the the phone number no longer shows up front and centre in the new Settings screen. The new profile section will only show the photo, name, and status, but not the phone number.

Along with this change, some new improvements have been made to the WhatsApp document file sharing feature too. One can now share a document through Google Drive. A report by points out that users can select a PDF, Word file or PowerPoint presentation file from Google Drive. Although, all of the files will be automatically converted to PDF format before sending it to other users.

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Want to brick your iPhone? Set the date to January 1st, 1970

If anyone asks you to set the date on your iOS device to January 1st, 1970, DON’T! A recently discovered bug in devices running the 64-bit version of iOS will render your device useless for a while.

Since the bug only seems to affect iOS devices, the most popular, and most probable, theory by far is one that suggests a bug in the UNIX core of iOS. While trying to avoid sounding too technical, the theory is that since UNIX measures time from January 1st, 1970, setting the date to that value when in a different time zone might cause the date value to go below zero. Since UNIX, and by extension, iOS, can’t read a negative date, the device will get stuck.

So far, the only reliable way to recover the device is to either go to an Apple Certified service centre and have the battery removed and reinstalled. You can try to reinstall the battery yourself, but woe be you if you damage the TouchID sensor. Another less reliable option is to turn off the device and wait for a few hours.

Every device running 64-bit iOS is affected but luckily, a simple software update should fix it. The entire list of 64-bit iOS devices comprise of the 6th gen iPod touch, every iPhone from the iPhone 5S onwards, every iPad from the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 onwards.

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iPhone users can now finally use WhatsApp on the web

Almost eight months after WhatsApp launched its web client for Android users, WhatApp Web finally arrives for iPhone users. WhatsApp for Web will now work with Safari on the Mac.

To use this service, one will have to simply head to the WhatsApp Web website and scan the QR code seen on the desktop via the mobile app. However, this feature has not been rolled out to all the users and will be available in phases. Recently, the service introduced many new features for iPhone users such as the option to mute an individual chat, mark a conversation as read or unread, backup videos and location sharing. In addition, features such as auto loading of older messages was added along with better support for VoiceOver.

WhatsApp for Web is now available for Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, iPhone, Nokia S40 and Nokia S60. Recently, WhatsApp for Web was updated too. The update included some mobile-like features including more control over chats and group conversations.

Users will now see more options in the browser version too. Firstly, you can edit your profile photo and status message. Some UI tweaks have also been included in this update. The Settings option will now show overflow for chats, allowing users to delete and archive chats. In addition, users can also archive, mute and exit group chats.

iPhone users seem quite excited to try out the new client too!

Looks like WhatsApp Web is turned on for iOS. pic.twitter.com/qGYwlqahIi

— Krishna (@ofkrishna) August 19, 2015

Finally! #WhatsAppWeb for #iOS is here! pic.twitter.com/qFyDAZ2JCi

— bottecla (@bottecla) August 19, 2015

WhatsApp Web is now available for iOS users pic.twitter.com/4GWqqLAUx6

— Arian (@arianismmm) August 19, 2015

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Hindi content grows by 94% year on year compared to 19% growth in English content: Google

Catering to the internet users in tier II and III towns, technology giant Google is now focusing to expand usage of its products like ‘Maps’ and ‘Search’ in vernacular languages, especially Hindi.
“While there are an estimated 500 million speakers of Hindi, there are just 100,000 Wikipedia articles. India’s Internet population is growing really fast, from 100 million users in 2011, we are now the world’s second largest Internet base with 300 million users and we are well-poised to touch 500 million base by 2017,” Google India Marketing Director Sandeep Menon told PTI.

He added that one in five (21 per cent) prefers to access Internet in Hindi in the country.
Showcasing its products at a ‘Google House’ event here, the US-based firm said it is witnessing strong growth in consumption of Hindi language.

“Hindi content consumption on the web is starting to take off. It has grown 94 per cent year-on-year compared to 19 per cent growth for English content,” Menon said.

Highlighting one such feature, Menon said Google has recently launched a new “instant translation” feature in Google Translate that allows users to translate printed text, like street signs or ingredient lists by opening the app on smartphones and pointing the camera at the text.

“For India, the growth in Internet userbase has certainly come from mobile phones. From 20 million in 2011, we have 152 million users accessing Internet over their smartphones. By 2017, it is expected that 490 million (of the 500 million Internet users in the country) will access Internet from their smartphones,” he said.

And that is also one of the key reasons that Google is focused on bringing in products that understand the requirements of users rather than just cater to the demand and can work well in low network areas, Menon added.

“Some of these include voice search being optimised for English in the Indian accent, and in Hindi to find answers faster, easier and more local. Apart from language, we are also offering offline features like the ability to save Maps or YouTube Offline to help users access services in patchy networks or without incurring huge data charges,” he said.

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New LED technology will make your Wi-Fi ten times faster

A new technology that can increase the bandwidth of WiFi systems by 10 times, using LED lights to transmit information, has been developed.

The technology could be integrated with existing WiFi systems to reduce bandwidth problems in crowded locations, such as airport terminals or coffee shops, and in homes where several people have multiple WiFi devices.

Experts say that recent advances in LED technology have made it possible to modulate the LED light more rapidly, opening the possibility of using light for wireless
transmission in a “free space” optical communication system.

“In addition to improving the experience for users, the two big advantages of this system are that it uses inexpensive components, and it integrates with existing WiFi systems,” said Thinh Nguyen, an Oregon State University associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Nguyen worked with Alan Wang, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, to build the first prototype.

The prototype, called WiFO, uses LEDs that are beyond the visual spectrum for humans and creates an invisible cone of light about one meter square in which the data can be received.

To address the issue of a small area of usability, the researchers created a hybrid system that can switch between several LED transmitters installed on a ceiling, and the existing WiFi system.

“I believe the WiFO system could be easily transformed into a marketable product, and we are currently looking for a company that is interested in further developing and licensing the technology,” Nguyen said.

The system can potentially send data at up to 100 megabits per second.

Although some current WiFi systems have similar bandwidth, it has to be divided by the number of devices, so each user might be receiving just 5 to 10 megabits per second, whereas the hybrid system could deliver 50-100 megabits to each user, researchers said.

In a home where telephones, tablets, computers, gaming systems, and televisions may all be connected to the internet, increased bandwidth would eliminate problems like video streaming that stalls and buffers.

The receivers are small photodiodes that cost less than a dollar each and could be connected through a USB port for current systems, or incorporated into the next generation of laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

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WhatsApp rolling out voice calling feature for iOS users

As promised by Brian Acton at F8 conference, WhatsApp’s voice calling feature that was rolled out to Android users a while back is now being made available for iOS.

The new version of the Messenger available for download on the Apple App store reveals support for voice calling. It reads, “WhatsApp Calling: Call your friends and family using WhatsApp for free, even if they’re in another country. WhatsApp calls use your phone’s Internet connection rather than your cellular plan’s voice minutes. Data charges may apply. Note: WhatsApp Calling is rolling out slowly over the next several weeks.”

Whatapp is also updated to work with iOS 8’s new sharing system. This meansusers can share photos, videos, links and more using the share button in other apps. Then there’s the quick access button to the camera.

Though the new update is available for download right away, users may have to wait for the highly-anticipated voice calling feature. The feature isn’t rolled out to everyone yet, and will be released in phases.

It should work in a manner similar to WhatsApp for Android. In India, there are a lot of messenger apps which allow free peer-to-peer calling like Viber, Hike, Skype, Line and so on. But what gives WhatsApp an edge is the user base here, which comes to around 70 million active monthly users.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp voice-calling for Windows Phone is ‘still in works’.

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Neither hacking nor cyber crimes, Pew study points to another bigger threat on the net

Those championing for free Internet will be glad to know that the new Pew study appears to be quite positive. However, the study also highlights some threats that could get worse by 2025.

In a study conducted by Pew, it asked around 1,400 technology experts about the biggest Internet threats in the next 20 years. These experts were academics, theorists and some industry experts in the tech space.

Pew asked a simple question to these experts and they had to answer either a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. It asked, ‘By 2025 will there be significant changes for the worse and hindrances to the ways in which people get and share content online compared with the way globally networked people can operate online today?” And out of the respondents, 35 percent said yes and 65 percent said no.

This was followed by another question, irrespective of the respondents said yes or no. It asked them what they believed to be the biggest threat that the Internet will face by 2015. The experts canvassed by Pew believe that the government and big online corporations are the biggest threat to the Internet, and not hacking or some other form of cyber war.

“We call this research study a canvassing because it is not a representative, randomized survey. Its findings emerge from an “opt in” invitation to thousands of experts who have been identified by researching those who are widely quoted as technology builders and analysts and those who have made insightful predictions to our previous queries about the future of the Internet,” Pew adds in the summary of the report.

Dave Burstein, editor of Fast Net News, responded, “Governments worldwide are looking for more power over the Net, especially within their own countries. Britain, for example, has just determined that ISPs block sites the government considers ‘terrorist’ or otherwise dangerous. This will grow. There will usually be ways to circumvent the obstruction but most people won’t bother.”

Several experts expressed concern that the Internet will be most affected by government policies like the ones limiting to the Web, filtering content and so on, as we have seen in the past. Citing examples of Internet censorship in Syria, China’s ‘Great Firewall’ and so on, the concerns were mostly about how there could be an increase in ‘blocking, filtering, segmentation and balkanization’ of the Internet.

Paul Saffo, managing director at Discern Analytics and consulting associate professor at Stanford University, said, “The pressures to balkanize the global Internet will continue and create new uncertainties. Governments will become more skilled at blocking access to unwelcome sites.”

Pointing at the recent incidents involving whistle blower Edward Snowden and snooping NSA, the report also highlights it could get difficult to trust big companies and the web.

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Finally, Facebook Messenger for iPad arrives

It only took three years.
Facebook’s dedicated chat app, has finally arrived for the iPad. It has already been available for Android, iOS and even Windows Phone smartphones. There is no word on support for Android tablets yet though. Facebook Messenger for iPad can be downloaded now from the Apple App store.

The all-new Messenger for iPad comes with a multi-window interface that displays a list of threads alongside your current conversation. It features most of the Messenger features including stickers and group chat. However, Facebook hasn’t added some of the latest features like split-screen selfie camera and tap-and-hold quick video recordings.

Though Facebook doesn’t make money directly from Messenger, it has several opportunities to start monetising it, especially considering it recently hired PayPal’s David Marcus as the VP of messaging Products.

In 2011, Facebook had acquired Beluga to launch its dedicated chat app. Over the years, Facebook Messenger has been getting timely updates to stay at par with rival messaging apps. It’s most recent features include Snapchat-like messaging features, and one-tap photo sharing for Windows Phone.

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Android L preview now available: A look at the big changes in the new OS

Google’s latest mobile OS iteration, known as Android L (for now, at least) is here. Though the company will roll out the software with its new devices – Android One or Android Silver – later this year, a developer preview of the OS is now available for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7.

After a long time, Google has given the Android OS a major overhaul. The big changes are mainly visual and a part of what Google calls its Material design initiative. The new Material Design adds a geometric feel to the UI, offering refreshed look and animation. The system font has also been updated and Google says the experience of using L is akin to touching objects in real life, and how they interact with your touch.

It’s one of the biggest visual changes since Android 4.0, and you will notice almost everything looks new and different. The first big difference comes at the lock screen.

Notifications

You can either expand swipe upwards to unlock the screen, expand a particular notification or simply swipe it way sidewards. This means you can see a message but there is no need to unlock your device to view it. You can also add some privacy and security settings, to safely access the information, and also have the option of not seeing the notifications on the lock screen. On the bottom are call, lock and camera icons for quick access.

Engadget points out, “Nearly every aspect of Android’s notifications has been blessed with improvements, and there are even a couple features that are entirely brand-new. Notifications can be viewed on the lock screen now – at least, the ones that you don’t mind others seeing if they happen to peek at your locked phone.”

Another noticeable change is that quick settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode and others are now integrated within the notifications. So, don’t expect two separate windows. Initially, users won’t see it, but they will be accessible if you keep pulling the notifications bar further down or tap on it. This section also shows the bar to adjust brightness.

“We just barely saw a similar feature introduced in iOS 8 — if a message comes in, you can choose to reply or dismiss it right away, instead of having to go into the notifications menu or your default messaging app. (Indeed, there are a few differences between the two platforms’ implementations, but the general idea is very similar.),” adds the Engadget report.

Card-like recents

On unlocking the device, you will notice that the homescreen hasn’t undergone too many changes. It still seems familiar as most of the icons are same except the settings icon which now shows a new design. DroidLife states, “On the main screen (read homescreen), we aren’t seeing anything new. It looks like the Google Now launcher. If you go in the widgets section, it still looks like KitKat to us. The wallpapers are still the KitKat style. Most app icons are same, baring (sic) the new settings icon.”

The Recents button still shows all the current running apps, however, they now appear like cards. Yes, looks like Google is all to extend the card-like Google Now UI to other parts of Android L. Just like before, you can choose the card to access or complete the function of that particular app or simply swipe it away to dismiss it. If you open a browser with multiple tabs and then you may see each tab in the form of the card. Well, that sounds too cluttered and for now, lets take it with a pinch of salt, as things are not final yet. Google may extend the functionality to multiple entries per app.

Another new offering is the redesigned keyboard that looks quite chic. Phandroid points out, “The keyboard is all new and improved. It still offers smooth swipes, a little search button and cool animation pop-ups. In advanced settings, it lets you change the colour schemes, allowing you to go back to the white option from ICS and blue from Kitkat. But not sure if we can switch back to these colours once the final cut is out.”

The all-new dialler

The phone dialler’s definitely new, adds the report. Once you tap on the dialler, you can pan through pages like Speed Dial, Recents and Contacts, and a small circular blue dialler icon moves with you. Tap on the icon, and you can start keying in the phone number. It also shows the search option right on top.

Another change comes to the sound alerts. Earlier you could either put the phone on silent or vibrating mode. It now also adds – Do not disturb. Do Not Disturb means you get the option to set the volume of notifications for a specific time period. You will also find a Do Not Disturb option in settings that lets you block messages or calls for sometime, or customise the blocking lists for specific contacts from your list.

That’s just digging the surface for now. A lot of the changes are in the back-end and will be unearthed by the development community in due time. For now, do let us know how your experience with the L preview has been.

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Why You Shouldn’t Install The iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Betas

From the second the news broke, Apple developers had access to beta versions of the upcoming iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite. As ever, many scrambled to download and install the new software as soon as possible, but that might have been a mistake.

You probably shouldn’t install iOS 8 or OS X 10.10 unless you have a good reason for doing so, and if you have a good reason for doing so you probably won’t be reading this.

iOS Beta Beware

Last year I installed and used the iOS 7 developer preview from pretty much the day it was released, until the day I could replace it with Apple’s final revision just before the iPhone 5S went on sale. My experience with the reskinned version of iOS were interesting – things changed considerably from that first beta to the finished product we’re carrying around in our pockets right now, which was an interesting process to watch.

However I only had one iOS device – an iPhone 5 – and the bugs hardly made it worth it. Not only was the whole thing remarkably slow, likely due behind-the-scenes debugging measures, but things just didn’t behave as they were meant to. The UI glitched out on a daily basis. Random crashes became something I would expect when performing certain tasks or visiting specific websites. Perhaps most annoyingly of all, many apps refused to work – Instagram wouldn’t see my Camera Roll, Voxer couldn’t access the microphone and many apps that relied on permissions in general were broken due to shifts in the way iOS handles those things.

In short, it was a bit of a nightmare. Despite the fact that I was doing it for work purposes, I’m not keen on repeating the experience any time soon. There’s a reason they’re called developer previews, and there’s a reason many developers rush out and buy an iPod Touch at this time of year. If that’s not a good enough reason to hold off installing, there’s always the issue of registering your device with Apple.

Apple charges $99 for access to its developer program, which grants access to iOS 8 by allowing you to register your device’s unique device identification (UDID) number and use the beta unhindered. While many will find it’s possible to install the beta without registering your UDID, there’s a chance things won’t go to plan – especially considering that betas expire (there are usually five or six firmware revisions during this beta period). You’ll need to install the new beta before the old one expires, else you might be left with an expensive paperweight until the official release.

Last year’s iOS 7 beta made it difficult to downgrade once installed, though it was possible. Tracking down iOS 8 firmware files isn’t going to be difficult, but it might have serious repercussions for those of you who are not registered. If you absolutely have to download developer previews, at least use a slightly-fishy service like iModZone Downloads to register your UDID against the beta program. There’s no guarantee your phone will ever actually be approved unless you have your own developer account and do it yourself, though.

But I Absolutely Have To!

If you really want to install the iOS beta, and you’re confident your UDID has been accepted, you can do so using the following method:

1. Download the iOS 8 .IPSW file for your device either from Apple’s developer website, or elsewhere.
2. Backup your device.
3. Connect via USB and find your device in iTunes, then option (alt) + click the Restore button, a window should open.
4. Select the beta .IPSW file you downloaded and install. You can restore from your backup once the process is complete.

Argh! Can I Get Rid Of It?

We warned you, but you didn’t listen. Downgrade instructions are as follows:

1. Download the iOS 7.1.1 .IPSW.
2. Power down your device, hold the home button and connect to your computer. Continue to hold the home button until your iOS device says something about connecting to iTunes.
3. Find your device in iTunes, then option (alt) + click the Restore button, select the iOS 7 .IPSW you just downloaded and cross your fingers.
4. Restore your device from that precious backup you made.

Yosemite Can Wait, For Now

If you wanted to install Yosemite before it’s ready, you should have probably registered for the public beta program the day it was announced. The OS X 10.10 public beta signup page still exists, but it’s likely most of the invites (Apple limited it to the first one million applicants) are gone by now. Much like iOS betas, the OS X developer previews are designed for developers who pay the $99 annual fee, not the public.

Add to this the fact that many of the features – like iOS Continuity – are absent at present. The good news remains: for the first time ever Apple will be rolling out a public beta. So if you really do want to try out Yosemite before everyone else, this is probably the best way to do it.

But that’s not to say you should rely on public beta software any more than you should closed beta software. Unlike our mobile devices, desktops and laptops often take on workhorse roles. I can work around the problems on my iPhone by using my MacBook, but the opposite isn’t true. It’s not a great idea to put your main workhorse out of action, so if you’re going to install any beta, you should probably do it on another partition.

Installing Via A Partition

Whether you’re installing the public or developer preview, Apple doesn’t recommend using it as your main operating system just yet. If you’re not using a MacBook with precious little space left on your SSD, creating a partition might be a good option. The process is fairly easy too:

1. Backup your Mac, just in case something goes wrong.
2. Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and click on your main internal drive (at the top of the list).
3. Under the Partition tab click the plus “+” button.
4. Select the new partition that appears in the box and give it a size – 30GB should be enough for OS X and some software, but you can go hog wild if you want.
5. Give it a name and click Apply.

Now when you go to install Yosemite make sure you click Show All Disks in the installer when asked for a location, and select the partition you created. At startup, you’ll be given the option of choosing between Mavericks and Yosemite, and all your old data, applications and settings remain in tact. When it comes to replacing Mavericks with the final version of Yosemite, just delete the partition.

They’re Not Ready Yet

This is the biggest and best reason to avoid both the iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 betas – they’re not ready. Many of the features you’re looking forward to – Continuity between devices, sending voice iMessages, making use of HealthKit and even the ability to use your old software – just aren’t there. Cult of Mac recently discovered what a nightmare Yosemite’s half-baked software compatibility can really be, especially when installed on your only machine.

If you do decide to plough onwards and install the developer previews then good luck to you, just remember to backup everything you need first and to ensure you have registered your iOS device with Apple’s developer program. Just in case you didn’t get it the first time: it’s not a good idea to replace your existing stable operating systems with unreleased betas.

Let us know if you’re running the beta, excited for the first OS X public beta or simply happy to wait a few months until Cupertino’s new toys are ready.

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Google’s Cardboard DIY kit turns your smartphone into a virtual reality headset

Facebook spent billions to acquire Oculus VR and the technology behind Oculus Rift its virtual reality headset, but Google is taking a decidedly low-tech approach to achieving the same. This year’s I/O attendees got to pick either of the newly-launched Android Wear watches and were also given a mysterious kit simply called Cardboard.

As we expected, it’s anything but a simple piece of cardboard, like TechCrunch points out. It’s a DIY virtual reality headset kit that comes with all the MacGyveresque tools you will need to convert your regular smartphone into a virtual-reality display.


 
Using the instructions provided, you have to build the Cardboard into that familiar HUD shape, and also make sure all the other ‘high-tech’ tools such as the rubber band and a velcro flap are in the right place. There are two plastic lenses built into the face of the Cardboard, which add all the magic and wrap your phone’s display in the visible area.There’s also a piece of magnet that has to be attached to a small notch on the Cardboard’s exterior, and you’re set.

Since you are so up close to the image, it’s something like looking at an ultra wide, naturally curved display. The device, if we can call it that, works only when the Cardboard app on the phone is fired up. Navigation within the app is simply about moving your head to ‘look around corners’ etc. The magnet attached on the outside acts as a big selector and lets you pick elements within the UI.

At the moment, the selection of viewable content is limited to 7 categories. Users can watch a selection of YouTube videos using Cardboard, but many of the other applications are tied to Google Maps and Street View.

Tour Guide has you explore the Palace of Versailles in France, while ‘Street Vue’ lets you wander around in a VR version of street view in Paris. Earth Flyover lets you aerially explore a city in Google Earth, while there’s a Photo Sphere Viewer as well. Windy Day lets users explore a cartoony environment, from the point of view of a flying hat. ‘Exhibit’ allows you to examine more closely popular objets d’art.

Of course, this is just the work of Googlers during their ’20 percent’ time, so don’t expect a retail variant. However, if you want one, Dodocase is selling the kit online at the moment, with or without the NFC tag. It comes to around $20 without shipping, so it’s not that expensive.

Cardboard gif credit: TechCrunch

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Android everywhere: Google’s dominant OS powers Android TV, Android Auto

It’s an Android world, at least that’s what Google is hoping it will be, as it showcased a redefined Android TV at its annual developer conference. Google also showcased Android Auto for cars as well during the keynote address. We take a quick look at what these are offering:

Android TV

Android TV isn’t something new. Google has been trying to get into users’ living rooms for some time now. Google TV was introduced way back in 2010 with the first Google TVs being made by Sony and Logitech. In the second generation of devices, LG, Asus and others had also partnered on Google TV. But Google TV wasn’t a success. Nor was the Nexus Q which was a media-streaming entertainment device introduced in June 2012. Q wasn’t much of success and it was replaced by Chromecast, which was showcased at last year’s Google I/O conference.

Android TV now lets users broadcast content to your TV, as well as search a grid of popular content, apps, and games. Voice search and Google Knowledge Graph are also enabled for Android TV, which means you can just talk to your TV and do a voice search for instant results.

Google has also made sure that there’s one Android software-development kit for all the company’s Android form factors and thus will allow apps to work across supported devices and platforms. According to the announcements at I/O, Sony and Sharp are producing Android-powered TVs and set-top boxes which will launch by 2015. Google also expects Asus, Razer to launch the first set of Android TVs by fall. The 2015 line of HD and 4K televisions from Sony, Sharp and TP Vision have Android TV.

Google’s Android L Developer Preview SDK includes the new Leanback support library that allows developers to design smoother, simpler, living room apps. Developers can “now build immersive native apps and console-style games on Android TV devices,” according to Google.

Dave Burke, director of engineering for Android, announces the Android TV during his keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference. Reuters

Where Chromecast is concerned, Google boasted that it is one of the top five selling electronic devices on Amazon and that is doing very well in countries like Australia, UK, USA. However Google didn’t give any numbers on how many Chromecast devices were sold across the world.

Chromecast now allows users to stream content from anywhere and you don’t even have to be on the same Wi-Fi network as the device. Do note that this an optional feature and users can make sure that not everyone can go around streaming content on their Tv sets via Chromecast.

There’s a feature called Backdrop which can run feeds of photos, news, weather, or art while you’re not using the Chromecast. Sort of like a screen saver for your TV. Except of course, this might mean of lot of electricity consumption and we’re not sure if this a good idea. There’s also a Cast Screen button which lets users directly mirror anything on their Android device to the TV. Of course you will need a supported phone or tablet from Samsung, HTC, LG, or the Nexus.

Android Auto: According to Google the idea behind Android Auto is to ensure that users aren’t switching between the phone and the steering wheel while driving. Like Android TV, users can just mirror their smartphone’s screen on the car’s screen.

Android Auto supports Google Maps which you can run via voice commands. You can also reply to messages you get on your phone with Voice. Users can play and find music on their cars without having to fiddle with the actual buttons. Google is also bringing some apps to Android Auto such as Songza, Pandora, and other radio and music streaming apps.

Google has also introduced Android Auto APIs, where app developers can ensure that an app designed for smartphones runs on Android Auto as well. The SDK for Android Auto will be introduced later. Google’s list of partners include Bentley, Ferrari, Audi, Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Suzuki, Skoda, Honda to name a few and they have a total of 40 partners. Whether Android Auto will also be a part of low-end models from these companies remains to be seen, but according to Google the first set of cars should be expected by end of this year.

Google Android Auto is the company’s answer to Apple’s CarPlay which also supports Siri-based contextual voice commands for making calls, sending and receiving messages.

Overall with Android Tv and Android Auto, Google is strengthening the Android platform and hoping to extend it in your living room and cars.

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All you need to know about your next mobile OS, Android L

Google held its annual developer conference, Google I/O yesterday, and it was pretty much a given that it would showcase a new version of Android, smartwearables, Android TV and Android for cars. Google did show us all of these things but the biggest change was to Android itself.

Android fans and developers got to see a new version of Android codenamed ‘L’. This version will be out in fall of 2014 and will come pre-loaded on new Android devices. Of course, for older devices it will be up to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to decide when they will send out the update.

“This is one of the most comprehensive releases we have done: it has over 5,000 new APIs, and we are thinking not just for mobile, but for form factors beyond mobile,” said Google’s Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai, during the keynote presentation at I/O.

And while there’s a good chance that Android L could be called Android Liquorice or Android Lollipop by the time it comes out, it has a lot of stuff that’s new. We take a quick look.

First up, Android L will see the software get a massive design change. Google has gone for something called Material Design which lets developers add shadows and seams to give visuals on a phone’s screen the appearance of depth. Essentially Material Design will allow developers to add a more animated element to their apps. Elements can dynamically shrink and expand, there’s more white space between elements, and there’s an overall 3D look.

According to Google’s own blog, Material Design will allow developers to, “...apply to your apps for a new style: it lets you easily infuse your own color palette into your app, and offers new system widgets, screen transitions and animated touch feedback. We’ve also added the ability to specify a view’s elevation, allowing you to raise UI elements and cast dynamic, real-time shadows in your apps.”

Sundar Pichai talking about Android at the conference. Reuters

As this piece on CNET explains “Material Design opens up a 3D interface even on 2D screens by letting programmers specify not just what color a pixel should be, but how high it should be in a virtual stack.” Google will also bring this Material Design to Chrome OS.

What the video below.

Secondly Google is promising improved processor performance on smartphones. Google has introduced Android Runtime (ART) as the system default. According to the company’s official blog, “ART offers ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, more efficient garbage collection, and improved development and debugging features.”

There’s also support for 64-bit support architecture. Google also says that apps written in the Java language can run immediately on 64-bit architectures with no modifications required. The company is als promising better graphics on L via OpenGL ES 3.1 and thus ensure that app developers can get capabilities such as compute shaders, stencil textures, and texture gather for their games.

Better Battery performance is also going to be a key part of Google L. Project Volta as Google calls it comes with new tools and APIs to help apps run efficiently and conserve power. There’s also a Battery Historian, a new tool that will let developers see how their app ends up using power over time. There’s also a job scheduler API to ensure that developers can set some tasks to run when the device is charging or idle to reduce battery usage.

Matias Durante, Vice President, Design at Google, speaks on stage during the Google I/O Developers Conference at Moscone Center. AFP

Notifications on Android L are also going to see drastic changes as well. Google will ensure that users can access notifications content, updates without unlocking the screen. There’s also Heads-up notification, which will appear in a small floating window if the user is working on another app. Users can choose to reply to that notification while they are in the app or also ignore it. Developers can add their own colour and branding to the notifications.

The ‘Recents’ tab has also gone a drastic change in Android L. It will now show all recently used apps as “a stacked card overview” and will include recently accessed websites from Chrome. Other apps can also add items to the list. The advantage of this is that if you open a website on your mobile browser and then switch to something else, you can just go back to ‘Recents’ to view that website instead of opening Chrome all over again. It looks much prettier than the current multi-tasking system, and resembles more like the cards in Google View.

Google is also bringing in Universal Data Control L where Android users will be able to control how data on their handset is shared. Users will also be able to divide their devices between work and personal modes. Essentially this is Google’s way to reach out to the Enterprise user and convince them that an Android phone is just as good for work as it is for play. Interestingly Google’s Sundar Pichai also mentioned Samsung’s Knox Security Technology (which allows division between work and personal data on Samsung phones) and said that they (as in Google) would be using the technology in Android as well.

Android devices can now function in Bluetooth Low Energy peripheral mode, which will let apps use this to let nearby devices know the presence of the smartphone. For instance, developers can apps that let a device function as a pedometer or health monitor and transmit data to another BLE device.

Android L will be out this fall. Image Tech2.

Given that Android L will also allow for integration across Google devices such as Chromebooks, smartwatches that run on Android Wear, cars that support Android Auto, it’s evident that the company is pushing for a larger agenda with Android being the sun around which all of this will revolve. With Android L, what we’re seeing are some refreshing changes to the OS, but for users L will mean more if they end up getting the updates as soon as it is released, otherwise many won’t get access to these features.

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Apps at Google I/O: Slides, Android TV remote control, MS Office support and more!

Google flagged off the I/O developer conference by introducing Android L, Android Auto, Android TV and more. Along with the nifty software and hardware announcements, the search giant also introduced a couple of new apps that are now available on the Play Store.

Firstly, Google has announced ‘native’ Office document editing support for Google Docs. Users can now import documents by preserving all of Microsoft Office’s formatting. Without mentioning Microsoft, Google made it quite clear that it will allow users to save files as Word files. Users can also convert files to Google Docs format mid-edit. Google Docs and Sheets standalone apps were recently launched for Andorid and iOs users, and finally Slides joins the convoy.

The Slides app is also available on Google Play store for editing presentations on mobile devices. It now allows users to ”create and share mobile slides straight from your mobile devices,” Pichai said during the keynote. Editing presentation has been a long-awaited demand from Android users.

A couple of hours after the keynote, the Android TV Remote app also made it to the Play store. It helps users control all the Android TV devices. As we know that Android TV wont come until late this year, it has been designed for the developer kit that was announced at the event and the reason why Google has made it available on the Play store. Moreover, it is believed to be working with all current Android devices.

Along with the Android TV remote, the Google Cast Receiver is also available on the Play store. This app is designed to turn your Android TV into a Chromecast-enabled device. Only developers with access to the developer kit can try out the full functionality of this app.

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Google unveils Android L: And the L stands for…?

Finally, the next iteration of Android is here with a refreshing new look and some cool improvements. Google has introduced it as ‘L release’ without giving any specific name, and has kickstarted the guessing game for which dessert the search giant pick would pick next. The company will release the developer preview later today and will probably christen it when the first official devices running it finally arrive later this year.

The next version of Android is about to begin with L, and there are a lot of theories as to what the name could be. While lollipop, lemonhead and licorice seem to be a current crowd favourite globally, Indians are expecting it to be named after the desi sweet – Laddu or Ladoo. In fact, last year a group of students from IIT-Kharagpur – which also happens to be Pichai’s alma mater – have been lobbying for the next version of Android to be named Lassi.

HTC has quickly put out an image showing several options to consider from including lemon meringue, lady fingers, lava cake and even lemonade. There are some who also feel, the name is ‘L’ itself, while others think the company is buying time to fetch a sponsored brand. The Indian Twitrrerati is rooting for Ladoo, while some are ripping into the name, saying Ladoo’s updates would be called Motichur, Boondi, etc. Some others are busying joking around the L itself…as in L for Loser.

So what do you think? Will Google release a ‘sweet’ name or will L remain the final name? Let us know. We’d love to see more options.

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Twitter Is Experimenting With A New Way To Retweet

The best thing about Twitter is that it forces users to embrace brevity thanks to its 140-character updates. It’s also the worst thing about Twitter, turning loquacious tweeters into Twitter stream hogs - as with the disaster that is the multi-part running commentary known as the Tweetstorm. But now Twitter is experimenting with a new feature called “retweet with comment” that would better allow users to participate in a conversation, while also providing context and commentary that can otherwise get lost when using the standard Twitter “retweet” function or “quoted tweets.”

In fact, it appears that the “retweet with comment” feature would replace the latter “quote tweet” option, which today often requires users to truncate the original tweet in order to add their own two cents.

Oh, in case all this Twitter terminology has you lost:

A Twitter retweet allows a user to re-post another’s tweet to their own personal timeline. The “quote tweet” feature, meanwhile, grabs the other person’s tweet, places it in quotation marks, then allows the person re-posting it to insert their own comment in front of or after the quoted snippet.

Unfortunately, neither of these methods really allow for the sharing of a longer thought of your own because of Twitter’s hard-coded, 140-character limit in the case of quoted tweets – and because retweets don’t allow you to insert your own text.

But now, Twitter may be changing things up.

If the current experiment rolls out to the general public, users will be able to “retweet with comment” instead of quoting a tweet which will give them more room to write their own words.

With this option, the original tweet a user references becomes a “Twitter Card” that appears below the original tweet. (Twitter Cards are what allows the network to display rich media in tweets like photos or Vine videos, for example. This – see below – appears to be a Twitter Card for a tweet itself, though.)

For now, Twitter is testing the change with a select portion of its user base, as it does from time to time when experimenting with how users will react to or adopt a change to its platform.

The new “retweet with comment” feature was first spotted by Mashable, which noticed that Twitter’s head of product communications, Carolyn Penner, was testing this on her own timeline.

But a quick scan of Twitter indicates that this is not some internal-only experiment. Other regular Twitter users are now seeing that the ability to quote a tweet has disappeared in favor of this new functionality.

So far, however, Twitter’s peanut gallery is not amused, writing that they “fckn hate” the new feature, and telling Twitter to “stop being lame.”

(People really hate change, don’t they?)

Despite a handful of angry tweets, the switch is arguably an improvement over the old process, which was maddening since it almost always required you to edit the original tweet in order to have room for your own words.

The 140-Character Problem

Twitter has for a long time been challenged by the limitations of its 140-character nature.

For example, originally, the retweet function actually began tweets with “RT” to indicate the post was not your own, but rather something you were pointing to from another account. Still, even those couple of extra letters and the space after them were eating away at the character count, which pushed the company to move to the RT-less “retweet” feature we have today. “Quote tweet” was later thrown in as a way to humor those who actually liked to have their say, not just mindlessly re-share content.

Twitter declined to comment on its plans for the new “retweet with comment” feature.

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Apple App Store policy changes/renewed

As you may be aware, TechCrunch recently posted a blog about Apple rejecting apps that use incentivized video views and social sharing and “any other inappropriate methods” of app promotions. The specific clauses that Apple seems to be referring to in making these rejections are found here (copied from App Store Review Guidelines)

Section 2.25: Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected, unless designed for a specific approved need (e.g. health management, aviation, accessibility, etc.) or which provide significant added value for a specific group of customers
Section 3.10: Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program

We are sharing this communication to assure you that we have reviewed InMobi’s advertising solutions against these criterion and determined that our advertising is in complete compliance with Apple’s policies. Driven by a vision to deliver high quality users for our advertisers and high monetization for our publishers, InMobi's advertising platform does not incentivize any artificial manipulation of user reviews or ranks on the App Store to drive installs.

We continue to believe that video advertising creates engaging ad experiences that result in new users with high Lifetime Value (LTV) for advertisers and higher eCPMs for publishers. Video ads are the best performing ad format on our network, delivering a lift of up to 250% in conversions as compared to static interstitials.

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Samsung reportedly in talks to buy Nuance, the company behind Siri

Nuance Communications, the company behind Apple’s mobile assistant Siri, could be bought over by rival Samsung, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The paper cited sources familiar with the matter and says that, “Nuance has held talks not only with Apple’s rival Samsung, but a number of private equity firms.” Interestingly Nuance has Carl Icahn as its biggest shareholder and he owns about 19 percent according to filings, adds the report. Icahn recently boosted his stake in Apple by 2.8 million shares worth nearly $1.65 billion. He has a total of 7.5 million AAPL shares.

The WSJ report says that it is not known how far the talks have progressed, or if a deal is close to being reached.

Apple isn’t the only big consumer for Nuance. The US company’s voice recognition tech also power Samsung’s handsets, televisions and tablets and its technology is integrated within Samsung’s S-Voice software and the firm’s upcoming wearable technology.

Samsung isn’t the only one who has been trying to acquire Nuance. According to this ZDNet report, last year saw rumours of a potential purchase of Nuance by Apple thanks to “a chance comment by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who stated the iPad and iPhone maker had bought the firm. It is believed that Apple held talks with Nuance, but a deal was never reached.

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250 new emojis coming soon: Flip off your friends with a virtual middle finger

Messaging fiends will be happy to know that a fresh batch of emojis are now on their way.

 

The Unicode Consortium has announced that version 7.0 of the Unicode Standard will be available soon, most likely next month, and it will be bringing a slew of much-demanded emojis to the table.

 

The latest version is expected to add 2,834 new characters, approximately 250 emoji, new currency symbols for the Russian ruble and Azerbaijani manat, 23 new lesser-used and historic scripts and some more symbols. Among the list of 250 emojis, there are some interesting additions such as the middle finger, shopping bags, a clamshell phone (presumably to make fun of that one friend), a reminder ribbon and world map.

 

Yes, you heard it right, the emojis list will include the symbol of a ‘reversed hand with middle finger extended’. So the next time your friend is being annoying, you could just flip them off instead of typing out abuses.

 

The list also includes some other ‘now-vintage’ emojis like the good old floppy disk and a tape cartridge. The new list includes a slew of computer-related peripherals like the hard disk, a wired keyboard, an old personal computer, a CD, a printer, monitor, mouse and more.

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Facebook launches mobile app that does not require Facebook account

Facebook Inc launched a smartphone app on Tuesday that will allow consumers to exchange disappearing photos and videos without requiring Facebook accounts, the Internet Company's latest effort to develop mobile services beyond its core social network.

The new app, dubbed Slingshot, allows users to sign up for the service with their mobile phone number and connect with friends in their phone's contact list or, if they want, by finding their Facebook friends.

Photos on Slingshot disappear from users' phones shortly after they are viewed, reflecting a growing anxiety about privacy in the age of Internet social networking.

Facebook's release of Slingshot comes as a new crop of mobile messaging services gain popularity and threatens to draw younger users away from Facebook's 1.28 billion-user social network.

To help mitigate the threat from alternative social networks, Facebook is developing a variety of standalone apps and acquiring fast-growing rivals. In 2012 it acquired photo-sharing service Instagram and in February it announced plans to acquire messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion.

Snapchat, an app that lets users send messages that automatically disappear after a few seconds, turned down a $3 billion acquisition offer from Facebook last year, according to media reports at the time.

Unlike other messaging apps, Slingshot will not allow users to view the messages they have received from their friends until they reciprocate and send back a photo or video of their own. The rule is designed to make Slingshot a service for which everyone contributes material, although it could require a learning curve that confuses or turns off some users.

"When everyone participates there's less pressure, more creativity and even the little things in life can turn into awesome shared experiences," Facebook said in a blog post announcing the service on Tuesday.

Slingshot will be available in the United States on Tuesday for Android and iOS devices.

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