Telcos get ready to woo pilgrims at Kumbh Mela with virtual tours & more

On offer are radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to locate those who might get lost, apps that offer realtime travel information, emergency helplines and area routes. http://bit.ly/2FjaCqM https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Bose QuietComfort Road Noise Control system is aimed at reducing outside noise in your vehicle

Highlights: Bose QuietComfort Road Noise Control (RNC) sound management system announced at CES 2019 The tech is said to reduce noise inside a vehicle by using hardware-based audio sensing devices and the company’s own algorithm  Bose is well known for its audio solutions that also spans into the automotive segment and the company has announced its latest QuietComfort Road Noise Control (RNC) sound management system at the ongoing CES 2019 trade show. The new tech makes use of the company’s advancements in its QuietComfort technology, which is used in Bose headphones, and is aimed at reducing the noise inside a vehicle by analysing and cancelling out the outside noises. The QuietComfort RNC will be available for global vehicle manufacturers and joins the company’s other offerings like the Bose Engine Harmonic Cancellation (EHC) and Bose Engine Harmonic Enhancement (EHE) systems.  The new tech is aimed at reducing the noise inside the cabin of vehicles like cars, trucks, and SUVs. It works by employing a bunch of devices like accelerometers, the company’s proprietary signal-processing software, mics, and the vehicle’s audio system to ‘electronically control unwanted sound.’ Bose’s algorithm continuously measures vibrations that cause noise with the help of accelerometers mounted on the body of a vehicle. This data is used to calculate an acoustic cancellation signal, which is then delivered via speakers inside the vehicle for reducing the targeted noise. Mics are placed inside the cabin and note remaining noise levels. This is said to enable the tech to adapt to the control signal for calibrated performance for different road surfaces, while adjusting over time as the vehicle ages. “For years, we’ve been asked why we can’t simply adapt our noise cancelling headphone technology to vehicle cabins for a quieter driving experience,” says John Feng, Manager at Bose Automotive, Active Sound Management Solutions. “But we know it’s much more difficult to control noise in a large space like a car cabin compared to the relatively small area around your ears. However, through research advances and our relentless efforts to solve tough problems, we’ve achieved a level of road noise reduction that sets Bose apart from competitive offerings.” Bose will custom-engineer QuietComfort RNC in automobiles by working with manufacturers during the vehicle development process. Alongside cars with Bose sound systems, the technology will also be available for cars that have a standard sound setup. QuietComfort RNC is expected to be made available in production models by the end of 2021. Related Reads: Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Review   http://bit.ly/2VNoDCn

Nokia 61 successor may be called Nokia 62, could have punch-hole display

Highlights: Nokia 6.1 successor may be called the Nokia 6.2. It may launch with 6.2-inch display and Snapdragon 632 SoC. It may hit Chinese markets in January end or early February.   As the biggest mobile phone-centric show MWC in Barcelona nears, smartphone makers are gearing up to prove their mettle by introducing different types of innovation in their offerings. HMD Global, the Finnish company that sells Nokia-branded phones, is no exception and it could launch the successor to the Nokia 6.1. Allegedly called the Nokia 6.2, the device could launch in the run-up to the MWC or at the event itself. The mention of the smartphone comes from a tweet by Nokia_Leaks claiming that the Nokia 6.2 (Nokia 6 2019) may launch with a 6.2-inch display with punch hole in it to incorporate a selfie shooter. It should be similar to what we have seen in the Samsung Galaxy A8s and the Honor View 10. The could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC and come with either of the 4GB or 6GB RAM. In the camera department, the smartphone is said to sport a dual-camera setup on the back with Zeiss optics and 16MP sensors. The first market to get the phone could be China and the phone may launch in January end or early February. The tweet also mentions that the phone could have OZO Audio, which Nokia says is an advanced spatial audio tech that allows sound to be captured and played back just like real life. The news comes a few hours after detailed 5K renders of a Nokia phone that has a punch-hole display were revealed. Reportedly, the phone is called the Nokia 8.1 Plus and may have an almost edge-to-edge display with thin bezels on the sides and a thick chin. The smartphone is reported to have a 6.22-inch display with a punch-hole panel. It is expected the display will have a FullHD+ resolution. The Nokia phone also seems to have a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, and a dual camera unit along with an LED flash on the back. The renders show this Nokia phone sporting a physical fingerprint sensor on the rear glass panel, which also has the Android One branding on the bottom. The leaked phone has a design similar to the recently-announced Nokia 8.1, but the leaked phone seems to have a matte-finish black frame instead of the stainless steel chamfers. Related Read: Nokia 8.1 First Impressions: Maximum Nokia, pure Android http://bit.ly/2FsOdH4

Xiaomi Redmi 6 is the companys fifth smartphone to be permanently discounted

Highlights: Xiaomi Redmi 6 receives a permanent price cut. The 32GB storage variant of the device now costs Rs 7,999. Its 64GB version will cost Rs 8,999 instead of Rs 9,499.  Xiaomi has made its fifth and final announcements of this week and it also comes as a price cut on one of its handset. The Xiaomi Redmi 6 has received a permanent price cut and it will now be available starting at Rs 7,999. The 3GB RAM + 32GB Storage model of the handset is now available at Rs 7,999, down from its previous price of Rs 8,999. Its 3GB RAM + 64GB storage now costs Rs 8,999, instead of Rs 9,499. The smartphone comes in Blue, Rose Gold, Gold and Black colour options and can be bought from all official online and offline channels like Mi.com, Flipkart, Mi Home and offline stores. In terms of hardware, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 sports a 5.45-inch HD+ 18:9 display with a resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels. Under the hood, it is powered by the MediaTek Helio P22 SoC and comes with 3GB RAM and two storage variants, one with 32GB and 64GB of storage. The internal storage can also be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. The handset runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with Xiaomi’s own MIUI 9.6 on top. Coming to the camera, the Redmi 6 sports a dual-rear camera setup with a 12MP + 5MP sensor configuration. On the front, it features a 5MP selfie camera. It is backed by a 3000mAh battery. As mentioned above, the price cut on the Redmi 6 is Xiaomi’s fifth price drop announcement this week. The company previously announced permanent reduction on the prices of its Redmi 6 Pro, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Mi A2 and Redmi Y2 smartphones. The table below summarises the new prices of all the Xiaomi handsets that are now available at lowered prices.  Smartphones Variants Xiaomi Redmi 6 7,999 (3/32GB) 8,999 (3/64GB)  Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro 9,999 (3/32GB) 11,999 (4/64GB) Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro 12,999 (4/64GB) 13,999 (6/64GB) Xiaomi Mi A2 13,999 (4/64GB) 15,999 (6/128GB)  Xiaomi Redmi Y2 8,999 (3/32GB) 10,999 (4/64GB) Related Reads: Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro receives permanent price cut in India, now starts at Rs 9,999 Xiaomi Mi A2 receives another permanent price cut, now starts at Rs 13,999 Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro receives another permanent price cut in India, now starts at Rs 12,999 Xiaomi Redmi Y2 permanently discounted in India, now starts at Rs 8,999 http://bit.ly/2QFdXSc

Vivo phone code-named The Waterdrop could sport never seen before design: Report

Highlights: Images of a Vivo phone with “The Waterdrop” codename leaked online. “The Waterdrop” is claimed to be inspired by the cosmic detector in the novel “Three-body”. When Vivo launched the Nex smartphone last year, it took the world by surprise because instead of sporting a notch, the phone introduced a mechanised camera that would pop-up from behind the display. The Chinese company is reportedly preparing to surprise the world again with its innovation. Famous tipster Ice Universe has tweeted a bunch of photos which only shows the phone in bits and pieces. The photos show a phone having a glass back that curves around the corners. It is suggested that the display of the phone would spill all the way back to meet the back panel. No buttons, no camera openings or any other design elements are seen in the images and the model name of the phone, The Waterdrop, is claimed to be inspired by the cosmic detector in the novel “Three-body”. The tipster says that “this phone will subvert people's past perception of smartphones.” "The Waterdrop" is inspired by the cosmic detector in the novel "Three-body" I can guarantee that you have never seen a similar phone design, this is the first time in the history of mobile phones. pic.twitter.com/hPzljSAat2 — Ice universe (@UniverseIce) 10 January 2019 The news comes at a time when Vivo is expected to launch the Vivo Nex Dual-Display smartphone in India. The phone, which has two AMOLED displays - one on the back and one on the front, has already been launched in China. It is powered by the flagship Snapdragon 845 under the hood coupled with a whopping 10GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. Vivo was kind enough to send a Chinese variant of the phone to digit.in. You can watch the video below to get a better understanding of the phone has to offer. The smartphone sports a 6.39-inch FullHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 91.63 percent screen-to-body ratio on the front. The front display has no bezels, and no front facing camera - not even a motorised one. On the back, there is a 5.49-inch Full HD AMOLED panel, which enables users to use the rear-facing dual cameras to take selfie portrait shots. The Vivo NEX Dual Display has an in-display fingerprint sensor, a 3,500mAh battery and runs Android 9.0 Pie. The photography responsibilities are given to a 12MP Sony IMX 363 primary sensor with f/1.79 aperture which has 4-axis OIS. There’s a 2MP night vision camera accompanied by a 3D TOF sensor with f/1.3 aperture. The TOF (Time of Flight) camera enables accurate distance measurement and 3D modeling of user’s face to allow a more robust facial recognition and beautification features. A ring around the camera lights up to show incoming notifications. Related Read: Vivo Y93 with MediaTek Helio P22, 4GB RAM launched in India at Rs 13,990 http://bit.ly/2TK2rak

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro with 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor reportedly in the works

Highlights: Xiaomi is said to be working on the Pro variant of its recently announced Redmi Note 7 phone. The upcoming device could come equipped with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor. The recently announced Redmi Note 7 features Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright GMI 48MP sensor. Xiaomi and Redmi parted ways recently, well, not really parted ways but instead of being Xiaomi Redmi, they are now two separate entities and Redmi is now a full-fledged sub-brand of Xiaomi. Under the new Redmi brand, the company recently announced its Note 7 Pro smartphone in China which features a 48MP rear camera and is surprisingly quite affordable at 999 Yuan (roughly Rs 10,341). However, Android Authority reports that the company also announced that a Pro variant of the handset is also under development and it will feature a different 48MP sensor than the one used on the Redmi Note 7. The company is said to be using the 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor on the upcoming Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone, which was announced by Sony back in July last year.  The current Redmi Note 7 is said to come equipped with Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright GMI 48MP sensor. However, Sony’s 48MP sensor is created keeping resolution and low light performance in mind as it is a stacked CMOS unit with a quad-Bayer design. It is 1/2 inches in size, which is much larger than the conventional imaging sensors used in smartphones. Each pixel measures 0.8μm on the Sony sensor and by combining adjacent pixels, the effective pixel-pitch of the final output is 1.6μm. The Sony sensor is also used in the recently announced Honor View 20 smartphone. The Redmi Note 7 Pro is speculated to be announced around Chinese New Year. As for the Redmi Note 7, the device is a considerable upgrade in comparison with its predecessor. The device sports a waterdrop notch on its 6.3-inch LCD display that has a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC and comes in 3GB, 4GB and 6GB RAM variants with storage options of 32GB and 64GB. It is backed by a 4000mAh battery and features a USB Type-C port with Quick Charge 4.0 support instead of a micro-USB.  Coming to the device’s highlight, it is the first Redmi phone to come equipped with a 48MP sensor. The main sensor is supplemented with a 5MP secondary sensor that enables portrait shots. On the front, it sports a 13MP camera that uses AI-based algos to enable face beautification and portrait mode shots. The Redmi Note 7 is priced at 999 (Rs 10,381 approx) for the 3GB+32GB model, while its 4GB+64GB model is priced at 1199 Yuan (Rs 12,455 approx). The 6GB+64GB model of the handset gets a price tag of 1399 Yuan (Rs 14,532 approx). It’s not known yet whether the phones will be launched at similar prices when they come to India. Related Reads: Sony announces IMX586, company's first 48-megapixel smartphone camera sensor Xiaomi CEO confirms Redmi will be a separate brand     http://bit.ly/2QE7RBx

An unmanned Tesla Model S apparently knocked over a robot and killed it, or did it

Date: 6-1-2019 Location: Consumer Electronics Show 2019, Las Vegas Victim’s name: Promobot Robot Primary suspect: Tesla Model S Crime: Suspected vehicular manslaughter (roboslaughter?) It seemed like just an ordinary day at CES 2019. People were milling about. Products were being launched. New technologies were unveiled. But for one innocent robot, it would turn out to be the last day of its existence... Probably. According to a release shared by Promobot, a robot manufactured by the company was hit by an “unmanned” Tesla and was knocked over. This resulted in the robot suffering “critical damage.” According to Promobot’s statement, “the accident happened at a time when the engineers of Promobot, a participant of the exhibition, were carrying out the transportation of robots to the exhibition pavilion. During the movement, one of the robots drove into the roadway, and then was hit by a Tesla car.” The company has also shared a video that shows the crime in action.  So, it seems like a pretty open and shut case doesn’t it? We have video evidence that proves that an unmanned Tesla Model S hit an innocent robot who was minding its own business and killed it. Not only that, but it continued to drive away. Not even stopping to check its victim or exchange insurance information. Pretty straightforward right... Or is it? It all seem a little too convenient if you ask us. The camera just happened to be there, and doesn’t seem to be your regular security camera (lack of timestamps or watermarks). The robot was left unattended and alone on the side of the road (there have been instances of theft at CES before). And if you look at the ‘video evidence’ once more. It seems like the robot fell over a bit too easily if you ask us, as if it just toppled over with the faintest of brushes from the Tesla car. The physics of it seem a bit off. Either the Promobot Robot was really lightweight, or was pulled down with the help of a rope. Hmmm… speaking of which. What do we see on the left of the frame around the 0:06 mark in the video. Is that a rope that slithers away quickly after the robot gets knocked down? It should also be noted that Tesla really doesn’t have an ‘unmanned’ mode as such. It has a feature called autopilot, but in its current stage, it isn’t really autonomous.  Many commenters of YouTube have spotted the same and have called out the company for trying to pull off such a PR stunt. So, is this a case of one company trying to frame Tesla for roboslaughter, or (as YouTuber 'The 225677th Fragment of the Man-Emperor of Mankind' puts it) the first case of Autobot vs Terminator? We’ll just have to wait and see. For now, all we know is that a robot is dead and is own its way to the great mechanic in the sky.  ...the company will probably just rebuild it. No biggie. http://bit.ly/2VMBapg

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy Fold battery capacities leaked

Highlights: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G may have 5000mAh battery. Alleged Galaxy Fold may have two batteries of 3100mAh capacity each. Samsung is unveiling the Galaxy S10 on February in San Francisco.     Just when Samsung confirmed that it will launch the Galaxy S10 on February 20 at an UNPACKED event in San Francisco, a media report has come up with information regarding the battery capacity of the phone. The report by a Netherlands-based tech platform GalaxyClub also mentions the battery capacity of the foldable smartphone, allegedly called the Galaxy Fold, which the South Korean company teased at the annual Samsung Developers Conference (SDC) in San Francisco in November. GalaxyClub states that the 5G variant of the Samsung Galaxy S10 is expected to have a 5000mAh battery. It is assumed that 5G networks will draw more power to deliver high-speed internet and to give the phone enough juice to run other applications, a higher battery capacity is needed. In October, a report mentioned the concerns related to high power consumption and noted that International Telecommunication Union is aiming for greater energy efficiency as far as the 5G technology is concerned. The report quotes Emil Björnson, an Associate Professor at Linköping University in Sweden saying, “Just as computer processors become vastly more efficient over time, the analog and digital circuits that are used in base stations become more efficient. The first generations of 5G hardware will be all about delivering all the new features to the market, but then there will be time to refine the hardware, as well.”  As far as the battery capacity of the Samsung Fold is concerned, it is expected to have two batteries of 3100mAh capacity each. This means that the alleged Galaxy Fold will have 6200mAh battery setup, which seems befitting given the 7.3 inch Infinity Flex Display that offers 1536 x 2152 pixel resolution and 4.2:3 aspect ratio in the unfolded state. In the folded state, the 4.58-inch “cover display” delivers a resolution of 840 x 1960 pixels with 21:9 aspect ratio. The 3100mAh battery is said to be the same battery capacity that the most affordable model of the S10 lineup, the Galaxy S10 Lite, is expected to have. Earlier this month, famous tipster Ice Universe claimed that the regular variant of the S10 will house a 3500mAh battery and the S10 plus may sport a 4000mAh pack. Samsung is expected to launch multiple models of the S10 phone, which some reports claim could be four to five. Related Read: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G variant confirmed to launch in the U.S. this Summer http://bit.ly/2Cd7Tvb

PubG Mobile addiction lands Jammu fitness trainer in hospital, reportedly the sixth such case

Highlights: A fitness trainer from Jammu got addicted to the popular battle-royale game and had to be hospitalised. He reportedly got addicted after playing for ten days and started causing self-harm after a round. Locals have urged the J&K governor to ban such "life-threatening" games in the state and the country.   Chicken dinners in PubG Mobile are great. Out of a 100 players parachuting onto an island, you are the last one standing after endless rounds of bullets, grenades and driving. But not at the cost of one’s mental stability. A fitness trainer in Jammu reportedly had to be hospitalised after his PubG addiction turned into self-harm. It’s the sixth such case reported in Jammu, where the fitness trainer got addicted to the popular online battle-royale game after playing it for just ten days. He was admitted to the hospital after he started hitting himself with blows after completing one of the rounds. The neurologist who is treating the patient told UNI that while he can still recognise people, he is not quite conscious and is still under the influence of the game. The doctor claimed he has “partially lost his mental balance”. The locals have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik to take action and get such “life-threatening” online games banned in the state and country. Notably, PubG Mobile, Fortnite and 18 other games were pulled up by China’s Online Gaming Ethics Review Committee for posing “ethical risk”. The committee banned nine ragingly popular online games (PubG and Fortnite included), while suggesting correctional measures for the remaining 11. Earlier, a 15-year old boy was reportedly treated for PubG addiction. The boy would reportedly game till late at night and started missing school. Video game addiction is nothing new. Multiple reports over the years across the world have indicated people do get addicted to playing video games, disrupting their daily lives and sometimes even causing harm to themselves and others. There has been a sharp decline in the youth playing outdoor sports with many children now finding themselves more in front of a screen than out in the field. However, there have been many counter reports published as well claiming video games are not harmful by themselves. It’s the ungodly hours people spend playing a game or the lethal reactions people have after losing in a game that is actually more harmful. Related Links: PubG Mobile pro tips to win chicken dinner without resorting to hacks 15-year old boy being treated for PUBG addiction, how big of a problem is it? http://bit.ly/2RqZfUs

Samsung Galaxy S10 to launch on February 20 ahead of MWC 2019, foldable phone could come in tow

Highlights: Samsung has announced the launch date of its Galaxy S10 lineup.  The phones will be launched on February 20, 2019. The company might also announce its foldable phone at the same event.   The Consumer Electronics Show 2019 is in full swing and while smartphones are not hogging much spotlight at the event, Samsung has announced the dates on which its Galaxy S10 series will be launched. The announcement comes via the company’s official social media portals and the next iteration of Samsung Galaxy S series phones will be unveiled at the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event on February 20 in San Francisco. The phone manufacturer will be live streaming the event via its newsroom and other official media channels. Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung’s foldable phone will also be officially debuted at the same event.  The event is said to commence at 11 AM PT (12:30 AM IST) at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Additionally, Samsung is hosting its Unpacked event five days ahead of the Mobile World Congress 2019 trade show, which is not surprising since it did the same last year. It seems like Samsung doesn’t want any other device or company to hog the limelight and going by the reports about the upcoming phone’s design and features, the company has a lot invested in the tenth anniversary Galaxy S handsets.  Welcome to the next generation. Galaxy Unpacked on February 20, 2019. #SamsungEvent pic.twitter.com/M1Gh0F9Fs5 — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) January 10, 2019 In another announcement, Samsung posted an article about the One UI user interface that will be soon replacing the older Samsung Experience UI, on its newsroom. However, the redditor qgtx claims that the device used to show off the new UI had a punch-hole camera in its display and later, the image was changed. We checked the Internet Archive to verify this but unfortunately, the page was not saved there. While the image posted by the Redditor does hint at the upcoming Galaxy S10 handset’s design, we suggest you take it with a pinch of salt since there’s a chance that the image could be photoshopped.  Old image in the Samsung article on top vs new image on the bottom The company is speculated to launch the Galaxy S10 Lite, a standard Galaxy S10 and an S10 Plus smartphone. The Galaxy S10 Lite is reported to feature dual rear cameras and an Infinity-O display with one punch-hole for the front camera. The standard and the S10 Plus models could feature triple rear cameras, along with single and dual front-facing shooters respectively. There are also reports two more variants in the S10 lineup that could come with 5G capabilities. Related Reads: Samsung Galaxy S10 line-up battery capacity and display size surface in yet another leak Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ might pick up Galaxy A8's animation, gestures for punch-hole front-camera http://bit.ly/2RqXpTy

12 Professional Players banned for PUBG radar hacking

Highlights 12 Players have been banned from PUBG. The players used an unauthorized program to gain advantage in the game. The program revealed the location of other players and items on the map. Players getting banned in PUBG isn't new news, but 12 new players have been banned from playing the game. 10 of the 12 have been banned from professional play whereas 2 have been suspended. The players have been banned because they were fully aware that their teammates were using an unauthorized program during the PUBG Europe League Qualifiers. @PUBGEsports says, “We verified that the evidence for every ban is indeed conclusive, and that there is no grounds to assume any of the banned accounts had been hijacked or borrowed at the time the unauthorized program was used.”  Breaking up the 12 offenders, six players that have used the unauthorized program in professional games as well as public games will receive a three-year suspension. Four players that have used the program in public games but not in professional match will receive a two-year suspension. The final two members of Sans domicile fixe will receive a three-year suspension on grounds that “they were fully knowledgeable about their teammates’ using an unauthorized program during PEL Qualifiers”.  To prevent future unauthorized usage of programmes in PUBG, PUBG Corp has announced that pro players will have to go through comprehensive background checks of all their accounts. This will happen prior to them competing in matches.  PUBG Corm hasn’t revealed details about the ban other than an unauthorized app was used. However, information online suggests that the program in question seems to be radar hacking. This is a method of cheating which uses VPN to read game data packets that are sent between the game and the server. The program is pretty hard to detect as it doesn’t require actually reading the games files. The advantage this program gives players is that it tells them the location of other players in the game and items on the map which is ofcourse an unfair advantage.  Also read: 13 million cheating PUBG players banned from ever having chicken dinners again: Report PUBG bans 30,000 players, 16 professional players after new anti-cheating measures take effect: Report Fortnite and PUBG reportedly banned in China   http://bit.ly/2Fp3mcd

Google Chrome is expanding in-built ad-blocker globally on July 9

Highlights: Google will roll out Chrome ad blocker in all countries from July 9 Website owners advised to review their site status in the Ad Experience Report In a bid to enhance the user experience, Google has announced that it is expanding the in-built ad-blocker feature on Chrome worldwide on July 9. The feature, that blocks pesky website redirections, was first rolled out to North American and Europe countries. As a part of the operation, Google’s own advertising platforms stopped selling the kinds of ads that violate its standards and generate complaints from Chrome users. Google says that it follows the Better Ads Standards when determining which websites to filter ads on in Chrome. “These standards were developed by the Coalition for Better Ads, an industry group dedicated to improving the web advertising experience, based on feedback from over 66,000 consumers around the world. The Standards identify 12 experiences that users find intrusive and that advertisers, publishers, and technology vendors should avoid showing,” Google said in a blog. Google has advised website owners to consider reviewing their site status in the Ad Experience Report - a tool that helps publishers to understand if Chrome has identified any violating ad experiences on a site. “Starting today, publishers in regions outside of North America and Europe can use this tool to understand if they have intrusive ad experiences on their site, their current status (passing / no issues found or failing), and resolve outstanding issues or contest a review,” Google said. Last month Google rolled an update for Chrome 71 on Mac, Windows and Linux. This new version brought security updates and features. The Chrome now automatically blocks abusive ads on persistently offending websites. The websites affected by this new implementation are the ones that have ads or elements, which are shown as fake system dialogues or close button even after getting warnings from the Google Search Console’s Abusive Experiences Report. Related Read: Google working to bring native dark mode on Windows 10 http://bit.ly/2SP1LQH

Twitter is launching beta programme to test conversations feature: Report

Highlights: Twitter is launching beta programme to test conversations feature Anyone can apply but only the chosen ones will be able to test the features Twitter is all set to launch a new beta programme that will let the testers get hands-on the Twitter conversations features before they are released to masses, a media report has said. While talking to Engadget at the ongoing CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the idea behind this programme is for users to try out new organisation and context features with their followers. The micro-blogging website is expected to start testing the program in the coming weeks. While anyone can apply to join the beta programme, only a few thousand users will actually be shortlisted to get enrolled in it. The users who will be handpicked will be asked for feedback on features that they are testing before rolling them out to the masses. The report says that hashtags and @mentions were built by the Twitter community, and the company wants that to continue the trend. Reportedly, the new programme will give participants the ability to share what they are seeing openly with people on their timeline. “We want to develop a service for the people that are using it, and we have to involve people in that way. We have a platform that the world uses to speak their mind, why not use that as part of our development process?” Sara Haider, Director of Product Management at Twitter, was quoted as saying. Engadget says that according to Haider, as great as Twitter is for conversations on a wide range of topics, sometimes users need to work around the product to make it work for them. She reportedly also talked about Twitter threads and how those could be improved visually, including indentations and collapsing replies to only highlight the ones you're interested in. “We have a platform that the world uses to speak their mind, why not use that as part of our development process? We're making some pretty big changes to the way conversations look and feel on Twitter, and we don't want to just unveil that one day and what if you don't like it or it's not working for you?. We really want to bring our community along for this journey and be a part of this. We want to this kind of thing more often,” Haider was quoted as saying. Related Read: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey banks on AI to help company curb fake news dissemination ahead of 2019 general elections in India http://bit.ly/2AFy9hP

Apple Maps gets turn-by-turn navigation support, new Ride tab for cab bookings in India

Highlights: Apple Maps now features turn-by-turn navigation The feature is also available when one chooses the Walk option The app also gets a Ride tab that will enable users to book a cab from within the app Apple Maps has been available in India from quite some time now, however, comparatively, it wasn’t as great as Google Maps. This was partially due to the absence of some critical features like turn-by-turn navigation that help the user find their way, however, the company is now rolling out the feature for the app, which is also available when one chooses the Walk option. Additionally, some new options like cab bookings, and a new Transport tab are also now available on the navigation app but the Transport option seems to be incomplete as of writing this article since there are no options under it.  The Maps app has also received a Ride tab, which is somewhat similar to the one Cab feature on Google Maps. However, we were only shown an option to book an Uber and mayhaps later, the app will add support for other cab services as well. Even though Apple Maps has received some new features, the app is far from perfect. It still takes a while to load and is slow to pinpoint one’s precise current location. The turn-by-turn navigation feature is yet to be polished to an extent that it can take on Google Maps, but the update is a step in the right direction. We came across the new features on one of our iPhones in the office after spotting that many users on Twitter are claiming the same.  Apple Maps now has turn by turn in India as well. Except that this penis shaped path doesn't exist and Apple wants me to ride my Dio into an open sewer. pic.twitter.com/4fzQCFMLpO — سہیل خان | Sahil Khan (@sahilk) January 10, 2019 In other Apple news, the company’s CEO Tim Cook spoke about the company’s ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm, saying that the chip manufacturer is paying people to write fake news. Cook also dismissed that India could get a cheaper iPhone and when asked about the idea of a budget iPhone, Cook said, “For us, we’re about making the best product that enriches people’s lives. We’re not about making the cheapest. We want to make a great value but that’s not necessarily the cheapest.  What we’ve seen is that there’s enough people in every country in the world that we play in that we can have a really good business by selling the best phones. We knew that when we went to the iPhone X and the follow up with the XS and XS Max, that everybody would not want to spend a $1000 for the phone and so we made the iPhone XR.” Cook spoke more on many other topics and you can read more about it in detail here.  Related Reads: EXCLUSIVE: First look at 2019 Apple iPhone XI renders http://bit.ly/2SLWHwE

Overall iPhone sales down 20 YoY in November: Counterpoint Research

Highlights: Overall iPhone sales down by 20% year-on-year in November. iPhone XR 64GB was the best-selling device of the lot in November. The cumulative sale of iPhone XS Max was 50% higher than that of iPhone X in the month. The sales of new iPhones (XR/XS/XS MAX) in November were down over 20 percent as compared to last year’s iPhone launches (8/8 Plus/X) even as the iPhone XR series outsold its powerful peers, Counterpoint Research has said. The market research firm notes that the 64GB variant of the iPhone XR became the best-selling iPhone during the month. The news comes a few days after Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a “letter to investors” warning lower than expected performance for the first quarter of fiscal 2019. “iPhone XR became the best-selling iPhone model in November 2018. In contrast, last year in November the more expensive iPhone X was the best-selling model with almost 50 percent higher volume compared to the iPhone XR in November this year. The overall sales of new iPhones took a hit in November due to slower sales of the series in the Asia Pacific region (excluding China and India), Europe and US,” Shobhit Srivastava, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said in a blog. The firm ascribed the lengthening replacement cycle and decreased operator discounts during the launch of new iPhones this year as the main reasons for the sales decline in the US and Europe. The decline in emerging markets like the Asia Pacific (excluding China and India) is claimed to be due to the higher price when compared to the pricing of the offerings from Chinese smartphone players. If compared handset-wise, sales of the iPhone XR compared to the sales of iPhone 8 were down five percent. These handsets are compared because they were the cheapest iPhones available during the month of their respective launches. Similarly, iPhone XS sales, when compared to iPhone 8 Plus, were up three percent Year-on-Year. The iPhone XS Max sales, when compared to iPhone X during the same month last year registered a whopping 46 percent decline in sales. Silver lining: The cumulative sale of iPhone XS Max was 50 percent higher till November than that of iPhone X last year due to the early availability of the higher priced models this year. The sales in China were steady during November because the popular 11.11 (Single’s Day) sales, however, the sales of iPhone XR remained lower than expected due to a lack of innovative features and just one camera. While it’s the cheapest new iPhone, it still is expensive compared to local competitor products. (Read our Review of iPhone XR). Related Read: Apple CEO Tim Cook dismisses idea of cheap iPhones for India http://bit.ly/2RgYi0J