Sunday, March 1, 2020

You can now use Facebooks 3D photo feature on phones with a single camera

You’ve all seen those 3D photos on Facebook, but did you know that you needed a phone with dual cameras to achieve that effect? Well now, the company just announced that users will be able to post 3D photos on the social media platform using phones with a single camera. The company also says that users will be above to take 3D photos with their front-facing cameras as well. Get ready for a lot of 3D selfies, people.  

The feature was first implemented in October 2018 and was only restricted to phones with a dual camera that could take portrait images, using the dual cameras to take two separate images that were then used to create a ‘depth-like’ feature, resulting in a 3D image. The new single-camera feature uses machine learning to map out the three-dimensional structure of an image and replicate the 3D effect. 

The company also says that devices like the iPhone 7 or higher, or “a recent midrange or better Android device” should be capable of using the 3D tool on the main Facebook App. 

 

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Xiaomi Mi A3, Redmi Note 8 Pro now receiving Android 10 update

If you own either a Xiaomi Mi A3 or a Redmi Note 8 Pro, you’ve got some good news coming your way. Both models are now beginning to receive their respective Android 10-based software updates. You should see the update notification pop up on your device anytime now. If you don’t, hang in there; you will see it in a few days’ time when the update reaches your region. However, if you think you know what you’re doing, then you can always download and install it yourself. Get Android 10 for the Xiaomi Mi A3 here and the Redmi Note 8 Pro here: EEA/Russia.

The Xiaomi Mi A3 was supposed to receive its Android 10 update earlier in February, Xiaomi admits. But the roll-out was delayed owing to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China. The update carries the version number V11.0.7.0.QFQMIXM and weighs 1.3GB. If you’re considering buying the Xiaomi Mi A3 for its stock-like Android One user interface, you’ll be pleased to know that Xiaomi recently shaved Rs 1,000 off the Mi A3’s starting price, which means you can get the base variant for Rs 11,999. Read more about the price cut here.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro, on the other hand, is not an Android One smartphone. So it’s receiving a MIUI 11 software update that is based on Android 10. The update carries the version number V11.0.2.0.QGGRUXM (Russia)/V11.0.2.0.QGGEUXM (EEA) and weighs 1.9GB. According to the changelog listed by Xiaomi, the update has the latest February 2020 security patch and fixes to improve overall system stability. It also features a ‘localized payment security icon for India’.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro was launched in late 2019. It sold through multiple limited-period ‘flash’ sales before entering a permanent ‘open’ sale in late December 2019. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G90T chip. The handset’s screen measures 6.53 inches diagonally and has Gorilla Glass 5 protection. On the back panel, the device has as many as four cameras: a Samsung-developed 64MP sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, a 2MP macro sensor. On the front, there’s a single 20MP camera for selfies. Read our performance review of the Redmi Note 8 Pro here.

Download links courtesy: XDA Developers

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Saturday, February 29, 2020

Punes Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope detects second-largest cosmic explosion in the Ophiuchus Galaxy

It looks like our very own Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope in Pune has actually detected a gigantic explosion that took place at the centre of the Ophiuchus Galaxy. Located about 390 million light-years away from Eart, the explosion was picked up by the GMRT in Pune. This breakthrough was achieved by a team of international astronomers as they confirmed the detection of the explosion. 

Experts say that this is the second-largest explosion after the Big Bang. If what they say is accurate then this is the largest explosion in the known universe that we have been a witness of. The explosion was originally observed by NASA’s Chandra X-Ray telescope and was confirmed after studying combined data using Pune’s Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope, the Murchison Widefiled Array (MWA) and the XMM-Newton X-Ray telescope.

         

An official from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) issued a statement which said, “Using GMRT data, the researchers got an improved radio image of the radio source. It complemented well with the frequency coverage of the Australian MWA telescope while providing higher resolution for a more detailed look at the cluster”. 

Researchers say that the explosion and subsequent cavity was a result of a massive wave of energy that was released when the explosion first took place. It left a dent-like structure. 

NCRA Director Yashwant Gupta says, “It is like mining the archived data and re-using them. Even in the future, we can use such archived data for some bright ideas or newer discoveries. We expect more discoveries and interesting results to emerge using GMRT’s archived data”

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A look at top Democratic presidential candidates' stances on tech issues like breaking up Big Tech, digital privacy, encryption and backdoors, and Section 230 (Lauren Feiner/CNBC)

Lauren Feiner / CNBC:
A look at top Democratic presidential candidates' stances on tech issues like breaking up Big Tech, digital privacy, encryption and backdoors, and Section 230  —  - Voters from 14 states and one U.S. territory will decide which Democratic candidate to support for the presidential nomination on Super Tuesday.



K Health, whose AI-powered primary care app lets patients in 47 US states chat with doctors, raises $48M Series C, bringing its total raised to $97M (Mary Ann Azevedo/Crunchbase News)

Mary Ann Azevedo / Crunchbase News:
K Health, whose AI-powered primary care app lets patients in 47 US states chat with doctors, raises $48M Series C, bringing its total raised to $97M  —  K Health, a primary care consultant powered by artificial intelligence, announced this morning it has raised a $48 million Series C round.



Citroen announces Ami all-electric light quadricycle with 70km range

Citroën has announced in France a new all-electric light quadricycle called Ami. Designed to compete with the Renault Twizy electric quadricycle that has been around in the European market since 2012, the Citroën Ami is capable of delivering a driving range of up to 70 kilometres on a single charge and a claimed top speed of 45 kilometres per hour. The Citroën Ami will be available in France from March 30 and in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, and Germany a few months later.

Being a quadricycle, the Citroën Ami is about the same size as the Bajaj Qute that sells in India. Thanks to its symmetric exterior components, the Citroën Ami looks more or less the same whether it’s viewed from the front or back. In fact, Citroën has fitted a rear-hinged door on the driver’s side and a front-hinged door on the passenger’s side to maintain symmetry in the car’s design. On the inside, the little French quadricycle has two seats and a small dashboard with a dedicated smartphone holder.

The Citroën Ami is powered by a flat 5.5kWh lithium-ion battery that is housed under the floor. Citroën says it can be charged fully in three hours using a domestic 220V power socket and the bundled charging cable. Citroën also says that, since the Ami is considered a quadricycle in Europe, it can be driven with or without a valid driving licence. In France, drivers over the age of 14 can drive an Ami if they have earned a road safety certificate.

The new Citroën Ami comes with purchase, car sharing, and long-term rental options. It can be bought for 6,000 euros (Rs 4.77 lakh approx) as an online order or from a Citroën showroom. Alternatively, it can be rented on a long-term basis (48 months) for 19.99 euros (Rs 1,590 approx) a month after an initial payment of 2,644 euros (Rs 2.10 lakh approx). There’s also a car sharing option available through intermediary Free2Move, which lets a subscriber borrow the Citroën Ami at 0.26 (Rs 20.69) per minute. We don’t know at the moment if or when Citroën will launch the Ami in India.

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'Off-Facebook Activity': How to use this new Facebook feature

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Samsung, Realme, Oppo and iQoo launch new smartphones in India; this iPhone named highest-selling phone of 2019; and other top tech news of the week

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Realme 6 Pro Launch Date, Samsung Galaxy M31, and More Tech News This Week

Realme 6 Pro and Realme 6 launch date reveal and Samsung Galaxy M31 dominated the conversation in a rather busy week in terms of tech news development. https://ift.tt/2wexg0i

Americans love Apple, Europeans Samsung, and rest of the world these phone brands

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OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T receive OxygenOS 1032 with February 2020 security patch

OnePlus has generally pushed software updates out to its devices in a timely fashion. In the latest instance of this positive trend, the Chinese electronics manufacturer is rolling out the latest OxygenOS 10.3.2 software as an over-the-air update to the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T. The update, which contains the latest security patch for Android, is currently being rolled out in a staged manner. If you own either of the models, you can expect to see the notification update pop up anytime now.

According to OnePlus Global Product Operations Manager Manu J, the new OxygenOS 10.3.2 update carries the latest February 2020 security patch for Android. In addition, it comes with a fix for a previously reported bug that causes the screen to flicker when the user is swiping up from the lock screen to unlock the device. Lastly, the update contains fixes for some ‘general bugs’ and improves the overall system stability. Read the changelog published by OnePlus here.

According to some of the OnePlus Community members, the new update indeed fixes the screen flickering issue in the lock screen but fails to bring a solution for a notch-related complaint that began with Android 10. According to many users on the forum, Android 10 does not ‘hide’ (blacken) the status bar around the display notch the way Android 9 Pie did. Instead it pushes the entire status bar below the notch, thus wasting some essential screen space.

The OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T received their last software update to OxygenOS 10.3.1 exactly one month ago, which contained a long list of system-level bug fixes. Apart from carrying the December 2019 security patch for Android, the OxygenOS 10.3.1 update fixed a critical camera crash issue and optimised the image preview time in Pro mode. It also fixed a disconnection issue many users reportedly faced while using 5GHz Wi-Fi hotspot. You can read more about the fixes in the previous software update here.

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Union of Concerned Scientists study: ride-hailing trips today result in an estimated 69% more climate pollution on average than the trips they displace (Andrew J. Hawkins/The Verge)

Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge:
Union of Concerned Scientists study: ride-hailing trips today result in an estimated 69% more climate pollution on average than the trips they displace  —  Union of Concerned Scientists recommends more electric cars and pooled trips  —  Uber and Lyft have weathered criticism about pollution …



eMarketer: in the US, TikTok is expected to grow 21.9% YoY to 45.4M MAU in 2020, down from 97.5% growth in its breakout year of 2019 (eMarketer)

eMarketer:
eMarketer: in the US, TikTok is expected to grow 21.9% YoY to 45.4M MAU in 2020, down from 97.5% growth in its breakout year of 2019  —  More than 20% of social users will use TikTok this year … After nearly doubling its US user base last year, growth for TikTok will slow in the coming years …



Friday, February 28, 2020

Boeing Blames Incomplete Testing for Astronaut Capsule Woes

Boeing acknowledged Friday it failed to conduct full and adequate software tests before the botched space debut of its astronaut capsule late last year. https://ift.tt/2PySOeU

Apple Closely Watching Coronavirus Outbreak in South Korea, Italy: CEO

Apple is closely watching how the coronavirus outbreak is unfolding in South Korea and Italy, where the company has suppliers, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in an interview. https://ift.tt/39lmBzL

Electricians are flocking to regions around the US to build data centers, as AI shapes up to be an economy-bending force that creates boom towns (New York Times)

New York Times : Electricians are flocking to regions around the US to build data centers, as AI shapes up to be an economy-bending force...