Author: Justin

AR animals were introduced by Google app just at the time when everyone was forced to stay home due to global pandemic. This feature was introduced in April, Google has added to the available creatures with loads of insects, mammals, birds, fish and various species of dinosaur as well. This latest feature from Google has one thing in common i.e. all of the animals come from Australia.

A wide variety of animals in Australia are very unique and you will not see them anywhere else in the world (excluding zoos). So we can say that this is a chance for the people to see how cute a little wombat will look in your garden. In order to get things started with Google’s Aussie AR animals you need to search for any of the following Google apps on your phone: kangaroo, quokka, koala, wombat, emu, platypus, kookabura or echidna.

You can move other AR animals around in your environment and see what their life size is and you can also hear their sound as well. The feature of sound is still in Android only, for iOS it is coming soon. You can take photos and shoot videos with them and later can share them with your mates

Android is known for its customization but when it comes to Android Auto, it has not allowed for the customization and for self expression since its launch. This is going to be changed very soon as the latest teardown of Android Auto app is indicating that the users will soon be able to select from a wide variety of wallpapers to take the homescreen theming to a whole new level.

The new wallpaper selection that can replace the default option are hidden away at the moment in version 5.8 of Android Auto. There are many new wallpapers which made a varied selection that ranges from abstract gradients to a moody one. The titles include dusk, blobs, warp and wave etc.

It is still not clear if Google will allow the users to select a new wallpaper from their own photo library but it seems that Android Auto will limit the users to the pre-approved images for now. There is still no official timeline on when the new wallpaper options will roll out officially but you can go ahead and download the latest version from Google Play Store.

Google Photos is undoubtedly one of the most famous apps but it was Google has now turn this storage hog into a money making machine. It has been revealed that Google is looking for limiting certain editing features to Google One members thus making the paid membership the only way to access them.

Some new strings have been added in the app which prompts like “Unlock this feature and more with Google One membership” and Get extra editing features with Google One membership.” many people are running into this paywall in the wild already. The Color Prop filter which was free for all previously is now a part of the test limiting it’s usage to paid members.

It is still not clear that which features and filters will be placed behind the paywall. V5.18 of Google Photos also adds mentions of the new photo processing options which include HDR, Dynamic and Vivid. There are some new filters as well as which includes Airy, Afterglow, Ember, Luminous, Stormy and Radiant etc.

Google is also working on ways to make Google One memberships more catchy to the users like offering a free VPN service. Google at the moment allows the users store unlimited high quality photos and videos in the cloud so it makes sense that company is looking for finding new ways to help offset the costs.

Xiaomi just recently revolutionized the wireless charging and now they are looking to revolutionize smartphone zoom photography. The company has come up with a new large-aperture telescopic lens for the phones that can easily increase the amount og the light input by 300% flr sharper and clearer pphotos. Like the traditional point-and-shoot cameras the lens can physically zoom in and out from the hardware.

Xiaomi’s vice president Zeng Xuezhong has recently announced this innovation at the MIDC 2020 Xiaomi Developers Conference. Aprt from the addition to increased light intake from larger aperture, Xiaomi has also developed a new anti-shake technology that will make the pictures more stable. Photos taken with this technology will have 20% increase in definition and clarity.

Well this is not the first ever phone to incorporate lens that can zoom in and out physically but Xiaomi’ setup sounds like it can enhance the camera quality of the company to a great degree in future.

Google Drive is a good option for storing the files and saving your precious space on your computer but it has never been the most secure option since the Drive does not support encrypting individual files. It is now going to change in the future.

Based on the string that are found in the version 2.20.441.06.40 of the Google Drive, Google has been poised to introduce a feature that will allow the users to encrypt the Drive files which are saved on device. The files can be downloaded and open the encrypted files in the Drive.

Once it is enabled, the encrypted files that are downloaded to the device will appear with the small lock icon which is next to the icon that indicates its availability offline. Toggling of the encryption will delete all documents currently downloaded through the Drive though it is a bit inconvenient but that is what you pay for improved security.

OnePlus has comeback into the budget market earlier this year when the first phone of Nord series was launched. Now the company seems to see lots of opportunities here as it is announced that two new Nord devices last week. Now a new leak has been revealed and another Nord phone is prepped for the launch in 2021.

Nord SE which is code-named as Ebba is a budget device that may offer one of the smallest form factors OnePlus has ever released. Company is also introducing Warp Charge 65 which was introduced on OnePlus 8T is now coming to the budget lineup on Nord SE. It has also been equipped with an AMOLED panel that has upgraded the display from LCD panels.

OnePlus has still not selected any launch date for Nord SE but they are considering a debut after the launch of OnePlus 9 in the spring. Like the original Nord, the SE will be available in Europe and India but not in the USA.

The original Nord was termed as a strong alternative to Apple’s iPhone SE but the leaked information is indicating that OnePlus can go side by side with Apple’s smallest phone. Now it remains to be seen how Nord SE will compare with other hot options in the market.

FaceApp a very famous bit at the same time a controversial AI-powered selfie filtering app is going to launch version 4.0 with an interesting update i.e. some unique beautification as well as aging tricks to the video post-processing.

The new update will bring a new Video tab to FaceApp home screen. After the users will give permission for the app to record audio and video they can then easily record a clip, play it and then can apply different effects which include Young, Old, Smile, Upset and Hipster. There are three more filters which will be available on FaceApp Pro subscription for $5/mo., $30/yr., or $50 lifetime. These filters are Hollywood, Makeup and Kiss. There is a one-frame preview available and is processed for the people to decide whether to further process the video. The video processing will take some time as a 15 to 20 seconds are taken to process a 6 second video on Snapdragon 765. the file is later saved in your disk and you can share the video clip anywhere you want.

OnePlus just recently released the 3rd open Beta for the 8 and 8 Pro which has brought various bug fixes for the Zen Mode and Ambient Display and also making the Canvas compatible with the newly added always-on Ambient Display. Now a new big has surfaced that selected the data of user from some people who have joined the beta program. Some of the 8 and 8 Pro owners have got the stable build of Oxygen OS instead of the Open Beta 3 which has led to loss of data.

If you see Oxygen OS 11.0.1.1 update pending in place of Open Beta but have not restarted your phone yet to install there is a workaround. You can get KeepData app that prevents you from losing your files which are available on OnePLus Forum. You need to install it, run the application and hit “KEEP DATA” button. After going through this process OnePlus still recommends you to back up the important data on another device or in the cloud before restarting to the update. It is also highly recommended to have a full backup via OnePlus Switch. If you are running the beta buildyou need to double check that it is the Open Beta which you are receiving via OTA and not stable Oxygen OS 11.0.1.1 build.

Samsung released Galaxy Z Fold 2 a little while ago that has been packed with few features that make it better than the first attempt at the foldable phone. But Samsung has not forgotten about the first generation Fold just yet. It has got various Z Fold2 capabilities through a firmware update that is now starting to roll out in the US.

The Galaxy Fold will get the Z Fold’s app pair feature which lets you save different window layouts to the Edge Panel letting you restore often used combinations of apps. The update has also introduced the option to split the screen vertically providing you more layout options. Samsung DeX now allows you to connect the Fold to a Samsung TV wirelessly.

The Fold has also got some of the camera smarts from its successor. Auto framing provides you the automatic zoom on the group pictures as well as optical Capture View shows you the five most recent images that you have taken right next to your viewfinder. Dual Preview and the Rear Cam Selfie mode both utilize small outer screen for the photography. The former allows the subjects see how the photographer are framing them and the latter lets you use superior rear cameras for selfies by showing you the viewfinder on the outer screen next to camera when your phone is opened.

The Pro Video mode supports the shooting in 24fps and 21:9 aspect ratio. It has also got additional assistant functions like histogram as well as focus peaking. There is a new Single Take feature that lets you capture up to 15 seconds of the content and automatically saves best moments as the photos as well as videos.