WhatsApp announces 5 major new features rolling out this year
In addition to the Communities feature, WhatsApp is working on a number of other updates for group chats. These will be available in every group, regardless of whether or not it’s part of a Community, and they should roll out in the coming weeks:
- Reactions – Emoji reactions are coming to WhatsApp so people can quickly share their opinion without flooding chats with new messages.
- Admin Delete – Group admins will be able to remove errant or problematic messages from everyone’s chats.
- File Sharing – We’re increasing file sharing to support files up to 2 gigabytes so people can easily collaborate on projects.
- Larger Voice Calls – We’ll introduce one-tap voice calling for up to 32 people with all new design for those times when talking live is better than chatting.
From BGR
The Pixel 6 cameras are so good that Google might use them in the Pixel 7
We’re still waiting for Google to launch the Pixel 6a, but rumors of the Pixel 7 are slowly ramping up. A new claim points to the upcoming flagship launching with the same camera hardware as the current Pixel 6 series.
The rumor comes from leaker Yogesh Brar, who suggests that the Pixel 7 will have the same optics and that any upgrades will be made primarily through software.
Of course, take this with a grain of salt, as the Pixel 7 series is likely still several months away. However, it does seem likely that Google wouldn’t mess with the camera hardware much or at all.
From Android Central
Rumored Pixel Watch teased in new leak as Google I/O 2022 nears
Google I/O is only a month away, which means we’re bound to hear more about Wear OS 3 arriving on more smartwatches. A new image suggests that the long-rumored Pixel Watch may soon be among them.
The image was posted on Friday by leaker Evan Blass, who states that it “won’t be long now.” The screenshot shows an “interactive tutorial” of the Pixel Rohan. The device is shown to run Wear OS 3.1.
From Android Central
Moto G52 to launch in India this month, rumor says
Motorola unveiled the Moto G52 earlier this week for European markets, but it obviously won’t stay confined to those for long. In fact, a new rumor today, originating with an “industry source”, claims that the Moto G52 will get launched in India before the end of this month.
Not just that, but we have a rough price point too, the one that Motorola is targeting with this device, and that’s the INR 20,000 bracket or thereabouts. So expect the actual price to come in just under or above this threshold.
From Gsmarena
Micromax In 2c headed to India by the end of April or in early May
As per an industry insider, the Micromax In 2c is about to join its sibling later this month or failing that – early next month. The source also reaffirms that the in 2c will be rocking an Unisoc chipset. That, however, was already known thanks to a GeekBench leak from way back in June last year. The In 2c is expected to run the same Unisoc T610 as the In 2b. Said chip offers performance pretty much in line with the MediaTek Helio G80 and is a huge upgrade over the Helio G35 found inside the Micromax In 1b in terms of single-core performance.
From Gsmarena
WhatsApp may soon let you dictate messages through a pair of smart glasses
Ever wanted to speak to a pair of smart glasses to send a WhatsApp message without even touching your phone? That feature may soon become a reality, according to a new APK teardown of the WhatsApp for Android app. It seems to be a specific feature for Facebook Assistant, and it’ll be locked to Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses.
Spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta 2.22.9.13 (via XDA Developers) users have found strings of data that suggest a feature is being worked on to dictate messages through Facebook Assistant on the specific wearable line. The data just says Assistant, but that likely means Facebook Assistant rather than Google’s service of the same name.
It’s thought this upcoming feature would allow Ray-Ban Stories owners to dictate messages into the microphone on the smart glasses. It would allow you to instruct Facebook Assistant to message a friend on WhatsApp, so you could do this while walking down the street without even touching your phone. Alongside the strings of code, the teardown has also found graphics that include the smart glasses and the WhatsApp logo.
This is a very specific use case as Ray-Ban Stories haven’t revolutionized the wearables market. It does make sense that Meta wants to keep some of its WhatsApp features in-house though, and will be using Facebook Assistant to integrate rather than third-party services. As ever, APK teardowns aren’t guaranteed to be accurate. This feature is spotted within the latest beta, but there’s no certainty that it will ever make its way to WhatsApp in a future release.
From Android Police
WhatsApp for iOS readying the ability to hide ‘Last Seen’ status from specific contacts
Six months ago, WhatsApp start to implement another privacy setting for its users with a new option to hide your “Last Seen” status from specific contacts. The company now is rolling out this feature for beta testers. Here’s what you need to know.
This function now appears for those with beta version 22.9.0.70 of WhatsApp. With that, when you go to the “Privacy” settings of the app, in the “Last Seen” section, you can choose between “Everyone,” “My Contacts,” “Nobody,” and the new “My Contacts Except…”
This option lets users exclude some people from seeing your information on WhatsApp. WABetaInfo explains:
For example, you do not need to set your last seen to “Nobody” if you have disabled it due to certain contacts: you can exclude them from seeing your last seen now. As we explained in the changelog about the Android update, when you select contacts in Last Seen > My Contacts Except, you won’t be able to see their last seen, but this rule does not apply to your about and profile photo.
From 9to5Mac
Google is testing weird notification concepts that engage with your senses
Google is reimagining how you interact with technology in your environment, and it’s experimenting with a few objects to demonstrate its new concept of ambient notifications.
The search giant calls this experiment “Little Signals,” something that it’s been toying with since as early as 2019 as part of its ambient computing efforts. It consists of devices that deliver notifications through a variety of sensorial cues, including a puff of air, moving shadows, twisting buttons, taps, and more.
Google has demonstrated a gadget that can raise or lower a series of pegs individually or as a group. There’s also a device that emits ambient sounds once it receives a notification.
Overall, there are six gadgets in the collection: the Air, Button, Movement, Rhythm, Shadow, and Tap.
“Each object has its own method of communicating, like through puffs of air or ambient sounds,” Google said. “Additionally, their small movements or simple controls bring the objects to life and make them responsive to changing surroundings and needs.”
From Android Central
MIT Engineers Create the “Impossible” – New Material That Is Stronger Than Steel and As Light as Plastic
Using a novel polymerization process, MIT chemical engineers have created a new material that is stronger than steel and as light as plastic, and can be easily manufactured in large quantities.
The new material is a two-dimensional polymer that self-assembles into sheets, unlike all other polymers, which form one-dimensional, spaghetti-like chains. Until now, scientists had believed it was impossible to induce polymers to form 2D sheets.
Such a material could be used as a lightweight, durable coating for car parts or cell phones, or as a building material for bridges or other structures, says Michael Strano, the Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT and the senior author of the new study.
“We don’t usually think of plastics as being something that you could use to support a building, but with this material, you can enable new things,” he says. “It has very unusual properties and we’re very excited about that.”
The researchers have filed for two patents on the process they used to generate the material, which they describe in a paper published in Nature on February 2, 2022. MIT postdoc Yuwen Zeng is the lead author of the study.
From Scitechdaily
Twitter adopts poison pill defense to block Elon Musk takeover
Twitter’s board of directors announced in a press release that the company is adopting a limited duration shareholder rights plan — a “poison pill” in merger and acquisition lingo. While the company doesn’t name Elon Musk directly, Twitter is clearly trying to prevent the billionaire from buying the social network.
Elon Musk currently owns 9.2% of Twitter. Yesterday, he made an offer to acquire 100% of the company’s shares as revealed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk has said he is willing to pay $54.20 per share. It would be an all-cash offer that values the social network at $43.4 billion.
While that seems like a big number, Musk’s offer isn’t that generous. Twitter’s stock was trading north of $60 just a few months ago. Sure, tech stocks are currently experiencing a massive selloff, but Twitter’s business seems to be doing just fine right now.
“I think it’s very important for there to be an inclusive arena for free speech. Twitter has become kind of a de facto town square, so it’s really important that people have both the reality and the perception that they are able to speak freely within the bounds of the law,” Musk said at a conference yesterday. “I don’t care about the economics at all,” he added later in the interview.
TechCrunch’s Kyle Wiggers broke down how hostile takeovers usually come down. And implementing a poison pill is one way to counter a takeover attempt. The eventual goal of a poison pill is to dilute Musk’s ownership stake. Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Twitter was weighing adopting a poison pill.
For a limited time, existing Twitter shareholders will be able to purchase additional shares at a discount under certain circumstances. If an entity, person or group crosses a threshold, in that case a 15% stake in Twitter, other shareholders can buy more shares. This way, it would stagger plans to buy more than 15% of the company.
“The Rights Plan will reduce the likelihood that any entity, person or group gains control of Twitter through open market accumulation without paying all shareholders an appropriate control premium or without providing the Board sufficient time to make informed judgments and take actions that are in the best interests of shareholders,” Twitter wrote.
Of course, if the company’s board wants to go forward and approve an acquisition offer, board members can vote to approve an ownership of more than 15% of the company. The poison pill remains valid until April 14, 2023.
From Techcrunch
