Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Review

iaomi’s strategy of launching phones with good specifications and low price tags has paid off so far. The Chinese company crossed the $1 billion revenue milestone in India last year thanks to its vast product portfolio which now includes smartphones, fitness bands, earphones, air purifiers, power banks, and other devices. That’s a lot, considering that Xiaomi made its debut in India with the Mi 3 smartphone only in 2014.

For Xiaomi, the Redmi smartphone range has been very important, and it has been well received in the Indian market. The company claims that the Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3S (including the Redmi 3S Prime) were the top selling devices during last year’s Amazon Great Indian Sale as well as the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale respectively. The Redmi Note 3, in particular, has seen a lot of success in the Indian market. According to the company, 2.3 million Redmi Note 3 devices were sold in just six months. However, that model is almost a year old now, and Xiaomi is finally bringing its successor to the market.

The company on Thursday unveiled its latest Redmi Note series smartphone, the Redmi Note 4. Much like its predecessor, this new model sports an-all metal body and boasts of impressive specifications. While the Chinese version of the Redmi Note 4 was unveiled in August last year with a MediaTek SoC, the one launched in India packs a Qualcomm chip. The Redmi Note 4 has been priced competitively and will be going up against some of the most popular smartphones in the market right now. Will the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 be able to continue the company’s dream run in the Indian market, or will it turn out to be a run-of-the-mill device? We find out in our review.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 look and feel
The Redmi Note 4 follows the Redmi Note 3 closely when it comes to design. The front panel of the Redmi Note 4 is very similar to that of its predecessor, with similar capacitive navigation buttons below the display and slim borders around it. There’s also 2.5D curved-edge glass across the front, giving this phone a premium feel. The all-metal phone feels sturdy, and compared to the Redmi Note 3, the rear panel on the Redmi Note 4 is less slippery.

The rear of the Redmi Note 4 is a bit different though, featuring design contours more reminiscent of the Xiaomi Mi 5 (Review). There are fine antenna bands running across the top and bottom. The rear camera, dual-tone LED flash and fingerprint scanner are set up much the same as on the Redmi Note 3. One of the few differences between the two is that this time around Xiaomi has shifted the speaker grilles from the rear to the bottom. The bottom also houses a Micro-USB port for charging and data transfers, while the top packs a 3.5mm audio jack and an infrared (IR) emitter. The power and volume buttons are placed on the right, and can easily be accessed with fingers.

At 8.3mm, the Redmi Note 4 is slimmer than its predecessor, and just one gram heavier. We had no problem using the Redmi Note 4 with just one hand. The rounded edges of the handset actually fit well in palm without causing any discomfort when used for long periods. When it comes to design, the Redmi Note 4 can be considered the best Redmi smartphone so far. It was launched in China in Dark Grey, and Gold, though Grey seems to have been replaced with an exclusive Matte Black option in India. We received a Gold unit for review.

The 5.5-inch full-HD IPS display has a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels, which works out to a density of 401ppi. Thanks to the full-HD resolution, text and images appear razor sharp. The screen offers punchy colours and decent viewing angles, while sunlight legibility is also great. The screen size makes the Redmi Note 4 well suited to watching videos and movies. You can adjust the colour temperature from the Settings app. A Reading Mode makes the display more comfortable to use while reading.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 specifications and features
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 launched in India is powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (MSM8953) processor clocked at 2GHz with an integrated Adreno 506 GPU. Xiaomi is selling three variants of this model in India: 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage; 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage; and 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The company provided us with a sample of the top end variant for our review.

The handset has a hybrid SIM tray which supports one Nano-SIM and one Micro-SIM or a microSD card. Xiaomi notes that both SIM cards support 3G and 4G networks. The company has definitely taken note of complaints of the Redmi Note 3’s 32GB microSD capacity limit. The Redmi Note 4 supports microSD cards of up to 128GB which should be sufficient for most people.

The phone has a non-removable 4100mAh battery which is marginally bigger than the 4050mAh one seen on the Redmi Note 3. There’s a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF (phase detection autofocus), and a dual-tone LED flash. There is also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture and a fixed-focus lens. Users also get dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, USB OTG, FM radio, GPS/ A-GPS, Miracast, GLONASS, and BeiDou. Much like the Redmi Note 3, this model also gives NFC connectivity a miss. 4G and VoLTE are supported, and we were happy with call quality.

The Redmi Note 4 runs MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Xiaomi has added plenty of new features including Now on Tap which was one of the highlights of Android Marshmallow, introduced in 2015. Google’s Now on Tap can be triggered within any app just by long-pressing the Home button, and can use what’s on screen as context for your searches. MIUI 8 on the Redmi Note 4 looks light and polished compared to previous versions. We were impressed with the system animations, which look refreshing, including a neat one when you uninstall an app.

MIUI 8 comes with a new Gallery app that automatically syncs stored photos on the device with Mi Cloud. Users get 5GB of free cloud storage on signing up for an account. The Gallery app now comes with video editing and sharing features.

The Quick Ball feature, which was first seen on the Xiaomi Mi Max (Review), is available on the Redmi Note 4 as well. This is a hovering button that stays on the screen at all times, including on the lock screen, and lets users define up to five shortcuts for easy access.
With privacy in mind, the Redmi Note 4 offers Dual Apps and Second Space, two of our favourite software features. The Dual Apps feature, as the name suggests, creates two instances of any app on the same smartphone, so you can, for example, use two WhatsApp accounts at the same time. Second Space, on the other hand, lets users separate business and personal data on the same phone. The feature lets users use two entirely separate Google accounts.

Another highlight of the software is scrolling screenshots, which lets users take screenshots of entire Web pages. Xiaomi has also worked on its dialler app which is now light and easy to use. MIUI 8 brings a caller ID feature to the Redmi Note 4, which eliminates the need for third-party apps such as Truecaller. The Messages app has also received some much-needed tweaks in the latest version, such as the ability to bundle similar messages into folders. In our case, texts received from banks, food chains and other services were moved into one folder, which was helpful in prioritising what to check first. The preloaded Themes app offers plenty of options for wallpapers, ringtones, and icons.

Xiaomi has also included a one-handed mode, which basically shrinks the display to one side of the screen and lets users select effective screen sizes – 3.5, 4, and 4.5 inches.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 has plenty of preloaded apps including Security, Compass, Scanner, Recorder, Feedback, Mi Picks, Mi Community, Mi Remote, Music, Mi Store, Weather, anda default browser. Unfortunately, there is no to uninstall the preloaded Xiaomi apps. We feel that Xiaomi should reduce the number of preloaded apps on its future devices or at least offer the option to uninstall some of them.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 performance
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 was able to handle almost everything we threw at it, and we had no complaints with the octa-core processor. It handled heavy games with ease and we had fun playing Asphalt 8 and Dead Trigger 2 on the device. We were able to use the Redmi Note 4 over the course of a few weeks, and never felt that we needed a more powerful processor. Multitasking on the Redmi Note 4 was quick, and apps launched without delay. Our test unit with 4GB of RAM had enough free memory at any given time. We noticed that 1.8GB of RAM was in use at all times, leaving us sceptical about the experience we would have had using the variant with only 2GB of RAM, which could be more popular due to its lower price.

The Redmi Note 4 is very good for media playback thanks to the excellent IPS display, and it supports high-resolution video files, including 4K ones. The speaker at the bottom is decently loud and we didn’t notice any distortion at higher volumes. Xiaomi didn’t send us a headset with this unit, so we tested audio quality through our own headphones, and were happy enough.

The phone managed an impressive 65,560 in AnTuTu and 42,690 in Quadrant, which is higher than what we got from the recently launched Lenovo P2 (Review) and Asus ZenFone 3 (Review) both featuring the same Snapdragon 625 processor. GPU performance was also good, and we saw a healthy 28fps in the T-Rex test in GFXbench, and 9,029 points in 3D Mark Ice Storm Extreme. These scores are along the lines of what we expected, but it is worth pointing out that the Redmi Note 3 (Review) with a Snapdragon 652 processor achieved better overall scores.

There are plenty of modes to choose from in the camera app, including Beautify, Panorama, and Manual. In the Scenes mode, the device lets users choose from loads of options including portrait, landscape, sports, night, night portrait, beach, snow, sunset, fireworks, backlight, and flowers.You can also apply filters while taking photos, which is nice. The camera app can record videos at full-HD (1080p) resolution and quality is pretty good. Selfies taken with the Redmi Note 4 had good colours and details, but again, those taken in well-lit situations were better than those taken in low light.

The 13-megapixel rear camera can take some decent landscape shots in well-lit as well as low-light situations. Macro shots also appear good, with proper colour accuracy and details. The PDAF feature lets the camera focus on subjects quickly. Low-light shots have good detail, though on zooming in one can see the graininess. The Redmi Note 4 was also able to take good photos of moving subjects.

Xiaomi has focused its efforts on improving camera quality on the Redmi Note 4 after complaints about camera quality on last year’s model, and it’s clear that things are better. However, we’d still like to see low-light performance improved.

The 4100mAh non-removable battery on the Redmi Note 4 lasted for 15 hours and 10 minutes in our continuous video playback test, which is impressive for a battery of this capacity. In real-world use, the phone was able to last for up to two days. With heavy usage, we got to nearly a day and a half without needing to use any of the battery saving modes. We were especially impressed with the handset’s ability to latch on to weak cellular as well as Wi-Fi network signals. We were not provided with a retail box with all accessories for our review, and so we can’t comment on how long it would take to charge with the bundled changer. However, there is no support for quick charging, which would have been a welcome feature at this price level.

Verdict
The Redmi Note 4 is a great package with the only downsides being its hybrid SIM slot, lack of quick charging, and excess of preloaded apps. We think that the Redmi Note 4 will provide tough competition to other smartphones in its price segment, and even some priced a little higher. It scores very well in terms of design, battery life, and performance. For those who are looking for a smartphone with a big screen and great battery performance on a budget, the Redmi Note 4 is easy to recommend.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 has been launched in three variants in India. At a starting price of Rs. 9,999 (2GB RAM + 32GB storage), the Redmi Note 4 is definitely a compelling option for users who are looking for a low-cost device. Our impressions are based on the highest-specced variant, and given the difference in prices between the three, we would suggest people skip the lowest one if they can afford to. The version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage has been priced just Rs. 1,000 higher at Rs. 10,999, while the version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage – the one reviewed here – is also a reasonable step up at Rs. 12,999.

Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/reviews/xiaomi-redmi-note-4-review-1650455

Sony Sends Out MWC 2017 Invites, 2 Xperia Smartphones Expected to Launch

Not to be left out, Sony has also sent out press invites for its event at MWC 2017 in Barcelona. The tech giant will host an event on February 27 at 1.00pm IST (8.30am CET), where it is expected to announce its next Xperia smartphones.

The company has been rumoured to launch the successor of the Xperia XA smartphone. A separate leak on Xperia Blog hints that the company will launch two devices at the event. The devices bear the model number Sony G3112 (G31XX) and Sony G3221 (G32XX), and they both are tipped to sport a MediaTek Helio P20 MT6757 chipset paired with Mali-T880 GPU. The smartphone with model number G3112 will sport a HD (720×1280 pixel) display, while the other one will sport a full-HD (1080×1920 pixel s) display – hence will be the more premium variant.
All of this is just preliminary leaks, and Sony could launch something else altogether. Hence, we recommend you take all the information with a pinch of salt. Even LG will be present at MWC, and it is highly expected to launch the LG G6 flagship. The smartphone is tipped to ditch the modular design, and sport a 5.7-inch QHD+ display. It will be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset.

Lenovo is also going to be there, most likely to unveil its Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus smartphones. Samsung is tipped to showcase its Samsung Galaxy S8 flagship to a select audience at MWC, before the commercial unveiling on March 29.

Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/sony-sends-out-mwc-2017-invites-2-xperia-smartphones-expected-to-launch-1650504

Moto M First Impressions

Lenovo today launched the Moto M, an aspirational upper-mid-range smartphone. The company is pushing it heavily for its metal body and looks as well as its well-rounded feature set. That is to say, there is no one standout feature such as a massive front camera – the screen, battery, and camera capabilities are all balanced. We were present at the company’s launch event, and here are our first impressions.

The look is certainly an improvement over previous plastic Moto phones, including the G and X series, but the Moto M does have echoes of other devices we’ve seen, especially HTC’s One range. It’s curved in all the right places, and thankfully isn’t slippery. The Moto M is only 7.85mm thin and feels comfortable in one hand. Build quality seems pretty good overall.  A water-repellent “nano coating” should help prevent damage that could occur as a result of exposure to liquids, but this phone isn’t being promoted as waterproof.

The 5.5-inch full-HD screen is crisp, and the speakers have Dolby Atmos sound enhancement for added depth and richness. This is the first Moto phone to have Dolby Atmos, but we’ve seen it on several Lenovo models. In our short time with the unit, we were able to run an Atmos demo, and both the screen and the speakers were impressive. We will have to reserve final judgment till we can review the Moto M both indoors and outdoors, with our standard test content.

The power and volume buttons are on the right, and there’s a fingerprint sensor on the rear just where your index finger rests. Above it, there’s an oval bump for the camera and flash. The battery is sealed in, but has a capacity of 3,050mAh. Rapid charging is also supported. The phone takes two Nano-SIMs, but has a hybrid tray which means that you have to sacrifice the second SIM if you want to use a microSD card.
There’s a 16-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus, and an 8-megapixel front camera. There’s a selfie beautification mode in the camera app too. The processor is a 2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P15. You get Android 6.0.1 with thankfully no modifications, and the interface is beautifully sparse and fluid.

Two versions of the Moto M will be available when it goes on sale; one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage for Rs. 15,999, and another with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for Rs. 17,999. With such a small difference in price, the latter option makes a lot more sense.

The Moto M goes on sale just before midnight on the 14th of December, exclusively on Flipkart. Stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for our in-depth review of the Moto M’s performance, build quality, camera quality, and battery life.

Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/reviews/moto-m-first-impressions-1637486

Pokémon GO is now available in India as Niantic partners with Reliance Jio

Is it Christmas already? Because Santa (in our case Niantic) has finally decided to bring Pokémon GO to all the good boys and girls in India. The game is now available in India, nearly five months after its official launch, thanks to a new Reliance Jio and Niantic partnership. The partnership will also result in thousands of Reliance Digital Stores and their select partners in the country to become Pokémon Gyms or PokéStops – a masterstroke by Reliance.

“We are delighted to partner with Jio to launch Pokémon GO in India.” said John Hanke, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Niantic. “It’s exciting to see Pokémon fans in India step out and explore their neighbourhoods in search of Pokémon and Jio’s disruptive high speed 4G LTE Network will be an excellent way to experience the game.”

The extremely popular Augmented Reality game was launched on July 7 and became available in hundreds of countries across the globe, but failed to reach Indian stores until now. The AR game is based on the popular anime TV show, Pokémon, and uses geo-locations to place Pokémon across important landmarks and areas in cities. A player then needs to walk around his/her city to find and catch Pokémon that appear on their screen superimposed on the background of what your camera sees. Pokémon trainers also have to traverse through the city to look for Pokémon Stops to resupply, and fight at Pokémon Gyms to take control of them for their own team.

The game requires a smartphone with an active data connection, camera and GPS to run. The partnership clearly intends to up the subscriptions rates of Reliance Jio connections, which is offering promotional free data, voice calling, roaming and more to all users until March 2017.

Pokémon GO has over 500 million downloads globally said Mathew Oommen, President Reliance Jio. “Our partnership with Niantic not only brings access to the Pokémon GO app but also opens the door to more opportunities for our customers to enjoy content on Jio’s one-of-a-kind mobile broadband network,” he added.

Read: Reliance Jio free services now till March 31, 2017: Here are the details

As the game reached its popularity in July, most users across India were able to download the game from third-party websites and by using proxy app stores. It is not known as to how many people in India are actively playing the AR game right now, but its official launch might bring a second wave of popularity for it – also, thanks to the free Internet connection from Jio.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/gaming/pokemon-go-finally-launches-in-india-with-a-reliance-jio-niantic-partnership-4424972/

When was the first expedition to the South Pole, who completed it and who else has made the journey?

Over a century ago Roald Amundsen approached the southern-most place on Earth. With dozens of dogs and a handful of people, Amundsen finally reached the South Pole in December 1911.

Today marks the 105th anniversary of that journey, which Google is celebrating with a Doodle.

“In honour of that achievement, today’s Doodle depicts the crew at the finish line, taking a moment to bask in the glory while the Antarctic wind whips outside their tent,” said Google.

Who was Roald Amundsen?

Born in the summer of 1872, Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer who became the first person to reach the South Pole.

Having studied medicine in his youth, Amundsen began travelling when he was 25 when he boarded a boat from Belgium to the Antarctic. He visited the northern coast of Canada amd Alaska before deciding to breach one of the final frontiers of exploration.

He initially had plans to be the first person to travel to the North Pole, but Robert Peary beat him to it in April 1909. So in 1911 Amundsen determined that he would become the first person to reach the South Pole.

How did he get to the South Pole?

In October 1911, Amundsen departed a base camp in the Antarctic for the South Pole with a crew of four people, 52 sled dogs and four sledges. Their mission: to be the first to journey that far south and in doing so raise enough money to wipe Amundsen’s large debts.

No one knew what the team was attempting, given that Amundsen had decided to let them think he was still going to go the North Pole. He was worried the media and government could hamper his chances of getting there first or tell him not to try.

Before setting out, Amundsen wrote: “If at that juncture I had made my intention public, it would only have given occasion for a lot of newspaper discussion, and possibly have ended in the project being stifled at its birth.

“My brother, upon whose absolute silence I could blindly rely, was the only person I let into the secret of my change of plan, and he did me many important services during the time when we alone shared the knowledge.”

Eleven months after they set sail from Norway in a boat called Fram, the crew of five people and 16 dogs reached the South Pole. Just 11 of the 52 dogs made it back to the Fram in January.

Who else has visited the South Pole?

Just over a month after Amundsen and his crew reached the South Pole, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott arrived in the spot where the Norwegian flag already stood. Having been unaware of Amundsen’s rival mission, Scott and his team of four other men planted their flag in January 1912, but tragically died on their return trip of starvation and extreme cold.

Despite other attempts and a flyover, it wasn’t until October 1956 that an expedition reached the South Pole again. In that year, the US Navy landed at the South Pole and constructed the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

Since then, there has been a continued human presence of support and research staff. But only a handful of people have trekked to the station on foot, including Edmund Hillary and Vivian Fuchs in 1958. The first group of women made it to the South Pole in 1969.

A further support base was built in 1987, making it easier for non-government visitors to trek to the southern-most point. The fastest journey from the ocean to the Pole was made by Christian Eide, a Norwegian adventurer, in 2011 and took just 24 days – as opposed to Amundsen’s three months.

Amundsen’s disappearance

After his South Pole success, Amundsen went on to traverse the Arctic’s icy waters to reach the North Pole in 1925. But then on a trip flying over the region on a rescue mission in 1928, Amsundsen’s plane is believed to have crashed in the fog, killing him and his five crew members. The bodies were never located, despite the Norwegian Government’s efforts.

Travelling namesake

Despite his untimely death, Amundsen has gone on to inspire the names of oceans, craters on the Moon, and even famous literary characters. The most prominent things names after the explorer include:

• Amundsen Sea off the coast of Antarctica
• Amundsen Glacier, Amundsen Bay and Mount Amundsen in Antarctica
• Amundsen Gulf in the Arctic Ocean near Canada
• Large crater on the moon near its southern pole
• Author Roald Dahl

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/0/first-expedition-south-pole-completed-else-has-made-journey/

The 5 best new iPhone features in iOS 10.2

After an oddly long beta period that saw Apple release something like 427 different versions of its pre-release mobile software, the company on Monday finally pushed iOS 10.2 out to an eager public. Why was the public so eager? Was it because iOS 10.2 fixes some crazy security holes or adds a few groundbreaking new features? No, the public was anxiously await new emoji. Lots and lots of new emoji.

Of course, there’s plenty more to iOS 10.2 than just new emoji, and in this post we’ll cover all of the best new features that just arrived on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch courtesy of iOS 10.2.

New emoji

Okay, so clearly we have to start with all of iOS 10.2’s new emoji, since this is the feature iPhone users have been awaiting most eagerly. The addition of Unicode 9.0 support means that a flood of new emoji are washing over iPhone and iPad keyboards worldwide. In total, more than 100 new emoji have been added, and that doesn’t even include all of the older emoji that were updated in this new release.

Here are some of the hottest new emoji that Apple added in iOS 10.2:

Click any of the links above to get more details on each emoji courtesy of Emojipedia, or check out this post to see a rundown of every single new emoji in iOS 10.2.

TV app

Behind the new emoji, Apple’s fresh new TV app is probably the most talked-about addition in iOS 10.2, though user response during the beta period was definitely mixed. Apple’s new app is basically a next-generation TV guide for the streaming generation. It pulls in listings from all your favorite movie and TV show streaming services (aside from Netflix, and we explained why back in October) and recommends content to watch based on popularity and viewing history. Once you select a movie or TV show, the app will automatically open the appropriate app so you can start streaming on demand.

It’s a nifty idea, but it’s been done before… and it doesn’t include Netflix content, which is a deal-breaker for many users.

New screen effects in Messages

Third-party stickers in Apple’s Messages app are old news — but screen effects are still cool. Perhaps it’s because screen effects are hidden and people often forget they’re even there until you send one. Well, it’s time to revive them because Apple just added two new ones in iOS 10.2. On it called “love,” and it inflates a big heart that’s attached to the message you send. The other is called “celebration,” and it fills the entire screen with sparklers joined by haptic vibrations.

To use either of the new screen effects, type your message or insert a photo or sticker in the Messages app, then press firmly (or long-tap on devices without 3D Touch) the send button. On the effects screen that pops open, tap the “Screen” tab at the top of the display and scroll until you find the effect you’re looking for.

Single sign-on

This is a big one… if you subscribe to a pay TV service that’s supported right now.

You know how when you use an app like HBO Go or Showtime Anytime, you have to log in with your pay TV account credentials? And you know how these apps should save your login details forever so you only have to sign in once, but they never do? Well, you can enter your login in a new “TV Provider” section on the main screen in the Settings app, and compatible apps will be able to pull that info instead of making you log in separately in each app.

For the time being, supported pay TV service providers include CenturyLink Prism, DirecTV, Dish, GVTC, GTA, Hawaiian Telcom, Hotwire, Metrocast, Service Electric and Sling TV.

New wallpapers

Last and sort of least, there are a few new wallpapers available in iOS 10.2. Woo hoo! They’re not available on all devices though, so if you have an older iPhone model you can still grab the new wallpapers in this post.

Now that you know about all the best new features, check out the rest of the additions in iOS 10.2 in Apple’s official change log:

—

iOS 10.2 introduces new features including the TV app (US Only), a new and unified experience for accessing your TV shows and movies across multiple video apps. Emoji have been beautifully redesigned to reveal even more detail and over 100 new emoji have been added including new faces, food, animals, sports, and professions. This update also includes stability improvements and bug fixes.

TV
– Use Up Next to see the movies and shows you’re currently watching and pick up where you left off
– Get recommendations for new movies and TV shows in Watch Now
– Discover new apps and the latest iTunes releases in the Store
– Access the Library for your iTunes purchases and rentals

Emoji
– Beautifully redesigned emoji that reveal even more detail
– Over 100 new emoji including new faces, food, animals, sports, and professions

Photos
– Improves stabilization and delivers faster frame rate for Live Photos
– Improves accuracy of groupings of similar photos of the same person in the People album
– Fixes an issue where Memories might generate a memory from photos of screenshots, whiteboards or receipts
– Fixes an issue where the camera would stay zoomed in after switching back from the Camera Roll on iPhone 7 Plus
– Additional support for RAW digital cameras

Messages
– Adds new love and celebration full screen effects in Messages
– Fixes an issue that sometimes prevented the keyboard from displaying in Messages

Music
– Swipe up the Now Playing screen to more easily access Shuffle, Repeat and Up Next
– Choose how to sort Playlists, Albums, and Songs in Library

News
– Stories you’ve saved for later now appear the new Saved section
– The best paid stories from channels you subscribe to will now appear in a dedicated section in For You
– It’s now easier than ever to get to the next story, just swipe left or tap Next Story while reading

Mail
– Fixes an issue that caused the Move sheet to persist after filing a Mail message
– Addresses an issue with long press activating copy and paste in Mail
– Fixes an issue in which the wrong message would be selected after deleting a Mail conversation

Accessibility
Adds BraillePen14 support to VoiceOver
– Fixes an issue where the braille table could switch unexpectedly with VoiceOver
– Fixes an issue where sometimes Siri enhanced voices were unavailable to VoiceOver
– Fixes an issue where VoiceOver users could not re-order items in lists
– Fixes an issue where Switch Control was sometimes unable to delete Voicemails

Other improvements and fixes
– Adds notification support for HomeKit accessories including window coverings, occupancy, motion, door/window, smoke, carbon monoxide, and water leak sensors
– Adds notification support for HomeKit accessories when software updates are available to HomeKit accessories
– Improves Bluetooth performance and connectivity with 3rd party accessories
– Fixes an issue that could cause FaceTime participants to appear out of focus
– Fixes an issue that could cause FaceTime calls to appear with incorrect aspect ratio and orientation
– Fixes an issue that prevented some Visual Voicemail from completing playback
– Fixes a Safari Reader issue that could cause articles to open as empty pages
– Fixes an issue that could cause Safari to quit unexpectedly after marking an item as read in Reading List

Source: http://bgr.com/2016/12/13/ios-10-2-features-list-emojis-tv-app/

Backpage.com pimping case dismissed by judge

Accusations the operators of a website likened to being an “online brothel” had engaged in pimping have been dismissed by a judge.

The Californian authorities had claimed Backpage.com’s boss and two of its former owners had generated millions of dollars by hosting sex trade ads, some of which involved under-age children.

Prosecutors told the judge Backpage.com had screened the ads on its site.

But the judge ruled they could not be held liable for third parties’ actions.

“This court finds it difficult to see any illegal behaviour outside of the reliance upon the content of speech created by others,” said Judge Michael Bowman.

His decision was based on 1996’s Communications Decency Act, which says publishers should not be held responsible for content created solely by their users.

The case against Backpage.com had alleged that it should not qualify for protection because it “helps pimps and traffickers develop the ads they post”.

The site had previously stated it used both an automated system searching for key words and human review to check the contents of every post to its adult section.

But the judge said he needed further evidence that the site was actually involved in the notices’ creation.

Charges of pimping a minor, pimping and conspiracy to commit pimping have now been dropped against the site’s chief executive, Carl Ferrer, while charges of conspiracy to commit pimping have also been dropped against its ex-owners Michael Lacey and James Larkin.

A spokesman for the business described the attempted prosecution of the men as an “abuse of power”.

But California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris, who will shortly become a senator for the Democrat Party, said she intended to find other means to hold the men to account.

“We will not turn a blind eye to the defendants’ exploitative behaviour simply because they conducted their criminal enterprise online rather than on a street corner,” she said.

Source:http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38301979

DDoS: Thirty-four arrested after international probe

Thirty four people, including teenagers, have been arrested after an international police operation involving EU and US authorities.

The action targeted users of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) cyber-attack tools.

Twelve of the suspects were arrested in the UK as part of an investigation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Authorities across a total of 13 countries made the arrests between 5 and 9 December.

The NCA said that it had targeted users of software called Netspoof, a computer program that could direct huge volumes of internet traffic at websites and web servers in order to disable them.

Following the UK arrests, a 27-year-old man from Hamilton in Scotland was charged with offences under the Computer Misuse Act.

US suspect charged

As part of the international operation, a US suspect has been arrested and charged over a DDoS attack that knocked a San Francisco chat service’s site offline.

Sean Sharma, a 26-year-old student in California, is enrolled in a master’s degree programme at the University of Southern California.

Mr Sharma could face up to 10 years in prison. His case is being investigated by the FBI.

“DDoS tools are among the many specialised cyber-crime services available for hire that may be used by professional criminals and novices alike,” said Steve Kelly, unit chief of the FBI’s International Cyber Crime Coordination Cell.

“While the FBI is working with our international partners to apprehend and prosecute sophisticated cyber-criminals, we also want to deter the young from starting down this path.”

The international investigations, in which a total of 101 suspects were interviewed and cautioned, were supported by Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre.

House searches were conducted and notifications were sent to parents, according to the agency.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38302740

Uber accused of letting staff spy on celebs and exes

Uber has defended itself following accusations that a lack of internal security allowed employees to spy on rides in real-time.

The firm’s former forensic investigator made the allegations in a court declaration.

Uber said it had “hundreds of security and privacy experts working around the clock” to protect its data.

The firm recently settled a case in New York that alleged its “God View” tool was used to monitor rides.

“Uber’s lack of security regarding its customer data was resulting in Uber employees being able to track high-profile politicians, celebrities, and even personal acquaintances of Uber employees, including ex-boyfriends/girlfriends, and ex-spouses,” wrote former forensic investigator Ward Spangenberg in his court declaration.

Mr Spangenberg was fired from Uber earlier this year and is now suing the company over age discrimination and whistleblower retaliation.

Five former security professionals told news site Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting that Uber allowed broad access to ride data.

‘Strict policies’

“Uber continues to increase our security investments and many of these efforts, like our multi-factor authentication checks and bug bounty program, have been widely reported,” a spokesman for Uber said in a statement.

“This includes enforcing strict policies and technical controls to limit access to user data to authorised employees solely for purposes of their job responsibilities, and all potential violations are quickly and thoroughly investigated.”

The spokesman also denied that “all” or “nearly all” Uber’s employees had access to customer data, with or without approval.

“Some teams have never had access to this information,” he said.

Staff access to data was logged and routinely audited, the spokesman added.

Uber also said that “God View” no longer existed, and it now had an internal tool called “Heaven View”.

In January, Uber paid $20,000 (£13,700) and promised to strengthen privacy policies in order to settle an investigation by New York’s attorney general.

It followed a BuzzFeed news story in 2014 that alleged one of its reporter’s rides had been tracked via “God View” without her permission.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38300107

Steve Jobs brought up the idea of new movies hitting iTunes while still in theaters six years ago

A few days ago, a report surfaced indicating that Apple is interested in the prospect of bringing movies to iTunes while they’re still playing in theaters. While new movies don’t typically show up on iTunes until a period of at least three months has passed, the report relays that movie studios are contemplating the idea of carving out an exception for Apple, assuming of course that the price is right.

While negotiations are reportedly still in the early stages, it’s believed that renting a new-release movie on iTunes might cost consumers anywhere from $25-$30 a pop. What’s particularly interesting about this report, aside of course from iTunes becoming a hub for catching the latest blockbusters coming out of Hollywood, is the fact that Steve Jobs actually predicted that this is where the industry was headed more than six years ago.

Originally spotted by Abdel Ibrahim over at AppAdvice, the clip in questions comes to us from Jobs’ appearance at the D8 conference back in 2010.

“I even think that there’s going to be a way,” Jobs said enthusiastically, “to watch a first-run movie at home before it comes out on DVD if you’re willing to spend a bunch of money.”

When Walt Mossberg, who was moderating the discussion along with Kara Fisher, clarified Jobs’ remarks by asking,”a bunch of money?”, Jobs drove the point home, stating emphatically once again, “a bunch of money.”

Now whether or not Apple can ultimately reach a mutually amicable deal with Hollywood studios remains to be seen, but the larger takeaway here is that Steve Jobs’ ability to understand how the technological landscape was poised to shift was truly without parallel.

Citing just one more example of Jobs’ uncanny ability to see where the tech world was headed, here’s what Jobs said about computing all the way back in 1985: “The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it into a nationwide communications network. We’re just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people, as remarkable as the telephone.”

Source: http://bgr.com/2016/12/11/steve-jobs-quote-itunes-movie-rentals/

Samsung limits Galaxy Note 7 battery to 30% charge

Samsung is planning to update the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones that are still in use despite a fire risk, to prevent them being charged past 30%.

The update aims to encourage the few owners who have not yet returned the faulty devices to hand them in.

Samsung issued a global recall for the Galaxy Note 7 in September following complaints about exploding batteries.

It estimates that in Europe about 10% of Note 7 owners have yet to return their devices.

In a statement, Samsung, which plans to begin the changes on 15 December, said the update it issued in September that limited charging capacity to 60% “helped to drive a high rate of return”.

“This new battery software update is specifically designed to reinforce to the remaining minority of customers to immediately replace their device,” it said.

Radio communications cut

Customers can swap their phones via local replacement programmes, it added.

Reports suggest Samsung is taking different steps in other regions to encourage people to turn in their phones.

In Canada, an update reportedly turns off all the radio communications on a phone, including phone, wi-fi and bluetooth, rendering it useless.

After the battery debacle, Samsung stopped global production of the Note 7.

Reports of fires led to Samsung issuing a warning and asking owners to turn off their devices and hand them in.

Profits at the electronic giant plunged following the recall.

In late October Samsung announced that its operating profit for the three months between July and September was 30% down on the same period in 2015.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38262909

YouTube tackles unclaimed music royalties

Millions of dollars in unclaimed music royalties in the US will be distributed by YouTube following an agreement with the US National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA).

The payout refers to tracks with unknown owners used on the platform between August 2012 and December 2015.

Publishers who opt in will be sent a list and will then have a window in which to claim ownership.

After that, the remaining unclaimed royalties will be shared among them.

The total amount to be offered has not been confirmed, but was reported by the New York Times to be more than $40m (£31m).

The opt-in period, which opens on Monday, 12 December, ends on 28 February 2017. Publishers will then have three months to make a claim.

The process will be repeated in 2017, 2018 and 2019 for the previous year’s royalties.

“It is essential that we work with digital services like YouTube… to fix the challenge of incomplete ownership information to ensure royalties are no longer unmatched and music owners are paid accurately by the platforms that rely on their work,” said NMPA founder and chief executive David Israelite in a statement.

Royalties row

YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl wrote in a blogpost this week that the Google-owned platform had paid more than $1bn in royalties to artists in 2016.

But the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said that it was not enough.

“With 800 million music users worldwide, YouTube is generating revenues of just over $1 per user for the entire year,” a spokesman told the BBC earlier this week.

“This pales in comparison to the revenue generated by other services, ranging from Apple to Deezer to Spotify. For example, in 2015 Spotify alone paid record labels some $2bn, equivalent to an estimated $18 per user.”

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38261684

Trump fans urge Star Wars boycott over reshoot claims

Supporters of Donald Trump are urging a boycott of the Star Wars film, Rogue One, due for US release next week.

The campaign began with a series of tweets from activist Jack Posobiec, who claimed the writers changed the film to add scenes linking Mr Trump to racism.

Screenwriter Chris Weitz said that this was “completely fake”, though he and another writer have tweeted their opposition to the US president-elect.

#DumpStarWars has been retweeted 120,000 times in the past 24 hours.

In a Periscope video, Jack Posobiec, who is an activist with Citizens for Trump, claimed the writers had said the Empire in the film “is a white supremacist organisation like the Trump administration and the diverse rebels are going to defeat them”.

“They’re trying to make the point of using this movie to push the false narrative… that Trump is a racist.” he said.

The basis of the claims appears to be tweets sent by Mr Weitz and fellow screenwriter Gary Whitta.

Following Mr Trump’s election win in November, Mr Weitz posted: “Please note that the Empire is a white supremacist (human) organisation.”

Mr Whitta responded: “Opposed by a multi-cultural group led by brave women.”

Both tweets were deleted within the day and Chris Weitz later apologised for politicising the film.

The film premieres next week in the US.

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The pro-Trump Twitter army

Donald Trump has 17 million followers on Twitter.

Among them are a group of vocal supporters who frequently champion him and are quick to denigrate those who oppose or criticise him.

#DumpStarWars is only the latest in a series of online campaigns they have launched.

In the last few weeks, there have also been calls to boycott the cereal company Kelloggs, Starbucks and the musical Hamilton.

A handful of accounts are frequently retweeted in the thousands.

They tend belong to people who work in the media, managing websites or producing other media supporting Trump.

The most high-profile is Briton Paul Joseph Watson, an editor at Infowars, a website that has published outlandish conspiracy theories including one claiming Hillary Clinton has a secret “satanic network”.

The tone of their tweets is frequently combative and polemical. They are quick to bait “liberals” or “social justice warriors” but not averse to a bit of martyrdom either, frequently decrying the MSM – mainstream media – as liars that victimise Mr Trump.

One conspiracy theory popular among them, #pizzagate, led a man to fire a rifle in a restaurant linked to it this week.

For more on social media reaction to this story and others, read our daily Social Buzz

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38259838