October 2016 - ArewaSwag | Best Arewa Celebrities & Entertainment Blog

Mark Zuckerberg Got All Sorts Of Suggestions To Voice His Virtual Assistant Project

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PKf_X3IoeapC3-BGH6EsG0MQkT1QUzFSsDWfxQz5UAD0uPBHBVq9avUy6jR6YR1MLtLhfTXjIoAy7bQkjbVhDRxp1L4AR9lTOVrbVYQHbkIa5ZK-vJasS6wFl_Wt5HRVfRMxLbCYzeHg/s1600/Facebook_Zuckerberg-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PKf_X3IoeapC3-BGH6EsG0MQkT1QUzFSsDWfxQz5UAD0uPBHBVq9avUy6jR6YR1MLtLhfTXjIoAy7bQkjbVhDRxp1L4AR9lTOVrbVYQHbkIa5ZK-vJasS6wFl_Wt5HRVfRMxLbCYzeHg/s400/Facebook_Zuckerberg-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Facebook’s CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg is known for coming up with eccentric resolutions for a calendar year and for 2016, <a href="http://www.techweez.com/2016/01/04/mark-zuckerbergs-digital-assistant-for-his-house/">he decided</a> that one of his goals is to build a virtual assistant for his house.</p><p>This was his goal as described in a post in January this <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102577175875681" rel="nofollow">year</a>:</p><blockquote><blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center"><p>My personal challenge for 2016 is to build a simple AI to run my home and help me with my work. You can think of it kind of like Jarvis in Iron Man.</p></blockquote></blockquote><p>If you’ve watched the IronMan movies, you will instantly recognize the brilliant virtual assistant Tony Stark has and Mark wanted to create something that is similar to that. We are in the 10 month of the year and Mark Zuckerberg decided to ask this question to his audience.</p><p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fzuck%2Fposts%2F10103170675742191&amp;width=500" width="500" height="142" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><p>AI systems (and especially virtual assistants) are voiced by humans to make them feel as human as possible, or else you will be served with a robotic face that can be quite jarring at first. Mark’s query of course generated a lot of buzz and here are some of the people who endorsed themselves or were endorsed by others:</p><p><em>First, Jarvis in the Iron Movies was voiced by Paul Bettany and people thought it was only fitting for him to be given the job</em></p><p><img alt="bettany" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52935" data-recalc-dims="1" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/bettany.png?resize=488%2C68" /></p><p><em>Robert Downey Jr (Who pays Iron Man) had conditions for Mark if he gave him the job to voice his AI</em></p><p><img alt="robert-downey" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52936" data-recalc-dims="1" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/robert-downey.png?resize=488%2C88" /></p><p>Well after that we started to see some notable people being mentioned like:</p><p><em>1. Morgan Freeman (You remember his voiceover on the Shawshank Redemption)</em></p><p><img alt="morgan" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52937" data-recalc-dims="1" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/morgan.png?resize=482%2C73" /></p><p>2. <em>David Attenborough who is famous for voicing nature documentaries</em></p><p><img alt="attenbourough" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52938" data-recalc-dims="1" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/attenbourough.png?resize=480%2C75" /></p><p>3. <em>Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the famous astrophysicist (Mark loved this idea)</em></p><p><img alt="neil-de-grasse" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52939" data-recalc-dims="1" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/neil-de-grasse.png?resize=485%2C124" /></p><p>4. T-Pain (Zuckerberg is not too apprehensive about autotuned AI)<img alt="t-pain" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52940" data-recalc-dims="1" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/t-pain.png?resize=487%2C126" /></p><p>5. <em>Hodor from the Game of Thrones ( Zuck quickly dismissed that option)</em></p><p><img alt="hodor" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52942" data-recalc-dims="1" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.techweez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/hodor.png?resize=483%2C131" /></p><p>Well Zuckerberg clearly got a lot of options from people out there and judging by the fact that he wants it to perform features like run the house or help him “visualize data in VR”, it would be interesting to see what person he’ll pick for the job.</p>

Mark Zuckerberg Got All Sorts Of Suggestions To Voice His Virtual Assistant Project

Facebook’s CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg is known for coming up with eccentric resolutions for a calendar year and for 2016, he decided that one of his goals is to build a virtual assistant for his…

15 Oct 2016

Finally, Official Instagram App For Windows 10 Is Available For Download

At last Windows 10 users can now have a breath of fresh air as Instagram app for Windows 10 is now available for download on Windows store. <br />
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Well, it's not as if we haven't been using Instagram on PC before now but the method we used was via third-party apps and web-based Instagram platform but now, the official app is ready for everyone on PC. <br />
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With the new app, you can easily upload pictures directly to Instagram from your PC camera roll folder, as well as been able to get notifications, chat via Instagram Direct, and of course use Stories, Search, Explore, Profile, and Feed. <br />
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Meanwhile, the main bug in the app is that it crashes whenever you try to add a Story, especially if you’re using a PC without a backward-facing cam. <br />
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We hope subsequent updates will fix that bug. <br />
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<b>WHERE CAN I DOWNLOAD IT? </b><br />
<a href ="https://www.microsoft.com/en-nz/store/p/instagram/9nblggh5l9xt" rel=nofollow>Download Instagram For Windows 10 Here</a><br />
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Feel free to share with your friends on social media.

Finally, Official Instagram App For Windows 10 Is Available For Download

At last Windows 10 users can now have a breath of fresh air as Instagram app for Windows 10 is now available for download on Windows store. Well, it's not as if we haven't been using Instagram on PC…

15 Oct 2016

Facebook Messenger Has Rolled Out A Way For Its Users To Chat In Secret

Privacy has become a pertinent issue in the web today thanks to the news of all the hacks and the release of sensitive information. A platform that does not take seriously the issue of privacy runs the risk of losing users and that is why they always assure them of their security in a number of ways.<br />
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Secret chats have become a cool feature on messaging apps which allow you to have conversations that are more “private” than the standard ones. Back in July, Messenger was testing Secret Conversations with a limited number of users. Now according to WIRED, it has been rolled out to all users.<br />
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This feature is opt-in which means you have to manually toggle the secret conversations feature in order to use it. On Android, you only need to go to your profile tab, scroll and look for “secret conversations” and switch on the feature. However, if you want to use the feature with a specific constant, you have to go to a contact’s thread, tap on the ‘i’ button and select “secret conversation.” This will usher you to a new thread with a black and white theme where the conversation is now encrypted end-to-end.<br />
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This does not mean your current standard chats are not secure, they are encrypted in general but the secret conversations are similar to Telegram’s Secret Chat where the conversation is encrypted between the two people so that no one can read them. In addition to the usual features you see on regular chats like adding photos, emojis or location, there is a timer where you can set the conversation to disappear in 5 seconds all the way to 24 hours.<br />
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Apparently, Facebook Messenger uses Open Whisper’s Signal encryption system which is the one they also used in encrypting chats on WhatsApp or Google Allo. However, it is good news for privacy advocates as another major platform has managed to add this secure system for people to talk to one another.

Facebook Messenger Has Rolled Out A Way For Its Users To Chat In Secret

05 Oct 2016

WhatsApp for Android Beta Now Has GIF Support

Back in June, a changelog revealed several features that were dormant within the WhatsApp for iOS which included such features like temporary group participants, video calling and GIF support. It was only a matter of time for them to be activated from the server side and we are now seeing that for GIFs.<br />
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GIFs are one of the oldest form of media that have been used in the World Wide Web and have only become more entrenched in our day to day activities in various social networks. WhatsApp is a pretty big social network on its own and the lack of GIFs was downright embarrassing.<br />
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Well, we can put that aside as now WhatsApp has activated GIF support as shown from the beta version of the WhatsApp for Android. My current beta version is 2.16.290 and it shows the new GIF support.<br />
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WhatsApp has decided to give GIFs a special tab under the attachment menu which is rather interesting. When you open a chat and you would like to send a GIF, just tap on the attachment menu (has a paperclip icon), click on gallery and you will be able to see the new GIF tab. This will make it easy for you to find the GIFs that you have in your gallery easy to find which is awesome. You can now go ahead and send a GIF to your friend to make those chats way more lively.<br />
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Since this feature has appeared on the beta channel, you can expect it to be on the way to the general public in the future. This is a better late than never case for WhatsApp but they have to put in effort since the likes of Telegram have cool GIF integration which is yet to be bested due to its speed.

WhatsApp for Android Beta Now Has GIF Support

04 Oct 2016

Pricing of Google’s Daydream Virtual Reality Headset Revealed Ahead of Launch

It’s October 4th everyone! For the Google fans, it may as well be what you can call Google Day, G Day or whatever you fancy.<br />
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The company is set to take the stage at an event in Silicon Valley later today (7PM East African Time) where we expect it to unveil its two new smartphones, the Pixel and Pixel XL, a reference model of its virtual reality platform, Daydream, a Chromecast dongle that can stream Ultra HD content, Google Home as well as plans for its Android-Chrome OS hybrid OS, Andromeda.<br />
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However, we won’t have to wait for the next 5 or so hours to have a rough idea at how much the Daydream VR headset will cost. According to Variety, it will go for $79.<br />
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Daydream is Google’s mobile VR platform. In other words, the Android of virtual reality. As mobile VR headsets, any Daydream hardware will depend on Daydream-certified Android smartphones for their displays. Google’s new Pixel and Pixel Xl smartphones are likely to be the first smartphones to ship as Daydream-ready. Partners like Xiaomi and Huawei are also expected to ship similar hardware before we wrap up the year.<br />
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Unlike other mobile VR headsets we have seen like Samsung’s Gear VR, Daydream VR headsets have a hand-held controller for navigation and interaction with the virtual world instead of the tedious (and cumbersome) touch pad that can be found on Samsung and Oculus’ device.<br />
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Daydream is expected to launch with a lot of content after Google managed to get on board several big-name partners like HBO, EA Sports and others early on.<br />
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The $79 pricing of the Daydream VR is expected to boost its standing in the market when it finally arrives since as things stand, virtual reality head gear is still pretty much expensive. Samsung slashed the price of its Gear VR to $99 some time back but full-fledged VR kits still cost up to 10 times the purported price of the upcoming Daydream VR (cough HTC Vive cough).

Pricing of Google’s Daydream Virtual Reality Headset Revealed Ahead of Launch

It’s October 4th everyone! For the Google fans, it may as well be what you can call Google Day, G Day or whatever you fancy. The company is set to take the stage at an event in Silicon Valley later to…

04 Oct 2016

WhatsApp Is Now Rolling Out The New Snapchat-like Camera Interface

A month ago, it was spotted that WhatsApp was testing a new camera interface in its app which looked oddly similar to what Snapchat offers. WhatsApp and other companies with messaging apps have noticed how Snapchat’s implementation has made it so popular and ended up imitating the same functionality in their camera user interfaces.<br />
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Well WhatsApp has made that test official where you can now use the new camera interface we had the opportunity to see a while back. “With WhatsApp’s new camera features, you can now write or draw on photos and videos, as well as add emoji to express yourself,’ the company said in a blogpost.<br />
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Just like how you use the Snap interface, after taking a photo or video, you can add a text, big emojis or doodles. These text captions or doodles can be typed or written in a variety of colours and specifically on texts, you can magnify them (by doing a pinch to zoom gesture) or drag them around the interface. The zooming feature also applies for videos where you only need to slide your finger up and down. They have also added another handy gesture where you only need to quickly double tap the screen in the camera UI to switch between the selfie and primary cameras. Finally, they’ve added a “front-facing flash” which is the same implementation of what we saw with Apple for their iOS devices where the screen will light up and act as a flash.<br />
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This comes at a time when Messenger has also been reported testing a similar feature for Messenger and shows how Snapchat has managed to influence these huge platforms in adopting an emoji-sticker-doodle like camera interface.This feature is currently being rolled out to Android phones first and to iPhones later on.

WhatsApp Is Now Rolling Out The New Snapchat-like Camera Interface

04 Oct 2016

Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Update Now Available For First-gen Samsung Galaxy A8 Duos

Good news to all Samsung Galaxy A8 Duos users as a new update is now available for your device. <br />
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The update size is 890mb and it has already started hitting users in India. This update brings along Android Marshmallow version 6.0.1 as well as latest Android security partch<br />
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Meanwhile, the update could take some time to hit every device as it's the case with OTA updates but you can manually checkout the update by going to your phone's settings menu and checking for the update.

Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Update Now Available For First-gen Samsung Galaxy A8 Duos

Good news to all Samsung Galaxy A8 Duos users as a new update is now available for your device. The update size is 890mb and it has already started hitting users in India. This update brings along An…

04 Oct 2016

Chinese Companies Ban Staff From Buying Apple’s iPhone 7, Threaten to Sack Them

Apple has the swanky new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus out in the market that users are falling over themselves to get them. Some even going as far as buying plane tickets (when they obviously don’t intend to travel) just so that they can get access to airport shops and buy the devices before anyone else.<br />
Guess who’ll not be among the millions in China getting new iPhone 7s? Workers in several companies.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg_2eJT4XqkHDJQvlK934MMnnjtzmx6nnUhWWzHO521_olC8G0En72AnOl9q-5grzv2oAP3UZabXqEnI3LL-et5NbF9z48HhK-WKfLYg0KY8ce4oAfhHAccqEOlWDCHnzPJsffewCadEy/s1600/apple-iphone7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg_2eJT4XqkHDJQvlK934MMnnjtzmx6nnUhWWzHO521_olC8G0En72AnOl9q-5grzv2oAP3UZabXqEnI3LL-et5NbF9z48HhK-WKfLYg0KY8ce4oAfhHAccqEOlWDCHnzPJsffewCadEy/s320/apple-iphone7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>According to the <em>BBC</em>, some employers in China have resorted to issuing warnings that employees caught buying the pricey iPhone 7 will face dire consequences ranging from being forced to resign (a nicer way of getting fired?), being forced to return the device to the shop in exchange for a cheaper device or being denied the highest grade during staff appraisals thus resulting in little to no pay raise.<br />
<blockquote>workers are being encouraged not to “acquire an Apple habit”</blockquote>The move, according to the employers and other people who spoke to the <em>BBC</em>, is aimed at making employees understand the importance of living within their means as the iPhone 7, in some instances, costs up to three times the average worker’s wage in some companies. As such, going out to buy one is being seen as a display of extravagance.<br />
Previously, there have been numerous reported incidences of young men and women in China selling their body parts like kidneys so that they can be able to purchase the latest Apple devices in a market where Apple’s iPhones and iPads are held in high regard.

Chinese Companies Ban Staff From Buying Apple’s iPhone 7, Threaten to Sack Them

04 Oct 2016

Telegram Messenger Beefs Up Its Bot Platform By Offering In-Chat Games

Telegram Messenger, just like any other instant messenger platform has moved from the traditional system of providing people with a way of sending messages in form of texts or video.<br />
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They have become complex platforms in their own right which include other features that are geared to make the active user base to be more engaged.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GH-GTKjMc5e_5C8u87dW4ibZujUld9LVzhQUEmXhdN7MC0m3eWtYhNW1l402LkL137h02lb65b3KOf3EiYNR7kKWBSds20ckBRzkga4C6Rod4dl_5DBWMMmvAr4hoYyLB2AKktgyOmlA/s1600/Telegram-Messenger-bot-game.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GH-GTKjMc5e_5C8u87dW4ibZujUld9LVzhQUEmXhdN7MC0m3eWtYhNW1l402LkL137h02lb65b3KOf3EiYNR7kKWBSds20ckBRzkga4C6Rod4dl_5DBWMMmvAr4hoYyLB2AKktgyOmlA/s320/Telegram-Messenger-bot-game.png" width="320" /></a></div>Telegram has a sticker platform, a bot platform and now today they have announced a gaming platform. Now Telegram will allow its users to play HTML5 games within groups or on one-on-one chats.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrz1-QcSKhiTliR3yTTRR5MX1Gr1KcXniMeTdmmiiEVYTW_OHASRF5KvfuvoXdDA27rnd7oMiSKE7sTk1AOtdp7Ej1n99ZBq8P-nMV6r7XiO8trjkLtVnEG8hl2LYfLMYmsJ9vmeL9MgK/s1600/Telegram-Messenger-bot-game%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrz1-QcSKhiTliR3yTTRR5MX1Gr1KcXniMeTdmmiiEVYTW_OHASRF5KvfuvoXdDA27rnd7oMiSKE7sTk1AOtdp7Ej1n99ZBq8P-nMV6r7XiO8trjkLtVnEG8hl2LYfLMYmsJ9vmeL9MgK/s320/Telegram-Messenger-bot-game%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><div align='right'>Via Telegram</div>“You can now use bots to play games in your chats, complete with graphics and sound,” Telegram says in their blogpost. You can check the roster of games by clicking on the link to this Telegram blot <a href="https://telegram.me/gamee">@gamee</a>.<br />
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There are two ways of starting a game on Telegram. First, you can interact with the gamee bot directly and follow the prompts or you can invoke it by typing its handle (@gamee) either in a group or one-on-one with a friend.<br />
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That is not all, Telegram will save the high scores of the game syou have played in your chats and you can check the high scores of your friends too and you will be notified if someone tops the list. Telegram has also made it easy to share these games all over the platform so that if you spot an interesting game, you can just share it to your chats and play with your friends.<br />
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Telegram says that there are about 30 games that can be played right away. The company says that these games could range from simple arcade games or puzzles to more complex games like 3D shooters or real time strategy games. In order to play these games, you will need an Android phone that has Android 4.4 or higher, iPhone 4 and newer and you must have Telegram v. 3.13 or higher.

Telegram Messenger Beefs Up Its Bot Platform By Offering In-Chat Games

03 Oct 2016

Facebook Has Launched Marketplace In 4 Countries

Facebook is a community of over 1.7 billion people and naturally, they have used this platform as a place to sell goods and services. The company has noticed this behaviour over time and introduced features like sale groups but now they are upping the ante with a dedicated tab called Marketplace.<br />
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This feature has been leaked for a while thanks to various sightings on Android and iOS but now Facebook has come forward to explain what exactly Marketplace is. “To help people make more of these connections, today we’re introducing Marketplace,” they said on their blog, ” a convenient destination to discover, buy and sell items with people in your community.”<br />
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There is a dedicated Marketplace tab with a generic shop icon which when you tap lets you either search for something, check out the various categories or sell your product. You can search for items within Marketplace also by location where you will be fed with a list of products that are being sold within your area.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5p2yJHEVXfvbz3oT6qQxD7iY0aUGv9vM7YWBN6UrF0OCTFWPN62isGkIqu3fZeqABDw8j4DuzVHwUnSgZ_68d2Gp0aE1pZeFI8tzrBcefYjC6PE1DZd6xxuAImnrWJpg7rgoh8NvpicQ/s1600/marketplace-newsroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5p2yJHEVXfvbz3oT6qQxD7iY0aUGv9vM7YWBN6UrF0OCTFWPN62isGkIqu3fZeqABDw8j4DuzVHwUnSgZ_68d2Gp0aE1pZeFI8tzrBcefYjC6PE1DZd6xxuAImnrWJpg7rgoh8NvpicQ/s320/marketplace-newsroom.png" width="320" /></a></div>When you are interested in a product, you only need to tap on the image, check the details of the seller, see the description of the product and you can decide to make an offer or send a message to the seller. You can also save the item if you want to revisit at a later time.<br />
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If you want to sell something on Facebook, you only need to tap on the sell button, take a photo of the item (or add from your gallery), add a description, its price, add the location, category and proceed to post it.<br />
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If you want to keep tabs with your activity within Marketplace, there is a “Your Items” tab where you will see your items you’ve posted for sale, saved items and all the messages you’ve sent with people.<br />
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This move should worry two kinds of companies: The ones that let people sell or buy goods on their site (OLX) or those that allow people to find and purchase goods on their site (Fancy). Facebook has clout and a massive reach and might be quite successful in this venture.<br />
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This is currently being rolled out to 4 countries: US, UK, New Zealand and Australia for both the Android and iPhone app and they promise to continue rolling it out to other countries. For those people who use the desktop version of Facebook, the company has promised that it will be available in “the coming months.”

Facebook Has Launched Marketplace In 4 Countries

03 Oct 2016

[No Surprises Here] All Details About Google’s Pixel Smartphones are Out in the Open Ahead of Unveiling

Google is holding an event tomorrow (October 4th) to unveil, among other things, the two smartphones (Pixel and Pixel XL) we’ve known for a while now that it has been working on with partner HTC.<br />
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We’ve seen the two devices up-close but as if that was not enough, carriers eager to be the first out of the door with offers for their customer bases have outed the devices at least several hours before the launch. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpic5XzwnNJACOhxN2CYoe3VxhkXQgNAT37iO37g0rQgKzFBaaY_0dQGWaJYiNyp_EhAepVppnLjcaLKjRa95-S4gRSX5yEhU_MFc5JMPqObb_i8kBdKAlFa23ITJ-uuL0z4rmFMrGwE-_/s1600/Google_Pixel_leaks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpic5XzwnNJACOhxN2CYoe3VxhkXQgNAT37iO37g0rQgKzFBaaY_0dQGWaJYiNyp_EhAepVppnLjcaLKjRa95-S4gRSX5yEhU_MFc5JMPqObb_i8kBdKAlFa23ITJ-uuL0z4rmFMrGwE-_/s320/Google_Pixel_leaks.png" width="320" /></a></div>The leaked details, as a result, offer as pretty much everything we need to know about them while also removing any doubts about some of the features we thought they may or may not pack.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDnPImJSKpEtkaRS5TExNg4nH4fwy42n6Q6vYMelErAnYrE9WprX9O1TFNrIfESJgsQVizVNHoiHsOh8j5hQlEYcJIvDAbR56XeIs4tnS2MC8jubJJ4ixxFA4OC-HIkAVJSKqmVDuYNGH/s1600/Google_Pixel_leaks_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDnPImJSKpEtkaRS5TExNg4nH4fwy42n6Q6vYMelErAnYrE9WprX9O1TFNrIfESJgsQVizVNHoiHsOh8j5hQlEYcJIvDAbR56XeIs4tnS2MC8jubJJ4ixxFA4OC-HIkAVJSKqmVDuYNGH/s320/Google_Pixel_leaks_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We’re seeing a couple of updates to the spec sheet we’ve had for a while from these leaks by Canadian carrier Bell. There is, for instance, the inclusion of a microSD card. Traditionally, Google does not include an option to expand the internal storage on its devices with memory cards. The company has for a long time dropped the feature because external memory tends to be slow. That is the official explanation even though we know that El-Goog will be more than happy to sell you additional storage on Google Drive. So, for all it’s worth, treat the inclusion of expandable storage as a bad rumour. A mistake on the carrier’s part. It’s not happening, people. Also, Google’s phones will also arrive with the latest high-end processor from Qualcomm.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn02lUIvFhrXf1W6MpFh9OvHPS43v2VfxR4w0Q1HF_PvmBD57QyUrIFmJIwD0PgKoPckC5DyEBY2lov_jokSfNv4lSOPgfZDr_Qz5i7kWgDRWX5RhZ2-5tdemI5HOQ1VasHYpIZe8I0kF/s1600/Google_Pixel_leaks_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn02lUIvFhrXf1W6MpFh9OvHPS43v2VfxR4w0Q1HF_PvmBD57QyUrIFmJIwD0PgKoPckC5DyEBY2lov_jokSfNv4lSOPgfZDr_Qz5i7kWgDRWX5RhZ2-5tdemI5HOQ1VasHYpIZe8I0kF/s320/Google_Pixel_leaks_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKau2tXtBUytpjE0obJPelUv1lLW7kt48cOg_qZd7lbg5ykDFuTOHVZKBlJcUtCpGQbFM4C3gBplpza-VY97R_AdA1ujAz2OEiUFbweyPvVq_vnb8EoICs8i_NCTwOUGtmCrVLm9kUWE_/s1600/Google_Pixel_leaks_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKau2tXtBUytpjE0obJPelUv1lLW7kt48cOg_qZd7lbg5ykDFuTOHVZKBlJcUtCpGQbFM4C3gBplpza-VY97R_AdA1ujAz2OEiUFbweyPvVq_vnb8EoICs8i_NCTwOUGtmCrVLm9kUWE_/s320/Google_Pixel_leaks_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Oh, and Google Assistant, the intelligent chat bot included in messaging app Allo, will be front and centre of the Android experience on the new Google phones. Allo and companion messaging app Duo are expected to be preloaded on the device.

[No Surprises Here] All Details About Google’s Pixel Smartphones are Out in the Open Ahead of Unveiling

03 Oct 2016

Huawei Could Switch to Tizen from Android Wear for its Smartwatches

It’s about time we saw another smartwatch from Huawei. It’s over a year since Huawei finally released the Watch to the market after several delays. So, we are betting that we will get to see a new Huawei smartwatch, the successor to last year’s gorgeous Huawei Watch, this November at the Mate 9 launch event.<br />
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However, if news coming in from the East are anything to go by, the second generation Huawei Watch (and other smartwatches that come after it from Huawei) will be very different from the first generation Watch thanks to the software it will run.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Pe9GWYksFeWQUdaYQBhSQie1MogO0S_wBU_QEp-YVa6kGq5qn0dyjUN0Ret9luYQ8X9MNsFsytj5aXsVbPiAg4B3WnDpNOpVg4nWz1K96OtOoxSRk-jy4J35zKDzNqW-82BqFtS7im4p/s1600/Huawei_Watch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Pe9GWYksFeWQUdaYQBhSQie1MogO0S_wBU_QEp-YVa6kGq5qn0dyjUN0Ret9luYQ8X9MNsFsytj5aXsVbPiAg4B3WnDpNOpVg4nWz1K96OtOoxSRk-jy4J35zKDzNqW-82BqFtS7im4p/s320/Huawei_Watch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sources quoted by Korean media indicate that the Chinese device maker has been considering dumping Google’s platform for wearables, Android Wear, in favour of the Samsung-backed Tizen platform.<br />
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Tizen is the operating system that has powered all of Samsung’s wearable devices so far with the exception of two devices. Samsung’s first smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, shipped with a customized Android Jelly Bean build long before Android Wear became a thing. It has since been updated to join the Tizen bandwagon. The second device, the Gear Live, was one of the two devices that Google paraded on stage at I/O 2014 when it introduced Android Wear to the world. It remains the only Android Wear device that the Korean company has ever made even though it keeps saying that it is committed to the platform.<br />
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And now, reportedly, Huawei wants in too.<br />
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The reason? Android Wear, which Google just recently announced a new update for, is not as versatile as the Chinese company may want and as such its devices are being limited by Google’s software vision for wearables. It believes that it can be able to do so much more on another platform like Tizen. Unlike in smartphones where Google has ceded much ground to device makers to tinker and toy around with Android as they please, the company has been very clear that it won’t allow wearable device makers to customize Android Wear as it aims for a standard experience across the board. Huawei is not so happy with that. Tizen may be the out that it needs if it is to bring an Emotion UI-like vibe to its smartwatches.<br />
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Huawei is a founding member of the Tizen Association even though it is Samsung that has become the poster child of the platform by building several of its products around the platform and growing it step by step since 2012.<br />
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If indeed it does switch to Tizen, Google’s Android Wear platform would have lost a valuable partner while Tizen will have gained immensely. Android Wear, despite attracting several big watch industry names like TAG Heuer and managing to convince Sony to dump its proprietary efforts, has struggled to impress in its first two years of existence.

Huawei Could Switch to Tizen from Android Wear for its Smartwatches

03 Oct 2016

Twitter Takes A Jab At Storify By Letting Everyone Create Their Own Moments

Twitter announced Moments almost a year ago which is a collection of curated news generated from the tweets, Vines or videos published in the Twitter ecosystem done by a dedicated team. It is available on selected countries and you can see these moments which are arranged in categories by tapping on a specific button that looks like a lightning bolt.<br />
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This system was organized by a team on Twitter who scoured through the mass of tweets and Vines and created these curated lists so that you could get a broad glimpse of what is happening in the world. However, the company decided on August that they would now let influencers create their own Moments which was great. Well yesterday, Twitter made this official where now anyone can create compelling stories in a Moment.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWx5STonnO5U0T59dH-e5Ri1XzQR_zczkbDNHkke1RaLCPlpxY65JzkM7Hn3a9yU8gjpa12TSgkxunxhUfvQf0gFu7gY2EMPbiarg0-IZfqV2Oh-uv-O_jqcz5jwyHq9m5Vo2Zkz3ZwBv/s1600/Twitter-moments-tutorial-700x311.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWx5STonnO5U0T59dH-e5Ri1XzQR_zczkbDNHkke1RaLCPlpxY65JzkM7Hn3a9yU8gjpa12TSgkxunxhUfvQf0gFu7gY2EMPbiarg0-IZfqV2Oh-uv-O_jqcz5jwyHq9m5Vo2Zkz3ZwBv/s320/Twitter-moments-tutorial-700x311.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So how can you create these moments? Well if you are creating the Moment from twitter.com, you only need to go to your profile and tap on the “create new Moment” tab. This will open a new graphic where you can give a title to your Moment, a description and later on can add the tweets either buy searching for them, by account, via a link or by looking for tweets you have liked. You can choose any picture from your list of tweets as a cover for the moment and share the moment via tweet.<br />
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Twitter gave some pointers in coming up with great Moments where you need to:<br />
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Keep your titles short but descriptive<br />
Add a description to show people what they will find in your Moment<br />
Add an “irresistible” cover photo<br />
make sure your Moment is not too long or too short, around 10 tweets long.<br />
make it a bit lively by adding a bunch of tweets that have Vines, videos, GIFs or regular photos.

Twitter Takes A Jab At Storify By Letting Everyone Create Their Own Moments

03 Oct 2016

Microsoft’s Latest Android App is Targeted at News Junkies

Microsoft’s experimental projects lab aka Microsoft Garage is back at it again. This time round, the band of engineers from Microsoft that has developed a reputation for designing some good-looking apps for platforms other than Microsoft’s own has a new Android app.<br />
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The app, News Pro is, according to its description on the Play Store, meant to “help you search for news around your work and life every day”. Still, it is not that Newscast app that reads news to you that we heard about last year but which, unfortunately, is yet to see the light of day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Nt7W2_EaAeTIuzLl-AvEiiTEcafTjAuhSSep4v8s_MVqgOJTG3Ki-Ia3bMEplU8N2B9y12lConBJUJxpBJGogQDAAo9J9xAG7NBzndB5ab7MmoI10xKBHS4qdpmbmbj5T0MhTf7C-LAi/s1600/Microsoft_News_Pro_Android.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Nt7W2_EaAeTIuzLl-AvEiiTEcafTjAuhSSep4v8s_MVqgOJTG3Ki-Ia3bMEplU8N2B9y12lConBJUJxpBJGogQDAAo9J9xAG7NBzndB5ab7MmoI10xKBHS4qdpmbmbj5T0MhTf7C-LAi/s320/Microsoft_News_Pro_Android.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The app’s availability appears to be limited to a few countries at the moment. I have not been able to access it for download and installation even though I can see it listed on the Play Store.<br />
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However, according to Android Police‘s Phil Oakley, the app does not present the news to the user in a realigned way. Rather, it just serves up headlines with accompanying images and one is redirected to a web view page upon clicking any news item.<br />
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News Pro reportedly tries to automatically guess your interests based on your social media history (that is if you sign up using Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter) and what one reads on the app. So it is pretty much a personalized news app along the lines of Flipboard and other popular news apps but without the fancy user interfaces.<br />
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According to the Play Store description, the app has an interactive bot (personal news agent) whose work is to learn as much about you as possible and help in delivering tailored content. It also has news discussion boards and forums where users can interact with one another. Users can also annotate on news articles and then share them.<br />
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I’ll give News Pro a spin when it becomes possible to download it through the Play Store or when I can download it from APK Mirror, whichever comes first, and probably give my thoughts then.

Microsoft’s Latest Android App is Targeted at News Junkies

03 Oct 2016

Facebook is testing a Snapchat Stories Clone for Messenger

We know that the most loved feature of Snapchat is the Stories page which allows you to post pictures or videos of your day  (Snaps) or see your friends snaps which expire in the day.<br />
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The success of this has made Facebook decide to roll out a clone in the form of Instagram Stories and now they have made one for Messenger.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScEjwl0_j7nxbk3_DdoK8pS9gXKQOBZdky9dlOGjy2n6d5BU_2RbuOK1aS2EIekje_G5BKBqkwy3Y2XPMmdEG5tv15WRMrPXOUbHsHaWuFo1RA3QpFvEHspnrJEc-x34WSFAatXw6rQqw/s1600/Facebook-messenger-700x4732-590x40011-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScEjwl0_j7nxbk3_DdoK8pS9gXKQOBZdky9dlOGjy2n6d5BU_2RbuOK1aS2EIekje_G5BKBqkwy3Y2XPMmdEG5tv15WRMrPXOUbHsHaWuFo1RA3QpFvEHspnrJEc-x34WSFAatXw6rQqw/s320/Facebook-messenger-700x4732-590x40011-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
According to TechCrunch, Facebook is testing Messenger Day which is a Snapchat Stories clone for Messenger which allows people to share photos with filters that disappear in a day just like the Snapchat variant. When they reached out to Facebook regarding the matter, they received the following statement:<br />
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<blockquote>We know that people come to Messenger to share everyday moments with friends and family. In Poland, we are running a small test of new ways for people to share those updates visually. We have nothing more to announce at this time.</blockquote><br />
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Messenger Day is actually slightly different from Snapchat Stories. You will see your contact’s Stories on top of the thread lists like the screenshot above and there is a button to add your “My day” story. You can also send the Story as a message to your contacts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-5UUoW_9OmD82I8lRz8lgBKfwK3rdGTxttA412xugYCL2F8sYmfWU5UTmzIxq8YUuqY2AlhkTdRATrWArRsX4oMWCFefoU5ZT_eRNbx7QidyvT9M81-2GCWd_TR3i0qqITGkJGV3Tjxd/s1600/facebook-messenger-day.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-5UUoW_9OmD82I8lRz8lgBKfwK3rdGTxttA412xugYCL2F8sYmfWU5UTmzIxq8YUuqY2AlhkTdRATrWArRsX4oMWCFefoU5ZT_eRNbx7QidyvT9M81-2GCWd_TR3i0qqITGkJGV3Tjxd/s320/facebook-messenger-day.png" width="320" /></a></div><div align="right">Via TechCrunch</div><br />
Unlike Snapchat’s use of geofilters, in Messenger’s case, there are normal filters which are arranged in categories like I’m feeling, Who’s up for or I’m doing where the name of the filter completes the filter name. You can also add your usual emojis, text or doodles from the camera UI as shown in the above screenshots.<br />
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Facebook’s decision to avail this feature can spell more doom for Snapchat. Messenger has a bigger active user base than Snapchat as a start and combining the reach with Instagram Stories would make Facebook plug the holes Snapchat has been unable to cover during this time. Instagram Stories has become a popular way to share your day’s activities and Facebook might want Messenger to register such engagement.

Facebook is testing a Snapchat Stories Clone for Messenger

We know that the most loved feature of Snapchat is the Stories page which allows you to post pictures or videos of your day (Snaps) or see your friends snaps which expire in the day. The success of t…

03 Oct 2016

Huawei Sets the Date for Mate 9 Unveiling

So, we have a date!<br />
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The Huawei Mate 9 will be announced on November 3rd at a media launch event in the German city of Munich.<br />
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The company has already sent out invites to an event in Germany without specifying what exactly it is all about. However, we all know better than not to expect the Mate 9. Maybe a second generation Huawei Watch?<br />
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An early November launch will be pretty much in line with the Mate 8’s announcement last year in China before a global launch at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.<br />
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The Mate 9 is expected to sport a 5.9-inch Quad HD display, a Kirin 960 chipset, Leica-designed dual cameras as well as a 6GB RAM variant.

Huawei Sets the Date for Mate 9 Unveiling

So, we have a date! The Huawei Mate 9 will be announced on November 3rd at a media launch event in the German city of Munich. The company has already sent out invites to an event in Germany without sp…

03 Oct 2016

Facebook Testing Messenger Lite App Targeted at Low Bandwidth Markets

In January 2015, Facebook unveiled a stripped down version of its Android application called Facebook Lite. The application was developed with the aim of allowing users in countries with low internet connectivity to access Facebook. It was also aimed at users with low storage capacity devices as the app took less than 1 MB of storage space unlike the official Facebook application that gobbles 25 MB.<br />
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As part of Facebook’s broad mission to promote access of its services across the globe, Facebook is now testing a stripped version of its Messenger App called Messenger Lite. The App is available in five select countries across the world including Kenya starting today. Once completed, the app will roll-out to users across the world, which will be a big boon in the developing world. Speaking to Techweez, Facebook’s VP of product management for Messenger Stan Chudnovsky said that the app offers core features of messenger for markets with slower internet speed and a prevalence of older Android smartphones.<br />
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The Messenger Lite has been optimized for older versions of android devices, little memory phones and low bandwidth markets without compromising on the user’s experience. Messenger Lite uses less than 10 MB of the device’s storage and is easily accessible over 2G networks. According to Stan, the initial build of the app will not include popular messenger capabilities such as the ability to make calls, video chat or even create groups. These features will however roll-out in subsequent versions of Messenger Lite.<br />
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Facebook has been looking towards making Messenger and WhatsApp tools for small businesses across the world and we sought to understand how Messenger Lite will serve small business owners in developing markets. According to Stan, later versions of the Messenger Lite App which will include enhanced capabilities only available on Messenger which businesses can use to serve their customers better. The current version allows users to share images, gifs, stickers and basically chat with other users.

Facebook Testing Messenger Lite App Targeted at Low Bandwidth Markets

03 Oct 2016

Google Allo Crosses 5 Million Download Mark on the Play Store

There’s no stopping Google’s new text-based chat app Allo. Really, not even privacy concerns can keep users away from the app.<br />
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As per the latest data from the Play Store, Allo has already been downloaded over 5 million times and is on course to joining Google’s other messaging app (focused on video chats) Duo which has seen over 10 million downloads on the Play Store.<br />
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Allo has achieved its latest milestone just 8 days since Google started rolling it out around the world. Just the other day, the app clocked 1 million downloads. It is not hard to see why, though. Its roll out was staggered and as such it is only in the last few days that many people around the world have been able to lay their hands on the app.<br />
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Whether this is just the usual excitement that accompanies every new app from the big app developers/publishers like Google before interest in it fades is something we’ll have to wait and see but for now, Allo seems unstoppable.<br />
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Google has come under increased criticism from privacy advocates around the world following the release of Allo to the public after it emerged that the company permanently stores all the chats (so that its Assistant bot can learn more about you) unless a user deletes them or opts to use the app’s private (Incognito) mode and could potentially hand over such information to the authorities when legally requested to do so.

Google Allo Crosses 5 Million Download Mark on the Play Store

There’s no stopping Google’s new text-based chat app Allo. Really, not even privacy concerns can keep users away from the app. As per the latest data from the Play Store, Allo has already been downloa…

02 Oct 2016

Unannounced BlackBerry DTEK60 Shows Up in New Images

BlackBerry has made it official that it will no longer be making its own smartphones. Instead, the company is outsourcing the process to third parties as it seeks to cut back on the expenses it keeps on incurring in its phone-making endeavours with little (if any) to no returns at all. Fair enough.<br />
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One of the new products of BlackBerry’s shift in focus from designing its own devices is the DTEK50, which, unlike the Priv, wasn’t designed by BlackBerry’s internal teams. Instead, its design and manufacturing is sourced from Chinese device maker TCL which also behind the Alcatel brand of smartphones. The DTEK50 borrows heavily from Alcatel’s latest flagship Idol smartphones.<br />
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Even with CEO John Chen making the admission that he did in the wake of the company’s latest financials, the DTEK50 isn’t the last BlackBerry smartphone yet. There’s the DTEK60 that we saw recently. Here it is in a new set of leaked images even as we remain uncertain about its future and whether we’ll still be seeing it in the wake of recent developments:<br />
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In case there’s need for any further validation, the ever-reliable Evan Blass already signed off on the DTEK60’s purported existence so it’s up to BlackBerry to hit the pedal.

Unannounced BlackBerry DTEK60 Shows Up in New Images

01 Oct 2016

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