Is Google Pixel 7’s Tensor G2 a 4nm chip?

Google’s latest launches the Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have become the talk of the town. The devices promise the best Android experience as they come straight from Google; the house of Android. The Pixel 7 lineup is also going head-to-head against the iPhone 14 lineup as they have launched just under a month apart. As one would expect from flagship devices, the Pixel 7 was also said on the internet to come with 4nm chips, which is standard for Samsung and Apple’s flagship devices. However, the truth is something else!

Google Pixel 7’s chip size

There were many articles floating around on the internet claiming that Google’s Tensor G2 chip is a 4nm chip. However, Android Authority has now jumped on and cleared out any doubts by reaching out to Google. A spokesperson from Google has told Android Authority that the chip is indeed based on 5nm. This might come as a shocker to tech enthusiasts who were expecting Google to keep up with all the latest hardware trends in the smartphone arena. Be it Apple’s latest A16 Bionic chipset or Samsung’s Exynos 2200 processor, both are based on 4nm form factors. Is this a big deal? for some yes, for others, not so much! The average user may not even care about the size of their mobile processor chip as long as the device provides good performance.

 

 

Even before Google’s confirmation about the Pixel 7 chipset size, there were a lot of hints that it was based on 5nm. There was a lack of a major clock-speed increase as the Tensor G2 runs at 2.85Ghz Arm Cortex-X1 cores. This is only a 50Hz increase from the original Tensor’s 2.80Ghz. One would expect a bigger bump in power from a new processor but that was not the case here.

WhatsApp debuts paid plan for business users

WhatsApp has released a subscription service titled WhatsApp Premium and is currently available for beta business users. The instant messaging app has also been an effective way for businesses to communicate with its customers and the premium subscription is targetted only for business users. WhatsApp has not made an official statement about it yet so the pricing and the launch date of the same remains under the wraps. However, users who have enrolled in the beta program can take advantage of all the new features present in the new Premium model. The new plan was long under speculations and has only now been made available as a beta tester in some countries. A wider rollout is expected in some time. Check out the new features with WhatsApp Preimum service below:

WhatsApp Premium custom business links

The first feature in the WhatsApp Premium service is the business links. It is a short custom business link which is unique to a certain business. This link can be shared with customers to find the business’ landing page on WhatsApp thus making it easier to initiate a conversation. The link name is customizable and can be changed every 90 days. It expires once the subscription is cancelled. It is to be noted that once a custom link is expired, it may be claimed by another company. Any business having a custom link can make it easier for customers to reach out to them.

Multi-device connectivity

Another new feature under the WhatsApp Premium service is improved multi-device connectivity. Any business under WhatsApp Premium can use the same account on up to 10 devices simultaneously. This can prove helpful for businesses to form a chain of communication amongst multiple employees and the customer base. This feature can also allow Premium users to initiate video calls with max 32 participants.

The availability of WhatsApp Premium is currently scarce. It is currently available to only a certain business accounts under beta testing only. Details regarding its roll out in India have not yet surfaced on the internet. Users can unsubscribe from the service anytime they wish.

iPhone 14’s crash detection feature triggered by roller coasters?

During its ‘Far Out’ event last month, Apple unveiled a number of new devices and features. zone of the key feature coming to the latest iPhone 14 series was the ‘Crash Detection’. This new feature is designed by Apple to detect severe car crashes like front impact, side-impact, rear-end collisions and rollovers in vehicles like sedans, minivans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and other passenger cars. However, the crash detection feature had a little accident of its own when it detected a crash when the iPhone user was enjoying his ride on a roller coaster!

iPhone 14 Pro detects roller coaster ride as car crash

As reported in Wall Street Journal, a 39-year-old dentist safely placed her iPhone 14 Pro in her fanny pack before hopping on a roller coaster. She went on the ride getting whipped around in the roller coaster at over 50 mph. However, once she got down from the ride and looked at her phone, she was surprised to see a number of missed calls and voice mails form an emergency dispatcher eager to know if she was safe.

The crash detection feature triggered on the roller coaster and automatically dialled 911 to drop in an automated message. The message read “The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash and is not responding to their phone”. According to the 911 report, a dispatch team was sent to the ride but did not notice any emergency situation.

The crash detection feature is quickly becoming an issue for amusement rides. Theme park specialist Coaster101 also reported this same issue sharing that Dollywood amusement park has now put up signboards outside their roller coasters warning riders that Apple watches and similar products may trigger the crash detection feature. Whether this issue will be persistent or will be resolved via an update is to be seen. Apple has not officially issued a statement about the same yet.

 

Twitter rolls out ‘Edit’ option

For years Twitter users have adamantly demanded the option to edit tweets. I’ve had to delete a tweet and write it down after missing out on a word or misspelling one many times, I am sure you have gone through the same. But it looks like Twitter has finally heard what its users suggested for years and provided an edit option, but there is a catch! Weeks after Twitter announced that it will launch an edit option for its paid subscribers, the microblogging social media giant posted its very first edited tweet. Check it out below:

Twitter’s Edit Option

https://twitter.com/TwitterBlue/status/1575590534529556480?s=20&t=rhUXBEFl2lNda7Er4f140A

As of now, only Twitter Blue subscribers living in New Zealand, Canada and Australia can edit their tweets. Thus it is a paid feature and not a free one. The company has stated that Blue subscribers in the US will soon be getting the feature but there is no word about the feature making its way to Twitter in India as there is not even a Twitter Blue subscription model launched in the country. In the tweet above, you can see a pencil symbol which notifies users that the tweet was edited. Users can then click on the pencil symbol and check out the edit history of the tweet. So, users thinking that they can easily hide their typos and mistakes by simply editing a tweet won’t be able to do so.

I think Twitter as a microblogging website has surely gotten late to introduce this feature. The edit option should have made its way to Twitter years back but better late than never! To edit their tweets users need to pay up $4.99 per month for a Twitter Blue subscription. When it comes to the actual functionality of the edit button, users can edit their tweets multiple times only in the first 30 minutes after the tweet has been published. Twitter describes the 30-minute time frame as a short period of time to fix typos and missed tags. being an ardent fan of the microblogging platform, I cannot wait for Twitter Blue and the edit option to become available in India.

Goodbye Mangalyaan! ISRO confirms Mars mission is over

After eight glorious years, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), famously known as the Mangalyaan mission has come to an end. The Indian Mars orbiter ran out of fuel and battery after completing eight years of orbiting the red planet. On 3rd October, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) confirmed that the orbiter lost communication with the ground station. As the orbiter is non-recoverable the Mangalyaan mission has completed its last lap and ended its journey. The Mars orbiter has completed a time phase much more than its expected life span of six months placing India at a pivotal place in space exploration. Here’s a look back at the Mangalyaan mission:

Mangalyaan Bids Adieu

ISRO’s MOM launched back in November 2013 and was orbiting Mars since September 2014. With its success, India became the first Asian nation to reach the Martian orbit. Interestingly, India is the only country in the world to reach Mars’ orbit in its first attempt. This was a new ball game for ISRO as it was its first interplanetary mission and to make it in the first attempt is a commendable feat. The success of Mangalyaan made ISRO the fourth agency to put a mission on Mars’ orbit. This brought worldwide recognition to the space organization, positioning it amongst prominent space agencies globally. It was back on September 24, 2014, when ISRO’s Mars Orbiter’s official Twitter announced that it had successfully made it to Mars orbit. Check it out below:

Mars Orbiter Mission History

It was announced back on 23rd November 2008 by then-ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair that India will launch a mission to Mars. The launch was initially planned for 28th October 2013 but was pushed back to 5th November due to poor weather conditions in the pacific ocean. The mission’s objective included five main tasks. MOM carried five scientific payloads weighing just 15KGs to collect data on Mars’ surface geology, morphology, surface temperature mapping, atmospheric processes, and atmospheric escape process. Another important objective of the mission was to maintain the spacecraft in all of its phases throughout and ISRO was successful in doing so.

Fun Fact: ISRO’s Mangalyaan mission was carried out at a total cost of US $57 million. The budget for Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame film is $356 million!

No TouchID for future flagship iPhones?

Apple stunned the world with its recent launch event introducing the new iPhone 14 series. While Apple’s flagship devices have washed their hands clean off the TouchID, there have been several reports in the past that suggest that it will be making its way back. Ever since Apple moved to FaceID with its flagship offerings, Apple fans have speculated that the company will be implementing an in-screen fingerprint sensor on its devices. Android devices have been sporting the feature for years so fans expecting the same from Apple is only natural. But it looks like Apple has no interest to introduce the in-display fingerprint sensor in iPhones.

TouchID abandoned?

If you ask me, back in the day Apple’s home button with TouchID was its identity. The classic design surely ruled over millions of hearts as it brought a sense of familiarity through years of design retention. It was back in 2017 when Apple decided to move away from the classic design for its flagship offering with the iPhone X which introduced Apple’s FaceID, and of course, the notch. The same year, Apple also introduced the iPhone 8/8 Plus which kept the classic design and home button with TouchID. Cut to 2022, when the tech giant introduced the iPhone 14 lineup, all equipped with notches and FaceID. it’s been half a decade since Apple introduced FaceID and in my opinion, it is time for a change. But the tech giant doesn’t feel the same!

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently shared his latest edition of the Power On newsletter where he shared that Apple has no plans of bringing back the TouchID anytime soon. According to Gurman, and leaks over the internet, Apple tested the under-screen TouchID in recent years. The resources utilized in testing the under-screen TouchID feature surely will not go to waste as Apple might implement it in the future. Will it happen with the iPhone 15 coming next year? Not at all! In fact, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has tweeted that the under-display fingerprint sensor will not make its way to the iPhone even in 2024. This means that we tentatively have over two generations of the iPhone to go before we can possibly see the feature.

But the question to ask here is whether we really need this feature. the answer for me is definitely yes! Android devices have been rocking the in-display fingerprint sensor for years now and it’s only about time that Apple brings this feature to iPhone! Technology moves at a fast pace and Apple has a lot of catching up to do. The company’s obsession to provide quality features at its own pace is commendable for sure but come on hurry up a little!

iPhone 14’s ‘Crash Detection’ feature fails to recognize collision

Apple launched the iPhone 14 lineup last month during its ‘Far Out’ event. The tech giant took a significant amount of the event to talk about its new crash detection technology. According to Apple’s own website, the crash detection feature is designed to detect severe car crashes. The latest iPhone 14 and 14 pro models can detect front, side, and rear-end collisions and rollovers in a range of vehicles like sedans, minivans, SUVs, pick-up trucks, and much more. If a heavy collision occurs, the iPhone 14/14 Pro models sound an alarm or display an alert. If a user is unable to respond to the alert in 20 seconds, the device automatically calls emergency services. While this feature has the potential to save many lives, a new test has shown that the iPhone 14 was unable to recognize a car collision.

iPhone 14 fails to detect collision

A video from Wall Street Journal recently surfaced on the internet. In the video, a demolition derby driver can be seen ramming two different cars. The driver had placed the iPhone 14 model while wearing an Apple Watch Ultra in the vehicle. The driver also had a Google Pixel in the vehicle which has a similar feature. The testing showed that the Apple Watch Ultra worn by the driver was successful at detecting crashes. But on the other hand, the iPhone did not register the impact in the car. Check out WSJ’s video testing the devices’ Crash Detection features below:

 

The Google Pixel device did detect one crash inside the driver’s vehicle but neither of the two devices detect the crash during the second test. During the second crash test, the testers drove around the vehicles before crashing in to make the smartphones think the crash was legitimate. But the crash did not trigger the smartphone. As an important feature that was highlighted as one of the key reasons to get the new iPhone 14, this is surely a disappointing result. WSJ reached out to both Google and Apple after the tests. Apple revealed that the lack of data could be the reason why the iPhone 14 failed to detect the crashes. Not being connected to Apple CarPlay or not having the tester drive around the vehicle long enough could be the reason iPhone 14 failed to register the crashes.

JioPhone 5G key specifications leaked

Jio has not confirmed when the JioPhone 5G will be making its way to the market but the device has been on the radar amongst leakers for months. Thanks to the rampant leak culture in the tech market, details about the JioPhone 5G have surfaced online. The device is said to be priced in the 8K to 12K price segment which makes it a steal as it reportedly comes with 5G capabilities and a 90Hz refresh rate display. Check out all the details about the JioPhone 5G below –

JioPhone 5G details

The JioPhone 5G is code-named ‘Ganga’ according to the leak and the model number for it is LS1654QB5. The details about the device have been leaked by Kuba Wojciechowski in association with 91Mobiles. The device is rumored to be titled as ‘Jio Phone True 5G’ and could be released alongside LYF soon. The leaks suggest that the JioPhone 5G comes with pre-installed Android 12 with a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD screen and 90Hz refresh rate. The device is expected to house Qualcomm’s entry-level flagship chip the Snapdragon 480 SoC.

Along with the entry-level chip, the device will also come with 32GB storage and LPPDDR4X RAM of 4GB by Samsung. As the device is all set to enter a competitive market, it surely comes with competitive specs. It’s expected to come with two rear cameras, one 13MP main shooter, and a 2MP macro sensor. Whereas, the device is expected to come with an 8MP sensor in the front for selfies/video calls. Connectivity will surely be a strong suit for the device as it is being released by a telecom company. It will come equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth version 5.1. The device will reportedly come loaded with Google mobile services and Jio apps. It is not clear whether the pre-loaded Jio apps can be removed, my guess is probably not, but time will tell.

Besides this, the JioPhone 5G is expected to have a 5000 mAh battery which will support 18W fast charging. It is also rumored to feature a Syntiant NDP115 always-on AI processor inside. Reliance had previously shared that it is collaborating with Google to introduce low-cost 5G smartphones in the country. The company also revealed that it has made a total investment of 2 lakh crores to bring 5G to India. It looks like India’s future is bright.. eh, sorry, FAST!

Google’s search engine to see major changes soon

Google is making its search engine better! In 2022, there are multiple ways users search for content. Now, instead of going on Google, users prefer to hop on Instagram to search for a restaurant or a tourist attraction to check if the place is social media-worthy. Google now exists on a much more interactive and visual internet which strives upon how visually pleasing a web page is. While Google is catching up to the latest trends on the internet, it has not entirely strayed away from its traditional search engine prowess. Check out all the new changes coming to Google soon:

New Shortcuts

Google wants to change how you interact with its search engine and to do the same it has introduced shortcuts. The tech giant is aware that the younger generation grew up on social media and is used to shopping, identifying music, and more in just one click. Thus, the Google app now has various search tools placed right below the search bar. The search options include a variety of shortcuts for translation, image search in the camera roll, shopping, and much more. The feature will soon be rolling out in the Google app for iOS and Android.

 

Multisearch Near Me

Google had previously introduced the ‘Multisearch’ option which allowed users to take a picture or upload a screenshot and add text to it to get better search results. The company is now making this feature much more advanced with the ‘Multisearch Near Me.’ With this feature, users will now be able to snap a picture of any product ranging from an iPhone to a coffee cup, and find anywhere it is available nearby. The company claims that the new search option will allow users to connect to local businesses and support them.

Improved Google Lens

With the advancements in machine learning, Google Lens will now be able to blend translated text into complex images. A real-world use case of this feature is that if you translate an English text on a film poster or any promotional content, it can now display the translated text in a font similar to the original text, making it much more natural looking. The company claims that the advancement in technology has allowed them to achieve the output in just 100 milliseconds, shorter than the blink of an eye!

 

Smartphone IMEI number registration mandated by Indian government

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has now made it mandatory for phone manufacturers to register the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of all mobile devices with the Indian government. Importers will also have to register each device’s IMEI number before importing it into the country. Besides this, the IMEI of the mobile phones imported into India even for research and any other purpose shall also be registered by the importer.

IMEI number registration mandate

On September 26, DoT issued a notification gazette amending the prevention of tampering with the Mobile Device Equipment Identification Number, Rules 2017. The notification read, “The manufacturer shall register the international mobile equipment identity number of every mobile phone manufactured in India with the Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction portal of the Government of India in the Department of Telecommunications prior to the first sale of the mobile phone.” The notification added that IMEI number of mobile phones being imported for India sales, testing and research also “any other reason” will also have to be registered on the same portal “prior to the import of the mobile phone into the country.” Check out the official notification issued by DoT below:

 

Why register IMEI numbers?

The government is all set to tackle the rampant cloning and theft of mobile phones. The Communications Ministry had previously rolled out the Central Equipment Identity Register. According to the register, mobile phones are categorized based on three lists, White, Grey, and Black. The mobile phones with IMEI numbers in white are permitted for use, whereas, the blacklisted devices are the ones that are stolen or lost hence not allowed to access any network. The ones in grey are allowed to connect under supervision as they do not conform to standards.

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