Google cooperating with Russia probe after Twitter slammed

MENLO PARK: Google says it is digging into its vaults for evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, after Virginia Senator Mark Warner slammed Twitter for a response to a congressional probe he called inadequate.

The search giant said in a statement Friday evening that it is cooperating with inquiries and is looking for how it can help with any relevant information.

Google, Facebook and Twitter have all been invited to appear at public hearings in October by the House intelligence committee and November 1 by the Senate intelligence committee.

After Twitter told congressional investigators in a closed door meeting Friday it had suspended at least two dozen accounts that may have been tied to Russia, Warner told reporters the response was inadequate and had mostly relied on data from Facebook.

Reliance JioPhone to be delivered by Diwali, confirms JioCare

Reliance Jio started delivering the JioPhone earlier this week. Going by the previous reports, it was tipped that the company is aiming in sell six million units of feature phone within Diwali.

And, here comes the confirmation regarding the shipment of the smart feature. According to the response by JioCare to a query on Twitter, the delivery of the JioPhone will take place within Diwali. The JioCare Twitter handle said, "We have started the delivery of JioPhone in a phased manner to avoid inconvenience to our customers. Please be assured that all customers who have done the pre-booking of JioPhone will receive it by Diwali." Also, it stated, "We will send you an SMS informing about the store address and pickup date as soon as it is ready for delivery. The delivery status of your JioPhone order will soon be available on 1800 890 8900." The delivery of the JioPhone debuted on September 24 and it will happen initially in the rural areas and towns before the urban areas. The phone is effectively free but involves a refundable deposit of Rs. 1,500 that will be given back to the buyers on returning the phone after 36 months. Soon after the shipment began, the company listed a new set of terms and conditions on the official website. Going by the same, Reliance Jio made it clear that users of the JioPhone will have to do a mandatory recharge of Rs. 1,500 per year for three years to avoid disconnection and early return. While this amounts to Rs. 4,500 for the three-year period, on returning the phone before three years, users will have to pay a penalty based on how early they return. The buyers need to keep in mind that they can get the complete refund only on returning it within 36 to 39 months from the date of issue.Given that the first batch of JioPhone delivery started, the company has suspended the bookings temporarily, the users can register their interest via the official website or MyJio app or any offline Jio retailer. The confirmation regarding the next batch of pre-booking is yet to be announced.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 renders reveal dual rear cameras and design

Xiaomi recently announced the Redmi Note 5A smartphone with MIUI 9. Given that this is an entry-level offering launched by the company, it has a bigger kin that is the Redmi Note 5 in the making.

We have already seen several leaks and speculations regarding the Redmi Note 5 hit the web. Lately, there were rumors regarding the existence of a new device allegedly called Redmi 5 Plus as the retail box of the same hit the web. Now, a 91mobiles report has revealed the renders of the alleged Redmi Note 5 giving us an idea of what to expect from the smartphone. The new set of renders show that Xiaomi is in plans to add another feather to its cap that could step up its brand value with a mix of dual cameras and budget price tag. Let's take a look at these renders from here.16MP+5MP sensors The renders show the Redmi Note 5's dual camera setup with a 16MP and a 5MP sensor combination. These two camera sensors seem to be positioned vertically at the middle of the rear panel. Also, there seems to be an LED flash unit sitting just below the dual cameras.Metal unibody design The Redmi Note 5 seems to have a metal unibody design with a fingerprint sensor mounted at the center of the rear panel below the camera and flash. Up front, there are capacitive buttons as we have seen on other smartphones in the Redmi lineup. The top edge of the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone seems to have a 3.5mm audio jack and IR blaster as well.

Facebook testing facial recognition for unlocking accounts

It was a matter of time before technology giants joined in the FaceID bandwagon. Not that it is something new and has been around for a while but since Apple unveiled the feature on its iPhone X, it was expected to gain more traction. A media report on Tech Crunch states that Facebook is now set to get its own version of Face ID. 

According to the report, the social media giant is testing a method to regain access to a Facebook account by using facial recognition. In case you get locked out of your Facebook account, the Face ID could come in really handy. 

Tech Crunch quotes a spokesman of Facebook saying, "We are testing a new feature for people who want to quickly and easily verify account ownership during the account recovery process. This optional feature is available only on devices you've already used to log in. It is another step, alongside two-factor authentication via SMS, that were taking to make sure account owners can confirm their identity."

Are you being tracked on internet? Know how to find out

Yes, you are being tracked on internet and several entities are keeping dossier on you. It is so common that you must have found that out yourself. Google does it all the time and so do your social media sites.

When and where the new feature will be rolled out isn't exactly clear. No other information about Facebook's FaceID feature is known as of now.

Meanwhile, in India, Facebook is making it easier for users to donate blood. A new feature has been added to Facebook where users can sign up as blood donors and a message will show in their news feed. The feature started showing up showing up on the timeline from today (October 1), which is also the National Blood Donor Day.

The social media platform has tied up with nonprofit organizations, health industry experts, potential donors and others for this initiative.

Swipe Elite 2 Plus (2017) with 3000mAh battery launched at Rs. 3,999

Swipe has announced the launch of a new smartphone called Elite 2 Plus in its portfolio. This is an entry-level smartphone priced at Rs. 3,999 and is available for purchase exclusively via the online retailer Snapdeal.   

The Swipe Elite 2 Plus (2017) has been launched only in the Black color option. The device is fitted with a 5-inch VGA display with a resolution of 480 x 640 pixels. The device is powered by a quad-core processor of unspecified chipset clocked at 1.5GHz speed. This processor is teamed up with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage space that can be expanded further up to 32GB using a microSD card.For imaging, the entry-level Swipe smartphone features an 8MP main camera that is accompanied with auto focus and LED flash. Up front, the smartphone comes fitted with a 5MP selfie snapper as well. The connectivity aspects on board the Swipe Elite 2 Plus (2017) include dual SIM support, 4G, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The handset weighs in at 150 grams and gets the power from a 3000mAh battery that should render a decent backup on considerable usage. The device runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS out of the box.If you don't remember, Swipe announced the Elite 2 Plus smartphone in 2016 for Rs. 4,444. The latest one - Elite 2 Plus (2017) is the successor to the yesteryear model and come with an upgraded operating system, battery and camera while the other specs are the same. To be specific, the Swipe Elite 2 Plus was launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop OS, a 2500mAh battery and a 5MP main camera at its rear with LED flash and a 2MP selfie camera.

Intex launches Aqua A4+ at Rs. 3,999: Features and Specifications

Intex Technologies is definitely on a smartphone launching spree. Well, it has only been few days since the company launched Aqua Lions 2 in India, and now the company has yet again launched its latest budget-oriented smartphone, the Aqua A4+, in the country.

The new Intex Aqua A4+ is the successor to the Aqua A4 smartphone that was launched earlier this year. Aqua A4+ is priced at Rs. 3,999 and comes with few upgrades over its predecessor. In any case, let's look at what the smartphone brings to the table. To begin with, the smartphone comes with a 4.5-inch FWVGA display with a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels and a pixel density of 245 PPI. Powering the device is a 1.3GHz quad-core Spreadtrum SC9822 processor which is further paired with 1GB of RAM. The device offers 8GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 64GB via microSD card slot. Talking about the cameras, the device sports a 5-megapixel camera at the rear with LED flash. Up front, there is a 2-megapixel camera. The company has also added features like Burst mode, GIF mode, Beauty mode, Panorama, Audio Picture to the camera application. Aqua A4+ is backed by a 2000mAh Li-ion battery which the company claims that it will offer 8 hours of talk time and up to 300 hours of standby time. The handset runs on Android 7.0 Nougat. On the connectivity front, the device supports 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS/AGPS, FM Radio, 3.5mm audio jack and micro USB port. The phone comes in Champagne and Black color options and the company has announced that it is available from select retail (offline) stores across the country.

Microsoft Shows Off Fluent Design Start Menu in Latest Windows 10 Preview Build

 Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 Insider Preview Build that shows off the future design for upcoming builds. The new Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17004 has been released for Windows Insiders in the Fast ring who have opted in to "Skip Ahead only."

The Build 17004 shows off glimpses of Fluent Design that is said to be part of the next Windows 10 version - codenamed Redstone 4 - and won't arrive with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

"As we progress into the next feature update, you'll begin to see more and more elements of Fluent Design light up. We love the enthusiasm we've seen for Fluent Design, and with today's build you'll notice that Reveal is now visible on Start in All apps," said Dona Sarkar, Software Engineer, Windows and Devices Group in announcement blog.

Windows Insiders in the Fast ring who have opted in to Skip Ahead only will be able to notice the new Fluent Design elements in the Start menu. Users can also notice Reveal, which is a Fluent Design System component that adds light to the app. Currently, there are two main visual components to Reveal: the hover Reveal behaviour, and the border Reveal behaviour. Fluent Design includes elements like acrylic, where surfaces behind primary app content are solid and opaque backgrounds.

The Build 17004, in general, brings tons of improvements for Microsoft Edge including fixing an issue where typing a web address into the address bar from the New Tab and Start Page would sometimes clear the text and not result in any page navigation; fixing an issue where the tab previews for PDFs were black with a white bar on each side; fixed an issue where the first time users pressed Ctrl + F to open Search, the search box doesn't get focus, and fixed an issue where users might be unable to type in the address bar after clicking on CTRL+F text field among others fixes.

Windows Central has a hands-on video where the Reveal feature can be seen live. Microsoft also promises that there will be more Fluent Design features introduced in future updates.

Next month, Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will be rolled out to customers on October 17 and will include improved privacy options.

Nokia 8 May Get Android 8.0 Oreo Update by October End: Report

Nokia 8 May Get Android 8.0 Oreo Update by October End: Report

HMD Global's Nokia 8, the premium offering in the company's portfolio, is finally being announced in different markets. While announcing the Nokia 8 in Taiwan, a company manager reportedly revealed that the smartphone may receive Android 8.0 Oreo update by end of October.

At this moment, there are no specific dates or release schedule for the Nokia 8's Oreo update. Nokiamob was the first to pick up the news. It's no surprise that Nokia devices have been lately receiving security updates on time, and the company has been focusing on delivering timely OS updates. At global launch, HMD Global's Sarvikas had promised Android O update for the Nokia 8.

We should hear more on the update in the coming weeks. For those unaware, Android 8.0 Oreo brings in a lot of new features like picture in picture mode, notification channel feature, notification badges, Android instant apps, and much more.

The Nokia 8 was launched in India earlier this week, and has been priced competitively at Rs. 36,999, which pits it against the OnePlus 5 smartphone.

For specifications, the dual-SIM Nokia 8 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and features a 5.3-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) IPS display with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It is IP54 rated, which makes it splash proof, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM. The dual rear camera setup on the Nokia 8 includes two 13-megaixel sensors. On the front, there's another 13-megapixel sensor with PDAF. All three cameras come with Carl Zeiss optics. Other specifications include 64GB inbuilt storage which is expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB). It packs a 3090mAh non-removable battery.

Apple iPhone 8 Plus splits open while charging, claims an owner

NEW DELHI: Apple has started selling its iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus in India but some early adopters from Taiwan seem to be facing an issue. A Taiwanese iPhone 8 Plus owner has claimed that the device split into half while it was being charged with a cable.

According to the images sent by the user, the split was seen with a swollen battery, reports 9to5Mac. The Next Web says that the affected Apple iPhone 8 plus is being examined by the company. It belonged to a Ms. Wu and was the 64GB Gold variant.

The issue cropped up five days after the handset was purchased. After putting the iPhone 8 plus on charge the handset started splitting up within three minutes.

A Japanese customer tweeted images of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus that was ordered with the screen bulging off from the body, exposing the innards. The user said that the handset arrived in the same state.

The Next Web, citing 'unconfirmed reports' says that the iPhone 8 Plus's battery comes from the same manufacturer (Amperex Technology Limited) that made the batteries of the Galaxy Note 7.

On a related note, Apple iPhone X showed up on Tenaa certification, revealing the battery size as 2716mAh. It is worth noting that the Apple iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus were also listed on Tenaa few days ago revealing their battery sizes. As per the listing the iPhone 8 came with 1821mAh battery while its bigger sibling came with 2675mAh battery.

For those unaware, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X support wireless charging. Apple claims that the iPhone X can deliver up to 21 hours of talk time. It can also give up to 13 hours of video playback and can charge up to 50% within 30 minutes.

The iPhone 8 Plus delivers a similar talk time as the iPhone X and up to 14 hours of video playback, which is interesting considering the handset has lower battery capacity than the iPhone X.

Only a third of iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus sold on Day 1 of launch

KOLKATA: Mobile phone retailers sold only about one-third of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus devices supplied to them for the launch in India on Friday in one of the dullest first-day sales for Apple's flagship product in recent years.

The debut of the iPhone 8 in the country was a stark contrast to previous launches, when demand would outstrip supply and leave retailers out of stock within an hour. Four senior industry executives, who requested anonymity, said several customers are waiting for the iPhone X with its innovative design and features and are postponing their purchases to November, when the model will become available in India and other overseas markets.

The familiar long queues usually seen outside Apple exclusive stores and large retail chains in India during an iPhone launch were missing in most of the stores on Friday evening. Even a tweet by indiaistore.com, the official platform of iPhone distributors in India, showed only a handful of people outside an Apple store to buy the new iPhones.

"This is the weakest launch of a new iPhone in India," said the owner of an Apple exclusive store."There was no queue, unlike previous years. This year there is no demand for any specific colour, but more demand for the 256 GB model."

Apple CEO Tim Cook 'joins' Akash Ambani at iPhone 8's India launch

Cook greeted with ‘Namaste’ and talked about the new iPhone 8 models and their key features.

A senior executive at a retail chain said staff at his store have been calling up customers to come and check the model. "However, since there is a long weekend ahead, we will surely sell out the initial stock by then," he said. Apple started selling the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in India at 6 pm on Friday - a week after the global launch - starting at Rs 64,000. The iPhone X, marking the 10th anniversary of the iconic device, will be launched in India on November 3 and will sell for Rs 89,000 (64 GB model) and Rs 1.02 lakh (256 GB).

ET reported on Friday that bookings for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were about half the levels for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus a year ago. A similar trend was reported from key Apple markets including the US, the UK and China, where fewer customers showed up to buy the new phones, preferring to wait for the iPhone X.

JioPhone offers good value for money: Analysts

NEW DELHI: Reliance's JioPhone could lead to another round of revenue and margin pressure for carriers, analysts at Credit Suisse have said, while those at Morgan Stanley have termed it as a "good value phone" that can have several use cases in the rural markets.

In their first impression of the VoLTE feature phone from Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm, both global brokerages said the Rs 1,500 device offers decent value for money, highlighting the minimal buffering of live streaming of TV content on the phone and good-quality casting of content onto television.

While they pointed out the absence of YouTube and Facebook apps and NFC enablement, they were divided on the language support for voice assist feature - Credit Suisse said the feature supports all 22 Indian languages, but Morgan Stanley held that only Hindi and English were supported.

"Overall, the feature phone coming after reasonable success of the smartphone launch and with good specs for the phone itself should lead to another round of revenue and margin pressure for telcos," said Sunil Tirumalai, research analyst at Credit Suisse.

The 4G feature phone, which has started coming into the hands of consumers, is expected to be the next big disruptor in the telecom industry, which, for the past four quarters, has been engulfed in a brutal tariff war that has eroded revenues and profits of older players.

Only a third of iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus sold on Day 1 of launch

Long queues usually seen outside Apple exclusive stores & large retail chains were missing on Friday.

Reliance Jio had 129 million 4G smartphone users on its network at the end of August, which is about 80% penetration in the existing 4G handset market, said Morgan Stanley analysts. "Jio believes that of the nearly 500 million existing unique feature phone users in the country, over 50% of them pay monthly tariffs of Rs 150-200, and are the target market for JioPhone," they said.

Relaince Jio, the latest entrant in India's telecom sector, aims to complete the delivery of its 6 million JioPhones by Diwali. Jio had said last month it aims to deliver 100-150 million phones in the next six months (five million a week), but sources close to the firm had then said it was bracing for competition from other feature phone makers as well.

For instance Micromax, which has tied up with BSNL for launching an entry-level 4G VoLTE feature phone, Bharat One, in the first week of October at about Rs 2,000, will join the race for a share of the segment of basic phones created by JioPhone.