TECHNOLOGY
US FDA bans sale of nearly a million flavoured e-cigarettes
The decision comes after a year-long review of millions of e-cigarette-related products by the global health body. According to the FDA, flavoured tobacco products are very appealing to young people, with over 80 per cent of e-cigarette users aged 12 through 17 using them. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the potential impact of its use.
Epic to shut down Houseparty video chat app in Oct: Report
The company said Houseparty will be discontinued in October when the app will stop functioning for its existing users; it will be pulled from the app stores on Thursday. Related to this move, Epic Games' "Fortnite Mode" feature, which leveraged Houseparty to bring video chat to Fortnite gamers, will also be discontinued, reports TechCrunch. Founded in 2015, Houseparty offered a way for users to participate in group video chats with friends and even play games, like Uno, trivia, Heads Up and others.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max with Wi-Fi 6 launched
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is up for pre-order starting from Rs 6,499. One can pre-order it from the Amazon India website as well as Amazon kiosks in select malls and will begin shipping to customers from October 7, 2021. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports 4K UHD, HDR and HDR10+ streaming, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos for cinematic experience.
Samsung showcases a 13-inch stretchable display
The brand has been working on stretchable displays for quite some time now. It revealed its first stretchable display prototype with similar functionality in 2017. Samsung recently patented a new Galaxy smartphone with a futuristic-looking transparent display. The company filed the patent with the USPTO and the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office).
Twitter is testing FB-like emoji reax for tweets
According to iMore, for a limited time users in Turkey will be able to use four new emojis alongside the like heart, "tears of joy", "thinking face", "clapping hands" and "crying face". Twitter says it chose these icons after conducting surveys and researching the most common words and emojis used in tweets.
PUBG Mobile emerges as most downloaded mobile game worldwide for Aug 2021
According to Sensor Tower, about 61.4 per cent of PUBG Mobile's revenue was from China, where it has been localized as Game For Peace, followed by 9 per cent from the United States and 6.5 per cent from Turkey. Honor of Kings from Tencent was the second highest earning mobile game worldwide for August 2021 with $256.2 million in gross revenue, which represented approximately 3 per cent year-over-year growth from August 2020.
JioPhone Next in advanced trials, to be rolled out before Diwali
"The device and the operating system will offer premium capabilities that have until now been associated with more powerful smartphones, including voice-first features that enable people to consume content and navigate the phone in their own language, deliver a great camera experience, and get the latest Android feature and security updates," said a statement.
Facebook's Ray-Ban smart glasses launched
Built in partnership with Facebook and EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban Stories start at $299 and will be available for purchase in 20 style combinations online and in select retail stores in the US, as well as Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy and the UK. The frames feature two-front 5MP facing cameras for capturing video and photos. There's a physical button on the glasses for recording, or one can say "Hey Facebook, take a video" to control them hands-free.
MediaTek launches Kompanio 900T chipset for tablets, notebooks
The announcement of Kompanio 900T follows MediaTek's recent launch of Kompanio 1300T, which is designed for premium tablets. "The Kompanio 900 delivers robust computing power, outstanding audio and video multimedia features, smooth gaming capabilities and support for the latest 5G and wireless features so users can get the most out of their devices," Zeng Baoqing, said in a media statement.
Google releases 5th & final Android 12 beta
"You can get Beta 5 today on your Pixel device, including on the Pixel 5a with 5G, by enrolling here for over-the-air updates. If you're already enrolled, you'll automatically get the update. You can also try Android 12 Beta 5 on select devices from several of our partners like Sharp. Visit the Android 12 developer site for details," the company said in a statement.
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