Social media giant Facebook is developing a smartwatch, the first foray of the company to the wearables market, dominated by Apple’s likes. According to a report from The Information, the company is developing a smartwatch that will offer health and fitness features on top of Facebook’s services. People will be able to send messages directly from the smartwatch using Facebook social media and messaging services. The report also notes that the smartwatch will have LTE support, meaning it will work independently without being tied to a smartphone. Facebook will use aggressive pricing to have a competitive advantage over established wearable…
Author: Alvin Wanjala
Alvin Wanjala
Alvin Wanjala has been writing about technology for over 2 years(and counting). He writes about different topics in the consumer tech space. He loves streaming music, programming, and gaming during downtimes.
Google’s video conferencing platform Google Meet is adding new network-level features allowing admins to configure their firewalls appropriately, blocking traffic from untrusted networks. It follows the 2019 rollout of a range of official, fixed IP addresses that were exclusively available to Google Workspace(formerly G Suite) domains giving admins a better way of configuring their firewalls. In the recent update, the company introduces a range of official, fixed IP addresses for users joining Meet with personal Google Accounts or anonymously. “This will allow Google Workspace customers and their partners to better configure and optimize network and firewall access,” Google wrote in…
Google Photos is bringing some of the best features previously exclusive to Google Pixel phones to other phones. Editing features like Portrait Blur and Portrait Light are coming to other smartphone models in the next few weeks, but with a catch. And yes, portrait blur has been available to everyone for quite some time, but its major drawback is it only applied to images shot in Portrait mode for non-Pixel phones. The new feature enables you to add depth information to images shot without depth information. Portrait Light debuted with the Pixel 5, launched in 2020, helps you add artificial…
If you’re a Twitter regular, Clubhouse discussions are unavoidable. People have something to say about Clubhouse, left and right. For starters, Clubhouse is an audio-based social network that allows people to chat about anything in real-time. Like other trendy features and apps, the Clubhouse boom hasn’t passed Facebook’s keen eyes and ears. The social media giant is reportedly developing a Clubhouse-like product, just days after Facebook’s founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined a Clubhouse room on Sunday chatting about augmented and virtual reality. According to the report, the company’s executives ordered employees to start working on a Clubhouse clone. As…
Instagram wants users to stop posting Reels that have watermarks and logos of other apps, including TikTok. Saying it is easier – and nobody may give a darn anyway. But the company is taking extra measures to ensure creators bend to its whims. To stop this, Instagram says it will stop promoting content with watermarks or logos, meaning its recycled from other competing platforms. It advised creators against, posting reels with low-resolution, recycled from other apps, uploaded with borders, and videos with text covering the most image areas. Instagram says these types of content won’t be shown to users who…
Has Netflix frozen yet your internet speed tests suggest everything should be fine? You’re certainly not alone. Video streaming can be puzzling because it is handled differently to other internet traffic. That’s why you may perform a speed test; everything looks fine but face problems when streaming. And it’s hard to know why. Speedtest has been a go-to platform for checking internet speeds. But the app is expanding support to allow dedicated video testing. And there’s a reason why you need to test your network’s video streaming capabilities differently. “While network speed certainly impacts your video experience, providers around the…
Apple has responded to pleas of some 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro owners who reported their devices not charging past 1%. In a support page, Apple says, “A very small number of customers with 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro computers have experienced an issue with the battery not charging past 1%.” The affected models include the following: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) If you’re using…
Adobe is making it easier for the creative types who use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco to collaborate via a newly announced feature. Creators will invite others to work on the same file while using either of the three apps using a feature called “invite to edit,” originally announced in October. This feature is expected to make it easier for creatives to collaborate, especially those who work in teams. However, it’s asynchronous editing meaning only one person can work on a document at one time. In case one collaborator is working on the shared document, the other must wait or be…
Twitter has the pandemic to thank for after seeing an uptick in daily active users, which it prefers to call monetizable daily active usage (mDAU). The company says usage in the three final months of 2020 increased by 24 percent to 192 million active users from the year prior, “driven by global conversation around current events and ongoing product improvements.” Revenue was up as well in the period by 28 percent to $1.29 billion, with $1.15 billion coming from its advertising business. Besides reporting the usage numbers in that quarter alone, CEO Jack Dorsey said numbers have continued to increase…
Smartphones sell at various price points, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Enthusiastic users with deep pockets have their calibre – the likes of Apple’s latest high-end iPhones, Samsung’s Galaxy S series – and the low-income earners have various options starting as low as $35. Smartphones come with their own cameras — that are improving by the day — killing the need for digital standalone cameras for users who are professionals in the photography industry. Or, lack deep pockets to grab the latest cutting edge cameras that only take photos and videos, and nothing else. Digital camera sales have fallen sharply…