Messenger is getting a bunch of important new features this week, including the option to send photos in high-definition, something that WhatsApp only recently introduced.
In addition to being able to send HD photos, Messenger is also allowing users to send larger files up to 100MB in their chats. Shared albums and the ability to add new connections with a QR code are two other new features coming to Messenger this week.
But let’s start with the new option to send photos in high-definition. To fully take advantage of your camera, you can now send an HD photo by selecting an image from your chat composes, then turning the HD toggle on. You can even tap on additional photos to send multiple in HD.
The same simple procedure must be followed if you want to send larger files. Simply tap the + button when you’re in a Messenger chat, then select a file up to 100MB. According to Facebook, a wide range of popular file formats are supported, including Word, PDF and Excel.
Furthermore, the latest Facebook Messenger update adds so-called shared albums. To create a new album in a group chat simply follow the process below:
Select multiple photos from your chat composer
Tap Create album (you can also long press a photo in the chat and tap Create album)
To add to an existing album, tap Add to album
You can even rename the album from the three dot menu. Simply choose the Edit Name option and confirm the album’s new name. Keep in mind that everyone in the chat can view, add, delete and download pictures and videos from the album. The shared album feature will be rolled out over the coming weeks, so be patient if you don’t see it right away.
Finally, Messenger users can connect with other users by scanning their QR code or sharing theirs via a link. Simply start a message thread with a new connection, head to Settings and tap the QR code icon at the top. That way they will be able to scan your code using their device’s camera, or you can share a link using the Share option.
There’s a software bug that has infested the Google Play Store and thanks to this issue, a useful feature that delivers a shortcut to users has disappeared. This feature, when available, was the fastest way for you to check to see whether you have any updates for your Android apps. Before the infestation, if you long-pressed on the Google Play Store icon on the homescreen, you’d see shortcuts including one that said “My apps” and “App info.”
Pressing on “App info” opens the page that goes by the same name and allows you to manage notifications coming from the Play Store, manage permissions for the app, clear the storage and cache memory on the app, and see other data such as the number of minutes of screen time that the Play Store managed to tally today, and the version of the app that is installed on your Android device is on the bottom.
The other option you might see when long-pressing the Play Store icon on your homescreen says “My apps,” and this is the important option because tapping on it takes you directly to the “Manage apps & device” page from where you can see how many app updates you have in queue and you can tap once to have these updates completed. This is the fastest way to get this done except for one tiny, little problem.
At left, a bug erases the option that provides Android users with the fastest way to update the apps on their phones
A bug is keeping many Android users from seeing the “My apps” option when they long-press the Play Store icon. The long-press reveals only the “App info” option. It genuinely does not seem like Google has removed this feature (which many would see as a typical Google move). While the bug has circulated for a few weeks now, my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 still shows “My apps” when I long-press on the Play Store icon on the homescreen.
If you do not have the “My apps” shortcut anymore, you can long-press the Play Store icon from your homescreen, tap on “App info” and Clear storage. This will eliminate some recent data and force you to reset purchase authentication preferences. However, it might exterminate the bug. There is also another possible fix that might work and that is installing the next update for the Play Store. To see if one is available, open the Google Play Store app and tap the Profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen. Tap on Settings > About > Update Play Store and see if this brings back the shortcut.
The lines between social media apps keep getting blurrier, and features that were once niche are becoming mainstream. Remember when short-form video was TikTok’s thing? Or how Snapchat owned disappearing messages? But even in spite of the tidal wave of features, some platforms, like Reddit, Discord, and Telegram, have stubbornly clung to their identities. Discord, in particular, has been measured about adding new bells and whistles, so when it finally unveiled native polls, it felt like a long-overdue move.Discord, just like Reddit, is a playground for online communities. Servers filled with channels are the backbone, like a wilder version of Subreddits. Polling fits this model well – Reddit rolled out polls back in 2020, and Telegram even earlier in January of that year. Even WhatsApp is getting into the community game, adding polls to announcement groups just last year.
Until now, Discord users relied on a workaround for polls: pinning a message and tallying emoji reactions. It was clunky, and results easily disappeared into the depths of a chat history. As you can see above, even Discord’s own official video introducing polls hilariously pokes fun at this makeshift system.
However, now with the introduction of official polls, this method of using emoji reactions can be a thing of the past. Creating a poll will be very simple: Tap that familiar plus icon next to the chat bar, select “Poll,” and done! You can title your poll, add up to 10 options, and even set a duration. Want a multiple-choice format? That’s an option too. No more worrying if seeing the results will skew your vote, as Discord will have a dedicated “Show Results” button.
Right now, there are some limitations to the feature. Slash commands won’t magically create polls, and there’s no anonymous voting. But hey, you can change your vote while the poll’s live, and anyone can create polls. Polls are slowly rolling out to all users in the next couple of days, so if you don’t see the feature show up now, sit tight as it will eventually get to you.
There is no question that the Pixel 9 series is coming this year, although the exact number of phones in the line is not clear. The last we heard, Google might release three Pixel 9 handsets this October, the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Similar to how Apple does things, the Pixel 9 Pro will be a smaller “Pro” version while the Pixel 9 Pro XL will be the larger-screened “Pro” model. The Pixel 9 Pro could sport a 6.1-inch display while a 6.8-inch screen should adorn the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
On “X,” AssembleDebug (via AndroidCentral) did what he does best and discovered some code in the beta version of the Google app (15.14.34.29.arm64) related to the Pixel 9 series. These files are actually connected to the Google Assistant setup wizard which users will see when they first turn on their new Pixel 9 series device to set up the phone. There are also rumors that the Pixel line might include a new “Pixie” digital assistant.
Frame from animation connected to the Pixel 9 Google Assistant setup wizard
Two Pixel 9 files that AssembleDebug discovered in the Google app beta include assistant_robin_suw_pixel9_fragment.xml which appears to be related to the Google Assistant setup wizard (SUW) page. The second file, assistant_robin_suw_pixel9.json, is an animation that is also related to setting up the phone. Note the reference to the Pixel 9 in the name of both files. There has been no indication that Google will release an assistant named Pixie for Pixel models, but come on now. It sounds too good for this not to be a real thing.
Google has been working to make Assistant a thing of the past and while the Google app tries to get users to switch from Assistant to Gemini, so far I haven’t been too impressed using the latter instead of Assistant. Android users might end up with a brand new digital assistant, not Gemini, replacing Google Assistant.
Music streaming services are all about keeping you up to date on the people making the music you love. Thus, the platform often gives you notifications when users you follow release new content. However, it never really had a unified way of seeing all of the updates. This is something that YouTube Music has been working on for a bit, and we recently covered what the company planned on doing.
YouTube Music is finally rolling out the Activity feed
The beauty of the Activity feed is that it allows you to view a unified feed of all the new updates you should keep up with. If you are subscribed to an artist on YouTube Music, any new releases from them will live in the feed.
You will see a new icon on the home screen sitting right next to the search icon. If this looks familiar, it’s the same icon as the bell icon on the YouTube app. When you tap it, you will see a feed of the artists you follow. Along with that, you’ll also see a feed of suggested artists. These are artists that the app thinks you’re most likely to want to follow.
It will act just like the notification section in the YouTube app. You’ll see a reverse chronological order feed of artists that you’re subscribed to.
Going to the Library tab, and turning on the Artists and Subscriptions filters will pretty much accomplish the same thing. However, accessing the Activity feed is a lot more straightforward. All you have to do is open the app and tap on the Bell icon.
This is rolling out to the iOS and Android apps currently. So, if you don’t see it just yet, then you may want to wait a bit.
At the Embedded World Exhibition & Conference, Qualcomm showcased two new chips targeting the embedded and IoT ecosystem. These are the Qualcomm QCC730 Wi-Fi chip and the Qualcomm RB3 Gen 2 platform. These two chips reportedly enable on-device AI processing in the respective fields and also differ a high-performance yet power-efficient computing. Let’s discuss them in more detail one by one.
Qualcomm QCC730 Wi-Fi chip
To begin with, the company notes this chip as a “disruptive micro-power Wi-Fi system” purpose-built for IoT applications. As the naming suggests, the chip offers a whopping 88% lower power consumption as compared to its predecessor. The company also notes that the QCC730 Wi-Fi chip will be complemented with an open-source IDE and SDK. It will support cloud connectivity offloading for ease of development. This chip is shown off as an alternative to Bluetooth IoT applications for flexible design and direct cloud connectivity.
Additionally, Qualcomm is also offering two other IoT chips – the QCC711 and QCC740. The first one is a tri-core “ultra-low power” Bluetooth chip and the second one is an all-in-one solution that supports Thread, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Qualcomm RB3 Gen 2 platform for robotics
Qualcomm noted the RB3 Gen 2 platform as a “comprehensive hardware and software solution designed for IoT and embedded applications.” The RB3 Gen 2 utilizes the QCS6490 chip and offers a 10x increase in on-device AI processing. Additionally, it can manage data from four 8MP+ camera sensors, supports computer vision, and also integrates Wi-Fi 6E. Notably, the RB3 Gen 2 is expected to be used in a wide range of products, including various types of robots, drones, industrial handheld devices, industrial and connected cameras, AI edge boxes, intelligent displays, and more.
You can now pre-order the RB3 Gen 2 and experience it yourself with two integrated development kits and support downloadable software updates. It will help you build projects and proof-of-concepts. The RB3 Gen 2 also supports the recently announced Qualcomm AI Hub, which contains a library of continuously refreshed pre-optimized AI models for superior on-device AI. GSMArena expects that this new platform could become available in June.
With these new chips, various product categories like wireless earphones, drones, and cameras will offer higher battery life and more capable processing. We have previously seen substantial improvements in wireless audio transmission thanks to the company’s S7 Pro chip. Notably, the company will also introduce a new industrial-grade platform to address the functional safety, environmental, and mechanical handling requirements in industrial applications.
Right now when you want to send a message using the Google Messages app, you see a single bar on the bottom that says either Text message or RCS message depending on who you’re chatting with. If you plan on chatting with an iOS user, or an Android user not running a messaging app that supports RCS, it will show the former. Chat with a fellow RCS user and the text field will say the latter.
Before you tap the single text bar on the bottom of the app, you’ll see to the left of the Text message or RCR message label an emoji shortcut. Further to the right inside the bar is a shortcut for the photo gallery and the plus sign. Tapping on the plus sign reveals shortcuts for various features including the Galley, GIFs, Stickers, Files, Location, Contacts, and Schedule Send. To the right of the text bar is a shortcut for the highly praised Recorder app.
When you tap on the single text bar, a second bar that says Text message or RCS message shows up on top with the bottom bar showing the aforementioned shortcuts for emoji, photo gallery, and the plus sign. And again, outside the text bar remains the shortcut for the Recorder app.
On the left, the current version of Google Messages with the revised text bar on the right
Per 9to5 Google, a new version of Google Messages is being tested with the latest beta version (20240404_01_RC00) of the app. With this redesign, once you start typing on the text field, it remains a single bar with the emoji shortcut on the left and the photo gallery and plus icon on the right side of the field. Next to the field on the right side is a separate shortcut inside a circle for the Recorder app.
The only difference between the two versions is that the current one adds a second text bar so you can type your message on the top and have the bottom bar for shortcuts. After the update, that second bar does not appear which saves space and most users will probably agree that getting rid of that wasted space is for the better.
Motorola has confirmed an official date for the announcement of the Motorola Edge 50 series smartphones, and it’s just around the corner. The upcoming series of phones from Motorola has already officially been announced outside of Europe, with the Motorola Edge 50 Pro having been announced on April 3.
The series consists of three phones, and this includes the Edge 50 Pro that was just unveiled last week, as well as two other leaked phones. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra and the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion. These last two phones have yet to be announced in India where the Edge 50 Pro has arrived. It’s unclear if this event will include any information about those two models, or if it will be entirely about a Europe launch.
The Motorola Edge 50 series gets an April 16 announcement date
Motorola doesn’t mention specific times just yet. It does, however, confirm the official date of the announcement to be April 16. That’s just a week away so the arrival of these phones will be close at hand. Through its official account on X, the Motorola Global account says the announcement is for the entire Edge 50 family. So it should include the unveiling of all three models.
The interesting bit is that Motorola is simply teasing the phone without showing what it actually looks like. It seems a little bit odd given that the Pro model phone was revealed already. The launch, or announcement if you will, was already confirmed to be this month. Back in the middle of March, it was reported that Motorola would have three launch events in early April. This should be one of those launches.
As pointed out by GSM Arena, the names for these phones may be different when or if they hit the US. Like past devices though, these should end up with US variants. The Edge 50 series will come in a variety of color options. Motorola also seems to be implementing a collection of AI-powered features. This is in addition to powerful cameras. As well as a 144Hz display (on the Edge 50 Pro), and potentially the recently announced Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 mobile platform from Qualcomm in the Edge 50 Ultra model.
Meta has started rolling out feature updates for the Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 2 Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, and tagged as the v64 update it unlocks “Lying Down” mode. This is in addition to external mic support, uninterrupted casting, improved passthrough, and much more.
Meta reintroduces Lying Down mode
Meta posted a detailed blog post confirming the Meta Quest 3 VR headset will start receiving the v64 feature update. One of the most anticipated features the latest generation of the headset has received in the update is the “Lying Down” mode.
Incidentally, Meta has already activated the Lying Down mode in the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets via a previous feature update. The Lying Down mode allows Quest headset owners to relax in an inclined position.
Needless to say, the Lying Down feature would be truly useful mainly while watching a movie. However, several users have been requesting this feature as it allows them to relax and helps them take a load off their feet.
To activate the Lying Down feature, Meta Quest VR headset users should head to the Experimental tab in Settings and toggle the Use Apps While Lying Down setting. To use the feature, users will have to keep pressing the Menu button to reset their view while they are lying down with the VR headset on their head.
Every Meta Quest VR headset is way more affordable than the Apple Vision Pro. However, Apple managed to offer the Lying Down feature at the product’s launch.
Meta Quest 3 gets better passthrough, external mics, and more
In addition to the Lying Down mode, Meta claims it has improved the image quality and resolution of the Meta Quest 3. Part of the “Passthrough” feature set, these improvements will allow Quest VR headset users, to “comfortably view and interact with the physical world”.
The Passthrough video pipeline promises to make “perceived resolution” better. This means fine-grained text on a smartphone should be a little more legible. Additionally, Meta claims it has improved color, exposure, contrast, and dynamic range. This should help users get a realistic feel of real-world colors. Users should also experience a “less grainy” low-light passthrough, Meta indicated.
The Meta Quest 3 VR headset now supports an external mic. Meta has unlocked the ability to plug an external microphone directly into the headset’s USB-C port if the peripheral has USB-C connectivity. Alternatively, a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter should also work. To use an external mic, users should head to the Experimental tab in Settings and select the External Mic option.
One of the biggest improvements Meta has made to the Quest VR headset is ensuring the streaming continues irrespective of the headset’s location. Previously, the Quest headset would cut the output feed abruptly if the wearer removed the headset. Moving forward, the headset will let streamers, using the Meta Quest app, keep their streams going.
Meta is also trying to help players connect in the physical world. Also included in the update is a new experimental feature that lets users join friends directly from the People app in the universal menu. These people will need to share their location and be in a public world. Hence, moving forward, Quest headset users will have to be way morecautious with the location-sharing setting.
If you’re a music lover who leans heavily on YouTube Music for your playlist needs, you’re in for a treat. The platform is finally getting its own dedicated “Activity” feed, keeping you plugged into all the latest releases from your favorite artists.
This feature was spotted earlier this year and recently again by 9to5Google. It borrows the familiar bell icon we all know and love from the main YouTube app, however, with YT Music the bell serves a slightly different purpose. Its function is to notify you of recent drops and other activity by artists you have subscribed to. This notification bell can be found on the top left of the search button in the Home tab.
Images Credit: 9to5Google
The Activity feed itself is a simple, visually-appealing timeline. Each update boasts a picture of the artist and their release artwork, followed by a snappy line like “X released a new single X title”. Releases are neatly organized, letting you quickly jump between “This week” and “Earlier” drops.
YouTube Music aims to make following artists even easier with this feature. They’ll have a “Suggested for you” list tailored to your listening history. Plus, you can always head to the Library tab, hit the Artists filter, and select “Subscriptions” for a comprehensive view of your picks.
It should be noted that you do need to actively subscribe to artists to really make the most of this feed. Curiously enough, podcast episode alerts are not integrated into this Activity feed, which feels like a missed opportunity. Hopefully, that’s something that gets added later, especially considering Google Podcasts has now been shut down.
The good news is this update is rolling out widely, so chances are good that you’ll see it show up pretty soon. Updates are delivered server-side, but if you’re impatient, try force-stopping the YouTube Music app on Android or iOS and relaunching it. Sadly, for now, web users are left out.
