Category: Article

Google serves up useful new tools for composing email in Gmail on the web.
Google is rolling out handy new shortcut features in Gmail to help users correct mistakes and edit while in compose view.
The features include a new shortcut to undo or redo in the compose window and a new shortcut for strikethrough text.
The shortcuts will be added to each end of the formatting menu located at the bottom of the Gmail compose window.
Just like word processors, Gmail will allow users to undo actions for the occasions you meant to copy text but accidentally deleted it.
There’s also a new redo option. The two buttons for undo and redo are respectively represented by curved backward and forward arrows which are located on the left-hand side of the formatting menu.
The new strikethrough button is located on the right-hand side of the menu. It has been introduced because users want a quick way to express a change in thought in email.
“Strikethrough is a visual cue that something has been completed or can be used as an edit suggestion. We’ve heard from you that this functionality is critical to quickly and efficiently write emails, especially when you want to visually indicate a change in language,” Google explains on its G Suite updates blog.
Gmail users will also be able to download email as .EML files from the web. EML files are recognized by email clients like Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird. Google says it will let users view Gmail content along with other attachments within these clients. Users can also add downloaded email as attachments in emails.
Users can download messages as .EML files from the three-dot menu by clicking ‘Download message’ at the bottom. Previously this could done by clicking ‘Show original’ and downloading it as an .EML file, but took a few more steps.
The new features are rolling out over the next few days to all Gmail users on the web and to G Suite users.

If there’s one theme that will be prevalent in the smartphone industry in 2019, it’s change. After a ridiculously boring year in 2017 and another pretty boring year last year until the last few months of 2018, this year will see the introduction of all sorts of new smartphone form factors and features. “All screen” will finally be more than just BS marketing in 2019, as phone makers introduce innovative new solutions that allow their displays to truly reach all edges of a smartphone. Phones with foldable screens will finally begin to hit the market as well in 2019, after years of rumors and anticipation. Fingerprint sensors are getting embedded beneath phone displays instead of under them or on the backs of phones, camera technology is improving by leaps and bounds, and plenty more notable changes will come to new smartphone models in 2019.
Interestingly, there is one new smartphone line coming in 2019 that’s rumored to lack the sort of change customers are looking for: Apple’s new iPhone lineup. Rumor has it that the upcoming iPhone 11 series will reuse Apple’s iPhone X design for a third consecutive year, marking the second time Apple has chosen to recycle the same old iPhone designs for more than two years. This time around, however, the decision could have a huge impact on sales, unlike the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which still sold quite well back in 2016 and 2017. Apple’s current-generation iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR are so boring and so expensive that Apple fans are upgrading in much smaller volumes, and Apple’s earnings performance is taking a hit as a result.
The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max, and iPhone 11R (as they’ll presumably be called) are rumored to be pretty minor upgrades this year. They’ll supposedly feature smaller notches and better cameras, with a new triple-lens camera supposedly set to debut on the iPhone 11 Max. Other than that, they’ll look just like last year’s iPhone XS and the iPhone X from two years ago. All this while other companies like Samsung release completely redesigned flagship phones with exciting new displays.
Despite the fact that 2019 is shaping up to be another slow year for Apple in terms of design innovation, there’s no denying that the iPhone has changed considerably over the years. In fact, it’s more than just a little ironic that any major change that comes to the iPhone sends people into a frenzy, and yet they still complain just as much when new iPhones debut without enough change. In this post, we’ll look back on five iconic iPhone features that Apple has changed over the years.
Skeuomorphism
Up until iOS 7 debuted back in 2013, Apple’s skeuomorphism-laced iOS user interface was perhaps the most iconic thing about the iPhone. Seen above on the left-hand side, Apple’s old user interface was characterized by textures and patterns that mimicked real-life materials such as wood and leather.
When iOS 7 (seen above on the right-hand side) first debuted, Apple fans collectively lost their minds. All of the familiar textures were gone, replaced by a much more minimalistic interface with flat icons and colors that pop. Of course it didn’t take long for people to warm up to the new look, and now all the people who whined back then probably can’t imagine going back to the dated look of iOS 6 and earlier versions.
Home Button
Apple’s circular home button was a staple on every iPhone model for the first 10 years of the phone’s existence. Then, just like that, Apple took it away.
The home button had changed a bit over the years, but it always remained central to the iPhone user experience. First it was needed for navigation, and then beginning with the iPhone 5s it also become home to Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor. In 2017 Apple introduced the iPhone X with a new design that ditched the home button, but people who were reluctant to make the change still had new options in the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Beginning last year, however, every new iPhone model had ditched the home button.
Touch ID
Getting over the loss of the home button would’ve been much easier for some iPhone users if they were still able to unlock their phones and authenticate payments with Touch ID. But alas, Apple decided to ditch its fingerprint sensors as well.
The iPhone X was the first Apple smartphone since 2012 to lack a fingerprint sensor. In fact, ever since Apple first popularized smartphone fingerprint readers beginning with the iPhone 5s, pretty much every flagship phone on the planet has included a fingerprint sensor. But Apple shifted to facial recognition on the iPhone X, and now it’s the only biometric security feature on Apple’s entire 2018 iPhone lineup as well as the most recent iPad Pro models.
30-pin Connector
The scars from the loss of the iPhone’s home button and Touch ID are still fresh for many people, so it might be a good time to remind everyone that time heals all wounds.
Have you been an iPhone user since at least as far back as 2011? Then you remember that every iPhone model from the original up until the iPhone 4S had Apple’s trusty old 30 pin connector, just like iPods. In 2012, Apple ditched the 30 pin connector port in favor of a much smaller Lightning port, and people absolutely lost their minds because they were going to have to buy adapters or new accessories. Of course a few short years later, no one cared about or probably even remembered the 30 pin connector anymore.
Dedicated Headphone Jack
While the uproar over the iPhone’s Lightning jack dissipated pretty quickly, many iPhone users still haven’t gotten over Apple’s decision to ditch the dedicated headphone jack.
If you use Bluetooth headphones, you probably couldn’t care less that Apple ditched the headphone jack a few years ago. After all, removing the 3.5mm audio port frees up space inside the iPhone for more important things, like a bigger battery. But many people are still angry that they can’t plug in regular old headphones without using an adapter. Even then, they can’t also connect a wired charger without buying a separate third-party splitter like this one, which has a Lightning port and a 3.5mm audio port on a single dongle.

Weird Flex
It’s official: Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi has confirmed that it’s working on a flexible smartphone.
In a short clip posted to Chinese social media site Weibo today, Xiaomoi co-founder Lin Bin showed off an engineering sample of a smartphone with an astonishing display. The clip shows Lin folding the screen backwards on both sides, like a triptych or a birthday card.
Mass Effect
Lin said that Xiaomi is considering mass-producing the device, depending on how consumers react to it. He also asked Weibo users for suggestions for a name for the device.
The clip also shows off some additional features of the “world’s first double folding phone”: the power button is on the top, where you’d expect it to be on a traditional slab smartphone, and the interface scales and rotates as Lin moves it.
The experience looks fairly smooth, especially considering this is just a prototype.
Growing Trend
Xiaomi isn’t the first company to announce a foldable smartphone in the last couple of months. Samsung executives announced that a foldable Galaxy smartphone will be released in the first half of 2019. And US-based electronics company Royole got a lot of attention for its FlexPai smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.
It’s only January, but it’s already looking like foldable smartphone displays are a potential future for consumer devices in 2019. And that’s an exciting prospect: who wouldn’t want a tablet that can fold to fit in their pocket?

Pictures posted by concept designer Ben Geskin on Twitter show off Samsung’s rumored cryptocurrencyservice, along with a clear image of the Galaxy S10.
The Samsung Blockchain KeyStore looks to be a blockchain wallet, which you’ll be able to either import an existing wallet or create a new wallet. According to the images, the Blockchain KeyStore only lists Ethereum as a supported cryptocurrency.
That said, a previous report from SamMobile claims that Samsung’s blockchain wallet will also support Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum-derived token ERC20 at launch.
The report also claims that Samsung won’t have access to any of the data in the Blockchain KeyStore app, which might be a cold wallet. The main way to recover your data is with the 12 to 24-word recovery phrase. The app also features a secondary layer of authentication that includes PIN and fingerprint.
The images also give us the clearest visuals of the regular Galaxy S10. The phone in the images is unlikely to be the Galaxy S10 Plus, since that device will reportedly feature two front-facing cameras.
According to rumors, the Galaxy S10 features a 6.1-inch curved OLED display, an in-display fingerprint sensor, the Exynos 9820 processor (global), the Snapdragon 855 for North America, and either 128GB or 512GB of internal storage. The phone could sell for at least 799 euros (~$1,009) when it launches.
Samsung will have much to say about the Galaxy S10 on February 20, when the company will hold an Unpacked event in San Francisco.

Microsoft released yesterday a new patch for Windows 10 version 1809, in the form of the build 17763.292 . This is an optional update that follows this month’s Patch Tuesday released on January 8, but you may want to take a look at all the bug fixes included in this release.
The patch notes mention a fix for an issue causing Microsoft Edge to stop working with certain display drivers, and Microsoft has also fixed a compatibility issue with AMD R600 and R700 display chipsets. You can find the full list of fixes below:
Addresses an issue that may cause Microsoft Edge to stop working with certain display drivers.
Addresses an issue that may cause third-party applications to have difficulty authenticating hotspots.
Addresses an issue that causes promotions of non-root domains to fail with the error, “The replication operation encountered a database error.” The issue occurs in Active Directory forests in which optional features like Active Directory recycle have been enabled.
Addresses an issue related to the date format for the Japanese era calendar. For more information, see KB4469068.
Addresses a compatibility issue with AMD R600 and R700 display chipsets.
Addresses an audio compatibility issue when playing newer games with 3D Spatial Audio mode enabled through multichannel audio devices or Windows Sonic for Headphones.
Addresses an issue that may cause audio playback to stop responding when playing Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) audio content after using a Seek operation such as rewind.
Addresses an issue that allows users to uninstall apps from the Start menu when the “Prevent users from uninstalling applications from Start menu” group policy is set.
Addresses an issue that causes File Explorer to stop working when you click the Turn On button for the timeline feature. This issue occurs when the “Allow upload of user activities” group policy is disabled.
Addresses an issue that prevents users from installing a Local Experience Pack from the Microsoft Store when that language is already set as the active Windows display language.
Addresses an issue that causes some symbols to appear in a square box on a text control.
Addresses an issue with two-way audio that occurs during phone calls for some Bluetooth headsets.
Addresses an issue that may turn off TCP Fast Open by default on some systems.
Addresses an issue that may cause applications to lose IPv4 connectivity when IPv6 is unbound.
Addresses an issue on Windows Server 2019 that may break connectivity on guest virtual machines (VMs) when applications inject the low-resource flag on packets.
Addresses an issue that occurs if you create a page file on a drive with FILE_PORTABLE_DEVICE characteristics. The “Windows created a temporary warning” message appears.
Addresses an issue that causes Remote Desktop Services to stop accepting connections after accepting several connections.
Addresses an issue in Windows Server 2019 that causes a Hyper-V VM to remain at the bootloader screen for OS selection when restarting the machine. This issue occurs when Virtual Machine Connection (VMConnect) is attached.
Addresses an issue with rendering of end-user-defined characters (EUDC) in Microsoft Edge.
Updates the Ltotape.sys driver to add native support for Linear Tape-Open 8 (LTO-8) tape drives.
This new build comes with two known issues that were already present in the previous build: Microsoft expect to fix a bug related to Access databases in early February, but the other bug preventing some users to load a webpage in Microsoft Edge using a local IP address will be fixed in an upcoming release.

One of the best things about Google’s Android phones is that they’re always going to be the first to get Android updates, and those updates are guaranteed for three years. The Pixel 3 phones will get software updates through 2021, which is a great reason to buy a brand new Pixel phone. But, as it turns out, the new Pixel phones can also run another Google OS — the one that keeps popping in leaks and reports, and the one that will likely “kill” Android.
Fuchsia, as it’s currently called, represents Google vision for the future of smart devices. The operating system is being built from the ground up and will work on a variety of platforms, from smartphones, tablets, and laptops to smart speakers, IoT, and other smart gadgets. At least, that’s the expectation, as Google is yet to announce it. If all goes well, Fuchsia will one day replace Android and Chrome OS, while retaining support for Android apps.
Even though we saw an early Fuchsia UI in previous leaks, and the software was able to boot on several devices, it can’t really be used in place of another operating system at the moment. That’s why, even though it’s exciting to hear that the Pixel 3 can run Fuchsia, it’s not like you’ll be able to use it in place of Android.
As 9to5Google reports, an indie developer ran Fuchsia on the Pixel 3 XL. We’re in the very early days of booting Fuchsia on Pixel phones, so don’t try to do this at home. This is what you’d get if you did, though:
This includes booting the Zircon kernel (the absolute minimum software needed to run a device) via fastboot, and displaying the Zircon virtual console (think like a command line) on the Pixel 3 XL screen. This console is the only UI though, as it doesn’t tap into any of the other layers of Fuchsia yet. There’s also no way to interact with the virtual console, as there’s no touch or USB support of any kind.
However, this particular evolution of Fuchsia is still impressive. After all, come the first commercial Fuchsia release, which isn’t expected for another few years, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL might be able to run the OS right away. Also, this could be a sign that other relatively new Android devices might one day be compatible with the new operating system, as long as third-party developers are willing to put in the hard work.
The developer who made it happen is Zhuowei Zhang, who may be known to Minecraft fans for creating a tool that lets you use shaders and modes in Minecraft Pocket Edition.

YouTube site Concept Creator used existing image leaks to make the rendering
Three cameras have been shown in a new arrangement on the rear of the phone
They would provide a superior depth perception and image quality on pictures
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 11 will be fitted with three cameras and come with an all new aesthetic, according to leaked images.
Images of the handset have been created in stunning 3D by YouTube site Concept Creator using existing leaked images.
The device is not formally expected to be released until September 2019.
Scroll down for video
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 11 will be fitted with three cameras and an all new aesthetic, according to leaked images (pictured)
Images of the handset have been created in stunning 3D by YouTube site Concept Creator using existing leaked images
Images from the leak show a completely different set-up which makes use of a three camera arrangement.
The cameras are arranged in the rendering within a square on the top left corner on the phone’s rear.
Three cameras integrated into one would provide superior depth perception and image quality on pictures.
No Apple device currently uses this method but the iPhone XS makes use of two cameras and the enhanced capabilities allow for more sophisticated augmented reality capabilities as well as superior portraits.
Earlier this month, Apple issued its first revenue warning in nearly 12 years, sending its shares down 10 percent, their biggest intra-day fall in six years.
Apple plans to continue with LCD model as the device has been in the production pipeline for months, a WSJ report said.
Images from the leak show a completely different set-up making use of a three camera arrangement. The cameras are arranged in the rendering within a square on the top left corner on the phone’s rear
Earlier this month, Apple issued its first revenue warning in nearly 12 years, sending its shares down 10 percent, their biggest intra-day fall in six years
However, for 2020, Apple will fully switch to the organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, display for iPhones, thereby completely dropping the LCD model, the report said.
Shares of the company was nearly flat in premarket trading.
Apple, which slashed its quarterly sales forecast last week, has reduced planned production for its three new iPhone models by about 10 percent for the January-March quarter, the Nikkei Asian Review reported.
Apple will fully switch to the organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, display for iPhones, thereby completely dropping the LCD model, previous reports claim
Apple will fully switch to the organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, display for iPhones, thereby completely dropping the LCD model, the report said
That rare forecast cut exposed weakening iPhone demand in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, where a slowing economy has also been buffeted by a trade war with the United States.
However, it comes as Apple CEO Tim Cook told Mad Money’s Jim Cramer, when asked about reports that the iPhone XR was a flop, Cook says he calls ‘bologna on that.’
He said the iPhone XR has, in fact, been the most popular iPhone ‘every single day’ since it started shipping out to customers.
Many analysts and consumers have said the new iPhones are overpriced.

Design patents filed by Motorola in December 2018 were discovered after a Wall Street Journal report said that a new Razr flip-phone-style device with a foldable display is on its way from Lenovo, Motorola’s parent company.
The design patents don’t definitively reveal what the new device will look like, but they give us a general idea as to what it could look like.
The design patents show a device that’s nearly identical to the original Razr V3 flip phone.
Last Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Lenovo and Motorola will soon release a revival of its famed Razr V3 flip phone with a brand-new foldable display design, and it could cost $1,500.
After the news, mobile tech blog 91 Mobile discovered a design patentfiled in December 2018 by Motorola containing images of a potential design for a new phone with a foldable display.
There’s no mention of the name “Razr” in the patent, but anyone who remembers Motorola’s Razr flip phones will immediately recognize the design in the patent. It looks nearly identical, at least on the outside. The inside of the phone, however, potentially reveals what Lenovo and Motorola have in mind for a new Razr flip smartphone with a foldable display.
I should stress that patents don’t typically reveal exactly what to expect in a new upcoming device. Rather, patents only show what kinds of ideas a company has — and that idea ever seeing the light of day isn’t guaranteed. Either way, based on the design patent images below, it seems that Motorola’s idea is to make a modern rendition of its Razr flip phone that looks nearly identical to the original.
The back of the device in the patent looks nearly identical to the Motorola Razr V3, and it appears to include a small display on the top half, just like the original.
Here’s the back of the original Razr V3 so you can see how it’s identical to the device shown in the Motorola design patent.
On the inside, the device in the patent looks like a typical — if slightly dated — smartphone. Gone is the iconic number pad, which is replaced with a single, supposedly foldable display.
The pictured device only looks dated because of the larger bezels compared to most modern smartphones that have slimmer bezels. Otherwise, the use of a foldable display would be cutting edge.
Indeed, the iconic number pad from the original Razr V3 and the original display itself would be replaced with a single smartphone touch display, which is said to fold over at the center. It won’t crease at the hinge, according to The Wall Street Journal, so the display might simply bend rather than actually fold like a piece of paper.
Basically, imagine the Razr V3 below, but with a display running from top to the bottom of the number pad, and without the bulky hinge in the middle.
From the side, the device looks indistinguishable from the original Razr V3.
Here’s the side of the original Razr V3 for comparison.

Chromebook usage in classrooms hits 30 million worldwide
Acer announced two 12-inch Chromebook devices today at the annual Bett conference for educators: the Chromebook 512 and the Chromebook Spin 512. Both feature 1366 x 912 resolution on 3:2 aspect ratio screens — a ratio which, according to Acer, falls between that of books and mobile media.
Compared to the Chromebook 512 — which starts at $329.99 and is equipped with a dual-core Celeron N4000 chip — the Chromebook Spin 512, which starts at $449.99, features a more powerful quad-core Intel Pentium Silver N5000 or Celeron N4100 processor. The Spin 512 also has a 360-degree hinge, a 8MP back-facing webcam on the cover, and an HD webcam above the display, while the 512 has an optional 5MP webcam. The Spin 512 also supports a Wacom EMR stylus that can be stored in an internal slot.
Since they’re built to be used in classrooms, both meet the standards of military-grade durability and are equipped to handle drops from heights of up to 48 inches. The Spin 512 has the Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass display, while the 512 has mechanically anchored keys that are difficult to remove. Both come in touch and non-touch options, feature about 12 hours of battery life, and will be available this April.
In conjunction with Acer’s two new Chrome OS devices, Google also announced at the conference today that Chromebook usage in classrooms was up 5 percent, hitting 30 million devices worldwide. According to the company, since its education tools launched in 2006, some 80 million educators and students are now using G Suite for Education (which includes apps like Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Hangouts Meet), and 40 million are using Google Classroom to help teachers and students stay organized.

The update includes fixes for issues like audio distortion on the iPad Pro and problems causing the HomePod to restart.
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 12.1.3 for the iPhone, iPad and HomePod, which includes bug fixes for all three devices.
For the iPhone and iPad, Apple notes the update will fix a series of issues, including:
An issue in Messages that might impact scrolling through pictures while in the Details view.
A problem that could lead certain CarPlaysystems to disconnect from the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
An issue that could cause audio distortion if using external audio input devices on the iPad Pro.
And a problem involving photos having striped artifacts when sent from the Share Sheet.
For the HomePod, Apple says the update includes bug fixes for an issue causing HomePod to restart, as well as an issue that could cause Sirito stop listening.
Apple also rolled out WatchOS 5.1.3, which it says includes “improvements and bug fixes.”