Techysan

Discover Stadia, Google's Cloud Gaming Solution That Punch a Lot

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 09:52:00 +0000

Announced in June of this year, Stadia is Google’s proprietary cloud gaming service, that lets you stream video games on all of your devices. But what exactly is it? How does it Work and what games will be available? I compiled all that you should know on Stadia below. Together, let’s discover why services like Stadia have their importance in the video game industry.

The technology giant has finally taken a big leap, diving into the video game industry. According to Google, Stadia will offer a “state-of-the-art” video gaming experience, with its incredible network of servers dispersed around the globe. Just like you can stream shows and movies on Netflix, Google Stadia lets you “stream” video games on your devices. As explained in more detail in this blog post, while the images are transmitted to your devices, the graphics processing is simultaneously transferred to remote servers that run these games. Hence, we can play the most sophisticated games with the least powerful machines, since it is the servers that take care of all of the computing.

But what do you need in other to play with Stadia? Nothing that you do not already have: a computer (with Chrome browser), a box with a TV, a smartphone or a tablet, and most importantly, an internet connection. You can buy an additional Stadia controller (which needs to be connected by WiFi to your device), or you can use an HID-compliant controller (DualShock4, Xbox Controller, etc Google assures more controllers will be made compatible). If you, however, want to play on your TV, a Chromecast Ultra will be needed in addition to the Stadia Controller.

Not the "Netflix of video games"

With Stadia, Google wants to make video games available to more people. That is why with Stadia, no game console is necessary, all you need is to buy the games -- the base version of Stadia is free to use. This gives you a max resolution of 1080p and stereo sounds on your games. Also, a Pro version is available which lets you play at 4K and 60FPS. But what makes the Pro version interesting is the ability to add one free game to your collection each month. But beware, If you stop the subscription, you lose access to these games, and if you resume, you will not have access to the games that were offered during the period you terminated. Hence, you would have understood it, Stadia is very different from a "Netflix" subscription that offers access to a catalog of dozens of content from the first day. Stadia Pro is not "the Netflix of the video game" as we are fund to put it. It is much more similar to Xbox Live Gold, or PlayStation Plus as Andrey Doronichev -- Director of Product for Stadia -- puts it.

But such a technologically advanced platform is nothing without good titles. Here is the list of games that will be available on Google Stadia at launch:

Destiny 2 (the very first game to be available at launch, only on Stadia Pro)
Baldur’s Gate III
Mortal Kombat 11
Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Gylt
The Division 2
Destiny 2 : The Collection
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
DOOM Eternal
DOOM
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
Metro Exodus
Thumper
GRID
Samurai Shodown
Football Manager 2020
The Elder Scrolls Online
The Crew 2
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Trials Rising
NBA 2K
Borderlands 3
Farming Simulator 19
Rage 2
Final Fantasy XV
Tomb Raider Trilogy
Darksiders Genesis
Just Dance 2020

Besides, during the E3, several developers have announced the arrival of their future games on Google Stadia, after the launch of the platform:

Gods & Monsters (Ubisoft Quebec, 25 février 2020)
Watch Dogs Legion (Ubisoft Toronto, 6 mars 2020)
Avengers (Crystal Dynamics, 15 May 2020)
Get Packed (Coatsink Software, en 2020)

In addition to all these games, Ubisoft announced the availability of its UPlay + subscription on Stadia in 2020. With this package of 15 euros per month, it will be possible to access a large part of the publisher's catalog, including the latest news. Indeed, the CEO of Ubisoft -- Yves Guillemot -- announced that carrying their games to Stadia isn’t that expensive, though that only concerns games of this generation. Similarly, Indies confirmed that porting/creating games to/for Stadia won't change much to their workflow.

«The extra costs to make sure our games work well on Stadia are not that high. It's now part of our way of working and we have good relations with Stadia to make sure it's profitable for us.»

Among other features announced for Stadia, we have:

Availability of takeout data recovery. You will be able to export your saved games from Stadia, as well as to import saved games from other platforms to Stadia.
Support of Social, Communications, and Safety features. You’ll be able to manage your friends' list, create parties and use platform-level voice chat at launch.
Support for success is expected but will come after launch
The system interface will be unveiled in November at the launch
Family sharing will be proposed at the beginning of 2020, after the launch
Availability of cross-play and cross-progression on “some” games.

Not as flawless as PC/consoles

However, though cloud gaming eliminates processing power barriers, it replaces it with internet bandwidth barriers. Despite the similarities between cloud gaming and traditional streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, they remain very dissimilar. Bear in mind that cloud gaming is “real-time streaming”, against buffered streaming for YouTube for example, as one Reddit user explains. On YouTube, videos are downloaded a couple of minutes ahead of time so if the connection bandwidth is fluctuating then the video bandwidth averages out. When latency has to be minimized, bandwidth can't average out like that so video quality can go up and down much more. It's more akin to a video call over Skype, which has similar latency constraints.

At this game, Google has had to prove the efficiency of Stadia. It was therefore at the E3 2019 that Google invited some media to test DOOM Eternal on Stadia. This is a Fast FPS where hesitation and lag have no place. It is obvious that if you can play DOOM Eternal, you can play any games. The game ran on a wired Pixelbook. The server, however, was located in San Francisco, more than 600 km away as reported by FrAndroid, no question of cheating with a local server. LeFigaro.fr which was present reported that "during our game, all orders have responded perfectly, as with a classic game console." TheVerge confirms, stating that "if you hadn't told me I was streaming a video game on the Internet, I would not have been able to figure it out".

But Stadia is still far from the quality offered by PC/console. Le Figaro continues by saying that: "Google's service is not as graphically efficient. Visually this is clearly not as fine and beautiful as on PC / consoles ». Numerama holds a similar speech: "Not only the 60 fps seem utopian but, as a bonus, there have been slowdowns from time to time - by luck without consequence". For its part, Gameblog.fr states that the input lag is perfectly managed, but reproaches the game to show "a certain inconsistency with regard to the stability of its frame-rate" and that, even worse, "some textures will take a lot longer than others to load [...], the concern is that the gameplay is changed somewhat since the roulette that allows you to choose your weapon, at times, did not appear at all despite my repeated presses". The Verge also notices some small technical problems that can be similar to simple bugs, but which are disabling for those who wish to play in perfect conditions. Only Ars Technica seems to have noticed "no video compression artifact or color gradient that you might see in a low-resolution YouTube video".

But the real issue is...

Though Stadia supports a range of internet speeds, a bandwidth of 5Mbp/s is the absolute minimum to play in decent conditions.

If Google has been able to somehow make games run smoothly on stadia, it doesn't mean stadia runs on any connexion. Remember that you are streaming images in real-time, hence a certain bandwidth will be required for the best experience. Google advise having at least a 10Mb/s bandwidth to play decently. Hence 4G will be your best bet. No question of playing on WiFi, prioritize ADSL, or even better, fiber optic.

Comparison of network speed between MTN's (left) and Orange's (right) 4G networks -- Cameroon's leading network operators. Stadia is sure to run on Orange's network.

But the current record of Google remains mixed, since its best asset is the technical part and that it is not exceptional. Compared to competing services, especially xCloud, Stadia seems a little behind. So hard to convince with a catalog of games that does not yet spark dreams. Speaking of which, Google will hold a new conference for Stadia (StadiaConnect) just before the Gamescom (19th of August). Google promises to unveil new titles and show us behind the scenes of some developers.

«The greatest thing about Stadia and cloud gaming is that it will keep improving. We can push new features and iterate based on your feedback, but you don’t have to download updates or upgrade the hardware!»

For now, Google Stadia will only be available on a few selected devices. As Andrey Doronochev explains: «My dream is to play Stadia on every device out there. At launch we’re starting with the devices we know best, to make sure the experience is great. Hence Chrome, Chromecast, and Pixel. Once we harden the tech and it’s ready to scale we’ll expand to more devices starting with the most popular ones». Hence starting 2020, we may have more options on which to play Stadia. As for the games’ prices, we may not expect anything different from what is already practiced: «You should expect game prices to be competitive with other platforms. After all, it’s about developers making money off the amazing work they do». As of now, you can pre-order Stadia's Founder's Edition pack (comprising of a Stadia Pro subscription + a limited edition Blue Night Stadia Controller). One thing however that preoccupies some is the longevity of Stadia. Google has been known to launch services and then derelict and ultimately terminate them, as was the case for Hangout, Google+ and probably YouTube Music. However, even on this, Google wants to reassure: «The greatest thing about Stadia and cloud gaming is that it will keep improving. We can push new features and iterate based on your feedback, but you don’t have to download updates or upgrade the hardware!»

[Brief]Cloud Gaming: The Future of Video Gaming

Not only did Netflix changed the way we watch TV, but it may also change the way we play video games. This new approach to the way we play video games is likely to revolutionize the market very soon. But what does Cloud Gaming consist of? This is what we will discuss in this complete file.Read more...

Indium, Yttrium ... What is the Use of Rare Metals in Our Smartphones?

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Rare earth oxides. From the top and in the clockwise direction: praseodymium (black), cerium (yellow), lanthanum (cream), neodymium (gray), samarium (yellow), gadolinium (white). Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

They are called tantalum, hafnium, praseodymium or terbium: these exotic metals with increasing strategic importance are indispensable in components of our phones such as touch screens, microphones, or transistors. But what are they really for?

Our digital devices contain treasures. Advanced electronics depend on a whole bunch of very different metals from copper, aluminum or steel that we encounter in everyday life. This poses many environmental and geopolitical questions, from cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Chinese rare earth production, which Beijing threatens to limit exports in its trade war with the United States.

Smartphone manufacturers are not very talkative about the rare metals used in their products. But I still tried to collect information on the use of these exotic elements in everyday electronics.

What are "rare metals"?

"Rare metals" are a catch-all name that covers most of the atoms in the middle of the periodic table of elements. That's several dozens of elementary materials. Some names, such as blue cobalt or very heavy tungsten, are relatively familiar to us. But we also find more surprising things, like gallium, the metal that melts in the hand at the same temperature as chocolate (30°C). Let us mention among other names: tantalum, niobium, indium, hafnium, or palladium.

The best-known rare metals are a group of 17 elements called "rare earth". These were first discovered by the Swedish chemist Carl Axel Arrhenius in 1787 in a rock in the village of Ytterby on an island near Stockholm. They represent a group of metals with properties quite similar to each other and can sometimes be used interchangeably in alloys.

These are scandium, yttrium (named after the village of Ytterby), and 15 atoms of the "lanthanide" family: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium (from "Ytterby" by removing two letters), dysprosium, holmium, erbium ("Ytterby" by removing three letters), thulium, ytterbium (you have it?) and lutetium. Among them, promethium is apart, because it is radioactive and extremely rare in its natural state, with only 500 grams scattered throughout the entire earth's crust; its uses are thus very small and special.

Contrary to what their name indicates, rare earth are not "rare" on Earth. Yttrium is thus 400 times more abundant in the earth's crust than silver. But they are very scattered and do not come in the form of easily exploitable minerals. They can be mined in copper, zinc, or uranium mines, but the process is very expensive and highly polluting. That is why virtually only China assumes to get into it, with almost 100% monopoly over the treatment of rare earth from the ores of other metals.

Where are they in our smartphones?
Screens and LEDs
The first touch screens were resistive, that is to say, it was physically necessary to press it with a finger or a stylus. Our modern smartphones have capacitive screens, with an electrostatic field that recognizes the disturbances caused by the simple touch. For this to work, the screen must be coated with a film that conducts electricity while being transparent. This film is made of indium-tin-oxide (abbreviated "ITO"), the indium being derived from zinc ore.

An LED is schematically made of a semiconductor chip, mounted on a metal frame and encapsulated in a piece of transparent plastic. The semiconductor material of the chip is usually a gallium compound (extracted from the aluminum ore) and at least one other atom, which will determine the "basic" color of the LED. With arsenic combined with phosphorus, an orange-red light is obtained, while with nitrogen or indium, the LED appears blue.

But to make really beautiful colors with an LED, it is necessary to coat the chip with powders of phosphorus. And in there, it's not just phosphorus. The colors are indeed made with different rare-earth cocktails. The most common, yttrium and aluminum garnet ("YAG") doped with cerium, is used to make a yellow color that can, for example, be added to a blue LED (indium) to make it white. Other phosphors with yttrium or europium make red, while europium can also be used for blue and terbium for green. Lanthanum and gadolinium can also be found.

Sound and vibrations
What is the common point between a microphone, a speaker and the vibrations of a phone? All of these elements need magnets to work. It is they who, thanks to their force of attraction, produce the vibrations which can shake the whole apparatus - or produce oscillations finer and translatable in sound.

But beware those are different from the magnets found on our refrigerators. You need tiny, powerful magnets, and above all, that does not weaken over time. The most proven solution in this field is an alloy of neodymium and praseodymium, also used in electric motors and turbines of wind turbines. This mixture may also include some terbium or dysprosium. Tungsten, which is twice as heavy as steel, serves as a weight to amplify vibrations.

Batteries
The ubiquitous batteries in our devices are lithium-ion batteries. Of course, there is lithium, the lightest metal in the world, especially from Australia and the deserts of salt from South America. But cobalt, in the form of cobalt dioxide and lithium (LiCoO2), is generally required to form the cathode of the battery.

Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit is a plate of semiconductor material (generally silicon, sometimes germanium) on the surface of which are connected transistors, and small components also containing semiconductor materials. This is also called a chip. To make silicon conductive in some places only, it must be "doped" by adding impurities: phosphorus, boron, arsenic, antimony, but also indium or gallium. In transistors having to operate at very high frequency, such as those used for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 4G, the silicon is replaced by gallium arsenide or silicon-germanium.

With the launch of its 45-nm generation in 2007, Intel began using hafnium to isolate the doors of its transistors. The latter are interconnected on the printed circuits by titanium and tungsten films. The miniaturization of chips would push semiconductor manufacturers to replace cobalt or ruthenium with less and less practical copper at the nanoscale.

Printed circuit board
The printed circuits are the epoxy resin plates, often green in color, on which components are soldered using copper tracks. Gold and silver are not always classified as "rare metals", but I chose to mention them because of their importance in electronics. Excellent electrical conductor, the gold is found in printed circuits, including the connection between the silicon and the pins of the various components. Silver is present in most resistances. Printed circuits also contain very small quantities of palladium, a platinum-group metal.

Finally, one of the common components soldered on printed circuits is the capacitor, a small electric energy tank. Standard capacitors use aluminum, but these are too big to fit into a smartphone. To make them very small, we use tantalum.

All these strange names are therefore vital for our smartphones. But they are also for many advanced applications in chemistry and medicine, as well as for most clean energy. It is a shame when we know that these resources are "dirty" to exploit, ecologically and politically. Hence their stake, which will undoubtedly grow in the future.

This article is courtesy of FrAndroid.

[Brief]Cloud Gaming: The Future of Video Gaming

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 16:10:00 +0000

Not only did Netflix changed the way we watch TV, but it may also change the way we play video games. It has been many months since the term Cloud Gaming returns regularly in the news. In 2014, Electronic Arts was one of the first to get started with EA Access. It was Sony's turn to launch the PlayStation Now in 2015, then Microsoft with the Xbox Game Pass on June 2017. Soon, it will be the French publisher Ubisoft who will launch its uPlay +. This new approach to the way we play video games is likely to revolutionize the market very soon. But what does Cloud Gaming consist of? This is what we will discuss in this complete file.

How does Cloud Gaming work?
Cloud Gaming allows you to play video games on different media without them causing the graphics processing. The computing power is transferred to remotely hosted servers that run the games, while simultaneously transmitting the image to the players. To enjoy such a service, you therefore just need an internet connection and a screen on which to play: a computer, a box with a TV, a smartphone or a tablet for example. By following this principle, we can play the most greedy and sophisticated games with the least powerful machines, since it is the server that takes care of everything (so very similar to Netflix, or Spotify, with a little more complex technology though).

The different approaches of Cloud Gaming
Companies offering a Cloud Gaming service adopt different strategies.

Cloud computing
For some, like Shadow, it is more about Cloud Computing, which gives access to a powerful Windows computer in the cloud, capable of playing, but also to behave like a real computer: office, data storage, photo, and video editing, etc. On this virtual machine, it is possible to install software such as Steam or Origin to access your already acquired library of games.

Game on demand
Here the service offers access to an interface allowing to play games only -- no virtual PC in the cloud needed. This type of service is less versatile since it only serves to play, but is easy to access for the general public since it allows us to ignore the download and installation of games.

Like movies and series, two forms of on-demand games exist: single games purchase, as is the case with Google Stadia, which offers a catalog of games to buy individually, or with Nvidia GeForce Now, which offers access to games already purchased on services like Steam, Uplay or Blizzard Battle.net.

The other much-awaited form is close to a "Netflix of video game" and is based on a subscription allowing unlimited access to a video game catalog, without becoming the owner. This approach allows the same immediacy and simplicity as the famous SVOD service.

Cloud Gaming services already available

Shadow by Blade

Image Credit: FrAndroid

Shadow is a cloud computing service that gives you access to a virtual machine in the cloud. It is possible to subscribe to the service and download the client on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. Also, Shadow offers its box, the Shadow Ghost, which allows using the virtual computer on any screen, which makes it possible to completely do without a physical computer. By subscribing to the service, you access a PC in the Cloud that has this datasheet: a GPU equivalent to the GeForce GTX 1080, an Intel Xeon processor, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage (a little bit just when considering how large modern video games are) and a connection of 1 Gb/s, all under Windows 10. The company updates its components, to provide the most recent and scalable configuration possible.

It is also a relatively expensive service, but you should know that it can completely replace a physical computer. With a commitment of one year, count on a subscription to 29.95 euros (19,639XAF) per month. Also, the Shadow Ghost, which is not essential for operation, costs 119.95 euros (78,655XAF).

Sony PlayStation Now

Sony's PlayStation Now offers unlimited access to a PS2, PS3 and PS4 games catalog (allowing you to play cult PS2 or PS3 licenses such as Red Dead Redemption for example) in the Cloud for a monthly subscription. The service is accessible only from a PS4 or a Windows PC. In total, it's more than 600 games that are available in streaming with a limited image definition of 720p. Note that it is possible to download PS4 games from the catalog on a PS4 to play, even offline. With the ability to play in streaming, it is very easy to switch from one game to another without any loading time.

Besides the impossibility of accessing the service from any screen, connected TV and smartphone, we regret a catalog of games scant in recent titles, including major exclusivities of the PS4. At the moment, Sony prefers selling its games individually, rather than integrating them into a subscription.

The subscription costs 14.99 euros (9,829XAF) per month or 99.99 euros (65,566XAF) per year. The service offers a free trial period of seven days, convenient to check that everything works properly on your connection. Also, access to multiplayer games on the PlayStation Now does not require an additional subscription to PlayStation Plus.

Nvidia GeForce Now

Image Credit: FrAndroid

Still in beta, Nvidia's Cloud Gaming service only gives access to a selection of compatible games from Steam, Uplay or Battle.net gaming shops - the service only allows access to games already present in your library. This is both a strength, since it is possible to play all the games that we have already bought, and weakness since each new game is to buy individually.

Even if it is about Cloud Gaming, Nvidia still advises a minimum configuration to its users: a GPU compatible with DirectX 9, a dual-core CPU with 2 GHz and 4 GB of free space of storage. To take full advantage of the service, it is also recommended to have a minimum connection of 50 Mb/s.

Some games are said to be "optimized" by Nvidia. Understand that they are already available on Nvidia's servers, which saves the user the download and installation time. GeForce Now is currently able to display up to 1080p at 60 frames per second, if your connection allows it of course. Unfortunately, there is a lack of gaming services, like EA Origin or the Epic Game Store.

The GeForce Now service is still in beta and is offered free to those who participate. There is still no official release date on the horizon, so the service is still likely to change slightly. Shield TV is already available for sale at a price of around 199 euros (130,490XAF).

The services that are expected soon

Google Stadia

Google Stadia promises professional gaming capabilities on any configuration! Stadia works much more like Netflix in the sense where games are “streamed” from Google servers. You only need a strong internet connection and you’re good to play Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey or Destiney 2 in 4K at 60FPS, on your Google Chrome browser on your PC, smartphone and TV. Google even went as far as opening its gaming studio according to rumors -- hence you can expect Made by Google video games shortly. The configuration of Google’s servers that handle the processing are literal beasts: AMD GPU 10.7 Teraflops with 56 processing units and HBM2 memory, x86 CPU at 2,7 GHz with hyperthreading, AVX 2 and 9,5 MB cache L2+L3, 16 GB of RAM with 484 GB/s of transfer speed.

Microsoft xCloud

Microsoft is also working on its Cloud Gaming solution. The company has even made a public demonstration where we discovered a Forza Horizon 4 playable on a phone, with an Xbox One Controller. Microsoft wants to make Xbox a video game ecosystem more than an ecosystem centered around a machine. The firm would multiply partnerships with other brands, such as Samsung, or Nintendo. The service will be available in beta from October. Microsoft promises that a small ADSL connection will be sufficient. In addition to playing with a controller, Microsoft also wants the games to be playable with the touch screens of smartphones and tablets and has already demonstrated how to adapt the interface of some Xbox games.

The service is currently based on the Xbox One S, which allows to easily adapt the games compatible with the console. We do not yet know the details about the marketing of the service, nor its possible catalog.

The future of video games, but with some flaws
Presented like this, Cloud Gaming has everything to be the future of video games. Whether on a smartphone, tablet or computer (even a Mac), it becomes technically possible to play your favorite games from anywhere, and from anything.

No more need to buy the latest game console, graphics card or equip your computer with more RAM: a subscription to a Cloud Gaming service provides access to a powerful machine that we do not need to care. But above all, it's very simple: no need to download the latest drivers or optimize the display settings. Just launch the client with the game you want to play, simply.

Of course, this future is a dream for many players, but it scares a lot of other players. Because this clearly announces a change in the video game industry. What would be the interest for Sony and Microsoft to continue to make consoles that are relatively expensive and do not bring a lot of money, while services like the XCloud and Game Pass are much more related to Microsoft and are more accessible for the consumer?

Simply because the consumer is not ready. He is not ready to take the plunge and change the way he plays. But he is not technically ready either! You'll understand, it takes a very good connection to enjoy streaming video games! We still talk about 35Mb/s to play in 4K on Google Stadia. Between 6 and 7Mb/s for 720p on XCloud. And so far, very few people can afford it.

However, 5G may solve some defects -- notably latency. 5G could offer a response time of the order of 1 millisecond, against 10 currently. This will be very important for some multiplayer video games, especially in some genres like FPS or versus fighting games, especially for competitive practices. As such, a Microsoft official associated 3G to the development of streaming music, and 4G LTE video streaming, explaining that 5G would have the same role for video games. But what is certain is that the network installation is not in place, maybe the 5g will change something but rather in the long run because I imagine that the first packages would not be given financially speaking, then coverage and data package (remember you stream 720p images at least, if you do not have an unlimited data plan, then data may be scarce) issues too.

In sum, as of now, video game streaming may not cater to a wide audience as it is its aims but may be reserved for a niche for the time being.

Sources: 1, 2.

[Tutorial]Here Is How I Link My Phone and PC

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 20:14:00 +0000

If the Apple ecosystem is remarkably efficient, Android and Microsoft still have a long way to go to make their ecosystems as interoperable. Don’t get me wrong, they are, but not with the intuitive we would have wished. There are hundreds of millions of devices under Windows and Android made by various manufacturers. This fragmentation does not facilitate the seamless interoperability of these devices as in the case with Apple devices. Apple being the one designing its hardware for its software and vice-versa, things are obviously spontaneous. Google and Microsoft could have achieved the same results with their respective ecosystems, but with the death of Windows Phone, and the unpopularity of Chromebooks, Android and Windows are meant to stick together for a while still.

Hence, here are two apps I use to make my PC and smartphone interoperable, thus improving my efficiency and workflow.

Pushbullet

I’ve been using this app for the past three years and has come very handily. With the app on my smartphone, and the Chrome extension installed on my PC (a software is also available) Pushbullet allows me to share links between my PC and my smartphone, but also to share texts, images, and various other file types. However, unfortunately, in this case, the file isn’t automatically saved and will have to be saved manually, thus making it a hassle at times, especially when you are in a hurry to use it ASAP.

Other nice features are the ability to see your phone’s notifications right on your computer screen. This is convenient when you don’t have your phone close to you, but you wish not to miss any notification from your phone. Also, you can answer to text messages (both SMS and WhatsApp) right from your computer, and lastly, you can remotely access computer files from your smartphone.

Pushbullet comes in a Pro version available at $4/months (2,362.88XAF excluding taxes), which in addition to a dark mode, gives you a universal copy and paste feature. This simply means that copy a text on your smartphone, and directly paste it on your PC and vice-versa. This is a nice feature to have to enhance your workflow, especially when you work with your PC and smartphone and switch between them very often while working.

Your Phone Companion

Launched by Microsoft last year, Your Phone Companion doesn’t do much, to be honest. But while Pushbullet only allows you to access files stored on your PC from your phone, Your Phone Apps allows you to access pictures taken on your smartphone from your PC hence complementing each other. Notice I precise “taken”. That’s because Your Phone Companion only allows you to access your camera roll, making it limited, but remains handy, especially for those who edit their photography with professional desktop editing software. Plus, no need to first save your images before using them! A simple copy and paste, or drag and drop and you’re good to go!

Among others, Your Phone Companion also allows you to receive notifications right on your computer screen, and to send and receive SMS from your PC.

The rapid surge in internet-connected devices has led to the advent of Web 3.0 -- the third evolution of the internet. Also considered as the Internet of Things, this interconnection between our devices and the internet has made the world, in this 4th Industrial revolution, much more productive, and enjoyable. Our smartphones and computers represent important components of this era, and their popularity and wide use make their interconnection even more important. Their seamless communication is probably as important as that between humans.

Pushbullet is available on Android and iOS, and Your Phone Companion on Android only.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10: All That We Know

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 14:59:00 +0000

[Update of the 05/08/2019]The blog post has been updated to include the following:

The Note 10's camera may not be able to beat Huawei's upcoming Mate 30 Pro according to some rumors.
New fast-charge technology has been accidentally confirmed by Samsung and will equip its Note 10 and Note 10+.

It is to Samsung’s habitude to release various iterations of its smartphone ranges each year. After the Galaxy S10 series, it is the turn of the brand’s most prestigious range to receive an update. However this year, we are not expecting one Samsung Galaxy Note 10. Just like Samsung did with its Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e, two to three models of the Note 10 are expected if we believe the leaks: the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+, and the Note 10+ 5G. Rumors, leaks, renders, confirmed or not, here is all that we know of the Samsung Galaxy S10.

Code-named “Da Vinci”, we can guess a serious upgrade on the all-time companion of the Note Series, the S Pen. Da Vinci was a good painter, but not only. He was talented in many ways so we can expect the Note 10 to be very versatile. According to a video teaser posted on the Twitter account of its Indonesian branch (now deleted), the Note 10 is shown accomplishing a series of productive tasks. Hence, Samsung is intending to make you replace your PCs with a single device: the Note 10. We can, therefore, expect the DeX and the S Pen to occupy a central place.

Device

Design-wise, nothing but slight changes, which will still mark a noticeable difference. According to some renders (where everything always starts), we can see the Note 10 will adopt the same form factor of its predecessor, which is a larger device with sharper angles than others, and a stylus in the chassis. This form factor, therefore, gives place to huge curved screens of 6.4” on the Note 10, and 6.8” on the Note 10+, under which will probably be housed the in-display fingerprint scanner. Samsung conserves the hole-punch display introduced with the S10, but this time, the camera will be placed at the center. Gone the days when Samsung stood out from the crowd with its horizontally arranged multiple cameras set-ups. This time, the triple/quadruple-camera of the Note 10 will be aligned vertically just like its competitors.

Other notable design changes include the seeming removal of the jack port. This is funny taken into account Samsung always made fun of its competitor for the omission of this port. They probably shouldn’t have...Also, interestingly Android Police noted the absence of physical buttons on the Note 10. Instead, the Note 10 is rumored to feature tactical buttons, mark by changes in relief that could be mistaken for physical buttons on the renders. But rumors also have it that Samsung abandoned the idea, due to unsatisfactory tests, so nothing is yet sure. But tactical buttons or not, the Note 10 appears to have one less button than the Note 9, probably the Bixby button (the company's proprietary virtual assistant). Lastly, if you look closely at the renders, you will see that the top bezel is very small, too small to contain a front speaker. That’s probably because Samsung replaced it with Sound-on-Display technology, that is the screen vibrates to create sound. This technology is already featured in the Huawei P30 Pro and the LG G8 ThinQ but remains impressive.

Camera
Not much information has filtered in this case, but what we are sure of is a triple camera set-up on the Note 10, and a quadruple set-up on the Note 10+: primary (12MP), telephoto (12MP), and ultra-wide (16MP) sensors are concerned, plus an additional time-of-flight sensor for the Note 10+ 5G. A fancy feature rumored to come with the Note 10’s cameras is the triple aperture configuration of its main camera of f/1.5, f/1.8 and f/2.4, instead of the common one aperture. This would make the Note‘s camera to be very versatile in different lighting conditions, and for different fields of view.

[Update of the 05/08/2019] According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy Note 10's 12 megapixels 1 /2.55-inch sensor has no chance to beat the upcoming Mate 30 Pro in terms of embedded hardware. Therefore, don't expect photography to be the main selling point of the flagship Samsung will present this week.

Screen
The Note 10’s screen is rumored to be the best in the second half of 2019 as one source claims. It will feature a Full HD+ resolution (1440 x 3040) for all models, while the Note 10+ will come with HDR10+ support.

Performance
This is much more of a confirmation than a rumor. All models will eventually be powered by a Snapdragon 855+, and an Exynos 9820 chipset depending on the region.

Battery
A battery of 4171 mAh may equip the Note 10, and one of 4500 mAh will equip the Note 10+, hence incredible battery life in perspective. But charging a 4500 mAh battery is not an easy thing to do. It surely takes time, a lot of it. Hence to reduce this time, the Note 10 will be equipped with brand new USB-C controllers: a PD SE8A and MM1. I’ll make things simple, the only thing you need to know here is that the Note 10 will be capable of 45W fast charge and 20W wireless charging, which will be among the fastest on the market if the rumors come true.

[Update of the 05/08/2019]Samsung accidentally confirmed the presence of a new fast-charge technology named "Super Fastcharge" on its official website, for a US exclusive hand-on session of the Galaxy Note 10. This, therefore, will replace its current Adaptive Fast-charge (15W) technology.

Storage
Nothing much innovative here for now. The Note 10 will have 128GB of internal storage space and 256GB for the Note 10+. Only the Note 10+ is rumored to accept microSD cards to boost your storage space up to 1TB. As for the RAM, nothing is sure, but models will feature between 6-12GB of RAM.

Price
Since some times now, Android device manufacturers, notably Samsung have followed Apple’s trend in selling overpriced smartphones. The latter itself has evolved the price of its devices. Hence, don’t expect the Note 10+ to come cheap. Precisely, don’t expect the Note 10 to come at less than $999 and $1149 for the Note 10+, and even higher for the 5G variant.

However, if you are interested in owning the next Galaxy Note, Samsung has a very interesting offer. If you are an owner of the Galaxy S7 to S10, Galaxy Note 9, all the Google Pixels (except the 3a, and 3a XL), and iPhone users, then Samsung proposes you to exchange your phone for a considerable discount on the “Next Galaxy”. The Note 10 is not mentioned, but it obvious it is. For example, exchanging an iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will make you eligible for a $600 reduction on the next Note 10/10+, thus making the Note a fearsome competitor.

Launch

The Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ will be presented in New York at the Barclay Center on August 7 at the usual Unpacked event by Samsung. Pre-orders are now available, while in-store purchases can be expected shortly after by August 19. A live stream will also be available at this address at 8 PM Douala time (or 4 PM EST).

Other Products We Can Expect At The Unpacked

Among others, we can expect more to be said on the Galaxy Fold, Samsung's first foldable smartphone. Also, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 which has recently been confirmed by the FCC can be expected. As of now, all that we know about it is that it will be compatible Bluetooth 5.0, will feature 4 GB of RAM, and will exist in two sizes, with a 4G variant. Last but not least, Samsung may announce USB-C earpieces to accompany its Note 10 which are void of jack port. What will make them particular is their noise cancellation feature, a first for a USB-C earpiece.

Disney+ and HBOMax: The Streaming War is Declared!

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Disney and AT&T officially and finally announced the names of their future streaming services, Disney+ and HBOMax respectively. This officially marks the entry of the two giants into the streaming market, at the detriment of Netflix. The long-lasting monopoly of Netflix on the streaming market may come to an end, as Disney and AT&T are adding to the competition. A competition that already existed with Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, but which only gave Netflix minor scratches. The strategy of both Disney and AT&T is not far fetched but will blow a hit on Netflix, which will have to find new ways to remain relevant on the market.

As described in this previous blog post, Netflix has snatched a lot of customers from Disney and AT&T, as 35 million Americans have quit cable for online streaming in the past decade (a phenomenon referred to as cord-cutting). Disney and AT&T through their subsidiaries are among the most influential broadcasting network companies in the US and are billions worth, which has made Netflix claims the bulk left behind through cord-cutting. Hence with Disney+ and HBOMax, Disney and AT&T are intending to take back what has been lost, in addition to some sweet bonuses.

Disney+

Announced for November 12, 2019, Disney+ seems very promising (the streaming platform is projected to register 13 million subscribers at the end of 2020 according to some analysts). Charged at $7/months, the service will feature the whole of Disney’s catalog, both the old and new releases. Bear in mind that Disney owns Marvel Entertainment, Pixar Animations, Star Wars, ESPN, National Geographic, ABC, and Fox - a very juicy catalog in perspective. Among the new movie release announced for Disney+ are Frozen 2, Toy Story 4, Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker, and The Lion King. Also, some movies from the Newly announced phase four of Marvel movies have been confirmed to be the exclusivity of Disney+. Among them we have The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, What If…?, and Hawkeye.

HBOMax

The streaming platform owned by AT&T will also be another fearsome competitor. AT&T exploits Warner Media, which in turn owns HBO Movies, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros, DC Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting. The totality of their contents have already been confirmed to be available on HBOMax, in addition to those from CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, hence an incredible library of movies, TV shows and many more are to be expected. Just to put you in perspective, among the contents you will find in HBOMax are Game of Thrones, Shazam, Crazy Rich Asians, and Fantastic Beasts just to name a few. No dates as its launch are concerned to have been given yet, but nothing is to be expected before mid-2020. However, one big flaw of the platform is its price. Confirmed to be available at no less than $16/months, HBOMax does not come cheap but seeing what it has to offer content-wise, it rather remains interesting.

What Does it Mean For Netflix?
Netflix will have done better without those two showing the tip of their nose in the streaming market. Netflix is sure to suffer a hard blow with competition getting coarse, and it shows. Indeed, the company reported having lost 126,000 US subscribers last quarter over 3 months -- a first for the company. A day later, the company saw its stocks dropped by more than 10%. Without the official release of Disney+ and HBOMax, things are already becoming scary for the yet streaming giant. This has me asking whether Netflix will be able to hold up after its official release? Not only do Disney+ and HBOMax have very sexy libraries, but Disney and AT&T are also pulling their contents from Netflix, offering more values to their platforms. This has already become the case for Friends (which has been Netflix's most popular show for 2018-2019), The Office, and Marvel Comics. And despite Netflix having a larger library (eight-time that of Disney+ at launch), quality wins over quantity, and when it comes to quality content, the choice is rapidly made.

This graph accurately depicts the trend in Netflix's subscribers count over the years.

What Can Netflix Do?
With the US market becoming oversaturated with streaming services, Netflix is clearly understanding that investing more in the international market is it only way to survive. The company is especially looking forward to India as five new originals will be launched there. Netflix’s growth has been relatively healthy in India, as the market is pretty unsaturated
. “How To Sell Drugs” and “The Rain” which are from Germany and Denmark respectively have boasts between 12 and 15 million viewers each, and have been very popular outside their respective countries. However, with Americans accounting for 42% of Netflix's total subscribers, the priority is still on the American market. That’s why subscribers in America are starting to see shows from Denmark or Spain promoted on their front page. People will start to see more Japanese anime and Indian originals, too according to The Verge.

The issue however here is whether or not Netflix can still make a profit. In other to fight the upcoming competition, Netflix has been on a spending spree to create new originals. The company is even in talks to buy a movie theater in Los Angeles. They reportedly spend up to $12 billion last year, out of which $10.4 billion where borrowed. This could explain, the recent rise in its prices, but which has, unfortunately, backfired as seen above. The profit Netflix can make is determined by its subscriber growth, which Netflix is struggling to handle. And with the arrival of new competitors, the future is uncertain for the hyponymous red N.

However, if you reside in Cameroon, sad news, Disney+ may not be available in the country at launch.

[Brief]To The Downfall of Netflix?

Netflix, the indisputable leader in online streaming may no longer be that indisputable. Since its creation in 1997, and the introduction of its online streaming service in 2007, the streaming service has faced little to no competition. The service proposed an incredible library of original contents and blockbusters that inevitably changed how we watch TV. Read more...

YouTube To Empower Beauty YouTubers & Brands with Augmented Reality.

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 19:49:00 +0000

If there is a sector that drives everyone crazy recently on YouTube, it is certainly beauty and style. YouTube understood that and will exploit one of the numerous applications of Augmented Reality (AR) to ride the favorite trend of millennials.

Tati, James Charles, Jeffrey Star, you name them are in every millennial mouth and finger. Their activity, showcasing their latest fancy, glowing makeup, as well as reviewing makeup gears to the happiness of their millions of subscribers. Their makeup tutorials explained in diva tones, accompanied by almost the same gestures and mannerisms, with the final product presented in a glamourous feelin' myself way accounts for a vast majority of YouTube's monthly views - 582 million. This has therefore represented a big opportunity for beauty companies, which do not hesitate to pay incredible amounts of money for these divas of YouTube to advertise their products on their videos. But now, bye bye simple demonstrations, it's time for instant virtual try-ons!

Just like Artificial Intelligence, AR is a promising sector many brands are now betting on, especially marketers. This new feature of YouTube is reminiscent of a similar feature Facebook has been working on for a while. AR Beauty Try-On simply allows users to try products featured in makeup tutorials in augmented reality, while the videos are still playing, in a split-screen mode. In sum, if YouTuber X is using a certain product Y in his/her video, then the viewer will have the possibility to virtually try it with instant results. Eventually, only makeup and (may be) facial accessories are concerned here, though YouTube didn’t confirm anything yet (but it seems obvious).

What Does This Means?
For beauty YouTubers, this means more partnerships with brands, hence money! The influence these makeup tutorial videos and co have had on young boys and girls over the globe is visibly obvious -- a reason why many of these videos are sponsored in some ways or the other by brands because they are profitable to them. To YouTube, this means more ad revenue as visitors may spend more time on the platform trying on makeup. To viewers, this simply means no more rushing to the store to try these cosmetics -- the comfort of your room is a what you'll need.

Tf Yes! He’s the true queen when it comes to make up i always buy my make up that is approved by him and i’m not dissapointed
— 🌸The Great Seungri’s Manager 🌸 EUN JIWON’s BABY (@SeungrisManager) July 13, 2019

The feature is at its early stages of development, and no dates of its final release have been communicated. However, according to TechCrunch, the feature is being offered to YouTube creators through Google’s FameBit, where brands are connected with YouTube influencers who market their products through paid sponsorships. Several beauty brands have already tested (among which M.A.C Cosmetics has been the firt to launch an AR Beaty Try-On campaign) and found that 30% of viewers chose to activate the experience when it was available, and spent more than 80 seconds with the feature.

But a question I have is whether it will it require Google’s ARCore to function? Well, let’s stay connected for more information.

Fake GPS: An Alternative to VPNs

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 20:25:00 +0000

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Disclaimer: Fake GPS is intended to be used by developers to test their apps in various geographical settings. Hence their use is mainly (but not strictly) reserved for developing purposes (hence why having access to developer mode is necessary to use fake GPS. More on that below). The goal of this blog is to inform and empower users with their devices, hence, please use the information provided below responsibly, and at your discretion.

Virtual Private Networks are all fun and good, but did you ever wonder what kind of profiles you could meet in various towns around the world on your favorite dating app? Or what kind of pokemon you could catch in the wilderness of the tropical rainforest? On the surface, you may think VPNs could virtually transport your device anywhere you wish in the world, but that’s not exact. Yes, VPNs can fake your device’s location, but only to a predefined one. How many VPNs can virtually teleport your device to Maroua? Probably none. That’s where Fake GPS comes into play. These little software-like-jewels I recently discovered literally fakes your geolocalisation to the most precise one of your choice. Let me tell you more.

Limitations of VPNs
But before diving into the matter, let me first tell you some of the disadvantages of VPNs, so as to put you in context. Among them are legislative issues. VPNs are illegal in certain countries, and you may incur a fine or jail time if using them. But, the main disadvantage of VPNs resides in network speed. You may have already noticed your network speed takes on a serious hit when a VPN is active. This is because in other to ensure anonymity and security, your traffic is first encrypted by private servers, before reaching the targeted server. Some VPNs (especially free versions), might take a longer time to reach the private servers, leading to slowish traffic.

How do Fake GPS Work?
Now that you understand why Fake GPS can be a better alternative, let me tell you how they work. According to Quora, GPS or assisted (A-GPS) is a small hardware component inside your mobile device which actually tells where you are using network triangulation or directly contacting satellite based on where you are and how strong is satellite signal. This device gathers location coordinates and sends to location services running on your phone. This location service info is then utilized by any app or system to detect your location. The only change in the above equation that is required to fake your location is a medium between GPS device and location services. This will allow for location service to think that it is still getting info from GPS device where in reality it is that medium that is providing its location. This medium is usually an app!

How to Use a Fake GPS
1. Enable the developer option on your phone. For this, go to Settings->About Phone and tap on the “Build Number” continuously seven times, until you see a confirmation message:” You are now a developer”.

2. Now go to Settings->Developer Options and scroll down to find the option “Select mock location app”

3. Here, select the fake location app you have installed on your phone.

4. Now go to Settings->Location->Mode and select the “Device Only” option.

There can be issues where after activating the Fake GPS app, your location remains the original one. Please, make sure you set your location to “Device Only”. If it insists, download an app called DisableService (but will need your device to be rooted). Or you can wrap tin foil around your device to block the GPS signals (yes it works!).

Also, there can be cases where after deactivating the Fake GPS, your mocked location persists, simply set your location to “GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, or mobile networks”, and go to Google Maps for it to automatically detect and set your current location.

Fake GPS comes in handy when you need to change your location to something more precise. You can fake your location to virtually anywhere in the world, even the most remote places. However, bear in mind they don’t replace VPNs. If you are in need of privacy, then Fake GPS is not for you because they don’t encrypt your traffic, but simply cheats your apps in thinking you are somewhere you are not. Also, since what a VPN does is so essential to your safety and privacy, you shouldn’t think of these cons as reasons not to use a VPN. Rather, you should think of them as potential challenges that you can deal with in various ways. Also, bear in mind just like VPNs, some companies (like Netflix) are against their use and block the usage of these on their apps (in the case of fake GPS apps, a single line of code is required). Plus, don't expect to use them to access blocked geographical contents on certain platforms (like is the case of Netflix), because generally these contents are blocked based on your IP address, and not your geographical coordinates. Hence in this case, a VPN is the solution.

Some fake GPS apps available on the stores include but are not limited to Fake GPS, Fake GPS location.

7 Features Coming to iOS 13 I Wish Where Present on Android

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sat, 06 Jul 2019 16:54:00 +0000

Last month, Apple held its annual World Wide Developer Conference, the Apple WWDC 19. To its usual habits, it was the occasion for the tech giant to present to the world what is coming next to its software, in this case, iOS, MacOS, and the newly announced iPadOS. I watched the conference live, and despite Apple’s staff presenting the different new features as “never-seen-before” with all their possible eloquence, I find myself hardly impressed. Indeed most of these new features presented where “deja-vu”, in my opinion. However, I won’t say the conference was overall boring. Though most of the announcements made weren't “innovative”, Apple was still able to surprise me by pulling out some features I wish were also present on Android which I will discuss in today’s post.

1.Sign in With Apple

At times you wish to test new services, but don’t want to go through the burden of typing your names, email address and retyping passwords and other mandatory fields. So you just sign in with your Google account or Facebook, but at the same time, you don’t want these services to bombard you with promotional emails later on. This is where Sign in with Apple comes into play. It offers the same convenience as Sign in with Google/Facebook but is taking it a step further, reaffirming its stance on users’ privacy. Indeed Sign in with Apple does not share your email address with these platforms. Every platform gets a custom generated email address, so no two platforms will be able to track your usage across them. You can eventually opt out of this option. Also, you can use Touch ID or Face ID to authenticate yourself, so your email address doesn't get entered anywhere. This feature is so handy, but I, unfortunately, doubt Google or Facebook will ever consider this possibility as it will mean sacrificing precious email addresses. If you know you know.

2. Find My

Present on Android for as long as I can remember, but with a serious limitation which Apple is answering by making use of the numerous Apple devices out there. In emerging markets, for example, data can be very expensive, and you don’t always have the luxury to let it activated 24h/24 when you are out. Not only can you run out of data, but you can also run out of battery pretty fast. Hence if you are not like me, chances are you deactivate your mobile data when not in use. But what if you lose your phone? You can’t use find my device because your device was offline. Luckily for iPhone users, now Find My Device works with Bluetooth, to create an entire network of nearby Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iPod). Each device acts as a beacon, relaying its location, in an encrypted and anonymous manner, to other nearby Apple devices. This will piggy-back across the entire network and eventually reach you. This feature can even be more powerful on Android with the millions of Android phones out there. Google, you know what to do.

3.Optimized Battery Charging

Image credit: Apple Summit

According to some scientists, or most of them, charging your phone to 100% is bad for your battery, and is most of the time responsible for batteries’ depreciation. Now on iOS 13 and iPadOS, from the switch of a toggle, you can prevent your battery from charging up 100%. Your device will learn from your past behaviors and be charged up to 80% while filling the remaining 20% just before you unplugged it. This can be a nice feature to have.

4. Auto-Close Idle Tabs in Safari
Do you ever leave tabs open promising yourself you will come back and read their contents, but one year later, these tabs are still unopened and unread? Well, this happens to me very often, and I will like Chrome to close these tabs for me because eventually, I will never do it. Especially that the more the open tabs, the more RAM consumed by Chrome, and Chrome consumes A LOT. Now on iOS 13 and iPadOS, you can make Safari close idle tabs after one day, one week, or after one month.

5. Full-Page Screenshots

Now, iPhones, iPods, and iPads will support full-page screenshots with the upcoming iOS 13 and iPad OS. This feature was already offered on Android by some OEMs like Samsung notably, but are not natively proposed by Android. Despite users requests and complaints, Google initially assured it won’t come to Android any time soon because it was not feasible according to them. How is that even possible? Google never offered clear explanations about that. However according to some sources from the Google I/O 19, the feature may roll out on Android R, the successor of Android Q, hence we won’t have full-page screenshots natively on Android any time soon. A win for Apple.

6.Non-Destructive and Extensive Video Editing

Google Photo is probably one of the best photo app out there that lets you edit pictures, save it, but still go back to the original version whenever you want. Apple learned from Google and applies these same possibilities, but with videos. Now on iOS and iPadOS, you can rotate, flip, and apply all kinds of filters and effects, and there are many options for cropping vertically or horizontally your videos to any ratio you want. Finally, a simple reset button takes you back to the original video, even if you had already saved your progress. The Play Store is filled with apps that let you do all these, but having it natively supported by your phone saves you the burden of loading your phone with an app you’ll probably use once.

7.Share Audio with Another Person
Surely the most interesting feature announced at the WWDC19, and the one that will have every non-Apple users envious is the ability to share your music. No pairing needed, just bring a second set of AirPods close to the device, and your music will seamlessly be shared with your bestie.

In a similar fashion, you can now hand off music, podcasts, and phone calls from your iPhone to the HomePod by just getting it close when you arrive home or enter a certain room. Likewise, you can take your audio with you when you leave the same way. I don’t own a Google Home but if I ever owned one, this will be a feature I will love to have.

8. Mac Pro

Okay, I said 7, but this is very interesting and I couldn’t ignore this. The new Mac Pro is a literal stainless steel beast that weighs 18kg but that looks more of a cheese-grater. Under the hood, you will find an 8-core Intel Xeon 3.5GHz processor, with 32GB RAM (up to 1.5TB), 256GB SSD, and Radeon Pro 580X graphics card. Eventually, you can have similar configurations with Window PCs, but at a much more expensive price. Apple made the calculation, and it will cost you $8253, against $5999 for the Mac Pro. The choice is therefore rapidly made. Interesting to see Apple is aiming at cutting down the price of its new desktop computer, as historically it hasn’t been the case. Thumbs up to Apple!

That’s it for the 8 things announced at the WWDC19 I wish were present on Android/Microsoft. Despite not be impressed overall by the various announcements, Apple still managed to present some really interesting and nice features its competitors have been lagging to introduce on their platforms wonder why. Apple, therefore, was still able to make its platforms relevant and competitive, so as to retain its current user base and attract new users.

iOS 13 and iPad OS are presently available as beta which you can download for free (but beware, don’t download it on your main devices). The full versions will be available this fall, around the month of September.

iOS 13 will be available on the following devices:
-iPhone XS

-iPhone XS Max

-iPhone XR

-iPhone X

-iPhone 8 and

-iPhone 8 Plus

-iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

-iPhone SE

-iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

-iPod touch (7th-generation)

iPadOS will be available on the following:

-All iPad Pros

-iPad (6th generation)

-iPad (5th generation)

-iPad mini (5th generation)

-iPad mini 4

-iPad Air (3rd generation)

-iPad Air 2

The iPhone X 64GB is actually on sale at Jumia for 465,000XAF, and the iPhone XS 512GB at 740,000XAF.

Apple WWDC19: What is Deja-Vue?

[Brief]Why You Shouldn't Buy the Tecno Spark 3

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 16:57:00 +0000

In April of this year, Tecno released the successor of the Tecno Spark 2, the Tecno Spark 3. Now, in the tech industry, when you read “successor”, you expect “upgrade”, right? Well, in my opinion, I can’t call the Tecno Spark 3 an upgrade of the Spark 2, not completely at least. When it comes to marketing a new device, Tecno does not do not skimp on the means. But if you look closer, it is sometimes just one strategy to indulge you in buying a device that is not much of an upgrade as they want to make us believe. I took note of this fishy scheme in Tecno’s way of updating its entry and mid-range smartphones, which I will discuss in this blog, plus why I think you shouldn’t buy the Tecno Spark 3, follow me.

As mentioned above, it is only a normal practice to update a range of products with better iterations, in a way to add value and give reasons to customers to invest in the new device. However, on the other side of the coin, we have Tecno, who plays by a completely different game. Since the creation of its Spark range of phones, we can’t really say there has been an added value in each iteration. From the Spark 1, passing by the Spark 2 and finally the Spark 3, nothing really differentiates them if it not their designs. Just have a look at the table below to see by yourselves.

	Tecno Spark 3 Pro	Tecno Spark 3	Tecno Spark 2	Tecno Spark
Operating system	Android 9.1 Pie	Android 9.0 Pie/Go edition	Android 8.0 Orea/Go edition	Android 7.0 Nougat
Screen size	6.2 inches	6.2 inches	6.0 inches	5.5 inches
Resolution	1500 x 720 pixels	1500 x 720 pixels	1440 x 720 pixels	1280 x 720
Pixel density	268 ppi	268 ppi	268 ppi	267 ppi
Screen technology	IPS LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Chipset	4x 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, 4x 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, MediaTek Helio A22 (MT6761)	4x 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, 4x 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, MediaTek Helio A22 (MT6761)	Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7, MediaTek MT6580	Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7, Mediatek MT6580
Graphic processing Unit	PowerVR GE8320	PowerVR GE8320	ARM Mali-400 MP2	ARM Mali-400 MP2
RAM	1GB, 2GB	1GB, 2GB	1GB, 2GB	1GB, 2GB
Internal storage space (ROM)	32GB	16GB	16GB	16GB
MicroSD	yes, up to 64GB	yes,up to 32GB	yes,up to 32GB	yes,up to 32GB
Rear and front facing camera	13MP, 8MP	13MP, 8MP	13MP, 8MP	13MP, 5MP
Network	Wi-Fi, LTE, HSPA, GSM	Wi-Fi, HSPA, GSM	Wi-Fi, HSPA, GSM	Wi-Fi, HSPA, GSM
Finger print scanner	yes	yes	yes	yes
Battery	3500mAh	3500mAh	3500mAh	3000mAh
Sizes	75.8 x 155.3 x 8.15mm	75.8 x 155.3 x 8.15mm	76.2 x 159.4 x 7.8mm	76.4 x 153 x 7.9 mm

As you can see, nothing differs much between the Spark 1, 2, and 3. All are equipped with IPS LCD screens, though the resolutions differ a little bit. The pixel density is roughly the same, about 268 pixels per inch (ppi). Moving further, the CPUs don’t change much. We find a MediaTek MT6580, on the Spark 1 and 2, to a MediaTek Helio A22 (MT6761) on the Spark 3. As for the GPU, the same constant, we move from an ARM Mali-400 MP2, on the first two models, to a PowerVR GE8320 on the last model. 1/2GB RAM + 16GB ROM variants on all models (except the Spark 1), and approximately the same camera resolution on all models (though the quality becomes better as you move forward, but not that much). Finally, everything is powered by a 3500mAh battery on the last two models, against a 3000mAh battery on the first model. Thus, we can’t say there is a big lip between each model that can justify the PRICE DIFFERENCES, and purchase, if not the designs, which in my opinion are rather successful (but WHY the plastic chassis????).

From left to right! Tecno Spark 1(K7), Spark 2, and Spark 3

Also, don’t get yourself fooled by the mention “Pro” on the Spark 3 Pro, because it has nothing of a Pro device. Generally, when OEMs release a Pro variant of their devices, it is because that device offers a significant update in every aspect (design, performance, etc.) over the base version, which the price follows. However, in the case of Tecno, only the price follows...The Nigerian tech youtuber Fisayo Fosudo criticized the Tecno Spark 3 Pro of only offering 4G LTE connectivity as a REAL difference from the Spark 3 and an only good reason to upgrade, and he is right. In my opinion, the Tecno Spar 3 Pro should have been the Spark 3 and that’s all. I don’t advice to invest in it at all. Believe me, the phone will rapidly show its limits a couple of months later. Rather, I will recommend the Android Go variant of the Spark 3, for the reasons written in this post, or the Spark 3 Pro if you have 105,000 XAF to invest in a smartphone. But Jumia has this

The most probable reason why Tecno has been carrying out this scheme is sure to keep its prices low and offer continual well-balanced price-quality ratio devices. But let’s be real, until when can this continue? Not for long in any case. But bear in mind this does not apply for all the ranges of products offered by Tecno. If this is truly the case for its entry and mid-range of devices (like the Spark, Pouvoir or Pop), it is not applicable to its high-end line (Camon and Phantom). But despite this dishonest scheme, the Spark series remains a good choice in my opinion. The price/quality ratio offered by Tecno with this line remains interesting and should be considered by anyone on a budget wishing to get a more than decent smartphones.

You can buy the Tecno Spark 3 Pro on Jumia here, and the Spark 3 Android Go edition here (currently in promotion !).

[Brief]Android Go Edition: What I Think After Six Months of Use

Back in 2014, Google launched Android One. Through it, Google proposed a generation of affordable smartphones (less than $100), that was faster, provided more storage, had regular security updates and help reduce data consumption for emerging markets, all with the aim of conquering the next billion smartphone users. However Android One revealed not to be up to the task...

[Brief]Android Go Edition: What I Think After Six Months of Use

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 22:35:00 +0000

A powerful experience for entry-level smartphones. It’s the best of Android, built with new and reimagined apps, so even the most affordable Android smartphones are as sweet as can be

Announced at the I/O 2017, Google Go is Google’s new main asset in conquering the next billion - similar to Android One but with a few tweaks. I tested Android Go with Android 8.1 Go edition where everything started, on the Tecno Spark 2 which serves as my main driver. For a reminder, it only boasts 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage space, and is powered by a MediaTek MT6580WP and a 3500mAh battery. Android Go consists of three optimized areas which are the operating system, the Google Play Store, and the Google Apps. On Android 8.1 Go edition the operating system has been optimized to occupy half the space Android 7.1 Nougat occupied (about 5.6GB). The Google Play Store now highlights compatible apps for the Go edition of Android (the Go suites of apps from Google, as well as the “Lite” apps like Facebook Lite and Skype Lite). As for Google Apps, Google has released a new suite of optimized apps to accompany Android Go, which goes by the same suffix. Examples include but are not limited to Gmail Go, Google Maps Go, Google Go just to name these. Together, let’s discover what makes this Go edition of Android special in my opinion.

Performance

Android One promised a faster experience of Android, as its proposed stock Android (a clean and basic version of Android), free of superfluous apps and features. However, it didn’t really live up to its promise. I used Android One on the Infinix Hot 2 (1GB of RAM), and after 6 months of use, serious lags appeared, and the phone became really slow and hard to use. However on Go, it is a complete difference, the phone is still fluid and reactive after 6 months of use. This is probably due to Go’s better ability to forcefully close apps in the background so that the efforts of the RAM are mainly directed to the app in current use. Also, the Go suite of apps which are better designed for low configurations (they occupy less space, thus improving performance) have a share of responsibility in Go’s fluidity. These clever and handy configurations permit apps to launch 15% faster on Android Go.

Storage

As mentioned earlier, Android Go occupies less space - 26% less space to be exact. But also, the Go suite of apps are designed for lighter updates and downloads. For example, YouTube Go occupies less than 40MB, compared to 200MB for its full counterpart. These all together create more space (for your apps and files) and improve performance, a win, win according to Google. Also, File Go comes in handy when your phone gets cluster in your endless media collection. The file explorer app made by Google offers simplified management of your files, and a smart and quick way to get rid of unwanted content - embarrassing selfies included.

With fewer pre-installed and much lighter apps you get 2x more available storage out of the box. Storage issues, solved.

Battery
An operating system optimized for low configurations, and apps designed to occupy much less space, and run effortlessly on 512MB of RAM only, will eventually lead to better battery life. My Tecno Spark 2 can take me through a whole day (about 8 hours) with a single full charge, and a normal usage (consisting mainly of social media, and some viewing).

Security

Contrary to Android One whose only guarantee of security at the time was timely security updates from Google for 2 years, Android Go has much more to offer in this segment. In addition to monthly security updates from Google, Android Go boast a built-in Google Play Protect, that scans all installed apps on your device, even offline, no matter where you downloaded them! Hence efficient to prevent any viruses, or worse, ransomware which has been a plague lately. Without forgetting a built-in “Find My Device” feature, which automatically sets you up, so that you can locate or erase all contents on your device whenever and wherever you lost it.

Data Saving

In addition to drastically improving performance, the design of Android Go also makes it economical in mobile data. Remember, Android Go is much aggressive when it comes to shutting down apps in the background, hence you can be sure no unwanted and unused app will steal your last precious bit of data without your consent. In compliment, the Go apps, notably Google Go, which is a new and faster way to search made by Google works fine on even the most stubborn networks. For this to work, all web pages are first transferred to Google’s servers - where they are compressed - before being delivered to your device, leading to a 40% economy in mobile data on Google Go, and 60% on Chrome which is natively equipped with a data saving feature that works similarly. Still, in the perspective of saving data, YouTube Go is probably the most useful in my opinion. The new and simplified YouTube app first of all permits you to see the size of each video you watch in three distinct quality: Data saver, Standard quality, and High quality. This comes very handily when you are on low data or slow network and you need to control your consumption to the nearest bite or watch your video appropriately on your network. You can even download videos to your phone for later, and share them with your friends.

With a built-in data manager and more options to help you save, there are now more ways than ever to stay in control of your data. Because data is meant to be enjoyed, not just used.

Inconvenience
Because yes, no advantages come without disadvantages and Android Go is no exception. The new alternate operating system from Google may have numerous assets, but that doesn’t make it flawless. Its flaws are mainly due to its compression. To make it OS light, and run smoothly on low configurations, Google had to get rid of numerous functionalities, both on its OS and its Go suite of apps. Among them, on its OS is the absence of split-screen mode. Google natively supported split-screen mode from Android 7.1 Nougat to the pleasure of its fans. Split screen mode basically allows you to use two apps side by side. But this means actively using two apps in the foreground. On a 1GB RAM phone, this can be hectic especially if using energy-intensive apps like Chrome and Maps - which literally can crash your device due to an overload on the RAM. Google, therefore, deleted the feature from the Go iterations to avoid the burden to its users. As for updates, while Android One promised an update to a newer version of Android, it seems this promise is absent from Android Go. It’s been already one year since Android 9.1 Pie Go edition is out and still no update on my Tecno Spark 2. With Treble showing positive results, it’ll be too bad for Google to show a regression concerning Android’s fragmentation.

As for the Go suite of apps, if Chrome and Gmail have much less noticeable change if not some minor design tweaks, Maps Go and YouTube Go lack a lot. Maps Go is not much more but a Progressive Web app from Google which literally opens itself in Chrome seamlessly without you noticing. Hence, the app is void of numerous features like “Your match” and the Explore tab, or even the ability to use it offline. In the case of YouTube Go, same case, it is a Progressive Web app, that basically just allows you to watch and download videos. No “Library” section that gives you direct access to your watch history, and playlists, and worst you can't see and comment videos!!!!!!!

You would have understood, Android Go edition shows better and promising results than Android One. Inhabitants of emerging markets still have relatively low purchasing power, and can’t always afford hundreds of dollars on a smartphone. But the moment the price decreases so does the technical specifications of the device (RAM, chipset, camera, etc). The complete versions of Android are too heavy and powerful to work well on these low configurations. Hence, Optimizing Android in order to perfect its functioning: a more responsive system, lighter and faster apps, and a minimized allocated storage space to prevent the device's memory from overloading, seems to be a clever idea. Now, will this suffice to conquer the next billion? According to Google, more than 50% of entry-level smartphones nowadays feature a Go edition of Android. Also, reports have it that Google Go has been downloaded more than 100 million times on the Play Store - but anyone can have access to the Go apps. However, this is still far from Google’s grandiose dream of expanding its dominion. But if the giant continues on this track, and continues to polish its newborn, then it can be sure the next billion is his!

[Tutorial]How to Take Better Pictures on Android

Over theyears, and even more recently Android users have been the subjects of various mockery from iPhone users, especially when it concerned photography. iPhone users claim to have superior cameras, and android users who can’t afford theflagships devices are left speechless. But what if picture quality on Android was not due to the smartphone’s camera but the user?...

There is a New Taxi Service in Town: Heetch!

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 12:00:00 +0000

This post was updated on the 14/07/2019 to include the following:

Heetch confirmed its arrival to the towns of Douala and Yaounde via its newly created Facebook page.
Their visuals on the Play and the Apps Store have been updated, giving clues to the prices they will practice in the country.

Popularized by giants like Uber, TNCs have literally revolutionized the way we move around. Comfort + cheaper price, have proven to be a winning combo in the domain of transportation. So much so that in a country like France, it is estimated the market value of the TNC sector will reach 3.9 million euros. However if in a country like France the market is saturated with competition, it isn’t the case in Africa where TNCs are still new, hence a market to conquer, especially francophone Africa where the giant Uber is still absent, after 6 years of presence on the continent.

"The demand for VTC services is much higher in Africa than in developed countries or Europe, due to lack of public transport and low car equipment," - Markus Villig, CEO of Taxify.

Two years ago, the French start-up Heetch lived a nightmare with French justice. Heetch was found guilty of complicity in the illegal practice of the taxi business, deceptive marketing practice and the unlawful organization of a system for connecting clients with non-professional drivers according to Le Monde. This earned the company a 200,000 euros fine - a harsh punishment for a start-up.

"We manage to convince investors by growing in a market like France, which is quite competitive, without spending too much money. I think we are the only platform that attracts more passengers and drivers without giving bonuses all-out, without making discounts every four mornings, " - Teddy Pellerin, co-founder of the company.

However, this is the past now. Following their legal battle, Heetch underwent a transformation - from a private transport start-up to a transport network company - operating 1000 drivers in Belgium and France. They didn’t stop there, pushing their presence to Morocco, since 2018. Now, the company wants to be more present in Africa, with countries like Ivory Coast (where their service is already in test in Abidjan), and Algeria, starting with Cameroon, and Senegal. For this, the company was able to raise 23 billion XAF thanks to investors like Total Ventures just to name these.

[Update of the 14/07/2019] Heetch recently opened a Facebook page to promote their activities in Cameroon. Via this page, they confirmed their arrival in the country, though no specific dates have been communicated. I contacted them with this inquiry, and I am waiting for their response.

But at what cost?

Teddy Pellerin, Heetch’s co-founder already assured the practiced price will be higher than what is being already practiced locally. Indeed, you may already have seen these advertisements a little bit everywhere on the internet (in my specific case, Instagram), which prompts you to do a survey for an upcoming transport company in Douala and Yaounde. If you did the survey, you will eventually see the proposed costs are VERY high. For example, they propose to pay 2,400XAF for Carrefour des Immeubles in Kotto and Maison H, or 1,900XAF between Tradex Yassa and Belavi Ndokoti. In either case, both prices are 5 times more expensive than what is being practiced locally, hence not adequate to the purchasing power (or maybe we aren’t the target customers?). However bear in mind that this is just a survey, hence the prices displayed are just speculations.

[Update of the 14/07/2019] A little tour of the Heetch app on the Google Play Store and the Apps Store of Apple, reveals the French company updated the visuals of its app to reflect its arrival in the country. One of these visuals gives us a clue about the price that will be practiced in Douala and Yaounde. The app will propose you to spend 1,100XAF for a 4min ride between Maison H, and Polyclinique Bonanjo (a total distance of 1.9km). With the locale yellow cabs, this will cost you 250XAF, which represents an inflation of 850XAF. I, therefore, doubt locals will be ready to spend this much.

Translation: Reliable and safe application

Among others, Heetch promises to offer trips in less than 7 years old vehicles, air-conditioned, which arrives at your door, with just a 5 minutes wait, driven by trained and certified drivers. But also, they promise to push their service to motorbike riders (bensikin), which is reminiscent of a similar service from Uber and Taxify in East and South Africa. Bensikin 2.0? I will like to see what it gives. But I doubt it will take off well. Bensikins are popular among Cameroonians for their very cheap price tag. I doubt locals will want to disburse more in the name of comfort. For now, Heetch will have to compete with already present TNCs in Cameroon, notably the Cameroonian start-up Easy Ride, or the newly introduced WYBAP, Vairified, etc. I can't wait to see what therefore this will give.

Apple WWDC19: What is Deja-Vue?

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:12:00 +0000

Apple’s WWDC19 event came to an end last week on Monday. It was the usual occasion for the giant to update the software for its range of products with its latest innovations...well, if we can still call these innovations.

Indeed, for more than a decade now since its creation, Apple had been at the forefront of innovation, hardware, and software wise. But recently things have changed. The company known to be a leader has changed roles with the others (especially Google and Microsoft), in becoming a follower. Once upon a time, the apple company produced features, which were just copied by the competitors. However now, it is the other way round. Using its WWDC19 event as an example, that is what we are going to discover in this post today.

NB: bear in mind I am not trying to diss Apple by doing this, but let the non-iCult members know they have what the iCult members don’t in quantity! =D

Apple Arcade

Netflix has set a trend, which even the biggest of the biggest can’t ignore. Apple has never shown interest in the video game industry, but that was before. Indeed it is reported the company has invested a wholesome $500 million and gathered big names of the video game industry to create a well-furnished catalog (100+ games to be exact) for its upcoming gaming platform - Apple Arcade. The two really interesting things about this new service from Apple is it 1. price (surprisingly). For just $10 a month, your whole family can benefit from perfectly and specifically designed games for the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV), and 2. it is compatible with the XBOX One S and Playstation Dualshock 4 controllers. Nice huh? Also, Apple promises offline gaming and assured privacy and security on Arcade and games from SEGA, Konami and Interactive among others - thus letting know PC gamers that the iCult almost has nothing to envy them.

In contradiction, we all know Microsoft (with XBOX) and PlayStation have been offering similar services with a much more salivating catalog. But in the Netflix trend, we also find Google, which in its last I/O 19 conference announce its own gaming service - Google Stadia. Google Stadia promises professional gaming capabilities on any configuration! Stadia works much more like Netflix in the sense where games are “streamed” from Google servers. You only need a strong internet connection and you’re good to play Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey or Destiney 2 in 4K at 60FPS, on your Google Chrome browser on your PC, smartphone and TV. Google even went as far as opening its own gaming studio according to rumors. The configuration of Google’s servers that handle the processing are literal beasts: AMD GPU 10.7 Teraflops with 56 processing units and HBM2 memory, x86 CPU at 2,7 GHz with hyperthreading, AVX 2 and 9,5 MB cache L2+L3, 16 GB of RAM with 484 GB/s of transfer speed.

Independent apps to iPhones, including audiobook, voice memo, calculator, streaming audio apps and the App Store on Watch OS 6

Two years ago, correct me if I’m wrong, Google brought the Play Store to its Wear OS. This meant you no more needed a smartphone to download apps to your smartwatch on Wear OS. Thus you can already download audio books, voice memory and numerous calculator apps on your smartwatch (despite the fact Google discontinued its calculator app from Wear OS, wonder why…). As for music streaming, it’s been a while already since you can listen to music on your smartwatch on Wear OS on Play Music, or Spotify, Pandora, and iHearRadio, which Apple announced to be available on its Watch Series in the fall. Hence Apple you’re late.

Downloads are now 50% smaller and update 60% faster on iOS 13

I don’t know if this concerns system updates or apps updates. However if the latter is concerned, then since 2016, apps updates and APKs are 65% smaller on Android. To achieve this, Google no more redownloads the whole app in the case of an update, but only downloads what has changed in the app and fuse it with the existing app thus modifying only what is necessary. This concerns 98% of the apps in the Play Store.

On the other side, if the former is concerned, Google says specific system updates can now be downloaded in the Play Store through Project Treble.

Dark mode on iOS 13

If there is one feature that got the iCult pretty excited in this WWDC19, it is probably dark mode on iOS 13. A system-wide dark mode was already present in MacOS Mojave, Apple’s desktop OS, which worked pretty well among Apple’s system apps (like Mail, Maps, Notes, TextEdit, and Dynamic Desktop). It was therefore only natural for iOS to get its own dark touch system-wide.

However, hold up! Again, Apple is surprisingly late. Microsoft is probably one of those first manufacturers who saw the aesthetic potential of black. Indeed since the first versions of Windows Phone, a dark mode was already present in system apps, before Microsoft took it to its Windows desktop OS a couple of years back from the switch of a toggle. This year, they even took it to their eponymous File Explorer (nice!). In Google’s case, dark modes were introduced little by little in its apps; Drive, Play Games, News, Keep, etc., to finally bring a system-wide dark mode for Android Q, in the I/O 19.

Swipe Type On iOS 13

I think all of us Android users (and even some iCult members who appreciate diversity) knew the existence of swipe type (type with a swipe of the finger on your keyboard) ability with apps like Gboard and SwiftKey right?

Look Around in Maps

Basically, Apple is giving the possibility to see places in 360°, with an added feature that lets you move smoothly and directly between these places in the tap of a finger.

This is a surprise for me. I thought any respectable apps of the genre gave the possibility to its users to see places in 360. I guess I got too much used to Google Maps. The latter will soon even bring navigation to the next level, by exploiting AR to overlay walking directions on top of the real world and help you figure out which way you need to go. Now I understand why Apple Maps was so much disliked…

Widgets On The Home Screen in iPadOS

I’ve been used to adding widgets to my home screen on Android for as long as I can remember. It’s when I wrote this blog that I discovered that wasn’t possible on iOS. However, that will now be possible on the new iPadOS announced by Apple. It’s time to better enjoy the functionality of widgets!

Multi-windows Capabilities in iPadOS

What is the purpose of having a 12.9” tablet if you can’t open apps side by side? Well, better late than never. In comparison, Microsoft and other manufacturers such as Samsung offered multi-window support since Windows 8. Google natively brought this feature to Android with Nougat.

Also, Apple promised picture-in-picture mode, which lets you play a video over other apps (that’s the same feature WhatsApp Messenger is offering for a while already). Samsung proposed this feature since the Galaxy S8 (correct me if I’m wrong).

Column view with details panel in the File app in iPadOS

Already that the file app in iOS is just a year old, it still has time to grow into becoming as mature as File Explorer in Windows, who gives various dispositions to its users, including a column view with a details panel. Same thing on Google Drive.

Support of external drives in iPadOS

image credit: The Verge

iPads now lets you plug in external storage devices like USB keys. I believe Jobs won’t like this as they’re more and more opening the Apple ecosystem to unworthy systems.

In a more serious tone, this was already possible on all non-iPad tablets. Either plug in a Micro USB type-B key or use an OTG (on-the-go) cable and you’re good to go. Note this works with all external storage devices (including iPads).

Download Manager in Safari
This is insane! I believed all web browsers in the world included download managers. This is a very basic thing to have. Guess Apple realized that terrible omission, though it took them time.

Mac Pro & Pro Display XDR

The WWDC is normally an event centered around software, but Apple couldn’t wait to announce its crazy expensive new toys. The Pro Display XDR is Apple’s new 32-inch Retina 6K display, with extreme brightness, contrast, color accuracy, and HDR that transforms the way you work. Don’t get taken by the sweet words and specs cause you’re probably not the target. If you, however, get taken, prepare a crazy $5,000 for this piece of tech. Its sleek design signed John Ive may even look ugly to you after you read the price of it “stand”: $1,000. If you don’t have a black card but nevertheless need a good monitor, AppleInsider compiles a list of still expensive but cheaper alternatives to the Pro Display XDR like the Dell UltraSharp 32 8K monitor with 7,680 x 4,320 resolution at $3,402.59.

As for the cheese gratter...(*cough*) Mac Pro, you can build your own PC from scratch to be as powerful, but at a paradoxically much expensive price tag….

Use your iPad as a second display for your MacBook using SideCar

I’m sure the iCult members who own the whole Apple ecosystem immediately thought about the numerous scenarios in which they can show off their new configuration. Hang up there! Android and Windows users can already exploit this functionality (although there’s no real point why). Microsoft natively supports it on Windows tablets and PC, while Android users will need to download third-party apps like iDisplay and Spacedesk.

This is it for the list! Again, please note that this is by no means a way to discredit Apple. They will always be a major influence in the tech industry of our time, despite them lagging a bit behind now….Also despite these, the WWDC19 was still a concentrated of new and interesting features unique to Apple users for now. In mind I have for example the ability to share your music with other AirPods users, hand over streaming (whether podcasts or music) to your HomePod by bringing your iPhone close to it, or the “sign with Apple” capability which again proves Apple is more of a leader when privacy and security are concerned. For the iCult members among us, all these new features and devices will be available in the fall. Enjoy!

Flash Pay: Orange’s Money Alternative To USSD

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 15:59:00 +0000

Launch in 2011, Orange Money had explosive success in Cameroon. With 4.5 million users in the country, and a market share of 40.3%, the mobile money transfer service of the Cameroonian subsidiary of Orange is looking for ways to make its service more attractive to its current users, and users to be. That is why this 24th of May, they launched Flash pay, a new and faster method to pay with Orange Money.

With Flash Pay, Orange wants to give its users an alternative to USSD codes (you know the #123#?), and to be honest, it was about time! Unstructured Supplementary Service Data came in handy for telecom operators in Africa to hit a mass market. Compatible with 99.99% of phones and independent of an internet connection, all Cameroonians could have access to whatever service operators wanted to offer (balance consultation, service subscription, etc.). However let’s be honest, entering multiple numbers, in multiple steps to initiate a payment had nothing pleasant. Typing #150#, type 1, 1 again, enter the amount to be transferred, enter your secret code and finally type 1 to confirm (again) was rather frustrating, especially if you had to make payments a couple of times a day. Plus USSD was not the most secured, and could easily fail if the network was congested.

With Flash Pay, bye bye USSD and welcome NFC. Standing for Near Field Communication, NFC is actually a microchip that permits two devices to communicate information when brought close together (10cm maximum). That is the technology exploited by Flash Pay. In this case, Flash Pay is a tag whose assigned function is to initiate payments. This technology is already widely used in the West and East Asia where smartphones are used to pay for goods (using either Google Pay, Samsung Pay or Apple Pay, etc.). The difference being that these smartphones natively embarks NFC chips (most smartphones nowadays integrate those).

Flash Pay is in two variants: a sticker and a bracelet. The sticker sticks to the back of your smartphone, and the bracelet is worn on your wrist (the sticker probably is the best option in this case). To initiate a payment, simply bring the sticker on your smartphone (or bracelet) to the terminal. The sticker/bracelet will act as the active chip (transfers the data), while the terminal will have the passive chip (receives the data). The terminal will automatically prompt you to enter your secret code and you confirm the payment and voila!

The sticker and the bracelet are both free, and setting them is pretty fast. This method is pretty secure as each microchip contains each user’s unique data (and the distance over which these data are communicated is very short). During my interview with Orange Cameroon, they mentioned the service is now only available in two towns in the country: Douala and Dschang. TCHOP & YAMO, SPAR, and Canal Olympia among others being the commerce that accepts the new payment method. Yaoundé will soon follow the list of compatible towns. Orange Money being widely used in the country daily (they registered 334.8XAF billions of transactions last year), it was about time they render their service faster and more efficient - especially in an era where mobile money becomes more and more democratic. Despite Orange Cameroon's numerous flaws, this is a feature I absolutely welcome!

[Brief]Huawei Gate: The Case Explained

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Thu, 30 May 2019 16:10:00 +0000

On May 16, the Chinese tech giant, Huawei, and its 68 subsidiaries were included in the “Blacklist” of the US commerce department under an executive order of the president Donald Trump. In other words, this means the company was prohibited from making business with US companies…period. The shocking news rock the tech world from its core – leading to projected power redistribution among mobile tech giants and commercial uncertainties among Chinese tech companies. What impact will the bold move from the US president imply for the Chinese tech giant? Well not only Huawei is a concern, but let’s see this together.

First thing first: what really motivated the US to ban Huawei? Probably a security concern. Last year, the company has been accused on numerous occasions by US officials of a couple of violations. Intelligence officials in the US have warned against Huawei acting as a medium for spying from the Chinese government. Indeed Huawei been a telecom company, its telecom infrastructure may be exploited by the Chinese government for spying purposes (either by a deal with Huawei, or sneaking malware into their infrastructure without their knowledge). Last week Thursday, Donald Trump categorized Huawei as being “very dangerous” in a meeting in the White House – for the White House, the risk is “too real”.

Huawei is very dangerous. You look at what they did from a security point of view, from the military point of view, it’s very dangerous - President Donal Trump.

But is security concern the only reason for this ban? Not sure. 5G then? Maybe. Donald Trump is very serious about 5G and assured the US will win this race. However, Huawei represents bad omen for the president’s ambitions, as Huawei is already on a good track to win the race. Slowing down their progression by at least keeping them far from US infrastructures hence seemed a judicious idea. Washington even encouraged other countries to keep Huawei from their 5G infrastructure plans. In addition, experts believe Huawei is the face of an ongoing trade war between the US and China. The US has never been able to find a middle ground with China concerning this war - hence with Huawei, Trump hopes to leverage a bargain as he implied last Thursday.

If we reach an agreement, I could imagine that Huawei could be included in some form or part of it - President Donald Trump

The ban has led to probably the biggest backstab done to a company in the tech industry. Following the ban, key partners to Huawei announced ending any ongoing contracts and licenses with Huawei, starting with Android. Intel, Qualcomm, and ARM followed Google ending all contracts with Huawei. The Chinese tech company‘s membership in the SD Association (the trade group that agrees upon standardized specs for SD and microSD cards) was also revoked, while its membership in the WI-FI Alliance (which sets Wi-Fi standards across the industry) was temporarily restricted. On the other hand, EE (a UK mobile carrier own by BT Group which is one of Europe’s biggest telecommunications companies) will pause the inclusion of Huawei phones in its launch of 5G. Last but not least, Huawei voluntarily left JEDEC (a semiconductor standards group best known for defining RAM specifications), probably to save it last bit of dignity, while the giant’s products are nowhere to be seen on Microsoft and Google’s online stores, just to name these.
This is what @MarcAllera, CEO of BT consumer brands (EE, BT and Plusnet) said about @Huawei devices in the light of the recent news about the Chinese brand “we will wait for more information” #5GEE pic.twitter.com/wqYNrVxVVH
TSMC, a semiconductor company and one of Huawei’s biggest partner is probably of the few Huawei can still count on. The Taiwanese firm does not exploit US technologies and so its activities are not affected by the ban. Note that the company participates to the fabrication of the upcoming Kirin 980; a relieve for Huawei. As to what concerns the traitors, Huawei had seen this coming and took some big precautions. For example, it is reported the company stocked the equivalent of one year of “crucial” components six months prior to the ban, thus counteracting Intel and Qualcomm’s departure. Concerning the SD Association, Huawei can care less as the company has its own proprietary Nano-Memory Cards, which have replaced the already aging universal standard on its newer devices. As to Android and Windows, Huawei will initiate what it calls “Plan B”. This involves launching the replacements to Android and Windows, which will be available for the fourth quarter of 2019 outside China. Both wills (or may) run on AOSP (the ROM on which Android is based) and will include Huawei’s App Gallery Store. To make this new and intriguing gallery work, Huawei reportedly pitched app makers last year on creating apps for its store with the offer of helping them make inroads into China and a “very significant” share of the app store’s revenue.

Despite Huawei remaining confident on its ability to remain competitive in the smartphone market, doubts still subsist among consumers. First is ARM’s technologies. Some of ARM’s chip architecture designs are manufactured in the US (which could place it under US restrictions hence it stepping back), and those designs are used by Huawei in its Kirin processors. The ban, therefore, prevents Huawei from using those designs in its chips. If Huawei wants to continue producing chips, it will have to find new designs ASAP. The second most worrisome aspect is its new operating systems, that come without Google’s apps and APIs. Competing against Google and Microsoft literally equals crashing against a steel wall. From Mozilla with its Firefox OS to Ubuntu passing by Samsung with it Tizen, Amazon and Microsoft, all those that attempted ended up giving up. Blackberry, on the other hand, is a very (very) sad story. Google has been known for practicing disloyal competition as it did with Windows Phone (refusing to develop its app for the platform), hence it lacked apps consumers demanded (Gmail, YouTube, Maps, etc.). As for Windows, the only tier viable OS at the moment is Google’s Chrome OS. Hence Huawei’s replacement will have to compete against Windows and Chrome OS in a market dominated by Lenovo, HP, Dell, Acer, etc. – let’s be surprised.

Huawei Mate X which was the most promising foldable phone may no more be promising due to the ban.
Without any official presence in the US and no direct mean of selling its product in the US, Huawei has been able to impose itself as the second top smartphone maker in the world. Contrary to what we may think, the US ban may have little impact on Huawei’s business. The period where Chinese companies were content in assembling phones is over. Huawei does not want to manufacture its own components, but if they have to, they will. Huawei wants to ensure as Its CEO implied in a press interview on the 21 of May: « The American political staff, by its ways of doing right now, shows that it underestimates our strength

»

. In fact, on the same day, the company said its revenue was 39% more than last year. In the first quarter of 2018, it shipped 59 million phones, earning a $26.8 billion in revenue (bear in mind these sales happened before the ban so nothing is yet sure about the company’s future). As to 5G, Trump will have to find another tactic. In Huawei’s CEO words:

«

Huawei’s 5G will not be affected at all (by all that). In terms of 5G technology, it is not in two, three years that other companies will catch up with Huawei », the target of his words being American and European companies. He even claimed the company had shipped 70,000 5G base stations in the first quarter of 2019 and signed 40 contracts to provide carriers with 5G equipment.

Huawei is the unparalleled leader in 5G. We are ready and willing to engage with the US government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security. Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the US lagging behind in 5G deployment, and eventually harming the interests of US companies and consumers. In addition, unreasonable restrictions will infringe upon Huawei’s rights and raise other serious legal issues.

To be honest, in this trade war, the USA has much more to lose than China. While president Trump may believe he achieved leverage in the negotiations, it may instead lead to retaliation from China, accelerating the “technology cold war" as The Verge calls it. People have imagined a scenario in which China bans apple from its territory which will be chaotic. China represents one-fifth of Apple’s revenue. Apple is present in all the large retail stores and collaborates with the totality of locale mobile operators, plus its 40 apple store in the Middle Kingdom. If that were to happen, Goldman Sachs estimated Apple’s revenue will plummet by 29%. This won’t be good news for Apple whose revenue is slowly decreasing. In addition, Apple will have to look for battery suppliers ASAP as factories manufacturing its batteries are all found in China – though Huawei opposes China taking measures against Apple and even assured to take Apple’s side if it were to happen (seriously Huawei?). Nevertheless, this won’t stop the anti-American feeling that appears on Chinese social media. As for Google, if Huawei’s app store was to find success, it will offer serious competition to the Play store (a good new for the European Union) as well as eating parts of its market shares. Google will also lose serious royalties from Huawei’s exploitation of its licenses, but also a huge amount of user’s data will get out of Google’s hand, which the company heavily relies on for all its services. Lastly, rural areas in the US may see themselves without cell service. These areas were entirely dependent on Huawei’s inexpensive equipment. They will be forced to turn to European technology which comes at a price.

If I’m a US company I look at this national emergency ban, and it says I should be very careful to do business with any companies that have significant interlocking relationships with China - Charles Skuba, a professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Huawei being the fastest growing tech company in the world, the ban comes at the wrong time. Huawei was projected to become the number 1 smartphone seller in the world, overtaking Samsung with 23% market share at the moment, everything remaining equal for Apple who remains number 3 worldwide. If Huawei can face the repercussions of this ban without much hassle, we can’t say the same for other Chinese companies. After ZTE and now Huawei who has been banned, US companies wonder “who might be next?”, therefore announcing a wind of uncertainty over Chinese companies. As for now, Huawei will be contesting the order in court, judging the ban to be “unconstitutional" as they are fond of pointing out “the US has produced no public evidence that the company is an active national security threat, and many have raised questions about why providing components to a phone manufacturer poses a threat to US interests”. As for now, there is no need for owners of Huawei’s devices to change their devices. Things could rapidly change. However, staying on the lookout for the next deal remains a plausible idea.

[Brief]To The Downfall of Netflix?

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sat, 25 May 2019 07:08:00 +0000

Netflix, the indisputable leader in online streaming may no longer be that indisputable. Since its creation in 1997, and the introduction of its online streaming service in 2007, the streaming service has faced little to no competition. The service proposed an incredible library of original contents and blockbusters that inevitably changed how we watch TV. The arrival of the likes of Amazon Prime Video and Hulu did not make the giant shivered, but that may soon change with the arrival of competitors from Disney, AT&T, NBCUniversal, and Apple. Let’s see why this is dangerous for Netflix.

In the US, half of those aged between 22 to 45 watched zero hours of cable TV, and about 35 million households have quit cable in the past decade reports Forbes. This phenomenon is referred to as “cord-cutting”, and Netflix is very responsible for that. Disney which is one of the world’s largest media companies makes one-third of its revenue through cable business. Hence Netflix inciting its customers to ditch cable TV for online streaming has negatively impacted its revenues. But Disney will soon be launching its counter-offensive as in 175 days, Disney+ will be released.

Netflix Will Be Emptied

Disney+ will be Disney’s proprietary online streaming service and will charge $6.99 a month. Disney+ will, by the end of the year be joined by AT&T’s streaming platform. What does that mean? Both companies have guaranteed to pull their content from Netflix and will propose them on their own platforms. Keep in mind that AT&T exploits Warner Media which consists of HBO Movies, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros, DC Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting as subsidiaries. On the other hand, Disney owns Marvel, Pixar Animations, Star Wars, ESPN, National Geographic, ABC and Fox just to name these - a well-furnished catalog, therefore.

In numbers, this represents 8% to 12% fewer viewers which Disney brought to Netflix from 2017 to 2018. In addition, minus 1.7% of viewers following the withdrawal of all Marvel Entertainment contents according to Variety. As for Warner Media and NBCUniversal, both accounts for 72% of the total time spent of the famous platform. This is, without a doubt, an incredible number that gives an idea of how much harm this will give Netflix following the expiration of the operating contract with said entities.

Netflix + Originals = Not Original

Netflix had seen this coming and had acted accordingly. In 2018, the company released 88% more original content than the previous year, which cost the company a wholesome $12 billion. To achieve this, they borrow nimiety sums of debt. Currently, the company owes $10.4 billion - 59% more than last year - reports Forbes. However, this remains far from enough as Netflix’s original contents account only for 37% of US streams in October 2018. The 63% remaining comes from licensed content.

For example, the iconic sitcom “Friends” which Netflix acquire for the nice sum of $100 million will, by the year 2020, be no more available on the platform when the deal with WarnerMedia will be expired. Bear in mind that Friends had rapidly escalated to become one of Netflix’s best.

And The Winner Is…

The biggest winner in this race is probably (or undoubtedly) Disney. Not only does it own Hulu (the second-fastest-growing streaming service), but it has, over the past six years produced the world’s top-selling movies, earning $1.2 billion in the box office with its average film - the last in date being Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther. It is even reported premieres will also be available on Disney+. A winning formula.

The five biggest cable companies in the US are worth $760 billion. Cord-cutting has lead to Netflix claiming the profit left behind as it’s stock value has been over 8% since 2009. This juicy opportunity, therefore, did not only attract Netflix. In sum, Netflix will have to gear up if they want to stay profitable when the wave of the competition will hit the market. Producing original content has proven not enough for the company - criticized especially for being made for millennials and therefore not everyone. Some proposed Netflix should consider partnering (merging) with other companies to bring more original and diverse contents to the table. That makes sense but left to see if the will do that.

I am not a huge Netflix consumer. I don’t watch much of Netflix’s original shows (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina being the only one actually). Indeed most shows/movies in my watchlist are licensed products. Hence Disney+ seems way more attractive, and will inevitably put my hands on it when the time comes (at the detriment of Netflix, probably). However though this increase in streaming service offers announces the good news to consumers on the surface, they bring a huge constraint which is price. Each service will offer very different content all very interesting, and If one wants that variety they will have to pay the price. Not everyone can afford that, henceforth this will invariably lead to one service imposing itself over the others. Disney+ which is $6 less than Netflix maybe? Or we’ll see a “remontada” from Netflix? Time we’ll tell.

Finally Android Gets the Snapchat it Deserves

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sun, 19 May 2019 10:20:00 +0000

Snapchat has widely been criticized by its Android user base for its poor performance on Android. Indeed since its creation, the app had been on Android very sluggish, faced frequent crashes, and the picture and video quality wasn’t that. Compared to its iOS counterpart, the user experience on Android was poor. However, this is the past now. In 2017, Snap Inc. announced it will be working on the issue, bringing its Android version on par to its iOS version i.e., a cleaner, faster and less buggy experience on Snapchat for Android.

Frantically, Snap Inc. has known for three years it’s Android app had problems. Android users accounting for 80% of its user base, and following the decline in its daily Android users, Snap Inc. could no more ignore the problem. In April 2019, a completely rebuilt version was released, which brought a wind of renewal to one of the best social apps on Android.
To @Android. Love, Snapchat. #SnapForAndroid pic.twitter.com/MGOFQYa9Cj

Who’s Fault? The Startupper Mindset!

Like all companies, Snapchat started as a startup hence the workforce was scant. The developers could not focus on developing unique codes for each platform (Android and iOS). What they simply did was to write codes for iOS, and then transcribe them to Android. The goal was to make money and so the main objective at the time was to bring active users to the platform. Hence they sacrificed performance for growth reports the developers to FrAndroid.

We were in startup mode and we wanted to be fast and efficient

Time to Get Things Right!

When complaints finally reached developers, the latter decided to work on it and an ameliorated version of Snapchat was released in 2017 which was unfortunately far from good.

The main issue of Snapchat for Android was that the whole code ran at once when the app was open. This implies all sections of the app be it messages, camera, Snap Map, filters, augmented reality and discovery just to names these, all ran in the background. For low and middle-end smartphones with low RAM space and slower processors, this was harsh. This negatively affected the user experience. The code was too congested and implementing new features revealed to be an obstacle course; a full rewrite was therefore necessary.
What the developers did was to take an “end-to-end modular” approach on Android. This means that sections of the app only ran if requested and not all at once. This leads to a boost in the overall performance of the app, especially on low-end devices - with a 20% reduction in the time needed to launch the app.

[Android devices] don’t all behave the exact same way, right? It’s very easy for us to build an Android app that will work well on flagship devices like the Pixel 3. It’s more challenging when you have to capture the whole ecosystem, especially when the camera works very differently from manufacturer to manufacturer

I tested this new version and I can guarantee there has been a huge improvement compared to the previous versions. The app is indeed much faster, less buggy and I didn’t experience any crash. Navigating through the app is relatively fluid and FINALLY the camera quality on the app honors our cameras configuration, as Snapchat is now configured to exploit our various cameras capabilities on Android - Snapchat now runs on a broader set of test devices to ensure current and future updates all work, as expected, told Jerry Hunter (Senior Vice-President for Development) to Android Authority.

Basically, it’s everything that users have been asking about, with some added bonuses for the developers as well

Here is a comparison of the old and new Snapchat business insider did:

Google Had and Will Play a Big Role Still

If Snapchat was able to make this rebuilt possible, it is also thanks to Google’s new libraries that facilitate the development of codes running on low resources. Very soon, Snapchat may even become better thanks to Google’s new camera API, CameraX. Announced at the I/O 2019, CameraX will allow Android apps to fully control cameras equipped on our Android smartphones, in just two lines of codes. This literally means that apps like Snapchat will be able to offer the same options found on our cameras app. Snapchat, for example, will be able to offer the x5 zoom on the latest OnePlus 7 Pro or even the x50 zoom of the Huawei P30 Pro but also portrait mode and night mode offered on various devices just to name these.
Visually, there will be no major change in this new version. “Our ideal goal was that people shouldn’t really notice that the app is actually entirely changed up from underneath them except everything should be way faster,” Jacob Andreou Android Authority. He even highlights Snapchat for Android may see new features before its iOS counterpart, as this new version has become their developer’s favorite playground. The next step for Snapchat now is to work closely with Google and Apple to bring more AR features.

With this new foundation, I wouldn’t be surprised if you actually see things starting to come to Android even before iOS sometimes. Android will be becoming a place where we are really testing our latest and greatest stuff which has definitely not been the case historically

With this, Snapchat hopes to bring back its lost users as well as new ones to its platform. With 186 million daily active users against 1 billion for Instagram in 2018, the platform has a long way to go to get back its users lost to Instagram. Despite this rebuilt, Snap Inc. still faces backlash from Android users who feel “cheated”. They accused Snap Inc. to have waited up to six years to finally realize they had Android users who mattered. As to whether or not Snap will become everyone favorites, only time will tell, but for now, Snap Inc. stock price has remained positive for the past months. As for me, I am pretty happy about this update and will soon get back to uploading more Snaps.

OnePlus 7 Series: All That We Know

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sun, 12 May 2019 16:36:00 +0000

OnePlus has made a name for itself in the smartphone market by selling high end smartphones at half the price of its competitors earning it the title of “Flagship Killer” since day one. It last champion to date, the OnePlus 6 and 6T have had tremendous success, as 1 million units have been sold in less than a month, placing the brand as a direct competitor to big names like Samsung, Apple and Huawei. It is therefore expected (and pretty obvious) for the brand consider as one of the top smartphone makers in the world to follow the same formula for it last born, the OnePlus 7 Series.
However this year, there will be slight changes. The brand has had the habitude of launching second iterations of it last born months after the latter which are better revised versions. But this year, it is not just one but two OnePlus 7 we are expecting on the 14 of May: the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro. Bigger, better, faster and smoother? Here are all that we know.
Design:
The OnePlus 7 is expected to be a beefed-up version of the previous OnePlus 6T. Hence, we are expecting a very similar design with a water drop notch housing the front camera. However according to some leaked render from OnLeak and Olixar’s case, the 7 Pro will be similar to the Vivo NEX S, with a pop-up selfie camera, giving place to a true no bezel design. Personally I am not a big fan of this design choice. A pop-up camera has nothing esthetically pleasing so….

Other design changes include three vertically arranged camera on the back of the 7 Pro against two for the 7. Just like the 6T, both phones will feature an in-display fingerprint scanner according to the renders. No jack port, and a curved screen on the sides of the 7 Pro. It also likely to expect glass on the back of both versions.
Screen:
We don’t yet know the technology that will be used on the OnePlus 7. However it has been confirmed the 7 Pro will be equipped with a QHD+ display at 90Hz refreshment rate and HDR10+ support, which according to Netflix on their partnership with OnePlus, “will set new standards in mobile viewing of content, giving Netflix fans an immersive viewing experience”.

DisplayMate (leader in display testing and video diagnostics) already had the opportunity to test the screen and granted it the perfect score of A+ just like the spearheads from Samsung and Apple.
Camera:
This probably is the area were OnePlus bets the most according to its recent marketing efforts. On it Twitter page, the brand posted promotional pictures shot on the OnePlus 7 Pro. According to the caption, they are demonstrating the efficiency of its three sensors: an ultra-wide angle lens, a wide angle lens and an optical x3 zoom.
Get closer to the action!
Shot on OnePlus 7 Pro.#OnePlus7Series
Launching May 14. https://t.co/Q0eAKsxnw4 pic.twitter.com/53KWiM6olE
However they did not just leave it there, but went as far as partnering with Haper’s Bazaar and GQ, to shoot their cover stories on the OnePlus 7 Pro. According to Haper’s the cover were not edited in any way, those are RAW shots taken on the 7 Pro. Last but not least, the brand even teamed up with Netflix to shoot the promotional pictures of the Netflix original “Sacred Games”, and the behind the scenes video of its second season on the OnePlus 7 Pro. All these meant to suggest the OnePlus 7 Pro has nothing to envy to DSLRs.

So under the hood, expect three rear facing cameras on the 7 Pro of 46MP + 20MP + 5MP. It will also feature an x3 optical zoom, but that still doesn’t equal the 50x periscope camera of the Huawei P30 Pro. The front facing camera will be of 16MP. No information on the OnePlus 7’s camera however.

Storage:
The OnePlus 7 will come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage space. As for the 7 Pro, it is rumored to come with two versions of 8GB and 12GB of RAM, which remains insane for a smartphone. Both will pack 256GB of internal storage space.

All versions will integrate UFS 3.0 memory storage, which promises a big leap in bandwidth, leading to a serious performance boost. This will likely make it the first device in the market with ultra-fast storage
Technical Characteristics:
Flagship killer obliged, both the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 855. A 4000mAh battery will accompany the 7 and a rumored 4100mAh on the 7 Pro. No wireless charging for both devices. According to OnePlus CEO Pete Lau, the reason being wireless charging is not as efficient or demanded enough by customers. Both will eventually support OnePlus’ Dash charging 44W, which recharges the OnePlus 6T from 0% to 60% in just 35 minutes. It is too bad the OnePlus 7 does not feature this technology especially its back is made up of glass which is required for wireless charging support. A waste.
Also, Android 9 Pie with the latest version of Oxygen OS will run on the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro. Both devices will support USB 3.1 and a dual speaker set-up. Water resistance is at the rendezvous, but with no certification. In an Instagram post, OnePlus assured that certifications cost money and are not necessary to users. However the French tech media FrAndroid warns that certification allows you to at least prove a default comes from the phone and not from a wrong usage on the side of the consumer in a number of cases. Plus the warranty does not cover damages due to water, so avoid dropping it in water recklessly.
Waterproof ratings for phones cost you money. We just bought a bucket. #OnePlus7Series
Une publication partagée par OnePlus (@oneplus) le 3 Mai 2019 à 10 :00 PDT
The last rumored feature on the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro is 5G connectivity. Pete Lau confirmed to The Verge the Pro variant will support 5G. What is unsure is whether there will be an iteration of the Pro supporting 5G, or not.
Price:
OnePlus has always practiced very low prices on its flagships compared to its competitors. However over the years, there has been a steady rise in the price of it devices. We moved from a price of $299 (175,600XAF) on the OnePlus One, to a price of $549 on the 6T (322,300XAF). So it is expected for the starting price of the OnePlus 7 to be over $600 and even more. According to leaked European pricing details, the OnePlus 7 starts at $717 (430,000XAF). Unfortunately, it seems the OnePlus 7 will mark OnePlus’ graduation from the “affordable” segment ☹.
The OnePlus 7 Series is said to be available in Almond, Nebula, Blue and Mirror Gray. Please, bear in mind all these are just rumored, and we will have to wait until the launch to confirm all these. But there are great chances for majority of these rumors to turn out true.

The OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro will be launched in New York, London and Bangalore Tuesday May 14, and in China on May 16. The conferences will be titled “Go beyond Speed”. A live broadcast will be available on OnePlus’ YouTube page.
What do you think about the new OnePlus? As for me I am pretty excited as always with OnePlus phones, but also deceived it will no more be “affordable”. 😪

Xiaomi Set Sail on Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 07:02:00 +0000

[Update of the 17/07/2019] The post has been updated to include the following:

A brand new Xiaomi Store has recently seen the day in Kenya, hence confirming the brand's expansion to the African market.

Transsion Holdings better be shaking, as a new fearsome concurrent has set its eyes on Africa. Xiaomi has planned to conquer the smartphone market in Africa, snatching the title of number one currently held by Transsion Holdings, as it did with Apple Inc. in China back in 2015.

You may not know Transsion Holdings, but if you live in Africa, you definitely know Tecno, Infinix, and iTel, which are the three top-selling smartphone brands in Africa, and all belong to Transsion Holdings. Their popularity on the continent is certainly due to the quality of their products at attractive prices. However very soon this same formula may backfire. In fact, we learn that the boss of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, sent an internal memo to his employees to warn them of the
forthcoming creation of a regional division dedicated to Africa.

The Flagship Killer

Founded in 2010, Xiaomi has rapidly evolved as one of the most important smartphone makers in the world. In 2011, Xiaomi launched its very first smartphone, the Xiaomi MI 1. The smartphone offered a very interesting price/quality ratio. But its success was largely attributed to its operating system “MIUI” based on Android. The OS was highly customizable and had frequent updates. Each update brought new features as voted by the users. This permitted Xiaomi to build a faithful and devoted community around the brand name.

Years after years, the company created a real ecosystem by diversifying its catalog: Mi 2, RedMi, Mi Note, MiTV, MiBand, just to name these. Its popularity then skyrocketed, reaching the international market where it is named “The Chinese Apple”.

The brand was able to establish an international legitimacy for itself in record time, as it welcomed Hugo Barra (previously a very important figure in Google.) in 2013 as its new vice-president. In 2017 the company grew more than Apple and Samsung combined, selling 92 million smartphones worldwide – representing a 74.5% growth over the previous year.

An African advantage?

As you can therefore see, Xiaomi is no more to introduce …except in Africa. Indeed Xiaomi is present in all continents, except Africa (partly). The brand first hit the Nigerian, South African and Kenyan markets in 2015. However, since then, it has had very little economic activity. But this time, Xiaomi is coming to stay and conquer.

Xiaomi and Transsion Holdings both operating on low price policy will certainly lead to a tight competition on the African market. During its Africa launch in 2015, the Xiaomi Mi 4 and Redmi2 were sold for $320 and $160 respectively. This translates to 92,630XAF and 185,230XAF excluding taxes. The competition may even lead to price reductions who knows. To the consumers, this somehow leads to an increase in living standards. Indeed a wider range of products will be within reach of many Africans since Xiaomi is coming with its whole range of products.

But what about the integrity of our data?

The establishment of the Chinese giant on the old continent is posing some security concerns to some people. Some wonder about the negative impact of spying by the Chinese government, through the massive collection of data from millions of Africans. The American government assures that having a Chinese phone guarantees being listened to by Beijing’s ears. The latter even banned the sale of a couple of Chinese phones from brands like Huawei, Oppo, and ZTE on their territory for alleged spying. How these data are going to be treated by the Chinese government is the question here. However Africa still has a long way to go concerning data regulations, and concerning China, it holds on the continent need not be debated.

Hence, on a consumer side of view, the presence of Xiaomi in Africa increases the number of good quality smartphone options available at reasonable prices to consumers. The company is well known for commercializing high-quality devices, at half or even less the price of what is been done by competitors (Samsung, Apple, Sony, etc. in this case). However Xiaomi is not just limited to smartphones, but also commercializes, smartwatches, connected scooters, smart TVs and tablets just to name these, hence the spoilt for choice. And with an official division on the continent, the brand will be able to have a stronger position and better control its expansion.

We see Africa as the next frontier for the growth of smartphones, and we are delighted with this partnership with MIA Group to offer consumers in these three countries our quality smartphones at unbelievable prices.

[Update of the 17/07/2019] Xiaomi just opened its brand new Mi Store in Nairobi Kenya. The grand opening was welcomed by a horde of enthusiastic Kenyans - techies or not - confirming its forthcoming to the continent, as reported by TechArena. It is therefore confirmed the company will be coming with its whole fleet of products, from smart bulbs to smart suitcases, just to name these - hence an assured improvement in living standards of East Africans. The Chinese tech company does not stop there and will open two bigger stores at the end of this year, plus a server center, which will be the go-to place to get all your Xiaomi products fixed.

Image Credit: TechArena

As of now, we do not know much about the presence of an official store anywhere on the continent. Back in 2015, the brand operated with third parties. But you can be sure official stores will soon open. You can, however, buy Xiaomi products now on Jumia.

Now what is left is for OnePlus the steps of its colleague 🤩. And you, what do you think about Xiaomi’s presence in Africa?

Why Are Pictures on Snapchat Uglier on Android.

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Sat, 02 Feb 2019 06:51:00 +0000

Did you ever wonder why pictures uploaded to Snapchat on an Android were uglier than those sent from iPhones? This time it is not of your fault, but that of Snapchat. If you want to know more, stay with me and let us discover the hard truth.

One sided love

It is no secret now that snaps sent from Android are like stones compared to the diamonds sent from iPhones. Even the high quality cameras equipping high end Android phones are disgraced once a picture is uploaded on Snapchat. But why is it so? Well the answer is simple, Snapchat Inc. has always neglected Android - despite it being rated an average of 4.05/5 on Android by 17 million users unlike the average note of 2.0/5 given by 2.3 million iPhone users. Let’s dig more.

Like all hardware devices, a driver is needed for the software to use it. However with billions of different models of smartphones on Android, and a corresponding diversity in camera modules, it is difficult to create a software that can control all the various commands of the various cameras on Android. But unlike Android, it is a lot easier to create a software that can take in charge all the controls of camera modules on iPhones. If you are not lost, let’s continue.

A couple of years back, Google released API Camera2. API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is an intermediary layer of instruction (between the hardware and software that request it use), that listen to what the software needs (actions it wants to carry out on the hardware), and conveys translated instructions to the camera in this case. Therefore, API Camera2 was meant to enable any software on Android, to fully utilize the various cameras on Android. Unfortunately not everyone is a good student, and so was Snapchat. It never made use of APIs. Instead, Snapchat had always, taken “screenshots”, of what was seen through the camera lens.

Indeed Snapchat never asked the camera to take a picture, but instead had the guts to simply take a screenshot of what was seen by the camera… This was a method developed by Snapchat to make sure it could easily run on all the ever commercialized Android phones. But the biggest disadvantage of this method was that the resolution of the picture (snap) was that of your smartphone’s screen, and the snap was void of any post-treatment (without forgetting the additional compression of the picture to make it available on different networks).

This is what I call an operating system base discrimination! However, thankfully it seems the recent holes in Snapchat Inc.’s funds has forced it to be less unscrupulous toward Android users. As you may have realized some Android devices are not having this issue (Galaxy S7 for example). At last Snapchat is making things better for Android users by better optimizing it app for Android, starting with a support of API Camera2. However your phones needs to be equipped with Android 5.0 Lollipop at least.

[Tutorial]How to Take Better Pictures on Android

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 07:19:00 +0000

Over the
years, and even more recently Android users have been the subjects of various
mockery from iPhone users, especially when it concerned photography. iPhone
users claim to have superior cameras, and android users who can’t afford the
flagship devices are left speechless. But what if picture quality on Android
was not due to the smartphone’s camera but the user?

Indeed the
presence of different versions of Android on millions of smartphone models from
various brands has led to fragmentation. Because of this, the experience on
android is greatly dependent on the model and brand bough, unlike on iPhones.
Eventually, this also affects photography on Android, as the various models have
various different cameras, leading to an inconsistency in picture qualities.
But even on medium or low range devices, decent pictures can be taken. It is
not always about the camera quality but also the skills of the user. With you,
I am going to share how, without even possessing a high-end android device, I
am able to take pretty decent shots.

Elements of photography to take into account
Let us take
a look at some terms that will be used throughout the guide or that can be
helpful to know:

Camera Resolution: This refers to the number of pixels contained
in the sensor of a camera. If a camera is said to have a resolution of 5MP
(five megapixels), then the sensor has five million pixels. The more pixels the
better, but not always. An 8MP camera may perform better than a 16MP camera.
Other elements affect the performance of a camera such as an aperture,
the processor, as well as special treatments, are given to the lenses.
Aperture: It is simply how big the hole in the shutter
is that lets light through the lens onto the sensor. The more light can reach
the sensor, the better. It is denoted by f/number, which represents the ratio
of focal length to aperture. It usually has a range of 2.4 to 1.6 on
smartphones. The lower the ratio the better.
Autofocus: A feature of cameras that allow a correct
focus to be made on the subject automatically making the picture clearer. Three
main types exist contrast, phase detection, and laser autofocus.

ISO: A measure of light sensitivity. A lower ISO
setting is better during the day, while higher is better in darker situations.
Going too high leads to visible noise or grain in your photos (it is a very
sensitive setting that mustn’t be touched if not well understood).
Exposure: This refers to the amount of light reaching
the sensor as determined by shutter speed, aperture, and ambient light. Usually,
poor camera tends to overexposed images – bright parts are close to white and
the overall colors appear to be washed out.
HDR: Stands for “Highly Dynamic Range”. It
combines multiple exposures to form a better image. You get more details in the
shadows and in the bright parts of the scene. Fail to turn on HDR and your
phone camera might blow out the bright sky or blackout any details in the shadows.
Also, be careful to stay still when shooting in HDR. Shooting in HDR is very
slow on average cameras and required some time. The slightest error will ruin
the picture.

So how do
you actually take these pictures? Follow these simple steps:
Identify the subject:
This is
obviously, the very first thing that needs to be done before taking a picture,
and without which no picture will, in fact, be taken. It is very important in
photography to scan your surroundings in search of that gem which your picture
will be. It will be easier for you to focus your attention on taking the
picture right. Locate your target, and be ready to unsheathe your phone and
snap that picture faster than your shadow (I don’t even know that makes sense
but never mind).

Just to say
that in photography, consistency is the key. You need to take as much picture
as you can, so observing your environment is key, and do not forget: YOUR FACE
IS NOT THE ONLY BEAUTIFUL THING AROUND YOU PERIOD.
Patience is
the key:
This is no
secret, anyone who is interested in photography will certainly know patience is
a very important factor. Whether you wait for those perfect first morning rays,
or for the next firework to be fired or for the next lightning to strike, you
will need to patiently observe.

However
what I want to emphasize here is to learn how to use your camera app. Today our
camera apps let us do much more than just hit the shutter button. Options like
HDR, aspect ratio (picture size), night mode, etc. and settings to control the
ISO, focus or shutter speed and aperture are now available to improve our
photographs. So take the time to see what your camera app has to offer and take
advantage of these options/settings. Or you can download the very popular Open
Camera app which single-handedly is the most complete camera app on the market
right now.
Tap to focus:
This may
sound absurd to some, but I am pretty sure there are a lot of people out there
who do not know about this. You just need to pay attention to how blurry some
pictures were taken on low to mid-range Android devices (LMAD we will call them) are
to know it surely hasn’t be focused beforehand. Don’t be hasty to click on that
shutter button guys. Most users relay this task to the autofocus, but not all
autofocus are efficient and some may fail you. There exist three types: laser,
phase detection, and contrast autofocus, with contrast being the slowest (and
what equipped most of the LMAD).

I will save
you the burden on explaining each technology (this article did a great job
explaining all of them). What you need to know is that contrast autofocus is
the slowest of all three, and mostly relies on the amount of light present, as
well as the speed of the processor. The back and forth movement the camera makes
when you open it indicates your camera uses contrast autofocus. Phase
detection and laser are the fastest and what equip most of the flagships.
iPhones use a special combination of phase detection and contrast autofocus in
a technology they call “Focus Pixel”. This leads to very fast, and precise
autofocus.

Back to business,
if your camera is equipped with a contrast autofocus (CA) chances are you will
probably have to tap to get that focus. Indeed CA is much slower to find the
focus. Also, note that the distance between the camera sensor and objects is
crucial and must be adjusted appropriately every time to get a focused image.
Another thing to note is never to tap on the brighter part of the image as that
will overexpose your picture. Always tap on the less illuminated part to get
that ideal exposure. Just try and play around by tapping anywhere on the image
to see what exposure is ideal for you, but always aim to first tap the subject-object of your picture.
Some
additional tips to help you ace your photographs:

Take
the time to set the picture aspect ratio depending on your needs. For Instagram,
it is 4:3 (thank me later). Doing this will prevent your picture from being
cropped, thus exposing those gross pixels.
Turn
on the grid for better symmetric pictures
Take
tons of photo
Use
burst mode for moving subjects.
Aim
at using the HDR feature when taking images of landscapes and cities.
Use
the auto-correct feature of google photos (highly recommend this app for it
instant backup)
Abandon
the automatic mode and go for the manual mode to seriously improve your skills
Don’t
hesitate to use the flash in very low lit environment. Yes I know some pictures
are at times better without the flash as it tends to wash out the colors. But
always try to take a picture with and without the flash, then compare which one
is worth publishing online.

As you can
see, nothing fancy just my honest thoughts which I hope will help you upgrade
your photography skills. Don’t forget: observe, be patient and tap to focus. At
least by doing this will keep some iPhones users off your back and some may
even be jealous (it worked for me) hehe~.

PS: all the pictures where taken on the Tecno Spark 2 just for you to see. It may not be perfect, but with some disciplines, you can get correct pictures.

[Brief]Why You Don’t Need to Fear Battery Explosions

noreply@blogger.com (Philippe Kame) — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 06:50:00 +0000

Rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries (Li-Ion batteries or LIB) power most of our electrical devices today – smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and even electric cars. Without them, landlines would not be outdated, and new technologies would not have had a promising future. However, over recent years, these batteries have been subject to explosion controversies, especially with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 issue. Consumers widely associate these explosions to “wrong ways of charging”, and I do know for a fact that in Cameroon, the spam chains on WhatsApp are responsible for sustaining these erroneous ideas. Some of these messages, for example, warn users of never letting phones charged up to 100%, as this has caused an explosion in this/that household (accompanied by horrifying pictures).

I despise these messages because they only aim at instilling fear and paranoia in people (and unfortunately, it works very well on our parents), and the pictures they use are certainly from other unfortunate events. Just a two hours search on Google is enough to gather the necessary scientific knowledge to help you dissipate your doubts, and feel less anxious when using your phone.
Here I have compiled the most common and absurd misconceptions related to electrocutions, charging and explosions I have seen recently, and why you should not be afraid.

How Do Explosions occur?

First thing first, let us look at the mechanism that leads to explosions in our batteries. According to HowToGeek, inside every lithium-ion battery, there are two electrodes—the positively charged cathode and the negatively charged anode—separated by a thin sheet of “microperforated” plastic that keeps the two electrodes from touching. When you charge a lithium-ion battery, lithium ions are pushed by electricity from the cathode, through the micro-perforations in the separator and an electrically conductive fluid, and to the anode. When the battery discharges, the reverse happens with the lithium ions flowing from the anode toward the cathode. This is the reaction that powers our devices.

Now explosions come down to a problem of short-circuiting. In this case, the plastic separator fails and lets the anode and cathode touch, and once these two touches, the battery starts to overheat. Short-circuiting can be caused by frequent drops that lead to failure of the separator. But also due to
the insufficiency of space in the battery (poorly designed batteries as was the case in the Galaxy Note 7). Batteries inflate and deflate when charged, and not enough space for the electrodes and separator in the battery leads to short circuitry. Equally extreme heats initiate chemical reactions (emission of gases occur) that inflate the battery leading to an explosion.

Misconceptions Related to Charging and Electrocutions:
1. Using headphones on a plugged phone will cause an electrocution
So, this is the latest absurd myth I have heard and what pushed me to write this post. Having your headphones on while your phone is charging will not electrocute you. Well…not certainly. The only way you could get electrocuted depends on whether or not the inner wire or pieces of metals inside the headphones are exposed. Today, our headphones are so well insulated with plastic layers that there is no chance for electric current to leak through it, EXCEPT, if you invest in really cheap headphones that wear off easily. Even if you do get electrocuted, the shock will be so minimal that you won’t feel anything, and even if you do, there will be nothing to panic about. The current passing through our headphones is so small that it cannot even kill a rabbit.

Note: This is the same principle when pressing your phone against your face when taking a call while the phone is charging.

2. Using a plugged phone will lead to overheating, hence the explosion
Your phone will hardly explode if you use it while charging. Indeed your phone will heat up. The “smart” before phone in the word “smartphone” isn’t just for decoration. Our phones nowadays contain inner circuitry that regulates the current and voltage intake of our phones so as to protect the battery. This process is controlled by the CPU which does work (the reason why the phone heats up while charging). Using your phone while it is charging, especially when playing heavy games like Asphalt will force the CPU to do more work hence produce more heat. Bear in mind that Li-Ion batteries hate the heat, and easily depreciate when exposed to certain degrees. However, the heat evolved by our CPUs isn’t enough to cause an explosion (for this to happen “extreme heat” will be needed).

3. Charging overnight will cause an explosion
Now, this is not always true. As written above, our phones are smart enough to know when a full charge has been reached and will cut contact. However, this highly depends on the type of charger used. Some chargers will lead to a failure of the inner circuitry leading to overcharging. This eventually leads to an overheating (extreme heat), damaging the inner structure of the battery and you
guess what happens next. That is why it is important to ALWAYS aim to use the original charger, or buy from well-known brands like Samsung. Also, check the power ratings of the charger you use. Aim at using good quality chargers that have the same ratings as your original charger, and avoid those with way higher current intake than the one on your original charger, as high current leads to heat. So the danger here is not charging your phone overnight, but the type of charger you use.

4. The presence of a phone in a kitchen with the gas open will lead to an explosion
To be honest, when I first read this I burst into laughter because of the probability of this to happen (which is very close to 0). If you have an old cooker with defections that frequently leak gas, the only thing that can lead to an explosion is a spark or fire. In case of a spark, the static electricity produced will ignite a fire that will travel back to the gas cylinder and BOOM! You find yourself scour. On a more serious tone phone do not produce sparks, UNLESS there is a short circuit in
your battery and it is about to explode (very unlucky scenario). However today, the inner components of our phones are insulated to water and even dust. Hence the probability of a spark inside your phone to produce static electricity in the air is very unlikely. Honestly, you should be more careful with other probable sources of sparks such as turning on/off lights or plugging/unplugging devices.
Besides, this is why gas stations do not explode despite the number of switched-on phones around.

Precautions:
If you are still skeptical and care much for your investment and life, here are some proposed precautions:

Our batteries have a finite charging cycle, and each time your battery reaches 0% reduces a cycle. It is advised to keep your battery between 30% and 80% for the most paranoiac of us (you will have however replaced your phone/battery since then).
Always use the original phone charger or a good quality one from reputable brands (it
maybe expensive but it’s worth it if you don’t want to wake up to a fire at night).
Invest in good quality earphones if the slightest electrocution upset you (or you can invest in wireless earbuds!).
Avoid loading heavy apps while your phone is charging to keep the life of your battery extended
While a permanently inflated battery does not represent an immediate danger, it is always a good idea to replace the battery as soon as it inflates.
Avoid dropping your phone as much as possible, or use rubber cases as they better absorb shocks
Avoid switching any device if you smell gas in the house
And it is obvious not to place your phone near heat sources.

The post finally comes to an end. I know it is pretty long but I think it was worth writing about. Smartphones and any other electrical devices functioning on rechargeable LIB are meant to be used, and no one has the right to prevent you from enjoying their use! Please feel free to comment if you have any other questions!