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WhatsApp Auto Backups on Google Drive Not Protected by Encryption

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In a revelation that's being described as shocking and unacceptable  by sections of the media and users alike, WhatsApp has announced that backed-up chats, messages, images and videos on Google Drive are not protected by the former's end-to-end encryption. In a message posted on the FAQ section of its official blog, the Facebook owned messaging platform says that "Media and messages you back up aren't protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in Google Drive". The development comes just days after the Google and WhatsApp announced a tie-up that will allow people to back-up all their WhatsApp messages on Google Drive without worrying about running out of free storage. According to e-mails sent by Google to Gmail users earlier this month, WhatsApp "backups will no longer count against Google Drive storage quota" as part of an agreement between the two companies. It's worth noting here that end-to-end encryption is one of the most

Pixel 3 XL Leaks Shows Wireless Charging And Camera Samples

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Another day and another Pixel 3 XL leak. By now the next Google flagship is quickly becoming the worst-kept secret this year. We have already seen multiple leaks including hands-on videos, photographs and 'in-the-wild' images as well. Today's leaks show off the rumoured wireless charging, camera samples from the single rear camera and a closer look at the in-box accessories of what is probably the retail Google Pixel 3 XL unit. Let's take them one-step at a time. Wireless Charging Shown off by Russian tech blogger Maxim Khoroshev, the newest leaks reveal the Pixel 3 XL's wireless charging feature. The Video shows the blogger place the device on the wireless charging pad and the Pixel 3 XL wakes up with a charging animation. pic.twitter.com/XtAtAeWreH — Максим Хорошев (@khoroshev) August 22, 2018 In-Box Accessories We got a look at a the box contents of the Google Pixel 3 XL retail unit in an earlier leak. This one gives you a clear look at e

Android Pie Has Been Confirmed For These Phones

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Android Pie has finally been served and I'm sure you are waiting for the update with bated breath, if your smartphone already runs on Android Oreo. Many companies have been dishing out promotional information about the availability of Android Pie for their smartphones which has helped up compile a brand-wise list. This is also first time that Google opened up beta testing for smartphones other than the Pixel or Nexus Devices, which makes us feel positive that Android P should have a much wider reach than Android Oreo. However, skipping incremental updates and going directly from Nougat to Android Pie is something that most manufacturers are opting for. So keep your fingers crossed and follow through to know if your smartphone had made it to this list or not. Here are all the models that have already received or have been promised and update to the sweetest version of Android, so far. Google Users of the Google Pixel devices have already received the update to Androi

Five Mind Blowing Features of Newly Arrived Samsung Galaxy Note 9

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Samsung finally launched the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 9  flagship smartphone at its signature 'Unpacked' launch event last week. I know, the device looks and feels a lot like its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 8, and can be mistaken for just a refresh but that's not the case here. The Korean giant didn't change much on the design front, but the Galaxy Note 9 packs in a ton of new features including the Bluetooth-supported S Pen, Samsung's biggest-ever battery, accessory-free DeX support, and a lot more. 1. S Pen Obviously, the biggest change introduced with the Galaxy Note 9 is the new S Pen. This accessory, which is the trademark for the Note lineup, was previously just a smart stylus that helped you take down notes or send live messages. However, it's now upgraded to come equipped with "Bluetooth Low Energy" and built-in battery. The S Pen takes only about a minute to charge once it's placed back in its housing inside the Note 9. I

Soon Whatsapp will warn you of 'dangerous links' sent to you

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   Every time someone shares a link with you over WhatsApp, you get a preview of the page's contents. Now this useful feature is getting a new addition which will alert users when they are sharing a potentially insecure link. The feature is currently available on the 2.18.204 beta version of WhatsApp. Whenever a user receives a link to a third party website, WhatsApp will conduct a background check to verify the authenticity of the website and will alert the user  if it identifies something suspicious. But that's not all, WhatsApp will inform the users once again when they tap on the link and give them the options between opening the link and going back. Reports are already confirming that this data is analyzed locally due to WhatsApp's encryption feature. But it also means that the feature scans the link loosely and makes a guess. While the report does not clarify which links WhatsApp marks as suspicious, by looking at the shared screenshots, it is safe

Android P Developer Features You Should Know

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Android P Logo It has becoming a March Celebration, Google releasing another early Developer Preview of the next major version of Android. For all the Android enthusiasts out there you can check out the Android P Developer Preview right now  to take it for a test drive. Let's take a glance of what these new awesome features are. Support Notches Looks like Android Manufacturers are following Apple's iPhone X notch idea. Bloomberg announced a while back that Android P would include support for the iPhone X style notches, looks like that announcement is now official. Lockdown Mode Android P now lets you temporarily disable biometric authentication and smart lock. You can momentarily prevent someone from forcing you to unlock your device using biometric methods. So the other person is required to enter PIN, pattern or password to unlock the device. Autofil in browsers One limitation of Android Oreo's implementation of Autofill was its

YouTube will disappear from the Amazon Fire TV and Echo Show as spat between Google and Amazon grows

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Google and Amazon have been engaged in a skirmish a bit lately around the implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show. A rare public spat in the technology industry escalated on Tuesday when Google said it would block its video streaming application YouTube from two Amazon devices and also criticized the online retailer for not selling Google hardware. The video-streaming access fight has been going on for some time now. In September, Google blocked YouTube support for the Echo Show and at the time said Amazon's implementation "violates our terms of services, creating a broken user experience". This was resolved in November for Echo Show users, when Amazon began directing users to the web version, a simple that left a lot to be desired. " We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services. But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn&