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android

Google releases Android N for developers preview

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Ahead of the IO conference, Google is surprisingly making the developer preview of the Android N available for Nexus devices. The release of a WIP (work-in-progress) build is to incorporate developer feedback earlier in the product-development life cycle.

The most important inclusions are multi-window, which will be a game-changer once it gets incorporated into consumer models, direct reply as well as bundled notifications, improved Java 8 support and an overall focus on better efficiency in terms of resource usage.

The build will also be available for end users via an OTA (Over-The-Air) update after registering here. However, Google doesn’t recommend it since it doesn’t feature regular functionality.

[Via Android Developer]

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge pre-booking starts today

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After revealing them at the MWC 16 last month, Samsung has begun the pre-booking of its flagship devices: the S7 and S7 Edge in India today.

Physically, the devices have gotten various tweaks and improvements over the previous S6 series. The metal and 3D glass body have a slimmer profile, eliminating the  camera hump of the S6, which had come under criticism. The camera features Dual Pixel technology that lets users take quality images in low-light conditions.

The ‘always on’ display shows time, date and incoming notifications on a dimmed display. While the smartphones are dual-SIM, the hybrid SIM card slot also doubles as a microSD card slot for users wanting to expand the phone memory.

Pre-ordering until 17 March 2016 will net the user a free GearVR bundle.

Available in 3 variants, Black Onyx, Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium, the S7 will be sold for Rs 48,900 (32GB) and the S7 Edge for Rs 56,900 (32GB) from 18 March 2016.

WhatsApp adds support for document sharing

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The oft-requested feature of document sharing has finally been introduced to WhatsApp. Currently, only PDF files can be shared on iOS and Android while it is still forthcoming on Windows.

Files can also be shared from a large selection of cloud storage sites like Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud. Both users need to have the latest version of the app to share files with each other. File transfer is protected by end-to-end encryption just like the chats. After a document is shared, WhatsApp displays the file preview including the page count, file size and type.

The addition of the document sharing icon has had the effect of combining both Photo and Video sharing options into one Camera icon instead.

WhatsApp has been gradually rolling out a slew of features focusing on attracting more businesses towards the service.

WhatsApp to end Legacy OS support

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After breaking the one-billion barrier last month, the recently turned seven-year-old WhatsApp announced that it will be pulling the plug on legacy development for outdated mobile operating systems by the end of 2016.

However, in the case of Blackberry it would cease development altogether on the platform, an announcement that led furious users to create a petition to force WhatsApp to reconsider the move.

The complete list includes the following:-
BlackBerry (including BlackBerry 10)
Nokia S40
Nokia Symbian S60
Android 2.1 and Android 2.2
Windows Phone 7.1

WhatsApp justified the move by stating how current trends have changed since 2009, when Blackberry and Nokia owned the lion’s share of the smartphone market. At the time Android had barely just taken off and the Apple store was only a few months old.

[Via WhatsApp Blog]

Asus Zenfone receives latest Android upgrade

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Asus announced the rollout of the latest Android Marshmallow 6.0 upgrade for its Zenfone range. It will automatically replace Google Calendar, Gmail and Messenger with ZenUI replacements as default apps. However, the default Google apps will be restored in the Android M update.

The following models are receiving the upgrade this month:
ZenFone 2 (ZE550ML, ZE551ML)
ZenFone 2 Deluxe (ZE551ML)
ZenFone 2 Laser ( ZE500KL, ZE550KL, ZE601KL)
ZenFone Selfie (ZD551KL)
ZenFone Max (ZC550KL)
ZenFone Zoom (ZX551ML)

Other Asus mobile phones will receive the update from April 2016 onwards.