Articles by Babu Mohan

The feature won’t be available to Android users, at least initially.

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Netflix has reportedly started rolling out a new feature called Kids Clips.
The feature appears to be inspired by TikTok and has been designed specifically for kids.
It will only be available in select markets initially.

Netflix is adding a new TikTok-like feature called Kids Clips to its mobile app, according to a report from Bloomberg. Kids Clips builds on the “Fast Laughs” feature, which was rolled out to users earlier this year.

The new feature will show short clips from Netflix’ vast library of children’s movies and TV shows. New clips will be added daily based on the streaming giant’s “current and future offerings.” Similar to Fast Laughs, Netflix’s goal with Kids Clips is to introduce its younger viewers to new titles. At the same time, the company is also hoping to reach viewers that watch short clips on YouTube Shorts and TikTok.

However, there’s one big difference between Net…

Google Assistant appears to be “misinterpreting” call commands on Pixel phones even in quiet environments.

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Google’s Pixel 6 series phones appear to have a weird bug.
Some Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners have noticed that their phones are ghost dialing random contacts.
Google hasn’t acknowledged the bug yet.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are two of the best Android phones that Google has launched so far. Both phones pack impressive specs and offer great value too. Like previous Pixel phones, however, they aren’t completely free from issues.

Some Pixel 6 series owners have taken to Reddit to report a weird bug related to the Google Assistant (via Android Authority). According to some owners, the Pixel 6 series phones ghost dial random contacts even when they aren’t anywhere near the phones.

The issue has been reported on the Pixel Phone Help page as well, with owners claiming the Google Assistant “butt dials” specific contacts when the phone was inside their pockets wit…

The images are claimed to be of a final Galaxy S22 Ultra prototype.

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The first real-world images of the Galaxy S22 Ultra have surfaced.
As suggested by previously leaked renders, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a Note 20 Ultra-like design with a built-in S Pen slot.
Samsung is rumored to unveil the S22 Ultra alongside other Galaxy S22 series phones in February 2022.

Back in September, reliable leaker @OnLeaks joined hands with Digit to post the first CAD renders of Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra. The first real-world images of the phone have now appeared online, courtesy of tipster Jon Prosser.

The real-life images of the Galaxy S22 Ultra largely corroborate the design revealed by the CAD renders of the phone. Unlike the current Galaxy S21 Ultra, the S22 Ultra will look a lot more like a Galaxy Note series device. It appears to have a more rectangular frame, instead of the curved edges on its predecessor. The images also confirm the phone will have a curved…

Voting is now open globally.

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Voting for the Google Play Best of 2021 awards is now open.
You can vote for your favorite Android apps and games of the year until November 17.
Winners of the Users’ Choice and Best of 2021 picks will be announced on November 30.

Google on November 3 opened user voting for the Google Play Best of awards. Android users around the world will be able to vote for their favorite apps and games of 2021 until November 17.

Google will announce the winners of both the Users’ Choice awards and the Best of 2021 picks from the Google Play editorial team on November 30. The editorial team will be judging the best Android apps and games of 2021 on their overall quality, design, technical performance, and innovation.

The following apps are the nominees for the Users’ Choice App of 2021 award:

BitClass: Learn Anything. Live. Together!
Sortizy- Recipes, Meal Planner and Grocery Lists
Evolve Mental Health
Being: your mental health friend
Clu…

It isn’t clear if the Venu 2 Plus will arrive before the end of the year.

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A new rumor claims Garmin will soon launch a new smartwatch called the Venu 2 Plus.
The “Plus” version is tipped to add a third physical button for microphone capabilities.
At this point, it isn’t clear if the smartwatch will be paired with a voice assistant.

Back in April, Garmin announced the Venu 2, a fitness-focused smartwatch with an AMOLED display and built-in GPS. According to Dave Zatz from Zats Not Funny, a “Plus” version of the Venu 2 could be unveiled soon.

Garmin Venu 2 *Plus* incoming. Adds a 3rd physical button to support microphone capabilities. But will it be paired with a voice assistant?? Hm! pic.twitter.com/E9LO6yK7VK— Dave Zatz (@davezatz) November 2, 2021

While there are no details on the key upgrades that the Venu 2 Plus will bring to the table, Zatz claims it will have an additional physical button to support microphone capabilities. Thanks to a built-in…

The new Redmi fitness band is very similar to the Xiaomi Mi Band 6.

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Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand has rolled out a new budget fitness tracker called the Redmi Smart Band Pro.
It comes with a 1.47-inch AMOLED display, a PPG heart rate monitor, and a SpO2 sensor.
Redmi has also unveiled an affordable smartwatch called the Redmi Watch 2 Lite.

Redmi, which launched its first-ever fitness tracker last year, has now introduced a new device that has the specs to give the best cheap fitness trackers a run for their money. The new Redmi Smart Band Pro comes with nearly all the features that you’d find in Xiaomi’s Mi Band 6 — including a bright AMOLED screen and blood oxygen monitoring.

The new Redmi Smart Band Pro has a 1.47-inch AMOLED screen with a 66.7% screen-to-body ratio and Always-on display support. The body of the fitness tracker is made using polycaprolactam, which is further reinforced using glass fiber.

Redmi’s latest fitness tracker comes with over 1…

It isn’t clear if the issues are widespread or affect only a small number of units.

Update, Nov 1 (06:45 ET): A fix is incoming

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A few Pixel 6 users are experiencing weird screen flickering issues.
The flickering happens when the power button is pressed while the phone is off.
Some owners are also complaining about a green tint on the screen.

Some customers who received their Pixel 6 and 6 Pro phones earlier this week have noticed a weird screen flicker problem on their phones.

According to complaints from owners on Reddit, the display flicker issue appears when pressing the power button while the phones are switched off. For now, It doesn’t look like Google’s best Android phones of 2021 exhibit the same behavior when they are turned on.

A few Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners are also reporting a green tint on the display. While the flickering issue hasn’t been reported on previous Pixel phones, some Pixel 5a and Pixel 4 XL devices were also affected by the gre…

“GS201” could be Google’s next-gen Tensor chipset.

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Google has apparently started working on its second-gen Tensor chipset.
The chipset is said to be codenamed “Cloudripper” and could be used in the Pixel 7 series phones.
No hardware details have been revealed yet, so we’ll have to wait longer to find out if the chip will be a massive upgrade over the first-gen Tensor.

A new report from 9to5Google suggests Google is planning to use a second-generation Tensor chipset to power the Pixel 7 series phones. The publication’s APK Insight Team found references to a new “Cloudripper” codename while researching apps included in the latest Pixel 6 series phones.

The report claims Cloudripper is tied to a second-generation Google Tensor chipset with the model number GS201. Google’s first-gen Tensor chip, which powers Google’s best Android phones, carries the model number GS101. The same GS201 model number has also been spotted by tipster Mishaal Rahman in recently su…

Google says the JioPhone Next delivers a “best-in-class smartphone experience.”

What you need to know

The JioPhone Next will be available to purchase in India from November 4.
It has been priced at ₹6,499 (about $87) in the country.
Developed in collaboration with Google, the budget phone runs Android-based Pragati OS.

Back in June this year, India’s Reliance Jio and Google announced the JioPhone Next, an “ultra-affordable” smartphone with an optimized Android experience. Nearly four months later, the two companies have announced that the phone will finally be going on sale in the country from November 4.

The JioPhone Next has been priced at ₹6,499 (about $87) in India, making it significantly cheaper than some of the best budget Android phones on sale in the country right now. Customers can also purchase the phone using an Easy EMI option by paying ₹1,999 upfront.

To purchase the JioPhone Next, users will have to visit the Jio website and register. Users can also…

The latest Google Camera update currently doesn’t work on older Pixel phones.

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Google Camera v8.4.167 is now rolling out to Pixel phones.
The update finally brings support for Bluetooth microphones, along with new toggles for white balance and exposure.
You can download the update from the Google Play Store.

Google has released an updated version of its Camera app with some new features and improvements, just a day before the Pixel 6 series phones finally go on sale. Along with new features, the latest Google Camera update (v8.4.167) also brings performance improvements and other enhancements.

For now, however, the update appears to be limited to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. While you can sideload the app on older Pixels, the app crashes just a few seconds after being launched.

As you can see in the screenshots shared by Mishaal Rahman on Twitter, the update brings toggles for manual white balance and exposure controls. There is also a new Timer light feature t…