Articles by Harish Jonnalagadda

MIUI has come a long way in the last two years, and while the interface has received a much-needed facelift and a trove of new features, it still has a few lingering issues. Push notifications continue to be a significant problem in MIUI thanks to Xiaomi’s aggressive memory management, but there is a workaround. Here’s how to fix push notifications in MIUI.

Products used in this guide

Still going strong: Xiaomi Mi 9T (£399 at Xiaomi UK)

How to fix push notifications in MIUI

To get around MIUI’s memory management, you’ll have to select autostart for apps that aren’t sending push notifications.

Open Settings from the home screen.
Scroll down to the Apps sub-menu.
Select Permissions.

Tap Autostart.
Choose the apps that aren’t sending push notifications.
Toggle the slider to ensure the apps always start in the background.

If you don’t see a particular app listed in autostart or are still facing issues with notifications, you should disable the built-in battery optimizat…

The coronavirus has spread to 188 countries around the world, and it shows no signs of abating. The pandemic has proved particularly devastating in recent weeks, with total confirmed cases crossing 4.7 million and fatalities of over 315,000 globally.

The virus has effectively shut down all sporting leagues around the world, major gatherings including tech events and music festivals, and closed down restaurants and malls. It has transformed how we live and work, and how we connect with our friends and families. Tech brands are doing their part to assist, with Google teaming up with Apple to build a coronavirus tracking tool.

Here’s the latest on the coronavirus and how it’s affecting not only the tech industry, but also the world at large.

May 21, 2020: UK contact tracing app won’t be available until June

The UK’s NHS has previously stated that its contact tracing app would be available around mid-May, but that has been pushed to June. The government is using its own solution ins…

Motorola’s Android 10 rollout doesn’t really inspire a lot of confidence.

Under Lenovo’s tutelage, Motorola’s software update efforts have been put on the backburner. The brand used to be the benchmark for timely software updates, but in the last three years that goodwill has been eroded as Motorola reneged on updates to phones like the Moto Z2 Force, the Moto E5 series, and more. Instead of delivering two platform updates and three years of security updates, Motorola now provides just one platform update and security updates “every other month.”

Motorola even tried to enforce the single platform update policy on its 2020 flagship, the $999 Edge+. After intense backlash, Motorola is now promising two platform updates for the device.

In addition to delivering fewer updates, Motorola is taking longer to roll out updates it has promised in the first place. The Moto G7 is just getting its Android 10 update in May 2020. Motorola’s Android One phones, however, will receive two platform …

The Galaxy A71 offers everything you’re looking for in a mid-range phone in 2020.

From the very beginning, the Galaxy A series was meant to target the mid-range segment. But last year, Samsung diversified the series to include the budget segment as well, leading to devices like the Galaxy A10 and A20. Samsung streamlined its strategy here, and the Galaxy A series now caters to both the budget and mid-range categories.

One of the best phones to come out of the Galaxy A lineup last year was the Galaxy A70. It was the first Samsung phone to offer 25W wired charging, and offered decent specs in the form of a Snapdragon 675. The Galaxy A71 builds on that formula with updates to the camera and chipset, and it also sports an exciting new design with a smaller cutout.

Samsung hasn’t changed too much here from last year, but the updates make the Galaxy A71 an enticing option in the mid-range category in 2020. With the phone slated to debut in the U.S. shortly, here’s what you need to know …

Xiaomi’s 2019 5G flagship is stuck on Android 9.0 Pie, and it doesn’t look like it will be updated to Android 10.

Xiaomi introduced MIUI 12 last month in China, and is set to introduce the global version of the ROM in the coming weeks. MIUI 12 comes with a host of exciting new features and much-needed privacy controls, and will be rolling out to devices starting next month.

But one device that has fallen by the wayside is the Mi Mix 3 5G. The phone debuted last year to much fanfare as Xiaomi set its sights on the 5G segment in European markets, but lackluster sales have dampened those ambitions. As a refresher, the Mi Mix 3 5G was announced at last year’s Mobile World Congress, and featured a 3800mAh battery and the Snapdragon 855 along with the Snapdragon X50 5G modem.

Xiaomi announced 5G partnerships with Vodafone, TIM, Three, Orange, and Sunrise, and the Mi Mix 3 5G went on sale in May 2019 for €599 ($645). A year later, the phone is still on Android 9.0 Pie, and it doesn’t l…

Slack was down for a few hours, but the issue has been resolved.

What you need to know

Users across the world are unable to connect to Slack right now.
Slack’s status dashboard shows the problem originated around 7:30 pm ET.
The company is now trying to fix the issue, but there’s no timeline on when it will be resolved.

Update: Slack fixed the issue, and the service is back to normal.

Original story follows:

Slack is down right now, with users from all around the globe unable to connect to the service. The problem originated at around 7:30pm ET on May 12, and isn’t limited to one region. I’m not able to log in to the service from India, with Slack returning a 503 error (service unavailable).

Slack’s status dashboard details the outage: “Users are unable to connect to Slack. We are investigating and will provide an update shortly.” The company posted an update that some users may be able to connect to the service, but that it is still investigating the issue:

Some custom…

Google Pixel 3a

Incredible value

$360 at Amazon

Pros

Same great rear camera as Pixel 3
Astounding value for money
Headphone jack
Stereo speakers

Cons

No wireless charging
No IP rating
Plastic build

The Pixel 3a is particularly interesting because it brings the Pixel 3’s excellent camera to the mid-range segment. That means you get the same image quality as a true flagship for much less. You also get the same great software experience, and it still offers incredible value even a year after launch.

Google Pixel 3

Discounted flagship

$400 at Amazon

Pros

Great for one-handed use
Dual front cameras
IP68 resistance
Wireless charging
Sleek metal build

Cons

No headphone jack
Weak battery life
Shorter software update lifespan

If you’re looking for a small phone with top-notch hardware at a sub-flagship price, the Pixel 3 is a good competitor to the 3a. You’re getting better hardware and IP68 resistance, but it’s otherwise starting to show its age. This is now a near…

Google Pixel 3a XL

Nexus reborn

$380 at Amazon

Pros

Outstanding value
Same camera as the 3 XL
Headphone jack
Three years of software updates

Cons

No unlimited original photo uploads
No water resistance
No wireless charging

The Pixel 3a XL is the “lite” version of the 3 XL, and while it has a mid-range chipset and is missing out on some features, it has the same rear camera as its costlier sibling. The result is that you get the same fantastic camera on a phone that costs less than the Pixel 3 XL. Oh, and the phone also has a headphone jack.

Google Pixel 3 XL

All the extras

$425 at Amazon

Pros

High-end hardware
Excellent front and rear cameras
IP68 water resistance
Wireless charging
Three years of software updates

Cons

More expensive
No headphone jack
Average battery life

The Pixel 3 XL is Google’s late-2018 flagship, and in many ways still feels modern. The display is large (although a bit dim), you get solid internals, wireless charging, IP68 resistance, a…

MIUI 12 brings a lot of visual tweaks and fine-tuned control over privacy settings.

MIUI continues to be one of the most popular Android skins around, with over 400 million users around the world. Xiaomi being the number one handset manufacturer in India means there are over 100 million MIUI users in India alone, and in recent years the Chinese manufacturer made decent strides in optimizing the skin for a global audience.

MIUI 11 was introduced back in October 2019, and just six months later Xiaomi is rolling out MIUI 12. The update is now live in China and will be making its way to the global MIUI build starting May 19. Even though it has just been six months from the release of MIUI 11, Xiaomi was able to add a host of new features to MIUI 12 to make it stand out. It’s clear from using the ROM that Xiaomi focused its attention on optimization and tweaking the overall look of the UI. As a result, animations are smoother, visual elements are more modern, and the interface as a whol…

Best for meetings

Google Meet

Free / $6 per month at Google

Pros

Now free for everyone
Works natively in a browser
Encryption enabled by default
Grid layout for video calls
Easy screen sharing and collaboration

Cons

Needs a Google account
Some features require paid plan

Google Meet is a fantastic service for large-scale meetings. It works natively in a browser, lets you easily share your screen, has robust collaboration tools, and now offers a grid layout for calls. Encryption is enabled automatically, you can easily record your meetings, and the best part is that it is now freely available for everybody to use.

Great for families

Google Duo

Free at Google

Pros

Designed for one-on-one communication
Rock-solid connectivity
End-to-end encryption
Fun AR filters
Now works with 12 participants

Cons

Not suited for large-scale meetings
Cannot add people to ongoing calls

Google Duo is better suited for mobile video calls or casual conversations. The servic…