Google Assistant has been helping to find your Android device for quite some time now but today Google announced new automation and web features coming to Google Assistant for Android and iOS. The most notable feature being that even iPhone users can locate their lost iPhone with the help of Google Assistant.
Android users are already familiar with the feature as Google Assistant triggers a sound on Android devices if it gets lost. Obviously, for this, you have to use a Google Assistant-enabled Smart Speaker, as Google states you can tell your Nest smart speaker or smart display, “Hey Google, find my phone,” works on iPhones now.
For iPhones, once you are opt-in to receiving notifications and critical alerts from the Google Home app, you’ll get a notification and hear a custom ringing sound (even when the phone is on silent or if Do Not Disturb is enabled).
Also, Google has introduced a new feature that will enable you to order food hands-free, Assistant can now help you complete your purchase in only a few steps powered by Duplex on the web.
Another interesting feature recently introduced has to be the new Assistant Routines that will automatically perform multiple actions at once with a single command. For example, you can automatically have your living room lights turn on, and the sprinklers start when the sun goes down.
Apple made a bold decision last year by launching the small iPhone 12 Mini, which both raised criticisms and an appreciation for a smaller phone. However, people didn’t appreciate much as it did not do well in sales and this is why renowned Apple analyst has made a bold assumption.
Ming-Chi Kuo believes this is the end of the line for the 5.4-inch model, which had all the regular iPhone features. As reported by MacRumors, Kuo has said that the 2022 iPhone lineup will also consist of four new models, including high-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models and low-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models.
So this means even though you could expect the iPhone 13 Mini this year, but next year, surely it would be gone. This is mainly because of the unexpected down sales of the iPhone 12 Mini as even Apple seems to offer a discount on it to sell the iPhone or rather convince people to buy.
This is because a smartphone these days cannot be that small as these days; people do many things on their phones and so expect them to be in the 6-inch territory. When you are getting bigger phones with a better display from Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus, and others, it makes no sense for an iPhone of that size.
Already, Apple’s budget iPhone SE is quite popular among budget iPhone seekers. However, that 4.7-inch display is quite disheartening in 2021 even though the new iPhone 12 Mini has a better display and reduced bezels but seems to be less convincing to people who are happy to pay more for the regular iPhone 12.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., (TSMC) the world’s largest contract chipmaker, boosted its spending and revenue growth targets for this year as tech companies stretching from carmakers to PC suppliers scramble for chips.
The world’s No. 1 maker of advanced silicon said on Thursday that its automaker industry clients can breathe a sigh of relief and expect chip shortages to begin easing next quarter. Supply disruptions that have forced the likes of GM and Ford to curtail production would alleviate a little. However, Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei told analysts on a conference call that overall deficits of critical semiconductors will last throughout 2021 and potentially into next year.
This year, after spending $8.8 billion in the first three months, TSMC now expects investments of about $30 billion on capacity expansions and upgrades, Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang said. The company had previously forecast spending of as much as $28 billion. Sales in the June quarter may beat the average $12.8 billion seen by analysts and reach $13.2 billion, while full-year revenue may climb 20% in dollar terms, ahead of the “mid-teens” growth predicted in January.
“We see the demand continue to be high and the shortage will continue throughout this year and maybe extended into 2022 also,” said CEO C.C. Wei, according to Bloomberg.
TSMC provides the chips that power Apple Inc.’s iPhones, smart TVs, and connected cars, the surge in demand for these chips has thrust the Taiwanese company into the center of a global supply chain crunch that has idled auto plants and fueled a shortage of popular consumer products like game consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox X. While TSMC has kept its fabs running at “over 100% utilization,” it still cannot satisfy all its customers and it has pledged to invest $100 billion over the next three years to expand.
Net income for the Q1 of 2021 climbed 19% to NT (New Taiwan) $139.7 billion ($4.9 billion USD), versus the average analyst estimate of NT$136.2 billion. Gross margin for the Jan-March period eased to 52.4% from 54% in the three months prior, due in part to exchange-rate fluctuations and relatively lower levels of utilization. According to a company statement last week, Q1 revenue rose 17% to NT$362.4 billion.
“TSMC is likely to achieve a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 15% with its $100 billion CAPEX spending over the next three years due to better-than-expected long-term semiconductor demand,” Cathay Futures analyst Felix Hsu said in a note dated April 7.
U.S. President Joe Biden has proposed $50 billion to support semiconductor research and manufacturing at home as major American carmakers and other gadget suppliers face a prolonged shortage of chips. TSMC’s $12 billion plan to build a cutting-edge fab in Arizona this year could be aided by the initiative.
Shares of the largest Taiwanese company have more than doubled over the past year. On Thursday, the stock advanced 1.1% before the company reported earnings.
Shares of TSMC move in consolidation lately
The Taiwanese chipmaker’s most advanced technologies continued to account for nearly half of revenue, with 7nm and 5nm processes contributing 35% and 14% of sales, respectively. According to a report by Bloomberg, “by business segment, TSMC’s smartphone business amounted for about 45% of revenue, while high-performance computing increased to more than a third, reflecting sustained demand for devices even as economies start to emerge from the pandemic.”
The Cupertino giant is expected to reveal the details on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 along with other platforms at its 2021 WWDC event. However, before the official event, we are listening to some juicy details about the new oncoming operating systems.
From rumors, we hear that the latest iOS 15 will feature a redesigned Control Center and support for dual biometric authentication for Face ID as well as Touch ID.
According to sources, the iOS 15 will feature a new Control Center design that takes design cues from macOS Big Sur. The new design in iOS 15 will be compact and will support customization via drag and drop.
The new operating system will also reportedly have a new biometric authentication system in iOS 15, which will work with Face ID and Touch ID. The new biometric feature will be exclusive to the iPhone 13 and will require the user to authenticate their biometrics through Face ID and Touch ID to unlock their device. Thus, making the iPhone 13 the first iPhone ever to support Touch ID and Face ID.
Touch ID will potentially be an under-display sensor that will be infused into the front glass. It will be locked through a serial ID running through the A15 chip, which will power the new iPhone.
With a new operating system design and powerful new silicon, the iPhone 13 is expected to become the most successful iPhone ever.
The iPhone 12 Series has been priced reasonably in countries such as the U.S. and UAE. However, India is one of the most expensive countries to buy an iPhone due to the tax system, import duties levied on these smartphones, and a weak rupee conversion; their prices have increased to insane levels.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is available in the U.S. at almost the same price as the 12 Pro is available in India! Isn’t that disappointing for us?
You can save up to Rs. 43,000 while buying the iPhone 12 Pro Max from countries such as the UAE or the U.S. An analysis by India Today revealed that the cost of flight tickets to Dubai, hotel rent, and an iPhone 12 Pro Max will cost you lower than the device itself purchased in India.
Here are a few countries where you can buy the iPhone at the cheapest rates.
1. United States of America
In the USA, the tax system is a little complicated as all states in the country have different taxes for different commodities. The price of the iPhone 12 Mini can range from 699$ to around 750$ in the country that is still much lower than that in India.
We can take the cheapest case as Hampshire, there are almost no taxes, implying that you can get the highest model at Rs. 102,000 (approx), while the same is available in India at Rs. 159,999. Moreover, as the US features the largest customer base of Apple and occupies the largest chunk of worldwide sales, Apple keeps the prices quite competitive here.
2. Japan
The iPhone 12 Series is priced the least in Japan with the iPhone 12 Mini (64GB) costs 74800 Yen, which roughly converts to Rs. 50,500, at the time of writing this. These insanely low prices come from the fact that the Japanese market is very important to Apple, the prices here are very low. They need to keep attracting customers in Japan who are looking for a phone at a reasonable price.
3. Canada
The iPhone 12 Series prices in Canada are very similar to their North American counterparts, the U.S. Here, too, there are different taxes for different states and the cheapest iPhone 12 Mini is available at 979 Canadian Dollars, which roughly translates to Rs. 58,000, at the time of writing this. You can save up to Rs. 48,000 for the top-end 512GB variant if you import the iPhone 12 Pro Max from Canada.
4. Dubai
Taxes here in the UAE, one of the richest countries in the world, are negligible. Apple has occupied a major chunk in the UAE market, owing to the affordable prices of the devices in the country. Moreover, due to the country’s rich and stable economy, most of the residents prefer buying an iPhone over any other Android device. The iPhone 12 Pro (128GB) is available at approximately Rs. 84,000, which is almost two-thirds of its cost in India.
5. Australia
If the ultimate iPhone, the 12 Pro Max, is your target, then Australia is the right destination. The phone can be purchased at a starting price of 1849 Australian Dollars, which approximately equals Rs. 1,05,000. The other models, too, are available at lower prices.
According to the latest sources, WhatsApp, the number one social media chatting platform in the world, is currently testing a feature that will allow the transfer of chats between iPhone and Android. The platform has lots of features and is easy to use, however, it is rather painful to transfer WhatsApp data from an iPhone to an Android device or vice versa.
There are many unofficial methods available on the internet. But it just does not have the same effect, resulting in the loss of images, videos, or maybe even some chat threads. However, the new feature which the Facebook-owned chat platform is now testing will allow users to use WhatsApp on multiple devices. And the ability to move your chats to iPhone or Android (or between each other) will be a part of said feature.
When the user tries to link a device having a different operative system to his WhatsApp account, it’s always needed to update to the latest WhatsApp update available on the App Store or TestFlight, to avoid any compatibility error with the Android version.
The feature is currently in its beta testing phase and we have no clue as to when the feature will be made available to everyone. However, it is going to be a life-saver for those who want to migrate their WhatsApp data without having to fall into a hassle.
Currently, WhatsApp doesn’t allow users to have their service running on multiple devices at once. Users only have the option to use WhatsApp on multiple devices via using a web interface. This feature is going to be massive for people who are planning to switch from iPhone to Android or vice versa.
iPhone SE Plus smartphone has already created a buzz in huge amounts but we may not see that handset hitting the market very soon. Apple iPhone SE Plus might not be revealed at all this year because it is expected to feature a radical design change, such as a notch-less display. The famous Display analyst Ross Young has predicted that iPhone SE Plus will be Apple’s first affordable handset to feature a punch-hole camera at the front. Also, it might sport a 6.1-inch display.
If this prediction happens to be true, then the US giant won’t be able to use any of its previous smartphone designs from the year 2021. This is because all the iPhone 13 variants are expected to arrive with a notch whereas the iPhone SE Plus is expected to be a notch-less device. The well-known analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, also had a prediction of his own.
He expects Apple to unveil some iPhone models with a punch-hole display in 2022. In this case, Apple will be able to use 2022 smartphone models to launch iPhone SE Plus by 2023. They might only use the base frame of iPhone 14 if they are launched by next year. The same frame can be utilized further in the making of the iPhone SE Plus. Unfortunately, much is not known about the possible smartphone which Apple might launch in 2022.
Ming-Chi Kuo also mentioned that iPhone SE Plus might not have Face ID support at all! It might come with a Touch ID that is integrated into the side-mounted power button. In reality, it is the iPad 4 which became the first device to feature a power button Touch ID. Thus, a possibility that Ming-Chi Kuo might be correct about this prediction. We are talking about a device that is still a bit far from here so let’s wait and see what Apple has in store to throw at us.
Apple has officially announced the date of WWDC 2021 and this time it is scheduled for 7th April, Monday. Just like last year, Apple has decided to conduct the WWDC 2021 online due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic that has again started in parts of the world with a number of increasing cases day by day. The official launch time has not been revealed by it’s usually at 10 am PDT.
As the official developer-focused conference of Apple is going online this time, so the developers won’t be able to attend it in person and the reason is obvious. Then also they can join from around the world and will be able to tune into the announcement-packed WWDC 2021 live stream starting June 7 that will run till June 11.
What can we expect?
Apple said, “WWDC21 will offer unique insight into the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.” This gives us a hint that it will solely focus on the new iOS and operating systems that run all of the Apple products. This also means something new or to be exact a newer version is making its way at the event. Here we are expecting the iOS 15 and macOS 12 launch at the event, which will help us to understand the way Apple is taking its iPhone and macOS operating systems. We are also expecting other OS like the iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8 to launch at the same time.
Though all these cover up the software sections it is very unlikely to expect any hardware to launch like any iPhone o new iPads or any AirPods. No, this is not going to happen in the WWDC 2021, as Apple’s developer conference is focused solely on software showcase rather than any hardware launch. We were expecting at least the iPad Pro 2021 launch including other gadgets like Apple AirTags and the all-new iMac and AirPods 3 as there is not a single announcement on Apple’s product launch event so far. We are still unsure about the ‘Spring’ Apple event that was rumored to be held in April this year.
For the fans of the Final Fantasy series, including me, Apple has brought in some good news for us all. The company’s developers have officially and for the first time has brought their Final Fantasy VIII Remastered to the iPhone and the iPad.
Originally launched in the classic year of 1999, the game sold more than 9.6 million copies worldwide, and now it’s possible to enjoy Final Fantasy VIII on the iPhone and the iPad with a renewed character CG.
“It is a time of war. The Republic of Galbadia, under the influence of the sorceress Edea, mobilizes its great armies against the other nations of the world. Squall and other members of SeeD, an elite mercenary force, join hands with Rinoa, a resistance fighter, to fight against Galbadia’s tyrannical rule and to prevent Edea from fulfilling her ultimate goal.”
The game of course is a re-mastered version of the original one and we have Guardian Force that is summoned creatures that are used to protect the protagonists. You just have to call them in the battle to unleash their might and to increase their power alongside player characters.
Surprise! #FinalFantasy VIII Remastered is available today and discounted for a limited time through Google Play and the App Store.
The remastered version also makes it possible to obtain magic by extracting it in battle. MP doesn’t exist and players are limited to the number they have in possession.
The game, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered comes as a one-time purchase app in the App Store. From March 25 to April 4 it will cost $16.99, after that, the price will rise to $20.99.
The game approximately requires around 2.55GB of storage, Square Enix says this amount of downloadable data will be required just once while progressing through the game.
The company also plans to add cloud save and controller support options. However, to run the Final Fantasy VII Remastered users will need to be running iOS 13 or iPadOS 13.
Does the American electric vehicle company, Tesla Inc., have the potential to be a $1 trillion company? It’s an opinion that got Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeting early Friday, only for the billionaire to do something fairly unusual for him: delete a tweet.
The exchange started via a tweet by an account that regularly uploads promotional posts about Tesla and “Full Self-Driving,” popularly known as FSD, a package that is sold by the company along with its driver-assistance system Autopilot. FSD is controversial because of Tesla’s mixed messaging — even though it is supposed to be autopilot, the company tells drivers who use it that they need to be fully attentive.
“FSD is the biggest thing ever,” the user @WholeMarsBlog wrote. “Tesla is going to be bigger than Apple.”
I think there is a >0% chance Tesla could be the biggest company
Musk replied that he thinks there is “a >0% chance Tesla could be the biggest company.” After another user wrote that they loved “the direction of that arrow,” Musk responded: “Probably within a few months.”
Musk then quickly deleted the latter post leaving people wondering if he thought better of sending it or was he asked to take the tweet down.
According to Bloomberg, in late morning trading on Friday, Tesla shares declined as much as 4.6% and as of 12:55 p.m. in New York, the stock was down 3.7%.
In 2018, as part of a settlement reached with the U.S. SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) related to Musk’s tweets about taking the company private, “Tesla agreed to employ a securities lawyer to review executives’ social media posts and make sure they’re consistent with disclosure policies and procedures.” Tesla also specifically agreed to oversee communications by Musk and to pre-approve anything containing information material to the shareholders or company.
Hours before Friday’s exchange that led to Musk deleting a tweet, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that the American EV maker repeatedly violated U.S. labor law and needed to make Musk delete a tweet in which he talked about punishing workers if they unionized. That post has not yet taken down by him.
Tesla has a long way to go to pass Apple Inc. as the world’s biggest company, with a roughly $600 billion market capitalization compared to the iPhone maker’s market value at about $2 trillion.
