iQoo introduced its latest wireless earphones, the iQoo TWS 1e, alongside the iQoo Neo 9 series in China on December 27. Additionally, the company launched the iQoo Watch, believed to be a rebranded version of the Vivo Watch 3. The iQoo TWS 1e is said to be a rebadged version of the Vivo TWS 3e, unveiled earlier this month. These true wireless earphones provide active noise cancellation (ANC) and AI-powered noise reduction for clearer calls, and they are now available for purchase in China.

iQoo TWS 1e Price and Availability: The iQoo TWS 1e earphones are offered in Mecha White and Star Pearl Yellow colors. They can be purchased in China through the Vivo website at CNY 159, approximately Rs. 1,900. The pricing is the same as the Vivo TWS 3e, which comes in Dark Blue and Haobia (White) colors.

iQoo TWS 1e Specifications and Features: The newly launched iQoo TWS 1e features 11mm dynamic drivers, delivering sound effects such as DeepX 3.0 stereo, 3D panoramic audio, and Monster Sound to enhance the gaming experience. With low latency of up to 55ms, these earphones support touch gesture controls and seamless pairing with both Vivo and iQoo devices. They are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and the storage case includes a USB Type-C port.

The iQoo TWS 1e supports ANC and an AI-assisted noise reduction feature. In terms of battery life, with ANC enabled, the earphones claim up to 9 hours of battery life from a single charge and up to 36 hours of playback time with the charging case. With ANC turned off, a single charge is said to provide up to 11 hours of battery life on the earphones and up to 44 hours with the charging case. The earphones are also rated IP54 for dust and splash resistance.

These affordable and feature-packed true wireless earphones offer a compelling option for users looking for quality audio with the added benefit of active noise cancellation.

Vivo launched the Vivo X Fold 2 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC in April, and now they seem ready to impress with the upcoming Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, a new foldable smartphone. Before any official announcement, a Chinese tipster has given a glimpse of the key specifications of the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro. According to the leak, the foldable screen of this handset is expected to have a 2K resolution and a speedy 120Hz refresh rate, potentially running on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The launch of Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is rumored to coincide with the introduction of Vivo Pad 3.

Digital Chat Station, a tipster on Weibo, shared key details about the rumored Vivo X Fold 3 Pro. The foldable device is expected to run on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and feature an LTPO inner foldable screen with a 2K resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the phone is said to include an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner on both screens.

Compared to its predecessor, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is anticipated to be slimmer and lighter, weighing below 250 grams, in contrast to the Vivo X Fold 2, which weighs 279 grams. The upcoming device is rumored to support 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

In terms of camera capabilities, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is said to have a triple rear camera setup, headlined by a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). The camera unit is expected to include a periscope telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom and an ultra-wide snapper. The primary camera is speculated to feature a Sony LYT-900 camera sensor.

The tipster also mentioned that the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is likely to launch alongside the Vivo Pad 3 in the first quarter of the next year, with the tablet potentially powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9300 SoC.

As a reminder, the Vivo X Fold 2 was launched earlier this year at a starting price of CNY 8,999 (approximately Rs. 1,07,500). The China-exclusive handset featured an 8.03-inch E6 AMOLED LTPO inner display, a 6.53-inch AMOLED outer screen, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, triple rear cameras, and a robust 4,800mAh battery with fast charging capabilities.

Infinix has given a sneak peek into the upcoming launch of the Infinix Smart 8 in India, following its recent debut in Nigeria. The company has spilled the beans on some key features and color choices for the Indian version of the Smart 8. It’s anticipated that the Indian model will share similarities with its global counterpart in terms of specifications. Interestingly, Infinix has also introduced another model from the Smart 8 series in India, the Infinix Smart 8 HD, which made its debut earlier this month.

In a press release, Infinix officially confirmed the imminent arrival of the Infinix Smart 8 in India, although they haven’t disclosed the exact launch date yet. The company has also revealed the design and color options for the handset. From the images shared, the phone sports a wooden-textured back panel and will be available in black, gold, and white color options.

The Indian variant of the Infinix Smart 8 is set to feature a 50-megapixel primary sensor, accompanied by an unspecified secondary AI-assisted sensor and a ring LED light unit at the back. The front camera, which comes with an LED flash, will boast an 8-megapixel sensor. Additionally, the phone will include the Magic Ring feature, similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island, displaying notifications and relevant alerts.

Considering the expected similarity with the global version, the Infinix Smart 8 in India is likely to share specifications. The global variant boasts a 6.6-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness level of 500 nits.

Under the hood, the global Infinix Smart 8 is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T606 SoC, paired with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard memory. The RAM is expandable by an additional 4GB, and storage can be extended via a microSD card. The phone runs on Android 13-based XOS 13.

Equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, the Infinix Smart 8 supports 10W wired charging through a USB Type-C port. In Nigeria, the handset is available in Crystal Green, Galaxy White, Timber Black, and Shiny Gold color options. Stay tuned for the Indian launch to discover more about the Infinix Smart 8’s features and capabilities.

Apple has announced that its newest smartwatch models, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, will be back on sale in its US retail stores on Wednesday. This comes after the company won a court ruling in a patent fight with Masimo, a medical device maker. The court decision provides a quick relief for Apple’s $17 billion business.

In addition to in-store sales, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will also be available for online purchase starting Thursday at noon Pacific time. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) had previously banned the import and sale of these products through Apple’s official channels after ruling in favor of Masimo in a patent infringement case. However, an appellate court in Washington temporarily stayed the ITC’s decision while Apple seeks to overturn it.

Apple had to halt sales of its watches after the ITC found that the company had infringed on Masimo’s patents related to measuring blood-oxygen saturation. The watches were removed from the website on December 21 and from retail stores on Christmas Eve.

The sales ban was officially announced by the ITC in October, but the White House had a 60-day window to review and potentially veto it. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai stated on Tuesday that she wouldn’t intervene, and the White House refused to veto the measure.

To address the issue, Apple has developed a software update for the Apple Watch, which it believes will mitigate the problem. The company has submitted the design of the update to the US customs agency, with a decision expected by January 12.

The watches will gradually return to shelves at approximately 270 Apple retail locations across the country, with wider availability expected by Saturday.

While Masimo seeks to intervene in the appeals case, the ITC argued against the interim stay, stating that Apple didn’t face “irreparable harm” during the appeal. The ITC orders only affect Apple Watch products with a specific blood-oxygen measurement feature.

Despite the temporary lift on the sales ban, the court has given the ITC until January 10 to respond to Apple’s request for a longer stay during the company’s full appeal. Meanwhile, Masimo’s shares fell 4.6 percent to $115.11 at the close in New York after the court temporarily ended the ban on watch sales. Apple’s stock remained relatively unchanged. Owners of the Apple Watch Series 6, 7, and 8 also faced challenges, as watches with the blood-oxygen feature were not eligible for hardware repairs during the ban.

Bluesky, the decentralized social network, is introducing new features to enhance user experience, bringing it closer to its counterpart, X (Twitter). The latest additions include an in-app video and music player for links, along with a “hide post” feature. These updates aim to make Bluesky more versatile and user-friendly.

New Video and Music Player

Bluesky’s new in-app video and music player is designed to work seamlessly with various platforms, including YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Twitch embeds. Unlike X, where videos autoplay by default, Bluesky’s player requires users to tap on the content to start playback. This gives users more control over their experience, allowing them to choose when to engage with multimedia content.

“Hide Post” Feature

The introduction of the “hide post” feature adds a layer of customization to Bluesky. If there’s a post you’d rather not see again, you can simply click on the option, and the post will be removed from your feeds. Bluesky ensures that even if you visit the post directly, it will be “put behind a mask,” maintaining a user-friendly and tailored experience.

Bug Fixes

Bluesky has addressed several bugs to enhance the platform’s stability and functionality. One notable fix is related to muted and blocked account listings, which were showing as empty. The update rectifies this issue, providing users with accurate account information. Additionally, Bluesky has resolved a bug causing an empty home screen and addressed a crash bug that sometimes occurred during thread interactions. These fixes contribute to a smoother user experience.

Accessibility Without Logging In

In a recent move, Bluesky now allows users to view posts on its platform without requiring a login. While an invitation is still necessary to create an account and post content, anyone can read posts through a link. This change opens up possibilities for publishers to link to or embed Bluesky posts in blogs. Users can also share Bluesky posts in individual or group chats, enhancing the platform’s accessibility and reach.

User Growth and Future Plans

Bluesky, having launched its iOS and Android apps in February, has reached 2 million users. As the sole instance on the AT Protocol, Bluesky has plans to introduce federation “early next year.” This means that Bluesky aims to become a more open social network, akin to Mastodon. With federation, users can choose which servers to join and have the flexibility to move their accounts as needed.

Conclusion

Bluesky’s commitment to improving user experience is evident in its latest updates and bug fixes. The introduction of features like the in-app video and music player and the “hide post” option showcases Bluesky’s responsiveness to user feedback. As the platform continues to grow, the move towards federation signals a more inclusive and adaptable social network model. Bluesky’s trajectory, marked by user-focused enhancements, positions it as a dynamic player in the evolving landscape of decentralized social networking.

Meta introduces new features to Meta AI, providing users with more diverse and attractive features. An interesting addition is the “Reimagine” feature for group chats, which allows users to generate AI images on demand. Friends can creatively go back and forth, constantly evolving the images with different clues for a lively and fun experience.

We also launched “Imagine with Meta AI”, an online AI image generator that allows users to easily create high-resolution AI images. This free web tool is designed to create images quickly and easily.

Meta AI is becoming more useful on mobile devices, providing detailed answers and accurate summaries of search results. Users can now expect more useful and varied answers to a wider range of questions, improving the overall user experience.

In addition, Meta AI now supports video in group chats, allowing users to visually explore offers. For example, when planning a trip, users can ask Meta AI for recommendations and get clips of the best places and attractions.

Meta said more than 20 new generative AI experiences will be tested on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp as these features roll out. These experiments include search, social news discovery, advertising, business messaging and more. Areas include:

To access Meta AI, users can start a new message in the Meta messaging platform and select the “Create AI Chat” option. While using Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, you can also activate AI in group chats using special commands like “@MetaAI\” or saying “Hey Meta\”.

The impact of Meta AI goes beyond direct user interactions and plays a significant role in AI-generated features such as posted comments, community chat topic recommendations, search results, and in-store product copy improvements. It is also tested to help users complete a variety of tasks, including creating birthday wishes, editing Facebook feed messages, and creating new Facebook groups.

Authors use the power of Meta AI to suggest responses to messages based on the tone and content of the conversation. AI will also watermark the images it creates, adding a layer of recognition to creative output. As Meta AI continues to evolve, users can expect enhanced and immersive experiences across different meta platforms.

Bluesky, a startup that dreams of becoming a social network to rival Twitter, has taken steps to improve content moderation on its platform. In closed beta, Bluesky was criticized for content moderation issues, including not quickly addressing racist threats and remarks. In response, the company implements advanced automated tools to flag content that violates our rules so that a team of moderators can review the content and make a final decision.

In a recent announcement from its Bluesky Safety account, the company highlighted its commitment to improving its arbitration process. The new automated tool aims to identify objectionable content and spam and adjust the process so that moderators can review objectionable content before it is seen by users.

Bluesky will also restore users’ ability to report posts if they appear incorrectly. Currently, users can report content directly from the app, including identifying adult content. Until this feature is fully operational, other accounts may report incorrect tags on your behalf. Bluesky has also introduced some new features including user lists and moderation lists to disable or block multiple users. Users can now sync their moderation settings across devices, and the platform has removed the adult content tag from posts without images. To address privacy concerns, Bluesky is developing a feature that will allow users to control who can reply to their messages. Recently, a feature offered by the competitor Despite these updates, some Bluesky users still support private accounts, especially since the platform plans to launch a public web interface. This feature allows uninvited users to find a message asking them to request a private account option for their friends only. Users also want the ability to remove followers and are encouraged to take strict action against accounts that violate community guidelines.

While many users are interested in X alternatives that focus on content moderation and security, Bluesky explores user needs and expectations. In particular, success was not guaranteed due to competitor Pebble’s emphasis on safety measures, which led to its closure in October. Bluesky continues to evolve to find the right balance between innovation and user satisfaction.