AC Information Weekly
Information Weekly is our column, the place we spotlight and summarize a few of the week’s prime tales so you possibly can compensate for the newest tech information.
That is Android Central’s Information Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most vital tech tales. That is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the newest developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.
This week, Motorola launched two reasonably priced telephones, TikTok will get a final shot at staying within the U.S., Chrome ups its safety on phishing emails, the Galaxy S24 Plus is a shock hit, and Google Messages will get custom-colored chats.
Hi there Moto
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Earlier this week, Motorola launched its budget-friendly telephones, the Moto G 5G 2024 and the Moto G Energy 5G 2024. Each these telephones provide upgraded specs and run Android 14 out of the field with improved shows, cameras, and processors in comparison with its earlier fashions.
The Moto G 5G is smaller in dimension and has a 6.6-inch HD LCD show and a 5,000mAh battery that helps an 18W charger. It makes use of a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip with a 2GHz octa-core CPU paired with 4GB RAM that may also be doubled to 8GB utilizing RAM Enhance. The system has a 50MP most important digital camera, a secondary 2MP macro unit with no ultrawide angle, and an 8MP entrance digital camera. This yr’s system is cheaper at $199, a big drop from final yr’s $249 mannequin.
The Moto G Energy 5G, the marginally costlier mannequin, has a 6.7-inch FHD+ LCD show and a 5,000mAh battery that helps 30W wired charging and 15W wi-fi charging. The telephone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor, which includes a 2.2 GHz octa-core CPU. It has 128GB of inside storage and helps a microSD enlargement of as much as 1TB. There are two rear cameras—a 50MP most important digital camera with optical picture stabilization and an 8MP ultrawide lens with a 118-degree angle and macro help. On the entrance is a 16MP selfie digital camera. This yr’s system prices $299.
These telephones will likely be accessible beginning March 21.
Time is ticking… Tik…Tok
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On Wednesday (Mar.13), the U.S. Congress handed a invoice that may have main implications for TikTok, an app utilized by not less than 170 million Individuals.
The U.S. Home of Representatives voted in favor of the Defending Individuals from International Adversary Managed Purposes Act. Though the invoice mentions TikTok, it’s relevant to any app managed by international advisories within the U.S.
TikTok has been given 180 days to make sure that its China-based dad or mum firm ByteDance must promote TikTok inside the U.S., or will probably be banned within the nation. This implies it is going to turn out to be unlawful for any app shops or internet servers that host TikTok.
“Now we have given TikTok a transparent alternative,” stated Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.
This transfer was taken after the U.S. authorities raised issues about dangers to nationwide safety and the information of customers on the platform. A spokesperson from TikTok is asking this invoice a “ban” and hopes that the Senate will take into account details earlier than taking any motion.
The invoice is at the moment being thought-about by the Senate, and its destiny stays unsure till then.
Samsung’s S24 Plus a success
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The recognition of the latest Galaxy S24 Plus mannequin has turn out to be the speak of the city, and we aren’t stunned.
Samsung’s gross sales of the Galaxy S24 sequence are up when in comparison with the Galaxy S23 sequence, and the newest numbers present us why. In accordance with the newest knowledge from Counterpoint Analysis, gross sales of the Galaxy S24 sequence rose by 8% within the first three weeks when in comparison with final yr’s early gross sales numbers, and the S24 Plus is driving up these numbers
“And in Samsung’s largest market – the US – we’re seeing YoY progress within the mid-teens – stable numbers, particularly contemplating the robust February. And contemplating we’re nonetheless actually at first phases of the approaching GenAI smartphone increase, there may be loads of runway for extra progress,” stated Jeff Fieldhack, Counterpoint Analysis’s analysis director for North America.
Through the years, Samsung’s Plus mannequin has been seen as nothing greater than a bigger model of the bottom mannequin, full with a bigger battery and quicker charging. The system didn’t provide a lot distinction. Nevertheless, this yr’s model has QHD+ decision, affords higher image high quality, bumps in RAM to 12GB, and, let’s not overlook the magic of Galaxy AI.
You possibly can’t get Phished on Google Chrome
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Google introduced on March 15 that it will enhance the Commonplace safety mode in Chrome’s Secure Looking characteristic so that everybody will get real-time safety in opposition to phishing and malware assaults.
Google upgraded Chrome’s safety system, Secure Looking, final yr, including real-time safety to the combination.
This characteristic, which was beforehand solely accessible in Secure Looking’s Enhanced Safety mode, retains a lookout for the URLs you are looking and immediately warns you for those who wander right into a sketchy a part of the web.
The replace is now up and operating for anybody utilizing Chrome on desktop or iOS. And Google additionally plans to deliver it to Android customers later this month.
Google rolls out {custom} chat colours for RCS
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Google Messages is letting beta testers set {custom} colours for RCS chats.
Again in November, Google launched shade choices for chat bubbles, letting customers personalize their chat colours. Now, it looks like the replace is steadily rolling out to beta testers.
To discover the recent shade selections, simply faucet the three-dot menu button in any Google Messages thread and choose “Change colours” from the overflow menu. One other approach to do it’s to move to the overflow menu, faucet on Particulars or Group particulars, and search for the “Change colours” possibility slightly below the photographs and movies part. A full-screen preview UI will pop up, providing 9 selections that embody the default shade, blue, purple, inexperienced, orange, and pink, amongst different choices.
When you select a brand new shade for a thread, a message pops up on the backside of the display saying, “You modified the theme.”
These are a few of the largest tales from this week. In the meantime, listed below are another tales which might be price catching up on: