Information Weekly is our column, the place we spotlight and summarize among the week’s prime tales so you’ll be able to atone for the most recent tech information.
That is Android Central’s Information Weekly, your go-to supply for a concise roundup of the week’s most important tech tales. That is the place we delve into the highest headlines that present the most recent developments and improvements contributing to the digital panorama.
This week, Motorola launched two inexpensive 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.
Hiya 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 Increase. The machine has a 50MP major digital camera, a secondary 2MP macro unit with no ultrawide angle, and an 8MP entrance digital camera. This 12 months’s machine is cheaper at $199, a major drop from final 12 months’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 cellphone 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 major digital camera with optical picture stabilization and an 8MP ultrawide lens with a 118-degree angle and macro assist. On the entrance is a 16MP selfie digital camera. This 12 months’s machine prices $299.
These telephones might be obtainable beginning March 21.
Time is ticking… Tik…Tok
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On Wednesday (Mar.13), the U.S. Congress handed a invoice that might have main implications for TikTok, an app utilized by no less than 170 million People.
The U.S. Home of Representatives voted in favor of the Defending People from Overseas Adversary Managed Purposes Act. Though the invoice mentions TikTok, it’s relevant to any app managed by overseas advisories within the U.S.
TikTok has been given 180 days to make sure that its China-based mother or father firm ByteDance must promote TikTok throughout the U.S., or will probably be banned within the nation. This implies it’ll turn out to be unlawful for any app shops or internet servers that host TikTok.
“We have now given TikTok a transparent selection,” 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 looking this invoice a “ban” and hopes that the Senate will think about information earlier than taking any motion.
The invoice is at present 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 shocked.
Samsung’s gross sales of the Galaxy S24 sequence are up when in comparison with the Galaxy S23 sequence, and the most recent numbers present us why. In accordance with the most recent knowledge from Counterpoint Analysis, gross sales of the Galaxy S24 sequence rose by 8% within the first three weeks when in comparison with final 12 months’s early gross sales numbers, and the S24 Plus is driving up these numbers
“And in Samsung’s greatest market – the US – we’re seeing YoY progress within the mid-teens – stable numbers, particularly contemplating the powerful February. And contemplating we’re nonetheless actually at the start phases of the approaching GenAI smartphone growth, there may be loads of runway for extra progress,” stated Jeff Fieldhack, Counterpoint Analysis’s analysis director for North America.
Over time, Samsung’s Plus mannequin has been seen as nothing greater than a bigger model of the bottom mannequin, full with a bigger battery and sooner charging. The machine didn’t provide a lot distinction. Nevertheless, this 12 months’s model has QHD+ decision, presents higher image high quality, bumps in RAM to 12GB, and, let’s not neglect the magic of Galaxy AI.
You’ll be able to’t get Phished on Google Chrome
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Google introduced on March 15 that it’s going to enhance the Customary 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 12 months, including real-time safety to the combination.
This characteristic, which was beforehand solely obtainable in Secure Looking’s Enhanced Safety mode, retains a lookout for the URLs you are looking and immediately warns you in the event you 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 coloration choices for chat bubbles, letting customers personalize their chat colours. Now, it looks as if the replace is regularly rolling out to beta testers.
To discover the contemporary coloration selections, simply faucet the three-dot menu button in any Google Messages thread and choose “Change colours” from the overflow menu. One other method to do it’s to go 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 embrace the default coloration, blue, purple, inexperienced, orange, and pink, amongst different choices.
When you select a brand new coloration for a thread, a message pops up on the backside of the display screen saying, “You modified the theme.”
These are among the greatest tales from this week. In the meantime, listed here are another tales which can be value catching up on: