Instagram now allows users to record minute-long videos

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Up until now, you could only take 15-second long videos via Instagram. Today though, Instagram is extending the video duration by a cool 45 seconds, allowing users to take post minute-long videos on the social network service.

Instagram’s video feature was first introduced to the service back in June 2013,  back when the company’s service was limited to still images. Since then, videos on Instagram has been slowly gaining traction among its userbase. According to statistics provided by the company itself, the time Instagram users spent watching videos has increased by 40% within the past six months. This wouldn’t be the first time that Instagram has extended the duration of its videos of course. Two months ago, Instagram allowed its advertisers to extend its ads from 15 seconds to 60. Now, users are able to do so as well.

Aside from the extended video duration, Instagram on iOS will see a return of various useful tools to its creators such as the ability to create a video using multiple clips from the camera rolls. The update will be going live on both iOS and Android today.

Source:
The Verge

android
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Instagram now boasts 700 million users

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Instagram has announced a new milestone for its app, with its user base increased to a whopping 700 million as of yesterday. The Facebook owned app company made the announcement on its blog thanking its committed community of users that have been using the now feature filled photo sharing app.

Not only that, a total of 100 million users have been added into Instagram’s community over the last four months since December last year, allowing the user base to leap from 600 million to 700 million users faster than ever. Instagram popularly copied nearly all of Snapchat exclusive features beginning last year, the most notable one being Instagram Stories. As much as Instagram is pretty much a Snapchat rip off today, you can’t deny that the former will thrive much better than the latter app in the future. By comparison, Snapchat recorded a measly 161 million users as of Q4 2016, which pales a lot in comparison of Instagram’s newly added 100 million users.

Facebook on the other hand is nearing the record breaking 2 billion mark at 1.8 billion users recently. It won’t be long till Facebook begins world domination in social media, or has it begun? Are you still a user of good ol’ Snapchat?

Source:
Instagram

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Instagram now records over 600 million users

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Facebook owned Instagram has been making a lot of strides lately, especially within this year itself. 2016 saw the Instagram app sporting a new outlook, changing its icon logo. The app also welcomed the introduction of Instagram Stories, similar to how Snapchat’s Story works. Updates over the last couple of weeks brought in live video streaming capabilities, and the new ability for users to bookmark/save Instagram posts to be viewed later.

Since Instagram’s initial release a little over six years ago on the 6th of October 2010, the company has reached a new milestone in terms of its user base. As of the 15th of December this year, Instagram has recorded more than 600 million users in its community. According to the blog post by the company, 100 million users joined the Instagram community in the last six months alone.

One would think that Instagram will be adding a new feature or two to celebrate the 600 million user milestone, but do cut them some slack as the app has been receiving a whole load of improvements in 2016. Instagram thanks all its users as it looks to improve the user experience and the consistency of the app in the future. How long have you been an Instagrammer? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source:
Instagram

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Instagram plans to introduce Donation stickers to raise funds for non-profit organisations

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Previously a Twitter user with the handle @wongmjane discovered that Instagram was testing out Direct on Web, a feature that allows Instagram users to direct message others on Instagram’s browser version. About 12 hours ago, Wong discovered a Donation sticker.

According to Wong, the Donation sticker allows Instagram users to raise funds for their favourite non-profits. Basically, when you use the sticker, you’ll be able to add a non-profit organisation to your Story so that others can make donations through your Story.

TechCrunch also reported that the testing of this feature is actually confirmed by the company itself and will probably be officially introduced into the app within this year. The company believes that this will create awareness for communities and causes and also bring users closer to each other.

However, there is a downside to this because just like the Facebook’s Donation feature, Instagram will also keep your payment details for future Instagram shopping. As the feature is still not launched yet, we are unsure if there’s a way to remove your credit card information or to disable the app from keeping it in the first place.

That being said, it does sound like an compassionate feature that can help many non-profit organisations to better the society. With social media being such a huge impact in society right now, features like this can really make a difference to others.

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Instagram plans to introduce more Boomerang modes and let users filter their notifications

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Instagram has been working hard to bring new features to its users, as proven recently by Jane Manchun Wong and her reverse engineering skills.

From the list of unreleased features Wong has mentioned in her blog, three of them are relevant to Instagram Stories. According to Wong, Instagram may be introducing new camera modes icons, boomerang modes and also layouts to Stories. We’re all familiar with the camera modes Instagram Stories, but now these modes will have icons with different gradients so that they’re more distinguishable.

https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Recording-2019-08-15-at-11.55.31-AM.mp4

Video credit: Jane Manchun Wong

Boomerang is also one of the most used modes when it comes to posting Instagram Stories. In the future, we may be able to see different modes of Boomerang called Hold, Dynamic, Slowmo and Duo. Wong demonstrated how these modes work by creating a web-based emulation. As for layouts, Wong believes that the different layouts will be released soon.

Apart from the Stories-related features, Instagram will introduce notification filters so that the different type of notifications will no longer be grouped together. In the future, Instagram users will be able to filter their notifications by comments or new followers. The company also plans to bring App and Websites Settings to the mobile app, so hopefully next time we can delete our Instagram accounts via the app itself instead of having to go through Instagram’s website.

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Introducing Instagram Playback 2021: relive your favourite moments

4.6K

Instagram

is back with its end-of-the-year compilation for 2021 by introducing
Playback —
a feature that allows you to look back on the stories that you have posted throughout the year; you’ll also get an option to share it with your friends to see.

How and where…?

To access your
Playback
, just hop onto the Instagram mobile app and it should be at the very top of your feed. Once you tap on ‘View playback’, you’ll be lead to a series of stories Instagram has picked for you. After viewing them all, you have the option of posting it or returning to your home feed.

If you do choose to post them, you’re of course not limited to the five stories that has been picked for you — feel free to switch them out or add more of your other 2021 stories (just keep in mind that it’s limited to 10 stories only). You can also customise each one with text, stickers, GIFs, and more — just like a normal Instagram story.

Playback
has started rolling out today and will be available till the end of the year for you to play around with. If you still don’t see it or accidentally tapped on “Not now”, don’t worry, look out for the “2021” sticker on someone else’s Playback story and tap on it to view your own.

Source –
Pocket-lint

instagram


Introducing Instagram QR codes: scan and follow accounts instantly

2.6K

Anyone remember Nametags, a feature Instagram introduced
two years back
? Well, it’s getting replaced with Instagram QR codes.

Nametags can be customised

Instead of spelling out your username for others to add you, the Nametags feature work like Instagram’s own QR-like codes; others just need to scan your code to get to your profile. You can also customise your Nametag with emojis, stickers or even take a selfie.

Instagram QR codes don’t require in-app camera

However,
Nametags
 had one drawback — Instagram users can only use the in-app camera to do the scanning. This is probably why Instagram is switching over to QR codes, in which users can just use their normal cameras or and QR scanner app to scan the codes. According to
The Verge
, this is so businesses can print their QR codes for customers to scan and follow them on Instagram.

At the time of writing, there are accounts that have gotten the QR code update, but there are also accounts that are still stuck with Nametags. The update should be rolling out gradually, so all users should get it in the coming weeks.

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Instagram redesigns Stories previews and tests Stop-Motion camera

316

Instagram is back at it again with a new update and features added to the Stories section of the app. Prior to this, they released an entertaining feature called Superzoom which will record a close up of the subject while adding suspenseful music to the video. Now they are in the process of testing a new stop-motion camera feature.

The Stories preview box now has a tiled design that is more obvious when scrolling through the Instagram feed. They also mentioned that they are not going to replace the mid-feed box that looks similar to the smaller Stories bar at the top of the feed. Other than that, they are testing a Stop Motion tool that is designed to let users take a series of photos which is then stitched together to form a GIF.

The Stop Motion feature can be accessed inside the Story camera in the same area as the Boomerang and the Superzoom features. It will not be available for everyone immediately but as it is still being tested by a group of users.

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Instagram’s ‘Reels’ is a TikTok-like feature launched in Brazil

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Instagram’s new feature, Reels, lets users make 15-second videos that can be edited and paired with music to be shared as Stories. Sound familiar? We think so too.

Reels is pretty similar to the famous app TikTok that is going viral in many countries. This feature allows you to add music to your videos, adjust the speed of your videos and also other editing tools. However, TechCrunch reported that Reels is still missing some video filters and special effects that is accessible in TikTok.

Currently, Instagram only offers the feature in Brazil — a country that hasn’t been completely preoccupied by TikTok yet. If the feature is well-received, it could be possible that Instagram will make the feature available to the rest of the world. Reels may also appeal to those who like to make short, fun videos but only want to share it with their close friends since Instagram has something TikTok doesn’t — Close Friend list.

This isn’t the first time Instagram is “inspired” by others; Instagram copied Snapchat’s popular Stories feature a few years back and now almost all users are using it.

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Instagram Reels: TikTok’s rival to launch globally

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Facebook is
still trying
 to rival TikTok; the company is launching Instagram Reels globally in the coming weeks.

Instagram Reels is expanding to over 50 countries

Instagram Reels shares similarities with TikTok, allowing users to create 15-second videos that can be paired with a wide range of music. It was first launched in Brazil in 2019 before expanding to France and Germany last month. Just last week, Reels was made available in India — soon after the country banned
TikTok
 and many other Chinese apps.

NBC News
 reported that Reels will be launching in over 50 countries including the U.K., Japan, Mexico and more. It can be found within Instagram and posted as an Instagram story.

Reels is more successful other Facebook experiments

Just two weeks ago, Facebook announced the termination of
Lasso and Hobbi
. The former is similar to TikTok while the latter resembles Pinterest. However, Reels is unlike these two — it was more successful which led to Facebook’s decision to expand it globally. One can assume that it’s because Instagram is more photo and video-focused while Facebook isn’t.

We’re hoping this feature will be available in Malaysia, but there’s a chance it won’t. Even the
music feature
 available to Instagram users in other countries from two years back is still unavailable in Malaysia.

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Instagram is releasing an instant messaging app called Direct

335

Instagram users already know that the app provides a means of communicating with other users via a messaging system build into the app. Recently, the company is testing a standalone app to replace this chatting feature called Direct, which is currently being tested by beta testers and developers around the world.

Currently, only six countries have access to both the iOS and Android versions of the app, and the company has not provided a timeline for when it will be available for everyone to use. Directing messaging has been a widely used feature since the release of Instagram Stories, and Instagram took note of this when developing Direct. Its safe to say that Stories will not be moving over to the new app as it has a firm standing on the main Instagram app.

It is unsure if the company might want to move Stories over to Direct but it might not be a welcome change as the user base has a good amount of users that use Stories and uploading photos to their account, there are users that use both the features but some might not be happy if the company splits one of the main features to a secondary app.

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Instagram rolls out 3 new features to make shopping easier

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If you love scrolling through Instagram and purchase from Instagram stores, then here’s some good news for you! Instagram have recently announced that they are coming out with three new product updates which will soon allow users to shop on videos through their news feed, save items to a specific shopping collection in their saves posts, and shop business profiles more easily. Instagram has created the new features, to allow users to have a better shopping experience on Instagram.

The new shopping collection that your saved posts are located in looks a lot like an online store but it is a compilation of what you have saved and it would be arranged neatly for you to have a better view of what you’ve considered buying, you can save your posts by book marking the posts.

However, not every brand or posts are considered shopping posts as not every brand on Instagram has opted into a business page that allows them to sell through their profile. It’s only recent that Instagram have allowed business profiles to tag their stories with products and they can do so with video posts on news feed. So now when users are scrolling through their Instagram news feed or Insta stories, they can easily see the items that they want to buy and click on it to get more info on the product.

Business profiles on Instagram are now going on slight redesign so all of their shoppable posts will be organized under a new “shop” button, so users could treat these business profiles as web stores where everything is available to buy. Users should consider checking their Google Play Store or Apple App store to check for the latest update to utilize the new update from Instagram.

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Instagram rolls out two-factor authentication

363

Google has done it, Steam has done it, now it seems that Instagram will be joining them as the social media service will be rolling out two-factor authentication as a way to boost the security of their service.

Two factor authentication has been a long time coming for Instagram as the service was testing this security system all the way back in November of last year. Today, they’ve confirmed with TechCrunch that they’re ready to roll out this feature.

Much like the system used by Google, Instagram will require users to verify their phone numbers in order to use the two factor authentication system. Once their phone numbers are verified, Instagram will send an authentication code to their phone whenever someone tries to log into their account with the user’s e-mail and password. This system means that your account would be somewhat safe even though a hacker has acquired your login credentials through phishing or various other methods.

Instagram rolling out two factor authentication couldn’t have come at a better time as the social media service now has 400 million users which includes celebrities, brands and artists, some of which relies on them to earn a living.

Source :
TechCrunch

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Instagram’s new security feature lets you self-recover hacked account

318

One thing we dislike about Instagram is the tedious process we have to go through to recover our accounts once they’re hacked. On worse scenarios, we would have to give up all our memories on the old account and create a new one. However, it seems like Instagram is about to change that with their new security feature.

Instagram is reported to be testing an in-app account recovery method so that you won’t have to fear losing your account easily. Our current solution is to email Instagram or complete a form given by them to alert them that our accounts have been hacked. This could drag on for hours, allowing hackers to sabotage your account and get in contact with your friends to get their details.

In the future, the app will ask for your contact — email, phone number, etc. — and send you a six-digit code based on what you’ve provided. Once that’s done, hackers will not be allowed to use email or phone number codes to hack your account when they’re on devices other than the one you’ve been using all along. Instagram also ensure to lock down your username for a fixed duration so that if the hacker changes your username, you have to the option to retrieve it before anyone else does.

The username lock down is already available to Android users and will start rolling out to iOS users. On the other hand, the in-app recovery method has not been released and no dates were mentioned. Either way, it’ll be much easier for Instagram users to retrieve their hacked accounts once the security feature is implemented.

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Instagram’s new security update grants more control towards third-party data sharing

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Instagram recently added new security features that privacy-concerned individuals will appreciate. The new in-app features will offer more control when it comes to data sharing with third-party apps and websites.

Third-party apps that require your Instagram account usually ends up with a certain amount of access to your Instagram data when you permit or connect them to your Instagram. You may have agreed to grant a long-term access to many third-party apps or websites for a one-time thing, but that can be easily reversed now.

You just have to click Settings > Security and click on “Apps and website” to check the apps (both active and expired) that have access to your data. If you found any that you didn’t want to share your data with, just remove them and they’ll be unable to access to your data from then on.

Moreover, Instagram also updated their authorisation screen so that Instagram users are given sufficient information on the data they’re sharing with the third parties when they request for access. For example, if a third party request for access and you’ve found that the data they want is inappropriate or over the top, you can choose to cancel the authorisation.

Instagram announced these updates to roll out in the next six months, but if you’re residing in Malaysia, then you’ve probably already gotten the update.

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Instagram Stories has 1.5 times more active users than Snapchat

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Snapchat was launched approximately four years ago in 2013. The app pioneered the concept of posts which only lasted 24 hours long. Snapchat built quite a sizable user base over the past couple of years, till Instagram Stories came along. Launched less than a year ago back in August 2016, Instagram Stories has now become the biggest Snapchat copy cat ever, mirroring Snapchat’s features from head to toe when it first started. And now Instagram is boasting 1.5 times more daily active users than Snapchat.

Facebook’s global head of sales Carolyn Everson told CNBC that Instagram Stories now has a 250 million strong crowd of daily active users. Instagram Stories reportedly surpassed Snapchat’s number of daily active users in April when it hit the 200 million mark. Snapchat’s growth has definitely received a significant impact from Instagram Stories, recording 166 million active users as of last month.

According to CNBC, Everson also denied allegations that Instagram copied Snapchat when it comes to Instagram Stories. She claimed that Facebook invented the feed format, which is now used by competitors alike. However, we all do know how much has been copied by Instagram from Snapchat.

Nevertheless, Snapchat definitely has to figure something out in order to withstand further competition by Instagram. Sounds like a really unfair playground for Snapchat now, doesn’t it?

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You can now reply to Instagram stories using GIFs!

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When Instagram introduced GIFs into the app, people rejoiced and used GIFs to express themselves in their stories. Now, Instagram expand the usage of GIFs and lets you reply to your friend’s story with a GIF.

Instagram took it to their Twitter account to announced the new feature; you’ll have to update your app to the latest version via App Store or Google Play Store if you want to start replying stories with GIF. In the span of less than half a day, the announcement has already reached almost 1,000 likes — pointing towards a positive response.

PSA: You can now reply to your friends’ stories using
@GIPHY
 GIFs! Update your app to try it.

— Instagram (@instagram)
February 4, 2020

However, there are quite a few replies in the Twitter thread that asked Instagram to give them back their accounts that were disabled by mistake. Some other feedback includes asking for features such as the music integration that’s only available in some countries and the most-requested chronological order algorithm.

Not to worry though, if your app is updated but you’re still unable to try out the feature, just wait a few more days.

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Instagram testing Clubhouse-like audio chat room feature

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So
 you know how Clubhouse is currently only on iOS devices? Well, if you’re in need of an Android version, Instagram looks to be one of the first proponents of the audio chat room for Android devices as its developers are testing out the new feature on the Instagram app.

This lets users create chat rooms and make it available to the public to join and listen in – and since there’s no word of an invite-only mechanism, Instagram’s chat room feature won’t feel as
pretentiously
 exclusive as Clubhouse.

#Instagram
 is working on audio rooms 👀
pic.twitter.com/5TI6YzLi9A

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a)
March 6, 2021

This discovery was made by Twitter user
 @alex193a
 who showed screenshots of the feature already in what looks to be its final form.

Audio chat rooms have seen a sudden surge in popularity – thanks in no small part to
 Elon Musk’s
 advocation of Clubhouse – and it’s easy to see why; it’s like a love child between Reddit and Spotify podcasts. There are rooms for people to talk about anything and everything – and we’re all for new, more accessible versions of it to take precedence.

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Instagram is testing a feature that will allow cross-posting Stories to WhatsApp

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Instagram is again, going through a testing phase of a new feature that will allow you to cross-post Instagram Stories to WhatsApp, similar to the cross-posting that can be done between Instagram and Facebook. The feature was found by Brazilian users recently, where the feature prompts up on their screen when posting a story.

Its safe to say that the number of people using Stories in WhatsApp pails in comparison to those that use Instagram Stories. It would make sense this feature exist as it would finally give some purpose to WhatsApp stories which most people tend to forget it even exist. Similar to Stories, the video will disappear within 24-hours, users will be able to perform this cross-posting as long as the user connected to Instagram has a WhatsApp account.

Instagram has confirmed that they are still testing the feature to make sure everything goes smoothly when it releases. It is unsure how long this feature has been tested or when the testing phase is going to be over. It does seem like it would eventually end up coming to other users as they have managed to make it a success with cross-posting to Facebook.

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Instagram threatens to take action against profiles with fake followers

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Instagram has announced that they will be kicking off a clean up drive on the app soon to remove bots and fake accounts from its platform.

“Starting today, we will begin removing inauthentic likes, follows and comments from accounts that use third-party apps to boost their popularity. We’ve built machine learning tools to help identify accounts that use these services and remove the inauthentic activity,” Instagram noted on a blog post.

Users who has the access to get help from third party app or website to increase their followers, likes, and comments will be issued a warning, and will be notified that those apps access has been revoked, and that they’ll need to change their passwords as well. In addition to that, Instagram will also remove ads that promotes services and purchases for fake likes, comments, and followers.

“Ads are also subject to our Community Standards, which prohibit spammy activity like collecting likes, followers, etc. So you are correct that ads promoting these services violate our policies. Please feel free to report them if you see them,” in a statement made by Instagram to TechCrunch.

The move comes to help discourage users from giving another company their login information as Instagram transitions into a platform for brands and influencers to advertise. Although Instagram has removed fake accounts in a great purge once before, it hasn’t taken action against fake likes before, and it promises more measures against fraudulent activity in the coming weeks.

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Instagram to challenge Yelp in future update

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Instagram is no longer fit to be called a photo sharing app anymore like it was a couple of years back. The platform has grown to a nearly full blown social media app such as its owner Facebook. Recently, users were able to convert their accounts into business accounts, or set them up from scratch. Now Instagram aims to further enhance the experience by improving the interaction process between customers and businesses on Instagram.

Bloomberg reports that Instagram will soon introduce a new feature which will allow users to directly place appointments with businesses through the app. This means that business accounts on Instagram will soon have a Call to Action feature on top of the usual like and follow buttons. The new feature is said to challenge what the Yelp app is capable of right now. For instance, users will be able to make a reservation via a button from a restaurant’s Instagram business account.

James Quarles, Instagram’s head of business states that the new feature will be rolling out over the next couple of months, and will allow the app’s 1 million plus active advertisers to gauge the impact of their businesses on Instagram. The new feature will certainly change how businesses work in the app as there more than 8 million businesses which currently have accounts on Instagram and the fact that a whopping 80 percent of Instagram users follow a business.

Looks like it’s just another new yet nifty feature to be added to the already feature-filled Instagram app. Thoughts?

Source:
Bloomberg

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Instagram to display video view count

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As you all know, it’s been a while since Facebook has added view counts onto videos that are being uploaded to the social media site. We have just received news that you will be able to view the same feature on its photo app counterpart, Instagram.

According to The Verge, Instagram will rollout this view count feature to its over 400 million userbase. This new feature will be positioned where the number of likes will normally appear. Tapping on the view count will then show the amount of likes the video has received. According to the company, priority will be given to views due to the 40 percent spike in the number of Instagram video viewers. Instagram has reportedly been seeing wildly creative and engaging first-person narratives come to life on the app.

While the view count won’t matter as much to ordinary people like us, Instagram claims that it will matter to people like the famous Zach King, to be able to understand the engagement depth of their videos to the social media audience. Like on Facebook, Instagram will register a view when a video has been viewed for at least 3 seconds. The company will be testing this feature with some users before rolling out to all users in the weeks to come. We shall then see whether Instagram will be adopting longer video durations soon, say 30 second videos. Till then, stay tuned!

Source:
The Verge

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Instagram users are now able to reply direct messages with the new voice message feature

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Voice messages are pretty common nowadays, since it has already been applied on WhatsApp, Facebook, WeChat, and many more. Instagram will soon be able to do the same as they have confirmed that they will be applying the voice message feature into the app.

The new voice message feature will allow Instagram users to send direct message via voice message instead of typing out their reply. In addition to that, users are able to record their voice message for as long as one minute in length, and they are able to use the feature on both personal and group direct messages.

To use the voice message feature, just hold onto the microphone button to record your message and let go to send. But do remember that once you’ve let go of the button, the message will be sent automatically and you cannot delete it should it be a mistake. However, if you think you need to change your message or you’d like to record a new one, just slide your finger to the trashcan icon to start over.

The voice message feature is now available on iOS and Android devices, but it will be rolled out soon for those who have yet to get the latest Instagram update.

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Instagram video chat update supports up to six people

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Previously Instagram introduced the video chat on its Direct tab, allowing up to 4 persons to join a group video chat. Now, Instagram supports up to six persons, so you no longer have to leave out some of your friends. Other than the increase in number of people allowed in a video chat, it is still as it always has been. You can still use other features on the app by minimising the video call such as posting pictures, scrolling through news feed and messaging in the Direct tab.

Seems like video chats are given more and more attention these days, with all the social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat getting the feature in their apps. Facebook’s video chat allows up to 6 people (just like Instagram) whereas Snapchat allows up to 16 people to video chat together. There’s also WhatsApp that used to only allow one-to-one video call but has now allowed up group video calls of four people. Who knows, Twitter might one day do the same.

On a side note, Apple is also bringing group video calling into the iOS 12.1, allowing up to 32 people to video chat at the same time. I suppose it’s made for conference calls or business meetings as it seems rather unlikely that normal social media users will want to call another 31 of their friends altogether. Besides, how are we going to communicate if all 32 people speaks at once? We can only find out once the iOS update is released.

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Instagram wants to remove all AR filters related to cosmetic procedures

298

Instagram implemented a new policy a month ago to limit post regarding weight loss products and cosmetic surgeries, now the company pushes in that direction to remove AR filters that are in relevance to cosmetic surgery.

Some may not know this, but Facebook has a tool for the public to create face filters called Spark AR Creators. Some cosmetic surgery-related filters include Plastica and Fix Me — the latter shows users which part of their fix should be “fixed” and how it should be done.

View this post on Instagram

fix me filter just out – come live your plastic surgery fantasy

A post shared by
 DANIEL MOONEY
 (@danielmooney) on
May 24, 2019 at 7:58am PDT

On Spark AR’s Facebook Page, the admins have expressed their concern regarding the issue, stating that they will be “removing all effects associated with plastic surgery” and also “postponing approval of new effects associated with plastic surgery”.

This has instead led to some complaints among the page community. Users are worried that face deformation filters that are meant to be funny will also be removed with the new policy. The new policy has yet to be completely rolled out, but it seems to have caused a stir among its users already.

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Instagram will be rolling out Facebook-style content sorting

360

Facebook’s style of sorting your News Feed based on your browsing habits is one of the features that is a love it or hate it sort of deal, and soon, Instagram will also be adopting this feature.

In a blogpost by Instagram, the social media service is saying that a user’s Instagram feed will soon be “ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most.” Factors that would be taken into account when ordering the content shown on your timeline include you interest in the content, your relationship with the person posting the content, and the timeliness of the post.

Before you scream at Instagram in frustration though, the service has said that this feature would roll out in the coming months. The blogpost also said that it would be taking feedback when it eventually launches, so you can pester them to add an option that would force Instagram to show pictures or photos in chronological order.

Source:
Instagram Blog

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Instagram will crush Snapchat with these new features

389

Instagram isn’t ashamed of ripping Snapchat at all. In this day and age, a phenomenon like this isn’t uncommon by any means, but Instagram has taken it to yet another level. The Facebook owned app has introduced a couple of new features which are set to crush Snapchat for good.

The now feature-filled Instagram app has added face filters for its Stories. The face filters work just like how they do on Snapchat. On top of that, users can now upload their videos in reverse with a new “Rewind” option on the app. Instagram has announced this new camera format that sits right next to “Boomerang” and “Hands Free”.

The app also sees more handy features that are actually not Snapchat inspired. For instance, new hashtag stickers which work like how “Mentions” do on Instagram Stories. Spice your Story even further with the new eraser brush, which can reveal parts of your photo or video after filling it with color.

Instagram has already rolled out the update on both the App Store and the Play Store for iOS and Android devices respectively as version 10.21. Let us know what you think of the newly added features to Instagram!

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Instagram will soon inform you when someone records or takes a screenshot of your Stories

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Instagram has been taking cues from Snapchat on features to implement into their own app, recently they have implemented another feature which they, yet again, took from Snapchat. The new feature which will be released in a future update will notify users when someone has taken a screenshot or screen recording of your stories.

Tech new site WABetaInfo has claimed that Instagram is currently testing this feature, but like other features where they would allow a handful of users to try it out, they decided to have an internal testing. When the update releases, users will see a special icon next to the person’s name if they take a screenshot or record your Stories. It might be a copy of another app’s features but a lot of users will feel a sense of relief with this feature, as it adds a sense of security when sharing your personal photos videos on social media.

How it will look when someone screenshots/records your Stories

Instagram users are in fact, happy with the new feature just like they were when it was introduced on Snapchat, this would mean that we should very well get to see this feature implemented in the app in the future updates.

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Instagram will soon release a video and voice calling feature for Direct

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Instagram is yet again taking another feature out of Snapchat’s playbook. TechCrunch took apart the app for the Android version and found some interesting icons that could indicate a calling feature will be implemented soon.

These icons don’t only tell us that a voice call will be possible, but a video call as well as you can see from the icons below.

TechCrunch also speculates that this feature will be implemented in Instagram’s Direct messaging app, as they have been hard at work improving and adding features to their messaging app. We have heard that the company is working on a feature like this but they were quiet about it and was probably doing an internal test before releasing it to the public.

There is no release date on when this feature will become available but seeing as the icons are already in the official release of the app, it looks like Instagram would just need a push an update to activate the feature and we should be able to start using it.

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Instagram will start showing recommended post in your photo feed

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Instagram is bringing another new feature to the app called Recommended for You which will show you recommended in your image feed based on posts that you liked and accounts you are following. There will be a label above the post that tells you is a recommended post which is similar to how they display ads.

Before this, recommended content will be displayed in the Explore tab but Instagram wants to make this feature more obvious by placing it into your photo feed. The company’s spokesperson mentioned to TechCrunch that the recommended post will only appear when users have gone through their entire photo feed and that users won’t have the option to turn this feature off, but they can hide the post by pressing on the three dots on the top right.

Instagram has been working hard updating their app this year with many features that users are pretty excited for, the update is still rolling out to users on Android and iOS but keep checking your photo feed, as you might see some recommended post for you soon.

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Instagram will warn users if someone takes a screenshot of their temporary direct message

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Instagram’s latest update brought with it a couple of new features that makes the app feel like Snapchat-lite. That being said, one privacy feature in particular would prove to be useful as Instagram now alerts you to someone taking a of screenshot of your temporary direct messages.

Instagram now notifies if someone takes a screenshot. Be careful
@silverbtf

pic.twitter.com/n4olOvKg0L

— Travis (@travlim)
November 24, 2016

From this point forward, should someone decide to take a screenshot of a temporary direct message sent through Instagram Direct, the app would automatically send a notification to your smart device of choice notifying you of said action. This notification feature only applies to temporary direct messages sent through Instagram Direct, so if you were to take screenshots of other parts of Instagram, the Instagram user would be none the wiser.

There are ways to circumvent this system of course, like the old-fashioned taking-a-picture-of-the-screen-with-your-camera method. Nevertheless, this feature would be useful for those who would like to know if their private conversations are being saved.

Source:
The Next Web
,
The Verge

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Instagram will warn you if your captions are offensive – but still gives you a choice to continue

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The internet can be a wonderful place where communities thrive – but in a place where people can hide behind anonymity, cyber-bullying happens, especially on a platform that puts vanity front-and-
center
 like Instagram.

On a social media so popular, Instagram has to walk the tight rope in trying to balance allowing freedom of expression while keeping its users safe. To fight online bullying, the Facebook-owned brand will start to warn users when their captions are considered offensive.

Image credit: Instagram

With the help of AI, this new feature sends you a notification when if your image or video caption is deemed harsh and will prompt you to edit your caption, or share it anyway. Ultimately, the choices are still in your hands, and you can still choose to go toxic if you wanted – but Instagram hopes that the new feature could at least make people realize what they’re sharing online could hurt others – because people can be very ignorant sometimes.

The feature is rolling out to select countries for now, but will make its gradual introduction elsewhere soon.

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Instagram won’t get its own iPad app anytime soon

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Instagram has been around for almost 10 years now, but one thing that it hasn’t done is create a proper version of its app on the iPad, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

As reported by
Chris Welch
, an editor of The Verge, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said the company “would like to build an iPad app” in one of his Instagram Stories. He however also mentioned that there are limited resources which is why there hasn’t been any development for an iPad app.

Image credit: Tech Radar

Currently, Instagram on the iPad is just an enlarged version of the one we use on iPhones. You can’t view it in landscape mode and there are also black borders surrounding it as the user interface doesn’t match the size of the tablet’s display.

With the company’s financial status, many pointed out that it seems ridiculous when the CEO used limited resources as the reasoning behind why an iPad app wasn’t developed. Some said that solo developers are capable of creating apps for different platforms, while others believe it’s just an excuse and the company just couldn’t be bothered.

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Instagram’s accidental horizontal scroll causes online uproar

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Instagram caused an outrage among its users yesterday when it accidentally rolled out a new feature that changed how the newsfeed operates.

The Instagram feed is a sideways swipe now
pic.twitter.com/kqPsUvDQ5t

— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz)
December 27, 2018

Instead of vertically scrolling through posts in the Instagram newsfeed, the new rollout changed it into a horizontal scroll, where users will need to tap to advance through posts. Tapping right will lead users to the next post whereas tapping left will bring users back to the previous post, and tapping in the middle will do the same, which is liking the post. Besides that, there is also a progress bar to show users how far they’ve progressed through their newsfeed.

Sorry about that, this was supposed to be a very small test but we went broader than we anticipated.

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)
December 27, 2018

Many users are taken aback by the new accidental change, and demanded that Instagram change it back. According to Adam Mosseri, Facebook’s head of Instagram, the rollout was meant to be a small test, and the company had accidentally tested it out on a wider number of users leading to the uproar. Within an hour, Instagram rolled back the update, so users are able to get back to their vertical scrolling.

Just one question… You have a beta program for these things on android. I am enrolled so I can test new features so I can inform developers if they are good or not. I never got this update. Instead you push this to normal users?? Fix your stuff up.

— Richard Rafaj (@RafajRichard)
December 27, 2018

Mosseri also told users that they could restart the app if it’s still stuck at horizontal scrolling, and apologised for the sudden change. A user also tweeted to Mosseri, expressing her disappointment for not getting the update even though she’s in the beta program while normal users received the update.

@ instagram during those 0.2 seconds of the horizontal feed
pic.twitter.com/ZyfKIHsOGI

— alex (@alexojovel)
December 27, 2018

On the other hand, celebrities such as Ariana Grande and rapper Skepta are also not happy about the accidental rollout.

us: pls chronological timelines
 insta: what? insta stories?
 us: nonono chronological timelines
 insta: did you mean IGTV
 us: NO CHRONOLOGICAL TIMELINES
 insta: ohhhh you want to scroll horizontally
#instagramupdate

— , , , , , (@triviastigma)
December 27, 2018

Let’s hope this horizontal scrolling will not be coming in the future since many are unhappy about it. In the meantime, maybe Instagram should consider bringing back the chronological scrolling that was and still is desired by many.

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Instagram’s Direct Messages now supports live video and sharing

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Instagram has yet another new feature which is made for Direct Messages. Users can now tap the direct icon and create a live video and sent it to friends or a group. Users can also share a live video they are watching with friends.

Prior to this, live videos sent using Direct Message can only be viewed with the video is still ongoing and you cant watch it again after it has finished. Instagram is also giving the option to users to disable this feature in the Stories settings if they don’t want to send live videos to friends. The company mentioned that they designed this feature to make it easier for people to inform others that they are going live and make it easier to send and share their live videos with friends.

This might be an attempt by them to drive traffic towards their direct messaging app called simply enough, Direct, but it would be better if all of these features could be placed in one app as it adds some convenience to it.

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Instagram's latest update allows you to save posts as drafts

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Instagram has added a new minor feature that will allow users to save posts as drafts to publish later. The last known major addition to Instagram was Instagram Stories, Instagram’s take on Snapchat, which happened to be quite the crowd puller. The new feature that comes with Instagram’s latest update might only be a minor one, but it will prove to be nifty to all users.

Instagram has made the announcement on its Twitter account, stating that users can now save a post as a draft and come back to it later. It isn’t a hidden or hard to find option in the app, which has been easy to use from the start. Users only have to select a photo or video, put on a Valencia filter (or any other filter, or none at all), add a caption and tag a location, then head back to the filters and editing tab and hit the back button. Users will then be prompted to save the post as a draft, agree to that and the post will appear in the “Library” section.

To go back to the draft, just tap “Library” and you’ll be able to see your post under “Drafts”. This is definitely a useful feature for those who intend to keep their posts for “primetime”, or need a couple of hours to carve up their best caption for a photo. The update is currently rolling out so do keep your eyes peeled for the update! What do you think?

Source:
Instagram (Twitter)

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Instagram’s new checkout feature lets you shop within the app

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Instagram just got better for shopaholics as the company introduce a new feature that lets users checkout products within the app.

With a new “Checkout on Instagram” button, users will now be able to purchase their favourite products within the app through brands’ Instagram accounts, and they’ll also get to choose specific options such as size and color of the products.

Image credit: Instagram

Without a doubt, you’ll first need to input your details (name, email, billing information and shipping address) but once these details are securely kept, your shopping experience will be much faster on next purchases. In addition to that, delivery and shipment details will also be provided within the app, hence you won’t have to rely on external websites to track your purchases.

https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Checkout_Story.mp4

At the moment, “Checkout on Instagram” is only in closed beta for businesses and also US residents. It has 42 brands that are already experimenting with the new feature, but Instagram is not stopping at that; the company revealed that many more brands will be joining the list.

Checkout on Instagram
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Instagram’s new feature, “Creator Account” is being tested for high-profile influencers

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Instagram is low-key testing out a new feature called “Creator Account”, which is made for high-profile Instagram users who are also referred to as creators.

The new feature is similar to business profiles but it offers more in-depth analytics and also allows creators to filter their direct messages. Creators can choose to filter their messages by read, unread and flagged, which is similar to the emails system. Besides that, they can rank their pending requests of direct messages either by relevance or time. Besides that, creators will be given more flexible contact methods, meaning that they can choose whether to let others contact them by call or email. If they’re not keen on being contacted through phone calls or emails, they’re given the option to remove the button that allows others to click to call/email them.

In addition to that, data regarding creator’s followers and following will also be able to be accessed. Creators will be able to view weekly and daily data on their follower count, so they can discover the kind of content that their followers like or dislike.

For now, the new feature is only tested out with a limited amount of high-profile users but Instagram says that it will be available next year to the wider community. The Instagram product manager, Ashley Yuki also highlights that creators are “an important part of our community,” so they want to ensure that creators can actually built their own fan communities and personal brands. This new feature will definitely be advantageous to creators as they can get more information on their content engagement and plan their content posting more accurately. Furthermore, it will be Instagram an even better platform for its users to grow on.

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Instagram’s new policy will warn users if their accounts are at risk of being disabled

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To promote a healthy community, Instagram has announced a new account disable policy that ensures inappropriate accounts are more efficiently removed when found in violation of their policies.

From today onwards, accounts that are found to be violating Instagram’s policies will be given a warning and have their inappropriate posts, stories or comments removed. However, users are given a chance to appeal for the content Instagram deleted in case it was a misunderstanding. If the content was proven to be within community guidelines, it will then be restored and the user’s account will no longer have a violation record.

That being said, accounts that continue to go against the community guidelines even after being warned will be disabled and removed. Users can still appeal for their disabled accounts, but unlike appealing for their content which can be done via the alert, users will need to appeal through the Help Centre.

Just last week, Instagram has introduced two new features to prevent offensive comments from online bullies. Instagram users can restrict bullies by only making their offensive comments visible to themselves so that others will not be able to view and further reply to said comments.

instagram


Instagram’s new Polls feature will require more active participation

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Instagram has brought in a feature for its Stories which will most likely be widely used within a week of its implementation. Instagram users can now create polls in their Instagram Stories, allowing fellow users to vote between two choices, which encourages better interactivity on Instagram.

Apart from your friends merely viewing, commenting and replying to your Instagram Stories, they can also vote for a poll that you create. The Polls feature on Instagram Stories is only limited to a two option poll for now, but we suppose that is simplicity at its best. Besides, there’s no use crowding Instagram Stories with “unnecessary” features.

With Polls, users can type in their question and customize the answer options instead of having them limited to “Yes” or “No”. After sharing a poll, users will be able to view the voting results in real time. They will also be able to view which of their friends have voted for either option in the poll.

What do you think of Polls? A great addition to Instagram Stories or just another tactic to get us users addicted to social media?

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Instagram’s new update brings dual screen live stream with your buddy

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Instagram is undoubtedly one of the most popular social apps out there right now. The Facebook owned app is notoriously known for feature for feature copying of its competitor, Snapchat. Regardless, Instagram has been gaining more ground on Snapchat as it adds new features to its app. The latest feature to make its way to Instagram is being able to add a friend to your live stream.

This is a pretty new update by Instagram, and not all users have access to it just yet. Basically, users will be able to add a friend to their live stream on Instagram. By doing so, your friend will then appear in a separate streaming screen, turning it into a dual screen broadcast. The live stream will be equally split into two halves, the top half occupied by your broadcast and the bottom half by your selected friend. In order to trigger the dual screen live stream, you only have to tap on the button with two smiley’s.

The update is currently being tested by only a handful of users. But this new handy feature will soon make its way gradually to all Instagram users worldwide.insyt

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Instagram’s new update is rolling out globally to hide the the number of ‘Likes’ in posts

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Instagram’s taking away the number of likes on each Instagram post, so it’s time you stop letting these numbers to measure your self-worth, because others won’t be able to.

Instagram first started removing the number of likes in Canada, followed by other countries like Ireland, Brazil, Japan and more. It has been about seven months since then, and now the company is ready to hide the number globally.

This means that you can no longer judge someone’s post based on the number of likes on their post, but if it’s your own post then yes, you’ll still be able to see it. There are some advantages and disadvantages with this new update, but let’s start with the former.

One thing for sure, buying followers will be pointless — even though it’s a deceitful act and aren’t encouraged anyways. Influencer profiles are usually measured by their numbers of followers and number of likes in their posts, which is why some tend to buy likes so they can hype up the numbers to get more job opportunities. However, since the numbers are only visible to them, there’s no longer a need to buy likes. Sadly, the same can’t be said to buying followers, but we do know that Instagram are taking measures against that too.

Another positive impact that can come out of this is the lower possibility of Instagram users using these numbers as the foundation of their self-confidence. There’s no doubt that people are often comparing themselves to others, and having a solid number (of likes) just makes it easier to make yourself feel better or worse. Perhaps the missing numbers will also help Instagram users feel more at ease in posting what they want to post instead of posting what they think others will like.

Image credit: HypeAuditor

However, TechCrunch also mentioned the study by HypeAuditor which affects creators since brands and agencies can no longer use these numbers as a standard of judgment. The only alternative now is for these creators to screenshot their own profile, which can be easily altered with the magic of Photoshop. This update may cause many influencers to lose job opportunities because it may be easier for brands to just advertise with Instagram instead of the influencers.

The new update is rolling out globally now, so it won’t be long before you stop seeing numbers of likes in someone’s post.

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Instagram’s Profile update might not show the number of postings anymore

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Instagram is bringing new updates to its users, and this time they are redesigning the profile section to make it easier for users to connect to each other and to offer a cleaner look.

Instagram shared some potential changes on their press site, and the image they’ve posted indicated that there will be several repositioning of buttons and icons, such as the profile picture being moved to the right (previously on the left), and the disappearance of the number of posts by the Instagram users. Instead, the user’s profile will only show the amount of followers and followings, and the profile bio will be placed on the left side next to the user’s profile picture instead of the current location which is below the profile picture.

While the photo and video postings remain the same design wise , there will be a redesign in the tabs, where instead of logos it will now be labelled as “Grid”, “Posts” and “Tagged”. It seems like Instagram also plans to add an “IGTV” tab along with the rest of the tabs. Besides that, instead of separate Following and Followers tabs, Instagram will integrate those and add a “Mutual” feature that shows mutual following/followers. Users will also be able to navigate between the three tabs which is more convenient than the current tab.

Instagram will also redesign business accounts in which there will be more buttons such as “Directions”, “Start Order” and “Call”. In addition to that, a “Shop” tab is added so users can see all the products that are sold by the business users. They are currently experimenting with the new looks for the profile sections and said that they will update the experience by looking at users’ feedback hence it’s probably time to share your ideas with Instagram and they might just make it happen.

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Instagram’s new chat sticker lets you create and join conversations in groups

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Instagram users tend to get excited whenever there’s a new sticker on Instagram, causing them to spam the sticker for the first few days once released. Now, Instagram has released another engaging sticker that lets users initiate a group conversation.

With the new chat sticker that can be found at the sticker tray, you can use the sticker to create conversations on meetings, gatherings or even discussions. For example, you can name the chat “Who’s up for boba tea?” and those who are interested could request to join the chat.

Introducing the new chat sticker in Stories. Now, there’s an easy way to start conversations with a group of friends right from your story.
pic.twitter.com/A1An7d9TjJ

— Instagram (@instagram)
July 2, 2019

This means that all Instagram users who viewed the story can choose to join the chat if they’re interested, and they can chat with everyone in the chat, even with people they don’t know. Slashgear pointed it out that it would be beneficial for brands and creators as it will bring up followers’ engagement rate.

The new chat sticker is already available on both iOS and Android devices, so waste no time and start your own discussions or meetups!

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Instant Games is leaving Messenger and moving to Facebook

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Facebook Messenger isn’t just limited to chatting; you could also use it to play Instant Games. Sadly, that’s about to change because Facebook has decided to remove it from Messenger and move it back to its main app, Facebook.

Instant Games has been available for quite some time — even before the arrival of Facebook Gaming tab. However, to ensure that Messenger can function more efficiently and simpler, Facebook has decided to migrate the feature to Facebook and Facebook Gaming tab.

The migration process will happen gradually, but sooner or later the new version of Messenger on iOS will no longer support Instant Games. Even so, players can still “access games through thread updates and chatbots” — the only difference is it will transfer them to Facebook for them to play said games.

The company also stated that in order to ensure a smooth migration process, they will be collecting insights and feedback from players to ensure that the transition comes with minimal issues. Facebook Gaming tab will become the new platform for Instant Games and players will be guided to adapt to the change.

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instax Link WIDE: Fujifilm’s new wide-format smartphone printer

599

Fujifilm has announced its latest smartphone printer, the instax Link WIDE. This is the successor to the instax mini LINK that was launched in 2019.

instax Link WIDE is basically a wide version of the Link mini

Compared to the
instax Link mini
 that prints 62mm x 46mm photos, the
instax Link WIDE
 prints images at 62mm x 99mm — this is the main difference between both printers.

The new smartphone printer also supports DNG format on top of the usual JPEG, PNG and HEIF formats.

Apart from the photo size and printer dimensions, the instax Link WIDE is quite similar to its predecessor. Both supports 256 levels per color and prints at 318 dpi.

They also take around 12 seconds for each print, can print roughly 100 prints from full charge, and require about 80 to 120 minutes for a full charge.

There’s also a dedicated app named Link WIDE — this app features edition tools such as filters, collage layouts, in-app stickers and more. Users can even print a QR code onto their photo that links to a sound recording, a website link, a location or a hidden message.

Needless to say, the instax Link WIDE is heavier at 340g. Those who purchase it will get a charging cable, a stand and a camera strap.

This smartphone printer is available in Ash White and Mocha Gray; it’s priced at €149.99 which is roughly RM721.14 when converted to our local currency.

Though its pre-order has begun in some countries, its local availability hasn’t been announced.

Source

fujifilm
instax Link WIDE


instax mini Evo: Fujifilm’s new hybrid instant camera

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Fujifilm’s instax cameras have always been a popular choice among those who wish to print their photos right after taking them. This time, Fujifilm has announced its new hybrid instant camera, the
 instax mini Evo
.

Referred to as a hybrid
– a combination of a digital camera and an analog instant film camera – this device allows its users to review their photos before deciding if they want to print it out.

Design wise, the product adopts the classic ‘film camera’ look with the lens dial, film dial, and print lever contributing not only to the visual, but the functional aspect as well. Similar to the
instax mini LiPlay
, the camera sports a size that sits comfortably in the palm of your hand, whether you’re holding it horizontally or vertically.

The camera features a 3.0-inch LCD monitor, a built-in 28mm F2.0 lens, and a 1/5-inch CMOS sensor with primary colour filter. By combining both lens and film effects, users can create up to 100 different shooting effects for their photos.

 It charges via Micro USB, and a full charge allows up to 100 prints. It is stated that the resolution of exposure has been doubled compared to previous models so users should expect a greater print quality.

A dedicated app for the camera is also available to download through the App Store or Google Play store. This app can be connected to your phone via Bluetooth and unlocks features such as direct printing of photos from your device, saving photos taken on the camera, as well as remotely controlling it.

The mini Evo is set to release in Japan starting 3 December 2021.  While its local availability has not been determined yet, its arrival is already being teased in
Fujifilm Malaysia’s official Shopee store
.

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Instead of scrolling, Instagram tries tapping to view posts

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If you’re an Instagram user, you’d know that the app has undergone many changes throughout the years, such as the news feed algorithm, the story feature, the highlights feature and so on. Currently, Instagram is trying a new feature that requires users to tap instead of scroll when they’re viewing posts.

Apparently, Instagram is testing the tap feature in the Explore tab, and this was discovered by a Twitter user named Suprateek Bose. Instagram however has only tested it out on the Explore tab and has no intention on testing it on its main feed yet. It is Instagram’s attempt to improve users’ experience, as they believe that scrolling through your smartphones can be rather tiring after sometime.

This feature is similar to the Snapchat app, whereby users can tap to view the next post or the next user’s story. It seems that Instagram is following Snapchat’s footsteps in many ways, such as the story feature, the story filters, and now the tap to view next post feature. However, this feature is only tested with a small number of users, so most of us will still have the traditional scrolling feature.

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Integral introduces a 512GB microSD card

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We recently saw that Sandisk release a microSD card that can hold up to 400GB of data which was the biggest amount of storage an microSD could hold. Integral has dethroned Sandisk and created a microSD card that can hold 512GB of data making it the highest capacity microSD card in the market.

The card has an 80MB/s transfer speed which in accordance to the UHS-I Class 1 specification and it also meets the requirements of Video Speed Class 10 which makes it perfect for capturing FHD videos and would be just decent for transferring 4K videos. Based on their packaging, it would seem like they are targeting smartphone and tablet users as they have icons of apps, music and pictures on the bottom of the package with no mention of camera use.

Sadly, there is no mention the price for this microSD card but seeing as the SanDisk 400GB microSD card cost RM1,499, the Integral would probably cost more than that. There will be more details of its pricing closer to its February 2018 release

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Here is a list of Intel’s 10th-gen desktop processors

1.2K

AMD has been pretty rough on Intel with its Ryzen processors, and team blue is ready to fight back its top spot in the desktop computing scene with its 10th-gen Intel Core desktop processors.

A leaked presentation slide about the processors have been acquired by Informatica Cero and reported by VideoCardz, where it details the company’s lineup of mainstream processors from Core i3 up to Core i9.

One thing good is that the model numbers aren’t as confusing as their laptop counterparts, as Intel has maintained the model numbers similar to their predecessors while having the first digit updated to 10.

Credit: VideoCardz

As usual, we are seeing unlocked K processors on the Core i5 to Core i9 range, where they all receive a boost of 100MHz in their base clock speeds over their predecessors.

The Core i9-10900 and its K variant CPU are getting a new and exclusive feature called Velocity Boost, where it will unlock clock speeds of up to 5.3GHz when it performs under an undisclosed temperature threshold.

The Core i7-10700K should perform similarly to a Core i9-9900Ka as it features 8 cores and 16 threads with a similar boost clock speed.

Interestingly, Intel has finally included HyperThreading for Core i3 and Core i5 processors, while both receive a 200MHz boost in base clock speed over their predecessors. Last but not least, all K model CPUs have received an increased TDP to 125W, which should ultimatley deliver better overclocking performance.

Despite being a decent upgrade, Intel’s Comet Lake S platform will unfortunately be using a new Socket 1200, there is also no PCIe 4.0 support either but it now supports native DDR4-2933 memory, Wi-Fi 6 and 2.5G ethernet, that’s really a shame if you’ve hoped to install a brand new Intel 10th Gen chip on your existing Socket 1151 motherboard.

We should be seeing more details about Intel’s 10th-gen desktop processors in CES 2020, as the company usually takes advantage of the event to make annoucements alongside with OEMs.

10th Gen Intel Core
Comet Lake S
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Intel launches 10th-Gen Ice Lake Core CPUs for mobile platforms

387

‘Twas only a year ago that Intel introduced their line-up of 9th-Gen Coffee Lake Intel Core CPUs – it was a refresh of the 8th-Gen, that introduced 8 core/8 thread Core i7 CPUs while introducing Turbo Boost to i3 variants.

It looks like now Intel is ready to start a new chapter in the processing chip scene with the official launch of the 10th-Gen Ice Lake-based CPUs. We reported on its announcement at Computex two months ago, and as mention at the time, the new processors will arrive for mobile platforms first.

Image credit: Intel

The most notable change from its predecessors is that it’s built on the 10nm process, a massive upgrade over Coffee Lake’s 14nm size. However, sources say that next gen PC processors from Intel will remain at 14nm and Ice Lake will be exclusively for laptops.

As usual, you can expect Intel to push i3, i5 and i7 variants in two series – the U and Y series – and things are about to get confusing for us consumers. For ease of understanding and explain for you and I, please refer to the below image that explains Intel’s naming conventions for the 10th-Gen processors:

Image credit: Intel

It’s all fine and dandy until we come to the SKU code – as usual it starts of with the generation indicator, but this time around, its 10 – two numbers before the SKU. You’d usually expect three digits to follow, but this time around, there are only two SKU numbers. Following that is the graphics level – G7 has full 64 EU configurations, G4 with 48 EUs, and G1 with 32 UEs.

For the complete list of models and its specifications, visit Intel’s website
here
. The prices for the CPUs haven’t been disclosed but it shouldn’t belong before we see laptops sporting them start arriving to Malaysia soon.

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Intel 11th-Gen Core desktop CPUs launched

497

Intel has just launched their new
11
th
-Gen Core
 desktop CPUs, and you’ll get eight models in total – the pack leader being the 8C/16T Core i9-11900K.

The range of processors go all the way down to the Core i5-11400 which is a 6-core, 12-thread unit. Intel claims that the Cypress Cove chips offer up to a 19% increase in instructions per cycle than its predecessor.

The CPUs now support the PCIe 4.0 interface and up to 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes; on top of that, the chips also support DDR4-3200 memory and features Intel UHD Graphics that run on the Intel Xe architecture.

You also now get support for resizable BAR which makes all of your GPUs memory accessible by the processor, which in turn improves performance across tasks that utilize the GPU.

Speaking of performance, new overclocking features like the Intel Performance Maximizer, Intel Extreme Tuning Utility, and Intel Extreme Memory Profile, are introduced to allow you to more easily squeeze every drop of performance from your CPUs.

At the time of writing, Intel hasn’t announced the availability of their new chips in the country, but
according
 to
The Verge
, the CPUs will be priced from $182 (about RM748).

11th gen intel
cpu
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11th-Gen Intel Core mobile CPUs announced: Promises to be 20% faster than last-gen

1.3K

It’s here folks, boasting its new logo design to mark a new era for the company – Intel’s 11
th
-Gen CPUs have been announced and they will first be implemented into laptops.

Below are the full list of chips and their specs:

Image credit: Intel

For the laptop models at least, they go all the way up a Core i7-1185G7, a 4C/8T chip with a base frequency of 3.0Ghz which is massive compared to the previous generation’s 2.3Ghz base clock. The CPU can be boosted up to 4.3GHz on all cores, or 4.8GHz on a single core.

On top of that, Core i5 and Core i7 chips in the line-up will come packed with Intel’s new Iris Xe interpreted graphics. Intel claims that the new graphics chip performs twice as well as its predecessor and performs equally or better than a 10
th
-Gen chip that’s working with an NVIDIA MX350 GPU.

According to
The Verge
, Intel is relying on the new Xe Iris chips to push graphics performance in the new 11th-Gen chips where it lacks in raw core count when compared to its arch nemesis AMD.

The budget-friendly option in the list is the Core i3-1110G4 which is a 2C/4T chip with Intel UHD Graphics. It pushes a base frequency of 1.8GHz and a boost clock speed of 3.9GHz.

According to reports by The Verge, these new chips should perform 20% faster in office productivity tasks as well as in system-level power which Intel says gets you an extra hour of battery life for tasks like video streaming.

Intel’s new CPUs also support 8K HDR displays while allowing you to extend up to four 4K HDR panels at one time.

Besides the new CPUs, Intel also introduced a new version of the Project Athena certification called the Intel Evo – this time around, laptops need to offer
over
 nine hours of real world use, as well as fast charge support (four hours of life with 30 minutes of charge), plus Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4 support, to receive the certification.

Could this be the generation of CPUs to rival AMD’s soaring Ryzen series? Perhaps Intel could look to finally introduce their own
discrete GPU
 to give AMD a run for their money.

Intel’s new 11th-Gen processors will arrive in laptops as early as this month. You can visit Intel’s website
here
 to learn more about the new CPUs.

11 gen processor
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Tiger Lake


Intel acquires Altera before the New Year

268

Intel wraps up 2015 with an acquistition as the chip manufacturer has completed the acquisition of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) provider Altera Corporation.

This acquisition, valued at around USD16.7 billion, will see Altera operate as a new business unit called the Programmable Solutions Group (PSG) led by Altera veteran Dan McNamara. Intel has promised that there will be a smooth transition for current Altera customers. Intel has also said that they will continue to support the future product development of Altera’s many products, ranging from FPGA to ARM-based SoC.

As mentioned by the Wall Street Journal, many technology companies such as Google and Microsoft, are currently using Intel Xeon that are bolstered by Altera’s FPGA technology for computational work. This merger allows Intel to sell the two pieces together starting next year, with long term projects being to combine the tech behind Xeon and FPGA into a single chip.

“Altera is now part of Intel, and together we will make the next generation of semiconductors not only better but able to do more. We will apply Moore’s Law to grow today’s FPGA business, and we’ll invent new products that make amazing experiences of the future possible – experiences like autonomous driving and machine learning,” says Brain Krzanich, CEO of Intel.

Source :
Intel Newsroom
,
Wall Street Journal

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altera
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Intel acquires Movidius; aims to have the company bolster its RealSense cameras

267

Intel isn’t joking around with its RealSense camera, as the company has just bought up Movidius for its specialty in AI and computer vision processors.

Movidius is very much a veteran when it comes to tasks concerning artificial intelligence. The company has been developing vision processors for technology such as drones and thermal cameras. Movidius has also worked with Google before, with both companies collaborating on projects such as the “Project Tango” augmented reality platform.

With Intel acquiring Movidius, Intel is hoping that Movidius could provide the expertise necessary to assist them with the RealSense cameras. One of the biggest plus point that Intel will get from the Movidius acquisition is access to low power, high-performance SoC platforms for its RealSense cameras. Of course, Movidius’ expertise in sectors such as “deep learning” and other A.I. related projects means that the company could be beneficial to Intel in the long run.

artificialintelligence
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Intel and AMD teams up to bring a chip made for gaming to ultrathin laptops

375

The greatest plot twist of 2017 is Intel and AMD are working together to produce a computer chip that will use an Intel processor and AMD graphics unit to power a computer. The new chip is said to be made for laptops and is designed to be thin and portable but powerful enough for gamers to play intensive games.

These new chips are not made to compete with AMD Ryzen mobile chips but is designed for ultrathin laptops and is due out end of the year. AMD has also mentioned that these chips are made for gamers while their Ryzen chips can run games but were not specifically designed for that. Intel then came out to mention that they are using a new technology that will allow information to be passed quickly in “extremely close proximity”, allowing them to build chips that are smaller but more powerful.

A team up like this is huge as the last time these two giants teamed up was in the 1980s according to The Wall Street Journal. But the bigger question is what is NVIDIA going to do about this as this would mean that they do not need NVIDIA GPUs to be inside ultrathin laptops and that could potentially remove the graphics company from the mobile computer market.

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cpu
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ultrathin


Intel and AMD’s new chip is going to be great for gamers

323

Intel and AMD have finally shown us the first product from their partnership which was announced last year. Both the silicon giants have come together to show off a new mobile CPU coupled with an integrated GPU which will be equipped in future laptop and small computer products in the future.

This chip will be under a new category called the G-Series which merges the gap between Intel’s U and H-Series of chips made for the mobile market. The new series comes with an H-Series processor which is made for high-end gaming laptops, alongside an AMD Radeon RX Vega chipset. There will be i5 and i7 models for the chips and comes with 65 watts and 100 watts variant which the latter is unlocked and overclockable.

Laptops equipped with this chip can be just 1.7cm thick on the inside without the need of special cooling or Nvidia’s Max-Q design architecture. These new chips were designed to make gaming laptops thinner, quieter and cooler without compromising speeds, but the battery life will not be a big improvement. Intel also claimed that the G-Series chips outperform the 8th Generation U-Series processors paired with a Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU by about 1.4 times when it comes to gaming. It is also capable of powering up a whopping 9 displays at once and comes with 4 cores, 8 threads clocked at 4.1GHz while the GPU has 20 compute units with a base clock of 932MHz and boost clock of 1011MHz.

AMD won’t be handling driver support as Intel intends to take over all driver related releases. They did mention that they will have Day Zero support for games like what Nvidia and AMD are doing, releasing a new driver before or on the launch date of the game.

amd
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Intel and ARM signs deal for Custom Foundry collaboration

300

Intel has had limited success in the smartphone market, with the company scaling back its SoC plans a few months ago. Today, they have penned a new deal with ARM, which sees Intel licensing ARM’s technology for use in their Custom Foundry business.

With this deal, Intel will now allow companies that design chips based on ARM’s Artisan Physical IP to manufacture them on Intel’s own 10nm FinFET process. This gives chipmakers an option outside of the main chip manufacturing players such as Samsung and TSMC. ARM licensees who use ARM’s off-the-shelf technology will also be able to utilise Intel’s fabrication to create chips. Unfortunately, licensees who use a lot of their own custom CPUs and GPUs like Qualcomm will not be granted access to Intel’s Custom Foundry. As to who will be the first to take advantage of the Intel-ARM deal, Intel has announced that LG will be the first to “produce a world-class mobile platform based on Intel Custom Foundry’s 10nm design platform.”

Chip fabrication aside, Intel’s deal with ARM will also give Intel an entry point for VR hardware. The company announced at the Intel Developer Forum earlier today that it would be working on an all-in-one headset dubbed Project Alloy.

Source:
Engadget
,
Ars Technica

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Intel announced new 8th-Gen Core vPro processors for high-end commercial laptops

329

It seems to be a busy couple of months for Intel as they’re steadily pushing new-gen components for the masses – think the recently introduced Optane Memory H10 module that combines Optane Memory with SSD storage in an M.2 form factor.

Now, Intel has again turned heads with the announcement of its new line of 8th-Gen Intel Core vPro processors. These modules are commercial chipsets made for laptops and combines both the chipset and the processor together.

Image credit: Anand Tech

What vPro processors typically offer better security and IT management compared to its consumer-centric counterparts – and the new Core i7-8665U and Core i5-8365U processors should be able to provide improvements in those areas.

The base clock frequencies are 1.9GHz and 1.6GHz respectively while both can be pushed up to above 4.0GHz. The i7 is built using DDR4-2400 memory modules while the i5 sports DDR-2400 memory modules.

Anand Tech reports that the new vPro CPUs provide additional BIOS protection with remote corporate management control functions, Wi-Fi 6 support as well as removing itself as an attack vector. These new CPUs are meant to be utilized in high-end business laptops so don’t expect affordability here.

core vpro
cpu
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i7
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laptops
processors


Intel announces 9th-Gen mobility processors – greatly suited for gaming laptops

292

Good news laptop gamers, besides the launch of Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 Ti laptop GPUs, Intel has also announced their new 9th-Gen Intel Core H-series mobility processors too!

You can expect the usual trio of Intel’s Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 to make their come in its all new 9th-Gen form soon, while the Core i9 mobility version is also touted to be in the works. These CPUs are inherently gaming-centric and Intel claims that these new chips are able to push 18% higher framerates compared to its predecessors, and it also supports 4K editing better than previous generations too.

Image credit: Intel

These chips support up to 128GB of DDRB memory as well as Wi-Fi 6, the latest wireless standard. The CPUs are optimized with Intel’s Dynamic Tuning to make discrete graphics a viable options across the range.

The new 9th-Gen CPUS are available today and will ship with partnered manufacturers such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and more.

core i5
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Intel announces new 10th-Gen Core Mobile processors built on 10nm process node

274

We’re not even done with 9th-Gen processors yet, but Intel are not resting on their laurels as they announce a new line of 10th-Gen Intel Core Ice Lake mobile CPUs which during this year’s COMPUTEX expo.

Fans of Intel’s processors will be glad to know that these new chips will be made using the company’s 10nm process which is based on the Sunny Cove architecture. As usual, the processors will be available in Core i3, i5 and i7 variants and will have max boost frequencies of up to 4.1GHz.

They’ll come with Intel Iris Plus and Intel UHD graphics configurations and will support Thunderbolt 3. You can expect 9W, 15W and 28W parts that will ship with up to 4 cores. The chips will be made available for thin laptops as well as tablets first before they go to the big guns.

Intel claims that this generation’s performance is 18-percent faster than its predecessor, but according to The Verge, this comparison was made with the very outdated Skylake-based chips.

These new chips will be able to give impressive graphics performance as Intel says it doubles the capabilities of its 15W parts. In terms of connectivity support, you can look forward to Thunderbolt 3 and Wi-Fi 6 support. The new Intel Core 10th-Gen processors will ship out some time this June.

10th gen
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Intel announces new Core M Compute Stick with Skylake

372

I j
ust recalled that Intel launched its first generation Compute Stick with Intel Atom processor not that long ago, and now, Intel has quietly announced its new beefed up Compute Stick with Skylake processors in the form of Core m3 and Core m5 with vPro.

By using the Skylake instead of Broadwell, you can imagine how much of the performance will be boosted in the form of a HDMI dongle. Even in terms of size, the Skylake processor has a smaller surface area, and paired with Core M’s low power usage, the new Compute Stick can take advantage of the space savings to include other components like memory, storage and more.

According to Intel, the Skylake Core Ms should provide graphics performance as much as 40 percent better than the Broadwell Core Ms. Due to this, we can possibly expect better video playbacks and decent low-intensity gaming experience.

When can we see the new Intel Compute Stick in the market? So far the only thing Intel mentioned is that the new Core M Compute Stick will go on sale in Q1 2016, while the price has not been hinted at all.

Source:
arstechnica

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core
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Intel announces official specs of upcoming Intel Core X-Series CPUs

376

The tech gadget world has been lively of late thanks to the introduction of a slew of big-name smartphones and major software updates. Let’s take a break from that for a bit and redirect our focus onto the PC arena.

Intel is touted to launch their latest 10th-Gen Cascade Lake HEDT processors next week – sources say 7th October. However, prior to its launch, the American company have decided to release to the world crucial spec information about their upcoming line-up of powerhouse CPUs.

We see that there will be at least four models released – three under the X-Series line-up and one in the Extreme Edition line-up. The cheapest of the lot here is the Core i9-10900X chip that’ll retail at $590 (RM2,473) – it boasts 10 cores, 20 threads and has a base clock speed of 3.7GHz and a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 4.5GHz.

Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition chip will retail at an eye-watering $979 (RM4,103) – it has 18 cores, 36 threads and has a base clock speed of 3.0GHz and a max turbo boost of 4.8GHz (with Turbo Boost 3.0).

According to Intel, the chipsets will come with Intel Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 3, and Intel Optane SSD 905P support. All SKUs also have support for up to 256GB DDR4 RAM and 72 platform PCIe 3.0 lanes. On top of that, there’s also Intel Deep Learning Boost for AI instructions.

These are all early snippets of what’s to come from Intel – with the launch most likely happening next week, we can see all your creators and enthusiasts salivating already.

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Intel Arc High-Performance Graphics brand announced: First product to launch in 2022

830

Intel has just launched its new graphics brand,
Intel Arc
 – a lineup of discrete GPUs that will compete with the likes of the NVIDIA GeForce, and AMD Radeon.

“The Arc brand will span into multiple hardware, software, and services, and will span several generations – the first will be based on the Xe HPG microarchitecture, codenamed Alchemist”, says Intel.

Intel DG1

The first generation of graphics products will be scalable, and deliver compute efficiency with advanced graphics features such as hardware-based ray tracing, and AI-driver super sampling, along with support for DirectX 12 Ultimate.

Alchemist will first arrive in the first quarter of 2022, and we’re excited to see how it can stack up to the likes of established juggernauts NVIDIA and AMD; with a scarcity of GPU stocks leading to the highly inflated prices, we’re hoping Alchemist will provide a much needed third option for consumers worldwide.

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Intel collaborates with various partners to roll out 5G

371

Intel’s agenda at MWC 2016 is one not of devices, but of infrastructure. The renown chipmaker has announced at Barcelona that they will be working with various other companies to roll out their 5G infrastructure.

While 5G will give mobile internet a speed boost, Intel is looking at more than just browsing speeds. The company expects 5G to allow the Internet of Things infrastructure to reach its true potential. Intel is hoping that the number of connected devices would reach the 50 billion mark by 2020.

“Billions of increasingly smart and connected devices, data-rich personalized services, and cloud applications are driving the need for smarter and more powerful networks. The transition to 5G brings communications and computing together and is a fundamental shift for the industry. It is essential to lay the foundation for future 5G networks now to make amazing experiences of the future possible,” says Aicha Evans, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Intel Communications and Devices Group.

To achieve their ambitions, Intel will be partnering up with various companies around the globe. Some of the companies that will be assisting Intel in developing networking technologies include Huawei, Nokia and Verizon. Telco companies such as AT&T, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, NTT Docomo, Telefónica, Vodafone, ZTE, Ericsson, Korea Telecom and SK Telecom will be responsible for pushing out 5G networks in their respective countries.

Besides infrastructure, Intel will also be delivering wireless communication solutions for a wide rage of smartphones, phablets, PCs and IoT devices.

5g
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Intel Compute Stick now comes with Windows 10

288

It looks like Intel Compute Stick saw some pretty good response from users, since Intel has decided to reveal a new variation to the Compute Stick and this time, it comes preloaded with Microsoft Windows 10. In terms of hardware, it is identical to the previous version, so the only difference between the Compute Stick that was launched in May and the latest version, is just the operating system.

Although it is more expensive than some dedicated streaming devices, the Intel Compute Stick is actually a full-fledged PC stuffed in an oversized USB stick, although a little underpowered. However, there are some rumors floating around that Intel is in the process of developing new versions of hardware, upping its processor and RAM.

Of course, you can still decide to upgrade your Windows 8.1 Compute Stick to a Windows 10 yourself should you want to save some money and wait for the next generation of the device from Intel.

SOURCE:
Digital Trends

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Intel Core i7 "Broadwell-E" to Launch in 2016

290

For enthusiasts out there, the next installment to the Intel high-end desktop (HEDT) platform will be released no more than in Q2-2016 (April-June). This was shown in a leaked company roadmap slide which was for its client computing platforms. Broadwell-E will be based on Intel’s 5th generation Core “Broadwell” micro-architecture but it would be sold as Core i7 6800 and i7 6900 series.

These chips will showcase Intel’s first consumer 10-core processor, alongside the 6-core and 8-core processors. The cheapest one, costing most likely around $400-ish, will be likely 6-core, with the mid-tier, costing $600, being 6 core, and with the top of the line $1000 processor being 10-core. The TDP for these processors will continue to be rated at 140W, giving support for existing LGA2011v3 motherboards, which will require a firmware update or manual BIOS flashing. This was done before in the Core i7 Ivy Bridge-E having support for existing LGA2011 motherboards at its time. Also seen on the roadmap is the Core “Kaby Lake” desktop processors which will also make an entry in Q4-2016.

SOURCE:
TechPowerUp

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Intel Core i9-10900K launched – self-proclaimed fastest gaming CPU

463

The Intel Core i9-10900K is officially launched and Intel claims that it’s the ‘world’s fastest’ gaming CPU – which the company attributes to the processor’s ability to be clocked to 5.3GHz with the help of the Intel Thermal Velocity Boost which is an automatic boost feature that happens if there is enough thermal leg room – so you’re expected to fit the CPU with an adequate cooling system.

The CPU is built on a 14nm process and packs 10 cores and 20 threads with support for DDR4-2933 memory –
meaning
 its closes competitor, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X beats it with 12 cores and 12 threads and a max memory support of DDR4-3200.  It’ll be interesting to see how both CPUs stack up against one another.

In terms of how the Intel Core i9-10900K performs, Intel claims that you get up to 187 FPS of in game performance while streaming, plus up to 12 percent faster video editing times compared to the previous generations, and up to 31 percent better overall performance compared to a three-year-old system.

The CPU has provisions for Wi-Fi 6 AX201 support, Ethernet Connection 1225, and new PCIe overclocking that allows you to tweak your GPU even more. The CPU does come with Intel UHD Graphics 630 for
integrated
 graphics too. When it comes to expansion
support
 you’re looking at PCIe 3.0 support and up to 1 x16, 2 x8, 1 x8 + 2 x4; with a maximum of 16 PCIe lanes.

The Intel Core i9-10900K is priced at $488 (RM2,097) while the cheaper Core i9-10900KF (with no integrated GPU) will cost $472 (RM2,028) – with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X costing RM2,199 with a higher core/thread count and higher frequency RAM support, it’ll be interesting to see what else Intel can offer later on when the chips are launched to
other throw
 AMD.

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Intel Core i9-9900K benchmarks leaked, beats the Ryzen 7 2700X scores

353

With the second generation AMD Ryzen processors leaving a trail of dust, Intel has a lot to do in order to catch up with team red. It looks like they have pulled out all the stops and managed to get their Core i9-9900K processor to the front yet again.

Based on some rumours, the Core i9-9900K has managed to score an overall of 9,862 on the Time Spy benchmark with a break down of 9,725 for the graphics score and 10,719 for the CPU score. The test was done using an Asus z370-F Strix Gaming motherboard which is backwards compatible with existing Z370 boards as well as a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. To put the scores into perspective, the chip has managed to beat the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X by more than 1,500 points. The rumours also state that the processor will come with 8-cores and 16-threads, boost clock speeds of 5GHz out-of-the-box but it will only be across two cores and 4.7GHz will be the max across all cores.

These scores have to be taking with a grain of salt as the first time the processor was leaked, it was rumoured to come with the 3.1GHz base clock but the listing shows a 3.6GHz clock speed. This could indicate that the chip that was tested could be an engineering sample or a processor that was overclocked before the test was performed.

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Intel has created the most sleek and practical smart glasses called The Vaunt

408

Smart glasses are a big hit and miss, with companies as big as Google trying and failing and others taking out wacky looking glasses that is a big turn off to put on your head. It looks like Intel is no giving up and has created what looks like the most practical option for smart glasses.

The Vaunt looks like any other glasses you have seen, it weights under 50g and comes with no camera. On the inside of the glasses’ stem is where the magic happens. There is a low-powered class one laser, processor, accelerometer, Bluetooth chip and compass. The Vaunt works by projecting a red, monochrome image into your eye with a resolution of 400 x 150 pixel. You might be worried that a laser is pointing straight at your eye, but Intel has assured that the laser is so low-powered that it sits at the bottom of the class one group of lasers, so no harm will come to your eyes. The image projected can be something as simple as notifications from your phone or even a recipe while you are cooking and the image will not be out of focus as its beaming straight into your eye.

The Vaunt can be controlled using motion gestures like a nod of the head and future models will come with a microphone and smart assistants equipped.

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