Google receives 20x more data from Android than Apple does from iOS

Most of us are not aware of how much data is being collected from us. But fortunately, researchers consider that a topic interesting enough to study and have managed to gain some insights. In this case, it's related to data being collected by Android and iOS.

According to Ars Technica, a researcher from Trinity College found that Android devices collect 20 times more user data than iPhones. In the study, researcher Doug Leith claimed that Android and iOS both collect telemetry data, which is then sent to Google and Apple. This happens even when devices remain idle.

Types of data being collected when the user is not logged in

Mind you, it should be noted that the comparison is based on data size. Since Android and iOS are very different systems, the amount of data collected is fundamentally different. Regardless, Google has contested the findings of the study, claiming that the researcher's measurements are flawed. The company also doubled down on data collection, saying that it is "a core function of any Internet-connected device".

Honestly, most of us would prefer if these companies don't have any of our data. But we also can't deny that data helps companies improve their products and services. What do you think about the topic? Share your thoughts in the comment section below! And for other news on the latest tech trends and gadgets, stay tuned to TechNave.


Google reducing its Play Store fees to 15% for Android developers

Last month, the US courts finally released their ruling on the Epic Games vs Apple saga. The final result? Neither side came out with a solid win. Apple is trying to appeal the ruling as expected, but Google seems to be taking a step back with its service fees instead.

In an official announcement, Google confirmed that it will be making adjustments to its Play Store business model. Specifically, the company will be reducing its service fee for paid apps or apps with in-app purchases from 30% to 15%. This change will go into effect beginning 1 January 2022.

Note that Android developers can get a reduction to 15% even with the current terms and conditions. However, that's only possible after 12 months of continuous subscription. To add to that, Google is also reducing the service fee for media on the Google Play Store. The Media Experience program previously charged 15% for content like ebooks and music, but this would be reduced to 10% next year.

Google is hosting an Android Developer Summit from 27 to 28 October 2021, so we can expect further details then. To those who are Android developers here, are the changes enough to make Google Play Store a fair platform for developers? Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Google releases LG V20 teaser online

Back in August, LG announced the LG V20 will be the first smartphone to run on Android 7.0 Nougat. Right now, Google has once again confirm the news, on its official page with the image shown above.

As previously mentioned in our old post, “V20 will be a new standard for premium phones [with] more enhanced multimedia capabilities”. No tech-specs were shown yet but we can expect a 5.7-inch QHD display, a Snapdragon chipset (820 or 821 version) and maybe a 6GB RAM. The V20 will make their official debut on 6 September 2016 in San Francisco, with pre-orders on 14 September and should go on sale on 23 September. But of course, this will start in the USA first.

We will be keeping an eye on this of whenever should it come to Malaysia, stay tuned for more news at Technave.com.


Google releases OpenAI Bard as an early experiment, planning to expand further in the future

Today, Google has announced the release of its OpenAI chat bot - Bard. The company first announced it a few weeks ago and the open access to Bard is now rolling out in the US and UK first.

With the open access underway, Google is releasing Bard as an early experiment first. Like ChatGPT, Bard will function similarly to boost productivity, giving ideas and tips, and explaining complex topics in a simplistic manner. Currently, the team is getting feedback from testers to improve Bard further.

As we mentioned before, an optimised version of LaMDA is responsible for powering Bard and will keep updating it with more capable models over time. The research large language model (LLM) can generate responses by selecting, one word at a time, from words that are likely to come next. So with the early experiment, LLM will get better at predicting and responding the more people use them.

On the other hand, Google did admit that Bard is not perfect yet. In fact, they admitted that Bard did help in some ways to write the blog post news but had to be editted by the team before posting. If you are interested, you can actually sign up and try Bard right over here. Bard is expected to be expanded to other countries and languages in the future.


Google releasing 6 new Android functions before Android 12 arrives

It was only last month when we got a preview of Google's Android 12. The company certainly showcased a lot of upcoming features but today, the development team is releasing six more functions before we get to Android 12.

The first thing they introduced was an Android Earthquake Alerts System and it's rolling out globally. While Malaysia doesn't experience earthquakes, it's still a handy feature if we travel overseas. The second update that's more useful is the Starred pin on the Messages app that's coming in the next few weeks. We get tons of messages during the pandemic so sometimes it's hard to keep up, but you can always revisit the Starred messages in the starred category.

Speaking of messages, Contextual Emoji Kitchen will be available in the Gboard beta app today and will be coming to all Gboard users this summer (from August onwards). This function helps you to see contextual suggestions in Emoji Kitchen once typing out a message. On the other hand, Google is putting more customization and new app experiences on Android Auto such as personalizing your launcher screen directly from your phone or manually setting dark mode. It's said to be available now for WhatsApp or Messages (for driving).

Last but not least, Google is improving the voice recognition function. You can now access more of your favourite apps from your voice, such as "Hey Google, check (subject of a specific thing from an app)" to check something without moving your fingers. Voice Access is also improved with password input and gaze detection which is designed for people with disabilities.

It's not clear if any other Android brands will adopt either one of these features on their customized UI, but we think we should see these in the ASUS ZenFone 8 series which is already available in Malaysia. To read the full news, you can visit Google's blog right over here. Stay safe and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


AI Writing Check is another ChatGPT checker we tried, so you don’t have to

It’s no secret that educators are scrambling in the wake of AI like ChatGPT being used to write essays and other homework. Well… now there’s another free service to check whether or not the content has been written by ChatGPT called AI Writing Check. Developed by Quill.org and CommonLit.org, it promises a more secure free site than previous ChatGPT checkers, but just so you know… it didn’t work for us.

According to the AI Writing Check introduction, they tested it on 15000 essays and the tool is 80 to 90% accurate in identifying whether or not the text was written by AI. While it is free, there is a limitation in that it can only handle up to 400 words at a time, but this is to be expected since it is completely free without even a hint of any freemium ads to click on.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work very well, even with articles like this written using ChatGPT AI

Unfortunately, when we tested it with AI paraphrased text of our posts, the AI Writing Check tool still predicted that it was written by a Human. We then tested it with an actual article written by ChatGPT… and again, it predicted that it was written by a Human. So, while they do mention that the tool is a stopgap solution for now, it’s hard to recommend, at least for us.

What about you guys? Do you have any AI or ChatGPT checkers you’d recommend? Let us know in the comments or our Facebook page and we’ll try it out, but till then do stay tuned to TechNave.com


Google revealed a new logo for Gmail and some huge upgrades for G Suite

After years of seeing the envelope icon, Google has announced that a newly designed logo will be replacing the old one for Gmail. The Gmail logo is now more well-matched to other Google services by having the core Google colours which are blue, yellow, and green. Not only the logo change, but the tech giant has revamped G Suite as well to take a chance against Microsoft Office.

Google has announced that G Suite has been rebranded with a new name and it's called Google Workspace. Apart from that, it will also allow users to interact with their products more seamlessly by bringing several upgraded features. For example, users can create a Google Docs document within a Google Chat window, preview a Google Slides presentation within a Google Docs document, and more. It's like putting all the services into one place to let users navigate through them at ease.

However, the updates are currently more focused on the desktop version rather than the mobile version. Therefore, users who use these services regularly on their mobile devices might need to wait for a little longer to experience certain features. For desktop, these new features might arrive in the coming weeks or coming months. As for non-business users, it's undoubtedly the coming months.

Let us know what you think about these upgrades brought by Google to their services on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest tech news.


Google reveals new Emoji Kitchen for Gboard, lets you cook up new ways to express yourself

If you're the type to spice up your text conversations with emojis, you'll probably appreciate the latest feature for Gboard. The default Google keyboard app now has a fun feature that's called Emoji Kitchen and it lets you mix and max different emojis to make new ones.

Basically, what the app does is that it combines the elements of two emojis together to create a new one, which can then be used in different apps like Gmail, Whatsapp, Snapchat, and more. Google revealed the new feature in a blog post and confirmed that it will now be available to all Android users.

Of course, there are some limitations. XDA Developers has also been testing the new feature and mentioned that Emoji Kitchen seems to be limited to emojis of faces or animals at the moment. Perhaps more combinations will be available in the future, though Google has not mentioned anything yet.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you enjoy using emojis and which ones are your favourites? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Google rolled out new Gmail and Google Drive widget for your iOS home screen

If you rely on Gmail and Google Drive a lot on your iPhone and iPad, here's some good news for ya - there are new updates for the apps and you can now add them as widgets to your iOS home screen officially. Here are the simple steps on how to do it.

This goes without saying but be sure to update your Gmail and Google Drive app to the latest version in the Apple App Store. After you're done, open up your Gmail and Google Drive app on your iPhone or iPad and the new widgets should appear in the widget selections when you want to add them. In case you have forgotten how to do it, press hold on your home screen and then tap on "+" on the top left.

The Gmail and Google Drive widget are quite identical in terms of function. Both widgets have a search engine in-built there, alongside two more functions at the bottom. For Gmail, it has a quick Compose and Unread buttons which is really useful. Google Drive's widget gets a Google Workspace Planning and Future Growth Projections. It seems that there is only one widget size available for both apps, and the functions can't be changed.

By the way, more tech companies have added more widgets for their respective apps as well. This includes YouTube Music, Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive, and others. Are there any other new widgets that you use too? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Google rolls out Generative AI that can summarize in Docs, write emails in Gmail and more

Google recently announced how exactly they’re going to integrate their Generative AI into some of their products. This includes the ability where you can ask GMail to write your emails and cover letters, auto-generate summaries in Google Docs, automatically make presentations and so forth.

For now, these features will be rolling out to trusted testers, but Google expects to make them publicly available eventually. Developers can also access Google’s PaLM application programming interface which will also come with the MakerSuite tool that features prompt engineering, synthetic data generation and custom-model tuning. Like the Google Workspaces, this will be rolled out to select devs first.

We expect that when all these AI features do get publicly implemented, everyone using Google Docs and other Workspaces will also have to start paying for them, but that’s just what we think. It also changes how we work and how we teach our kids to do work, so parents and educators best be prepared for that.

What do you think? Would you be able to trust Google’s AI to do all your work perfectly and reliably every time? How good are your editing skills? Share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com


Google rolls out an option that lets you disable certain categories of ads for YouTube and more

Are you tired of seeing some categories of ads on YouTube? If you are, Google has rolled out a new option for you to disable ads that belong to certain categories, including alcohol, dating, gambling, pregnancy and parenting, and weight loss.

Besides YouTube, the filter will also work on Gmail and other third-party websites with Google ads. However, it will not apply to Google Search. Still, the company might have plan to add it in the future. To disable the ads, users can access the new ad visibility controls from their Google account dashboard within Ad Settings. A "Sensitive ad categories" section will then appear for users to select the unwanted categories. After selecting, clicking on the "see fewer" button will lead to getting an email informing the changes.

The reason of such option to get developed is that Google received many user feedback about controlling the visibility of ads that discuss sensitive topics. Therefore, the company has made it controllable by letting the users set what to see for themselves. It's worth mentioning that users might still come accross the ads if they're browsing similar content.

What do you think about Google making the option available? Drop a comment to let us know how you feel, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech report.


Google's AirDrop-like service Fast Share has been renamed as Nearby Sharing

AirDrop is undeniably one of the strongest features from Apple's ecosystem. When it comes to file sharing, the feature works seamlessly without all the hassles that we encounter on Android smartphones. For that, Google has launched the Android Beam earlier to provide local sharing functionality, but then it has been renamed as Fast Share on Android 10. Now, a source is telling us that the feature is getting its name changed again, this time it will be called Nearby Sharing.

The feature uses Bluetooth to let users connect by handshakes and transfer files between devices through a Wi-Fi connection. It is also said to be transferring larger files more quickly compared to Android Beam. However, the actions must be carried out in not more than one foot in order to share.

Actually, Nearby Sharing a.k.a Fast Share has been in development for quite some time since it was spotted by XDA Developers back in June 2019. This time, the changing of the name could signify the feature is coming closer to us, and we definitely can’t wait to try out the AirDrop-equivalent file sharing service on Android devices.

Let us know what you think about the name Nearby Sharing on our Facebook page! For more Android updates, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google’s ‘Find My Device’ feature may soon be available even when device is turned off

Google is reportedly working on improving the ‘Find My Device’ feature on Android devices. Maybe coming to Google Pixel smartphones in the near future, the feature allows users to track their devices even when they are powered off.

Revealed by tipster Kuba Wojciechowski via 91mobiles, the feature is similar to how Apple implements ‘Find My’ on their products. According to Kuba, the feature will be called ‘Pixel Power-off Finder’ on Google’s Pixel devices.

To achieve this, Google is touted to be working on building a huge network of all Android devices and locator tags such as Apple AirTags. Google has also been rumoured to release a similar product like the latter.

Of course, do take this with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed as of yet. Well, do make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for the latest development on this and for trending tech news.


Google’s Nearby Share app is now available in beta for Windows PC

Sharing files between Android devices and Microsoft Windows PCs has just gotten easier recently thanks to Google’s Nearby Share app for the latter. Now available in beta, users can test it out by downloading it from the Android website here.

With the app, users can simply drag and drop files to share them from their PC to an Android phone. You can also right-click on them and select the Nearby Share option to share.

The transfers would also be automatically accepted if both devices are logged into the same Google account. Furthermore, you do need to turn on your PC’s WiFi and Bluetooth for the feature to work but worry not as you can choose who can see your device and send you files.

To find out more about the app, check out Google’s official blog post on the product here. As always, make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news such as this.


Google's Pixel 4 series with Radar technology officially unveiled in the US from ~RM3348

Google has announced that the Pixel 4 series has been unveiled in the United States, starting from the price USD799(~RM3348). The new smartphone by Google comes with the innovative Radar technology, which is built into the notch of the smartphone that allows users to interact with the Pixel 4 without physically touching it.

But that’s not all, the device also comes with the Google assistant onboard which negates the need to have the smartphone connected into the internet in order to utilize the assistant. Furthermore, it also comes with a 90Hz refresh rate display which won DisplayMate’s Best Display on a Smartphone award. The display is able to intelligently reduce the refresh rate depending on the use case, in order to conserve the smartphone’s battery.

As for the camera, it comes with various features to ensure that the user can take the best photos they could. These features include the Live HDR+ with dual exposure controls, Learning-based white balancing, Wider-range portrait mode, as well as the Night Sight with astrophotography which lets the user take staggering pictures of the stars at night.

In terms of the tech specs, the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4 XL share many similarities such as the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Camera-wise, the Pixel 4 series is equipped with a 12MP + 16MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing selfie camera. As for the battery, the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4 XL comes with a 2800mAh and 3700mAh battery respectively.

As of now, there is no official news on the Malaysia release date of the Pixel 4 series as well as the local pricing. Would you be interested in getting the Pixel 4 series as soon as it is available in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google's Project Ara modular phone confirmed shipping to developers by end of the year

After a number of delays, Google confirmed that their Project Ara modular smartphone will be shipping to developers in Q4 of 2016. The recent demo during Google I/O not only saw a fully working Project Ara smartphone but also the fact that you can now say "Ok Google, eject the camera" and have the camera module pop out on its own. Modules for checking blood glucose levels and more are expected, making Project Ara completely customizable.

No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet but with developers only getting it by the end of the year, we expect consumer version to arrive sometime in 2017. Hopefully, it arrives in Malaysia around that time too but in the meantime, you can check out the video below:


AI is now able to detect breast cancer better than radiologists

Google’s DeepMind is not only trained to beat humans in various computer games like what we’ve heard earlier. It turns out the Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a great contribution to the healthcare industry too. Recently, the AI has ‘beaten’ the radiologists by spotting breast cancer more accurately.

By working with clinical researchers from the US and UK, Google has anonymized mammograms a.k.a x-ray scans from nearly 28,000 women from the countries. The AI was trained to look at mammograms to search for signs of breast cancer. As a result, it is able to predict breast cancer better than an individual radiologist.

The AI has reduced false negatives by 9.4% and false positives by 5.7% for women in the US. Meanwhile, the model cut down false negatives by 2.7% and false positives by 1.2% in the UK, where the radiologists typically double-check the results.

However, DeepMind is not that perfect as it sounds. There were several times that the radiologists have caught the model failed to detect other cancers. Therefore, it is still not the time for it to fully replace the radiologists yet, but to become an assistant to bring better result.

Let us know what you think about this news on our Facebook page. For more cool tech news, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google's Project Soli to deliver radar-based finger gesture controls?

While the recent Google I/O saw the announcement of Android N and all its features, some other noteworthy Google Projects were demoed as well with Project Soli being one of them. Featuring a radar-based control mechanism, users can control devices with finger or hand gestures from afar and the tech seems to be accurate enough to detect more complicated gestures as well.

Apart from wireless controller-less controls, Project Soli can also be used to identify materials or even capture 3D measurements. Despite being announced initially last year, there probably won't be any Malaysia release date for Project Soli controllers anytime soon, but the video below should be cool and interesting enough to watch nonetheless.


Google's Smartwatch also rumoured to be in the Works

US Patents filed in 2011 and 2000 show that Google have also been working on smart watch devices. While the more recent patent (see drawing above) talks about a dual screen device with touchscreen capabilities, the older patent (see drawing below) shows a smart watch design much along the same lines as the current Pebble watch. Apparently Google's Smart Watch has been under development just as long as Samsung's Smart watch as well, just that we haven't seen any actual hardware come to light.

While the older patent talks about syncing emails with a mobile computer (before the advent of smartphones), the newer patent describes the use of a camera as well. Both patents include usage of a GPS for navigation which sounds downright intriguing (especially for people like myself who get lost easily) but since Google has never been that much of a wearable hardware maker (except for its Google Glass project) it seems rather unlikely to be developed any time soon. However, if it were to be used in tandem with the up and coming Google Glass project, this may yet have some possibilities.[Sourced from google.com]


Google's executive accidentally revealed that Pixel 6 will have under-display fingerprint scanner

Besides a 50MP camera and support for 33W wired charging, we have come across a new report that reveals another feature of the upcoming Google Pixel 6 series. According to a screenshot shared and then deleted by Google’s senior vice president Hiroshi Lockheimer, the devices will also bring an under-display fingerprint scanner.

The screenshot shared by Lockheimer shows us the Pixel 6's lock screen UI with a fingerprint scanner icon located at the bottom of the screen, which confirmed the mentioned feature. Looking at the images shared by Google earlier, the Pixel 6 series has no physical fingerprint scanner on the back or the sides. Therefore, it makes sense for the upcoming devices to have one placed under the screen.

Other than that, the screenshot has also revealed another detail. It's spotted that the devices will have a resolution of 1440 x 3200. With all the tech specs and features that we know now about the Pixel 6 series, it's apparent that Google is aiming to make some breakthroughs with the coming flagship series. Therefore, no doubt that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro would be pricey, as reported.

Can't wait to see the Pixel 6 series? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone updates.


Google's first chipset "Whitechapel" might bring AMD's graphics performance, all thanks to Samsung

The Google Pixel 6 that is going to be launched later this year is rumoured to be the first Google smartphone that uses an in-house chipset. Earlier, it was also reported that Samsung would participate in the development of the chipset codenamed "Whitechapel". Due to the relationship, insiders are claiming that the chipset could also offer AMD's graphics.

Since Samsung will lend a hand in developing Google's chipset, the Whitechapel is said to have similar features as the Korean company's Exynos chip. However, there will be some emphasis on artificial intelligence, algorithms and image processing mechanisms. As Samsung has already announced its collaboration with AMD, the Exynos 2200 chipset will feature the RDNA 2 architecture for graphics performance. Therefore, Google's first in-house smartphone chipset may come with the technology as well.

According to several reports, the Samsung Exynos 2200 will outperform Apple's A15 Bionic and Snapdragon's Qualcomm 895 in terms of graphics performance. When it comes to processing power, Apple would still surpass all of them. With that said, will Google's Whitechapel have the ability to be on top of the competition alongside Exynos 2200 for graphics performance?

Let us know what you think about the news on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech report.


Google's first foldable smartphone could debut alongside Pixel 6 series in October

Earlier, Google's first foldable smartphone, presumably called Pixel Fold, is said to arrive by the end of 2021. Today, new information has appeared by claiming that the device will be presented alongside the company upcoming flagship series, Pixel 6.

The latest information was subtly given by reputable tipster Ross Young when replying to a follower's comments on Twitter. When he was asked whether the Pixel Fold is still in Google's plans this year, Young replied a "yes". After that, the follower continued by saying that "October should be a busy event then", to which Young left a "yes" again.

If the information is accurate, Google will be launching four products in October. These include the Pixel Fold, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro and the company's first smartphone, Pixel Watch. However, we still have to take the information given with a pinch of salt as nothing has been officially confirmed.


Google's latest features will make your accounts more secured !

Google introduced four new security and privacy tools at Google I/O today. The new tools include a new Password Checkup built into the Google password manager, Incognito mode in Google Maps, auto-delete history for Youtube, and Voice deletion for Google Assistant activity.

Google mentioned that most of the users have always been exposed to serious security threats by using common passwords that are easily hacked like, ABC123, Password1111, 12345, and [email protected] But with the new Password Checkup feature, it will show you the number of reused, weak, and compromised passwords.

Google Maps has become our daily driving assistant, most of our searched locations were saved into our accounts and this will certainly be another threat if your account were to be hacked. But with the new incognito mode introduced, it will work similarly like the Google Chrome Incognito browser as all your previous searched locations will not be saved in your account once you turned it on.

To make our daily tasks more convenient, you can now set your preferred deletion intervals for your Youtube history with the new auto-delete feature. Besides, you can also use voice commands to delete all your Google Assistant activity by saying something like “Hey Google, delete everything I said to you last week”.

Lastly, Google mentioned that the voice commands for deleting Google Assistant activities will only be supported in English this month whereas other languages will be starting next month. So are you excited to try out these new features? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned for more updates on TechNave.com!


Google's new Airdrop clone feature - Nearby Sharing - is in development for Android 11

Google employees may be working remotely from home, but they are also developing Android 11 as we speak. In this latest update, the second developer preview of Android 11 has been rolled out by the company and one of the highlighted features is an AirDrop-like function. Previously known as Fast Share, it has been renamed to Nearby Sharing but it could be a placeholder name for now. Anyway, here's what we know.

As the name suggests, Fast Share allows two phones (in this case, two Pixel phones) to transfer media files or data with each other seamlessly. However, it is still far from being finished as there are still some bug issues. Sources say the note reads "the operation completes successfully, but the UI on the device which receives the file states that it did not receive the file". XDADevelopers also made a YouTube video on the first look at Nearby Sharing, which shows that you can also use other Android phones as long as Google Mobile Services is available. But at this stage, Google could change their minds anytime.

Anyway, the feature should be available on older Android OS as well so Android users will be able to share files effortlessly without Bluetooth. Until then, stay tuned for more Android news at TechNave.com.


Google's new Google Assistant is x10 faster than before

During the Google Pixel 4 launch, Google also unveiled their “new Google Assistant”. The brand new assistant still comes with the abilities of its predecessor with some revamps and redesigns.

The assistant was shown off on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. It is able to easily multitask just by having the user speak to it. In the same line, without saying “Hey Google” multiple times, the user can ask the assistant to pull up concert dates, share a message and transcribe a note. The seamless transition from different commands was not something the previous assistant could do.

If you’re concerned about privacy, users can now as Google Assistant to delete all the conversations and data on the feature. Users can also ask the assistant to clear out data after a certain amount of time. During the previous demo of the assistant during I/O 2019, it is claimed that the assistant can cram 100GB worth of AI algorithms into just 500MB which allows it to process information offline with a 10x faster performance.

As of right now, the new assistant only speaks English and is only available in the US on the Pixel 4 devices. However, the feature will eventually be moving over to the other Pixel devices and eventually other Android phones. So far, there has been no Malaysia release date for the feature. Are you excited? Keep up with the latest Google news on TechNave.com!


Google's new smart backpack Konnect-i allows you to control your smartphones by just touching the straps!

Backpacks are the essentials to most of us during our works and travels for our laptops and all our daily stuffs. One thing for sure, no matter how big our backpacks are, we will still certainly be holding our smartphones all the time to constantly reply messages or answer a calls. But now, you’ll no longer needed to do that with Google's new smart backpack.Google and Samsonite launched a new smart backpack named as the Konnect-i backpack that integrated Google’s Jacquard lineup technology that turn an ordaninary fabric like material into a touch-sensitive surface that can trigger a number of functions on your smartphone. The whole system is powered by a small tag that can also relay notifications with its build-in LED and small vibration motor and charged by a mini-USB port.

The main features of the Konnect-i backpack is the ability to answer calls, hear text messages, use Google Maps for navigation, play or pause songs, notification alerts or even take selfies by just using your hand gestures on the strap of the backpack. All you need to do is just to connect the Jacquard app on your smartphone and you are good to go. It will come with two versions, a Slim version that features a vertical Zipper while the Standard version will have a horizontal zipper. With that said, the backpack features plenty of pockets as well as a well padded laptop compartment which is what you would expect from a laptop bag. The price of this smart backpack will start from $200 (~RM831). So what do you think of this smart backpack? Let us know at our Facebook page and stay tuned for more tech news on TechNave.com.


Google's new website will help developers better adapt Android apps to Chrome OS

Chromebooks aren't as commonly used as Windows laptop, but the adoption rate is rising and Google wants to make it easier to transition Android apps to the platform. That's why the company launched ChromeOS.dev, a new site that aims to help developers build and test Android apps for Chrome OS.

So, how exactly is it supposed to help? According to Google, the site will have resources for developers like code samples, technical documentation, and the latest news on Chrome OS. Supported Chromebooks will now get to run the full version of the Android emulator too, so you can directly test Android apps without needing a separate device. Deployment of apps is also easier now, as you no longer need to use developer mode or connect a device via USB.

Chromebooks now have access to the full Android emulator

Besides that, Google has also updated the Primary/Detail Activity Template for Android Studio. With the update, developers now have better support for apps built to target devices with larger screens. This not only includes Chromebooks but also tablets, foldables, and dual-screens like the recently launched Microsoft Surface Duo.

If you're a Chromebook user, this means that you can hope for more Android apps to make the transition from smartphone to Chromebook. Any Chrome OS developers out there who know more about this? Do let us know how you think this site can help in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave.com for other tech news.


1488 PPR residents to enjoy 9 months free 30Mbps internet under the [email protected] programme

Local Government Development Ministry (KPKT) Minister has announced that a total of 1488 residents of the People’s Housing Project (PPR) Taman Bagan Jaya will get free 30Mbps internet access for a 9-month period beginning this February. Its Minister, Nga Kor Ming asserted that this initiative is under the [email protected] programme which will overall benefit 30 PPR projects nationwide.

That amounts to 13,218 housing units and 53,000 B40 group households. The initiative would install fibre optic cables, routers and modems in each housing unit for the 30Mbps internet service.

According to Bernama, the broadband internet facilities are being offered via direct internet access (DIA). Yesterday, Nga visited the residents of PPR Taman Bagan Jaya here to check the status of the installation works of the [email protected] initiative there. It is expected to be 100 per cent completed next month.

So, what do you guys think of this initiative by KPKT? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news from Malaysia and beyond.


AI voice cloning scams are real as parents are cheated out of ~RM69115

The above image is just for illustration purposes and has been sourced from Canva

We called it when Microsoft announced their VALL-E AI voice cloning project, but scammers using such AI voice cloners have already put them into action as an elderly couple were recently scammed out of $21000 Canadian dollars (~RM69115). Apparently, a “lawyer” had called the elderly couple claiming that their son had killed an American diplomat in a car accident, was in jail without a phone and needed money for legal fees.

When the call was supposedly passed to the son, a simulated or cloned voice was “close enough” to fool the parents into sending the money. The money was then sent through a Bitcoin terminal apparently provided by the “lawyer” and is now completely untraceable or uninsured.

Such scams often prey on unsuspecting folk who may be unfamiliar with technology, but the fact that you get a call from someone you don’t know telling you to send money urgently to a gateway you’ve never heard of should definitely be warning signs of something fishy going on. You should always double check first with the party in question who supposedly needs the money just to make sure.

With this, Deepfake voice scams are definitely real, so be extra skeptical if you receive such calls. Our voices are more readily available on public domains, through videos and other content so it isn’t that difficult to obtain the voice sample necessary to do such AI voice cloning.

It also raises questions for the banking industry, in that they should probably stop using voice verification to confirm loans and so forth. What do you think about this? We feel that it’s making us all more untrusting of each other but do share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com


Google's next update will bring 6 new features to enhance your Android experience

Different companies lead into the holiday season in different ways, some with discount sales and some with new products. So, what about Google? A Google Play Store sales would have been nice, but it looks like Google is going to bring some new features to Android instead. Six of them, in fact.

According to the announcement, there will be a new version of Emoji Kitchen, more audiobooks on Google Play, Voice Access, Go Tab for Google Maps, expanded Android Auto support, and Nearby Share. From what we understand, some of these updates may have Android OS restrictions, but you won't be locked to a specific Android version.

With the updated Emoji Kitchen, you can now mix and max multiple emojis for a combination of up to up to 14000 emojis. Then there's the beta for Voice Access for people with disabilities, which lets you use voice commands like "open photos" or "tap search" to navigate your Android device. Another feature we want to highlight is the Go Tab, which lets you navigate on Google Map easily with just one tap.

If you want to find out more about the new updates, Google's blog post has more details included. Let us know which one you find more useful for you in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Google's sister company has started a project to assist in Covid-19 pandemic

The cases of Covid-19 in Malaysia have increased to a total number of 553 by today. While the cases are increasing, it doesn’t mean we have to panic over the virus and cause unwanted chaos in our society. At this time, we think that everyone should follow the precautions to stay away from crowded places and keep yourself hygienic. Meanwhile, in the US, Google’s sister company has developed a site which offers free Covid-19 screening tests to specific counties, as one of the measures proposed by the US President Donald Trump.

Verily, a health research company that is under Google’s parent company Alphabet, has started clinical research that is called Project Baseline. The research is an initiative to make it easy for people to participate in clinical research and contribute their health status to assist in Covid-19-related studies. Other than that, the project is also led by 1700 engineers to facilitate access to the testing.

By being eligible to participate in the project, the person must be above 18-year-old and holds citizenship in the US. Participants will then undergo multiple level screenings to determine if they really need to proceed to Covid-19 tests. Their information will also be shared with various government and health authorities for public health purposes. Although the project is currently only available in the US, Verily has stated in its official website that there is a possibility of the platform being expanded internationally.

Let us know what you think about this project on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more viral tech news.


Google’s upcoming Pixel 6a spotted on Geekbench, runs faster than the more expensive Pixel 6

The Google Pixel 6a, the latest mid-range smartphone from the tech giant is expected to be released soon and it could potentially be faster than the regular Pixel 6. Specs-wise, the ‘Pixel a’ lineup has traditionally been inferior to the regular Pixel, but this time around it might be different.

According to a leaked Geekbench listing, the Pixel 6a actually beats the standard version in terms of performance. In fact, while minimal, the Pixel 6a actually outperforms the Pixel 6 in single-core and multi-core scores.

Furthermore, given how popular the ‘Pixel a’ lineup has been in the past due to its value for money offering, the Pixel 6a is surely set to continue the trend. The mid-range phone will be much cheaper than the Pixel 6 but will still retain the custom Tensor chip found on the standard Pixel.

As reported by Android Police, the Pixel 6a is also listed to have 6GB of RAM compared to 8GB in the Pixel 6. No release date has been given just yet, though we may get the Pixel 6a launch during Google I/O his 11 May.

Can’t wait for it to be released, though if it follows Google’s releases trends, the Pixel 6a won’t be made available in Malaysia. Well, at least we can travel to Singapore to buy official Pixel phones now that the border is reopen! :P

What do you guys think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for all the latest trending tech news.


Google's upcoming Pixel smartphone to feature their own Whitechapel chipset

Looks like a report from XDA-developers seems to hint that the upcoming Google Pixel 6 smartphone is expected to come equipped with Google’s very own Whitechapel chipset. While not much is known in regards to the performance of the aforementioned chip, our source did mention that it will be manufactured by Samsung.

To go into more detail, the Whitechapel chipset could be manufactured using the 5nm process and it’ll come equipped with 8 cores consisting of 2 Cortex-A78, 2 Cortex-A76, as well as 4 Cortex-A55 cores. However, do take some of the information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Google has yet to provide an official statement on the leak.

Not only that, but there’s also no news on the Malaysia release date, local pricing, and exact tech specs for now. However, we won’t be surprised if Google ends up making more of their own chipsets for future Google smartphones.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on Google equipped the upcoming Pixel smartphones with the Whitechapel chipset? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com


Google's upcoming smartphone to come with 120Hz display. Could it be the Pixel 5?

Based on a statement by Twitter user @DSCCRoss, it seems that Google’s upcoming smartphone that’s expected to come equipped with 5G will have a 120Hz 6.67-inch display. While not much is known in regards to which exact smartphone will come with 120Hz display, there were speculations that it will most likely be the Google Pixel 5.

With all that said, do take some of the information mentioned with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Google has yet to provide an official statement on the leak. Not only that, but there’s also no news on the Malaysia release date, local pricing, and exact tech specs of the smartphone in question for now.

Would you be interested in getting a Google Pixel that’s equipped with a 120Hz 6.67-inch display? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google said Android 12 phones must have at least 6GB of RAM, 1080p displays and more

Android 12 will soon be rolling out globally and recently, Google just dropped compatibility documentation for the latest software In case you didn't know, Google often release a note for each Android update of hardware information that developers need to know.

In the Android 12's documentation, developers can now take a look at the software's requirements and optimise whichever device's hardware into different performance levels. We learn that an Android phone must have at least 6GB of RAM, a 1080p resolution display with 400dpi and many more.

With that in mind, it also means entry-level phones will have to keep up with the requirements to adopt Android 12. Otherwise, developers will have to adjust the hardware features such as reducing animations so that it can run smoothly. Anyway, below is a list of performance requirements for Android 12:

There is a whole bunch of information that can be read from the PDF file right over here. So head over to the hyperlink to check it out if you're interested. Until then, stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Google services will be available on future HONOR device, said HONOR CEO

It has been two weeks since President Biden started working in the office, but there's no word if he would lift the ban on Huawei that was done by the Trump Administration. This also includes the shipments between Huawei and their partners but what does this mean for HONOR?

According to sources, George Zhao (HONOR CEO) told the South China Morning Post that HONOR is currently making business deal propositions with several tech brands. This includes Intel, AMD, Qualcomm and MediaTek, leaving out Google's name during the interview. George quickly dismissed the idea of possibly not working with Google, as they are now discussing their business opportunities.

Just in case you missed it, Huawei sold off the HONOR brand just last November and they will not hold any shares. It was a strategic move for them to move into the global market, no thanks to the ban and this also means the HONOR V40 could be released again with Google Mobile Services. Honestly, we are quite big fans of HONOR devices so we can't wait to see what happens next.

But what about you folks? Are you also fans of HONOR? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Google services will be collecting 6% Service Tax starting from 1 January 2020

ATTENTION! For those who are currently subscribed to any streaming service or cloud storage service, bear in mind that you will have to pay 6% more of the price starting from next year. We have actually noticed that the tax imposement would be coming to us from the budget report that was announced earlier this year. However, a recent G Suite email was sent to users to remind them that the 6% will be coming to haunt you sooner than you’ll ever realize.

Google has stated in the email they will start to collect the 6% Service Tax on their digital services starting from 1 January 2020. It also clarified by telling the users the Service Tax will be shown in the invoice under a separate line in ‘Transactions’ under ‘Billing & Payments’.

Apart from Google services, there are also other major digital services like Netflix, Spotify, Steam and others will also be imposed with the 6% Service Tax according to our Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng. If we're paying more for these services, please ensure we could enjoy all the features from them including ‘certain content’ from Netflix, okay? (Aflix, the ethical streaming platform judging you)

Let us know what you think about the tax imposement on our Facebook page! Stay tuned for more tech news on TechNave.com.


Google shares insights from Malaysian parents' thoughts on online safety

Today, Google Malaysia held an Online Safety for Kids and Families session with the media. The initiative is to encourage parents to start the conversation around online safety earlier and educate them on ways to better prepare their children for their online journey.

During the session, Nadia Khan, Head of Communications at Google Malaysia shared that more than 70% of parents allowed increased screen time for kids during the pandemic with 3 in 4 children spending an average of 1-6 hours online per day. Children are also turning to technology for daily activities from remote learning, to starting a book and learning a new language.

On top of that, children are also being exposed to screens at younger ages. A recent Kids & Families survey that we commissioned showed that kids as young as ten years old in Malaysia are getting online. Moreover, 72% of parents have proactively looked for information about online safety, whereas 30% of parents surveyed did not feel that their child is well informed about online safety issues.

If you are a parent yourself, there are some tools for you to help safeguard your children online. Here are some of Google's suggestions for you below:

Speaking of Be Internet Awesome, it features an interactive game called Interland that helps kids learn about online safety in a fun and engaging way. It has helped millions of kids in areas like being civil online, understanding which websites are safe and responding more confidently to cyberbullying.

The Kids & Families Safety insights were gathered from an online survey all over Asia-Pacific. This includes Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, India, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan, from 16 to 26 February last year. The sample size was 4,500 parents with children between 5 and 17 years old.


Google shows off Android's new emojis ahead of launch, including an animated collection

Google has announced a few updates regarding its work on emojis on Android as well as other Google products. These include Unicode 15 emoji additions, animated versions of Android’s emojis and more!

In a blog post by Google’s Creative Director of emoji and Emoji Kitchen Chef Jennifer Daniel, Google shows off its designs for 21 new emojis from Unicode 15. Moreover, Google said that the emojis will be added to AOSP “in the coming weeks” and will arrive in Android starting via updates starting December 2022.

Besides that, Google is also releasing its first official animated versions of the emoji used in Android. Not all emojis are supported, though, but the nearly 200 different animated emojis should come in handy in your chats and can be found on Google’s website.

Google is also releasing a coloured version of its “Noto Emoji” font, an open-source emoji font that can be used online that are utilised by Chrome and other Google products. Previously, the font only supported emojis in black-and-white, but now, Google is bringing a splash of colours to it.

The blog post also announced GoogleMs support for colour-changing emojis, which you can view here. However, you do need to run the latest version of Chrome for it to work.

So, what do you think of these new emojis? Share your thoughts and emoji reactions with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech news!


AMD A520 motherboards now available, will be compatible with Zen 3 CPUs

For those looking to build a budget AMD PC, you can start planning your purchases. AMD has launched the A520 chipset and board partners have followed by launching budget A520 motherboard. It's been quite the long way for PC enthusiast, but it should be worth it as the A520 motherboards will be forward compatible with AMD's upcoming Zen 3 CPUs.

According to PC Gamer, the prominent motherboard manufacturers already have A520 motherboards available. This includes ASRock, ASUS, Biostar, Gigabyte, and MSI. It should be noted that the A520 chipset lacks some of the features that the B550 and X570 chipsets have, such as PCIe 4.0 ports and overclocking support. Of course, this probably isn't as important if you plan to build an entry-level desktop PC.

On the other hand, an AMD A520 motherboard has a few advantages over an older AMD A320 motherboard. As mentioned, it'll support the upcoming AMD Zen 3 CPUs that are expected to launch later this year. This means that you can upgrade to a new Zen 3 CPU once it's available. Moreover, there are more USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, which offer faster transfer speeds.

The new AMD motherboards are now available in the US with prices from USD 65 (~RM272), which is an amazing price range for budget PC users. With that said, will you be interested in building a new AMD A520-based PC? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech news.


Google shows off the Pixel Watch’s design in an official video ahead of its October launch

Following a series of leaks and rumours, Google announced during Google I/O 2022 back in May that it is indeed working on the Pixel Watch and touted it for release after September 2022. Now, we’ve got a date for the launch (7 October 2022 in Malaysia) and Google is further teasing us with the wearable with a new official video showcasing its design in full.

Posted on the official Made by Google YouTube channel, the 51-second video shows the Pixel Watch from every angle, highlighting its circular aesthetics and a series of minimalist watch faces. The teaser video also showed that the circular display wraps all the way around to the back of the wearable, where you can spot a Gorilla Glass branding.

Hence, it’s safe to say that the protection glass for the Pixel Watch is made by Corning, though it is unclear which iteration of Gorilla Glass the wearable will be utilising. Furthermore, a closer inspection of the video showed that there’s a singular button and a crown on its right side.

Besides the one discernable from the video, no official specs of the smartwatch have been revealed by Google just yet. Well, we just have to wait until this 7 October to find out.

What do you guys think of the upcoming Pixel Watch? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news!


Google slows down hiring for the rest of 2022 as it braces for global economic recession

Google employees have been told by its chief executive officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai to work with ‘greater urgency’ and ‘hunger’ as well as be ‘more entrepreneurial’ amidst a potential global economic recession. Asserted by Pichai in an email to staff yesterday (12 July 2022), the tech giant also announced that it plans to slow down hiring for the remainder of the year.

As reported by Bloomberg, Pichai further asserted that in some cases, the tech giant will consolidate investments overlap and streamline processes. He also clarified that moving forward, Google will only focus on hiring ‘engineering, technical and other critical roles,” for the remainder of the year as well as in 2023.

The Google CEO said that like all companies, Alphabet Inc and all its subsidiaries are not immune to economic headwinds. Hence, the tech giant is looking to be more efficient and may pause development in certain areas and re-deploy the resources to higher priority ones.

What do you guys think of the contents of Pichai’s email to Google employees? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest trending tech news.


Google smart contacts tracks glucose levels for diabetics

While the Google Glass smart glasses started the whole trend, it seems that Google is again thinking ahead of the rest. A Google blog revealed details about smart contacts which will track the glucose levels inside your tears. LED lights embedded into the contacts will activate when the glucose reaches a certain level. According to Google they've already made prototypes that take readings every second and have gone through some clinical trials. Google intends to go even further than just tracking glucose levels which you can see in the video below. No news yet on when exactly we might see a pair of smart contacts but with working prototypes already in the works it should be soon.


Google soon to let users directly play games on Stadia from search results

Google is reportedly working on integrating its game streaming service Stadia with its search engine. According to the source, the tech giant wants to allow users to directly power on games from the search results, making it less of a hassle to look for them again on the gaming platform.

The news comes from Bryant Chappel of The Nerf Report on Twitter. It's said that users will soon be able to launch a game on Stadia directly from the search results. The feature will also support Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna. There are already some users enrolled in the test. It shows that simply searching for a game will lead to seeing a Play button on the side of each platform listed.

It looks like the Google search engine has a new update for cloud gaming platforms!!!When searching for a game players can now launch a game directly from the search results utilizing @GoogleStadia. pic.twitter.com/xblOsBpF6O

Furthermore, the feature would also let users know whether the game has a timed trial on Stadia or is available for free as a part of its premium subscription. Some of you might find this feature familiar as Google offers the same thing for Netflix, which you can search for some films and directly play them on Netflix without going to the video streaming platform to search for them again.

What do you think about the feature? Drop a comment to let us know your opinion, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reports.


Google starts to roll out voice call and video call features for Gmail app

Earlier, Google announced that it's adding a voice call feature to the Gmail app. Today, it is finally available on both iOS and Android app, and a video call feature also came with it. Therefore, from now on, users can directly perform those mentioned activities in the app rather than using Google Meet.

Not only that, in future, users tapping on the new phone and video icons that appear in the upper right corner of individual one-on-one chat screens in the Google Chat section of the app will also guide them to the Gmail app. It means that Google will now be focusing on making Gmail the center of its communication platforms.

The call feature is rolling out from 6 December for everyone with Google Workspace, G Suite, or personal Google accounts. If you still don't see them in your Gmail app, you'll probably have to wait a little bit longer for the next update.

What is your opinion about this article? Leave a comment to let us know and stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech report.


Google suspending Project Ara, looking for licensing partners instead

Google’s parent company Alphabet has suspended Project Ara, the ambitious project to build a modular smartphone for the masses. Instead, they will look for manufacturing partners who can licence the product instead.

As a recap, Project Ara is Google’s take on modular smartphone as each component can be changed according to the user’s needs and requirements. The company’s aim was to create a phone that users could customize on the fly with an extra battery, camera, speakers or other components.

Alphabet’s axing of Project Ara is one of the first steps in a campaign to unify Google’s various hardware efforts, which range from Chromebook laptops to Nexus phones. Former Motorola president Rick Osterloh rejoined Google earlier this year to oversee the effort.

So we have to say good bye to the notion of modular smartphones, and we will miss the possibility of the idea of changing features and functions on our smartphone according to our needs and whim. Thanks Project Ara, from us at TechNave.


Google testing a feature that allows you to command smart displays without wake up phrases

Most of the voice assistants require you to say a phrase or word to wake them up before proceeding with making the request. Some users who frequently use a voice assistant through any smart device might find it annoying and wish they didn't have to do that. It is reported that Google is testing with a new feature that lets the Google's smart displays listen to your commands without the need of saying "Hey, Google" or "OK, Google" out loud.

Through a video posted by Jan Boromeusz on YouTube, the feature named "Blue Steel" has been leaked showing some actions of a Nest Hub smart display responding to the user without any waking phrase. The Nest Hub Max Smart in the video is said to be running the leaked firmware that is meant for testing within Google.

It is mentioned that the feature works by using its existing ultrasound sensing to sense a person's presence and start listening. Therefore, if you want to give out any command, it looks like you still need to be near to the smart device. Although not saying the waking phrases might save you some seconds, the feature is deemed to increase the risk of the devices hearing things that they're not supposed to. Therefore, no matter how convenient it is, privacy still does matter so let's hope Google will come up with something to address the mentioned issue.

Let us know what you think about this new Google feature on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest tech updates.


Google testing big update for Chrome Incognito Mode

For some of us working at home now, it's become even more imperative that we get some privacy on our Internet browser. The Incognito Mode for Google Chrome helps with this, but it's easy to forget about it if you don't use it often. It doesn't help that you have to manually open an Incognito window.

Well, that will soon be a problem of the past for Google Chrome. The company is getting ready to add a direct desktop shortcut that will open an Incognito Mode window, so you no longer have to do it manually or use the Ctrl-Shift-N shortcut combination. However, this feature is currently available for Chrome users on Windows only.

Chrome developers have started to test the new feature to add the shortcut

According to 9to5Google, the new shortcut won't be available until Chrome version 87. Also, it seems that it might not be a feature that's added outright. You will have to type in chrome://flags in the Chrome browser and enable the #enable-incognito-shortcut-on-desktop flag. Once you have done so, the "Create Shortcut" option should be added to the browser.

We're quite sure that Google will make this feature permanent once it's fully tested, so expect to see it added to the mobile, Mac, and Linux versions eventually. Having said that, would a direct shortcut that opens into Incognito Mode be useful for you? Comment on the topic below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech news.


Google testing out new picture-in-picture feature in beta version of Chrome

New features are added to Google Chrome all the time but the one that's revealed recently seems more interesting than most. According to folks at Android Police, Google is testing out a new picture-in-picture mode for Chrome that is connected to the new media controls.

For those who are unaware, Google Chrome now has a button that appears on the browser UI, allowing you to control the video playing in the background. Using it, you can play or pause a video, skip to the next video, or jump straight to the tab where the video is. By the way, you can also control playback for Chrome using physical media control buttons on your keyboard if you have them.

The media control for Google Chrome as it is now

An overlay of the video in the bottom right corner

Anyway, Google is looking to add a picture-in-picture button to the small media control interface. By clicking on it, you should be able to get the video to pop out and overlay itself on the browser. Long story short, you get to watch the video while surfing on other tabs at the same time. Android Police managed to test the feature and mentioned that it works with YouTube.

We're not sure when this feature will be added but if you're interested in giving it a try, you can download the Canary version of Google Chrome. Having said that, do you find picture-in-picture useful? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page. Also, remember to follow us on TechNave.com for more news.


Google tips on how to avoid COVID-19 scams and other online risks

Google recently weighed in online via Mark Risher, Senior Director for Account Security, Identity, and Abuse about the current online security COVID-19 situation. On Google’s side, Google Meet, GMail and Google Play Protect for example have mostly built-in automatic protections but there are a number of checkup tools to see if you’re safe or not and the advice on what to do about it. On our part, we’ve seen a marked increase in such scams.

The general advice is to be more aware in this current time as scammers and hackers are more prevalent during the MCO. Specifically, Google has noticed that there are now more impersonators of healthcare, government, banks and NGOs. There’s also a lot more fake sellers - miracle cures (no, there’s still no cure), overpriced COVID soap (cheap soap is just as effective) and so forth.

For more details, you can check out the infographic below or go to their recent blog post about it. There’s also a site for Families and for those who feel that they might be targeted there’s also Google’s Advanced Protection Program (check the video at the end).


AMD CEO Lisa Su confirms that Big Navi is coming in 2020

Many PC gamers are excited for what AMD has in store this year, especially for the GPU side. There have been talks that a high-end GPU labelled 'Big Navi' is expected this year and AMD CEO Lisa Su hinted this during CES 2020. But there are no doubts now that she's confirmed it in a recent video interview.

Shortly after CES 2020, the video was posted up in which the AMD CEO got to talk about a few things. In the latest 'The Bring Up' video, Lisa Su touch on the recently announced Radeon RX 5600 XT, as well as confirming that AMD Zen 3 is "doing well" and that we will see Big Navi in 2020.

According to Wccftech, Big Navi will be manufactured on a 7nm+ process and will come with ray-tracing support at the hardware level. It will also be more power-efficient than the current generation of Navi GPUs. But aside from that, there's not a whole lot about the upcoming GPU that we know yet.

Having said that, we believe there are people out there who are excited to go full AMD this year. But what are your thoughts on the AMD Zen 3 CPUs and Big Navi GPUs that are supposed to come this year? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for updates on this.


Google to allow third-party billing for apps in its Android app store starting with Spotify

Google has announced that it will allow developers the option to offer third-party payment options for apps that is available on the Google Play Store. The pilot programme for the move will start in South Korea with the music streaming app Spotify.

Shared via an Android Developers blogpost yesterday, Google announced that it will allow Android users to select payment systems other than its own soon. Furthermore, it will only start with Spotify and other trusted partners first due to security concerns.

Google said that it views a user choice billing that includes alternative billing systems as ‘critical’. However, it also stressed that such systems must have a similar high safety standards as its own Play’s billing system.

For now, the pilot programme is only available in South Korea but users can expect for it to be expanded to other select countries soon. With this move, Android is officially the first major app store whether on mobile, desktop or game consoles to offer alternate billing option.

What do you guys think of this move by Google? Should it be replicated by other app stores out there? Share your thoughts with us in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for all the latest trending tech news!


Google to announce new Pixel 'Sailfish' smartphones on 4 October 2016?

Google have officially announced that a new device will be coming on 4 October 2016 with a teaser video and registration of interest page. We assume that it will be to announce their new Google Pixel devices. Previously codenamed 'Sailfish', rumours have it that they will replace or complement the current Nexus line-up of Google devices.

The rumours say that they will be made by HTC, have Snapdragon 820 and 4GB RAM tech specs and could be called the Google Pixel (5.2-inch display) and Pixel XL (5.5-inch display). No Malaysia release dates or pricing details but rumours say the starting Google Pixel device could go for as high as $649 (RM2686). Maybe Google are making their reference DayDream VR phone?


Google to disable backup & sync on Google Photos temporarily due to COVID-19

Google has officially announced on their support page stating that the Google Photos automatic backup & sync feature on messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Messages, and more have been disabled temporarily in order to reduce bandwidth usage. While there is no news on when we can expect Google to re-enable the feature, it will most likely be available again as soon as the COVID-19 outbreak slows down.

If you are still keen on having the backup & sync, it can still be turned on manually via the Google Photos app. Do note that when the aforementioned feature is disabled, it will not affect your previous backups and they can still be found on the app.

What are your thoughts on Google temporarily disabling the automatic backup & sync for selected apps? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google to group news by relevance with help of machine learning

In the next big Google Search update, the company plans to make looking through news and stories easier. By applying the latest in machine learning technology to top stories, Google should be able to make it so that relevant stories are group together.

According to a new Google blog post, relevant articles to a particular search will be arranged in a carousel-style in the next update. Also, Google will be organising other related stories or news. Let's take the example given by Google to illustrate. If you search for "NASA news", not only would you get news about NASA in a carousel group, you would also get other carousel groups of news related to NASA like "NASA detects water vapour on Jupiter’s moon Europa".

The idea is to provide you with multiple sources of the same news, which can give you a variety of perspectives on topics searched. Of course, since this is done via machine learning, we're not sure how effective this would be in the early stages. The new search feature is already available for mobile users in the US in English and is expected to roll out to other regions in other languages within the next few months.

This is a feature that's very useful for us, but what about you? Let us know on our Facebook page whether you find this relevant to you. Also, stay tuned to TechNave.com for other news like this.


Google to host free online workshops on remote working during MCO

Businesses around the country are having a hard time adapting to the current situation, especially smaller companies. But it's during times like this that we can learn new ways to work and communicate. Google Malaysia wants to help local companies learn these digital skills and has announced a series of free online workshops.

In the coming weeks, Google Malaysia will be holding a few sessions of its "Mahir Digital Bersama Google" program virtually. Conducted in collaboration with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the program is designed to teach businesses the skills and software that will be useful for working digitally and remotely. During the movement control order (MCO), Google Malaysia will be offering these 1-hour workshops online for free and they will be conducted by Google's trainers.

Mahir Digital Bersama Google is committed to help our local business owners overcome challenges in these uncertain times. Join our virtual workshops and learn about free tools and resources on working remotely and digitally.Register for free here https://t.co/izeiT31aTY pic.twitter.com/aPJKttjm5I

The workshops will be held on 16, 22, 27, and 30 April 2020. But if you can't attend any of those sessions, you can also download the Google Primer app, which will provide quick and easy lessons that can be completed in as little as 5 minutes. The app contains hundreds of lessons in business, marketing, management, and more, as well as ways on how to make use of skills you'll learn.

There's also a "Grow with Google" website that contains more tips for businesses, so do check that out if you want to know more. With that said, how has your remote working experience been so far? Have you been able to cope with this working lifestyle? Do share your tips on our Facebook page. And for more news like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google to release a premium, Tensor chip-powered Pixel Tablet in 2023

After the disaster that was the Pixel Slate and saying that it wouldn't be making tablet devices anymore, Google is giving Android tablets another go and will be releasing a 'premium' Pixel Tablet next year. Teased during the Google I/O event earlier today, the tablet will follow the Pixel smartphone lineup and will have Google's custom Tensor chip under the hood.

Not much details were given regarding the upcoming tablet during the event, though the fact that Google is making tablets again must be something exciting for Android tablet enthusiasts. Google's SVP of devices and services, Rick Osterloh, said that the Pixel Tablet is a "premium" device that will run Google's version of Android for larger screens, which we covered before here.

Based on the renders of the device teased by Google, the design looks underwhelming with its display having rather thick bezels. In fact, it looks just like a Nest Hub with its screen yoinked from the device.

However, that design may not be final and it may look completely different when it's released some time in 2023. Besides that, Google didn't mention any details regarding its price or screen size.

Well, we just have to wait until it's released before judging the upcoming Pixel Tablet. What do you guys think of Google coming back into the tablet market?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For the latest trending tech news, stay tuned to TechNave!


Google to start charging for more photo storage starting 1 June 2021

As many of you know, the free 15GB cloud you get with your Google account is shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Photos. Interestingly, photos and videos you upload to Google Photos didn't count, which has been a boon for those who have a lot of those. But Google has announced that it will be changing that policy starting 1 June 2021.

After the change, all photos and videos uploaded to Google Photos will count towards your storage capacity. This means that if you exceed the free 15GB storage limit, you're going to have to pay for a Google One subscription to store more files. Fortunately, all photos and videos you've already uploaded in high-quality mode will not be counted. By the way, high quality is the setting for Google Photos that compresses your photos and videos.

It should also be noted that those who have a Google Pixel smartphone will not have to worry about this change, which makes this a major advantage for the series when the change happens next year. Once the changes take place, Google will also release a new tool to let you manage your files. A useful feature it has is filtering the blurry pictures, so you can quickly delete those.

If you use Google Photos a lot, do take note of the changes and prepare accordingly. You may want to migrate over to a better cloud storage service when the time comes. Speaking of that, which cloud storage service do you use? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Google to unveil new Pixel, Chromecast and smart speaker on 30 September 2020

Just a couple of hours ago, Google have finally broke the silence by announcing their next event on 30 September 2020 at 1AM (PT). Called as Launch Night In, it will be a livestream event where the company will unveil the latest Chromecast, smart speakers, and of course, the new Pixel phones.

For the past few weeks, we have been wondering on when the Pixel 5 would come after the Pixel 4A in early August. The initial rumours on the Pixel 5 launching date were accurate too and if you have been following them closely, there is a good chance that there's a Pixel 5s model but no information on the tech specs. As for the Pixel 5, rumours have it that it could pack a Snapdragon 765G chipset, 8GB of RAM, a 6.67-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate and of course, 5G connectivity.

As for the new smart products, a new Nest smart speaker should be introduced. There could be a new TV dongle by Google too with the codename Sabrina and a brand new unknown Android TV for their Chromecast. Anyway, it should be an exciting livestream event to check out the new tech gadgets by Google.

In case you're wondering what time would that be in Malaysia, it is 2AM on Tuesday so you would have to stay up for this. Until then, stay tuned for our official news coverage and be the first to know at TechNave.com.


Google translate will be getting a major update to improve functionalities

Based on what was uncovered by 9to5Google.com, there were new lines of code in the Google Translate App which seems to hint that there will be new improvements and functionality coming to the application.

The new functionalities that will be coming will include more supported languages, as well as better translation quality for their point and translate camera functionality. Not only that, the code suggests that the camera translation feature will be able to translate text instantly onto the original words as if it was originally printed onto the words themselves.

The codes seems to be present on the Google Translate app version 5.29, but has yet to be enabled by the developers. This provides us with a good understanding as to how soon, the new aforementioned features will be available to the general public. For more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google unintentionally revealed preview page Android 11 before removing it

It seems that someone at Google had a trigger finger on the post button today. Keen eyes spotted the developer preview page updated from Android 10 to Android 11 earlier, suggesting that Google may already be on the verge of releasing a beta for the next Android version to developers.

The folks from Android Police were able to snap a screenshot of the preview page before Google took it down. If you compare it with the preview page for Android 10, nothing has really changed except for the version number. Of course, this could mean that the update is by accident. However, logically there's no reason for the page to be updated if there are no changes on the way.

We're of the opinion that Google is gearing up for Android 11 and is already talking to developers about it. According to Android Authority, the first beta for Android 10 was released on 13 March 2019. In other words, there's reason to believe that Google could do the same thing this year and drop the first preview for Android 11 in March 2020.

With that said, do you think the preview page update was just an accident? If Android 11 is indeed coming soon, what new features or improvements would you like to see from it? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates like this.


AMD Malaysia opens roadshow in Plaza Low Yat, showcasing Acer and HP gaming laptops

The management team of AMD Malaysia, Acer, and HP officially opening the roadshow

Today, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has officially opened their roadshow in Plaza Low Yat by showcasing their latest AMD Ryzen processor which is integrated into Acer Aspire GX281 and OMEN by HP Desktop. The roadshow, "We're in the Game", will be held for a week long starting today until next Friday (11 August 2017) and it's open to the public.

(L-R) Cosplayers showing the OMEN by HP and Aspire GX281

The latest Ryzen CPU and Radeon RX 500 GPU were announced earlier this year for hardcore gamers who want high performance. The Ryzen CPUs features up to 8 cores with 16 threads and the GPUs are built on 2nd gen 'Polaris" architecture that includes higher clocks and an updated FinFET 14nm process. To add on to that, AMD's Ryzen 7 1700x and RX 480 is powering the Aspire GX281 desktop, while OMEN by HP Desktop is using AMD's Radeon RX580s in CrossFire.

To find out more about the Aspire GX281 and OMEN by HP Desktop, you can check it out either one of the links below with all its specifications and price.


Google updated its policy for every app developer to remove full screen ads display on your mobile

Mobile games are often free to play but in return, they often have advertisements playing in the background here and there. Some of them are annoying so with this, Google has decided to finally update its policy in the Google Play Store for how developers show ads.

According to the Google support page, the policy will take effect starting on 30 September 2022. The developers will have to comply with the guidelines of the following ad which include:

That said, Google also said the policy doesn't apply to rewarded ads. For example, an ad that rewards a user for watching one in exchange for unlocking game items or content. Monetisation and advertising aren't also applied as long as there's no interference with normal app usage or gameplay.

Will this make app usage better? Well, we will just have to wait and see how it goes. Until then, stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Google wants all Android apps to be 64-bit by 2021, sets out to improve Chrome for Android

Often, people don't realise that something they use could be improved until it improves. And it seems that Chrome for Android could be getting a permanent upgrade next year. Sources claim that Google plans to permanently transition to 64-bit apps for Android devices, with the Android version of Chrome one of those that will be improved.

According to Android Police, the upcoming Version 85 for Google Chrome on Android will see improvements to performance. Octane 2.0 benchmarks show that there's a roughly 10% improvement in performance in the 64-bit version of the app. This shows that all other apps could potentially get a boost in performance if they were upgraded to 64-bit.

While Google plans to launch Version 85 around August 2020, the company is giving developers around the world more time to shift to 64-bit by setting the deadline on 1 August 2021. This makes sense since making the jump to 64-bit could mean that developers could run into bugs, security issues, and maybe see performance suffer instead of improving.

As regular smartphone users, the real take away from this is that we could potentially see all Android apps get noticeable performance increases next year. With that said, is there an app you feel should get an upgrade in performance? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Google wants to develop TikTok for the workplace?

Google recently made a post on their blog not too long ago, stating that they will be developing a TikTok-like product for the workplace called Threadit. Just like TikTok, it allows users to send small video messages to other team members to communicate quickly and concisely along with visual aid.

But that’s not all, recipients are also able to directly reply to the video message via their own Threadit video, or presumably via text. With that in mind, this might help cut down on unnecessary Zoom meetings at ungodly hours as participants are able to check out the video at a more suitable time based on their timezone.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on Google working on a TikTok-like product for the workplace? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google wants to encourage less ad-blocking with new restrictions for ads in Chrome browser and YouTube

If you're like us, you probably encountered videos with annoying ads while browsing the internet or watching YouTube, some that appear in the middle of watching a video. This can happen even for short videos, which gets annoying. Now, it looks like Google wants to start putting a stop to that by setting up restrictions.

According to a Google blog post, the company started to remove intrusive ads from Chrome in 2018 and have seen less ad-blocking in Chrome for North America and Europe. Based on the recently released Better Ads Standards, Google is looking to restrict three forms of ads.

Intrusive ads for videos of less than 8 minutes in length:

In future, Google will be extending user protection in Chrome to cover ads like this. In other words, users won't have to see them when using the Chrome browser. Google will also be doing a review of YouTube to ensure it complies with the new set of standards. By reducing the number of videos and sites with intrusive ads like the above, Google hopes to encourage more users to stop using ad-blockers.

Less ad-blocking means more ad-revenue for Google. Considering how Google made USD 15 billion (~RM61.76 billion) from YouTube alone last year, the company has plenty of incentive to discourage the use of ad-blockers. Having said that, would Google's proposed measures be enough to make you stop blocking ads? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for other news.


Google wants to enroll users for 2-step-verification

For many people, keeping one strong password for multiple websites isn't that unusual. But these days, it's actually considered bad practice, one that Google intends to change. To do so, the company wants to enforce 2-step-verification (2SV) for improved security.

According to Google's announcement, the company will automatically 'enrol' users to use 2SV if their accounts have been properly configured. In case you are unaware, the way 2SV works is that you need two credentials to log in to your Google account. The first is your regular password, while the second is a verification code that's sent to your phone. It's similar to the codes you get via SMS when doing bank transactions online.

If you haven't enabled it, you can do so here. Enabling it is simple enough - just click on the "Get Started" button and the system will walk you through the whole process. You can set the verification code to be sent via SMS or phone call. Google also talked about Android security keys and the Google Smart Lock app for iOS, which function the same way but use a slightly different process.

By the way, Google also has a Password Manager to track all your passwords. You might want to use that to check for weak passwords and change them if needed. With that said, what other security measures do you have in place to protect your online accounts? Share them in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Google wants to help you find new music with the new "Explore" tab on Youtube Music

Google recently introduced a new tab in the Youtube Music app called “Explore” which lets the user find new music based on your listening history on the app. Furthermore, Google split the Explore tab into several sub-sections including “Chill”, “Commute”, “Focus”, and more which lets you determine the mood of the music you are listening to.

To those who are not familiar with Youtube Music, it is a music streaming service similar to Spotify which lets you listen to music from international artists and more. With all that said, have you used Youtube Music before? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Google wants to make it possible to buy stuff via YouTube videos

These days, every platform wants to add a shopping feature. Instagram added a Shop tab last year before WhatsApp started allowing people to sell things directly through its app. Both Facebook isn't the only corporation that wants to sell you stuff, Google wants to do it too with YouTube.

According to Engadget, Google is working on a way to let users buy stuff directly from YouTube videos. Some channels have allegedly been allowed to join a pilot program, where they can sell products through their videos. Allegedly, a shopping bag icon would be visible on the bottom left of videos for these users. Clicking on the icon will open a list of products being sold.

The feature is an interesting one because brands can use to sell their products through it. For example, Samsung could make the new Galaxy S21 series purchasable via its videos. The icon can be seen on both apps for Android and iOS, as well as on web browsers, so it will be highly accessible. However, only creators based in the US currently have access to the feature.

What do you think about this? Would you like being able to buy stuff right after watching a YouTube video? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Google wants to merge Gmail, Drive, and Hangouts into a new service

When it comes to messaging software, Google has never managed to get a foothold on the market. But it looks like the company won't give up just yet and is looking for a different implementation. Word has gotten out that Google is working on a new business communications platform, which will combine several Google services together.

According to The Verge, Google's plan is to merge the Gmail and Google Drive from G Suite with Google Hangouts. The latter is rarely used by consumers these days and is more of a platform for enterprise users, which fits the demographics Google has in mind for this new service. It is interesting to note that Hangouts can now refer to either Hangouts Meet (video chat) or Hangouts Chat (text chat). There's also a new one that's called Gchat.

Hangouts Meet for G Suite, one of Google's multiple underused chat software

Looking at the options already available, you may wonder why Google even needs another chat service. But it's quite clear that the company wants to have its own equivalent of Microsoft Teams and Slack, both corporate/enterprise level platforms that come with integrated productivity and communication software. By having its own version, Google will be able to entice more enterprise customers to its business services.

At the moment, we don't have any concrete details of how the new service will look but we expect Google to make an official announcement soon. To business and enterprise users out there, what would you like to see from Google in regards to this? Do you prefer to stick to Microsoft Teams or Slack instead? Let us know on our Facebook page and remember to follow us on TechNave.com for more tech news.


Google wants to stop using third-party cookies for Chrome, say it's better for user online privacy

Companies who track their numbers via web cookies might take issue with Google's latest decision for the Chrome browser. According to Reuters, the company is planning to phase out the use of third-party cookies in Google Chrome, citing it as a way to improve the privacy of users.

Google is in the process of creating new open standards to replace the current one and aims to complete it within two years. When that happens, companies like advertising agencies will no longer be able to insert third-party cookies into sites they don't control. In other words, they will lose a major way to track or gather information from users to form targeted ads.

Of course, no restrictions will be placed until Google is sure that its new set of standards is viable. The goal for the company is to ensure that it will be able to provide improved online privacy, yet won't alienate the advertising companies that help them make money. For more info on the topic, you can read Google's blog post.

But what do you think, are current methods enough to secure our data privacy or not? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Google wants your help to name Android N

After announcing a whole new slew of features of the upcoming Android 7.0 N, Google is now asking the internet to help it name the next version of the operating system. As Google I/O is currently underway, they also went to the internets and using the hashtag #nameandroidn, wants suggestions from the public.

You can head to ‘Name Android N’ and put in your suggestions for the new name of the news Android OS. This year they are not continuing with the desert name convention as previously – although if the winner is a dessert name, we are not too unhappy with it either.

We can suggest a few Malaysian sounding names for the site, like:

So what are you waiting for? Suggest a few names to Google now!


AMD Navi 33 GPU expected to have up to 80 CUs and 5120 stream processors

AMD's Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs have enough power to put them on par with Nvidia's cards, but the company is aiming to do more. There's no doubt that AMD has already become testing its new RDNA 3-based GPUs. What's interesting is that there are already some rumours on specs.

The source (@KittyYYuko) claims that AMD's Navi 33 will essentially be a Navi 21 GPU with a next-gen IP core. Allegedly, this means that we can expect mainstream RDNA 3 GPUs to have performance on par Navi 21 GPUs. If so, we can expect Navi 33-based GPUs to have 60 to 80 compute units for up to 5120 stream processors.

Navi 33 (?) = Navi 21 + Next Gen IP Core

For your info, there are three Navi 21 GPUs - the Radeon RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, and RX 6900 XT. These are high-end GPUs priced up to USD 999 (~RM4101), compared to the mainstream Radeon RX 6700 XT's USD 479 (~RM1967). In related news, it's also rumoured that the high-end next-gen Navi 33 GPUs would outperform Navi 21 GPUs by up to 3x times.

Of course, that's all just speculation, but PC gamers can expect to get more powerful hardware later this year. Having said that, do you actually plan to upgrade your PC using newer hardware or would you get last year's GPUs when they become cheaper? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Google will add a ninja, bubble tea and many more emojis this year

How do you communicate with your friends and family through texting? Sometimes it’s kind of difficult to express your emotion through texting, but you may express yourself better with emojis. Anyway, the Google Gboard keyboard will roll out 117 new emojis for users and they are currently in beta testing.

There will be a wide range of emojis from animals to beverages. On the other hand, it will offer 5 different skin tones for both female and male variants. Besides that, there’s also a ninja emoji, pinched finger emoji, bubble tea, and more which we didn’t expect to see.

These new emojis will only be available on Android 11 but the incoming firmware is still in beta mode. Furthermore, Google has launched Android 11's first beta test on selected devices. Currently, the beta test is only available for Google Pixel devices (Pixel 2 series onward), the Oppo Find X2 series, Xiaomi Mi 10 series, OnePlus 8 series, and the Poco F2 Pro. Last but not least, two more beta previews are expected to be released before Q3 2020 for the final release.

If you are already in the Android 11 beta program and want to try out the new emojis, you just need to navigate to the Google Play Store to search the keyboard app then scroll down to the bottom of the page. Afterward, you will be presented with a sign-up card for the beta program.

For those who haven't signed up, it will lead you to a secondary website and upon completing the process, it will take you back to the Play Store. Once you have done the registration, it will inform you that you are part of the beta program and you can remove yourself via a link if you find that the beta buggy.

After all these steps, the new emojis should be in place and you can now use them to text with your friends and family. Do you want to try out the new emojis by joining the Android 11 beta program? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to stay tuned for more tech news at TechNave.com.


Google will make it more difficult to install third-party apps on Wear OS

The current Wear OS allows users to install third-party apps that are also installed on users' smartphones. However, it looks like this feature is going away as Google is trying to emphasize the presence of Wear OS apps on the Play Store. It is said that the new plan will take effect starting from 10 March.

Recently, the developers have started to receive emails from Google which inform them that Wear OS will make it harder to install third-party apps. Other than making the Wear OS apps more discoverable on the Play Store, it is claimed that the initiative will also help to reduce the file size of apps that are already available on the platform.

For that to happen, it is said that the Play Store apps will be split into two versions instead of having the phone and Wear OS versions bundled in one package. This change will lock out any apps that are not available on the store.

Let us know what you think about this change on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech news.