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