Author: batteryforpc

WhatsApp looks set to launch a big update soon and it will finally fix one of the biggest irritations of the popular chat app. As spotted by the ever-reliable team at WABetaInfo, it appears that the Facebook-owned chat app has begun testing a feature called “Linked Devices”.

As the name suggests, this will allow WhatsApp’s two billion users to add more than one device to their accounts meaning they can chat from a PC, smartphone and tablet without any fuss.

Currently, the only way to do this is via WhatsApp Web but this service requires the primary smartphone that’s used for the account to be powered up and connected to the web.

The new update would end all that with up to four devices all having unique access to chats simultaneously.

WABetaInfo has seen the update in action with WhatsApp currently in the early test phase but it seems both Android and iOS users are set to get this feature.

As with all WhatsApp upgrades, there’s no word on when it will be released but hopefully, we might see some official news in the next few months.

Although it will certainly be popular it has been met with some concerns about privacy.

With chats all available on numerous devices, it could leave users open to others snooping on their conversations.

Explaining more, Jake Moore, Cybersecurity Specialist at ESET: “Although using multiple devices comes with added convenience, it also brings security risks and privacy problems.

“Users must be aware that although WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption stops people intercepting the data, it also adds multiple end points that act as decryption keys. This makes the data less secure and more vulnerable to attack.

“I advise all users to set up a lock on any device with WhatsApp installed and to set up the two factor authentication offered by the app, which makes users randomly enter a 6 digit code. This keeps prying eyes away from your sensitive data.”

Along with that “Linked Devices” update, it’s also thought that Facebook could finally be readying the launch of a dedicated iPad app.

This has been in development for some time and the release of this application for tablets could coincide with that multiple device launches.

There’s also more good news for Apple fans as the latest beta version on iPhone hints that WhatsApp is working to add the ability to individually customise each conversation or group chat within the app.

That means you’ll be able to add a different background image for every conversation within the app.

Another new customisation feature available to test in the same beta suggests WhatsApp will allow app users to adjust the brightness of their wallpaper separately from your smartphone display. That means you’ll be able to reduce bright colours so they don’t over-power the small green chat bubbles (traditionally, the most important parts of any chat app window – jazzy background, or no jazzy background).

According to the prolific team at @WABetaInfo, “This is a big move from WhatsApp, that never allowed to customise specific chats. We hope to see more similar features in future, for example the possibility to choose different auto-download settings in different chats.”

After being announced at Apple’s WWDC 2020 event in June, watchOS 7 is finally available – or, at least, a public beta of it is anyway.

This follows a developer beta which has been available for a while, but the public beta is easier to get and is actually designed for general users (albeit those who can put up with a few bugs and non-final software). Thankfully, you won’t need to pay into the Apple Developer Program, but you will need to get the iOS 14 beta on a paired iPhone first.

Grabbing the new Apple Watch software is an easy process, and we’ve got a step-by-step guide on how to get watchOS 7 beta on your Apple Watch. But is it worth downloading? Well, only you can decide that, but there are certainly some exciting new features.

Will it work with your smartwatch?

As Apple noted at WWDC 2020, only the Apple Watch 3 or newer will be able to upgrade to watchOS 7 (including the beta) – sorry, owners of older Apple wearables. 

But you won’t be able to download the watchOS 7 beta unless you’re also running the iOS 14 developer or public beta. If you haven’t done that yet, here’s how to get the iOS 14 beta on your iPhone.

We’ve got a full guide on how to get the watchOS 7 public beta on your Apple Watch, but here’s the short version: you’ll need to enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program and click ‘Sign Up,’ then head to the Beta Program Guide and click on the watchOS 7 tab. Scroll down to the ‘Get Started’ paragraph, click on the link to enroll your Apple Watch. 

Once on that page, scroll down to click on ‘Download profile’ to get the profile on your iPhone, and then your Apple Watch will automatically download the public beta unless Automatic Updates are turned off in Settings > Software Update. If that’s the case, manually check for updates in the iOS Apple Watch app, tap the ‘My Watch’ tab, and go to General > Software update.

Once downloaded and installed, you’ll be able to try out some of the new features coming in watchOS 7, which look to be big interface, sleep, and fitness additions.

Sleep, strength and hygiene

While not all of the watchOS 7 features will necessarily make it into this first public beta, we expect more of them to follow in subsequent beta versions. The big new features include sleep tracking – a long-wished-for feature that previously required a third-party app.

There are also improvements to complications, as you can now create multiple complications from a single app, and you can easily share your watch faces in a message, email, or simply by posting a link online.

There are four new workouts that can be tracked too, namely Dance, Functional Strength Training, Core Training, and Cooldown.

Plus, watchOS 7 comes with an automatic hand washing detection feature, the Maps app has added cycling directions, Siri can now handle spoken translations and dictation directly from the Apple Watch, and watchOS 7 will protect your hearing by notifying you when you’ve exceeded safe levels of listening through headphones.

So there’s a lot here and you can try it all out now. That said, being a beta the software may not be totally stable, and if you want to wait for the finished watchOS 7 experience you hopefully won’t have too much longer to go, as it’s likely to launch in or around September.

Microsoft may be planning to release Windows 10X in the spring of 2021 but some of the new operating system’s features could be coming to Windows 10 sooner than that including a new panel that completely changes how copying and pasting works.

As reported by Windows Latest, in Windows 10 Build 20185 the software giant has added a new panel that allows users to insert emojis, GIFs and even content from their clipboards. The new panel also includes several new features to make it easier for users to add content to their messages, documents and emails.

In addition to being able to access your most recently used emoji and GIFs as well as search for new ones, the panel includes a feature called “Clipboard history” that displays a list of items that users have recently copied to the clipboard.

While there are already clipboard replacements available for Windows, the new panel will offer similar functionality natively and can even be synced across devices.

Windows 10 clipboard update

The clipboard in Windows 10 already allows users to access their clipboard history at any time by pressing the Windows key and V. Clipboard items can also be shared across Windows 10 devices by going to system settings and choosing “Automatically sync text that I copy” in the clipboard menu under the “Sync across devices” tab. However, clipboard history currently stores a maximum of 25 entries and the oldest items are deleted as new ones appear.

The new clipboard history coming to Windows 10 soon not only supports text but also images and HTML content. Users can also delete the history of the clipboard or turn off the feature entirely from the settings menu.

If you used Google’s keyboard app Gboard before, the new panel in Windows will work in much the same way as GIFs and emojis can be accessed and inserted into your messages or documents very quickly and easily.

The new panel is expected to arrive with Windows 10’s next feature update although at this time, it is still unknown as to when Microsoft will release it.

On August 17th, Brydge will begin selling a new lineup of Surface accessories that have the “Designed for Surface” badge, meaning that they were made in collaboration with Microsoft. The lineup includes keyboards for the Surface Pro and Surface Go, but the most intriguing product in the group is the $99.99 W-Touch standalone trackpad. It’s apparently the first standalone wireless trackpad made for Windows 10.

The W-Touch is like a Magic Trackpad 2 that’s built for Windows 10 instead, coated in a striking black with an aluminum build. It has Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity and it supports Precision drivers and multitouch gestures, like pinch to zoom, and multifinger swipes to switch desktops. This trackpad has a large glass surface to comfortably move around in, measuring at 5.5 inches across and 3.3 inches deep, so a little smaller than Apple’s version but still spacious.

The W-Touch is said to delivery one-month battery life, and it recharges via USB-C. One hundred dollars isn’t cheap for a trackpad, but as the only standalone, wireless option made in partnership with Microsoft, Brydge gets to set the price. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it could be a great accessory to have around if a mouse doesn’t jive with your workflow.

Brydge is also releasing the W-Type to complement the W-Touch. It’s a full-size wireless keyboard with aluminum detailing and a complete row of function keys. Right out of the gate, it seems like an excellent value at $59.99. The overall design, and even the printing on the keys, makes it look like an accessory that Microsoft might make — and perhaps severely overcharge for. The keys use a scissor mechanism and each has 2mm travel, which Brydge claims is the “perfect” amount of key travel. If it’s anything like what the Surface Laptop 3 has built in, there’s plenty of reason to get excited.

This model has Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity with support for up to four devices, so you can easily switch the computer to which it’s connected. Brydge claims it can last up to a month on a charge. When it zaps out, you can charge it via USB-C.

Rounding out the lineup are the new Brydge 12.3 Pro Plus and 10.5 Go Plus keyboards. The $149.99 Pro Plus model works with the Surface Pro 4, 5, 6, and 7, while the $129.99 Go Plus works with the Surface Go and Go 2. Both feature Bluetooth 5.0, backlit keys, Windows Precision trackpads with full multitouch gesture support, USB-C ports for charging, and an antimicrobial coating on the deck. Brydge has had a keyboard for the Surface Pro for some time now — this new model has a redesigned hinge, 70 percent larger trackpad, native multi-touch control in Windows, updated Bluetooth connectivity, and a plastic deck as opposed to aluminum. (The bottom of the keyboard is still metal.) It also weighs 70 grams less.

Like the Brydge Pro Plus keyboard for the iPad Pro, these turn your Surface into a more traditional clamshell laptop that can be easily balanced on your lap or closed up and thrown in a bag. When you want to use the Surface as a tablet, you can just pop it out of the Brydge’s hinge and go.

Compared to Microsoft’s Surface keyboards, the Brydge provides a more stable typing experience and longer travel on the keys. But it does require charging roughly every three months and Bluetooth isn’t as reliable of a connection as the pogo pins the Surface keyboards use. It also makes the Surface noticeably thicker and heavier, but it’s still a quite portable package.

All of these products will go on sale starting August 17th, and aside from the 10.5 Go Plus that ships the week of September 7th, the others will ship the week of August 31st.

We’ve spent a lot of time over the past week exploring what is possible on Chrome OS. Thanks to some updates to the Linux container, we’ve installed Windows 10 and a variety of Linux flavors. I love tinkering with Chrome OS to see how far I can push the maturing ecosystem but today, we’re going to focus on what the Linux container is currently designed to do. That, of course, it to run the Debian framework and allow users to install compatible Linux applications on Chrome OS. Doing so doesn’t require you to be a Linux guru and thank goodness for that. I’m still learning as I go but mastering the Chrome OS Linux terminal doesn’t have to be a terrifying or even daunting.

That said, we’re going to look at five terminal commands every Chromebook user should know if you plan on getting the most out of the Linux container. There are more commands than we could ever cover here and I will follow up frequently with more tutorials on basic and complex commands over the coming weeks. These five, I’ve found, are five that I use very frequently. Some perform simply tasks while others wield much power. I’ll lay them out, in no specific order, and give you a quick example of how to use them.

Sudo

The sudo command originally meant “superuser do” because it ran commands as the root super user without any privilege restrictions. More recent iterations allow users to run commands not only as the unrestricted root user but other, restricted users as well. In a full-blown Linux desktop environment, the sudo command isn’t needed as frequently as it is when you’re living life inside the terminal. For Chrome OS, using sudo more the rule than the exception. Many of the commands we use inside the Chromebook Linux terminal will require root access. Therefore, sudo is appended to the front of whatever command it is you are executing.

For example, when we are checking the Debian repository for package updates, we use the command apt-get update. Many Linux distros do this action via whatever software center they use and the priveliges needed are already in place. Like other operating systems, you will see an update notification and simply click to update. Since the default user in the Chrome OS Linux terminal isn’t technically the super user, you have to run the update command with sudo at the beginning like so:

sudo apt-get update

If you attempt to run a command in the terminal and you receive a message that says “are you root?,” then adding sudo will normally complete the execution. To switch to the root user in the terminal and negate the need for sudo, you can simply run the command sudo su and you will now be using the super user account.

cd

The cd command stands for “change directory” and it does exactly what you would think. In Chrome OS, the default directory for the command line is the Linux folder that’s in your Files App. Sometimes, you will need to access files that are not in the same tree as the Linux folder. Example: You need to add a third-party repository to your sources.list file so that you can download a package not available from Debian Stretch. The cd command is how you point the terminal toward the folder you are wanting to work with at that moment. In the example above, you would enter cd /etc/apt in the terminal. From there, you would be able to open the sources.list file with a text editor. If you are working a number of nested “folder,” you can move up one directory by typing cd .. and hitting enter.

top

Task managers are very handy little creatures and practically every operating system has its own iteration. Outside of the desktop environment, the top command is the quickest way to see what resources are being used by which packages. This command will give you a snapshot of cpu and memory usage along with other useful bits of information such as task ownership, shared memory and more. This is a quick, easy way to identify what packages may be draining your precious system resources.

Legend:

PID: Shows task’s unique process id.

PR: Stands for priority of the task.

SHR: Represents the amount of shared memory used by a task.

VIRT: Total virtual memory used by the task.

USER: User name of owner of task.

%CPU: Represents the CPU usage.

TIME+: CPU Time, the same as ‘TIME’, but reflecting more granularity through hundredths of a second.

SHR: Represents the Shared Memory size (kb) used by a task.

NI: Represents a Nice Value of task. A Negative nice value implies higher priority, and positive Nice value means lower priority.

%MEM: Shows the Memory usage of task.

ls

If you just want to see what files are inside a given directory, look no further than the ls command. Typing this command in the terminal will show you every file and directory inside the current directory. This makes it a lot easier to cd into another folder when you have a large number of files and you aren’t sure which one you need to open. The color of the text output will vary depending on what type of items are in the given folder. In my terminal, Folders/directories are blue and files are white or teal depending on their file type. If you’re trying to run a command and you get a “not found” error, ls is a quick way to see if the file exists in the active directory.

uname

To find out basic system information, the uname command is what you need. If you type uname in the terminal and hit enter, the output should be “Linux” as that’s what’s running in the container. For a bit more detail, you can type uname -a and you will see the OS, Linux kernel version, release date and the native architecture of your container. This information is especially useful if you are running into issues with a program and are seeking help from other users. Kernel information and system architecture play a bit part in package compatibility and it’s good to have it on hand at a moment’s notice.

Bonus command!

With the 4th installment of the Matrix in the works, wouldn’t it be fun to turn your terminal into a Matrix screensaver? You can do just that by installing cmatrix. Just install it with the command sudo apt install cmatrix and then type cmatrix in the terminal and hit enter. Pretty cool, huh? To exit the Matrix, just hit Ctrl+C and you’ll return to the command line prompt. That’s all for today. See you later this week as we dig a little deeper into the Linux terminal for Chrome OS.

Chinese manufacturing giant, Huawei, has a lot of issues on its hands right now. However, this is not stopping the company from developing and releasing new products. Earlier, there were reports that Huawei Display is coming soon. According to reports, this display will include low-end, mid-end, and high-end models. In addition, a recent Weibo report claims that one of the three displays that Huawei will release is for gaming. Furthermore, this gaming display will support a refresh rate of 240Hz, and mini LED partition backlight. There is currently a surge in the request for gaming since the advent of the coronavirus. Thus, the Huawei gaming display is coming just right on time. 

Prior to this, Huawei and Honor smart display already have the Chinese 3C certification. According to the certification, Huawei ad Honor smart displays will use the same certification. The only difference between these devices will be the logo. The certification information shows that Chinese company, BOE, will supply the display. 

HUAWEI GAMING DISPLAY TO USE A BOE SCREEN

Looking at Huawei’s recent situation, BOE’s display is the best choice. Besides, the quality of BOE panels today can fully meet any demand from high-end to low-end. As of now, there is no information on the specification of this device. Nevertheless, there are rumors that Huawei and Honor will call this product “Smart Display”. We do not know if this device will be the same as the previous “Smart Screen” which Huawei/Honor already released.

According to previous reports, Huawei monitors have high-end, mid-range, and low-end displays. They have full coverage at one time and have been tested for more than a year. One of them is 32 inches and uses 512 or 1024 partitions similar to miniLED backlights. The first batch of Huawei products will be compatible with mobile phones in a special mode. It will be similar to the hammer TNT, or Realtek’s C-mount magic split-screen. These devices support the interactive operation of mobile phones and displays.

As of now, we can only imagine what the Huawei gaming display will offer. Apart from the 3C certification which confirms the BOE display, we have nothing else. The recent report is only a speculation and we can not confirm the authenticity of this report. For now, we will have to keep our fingers crossed and wait for what the device will offer.