NewsBytes Briefing: Chrome getting major speed improvements, and more
In the updates since last night, Google announced new features for Chrome, aimed at making the browser faster and power-efficient. The company says that the capabilities, which are currently in beta, will prioritize active tabs and throttle those in the background to make pages load up to 10% faster, and reduce battery and memory load of the browser as well. Here are other developments.
Facebook rebrands Oculus Connect, launches dedicated shopping tab
Facebook has announced that its annual VR conference will take place as an online-only event on September 16. This time, the show will be called Facebook Connect, instead of 'Oculus Connect', and also focus on Facebook's AR efforts, along with VR. Additionally, Facebook has also launched a dedicated Shop section in its main app to let users explore and buy products from businesses.
Microsoft introduces audio transcription in Office 365
Microsoft has launched an audio transcription feature for Office 365 subscribers. The capability will work within Word for the web and give you instant transcriptions of interviews, lectures, meetings, and calls. You can use it to record audio directly on Word and have it transcribed or upload your own audio, recorded in MP3, WAV, M4A, or MP4 formats from some other app.
Apple testing 120Hz refresh rate for iPhone 12 Pro Max
A leak from EverythingApplePro revealed that Apple might launch its top-end iPhone 12 Pro Max with a 120Hz display. On top of that, the device is also expected to debut with other fancy features such as LiDAR-assisted autofocus, subject-detection for video, an enhanced night mode, advanced noise reduction, bit depth video, and zoom capabilities. The launch of iPhone 12 series is expected in October.
Other important developments to note
Among other things, Fitbit announced a new line of wearables with Fitbit Sense that offers temperature sensing and stress tracking, Versa 3, and Inspire 2. Separately, Android Authority gave an exclusive peek at LG Wing, a phone featuring two displays - one lying horizontally and the other vertically. Finally, Firefox launched a revamped Android app with dark mode, Enhanced Tracking Protection, Collections, and more.
Finally, some COVID-19 updates
On Tuesday, India reported 66,000 new coronavirus infections bringing the nationwide total to 32.31 lakh. The death toll rose to 59,629. As for the vaccine, Russia is said to be in collaboration talks to manufacture Sputnik V and conduct Phase-3 trials in India, while a shot developed by Australian biotech company CSL has appeared to be safe in initial human trials.
