Endomondo is shutting down at the end of the year

There are many apps available when it comes to tracking your fitness. Many of the apps have started to disappear or have been merged into many fitness wear companies. One of these apps is Endomondo which was once one of the leaders in the market and has been around for quite some time now. Under Armour has decided that it did not require to keep it alongside its other apps and now it is going to shutdown.

Endomondo will be shut down on 31st December, 2020 and will be removed from all the stores. The company has also said that ot will be rendered inoperative but we are still unsure whether it will stop syncing or will completely refuse to track your workouts. All the Premium memberships will also be canceled at the end of this month but the benefits will continue to apply till the end of 2020.

Under Armour are now encouraging it’s users to shift to another app MapMyRun and allowing the users to transfer their data till 31st March, 2021. You need to transfer the data manually.

Nokia is going to unveil its first phone to support Verizon’s 5G UW network

Nokia announced the first 5G phone of the world earlier this yer. Now it seems that the company is bringing the phone to USA for the very first time. A live stream pointed to 9th November announcement for a Verizon variant known as Nokia 8 V 5G UW with support for ultra wide-band network.

If Nokia 8 V 5G UW is based on Nokia 8.3 5G then it must be pretty much attractive phone with a 6.8” FHD+ display that has a hole-punch cutout for selfie cam. The camera setup is standard for the mid-range device. It has also got a 3.5mm headphone jack which will be appreciated. It has been equipped with 4,500mAh battery which will make it solid longevity phone. This will be the first phone from Nokia that supports Verizon’s 5G UW network.

Nokia published a scheduled live-stream video on YouTube and the event was set to premiere on November 9 but the video has been removed. This is not the first time Nokia has launched the phones exclusive to Verizon.

Google plans Apple-like crackdown for in-app purchases

Google is planning for a possible crackdown on in-app purchases for the apps distributed via the Play Store. Google is asking the developers to give the company a cut of in-app purchases but it has not enforced that rules for the big names like Netflix, Amazon and Spotify who allow for the billing and purchases in their apps separately from the required system of Google. Now according to Bloomberg the day of reckoning is very near and Google is going to update the guidelines probably next week for further clarifying the billing needs ahead of the enforcement.

Google has a very strong double standard when it comes to the developer support by giving the big names an easy time as well as a wide berth while it enforces the rules in smaller and independent developers more aggressively. Developers who are not in compliance will be given a time before the new rules are enforced strictly.

Apple has the similar rules for its App Store and it is much more aggressive about the enforcement right from the start. That is why apps like Kindle on the App Store can not allow you to purchase the books from app itself and Netflix and Spotify will not allow you to sign up directly from their iPhone apps.

Xiaomi is going to revolutionize smartphone zoom photography.

Xiaomi just recently revolutionized the wireless charging and now they are looking to revolutionize smartphone zoom photography. The company has come up with a new large-aperture telescopic lens for the phones that can easily increase the amount og the light input by 300% flr sharper and clearer pphotos. Like the traditional point-and-shoot cameras the lens can physically zoom in and out from the hardware.

Xiaomi’s vice president Zeng Xuezhong has recently announced this innovation at the MIDC 2020 Xiaomi Developers Conference. Aprt from the addition to increased light intake from larger aperture, Xiaomi has also developed a new anti-shake technology that will make the pictures more stable. Photos taken with this technology will have 20% increase in definition and clarity.

Well this is not the first ever phone to incorporate lens that can zoom in and out physically but Xiaomi’ setup sounds like it can enhance the camera quality of the company to a great degree in future.

Google Photos is putting editing features behind a paywall

Google Photos is undoubtedly one of the most famous apps but it was Google has now turn this storage hog into a money making machine. It has been revealed that Google is looking for limiting certain editing features to Google One members thus making the paid membership the only way to access them.

Some new strings have been added in the app which prompts like “Unlock this feature and more with Google One membership” and Get extra editing features with Google One membership.” many people are running into this paywall in the wild already. The Color Prop filter which was free for all previously is now a part of the test limiting it’s usage to paid members.

It is still not clear that which features and filters will be placed behind the paywall. V5.18 of Google Photos also adds mentions of the new photo processing options which include HDR, Dynamic and Vivid. There are some new filters as well as which includes Airy, Afterglow, Ember, Luminous, Stormy and Radiant etc.

Google is also working on ways to make Google One memberships more catchy to the users like offering a free VPN service. Google at the moment allows the users store unlimited high quality photos and videos in the cloud so it makes sense that company is looking for finding new ways to help offset the costs.

The best cheap Chromebooks that you can buy right now

Chromebooks are coming in and out of the stock due to the spike in COVID-19 and working from home and after that due to starting of the remote schooling. If you are looking for a Chrome OS laptop you can still find some solid ones in $200-300 price range. All the models that are mentioned here are fast enough to handle few Chrome tabs as well as applications running at once.

Samsung Chromebook 4+ ($299)

The Samsung Chromebook 4+ is the most suitable deal the the Chromebook market. The laptop does not have a touch screen or 2-in-1 design but it has been equipped with an Intel Celeron N4000 processor and 4GB RAM. It has also been equipped with 15.6inch 1080p screen which is the main selling point. Samsung Chromebook 4+ will receive Chrome OS updates until June 2026.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet ($249)

If you are looking for something compact as well as portable then you need to go to Lenovo Chromebook Duet. It is a Chrome OS tablet with a detachable keyboard. When you have completed with your work you can simply take off the keyboard for easier touchscreen use. It has been equipped with MediaTek Helio P60T processor, 64GB internal storage and 4GB RAM. It is only one of the few 10-inch Chromebooks that has got full HD display. It also supports the stylus input.

HP Chromebook 14a ($220)

This laptop is pretty much similar to Samsung Chromebook 4. It has been equipped with same RAM, display, resolution, processor and storage. However it has got improved speakers compared to Samsung Chromebook. This laptop will receive Chrome OS updates till June 2026.

Google Play Console introduces new publishing controls

Google Play console has not been a robust tool for publishing the apps but it is improving day by day and solving the the problems which the developers are experiencing over the years. The latest update has brought the two long-awaited improvments that will make the publishing experience simpler and intuitive.

The main change comes in the new publishing overview page that shows where the are the different versions of an app in the review process and privides a clear view of what is going to be displayed on the Play Store when an app is published. This will make it very simple and easy to see the approval the progress at a glance and coordinate releases with other members.

Google play is also going to launch a new Managed Publishing feature that will replace the Timed Publishing which are aimed at providing the developers a simple and predictable interface for scheduling releases. The whole system should let the developers upload some new versions and publish them at precise time. This will not remove the requirement to upload new versions ahead of time.

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