Now, chat with up to 16 people on Snapchat

Snapchat rolled out a feature Tuesday for group chats with up to 16 people as the fast-growing social network sought to broaden its services ahead of an expected share offering.

"The holidays are a great time to hang out with friends and spend time with family -- it's always better together! We couldn't think of a better time to announce Groups, a new way to communicate with up to 16 friends on Snapchat," said a blog post from the California-based platform known for its disappearing messages.

Chats sent to a group are deleted by default after 24 hours, and can be opened and replayed just once by each recipient

If unopened, the chat is deleted after 24 hours, just like other messages.

The move comes after reports that Snapchat parent firm Snap Inc. filed confidentially for a public share offering valuing the disappearing messaging platform at more than $20 billion.


The initial public offering (IPO) would be among the biggest in the tech sector in recent years and shine a light on the fast-growing platform used by more than 100 million people

It is one of the sector's most prominent "unicorns" -- a term used for venture-backed firms with valuations over $1 billion -- along with Uber and Airbnb.


The company has declined to comment on reports of the IPO, which would likely be the largest since China's Alibaba hit the market in 2014.

While its finances are not public, the research firm eMarketer has estimated that Snapchat would generate nearly a billion dollars next year from advertising

Moto M smartphone with 16MP rear camera to launch

Lenovo-owned Motorola will be launching its Moto M metal-clad smartphone in India today. The company has been teasing the handset since past few days on its Facebook and Twitter accounts with the hashtag #motom.

The company is holding an event in Mumbai today at 11.30am IST where it will be launching the smartphone. The event will be webcasted on both Facebook and YouTube.

The Moto M smartphone was listed online in China last month for 1999 Yuan (around Rs 19,600). On the looks front, Moto M sports design similar to its existing Moto X line-up. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and a splash-proof metal unibody design

Moto M features a 5.5-inch Full HD 2.5D curved glass IPS display with 1080x1920 pixel resolution and a pixel density of around 401ppi. The dual-SIM handset is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P15 CPU, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage. The inbuilt storage can be expanded using a microSD card up to 128GB.


For imaging duties, Moto M has a 16MP rear camera with phase detection autofocus and dual LED flash. There's also an 8MP selfie-shooter on board. The smartphone is backed by a 3,050mAh battery with fast charging support.

In the teasers posted by the company, Moto M is seen flaunting a metal body along with a 'magnificent' camera. On the connectivity front, the Moto M features Bluetooth v4.1, 4G VoLTE support, USB Type-C port, NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The device weighs 163 grams and measures 151.35x75.35x7.85mm.

In China, the Moto M was launched alongside the Lenovo P2 smartphone. The P2 was introduced back in September during the IFA 2016 conference

Apple iOS 10.2 brings 'special feature' for users

Apple's latest iOS update, iOS 10.2, has a 'special feature' for the company's users in India. The update brings in the India-specific distress call 'SOS' button feature to iPhones in the country.

Although the official changelog does not mention the SOS button feature, users in India can see the option after the update under the Settings>General menu.

Triggering the SOS will directly call the 112 number, as specified by the government. The number will also be saved in the handset's contact automatically as Distress Number. However, using the feature won't be of any use now as the 112 emergency number will be adopted by India in January next year.

Under the option, users can customise the SOS settings. Some customisations include the number of times you can tap on the Power button to trigger the emergency call or to make the countdown audible and more.

Another major addition in the Apple iOS 10.2 version is the inclusion of over 100 new emojis (new faces, food, animals and professionals). The emojis are based on the latest Unicode 9.0 standard

Improvements and fixes in the 'Photos' section has also been made. The update brings more stability and improved accuracy while grouping certain photos automatically. Additionally there is a support for RAW digital cameras as well.

For 'Messages', the iOS 10.2 adds new love and celebration full screen effects besides some fixes. The 'Music' app now lets you swipe up the now playing screen to access Shuffle, Repeat and Up Next options

As a part of iOS 10.2, the News app gets a new 'Saved' section where all your saved news will appear. Even the paid stories from subscribed channels will also appear in a dedicated section. Swiping left from a story will open the next news piece.


As for the Mails app, the update comes with certain fixes related to Move Sheet options and more. Several fixes are also done in the Accessibility option.

For US customers, the iOS 10.2 adds new features for the TV app as well. Users can now navigate to 'Up Next' option to see the movies and tv shows you are currently watching. Discovering new apps and accessing the Library has also become easier.

To check for the Apple iOS 10.2 update, you would have to go in the device's 'Settings' option, General and Software Update

Don't rule BlackBerry out completely just yet

In spite of meager sales figures, BlackBerry could soon release a new smartphone, once again running Google's Android OS and with a physical keyboard. The firm has also developed an innovative Internet of Things security solution for business.

Pictures of what could be a BlackBerry DTEK 70, due for release in 2017, have leaked on social media. However, since BlackBerry recently announced plans to pull out of smartphone manufacturing, it's not clear who exactly will be building the phone. The BlackBerry DTEK50, which launched this summer, for example, was, in fact, an Alcatel Idol 4 with a software overlay and a series of in-house encryption and security solutions.

The DTEK 70, code-named "Mercury," could see the return of a classic keyboard to BlackBerry, underneath a 4.5-inch screen (1080p). The handset is thought to be equipped with 18MP and 8MP cameras, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of memory and the Android OS

Rumors also point to the presence of a fingerprint sensor and a data encryption system, as seen in all of the manufacturer's smartphones.


Reality is harsh for BlackBerry, which only maintains a tiny market share in global smartphone sales (approximately 0.1% according to Gartner). To address the situation, the firm is refocusing its core business strategy on services, notably for businesses, the brand's historic clients.

Having lost the battle on the hardware front, BlackBerry's turnaround is increasingly reliant on software. On that front, the firm recently presented BlackBerry Secure, a new security management platform covering all of a company's connected devices (computers, smartphones, tablets, etc

Nikon launches world’s first 105mm f/1.4 autofocus lens

Nikon today launched its new AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED mid-telephoto fixed focal length lens. Aimed at professional photographers, the company claims it's the world's first autofocus lens with a 105mm focal length and f/1.4 aperture. The lens will be available starting August 2016

The AF-S NIKKOR 105MM F/1.4E ED lens has a combination of remarkable optical performance and innovative design. This has enabled the creation of a significant shallow depth of field with the smoothest of bokeh. The gradual alteration from the focus position results in the creation of a natural reproduction of the subject's depth," explained Sajjan Kumar, senior vice president of corporate sales and strategy, Nikon India

The lens' design is based on three extra-low dispersion elements that provide compensation for chromatic aberration. A Nano Crystal Coat is utilized for effective reduction of ghosting and flare. The lens is also equipped with an electromagnetic aperture mechanism that enables stable auto exposure control. It also comes with a highly durable fluorine coat coat applied to the extreme front and rear lens' surfaces, thus helping in repelling dust, water, grease and dirt.


Along with this, the company announced that the production of its NIKKOR brand of lenses had reached 100 million, since its inception.

NIKKOR's journey started in 1932 with Nikon's (then Nippon Kogaku K.K), registration of the NIKKOR trademark. It was followed by the 1933 release of Aero-Nikkor aerial photographic lenses. In 1959, Nikon released the Nikon F SLR camera as well as its first NIKKOR lenses for Nikon SLR cameras

This wireless charger makes your phone float on air

While wireless chargers are yet to gain popularity, a Canadian design company named AR Design wants to make them look cool. The company is running a Kickstarter campaign for its levitating wireless charger that will recharge your smartphone while making it float on air.

The gadget called OvRcharge has been backed by around 159 people and has already reached its goal of CAD 40,000 on Kickstarter.

"By combining the induction charging and magnetic levitation we got OvRcharge. A wireless levitational charger, that is not only suspend the device in the mid air and holds its altitude, but also charge and rotate it as well," said the company

OvRcharge is basically a wooden box with the magnetic levitation and wireless charging technology inside. Interesting, the gadget will also work with smartphones that do not support wireless charging. Buyers will need to get a wireless charging case along with the levitation magnet

"Charging base is the thing behind all the science, it is made of wood and has two functions Magnetic levitation and wireless charging. This unit is powerful enough to levitate 600 Grams unit and charge it," it claims.


While the smartphone is floating on air, users can make it spin and as there is no friction to stop it, the smartphone keeps spinning as long as it is floating

OvRcharge stops charging the phone when battery is full but still levitate and rotate the device until it is removed.You can use it to charge your phone or just to float it," adds the company

Gigabyte announces Radeon RX 460 graphics cards

Gigabyte today announced Radeon RX 460 WINDFORCE OC edition graphics cards based on the latest Polaris 11 GPU with two memory variants of 4GB and 2GB models. Powered directly from the PCI Express slot, the RX 460 graphics cards do not require auxiliary power. They boast of overclocking performance up to 1212MHz.

"Thanks to Polaris architecture with Ultra HD HEVC Encode and Decode, gamers could easily stream and record their favorite games with virtually no performance impact," said the company

It features two semi-passive 80mm fans and blade fan design for enhancing airflow. The WINDFORCE 2X cooling system ensures the RX 460 WINDFORCE OC run cool and virtually inaudible while low-latency gaming for the most popular eSports games, according to the company.


The fans are regulated as they remain turned off during lighter gaming, offering a completely silent, interruption-free experience to eSports gamers whose focus and concentration is vital to their victory.

The RX 460 WINDFORCE OC edition are built using ultra-durable chokes and capacitors, making the MOSFET working at a lower temperature for more stable voltage output. Backed by a 4+1 power phase design, the cards ensure stable voltage output at a lower temperature, which translates to a better overclocking capability compared to the reference design.

With XTREME Engine utility, gamers can monitor and adjust clock speeds, voltage, and fan performance in real time according to their own preferences