A new app called Sarahah is going viral all over the world because of its promise to let people tell each other what they really think of them, anonymously and without fear of reprisal. The app was designed to help people improve themselves based on feedback that others might feel is too blunt to be delivered personally. It was initially positioned as a workplace tool but is growing in popularity with casual users all over the world. Messages sent to anyone on the network are completely private, and the recipient can choose to reply, flag, delete or favourite them without the sender knowing.
Concerns have been raised that the app could be misused to bully people, and the developers have recently added a block function that prevents abusive users from sending you messages after you block them. If you're willing to hear what people have to say to you when there are no social barriers, you can give Sarahah a try.
Aircel takes Jio on with new schemes
Aircel is attempting to fight Jio's aggressive prices with its own super-affordable tariff plans. The operator announced a new pack priced at Rs. 419 in the north-east region and Rs. 449 in Jammu & Kashmir, which give users 2GB of 3G or 2G data and unlimited voice calling per day for 84 days. The total amount of data comes to 168GB through the validity period. Another new pack priced at Rs. 229 gives users 1GB of data per day for the same period of 84 days. Both packs will compete with Jio's Dhan Dhana Dhan Offer which is priced at Rs. 399 which gives users 1GB of 4G data per day for 84 days.
In related news, Reliance Jio has announced that its MyJio app has been downloaded over 100 million times from the Google Play Android app store. It is currently listed as the ninth on the list of top free Android apps. MyJio lets Jio subscribers pay for recharges and check their credit balance, pointing to the size of the overall subscriber base.
Five million Redmi Note 4 units sold in 6 months in India
Xiaomi says it has sold over 5 million units of the Redmi Note 4 (Review) in India within six months of its January launch. The company had previously announced that this phone had reached the 1 million unit milestone faster than any other in history. The Redmi 3S took nine months to reach the same milestone. To celebrate, Xiaomi has commissioned a 6,000 square foot mosaic made of grain in New Delhi. The grain will be used to feed the needy on the occasion of Independence Day next week. The company will also open a Mi Home offline store in Delhi-NCR region "very soon," according to India Head Manu Kumar Jain.
Micromax, Coolpad smartphone launches imminent
Micromax has confirmed that it is holding a press conference on August 22, where it is expected to launch a new high-end smartphone or series of phones under a new name, Infinity. A teaser image suggests that the new device will have an 18:9 screen with extremely narrow borders, much like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the LG G6. The company might release more teasers between now and the launch, so stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for updates as they happen.
Coolpad is also promoting the upcoming launch of its Coolpad Cool Play 6, which is expected to be announced on August 20. This device has already launched in China, so we know roughly what to expect. The Chinese model has a metal frame and dual rear cameras, a 5.5-inch full-HD screen, Snapdragon 653 SoC and 6GB of RAM. The device should launch for less than Rs. 15,000 in India.
Honor discounts multiple models for Independence Day
Huawei sub-brand Honor is offering discounts on the Honor 8, Honor 7, Honor 5X, Honor 4X and Honor Holly 2+ models as part of an Independence Day celebration. The Honor 8 gets a Rs. 12,000 price cut which brings it down to Rs. 16,999. The rest of the range gets cuts ranging from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 1,300. The offers are valid till stocks last or till August 15, whichever is sooner.
Moto X4 leaks tip fresh details, launch date
New leaks indicate that the unannounced Moto X4 will be rather thick, and will have dual rear cameras. Other details include a physical Home button with a fingerprint sensor, a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm audio socket, and a glossy rear. The upcoming Motorola phone could be announced as soon as August 24 in Brazil. It is expected to have a 5-inch full-HD screen, Snapdragon 630 SoC and Android 7.1.1. It could launch in two variants with different amounts of RAM and storage; one with 3GB/16GB and one with 4GB/32GB.
Instant message apps aren't as safe as people think
Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah say that users of instant messaging apps are putting their private data at risk because they do not understand enough about how security works. Messaging apps, even those that claim to be secure, can be misused by people pretending to be the intended recipient of a sensitive message. Users need to verify who is on the other end of their communications, but even after being trained to do so, the process takes too long. The researchers aim to find ways to perform authentication quickly and transparently to users to make communications safer.
Hike acquires Teewee maker Creo
Hike has acquired Creo, a Bengaluru-based startup founded by two people formerly associated with Hike, called for an undisclosed sum. Creo sells hardware such as the Teewee line of media streaming dongles. The team will now be working on a platform for third-party developers. Hike claims to have 100 million users and over 300 employees in India.
iPhone 8 to get resizable Home button, face recognition payments
iPhone 8 leaks keep coming, and the latest ones suggest that the new on-screen Home button will be resizable, and that facial recognition can be used to authorise payments using Apple Pay. The leaks come courtesy of an accidental release of the HomePod software, which is based on iOS and includes references to the unreleased iPhone. Videos showing a purportedly leaked iPhone 8 also indicate that it will come in a new Copper Gold colour as well as Black and White.
High-school student gets huge reward from Google
Google has rewarded a high school student from Uruguay $10,000 for discovering and reporting a major security hole. Ezequiel Pereira discovered the vulnerability while using a security penetration tool because he was bored last month. He was able to access an inadequately secured Google developer resource. He says he did not check exactly what was accessible since it was marked as confidential, and was not expecting any kind of reward. The hole has now been patched.
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