How to get a clutter free Menu Bar by hiding app icons on macOS

Here's how to get a clutter free Menu Bar by hiding app icons on macOS

macOS is quite streamlined and clutter-free with its neat Dashboard and slick touchpad gestures. However, in this OCD satisfying OS, there’s been a slight oversight as app icons on the Menu Bar keep cluttering the upper-right corner of the screen. The more apps you install, the more of these little icons keep accumulating there and unlike Windows’ System Tray, there is no functionality that groups unused icons into a group to keep the taskbar tidy. Those who want to get a minimalist look, they can install the Vanilla utility. So, here’s how to clean up your Mac Menu Bar.

Downloading and Installing Vanilla 

To install Vanilla, simply visit this website and click on the ‘Download Vanilla for free’ button. Once it downloads, move the downloaded .dmg file to your Applications folder and boot it up. 

How it works

Once booted, the Vanilla cleanup tool will add a carrot symbol and a dot to your Menu Bar. The app icons that are between the two new symbols will be hidden. One can drag icons between them by holding down the command key and the ones outside of it will show up on the right.

The app is free but one can also pay $4.99 (Rs 350 approx) for upgrading to its pro version. The pro version is compatible with light and dark menu bars and automatically hides icons again after five seconds. One nifty trick that the pro users will get is the keyboard shortcut to toggle the hidden icons.

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Official: HTC U12 Life Smartphone's Price, Specification and Feature

HTC U12 Life with dual finish design, glass back, dual cameras launched at IFA 2018

The smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo OS out-of-the-box.

After being a part of the rumour mill for the past few months, the HTC U12 Life is finally official, and the Taiwanese company will finally be showcasing it at IFA 2018. HTC is known for its industrial smartphone design, and the U12 Life is no different. It comes with a glass back, and a unique dual tone design, just like the Pixel, yet it looks distinct.

The highlight of the U12 Life’s design is the textures, featuring horizontal lines on the glass. The smartphone will be offered in two color options, Moonlight Blue and Twilight Purple. HTC has priced the U12 Life at €335, roughly Rs 27,800. It will be available in Europe, Asia, and Middle East starting late September, but with HTC pulling out of India operations, it is not likely to launch here.

HTC U12 Life specifications and features

As the current trend of tall displays continues, the U12 Life comes with a 6-inch 18:9 display with HD+ resolution (1080x2160pixels). Good thing is, HTC did not add a notch, something that people who dislike the notch will appreciate. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC with an octa-core CPU. It is paired with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB built-in storage. A microSD card slot for further expansion is also present.

In the photography department, the smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 16-megapixel primary camera along with a 5-megapixel depth sensor for adding bokeh effects. Up front is a 13-megapixel selfie snapper along with an LED flash for clicking bright photos in low-light conditions. In terms of video recording, the rear camera supports 4K at 30fps, and full HD at 60fps, whereas the front camera supports full HD video recording.

In terms of connectivity, you get dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE with VoLTE, Cat.11 which supports download speeds up to 600Mbps and upload speeds up to 75Mbps. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, and GPS. For charging and data transfer, the smartphone comes with a USB Type-C port, and luckily, the 3.5mm audio socket is still present. With 3,600mAh battery, the smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo OS, but there is on word on Android P update schedule.

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Apple Plans How to improve the batery life of iPhone

Here’s how Apple plans to improve the battery life of iPhones

Although Apple iPhone and Watches are considered to be one of the best products in the world, there have been some customers who have regularly complained about their battery life. Rightfully so, when it comes to battery performance, the iPhones are not leading the race for now. But it looks like Apple may soon solve this issue with a new technology, not only for iPhones but for Apple Watch as well.

The Cupertino-based firm, according to a report by IHS Markit, may use a new kind of backplane TFT. The firm is said to have applied for three different patents on LTPO or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide over the course of years. The first one was spotted in 2014 titled ‘Organic light-emitting diode displays with semiconducting-oxide and silicon thin-film transistors’, while the second one was seen the next year with the title ‘Displays with silicon and semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors.’ The third one was seen this year with the title ‘Methods of protecting semiconductor oxide channel in hybrid TFT process flow.’

For those unaware, the backplane technology deals with the screen and the pixels of the smartphone. It is the one that takes care of individual pixels and turns it on or off, eventually determining how much battery is to be consumed. “We estimate that Apple's target is to strengthen the graphics processing unit in the CPU, and bypass the frame memory in order to reduce power consumption,” adds the report.

It is said that there could be several reasons why Apple wants to bring LTPO. The key reason is being said to be that the firm wants to get closely involved in flexible OLED component cost and technology. Other reasons could be to reduce the power consumption, achieve higher resolution on screens and better manage the supply chain.

For now, Apple uses AMOLED screens for the iPhone X. It is likely to use AMOLED screens for at least two out of three upcoming models as well.

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Poco Launcher Now Available in Beta on Google Play Store

Poco Launcher Now Available in Beta on Google Play Store, APK Listed for Download

• Poco Launcher has been released in beta
• The announcement was made at the Poco F1 launch
• The early access seems to be full for now

Xiaomi sub-brand Poco earlier this month launched its first smartphone, the Poco F1 in India and other markets. Instead of running an untouched version of MIUI, the Poco F1 runs MIUI for Poco, a customised variant of the software on top of Android 8.1 Oreo. The custom Poco Launcher has now been released on Google Play, albeit in beta, by Xiaomi. Key features of this launcher include a clean home screen, an app drawer, privacy features, and icon customisation. File size of the Poco launcher on Play Store is expected to vary from device to device. It works on Android smartphones not running MIUI.

The Play Store release was promised at the Poco F1 launch to happen on August 29, the day of the smartphone's first flash sale. The Poco Launcher on Google Play is however listed as an unreleased app and the early access is full. Interested users can sideload the APK directly from APKMirror, as spotted by Fonearena. Version listed is 2.6.0.3 and file size is around 15.5MB. Apart from the Poco Launcher, MIUI for Poco comes with certain stock Android features including Quick Settings tiles and different icons.

As per the listing on Google Play, the Poco Launcher is a "full-featured customisable launcher for Android phones". It comes with a clean and minimal home screen, an extensive search feature with app recommendations and icon colour categories, the ability to group apps based on category, to allow usage of third party icon packs for customisation, the ability to keep apps private, and faster animations. All in all, it appears to be a stripped-down version of MIUI that borrows elements from Google's stock version of Android Oreo.

Ahead of the Google Play listing, the Poco Launcher APK beta v0.1.5 was shared online in a MIUI forum post, and was accessible for MIUI-based smartphones.

To recall, the Poco F1 was launched in India at a starting price of Rs. 20,999 for the variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The smartphone comes in Rosso Red, Graphite Black, and Steel Blue colour options, and packs in specifications including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, dual rear camera setup, and a display notch.

Poco earlier this week announced the release of the Poco F1's kernel source code in an attempt to encourage the development of custom ROMs for the smartphone.

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Today Launching: Nokia 6.1 Plus Price, Specification and Feature

Nokia 6.1 Plus to Go on Sale for the First Time in India Today: Price, Launch Offers, More

• Nokia 6.1 Plus sale will begin at 12pm
• It will be available via Flipkart and Nokia online store
• The smartphone has been pre-orders till now

Nokia 6.1 Plus was launched in India last week at an event organised in New Delhi, bringing the first Nokia-branded smartphone with a display notch to the country. It will go on sale in the country for the first time since its unveiling at 12pm today. Apart from the notch, the new Nokia 6.1 Plus has the Snapdragon 636 SoC and dual rear cameras to lure buyers away from Redmi Note 5 Pro, its biggest rival in the Indian market. It is also part of the Android One programme, meaning it has stock Android software and promise of timely software updates. Of course, the Nokia 5.1 Plus — launched at the same event — has a notch too, but there is no concrete release date for the handset in India yet.

Nokia 6.1 Plus price in India is Rs. 15,999 and it comes in only one configuration, with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The handset was on pre-orders till now in India via both Flipkart and Nokia online store, and will be on sale via the two websites online. It will begin shipping in India from Friday, August 31 according to the official Nokia website. As for the launch offers, Jio customers get 240GB of complimentary data (20GB per month for 12 months on buying recharges of Rs. 199, Rs. 249 or Rs. 448) as well as Rs. 1,800 cashback in the form of 36 vouchers worth Rs. 50; all buyers also get no-cost EMIs. Flipkart customers also get 5 percent discount on purchases made using Axis Bank Buzz credit card, as well as 5 percent off on EMI transactions ICICI Bank credit cards.

Nokia 6.1 Plus specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano) Nokia 6.1 Plus runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo, and sports a 5.8-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) display that's protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC coupled with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM.

The Nokia 6.1 Plus bears a dual rear camera setup, with a 16-megapixel primary sensor featuring an f/2.0 aperture and 1-micron pixels, while the secondary 5-megapixel monochrome sensor sports a f/2.4 aperture and 1.12-micron pixels. The rear setup features a dual-tone flash module. On the front, the smartphone bears a 16-megapixel sensor coupled with an f/2.0 aperture and 1-micron pixels.

There is 64GB of inbuilt storage on the Nokia 6.1 Plus, expandable via microSD card (up to 400GB). Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth v5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C (v2.0), GPS/ A-GPS, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, digital compass, and a proximity sensor. It is powered by a 3060mAh battery coupled with fast charge tech. It measures 147.2x70.98x7.99mm, and weighs 151 grams.

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Today Flash sale: Xiaomi Mi A2 and Redmi 5A

Xiaomi Mi A2 Flash Sale Today at 12PM; Redmi 5A Up for Grabs Too

• Both the smartphones will go on sale at 12pm today
• The Mi A2 will up for grabs via Amazon India and Mi.com
• Redmi 5A will available on Flipkart and Mi.com

The third Xiaomi Mi A2 flash sale in India will be held today, giving buyers a chance to snag a unit of the new smartphone. Key features of the smartphone include the stock Android software, 3,000mAh battery with QuickCharge 4+ fast-charging, and dual rear camera setup. Like before, only the 64GB storage, 4GB RAM variant will be available in the Mi A2 flash sale today. Apart from the new model, the affordable Redmi 5A will also be available in a flash sale. Both the Mi A2 and Redmi 5A flash sales will be held at 12pm IST on Mi.com; apart from that, buyers can head to Amazon India for the former and to Flipkart for the latter model.

The Mi A2 price in India is Rs. 16,999 and the smartphone has 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage; there is also a 6GB RAM and 128GB built-in storage but it is not up for grabs yet. It will come with 3-month subscription to Hungama Music and will come with cashback worth Rs. 2,200 and 4.5TB complimentary data from Jio. Amazon customers will get 5 percent instant discount on HDFC Bank credit cards and no-cost EMIs on HDFC Bank debit and credit cards. As for the Redmi 5A price in India, buyers will have to shell out Rs. 5,999 and Rs. 6,999 for the 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM variants, respectively. There is Rs. 2,200 cashback from Jio and free Hungama Music access for 3 months.

The dual-SIM (Nano) Xiaomi Mi A2 runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo, and being a part of the Android One programme from Google, is certified to offer an optimised Android experience and timely updates. The smartphone sports a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC (four cores clocked at 2.2GHz and four cores clocked at 1.8GHz) coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM.

Xiaomi Mi A2 sports a dual rear camera setup, with a 12-megapixel Sony IMX486 sensor in the primary camera, featuring 1.25-micron pixels with an f/1.75 aperture. It uses a 20-megapixel IMX376 sensor as the secondary rear camera. The rear camera setup also features a flash module. On the front, the Mi A2 bears the same 20-megapixel sensor, complete with a soft-light flash module. As we mentioned, the Xiaomi Mi A2 comes in two inbuilt storage options - 64GB and 128GB - depending on the variant purchased.

Connectivity options on the Mi A2 include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual-band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, and a USB Type-C (v2.0) port - there is no 3.5mm headphone jack on the phone. It bears a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel, while other sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, and proximity sensor. The Xiaomi Mi A2 sports a 3,000mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 4.0.

As for specifications, the budget dual-SIM (Nano) Redmi 5A runs MIUI 9 on top of Android Nougat. It sports a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display, and is powered by the Snapdragon 425 SoC, paired with 2GB and 3GB RAM options. The Redmi 5A has 16GB and 32GB of onboard storage options that both are expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB) via a dedicated slot.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A smartphone has a 13-megapixel sensor at the back - along with an f/2.2 aperture, PDAF, and an LED flash. On the front, there is a 5-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. In terms of connectivity, the handset has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS/ A-GPS, Infrared, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Micro-USB port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor. Lastly, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A packs a 3,000mAh battery and measures 140.4x70.1x8.35mm.

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Fortnite Ace Pack Gaming Now Available these Devices

Fortnite Ace Pack for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch PS4, Xbox One, and PC Available Now

Fortnite for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One gets the Fortnite Ace Pack. It's a collection of in-game cosmetic items and includes 600 V-bucks, the Ace Outfit, and the Swag Bag Back Bling. The Fortnite Ace Pack price is Rs. 399 in India and $4.99 internationally. Like every micro-transaction in Fortnite, this does not change how the game plays. Instead, it gives you a different look in-game.

Previously, the Fortnite v5.30 patch was detailed by Epic Games. Aside from bringing a new limited time mode in Score Royale as well as the Rift-To-Go item, some improvements for Fortnite on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One have been added. Epic also detailed what you can expect out of Score Royale LTM. It's being described as a game mode where you "collect points to claim Victory Royale in this new Limited Time Mode". Whoever has the most points at the end of the match wins.

When the Fortnite v5.30 patch hit, it sent data-mining enthusiasts into overdrive as they dove into the game files looking for upcoming skins, weapons, back blings, gliders, emotes, trails, and pickaxes.

In addition to the Rift-To-Go portable rift that Epic Games teased earlier in the week and a new Score Royale limited-time mode, Twitter user ‘TwoEpicBuddies’ and the fan-run website fnbr.co have uncovered a series of items.

The skins include Armadillo Skin, Backbone Skin, Chopper Skin, Cloaked Star Skin, Dreamflower Skin, Enforcer Skin, Far Out Man Skin, Hime Skin, Musha Skin, Ravage Skin, Scorpion Skin, and Ace Skin. Among new weapons, there’s a flamethrower, a Quad (rocket) Launcher, and a Shockwave Grenade.

Moving on to back blings, Fortnite patch v5.30 brings Buckled Back Bling, Dark Wings Back Blings, Ghost Portal Back Bling, Hip Shakers Back Bling, Road Flair Back Bling, Road Ready Back Bling, Sashimono Back Bling, Shiro Back Bling, Slashed Back Bling, Subjugator Back Bling, Summer Strummer Back Bling, Swag Bag Back Bling, and Vintage Back Bling.

Among upcoming glider options, there is Blaze Glider, Flappy Glider, Helium Glider, Purrfect Glider, Rush Glider, Steadfast Glider, and Tie-Dye Flyer. In the emotes section, you’ve Capoeira Emote, Dance Therapy Emote, Fancy Feet Emote, Intensity Emote, Job Well Done Emote, Praise The Tomato Emote, Shake It Up Emote, and Storm Salutation Emote.

There are three new upcoming trails in Embers Trail, Artifact Trail, and Dark Feathers Trail. That leaves five pickaxes including Cat’s Claw Pickaxe, Controller Pickaxe, Drumbeat Pickaxe, Iron Break Pickaxe, and Throttle Pickaxe.

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Android 8.1 Oreo update on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Starts Receiving Android 8.1 Oreo-Based MIUI 9.6.5.5.0 Update: Report

• MIUI 9.6.5.5.0 said to be rolling out to Redmi Note 5
• Update seen to bring Android 8.1 Oreo to the handset
• Xiaomi is yet to reveal the full changelog

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 was launched in India back in February and the smartphone arrived with competitive specifications, good design, among other features. However, the weak link in the Redmi Note 5 was that it ran Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 at launch. But now, Xiaomi has been seen keeping its promise, and rolling out an MIUI version based on Android 8.1 Oreo. Redmi Note 5 users are reportedly receiving a notification for the latest update to the MIUI (version 9.6.5.5.0). To recall, the Redmi Note 5 Pro that was announced alongside the Redmi Note 5, had already received an MIUI 9.5.6 update based on Android 8.1 Oreo in June this year.

Redmi Note 5, also known as Redmi 5 Plus in China, earlier shipped with Android Nougat out-of-the-box, even though the smartphone was launched after Google had already made Android Oreo available. However, as per an XDA Developers report, a stable Android 8.1 Oreo recovery ROM for the Redmi Note 5 is now available for all users. It is the global version of the update and will bring the version to MIUI v9.6.5.5.0. Notably, Xiaomi is yet to publish an official changelog via its Mi forums. However, some users have reported having received the update in their Redmi 5 Plus units in a few countries. The images shared by the users show the latest MIUI version to be 9.6.5.0 (OEGMIFD).

Users of the Redmi Note 5 who have not received a notification can go to Settings > About phone > System update > Check for updates. Since this is an OTA update, it might take a while before it lands on your smartphone. But, you also have the option to download the ROM files directly. The Recovery ROM can be installed used the Updater app, however, the Fastboot ROM will require an unlocked bootloader.

To recall some of the specifications, the Redmi Note 5 is a dual-SIM handset. It comes with a 5.99-inch full-HD (1080x2160 pixels) display, and is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. It bears a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. The smartphone sports a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel sensor at the front. It comes in two storage variants - 32GB and 64GB - both of which are expandable via microSD card in a hybrid dual-SIM format. It is powered by a 4000mAh battery, with 5V/2A fast charging, and measures 158.5x75.45x8.05mm and weighs 180 grams.

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Onimusha: Warlords Remaster Gaming Recent Announcement

Onimusha: Warlords Remaster Announced for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One

• Onimusha: Warlords released first on PS2 in 2001
• It's getting a HD remaster in January 2019
• Available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One

In what comes as a surprise, Capcom has announced a high-definition remastered version of PS2 classic Onimusha: Warlords, the 17-year-old game that was the first entry in the action-adventure series out of Japan. It will release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One on January 15, 2019 at $20 (about Rs. 1,400).

Beyond the aforementioned HD graphics, the Onimusha: Warlords remaster will have widescreen support and new display options – players can switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios at any time, though some menus will be fixed to one of the two – as well as a ‘screen scroll’ feature for widescreen setups to show “areas that can't be fully displayed from certain positions”.

The remastered version also has a new soundtrack and more Japanese dialogue in addition to support for analogue sticks and the option to begin your game in ‘Easy Mode’ – it was only unlocked later in the original release – making Onimusha: Warlords more accessible. Capcom released a new trailer to mark the announcement and showcase the high-def upgrade.

Onimusha: Warlords will also have a physical release in North America for PS4 and Xbox One owners. In the rest of the world, the remaster will be digital-only across all platforms, available via Steam for PC and first-party stores for PS4, Switch, and Xbox. Though physical pre-orders were said to go live, that has yet to happen at the time of writing.

Set in feudal Japan, Onimusha: Warlords tells the story of a samurai known as Samanosuke Akechi and a ninja named Kaede, who are on a quest to save Princess Yuki from demons that have taken over Inabayama Castle. Using a special Oni Gauntlet, Samanosuke can absorb the demon souls and use it to improve weapons and health. Players can control Kaede during certain sections of the game.

The first PS2 title to hit a million sales, Onimusha: Warlords eventually sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Its success led to three mainline sequels in 2002’s Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, 2004’s Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, and 2006’s Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams; and three spin-off titles in 2003’s Nintendo-only Onimusha Tactics and 2D fighting game Onimusha Blade Warriors, and 2012’s browser-based Onimusha Soul.

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Without Delete how to go invisible on Whatsapp

How to go 'invisible' on WhatsApp without deleting app

It's easily to log out of most social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat and go invisible to earn some ‘me time’. However, when it comes to WhatsApp, as long as you have it on your smartphone, you simply can’t get rid of notifications. Also, it is not possible to delete and reinstall WhatsApp every time you wish to go invisible for a limited time period.

No matter whether you have switched off ‘Blue tick read receipts’ or not, the sender in a way gets a hint as to whether you have read the message or not. This is because the moment you open WhatsApp, you are shown as ‘Online’ to your contacts. Now, officially, there is not a one-tap solution to silence WhatsApp for a limited time period. But this article will help you beat the system without even downloading an additional app or disabling internet or silencing your mobile phone.

For those unaware, the easiest way to silence WhatsApp and go invisible is by downloading a Firewall app like Mobiwol or NoRoot Firewall on Android. These types of Firewall apps lets users deny internet connectivity to individual apps. Through these apps, you can choose to get emails on Gmail but deny WhatsApp internet connectivity for messages. However, most of these Firewall apps require the device to be rooted first. While the apps mentioned here -- Mobiwol or NoRoot Firewall — don’t require your phone to be rooted, we strongly do not recommend any third party apps like these over data privacy concerns.

Now, here is how you can go invisible on WhatsApp by just tweaking the settings. There are three steps to this. First, silence that WhatsApp tone without putting your phone on silent. Second, get rid of the WhatsApp icon or dot notifications (for new messages) on the notification bar. Third, disable notification light for WhatsApp. Lastly, remove WhatsApp shortcut on the home screen.

* Disable WhatsApp tune: There’s no option to select ‘No Ringtone’ for your WhatsApp messages or calls. By default you will have to select a ringtone. If you want to silence it then you have no other option apart from putting your mobile on silent mode. The easiest hack around this is to create your own silent ringtone. Just record pin-drop silence for 2 seconds by using your audio recorder app and save it by a proper file name (For example silent ringtone). Open WhatsApp>>Settings>>Notifications. Select that ‘silent ringtone’ as your Notification tone and call ringtone.

* Disabling notifications in the form of WhatsApp icons or dots: Go to your phone settings (under the general Android settings) >> Apps>> Open list of Apps>>Select WhatsApp>>Tap on Notification and disable all notifications for WhatsApp. Disable vibration and popups as well. Now, you will not get to know whether you have got any new messages unless and until you purposely open WhatsApp.

* Disable notification light: This is simple. Open WhatsApp>>Settings>>Notifications>>Light. Select ‘none’.

After this simply remove the WhatsApp shortcut from your home screen. By following these steps, you will continue to get WhatsApp messages in the background but you will never get to know about them. Out of sight and out of mind. No more WhatsApp tone for notifications to disturb you. To know whether you have received any WhatsApp text you will have to open WhatsApp inside the app menu and then check.

To stop WhatsApp from hogging your mobile data, go to your phone settings (under the general Android settings) >> Apps>> Open list of Apps>>Select WhatsApp. Then click on ‘Force stop’. Then disable ‘Background data’ (inside Data option) and finally, revoke all app permissions for WhatsApp.

This will ‘kill’ WhatsApp altogether without uninstalling it. However, you will still continue to get messages the moment you open WhatsApp. Yes, it is that stubborn! But now you know how to ignore them altogether.

Pro Tip: if you want the sender of the messages to not get a “Double Tick” signifying the delivery of the message then simply don’t open WhatsApp after you ‘Force Stop’ it from your phone settings.

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Price Leaked

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• The development comes courtesy tipster Roland Quandt
• The phone will succeed this year's Redmi Note 5 Pro
• The phone might get more colour options

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro was launched in India back in February this year and has since seen blockbuster sales with users rushing to grab a unit of this mid-ranger in the numerous flash sales and open sales since launch. However, with just about 6 months after launch, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is set to get a successor in the form of the Redmi Note 6 Pro. The first-ever leak for the upcoming handset is out with details about the pricing and memory/ storage configurations. Let's get into what all we know about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro.

Reputed smartphone tipster Roland Quandt took to Twitter on Tuesday to claim that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro will soon be a reality. Quandt states that the smartphone will be made available in Black, Blue, and Gold colour options. It will be sold in 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage and 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage models in Europe, but might get a 6GB RAM variant as well in other markets like India and China.

As far as pricing is concerned, he expects the phone to be priced between EUR 200-250 (roughly between Rs. 16,500 and Rs. 20,600), with cheaper pricing in other markets. The cheaper price tag could make its way to India, where the current-gen Redmi Note 5 Pro starts at just Rs. 14,999. He also claims that more colour variants might be launched outside of the European market.

Other than that, no design elements, features, or specifications have been leaked yet. However, the rumour mill will expectedly be on high alert after this piece of information and we might spot the Redmi Note 6 Pro on benchmarking or certification portals in the coming weeks. Launch date for the handset is currently unknown.

To recall, the Redmi Note 5 Pro sports a 5.99-inch full-HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It sports a vertically stacked dual rear camera setup, and has a 4,000mAh battery under the hood.

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How to remove third party apps from Gmail account

How to Remove Third Party Apps which are Accessing Your Gmail Account

After being criticised for accessing Gmail inbox of users, Google has assured everyone that their programs will not read users’ emails further in order to show relevant ads. But they are still allowing several third-party apps to read people’s inbox. As per the report surfaced online a few days ago, the third-party app developers can read your account’s each and every possible detail. It includes the recipient’s e-mail id, timestamp, the entire body of the e-mails and more. It’s true that the practice doesn’t happen without the consent of users but they should explicitly mention that the data accessed can be viewed by humans.

The search giant could improve the condition in the future by only allowing trusted apps or developers to add Gmail option in their app. But as of now the risk still persists and the only thing you can do is take precautionary measures like reviewing all the connected apps and revoking access to third-party apps which no longer required.

The process to see which apps are connected to your google account and which apps have access to your Gmail is very simple. Just follow the steps below and you can easily disable un-trusted and no longer required third-party apps from accessing your Gmail Account.

Using PC/Laptop

1. First of all, login to your Gmail account, click on the profile photo at the upper-right and go to Google Account. Alternatively, you can directly open Google Account Settings Page by clicking here.

2. Scroll down a little bit and you will find “Apps with account access” option under Sign-in & security. Just click that option.

3. Here, you will see a card titled “Apps with access to your account”, click on “Manage Apps” link and proceed.

4.Now, you can see all the third-party apps which have access to your account. Moving further, press CTRL+F on windows or cmd+F on Mac and search for “has access to Gmail” to find all the apps with access to your Gmail account.

5.Finally, click on the app you no longer use or required and tap on the ‘Remove Access’ button. After that, the selected won’t be able to access your Gmail account. If you want to revoke Gmail access from third-party apps, follow the steps below.

For using Android Device

If you do not have access to a PC or Laptop and looking for ways to achieve the above on an Android device, we’ve got you covered.

1. First, you need to go to the settings on your phone -> Google -> Google Account. 

2. Now swipe the menu above to find the ‘security’ tab.

3. Scroll down and tap on the ‘Manage third-party access’ option.

4. Now, you easily check and disable third-party apps from accessing your Gmail account.

Wrapping Up: Check and Remove Third-Party Apps Which are Accessing Your Gmail Inbox

Though Google always strives to protect users data and maintain their privacy, you should never take it for granted. Paying a little more attention while installing an app or connecting a new service to your Google account could save you from big troubles. Thinking how to pay more attention? Just check the permissions an app or the access the service is asking for and use common sense, whether they actually require it or not. Also, never connect unknown or untrusted apps to your Google account.

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Vivo V9, Vivo Y83, Vivo X21 Smartphones Price to be Reduced

Vivo V9, Vivo Y83, Vivo X21 Get Price cuts in India.

• Vivo V9 gets a new MOP of Rs. 18,990
• The Vivo Y83 has a new MOP of Rs. 13,990
• Vivo X21 can be bought for Rs. 31,990

Vivo smartphones have received a reduction in their dealer pricing or MOP (Market Operative Price) in India, with price cuts up to Rs. 4,000. Vivo India has confirmed to Gadgets 360 that the Chinese phone maker Vivo has reduced prices of the Vivo V9, Vivo Y83, and Vivo X21 in the Indian market with effect from Monday, August 27. The Vivo V9 now has a new MOP of Rs. 18,990, the Vivo Y83 will start at Rs. 13,990, while the premium Vivo X21 gets a price tag of Rs. 31,990.

At the launch event earlier this year, the Vivo V9 had been priced at Rs. 22,990 and subsequently received its first price cut in July with a new price tag of Rs. 20,990. However, with the new revision down to Rs. 18,990, the smartphone competes with the likes of the Honor Play and Nokia 6.1 Plus. The Vivo V9 is available in India in Champagne Gold, Pearl Black, and Sapphire Blue colour options in a single 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant.

The Vivo Y83, on the other hand, was launched in India in June for a price of Rs. 14,990. It comes in a single 4GB RAM/ 32GB inbuilt storage model and can be bought in Black and Gold colour options. And, the premium Vivo X21 - the first smartphone in India with an in-display fingerprint sensor - came to the market with a price tag of Rs. 35,990. The new pricing does not yet reflect on online portals such as Vivo e-store and Flipkart.

To recall, the BBK-owned Chinese phone manufacturer is set to launch its Vivo V11 Pro smartphone in India on September 6. The company's teasers for the upcoming smartphone suggest the presence of a waterdrop-style display notch, a Halo FullView display, dual camera setup, and an in-display fingerprint sensor.

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Fortnite Performance Improved

Fortnite Performance Improvements for Android, iOS, macOS, Switch Detailed

• Missed frames, long hitches big areas
• Switch resolution improved with new renderer
• Ping times worst for Southeast Asia

Epic Games announced several changes coming to Fortnite in the near future on Friday, detailing performance improvements across all platforms, matchmaking, competitive play, Playground updates, game controls, and more.

In a development-oriented blog post on Friday, Epic discussed several performance-related pain points in detail, including missed frames, long hitches, level of detail, screen resolution, and ping times. The Fortnite team is currently focused on 50v50 mode, which it admits has gotten worse on iOS and Nintendo Switch since launch.

Missed frames is one of the chief problems on different platforms. Android had it the worst with over 16 percent missed frames, though there’s not a trend to speak of given its recent release in beta. MacOS hovered around 12 percent for the last couple of months, going up to 14 percent for a few weeks before dropping down. Xbox One is next with over 9 percent, though it had fallen to over 4 percent by mid-August.

In terms of long hitches lasting half a second or more, Epic says it has fixed a big cause – which accounted for 60 percent of long hitches – in the v5.30 update. Playground mode was the worst affected, with macOS leading. Epic says “improved caching for shader objects” helped bring it down, from a peak of nearly 0.7 long hitches per minute at the tail end of May to less than 0.2 in mid-August.

Fortnite players on Switch who had to deal with streaming artefacts and low screen resolution can look forward to improvements as well. Epic has some improvements in v5.30, while it introduced a new “high-end forward renderer” for Switch in v5.20 which brought a 10 percent improvement in GPU time – in plain English, higher resolution, less blurry images and better battery life.

Speaking of screen resolution, Epic plans to bring support for “greater than 1080p” for PS4 Pro in the near future.

That brings us to ping times, with the Fortnite team noting Southeast Asia as the region that’s most affected in terms of performance. It said: “Our solution is to add an additional datacenter in Singapore and use sub-region matchmaking to route you there if it would improve your ping, as long as wait times remain reasonable. When wait times grow too long, we’ll dynamically re-route you to a larger sub-region, in this case that’d be Tokyo.”

Beyond that, matchmaking will soon factor in keyboard and mouse players on console and pair them with PC players. That means if any of your console friends prefers keyboard and mouse, you’ll be paired against PC players even if you use a controller yourself.

Epic is also working on a new “robust competition system” that will ship later in the autumn, in addition to new items – ATKs and more jumps – coming to Playground mode soon. Building material effectiveness has been tweaked, with more distinction between metal, brick and wood.

As for game controls, the Fortnite dev is working on improvements and bug fixes related to aiming on controllers – dead zones and accelerations being the two areas – as well as bringing custom controls so players can remap the gamepad to suit their preferences.

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How to delete multiple contacts on iPhone

Here is How to delete multiple contacts on iPhone

The Contacts app on iPhone has not seen any noticeable change since past several years. While the interface of the app is quite user-friendly, the fact that users cannot delete multiple contacts at the same time can be a bit painful at times. But did you know that Apple allows removing multiple contacts from iCloud and iTunes on your PC or Mac. Wondering how?

Here's our ready-to-use-guide for you:

Pre-requisites:

• Make sure you are running the latest version of iTunes
• Your iCloud contact sync is turned ‘On’
• Working internet connection

Method 1: Using iCloud website

1. Go to ‘www.icloud.com’ using any browser on your PC or Mac
2. Login using your ID and password
3. Now, click on the ‘Contacts’ icon
4. Select all the contacts you want to delete and hit ‘Delete’ button on your keyboard
5. Click ‘Delete’ button, if prompted for a confirmation to delete your selected contacts

Method 2: Using third-party apps

Alternatively, you can also download any third-party app from AppStore such as AnyTrans, Cleaner Pro, Delete contacts+ and more and delete multiple contacts

Method 3: Using your Mac

Unlike the Contacts app on your iPhone/iPad, the Mac version of the app allow users to select multiple contacts and delete those in one go.

1. Go to ‘System Preference’ and click on iCloud
2. Sign-in using your credentials and check the Contacts sync option
3. Now, Open ‘Contacts’ app on your Mac
4. Hold the command button and select all the contacts you want to delete
5. Right click and select the option ‘Delete Cards’
6. Confirm ‘Delete’ to remove the selected contacts
7. Wait for your iPhone to sync the changes made

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How to Know Which Android App is slow

How to know which Android app is slowing your phone

With more and more high-performance and graphic intensive Android apps and games being launched, the limited memory capacity of smartphone goes for a toss. Thus, more and more smartphone brands are launching handsets with 6GB or 8GB RAM. While buying a smartphone with more RAM is definitely a way to get a smoother experience, there are many Android users who cannot afford to do so. Also, there are ways to identify memory intensive apps. You can either kill the apps or even uninstall them to speed up your Android phone. This can further save precious battery life too.

Before you blame games or other heavy apps for draining battery and slowing down your phone, note that in most cases, it is Facebook or Instagram app that tends you hog the most battery and RAM on any Android phone. Here is how to know which app is consuming more RAM and slowing your phone.

1. Go to Settings
2. Scroll down and tap storage/memory
3. The storage list will show you what content is consuming the maximum storage space in your phone. This list shows internal memory consumption only.
4. Tap on 'Memory' and then on memory used by apps
5. This list will show you the 'App Usage' of RAM in four intervals-- 3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours and 1 day. With this information, you will get to know all apps that are consuming what percentage of RAM.

Based on this information, you can kill the app or even install it. If your internal storage is almost full, then it causes the phone to slow down. Make sure to keep some storage free on the internal storage as well. This should speed your phone and lastly, don't forget to restart your phone everyday.

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Oppo rolls out a new software update

Oppo rolls out a new software update for its Find X; optimizes camera and system stability

Chinese smartphone Oppo seems to be rolling out a new update for its latest flagship in the market, the Oppo Find X. According to the changelog of the update, it looks like the company has improved the camera of the device along with fixing some bugs in the system. The changelog points out that this update optimizes the camera effect along with the stability of the app. In addition to the camera, the update also brings enhancements to the stability of the overall system and bug fixes. There seems to be no other update to the system in addition to these to changes.

The Over-the-Air (OTA) update is 153MB in size and it is gradually rolling out to Find X devices in the market. The new update comes with the build number CPH1871EX_11_A.07 for the ColorOS. If you are a Find X owner then you may head over to the Software section in the “Settings” app to look for this new update. However, if your device does not show this update even after you manually check for updates then you don’t have to worry as it is likely that the new OTA update is rolling out in a staged manner. This is to ensure that the update does not come with any major system-crippling bug that may have been missed out upon final review.

To recap Find X comes with a motorized camera module, which lifts to reveal a dual camera setup on the back along with a front camera along with support for 3D facial recognition. The device features a 6.42-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution (2340×1080 pixels), and 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

Oppo has added an aluminum frame on the sides of the device along with Gorilla Glass on the front and the back of the device.

Find X is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. The dual rear camera setup comes with a 16-megapixel and 20-megapixel image sensors, and a 25-megapixel camera sensor on the front for selfies. In terms of connectivity, Find X features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, and 4G LTE. It runs ColorOS 5.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a 3,730mAh battery.

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Samsung Galaxy A8 star price, specifications

Samsung Galaxy A8 Star to Go on Sale in India Today for the First Time

• Samsug Galaxy A8 Star with global variant of the Galaxy A9 Star
• It features 6GB of RAM and a dual camera setup
• It is powered by a 3,700mAh battery

Samsung Galaxy A8 Star was launched in India last week, and went on sale via Amazon India today. To recall, the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star is the global variant of the Galaxy A9 Star, which was launched launched in China a couple of months ago. A premium mid-range smartphone from the South Korean consumer electronics giant, the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star offers 6GB of RAM, a Super AMOLED Infinity Display, and dual rear cameras with the company's 'Dual Rear IntelliCam' tech. The company is also touting features such as Pro Lighting and Smart Beauty for the front camera, as well as Bixby virtual assistant integration.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Star price in India, launch offers

The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star price in India has been set at Rs. 34,990. Launch offers include a free 1-year screen protection plan, no-cost EMIs from Bajaj Finserv and all major credit cards, and 5 percent instant discount using an HDFC Bank Credit card.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Star specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano) Samsung Galaxy A8 Star runs Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung Experience UX on top and features a 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity Display panel along with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and a 2.5D and 3D glass protection that sits alongside the metal frame. There is an Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC that includes quad-core 2.2GHz Kryo 260 and quad-core 1.8GHz Kryo 260 CPUs, coupled with 6GB of RAM. As we mentioned, the smartphone has a Dual Rear IntelliCam setup at the back that includes 16-megapixel and 24-megapixel sensors, both featuring f/1.7 aperture lenses on top. Samsung has also provided a 24-megapixel sensor at the front along with an f/2.0 aperture. The front camera works with Smart Beauty and Pro Lighting features and supports AR Stickers. Furthermore, there is a Face Unlock feature that lets you unlock the screen using your face.

Samsung has provided 64GB of onboard storage that is expandable via microSD card (up to 400GB). In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy A8 Star has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There is a rear-facing fingerprint sensor. Besides, the handset packs a 3,700mAh battery and measures 162.4x77x7.5mm.

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5 Best Video Downloading Apps For Android (2018)

Here is 5 best video downloading apps for Android

The official Youtube app allows us to save videos offline but sometimes it’s not enough. There are times when we want to download our own videos for editing or doing some modifications. The Google Play Store also doesn’t have any official Youtube Downloader.

So, In these cases, you can use various third-party apps for downloading videos from Youtube and many other popular video sharing websites. Here, I have shared 5 Best Video downloading Apps For Android which you can use to download videos from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other popular website that you can Imagine.

As I said, there are no youtube downloading apps available in the play store. So, before you proceed, you need to allow app installation from unknown sources. So, go to Settings -> Security. Now, tap on Unknown sources, a warning will pop up. tap OK.

Disclaimer: Using third-party services to download Youtube videos is against their terms. Youtube’s Terms of service clearly mention that you should not download any content unless a download button or link is shown by YouTube on the Service for that content. In simple words, don’t use any of the apps below to download videos which you don’t own. Only use them to download your own videos or the one which comes with Creative Commons Reusable License. 

Best Video Downloader Apps For Android

1. Videoder

Videoder is an awesome video downloading app for Android. It allows you to download videos from more than 20+ websites like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Talking about the Youtube, you can stream videos as well as download them in all formats and quality available. The best thing I loved about this app is its user-interface (UI). Everything looks so clean and manageable that you won’t face any problem in using this app.

Not only videos, you can download or stream music from youtube, SoundCloud, VK for absolutely free. You can download music in mp3 and m4a formats with Videoder.

Videoder comes with tonnes of features and options including fast downloading (creating multiple connections), beautiful themes and night mode. You can download this app from its official website (link is given below). The app comes with ads which can be removed after buying Videoder premium plugin.

How to Download YouTube Videos on Android Using Videoder?

• Launch Videoder and open Youtube.
• Search for any video.
• Tap on the download button and select the download link when pops up. Here, you can choose the video format in which you to want to download.
• Alternatively, you can share a video from Youtube app to Videoder and instantly download the video after link will pop-up.

Download Videoder

2. Tubemate

Tubemate is one of the oldest and best Video downloading app for Android. It comes with a user-friendly interface and simple options using which you can download videos from any video sharing websites. Tubemate comes with a built-in browser where you can open any website you want to download videos from.

Just like Videoder, it also offers you an option to choose the desired format and quality of the video. Tubemate also creates multiple connections (up to 4) to download the video which makes the process really fast. In this app, you will also get an option to download Youtube videos in MP3 format, but it requires you to download an additional video to MP3 converter from the Play Store.

How to Download Videos using TubeMate?

• Launch Tubemate and open the video-sharing website.
• Select your desired video from the search results. The app will ask you to choose the desired quality of the video.
• Now, just tap the download button and your video will start downloading soon.
• Just like the first app, you can also share a video from Youtube app to Videoder and to view the download link.

Download TubeMate

3.Snaptube

Snaptube is a very good video downloader app for Android. It offers you an option to download videos from any popular video sharing website. As of now, it supports more than 20 websites like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You can also download music from SoundCloud and other related websites.

Snaptube has an elegant user-interface where everything is organized by popular sites, popular videos and categories. It is also a fast Youtube video downloading app in which you can choose the quality of the video before downloading it. As its name sounds, the app was initially launched to download Youtube videos. So, you will get a search bar to perform Youtube search directly from the home screen of the app.

You can download Snaptube app from its official website. The app comes free of cost but contains ads.

How to download YouTube videos using Snaptube?

• Launch the app and tap YouTube on its homepage.
• Search for the video using the Youtube search bar.
• Select the video and tap on the download button shown on the right side of the video.
• Finally, choose the quality and your video will start downloading.

Download Snaptube

4. KeepVid

KeepVid is a popular Video downloading app for Android devices. This app has gained so much popularity in the recent years. There are many video sharing sites in the market. KeepVid learns from their website descriptions that these websites allow you to download videos and watch them offline.

KeepVid has many popular video sharing and music streaming websites on their list. You can download videos in any quality ranges from 144p to 4K. It also allows downloading Youtube as MP3 file without using any other third-party app.

You can download the app for free but it will come with ads and to remove them, you have to buy its premium version. Its website has also done a survey to know from which websites people mostly download videos. You can look at the pie chart given below to know more.

How to Download YouTube videos on Android using KeepVid?

• Launch KeepVid and open YouTube in the app.
• Now, search for the video you want to download.
• Select the video and tap on the blue download button available below the video player.
• Select the desired quality and your video will start downloading.

Download KeepVid

5.Vidmate

VidMate is also one of the best video downloader application for Android. With most of the features listed for the above apps, VidMate has an edge over others. It has a feature where users can create an encrypted space to hide the videos.

It’s considered as an easy to use and a very powerful Android tool to download any kind of videos from popular websites. It includes HD format and other low-quality settings options are also available. KeepVid is compatible with most of the video and audio sharing and streaming sites. It also allows multiple downloads at a time.

How to Download YouTube Videos on Android using VidMate?

• Launch the app and tap on the YouTube icon in the app.
• Now, Search for the video you want to download.
• Tap on the red download button appearing on the content.
• Finally, choose the desired quality and tap the Download option. That’s it.

Download VidMate

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