Since Google incorporated Duo into the service, Google Meet has become an indispensable communication tool for all Google services users.
Google routinely invests in much-needed enhancements, and the most recent will help you conserve valuable data when making video calls on the go. You can disable the video feeds of individual participants on your computer or convert to an audio-only mode on your preferred phone.
Soon, you’ll be able to mute your coworkers’ video chats.
Google announced in a blog post that the new option will reside in the computer’s people directory. Here, “Don’t watch” will be added to the right-click menu for specific participants. If you select this option, neither the individual in question nor any other participants will be informed.
A comparable feature is being rolled out to Google Meet on mobile devices. Google explains that when you join a meeting from your mobile device, you can choose the “Audio only” option, which disables all video inputs except for tiles that are presenting content, such as a screen share or slideshow.
This is especially beneficial at the end of the month when you need to conserve data or when you’re in an area with poor cellular connectivity and still want to listen.
Previously, you could only transition to a data-saving mode by turning off your phone’s screen during a call or by minimizing the Meet application. On laptops, you had even less control over the video feed from others, as you were unable to prevent streaming unless Google Meet itself determined that you were in a low-bandwidth environment, in which case the service would automatically disable video feeds to maintain a more stable connection.
According to Google, the update is being rolled out incrementally, so it may take up to two weeks for the option to be accessible to everyone.
This year, to celebrate Earth Month, Samsung is launching the next set of eco-friendly accessories: the Samsung Galaxy x MSFTSrep Eco-conscious Collection. This is a limited-edition set of accessories made in partnership with MSFTSrep founder, designer, and artist JADEN.
The collection has four kinds of items made from materials that were gathered with care for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip4, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and Galaxy Watch bands and faces. Today, you can buy the limited-edition collection of Galaxy items on Samsung.com, with prices starting at $29.99.
MSFTSrep isn’t just a company that makes clothes. It wants to start a movement based on a theme that brings a lot of people together: the love of fashion and individuality, social equality, and taking care of the earth. A recent NielsenIQ study found that 78 percent of US shoppers say that living in a way that is good for the environment is important to them.
“I think the shift toward sustainability is great because people are waking up and realizing what we need to do to change the world,” said JADEN. “We have to change how we make things and how we use them, and people are waking up to this.”
Wear Your Values
JADEN is excited about changing the way technology evolves through his designs. He gets ideas from the world’s renewable resources. He knows that being a designer comes with a lot of duties, so he always puts sustainability at the top of his mind when making things. The goal of this line for both Samsung and JADEN is to make fashion more environmentally friendly and get people to buy less.
The Samsung Galaxy x MSFTSrep Eco-conscious Accessories Collection uses designs from his MSFTSrep collections and four bold drawings that JADEN made himself: MSFTSrep Spiral, MSFTSrep Classic, MSFTSrep Snowprint, and MSFTSrep Wavy Rainbow. The product line is made with materials that are good for the environment, and the packaging is made of recycled paper and card stock printed with veggie ink.
Devices have become an important part of our lives and daily routines because we always have them with us. Today, designers and Samsung are combining fashion and being good to the environment by making items that let people show off their own style and how much they care about the environment.
Samsung helps you reduce, reuse, and re-wear.
Sami Miro, a designer from Los Angeles and the founder of Sami Miro Vintage, started Samsung’s first sustainable series in 2021. There were six watchbands and three watch faces for the Galaxy Watch4 series in the set. In 2022, for Earth Day, Samsung worked with Sean Wotherspoon, co-founder of Round Two and head of Sean Wotherspoon Designs.
Wotherspoon came out with a line of eco-friendly products that included three cases for the Galaxy S21, three matching watchbands for the Galaxy Watch4 series, and watch faces that went with them.
The sustainability series is part of Samsung’s larger efforts to commit to long-term change with their Galaxy for the Planet initiative. This is the company’s promise to reduce Samsung’s environmental impact and increase the use of recycled materials in all new mobile products by 2025.
Green people can also take advantage of Samsung’s Certified Re-Newed program, which refurbishes and repurposes gently used phones and guarantees that they are in like-new shape to keep them out of landfills.
In today’s digital age, “doom scrolling,” the practice of endlessly scrolling through social media feeds and news websites in pursuit of negative or distressing information, has become a common behavior.
While many of us engage in this behavior as a means of staying informed, a growing corpus of research suggests that it may be more detrimental than beneficial. And, all that doom-and-gloom browsing may actually cause “brain rot.”
You can safeguard your mental health and well-being by taking precautions against the negative effects of perusing through doom.
What is mental decay?
“Brain rot,” as you may have guessed, is not a medical or scientific term. Rather, it is a slang term that can be utilized in various ways depending on the circumstance. In a less sympathetic context, it may refer to the deterioration of the brain caused by diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. This is not what we are discussing.
Brain rot refers, in a broader sense, to the feeling of mental fog or confusion after protracted drug use or lack of sleep, as well as a feeling of mental or emotional decline or decay, which is frequently associated with stress, anxiety, or depression. These conditions can affect the structure and function of the brain, resulting in cognitive impairment and decreased creativity and productivity.
What exactly is doom scrolling?
Doom scrolling is the behavior of scrolling through and ingesting a large quantity of negative news or social media content, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and distressed.
Increased anxiety, stress, and feelings of helplessness or hopelessness can negatively impact mental health. Additionally, the constant flow of negative news and images can disrupt sleep patterns and cause emotional exhaustion.
The behavior is frequently influenced by a combination of factors, such as the brain’s reward system, which is triggered by the anticipation of receiving new information, and the “negativity bias,” which causes the brain to prioritize and remember negative information more than positive information. To generate more engagement and views, social media algorithms and news outlets tend to prioritize and promote negative content.
The brain’s reward circuitry
The reward system in the brain is a complex network of structures and neurotransmitters that regulates feelings of pleasure and motivation. When we engage in gratifying or rewarding activities, such as eating or socializing, our brains release the chemical dopamine, which reinforces these behaviors and makes us want to repeat them.
However, when we engage in activities that are short-term pleasurable but ultimately detrimental, such as doom scrolling and excessive social media use, this can contribute to brain rot. This is due to the fact that these activities can alter the functioning of the brain’s reward system, making it more difficult to experience enjoyment and motivation from other activities that are more beneficial in the long run.
Doom scrolling is a form of addictive behavior that provides a constant stream of negative stimuli, such as news stories and social media posts that trigger feelings of anxiety, dread, and helplessness. Over time, this can cause desensitization to these negative stimuli, making it more challenging to experience positive emotions or derive joy from other things.
To combat this, it is essential to take breaks from doom scrolling and other forms of excessive social media use and engage in activities that are more beneficial to the brain’s reward system, such as exercise, socializing with friends and family, and pursuing hobbies and interests that provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
The repercussions of doom scrolling
The effects of despair scrolling can be substantial. This behavior can have a variety of negative effects on mental health, emotional health, and even physical health. Here are some of the most significant effects of melancholy scrolling, which all contribute to cognitive decline:
Constant exposure to negative news and information can induce feelings of anxiety and stress, resulting in a heightened sense of dread and helplessness.
Prolonged doom scrolling can contribute to feelings of sorrow, hopelessness, and despair, thereby increasing the likelihood of developing or deteriorating depression.
Doom scrolling late at night can disrupt our sleep patterns and make it more difficult to fall asleep or remain asleep, leading to chronic sleep disturbances that can have detrimental effects on our overall health and well-being.
Constantly monitoring social media and news feeds can be distracting and impede our ability to concentrate on tasks, resulting in diminished productivity and performance.
Consequences for physical health Chronic stress and sleep disturbances can have negative effects on our physical health, thereby increasing the risk of a variety of health problems.
In general, doom browsing can have detrimental effects on our mental and physical health. Maintaining a healthy balance between news and social media consumption and establishing limits for social media platforms can reduce the negative effects of doom scrolling.
How to counter perilous scrolling
To prevent brain rot caused by foreboding scrolling, you must be deliberate in your media consumption and prioritize your mental health. Setting limits on the amount of time you spend on social media and news websites is one method to achieve this.
Additionally, you should diversify your media sources. Examine content that educates, inspires, or entertains you in lieu of focusing solely on negative news. This can help maintain a balanced worldview and cultivate a more optimistic outlook.
The timing of content consumption is also crucial. Avoid social media and the news before bed to avoid sleep disruptions. Try reading a book, meditating, or taking a tepid bath as an alternative.
In addition to establishing a strict schedule for news and social media consumption, you must minimize temptations. Turn off notifications for social media and news applications. This assists you in establishing the necessary boundaries to avoid constant exposure to negative content.
Overall, you will need to engage in mental health-promoting activities, such as exercise, meditation, and hobby pursuits. These activities can provide a healthy diversion from despair scrolling and contribute to a more balanced and optimistic way of life.
Apple is working on a new version of the 2021 Beats Studio Buds called the Beats Studio Buds+, and a launch could be close based on the fact that Apple has submitted FCC files for the product.
The Beats Studio Buds+ will feature an updated remote and microphone, as well as improved noise cancellation. There are two separate listings, one for each set of earbuds that support Bluetooth.
Beats Studio Buds+ will look and work like the originals.
Following the launch of the release candidate for iOS 16.4 in March, we were introduced to the Beats Studio Buds+ for the very first time.
According to the information that MacRumors has got, the Beats Studio Buds+ will offer functionality that is comparable to that of the original Beats Studio Buds in both appearance and operation.
Although the earbuds will continue to employ a chip designed by Beats, Apple has plans to improve both the Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency features of the Beats Studio Buds+.
There is no indication as of yet on when Apple plans to debut the Beats Studio Buds+ or what the pricing will be, but with potential upgrades over the already available Beats Studio Buds, which are now priced at $150, we could see them priced a bit higher than that.
Vivo introduced the Vivo S16 series in China in December, and it appears that the company is preparing to unveil the Vivo S17 lineup soon, likely in May or June. Accordingly, the rumor mill has begun releasing new information about the phones.
The Vivo S17 and S17 Pro may have BOE-supplied OLED displays, 50MP cameras, and 80W fast charging.
Reportedly, the series will consist of three models: the Vivo S17, the Vivo S17e, and the Vivo S17 Pro. Now, in a new Weibo post, the informant Digital Chat Station has disclosed the essential specifications of the Vivo S17 and Vivo S17 Pro smartphones.
The model identifiers of the mobile phones are V2285A (Vivo S17e), V2283A (Vivo S17), and V2284A (Vivo S17 Pro). Examine the comprehensive specifications of the phones.
Vivo S17 series specifications
The Vivo S17 will reportedly be propelled by the Snapdragon SM7325, which could be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G or Snapdragon 782G processor.
The Vivo S17 Pro, on the other hand, will ship with the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset. Comparatively, the Vivo S16 and S16 Pro were equipped with the Snapdragon 870 and Diminuency 8200 processors, respectively.
The leaker also alleged that the Vivo S17 and S17 Pro will feature an OLED display from BOE with a resolution of up to 1.5K. The leaker has not disclosed the display dimensions. Earlier reports indicated that the phone panels will be convex.
The primary camera on the Vivo S17 and S17 Pro will be a 50MP Sony IMX766V with OIS support. There is an IMX663 12-megapixel telephoto camera. The leaker also reveals that the Vivo S17 series will support 80W rapid charging. That is pretty much all that is currently known about phones.
Remember the distinctive LG Wing? We certainly do. It is an extremely intriguing device that was released in 2020, near the conclusion of the company’s involvement in the smartphone market.
It was the first and unfortunately only device in the new “Explorer” series, which LG intended to use as a last-ditch effort to revitalize its mobile business by experimenting with bold new concepts. Unfortunately, we all know how that turned out, which only makes the LG Wing that much more intriguing.
The LG Wing is getting an Android 13 upgrade at long last.
An Android 13 OTA update has begun seeding for the phone in its native Korean market and will soon extend abroad.
In addition to the upgrade to Android 13, the update packet includes the following modifications, according to LG’s Korean changelog:
On the lock screen, shortcut indicators for device controls can be displayed.
Added preview, sharing, and text modification capabilities for images and text that have been copied.
In the status notification window, you can view running applications and terminate them.
The function of multiple windows has been simplified.
The status notification window now displays music and video controllers with enhanced functionality.
Added an app-specific permission setting for notifications.
LG promised three major improvements for certain models in 2019 and 2020.
This is presumably the final major update for the LG Wing, which was initially released with Android 10. LG promised three significant updates for select models in 2019 and 2020, including the LG Velvet and LG V60, which have already received Android 13 over the air. The same list contains The Wing.
If you don’t recall the LG Wing or are just learning of its existence, we encourage you to revisit our comprehensive review of this now-iconic smartphone. With its secondary rectangular screen and swiveling primary display, the Wing’s multitasking capabilities were unparalleled. In addition, it provided excellent video capture with sophisticated gimbal functionality.
As security risks increase, homeowners and businesses are turning to intelligent camera surveillance to safeguard their properties.
Xiaomi is aware of this, and has released a new line of indoor and outdoor smart cameras with remarkable video quality and intelligent security features.
Defend your property using Xiaomi’s intelligent cameras. There are four Xiaomi smart camera variants with numerous features to choose from:
Xiaomi C200 – Indoor
Xiaomi C300 – Indoor
Xiaomi C400 – Indoor
Xiaomi AW200 – Outdoor
Xiaomi’s clever camera features
Using a wide-angle lens to capture high-resolution, crystal-clear videos, Xiaomi’s intelligent cameras ensure you never miss a moment of action.
Depending on the model, the indoor variants are also equipped with motorized rotation, allowing for 360-degree horizontal movement and at least 106-degree vertical visibility.
These remarkable viewing angles provide you with a panoramic view, allowing you to fully monitor any room for your peace of mind.
In addition to these expansive viewing angles, the Xiaomi smart cameras can monitor your rooms regardless of the illumination conditions.
This is due to their large aperture, sensitive image sensor, and infrared LEDs that provide enhanced color night vision.
Additionally, Xiaomi’s smart cameras are equipped with a variety of intelligent features, such as AI human detection and voice control.
Through the Xiaomi app, AI human detection alerts you to unwelcome visitors, and clever voice control through a smart speaker enables you to manage your cameras with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
For instance, you can use voice control to rotate indoor models or turn on and off your cameras at your leisure.
In addition, each camera supports multiple storage methods with full encryption to ensure the safety and confidentiality of your data, including local MicroSD Card storage, NAS devices, and the cloud.
Xiaomi C200
The C200 is an innovative security camera that records at 1920 x 1080.
As with all indoor models, you can mount it upright or inverted.
Xiaomi C300
This 3MP camera’s 6P lens, which reduces light refraction, enables it to record 2K ultra-clear video.
Additionally, the C300 supports two-way, real-time voice calling, transforming your camera into a webcam or baby monitor.
Xiaomi C400
The C400 is the top-tier indoor camera, featuring a 4MP sensor and 2.5K video.
You can remotely pan, tilt, and magnify, and a dual-band Wi-Fi connection provides a strong and stable connection.
Xiaomi AW200
The Xiaomi AW200 is a 1080p outdoor camera with an IP65 rating for water and grime resistance.
It features a ‘personalized sounds function’ that can autonomously play a voice recording (such as an alert) when moving objects are detected.
Get your Xiaomi smart cameras
Takealot, Makro, and Incredible Connection are South African retailers that carry Xiaomi’s smart cameras.
If you want to protect your home from intruders with smart cameras, Xiaomi’s smart cameras are your best option.
What gives Marvel’s Ant-Man such powerful energy? His suit transistors boost weak signals for processing. Traditional transistors that magnify electrical impulses lose heat and impede signal transfer, reducing performance. What if a lightweight, compact, high-performance suit could conserve heat energy?
A “nano-excitonic transistor” was developed by POSTECH researchers led by Professor Kyoung-Duck Park and Yeonjeong Koo from the Department of Physics and a Russian team led by Professor Vasily Kravtsov from ITMO University. Intralayer and interlayer excitons in heterostructure-based semiconductors overcome transistor limits in this novel device.
A stack of two semiconductor monolayers with horizontal and vertical excitons.
Due to the free conversion between light and material in their electrically neutral states, excitons are key to developing a next-generation light-emitting element with less heat generation and a quantum information technology light source. In a semiconductor hetero-bilayer—a stack of two semiconductor monolayers—intralayer excitons are horizontal and interlayer excitons are vertical.
Two excitons emit optical signals with distinct lights, durations, and coherence times. Selective control of the two optical signals could permit a two-bit exciton transistor. Due to semiconductor heterostructures’ non-homogeneity, interlayer excitons’ low luminous efficiency, and light’s diffraction limit, controlling intra- and interlayer excitons in nanoscale regions was difficult.
The scientists previously proposed pushing semiconductor materials with a nano-tip to control excitons in nano-level regions. For the first time, the researchers used polarized light on the tip to remotely regulate exciton density and brightness efficiency without touching them.
An optical computer will require the nano-excitonic transistor.
This approach, which uses a photonic nanocavity and a spatial light modulator, controls excitons reversibly, minimizing semiconductor material damage. The nano-excitonic transistor can process vast amounts of data at light speed with no heat energy loss.
AI has entered our lives faster than imagined and needs massive amounts of data to learn and offer useful responses. As AI spreads, more data needs to be collected and processed. This research should suggest a new data processing approach for data explosion. “The nano-excitonic transistor is expected to play an integral role in realizing an optical computer, which will help process the huge amounts of data driven by AI technology,” said co-first author Yeonjeong Koo.
Apple chief executive This weekend, Tim Cook made an appearance at Coachella.
Cook and Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, were seen strolling around the festival grounds in a video uploaded to TikTok on Sunday.
Despite attaining billionaire status, Cook is renowned for living frugally. Unlike other billionaires, he rarely takes extravagant vacations, and he does not own a private vessel. However, Cook regularly makes time to attend the annual music festival in Indio, California.
@hbjian tim cook in the wild #coachella ♬ original sound – hannah
In 2022, a Twitter video revealed Cook in the front row at pop singer Harry Styles’ Coachella performance.
In 2019, Cook posed for a photo at the festival with DJ and music producer Diplo.
idk tim cook and james corden being front row at harrys coachella set is so funny to me pic.twitter.com/4p45AfCtTq
Cook, who succeeded Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO in 2011, has previously discussed his passion for music.
“I couldn’t make it through a workout without music,” he told Fast Company in 2018 while discussing Apple’s endeavors in the music-streaming space. “Music motivates and inspires. It is also the thing that helps me sleep at night. I believe it is superior to any medication.”
The Professional plan is priced at 98$/month and likewise contains a thousand free conversations per month. Although MessageBird comes with a free plan, that option only permits you to have 50 lively contacts each month, which, even for a small enterprise, is not so much. To get the most effective out of WhatsApp with MessageBird, you’d must whatsapp bulk sender upgrade to one of many paid plans. The platform additionally gives you the choice to use the WhatsApp API individually and pay per message. MessageBird’s range of options includes a no-code chatbot builder called Flow Builder, where users can construct a chatbot from scratch or start off from a customizable template.
Businesses can improve buyer satisfaction, personalize their marketing campaigns, and unify buyer engagement throughout their entire staff using WATI. MessageBird is a customer engagement platform that allows companies to assist clients across multiple channels, including WhatsApp. Your staff can join with customers on any channel with MessageBird and access a shared inbox to streamline communication and find data simply. Among other variations, the Professional plan provides customers access to the superior chatbot builder, while Standard users can solely create bots with the fundamental builder.
Start Generating Higher Leads With A Chatbot Inside Minutes!
WATI offers a free trial; however, the trial doesn’t embody all of WATI’s features and does not allow you to build chatbots or some other automation flows. Of course, why not, you can ship bulk messages on WhatsApp platform effortlessly in a exact method. Many WhatsApp enterprise customers implement this system to share files for business processing throughout difficult times with their staff.
Wati
To construct and implement a WhatsApp chatbot, you’d must combine your account with a third-party corresponding to Dialogflow. The Team is accessible and prompt in resolving any issues or queries. The message circulate, COD to pay as you go conversion and broadcast advertising are their robust suits. As a result, it is good to be innovative and use ethical campaign methods to reach the target market.
It ought to allow you to send automated messages, attractive promotions, group messaging, voice and video calls, and WhatsApp statuses. Businesses utilizing WhatsApp for advertising have realized that doing advertising isn’t simple without the help of WhatsApp advertising tools. The capability of such instruments is certainly useful for businesses to achieve a wider vary of shoppers and supply fast responses. Gallabox is a WhatsApp bulk Marketing Software constructed utilizing official WhatsApp Business APIs. What units it other than different players is its no-code Chatbot builder which you’ll arrange in minutes to automate customer queries & sales. Wati provides a 7-Day Free Trial which unlocks their sandbox-testing mode.
Choosing the best WhatsApp advertising software is determined by your particular use case. WebEngage supplies a simple, two-step integration with the WhatsApp Service Provider of your choice. It supports a variety of wealthy media messaging formats, together with text, pictures, GIFs, video, location, and more. The recognition of WhatsApp as a channel of communication is repeatedly rising. This even applies to businesses, particularly in serving to them instantly market their merchandise to consumers.
Shared Team Inbox makes it simple so that you simply can use WhatsApp for buyer support. Let’s assume you need to ship an appointment confirmation to your customer. You can create buttons and give your prospects choices to verify, reschedule or cancel the appointment. After sending out a advertising message through WhatsApp, likelihood is you’ll get many replies. Handling these replies could be time-consuming and overwhelming for you, especially if you are manually responding to each message. To upsell and cross-sell merchandise, you need to use targeted WhatsApp messages based in your customers’ behaviour.
At $99/month you could get a thousand Free Conversations & you’ll pay $0.006 per Conversation. You can ship promotional broadcasts to all of your customers utilizing Wati, which is powered by the official WhatsApp API. Pricing starts at $40/month billed yearly for 5 agents. Their pricing construction is inexpensive when you keep within their conversation limits.
