Soonest the Chrome we know will be getting much faster. This upcoming development could be traced to a fresh out of the block compression algorithm compression algorithm tagged Brotli. This algorithm was introduced by Google last September. This Chrome have the capacity execute the compression of data up to 26 percent more as regards its existing compression engine, Zopfli, it is true to say this is a very commendable leap.
Google chrome getting faster
Going by what Google’s web performance engineer Ilya Grigorik disclosed, Brotli is ready to roll out, so Chrome users could have expectations of a cute leap in load times the moment the next version of Chrome is released. Google announce the Brotli will play a big role in making mobile Chrome users experience “lower data transfer fees and reduced battery use.”
The company is making bold claims that Brotli will occupy the position of “a new data format” that Google prospectively looks to be adopted by other web browsers soonest as apparently Firefox is next in line to jump on the technology. As at the moment though, you could expect to notice your web pages loading at a relatively faster rate in the coming weeks.
Google has made revelations this week pertaining its web-based email service getting a milestone achievement of a billion users. This surely is certification that this time Google is not only well acquainted with building and maintaining a popular online tool, but also as well that email is still a distance from becoming an obsolete means of communication.
GMAIL JOINS THE BILLION USERS CLUB: Gmail now has 1 billion monthly active users
The news of Gmail’s breakthrough figure was broken by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who officially made available the data on Monday in an event of earnings call with investors.
There has been reasonable stability in recent growth, with the well-established email tool having gotten heftier with about 100 million monthly active users in the duration of say last nine months.
The Mountain View company also went further to air the details on Monday that about 10 percent of replies sent via Inbox (a Google app that works with Gmail) were sourced from its Smart Reply feature, which employs the functionality of artificial intelligence to manufacture quick responses to received messages.
We could trace back Gmail launch date back to April Fools’ Day in 2004, operating an invitation-only service for the first three years . From cutting such restrictions and almost a decade ago, it has metamorphosed steadily into the world’s most-used Web-based email service, shrugging off competition from sharp contenders like as Hotmail (operating presently as Outlook.com) as well as Yahoo. An estimated three quarters of users make use of the service via mobile device.
Most particularly for Google, Gmail’s milestone crowns itself as the company’s seventh billion-user service. You want to know the others? We have Search, Maps, Android, YouTube, Chrome, and then Google Play!
Taking note of news circulating past our ears, it looks like a new iPad Air is closely underway. According to reports, it is very possible for Apple to shove in an updated model of the Air during an event in mid-March, this highlights the line’s first change in over a twelve months.
The iPad Air 3 will reportedly be announced in March
Back in October 2014, the Air 2 was released,but then Apple maintained the structural decision not to execute the introduction of an Air 3 this past fall, when it dished out announcement as to the iPad Mini 4 and iPad Pro.
COULD THE NEW AIR WORK WITH THE APPLE PENCIL?
Very certainly, we don’t have much on our expectation list from the new iPad model, but then strong rumours raise attention to to earlier rumors which involved the Air possibly getting a flash for its rear camera and extra speakers. What catches on the news majorly is that Apple has been testing a version of the Air which is compatible with the Apple Pencil.
Well, this is not too shocking that Apple would carry intents to realize that feature to the standard Air from the Pro but then larger fraction of the shock stems from seeing that happen after just a few months.
As of now, Apple is looking out for March 14th for the announcement event, according to further reports. This is the situation Apple is also expected to bring in on the iPhone 5SE as well as many innovative Apple Watch band designs. Apple may as well take advantage of the event to introduce updates for watchOS and iOS; it previewed a number of major new iOS features some time at the start of this month, this included a f.lux-like feature for all iPhones and iPads as well as support for multiple accounts in schools.
We can only keep our fingers waiting and see how true the rumours manifest!
In an occasion at Facebook’s (FB) new offices on Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg made bold predictions to reporters that he strongly anticipates his social network to by 2030 to have 5 billion users.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicts 5 billion Facebook users by 2030
Putting in his words Zuckerberg said: “We want to finish connecting everyone, we’re going to do it in partnership with governments and different companies all over the world.”
According to USA Today, Zuckerberg’s goal is to have “5 billion of the world’s 7 billion humans connected to its social network.” You will agree with me that 7 billion is the global population at the present with the comparison taking on zero population growth over the next 14 years. If you measured this, The United Nations asserts a global population of 8.5 billion by 2030.
Yet, 5 billion out of 8.5 billion would still be a very plausible progress.
The prediction typically corresponds with Zuckerberg’s oft-reemphasised mission statement that his goal is to wire the world into a global connection. His practical approach to realizing this mission is including Internet-delivering drones and the controversial Internet.org.
From his perspective, Zuckerberg sees the latter project as a very helpful means to developing free services that prompt the encourages faster Internet adoption.
Do you feel this is a small update for Google Hangouts? Guess you don’t feel how important this is really. Version 7.0 of the app now enables users to the functionality of replying quickly to incoming messages direct from their notifications. You hit reply after the message pops up, type a response without the strict need to go to the app. This is one a feature which is been available on Messenger and iOS for a few months now, so guess at the end, it is an added relief so that its getting on board on Android too.
Google now lets you reply directly to Hangouts notifications on Android
The quick reply function in Hangouts Also included in the update to hangout is the ability to bring on shortcuts for particular conversations to the home screen, coming with a fresh-out-of-the block pop-up which disseminates advice to users as regards switching to Google’s Messenger as their default SMS app. Nonetheless, a lot of people maintain their preference for Messenger’s hitch-free design as their default texting app, it’s still not all too convenient for the company to drag it all in this way, and possibly adds solidity to the rumor that Google could possibly phase out MMS and SMS support on Hangouts.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp has made the announcement that at present it boasts one billion monthly active users, who are actively engaged in sending 42 billion messages as well as sharing 1.6 billion photos on a daily basis.
Facebook’s WhatsApp Now Has 1 Billion Monthly Users
The announcement is an aftermath of a similar WhatsApp announcement of 900 million monthly active users last September, which is barely days after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed 1.59 billion monthly active users for the social network.
Of course, one would be right to say getting to a billion users is one mega achievement for WhatsApp, but it’s also a bit of a intellectual vindication for Zuckerberg. To make sure of Facebook’s $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp two years ago, Zuckerberg boldly made the predictions that the app would one day attain a billion users. Back at the time of the acquisition, WhatsApp boasted 450 million monthly active users.
Now we see Zuckerberg’s predictions boldly filling into reality!
Super Bowl 50 is right around the corner, and your gorgeous HDTV is ready and waiting (If not, check out our guide). But what if the big game could extend beyond your big screen? With a Microsoft HoloLens headset, which allows you to see computer-generated objects as if they appeared in the real world, you could theoretically watch every play unfold on your coffee table like a video game brought to life -- or extend your view of the stadium to the entire wall.
At least, that's the idea in this new video, produced by Microsoft in partnership with the NFL. It's what these two organizations believe might be possible...at some point in the future...if the HoloLens catches on.
Just to be crystal-clear, this isn't an actual HoloLens experience that you could try on an actual HoloLens headset. This demo is just a mockup, and doesn't actually exist. But the headset does, and it's remarkable to think: most of what we see in the video is probably possible with today's technology.
We've already seen a game of Minecraft played on a coffee table, thanks to the HoloLens headset's ability to scan for real-world objects and place computer generated ones on top. We've seen killer robots bust through walls, if not football players quite yet. All that remains is for the NFL and Microsoft to agree to actually produce such an experience for football fans, figure out how to collect and transmit that data...and for the HoloLens headset to cost substantially less than $3,000 each (roughly converting to £2,080 in the UK or AU$4,265 in Australia). Sorry, video-kid-with-the-Niners-flag, you're not getting one this Christmas.
The speedometer in the 2016 Audi S8 plus creeps towards 140 mph as I barrel down the back straight on Daytona International Speedway's road course. My sedan feels planted, which isn't surprising for a model bred for bombing down the autobahn at triple-digit velocities, but there's a tight "bus stop" chicane at the end that I have to navigate all 4,700 pounds of Teutonic sedan through. I mash the brake pedal to scrub speed and turn in, transitioning left and then right, feeling understeer briefly before the rear end comes around, proving the torque-vectoring rear differential is doing its job. The exercise is without much drama, and it's wildly entertaining.
The speed, the brakes and the handling are traits you'd expect from a sports car, but find them in an otherwise coddling full-size sedan is a little shocking. The S8 Plus builds speed at an alarming rate and then slows quicker than it seemingly should, all with its air suspension keeping things tidy in high-speed turns. But this is the reality of the modern high-dollar sport sedan, where engineering and technology are pushing performance boundaries to result in cars like this new-for-2016 Plus, a model even faster and more capable than itsS8 predecessor.
Following visual updates in 2015, Audi has unlocked an additional 85 horsepower from the S8 Plus' 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 engine to push output to 605 for 2016. Torque also climbs from 481 pound-feet to 517 pound-feet available at just 1,700 rpm and all the way up to 6,000 rpm. If that's still not enough twist, an overboost function ratchets things up more to 553 pound-feet between 2,500 and 5,500 rpm if you so desire. A new turbo, engine software changes, exhaust valve enhancements and upgrades to the cooling system help make the output increase possible. To cope with the additional power, Audi gave the eight-speed automatic transmission stronger clutches and the mapping program from its RS 7. This results in an official 0-to-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds.
An optional dynamic package adds carbon ceramic brakes, sport exhaust system, carbon fiber rear lip spoiler and raises top speed to 190 mph on the S8 Plus.Jon Wong/CNET
What else necessitates the decision to change the model's name from S8 to S8 Plus? There's a new available $11,000 dynamic package that raises the Plus' performance IQ even further, including carbon ceramic brakes, sport exhaust, and a carbon fiber rear lip spoiler. The coup de grâce? Increasing the top speed limiter from 155 mph to 190 mph.
My test car had these features, making the S8 Plus sound lovely at wide-open throttle, while the brakes confidently slow the car for the Daytona road course corners. How many people considering a vehicle like the S8 Plus plan on hitting a racetrack? Probably none, but at very least they can count on the S8 Plus being more than decent when dancing around on winding back roads.
For normal street driving on Florida's flat and straight roads, the S8 Plus is a wonderful cruiser with the Audi Drive Select system set to Comfort. The engine is quiet and delivers its wave of power smoothly, with cylinder deactivation keeping efficiency in mind, helping the V-8 receive a better-than-expected EPA fuel economy rating of 16 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The only times I notice the engine operating in four-cylinder mode is on the expressway, when leaning onto the throttle a touch more results in a slight but noticeable engine vibration. Ride quality from the air suspension is cushy even on the high-performance 21-inch Dunlop tires, yet it doesn't feel floppy. That sensation is aided by steering that offers a light feel, but quick response to inputs, with a small dead spot on center.
For 2016, the 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 engine sees output increase to 605 horsepower thanks to a new turbo, engine electronics tuning, exhaust valve enhancements and cooling system upgrades.Jon Wong/CNET
Punch the Drive Select system into Dynamic mode, and the sport exhaust note gets throatier -- noticeably so, even at idle. Power is livelier to quickly propel you above legal speed limits, steering feel tightens and the suspension firms up some, yet everything remains pleasantly comfortable. In fact, rolling at 90 mph down the expressway is entirely too easy to do unawares, your butt speedometer pampered into thinking you're traveling about 60 mph. Sorry, officers.
Worrying about cops didn't last long on my drive, though, as sheets of water began falling from the sky, dramatically limiting visibility and causing me -- and everyone else on the road -- to add a few hours on the way from Miami to Daytona Beach. Standard features like blind-spot monitoring came in handy when changing lanes in the blinding downpour, and the head-up display kept my eyes on the road as much as possible -- a good thing when white-knuckling it in tough driving conditions. Props also go out to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system for helping me stay surefooted on very wet pavement, never once feeling out of sorts.
The navigation system in the 2016 Audi S8 Plus features Google Maps imagery.Jon Wong/CNET
The slow going let me appreciate the S8 Plus' cabin features more, too. The front sport seats proved supremely comfortable, with a massaging function to keep me loose while sitting in hours of bumper-to-bumper Orlando traffic, and the available 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system sounded wonderful, as it should for $6,300. The Audi Connect system's Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities kept my passengers busy surfing the Web on their mobile devices, while real-time traffic information popping up next to the navigation's Google Maps imagery let me know how much more congestion-induced suffering lay ahead.
Other available features include adaptive cruise control, active lane assist (side cameras monitor lane markings and gently steer the car back into one's lane when the driver inadvertently wanders) and night-vision assist that uses an infrared camera and thermal imaging to warn of pedestrians or large animals ahead in the dark. What isn't available is either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and worryingly, a company spokesman says neither feature is in the immediate plans for Audi's A8 family.
