Google is testing shopping ads on Chrome’s New Tab page

If you thought YouTube has become notorious for ads, then get ready for more. Google is now testing a new feature where the New Tab Page on Chrome shows shopping advertisements. These are expected to be based on a user’s browsing activity on Google services. While the feature is not live as of yet, it is being tested on the latest version of Google Chrome Canary on Windows.

The feature is not enabled by default and is hidden behind the flags in Canary that can be enabled for an early preview. Chrome currently offers the Google Search bar and shortcuts for your extensions and websites. With the addition of this new feature, one would be able to see ads in a card format sitting right below the shortcuts. Additionally, this new ‘hub’ will also include streaming services, and recipes based on your browsing activity.

How to see the new shopping ads on Chrome New Tab page

• Download Chrome Canary from here.
• Launch Canary and in the address bar type chrome://flags to open flags
• Search the following flags: NTP Modules and NTP Shopping Task Module
• Enable NTP Modules and select Enabled – Fake Data for the Shopping Task Module
• Restart the browser to view the changes

You should see a shopping ad for chairs that can be further expanded on Google search by tapping on either one of them. You can also dismiss this advertisement card by simply closing it from the top right corner. Note that the ad only shows up when you select the “Fake Data” option and not when you select “Enabled” and “Enable-Real Data”. Similarly, Google is testing Recipes and Kaleidoscope modules for NTP. These can be viewed under “Enforce Kaleidoscope NTP module” and “NTP Recipe Tasks module.” There is also a setting on NTP to disable these cards. This can be done by opening a New Tab Page, click on customize, and then under Cards enable “Hide Cards.”

This could be a new way for Google to include ads and new content to Chrome by making use of the empty space available on the New Tab page. Of course, flags are just experimental features that Chromium developers use to test new features. One cannot be sure if or when this will actually make it to the stable build.

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Story Via: Techdows

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How to disable keyboard suggestions on Android 11

Android 11 includes a host of new features, both for the end-user and developers. On top of that, Google also included several improvements for features that were released with previous versions. We talked about one such feature, called Smart Keyboard Suggestions, earlier this year, which streamlined the platform’s autofill experience.

Here are the 4 types of autofill suggestions in Gboard and/or Android 11: form filling, 2FA verification, smart responses, and search query suggestions.

(I see you, dogfood logo on the spacebar!) pic.twitter.com/GLevoUrqJm

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 17, 2020

The feature essentially integrates inline autofill suggestions in keyboard apps and password managers to make filling forms, multi-factor authentication, smart replies, and search queries more seamless. While the feature is undoubtedly a useful addition, it may raise some privacy concerns among users. Thankfully, Android 11 includes a setting that lets you disable the feature on your device.

If you are concerned about privacy and want to disable smart keyboard suggestions, you can do so by following these simple steps:

• Head over to the Settings menu on your phone
• Tap on Privacy
• Select Device Personalization Services
  
• Tap on the Keyboard option
  
• Turn off the Keyboard Suggestions toggle.

Once the Keyboard Suggestions option is disabled, you will stop seeing inline autofill suggestions at the top of your keyboard app. Do note that disabling Keyboard Suggestions will switch your system back to the old autofill suggestion style, which will show autofill suggestions in a drop-down menu.

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Google Shopping adds price insights to help you get the best deals online

Who doesn’t love a good deal? It’s why Black Friday and Prime Day are two of the most popular times to shop each year. But how do you know you’re really getting a good deal on that TV? With new price insights from Google, you’ll always have the tools to get the best deal online.

Google Shopping is adding a new price insight feature that will show people if the price offered for an item is high, low, or typical compared to other prices from across the web and in nearby local stores. Consumers will be able to see these insights by searching for a product, choosing the Shopping tab, and then scrolling down to see whether you’re actually getting a good deal or not.

There’s a new tool that will show whether a price is high, low or typical.

As part of the new insights, Google also highlighted its price tracking feature, which the company originally introduced last year. When activated, Google Shopping will send you deal alerts for whatever it is you want to buy. Say you’re hoping to find a good deal on a Nintendo Switch; if you turn on price tracking, you’ll know the moment the price drops. You can see all of the products you’re tracking by checking out your Google account’s My Activity page.

Google Shopping will show you online prices as well as insights about local shops, including if delivery or curbside pickup is available. With social distancing restrictions still in place in many parts of the world, having this information makes a huge difference when shopping.

Google said it’s rolling out price insights because more people this year are shopping online. In fact, the company said searches for “early deals” in the U.S. have increased significantly over the last few weeks. Black Friday will likely be much different this year, so shopping online might be your only good option.

I tried doing a quick search for Nintendo Switch on my mobile device, and I didn’t see the new price insights just yet. However, Google said the new tools should start rolling out to users today in the U.S.

Google Shopping: Discover, compare prices & buy (Free, Google Play) →

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Humax UK announces Aura 4K set-top-box DVR with Android TV and Freeview Play

Humax has announced its first set-top-box to combine Android TV and terrestrial broadcast television. Aimed at the UK market, the Humax Aura is a 4K (UHD) HDR-capable STB and PVR running Android TV, with an integrated DVB-T tuner and a full offering from Freeview Play (the UK’s terrestrial TV network).

The Aura boasts three digital tuners, allowing you to record up to four programs whilst watching a fifth. For recordings, there’s a hard drive of either 1TB or 2TB capacity and of course, there’s a cavalcade of streaming entertainment options from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Britbox on top of the 9 from Freeview: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5, UKTV Play, CBS Catchup Channels UK, Horror Bites, STV Player and BBC Sounds. UK cord-cutters will be able to benefit from Now TV and BT Sport, too.

The Humax Aura, as you’d expect from an Android TV device, also acts as a Chromecast receiver and integrates Google Assistant voice controls. There’s even an accompanying app for iOS and Android which will let you watch recordings on your home network, or download them to your device to watch on the move. There’s even a “Kid Zone” safe mode, for when you want to leave the little ones unattended. It even lets you find a show that’s the right length to take them up neatly to bedtime without the age-old “just one more episode” pleas.

Although this is a UK-centric product, Humax makes products for territories across the globe including DirecTV, Google Fiber, Delta (Netherlands), and Truevisions (Thailand), so there’s a good chance the Humax Aura will appear in some form outside Blighty soon too.

The Humax Aura Set-Top-Box will be available in the UK from November, starting at £249 for the 1TB edition, and £279 for the 2TB edition. More details, including the full specifications, are available from the Humax Website.

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OnePlus Nord N10 and N100 specs leak ahead of rumored launch

OnePlus has two more entries into its new mid-range Nord range on the horizon, and some fairly plausible specs have leaked about them both, courtesy of two separate posts on Voice by tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer (better known as OnLeaks), ahead of a rumored announcement on Monday.

The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is said to have a 6.49-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’ll be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G SoC, backed up by a not insubstantial 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The battery clocks in at 4300mAh, which, if combined with OnePlus’s ‘Warp Charge’ fast-charging could be more than enough for most users. The main camera array is a four-lens offering with a 64MP camera flanked by an 8MP Ultra-Wide lens, and two 2MP lenses, presumably for macro and monochrome. The whole lot is rounded out with a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack.

According to tipster Max J., the OnePlus Nord 10 5G will look something like this:

/ pic.twitter.com/RnFOB239y8

— Max J. (@MaxJmb) October 21, 2020

If that’s not whetted your appetite, there’s also the OnePlus Nord N100, which seems to be an unabashed budget offering, and the only recent release from OnePlus that doesn’t support 5G. It boasts a 6.52-inch HD+ screen, backed up by a fairly shonky sounding Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The rear camera is said to be 13MP with a 2MP Macro and 2MP Bokeh lens, while the front camera is listed at 8MP. There’s a 5000mAh battery, dual-sim slot, USB-C port, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

The more keen-eyed might have spotted that the specs for the Nord N100 are pretty similar to the Oppo A33 we told you about yesterday. The OnePlus equivalent adds an extra gigabyte of RAM over the Oppo, which might yield better performance from the underpowered Snapdragon 460. There’s no indication that the A33’s 90Hz refresh rate will appear on the Nord N100, which, depending on pricing, will make for a much more even-handed set of specifications for a budget device.

All these specs are incomplete and subject to change, and the real proof-of-the-pudding will only come when OnePlus reveals pricing.

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Qualcomm partners with Jacoti to bring hearing enhancement tech to true wireless earbuds

Qualcomm Technologies today announced a partnership with audio technology company Jacoti to bring the latter’s hearing enhancement software to the Qualcomm QCC5100 Series Ultra-Low Power Bluetooth SoCs. The integration will result in next-gen TWS earphones and Bluetooth headsets that provide accurate personalized hearing assistance to users with mild hearing impairments.

Talking about the partnership, Qualcomm’s President and General Manager for Voice, Music & Wearables, James Chapman, said, “By working with Jacoti, we’re making hearing enhancement and personalization technology more accessible to consumers than ever before. For our customers, who are competing in a rapidly changing and crowded market, exciting technologies like this will provide a really interesting way to differentiate and enrich the end user experience.”

Thanks to Jacoti’s technology, upcoming TWS earphones and Bluetooth headsets featuring QCC5100 Bluetooth SoCs will give users access to a self-administered hearing test that will help them establish volume thresholds for their level of hearing. Jacoti’s companion app will also generate two audiograms, one for each ear, tailored specifically to the user. These audiograms will act as the user’s individual hearing prescription and they can be shared with audiologists for a more accurate diagnosis.

Earbuds featuring Jacoti’s software will be able to intercept incoming sound before it reaches the user’s ears and adjust the volume of the appropriate frequencies to compensate for the user’s individual hearing deficiencies. The software will also protect the user from sounds that can cause further damage. The algorithms and correction parameters will be stored on the earbuds, which will allow users to pair with any source device without any additional calibration.

While Jacoti’s software will be supported on all Bluetooth earphones with the aforementioned Qualcomm chip, vendors will have to purchase a license from Jacoti to enable the feature on their devices. TWS earphones and Bluetooth headsets featuring this technology are expected to make it to the market in the first half of 2021.

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The new 2020 Apple iPad Air models are now up for pre-order at Amazon

This month has flown by, and that means it’s time for Apple’s latest generation of devices to be released into the world. To that effect, Apple iPad Air models are now available for pre-order at Amazon, with the release date set for tomorrow (October 23). Yes, the new iPad Air releases tomorrow but as with most

Yes, you read that right–the new iPad Air releases tomorrow, so a pre-order feels a bit silly. But wouldn’t you feel more silly if you didn’t pre-order it and it sold out? Don’t play games with Apple products… if you’re interested, get that pre-order in today!

The 64GB model of the Apple iPad Pro is $600 and is available in four colors on Amazon: Silver, Sky Blue, Rose Gold, and Space Grey. The Green color is currently sold out! Featuring a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and an A14 Bionic chip provide plenty of power, while the 12MP back camera and 7MP front camera are good for video calls and FaceTime with the family! This particular model is Wi-Fi only, but if you want to attach it to your carrier plan for mobile data, the Wi-Fi and Cellular model is available for $730.

Another benefit to the iPad Air is the ability to hook up and charge via a USB-C connector, as opposed to Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector. It might feel like a small thing, but USB-C is definitely the more common connector for most devices. Less extra wires are always welcome!

Apple iPad Air (2020, 64GB)

Don't let these sell out on you! The Apple iPad Air is available for pre-order on Amazon, and that means you can buy this device a day early with all of the Amazon benefits. From Prime Shipping to an 18-month payment plan with the Prime Rewards Visa, this is the easiest way to secure your new tablet.

Buy from Amazon

If you need more space, you can pick up the 256GB Apple iPad Air for $749.

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