Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

Notion is an all-in-one space workspace platform that claims to replace other major players in the game, for example, Google Docs, Quip, Jira, Evernote, GitHub Wiki, Trello, Dropbox Paper etc. It was founded in 2013 under Notion Labs based in San Francisco, United States.

I’ve been using Notion for a very long time, and in the first few weeks, I could sense they know the game pretty well and its no joke for them. The platform has been designed in a meticulous manner, keeping all the needs in check – every other day they incorporate some kind of improvement or new feature.

25th May’20 5:53 am, I stumbled upon a tweet “Notion is blocked by a firewall in China. We are monitoring the situation and will continue to post updates.” @NotionStatus account. It’s an official status account for Notion, hence I had no intention to ignore it. I decided to wait for another update as it could due to some unknown reasons, doesn’t have to be what I think it is. China is well known for forcing its regulations on all tech firms.

As reported by TechCrunch, “Just before its ban in China, Notion surged on May 21 to become the most-downloaded productivity app in the domestic Android stores.” The claim is based on the data provided by a third party app Annie. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a whole new need for work collaboration platforms like Evernote, Notion etc. A rise of Notion popularity among China workforce and developers would have attracted eyeballs of their diplomats to push the regulation or initiating the block.

The Chinese Government doesn’t allow outside firms especially US tech companies, to gain an edge in their market, no matter what policy, censorship or regulation they have to come up with. It may be great to secure their domestic market and ensure survival – but in most cases, it comes as an unfair deal for foreign investor or companies. There are some of the major US-based out tech firms blocked in China,

and the list just never ends. We see one or another name getting added to this long list every year, now Notion is another US-based start-up hit by China censorship. The cold war between China and the US has a huge impact on the global business market, especially for US start-up to gain access to the Chinese market. In the case of Notion, we expect to have some transparency as to why it was blocked? and It would be great if the access can be restored by the China government.

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) Outbreak has brought video streaming in light. We together are trying to fight and to ensure none of the community collapses. Major companies all over the world, contributing to different forms to go through this pandemic state.

Hence, YouTube decided to set the video streaming quality to standard definition as a default all around the world for a month now. It’s an extension of what they did in Europe last week to control the broadband strain.

Users would still have access to modify the quality of YouTube videos, but it needs to be set manually each time. By default, the video will play in standard definition (480p), then you can change the quality as I mentioned before. But I wouldn’t recommend as it defeats the purpose, try and consume resources either network, electricity, daily essentials etc. wisely.

“We continue to work closely with governments and network operators around the globe to do our part to minimize stress on the system during this unprecedented situation,” Google said in a statement.

Last week, Netflix reduced bit rates in Europe which ease around 25% load from the network. There is another major streaming Amazon Prime Video following the footsteps and ensuring all the required measures to keep the network bandwidth stable. For now, they have dropped the bit-rates in Europe and monitoring the situation closely in other countries.

As most people are working from home, the usage of streaming services has shown a sharp spike in recent weeks. It could lead to an exhaustion of the Global Broadband network, and any kind of failure would create more panic among people. At this stage, most businesses are relying on network connectivity for their operations.

Therefore companies like Google, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Sony, Disney+, Microsoft, etc. are taking necessary actions to prevent any failure on the network front. It’s an essential step on all levels, especially saving bandwidth consumption. Most of the companies have clearly stated, “that such preemptive measures can be extended to each region as per the request of a local authority or government concerns.”

I expect more companies to come forward with such initiatives to help our community and economy to survive and stand strong. Stay Home, Stay Safe!

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

As expected CES 2020 has come up with some eye-catching products, and today I’ll be sharing a quick view of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. It’s one of the best laptops I’ve gone through so far – looks stunning. Samsung introduced it in Fiesta Red and Subdued Mercury Gray with a sleek design made of durable aluminium. The most attractive part for consumers would be 13.3-inch 4K UHD AMOLED display, it’s just outstanding – anything you watch on this screen gives you an amazing experience.

CES 2020 is the right platform to launch such an expensive yet great product. Galaxy Chromebook isn’t only about the attractive outlook, on papers, it looks quite strong too. It’s powered up with an intel 10th generation core-i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD, 2 USB-C ports, 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card etc. However, it can go up to 16 GB of RAM and 1TB of storage – of course, there would be an extra cost. Due to the 4K display (3840 X 2160) touch screen, we do have one downside which is the 10 hours of battery life. It could go up to 20 hours if we had 2k or full HD display.

Here is an effective statement from Alanna Cotton (Senior Vice President and General Manager at Samsung Electronics America) “The notion that we do everything stationary at a desk is a thing of the past, and people need premium devices built for our new reality. By offering a seamless, premium user experience, Galaxy Chromebook helps you effortlessly switch between streaming, creative projects, word processing, and more.”

There is an 8MP webcam on the keyboard deck and 1MP front camera which I do appreciate as something is better than nothing. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook comes with the latest ChromeOS at the price of $999 – it’s kind of expensive. The first half of 2020, we can expect Galaxy Chromebook availability in the market for consumers. Let’s see at this price point if it elevates the google experience for users out there.

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

In the morning, I prefer to check the responses on my Instagram Business account and somehow noticed that the likes count and video views aren’t visible. I checked other Instagram accounts, and couldn’t see likes count for any other one too. However, it’s possible to check the likes count on your own posts, if you dig into the insight.

It took me 30 seconds to recall and realize that Instagram must have expanded their initial testing started in July to more global accounts including mine. The objective is clearly to divert the focus of followers from likes count to actual content getting shared on this platform.

Instagram announced it officially through Twitter that ” Starting today, we’re expanding our test of private like counts globally. If you’re in the test, you’ll no longer see the total number of likes and views on photos and videos posted to Feed unless they’re your own”.

It’s been said that the feedback from their early testing in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand has been positive. The Facebook-owned brand further states that this is a fundamental change to Instagram, so they’ll continue their test to learn more from the global community.

Instagram made a couple of more tweets, one is to reassure “influencers” who may have a serious impact due to this change. In paid partnership, the count of likes and video views do matter a lot and play a deciding factor for financial closure. That’s the reason, Instagram tweeted “In addition, we understand that like counts are important for any creators, and we are actively thinking through ways for creators to communicate value to their partners.” It would help the company to buy some confidence among influencers as well.

According to me, it’s a great step forward to reduce mental stress, especially among teens. There was always pressure to match the likes count as compared to others, which led to buying fake likes – somewhere failing the purpose of Instagram. It was originated for photographers to share their work, but now causing mental health issues due to community pressure and a shift from the original goal.

We do need to keep in mind that it’s still a test, not the confirmed change however I am sure Instagram would inbuilt this feature soon instead of reversing it and facing heat from the global community.

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

As the smartphone market still tries to track the iPhone 11 & 11 Pro sentiments among consumers, Apple has something more to add. Yes! a long time awaited – “AirPods Pro” the most advanced wireless earbuds from Apple. As rumours suggest, it may launch this week on Tuesday, or Wednesday.

According to Benjamin Geskin’s recent tweet, AirPods Pro will be revealed next week on Tuesday or Wednesday at Apple‘s local offices with journalists. While drafting this article there are more tweets coming in, which confirm that “Exclusive AirPods Experience” for media will be held on 29th October’19.

AirPods being the most innovative, well-performed, and successful true wireless earbuds – expectations from the pro version are pretty high. As a long-time user of Apple AirPods, I would agree that these are the truly wireless earbuds among all the competitors. Either we talk about call connectivity, clarity, sound sync with the video, Bluetooth range, fast charging, etc. this tiny product stands strong. I am a satisfied AirPods user so far and expect it to be on another level with the upcoming pro version for sure.

It would be powered with enhanced sound quality, noise cancellation, water resistance, improved battery life, “Hey Siri” support and in-ear re-design. One of the most talkative and demanded features in the pro version is active noise cancellation just like Beats Pro Solo headphones recently launched by Apple.

As per Economic Daily News (Taiwanese Financial Newspaper), AirPods Pro would come in Midnight Green, Black and White. Apple may want iPhone 11 or 11 pro users to pair their devices with the new earbuds by giving more reasons to buy – “same color as device” would be one of them.

The new AirPods has “Pro” in the name, which clearly states for the premium price tag as well. It’s expected to be around $260 as compared to the existing AirPods 2 which costs $144 & $169 with wireless charging case. Will Apple’s new AirPods justify the “Pro” name? I don’t think we need to wait much, it’s a question of a couple of days now – let’s wait and watch!

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

We all Apple lovers wait for September every year in the quest of what more Apple can offer this time, every time.

Well, going by the look and specs you wouldn’t say there is much of a difference, but the power, the new iPhone XS packs within definitely makes it better than the rest and easily the best smartphone available right now in the market.

Let’s start with the new A12 Bionic chipset the new iPhone XS holds within. It’s undoubtedly the best and the first of its kind. It’s a 7nm chip with 6.9 billion transistors. There is a new 4-core GPU in the A12 which is 50% faster than the A11. It has a 6-core CPU with two high performer cores which is 15% faster and for the first time ever, a neural engine with an 8-core dedicated machine learning processor. So, what all this technicality means to the regular user? It means more power, more control. The new iPhone is up to 30% faster for loading apps, SIRI, software upgrades, gaming and whatnot. It makes your AR and Memoji experiences lifelike. Something you cannot get in any other smartphone.

The new iPhone is available in two sizes – 5.8 inches (XS) and 6.5 inches (XS Max). It encases the sharpest Super Retina OLED display with 458 pixels per inch of density. Mentioning so, 6.5 inch is the biggest screen size Apple has offered to date in any phone but it smoothly packs within a size of the iPhone 8 plus in your hands with an edge-to-edge display. With all this packing within, the design in your hands more or less remains the same as the iPhone X, however, it is more durable with upgraded surgical grade steel finish and new formulation durable glasswork. Apple also has the IP68 rating for dust and water resistance making the device even more durable for the harsh and on the go users.

Following the same dual-camera system, it includes a 12megapixel wide camera as well as a 12megapixel telephoto lens. So, what’s new? More effective sensors with an f/1.8 aperture on the wide camera and an f/2.4 aperture on the telephoto lens along with a flicker detect system now added to the true tone flash. The front camera comes with a 7 megapixel and f/2.2 aperture which also has enhanced sensors to make FACE ID performance better and faster.

Is that it? Nope! The all-new A12 Bionic chip comes into the picture now to make your photography experience better and memorable. It contains an image signal processor inside which enhances the image processing and offers better facial recognition, red-eye reduction, and improved portrait mode. 

Other features include wireless charging, Bluetooth 5.0, support for gigabit-class LTE with 4X4 MIMO and dual-SIM options with an included nano-sim and eSIM feature. The battery life is not the best but is enhanced as compared to iPhone X, all thanks to the new A12 chip.

The pricing range starts with a whopping $999 for the 64GB model on iPhone XS and $1099 for iPhone XS Max.

So here is the question, with new technologies and smartphones popping up in the market every year, do you think this power-packed device by Apple with a smoother and faster interface, with experiences like never before – don’t forget the high price range, of course, is here to stay for the long haul?

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

25th of March’19, Apple hosted an amazing event which I would call a services centric one. Some most awaited services were finally introduced like Apple News+, Apple Arcade, Apple TV plus and of course Apple Card. Now, in a recent iPhone event held on the 10th of September’19, the company explained Apple TV plus further which makes it more interesting than we thought. Apple TV plus service starts on the 1st of November’19, would cost $4.99 in the US, and only $1.40 in India which is Rs. 99 in INR. 

The good news, it’s a part of family sharing, so up to 6 family members can enjoy one Apple TV plus subscription. As a user, you will have a 7 days trial to experience the service. If you plan to buy any apple device whether an iPhone, Apple TV, MacBook, iPod touch, iPad, iMac or Apple watch, then the company will provide one year’s subscription without any hidden cost. Now, what all devices will support Apple TV+ content? For sure, iOS, Apple tvOS, macOS and iPadOS have this service enabled already. In the future, Apple would be extending this service to other major streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV, some of the newer smart TVs like Samsung, LG, Sony also part of the process. 

Few Apple TV+ original stories have already created excitement among consumers like See, The Morning Show, etc. However, the biggest curiosity leading towards Oprah Winfrey TV show – it focuses on “Scourge and toll of sexual harassment in the workplace” titled Toxic Labor. This show was announced on the 25th of March’19 with a great introductory script “This is a moment in time unlike any other. And it seems there’s never been a better time for optimism, inclusion, and creativity. To inspire people to find common ground. 

And there’s one voice that has done this best. A voice that we have all been missing. A voice that when amplified, reminds us how much ideas matter. How much conversation matters. How much community matters. And the world needs more of what matters.“ For India, Apple TV+ has 11 exclusive original titles like For All Mankind The Morning Show SEE Dickinson Snoopy in Space The Elephant Queen Helpsters Servant Ghostwriter Truth Be Told Toxic Labor ( Starring Oprah Winfrey ) Yes, I know it seems to have a great deal as compared to other major services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. but hold your thoughts – Apple has a very limited content for now yet exclusive ones. 

If you are looking for quality over quantity, give it a shot without any doubt. Otherwise, I would suggest you to with the trial one first. Apple has invested billions of dollars in a couple of years to create exclusive original content, and planning to increase the investment in future for sure. I’ve been using Netflix for a very long time, and Yes! they do have some amazing content with great quality. 

As per reports, Netflix spent $12 billion in 2018 which is expected to $15 billion in 2019. It’s a BIG investment!! Apple has been working on this project for a very long time to ensure all the pieces are aligned perfectly and standing as an example of supreme quality like their other products, at least that’s what they seem to be claimed.

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

Facebook as a company realizes that the revenue they have been a part of demands a large number of consumers with a high percentage of engagement.

That’s the reason, you’ll always see social media companies like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter introducing new functionalities to attract new users and hold the existing ones. These companies are successfully doing it as most of us spend hours on Facebook every day checking friends’ photos, events, funny videos or debating on any political topic with some more friends who have nothing else to do rather than investing time on unproductive tasks.

As per Sproutsocial Facebook has 2 billion monthly active users, over 1 billion daily active users spending an average of 35 minutes, 317000 status updates, 400 new users signing up, 147000 photos uploaded, 54000 shared links and all this happen in every 60 seconds. No doubt why it has been the biggest attraction so far for companies to brand their products and reach to potential customers.

In the continuation, company is also testing new function “things in common” which will be visible to any public conversation you go through and see certain things highlighted next to any of the commenter’s name such as public Facebook group, location or same company but not connected on Facebook as friends.

“Knowing shared things in common helps people connect,” a Facebook spokeswoman said in a statement. “We’re testing adding a ‘things in common’ label that will appear above comments from people with who you’re not friends but you might have something in common with.”

It looks like the company is trying to help you to get more friends by showing common interests and give you a reason to engage with more users who don’t fall in your friend list.

Facebook has confirmed that the information which users have set to be shown to the public would fall under the “things in common” label. If you can’t see my workplace or group I am associated with, then you’ll not see all these values in a “things in common”. A social network company like Facebook needs to ensure that new users are joining the platform, and existing ones create good engagement – it’s essential in order to survive the market.

Such features could be a blessing for people who are having a hard time making friends on Facebook. According to me, “Things in common” will work as a spark to initiate conversations which gradually leads to having Facebook friends.

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

Facebook was under a wide-scale hack last month wherein almost 50 million users’ data was put to compromise. Although the attack was stopped within 48 hours of its identification and all accounts were secured immediately, Facebook has most recently given out details on what kind of information was leaked and what steps you can take to check, whether you were one of the victims of this hack or not.

There is a section which says: “Is my Facebook account impacted by this security issue.” It will give you a quick Yes or No. If the answer is yes, it will also provide you with some added details about what kind of information was taken by the hackers from your account.

Facebook further mentioned in their blog post that actually 30 million users were affected and the type of access is also categorized further. Nearly 15 million accounts were compromised of their Names and contact information whereas the other 14 million accounts were even compromised of other personal details like gender, location, religion and whatever other details mentioned on their profile along with the names and contact information. The remaining 1 million user accounts, Facebook assures that the hackers did not obtain any kind of information.

Also, Facebook mentions in their blog post that “In the coming days, we’ll send customized messages to the 30 million people affected to explain what information the attackers might have accessed, as well as steps they can take to help protect themselves, including from suspicious emails, text messages, or calls.”

As we are aware that the hack was due to a vulnerability in Facebook’s “View As” code, attacking which the hackers stole the access tokens. In case you do not know, access tokens are like digital keys which allow the user to stay logged in via the app and the user does not have to re-enter the password. This gave the hackers access to millions of user profiles.

Once the attack was determined, stern actions were taken to identify the cause and the vulnerability was immediately removed and the tokens were all reset. Owning to this information Facebook also informs that no password was stolen and no other accounts like Messenger, private messages, WhatsApp, payments mode or developer accounts were attacked.

While further investigations are in progress, the hackers do have access to loads of personal data and given the technical intelligence today, we might be aware and keep a close eye on our social and financial services.

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Welcome to "The Outwrite Podcast". This article is published on www.theoutwrite.com by Varun Singh Rajput.

iPhone XI has some interesting facts to discuss and of course, most of them wouldn’t make you happy. We are just two months away from the launch of Apple’s most popular devices – iPhone XI, iPhone XI Max, and iPhone XI R.

2019 has been a challenging year for Apple on many grounds, either a huge decline in iPhone sales due to the high prices, US-China trade war and issues with other products like MacBook pro. According to the rumours, iPhone 11 would support a square camera bump style which isn’t getting good feedback from all over the world. Again these are rumours, but a pretty strong one and from the last couple of years these sources were bang on. So we can expect an ugly iPhone – it may be too harsh but that’s how the consumer market sees it for now.

iPhone XR successor carries two lenses however iPhone XI and iPhone XI Max has 3-lens camera square back – not sure how exactly the outcome would look.

I expect an ultra-wide, telephoto lens and a wide-angle of course from this triple-camera setup. In terms of design, it doesn’t sound too promising – let’s wait for the final product before making our minds. This year, we can expect a larger battery, noticeable improvement in rear cameras, USB-C, and Dark Mode which anyways will be available to all iOS 13 compatible devices.

According to the report in the Chinese newspaper Global Times, Apple is likely to replace Face ID with an under-display fingerprint function to reduce the cost and lower the iPhone prices in China. For the last few years, iPhone sales have gone down really bad among Chinese consumers due to their high prices and other mobile manufacturers offering phones at a lower cost.

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