Author: Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-Desk)

WhatsApp recently added a new feature that makes it easier for users to join group calls even after it’s started, solving a major problem for them.

Previously, if you drop off a group call someone has to add you back and it’s the same case with missing group calls in the messaging app owned by Facebook.

Now you won’t have to go through all that because the new WhatsApp feature lets you jump back into a call whenever, as long as the call is still active. The messaging app has also added a new calling UI which also improves the experience.

The new missed group call feature is available to all users on Android and iOS.

How to join WhatsApp missed group calls:

Open WhatsApp, and tap on the ‘Calls’ tab.

Here, you will find your WhatsApp call history.

If there’s an ongoing group call you will see the call highlighted.

Just tap on the call to join back.

You can do this if you’ve missed the group call or if you’ve dropped off a call.

Joining a group call on WhatsApp is also slightly different now. When you receive an incoming group call you can choose to ‘ignore’ or ‘open’ the group call.

If you tap on open the call screen will expand showing the list of participants and whether they have joined or not. You can also view the call participant list during the call.

Lahore (NUT-Desk- PR)

Google on Monday unveiled a new flagship Pixel smartphone powered by its first mobile chip to put artificial intelligence in people’s hands.  Pixel 6 models set for release later this year, with superfast 5G wireles capability, will debut Google’s own Tensor chip crafted along the lines of processors it made for data centers to enable computers to think more like people do.

“It’s basically a mobile system on a chip designed around artificial intelligence,” Google devices senior vice president Rick Osterloh said during a briefing at the company’s headquarters in Silicon Valley.

“We’re really excited about it. We’re setting the stage to really grow the business.”

Google’s Pixel line has captured scant share in a global smartphone market dominated by Samsung, Apple and Chinese manufacturers. Pixel phones have been seen as a way for Google to showcase the capabilities of its free Android mobile operating system, setting a standard for other smartphone makers.

“We’ve always thought about our hardware products in the context of driving computing forward,” said Google chief executive Sundar Pichai.

“Our custom Google Tensor chip, which has been four years in the making and builds off of two decades of Google’s computing experience, does exactly that.”

The Pixel 6 hardware and software mix ramps up the smartphone’s ability to understand what people say in another step toward a future of “ambient computing,” according to Osterloh. The phrase refers to being able to access the internet or computing power conversationally at any time as portrayed in the 2013 science fiction romance film “Her.”

“It’s basically this notion that you should be able to naturally interact with computers all around you,” Osterloh said. “We see the mobile phone being the center of that for the foreseeable future.”

The smarter chip was also put to work improving photo and video capabilities in a nod to hot trends in sharing images and short-form snippets online, a demonstration showed. An array of sensors for photography are in a band on the back of the smartphone, with the Pixel 6 having a 6.4 inch, edge-to-edge screen and the Pro model being slightly larger.

The Pixel 6 release date and pricing were not disclosed.

Lahore (NUT-Desk)

Alter, a Lahore and London-based startup, auctioned Pakistan’s first NFT meme ‘Friendship ended with Mudasir’ from Gujranwala for 20 Ether or $53,171 on Sunday.

“It is a life-changing moment for the creators,” Alter’s Co-founder Zain Naqvi said.

“Friendship ended with Mudasir: Now Salman is my best friend” is a famous Pakistani meme, probably the first one that went viral on the internet in 2015.

The meme was posted by Muhammad Asif Ali Rana. He posted a photo with his friend on his Facebook account. Both of them were shaking hands. The image had bold and colourful text that read,

The original post, which showed Mudasir’s crossed images at the bottom, received 10,000 shares. The meme “Friendship Ended with Mudasir” spun various iterations, from showcasing the internal conflicts of characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars to the battle for YouTube dominance between Indian Media Giant T-series and Youtuber PewDiePew, to American politics showcasing the transfer of power between the Democrats and the Republicans. The simple meme from the lads from Gujranwala has global admiration and resonance.

The meme was auctioned on Foundation, the world’s largest platform for NFT listings, Zain Naqvi, Alter’s Co-founder told SAMAA Digital. The minimum bid price was 1 Ethereum token or $2320 (at 2:44 pst on July 29). It sold for 20 Ether. Ether is trading around $2562 at 9am on Aug 2.

NFTs are digital codes linked to blockchain technology. It is stored on a decentralised public ledger that certifies any digital file to be unique. They are digital identifiers that can’t be copied.

Think of an NFT as fingerprints that are unique. They have become increasingly popular tool because of their use cases. For example, they have created an entirely new digital art industry worth more than $1b by solving the biggest problem artists faced: copying.

In March, artist Mike Winkelmann, who goes by Beeple, sold the world’s first virtual NFT artwork for $69m at Christie’s, a famous auction. Earlier this week, Polish influencer Marta Rentel sold her emotions through NFT (a digital token) for $250,000.