Instagram seems to be gearing up to launch several new features to enhance the user experience and engagement. One of the features that the company is working on is ‘Flipside,’ an experimental feature designed to offer users a more private space within their primary Instagram account.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, confirmed on Threads, that the platform is testing Flipside. This feature would allow users to turn their secondary, more private profiles, dubbed ‘fiestas,’ into a feature within their primary account. Users will be able to create a custom profile with a unique name, bio, and photo, enabling them to share exclusive content with a smaller group of people.

Meta confirmed (via TechCrunch) that Flipside is currently in the testing phase. The company wants to cater to users’ desire for more options to share content in private spaces. This move showcases Instagram’s ongoing efforts to offer users with enhanced privacy controls and customization options.

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Instagram Wants To Give Users Early Access To New Features

Instagram is also said to be offering users access to early versions of upcoming features through an “early access to features” option in the app settings. This new option, as shown in screenshots shared by developer Alessandro Paluzzi, would enable users to experiment with in-development features before their official release.

This is similar to programs implemented by Google and YouTube, allowing users to get a taste of upcoming features and provide feedback to the company. Moreover, Instagram is also planning to integrate AI-powered features into the app. One of the proposed AI features includes the ability to generate personalized chat themes for Instagram’s direct messaging feature.

This functionality, currently dubbed “Create with AI,” would allow users to customize chat themes with the help of generative AI algorithms. This move aligns with the service’s sister platform, WhatsApp, which also has a similar feature in the works.

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Instagram Could Bring Cross-Posting Functionality

The latest version of Instagram already comes with several chat themes, including colors, gradients, and special themes inspired by famous artists, movies, and games. However, the introduction of AI-generated themes would add a new level of customization and personalization to Instagram’s DM experience.

Besides, the platform is also working on cross-posting functionality, where users will be able to share content from Instagram to Threads, Meta’s microblogging platform. This feature, if implemented, would enhance the sharing experience between the two platforms, offering users more flexibility.

That said, Instagram’s upcoming features underscore Meta’s commitment to bringing user-centric features. With the introduction of new privacy controls, customization options, and AI-powered functionalities, the platform wants to user engagement to another level.

Vivo has launched its first ultra smartphone in the Indian market. The new T3 Ultra smartphone comes as the company’s most powerful smartphone in the Series T lineup. The device features a 6.78-inch 1.5k AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Dimensity 9200+ chipset and packs a dual-camera setup, including a 50MP main sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide lens.

The Vivo T3 Ultra comes in three variants: the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant for Rs 31,999, while the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant comes for Rs 33,999. The 12GB RAM + 256GB storage will be selling for Rs 35,999. HDFC and SBI cardholders can avail of a Rs 3,000 instant discount or exchange bonus, and no-cost EMI options of up to six months are available.

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Vivo T3 Ultra Under The Hood

The Vivo T3 Ultra features a 6.78-inch 1.5K display with a 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 4500nits. Protected by SCHOTT Xensation a glass, it also supports HDR10+ for an enhanced viewing experience.

The smartphone is powered by MediaTek Dimnesity 9200+ chipset and supports up to 12Gb of RAM and 256GB of storage. Vivo T3 Ultra runs FunTouch OS 14 based on Android 14 Vivo has promised two years of Android updates and three years of security.

The device packs a 5500mAh battery with 80W fast charging. On the rear panel, it sports a 50MP primary camera with OIS and ZEISS optics, along with an 8MP ultra-wide camera. The front camera, a 50MP sensor, supports 4K video recording and autofocus. The phone supports 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth, and has IP68-rated dust and water resistance, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and stereo speakers.

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Vivo T3 Pro 5G Launched At Rs 24,999 For Indian Consumers

Vivo has taken the wraps off its newest smartphone in the Indian market under its budget T series dubbed the Vivo T3 Pro. The new smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset and also comes with a huge 5500mAh battery to keep the lights running.

Vivo T3 Pro 5G has been launched at a price of Rs 24,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant and 26,999 for the 8GB + 256GB storage variant. Meanwhile, Vivo is also offering an instant discount of Rs 3,000 on payments made using HDFC and ICICI bank cards, bringing the effective cost of the device to  ₹21,999 and ₹23,999 respectively.

The newest Vivo smartphone will be up for grabs from September 3 and will be available on Flipkart, Vivo’s own website, and the company’s partner retail stores.

Acer has refreshed the Aspire 7 gaming laptop with the 13th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU in India. The laptop comes with support for Nvidia GeForce 2050 and GeForce RTX 3050 GPUs.

The new laptop comes with a 15.6-inch full-HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate, as well as 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. The gaming laptop is backed by a 54Wh battery and ships with a 3-pin 120W AC adapter. It comes packed with a backlit keyboard.

The Acer Aspire 7 price starts at Rs 61,990 in the country for the GeForce RTX 2050 GPU option, while the GeForce RTX 3050 GPU variant is listed at Rs. 67,990. It is offered in a lone Steel Grey colorway and is up for grabs in India via Flipkart and the Acer India website.

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Acer Aspire 7 Under The Hood

The Acer Aspire 7 comes equipped with a 15.6-inch full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS LCD screen with a 144Hz refresh rate. The gaming laptop has been refreshed with the 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13420H CPU paired with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 512 GB of M.2 PCIe SSD storage.

The laptop can now be equipped with either the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 GPU with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM or the GeForce RTX 3050 GPU with 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. The laptop runs on 64-bit Windows 11 Home out-of-the-box.

The Aspire 7 features a backlit full-sized keyboard alongside a touchpad with multi-gesture and scrolling support. The gaming laptop comes packed with an HD webcam dual stereo speakers, and a microphone. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

Acer has packed a 54Wh battery in the Aspire 7 and it comes with a 3-pin 120W AC adapter in the box. It has two USB 3.2 Type-C, one USB 3.2 Type-A, one USB 2.0 Type-A, and one HDMI port. It measures 359.5 x 238.0 x 22.7mm in size and weighs 1.99kg.

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Asus Launches ProArt PZ13, Vivobook S15 laptops

Asus has announced the launch of two new laptops, the ProArt PZ13, and Vivobook S 15 OLED, backed by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chipsets. The new laptops are targeted at professionals and creators. The company claims that these laptops bring high-end performance with AI-driven features and vibrant OLED displays.

The ProArt PZ13 comes at a starting price of Rs 1,39,990, while the Vivobook S 15 OLED starts at Rs 1,04,990. Both laptops will be available online through Asus e-shop, Flipkart, and Amazon, and offline through Asus stores and authorized dealers.

In a new wave of job cuts, Microsoft has announced the layoff of 650 employees from its Xbox division, marking the second major workforce reduction of the year within its gaming arm. The job cuts follow a previous workforce reduction of approximately 1900 positions in January this year.

As per the company, these layoffs are part of broader restructuring efforts aimed at streamlining its gaming operations, particularly after its takeover of Activision Blizzard. The news about the recent layoffs was brought to light for employees through an internal memo from Microsoft’s gaming chief, Phil Spencer.

According to the memo, the latest wave of job cuts will predominantly affect corporate and support roles within the company’s gaming division. Spencer ensured that no games, devices, or experiences were being canceled, and no studios would be closed after the layoffs.

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Microsoft Offering Exit Packages With Severance Pay

"For the past year, our goal has been to minimize disruption while welcoming new teams and enabling them to do their best work," Spencer stated in the memo. "With these changes, our corporate and support teams and resources are aligned for sustainable future growth and can better support our studio teams and business units with programs and resources that can scale to meet their needs,” Spencer said in the internal memo, as reported by The Verge.

According to the Memo, the latest job cuts at the company will impact employees both in the US and internationally. For affected workers in the US, the company will be providing exit packages that include severance pay, extended healthcare benefits, and outplacement services to assist with the transition to new employment. Packages for employees outside the US will differ on regional guidelines and policies.

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Layoffs At Microsoft In 2024

Microsoft’s gaming chief also mentioned that these job cuts will enable the company’s corporate and support teams to align better with the studio and business units. "Our teams will now be better supported with programs and resources that can scale to meet their needs," Spencer wrote.

Notably, the recent layoffs came after the company reduced a large workforce in January 2024. During that period, Microsoft laid off around 1900 employees, including high-profile figures such as Mike Ybarra. The January job cuts followed Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, one of the largest deals in gaming history.

Since taking over Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has been focused on minimizing disruption while integrating new teams into its structure. According to the company, the restructuring will help Microsoft Gaming’s corporate and support teams better align with the needs of studio teams and business units.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), functioning under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has issued a high-severity warning aimed at users operating Android OS versions 12, 12L, 13, and 14. The advisory has been released in response to the discovery of multiple vulnerabilities within the Android operating system.

As per the government body, these flaws have the potential to expose users to a variety of cyber threats, including unauthorized access to personal information, privilege escalation, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, which could lead to significant disruptions in device functionality.

CERT-In has highlighted that these vulnerabilities exist in different components of Android, making the scenario even more difficult. Specifically, the flaws are found in the Framework, System, and Google Play system updates, particularly within the Remote Key Provisioning subcomponent, Kernel, and several other external components supplied by technology providers such as Arm, Imagination Technologies, Unisoc, and Qualcomm.

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How Can Users Protect Themselves From Vulnerabilities

Once exploited, these vulnerabilities are capable of enabling attackers to gain access to sensitive information stored on the device or take control of the system by obtaining elevated privileges.

In an era where smartphones are increasingly used to manage sensitive tasks like online banking, accessing confidential information, and sharing real-time locations, the need for robust security measures is more important than ever. Devices running outdated Android versions without the latest security patches are at heightened risk of being targeted by hackers. These older versions often have unpatched vulnerabilities that are easier for cybercriminals to exploit.

While Google frequently rolls out updates to patch these issues, many users delay installing them due to concerns over data consumption, insufficient storage space, or the inconvenience of updating. However, ignoring these things can make the device vulnerable. CERT-In always strongly advises to regularly check for and install security patches from Google to protect their data and ensure the security of their Android devices.

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New Windows Vulnerability Could Cause BSOD Yet Again

Cybersecurity company Fortra LLC discovered the vulnerability in the Common Log File System (CLFS) driver of Windows. It was caused due to an improper validation of specified quantities in input data, meaning the system failed to correctly check the values entered by the user.

The vulnerability then could enable a malicious authenticated user to trigger the error through a forced call to the KeBugCheckEx function, which would lead to system instability and denial of service or DoS attacks.

A researcher at Fortra, Ricardo Narvaja, demonstrated how the vulnerability could be exploited through a proof-of-concept (PoC). Narvaja was able to craft specific values within a.BLF file is a format usually used by the Windows common log file system.

WhatsApp for Android is reportedly working on a new functionality to integrate a two-way voice chat feature for the in-app AI chatbot Meta AI. A new report suggests that the voice mode feature will also come with multiple voices of public figures, letting users customize their experience of interacting with the chatbot.

Additionally, other voices from the US and the UK are also said to be integrated into this feature. Notably, Meta AI voice mode will be able to hold conversations with the users in a human-like manner.

As per WABetaInfo, the information regarding the voices of public figures was spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.24.19.32. As of now, the feature is not visible, and as a result, those who have signed up for the Google Beta Programme will not be able to see it.

Also Read: OnePlus 13 To Launch In October 2024 With SD 8 Gen 4 SoC

Public Figure Voices Coming To Meta AI

The feature tracker also shared a screenshot, where it is visible that WhatsApp is planning to implement several voices for Meta AI. These voices are said to differ in pitch, tonality, and accents to enable a unique experience for users. These will likely be similar to ChatGPT’s existing Voice Mode which offers four different voices to users.

The report also suggests that there are three voices with a UK accent and two with a US accent. The details about their gender, pitch, or regional accents were not shared. It is said to come with four voices belonging to public figures. While the names weren’t disclosed, it is said that they could be celebs or influencers.

This isn’t something new for Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp. Last year, the company launched several custom AI chatbots on Messenger based on the personalities of influencers, celebrities, and other notable figures. The voice option is likely an extension of that project and could be extended to the AI characters.

Also Read: Apple AirPods Pro 2 Headphones To Soon Act As Hearing Aids

WhatsApp To Let Users Send Messages And Call Other Apps

Meta recently shared an update for WhatsApp on how the company plans to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires Meta-owned messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Messenger to support interoperability with third-party services and apps.

In a blog post, Meta said that it is working on a technical solution that focuses on maintaining user privacy and security and showcased how third-party chats would look on Messenger and WhatsApp.

The Zuckerberg-led tech company said that it has “built new notifications into WhatsApp and Messenger that inform users about third-party chats” and that it will remind users each time a new messaging app becomes available.