Apple launches Red iPhone

Apple is introducing a new color option for its iPhone 7 lineup today: red. While the iPhone maker has offered special product red cases for the iPhone previously, this is the first time the actual handset is available in red itself. The new Product (RED) iPhone features a red aluminum finish, and is launching as part of Apple's partnership with (RED).

“The introduction of this special edition iPhone in a gorgeous red finish is our biggest (PRODUCT)RED offering to date in celebration of our partnership with (RED), and we can’t wait to get it into customers’ hands," says Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Apple's partnership with (RED) involves highlighting the AIDS fundraising campaign with red-themed designs for products and apps. Apple recently turned its App Store and associated top apps the color red for the world AIDS day.

Apple’s last color change to its iPhone lineup involved a new glossy jet black finish for the iPhone 7, and before that the company also introduced the rose gold option with the iPhone 6S. Today’s red option is perhaps the most striking of all the colors available for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and it will be available on Friday, March 24th in 128GB and 256GB models starting at $749.

ট্যাক্সি সেবা দেবে গুগল!

ইন্টারনেটে অনুসন্ধান সেবাদাতা প্রতিষ্ঠান গুগল জিপিএসভিত্তিক মোবাইল নেভিগেশন অ্যাপ্লিকেশন ওয়েজ কিনে নিয়েছে এটা পুরোনো খবর। নতুন খবর হলো এর মাধ্যমে তারা এবার কারপুল সেবার বাজারে ভাগ বসাতে চলেছে। আগামী কয়েক মাসের মধ্যে মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্র ও লাতিন আমেরিকার কয়েকটি শহরে এই সেবা সম্প্রসারণ করার পরিকল্পনা করেছে বলে এক প্রতিবেদনে জানিয়েছে ওয়ার্ল্ড স্ট্রিট জার্নাল। ইসরায়েল ও সান ফ্র্যান্সিসকো শহরে পরীক্ষামূলকভাবে সফল কার্যক্রম পরিচালনার পরেই প্রতিষ্ঠানটি এই সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়।
উল্লেখ্য, ওয়েজ হলো বিশ্বব্যাপী গাড়ি চালকদের সবচেয়ে বড় প্ল্যাটফর্ম। এ অ্যাপ্লিকেশনটির সাহায্যে রাস্তায় যানজটের অবস্থা সম্পর্কে জানা সম্ভব হয়।
আর এই সিদ্ধান্ত গুগলকে জনপ্রিয় ট্যাক্সি সেবাদাতা প্রতিষ্ঠান উবারের মুখোমুখি দাঁড় করিয়ে দিয়েছে। উবার ও লিফট যে ধরনের সেবা দিয়ে থাকে তার থেকে ওয়েজ-এর সেবা খানিকটা ভিন্ন। কেননা, ওয়েজ প্রথাগত ট্যাক্সি সেবা প্রদান করবে না। এর পরিবর্তে তারা চালকদের উৎসাহ দেবে একই অভিমুখী যাত্রীদের তুলে নিতে। যেমন ধরুন, গাড়ির চালক উত্তরা থেকে মহাখালী যাচ্ছেন। এখন কোনও যাত্রী যদি পথিমধ্যে কাকলি বা বনানী যেতে চায়, তাহলে সে তাকে গাড়িতে তুলে নেবে। তবে উত্তরা থেকে মহাখালী যাওয়ার পথে কিংবা অন্য কোনও গন্তব্যে যাওয়ার সময় পথিমধ্যের কোনও গন্তব্যে নিয়মিত যাত্রী মিলবে কিনা, সেটা একটা চ্যালেঞ্জ বলে মানছেন ওয়েজ-এর প্রধান নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা নোয়াম বারডিন।
শুধু তাই নয়, ভাড়ার ক্ষেত্রেও উবার ও লিফট থেকে আলাদা হবে ওয়েজ। ওয়ার্ল্ড স্ট্রিট জার্নালের প্রতিবেদন অনুসারে, ক্যালিফের ওকল্যান্ডের শহরতলী থেকে সান ফ্র্যান্সিসকোর শহরতলী যেতে যেখানে ওয়েজের ভাড়া পড়বে মাত্র ৪.৫০ ডলার! সেখানে উবারপুল এবং লিফটলাইনের ভাড়া যথাক্রমে ১০.৫৭ এবং ১২.৪০ ডলার। তাই ট্যাক্সি সেবার বাজার দখলের লড়াই কোথায় গিয়ে দাঁড়ায়, সেটাই এখন দেখার পালা।

iPhone 8 latest- price, features, specifications

We round up rumours of the iPhone 8 release date, UK price, tech specs, new features and more. Latest: Multiple sources predict that the iPhone 8 will miss its expected September launch, due to delays related to its new 3D camera, and could be called 'iPhone Edition'

When will the new iPhone 8 be released in the UK, and how different will it be from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus? (Or will the next generation of Apple smartphones be called the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus?) And what tech specs and new features should we expect from Apple's new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus?

The iPhone 8 rumour mill is heating up especially as 2017 is the 10th anniversary of the launch of the iPhone and as a result there are high hopes for the next model.

Apple unveiled the new iPhone 7 alongside its bigger sibling the iPhone 7 Plus during a special event in September 2016, so we're now looking ahead to the next generation. In this article, we round up all the rumours about the iPhone 8: the iPhone 8's UK release date (and on sale date), iPhone 8 UK price, iPhone 8 specs and new features. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started. (We also look at the rumours surrounding the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus here.)

For advice on the current iPhone range, read our iPhone buying guide and best cheap iPhone deals UK. Or, if you'd like to look even further into the future (covering tech developments that come perilously close to the realms of science-fiction), read iPhone 9 and beyond: From graphene to motion charging.

Recent updates

• Rumours point to new branding for late-2017 iPhone: iPhone Edition, or iPhone X
• Multiple sources suggest the iPhone 8 launch may face months of delays - perhaps even arriving after Christmas
• Lovely concept illustrations: mockups by AlHasan Husni show bezel-free curved screen, while Gabor Balogh focuses on augmented reality and the new function area
• The iPhone 8 will feature a curved OLED screen like the Samsung Galaxy Edge, apparently (but another researcher has contradicted this)
• Rumours that Lightning port will be replaced by USB-C (while others predictfast-charging via the existing Lightning port)
• Ming Chi Kuo predicts that the iPhone 8's screen will have a function area for virtual buttons, like the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar...
• ...as well as a monstrous screen pixel density of 521 pixels per inch, and a major increase in battery capacity
• The iPhone 8's lowest storage option will be 64GB (with 256GB as the alternative)
• Wireless charging rumours spread as Apple joins Wireless Power Consortium...
• ...but analysts predict wireless charging will require a separate accessory
• Possibility that there will be no physical buttons at all
• iPhone 8 expected to break thousand-dollar barrier for first time
• New predictions that Touch ID will be built into the iPhone 8's display and will be joined by a new security feature: facial recognition.

When will the iPhone 8 be released?

The iPhone 8 is likely to be released in September 2017, but there are whispers of a delay.

Before we think about new features you should expect in the iPhones of the future, let's talk about the likely release date schedule. Apple's latest batch of smartphones, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, were released in the autumn of 2016. (Read more: iPhone 7 review and iPhone 7 Plus review.) Apple always releases new iPhones in September, and we assume this year will be the same.

Delays

Logic and history both point to September, then, but multiple sources are suggesting that Apple may miss its usual date with smartphone destiny.

 

Digitimes has predicted that "production for the new OLED iPhone is unlikely to start until September due to the redesigned fingerprint ID solution", and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that there will not be time to implement the expected new 3D camera system unless Apple pushes back the launch date of the new iPhones: "Unless production of the OLED iPhone (expected to begin in September) gets pushed back, there is virtually no time to make changes to the 3D camera system." (Both via Business Insider.)

It's also believed that the expected 3D camera scanner is presenting production difficulties. ST Microelectronics, the company tipped to make this component for Apple, are - according to SlashGear's sources - struggling to hit volume targets and have requested additional time.

"That would mesh with earlier rumours that Apple won't even start mass producing the iPhone 8 until September," says the site, "the very month the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus are scheduled to launch. Depending on the yield rate for the revolutionary iPhone, we probably don't expect to see it in the market until a month or two later."

It's unclear at this point if the reported "small fire" at ST Microelectronics' manufacturing plant is going to be a factor in all this.

Some Steps to Get Verified your page on Facebook

For no other reason than reaching a vanity milestone, Blake Jamieson and I decided we wanted to get our public pages verified.

Both of us figured it might help us look a little more credible online and potentially help us land more speaking engagements. Although we were both denied four months ago the first time we applied, we refused to give up so easily. We tweaked a few small things on our Public Facebook pages, published consistent native content, then turned on a very modest advertising budget.

Blake maximized his video content as he understands Facebook is strongly backing video. I changed my approach from sharing just links, posting longer-form content.

All in all, the process for us to set up our profiles to look verifiable took us a few hours of time and less than $30 in advertising fees. After much anticipation, both of us were awarded the tiny blue digital badge of internet credibility. I don't know why, but for me, this was actually pretty thrilling.

Regardless, immediately after Blake initially announced that he had been verified after his initial trial week, I went through the process and was verified within 48 hours. Then a handful of our friends reached out to us for advice.

They were surprised to learn how simple the application process is.

Despite the common assumption, verification seems to have nothing to do with the number of fans a page has.

With proper positioning, a little effort put towards content, and a tiny advertising budget, we feel that anyone can get their public page verified on Facebook, as long as they fit within one of these categories: Public Figure, Actor, Athlete or Musician.

To get verified, you will need a few things prior to submitting your application.

You will need:

• An existing public page under your name (you can't use your personal page).
• A history of native content posted to your page.
• Some media references that have your name or image.
• A website.
• An iPhone or iPad with an internet connection (Android devices should work in a few months).
• The Facebook Mentions Application.

How to get verified as a local business (gray badge)

According to Facebook, there are a number of elements that must be in place before you'll have the option to become verified as a local business. Your page must first:

Be classified as a local business, company or organization

Have a profile photo

Have a cover photo

If these three elements are in place (and assuming you're the admin of the page), you should see the option to verify in your page's settings. Simply click on "Settings" at the top right of your page, then "General," then "Page Verification."

Now you can send money internationally through Facebook Messenger

Sending money on Facebook is finally international. 

A new bot released on Facebook Messenger on Sunday lets users send money to and from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia or Europe. 

Powered by TransferWise, the bot completes money transfers and guides users through the process. 

TransferWise customers on the company's own app already send and receive almost $1 billion a month. The app boasts that it allows transfers without the usual fees charged by banks or hidden in exchange rates. Instead, TransferWise uses the current exchange rate and charges an upfront fee, usually based on 1 percent or so of the money being transferred. 

TransferWise's app allows customers to send money in plenty of other currencies outside North America and Europe, but its selection of currencies available on Facebook Messenger will be more limited. 

Along with sending money, the Facebook bot will notify users about changing exchange rates and send alerts when it's a particularly good time to exchange a currency. 

Facebook has allowed users to send each other money through Messenger for several months, but only domestically. TransferWise's bot will be the first to facilitate international money transfers. That's a big deal — even Venmo is limited outside the United States. 

“Our mission at TransferWise is to bring faster, cheaper, and more convenient international money transfers to everyone in the world. Building the TransferWise bot for Messenger is a great step in that direction," TransferWise Head of Global Partnerships Scott Miller said in a statement. "It’s also a powerful example of how our API can be used to seamlessly integrate TransferWise into almost any messaging, bank or business payment system.”

Facebook and TransferWise have been linked before — most notably in rumors that the social network would buy the fintech startup. No acquisition yet, but a bot is a promising start.