Google Pixel sales have plummeted, while key executives exit the team

Google's line of Pixel smartphones were once promising flagship competitors to Samsung Galaxies and Notes as well as Apple iPhones, but now it seems that interest and sales of these devices is cratering. Recent reports state that Google has sold only 2 million Pixel devices in the first two quarters of the year. There have also been defections within Google's Pixel team as two key executives, camera expert Marc Levoy and general manager Mario Queiroz have departed the team signaling some unrest within the smartphone division.

Click to read more ...

WhatsApp tests feature that suggest users use Messenger Rooms for video calls with many participants

As you may or may not know, WhatsApp video calls can now support up to eight people in one call. But if you want a lot more people, parent company Facebook has its solution: giving WhatsApp users the option to use Messenger Rooms, which supports up to 50 people in one call. WABetaInfo spotted the feature in the latest version of the WhatsApp Web Client after having found something similar in the beta version of the Android app, which strongly suggests Facebook is working on this integration.

The shortcut shows up in the paper clip menu as well as on the main menu of the web client. After clicking on it, it'll let you know that you will be redirected to Messenger Rooms. The app does also warn you that Messenger calls aren't end-to-end encrypted like WhatsApp calls. According to The Next Web, the feature doesn't work yet, but if you're looking to host bigger WhatsApp group calls, this might be a good addition for you—as long as you're okay with the lack of encryption.

Microsoft Surface Go 2, Surface Earbuds, Surface Headphones 2 now available in Canada

Some of the recently announced Microsoft Surface products have made their way to Canada and are now available. The 2-in-1 Surface Go 2 has a starting price of $529. If you thought that it comes with the Go Type Cover, unfortunately, you'll have to shell out an extra $169.99 for that. It comes in Ice Blue, Poppy Red, Platinum, and Black. You will also need to buy other accessories like the Surface Pen or Mobile Mouse separately. But if you have the Go Type Cover of the original Surface Go, then that should still work fine with the new device.

After a bit of a wait, the Surface Earbuds are also now available locally. Its starting price is $259.99. Now, if you want the new Surface Headphones 2, it comes with a starting price of $349.99. It's available in the new Matte Black.

Reese Witherspoon to star in two Netflix rom-coms

Embed from Getty Images

Reese Witherspoon takes us back to simpler times with a new deal she's signed with Netflix. The actress has signed on to star in two upcoming romantic comedies that will be produced by her production company, Hello Sunshine. The first film is entitled Your Place or Mine, which has a script written by Aline Brosh McKenna. McKenna will make her directorial debut with the film. And it is about "two long-distance best friends who change each other's lives when one decides to pursue a lifelong dream and the other volunteers to keep an eye on the friend's teenage son."

The second film is entitled The Cactus, and it's based on a novel with the same name by Sarah Haywood. It was one of Witherspoon's "Hello Sunshine Book Club picks" in 2018. And it tells the story of "a 45-year-old woman who falls unexpectedly pregnant, leading her on an unconventional journey toward love, family, and learning to embrace the unexpected." There is no writer or director attached to the film yet. We don't have release dates as well, given COVID-19 pandemic, it might be a while until we get that information.

Source: Vulture