Microsoft OneDrive on Android will let you restore recently-deleted files

A new update for Microsoft OneDrive on Android will make it easier for you to retrieve files you accidentally deleted. Version 5.7 of the app will let you know if you’ve accidentally deleted a large number of files by mistake and help you restore these. Aside from this, the app now has full Android Oreo compatibility, which as Microsoft points out includes notification channels and background battery optimizations.

Source: Android Police

Sony launches Xperia XZ2 Premium

Sony has unveiled the flagship phone of its Xperia XZ2 line: the Xperia XZ2 Premium. This phone, which can be considered the successor of the XZ Premium, now has a 5.8-inch 4K HDR display that’s said to be 11 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter. Both sides of the phone are covered by Gorilla Glass 5 and comes with IP65/68 water resistance. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, and Android 8.0 Oreo. You get 64GB internal storage with expansion via microSD and a 3,450mAh battery that supports both USB Type-C charging or Qi wireless charging. Sony packs in its new “Dynamic Vibration System,” which makes the phone vibrate based on analyzed audio data from the game your playing or video you’re watching. 

4K HDR extends beyond the Xperia XZ2 Premium’s display. It can record 4K HDR as well with its Motion Eye Dual camera setup, which has a 19-megapixel primary sensor and 12-megapixel black-and-white sensor (this dual setup is a first for Sony). It promises ISO 12800 sensitivity for video and ISO 51200 for photos. It can also take super slow-mo 960fps videos. Its front shooter comes with a 13-megapixel 1/3.06” sensor. No word yet on pricing but the phone is expected to arrive at the start of the summer. 

Source: Tech Radar

Are self-destructing emails coming to Gmail?

It’s been rumoured that Google is set to revamp Gmail soon. On top of this, the email client might also soon let users send out self-destructing emails. These emails will “expire” after a set amount of time. The feature is reportedly being called “confidential mode.” If an email has been set to expire, the recipient won’t be able to download, forward, or print said copies of the email after the expiration date. It can last for a few days to even years after. There might also be an option to add a passcode for certain emails, which will be sent to the recipient via text message. There is no indication though if this possible new feature could work with emails sent to non-Gmail users or if there will be end-to-end encryption. We have to wait and see if this feature will come to users.

Source: Android Authority

Google’s new search tool draws answers from book passages

Looking for inspiration on how to approach a certain topic? Or perhaps looking for something interesting to read? Google has a new search tool called Talk to Books to help you out. Futurist Ray Kurzweil sat down with TED curator Chris Anderson recently to talk about this new feature. It’s an artificial intelligence-powered tool where you can type in a question and it’ll scan over 100,000 volumes of books in Google Books and draw a list of likely responses with the relevant passage highlighted for you.

Kurzweil said this tool isn’t meant to replace keyword searches but makes use of “semantic search,” which uses the AI’s ability to understand natural human language. It theoretically handles queries better if you ask it things in sentence form because it tries to look for responses that look like something a person might say in a conversation. “Semantic search is based on searching meaning, rather than on keywords or phrases” elaborates Kurzweil on his blog. “Developed with machine learning, it uses ‘natural language understanding’ of words and phrases.” He was actually part of the team who launched “Smart Reply” for Gmail, which parses through an open email to give you a number of pre-written, and hopefully relevant, responses you can send back.

Source: Quartz