'Stranger Things 4' has already racked up over 1 billion hours viewed

Source: Netflix

Stranger Things 4 hasn't quite beaten Squid Game's record. But it does set one for an English-language title. Netflix claims the show has racked up 1.15 billion hours of viewing time within the first 28 days of each of the last two episodes. The first seven episodes had a viewing time of 930.32 million hours within 28 days of their debut. While episodes 8 and 9 reached 221 million hours viewed within the week of June 27 and July 3.

Squid Game still holds the record for most hours viewed, crossing 1.65 billion within its first 28 days of release. It is still the streaming service's most-viewed show. But as Engadget noted, Stranger Things could overtake it since it's still a few days since the last two episodes came out. We don't know how Stranger Things' popularity has affected its subscriber numbers. Its subscriber growth was at its peak when Squid Game blew up. But it lost around 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 due to stiffer competition and account sharing.

Microsoft to launch Outlook Lite Android app this month

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft is bringing a smaller, faster Outlook app to Android soon. The Outlook Lite app promises a "smaller app size with fast performance for low-end devices on any network." According to Microsoft 365's roadmap, it's expected to be rolled out worldwide sometime this month. It seems to be available in some countries, so the company might be prepping for a broader release now.

According to Microsoft's documentation, the app will most likely be only limited to Outlook, Hotmail, Live, and MSN accounts. It won't support school or work accounts.

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This new Xiaomi flagship gets a Leica camera with a 1-inch sensor

Xiaomi is not resting on its laurels when it comes to its smartphones. It's been barely six months since Xiaomi announced its last flagship, but now it has a new one with its new partner. Xiaomi partners with Leica to launch its new 12S series. Its most distinctive point, which you really won't miss, is that massive 1-inch, 50.3-megapixel Sony IMX989 sensor. You get a pixel size of 1.6um, doubling to 3.2um via pixel binning for improved colour accuracy and low light performance. Unlike the Sony Xperia Pro-I, it uses the entire portion of the 1-inch sensor.

Xiaomi took part in developing this sensor with Sony, with the two companies splitting the US$15 million cost evenly. But they won't have exclusive rights to the sensor. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said it'll be made available to his local competitors after the launch to "promote the advancement of mobile imaging together."

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Meta shutters Novi cryptocurrency digital wallet

Source: Meta

Meta is abandoning Novi, its digital wallet that supports cryptocurrencies. The wallet will no longer be available starting September 1, 2022, with all user accounts being deactivated then. After July 21, 2022, you won't be able to add money to your account. This announcement is also your signal to take out any money there. 

But that might not be an issue with you. Novi was never launched beyond the US and Guatemala, even if it was part of Meta's ambitious plans to invest in cryptocurrencies. Novi hasn't been around for long. It was launched in October 2021 as a standalone app, and then it was integrated into WhatsApp a few months later. So, if you've used Novi to transfer money on the app, you won't have a substitute for now.

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