WhatsApp begins reservations for usernames

WhatsApp

Exchanging information to chat on WhatsApp will soon be as easy as giving someone your username. The Meta-owned messaging app plans to roll out usernames gradually in the coming months. In the meantime, you can reserve the username of your choice through your account or profile settings in the mobile app. It isn't a compulsory feature, so you don't have to set it up if you don't think you need it.

Names will be limited to 35 characters, and there will be restrictions, including using the names of high-profile officials and celebrities. Their names will not be made available to anyone else. So, we're guessing similarly named "ordinary people" will need to come up with unique usernames.

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Dummy unit of the rumoured foldable iPhone Ultra surface

JamOnline

A new set of leaked dummy images for Apple's rumoured first foldable smartphone has appeared online. Supposedly named the iPhone Ultra, the wide-screened foldable looks similar to the Huawei Pura X Max, with a stout, book-like form factor. According to JamOnline, the device could be nearly as thin as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 when folded. Unfolded, it's expected to measure just 4.5mm.

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Meta, EssilorLuxottica debuts new styles for smartglasses

Meta

Meta Glasses have gotten a refresh through Meta's partnership with EssilorLuxottica. The smart glasses come in three frame styles, with one pair designed in collaboration with Kylie Jenner. The companies said there are 26 frame-and-lens combinations available, including support for prescription lenses.

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Apple plans to raise prices due to rising chip costs

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The artificial intelligence boom is forcing Apple to raise its product prices. Tim Cook, Apple's outgoing chief executive officer, confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that price increases were "unavoidable" as surging memory chip prices and the situation around them have become "unsustainable."

Cook did not specify the timeframe of the price hikes, but the company is expected to launch its newest version of the iPhone in September. Memory chips are considered essential components of devices like smartphones, but the increased demand for AI-related infrastructure and products has driven their prices higher. This effect is compounded by the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East. 

VIA