WhatsApp is rolling out ‘view once’ messages to Android beta testers

Facebook is diving into ephemeral messaging. After debuting self-erasing media and texts on Messenger and Instagram, the social giant is rolling out a similar feature on WhatsApp. Starting today, the app's beta testers on Android have begun to receive a "View Once" mode that wipes photos and videos as soon as you view and dismiss them. You'll know if you have access to the new feature if you see a dedicated button (that looks like a timer) in the caption input field, according to the experts at WABetaInfo

Not to be confused with WhatsApp's disappearing messages — which delete within seven days — photos and video sent using view once mode are single-use only and vanish after you close them. You'll get a notification once your media has been viewed. 

Despite the added sheen of privacy, there are some quirks you should be aware of before jumping in. As noted by WABetaInfo, disabling read receipts won't stop others from being notified if a view once message has been opened — though, you won't see when a recipient open yours. In groups, you'll be able to see when members have opened disappearing media even if you have read receipts disabled. 

Also, there's nothing stopping people from screenshotting your message without you finding out. View once apparently still works if you send a message to someone who doesn't have access to the feature. Those on iOS will reportedly get the new mode at a later date.

Facebook announced the feature in June on the heels of its divisive WhatsApp privacy policy update. The tech giant was forced to delay the new rules to mid-May from early February following an outcry over its access to additional user data. Facebook also later backtracked on its decision to limit WhatsApp features for those who didn't accept the changes. The company has previously painted ephemeral messaging as a way to encourage more authentic and intimate conversations.

Watch the first livestreamed Virgin Orbit rocket launch starting at 9:50AM ET

Now that Virgin Orbit is comfortable carrying satellites into space, it's ready for you to tune in. The orbital delivery company is livestreaming a rocket launch for the first time, with an expected takeoff time around 9:50AM Eastern. The "Tubular Bells: Part One" mission will see the Cosmic Girl host aircraft deploy the LauncherOne rocket roughly an hour after lifting into the sky.

LauncherOne will have plenty to do during the flight, as Space.comnoted. It's carrying seven satellites for three countries, including the US (four cubesats for the Department of Defense Space Test Program), Poland (two vehicles for SatRevolution) and the Netherlands (a cubesat for the Royal Netherlands Air Force).

As before, Virgin Orbit's appeal is its flexibility and cost — organizations can put payloads into space more on their own terms, and potentially for less money than needed for a conventional launch. The company has had just two launches before now, though. In that light, a lot is riding on this mission — it should help prove that Virgin is ready to pick up the pace and compete against private spaceflight rivals like Rocket Lab and SpaceX.

New Volkswagen Polo GTI gets official

Volkswagen have launched their latest GTI model, the new Volkswagen Polo GTI. The car is based on the six generation Polo and is designed to be a more sportier version of the Polo. The 2021 Volkswagen Polo GTI comes with a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 204 horsepower. The car comes with a […]

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Keyboardio Model 100 mechanical, ergonomic split keyboard

Keyboardio has created a new ergonomic, mechanical split keyboard building on the design of their original the Keyboardio Model 01, now the developing team and engineers have introduced their latest creation the Keyboardio Model 100. Featuring 64 hot-swappable mechanical keyswitches, individually addressable RGB LEDs under each custom-sculpted keycap, together with an open source firmware, all […]

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Sony’s excellent WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones hit new low of $190

There's a lot to like about Sony's WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones, and many of them come from their predecessor, the WH-1000XM3. Sony added to the exceptional foundation of the XM3 to make the XM4 stand out even further from the competition, but as the company's latest ANC cans, the XM4s are expensive at $348. If you can bare with a slightly older model, you can get the WH-1000XM3 for a great price right now — just $190 if you go to Best Buy. That's $10 less than their previous all-time low that we saw back in March.

Buy WH-1000XM3 at Best Buy - $190

Just because the XM3 are not the newest cans anymore, that doesn't mean they have been made obsolete. In fact, they still have god sound quality and excellent active noise-cancellation, the latter of which is strong enough to block out most background noise from the street when you're walking to work or from an airplane when you're traveling. They also have a comfortable and relatively attractive design, plus a killer battery life. The XM3 will last about 30 hours before they need a recharge, and quick-charging capabilities will give you five hours of use after only 10 minutes of power-up.

If you're on the market for a new pair of ANC headphones, you're probably wondering what Sony added to the XM4 to make them fresh. It's really two key features: the XM4 will automatically pause when they detect that you're speaking and multi-device connectivity. With the later, you can switch between listening on two devices — like your smartphone and your computer — pretty seamlessly. Those new features, in addition to other small improvements, helped the $348 XM4 top our list of best headphones. But if you can skip them, the XM3 remain a solid pick that are made even better at this sale price.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Essential car accessories designed to help you escape any accident or emergency safely!

We spend the majority of our time in our personal cars! We’re commuting from one location to another, from our home to office, office to home, home to our favorite restaurant and so much more. There’s always a risk of our car breaking down or encountering some issue or the other. In such scenarios, it’s critical to have a handy collection of tools that can come to our rescue. From EDCs to nifty accessories, these products will support your car in the best way possible. Nifty, portable, and highly functional, these designs deserve a spot in your car for sure!

The WYN Bullet is one of those rare examples of EDC that was designed to save lives. Smaller than your finger, the WYN Bullet is a spring-loaded glass-shattering tool that helps you make a quick escape/rescue by instantly breaking a car’s toughened glass. Whether you’re inside your car trying to get out, or outside the car trying to save someone on the inside, the WYN Bullet’s one-push system can instantly shatter toughened glass panels, giving you swift entry into a locked car in emergencies. Toughened glass is exceptionally difficult to break through, by design.

Kono Corporation’s solution to the problem is a simple coupling of two words. Increased visibility. The S.Light, which should be as much of a standard carry-on accessory as a car-jack or lug-wrench, is a signaling beacon that allows drivers know that there’s a broken-down vehicle ahead, from as far as 200 yards away, giving them enough time to react by either change lanes and avoiding a collision, or pulling up near you to help you out. The S.Light, which stands for Safe-Secure-Signal is a portable, flexible signboard that uses a rotating LED display for high visibility at night, and a collapsible reflector panel during the day. The emergency signboard comes with a strong, magnetic base and a flexible goose-neck upon which lies the rotating LED module.

3.5 times harder than titanium, the strongest metal known to mankind, Tungsten Carbide is akin to black gold in the EDC world. Give any gear a coating of Tungsten Carbide and it shines black like obsidian rock, with a unique metallic luster that’s glimmery in a subtle way… but more importantly, it makes them practically invincible, resisting any sort of external wear and tear. Pair it with Wingback’s series of exquisitely designed EDC and you’ve got the ideal combination of aesthetics and performance. Designed by Alasdair MacLaine, Wingback’s Black Steel collection sports three minimal-yet-functional products that are bound to be an unwavering part of your everyday carry. A bullet-sized Key Cache helps you store emergency money on your keychain, while a mechanical pen with its comfortable broad design promises to be the last pen you’ll ever want to use. Lastly, MacLaine’s 100ml hip-flask comes with the same cylindrical lathe-manufactured design as the other products in the series.

Your Apple Watch can measure your heart rate and count steps… but can it tighten a bolt or open a screw? Not that it’s something a smartwatch needs to do, but this handy bracelet + attachment turns your watch-strap into an EDC utility belt with 29 different tools! The magic lies in two parts – the existing Leatherman Tread Bracelet, which packs 29 high-strength stainless-steel multitools in a portable, travel-friendly band that sits along your wrist… and the adapter, which turns the bracelet into a strap that attaches to your Apple Watch (or any other smartwatch). The bracelet’s individual links hold as many as 3 tools per module, from flathead screwdrivers to Phillips head screwdrivers, a wide range of hex-drivers, and even an oxygen tank wrench. Made in Portland, Oregon, the Leatherman Tread Bracelet brilliantly turns EDC into something absolutely new, allowing you to wear it along your wrist as almost a fashion accessory… and the bracelet’s designed to last too, with a whopping 25-year warranty.

The primary responsibility of a walkie-talkie is to be a portable communication device. “Designed to be carried at any time, in many different ways,” this walkie-talkie can be used in any industry or organization where instantaneous communication between peers is required, and phone signals are unreliable. These would generally include security services, transportation industry, construction sites, manufacturing, and warehouse facilities amid a few other sectors. The fact is that walkie-talkies are easy to use and have grown beyond commercial use into the lives of the masses. Smaller versions are especially very popular among kids. As a more innovative way – to highlight its transport – Franco Calegari has designed a walkie-talkie with the bottom half of the device cut out into a hollow ring, which can be used to attach a carabiner or in a range of other ways.

BeSpoke Post sends you an Everything Gear Subscription Box every month! These exciting EDC boxes are full of men’s gear, grooming products, kitchenware, stationery, and more. You simply take a lifestyle quiz, that will help them understood your taste and you better so that they can send you a box that you’ll actually like and use! Handpicked and curated with precision and care, these boxes are full of stunning EDC products that you can place with pride on your desk.

With a newly detailed base that features a wide cross-shaped design, increasing its stability, the CrossJack is the same old jack in a slightly new but noticeably safer design, thanks to its stable base. The CrossJack’s design prompts one to wonder why car-jacks don’t already have wide bases. Its redesign is simple but effective. A collapsible set of plates sit at the bottom of the CrossJack that opens up into a wide cross, giving the jack a spaced-apart, four-point base. This wider footprint prevents the car from being accidentally knocked off the jack and landing on the ground, injuring anyone who may be working on it. The CrossJack’s tweaked design sports a base that’s nearly half an inch thick, and made of stainless steel, giving it a rugged sturdiness that makes the jack safer than most. When you’re done, the jack folds up to occupy exactly the same amount of space as any regular jack would.

Designed by a team of engineers and innovators, The Norshire Mini has some very compelling reasons to make it your must-have gear in the car. The cylinder shape earns it the required brownie points, as this is what makes it easily stow-able It hosts a tiny OLED display and capacitive touch, to make it easy to operate. The display showcases the current tire pressure and then the setting to which you want to inflate the tire with. Some of the intuitive features include a built-in microcomputer that measures the tire pressure when hooked to a tire.

The Gerber Armbar Slim Drive has just got the screwdriver, bottle opener, and a sharp blade – giving it a very slim profile – no more than a normal-sized writing instrument. This gives you the practical freedom to carry it with you at all times (literally all times in real-world usage) as opposed to other thick and heavy EDCs that you at most consider carrying in your backpack – no way in your pocket. The advantage here is the specialized function which will help you get through anything required. The multi-tool is designed in a way to give you substantial gripping power while cutting with the blade, and driving or prying the screwdriver tool. On top of that, the frame lock holds the tool steadfast when cutting through tough objects or the odd self-defense situation while walking down the alley on a dark night. The form factor of the overall tool reinforces the sleekness of the design, with a hawk-like form when folded gives it added strength and character.

Designed to let you have running power wherever you go, the Enervision 200 comes with an AC 220V plug point, a 19V3A outlet, two USB ports, and a Type-C port. To give you an idea of the kind of heavy lifting the EnerVision 200 is capable of, it can completely charge your phone up to a staggering 30 times, or even your laptop up to 4 times. A power indicator tells you how much battery capacity the EV200 has left, and it even packs a flashlight on one end for good measure. The EV200’s bigger brother, the EV450 packs even more. Built with a 120,000 mAh (444Wh) battery, the EV450 can charge a laptop 8 times, and even has enough power to run a desktop for 4 hours. It also packs a car jump-starter, a cigarette lighter socket (like the ones found in cars), and even has 3 DC 12V outputs, aside from the USB ports and the AC 220V plug point. Weighing just 7.9lbs, the EV 450 even comes with a handle that makes it easy to carry around.

LG’s ‘QNED’ Mini LED TVs are coming to the US in July

LG's lineup of QNED 4K and 8K TVs unveiled late last year will arrive in the US in July, the company has announced. They'll sit just below LG's flagship OLED and consist of two 8K models (the QNED99 and QNED95) along with the 4K QNED90, in sizes from 65 to 85 inches. The TVs will launch first in North America and arrive to other regions in the coming weeks. 

The new sets will use Mini LED tech that blends characteristics from both OLED and LED. Unlike regular LED models, Mini LED uses thousands of tiny LEDs, up to 30,000 for the 86-inch 8K QNED99. With so many more so-called dimming zones, the QNED sets will be able to display deeper blacks and offer more contrast than regular LED TVs. 

LG's 'QNED' Mini LED TVs are coming to the US in July
LG

At the same time, they offer more brightness than OLED TVs, though contrast and black levels aren't as good. Also, unlike with OLED, you'll occasionally see "blooming" or blockiness around bright areas when the dimming zone is larger than the light source on the screen. Mini LED is not to be mistaken with MicroLED either, as the latter is a completely different (currently very expensive) technology that works more like OLED, with individual LEDs for each pixel. 

The models have all the specs you'd expect in a high-end TV, including brightness levels up to 3,000 nits, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision HDR support, along with Dolby Atmos for sound. All models offer 120 Hz native refresh rates with AMD FreeSync support, and LG revealed yesterday that the QNED99 models would have 120 Hz Dolby Vision gaming support when they arrive in July. You'll also get LG's Magic Remote, ThinQ AI, webOS smart TV features and Apple AirPlay 2 & HomeKit support. 

LG didn't reveal the pricing in its press release, but B&H Photo Video already has most of the lineup up on preorder. Prices start at $1,997 for the QNED90 65-inch 4K model, with the 75- and 86-inch 4K QNED90 sets at $2,997 and $3,997, respectively. The QNED99 8K sets jump jump considerably as you'd imagine, with the 65-inch model priced at $3,497, the 75-inch model at $4,797 and the flagship 86-inch model at $6,497. There's no sign yet of pricing for the QNED95 8K models. 

Is iOS 14.7 beta 4 faster than iOS 14.6 (Video)

Apple’s iOS 14.7 beta 4 has been released to developers, we have already seen a hands on video of the software and now we have another one. This new video is a speed test and it puts the new iOS 14.7 beta 4 to side by side with iOS 14.6, the tests are run on […]

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Heykube Electronic Puzzle Cube Teaches You How to Solve It: Kompanion Kube

You can find dozens of tutorials and tips on how to solve a puzzle cube, but a company called Heykube figured out a way to build the guide into the cube itself. The eponymous toy has LEDs at the center of each side. When you begin turning part of the cube, one of the LEDs will light up and will rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise, implying that you should do the same to that side.

The cube comes with a companion app that extends the cube’s “modes”, thanks to different patterns that you can try. It also has a timer. If you want, you can even turn off the LEDs and solve the cube like a regular one. The company also made Heykube’s Python library open source. If you have a Raspberry Pi, you can play with the cube’s lights and sounds, and even create your own puzzles.

You can buy the Heykube straight from the company’s online store for $100 (USD). It’s also on Amazon (affiliate link).

[via The Gadgeteer]

MoFinderX1 real-time GPS tracker and phone app

MoFinderX1 is a real-time GPS tracker that requires no SIM card, monthly fee, network or mobile phone signal and offers reliable data for both distance and direction. Launched via Kickstarter the project has already raised its required pledge goal with still 30 days remaining and without any monthly fees to pay as an affordable alternative […]

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