Latest WhatsApp beta has brought three new options for dark mode on the app.

WhatsApp now gets call waiting, but no call holding

08 Dec 2019 | 2:03 PM

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook-owned WhatsApp has become the latest Voice over Internet Protocol services provider to support call waiting feature even as the company has skipped adding call holding for now.

[ + read story ]

SAN FRANCISCO

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has become the latest Voice over Internet Protocol services provider to support call waiting feature even as the company has skipped adding call holding for now.

When you're already talking on the phone and another person tries to call you, most phones and operators let you know that you've got a call waiting. Very few VOIP services support that, though, and WhatsApp wasn't among them until now, Android Police reported on Friday.

Earlier, when somebody would try to call you on WhatsApp while you were already on the phone, they would hear it ring, but, no one would answer. The call would then get disconnected.

Call waiting is available in v2.19.352 stable (APK Mirror) and above of WhatsApp, and v2.19.128 (APK Mirror) of WhatsApp Business, the report added.

Meanwhile, the latest WhatsApp beta update has brought three new options for dark mode on the app.

The light theme would offer a white background. Dark theme, as the name suggests, would enable dark mode on WhatsApp, according to WABetaInfo, a fan website that tracks WhatsApp updates.

Another option, which is 'Set by Battery Saver', dark mode would be activated only when the smartphone's battery level drops below a certain point. This third option is said to be available only for smartphones running on Android 9.0 or older. — IANS

Microsoft discovers 44 million accounts using breached user names, passwords

08 Dec 2019 | 11:46 AM

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft has discovered that over 44 million users of its Azure and Microsoft Services Accounts (MSA) are using leaked credentials to log into their accounts.

Discovery of tombs revives dream of finding Cleopatra, lover Antony

08 Dec 2019 | 3:17 PM

CAIRO: The discovery of a series of tombs of the rich and powerful from the last days of the Egyptian Empire revives the dream of finding the remains of Cleopatra and of her lover, the Roman general Mark Antony.

Weak Arctic ice sees 56 polar bears descend on Russian village

06 Dec 2019 | 3:34 PM

MOSCOW: More than 50 polar bears have gathered on the edge of a village in Russia's far north, environmentalists and residents said, as weak Arctic ice leaves them unable to roam.

iPhone 11 Pro shared location even when told not to

06 Dec 2019 | 1:46 PM

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple's iPhone 11 Pro has been found to continuously collecting and transmitting its users location data even when the user has blocked it from doing so.

Stress in early life extends lifespan in worms: Study

06 Dec 2019 | 12:06 PM

WASHINGTON: Some stress at a young age may actually lead to a longer life, according to a study conducted in worms.

Arctic warming in last decade same as whole Earth’s in past century: Study

06 Dec 2019 | 10:30 AM

LOS ANGELES: The Arctic has warmed by 0.75 degrees Celsius in the last decade alone, whereas the Earth as a whole has warmed by nearly the same amount over the past 137 years.

Asia has at least 10 ancestral lineages, shows genome mapping

05 Dec 2019 | 2:27 PM

BENGALURU: Asia has at least 10 ancestral lineages, whereas northern Europe has just one, says a study of global genetic comparison including genome sequence from 598 individuals belonging to 55 ethnic groups from India.

Birds are ‘shrinking’ because of climate change: Study

05 Dec 2019 | 2:14 PM

WASHINGTON: As the climate warms, many birds are shrinking in size while their wingspans are increasing, according to a study.

Saturn's moon may help decode climate change on Earth: Study

05 Dec 2019 | 12:12 PM

HOUSTON: Researchers have found that Saturn's largest moon Titan undergoes significant seasonal changes in its energy budget—the amount of solar energy it absorbs, and the the heat it emits—an advance that may lead to new insights about climate fluctuations on the Earth.

WhatsApp beta introduces 3 new options for dark mode

04 Dec 2019 | 4:33 PM

SAN FRANCISCO: Dark Mode for WhatsApp has been in the news for long and now a new beta with the build number 2.19.353 has revealed some hidden features which will offer three options for activating the dark mode.

'Why people share fake news on social media decoded'

04 Dec 2019 | 6:48 PM

People may feel less unethical about sharing misinformation on social media if they repeatedly encounter the fake news item, even when they don't believe it, according to a study involving more than 2,500 people.

TikTok sued in US over alleged China data transfer

04 Dec 2019 | 12:10 PM

SAN FRANCISCO: A university student in California has filed a class-action lawsuit against video app TikTok, which she accuses of harvesting large amounts of user data and storing it in China.

Global carbon emissions slower than 2018, linked to India’s economic slowdown: Study

04 Dec 2019 | 11:27 AM

LONDON: Global carbon emissions have grown more slowly in 2019 compared to last year, according to a study which suggests this could be due to several factors, including slower growth in coal use in China and India compared to recent years.

2010s hottest decade, 2019 among three hottest years ever: UN

03 Dec 2019 | 2:30 PM

MADRID: This decade is set to be the hottest in history, the United Nations said Tuesday in an annual assessment outlining the ways in which climate change is outpacing humanity's ability to adapt to it.

Playing sounds of reefs can pull fish towards degrading corals

01 Dec 2019 | 3:49 PM

LONDON: Young fish can be drawn to degraded reefs using loudspeakers playing the sounds of healthy coral communities, according to a study which may lead to new strategies for restoring damaged corals.

WhatsApp snooping: Questions on how India tackling data breach

01 Dec 2019 | 2:34 PM

NEW DELHI: The WhatsApp snooping row that involves privacy infringement of 121 Indian users out of 1,400 globally via third-party Israeli Pegasus spyware is now witnessing serious questions on the part of the government in handling such a crucial matter in the absence of a robust digital legal framework.

18,000-year-old frozen 'puppy' discovered in near-perfect condition in Siberia