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By indospot
Google Lens now supports offline translation in beta
by João Carrasqueira
As more and more services are based on the cloud, it's always nice to see when something that typically requires an internet connection becomes accessible offline. Google has long offered support for offline translations in Google Translate, and even delivered some major improvements to it about a year ago, and today, it's bringing that capability to Google Lens.
First spotted by 9to5Google, the Mountain View giant appears to be rolling out a new feature for the translation section of Google Lens, which is accessible through the Google app on Android. Now, it's possible to download language packs to use offline, so even if you don't have an internet connection, you can point the camera at a piece of text and have it translated instantly, even without pressing the shutter button. That should be particularly useful for traveling without a data plan.
Image credit: 9to5Google Of course, downloading language packs will take up space on your phone's storage, and it's also very common for offline translations to not be as accurate as online services, simply because the databases and intelligence behind the translation process are updated more often on the server side. It's also a bit more limited because, while you can copy the entire text you're looking at, you can't select specific words or phrases directly on the image, which you can do when you're connected. It's also worth noting that not every language supports offline translations.
According to 9to5Google, the update is rolling out through a server-side update, though it reports that only devices running beta versions of the Google app have received it right now. We haven't been able to spot the update on our test devices regardless of using beta or stable versions, so your mileage may vary. Either way, the feature should be making its way to more users over time.
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By Namerah S
Looking for dark mode on WeChat? Here's a guide to show you how
by Namerah Saud Fatmi
Humans are social creatures, we like to be connected and interact with others. There is an abundance of social media apps flooding global markets nowadays. WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat - the list goes on and on.
To keep their user bases engaged, tech companies stay on their toes trying to provide new features every now and then. A recent trend that has caught on like wildfire is the advent of dark themes on apps.
We've already done a couple of guides to walk readers through the process of finding and turning on dark mode on various platforms. Today's tutorial will focus on Chinese messaging app WeChat, which serves as the region's equivalent to WhatsApp. Continue reading to learn how to toggle the dark theme for the Tencent-owned social media platform.
Step 1: Launch WeChat on your Android smartphone. Then, locate and open up the 'Me' tab on the bottom-mounted dashboard.
Step 2: Next, enter the settings menu and select the general settings option.
Step 3: You will find the dark mode feature at the top of the list, tap it and switch from the normal theme to the dark-toned one. You may have to restart the app for the effects to take place.
There you go, now you should have the dark theme enabled on WeChat. Here are some before and after images to give you a taste of what you can expect:
Before After We hope you found this step-by-step guide easy to follow. If you have requests for any other tutorials or guides, let us know in the comments below!
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By News Staff
Save up to 90% off the Power User PC Software Bundle
by Steven Parker
Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where for only a limited time, you can save up to 90% off the Power User PC Software Bundle. Recover data, erase sensitive files and convert audio/video files with these highly-rated software for Windows.
This bundle consists of the following items:
Stellar Data Recovery Standard: 3-Yr Subscription
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Recover Deleted Photos, Videos, Texts, Contacts & More BitRaser File Eraser: 3-Yr Subscription
Completely Wipe All Your Sensitive Data in Just Few Clicks, No Technical Skills Required Stellar Repair for Photo Standard: 3-Yr Subscription
The Best DIY Tool to Repair & Restore Corrupt Photos Stellar Converter for Audio & Video: 3-Yr Subscription
Convert Audio & Video Files to Your Desired Formats in Just Few Clicks Good to know
Length of access: 3 years Device per license: 1
This plan is only available to new users
Updates included
Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase For a full description, specs, and license info, click here.
Here's the deal:
This Power User PC Software Bundle normally costs $614, but you can pick it up for just $59.99 for a limited time - that represents a saving of $554.01 (90% off).
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See all discounted Apps + Software on offer. This is a time-limited deal.
Get $1 credit for every $25 spent · Give $10, Get $10 · 10% off for first-time buyers.
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Disclosure: This is a StackCommerce deal or giveaway in partnership with Neowin; an account at StackCommerce is required to participate in any deals or giveaways. For a full description of StackCommerce's privacy guidelines, go here. Neowin benefits from shared revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site, and it all goes toward the running costs.
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By zikalify
Firefox Nightly starts faster on Windows with skeleton UI
by Paul Hill
Mozilla has enabled a new feature in Firefox Nightly on Windows 10 called skeleton UI, the idea is that when you start the browser on the first boot, the browser shows a spartan window just to show that the browser is loading. According to Doug Thayer, a Firefox Platform Engineer, the change will give users a visual indication of the browser loading as much as 15 seconds faster than normal.
Typically, Firefox should load fairly quickly on subsequent launches but when launching it for the first time after boot it can be slow as data on the hard drive has to be accessed. By offering a skeleton UI, users will know that Firefox is loading and not try to mash the Firefox icon which will only cause delays as several more browser windows attempt to open.
The skeleton UI will show the outline of the URL bar and the tabs but icons in the browser chrome, tab names, and strings in the URL bar are just represented by thick grey lines to show that those bits of information are still loading.
As with other features Mozilla attempts to implement in Firefox, the skeleton UI is currently only available on Windows 10 systems. It’ll likely come to other supported Windows versions soon enough but there’s also macOS and Linux which would benefit from the feature too. Once the skeleton UI launches on the stable branch on Windows 10, hopefully, we won’t have to wait long for it to show up on other platforms.
Via: Ghacks
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By Rich Woods
Moto G Power review: All the battery life
by Rich Woods
After Motorola announced a refresh of its whole Moto G family a couple of weeks ago, it sent me the whole set to review. When I reviewed the Moto G Stylus, I was a bit disappointed to find that the top-end Moto G no longer set the bar for budget smartphones. Now, it's time to check out the Moto G Power.
Like the name suggests, this one is all about battery life. As I noted in my review of the Moto G Stylus, the lineup is no longer about trying to provide the most value at a certain price point. Now, it's about solving a specific pain point. It's an entirely different strategy, but the pain point being solved here is battery life in a $199 device.
The last one from the series that I reviewed was the Moto G7 Power, which was actually the first one. That started the trend of having the 5,000mAh battery, and frankly, the device hasn't changed that much, still packing an HD screen, 32GB of storage, and 3GB RAM, although the price point did come down by $50.
Specs
CPU Snapdragon 662 GPU Adreno 610 Display 6.6 inches, 1600x720, 267ppi, 20:9 Body 165.28x75.9x9.49mm, 206.5g Camera 48MP f/1.7 + 2MP macro + 2MP depth, Front - 8MP f/2.0 Video capture Main sensor: 1080p - 60fps
Macro: 720p - 30fps
Front: 1080p - 30fps RAM 3GB Storage 32GB, expandable by up to 512GB Ports USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5mm audio
NFC No Material Plastic Color Polar Silver Price $199
It's worth noting that there's also a model with 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage for $249.
Design
The Moto G Power is made out of plastic, as is the entire family. There's no surprise there, since it's been ages since any Moto G was made out of anything else. This one has a matte back, which I personally think feels nice. It's not one of those glossy plastic designs that feels like a cheap version of glass. This feels premium.
The color of this unit is Polar Silver, and if you're already imagining the matte plastic back, then you can imagine the silver color. It's actually a pretty nice look, and I feel like the lower you get down the Moto G ladder, the more thought the team put into the design. Honestly, the Moto G Play is the best-looking one, but more on that in next week's review.
Right in the middle is the square camera with rounded corners. A rectangle with rounded corners for a camera is something that we've seen from virtually every smartphone vendor, and it was a trend that was started by Apple. Also, I'm curious about Motorola's decision to put it in the middle instead of in the corner. In fact, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to how these designs go.
Motorola announced four phones two weeks ago. Both the Moto G Stylus and Motorola One 5G Ace have the square camera in the corner, while the Moto G Power and Moto G Play have it in the middle. The Moto G Play and Motorola One 5G Ace have the fingerprint sensor on the back, while the Moto G Stylus and Moto G Power put it on the side in the power button.
On the bottom of the device, you'll find a USB Type-C port for charging and the speaker grille.
And then on top, there's a 3.5mm audio jack, another inconsistency in design, as the Moto G Stylus and Motorola One 5G Ace have it on the bottom, while the Moto G Play uses this same style. Personally, I think that the 3.5mm audio jack should be on the same side as the charging port, but we can also just celebrate that it has a headphone jack at all.
Ultimately, the Moto G Power feels like a pretty stylish $199 phone. I wish Motorola was a little more consistent across its lineup, of course, but I appreciate the Polar Silver color, the centered camera, and the headphone jack.
Display
The Moto G Power includes a 6.6-inch Max Vision display with a 1600x720 resolution, giving it a 267ppi pixel density. I'm a bit disappointed to see an HD display like it had when I reviewed the Moto G7 Play back in 2019, but also, it's worth noting that last year's Moto G Power had a Full HD display.
The display also doesn't get particularly bright in direct sunlight. But here's the deal with brightness and high resolution: both of those things use up battery life. This display has less than 1.2 million pixels on it, and if it was FHD, it would have twice as many pixels to light up. It would be nice if it was a bit brighter though.
The thing about 720p is that it's noticeable. It's definitely not at that point where your eyes won't see the difference, because they can. You can definitely see some pixellation in this screen, although that's presumably why you're here; there are always sacrifices to get the best battery life, and that's what this phone is for.
The Moto G Power has a hole-punch cut-out for the front-facing camera, something that you'll see across the lineup. It's nice to see the lack of bezels and notches come to lower price points.
Camera
The Moto G Power has the same 48MP f/1.7 main sensor that you'll find on the Moto G Stylus and the Motorola One 5G Ace. For this one, there's no ultra-wide sensor, but Motorola does fill in the bare minimum to call this a triple-lens camera. It's got a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor, both of which really only serve the purpose of allowing the OEM to say that there are more camera lenses than the ones that you'll actually use.
As far as new camera features go, there are a couple of good ones. Motorola did boast that it has a night mode in the camera, and you'll see plenty of samples of that below. Another one is spot color video. Spot color is a camera feature that lets you pick one color from the shot, making the rest monochrome. It's rarely practical, but it is fun to use. That's one thing I appreciate about Motorola phones. A lot of the features are just fun.
Gallery: Moto G Power 2021 samples
The tricky thing is that there's no in-between on night mode. For example, on LG phones, you can actually set the brightness of the photo. On others, like a Pixel or an iPhone, it knows the best amount of time to leave the shutter open to take the photo. If you look at a lot of the nighttime shots, some look better with night mode on, and some look better with it off.
Performance and battery life
Motorola used a Snapdragon 662 in the Moto G Power, and I believe it's the first time that the company has used a different processor for all three Moto G tiers, as the Moto G Stylus has a Snapdragon 678. The CPU in this chipset has four 2GHz Kryo 260 Gold cores and four 1.8GHz Kryo 260 Silver cores, and it has an Adreno 610 GPU.
Unsurprisingly, the performance can be sluggish at times, combining the mid-range chipset with just 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. Like I said earlier, there is a 4GB RAM variant, but this phone starts to feel a bit pricey at $249, given the HD display and mediocre camera.
But like I said, that HD display pairs nicely with the 5,000mAh battery. Motorola promises three days of battery life here, and it more or less delivers. It makes sacrifices to get there, but if you don't want to have to worry about bringing a charger with you, this is the phone to get.
The device supports 15W charging, as Motorola phones have for a while now, but the company now ships a 10W charger in the box. This is a cost-cutting measure, but Motorola pointed out to me that once battery life gets to be so good, fast charging isn't so essential, simply because you don't need to charge as much.
For benchmarks, I used Geekbench 5, AnTuTu, and GFXBench. First up is Geekbench 5, which tests the CPU.
Interestingly, the Moto G Stylus got a much higher score here at 539 for single-core and 1,588 for multi-core. Next up is AnTuTu, which tests everything.
For this test, the Stylus got 208,991, so there's a big difference. Finally, GFXBench tests the GPU.
One other thing that I want to note is that this device ships with Android 10. Motorola only really ever offers one feature update to its Moto G series, and that means that it's probably only ever going to get Android 11. Considering that Android 11 has been out for a while now, that's not a great move, and shouldn't count as a feature update.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a phone that costs $199 and gets great battery life, you've come to the right place. Otherwise, I'd say look elsewhere. Like I said before, the Moto G series really isn't about providing more value than the next guy that's selling a phone at the same price anymore. It's about specific pain points, and if the pain point that the device solves isn't yours, Motorola probably has another one to fill that gap.
Indeed, the company has taken its success with the Moto G in the mid-range and expanded it into this convoluted mess of niche devices. As Steve Jobs would have asked, which one do I tell my friends to buy?
But back to if this is for you, it's a nice little phone, and it's nice for under $200. The display, while just 720p, is pretty, and it doesn't have big bezels or a notch, a rarity in a $199 phone. It's also got a decent 48MP camera with quad pixel technology.
If you want to check it out, you can find it on Amazon here.
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