Instagram wants suspected bot accounts to provide government IDs

Instagram is planning to boot out suspicious accounts, including bots, by verification through government IDs. The company’s idea is to control “potential inauthentic behavior,” presumably to stop fake follower counts and likes from shady accounts. The company says most users won’t be affected by this, so you won’t likely get the prompt to show your ID. Through this new policy, Instagram classes dodgy accounts as those that have a majority of followers in a different country to their own. The company will also hunt out suspect bot accounts. [Read: Get yourself off social media: A guide to deleting your accounts] If…

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Or just read more coverage about: Instagram

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Samsung’s mmWave touting Galaxy A51 5G arrives on Verizon

Those looking for an affordable 5G option in the US now have another choice from Samsung. Today, the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G UW is available on Verizon.

Priced at $549, the Galaxy A51 5G UW is a sensible option for users who don’t want to splurge on a flagship but who do want the benefits of Verizon’s mmWave 5G connectivity. If the technology and power isn’t a huge requirement, the Galaxy A51 4G is listed on Amazon at a lower price.

The Galaxy A51 5G UW features a roomy 6.5-inch AMOLED display with 2,400 x 1,080 resolution, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. That’s all mated to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset powered by a 4,500mAh battery.

For camera lovers, there’s a quad-snapper at the rear headlined by a 48MP primary sensor. And if you’re using wired headphones, there’s a 3.5mm jack just for you, too.

As for colorways, Verizon’s only offering the Galaxy A51 5G UW in one option: Prism Bricks Blue.

Want to get your hands on a 5G Verizon smartphone? Here are the best ones available right now.

• Samsung Galaxy S20:
  • Check pricing: Verizon | Amazon
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus:
  • Check pricing: Verizon | Amazon
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • Check pricing: Verizon | Amazon
• Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
  • Check pricing: Verizon | Amazon
• OnePlus 8
  • Check pricing: Verizon | Amazon
• Motorola Edge Plus
  • Check pricing: Verizon | Motorola
• LG V60
  • Check pricing: Verizon

Here are some other Verizon carrier deals you should check out.

• The best Verizon deals we could find
• The best Verizon plans
• The best Verizon prepaid plans
• The best prepaid plans in the US

Next: The best 5G phones you can buy right now

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Epic accuses Google of crushing Fortnite deals with OnePlus, LG

• Epic Games has accused Google of breaking off its deals with OnePlus, LG.
• The deals were for pre-installing a special Fortnite launcher on the phones.

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Epic Games is suing both Google and Apple for removing Fortnite from their respective app stores. Now, details from Epic’s lawsuit filed against Google have come to light. The developer is alleging that Google crushed Epic’s deals with OnePlus and LG.

As pointed out by The Verge, Epic’s filing states that Google “forced OnePlus” to back off from a deal to pre-install a special Fortnite launcher on its phones. Epic has also accused Google of preventing a similar deal with LG.

Epic claims that its deal with OnePlus was canceled after Google expressed “concern” over the developer offering an install method for Fortnite that bypassed the Play Store.

As per Epic’s original deal with OnePlus, a version of Fortnite with a “state-of-the-art framerate” was to be made available on OnePlus phones worldwide through the pre-installed special launcher. However, Epic claims Google “demanded that OnePlus not implement its agreement with Epic with the limited exception of mobile devices sold in India.”

Related: Here’s how to install Fortnite for Android

In LG’s case, the company apparently told Epic that it was under contract with Google to block “side downloading off Google Play Store this year.” This is why the developer claims that it was Google which “prevented LG from pre-installing the Epic Games app on LG devices.”

If these deals would have gone through, Epic says it “could and would negotiate with OEMs to make Fortnite and other Epic games directly available to consumers, free from Google’s anti-competitive restraints.” When the deals didn’t work out, Epic says it decided to give in and launch Fortnite on the Play Store in April.

Google hasn’t made any comments regarding Epic’s accusations. However, Mishaal Rahman from XDA-Developers independently confirmed that OnePlus was indeed planning on preloading the Epic Games Store. He also pointed out that the Oxygen OS Open Beta 14 for the OnePlus 7 Pro in India actually had Epic Games Store pre-installed until the update was pulled.

I can verify it. I independently confirmed that OnePlus was planning on preloading the Epic Games Store.https://t.co/qxBKB2e1vf

OnePlus eventually only shipped Epic Games as a quick install in its Game Space app: https://t.co/oBdwfsRxyq

CC @backlon

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) August 14, 2020

Google also declined to comment when The Verge inquired about the specifics of the OnePlus and LG deals.

Also read: The 15 best Android games available right now

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Xiaomi Philippines confirms Redmi 9C arrival this August 17!

On its official Facebook page, Xiaomi Philippines posted an image with renders of the Redmi 9C with AI triple cameras, 6.53-inch display and the August 17 date.

Redmi 9C is coming to the Philippines!

Arriving on August 17, 2020

Redmi 9C teaser image

The Redmi 9C was announced internationally early in 2020. It features a large 6.53-inch Dot Drop Display with 1600 x 720 HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. Inside is the 12nm MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core processor, 2GB/3GB LPDDR4X RAM, 32GB/64GB eMMC 5.1 internal storage and a massive 5000mAh battery that charges via micro-USB at 10W.

At the back is a 13MP f/2.2 main camera, 2MP f/2.4 macro camera and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor that supports Phase-Detect AF, AI Face Beautify 5.0 and AI scene detection while in front is a 5MP f/2.2 selfie camera with Face recognition, AI Beautify 5.0 and AI portrait modes.

It features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 2+1 card slot design that can support two nano-SIMs and one microSD card at the same time.

The phone measures 164.9 x 77.07 x 9.0 mm and weighs only 196grams.

Malaysian Price with direct PHP conversion (no taxes and shipping yet)

Redmi 9C 2GB/32GB starts at MYR 429 (or around PHP 5K). The Redmi 9C is scheduled to arrive in the Philippines this August 17.

What do you guys think?

Source: Xiaomi Philippines

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Telcos invested over PHP 460B in the past 5 years to improve PH internet

Local telcos Globe and PLDT collectively have invested over PHP 460B in the past 5 years to improve the state of PH internet.

Data from Globe and PLDT

Over PHP 460B for the past 5 years

Despite the challenges in the past years, the PH telco industry made significant strides including the LTE Advanced, VoLTE, and 5G.

The graph also showed that every year the budget for network improvements is increasing. In the past two years, Globe and PLDT/Smart invested 100B to over 120B to ramp up upgrades.

In 2020, despite the Coronavirus and lockdown situation, PH telcos will spend about PHP 60 to 70B this year (around PHP 130B) for upgrading their networks.

The capex of the telcos is for infrastructure upgrades including landing cables, cell towers, and more.

Just recently, the Philippine government lead by President Duterte promised to reduce the telco permits to build towers processing from 200 days to help accelerate PH telco upgrades.

What do you guys think?

Sources: Globe, PLDT

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