WhatsApp now offers text formatting, can send Google Drive docs

WhatsApp has always tried to stay ahead of the curve in a lot of ways, but, with an impressively busy beta release schedule, it is often hard to keep track of every novelty and how it found its place inside the app. The following batch of features can be found in version 2.12.535 of the app and appear to be new.

WhatsApp now supports a bit of text formatting. Just like in Google+, if you surround something with asterisks, it becomes bold and using underscores, produces italics. Sadly, that's about it and even dashes don't produce the expected strike-through effect. However, it is worth noting that both formatting options also work in notifications. And while we are on the topic, the sender name now appears in bold within notifications for improved legibility.

Another area with a lot of improvement is the document sending feature, that was first introduced to WhatsApp a couple of weeks ago. Now it has an extra menu option titled "Browse other docs". Clicking it allows you to fetch documents from your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive accounts. Currently, it seems to work with PDF's, as well as basic Docs, Sheets and Presentations, which also get converted to PDF before being sent, most likely to avoid compatibility issues at the receiving end.

The final new feature has to do with the Chat backup to Google Drive feature. Sadly, the syncing process is still done on the main thread and blocks you from using the app like in previous versions. However, now the pop-up offers a progress bar, so you can at least have some idea how much time the process will take.

Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL now AU$100 off in Oz

In today's round of Lumia discounts, Microsoft's flagship Lumia 950 and 950 XL are AUD 100 ($76) off - in Australia obviously. The Lumia 950 is now listed at AUD 899 ($690), while its bigger bro goes for AUD 1029 ($785).

Both deals are available on Microsoft's Australian store as part of the March Madness sale. Other offers include the Microsoft Band 2 at AUD 330 ($250), AUD 50 off, and the top-specced Surface Pro 3 (i7 CPU, 512GB SSD) listed at precisely AUD 2,294.15 ($1752.83). That Surface is the most savings you can get during the promo, in absolute terms that is - AUD 404.85.

Alleged Alcatel Idol 4 Pro render leaks

While the idol 4 - which was unveiled by Alcatel last month at this year's MWC - is yet to go on sale, rumor mill is already abuzz with a Pro variant of the device. After early specs, now a render image of the latter has leaked online courtesy of tipster @evleaks.

In case you aren't already aware, unlike the standard variant (which is powered by Android), the Idol 4 Pro is said to run Windows 10 Mobile. And as for the newly-leaked image, as @evleaks also notes, the device is quite similar to the Idol 4s (show below) in looks. The latter was also unveiled at MWC 2016.

The Alcatel Idol 4s

Specs-wise, the Alcatel Idol 4 Pro is said to pack in a Snapdragon 820 chipset, feature a 1080p display, and support Continuum. Other key specs, as well as pricing and availability information isn't yet available.

US Cellular will reportedly start selling LG G5 on April 1

While we already know that LG's newest flagship smartphone - the G5 - will land in the United States sometime in early April, there has been no information on the exact launch date. However, that was until now.

A new report is suggesting that carrier US Cellular will start selling the G5 on April 1, with pre-orders beginning March 28. As for the price, the report says the device will carry a tag of $636 sans contract, $199 on a regular 2-year agreement, and $26.50/month for a period of 24 months.

If true, the report reveals that US Cellular will be among the first carriers in the country to offer the G5, and also gives us an idea about what other US carriers would likely charge for the handset. In case you aren't already aware, Best Buy will start taking pre-orders for the device March 18 - tomorrow.

Report says Windows 10 Mobile rollout will finally begin today

The Windows 10 Mobile roll-out for older Windows Phone devices will finally begin today, according to a new report which cites a person familiar with the Redmond, Washington-based company's plans.

The update will follow what is being called as a 'pull model,' where-in devices selected to receive the update will have to initiate it manually, meaning there won't be any OTA notification. "A Microsoft-triggered push model will follow at an undisclosed date," the report notes.

There's currently no information on the complete list of devices that are scheduled to receive the update, although the report says Microsoft will make a formal announcement in this regard today.

Samsung Music now on the Play Store

Samsung put up its music app on the Play Store, but there's a catch - it's currently compatible only with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

So, why bother? Simple - this means Samsung can push out updates for the app independently of TouchWiz updates. Note that this is a beta version of the app.

Samsung Music supports MP3 AAC and FLAC and can send music over DLNA, with additional interactions with Samsung smart devices (tablets, TVs).

You can grab the app from here, again, we only managed to download it on S7 units.

Twitter for Windows 10 now available on mobile

After releasing the app on Windows 10 desktop last year, Twitter has now brought the app to mobile as well.

Twitter for Windows 10 on mobile brings features such as Moments, group messaging, video sharing, and being able to quote tweets, features that have been available on iOS and Android since their inception.

Twitter also updated the desktop app and added the much requested dark theme mode, which is also available on the mobile app.

Fitbit Charge HR gets price cut in US, now available for $100

Fitbit's Charge HR fitness band has received a price cut in the United States, where it is now available for $100, down from its usual price of $150. eBay seller tri-state1 is currently offering the wearable at that price.

In case you aren't aware, the Charge HR is capable of tracking user's activity and overall health. It includes a heart rate monitor that constantly tracks your heart rate all day. Launchedback in 2014, the device has a battery life of 5 days.

Coming back to the deal, only a limited quantity of discounted Charge HR units are available, and at the time of writing over 96% of the inventory was already sold out. So, if you are interested in taking advantage of the deal, you need to act fast.

Uber introduces Family Profiles, friends and family can ride on someone else’s bill

Uber has grown exponentially over the past few years, so you can imagine that it’s gained many loyal users by now. One of the features most requested by these users is the ability to easily pay for someone else’s ride or the ability to use one payment method on more than one account.

Uber has introduced Family profiles, users can add up to 10 close friends or family members to their “families” and they can share a payment method amongst themselves. Once you’ve downloaded the newest version of the app, users can invite others to become part of their Family Profile.

It looks like User A’s invitation to add User B to User A’s profile will let User B ride and then send the tab to User A. In order to accept the invitation, the user must open their email and accept the invitation via a link.

User B would be able to choose “Family Profile” as his or her payment method for that ride.

The feature is now live in Phoenix, Dallas, and Atlanta.

Need a case for your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge? Verus has ‘em starting at $5

If you just got a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge and would like to protect your investment on the cheap, you can check out the following cases that Verus has on eBay starting at just $5.

These cases will show their lower prices once you add them to your cart. Also, once you open the links, you can choose between the edge model and the regular model. Most of them are $5 and the last two below are $7.

• Crystal Bumper
• Crystal Mixx
• Damda Clip
• High Pro Sheild
• Shine Guard
• Single Fit
• Verge

And then these are $7 each

• Triple Mixx
• Layered Dandy

Make sure you grab these quick! We don’t know how long the sale would last since this phone did just come out less than a week ago.

Samsung Gear S2 by de Grisogono is blinged up with diamonds, rose gold

Samsung certainly loves to put out blinged up versions of its various gadgets from time to time, and the latest device to get this treatment is its newest smartwatch. The Samsung Gear S2 by de Grisogono is a limited edition version of the wearable, which comes with more than 100 white and black diamonds, rose gold, and a black galuchat bracelet.

The diamond-set rose gold bezel still rotates in order to function as a navigation aid in the smartwatch's menus, just like the non-diamond-set one does in the vanilla Gear S2.

Pricing hasn't been announced because this is one of those if you have to ask, you clearly can't afford it situations. The Gear S2 by de Grisogono will become available this summer and will be sold through Samsung's retail outlets as well as de Grisogono's.

As you may have expected, nothing about the internal hardware of the watch has changed. It comes with the same specs as the normal, no-bling version. It has the same 1.2-inch 360x360 Super AMOLED touchscreen, Exynos 3250 Dual chipset with a 1 GHz dual-core Cortex-A7 CPU, 512 MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, heart rate monitor, and 250 mAh battery. It runs the Tizen wearable platform.

Report says Galaxy S7/S7 edge pre-orders in China set to cross 10 million mark

Just a week after Samsung's mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said that they are expecting their newest flagships - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - will help reverse the firm's fortunes in China, there is some good news for the South Korean tech giant.

According to a new report, pre-orders for the flagships in China are set to cross the the 10 million milestone, and the figure could even hit the 15 million mark by the time the pre-order window closes, something which will happen on March 18.

Keep in mind, however, that pre-orders in China are usually unlike pre-orders elsewhere - it's more of a 'register your interest,' which means that actual sales numbers can be quite different. We'll have to wait for Samsung to confirm these numbers if this is actually the case.

In case you missed it, China - which is the world's largest smartphone market - is one of the few countries where the new Galaxy phones do not have the front Samsung logo, although it's difficult to say whether this has anything to do with the devices' performance in the country.

The report comes just a few days after Samsung revealed that the total number of Galaxy S7/S7 edge pre-orders it received in Europe was over 2.5 times more than what it received for previous Galaxy phones in the region.