What are you hoping to see unveiled at Google’s October 4 event?

The leaves are changing, the pumpkin spice latte is available at Starbucks, and Google is rolling out the next iterations of its flagship products just in time for the holiday season. It’s definitely fall season. On Wednesday, October 4, we will see Google unveil a number of new products at what is expected to be a Pixel-centric event.

According to rumors and leaks, there are a few products we should definitely expect to see: The Google Pixel 2, its larger sibling the Pixel XL 2, a refreshed maybe re-titled Chromebook Pixel, and maybe even a new version of the Google Daydream. What we can expect from these products will remain to be seen, but as usual, the rumor mill has kicked into overdrive. What are you most looking forward to at the big event?

What are you most looking forward to at @Google's 10/4 event? #GoogleOct4

— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) October 2, 2017

Dermal Abyss ink creates smart tattoos that can tell what’s going on in your body

Why it matters to you

Dermal Abyss ink could open the door for tattoos that monitor and provide information on the state of your health

Some people get tattoos to express what is on their mind, but people may soon be able to use tattoos to show what is in their bodies. Dermal Abyss, developed by researchers at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the name of biosensitive inks used to make smart tattoos that change color as changes in your body occur.

The inks can measure the concentration of glucose, sodium, and pH in the skin’s interstitial fluid, which surrounds cells. The researchers have so far created a green ink that intensifies as the wearer’s sodium levels rise, which is often a sign of dehydration. Another green ink turns brown as glucose levels rise. In early tests, pink inks turned blue as pH levels increased

Researchers are still testing new inks, but can already foresee medical applications for a tattoo that tracks your internal health. The green ink that monitors glucose concentration could be used by diabetics who are required to check glucose levels regularly, sparing then from having to constantly pierce their skin to draw blood.

The researchers also say tattoos are just the start — other skin techniques such as henna, tanning, and makeup will be tested. Researchers also outlined the possibility of bar codes and QR codes potentially being encoded into tattoos using Dermal Abyss ink, which would enable the tattoos to store information about someone. So, the next time someone asks you what your tattoo means, you can tell them to scan it with a smartphone to find out.

This is not the first attempt at using tattoos to learn about a person’s health. In 2015, materials scientist John Rogers and a coalition of researchers created liquid crystal display (LCD) tattoos that can measure a body’s blood flow to monitor a heart’s health. Blood flow is measured by monitoring the changes in the body’s temperature, which cause the tattoo to change colors. Unlike Dermal Abyss, this LCD tattoo is really a removable patch that takes two weeks to show results.

Dermal Abyss is less invasive than inserting microchips in someone’s body, and may be more accurate than fitness trackers such as Fitbit, which have faced criticism over claims of inaccuracy. So, there’s a chance your next tattoo could come from your doctor.

Uploading those 4K videos just got faster (sort of) on Google Photos

Why it matters to you

The update makes uploads faster, and since the full resolution replacement happens automatically, it doesn’t sacrifice video quality.

Google Photos on Android just got a speed boost — the photo storage and sharing app just updated over the weekend with a quick fix for uploading video on slow connections.

The update is a continuation of a feature launched earlier this year, bringing the same functionality to videos. An earlier update allows the software to detect when the connection is weak. When a slow signal is identified, the app uploads a low-resolution file, waiting for a Wi-Fi connection before uploading the image in all its full-resolution glory.

That same feature is now available for video files — the app, detecting slow signals, will upload a lower resolution video for sharing, replacing the file with a full-resolution version once a Wi-Fi connection is available. Google doesn’t clarify at what size the files upload on the limited connection.

While the feature has been in place for photos for several months, videos tend to have larger file sizes, particularly for longer videos. As more smartphones adopt 4K video and the larger file sizes that come along with it, the feature becomes even more important.

For now, the update is only available for Android users — so the faster backup speed isn’t yet available for those 60-frames-per-second 4K files from the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Google Photos on iOS was last updated shortly after the launch of iOS 11, adding compatibility for Apple’s new smaller size HEVC photos and HEVC videos as well as general performance improvements.

The speed improvements are part of a string of several updates over the last several months. This spring, the app expanded with family sharing for both single files and albums, with any photos added to the album automatically updated for that shared user. At the same time, the app gained Google Lens, an artificial intelligence platform that recognizes objects through a smartphone camera. The app also an auto white balance option to its selection of editing tools.

Google Photos has only been around for about a year and a half, integrating with other Google products to do such things as making photo backups with Google Drive and integrate with Google Assistant, as well as adding other features like A.I.-powered tools, editing tools, and printable photo books to the list of features.

Modern Meadow’s much-anticipated lab-grown leather is finally here

Why it matters to you

New leather material is not only animal-free, it can also come in new forms — including liquid!

New Jersey-based startup Modern Meadow has launched the world’s first bioengineered leather, called Zoa. Shown off at a pop-up exhibition in SoHo, running through October 12, the animal-free leather material is the result of five years of hard research and development in the company’s labs. Not only does the material not require animals to perish so that we can get a nice pair of shoes, bag, or new jacket, it also allows leather to come in entirely new forms — including as a liquid.

“Modern Meadow’s founders previously built a company that grew human tissue for medical research,” Natalia Krasnodebska, head of communications for Modern Meadow, told Digital Trends. “After getting feedback about other potential applications of their technology, they asked a simple question, ‘if we can engineer human tissue, why not animal tissue?’ The leather market is a massive $100 billion market, and there are currently no materials that can offer what Zoa can: A sustainable production process and a material with customizable properties — thickness, stretch, [and] color — tailored for specific partners and applications.”

The leather material is made using a smart custom DNA-based biofabrication process that’s not a million miles away from CRISPR gene editing. While the Modern Meadow engineers started off growing skin cells to create their leather, they have now developed a way to create collagen — the essential biological ingredient for the manufacture of leather — using a fermentation process. This collagen is then purified and tanned to create a material that is biologically almost exactly the same as animal leather.

For the current exhibition, taking place at the Museum of Modern Art, Modern Meadow has created a prototype T-shirt made using the aforementioned liquid leather form of Zoa. Krasnodebska said that the leather in the t-shirt acts as both a material and as a stitch-free method of binding the shirt together. “Anywhere you see traditional leather, you could also see Zoa,” she continued. “The difference is that Zoa can also be used in ways traditional leather cannot.”

This includes making leather that is thinner than any traditional leather, as well as having variable topography across the same sheet. In addition, the production process to manufacture it is significantly faster and cleaner than regular animal leather. Along with some of the other smart next-gen leather materials we’ve covered, this could turn out to be the start of a new golden age for a classic, much-loved material!

Rumored ‘Made for Google’ program aims to cut down on dodgy accessories

Why it matters to you

Google’s ‘Made for Google’ program could highlight quality case makers, cable manufacturers, and more to ensure the next accessory you buy isn’t a dud..

As anyone who’s ordered a bargain-basement screen protector from a dodgy manufacturer can tell you, third-party smartphone accessories are fraught with peril. It’s tough — if not impossible) — to judge quality from an online product listing, and even tougher to get your money back when said product doesn’t work as advertised. But according to a report from 9to5Google, Google is working on a solution that will make those accessory woes a thing of the past.

The Mountain View, California-based company is preparing to launch a certification program for third-party accessories, according to the publication’s sources. It’s called Made for Google, and it will reportedly denote cables, cases, and other accessories that have undergone thorough quality assurance testing.

It’s said to be similar to Apple’s MFi (Made for i), which provides iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch accessory manufacturers “hardware components, tools, documentation, and technical support in exchange for guaranteeing certain baseline requirements.” Case makers that are a part of Apple’s MFi certification program must create products that protect devices from drops up to a meter (3.3 feet) onto a hard surface, for example, and Lightning connector producers must use approved chips and materials.

Many of Made for Google’s details remain a mystery, but at least one part of the program will have to do with “USB-C charging consistency and compliance,” according to 9to5Google.

Update: Unverified tipster tells us that a big part of Made for Google is USB-C charging consistency and compliance https://t.co/HQ8HDeW1oU

— Stephen Hall (@hallstephenj) October 2, 2017

Given Google’s history with rogue charging cables, that’s not terribly surprising. Last year, the search giant updated its Android Compatibility Definition Document (CCD) — the list of rules to which Android phone manufacturers agree to adhere — with language discouraging the use of “proprietary charging methods” that “[don’t] support full interchangeability with standard type-C chargers.” And shortly after the launch of Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, Benson Leung, a senior software engineer at Google, wrote highly detailed Amazon reviews of USB-C cables “from third-party vendors that so blatantly flaunt the specification.”

Made for Google’s timing is no accident. At an event on Wednesday, October 4, Google is expected to announce a slew of new products including two new smartphones (the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL), a miniature version of its AI-powered Google Home speaker (Google Home mini), and a high-end Chromebook (the Pixelbook). Given the flood of new products, new certified accessories only makes sense.

Since 9to5Google wasn’t able to nail down Made for Google’s launch date, it warns that the specifics are subject to change. But it’s a likely shoo-in for Google’s October 4 festivities — perhaps ahead of an accessories rollout later this year.

The data-saving Facebook Messenger Lite is finally coming to the U.S.

Why it matters to you

Are you looking to save data and only need the core messaging features of Facebook Messenger? Messenger Lite may be the app for you.

Facebook Messenger Lite, the low-data version of Facebook Messenger that first launched about a year ago, is coming to the U.S.

The app first debuted as a way for those with weak data connections — especially people in developing nations — to still experience Messenger. That’s changing, according to a report from TechCrunch, with the app now making its way to the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Ireland. It will be available on Android phones from the Google Play Store, but there doesn’t seem to be any plans for an iOS version of the app.

With emerging markets becoming an increasingly important space for tech companies and their services, it is no wonder Facebook is targeting countries that are not quite as advanced when it comes to connectivity and hardware. While users are still able to “quickly and easily send texts, photos, and links to anyone using Messenger or Messenger Lite,” the new app takes up much less space on a smartphone, and works with much weaker network conditions. “Messenger Lite was built to give people a great Messenger experience, no matter what technology they use or have access to,” Facebook engineering manager Tom Mulcahy wrote in the blog post announcing the app.

One major difference between Facebook Lite and its older sibling comes in the form of voice calls. While you can currently place outgoing calls on the standard version of Messenger, you will not be able to do the same thing in the Lite version. But given that 300 million people already use Messenger for voice calling, there is little doubt that this is one feature Facebook will want to roll out to all versions of its popular app.

Super-lightweight at just under 10MB — 95 percent smaller than the full version of the app — Facebook Lite promises to be both quick to install and start up. Messenger Lite first launched in five countries in October 2016, before debuting in many other countries around the globe in April 2017. The larger rollout could be aimed at bringing Messenger to more teens, because it’ll function quicker and could encourage users to stick with Messenger over other apps, like SMS or WhatsApp.

DxO One review

Research Center:
DxO ONE

The onboard camera in an iPhone is great for taking casual photos for Facebook and Instagram posts, but even as it gets better and better with each new iteration, it still bumps up against the limitations of its small sensor. So what can you do if you want to break through the mobile photography barrier without breaking the “mobile” part? The DxO One is a good place to start. It turns your iPhone into an advanced enthusiast-level compact camera. But with a price of $499, is the gadget a worthy investment for iPhoneographers? Read our review to find out.

Features and design

If you aren’t familiar with the DxO name, know that the French company is renowned for its imaging software and camera and lens benchmarks (including smartphone ratings). Its lab tests are often cited by manufacturers when they tout image quality. (Coincidentally, the new iPhone 8 just received DxO’s highest-ever score for a phone camera). The DxO One is the company’s first hardware product, which makes it all the more impressive.

David Elrich/Digital Trends

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Unlike add-on lenses that simply provide a different field-of-view, the DxO One is a separate camera altogether with its own lens and sensor. It simply uses your phone for control, framing, and sharing. Images can be saved either to your phone or to a MicroSD card in the DxO One (or both). The DxO One might be the ultimate photographic accessory for your iPhone, if you can afford it: The DxO One launched at $599, and while we are glad to see the price has dropped, $499 is still steep for the average user.

The Sony back-illuminated 1-inch sensor is a prominent feature that’s used in many enthusiast cameras.

The DxO One is essentially a standalone camera that foregoes a monitor and most controls in order to be as compact as possible, relying on your phone to be both the viewfinder and control interface. The device connects directly to the Lightning port of your iPhone or iPad (DxO doesn’t recommend using it with an iPod Touch), but it has its own internal battery.

To state the obvious, the DxO One will not work with non-iOS devices due to the Lightning connector requirement. As the camera also offers Wi-Fi connectivity (a feature that arrived by surprise after the camera’s launch), it would theoretically be possible to use it wirelessly with a non-iOS device, but DxO has not announced plans to support Android or other mobile operating systems at this time. Plus the direct hardwired connection is part of what makes the DxO One so great: It’s significantly faster than cameras using Wi-Fi.

Despite its petite frame, the DxO one packs a punch on the inside. A 1-inch, 20.2-megapixel sensor records images with significantly more detail than the iPhone’s built-in camera. This is the same sensor format that is popular in advanced compact cameras like the Sony RX100 series. Being based on an older version of the tech, the DxO One is limited to 1080p video at 30 frames per second, compared to the 4K video offered in the latest Sony RX100 V.

DxO ONE Compared To

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 V

Panasonic Lumix FZ2500

Canon EOS M3

Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Ricoh Theta S

Panasonic Lumix ZS60

Sony RX1R II

Canon PowerShot G3 X

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV

Nikon 1 J5

Canon PowerShot G7 X

Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 III

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS

Canon PowerShot G12

Canon Powershot G10

In front of that sensor is a 32mm (full-frame equivalent) f/1.8 lens. Combined, the sensor and lens pairing is able to take in much more light than the standard iPhone camera, which leads to better image quality and is particularly beneficial in low light scenes.

Controlling the camera

The DxO One app allows full manual control over exposure settings for those who want it, but also offers a simple point-and-shoot automatic mode. The camera can even shoot in RAW and, thanks to another recent firmware update, RAW files can be saved and edited right on your iPhone in apps like Adobe Lightroom Mobile. A USB port — hidden behind a tiny door that also covers the memory card slot — is used for recharging or transferring images to a computer.

There are only two physical controls on the camera itself. First, there’s the lens cover, which slides down to reveal the lens and turn the device on. Press it all the way down to open the Lightning connector; the lens cover will then spring back into the on position. Other than that, there is a shutter button on the top of the camera that works just like that of any standalone camera. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.

We love the concept, software, convenience, and results.

Now, even though the DxO One only works with iDevices, you can use it on its own in standalone mode. The little monochrome LCD, normally reserved for showing camera settings, even shows a live preview of the image in an adorably retro looking way. You’ll still want to connect it to your phone (either via Wi-Fi or to the Lightning port) if you want to have any sort of control, but standalone mode is nice if you just need to take a quick snapshot.

One thing we really appreciate is that, despite the small size of the Lightning connector, the connection is sturdy. You can twist the camera up or down to adjust the shooting angle, and you don’t have to worry about it coming unplugged. The connector is designed to breakaway safely if too much pressure is applied, ensuring that you don’t damage the port on your phone.

We do have one small detail to nitpick here, however: Closing the Lightning connector requires you to again press the lens cover all way down. Because the cover is spring-loaded, this basically requires two hands, one to hold the cover down and the other to press the Lightning connector in. For a camera with an otherwise perfect interface, this feels a bit counterintuitive.

What’s included

The small box contains the DxO One, USB cable, power adapter, cleaning cloth, and a nicely illustrated 12-page quick-start booklet. Download the DxO One app from the App Store. If you purchase the more expensive version ($599, recommended) you get some of the company’s excellent software including DxO Connect, Film Pack, and Optics Pro. The trial version of ViewPoint 2 is also worth checking out. (The camera is “optimized” for Apple Photos for OS X and Adobe Lightroom, however.)

Performance and use

The DxO One has the best software and user interface of any connected camera we’ve reviewed, a very pleasant surprise for the first piece of hardware produced by the company. Even the first version of the app was elegant and simple, and it’s only gotten better. We wish every camera maker would study this device and then try to emulate DxO’s user experience. Everything just works like you’d expect it to, from how the unit attaches to your phone to how exposure adjustments are made with simple using swipes on the touchscreen.

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Given this well-designed system, shooting with the DxO One is simple. We used it with an iPad Air, iPad Mini 3, and both an iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 Plus. Although we loved the huge 10-inch viewfinder of the iPad Air, it’s rather awkward to use and tablet photography still feels dorky, even with a real camera attached. It clearly feels much better on an iPhone.

One of the great things about the DxO One is its small size. You can easily carry the DxO One in your pocket, connect it to your phone when needed, fire up the app, and grab 20.2MP. The app launches very quickly and the live preview basically loads instantly, which means working with the DxO One really isn’t any slower than working with the iPhone’s native camera and app.

Along with basic auto exposure, there are options for program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual.

Along with basic auto exposure, there are options for program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual. Top electronic shutter speed is 1/20,000th of a second and maximum ISO is 51,200 — very good specs for an enthusiast camera, let alone an iPhone accessory .

It is not perfect, though. While the DxO One is good for static subjects such as landscapes and portraits, it doesn’t handle fast action since its top continuous speed is just 1 fps. Autofocus performance, while decent, is also not fast enough to capture a split-second moment.

We certainly appreciate that the camera can be used over Wi-Fi now, which opens new creative opportunities, but you’ll definitely want to keep it plugged in to your iPhone whenever possible. Wi-Fi performance simply isn’t up to par, and while preview lag is minimal, the image does stutter from time to time. Furthermore, image transfer time after taking a photo is considerably longer, which also means your shot to shot time increases. Wi-Fi is a nice feature to have, no doubt, but it’s the hardwired connection that gives the DxO One a best-in-class user experience.

Image quality

If you’ve ever shot a Sony RX100 or other advanced point-and-shoot with a 1-inch sensor, then you know just how good the image quality is. It is no different from the DxO One. Colors are vibrant, detail is rich, and dynamic range is greatly improved over the stock iPhone camera (that is, the ability of the camera to capture detail from shadows to highlights).

The 32mm lens is much larger and higher quality than the iPhone’s, and the f/1.8 aperture even allows for a relatively shallow depth of field without the drawbacks of Portrait Mode on dual-lens iPhones. It’s not quite at DSLR level, but it’s a huge improvement over the built-in camera. The DxO One a winner for amateurs and serious photographers alike.

For high-ISO shooting, DxO recommends shooting in its proprietary SuperRAW format, which takes four exposures and merges them in software for improved noise performance. We tested it at the highest ISO possible — 51,200 — and while the unprocessed file was a mess, it was quite good after we ran it through DxO software. JPEGs are another story; we wouldn’t push those above ISO 3,200, although they definitely still look better than the stock iPhone camera.

DxO One video sample

There are some other limitations. The DxO One only offers electronic image stabilization when recording videos, but not stills. This results in a pretty severe crop in video mode. Also, if you need a flash, you’re stuck with the one in your iOS device as the DxO One doesn’t have one of its own. Thankfully, the f/1.8 lens coupled with the SuperRAW format makes it possible to take photos in very low light (provided you use a tripod or set the camera on another stable surface).

Warranty

DxO offers a basic one-year warranty.

Our Take

Although we love the concept, software, convenience, and results of the DxO One, it is expensive. It is also restricted to iOS only, at least for now. For the same price, you can get the original RX100 with a 3x Zeiss optical zoom lens and even greater camera controls, or a Canon PowerShot G9 X with a 1-inch sensor and built-in Wi-Fi.

But if you feel that the convenience is worth the cost for a highly capable camera that you can easily stash in a pocket, one with a great user interface and painless image sharing, than the DxO One is a great iPhone accessory. If you’re a photographer who wants a companion camera for sharing purposes, it is an attractive alternative to bulkier products, and DxO’s software and interface simply can’t be beat. However, it definitely falls into the niche category.

Is there a better alternative?

There have been other attempts to turn smartphones into high-quality cameras, such as the Sony QX100 ($500) and the Olympus Air 01 ($400). These both connect via Wi-Fi rather than a hardwired connection, however, and suffer a performance hit because of it. Nor is the hardware and software integration nearly as sophisticated as that of DxO One and its iOS app. You can use Android devices with the Sony and Olympus add-ons, however.

How long will it last?

The DxO One launched in June 2015 and remains current to this day. DxO has done an admirable job keeping the camera up-to-date with new features, such as the surprise Wi-Fi announcement. In the near future, the company also plans to launch Facebook Live support, which will let users live-stream from the DxO One camera and even switch between it and both the iPhone front and back-facing cameras for a mobile, multi-camera live broadcasting setup. We are very much looking forward to this feature and will update this review when we have a chance to test it.

In short, the DxO One is a capable camera that just keeps getting better, and we expect it will continue to improve for some time. That said, it is over two years old now and we have to imagine a replacement is in the works, although DxO has not announced one.

Should you buy it?

While we still think the price is steep, we absolutely would not hesitate to recommend the DxO One to any enthusiast mobile photographer. It is the easiest and most compact way to boost the image quality of your iPhone. DSLR and mirrorless camera users will also appreciate it for those times when they simply don’t want to lug around their heavier gear. So yes, buy it if you can afford it.

Daven Mathies contributed to this review.

Security researchers find Macs sometimes miss out on critical firmware updates

Why it matters to you

Security updates are just a fact of life, but it’s important to keep an eye on whether they’re working as intended.

Nobody likes applying security updates, but it’s part of having a computer, smartphone, or any electronic device — even your fridge gets security updates. But applying those updates is the best thing you can do to keep your devices safe and secure, and for most Mac users, it’s pretty easy. System and app updates are handled in the Mac App Store, so any time you update Microsoft Office, for example, you can grab your latest system updates without any extra hassle. It turns out, however, that Macs don’t always apply critical updates correctly, and you might be missing out on some firmware patches that could leave your Mac vulnerable.

According to Motherboard, security researchers found that firmware updates sometimes fail behind the scenes — without giving users any indication that the update wasn’t applied properly, leaving those users vulnerable to security exploits.

Firmware updates are a bit more complicated than standard security patches, which might remedy security vulnerabilities in the base operating system. Your computer’s firmware does all of its work beneath your operating system to interface directly with hardware components. It’s like your computer’s plumbing.

It doesn’t need to be updated frequently, but when a firmware vulnerability needs addressing. it’s usually a good idea to get that patched up before it leads to other problems. The security firm Duo found that Apple’s method for patching firmware doesn’t always work, and the problem isn’t just that the patches fail, it’s that users have no recourse when they do.

Take your smartphone for instance. Sometimes system updates fail and you’ll get a notification saying the update didn’t finish — if your battery died or if a background app interfered, for example. But you get the chance to reapply the update.

In some instances, these failed firmware updates are leaving Macs vulnerable to security exploits that can give malware access to highly sensitive information — like your FileVault encryption passwords.

It’s important to point out that Apple has acknowledged this issue and released a tool that will check your Mac’s firmware every week, as of MacOS High Sierra version 10.13. So it’s more important than ever that you grab the most recent MacOS update, to ensure your Mac has an extra layer of protection installed and ready to go.

Facebook Messenger Lite is heading to the U.S., UK, Canada, and Ireland

Weighing in at just 10MB, Messenger Lite offers the fore Messenger experience without all of the unnecessary bloat.

Over the past couple of years, “lite” versions of applications have become fairly popular in emerging markets with slower data connections. Facebook took charge of this initiative in October with the release of Messenger Lite, and the app is now expanding to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland.

Messenger Lite initially debuted in Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela, and its main goal was to pack in the core Messenger experience into an application that was considerably lighter and used less data than its regular counterpart.

The overall look of the app has the same general UI as the proper Messenger, but the feature set has been stripped down to regular Messenger conversations, the ability to make Wi-Fi calls, send stickers and photo attachments, and converse in group chats. There aren’t any in-chat games, automated messaging services, or an option to update your status with photos/videos that disappear after 24-hours.

Facebook is targeting Messenger Lite to teens and other individuals that would like to take advantage of Facebook Messenger while retaining some of their data buckets for the month, and I’ll personally be replacing the regular Messenger app with the Lite version as soon as I wrap up this article. I use Messenger on a daily basis to stay in touch with friends and family that live and die by the service, but I have zero need for all of the bloat that’s been added over the years.

If you’re interested in giving the 10Mb Messenger Lite a try, you can download it now from the Google Play Store.

WhatsApp is unveiling its own emoji, but they look a lot like the iPhone’s

WhatsApp has unveiled its own emoji, starting with the Android app.

Love them or hate them, emoji are a great way to convey meaning with text messages. With plain text, it can be difficult to gauge someone’s emotions. Emoji can be used to better understand the messages intent, or at least make the message prettier. Because of their expressive nature, emoji are often updated to reflect different moods.

Emojipedia reports that WhatsApp has begun using its own emoji designs, after using the same design as iOS devices. The new design still looks an awful lot like Apple’s emoji, but they are in fact different. The new emoji design will start rolling out now in the beta version of the Android application, followed by other platforms. For those interested in the new emoji, you can sign up for the beta version of WhatsApp here.

Meanwhile, Facebook’s other messaging application is losing its unique emoji. Android Police reports that Facebook Messenger will stop using its own emoji designs, and instead use the same designs as Facebook proper. The Facebook emoji set doesn’t look very different from the previous Messenger set, they’re just a paler shade of yellow. From Facebook:

At this time, we’ve decided to end our support of the Messenger emoji set to focus our attention on other features that help people express themselves and make the Messenger experience fun and engaging. No matter what emoji you pick, it will now look the same for all Messenger users, regardless if the recipient is on Android, iOS or another platform.

Are you excited for new emoji in WhatsApp? Let us know down below!

Everything you need to know about WhatsApp for Android!