YouTube Testing Smart Downloads Feature For Its Android App In Europe

YouTube is testing a new Smart Downloads feature on its mobile app on Android in Europe, 9to5Google reports. It functions similarly to its counterpart which is already available on the audio-only YouTube Music app, where it is used to automatically download new content on mobile devices, as long as it is connected to Wi-Fi.

Smart Downloads is intended to help users to save up on mobile data, and will download 20 videos every week based on the user’s watching preferences. These videos can be viewed offline by navigating to the Downloads page under the app’s Library tab. 9to5Google says that YouTube will notify users if their devices are low on storage, and will advise them on what steps to take in order to free up space.

And much like the same function that is available on YouTube Music, the new Smart Downloads tool is only exclusively available to Premium subscribers. Moreover, the Google-owned streaming platform notes that the new feature is rolled out in a limited run, which is – as mentioned earlier – only accessible by Android users in Europe at this time. It is not known whether the Smart Downloads test will be expanded to other regions in the near future – let alone see an iOS version.

But should that be the case, Premium users are usually notified of its availability on their Home feed. To try out new experimental features on YouTube (when they are made available), simply navigate to youtube.com/new, or opt-in via the Try New Features option under Settings in the mobile app.

Xiaomi Unveils Its Own Smart Glasses

Beyond phones, Xiaomi has made just about every other smart device under the sun. So it was only a matter of time before the company gave smart glasses a go. And it looks like that has finally happened, as the company announced the simply named Xiaomi Smart Glasses.

On the face of it, the company’s smart glasses works just about as you’d expect. As Xiaomi describes it, the company’s smart glasses uses MicroLED for its display, which is claimed to be longer lasting and has higher pixel density than OLED. It also works in quite the non-conventional way. Rather than just projecting an image in front of your eye, this pair of smart glasses uses a neat combination of reflection and refraction to direct images to the wearer’s eye, all with a single lens. 

While the Xiaomi Smart Glasses has its display on the right lens, the left side houses its 5MP camera. Compared to the smartphones of today, the pixel count is pretty modest. But it is still enough to allow for more than just taking photos. With it, you can get text translations in real time. For those worried about privacy, the camera also has an indicator light to let other people know that it is in use.

Overall, the Xiaomi Smart Glasses looks to be the smallest one among its kind, being just slightly bulkier than your average eye wear. It also weighs in at 51g. Though all that being said, the company did not say if it will actually be selling these smart glasses to the average consumer.

FamilyMart Malaysia Rolls Out Its First Smart Kiosk

FamilyMart Malaysia has launched its first-ever smart kiosk which is called the FamilyMart Mini. Located at the Shell Karak Highway 2 in Gombak, the automated kiosk is already begun to serve customers recently.

FamilyMart Mini allows customers to purchase up to six items at one go, according to the pictures shared by FamilyMart Malaysia on its Facebook page. It is equipped with a large touch screen that displays the items that are available within the machine together with their price tag.

Based on the images shared by FamilyMart, it seemed that the items offered by the FamilyMart Mini at Shell Karak Highway 2 mainly consisted of the brand’s own food and drinks including onigiri, sandwiches, and bread. In terms of payment, the smart kiosk accepts credit and debit cards as well as selected e-wallets include Boost, GrabPay, Maybank QRPay, and Touch n Go eWallet.

Truth be told, smart kiosks and advanced vending machines are nothing new in our market. In the context of convenience store companies such as FamilyMart that also sell self-branded products, it may act as a way to expand their footprint in a cost-effective manner as opposed to having a full-scale store.

Meanwhile, FamilyMart Malaysia has yet to reveal the number of FamiyMart Mini that it plans to deploy. Given the reason we mentioned earlier though, we would not be surprised if it began to pop in other areas very soon though.

Alleged OPPO Smart Tag Leaks; Could Feature UWB, USB-C Charging Support

It appears that tracking tags have been gaining momentum once more, with both Apple’s AirTag and Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag leading the charge. Not wanting to feel left out, it seems that even OPPO wants in on the “tagging” action and is reportedly preparing to launch its own Smart Tag soon.

Images of OPPO’s alleged Smart Tag were first posted on the Chinese Social network, Weibo and spotted by Digital Chat Station. Based on the first picture, the smartphone brand seems to have gone with a standard, disk-shaped design, with its branding plastered simply on the top.

The second image reveals that the tracker will support USB-C charging, as well as ultrawide band (UWB) technology. In comparison to the Galaxy SmartTag’s Bluetooth tracking, UWB would effectively allow OPPO’s smart tag to be more accurate. Sadly, there isn’t a lot of detail about the tracker, nor when its parent company plans on releasing the device.

On that note, we’ll be keeping an eye out for updates, so be sure to check this space from time to time.

Xiaomi Officially Begins Working On Smart Electric Vehicle

Known for its phones and smart devices, Xiaomi has officially begun working on smart electric vehicle (EV). This confirmation was made through an announcement for the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong earlier today.

To kick off its smart EV effort, Xiaomi has established a new EV subsidiary with an initial investment of CNY 10 billion (~RM 6.3 billion). While the amount seems quite substantial, the company said that the estimated total investment for the EV project over a period of 10 years will be USD 10 billion (~RM 41.5 billion).

Xiaomi has also announced that its co-founder as well as current Chairman and CEO, Lei Jun will also become the CEO of the new EV subsidiary. However, the company didn’t address the recent rumour regarding Great Wall Motor in the announcement today.

The Chinese tech giant also didn’t provide any information regarding its EV production timeline, so it seems likely that it is going to take a while before we can see Xiaomi’s first-ever EV on the road. Nevertheless, we still look forward to seeing if Xiaomi is able to disrupt the EV industry and repeat its achievements within the smartphone world over there.