This App Tests The Water Resistance Of Android Phones

You may remember the Apple slogan (that the company trademarked) that goes “there’s an app for that”. Now, there is one that can actually test for a phone’s water resistance. Though ironically in the context of this paragraph, the app is only available for Android phones.

The app in question is simply called Water Resistance Tester by Ray W. The test is also pretty simple. All you have to do is run the app, leave it alone for awhile, then press down on two parts of your phone’s screen when prompted.

The way it works is by using the barometer that some phones have, to help track vertical location. If the phone is sealed well enough for water resistance, this will build up pressure inside the phone, which the app will tell you about.

Ray W also has a post on Reddit detailing a number of scenarios where it will be useful. Most notably, if you’ve sent your phone for servicing or repair, you can use the app to check if the people doing that sealed the phone back up properly. If you have an old phone and suspect it’s no longer water resistant, the Water Resistance Tester app will also let you know.

All that being said, because it is a third party app, don’t expect it to be something you can use to get a warranty claim if your supposedly waterproof phone drowns. Even if phone makers these days tout their devices as waterproof, these have generally not been covered by warranty ever since Sony reversed its waterproof stance with the Xperia Z3 back in the day.

Clubhouse Starts Rough Android Beta Tests

Clubhouse became one of the biggest apps to hit iOS, and many on Android have been clamouring for it. We previously saw a possible release window in May. Now, it looks like a small scale beta testing has begun for the app on Android.

The app’s latest release notes say that the Android beta is being rolled out to a “handful of friendly testers”. This would suggest access to the beta as exclusive as the full Clubhouse app itself.

The release notes also say that the company will be welcoming more Android users “over the coming weeks”. Though this could mean extending beta testing access to more people, or a full on release for Android.

Clubhouse co-founder Paul Davison did say back in March that its Android version will take a couple of months. That and the company plans on dropping the invite-only model. This could coincide with the Android release, or come at a later date.

All in all, it’s good to know that Clubhouse is sort of sharing its progress on the Android app. It should keep desperate people off the many fakes that can be found on the Google Play Store, which could be malware in disguise.

Facebook Tests Hotline; A Q&A Competitor App To Clubhouse

Facebook is now beta testing Hotline, a Q&A-based app that might soon offer tough competition to Clubhouse. While Clubhouse is audio-only, Hotline will allow content creators to stream video as well.

“With Hotline, we’re hoping to understand how interactive, live multimedia Q&As can help people learn from experts in areas like professional skills, just as it helps those experts build their businesses,” Facebook said.

TechCrunch, likely the first to report on the new app, noted its interface similarities with Clubhouse – a speaker section at the top for the mobile version (or to the left on desktop) and a listeners’ section at the bottom (or to the right on desktop).

But probably the most important difference is that Hotline records all sessions.

Clubhouse is beloved by many because it supposedly doesn’t keep recordings of conversations – an attribute that made it wildly but briefly popular in China before it was banned there.

Hotline is taking the completely opposite route – hosts will be given two recordings of a session after it ends; both in different formats (mp3 and mp4). These can then be uploaded by content creators to relevant platforms like YouTube or Facebook, TechCrunch said.

Hotline reportedly will be free at launch with no limits on audience size, but this is presumably subject to change.

Tech platforms, from Spotify to Facebook, have been trying to build competitors to Clubhouse, owing to the app’s phenomenal growth in a short space of time. Twitter also attempted a more direct approach and, according to Bloomberg sources, engaged in talks to acquire Clubhouse for US$4 billion (~RM16.5 billion). However, those talks went nowhere.

YouTube Tests Hiding Video Dislike Count From The Public

YouTube is currently adding another new feature in its current list of experiments. This one though will likely not turn out well. What exactly the video hosting platform is testing? Hiding the dislike count on videos from the public. The numbers will still be visible to video uploaders.

The company announced this via the official YouTube Twitter account. And the company gave an interesting reason for this test. To quote, the company says that this is “in response to creator feedback around well-being and targeted dislike campaigns”. The post also says that not everyone will be part of the “small experiment”. There’s also an accompanying image that shows what you’ll see if you are.

Now, on the one hand, it’s easy to see the company’s perspective. Smaller content creators on YouTube can get harassed via such targeted dislike campaigns. But on the other, If there really was such a targeted campaign, the number of dislikes not being visible wouldn’t really dampen it since it’s, well, a targeted campaign.

For the average user, the like to dislike ratio is important if you’re actually looking for information. After all, it’s the easiest way to gauge if the video is genuinely helpful. No one wants to spend 10 minutes and one second watching through a video, only to find that the content skirts around the topic in the title without actually addressing it.