Samsung tipped to be releasing foldable smartphone next year

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Hoping to stay ahead and even pull away from the pack, Samsung is rumoured to be releasing an unusually shaped smartphone in 2017. According to Korean tech site ETNews, the device will reportedly look like a regular 5-inch device at first but once unfolded it will expand up to seven inches. It’s not said how Samsung plans to implement this and the company won’t comment on the veracity of the rumour. But Samsung filed a patent back in March for a phone with a “rollable” screen. But then again rumours about flexible displays have been around for a while so make sure to still take this rumour with a grain of salt.

At this point though, it is important for tech companies to think up the next big thing as current flagships are usually more iterations or slightly better versions of previous devices, there is a need to make more innovative device to fuel growth in the market.

Source: The Independent

YouTube reportedly developing live streaming app

If reports are to be believed, YouTube wants to get in on the live streaming game. The company is supposedly branching out to have a new live streaming one called YouTube Connect. YouTube won't comment on this but it is said the new app will have a similar format to Periscope, meaning you can log into the app with your Google or YouTube account and immediately start streaming from your phone. It'll also supposedly have a chat and tagging feature and a news feed that shows your friends's streams as well as the accounts you subscribe to on YouTube. The speculation arises after many have tried to get into the live streaming space to attract younger users and capitilize on the rise of the live format.

Source: Mashable 

Apple Pay rumoured to be coming to Web and possibly desktop

Reports claim Apple has plans to bring Apple Pay to the Web. Sources claim Apple is discussing bring the service to the Web with potential partners. But it could be limited to Safari on the newer iPhones that have Touch ID. At the moment, the technology is limited to native iOS apps. The tech giant is said to be gearing up for the upcoming holiday season.

There have also supposedly been in talk of bringing the service to the desktop but no one has mentioned how that will work yet. The Next Web speculates that Apple could release the API of the Handoff feature and just continue the checkout process on a mobile device. Or new MacBooks could come equipped with Touch ID, too. If this will ever come into fruition, we might hear more about it at WWDC happening in the coming months.

Source: The Next Web

Google tipped to be developing an iOS third-party keyboard with search feature

The search giant Google is supposedly working on a third-party keyboard for iOS users. It will reportedly have things like gesture-based input and a built-in Web search feature. The gesture-based typing is said to follow in the vein of popular keyboard apps like Swype and SwiftKey. The keyboard will also sport a Google logo that when you tap executes a web search and dedicated search buttons for pictures and GIFs, which are believed to be routed through Google Image search. Whether that search happens within the keyboard interface or not is unknown. Apple is particularly strict with products it deems will affect the UI, which in turn could affect the iOS experience. The unnamed keyboard project has said to be in the work for months and is being tested by select Google employees. There isn’t a specific timeline for release though.

Source: Apple Insider