Fujifilm X-T30 APS-C mirrorless camera launched in India: Price and specifications

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Fujifilm X-T30 APS-C mirrorless camera launched in India: Price and specifications

Fujifilm has expanded its X Series lineup in India today with the launch of its X-T30 mirrorless camera. Fujifilm X-T30 APS-C mirrorless camera is the latest in the company’s global lineup too and has finally made its way in Indian market.

The newly-launched camera is touted to come with superior image quality coupled with the Fujifilm’s proprietary colour reproduction technology. Here’s a look at the pricing details and specifications of the Fujifilm X-T30 APS-C mirrorless camera:

Fujifilm X-T30 APS-C mirrorless camera price

Fujifilm X-T30 mirrorless camera is priced at Rs 74,999 for the body only, however, customers can also opt to buy the entire kit as well. While the bundle with 18-55mm lens bears a price tag of Rs 94,999, the 18-135mm lens bundle will cost Rs 99,999. At this price, the newly-launched mirrorless camera from Fujifilm competes directly with the likes of Sony A6400 mirrorless camera, which was also launched recently in the Indian market.

Fujifilm X-T30 APS-C mirrorless camera specifications

Fujifilm X-T30 mirrorless camera is the successor of the company’s X-T20 and comes with a 26.1-megapixel APS-C sensor coupled with X-Processor 4 quad-core CPU that focusses in image processing. Among other features of the X-T30 mirrorless camera is its hybrid AF system that comes with 425 phase detection autofocus (PDAF) points and covers the entire frame, EyeAP and an option of Face Selection. In addition to this, the camera also packs 2.36 million dot resolution OLED EVF and features a 3-inch tilting touchscreen display. The camera supports 4K recording of up to 30fps and 1080p recoding up to 120fps. A single SD card can be added to the camera and users will also be able to connect it to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Fujifilm X-T30 mirrorless camera weighs 383 grams and comes with a focus lever and a redesigned grid shape which is supposed to give better stability to the device. The company has said that the camera comes with ‘Film Simulation Modes’ which can prove to be useful when shooting for stills and videos. For richer colour grading, the mirrorless camera comes with Fujifilm’s ‘ETERNA’ simulation mode.

Speaking about the newly launched camera, Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India said, “Catering to the consumption patterns of the photographers, X-T30, not only offers a novel photography experience to the end users, but also brings the imaging industry to new heights in terms of product design. We’ve also brought an intelligent sensor and a swift image processing engine into this compact and lightweight body to achieve ultimate image quality. With this new addition in our X series, we aim to facilitate our users with a product which will help them expand the horizon of their photographic capabilities.”

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Redmi 7 with Snapdragon 632 processor launched: Price and specifications

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Redmi 7 with Snapdragon 632 processor launched: Price and specifications

Xiaomi has today launched its Redmi 7 smartphone in its home country, China. The device is the successor of Redmi 6 smartphone that was launched last year and comes with a 19:9 display and Android Pie based MIUI 10. The Redmi 7 handset is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 632 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and houses a 4,000mAh battery.

The battery of the smartphone is said to deliver up to 400 hours of standby time with a single charge and is said to come with power saving optimizations that are backed by AI (artificial intelligence). Xiaomi also unveiled the Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone at the event, which was recalled a few weeks back in India. Here’s a look at the pricing details and specifications of the newly launched smartphones in China:

Redmi 7 price in China

While the 2GB RAM/16GB storage variant of Redmi 7 smartphone is priced at CNY 699 (approximately Rs 7,100) in China, the 3GB RAM/32GB storage models costs CNY 799 (approximately Rs 8,200). Xiaomi has also launched a 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant of the handset that bears a price tag of CNY 999 (approximately Rs 10,200).

Redmi 7 smartphone has been launched in Dream Blue, Charm Night Red and Bright Black colours in China and all three come with gradient back panels. We should add that the smartphone will go on sale in its home country on March 26. As of now, there is no word on the launch or availability of the handset in India.

Redmi Note 7 Pro price in China

In China, Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone bears a price tag of CNY 1,599 (approximately Rs 16,300). Unlike India, where the smartphone is available in 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage and 6GB RAM/128GB storage models, Redmi 7 will only be available the higher-end variant in China.

Redmi 7 specifications

Redmi 7 smartphone comes with Android 9.0 Pie skinned with MIUI 10 on top and features a 6.26-inch HD+ display that comes with a 19:9 aspect ratio, is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and has a colour gamut of 84% NTSC. The handset is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor clubbed with the aforementioned RAM options. The handset is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage options and the device can hold a microSD card of up to 512GB.

For imaging duties, Redmi 7 smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup with that comprises of a 12MP sensor with an f/2.2 lens and a 2MP camera. On the front panel, there is an 8MP selfie camera. Redmi 7 smartphone houses a 4,000mAh battery and its connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, USB, Infrared blaster, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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TECNO CAMON iSKY 3 with Android 9.0 Pie and AI selfie camera launched in India: Price and specifications

Aman Singh
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TECNO CAMON iSKY 3 with Android 9.0 Pie and AI selfie camera launched in India: Price and specifications

Hong Kong based smartphone manufacturer, TECNO has launched its first smartphone running on Android 9.0 Pie named CAMON iSKY 3 in India. The TECNO CAMON iSky 3 smartphone comes with an 8MP AI selfie camera along with dual AI rear camera setup. The newly launched smartphone comes with a 6.2-inch notched display as well. Here are the pricing details and specifications of the TECNO CAMON iSky 3 smartphone in India:

TECNO CAMON iSKY3 price and launch offers

The CAMON iSKY3 smartphone is available at Rs 8,599 and it comes in 4 colour options — Midnight black, Aqua blue, Champagne Gold and Nebula black.

The smartphone also comes with a ‘111’ brand promise which covers a one-time screen replacement, 100 days of free replacement and one month of extended warranty.

TECNO CAMON iSKY3 specifications and features

TECNO CAMON iSKY3 sports a 6.2-inch HD+ display that comes with a notch on the top and has an aspect ratio of 19:9 with 88% screen-to-body ratio. It is powered by 2.0 GHz 64-Bit QuadCore processor coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The smartphone can further support a microSD card up to 256GB. TECNO CAMON iSKY3 comes with dual-SIM card support (4G VoLTE support on both SIMs) and has a dedicated microSD card slot. The CAMON iSKY3 smartphone carries a 3,500mAh battery which, according to the company, is capable of giving 350 hours of standby time, 12 hours of calling, 6.5 hours of web browsing and 7 hours of gaming. It also comes with an AI Power Management which optimizes the battery life.

Tecno_Camon isky3

Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of TRANSSION India said, “Our latest offering CAMON iSKY 3 is powered by latest intuitive software Android 9 Pie operating system, which will substantially change the consumer smartphone experience.  The device harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to give a more tailored experience by emphasizing on machine learning, digital wellbeing and simplicity. At Rs 8,599, CAMON iSKY 3 is a future-ready “AI-power packed” device designed to cater to the aspirations of today’s tech savvy youth who want a smartphone that is faster, smarter, cameras that can shoot in any light, battery runs longer and comes loaded with latest innovations at the best value for money.”

According to the company, the CAMON iSKY 3 is a camera-centric smartphone, so it comes with a dual-rear camera setup of a 13MP main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture along with a 2MP depth sensor. The front panel of the smartphone holds an 8MP AI selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture with 78-degree wide angle.

The CAMON iSKY 3 runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with HiOS 4.6 which comes with features like smart panel, digital wellbeing and more. For security, there is a fingerprint scanner at the back but it also comes with face unlock feature for unlocking the device.

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Samsung launches new 2019 AC series with Triple Inverter Technology in India: Price and specifications

Aman Singh
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Samsung launches new 2019 AC series with Triple Inverter Technology in India: Price and specifications

Samsung India has launched its new line-up of Air Conditioners (ACs) in India today. The new ACs come with Triple Inverter Technology which uses less electricity and gives faster cooling. There is a new ‘Convertible Mode’ equipped in the newly launched ACs which lets the user change the cooling capacity with the number of people present in the room. The company has promised that the AC is capable of cooling even in extreme temperatures of up to 54-degrees Celsius.

Samsung 2019 AC series price, availability and launch offers

The Samsung 2019 AC series is priced at Rs 45,400 and comes with 36SKU’s across tonnage in 3 star, 5 star PFC and Copper models.

The new AC series has TRIPLE Warranty benefits with 10 years warranty on compressor, 5 years warranty on Durafin condenser. There is also a warranty of 2 years on PCB Controller on both Indoor and Outdoor units.

Other offers include, a two-year warranty on PCB (Printed Circuit Board) Controller along with five years of free gas recharge. The Compressor and the Durafin Condenser comes with a warranty of 10-years and 5-years respectively.

The customers of Samsung’s 2019 AC series can avail a 10 percent cashback on the purchase of all the models with Axis Bank, Citi Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank till March 31, 2019. Along with that, Samsung is offering free installation on Windfree and 5-star Inverter and charging for Rs 499 for installation of the 3-star inverter.

Speaking about the newly-launched range, Ankur Kapoor, Deputy General Manager, Consumer Electronics Business of Samsung India said “Energy efficiency is one of the primary parameters for consumers while making purchasing decisions for air conditioners. Our latest offering with cutting-edge triple-inverter technology and best Warranty proposition makes us one of the most energy efficient and durable brands in the industry.”

Samsung 2019 AC series features and specifications

As mentioned above, the newly launched 2019 AC series comes with Triple Inverter Technology which is powered by Advanced Digital Inverter 8-Pole Motor. This technology ensures more energy efficiency and less electricity consumption. While the Power Boost Technology produces less torque fluctuations but it ensures effective and efficient operation of the AC so that there is less vibration and less noise.

Samsung launches new 2019 AC series with Triple Inverter Technology in India: Price and specifications

Other features include Samsung Anti Corrosion Durafin Condensers which the company has said are best suited for Indian climate conditions. The Multi Jet+ technology used in the AC is capable of giving faster cooling and reduces condenser leakage. The condenser is capable of giving up to 5 times larger heat exchange area as compared to other conventional models of ACs.

“Besides cooling comfort with optimum energy efficiency, the consumers will also enjoy offers like unlimited gas recharge free of cost for five years; 2-year warranty on PCB and reduced cost of installation among others,” Kapoor added.

Samsung’s 2019 series of ACs comes with Convertible Mode which once activated allows users to save more energy when they are sitting alone in the room. With this mode, ACs adjusts the cooling capacity as per the number of users inside the room.

With the launch of the new AC series with new features, the South-Korean technology giant is planning to take over the Indian AC market before the summer arrives.

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Google+ public posts will be preserved by Internet Archive before it is shut down

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Google+ public posts will be preserved by Internet Archive before it is shut down

After Google+ suffered a data breach that was brought to light last year, the technology giant announced that it will be closing down the social networking platform in April 2019. Considering that the said date is now just weeks away, the Internet Archive and the ArchiveTeam has said that it is working to preserve public posts on Google+ before Google begins deleting all the data next month. If this is not done, even the public posts on the platform will vanish forever.

The websites took to Reddit to explain the method that they are taking to archive the posts. The post on Reddit says that scripts will be used to capture the data and back it up in order to keep them safe. However, it has been pointed out by the teams that their efforts will focus on only on the posts that are visible to the public and they would not be able to take a backup of the posts that have been marked as private by the user. And needless to say, even the ones that have been deleted would not be archived too.

The teams have also asked people who do not wish to have their data archived to go and delete their Google+ accounts. A procedure that can be followed to remove specific content from the social media website has also been specified. However, even in the posts that will be archived, the teams would not be able to capture everything.

For instance, comment threads will have a limit of 500 comments when being recorded, “but only presents a subset of these as static HTML. It’s not clear that long discussion threads will be preserved.” It has also been mentioned that images and videos from Google+ will not be saved at full resolution.

As we mentioned earlier, Google+ saw a major data breach last year in October. While Google said that its platform has “low usage and engagement” and a majority of sessions on the social media website only lasted for roughly 5 seconds. Although even back then Google announced that its social media website will be closed down, the timeline was shifted after the platform suffered a second data breach. The new timeline for deletion of all consumer data was decided to be April 2.

However, in February this year, the company stopped letting users create new profile pages and communities on Google+.

The teams that have posted on Reddit have said that their mission is to preserve parts of internet so that people will be able to look at them in future. They have also added that they save contents from popular websites before they are shut down or die a slow death.

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Oppo ColorOS 6 update coming to Reno series smartphones next month

Aman Singh
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Oppo ColorOS 6 update coming to Reno series smartphones next month

Chinese smartphone brand Oppo’s new update for their ColorOS – the ColorOS6 – has been anticipated a lot for a very long time. The latest version of the update was announced back in November 2018, and soon the company rolled it out in its testing phase. But now, the company has announced that their latest iteration of the ColorOS will be coming to Oppo’s sub-brand Rena Series starting next month. The OS update will also come to other Oppo smartphones later this year. Some of the features of the ColorOS6 are a revamped UI design, GameBoost 2.0, Remote Guard and more.

The ColorOS 6 will also bring lighter aesthetics and subtle gradient elements that were announced earlier. The optimization made by the new layout engine improves the overall looks and brings a decluttered layout for the Settings Menu with more focus on the lines, spacing and paragraphs. There is an addition of new colour and circular design elements to the icons along with the addition of plethora of wallpapers, animations and new navigation gestures.

A ‘full screen’ design which focuses more on gestures and gives more screen space to work with will also make its way to Oppo smartphones with ColorOS 6. Another useful addition will be Remote Guard that will let parents and guardians keep a track of their children/ward’s smartphone activities. The Remote Guard feature will also enable parents to activate a time lock on playing a certain game or a using a social media app. The new update adds features such as letting the user natively block spam calls and messages and it also allows the user to remotely know the important details of their smartphones such as the battery percentage, location, etc.

There is an introduction of the updated version of the HyperBoost performance enhancement feature to the ColorOS 6 which includes System Boost, App Boost and Game Boost. The Game Boost has received an upgrade to Game Boost 2.0 for delivering better gaming performance with more intelligent system resource optimization. The Game Boost 2.0 is further assisted by an updated touch driver for better touch response along with the FrameBoost technology which delivers higher frame rate stability while playing a game. The FrameBoost technology also adds overall improved visual rendering especially in case of MOBA (Multiplayer online battle arena) games.

There is also an improved Breeno virtual assistant, riding mode, notification bundling and a smarter battery optimiser in the latest update of Oppo’s ColorOS.

The first release of the ColorOS 6 will be made available for the Oppo’s Reno series smartphones which will be announced in April. Then, Oppo will roll out the first batch of the ColorOS 6 in the April for Oppo R15, Oppo R15 Dream Edition. While the Oppo Find X, Oppo R17 and Oppo R17 Pro will receive the update in August. Similarly, the Oppo R11s, Oppo R11s Plus, Oppo R11, Oppo R11 Plus, Oppo A7z and Oppo A3 will receive the ColorOS 6 in September.

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Majority of Android antivirus apps are not reliable or effective: Report

Aman Singh
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Majority of Android antivirus apps are not reliable or effective: Report

There are hundreds of anti-virus apps for Android and other mobile platforms and they have only one task to perform – to keep smartphones secure and free from viruses. But according to a recent report, a majority of anti-virus and anti-malware apps for Android are unreliable and ineffective.

A report states that Austrian antivirus testing company AV-Comparatives chose 138 vendors including Avast, AVG, Cheetah Mobile, DU Master, BitDefender, ESET, Falcon Security Lab, and others, that have their antivirus apps up on the Google Play. Then, 250 antivirus apps were tested manually.  The apps were installed on Android devices in order to run an automated process which involved opening a web browser and downloading a malicious app on the same device. The process was followed 2,000 times to observe the apps’ behaviours and it led to a final outcome that most of the apps weren’t able to detect the virus or malware.

We should also add that among the antiviruses that were put to test, 170 of them failed in the basic detection tests while only 23 of the antiviruses managed to detect 100 percent of the malware samples. Surprisingly, 16 of the antiviruses in the list of apps that were tested didn’t even support Android 8.0 Oreo or above.

However, in the testing done by the AV-Comparatives, there were some antiviruses which were able to detect and block the malicious apps. But as mentioned earlier, there were a majority of antivirus apps which were able to detect the some of the old malicious apps and samples and allowed other apps which contained certain strings, they used a ‘whitelist’ for the protection.

However, the most shocking finding in these test was that some of these Android antivirus apps detected themselves as malicious apps since their vendors hadn’t added their own package name to the whitelist. But there were some apps which were noticed with wildcards to allow packages beginning with text such as ‘com.adobe’. Such packages were allowed to enter the system without effort, however this could be a way for the hackers to bypass the security and enter the system using similar package names.

The AV-Comparatives team noted that since they tested 2,000 of the most common Android malware threats that were prevalent last year, the detection rates were between 90 to 100 percent. These numbers could easily be achieved if an effective anti-malware app is used.

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[Video] Skullcand Push Wireless Earbuds Unboxing and everything you need to know

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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[Video] Skullcand Push Wireless Earbuds Unboxing and everything you need to know

The newly launched Skullcandy Push wireless Earbuds are first truly wireless earbuds by them and the company has promised that the product can offer an ‘untethered audio experience’. Skullcandy Push comes with a bold design, means it is focused towards a younger crowd.

Skullcandy’s new wireless earbuds, Push comes with the company’s FitFin Ear Gels which offers a secure and comfortable fit and also enables the audio accessory to stay inside the ears throughout the day without falling out.

The Skullcandy Push weighs 54.2grams and has Bluetooth 4.2 for connectivity. Its frequency level ranges from 20Hz to20KHz (20,000Hz). The driver diameter is 9.2mm and it has an impedance of 16 Ohms.

Skullcandy push price in India is Rs 9,999.

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WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton asks people to delete their Facebook accounts again

Avani Bagga
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WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton asks people to delete their Facebook accounts again

Facebook invested its money at the right place when it acquired instant messenger WhatsApp and photo-sharing app Instagram. Today, when the popularity of the native social media platform has gone down compared to what it was a few years back, the two apps that it acquired continue to be people’s favourites.

However, it is also a known fact that some key people from WhatsApp and Instagram eventually left the company sometime after their apps were acquired. The reason for this was always said to be disagreements about how the apps should be taken forward.

One among these key people who left is WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who recently went to Stanford University as a speaker. At the university, he shed light on the decision to sell his company to Facebook and then went on to advise students about deleting their accounts on the social media platform.

According to a report in BuzzFeed News, Acton made an appearance at the undergraduate course called Computer Science 181 along with the founder of Ellora Israni, who is also a former Facebook employee. During his speech, Acton pointed out his reasons for selling WhatsApp to Facebook and then told the class about why he left the company. He then went on to criticize Facebook’s decision to prioritize monetization of the app over user privacy.

He then urged people to deactivate their Facebook accounts. Acton said, “These companies are not equipped to make these decisions. And we give them the power. That’s the bad part. We buy their products. We sign up for these websites. Delete Facebook, right?”

Since Acton left Facebook in 2017 over the company’s desire to monetize its services including WhatsApp, he has been very vocal about his criticism about the social networking platform. We should add here that this is not the first time that Acton has asked people to delete their Facebook accounts. After Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal came to light last year, Acton had called people to delete their accounts from the platform for the first time.

To recall, last year, Facebook was embroiled in one data breach after another and the social networking giant has faced a lot of criticism over not valuing user privacy and not being careful enough about their data. After Acton, Instagram founders had also quit Facebook citing similar reasons for disagreement.

The company had already monetized Instagram with advertisements in News Feed as well as in Stories. And soon, ads are expected to come in WhatsApp Status too.

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Spotify calls Apple a ‘monopolist’ as their tension escalates further: Report

Aman Singh
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Spotify calls Apple a ‘monopolist’ as their tension escalates further: Report

The tension between Apple and music streaming service Spotify is catching fire as the two companies continue to take jabs at each other. Last week, it was reported that Spotify had filed a complaint against Apple in the EU anti-trust regulators where it blamed Apple for playing fair as they limited the app’s reach to its users. Following this, Apple countered by saying that Spotify wanted all the benefits of a free app without being free. Now, the tension between Apple and Spotify has escalated even further as Spotify called Apple a ‘monopolist’ and the Cupertino-based technology giant has gone out of its way to write an aggressive statement, which is not something that Apple is known for.

Yesterday, Apple stated on its Newsroom page that the company leaves out the fact that Apple’s fee for use of the secure in-app purchase servers is cut down to 15 percent after the first year of use from 30 percent. They also went on to state that the Cupertino-based company had always helped Spotify with Apple’s Siri and AirPlay 2 compatibility issues.

Apple further added, “Let’s be clear about what that means. Apple connects Spotify to our users. We provide the platform by which users download and update their app. We share critical software development tools to support Spotify’s app building. And we built a secure payment system — no small undertaking — which allows users to have faith in in-app transactions. Spotify is asking to keep all those benefits while also retaining 100 percent of the revenue. Spotify wouldn’t be the business they are today without the App Store ecosystem, but now they’re leveraging their scale to avoid contributing to maintaining that ecosystem for the next generation of app entrepreneurs. We think that’s wrong.”

After Apple’s statement, Variety quoted a Spotify executive saying “Every monopolist will suggest they have done nothing wrong and will argue that they have the best interests of competitors and consumers at heart. In that way, Apple’s response to our complaint before the European Commission is not new and is entirely in line with our expectations. We filed our complaint because Apple’s actions hurt competition and consumers and are in clear violation of the law. This is evident in Apple’s belief that Spotify’s users on iOS are Apple customers and not Spotify customers, which goes to the very heart of the issue with Apple. We respect the process the European Commission must now undertake to conduct its review.”

Last week, the music streaming service had filed a complaint against the Cupertino-based company that they were not playing fair as they limited Spotify’s reach to its users as they gave their own platform – Apple Music more priority. Spotify’s complaint was over Apple Tax and restrictive rules that the company imposes on apps which are part of the App Store. Spotify went further to claim in its complaint that apps and companies who are not willing to pay 30 percent cut of the in-app purchases were prohibited from linking to or even mentioning any means of alternative payment by Apple. Spotify had also stated that Apple uses its power over its platform to make the App Store an ‘uneven playing field’. To which Apple rebutted Spotify’s remarks saying that ‘time to play fair’.

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Tesla may come to India this year, tweets CEO Elon Musk

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Tesla may come to India this year, tweets CEO Elon Musk

One company that is really awaited in India is electric carmaker Tesla. Although time and again Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has hinted that he is interested in making a foray in India, it has never really happened. And now, after ten months of not speaking about whether or when Tesla would come to India, Musk has finally broken his silence on the matter.

The company’s CEO took to Twitter to say that he would love Tesla to make a foray in India either in 2019 or definitely next year. Musk’s tweet read, “Would love to be there this year. If not, definitely next! India.” We should mention that Musk tweeted this in response to a question he was asked.

It is worth adding that this comes after Musk blamed the Indian government’s restrictive policies for making him give up on his dream of getting the electric car maker to India. He had also said that it was the FDI norms that caused a delay in Tesla‘s entry in India. In addition to this, sometime back this year, Tesla’s Indian-origin Chief Financial Officer Deepak Ahuja resigned from the company and this put a pause on Musk’s India dream once again.

Musk had earlier disclosed that he wanted to drive a Tesla in India in 2017. That obviously couldn’t happen and there were a number of aforementioned reasons that contributed to that. Also, Ahuja first worked at Tesla, but he quit the company in 2015 and later re-joined in 2017. However, as we said earlier, he resigned from Tesla again on January this year.

Last year in May, CEO Elon Musk did say that he would love to roll out the electric cars in India, but the tough government regulations proved to be a barrier and he had to halt his plans of coming to the country.

A user wrote on his Twitter profile “No Tesla in India.” Known for being very active on Twitter, Musk replied to him saying, “Would love to be in India. Some challenging government regulations, unfortunately.”

He further added that Tesla’s India plans depended a lot on its now former CFO Ahuja. Musk said, “Deepak Ahuja, our CFO, is from India. Tesla will be there as soon as he believes we should.”

We should also add here that Tesla Model 3 was expected to be launched in India for around $35,000, which is approximately Rs 24,14,000.

Back in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Tesla’s headquarters at Palo Alto where he met CEO Elon Musk. Musk game Modi a tour of Tesla’s electric car plant in California.

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Redmi 7 set to launch today: How to watch the live stream, expected price and specifications

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Redmi 7 set to launch today: How to watch the live stream, expected price and specifications

Xiaomi recently unveiled its new sub-brand Redmi with the launch of Redmi Note 7 smartphone in China. This was followed by the launch of Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi Note 7 handsets in India. And today, the company is all set to launch its Redmi 7 smartphone in its home country along with the Chinese variant of the Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone.

All that we know about the Redmi 7 smartphone is via its teasers. And it is being speculated that even the Redmi Note 7 Pro that will be launched in China will be slightly different from the variant that has been unveiled in India. Here’s everything that you need to know about the launch of the two smartphones:

Redmi 7 launch: How to watch the live stream?

The launch of the Redmi Note 7 smartphone is scheduled for 2 pm CST today, which is 11:30 am IST. The Chinese smartphone maker would be broadcasting the launch of the Redmi 7 smartphone live on its dedicated page for the event. As we have mentioned earlier, Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone will also be launched in China today along with Redmi 7 handset.

Redmi Note 7 price (expected)

As tipped by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, the Redmi 7 smartphone is expected to be bear a price tag between CNY 700 to CNY 800, which is approximately Rs 9,300.

Redmi Note 7 specifications and features (expected)

According to CEO Jun, Redmi 7 smartphone will come with a 3.5mm headphone jack, an infrared (IR) blaster and house a massive battery. The company has also shared some images of the smartphone. As per a TENAA listing that talks about a Redmi handset with model number M1810F6LE, the device would feature a 6.26-inch HD+ display, house 3,900mAh battery and run Android Pie. The smartphone will be powered by Snapdragon 632 processor, according to a hands-on video that was leaked recently.

The video also reveals that the handset will come with a dual camera setup on its back panel that will comprise of a 12MP sensor and an 8MP sensor. The handset will be available in Black, Blue, Green, Grey, Pink, Purple, Red, and White colour variants. The video also talks about the 3,900mAh battery of the smartphone, which is in-line with the TENAA listing. For the rest of the details, we would have to wait for a few more hours for the device to be unveiled.

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Syska Power Vault 200 power bank launched in India: Price and specifications

Aman Singh
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Syska Power Vault 200 power bank launched in India: Price and specifications

Electronic equipment manufacturer Syska has launched its Power Vault 200 power bank in India this week. The multifunctional Syska Power Vault 200 power bank holds a 20,000mAh battery pack and comes in black and white colour options.

Speaking on the launch of Syska Power Vault 200, Gurumukh Uttamchandani, Executive Director of Syska Group said, “We at Syska conduct in-depth research of the market before launching any new product and also have a well-equipped advanced research & development lab for innovation and quality controls. The power bank market is on a growth trajectory owing to factors such as increasing use of electronic devices and technological advancements.”

Here are all the details that you should know about the newly launched power bank in India:

Syska Power Vault 200 power bank price

The Syska Power Vault 200 power bank is priced at Rs 1,299 and is available on Flipkart. It comes with a 6 months warranty against any manufacturing defects. The warranty will be effective from the date of purchase of the product.

Syska Power Vault 200 power bank specifications

The Syska Power Vault 200 is a multifunctional power bank that houses a 20,000mAh Lithium Polymer battery. It comes with a high-density polymer cell which offers long-lasting support to the charging needs of the user. The power bank comes with a unique current shunt system which enables the connected device to charge in stages. The power bank comes with a built-in intelligent circuit control that can shunt the current when it is self-charging and outputting the power at the same time. While charging more than one device, the current shunt feature ensures that all the devices are charged uniformly and at a faster speed.

Syska Power Vault 200 power bank launched in India: Price and specifications

Syska Power Vault 200 also comes with overcharging and discharge protection which prevents the product from overcharging. Along with that, the power bank comes with an Intelligent Multi-Protection Circuits which protects it when charging and also when the charge is being discharged to other devices. The Syska Power Vault 200 offers a prolonged battery life which is capable of offering the users up to 500 times of charge/discharge cycle. To prolong the power bank’s battery life there is a modulation of pulse width which reduces the energy consumption.

The company has promised that the power bank is compatible with a wide range of devices like laptops, digital cameras, gaming consoles, iPods, Mp3/Mp4 players, tablets, PDAs, Bluetooth speakers, headphones, Android smartphones or iPhones.

Other features of the newly launched power bank includes a battery level indicator which is displayed on the digital display provided on top of the Power Vault 200. The display gives the power percentage the power bank has left. The Power Vault 200 comes with multiple connectors — 2 USB connector, 1 micro USB connector and a USB Type-C port.

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Oppo A1K and Oppo A5s specifications leaked, expected to launch in India soon

Aman Singh
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Oppo A1K and Oppo A5s specifications leaked, expected to launch in India soon

Right after launching its F11 Pro smartphone in India, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is planning to unveil two new handsets in India – Oppo A1K and Oppo A5s. While Oppo A1K will be a mid-range budget smartphone, the A5s will cost more. Oppo A1K will be powered by the MediaTek Helio P22 SoC while the A5s will be powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 processor. The Oppo A5s has reportedly received the BIS certification so we can expect the smartphone to launch in the Indian market in the next few months. Here’s a look at the rumoured specifications of the two smartphones:

Oppo A1K specifications (rumoured)

Oppo A1K will reportedly sport a 6-inch display that will come with a waterdrop-shaped notch. However, the aspect ratio of the smartphone is currently unknown. The device will most likely be powered by a 2.0GHz MediaTek Helio P22 SoC coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Oppo A1K is expected to house a 4,000mAh battery and will run Android 9.0 Pie skinned with ColorOS 6.0.

According to a report by MySmartPrice, the Oppo A1K will sport a single rear camera and will feature a selfie camera on its front panel. However, other details of the camera of the handset are currently not known. The device will be available in Red and Black colour options. Oppo A1K is expected to come with 154.4×77.4×8.4 mm dimensions and will weigh 165 grams.

Oppo A5s specifications (rumoured)

On the other hand, some render images of Oppo A5s surfaced online earlier this month. But according to reports, Oppo A5s has received the BIS certification in India which means that the Oppo A5s will be launching in the Indian markets in the next few months. The smartphone will be a refreshed version of the Oppo A5 that was unveiled last month.

Speaking about the specifications, Oppo A5s will reportedly sport a 6.2-inch HD+ (720 x 1520 pixels) resolution display with a waterdrop-shaped notch. It will be powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 SoC coupled with 2GB/3GB/4GB of RAM. According to reports, the smartphone will be available in 32GB and 64GB storage options will be able to support a microSD card up to 256GB. Oppo A5s will sport a dual-rear camera setup comprising of a 13MP primary sensor with an f/2.2 aperture paired with an 8MP sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The front camera will have an 8MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture.

The Oppo A5s will reportedly run on Android 8.0 Oreo skinned with ColorOS 5.2. It is said to come in Red, Black Gold and Green colour options and will have 155.9×75.4×8.2mm dimensions and weigh 170 grams.

Although the exact launch date and the pricing of the smartphones are currently unknown they are expected to launch in the Indian market in the next few months.

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12 useful WhatsApp features you should know about

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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12 useful WhatsApp features you should know about

Can we even imagine a day without WhatsApp? Probably not. The app is the most popular instant messenger in the world and Facebook keeps on rolling out new WhatsApp features in order to make sure that it stays useful for its users. Here, we have listed down 12 features of WhatsApp you probably did not know about:

Get new features first

WhatsApp beta

If you want to get all the new WhatsApp features before anyone else does, you can become a beta tester for the app. To do this, go to WhatsApp Messenger’s app page on Google Play Store and scroll down to the bottom to ‘Become a beta tester’ panel. Select ‘I’m in’ and when you are asked to confirm, press ‘Join’. It is worth noticing that once you do this, you will get a lot more updates than you do now and not all of them will be bug-free.

Voice-to-video call switch

WhatsApp

It is very simple to switch between voice and video calls on WhatsApp. Suppose you are currently on a video call with a friend, and you wish to switch it to a voice call instead, just click on the ‘Video Off’ icon on the screen. Similarly, if you have made a voice call on WhatsApp to a friend, but want to get on a video call, press on the ‘Video On’ icon to make the switch.

Send messages without typing

whatsapp 3

You can actually send messages on WhatsApp without even typing them out. Just say ‘Ok Google’ and ask your digital assistant to ‘Send a message on WhatsApp’. Google Assistant will then ask you who you wish to message and what your message is. You can say the name of the contact and the message that you wish to send and then confirm it. Once confirmed, the message will be sent.

Reply to Group messages on personal chat

Whatsapp 4

If your friend says something on the group and you want to say something back but would rather do it on personal chat, you don’t have to scroll to find his chat to do this. You can just select the message sent by your friend, click on the three-dot icon on top right and then press on ‘Reply Privately.’

Save data in WhatsApp calls

whatsapp app

Go to WhatsApp and press on the three-dot icon to open Settings. Here, select ‘Data and storage usage’ and then press ‘Low data usage’. It will be the last option on the page.

Create GIFs

WhatsApp

To make your own GIFS and send them on WhatsApp, you first go to the conversation where you wish to send the GIF and then select on the Attach icon. Select the video you wish to make a GIF from your smartphone’s Gallery and when you come to the edit page, reduce the duration of the video to 6 seconds or less. You will see that the option of converting it into a GIF will pop up on the right of the screen.

Create Stickers

12 sticker packs

This isn’t exactly a WhatsApp feature as you need a third-party app for it, but it definitely makes sending Stickers more fun on the instant messenger. Download Sticker maker for WhatsApp from Google Play Store, and then open the app and select ‘Create a new sticker pack’. Fill in the name of sticker pack and the author, and then upload the photos you wish to convert into a sticker. Draw an outline around the area you want in your sticker and then tap on ‘Yes, Save Sticker’. Once you publish the sticker pack, a message would then prompt to ask you if you want to add the sticker pack to WhatsApp. Press on ‘Add’ to add all the stickers to the instant messenger.

Group video calling

whatsapp (1)

Open a WhatsApp conversation and tap on the video camera icon on the top. Once the video call begins and the recipient answers tap on the add user icon on the top right of the screen and choose the second recipient you wish to call. You can add more people to the call in the same way. Alternatively, you can also go to a WhatsApp group and tap on the Group Call icon and select the contacts you wish to call.

Chat in different languages

smartphone tap

Open WhatsApp and click on the three-dot icon to go to ‘Settings’. Here, select ‘Chats’ and then choose the option of ‘App Language’. Here, you can select the language that you wish to use WhatsApp in.

Add conversation shortcuts

WhatsApp

If you wish a particular WhatsApp chat of yours to appear on your Home Screen, just select it on WhatsApp and then press on the three-dot icon. Once you do this, you need to select ‘Add chat shortcut’. You will be asked if you wish to add the chat to your home screen. Press ‘Add’ to confirm.

Enable two step verification

whatsapp

To enable two-step verification, open WhatsApp and click on the three-dot icon on top right. Press on ‘Settings’ and then select ‘Account’. Here, you will see the option of Two Step Verification. Select it and press on ‘Enable’. You can then add the six-digit pin that you will be asked for registering your phone number with WhatsApp again.

Group description feature

WhatsApp

If you make a group on WhatsApp, you now also have the option of adding a description for it so that the people who are a part of it know its exact purpose. For doing this, go to the Group for which you wish to add a description and click on the top bar where the name of the group and participants is written. This will open the page where you will be able to see all the participants and media of the group. On this page, right below the Name of the group, you will see an option of ‘Add Description.’ Select it and write a short description to let all the participants know the purpose of the WhatsApp group.

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Here’s what Tencent India has to say about PUBG Mobile arrests

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Here’s what Tencent India has to say about PUBG Mobile arrests

Recently, Rajkot police arrested 10 college students for playing PUBG Mobile after a ban was imposed on the game in Gujarat. And till now, there was no word from Tencent India on how it was planning to deal with the situation. However, the parent company of PUGB Mobile has finally broken silence on the ongoing criticism and bans that the game is facing in the country. The company said in a statement:

“PUBG Mobile is a game. It is meant merely for entertainment and should be enjoyed in a healthy and responsible manner. In consonance with our endeavor to continue promoting responsible gaming experience, we are working on the introduction of a healthy gameplay system in India to promote balanced, responsible gaming, including limiting play time for under-aged players. We were thus surprised to learn that local authorities in a few cities have decided to impose a ban on playing our game.

We are working to understand the legal basis of such bans, and hope we can have a constructive dialogue with relevant authorities to explain our objectives and that they withdraw the prohibition. To PUBG Mobile players, we want to assure you that we are on your side and we will try our best to find a reasonable solution.”

We should mention that these are the first PUBG Mobile relates arrests in the country and it is worth noticing that the smartphones of the players have been seized by Rajkot police for the “purpose of investigation.” A cop who was involved in the arrest also said that the players were so engrossed in the game that they did not even notice the police coming to arrest them.

In a statement to Indian Express, Rajkot taluka police inspector VS Vanzara said, “As part of a special drive, police sub-inspector ND Damor arrested the six youths who were playing the game at tea stalls and fast-food joints outside a college on Kalavad road on Tuesday. Police checked their mobile to see if the PUBG game was running and also checked the history in their handset. We have filed six different cases against them.”

The players were then released from police custody on bail.

We should add here that a notification was reportedly sent on March 6 stating that PUBG Mobile and the MOMO Challenge were banned. The notification read, “It has come to our notice from various media that PUBG game, MOMO challenge is leading to a violent attitude among youth. The game is also having an impact on studies as well as behaviour, conduct and language of children and youth… Keeping in mind public safety security and to maintain law and order, I hereby impose a ban on playing PUBG game/MOMO challenge.”

The notification was based on directions by from the Gujarat state government.

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Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ can’t prevent touch inputs when placed in pockets: Report

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Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ can’t prevent touch inputs when placed in pockets: Report

South Korean technology giant Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone Galaxy S10 comes with top-notch specifications and features. Whether we talk about the hardware of the smartphone or its software, Samsung has really made sure that its handset has an edge over other company’s flagship mobile phones. However, a number of users are complaining about an issue that they are facing with Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone.

According to reports, Samsung Galaxy S10 does not automatically disable the screen when it is placed in a user’s pocket. Furthermore, users have also complained about accidental touch inputs that their Galaxy S10 handsets get when they are placed in their pockets. We should mention here that although the smartphone comes with a preloaded option that prevents accidental touches, but then, it seems like the function that enables the built-in proximity sensor to lock the screen of the smartphone is absent.

A number of users have taken to Reddit and Samsung’s Community forums to complain about the issue in the recently-launched flagship smartphone. A user on Reddit said, “I have an S10, and I keep my phone in my pocket with the screen towards my leg (since my leg is far less likely to damage the screen). The only issue with this is that I started feeling the ‘fingerprint rejected’ vibrations while the phone was in my pocket.”

We should add here that this issue also affects the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone. Another thing worth adding is that users also have similar complaints about the Samsung Galaxy S10+. What makes it worse is the Always On Display (AOD) feature of the handset that is meant to show the clock and notifications, even when the smartphone is not in use.

Interestingly, Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with the company’s own One UI that is touted to come with an Accidental touch protection feature which can help protect the smartphone from accidental touch inputs when it is inside a pocket or a bag or any other similar dark place.

It is also worth mentioning that a number of other smartphones that are more affordable than Samsung Galaxy S10 are able to prevent touches even when they are placed inside a pocket. Most smartphones use a proximity sensor to disable the display.

While the new flagship smartphones by Samsung do use the proximity sensor to lock the screen when the user is on a call, they are somehow unable to do the same when they are placed in a pocket. Considering that so many people are complaining, Samsung is expected to roll out a fix for the issue in the days to come.

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Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, Zenfone Max M2 and Zenfone Max M1 to receive the Android Pie update by April 15

Avani Bagga
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Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, Zenfone Max M2 and Zenfone Max M1 to receive the Android Pie update by April 15

This week, Google rolled out its Android Q developer beta to its Pixel smartphones. And if reports are to be believed, this time, more smartphones would be getting the developer beta of the latest Android version before it is finally unveiled at Google I/O 2019 in May. So it isn’t really surprising that a number of smartphone makers have suddenly started rolling out roadmaps about when their remaining handsets would receive the current Android Pie update.

Yesterday, Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi rolled out a list of its smartphones along with expected months when they would receive the Android Pie update. And just a day after Xiaomi, Taiwanese electronics maker Asus has done the same. Although it has been a while since the devices have been launched, till now, there was no word about Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Zenfone Max M2 handsets.

All three smartphones fall in the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market, and Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Zenfone Max Pro M2 have been appreciated a lot for offering powerful specifications at an affordable price.

However, Asus has finally broken its silence about when the three smartphones will be getting the much-awaited update. In a video that the company has posted on Facebook, Dinesh Sharma, the Head of Mobile Business of Asus India announced that Zenfone Max Pro M2, Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Zenfone Max M2 smartphones will be getting the Android Pie update latest by April 15. So, if you have one among the three smartphones and have been waiting for it to get the update, you don’t have to wait for too long.

The Pie is almost ready

Dear Zenfone family, we deeply apologize for missing our previously announced deadline for the Android Pie update. We promise it won’t be the same this time around. We’re bringing the Android Pie to the Zenfone Max Pro M1, Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Zenfone Max M2 latest by April 15th. Thank you all for your patience and continuous support. We promise this Pie will be worth the wait. For those who wish to test it out right now, you may visit the following link to register for our Android Beta Power program.Zenfone Max Pro M1 – https://bit.ly/2BWIwP3Zenfone Max Pro M2 – http://asus.in/beta-testing/

Posted by ASUS on Friday, March 15, 2019

In its Facebook post, the company has also apologized about missing the prior deadline for the update. The post reads, “Dear Zenfone family, we deeply apologize for missing our previously announced deadline for the Android Pie update. We promise it won’t be the same this time around. We’re bringing the Android Pie to the Zenfone Max Pro M1, Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Zenfone Max M2 latest by April 15th. Thank you all for your patience and continuous support. We promise this Pie will be worth the wait. For those who wish to test it out right now, you may visit the following link to register for our Android Beta Power program.”

We should add here that Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Zenfone Max Pro M2 have already received the Android Pie beta update, but are yet to receive a stable update. Currently, the beta update is being tested by a limited number of people who have signed up for it.

With Android Pie, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Zenfone Max M2 smartphones will get features like Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness, App Actions, and more.

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Xiaomi’s Mi TV 4A Pro 49 price in India slashed

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Xiaomi’s Mi TV 4A Pro 49 price in India slashed

Chinese consumer electronics maker Xiaomi has slashed the price of its Mi TV 4A Pro 49 in India. Post the price cut, the smart television by Xiaomi can now be bought at Rs 29,999 in the country. We should add here that this is Rs 1,000 less from the original price of the Android TV-based Mi TV model.

It is worth noticing that the new reduced pricing is effective on all official channels where the television is being sold, which includes Amazon India’s website, Flipkart’s e-commerce portal, Mi.com and Mi Hone Stores. The slash in price of the smart TV comes right after the Chinese electronics company reduced the price of its Mi TV 4 Pro 55-inch model – a move which was made so that the television can pose a competition to Samsung’s new lineup of 4K UHD Smart TVs.

The latest price cut by the company was announced by Xiaomi‘s Global Vice President and India Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain on his Twitter account. Jain said on Twitter, “India’s smartest Android TV is now available for ₹29,999. Your perfect weekend binge-partner, Mi LED TV 4A PRO 49 comes with – 123.2cm FHD display, 20W speakers, PatchWall + Android TV and more.” He further added that he will give away “10 Mi earphones on 1232 RTs & 1 M iTV on 4900 RTs.”

Prior to the price cut, the smart TV by Xiaomi was available at Rs 30,999 in India and now, it can be bought at Rs 29,999. As we mentioned earlier, interested buyers can be buy the smart TV via Amazon India. Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Home Stores.

Speaking of the discount that was levied on Xiaomi’s Mi TV 4 Pro 55, which can now be picked up at Rs 47,999, the price of the television was slashed so that the product can rival Samsung Super 6 Series NU6100 4K UHD Smart TV range that was unveiled in India earlier this week.

We should also add that in January this year, Xiaomi reduced the price of its Mi TV 4A Pro 49 from Rs 31,999 to Rs 30,999. So, it is not the first time that the cost of the smart TV has received a discount. At the same time, the company also reduced the price of its Mi TV 4A Pro 49 and Mi TV 4A 32. While the former received a price cut of Rs 2,000 and is selling at Rs 13,999, the latter’s price was slashed by Rs 1,500 and can be picked up at Rs 12,499.

To recall the specifications of the Mi TV 4A Pro 49, it comes with a full-HD LED display and is powered by 64-bit quad-core Amlogic processor clubbed with 2GB of RAM. The device has 8GB of internal storage and comes with 20W stereo speakers. In addition to this, it runs Android TV skinned with Xiaomi’s PatchWall UI.

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Sound One Drum portable wireless speaker launched in India: Price and specifications

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Sound One Drum portable wireless speaker launched in India: Price and specifications

Wireless speakers are always a good investment. You can buy a rugged speaker that is guaranteed to survive the test of time and extreme conditions, and you can spend at least a year or year and a half listening to your favourite rhythms out loud no matter where you are.

Although most people prefer earphones or headphones for listening to music while they are at work, but let’s face it, we don’t spend all our lives in offices. It’s so much better to listen to music on a wireless speaker at home, at house parties and even on vacations.

Needless to say, the market for wireless speakers is a crowded one and it has a lot of players competing with each other. And one among them is personal audio and mobile accessories brand Sound One, which makes wireless and wired audio products as well as cables and chargers. The company has this week expanded its portfolio in India with the launch of its Drum portable wireless speaker that is priced at Rs 3,490.

If you are an interested in buying the Sound One Drum wireless speaker, you can head to Amazon and Flipkart’s websites to order it for yourself. And in case you aren’t too fond of online shopping, you can buy the speaker offline from select retailers. We should add here that the speaker is available at a discounted price of Rs 1,990 on Amazon India‘s website.

Coming to the specifications of the newly launched Sound One Drum wireless speaker, it comes with Bluetooth 4.2 for connectivity and has IPX5 certification, which means that it is water and dust resistant. The Sound One Drum portable wireless speaker has a fabric-wrapped exterior that covers its two drivers of 5W each. The combined output of the two drivers is 10W. You can also insert a microSD card in the wireless speaker, and it can also be used for hands-free calls by pairing it with your smartphone.

The Sound One Drum wireless portable speaker houses a 2,000mAh battery which, according to the company, can last up to 8 hours with a single charge. The control buttons of the newly launched speaker by Sound One are placed on the top and in order to make it simple to carry the speaker, Sound One has also added a fabric ribbon. The wireless speaker weighs 649 grams and comes with support for 3.5mm and USB cables.

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Google Pixel 4 XL render shows four cameras on the upcoming smartphone

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Google Pixel 4 XL render shows four cameras on the upcoming smartphone

Technology giant Google is said to be working on its mid-range Pixel smartphones, which will reportedly be named as Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite. While we still don’t know exactly when Google will be launching the two smartphones, leaks about the company’s next flagship – Pixel 4 XL – have already started surfacing online.

With Pixel 3 XL, Google took a different route when it settled for a primary sensor on the back panel and chose to add a dual camera setup on the front for selfies and video calls. However, some recent reports claim that Google will finally be adding a dual camera setup on its back panel in its next flagship, Pixel 4 XL.

Recently, an alleged sketch of the Google Pixel 4 XL has been shared by Slashleaks that shows the upcoming flagship smartphone with dual front and dual rear cameras. The device is also shown to come with thinner bezels on the display panel. But that’s not all. A rendered image of Google’s next flagship smartphone has surfaced online too.

The image, that has been shared by Phone Designer, seems to be based on the sketch that was shared by Slashleaks as it shows horizontally aligned rear and front cameras. It is worth noticing that the image shows a punch hole display on the Google Pixel 4 XL smartphone. If Google indeed comes with dual camera setups on the front as well as on the back, we can expect the handset to offer even better photography than Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. And needless to say, more number of photography-related features will be added too.

Google_Pixel_4_XL_
Image courtesy: Slashleaks

Even though Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL came with a single camera on their back panels, they surpassed the photography-performance of most of the rival flagship handsets that came with dual or triple rear cameras.

We should also mention that the leaked image does not show a physical fingerprint sensor on the smartphone’s back panel, which can only mean that the device will come with an in-display fingerprint scanner. It is being speculated that the upcoming Pixel 4 XL device will come with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner.

Other speculated features of the Google Pixel 4 XL smartphone are Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and the latest Android Q operating system. The device may also support 5G connectivity, although as of now, there is no official word on it.

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Tinder no longer uses ‘desirability’ score to rank people on its platform

Avani Bagga
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Tinder no longer uses ‘desirability’ score to rank people on its platform

Popular dating app Tinder wants to bring in more transparency about how its platform ranks and shows people their potential matches. In order to do this, Tinder has published a blog post that talks about the subject. However, we should mention that it still keeps fairly vague.

According to the blog post, the company’s Elo score was a ‘hot topic’ till a few years back, however, now the ranking feature has been depreciated. Tinder’s Elo score used to rank people on the basis of attractiveness. We should mention that in the real world, Elo scores are actually used to rank chess players, but in Tinder, it goes up as more and more number of people swipe right on a person’s profile.

And then, their profile is shown to other people who have similar scores. It is Tinder’s way of making the most desirable people interact with one another. We should mention that since profiles are limited in scope, a person’s looks and attractiveness play a key role in matches getting made. But then, people also started speculating that with Elo scores on, only the attractive lot kept talking to one another, while the ‘undesirable’ people were left with a low ranking.

The company said in the blog post, “Our algorithm is designed to be open. Today, we don’t rely on Elo — though it is still important to consider both parties who Like profiles to form a match.”

The dating app has clarified that it adjusts the potential matches of the user each time someone acts on their profile. Furthermore, Tinder rearranges the user’s possible match profiles within 24 hours of the action being taken. This means that potential matches are constantly updated. So if an action was taken on your profile, you would see a change in your potential matches.

But then, this is more or less as transparent as Tinder got in the blog post. The algorithm that has been spoken about in the blog post seems to identify patterns around likes. So, if two women on Tinder swipe right to the same guy’s profile, the dating app would deduce that they have similar taste when it comes to looking for a potential partner. Then, if one of the two women swipe right on another guy’s profile, that profile would be shown to the other girl too, because chances are that she may end up swiping right on him.

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Snapchat to launch a gaming platform next month: Report

Avani Bagga
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Snapchat to launch a gaming platform next month: Report

It seems like all major social media platforms are coming up with ways to get gamers on board. After Facebook rolled out a gaming hub on its mobile app to get gamers more interested, a report has emerged that claims that Snap may be launching a new gaming platform for its photo-messaging app Snapchat. Furthermore, it has also been said that the company may launch the gaming-centric platform at Snap Partner Summit that will be held in Los Angeles on April 4.

The report about Snapchat’s upcoming gaming platform first surfaced on Cheddar. We should mention here that this is not Snapchat’s first attempt to capture the gaming audience. Last year, the company launched ‘Snappables’, which were basically a set of AR lens games. The new platform is reportedly codenamed ‘Project Cognac’ and it will be a much bigger step that Snapchat will be taking in the world of gaming. The upcoming platform would also let outside developers create games that would live inside the Snapchat app.

It is worth noticing that according to a report in CNET, Snapchat also bought the Australian game studio Prettygreat in January this year, which also points towards the fact that the app is focussing on gaming.

In addition to this, a report emerged in The Information in 2018 that Snap is working on a gaming platform. The report also said that the company plans to launch the platform in the fall of 2018, but that obviously did not happen. However, this is completely in-line with Cheddar’s report, if we assume that the program got a little delayed.

We should also add that Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent bought a 12% stake in Snap last year. Speaking on it back then, Tencent said that it wanted to “explore cooperation opportunities with the company on mobile games publishing and newsfeed.” This clearly indicated that Snap has been planning to make a move towards gaming for some time now.

If you are wondering why would Snap want to add games in Snapchat, the answer to that is more user engagement, which obviously also means more money. Facebook’s Messenger app has been offering gaming-related features for years now. So, if Snapchat gets games on its platform, it would simply be adding a new source of revenue from developers who would want to place their games on the app, and also from advertisers who would want to place ads in those games. Another added benefit would be that users who would be busy playing games on Snapchat, wouldn’t really be spending too much time on Instagram.

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Whatsapp working on an in-built web browser

Aman Singh
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Whatsapp working on an in-built web browser

Last week we saw how Whatsapp was testing its ‘Search Image’ feature which would let the users search for any image they send or receive in chats. Now, the Facebook-owned instant messaging app has reportedly submitted the beta version of its upcoming update which will support an in-app browser. Being a beta version, the new feature is still in development and is disabled by default.

The new beta version of Whatsapp (version number 2.19.74) was spotted by WABetaInfo and it will come with an in-built web browser (much like mini version of Chrome). The in-built browser will let the user open the links sent to him or sent by him in the chat. Earlier, when the user received any web link, he would be guided to select a web browser to open the link. Once selected, the browser would open the link and guide the user to the webpage.

According to the report on WABetaInfo, if the user chooses to use the in-app browser on Whatsapp then he should not worry about data loss. Furthermore, Whatsapp or Facebook will not be able to access the user’s search history because the feature uses an Android Application Programming Interface (API). This API feature lets the system manage everything and the developers of the feature at Whatsapp or the parent company Facebook won’t be able to see or access the user’s in-app web search history.

The new feature will also be able to detect the unsafe web pages as it uses the ‘Safe Browsing’ feature which was introduced to Android 8.1 in 2018. In Safe Browsing mode, the users would get an alert when they reached a web page infected with malware and malicious content.

The report also mentioned that Whatsapp won’t let the users natively take screenshots or capture videos while using the in-app browser. Currently, it is not known if the app will let the users take screenshots when the feature is rolled out officially. The new update and feature will require Android 4.1 or newer to work. But Whatsapp has reportedly intends to roll out the new feature to everyone once it is out of its beta programme.

The beta version of Whatsapp version 2.19.74 is available for user-testing and can be downloaded through the Google Play Beta programme.

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Facebook’s mobile app is getting a dedicated gaming tab

Avani Bagga
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Facebook’s mobile app is getting a dedicated gaming tab

Last year was not a good one for Facebook. The social media giant was embroiled in one data breach after the other and while most users did not end up leaving the platform, the company did lose out on its users’ trust to an extent.

While earlier people shared their details on Facebook without a second thought, today there are those who are very guarded about their personal details on the social media platform. And this is particularly true for information that involves money, like credit card numbers.

In order to somehow reverse this attitude, Facebook has adopted a new strategy since the beginning of the year. The company has rolled out some enhanced privacy controls for its users and at the same time, it is also adding interesting features on its website and app that would make users hooked again.

Today, Facebook has launched another such feature on its mobile app that is specifically aimed at gamers. The social media app will now have a dedicated gaming hub where users would be able to explore content related to games. Facebook has made sure that the gaming hub looks like a separate section on its app. And for this, the social media giant has dedicated a tab for the gaming hub. The company is also adding it to the sidebar and also as an option for the customizable navigation bar.

The hub will be a central place where users will be able to play Facebook’s Instant Games and at the same time, look for new ones. Users will also be able to wat gaming videos from streamers and connect with various gaming groups that are already on the social media platform.

We should mention that this move by Facebook is obviously an attempt to make a number of gamers come to its platform. Also, the new feature automatically makes Facebook compete with the likes of Twitch and YouTube. However, we have our doubts if only a hub on its app will be enough to make gamers pick Facebook over their preferred gaming platform.

We should mention that the feature is being rolled out in a phased manner by the social media platform, so don’t be surprised if you don’t find it on your app yet. In addition to this, the beta-test of a standalone of Facebook Gaming app for Android has also begun. According to the company, the app would offer far more features as compared to the current app. This surely indicates that Facebook is indeed ready to go up against the already established gaming platforms.

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