LG unveils its new range of AI-enabled speakers in India
LG Electronics has unveiled its new line-up of speakers that feature Artificial Intelligence and Meridian Audio.
The newly launched audio devices include the PK series and the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7. While the LG PK3 is priced at Rs 10,990, the PK5 costs Rs 14,990 and the PK7 bears a price tag of Rs 22,990. Speaking of the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7, it is priced at Rs 27,990.
LG has partnered with UK-based Meridian Audio to deliver an enhanced sound experience to music lovers. For those who don’t know, Meridian Audio makes high-fidelity audio components.
Speaking about the launch, Younchul Park, Director-Home Electronics, LG Electronics India said, “As technology is pervasive and ever-changing, we have been witnessing a lot of exciting trends coming our way, one of which is definitely AI. With this evolving trend, we are happy to present the new range of speakers equipped with this technology.”
LG’s new XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7 has a cylindrical form factor with grilles wrapped around the body and it measures 135mm x 210.7mm x 135 mm.
The speaker from LG is among the first products to come with Google’s new Android Things platform built-in. With this, users will be able to get information, weather updates, check their schedule on calendar, make phone calls and control smart home devices.
The speakers in LG’s PK series come with a handle that makes them more portable. The speakers come with grilles in the front that lets users see their dual tweeters and woofers.
The speakers come with dual passive radiators that are claimed to give a better bass performance without using any additional power or speakers.
The PK series also come with voice command feature. Users can control the speaker with their voice by just pressing a button and activating their phone’s voice assistant.
The new range of speakers from LG are weather and splash proof — which means they can easily be used near the pool or under sprinklers.
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iPhone XS users report of ‘charge-gate’
The world saw Apple iPhone XS and XS Max last month. Shortly after that, the new iPhones hit the shelves in various markets around the world and millions of fans bought them. As everyone has got more familiar with the new Apple iPhones over the past few weeks, issues are being reported by some users of the phone.
Some users have claimed that iPhone XS don’t charge automatically when it is plugged in the power source and one needs to interfere manually to initiate charging. There are some, who have also referred to this issue as ‘charge-gate.’
On September 24, a user complained about this issue on Apple’s Communities portal. His post read, “I connect the Lightning cable to my phone to charge and most of the time it’s automatically charges. However I’ve noticed several times plugging the phone in and no charge comes up. Tried unplugging and plugging back in, sometimes it’ll work.” The user further said that he has to illuminate the screen for making the charging icon pop up and that keeping the device untouched hasn’t helped. He has stated that he only used Apple branded cabled to charge his phone and concluded by saying that the issue could be related to the port or software.
A number of other users commented on the post saying that they were also facing similar issues. Some users also came up with problems relating to different configurations and colour variants of iPhone XS Max. A thread on Reddit was also created — but that doesn’t only talk about iPhone XS and XS Max having this problem, but further throws light on other devices from Apple with similar issue.
A user on Reddit said, “My iPhone X did this also, so it’s not just the iPhone XS. I chalked it up to their USB security updates.” There are comments on the said Reddit thread that talk about these charging issues on older iPhone models like iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 Plus. A report in 9to5Mac has added that users have reported about a similar issue on iPad models too.
After these claims were made by users, popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy decided to put the new iPhones to test to see if there actually was a problem. While iPhone X and XS smartphones responded normally to the Lightning cable, the iPhone XS Max did not. It only displayed the charging icon on the screen when it was tapped to wake.
Till now, there has been no word from Apple regarding the ‘charge-gate’ issue.
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Elon Musk agrees to resign as the Chairman of Tesla
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has agreed to step down as the Chairman of the electric car maker and pay a fine of $20 million under settlement reached with Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk has been asked to resign from the post of Chairman within 45 days and will not be able to take the role back at the company for the next three years.
However, he would be able to retain his position as Tesla’s CEO. The SEC has also charged the electric automaker with “failing to have required disclosure controls and procedures relating to Musk’s tweets.” The company has agreed to settle this charge — which means that both Tesla and Elon Musk will be paying $20 million separately as fines. According to SEC, these will be “distributed to harmed investors under a court-approved process.”
The electric automaker is also appointing two new independent directors to its board and a lawyer will be hired to keep an eye on Elon Musk’s communications and tweets.
This basically means that Elon Musk, who until now used Twitter frequently to unveil new products and talk about various updates, will be more restricted with his tweets about Tesla.
Speaking on the matter, Stephanie Avakian, co-director of the SEC’s enforcement division said, “The total package of remedies and relief announced today are specifically designed to address the misconduct at issue by strengthening Tesla’s corporate governance and oversight in order to protect investors.”
As a part of the agreement, Elon Musk does not have to admit or deny the allegations made by the SEC.
The settlement marks the starting of a new era of corporate governance for Tesla — which according to some shareholders is currently very tightly controlled by Elon Musk and those who are closely aligned to him.
Last year, the electric automaker had added James Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of Twenty-First Century Fox, and Linda Johnson Rice, Chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company to its board in an attempt to diversify it. Other members of the board include Robyn Denholm, Brad W Buss, Antonio Gracias and Ira Ehrenpreis.
A complaint by the SEC had been filed on Thursday alleging that Elon Musk had lied in his tweets on August 7 where he claimed that he had a “funding secured” for the private takeover of Tesla at $420 per share. Just a week after the tweet was posted, federal securities regulators had reportedly sent a subpoena to Tesla. Following this, charges against Musk were filed just 6 weeks later.
The complaint by the SEC said that Elon Musk had violated anti-fraud provisions laid down by the federal securities laws. The commission had demanded the court to fine Musk and bar him from taking up the post of an officer or director of any public company.
Elon Musk on the other hand has been quotes saying that these charges are “unjustified action” and have left him “deeply saddened and disappointed.”
The company and the board have issued a statement in which they support Musk.
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Image: Elon Musk Twitter
Nikon launches its full-frame mirrorless cameras in India
Japanese technology company Nikon on Wednesday launched Nikon Z7 and Nikon Z6 full-frame mirrorless cameras along with Nikkor Z series lenses in India. Although the two cameras look identical, they differ in terms of megapixels, ISO range and focus points.
While Nikon Z7 and Nikkor Z camera lenses are scheduled to go on sale in India starting September 27, the Nikon Z6 will hit the shelves later in November. The Nikon Z7 body-only costs Rs 2,69,950, while the price of Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S + Mount Adapter FTZ Kit is Rs 3,26,950, the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S Kit bears a price tag of Rs 3,14,950, and the Nikon Z7 + Mount Adapter FTZ Kit is priced at Rs 2,81,950.
The price of Nikon Z6 body-only is Rs 1,69,950, and the Nikon Z6 + Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S + Mount Adapter FTZ Kit bears a price tag of Rs 2,26,950. Speaking of the Nikon Z6 with Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S Kit and the Nikon Z6 + Z6 Mount Adapter FTZ Kit, the former costs Rs 2,14,950 while the latter is priced at Rs 1,81,950.
Coming to the standalone cost of camera lenses and mount adapter, the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S bears a price tag of Rs 78,450, the Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S is priced at Rs 66,950, the Mount Adapter FTZ costs Rs 19,950 and the price of Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S is Rs 50,950.
The Nikon Z mount system comes with mirrorless cameras along with a large diameter mount and compatible ‘NIKKOR’ lenses and accessories. The Z mount system offers an entire range of high-performance lenses including a f/0.95 lens — which is the fastest in the company’s history.
The newly launched mount adapter is also compatible with NIKKOR F mount lenses — which adds to the number of choices for those who love photography.
The company also has plans to unveil new lenses that would extend its range of high-performance ‘NIKKOR Z’ lenses.
Speaking at the launch, Sajjan Kumar, Managing Director, Nikon India said, “The new products are designed to deliver a new standard of optical excellence embodying the technological brilliance in new mount and optics, yet retaining our renowned legacy, the mirrorless cameras brings imaging to new heights and challenges the norm. With features that offer creative possibilities the cameras deliver an unparalleled standard of optical brilliance that are sure to delight a photographer’s fancy. Packed with powerful features, all the products showcase Nikon’s legendary craftsmanship that will empower users to expand the realm of photographic capabilities.”
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Fujifilm X-T3 compact mirrorless camera launched in India: Price, specs and more
After being launched globally this month, the Fujifilm X-T3 has made its way to India. The mirrorless camera falls in the premium segment and competes with latest announcements from rivals like Nikon and Canon.
The Fujifilm X-T3 body-only costs Rs 1,17,999 and the 18-55mm lens kit bears a price tag of Rs 1,49,999. The X-T3 accessory has to be bought seperately at Rs 25,999. T
he compact mirrorless camera by Fujifilm comes with a newly-developed back-illuminated 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor clubbed with a X-Processor 4 image processing engine. According to Fujifilm, the processing speed of the camera is nearly 3 times faster than that of the models that are currently available. The company also claims that Fujifilm X-T3 is the first ever APS-C mirrorless camera that can capture 4K/60fps 10-bit videos.
The X-Processor 4 image processing engine used in Fujifilm X-T3 allows the camera to carry out functions like ‘Color Chrome Effect’ and ‘Monochrome Adjustment’. And the 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor sports 2.16 million phase detection pixels — which, according to the company, are 4 times the pixels present in current models. This expands the phase detection AF area to the entire sensor — which means that phase detection AF can accurately be used even on subjects that are placed away from the centre of the frame of the camera.
The low-light auto-focus limit has also increased from -1EV to -3EV. This enables the camera to use phase detection AF even in areas that are lowly-lit.
The Fujifilm X-T3 compact mirrorless camera features a high-resolution 3.69-million-dot EVF that comes with a high magnification ratio of 0.75x. While the display time lag is 0.005 seconds, the camera has a refresh rate of approximately 100 frames per second.
The newly launched mirrorless camera also has a ‘Sports Viewfinder mode’ that enables it to capture subjects that are moving. There is also a new ‘Pre-shoot’ feature which enables the camera to begin shooting a scene when the user half-presses the shutter button and record it when the button is completely pressed.
The company has said that the camera sensor has a 1.5 times faster read speed than that of other models. It is because of this that the camera can do fast 17ms reading of 4K/60P video. Furthermore, with reduced rolling shutter distortion, camera can better record fast-moving subjects.
Speaking on the launch of Fujifilm X-T3, Mr Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India said, “It is a proud moment for us to announce the much-awaited Fujifilm X-T3 mirrorless digital camera in the same year which marks our 10th anniversary in India. As we celebrate this success today, we are also gearing up for the next big leap towards new goals, one of which is to achieve 30% Market Share in the Indian Mirrorless Market in the next 3-4 Years. X-T3 is our step towards that endeavor and we at Fujifilm are confident that the new X-T3 will receive the same recognition and acceptance received by its predecessors. We strongly believe that in the next five years demand for mirrorless cameras will surpass that of DSLRs. We will continue to bring the best of technology and innovation to our consumers at the best possible price point.”
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Uber launches ‘Gift Cards’ in India for Uber Eats and Uber rides
With the festive season coming up, Uber on Tuesday launched a new ‘Gift Card’ model for its customers. These Gift Cards that are being offered by the company can be redeemed for Uber Rides as well as Uber Eats. The value of Uber Gift Cards range from Rs 500 and goes up to Rs 10,000 and customers can purchase them via Paytm or Woohoo.
It has been revealed by the San Francisco based company that Qwikcilver is the official issuer of these Gift cards. As we mentioned earlier, these cards can be bought by Uber users for their contacts either on Paytm or on Woohoo. There are six denominations of Gift Cards that are available including Rs 500, Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000, Rs 3,000, Rs 5,000, and Rs 10,000.
Those who receive these Gift Cards can use them to order food via Uber Eats or simply for Uber rides. If you choose to get the Gift Cards from Paytm, you can use the promo code GIFT05 to get a cashback worth Rs 100.
And if you happen to receive a gift card, you can redeem it by going to the ‘Payments’ section in your Uber app and then select ‘Add Payment Method’. Once you do this, choose the option of Gift Card and then enter the code. Uber credits would then be added to your account.
Note that the validity of Uber Gift cards is 36 months from the date of when they are activated. If you have balance remaining even after 36 months are over, you will not be able to use it as it shall expire. But on the upside, there are no rigid rules about using the balance of a particular Gift Card partially or completely. However, you can only redeem them in Indian cities.
Speaking about the newly launched model, Madhu Kannan, Uber’s Chief Business Officer for India and Emerging Markets said, “The upcoming festive season gives us the perfect opportunity to launch the Uber Gift Card, a first-of-its-kind initiative combining fantastic offers across food and transportation at the tap of a button. Paytm has been a long-standing partner in bringing technology-enabled convenience to the Indian consumer, and we’re proud to take this partnership a step further with our first Uber Gift Card offering in India.”
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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 burst into flames in New York-based woman’s bag: Report
Last month, Samsung launched its latest flagship phablet Galaxy Note 9 with a massive 4,000mAh battery. And before anybody could recall the Galaxy Note 7 debacle that happened in 2016, CEO DJ Koh clarified that Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s battery is completely safe. He was quoted saying about the battery that engineers at Samsung had full confidence in its safety. He further said that users of Samsung Galaxy Note 9 did not have to worry about the battery at all.
But Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s battery seems to have gotten trouble for the company just a month after the phablet was launched. A woman has reportedly claimed that her Samsung Galaxy Note 9 caught fire inside her purse.
According to a report in New York Post, Diane Chung, resident of Long Island has filed a lawsuit against the technology giant that alleges that her Samsung Galaxy Note 9 burst into flames inside her purse while she was in an elevator of Bayside building.
After her phone became extremely hot while she was in the elevator, Chung stopped using it and kept it inside her bag. The report further states that she heard ‘whistling’ and ‘screeching’ sounds from her bag, which was followed by smoke coming out of it.
According to the lawsuit, when she tried to put her bag on the floor to empty it, she burnt her fingers and because the smoke was so thick, her visibility was also compromised.
She kicked the phone out of the elevator once it reached the lobby and the door opened. This ended when a ‘good Samaritan’ took note of the burning smartphone and put it in a bucket of water.
Chung has described the entire incident as ‘traumatic.’ She even went on to disclose that the fire that erupted spoiled everything else that was kept in her purse.
With her lawsuit, Chung is demanding unspecified damages and wants Samsung Galaxy Note 9 sales to be stopped.
New York Post also quoted Samsung speaking on the matter. The company reportedly said, “We have not received any reports of similar incidents involving a Galaxy Note 9 device and we are investigating the matter.”
Back in 2016, Samsung Galaxy Note 7 had to be recalled after a number of units exploded in different parts of the world. The reason behind these explosions was a fault in the battery of the phablet by Samsung.
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Sony Master Series A9F Bravia OLED TVs launched in India: Price, specs and more
One among the most popular products from Sony are its televisions from the BRAVIA series. And the company just took the lineup from the series to a new level by launching its Master Series A9F Bravia OLED TV range in India.
The television series come with a Netflix calibrated mode and have a built-in microphone that allows users to search using just their voice. This makes the search experience hands-free as users can simply say out loud to the TV to play TV shows, movies and more.
The new Sony OLED TVs run Android 8.0 Oreo and also have a TV center speaker mode that can work with home theater systems.
While the Bravia KD-55A9F comes with a 55-inch screen and is priced at Rs 3,99,000, the Bravia KD-65A9F sports a 65-inch display and costs Rs 5,59,990. Both the models of Sony televisions will be going on sale in India starting September 20.
According to the company, Sony Master Series A9F Bravia OLED TV range comes with X1 Ultimate image processor that is said to intelligently detect objects in the picture. It does so using the company’s new object based super resolution mechanism that is claimed to enhance accuracy. The new televisions also come equipped with pixel contrast booster. With these features onboard, the new range of televisions from Sony can deliver better 4K HDR picture quality and enhanced contrast.
The Sony Master Series A9F Bravia OLED TVs also come with Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology that accommodates multi-dimensional sound and according to the company, can create a rich sound field with three actuators and two subwoofers facing sideways.
The new range of televisions has multi-lingual support. They can support 11 Indian and 14 international languages.
The company’s new offerings sport a single slate design and have only one stand at the back.
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Samsung to launch a Galaxy device on October 11th
Right after we saw its latest phablet from the Note series, Samsung has sent out invitations hinting the launch of another device next month. The invite reads ‘4x the fun.’ and further mentions that it is ‘A Galaxy Event’ which will be held on October 11. There is no time or venue mentioned on the invite, but it does say that the event will be live-streamed on the company’s official website Samsung.com.
According to CNET, the invite says that “Samsung’s newest Galaxy device is bringing more ways to express yourself than ever before.”
However, there is no further indication about what Samsung plans to unveil on the said date.
There are a number of possible announcements that Samsung may have planned for October. We might get to see the launch of an updated detachable Galaxy Book, or the Samsung Chromebook that recently surfaced online.
Rumours of a foldable smartphone by Samsung have also been doing rounds, so we cannot rule out that too. But what probably fits the best is the smartphone with four cameras — considering that the invite reads ‘4x the fun.’ Reports about Samsung’s smartphone with four cameras first came out in July.
The smartphone is said to be a part of Samsung Galaxy A (2019) series and will come with triple rear cameras and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The report further claimed that among the three cameras of the smartphone one lens will come with variable aperture, one will be a super-wide angle lens, and the last one will be a telephoto lens.
However, as of now, it is only being guessed what the company has up its sleeve for its October 11 event as there is no official word from Samsung mobile about it. We cannot be sure until the event – which is scheduled exactly a month after Apple’s flagship event in which the Cupertino based technology giant unveiled its latest iPhones along with the Apple Watch Series 4.
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Price Drop: Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s get price cut in India
There is good news for Apple fans. Keeping up with its tradition, the company has slashed the prices of its older iPhone variants right after launching its new flagship lineup. The pricing for older iPhones have gone down globally as well as in India. The devices to get a price cut include iPhone 6s, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X.
Note that iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone X have been discontinued in the US. However, in India, only the iPhone SE has been discontinued and the others are available to buy at reduced prices.
The iPhone lineup in India now starts with the base variant of iPhone 6S — which is priced at Rs 29,900. The price of the 128GB storage version of the device has been brought down to Rs 39,900. The bigger screen sibling of the device — iPhone 6S Plus — has also received a price cut and its 32GB variant is now available for Rs 34,900, whereas its 128GB storage version costs Rs 44,900.
Speaking of Apple‘s tenth anniversary smartphone — the 64GB storage variant is available for Rs 91,900 and the price of the 256GB version has been reduced to Rs 1,06,900. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus — which were also launched last year — have received price cuts too. The 64GB and 256GB versions of iPhone 8 are now available for Rs 59,900 and Rs 74,900 respectively. Speaking of the bigger screen sibling, the 64GB storage version of iPhone 8 Plus is priced at Rs 69,900 and the 256GB storage variant costs Rs 84,900.
If you are somehow interested in buying the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, they are available at discounted prices too. iPhone 7’s 32GB storage version now costs Rs 39,900 and the 128GB storage model is priced at Rs 49,900. As for the iPhone 7 Plus smartphone, its base variant is now available for Rs 49,900, and its 128GB storage version costs Rs 59,900.
However, if you don’t want to settle for these and want to only buy either iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, you would have to wait till September 28. And if you are intending to buy the iPhone Xr, then you have to wait a little longer as that will go on sale in India on October 26.
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