Apple has fired more than 300 contractors who heard Siri recording

0
We have been hearing that Apple has been using a “grading” program to hear Siri voice recordings globally. After several reports criticised the company, it has suspended the project. The company also promised to make the system more transparent where the users can opt-out of the grading programs. Those who are unaware, the Cupertino based tech giant had hired employees that were found to be hearing private conversations via Siri. In a new development, the company has fired 300 contractors in Cork, Ireland who were involved in listening to more than 1,000 Siri conversations. The grading process has raised deep concerns over the user’s privacy as their personal data, as well as details, are being used in the wrong ways. As we mentioned earlier after this the company decided to suspend the grading project. According to a report by Engadget, many contractors throughout Europe may have been let go and are upset that Apple fired so many people with just one week’s notice. Even those who were concerned with the program’s ethical implications expressed their frustration. For the past month the staff had been on paid leave. In another report by The Guardian said, “The staff had been on paid leave since 2 August, the day Apple announced its decision to suspend the program, referred to as “grading”, as it conducted a thorough review”. Apart from that the tech giant has also made a few changes in its privacy policy as well as apologised for the Siri grading program. In a press release it said: As a result of our review, we realise we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologise. As we previously announced, we halted the Siri grading program. We plan to resume later this fall when software updates are released to our users — but only after making the following changes:
  • First, by default, we will no longer retain audio recordings of Siri interactions. We will continue to use computer-generated transcripts to help Siri improve.
  • Second, users will be able to opt in to help Siri improve by learning from the audio samples of their requests. We hope that many people will choose to help Siri get better, knowing that Apple respects their data and has strong privacy controls in place. Those who choose to participate will be able to opt out at any time.
  • Third, when customers opt in, only Apple employees will be allowed to listen to audio samples of the Siri interactions. Our team will work to delete any recording which is determined to be an inadvertent trigger of Siri.
Apple is not the only one that has employed human supervision for its automatic voice assistant other brands like Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft were also identified for listening to recordings from its digital assistant. But now Apple has suspended both non-optional recording and the subsequent grading policies. The company has also promised not to record or use the user’s data unless they opt-in. This is a great move by the company, which could bring the user trust back. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebookand Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Fitbit launches Versa 2 along with Aria Air scale and Premium subscription for Fitbit app

Fitbit introduced new smartwatches along with the Aria Air scale and paid premium service for the Fitbit app. Fitbit Versa 2 comes with improved features along with new modes like Sleep Score and smart wake. The new smartwatch also comes with various health-related features. The second product launched by the company is Fitbit Aria Air that is a low-cost Bluetooth scale, which tracks weight and syncs with the Fitbit app to calculate BMI. Apart from that the company also launched Fitbit Premium a paid subscription service in the Fitbit app for guidance and coaching. Fitbit Vera 2 features, pricing and availability Fitbit Vera 2 smartwatch is the redesigned variant of the Fitbit Versa. Versa 2 is also powered by a faster processor for better performance and seamless navigation. It comes with a larger AMOLED display, too. An anodized aluminum finish in a natural color palette black, petal, stone, midnight blue and olive along with a simplified one-button design can be seen on this smartwatch. Fitbit Vera 2comes with a swimproof feature making it durable and water-resistant up to 50 meters. It has innovative sleep features like Sleep Score, smart wake, sleep mode and Estimated Oxygen Variation Graph besides this it also comes with health-related and other smart features. The new smartwatch also has an inbuilt microphone that is supported by Alexa voice assistant service. The device is integrated with the Spotify app that allows the user to control their music and podcasts with it. The watch now has brighter clock faces and crisper display with an optional always-on mode and it lasts more than five days on a single charge. The special edition Versa 2 features a premium jacquard woven band in navy and pink with a copper rose aluminum case or smoke with a mist grey case. Accompanied by this it comes with a contemporary color-matched classic silicone band in navy and olive colours. The high-end device comes with a free three-month trial of the Fitbit Premium membership, too. Fitbit Versa 2 will be available from September 15 across Reliance Digital, Croma, Helios and other major retailers offline and online on Amazon and Flipkart at Rs 20,999. Whereas, the Versa 2 Special Edition will be available for purchase at Rs 22,999. The two exclusive editions –emerald and plum, both with a copper rose case will be available later on the company’s official website. Fitbit Aria Air Fitbit Aria Air is a low-cost Bluetooth scale that tracks weight, BMI data and trends integrated with user’s holistic health data in the Fitbit app. The weighing scale can be synced to the Fitbit’s wearable devices. As per the company service, Aria Air gives you access to added data, information and motivation to more effectively reach your health and wellness goals. By connecting it to the smartwatch along with the Fitbit app allows the user to track their activity, exercise, sleep, heart rate, nutrition, weight data and trends over time. Together with the Fitbit app, Aria Air supports the features like:
  • Option to create a plan: Set a healthy weight goal in the Fitbit app, log your food, and view weight trends alongside calories in and out to stick to a plan based on personal goals.
  • Compatible with Fitbit Premium: Integrate with Fitbit’s new paid membership, featuring personalized insights and guided programs, including a two-week program to help you understand the importance of keeping an appropriate calorie range for your weight goal.
  • Connect to partner apps: Sync weight data with popular brand apps so you can see all your exercise, food logging and weight data in one place on the Fitbit app.
  • Social support and inspiration: Access the Community section of the Fitbit app to connect with friends, family and fellow Fitbit users for healthy eating and weight management tips, support groups and motivation.
Fitbit Aria Air will be available from late September and has been put on pre-order on Fitbit.com and select retailers like Reliance Digital, Croma and online on Amazon and Flipkart. The weighing scale will come at a price tag of Rs 6,999. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebookand Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Sony SRS-XB32 Extra Bass Bluetooth speaker review: Let’s get the party started

Sony is known to build some great music equipment including headphones and Bluetooth speakers. The latest from their camp is the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker, which come with an extra bit of bass punch. We tuned in to it for a good 15 days and tried to find all the chinks in its armour. This is our review of the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker that comes from Sony’s Extra Bass lineup.

In This Article

Design

First thing out of the box, we found it to be on the heavier side of things. The small size is deceiving. But then, we dug deep into why is it so? It is because this BT speaker has an extra-large battery inside and the whole shell is made to last an impact. So yes, the weight of just under a KG is justified. Will talk more about that in a moment, let’s first talk about its looks and design. The Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker is built to perfection. Available in 3 colours – Red, Black and Blue, we reviewed the last one. The front has a set of 48MM audio drivers behind a mesh type grille, which gives it the edge. But what takes the cake are the set of LED light strips that run around the front façade and sides of this speaker. It looks exceptional and one would love to turn these on in parties. The light strip can be controlled with the help of the Music Centre and Fiestable apps. A lot of colour options can be chosen from and our favourite is white, as it just pops out. There are two more LED lights hidden behind the grille, which came to us as a good surprise. They are well hidden and only light up when you play a track. They flash with the beats, so does the LED light strips. You can control the light strip and can completely turn it off by pressing the light button, located at the back, for 3 seconds. Talking about which, there is back as well as front button panel on the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker. Let’s talk about the front one first. This is located on the top of the speaker and consists of the live mode, play/pause, volume up, volume down and power buttons. The rear panel has the regular USB, MicroUSB charging ports as well as an auxiliary-in jack. This is accompanied by a couple of buttons such as battery (that doubles up as the light key), which lets you know the exact amount of battery left in the device (when short pressed). A reset pinhole button can also be found here. A bit of advice, keep this panel tightly shut since the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker is IP67 rated. Which means it is water and dustproof. If you let the rear panel loose then water might seep in if submerged in water. With this the BT speaker is also shockproof, we dropped it from up to 3 feet and nothing happened to it. Not even a scratch. This is mostly because the entire shell is built of hard rubberised material. We have seen water resistant machinery coming from Sony before, but shockproof is something new.

Performance

Coming to the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker’s capabilities, its audio and features, we found it to be quite attractive. Setting up this speaker was child’s play and with NFC enabled on the device it just takes a tap to connect the speaker to any NFC compatible smartphone or tablet. In case you do not have that on your device, you can just pair it as easily using Bluetooth. In about 2 minutes we were up and running. Sony’s Music Center app comes handy when you want to operate the device wirelessly. The app also shows a popular list of music apps in one place, which of course are already installed on your smartphone. These include Spotify and Google Play Music. The Blue LED light on the top panel stops flashing once your smartphone is connected to the speaker. And as soon as it did, we turned on Spotify to listen to some of our favourite tunes. Since the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker falls in the extra bass category, they do deliver a great bassy experience. The highs and lows are great. Mid becomes better when you turn on the live mode. One can easily toggle between modes using the top button panel. In standard mode the LED indicator on top of the power button will be green (can access this by pressing play and volume down buttons together). To get into extra bass mode tap the live button, which will turn the power indicator to white. For live mode with extra bass, the LED lights on both the live and power buttons will turn white. Yes, this can be tricky to learn at first, but after a few times, you get the hang of it. In case you still do not get the gist of it, all this can be managed from the Music Centre app as well. The live mode adds a real punch to the sound by enhancing the mids. Which also makes the voice clearer. It is great if you are hearing jazz tunes or opera on it. For regular Bollywood masala or western tunes, the extra bass mode is where we found comfort. Some neat functionalities have been added to the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker like party booster mode. When turned on via the app, this will enable you to tap the speaker on top, bottom, front, left or right. Each tap will produce different sounds of a drum or percussion. Gimmicky? Yes, but fun? Definitely yes! Also, one can create a party chain of these speakers. If you have more than one of these then you can connect them with each other to create a party chain (up to 100 speakers at a time). Therefore, getting more great sound. Sony claims that the battery of this speaker lasts for 24 hours. Well, it does almost do that if you keep the extra bass mode off and do not turn on the LED lights. Then you get much more battery life, otherwise, you will end up getting half of it (12-13 hours), which still is not bad. Also, with the USB port, you can charge your other devices using Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker. Coming to think of it, one would not be doing that often, but in case you are out with this portable speaker and need a quick battery top-up in your smartphone, you know you can rely on this BT speaker.

Verdict

The price of the Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker is Rs 10,990 in India. Is that steep? Yes. But is it worth it? Totally. The sound is superb, the looks are great, LED lights can be controlled, the battery lasts long, what’s there not to like. But yes, if you ask us to compare it with the competition, we have to say a sub-10K price on this speaker would have been a sound-licious buy. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Amazon Echo Show 5 review: Good for the price

After seeing success with Amazon Echo Show and the second generation of Echo Show, the company recently launched a more affordable version of the smart display speaker: Amazon Echo Show 5. Priced at Rs 8,999, the device comes with a 5.5-inch screen and has support for Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant. While this sounds like a great deal on paper, we spent a few days with the smart device to know what its pros and cons are. Read the rest of our review to find out more:

Amazon Echo Show 5 design

In terms of the design, the Amazon Echo Show 5’s design is a lot like the 10-inch smart display speaker that we have seen from the company. However, the 5.5-inch screen of the device is similar to work on as that of a smartphone. But the similarity is limited to the size. Since the resolution of the display of Amazon Echo Show 5 is 960X480, some may feel that it doesn’t match up to the screen of their handset. The front of the smart display speaker is dominated by the display that is outlined by white-coloured edges on all four sides. Amazon Echo Show 5   A selfie camera placed on the top of the screen can be covered using a shutter. We really appreciate this as people have often cited privacy concerns when it comes to keeping smart display speakers with cameras in their living rooms or bed rooms. The ability to keep the selfie camera closed certainly caters to that lot. The top edge of the device comes with physical volume buttons and a key to mute Alexa. It also has the physical slide to hide the selfie camera of the smart display speaker. On the back, the device has a power port. We should mention that much like all other Amazon Echo speakers, the Echo Show 5 needs to be plugged in at all times in order to work. Amazon Echo Show 5 also has support for a micro USB port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Echo Show 5 The device is White in colour and its speakers at the back are dressed in Silver. Another version of it is available in Black too. It’s light in weight and compact. For those who found the previous Amazon Echo devices too big for their bedside tables, the Echo Show 5 is the solution. However, if you are one amongst those who like to watch a lot of video content, the screen may not be big enough for you. We overall liked the design of Amazon Echo Show 5. It is very much in-line with other devices in the Amazon Echo family and the smart display speaker doesn’t occupy too much space where it is kept.

Amazon Echo Show 5 performance and features

The key differentiating factor of the Amazon Echo Show 5 is its display size. Since the size of the screen has been reduced as compared to other devices in the range, you will see that the Echo Show 5 showcases lesser information than others. But before we talk further about the performance, we should tell you how to get started. You would have to download the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone, which is available on Google Play Store as well as Apple’s App Store. Once you install the app, you would be able to connect your device to your handset and using the app; you can add new skills, create routines and integrate other devices from Amazon too. Echo Show 5 review Coming back to the performance, we should mention that the navigation is not as seamless as it is in other Amazon devices. For instance, since there are no physical home button, going back to Home Screen means always pulling down the Menu from the top of the screen to press on the shortcut. In addition to this, we should also mention that even Alexa does not have the ability to go to certain menus in Amazon Echo Show 5. Having said that, Alexa does offer very prompt responses to queries it does have support for. Most of our commands got a good response from the digital assistant. A visual element also appears on screen each time Alexa answers a query and this is something we really liked. There is a wide variety of things that you can ask Alexa to do. We at times asked Alexa how much time it will take for us to reach a certain spot in town, made it do calculations, asked it for daily updates and more. You can simply say, “Alexa, what all can you do?” The digital assistant will then show you a list of commands that you can use with it. Routines is one of the prominent features of Amazon Echo Show 5. With this, you can connect the smart display speaker to other smart home devices in the house. However, we could not try this out ourselves. Amazon Echo Show 5 We should also mention that it will be a big plus if you have subscribed to other services by Amazon like Amazon Prime. As of now, the ecosystem that the smart display speaker has is limited as compared to the one that is available on Google’s devices. So, a number of popular apps like YouTube are not available on Amazon Echo Show 5. This makes it important for any user of the device to have subscription for other Amazon services too. Moving on, the device offers 1.65 x 4W of sound output. While the volume cannot go extremely loud, we should mention that it remains consistently clear. The users also have the option of adjusting the level of bass, mids and trebles via the Alexa app. It is decent overall.

Verdict

At Rs 8,999, the Amazon Echo Show 5 is certainly a good buy. Although, as we have mentioned earlier, it is not as seamless as other smart display speakers in the Amazon range, it is far more affordable than them too. The idea of having a compact smart speaker with a display and a digital assistant has its own advantages. While the screen quality and the functions that Alexa can perform on Amazon Echo Show 5 don’t match up to that of the bigger Echo Show, the latter is far more expensive. At the given price range, Amazon Echo Show 5 will not disappoint you. Pros
  • Compact size
  • More privacy with ability to close selfie camera
  • Prompt responses from Alexa
Cons
  • Screen resolution
  • Sound volume is not very loud
  • Navigation not the best
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Redmi Note 8 series to launch today alongside Redmi TV and refreshed RedmiBook 14

1
Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is all set to launch its most awaited smartphone Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro today. To launch the series of smartphones the company has organized a huge event in Beijing, China. Alongside Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro, the company will also be introducing its first smart TV named Redmi TV also a redesigned variant of RedmiBook at today’s event. The launch event will begin at 11 am IST. Interested people can watch the event live on the Redmi’s website. Redmi Note 8, Redmi Note 8 Pro price and specifications (expected) In China today Xiomi’s sub-brand will launch Redmi Note 8 as well as Redmi Note 8 Pro. The company will be launching Note 8 Pro in two variants, 6GB RAM + 128GB of internal storage that is expected to cost CNY 1,799 (approximately Rs 18,000)and 8GB + 128GB storage variant may cost CNY 2,099 (approximately Rs 21,000). On the other hand, Redmi Note 8 will be made available in a single 4GB + 64GB internal storage variant that might come will a price tag of CNY 1,199 (approximately Rs 12,000). Both the smartphones will carry the same design and are also protected by Gorilla Glass 5 from the front as well as on the rear panel. A dot drop notch on the front display will also be seen. Apart from that, both the devices will be featuring a quad rear camera set up. The camera set up of the Redmi Note 8 will consist of a 48-megapixel primary sensor and the elder sibling will include a 64-megapixel main sensor. Apart from that, the quad-camera set up will include a Super Wide Angle lens, Depth of Field lens and Super Macro lens. Both younger and the elder sibling will boast a 4,500mAh battery. Redmi Note 8 will be supported by 10W charger whereas the Redmi Note 8 pro will come with an 18W charger. Redmi Note 8 will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor while the upper variant will be powered by MediaTek Helio G90T chipset. Refreshed RedmiBook 14 and Redmi TV specs and price Redmi will also launch its much-awaited Redmi TV and an upgraded version of RedmiBook 14 at the grand event. The Redmi TV will debut with a 70-inch screen. If we go by the rumours, the new entrant will come with super-thin bezel supporting 4K UHD panel. The Redmi smart TV will carry model No L70M5-RA. The company may also launch the smaller versions of the TV at the same event. However, there are no other details about the upcoming TV even the company has not disclosed if it will arrive in India or not. Apart from that refreshed RedmiBook, 14 will also be launched alongside Redmi Note 8 series and Redmi TV. The company launched the RedmiBook 14 a few months ago along with Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro. This will be the upgraded variant of the previous one that was powered by the 8th-gen Intel processor. The revamped variant of the RedmiBook 14 will be powered by the 9th gen Intel processor. For now, there are no more details of the new RedmiBook 14. Similar to the previous one the company might not bring RedmiBook 14 to India either. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Blaupunkt launched wireless earphones BE-50 in India at Rs 1,499

German audio products brand Blaupunkt has launched wireless earphone BE-50 in India. Last month the company launched a set of two wired earphones EM10 and EM01 in the country. The company stated earphones come with a Bluetooth Neckband at competitive pricing. The company entered the country with its Personal Audio range of products in February this year. The brand stated that the previously launched earphones EM10 and EM01 were much-admired by the audiophiles and their initial offerings Truly wireless pods (BTW01), Lightest BT Earphone (BE-01) took the market by storm, too. Blaupunkt launched BE-50 in the Indian market at Rs 1499. The latest wireless headphones come with a Call Disconnect Feature. The wireless earphones are touted to offer the finest listening experience, advanced technology along with a unique Magnetic Lock. The earphones are powered by Qualcomm Processor that helps the user to control a number of calls and music features. Blaupunkt headphones come with 150 mAh battery that on a single charge the earphones offer up to 12hrs of playtime and up to 2 weeks of standby time. The product weighs just 25 grams as High-Grade materials have been used to design the earphones that make them light in weight. Blaupunkt launched wireless earphones BE-50 in India at Rs 1,499 Additionally, the Blaupunkt BE-50 comes with different controls to answer, end, reject the call and switch songs without the need to take the phone out. It also comes with an in-built mic for a handsfree experience. BE-50 is IPX5 Water Resistant that protects it from dust and water splashes. Over that, the new wireless earphones come with a noise isolation feature that can block out 90% of ambient sound and the device works with almost all the Bluetooth enabled devices. Andrzej Cebrat, Managing Director, Blaupunkt says, “In a highly competitive market as ours, the product experience defines the future as compared to design In India. Blaupunkt has already achieved a benchmark as a leading player in the range of home audio products. With our century-old legacy of impeccable innovation and 20+ years of experience in India, we are certain that our audio products have raised the bar in the audio products market and we will continue to add high quality products that meet the consumer demands. I am confident; our latest wireless earphone BE-50 will be equally praised and accepted in the market”. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Vivo Z1x to be launched in India on September 6

2
This year Vivo seems to be on a launching spree. The company is all set to launch another smartphone in the country. Vivo has officially confirmed that it will unveil Vivo Z1x smartphone on September 6. Even before it is launched, the company has revealed that the upcoming smartphone will be available on e-commerce website Flipkart. The new smartphone will debut with a triple rear camera setup along with an in-display fingerprint sensor and a waterdrop style notch. The phone will be a gaming-centric device that will be introduced in the country in the coming month. Flipkart will be the online sales partner for the Vivo Z1x smartphone along with its own online store. The company stated that the latest smartphone will be targeting the game-loving consumers in the country that has been designed to perform better even while playing heavy duty games on their devices. As we all know that a few months ago the Chinese smartphone company also launched the Vivo Z1 Pro for customers who love playing games like PUBG. Z1 Pro comes with a massive 5,000mAh battery and Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 AIE chipset. So in that case, we can expect a more powerful processor for the Vivo Z1x mobile phone. https://twitter.com/Vivo_India/status/1166584770760990721 Apart from that, the company has also released a video teaser of the forthcoming phone on its official Twitter account giving us a short glimpse of the Vivo Z1x. According to the teaser, the handset will come with an in-display fingerprint sensor. The phone is displayed donning pearl blue and a purplish-blue colour on its back panel. On the rear, it displays a triple rear camera set up aligned vertically in a module along with an LED flashlight. In the end, the video says that the device will be unveiled on September 6 and will be available for purchase online on Flipkart as well as vivo.com. As per another report Vivo, Z1x will arrive with a 48-megapixel camera supported by Samsung ISOCELL GM1 sensor. Apart from that on the Vivo’s website, the product page says that the phone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Which one? We shall come to know in about a weeks’ time. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Compare: Oppo Reno 2 and Oppo Reno

0
The Chinese smartphone company finally launched the most awaited Oppo Reno 2 series of smartphone in India. The latest smartphone by the company has been introduced for the first time in the country and the world. The key highlights of the smartphone include quad-camera setup, shark-fin rising camera, Snapdragon 730G processor and VOOC 3.0 fast charging and so on. The Reno 2 is the successor of the Oppo Reno 10 X Zoom that the company launched in the country a few months ago. Take a look at our comparison as we compare Oppo Reno 2 with Oppo Reno first-generation and know which one suits you the best:

Display

Oppo Reno 2: 6.55-inch AMOLED Panoramic notch-less display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. Oppo Reno 1: 6.6-inch panoramic AMOLED display with 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, 6th generation Corning Gorilla Glass and TUV Rheinland certification.

Processor

Oppo Reno 2: Snapdragon 730G SoC octa-core processor Oppo Reno 1: Octa-core Snapdragon 855 SoC

Rear camera(s)

Oppo Reno 2: quad-camera setup houses a 48-megapixel primary shooter, a 13-megapixel telephoto camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, and 2-megapixel portrait camera. Support 20x zoom Oppo Reno 1: Triple-rear camera setup with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, a 13MP periscope telephoto lens and an 8MP super wide-angle lens. Supports 10x zoom.

Selfie camera

Oppo Reno 2: 16-megapixel Shark Fin selfie camera. Oppo Reno 1: 16MP pop-up selfie camera

RAM and storage

Oppo Reno 2: 8GB of RAM along with up to 256 of internal storage. Oppo Reno 1: 6GB RAM/128GB storage and 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Battery

Oppo Reno 2: 4,000mAh battery along with support for VOOC 3.0 fast charging. Oppo Reno 1: 4,065mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 support

Operating system

Oppo Reno 2: Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6.1 on top Oppo Reno 1: ColorOS 6 based on Android 9.0 Pie

Starting price

Oppo Reno 2: Rs 36,990 Oppo Reno 1:  Rs 39,990

Our Verdict

Both the smartphones come with a great display, excellent camera experience and a lasting battery. Oppo Reno 2 lacks in some aspects like display and battery. But in terms of imaging capabilities, it leaves behind Oppo Reno 10X. The pricing of the newly launched smartphone is also lower than the predecessor. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Oppo launched Reno 2 series of smartphone in India today

Oppo Reno 2 series officially launched in India today. The smartphone was globally launched in the country today. The flagship device comes with a quad-camera setup that offers 20x zoom camera capabilities. The key highlights are 6.55-inch AMOLED display, 4,000mAh battery. Alongside Reno 2 the company also launched two more devices Reno 2Z and Reno 2F as well. All the three handsets come with the 48-megapixel camera. Oppo Reno 2 series price in India As we mentioned earlier the company launched three smartphones in the country. Oppo Reno 2 will be available for purchase at Rs 36,990, while Reno 2Z will be sold at 29,990 however the company has not disclosed the pricing of the Reno 2F. the company will be offering the Reno 2Z in Sky White, Luminous Black, and Polar Light colours while the Reno 2F will be available in just Sky White and Lake Green colours. Reno 2 series of the smartphone will be available on all the leading online store across the country. Oppo Reno 2 specifications Oppo Reno 2 comes with a 6.55-inch AMOLED Panoramic notch-less display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 and the screen offers 93.1 percent screen to body ratio. It is powered by the Snapdragon 730G SoC octa-core processor paired with 8GB of RAM along that will offer up to 256 of internal storage. The handset runs on Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6.1 on top It houses a 4,000mAh battery along with support for VOOC 3.0 fast charging. The quad-camera setup of the Oppo Reno 2 will house a 48-megapixel primary shooter, a 13-megapixel telephoto camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, and 2-megapixel portrait camera. As mentioned, the phone will support 20x zoom. The set up comes equipped with Electronic Image stabilization as well as OIS. It also offers a 60fps frame rate along with the support for recording videos with a 116-degree wide-angle sensor. On the front, it comes with 16-megapixel Shark Fin selfie camera. The Oppo Reno 2 is will come with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that will provide improved modes like Ultra Dark, Ultra Steady and Bokeh mode. For gaming purposes, the phone will be equipped with anti-cheat extensions along with enhanced Wi-Fi for connectivity along with 25 percent faster graphics compared to the predecessor. In addition to this, it will come with Game Boost 3.0, Game Assistant and HDR10 that will provide better and improved gaming performance. Oppo Reno 2Z specifications Oppo Reno 2Z that will come with a 6.53-inch full-HD+ (1,080 x 2,340 pixels) display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio P90 SoC, coupled with 8GB of RAM along with 256GB of internal storage. It is expected to pack a 4,000mAh battery along with the support for VOOC 3.0 charging. On the camera front, the Oppo Reno 2Z will come with a 48-megapixel IMX586 sensor, along with a 119-degree 8-megapixel sensor, and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors. The sensors will be offering 2x optical zoom, ultra-steady video mode for up to 60fps frame rate, EIS and Ultra Night Mode. According to the leaked live images, the phone will arrive with a centrally aligned pop-up camera. Oppo Reno 2F specifications Oppo Reno 2F will also be launched alongside Oppo Reno 2 that will be sporting a 6.53-inch full-HD+ (1,080 x 2,340 pixels) display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The phone will be powered by MediaTek Helio P70 SoC processor along with 8GB of RAM that will offer 128GB of internal storage. On the camera front, the phone will be available with a 48-megapixel Samsung GM1 sensor, assisted by a wide-angle 8-megapixel sensor with 119-degree field of view and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors. It will be offering Ultra Night Mode 2.0 for low-light conditions along with 10x digital zoom excluding Electronic Image Stabilisation feature. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Instagram is testing a companion app called Threads

0
In order to take on Snapchat, Facebook is working on a new app called Threads that will allow the users to share their status, location, battery life and more with their closest friends. Threads will be a companion app to Instagram that will promote close sharing between users along with added text, photo as well as video with the use of Instagram’s original tools. According to a report by The Verge, the app is being put on internal testing by the social media giant. A few months ago, the company quashed ‘Direct’,  which was the standalone messaging app. The Direct messaging app was launched in 2017 in six countries Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey and Uruguay. The second app came with lots of filters similar to Snapchat. According to the portal, executives said that beta testers were frustrated about having to switch between Instagram and a second app whenever they wanted to send a message. “A messaging app built around your close friends might be more popular. That’s what Snapchat already is today for a healthy portion of its users.” A few of the reports suggests that the Snapchat users spend more time than average than Instagram users spend inside it. “For Facebook and Instagram, which have long coveted Snapchat’s strong engagement among younger users, Threads could represent another effort to chip away at their rival’s appeal.” Apart from that a couple of screenshots of the Thread app have also emerged on the web. It shows how the app has been built to promote constant, automatic sharing between users and the people on their “close friends” list on Instagram. By opting the automatic sharing option, the user’s close friends will be able to view the user’s location, driving speed and more. In the beginning, the app will not show the information about the user’s location in its place it shows “on the move”. It will also let the user update their status physically that will display the statuses in the main feed with messages. “The core of Threads appears to be messaging, and it looks very similar to the existing messaging product inside Instagram. Messages from your friends appear in a central feed, with a green dot indicating which of your friends are currently active. If your friend has posted a story recently, you can view that from inside Threads as well. Threads also have a camera, which you can use to capture photos and videos and send them to your close friends.” However, the photo-sharing app has not disclosed any information with regards to the launch date. Similar to the Direct app the company might also bring down the Thread app before releasing it to the general public. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Vivo Nex 3 5G officially confirmed, to launch next month

0
Chinese smartphone company Vivo has officially revealed the Vivo Nex 3 5G phone by sharing an image on its Weibo page. The company has confirmed that the flagship device will be launched in China next month, which is September. Even before any other official announcements, a few reports surfaced on the web claiming that the phone will be powered by Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC along with the Snapdragon X50 5G modem. Vivo product manager Li Xiang replied to a comment dropping a hint that the device will be launched on September 1. The device will first come to China. India availability is still unclear but could be by the end of September. Apart from that GSMArena shared a video teaser of Vivo Nex 3 5G. At the end of the video, we can see a man flaunting the latest smartphone by Vivo. The phone flaunts a triple rear camera set up placed in a circular module and a NEX branding on the rear panel. While going through the video we also managed to notice a pop-up selfie camera along with a huge screen along with a 3.3mm headphone jack. A few weeks ago, some sketches of Vivo Nex 3 5G were shared by the company’s manager on the internet that also revealed that the Vivo Nex will debut with a triple camera setup positioned in a circular module on the back panel of the phone. While the front panel will come with a 100% screen-to-body ratio along with waterfall-like edges. Vivo’s manager also shared a partial screenshot of the home screen that displays the 5G icons on the top left as well as the top right corner of the screen. Li Xiang also confirmed that the phone will have a waterfall screen and will hold the 3.5mm headphone jack. At the moment (in all the leaks) this smartphone looks too good to be true. If Vivo produces this smartphone at a competitive price, then they have a sure winner at hand, which can go up against the likes of OnePlus 7 Pro. That at the moment is ruling the premium smartphone segment. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Oppo Reno 2 is all set to be launched today: How to watch the live stream

Chinese Smartphone Company is all geared up to launch its new Oppo Reno 2 series. This is the first time that the series of phones will be launched in India first. So, the consumer in the country will be the first one to get a glimpse of the new smartphone. Prior to its launch, the company has also revealed some of the specifications of the device. The Oppo Reno 2 seems to be sporting the same shark fin type pop-up selfie camera. Apart from that, the company is also expected to launch two new mobile phones Oppo Reno 2Z and Oppo Reno 2F. Oppo Reno 2 how to watch live stream link, expected price The launch event of Oppo Reno 2 is being held in India for the first time and it will begin at 3 pm IST. The launch event will also go live on the company official YouTube channel. During the launch event, the company is expected to reveal the price as well as the availability of the product. As per the previously shared teaser, the handset is expected to be launched in two colour options Ocean Heart and Misty Powder colour. However, we can expect more colour options to be revealed at the launch. Alongside Oppo Reno 2 the company might also introduce various variants of the smartphone that includes Oppo Reno 2Z and Oppo Reno 2F We have attached the live streaming link below:
Oppo Reno 2 expected specifications As we mentioned earlier also that the smartphone company has revealed few of the specification details of the Oppo Reno 2. It is confirmed that the phone will be featuring a 6.55-inch AMOLED Panoramic notch-less display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 and the screen offers 93.1 per cent screen to body ratio. The new smartphone will be powered by Snapdragon 730G octa-core SoC coupled with 8GB RAM. It is expected that the phone will be offering up to 256GB of internal storage. It will be housing a 4,000mAh battery supported by VOOC Flash Charge 3.0. For connectivity, it has a USB Type-C port, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The Oppo Reno 2 is supposed to come with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that will provide improved modes like Ultra Dark and Bokeh mode. For gaming purposes, the phone will come integrated with anti-cheat extensions along with enhanced Wi-Fi for connectivity along with 25 per cent faster graphics compared to the forerunner. Additionally, it will come with Game Boost 3.0, Game Assistant and HDR10 that will provide better and improved gaming performance. In terms of its design, the phone will arrive with a 3D curved glass back panel along with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The phone will sport an in-display fingerprint sensor 3.0 with the latest G3 optical sensor fingerprint unlock feature. Besides this several leaks and rumours have surfaced on the web even before the official launch of the device. If we go by the leaks and rumours Oppo Reno 2 will be featuring a quad-camera set up that will consist of a 48-megapixel primary camera, along with a 13-megapixel, 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel sensors. The camera sensors on the phone will be offering 2x optical zoom, 20x hybrid zoom, OIS and Electronic Image. In addition to this, it is also expected to offer up to 60fps frame rate along with the support for recording videos with a 116-degree wide-angle sensor. Oppo Reno 2Z expected specifications As per the leaks and rumours, Oppo is also expected to launch Oppo Reno 2Z that will come with a 6.53-inch full-HD+ (1,080 x 2,340 pixels) display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It is rumoured to be powered by the MediaTek Helio P90 SoC, coupled with 8GB of RAM along with 256GB of internal storage. It is expected to pack a 4,000mAh battery along with the support for VOOC 3.0 charging. In terms of cameras, the Oppos Reno 2Z will come with a 48-megapixel IMX586 sensor, along with a 119-degree 8-megapixel sensor, and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors. The sensors will be offering 2x optical zoom, ultra-steady video mode for up to 60fps frame rate, EIS and Ultra Night Mode. According to the leaked live images, the phone will arrive with a centrally aligned pop-up camera. Oppo Reno 2F expected specifications It is rumoured that the Oppo Reno 2F will also be launched alongside Oppo Reno 2 that will be sporting a 6.53-inch full-HD+ (1,080 x 2,340 pixels) display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The phone is supposed to be powered by MediaTek Helio P70 SoC processor along with 8GB of RAM that will offer 128GB of internal storage. On the camera front, the phone is suggested to be made available with a 48-megapixel Samsung GM1 sensor, assisted by a wide-angle 8-megapixel sensor with 119-degree field of view and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors. It will be offering Ultra Night Mode 2.0 for low-light conditions along with 10x digital zoom excluding Electronic Image Stabilisation feature. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Lenovo Legion Y740, Legion Y540 Gaming Laptops launched in India

Lenovo added two new additions in it’s Legion’s line of gaming laptops in India. The company launched Legion Y740 and Legion Y540 in India. Both the laptops are the upgraded variants of Legion Y730 and Legion Y530 that the company launched last year. These gaming-centric laptops feature the latest 9th Gen Intel Core CPUs and Nvidia GeForce RTX series GPUs as options. There is not much change in the design, but the company has redesigned the internals of both Legion Y740 and Legion Y540. The company did state that they have upgraded both the laptops from the ground up along with sleek exterior as well as improved gaming performance after taking feedback from the gamers. Lenovo Legion Y740, Legion Y540 price and availability The premium Lenovo Legion Y740 has been launched at a starting price of Rs 1,29,990 apart from that the base variant Lenovo Legion Y540 comes at Rs 69,990 in India. Both the gaming laptops will be available for purchase on the company’s website Lenovo.com and across all the e-commerce retailers available in the country. Besides launching a new range of laptops the company also added gaming accessories that include desktop gaming PCs, gaming keyboards, mice and headsets. The company launched T730 and T530 desktops, M500 RGB gaming mouse, K500 RGB mechanical keyboard and lastly H300 stereo gaming headsets. However, the company has not announced the price and availability of all the mentioned products except the laptops.

Lenovo Legion Y740 and Legion Y540 specifications

Now moving on to the specifications Lenovo Legion Y740 and Legion Y540 come with a 15.6-inch bezel-less display that offers full HD resolution along with a 144Hz refresh rate. Legion Y740 is built with up to a six-core 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070GPU with Max-Q optimization. While the Legion Y540 employs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU. Both the laptops offer up to 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Legion Y740 puts on grey anodised aluminum chassis along with customisable RGB lighting under the keyboard as well as the thermal venting. It comes with options of Dolby Vision-enabled displays along with Dolby Atmos Speaker System and Dolby Sound Radar. The latest laptops also offer options for Dolby Vision HDR 400 500-nit display along with wired and wireless connectivity options. These include Type-C port, audio jack, and HDMI port. The setup is companioned with a 57Wh battery. On the other hand, the new Legion Y540 is available in Raven black colour option and comes with Harmon speakers that offer Dolby Atmos. The laptop also comes with a white backlit keyboard along with a similar connectivity option available in the Legion Y740. Rest of the specification are also identical to the premium variant. Apart from that, Windows 10 Home is the default OS that offers the option to be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro. The battery onboard claims to offer six hours of battery life on a single charge on both the versions. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Realme XT specification surfaced online, will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC

Recently the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme shared the exclusive image of its upcoming 64-megapixel smartphone Realme XT on Weibo. The company has shared a couple of images with details of the smartphone again on the same website. At a press event held in New Delhi Realme India’s CEO, Madhav Sheth revealed that the company is planning to launch the Realme XT in India before Diwali that means in October. Additionally, the company also revealed at a press meet in China that Realme XT will only be released in India and not in its home market first. Various website also shared few images of the press meet held in China only along with the specifications of the Realme XT on the Chinese website Weibo. According to the shared images, the forthcoming smartphone by Realme will be powered by octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC along with up to 8GB of RAM.
Realme XT specification surfaced online, will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC
Image Courtesy: Weibo
Realme XT will offer 128GB of internal storage. The reveal also suggested that the phone will be launched in three storage options 4GB with 64GB of storage, 6GB with 64GB of internal storage and lastly 8GB along with 128GB of onboard storage options. Apart from that, the new mobile phone is expected to feature 6.4-inch of Super AMOLED screen along with a waterdrop-style notch on the front panel. To give it life, the handset will be supported by a 4,000mAh battery along with 20W VOOC 3.0 fast charging. The phone will run on ColorOS 6, based over Android 9 Pie. Besides this, the phone will arrive with a quad-camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary shooter having f/1.8 aperture, which we already know. The quad-camera set up will also include 8-megapixel wide-angle-camera with f/2.25 aperture, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel portrait camera. Both the tertiary, as well as the fourth camera sensor will have an f/2.4 aperture. While on the front it is supposed to sport a 16-megapixel selfie camera. Through its official post, we got to know that Realme XT will debut in Silver Wing White colour variant and another one will be the pearl blue colour variant. However, none of the websites revealed the launch date nor the pricing of the phone but Realme XT will be put on sale in the coming month. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Samsung launched Galaxy A10s with 6.2-inch display in India

The South Korean company, Samsung, today launched a new smartphone in India. The Samsung Galaxy A10s joins the Galaxy A-series line of smartphones. The company launched the latest addition in the Q1 2019. The key highlights of the smartphone include a 6.2-inch Infinity-V Display along with a dual rear camera set up. The handset will be powered by a 4,000mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner. Samsung India, Director, Mobile Business, Aditya Babbar said“As a global technology leader, we are committed to providing meaningful innovations to our consumers. Galaxy A10s has been developed for Indian millennials who are looking for a great display, superior camera, long-lasting battery and fingerprint scanner. Galaxy A10s is a complete package of great looks and top performance.”

Samsung Galaxy A10s price and availability in India

Samsung Galaxy A10s has been launched in the country in two variants 2GB RAM with 32GB inbuilt storage and 3GB RAM with 32GB inbuilt storage. The variations of 2GB RAM with 32GB inbuilt storage is priced at Rs 9,499 while the 3GB RAM with 32GB inbuilt storage option will be sold at Rs 10,499. The device will be available in three colour options Black, Blue and Green colour. The smartphone will be put on sale on August 28 through the entire e-commerce website in the country as well as the offline retail stores. The smartphone can also be purchased via Samsung India E-Shop and Samsung Opera House.

Samsung Galaxy A10s specifications

Samsung Galaxy A10s features a 6.2-inch HD+ (720×1,520 pixels) Infinity-V Display. The phone will be powered by the Octa-core processor. It comes in 2GB and 3GB of RAM variants that offer 32GB of inbuilt storage that can be further expanded up to 512GB via microSD card. Coming on the camera capabilities, Samsung Galaxy A10s comes with a dual rear camera set up that includes a 13-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. While on the front it sports an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture lens. Samsung Galaxy A10s comes with all the necessary connectivity options that also include 4G VoLTE along with a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. The handset measures 156.9×75.8×7.8mm and it weighs 168 grams. This smartphone is one of the cheapest options that come from brand Samsung in the A-series lineup in India. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Realme CEO officially revealed the image of the Realme XT

Earlier this month Realme organized a press event in New Delhi where it revealed its most anticipated 64-megapixel camera smartphone. The Chinese smartphone company has said that the new smartphone will be featuring a quad-camera set up in its new Realme range of smartphones. Now the company’s chief marketing officer has officially shared the exclusive image of the Realme XT that the company recently confirmed to come with a 64MP camera. The shared photo displays the back panel of the upcoming smartphone that has a white gradient finish on its back panel. Additionally, it also shows the quad rear camera set up along with the 64-megapixel main sensor. Besides this, it is being speculated that the company might launch the phone in China on September 4. Realme’s chief marketing officer Xu Qi Chase officially shared and image of Realme XT on its Weibo account confirming that the phone will arrive in ‘silver wing white’ colour variant along with the 64-megapixel main camera. It is also expected that the forthcoming phone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Apart from that, the pictures revealed the rear panel of the device that has a pearl white finish. All four cameras are placed vertically. The top camera sensor is surrounded by a golden ring that is the main 64-megapixel sensor that equipped with Samsung’s latest ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor and is coupled with an ultra-wide-angle camera, macro lens, and a depth sensor. ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor offers 64MP photos with a resolution of 9,248 x 6,936 pixels. That comes with the support for HDR of up to 100-decibels. The back panel does not have a fingerprint sensor that also confirms that the handset will have an in-display fingerprint sensor. It is also expected to come with an OLED panel. While on the other hand Realme shared a couple of teasers on its official Weibo account dropping a hint that the phone might be unveiled at an event on September 4. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Apple released iOS 12.4.1 update that patches vulnerabilities that allowed iPhone Jailbreak

Apple has started rolling out a new iOS update. The iOS 12.4.1 update fixes the vulnerability that Apple left unpatched in its previous iOS 12.4 update. The bug permitted the hacker to implement code on any of its devices like the iPhone or the iPad that left it vulnerable to hacking risks. The iOS 12.4.1 update has been brought for the Apple’s various devices starting from iPhone 5s and above, iPad Air and later versions as well as the iPod Touch 6th generation. The company is soon bringing the iOS 13 sometime in September so this may be the last iOS 12 update. The premium smartphone company accidentally left many of its up to date devices susceptible to hacking risk by releasing the earlier iOS 12.4 update that has fixes over the last update. Apple’s security advisory says “a malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with system privileges”. Apple devices never allow any unsupported apps on its iOS platform. On its devices, like the iPhone and iPad, have system privileges or root privileges that allow the user to run apps or code while interacting directly with the basic code of the iOS operating system. This is known as Jailbreaking that allows people to run unsupported apps making its devices insecure that also leads to data privacy and data security risks. It also increases the risk of malware, spyware and data violation. As a result, many of the iPhone users also tweeted that they were doing well running the “jailbreak”, which the company is against. Using malware or spyware loaded app on the Jailbroken iPhone may result in allowing the attackers the access to apps, the right to use/see your messages, contacts, files stored in the phone, allowing it to track your location, keylogging as well as even snoop in on your calls. If you have not updated your phones or other devices you can download and install the iOS 12.4.1 update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Recently Apple head of security Ivan Krstic at the Black Hat Security conference announced that Apple is offering a $1 million reward that is approximately Rs 7.05 crore to cybersecurity researchers to help the company in order to make its devices safer so as to protect them against hacks. This programme will include iOS, macOS along with other Apple OS’s. Apart from that, the company is also giving out customised iPhones to select researchers to detect security flaws. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Indian Techie discovered a vulnerability on Instagram and won Rs 7.2 lakhs.

0
Last month India techie Laxman Muthiyah won $30,000 (approximately Rs. 21.6 lakhs) from the Facebook for spotting a vulnerability in Instagram and now again he has won $10,000 (approximately Rs. 7.2 lakhs) from the social media giant. This time he spotted an account takeover vulnerability on the Instagram that allows anyone to hack Instagram accounts without consent permission. However, both Instagram and Facebook team have fixed the issue and in return awarded the Chennai-based security researcher $10,000 as a part of their bounty program. Security researcher Laxman Muthiyah shared this news through his blog post that says “Facebook and Instagram security team fixed the issue and rewarded me $10,000 as a part of their bounty program.” According to him, the device ID is the unique identifier used by the Instagram server to authenticate password reset codes. When a user requests a passcode using his / her mobile device, a device ID is sent along with the request. The same device ID is used again to verify the passcode. He further explained that device ID is a random string that is generated by the Instagram app. The same ID can be used to request multiple passcodes of different users. When the 6 digits passcodes are requested of several users this increases the possibility of hacking the accounts. “For example, if you request a passcode of 100 thousand users using the same device ID, you can have a 10 percent success rate since 100k codes are issued to the same device ID.  If we request passcodes for 1 million users, we would be able to hack all the one million accounts easily by incrementing the passcode one by one.” So in order to hack the account, the hacker needs to request codes of 1 million users. Moreover, the expiry of the passcodes is 10 minutes so the entire attack should happen within 10 minutes. He further informed that the account takeover vulnerability has been fixed by the Facebook security team and no one can hack the Instagram accounts using this vulnerability. After this Facebook thanked Muthiyah and awarded him $10,000. In its letter Facebook said “You identified insufficient protections on a recovery endpoint, allowing an attacker to generate numerous valid nuances to then attempt recovery. Thank you again for this report” For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

BSNL launched Rs 96 and Rs 236 prepaid plans offer 10GB of daily data

0
In order to lure its subscribers, these days BSNL is coming up with new offers, content offerings, free subscriptions, and other services. The government-run telecom company has now introduced two new prepaid plans for its subscribers. The new prepaid plan of Rs 96 and Rs 236 offers 10GB of 4G daily data. Both the prepaid plans come with a validity of 28 days and 84 days respectively. The new prepaid plans are priced at Rs 96 and Rs 236, and offer only data benefits and are limited to those places where the company is providing 4G services. Both the introduced plans offer the benefits of 10GB data per day. So in total Rs 96 plan is offering 280GB of data whereas Rs 236 offers 840GB of overall data. As we mentioned earlier also the state-led telecom company BSNL has introduced both the plans for cities where its 4G service is available. Currently, the company provides 4G networks in some of the cities in Maharashtra such as Akola, Bhandara, Beed, Jalna, Osmanabad and other nearby regions. As mentioned the prepaid plans are only data benefits plans they do not offer any calling benefits however both are valid for a limited time period. To recall BSNL recently launched prepaid voucher Abhinandan-151 that offers 1.5GB of data per day. Earlier when the prepaid voucher was introduced it offered 1GB of daily data to its subscribers. In addition to this, the plan also offers unlimited local, STD and roaming calls even to Mumbai and Delhi circles, together with 1GB daily data. This plan will come with 100 SMS per day. The free offer validity in the plan was available for 24 days and the plan validity was for 180 days. On the other hand Reliance Jio’s Rs 149 prepaid plan provides 1.5GB daily data validity for up to 28 days. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Redmi Note 8 camera specifications officially revealed

After the live images of the most awaited, Redmi Note 8 surfaced on the web that showed the rear panel of the smartphone now the company has officially revealed the few specifications of Note 8. Prior to its launch smartphone maker has released the official teaser of the upcoming device. Apart from that the General Manager also shared the camera samples of Redmi Note 8 that also confirms that the phone will be featuring a quad rear camera set up. Earlier it was speculated that the phone will be sporting a 64-megapixel camera sensor sadly it will come with a 48-megapixel main sensor. Besides this, it will be powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 665 processor. Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi on its official Weibo account shared the images of the anticipated smartphone Redmi Note 8. If we look at the image it flaunts the rear panel of Note 8 that has quad-camera sensors aligned vertically in a module beside it there is an LED flashlight module. However, the rear panel does not have a fingerprint sensor that means the upcoming smartphone will have an in-display fingerprint sensor. The phone has a blueish white coloured gradient finish on the back panel.
Redmi Note 8 surfaced on the web
Image Courtesy: Weibo
Apart from that, the company shared some details of the phone that includes a 48-megapixel main sensor along with a super wide-angle sensor, depth of field sensor, a super macro lens as well. The Weibo post says, “Seven months ago, Redmi Note 7 brought 48 million pairs of cameras to the price of 1,000 yuan. This time, we brought you a brand new #Redmi Note 8# with 48 million four shots, super clear main camera + super wide-angle + depth of field + super macro four lenses, the high-end four-shot mobile phone popular!”
Redmi Note 8 surfaced on the web
Image Courtesy: Weibo
While on the other hand the company’s General Manager Lu Weibing took to Weibo and shared a few of sample images clicked by the Redmi Note 8. While looking at the pictures we can guess that Redmi Note 8 camera sensors offer good quality and detailed images. It also proves that the pictures taken in low light conditions are sharp. While the General Manager also confirms the presence of Super Night Scene Mode for taking pictures in low light conditions. “In the four shots of Redmi Note 8, the main photo is 48 million flagship level, the daytime super high resolution, the night four-in-one technology synthesizes 1.6μm large pixels, with the super night scene function, the night shot level is very shocking, these two photos are Our colleagues shot in Shanghai, one of which is a super night scene, a long exposure” he said. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Xiaomi’s Mi A3 will go on sale  today via Mi.com and Amazon

0
The newly launched Xiaomi’s Mi A3 will go on sale today. The company launched the latest smartphone in India last week. The sale will begin at 12 noon IST today via Mi.com, Amazon and the authorised Mi Home Stores all over the country. The latest device is the successor of the Mi A2 that was launched last year by the company. The key specs of the device include a triple rear camera set up along with a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The handset features an HD+ screen that also has a fingerprint scanner. The Mi A3 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 SoC. Xiaomi Mi A3 price, sale timing and offers Xiaomi Mi A3 will go on sale today at 12 noon IST on Amazon India as well as Mi.com and the authorised Mi Home Stores. The company launched the device in two variants 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM. The price of Mi A3 has been set at Rs 12,999 for its 4GB RAM model while the 6GB RAM variant costs Rs 15,999 in India. The device comes in three colour variants More than White, Kind of Grey, Not just Blue colours. Coming on the sale offers, on the purchase of Mi A3 the buyers can avail 750 cashback on HDFC credit card along with additional Rs 250 on EMI transactions. Additionally, Airtel subscribers will get double and unlimited calling on the recharge of Rs 249. Xiaomi Mi A3 specifications Xiaomi’s Mi A3 comes with a 6.08-inch HD+ (720×1560 pixels) AMOLED display along with Gorilla Glass 5 protection and 19.5:9 aspect ratio with a waterdrop notch at the top. It also comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. It offers64GB or 128GB of internal storage that can be further expanded via a microSD card. The latest smartphone runs stock Android 9 Pie. On the part of the camera, Mi A3 sports a triple rear camera setup that includes a 48-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.79 lens, 8-megapixel secondary sensor with an 118-degree wide-angle f/1.79 lens, and a 2-megapixel third sensor for depth sensing. On the front, it comes with a 32-megapixel selfie camera along with an f/2.0 aperture. Xiaomi Mi A3 has all the required connectivity options like G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It houses a 4,030mAh battery supported by an 8W fast charging. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Realme 5 to go on sale for the first time on Flipkart and Realme.com

Last week the Chinese smartphone company, Realme launched two smartphones in India. The company launched Realme 5 alongside Realme 5 Pro. Now Realme 5 is all set to go on its first sale today. The biggest selling point of the smartphone is its quad rear camera set up. Till yesterday the smartphone was on pre-orders in the country. Read to know about the latest launch offers and specifications.

Realme 5 price and availability and launch offers

Realme 5 is available in three storage variants 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage, 4GB/ 64GB storage and 4GB RAM/ 128GB storage. The 3GB RAM/ 32GB variant will be available at Rs 9,999, while the 4GB/ 64GB variant will be sold at Rs 10, 999 while 4GB RAM/ 128GB will costs Rs 11,999. The device will be put on sale through Flipkart as well as on the Realme website at 12 PM noon IST. Now coming on the launch offers Jio subscriber can avail benefits worth up to Rs 7,000 on the purchase of Realme 5.  Apart from that E-commerce website, Flipkart will also be offering Complete Mobile Protection at lower rates along with Paytm’s first membership. Using Paytm the buyers will get a cashback of up to Rs 2,000.

Realme 5 specifications

Realme 5 features a 6.5-inch HD+ (720×1,600 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3+ for protection. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC with 3GB and 4GB of RAM. The smartphone runs Color OS 6.0 based on Android 9 Pie. Realme 5 is available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options that can be further expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. It houses a 5,000mAh battery, measures 164.4×75.6×9.3mm and 198 grams in weight. On the camera front,Realme 5 comes with a quad rear camera setup with a 12-megapixel primary camera (PDAF and an f/1.8 aperture), an 8-megapixel sensor (f/2.25 aperture and a 119-degree wide-angle lens), a 2-megapixel macro lens (f/2.4 aperture + 4cm focus distance) and a 2-megapixel portrait lens (f/2.4 aperture). The set up also comes with an electronic image stabilisation (EIS) feature. On the front, it has a 13-megapixel selfie camera with an AI beautification feature. Realme 5 connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, a GPS/ A-GPS, a3.5mm headphone jack, and a Micro-USB port. It has all the necessary sensors like accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, a magnetometer and a proximity sensor along with a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Vivo V17 Pro expected to be launched in Big Boss 13

Vivo is all set to launch a new smartphone Vivo V17 Pro. The upcoming phone will be the successor of the Vivo V15 Pro. Recently the most popular Indian reality TV Show Bigg Boss promo released. The promo gives a glimpse of the Vivo V17 Pro smartphone that is supposed to be the official sponsor of the show that will be aired next month in September. Colors channel on its official Twitter account released the trailer of the Big Boss Season 13 showcases the new Vivo V17 Pro in the hands of the show’s host Salman Khan. The phone is displayed that has a white rear panel along with a gradient finish. Sadly the promo did not have a full glimpse of the handset. But in the end, we heard the Big Boss saying Vivo V17 Pro presents Big Boss 13. However, we are also waiting for the official announcement by the company for the Vivo V17 Pro. Now it is confirmed that the Big Boss Season 13 will be aired next month so we can expect the company to release a trailer or make an official announcement before the show goes live. As we mentioned earlier Vivo V17 Pro will be the successor of the Vivo V15 Pro. The company launched the earlier this year. As we all know that the predecessor is a camera-centric phone so we can expect that the upcoming phone will be also be focusing on photography-related features. Vivo V17 Pro will carry an expected price of Rs 30,000. Now according to another report by 91Mobiles the upcoming Vivo V series smartphone will be featuring two selfie cameras rather than one. Unlike its predecessor, the V17 Pro will be sporting a quad-camera set up. Over that one of its sensors will come up with zoom capabilities like Oppo Reno 10x Zoom Edition. Apart from that, the phone is expected to arrive in the market before Diwali. To recall Vivo launched V15 Pro in March this year. It features a 6.39-inch Full HD+ Ultra FullView Display along with a Super AMOLED panel. It is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 675 AIE SoC and comes with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with Funtouch OS 9. The Vivo V15 Pro comes with a triple rear camera setup that includes a 48MP primary Quad Pixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, an 8MP Super Wide-Angle AI camera with f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. For selfies and video chats it has a 32MP pop-up selfie camera along with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Vivo V15 Pro packs a 3,700mAh battery and offers 128GB of internal storage along with support for a microSD card of up to 256GB. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Oppo released the teaser of Reno 2 that reveals the colour options it will arrive in

As the launch date of the Oppo Reno 2 is coming closer more reports as well as the official trailer are pouring. The new mid-range Oppo smartphone’s specifications also leaked on the web that includes waterdrop-style display notch and gradient-finish back panel along with a quad rear camera setup supporting 20X zoom. The Chinese smartphone company is all set to launch its upcoming smartphone on August 28 that is Wednesday. Now the company has also shared its official teaser on its Weibo account showcasing the arrival of the Oppo Reno 2 smartphone. According to the teaser, the colour options of the device has been revealed. Additionally, the teaser also confirms that the Reno 2 will debut with noise-canceling headphones. However, many of the teaser shared on the Chinese website did not reveal much about the phone except few revealing its key specifications design and the colour options it will arrive in. On of the officially shared teaser confirms that the handset will come in Ocean Heart and Misty Powder colour options. As we mentioned earlier also one of the teasers suggests that Oppo Reno 2 will be supported by noise-canceling headphones. Moreover, the teaser also confirms that the phone will be launched in China on September 10. Oppo Reno 2 specifications confirmed  The Oppo Reno 2 will be featuring a 6.55-inch AMOLED Panoramic notch-less display with 20:9 aspect ratio along with Gorilla Glass 6 protection and 93.1 percent screen to body ratio. Reno 2will be powered by the Snapdragon 730G octa-core SoC paired with 8GB RAM. It will be offering 256GB of internal storage. The handset houses a 4,000mAh battery with VOC Flash Charge 3.0 support. The device will come with the support of a USB Type-C port for connectivity. The upcoming smartphone will arrive integrated with Game Boost 3.0, Game Assistant, and HDR10 gaming support for improved gameplay experience. Recently the smartphone also got listed on TENAA that revealed that Oppo Reno 2 will run on Android Pie along with a quad rear camera setup that might include a 48-megapixel primary sensor, 13-megapixel secondary sensor, 8-megapixel tertiary sensor, and a 2-megapixel quaternary sensor. On the front, it is suggested to arrive with16-megapixel selfie camera and will measure 160×74.3×9.5mm and weighs 189 grams. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

Huawei P30 Lite is now available at a discounted price on Amazon

1
Chinese smartphone company Huawei is offering P30 Lite at a discounted price that the company launched in April this year. Huawei P30 Lite is the watered-down version of the flagship device P30 Pro. The budget smartphone comes with Huawei’s own processor, has a triple rear camera setup along with 32MP selfie camera. The company launched the smartphone in the country in two variants 4GB RAM/ 128GB storage and 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant. Huawei P30 Lite discounted price and offers When launched Huawei P30 Lite with the 4GB RAM/ 128GB storage was priced at Rs 19,990 while the 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant cost Rs 22,990. At present, the 4GB RAM/ 128GB storage is available at Rs 18,990 via Amazon India website. On the purchase of the device, the buyer will get an instant discount of Rs 1,500 if payment made through Axis bank debit and credit cards. In addition to this, the buyers can also avail up to Rs 9,500 off on the exchange of their old mobile phone. The company is only offering 4GB RAM/ 128GB model at a discounted price while the 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant has not been listed on the e-commerce website. Huawei P30 Lite specifications and features The Huawei P30 Lite features a 6.15-inch Full-HD+ (1080 x 2312 pixels) LCD display with an aspect ratio of 19.3:9. The device is powered by the octa-core HilSilicon Kirin 710 SoC (4 x Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.3GHz, 4 x Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.7GHz). It comes with 4GB and 6GB of RAM options along with 128GB of internal storage that can be further expanded via microSD card of up to 256GB. P30 Lite supports dual-SIM (Nano) and runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with EMUI 9.0.1. The Huawei P30 Lite houses a 3,340mAh battery. On the camera front, the Huawei P30 Lite sports a triple-rear camera setup that includes a 24MP wide-angle lens along with an f/1.8 aperture. Besides this, it has an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens coupled with a 2MP depth sensor. Whereas on the front, it features a 32MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture. On the connectivity front Huawei P30 Lite includes 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C, and FM radio. While the sensors on the phone are an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, and proximity sensor. P30 Lite model of the comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.