Samsung Galaxy M10, Galaxy M20 pricing revealed ahead of launch
Samsung Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 smartphones have been creating headlines for months now. The smartphones are set to be launched in India on January 28 and a number of reports have talked about their specifications. And now, 91mobiles has also reported about the pricing details of the upcoming smartphones.
The report suggests that Samsung Galaxy M10 will be priced at Rs 8,999 while Galaxy M20 will cost Rs 12,999. According to 91mobiles, the information about the price of the two smartphones was revealed to them by “a source close to Samsung’s pricing strategy” for the two smartphones.
It is also worth noticing that prior to this, news agency IANS had reported that Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 smartphones will be priced at Rs 7,990 and Rs 10,990 respectively. As of now, we can’t comment on which one among the two is credible and we will have to wait till next Monday to find out for sure.
However, the report in IANS gives us some extra information as it states that the devices will be available exclusively on Amazon India’s website starting March 5. So if you have been planning to buy one among the two smartphones, you would have to wait for more than a month after they get launched.
It has been reported that with its Galaxy M series, Samsung plans to replace its Galaxy J, Galaxy On, and Galaxy C series. Considering that these series ruled the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market till sometime back, it makes perfect sense for the company to schedule the global launch of its new series in the country.
While Samsung Galaxy M10 smartphone will reportedly feature a 6.2-inch HD+ display with Infinity V screen that has a waterdrop-shaped notch. The device is said to run Android 8.1 Oreo and will be powered by the Exynos 7872 processor coupled with 3GB RAM. According to reports, Samsung Galaxy M10 will sport 13MP and 5MP dual rear cameras and will house a 3,400mAh battery.
Speaking of Galaxy M20, it will have a 6.3-inch Infinity-V display and will be powered by the Exynos 7885 processor clubbed with 3GB RAM. It will come with a bigger 5,000mAh battery and come with the same cameras as Galaxy M10.
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Twitter admits about bug in Android app that leaked protected tweets for years
If you are an Android user and have a twitter account, it is time for you be alert. The microblogging site has recently discovered a bug which has been exposing protected tweets for quite sometime now. Twitter also acknowledged the security flaw in its ‘Help Centre’ after discovering the bug. The bug caused Android apps to disable “Protect your Tweets” in settings after making changes to account settings. From November 3, 2014 to January 14, 2019 many email addresses which the twitter accounts are made of, were altered.
The company said that it has finally fixed the problem. It gave assurance to web and iOS users that they won’t experience anything of such nature. The issue, as twitter said, was fixed on January 14. Twitter cannot ascertain how many users have been affected as of now. So, it is contacting the users one by one and turning the setting back on for the affected ones. The micro-blogging site is advising users to be on the safer side and check their privacy settings. This, according to twitter would ensure that desired preferences are reflected as they were meant to be.
Twitter is now facing a privacy investigation for the protected tweets security flaw by Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). This investigation is going on in addition to another investigation twitter is already going through. That is the EU investigation for data-collection issues under GDPR rules.
DPC head of communications, Graham X Doyle said to Bloomberg, “The DPC opened a statutory inquiry in late 2018 into Twitter’s obligation under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to implement technical and organisational measures to ensure the security and safeguarding of the personal data it processes following the receipt of a number of breach notifications from the company since May 25, 2018. This inquiry is ongoing.”
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Xiaomi Mi 9 renders reveal a bezel-less display with a waterdrop notch
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi has sent out its invite for the Mobile World Congress 2019. The company has its event scheduled for February 24 and it is being speculated that it will be launching the 5G variant of its Mi Mix 3 smartphone. Some reports also suggest that the smartphone maker will be seen launching its Mi 9 smartphone at MWC 2019.
The possibility of this happening is high too considering that earlier reports also said that Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphone will be launched in February. Even if the Mi 9 doesn’t show up at Mobile World Congress, it will be launched soon because lately there have been a number of leaks and reports about the device that have surfaced online. And now, the first renders of the smartphone have been leaked and they showcase the Mi 9 from almost all angles.
In the renders, you can see the nearly bezel-less smartphone with a waterdrop-shaped notch on its top. It is worth noticing that the notch on the Mi 9 smartphone looks smaller than the one we saw on Mi Play or Redmi Note 7 smartphones. The bezels of the device are also way thinner than what we have seen on other Xiaomi devices. Even the chin of the smartphone is extremely thin. In other words, this means that we get more screen-to-body ratio and better viewing angles.
Considering that there’s no physical fingerprint sensor on the device, we can expect to see an in-display fingerprint scanner. We should mention that Xiaomi’s CEO has showcased the next generation UD fingerprint sensor earlier this week. According to Xiaomi, this fingerprint scanner is fast as well as reliable. Considering the Mi 9 is the company’s flagship device, we can fully expect to see the new fingerprint scanner present on it.
Speaking further about the renders of Mi 9 smartphone, the device can be seen coloured in Blue and from what it looks like, the handset’s back panel is made of glass. Prior reports claimed that Mi 9 will feature a triple rear camera setup among which two cameras will be placed in a cylindrical camera module parted with a flash. The third camera lens will be placed right below the two sensors in a separate module. The renders confirm this report about the smartphone’s cameras.
Coming to the specifications of Xiaomi’s Mi 9, the device has been reported to come with a 48MP primary sensor, an 18MP secondary sensor and a third 8MP sensor. It has also been reported that Xiaomi Mi 9 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor with X24 modem. As of now, not much other than this is known about the smartphone, but we do know that two model numbers of the device – M1902F1T/A and MI1903F2A – have been spotted.
Image courtesy: hi-tech.mail.ru
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Speaking further about the renders of Mi 9 smartphone, the device can be seen coloured in Blue and from what it looks like, the handset’s back panel is made of glass. Prior reports claimed that Mi 9 will feature a triple rear camera setup among which two cameras will be placed in a cylindrical camera module parted with a flash. The third camera lens will be placed right below the two sensors in a separate module. The renders confirm this report about the smartphone’s cameras.
Coming to the specifications of Xiaomi’s Mi 9, the device has been reported to come with a 48MP primary sensor, an 18MP secondary sensor and a third 8MP sensor. It has also been reported that Xiaomi Mi 9 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor with X24 modem. As of now, not much other than this is known about the smartphone, but we do know that two model numbers of the device – M1902F1T/A and MI1903F2A – have been spotted.
Image courtesy: hi-tech.mail.ru
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Today, OnePlus which is one of the leading smartphone makers announced the first-ever ‘OnePlus Assured Upgrade program’. This program will be based on the purchase of the OnePlus 6T from January 19, 2019. Buyers, as a part of this sale can get guaranteed buyback value of a maximum of 70% purchase value. The minimum of purchase value on the other hand is 40%. You can then sell your old OnePlus Device on Amazon.in and OnePlus exclusive offline stores between 3-12 months from purchase date of the device, on upgrade to a future OnePlus flagship.
The OnePlus upgrade program is available for purchase at an additional cost of Rs 199. Vikas Agarwal, General Manager of OnePlus India said, “At OnePlus, our constant endeavour is to innovate and delight our loyal community of users. Our community has always been technologically forward and a vast majority of them also upgrade to subsequent OnePlus devices. With the ‘OnePlus Assured Upgrade’ program, we are excited to make upgrading to future OnePlus flagships even easier.” Also, this republic day, OnePlus is going to roll out limited period offers for prospective OnePlus 6T buyers.
The January 19 and January 20 offers include Rs 1,500 instant discount on every OnePlus 6T smartphone through HDFC Bank credit and debit cards on Amazon.in. Those customers who buy the OnePlus 6T from the official website, OnePlus exclusive offline stores, Croma or reliance digital outlets are eligible for Rs 1,500 cashback. Users can avail up to 6 months of No-cost EMI—those who purchase the mobile phone on Amazon.in, oneplus.in, croma, Reliance digital outlets and all OnePlus exclusive offline stores.
The OnePlus 6T starts at Rs 37,999 and is available in ‘black mirror’ colour variant on Amazon.in. The smartphone comes with an Optic AMOLED 6.41-inch capacitive touchscreen. The screen resolution is 1,080×2,340 and the aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The handset runs on Android 9.0 Pie and is powered by Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor. Storage options include 128GB and 256GB. The former comes with either 6GB RAM or 8GB RAM whereas the latter comes with 8GB RAM variant.
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PUBG Mobile Season 5: Ten things you should know about the update
Do you love playing PUBG Mobile? If the answer is yes, then you should know that PUBG’s 0.10.5 update has now been released and with it, the Season 5 of the popular game has begun. The update has got a number of new changes to the game including the Royale Pass Season 5, some cool new outfits, a new theme and some new weapons. Here, we list down everything that you should know about PUBG Mobile’s latest update.
Were you waiting for the Mk47 weapon to come to PUBG Mobile? If yes, then your wait is now over. Once you update to PUBG 0.10.5 update, the weapon will be available to you in all the maps of the game including Erangel, Miramar, Vikendi and Sanhok. The weapon has two firing modes and can fire 7.62mm rounds. It is worth noticing that the weapon was already available in the PC version of the game.
According to the changelog that has been shared by the company, there are two main changes to look forward to as far as Vikendi map is concerned. The first is that Vikendi will now be available as a map while creating rooms. And the second is that with the update, its loot has been tuned.
The latest update of PUBG Mobile gets Laser Sight to the game that can be found in all the maps. The feature lets users lower the rail attachment that can help in reducing spread when firing from the hip.
PUBG Mobile’s Season 5 also gets the Classic voice back to the game. Users will be able to the Classic voice in the Settings of the game and they can enable it from there.
With the update, users can now enable and disable Spawn Island announcements from the settings of the game. So if you don’t find them useful, you can now turn them off.
The update also gets with itself the Royale Pass Season 5. So there are more premium outfits and taunting emotes that will now be available as rewards. The game will also have server-wide Pass upgrade events.
Other changes in PUBG Mobile include a ranked mode, an updated model for Swimmer Sandals, tweaks in Share for Deals feature and Clan benefit sharing, an updated avatar display of Crew Challenge winner and some adjustments in Shop. Users will also be able to access supplies from the main menu of the game itself.
Although there are no zombies present on PUBG Mobile’s new season yet, reports suggest that they will be added soon. A PUBG Mobile Zombies mode has also been reported about and it may get rolled out with PUBG Mobile’s 0.11.0 update.
We should mention that the update weighs around 190MB and can be downloaded in-game. However, considering the size of the update, we recommend you to download it only when your smartphone is connected to Wi-Fi.
Don’t panic if you don’t immediately get the update of PUBG Mobile Season 5 as it is being rolled out slowly in a phased manner.
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In This Article
The Mk47 Mutant is now available
Were you waiting for the Mk47 weapon to come to PUBG Mobile? If yes, then your wait is now over. Once you update to PUBG 0.10.5 update, the weapon will be available to you in all the maps of the game including Erangel, Miramar, Vikendi and Sanhok. The weapon has two firing modes and can fire 7.62mm rounds. It is worth noticing that the weapon was already available in the PC version of the game.
Changes in Vikendi map
According to the changelog that has been shared by the company, there are two main changes to look forward to as far as Vikendi map is concerned. The first is that Vikendi will now be available as a map while creating rooms. And the second is that with the update, its loot has been tuned.
Laser Sight has been added to the game
The latest update of PUBG Mobile gets Laser Sight to the game that can be found in all the maps. The feature lets users lower the rail attachment that can help in reducing spread when firing from the hip.
The Classic voice is back
PUBG Mobile’s Season 5 also gets the Classic voice back to the game. Users will be able to the Classic voice in the Settings of the game and they can enable it from there.
A change in Spawn Island announcements
With the update, users can now enable and disable Spawn Island announcements from the settings of the game. So if you don’t find them useful, you can now turn them off.
Royale Pass Season 5
The update also gets with itself the Royale Pass Season 5. So there are more premium outfits and taunting emotes that will now be available as rewards. The game will also have server-wide Pass upgrade events.
Other changes
Other changes in PUBG Mobile include a ranked mode, an updated model for Swimmer Sandals, tweaks in Share for Deals feature and Clan benefit sharing, an updated avatar display of Crew Challenge winner and some adjustments in Shop. Users will also be able to access supplies from the main menu of the game itself.
No zombies…yet.
Although there are no zombies present on PUBG Mobile’s new season yet, reports suggest that they will be added soon. A PUBG Mobile Zombies mode has also been reported about and it may get rolled out with PUBG Mobile’s 0.11.0 update.
Must be downloaded on Wi-Fi
We should mention that the update weighs around 190MB and can be downloaded in-game. However, considering the size of the update, we recommend you to download it only when your smartphone is connected to Wi-Fi.
The update is being rolled out in a phased manner
Don’t panic if you don’t immediately get the update of PUBG Mobile Season 5 as it is being rolled out slowly in a phased manner.
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[td_smart_list_end] Nikon expands its product line up with the new COOLPIX B600
Nikon COOLPIX B600 is the latest prosumer camera the company has launched. The company claims that this camera leads to an enhanced imaging experience. Some of its qualities that sets it apart from other Nikon products include delivering high quality still images and movies, high power-zoom model, superior operability. Also, it offers versatility across various photography situations. The Nikon COOLPIX B600 has a 60x optical zoom, which can zoom on to far away objects easily.
Sajjan Kumar, Managing director of Nikon India commented, “The latest addition to our ever-evolving product line-up exemplifies Nikon’s desire to provide an imaging experience that differs from the smart devices, amidst the widespread technological advances we see in consumer products today. Great for the everyday user looking to capture high-quality memories in both stills and videos, the COOLPIX B600 promise impressive capabilities suitable for use in any situation.” The 60x optical zoom has a large range of focal length.
The focal length begins at the wide-angle 24mm equivalent, extending to the super-telephoto 1440mm equivalent. There are 19 options in the scene mode, which helps the camera settings to be optimised for capturing high quality images. The Nikon COOLPIX B600 has extensive creative functions and multifunctional Full HD video capabilities that offer a wide range of imaging possibilities. A pre-focus function (Pre-AF) and target finding AF is built so that you can automatically achieve sharp focus in zoom or low-lit shooting scenarios.
The camera is said to be lightweight and has a 120x dynamic fine zoom apart from 60x optical zoom. The Nikon COOLPIX B600 camera has a 16MP resolution, dynamic range up to ISO 6400 sensitivity and optical vibration reduction capabilities ensure picturesque perfection regardless of the light conditions. There are 19 scene modes to ensure that the pictures and movies are always optimised. There are Full HD multifunctional video capabilities that are added to ensure memories get captured in footage and sound. The instant movie-editing function can be done on spot during playback. The price of the camera is still under wraps and will be announced in some time.
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iPad mini 5, new affordable iPad expected to launch in first half of 2019
In the first half of 2019, iPad mini 5 and a new entry-level iPad model are reportedly set to launch. The iPad mini 4 hasn’t yet been upgraded that was launched back in September, 2015. Also, the company hasn’t yet launched the new entry level iPad models. However, the iPad Pro has been said to bring some iterations with the latest updates that happened in October, 2018. There was another report which talks in regard with the launch of the iPad mini 5 and two entry level iPads.
The report reiterated the previous news on the matter that the gadgets will be launched in the first half of this year. Also, the touch panel manufacturers, General Interface Solution (GIS) and TPK Holding are expected to be ready for the launch. Though we don’t know what the specifications of the gadgets are, we know that the iPad mini 5 can sport a vertically stacked dual camera setup and include a headphone jack. The upcoming Apple’s Spring event is supposed to unveil the iPad mini 5.
The predecessor of the iPad mini 5, the iPad Mini 4 has a display of 7.9-inch with a resolution of 2,048×1,536 pixels. The screen has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and the device is powered by a second-generation Apple A8 SoC. In terms of memory, there are four variants which includes 12GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. All these storage variants are a part of a single RAM variant of 2GB. In terms of camera, there is a single rear sensor of 8MP and a front sensor of 1.2MP.
Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and USB 2.0. The tablet packs a huge battery of 5,124mAh. It comes in three colour options—space gray, silver and gold. Coming back to the iPad 5, Apple hasn’t yet revealed the launch date. But considering that the tech giant hosts an event around March and April we can assume that the new Apple device is going to launch in the same time frame.
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Samsung Galaxy S10+ live photo confirms the presence of dual selfie cameras
South Korea technology giant Samsung has announced its Galaxy Unpacked event that is scheduled to take place in San Francisco on February 20. Although the company has not revealed what it has up its sleeve for the event, it is quite evident that Samsung will be launching its three Galaxy S10 smartphones at Galaxy Unpacked. These will include Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and a lite version of the device. The smartphone giant has also hinted that its much-talked-about foldable Galaxy F may also be launched at the event. But only time will tell if that will happen.
However, a month before its launch, Samsung Galaxy S10+ has reportedly appeared in a live photo that has been shared on Reddit by a user named hissick27. The image that has been shared confirms the prior report that claims that Samsung Galaxy S10+ will come with dual selfie cameras on the top right of its display. It can also be seen in the picture that the bezels of the smartphone are even thinner than that of Samsung Galaxy S9+.
While the poster confirmed that the smartphone in the image shared is Samsung Galaxy S10+, he removed the watermark on the screen with the device’s serial number and his employee ID. It is being said that the image looks like it has been taken on the bus which was either going to Samsung Electronics’ Suwon campus or coming back from it. It is also worth noticing that the smartphone in the picture is kept inside its pre-production case, which was probably used to hide the design until it is launched.
According to reports, the upcoming smartphone is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S9, in spite of being of the same size. We should also mention that the hole on top of the Infinity-O display of Samsung Galaxy S10+ is not noticeable in the image at all. The smartphone’s display has an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner embedded in it. The on-screen selfie camera, the in-display sensor and the dual selfie cameras are the key differences that Samsung Galaxy S10+ has as compared to its predecessor.
We should also mention that the company has already used the Infinity-O display, that comes with a hole on it to house the selfie camera, in Samsung Galaxy A8s smartphone. The same technology was also seen in Honor View 20 and Huawei Nova 4.
Image courtesy: Reddit
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We should also mention that the company has already used the Infinity-O display, that comes with a hole on it to house the selfie camera, in Samsung Galaxy A8s smartphone. The same technology was also seen in Honor View 20 and Huawei Nova 4.
Image courtesy: Reddit
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Compared to its Chinese rivals, Xiaomi has been slower to adopt the in-display fingerprint sensor. Except its high-end variants of the Mi 8 series, none of the Xiaomi smartphones have the in-display fingerprint sensor. Now we have got to know that Xiaomi is working on an advanced version of this technology. Lin Bin, the co-founder of Xiaomi has been reportedly seen in a video demonstrating a prototype phone with a new larger in-display fingerprint sensor. We have learnt that this fingerprint sensor has an active area of 25x50mm.
Users can tap anywhere in order to unlock the phone, unlike in previous phones where the fingerprint scanner was small enough to fit just one finger in it. This advanced version will be able to unlock the phone with a single tap rather than holding the scanner, which had to be done in earlier generation smartphones. To speak about the fingerprint sensors, there is more to the story when we pay attention to other brands. And we mean phenomenal, next-generation technology.
Vivo showcased a concept phone called the Apex that featured a “half-screen” sensor. The phone was showcased during last year’s Mobile World Congress. According to The Verge, it is more like a third of the touchscreen in reality. To recall, Vivo incorporated the in-display fingerprint sensors last year, and tech-giant Samsung began following this trend later. Oppo announced this week it will launch a few phones that will have fingerprint sensors 15 times bigger than that of their predecessors.
The fingerprint sensor in the display is a good innovation and it gives any mobile a much cleaner and smoother look, since it takes out the regular fingerprint scanner dig from the back of the smartphone. We reckon with the display technology becoming more advance the fingerprint scanner will also find better use. Like double tapping or press and hold for activating some features of the smartphone. At the moment what users are looking at is that the in-display fingerprint reader should open their smartphone very-very quickly. Which is not the case in many smartphones.
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Android Q’s first beta build leaked, shows system-wide Dark Theme
The latest Android version – Pie – is far from being rolled out to masses, but this fact is surely not deterring Google’s team of developers to work on the next version. Some reports about Android Q – Pie’s successor – being in development have already started surfacing online. And now, XDA Developers has shared images of an early build of Google’s upcoming Android version that is being tested on Google Pixel 3 XL and spoken about the operating system’s features.
The ROM’s build date was just last week and it is shown to come with February 2019’s security patch and Google’s AOSP internal master. We should mention that since this is an early build of the Android version, a number of features may not be present in it and will be added on later. Nevertheless, it gives us an insight into some interesting features that we will get to see in Android Q.
Among the most notable changes in Android Q, according to this beta build, will be a system-wide Dark Theme. The report suggests that the Dark Theme can be scheduled to go live for a certain time period on the device or just be there permanently. Furthermore, it can also be used on third-party apps which don’t have a dedicated dark mode.
XDA claims that it used it with a number of apps including Facebook, and it worked smoothly. It is worth noticing that Dark Theme is one of the most-awaited features as Google itself has admitted that it can help in prolonging the battery life of the smartphone.
Other than this, the permissions menu has also undergone an overhaul and it will reportedly give users more control over apps’ access in real-time. So, there will be an option of viewing each app’s permissions individually and the new Android version will enable you to stop the microphone or GPS when you wish to. The new Android version will also make it easier to uninstall apps or to force close them. You would also be able to see in the notifications which apps have access to your location.
Another very notable change that can be seen is the ‘desktop mode’. According to the report, the new ‘Force Desktop Mode’ can be found in the Developer Options menu and its description says “force experimental desktop mode on secondary displays.” From what it seems like, Google may be working on a feature that is similar to Samsung Dex. However, we will have to wait for a more updated build in order to see how it functions.
A feature that is making a comeback is ‘Freeform windows’ and it can be enabled by long tapping the app icon in the recent apps menu. In addition to this, there will also be options like launching the emergency dialler via the power menu and the option of taking screenshots from the same menu. Other features of the Android Q beta build include an off switch for all sensors, additional options for locking the screen in case a trusted device is nearby, is added or removed and revamped pop-up notifications.
We should mention again that this is just an early look at what Google has in store with its next Android version and it is likely to undergo changes before it is fully launched.
Image courtesy: XDA Developers
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Other than this, the permissions menu has also undergone an overhaul and it will reportedly give users more control over apps’ access in real-time. So, there will be an option of viewing each app’s permissions individually and the new Android version will enable you to stop the microphone or GPS when you wish to. The new Android version will also make it easier to uninstall apps or to force close them. You would also be able to see in the notifications which apps have access to your location.
Another very notable change that can be seen is the ‘desktop mode’. According to the report, the new ‘Force Desktop Mode’ can be found in the Developer Options menu and its description says “force experimental desktop mode on secondary displays.” From what it seems like, Google may be working on a feature that is similar to Samsung Dex. However, we will have to wait for a more updated build in order to see how it functions.
A feature that is making a comeback is ‘Freeform windows’ and it can be enabled by long tapping the app icon in the recent apps menu. In addition to this, there will also be options like launching the emergency dialler via the power menu and the option of taking screenshots from the same menu. Other features of the Android Q beta build include an off switch for all sensors, additional options for locking the screen in case a trusted device is nearby, is added or removed and revamped pop-up notifications.
We should mention again that this is just an early look at what Google has in store with its next Android version and it is likely to undergo changes before it is fully launched.
Image courtesy: XDA Developers
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Motorola has been in the works with Moto G7 since quite some time now. We have seen quite a few leaks and rumours about the smartphone. But all that is about to come to rest. The Moto G7 is ready to be unveiled in Feb 2019, during Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Spain. Before that the company must have tested the phone out on the popular mobile benchmark, Geekbench 4, on which the mobile has appeared.
It is confirmed now that the Moto G7 will indeed come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset and will also carry 3GB RAM in it. The 8 core CPU will have clock speed of 1.8 GHz. The smartphone is also slated to get 64GB internal storage with the option to expand it further using a microSD card. The Geekbench score shows that the smartphone has scored 1,260 points in single-core test and 4,759 points in multi-core CPU test.
Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box is what is expected on this smartphone, in terms of operating system. A 4GB version has also been in the talsk and was spotted in a few reports. Three other phones are also expected to launch with the Moto G7. Namely, Moto G Power, Moto G7 play and Moto G7 Plus, which should have a bigger battery when compared to the regular Moto G7.
There have been tips that the Moto G7 will come with a 6.4-inch display with a waterdrop notch. It should pack 12MP plus 5MP rear cameras and is likely to come with 16-megapixel selfie camera. As far as its battery is concerned, this mobile phone should have 3,500mAh battery with the bigger sibling Moto G7 Plus getting over 4,000 mAh. Corning Gorilla glass is what is expected to protect the screen.
There have been lot of rumours about the Moto G7 phone lately, but this seems to be the most solid one. The latest to churn in the rumour mill is the comeback of the Moto RAZR phone in a much cleaner smarter avatar. It will be a folding pone, but will the company be able to keep its bezels as thin as the original one is something to be seen.
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Google agrees to buy Fossil smartwatch tech for $40 million, Fossil shares scale up
After Fossil decided to share its smartwatch tech with Google, its shares have increased drastically by up to 8 percent. Fossil uses Google’s WearOS software in order to build its smartwatches. Though struggling against Apple watch, the Fossil smartwatch has also gained a lot of popularity and demand over time. And the company claims that smartwatches are its fastest growing category. Under the sale deal, Fossil is going to transfer some of the portions of its R&D team to the Alphabet owned company, that is directly responsible for selling the intellectual property. The deal has been set at USD 40 million.
Stacey Burr, vice president of product management, WearOS by Google said, “The addition of Fossil Group’s technology and team to Google demonstrates our commitment to the wearables industry by enabling a diverse portfolio of smartwatches and supporting the ever-evolving needs of the vitality-seeking, on-the-go consumer. The addition of Fossil Group’s technology and team to Google demonstrates our commitment to the wearables industry by enabling a diverse portfolio of smartwatches and supporting the ever-evolving needs of the vitality-seeking, on-the-go consumer”.
Fossil has specialised in the field of hybrid smartwatches. The touchscreen in their devices looks similar to that of other WearOS devices and the Apple Watch. Hybrid watches are something which Fossil has had a strong foothold on taking into account its design and the company’s manufacturing experience in traditional accessories market. However, on the same note, Fossil is lagging behind because of its slow adoption of technologies like GPS and heart-rate tracking.
Greg McKelvey, Fossil’s executive vice president strategy and digital said, “new product innovation that’s not yet hit the market.” Talking about Google, this could be its huge chance to give WearOS a push and become formidable in comparison to the Apple Watch. Only time will tell whether Google refines the software of the smartwatch or releases an official Pixel Watch of its own design using Fossil’s tech. However, one thing is certain, the fact that the Fossil smartwatch is being given so much attention means that it has a lot of potential left in it.
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LG G8 renders and 360-degree video leaked
LG’s next flagship, G8, has started making headlines. It is being said that LG G8 smartphone is said to be the successor of the company’s G7+ ThinQ and would be first unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2019 that is scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain in February. And now, the first renders of the upcoming smartphone have surfaced online. We should mention that these renders showing LG G8 have been leaked by 91mobiles in collaboration with Onleaks.
LG G8 doesn’t look very different from its predecessor in the renders leaked by the website. However, some subtle changes can be seen in the smartphone. These include the horizontally stacked rear camera module and the missing Laser autofocus. The back panel of the smartphone can also be seen to have the fingerprint scanner embedded on it.
It is worth noticing that although the company has already launched the V40 ThinQ smartphone with a triple rear camera setup, for its flagship device, it is sticking with dual rear cameras. The front panel of the LG G8 smartphone is shown to comes with dual cameras, so that’s something a lot of selfie lovers may like. The renders show the smartphone to sport a 6.1-inch display that has an iPhone-like notch on the top and has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The device has been codenamed Alpha and it reportedly measures around 152x72x8.4mm.
LG G8 can be seen with a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom and the device has its power button and SIM tray sandwiched on the right. On the left edge, it is shown to have the volume rocker and Google Assistant buttons. It is worth noticing that the left edge of LG G8 has an additional hole above the volume rocker buttons, which may be an additional microphone of the device.
Coming to the specifications of LG G8, not much is known about the smartphone as of now. Reports have suggested that the device will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 855 SoC. However, if the smartphone launches next month as it has been tipped to be, we would not be surprised to see the Snapdragon 845 processor on it.
Another report has hinted that the device will come with ‘sound on display’ speakers, which will use vibration and bone conduction to create sound directly from the screen of the device and leaving the speaker with nothing to do. The main reason to deploy this technology is to maximise the screen space on the smartphone. It has also been reported that the device will come with a non-foldable second screen. Apart from this, not much is known about the device yet. We will update you as more information comes in.
Image and video courtesy: 91mobiles, @Onleaks
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Coming to the specifications of LG G8, not much is known about the smartphone as of now. Reports have suggested that the device will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 855 SoC. However, if the smartphone launches next month as it has been tipped to be, we would not be surprised to see the Snapdragon 845 processor on it.
Another report has hinted that the device will come with ‘sound on display’ speakers, which will use vibration and bone conduction to create sound directly from the screen of the device and leaving the speaker with nothing to do. The main reason to deploy this technology is to maximise the screen space on the smartphone. It has also been reported that the device will come with a non-foldable second screen. Apart from this, not much is known about the device yet. We will update you as more information comes in.
Image and video courtesy: 91mobiles, @Onleaks
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Is Spotify planning to launch in India this month?
Till a few years back, people in India either had to buy online albums or CDs to listen to their favourite music or resort to downloading music not-so-legally. However, this changed when apps like Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, Wynk, Google Play Music, JioSaavn and others garnered popularity. With mobile data becoming affordable after Reliance Jio forayed into the telecom segment, these apps became the mainstream way of listening to music for a majority of Indians.
But soon, all popular music apps in India will face some serious competition as Spotify, which leads this segment in a number of western countries, could finally be launched in the country. According to a new report in Variety, the popular music streaming app could be launched in India on January 31. We should also mention that in a November, a report surfaced online which claimed that Spotify has signed a licensing deal with T-Series, which is one among the biggest record labels in the country.
Earlier this week, it was also reported that the deal between the two companies has been finalised and the Sweden-based app is finally set to launch in India with a music catalogue that Indian users find meaningful. It is worth noticing that as of now, Spotify does not have any deals with other record labels and it could make an entire catalogue of music available to users in India and at the same time, make Indian content available to users in other parts of the world.
As of now, the app is present in 78 countries and reportedly has 200 million users among which, about 87 million are paid subscribers. In India, the music streaming space is dominated by players like Apple Music, Amazon Prime Music, Wynk Music, Google Play Music and JioSaavn. So if Spotify is launching in the country on January 31, it will face an inevitable competition from these players. However, with its more extensive music catalogue, the app is very likely to have an edge over others. But then, Spotify must also have a plan for its non-paying users in India, considering there will be people who may not want to pay for the service when there a number of other options available that enable them to listen to music for free.
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Amazon Echo Input goes on sale in India
Recently, Amazon brought a plethora of products to its Echo line of devices. Echo input was one among them and it was announced that it will be going on sale in early 2019. Well, it is finally available for purchase at a cost of Rs 2,999. The device provides Alexa support to your existing speakers with the help of a wire or via Bluetooth connection. Apart from Amazon, the Echo Input is also available in offline retailers like Croma and Vijay Sales. Once connected via wire or Bluetooth, the device helps you to stream music from Amazon Prime Music, Hungama, Gaana and other services of the same genre.
It has also been announced that Amazon has collaborated with some speaker manufacturers to provide other gadgets with its Echo Input. The JBL Go 2 speaker package can be bought at a discount of Rs 1,499. One the other hand, if you buy the Echo Input bundle, you will get it for free. The product is packaged with the brand new Ultimate Ears Boom 3 or the Bose SoundLink Revolve.
Coming to the specifications, the Echo Input is 12.5mm thick and looks similar to a hockey puck. There are two buttons on top that can be used to switch the microphone on or off and to trigger Alexa. There is a four-way microphone that is claimed to recognise your voice across a room, even with the music on. There is a single LED light present on top and connectivity options include 3.5mm headphone socket, Micro-USB port, dual band 802.11 Wi-Fiac.
In order to set up the Echo Input you need to download the Alexa app which is available for both Android and iOS. The Echo Input has a 5W power adapter, Micro-USB cable, auxiliary cable and a quick start guide. As mentioned, the Amazon Echo Input can be bought in a bundle at free of cost along with Ultimate Ear Boom 3. Also in a bundle, we are getting the JBL Go 2 speaker, which is water resistant. The speaker is made of plastic but has a rubber coating that helps prevent damage, even if kept under water up to 1m until 30 minutes.
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Motorola Razr may make a comeback next month at an exorbitantly high price
Remember the iconic Motorola Razr that was a rage back in 2000s? If you once used the device and still miss it, you would be happy to know that it is very likely to make a comeback next month. Before Apple launched its iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy range was born, Motorola’s flip phone was the device that was ruling the markets across the globe.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Motorola Razr will be launched as a foldable smartphone that will bear a premium price tag. Lenovo is said to be planning to launch the device with a foldable display. Lenovo, which is Motorola’s parent company, is also reportedly working with Verizon so that the upcoming smartphone can be launched in February.
It is being said that the new Motorola Razr smartphone may bear a price tag of $1,500 which on converting to Indian money becomes approximately Rs 1,04,300. Although we personally really loved the smartphone back in 2000s, we feel that if the smartphone actually costs this much, people may find it to be a bit overpriced considering that the device’s unique selling point is nostalgia.
However, the report has not been confirmed by Motorola yet. To recall, Motorola Razr was launched in 2004 and was called the Razr V3 back then. It became a rage among the youth primarily because of its utlra-thin body and stylish design. In four years, the company managed to sell over 130 million units of the Motorola Razr phone.
We should also mention that this isn’t the first time that the company has partnered with Verizon to relaunch the Razr phone. In 2011 and 2012, both the companies worked together to launch the Droid Razr smartphone, which was the thinnest phone in the world when at the time of its launch.
Bringing back Motorola Razr definitely seems like a great idea, however, if the pricing we mentioned earlier is true, we have our doubts if there will be many who would want to buy it.
A number of technology companies are focussing on foldable phones this year, and bringing back Motorola Razr may be Lenovo’s way of joining the bandwagon.
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Over 700 million emails IDs, 21 million passwords leaked in Collection #1 data breach: Researcher
In one among the biggest data breaches that the world has seen in recent years, 773 million unique email IDs and 21 million unique passwords have been compromised, according to a web security researcher named Troy Hunt. However, it has also been reported that the files that have been leaked do not sensitive information like credit card details. It can also be checked whether or not your email ID or password have been compromised.
Troy has said that the data leak is a part of the ‘Collection #1’, which is a set of 2,692,818,238 rows of email IDS and passwords that have been compromised.
If you wish to check whether your email is a part of the data dump or not, log on to HaveIBeenPwned.com and enter your email ID in the dialog box on the page. And to see if your password is a part of the data dump, go to the Password section of the same website and enter the password into the dialog box on the page. If you are concerned about your privacy, then you should know that the researcher has said that the passwords entered into the dialog box are completely protected and will not be visible to the website.
The researcher wrote on troyhunt.com, “It’s made up of many different individual data breaches from literally thousands of different sources. In total, there are 1,160,253,228 unique combinations of email addresses and passwords. This is when treating the password as case sensitive but the email address as not case sensitive. This also includes some junk because hackers being hackers, they don’t always neatly format their data dumps into an easily consumable fashion.”
Hunt also added, “The unique email addresses totalled 772,904,991. This is the headline you’re seeing as this is the volume of data that has now been loaded into Have I Been Pwned (HIBP).”
It is worth noticing that a number of people reached out to the security expert last week and informed about a collection of 12,000 files that is 87GB in size. Nearly 2.7 billion records have also been found on MEGA, which is a cloud storage service by Mega Limited.
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SHARP launched FP-JC2M-B car air purifier in India
Japanese consumer electronics maker SHARP has today expanded its range of products in India by unveiling the FP-JC2M-B Car air purifier. The company claims that the car air purifier cleans the air inside the car with the help of dual technology of HEPA. The air purifier uses carbon filters that remove PM2.5 and other toxic gases.
SHARP’s FP-JC2M-B Car air purifier comes with Plasmacluster technology that releases fresh air by reducing toxic fumes, gases, molds and also reduces static electricity. This technology has won an award and is meant to provide clean and odourless air inside the car.
The FP-JC2M-B covers 3.6 cubic meters and is compatible for every car and SUV. The device can be placed on the back rest or arm rest with a belt for maximum output. It is powered by a 12V Car Adapter and has four operation modes – Auto, Low, Medium and High. These modes are automatically activated depending on the driving situation. The air purifier has a PM10 Pre Filter for lifetime use. On the other hand, a carbon embedded dust filter and a chemical filter are also present which have a life span of one year.
The FP-JC2M-B car air purifier weighs 1.1kg and is supposed to be compact enough to be used in cars. The air purifier costs Rs 16,500 and is available via all offline and online sales and distribution networks in India.
Commenting on its own service, the company says, “Our approach is to offer a holistic solution towards improving indoor air quality with world’s most certified & trusted Plasmacluster Ion technology. In current product line-up, we not only focus on air purifier or air sterilizer but also offer combination solution products that can manage humidity (air purifier + humidifier & air purifier + dehumidifier), air purifier for Cars/SUVs and unique products that can decreases mosquito density along with air purification. Soon SHARP will launch some unique products in air purifier line up exclusively for commercial applications and large spaces.”
To recall, SHARP started its air purifier business in 2014 and has come up with a number of good products in the segment since then.
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Android Pie beta programme starts off for Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+
Recently, OneUI-based Android Pie beta version started rolling out for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 smartphone. And now, the company has also rolled out Android Pie beta update for its Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. The ones who are enrolled in the beta programme will be able to be a part of the beta testing. However, this beta programme is only available in India currently. No one other than Indian citizens will be able to be a part of this programme. But then, we expect that the beta programme for these two smartphones is going to begin in other countries as well.
Considering that the beta testing for the Galaxy Note 8 initially started in South Korea and India, and is now also available in the UK, it can be said that other countries will also start receiving the beta update for Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The owners of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will get the beta firmware with build numbers G950FXXU4ZSA5 and G955FXXU4ZSA5 respectively.
Samsung Galaxy S8 is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and sports a Super AMOLED capacitive 5.8-inch touchscreen. The screen resolution for the same is 1440×2960 pixels and the aspect ratio is 18.5:9. There is only a single RAM variant of 4GB that is coupled with 64GB of internal storage. The storage is expandable up to 512GB via a microSD card. The primary rear camera consists of a 12MP sensor and the front camera meant for selfies sports an 8MP sensor. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS and USB 3.1. Samsung Galaxy S8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC.
Speaking about the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S8+, it is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor. One of the storage variants is 64GB and it comes with 4GB RAM. The other storage variant is 128GB and is coupled with 6GB of RAM. A microSD card slot expands the storage up to 512GB. The main camera comprises of a 12MP sensor and the selfie camera comprises of an 8MP sensor.
It is definitely a big surprise for Samsung Galaxy Note 8 as well as Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ users to receive this update, considering they were launched in 2017.
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Paytm partners with Zomato to offer food delivery via its app
Mobile payments platform Paytm has today announced its partnership with online restaurant finding and food delivery platform Zomato. As per the partnership, Paytm users will be able to order food via the payments app. We should mention that as of now, the feature is only live in Delhi NCR. However, the company has said that it is will be rolling out to other parts of the country soon.
It is also worth noticing that currently, only those who have Paytm’s Android app installed will be able to order food via the app. But the feature is soon expected to go live via Paytm’s iOS app too.
Paytm garnered a lot of popularity after demonetisation was announced in November 2016. As a result of this, the app has a large user base in tier two and three cities. With this partnership, the two companies plan to take online food ordering even to those users who do not have Zomato’s application installed on their smartphone. The move will not only increase Zomato’s popularity in these areas but also widen the user base for online food ordering.
This feature will also increase the adoption of Paytm for both online as well as offline payments. The Alibaba and Softbank backed app also said that its Paytm QR has been gaining traction for offline payments across restaurants.
Speaking about the partnership, Renu Satti, Senior Vice President of Paytm said, “Our association with Zomato is a valuable addition to our platform in bringing the convenience of ordering food online through our app. It is also an important step towards enhancing the overall offerings to our customers. We will continue to invest our efforts in this direction.”
Mohit Gupta, CEO of Food Delivery, Zomato also spoke about the association saying, “Paytm is the most popular digital payments platform, with extensive reach across the length and breadth of the country. We are excited to be partnering with them to integrate our online food delivery service with their mobile app. This will allow us to reach a much larger user base and add to the overall experience of ordering from Zomato.”
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10 most-awaited smartphones of 2019
Last year saw the launch of a number of good smartphones including the iPhone XR, OnePlus 6T, Vivo NEX, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and others. But which are the most anticipated smartphones of this year? Here, we have made a list of smartphones that are the most talked about and awaited and are set to be launched this year. Take a look:
The first smartphone on our list has to be the foldable phone from Samsung. We got a glimpse of it at the company’s developer conference in November last year and the phone also made an appearance at the CES 2019. And now, Samsung has hinted that it will be launching its Galaxy F smartphone at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 20. Coming to the specifications, Samsung Galaxy F comes with a 7.3-inch AMOLED screen that can be folded in the middle. The device has a secondary 4.6-inch AMOLED display that appears when it is folded and it comes with Samsung’s new interface called OneUI that is based on Android 9.0 Pie.
We are really looking forward to Samsung’s Galaxy S10 lineup. Numerous reports have been surfacing online about the device for months now. Till now, it has been reported that Samsung will be launching three smartphones in its Galaxy S10 lineup. While two of these will be Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy S10+, the third will be a Lite variant of the device. It has also been reported that the smartphones will come with an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that will cover around 30% of their screens, one of the variants will have 12GB of RAM and 1TB storage and all three will sport Infinity-O displays. The devices are set to be launched on February 20 at the Galaxy Unpacked event.
We will have to wait till September to see these, but renders of the upcoming iPhones have started surfacing online already. While the first set of renders were leaked by Onleaks in collaboration with Digit.in, the second ones came from a technology blog CompareRaja. Although the renders were very different, the one thing they had in common was the triple rear camera set up on the back panel. As of now, there is no word on the specifications of the upcoming iPhones.
We had to have this smartphone on our list. Although as of now there’s no word on when OnePlus is releasing its next flagship smartphone, reports about it have started surfacing online. A picture of the upcoming OnePlus 7 surfaced online recently and it shows that the smartphone comes with a camera slider, much like Oppo Find X. Prior to this, renders of the smartphone had also surfaced on GizmoChina which claim that the device will sport a 24MP selfie camera, a 4,150mAh battery, and a triple rear camera setup.
With a number of smartphone companies joining the 5G bandwagon this year, we can’t expect OnePlus to be left behind. The company has said that in addition to its two regular flagships that it launches every year, it will also be launching a 5G smartphone as a part of a different range. Not much is known about the 5G smartphone by OnePlus, but the company has said that it will be using the Snapdragon 855 SoC in it.
Samsung has also announced that it will be launching a 5G-enabled smartphone in 2019 which will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor. Although it has not been confirmed, reports suggest that Samsung will be launching a 5G variant of its Galaxy S10 smartphone.
Honor View 20’s global launch is set for January 22. The device has already been launched in China and will be getting unveiled for the rest of the world in Paris later this month. Honor View 20 features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ TFT LCD display and is powered by 7nm octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor clubbed with 6GB/8GB RAM. The smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with MagicUI 2.0.1, Honor View 20 houses a 4,000mAh battery and sports a dual rear camera setup. We would have to wait a few more days to know about its pricing and availability details.
The two mid-range smartphones by Google will reportedly launch by Spring 2019. While Pixel 3 Lite is said to be powered by Snapdragon 670 SoC, the Pixel 3 XL Lite will reportedly run Snapdragon 710 SoC and come with 6GB of RAM. The former is reported to sport a 5.5-inch display, while the latter will feature a 6-inch screen. We would have to wait to know more about the smartphones.
From what we know so far, Nokia 9 PureView smartphone will come with 5G support, sport five cameras on its back panel, and feature a 2K display true edge-to-edge display with camera hole. However, we should mention that these are just speculations so far, and we will have to wait a little more to find out how credible they are. However, since we absolutely loved Nokia 8 Sirocco, we are surely looking forward to its predecessor.
In 2018, Chinese smartphone brand Vivo launched its NEX smartphone that was really futuristic to look at thanks to its pop-up selfie camera and notchless display. With the smartphone’s successor, the company went a step ahead and added an extra screen on the device’s back panel. This is because Vivo Nex Dual Display comes with a triple rear camera setup and no selfie camera. So the secondary screen can prove to useful when one is using the smartphone to click selfies. We are really looking forward to this smartphone getting launched in India.
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[td_smart_list_end]
In This Article
Samsung Galaxy F
The first smartphone on our list has to be the foldable phone from Samsung. We got a glimpse of it at the company’s developer conference in November last year and the phone also made an appearance at the CES 2019. And now, Samsung has hinted that it will be launching its Galaxy F smartphone at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 20. Coming to the specifications, Samsung Galaxy F comes with a 7.3-inch AMOLED screen that can be folded in the middle. The device has a secondary 4.6-inch AMOLED display that appears when it is folded and it comes with Samsung’s new interface called OneUI that is based on Android 9.0 Pie.
Samsung Galaxy S10
We are really looking forward to Samsung’s Galaxy S10 lineup. Numerous reports have been surfacing online about the device for months now. Till now, it has been reported that Samsung will be launching three smartphones in its Galaxy S10 lineup. While two of these will be Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy S10+, the third will be a Lite variant of the device. It has also been reported that the smartphones will come with an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that will cover around 30% of their screens, one of the variants will have 12GB of RAM and 1TB storage and all three will sport Infinity-O displays. The devices are set to be launched on February 20 at the Galaxy Unpacked event.
New iPhones
We will have to wait till September to see these, but renders of the upcoming iPhones have started surfacing online already. While the first set of renders were leaked by Onleaks in collaboration with Digit.in, the second ones came from a technology blog CompareRaja. Although the renders were very different, the one thing they had in common was the triple rear camera set up on the back panel. As of now, there is no word on the specifications of the upcoming iPhones.
OnePlus 7
We had to have this smartphone on our list. Although as of now there’s no word on when OnePlus is releasing its next flagship smartphone, reports about it have started surfacing online. A picture of the upcoming OnePlus 7 surfaced online recently and it shows that the smartphone comes with a camera slider, much like Oppo Find X. Prior to this, renders of the smartphone had also surfaced on GizmoChina which claim that the device will sport a 24MP selfie camera, a 4,150mAh battery, and a triple rear camera setup.
OnePlus 5G phone
With a number of smartphone companies joining the 5G bandwagon this year, we can’t expect OnePlus to be left behind. The company has said that in addition to its two regular flagships that it launches every year, it will also be launching a 5G smartphone as a part of a different range. Not much is known about the 5G smartphone by OnePlus, but the company has said that it will be using the Snapdragon 855 SoC in it.
Samsung 5G Phone
Samsung has also announced that it will be launching a 5G-enabled smartphone in 2019 which will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor. Although it has not been confirmed, reports suggest that Samsung will be launching a 5G variant of its Galaxy S10 smartphone.
Honor View 20
Honor View 20’s global launch is set for January 22. The device has already been launched in China and will be getting unveiled for the rest of the world in Paris later this month. Honor View 20 features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ TFT LCD display and is powered by 7nm octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor clubbed with 6GB/8GB RAM. The smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with MagicUI 2.0.1, Honor View 20 houses a 4,000mAh battery and sports a dual rear camera setup. We would have to wait a few more days to know about its pricing and availability details.
Google Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite
The two mid-range smartphones by Google will reportedly launch by Spring 2019. While Pixel 3 Lite is said to be powered by Snapdragon 670 SoC, the Pixel 3 XL Lite will reportedly run Snapdragon 710 SoC and come with 6GB of RAM. The former is reported to sport a 5.5-inch display, while the latter will feature a 6-inch screen. We would have to wait to know more about the smartphones.
Nokia 9 PureView
From what we know so far, Nokia 9 PureView smartphone will come with 5G support, sport five cameras on its back panel, and feature a 2K display true edge-to-edge display with camera hole. However, we should mention that these are just speculations so far, and we will have to wait a little more to find out how credible they are. However, since we absolutely loved Nokia 8 Sirocco, we are surely looking forward to its predecessor.
Vivo Nex Dual Display Edition
In 2018, Chinese smartphone brand Vivo launched its NEX smartphone that was really futuristic to look at thanks to its pop-up selfie camera and notchless display. With the smartphone’s successor, the company went a step ahead and added an extra screen on the device’s back panel. This is because Vivo Nex Dual Display comes with a triple rear camera setup and no selfie camera. So the secondary screen can prove to useful when one is using the smartphone to click selfies. We are really looking forward to this smartphone getting launched in India.
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[td_smart_list_end] LG G8 with non-foldable second screen to be launched next month
When we speak of LG we can expect the company to try out something new with the design of its flagship devices. The last smartphone launched by the company – LG G7 – had an extra-loud Boom Box speaker, which was capable of playing music at a really high volume.
And now, according to CNET report, LG is launching a smartphone that will have second screen. Unlike LG’s signature OLED TV R, this smartphone will not be rollable or foldable in spite of having a second screen.
The second screen of the LG G8 will come as an optional attachment. Right now, it cannot be ascertained if the second screen would be included in the smartphone box or sold as a separate accessory. But it has been reported that LG is supposed to launch the G8 smartphone next month during the Mobile World Congress 2019 (MWC).
LG also announced recently that it is going to launch a foldable smartphone during the Mobile World Congress. It has filed a foldable smartphone patent with the World Intellectual Property Office(WIPO) and United States Patent and Trademark Office(USPTO).
The patent revealed that the device from the outward folding looks like two symmetrically stacked smartphones that have been consolidated by a flexible touchscreen display. The smartphone can be elongated with the help of a spring-operated mechanism that is located on its left part. If you unfold the device, it becomes a tablet. In the tablet mode, the UI of the device can adjust automatically as per your requirement. In the middle, the display acts as the main navigation bar that has many applications in the form of icons.
What’s even more interesting is that the device can showcase two different applications in both screens at the same time. If you want, you can also view a single application.
Recently, LG also published its Android 9.0 Pie roadmap that outlined which of its devices will be getting the latest Android update and when. According to the roadmap shared by the company, LG G7 ThinQ will be getting the Android Pie update in Q1 2019. However, others may have to wait a little longer because as of now there’s no word on when devices like LG V40 ThinQ or LG G6 will be getting an update. Till there’s a further word from the company, we can only expect to get some security patches for these devices.
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Is Facebook’s 10-year challenge a way of collecting data to enhance facial recognition?
Social media platforms literally dominate our lives. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that earlier these platforms were used to share our life events and now, people actually do things so that they can click pictures of those moments and share it on social media. This is particularly true in case of various social media trends that keep coming up.
Last year when Instagram launched its questions, the Stories on the platform were completely filled with the ‘Ask me anything’ card. While this was indeed harmless, internet challenges also included the famous ALS ice-bucket challenge and the KiKi challenge that gained a lot of popularity last year. The latter, particularly, was quite dangerous too.
And the latest challenge to hit Facebook and Instagram is the #10yearchallenge. For those unaware, the challenge requires people to post their current pictures along with their photos from ten years back. This challenge appears to be harmless. But on second thought, you may realise that this internet trend is deceptive and it may not be as it seems.
You may be thinking that how can your picture from ten years back prove to be dangerous to you in any way? But remember that you will be either share this picture on Facebook or on Instagram, which is also owned by the social networking giant. We are assuming this because Twitter is not really a place where people share photos, rather the microblogging website and app are meant for ideas.
And Facebook does not have a very clean history with people’s data. Since last year, the social networking major has found itself in one controversy or the other involving data leaks.
When you share a picture from 10 years back on the platform along with a newer photograph, you are basically providing Facebook with what can be termed as a goldmine of data. Technology companies are now working on facial recognition software and are training AI systems. So this data involving both your pictures can prove to be of great importance to these companies.
Using this data, these systems may also be able to determine how a person ages and then go on to predict what we will look like in the years to come. The data may also be used for targeted advertising for various products.
Although this may not seem like a dangerous thing at all, the trouble is that all this may happen without the users being informed. So somewhere, it is a breach of privacy. Some may say that we can’t use the term privacy and internet together in the same sentence, however, most social media companies claim that they have been working to enhance privacy and transparency on their platforms, so ideally users should be informed before their data is used for anything else by the platform or by any third-party apps.
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Google certified iFFALCON 55K2A 55-inch smart TV can be picked up for Rs 37,999
iFFALCON, an exclusive India-centric smart TV brand has launched its second edition of ‘iFFALCON TV Days’ in collaboration with Flipkart. This sale is currently live on Flipkart and is scheduled to run until January 17, midnight. The TVs iFFALCON is offering range from sizes, 32 to 75-icnhes. The 32F2A, 40F2A and 49F2A TVs are priced at Rs 12,499, Rs 18,999 and Rs 27,999 respectively. iFFALCON K2A also features series 55K2A and 65K2A that costs Rs 37,999 and Rs 64,999 respectively.
The company claims that these two TVs combine “superlative performance” and provide “immersive entertainment, and seamless interconnectivity”. iFFALCON is also providing the 75H2A TV that is priced at Rs 1,49,999. According to the company, it has got a beguiling aesthetic design and a plethora of features. These features include voice search, micro dimming, Harman Kardon speakers, micro dimming, and Chromecast support.
There is a special exchange offer iFFALCON is providing wherein one can exchange their old CRT TVs with new ones at a maximum exchange value of Rs 1,200 unlike the normal value of Rs 750. The 25 to 32 TVs can be exchanged at a value of Rs 5,000 and 33 to 43-inch TVs at a price of Rs 9,000. Ranging up the exchange, the 44 to 55-inch TVs can be exchanged at a value of Rs 17,000. TVs of 56-inch sizes are available at an exchange value of Rs 30,000. Unlike in normal days, these temporary exchange offers would help customers to save around Rs 8,000.
To talk about iFFALCON TVs in more detail, the company claims they are equipped with top-of-the-line features. There is an in-built Chromecast, which helps users to avail the streaming of Google services and can also push their favourite entertainment content from their smartphones to TVs. There are advanced audio and HD video technologies which are supposed to provide high-quality visuals, precise image reproduction. Also, it is supposed to provide rich, clear and powerful surround sound. iFFALCON TVs come with certified Netflix installed in them, too.
They are moisture proof and have been designed in order to operate at a low voltage range to prevent damage caused by sudden power fluctuations.
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A man who sold his kidney to buy iPhone 4 and iPad 2 is now fighting for his life
A Chinese man who sold his kidney to buy an iPhone 4 and iPad 2 is now facing organ failure. This operation took place in 2011 when 17-year old Wang Shangkun decided to sell one of his kidneys in order to buy the gadgets. He earned $4,500 (Australian dollars) out of that operation which helped him to buy them. However, this eventually led him to face a renal failure in his second kidney. This reportedly took place due to unsanitary conditions in the hospital where the surgery took place.
In 2012, a total of nine individuals involved in the organ harvesting case were jailed. This reportedly includes five surgeons who executed the operation. In particular, this surgery took place in the black market and as mentioned, Wang Shangkun was 17 years old at that time. This was an illegal surgery and according to the report published by news.com.au, he sold his right kidney. His left kidney started dis-functioning shortly after. The people who conducted the surgery were accused on the pretext of subjecting him to unsanitary conditions.
Newsweek reports later said that among the nine convicted, five of them were surgeons who were involved in the procedure. This is not a kind of case which we come across every day. The craze towards gizmos and tech products is normal but beyond a certain extent anything is unhealthy and could lead to severe consequences. Retrospecting the Pokemon Go craze three years back, in the US scores of people one day got off their car in the middle of the road in order to catch a rare Pokemon in a nearby place. Any addiction beyond a certain degree is toxic. And this can be seen at a mass level also.
Just like drug abuse, technology can be used for the bane of humanity. On one hand it can be used to make your life easier and healthier. New innovations can lead to development, healthier and convenient existence. With advanced scientific research, even the most dreadful diseases can be countered. On the other hand, if fallen into destructive hands it can lead to severe consequences such as this one.
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