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Apple Secretly Bought Danish Visual Effects Startup

For super secretive Apple, buying a startup is not something new. According to recent reports by a news website, Apple bought image processing software company Spektral for $30 Million. Apparently, they did not disclose the purchase which was made last year. The company is developing a software that can digitally separate a subject from it’s background.

Also Read: ‘Apple Glass’ Could Be A Reality Soon As Apple Buys AR Centric Longmont

Apple had introduced ‘Portrait Lighting’ last year which separates a subject and makes the background dark. There seems to be a correlation between the two but we are not entirely sure what they have planned for the future. The unique technology of Spektral is based on state-of-the-art machine learning and computer vision techniques. It can process images as well as video. The software can cut out people from a video in real time on a smartphone. It also promises to provide high quality detail.

Spektral had created a technique called cutouts which they used in their software. The company was known by the name of CloudCutout at the time. This software negates the need for green screens and creates a mixed reality for the users. The news website also reports that the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Toke Jansen now lists Apple as his employer. The company website suggests that the software provides a flexible trade-off between quality and computation time.

Apple’s interest in augmented reality in the recent years has become extremely interesting. It has been pushing developers to create augmented reality apps for it’s iPhones and iPads with ARKit. Some Apple analysts have also hinted that some kind of augmented reality glasses might also be on its way. It can arrive as soon as 2020. Apple’s smart-glasses have the codename “T288”.

October 11, 2018
Razer Phone 2 Launched With Vapor Chamber Cooling For US$ 799

The first Razer Phone was launched in November 2017, targeted as a gaming phone. Razer has now launched the successor “Razer Phone 2” which takes many cues from the first iteration and adds some new features.

The Razer Phone 2 now has upgraded specs including the new Snapdragon 845 chipset. Much like many other gaming phones launched this year, is cooled using a vapour cooling chamber. The Razer Phone 2 continues to get dual front firing speakers which are now said to be louder. The phone also has Dolby Audio and 32 bit DAC. The Razer Phone 2 joins the Note 9 in an effort to support upto 1TB micro SD cards, however, is preloaded with 64 GB of storage and 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. The phone has dedicated slots for Nano SIM and MicroSD cards.

Razer Styling

The phone is made of an aluminium unibody shell, which is similar to last year. However, on the back now is a RGB Razer logo which looks unique. Leave it to Razer to RGB everything, this logo can also be set to change colour for notifications and also has presets. The phone is also IP67 rated for dust and water resistance.

The display on the Razer Phone 2 is an 5.7 inch IGZO IPS LCD with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The Display has a Quad HD 2560 x 1440px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection along with an Anti-Fingerprint coating.

The Razer Phone 2 has a dual camera setup at the back. The setup consists of two 12 MP Sony rear cameras one with an f1.6 aperture and the other with an f/2.6 aperture. On the front is an 8 MP camera that also captures Full HD video at upto 1080p. The new device has a rear glass panel and now has support for wireless charging. The second Razer Phone has a large a 4,000 mAh battery and supports Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 4.0+ charging.

The side mounted power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor, seen on Sony and recently Samsung phones. The Razer Phone 2 will be sold with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the Box and will get an upgrade to Android 9 soon after. The phone runs a custom Razer UI on top of Android to allow for the customisable look.

Also read: Sony WH 1000X M3 Launched in India, Unboxing Video

Razer Phone 2 Price and Availability:

The Razer Phone 2 has been launched at a price of US $ 799 (approx. INR. 59,500). Two variants of the phone include different colour finishes, a glossy Mirror Black and a matte Satin Black. Those in the US can pre order the phone starting today at Razer’s website. The Razer Phone never made it to India, but The Razer Phone 2 is expected to hit the Indian market before the end of the year 2018. At this moment however, there is no official information on its availability in India.

Razer will also offer various accessories for the new smartphone. A Razer Wireless Charging dock for US$ 99.99, Leather and Kevlar Cases for $40 and $50, respectively. The company has also released a thin case that allows the RGB logo to shine through, this and the screen protector will retail for US $ 19.99

October 11, 2018
Sony WH 1000X M3 Launched in India : Unboxing Video

Sony has launched their new WH-1000XM3 around-ear headphones in the Indian market. The headphone is the latest addition to Sony’s 1000X family of headphones. This is an upgrade from their previous WH-1000XM2 headphones. With the new headphones, Sony has added many new improvements from the outgoing generation. The new headphones have better Noise Cancelling performance, among other features.

Also read: Top Xiaomi Products With Discounts During Amazon & Flipkart Sale

Features

The Sony WH-1000XM3 is a pair of Bluetooth headphones that have built-in active noise cancellation. With this feature, the headphones can neutralize the unwanted background noise while enjoying their favorite audio. Sony has equipped the headphones with the QN1 which is a noise cancelingProcessor developed by the company. Sony claims the new processor has four times better performance than it’s predecessor.

The headphones have 40mm drivers with LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) diaphragm. The LCP diagram can reproduce the full range of frequencies up to 40kHz and can handle heavy beats.

The headphones have a Quick Attention Mode which allows the user to know what is going around them. The user can place their hand on the right earcup which will instantly decrease the volume and they can check their surroundings. The right earcup has a touchpad to control various functions with simple swipe gestures. To control volume users can simply swipe up or down on the touchpad and right or left swipe changes the audio track.

Design & Specifications

The headphones have Bluetooth 4.2 technology and have NFC for easy connection with supported devices. It only has two physical keys that can control options like power on/off and Bluetooth pairing. The headphones weigh at 255 grams and are available in two color options: Black and Platinum silver.

Battery

Sony claims the headphones have a battery backup of 30 hrs. They can be charged from zero to full in 2-3 hours and also have Quick charge capabilities. With 10 minutes of Quick charge they can give a 5-hour audio playback.

Inside The Box

Packaged along with the headphones are a bunch of accessories. They include a Type-C charging cable, an auxiliary cable for line in, an in-flight adapter and a case for securely carrying the headphones.

Price

The headphones have a price tag of Rs. 29,990/-. They will be available both online and offline starting from 18th October.

Check out our unboxing video of the Sony WH-1000XM3

October 10, 2018
Samsung To Launch Three Galaxy S10 Phones

Three new Samsung Galaxy S10 models have been certified in China, according to reports. The SM-G970F, SM-G975F and SM-G973F models have appeared for certification. The Samsung Galaxy S10 is the upcoming flagship from Samsung. It packs many new features, according to reports. The device will launch on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Galaxy smartphones.

Also Read: Huawei Mate 20 Design Shown In Official Press Images

Specifications

Previous leaks have reported that the Samsung Galaxy S10 will have three distinct variants. The first will be a 5.8 inch flat display device with a single rear camera. This is the cheapest variant, called the Galaxy S10 Lite. The devoid variant will feature a 5.8 inch curved display and will have dual rear cameras. The third will be the ‘true flagship’ device and will have three rear cameras and two front facing cameras. There are talks of a 5G variant of the same.

Other than this, the Galaxy S10 is reported pro have slimmer bezels (but no notch), an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor and various gradient colour options. The ultrasonic fingerprint reader is an existing Qualcomm technology. This is much more secure than existing ‘optical’ in-display fingerprint sensors and works in almost all conditions.

Concept Images of Galaxy S10

The Galaxy S10 will run on the Snapdragon 8150 chipset, according to reports. This is the latest chipset from Qualcomm and will be the next flagship offering. While the Snapdragon 8150 does notifier much improvement over the Snapdragon 845 in terms of speed, the biggest change is the addition of a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). An NPU will help better integrate the Machine Learning and AI into the chipset. Apple had introduced a dedicated NPU with its A11 Bionic Chip last year and continues to offer it in its new A12 Bionic. The addition of an NPU to a Qualcomm chipset will help bring Android devices up to speed with iPhones.

Additionally, the folding smartphone from Samsung might be facing some delays, but the Samsung Galaxy S10 is sure to steal the spotlight with its exciting new features, if the leaks are to be believed.

October 10, 2018
Top Xiaomi Products With Discounts During Amazon & Flipkart Sale

Xiaomi is a company that needs no introduction. They make a variety of products ranging from Smartphones to LED TVs to mobile accessories. Here is a list of some Xiomi Products that will be available at discount during the festive season sale.

Also Read: Amazon Great Indian Sale: Top Smartphone Deals Today

Mi LED Smart TV 4A 108 cm (43 inches)

Bring home the Mi LED Smart TV 4A 108 cm (43) and delight your senses with crisp images and rich audio quality. It features Full HD LED Display that gives you crystal clear visuals while the Stereo Speakers make for immersive sound quality, leaving no room for a dull moment.

MRP: Rs. 25,999/-

Discount: 19 %

Price during Sale: Rs. 20,999/-

Click Here to Buy The Mi LED Smart TV 4A 108 cm

Mi LED Smart TV 4A 80 cm (32 inches)

Get the Mi LED Smart TV 4A 80 cm (32) that screams entertainment. You can take your TV-viewing experience to the next level as it comes with an HD-Ready LED Display, Stereo Speakers.

MRP: Rs. 15,999/-

Discount: 15 %

Price during Sale: Rs. 13,499/-

Click Here to Buy The Mi LED Smart TV 4A 80 cm

Mi MJSXJ02CM 360° 1080P Home Security Camera (White)

This Xiaomi security camera is here to make sure that your home and your family stay protected when you’re not around. It comes with a dual motor head that enables it to rotate and capture a 360 degrees horizontal view and a 96 degrees vertical view so that you can view your home from all angles. And, it offers HD picture quality to ensure that even distant backgrounds are clear and detailed.

MRP: Rs. 2,899/-

Discount: 6 %

Price during Sale: Rs. 2,699/-

Click Here to Buy The Mi 360° 1080P Home Security Camera

Xiomi Mi Body Composition Scale (White)

In addition to body weight, Mi Body Composition Scale provides accurate body composition statistics that gives you a realistic picture of your health and fitness.

MRP: Rs. 1,999/-

Discount: 10 %

Price during Sale: Rs. 1,799/-

Xiomi Mi Basic 2 Bluetooth Speaker (White)

Beautiful design, beautiful sound. High-definition sound, lightweight and portable. Bluetooth 4.2, 10 hours of playback.

MRP: Rs. 2,699/-

Discount: 41 %

Price during Sale: Rs. 1,599/-

Xiaomi 20,000mAh Power Bank 2i

It is the 20,000 mAh power bank offering from Xiaomi. It has a micro-USB port for charging the power bank and two USB output ports for charging mobile devices. The power bank has 4 LED indicators to display the remaining charge.

MRP: Rs. 1,999/-

Discount: 30 %

Price during Sale: Rs. 1,399/-

Xiaomi 10,000mAh Power Bank 2i

It is the 10,000 mAh power bank offering from Xiaomi. It has a micro-USB port for charging the power bank and two USB output ports for charging mobile devices.

MRP: Rs. 1,199/-

Discount: 42 %

Price during Sale: Rs. 699/-

October 10, 2018
Digital Photo Professional Software From Canon Now Available In iOS

Given that most photographers use Macbooks, iPads and other Apple devices, Canon’s entry into the iOS eco-space is quite late. A large part of Canon’s DPP software has been finally ported to iOS App Store. This will allow a Canon camera to connect to Macbooks and iPads. Users can now edit CR3 and JPEG files. The images can be viewed and saved on the cloud as well. The Camera connect app, which is widely used by photographers as well, can be used to remotely control your camera. When one shoots images on the camera, it can directly be viewed on the iPad. This lets photographers to see the details in their images on a bigger screen. Apple is known for their great display and photographers can see their images live using Canon’s software.

With this software one can work on Cropping, Picture Style, White Balance, Brightness, Gamma level, Saturation, Tone Curve, Colour and more. It is also compatible with Android smartphone and tablet versions 4.4/5.0/5.1/6.0/7.0/7.1/8.0/8.1. The Camera Connect app also makes it easy to change camera settings, take pictures and video and even apply GPS data. It is however advisable to switch off user data if one is concerned about security.

Another great feature of this software is DPP express which allows you to process and edit the images on your tab or laptop. It offers multiple editing history which can help a person to retrace and delete certain steps along the way while editing. One can create upto four editing histories and mix and match certain editing steps. The software will be compatible on newer iPads running running iOS 11 or higher. DPP Express can be downloaded from the App Store.

October 10, 2018
Google Camera App APK Available For Download

It has just been a few hours since the Pixel 3 and 3 XL launch and we are seeing the Google Camera app APK popping up on the internet. The APK won’t have all the features that a Pixel 3 device can utilise and most devices haven’t been listed in the Google Camera Port list yet.

What’s different?

The first thing that one notices is the redesigned UI. Swiping right opens up options for slow motion, Panorama, Photo Sphere, Portrait, AR Stickers, Lens and Settings. Instead of appearing as a list, it now appears as round icons on the bottom half of the screen. The bottom half also has the Camera, Video and More options. This looks much cleaner and makes it easier to swap between modes easily and quickly. The Panorama mode has arrows instead of dots which many phones like the Oneplus 6 already use. Top Shot and Night Sight will only work on Pixel devices but most features other than that are usable on other devices as well.

Here is a before/after photo of the camera app as published by a developers website and these are the changes:

The Pixel 3 will start at $799 and £739. The 3 XL starts at $899 and £869. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have a 5.5-inch and 6.3-inch display respectively. They are available in 64GB and 128GB storage options. Many are speculating if the 4GB RAM would be enough for a flagship device. The Snapdragon 845 chip is a welcome change to see. Of all the features that got consumers excited about, the Google Camera app and dual front cameras drew significant attention. It will be great to see if the new app and it’s AI are able to improve image quality in future.

The Pixel camera hardware features a 12-megapixel sensor with autofocus, dual pixel phase detection, OIS, EIS, f/1.8 aperture. On the front, it has dual 8-megapixel cameras with one wide angle lens for selfies. Google Pixel Slate, Pixel Stand and Home hub were some of the best devices at the show. Let us know what you think about the new Pixel 3 and 3XL in the comments below!

October 10, 2018
Google Launches The Pixel Slate Starting at $599

Google has launched the Google Pixel Slate at its hardware event today. Google calls it the ‘perfect combination’ of a tablet and laptop and it features rounded edges. As the leaks suggested, the tablet is available in midnight blue colour. The Pixel slate has a pixel density of 293 ppi, and a 6M pixel display. This is Google’s second attempt at making a perfect tablet as it improves on their OS design. It supposedly provides the sharpest picture in the category with 8K content playback. The 12.3 inch LCD UHD+ Custom display looks fantastic at first glance, featuring a low temperature polycrystalline and silicone technology. It is 7 mm thin and weighs a mere 1.6 lbs. It has an aluminium body.

The Pixel Slate has dual front firing speakers and comes with custom design profile for audio. Google is also providing 3 Months of YouTube TV with Pixel Slate and Pixel Book for free but for now it is limited o the US market. It is unclear if this will be available for Indian markets or not.

The tablet also features 8 MP front and rear cameras and uses machine learning algorithms. It is not surprising that it has an integrated portrait mode even though it has a single lens, as do the Pixel devices. The front facing wide angle lens is for video chat and larger pixels allow better low light performance.

The all new Chrome OS optimised for touchscreen experience is designed in a way that it becomes easy to use handheld .It also provides full desktop experiences and runs developer tools and full power Linux apps. Machine learning customises your toolbar, suggesting apps that you use frequently and at certain times in the day. The big screen enables working in splitscreen mode easier and faster. Google Assistant integration offers a wide variety of voice activated features such as finding restaurants, dictating emails or playing shows.

Google has also introduced Google Family link that helps parents set digital ground rules for children. It also features do not disturb and nightlight features for sleep

After having a few bad days relating to security breaches, google has decided to provide Titan security chip to all its mobile devices. Google also introduced the Pixel Slate Keyboard, as anticipated. It requires no pairing or charging and you can just connect and start typing. The round buttons were also among the many things that had leaked in the last few days. The keyboard is full sized and has backlighting for night time typing.

The full feature trackpad makes it feel like a laptop instead of a two in one device. The folio is infinitely adjustable for any angle and turns into a protective case when not in use. Google has also heavily integrated G Suite, Docs, Sheets and Slides to enable working on the Pixel slate that much easier.

This can be deduced from the full desktop Chrome browser that the company has integrated into the tablet and not the mobile browser of any site. Google also boasted that the tablet could easily handle any number of tabs you need. Google also spoke at length about the Pixel Pen support and promised that the tablet would give around 10 hours of battery life.

The Pixel Slate starts at $599, and will be available inUS, Canada and UK later this year.

October 10, 2018
Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale : Top Speaker Deals

Amazon Great Indian Festival is now live. During the sale, a lot of accessories, peripherals and other electronic products will be available at great discounts. Here is a list of the speakers that will are available at discount during this sale.

Also read: Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale: Top Deals On Headphones

HP Mini 300 Bluetooth Speakers (Red)

Effortlessly bring your favorite music along for the ride with the ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker in black. Just clip it and carry on. The durable design and long-lasting battery ensure your music is always with you.

MRP Rs: 2,299/-

Discount: 61%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 899/-

SoundBot SB572 4.0 Bluetooth Speakers

Crystal clear dynamic full range music – 3-watt HD loudspeakers with 52mm premium drivers for exhilarating music listening and wireless streaming experience. Bluetooth 4.0 – audio wireless connectivity with seamless streaming from 10 hours of playback time, from up to 33 feet of distance free line of sight. Shock and water resistant – silicon material for additional protection, built-in 3.5mm audio line in and rechargeable battery allow SB572 to connect to media devices with or without Bluetooth capability. Solid performance and unique design – one of a kind silicon finish with shock and water resistant for active outdoor and indoor use. Universal compatibility for Android, iPhone, iPad, tablets, smartphones, iPods, MP3, MP4, radio players, and other Bluetooth enabled digital players or media devices with AUX port. SoundBot SB572 Bluetooth 4.0 wireless speaker for 10 hours music streaming and hands-free calling.

MRP Rs: 3,990/-

Discount: 75%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 999/-

HP 400 Bluetooth Speakers

This durable, portable, Bluetooth speaker lets you enjoy your favorite music in any environment. With easy Bluetooth connectivity and a long-lasting battery, you can enjoy high-quality audio, no matter where the music takes you.

MRP Rs: 2,799/-

Discount: 57%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 1,199 /-

Logitech Z906 Surround Sound Speaker System

If you Want to experience the surround sound of multiplexes then get the Logitech Surround Sound Speaker System Z906. Its 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS encoding technology offer detailed surround sound effect that makes every little sound loud and clear. It is driven by a THX-certified speaker system with an impactful 1000 W peak power that brings the explosive cinematic sound quality to your home. The supreme sound quality is accomplished by 5 Satellite speakers and a Centre Channel speaker along with a sub-woofer that gives you the surround sound experience while you watch movies, listen to your favorite music or watch your favorite television show or even while playing games.

MRP Rs: 35,995/-

Discount: 50%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 17,999 /-

Logitech Z506 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Multimedia Speakers

Stylish Design, Superior Technology with Amazing Surround Sound For those of you who have been yearning to enjoy superb sound quality along with 3D surround sound effect, the Logitech Z506 5.1 channel multimedia speakers are hard to resist option. Blending a stylish design with superior technology, the Logitech Z506 5.1 speakers come with a 3.5-mm audio jack, six channel direct audio cables as well as color-coded speaker cables for easy identification by the user.

Using a 5.1 channel configuration, these Logitech speakers showcase the brilliance of technology by successfully delivering distortion-free sound for extensive durations. Perfect Audio Listening Experience Comprising four satellite speakers along with one center satellite speaker, the Logitech surround sound speakers Z506 delivers excellent audio output. They are compatible with several types of devices including laptops and computers. With their multimedia input facility, the Logitech Z506 5.1 multimedia speakers allow you to enjoy playback in more than one ways making them a preferred option. Additionally, the Logitech Z506 speakers also include one ported, down-firing subwoofer that provides deep bass and amplifies even the lowest levels of sound so that you can enjoy the perfect audio listening experience. Compact, Convenient and Stylish.

MRP Rs: 9,995/-

Discount: 50%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 4,999/-

Logitech Z625 Powerful THX PC Speaker

Logitech Z625 is a powerful thx-certified 2.1 speaker system with deep bass delivering gaming-grade audio and the ultimate sound experience for your movies and music. Enjoy the full impact of the audio with 400 Watts of peak power that delivers crisp, clear theatrical sound and thundering bass. Optical, 3.5mm and RCA audio inputs connect up to 3 devices simultaneously including TVs, computers, PlayStation, Xbox, Wii, smartphones, tablets, music players, DVD players, and Blu-ray players. No need to disconnect when switching between audio sources. Easily access volume, bass and power controls on the right satellite speaker to create a customized sound experience.

MRP Rs: 16,495/-

Discount: 55%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 4,999/-

SoundBot SB574 6W Stereo Bluetooth Speakers

SoundBot SB574 Bluetooth 4.2 Wireless Speaker with 10hrs Music Streaming and Hands-Free Calling w Premium Driver with Passive Radiator Subwoofer for Crystal Clear Sound, Built-in Mic, Battery, 3.5mm Audio Port for Indoor Outdoor.

MRP Rs: 3,990/-

Discount: 60%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 1,599/-

iBall Soundstick BT14 Bluetooth Speakers with Remote

India’s No.1 in Full Wood Speakers ever wondered why musical instruments are made of wood and not plastic? Wood Sound. Good Sound.
iBall SoundStick BT14 multi-function Portable speaker features wireless BT technology and comes with a built-in Mic and rechargeable battery. With its sleek design and lightweight you can carry it around freely.

MRP Rs: 2,449/-

Discount: 58%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 1,049/-

SoundBot SB571 12W Bluetooth Speakers

Crystal clear deep bass with 6W + 6W HD loudspeakers with 40mm premium drivers for both active outdoor and indoor use. Built-in 3.5mm audio line in and 2000mAh rechargeable battery allow SB571 to connect to media devices with or without Bluetooth capability. Bluetooth 3.0 audio wireless connectivity with seamless streaming, 12 hours of playback time, from 33 feet distance 2 x 40mm speaker driver output with deep bass and crystal clear sound. Fashionable and stylish design with solid performance and universal compatibility for Android, iPhone, iPad, tablets, smartphones, iPods, MP3, MP4, radio players, and other Bluetooth enabled digital players or media devices with aux port.

MRP Rs: 3,990/-

Discount: 65%

Amazon Great Indian Festival price: Rs 1,399/-

October 10, 2018
Google Launches The New Home Hub With Nest Integration

Google has launched a new addition to their Google Home devices called the Home Hub. It is a tablet/dock hybrid smart device with a built-in screen. The device can run most Google apps like weather, YouTube, etc. The Home Hub can directly play videos from YouTube. The smart device also acts as a centralised control system for other smart devices that are installed in a modern day smart house like speakers and lights. Instead of controlling different smart devices from their proprietary apps, the Home Hub can control them from a unified interface.

Features

Google has intentionally skipped the addition of a camera to the Home Hub. They believe some users might feel uncomfortable in front of a device that is directly pointing a camera towards them. The new device has an Ambient EQ sensor that can determine the ambient light and adjust the brightness of the Home Hub during different times of the day.

The Google HomeHub has a “Voice-Match” feature. With this feature, the Home Hub can determine which member of a family it is interacting with it. And it will give out results based upon the member’s preferences and relevance. It also has Nest Integration. Nest is a centralised thermostat that can control temperatures in different areas in a home or office. It has a quick status drawer which the company is calling HomeView. It can be pulled by a simple swipe from the top of the screen which allows viewing the status of different smart devices across your home. With this feature, Home Hub can remotely control Nest and other smart devices.

Google Home Hub also acts as a digital photo frame and displays pictures taken from the android phones or google cloud of the home-owner. The smart device will come with a 6-month free subscription of Youtube Premium which is an ad-free version of video streaming service.

Price & Availability:

The Google Home Hub has a price tag of 149$ (Rs 11,000 approximately). It is available for pre-order starting today on the Google online store. It will be available in retail stores from 22nd October in the USA, UK and Australia. Google is yet to announce the availability of this device in India.

October 10, 2018
Google Pixel 3 And Pixel 3 XL Launched

Google has launched the highly anticipated Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL devices at the Made By Google event today. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are exactly what we saw in the numerous leaks leading up the the event. However, they do carry features and improvements which we did not know.

Design

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL devices sport a familiar design with a matt finish back and rounded edges. The rear of the device houses the single camera lens, LED flash and fingerprint sensor. The front of the Pixel 3 XL is a bit different, with a huge notch, which Google claims provides more screen real estate to users.

They feature Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the screen for protection and Soft touch Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the back. The devices have an IPX8 water and dust protection rating. The devices have an Aluminium frame with hybrid coating and are available in Just Black, Clearly White and Not Pink Colours.

Display

The Google Pixel 3 has a 5.5 inch FHD+, flexible OLED display. It has an 18:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 443 ppi. The Google Pixel 3 XL has a 6.3 inch FHD+, flexible OLED display. It has an 18:5:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 523 ppi.

Both the devices have an always-on display and the now playing feature. They have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection and HDR support.

Processor

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. They have an Octa Core CPU with a clock speed of 2.5 GHz, along with the Adreno 630 GPU.The devices have 4 GB of LPDDR$ RAM and 64 GB/ 128 GB storage options.

Additionally, they have the Pixel Visual Core chip which helps in improving the camera performance. The devices also feature the Titan M security module. The Titan M security module adds to the security provided with your phone and it safeguards user data, passwords and more.

Camera

Pixel devices have been known for their excellent camera performance. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL also come with a bunch of new camera features and improvements. The devices have a 12.2 MP dual-pixel rear camera. This has an aperture of f/1.8 and shots 4K video at 30 fps. The devices have dual front cameras featuring an 8 MP wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. The lenses have an aperture of f/2.2 and f/1.8 respectively. The front camera records 1080p video at 30 fps.

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL camera are heavily integrated with AI. The cameras use machine learning to shoot the perfect picture every time, according to Google. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL continue to have the

The rear camera features autofocus and dual pixel phase detection. With this you can just tap on a subject and the camera will automatically track the subject, never letting it go out of focus.

Battery & Audio

The devices have a 2915 mAh battery with fast charging and wireless charging support. The device uses a USB Type-C charger. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have dual front firing speaker and 3 microphones. Google also offers YouTube Music for 6 months, free of cost to all Pixel 3 buyers. The Pixel 3 devices will be the first to ship with YouTube Music.

Additional Features

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have some other equally impressive features as well. The device has a CallScreen feature. With this, you can just tap on the CallScreen button when you are receiving a call. The Phone will automatically ‘talk’ to the person on the other end of the line and inquire as to who is calling and for what reason. It will then transcribe the reply in real time and show it to you in textual format on your screen. You can then decide whether you want to pick up the call, reject it or report it as spam.

The devices also have the flip to shut feature. With this, you can just turn your phone upside down, to mute notifications.

Price

The Google Pixel 3 starts at $799 and is up for pre-order now.

October 9, 2018
Huawei Launches Ultra Fast Charging Battery

The Huawei Consumer Business Group has unveiled the first patented Lithium-Silicon battery. The company promise to change the entire experience of using a smartphone with this new battery. The Lithium-Silicon battery enhances fast charging and adds to the safety as well.

Also Read: Huawei’s Freebuds 2 Pro & Huawei Mate 20 Pro Leaked

Huawei says that the technology is similar to a battery which is likely to be seen in upcoming Huawei smartphones. This could mean that we would see the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro equipped with this capabilities. The new battery is more durable and has better power-retention capability. This is due to the fact that the silicon anodes in the Lithium-Silicon battery hold more power than the Graphite based versions.

The company claims that this technology will revolutionise the way people use their smartphones. Just like multi-touch changed the way displays work. The battery has 3D Nitrogen-doped Carbon coating. They manufacture the coating at a lower temperature and it has high conductivity. This results in ultra fast charging.

Ultra-Fast charging uses a relatively low voltage and high current formulas. This is however, unlike the conventional fast charging technologies. The low voltage and high current formula maximises the amount of current going into the device while minimising efficiency loss simultaneously.

Huawei says that the technology is based on electrochemical kinetics advancements. This enables ultra fast charging batteries to support greater power efficiency and current input. The company promises that this new technology will change the way we use smartphones and free users from having no access to their devices due to lower battery life. It will be interesting to see how this technology will impact the way smartphones work in the future.

October 9, 2018
Google To Shut Down Google+ After Data Breach

Alphabet, the company that owns Google is shutting down its social networking website. Google+ has reportedly exposed user data of 500,000 customers to external developers. This comes after an announcement of a bug breach that was reportedly in their system for more than two years.

This bug could access Profile fields that were shared with the user. This includes Profile fields that are not public.

The data is limited to static, optional Google+ Profile fields including name, email address, occupation, gender and age. It does not include any other data the user may have posted or connected to the website or any other service, like Google+ posts, messages, Google account data, phone numbers or G Suite content.

They reportedly discovered and immediately patched this bug in March 2018. Google also said that they believe it occurred after launch as a result of the API’s interaction with a subsequent Google+ code change. The company also acknowledged in their blog that one of the reasons for shutting down the Google+ is that it “has not achieved broad consumer or developer adoption.

To provide for a smooth transition for the existing users, they will wind- down over a 10 month period.

[blockquote right=”pull-right”]Google will wind- down over

a 10 month period, closing

its curtains in August 2018[/blockquote]
This means the Google+ site will close curtains next August. According to Google they have no evidence that any developer was aware of this bug. They have also assured that no one has abused the API. In Google’s finding there is no evidence that any Profile data misuse occurred.

The company has offered reassurance that whenever there is a user data breach, they go beyond their legal requirements and apply several criteria focused on their users in determining whether to provide notice. When it comes to Gmail, they are updating its User Data Policy for the consumer version. This will protect the user by limiting apps from accessing user data. There has been a lack of interest and the gradual decline of social media overall in the recent times. It is also noteworthy that just 10 days ago, Facebook reported a data breach of 50 Million users.

It seems that this was a good decision on the company’s part. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

October 9, 2018
Lenovo Teases Z5 Pro With Quad Camera And 2x Telephoto Zoom

Lenovo might launch the Z5 Pro under the moniker S5 Pro. This phone might compete against the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Honor 8X in India. Very little is known of the cameras. One of the cameras will be telephoto and the other one will be a regular field of view camera but it is still not known what the other two cameras will be. It could be black and white, depth sensor, wide angle or even a super telephoto zoom.

Also Read: Lenovo Teases Z5 Pro With 4 Rear Cameras, Possible Sliding Front Camera

The sudden name change is a huge reason for speculation. We feel that this was done to distant this model from the Lenovo Z5. The Z5 were left customers disappointed after a marketing campaign that hinted at a notch-less screen. The Pro however, has a notch-less all screen display. The selfie camera of the Z5 Pro is retractable and slides out. The phone will launch in China soon. It reportedly features Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), Corning Gorilla Glass, Face ID and fingerprint scanner.

Lenovo posted sample shots taken from the Z5 Pro on a micro blogging site:

The phone also features an Adreno 512 GPU and has a 3300 mAh battery. Whats more, it will probably have a 3.5 mm audio jack as well. We quite liked the deep colours, the sharpness and the dynamic range of the images and cannot wait to get our hands on it for a full review.

October 9, 2018
Intel Launches 9th Generation X-Series Chips

Intel has launched a lineup of their new X-Series 9th generation processors. With the new line of processors the company is mainly focusing on gaming and content creation. The key product launches from the event are: the Core-i9, Core-i5, Core-i7 and the new 28 core Xeon processor. The new processors are based on the 14 nm manufacturing technology which is same as the 8th Gen Skylake Processors.

Also read: Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale : Top Deals On Speakers

Details

The main star of the show was the new i9 flagship model which is the 9900k. The company is touting it as “the best gaming processor in the world”. The core i9-9900k is an 8 core / 16 thread CPU. It has a Turbo Frequency of 5.0 GHz making it the world’s first mainstream processor that is able achieve this clock speed.

The new i5-9600k is an 8 core and 8 thread CPU. It has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and it can throttle upto 4.6 GHz. The i7-9700k is an 8 core 8 thread CPU which has a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz. It can be boosted upto to a frequency of 4.9 GHz.

Another important product the company launched is the Intel W-3175x Xeon processor. It is a 28 core / 56 thread CPU. This chip’s clock speed starts at 3.1GHz and goes up to 4.3GHz. It has a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 255 watt.

Price & Availability

The Core i9-9900K is available for pre-order now and deliveries will start from 19 October. Other processors in the lineup will go on sale in November and December. Talking about price, the Core i9-9900K has a price tag of $488 (approximately Rs. 36,120), the Core i7-9700K has a price tag of $374 (approximately Rs. 27,660) and the Core i5-9600K has a price tag of $262 (approximately Rs. 19,380). The price of the Intel W-3175x Xeon is unannounced and we will have to wait for the company to do the same.

October 9, 2018