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Sony to Launch USB Type-C Flash Drives

Sony has launched a new portable flash drive that will be compatible for use with both USB-A connectors, along with USB-C ports.This might not come as the biggest news of the day, but for most struggling between older and new generation systems, these USB Type-C drives will be nothing short of godsend coming with a promise to make their lives a lot easier than before.

USM-CA1 according to Sony will feature dual connectors to allow for wider connectivity. These will be available in three sizes, 16GB/32GB/64GB, and will have write speeds of up to 130 Mb/s.

The USM-C1 will be available starting sometime next week. No information on pricing has been revealed. Sony also revealed that these drives will support Windows 7 and abov, OS X 10.8 and higher along with compatibility for Android 5 and above.

February 1, 2016
Samsung to Hold their Galaxy S7 Unpacked Event on 21 February

Over the past few months, the rumours and speculations regarding Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S7 flagship smartphones have come in plenty. Right from specifications to design, everything has been subject to a lot of speculations, and 3 weeks from today, we’ll know just how many of those rumours were true.

Yes, Samsung has confirmed the unveiling of the Galaxy S7 at the ‘Unpacked’ event on Sunday, February 21st, a day before the MWC kicks off. The Korean-based giant sent out invitations that include an image of a shadowy cube with two edges glowing to form a “7”. Meanwhile, the teaser trailer shows sees someone staring at the cube through Gear VR goggles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g3O94WALV8

So far, some of the rumours that have caught people’s attention include the design, which is being said will be similar to the Galaxy S6, suggesting that the company is focusing more on hardware. The Galaxy S7 is said to have a microSD slot, a pressure-sensitive screen, USB Type-C port, water resistance, and will be in ‘Edge’ form for all the variants. Finally, some models will come with the Snapdragon 820 chipset.

In three weeks, we’ll know just what the Galaxy S7 will look like. Follow this space for all on Samsung’s upcoming flagship.

February 1, 2016
Moto X Force : Everything We Know

After storming the markets with the Moto X Style/Play, and Moto G Turbo, Motorola is all set to bring to Indian customers its new smartphone, the “unbreakable” Moto X Force. The phone which claims to come with a ‘crack-proof’ screen, will soon hit the Indian markets. The smartphone will launch in India tomorrow with an expected price tag of around $624 (Rs. 40,000 approximately) and $720 (Rs. 47,000 approximately) for the 32GB and 64GB variants respectively.

Design

The X Force has a lot in common with other Motorola phones, and the evidence of it sharing DNA with Motorola handsets is available from the first time you lay hands on the smartphone. Having said that, there are subtle changes to the design scheme which make it distinct from the other members of the Motorola family. The device is flatter at the back with curved edges. It has a textured back panel to avoid costly slips out of the hand.

Display with ShatterShield Tech

The ShatterShield Tech of the Moto X Force is a marvel of modern day technology and quite rightly is the one feature that the company is heavily banking on to drive the sales ahead when the handset finally makes it way to the markets.

The 5.4-inch 2,560 x 1,440 panel (QHD) panel is protected by a five layer system which has allowed Motorola to brand it the “world’s first shatterproof smartphone display” thanks to what Moto calls the ShatterShield technology. The company claims the screen would stay intact for up to four years absorbing shock and providing protection against cracks.

Under-the-hood Specifications

The phone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core SoC clocked at 2GHz. There will be 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM on board, and it will be available in 32GB and 64GB inbuilt storage options. The phone will support expandable storage up to 200GB via a microSD card slot, and will be powered by a mammoth 3760mAh battery with Quick Charging support.

Camera

Motorola’s new super tough Moto X Force packs a 21-megapixel snapper with an f/2.0 aperture and dual-LED flash and Phase Detect Autofocus around the back and a 5-megapixel selfie camera at the front with flash and an f/2.0 aperture.

January 31, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 to Have the Same Design as Galaxy S6

Right ahead of the Mobile World Congress which kicks off, we have some more updates on the design of the Galaxy S7. If Evan Blass (@evleaks), who has been a reliable source for news in the past, is to be believed, the design of the Samsung flagship would be very similar to its predecessor, the S6.

He also confirmed that a microSD card slot for storage expansion would also be part of S7. The device will have an IP67 rating which makes it dust and water-resistant.

As it had been reported for some time now, the S7 would come in two variants, the S7 Edge, and the flat screen S7. The curved screen Edge is expected to sport a Snapdragon processor with a 5.1-inch QHD screen along with 4 GB of RAM. The other model, the Galaxy S7 will come equipped with a Exynos processor. The devices are expected to be unveiled next month at the Samsung Unpacked event on the 21st of February. Watch this space for latest developments.

January 30, 2016
Apple to Launch Original TV Shows Alongside the iPhone 7

Lo and behold as Apple plans to come out with its own TV shows to be introduced alongside the new iPhones at the September event this year. Rumours about Apple working on its own streaming-service with original content have been milling around for the longest time. Looks like Netflix may have found itself a strong competitor.

According to a report, Apple is expected to produce its exclusive TV shows for iTunes. It reads as follows,

“The Cupertino-based tech giant began sounding out Hollywood’s creative community late last year, but has yet to sign any agreements, according to two people with knowledge of the overtures. One plan is to have deals in place so Apple can announce exclusive content as part of a cable-like offering in September, when it is expected to unveil its iPhone 7.”

But before we get too excited -we have heard some pretty incredible things the past couple of weeks. They include Apple taking over Time Warner, which would inadvertently mean acquisition of HBO. We will have to wait and see if there is any truth to these rumours.

January 30, 2016
Samsung to Launch Ultra-Wide 144Hz Monitors

Samsung, a leading name from the panel manufacturing industry has revealed its plans to launch two new ultra-wide (3440×1440) displays in the coming months. Both these panels will support a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz and will be one of the first monitors in the world to support Display Port 1.3 tech.

The new DisplayPort standard will be able to take monitors beyond 4k and into the realm of ultra high 5K resolutions with just a single cable. Additionally, the new video cable standard could allow 2016 graphics cards to drive HDR-enabled 4K monitors at high-frame rates of 144Hz.

Current generation graphic cards do not support DisplayPort 1.3, but it’s expected to be a standard for high-end cards in the coming months.

Samsung’s new monitors will be available in 30- and 35-inch variants, and use VA panels for their work. According to reports, Samsung, which is known to prefer IPS panels tried their luck with the technology for these ultra-wide high refresh rate monitors but settled for VA due to constraints of the current generation of iPS panel tech.

The smaller 30-inch model is expected to be made available to markets sometime during Q3 of this year, and the 35-inch model is expected to hit stores during Q2. No pricing details have been released but considering the high-end tech used in these panels expect these to be anything but affordable when they finally hit stores later this year.

January 30, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J7 Specs Leaked

Looks like life’s all work at Samsung these days. After refreshing its A-series lineup, the South Korean tech giant is all set to come out with new offerings for its J series.

The two new entrants to the J series are yet to make their way to the Indian market in the form of J1 and J5, and if latest rumours are to be believed the J7(2016) is already queuing up to be the next.

Evidence of the phone being in the works and its specifications have been revealed courtesy of the Kernel source code entries found alongside the entries for the Galaxy A9 published earlier.

The code also takes the lid of the specifications of device revealing in the process for the phone to come equipped with a Full HD display expected to be around 5.5 Inch in size.

Under the hood, the phone will pack a Snapdragon 650 SoC paired with 3GB of RAM. The 2016 model of the J7 will come with a 13MP camera on the back, with a 5 MP shooter at the front. The kernel code also lists the J7 to come packing a finger-print sensor and lists a 4300mAh rated battery to power the device.

Regardless to say, nothing of this is official so expect changes to the refreshed J7 by the time anything official is revealed about it.

January 30, 2016
New Sony Xperia C6 Render Reveal Design Details

Just ahead of the Mobile World Congress, rumours and renders and leaks are doing the rounds like there is no tomorrow. The latest update to be added in this list is of a bezel-less design for the Xperia C6.

Sony will hold a press conference at the MWC where it would announce new devices, Xperia C6 will be one of them. @OnLeaks have come up with a new render of the device based on its factory schematics. Xperia C6, with its bezel-less display, seems inspired by an older mid-range Sony device, Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, another device which has a near-bezel-less display.

The device is expected to be powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor. Many believe that Sony is pretty much committing commercial hara-kiri by opting for MediaTek Helios P line. Sure they have low TDP, and Snapdragon 800 is a more expensive series but it’s definitely more reliable.

Coming back to the design of C6, the render also suggests three colour variants. This is all the dope we have on the new Sony device. Watch this space for more.

January 30, 2016
Xiaomi Mi 5 and Redmi Note 3 Will Come to India

Xiaomi is trying to get as many of its devices as it can in India. The company’s India head Manu Jain said that new products are bound for India, but the Mi TV will not be one of that.

Jain expressed the importance of bringing Xiaomi’s products to India, stating that the company completely supports the ‘Make in India’ program and is looking for new partnerships to boost its presence.

Last year, Xiaomi got too few products in India and even fewer smartphones. Other than the Mi 4i and Mi Band, India received only upgraded versions of earlier phones. Devices like the Mi Note and Mi Note did not make it into the Indian markets. However, Jain has announced that the Redmi Note 3 and the Mi 5 will be available in India.

“With the new products coming up for Xiaomi, a lot of hard-work has gone in, both from the China teams and India teams. We are working very hard to ensure that the time gap between the two launches is reduced. Of course, some gap is to be expected between given that to launch a new device in India, we need to get certifications, clearances,” said Jain.

So for those in India who’ve been hearing a lot about the upcoming Mi 5 flagship and have been excited all through, will soon be able to get their hands on the device as Xiaomi plans to bring it to India soon enough.

January 30, 2016
Apple Developing Tech That Allows Charging From a Distance

Apple is working on wireless charging which would allow devices to be charged even at a distance from the charging port. The Cupertino-based company is reportedly collaborating with American and Asian partners to develop this tech.

Currently, the Apple Watch is capable of getting charged even from a few millimetres away from the source. But that isn’t really a groundbreaking development. Also, increased distance between the device and the charging source means a fall in efficiency. Apple is currently focusing on overcoming these problems and making wireless charging smoother. We can expect to see this kind of technology in 2017.

If this development is adopted in future Apple devices, the user could charge their phone while walking around the room. Charging your phone could be like using any other wireless tech like Wi-Fi. Apple made a patent application in 2010 which makes an iMac a source of wireless charging for Apple devices at a distance of 1 metre using a technique called near-field magnetic resonance.

Though wireless charging still exists, it’s only in its nascency. There is a long way to go before it can be employed in a useful and productive way. Let’s see if Apple becomes a pioneer in incorporating this kind of charging in its devices.

Source

January 29, 2016
Oppo F1 Unveiled in India

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has launched in India its first handset of the new F series smartphones which will target customers with an inclination towards photography. The Oppo F1 is the first of Oppo’s F series phones to arrive in India.

Oppo has unveiled the F1 at the price point of Rs 15,990. The company also teased a 5.5-inch Oppo F1 Plus smartphone with 4GB RAM during the event which will be priced at Rs 26,990, and will be launched in April. It is said to be a high-spec variant of the camera focused F1 smartphone.

The Oppo F1 is impressive when it comes to specs and features a 5-inch display with a 720 x 1280(294ppi) pixel resolution along with a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4 coating. SoC on board is a 1.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. Storage is listed at 16GB which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.

The smartphone comes equipped with a 13MP rear camera along with a single LED flash. A front 8MP camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture lens and a sensor size of 1/4 inch is also included. Oppo its front camera can capture photos 30 percent clearer than a standard 5MP camera and 44 per cent brighter than those taken with an f/2.4 lens. Additional features such as Beauty 3.0 live color filters and more is also included. The device will be powered by a 2500mAh battery.

January 29, 2016

One Plus 2 16 GB Variant Launches In India

Chinese smartphone maker, OnePlus, launched the OnePlus 2 in July last year in only a 64GB storage option. The handset was launched for a price tag of Rs 24,999, and back then the company promised a more affordable 16GB variant of the phone for Indian users in the future.

Flash forward to today, and the company has finally lived up to its promise and come to the market with a new more affordable variant. The One Plus 2-16GB variant launched in India will be available exclusively via Amazon India for Rs 22, 999, and what will come as welcome news for customers waiting to buy the phone, the new variant will be invite free.

The new variant of OnePlus 2 will come equipped with similar specs to the 64GB model, but will sport a16GB eMMC v5.0 inbuilt storage instead of 64GB, and also cut down on the RAM from 4GB to 3GB.

The phone will feature the same 5.5-inch 1080p display as the 64GB variant. It is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 v2.1 SoC clocked at 1.8GHz and Adreno 430 GPU. The smartphone will also come equipped with Dual 4G Nano-SIM cards slots, as well as the popular USB Type-C.

The OnePlus 2 16GB variant will share the same 13MP rear and 5MP front camera. The rear camera comes with a 1.3-micron sensor, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 4K video recording. Powering the phone will be a 3300mAh battery pack. It will also come equipped with a fingerprint sensor.

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Specification	OnePlus 2
Display	5.5-inch TPS LCD in cell, Corning Gorilla Glass
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi)
Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 v2.1 SoC
Processor	Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57
GPU	Adreno 430
RAM	3 GB LPDDR4 RAM
Storage	16 GB
Expandability	N/A
Rear Camera	13 MP 1.3-micron sensor, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash, f/2.0 aperture
Rear Camera Video	2160p@30fps, 2160p(DCI)@24fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.
Front Camera	5MP
Front Camera Video	1080p@30fps
Battery	Non-removable Li-Po 3300 mAh battery
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Oxygen OS
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot Bluetooth v4.1, A2DPGPS with A-GPS, GLONASS NFC, Radio FM,microUSB v2.0, Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint sensor
Price	Rs 22,999

January 29, 2016

HTC One M10 Specifications Revealed

Over the past few days, a lot has been spoken about the HTC One M10, codenamed “Perfume”. It began when popular leakster @evleaks tweeted that the upcoming HTC One M10 is going to look a lot like the HTC One A9. Those familiar with the One A9 know that the device sparked off a major controversy with the device’s likeness to the iPhone 6, in terms of design.

Today, @evleaks has outed some specs of the device which are likely to be the actual thing. The device will sport a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED display. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. A microSD card slot will be available too.

On the camera front, the flagship is said to feature a 12MP UltraPixel rear camera with laser autofocus and OIS. HTC is ditching the front-facing speakers with the One M10, but the device will have a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. The handset will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC Sense 8 on top. Earlier it was speculated that HTC would unveil the device at the MWC in February, but now it looks like the company will have a dedicated event for the launch sometime in March.

These specs are a little different from what we’ve come to hear about the device. Earlier, it was suggested that the One M10 will sport a 5.5-inch display and feature a 20MP primary camera, but Evan Blass of @evleaks says otherwise. Of course, nothing has been confirmed so far so you may want to take this with a pinch of salt.

Earlier it was also speculated that HTC would unveil the device at the MWC in February, but now it looks like the company will have a dedicated event for the launch sometime in March.

January 29, 2016
ATMs to Support Apple and Android Pay

Because many retailers still don’t offer NFC support for payments, life is still not as easy as it could be if among other things smartphones could also be used to do ATM transactions as well. This is precisely what Bank of America and Wells Fargo are working on offering at their ATMs in the US.

“We’ve been working on the technology that allows us to hook to digital wallets, leveraging NFC on mobile phones to replace the card at the transaction at the ATM. Right now the wallet that we support is Android Pay,” says Jonathan Velline, Wells Fargo’s Head of ATMs.

Similarly, Bank of America is also working of employing NFC at its ATMs. It should be made available in February in some ATMs in Silicon Valley, New York, San Francisco, Charlotte and Boston. Even though Bank of America has not explicitly mentioned which wallets would be supported, we can assume them to be Apple and Android Pay for now.

While these potential developments sound fancy and appealing, there is no news on when they will be available in India as well. Hold your breath until we update you about the next development on this front.

Source

January 29, 2016
Chrome for iOS Faster and more Stable after Major Update

Chrome for iOS has received a major update which the company says will give the browser a huge increase in speed and stability. The developers attribute this to using WebKit (WKWebView) instead of the older UIWebView.

With the introduction of the WKWebView rendering engine, Google said it has been able to update its Chrome Web browser in such a way that it can perform far better on iPhones and iPads than the previous version. The new 48th version of Google Chrome for iOS according to estimates is almost 10x faster and 5x more stable than previous generations of the browser.

This particular switch to WKWebView from the previous iOS rendering engine has enabled Google to reduce Chrome browser crashes for Apple device users by upto a whopping 70 percent. According to a blog post by Google software engineer Stuart Morgan, Even Google’s “Aw, Snap!” error page loads faster when the renderer does crash, he noted.

Morgan further added “Out-of-process rendering was one of Chrome’s earliest innovations, and we’ve always wanted to bring its benefits to our iOS users,” Morgan said. “Unfortunately UIWebView, the component used to render Web pages on iOS, is in-process, so that’s never been possible before.”

This particular news comes on the heels of all the troubles Apple’s Safari web browser has been facing on iOS devices in the last couple of days. The issue of Safari crashing during searches has bothered iOS users for some time now. A fix had been issued but the timing of Google’s latest announcement will certainly take away a number of frustrated Safari users away from the Cupertino-based company.

January 29, 2016

Category: Brands and Companies

Specification

OnePlus 2