Category: Tech

Latest Technology News, Alternative, Bio-Tech, Medical, R&D and Innovations

OnePlus 5 Receives Update Fixing EIS In 4K Video

OnePlus burst onto the scene in 2014 by claiming that its device, the OnePlus One had flagship specifications on a budget price. OnePlus further delivered on the promise with its OnePlus 2, 3 and 3T. After the success of its first four devices, the OnePlus 5 was heavily anticipated.

Despite the controversies and design plagiarism claims, OnePlus 5 was well-received for its premium user experience and snappy performance. OnePlus has finally started rolling out an OxygenOS update that brings in EIS for 4K videos.

The company had removed optical image stabilisation (OIS) from the OnePlus 5 and capped EIS to only 1080P videos. The decision to discontinue OIS in OnePlus 5 which featured on the cheaper 3T raised a few eyebrows, but OnePlus promised that an update will fix that issue. Lack of OIS meant that the OnePlus 5 had shaky low-light performance and the 4K video quality was heavily panned.

The OxygenOS 4.5.7 update, which is now rolling out to users in a phased manner, brings along EIS feature for 4K recording, as per the changelog posted by the company. This feature brings image stabilisation to 4K videos for more stable footage from the OnePlus 5. Apart from the EIS, the update also brings along a new OnePlus Slate font, which will offer font customisation option to the users. The OxygenOS update, additionally comes with July security patch for the OnePlus 5, along with the latest GMS (Google Mobile Services). The company says that the update brings along optimisations for Wi-Fi connectivity, standby battery life, and automatic backlight adjustments.

OnePlus has also recently teased a new colour variant, widely rumoured to be Soft Gold for the 2017 flagship. The company finally looks set to leave the controversies in the past and move ahead with strengthening its current device with timely updates.

NOTE– OnePlus has aborted the OxygenOS update 4.5.7 due to complaints of gaming glitches and battery drain for Jio users. OnePlus has announced that it is rolling out 4.5.8 update fixing all the bugs as well as bringing EIS to 4K video recording and the new Slate font to all OnePlus 5 devices.

August 5, 2017
LG Q6 to Launch In India On August 10 For Rs 14,990

LG recently unveiled the Q6, a less powerful variant of the G6 with the same bezel-less FullVision display. And now, LG has announced that the Q6 will launch in India on August 10 at a price of “Rs 1_,990” and will be an Amazon-exclusive. LG launched the Q6 in three variants in South Korea – Q6a, Q6, and Q6+ and might launch the Q6+ in India as the Q6.

The LG Q6 features a 5.5-inch 2160 x 1080 px full HD display with an impressive 78% screen-to-body ratio. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Chipset with an octa-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A53 processor. The smartphone will be available in 2Gb/3GB/4GB RAM and 16Gb/32GB/64GB onboard storage variants. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. As stated earlier, India might get the most powerful variant, the Q6 with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. In terms of optics, the smartphone is equipped with a 13MP single rear camera sensor, unlike the dual-camera setup on the flagship G6. On the front of the device is a 5MP front-facing camera with a wide-angle lens.

The device is powered by a 3,000mAh battery with support for fast charging. The version of fast charging is not confirmed yet. A big omission from the Q6 is the fingerprint sensor, which nowadays is a standard feature even in mid-range devices. LG has also added a facial recognition feature, but its accuracy is for the consumer to judge.

The mid-ranger will be available in Astro Black, Ice Platinum, Mystic White and Terra Gold colour variants. LG might have decided to go with a mediocre chipset and single camera setup, but made up for the mid-range specs with a near bezel-less display. The teaser shared by LG doesn’t confirm the price yet, but the LG Q6 is expected to cost between Rs 17,000-Rs 20,000.

August 5, 2017
Google Pixel 2 Image Leak, Showing Familiar Thick Bezels

Google’s next in the Pixel lineup, the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 are set to release later this year. Google’s 2017 Pixel smartphones have been at the centre of various rumours for a while now. Though no official announcements have been made yet, the speculations and leaks have offered a good enough idea about how the next flagship devices will turn out to be.

New reports have surfaced, offering further insight to the Pixel 2. The current updates confirm few of the earlier speculations, like the lack of a headphone jack and offer the first live image of the device.

Google Pixel 2 Leaked Image

The image shows that the Pixel 2, contrary to the past leaks, will adopt a similar design of its predecessor. The top and bottom bezels on the front side remain just as large as last year’s Pixel. Whereas, its larger sibling, the Pixel XL 2 is reported will have have the top bezel cut-out similar to the iPhone 8.

Apart from that, both the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 are expected to feature a 5-inch and a 6-inch curved glass around the flat OLED display. Speculated to have an improved processor and a single-lens, dual-flash rear camera setup, both the devices will most likely be water resistant and are expected to run on Snapdragon 835 chipset and with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage.

On the design front, the smartphones will have the back panel similar to the Pixel. However, this time the rear has been redesigned to match the Pixel XL’s shorter glass frame that no longer encompasses the fingerprint sensor.

According to the reports, Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 will be manufactured by LG, whereas, the last year’s Pixel lineup was manufactured by HTC. Despite the change of hands, the upcoming Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 will feature HTC’s squeezable frame. And though the reports of Google ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack seem to be in tandem with the current speculation, the recent image also showcase front-facing stereo speakers in both the devices.

August 5, 2017
iPhone X May Support 4K Video Recording 60 FPS
Rumours surrounding the iPhone 8 refuse to fizzle out as we approach the launch of Apple’s next gen iPhone. A few days ago, Apple’s HomePod firmware was leaked, which seemingly confirmed the front design of the iPhone 8 along with features such as face recognition, virtual home button and AR support.

A Portuguese news site iHelp has unearthed that the iPhone 8 will record 3840 x 2160 px 4K videos at 60 FPS with both the rear and front camera. The code, visible in the screenshot mentions a device that supports 4K video at 60 FPS. Interestingly, there’s also a mention of “front4k60” and “back4k60”, suggesting that the iPhone 8 will indeed feature the high-resolution video recording with both the cameras.

Currently, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus support 4K video recording at 30 FPS with the rear camera while the front camera caps out at 1080P at 30 FPS. The introduction of 4K videos at 60 FPS puts the impetus on the rumours of the next iPhone will have augmented reality capabilities. The jump to 60 FPS will increase depth recognition of the rear camera resulting in better AR experience.

The Apple HomePod firmware also suggests that the 4K video from the front and rear cameras will support Apple’s new HVEC file type, which reduces the file size by a significant amount. This makes sense because 4K videos generally have large file sizes and HVEC can reduce the size by almost 50 per cent resulting in better storage management. More study of the firmware suggests features like tap to wake, a new “smartcam” mode and support for FaceID.

From what we’ve gathered so far, the iPhone 8 may have the following key specifications-
- Launch- September
- Price- $1,200 (Rs. 77,000 approx.)
- Display- 5.8-inch OLED display
- Chipset- A11 chip
- OS- iOS 11
- RAM- 3GB
- Storage- 128GB/256GB
- Camera- Vertically-placed dual camera setup
- Video Recording- 3840 x 2160 px 4K video at 60 FPS with front and rear camera
- Face recognition for unlocking the iPhone 8, called the ‘FaceID’
- TouchID- integrated in the lock button
These rumours are more reliable than others since they stem out of an actual Apple firmware leak, but nothing is set in stone until Apple unveils the new iPhone 8 come September.
August 5, 2017
Apple May Launch An LTE – Enabled Apple Watch

Apple Inc. is planning to launch a cellular network compatible Apple Watch to reduce the wearable device’s reliance on the iPhone. The Apple Watch currently needs to be connected to an iPhone to do most of its tasks, such as receive notifications, stream music, send messages on the go, etc.

This move is designed to make the smartwatch a stand alone replacement for your iPhone. The LTE-enabled smartwatch is touted to do a lot more work than the current Apple Watch (when it’s not wirelessly connected to the phone). For example, a user can send text messages, check notifications, download songs or use the maps, even if they’ve left their phone at home. The smartwatch, however, will not replace the current version of the Apple Watch, and instead go on sale as an LTE version of the same watch, much like the iPads have over the years.

Intel will be the LTE chip supplier for the new smartwatch. Qualcomm has long been the chip supplier for Apple mobile devices, but since the companies are embroiled in a legal dispute, Apple has chosen Intel for the task at hand. Intel also supplied chips for some of the iPhones last year. Apple is already in talks with network carriers in the US and Europe, such AT&T, T-Mobile etc for the next gen Apple Watch.

The move to make the Apple Watch a standalone device may boost its sales and make it a more viable option for Android users as well. As it will be able to do most of the tasks of a cell phone without being connected to one. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc has conceded that the smartwatch is a very small part of Apple’s revenue but is still the most popular smartwatch in the world right now. Apple’s decision to add a GPS chip to the Apple Watch Series 2 was to enable consumers to leave their phones at home while going for a run.

Apple had planned to release an LTE enabled smartwatch last year but pushed the release due to battery draining issues. With watchOS 4 releasing this fall, and new improvements in Siri, along with new features such as payments via iMessage, and the ability to interact with gym equipment , The Apple Watch will attract some serious buyers.

Apple is all set the release the next iPhones in the coming month, and there is a large possibility that the next Apple Watch will be introduced alongside the next iPhones.

August 5, 2017
Xiaomi Mi 360 Wireless Security Camera
Xiaomi has a lot of cool tech to showcase in its smart products lineup. The Xiaomi Mi 360 Wireless Camera is another top offering from the Chinese manufacturer at an affordable price. This security camera looks after your house/office while you take a much-deserved nap.

The Mi Wireless Camera is available in two variants, one that captures footage in 720P and one in 1080P. Priced at USD 37 and USD 78 respectively, the device has everything you need in a security camera. To set it up, you need to download mi home app on your smartphone and scan the QR code to connect. Once connected, it will start streaming will start to stream footage directly to the app on your smartphone. As the camera is tied to your mi account you can securely view live video from anywhere in the world provided the camera is connected to Wi-Fi

The size of the camera is compact and it is lightweight. You can mount the camera on a wall or place it anywhere in your home or office. At USD 37 and USD 78, it is an extremely competitive alternative to a lot of expensive pan-and-tilt security cameras. Speaking of pan-and-tilt, the Mi Wireless Camera has a 360 pan along auto-follow mode which is enabled because of motion sensors.

The Mi 360 Wireless Camera ships worldwide for free and the customs may vary from area to area if you plan on buying one.

Key Specifications-
- Brand- Xiaomi
- Network-Protocol: DHCP,HTTP,P2P,UDP
  Wireless: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  WiFi Distance : 100m ( indoor )
- Mobile Access- Android,IOS
- Pan/Tilt-Horizontal Angle- 360 degree
- Pan/Tilt-Vertical Angle- 115 degree
- Video Resolution- 1080 x 720 px at 15fps
  1920 x 1080 px at 15fps
- Night Vision- Infrared LED: 10pcs 940nm LEDs
  Infrared Distance: 9m
- Audio- Input: Built-in mic.
  Output: Built-in speaker
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXXCq84AoZc[/embedyt]

Click here to buy
August 4, 2017
“Smart Stickers” Which Will Detect And Prevent Sexual Assault

Manisha Mohan, an Indian grad student and researcher at the MIT, invented “Intrepid” – an electronic sticker that can detect forcible grabbing. The smart clothing detects “forcible touch” and sends a distress signal to your network of friends and family via message or a phone call.

The Intrepid can be attached to any piece of clothing and connected to user’s phone via Bluetooth. If the piece of clothing attached to the device is taken off forcibly, the device waits for 30 seconds after which a “loud alert” goes off for 20 seconds. If there is still no response from the wearer, an SOS is sent to the listed emergency contacts. With the help of an accompanying app, Intrepid can also record encounters in the case of no timely response from the wearer. These recordings can be further used in the court in the case of legal proceedings.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgU_evcSPrs[/embedyt]

The “Smart Stickers” operate in two modes – active and passive. Manisha explains that, “An active mode [for] for instances when the victim is unconscious or cannot fight against the assaulter, for example in the case of infants, bed-ridden patients, elderly, disabled, intoxicated people and the passive mode where the victim can self-actuate the safety mechanism.”

The Intrepid uses methods like olfactory stimuli (sense of smell) to detect initial signs of assault. It differentiates between the effect of smells on sexual arousal and partner selection with the effect of smells on forced touch or disrobing.

Sexual abuse, assault, and harassment are regarded as some of the most common human rights violations in the world. As per the data release by the NCRB and Delhi Police, cases of sexual assault across the country remain high, with India’s “rape capital” Delhi registering six cases of rape on an average every day. The reports paint a pretty bleak picture in regard to ensuring safety against sexual assault.

With crimes against women on the rise, and women being left with no choice but to stay indoors after dark, a device like Intrepid can not only help by improving the response time in cases of sexual assault but more importantly, it can make women feel safer when stepping out on the streets.

The proposed solution, as Manisha states, can help combat rape, assault, harassment, child sexual abuse, abuse of elderly and disabled and might offer some peace of mind.

August 4, 2017
Samsung Launches Leader 8, Flagship Flip Smart Phone

In order to continue being the flag-bearer of flip smartphones, Samsung has announced the new Leader 8 in the Chinese market. The new device will succeed last year’s SM-W2017 as the Samsung flagship flip phone for 2017. The Leader 8 was announced on Samsung’s website along with all the specifications.

4.2″ Super AMOLED Internal and External Panels

The flip smartphone, codenamed SM-G9298 packs two 4.2-inch Super AMOLED display panels with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution, one on the outside of the device and one inside. The Leader 8 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset along with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 256GB. Samsung has decided to go with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset this time around unlike last year’s Exynos Chipset in the SM-W2017. The Leader 8 has a 2,300mAH battery with wireless charging capabilities. Among other features, Samsung has also packed in Samsung Pay, a digital wallet for mobile payment.

12MP Rear-Facing Camera, Fingerprint Sensor and Heart-rate Sensor

On the camera front, it houses a 12 MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.7 aperture for better low-light performance and a 5 MP front-facing camera with an f/1.9 aperture. The rear facing camera records 3840 x 2160 px video at 30fps and supports autofocus. There is no mention of OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) in Samsung’s announcement post. The fingerprint sensor sits just below the rear camera along with Samsung’s standard heart rate sensor.

A flip smartphone in the era of bezel-less sleek phones is a different move from Samsung, but it has identified an audience for new-age flip phones. The specifications of the Leader 8 will hold up against many smartphones of 2017. Details of pricing and the availability of the phone have not been shared by Samsung yet. This puts a question mark on whether this device will be made available for international markets.

August 4, 2017
LG Confirms Switch To OLED Display For The Upcoming V30

LG has announced that its next flagship device will be the ‘first smartphone from LG to sport a plastic OLED FullVision display.’ The LG V30 was widely reported to feature an OLED display and this announcement confirms those rumours. LG has specified that it’ll be a FullVision display much like the one on the G6. It’s worth noting that LG will feature POLED technology on a smartphone for the first time since the G Flex 2, which was launched a couple of years ago.

The upcoming smartphone will be smaller than last year’s V20 despite sporting a larger 6-inch display. LG claims to have reduced the top and bottom bezels by 20 per cent and 50 per cent respectively while the LG logo is moved to the back of the device. The Plastic OLED screen on the device means that the edges can be curved for a more ergonomic fit in the user’s hand. Although from the image released, it doesn’t seem like LG has taken Samsung’s route of fully curved edges. A Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which incorporates shatter-resistance technology will protect the screen.

LG V30 render leaks

The screen resolution will be 1440 x 2880, which translates to a QHD+ display and enhance the device’s VR capabilities. The advantage of an OLED display is the operational response time, which is a lot faster than LCD. This accelerated response time effectively eliminates afterimages, an important consideration for action movies and VR.

Along with a POLED display, the LG V30 is rumoured to run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The device will be powered by a 3,300mAh battery with support for wireless charging. On the camera front, it will take the G6’s route and sport a 13MP dual-camera setup along with a fingerprint sensor at the back.

The LG V30 is expected to launch at the IFA 2017 in Berlin on August 31. Rumoured to be priced at around USD 700 (approximately INR 45000), it will compete with the soon-to-be-announced Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

August 4, 2017

From the Moto G5 Plus to The Moto G5S Plus – What Has Changed?

Lenovo-owned Motorola just announced the Moto G5S Plus, successor to its popular mid-ranger the Moto G5 plus. Priced at Rs 15,999, the Moto G5S Plus is at par with the Moto G5 Plus which is priced at Rs 14,999.

The Moto G5 plus, like its predecessor the Moto G4 Plus has superior camera performance especially considering its price point. Add to that, an all metal design and fast user experience thanks to Motorola’s stock-ish take on Android 7.0 made the Moto G5 Plus a success.

Motorola has decided not tinker with the design of the G5S Plus and it is reminiscent of the G5 Plus with the addition of antenna lines on the top and bottom of the back. The G5S Plus gets the same 1920 x 1080 px display but a bumped up display size of 5.5-inch. The fingerprint sensor sits below the display and can double up as a single-navigation button as well and the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The highlight of the new device is the 13MP dual-camera setup with an f/2.0 aperture. The dual camera captures Bokeh, and selective focus shots, along with other capabilities of background replacement and exposure management.

The G5 Plus became the phone to beat in its price segment because of superior camera performance when it was launched earlier this year and the G5S Plus will enter the market with high expectations. How does theG5S Plus stack up against the G5 Plus? Let’s find out.

Specifications	Moto G5 Plus	Moto G5S plus
Price	Starting at Rs 14,999	Rs 15,999
Display	5.2-inch IPS LCD	5.5-inch IPS LCD
Weight	155 g	168 g
Screen Resolution	920×1080 px	1920×1080 px
PPI (Pixels Per Inch)	424ppi	401ppi
Display Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Battery	3,000mAh	3,000mAh
Operating System	Android Nougat 7.0	Android Nougat 7.1
Storage	16GB/32GB	32GB
Expandability	microSD card up to 256GB	microSD card up to 128 GB
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
RAM	3Gb	3GB
CPU	Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53	Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU	Adreno 506	Adreno 506
Primary Camera	2MP with f/1.7	13MP dual-camera with f/2.0
Primary Camera features	Good performance under low-light conditions.	Bokeh, Selective focus, exposure management.
Secondary Camera	5MP with f/2.2	8MP wide angle lens with f/2.0
Primary Camera Video Recording	4K (3840 x 2160) at 30fps	4K (3840 x 2160) at 30fps
Secondary Camera Video Recording	1920×1080 at 30fps	1920×1080 at 30fps

The Moto G5S Plus will enter the budget smartphone segment which already has big players like Xiaomi and Huawei’s sub-brand, Honor. Motorola’s focus on the camera performance suggests that it has identified a certain section that rates camera performance highly and on a budget, and the new G5S Plus’ camera performance may just decide its fate in the highly competitive price-segment.

The spec-bump other than the camera is nothing to ride home about. Although the Moto G5S Plus will feature a dual-camera setup, the aperture is now f/2.2 which may effect low-light image quality. How the Moto G5S Plus performs in the real world is yet to be seen and a camera comparison with the G5 Plus will be an interesting one. Stay tuned on iGyaan for more updates.

August 3, 2017

Honor Note 9 Specifications Leaked
Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei has recently launched the Honor 9 in China and is expected to hit other markets like India soon. Amidst that, leaks of the Honor Note 9 has surfaced. The successor to the Honor Note 8 is expected to go on sale in September.

The Honor Note 9 will house a massive 4,600 mAh battery, which is an upgrade, albeit a small one over the Honor Note 8’s 4,500mAh battery. As far as the chipset is concerned, it is expected to run on HiSilicon Kirin 965 along with 6GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The device will sport a 12MP dual-camera setup at the back, just like many other flagships of 2017. Whether it will be a telephoto lens setup like the one on the iPhone 7 Plus or a monochrome lens setup like the Honor 8 Pro is still not clear.

Honor Note 9 Leaked Image

The image shows that the Honor Note 9 will be a massive device with an edge-to-edge display. The top and bottom of the front of the phone do possess a considerable bezel compared to other flagships of 2017 like the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+.

The Honor Note series is a budget offering of large display phones with excellent battery life, something that even flagships of 2017 have lacked. The Honor Note 8 launched at a price of 2799 Yuan (approximately Rs 28,144) for its 128GB onboard storage variant. The Honor Note 9 is expected to follow suit in terms of budget pricing.

Rumoured Key Specifications of the Honor Note 9 are-
- cameExpected Launch- September 2017
- Battery- 4,600mAh
- Chipset- HiSilicon Kirin 965
- Edge-to-edge display
- 12MP dual camera setup
The Honor Note 8 launched with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display and a 4,500mAh battery. It runs on the Kirin 955 chipset and a 2.5GHz octa-core processor. It also houses the Mali-T880GPU and 4GB of RAM along with 32GB/64GB/128GB onboard storage. The Honor Note 8 was a budget phablet and the Honor Note 9, expected to launch in September of this year will take Honor’s Note series forward with high-end specifications at a mid-range price tag.
August 3, 2017
Google Pixel 2 And Pixel 2 XL Image Revealed

Google’s first Android smartphone – Pixel was launched on 20 October, 2016. Confirming the rumors, Osterloh announced last year that Pixel will pave way for its successors, the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL. He said, “There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it. You can (also) count on a successor this year, even if you don’t hear a date from me now”.

Google is expected to launch the two Pixel successors later this year – Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Though no release dates have been announced yet, the rumors offer a hint at what Google has in store for us.

Recent render leaks from one of the case makers show that the upcoming Pixel successors will be getting the best of both the worlds. The renders of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL show that the devices will reportedly employ polarizing curved edges of the Galaxy Note 8 and top bezel cut-out of the iPhone 8.

Furthermore, Olixar has made the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL cases available for pre-orders with prices starting from $5.99 for the basic FlexiShield range in UK and US.

Though the details about the Google’s upcoming smartphones have been hard to come by, here’s all we know about the next Pixel lineup.

Several reports suggested that only the Pixel 2 XL will be launched with these features, but according to updated renders, Google seems to follow last year’s strategy of making both the phones almost identical with few exceptions. Given the previous rumors of LG manufacturing the smartphones, both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL look similar to the LG G6.

Evident from the recent case images, both the Pixel 2 and 2 XL are expected to feature curved glass around the flat OLED display with small bezels. Speculations about the Pixel 2 XL sporting a slightly larger OLED display at 6 inches have also been doing the rounds, whereas the Pixel 2 is said to have a 5-inch, 1080p display in a chassis similar to the previous model.

Reports suggest that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will have an improved processor and a single-lens, dual-flash rear camera setup. Both the devices will most likely be water resistant and are expected to run on Snapdragon 835 chipset and with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage.

A recently updated image suggested that Google may be planning to replace the good ol’ 3.5mm headphone jack with a single USB-C port. But it can’t be said for sure as the case images of the top or bottom of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are still unavailable.

Other than that, both the smartphones will have the back panel much like the original Pixel – a mix of metal and glass. However, this time the fingerprint sensor might not be covered with the glass.

The word on the street is that Google may launch the not so“affordable” Pixel successors by the end of this year. Osterloh hinted that the second edition of the highly-priced smartphones may not be ideal for a budget buyer. Therefore, we can expect the Google Pixel 2 to be in the same or slightly higher price bracket than its predecessor.

August 3, 2017
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Final Specifications Leaked Before Official Launch On August 23
Samsung is gearing up for the launch of its 8th gen Note device, the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23rd. After the debacle of the Note 7, Samsung is relying heavily on the performance of its new device to keep the Note series up and kicking in the highly competitive smartphone market. A new leak has given us all the detailed specifications of the Galaxy Note 8.

The Galaxy Note 8 will feature a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED 2960 x1440 px display in an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, much like the Galaxy S8 and S8+. In fact, the 6.3-inch display is barely larger than that on the S8+, but as is with every Note phone, the device will have a more square-ish look. Samsung will also ship the Note 8 in two variants, one with the Exynos 8895 Chipset and the other one with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and will feature 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage which will be expandable via a microSD card. The device will run on a 3,300mAh battery with Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0 via a USB Type C port along with wireless charging capabilities.

On the camera front is where the Note 8 will make headlines with a 12MP dual-camera setup, featuring on a Samsung phone for the first time. The primary, wide-angle camera will have an f/1.7 aperture and dual-pixel autofocus, while the telephoto lens will have an f/2.4 aperture and will enable a 2x optical zoom. The presence of OIS means that the 4K video recording will be stable and low-light images will have less noise. The front-facing selfie snapper will be an 8MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture. The fingerprint sensor will still be placed at the back of the device next to the cameras. It seems that we won’t see a screen embedded fingerprint sensor this year either.

Here are the key specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8-
- Price- EUR 1,000
- Launch- August 23
- Display- 6.3-inch Super AMOLED
- Screen Resolution- 2960 x1440 px, 18.5:9 aspect ratio
- Dimensions- 162.5mm x 74.6mm, 8.5mm thickness
- Battery- 3,300mAh with QuickCharge 3.0
- OS- Android 7.1 Nougat
- Chipset- Exynos 8895/Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- RAM- 6GB
- Storage- 64GB
- Expandability- microSD card
- Rear Camera- 12MP dual-camera, primary camera with f/1.7 aperture and telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture
  Front Camera- 8MP with f/1.7 aperture
- Rear Camera Features- Dual-pixel autofocus, 2x optical lossless zoom.
- Video- 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30fps
The Galaxy Note 8 will be available in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colours initially, and later ship in Orchid Grey and Deep Sea Blue colour variants as well. 23rd August is just round the corner and all the speculations will come to rest when Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy Note 8.
August 3, 2017
Microsoft Windows 10 Preview Released with Built-In Eye Tracking

Microsoft announced its Windows 10 tester edition on 2 August 2017. The new Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16257 includes support for a beta version of Eye Control aka built-in eye tracking feature and improvements to Edge, Console, input, and Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG). This is the ninth build of the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, which is slated to arrive in September.

The Windows 10 Insider Preview was introduced as a service, setting it aside from its predecessors in terms of built. This could mean that the regular updates would include a little more than just bug fixes, maybe new features. But first here’s a look at the newly added and updated features.

Eye Control

The major addition to the Windows 10 preview is the Eye Control technology which would make the Windows 10 much more accessible to people with disabilities. The eye tracking feature will make it easier for people to operate an on-screen mouse or keyboard and convert text-to-speech. The Eye Control feature requires a compatible eye tracker – Tobii Eye Tracker 4C, to access the windows OS. The Tobii Eye Tracker 4C enables a user to carry out tasks which were previously accomplished via a physical mouse or a keyboard with just their eyes.

In the preview blog post, Microsoft mentioned that it will be supporting only the US English language keyboard layout but plans on adding more layouts sometime in future.

Microsoft Edge

Apart from the eye tracking feature, Microsoft Edge was also updated for a more modern look in the browser frame and other fixes for copying images, closing tabs in full screen mode and tab ordering. According to the company, ” The use of Acrylic material provides depth and transparency to the tab bar and other controls” and button animations are “more responsive”.

Microsoft also made changes to the address bar. So now, when you click and drag the text it will remain under the cursor, even if the address bar isn’t in focus. Whereas , previously the text would shift as the “http://” appeared, making it difficult to edit the URL.

WDAG and Input Upgrades

As for input improvements, the touch keyboard now launches faster from the taskbar and the bugs in dictation and Japanese keyboards have been fixed. WDAG has also received performance upgrades, specific to container launch times. The tool has also received new status strings for providing more detailed information when starting up, plus networking and launching bug fixes.

Aside to the general improvement and fixes, Microsoft introduced another feature included in Eye Control called “shape writing,” . This feature allows a user to speed up typing by just looking at the first and last letters of a word and “simply glancing at letters in between.” And to make things easier, a “hint of the word predicted will appear on the last key of the word,” but if the prediction is incorrect, it can be swapped with another predicted alternative.

Shape Writing

It’s still unclear when the built-in eye tracking will roll out as a fully baked feature. But, it may not be long before we see a fully functioning version of the new Windows 10.

August 3, 2017
IBM Breaks The Record – Stores 330TB Data Into A Tiny Tape

IBM Research Scientists created a new world record in tape storage. Their latest invention can capture 330 terabytes of uncompressed data (equivalent to 330 million books) into a single tape cartridge that can fit into the palm of your hand.

The new record of 201 gigabits per square inch in areal density was achieved on a prototype sputtered magnetic tape developed in collaboration with Sony Storage Media Solutions.

The tape holds 330 terabytes per square inch, beating the earlier record of 220 terabytes of uncompressed data per square inch. The prototype tape is more than 20 times the areal density currently used in commercial tape drives. (Areal recording density is the amount of information that can be stored on a given area of surface.) Since IBM’s first tape unit which could hold upto 2 megabytes of data, this invention is a huge step forward into the future of tape storage. Invented over 60 years ago, storage tapes are typically used by businesses to archive huge amounts of data like tax documents, health care records, etc.

Evangelos Eleftheriou from IBM said

Tape has traditionally been used for video archives, back-up files, replicas for disaster recovery and retention of information on premise, but the industry is also expanding to off-premise applications in the cloud, and While sputtered tape is expected to cost a little more to manufacture than current commercial tape, the potential for very high capacity will make the cost per terabyte very attractive, making this technology practical for cold storage in the cloud.”

Analysts predict that by 2020, global data storage will amount to 40 trillion gigabytes – around 5,200 gigabytes per person. According to experts, using tape is a cheaper and more energy efficient way of storing data in comparison to power-consuming, bulky data centres full of drives.

It wasn’t an easy task creating a tape that could hold 201 gigabits per square inch, as IBM researchers had to develop several new technologies. Working in collaboration with Sony, IBM was able to develop this tech, particularly on enabling increased areal recording densities.

However, retrieving data from tape is a far slower process. In a storage tape, data can only be accessed in the order in which it was written, in other word – sequential access. But IBM and Sony are apparently working on speeding up the data retrieval process.

August 2, 2017