Category: Top Around the Web

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Apple Hires Contractors That Listen To Private Conversation Through Siri

Apple is a company that has always promised its customers industry-leading security. For the most part, it holds true. The company is one of the better-trusted consumer brands in the world, at least in terms of data privacy. However, a new report has surfaced which claims that the tech giant is regularly listening on private conversations by its hired contractors through Siri, its digital voice assistant.

Home Pod

Initial reports had revealed that Apple was hiring contractors across the globe to listen to Siri recordings to improve the voice assistants capabilities. What came as a surprise was the fact that the company had failed to enlighten its users regarding this practice. Now, a fresh report suggests that there have been “countless instances” of recordings carrying sensitive information or private conversations. Furthermore, it has also been reported that some cases of illegal activities have also been caught in the recordings. Apple had initially promised users that anonymity is being maintained and no user info is accessible. However, a source claimed that the recordings also feature user data showing locations, contact details and app data.

Apple started the initiative of human interaction with Siri recordings to improve its interface and interactional capabilities. The company said that only a small portion of Siri requests are analysed and users’ Apple ID is not associated alongside the recordings. Addtionally, Apple claimed that all reviewers are under strict confidential guidelines and are undertaken at secured facilities. Although the contractors and audio reviewing isn’t a secret, its privacy terms do not inform users of the practice.

Also Read: Indian Smartphone Market Reaches Record-Breaking 37 Million Shipments In Q2

People conscious about their privacy and afraid of the accidental triggering of Siri can turn off the “Hey Siri” feature. The new accusation marks the increasing frequency with which even the most trusted brands are being doubted. In a modern interconnected world, data privacy is now increasingly more important. Apple has yet to respond to the latest reports but a statement is expected to arrive soon.

July 27, 2019
Indian Smartphone Market Reaches Record Breaking 37 Million Shipments In Q2

India is currently one of the largest smartphone markets and is also amongst the fastest growing one as well in the industry. According to a new report, the Indian smartphone market has broken previous records with a massive 37 million units being shipped in just the second quarter of 2019 alone. The increase is just a single digit growth but which the country gains steadily after each passing year.

Counterpoint, a research and analytical firm, has reported via its Market Monitor services that “the growth was driven via new launches, price cuts on older devices and channel expansion across brands.” One of the contributing factors were the expansion of offline centric brands to online stores. It includes online-website exclusive series which have helped boost sales of certain brands like OPPO and Vivo. In a similar fashion, brands that had been online exclusive have now shifted to offline shelves with partnerships with key retailers like OnePlus. Notably, various OEMs have seen success targetting multiple demographics within one series of smartphone that sport different specifications and price in the Indian smartphone market; similar to a flagship and its more inexpensive variants.

Furthermore, it has been reported that the most popular price range for smartphone is the INR 10,000 to INR 20,000 bracket. It includes all the mid range or affordable flagships which have become increasingly popular in the country. The handset trends such as notch display, multiple rear cameras, pop up selfie feature and in-display sensor technology are also being catered to in this price range to attract customers. The top 5 most popular brands in the Indian smartphone market from 2018 have seen some gains and losses but for the most part are still relevant.

Also Read: Motorola Launches The Moto E6 With Snapdragon 435 & 2GB RAM

As the smartphone market grows, the older feature phones are currently witnessing a sharp decline in sales volume. A steep dive of 39% is being observed in the latters sales every year. The market research report shows the Indian smartphone markets potential for further growth. Companies such as Apple and LG taking initiative to start manufacturing in India is another great plus point. Made in India smartphones are cheaper than the shipped from abroad and are a great offering. All in all, the industry is brimming with choices and the current era is a golden age for customers.

July 27, 2019
PUBG Mobile Lite Released In India
Tencent Corp, the game studio famous for porting the massively popular PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to smartphones have just launched a new game. Owing to the explosive success of the original PUBG Mobile, Tencent Games have released a new watered-down version of the game named PUBG Mobile Lite. The game was in beta for a while now and has finally been launched in India.

So What’s New?

PUBG Mobile Lite is similar to PUBG Lite which was also launched with toned down graphical fidelity in comparison to its original. PUBG PC and PUBG Mobile are taxing games on their respective platforms, hence, to lower the barrier of entry a Lite version was launched for both titles. Here is a list of some of the new mechanics you will find in PUBG Mobile Lite
- Aim Assist:
  PUBG Mobile utilized an aim assist system to aids its players aiming during gameplay. PUBG Mobile Lite takes it even further by enhancing this feature, mking it much more prmoinent. In the game, we were able to hip fire enemy combatants from range which was impossible in past iterations.
- Recoil Control:
  In efforts for streamlining the experience, the game features heavily supressed recoil when firing different guns. It means that there is less kick when firing which also better aids aiming and firing.
- Higher Time To Kill:
  PUBG Mobile Lite has significantly raised the TTK of the game. In other words, each player takes a lot more damage before being downed or eliminated completely. According to Tencent, the balancing was introduced to test and encourage a more aggressive style of gameplay.
- Heal While Moving:
  Players are now able to heal or use boosters while moving. It is a feature which is also going to be introduced in PUBG PC and soon across other titles within the franchise. The new feature is much needed and will ensure better survivability during tense gun fights.
- New Map & Smaller Amount Of Players:
  Currently, the only map offered in the game is an updated version of Eragnel. The map changes will also be reflected in other games and have been made for a narrative direction in the future. Notably, unlike other PUBG titles, the total amount of people dropping in to fight it out are just 60. It is lower than the other games in the franchise which featured 100 players.
- Smaller Download Size:
  The new game from Tencent is about four times smaller than the original PUBG Mobile. The latter has a download size of about 2GB while the former fall just under 500MB in size.
First Look & Hands On

We fired up PUBG Mobile Lite on a low-end smartphone to test the minimum requirements of the game. It looks and plays almost identically to PUBG Mobile but with the lowest graphical settings. Speaking of which, graphical settings are not available for fine tuning in the game, rather the option itself is not present. While playing the game, we found it extremely easy to get kills in the game and have already achieved a “Chicken Dinner” on the second run. The game is highly rewarding and can be picked up by just about anyone.

PUBG Mobile Lite is an extremely easy game to get into and for those who wish to experience PUBG without dealing with experienced players, they can try this game right now. Unfortunately, since the game is relatively new, it still suffers from the annoying bot problems owing to a general lack of players. The problem is expected to soon be solved once more players join in. For seasoned PUBG Mobile players, this game will be right up there an area of expertise.

Availability & Conclusion

Tencent claims that the game was optimized for areas with an unstable network connection and will run on a minimum of 2GB RAM. The company made the decision to lower the entry to an authentic PUBG experience. Ironically, while playing the game we managed to get affected with occasional latency issues and even disconnection on a stable network connection. This could partly be due to the fact only two servers are currently offered.

Also Read: Motorola Launches The Moto E6 With Snapdragon 435 & 2GB RAM

We recommend casual gamers to try out the game as it still offers a true PUBG experience. The game is currently available in Google’s Play Store and is free to play. Comment down below on your experience with PUBG Mobile Lite and stay tuned for more gaming related news on iGyaan
July 27, 2019
RED Confirms Hydrogen 2, Blames Chinese ODM For Failed First Smartphone

RED announced its first-ever smartphone back in May 0f 2018. The announcement led to the build-up of a lot of hype. Its popularity soared due to RED being a renowned name in the digital cinema industry owing to its cameras. The phone was much awaited prior to its launch but failed to deliver many of its basic expectations. RED’s Hydrogen One was a commercial failure because of its shortcomings on basic UI and even the camera, a department RED specializes in. Now, the company has gone on official forums to blame a Chinese ODM which was tasked with manufacturing the smartphone and has seemingly confirmed Hydrogen 2.

In the forums, RED explained why its bold endeavour into the smartphone industry wasn’t a success. Allegedly, RED claimed that getting the Chinese ODM (Original Device Manufacturer) that was tasked for making Hydrogen One to complete the work was “beyond challenging.” It explains why the smartphone had faced delays prior to its actual launch date. The phone faced disastrous levels of un optimization which RED claims were due to the poor software integration of the Snapdragon 835 SoC.

Furthermore, RED is now partnering up with a new ODM which according to the company seem much more capable. In the post, the company also confirmed the second iteration of the Hydrogen phone. The new device is being built from the ground up and is expected to release in 2020. Additionally, an attachable module that RED had promised is finally planned to be released. It is an improved Komodo module that will work with both Hydrogen One and Two and will allow for “cinema-grade images at the highest level at lower pricing.”

Also Read: Google Launches Gallery Go, A 10MB Offline Photo App

Unfortunately, more information regarding the upcoming RED Hydrogen Two is still unavailable. It is speculated that the device is still in its early stages of development and more details are expected to arrive later this year. Hopefully, the second iteration is a much better experience than the last and will hold true to any promises RED makes. Stay tuned for more updates.

July 25, 2019
Samsung Claims The Galaxy Fold Has Been Fixed, To Relaunch In September

Korean electronics giant Samsung launched its first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold back in the month of February. At the event, it was announced that the device will be commercially available starting the 26th of April; however, a few weeks before its release a few Galaxy Fold review units started breaking. Many known technology journalists reported that due to a design flaw, the handset’s inside display can easily be compromised.

Samsung then announced that it is taking some time to fix the smartphone and will launch it again at a later date. Months passed, but there was no definite time bracket from the company. Until now, as it has claimed in a press release that all the issues plaguing the Galaxy Fold have been fixed and the device will be relaunched in the month of September.

What has been fixed

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Fold has passed through some design and construction improvements to be certified for a relaunch. These improvements include the extension of the top protective layer of the inside display. The new layer now makes it apparent that it is an integral part of the display and should not be removed. The updates to the foldable smartphone also include additional reinforcements to further protect it from external particles while maintaining its folding mechanism. Along with the aforementioned changes, the handset will also feature protection caps on the top and bottom of the hinge area; while also reducing the space between the hinge and the body of the device.

Also read: Netflix Launches Mobile-Only Plan In India, Costs Rs 199 Per Month

The images shared by Samsung of the redesigned Galaxy Fold reaffirm its claims as the mentioned changes are visible, although only subtly. While the foldable smartphone has been redesigned, the company claims its price will remain the same, that is US$ 1,980 (Rs. 1,36,500). While Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Fold will launch in September, no specific launch date has been provided. It is also not certain why the company is not announcing the device at the Galaxy Unpacked event next month, where it is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 10. It is speculated that it is being done to not steal the spotlight away from either of the two handsets. Whatever may be the case though, we will not have to have to wait too long to find out.

July 25, 2019
Google Launches Gallery Go, A 10MB Offline Photo App

Google, one of the largest technology brands, has unveiled its latest software application to organize photos offline for Android devices. The search giant introduced its Gallery Go application which is a lightweight offline gallery app. The program was developed by Google for Nigeria which hints its focus for third world countries where data connectivity is not widespread. In addition, Gallery Go is built on a simple user interface to enable easy usability from first-time smartphone owners.

Features

Back in 2015, the company launched Google Photos which is a photo-sharing and online storage service. It is one of the most used application from the company and constantly gets updates that offer new features. Similarly, Gallery Go is in a sense a Lite version of the photo app and brings many of the great features from Google Photos. It is an offline gallery app with native support from organizing and cataloguing images. The application carries a negligible file size of 10MB and also works with SD cards to allow for easier transfer of images from smartphones.

Availability

Furthermore, Gallery Go also features a simple editing tool that is useful for enhancing images. It is enabled via Google Photos Auto Enhance feature that automatically adjusts lighting and contrasts. The small app size carries a hefty punch with its functionality without ever slowing down users smartphones. Gallery Go is available on the Play Store for devices running Android 8.1 Oreo or higher. The application has been released globally but will unfortunately not carry some of the features such as “organizing according to people” in certain countries.

Also Read: 2020 Olympics Medals Will Be Made From Gold Recycled From Old Smartphones

Gallery Go follows Google’s trend of making Go variants of its software which are lightweight and offer simpler functionality. The best example of this would be Android Go OS, a light version of Android OS. The company has made the app for users that do not have a reliable internet connection so even countries like India in its rural side can benefit. Users that are interested can download the app and try it out. Do let us know your opinions of the app in the comments section down below.

July 24, 2019

Netflix Launches Mobile Only Plan In India, Costs Rs 199 Per Month

Due to the abundance of 4G internet, on-demand music and video streaming services have seen rapid growth in India. To attract more customers to its platform, Netflix has introduced a “Mobile” plan that is significantly more affordable than the “Basic”, “Standard” or “Premium” plan.

As the name suggests, the subscription can only be used to stream on-demand video content on smartphones and tablets. Equally important is the fact that content is limited to SD quality (standard quality) or 480p in the “Mobile” Netflix subscription. Nevertheless, users still get the option to download media locally which they can consume later, during the absence of an active internet connection.

Speaking of price, the Netflix “Mobile” plan costs only Rs 199 which is significantly lower than other plans. For reference, listed below are all the plans that Netflix offers in the country:

Feature	Mobile	Basic	Standard	Premium
Price	Rs 199	Rs 499	Rs 649	Rs 799
HD Streaming	No	No	Yes	Yes
UHD Streaming	No	No	No	Yes
Watch On Laptop and TV	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Watch On Mobile Phone and Tablet	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Screens That Can Be Viewed Simultaneously	1	1	2	4
Cancel Anytime	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
First Month Free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Also Read: 2020 Olympics Medals Will Be Made From Gold Recycled From Old Smartphones

Although Netflix mobile subscription is remarkably more affordable than regular plans, as previously mentioned, video streaming is only limited to SD quality which may be the only reason that keeps potential subscribers at bay.

What do you think of this affordable Netflix plan? Let us know in the comments below.

July 24, 2019

2020 Olympics Medals Will Be Made From Gold Recycled From Old Smartphones

Olympics is a long-running athletic event which is over a century old. The event is generally believed to be the pinnacle of all sporting events and hosts a myriad of different competitions that have the worlds best athletes compete against each other whilst representing their respective nations. In the event, the contestants strive to show the result of their years of hard training in front of a global audience. The top honour for the event is the legendary gold medal. Surprisingly, for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, these prestigious badges will be made from precious metals recovered from recycled smartphones.

Smartphones are known to house over hundreds of tiny components. By its extension, those small but crucial parts are sometimes made of rare and expensive materials. Silver, bronze and even gold are materials that can be found in almost every device nowadays. Hence, programmes have surfaced worldwide for the recycling of electronic waste products with Apple being a notable name.

How They Were Made

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee had started a two-year campaign to collect donated electronic devices from its citizens back in April 2017. It was undertaken to harvest the required metals. Over 78,895 tons of gadgets were received in total which included over 6.21 million smartphones. The end result saw an extraction of 32kg of gold, 3,500kg of silver and 2,200kg of bronze. 2020 Olympics organizing committee has revealed the designs of the medals one year prior to the actual event. The badge was designed by a person who won a competition that had entries from more than 400 professional designers and design students.

Olympic Medals

The Olympics’ medals that will be handed out to its first, second and third place winners are gold, silver and bronze respectively. The medals are 85mm in diameter and measure 7.7mm at their thinnest and 12.1 mm at their thickest. Gold medals use more than 6 grams of gold plating on pure silver, while the silver medals are made from pure silver. On the other hand, bronze medals are made from a red brass alloy consisting of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 11 Leaked Internals And Camera Features Roundup

Olympics 2020 will begin from 24th July in Tokyo till 9th August and would have multiple countries send their best athletes to compete for top honours. For those wondering why stores still buy obsolete, old or broken phones, its to recycle its components or sell it for the small amounts of rare materials they carry. So if you are in possession of such an old device, cherish the treasure it holds within.

July 24, 2019

Nokia Launches 220 4G and 105 Feature Phones

Nokia has been making smartphones for quite some time now, however, a large part of the company’s revenue is still generated via the sales of budget-oriented feature phones. Further diversifying its portfolio of such affordable mobile devices, Nokia has launched two new candy-bar style phones which are called the Nokia 220 4G and Nokia 105.

The newly launched 4G handset is a successor to the Nokia 220 which debuted in the year 2014, while the Nokia 105 has undergone a fourth overhaul.

Nokia 220 and 105

As previously mentioned both the Nokia 220 4G and Nokia 105 have a Candybar style design with a small display on the front and a tactile keypad which is placed right below it. Notably, the latter has a rubberised keypad while the former has a plastic keypad.

The highlighting features on the Nokia 220 4G and Nokia 105 are an LED TorchLight, FM Radio and a long battery backup which is a staple to company’s feature phones. Both smartphones have plastic build which is designed to disassemble in case of an accidental drop. The detailed specifications of the two smartphones are as follows:

	Nokia 220 4G	Nokia 105
Display	2.4 inch QQVGA Colour Display	1.77 inch QQVGA Colour Display
Battery	1200 mAh	800 mAh
Camera	VGA Camera LED Flash	N/A
Dimensions and Weight	121.3 x 52.9 x 13.4mm 86.5 gram	119 x 49.2 x 14.4mm 74 g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 4.2 Micro USB 3.5 mm Audio Jack	Micro USB 3.5 mm Audio Jack
Other Features	LED Flash Wireless FM Radio MP3 Player	FM Radio Torchlight

Also Read: Fresh Leak Reveals Full Specs Of The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 And Note 10+

As the specifications state, the price of the Nokia 220 4G is the more than the Nokia 105. Both the handsets will be available for purchase in the month of August. The price of the two devices are as follows:

Nokia 220 4G: US $ 44, (around Rs 3,000)
Nokia 105: US $ 15 (around Rs 999)

What are your thoughts on the two newly launched feature phones from Nokia? Let us know in the comments below.

July 24, 2019

Fresh Leak Reveals Full Specs Of The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 And Note 10+

Samsung will soon launch the 10th iteration of its Note lineup of smartphones which will be dubbed the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Note 10+. Both the smartphones have been subjected to numerous leaks in the past that have revealed their features in bits and pieces.

However, a reliable source has shared detailed specs of the two Samsung Galaxy Note 10 handsets that have only left their pricing to the imagination.

It has been said time and again that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 lineup of smartphones will be significantly different than their predecessor, both in terms of specs and design. And the latest leak strengthens the claim.

According to the images shared by the source, both the Galaxy Note 10 smartphones will have a visionary design with a large screen display on the front that is surrounded by negligible bezels. Besides they will also have a punch hole in the display to house the selfie camera and an indisplay fingerprint sensor.

Talking about the rear of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 smartphones, they seem to have a glass build with a neat layout that accommodates the company branding the camera setup. Both handsets have an elongated capsule-shaped triple camera module. Besides, the Galaxy Note+ sports and additional ToF sensor which is placed next to the main module.

Following are the detailed specs of the two Galaxy Note 10 smartphones:

Specification

Galaxy Note 10

Galaxy Note 10+

Screen

6.3 Inch Infinity O, 60 Hz

AMOLED Display

QHD+ Resolution

6.5 Inch Infinity O, 60 Hz

AMOLED Display

QHD+ Resolution

Chipset

Exynos 9825

Octa Core CPU

(2x 2.7 GHz, 2x 2.4 GHz, 4x 1.4 GHz)

Snapdragon 855

Octa Core CPU

Adreno 640 GPU

Exynos 9825

Octa Core CPU

(2x 2.7 GHz, 2x 2.4 GHz, 4x 1.4 GHz)

Snapdragon 855

Octa Core CPU

Adreno 640 GPU

Battery

3600 mAh

Fast Wired Charging Upto 45 W

Wireless Charging Upto 20 W

Reverse Wireless Charging Upto 15 W

4300 mAh

Fast Wired Charging Upto 45 W

Wireless Charging Upto 20 W

Reverse Wireless Charging Upto 15 W

Front Camera

10 MP Dual Pixel

f/2.2

4K @ 30 fps

10 MP Dual Pixel

f/2.2

4K @ 30 fps

Rear Camera

12 MP Dual Pixel, f/1.5-f/2.4

16 MP Ultra Wide, f/2.2

12 MP 2x Optical Zoom, f/2.1

4K @ 60 fps

12 MP Dual Pixel, f/1.5-f/2.4

16 MP Ultra Wide, f/2.2

12 MP 2x Optical Zoom, f/2.1

ToF (Time Of Flight Sensor)

4K @ 60 fps

Security

Face recognition

Ultrasonic Fingerprint Reader

Knox 3.4

Face recognition

Ultrasonic Fingerprint Reader

Knox 3.4

RAM

8 GB

LPDDR4x

12 GB

LPDDR4x

ROM

256 GB (base variant)

UFS 3.0

Expandable Upto 1 TB

256 GB (base variant)

UFS 3.0

Expandable Upto 1 TB

Other Features

AKG Stereo Speakers

Dolby Atmos

S-Pen (with air gestures)

AKG Stereo Speakers

Dolby Atmos

S-Pen (with air gestures)

Also Read: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Review

To sum it up, both the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ will be one the best smartphones of the year 2019. However, to authenticate the leaks and get official pricing we will have to wait for the official launch which is scheduled for 7th of August.

July 24, 2019

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Review
Reiterating on what was said before, it is the perfect time to be a PC gamer. NVIDIA had announced its RTX SUPER series cards at Computex 2019 and will mark the first refresh of its latest-gen graphics cards. Historically, Team Green has always led the charts in performance over its competitors. Even with the vanilla RTX series cards, the company has managed to stay ahead of any new-gen graphics cards released by AMD. We have already reviewed the RTX 2070 SUPER and now we see how the RTX 2080 SUPER holds up in its comparison.

Notably, the RTX SUPER series will replace their vanilla versions except the RTX 2060. Both standard RTX 2070 and 2080 will cease production to make room for the nominally faster SUPER variants. The review will follow a similar format as the prior tests and feature multiple categories to give detailed information to our readers.

Design

One of the key defining design element that the RTX 20 SUPER series feature is a new mirror finish on the steel front. The metallic texture is extremely reflective and houses the new name of the new SUPER GPU. RTX 2080 SUPER features a dual fan set up which is a welcoming change over the GTX 10 series single blower style fans. It enables a better thermal management system overall. The side houses GeForce RTX branding which is backlit by a green LED providing the graphics card with a minimalistic yet attractive aesthetic. We appreciated the sleek design, however, the design may vary depending on which 3rd party you buy it from. The version we tested was the Founder’s Edition sold directly by NVIDIA. Users can also expect triple fan variants from other retailers like Zotac, Gigabyte, MSI and much more.

Synthetic Benchmark

Users should keep in mind synthetic benchmarks record raw performance which does not always translate to a real world performance in games. Nevertheless, synthetic benchmarks do allow for better measurement of graphics cards productivity capabilities like video editing and rendering for professionals.
- Geekbench 4
  In Geekbench, the OpenCL benchmark has the RTX 2080 SUPER receiving a 300,000 score. The score is 10-15% boost over its predecessor the RTX 2080 but a significant bump over the RTX 2070 SUPER. Interestingly, the RTX 2080 SUPER sits right above the RX 5700 XT from AMD and below the RTX 2080 Ti.
- Time Spy
  Time Spy test under the 3DMark benchmarking software tested the RTX 2080 SUPER on a 1440p resolution. The result was a score of 10,227 and a 60+fps average; it is a nominal bump over its predecessors as even the 2070 SUPER came really close with comparable performance. We observed a similar trend across benchmarks with 2080 SUPER sitting in between the 2080 Ti and 2070 SUPER.
- Time Spy Port Royal (Ray Tracing)
  3DMark also offers a special benchmarking tool that can put the ray-tracing capable NVIDIA cards to the test. Port Royal with DXR enabled offered a score of 6185 with an average fps nearing 28.86fps. Its a minor improvement over the RTX 2070 SUPER which nears the 6000 marks as well and trails behind the RTX 2080 Ti that scored over 7000.
- MSI Kombsutor (Stress Test)
  MSI Kombustor is a stress testing app that runs a rendering frame for the GPU to measure its endurance during load. The RTX 2080 SUPER reached 90% usage and during a 15-minute run, it barely crossed the 80-degree mark during our test. The frame rate counter sat stably at 280-290fps with no signs of thermal throttling.
Gaming Benchmarks
- PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds
  
  PUBG was tested on 3 different resolutions while being set on the highest graphical settings possible. At 1080p the game performed admirably with framerates crossing 140fps; while On 1440p, the game managed to average around 120fps with occasional drops to 100fps during explosions in an open environment. 4K or 2160p saw the card take a massive hit in performance but still put out a stable and smooth 60fps on the high native resolution.
- Battlefield V
  
  Similar to PUBG, Battlefield V was also run on three different resolutions to see any notable difference in performance. RTX 2080 SUPER managed to score an average of about 150fps while at 1440p it managed only about 100fps. All the settings were focused for the best graphical fidelity possible and 4K performance reached a stable 70fps.
- Metro Exodus
  Metro Exodus was a title launched with support for NVIDIA’s latest ray-tracing technique. It was one of the first game to do so and we tested the game with DXR settings on at 1080p. When the game ran on 1080p and DXR off, we saw an average of 140fps at maximum settings. After DXR is turned on we see a notable hit in performance and the game drops to an average of 90 fps and when DLSS was turned on the performance got bumped to 120fps. At 1440p, the RTX 2080 SUPER managed to churn out an impressive average of 130fps and even managed to offer a stable 60fps on 4K native resolution.
Cooling & Noise

NVIDIA is renowned for a better thermal management solution over any of its competitors. Team Green has optimised its cards for optimal performance without overheating at all times. The MSI Kombustor test was a good wat to test it out and during loads, the GPU managed to hit the 80 degree Celsius mark with fans running on 57-58dBa audio levels. On idle, the card is still pretty audible at 52-53dBa and has a temperature within the 40-50 degree Celsius range during rest. All in all the RTX 2080 SUPER is a powerful card which should rarely face thermal throttling during peak gaming operations.

Driver Support

The GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER graphics card is the latest entry in the RTX SUPER series and is bound to receive the latest drivers. NVIDIA has already announced drivers for popular AAA game titles prior to the actual launch. The support will enhance graphical fidelity during gameplay and will also complement its ray-tracing solutions for great visuals. The list of the latest game titles that have been optimised by NVIDIA includes Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Madden NFL 20. Both games are the latest instalment in their respective franchises; a free copy of Youngblood will be available with the purchase of any RTX SUPER series graphics card from NVIDIA.

Price & Conclusion

NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is available for a price tag of INR 61,400 in India (USD 599 in the US). Buyers should note that the above-mentioned price is for the Founder’s Edition from NVIDIA. The graphics card will be sold by various 3rd party retailers such as MSI, Zotac, Gigabyte, and many more may carry a slightly different price tag. For more information regarding availability, readers can check out NVIDIA’s official website; for those who wish to buy peripherals for an even greater gaming experience can also check out NVIDIA’s G-sync monitors.

Also Read: Galaxy Note 10 Will Support Zoom Audio, Display & Battery Details Also Revealed

The RTX 2070 SUPER retails for the INR 43,600 and USD 499 and offers performance on par with the RTX 2080. The tests have shown that the RTX 2080 SUPER offers only a marginal boost of performance over the last iteration. An average of 10-15% increase in performance is observed all the while carrying an additional INR 20,000. It is strongly recommended for people who are leaning more towards 1440p or 1080p gaming with ray tracing enabled to go for the RTX 2070 SUPER. The card is a powerful contender at a reasonable price point and should offer similar performance to its elder sibling. If gaming enthusiasts do wish to spend extra for the sweet 4K 60fps then look no further than the RTX 2080 SUPER.
July 23, 2019
Honor Launches MagicBook Pro 16 Premium Laptop
On the 23rd of July, Honor held a launch event in its home country, China where it unveiled the long-anticipated Honor 9X duo of smartphones. Besides it also unveiled a premium-grade notebook computer called the MagicBook Pro that touts a 16-inch display with an elegant design and high-end specifications.

MagicBook Pro 16 Specs and Features

Right off the bat, the Honor MagicBook Pro draws a lot of inspiration from Apple’s MacBook lineup of computers. It has an aluminium body with a sleek design that incorporates a 16.1-inch Full HD display. In terms of dimensions and weight, the laptop measures 369 X 234 X 16.9mm and it tips the scale at 1.7 kg.

Under the hood, the MagicBook Pro 16 can be configured with either an i5 or i7 8th Generation Intel processor. It also packs an Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU that has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory.

The laptop computer from Honor also has a bunch of nifty features which include a power button that doubles up as a fingerprint sensor, a 1 MP web camera that is concealed inside the function lane of the keyboard and dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

To keep the temperatures on the Honor MagicBook Pro 16 under check, the laptop is kitted with dual high-speed fans. The laptop also has a variety of input and output ports which are as follows:
- 1x USB Type-C Port
- 3x USB 3.0 (Type A) Port
- 1x HDMI Port
- 3.5 mm audio jack, headphone and mic combo
Connectivity options on the Honor MagicBook Pro 16 include 802.11 ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. The laptop is powered by a 57 WHr battery which is claimed to provide a battery backup of upto 14 hours.

In term of memory and storage the Honor MagicBook Pro is offered in several configurations for which the prices are as follows:
- Core i5, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage: 5,499 yuan (around Rs 55,000)
- Core i7, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage: 6,199 Yuan (around Rs 62,000)
- Core i7, 16GB RAM and 1TB storage: 7,999 Yuan (around Rs 80,000)
Also Read: Jio GigaFiber Commercial Launch Date Tipped, May Cost Rs 600 Per Month

The laptop is currently available for purchase only in China but if the demand for its rises, the company may launch it in other regions as well

To sum it up, the Honor MagicBook Pro 16 sums to a be a laptop that not only looks good but offers worthy specs for the price it is being offered at.

Which according to you is the best feature on teh newly launched laptop from Honor? Do let us know in the comments below.
July 23, 2019
Jio GigaFiber Commercial Launch Date Tipped, May Cost Rs 600 Per Month

Following the sensational reception of Jio 4G, Reliance Industries had announced Jio GigaFiber at the 2018 AGM (Annual General Meeting). At the time of kick-off, the ultra-high-speed internet service was limited to 1,100 cities and users could enrol via a registration process.

Although the beta trials of the Jio GigaFiber service has undergone successfully in most regions, its commercial launch is yet to take place.

According to a fresh report, the highly anticipated Jio GigaFiber service will be commercially rolled out on the 12th of August which is the designated date for company’s this year’s AGM.

Besides announcing the commercial avialbliliy of high-speed broadband Jio GigaFiber, Reliance is also expected to unveil products and services in the entertainment and IoT domain(internet of thing).

When the Jio GigaFiber service was announced last year, users had to pay a sum of Rs 4500 as a security deposit to acquire the necessary networking equipment. However, the company had later introduced an affordable version of ONT (optical network terminal) that has brought down the security deposit to just Rs 2,500.

In terms of the monthly subscription fee, Reliance is expected to retain the price of Rs 600 which was originally announced. Subscribing to the said plan provides a combo of three services which include GigaFiber broadband, Jio Home TV (DTH service) and Jio Apps including Jio Music and Jio Movies (both of which are on-demand streaming services).

Also Read: Huawei Launches The Honor 9X & Honor 9X Pro In China

Conclusively, as Jio 4G took over the telecom sector due to competent prices and widespread reach, the Jio GigaFiber is expected to replicate that in the broadband and DTH industry.

What are your thoughts on Jio GigaFiber? What do you think should be the right pricing for the service and equipment? Let us know in the comments below.

July 23, 2019
Another Day, Apple Watch Saves Yet Another Man’s Life

Apple Watch which was originally intended as an extended accessory to the iPhone has turned into a lot more. The smartwatch with built-in health-related sensors like a heart rate monitor (HRM) has saved a significant number of lives in the past.

Likewise, a 48 year old Brit named, Paul Hutton received a life-saving surgery after his Apple Watch notified him of irregular heartbeat pattern which would frequently drop below 40 bpm (beats per minute). For reference, the heart rate of a healthy human ranges between 60 bpm and 100 bpm.

When the Apple Watch notified him for the first time, the man visited a general practitioner who apparently diagnosed him with low heart rate. In order to resolve the issue, he cut down on caffeine. Nevertheless, his Apple Watch which was upgraded in 2017 continued to send notifications.

Following continuous warnings from the wearable device, he has referred him to a consultant who diagnosed him of a potentially life-threatening condition called, ventricular bigeminy. Readers who are unaware, this condition is referred to as a problematic heart rhythm in which there are repeated rhythmic heartbeats, one long and one shorter. This irregular heart-pumping action can lead to the improper blood supply to vital organs of the body.

The sufferer has since undergone a complex surgery that has supposedly fixed the underlying health issue. Though he continues to use his Apple Watch and perhaps will use it even in the future.

Also Read: Galaxy Note 10 Will Support Zoom Audio, Display & Battery Details Also Revealed

To sum it up, technology has actually come a long way and devices like Apple Watch are of great use in saving precious lives.

What is your take on health-related technology and gadgets? If you use any such gadgets yourself, do let us know in the comments below.

July 23, 2019
Galaxy Note 10 Will Support Zoom Audio, Display & Battery Details Also Revealed

Samsung will soon announce the 10th generation of its Galaxy Note smartphones which will be carrying the “Note 10” branding. Reports in the past claimed that like the Galaxy S10 lineup, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 lineup will have four variants including the “e” variant, “+” variant, “5G” variant and a standard variant. However, a technology blog based out of Greek suggests that the device will only be offered in two variant.

Besides, the source has also revealed key details of the two Galaxy Note 10 variants which are as follows:In term of display, the economical Samsung Galaxy Note 10 variant will have a 6.3 inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution while the second variant will have a 6.8 inch AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution. The former will weigh 168 grams while the latter will weigh 198 grams.

Notably, both the smartphones will skip on a 3.5 mm jack which reportedly allows adding 100 mAh of their respective batteries. Speaking of battery, the smaller Galaxy Note 10 will pack a 3500 mAh battery whereas the high-end variant will have 4,300 mAh battery.

Although both variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will support fast charging the affordable variant will support 25 W charging whereas the top-of-the-line handset will support 45 W fast charging. Noteworthy, Samsung will not supply a 45 W charger within the box and it will be sold separately as an accessory.

The S-Pen that is a staple to Galaxy Note lineup of smartphones will also be present on the Note 10. However, the new stylus pen will boast of new features including support of touchless gestures. Also, while taking notes, the new S-Pen will produce an artificial sound which will replicate the sound of writing on paper with a highlight marker.

A distinguishing photography feature that the Galaxy Note 10 is bound to get is “zoom audio”. The feature is similar to what LG had showcased a couple of years ago. As the name suggests, the zoom audio feature increases the levels of volume captured as a user zooms into a video. To help better understand the following is an example. If a user is capturing video of a running tap and he zooms into the frame, the volume of the audio recording will also increase which mimics an immersive experience.

Finally, with the Galaxy Note 10, Samsung has reportedly done away with the dedicated Bixby button. Instead, the toggle switch to the Voice Assistant will be incorporated into the power button as observed with the Huawei P30 Pro.

Although the current leak does not reveal any details about like the chipset or camera resolution of the upcoming Galaxy Note 10, interested readers can review them here.

Also Read: Asus ROG Phone 2 Launched, Features 120 Hz AMOLED Display And 6000 mAh Battery

In order to confirm all the claims and obtain the official pricing of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 smartphones, we won’t have to wait for long as their launch is scheduled for the 7th of August at the Unpacked event which will take place in New York.

July 23, 2019