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  • Samsung Galaxy A60 With 32MP Front Camera, 4500mAh Battery Leaked

    Samsung Galaxy A60 With 32MP Front Camera, 4500mAh Battery Leaked

    Samsung announced the latest entrant in the Galaxy A series, the Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 on February 28 in India. There were reports about a possible Galaxy A40 and Galaxy A90 in the works for some time too. Fresh leaks have surfaced revealing possibly another device in the ever-expanding range of devices. The leak claims the device is the upcoming Galaxy A60 and unveils key specifications of the smartphone.

    Samsung Galaxy A60

    As the name suggests, the Samsung Galaxy A60 will be the elder sibling to the Galaxy A50; and is expected to carry major design and features from the device, albeit with a few upgrades. The leak suggests the smartphone will have the same ‘3D Glasstic’ back which will provide it with a modern look. Its display will be a massive 6.7 inch Super AMOLED one with an Infinity-U notch on the top and a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. Like the Galaxy A50, there will be an in-display fingerprint scanner with support for face unlock technology.

    The leak insinuates that the Galaxy A60 may debut with an all-new SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6150; which has been reported to be manufactured using 11nm fabrication process. The chipset may sport an Octa-core CPU and an unannounced Adreno GPU. Interestingly, Qualcomm uses Samsung’s architecture process to make 11nm processors and manufactures SoCs like the Snapdragon 675. It is therefore expected that the company will produce the aforementioned chipset for Qualcomm and debut the Galaxy A60 with it. 

    In terms of optics, the leak reveals Galaxy A60 will feature a triple rear camera setup comprising of a 32MP sensor; combined with an 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. For selfies, the smartphone will have a 32MP camera housed in the notch on top of the display. The device will be powered by a 4500mAh battery and is likely to support fast charging via the USB Type-C port. For memory and storage, the Galaxy A60 will be available in the following variants:

    • 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
    • 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM
    Pricing and Availability

    Also read: Is Artificial Intelligence Digging Its Roots Deeper Into Our Reality?

    The leaks also reveal when the Samsung Galaxy A60 will launch. The smartphone will be unveiled in the month of April. Unfortunately, no details about the pricing are known yet, but early estimates suggest that the device will be priced at Rs 25,999 for the base model and Rs 28,999 for the version with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

  • Full Specifications Of The Xiaomi Redmi 7 Leak

    Full Specifications Of The Xiaomi Redmi 7 Leak

    Earlier this week, Xiaomi’s sub-brand, Redmi launched two new admirable smartphones, the Note 7 and Note 7 Pro in India. A listing on Chinese regulatory website, TENAA has revealed the specifications of the unreleased Redmi 7 which is supposed to launch soon. The smartphone will succeed the Redmi 6 which was launched last year. Going by the placing of its predecessor in companies portfolio, it will be a sub 10k smartphone will 

    Redmi 7 Specifications

    According to the TENAA listing, the Redmi 7 measure 158.65×76.43×8.47 mm and weighs in at 180 grams. The smartphone sports a 6.26 inch display that has a resolution of 1520 x 720 px. The device has a total of three cameras out of which two are placed on the rear while the third one is placed on the front. The dual camera setup at the rear is comprised of a 12 MP main sensor and an additional 8 MP sensor. The front facing camera of the smartphone uses an 8 MP sensor which is presumed to be housed in a waterdrop notch on the front of the display.

    The Redmi 7 is kitted with an Octa-Core CPU which is clocked at 1.8 GHz. Although the TENAA listing does not specify the precise chipset detail, going by the clock speed of the CPU, it is likely to be the Snapdragon 632 or Snapdragon 636. The smartphone is powered by a 3,900 mAh and runs on the latest Android 9.0 OS which will be skinned with MIUI. Connectivity options on the Redmi 7 include 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G VoLTE, Infrared and USB port. As of now, it is unclear whether the device will have a Micro USB port or a USB Type-C port. It also has a variety of sensors which include Gravity sensor, light sensor, distance sensor and a fingerprint sensor.

    According to the listing, the device will be available in three storage variants which are as follows:

    • 2 GB RAM + 16 GB ROM
    • 3 GB RAM + 32 GB ROM
    • 4 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM

    Except for the internal storage, it also supports memory expansion via a microSD card. The listing states two different memory expansion capacities, 256 GB and 512 GB. Although previously unheard from Redmi, the base variant might support only 256 GB of memory expansion. The TENAA listing does not provide any insight about the design and layout of the smartphone and it will be publicised once the device is officially announced. 

    Redmi 7 Price and Launch Date

    Also Read: Meizu’s New Smartphone Will Have A 48 MP Sony Sensor & Snapdragon 855

    Going by both the specifications and price of its predecessor, the Redmi 7 is assumed to be a sub 8k smartphone in India. Its launch date is currently unavailable but the company is expected to soon announce it. 

  • Is Artificial Intelligence Digging Its Roots Deeper Into Our Reality?

    Is Artificial Intelligence Digging Its Roots Deeper Into Our Reality?

    Computers will overtake humans with AI within the next 100 years. When that happens, we need to make sure the computers have goals aligned with ours – Stephen Hawking

    It’s impossible to exist in this world without admitting to the fact that Artificial Intelligence is slowly taking over the world. One machine at a time, byte streams are making their way to the cores, learning how they function, predicting future events (and accurately at that), and providing solutions that may seem unorthodox, but are eventually for the better. And instead of veering clear of this, we live in a misconception that we are enslaving Artificial intelligence for our needs. A better look suggests otherwise-AI is steadily breaking free of constraints and taking a road that has a “Dead End” signboard staring at us straight in the face.

    How Is AI Affecting Humanity?

    We are enabling AI enabled machines to make decisions on our behalf all the time. It is customizing our music playlists as per our taste because we are too lazy to do so. Applications are available which can scrutinize your resumes and documents, suggesting necessary changes which are actually for the better. Machine learning algorithms browse through the pictures on your phone, looking for patterns that help them to filter out your best images. And all this happens in a matter of seconds. We gape with surprise at such instances of technology. We are impressed because our lives are becoming easier. Little do people realize that an algorithm which can shuffle through thousands of pictures to pick a perfect image can do much more if it’s given the necessary amount of time. 

    Setting The Necessary Constraints

    The question that arises in such a case is very simple. Where does this stop? Where do we set the limits for the applications of Artificial Intelligence? Should we do it as per our convenience or should we have larger interests in view? Elon Musk, CEO and Founder of SpaceX, Tesla and the recently unveiled project- ‘Hyperloop’ addresses the exponential growth of machine learning algorithms in our lives. “Unless you have direct exposure to groups like Deepmind, you have no idea how fast is AI developing”. Deepmind is the world leader in artificial intelligence research and its application for positive impact. Elon also mentions that the risk of something seriously dangerous happening is increasing every second, with AI revealing its dark side before 10 years from now.

    The Areas At Grave Risk

    Artificial IntelligenceMentioned below are some of the major risks that accompany fully autonomous systems.

    • Social Manipulation: WhichFaceIsReal is a website which asks users to differentiate between real faces and AI generated faces. Almost all the users get more than half the answers wrong, which is a clear indication of the fact that AI is very, very capable of meddling around with your minds. The next stranger you see on social media may have a computer generated image. How would that make you feel?
    • Autonomous Weaponry: Weapons that identify targets and shoot them down are not even a science fiction gimmick anymore. Lethal Autonomous Weapons or LAWs do exist, and are as dangerous as you might think they are. On the surface, such weapons may seem like the perfect substitutes to human soldiers. No risk equals better and more efficient results. But what if an enemy or a hacker gets through the security system that protects such a weapon? Needless to say, the results to such an incident can be nothing short of catastrophic.
    • Misunderstanding Commands: Misalignment of goals and instructions between the human and the machine may sound like something petty, but in reality, it can be fatal. Say its 2030. Take an example of a businessman who’s late for a meeting. He instructs his self-driving car to get him to the venue as soon as possible. The goal is clear to the machine. It may accomplish what the person wanted. But in doing so, it may have ignored other factors which may have proven lethal to someone else on the road. Artificial intelligence is not half as considerate as you thought it was.
    • Monitoring Your Activities: If you use any device implementing Machine learning, it will identify your day-to-day patterns and suggest you routines that you may tend to follow, simply because you were the one who implemented the algorithms in the first place. Without realizing, Artificial Intelligence has modified you, a human, to follow its instructions.

    There is no doubt regarding the fact that machine learning is necessary in order to explore a lot of areas unknown to mankind. Space exploration, fusion theories, advanced healthcare, DNA syndromes are just some of the areas in which Artificial Intelligence can prove its worth. Another quote from the late Stephen Hawking reads

    AI is likely to be either the best or the worst thing to happen to humanity

    Also Read: Tesla Will Unveil The Model Y SUV On March 14

    It’s entirely up to us, the human race how it makes use of this amazing invention. Will we rule the algorithms or let the algorithms rule us?

     

  • Audio-Technica Launches ATH-M50xBT Wireless Headphones In India

    Audio-Technica Launches ATH-M50xBT Wireless Headphones In India

    Japanese audio equipment giant Audio-Technica announced its ATH-M50xBT wireless over-ear headphones in India. These were launched in Bangalore today, March 4. The company has added Bluetooth functionality to the widely acclaimed studio monitoring headphones, the ATH-M50x. The headphones were launched in the month of October last year and are finally making their way into the Indian market.

    Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT

    The Audio-Technica ATH M50xBT wireless over the ear headphones have a closed back design. This will allow for better noise isolation than open back headphones. Like its wired counterpart, the design is the same and the headphones have a ‘fold-flat’ design with 90-degree swivelling ear cups. The company claims professional grade earpads and headband on the headset. The controls are mounted on the left earcup for handling phone calls, music playback and for adjusting volume. The touch controls on the headphones will facilitate in accessing either the Google Assistant or Siri, based on the device. The company is also providing compatibility with the Audio-Technica Connect app for iOS and Android, which will further provide the headphones with additional features and tools. 

    Specifications wise, the ATH M50xBT have a 45mm aperture driver, which has a 15-28,000Hz frequency range, which will allow for wide sound coverage and sonic accuracy. The wire coils are made up of copper-clad aluminium. The headset utilizes Bluetooth 5.0 and is compatible with aptX and AAC codecs, for improvement in the audio quality. There is also support for a wired mode when the battery drains out. Speaking of battery, Audio-Technica claims a play time of up to 40 hours on a single charge on the headphones.

    Also read: 5 Latest Movie Trailers You Should Not Miss 

    The headphones will be available starting today exclusively from Amazon India at a price of Rs 18,490. Interestingly, the normal, non-Bluetooth version of the ATH M50x is currently selling for around Rs 11,000 online.

  • Meizu’s New Smartphone Will Have A 48 MP Sony Sensor & Snapdragon 855

    Meizu’s New Smartphone Will Have A 48 MP Sony Sensor & Snapdragon 855

    Meizu founder and former CEO confirmed that the company’s upcoming flagship smartphone will sport a 48 MP Sony Sensor. With a host of other features, the Chinese company will go head-on against similarly priced smartphones like the OnePlus 6T. The device may prove to be a worthy contender for its rivals in the same segment.

    Expected Specifications

    Expected to be called the Meizu 16s, the smartphone has been teased multiple times in the past. The detailed specifications of the device are not out in the open yet, but the device is rumoured to run on the Snapdragon 855 chipset. If the 16s is launched before the ‘speculated’ OnePlus 7, it will be the first smartphone in India to feature the Snapdragon 855, as the Samsung S10 and the S10+ Indian models ship with the Exynos 9820 SoC. Also, the Meizu 16s will supposedly have 8 GB of RAM, and will run on Meizu’s custom Flyme OS based on Android 9 (Pie).

    Meizu’s CEO stated that the smartphone will get a 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor for the primary camera. The same sensor is also present in Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 Pro, which was launched on February 28. The camera will support OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), although it’s still not confirmed if the smartphone will have a dual camera setup or not. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer claims that the Miezu 16s can be charged to 50% battery in just 30 minutes.

    The company teased the device with an edge-to-edge display with very thin bezels. The handset itself is 8.2 mm thick, Meizu states. The 16s will not feature a notch, instead, the camera and the earpiece will be housed in the slim forehead of the device. The smartphone will also feature an in-display fingerprint scanner to help it go up against the OnePlus 6T.

    Expected Price And Availability

    Also Read: Realme 3 With 3D Gradient Unibody Launched

    Meizu hasn’t confirmed a launch date for the device. The 16s is expected to be priced around Rs. 40,000, which may it give it an edge over similarly priced devices since it will be kitted with the latest hardware in the market at the time.

     

  • 5 Latest Movie Trailers You Should Not Miss

    5 Latest Movie Trailers You Should Not Miss

    The movie hype is on an all time high, with some great movies releasing in the upcoming months. The first few months of 2019 gave way to some amazing trailers for movies like the Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Movie critics are calling 2019 a huge year for movie releases, simply because a lot of big titles are on the line. Given below is a list of the top five recent trailers, which will leave movie fanatics wanting for more.

    1. Detective Pikachu

    Pokemon fans will know what it’s like to witness a live action Pokemon movie, and that too, a movie with the majority of attention directed at the all time favourite character, Pikachu. The trailer was faced with mixed reviews, where some people disliked the fact that the ‘cute’ voice of the Pokemon was replaced with a human’s voice. But when most of those fans realized that the “human” is none other than the beloved actor Ryan Reynolds, all griefs were put to rest. Warner Brothers just dropped the second trailer for the movie, showing a “caffeine addicted” Pikachu and Justice Smith as Tim. To fans amazement, the trailer also features the legendary Pokemon, Mewtwo in all its glory.

    The movie is scheduled for release on May 10, 2019.

    2. Dark Phoenix

    The last X-Men movie came out in 2016, titled X-Men Apocalypse. The climax of the movie showed Sophie Turner unleash her full potential, and eventually put a stop to the impending apocalypse. Dark Phoenix will  reveal the (obvious) dark side of the most powerful mutant in the team. The trailer shows all the X-Men grouping together to save their own teammate. The movie features James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain (who’s playing the negative side).

    Dark Phoenix will hit the theatres on June 7, 2019.

    3. Hellboy (2019)

    The Hellboy franchise saw Ron Perlman playing the “good demon” and fans were instantly hooked to the series. After the release of Hellboy: The Golden Army in 2008, Lionsgate Movies announced the Hellboy reboot trailer on December 19, 2018. The follow up trailer was released on February 28, 2019 and promises much more than the previous movies – quirky jokes, monsters fighting monsters and huge swords. It can’t get better than this.

    Hellboy is releasing on April 12, 2019

    4. Spider-Man: Far From Home

    A lot of fans were disheartened when they saw (SPOILER!) Peter Parker crumble away to dust in the wake of the Avengers: Infinity war. However, when they saw their favourite character come back to life in the new Spider-Man: Far From Home teaser Trailer, the hype was back on the track. And the fact that Tom Holland will get to play Spiderman in another movie is an indication that (SPOILER – 2) the dead Avengers will eventually be resurrected in the upcoming Avengers movie.

    Watch Spiderman: Far From Home swing to theatres on July 5, 2019.

    5. Frozen 2

    Also Read: Twitch VS Youtube: Which Platform Should You Start Streaming On?

    Disney’s Frozen was an animated musical-fantasy movie, and it earned over $1.27 billion in box office revenue post release. Walt Disney Animation Studios dropped the trailer for the sequel to Frozen on February 13, 2019, and the new teaser trailer is exactly opposite to Frozen 1 so far. It’s dark, broody and all the things that a Disney movie shouldn’t be, but it manages to pull it off equally magnificently. Not a lot was revealed in the trailer, but it was every bit as “intriguing” as a teaser could be. With some amazing music scores similar to “Let it Go”, the movie may provide a dark turn to events from the first movie.

    Frozen 2 will debut in Theatres on November 22, 2019.

     

  • Tesla Will Unveil The Model Y SUV On March 14

    Tesla Will Unveil The Model Y SUV On March 14

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced on Twitter that the long-awaited electric Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) from the company, the Model Y will be unveiled on March 14. The event will take place at the company’s design studio in Los Angeles, USA. Notably, the Model Y will be the fifth car the company will launch since it was founded in the year 2003.

    Tesla Model Y

    The upcoming Tesla Model Y SUV will be the second one the company has ever made, the first one being the Model X which was unveiled in the year 2015. Model Y is expected to be an affordable vehicle by the company.  While many aspects about the SUV aren’t known yet, Musk on Twitter revealed some key details about the electric car. The vehicle will share most of its features with the Model 3, Tesla’s most affordable car currently. However, the Model Y being an SUV will be 10 percent larger than the Model 3 and will cost as much more. Therefore, the estimated price for the base model of the car is around USD 40,000 (around Rs 28,33,140).

    As far as the battery of the car is concerned, the Model Y will be offered with the same battery capacities as the Model 3. The three battery capacity options include the following:

    • Standard Range- 50kWh battery
    • Mid-Range -62kWh battery
    • Long-Range- 74kWh battery

    Unfortunately, the Model Y being an SUV will have slightly less range than the Model 3. The latter claims either a 220 mi (354 km) range on Standard model; 264 mi (425 km) on the Mid Range model; and 325 mi (523 km) on the Long Range model. Until now, Tesla has only revealed the silhouette of the Model Y, so there is no official confirmation on how it will look like.

    Also read: Honor 20 With Triple Rear Cameras, In-Display Fingerprint Sensor Leaks

    The Model Y launch event will also see test rides offered, along with all the detailed specifications and pricing, according to the Tesla CEO. The company will manufacture the SUV at its Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada. The volume production of the car is expected to start in 2020, with an eventual plan on manufacturing it in the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai China. This suggests that the deliveries of the car are likely to start in late 2020 or 2021.

     

  • Realme 3 With 3D Gradient Unibody Launched

    Realme 3 With 3D Gradient Unibody Launched

    The highly anticipated Realme 3 has finally been launched. It is the successor to the Realme 2 which was launched last year. The newly launched smartphone is a significant upgrade over its predecessor and will compete with devices like the Redmi Note 7. 

    Realme 3 Looks and Features

    Click here to pre-book the Realme 3

    The front of the Realme 3 accommodates a 6.2 inch Dewdrop notch display which is surrounded by thin bezels on all sides. Intriguingly, the handset is highly reminiscent of the OnePlus 6T. The rear unibody shell of the smartphone is made out of composite material that has a 3D gradient finish.

    The rear of the Realme 3 has a 3D gradient unibody which looks attractive. Moreover, the company claims it provides for an excellent graspability. The rear side of the device accommodates the dual rear camera, Realme branding and a Fingerprint sensor. The rear camera setup consists of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 13 MP sensor and a 2 MP sensor. Noteworthy, it is the first smartphone in its segment to have features like Nightscape and Chromaboost. The nightscape mode with the help of software captures well-lit pictures even in places which are dark or have poor lighting conditions. Whereas, the Chromaboost option boosts the colours of a picture which according to Realme are good enough to be shared on social media.

    Like the OnePlus 6T, the left side of the Realme 3 is occupied by the volume rockers and SIM card+ microSD slot while the right side is occupied by the power button. The bottom of the smartphone makes room for the Micro USB port, loudspeaker grille, 3.5 mm audio jack and microphone pinhole. Under the hood, the smartphone packs the Helio P70 SoC which is also present on its sibling, the Realme U1. The chipset consists of a Mali G72 GPU and an Octa-Core CPU which is clocked at 2.1 GHz. It is powered by a large 4,230 mAh battery which can be charged with 10 watts of maximum power. The device runs on Color OS 6.0 which is built on top of the latest Android 9.0 Pie. Some notable features that the Color OS 6 brings to the table include gesture navigation and AI battery management.

    Connectivity options on the Realme 3 include Dual 4G VoLTE, 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, 3.5 mm audio jack and Micro USB port for charging and data transfer. Remarkably, Realme allows the users to unlock the bootloader of the smartphone from the day of its launch. 

    Price, Availablity and Colours

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9khBEFQgIPc

    Also Read: OnePlus 7 Leaks Show Pop-Up Selfie Camera, Triple Rear Camera

    Click here to pre-book the Realme 3

    The Realme 3 Pro is available in three colour options which include Dynamic Black, Radiant Blue and Classic Black. It is available in two storage variants for which the price is as follows:

    • 3 GB RAM + 32 GB ROM – Rs 8,999
    • 4 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM – Rs 10,999

    In addition to the inbuilt storage, it also accepts memory cards upto 256 GB via the dedicated microSD slot. The device will be available for purchase from Flipkart.com and offline Realme stores from the 12th of March. 

  • Honor 20 With Triple Rear Cameras, In-Display Fingerprint Sensor Leaks

    Honor 20 With Triple Rear Cameras, In-Display Fingerprint Sensor Leaks

    A fresh leak on Chinese social networking site Weibo shows off the image and key specifications of Honor’s next smartphone. This will allegedly be called the Honor 20 and will feature flagship level specifications. The device is expected to be unveiled in China sometime later this month.

    Honor 20

    The next smartphone from Chinese OEM Honor will be called the Honor 20. The leaked specifications show top tier hardware and internals. The leak reveals that it will have a 6.1 inch OLED display with minimal bezels around it. There will be a waterdrop notch on the top of the display which will give the device a modern look. The back of the smartphone will feature Honor’s ‘Aurora gradient’. The Honor 20 will have the sixth generation of in-display fingerprint scanning technology which is likely to make it considerably faster. It will also feature face unlock via the front camera.

    Under the hood, the Honor 20 will reportedly be kitted with the Kirin 980 SoC which is manufactured using 7nm fabrication process. The chipset consists of an octa-core CPU and Mali G76 GPU. In terms of optics, the leaked image affirms the smartphone will feature a triple rear camera setup comprised of a 48MP main sensor; combined with a 20MP ultra-wide angle sensor and an 8MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. The front will sport a 32MP camera housed in the notch on top of the display.

    The Honor 20 will be powered by a 3650mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging support via the bottom mounted USB Type-C port. The smartphone will feature Honor’s CPU/GPU turbo technology for increased performance, efficiency and will retain the headphone jack. In terms of memory and storage, the device will be available in three variants:

    • 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
    • 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM
    • 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM
    Pricing & Availability

    Also read: Apple AirPods 2 To Feature Fast Wireless Charging; Launch Imminent

    The leaks have also revealed the pricing of the Honor 20. The base model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB if internal storage will be priced at CNY 2999 (around Rs 31,700). The version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage will cost CNY 3399 (around Rs 36,000). The top end variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage will be priced at CNY 3799 (around Rs 40,200). The smartphone will be launched in China later this month.

  • Apple AirPods 2 To Feature Fast Wireless Charging; Launch Imminent

    Apple AirPods 2 To Feature Fast Wireless Charging; Launch Imminent

    Ever since Apple launched the AirPods in 2017 with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the wireless earphones have been crowned as the gold standard in the segment. The ease of connectivity the device offers within the company’s ecosystem remains unmatched. There had been reports doing the round all over the internet that the second generation of the wireless earphones are all set to launch soon. Fresh leaks have claimed that the new Apple AirPods 2 will feature fast wireless charging and may launch in the month of March.

    Apple AirPods 2

    The second generation of Apple AirPods is expected to be a major upgrade over its predecessor. The company already showed off the wireless charging case for the device but hadn’t released it because reportedly, it had overheating problems. It seems like Apple not only has figured out the solution, it has one-upped the competition by featuring fast wireless charging. According to the leaks, the AirPods 2, along with the case will take 15 minutes to charge from 0 to 100 percent.  This will be due to the Qi-enabled wireless charging feature on the device.

    Unfortunately, the leaks also alleged that the AirPods 2 will have a case that will be bigger in one direction and heavier than the last generation. This will be due to the fast wireless charging feature of the device, as it required different hardware. The wireless earphones may feature a similar charging mechanism like the Apple Pencil 2, which was announced alongside the iPad Pro last year. Other leaks also claimed that the AirPods 2 will be available in a new Black colour, and will have a new matte finish on the earphones.

    Also read: Chrome Canary Android App Gets A Dark Mode; Google Chrome App To Follow Suit

    Apple is expected to unveil the AirPods 2 at a press event on March 25. The device will be available for sale starting March 29 at an expected price of US $199 (around Rs 14,000).

  • OnePlus 7 Leaks Show Pop-Up Selfie Camera, Triple Rear Camera

    OnePlus 7 Leaks Show Pop-Up Selfie Camera, Triple Rear Camera

    Treading on the success path of the OnePlus 6 and 6T, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is expected to launch the OnePlus 7 in the second quarter of 2019. The device will supposedly launch beside a 5G OnePlus smartphone, the likes of which were unveiled at the MWC 2019. Fresh leaks suggest that the OnePlus 7 will sport a pop-up selfie camera, similar to the one present in Vivo Nex (which was released last year).

    Leaks: Camera & Display

    As per the leaks, the OnePlus 7 features a bezel-less 6.5 inch display, which can be an Optic AMOLED panel similar to the one in OnePlus 6T. The screen tapers towards the edges, with no visible notch or ‘punch hole’. As mentioned before, a motorized selfie camera pops up from an enclosure on top of the smartphone. The specifications of the selfie shooter, however, are not available as of now.

    The leaked renders also show a triple rear camera setup. The three sensors are aligned vertically, with the LED flash placed just below the cameras. The predecessor of the OnePlus 7 had a dual camera module, which was housed in a 16 MP+20 MP configuration. It is possible that the third camera sensor being introduced in the OnePlus 7 is a ToF (Time of flight) sensor, which is seen on smartphones from both Oppo and Vivo.

    Leaks: Design

    The left edge of the smartphone has the volume rockers, whereas the right side accommodates the power button and the alert slider. No rear fingerprint sensor was spotted in the leaks, so this may hint towards the fact that the OnePlus 7 may support a similar in display fingerprint scanner to the OnePlus 6T. Furthermore, no 3.5 mm headphone jack is spotted in the images, but there is nothing surprising about that since the previous iteration lacked the same. A standard USB Type C port is present on the device, right next to the speaker and the microphone.

    Also Read: Realme 3, Realme 3 Pro Will Launch On March 4, All We Know

    The OnePlus 7 was previously leaked on March 1, which led to the reveal of the smartphone’s front panel. The next ‘flagship killer’ is expected to have top-of-the-line specifications. Since the 5G prototype at the MWC 2019 featured the Snapdragon 855, the same chipset is presumed to be seen in the OnePlus 7. A launch date for the device is still pending, but as mentioned before, OnePlus has a six-month refresh cycle for releasing new smartphones. Hence, the device may be slated to launch in Q2 of this year.

  • Huawei Is Also Readying A Smartphone With Sliding Display

    Huawei Is Also Readying A Smartphone With Sliding Display

    To accommodate large screen displays on smartphones, OEMs have begun to minimise the bezels surrounding it. However, choosing this type of design leads to the predicament of where to place the front facing selfie camera. Smartphone manufacturers have tried several means to get around this issue. Some of which include a pop up selfie camera like on the newly launched Vivo V15 Pro or the sliding screen on the Mi Mix 3. Huawei, a leader in smartphone technology also seems to be developing a similar device with an edge-to-edge display that excludes a notch. A freshly granted patent to the company demonstrates a smartphone with sliding screen that conceals the front facing cameras.

    Huawei Patent Disclosures

    The patent granted to Huawei exhibits a modern looking smartphone with thin bezels around the display. The key highlighting feature of the handset clearly is its sliding display which conceals a couple of front facing selfie cameras. The device has minimal bezels on all sides except for the bottom chin which is comparatively thicker. The earpiece to receive phone calls is built into the top bezel above the display of the device. The power button and volume rockers are placed on the right side of the handset while the SIM card slot is on the left.

    The rear of the handset has a well-recognised design with vertically aligned dual cameras and an LED flash. The device has a bottom mounted USB Type C port which is flanked by two grilles on either side. Unfortunately, any specifications of the smartphone are currently unavailable but are soon expected to follow.

    Also Read: Samsung Galaxy M30 Review

    The launch date of a Huawei smartphone with this design cannot be correctly predicted. However, the patents strongly suggest that such a device is under development. 

  • Chrome Canary Android App Gets A Dark Mode; Google Chrome App To Follow Suit

    Chrome Canary Android App Gets A Dark Mode; Google Chrome App To Follow Suit

    Looks like Google Chrome for Android is all set to join the ever-expanding list of apps that support a native dark mode. In the latest update to Chrome Canary, a dark mode has been added which can even be forced to be applied to websites. The Chrome Canary app has been known for testing out features before releasing them to the stable Chrome browser. It may be an indication that Google is planning to introduce the long-awaited feature in the following weeks.

    Chrome Canary Dark Mode

    The dark mode has been included in the latest version of the Chrome Canary app having version number 74.0. To activate the feature, users will need to toggle the feature flags in the latest update by typing ‘chrome://flags’ in the URL bar. Then the user needs to hover over to the search menu and type dark mode in the query box. Then a toggle of ‘Android web contents dark mode’ is required to switch from default to enabled. If an additional toggle titled ‘Android Chrome UI dark mode is enabled, a new option called ‘Dark mode’ is added into the applications settings. Choosing to turn this on will make the UI of the browser shift into greyscale.

    The dark mode on the Chrome Canary apps makes use of an aggressive fix to make the background of the websites dark, even if they are not originally themed so. This is assumed to achieved by inverting colours of the website which may end up making the websites look different than before. One word of caution though, the app is unstable to use. This is clear right off the bat as the Play Store listing of the app highlights this aspect right in the title. Moreover, Chrome feature flags is a developer feature and can cause hindrance in the usage of the application due to unresolved bugs.

    Also read: Whatsapp To Introduce Dark Mode, Advanced Search In Updates Soon

    But one thing is clear if Google is trying to experiment with a native dark mode in Google Canary, the feature is most likely to make its way into the Chrome browser once the company has fixed all the bugs. Unfortunately, the release for the stable update is not known yet but is expected to roll out in the subsequent weeks.

     

     

  • Twitch VS Youtube: Which Platform Should You Start Streaming On?

    Twitch VS Youtube: Which Platform Should You Start Streaming On?

    Streaming is defined as “playing continuously as sound or moving images are sent in a flow directly from the Internet to a computer” as per the Cambridge Dictionary. In simpler terms, broadcasting your activities from your computer (or from your real life) across the internet so that viewers can interact with you in real time refers to as streaming. Over the past few years, streaming has seen a massive boost in terms of broadcasters and viewer base, thanks to some amazing platforms.

    The first platform that comes to our mind when we talk about ‘game streaming’ is undoubtedly Twitch. Launched in 2011, a lot of factors contributed to its success. It had over 100 million unique monthly users by the year 2018. Out of those, 15 million were daily users. The fact that it encourages streamers and broadcasters to stream live, raw content without any sugar-coating was welcomed by viewers. And on top of that, the growing interest in ESports really helped fuel the platform, pushing it to the spot where it is today.

    Youtube Gaming is fairly new. Launched in 2015, the platform was intended to break off from the mainstream Youtube ‘video uploading’ scenario and provide an environment where gamers can stream for specifically ‘game-oriented’ audiences. Given the mammoth viewer base of Youtube, the new platform gained popularity quickly, and after almost 3 and a half years later, its emerging as a strong contender to Twitch.

    The questions that make their way into this scenario are very clear. If you’re a new streamer, which platform should you opt for? What are the pros of streaming on Twitch or Youtube? What are the cons of the same? See how both the streaming platforms line up against each other.

    Content Discovery

    If a new viewer heads over to Twitch, a multitude of channels greet him/her. Viewers usually find channels by browsing the games they are interested in. Now, upon reverse engineering this, its clear that if you are playing that specific game, a viewer MAY find you amongst a list of other streamers. And if you are a fairly new streamer, there’s a fair chance that the new visitors won’t even pay attention to your stream. This is because Twitch sorts the channels in descending order, depending on the number of viewers per stream. Established streamers benefit a lot from this, on the other hand, new streamers rarely get any attention.

    A lot of Twitch users pointed out a serious flaw in the website: There are no thumbnails for live streams. Twitch picks out random screen captures from your stream and displays them as thumbnails to the viewers. There is literally nothing to set you apart from other channels, bringing forward the serious problem of not getting noticed in the crowd. 

    Youtube Gaming faces these issues too, but its algorithm helps new streamers get noticed by new viewers. For instance, if you make regular videos, stream regularly and have even a small number of subscribers, your chances of getting new viewers and subscribers are increased. Also, content creators can use standard videos to attract a viewer base. If a user has a couple of videos that have good statistics, he/she can use that video as the highlighted channel video to make that good ‘first impression’ on the new audience. Furthermore, Youtube allows the creation and upload of custom thumbnails, and even though they lead to clickbaits in some cases, its a better way to convey information regarding your stream rather than hoping that more random people join.

    Rules And Guidelines

    Since Twitch is primarily focused on gaming, they are expected to have strict guidelines because of the audience age range. A lot of streamers (and popular streamers at that) have been banned in the past for petty reasons. You could get banned if someone sends in an inappropriate donation. You could get your channel temporarily suspended if you say something that doesn’t comply with the guidelines.

    On the other hand, YouTube lays down almost similar guidelines, but it isn’t as strict as Twitch when it comes to implementing them. Youtube content creators are allowed three copyright strikes on their channel before your channel disappears off YouTube. Demonetization of videos is also possible, if any non-compliant action takes place on the stream.

    Earnings

    Twitch has a very detailed and distinct monetary system. For every $5 the subscriber pays, 50 percent is claimed by Twitter. So, the streamer ends up getting $2.50 per subscriber. Donations account for the major chunk of the daily income. Streamers get a 100 percent of the donation money, and big streamers can earn insane amounts of money in a day just from donations. Viewers can also donate using Bits, which are Twitch’s built in donation system. Twitter takes a 29% cut per bit. And there are classic advertisements, which might not pay as much but are a steady source of income.

    YouTube follows a comparitively simpler structure, where viewers can donate using Super Chats. YouTube charges 30 percent of the total super chat donation amount. Also, YouTube has sponsors where Twitch has subscribers. Again, YouTube takes a cut of 30% from each sponsor. Monetized YouTube channels earn a lot from advertisements too.

    Also Read: Whatsapp To Introduce Dark Mode, Advanced Search In Updates Soon

    In the end, it’s all about audience and preference. If the majority of your audience loves a specific platform, you may have to stick to that. Or you could just stream as per your preference and let your audience decide the rest. Streamers like Shroud and Ninja are making it big on Twitch, with more than 150,000 users watching them stream daily. It’s a long road, but it may be worth it in the end.

  • Understanding IP Ratings: Is Water Resistant The Same As Waterproof?

    Understanding IP Ratings: Is Water Resistant The Same As Waterproof?

    Most modern flagship smartphone in today’s day and age are kitted with a plethora of features. In many ways, these devices couldn’t be more different than each other. But there is a feature that is slowly catching up to speed in most modern smartphones and is often one of the most sought out. Ever since Samsung advertised its Galaxy S5 as being water resistant, the past few years have seen more OEMs providing the feature in their offerings. This feature, a smartphone being water resistant, is also often referred to as being waterproof, which couldn’t be more misleading.

    Understanding Water Resistance and IP Ratings

    To certify a modern smartphone as water resistant, it is given an Ingress Protection (IP) rating. This rating is essentially measured by how protected the device is in letting natural elements such as dust and water inside it. Most modern smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S10, iPhone XS and the LG V40 ThinQ have an Ingress Protection rating of 68. This implies that the devices are water and dust resistant.

    However, to comprehend IP ratings, there is a need to understand how they are determined. The rating is composed of two digits out of which, each one implies different levels of protection from the aforementioned elements. An explanation of what each digit means is highlighted in the table below.

    The first digit of the IP rating signifies:

    Level Certified to be protected against:
    X No data available to specify a protection rating 
    0 Not protected
    1 Any large surface of the body (>50mm)
    2 Fingers or similar objects (>12.5mm)
    3 Tools, thick wires, etc. (>2.5mm) 
    4 Most wires, screws, etc. (>1mm)
    5 Dust Protected
    6 Dust Tight

     

    The second digit of the IP rating means:

    Level Certified to be Protected against:
    0 Not protected
    1 Dripping water
    2 Dripping water when tilted up to 15°
    3 Spraying water
    4 Splashing water
    5 Water jets
    6 Powerful water jets
    7 Immersion up to 1 metre
    8 Immersion beyond 1 metre

    So, to define the IP rating of a device, both the digits of the said rating need to be taken into consideration. For example, an IP68 rating would imply complete protection against dust and submersion underwater beyond 1 metre. Such a device will be safeguarded from all possible entry points like the charging port, the microphone, the SIM card tray and the headphone jack, to keep the dust and water out of it. Noteworthy, OEMs don’t provide a warranty on damaged devices as susceptible electronic components on individual units can behave differently. Also, lab tested results are performed under a precisely controlled environment which is usually different from the real world scenarios.

    So, What Does Waterproofing Mean?

    It must be clear that water resistance and waterproofing an electronic device implies two completely different things. These terms suggest a similar protection method but are completely different in their approach. Waterproofing an electronic device, a smartphone, for example, means water and dust usually, will not get inside the device in any shape, form or manner. This is generally achieved by sealing all the entry ports shut with the help of rubber seals and flaps. Waterproofing a device is essentially a guarantee that liquid will not seep inside the device and if it does, the OEM has to repair or replace it.

    The guarantee may be the reason most manufacturers don’t market their devices as waterproof, even if they are well protected against it. There is no rating on how waterproof an electronic device can be like it is the case with measuring resistance. Making a smartphone waterproof would just require a tight seal to not let allow a drop of liquid inside it. There are some smartphones, particularly from CAT, the brand known for its heavy machinery which is marketed as waterproof. But in order to make them so, the design takes the back seat and they often end up being more expensive. 

    Also read: Whatsapp To Introduce Dark Mode, Advanced Search In Updates Soon

    So yes, it is possible to make a smartphone truly waterproof, but it takes a toll on design and often, the price. Therefore, the future of a sleek and modern looking smartphone which is completely impervious to liquids and dust seems a little too far fetched and distant at the moment.

     

     

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