Techy Planet

Google has announced a new update for its Android Auto platform. This update will come to all vehicles running the official version of the platform and will roll out over the next few weeks. The update includes a new app launcher, Google Assistant badges, improvements to how media is played and more. Google made the announcement via its official blog. “As you hit the road this summer, Android Auto is sporting a new look with features that make driving more simple, personal and helpful,” the company writes. The new Android Auto update adds a new app launcher that is aimed at being more streamlined. The bottom left button will bring up the app launcher, with the commonly used apps featured on the top row. Further, several icons will now feature a Google Assistant badge. Tapping that icon will prompt Assistant to read out the information to you. This includes weather reports, news, reminders and more. Android Auto will now also automatically pick up music and podcasts from where...

The ultraportable Lenovo Yoga S940 is light and stylish, and can be configured with multiple hardware options. from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2STCpC0

Samsung has released a teaser video previewing two new Galaxy products that will be unveiled ahead of this year’s ‘Unpacked’ event in New York. The devices, which are likely to be called the Galaxy Tab S6 and the Galaxy Watch Active 2, will be launched in a special pre-event in New York. Samsung says that it will unveil the Galaxy Tab on July 31 at 10AM EDT (7.30pm IST) and the Galaxy Watch on August 5 at 10AM EDT (7.30pm IST). “The new devices cater to the generation that wants the power to create and consume wherever they are. Samsung is allowing for interconnectedness anytime, enabling users to seamlessly merge work and play, and ensuring peace of mind at all times. In a world that belongs to the creators, Samsung’s new innovations will allow users to share their thoughts and ideas freely, empowering their voices and offering the tools for boundless creation,” Samsung said in a note. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 The Samsung tablet, which is likely to be called the Galaxy Tab S6, was lea...

It would appear that Samsung is looking to diversify the Galaxy A and Galaxy M series of smartphones as much as possible. Furthermore, the Galaxy M series has received a good response in India. The lineup consists of four devices as of now, namely, M10, M20, M30 and M40. While there is no word on the Galaxy M50, the rumour mill has some new information about another M-series device. Allegedly, the Samsung Galaxy M20s is in works. A new report from the Dutch website Galaxy Club suggests that the Galaxy M20s might be in the works. The Galaxy M20s is supposed to be based on the Galaxy M20. It could offer slightly updated internals like a bigger battery. According to the report, the device could pack a 5,830mAh battery, which is a massive size for a smartphone. Considering the Galaxy M20 already offers 5,000mAh battery, an update to the battery size could also add to the bulkiness of the phone. Furthermore, the report claims that 5,830mAh is the rated capacity, which means the 't...

With Chrome 76, Google has also updated its Incognito mode to protect users from being tracked by third-party sites. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/32YUC5Y

With Chrome 76, Google has also updated its Incognito mode to protect users from being tracked by third-party sites. from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/32YUC5Y

Lenovo has today launched the Yoga S940 premium laptop in India which comes with an AI-based eye tracking feature and is powered by 8th gen Intel processors. from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/312H7jZ

Poco F1 was launched in India last year at a starting price of Rs 20,999. Now, the phone is selling for as low as Rs 17,999 as part of Poco Days sale that ends today, July 31. The base variant has 6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The highlight of the phone is that it comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. Furthermore, Xiaomi’s Poco Days sale price is also reflecting on Flipkart with options to avail exchange offers and no-cost EMI options as well. During the Poco Days sale, both the 128GB and 256GB variants of Poco F1 are up for grabs at a discounted price. However, today, July 31 is the last day of the sale. The 128GB storage variant  is available for Rs 17,999, whereas the 256GB model is available for Rs 22,999 down from Rs 27,999. Additionally, the top-end Poco F1 Armoured Edition is selling at Rs 23,999 during the sale. However, there is no new discount on the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage model, which is selling at Rs 17,999 since June 2019. During the sale, Xiaomi is als...

Truecaller, the crowdsourced caller ID service that’s highly popular among Indians covertly signed up an unspecified number of users to its payments service without their explicit consent. Users in India took to social media to complain that they had been registered to the payments service without their consent. However, in a statement, Truecaller said the issue happened because of a bug in the software, and soon rolled out an app update to Android users in India fixing the issue. The bug made the app covertly send an SMS to the user's bank to verify accounts under the phone number and created UPI address on their behalf. It’s standard procedure to create UPI addresses but usually, the action is initiated by the user and not automatically done by an app. Truecalled acknowledged the issue and said it will be releasing a new update to fix the issue. Till then, users signed up for payments service will be deregistered automatically. We have discovered a bug in the latest update of ...

Facebook has published details of its brain-computer interface experiments, with some promising results. The system is a brain-reading computer developed by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco backed by Facebook Reality Labs. The paper was published in Nature Communications and details the team's success in reading brain impulses associated with certain words that the test subjects were about to utter. There already exist brain-computer interfaces that people can use to type, but in order to do so, they need to spell out each letter individually on a virtual keyboard. The team at USCF demonstrated that their system could extract the answer to pre-determined questions based on the subject’s thoughts. The experiment was performed on subjects who were on their way to epilepsy surgery and had invasive implants placed in various parts of their brain. Then the system was trained on the 24 pre-determined questions and its possible answers. Once the training was com...

Two members of Project Zero, Google’s bug-hunting team, have found six bugs in iOS that could have led cyber attackers to compromise devices like iPhones and iPads. The duo published the details and demo proof-of-concept code for five of the six “interactionless” security bugs that made the OS vulnerable to hackers who could have exploited it via the iMessage client. If sold in the exploit market, these six bugs would have reportedly fetched over $5 million. The bugs were discovered by Google Project Zero security researchers Natalie Silvanovich and Samuel Groß. ZDNet reports that all the six security flaws were patched on July 22 when Apple rolled out the iOS 12.4 update. As per Silvanovich, details about one of the "interactionless" vulnerabilities are kept private because the latest iOS update did not completely patch the bug. Silvanovich will be holding a presentation about these vulnerabilities at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas next week. How the bugs c...

It appears Windows 10 is scheduled to get a new feature that could save users a lot of effort while reinstalling their operating system. It’s a feature that MacOS has enjoyed for quite some time now. Dubbed “Cloud download”, the feature is expected to be found in Windows’ reset options in Settings along with “Reset locally”, which means users reinstalling Windows 10 in the future can either choose to use a local image or download it afresh from the cloud. The news of the new Windows 10 reset method that Microsoft is currently working on comes in the form of a tweet sent by WalkingCat. According to the tweet, the boot menu in the leaked Windows Build 18950 (for the upcoming 201H1 update) gives the user an option to reinstall the existing operating system using a local image or download Windows from the cloud. This build has reportedly been leaked before its official roll-out to the Windows Insider Fast ring users. An earlier report by groovyPost claims that Microsoft Surface devices s...

Cook on Tuesday said that the desire to keep Mac Pro computer production in United States was behind the company's recent request for tariff exclusions. from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2yoMmy3

The Redmi K20 series will be up for grabs again in India today. Just like the previous sales, the Redmi K20, K20 Pro will be sold on Flipkart and Mi.com. The sale will be live at 12pm today, and the phones will be sold till the stocks last. The phones offer a 3D curved back, and sport a pop-up selfie camera that comes with a pulsating notification LED light. They also have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top.  Redmi K20, K20 Pro price, offers, and sale time The Redmi K20 is priced at Rs 21,999 for the base variant of 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. The 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant will cost you Rs 23,999. Additionally, the Redmi K20 Pro is priced at Rs 27,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, whereas its 8GB RAM + 256GB storage will cost you Rs 30,999. As mentioned before, the latest sale will kick off at 12pm today. The phones will be available in three colour options: Carbon Black, Flame Red, and Glacier Blue.  As for the sale offers, both phones incl...

It is obvious that PUBG Mobile has taken the world by storm. However, the game was not playable on all smartphones especially entry-level devices with 1 or 2GB RAM. PUBG Mobile Lite was in the works for quite some time and the game finally hit the market. The game hit the Google Play Store and, in just three days, has become the number 1 downloaded app on the Google Play Store. Numbers from the app's page on Google Play Store say it has crossed more than 10 million downloads. The highlight of the game is its ability to run on low-end devices with 1 or 2 GB RAM.  In an official release, PUBG said, “PUBG MOBILE LITE, attracts attention by reaching the number 1 spot on the Google Play Store, within the first 3 days of launch. This is not too surprising, given the popularity of the mobile version of the game within the country. Built with Unreal Engine 4, this version of PUBG MOBILE is compatible with even more devices and optimized for devices with less RAM without compromi...

Redmi's entry-level smartphone, the Redmi 7A will go up for sale today. This time, the handset will be up for grabs via Mi.com and Flipkart. The Redmi 7A was launched in the first week of July and is priced starting at Rs 5,799 on the company’s e-store. The phone competes with other entry-level handsets like the Realme C2. Redmi 7A specifications: As mentioned, the Redmi 7A is an entry-level smartphone and it comes equipped with a 5.45-inch HD+ Full HD display. It features a unibody matte finish design and comes in Matte Blue, Matte Gold and Matte Black colours. Under the hood, the phone sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 mobile platform, which is paired with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage. There’s also a dedicated microSD card slot to expand its storage up to 256GB. In terms of optics on the back, it comes equipped with a 12MP Sony IMX 486 sensor paired with an f/2.2 aperture lens. On the front is a 5MP camera that supports AI face unlock, AI Background blurring, AI Beau...

While the 2019 iPhones are yet to be launched, the rumour mill is already churning out predictions for the 2020 iPhones. According to some reports, Apple is expected to release three new iPhones this year. As for 2020, the tech giant could supposedly incorporate time-of-flight (ToF) sensors in the future iPhones. Additionally, Apple might also include 5G connectivity in next year’s iPhone models. Previously, a report speculated that Apple might introduce VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser) ToF sensors on the rear of the 2020 iPhone models. The setup is similar to the TrueDepth camera setup found on the current iPhone models, but on the front. Ming Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst, has also predicted that Apple might bring ToF sensors to its 2020 iPhone lineup. In the latest research note shared by 9to5Mac, Kuo claims that at least two of the 2020 iPhone models could feature a ToF sensor on the rear. Furthermore, Kuo added that Apple might introduce three iPhone model...

Within 24 hours of posting his video Paagal to YouTube, Indian rapper Badshah broke a record even Taylor Swift couldn't touch. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2YcATko

Realme launched its midrange Realme X handset earlier this month with the aim of taking on the competition like the Redmi Note 7 series. The smartphone comes with an almost bezel-less display without a notch, thanks to a pop-up camera and it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC. It goes up for sale today at 12pm on Flipkart and Realme’s official website.  Realme X specifications The Realme X is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset and is paired with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It is equipped with a 6.53-inch Super AMOLED display that sports a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Additionally, the device has a 91.2-percent screen-to-body ratio. The phone packs a 3745mAh battery, which supports 20W VOOC-charge technology.  In terms of optics, the Realme X sports a dual rear camera setup which consists of a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor and a secondary 5MP depth sensor. The camera also offers features like Nightsca...

Samsung has enjoyed record profits in recent years despite a series of setbacks but is now struggling with chip prices falling as global supply increases. from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2YGumOF

The DiskStation DS1019+ backs Synology's excellent software with top-notch hardware specifications. from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/32WXnEV

Cisco has teamed up with Google to roll out free, high-speed public Wi-Fi access globally, starting with India. The first pilot under the partnership has been rolled out at 35 locations in Bengaluru, Cisco said here on Monday. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2SKHdd9

YouTube is striving to block those who would use it to promote racism, hate speech, violence and disinformation, its number two executive has told AFP, as the Google-owned company comes under increasing scrutiny. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2YtgMd0

A team of scientists in Wisconsin have created an artificial, miniature sun in their lab. The physicists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are not the first team to achieve the feat, with a team in Germany and another in China having already proclaimed this same achievement. However, the three teams have done so, with different goals. The Big Red Ball experiment was designed to create an effective way of studying solar winds, without actually having to go to the sun. Solar winds can have devastating consequences on satellites, so studying them is crucial in order to protect ourselves from them. Solar winds are created when a hot ball of plasma is ejected from the sun at a point where the magnetic field of the sun is somewhat weaker than other parts. When the plasma breaches the magnetic field at such a point, it gives rise to solar winds. “The solar wind is highly variable, but there are essentially two types: fast and slow,” explains Ethan Peterson, a graduate student in the...

Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi has launched a new colour of the K20 Pro in China. Called “Summer Honey”, the colour adds to the already available Flame Red, Glacier Blue, and Carbon Fiber variants. It will be available for purchase in China from August 1 via the company's online store, and its availability in other markets like India is not known yet. The new variant comes in three versions: 6GB RAM/128GB storage which is priced at CNY 2,599 (approx Rs 26,000), the 8GB RAM/128GB storage that will cost users CNY 2,799 (approx Rs 28,000), and the top-end variant with 8GB RAM/256GB storage will be available for CNY 2,999 (approx Rs 30,000). The Redmi K20 Pro (Review) features a 6.39-inch AMOLED Full HD+ that offers a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which is paired with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. It packs a 4000mAh battery that supports 27W fast charging tech. In the camera department, ...

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is the first phone from the Chinese company that supports the next generation of cellular network technology. It now seems that the company is working on its successor as a Xiaomi phone with 5G capabilities has been spotted on China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) database. The phone bearing a model number M1908F1XE has been dubbed as the Mi Mix 4 5G. It is worth mentioning that the listing does not reveal the name of the device, but the developments around the next 5G phone from Xiaomi points that the phone could be the Mi Mix 4. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun had already said that a new 5G device will launch in the second half of the year. Since, Xiaomi launches the Mix series phones in the second half, this could well be the Mi Mix 4. Further, it is also possible that company may skip ‘4’ from it and go for ‘ Mi Mix 5’ instead because the number 4 is considered as a bad omen in China. Further it is assumed that the phone would ship with Qualcomm ...

With the Snapdragon 855 Plus now announced, gaming smartphones now have a way to differentiate themselves in terms of the hardware under the hood. The Asus ROG Phone II was the first phone to sport the gaming SoC and now Black Shark has also jumped into the fray with the Black Shark 2 Pro. The gaming phone was announced at an event in China The major upgrade in the Black Shark 2 Pro is of course the chipset that powers it. The Snapdragon 855 Plus is slightly faster than the regular variant with a max clock speed of 2.94GHz as compared to 2.86GHz on the standard version. That allows Qualcomm to offer a host of features that should delight a mobile gamer. That includes rich HDR graphics, reduced janks during gameplay and Q-sync which syncs the frame rates with the display refresh rate to make gameplay smoother. Along with the SD855+, there’s now 12GB RAM in both the variants and UFS 3.0 storage. On the outside, there are now more RGB LED strips with two more strips flanking the RGB-lit ...

The new ROG Zephyrus M gaming laptop offers mid-range gaming hardware in a package that weighs less than 2kg. from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2Zmb3qE

Last week, a report claimed that Google was paying $5 (approx Rs 350) to passers-by in the US in return for a facial scan. From that development, it was derived that the company was doing this to train it’s face unlock system which was only rumoured at that time. Google has now confirmed both these developments, that is, it is incorporating face unlock feature in the Pixel 4 devices and it collected people’s photos to train its algorithms. Google told The Verge that collecting face-scanning data was a “field research” and it was conducted to improve its algorithms, hence, improve the Pixel 4’s face unlock feature’s accuracy. “Our goal is to build the feature with robust security and performance. We’re also building it with inclusiveness in mind, so as many people as possible can benefit,” a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying. Google is reportedly collecting infrared, colour, and depth data from each face along with time, ambient light level, among other things. “Although fa...

After OnePlus 7 Pro, its younger sibling,  OnePlus 7 has started receiving the OxygenOS 9.5.7 update in India. The update brings a lot of system enhancements and camera improvements. OnePlus rolled out the update on July 18, however, we received it today, on July 30. The OxygenOS 9.5.7 adds a sound profile for the Bullets Wireless 2 Bluetooth wireless earbuds. One can find the sound enhancement profile in Settings under Dolby Atmos.  The update also brings important performance improvements. Fixes are also present for automatic brightness sensitivity, GPS speed, and accuracy improvements. Coming to the camera, OnePlus 7 has received performance improvements when switching modes with the OxygenOS 9.5.7. Furthermore, there are some general bug fixes and performance improvements. It weighs 329MB in size. Here’s the official OxygenOS 9.5.7 changelog for OnePlus 7: System Optimized the sensitivity of automatic brightness Optimized the speed and accuracy of GPS while the screen...

NVIDIA today, on July 30, announced the release of 10 new NVIDIA RTX Studio laptops and professional-grade mobile workstations by major partners, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Boxx. The new models will be able to deliver real-time ray tracing, advanced AI and ultra-high-resolution video editing. The latest designs from these manufacturers bring the number of RTX Studio models to 27, out of which, 17 have been made available now.  The new NVIDIA RTX Studio laptops power more than 40 creative and design applications, including the likes of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Substance Designer, 51VR, Autodesk Flame, and more to harness ray tracing and AI in their workflows. Additionally, the features of NVIDIA RTX are being shown at SIGGRAPH this week.  Furthermore, NVIDIA announced the availability of NVIDIA Studio Driver, which provides optimizations for popular creative apps, including  Blender, Autodesk Arnold, Maxon Cinema 4D, OTOY Octane Render, Substance Painter by Adobe ...

Realme on Monday, July 29, invited beta testers to try out the mysterious “Project X.” The company was asking users to sign up for the project. All those who signed up were required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Additionally, the testing was open only for the Realme 3 Pro users. Other Realme phone owners were not eligible to apply. However, Realme has closed the enrollment. Many are speculating that the mysterious Project X could be the new Realme OS. It could also be the Android Q-based ColotOS software. Realme has so far launched its phones running on Oppo’s ColorOS. The company has been slowly moving away from Oppo, and it became an independent brand in July 2018. So Realme working on its own OS could be possible. However, these are just speculations and Realme has not yet revealed anything about the project. Although, Realme filed a trademark application for RealmeOS in the UK earlier this year. Madhav Sheth, Realme CEO, took to Twitter to call out beta testers for P...

Smartphone gaming has seen a boom lately, and MediaTek has now joined the fellow chipmakers by launching its gaming-centric chipsets, the Helio G90 and Helio G90T with HyperEngine game technology. The Taiwanese chipmaker says that the Helio G90 Series of chipsets combine the CPU and GPU cores with MediaTek’s HyperEngine game technology that tunes the smartphone for gaming. The Helio G90 Series uses Arm Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 cores which can be clocked up to 2.05GHz. The chipset will also feature Arm Mali-G76 3EEMC4 GPU with clock speeds of up to 800MHz. MediaTek claims that the GPU can offer up to 50 percent performance boost. “The mobile gaming market is growing and device makers are looking to give consumers and especially gaming fans the best smartphone game-play experience. That’s why we designed the G90 series. Our combination of hardware and software delivers high performance, unrivalled image quality, uninterrupted connectivity, and smooth responsive action even in the most ...

Amazon Grand Gaming Days sale is live now. The e-commerce giant is offering discounts on a wide variety of gaming products, including headsets, mice, laptops, and more. The sale went live on July 29 and it will end on July 30. Meanwhile, we have put together a list of laptops you can consider to buy from the ongoing sale. Asus TUF FX505GD (Buy Here) The Asus TUF Gaming FX505GD features a 15.6-inch FHD display with 60Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel. It is powered by the 8th gen Intel Core i5, paired with 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD storage. The laptop has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB of memory for taking care of graphics.   Processor: Core i5-8300H 8th Gen RAM: 8GB (upgradeable up to 32GB) GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Storage: 1TB HDD Display: 1920x1080, 60Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel with 45% NTSC Maximum Retail Price: Rs 75,990 Sale Price: Rs 56,990 Savings: 19,000 HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop (Buy Here) The HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop is selling at a discount of...

WhatsApp users will soon be able to use the same account on multiple devices simultaneously, WABetaInfo, which tracks Whatsapp features before they are released to the general public, has confirmed. In a tweet, the tracker says that this support will be extended to WhatsApp for Windows/Universal Windows Platform (UWP) when available, iOS, iPadOS when available and Android. So users can now use WhatsApp on their PCs if their phones have no connection. Last week, the same platform “launched a rumour” suggesting that the multi-platform system will be supported on iOS. It said that the 1) same WhatsApp account can be used on an iPad (when the app will be available) without uninstalling it from an iPhone, 2) the same WhatsApp account also on iOS and Android devices (or on devices having the same OS), and 3) WhatsApp on your computer (without the necessity for an Internet connection on your phone) using the UWP app. The news is in line with a recent report, according to which, WhatsApp...

Sony has launched the A9G Bravia OLED TV in India. The TV is priced at Rs 2,69,900 for the 55-inch variant and Rs 3,69,900 for the 65-inch variant. The TV has a 4K resolution along with support for HDR including Dolby Vision. Under the hood it has the X1 Ultimate chipset. We have seen this chipset active in the recently launched Sony X95G LED TV that we reviewed earlier. You can check out our review of the X95G here. For the audio, the device as the company’s Acoustic surface technology that makes the entire screen vibrate to produce sound. Just like the A9F, the A9G can be used as the centre channel speaker of your home theatre system.  The TV supports eARC but sadly doesn't support HDMI 2.1 a feature that the recently announced LG C9 OLED does. It runs on Android TV 8 out of the box and has 16GB built-in storage. It also has access to the Google Play store and supports all the popular streaming services like Netflix, Prime Videos, Hotstar and more. For your connectivity nee...

It seems that Google has taken up the mantle to best the industry leaksters. Earlier, when tipsters were sharing source-based information about the camera of Google's upcoming phone, the company went ahead and posted an image of the camera module. Similarly this time around, when news of Google’s Soli radar chip cropped-up, the tech giant edged forward and announced that the company will use Soli motion-sensing radar, which it has been working on for the last five years. This new technology is expected to enable Motion Sense and Face Unlock functionalities. We have already seen these features in some other phones. Talking about Motion Sense, LG was first to introduce this concept in LG G8 that was launched at MWC this year. It called the feature Air Motion, which allowed users to use gestures to perform tasks like changing songs, increase/decrease volume, etc. When it comes to Face Unlock, it was first introduced by Apple in the iPhone X (Face ID) almost two years ago. Since then,...

Qualcomm and Tencent are teaming up to make the Chinese giant’s mobile games run better on Snapdragon-powered smartphones. There’s also talks of a 5G-powered, Tencent-backed gaming phone that will be powered by a Qualcomm 5G modem and the company’s flagship processor, according to a Reuters report. The cooperation could see Tencent games ‘optimised’ for Android phones powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. Qualcomm has the Elite Gaming program under which certain chipsets are better optimised to handle gaming and offer a richer experience. Now that the hardware is ready, Tencent will provide the games that will work better with the chipsets. It’s not the first time Tencent will work with a smartphone OEM to optimise their games. Tencent’s most popular game PUBG Mobile already comes with special optimisations in certain smartphones. The Vivo Z1 Pro, for instance, is the official smartphone for the PUBG Mobile Club Open championship and comes with special features like 3D vibrations,...

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is almost a week away from being unveiled, and new information about the device has started circulating on the internet. A new report claims to bring us the spec sheet of the Galaxy Note 10+. Another report claims that the 5G variant has been benchmarked on Geekbench. Previously, it was expected that the higher model of the Galaxy Note 10 will be called Galaxy Note 10 Pro, but as we previously reported, there's a chance that it might be launched as the Galaxy Note 10+. There have been a few leaked images and renders of the Galaxy Note 10+ already, but now, we have a leak of specs sheet. According to the new leak, the Galaxy Note 10+ could feature a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ 3040×1440 pixel resolution display with 498ppi. The display is said to be protected by Gorilla Glass 6 and the phone is expected to be powered by the 7nm Exynos 9825 processor, paired with up to 12GB RAM and up to 512GB UFS 3.0 internal storage. Additionally, it could have a microSD ca...

Google's Soli radar chip on the Pixel 4 will work in tandem with software algorithms to recognise hand gestures and detect when users are nearby. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2ZtflNj

Google paid people $5 in exchange for a facial scan to build an accurate face unlock feature for the upcoming Pixel 4. from RSS Feeds | GOOGLE - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2GB7V2Z

As companies try to push people to use their products and/or services, “servicizing” has gained popularity in almost all the sectors of the country. When Jio was launched in 2016, it disrupted the telecom market in India and competitors like Vodafone went on the back foot. Since then, the the UK-based telecom operator has introduced several recharge packs and offers to retain its customer base. On similar lines, Vodafone Idea has introduced the “Vodafone Rewards” programme for its customers. Under this programme, users will get benefits on every recharge made on their number. According to TelecomTalk, Har Recharge Pe Inaam (HRPI) under the Vodafone Rewards programme will give prepaid subscribers assured benefits like unlimited calling, extra data, cashback, caller tune, missed call intimation, and SMS benefits, on every prepaid recharge that they do. The customers will have to dial *999# or open the My Vodafone App within 72 hours of the recharge to claim the benefits of the reward. F...

The finals of the PUBG Mobile Club Open recently concluded and developers of the game, Tencent, had some pretty interesting announcements to make during the event. Vincent Wang, General Manager of Global Publishing for Tencent Games, took the stage to announce that PUBG Mobile has over 400 million downloads and 15 million people are playing the game every day. He also announced that the Erangel map would be updated to Erangel 2.0.  Judging by the short clip shared during the tournament, it seems like it will feature better visuals. It showcases changes to popular locations, such as Yasnaya Polyana, Mylta Power, Prison, as well as the many forests that dot the map. However, there was a disclaimer at the bottom that read, “this is a promotional video and actual game footage may vary.” As such, you’ll have to wait and see how good the visuals of Erangel 2.0 will be. Wang did not give a date for when the updated map will be available to players but only said that it would come “very s...

Huawei is still “optimizing/perfecting” the Mate X foldable phone and it cannot go public without meeting the quality requirements, He Gang, President, Huawei’s consumer business mobile phone product line, said. The executive said that the device was still in the process of optimisation because it involves new processes and new design methods, adding that the challenges that the company is facing are greater than what it envisaged. “Everyone should be very clear that Huawei’s quality requirements are very demanding. If it does not meet the quality requirements, we will not let the products go on the market,” Gang was quoted as saying. The report comes at a time when several media reports have said that Samsung’s foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, is ready to hit the market. Samsung announced that it had made improvements in the foldable phone’s design and was now ready to ship it again to users. The price of the phone will remain the same as before in the US. It will ...

Vivo is set to launch the S-series smartphones in India, starting with the Vivo S1 on August 7. The smartphone has already been launched in the international markets. It was first launched in China, then the global variant was launched in the mid of July that varied a bit from the Chinese variant. However, ahead of the India launch, the price of Vivo S1 has been leaked. It seems like the Chinese manufacturer is aiming to take on the Realme X. Vivo S1 India price leaked According to indiashopps.com, the India pricing of Vivo S1 could start at Rs 17,990. The base variant will have 4GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The other two variants with 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage could be priced at Rs 19,990 ad Rs 24,990 respectively. The phone was launched in Indonesia earlier this month for IDR 35,99,000 (approx Rs 17,650), so the leaked India price seems to be on par with the international price. Vivo S1 specifications The global variant of the Vivo S1 features...

If you are an Airtel prepaid customer, there is some not-so-exciting news for you. The telecom operator has reduced the incoming call validity for its prepaid customers who don't have an active plan from fifteen to seven days. To elaborate, if your current prepaid plan has expired, you could previously receive calls for up to 15 days without needing another recharge. That duration is now down to 7 days. This is being done by Airtel to improve the company's Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). According to Telecomtalk, the ARPU of Airtel is higher than that of Reliance Jio. It isn’t clear whether similar changes have been made by other telecom companies, like Vodafone Idea.  Back in 2018, both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea introduced a new scheme called ‘Minimum Recharge.’ In the Minimum Recharge scheme, a prepaid customer needed to recharge their service with a minimum of Rs 35 every month. This would enable them to make and receive voice calls. If a customer failed t...

If you recently came across a job opening for the position of Google CEO on LinkedIn, it’s not because Sundar Pichai has quit. In fact, the job opening was not posted by Google itself. A flaw on LinkedIn allowed someone to post the job opening on Google’s page. The bug allegedly allowed users to post an unofficial job opening on any company’s LinkedIn page.  However, LinkedIn has fixed the bug now. According to The Next Web, the flaw on LinkedIn was first discovered by Netherlands-based recruiter Michel Rijnders, and he “went on to create job postings for a Chief Executive Officer for Google and LinkedIn at no cost.” This happened despite the fact that creating job postings requires a premium subscription on LinkedIn. However, posting a fraudulent job opening without the company’s knowledge is a violation of its terms and conditions.  What’s more interesting is that the opening also popped up on Google Search as it avails listing information from different websites, like Lin...

Reliance Jio has launched ‘Jio Saarthi,’ an interactive in-app voice-assisted feature that will help users recharge their phones through the MyJio app. The feature is integrated in MyJio app and will help users through the full recharge process, from choosing a plan to making payments. ‘Jio Saarthi’ will help users in Hindi and English languages. The feature will be gradually made available in 12 regional languages. Jio Saarthi talks to the users through the process and helps them locate payments details, including how to find the card number and where to enter it.Jio users who have not done an online recharge till now will be prompted with this new feature. Reliance Jio has now become the largest telecom provider in India with a subscriber of 331.3 million as of the second quarter of 2019. Is nearest competitor, Vodafone Idea Ltd. indicated a loss in customer base from 334.1 million to 320 million. Earlier this year, Reliance Jio also edged past Bharti Airtel. According to t...

Fast charging technology in a smartphone is quite desirable as people want more juice in their devices with minimal plug-in time. Oppo’s VOOC charging claims to give a smartphone 0 to 75% charge in just 30 minutes. It's no wonder the company has found success in licensing the technology to other device makers.  Oppo has announced that it has signed a licence agreement with eight other companies now. This includes product and chipset manufacturers. The agreement is to develop, manufacture, and sell devices that support VOOC Flash Charging. In November 2018, the company had signed a similar agreement with six other companies.  The eight companies include Anke Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., Angbao Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Shilan Microelectronics Co., Ltd., Lilinda Technology Group Co., Ltd., Ningbo Bull Digital Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Renqing Excellence Investment Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Shishang Exhibition Technology Co., Ltd., and Core Sea Tec...

After Google and Amazon, Apple has now come under the scanner for eavesdropping on users' conversations. A whistleblower who works for Apple, has told The Guardian on the condition of anonymity that the contractors of the iPhone-maker regularly hear confidential Siri recordings like drug deals and recordings of couples making love, as part of their job in providing quality control, or “grading”.  These contractors grade the responses/recordings on the basis of several factors like “whether the activation of the voice assistant was deliberate or accidental, whether the query was something Siri could be expected to help with and whether Siri’s response was appropriate”. According to the whistleblower, accidental activations were the main reason for the private conversations to be sent to Apple. Apple’s AI-powered virtual assistant Siri is incorporated in several Apple devices, including the Apple HomePod smart speaker and Apple Watch, which are claimed to be the most frequ...