Now you can get JEE Main exam results, GATE, SSC CGL, CAT test dates within Google Search

Google today announced that it has worked with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to launch to make the JEE Main exam results available on the Google Search results page as soon as they are announced. You can just search "JEE Main results", enter the roll number and date of birth, and the individual results will be displayed. Google also said that it has worked closely with CBSE to ensure that the data is handled securely and used solely for the purpose of showing the results on Google, and only for the duration that this feature is live. Google will also offer important information such as test dates right within Search when you search for an exam like GATE, SSC CGL, CAT, and more. You’ll also be able to easily find links to register, view other important links, and visit the official test site. With over 260 million students enrolled in more than 1.5 million schools across India, education-related information will be useful. Rama Sharma, Senior Public Relations Officer, CBSE, said: At CBSE, we are always looking for ways to enhance facilities to millions of our students across the globe. We are collaborating with Google for smooth dissemination of results through an easy and secure platform. Source

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 Unboxing

ASUS launched the Zenfone Max Pro M1 in India last week. We already brought you the first impressions and benchmarks of the phone, here we have the unboxing of the phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0IYLoh6mLc Box Contents Asus Zenfone Max Pro smartphone in Black color 2-pin charger (5V-2A) Micro USB Cable SIM Ejector tool Asus Max Box Box contents in the retail box might be different. As Asus announced at the launch event, it comes with a passive amplifier accessory for the phone in the box called Max Box that can amplify the sound two times. The phone packs a 5.99-inch Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display , is powered by Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform with up to 4GB RAM and runs on stock Android 8.1 (Oreo), and the company has promised that it will get an update for Android P. It also said that it will try to provide Android Q. It has an 8-megapixel camera on the front with f/2.2 aperture and soft LED flash. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera on the back with 1.12μm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture along with a secondary 5-megapixel camera to capture the depth information for portrait shots. The company it is using OmniVision sensors. It has a fingerprint sensor on the back and comes with dedicated dual ...

Apple’s 13-inch entry-level retina MacBook Air production said to be pushed to Q3

We had heard about entry-level  13-inch retina MacBook Air last month, and in today's new report Digitimes claims that Apple has pushed back assembly of the new laptop into the third quarter and won't be launching at the WWDC in June.  It is also reported that the pricing of the 13-inch retina MacBook Air is said to be around $899. Since there is no possibility of WWDC launch, Apple's supply chain partners are now stuck with piling inventory of parts until Apple gives the go ahead. The report further states that the upcoming product as a new MacBook Air, however, only Apple knows the exact branding. Furthermore, it will have a slim design, a Retina display, and the latest Intel notebook processor. More details like the number of ports are still unclear. Apple back in 2017 has refreshed the entire line of laptops at the WWDC keynote with internal spec bumps. There is also a possibility that the company might tease the new laptop at the event since the mass production schedules are not starting quite yet. WWDC is purely based on the software side of the Apple, although it also reveals details about the hardware. This year at the WWDC we can expect to see the iOS ...

Reliance Jio offers 8GB free data Cricket add-on pack for users

Last month Reliance Jio  offered 10GB free data for users with 28 days that got automatically added in their account.  The company said that it was added for JioTV users to celebrate JioTV app winning award for ‘Best Mobile Video Content’ at GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards. Now the company has automatically added 8GB data to users' account. This comes as 2GB data per day, valid for 4 days. Reliance Jio said that the additional data is part of Jio Cricket Season data pack. This complimentary data is to enjoy Jio Cricket Play Along game on MyJio app during the IPL matches that lets you stand a chance to win a several gifts and cash prize worth crores, says Jio. You can also call 1299 toll-free number to confirm via SMS, if you have received Cricket data add-on pack. Reliance Jio has also launched Jio Cricket Season Pack that enables users watch IPL matches live on MyJio app throughout the duration of 51 days at Rs. 251 and also comes with 102GB data.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Android Oreo update said to start rolling out in mid-May

Samsung is on the verge of rolling out the Android 8.0 Oreo update to the Galaxy Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. While the exact date is unknown, a note posted by the company in the Samsung Members app for Korean users hints at a possible roll out of Oreo for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge around mid-May.  Both the devices are recently certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance running the new firmware, so it should be a matter of few days until the update starts rolling out. All U.S. carrier variants have also been certified on Oreo. Guncelmiyiz, a website run by Samsung Turkey that provides time frames for firmware updates has recently updated with a new schedule stating that the Oreo update for Galaxy S7 will be out by May 18. Since the timeframes on this website often tend to change, there's no telling if this timeframe is granted. However, the note posted by the company in the Samsung Members app for Korean users falls in-line with the timeline mentioned on Guncelmiyiz. So, unless Samsung finds any last minute bugs, the update should be out in a couple of weeks. Other devices in the Oreo pipeline include Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2017) as well as both Wi-Fi ...

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro (4GB + 64GB) and Mi TV 4 55-inch 4K TV get a price hike by Rs. 1000 and Rs. 5000

After increasing the price of its Mi Power Bank 2i models earlier this month by Rs.100, Xiaomi today announced that it will increase the price of its Redmi Note 5 Pro 4GB RAM with 64GB storage model by Rs. 1000, which will now cost Rs. 14,999 and the Mi TV 4 55-inch 4K HDR TV is getting Rs. 5,000 price hike and will cost Rs. 44,999. The reason for the price hike is due to importing of PCBAs to ramp up the supply due to huge demand for the  Redmi Note 5 Pro and Mi LED TV 4 55".  Government recently imposed a 10% tax on imports of PCBAs. Xiaomi also blames depreciation of the rupee (by ~5% since the beginning of the year) for the significant increase. Earlier this month Xiaomi announced local manufacturing of PCBA units, and is expected to ramp up its production close to 100% within Q3 2018, so there are changes the price might come down later this year. Xiaomi believes that the substantial increase in the manufacturing capacity, will help them achieve the monthly volume of one million Redmi Note 5 Pro. Last week ASUS launched the Zenfone Max Pro M1 in the country that undercuts the pricing of the Redmi Note 5 Pro. We should know ...

Xiaomi ‘Jasmine’ Mi A1 successor with Snapdragon 660 and ‘Daisy’ Android One smartphones said to launch soon

Xiaomi'a Mi A1 was one of the most successful smartphones for the company, and it is also the first Android One phone from Xiaomi in India. It is the same smartphone which was launched in China as Mi 5X. Now that Xiaomi announced the Mi 6X last week, reports started flowing that it will be the successor to Mi A1 considering Mi 5X was re-branded Android one phone in markets like India.  While we don't have concrete evidence that if the Xiaomi Mi A2 exists or if it will indeed be a re-branded Xiaomi Mi 6X, thanks to XDA Developers, we now have a confirmation that there will indeed be a Mi A1 successor and that might be based on the Mi 6X. When Xiaomi launched the Mi A1; it had a codename “tissot_sprout” where “sprout” indicates that it will be a part of the Android One program. Now a new device pops up in the firmware files with codename “jasmine_sprout.” while we don't have the full dump of the device’s firmware, all we have is the build. Prop, system applications, and permission files. Unsurprisingly, there are no MIUI system applications in the build, codename 'Sprouts,' the Android framework, SystemUI, and other system applications are stock Android-based. ...

Huawei said to be building substitute OS to Android as backup

Recently the US Govt has laid a total of 7-years ban on ZTE and restricted from using any American Technology. This kind of fate could happen to any foreign brand that is operating in the USA. The best way to stay in the light is to have a backup. Executives at Huawei have also thought of the same as the company is said to be building substitute OS to Android as a backup. According to the South China Morning Post's sources, Huawei has been developing its own mobile operating system ever since it and ZTE faced an American investigation in 2012. The company is said to be considering it as an investment for "worst-case scenarios," said the insider sources. Since the OS is not up to the level of Android in terms of quality and app support, the company hasn't released it yet. However, Huawei just said it "has no plans" to launch an in-house OS in the "foreseeable future" which is neither accepting or denying. Even if there is one, there's no rush to use it. For starters, third-party OS is not something that is unheard of, Samsung has its own version; dubbed Tizen OS, Apple has its own OS X/macOS on Intel for years. With Huawei having its ...

Google, Facebook and Microsoft are now adopting gun emoji redesign

Every major vendor has now committed to redesigning the gun emoji and replace it with a water pistol/squirt gun design, reports Emojipedia. Though it took a while for it to happen, it is now happening at all once.  Google started rolling out the new pistol emoji to Android users from last week, now Facebook and Microsoft are also joining the list of others platforms who have already made the switch including iOS, Twitter, Samsung, and WhatsApp. The major change which once showed pistol weapon on all major platforms is now a water pistol. The report also says that these changes are common and aren't limited to one emoji as all the emoji sets have been moving closer to one another and this new water pistol/squirt gun design is one among them. Consistent emoji display across platforms is a must rather than having one platform showing it as a weapon, and others show it as a toy. However, until the roll outs complete, the confusion persists for a small period of time. Apple was the first to adopt the water pistol/squirt gun design back in 2016 with iOS 10 beta and remained until the final release of iOS 10. With compatibility as the major concern, Google has also finally made the change recently. Facebook, however, confirmed that ...

Samsung Galaxy A6 with 5.6-inch Super AMOLED display surfaces in press images, Galaxy A6+ with 24MP front camera gets certified

Press images of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A6+ surfaced last week, and the phone also got certified by Taiwan’s National Communications Commission a few days back, now the phone has been certified by TENAA in China. Press images and detailed specifications of both the Galaxy A6 (SM-A600) and the Galaxy A6+ ( SM-A605) have surfaced. This also reveals Snapdragon 450 SoC for the A6+ and the A6 is said to be powered by Exynos 7870. The A6+ will also come with a 24-megapixel front camera. Samsung Galaxy A6 rumored specifications 5.6-inch (1480 x 720 pixels) HD+ Super AMOLED 18.5: 9 Infinity 2.5D curved glass display 1.6GHz Octa-Core Exynos 7870 14nm processor with Mali T830 GPU 3GB RAM with 32GB storage / 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) Dual SIM 16MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.7 aperture,LED flash 16MP front-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture, LED flash Fingerprint sensor 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS 3000mAh battery Samsung Galaxy A6+ rumored specifications 6-inch (1080 x 2220 pixels) FHD+ Super AMOLED 18.5: 9 Infinity 2.5D curved glass display 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 450 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, expandable memory up to ...

ZTE patent hint at dual notch display smartphone design

ZTE Iceberg was unveiled as the world’s first smartphone with a dual-notch design that we have seen earlier this month. The phone is expected to release after 2018 in Asia, Europe, North America. However, today according to the new patent files, we see yet another ZTE phone with dual notch display. According to the recent patent filed with China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), ZTE might be working on a new smartphone featuring a pair of screen notches much like the ZTE Iceberg. It looks like the company is taking the notch game to the next level and not give up anytime soon. With right kind of odds and design language, it has a possibility of hitting it off. The new patent sketches reveal some notable differences, unlike the ZTE Iceberg with top-cut out for earpiece, and selfie shooter and an empty bottom notch, the new is a lot more reminiscent of the Essential Phone 1. The top part is dedicated to the front camera, while at the bottom rests the home/fingerprint sensor. Design of the patents doesn't actually mean the phone will surely make it. Considering the ZTE's current spat with the US Government and the sanctions already in place, we might see the new devices no early than mid-2019 if at all ...

Twitter now shows more ‘News links’ on the timeline

Twitter has now confirmed that it is now pushing more 'News links' by your network on the timeline and is also and grouping the tweets mentioning the link underneath it. This is a much-needed move from Twitter in order to seize the identity in the news section it lacked for a long time. The company first moved from "social networking" to the "news" category in the app store in April 2016, and it now airs live news broadcasts alongside the home timeline meaning that it shows news and tweets from journalists in its "explore" tab. It is also experimenting with curated timelines around breaking news events. Focusing on the news will help Twitter in creating a shared experience among its users. Twitter has confirmed that this feature has been rolled out to all Twitter users across iOS, Android, and web. Source

Apple said to be working on wireless AR and VR headset with 8K display

Back in November we first heard that Apple is aiming ramping its technology for AR headset by 2019 and ship the headset by 2020. Today, we are seeing reports that Apple is working on a headset capable of running both AR and VR technology.  Current plans at Apple hint at an 8K display for each eye which is higher resolution than today's best TVs. The project, codenamed T288, is still in its early stages. Notably, Apple is said to be working on the headset that combines both AR and VR given the level of focus over the past year on pushing augmented reality in iPhones and iPads. Though Apple has had smaller VR projects in the past, bringing out a headset is a major investment in VR. Reportedly, Apple's headset would connect to a dedicated box using a high-speed, short-range wireless technology. The box might be powered by a custom Apple processor which should be powerful than anything that is currently available. This processor would be the backbone of the AR/VR headset. Unlike the HTC VIVE, users won't have to install special base stations in a room to detect their location since everything would be built into Apple's headset and the box. Apple introduced the ARKit; company's first public efforts in AR ...

Instagram said to be testing mute button, reactions to Stories, slo-mo recording and more

Instagram will soon be introducing a bunch of new features; mute button, reactions to Stories, slo-mo recording and more. All these features are currently said to be in the testing phase. Twitter user @wongmjane has dug deep into the app’s code and has seemingly found evidence to the said features.  Starting off, Instagram will soon get reactions to stories, and from the looks of it, it could allow users to react in real time based on the laughing smilies. You could also use emoji in responses. Interestingly, Instagram to soon bring slow-mo features with an aim to eliminate the need for vloggers to rely on the phone's built-in slow-mo features. It is also testing the mute button, which will mute the people from your news feed without requiring to unfollow them. Lastly, Instagram is also said to be working on a calendar view for stories archive which should supposedly make it easier to navigate through your old stories. Since the company is testing these features, they might make it to the public anytime soon. Source | Via

LG G7 ThinQ with Boombox Speaker promises 10x louder audio and 2x bass, has DTS: X 3D surround sound

Ahead of official unveiling on May 2nd, LG has started revealing more details about the smartphone. Last week it confirmed that the phone will have 1000-nits display, now it has revealed that the phone will feature Boombox speaker that will offer ten times louder sound compared to other phones, and also bass of more than 6 decibels (dB), two times more compared to existing smartphones. LG also said that the bass can be further amplified when you place the device on a solid surface or box. The Boombox Speaker relies on a special resonance chamber design within the phone that uses the device's whole body to make it louder  ten times as much resonance space than conventional smartphone speakers. It will also come with DTS:X support offering 3D surround sound effects at up to 7.1, even with normal headphones. Similar to the G6 and V30S, the G7 ThinQ will also come with Hi-Fi Quad DAC that will lower distortion rate to 0.0002%, and gives a clear sound close to the original sound.  It also supports MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) standard, which allows you to enjoy high-fidelity high-quality streaming with little data capacity, same as the V30 phones. Source

T-Mobile and Sprint agree to merge in a deal valued at $146 billion

After T-Mobile and Sprint said they have ceased discussions to merge into a single entity back in November, both the company today announced a they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction at a fixed exchange ratio of 0.10256 T-Mobile shares for each Sprint share or the equivalent of 9.75 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile US share. This is valued at about $26.5 billion in stock. Based on closing share prices on April 27, this represents a total implied enterprise value of approximately $59 billion for Sprint and approximately $146 billion for the combined company. The combined company will be named T-Mobile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nsbmtwMrgY "The combination of spectrum holdings, resulting network scale, and expected run rate cost synergies of $6+ billion, representing a net present value (NPV) of $43+ billion will supercharge T-Mobile’s Un-carrier strategy to disrupt the marketplace and lay the foundation for U.S. companies and innovators to lead in the 5G era," said the combined release. Deutsche Telekom and SoftBank Group are expected to hold approximately 42% and 27% of diluted economic ownership of the combined company, respectively, with the remaining approximately 31% held by the public. The Board will consist of 14 directors, 9 nominated by Deutsche Telekom and 4 ...

Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco now available for pre-order in India [Update: Now available]

Update: Both the smartphones are now available for purchase in India. The Nokia 7 Plus is available from Amazon.in and the Nokia 8 Sirocco is available from Flipkart. You can also get these phones from Nokia Shop as well as offline stores in India. Check out our Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco reviews, if you are planning to get the phones. Earlier: HMD Global launched new Nokia 6, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco, the company’s latest Android One smartphones earlier this month. The new Nokia 6 went on sale in the country recently, today the company has started taking pre-orders for the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco smartphones, as it had promised. Check out the unboxing of Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw4Qyihi2Ow Nokia 7 Plus specifications 6-inch (2160 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla glass 3 protection Octa Core Snapdragon 660 14nm Mobile Platform (Quad 2.2GHz Kryo 260 + Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 260 CPUs) with Adreno 512 GPU 4GB LPDDR4  RAM, 64GB (eMMC 5.1) internal storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) Android 8.1 (Oreo) 12MP rear camera with f/1.75 aperture, 1.4µm pixel size with ZEISS optics, 13 MP secondary camera with ...

Exchange your old dongle or modem for JioFi at Rs. 999 and get Rs. 2200 cashback

Reliance Jio has launched a new, limited period exchange offer that lets you exchange your old dongle or modem for a new JioFi at Rs. 999 and get a instant cashback of Rs. 2,200 in your account in the form of vouchers instantly. This is not the new JioFi 6 (JMR815) that went on sale last month. This is called the JioFi M2S that lets you connect to up to 32 devices (10 recommended) and has a 2300mAh that supports up to 6 hours of battery life. How to avail this offer: Purchase a JioFi at 999 from jio.com  or offline stores Get the sim activated  at Rs. 198 or Rs. 299 + Rs. 99 (JioPrime) Return your old NON -JIO dongle or modem at any JioStore / Reliance Digital or Jio stores Provide your Old Non-Jio dongle / modem serial number and your new JioFi MSISDN Number  Cash back will be instantly credited in your MyJio Account in form of 44 vouchers of of Rs. 50 each which can be redeemed upon Recharge of Rs.198 and Rs. 299 only JioFi exchange offer can be availed only on a new JioFi device (Model: M2S), purchased on or from 26th April, 2018 along with the exchange of old dongle or router/modem, ...

BlackBerry Athena with QWERTY keyboard, Snapdragon 660, 6GB RAM, dual-rear cameras, Android 8.1 gets certified

Back in February BlackBerry Athena was first spotted on Geekbench, through configuration files, and in European device registration databases. Earlier this month press renders of the phone surfaced, now the phone has been certified by TENAA in China with the model number BBF100-4 confirming the specifications of the phone, including a 4.5-inch (1620 x 1080 pixels) display with 3:2 aspect ratio and a 4-row QWERTY physical backlit keyboard with keys that should respond to touch gestures, support for flick typing, up to 52 customizable shortcuts and the fingerprint sensor is built into the spacebar, same as last year's KEYone. It also confirmed Snapdragon 660 SoC with 6GB RAM, Android 8.1 (Oreo), dual rear cameras and a 3360mAh battery. BlackBerry Athena (BBF100) rumored specifications 4.5-inch (1620 x 1080 pixels) 3:2 display with 433 PPI, scratch-resistant glass protection Octa Core Snapdragon 660 14nm Mobile Platform (Quad 2.2GHz Kryo 260 + Quad 1.8GHz Kryo 260 CPUs) with Adreno 512 GPU 6GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD 4-row Physical QWERTY backlit keyboard with capacitive touch Android 8.1 (Oreo) Hybrid dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 12MP rear camera with dual-tone LED Flash,secondary rear camrea 8MP front-facing camera Fingerprint sensor 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio Dimensions: 151.4×71.8×8.5mm; Weight: 168g 4G VoLTE, ...

Xiaomi Redmi S2 with 5.99-inch 18:9 display, dual rear cameras, Android 8.1 surfaces in live images, video

Xiaomi S2  was certified  by TENAA in China a few days back, now the phone has been spotted in Czech Republic in images and video. This confirms the specifications including 5.99-inch HD+ display, dual rear cameras with a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a secondary 5-megapixel sensor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faZERDmqiKs It runs Android 8.1 (Oreo) based on MIUI 9 and has a 16-megapixel front camera with flash. There is a fingerprint sensor on the back. Xiaomi Redmi S2 rumored specifications 5.99-inch (1440 × 720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display 2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm processor with 650MHz Adreno 506 GPU 2GB RAM with 16GB storage / 3GB RAM with 32GB storage / 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with MIUI 9 Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 12MP rear camera with LED Flash, Sony IMX486 / OmniVision OV12A10 sensor, PDAF, EIS, secondary 5MP camera with Samsung S5K5E8 sensor 16MP front-facing camera Fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor Dimensions: 160.73 × 77.26 × 8.1mm; Weight: 170g 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS 3080mAh (typical) / 3000mAh (minimum) battery The Xiaomi Redmi S2 is expected to come in Black, Rose Gold, Gold, White, Blue, Red, Pink, Gray and Silver and is expected to official ...

Artis BT-R10 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Review

Artis launched range of Bluetooth speakers in India, a couple of months back. Here we have the review of BT-R10 a portable Bluetooth speaker. Let’s check out if the speaker offers best audio experience in the range. The speaker comes in a large box. In addition to the speaker, it comes with a micro USB charging cable, Aux cable and a user manual. It doesn't come with a charger in the box, but you can use any 5V/1A charger to charge the speaker. Design and Hardware The speaker has a square, portable design measuring 200x74x170mm and weighs 825 grams, but it doesn't feel that heavy since it comes with a handle to hold, which makes it feel extremely handy. There is a light strip on the front that glows in blue color, but it doesn't blink based on music. It can also be turned off. There is also Artis branding on the front and there are two 52mm cones that is clearly visible. The handle lets you carry it easily. You can also hang it somewhere. The sides have a nice curved design, but it has plastic finish, unlike metal on the front, so the build quality doesn't make it feel and look good, but this is decent for the ...

Honor 7X Android Oreo update with EMUI 8.0 to roll out from April 30

Huawei's Honor brand confirmed Android Oreo update to several devices including the Honor 7X recently. It even started beta testing the Oreo update for the phone last month, before the stable roll out. Today the company has confirmed that the stable Android Oreo update with EMIUI 8.0 will roll out for the phone from April 30th in the U.S. [HTML1] This will bring several new features including a new floating navigation dock, photo gallery recycle bin, Seamless LinkedIn integration, option to connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time as well as the most expected face unlock, which was rolled out for the Indian users through an OTA update last month. Quick shortcut menus from app icons – Users can quickly access specific features in an app by holding the icon and choosing from the app shortcut menu. A user can even drag a desired feature out of the pop-up menu to create a new shortcut on the screen. New floating navigation dock – With the newly added home screen shortcut, the floating navigation dock lets users navigate and operate their device from anywhere on the screen. Updated Setting menu and Phone Manager – The redesigned Settings menu is clearer and more intuitive. The updated Phone Manager ...

Google app v8.1 beta adds ‘At a glance’ widget, Explore page, hints at Google Lens tips section and more

Google app is getting a new beta v8.1 update that brings features like At a glance' widget that was debuted in the Pixel Launcher and is now making it available to many Android devices and in different launchers, adds Explore link in Settings. The new 'At a glance' widget offers a brief glimpse at your appointment, flight information, traffic updates. If there's nothing immediately coming up, it defaults to just a date and the current weather. This new At a glance' widget can be added any other normal widget. You can use it on devices running Lollipop (API 21). However, it is a full-width widget and doesn't support resizing. It also brings new Explore page along with 'Your Stuff" tab that makes it easy to find things you've added or done with Google Assistant. Explorer is replacing the What can you do?. Digging deep into the Google app v8.1 beta reveals a mysterious codename Avocado, though it doesn't have much in the way of details, it looks it will be settings for At a glance. Since there is no strong link between Avocado and the At a glance widget, it can also just be a coincidence. Though Google Lens feature is been here for quite some time, there's still some confusion about what it does. With ...

Facebook Messenger Kids gets new sleep mode parent control

Messenger Kids is Facebook chat application for children aged six to 12 and today the company is now rolling out a new sleep mode parent control. This feature brings more control to parents for how long their kids can spend using the app. The new sleep mode brings the ability for parents to set a designated off time on when the app can’t be used, meaning that at the determined time, the app will “go to sleep” and is not accessible to kids during those hours. This new Sleep mode is controlled from the Parent Control center in the parent’s Facebook account and the “off times” can be changed at any time. With the new sleep mode parent control, you don’t have to worry about constantly monitoring and changing the controls for the app. To set the new 'sleep mode' tap on the child’s name, and then on “Sleep Mode” in the App Controls section. You can adjust the timings differently for weekdays and weekends. When in sleep mode, kids cannot send or receive messages or video calls, play with the creative camera, or receive notifications. If they try to open the app, they’ll see a message telling them that it’s in sleep mode and to come back ...

Windows 10 April 2018 Update with improved Focus Assist, Timeline to roll from April 30

Microsoft to start rolling out the Windows 10 April 2018 Update from April 30th. This update brings a bunch of new features including improved Focus Assist, a new Timeline feature for recalling previous apps you were working on across machines, and more. The company is introducing a new Timeline feature which is a functionality that brings the ability to your Windows 10 PC to go back in time up to 30 days to find your stuff. It lets you see the apps and documents you’ve used in Chronological order. This makes it easier to bring back your work by resuming a previous array of Windows without having to recall the name of every single file. In case if you are using Microsoft apps on your mobile, you can resume it from your PC. It also brings a new Focus Assistant feature which is much like the ‘Quiet Mode,’ which mutes notifications temporarily. You can adjust the timings to turn on during certain times of the day automatically. Once you turn back on, it will show you the summary of the notifications you missed while you were in the zone. You can also add exceptions. Microsoft Edge also gets a bunch of new features, it finally gets the ability mute tabs. ...

LG Watch Timepiece hybrid smartwatch with Snapdragon 2100, Wear OS said to launch soon

LG is said to be working on a new wearable dubbed LG Watch Timepiece which is a hybrid smartwatch and will run on Google's Wear OS. Since it is a hybrid smartwatch it won't be a straight-up smartwatch, instead, it will have a mechanical clock setup alongside the smart functions. The LG Watch Timepiece is said to come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 chipset and has 4GB of eMMC storage and 768 MB of RAM. It is said to sport a 1.2-inches 360x360 LCD screen. As for connectivity features; it is expected to have Wi-Fi 802.11n, and Bluetooth 4.2 will be on board, but no cellular data support. It boasts a stainless steel body and IP68 water and dust-resistance certification. It is said to come with 240mAh battery and once it drains the 240 mAh battery, the device will still be able to continue tracking time at least for upto hundred hours, or roughly upto four days. The Watch screen can display watch faces and complications you can install from the Google Play Store. It is said to measure 45.5 x 45.4 x 12.9 mm in size. It is said that the company will be shipping the wearable with a 22 mm silicone rubber strap and should also get the ability to swap with ...

Weekly Roundup: ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1, Xiaomi Mi 6X, Huawei P20 Pro and more

This week ASUS launched the most-expected Zenfone Max Pro M1 in India, Xiaomi introduced the Mi 6X, Huawei launched its flagship P20 Pro smartphone as well as its mid-range P20 Lite smartphones in the country. Apple announced that its Watch Series 3 with built-in cellular connectivity will be launching in India on Airtel and Reliance Jio on May 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzHVGJibxug ASUS launched the Zenfone Max Pro M1. It has a 5.99-inch Full HD+ 2.5D curved glass display, is powered by Snapdragon 636 SoC with up to 6GB RAM, runs stock Android 8.1 (Oreo), has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash along with a secondary 5-megapixel camera to capture the depth information for portrait shots and a 8-megapixel front camera with LED flash. It has dedicated dual SIM and microSD slots, Dual VoLTE support, unibody metal design, fingerprint sensor on the back and packs a 5000mAh battery with support for fast charging using a 10W fast charger that can charge the phone in 2 hours and 42 minutes from 0 to 100%. It comes in Deepsea Black and Gray colors, is priced at Rs. 10,999 for the 3GB RAM with 32GB storage version and the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage version costs Rs. 12,999. It will be available ...

Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Special Red Edition launched in India

Apple introduced special edition (Product) Red iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus  smartphones earlier this month and said that they will go on sale in India in May. Now these new phones are already available from through Apple Authorised Resellers in the the country, few days before announced date and are also available for pre-order from Flipkart that ships from April 30th. The new Product (RED) iPhone features red glass enclosure, matching aluminum band and sleek black front. The new (PRODUCT) RED iPhone X Leather Folio is also available for purchase. It has been crafted from specially tanned and finished European leather for a luxurious look and feel. To remind you, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina HD displays, new glass and aluminum design, new A11 Bionic chip tuned for augmented reality experience, feature water and dust resistant (IP67) body and have support for Qi wireless charging as well as support for fast charging that can charge the phone up to 50% in 30 minutes. Pricing Apple iPhone 8 Red 64GB - Rs. 67,940 Apple iPhone 8 Red 256GB - Rs. 81,500 Apple iPhone 8 Plus Red 64GB - Rs. 77,560 Apple iPhone 8 Plus Red 256GB - Rs. ...

Reliance Jio reports Rs. 510 crore profit in Q4, has over 186 million customers

Reliance Jio today reported Rs. 7,128 crore revenue, up 3.6 % QoQ and a net profit of 510.44 crore, up 1.2% QoQ for its third quarterly financial performance for the period that ended 31st March, 2018. Jio’s rival Airtel earlier this week reported 652.30 crore crore net loss for the same quarter. Jio reported Standalone earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 2,694 crore, up 2.5% QoQ, EBITDA margin of 37.8%, and Standalone earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of 1,495 crore, up 4.1% QoQ . Consolidated value of services stood at 8,404 crore, up 3.6% over trailing quarter. It crossed 186.6 million subscribers in the January to March quarter, and has added 26.5 million subscribers during the quarter, compared to 21.5 million in the previous quarter. Average revenue per user (ARPU) during the quarter – 137.1 per subscriber per month compared to 154 in the previous quarter Total wireless data traffic – 506 crore GB (9.6 GB per subscriber per month) Average voice traffic - 37,218 crore minutes per day (716 minutes per user per month) Video consumption per subscriber per month – 240 crore hours (13.8 hours per user per month) During the quarter, RIL announced a strategic transaction for combination of JioMusic with Saavn, a ...

Nokia X with a 19:9 aspect ratio display, dual rear cameras showcased, to be announced on May 16

Earlier this week there were rumors that Nokia X or X6 will be announced on April 27th, which is today. The company after the event in Sanlitun experience store in Beijing confirmed that the phone will officially introduced on May 16th. It has also shared the official image of the phone with a notch and an 19:9 aspect ratio display. Unlike the earlier renders, the Nokia branding is in the middle of the bottom bezel. The company did not confirm the specifications of the phone. The phone is rumored to feature a 5.8-inch 19:9 aspect ratio display and is powered by Snapdragon 636 or MediaTek Helio P60 SoC. It has dual rear cameras, which is said to come with ZEISS dual camera. There is also a fingerprint sensor one the back and the phone runs Android Oreo. The phone will be showcased at the Sanlitun experience store from today, April 27 till May 2nd. Someone will probably find out the detailed specifications of the phone during this time, before it goes official on May 16th. Source 1, 2

OPPO A3 with 6.2-inch FHD+ 19:9 display, 128GB storage, face unlock, Android 8.1 announced

OPPO has announced A3, the company's latest mid-range smartphone in China, as rumored. This has a similar 6.23-inch Full HD+19:9 aspect ratio display with 88% screen-to-body ratio, is powered by MediaTek Helio P60 with up to 6GB RAM, runs on ColorOS 5.0 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo) and has a 16-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, as the F7, but this has an 8-megapixel front camera instead of 25-megapixel front camera on the F7. It has multi-layered metallic and glass back cover that replicates a diamond-like glow and light refractions, with triangular-cut patterns that shimmer bright and dark shades when seen from different angles. It doesn't have a fingerprint sensor, but has face unlock that can unlock the phone in just 0.08 seconds. OPPO A3 specifications 6.2-inch (2280 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 IPS display Octa Core MediaTek Helio P60 (MT6771) 12nm processor (Quad 2GHz Cortex A73 + Quad 2GHz Cortex A53 CPUs) with 800MHz ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Dual SIM ColorOS 5.0 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo) 16MP rear camera with LED flash 8MP front-facing camera 3.5mm audio jack, Dirac HD Dimensions: 156×75.3×7.8mm ; Weight: 159g 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz ...

Samsung Galaxy A6+ with 6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, dual rear cameras gets certified

Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy A6 and Galaxy  A6+ smartphones. Earlier this week we have seen the press images of the A6+ surfacing on the internet, and today the device is back again, but this time it surfaces in live images. Falling in-line with the earlier rumors and leaks, it packs a unibody metal design, dual rear cameras, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Furthermore, there is a dedicated dual SIM and microSD slots on the left, loudspeaker grill on the right and front flash. In terms of specifications, the A6+ is said to sport a 6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 18:9 display, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-Core SoC,  even though earlier rumors said it would be Samsung Exynos 7870. It is said to pack 4GB RAM, 32 or 64 GB of internal storage and Android 8.0 Oreo with Experience 9.0 on top. Since the phone looks like it has completed most of the required formalities before it goes official, Samsung might not take long before it officially introduces the phone to the world. The A6 and A6+ will be launched in Europe, Russia and the Middle East initially and might expand to other markets. We are yet to learn details about cameras, ...

Microsoft reports $7.4 billion net income in FY18 Q3, up 35% YoY, Cloud and commercial services surge

Microsoft today released its earnings report for FY18 Q3. It as recorded a $26.8 billion revenue which is 16% up compared to same time last year. The company reported a $7.4 billion in net income with 35% YOY increase compared to the $5.5 billion in net income in 2017. The company's diluted earnings per share was $0.95 which is an increase of 36%, and the operating income was $8.3 billion with an increase of 23% YoY. This quarter witnessed growth in Microsoft's cloud and commercial services. Office related consumer products and cloud services surge 12%, LinkedIn shows a 37% increase in revenue. On the other hand, server products and cloud services revenue which are a part of the Microsoft's Intelligent Cloud business grew 20%. Windows OEM revenue increased 4%, Surface increased 32%, gaming surged 18%. Search advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 16%, and this is driven by higher revenue per search and search volume. Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft, said: Our results this quarter reflect the trust people and organizations are placing in the Microsoft Cloud. We are innovating across key growth categories of infrastructure, AI, productivity, and business applications to deliver differentiated value to customers. Source

Apple officially discontinues AirPort Wireless Router Lineup

Apple today has announced that it has officially ended development of its AirPort line of products which includes AirPort Express, the AirPort Extreme, and the AirPort Time Capsule. Apple has not updated its AirPort products since 2012 (Express) and 2013 (Extreme and Time Capsule) and in late 2016. The current AirPort engineers are being reassigned to other products. Apple with an aim to focus more on the products that generate the bulk of its revenue has reportedly started shutting down its AirPort unit in early 2016. The company has started selling third-party routers including Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi System since January of 2018 following the news that Apple had shuttered the AirPort unit. Apple's AirPort offered unique benefits like built-in Time Machine backup support in the Time Capsule and AirPlay functionality for the AirPort Express and some of these features are not available through third-party. Apple will be providing service and parts for current generation AirPort Base Stations for the next five years. The company has shared support-documents to assist customers who are shifting to alternatives. However, Apple will continue to sell the three AirPort products online and in its retail stores until available supplies are exhausted and no price drop is seen as of now. Apple Spokesperson said: We're discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station ...

Swiftkey keyboard gets toolbar customization, brings new quick settings UI to beta

Swiftkey is now rolling out for new updates to stable and beta; the update to stable gets toolbar customization and brings new quick settings UI to beta. Toolbar to Swiftkey was rolled out back in March, and now it is adding better Customization to the toolbar by turning features on/off & rearrange them in the order you want. Additionally, it also gets 7 new languages support; Aja, Blackfoot, Seychellois Creole, Kazakh (Latin), K’iche’ & Quechua (Southern), location Sharing works in 24 new countries and the Emoji panel will now default to the last used tab. In addition to new features, the update also includes fixes;  SwiftKey will now won't crash when creating Photo Themes and you can now re-personalize from Gmail and Google+ without it failing. As for beta users, it brings six new language support; Dinka, Kikongo, Kituba, Mandingo, Luganda & Naro. It lists the Sticker packs that are not downloaded in a list view and most importantly, it brings refreshed Quick Settings UI and will show predictions in Vietnamese & Thai. If you are already a Swiftkey user, you can update the Swiftkey Keyboard stable from Play Store here, and update Swiftkey beta from here. Via

Google accounts get new secure account verification to prevent phishing attacks

Google is rolling out a new functionality to GSuite business users. If your organization uses SAML to sign into G Suite services, Google will now show additional steps in the process. Starting 7th May, Google will now show a new screen on accounts.google.com to confirm users' identity. This additional layer is to ensure better security and help prevent users from unknowingly signing in to an account created and controlled by an attacker. This screen will only be shown once per account per device, and it also said that it is working on ways to make the feature even more context-aware in the future. Google says that this additional screen is to ensure that the user is not signing into phishing campaign or clicking a link that would instantly and silently sign them into a Google Account the attacker controls. This also falls in-line with Google's part of a larger project to create a consistent identity across Google web services and native Chrome browser services. Google is also giving the ability to disable this feature; you can use the X-GoogApps-AllowedDomains HTTP header to identify specific domains whose users can access Google services. Users in those domains won’t see this additional screen, and this header can be set in the Chrome. Source

Entry-level 6.1-inch iPhone 2018 to feature ‘cover glass sensor’ technology, no 3D Touch: KGI

Apple's entry-level 6.1-inch iPhone has been in the news for quite some time and today, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back again with yet another research note where he claims that the 6.1-inch iPhone 2018 will skip 3D touch and have strong impact-resistant glass. Furthermore, the phone is said to have what he calls "Cover Glass Sensor" (CGS) technology relocating the iPhone's touch module from the display panel (in-cell technology) to the surface glass. The CGS results in a display that is lighter and more shock resistant. In addition to CGS, Apple will also add a thin-film sensor to the touch film sensor that will be included in the CGS. However, the purpose the thin-film layer is unknown. This will most definitely see a 15% increase in the cost of the touch panel, resulting in a higher purchase price of $23 to $26. To compensate the high-cost, KGI says that he believes Apple might remove the 3D Touch functionality on the 6.1-inch iPhone. This is an interesting development considering Apple's 3D touch functionality is well integrated into the OS at this point. The other two iPhone models that are said to launch in 2018 along with 6.1 are the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone X successor and the 6.5-inch OLED ...

LG G6 Android Oreo update to roll out starting next week, coming to V20 and LG G5 soon

Earlier this month LG opened first-of-its kind Software Upgrade Center in South Korea, aimed at providing customers worldwide with faster, timelier, smartphone operating system and software updates. At that time it promised Android Oreo update for the LG G6 later this month starting in Korea. Now the company has confirmed that the update will roll out starting from April 30th. Android Oreo brings a lot of new features and improvements including Background limits, Notification channels, snooze notifications, Autofill APIs, Picture in Picture (PIP) display, Adaptive icons, Support for high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs such as LDAC codec, Companion device pairing, Keyboard navigation and much more. You can check out the complete list of features here. LG said that it is also planning to add AI features to the G6 that was introduced with the V30 ThinQ.  The upgrade will be available both as OTA and through LG Bridge software. LG also confirmed that the LG V20 and LG G5 will be the next set of devices that will get the Oreo update. The company has not revealed details about global roll out yet, but it expected sometime in May. Source

Snap’s new Spectacles is water-resistant, has slimmer profile, improved audio

Snap Inc. unveiled its Spectacles with built-in camera back in September 2016. Today, after rumors and FCC certification, it has unveiled new Spectacles, which is now water-resistant, so you can use them in the rain — or even take a photo or video in shallow water. It also comes in a smaller profile, since the temple area of the frame is 30% smaller compared to the predecessor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpbyj-hz05s It also has improved audio, and now, you can press and hold to take a photo. Snaps you capture will transfer to Snapchat up to four times faster with the new WiFi-only import mode, and always in HD since the video resolution is now 1,216 x 1,216 compared to  1,088 x 1,088. It has storage for 150 videos or 3,000 photos, home WiFi syncing, lets you capture up to 70 videos on a single charge and lets you recharge up to four times in the included charging case, which is now 20% smaller than the predecessor.  There is also up to four charges with the charging case, and inward- and outward-facing lights that tell you and other folks you're recording. The new Spectacles are exclusively available at Spectacles.com for $150 (£150 in the UK) in the US, Canada and France, and are coming elsewhere ...

Google ‘Solve for India’ mentoring program to support startups

Google India has hosted a four-day workshop which is a mentorship boot camp for around ten Indian startups this week. This initiative was launched last year and was initially aimed at an India-only pilot for mentorship and engagement by Google Developers Launchpad team. The ‘Solve for India’ mainly focuses on bringing the best of Google expertise across product, UX/UI and latest technologies including machine learning and AI that will help the emerging startups who are focusing on building solutions that serve's needs of India. At the Boot camp, founders and teams of the ten startups spent four days in one-on-one consults with experts from Google and external mentors from the industry with a goal to solve the critical product and growth challenges of the startups. The ten startups that participated in the first boot camp include Nebulaa, Slang Labs, PregBuddy, LegalDesk, PaySack, Vokal, FarMart, Meesho, Pratilipi, and M-Indicator. Speaking about the initiative, Karthik Padmanabhan, Developer Relations Lead, ‎Google India said: In the last few years, we have seen the growth in entrepreneurial and startup activity that goes beyond the big metros. We’re seeing a whole new generation of entrepreneurs and founders who’re innovating to solve for real challenges across Agriculture, Healthcare, Environment, Retail, Education, MicroFinance and the Indian language web. ...

Qualcomm to ease its licensing terms to strike deals

Qualcomm made it evident that it is aiming to ease licensing terms in order to strike deals at its earnings call on Wednesday. The chipset maker posted quarterly profit and revenue that topped Wall Street forecasts, which suggests that the company's slowdown in the global smartphone business might be less severe. Qualcomm's other line of business includes licensing patents that are essential for smartphones to work and this has traditionally driven most of its profits. However, this business has dropped sharply over the past year, as revenue most of which is attributed to Apple's iPhones withheld amid a legal dispute. Qualcomm now made it evident that it is prepared to accept lower revenue in exchange for maintaining the business structure and avoiding future customer disputes. Qualcomm calculated the percentage of the selling price of a smartphone and this so-called model had been the center of regulatory disputes in China, Korea an, the United States and also in its disputes with Apple. However, during the earnings call, Qualcomm said it would cap the phone price which is the basis of the revenue calculation at $400. More expensive phones, which can sell for $1,000, would still be treated as $400 for the Qualcomm license fee. This move comes after Qualcomm ...

Samsung Galaxy J2 Android Oreo (Go Edition) with Exynos 7570 14nm SoC surfaces in benchmarks

While most of the company are gearing up to launch more and more Android Oreo (Go Edition) smartphone, looks like Samsung too is joining the race. The Samsung Galaxy J2 might be the first Android Oreo (Go Edition), and the device has now surfaced in Geekbench benchmarks. Android Oreo (Go Edition) is an iteration of Android 8.0 that is specially designed for entry-level devices with low-RAM. Google has even launched Go specific apps including the Files Go, Gboard Go, Maps Go, YouTube Go. Facebook and Twitter have also launched their lite version apps that will work on low-cost phones. As for the Samsung's Android Oreo (Go Edition) phone, it comes with a model number SM-J260G indicating that it might the Galaxy J2. It comes with 1GB of RAM, coupled with Android 8.1. The chipset appears to be an optimized version of the Exynos 7570 clocked at 1.43GHz. The benchmark listing says “Universal7570_Go,” which is yet another indication of this device’s Android Go credentials. Since these are just Geekbench benchmarks listing, we are not sure about the authenticity of it unless the company officially announces it. Source | Via

Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) with 5-inch Super AMOLED display, Samsung Mall launched in India for Rs. 8190

Samsung  has launched Galaxy J2 (2018) (SM-J250F), a new smartphone in India. It was introduced back in December last year and packs a 5-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, is powered by Snapdragon 425 SoC with 2GB RAM, runs Android 7.1 (Nougat), has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front camera that also comes wit a flash. The phone has a new design on the back with polycarbonate finish, but it has a familiar design on the front with a home button with capacitive touch buttons on either sides. It packs a 2600mAh battery It also comes with Samsung Mall, that was introduced with Galaxy On7 Prime earlier this year. This lets users shop by clicking a picture of the desired product and automatically getting results for the item across popular e-commerce platforms. Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) specifications 5-inch (960 × 540 pixels) qHD Super AMOLED display 1.4GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 425 Mobile Platform with Adreno 308 GPU 2GB RAM, 16GB Internal Storage, expandable memory up to 256GB via micro SD card Android 7.1 (Nougat) Dual SIM 8MP rear camera with LED flash 5MP front camera with LED flash Dimensions: 143.8mm x 72.3mm x 8.4mm; Weight: 153g 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS 2600mAh battery The Samsung Galaxy ...

Moto Z3 Play with 6.1-inch FHD+ display, Snapdragon 636, dual-rear cameras, side-mounted fingerprint sensor surfaces in press image

Motorola's Z series is due for an update and the company's Z3 Play smartphone has hit the headlines a lot recently but most of it was restricted to concept images that are based on known dimensions, features and design traits. However, today we are having our first official clean look at the Moto Z3 Play. The image does showcase the phone in its full glory including the front and rear of the phone in detail. Interestingly the fingerprint sensor which we are used to seeing on front embedded into the home button is now being moved to the side and the front now packs a tall 18:9 bezel-less design. The phone is expected to pack a 6.1-inches FHD+ display in-line with the recently launched flagships. The rear of the phone packs a glass design and like always packs a camera protrusion where the dual-rear cameras rest and Moto dimple. Since Z-series is famously known for its modularity, the Z3 Play also comes with 16-pin connector down below the camera module. While the latest leak doesn't reveal any specifications, previous rumors suggested a 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel cameras. Another design change over the Z2 Play is that the Z3 Play might not have a 3.5mm audio jack. The ...

Gionee S11 Lite with 5.7-inch Full View display, dual rear cameras, 16MP front camera and F205 launched in India for Rs. 13999 and Rs. 8999

Gionee has launched F205 and S11 Lite, the company's latest smartphones in India. Both these were unveiled back in November last year and have 5.45-inch and 5.7-inch HD+ FullView displays with 18:9 aspect ratio, respectively.  The S11 Lite has 82.2% screen-to-body ratio, comes with 13MP + 2MP dual rear cameras with portrait mode that blurs the background. It also has 16MP selfie camera with Bokeh Selfie mode, enhanced face beauty and more. The F205 has uni-body design, 2.5D Arc edge screen with Corning Gorilla Glass protection and triple card slot that can accommodate two Nano SIM card and 1 Micro SD card, which is expandable up to 256GB. Gionee F205 specifications 5.45-inch (1440 x 720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 FullView 2.5D curved glass display, Corning Gorilla Glass protection 1.5GHz Quad-Core MediaTek MT6739 64-bit processor with PowerVR Rogue GE8100 GPU 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with Amigo OS 5.0 Dual SIM 8MP rear camera with LED flash 5MP front-facing camera Dimensions: 148.4x70.7x7.95mm; Weight: 135.6g 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS 2670mAh battery Gionee S11 Lite specifications 5.7-inch (1440 x 720 pixels) HD+ 18:9 FullView 2.5D curved glass display, 82.2% screen-to-body ratio 1.4GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 430 Mobile Platform ...

OPPO A83 (2018) with 5.7-inch full-screen display, face unlock launched in India for Rs. 15990

OPPO launched the A83 earlier this year. Today it has launched OPPO A83 (2018), an upgraded version with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. Other specifications are same, including the 5.7 HD+ full-screen 2.5D curved glass display, MediaTek Helio P23 SoC with 3GB RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with support for A.I beauty technology that scan 200 facial recognition spots to beautify a selfie shot perfectly as well as face unlock to unlock the phone quickly. It has dedicated dual SIM slots and microSD slots and packs a 3180mAh battery. It doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor. OPPO A83 (2018) specifications 5.7-inch (1440 × 720 pixels) 18:9 HD+ full-screen 2.5D curved glass display 2.5GHz Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P23 16nm processor with 800MHz ARM Mali G71 MP2 GPU 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 7.1 (Nougat) with ColorOS 3.2 Dual SIM 13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture 8MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture Dimensions:150.5 × 73.1 × 7.7mm; Weight: 143g 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS 3180mAh (typical) / 3090mAh (minimum) battery The OPPO A83 (2018) comes in Red, Blue and Golden colors, is priced at 15,990, is ...

LG posts highest quarterly profits in 9 years in Q1 2018, continues to narrow smartphone losses

LG Electronics has reported revenues of 15.12 trillion won (US$ 14.1 billion) for the first quarter that ended March 31, 2018, which is up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. It has posted profits of 1.11 trillion won (US$ 1.03 billion), up 20% YoY, highest first-quarter profit and revenue in company history and the highest quarterly profitability since the second quarter of 2009. The LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company and the LG Home Entertainment Company reported their largest quarterly operating profit ever with each recording double-digit operation margins. Mobile Communications sector reported a revenue of 2.16 trillion won (US$ 2.01 billion), down 26% QoQ and 27.7% YoY due to revised smartphone launch strategy. The sector posted a operating loss of 136.1 billion won (US$ 126.85 million), compared to loss of 0.1 billion won a year ago, but it is less 36% compared to previous quarter, despite component price increases,  by continuing to improve its business structure. It shipped 11.4 million smartphones in the quarter, down 18% QoQ, and 23% YoY. While the global smartphone market is forecast to experience stagnant growth and more intense competition in the second quarter, LG expects to see positive results with the launch of the LG G7 ...

Xiaomi discontinues further MIUI 9 development to focus on stability and system optimizations, MIUI 10 expected soon

Xiaomi announced MIUI 9 back in July 2017 in an event in China that brought various new features including Split Screen, Smart app launcher, Universal Image search, Notifications Filter, Smart Assistant and more. Later, in November 2017, the company announced Global version of MIUI 9 with  New Gallery App, Calendar Cards, New Notification Shade, App Vault, Mi Video App, New Mi Explorer and Mi Drop. Earlier this year, the company’s co-founder and vice president Hong Feng confirmed that company has started development of next iteration of MIUI, and it will be called MIUI 10 (not X). With MIUI 10, company’s focus will be on improving user experience using AI and Machine learning algorithms. In the same event, it was mentioned that company will remain focused on MIUI 9 development. Yesterday, MIUI forum Admins posted announcement related to MIUI China ROM and said that company is suspending MIUI 9 Beta ROM updates for some time. The post says, To achieve better system stability and optimization, MIUI will release the last Development/Alpha ROM 8.4.26 on 27th April 2018. Thereafter, MIUI developers will focus on system optimization, which will continue for a period of time. It's expected that the update will be resumed in June ...

Bose QC35 II Review – Noise-cancelling headphones with Google Assistant

A few months back, Bose officially introduced QC 35 II, noise-cancelling headphones that come with Google Assistant. Being the first headphones to get launched with voice-assistant, it retails around $349 (approximately Rs. 22,924 approx.) in various countries including U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, France and the UK. It was launched in India priced at Rs. 29363 in India. Has Bose fared yet again?  Box Contents QC35 II headphones in Silver color AUX audio cable for wired connection USB cable Carrying case Design The Quiet Comfort 35 II carries the same design language as its predecessor, which is kind of minimalistic yet boring. The headset is made of premium materials that make them lightweight and comfortable for all-day listening. The headset is made of two materials to be honest -- plastic with a matte finish on the chassis and a metal caps on the back of the earcups. It has an ear cushion that is manufactured from a synthetic protein leather and contains a silicone bead for passive noise reduction. Having said that the headphones look a bit cheap for its price, which in turn lacks the premium feel when held. It also has an adjustable headband that is really comfortable to wear and easy to pack ...

Facebook reports $4.9 billion net income in Q1 2018, up 63% YoY; 2.20 billion monthly active users

Facebook has revealed financial results for Q1 2018. The company has generated a total revenue of $4,988 million, an increase of 63%  year-over-year. It has reported the quarterly GAAP net income at $11,666 million compared to the $8,032 million same quarter last year. The GAAP diluted EPS was reported at $1.69 compared to the $1.04 in 2017. The company has reported daily active users of 1.45 billion on average for Marc2018, which is an increase of 13% year-over-year. As for Monthly active users, it reported a  2.20 billion and an increase of 13% year-over-year. The mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 91% of advertising revenue for the first quarter of 2018, which is up from approximately 85% of advertising revenue in the first quarter of 2017. The company's headcount was reported at 27,742 as of March 31, 2018, an increase of 48% year-over-year. Facebook's cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities were $43.96 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2018. It reported capital expenditures of $2.81 billion. Facebook's Operating margin is accounted at 46 % compared to the 41 % same time last year. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, and CEO said: Despite facing important challenges, our community and business are off to a strong start in 2018. We are taking a broader view of our responsibility ...