Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 with 6-inch FHD+ display, Snapdragon 660, triple-rear cameras and Zenfone Max M2 with Snapdragon 636 surface

Asus after the success of the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is working on the successor dubbed; Max Pro M2 and a Pro model. The devices come with ZB631KL, ZB633KL, ZB634KL model numbers. The ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 ZB631KL is said to sport a 6-inches FHD+ display, 4GB RAM, 64/128GB and 13MP camera.  To be clear: Not yet totally 100% on screen sizes and res as well as flash mem configs and max cam res. RAM, CPU, cam count are pretty much 100%. Also, yes ZB632KL/ZB634KL def are for India. — Roland Quandt (@rquandt) November 14, 2018 It is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 660 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM, but we guess it will also have a 6GB RAM variant. It will have a triple-rear camera, however, the details of the same are still unknown at the moment. As for the other model, the ASUS ZenFone Max M2 ZB633 packs a similar 6-inch FHD+ display, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 with 4GB RAM coupled with 32/64GB storage. It is said to pack a similar 13MP sensor and has a dual-rear camera setup. This is regular Zenfone Max M2, not the Pro model. Another Zenfone Max M2 model with model number ZB632KL is powered by the Snapdragon 636 and packs ...

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 gets benchmarked again, reveals better score than Apple A12 Bionic and Kirin 980

Back in September Qualcomm's next-generation flagship Mobile Platform which is said to be released as SM8150 passed through Geekbench revealing scores on-par with the Apple’s A11 Bionic chip and better than the Snapdragon 845-powered flagships. Now the SoC has passed through AnTuTu revealing whopping 362292 points, better than Apple's A12 Bionic chip that scored around 3.5 lakhs, and Kirin 980's score of 2.7 lakhs. The Snapdragon 8150 is said to adopt tri-cluster architecture with large, medium and small cores with a large core, three medium cores and four small cores running at a maxium frequency of 2.84GHz. 2.4GHz and 1.78GHz, respectively. It is said to use Andreno 640 with 20% better performance compared to Adreno 630. Qualcomm already confirmed that the SoC will be built on the 7nm process node and will be 5G-capable when paired with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 is expected to be announced in Q4 2018 and power smartphones early next year starting from Samsung Galaxy S10. We should know more details soon. Source

Google Assistant gets the ability to reply back to a smart speaker, new recipe recommendations to Smart Displays and more

Google, just in time for the holiday season has introduced new Assistant features that can be particularly helpful at home and more. Google Assistant features broadcast where you can send a message from your phone to your smart speakers and smart displays at home, the company is making this feature even more useful where you can reply back to a smart speaker or Smart Display to your phone. When the reply is received back on your phone, a notification will pop up and the message will be transcribed. You’ll respond with text or by voice with the Assistant. This feature will be available across all smart speakers and Smart Displays in the coming weeks. Smart Displays will now be able to bring new recommendations for recipes similar to ones you’ve searched for in the past. Recipes will be regularly updated with smart recommendations. These new features will be available across all Smart Displays in the coming weeks. Google is also adding the ability to set up an alarm from popular animated characters with the Google Assistant on smart speakers. These new alarms will have signature music, jokes, facts, words of encouragement and other fun messages from characters in LEGO City, LEGO Life, and LEGO Friends and ...

Google My Business app revamp makes it easier to connect with businesses

Google back in 2017 enabled in select countries to message businesses from the Business Profiles on Google giving users the opportunity to ask questions without having to make a phone call. Now, the company is making it much easier where you can message and connect with businesses via Business Profiles within the Google Maps app.  You’ll find these messages in the side menu of both Google Maps for Android and iOS. This feature is now rolling out to more countries worldwide and will be able to message with businesses for the very first time. https://youtu.be/vsNcMJuRSME However, businesses that want to accept messages from customers can install the new Google My Business app from Google Play or the App Store to sign up and enable messages. The new Google My Business app makes it even easier for businesses to stay in touch with their customers in real-time and on the go. You can download the new Google My Business app from Google Play or the App Store to sign up and enable messages. Source

Realme unveils new ‘Realme Yellow’ logo

Started off as OPPO's sub-brand and later formed as a separate company, Realme has launched its fully upgraded Brand Visual Identity system and Logo to provide a new visual experience The "R" logo in “Realme Yellow” designed by Eddie Opara.  Realme announced that it will be rolling out its upgraded brand image across all channels starting from today. Realme's new "R" logo and smartphones will launch across Southeast Asian markets including Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, countries in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The company says that new Visual Identity is a people-oriented design featuring original aspiration and absolute self-expression. Upgrading the new Visual Identity and Logo. The upgraded Visual Identity system and Logo are all based on vibrant golden yellow. This specific color, called "Realme Yellow", represents power, style, modernity, and youthfulness. Sky Li, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder, Realme, said: As a global, youth-facing smartphone brand, Realme is continuing to introduce new products that feature stylish design and a powerful performance. At the same time, Realme hopes to create a symbol for young people through the new brand logo – one they can identify with, and where they see a visual symbol of their emotional identity and belonging. Realme's new brand ...

Microsoft acquires AI-based bot development studio XOXCO

Microsoft has announced the acquisition of XOXCO, a software product design and development studio known for its conversational AI and bot development capabilities. It is established in 2013 and has been paving the way in conversational AI. It was responsible for the creation of Howdy, the first commercially available bot for Slack that helps schedule meetings. Thanks to the new acquisition, the company is continuing to realize its approach of democratizing AI development, conversation, and dialog, and integrating conversational experiences where people communicate. The main goal is to make AI accessible and valuable to every individual and organization, amplifying human ingenuity with intelligent technology. Microsoft is infusing intelligence across all its products and services to extend individuals’ and organizations’ capabilities and make them more productive, providing a powerful platform of AI services. In a blog post, Lili Cheng - Corporate Vice President, Conversational AI said: At Microsoft, we envision a world where natural language becomes the new user interface, enabling people to do more with what they say, type and input, understanding preferences and tasks and modeling experiences based on the way people think and remember. Today, we are announcing we have signed an agreement to acquire XOXCO, a software product design and development studio known ...

OnePlus 6T Thunder Purple Edition Unboxing and Photo Gallery

Earlier this week OnePlus introduced Thunder Purple color variant of the OnePlus 6T for the global markets and also announced that it will be coming to India starting November 16, 2018. Here we have the unboxing and the photo gallery of the phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1-1KTLrbS4 The special edition OnePlus 6T comes with a gradient back that fades from black to purple under the frosted glass-back, with the evocative ‘S’ curve racing across the back and highlighting the depth of colour. OnePlus said that it has paid meticulous attention to detail to craft the perfect look, with a focus on how light reacts to the glass’ haze, roughness, gloss, transparency and reflective qualities. [gallery link="file" size="large" columns="2" ids="268565,268566,268567"] Even the sides have dual gradiant finish, while the top and bottom feature purple finish with antenna bands in black. You can differentiate the new color variant from the front, since it looks similar to the Midnight Black and Mirror Black. Other specifications are similar, including a 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display with 86% screen-to-body ratio, Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with 8GB of RAM, dual rear camera setup with a 16-megapixel rear camera and 20-megapixel secondary camera, 16-megapixel Sony IMX 371 sensor on the front, Nightscape mode that can recognize night scenes ...

Withings Pulse HR fitness tracker with OLED display, heart rate sensor announced

Withings has launched the Pulse HR traditional fitness tracker that packs a polycarbonate build with an OLED screen. It packs a stainless steel casing and changeable silicone wristband straps. However, doesn't come with always-on-display.  It comes the ability to see notifications from your phone, alongside time/date, daily goal progress, calories, and heart rate. There is a photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor will record your beat every 10 minutes throughout the day and continuously during exercise sessions, with a heart rate zone provided. It can track up to 10 activities when connected GPS via the phone, it can offer pace, distance, elevation, and a map in the companion app. It can track sleep quality with a Sleep Score combining duration, depth regularity, and interruptions to provide a ranking in the Health Mate app. The app integrates with third-party services like Google Fit, Apple Health, and MyFitnessPal. The company claims that it can offer a battery life of up to 20 days, and is water-resistant up to 50 meters. The Withings Pulse HR is priced at $129.95 (Rs.9,360 approx.). The company is taking pre-orders through Withings website and Amazon.com and will ship from December 5th.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro launching in India on November 22

Update: Xiaomi has confirmed that the Redmi Note 6 Pro will be available for sale starting November 23rd, 12 noon, a day after launch. Earlier: Xiaomi just sent out invites for the launch of a new Note series smartphone in India. The image shows a notch and the number '6' so it will likely be the Redmi Note 6 Pro, as we had reported last month. Redmi Note 6 Pro features a 6.26-inch 19:9 Full HD+ display with a Notch and packs dual cameras at the front. It features micro-USB port and runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 similar to its predecessor. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro specifications 6.26-inch (2280×1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 2.5D curved glass display 1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU 4GB LPDDR4x RAM, 64GB storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with MIUI Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) 12MP rear camera with dual-tone LED Flash, f/1.9 aperture, 1.4μm pixel size, Dual PD focus, EIS, secondary 5MP camera 20MP front-facing camera with Sony IMX376 sensor, f/2.0 aperture, secondary 2MP camera Fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor Dimensions: 157.9 x 76.38 x8.2mm Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS ...

Cortana 3.0 with redesigned interface, conversational experiences and more released for iOS

Cortana 3.0 which was in beta since last month is now finally available for all the iOS users. This update brings redesigned interface, the ability for you to have “conversational experiences” with the voice assistant, listen to music and podcasts, and more. You can even setup Cortana devices. As expected, the update also brings better integration with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem of services. You can now use the app to join Skype or Teams meetings and also access your calendar, meetings, emails, reminders, and to-dos. The interface has changed a lot since the beta that was rolled out last month. The final version of the app brings just a single tab called “Upcoming,” which shows an outline of your day. Additional features such as reminders or lists are available from a slide-in menu from the right. Despite falling behind in the race with other voice assistants, Microsoft is not giving up on it as it is a part of its own ecosystem. You can download the updated Cortana app directly from App Store.