Sony WH-1000XM3, WH-1000XM2 and WI-1000X wireless noise-canceling headphones to get Amazon Alexa support in Q1 2019

Sony at the CES 2019 has announced that its latest WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling wireless headphones will get Amazon Alexa support soon. It Previous WH-1000XM2 and WI-1000X wireless headphones will also get Alexa suport. Amazon Alexa functionality will offer hands-free, voice-controlled experience, same as Google Assistant which is already available. You can ask Alexa to play music, change tracks, control smart home devices, search information and more after you tap the button. Alexa support will be available to these headphones via Sony's Headphones Connect app (version 4.1) and firmware update in the first quarter of 2019. Regarding the same, Mike Fasulo, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics North America, said: Sony is always seeking to provide new listening experiences and to enhance the usability and integration of our products into users' daily lives. Adding Alexa support to our noise-canceling wireless headphones makes it easy to find audio content so users spend less time searching for their music and more time enjoying it. Pete Thompson, vice president of the Alexa Voice Service, said: We are delighted to collaborate with Sony on listening experiences that combine high-quality sound with the simplicity of voice control.With Alexa built-in, you can easily play music, hear the news, control smart home devices, access ...

Lenovo introduces new ThinkPad X1 Carbon, ThinkPad X1 Yoga and ThinkVision P44W, Legion Y44w monitors

Lenovo has announced the latest additions to the ThinkPad X1 products; the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen and ThinkPad X1 Yoga 4th Gen. According to the company, the X1 Carbon 7th Gen and X1 Yoga 4th Gen are both thinner and lighter than ever. The 4th-gen ThinkPad X1 Yoga is the company's first-ever ThinkPad with an all-aluminum chassis. The new refreshed ThinkPad X1 models sport new display options, including a 500 nit, 10-bit 4K Dolby Vision display, and a low power 400 nit FHD screen. The laptops also come with Dolby Atmos system with four speakers and four far-field mics. The ThinkPad X1 line-up is powered by upto the latest eighth-generation Whisky Lake Intel Core processors. Both the laptops come with up to 16GB of RAM, up to 2TB SSD, two USB 3.1 ports, HDMI out, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga has one Thunderbolt 3 port, whereas the ThinkPad X1 Carbon packs two. Both ThinkPad X1 laptops include a new 400 nit FHD display option with new ThinkPad PrivacyGuard which protects the end users screen from prying eyes. ThinkPad Privacy Alert software warns users if anyone is looking at their screen, and will automatically turn on Privacy Guard. The laptops also pack ...

Samsung Notebook 9 Pro with 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and Notebook Flash announced

Samsung Electronics at the CES 2019 event unveiled two new Notebook PCs; the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro and the Samsung Notebook Flash. The Notebook 9 Pro is powered by the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U processor and packs a 13.3-inch Full HD display with 6.7mm bezel.  The Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is powered by the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U processor with Intel UHD 620 graphics. It packs 8GB LPDDR3 RAM and 256G PCIe NVMe storage. It runs on Windows 10 OS. Connectivity options include 802.11ac 2x2 (Giga). It sports a 13.3-inch Full HD display with 350 nits. Ports on the device include Thunderbolt 3 x2, USB-C x1, 3.5mm, microSD. There is support for fingerprint as well for security and Active Pen. It also comes with an HD camera. Moving to Notebook Flash; the base variant is powered by the Intel Celeron N4000, while another variant comes with Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor with internal graphics. It packs 4GB RAM and 64G eMMC storage. It runs on Windows 10 OS. Connectivity options include 802.11ac 2x2 (Giga). It sports a 13.3-inch Full HD LED (1920 x 1080) display with Anti-Glare. Ports on the device include USB-C x2, USB 3.0 x1, USB 2.0 x1, HDMI x1, 3.5mm, UFS & MicroSD Combo. There is support for fingerprint as well for security and Web ...

Travis Touch Plus real-time AI translator with 2.4-inch display, 100 language support launching in India this month

Travis; which is a Dutch-based startup aims to offer solutions for the language barrier with its translator device; Travis Touch. The device translates over 100 languages with the click of a button and is now launched in India. Travis Touch Plus is the first AI and machine learning translator, incorporating voice commands, wireless charging, and cutting-edge language learning software. Travis Touch is here to aid India in creating a new normal where it's perfectly realistic for someone to just walk out of the airport and talk to anyone, anywhere in India in their own native language. The company says that so far, over 120,000 devices have been shipped worldwide. With the release of Business Edition this past fall, Travis is single-handedly streamlining cross-cultural business partnerships. It has a 2.4-inch IPS LCD display and also includes support for WiFi, 4G, and Bluetooth as well. It also supports wireless charging and can last up to 12 hours on a single charge. There is support for history log where you can read previous translations. The company will officially launch the Travis Touch in India on January 10 in Mumbai at IITT, a major annual tourism expo, so we should know the pricing and availability in a couple of days. Kaarmuhilan, Head ...

Sony introduces ‘360 Reality Audio’ music experience with object-based spatial audio technology

Sony has announced an all new music experience at the CES 2019; the "360 Reality Audio"  which makes listeners feel as if they are immersed in sound from all directions. The new experience is delivered by Sony’s object-based spatial audio technology.  Sony is working with major music labels, music distribution services, and other such music organizations to provide the technology for building a musical ecosystem around 360 Reality Audio. The 360 Reality Audio uses Sony's object-based spatial audio technology to provide an immersive music experience that feels just like being at a live concert. 360 Reality Audio makes it possible for artists and music creators to create a 360-degree musical experience by mapping sound sources such as vocals, chorus and instruments with positional information of distance and angle to suit their creative and artistic purpose. Sony says that it will provide content creation tools and work with major music labels to prepare and augment music into 360 Reality Audio content. Also, existing music that is already in multitrack sound format will be able to be converted into a 360 Reality Audio compatible format using the production tools that Sony will provide. The company is also planning to release a format optimized for music distribution. ...

LG Q9 with 6.1-inch QHD+ display, Quad DAC, Water-resistant body, military-level durability announced

LG has introduced Q9, new Android smartphone in Korea. It has a 6.1-inch QHD+ 19.5:9 FullVision display, is powered by  Snapdragon 821 SoC with 4GB of RAM, is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance, meets MIL-STD 810G requirements, and Hi-Fi Quad DAC. This was introduced as G7 Fit back in August last year at the IFA. It has a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/1.6 aperture, 8-megapixel front camera,rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, glass back, metal frame and a 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. LG Q9 specifications 6.1-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440 pixels) 19.5:9 FullVision Display Quad-core Snapdragon 821 Mobile Platform with Adreno 530 GPU 4GB LPDDR4x RAM, 64GB, expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD Android 8.1 (Oreo) with LG UX 16MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, 76-degree wide-angle lens, LED flash 8MP front camera with 80-degree wide-angle lens,  f/1.9 aperture Fingerprint sensor Water, dust resistant (IP68), MIL-STD 810G certified Dimensions: 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9mm; Weight: 159g 3.5mm audio jack, 32-bit Advanced Hi-Fi Quad DAC, Boombox Speaker, FM Radio 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 LE, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C 3.1 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 The LG Q9 comes in Carmine Red, New Aurora Black and New Moroccan Blue colors, is priced at 499,400 ...

Sony SRS-XB12, SRS-XB22, SRS-XB32, and GTK-PG10 portable speakers announced at CES 2019

Sony Electronics at CES 2019 has announced a refreshed Extra Bass wireless speaker line-up which includes; SRS-XB12, SRS-XB22 and SRS-XB32 portable speakers, along with the new GTK-XB72 high-power speaker and a new outdoor party speaker, the GTK-PG10. The XB22 and XB32 speakers come with dual passive radiators that work together with stereo full-range speakers to enhance low-end tones and give the bass a boost. The XB12 uses a single passive radiator to achieve a similar effect. Users can link up multiple XB72 speakers using Wireless Party Chain via Bluetooth. The XB22, XB32, and XB72 feature 'LIVE SOUND' mode, which expands the service area of the sound via angled speakers and Digital Signal Processing technology, producing a three-dimensional sound that puts users in the thick of the music. The XB12, XB22 and XB32 speakers come with an IP67 rating and are completely party-proof with a rubber-like coating on the XB12. The XB32 and XB22 are also rust and shock resistant. The XB12 is equipped with a detachable strap to hook it anywhere. The company claims that the XB32 can last up to 24 hours and can even charge mobile devices. The XB72 also features an FM Tuner that gives you even more flexibility to ...

Samsung earnings guidance and LG preliminary earnings reveal profit drop in Q4 2018

Samsung and LG, two Korean giants today reported earnings guidance for the fourth quarter of 2018. Both the companies have reported drop in profits for the quarter. Samsung has reported revene of 59 trillion Korean won in Q4 2018, compared to 66 trillion Korean won a year ago, and an operating profit of 10.8 trillion Korean won, compared to 15.1 trillion Korean won YoY. Samsung blames difficult conditions in memory chips, weaker-than-expected demand from data centre customers adjusting inventories drove down chip prices. LG has reported KRW 15.8 trillion revenues in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to KRW 16.9 trillion in the previous year, with an operating profit of KRW 75.3 billion, compared to KRW 366.8 billion, down 79.47% YoY. LG blames continued poor performance in mobile division, which has been posting losses since Q2 2017. Both Samsung and LG did not announce the performance of each business division. We should know the exact profit amount and division-wise results when the companies release their full earnings results later this month. Source 1, 2

Sony Master Series Z9G 8K LCD and A9G 4K OLED TVs, HT-X8500 Dolby Atmos Soundbar, X800M2 4K Blu-ray player announced

Sony Electronics has announced the new MASTER Series Z9G 8K LCD and A9G 4K OLED televisions. Both new models feature the latest generation Picture Processor X1 Ultimate for accurate detail and contrast. The company also introduced the HT-X8500 Soundbar which comes with Dolby Atmos/DTS:X and built-in subwoofers and the new HT-S350 Soundbar.  The Picture Processor X1 Ultimate algorithm is specially developed for 8K that can intelligently detect and analyze each object in the picture, resulting in exceptional detail and contrast for a more realistic picture that represents. Both the A9G and Z9G models have the new Sound-from-Picture Reality feature. The A9G is Sony's new flagship 4K OLED TV available in 77", 65" and 55" classes. The TVs come with Pixel Contrast Booster for more color and contrast in bright areas. Additionally, the TV Center Speaker Mode provides choice to use the TV as the center speaker. The A9G HDR TVs features Netflix Calibrated mode which is IMAX enhanced and Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos. As for the Z9G Super-large Sized TVs, they come in 98-inch and 85-inch class. In order to deliver premium picture quality in such extra-large screens, Sony is introducing an extra resolution with its first consumer 8K television. It comes with twice the number of horizontal lines and vertical lines, meaning, the 8K quality provides four times the pixels of 4K. They also ...

Honor View20 with 6.4-inch All-View display, 25MP in-screen front camera, 48MP AI + 3D TOF dual rear cameras launching on Amazon India on January 29

Update - January 8th, 2019 - Honor has confirmed that the View20 will be launched in India on 29th January 2019 exclusively on Amazon.in, a week after the global launch at an event in Paris, France. The company has confirmed that it will be available in 6GB RAM with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM with 256GB storage variants. Earlier: Huawei's Honor brand introduced the Honor V20 smartphone in China yesterday. Now Honor India has started teasing the launch of the global variant of the smartphone - Honor View20 in the country on Amazon.in. You can also click 'Notify Me' to get notified about the launch in the country. To remind you the phone has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ All-View screen with 91.82% screen-to-body ratio, 25-megapixel in-display front camera in the small 4.5mm cut out. It is powered by Kirin 980 SoC with GPU Turbo 2.0,  NINE liquid cooling and up to 8GB of RAM. It has a 48-megapixel rear camera with  Sony IMX586 1/2-type (8.0 mm diagonal) sensor, uses 4-in-1 light fusion that outputs better low-light images at 12MP resolution and 4-times improved HDR support, has AI scene detection to recognize over 60 categories and 1500 scenarios. It also has a TOF 3D secondary rear camera that can calculate distance ...