Ola acquires Pikup.ai AI startup to develop deep tech solutions for mobility

Ola which is a ride-hailing company has today announced that they have acquihired Pikup.ai, an artificial intelligence startup based out of Bangalore, India and aims to develop deep tech solutions for mobility. As part of the deal, the team at pikup.ai will join Ola. According to OLA, with this acquihiring, it will deliver innovations that continue to improve safety and transform the customer experience. The application of machine learning and AI will enable the company to identify deep insights that can lead to improved mobility outcomes and this will also include investments in early-stage businesses, acquisitions as well as acquihires across AI, Machine Learning, Computer Vision and other emerging areas of deep technology. Ola had also announced its intent to set up an Advanced Technology Centre in the San Francisco Bay area, to focus on developing next-generation technologies in mobility like Electric, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. In related news, Ola recently launched its credit card in partnership with SBI. Commenting on this, Ankit Bhati, Co-founder & CTO, Ola said: As we advance on our mission to build mobility for a billion people, we are investing in futuristic technology solutions that will shape the future of mobility in India and the world. We are very excited to welcome the Pikup.ai ...

WhatsApp for Android beta update brings fingerprint lock feature

WhatsApp has been testing and introducing new features recently like Status Ads, ability to use the same account on multiple devices and more. Today, WhatsApp has started rolling out the much-awaited fingerprint lock feature to beta users on Android, after introducing it for iOS beta users earlier this year. This feature was rumored few months back. The new fingerprint lock feature will be available to users who are on WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.19.221, so you should install beta version if you haven't. It is supported on smartphones running on Android Marshmallow or newer and having a fingerprint sensor. How to enable fingerprint lock on WhatsApp for Android? Open WhatsApp Settings(can be accessed by clicking the three dots present on top right corner) > Account > Privacy. You will find a new option called 'Fingerprint lock' under 'Privacy'. Turn on 'Unlock with fingerprint' option to enable the feature. Confirm the selection by touching the fingerprint sensor. WhatsApp is providing three options to users on when they can authenticate their identity to open and access the app. The options are visible under 'Automatically lock' and includes options like 'Immediately', 'After 1 minute' and 'After 30 minutes'. With the fingerprint lock turned on, the widget content is hidden ...

Facebook is testing dark mode for mobile

Earlier this year at the F8 2019, Facebook introduced several new features to its platform including 'FB5', a fresh new design which is simpler, faster and more immersive than ever before. On similar lines, according to a new report, Facebook is reportedly testing a dark mode for mobile and is said to be in an early stage of development. The Dark Mode has reportedly been spotted on Facebook for mobile and looks like the company is expected to implement this on the mobile app first. However, looks like the feature is half-baked for now as the dark mode has been reworked only in certain parts of the mobile app and is expected to be refined by the company over time. There is no information on the release date yet and it could take time to develop and refine such experimental features. In other news, Facebook recently rebranded Instagram and WhatsApp to 'Instagram from Facebook' and 'WhatsApp from Facebook' as the company faces scrutiny from regulators over privacy issues and with whom Facebook shares user information. Source

Indian smartphone market witness highest second-quarter shipments in Q2 2019: IDC

In a recent report, India smartphone market saw the highest ever second quarter shipment of 36.9million in 2019, with a 9.9% year-on-year (YoY) and 14.8% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth. Furthermore, a total of 69.3 million mobile phones were shipped to India in Q2 2019, which was up 7.6% over the previous quarter. On the other hand, offline channel registered an 8.5% YoY growth driven by the new launches in Samsung Galaxy A series. The overall market ASP stood at $159 in 2Q19 with 78% of the market below $200 price segment. However, the fastest-growing segment was U$200-300 with 105.2% YoY growth. This was mainly due to the demand from customers looking to upgrade, additionally fueled by China-based brands which are bringing innovations and flagship like design language at mid-price segments. The feature phone market continued its decline with 32.4 million-unit shipments, registering a drop of 26.3% YoY in 2Q19. This was due to lower shipments of 4G-enabled feature phones with 40.3% YoY decline in 2Q19. The 2G feature phone segment also declined as challenges remain for Indian brands along with small players facing heat owing to duty hikes on imports. Top 5 Smartphone Vendor Highlights Xiaomi saw its shipment volume grow by 4.8% YoY in 2Q19 with Redmi 6A and ...

Samsung Galaxy Note10+ earns A+ rating from DisplayMate, Galaxy Note10+ 5G grabs top spot on DxOMark

Samsung introduced its flagship Galaxy Note 10 series last week. Now the DisplayMate Technologies which is known for their accurate and in-depth evaluation of smartphone displays has completed its comprehensive evaluation of the Galaxy Note10+’s Dynamic AMOLED Display, and according to them, the Galaxy Note10+ has a very impressive Top Tier Smartphone Display with close to Text Book Perfect Calibration Accuracy and Performance that is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect. Based on our extensive Lab Tests and Measurements the Galaxy Note10+ has received a DisplayMate Best Smartphone Display Award earning DisplayMate’s highest ever Display Performance Grade of A+ and setting or matching over 13 Smartphone Display Performance Records. The Galaxy Note10+ packs a 6.8-inch Quad HD+ (3040 × 1440 pixels) Curved Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display with 498ppi, and it has matched or set records for some important measurements, including screen reflectance, absolute color accuracy, peak brightness, native color gamut, contrast ratio and screen resolution. It has Record Peak Brightness of 1,308 nits, a 25% Brightness increase in the High Brightness Mode over the Galaxy Note9, providing much higher screen visibility and readability in High Ambient Light. The 778 nits is for the Natural Mode with an All White Full Screen 100% Average Picture Level APL ...

Reliance Jio and Microsoft sign long-term cloud agreement

At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday, Reliance Jio announced that Jio and Microsoft have entered into a globally unique long-term alliance to accelerate the digital transformation of India.  This 10-year commitment combines the world-class capabilities of both companies to offer a detailed set of solutions comprising connectivity, computing, storage solutions, and other technology services and applications essential for Indian businesses and will span the broad Reliance Industries ecosystem including its existing and new businesses. As part of this alliance, Jio will build new custom solutions on Microsoft Azure for large enterprises who have already benefited from Microsoft's technology platforms. Companies will also have easy and affordable access to best-in-class technologies like data analytics, AI, cognitive services, blockchain, IoT and edge computing to accelerate India’s digital transformation and bring the latest technologies to millions of businesses across the country. All startups can register for their custom-designed package on Jio.com from 1st January, 2020. Jio will also invest and financially support those startups that have the potential to address India's big needs in agriculture, healthcare, education and skill development which will boost the creation of new livelihoods. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBeF0Mt7LxI As part of this new agreement: Jio will provide its internal workforce with cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools available with Microsoft 365 and will ...

Meizu 16s Pro with AMOLED display, triple rear cameras, in-display fingerprint sensor to be announced on August 28

Meizu introduced 16s smartphone earlier this year. Today the company has announced that the 16s Pro will be announced on August 28th in China. The phone with model number M973Q has received 3C certification revealing 24W mCharge fast charging, same as the 16s. It is said to feature triple rear cameras that includes a 48-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX586 sensor, OIS, night mode, ultra-wide sensor and a 20-megapixel secondary telephoto lens with Sony IMX350 sensor, as well as a 20-megapixel front camera. There will also be the ring LED flash below the triple cameras. It will retain the in-display fingerprint scanner, and pack a 4200mAh battery, compared to 3600mAh battery in the 16s. The phone could be powered by  Snapdragon 855 Plus with up to 12GB RAM, UFS 3.0 storage and dual speakers. We should know the complete specifications of the phone once it gets certified by TENAA in the coming days. Source 1, 2

Vivo iQOO Pro 5G with 6.41-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 855 Plus, up to 12GB RAM gets certified ahead of August 22 announcement

Vivo’s iQOO brand has introduced iQOO smartphone in China earlier this year. Now the Vivo iQOO Pro 5G has been certified by TENAA with the model number V1916A, ahead of announcement on August 22nd. It is said come with a 6.41-inch Full HD+  water drop notch screen with 91.7% screen-to-body ratio, similar to the predecessor, but this will be powered by Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC combined with Qualcomm’s X50 modem for 5G connectivity, liquid cooling, up to 12GB of RAM, Android Pie, 48-megapixel primary rear camera, secondary 13-megapixel 120-degree ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel sensor for portrait shots. It is said to pack a larger 4500mAh battery with 44W  ultra-fast flash charge and retain the in-display fingerprint scanner. Vivo iQOO Pro 5G rumored specifications 6.41-inch (1080 × 2340 pixels) Full HD+ Super AMOLED 19.5:9 aspect ratio display Octa-Core Snapdragon 855 Plus 7nm Mobile Platform (1 x 2.96GHz Kryo 485 + 3 x 2.42GHz Kryo 485 + 4x 1.80GHz Kryo 485) with Adreno 640 GPU 8GB RAM with 128GB / 256GB internal memory, 12GB RAM with 512GB internal memory Dual SIM Android 9.0 (Pie) with Funtouch OS 9 48MP rear camera with 1/2.0″ Sony IMX586 sensor, 0.8μm pixel size, 13MP 120-degree ultra-wide lens, f/2.4 aperture, 2MP camera,  f/2.4 aperture 12MP front-facing camera ...

Xiaomi Mi A3 teased officially ahead of India launch

Xiaomi announced Mi A3 Android One smartphone last month and the smartphone is an Android One version of the  CC9e smartphone that was introduced recently in China. Today, Xiaomi has officially teased the launch of Mi A3 Android One smartphone in India and is expected to launch this month. Earlier today, Xiaomi India posted a teaser video where the company's Global VP, Manu Kumar Jain asks Mi fans to predict the launch date of the next Android One smartphone from Xiaomi in India along with the hashtag #XiaomiAndroidOne. The teaser video suggests that it will be the launch of Mi A3 Android One smartphone and the gradient back of the smartphone is also shown in the video. Ok Mi fans, let's play a quick game! Lucky winner gets the upcoming #Xiaomi device. Just watch the full video and answer the question that comes with #XiaomiAndroidOne & tag @manukumarjain. RT & make this reach every #MiFan. pic.twitter.com/iVOx8AcrO9 — Mi India for #MiFans (@XiaomiIndia) August 12, 2019 To recall, Mi A3 has a 6.088-inch HD+ AMOLED display, is powered by Snapdragon 665 11nm SoC with 4GB of RAM, runs Android 9.0 (Pie), has seventh-gen in-display fingerprint scanner, 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor with f/1.79 aperture, 8-megapixel 118° ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 32-megapixel front ...

Xiaomi opens 2000th Mi Store in India, aims to open over 10000 retail stores by end of 2019

Earlier this year, Xiaomi opened its 1000th Mi Store in India and also announced Mi Studio. Expanding it further, Xioami has today announced its 2000th Mi Store in India and with this launch, Xioami now has Mi Stores present across nearly 600 cities and 28 states in India. The 2000th Mi Store is located at Tumkur, Karnataka and it took just 15 weeks for the company to launch its 2000th Mi Store after opening its 1000th Mi Store in India. Xiaomi says that they heavily accelerated their offline business expansion in India and continues to witness rapid expansion in its innovative retail efforts. The company adds that it has successfully generated employment opportunities for nearly 4000 individuals across rural and semi-urban regions of India through its Mi Store plan expansion in a short span of time. Xiaomi aims to open over 10,000 retail stores across its four offline channels in the nation by the end of the year 2019. Commenting on the launch, Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi Global, and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, said: With the beginning of 2017, we started our offline journey in India. It has led to a lot of learnings and today we have been able to establish our presence in the retail industry. ...