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Honor MagicBook laptops powered by Intel 11th-Gen processors to launch next week

By
Jeet
-

It’s been a couple of months since Honor separated from Chinese giant Huawei to become an independent brand but that hasn’t stopped the company from lining up and launching new devices one after another.

Along with the Honor V40 flagship smartphone launch on 18th January in China, the company will also be launching its new MagicBook series of laptops. The company is expected to launch Honor MagicBook 14 and MagicBook 15.

Honor MagicBook 14/15 2021

While the official launch is still days away, the devices have been listed online by JD.com, revealing the design as well as configuration. However, to know the pricing and availability details, we will have to wait for the official launch.

So far, it’s known that the Honor MagicBook 14 and 15 will come with a display with narrow bezels on the three sides and the screen has passed Rheinland Low Blue Light certification. It will be offered in just one color — Glacier Silver.

Internally, the laptops come powered by the latest Intel 11th generation processors, up to Core i7-1165G7. These processors are manufactured using the 10nm process and support clock speeds up to 4.7GHz.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei plans to have more than 300 million devices running its HarmonyOS by the end of 2021

It also has Intel Xe integrated graphics processor, packed with up to 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. The company will also offer an option of NVIDIA MX450 discrete graphics card for better graphics performance.

It has also been revealed that the devices come with shark-fin high-density and slim fan blade design along with dual heat pipes to ensure that the temperature remains in control and thus, the laptop delivers better performance.

Recently, at the CES 2021, the company had unveiled the Honor MagicBook Pro 2021 that features a 16.1-inch Full HD display. It packs an Intel Core i5-10210U processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX350 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. The laptop is priced at $1,000 and will soon be available for purchase.

UP NEXT: Huawei is developing Smart Roads that interact with driverless cars

 

Apple iPhone 12 Pro prototype spotted running nonUI build of iOS 14

By
Sean
-

An Apple iPhone 12 Pro prototype has recently surfaced online, offering us a first look at the company’s current flagship’s early build. The device arrived in a Pacific Blue variant and even ran on iOS 14 but without the UI.

The images of the iPhone 12 Pro prototype was shared on Twitter by Giulio Zompetti earlier today (14th January 2020). In the picture, we can observe the latest version of SwitchBoard being present, within the nonUI build of iOS 14. For those unaware, the Cupertino based giant uses SwitchBoard as an internal tool that houses various utilities to test a number of features on new iPhones.

Editor’s Pick: Another leaker confirms the OnePlus 9 Lite is coming; will launch in India and China

We can observe a number of previously seen utilities in the image like Console, USBHost, QRCode, Reliability, along with some new ones like Ness and Astro, as per a 9To5Mac report. Looking at the device itself, it seems like this Apple iPhone 12 Pro prototype arrived with a slightly darker shade of the Pacific Blue color variant, which is available on the iPhone 12 series. Although, this could also just be due to dim lighting in the scene.

Apple

In other words, Apple might have been going for a darker aesthetic for the blue colored version of the iPhone 12 Pro before settling on the current final version, which is available in the markets. Unfortunately, we have no way of confirming this and it is a speculation, so take it with a pinch of salt.

UP NEXT: Qualcomm’s CPUs are about to get even more powerful as it plans to acquire NUVIA

 

Honor V40’s camera configurations revealed in a new leak

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Honor will be announcing the Honor V40 smartphone on Jan. 18 in China. Ahead of the launch, the company is busy revealing some of its key features. Today, it confirmed that the Honor V40 will be sporting a 50-megapixel primary camera. At the same time, a poster of the Honor V40 has surfaced on Weibo to reveal its design, color options, and key specs.

Honor has revealed that the Honor V40 has a 50-megapixel ultra-sensitive main camera. It also mentioned that the phone will be capable at shooting amazing shots in low-light conditions.  According to a Chinese tipster, it could be equipped with a 1/1.5x-inch Sony IMX7XX lens.

Previous reports had claimed that the Honor V40 is equipped with a quad-camera setup. The new poster that is now being circulated on Weibo reveals that the camera setup of the Honor V40 has three cameras, a laser autofocus unit, and an LED flash. So, apart from the 50-megapixel primary shooter, the handset features an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

Honor V40 poster

Editor’s Pick: Honor Band 6 fitness tracker announced for the global markets at CES 2021

The Honor V40 can be seen in three colors such as black, blue, and gradient orange in the new poster. It features a curved edge display with a pill-shaped cutout at the upper left corner. The poster also confirms that the Honor V40’s display produces 1.07 billion colors. Recent reports have revealed that it has a 6.72-inch OLED FHD+ display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a 300Hz touch sampling rate.

The Honor V40 could be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset. The device may come with a 66W fast charging enabled 4,000mAh battery. Some leaks have also claimed that the handset supports wireless charging.

UP NEXT: Honor MagicBook Pro 2021 powered by Intel chipset announced at CES

 

 

Huawei is developing Smart Roads that interact with driverless cars

By
Sean
-

While the idea of self driving cars and autonomous vehicles is an easy concept to understand, smart roads are a bit more complicated. The former implies an automobile that can act and move without human interaction, while the latter signifies interconnected technology that supports these driverless cars, which is exactly what Huawei is working on.

Huawei

In the city of Wuxi in the Jiangsu province of China, the company is working on smart roads. The Chinese tech giant is testing the infrastructure behind this concept on a four kilometer stretch of road where a self driving bus runs back and forth, navigating obstacles, accelerating and decelerating, making stops, and other activities based on the information it receives from the smart road systems around it. To put things simply, sensors, cameras, radars, and more embedded in the road, traffic lights, street signs, and other areas help the vehicle navigate the road by relaying key information.

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In other words, the smart road ‘talks’ to the autonomous bus. This site was developed and run by Huawei and its partners, and is a part of the country’s first national project for intelligent and connecter vehicles, as per a Bloomberg report. The smart road project is a part of China’s efforts to make its roads safer and help make traffic smoother as well. At the same time, this also offers its local companies like Huawei an opportunity to benefit from supplying the government with the supporting infrastructure.

Huawei

According to Jiang Wangcheng, a president at Huawei’s information and communications technology business, “Autonomous driving is an irresistible trend, but any isolated vehicle alone can’t nail it. The only solution is to get more information from the roads. Sensors, cameras, radars that are embedded into roads, street signs, traffic lights, bus stops.” The self driving bus is dubbed X-Bus and is linked to a transportation-control network, through which a two way form of communication is established to decide every action taken on the smart road. This also means that instead of making a smart car, Huawei is leaning more towards providing communications equipment and software for intelligent solutions for vehicles.

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Samsung reportedly increases CMOS image sensor prices by 40%

By
Jeet
-

Samsung is one of the leading image sensor makers for smartphones, giving tough competition to Sony. The South Korean giant is the world’s second-largest company when it comes to supplying CMOS Image Sensors.

However, because of a serious shortage of image sensors in the market, Samsung has reportedly increased pricing by around 40 percent. And Samsung isn’t the only one to do so as other image sensor providers have also increased the pricing by around 20 percent.

Samsung

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei executive reveals the company’s plan to have more than 300 million devices running HarmonyOS in 2021

The report also adds that Samsung has significantly increased UMC’s 28nm ISP foundry orders to meet the demand. However, the company’s production capacity is in short supply at the foundry.

It is being said that the company is planning to invest in machine equipment and hand it over to United Microelectronics Corporation (aka UMC) for production to ensure higher capacity. The report further adds that the deal between these two companies is currently in the discussion phase.

Recently, it was also reported that Samsung is planning to cut down some of the DRAM production capacity as it wants to ensure that CMOS Image Sensor chips are available in the required quantity for the customers.

UP NEXT: ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQ announced as the world’s first 32-inch 4K gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1

 

Google Pixel 4a 5G users complain about navigation and touch issues

By
Jeet
-

The Google Pixel 4a 5G, which was launched last year along with the Pixel 5 a few months ago, is suffering from touch reliability issues after the company rolled out an update for the smartphone last month.

As per the reports coming from several users, the phone suffers from a range of issues, including taps not registering, which is very frustrating for those users who are using the 3-button navigation feature.

Google Pixel 4a 5G Clearly White
Google Pixel 4a 5G

The issues started appearing after Google rolled out an update with the December security patch. Prior to that update, no such issues were reported by the smartphone’s users after the device was launched.

Users are saying that taps on the screen are not getting registered, especially around the edges, including buttons and UI elements, and thus the user needs to tap multiple times for the function to work.

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm’s CPUs are about to get even more powerful as it plans to acquire NUVIA

It has also been confirmed that the issue is not related to the hardware as finger drags are being consistently recognized. Apart from issues with the three-button navigation system, people are facing problems with the full-screen apps.

The issue was also acknowledged by Google last month and the company had said that a “fix will be included in an upcoming software update.” However, the company has not addressed this issue in the January patch and there has been no information shared by the company regarding this.

In the meantime, the only real fix to this frustrating problem is rolling back the smartphone to the November security patch. Although the process of doing that isn’t easy, it is the only workaround before the company actually fixes the issue with a software update.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy A32 5G launched in Germany; pricing starts at €279 and goes on sale in February

 

ASUS ROG Phone 4’s arrival teased, Q1 launch likely

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

A couple smartphone brands are gearing up to launch next-generation gaming smartphones. Recently, Black Shark and Nubia started teasing their next gaming phones for the Chinese market. Both phones are likely to break cover as early as February in the country. ASUS is another company that is now gearing up to launch its ROG phone. A teaser released by the brand through its Weibo account reveals that its next gaming phone will offer an upgraded experience.

ASUS has not revealed the name of its next ROG phone in the new teaser. Last month, an ASUS phone with model number ASUS_I005DA was spotted at Geekbench 5. Since the model number of the ROG Phone 3 is ASUS_I003D, it was speculated that the ASUS_I005DA handset could be debuting as the ROG Phone 5.  It is advisable to wait for further reports to know whether the upcoming ROG handset will be called ROG Phone 4 or ROG Phone 5.

ASUS-ROG-Phone-poster-585x1040

Editor’s Pick: ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQ announced as the world’s first 32-inch 4K gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1

‘Coming back to the teaser, the poster suggests that except for the slightly thick chin, it will be sporting slimmer bezels on the other three sides of the display. The ROG Phone 3 offered a screen-to-body ratio of 19.5:9. Hopefully, the successor model will offer a taller aspect ratio. The Geekbench listing of the alleged ROG phone had revealed that it is equipped with the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform and 8 GB of RAM. The phone was found to be running on Android 11 OS.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 Specifications

The ROG Phone 3 came with specs like 6.59-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, Snapdragon 865+ chipset, 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, and a 6,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging support. For photography, it featured a 24-megapixel front camera and a 64-megmapixel + 13-megapixel + 5-megpaixel triple camera system.

UP NEXT: ASUS confirms no Android 10 update for ROG Phone

 

Xiaomi Mi 11 smartphone disassembled and reassembled into a dragon

By
Jeet
-

A few weeks ago, Xiaomi launched its latest flagship smartphone in its home country China and the device is now available for purchase. Now, just days after the phone being made available in the market, the company has shared an interesting video.

Xiaomi has shared a video on its Weibo account that shows the Mi 11 smartphone being disassembled but then the phone gets reassembled into a mechanical sculpture of a dragon — an iconic symbol in the Chinese culture.

For this process, two Mi 11 phones were used, along with four Leather Edition models for the softer material. The company is also reporting that it took 30 days for the article to complete this disassembling and reassembling process of around 500 parts.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 flagship smartphone features a 6.81-inch AMOLED 2K display that offers 3200 x 1440 pixels screen resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling rate, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei plans to have more than 300 million devices running HarmonyOS by the end of this year

Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, making it the world’s first device to have this processor. Along with that, the phone is coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and a heart-rate scanner.

In the camera department, there’s a triple-camera sensor on the back that features a 108MP primary sensor with f/1.85 aperture, a 13MP super wide-angle lens with a 120-degree field of view, and a 5MP telephoto-macro lens. On the front side, the device has a 20MP snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The smartphone runs the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with the MIUI 12 on top, although the company has officially released the MIUI 12.5 custom interface. It is powered by a 4,600mAh battery that supports 55W fast wired charging, 50W fast wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy A32 5G launched in Germany; pricing starts at €279 and goes on sale in February

 

Huawei plans to have more than 300 million devices running HarmonyOS in 2021

By
Jeet
-

Last year, months after getting banned by the United States from using Google’s Android operating system, Huawei launched its own HarmonyOS (aka HongMeng OS) and new devices powered by the same are making their way to the market.

In a recent event in China by Sina Tech, Wang Chenglu, Software Chief at Huawei Consumer Business Software Department, revealed some information about the company’s plan with this new operating system.

HarmonyOS

He said that the software isn’t a copy of Google‘s Android or Apple‘s iOS which are designed for just smartphones. Unlike those operating systems, the HarmonyOS is made for a wide range of devices, from smartphones to the Internet of Things.

Explaining the reasoning, he adds that smartphone shipments have been declining since the last couple of years and the COVID-19 pandemic has made the market worse. He further adds that the usage of smartphones has reached its saturation point.

While the ecosystem of devices surrounding smartphones is increasing, such as wearables and smart home products, the problem is that almost all of them run on different pieces of software. Huawei is aiming to solve that issue with HarmonyOS, allowing users to have consistency across a range of devices.

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm’s CPUs are about to get even more powerful as it plans to acquire NUVIA

He has also added that contract to what most reports indicate, the HarmonyOS wasn’t developed as an alternative to Android after the Chinese company was restricted from using Google’s system. He says that Huawei started working on its in-house operating system in the year 2016.

HarmonyOS has been developed as a single system to be used across range of hardware — from small to large, consumer to enterprise, and compatibility with different platforms. The company has already launched an updated version of the same, dubbed HarmonyOS 2.0.

The Chinese giant is now hoping to install its own operating system in 200 million devices by the end of this year. Huawei will also allow other companies to use HarmonyOS on their devices, which should account for around 100 million devices, aiming to reach a total of 300 to 400 million devices this year.

UP NEXT: Huawei P50 series smartphones will come to global markets in HarmonyOS and Android versions

 

[UPDATED] OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G pre-order poster, pricing and specifications leaked for India

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

UPDATE: The tipster has taken down the tweet. It’s no longer available.

OPPO is all set to unleash the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G and OPPO Enco X TWS earbuds on Jan. 18 in India. As usual, the rumor mill is working hard to bring juicy information ahead of the announcement. Tipster Abhishek Yadav has shared a couple of images that reveal the specifications and pre-orders details of the Reno5 Pro 5G for India.

The first set of images which appears to be the leaked shots of official presentation slides reveals that the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G will be competing with the likes of budget-friendly flagship phones such as Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and OnePlus 8T. The Reno5 Pro 5G, which will be debuting as India’s first Dimensity 1000+ SoC powered smartphone will offer key features such as ultra-thin and lightweight design, borderless display, and a premium 3D glass rear.

OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G specifications (Rumored)

The D1000+ powered OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G has a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED display that offers a 20:9 aspect ratio, a 90Hz refresh rate, 402ppi pixel density, an in-screen fingerprint reader, and a 92.10 percent screen space. The display sports a punch-hole design with curved edges.

For selfies, it has a 32-megapixel front camera, and its rear shell has a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a pair of 2-megapixel auxiliary lenses. It will run on ColorOS 11.1 based Android 11 OS. The 4,350mAh battery of the smartphone will carry support for 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging technology.

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The Reno5 Pro 5G weighs 173mm and has a thickness of 7.6mm. It will ship with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage. Readers can know about the other features by checking out the above images shared by the tipster.

OPPO Reno5 Pro pre-orders in India and price (Rumored)

The Reno5 Pro 5G pre-order poster reveals launch offers such as a 10 precent discount on OPPO Enco X TWS earbuds and 10 percent cashback from leading banks. The leakster claimed that the Reno5 Pro 5G will be priced at Rs 39,990 (~$546). However, readers are advised to digest the pricing leak with a pinch of salt.

UP NEXT: OPPO brings the Reno5 and Reno5 Pro 5G variants to Taiwan; Pre-order, Availability details inside

 

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G launched in Germany; starts at €279 and goes on sale in February

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Samsung has taken the wraps off the Galaxy A32 5G in Europe. The MediaTek-powered phone was announced in Germany yesterday but it won’t go on sale until February.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G

The Galaxy A32 5G has a waterdrop notch in its display and packs four rear cameras. Buyers will be able to choose from four color variants – Awesome Black, Awesome Blue, Awesome Violet, and Awesome White – when it goes on sale on February 12.

The screen is a 6.5-inch Infinity-V display and inside the notch is a 13MP camera. You get an HD+ resolution which should not be surprising considering this is a budget device.

While Samsung doesn’t usually say the name of the chipset powering its phones, the octa-core processor inside the Galaxy A32 5G is said to be MediaTek’s Dimensity 720 processor. It will be available in multiple RAM variants (4GB, 6GB, and 8GB) and with 64GB or 128GB of storage. Unfortunately, Samsung Germany didn’t say the RAM of the variants that it will be selling.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung’s Galaxy Upcycling program looks to recycle old phones into home tools

The primary rear camera is a 48MP f/1.8 camera and there is an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide angle camera too. The other two cameras are a 5MP f/2.4 macro camera and a 2MP F/2.4 depth camera.

The Galaxy A32 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, expandable storage (1TB max), and Dolby Atmos Surround sound. It packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 15W fast wired charging. There is no mention of the version of Android that it ships with.

The 64GB version of the phone will be sold for €279 while the 128GB version will be sold for €299.

If you don’t want to wait until February, you can pick up the now discounted Galaxy A42 5G for €275.71. Not only is it cheaper than the base model of the Galaxy A32 5G, but you get a Super AMOLED display, an in-display fingerprint scanner, a 20MP selfie camera, Snapdragon 750G, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. You also get 48MP quad cameras and that massive 5000mAh battery with 15W charging.

UP NEXT: Samsung Exynos 2100 announced with significant upgrades and a built-in 5G modem

 

Official teaser confirms the Motorola Edge S is coming soon

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Motorola‘s upcoming flagship has been in the news quite often in the past few days. First, Lenovo China’s General Manager earlier this week released a teaser which suggests the brand will be launching a Snapdragon 8xx-powered phone soon. The Lenovo GM left off without revealing the name of the model. However, Weibo indicated that the post was published from a Motorola Edge S deviceMotorola edge S

Well, the Chinese tech giant has now released yet another teaser about the device. This time around, the teaser shared on Motorola’s official Weibo page confirmed the device will be known as Motorola Edge S. The device will be the successor to the Motorola Edge which was launched last year.

The post left off without revealing any details concerning the device but well-known Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station had earlier suggested that the handset will be powered by a yet to release Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series SoC and not Snapdragon 888 or 865.

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The Motorola Edge S could be a rebranded version of the upcoming Moto G device featuring Snapdragon 800 series SoC, which has been in the news for a while as Motorola Nio (XT2125). If that be the case, the device will flaunt an FHD+ (1080 x 2520 pixels) display with a dual punch-hole cutout and an unusual 105Hz refresh rate.

According to a Geekbench listing, it will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset paired with 8GB RAM. This suggests that the unannounced Snapdragon 800 series chip could be based on last year’s flagship SoC. Also, since there’s already an overclocked version in the form of Snapdragon 865+, the new chipset could be an underclocked variant.

Other leaked details about the Motorola Nio include that the device will pack a 64MP primary sensor as well as a 16MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP depth sensor in a  triple rear camera arrangement. At the front, there will be a dual-camera setup consisting of a 16MP primary and  8MP ultra-wide sensor. The phone also packs 8GB/12GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, and runs Android 11 out-of-the-box.

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(via)

 

Qualcomm’s CPUs are about to get even more powerful as it plans to acquire NUVIA

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Qualcomm powers several products including smartphones, computers, and automobiles. Now, its processors are about to get more powerful as it has announced it is planning to acquire NUVIA, an American silicon design company.

Qualcomm Nuvia

A press statement released by Qualcomm says that it has entered into an agreement to acquire NUVIA for approximately $1.4 billion (excluding working capital and other adjustments). The acquisition is still subject to regulatory approval.

NUVIA is said to be made up of “a world-class CPU and design team that has experience in high-performance processors, Systems on a Chip (SoC), and power management for compute-intensive devices and applications.” The merger with Qualcomm, which is already known for its mobile GPUs, DSP, and dedicated multimedia accelerators, will further propel Qualcomm as a leader in the industry.

Qualcomm says that NUVIA CPUs will be integrated with its current portfolio of products which includes mobile processors for flagship smartphones, next-gen laptops, digital cockpits, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, extended reality, and infrastructure networking solutions.

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CEO-elect and current president of Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon, said he is excited at NUVIA joining their team while Jim Thompson, the Chief Technology Officer said that the integration of NUVIA CPUs with Snapdragon including will take computing performance to a new level and drive new capabilities for products that serve multiple industries.”

The press release also included words of support from Qualcomm’s partners such as Microsoft, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Google, Samsung, Sharp, ASUS, General Motors, and even Honor.

Biao Wan, Chairman of Honor Device Co. Ltd is quoted to have said “As a new, independent company committed to bringing breakthrough mobile experiences to consumers, we are pleased to see that Qualcomm will acquire NUVIA, enabling them to continue to lead in developing and delivering premium performance Snapdragon mobile platforms to the market,”. The inclusion of the former Huawei-subsidiary further confirms that Honor smartphones powered by Snapdragon processors are on the way.

UP NEXT: Qualcomm announces the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 ultrasonic fingerprint reader

 

Alarm.com unveils a Touchless Video Doorbell to minimize physical contact

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

In this era of COVID 19 pandemic, a touchless video doorbell has come to the rescue of homeowners. It will further minimize contact of visitors to potential areas prone to transmitting the virus.

Alarm.com has unveiled its latest product, a new device that will prevent contact with the doorbell. This will help ensure that your visitors are not at risk of contracting COVID-19 from your doorbell. The Touchless Video Doorbell eliminates the need to press a doorbell button and is designed to buzz an alarm when its camera detects visitors standing in the doormat.

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In the opinion of the manufacturer, Alarm.com, this device is the first-ever commercially available video doorbell that is touchless or contactless. The motivation behind the product is the desire to reduce public health risks inherent in visitors touching surfaces that may have been contaminated with germs and disease, making the home to remain safe for both the occupants and visitors.

The company also offers a doormat accessory for the doorbell, which can assist the visitor with instructions on where to stand so as to properly activate the doorbell.
How does this Touchless Doorbell work? When the doorbell detects a visitor, it begins playing a tune and a notification is sent to your phone, while the video recording begins. You can see and speak with visitors through the doorbell, and it also integrates with the rest of a home’s smart home security system, so it can trigger other devices like lights when a visitor or someone else is detected. Its camera is 1080p HDR, and it also has night vision capabilities.

The Touchless Video Doorbell from Alarm.com can be gotten through the company’s array of installation partners. A definitive price is still being awaited for this gadget, but when asked, the company insists that the doorbell itself could be sold below $200, independent of installation costs and other accessories.

UP NEXT: Chip Battle: The Exynos 2100 challenges the Snapdragon 888

 

YouTube yanks Donald Trump’s video off the platform and bars fresh uploads

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

YouTube has removed a new video uploaded to outgoing US President, Donald Trump’s account for violating what is termed as the company’s content policies on inciting violence. In line with the standard protocols, the account has also been issued a “strike” and the user (either President Trump or any of his aides with access to the account) will be unable to upload new content for at least one week. At this time, it is not yet clear the exact video that warranted the YouTube action on the account, or the content that was deemed offensive. YouTube is yet to provide a definitive statement on the incident and had declined to provide specific details of the matter.trump us china trade war

The YouTube statement that revealed action taken on Trump’s account stressed that the decision was arrived at after a careful review of recent violent incidents and in order for the company not to yield itself as a vehicle for propagating violence, it had to remove new content uploaded to the Donald J. Trump channel. They further issued the account a strike for violating YouTube policies for inciting violence. The statement further revealed that the channel is now prevented from uploading new videos or live streams for seven days in the first instance.

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YouTube has also gone further to remove content from the White House’s official channel. Two videos that were on the White House’s official YouTube page earlier today, both relating to the President have since been removed. In addition, comment on President Trump’s videos have been disabled indefinitely due to what it terms “ongoing concerns about violence,” an action which it claims is in line with YouTube’s existing policy on violence and on channels with “safety concerns found in the comments section.” A second strike on the account would result in a minimum two-week suspension, while a third strike leads to the permanent ban on the account.

Previously, YouTube had removed a Trump video in which he addressed a mob that assaulted the Capitol and also contained widespread false claims about the election results. In response to the unprecedented onslaught by the outgoing President, YouTube last month instituted a new policy that prohibited content of any kind designed to spread misinformation about the outcome of the 2020 US Presidential election by promoting false theories about fraudulent votes or other unverified claims.

YouTube now joins several other organizations that have taken firm action against President Trump after the Capitol attack as he winds up a tumultuous four years as President, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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CES 2021: Razer announces Blade 15, Blade Pro 17 laptops with GeForce RTX 30-Series GPUs

By
Balaji S
-

CES 2021 is already half-way through and Laptops in 2021 are going to get a big buff in graphics after the NVIDIA’s announcement. Among the lot, Razer has refreshed its Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 laptops with the latest NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop GPUs.

Razer Blade 15, Blade Pro 17 Laptops – Features

Razer’s update brings new RTX 3060/3070/3080 GPUs and upgraded Displays with High refresh-rates to the Blade series. Accordingly, the Razer Blade 15 gets two versions- Base Model and Advanced Model, and Blade Pro 17. As Razer says, the Laptops come with NVIDIA’s new Ampere Architecture.

Apparently, this improves the efficiency up to 2x, bring Gen-3 Max-Q tech like Advanced Optimus(Battery Life), Dynamic Boost 2.0(hike in GPU). Additionally, they get improved ray-tracing, Whisper Mode 2.0(improved Acoustics), and more. Also, apart from the usual I/O like USB-C, HDMI 2.1, UHS-III SD Card Reader, you get Keyboard with Razer Chroma RGB lighting, front-firing speakers.

Razer says that Blade users will also get the 360-degree immersive audio experience with THX® Spatial Audio over headphones/speakers.

Razer Blade 15- Specifications

a) Base Model:

  • Dimensions: 19.9mm x 235mm x 355mm(HxDxW)
  • Display:
    • 15-inch FHD(1080p) 144Hz IPS panel, 100% sRGB coverage, response: 8ms
    • 15-inch QHD(1440p) 165Hz IPS panel, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, response: 3ms
    • Note: No Variable Refresh rate.
  • CPU, Storage, Memory:
    • CPU: 10th gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H(6-core, 12-threads), up to 5.0GHz Max Boost, 12MB L3 Cache
    • Memory: 16GB dual-channel DDR4-2933MHz (upgradeable up to 64GB via SO-DIMM slots)
    • Storage: 512GB SSD M.2, NVMe SSD; Auxiliary: Open M.2,PCIe 3.0 x4 Slot
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 6GB DDR6 VRAM(FHD model) / 3070 8GB DDR6 VRAM(QHD model)
  • Connectivity: Intel® Wireless-AX201 Modem,  Bluetooth® 5.1, 1xUSB-C Thunderbolt™ 3, 3xUSB-A 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.1 output, Gigabit Ethernet.
  • Battery: 65WHr Li-ion Polymer battery
  • Other Features: Single-zone RGB powered by Razer Chroma™ Keyboard, 1MP 720P webcam, stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio/mic jack.
EDITOR’S PICK: Razer unveils a reusable N95 respirator dubbed Project Hazel

 

b) Advanced Model

  • Dimensions:16.99mm x 235mm x 355mm
  • Display:
    • 15-inch FHD 360Hz IPS display, 2ms, Up to 100% sRGB
    • 15-inch QHD 240Hz display, response: 2.5ms, Up to 95% sRGB, NVIDIA G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus compatible
    • 15-inch OLED UHD(4K) display, 60Hz, response: 1ms, 100% DCI-P3,
      Touchscreen w/ Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 protection
  • CPU, Memory, Storage:
    • CPU: 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H(8-core, 16-threads), up to 5.1GHz Max Boost, 16MP L3 Cache
    • Memory:
      • 16GB dual-channel DDR4-2933MHz(Cheaper Models)
      • 32GB dual-channel DDR4-2933MHz(Higher-end Models)
    • Storage:1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD; Auxiliary: Open M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 Slot
  • Graphics:
    • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM(FHD, QHD models)
    • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU  with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. (FHD, QHD models)
    • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU  with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM.(UHD model)
    • All Features Optimus™ Technology(optimization in Performance, Battery Life)
  • Connectivity: Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 modem, Bluetooth® 5.2, 1xUSB-C Thunderbolt™ 3, 1xUHS-III SD Card reader, 3xUSB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1xUSB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1xHDMI 2.1.
  • Battery: 80WHr Li-ion Polymer
  • Other Features: Per-key RGB powered by Razer Chroma™ N-Key rollover backlit keyboard, 1MP 720P webcam with Windows Hello, stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio jack.

Razer Blade Pro 17 Specifications

  • Dimensions: 19.9mmx260mmx395mm
  • Display:
    • 17.3-inch 360Hz IPS FHD display, response: 3ms, 100% sRGB, 300nits
    • 17.3-inch 165Hz QHD IPS display, 100% sRGB, 300nits
    • 17.3-inch 120Hz UHD(4K) IPS Touch display, 100% sRGB, 400nits
  • CPU, Storage, Memory:
    • CPU: 10th gen Intel i7-10875H processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.1GHz, 16MB
    • Memory:
      • 16GB 2933MHz Dual-Channel DDR4 (Upgradeable to 64GB)- Lower-end models
      • 32GB 2933MHz Dual-Channel DDR4 (Upgradeable to 64GB models)- Higher-end models
    • Storage:
      • 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD (upgradeable to 2TB)
      • 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD(upgradeable to 2TB)
      • Additional M.2 slot on all modes- Supports PCIe, SATA SSDs up to 2TB
  • Graphics:
    • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 6/8GB DDR6 VRAM (FHD, QHD models)
    • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 6/8GB DDR6 VRAM(FHD, QHD models)
    • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 16GB DDR6 VRAM(FHD, UHD models)
  • Connectivity:Wi-Fi 6E Intel® AX210 modem, Bluetooth 5.2, 3xUSB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 w/ Thunderbolt 3, 1xThunderbolt 3, 1xRj45(first time a 2.5Gb port), 1xHDMI 2.1, 1xUHS-III SD Card reader.
  • Battery: 70.5WHr Li-ion Polymer
  • Other Features: Per-key RGB powered by Razer Chroma™ lighting, HD 720P webcam with Windows Hello, stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio/mic jack.

Razer Blade 15, Blade Pro 17- Price, Availability

The Razer Blade 15 base model and Advanced model starts at $1699, $2499 respectively. The Base model is already up for pre-orders and will be available for sale from January 26 whereas the Advanced model’s shipment will happen only in February.

The 17.3-inch Pro model, although being a higher-end machine, starts at $2299. Similar to the 15-inch, this is also in pre-orders but Razer has given a vague availability of Q1 2021 for shipping/sale date.

UP NEXT: Zhiyun Crane-2S gimbal officially launched at CES 2021 for $599

 

 

Razer showcases its latest concept gaming chair with a roll-out display

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Singapore-based tech giant Razer took the center stage at CES 2021 with the announcement of a number of concept products in addition to its sleek gaming laptops. One of them is dubbed Project Brooklyn, a gaming chair with a built-in rollable OLED display. The chair keeps up with the tradition of having Chroma RGB lighting. It also comes with vibration feedback.Razer Project Brooklyn

The Project Brooklyn concept gaming chair is equipped with a built-in display. The chair looks like a normal gaming chair on first look but in its backbone, there is a hidden 60-inch roll-out OLED screen. You could have a fully immersive gaming experience without a room-sized setup or a VR helmet, and tuck the screen away when you just want a seat.

Editor’s Pick: Chip Battle: The Exynos 2100 challenges the Snapdragon 888

Razer says you also get HyperSense vibration feedback through the gaming chair. Further, it comes with collapsible tables that would let you switch between mouse-and-keyboard and gamepad setups easily. The seat cushions and stand are equipped with Chroma RGB lighting.Razer

Razer also unveiled the Project Hazel face mask to help you get through the pandemic. The mask adopts a glossy outer shell made of waterproof and scratch-resistant recycled plastic. The plastic is transparent making it possible for lip-reading and seeing facial cues when you chat with people. The mask is also embedded with microphones and amplifiers in the ventilators that will project your voice, so you won’t have to worry about sounding muffled.

However, there is no indication as to when the products will go commercial. Going by precedence, we may not end up seeing any of them anytime soon. We can recall that in 2017, Razer unveiled a laptop with three screens dubbed Project Valerie but since then, nothing has been heard of the product.

UP NEXT: HTC Desire 21 Pro 5G goes official in Taiwan for TWD$11,990($428)

 

Another leaker confirms the OnePlus 9 Lite is coming; will launch in India and China

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Fans of OnePlus are anticipating the launch of the OnePlus 9 series and rumors have revealed that we will be getting three models this year rather than the two we got for the OnePus 8 series.

OnePlus 9 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro will come with two siblings, one of which is the OnePlus 9 Lite | Image source: OnLeaks

An earlier leak had revealed that alongside the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, there will be a third variant called the OnePlus 9E but a different source said that the device will actually launch as the OnePlus 9 Lite. Now, another source has corroborated the latter and has also provided more details.

According to TechDroider (@techdroider), the OnePlus 9 Lite will have two models with model numbers LE2100 and LE2101. OnePlus will announce the phone in China and India but there is no information on a European release or a North American release. However, there is a possibility that the phone may arrive later in these markets.

The source also confirms an earlier report that the OnePlus 9 Lite will have a Snapdragon 865 processor and not the Snapdragon 888 like its siblings.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus invests heavily to improve flagship smartphone camera performance

Details about the design and other specifications are unknown but we expect more leaks will surface in the weeks leading up to the official announcement of the phones. Nevertheless, we expect the OnePlus 9 Lite to have an AMOLED display, a high refresh rate (at least 90Hz) and have support for at least 30W fast wired charging. OnePlus will most likely not add wireless charging support which has been confirmed for the standard model and is also expected to be available on the OnePlus 9 Pro.

The OnePlus 9 Lite should also have inferior cameras compared to its siblings and should miss out on an official IP rating. All three phones will ship with OxygenOS based on Android 11.

OnePlus has changed the number of flagships it announces per year. Last year’s Before the OnePlus 7 series, there were only two models released per year – one in each half. Then it switched to two models per half but last year’s OnePlus 8T series didn’t launch with a pro model. It remains to be seen if we will get three models in the second half of the year or fewer.

UP NEXT: Another leak says that the OnePlus 9 series will not have Leica cameras

 

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro launched with ANC, 26-hour battery life, and wireless charging

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Anker has launched a new pair of truly wireless earphones in the form of Soudcore Liberty Air 2 Pro. The main highlight of this product is the presence of ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and of course, an affordable price tag. Interested customers can already purchase them. That said, let us take a closer look at the specs, features, and price of this TWS.

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Featured

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Specifications and Features

The new TWS  from Anker sport a design inspired by the older Souncore Liberty Air 2 and Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro. These buds feature 11mm PureNote drivers and 3 microphones each.

These 6 microphones work together for ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) functionality. The TWS offers three ANC modes, namely transport, indoor, and outdoor. The earphones also come with two types of transparency modes – total and focus on vocals.

EDITOR’S PICK: Best TWS Earbuds of 2020: Samsung, OPPO, Huawei, Sennheiser & More

 

Further, the buds connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and are IPX4-certified for water resistance. As for audio codec formats, they support SBC and AAC. These earbuds sport gesture controls, measure 37.33 x 22.01 x 23.11mm in dimensions, and weigh 10.5g each. On the other hand, the case weighs 50.5g and measures 61.1 x 59.7 x 29.1mm in dimensions.

Talking about the battery life, the company claims 6 hours from buds (55mAh battery each) and 21 hours with the case (500mAh) when ANC is turned on. Whereas with ANC turned off, the buds are said to offer 7 hours and with the case, users can enjoy music for up to 26 hours.

Lastly, they come in four colors (Onyx Black, Titanium White, Sapphire Blue, Crystal Pink) and support USB Type-C charging (cable included along with 8 differently-sized ear tips) as well as Qi wireless charging.

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Pricing and Availability

The Anker Souncore Liberty Air 2 Pro truly wireless earbuds are priced at $130 in the US, CA$170 in Canada, €130 in Europe, and £130 in the UK respectively, They can be bought from Anker’s Soundcore website or any other official regional retailer.

UP NEXT: Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro with ANC and THX audio launched

 

(Source, Via)

Amazon launches its Prime Video ‘Mobile Edition’ in India; Plans start at ₹89($1)

By
Balaji S
-

Amazon has launched its First-ever Prime Video Mobile Edition Plan in India. These Plans, which is in partnership with Bharti Airtel, starts as low as ₹89($1.22) in the country.

Amazon Logo Dark

Amazon is clearly targeting rivals like Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar with this Mobile Edition plans. This is because the company so far has had it’s lowest Prime Video plan starting at ₹129/month. Now, it is looking to attract even more consumers with a lower price. However, partnership with Airtel means users of other networks are left to dry at least for now.

That said, to avail of this, you have to recharge to any of the Airtel Prepaid plans mentioned below. In return, you get the Mobile Data as per the Tariff and Prime Video Mobile Edition as an added benefit.

For those wondering, Prime Video Mobile Edition means you can watch Amazon Prime content only on the Prime Video App on either Android/iOS. Being a Mobile and Video-only Plan, it is restricted to One Screen at a time and Standard Definition(SD) as Video Quality.

That said, to avail it, users of Airtel can recharge any of the Following Prepaid Plans using the Airtel Thanks App or Airtel Stores across the country.

Airtel Prepaid Plans(in ₹)Amazon Prime Video Mobile EditionPrime Membership IncludedUnlimited Voice CallsData (in GB)Validity(in Days)
89YesNoNo6GB(Total)28
129Yes No Yes1GB(Total)24
131NoYesNo-30
149YesNoYes2GB(Total)24
179YesNoYes2GB(Total)28
199Yes NoYes1GB /day24
219YesNoYes1GB/day28
249YesNoYes1.5GB/day28
279YesNoYes1.5GB/day28
289YesNoYes1.5GB/day28
298YesNoYes2GB/day28
299YesNoYes1.5GB/day28
349NoYesYes2GB/day28
379YesNoYes6GB(Total)84
398YesNoYes3GB/day28
399YesNoYes1.5GB/day56
448YesNoYes3GB/day28
449YesNoYes2GB/day56
558YesNoYes3GB/day56
598YesNoYes1.5GB/day84
599YesNoYes2GB/day56
1498YesNoYes24(Total)365
2498YesNoYes2GB/day365
2698YesNoYes2GB/day365
EDITOR’S PICK: Amazon opens up its Luna cloud gaming service to Android devices

 

Having said that, you will have to log in to the app using your Mobile number. It’s worth noting that the Prime Video Mobile Edition is strictly limited to Video and you cannot play Ad-free Amazon Music via this subscription. However, as you can see above Amazon also has some plans like ₹131, ₹349 for that.

Precisely, with ₹131, you can enjoy all of Prime Video, Music, Free and Priority shipping for 30 days. However, it doesn’t have to bring any Mobile data with it. The ₹349, on the other hand, has all the above-mentioned benefits and 2GB/day Data for 30 days.

Prime Video’s worldwide VP Jay Marine says, ” With the launch of Prime Video Mobile Edition we look forward to entertaining every Indian with our Exclusive and Original content”.

UP NEXT: Zhiyun Crane-2S gimbal officially launched at CES 2021 for $599

(via)

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