Tipster hints that Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro’s main camera could capture 50MP images

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Nov 18, 2020

Pine64 is known for its Linux-based ARM-powered smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops, server clusters, and other products. The company’s first production-ready PinePhones began to ship earlier this year. The firm partners with different OS vendors every few months for its phones. It has now joined hands with KDE to launch PinePhone KDE Community Edition.

The PinePhone by Pine64 uses a different Linux-based operating system with each batch. The name of the model is determined by the OS that comes pre-installed, in addition to the logo of the system software on the device’s rear panel.

Since the new batch of PinePhone will run KDE Plasma Mobile, the handset is called PinePhone KDE Community Edition. It will be available in two storage configurations – 2GB + 16GB and 3GB + 32GB (with USB Type-C dock), priced at $149 and $199 respectively.

As far as specs are concerned, the smartphone is powered by Allwinner A64 chipset with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU and ARM Mali 400 MP2 GPU paired with 2GB/3GB LPDDR3 RAM and 16GB/32GB eMMC storage. It flaunts a 5.95-inch HD+ (1440 x 720 pixels) display (LCD) with 18:9 aspect ratio.

It includes all the necessary sensors like accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, ambient, and compass. Whereas, for connectivity, it features 4G, single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS). It also has a 5MP rear camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a USB Type-C port.

Last but not least, the device measures 160.5 x 76.6 x 9.2mm in dimensions, weigh 180-200g, and is backed by a 3,000mAh battery, which can be replaced with any Samsung Galaxy J7 battery.

The PinePhone KDE Community Edition will be available for pre-order starting December 1 on Pine64’s official website. The company is also working on a replacement back for this phone, which will add support for Qi wireless charging. This additional accessory will be available early next year.

(Via)

Redmi Note 9 Pro gets Android 11 update in India

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Nov 18, 2020

Xiaomi initially launched the Redmi Note 9 Pro in India in March. Later, in the same month, this smartphone was announced for other global markets with the Redmi Note 9S moniker. The handset was released with MIUI 11 based on Android 10 and was only recently updated to MIUI 12. Now, it has even started receiving Android 11 update in India.

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi started rolling out the long-awaited MIUI 12 update to Redmi Note 9 Pro in India in mid-September. The company later began to push the update to global Redmi Note 9S in the next few weeks and by the end of October, the rollout was almost complete.

Now, certain Redmi Note 9 Pro users in India have begun to receive Android 11 update as well. The new system update comes with build number V12.0.1.0.RJWINXM. It is currently in the stable beta stage and therefore, it is only available for select users.

If the early adopters don’t face any major issues, the same build will be rolled out as stable for more users in the coming days. Hence, we can expect all the Redmi Note 9 Pro users in India to enjoy Android 11 in December.

That said, since the global Redmi Note 9S is basically the same device, it should also start getting Android 11 update very soon.

Samsung shuts research facility after positive cases of COVID-19 surfaces

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Nov 18, 2020

Samsung Electronics announced earlier today (18th November 2020) that it would be temporarily shutting down one of its research centers after a positive case of the COVID-19 infection surfaced.

The South Korean tech giant is ordered all of its employees that worked in the facility to work from home till at least the end of this week. This move is done to prevent the further spread of the infection. Similarly, another South Korean company, LG, also reported a positive case of coronavirus at its own research facility in Seoul, as per a SamMobile report. The Samsung research center was located in Suwon, where one of the workers was tested positive for the virus earlier this week.

The company has stated that it would follow all the procedures to curb the virus from spreading further. Samsung will sanitize the entire building and test every worker who were in contact with the employee that tested positive. Notably, this is the second case of the coronaviorus infection in the same facility, with the first case surfacing about five months ago. The quick and decisive move from the company is understandable as the virus is highly contagious. Samsung has been quick to adapt to COVID-19 situation and has even recovered well, with it reporting its highest ever quarterly earning in Q3 2020, despite the initial impacts of the virus on its operations.

Huawei denies reports of its partnership with Leica expiring

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Nov 18, 2020

A new rumor had recently surfaced, which suggested that Huawei and Leica‘s partnership had expired. However, the Chinese tech giant has denied the rumor, despite the source being a prominent Weibo leakster.

For those unaware, Huawei had first partnered up with Leica back in 2016, for its the flagship Huawei P9. The known camera company even contributed towards the image processing, UI design, and camera module design and has since been a staple partner of the smartphone maker for its flagship lineups. But now, it was rumored that this partnership had come to an end, when known leakster, DigitalChatStation revealed the information on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website.

The leakster claimed that Leica has been contacted by a different Chinese smartphone manufacturer and had decided to end the partnership. Although, Huawei has since responded to AndroidAuthority regarding this matter and called the rumor “absolutely fake news,” while a Leica representative stated that they “have no information about the termination of the partnership.” So for the moment, it seems that the partnership is still holding strong. Even the latest Huawei Mate 40 series featured Leica branding on the rear for its camera lenses.

Vsmart Bee Lite is the cheapest 4G smartphone priced at VND 600,000 ($26)

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Nov 18, 2020

Vingroup has partnered with Qualcomm to launch an ultra-affordable 4G smartphone in Vietnam. This phone called Vsmart Bee Lite is priced at only VND 600,000 ($26) and is only available for existing 2G and 3G customers of state-run carrier Viettel.

The Vsmart Bee Lite is just another entry-level smartphone, as per its specifications and features. But its price tag makes it stand out from the crowd.

Talking about specs, this device sports a 5.45-inch FWVGA+ (480 x 960 pixels) 18:9 display (LCD) on the front with a 2MP selfie camera above it. Whereas, the back of the phone houses a 5MP primary camera.

Further, the handset is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 chipset paired with 1GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. If needed, users can expand the storage using a microSD card (up to 64GB).

Other features of this phone include single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, accelerometer, proximity sensor, light sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack, and MicroUSB port.

That said, due to lower hardware, the device runs Android 10 Go Edition and is backed by a 2,550mAh battery. Last but not least, it will be available in two colors – Black & Green and will come with 18 months warranty

Most importantly, this affordable 4G smartphone will be only available under Viettel’s ‘1 for 1 upgrade’ and ‘switch for 101 days’ programs to push 4G among 2G and 3G handset users in Vietnam

Thanks, Chun for sharing more details.

Xiaomi launches new Mijia Multifunctional Smart Electric Kettle, preserves heat for up to 12 hours

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Nov 18, 2020

Earlier today (18th November 2020), Xiaomi launched a new MIJIA product. It is the Mijia Multifunctional Smart Electric Kettle, which is priced at 169 Yuan (roughly 26 US Dollars) and is currently in crowdfunding for 139 Yuan (roughly 21 US Dollars).

The new MIJIA product is built for offering a simple and convenient method for making various recipes. It features 10 different power adjustment settings and can cover a range between 100W slow simmering and a 1000W high power heating. The device comes with built in programs and recipes, which are optimized to make different foods like tea, soup, or even deserts, and other customer recipes. Its design is minimalist and resembles a generic electric kettle, with a majority of its body surface being transparent as well.

Furthermore, the Mijia Multifunctional Smart Electric Kettle also offers a heat preservation control that lets users keep the temperature anywhere between 45 degree Celsius and 85 degree Celsius to maintain warmth and can even maintain that heat for up to 12 hours. Since it is a smart product, it can be controlled remotely with a smartphone through the MIJIA mobile application. This lets users set timers, or control the temperature in real time. So for those interested, you can back the device through the crowdfunding from Xiaomi.

China Tablet Market recorded its highest-ever YoY growth in Q3 2020 since 2014

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Nov 18, 2020

IDC (International Data Corporation) has released a report on China Tablet Market Q3 2020. According to it, OEMs managed to ship approximately 6.9 million units gaining 21.7% YoY growth during this period. The last quarter also happens to register the highest YoY growth in a single quarter since 2014.

As per the report, the China Tablet Market shipped 3.34 million units of traditional tablets and 3.57 million units of detachable tablets. The former recorded an 11.6% YoY decline, whereas the latter registered an 87.9% YoY increase.

However, although the market witnessed the highest YoY growth in years, brands could not keep up to the demand. ‘Out of Stock’ was the norm across retailers in the third quarter of 2020. That’s because the supply chain issue will be only stabilized by year-end with the termination of large-scale purchases in the commercial market.

That said, the hurdle is expected to kick back once again in the second half of Q1 2021 as people will be continuing their work and education from home. But it will be once again balanced in H2 2021.

Further, according to the report, the commercial tablet market shipped 1.62 million units with 29.5% YoY growth. This was the result of peak shipment growth of 737% YoY and 42.2% YoY by the government census project and the education industry respectively. On the other hand, the consumer market grew 19.5% YoY by shipping 5.28 million units, But MoM shipments decreased by 5.9%.

Talking about brands, Huawei led the market with a 37.7% market share by shipping 2.6 million units. The company achieved 22.9% YoY growth but its future is uncertain due to the US ban. In fact, the competition is already catching up.

Apple was so close to Huawei in Q3 with 2.59 million shipments and a 37.5% market share. The American tech giant recorded a 35 YoY growth. Lastly, the third and fourth places were occupied by Lenovo and Microsoft with a mere 4.6% and 2.4% market shares. These two companies grew 42.1% YoY and 23.3% YoY by shipping 320,000 units and 170,000 units respectively.

Last but not least, the IDC report also says that TCL gained a whopping 290.1% YoY growth in the global tablet market in Q3 2020. The Chinese company attained the highest YoY growth among the top 10 OEMs worldwide.

Oppo X 2021’s rollable OLED panel is made by BOE

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Nov 18, 2020

The Oppo X 2021 Rollable Concept smartphone was just unveiled yesterday, which was a first of its kind device that could extend its display. During the announcement, the company had refrained from mentioning any particular detail regarding the display of the handset. But now, it is confirmed that the screen is made by Chinese display maker BOE.

For those unaware, the Oppo X 2021 Rollable Concept smartphone uses a rollable OLED panel, which allows the display to extend from 6.7 inches to 7.4 inches. This display was made by BOE, and the information was shared by the display maker’s Vice President, Li Xuezheng. The senior BOE executive shared the information with a post on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, which even carried a short video showcasing the smartphone’s display.

The device in question is a concept smartphone, meaning, it will not be commercially available at the moment. Although, the company aims on bringing the technology to consumers in due time. In the announcement, Oppo had mentioned the many challenges it faced while making the device. This includes a proprietary roll motor, a new back panel support structure and a redesign of internal circuitry for the OLED panel, which was likely a joint effort with BOE that has been working on the display technology for a while now.

Vivo to open over 100 new stores in India to expand offline presence

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Nov 18, 2020

Various Chinese smartphone brands have found great success in India. The Southeast Asian nation has been a big market for these companies, and now, a Vivo official has stated that the company considers India as a critical market and plans on opening over 100 exclusive stores in the region within one year.

Nipun Marya, Director Brand strategy, Vivo India, recently gave an interview to the BusinessInsider, regarding the year, the company’s future plans, and growth strategy for 2021. The senior official stated that 2020 had been a “difficult year,” but they “are seeing that the industry has seen a reasonably good recovery when it comes to sales. And we are seeing good growth, about 25% over last year during the festive season.” However, the Chinese smartphone maker is still expecting “single digit de-growth this year.”

Marya further added that Vivo has plans to expand its offline presence in the region by opening various exclusive and even experience stores. He said that “Currently we have around 450 stores. We are planning to open up more than hundred exclusive stores within the next 1 year.” This move would be crucial for the company as the bulk of its sales comes from offline channels.

Furthermore, the Vivo executive also said that “non-metros [Cities] are leading growth and that’s also true in the case of Vivo. Metros still remain in absolute terms the largest market, but in terms of growth percentage, it is certainly coming from non metros and that remains true for us.” In other words, while major cities are still the largest market in the country, the smaller towns have shown a higher potential for growth. He further added that, “We are manufacturing all our phones here but after the center comes up, we will also design the phones in India. Its an extremely important market for the brand and how importantly we take the market can very well be seen from the kind of investments we have done here so far.”

ZTE to announce ‘something big’ tomorrow, might be a new smartphone

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Nov 18, 2020

ZTE just dropped a new teaser this morning (18th November 2020). The company shared that a new announcement drops tomorrow, which might just be for a new smartphone launch.

The smartphone maker shared the news through its official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website. Previously, ZTE’s Lu Qianhao had revealed that the company is planning on launching a number of new smartphones in the month of November. So far, only one new launch has arrived, so we can expect that new handset could drop tomorrow.

While it is unknown which smartphone model will be revealed tomorrow, a few educated guesses can be made. The company had released the ZTE Blade A7s 2020 earlier this month. It was a budget entry level device, so we might see another launch within the same lineup. We had recently reported on live images of the ZTE Blade A51 surfacing online. The device has also passed through FCC certification with key specs being revealed as well. So we might hear more about the handset tomorrow.

Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of information to go on at the moment. While the a launch conference for a smartphone is highly likely tomorrow, we still don’t know with full certainty. So take this report with a pinch of salt, and stay tuned as we will be covering the announcement that is scheduled tomorrow.

Top laptop companies ship 17 million units in October

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Nov 18, 2020

According to the latest report from DigiTimes Research, the top five leading laptop companies saw their combined shipments in the month of October 2020 reach a new monthly high for the year.

The report claims that the shipments for the leading five companies reached over 17 million units in October. This is mainly attributed to the consumer markets in the United States and Europe entering the peak season and increased demand for these devices because of the COVID-19 pandemic as more and more people are working from home.

HP Spectre x360 - 13-aw0205tu — HP Spectre x360

Thanks to the strong demand for both — consumer and education models in laptops, HP retained its leadership position in the market for the month of October. However, Dell managed to unseat Lenovo for the second position, thanks to its growth in the Chromebook shipments because of the US education market.

Lenovo‘s shipments slipped in the month of October as the company fulfilled its education-use Chromebook orders from Japan. Also, the demand for notebooks in the company’s home market China was weaker than that in the US and Europe last month.

EDITOR’S PICK: Microsoft introduces its own Pluton security chip to secure upcoming Windows computers

Further, the report goes on to add that Taiwan’s top three notebooks ODMs witnessed growth in the combined shipments by 13 percent. Among them, Compal Electronics posted the highest monthly shipment growth of over 30 percent, thanks to the significant increase in orders from Dell.

Recently, Strategy Analytics published a report for the global notebook PC market and revealed that the shipments reached a total of 62.2 million units in Q3 2020 with a growth rate of 34 percent Year-on-Year.

It also reported that HP came first with 14.7 million shipments, closely followed by Lenovo with 14.6 million units who was the market leader in the previous quarter. Whereas, the third, fourth, and fifth places were occupied by Dell, Apple, and Acer with 8.5, 6.0, and 4.9 million units respectively.

DLab Portable Monitor by Desklab is a Charger, Speaker, and Much More

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Greeva Agnihotri

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Nov 18, 2020

People carrying cluttered bags, briefcases, and backpacks now have a reason to celebrate. The recent launch of DLab Portable Monitor promises to eliminate the need for cables, speakers, dongles and more, by putting all these functions in one sleek package. It is an enhanced, second-generation monitor from the brand- Desklab. With its ultra-versatile design, this monitor can cater to multiple needs of the consumers at the same time.

DLab features an ultra-responsive touchscreen with 4k resolution that perfect for design, music, management, chatting, and more. The LED backlight has a high contrast ratio to display crisp, vivid and color-accurate images. As compared to other monitors, this unit features almost double the brightness to offer optimal use. Its eye-safety feature protects the user’s eyes against blue light, glare and flicker. This portable monitor’s screen can be adjusted in multiple angles to offer user-convenience.DLab can connect to any device via USB-C and boost productivity in an instant, making it ideal for freelancers, travelers, professionals, designers, and more. Its advanced mirroring technology enables one to convert this unit into a second monitor or lend the desktop interface to a smartphone. This helps the users escape bumbling thumbs and autocorrect and turn their phone into an easy-to-use workspace. Furthermore, DLab boasts a decent 10ms response rate to prevent lagging and offer uninterrupted gaming and viewing. Its energy-efficient design serves as an added bonus and allows flexible usage.

DLab is perfect for swiping on Netflix, typing, editing photos, and touching up fine details with a stylus. The dual-speaker system further enhances the immersive experience. This portable monitor can also be used vertically, making it ideal for coders and editors.DLab boasts 2 HDMI and USB ports, a 3.5mm AUX port, and a MicroSD port to enable the convenient transformation of any device into a 4K workstation. Moreover, its plug-and-play design offers instant connection, preventing lags or delays to offer seamless use. This unit can also charge other devices, eliminating the struggle to find outlets when on-the-go. It is optimized for gaming and is compatible with PS4, PS5, Xbox 1, Xbox X, Switch, and more.With a plethora of features, the DLab Portable Monitor combines all of the capabilities needed for on-the-go productivity in one package. This unit by Desklab is currently up for sale with up to $320 off. All interested readers can enjoy this discount till November 22nd, so hurry and book your monitors now!

To know more about the product, click here.

Apple iPhones could run faster with future MagSafe cooling cases

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Nov 18, 2020

Sometime in the near future, newer models of the Apple iPhones might be able to run even faster without warming up too much through MagSafe equipped smart cooling cases. These cases would effectively let the device run at higher temperature when the case is detected.

For those unaware, the speed or performance of a smartphone is generally limited by two aspects, namely battery draw and temperature. So when a device undergoes heavy workloads, it tends to get warmer, which is a phenomenon that affects many kinds of electronics gadgets and not just smartphones. An example being desktop PCs, laptops, and even tablets like iPads.

Since smartphones or other portable gadgets need to be thin and light, thermal management becomes an even bigger issue to deal with. The heat is not just uncomfortable for the user but could even harm the internal components. While better cooling components or peripherals are available for PCs or laptops, the smartphones industry has yet to adopt a similar accessory due to the idea of maintaining portability.

But a new patent seems to be addressing the issue, at least for the Apple iPhones at the moment. According to an AppleInsider report, a recent patent titled “Smart case for a portable electronic device,” from the Cupertino based giant was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week. In the patent, the company aims to allow the processor to run faster and hotter if it detects a smart case being used.

In the patent, the company suggests a case that has embedded magnets that can generate a magnetic field, which can be detected by iPhones and iPads. After detecting the case, the device could raise its thermal operating threshold. The patent also suggests that Apple might be looking into adding other benefits into the case, which might be related to a cooling system that could further assist the handset’s thermal performance.

Amazon confirms stock for Sony PlayStation 5 in Europe on 19th November

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Nov 18, 2020

Last week, Sony officially started selling its latest gaming console — Sony PlayStation 5 in a few countries, including the United States and Japan. Now, the company is all set to start selling the PS5 in Europe from 19th November.

Now, ahead of the Sony PlayStation 5 going on sale in the European market on 19th November, Amazon has sent out emails to customers in the UK, Spain, and Italy and has confirmed that it will have more stock from 12PM GMT on 19th November.

It’s noteworthy that the units ordered on 19th November in Europe won’t arrive on the launch day. Instead, once the order is placed, the online retailer will send an email to the customer with an estimated delivery date.

As for its pricing in the European market, the Standard Model of PS5 is priced at £450 (€500, $500, AU$750) while the PS5 Digital Edition costs £360 (€400, $400, AU$599).

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO X 2021 unveiled as the world’s first smartphone concept with an extending display

For those who are unaware, the newly launched Sony PlayStation 5 comes powered by a custom octa-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and a custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based GPU which is promised to provide 10.28 teraflops of raw graphical power. Both of these gaming consoles have 16GB of GDDR6 RAM.

It comes packed with 825GB of SSD storage that has 5.5GB/s throughput. Users will be able to expand the storage using Sony-certified M.2 SSD, but the company has confirmed that it will be available sometime in the future but not at the time of launch.

The difference between the Standard Model and the Digital Edition is that the digital model lacks Disc Drive that supports 4K UHD Blu-ray. The Sony PS5 supports up to 8K output and promises 4K graphics at up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max sets 11 display performance records: DisplayMate

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Nov 18, 2020

Apple recently launched its all-new iPhone 12 models, which are now available for purchase. The high-end model launched by the company is the iPhone 12 Pro Max and it apparently has the best smartphone display so far.

DisplayMate has published its review of the iPhone 12 Pro Max display and has ranked it with the highest-ever Display Performance Grade of A+. It has also bestowed it with the “Best Smartphone Display” award.

Apart from that, what’s impressive is that the smartphone managed to hit a milestone by having 11 instances of breaking a record or matching an existing one. For comparison, the iPhone 11 Pro launched last year matched or set nine performance records for the screen.

Here is a list of smartphone display record set by the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Highest: Absolute Color Accuracy (0.9 JNCD) – Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect.
Highest: Image Contrast Accuracy and Intensity Scale Accuracy (2.19 Gamma) – Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect.
Smallest: Shift in Color Accuracy and Intensity Scale with the Image Content APL (0.2 JNCD) – Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect.
Smallest: Shift in Image Contrast and Intensity Scale with the Image Content APL (0.00 Gamma) – Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect.
Smallest: Change in Peak Luminance with the Image Content Average Picture Level APL (1 percent) – Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect.
Highest: Full-Screen Brightness for OLED Smartphones (825 nits for 100% APL).
Highest: Full-Screen Contrast Rating in Ambient Light (172 at 100% APL).
Highest: Contrast Ratio (Infinite).
Lowest: Screen Reflectance (4.8 percent).
Smallest: Brightness Variation with Viewing Angle (27% at 30 degrees).
Highest: Visible Screen Resolution 2.8K (2778×1284) – 4K Does Not appear visually sharper on a Smartphone.

EDITOR’S PICK: Oppo X 2021 unveiled as the world’s first smartphone concept with an extending display

However, there’s one aspect where the display of the iPhone 12 Pro Max lacks behind the competition is the refresh rate. While other companies have adopted a 90Hz, 120Hz, and even 144Hz refresh rate, this phone comes with the standard 60Hz refresh rate.

On this matter, DisplayMate says that it should be fine for most applications because of the very fast Response Time of the OLED display, and the very fast CPU and GPU processors on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

To summarise the phone’s display specifications, the iPhone 12 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR screen that offers 2778 x 1284 pixels screen resolution, 1200 nits peak brightness, 458ppi pixel density, and 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

Haylou Solar LS05 Smartwatch Global Version is discounted on TOMTOP for a limited time

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Greeva Agnihotri

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Nov 18, 2020

Smartwatches are designed to reduce smartphone use and keep up with the active and fast-paced lifestyle of people. Haylou, a part of the Xiaomi ecosystem, recently launched Haylou Solar LS05 Smartwatch-Global Version to cater to these needs. This piece features a sleek metallic frame, multiple sports modes, and other functions that benefit the user’s life. It comes in a pocket-friendly price range but is currently up for a discounted price tag of just $36.99.Featuring over 12 sports modes like yoga, hiking, and cycling, the Haylou Solar LS05 smartwatch can monitor and store data to help the user analyze their fitness. It also features various sensors to measure sleep and heart-rate to keep one notified of the irregularities and prevent various ailments. Additionally, Haylou Solar LS05 boasts functions like breathing training and sedentary reminder to help the users understand their physical health better. This smartwatch can be connected to Haylou Fit or Haylou Sports app to get more detailed information. Haylou Solar LS05 features a 1.28 inch TFT HD screen with 240 × 240p resolution to offer enhanced readability. This unit is compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones. With an IP68 rating, this smartwatch can conveniently withstand accidental splashes and dust-damage. Other functions include call and SMS notifications, music control, weather forecast, timer stopwatch, mobile phone finder, and more. Its powerful 340mAH battery can be used for up to 30 days. Packed with a host of features, the Haylou Solar LS05 Smartwatch is an ideal addition to one’s accessories. One can save a huge amount by investing in this unit now as it is available at a discounted rate of $36.99. The offer is up for a limited time only, so hurry and grab your smartwatch now.

Bittle- A Palm-Sized Robot Dog, Introduced by Indiegogo has Raised more than $600,000

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Greeva Agnihotri

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Nov 18, 2020

Combining STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and fun has always seemed impossible. To prove the contrary, Bittle- A Palm-Sized Robot Dog was recently introduced by Indiegogo to keep people fascinated and entertained. It can play tricks like real animals and has already managed to raise more than 600,00. Bittle is an ideal tool for learning, teaching, researching, or a surprising gift for family and friends.

Bittle runs on NyBoard V1, a customized Arduino board with rich peripherals where the chip is fully utilized to coordinate sophisticated motions. This board can drive up to 12 PWM servos and help the unit balance with an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). Additionally, it also stores muscle memory and detects body status for stability. This unit comes with an infrared remote to trigger basic movements of string commands like “walk” or “sit.”
Bittle can be customized through the Arduino board to coordinate all instinctive and sophisticated movements by clipping on various sensors for bringing perception to reality. It can also be injected with artificial intelligence capabilities by mounting a Raspberry Pi or other AI chips through wired/wireless connections. This unit already features a 2 x 5 socket on NyBoard V1 for mounting Raspberry Pi, where it powers Pi and communicates through an I2C network. Pi gives Bittle the ability to analyze sensory data, connect to the Internet, and make decisions by itself. Bittle moves with four legs, where the legged motion gives it the freedom to navigate unstructured terrains. Generally, this kind of maneuverability is only seen in luxury robots. It uses 9 P1S servos to actuate where 8 are for walking joints, while the other is for head panning. Additionally, it can remember tens of instinctive motion patterns and can perform more fancy tricks with real-time instructions.The self-assemble design of Bittle further adds to the fun. It features an interlocking frame, similar to a 3D puzzle, with symmetric body parts for simplicity and aesthetics. The whole unit can be set up from scratch in almost an hour, making it comparatively easy to use. One can also enhance its functions and design by adding extensible modules. To make this installation convenient, Bittle’s head is designed as a clip for a firm grip. The screw hole around the head enables one to fix additional modules.Bittle is packed with a host of features and is still evolving. Its customizable and user-friendly design paves the way for a larger audience. This unit is introduced by Indiegogo, a crow-funding website. To know more about this product, all the interested users can click here.

OPPO Find X3 flagship smartphone to have end-to-end 10-bit color support

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