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Chargeasap’s Omega is the World’s smallest 200W GaN USB-C Charger

By
Balaji S
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GaN chargers are slowly taking over the market. Companies like Nubia, Huawei, Meizu have already launched GaN chargers up to 120W. However, a company named Chargeasap has taken a huge leap with its new 100 and 200W 2nd generation GaN(Gallium Nitride) Omega chargers. It says the adapters can charge laptops, smartphones and other USB devices. If the company’s claims are true, these could be the world’s first and smallest GaN chargers.

What is GaN?

For the unaware, Gallium Nitride is a semiconductor and it has increasingly been replacing silicon-based power adapters recently. The reason for its popularity is, it has high efficiency, less heat dissipation, high-current conduction at smaller form factor. All these advantages seem to show greater potential of turning older silicon material into a fossil soon.

Unique features of Omega 100W and 200W chargers

Charegeasap is a consumer electronics company based out of Sydney. It says it has used Navitas GaNFast NV6127 Power IC on the 2nd-generation GaN chargers. It adds that the new chargers are devoid of issues like overheating, lack of power distribution that is found on many 1st-gen GaN chargers. Further, the company says that the Omega charger will be a value for money as it replaces Apple’s 96W, Huawei and OnePlus’ adapter combined $248 with just $75 price of its 200W charger.

The company says the 200W Omega Charger can charge two MacBook Pro at same time. If the claims are true, the 4-way output on the 200W charger can also charge a laptop(eg.Macbook Pro), tablet(eg.iPad Pro), an iPhone and Airpods simultaneously.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Wireless Charger Pad Review: A Cool Product with a couple of Drawbacks

100W and 200W 2nd-Gen GaN USB-C Chargers Specification

According to Chargeasap, its new chargers are 66% smaller than traditional adapters. It has foldable prongs and lighter weight(100W-120g, 200W-220g) will help people carry it over easily. The Omega Chargers operate around 100-240V and has 3-plug converters including AU, EU, and UK. It can hence be used in 200+ countries.

 

The USB-A ports are also compatible with Quick Charge 3.0, AFC, VOOC, SCP, FCP almost all major fast charging protocols in the market from all major brands including Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus up to 22.5W.

Crowd-funding price, RRP and Availability

The chargers are already listed in Kickstarter crowd-funding platform since August 11. As of now, support has surpassed close to $1.068 million. As per the company, the 200W charger is capable of charging four devices at the same time. The kickstarter crowd-funding project will run for 60 days till October 10th 7:41PM UTC +5.30.

During this period, the perk for 100W starts at $45 while the 200W starts at $75. Post this, company says the Full RRP(Recommended Retail Price) for 100W, 200W will be $99 and $149 respectively. H

owever, the next-gen chargers won’t be available for shipping at least for the next two months till December 2020.

Up Next: Alleged Apple AirPower Mini wireless charger appears in a leaked video

The third Android 11 Beta for vivo NEX 3S 5G & iQOO 3 4G/5G comes with Funtouch OS 11

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Like fellow Chinese OEMs, vivo was also part of Android 11 Beta program. The company delivered two builds each for two of its smartphones – vivo NEX 3S 5G and iQOO 3 4G/5G. Now, the firm has released the third beta build with Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11 stable codebase.

iQOO 3

Chinese smartphone makers like OnePlus, OPPO, and Xiaomi have already released the 2020 version of their mobile operating system. These companies have also begun to roll out beta builds to a large number of users.

On the other hand, vivo is yet to announce its latest Android skin Funtouch OS 11. However, the company did tease it at the vivo V20 series launch event in Thailand. Interestingly, the company had also quietly released a beta build of the same for vivo NEX 3S 5G and iQOO 3 4G/5G on September 20 going by their build numbers.

The first-ever Funtouch OS 11 beta build based on Android 11 stable codebase for the above-mentioned vivo smartphones comes after Android 11 Beta 1 in June and Android 11 Beta 2 in July.

Just like the previous two builds, the latest one is also only meant for developers. But anyone can try it, however, we would recommend not to.

That said, we expect vivo to soon announce Funtouch OS 11 officially in the coming days.

UP NEXT: Vivo Watch with a premium design, 18 days battery life launched for ¥1299 (~$191)

 

(Source / Via)

Galaxy S20 FE arrives with a combination of style and performance

By
Habeeb Onawole
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Samsung had another Galaxy Unpacked event today during which it unveiled the Galaxy S20 FE. The new phone is the latest member of the Galaxy S20 family and it seamlessly combines style and performance.

Galaxy S20 FE

Galaxy S20 FE Design

The Galaxy S20 FE comes in six exciting colors and it looks like it will be a tough decision choosing one as they all look really good. However, the colorful appearance and haze finish are just a part of the design as there are other strong points.

The hole in the phone’s infinity-O display is the smallest in a Galaxy phone. It also has triple rear cameras in a rectangular housing with a frame that matches the color of the phone.

Galaxy S20 FE Specifications

The Galaxy S20 FE has a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The 5G version is powered by the Snapdragon 865 processor while the 4G version has an Exynos 990 processor. The phone comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage which can be expanded to up to an additional 1TB via a MicroSD card slot.

There are three cameras on the back of the phone – a 12MP f/2.2 123° ultrawide angle camera, a 12MP f/1.89 Dual Pixel camera with OIS, and an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera. There is 3x optical zoom and up to 30x space zoom. The selfie camera is a 32MP f/2.2 camera.

Galaxy S20 FE specs

Samsung ships the Galaxy S20 FE with a 4500mAh battery with support for 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and PowerShare (reverse wireless charging). Not surprisingly, Samsung ships the phone with a 15W charger.

The phone ships with Android 10 out of the box and is eligible for three OS upgrades. It has NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, an in-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos technology. It also has an IP68 rating.

 

Price and Availability

The Galaxy S20 FE is priced at $699 (128GB) for the 5G version in the US. In the UK, the 4G version is £599 (128GB) while the 5G version is £699. In Europe, the 4G version with 128GB is €669 (€649 in some countries) while the 5G version is €769 (€749 in some markets). Some European countries also get a 256GB version that is €719 for the 4G version and €819 for the 5G version.

Galaxy S20 FE all colors

Those who pre-order can choose between a free Xbox Gamepass bundle (3 months subscription + MOGA XP5 controller) or a Galaxy Fit 2. Pre-orders start today and then the phone goes on sale on October 2. Do note that some of the colors are only available online.

UP NEXT: Samsung’s Exynos 1000 SoC might outperform the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 875

 

Xiaomi launches the Mi Smart Dashcam 2 Standard Edition for 299 yuan (~$44)

By
Jed John Ikoba
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In May of this year, Xiaomi launched the Mi Smart Dashcam 2K version priced at 399 yuan (~$58). The company has now unveiled the Mi Smart Dashcam 2 Standard Edition with a lower price tag of 299 yuan (~$44). The product is on sale on the Youpin website.Mi Smart Dashcam 2 Standard Edition

The Mi Smart Dashcam 2K launched in May looks like a regular camera and can record ultra-high-definition video up to 1600p. The back is equipped with a 3.0-inch IPS screen to clearly show the details of what is being recorded. This new model has a more compact built but retains the square design with a side length of only 7 cm. The recording resolution for this model is reduced to 1080P instead of 2K on the first model. This is still enough to produce clear images. The display screen at the back is also reduced to a 2.0-inch LCD screen.Mi Smart Dashcam 2 Standard Edition

It uses a 1/2.9-inch photosensitive element and is equipped with a large F/2.0 aperture to achieve high-quality imaging in low-light environments. At the same time, it has a 130° super wide-angle lens, which can cover three lanes and reduce blind spots in shooting.

The Mi Smart Dashcam 2 Standard Edition supports intelligent voice control. There is no need to wake up when recording. You can directly give the voice command and the current picture or video will be saved immediately depending on the command.

Mi Smart Dashcam 2 Standard EditionAt the same time, using the MIJIA app, users can connect to the dashboard camera for real-time viewing of captured pictures, playback and historical image download. The standard version also supports more efficient H.265 encoding, which occupies less storage space at the same resolution.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra beats Huawei P40 Pro in Camera Performance with a DxOMark score of 130

 

Xiaomi to launch the MIJIA Smart Pet Water Dispenser on Sept. 25th

By
Jed John Ikoba
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Xiaomi has today announced that it will be releasing a new smart home product soon. The product is revealed as the MIJIA Smart Pet Water Dispenser and will be launched on September 25. It will be sold on Xiaomi Mall for 169 yuan (~24).

MIJIA Smart Pet Water Dispenser features a patented design with a minimalist structure, and a hidden circuit to achieve true water and electricity separation. The sink is smooth and clean. Also, cleaning the sink is as convenient and labour-saving as cleaning a water bowl.MIJIA Smart Pet Water Dispenser

This smart pet water dispenser can simulate a mountain stream spring, using a circulating waterway. The running water is rich in oxygen as if being in nature, satisfying the pet’s nature, and enhancing the interest in drinking water.

In addition, the MIJIA Smart Pet Water Dispenser uses internationally excellent filter materials and four-fold high-efficiency deep filtration to intercept fine particles, hair, residual chlorine, and calcium and magnesium ions that can induce Kidney stones. It not only cleans but also softens the water.

It also comes with MIJIA app support which allows owners to receive reminders at any time via mobile phone notifications to add water, clean and replace the filter element.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra beats Huawei P40 Pro in Camera Performance with a DxOMark score of 130

 

New Redmi TWS Earbuds and Earphones to launch on September 30

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Xiaomi India has several products scheduled to launch on September 29. The product lineup includes the Mi Watch Revolve, the Mi Smart Band 5, and an automatic soap dispenser. Apparently, there are more products, this time from Redmi, and they will be launching the next day on September 30.

A post shared on Twitter by Manu Kumar Jain, the CEO of Xiaomi India, has revealed that there will be two new audio products from Redmi launching on the last day of September.

The tweet says the products will launch under a banner called Redmi Beat Drop. The video included in the tweet teases the launch of new TWS earbuds and a pair of new wired earphones. However, there are reports that the second product is the Redmi Sonic Wireless Earphones that launched in Nepal earlier this month.

Redmi Earbuds 2C

If you are wondering what new earbuds are coming, we want to believe it is the Redmi Earbuds 2C. The product received its Bluetooth certification in July but is yet to launch. However, there is a chance it may launch under a different name.

UP NEXT: Redmi Smart TV A series coming soon with ultra-thin bezel & five display sizes

 

Zeaplus Buds is a $25 Apple AirPods Pro clone with Active Noise Cancellation

By
Staff
-

AirPods Pro is considered as one of the best earbuds in the market right now, particularly because of its Active Noise Cancelling feature. However, Apple’s Pro earbuds also demands an extremely high price tag of $249.

An average user is not willing to spend anything over $30-50 for a pair of earbuds which means features like active noise cancellation is never even considered by most consumers. However, there are companies like Zeaplus who are trying to bring premium features such as Active Noise Cancellation at an extremely affordable price tag. And its latest Zeaplus Buds boasts of ANC at an unbelievable $25 price tag.

Zeaplus Buds 01

If you are looking for a similar design and fit as the AirPods Pro without having to spend a fortune, the Zeaplus Buds can be a really good alternative. It’s basically an AirPods Pro clone with a similar stem and tip design, featuring a white and black color scheme. While there are a bunch of AirPods Pro clones in the market, the Zeaplus buds comes with Active Noise Cancellation.

Zeaplus Buds 06

It even features transparent mode – similar to the Apple AirPods Pro which lets in the sound from the surroundings. Naturally, the ANC and transparency mode isn’t expected to be anywhere near the AirPods Pro, but we did try it out and it’s definitely not a gimmick. The ANC mode does work and gives you some noise isolation enabling an immersive experience.

Zeaplus Buds earbuds featured

The Zeaplus Buds offers 4 hours of battery life and a total of 20 hours with the case. Note that the case supports wireless charging too, which is a really handy addition considering its $25 price tag.

Our review of the Zeaplus Buds will be up very soon so stay tuned for that. Meanwhile, you can get the Zeaplus buds at just $25 (first 1000 units) instead of the usual $50 price tag.

Check out the Zeaplus website for more details.

Update:

Zeaplus Buds Review:

 

IMINT partners with MediaTek to integrate its video enhancement solutions at a deeper level

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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IMINT, a Sweden-based company is known for offering video enhancement solutions for smartphone cameras. The company’s flagship product “Vidhance” is used by a plethora of OEMs like HUAWEI, OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, Motorola, and Infinix. Now, this company is partnering with Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek to deeply integrate both their products.

IMINT Logo Featured

Up until now, IMINT’s Vidhance is only integrated at the software level in smartphones powered by MediaTek chipsets. But with the new partnership, it can be integrated at a deeper (hardware) level to improve the overall performance of video stabilization by consuming less energy.

The following IMINT products will be integrated at a deeper level in MediaTek chips.

  • Vidhance Dynamic Motion Blur Reduction
  • Vidhance Super Stabilization
  • Vidhance Field of View Correction
  • Vidhance Horizon Correction

The Swedish company says that its technologies are deployed in over 250 million smartphones. Apart from handsets, the firm’s products can be also found in bodycams, modular cameras, and drones.

As GSMArena points out, OEMs are lately turning towards MediaTek for cheaper alternatives to costlier 5G-equipped Qualcomm chipsets. If this trend continues, budget smartphone users will have access to the products offered by IMINT, which will help in providing better video recording performance. 

UP NEXT: MediaTek to announce 6nm Arm chips for Chromebooks next year

 

[Updated] Xiaomi Smarter Living 2021: Here are the Expected Smart Products that will launch at the event

By
Balaji S
-

[Update: 28/09/2020] Mi Band 5 and Mi Watch Revolve Prices tipped:

Tipster Ishan Agarwal has said that MRPs of Xiaomi Mi Band 5, and Mi Watch Revolve will be ₹2,999($41) and ₹10,999($149) respectively. He adds that both the products will hence be sold below the specified MRP and could start at around ₹2,499 for Mi Band 5 and less than ₹9,999 for Mi Watch Revolve.

 

We are still a week away from the Xiaomi Smarter living 2021 Event that is scheduled to happen on September 29 at 12 PM IST in India. However, the company has been consistently teasing new products every day. That said, let us have a look at what is coming on next Tuesday.

Xiaomi Smarter Living 2020 Event India September 29

Just like last year, Xiaomi is focussing on bringing more IoT products. It has so far teased Mi Band 5, an AI speaker (rebranded XiaoAI Speaker from China), a Mi SmartWatch, and a Soap Dispenser.

Mi Smart Band 5

Mi Smart Band 5

Xiaomi launched the Mi Band 5 back in  China back in June and a month later globally. Just like the predecessor, this one is also be rebadged as Mi Smart Band 5 in India. It has a bigger 1.1-inch AMOLED display with 450 nits brightness. Further, it has a six-axis accelerometer, a PPG sensor for heart-rate, and sleep monitoring. It also features a slightly higher 125mAh battery with 14-days of battery life, and supports magnetic charging.

Other features include 11 sport modes with PAI index, 100s of animated watch faces. However, there are chances we might lose the NFC on the Indian variant.

You may want to check out our Mi Band 5 Review here.

Mi Watch Revolve

Mi Watch Color Mi Watch Revolve Featured

Back in December, Xiaomi brought a stripped-down version of the Mi Watch dubbed the Mi Watch Color in China with colorful straps. Later, it got rebadged as Mi Watch Revolve elsewhere. And going by the teasers from Xiaomi India, the Mi SmartWatch could indeed be the Mi Watch Revolve. However, the company is teasing the word “Evolve” in its teaser so we aren’t sure about the naming just yet.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi launches the Little Whale Wash Antibacterial Smart Toilet for 1999 yuan (~$295)

That said, the Mi Watch shares some of its features from Huami’s Amazfit despite being made by Shangai Suo Prime Technology Ltd. It has a 1.39-inch circular dial with a 454×454 resolution. All the essential sensors including Accelerometer, Barometer, Heart-rate sensor along with 5ATM water-resistance is present. It also has a 420mAh battery, 24×7 heart-rate, sleep, and stress monitoring, 10 sport modes, and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth for connectivity.

 

AI Smart Speaker

Xiaomi XiaoAI Speaker Art
Xiaomi XiaoAI Speaker Art

Xiaomi announced a smart speaker Art powered by Xiao-AI assistant back in May in China. Teasers from Xiaomi India suggests that this might be heading to India. However, considering the Xiao-AI assistant is sort of limited to China, we can expect the Indian variant to be powered by Google/Amazon’s Alexa but we will have to wait for that.

The AI speaker has a 2.5-inch speaker unit with a DTS sound profile. Featuring a metallic build, the speaker has capacitive touch keys for media controls. Other features include Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 5 for connectivity, and Stereo 2.0 sound.

 

Automatic Soap Dispenser

Xiaomi seems to have captured the market’s moment as one of the products at the smarter living event will be an Automatic Soap Dispenser. From the teaser, it looks more like the Mijia Soap Dispenser from 2018. It has a dispenser top with a protruding tip, a 320mm flask of soap enough for 400 hand-washes.

It uses a near-field Infrared Sensor to sense the hand motion and as we bring our hands near to the tip, it spills out the soap required for one hand-wash. The Chinese variant also comes with anti-bacterial and PH-Neutral soap solution in the box. However, it requires 4-AA batteries to run the dispenser. At a time when keeping our hands clean and maintaining social distancing is necessary, this seems like a bang-on product from Xiaomi.

 

Other products

Xiaomi’s poster for the Smarter living event also includes an image of a Smart Bulb. This could be another variant of the recently launched Smart Bulb. Further, Xiaomi has teased the arrival of new Sneakers in India and this could be a rebadged Mijia Sneakers 3/4 but we aren’t sure about it yet.

 

Up Next: Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Ultra 8K 5G will come with a mini-LED panel

GSMA reshuffles MWC 2021 dates; Barcelona event moved to late June

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona is known to take place in the first quarter of the year, but that changes next year as the GSMA has announced new dates for its events.

Mobile World Congress

The new dates announced by the GSMA in a press release informed us that MWC Shanghai, which used to take place in June, will now hold in February, while MWC Barcelona moves to June. The Barcelona event was originally scheduled for the first week of March 2021. Below are the exact dates for the events in 2021:

  • MWC Shanghai: February 23 – February 25
  • MWC Barcelona: June 28 – July 1

*MWC Los Angeles remains unchanged with this year’s edition set to take place between October 28 to October 30.

The GSMA says the decision to move the Barcelona event to June is so as to deal with external circumstances related to COVID-19. The decision was also taken after planning and consultation with all key stakeholders. The Director-General of the GSMA, Mats Granryd, has said that “the health and safety of exhibitors, attendees, staff and the people of Barcelona are of paramount importance”.

MWC Barcelona is one of the biggest tech events in the world. The tech show is a platform for exhibitors to show off new technologies. A lot of phone manufacturers also use the platform to announce new products. It remains to be seen if these products will still be unveiled in the first quarter of the year at individual events or if they will be delayed so that they can be announced at MWC Barcelona.

UP NEXT: CES Asia canceled after five years

 

Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Ultra 8K 5G will come with mini-LED panel

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Earlier today, Xiaomi officially announced to launch Mi TV LUX Ultra 8K 5G (Mi TV Master Series Extreme Commemorative Edition) on September 28.  A few hours later, the company dropped another teaser confirming it to feature mini-LED panel.

Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Ultra 8K 5G Mini-LED Teaser

So far, Xiaomi has launched two models under its Mi TV Master series, which is known as Mi TV LUX in global markets. The first model called Mi TV LUX 65” OLED was released in July 2020. A month later, the company launched another television called Mi TV LUX OLED Transparent Edition as the world’s cheapest as well as first mass-produced transparent TV.

Now, more than a month later, the company will launch Mi TV LUX Ultra 8K 5G as the world’s first mass-manufactured 8K mini-LED TV with 5G connectivity. That means two of the three models under Xiaomi’s premium smart TV series are world firsts.

That said, mini-LED fixes almost all the problems that OLED has. These type of panels are brighter, burn-in free, and consume less power. Above all, they are as thin as OLED and hence, the televisions equipped with them are not thicker.

Since the screen on this upcoming Mi TV will be of 8K (7680 x 4320) resolution, it will also come with an integrated 5G modem to enable users to stream high-quality content at higher speeds.

Though Xiaomi is yet to reveal the size of this television, it has been already leaked to feature an 82-inch panel supplied by LG Display.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Wireless Charger Pad Review: A Cool Product with a couple of Drawbacks

 

Huawei to soon launch consumer grade desktop PCs and Monitors

By
Sean
-

In a conference earlier today (23rd September 2020), Wang Yinfeng, President of Huawei Tablet and PC product line, confirmed that the company is actively working towards launching consumer grade desktops in the market along with new monitors in the near future.

Huawei

Previously, we had reported on the Chinese tech giant looking to launch a curved gaming monitor series, which is likely a part of the company’s proprietary monitor brand. With this, Huawei will also be competing with another Chinese company that recently entered the monitor market, Xiaomi. Reports have also revealed the supplier, BOE, that would ship the first 2 to 3 batches of the displays panels. The sizes of the Huawei monitors have been hinted at 27 inch and 34 inch variants.

Editor’s Pick: LG K71 with 6.81-inch display, built-in stylus, 32MP selfie camera and 48MP triple cameras announced

Furthermore, the company had also recently launched a workstation desktop that was powered by a Kunpeng 920 processor. However, this was only aimed at developers and not the consumer, but the conference from today revealed that Huawei will soon launch desktop PCs for consumers as well, as per a MyDrivers report. According to the senior executive, the company is developing commercial grade desktop products as well that should arrive soon.

Huawei

Unfortunately, no specific deadlines or launch dates were given out during the event. It is also unknown what exactly the branding of these new desktop and PC peripheral products will carry. However, we now know for sure that the Chinese company is planning on entering the consumer PC market. So stay tuned for more updates that should arrive soon.

UP NEXT: Microsoft partners with Qualcomm to help developers make ARM-compatible apps for Windows 10

 

Apple to source mini LED orders from China based Sanan: Report

By
Sean
-

San’an Optoelectronics, a China based LED chip maker, might soon be one of the sources in the supply chain of Apple. This would put the Chinese firm in direct competition with another Taiwan based chip maker that also develops mini LED backlighting applications which might be seen in the upcoming iPad and MacBook models in 2021.

Apple

According to a DigiTimes report, Sanan had lagged behind Epistar for about a year in terms of the development of mini LED technology. But with recent progress, the company might finally be beginning the production of mini LEDs by the end of 2020. These will then likely be certified by mid 2021 and can enter the Cupertino based giant’s supply chain by 2022.

Editor’s Pick: LG K71 with 6.81-inch display, built-in stylus, 32MP selfie camera and 48MP triple cameras announced

For those unaware, Apple is reportedly set to acquire mini LED backlighting for its iPad Pro from Epistar, who is their sole supplier as per industry sources. The upcoming generation of products from the brand is expected to feature mini LED in various different categories like tablets to computers, so it would seem likely that the company will have more than one supplier.

Apple
iPad 8th generation (left) and iPad Air 4th generation (right)

Thus, with Sanan making leaps in its developments of the display technology it would soon be a viable supplier to Apple. Although, another important factor to consider is that even if it does manage to start mini LED production by 2021, the yield rates will be crucial to whether or not Apple starts ordering from the Chinese company.

UP NEXT: Microsoft partners with Qualcomm to help developers make ARM-compatible apps for Windows 10

 

Reliance Jio is working on a $50 Android phone for the Indian market

By
Sean
-

India is one of the largest smartphone markets in the world. While it is a key market for various brands from across the globe, Chinese OEMs have seemingly dominated the market in recent years. Now, Reliance Jio is seeking to disrupt the market share with an Android device that costs just 50 US Dollars.

JioPhone 2 featured
JioPhone 3, successor to the JioPhone 2 (above) will have a full touchscreen display

According to a TimesofIndia report, Reliance has asked local suppliers to bump the production capacity in India to raise smartphone production to 200 million units over the next two years. Sources close to the matter revealed this information and even stated that this would boost India’s technology ambitions and raise the competition against major Chinese players like Xiaomi.

Editor’s Pick: LG K71 with 6.81-inch display, built-in stylus, 32MP selfie camera and 48MP triple cameras announced

Reliance Jio is currently in talks with various domestic assemblers to make an extremely affordable version of its Jio Phone that runs on Google‘s Android and costs just 4,000 INR (roughly 54 US Dollars). If this device launches, it would be one of the cheapest handset offerings in the market and will also stand with Jio’s known low cost wireless telecom data plans. For those unaware, Jio is a leading telecom operator in the Southeast Asian country and is also actively working to develop 5G networking as well.

Reliance Jio

Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Chairman, is apparently seeking to reform the country’s smartphone industry in a manner similar to when he reshaped the telecom services. When Reliance Jio first launched as a wireless data plan provider, it had a simple strategy of offering great deals at very aggressive pricing, which was extremely successful in India. Now that the company also has the government’s support, the billionaire is also aiming at building more domestic manufacturing sites that would likely also benefit other local brands like Karbonn Mobiles, Lava International, Dixon Technologies, and others.

UP NEXT: Microsoft partners with Qualcomm to help developers make ARM-compatible apps for Windows 10

 

WhatsApp Beta for Android v2.20.201.1 hints at a feature called “Expiring Media”

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

WhatsApp is one of the world’s most used instant messaging services. Despite this, it is always the last app to get features that are already present in its competitors. The only plausible reason we could think is that Facebook does not want to confuse its users with a plethora of features that they may never use. Therefore, the company has begun to test a feature called “Expiring Meda” only now in the second half of 2020.

WhatsApp Logo

Recently, WhatsApp Beta for Android v2.20.201.1 was released on the Google Play Store. As usual, the folks at WABetaInfo dug deeper into the new APK to discover interesting things. This time they found that the company is working on a new feature called “Expiring Media”, which they say to be an extension of “Expiring Messages”.

This upcoming WhatsApp feature is similar to that found in Snapchat, which was later copied by Instagram. According to the publication, when this feature will be enabled, users will have an option to set expiration when they share media files.

The recipients who receive any “Expiring Media” can only view them for a single time and once they exit the chat, they will disappear without any trace unlike “This message was deleted” message when the sender deletes messages.

Currently, there’s no option for timer for this feature and it also lacks screenshot detection. Anyway, the final version could be different whenever it arrives in the stable channel.

UP NEXT: WhatsApp in final stages of testing for its multiple device support feature: Report

 

OnePlus won’t be selling tickets to fans for its OnePlus 8T launch event in China

By
Sean
-

Recently, various brands have started hosting their product launch conferences offline in China. However, the OnePlus 8T event will have the company not selling any of its tickets to its fans and will only have a limited number of media attending the conference.

OnePlus 8T render

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, most launches that were traditionally held in venues and at major events, had to shift to online streaming. Although recently, a few brands have started allowing audiences in these conferences. Now, OnePlus is also hosting an offline launch event for its OnePlus 8T series, but it won’t be attended by any fans as the company’s CEO, Pete Lau, said that no tickets will be sold this time around in a post on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website.

Editor’s Pick: LG K71 with 6.81-inch display, built-in stylus, 32MP selfie camera and 48MP triple cameras announced

For those unaware, the Chinese brand generally sold tickets to dedicated fans, who even received goodies and other merchandise during these events. Although, the OnePlus has made the decision that only select media and individuals will be allowed in the launch conference in light of the ongoing pandemic. According to the senior official, this is being done for prevention and control. In other words, it is for everyone’s safety.

OnePlus

While only a few people will be allowed to watch the event offline, the live stream that will take place in October is open to everybody. The move from OnePlus is cautionary and understandable in regard to the crisis that has gripped the world. Furthermore, the OnePlus 8T will be the company’s latest flagship and the anticipation for its launch is already here. So stay tuned for more.

UP NEXT: Microsoft partners with Qualcomm to help developers make ARM-compatible apps for Windows 10

 

Nokia 8.3 5G begins global sales, features Snapdragon 765G

By
Sean
-

Back in March, HMD Global unveiled the Nokia 8.3 5G, an upper mid range smartphone with support for the newer and faster bandwidth. Now, 6 months after its initial reveal, the device is finally being rolled out globally.

Nokia 8.3 5G
Nokia 8.3 5G

The Nokia 8.3 5G features a 6.81 inch FHD+ LCD display that has an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a 120Hz high refresh rate panel. Under the hood, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G runs the device along with 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card slot. It runs Android 10 out of the box and supports dual SIM cards as well.

UP NEXT: LG K71 with 6.81-inch display, built-in stylus, 32MP selfie camera and 48MP triple cameras announced

For optics, the Nokia 8.3 features a quad camera setup with a 64 megapixel primary sensor alongside a 12 megapixel ultra wide angle lens, 2 megapixel macro camera, and another 2 megapixel depth sensor. On the front, a 24 megapixel selfie shooter is housed while the fingerprint scanner is mounted on the side. The device also features a 3.5mm headphone jack and is powered by a large 4,500mAh battery pack that supports up to 18W fast charging.

The Nokia 8.3 5G arrives in Polar Night color and is priced at 599 Euros (roughly 701 Us Dollars) for the base 6GB+64GB variant and 649 Euros (roughly 760 US Dollars) for the 8GB+128GB variant. Furthermore, all Nokia 8.3 5G buyers will receive a free 6 month trial of Google One, with an additional 100GB of online storage. Keep in mind, that prices for different regions may vary so stay tuned for more updates. Notably, the company even advertised the device by having it make an appearance in the upcoming James Bond movie ‘No Time To Die.’

UP NEXT: Microsoft partners with Qualcomm to help developers make ARM-compatible apps for Windows 10

 

Microsoft partners with Qualcomm to help developers make ARM-compatible apps for Windows 10

By
Jeet
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Microsoft has today announced a partnership with Qualcomm under which the company will extend the App Assure with FastTrack testing platform to developers working on developing apps to run well on ARM-based Windows 10.

The App Assure with FastTrack program from Microsoft is available to qualify developers or customers without any cost. For those who are unaware, App Assure is a program designed to help customers, developers, and independent software vendors address application compatibility issues.

Microsoft Surface Book 2

EDITOR’S PICK: NVIDIA to acquire Arm Holdings for $40 billion from SoftBank

With this Microsoft and Qualcomm partnership, it seems that the focus will now be on engaging software vendors to come with a version that’s compatible with Windows 10 running on Snapdragon compute platform.

Keith Kressin, SVP & GM, Computing & Edge Cloud, Qualcomm, said: “The future of mobile computing is powerful, thin and light PCs equipped with 4G/5G connectivity, and offer multi-day battery life… We are pleased that the expansion of Microsoft’s App Assure program will help ensure great user experiences across Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops and 2-in-1s.”

This is a major development from Microsoft and Qualcomm given that more PCs are planning to move towards ARM-based chipsets. However, app compatibility issues remain one of the biggest roadblocks but this could help to address those issues.

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Apple iPhone 12 leak reveals some last minute bad news

By
Sean
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With Apple iPhone 12 series launch being just around the corner, a number of reports and leaks have started surfacing online. The latest one arrives with a rather last minute bad news as the upcoming iPhone 12 model, might be dubbed as the iPhone 12 mini and could possibly be the least powerful handset in the upcoming lineup.

The iPhone 12 model in question is the 5.4 inch model that would apparently house a new mid range chip called the Apple B14 SoC. This news was first shared by MauriQHD on Twitter and a Tom’sGuide report, which details that the iPhone 12 mini will have a “battery-saving-but-less-powerful A14.” However, this is still an unconfirmed report and the leakster did state that this chip might be seen later down the road on the iPhone SE Plus or iPhone SE 3.

Editor’s Pick: LG K71 with 6.81-inch display, built-in stylus, 32MP selfie camera and 48MP triple cameras announced

Notably, the use of a less powerful energy efficient chip could also mean the iPhone 12 mini would be a bit more affordable than previously speculated. While previous reports had suggested that the upcoming handset will be more expensive than the base iPhone 11 due to the addition of 5G support, but the iPhone 12 mini could skip the newer and faster bandwidth and adopt a similar price point as last gens iPhone 11.

Apple

If this is true, then the 6.1 inch variant could be the actual iPhone 12 base model and would be the true successor of the iPhone 11. Although, the rumor arrives quite close to the launch. Meaning, we would generally have heard more from regarding the new chip by now. Although, nothing is certain at the moment, so take this report with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more updates, which should arrive soon.

UP NEXT: World’s first Blockchain camera – IoTEX and Tenvis UCAM Security Camera available for $44.99

 

World’s first Blockchain camera – IoTEX and Tenvis UCAM Security Camera available for $44.99

By
Simranpal Singh
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IoTEX in partnership with Tenvis announced the new UCAM which is the world’s first Blockchain-powered home security camera. Let’s delve into the features of the device. If you have some basic understanding about Blockchain then go ahead. In case if you’ve hearing blockchain for the first time, no worry, we’ve explained briefly below in this article.

Wikipedia has a simple definition of Blockchain. “A blockchain originally blocks chain, is a growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked using cryptography”. A blockchain is a decentralized, distributed, and most public. The invention of the blockchain for bitcoin made it the first digital currency to solve the double-spending problem without the need for a trusted authority or central server.

IoTEX and Tenvis UCAM Security Camera

The UCAM functions very much similar to that of any home security camera except with some added benefits which will be discussed below. UCAM comes with most premium features such as Full-HD 1080p video recording and playback, 360 ° coverage, night vision, motion detection alerts, and two-way audio.

What really makes the UCAM unique from other security cameras is the built-in privacy features. End-to-end encryption makes the data accessible only to the users at either end. No one can access it during transmission because of encryption. The UCAM uses the IoTeX blockchain and decentralized identity to authorize who can view what content and for how long. Furthermore, all the content acquired by UCAM is the exclusive property of the user. No one will be able to access it, not even IoTeX or Tenvis.

IoTeX and Tenvis are introducing an exciting new paradigm for privacy: their new cameras including the UCAM will be user-centric, allowing consumers to own their data. No one else has tried this before making it a versatile product. Interested users can visit their official website for more information on the product and avail the best offers. However, it is retailing at the discount price of $44.99. The product is even facilitated with CES 2020 Award in the cybersecurity and personal privacy category.

Key Features

  • Enhanced Privacy and Security
  • 1080p HD Video recording
  • 360-degree coverage
  • Motion Detection
  • Night Vision
  • Two-way Audio
  • Lifetime Technical Support
  • 4.2″ x 2.6″ x 3.4″ size and 8.0 ounces weight
  • 3.6mm Lens with f/2.0 aperture
  • Flip and Mirror Image
  • Infrared LED: 8x IR-LEDs
  • 5Watt Power consumpetion
  • 5V/1A Power Supply
  • Ethernet port, SD Card and Cloud Service
  • 2.4GHz WiFI

Blockchain

Blockchain can be defined as a digital ledger consisting of digital records called Blocks. Blocks are used to record transactions across many computers so that any involved block cannot be altered retroactively, without the alteration of all subsequent blocks and requires consensus of the network majority. By design, a blockchain is resistant to modification of the data. This allows the participants to verify and audit transactions independently and at a much lower cost. A blockchain database is managed autonomously using a peer-to-peer network and distributed timestamping server.

Block

Blocks hold batches of valid transactions that are hashed and encoded into a Merkle tree. Each and every block includes the cryptographic hash of the previous block in the blockchain, which links the two. The linked blocks form a chain. This iterative process confirms the integrity of the previous block, all the way back to the original genesis block.

Block Time

It is the average time it takes for the network to generate one extra block in the blockchain. For example, in the case of Bitcoin, it takes on an average of 10 minutes to generate a new block.

Decentralization

This is an important security feature of blockchain. By storing data across the peer-to-peer network, blockchain eliminates risks that come with data being held centrally. The decentralized blockchain uses ad hoc message passing and distributed networking. These blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability that computer crackers can exploit also one thing to note is that it has no central point of failure.

Blockchain security methods include the use of public-key cryptography. A public key is a long, string of numbers that looks random. It is an address on the blockchain. Value tokens sent across the network are recorded as belonging to that address. A private key is like a password that gives its owner access to their digital assets or the means to otherwise interact with the various capabilities that blockchains now support.

Well, that’s a lot of information. Hope you enjoyed reading about the UCAM and blockchain in general.

Related: Huawei partners with the Chinese Government to boost Blockchain Adoption
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