Huawei Nova 2S Official Invite Includes 4-in-1 Clip-on Lens Kit

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Dec 4, 2017

Just last week, Huawei’s sub-brand, Honor launched the V10 flagship. The phone has been praised for packing impressive specs at an affordable price tag. But Huawei isn’t done for the year as it has more launches on the way. Its next launch in China is for the Nova 2s and Huawei has begun sending out invites.

Chinese tech news site, ITHome, has received their invite for the event and it comes with a gift.

The invite is shaped like an actual phone box and we will be surprised if this isn’t the retail package of the phone when it launches. rather than contain a dummy version of the phone like some manufacturers do, Huawei has included a 4-in-1 camera-clip on lens kit.

From the images provided, there is a fish eye lens, a macro lens, and a telephoto lens included in the box.

The Nova 2S shares a similar design to the Honor V10 as it also has a front-mounted fingerprint scanner even with a FHD+ display and also dual cameras on the back. One key difference it has from the V10 is that it has dual front cameras in front too.

Huawei is advertising the Nova 2S as a selfie-focused phones, so its easy to deduce that its target market are photography enthusiasts. The rear cameras are said to be the same 20MP+16MP configuration as the V10, while the front facing cameras are two 20MP sensors.

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Broadcom Set For Showdown, To Tender Its List of Candidates For Qualcomm’s Board Today

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 4, 2017

When it was reported that Qualcomm had rejected Broadcom’s $130 billion USD unsolicited bid, the possible options that Broadcom could still explore in order to achieve its goal were outlined. One of the options was to move for a change of Qualcomm’s current board whose tenure expires next year by submitting its own slate of candidates for the board. The U.S tech giant is reportedly set to explore that option as sources have disclosed that Broadcom will tender its list of candidates for the board today which is Monday.

The move is no doubt a confrontational one, as it is aimed to push out the present directors who they believe are not open to see the deal scale through. This is one of two moves Broadcom is reportedly taking in their bid to acquire Qualcomm. If they fail to effect a change of Qualcomm’s board before March next year, Broadcom is tipped as planning to improve on its earlier offer. Broadcom had offered Qualcomm’s shareholders $60 in cash and $10 in Broadcom’s stock for each of their shares. The details of the new offer aren’t known and wouldn’t be disclosed until March next year after the results of the Board of Directors voting is known. A new offer will only come if its candidates fail to win, the source hints.

Financial experts are of the opinion that even if Broadcom fail to succeed in its bid to change Qualcomm’s board, it may likely succeed in acquiring the fabless chipmaker with an improved offer. Majority of Qualcomm’s shareholders (77%) are said to be institutions like mutual funds, hedge funds and private trust funds firms.What this means is that these institutions are only interested in selling their investors’ shares for the largest profit. Qualcomm closed Friday’s trading at $65.49, so a $70 per share bid may not sound lucrative. However, a bid to the tune of $85 to $90 sounds lucrative enough to help win over Qualcomm’s shareholders swiftly. Moreso, Broadcom offers more profitability in the long run, with its shares closing at $271.56 as at Friday last week. The drama is getting interesting by the day. Perhaps, we’ll soon see the biggest acquisition is the tech industry kickstarted. Even with a yes vote from Qualcomm’s board, it could take up to one year before it gets approved by the relevant regulatory agencies. But then, something just makes the idea of the current Qualcomm structure being dismantled feel good.

(source)

Xiaomi Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus Sneak Preview Images Officially Revealed

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 4, 2017

Xiaomi’s Director of Product Management and Marketing, Donovan Sung has shared official renders of the upcoming Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus on his Twitter account. These images have been revealed as an official sneak preview of the upcoming Redmi 5 duo that are slated to debut on Dec. 7.

The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus can be seen sporting full screen design in the new renders. Their bezels are not as thin as the flagship phones like Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG V30. However, their bezels are slimmer than the predecessor Redmi phones. The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus are fitted with rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. These phones seem to be packed with full metallic chassis. The official renders also reveal that the Redmi 5 duo would be coming in multiple color choices such as black, blue, gold and rose gold.

The Redmi 5 is expected to be priced at 699 Yuan (~$106). It is rumored to feature a 5.7-inch HD+ display and Snapdragon 450 chipset. It is pegged to arrive in variants like 2 GB RAM + 16 GB storage, 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage. It is likely to house a 3,200mAh battery.

The Redmi 5 Plus is speculated to debut with a pricing of 999 Yuan (~$150). It is likely to house a 5.99-inch FHD+ screen and Snapdragon 625 chipset. It may come in variants like 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage. It is rumored to include a 4,000mAh battery.

Both the smartphones are speculated to house a 12-megapixel rear camera and a selfie camera of 5-megapixel. The Redmi 5 duo are rumored to run on MIUI 9 flavored Android Nougat OS.

What’s your opinion on the renders of the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus? Do they appear impressive? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

(source)

Sony H81XX, H82XX and H83XX Phones Show Up on User Agent Profiles

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Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 4, 2017

A bunch of upcoming Sony smartphones have been uncovered in different user agent profiles. Categorized into three parts, these models are likely successors to Sony’s line-up for this year.

First on the list is the Sony H81XX series which will come in at least two versions -H8116 and H8166. Both devices according to the UAP have a 3840 x 2160 (4K) screen resolution which means they are high-end smartphones. They also run Android 8.0 Oreo.

Both the Sony H8116 and H8166 are most likely successors to the Sony Xperia XZ Premium since it has the same screen resolution.

Next is the H82XX series which has more variants than the H81XX series. They are the H8216, H8266, H8276, and H8296. They all have FHD screens and also run Android Oreo. These phones are expected to be successors to the Xperia XZ1. The multiple variants are for the many regions they will be available in.

Last but not the least is the H83XX series which includes the Sony H8324. This phone also has a 1920 x 1080 resolution and runs Android 8.0.

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Xiaomi’s Focus Is AI, New Products With AI Will Hit The Market Next Year

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 4, 2017

The tech industry is replete with concepts and prototypes as well as real products utilizing Artificial Intelligence for various purposes. The smartphone industry has been the latest port of call with Huawei releasing its 2017 flagship Mate 10 models as well as the Huawei V10 with an AI chip. Xiaomi has now revealed that it plans to incorporate AI technology into its smartphones as from next year. The disclosure was made by CEO Lei Jun during a speech delivered at the 4th World Internet Conference held today in Wuzhen, China.

Lei Jun’s was reportedly titled “Opportunities for Xiaomi in the AI Age.” During the speech, the Xiaomi CEO stated that in the next 10 years, the company’s core strategy would focus on Artificial Intelligence. He also disclosed that the next generation of Xiami phones expected to be released in 2018 will incorporate Artificial Intelligence. However, no specific time frame was revealed as to when the AI smartphones would start launching. But the tech giant is expected to debut with the Xiaomi Mi 7 packing a Snapdragon 845 chip in the early part of next year. The flagship Mi 7 could very well feature the technology as it would most likely be featured first on a flagship model.

Xiaomi first released an AI product in July with the launch of the Mi AI Speaker. The company is in an advantaged position to develop its AI technology as it already has a vast smart IoT platform and the global user base of the MIUI ROM keeps growing, presently said to have exceeded 300 million users. Xiaomi’s cloud service is also said to house over 200PB data. Lei Jun sees internet companies becoming Artificial Intelligence companies in the near future and so believes Xiaomi should actively embrace AI technology now.

(source)

Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) Front View Revealed in Live Images

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 4, 2017

The 2018 edition of the Samsung Galaxy A phones are slated to launch in this month or January 2018. A Chinese leakster has been claiming consistently that the rumored SM-A530F and SM-A730F smartphones that are speculated to launch as Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) may launch as Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018). Freshly leaked images show that the upcoming SM-A730F smartphone may indeed launch as Galaxy A8+ (2018).

The front view of the Galaxy A8+ (2018) shows that it is fitted with an Infinity Display like the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 smartphones. However, unlike the displays of the premium Galaxy phones, the screen of the Galaxy A8+ is not curved at the edges.

The home button is missing from the front which indicates it could be placed on the backside of the device. A fingerprint scanner is also rumored to be present on the rear of the Galaxy A8+ (2018). It is also rumored to feature dual selfie snappers.

Speculations are rife that the Galaxy A8+ (2018) would be featuring a 6-inch or 5.7-inch display that will support an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 or 18:9. The existence of the Galaxy A8+ (2018) suggests that the rumored SM-A530F may debut as the regular Galaxy A8 (2018). This also indicates that Samsung may have canceled the Galaxy A3 (2018) or it may be launching it with some other moniker.

The Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) smartphones may arrive in the market as cheaper and smaller alternates of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones.

What do you think of the design of the Galaxy A8+ (2018)? Let us know your views by adding your comments below.

(source)

Here’s a Look at the Real Images of Huawei Nova 2s & its Leaked Promo Materials

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 4, 2017

In the previous week, Huawei had released an official poster to confirm that it will be launching the Nova 2s smartphone on Dec. 7. A couple of leaked photos of the Huawei Nova 2s as well as its promotional posters have now surfaced just ahead of its official launch.

The Nova 2s is rumored to arrive with a 6-inch display that will support an aspect ratio of 18:9 It is speculated to carry support for FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It features a fingerprint scanner below the display. As far as the design of the phone is concerned, it is expected to feature glass panels on its front and rear sides with a metallic frame flanked in between.

A 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port and an external speaker grille is present on the bottom side of the Nova 2s. The volume rocker and the Power key can be found on the right edge of the phone.

The Kirin 960 chipset will be powering the Huawei Nova 2s. However, fresh information suggests that in a bid to control the power consumption, the smartphone will be driven by a downscaled version of Kirin 960.

The front side of the Nova 2s is expected to feature a pair of 20-megapixel dual selfie snappers. The rear side of the phone may feature 20-megapixel + 16-megapixel dual cameras. Previous reports have suggested that it would be equipped with other features like NFC, Hi-Fi audio support, and EMUI 8.0 skinned Android 8.0 Oreo OS.

The Nova 2s featuring 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage may carry a pricing of 2,599 Yuan. The other variant featuring 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage may cost 2,999 Yuan. Huawei has reportedly built up sufficient stock of the Nova 2s to ensure enough units are available with its retailers.

Leaked promo images show that the Nova 2s would be coming in colors like silver, red, black, blue and pink. After its official launch on Dec. 7, the Huawei Nova 2s is peculated to go on sale from Dec. 12.

(source|via)

Samsung Galaxy X Foldable Smartphone Could be Arriving in 2018

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 4, 2017

Recent reports have revealed that the Galaxy X is the highly anticipated foldable smartphone from Samsung. Latest news coming from South Korea states that the Galaxy X foldable smartphone may get introduced to the world in 2018.

Apart from Samsung, other smartphone OEMS like Apple and LG are also speculated to be working foldable smartphones. However, Samsung could be the first company to debut a foldable phone.

In September, Samsung’s mobile chief DJ Koh had confirmed through an interview that the company would be its first foldable smartphone in 2018. Recent reports have suggested that it could be a limited edition device that may be arrive in select markets. Its arrival seems to be close at hand as it has already received certification from Wi-Fi Alliance, Bluetooth SIG and NRRA.

Industry insiders have revealed that Samsung Display has successfully managed to build a foldable screen with a curvature of 1.0R. What does it mean? Well, it means that users will be able to fold it inward like a paper. It may not be a glass panel as it is speculated to be made of up plastic materials. Rumors have revealed that the Galaxy X may come with a fold-in design. Samsung has filed numerous patents for foldable phones in the recent past, we will have to wait and see what sort of design and features will be arriving on the Galaxy X.

Another reason why Samsung is working hard on launching the Galaxy X in 2018 is that it reportedly wants to prevent LG from a striking a deal with Apple for launching its first foldable phone. The Cupertino-based firm has recently filed a patent for foldable iPhone in the U.S. Recent rumors have suggested that LG Display will be supplying its foldable display panels for the foldable iPhone that may debut in 2020.

LG Display is expected to be ready with a foldable screen with a curvature of 1.0R in 2019. However, in the next year it is expected to launch its foldable screen with a curvature of 2.5R. According to display industry, a foldable smartphone will be commercialized in the next few years.

(source)

Nokia 9 and 2018 Nokia 8 are Rumored to Launch on January 19

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 4, 2017

On Dec. 1, HMD Global that holds the rights to sell smartphones with Nokia branding completed its first birthday. Fresh information suggests that the Finnish firm plans to celebrate its first anniversary by launching the Nokia 9 flagship smartphone in January 2018. The Nokia 9 is not arriving alone, it is speculated that it will be unleashed alongside a second-generation model of Nokia 8.

HMD Global had launched the Nokia 8 flagship phone in September this year. Even though it arrived with flagship specs, it came with a simple design that could not compete with the likes Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 and so on. Hence, the recent reports have been claiming that the alleged Nokia 9 could be the real flagship phone from the company.

It is now speculated that the Finnish firm will be holding a launch event on Jan. 19. Previous reports have suggested that the 5.5-inch dual edge curved screen of the Nokia 9 will be supporting 2K resolution. The Nokia 8’s successor is likely to feature an 18:9 display along with a full screen design. These smartphones are rumored to be customized for users in China.

Both the smartphones are rumored to be powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset and are expected to house dual rear cameras. These phones are speculated to feature IP67 chassis. However, the Finnish firm is rumored to kill the 3.5mm audio jack feature on Nokia 9 and second-generation Nokia 8.

The Nokia 9 with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage may arrive with a price tag of 3,699 Yuan (~$558). The higher variant featuring 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage may cost 4,199 Yuan (~$634). As of this writing, there is no information on the other specifications and pricing of the 2018 edition of Nokia 8.

(source)

Xiaomi Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus Promotional Videos Show Both the Smartphones in Real

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 4, 2017

The rumor mill has revealed plenty of details of the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones that are scheduled to get unveiled on Dec. 7. Today, Xiaomi has released a series of new promotional videos to showcase the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones.

The above video contains three promotional videos that show the real Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones with full screen design. One of them is in black color while the other one is in white. However, the videos do not show the key features of these phones.

The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones have recently received certification from TENAA in China. The Redmi 5 is expected to feature a 5.7-inch display that will carry support for HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels.

It is rumored to be powered by Snapdragon 450 chipset and it will be coming RAM variants like 2 GB, 3 GB and 4 GB that will respectively feature 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB storage choices. It will be also featuring a microSD card. It is expected to house a 3,200mAh battery and it will be sporting a slim profile of 7.7mm.

The Redmi 5 Plus is pegged to feature a larger display of 5.5 inches that will be supporting a higher resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The Snapdragon 625 chipset is speculated to power the smartphone with 3 GB and 4 GB RAM options that will respectively feature 32 GB and 64 GB storage choices. It is also rumored to feature a microSD card slot. Even though it will be housing a 4,000mAh capacity battery, it will be coming with a thin body of 8.05mm.

Both the smartphones are expected to feature a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that will be equipped with an LED flash and a rear-mounted 12-megapixel camera. The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus are speculated to be respectively priced at 699 Yuan (~$105) and 999 Yuan (~$151).

(source)

Samsung Galaxy S9 May Come In These Colors

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 3, 2017

The Galaxy S9 has been in the news a lot lately. From design leaks, to spec leaks, and release dates; with one report mentioning a release in January. This time around, the news is about the possible color variants the next Samsung flagship will arrive in.

One thing to have in mind is that these colors are the ones announced at launch and there’ll most likely be more before the year runs out.

According to Sammobile, one of the colors the Samsung Galaxy S9 will come in is a purple variant. If you still remember, the Galaxy S8 was rumored to come in a violet/purple shade but didn’t.

Other colors that the device will come in include black, blue, and gold. There is no mention of red yet probably because it is still trying to see the sales the Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 will pull in. However, we hope the S9 does get a red variant.

Like we already know, some of these color variants will be exclusive to certain regions. So while the Galaxy S9 may come in that color you so greatly desire, it may not be available in your country.

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OnePlus Fans Launch Petition For Project Treble Support

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 3, 2017

About 2 weeks ago, OnePlus revealed in an AMA session that it would release Android 8.1 for all its current phones eligible for the Android Oreo update. However, it said none of the phones will get Project Treble.

This has not gone down well with fans of the brand who have now launched a petition to convince them to reconsider. Project Treble is supposed to make updates faster as it separates the Android OS framework from the vendors implementation.

While devices that come with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box must have Project Treble support, there are some which were previously on Nougat that have gotten Project Treble or that will get it, such as the first gen Pixels, the Essential Phone, Honor 9, Mate 9, and Honor 8 Pro.

If these devices can get Project Treble support, why shouldn’t the newly released OnePlus 5T or even the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3 get Project Treble?

While the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 won’t make it past Android Oreo, support for project treble will allow developers to create custom ROMs for them using the latest AOSP in a matter of days rather than weeks or more. That way, these phones can get longer support seeing as they will just be two years old when Android P comes out next year.

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The Force Is Strong With The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 2, 2017

Just a few days after announcing the gorgeous Lava Red OnePlus 5T in China, OnePlus took to India to reveal the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition. The special edition OnePlus 5T was unveiled at the Bengaluru Comic Con Event today. Permit us to say the force is strong with this one!

We first heard of the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition a few weeks ago even before the Lava Red variant launched. Rather than come in red as earlier reported, the phone is white with the familiar Star Wars logo engraved in red ink at the bottom of the phone.

The alert slider is now red but the volume rocker (and power button) is black. The phone itself wasn’t available for a hands-on experience at the event according to those who attended, so some details are still unconfirmed.

However, the phone is expected to come with themes and wallpapers related to the franchise or most probably, the upcoming movie – The Last Jedi.

The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition is said to go on sale on December 16th for a yet undisclosed price. Sources say only 150,000 units will be up for sale and availability may be limited to India. I am sure OnePlus will likely get a petition from fans to make it available in other markets.

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The Full Screen Meiigoo Note8 Gets Taken Apart (Video)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 2, 2017

Meiigoo may be a new brand in the smartphone market, but it has wasted no time in adopting the changes in the industry. One trending feature for smartphones this year is full-screen displays and the growing company already has two devices with the new display.

Its latest device – the Meiigoo Note8 comes with a 5.99” FHD display and a beautiful body to match. Meiigoo wants to prove that the Note8 is equally beautiful inside and has released a teardown video of the phone.

The teardown gives us a look at the internal components of the phone. We get to see the built-in 3300mAh battery, the dual 13MP rear cameras, and the MT6750T processor and 4GB RAM.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NVpZaftuAQ[/embedyt]

The Meiigoo Note8 does look pretty simple to take apart. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver, a suction cup, a pair of tweezers, and a soldering iron.

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The Dodocool DA134 Hi-Res USB-C to 3.5mm Converter Features An In-line Remote

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 2, 2017

With more manufacturers killing the 3.5mm audio jack on their devices, it is not unusual to see makers of phone accessories churn out adapters for use with wired 3.5mm earphones. Dodocool joins the list with its DA134 USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.

The Dodocool DA134 is different from the ones manufacturers ship with their phones as it has an in-line remote too. The remote has three buttons – a multi-function key and volume up and down buttons. All three buttons work for media playback and calls.

The adapter is also capable of delivering Hi-Res 24-bit/192KHz lossless audio for compatible devices..

The in-line remote of the DA134 is made of aluminium alloy while the wires are copper and covered with TPE. Total length is 227mm and weight is 22g.

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Samsung Patents Palm Scanning Technology, But It Doesn’t Work Like You Think

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 2, 2017

There are already a plethora of ways to keep your phone safe. There is the conventional PIN, password, and pattern. We also have biometric ones like fingerprint scanning, iris scanning, and face unlock. However, Samsung has patented another one – palm scanning.

We won’t blame you if you think this requires you to place your palm on the surface of your phone. But that won’t work for phones with a display smaller than 7-inches.

Samsung’s palm scanning approach is different and doesn’t require you placing your filthy hands on the screen of your device. According to the patent description, the technology will not even actually unlock your phone but only provide hints for your password.

How it works is easy to understand. If you forget your password, all you have to do is point your camera (and most likely other sensors) at your palm. The sensor will scan the lines of your palm which differ from one person to the other. If it matches the one stored on the phone, different characters of your password will be displayed across the captured image. The provided hints should help you remember your password.

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LeEco Said To Have Put Up Its Headquarters Building In Beijing For Sale

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 2, 2017

LeEco’s financial woes are still far from over, despite efforts to salvage the once bubbling tech giant. A recent rumour from the real estate circle in China alleges that the company has put up its headquarters building in China for sale. According to local media are reports, the building is slammed with a price tag of RMB 1.4 billion ($211 million).

jiu-yueting-co-founder-leeco — LeEco Founder, Jia Yueting

The building which used to be a beehive of activities during LeEco’s hay days covers an expansive 20,000 square metres area. The once sprawling headquarters is being sold apparently to meet up with some of its debt. LeEco is estimated to have a debt burden of up to 20 billion Yuan ($3 billion).

This is yet another reminder that LeEco is plunging deeper and deeper into financial troubles. In recent months, a number of LEco’s assets and those of its founder Jia Yueting had been frozen by court order. The building in question is even said to have been mortgaged by Leshi Holdings, one of LeEco’s subsidiaries, to seek for a loan of RMB 1.4 billion through a third-party company, and the pledge is still in effect. Thus, it may be difficult to find a buyer for the property very soon.

(source)

Chief Designer At Faraday Future Resigns, CFO and CTO Resigned Earlier

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 2, 2017

When Faraday Future was formed in 2014 it made claims it would change the automobile industry. Three years later, and the company is trying to stay alive.

In the last couple of months, Faraday Future has lost a number of its key executives. The latest to leave is Richard Kim who until yesterday held the position of Chief Designer at the US based start-up.

Report says Mr. Kim submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday, 28th of November. His resignation comes weeks after the CFO Stefan Krause, and the CTO Ulrich Kranz left Faraday, although the former has been accused of malfeasance.

Before Richard Kim joined Faraday Future as one of the founding executives, he was a designer at BMW where he was in charge of the i3 and i8 models. A statement by a former employee at the company regarding his departure says “Richard gave his heart and soul to that company, and he tried to make it work. He’s been considering leaving for 2 to 3 months,”.

During his stay at Faraday Future, Kim designed the FF91, the company’s first production vehicle which is expected to ship in early 2018. However, it remains to be seen if that date will stick with current happenings.

The company is bankrupt, no thanks to its chief financier Jia Yueting, CEO and founder of LeEco. Jia Yueting is facing a tough time with his first company too. After an unsuccessful launch in the American market, things have gone sideways financially for the company.

Apart from the loss of its chief designer, Faraday Future has other issues to deal with. An email obtained by The Verge and addressed to multiple departments scolded employees for not showing up at work. Dated 20th of November and written by the head of go-to market operations, Allan Lu, a part said “only 2 people where in office” when Jia Yueting came to meet up with some potential investors.

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Gionee W919 Clamshell Phone Appears on TENAA, Packs High-End Specs

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 2, 2017

Gionee set a record on Sunday by launching 8 new smartphones (6 technically speaking) with FullView displays. While some manufacturers would have called it a year already, the Chinese manufacturer doesn’t appear to be done. A new Gionee W9191 phone has been seen on TENAA. However, this isn’t a FullView phone but one with a clamshell design.

Yesterday, Samsung launched the China-exclusive W2018 flip-phone. Just a day since its release and it already has a competitor in form of the Gionee W919. The Samsung W2018 is not only the most powerful clamshell phone but also the most expensive. Gionee’s W919 also packs impressive specs and may as well have a high price tag.

The Gionee W919 is the successor to the W909 released in March 2016, and just like its predecessor it comes with dual displays. The screens are 4.2” HD displays – one is on the outside and the other is inside when you flip it open.

There is a 2.5GHz octa-core processor under the hood paired with 6GB of RAM and a massive 128GB of storage. The W919 also has a MicroSD card slot for adding up to an extra 256GB of memory.

The phone doesn’t get the dual camera treatment. Rather it has a single 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The Gionee W919 also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3000mAh battery capacity, and runs Android 7.0 Nougat.

In terms of design, the W919 will be a luxury smartphone like the M7 Plus. It has gold plated rivets on the front, sides and the back. The rear is also covered with calfskin leather. The Gionee W919 is also pretty thick as it measures 128.0 × 62.7 × 16.2 (mm) and weighs 230g. This is most likely as a result of the bigger battery.

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Again, Qualcomm Sues Apple. Seeks U.S Ban On Sales Of GSM Versions Of The 2017 iPhone Models

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 2, 2017

U.S Tech giants Qualcomm and Apple have been enmeshed in legal battles for several reasons bothering on patent rights. There have been lawsuits and countersuits, from both ends and it still looks like the friction is picking up steam in the last few days. Apple is now reportedly alleging that Qualcomm infringed on eight Apple patents bothering on power efficiency. Qualcomm, on its part, has now filed a fresh lawsuit and asserts that the smartphone maker was rummaging through the closet where it keeps its intellectual property.

In the lawsuit filed, Wednesday, with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Qualcomm’s complaint claims Apple is in infringement of five patents relating to radio frequency transceivers, power efficiency in mobile CPUs, device power management and image enhancement using depth-based data (3D imagery).

Qualcomm is thus praying for an injunction from the court that would bar Apple from selling the GSM version of 2017 iPhone models; iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X because they do not feature the Qualcomm -made modem chip inside. It must be noted that AT&T and T-Mobile are the companies who stock the GSM version of the 2017 iPhones in the U.S. Thus, those are the ones the lawsuit is targeting. In addition, Qualcomm is also seeking unspecified damages and court costs.

The persistent lawsuit is already affecting the business relationship between both companies. There are reports that Apple is planning for the 2018 iPhone models without Qualcomm’s modem chips. Instead, the leading smartphone manufacturer is said to be turning to Qualcomm’s rival Intel and MediaTek. Intel currently supplies the part for the GSM versions of the latest iPhones. At this time, the best bet would be an out of court settlement as the suits are getting too many. We’d continue to keep an eye on this to see how it pans out eventually.

(source, via)