ZTE Hawkeye is ZTE’s Crowdsourced Smartphone, Now Up For Pre-order at $199

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Jan 4, 2017

Blackberry Mercury had popped into the scene a couple of months back, with leaked renders showing the design of the device. We didn’t get to see or hear anything about the specs of the Blackberry smartphone back then. Although we are still yet to get an official disclosure of the specification of the Blackberry flagship device, hands-on images of the device have surface at CES 2017 and we are bringing it to you thanks to Android Central.

It is likely that Blackberry will launch this as its last device before TCL takes the rein, having gotten license to produce and sell Blackberry phones globally. It’s not as if TCL is new to the Blackberry project, though. In actual fact, earlier Blackberry DTEK phones like the DTEK 50 and DTEK 60 were rebranded Alcatel Idol phones. TCL also owns the Alcatel brand.

A look at the images shows that the device code-named Mercury will indeed come with a QWERTY keyboard. So those who still cherish the physical keyboard will fall in love with this one. The design isn’t bad looking either, adopting a somewhat curved display and a thin build. While the edges are well chamfered at the bottom, it is sharp at the top. It has a rectangular shape which is long on the axis due to the physical keyboard but in its entirety, the device is smaller than a 5.5-inch device. The screen is even smaller, robbed off its size by the physical keyboard. Although Blackberry is yet to say the display size, earlier rumor places it at a meager 4.5 inches.

Despite the presence of a physical button, the display is a touchscreen one. There are three virtual capacitive keys at the bottom of the screen, one of which would be the home button. There is a fingerprint sensor embedded underneath the space bar button on the QWERTY keyboard and it is likely it holds other security features aside unlocking the device.

At the rear, the back is said to have a soft feel which very likely isn’t made from metal. The rear camera is tilted to the left top edge of the device with the dual-tone LED flash sitting by its side.

On the software terrain, the Blackberry Mercury runs Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and will be Blackberry’s first device to do so when it is launched. Apart from that, nothing else is known about other software features the phone will come with as well as the hardware features we are to expect. Blackberry is also yet to disclose a launch date or pricing detail for the device but it is likely to drop around MWC 2017 which starts next month in Barcelona.

Other features that can be spotted on the Blackberry Mercury hands-on images include a USB Type-C charging port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and what looks like a down-facing set of speakers. On the left side is the power button, while the volume rocker sits at the right side just above the convenience key.

As a recap, the Blackberry Mercury is rumored to launch powered by the Snapdragon 821 chipset and come with a 4.5-inch 1080 pixels display . The flagship is also expected to cram a large battery touted to last up to 2 days of regular usage.

(image source)

ZTE Blade V8 Pro Pre-order Begins In the U.S, Features Dual-Camera with $229 Pricing

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Jan 4, 2017

ZTE has officially confirmed at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2017 that it will be soon selling its Blade series in the U.S. The first in the series to makes its debut in the U.S. is ZTE Blade V8 Pro.

The ZTE Blade V8 Pro has a 5.5-inch display that produces a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The Snapdragon 625 SoC featuring 2.0 GHz octa-core processor and 3 GB of RAM are present under the hood of Blade V8 Pro.

The native storage of the smartphone is 32 GB and it supports up to 256 GB of microSD card on its external storage. The microSD card can be added to the second SIM slot of the hybrid SIM tray.

The USP of this budget-friendly smartphone is its 13-megapixel dual camera that is accompanied with features like phase detection autofocus and dual LED flash. Its selfie camera is of 8-megapixel.

It features a front-facing fingerprint scanner and it also features a USB Type-C port. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11ac, v4.2 Bluetooth, and NFC. It is loaded Android Marshmallow OS. There is no confirmation on whether it will be upgraded to Nougat OS.

The ZTE Blade V8 Pro measures 156 x 77 x 9.1 mm and its weight is 185 grams. The device houses a 3,140 mAh battery with fast charging support.

ZTE Blade V8 Pro Price, Pre-orders

Since the Blade V8 Pro is an unlocked smartphone, it will support all networks in the U.S. It will be available with a pricing of $229. Apart from ZTA USA’s online store, it can be preordered through retailers like Amazon, B&H and Newegg.

ZTE USA CEO and chairman, Lixin Cheng has stated in a press release, “first launched in Asia, the Blade series has expanded to countries throughout Europe and Mexico due to growing consumer demands.”

Asus ZenFone AR: World’s First Tango & Daydream Ready Smartphone with SD 821, 8 GB RAM Unveiled at CES 2017

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Jan 4, 2017

Asus ZenFone AR that is built for augmented reality is the first Tango enabled smartphone in the world that carries support for Daydream VR. The smartphone has been unleashed at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2017 tech exhibition. It was launched alongside Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom.

World’s First Tango, Daydream Ready Smartphone

As mentioned above, the Taiwanese tech company has managed to unleash the ZenFone AR that supports Google Tango augmented reality technology though its TriCam system featuring three cameras for motion tracking, depth measuring and room mapping.

Tango with it set of sensors can measure space and motion like humans do. At present, there are only 35 AR apps available, but more apps are expected to roll out later this year.

At the launch event, Asus also demoed how the ZenFone AR can be used through GAP AR app to understand how garments fit on a model. The first AR smartphone, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro launched in 2016 does not support Daydream VR. Asus ZenFone AR is also Google Daydream ready smartphone through which users can enjoy high-quality immersive virtual reality.

As of this writing, Tango AR and Daydream VR experience cannot be combined on Asus ZenFone AR. In other words, Daydream apps can be used only when the smartphone is present inside a Daydream VR headset and Tango apps can be used only when it is in Tango Mode.

Asus ZenFone 3 Specifications

The Asus ZenFone AR is fitted with a 5.7-inch quad HD display. It offers a screen-to-body ratio of 79 percent. It is powered by Snapdragon 821 chipset.

The ZenFone AR is also the first smartphone to come with 8 GB of RAM. It also comes in a 6 GB RAM model. The smartphone comes in four internal storage choices of 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. It also carries support for external storage through microSD card.

The complicated set of cameras at its rear features a 23-megapixel high resolution camera with Sony IMX sensor and f/2.0 aperture. It comes with features like 4-axis OIS, EIS, RAW photography and dual LED flash. The 8-megapixel f/2.0 aperture selfie camera is also coupled with dual-LED real tone flash.

It runs on Android 7.0 Nougat customized with Zen UI 3.0. Other features include a USB Type-C port and a fingerprint scanner. It houses a 3,300 mAh battery with fast charging support.

Asus ZenFone 3 Price, Release Date

The Asus ZenFone AR release date is slated to happen in Q2 2017. As of this writing, there is no confirmation on which markets will be receiving it. Also, the ZenFone AR pricing has not been officially announced yet.

Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom Built for Photography Features Dual Cameras with 2.3X Zoom, 4 GB RAM, 5,000 mAh Battery

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Jan 4, 2017

Asus has taken off covers from its camera-centric smartphone, the ZenFone 3 Zoom, at the ongoing CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2017 event.

The Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom has a successor for the original ZenFone Zoom that was launched in January 2015. It has arrived to join its other family members such as ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Laser, ZenFone 3 Ultra and ZenFone 3 Deluxe.

The ZenFone 3 Zoom sports a dual camera on its rear panel. Among the two cameras, the main camera is of 12-megapixel and there is a secondary camera of 12-megapixel that features 2.3X zoom lens.

The main camera is equipped with Sony IMX 362 and a f/1.7 aperture. The cameras are driven by SuperPixel technology from Asus along with TriTech autofocus system. It carries support for features like 4-axis OIS, EIS, laser autofocus and RAW photography.

The Portrait Mode feature that is available on iPhone 7 which makes the background out of focus for sharper photo of the subject will be arriving to ZenFone 3 Zoom through a software update. Its selfie camera is of 13-megapixel and it feature Sony IMX 214 sensor along with a f/2.0 aperture.

It features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display and is powered by Snapdragon 625 chipset which clearly indicates it is an upper-midrange smartphone. The display is shielded by Gorilla Glass 5.

The chipset is supported by 4 GB of RAM and its native storage is 128 GB. It runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS flavored with Zen UI. The smartphone is expected to receive Android 7.0 Nougat update later this year.

Apart from dual cameras, the rear panel of Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom also features a fingerprint scanner. It has a very slim profile of 7.99 mm and it weighs 170 grams. It has a massive 5,000 mAh battery and it comes in color choices like Black, Silver, and Rose Gold.

The pricing of Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom was not announced at CES 2017. It is scheduled to be available for purchase by February this year.

LG Tone Studio Wearable Speakers and Tone Free Earphones Appear at CES

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Jan 4, 2017

LG Electronics is showcasing a bunch of wireless wearable audio products at this year’s edition of CES. Two of which are the LG Tone Studio Wearable Speakers and LG Tone Free Earphones. The Tone is LG’s line of wireless bluetooth headphones and according to LG has sold 10 million headphones as at July, 2015.

LG Tone Studio Wearable Speakers

The Tone Studio Wearable Speaker fits around the neck, granting the wearer a sort of personal surround sound experience. Sounds are pumped out through the two full range speakers on top and the two vibrating ones at the bottom but you can also make use of the retractable earbuds for a more personal experience by simply flicking a switch.

The speaker has a Hi-Fi Digital to Analog Converter that boosts the audio quality. LG says you can also pair two units of the Tone Studio Wearable Speaker in case you and a partner want to watch a movie or listen to a song together.

LG Tone Free Earphones

This is a pair of completely wireless earbuds that comes with a neck band that doubles as a storage and charging solution. So you can leave the optional charging case at home and take just the neck band and earbuds along and not have to worry about charging or losing them. All you have to do is take off the earbuds and plug them into the neck band and your earbuds are safe and charging. LG says you can even answer or ignore calls on the Tone Free Earphones via voice commands alone.

Latest Rumor: Huawei P10 May Launch Around Early March at MWC 2017

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Jan 4, 2017

Traditionally, the Huawei P-series smartphones usually drop in April of each year right from the Huawei P8 launched in 2015 to the Huawei P9 launched in 2016. In keeping with the tradition, the Huawei P10 was expected to launch sometime in April this year but that isn’t likely going to happen. That is if words from trusted industry analyst Pan Jiutang is anything to go by.

According to the analyst, the Huawei flagship may be launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona. The analyst had written on a Weibo post that the Snapdragon 835-powered Samsung Galaxy S8 and Huawei P10 will grab the headlines at Barcelona. Of course, the MWC 2017 is billed to hold from February 27 – March 2 at the Catalan city, home to one of the World’s top flight football club. Since the Galaxy S8 may launch earlier, it is thus likely that the P10 may drop sometime in the early part of March, 2017.

The Huawei P10 is rumored to feature a 5.5-inch 2K display and will be powered by a Kirin 960 chip supported by a 4GB / 6GB RAM. The device is rumored to have seen some improvements in its cameras from the P9 which would improve its performance in low light conditions. Hauwei may still keep with tradition and launch the P10 in April this year as there is no official indication that we’ll be seeing the P10 sooner than later.

(source, via)

Snapdragon 835 Prototype Phone Leaked

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Jan 4, 2017

Qualcomm today officially revealed the details of its latest Snapdragon 835 chip which was announced a few months back. The Snapdragon 835 is revealed to feature two clusters, a performance cluster with four cores clocked up to 2.45GHz and an efficiency cluster with four cores clocked up to 1.9GHz. The chip comes with faster 3D graphics and more colors, improving VR and AR support. It features the new Adreno 540 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, DX12 and Vulkan. There is also improvement in VR experience on devices using the chip.

The chip is yet to be featured in a smartphone but a new leak has gifted us a device said to be a Snapdragon 835 prototype phone. The prototype phone looks nothing like the usual smartphones we see daily, but it has an extra thickness, thicker than most smartphones. As should be expected when talking about chips with huge fire power, the leaked image showed the device running a mobile game. The Snapdragon 835 prototype isn’t likely to come out as a production smartphone but may just be to test the prowess of the powerful Snapdragon 835 chip inside.

According to the leak source, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is still likely the first smartphone that would feature the flagship chip onboard, with the Xiaomi Mi 6 in tow. In the event rumors of Samsung shifting the Galaxy S8 launch upwards, then the Mi would likely be the world’s first device to be equipped with the high-flying Snapdragon 835 chip.

(via)

The Motiv Ring is A Discreet Fitness Tracker

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Jan 4, 2017

There are uncountable fitness trackers in the market right now, most of them have to be worn on your wrist like a watch while a few are integrated into other accessories like your clothes, headband, or shoes. But what if you want something more discreet that is visible in plain sight but still kind of hidden as well? Then you might want to consider the Motiv Ring.

The Motiv Ring apart from being different in the sense that you wear it on your finger like a regular ring, also measures your fitness by focusing on your Active Minutes. Active minutes are the amount of time you spend exerting energy during intense activities more strenuous than your average walks. So activities like brisk walking and running count.

The Motiv Ring still tracks your steps, measures your heart rate, and expended calories but it places active minutes above all these and assists you in achieving the 150 active minutes/week goal.

The Motiv Ring has a bluetooth sensor, an optical rate sensor, a 3-axis accelerometer and a lithium ion battery enclosed in a titanium shell. Motiv says the ring should last between 3 to 5 days on a single charge depending on how active the wearer is.

You might be wondering how the ring charges. All you have to do is ~~raise it up to a lantern and recite the Green Lantern Corps oath~~ plug in a magnetic charger that attaches to the inside of the ring on one end and plug the other end into a USB port. There is a key chain charger included in the box as well. Charging time takes 90 minutes and there is a LED indicator that alerts you when the battery is low or when the ring is syncing or updating.

The Motiv Ring is waterproof up to 160 feet or 5 ATM, so you do not need to worry about taking it for a swim.

Nokia’s Malaysian Partner, Avaxx Reveals Details About Upcoming Phones

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Jan 4, 2017

HMD Global in partnership with Foxconn have revived the Nokia brand once again and this year, they are set to launch the first set of Nokia smartphones under the new partnership.

Nokia’s authorized distribution partner in Malaysia, Avaxx, held an event for dealers recently where it revealed in a slide presentation that we will be getting between six to seven Nokia smartphones this year with models covering entry level, mid-range and high-end flagships. The new smartphones are said to start launching in the second quarter of the year.

The Avaxx slide also mentions that HMD will continue to launch Nokia feature phones. So expect more phones like the Nokia 150 and 150 Dual.

We already know about the Nokia E1, D1, D1C and Z2 Plus, so that means we should expect 2 or 3 more models (which might include a tablet) that have not even been mentioned at all.

The Nokia E1 is expected to be the entry level model with a Snapdragon 200 SoC while the D1 and D1C may come with chips from the Snapdragon 400 and Snapdragon 600 series respectively. The Z2 Plus on the other hand will be one of the flagships with a Snapdragon 835 processor.

Hover Camera Passport: A Selfie Drone That Identifies and Auto-Records Its Owner

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Jan 4, 2017

Selfie sticks are old-school already and selfie-drones are here to replace them. One of the products showcased at this year’s on-going Consumer Electronic Show is the Hover Camera Passport (made by Zero Zero Robotics): a selfie-drone that identifies its owner and automatically start recording or taking photos.

The Hover Camera Passport was actually first announced last year. Then, you had to use the companion app to select an object you wanted the drone to track. But now, all you have to do is register your face via the app during the initial setup and when next you bring out your drone, it scans for your face, locks on to it (and the rest of your body) and starts following and recording you. Want to take a selfie? All you have to do is raise your hand till the LED flashes

Hover Camera Passport Design and Specs

The Hover Camera Passport is lightweight and really portable. It weighs just 238 grams (242g including the battery) and its dimensions are 182 x 132 x 33 mm. Sporting a carbon fiber cage-like design protecting the quad-rotors that keep it airborne, the drone is also foldable and can easily fit into your bag.

There is a Snapdragon 801 SoC clocked at 2.3GHz that powers the drone. The Hover Camera Passport has a f/2.0 13MP camera that can record 4K videos at 30fps but also sports another camera underneath it that is used to calculate it’s speed and position to help it maintain balance while hovering.

The Hover Camera Passport isn’t a perfect device yet. Like most drones, battery life is still on the low side. You can get only 10-minutes of flying time from the 1360mAh battery before you are prompted with a low battery warning.

Hover Camera Passport Price

The Hover Camera Passport is currently priced at $599 which is pricey but the good thing is that it’s available right now and you can purchase one on their official website.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Will Be the First Chinese SD 835 Flagship, Confirms Industry Insider

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Jan 4, 2017

The debate has been raging on and on as to who would be the first to use Qualcomm‘s latest power-driven Snapdragon 835 chip and the main contenders have been Samsung‘s next gen Galaxy S8 flagship and the Xiaomi Mi 6. Lately, ASUS is tipped as planning to launch a new Zenfone flagship during CES 2017 and that the device will likely feature a Snapdragon 835 chip. If this happens, ASUS could as well trump Xiaomi and Samsung to the crown.

There seem to be no major contenders among the Chinese brands for who will first use the flagship chip, with only Xiaomi mentioned thus far. Well-known industry analyst Kevin Wang had earlier hinted that the Xiaomi Mi 6 would be the first Chinese brand that would use the Snapdragon 835 chipset and once again, the analyst has reaffirmed that position of his. Earlier on, Mr Wang had reiterated that the Mi 6 will not be affected by the low output of the Samsung 10nm node which is said to have prompted Samsung to shift the launch of the Galaxy S8 away from February.

Thus, it is very likely that the Mi 6 will not only be the first Chinese smartphone that would be powered by the flagship chip but also end up making it as the first brand globally that would feature a Snapdragon 835 chip onboard. Details on the likely specs of the Mi 6 has been scarce but the device is said to have a design that resembles a sized-down version of the Mi Note 2. The Xiaomi mi 6 is also rumored as packing a dual-lens camera at the rear as well as dual curved screen design. Xiaomi always doesn’t disappoint in the specs and designs of its smartphones and the Mi 6 is likely not going to be an exception.

(source)

ODG R-8 & R-9 Are the First Snapdragon 835-based Mixed AR & VR Glasses

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Jan 3, 2017

Although ODG isn’t a new player in the business of Augmented Reality (AR) glasses, the company is still not very familiar to many. The firm whose full name is Osterhout Design Group (ODG) has unvelied two of its latest reality smartglasses at CES 2017 and they are both capable of AR and Vr functionalities at the same time. The smartglasses are named R-8 and R-9 and what’s unique about them is that they are the first wearables powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 flagship chip and they are more sophisticated than ODG’s earlier offerings raanging from the R-7, R-6 downwards.

The ODG R-8 and R-9 fuses both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality features, capable of delivering both AR and VR. The R-9, however, packs a more sophisticated features and consequently has a higher price tag slammed on it.

While the ODG R-9 has a 50-degree field-of-view, the R- has a 40-degree field-of-view (FOV). They also differ in resoluton as the R-9 has a higher FHD (1080 pixels) resolution, while the R-8 has an HD (720 pixels) resolution. The R-9 also functions as a platform that can be sed to develop mobile AR and VR apps, as well as Smartglass apps.

Fusing the latest Snapdragon 835 chip inside the wearable improves the user experience more than ever, as the SD 835 is said to reduce the lag between motion tracking and what you see on screen, lowering the chances of triggering motion sickness. It also improves positional audio for more realistic experiences. These features places the new Smartglasses ahead of their R-7 predecessor.

Despite the much-improved features, the ODG R-8 and R-9 carry a far cheaper price tag that the $2,750 price tag of the R-7. The ODG R-9 is billed to ship in Q2 2017 with a price tag of around $1799. The R-8, on the other hand, will be available sometime in the second half of the year and will cost les than $1,000.

Intel Kaby Lake Processors Officially Unveiled for Desktop, Performance Laptops

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Jan 3, 2017

Few months ago, Intel had unveiled its seventh-generation processors for ultra-portable devices. Now, the company has announced seventh-generation processor codenamed as Kaby Lake for desktop and performance laptops.

The new processors from Intel for ultraportable belongs to the U series. The new CPUs meant for ultra-thin devices are from the Y series. The chip giant has now unveiled H-series seventh-generation processor for performance laptops and mobile workstations. The S-series processors have been announced to run on traditional desktops.

According to Intel, the S-series i7-7700K processor performs 25 percent faster than the older i7-4770k that was launched in second quarter of 2013.

Also, it can be used to make, share and stitch 4K resolution 360-degree videos 35 percent quicker than i7-4770k. When compared to fifth and sixth generation processors, the newer processor offers a slightly better performance.

The S-series i7-7700k processor can deliver a base clock speed of 4.2 GHz and maximum speeds of up to 4.5 GHz. It includes quad cores and eight threads. In comparison to it, the i7-6700k processor that was launched in Q3 2015 delivers clocking speeds of 4.0 to 4.2 GHz. The i7-7700k is packed with Intel HD 630 graphics.

The H-series processors have been produced for powerful laptops that can replace desktops. With support Nvidia 10-series GPU and Pola76ris GPU from AMD, the H-series can work well for heavy games.

The H-series processor is 20 percent quicker than fourth-generation i7-4700HQ. The handling prowess for 4K resolution 360-degree videos is also 65 percent faster.

Intel has announced an unlocked Core i3-7350k processor that can be used to power budget systems. It is a four-thread dual-core processor that can deliver processing speeds of up to 4.2 GHz. By overclocking, it can produce faster performance.

All the new Intel Kaby Lake processors can support up to 24 PCI Express 3.0 chipset lanes as well as up to 10 USB 3.0 ports. The claims made by Intel suggests that the Kaby Lake processor will support 4K videos efficiently, but there is no confirmation on whether the chipset built with 14nmm process can offer better battery performance.

Faraday Future Finally Unveils the FF91, its Sleek Self-Driving Electric SUV

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Jan 3, 2017

Innovative tech start-up Faraday Future has finally unveiled its first production car which it calls the FF91, in Las Vegas ahead of CES 2017. The Faraday Future FF91 electric car, whose production was backed by LeEco was exhibited live before a packed arena of tech enthusiasts and reporters and the company even demonstrated the prowess and features of the car. LeEco president Jia Yueting was there live actively involved in he exhibition.

The FF91 has an autonomous driving feature, something Faraday Future had not mentioned in the past. The self-driving feature allows for the driver to alight from the car and then send the car to go park itself as well as summon the car when needed. The company showed a video of the car searching for a parking spot and parking itself when it found one. This it was able to achieve using the avalanche of sensors, cameras, and radar which the car comes with.

Another highlight of the Faraday Future FF91 electric car is its speed. The car is touted as being able to hit 60 mph in just 2.39 seconds, a few miliseconds faster than the Tesla Model S. A video of the FF91 beating the Model S in a race was also shown. It was not just video sessions all through, as Faraday Future also demonstrated the car’s full acceleration on stage.

Aside that, the electric car also has an endurance range of 378 miles as against the 315 miles the Tesla Model S is capable of. In addition, the car has a lot of extra tweaking like a dual antenna that allows for Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity. There is also a facial recognition which allows the owner into the car without the need for the car key. More so, the car is not crammed up as there is enough space inside of up to 151 cubic feet.

Don’t get too excited, as the Faraday future FF91 electric car will not ship until next year, 2018. However, interested buyers can register for the car now with a deposit of just $5,000. The final price tag slammed on this innovative car isn’t known yet and its still not known if the car can successfully take on the Tesla Model S and Model X.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Will Provide Better VR Experience Along With Great Battery Life

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Joel Joseph

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Jan 3, 2017

Thanks to a previous leak, we already knew a lot about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset before its official unveil. Now that Qualcomm has officially revealed all the details about the new chipset at CES 2017, we can confirm that the details leaked before were true. Along with the improvement in general performance, which we see in every new iteration of Snapdragon chips, the Snapdragon 835 will make sure that it improves VR experience as well as efficiency. The chip consumes 50 percent less power as compared to Snapdragon 801 which was released in 2014 and up to 25 less power as compared to last year’s Snapdragon 820, thanks to its more efficient 10nm manufacturing node.

As for the main specs, the Snapdragon 835 features two clusters, a performance cluster with four cores clocked up to 2.45GHz and an efficiency cluster with four cores clocked up to 1.9GHz. The chip comes with faster 3D graphics and more colors, improving VR and AR support. It features the new Adreno 540 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, DX12 and Vulkan. Thanks to it’s improved VR capabilities, Qualcomm reveals that the chip can be found in many dedicated VR headsets. One such example is the new mixed reality headset from the wearables company ODG, which features the new SD835.

The new chip supports Quick Charge 4.0 which is 20 percent faster than QC 3.0 and is better equipped to protect the phone from overcharging. The company claims that the tech will provide up to 5 hours of usage in just 5 minutes of charging. Other improvements in the chip include enhanced ‘true to life’ sound, native support for optical zoom and new age autofocus, electronic image stabilization, and support for Ultra HD 4K Premium playback (including HDR 10).

The Snapdragon 835 comes with Qualcomm Location which supports major systems such as GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS. As for connectivity, the chip comes with Snapdragon X16 LTE model with Cat 16 LTE support, 802.11ad multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.

You can read more about the features of the new SD835 from here.

Also, you can also read more stories from CES 2017 here.

LeEco’s Android Powered Smart Bikes to Hit the U.S. Roads by Q2 2017

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Jan 3, 2017

LeEco has unveiled two new smart bikes powered with Android at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2017. The Smart Road Bike and Smart Mountain Bike will be coming to the U.S. by Q2 this year.

The China-based tech company had showcased the Android powered bikes at a press conference in the U.S. At that time, the company had not revealed many details. However, the specifications and features of both bikes have been announced at CES 2017.

Both the bikes are powered by Snapdragon 410 chipset and they also feature 4-inch touchscreens. A 6,000 mAh removable and rechargeable battery is present on the bikes. The Android Marshmallow OS is customized with BikeOS from LeEco.

The BikeOS makes it easier for users to track their rides, health data and physical and share the information to their friends. Both the bikes have some more common features such as fingerprint scanner, bike security tracker, inbuilt alarm, GPS/GLONASS, Here Maps, walkie-talkie, music player 30-speed shift, lights, horn and a barometer.

Both Smart Road Bike and Smart Mountain Bike are equipped with Toray T700 carbon fiber frames and handlebars. They also feature 11-speed drivetrain.

The Smart Road Bike is designed for daily commute on streets as it weighs 18.5 pounds whereas the weight of Smart Mountain Bike meant for cycling in rough terrain is 26.9 pounds. The two bikes have respective seats, wheels and carbon fiber frames for the type of rides they have been designed for.

LeEco has not confirmed the pricing of its new super bikes for the U.S. audience. However, the company has been known for launching products with aggressive pricing, both bikes are expected to come with attractive pricing. The company has been selling similar Android powered bikes with a price range of $800 to $6,000.

As far as the availability is concerned, the Smart Road and Smart Mountain Bikes are expected to be available for purchase by the second quarter of this year.

Huawei Honor 6X Official in The US & EU For $249, Higher Than China’s!

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Jan 3, 2017

Huawei, over the weekend, teased what is billed to be the launch of a new interesting Honor phone that would drop on January 3 in the US ahead of CES 2017. Turns out the expected smartphone is the dual camera-packing, budget Huawei Honor 6X that was launched in China a few months back.

The Honor 6X is an upgraded version of the equally spectacular Honor 5X which was launched in 2015 with all-metal body, well studded specs lineup and yet a cheap $157 price tag. But then Huawei launched the Honor 6X with an upgraded specs tablet and the mid-ranger even packs a stunning dual-lens camera at the rear, yet was placed in the budget price category.

Design & Hardwares – Honor 6X

Talking about the design, the Huawei Honor 6X features an all metallic built, with 2.5D glass on the front. The phone has smooth and well chamfered edges with less design bezels at the sides, giving it a premium flagship look. It also has a compact body with a dimension of 150.9 x 72.6 x 8.2mm and weighing in at 162 grams.

As for the specs, the Honor 6X is powered by the Kirin 655 octa-core chipset clocked at 2.1GHz with Mali-T830 MP2 GPU which is a decent offering for a budget smartphone. The device sports a 5.5-inch display with 1080p resolution. Only the 3GB + 32GB storage version is available for both markets right now, but Huawei has said the 4GB RAM version will hit select markets in due course.

Going further, the phone features a dual camera setup at the rear consisting of one 12MP primary sensor and another 2MP secondary sensor. Huawei teased a photo captured by the Honor 6X’s rear cameras at dusk and the image was crisp clear, meaning it packs a powerful sensor onboard. Up front, there is an 8MP camera. Inside, the phone features a decent 3340mAh battery. As for the software, the device runs on Android 6 Marshmallow with Emotion UI 4.1 on top. Other features include fingerprint sensor at the back, dual SIM dual standby, 4G LTE, WI-Fi n and GPS.

Pricing

The Honor 6X comes in five different colors namely gold, rose gold, silver, gray, and navy. As for the price in the EU and US, the Honor 6X starts at $249 in the US for the 3GB RAM version. This is slightly higher than the $149 price tag it clutched on launch day in China a few months back. Pre-orders will open at Honor’s web portal on January 4, while the official sales would kick off on January 15. When the 4GB version enters the market, it will be priced at $300. Meanwhile customers in the U.S. can get the Honor 6X 3GB for a reduced price of $200 during flash sales at 10 a.m. (PT )on January 10, 17, 24, and 31.

For Europe, the Honor 6X will be available in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Russia and others with sales starting January 4th for €249.

Synaptics’ All-In-One Fingerprint & Facial Recognition System for Mobile Devices Announced

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Jan 3, 2017

Human interface solution developer Synaptics has announced a new multi-factor biometric platform that can be used on smartphones, notebook PCs and tablets. The engine was developed in collaboration with KeyLemon, another facial recognition company.

The new platform is coming ahead of the CES 2017 and is said to use both fingerprint and facial recognition, thus allowing mobile devices to be unlocked in several ways, based on the user’s preference. Apart from the feature of unlocking the device, the platform also provides some level of security for financial transactions as well as unlocking of other sensitive information in the device because users will be required to go through two modes of authentication.

One good thing about the system is that it features anti-spoof technology and uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to differentiate between the real owner of the device and any other imitation. So, it doesn’t only take note of the facial features but reflex actions like eye blinking and pattern of head movement in order to prevent spoofing or imitation.

Synaptics has hinted that it seeks to expand the platform to include additional biometric and security factors. The company also went on to introduce a fingerprint sensor technology which allows for scanning of the fingerprint through glass, thus opening up the potential for button-free display designs with embedded fingerprint recognition sensors. This isn’t new though as we’ve already got the Xiaomi Mi 5S with underglass ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

Since Synaptics sells its patents and inventions to smartphone and tablet makers, the new technology could find its way inside smartphones in the near future. As to when exactly, that we cannot say.

(via)

Lenovo Launches New ThinkPad X1 Series Aimed at Business Professionals

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Jan 3, 2017

Lenovo, today announced a refresh to its ThinkPad X1 series. The ThinkPad series is a line aimed at business professionals and the new series doesn’t fall short of that. The new line includes the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet, and the ThinkPad X1 Yoga.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the 5th generation notebook in the ThinkPad line. Now available in silver for the first time, the Carbon still maintains its light weight, coming in at just 1.14 kg. Although equipped with a 14-inch display, the X1 carbon has a 13-inch form factor. The small form doesn’t mean ports are sacrificed. There are USB 3.0 ports, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a HDMI port too. The battery life has also been upgraded as it now offers up to 15.5 hours.

The Carbon also has enhanced biometric authentication and now boasts an IR camera with face recognition support. According to Lenovo, the Carbon is the first business-class notebook to support FIDO-enabled biometric authentication for PayPal. The feature allows you to authenticate your PayPal via fingerprint instead of a password.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon will launch in February with pricing starting at $1,349.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet

The new ThinkPad X1 Tablet with its 2-in-1 design weighs less than 1kg and passes the MIL-SPEC durability test. You can attach a number of modules to increase productivity such as a projector module; a battery expansion module that offers up to 5-hours of extra battery life and also additional ports; or you can settle for a keyboard dock. There is also LTE-A for connectivity so that you can keep working when on the road.

The ThinkPd X1 Tablet will be available in March for $949.