Highlights: The Sega Genesis Mini was announced in 2018 and will launch in the US on September 19, 2019. It will come with two controllers in the box. It will come with 40 games, 10 of which have been revealed. The Sega Genesis Mini has a release date. The console will launch on September 19, 2019. The console was first announced at the annual Sega Fest event in Tokyo in 2018 and the final release date was announced at the same event this year. The console will come with two USB controllers in the box along with a USB to Micro-B power cable and an HDMI cable. The console will come preloaded with 40 games, 10 of which have been revealed. It is priced at $79.99 USD/£69.99/€79.99/ $139.95 AUD which translates to roughly Rs 5,500 approx directly converted. Speaking of the “mini” size, the console is approximately 55% of the size of the original Genesis or Mega Drive. According to IGN, “Sega also revealed that AtGames, the company behind 2017’s poorly received Sega Genesis Flashback, is no longer involved in its production. Instead, longtime collaborator M2 is handling the ports, having previously delivered high-quality conversions for the SEGA AGES series and SEGA 3D Classics Collection.” This could possibly be the reason for the delay in the console hitting store shelves. When it comes to the revealed games, Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Space Harrier 2, Shining Force, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, ToeJam & Earl, Comix Zone, Altered Beast and Gunstar Heroes have been revealed. More information about the remaining 30 games will be revealed in the future. With the launch of the Nintendo classic, we have seen the birth of the classic gaming consoles. The PlayStation Classic, when it launched was met with an underwhelming response (we're putting it mildly here) because of the game library the console brought with it. The lacklustre response of the PS One Classic and the success of the NES Classic proves that it is the library of games that will help the classic console succeed or fail. Read more: Exclusive: Call of Duty: Mobile coming to India in November PUBG Mobile Beta update 0.12.0 is out now Understanding Google's cloud gaming service Stadia
from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2JUjm9U
Highlights: Samsung Galaxy A90 latest leak shows triple camera setup on the back. The slit on the top edge suggests a pop-up selfie camera, hinting at a notchless display. The image also shows an in-display fingerprint sensor. There are several leaks regarding Samsung's upcoming Galaxy A90 making the rounds on the internet. The latest leak somewhat confirms what recent reports have been claiming. Android Pure has released the renders of the phone showing a rear triple camera setup, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and a pop-up selfie shooter -- a first for the South Korean company. The phone is said to be the most premium device in the Galaxy A-Series. Calling it the 'First Look' of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A90, the images show the phone featuring a vertically aligned camera in the centre of the back panel. The camera setup is accompanied by an LED flash and below it is the Samsung branding. The display of the phone is near edge-to-edge with a small chin. The volume rocker and the power button are seen on right edge, and the left edge sports a Bixby button. The photo also show the presence of an in-display fingerprint sensor, however, there is no word on what type of sensor - an optical or an ultrasonic -- is incorporated in the phone. The top edge shows a slit in the centre which is speculated to be the pop-up selfie camera. This is contrary to earlier reports which claimed that the Samsung Galaxy A90 will come with sliding and rotating cameras that can be used to click selfie and regular photos with the help of the same set of camera. When it comes to the specification, there are no concrete reports on the hardware of teh Galaxy A90, but rumours suggest that the smartphone may use the yet to be announced Snapdragon 700 series mobile platform which is referred to as the ‘Snapdragon 7150’. Since it is speculated to be the most premium device in the series, it could ship with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of local storage. It should run Android 9.0 Pie based OneUI, 3500mAh to 4,000mAh battery. Related Read: Samsung Galaxy A90, Galaxy A40 and Galaxy A20e listed on official UK website
Highlights: Apple Music could get Chromecast support. Evidence spotted in app code. Apple Music could soon get a Cast option for Google Home, Android TV, and Chromecast. Apple Music for Android could be getting support for Google Chromecast soon if a new APK deconstruct is to be believed. 9to5 Google has come across several lines of code in Apple Music for Android version 2.8, suggesting that the service could soon become compatible with Chromecast-enabled devices. Apple Music for Android recently added support for Chromebooks and got a restyled browse tab to feature more editorial highlights. This was followed by Version 2.8.1 and 2.8.2, which fixed several bugs on Apple Music. The latest Version 2.8.2 of the app revealed a string of code hinting at Chromecast support for the music streaming service. Looking at the code string, it could be said that Apple is working towards enabling Chromecast support for Apple Music so that users can play music on Google Home, Smart Displays, Android TV or Chromecast dongles. This new integration has not been officially confirmed by Google or Apple and it’s possible that the feature is just being tested for now. The news comes a few weeks on the heels of another discovery wherein Apple Music was spotted as a supported service for Google Assistant. Unfortunately, Google quickly pulled the listing from the Assistant’s settings and said that it had nothing to announce at the moment.
Highlights: Retro 90’s Snakes game added to Google Maps. The game is available on Android and iOS. Players will get to play the game for a week. Snakes have invaded Google Maps! However, you need not be afraid since they are virtual ones. As an April Fools' day prank, Google is adding the classic rendition of the popular Snake game to its Maps app. Keeping it subtle, the company has added a Play Snake option to Google Maps, which users can access from the icon on the top-left corner. Players can choose the city in which they want to play the game with options of Cairo, São Paulo, London, Tokyo and more to choose from. Players will be navigating the snake that is actually a mode of transportation, which changes depending on the map you’ve selected. “Once you’ve selected a city, start picking up as many passengers as you can as your train travels around the world—stopping everywhere from Big Ben, the Great Sphinx of Giza to the Eiffel Tower. But make sure you don’t run off the map (or into yourself)!,” Says Google in a blog post. The new option is available for all Android and iOS users starting today and will be available for about a week. Those of you who want to try it out on a bigger screen can also visit a standalone site for playing the game. Google’s April day prank seems to be more of a treat for players, with a dash of nostalgia. However, OnePlus has taken it up a notch with the announcement of its Warp Charged OnePlus electric car. Obviously an April fools prank, the new Warp Charged OnePlus car can be SLS 3D and ABS 3D printed so that users can design it at home. Taking it up a notch, the company says one will be able to use their smartphone as a steering wheel in the car and swipe on the screen to turn left and right and swipe up and down for accelerating and reversing it. Seems legit? Not so much. However, points to OnePlus for coming up with a chucklesome idea. Related Reads: Forget OnePlus TV, Carl Pei teases OnePlus Warp-Charged electric Car 
Recently came the news of the Sony Mobile division being merged with the company’s other divisions like TV, audio and camera into Sony Electronics Products and Solutions. Now, the Nikkei Asain Review says that the company will be cutting down the workforce in its phone division by almost half of its current workforce of 4000, by March 2020. Stiff global competition and shrinking sales are being blamed for the layoffs. As per the report, Sony’s market share in the smartphone market has sharply fallen from more than 3 percent in 2010 to lower than 1 percent currently. “In fiscal 2014, Sony pulled 1,000 employees from its smartphone operations, but sales have plunged faster than expected, necessitating a further round of cuts. Sony's smartphone business generates annual revenue of about 500 billion yen, but is expected to post an operating loss for the third straight year through fiscal 2019. By halving operating expenses from fiscal 2017, the company hopes the business will turn a profit by fiscal 2020,” the report reads. Some of the company’s Japanese employees are said to be transferred to other divisions, however, voluntary retirement will be offered for its employees in Europe and China operations. The company is said to limit its smartphone sales in Southeast Asia and other regions to focus on Europe and East Asia. Speaking of Sony’s smartphones, the company last announced its flagship Xperia X1 at this year’s Mobile World Congress trade show. The new smartphone sports a 4K HDR OLED display that is super-tall at 21:9 aspect ratio. Alongside the flagship, the Xperia 10 and 10 Plus mid-range devices with a 21:9 display aspect ratio were also announced. Additionally, in the budget segment, the company showcased its Xperia L3 smartphone that features a standard 18:9 display aspect ratio, and dual rear cameras. You can read more about these phones here. 
Oppo introduced the motorised camera mechanism with its Find X smartphone, which was innovative. Many other smartphone manufacturers soon followed suit to release their offerings with the same setup, to get rid of the notch and add a unique design element to their phones. However, a new patent granted to Oppo suggests that it might be working on another phone, which could sport a new design for the motorised camera setup. While both the front and rear cameras were hidden on the Oppo Find X, the patent suggests that the company might integrate a dual camera on the front this time and leave the rear cameras outside the motorised setup. Images included in the patent hint that an upcoming phone by Oppo would be near bezel-less. There’s a tick mark shaped break in the phone’s rear panel, which would be seen where the motorised setup raises. Additionally, there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the phone’s design. However, there’s no fingerprint sensor on the back, which might mean that the handset could feature an in-display fingerprint sensor or solely work on face unlock. While a smartphone with this new motorised camera design might be a long way away from announcement, the company is all set to introduce its new Reno series of phones in the Chinese market. Oppo Reno is confirmed to launch in two variants, one powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and the other with the Snapdragon 710 SoC. A recently leaked benchmark listing suggests that the handset features a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. Additionally, it is listed with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. Some reports hint at a 5G variant of the phone, which could be possible with the addition of the Qualcomm X50 modem with the Snapdragon 855.
Xiaomi recently launched the refreshed version of its 12.5-inch display Mi Notebook Air in China and now has updated two more of its offering. The Mi Notebook Air 13.3-inch (2019) and the Mi Notebook 15.6-inch (2019) are the latest laptops to be updated by the company. The laptops are powered by new Intel processors and get updates in many other departments. While the Mi Notebook Air 13.3 (2019) is already available for purchase in China, the Mi Notebook 15.6 (2019) will be available from April 9. Mi Notebook 15.6 (2019) The Mi Notebook 15.6 (2019) is equipped with a 15.6-inch Full-HD display and runs on the eighth-gen quad-core Intel Core i5 processor. The laptop comes with the discrete Nvidia GeForce MX110 GPU and features 8GB RAM, coupled with 256GB/512GB of SSD. It sports Dolby surround sound and will come pre-installed with Windows Office suite of applications. The Mi Notebook Air 15.6 (2019) is priced at CNY 4,299 (Rs 44,300 approx). Mi Notebook Air 13.3 (2019) The Mi Notebook Air 13.3 (2019) is powered by an eighth generation Intel Core i5 processor and is equipped with a 13.3-inch display. The laptop features a discrete GPU, the Nvidia MX250, and comes with 8GB RAM, which is coupled with 256GB of SSD. In terms of connectivity, it features one USB 3.0 port, one USB Type-C port, one HDMI port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The laptop weighs 1.3kg, and the company says it comes with a metal fan that aids in cooling, and sports Dolby surround sound technology that is tuned by AKG. The Mi Notebook Air 13.3 (2019) is priced at CNY 5,399 (Rs 55,600 approx).
OnePlus’ next big entry into a non-smartphone segment is its foray into Televisions. Or is it? The company’s co-founder Carl Pei has taken to OnePlus Forums to announce yet another venture - a Warp Charged OnePlus electric car. You heard it right, OnePlus is making a car. Now before you get too excited, this cryptic and untimely announcement from OnePlus came on Friday, the weekend before April Fools’ Day. Pei would like OnePlus fans to believe that the company wants them to experience “the thrill of unmatched performance, design and control” with the so called fastest charging electric car in the world, but April Fools’ pranks from tech companies have just become too obvious since the past couple of years. In his post, Pei writes - “We’re always looking for new ways to bring better technology to the world. Today, I’m excited to share about our entrance into a new industry. We've taken the power of Warp Charge and applied it to the road.” In an attempt to add credibility to the announcement, Pei further notes - “In a few days, we’ll reveal more details of the world’s fastest charging electric vehicle. Every function of this vehicle will pair with the OnePlus 6T for seamless control. Crafted with signature OnePlus colors and materials, this premium vehicle will be beautiful to touch, see and drive.” It is most unlikely that we will see a gradient coloured, warp charged OnePlus car anytime soon. In fact, the only thing we will soon see from the OnePlus stable is the OnePlus 7 and a 5G phone, if the two aren’t one and the same. As for the OnePlus electric car, it won’t be surprising if the company ever forays into this industry in the future. However, we won’t bet on it to happen just yet.
Highlights: Moto One Vision appears on Google ARCore website. The phone could launch soon. It is expected to be an Android One smartphone with Exynos 9610, a 48MP camera. Lenovo-owned Motorola could launch the long rumoured Motorola One Vision soon. The smartphone has appeared in several leaks in the past and its imminent launch is now hinted by a listing on Google’s ARCore website. The ARCore lister by Google notes the names of all smartphones which bring support for the company’s Augmented Reality platform. The Motorola One Vision is a new entrant to that list, confirming the phone will indeed carry the One Vision moniker. Besides listing the name of the upcoming Android One-powered Moto One Vision, Google’s listing does not give out any more details. However, specs of the smartphone have leaked in the past. The Motorola One Vision is expected to be powered by the Samsung Exynos 9610 SoC . The SoC is manufactured on Samsung’s 10nm FinFET process. Besides this, the device is expected to house the now popular 48MP camera sensor, which is a big upgrade over the Moto One and Moto One Power. The size of the display is unconfirmed, however, a wallpaper from the smartphone has 2520x1080 pixels resolution. This suggests that the device has a tall display offering an aspect ratio of 21:9, which is seen in the Sony Xperia 10 and 10 Plus devices. Reportedly, the CAD renders of the Motorola P40 (the Chinese Motorola One Vision) suggest it’ll have a 6.2-inch display. The phone is said to have a punch-hole display. It is reported to be available in 3/4GB RAM models with 32/64/128GB of storage. It is said that the Motorola One Vision will have a 3,500mAh battery.
After months of teasing the AirPower Wireless Charger, Apple has gone ahead and announced that the device stands cancelled and will not be launched after all. First announced alongside the iPhone X in September 2017, the launch of the Apple AirPower Wireless Charging Mat had been long awaited by users. Apple promised that the device would wirelessly charge iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watch all at the same time. Now, in a statement to TechCrunch, Apple has said that the device did not meet the company’s high standards and therefore the project stands cancelled. “After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward,” Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Dan Riccio, tolf TechCrunch. Contrary to traditional wireless chargers that can charge multiple devices at the same time, Apple’s AirPower Wireless Charging Mat was considerably compact given it was supposed to have three coils embedded within it. With all three devices placed on the mat - the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods - the charging status of all the devices was to be displayed on the iPhone’s screen. While it sounded pretty nifty, looks like Apple could not achieve this vision in the end. Multiple reports in the past indicated that the AirPower Wireless Charging Mat was set to launch later this year and some even claimed that the device had gone into mass production. Although Apple has not officially cited a reason why the device did not meet its “high standards”, TechCrunch notes that the company faced multiple engineering challenges and that the device ran hot because of the close proximity of the charging coils. It seems Apple’s decision to pull the plug on AirPower was very recent given that the materials provided in the box of the new AirPods mention the device. There’s also a picture of it on the box of the new AirPod cases. Alas, the AirPower was not meant to be and Apple is sorry for the same. This is the second time this week that the company had to apologise to its users. The company recently apologised for the faulty design of its Butterfly keyboard on the MacBooks.
Highlights: The LG K12+ has launched in Brazil The smartphone has the Helio P22 SoC It runs on Android 8.1 out of the box. LG has launched the K12+ in Brazil. The USP of the K12+ is that it brings with it features found on more expensive LG devices such as AI enhanced software and premium audio. All this comes at a mid ranged price point. Speaking of specifications of the K12+, the smartphone has а 5.7-inch HD+ display without a notch. On the front, the device has an 8MP selfie shooter coupled with a front-facing flash. Under the hood, the device has the Helio P22 SoC coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB built-in storage. You can expand the storage using a microSD card. The K12+ runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. The device also houses a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left. Below this button is the volume controls. At the back, the smartphone houses a 16MP camera along with a flash. The back also houses a fingerprint sensor. A 3000 mAh battery powers the entire package. The device has a microUSB port for charging. The smartphone also has DTS:X 3D Surround Sound support for headphones plugged in via 3.5mm. The smartphone will be available in Moroccan Blue, Platinum Gray, and Black colour options. The smartphone is priced at BRL 1,199 (approx. Rs 21,200). Also Read: Xiaomi trolls the Huawei P30 series on social media Digit's Apple iPhone XI leak confirmed yet again by leaked schematics
Highlights: PUBG Beta update 0.12.0 is out now The update brings with it some new features and fixes known bugs There is no information when the update will make it to the stable version of the game PUBG Mobile has a new beta update which game be downloaded by players now. The update is 1.8GB in size. The update brings with it new features, bug fixes and some changes. The Survive Till Dawn mode is now under Expansions. Stun Grenades now also stun zombies. There is also the addition of Liquid Nitrogen Grenades to freeze enemies and hence reducing their movement speed. There is also the addition of jumping zombies and zombie dogs. Some of the zombies can now climb over low walls or onto the roof. Zombies now move slower after being hit by firearms. The Flamethrowers can now deal more damage. In terms of bug fixes, the developers have fixed a bug where hair was not displayed correctly when equipping certain headgear. Fixed a bug where Season 6 Pants caused graphics glitches in certain footgear. Fixed a bug where doors were not displayed properly. Fixed a bug where players may get stuck in buildings in certain areas. In other PUBG News, in response to incidents of violence and tragedy, Tencent Games has imposed a parental control to curb the alleged “gaming addiction and cyberbullying” promoted by PUBG Mobile. The game developer has introduced a “digital lock” on some games that require players under the age of 13 years to ask their guardians to open. You can read more about it here. Also Read: PUBG arrests: Eight more players booked under IPC section 188 in Gujarat Here are the 80 best PUBG Mobile players in India Exclusive: Call of Duty: Mobile coming to India in November
Highlights: The Nokia X71 has been spotted on Geekbench Browser The smartphone will be launched in Taiwan on April 2 It's expected to be launched later in India (and other markets) as the Nokia 8.1 Plus Days before its launch in Taiwan, the Nokia X71 has been spotted on Geekbench Browser, where the smartphone is seen bearing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset with 6GB of RAM. Scheduled to be unveiled on April 2, the Nokia X71 could later sell in global markets (including India) as the Nokia 8.1 Plus. The smartphone is expected to feature a 48-megapixel rear camera and a punch-hole display. According to the listing on Geekbench Browser, the smartphone is labelled as HMD Global Nokia X71 and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset with an octa-core CPU and 6GB of RAM. As expected, it runs Android 9 Pie out of the box. According to its results, the Nokia X71 scores 1455 on the Single-Core test and 5075 on the Multi-Core test. In comparison, the recently launched Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 powered by the same chipset scores 1642 and 5796 on the same two tests respectively. The Nokia X71 is expected to be aimed at photography enthusiasts. What we know about the model so far is that it has a dual camera setup on the back, out of which one sensor is a 48-megapixel unit made by Sony or Samsung, while the other is expected to be a wide-angle lens with a 120-degree field of view. We also know that the front face has a nearly edge-to-edge display with a “punch hole” for the single selfie camera, much like the Samsung Galaxy S10. The screen size is estimated to be 6.22 inches diagonally. Following its April 2 launch in Taiwan, the Nokia X71 is expected to be launched in other markets around the world including India as the Nokia 8.1 Plus. Given the fact that the Nokia 8.1 that’s already selling in India is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset, it seems odd for its “Plus” version to sport a less sophisticated Snapdragon 660 chipset. Still, there’s a good chance that HMD Global is going with the Snapdragon 660 chipset only for the Taiwan model. The coming weeks should give us more clarity on the matter. Related Read: Nokia X71 with 48MP camera, punch hole display to launch on April 2
Highlights: WhatsApp beta ver. 2.19.86 plays voice messages consecutively WhatsApp has included a small ding between each voice message An improved picture-in-picture too is reportedly being tested Only yesterday we learnt that WhatsApp is testing a biometric authentication feature on a beta version of the popular mobile messaging app. Now we see that WhatsApp is also testing a new feature that will allow users to play voice messages consecutively. Reported originally by WABetaInfo, the new feature is found in version 2.19.86+ of WhatsApp and will automatically play voice messages one after the other when many of them are received at the same time. In addition, WhatsApp is reportedly working on an improved picture-in-picture feature for forwarded videos. On our WhatsApp beta (ver. 2.19.87), the new feature seems to be working as expected. If you too are on the latest WhatsApp beta, you’ll be able to see it in action when someone sends you multiple voice messages consecutively—two at the very least. Hit play on the first voice message and watch all of them play consecutively. WhatsApp has thoughtfully included a small ding that indicates the end of one voice message and the beginning of another. There’s even a separate ding that tells you that the app has finished playing all the messages received. Back in October WhatsApp added a picture-in-picture video feature to the messaging app, allowing users to watch a forwarded video in a small window on the chat screen while continuing to chat. But that feature did not carry on playing the video when the user went back to the main screen or into another chat screen. However, WhatsApp beta ver. 2.19.86 is said to come with an improved version of the feature that allows it. Though we didn't have any luck with this feature, a screenshot shared by WABetaInfo shows the video continuing to play in a small window even outside WhatsApp. WhatsApp is continuously testing new features in its beta version. One of the features being tested is a biometric authentication feature, which should help protect the privacy of users better. When included in the stable build of WhatsApp for Android, the biometric authentication feature should keep WhatsApp locked and open when the user presses their finger against the phone’s fingerprint scanner. WhatsApp for iOS already has the feature and uses Face ID on iPhones lacking Touch ID. Inline image courtsey: WABetaInfo Related Read: WhatsApp biometric authentication feature spotted in Android beta
Highlights: Google I/O schedule for 2019 goes live Android and Google Assistant are expected to be hot topics again Google should also cover "Android for cars" and "Accessibility within Android" Google has announced the schedule for this year’s Google I/O. It will be held from May 7 to 9 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The Google I/O schedule, which is now live on a standalone website, seems to contain sessions on various developer topics, including Android Q, Google Assistant, and the recently announced Stadia game streaming service. Though the schedule is live, Google could add more events to it in the coming days. Going by the list of events added to schedule so far, we expect Google to talk extensively about the next version of Android and its features the way the company does every year. More specifically, we expect Google to dive deeper into Android Auto, Accessibility on Android, and the much-awaited Dark Mode on Android. While we spotted at least two event titles related to “Android in Cars” and “Accessibility within Android”, we came across one very indicative event titled, “Moving Away from the Light with Android Q”, suggesting the system-wide Dark Mode we see in Android Q beta. Last year’s Google I/O dealt with the launch of Android P, which is now fondly recognised as Android 9 Pie and is still yet to be baked for some phones like the OnePlus 3/3T; improvements to Google Assistant, including new voices; Smart Compose on Gmail, which is now finally on Android too; improved features on Google Photos, including new automatic editing features; and Digital Wellbeing, an Android feature to cut down on smartphone or app overuse. Google I/O is Google’s annual developer conference and it has been taking place in the US every year since 2008. It is typical for the company CEO Sundar Pichai to make an appearance at the start of the three-day programme and deliver the keynote address. We expect this year’s Google I/O to be something of a part-two to many of last year’s I/O topics, including Google Assistant and its possibilities, and improvements to Android. Related Read: Google I/O 2018 announcements: Android P, Machine Learning, AI, Google Assistant, Digital Wellbeing, Maps, Google Lens and more
Highlights: Apple tops top global true wireless hearables market in Q4 2018. The quarter also saw strong performance by low- and mid-tier brands. North America was the largest market accounting for 24 percent of the total volumes. Apple AirPods remained the leader in the global true wireless hearables segment with a massive 60 percent share as the overall market reached 12.5 million units in the fourth quarter 2018, Counterpoint Research said in its latest Hearables Market Tracker. The market research firm added that the the iPhone-maker’s share was dented as customers waited for the new generation of AirPods, which were recently launched in the US. The firm notes that apart from the wait for the second generation of AirPods, the strong performance of second-tier brands priced under $100, such as JLab and QCY, also had a negative impact on Apple’s market share. The best sellers list featured premium models priced around$150-200, like Jabra Elite Active 65t, Samsung Gear IconX, and Bose SoundSport Free - all featured in the top 10 best-selling list. “In Q4 2018, cost-effective models such as JLab JBuds Air True Wireless and QCY T1 gained considerable market shares. As more companies enter the market and roll out new devices equipped with advanced features at a reasonable price, consumers will get a wider choice in the future. We expect the competition to intensify going ahead,” Liz Lee, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said in a statement. In the region-wise segregation, North America was the largest market accounting for 24 percent of the volumes, followed closely by Europe and the Asia Pacific region excluding China. “Apple remained strong in its home market. However, global brands like Samsung and Jabra, and interestingly JLab and iQ Podz, also performed well in the US and Canada,” the firm said. In Europe, Apple underperformed capturing lower market share as compared to other regions. Jabra gained the market share of 14 percent, and the performance of new brands such as Arbily, HolyHigh, and Vigoshop across Western Europe was also noteworthy. The iPhone-maker’s performance was healthy in Asia Pacific (ex. China) and new brands like Britz and GLIDiC performed well. In China, QCY’s presence is grew with its budget devices T1 and T1S. Other Chinese local brands including Honor, Edifier and ENKOR also performed strong. Related Read: ECG Sensor on the Apple Watch Series 4 saves a life within days of launch
Highlights: WhatsApp beta for Android brings biometric authentication feature. The update shows that UI has been improved. There is no info about the stable roll out of the feature. WhatsApp has submitted the beta update version 2.19.83 bringing improvements in the biometric authentication feature for Android. The initial hints of the feature were provided in the version 2.19.3 and the latest submission through the Google Play Beta Program now makes it available for testing. In particular, the latest update shows that WhatsApp has improved the UI of the feature, including some new settings. WABetainfo has shared some screenshots of how the UI of the feature will look once it is rolled out to the masses. When the Authentication feature is enabled, a screen displaying messages “WhatsApp locked” and “Touch the fingerprint sensor” is shown every time a user opens WhatsApp. To enable the Authentication feature, users can find a new option in WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy. Once Use fingerprint to unlock feature is selected, WhatsApp will ask the user to register the fingerprint. After the registration is done, user can configure when the Authentication feature should lock the app: Immediately, After 1 minute, After 10 minutes or after 30 minutes. Just like it’s in the case of unlocking the phone, if WhatsApp isn’t able to recognise the fingerprint (or if there are too many failed attempts), WhatsApp will show an error, locking the user out for a few moments. This feature has already been rolled out to iOS users. For those who use iPhone X or above got Face ID for verification and access to the app, while older iPhone models were given the option to use Touch ID for enabling the feature. There is also a third option to enter a passcode in case biometric authentication fails. In case of iOS, the biometric data is claimed to be stored locally on the iPhone, however, no information on this is provided yet from the Android version. Related Read: Latest WhatsApp beta brings 'Dark Mode' feature for Android
Highlights: BSNL announces four new Wi-Fi hotspot vouchers for its WiFi hotspots. The vouchers are priced at Rs 19, Rs 39, Rs 59 and Rs 69. One will get to use a certain amount of data, depending upon the value of the purchased voucher. BSNL has announced new WiFi hotspot tariff vouchers that will enable users to access the telcos’ WiFi hotspots across the country. The announcement comes via the company’s official Twitter handle, as per which, there are 38,000 operation Wi-Fi hotspot locations by BSNL that are operational in India. One can access them by buying the newly announced Wi-Fi vouchers that are priced starting at Rs 19. The company has announced a total of four vouchers. With the Rs 19 voucher, one will get to avail 2GB data, which is valid for two days. Then, there’s the Rs 39 and Rs 59 vouchers, which enable usage of 7GB and 15GB data for seven and 15 days respectively. The BSNL WiFi 69 voucher is priced at Rs 69 and comes with 30GB of data, which is valid for a month. While one can buy these vouchers online or offline, to know where a BSNL WiFi hotspot is, they can head over to this website. Once a user is in range of the hotspot, they can switch on Wi-Fi on their device and search for the SSID (WiFi name) BSNL WiFi. They need to connect to the network and log in to it. As per BSNL one can log in into the network via EAP or non-EAP method. One needs to have a BSNL SIM to use EAP method, which requires the user choosing “SIM” authentication and selecting the BSNL SIM slot. In case of non-EAP login, one needs to provide their phone number on which they will receive a pin to login to the Wi-Fi network. There’s also an option to log in through the BSNL 4G Plus app. India's largest network of #WiFi #Hotspot now available at a very affordable price. Walk into the nearest #BSNL retailer store and recharge today! pic.twitter.com/1u5BCmzMum — BSNL India (@BSNLCorporate) March 28, 2019 There’s a 30 minute free trial for users who have not purchased a voucher for the service. After one connects to BSNL’s Wi-Fi network, a ‘Captive Portal’ will be shown with Free Wi-Fi and Premium Wi-Fi options. One using the service for free will need to select the free option and log in, while with the premium option, the user needs to enter the coupon number from the purchased voucher. Related Reads: Airtel partnering with Google for WiFi hotspots at popular public places
Highlights: Intel 9th Gen Core series CPUs are getting a new stepping (revision in design) called R0 stepping The revision reflects in the BIOS updates offered by motherboard makers like Asus, ASRock, and Gigabyte Intel's 9th Gen Core series CPUs featuring the R0 stepping are expected to come out by Q2 2019 As integrated circuits often do, Intel’s upcoming 9th Gen Core series CPUs are about to receive a new “R0” stepping. For the uninitiated, a stepping is essentially a revision in the design of the CPU chip. As originally reported by Tom’s Hardware, motherboard manufacturers like Gigabyte, Asus, and ASRock have revealed this update in CPU design ahead of an official announcement from Intel by sending out BIOS updates to eligible motherboards. The motherboards set to receive the BIOS updates are Asus, ASRock, and Gigabyte models augmenting Intel’s 300 series chipset. Asus and ASRock have simply announced in their respective news releases that the new BIOS updates are currently ready to be downloaded. Gigabyte, on the other hand, has gone out of its way and published the complete list of Intel CPU models that will receive the R0 stepping. Though many of Intel’s 9th Gen Core series CPUs are getting the “R0” stepping, some of them actually seem to be getting the “P0” stepping. At this point, it’s hard to say what the difference between the two steppings is or if it’s simply a typo. Prima facie the models with the R0 stepping seem to come with the same base clock speed, same amount of cache, and seem to be fabricated under the same 14-nanometre process node. Intel announced its 9th Gen Core series CPUs in October last year. At the top of the product range is the Intel 9th Gen Core i9-9900K CPU, which has 8 cores, 16 threads, and an Intel Turbo frequency of 5.0GHz. Intel’s 9th Gen Core series CPUs featuring the new R0 stepping are expected to enter the market sometime in the second quarter of this year. By then, we can expect Intel to make an official announcement about the new stepping. Inline image courtesy: Tom's Hardware Related Read: Intel 9th Gen Core Series Processors announced
Whizzer is a relatively new entrant in the IEM market. The Kylin A-HE03 is currently their flagship and by the looks of it, it promises a lot. Including Knowles armature in their first hybrid shows yo...
Highlights: watchOS 5.2 brings ECG and irregular rhythm notification to hong Kong and 19 European countries. The update is rolled out for all compatible Apple Watches. It also brings support for AirPods 2. Apple has rolled out the watchOS 5.2 software update to all compatible Apple Watches, and it brings the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification to Hong Kong and 19 European markets including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Apart from this, the latest update also brings the AirPods 2 support that will let users to use it with the Apple Watch. The expansion means that in addition to receiving De Novo clearance in the US from the FDA, the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification are now CE marked giving it a clearance in the European Economic Area. The ECG feature on Apple Watch Series 4 enables customers to take an electrocardiogram from their wrist. The ECG app can capture heart rhythm and alert users if and when they experience a rapid or skipped heart beat. Apple says that the watch can provide clinically important data to physicians. Meanwhile, the irregular rhythm notification feature on Apple Watch occasionally checks heart rhythm in the background and sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation (AFib) is identified. If left untreated, the AFib could result in stroke. “We’ve seen the ECG app and irregular rhythm notifications on Apple Watch have meaningful impact on our customers across the US and are excited to bring these features to customers in Europe and Hong Kon,” Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement. According to a clinical trial of around 600 participants, the ECG app on Apple Watch demonstrated 98.3 percent sensitivity in classifying AFib and 99.6 percent specificity in classifying sinus rhythm in classifiable recordings when compared to a gold standard 12-lead ECG administered by a cardiologist. 87.8 percent of recordings in the study could be classified by the ECG app. Meanwhile, the irregular rhythm notification feature was recently studied in the Apple Heart Study. Released earlier this month, the study found that “only 0.5 percent of participants received irregular pulse notifications, an important finding given concerns about potential over-notification.” With over 400,000 participants, the study further found evidence to support wearable technology has the ability to safely identify heart rate irregularities. Related Read: ECG Sensor on the Apple Watch Series 4 saves a life within days of launch Apple Watch Series 4's Fall Detection feature is turned off be default unless you're over 65
Highlights: A researcher blames Asus for attack on their software update utility. He claims that company employees shared passwords on Github which gave hackers access to company’s corporate network. Apparently, Asus got a heads up two months before the attack was executed. Asus is being held responsible for the attack on its software update utility that was hacked to install malware on thousands of computers. A researcher has claimed that an Asus employee left passwords on code-sharing platform GitHub that gave hackers access to company’s corporate network. Moreover, it is also being claimed that the Taiwanese tech company was warned two months before the attack was executed. Citing a security researcher, who goes by name SchizoDuckie, Tech Crunch reported that Asus was warned two months ago that employees were “improperly publishing passwords in their GitHub repositories” that could be used to access the company’s corporate network. A password was found in an employee repo which allowed the researcher to access an email account used by internal developers and engineers to share nightly builds of apps, drivers and tools to computer owners. The researcher claims that the repo in question was owned by an Asus engineer who left the email account’s passwords publicly exposed for at least a year. “It was a daily release mailbox where automated builds were sent,” the researcher was quoted as saying. He also said that the emails in the mailbox of that employee had the exact internal network path where drivers and files were stored, which apparently made it easy for attackers to execute the plan. “All you’d need is send one of those emails with an attachment to any of the recipients for a real nice spearphishing attack,” he said, adding, “Companies have no clue what their programmers do with their code on GitHub.” TechCrunch claims that a day after the company was alerted about the researcher’s email, the repos containing the credentials were pulled offline and wiped clean. However, Asus spokesperson Randall Grilli said that the computer maker was “unable to verify the validity” of the claims in the researcher’s emails. Asus has already released a fix for the issue. “We have updated and strengthened our server-to-end-user software architecture to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future. Additionally, we have created an online security diagnostic tool to check for affected systems, and we encourage users who are still concerned to run it as a precaution,” Asus told Digit in a statement. Related Read: NotPetya is a wiper, not ransomware: Here's what that means 4% of Indian users attacked by banking Trojans in 2018: Kaspersky Lab
Highlights The Mars Helicopter is scheduled to launch alongside the Mars Rover in 2020. It is a technology demonstrator and researchers hope to complete flights of 90 seconds on Mars. Researchers had to replicate the thin Martian atmosphere and lower gravitational pull here on Earth. Next year, NASA is set to launch a new mission to Mars. This time around, the US space agency plans to send a rover as well as a small helicopter. The team behind the helicopter has announced that they have compete test flights while simulating martian conditions. The Martian atmosphere as well as gravitational pull is very different than that on earth, so the team had to replicate those conditions in order to prove that their helicopter would be capable of flight. "Gearing up for that first flight on Mars, we have logged over 75 minutes of flying time with an engineering model, which was a close approximation of our helicopter," said MiMi Aung, project manager for the Mars Helicopter at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "But this recent test of the flight model was the real deal. This is our helicopter bound for Mars. We needed to see that it worked as advertised." The helicopter itself weighs 1.8Kg, and in order to test it. Aung’s team had to mimic Martian conditions here on earth. They did this by using a 25 foot wide, (7.62m) vacuum chamber that sucked out all the air, and then injected carbon dioxide, the main ingredient of Mars’ atmosphere. The atmosphere was only one aspect, the second was to mimic the lower gravity on Mars. The researchers did so by using a ‘gravity offload system’, which is a motorized lanyard attached to the top of the helicopter. This would provide an “uninterrupted” tug equivalent to two-thirds of Earth’s gravitational pull. The team says that a hover of 5cm enough for them to obtain the data sets needed to confirm that the Mars Helicopter would fly autonomously as designed. "The next time we fly, we fly on Mars," said Aung. "Watching our helicopter go through its paces in the chamber, I couldn't help but think about the historic vehicles that have been in there in the past. The chamber hosted missions from the Ranger Moon probes to the Voyagers to Cassini, and every Mars rover ever flown. To see our helicopter in there reminded me we are on our way to making a little chunk of space history as well." [sic] The Mars Helicopter and the Mars 2020 rover will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket in July 2020. It is expected to reach Mars in February 2021. The Mars Helicopter would launch as a technology demonstrator. After landing on Mars, it will be deployed and test flights of up to 90 seconds long will begin, a first from the surface of another planet. Recommended read NASA's Opportunity Rover Mission on Mars concluded after 15 years of exploration 
Highlight: The Huawei P30 Pro became the subject of Xiaomi's trolling on two Facebook. Xiaomi took a dig at the pricing and the specs of the Huawei P30, comparing it against the Xiaomi Mi 9. The Huawei P30 comes with a triple-camera system along with flagship hardware like a 7nm Kirin 980 SoC, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Huawei P30 series recently launched at an event in Paris where Huawei marketed the flagship that revolutionises the camera. But the company couldn’t escape the ire of Xiaomi’s social media trolling after the P30 Pro became the latest target in a series of such trolls where Xiaomi took on Samsung, Apple and even OnePlus. In a Facebook post, Xiaomi took a potshot at at the Huawei P30 series, especially the pricing of the phones showing a screenshot from the livestream, with the caption, “is this really necessary?”. Not stopping there, Xiaomi posted another photo comparing the specs and price of the Xiaomi Mi 9 and the Huawei P30, along with a caption, “we really believe in giving you amazing products at #HonestPrices. Do you think a flagship smartphone should cost a fortune? #Mi9?” The P30 series which has the Huawei P30 Pro and the P30, launched at an event last week in Paris. The P30 Pro and the P30 come with the flagship Kirin 980 SoC under the hood featuring dual NPUs. The P30 Pro packs a bigger 6.47-inch AMOLED Panel with 8GB RAM and up to 512GB storage. Meanwhile, the P30 has a 6.1-inch AMOLED panel with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The highlight of the series, however, are the camera systems on the back of the phones. The Huawei P30 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup with a 40MP, 20MP, and 8MP sensor along with a ToF 3D sensor. There’s also a 32MP front camera. The Huawei P30 also sports a similar setup, sans the ToF sensor. The Xiaomi Mi 9 also comes close in terms of the hardware offered in the Huawei P30 with a 6.39-inch AMOLED panel, Snapdragon 855 SoC and a triple camera setup housing a 48MP sensor along with a 12MP and a 16MP camera. Both phones also come with an in-display fingerprint sensor, but the Mi 9 takes the lead with 20W fast wireless charging while the Huawei P30 doesn’t have wireless charging. But perhaps, the biggest point which Xiaomi can raise against the P30 is the price. The Xiaomi Mi 9 is modestly priced at 499 Euros (roughly Rs 38,000) while the Huawei P30 is priced at 799 Euros (roughly Rs 62,000). That’s almost double the price of Xiaomi’s flagship! Related Read: Huawei P30 Pro first impressions: more zoom than ever before
Highlights: Poco F1 leapfrogs OnePlus to become top selling phone online in Rs 15,000 and above segment in Q42018. It captured 22.4% share while OnePlus captured 17.9%. Xiaomi's Poco F1 has become the top selling smartphone in online market space in the Rs 15,000 and above segment with 22.4 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2018. Citing International Data Corporation (IDC), Manu Jain, Managing Director at Xiaomi India, tweeted the development taking potshots at its Chinese rival OnePlus that captured the second spot with 17.9 percent share in the same quarter. When Digit reached out to IDC, the market research firm confirmed the development. “The Poco F1 brought all the specifications that OnePlus has at a very affordable price. People were looking for a powerful device and they didn't want to spend much on it. Poco F1's specs are on par with the OnePlus’ latest flagship, and when a customer goes online, price as well as the performance is considered by a customer. Being the first model of the series, I think this is an achievement for Poco,” Navkendar Singh, Research Director, IDC India, told Digit. Meanwhile, Jain also offered people a chance to win a Poco F1 device. “Now it's settled! As per @IDC, #POCOF1 is India's #1 Smartphone in online smartphone market of ₹15k & above. The Champion of Speed doesn't settle for 2nd place. Nor should you! RT my tweet + Tweet with #POCOF1, tell me why you love this beast (tag me). 1 fan to win a POCO F1!", the executive said in his tweet. This is not the first time that Xiaomi has targeted a rival smartphone brand. Last year, the company trolled OnePlus at OnePlus 6T launched event in Delhi with ‘Do the math’ campaign. It highlighted how the Poco F1 is a much better buy than the “overpriced” OnePlus 6T. Poco F1 was launched as the cheapest Snapdragon 845 smartphone in the world starting at Rs 20,999. Xiaomi announced the “OP bundle” where users were offered the Poco F1, along with seven other Xiaomi products, at the price of ne OnePlus 6T smartphone. The Poco F1 is offered in three variants 6GB RAM + 64GB storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and an 8GB RAM + 256GB storage version. Earlier this week, Xiaomi introduced a temporary price cut on the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage version and sold the phone at a price of Rs 20,999, which is down from its launch price of Rs 23,999. The company also added the Game Turbo option in MIUI for the POCO F1. The new Game Turbo mode was announced earlier this month, and is similar to the Game Booster mode seen on several other devices. The feature aims at delivering a consistent frame rate while gaming. It works by clearing background applications and freeing memory for the app running in the foreground. It also comes with options to capture gameplay footage or screenshots and there are quick toggle switches to enable/disable Wi-Fi and more. Related Read: Xiaomi gets largest market share in India, exits 2018 with highest ever shipments: IDC Now it's settled! As per @IDC, #POCOF1 is India's #1 Smartphone in online smartphone market of ₹15k & above. The Champion of Speed doesn't settle for 2nd place. Nor should you! RT my tweet + Tweet with #POCOF1, tell me why you love this beast (tag me). 1 fan to win a POCO F1! pic.twitter.com/fDjDM8hfpk — Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) 27 March 2019
