Diwali is all about coming together and celebrating and what’s celebration without a little music? Speakers, both portable Bluetooth ones and smart ones always make for good gifting ideas. Amazon’s Alexa-enabled speakers can be used to entertain children, get information without having to look at your phone, and play music by just asking for it. Portable Bluetooth speakers are also quite useful in the sense that they allow you to take your music outside, or play from anywhere. We have compiled a list of the best portable Bluetooth speakers as well as smart speakers that you can gift or buy this Diwali. After all, what’s Diwali without a little entertainment? UE Wonderboom Price: Rs 5,4999 The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, for the price of Rs 5,999 is a damn good portable speaker with a thumping sound output. It produces good audio clarity, and the slight bias for low frequencies adds a touch of depth to how it sounds. It is a bit heavy for its size, and there’s no microphone in it to take calls which is perhaps the only caveat we found in it. The new Wonderbooms also come in new colours and funky decals that can add to your flair. Click here to buy the UE Wonderboom Echo Plus 2nd Gen Price: 14,999 The Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) builds on top of the chimney-shaped older Echo Plus. It’s more plump and stout with a new fabric cover that looks aesthetically pleasing. It sounds much better than its predecessor. The new Echo Plus also doubles up as a smart home hub which you can use to control your smart devices like lights, music, etc. Alexa will always be on your beck and call and answer your queries and even entertain you. Click here to buy the Echo Plus 2nd Gen Echo Spot Price: Rs 12,999 The Amazon Echo Spot is a cute little speaker with a display and a webcam. It also doubles up as a funky alarm clock on your bedside table and can thanks to the display, it can show you news clips, videos from Prime Video, or Vimeo (no YouTube yet though) and even let you video call other Echo Spot users. Amazon will also open up Skype support for the Echo Spot improving the usability. It’s just a cool device to have by your side (just a little creepy because of the camera on it). Click here to buy the Amazon Echo Spot Google Home Mini Price: Rs 4,449 Amazon is not the only smart speaker ecosystem to choose. You can also opt for Google’s version of it if you are invested in the Google ecosystem through your Android and Chromecast devices. The Google Home Mini, for Rs 4,449 has Google Assistant built-in which can be used to play music, control smart appliances and to ask general questions. It basically has Google Search built into a speaker which, while not as loud as the Echo Dot, is a good buy if you solely want to be in the Google ecosystem. You can also cast your music from your smartphone to the Home Mini which is much more hassle-free than pairing the phone via Bluetooth. Click here to buy the Google Home Mini JBL Go Price: Rs 1,799 The JBL Go is your no-nonsense portable Bluetooth speaker that comes in multiple funky colours and is water and dust proof. It’s a pocketable speaker that’s quite loud for its size. Click here to buy the JBL Go Bose Soundlink Micro Price: Rs 8,090 The SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker is the company's rugged and waterproof portable speaker. It can be paired via Bluetooth using voice prompts and comes with an integrated speakerphone and a multi-purpose button for calling. The device can also be connected with the Bose Connect app and paired with other SoundLink speakers for Stereo or Party Mode Click here to buy the Bose Soundlink Micro Marshall Acton Portable Bluetooth speaker Price: Rs 16,590 The vintage-looking Marshall Acton looks a lot like the company’s famous guitar amps and are known for their signature loud sound. It can be paired via Bluetooth 4.0 and also comes with AUX input. The speaker also has three analog knobs to control the volume, and change the treble and bass settings. This looks quite good in your book shelf and the best part is that it doesn’t have to be tethered to a plug point. Click here to buy the Marshall Acton Portable Bluetooth speaker Creative Sound Blaster Roar Price: Rs 9,499 The Sound Blaster Roar is easy to reccommend, and in our review, we noted that it performs neck to neck with the Bose SoundLink Mini. It also packs a lot of features and can even be used as a USB speaker for PC as well. Click here to buy the Creative Sound Blaster Roar Mass Fidelity Core Price: Rs 31,999 The Mass Fidelity Core is an elegant little bookshelf Bluetooth speaker that uses custom designed drivers to deliver what the company calls holographic sound. When placed right, it produces an intricately detailed, balanced sound. It’s perfect for someone looking for a minimal footprint to improve the home A/V setup. Click here to buy the Mass Fidelity Core Sony XRS XB-41 Price: Rs 13,135 The Sony XRS XB-41 is the Bluetooth speaker designed for the average bass-head. It’s also IP67-rated water and dust proof and the nylon mesh on the body feels quite premium. It’s capable of delivering good, party-grade sound with added lighting effects. You can also daisychain more of these speakers to create a surround sound effect. Click here to buy the Sony XRS XB-41
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Earlier this month, Huawei Consumer Business Group, India announced that it will bring one of its latest flagship devices, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, to the country. In a latest press note, the company has announced that it is also set to bring its wireless charger to the Indian market alongside the launch of Mate 20 Pro next month. Huawei says that it has developed a 15W (Max) quick wireless charger that delivers speed that matches wired charging. According to the company, with a 10-minute 15W wireless charging session on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, the charger fills the battery to the 12 percent mark and if a user charges a phone for 30 minutes, the battery is charged to 31 percent. The charger is developed according to the Qi standard for universal compatibility and it is said to adjust output power automatically to safely charge different hardware like smartphones, earphones and smartwatches which support wireless charging tech. Huawei says that the charger includes Comprehensive Safety Protection features through which it is capable of automatically turning off when it detect metallic objects likes keys and coins. The Huawei wireless charger also has a built-in chip that can adjusts the output power automatically according to the ambient temperature and real-time battery percentage. Huawei Mate 20 Pro Specifications and Features The Huawei Mate 20 Pro features a 6.39-inch 2K+ Curved OLED HDR display with a 19.5:9 display aspect ratio. It has a a notch that houses the front camera and sensors for face recognition. The smartphone is powered by the company’s latest 7nm Kirin 980 processor that uses Cortex-A76 based CPU. The phone supports 40W SuperCharge technology, which the company claims can charge 70 percent of the device’s 4200mAh battery in 30 minutes. When it comes to the camera, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro comes equipped with a triple 40MP + 20MP + 8MP sensor configuration, in which the sensors are placed in a square setup. The first sensor is paired with a 27mm wide lens with f/1.8 aperture, while the 12 MP sensor gets a 16mm ultra-wide lens with f/2.2 aperture. The 8MP sensor is paired with a 3X 80mm telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture. The device’s camera supports Artificial Image Stabilisation (AIS), along with varying focal range from 16mm with ultra wide angle, 80 mm with 3x optical zoom, 135mm with 5x Hybrid zoom to 270 mm with 10x digital zoom. On the front, the smartphone comes equipped with a 24MP RGB sensor inside the notch. The phone sports dual speakers without any speaker grille and this is done by routing audio through the Type-C port on the bottom. It runs on MIUI 9, which is based on Android 9.0 Pie. The smartphone was launched in Emerald Green, Midnight Blue, Pink Gold, Twilight and Black colours in only one 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. As far as the price is concerned, the Mate 20 Pro is priced at 1049 Euros (approx Rs 88,000) in Europe. The phone will be an Amazon Exclusive as the online retailer has hosted a dedicated webpage for it with the ‘Notify Me’ button.
The Harrier is Tata’s long-awaited SUV that’s slated for an early 2019 launch in India. According to a recent press release by Tata Motors, the first Harrier has just rolled out of Tata’s new assembly line in Pune. The SUV is being built in an assembly line that is 90-percent automated. Set up within six months’ time, the new assembly line borrows manufacturing processes from Jaguar Land Rover, a subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited. Tata’s new assembly line in Pune uses over a hundred robots by KUKA and ABB to achieve this high level of automation. Talking about the upcoming Harrier SUV, Mayank Pareek, President of Tata’s Passenger Vehicle Business Unit said, “We have been receiving a tremendous response from the customers ever since we opened bookings of the Harrier, a fortnight ago. With the all- new assembly line ready and the roll out of the 1st Harrier, we are now gearing up to start deliveries in early 2019. The Harrier, with its stunning design will definitely appeal to customers, especially those who have eagerly waited for the product since its showcase as the H5X concept at the Auto Expo 2018. We are confident that the Harrier will set new benchmarks in the SUV segment, in 2019.” The Tata Harrier is a five-seater sport utility vehicle built on a monocoque frame. It uses a proprietary Omega Modular Efficient Global Architecture (OMEGA) borrowed from Land Rover’s tried-and-tested D8 architecture. The Harrier will be powered by Tata’s 2.0L Kryotec diesel engine, which is capable of delivering a max power output of 140 horsepower. Tata claims it has tested the Harrier over 2.2 million kilometres and over “the toughest of terrains.” Reports say that Tata will bring in a seven-seater version of the Harrier with a more powerful 170-horsepower engine later in the future. Tata is expected to offer a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gearbox on the Harrier. The Tata Harrier is expected to come with features like multiple driving modes that work with an ESP-driven terrain response system, push-button start, steering-mounted controls, and an infotainment system with a large touchscreen. Taking on competitors like the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Captur, the Tata Harrier SUV is expected to cost somewhere between Rs 16 and 21 lakh at the time of launch next year.
Apple announced the new iPad Pro 11-inch and iPad Pro 12.9-inch variants at an event hosted in New York. The new iPad Pro models are aimed squarely at power users and creative professionals with their incredible display and an updated Apple Pencil. Not to mention the A12X Bionic chip that supposedly puts desktop-grade performance into what is essentially a tablet. Of course, the iPad Pros are not cheap and turns out, neither is getting them repaired. The official iPad Service and Repair page has been updated to reflect the cost of repair for the new iPad Pro models. In case you were to break the display on the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, you will have to fork out $649 to get it fixed. A new 12.9-inch iPad Pro will cost you $999 for the 64GB variant, although India prices are a little higher. However, if you do get Apple Care+, the repair cost comes down to $49, a considerably lower amount. Apple Care+ itself costs $129 but given the cost of repairing the new iPad Pro outside of Apple Care+, the $129 price for extended coverage seems like a bargain. The revised cost of repair/replacement is listed out for all the iPad models in the chart below. Apple’s devices have been getting increasingly expensive, as is the price to have them repaired, making Apple Care+ look not just like a good idea, but also a great bargain. Apple Care+ extends the warranty on the iPad to two years and includes coverage for two incidents of accidental damage. Given that a cracked display is the most common reasons to avail service, getting Apple Care+ to reduce the burden of repair would be a wise decision.
With all the updates to PUBG PC and PUBG Mobile, it was high time the Xbox version of the game got a little love. Update #2 for PUBG Xbox brings it up to speed with the PC and mobile versions with the inclusion of Halloween skins, Training map and many more additions. The new Halloween skins include the same sets as the PC version and are only available till November 20. Further, Those who log into the game will get the Haunted Pumpkin Mask clothing item for free until November 6. The update also brings the Training map to the Xbox version of the game. Like the PC version, the map is 2x2 in size and gives players a safe location where they can practice the various aspects of the game without dying. Besides this, the update adds a number of items and vehicles to the game. The game now features two new weapons, the Beryl M762 and the MK47 Mutant. Both these weapons use the 7.62mm ammunition and will be available across all three maps (Erangel, Miramar and Sanhok). The Beryl M762 offers a 30 round magazine, whereas the MK47 Mutant has a smaller 20 round magazine. The Sanhok map get some extra love as both the new vehicles added with this update are exclusive to it. The Scooter is a two-seat vehicle that offers the same HP as the Motorbike. Both vehicles will continue to spawn on Sanhok. The Scooter is slower than the Motorbike, but has an increased turning circle. The second vehicle added to the game is the Tukshai. This is a three person vehicle that replaces the UAZ, Dacia and the Minibus and is slower than all three. However, the patch notes state that it “fits perfectly with Sanhok’s environment.” Besides all this, Update #2 also brings with it a huge list of UI and gameplay changes to the Xbox version of the game, including bug fixes. You can read the entire patch notes here. Besides this, PUBG has also teased new skins on its Twitter account. Judging by the teaser, it looks like the developers will be adding Harley Quinn and Joker skins to the game. Details are not yet known, but it looks like the skin will be based on the look of the characters from the Suicide Squad movie that was released in 2016. Warning... Prison Breakout Imminent. pic.twitter.com/AzqIeAe6Rg — PUBG (@PUBG) October 31, 2018 
The world is used to seeing Facebook posting a substantial growth every quarter but since last quarter, the social media giant has been posting a marginal increase in its revenue. Multiple controversies around data breaches and fake news put the company on a sticky wicket this year. Back in July, more than $100 billion were wiped out from Facebook's market value after the company reported Q2 2018 numbers that showed stagnation in Daily Active Users. Problems seem to have continued to hit Facebook’s revenues in the third quarter, as once again, it posted a marginal increase compared to the last quarter and narrowly missed Wall Street’s estimates. The company reported that revenue increased 33% during the thirs quarter to $13.72 billion, which is lower than the average Wall Street estimate of $13.78 billion. User growth on Facebook also seems to have stalled. FactSet and StreetAccount estimated that the Daily Active Users (DAUs) on Facebook would reach 1.51 billion mark but Facebook says that it could touch the 1.49 billion number. Similarly, Monthly Active Users (MAUs) were estimated to be 2.29 billion but Facebook notes that it reached the 2.27 billion mark. The company matched the average revenue per user: $6.09 versus $6.09 estimated, per 2.29 billion, according to Street Account. Citing Facebook’s earnings announcement, CNBC pointed out the revenue estimates by several analysts. Facebook said that its earnings per share (EPS) in the third quarter, which ended on September 30, was $1.76 versus $1.47 estimated by Refinitv -- a only silver lining. The total revenue was $13.73 billion which was estimated to be $13.78 billion as per Refinitiv. Operational and Other Financial Highlights 1) The 1.49 billion DAUs on average for September show an increase of 9 percent year-over-year. 2) The 2.27 billion MAUs as of September 30 is an increase of 10 percent year-over-year. 3) Facebook’s mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 92 percent of advertising revenue for the third quarter of 2018, which is up from approximately 88 percent of advertising revenue in the quarter a year ago. 4) Facebook hired a lot of people since last year, and the headcount was reported to be 33,606 as of September 30, which is an increase of 45 percent. In last quarter, the headcount was reported to be 30,275. 5) In addition, Facebook estimates that more than 2.6 billion people now use Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Messenger each month, and over 2 billion people use at least one of its “Family of services” every day on average. In the last quarter, the number was reported to be 2.5 billion. When it comes to Facebook’s future plans, company CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks that people would lay more emphasis on privacy. “Public sharing will always be very important but people want to share privately too. People feel more comfortable being themselves when they know their content is only seen by a small group and when they know it won’t be around forever,” Zuckerberg said on an earnings call. On the several controversies surrounding the company, the top executive said, “The upcoming elections will be a real test of the protections we've put in place. With a community of more than 2 billion people, we will see all the good and bad that humanity can do, and we will never be perfect.”
