Realme 3 Pro to go on sale at noon today on Flipkart and realmecom

If you are looking to pick up the Realme 3 Pro smartphone you may want to keep your trigger finger ready. The smartphone will go on sale via Flipkart and Realme.com today at 12PM. This is the third time the smartphone will go on sale. The first time the phone went on sale was April 29. The second time it went on sale was on Star Wars day - May 4.

All the three variants of the Realme 3 Pro - 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, 6GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage, will be up for grabs. Speaking of the price, the 4GB + 64GB variant of the Realme 3 Pro is priced at Rs 13,999, the 6GB + 64GB variant is priced at Rs 15,999. Lastly, the 6GB + 128GB variant of the smartphone is priced at Rs Rs 16,999. The smartphone will be available in two colour options - Carbon Grey and Nitro Blue colours.

Coming to the specifications, the Realme 3 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 710 SoC. On the front, it features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The display also has a dewdrop notch. The phone runs ColorOS 6.0 on top of Android 9 Pie. A 4,045mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 fast-charging support powers the entire package. The device also features the Hyper Boost 2.0 software, which is claimed to enhance the phone’s speed and gaming experience.

For the optics, the Realme 3 Pro sports a dual-rear camera setup. We have a 16MP + 5MP sensor configuration on the back where the 16MP Sony IMX519 sensor is paired with an f/1.7 aperture lens, and the 5MP sensor has an f/2.4 aperture lens. For your selfie needs, the smartphone features a 25MP sensor paired with an f/2.0 aperture lens. The front camera also supports AI beautification modes and face unlock.

In our review of the Realme 3 Pro, we noted that the smartphone “certainly lives up to the “Pro” moniker. It’s significantly more powerful and faster than the regular Realme 3, but that’s not its competition. The Realme  3 Pro’s closest rival is the Redmi Note 7 Pro and the company CEO Madhav Seth left no stone unturned to compare the device to Xiaomi’s best-seller. To be fair, both phones are incredibly close in terms of both performance and camera. The UI is vastly different and while the Redmi Note 7 Pro offers ads on the home screen, the Realme 3 Pro has greatly improved UI aesthetics. Finally, the Realme 3 Pro is perhaps the best gaming phone under Rs 15,000, and as a result, is the perfect alternative to the Redmi Note 7 Pro, which is focused more on the camera”.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2WpVX1X

Redmi 7 to go on sale at noon today on Amazon and Micom

Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi launched the Redmi 7 some time ago in India and the smartphone will be available from 12PM today on Mi.com and Amazon.in. The Redmi 7 is available in a 2GB RAM and 32GB storage option priced at Rs 7,999. The 3GB RAM and 32GB storage version will cost Rs 8,999. The smartphone will go on sale today at noon on Amazon.in, Mi.com and Mi Homes.

Coming to the specifications of the Redmi 7, the smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor with the two RAM and storage options mentioned above. A 4,000mAh battery powers the entire package. The phone comes bundled with an 18W charger. It sports a dot notch that houses the front shooter. The Redmi 7 runs MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 Pie.

The Redmi 7 features a 6.26-inch HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. It also houses the endangered 3.5mm headphone jack. A fingerprint sensor rests on the back of the smartphone. The P2i coated back panel has the “Redmi by Xiaomi” branding on it. For the optics, the Redmi 7 sports a 12MP primary sensor with 1.25um pixel size and 1/2.9 aperture lens. There is also a 2MP secondary depth sensor. On the front is an 8MP camera, which is housed in the dot notch.

In our early impressions of the smartphone we noted that, “At first glance, the Redmi 7 doesn't seem all that exciting. The phone comes across as a downgraded Redmi Note 7 Pro with a similar design, display and form factor. But the performance and camera are where it lacks lustre. Granted it's much cheaper than the Note 7 Pro, but 2GB RAM in today's age? The camera too doesn't seem like a big upgrade over its predecessor. Nevertheless, for Rs 7,999, there are other options to explore as well and the Redmi 7 becomes one among many to offer a good mix of design and hardware. We will be putting the phone through our intensive tests for the in-depth review for a concrete verdict. Stay tuned.”

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2JfzwZw

Acer Predator Helios 300 first impressions: worth looking forward to

Intel Extreme Masters in Sydney saw some of the world’s best CS: Go compete against each other on the hardened IEM stage, but there were some notable things outside the stadium as well. At the Acer pavilion, the company showed off some of its upcoming laptops, including some which would be getting the 9th generation refresh. One such machine, was the Acer Predator Helios 300, a laptop that has been wildly popular in India, but with some notable changes and upgrades. One of the most popular gaming laptops in India is about to get better and we spent quite some time checking it out at the Acer booth.

The Spec Bump

One of the most notable upgrades to the Acer Predator Helios 300 will be the use of 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor. Now we’re told that in Australia, not all the versions of the machine will feature the 9th generation Intel processor, but the highest variant will. Additionally, the highest variant would also come with an Nvidia GeForce RX 2060. The display is a FullHD panel but does not sport the fast 144Hz refresh rate. 

Design Refresh

The Acer Predator Helios 300 we saw at IEM was notably different from the Helios 300 being sold in india. For starters, the current Helios utilizes a dual-tone finish, while the new Helios 300 will be a more somber all-black. In addition, Acer is also giving the machine a “slim-bezel” treatment. The laptop is also thinner than the existing Helios 300, not by a lot, but enough to be noticeable. 

Narrow bezels are coming to the new Helios 300 refresh

Gaming on the new Acer Predator Helios 300

The unit we got to play with was running Battlefield V and sadly, didn’t have any other game installed. I played a major chunk of the Tirailleur Chapter and found that the fps counter on the top right corner of the display stayed above 60fps at all times, but didn’t go higher than 68-70fps. The game ran fairly smooth and had no performance hiccups. We couldn’t tell how loud the fans were running because there was a lot of noise in the area. The laptop was also pretty slim from what I could tell, and weighed roughly 2 kilos, give or take a few hundred grams. When we quit the game, we discovered the unit was running on the 8th generation Intel Core i5, paired with 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia 1660Ti. Surprise!

Playing Battlefield V on the new Helios 300 was surprisingly smooth

First Impressions

So far, we’ve not had the chance to use any GTX 1660Ti or GTX 1650 powered laptops. Though the new Acer Predator Helios 300 unit we got to try was still using an 8th generation processor, but with the new GTC 1660Ti processor, the gaming experience was pretty good. So we do expect that when Acer rolls out the 9th generation Intel Core i7 powered version of the laptop, gamers would be getting a machine from which they could genuinely expect some impressive performance. The only thing we hope for is that Acer doesn’t go overboard with the pricing due to new components. The 9th generation Intel processors promise some impressive performance, so we’re pretty excited to see what they will be able to do.

 

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2JgMvdG

Samsung working on in-display camera tech to lose bezels completely: Report

Every smartphone maker out there is eager to get rid of the bezels around the display. In an effort to achieve maximum screen-to-body ratio, many smartphone makers have tucked the earpiece away on the border, made a tiny circular or U-shaped notch for the selfie camera, and put the fingerprint scanner under the display. In its latest flagship model, the S10 series, Samsung created a cutout for the selfie camera.

However, according to a recent report by Chinese media channel MyDrivers, Samsung wants to do away with even that. How, you ask? It intends to put the selfie camera under the display, just like it did with the fingerprint scanner. As of today, the selfie camera is the only visible element on the front face of any regular smartphone without a pop-up camera. Most smartphones out there, even in the budget and mid-range segments, employ some sort of notch for the selfie camera because it's hard to accommodate it.

If the selfie camera too is tucked away under the display, a smartphone with a near 100-percent screen-to-body ratio must be possible in theory. "The screen camera technology can control the display screen, so that when the front camera is activated, the screen in the camera area will automatically become transparent, which is convenient for front camera framing. In other words, this technology will be similar to the existing screen fingerprint technology, and will achieve the effect through the transparency of the screen," reads the report.

According to GSMArena, this information first came from Yang Byung-duk, Vice President of the Display R&D group at Samsung. It has reportedly even been confirmed by the Korean media. Still, it's always best to take news like this with a pinch of salt. There's still no information available yet on which of Samsung's models will be the first to sport a camera technology like this or how far the Korean electronics company has come in its development. Until it hits the market, it's pop-up cameras and tiny circular notches for us all.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2LodTJa

SpaceX rocket delivers NASAs organs on chips, climate sensor to ISS

SpaceX regularly lights up its Falcon 9 rocket for NASA to send up supplies and scientific equipment to the International Space Station. This time around, the rocket's payload contained something more interesting than the usual stock of food and care packages. SpaceX's robotic cargo capsule, Dragon, was carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) and four Tissue Chips in Space experiments. All in all, Dragon was carrying about 2,500 kilogrammes when it safely delivered its cargo to the space station yesterday.

Successor to OCO-2, the more versatile and powerful OCO-3 continues the American space agency's study of Earth's carbon cycle,  while the four other experiments are known as tissue chips or organs on chips. The flash drive-sized chips contain human cells in a 3D matrix. They will be tested to see how they respond to stresses, drugs, and genetic changes. "Spaceflight causes many significant changes in the human body. We expect tissue chips in space to behave much like an astronaut’s body, experiencing the same kind of rapid change," commented Associate Program Scientist Liz Warren of CASIS, a NASA partner.

The primary application of these tissue chips is in the development of new drugs. According to NASA, roughly 30 percent of promising medications are found to be toxic in human clinical trials despite successful preclinical studies in animal models. "There is a need in the drug development process to have better models to predict responses of the human body and to gauge toxicity much earlier in the process, as well as to check that a potential drug actually does what it’s supposed to without adverse side effects," commented Lucie Low in a NASA press release from late 2018.

OCO-3, on the other hand, is used to monitor natural phenomena on Earth. While measuring carbon dioxide, the observatory will determine how well plants are performing photosynthesis at the same  time. Carbon-cycle scientists will get a better understanding of how well vegetation is absorbing carbon dioxide on the ground and how the surrounding atmosphere is responding.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2GW0N0j

BSNL removes five Special Tariff Vouchers plans from its portfolio

It looks like BSNL has removed five plans from their portfolio. These plans were Special Tariff Vouchers (STV) and the plans which have been removed include the Rs 333 plan, Rs 339 plan, Rs 379 plan, Rs 392 and Rs 444 plan. The information about the removal of the plan comes from Telecom Talk. The Rs 333 STV offered unlimited on-network voice calls. It also gave users 3GB data per day. After the FUP the speed fell to 80 Kbps. The plan was also bundled with an EROS Now subscription and sported a 45 days validity. 

The Rs 339 STV plan came with a 26 days validity. It has free STD calls to other networks but with a limit of 30 minutes per day. For data, the plan offered 3GB data daily after which the speed fell to 80kbps. 

The Rs 379 STV offered 4GB data per day along with on-network unlimited calls with 30 minutes per day calling to other networks. The validity of the plan was 30 days. 

The Rs 392 STV offered customers unlimited on-network calls. The data limit was capped at 3GB per day. Customers also got EROS Now subscription and BSNL gaming offer. 

Lastly, the Rs 444 STV gave customers 4GB of data per day. It also offered on-network unlimited calls along with EROS Now subscription for 60 days. 

According to telecom talk, “It is worth noting that the likely reason why BSNL has put an end to these plans is that they were shipping on-network calling benefits. Now although the STVs were offering unlimited calling and impressive data benefits, these days, only 30 minutes of calling to other network doesn’t make sense especially when other providers are shipping these benefits in all their plans. As such, it is possible that BSNL has discontinued these plans due to abysmal customer demand”.

So it looks like BSNL may introduce other plans which will be attractive to customers and offer a higher duration of calling to other networks if not unlimited. Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone, all have new plans and you can check out our comparison of the new plans here.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2VLfnRV

Dells SupportAssist app had serious security flaws, reveals 17-year-old

Dell's SupportAssist, an inbuilt tool designed to install the right drivers and perform health checks on Dell PCs, had been harbouring a couple of security vulnerabilities since at least September last year. The discovery of the two high-severity vulnerabilities was made by Bill Demirkapi, a 17-year-old security researcher from Boston, Massachusetts when he decided to replace his aging MacBook Pro with a Dell G3 15.

Named Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-3719), the first vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to share the network access layer with the vulnerable system and let the attacker compromise the system by tricking a victim into downloading and executing arbitrary executables using SupportAssist from attacker hosted sites. The second vulnerability, called Improper Origin Validation (CVE-2019-3718), allows an authenticated attacker to exploit the vulnerability to attempt one-click attacks on users of affected PCs.

Demirkapi, who recounts his discovery in a blog post, apparently wrote to Dell about the vulnerabilities back in late October. Soon, Dell acknowledged the existence of the vulnerabilities and promised to roll out a fix in the first quarter of 2019. In late April, Dell released an advisory on the matter. According to Dell, SupportAssist Client version 3.2.0.90 (and later) contains resolutions to the reported vulnerabilities. What does this mean for you? If you own a Dell PC, you should update SupportAssist to this version or later as soon as possible.

A couple of months ago, WinRAR patched a 19-year-old security vulnerability in the archival tool's code after security researchers outlined its potential risks in a public blog post. The vulnerability allowed attackers to extract malicious software anywhere on the PC's hard drive. A little before that, an Indian security researcher found a security vulnerability in the Microsoft Store app on Windows 10 that could potentially affect over 400 million users.

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2WogaFl