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sincity

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  1. With the MWC 2017 quickly approaching, there’s still some speculation as to what the manufacturers will have to show off. While the likes of LG are expected to launch the LG G6, we are now hearing that Huawei will unveil the Honor 8 Pro during the course of the event. The smartphone will apparently come with dual-rear cameras, which has been an industry trend for the past couple of years or so. It is said that the Honor 8 Pro will be known as the Honor V9 when it breaks cover in China. The handset has already been approved in China, which means we don’t have to wait for the official launch for the confirmation of the hardware specs. As per TENAA’s listing, the smartphone comes with a 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) panel, and an octa-core processor with a clock speed of 2.4 GHz. However, the exact make of the processor is not known at this point. Huawei is one of the top manufacturers in the world right now, thanks mainly to its high power cost effective handsets. It is not yet known if this new offering will go easy on the wallets, but one can hope that the company won’t drastically change its policies for this particular device. Hardware specifications of the Huawei Honor 8 ProDisplay: 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) panel Processor: 2.4 GHz octa-core (make unknown) Camera: 12MP dual-rear cameras, 8MP front camera RAM: 4/6GB Storage: 64/128GB OS: Android 7.0 Nougat Battery: 3,900mAh Connectivity: 4G LTE http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/m89Cng7fgxo
  2. Fingerprint sensors have moved on from being a niche luxury feature found only in flagships to an essential feature found in most mid-range smartphones. Slowly and steadily, fingerprint scanners have been making their way down the price scale, and now you can buy smartphones packing fingerprint scanners for under 10,000 rupees! Not only do fingerprint scanners provide much needed security, they also offer a convenient and hassle-free method to authenticate your app purchases, unlock your device even lock your sensitive files and applications. Additionally, many vendors like Amazon and banks like Bank of Baroda have also integrated fingerprint authentication in their applications, extending the usability of fingerprint sensors even further. Here are the top 5 smartphones you can buy under Rs 10,00 that come with a fingerprint scanner. (Image source: Thinkstock) Also read: Best smartphones under Rs 15,000 1/5 Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 - Rs 9,999http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CAa47q965BfBpBtEDm4SPL.jpg The Redmi Note 3 comes with an all-metal design, a 5.5-inch full HD display and a hexa-core Snapdragon 650 processor. The 16GB variant comes with 2GB of RAM and a 4,000mAh battery unit. The Redmi Note 3 was Xiaomi's first ever handset to pack a fingerprint scanner, which is placed right below the camera sensor and is extremely accurate. On the imaging front, the device has a 16MP rear camera with a dual LED flash and a 5MP front shooter. The device runs on Xiaomi’s own MIUI7 running atop Android 5.1 Lollipop and has held the title of the best budget smartphone in our books for quite some time now. There is also a 32GB variant with 3GB of RAM priced slightly higher at Rs 11,999. Also read : Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 review 2/5 LeEco Le1s Eco - Rs 9,999http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LUmQPgnR8unKUMrMUM97gU.jpg The LeEco Le 1s Eco features an all metal design, a 1.85 GHz MediaTek Helio X10 processor, 32GB of non-expandable internal storage and 3GB of RAM. The smartphone has a 5.5inch, full HD IPS display with a pixel density of 401 PPI. It also has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for scratch resistance. On the software front, The phone runs on Le Eco's own EUI, running on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop. The smartphone has a 13MP rear camera with a f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP front camera. It comes with a fingerprint scanner at the back, which is extremely fast and snappy. Also read : LeEco Le1s Eco review 3/5 Meizu M3 Note - Rs 9,999http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wDkn6HYXKrD3mEb9ivxKed.jpg The Meizu M3 Note features a 5.5-inch full HD display, an octa-core MediaTek 1.8GHz Helio P10 processor, 32GB of internal storage (expandable via a microSD card up-to 128GB), a 4,100mAh battery and 3GB of RAM. There is a fingerprint scanner built into the home button, which Meizu promises can unlock the device in 0.2 seconds. On the connectivity front, the phone supports 4G LTE along with VoLTE, dualSIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 as well as GPS. The rear camera is a 13MP sensor with a f/2.2 aperture, phase detection auto focus as well as a dual LED flash. Additionally, the front camera is a 5MP sensor with a f/2.0 aperture. Also read : Meizu M3 Note in pictures 4/5 Coolpad Note 3 - Rs 8,999http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/66dXWMVAaN2LodCfkYSte7.jpg The Coolpad Note 3 packs a 5.5-inch 720p HD display, a 1.3GHz MediaTek octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable up-to 64GB via microSD card) and a 3,000mAh battery. The smartphone comes with a fingerprint scanner located at the rear, just below the camera sensor, which is a delight to use and is extremely snappy. The device has a 13MP rear camera with a f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP front camera. The Coolpad Note 3 runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with the company's customized Cool UI 6.0 skin running on top and on the connectivity front, supports 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and USB OTG. Also read : Coolpad Note 3 review 5/5 Coolpad Note 3 Lite - Rs 6,999http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dwcuMixZXSGdXa7JNkHfxE.jpg The Coolpad Note 3 Lite features a 5-inch 720p HD display, a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor, 16GB of internal storage (expandable via a microSD card) and 3GB of RAM. The device is one of the cheapest smartphones in the market to come with a fingerprint scanner. The sensor itself is extremely fast and accurate and belies the smartphone’s price tag. The Coolpad Note 3 runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with the company's customized Cool UI 6.0 skin running on top and on the connectivity front, supports 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Additionally, the smartphone has a 13MP rear camera with a 5MP front camera. Also read : Coolpad Note 3 Lite review http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/9jpmXPGeZOk
  3. American imaging giant Kodak in partnership with Noida based Super Plastronics Pvt. Ltd. has announced the launch of 5 LED TVs in the Indian market. Kodak's LED TVs will be available in three screen sizes- 32-inch, 40-inch and 50-inch and will offer internet connectivity and Wi-Fi capability. The product range will be made available on all leading online e-commerce platforms starting with Shop Clues, Flipkart and Amazon post August 15, 2016. While the 32-inch models (HD X900S and HDXSMART) and the 40-inch models (FHDX900S and FHDXSMART) are offered in both standard and smart variants, the bigger 50-inch model will only be made available in Smart TV variant. The 32-inch HD X900S features a 250 Nits Samsung panel and supports USB to USB copying. The TV comes with a glass cabinet, 4GB flash storage and 512MB memory. The 40-inch Kodak FHDX900S comes with a 300 Nits Samsung panel and also offers USB to USB copy. The Kodak 40 FHDXSMART model has 300 Nits Samsung panel, 4GB flash storage, 512MB memory and supports USB to USB copy. The TV also has MHL connectivity. The bigger KODAK 50FHDXSMART TV comes with all the features that are offered by 40-inch FHDXSMART, expect that it has a bigger 50-inch display. The company has only mentioned the starting price of the TV range and will soon reveal the prices of other models. However, it claimed that the products will be priced between Rs 13,500 and Rs 40,000. The TVs are powered by ARM Cortex A7 processors paired up with 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal storage. The LED panels come with wide viewing angles and also include features like progressive scan, yPbPr colour space and a response time of less than 8ms. The TV sets run on Android 4.4 Kitkat and has HDMI, USB and VGA support as connectivity features. Kodak's LED TVs will be on sale starting August 15. While the 32-inch TV will be available exclusively on ShopClues, the 40-inch and 50-inch variants will be available on both Amazon and Flipkart. Kodak HD LED TVs will compete with the recent offerings from LeEco and Micromax TVs. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/rAR-CE6uqfU
  4. 2014 saw Motorola’s ownership change hands from the west to the east. Lenovo acquired the company off Google on January 29, 2014 but it was not until 2016 that the fruits of Lenovo’s ownership started showing up. The year started off with Motorola in a slightly vulnerable position with the relative failure of both the Moto X Style and Moto X Play. The Moto X line was fading and even the third generation Moto G had failed to impress. These first devices under Lenovo’s ownership however, had been in the pipeline much before Lenovo took over and it was not until the Moto G4 and the Moto Z in 2016 that we saw what the new Motorola could deliver. Moto G4 series: Ushering in a renaissanceThe Moto G4 Plus was one of two variants of Motorola's fourth generation Moto G, the firm's bestselling smartphone range ever. This was the first time Motorola (now owned by Lenovo) launched more than one smartphone in the G range, with the Moto G4, Moto G4 Play and the Moto G4 Plus. At a starting price of Rs 13,499, the Moto G4 Plus made for a compelling buy, and continued the G series of smartphone's tradition of providing good smartphones at an affordable price. With a superb display, a fast and accurate fingerprint sensor, stock android and great performance, it ticked all the right boxes for a mid-range device. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7Y3ypWrbxuoiCsVWtAC6UC.jpg In comparison to the regular Moto G4, the Moto G4 Plus featured an improved 16MP rear camera with phase auto detection, laser autofocus and a dual LED Flash and also came with a fingerprint sensor. Motorola also released the Moto G4 Play which was the cheapest device in the G4 lineup at Rs 8,999 and packed a 5-inch 720p HD display, a 2,800mAh battery, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable internal storage. The Moto G4, G4 Plus and G4 Play were critical as well as commercial hits and announced the comeback of Motorola in the smartphone game. The Plus in particular, presented a fantastic blend of features and affordability that saw it shoot up the sales charts. Moto E3 Power: The odd one outLenovo also unveiled the Moto E3 Power in India which was a more powerful version of the third generation Moto E3. In a surprising move, the company decided against releasing the regular Moto E3 in the country. The Moto E3 Power came with a massive 3,500mAh battery, 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch HD display and nearly stock Android Marshmallow. At Rs 7,999, the Moto E3 Power found itself in as odd situation with the much more capable Moto G4 Play priced at just a thousand rupees more. The attack of the Modular smartphonesMotorola then cemented its position in the smartphone world by releasing the striking Moto Z, the company’s most exciting smartphone in years. The Moto Z came packed to the gills with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, 4GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera with OIS and 4K recording, a 5MP front shooter and a 2,600mAh battery along with TurboCharging support. The ‘World's thinnest premium smartphone’ came with a 5.5-inch QuadHD display protected by corning gorilla glass, a sleek and suave metal/glass body and unlimited feature expansion through the Moto Mods. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gxJzGEeQZ2LZDvNzSnFGkP.jpg The distinguishing feature of the Moto Z were the ‘Moto Mods’: snap-on accessories that could be attached to the back of smartphone through magnets in order to increase its functionality. Alongside the flagship Moto Z, Motorola also launched its younger brother, the Moto Z Play which came with a 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, a downgrade from the QuadHD resolution of the Moto Z and the largest battery Motorola ever put in any of its smartphones. Just like the Moto Z, the Moto Z Play also supported the innovative Moto Mods. The Moto Z and Moto Z Play helped bring Motorola back into the spotlight. The Moto Mods in particular were greatly appreciated and were hailed as one of the best implementations of the modular concept in recent years. The stunning all-metal Moto MThe end of the year saw Motorola launching the stunning all-metal Moto M in India. The Moto M’s full metal unibody design with antenna bands on the top and bottom edges was a complete departure from the design language of previous Motorola smartphones and was again an indication of the company's new ownership. This is what Sudhin Mathur, Executive Director, Lenovo Mobile Business Group, India had to say about the company's performance in 2016: “The Moto G franchise continues to be much loved and we witnessed an extremely high conversion from early Moto G buyers opting for the new Moto G 4th Generation. But, our real game changer and technological breakthrough was the Moto Z and Moto Mods series that redefined the evolutionary progress of the smartphone industry. The Moto Z and Moto Mods system is designed to provide connected, intelligent and mobile consumer experiences in a seamless fashion and the power to transform your (Moto Z) smartphone in a snap is revolutionary. We started with four Moto Mods and are continuously working with multiple partners to develop more Mods for smartphone users in 2017.” What's next?2017 will be a crucial year for the company as it prepares to build upon the success of the G4 and Z range. It is pivotal for Lenovo to make sure that it retains the essence of the company while at the same time push new boundaries of design and innovation. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/ZvhKtA5Xynk
  5. At an event in New Delhi today, Lenovo unveiled a whole new range of laptops for the upcoming festive holiday season. In the offing are two new Yoga laptops, five new Ideapads and their latest 2 in 1 – the Mix 310. Lenovo Miix 310The Miix 310 is the latest device in Lenovo’s 2-in 1 arsenal. The device claims to offer good performance in an extremely portable and sleek enclosure at an affordable cost. It comes with a 10.1-inch fullHD display, a mammoth 10 hour battery life and upto 64GB of flash storage. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aNy67jPg53r3xuPvDguzJ8.jpg The Miix 310’s display can be detached from the keyboard and be used as a tablet. The connectivity ports like the USB port are located on the tablet portion of the device alongside the charging port and power button. Initial ImpressionsThe Miix 310 was the only device at Lenovo’s launch event today that left me with a sour taste in the mouth. The Miix 310, while competent, felt like it didn’t belong with the rest of Lenovo’s new festive lineup. Lenovo has taken a very safe route with the looks of the device and it ends up looking dull and insipid. The biggest problem I had with the device is the awful weight distribution when used as a laptop. The tablet portion of the device is much heavier than the keyboard, which means the device keeps falling over while typing. For a device aimed as both a tablet and a laptop, this is a serious shortcoming and needs to be looked upon. Otherwise the device is decently specced and the touch screen is nice and responsive. It feels much better to use as a tablet rather than a laptop, chiefly because of the weight distribution issue. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yaqx22UdbTyXCiUe6Y2wqF.jpg Lenovo Miix 310 specificationsCPU: Intel Atom X5 X8350 processor RAM: Up-to 2GB Screen: 10.1-inch fullHD OS: Windows 10 Storage: Up-to 64GB flash storage Cameras: 2MP front, 5MP rear Ports: SD card reader, microHDMI port, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 always-on USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/c Battery Life (claimed): Up to 10 hours local video playback Price: Rs 17,490 Accidental Damage ProtectionAlong with the new laptops, Lenovo also announced an Accidental damage protection plan, which will be offered for free with the new laptops and will also be made available to their entire range at a nominal cost. The plan will cover liquid spillage, electrical surges, drops and screen damage. Lenovo also announced an association with McAfee to offer the McAfee Live Safe all-in-one protection suite with every new Lenovo laptop. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/bO9OkEo14-4
  6. Meizu has just unveiled the Meizu Pro 6s at an event in China, and the smartphone is gearing up to be one of the most exciting in a while. Inspired design to say the least!The Meizu Pro 6s looks almost identical to its predecessor, the Meizu Pro 6, which itself had an uncanny resemblance to a certain phone made by a manufacturer whose name is that of a fruit. The unibody aluminium design looks great and premium on its own, but when compared to an iPhone, the similarities are uncanny. From the rounded edges to the extremely similar antenna lines, to the precisely machined holes for the microphone and speaker, Meizu were very obviously ‘inspired’ by the iPhone. The iPhone similarities don't end with the design, the Pro 6s comes with a 3D touch display and similar pressure tracking features. Features/SpecificationsComing back to the Pro 6s, it comes with a 5.2-inch full HD display, a 3,020 man battery, 4GB of RAM, 64GB non expandable storage a 5MP front camera and a new 12MO rear camera with an aperture of f/2.0 and a IMX386 sensor. The camera also comes with a variety or tricks up its sleeve such as 40axis Optical Image stabilisation, 10-LED dual tone flash, laser autofocus and phase detection autofocus. The device is powered by a deca-core (Yes, that’s 10 cores folks!) Hello X25 processor paired with the Mali - T880MP4 GPU. Finally, on the software front it runs Meizu’s own (rather peculiar i must say) Flyme OS running atop Android Marshmallow. No Android 7.0 Nougat in this day and age? What a disappointment. Price and availabilityThe meizu Pro 6s will launch in China on 4 November at a price of CNY 2,699 (Roughly Rs 26,600). There is no news as of now of an Indian release. Source: Android Authority http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/2Zx-ADCIAc8
  7. The never-ending debate about smartphone camera vs DLSR continues to rage on but with future developments, don't be surprised if the former manages to upstage the latter. Few years back, Nokia brought different camera dimensions to smartphone with its 41MP powered Lumia 1020 Windows phone. Cut to circa 2015, we might just catch glimpse of first phone with 100MP imaging power and this time it's going to come from land of China. Gionee is one of the many handset makers, focused on selling products in markets like China and India among others and their latest flagship is rumored to be announced shortly at a global level for the time being. Currently, Gionee's flagship credentials are held forth by Elife S7 but soon that could be displaced by Elife E8, which is expected to come fitted with a 23MP rear snapper that according to leaks will be equipped with capability to click pictures of 100MP quality and shoot 4K videos. We would like to remind you that Gionee's Elife E8 has been much delayed smartphone. At the Gionee Elife S7 launch, when he had quizzed India Head Arvind Vohra about the same, he had mentioned that they wanted the device to stand out and were working on various aspects, which is causing the delay. Could this be the reason what has caused the delay for the Gionee Elife E8? It's hard to go by the company's claim or rumoured revelations right now, so it's better to wait it out and watch Gionee has to say about the device in question. But do we really need 100MP quality and that on a smartphone? Stay tuned, more on the phone in will be shared soon. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/mfLoNyEDCrQ
  8. After weeks of teasing, homegrown mobile maker Micromax today unveiled their ‘premium’ smartphone Dual 5 in India at Rs 24,999. No doubt, the company has tried its best to put in all the efforts to present it as a complete smartphone. But the discussions started rolling out soon after the price was announced. While many of us were examining about features, camera and the atypical price, some of our readers started tweeting about something that we didn’t notice. The recently launched dual-camera smartphone from Micromax has ‘borrowed’ not just one but almost everything from the Qiku 360 Q5. Qiku is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer which came under spotlight when it launched Qiku Q Terra in India, which also features a dual-camera. The company is also known for its 360 OS that comes with bunch of customization options and added security built in it. The Qiku 360 Q5 comes with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with full HD resolution. Under the hood it runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core SoC. It has 4GB of RAM and surprisingly 128GB of storage, which is said to be a major selling point of the Micromax Dual 5. For imaging, the Qiku 360 Q5 has a pair of 13+13 MP cameras on rear and a 13MP front camera as well. Moreover, it has similar modes and 4K video support just like the Dual 5. Further it has a 3200mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. If you don’t already know, the Micromax Dual 5 has exactly the same hardware specifications as on the Qiku 360 Q5. If you are wondering that it’s possible for two smartphones to come with same specifications, then you should search for Qiku Q5 and match the design elements of both the smartphones. Moreover, the Qiku 360 Q5 also has military grade security chip and similar security features to the Dual 5. Now when it comes to differentiating both the smartphones, the only difference one can find is the logo on the back and the price. In the beginning of the Dual 5 launch event, Micromax CEO, Rahul Sharma was briefing on what the company has been doing from last six months. No wonder it took them six months to rebrand a Chinese smartphone and call it ‘Made in India’. We don't blame Micromax for rebranding the the Qiku 360 Q5, but at least the company should have made the smartphone a little pocket friendly. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/-0uKyZ1dUW4
  9. With Google’s Pixel phones just a few months old, a new leak from China is giving us an early glimpse of what the second gen variant might look like. Given that we’re still pretty far away from the release of the second-gen Pixel, we are taking this with a massive grain of salt. Speaking about the renderings shown here, it’s noticeable that the handset is packing a glass back, reminiscent of the Google Nexus 4. The two-tone color scheme is also missing here, which would be a shame as it made the Pixel phones stand out from the crowd. The rear panel houses a similar camera, flash, and fingerprint sensor as the predecessor. The front is showing to be packing dual-speakers on the bottom bezel, so it’s clear that the designer here is not a fan of slim front bezels. Naturally, the phone also comes with a USB Type-C port. That’s pretty much everything we can tell from these renders. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NwAGGaEgqtem3UB3xUHpzT.jpg Given that the Pixel and the Pixel XL was launched in October, we expect the successor to launch at around September or October this year. We’re curious to see if Google will offer HTC the responsibility of producing the second gen Pixel handsets, much like it did in 2016. Google took a logical step by killing off the Nexus lineup and replacing it with the Pixels. It was partly a gamble, which has paid off to some extent. The pricing, however, was a little too steep in my opinion. Perhaps the company can rectify this with the 2017 models. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/OOSKPfEQ8x0
  10. Flipkart is offering a plethora of products with discounts and and attractive offers. But it can be quite an ask to pick out the best ones. This list will help you pick the best of the lot. 1/10 JBL Flip 2http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XsKmSS4Rmk8hwUAdtDksKT.jpg While Amazon is offering these speakers for Rs 4,599, Flipkart has managed to undercut its industry rival by offering the same speaker for Rs 3,999. There’s an additional 10% discount if you purchase it using an SBI credit or debit card, saving you another Rs 400 or so. 2/10 32GB LeEco Le Max2http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XFdiKH43vPEaxh6CDm6Ukd.jpg Any LeEco fans out there? Well, the Le Max2 flagship can be yours for a very attractive price of Rs 17,999. The device usually sells for Rs 22,999, so you're saving big here. 3/10 32GB Nextbit Robinhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jpMUJfe3bY2VEBSdPhrgVn.jpg Remember this cloud based high-end offering from Nextbit? Well, the 32GB variant of the handset can be snatched up for just Rs 14,999, making this quite an attractive deal for the customers. You can also get up to Rs 13,000 off with an exchange program. 4/10 16GB Moto X Play with Turbo Chargerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/THcQsgf5wxjXavEBwXQdr7.jpg While the 32GB variant of the Moto X Play is selling for a very good price, the 16GB variant is enjoying an even bigger discount. Flipkart is selling the device for Rs 12,999, plus there’s the SBI credit/debit card offer along with an exchange promo. 5/10 Xiaomi Mi 5http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MznNHTScoLrrpUk5cNa7kD.jpg One of the most attractive budget flagships available out there, the Xiaomi Mi 5 is now selling for Rs 19,999, down from its usual pricing of Rs 24,999. All colours are available for the same price, making this quite an appealing prospect for many. 6/10 ASUS ZenFone 2 (4GB RAM/32GB storage)http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/J5jTTaBp9J3bGudy4kiYNM.jpg Although this is a 2015 handset, the hardware it possesses makes it an attractive device even today. The smartphone comes with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 5.5-inch Full HD display, and the Intel Atom Z3560 processor. You can grab the ASUS ZenFone 2 for just Rs 9,999 on Flipkart. 7/10 Philips Bluetooth Speakerhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wxUpNQibF7P7QKSKG3JBgU.jpg The pocket sized Philips Bluetooth speaker can be yours for just Rs 999. Flipkart claims that this is a special price, which indicates that the listing might not stay up for long. 8/10 Apple iPad Air 2 (32GB)http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RZEVXDWwww3fBwVkvr8h8c.jpg The Apple iPad Air 2 in a 64GB configuration can be yours for just Rs 31,900. This is Apple’s most recent full sized iPad, barring the iPad Pro. The company is expected to be launching an iPad Air refresh this month, which could explain the discount here. 9/10 32GB LG G5http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nP6fC8BZVPDkQZLHjarUsj.jpg LG’s early 2016 modular flagship, the G5, is selling on Flipkart for Rs 39,999. The smartphone is available in Silver, Gold and Titan colour variants, which means there are plenty of options to choose from. 10/10 Huawei Watch with stainless steel body and leather straphttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/J2b5k6qxZeMYu3Es52MZ75.jpg Huawei is offering its Android Wear smartwatch for just Rs 17,999. For those not in the loop, this is one of the best looking smartwatches money can buy right now. Considering how Huawei won’t be launching any new smartwatches in the foreseeable future, this might remain the only wearable on offer by the company in the months to come. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/-s9dMukSsTw
  11. North Korea has managed to steal $2bn from banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through a series of cyberattacks aimed at helping fund its nuclear and missile programs, according to a new confidential report from the United Nations. The report, compiled by independent experts monitoring compliance over the past six months, was submitted to the U.N. Security Council North Korea sanctions committee last week. The experts explained how North Korea “used cyberspace to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks to steal funds from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to generate income”. These stolen funds were then laundered over the Internet to prevent detection. Huawei reportedly helped to build North Korea's internetSouth Korea moves from Windows to LinuxFireEye unmasks new North Korean threat groupMany of the cyber actors behind these attacks were operating under the direction of the country's Reconnaissance General Bureau which is one of North Korea's top military intelligence agencies. North Korea cyberattacksThe experts who put together the report said they are investigating “at least 35 reported instances of DPRK actors attacking financial institutions, cryptocurrency exchanges and mining activity designed to earn foreign currency” in 17 countries. The reason the cyber actors targeted cryptocurrency exchanges is because it allowed them “to generate income in ways that are harder to trace and subject to less government oversight and regulation that the traditional banking sector” When Reuters asked a US State department spokesperson about the U.N. Report, they said: “We call upon all responsible states to take action to counter North Korea’s ability to conduct malicious cyber activity, which generates revenue that supports its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.” Sanctions have been imposed on North Korea since 2006 as a way of trying to limit funding to the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. It has become increasingly difficult for the country to raise capital which is why it likely turned to cybercrime as a means of doing so. We've also highlighted the best antivirus softwareVia Reuters http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/ZNOv7LGOcRs
  12. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 launch date is today, August 7, and we'll be reporting live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to bring you all the news as it breaks. Rumors point towards at least two handset announcements today, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 tipped to arrive alongside the bigger Galaxy Note 10 Plus. The handsets appear to have been comprehensively leaked over the past few months, potentially leaving Samsung with very little new to reveal to us today - assuming the volley of Galaxy Note 10 leaks are indeed accurate. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 launch event kicks off at 4pm EDT (1pm PDT, 9pm BST, 7am AEDT on August 8), and you'll be able to follow all the announcements as they happen below, in our Galaxy Note 10 launch live blog. How to watch the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 launch live streamEverything we know so far about the Galaxy Note 10We're expecting a new iPhone range to launch next monthSamsung Galaxy Note 10 launch live blogAll times in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Make sure you hit refresh to see the latest updates 11:30 - Just when you thought the mobile market may be starting to settle down, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 launch turns up, kicking off the next round of big phone announcements. At the start of September we could see the likes of the Sony Xperia 2 and LG G8X at IFA 2019, followed by the iPhone 11 a week later, and then the Google Pixel 4, OnePlus 7T and Huawei Mate 30 Pro in the following weeks/months. In short, it's going to get real busy, real soon... again. And, as always, TechRadar will be with you every step of the way to bring you all the latest as it happens. 10:30 - As we near the 16:00 start time, let's take a moment to round-up the key Samsung Galaxy Note 10 rumors. Two handsets: Note 10 and Note 10 PlusCentral punch-hole selfie camera in screenNew S Pen stylus housed in the body of the phonesThere may not be a headphone jackNote 10 screen could be between 6.3 and 6.4 inchesWhile Note 10 Plus screen tipped for between 6.6 and 6.8 inchesTriple or quad-camera setups on the rearAll the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 rumors06:30 - So does this mean we'll only get to see and learn about the Galaxy Note 10, and potentially the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, today? Well, maybe not. A few weeks ago Samsung confirmed that it was ready to put its foldable phone on sale in September, saying that it had addressed and fixed the issues which plagued the device ahead of its planned launch earlier this year, which it then had to cancel. Today's launch event could be a good opportunity for Samsung to re-introduce the world to its foldable smartphone and explain in detail the progress it has made in an attempt to win-back consumers who may have been put off by the issues. Read our hands on: Samsung Galaxy Fold review05:30 - Earlier rumors surrounding today's Galaxy Unpacked event hinted that we may see more than just phones announced on stage, but instead Samsung decided to launch a couple of new products ahead of the August 7 event. First, we got the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, the firm's new productivity focused tablet aimed to compete with Apple's iPad Pro range. Then, on August 5, Samsung announced the Galaxy Watch Active 2. This new smartwatch adds a digital bezel, ECG and a LTE option for those who want connectivity without relying on their smartphone's signal. Read our hands on: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 reviewRead our hands on: Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 review04:30 - And the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 leaks continue to flow, mere hours before the launch event, although this is a good one. Samsung has announced a new high-end chipset - the Exynos 9825 - just in time for it to be potentially included in its new Galaxy Note smartphone. Previous Note 10 rumors suggested that the handset may well pack a new chipset, giving it a power advantage over the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus which launched earlier this year, so making the jump from the Exynos 9825 to the Note 10 is reasonable. Read the full Exynos 9825 story04:00 - In the Big Apple, everyone (well, most people) are still asleep, but that doesn't mean we're sitting back... oh no. There's potentially a lot to look forward to today, and Samsung has made some recent announcements you may have missed. Worry not though, as we'll take you through everything you can expect to see today, as well as what's already been announced, as we build towards the Galaxy Note 10 launch this evening. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/Jd4i14vnVUg
  13. Remember that friend you used to play World of Warcraft with religiously? Maybe you raided after school on weeknights and explored Azeroth at weekend? But, somehow you lost touch. Life has a habit of getting in the way. Well, Blizzard wants you to reconnect with those old friends through Classic Connections. The World of Warcraft developer has opened new forums dedicated to helping you reconnect with your friends from 2004 to 2006, so you can play the upcoming World of Warcraft Classic together. World of Warcraft Classic: all you need to know about the return of vanilla WoWBest PC games 2019: the must-play titles you don’t want to missBest upcoming games 2019: most anticipated titles for PS4, Xbox One and SwitchHow does it work?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q7tf4zhAyviXzzB5dnZTFY.jpg So what do you do if you want to find MagicMike87 or Butterballz? Firstly, head over to the Classic Connections forums. You'll then be presented with a thread tree of options to help you find your pal. Choices include whether they were Horde or Alliance, what type of server you played on together and what realm you mostly played. You'll then be taken to a thread where you can post your character’s name, race and class, the name of your original guild on that realm and the character names of other players you’re hoping to reconnect with. Happy hunting! WoW Classic launches on August 27, so you're going to want to clear your calendar for the foreseeable future. World of Warcraft Classic - is the nostalgia trip worth revisiting Azeroth?http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/P5vDQDCiHhs
  14. When you're setting out to build a new PC, there are a couple things you need to take into consideration – if you're getting an AMD processor, you have to use a motherboard and a cooler that are compatible. Well, not anymore. Enter the Asrock X570 Phantom Gaming-ITX, an AMD motherboard that supports an Intel cooler and Thunderbolt 3. That latter point is especially important, as the Asrock X570 Phantom Gaming-ITX is one of the first AMD motherboards that supports the standard, which was previously an Intel-exclusive feature. Here's everything you need to know about AMD Ryzen 3rd GenerationCheck out the best processorsHere are the best graphics cards on the marketNow, just taking a look at the motherboard, it looks like the cooler compatibility is the way it is because of the rectangular shape of AMD coolers, where Intel coolers are square. There isn't much room on this motherboard for a cooler because, well, it's a mini-ITX board – the smallest form-factor for a motherboard. This is coupled with the fact that X570 motherboards in general have more robust VRM (voltage regulator module) cooling, and thus less room, thanks to the increased power requirements that its new features require. Before you go out and just buy the first Intel-compatible cooler, you should keep in mind that, because Intel and AMD chips are different sizes, there won't be universal compatibility. Our advice? Check Asrock's official list of supported CPU coolers and pick from those. However, having Thunderbolt 3 on an AMD platform is huge. Thunderbolt 3 offers much higher data bandwidth than standard USB 3.2 connection – up to 40Gb/s (Gigabits per second), compared to USB 3.2's 5Gb/s. Previously, this technology was exclusive to Intel processors because, well, Intel made it. At the end of the day, we could take or leave the cooler compatibility – its neat, and its interesting to see, but the Thunderbolt 3 compatibility is important, and could potentially lead to wider adoption of the standard across the computing world. We would love to start seeing AMD laptops supporting the standard, as it could loosen Intel's chokehold on the Ultrabook market. There's a whole world of PC components out there to exploreVia ExtremeTech http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/O1WhfTqEwek
  15. Recently LG teased that a dual-screen smartphone would be announced at IFA 2019 on September 6, and now we have a better idea of what it might be, as the company has apparently mentioned the LG G8X by name. That’s according to AndroidWorld, which claims to have received an email from LG mentioning the device, as part of an invitation to the company’s IFA event. And that’s not the only mention of an LG G8X or LG G8X ThinQ, as LetsGoDigital has also spotted a trademark for the G8X name, filed by LG Electronics. So it looks very likely that such a device exists and is launching in September. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is about to landThe iPhone 11 is coming soonThe Google Pixel 4 is also on the wayThis however doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be the dual-screen device that LG teased, as LG’s DualScreen accessory (which is likely to be used as the second screen here) previously only worked with the LG V50 ThinQ, and not the LG G8. As such we were expecting the next V model, likely called the LG V60 ThinQ, to be the teased device. So it could be that two (or more) new LG handsets are fast approaching, though South Korean site GotIt claims that the LG G8X is the dual-screen device, citing industry sources, and suggests that we won’t get a new V model at IFA 2019. Two screens, but what else?So we’re really not sure at the moment. As for the LG G8X ThinQ, aside from possibly having a second screen (likely taking the form as the optional LG DualScreen accessory), we don’t know much about it, though with an ‘8’ in the name it’s probably a tweaked version of the LG G8, rather than a true successor. The G8X could still be an upgrade though, as we’ve already had the lower-end LG G8S ThinQ, so another model that’s a step down seems unlikely. LG’s teaser also hinted at enhanced gaming and photography skills, so – assuming the teaser referred to this phone – we might get that from it too. All will become clear on September 6, but in the meantime, we’ll update you with any credible news and rumors. After an LG phone? These are the besthttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/1ke04e3IPHg
  16. The budget smartphone segment of India is on fire right now, with ample great offerings from various manufacturers filling in the segment. Today, we had the Vivo S1 join the fray. The Vivo S1 is the company’s latest budget smartphone which has a strong focus on aspects such as design and selfies. At a starting price of INR 17,990, it competes with the likes of the Redmi Note 7 Pro and the Realme 3 Pro which are the current segment champions. Let’s compare the specifications of the three. DesignIn true 2019 fashion, all three phones implement a gradient back design with multiple cameras and a notched display on the front. The Vivo S1 is made of plastic and is available in shades of white and blue. The Redmi Note 7 Pro is the only one that has a real glass back, with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Realme 3 Pro also has a plastic body that mimics a glass back. Redmi and Realme have rear-mounted physical fingerprint scanners while the Vivo S1 has an in-display scanner. DisplayThe three phones have similar-sized displays with a waterdrop notch on the top for the front camera, and tall displays with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The Vivo S1 is the only one to offer an AMOLED display spread across 6.38-inches, while the other two sports 6.3-inch LCD displays. The resolution is same across the board, at 2340 x 1080. Evidently, the AMOLED panel gets more votes for better experience compared to LCD panels. PerformanceThe chipset powering a phone is a big part of the purchase decision for consumers in India. The Vivo S1 is powered by the MediaTek Helio P65 chipset. On the other hand, both Redmi and Realme opt for octa-core Snapdragon processors, the Snapdragon 675 and the Snapdragon 710 respectively. RAM options for all three vary between 4GB and 6GB. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/55qW5PDe5Ui78RtbQuynSn.jpg Vivo S1 CamerasThe Vivo S1 is the only one to offer a triple camera setup consisting of a 16MP f/1.8 camera, an 8MP ultrawide shooter and a depth sensor. The Redmi Note 7 Pro has a 48MP f/1.8 primary camera assisted by a depth sensor. Similarly, the Realme 3 Pro has a 16MP f/1.7 primary camera paired with a depth sensor. Only the latter two are capable of 4K recording. The front cameras on the three are at 32MP, 13MP and 25MP respectively. Battery and charging The three phones do not skimp out in the battery department and ship with rather large packs. The Vivo S1 has a 4,500 mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging that takes place over a micro USB port. The Redmi Note 7 Pro has a 4,000 mAh battery and supports 18W QC 4.0. The Realme 3 Pro has the fastest charging speed of the lot at 20W, juicing up the 4,045 mAh battery. Being 2019, it needs to be noted that only Redmi opts for a USB Type-C connector for charging and data. Price in IndiaThe Vivo S1 comes in three configurations with the 4 + 128GB variant priced at INR 17,990, the 6 + 64GB variant at INR 18,990 and the 6 + 128GB variant priced at INR 19,990. The Redmi Note 7 Pro is priced at INR 13,999 for the 4 + 64GB model, INR 15,999 for the 6 + 64GB variant and INR 16,999 for the top 6 + 128GB variant. The Realme 3 Pro retails at INR 13,999 for the 4 + 64GB model and INR 16,999 for the 6 + 128GB. Redmi Note 7 Pro ReviewRealme X ReviewRedmi and Realme prepping to showcase their 64MP camera tech this weekhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/zVbTaBnf13c
  17. Mobile phone deals with free gifts are a common appearance nowadays with retailers dangling consoles and freebies to win you over. However, these gifts often jack up the price of your phone deal, not really saving you any money. But, with Virgin Mobile's latest offers that's not an issue you have to worry about. Take for example, its latest offer on the Sony Xperia 10. Costing from just £20 a month, you're getting both the handset and...a free PS4! That PS4 also comes with a 12 month PS+ subscription and a Fortnite Bundle, offering exclusive outfits and 2000 V-bucks. That's a bundle that, according to Virgin, is worth £299, meaning a whole load of value for just £20 a month. So what's the catch? To drop the monthly bills down to £20 you have to sign up for a 36-month contract, meaning three years with this phone. Great news for frugal shoppers, bad news for commitment-phobes. Along with this offer, Virgin also has an iPhone XR with 100GB of data for just £33 a month. But, much like the offer above, you're tied in for the full 36 months. You can see both of these offers down below or, if those contract lengths are just too long, check out our guide to the best mobile phone deals. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg More on these Virgin Mobile phone deals:Read our reviews for these devices to find out what you're getting: iPhone XR reviewSony Xperia 10 reviewWhat stands out about Virgin Mobile?Virgin Mobile isn't quite as well known as some of the other big names like O2, EE or Three but there is still a lot to love here. Whether it's Virigin's data rollover scheme, allowing you to use unused data from the last month or the 99% 4G coverage Virgin claims to have, Virgin has a lot to offer. And not to mention, Virgin offers data free messaging on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Twitter, saving your data for the things in life that matter - Netflix binge sessions mainly. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/lwToWJfwqsQ
  18. Google has given its Image Search an makeover, and turned it into yet another way to sell you stuff. At first glance, the new Image Search looks familiar, but when you click on a product you'll now be shown prices and information about where to buy it. Google began testing a similar feature in March, which it called 'shoppable ads'. In the initial trials, only broad search terms like 'home office ideas' or 'abstract art' would deliver prices and product links, but now virtually any search will return shopping results. The most popular extensions for Google ChromeNine Google Assistant features that you may not know aboutGoogle Fuchsia release date, news and rumorsIf you click a picture that isn't a product (a person or a location, for example), Google Images will produce the same information as before the redesign, but in a sidebar on the right that doesn't obscure the list of thumbnails. Borrowed from BingThe focus on shopping isn't the only change for Google Images; scroll down a little and you'll notice that Google has borrowed an idea from Bing's visual search by adding links to 'related searches'. However, unlike Bing, Google hasn't brought back the 'View Image' link, which allowed you to see a picture in isolation without visiting the page on which it's hosted. Google removed the button last year in an attempt to prevent copyright violations The change followed a complaint by Getty Images, which claimed Google was “creating captivating galleries of high-resolution, copyrighted content" and giving them little reason to visit the site where it originated. How to get Google's 'View image' link backVia TechCrunch http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/f7zjTH6Hucg
  19. Another major security flaw has been detected in Intel hardware, potentially putting millions of devices around the world at risk. Researchers at Bitdefender claim that "every machine" that uses an Intel processor and that runs Windows, Linux or FreeBSD is impacted by the vulnerability, which comes just months after the hugely damaging Spectre and Meltdown scares. The company says that both enterprise and home users will be affected, as laptops, PCs and servers are all susceptible to the flaw. 'Spoiler' flaw in Intel CPUs is similar to SpectreThe best laptops of 2019AMD vs Intel: which chipmaker does processors better?Intel flawThe vulnerability takes advantage of a flaw in Intel's hardware protection to open up a side-channel attack that would give attackers a way in to access all information in the operating system kernel memory. It does so by exploiting a feature known as 'speculative execution', which aims to speed up a device's CPU by getting it to make educated guesses as to which instructions might come next. However speculative execution can leave traces in-cache, which attackers can hijack to gain access into systems and the data within. This new flaw bypasses all protections implemented after the discovery of Spectre and Meltdown in early 2018, meaning it can affect previously patched systems. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VPGBwaYexEsuNeGS3K4hjV.jpg “Criminals with knowledge of these attacks would have the power to uncover the most vital, best-protected information of both companies and private individuals around the world, and the corresponding power to steal, blackmail, sabotage and spy,” said Gavin Hill, vice president, datacenter and network security products at Bitdefender. “Research into these attacks is on the cutting edge as it gets to the very roots of how modern CPUs operate and requires a thorough understanding of CPU internals, OS internals, and speculative-execution side-channel attacks in-general.” Bitdefender says it has worked with Intel to create a fix for the flaw, which is available to download now. It added that ecosystem partners such as Microsoft and Linux has also patched the vulnerbaility, but users should ensure their systems are up to date immediately. Our pick of the best antivirus software of 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/HLQ1SIKAALg
  20. Microsoft recently updated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers across many of its Surface devices, and in some cases, rather than delivering promised performance improvements, Wi-Fi connections have actually been going wrong ever since. Problems are being reported by folks on Reddit and Microsoft’s own Answers.com forum, as Windows Latest noticed, with gremlins cropping up with the original Surface Book, the latest Surface Pro 6 (and Surface Pro 5), and the Surface Laptop 2. The cheaper 15-inch Surface Book 2 comes with a catchMacBook Pro 2018 vs Surface Book 2Microsoft Surface Pro 7: what we want to seeThe issue is with the Marvell Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers (v15.68.17013.110) which were recently delivered not just to the Surface Pro 5 and 6, but also all Surface Book and Surface Laptop models. Following the driver update, some people are reporting that they’ve lost the 5GHz Wi-Fi connection on their Surface device, while others are finding that their Wi-Fi is completely down (both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands). Roll it backRolling back the driver to the previous version cures the issue, which certainly seems to lay the blame firmly at the door of this update. Microsoft hasn’t made any official comment on the alleged gremlin yet, and it’s not clear how many devices might be affected, although there aren’t that many complaints at the time of writing, so it may just be a small minority of Surface device owners. As you may have seen yesterday, the fresh firmware for the Surface Pro 5 and 6 not only included these Wi-Fi improvements (or indeed problems), but also a promise of better battery life. These are the best 2-in-1 laptops of 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/hZSv-cuz_ZM
  21. Google's Advanced Protection Program (APP) now offers members an extra layer of protection against dodgy downloads in Chrome. After activating Chrome Sync (a tool that saves bookmarks, passwords and other info to a Google account), APP members will see a warning if they attempt to download software that's potentially dangerous. In some cases, Chrome may block the download entirely. Check out the best privacy apps for AndroidWe've rounded up all the best antivirus softwareThe best free malware removal softwareAPP is designed for people like politicians and CEOs, who are more at risk of having their Google accounts attacked than the average web user. However, anyone who's particularly privacy-minded can sign up. The service itself is free, but you'll first need to buy and register two hardware security keys (a main one, and a backup) so you can protect your accounts using two-factor authentication. A hardware key an important line of defense against phishing attacks, because it not only verifies your identity, but also that of the site or service you're attempting to log into. Locked downThe Advanced Protection Program update comes just a few days after Google rolled out its own Titan Security Key in the UK, France, Canada and Japan. The key was previously only available in the US, where Google itself used it to help employees lock down their accounts. People with access to sensitive information (such as Google staff) are often subjected to highly targeted phishing attacks, involving emails containing personal information and appearing to come from friends or colleagues. Links in these emails take the targeted person to a fake login page that sends their username and password to a malicious third party, Google claims that there have been no successful phishing attacks against its workers since it introduced the keys. Violent email scams are on the risehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/S2ayhlk-ps8
  22. So, what's new with Philips TVs? Last year saw the electronics company bring out some truly stellar LCDS, as well as one of the best OLED televisions we’ve ever seen, the Philips OLED+ 903 – though its 2019 range has faced some stiff competition this year from the Panasonic GZ2000 and LG rollable TV, and more players than ever looking to compete in the mid-range and premium TV space. For those after a good deal rather than the latest release, Philips' older sets tend to get some great discounts on Black Friday – and we expect some brand new TVs to get announced at IFA 2019 later this year. However, there's still plenty to get excited about in the 2019 range we've seen so far – including more of Philips' Ambilight technology, which illuminates the walls around the television with hues and colors showed onscreen. Unnecessary? Sure. But it's certainly atmospheric. Philips opted for its own international showcase at the start of the year, rather than take part in the Vegas-based CES expo – probably because a company called Funai technically owns its license in North America – though we're still waiting for many of the sets announced back in January to hit shelves. To see what's coming, and what we thought from our time with these sets on the show floor, check out our guide below to the Philips 2019 TV range so far. Should I buy a Philips Ambilight TV?Philips 2019 TV technologyWhile the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio have doubled down on third-party content support for this year’s TV range with newly-acquired compatibility with Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit smart home standards, Philips is focussing on core picture and audio quality for its 2019 range. While the majority of the company’s top-flight smart TVs will be running Android TV and have voice-control support for Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, it’s with the third-generation P5 Pro image processing engine where it’s making the biggest changes. Before we get to that though, some key specs to note: almost the entirety of Philips 2019 line-up supports all the major HDR formats (HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision), as well as having support for Dolby Atmos overhead surround standards (down-mixed for onboard speakers). http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NiCG2y5Ex47RsiVFQv4fXo.jpg Philip's P5 processor (Image Credit: TechRadar) Philips' new P5 third generation processor will go beyond its predecessor in a number of key ways. The Perfect Natural Reality tool will improve skin tones, a revised Detail Enhancer will tweak its Detail meter to remove jaggy edges on over-processed SD upscaled imagery, an Improved Digital Noise Reduction system will ensure “mosquito” distortion won’t occur predominantly in detail-heavy footage – in other words, you’ll be able to see the trees for the wood. HDR quality will be improved too, ensuring that dark scenes are not only dark, but full of detail in the shadows, too. Likewise, you’ll see less color clipping in bright scenes – a summer’s sky will retain its blue hues, rather than being a washed out flash of white light. Philips has also worked on its first-party audio systems, boosting the mid-range and widening the soundstage for its 2019 models in order to better take advantage of new support for Dolby Atmos mixes. But its with the Philips 8804 LCD where you’re most likely to want to listen in – it’s taking a leaf out of last year’s Philips OLED+ 903 screen and including a Bowers and Wilkins soundbar. More on that later. Best TV 2019: which TV should you buy?Best soundbars 2019: what soundbar to go with it?Philips 2019 4K OLED TVsWhile we await a true successor to the Philips OLED+ 903, we’re looking forward to spending more time with the Philips OLED 854 and OLED 804 screens. Identical apart from stand differences (the 854 centrally mounted, the other with a pair of legs) these 4K screens will be available in 55 and 65-inch sizes. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ev5JJSmXM64i4ueD2TMj8Q.jpg Image Credit: TechRadar They’re very similar to last year’s Philips OLED+ 903, except with one key omission – they lack the impressive Bowers and Wilkins sound system, opting for a Philips-own build instead. Running Android TV, working with Alexa and Google Assistant and with all four of their HDMI ports HDR-ready, these Ambilight screens will be ones to watch for those looking top-notch OLED visuals. For a deeper look at these screens, read our hands on: Philips OLED 804 / OLED 854 review. Philips 2019 4K LCD LED TVsThough OLED TVs have become Philips’ showstoppers, the majority of its range still consists of LCD TVs. Though LCD can lack the richness of a well-tuned OLED TV, they shouldn’t be sniffed at in their own right – Philips has done some stellar work not only in the picture stakes, but also with audio, thanks to a partnership with Bowers and Wilkins. First up then, the Philips 8804 – one of the most promising LCD screens we’ve seen in a while. It’s 4K visuals will be available in 50, 55 and 65-inch sizes, and will have the full house of HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision support, as well as Dolby Atmos sound. It’s also the only screen revealed so far this year from Philips to include that show-stopping Bowers and Wilkins sound system again. For more info, read our hands on Philips 8804 TV review. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N76UMeQvGsB3JTmzgKM54Q.jpg Image Credit: TechRadar If style is more important than sound quality, check out the Philips 9104. It’s another 4K LCD panel, but has been designed in conjunction with design house Georg Jensen, and has striking chrome finish aluminium feet. It too has standard HDR support covered but drops HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, only features Dolby Atmos audio passthrough, and will only come in a single 55-inch screen size. It has a three sided Ambilight though, so this may be one to check out for its aesthetic value. Next up is the TV Philips is pushing most heavily for this half of the year – the Philips 7304 Performance Series, which they’re nicknaming ‘The One’. Why? Because it’s ‘the one’ TV they think will suit most people, ticking lots spec boxes will aiming to come in at a mid-range price point. The Ambilight 4K LCD screen will come in a range of size – 43, to, 55, 58, 65 and 70-inches – has the full suite of HDR options and features Dolby Atmos. For more information, check out our Philips The One first look impressions. The Philips 7504 looks set to be a similar screen, coming in 50 and 55-inch screen sizes, trading a less striking stand for beefier 25W 2.1 built in speakers. The One only has two-channel 20W speakers. From here down the range of LCD Philips TVs, you lose access to the top-notch P5 image processing engine, instead being left with the Pixel Precise Ultra HD processing engine. They also run the SAPHI operating system, rather than the more versatile Android TV. So, the Philips 6814 will come in 43, 50, 55 and 65-inch sizes, the 6704 in 43, 50, 55, 65 and 70 inches, and the 6504 in 43, 50, 58 and 65 inch sizes. The key differences here? The 6814 has a T-Bar centrally-mounted light finish stand with 3-sided Ambilight, while the 6704 has Ambilight, a dark frame finish and two feet supporting it. The 6504 looks pretty much the same as the 6704, but doesn’t have any Ambilight features. Philips 2019 HD TVsIt says a lot about the dominance of 4K TV now that, not only is there only a single non-4K TV in Philips range this year, but it’s not even 1080p – just a 24-inch HD-ready 1366x768 screen. The Philips 4304 has no smart features, no HDR, and only two HDMI port ports. This is very much one for the kitchen, or a “my first TV” for the kids’ bedrooms. Everything you need to know about the new TV launches of 2019: Samsung TV lineup 2019: every QLED and more from Samsung this year Sony TV lineup 2019: every Sony Bravia and Master Series set coming this year LG TV catalog 2019: here’s every LG TV model coming this year Panasonic TV lineup 2019: the one Panasonic TV we've seen so far Hisense TV lineup 2019: the year of ULED television http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/u05UPC_aeeE
  23. Realme has been teasing the existence of its upcoming flagship since a while. Today, we get official confirmation that it will be called the Realme 5. Realme has a fairly simple naming scheme with the models having just a cardinal number acting as the main flagship, followed by a Pro and a Lite variant later. This makes the Realme 3 from March the company’s primary flagship, with the Realme 3 Pro being an incremental update and the Realme X being the sidekick. The number “4” is often considered as unlucky in Chinese culture and could be the reason why Realme is directly jumping to 5. Even OnePlus famously skipped 4 and straight up moved to 5. Adding more substance to this thought, Realme’s CEO Madhav Sheth has also changed his Twitter name to “Madhav ‘5’Quad” confirming the name and the inclusion of a quad camera setup. Madhav is known to do this before the launch of each major upcoming Realme phone. For most of the last month, his name was set to “Madhav X” on Twitter. Realme 5: Everything we know so far The upcoming Realme flagship is confirmed to have a quad-camera setup with a 64MP primary camera, and is likely to be the world’s first smartphone to offer that. In fact, Realme has scheduled an event for August 8 in Delhi to talk more about this camera package and how it was put together. We expect this to be a primary + ultrawide + telephoto + depth sensor combination, bringing a lot of smartphone photography versatility. Realme has also long been talking about a higher-end phone with a flagship-grade chipset, and the Realme 5 might just be the one to bring the Snapdragon 855 or the 855 Plus to their lineup. Historically, all Realme phones have been in the sub 20k segment but the Realme 5 is likely to break that trend. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9WjduqYdudA59xP5Se4vvm.jpg Madhav Sheth had also confirmed that the upcoming flagship will make its global debut in India before hitting other markets, and speculations suggest that the Realme 5 will come sometime in September, right in time for Diwali festivities. Realme has also scheduled an event for August 15 in China where more details about the Realme 5 could surface. Redmi and Realme prepping to showcase their 64MP camera tech this weekRealme X ReviewRedmi Note 8 by Xiaomi is coming soon, General Manager confirmshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/LUCTwrLtbMc
  24. Messaging apps that offer VoIP calling (Voice over Internet Protocol) typically utilize an ‘always-on’ behavior in order to answer calls more quickly by continuously running in the background, but Apple wants that to stop. As reported by The Information, Apple is implementing a change in iOS 13 – the upcoming version of its mobile operating system for iPhones – that will restrict background access of the calling functionality from all messaging apps, including Facebook's Messenger and WhatsApp. Why the change?There are multiple reasons for the change, but the main two relate to device performance and user privacy. Clamping down on the apps that can run on a device in the background should help improve its battery life by reducing processing demand, which should also nudge up its overall performance. The other, and more pressing issue, is related to what else these apps can do while they’re still silently running after the user thinks they have been closed. In the past, concerns have been raised about the potential for companies to use their apps to collect data when running in the background, and some were guilty of doing exactly that. In 2015, Facebook was found to be abusing its VoIP capabilities in its main iOS app in order to run in the background, even when permissions to do so were explicitly disabled. Furthermore, Facebook had already launched the Messenger app by this point and didn’t even need VoIP functionality. Facebook admits it might be killing your iPhone battery lifeWhatsApp alternatives: the best messaging apps for Android and iOSFacebook Messenger is getting the major upgrades users have been crying out forWhile Facebook-developed apps such as Messenger and WhatsApp are some of the more prominent to be impacted by this new change, others such as Snapchat and WeChat will also be affected. WhatsApp in particular will apparently have to undergo a major overhaul, as “people familiar with the issue” told The Information that the app’s end-to-end encryption – along with several other features – rely on this background operation. A spokesperson for Facebook told The Information that it didn’t collect any data via this method, clarifying that, "We are using the PushKit VoIP API to deliver a world-class, private messaging experience, not for the purpose of collecting data." While the change will be implemented in the expected September rollout of iOS 13, Apple is providing some leeway to app developers, giving them until April 2020 to comply. If they don't, it might be safe to presume these apps could be removed from the App Store. Facebook is changing the name of Instagram and WhatsAppHow to use WhatsApphttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/vb5M380EvGE
  25. Apex Legends' three members squads are unique amongst Battle Royale shooters, allowing players to team up with friends or randomly-matched squad mates in order to have a better fighting chance against opposing attackers. However, developer Respawn Entertainment is changing things up (albeit for a limited time) with the introduction of a new Solos mode which will take a more traditional 'every man for himself' approach when it launches next Tuesday on August 13, as revealed by the official Apex Legends Twitter account. How to claim Apex Legends' Twitch Prime content dropRespawn is teasing a new Apex Legends characterApex Legends will be coming to mobile, says EAThe new mode will be only be available for a limited time as part of the game's upcoming Iron Crown Collection Event, which will end on August 27, 2019. The event also promises new skins and other content. As the new Solos mode is basically a trial, we imagine that Respawn may consider rolling it out as a permanent addition to the game if it does turn out to be a hit with players. One thing's certain: Apex Legends will play very differently as a free-for-all, as co-operation with team members is vital to the game in its current form – without its excellent ping system, is it even really Apex Legends? Read more: Apex Legends: battle pass, characters, and newshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/wlqNbtgjaJI
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