HTC One M10 specifications leaked

The specifications of the HTC’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the One M10, have supposedly been leaked by a person who was granted access to a prototype. According to a report by Venture Beat, the device (codenamed Perfume) will run Android Marshmallow v6.0.1 with HTC’s Sense UI layered over it. The device may come with a 5.1-inch QHD display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. The person who held the device believed it to be an AMOLED panel. He also added that the device would offer a fingerprint scanner that was located on the home button.

According to Venture Beat’s report, the HTC One M10 may be powered by a Qualcomm new flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 820 with Adreno 530 graphics. The device is tipped to come with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card. It was also reported that the device won’t come with HTC’s BoomSound stereo speakers. However, the company may choose to use an upgraded variant of their UltraPixel camera technology in the form of a 12MP UltraPixel rear camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). In addition, the front camera may come with OIS, but it wasn’t specified which sensor would be used.

Last week, it was reported that HTC may be working on two variants of the One M10. One variant would be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, while the other would be a MediaTek processor. It wasn’t mentioned which MediaTek processor would be used, but it might be the Helio X20. Additionally, the Snapdragon 820 variant of the device may be for the US and European markets, while the MediaTek powered version might be sold in China and South-East Asia.

It was earlier believed that HTC would be launching its new flagship device at the World Mobile Congress event that’s scheduled to be held in Barcelona next month. However, rumours suggest that this will not happen as the device is delayed. As per reports, high-ranking HTC officials have sent back prototypes of the device as they weren’t satisfied with the design of the phone. The company may hold a separate event in March to announce the HTC One M10 and the phone may be available for purchase in April. 

Apple may soon sell refurbished iPhones in India

Apple may have filed an application with the Government of India for the import and sale of refurbished iPhones in the country. In addition, it may also be planning to set up a facility in the country that will renovate used mobiles shipped from China. According to a report by the Indian Express, the company has stated in its application, “Apple would like to seek the government’s approval to import and sell its certified pre-owned iPhones in India; manufacture and sell its certified pre-owned iPhones in India.” 

As per the Indian Express’ report, Apple had earlier requested the government to import one lakh used iPhones and 2.5 lakh iPads, to explore the refurbished electrical and electronic equipment market. However, their request was turned down by the Environment Ministry's Technical Review Committee (TRC) who said that it would add to India’s e-waste. It also said that refurbished electrical and electronic equipment had a shorter functional life and became obsolete faster, which would increase e-waste. However, it reasoned that it may allow imports that were less than three years old and could be used for at least five more years. 

There is also a fear that relaxation of rules regarding import of refurbished or remanufactured products may amount to transfer of waste from developed to developing countries. But Apple has reportedly claimed in its application that  its certified pre-owned (CPO) iPhones were not “standard refurbished mobile phones” as they are made by the device’s original manufacturers. It claims that the phones go through the same standards of quality testing as new devices. Not only that, but they also carry a one-year warranty along with a new serial and IMEI number. 

Apple did not elaborate on its business plan or targets, but said that the quantity of devices that would be imported would vary in hundreds of thousands of units on a yearly basis. Regarding the manufacturing of CPO devices, it has stated that the “initial scope would be in low hundreds of thousands units on a yearly basis.”

Apple may have also filed an application with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to open its Apple Stores in India. The move comes after the government’s liberalisation of Foreign Direct Investment rules on single-brand retail in November. Earlier rules required companies to have a certain percentage of manufacturing in India in order to operate retail outlets.

How much did Google pay to buy Google.com back?

Almost everyone knows the story of Sanmay Ved, who bought the Google.com domain name last year for a mere $12. But what did Sanmay get for giving it back to Google? Turns out, the exact number was $6006.13, meaning thatGoogle paid over 500 times more than what Ved originally spent. In fact, theSearch giant doubled the amount later, when Ved announced that he would give his reward money from Google to charity. The number then comes out to $12,012.26. The original $6006.13 sounds like a peculiar number though doesn’t it? Well, there’s a reason for that, one that wouldn’t surprise you if you’ve followed Google’s past escapades.

Turns out, 6006.13 would be leetspeak (L33T) for the word Google. Google made the information public yesterday, through a blog post on Blogspot.com. 

Ved donated the money he received from Google to the Art of Living, India. When Google had originally told him that he wouldn’t get any compensation for the bug that allowed him to purchase Google.com, Ved had said it was fine. He said also wanted to set an example that people who find bugs in various systems, don’t always do it for money. Google later changed its mind, noting that Ved had actually managed to buy the domain and deserved a return.



Ved had come across Google.com as an available domain while browing through Google Domains in October last year. The researcher then bought and owned the domain for a full minute before Google realised its mistake and cancelled the transaction.

BSNL to set up 40,000 WiFi hotspots to "deal with 4G challenge"

BSNL, the public sector telecom company, announced on Monday that it will be setting up 40,000 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country. The telecom major says, they are taking this initiative to counter the lack of 4G data services. BSNL has no plans to start 4G data services nor does it have the relevant spectrums to start with. Currently, Airtel is the only telecom provider which is offering 4G data services across India. Vodafone and Reliance Jio are also likely to start their respective 4G data services this year.

"We are at present neither a 4G service provider, nor do we have the relevant spectrum to launch this service. But to deal with this challenge, we are working on a scheme to set up 40,000 Wi-Fi Hotspots in the country, as it (Wi-Fi hotspot) is faster than 4G services," said, BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava.

He added, that under this scheme, BSNL has already installed 500 hotspots in the country and the number will be increased by 2,500 more hotspots by the end of this current financial year. According to a previous reports, these Wi-Fi hotspots will be set up in 250 different locations in the country and the process will be completed in the year 2018. According to PTI, BSNL will also be setting up around 25,000 mobile communication towers in the country and will be investing around Rs. 5,500 crores for the same.

The Wi-Fi hotspot plan is not a new plan to start with, BSNL had initially shared the plan details in June 2015, where the telecom operator said that users can use the service for 30 minutes per 24 hours (three times in a month). Beyond that, the service will be on paid basis after the session expires. The subscriptions plans will be like Rs. 20 for 30 minutes, Rs. 30 for 60 minutes, Rs. 50 for 120 minutes and Rs. 70 for one day. 

Mr. Shrivastava also talked on the issue of call drops and said that the problem lies with people’s misconception that radiation emitted by the mobile towers has an adverse effect on health. This has led to removal of mobile towers from residential areas which further increases the call drops issues.

Recently TRAI put out a mandate regarding the call drop issue, where the regulatory authority directed telecom operators to pay compensation to users who are facing the issue. However, telecom operators aren’t complying with the mandate, citing a Delhi high court ruling which asked TRAI to not to take any coercive action against the telecom operators until Delhi high court sits for its January 6th hearing for the same.

CES 2016: OMSignal launches a smart bra called OMbra

OMSignal has unveiled a new wearable fitness tracker called the OMbra, at CES 2016. The OMbra is a smart bra that is aimed at female athletes, and is fitted with sensors which help track heart rate, breathing rate, calories burned, and more. These sensors feed data into a small box that snaps into the lower band of the sports bra. The data is then wirelessly transferred to the wearer's smartphone via OMSignal’s mobile application. The app will have a new option called OMRun, which will measure distance, pace, breathing rhythm, and fatigue levels. The bra is priced at $149, which is about Rs. 9,900. The bra can be washed, but the data box needs to be removed beforehand. OMSignal also has a range of smart compression shirts for men, which work the same way as the OMbra.

OMSignal isn’t the only company making smart sports wear for women. Back in September, Chromat partnered with Intel to create the Chromat Aeros Sports Bra. The bra featured vents that automatically open when it detects that the wearer is too hot and sweaty. The bra is integrated with Intel’s Curie Module and can respond to perspiration, respiration, and body temperature. The Aeros Sports Bra was launched for $62, which is about Rs. 4,100. Chromat also has a number of other wearables powered by Curie Module. Their ‘Adrenalin Dress’ is composed of 3D printed panels and can sense the wearer’s adrenalin levels. 

However, fitness aficionados in India will have to make do with fitness bracelets for now, as OMSignal and Chromat have not announced any plans of launching their devices in the country. These range from simple and low-cost devices like the Mi Band to the Apple Watch, which also adds an element of style and exclusivity.

Here's what Facebook would do if Google bans it

Facebook has reportedly been preparing for the off chance that Google blocks it from Android. According to a report by The Information, the social networking giant has been preparing contingency plans, which will ensure that users can still use Facebook on Android if Google blocks the app from the Play Store. Facebook’s contingency plans include its own services for important operations like app updates, in-app payments and push notifications. The company has also tested ways to get people to download its app without using the Play Store. The contingencies wouldn’t just come into play if Google blocks the social network, and may also be used if Facebook voluntarily withdraws the app.

Further, the report by The Information says that while Facebook doesn’t actually expect Google to block it “anytime soon”, the two giants have had spats over the social network’s various experiments, including automatically installing Facebook-made apps on users’ devices, which had apparently prompted Google to threaten to cut Facebook off the Play Store. Facebook may also be worried that in future, Google could decide to charge the company for services like push notifications, etc. For a company in Google’s powerful position, such a path is quite possible, and the sheer number of users that Facebook has would mean that the social networking company would have to pay billions to Google, then.

In order to get people to install the Facebook app without the Play Store, the company has reportedly run tests in a small country for about a week. Facebook apparently got users to download the app outside of the app store, and the result was that “people did it; it wasn’t disastrous.” The company may also use the Oculus VR app store to bring the Facebook app on smartphones, and could also decide to work with other OEMs to install its apps directly on devices.

CES 2016: Samsung unveils Family Hub fridge with 21.5 inch display

Smart home devices is going to be a category to watch out for at the Consumer Electronic Show 2016, and in the spirit of innovation, Samsung is showcasing the new Family Hub refrigerator that let's you take a peek inside it, without opening its doors. The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator sports a gigantic 21.5 inch Full HD display that shows users what's happening inside the fridge, thanks to the multiple internal cameras fitted inside it. The Family Hub refreigerator also connects to a user's smartphone, allowing for a remote view of the contents inside the fridge. Using the smartphone connect feature of the fridge, users will also be able to go grocery shopping without having to worry about forgetting an item. Users can access the contents of the fridge when they go shopping and also post shopping lists, notes and other reminders on the door of the fridge. 

The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator sports four doors and is divided into two sections. The smart fridge can also be used to keep a check on the available food stock, along with reminders of when the stock is about to run out. In addition to this, the Samsung Family Hub will also help users maintain a record of the expiry dates of products in their fridge, allowing for decreased wastage of food. In Korea. users will also be able to see food products that are on sale, which they can then order from the comfort of the Family Hub's display. The Family Hub will also serve as a central hub and will connect to all other connected devices in your home. 

Last year, at CES 2015, Samsung had showcased its T-type line of refrigerators. The T-type had a clear door inside the main door of the fridge, allowing users to look at the contents without letting the cool air escape. The T-type had a similar design sans the 21.5 inch Full HD display. This year of course, Samsung has upped the ante with the Family Hub refrigerator, which seems like a very useful addition to its IoT portfolio. The connected devices space is probably one of CES's most popular tech categories this time around. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the value created by smart connected devices is going to reach a whopping $11 trillion by 2025. Samsung is also expected to unveil a whole new line-up of smart IoT-ready televisions, which will probably have the ability to connect to other Samsung IoT products such as the Family Hub refrigerator.

The price and availability of the Samsung Family Hub is yet unannounced, but it is expected to be unveiled during the course of CES 2016.

CES 2016: Faraday Future's FFZERO1 concept car is a stunning future idea

Faraday Future, the massively spoken-of automobile company, finally unveiled its mystery product a few hours ago, at CES 2016. The Faraday Future FFZERO1 is a concept car whose design will make you question its viability. We have seen multiple concept cars in the recent past, from ambitious first-time automobile makers who have promised to change the face of future electric vehicles. Faraday Future, however, is different.

Backed by Chinese technology giant LeTV, there is a financial backing of billions of dollars, which has seen Faraday Future setup a battery plant at Southern Nevada, USA. The FFZERO1 concept itself is testament to the fact that Faraday Future might indeed be the future, and the likes of Tesla would possibly sit up and take notice of the milestone unveiling that happened yesterday, 8pm PST, at CES. Capable of running at 1000 horsepower, the FFZERO1 can reach 0-60mph in less than 3 seconds, and reach a top speed of 200mph, or nearly 360kmph. It features all-wheel drive, with one motor at each wheel. The roof is entirely glass, giving you a glimpse of the white carbon fibre interiors, and the smartphone panel fit into the steering wheel. It has space enough for one person, and the seat has been fit with Halo Safety System – a technology that will rest the driver’s head and neck to keep the drive more pleasant, and a helmet that will circulate oxygen and feed water to the driver.

"If you build a car for the future, you have to keep it modular from the very foundation"

All of this is what you will see towards the outer surface. While the production unit of the Faraday Future FFZERO1 will possibly look much different from what it looks like right now, it does fit the bill for a vehicle that aims to bring clean driving along with a futuristic experience. What edges Faraday Future more towards a possible success are the following two factors – the Variable Platform Architecture forming the base of the car’s chassis, and thesubscription-based vehicle ownership model. In an interview with The Verge, Faraday Future’s Senior VP and in-charge of R&D and Engineering, Nick Sampson, said, “That platform is done on a very modular and flexible basis such that we can change the size of the platform. We can change the number and power of the drive systems. We can change the physical size and electrical size of the battery packs, so we can get bigger and larger packs and smaller packs both on the electrical size and physical size because of the modularity of how the battery architecture is being done, which is unique compared to anybody else in the industry. The underlying story is all about the platform that’s being built.”

The demonstration video by Faraday Future shows you the division of the car’s parts, and it is this that Sampson is stating – if you build a car for the future, you have to keep it modular from the very foundation. Our future is all about adaptability, and Faraday Future is listening to it. The subscription-based ownership model may be highly unusual, and may mean that you do not have to own one specific vehicle all along. For instance, you can request for a cargo vehicle one day if you need to, and the next day, ask back for your original sports car that you had originally purchased.

The Faraday Future FFZERO1 uses adaptable strings of batteries, from which cells can be removed or added to. The vehicle motors can also be altered between front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. Another interesting factor about the FFZERO1 is the way its control panel and instrument cluster is designed. The dashboard uses Faraday Future’s “Propeller IP”, which curves from around the driver’s shoulders and smoothly joins the front panel. The smartphone interface at the heart of the steering wheel is none other than your own smartphone.

The FFZERO1's Zero Gravity driving station is inspired by NASA's cockpit designs

A testament to the growing prowess of smart and connected everything, the Faraday Future hypercar will synchronise with an app that you will need to install on your phone, to control aspects like traction control and throttle response. Effectively, the car transfers your information to itself, and becomes an extension of your smartphone itself. “The thing about phones is they increase in value as you use them. You drive a car off the lot and its value tanks immediately. It's now a used vehicle. We're working toward that idea that the car is adapting to you, is actually increasing in value,” Faraday Future’s Design Head, Richard Kim, told Cnet’s Tim Stevens, at the Faraday Future conference.

The concept sounds like an arsenal in making. Faraday Future realises the potential of automobiles in the future, and has a concept that may actually work towards shaping our driving habits in future. But, there is still a long way to go. While many of us will wait for Faraday Future to unveil a production unit that it stated will be rolled out in 18 months, many will feel that there are too many blind alleyways that Faraday Future may walk into. Nevertheless, there is a sense of optimism, in the amount of technological innovation Faraday Future is preparing itself for.

In short, the Faraday Future FFZERO1 is a stunning look into the future of automation.

Source- The verge & The Cnet.com

Images of the Apple iPhone 6c dummy unit leak

Images purported to be of a dummy Apple iPhone 6c (or 7c) have popped up online. According to the images, the upcoming phone will be based on the same design as the iPhone 6/6s, albeit with a smaller screen. The phone has been tipped to come with a 4-inch screen along with an A9 chip and 2GB of RAM. It may also have a Home button with a TouchID fingerprint sensor, 16GB of onboard storage and 1642mAh battery. Rumours suggest that the phone will be priced around $400 and $500. Unlike the plastic iPhone 5c, the upcoming phone has been tipped to come with a metallic body and may be available in multiple colour variants. The leaked images also match up to the 3D renders of the upcoming device. 

Back in August, @evleaks had tipped the Apple iPhone 6c to be released alongside the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus but that did not happen. Last month, rumours began circulating that the device would be launched alongside the Apple Watch 2 in March, 2016. However, other rumors suggested that the device would be launched in the month of April instead. There were also reports that the Apple will start mass producing the device from this month. 

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus later this year. Rumours suggest that the iPhone 7 will come with an OLED display and reports suggest that the company has opened a new facility in Taiwan to work on OLED and micro-LED display technology. Latest rumours also suggest that the iPhone 7 could come with 3GB of RAM and that the Plus variant may be offered with 256GB of storage and  a 3100mAh battery. Apple has also been tipped to introduce drastic new changes in the upcoming iPhone. For one, the new iPhone may no longer come with a 3.5mm headphone jack, just the lightning port. The company may ditch the Home button from the phone as well and use 3D Touch in its place. The TouchID sensor may then be relocated to the side of the device. 

Source: NoWhereElse, 9to5Mac

CES 2016: Razer announces Blade Stealth gaming ultrabook

Razer has announced the Blade Stealth, an ultrabook aimed at gamers. Prices for ultrabook starts at $999 (approx. Rs. 67,000) and goes all the way up to $1,599 (approx. Rs. 1,06,900). The device comes with a 12.5-inch screen and is powered by a 2.5Ghz Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB of RAM. The keyboard comes with Razer’s multi-hued Chroma Lighting. The base variant of the ultrabook sports a 128GB SSD and a Quad HD screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The top-end variant comes with a 4K display and a 512GB SSD. The ultrabook comes with two USB ports as well as a Thunderbolt USB Type-C port. The latter is designed to be used to charge and connect monitors and accessories to the ultrabook.

The Razer Blade Stealth is just 0.52-inches thin and weighs just 2.75 pounds, which is about 1.2 kilograms. To achieve this thinness, Razer had to eschew using a powerful graphics card in the Blade stealth. The ultrabook comes with Intel HD 520 graphics which is adequate for basic tasks as well as for light gaming. To go around this problem, the company has introduced the Razer Core, an external desktop graphics enclosure. It can house most PCI Express graphics cards from NVIDIA or AMD and connects to the Blade Stealth via the Thunderbolt USB Type-C port. By connecting the Core enclosure to the Blade Stealth, users will gain four additional USB ports as well as an ethernet port, not to mention improved graphics performance. This setup also makes it easier for users to upgrade their graphics card whenever they want. The company has not yet revealed the pricing or the availability of the Core graphic card enclosure, but the Razer Blade Stealth is up for pre-order and will start shipping from this month. The laptop will be available in Microsoft retail stores by February.

CES 2016: Lenovo announces X1 tablet, Y900 laptop and more

Lenovo, the Chinese tech giant, showcased a lot of new PC-related products at CES 2016, ranging from mice, to full-fledged gaming PCs. The company introduced new versions for some of its laptops. There was a new range of PC and laptop accessories, along with a couple of tablets and a push on gaming in 2016. We also saw a couple of devices co-branded with Razer, announced at the event, and one phone launch as well. Here is a quick roundup of all the products that Lenovo has unveiled across multiple categories.

Smartphone

Lenovo Vibe S1 lite
Lenovo announced just one phone at CES this year – the Vibe S1 Lite. The 5-inch smartphone is powered by a MediaTek MT6753 SoC, and comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The IPS-panel display has a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels, and the phone boasts of a 13MP rear camera. There is an 8MP rear camera at the front, as well.

Tablets

Lenovo X1 Tablet
There were two new tablets announced at CES 2016. The X1 Tablet, a powerful modular tablet, will be offered later this year with many additional accessories such as Thinkpad-style keyboard, Wigig dock, earphones and a new productivity module.

The Lenovo X1 Tablet

MIIX 700 Business Edition
The MIIX 700 is a new tablet from Lenovo, which is designed more like the Microsoft Surface tablet. However, beyond the appearances, it is quite different. Powered by a 2nd gen. Intel Core m7 processor, the tablet features a 12-inch display and will come with Windows 10.

Laptops
Lenovo announced a number of new laptops at CES 2016, essentially covering every price category. The Thinkpad brand showcased nine laptops. While the Thinkpad X1 Carbon was updated to the newest Intel processor, the other eight laptops were additions to the current range of laptops that Lenovo has on offer. Lenovo announced the following new ThinkPad laptops — ThinkPad X1 Yoga, ThinkPad E560 with 3D Camera, ThinkPad T460s, ThinkPad T460/T560, ThinkPad T460p, ThinkPad 13, ThinkPad X260, and ThinkPad L460/560. The Ideapad series also got two new laptops, namely the ideapad 710S and the ideapad 700. There is one Yoga laptop as well, the Yoga 900S.

ThinkPad X1 Yoga

Gaming

ideacentre Y900 RE (Razer Edition)
If you remember the Ideacentre Y900 Lenovo launched earlier at IFA 2015, you will be able to see the similarities here. The new Razer edition of the Ideacentre offers a similar design, and a slightly altered spec sheet.

ideapad Y900
After launching the Y700 last year, Lenovo has come up with the Y900. It is actually the most powerful gaming PC that Lenovo makes, and is the second laptop in the market to offer a mechanical keyboard after the MSI GT80 Titan. The 17.3-inch laptop is powered by a 6th gen. Intel Core i7K processor, and will come with upto 8GB of NVIDIA GTX 980M graphics, 64GB DDR4 RAM, upto 512GB SSD PCIe RAID0, upto 1TB HDD SATA 3. Lenovo even claims 5 hours of battery life on this beast.

Lenovo Y27g Curved Gaming Monitor
Lenovo launched its first curved gaming display. This is a 27-inch VA backlit panel, offering 1080p resolution and a response time of 8ms. Lenovo has employed Nvidia’s G-Sync technology on the monitor, and it touches a refresh rate of 144Hz. Lenovo also announced a Razer edition of the same monitor, namely the Lenovo Y27g RE Curved Gaming Monitor.

Besides these, Lenovo also announced the Lenovo Y Gaming Stereo Headset, Lenovo Y Gaming Armored Backpack, and the Lenovo Y Gaming Optical Mouse.

Desktops

Lenovo unveiled three new desktops at CES — ThinkCentre X1, ThinkCentre Tiny-in-One II and the Ideacentre 610S. While the ThinkCentre X1 is a powerful AIO, the ThinkCentre Tiny-in-One II is a new modular AIO. One can add ThinkCentre Tiny desktops, Chromeboxes or Thin Clients to create a complete system. 

ideacentre 610S
The Ideacentre 610S is a new approach to a PC. It is a small PC with a built-in projector, so it essentially doesn't require a display. The small and cute-looking PC boasts of a powerful 6th gen. Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GTX 750Ti graphics, 16GB of RAM, and upto 2TB of storage.

Accessories
Besides the big and powerful laptops and PCs, Lenovo also announced a bunch of new accessories to go with them. Here is a list of the accessories launched:

Lenovo LINK 32GB
ThinkVision X24 Pro with WiGi
ThinkPad Stack
YOGA Mouse
ThinkVision X1

CES 2016: Huawei shows off smartphones, tablets & more

It looks like Huawei has been busy at CES 2016 announcing a bunch of interesting gadgets. The lineup includes three smartphones, two wearables and a tablet. Not everything announced by Huawei was new. We have seen some of the gadgets in the past. 

Huawei MediaPad M2 10.0

As the name suggests, the Huawei MediaPad M2 10.0 is a 10-inch tablet with a Full HD IPS display. The tablet has an aluminium alloy full-metal body. The device will be available in two storage options -  16GB or 64GB of storage expandable via microSD card up to 128GB. The 16GB variant will feature 2GB RAM and the 64GB variant will feature 3GB RAM. The 16GB model will be available in silver only and the  64GB variant will be available in gold. Other specifications of the MediaPad M2 10.0 include a 13MP rear camera with auto-focus and the front has a 5MP camera. A 6660mAh battery powers the entire package. In terms of connectivity options, the device has WiFi 802.11b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, accelerometer and fingerprint sensor. The tablet is slim measuring a mere 7.35mm and houses four speakers. The speakers boast of Clari-fi Audio Restoration, an Intelligent Power Amplifier, and SWS 2.0 Surround Sound. Huawei says that the audio has been tuned by Harman Kardon.

The device is expected to launch in India soon as the country is listed for the first-wave of launch. The price of the tablet starts at $349 (Rs. 23,300 approx.) for the 2GB + 16GB Wi-Fi-only variant and  the top of the line 3GB RAM and LTE variant is priced at $469 (Rs. 31,500 approx.).

Huawei Elegant & Jewel

Huawei has added two smartwatches to its lineup - the Huawei Elegant and the Huawei Jewel. The specifications of the smart watches are the same as the Huawei Watch with the only difference being the look and design of the smart watch. The Huawei Watch Elegant boasts of a gold top ring with a rose gold plated body. The Huawei Watch Jewel on the other hand boasts of 68 Swarovski Zirconia around the watch face. Both the smartwatches will come with exclusive watch faces to compliment the design. Coming to the price, the Huawei Watch Elegant will be available for $499 (Rs. 33,300 approx. Directly converted) whereas the Huawei Watch Jewel will be priced at $599 (Rs. 40,000 approx. Directly converted). Both the watches will be available in the first quarter of 2016 in the US. No information about an India launch or price. 

Gold Coloured Nexus 6P

Adding a colour variant to the Nexus 6P, Huawei has sown off a gold variant of the smartphone. We have seen the launch of the gold variant in India. The gold coloured Nexus 6P will be available in 32GB and 64GB storage variants. The 643GB gold Nexus 6P is priced at Rs. 43,999 for the 64GB variant.

Huawei Mate 8

We spent some time with the Huawei Mate 8 in China and you can check out our first impressions of the device. The device comes with a 6-inch FHD display with 2.5D curved glass. It is the first to come with the company’s Kirin 950 SoC along with an octa-core CPU and a Mali T880MP4 GPU. The Kirin 950 SoC comes with four Cortex-A72 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores. The Mate 8 houses an i5 co-processor that offers hardware support for tasks (such as speech recognition) that do not require the phone to be awake. This may help improve the battery life of the phone. 

The phone also comes with a 16MP camera at the back and in the front is an 8MP camera. The fingerprint sensor is located just below the rear camera. The phone runs EMUI 4.0 layered over Android Marshmallow v6.0 and has features like voice controls, power-saving firewall, and eRecovery. The phone is powered by a 4000mAh battery and will be available in Champagne Gold, Moonlight Silver, Space Gray, and Mocha Brown colour options. The Huawei Mate 8 is available in three variants. The lowest priced variant has 3GB RAM and 32GB storage and is priced at CNY 2,999 (approx. Rs. 31,200). The one with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at CNY 3,699 (approx. Rs. 38,500) while the one with the same amount of RAM and 128GB storage is priced at CNY 4,399 (approx. Rs. 45,800).

Huawei GX8

The GX8 will be priced at $350 (Rs. 23,400 approx. directly converted). Coming to the features of the smartphone, it has 90% metal chassis and will house a fingerprint sensor. The GX8 has a 5.5-inch 1080p display and the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 chipset coupled with 2GB RAM. It has 16GB built-in storage expandable via a microSD card. The rear has a 13MP camera and the entire night package is powered by a 3000mAh battery. 

CES 2016: Intel & Segway announce robot-segway, Hoverbutler

Intel and Segway have announced a new hoverbot called ‘Hoverbutler’, at the ongoing CES 2016. Unlike hoverboards that transport the user from one place to another, this new hoverbot can transform into an actual robot. The rideable robot comes with a display that can make expressions and stream videos. That’s not all – the cute little guy can also be fitted with arms to perform tasks, like opening doors. When this was done during the demo, the robot said, “are those my arms? Awesome!” It uses Intel’s RealSense technology to keep track of the world around it, and the company says that it will be open-platform, starting second half of the year. Segway may be planning to make the Hoverbutler commercially available, and the developer kit for the same will also be available in the second half of the year.

The Hoverbutler isn’t the only robot that consumers may get to buy this year.Sharp’s RoBoHon may be available for purchase in 2016 as well. For those who do not know, Sharp unveiled the tiny smartphone/robot in October last year. It is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, with a small, 2-inch QVGA screen located on its back. The phone runs on Android OS, and is 3G and LTE enabled. There is also a camera located between the the robot’s eyes along with a pico projector located on its forehead. In addition, RoBoHon can read out text messages and answer calls via speakerphone.

If you prefer robots to be larger and meaner, then the upcoming robot battle between the US and Japan may tickle your fancy. Last year, America’s Megabots challenged Japan’s Suidobashi to battle their respective robots – the Mk.II and the Kuratas. Both teams have given each other a year to prepare the robots for battle. However, the American team realised that its needs to upgrade its robot, in order to be more competitive. The company launched a Kickstarter campaignlast year, and has managed to reach its minimum target. Hence, the upgraded version of the Mk.II is expected to be faster, and more powerful.

It seems like 2016 may just turn out to be the year of the robot.

Source: The Verge