Apple Breaks Its Silence on Net Neutrality

 Apple has broken its silence on net neutrality with a filing at the Federal Communications Commission, urging regulators to avoid repealing large swaths of the regulations that are aimed at constraining Internet providers.

The filing calls for "retain[ing] strong, enforceable open internet protections" and argues that the FCC's current rules are effective at protecting consumers and online businesses. The agency is in the midst of a process to roll back the Obama-era rules, over complaints by broadband providers that the regulations are overly burdensome and keep them from upgrading America's high-speed Internet networks.

Apple's stance on the issue dovetails with that of many tech companies who claim that, given the opportunity, Internet providers could strangle new apps and websites by forcing them to pay fees or by prioritising better, faster service for apps that the providers own or prefer. Internet providers have said that by exploring new business models, consumers could be better served - and carriers would find new ways of making money at a time when most Americans are already paying for Internet service.

But the substance of Apple's submission is revealing in other ways, too. It highlights not just that the company is united with its Silicon Valley peers in principle, but it also shows where the company is headed with its business.

Apple has made no secret of its expansion into online services. Beginning with iCloud and more recently with its leap into health data, streaming music and video, and Internet-connected personal assistants like Siri, Apple has demonstrated that it is increasingly reliant on its customers being able to access the Web in an unfettered manner.

Apple's growing stake in online services, then, puts it in much the same position as many other Internet businesses who fear falling on the bad side of carriers such as AT&T, Comcast and Charter. Short of building its own broadband network across the United States, Apple has no choice but to hope that consumers will continue to be able to reach its digital products in a world where regulators have lifted restrictions on Internet providers.

Samsung Secures Self-Driving Car Testing Permit in California

Samsung Secures Self-Driving Car Testing Permit in California

Samsung Electronics said on Thursday it has received a permit to test self-driving vehicles in California, marking the entry of the world's largest smart phone maker four months after iPhone maker and arch rival Apple received a permit.

Its parent company in May secured permission from South Korean authorities to test a self-driving car fitted with its own sensors and software systems. At that time, South Korean officials said the company planned to use the car to develop a self-driving car algorithm that could drive in adverse weather.

In a statement to Reuters, Samsung did not say precisely what it planned to test in the United States but said it secured the permit "in pursuit of a smarter, safer transportation future."

The company, part of a massive conglomerate that makes everything from washing machines to heavy machinery, said it has "no plans to enter the car-manufacturing business."

With the foray into the US self-driving car landscape, Samsung will jostle with its friends and foes. Besides Apple, it will join Waymo, a division of Alphabet Inc, which supplies the Android operating system that runs on Samsung's phones.

Samsung has a range of other opportunities for growth in the self-driving car business. Earlier this year, the company closed its $8 billion purchase of car audio maker Harman International Industries, giving it a wide foot print in so-called connected car technologies.

Micromax Canvas Infinity to go on sale on Amazon today

Micromax Canvas Infinity to go on sale on 

AMAZON TODAY

NEW DELHI: Indian smartphone maker Micromax launched its Canvas infinity smartphone in India recently at Rs 9,999. The smartphone will go on sale today (September 1) on Amazon at 2 p.m.

As part of the sale, the company is also giving some offers to the customers. The Micromax Canvas Infinity buyers will get a cashback of Rs 250 if the make the payment using Amazon Pay. Along with this, they will also get 30GB of additional 4G data from Jio and Kindle books of worth Rs 375 free with the device. Lastly, the customers will also get 24 hour service facility with the smartphone.

The Micromax Canvas Infinity features a 5.7-inch HD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution and 18:9 screen ratio. The smartphone runs Android 7.1 Nougat operating system and the company also announced that the device will also receive Android O update.

Micromax Canvas Plex tablet launched at Rs 12,999

Domestic smartphone brand Micromax has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of Canvas Plex Tab. The company has launched the tablet in association with the digital platform Eros Now.

The Micromax Canvas Infinity is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 128GB by installing a microSD card. The smartphone sports a 13MP rear camera with F/2.0 aperture, 5P lens, super pixel technology and LED flash. There's also a 16MP selfie camera with F/2.0 aperture and real time bokeh selfie. Along with this, the front camera also has a smile shot mode.

The smartphone comes equipped with a fingerprint sensor and is backed by a 2,900 mAh battery. In terms of connectivity the device offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and USB OTG.

Apple iPhone 8 to launch on September 12, company sends out invites

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited smartphone of the year is all set to launch. Apple has finally sent out media invites for the event, where it will unveil its next generation of iPhone. The Cupertino-based giant has scheduled the event for September 12 at 10:00 a.m (10.30PM in India) . The event will take place at Steve Jobs Theatre located in Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.

The invite reads, "Let's meet at our place. Please join us for the first-ever event at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino". '

It is expected that the company will launch iPhone 7S, iPhone 7S Plus and the anniversary edition iPhone 8 at the event.

Bloomberg recently compiled all the 'new' features that are coming to the iPhone 8.

According to the list the Apple iPhone 8 will feature a 3D facial recognition sensor on top at the front for unlocking the device and make secure payments. There will also be an infrared sensor that will let users unlock the device using face recognition even in low light situations. Besides these two sensors will be a 'Smart' camera with improved scene and object detection.

The smartphone is said to feature inductive charging, something that has been in rumours from quite some time. As seen in the leaks, the report says the iPhone 8 will feature a longer power button on the side.

The device might also sport a near bezel-less display with better aspect ratio. Users will be able to tap on the screen to wake the handset, a functionality widely used in majority of the Android smartphones. The extended display will also include a virtual home button, which will be replacing the Touch ID button seen in other iPhone models.

Toshiba misses target date for chip unit sale, increasing business risks

TOKYO: Toshiba Corp failed to seal a deal to sell its prized chip business by an internal deadline of Thursday, raising doubts about whether it can plug a balance sheet hole in time to avoid a delisting and keep the unit competitive.

The embattled Japanese conglomerate said in a statement it has tried but so far not come to an agreement and it was continuing to talk with three suitors - a consortium led by Western Digital as well as groups led by Bain Capital and by Taiwan's Foxconn.

The sale of the world's No. 2 maker of NAND chips - worth $17 billion to $18 billion - has become a contentious battle marked by a slew of revised bids, changing alliances among bidding groups and the threat of legal action from joint venture partner Western Digital.

Despite frayed relations between Western Digital and Toshiba, one source familiar the matter said early this week that their discussions were in final stages, with Steve Milligan, the chief executive of the US firm, in town to hammer out details.

But the two sides are struggling to come to an agreement over the US company's future stake in the business, several sources have said.

Toshiba was working under creditor pressure to strike a deal by the end of the month, sources with direct knowledge have said, as any later would make it difficult to gain regulatory approvals before its books closed in March.

But in a sign that an agreement might not be too far off, Toshiba Chief Executive Satoshi Tsunakawa told the firm's creditor banks on Wednesday: "Please give me an extra week or so," according to separate sources familiar with the sale process.

Apple joins the group that is planning to buy Toshiba's chip business

The sources, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said Tsunakawa did not say which bidding group was favoured but repeated his determination to get a deal done and dusted by March.

Without the money to cover billions in liabilities at it bankrupt nuclear unit Westinghouse, Toshiba would likely have to book negative net worth for a second year running, which could result in it being delisted.

Just as importantly, delays are set to only make rival Samsung Electronics' upper hand in NAND chips stronger, allowing it to capitalise on a boom in demand for semiconductors and extend its lead in advanced 3D chips.

"Toshiba must build a factory in order to satisfy demand for 3D NAND, but right now Toshiba doesn't have the money," said Lee Kyu-jin, senior analyst at Ebest Investment & Securities.

"Meanwhile, Samsung is showing drive in the 3D NAND market, including building a factory dedicated to 3D NAND in order to dominate demand."

BAIN BRINGS IN APPLE

Efforts to strike a deal have been complicated by Bain's last minute resubmission of a 2 trillion yen ($18.1 billion) offer, bringing in Apple Inc to help bolster its bid, sources said late on Wednesday.

The bid trumps the 1.9 trillion yen offered by the Western Digital-led consortium, which also includes U.S. private equity firm KKR & Co LP. Banking sources have previously said, however, that Western Digital was working to get its proposal up to 2 trillion yen.

A senior banking official familiar with the talks said Toshiba was still likely to sign a deal with the Western Digital group, as legal risks posed by the U.S. firm, which argues no deal can be done without its consent, make it difficult to accept any other offer.

Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is seen as an unlikely winner in the race due to its deep ties with China and the Japanese government's desire to keep key semiconductor technology owned by Japanese-US capital.

There is also some doubt about Toshiba's resolve to sell the unit as some executives at the chip unit would prefer no deal if it is going to be bought by Western Digital and have threatened to quit if the US firm wins out, sources have said.

Separate sources familiar with Toshiba's thinking have also said the Japanese conglomerate may consider tapping financial investors to boost capital so that it could avoid a delisting in the event that it decides not to sell the chip unit.

Xaiomi Redmi 4A to go on sale on Flipkart today

NEW DELHI: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi recently launched a new variant of its cheapest Redmi 4A smartphone in India. The new variant comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Priced at Rs 6,999, the device will be up for grab via flash sale at 12pm on Flipkart. As part of the sale, the company is also giving some offers to the buyers. Flipkart is offering extra 5% off to Axis Bank Buzz credit card holders.

This is how Xiaomi may steal Apple iPhone 8's thunder

By launching the Mi Mix 2 on September 11, Xiaomi is clearly aiming to get Apple’s pie of media attention.

Talking about the specifications, the Xaiomi Redmi 4A features a 5-inch HD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution. The smartphone is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset coupled with 3GB of RAM. It offers 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded further by adding a microSD card. The smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the company's MIUI skin layer running on top.

The dual-SIM smartphone comes sans finger-print sensor. For imaging, the Redmi 4A has a 13MP rear camera with phase detection auto focus and LED flash. A 5MP front-facing shooter is also there. Major connectivity options include 4G, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, with a 3,120mAh battery rounding off the spec-sheet.

Xiaomi Redmi 4A to go on sale on Amazon tODAY

NEW DELHI: Xiaomi is all set to launch its Redmi 4A budget smartphone in India from Amazon. Both the variants of the smartphone with 16GB and 32GB inbuilt storage will cost you Rs 5,999 and Rs 6,999 respectively. The duo will be up for grabs from the e-commerce website starting 12PM. Launched in India in March this year, the Xiaomi Redmi 4A comes in Dark Grey and Gold colour options.

Amazon India is also giving some offers for its Xiaomi Redmi 4A buyers. These come in the form of free data and discounts on some of the company's devices. With Xiaomi Redmi 4A, buyers can also purchase Mi cases at Rs 349. The cases are originally priced at Rs 399. Interested customers can also get Mi Basic headphones at Rs 599.

Reliance Jio is offering subscribers up to 30GB of 4G data with the purchase of the Redmi 4A. Buyers of the Redmi 4A can download the Kindle app on their smartphones and sign-in to get Rs 200 in credit for Kindle books. This offer is available for the first 100,000 customers only. Furthermore, the Redmi 4A buyers can opt for authorised damage protection plan for the handset at Rs 599.

As a refresher, Xiaomi Redmi 4A sports a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) resolution. It's powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset paired with 2GB of RAM. There's 16GB/32GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 128GB through microSD cards. The smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the company's MIUI skin layer running on top.

The dual-SIM smartphone comes sans finger-print sensor. For imaging, the Redmi 4A has a 13MP rear camera with phase detection auto focus and LED flash. A 5MP front-facing shooter is also there. Major connectivity options include 4G, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, with a 3,120mAh battery rounding off the spec sheet.

Xiaomi has already launched its Redmi 5A smartphone in China. It, however, has not yet mentioned when the device will hit the Indian shores. For now, the firm is being said to launch its Xiaomi Mi 5X smartphone in India.

Paytm is offering Rs 300 cashback on these Xiaomi smartphones

NEW DELHI: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi recently announced open sale of its Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4 smartphones. Now, digital payment solution provider Paytm is offering cashback on Xiaomi smartphones.

If users purchase any Xiaomi smartphone from the company website or Mi store app, then they can get cashback of Rs 300. At the time of checkout if users make the payment using Paytm then they will get a cashback of Rs 300. The offer is applicable only on the purchase of Rs 6,000 and more. 

Recently, Xiaomi launched the new variant of its Redmi 4A smartphone in India. The new variant of Xiaomi Redmi 4A comes at a price tag of Rs 6,999. The smartphone will be available on all leading e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Flipkart, TataCliQ, Paytm and on the company's official website Mi.com starting August 31.

The key difference in the new variant vs the existing model of Redmi 4A is the storage and RAM. The newly-launched Redmi 4A offers 32GB internal storage coupled with 3GB RAM. The current model offers 16GB internal storage with 2GB RAM at Rs 5,999.

The rest of the specifications of the two variants remain the same.

Xiaomi Redmi 4A sports a 5-inch HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution. It's powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset. The smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the company's MIUI skin layer running on top.

The dual-SIM smartphone comes sans finger-print sensor. For imaging, the Redmi 4A has a 13MP rear camera with phase detection auto focus and LED flash. A 5MP front-facing shooter is also there. Major connectivity options include 4G, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, with a 3,120mAh battery rounding off the spec-sheet.

Reliance Jio, Airtel and other telecom companies argue against net neutrality

NEW DELHI: Telecom companies like Airtel, Telenor and Reliance Communications have sought a revenue-share model from content creators - a demand that was strongly opposed by content companies as "unfair and unreasonable" and against the tenets of net neutrality.

At an open house session called by Trai on the issue of net neutrality on Wednesday, telecom companies demanded commercial arrangements with content creators to further monetise their mobile networks. The telecom players have been pushing for a share of the advertising pie generated by content companies, saying that they have made investments in network and spectrum.

However, content companies say that telcos gain due to the popularity of their apps and websites that drive data consumption. The telcos' plea was opposed by content creators and those representing not-for-profit organisations. Save The Internet volunteer and Medianama founder Nikhil Pahwa rejected the argument of mobile companies and said the approach suggested by them will lead to "extortion" by telcos. "Telecom com panies are unfairly trying to control access to the content," Pahwa said. He dubbed the monetisation suggestion of telcos as "ridiculous" and said it should be rejected. "Commercial agreements reached upon by content companies are not the mandate of mobile companies."

This new tech in your car will keep you from dozing off at the wheel

Vehicle telematics - electronic gadgets monitoring and communicating all aspects of the vehicle, road conditions and navigation - is a novelty in India but could be a standard feature in vehicles in a few years.

A representative of Reliance Communications said telecom operators should be given the leeway to deal with the commercial content or content-carrying advertisements.

Wrapping up the discussions, Trai said it is likely to finalise recommendations on net neutrality in a month's time. "All stakeholders are actively participating in this (net neutrality) debate. I think Trai should be able to give appropriate recommendation to the government which they have asked for," Trai chairman R S Sharma said.

Flipkart partners global cos in private label push

SHENZEN: Flipkart's plan to push private labels aggressively is relying on the company working closely with manufacturers in China, India and other Southeast Asian countries. It has partnered with China's Sharetronic for a range of electronics products under the brand SmartBuy. It has roped in the UK-headquartered product-testing and certification company Intertek's local arm for quality checks, an executive said.

"For any product, there are 'must-have' features and then 'nice-to-have' ones. We are focusing on the must-have features first and bringing them at a cheaper price than average market rate. We have partners like Intertek that run multiple levels of strict quality control before we start selling them on Flipkart," Adarsh Menon, head of private labels for Flipkart, said.

Menon claimed these products were about 15% cheaper than average market rates currently. At present, Flipkart is offering SmartBuy in over 30 categories, but will have close to 40 categories as the e-commerce major prepares for the festive sale season. Flipkart is also pushing its 'Made in India' brand Billion on its platform - the brainchild of founder and executive chairman Sachin Bansal.

Reliance Jio, Airtel and other telecom companies argue against net neutrality

At an open house session called by Trai on the issue of net neutrality on Wednesday, telecom companies demanded commercial arrangements with content creators to further monetise their mobile networks.

According to people aware of the company's plans, Flipkart is in talks with other large-sized manufacturers in China for products in more categories. On the back of last six months' collaboration with these partners, Flipkart is now hoping to see higher sales from its private labels in the festive season, said Menon. Higher private label sales will offer better margins to the company along with tighter control over inventory .

A spokesperson of Sharetronic said, "Our core strength of R&D and state-of-the-art manufacturing is nicely complemented by Flipkart's wide reach, customer focus and leadership in India. We work with several global brands such as Lenovo, Huawei and Toshiba, and follow the same quality control and turnaround time on Flipkart private label products."

Google acts to comply with EU antitrust order

BRUSSELS: Google has submitted details of how it plans to stop favouring its shopping service to comply with a European Union antitrust order, EU regulators said on Tuesday.

The world's most popular Internet search engine, a unit of Alphabet Inc, had earlier on Tuesday said it would meet the EU deadline to do so.

Google was hit with a record 2.4 billion euro ($2.9 billion) fine from the EU over the practice in June and had until midnight on Tuesday to come up with proposals to end the anti-competitive behaviour.

The European Commission said on June 27 that Google had abused its dominance in Europe to give prominent placements in searches to its own comparison shopping service, demoting those of rivals.

As well as ordering Google to come up with a solution, the Commission said the U.S. company must stop the practice by Sept. 28.

Failure to do so could expose the company to penalty payments of as much as 5% of Alphabet's average daily worldwide turnover -- or around $12 million a day, based on the parent company's 2016 turnover of $90.3 billion.

These are the big changes coming to YouTube

Google's video-streaming service YouTube has received a major upgrade.

"Google will continue to be under an obligation to keep the Commission informed of its actions by submitting periodic reports," a spokesman for the EU executive said after saying the proposal had been received.

Lobbying group ICOMP, whose members include Google rivals online mapping services Hot Map and Streetmap, as well as CEPIC (Centre of the Picture Industry) and TradeComet which owns a rival search engine, said regulators should publicise Google's proposal.

"These affect everyone in the online and mobile worlds, so they must be made public for evaluation," ICOMP head Michael Weber said.

Google is also under fire from the EU over practices related to its smartphone mobile operating system Android, where it may face a landmark fine by the end of the year, and regarding online search advertising.

New method converts tree leaves into electronic devices

BEIJING: Scientists have discovered a new method to convert dried tree leaves into a porous carbon material that can be used to produce high-tech electronics.

Researchers from Qilu University of Technology in China used a multi-step, yet simple, process to convert phoenix tree leaves into a form that could be incorporated into electrodes as active materials.

The dried leaves were first ground into a powder, then heated to 220 degrees Celsius for 12 hours. This produced a powder composed of tiny carbon microspheres.

These microspheres were then treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide and heated by increasing the temperature in a series of jumps from 450 to 800 

degrees Celsius.

The chemical treatment corrodes the surface of the carbon microspheres, making them extremely porous.

The final product, a black carbon powder, has a very high surface area due to the presence of many tiny pores that have been chemically etched on the surface of the microspheres.

Trai recommendations on net neutrality soon

The telecom operators and internet content providers have been at loggerheads over the issue of net neutrality.

The high surface area gives the final product its extraordinary electrical properties, said Hongfang Ma of Qilu University of Technology, who led the study published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy.

The researchers ran a series of standard electrochemical tests on the porous microspheres to quantify their potential for use in electronic devices.

The current-voltage curves for these materials indicate that the substance could make an excellent capacitor.

Further tests show that the materials are, in fact, supercapacitors, with specific capacitances of 367 Farads/gramme, which are over three times higher than values seen in some graphene supercapacitors, researchers said.

A virtual reality game to help detect Alzheimer's

The game -- downloadable from Tuesday in its virtual reality version -- seeks to stimulate players' brains through a series of tasks based on memory and orientation skills, while gathering data to research dementia.

A capacitor is a widely used electrical component that stores energy by holding a charge on two conductors, separated from each other by an insulator.

Supercapacitors can typically store 10-100 times as much energy as an ordinary capacitor, and can accept and deliver charges much faster than a typical rechargeable battery.

For these reasons, supercapacitive materials hold great promise for a wide variety of energy storage needs, particularly in computer technology and hybrid or electric vehicles.

The supercapacitive properties of the porous carbon microspheres made from phoenix tree leaves are higher than those reported for carbon powders derived from other bio- waste materials, researchers said.

The fine scale porous structure seems to be key to this property, since it facilitates contact between electrolyte ions and the surface of the carbon spheres, as well as enhancing ion transfer and diffusion on the carbon surface.

BlackBerry to launch full touchscreen smartphone in October

NEW DELHI: Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry recently launched its flagship smartphone KEYOne in India at Rs 39,990. Now, it seems that it is working on another Android smartphone with full touchscreen.

According to a report by Engadget, BlackBerry is working on a full touchscreen Android smartphone which will be launched in October. The news was confirmed by TCL's Francois Mahieu. For those unaware, TCL Communications got exclusive licence to manufacture and sell 'BlackBerry' branded smartphones last year.

The report further suggests that the upcoming BlackBerry smartphone will come with IP67 rating which will make the device water and dust resistant. Along with this, the smartphone will also be backed by a battery which promises to offer 26 hours of backup. The smartphone will also come with all the security features found in KEYOne, DTEK60 and DTEK50.

READ ALSOBlackBerry optimistic on Enterprise of Things (EOT): Alex Thurber

Earlier this month, BlackBerry launched its KEYOne smartphone in India at Rs 39,990. The device has a 4.5-inch scratch resistant IPS display with full-HD. The Android 7.1 Nougat-based smartphone is powered by a mid-range processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, clubbed with 4GB RAM and Adreno 506 GPU. It comes with 64GB inbuilt storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card up to 2TB. The US version comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage.

It sports a 12MP Sony IMX378 sensor, which is said to be the same as that in Google Pixel smartphones. The BlackBerry KEYOne Limited Edition Black is powered by a 3505mAh non-removable battery, which is claimed to be the largest ever battery capacity in a BlackBerry smartphone.

Lenovo to launch K8 Lite, K8 Plus smartphones in India in September

Lenovo to launch K8 Lite, K8 Plus smartphones in India in September: Report

NEW DELHI: Earlier this month, we reported that Lenovo is working on a new K8 smartphone. Now a report has surfaced online that claims that the company will launch Lenovo K8 Plus and K8 Lite smartphones in India in mid-September.

According to a report by 91Mobiles, the smartphones will come with similar features and the only difference will be in the display size.

The Lenovo K8 Plus was also spotted in Geekbench recently. The listing had details including smartphone's Android version, processor and RAM. 

Earlier trhis month, Gadgets Now too had got access to an unannounced Lenovo 'K8 Plus' smartphone that is being currently tested in India. The handset comes with code number XT1902 and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The unit we got access to had Android security patch dated June 5, 2017.

The Chinese smartphone company recently launched its K8 Note smartphone in India at Rs 12,999. It is the first Lenovo smartphone to ship with stock Android UI instead of the the company's own Vibe UI. Moving forward, Lenovo will ship all its smartphones with stock Android UI. Lenovo K8 Note runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

Moto X4 official images leaked ahead of launch

Lenovo-owned Motorola's Moto X4 has been in the news as several leaks have revealed the specs of the handset. A new leak has emerged that reportedly comes from the official distributor of Lenovo and Motorola in Iran.

The metal-clad handset sports a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) resolution display with Corning Gorilla Glass coating and is powered by a deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 (MT6797) processor. The processor is complimented by 3GB/4GB RAM and Mali T880 GPU. The Lenovo K8 Note is also the company's first to sport dual rear camera setup.

The primary 13MP camera along with the 5MP secondary camera detects the depth of the image and creates a 'bokeh' portrait effect. Some of the camera modes included in the K8 Note are Panorama, HDR and Professional mode. For selfie lovers, the smartphone has a 13MP front-facing camera along with a dedicated LED flash. There is a Pro mode for the front-facing camera as well.

LGV30 live images surface online ahead of launch

LG is set to unveil its latest smartphone, the LGV30 on August 31 in Berlin. A new set of live images of the V30 have surfaced online that showsthe smartphone still has a headphone jack, bezel-less display and USB type-C for charging.

The images first shared on Weibo, shows the speaker located at the bottom with no physical button on the display. Although it was rumoured that the device will be bezel-less, the leaks show that the sides bezels are slimmer and there's also the thin top and lower bezel.

Unlike the V20, the V30 might skip the second display on top and the device is expected to come in 18:9 aspect ratio display. According to speculation, the bigger variant of the smartphone -- V30 Plus -- might come with bezel-less display. Though there isn't much information about the device which has been revealed. The company has only confirmed that the smartphone will sport a 6-inch FullVision QHD OLED display.

The latest video published by LG reveals that the V30 will come with quad DACs for improved sound output. As speculated, the LG V30 is expected to launch with 6-inch OLED display with a Snapdragon 835 and 6GB of RAM inside. A dual camera setup is also expected with 16MP (standard angle) and 13MP (optical angle) lenses and a 3,200mAh battery. Just a few days ago, LG also confirmed the camera V30 is going to sport. In a blog post, the company confirmed that the V30 will house a F1.6 aperture camera, technically making it the fastest smartphone camera in the market today. If rumours are to be believed, the LG V30 might cost around 700 USD while the LG V30 Plus could be priced around 850 USD.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 to go on sale via AmazoN India today

Xiaomi Redmi 4 to go on sale via AmazoN

India today

NEW DELHI: Xiaomi, one of the popular Chinese tech firms, will once again be keeping its Redmi 4 smartphone on sale via Amazon India. The handset comes with a starting price tag of Rs 6,999 and will go on sale today (August 29) at 12pm. It will also go on sale at the same time from Mi.com. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 is the successor of the last year launched Redmi 3 smartphone and was launched in India back in June this year.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 is available in three variants. All three variants have different RAM and internal storage. The smartphone's variants available in India are -- 2GB RAM/16GB storage (Rs 6,999), 3GB RAM/32GB storage (Rs 8,999) and 4GB RAM/64GB storage (Rs 10,999).

As part of the sale, the company is offering customers Mi cases for its Redmi 4 at Rs 349. The cases are originally priced at Rs 499. Customers can also buy the Mi Basic headphones at Rs 599 and Mi Air Capsule earphones at Rs 999.

MIUI 9 global beta ROM released for second batch of Xiaomi devices

The Chinese tech firm recently announced the news in a blog post and added that the second batch of devices that will receive MIUI 9 global beta ROM includes Xiaomi Mi Note 2, Mi 5S Plus, Mi 5S, Mi 5, Redmi 4X, Redmi 4, Mi Max 2, Mi Max and the Mi Mix.

The Xiaomi Redmi 4 buyers will also be able to download the Kindle app on their device and can get a credit of Rs 200 on Kindle books by signing-in. This offer is available for the first 100,000 customers only.

Furthermore, Redmi 4 buyers will get up to 30GB of additional 4G internet data free on their Reliance Jio networks. Customers will also get free subscription of Hungama Play and Hungama Music for 12 months and 3 months respectively.

Lastly, the Redmi 4 buyers will have the option to get authorized damage protection plan for the device starting Rs 599. The protection plan will be for a year and covers accidental physical damage, liquid damage, damage due to fire, lightning, riots and other Acts of God perlis. There will also be free door step pickup and drop service for repair requests.

Why Uber's new CEO choice may just be right

Why Uber's new CEO choice may just be right

Uber is now being run by a 14-person group of managers and is without multiple top executive positions that wo... Read More

DETROIT: For a surprise choice, Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahiappears to check the boxes needed to tackle the massive job of leading Uber from a rapidly growing but dysfunctional money-loser to a company that can turn a consistent profit.

Like Uber, Expedia is a global juggernaut that uses an internet platform to process millions of transactions every year. Expedia went through a big growth phase just like Uber, and has mastered making money on travel booking transactions, something that's only an aspiration for Uber.

Khosrowshahi also has experience leading a public company, which Uber wants to become, and he has handled vocal investors and strong-willed board members, which Uber has.