Instagram introduces new focus mode for stories and mention stickers

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April 12, 2018

Instagram has announced two new features for its platform globally - Focus and Mention Stickers. The Focus feature allows users to take portrait shots from the front and the rear cameras of the smartphones and adds a Bokeh effect to the images that were taken.

"When you take a photo or video of someone in the Focus format, their face will stay focused while the background blurs, giving the photo that polished look - something you'll want to share with friends,"

said Instagram in a statement.

To use the focus feature, the users will have to open the Stories tab, where they will find a new Focus button adjacent to the Superzoom button in the Record tab. When pressed the application will try to detect a face. When it does find a face the app will automatically blur out the background. You can then simply click a photo or record a video whatever your heart desires. The focus feature has been made available to the Apple iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and select Android smartphones.

Also Read: How to make your Instagram account safer: Privacy Matters

The @mention stickers feature will in beginning be only available for iOS users. However, the company has said that it will soon make its way to Android also. Mentions for some time now has been available to Instagram users, however, @mention stickers are said to take that to a newer level.

To use this new feature the users will have to open the stickers tray after they take a photo or record a video. Then they will have to tap the @mention sticker and type the name of the person they want to mention. After selecting the name, the mention sticker will be added to the media which can then be resized and positioned.

LG G7 ThinQ to unveil on May 2: Here's everything you need to know

By

Tech Desk

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April 11, 2018

LG has now finally confirmed that the much-awaited LG G7 is launching in May. LG G7 ThinQ successor to the company's last year's flagship LG G6. Surprisingly, the company has also announced that they are changing the naming scheme for their upcoming flagship models. So, the upcoming LG G7 will now be called the LG G7 ThinQ.

The LG G7 ThinQ is set to launch on May 2 and the launch event will take place in New York. The company will also conduct another press event in South Korea on May 3 for the same.

ThinQ is LG's own AI platform that helps in communicating between different LG devices. As the LG G7 now has ThinQ in its name, it suggests that the flagship will have AI and machine learning capabilities. This is the second smartphone from LG to come with the ThinQ branding, first being the LG V30S ThinQ.

Also Read: LG V30+ Hands-on Review: Will this smartphone be able to turn the tides for LG?

As far as the specifications are concerned, the LG G7 ThinQ is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The smartphone will feature a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. As per the leaked images, the smartphone will also have a notch up front. The device will pack in 4GB or 6GB of RAM with 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The LG G7 ThinQ will run on Android Oreo out of the box with LG's own UI layered on top of it.

On the optics front, the LG G7 ThinQ will sport a dual-camera setup at the back. Up front, there will be an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.

Nubia Z18 Mini with an 18:9 Display launched: Price, Specifications and more

By

Devesh Arora

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April 11, 2018

Nubia, a sub-brand of ZTE, has announced the launch of the Nubia Z18 Mini. The smartphone is a toned down version of the Nubia Z18. The highlights of the new mid-range smartphone include the 18:9 Full-HD display and the dual-camera setup at the back. Nubia has launched the smartphone in China today and will soon make its way to the other markets.

Specifications

As far as the specifications are concerned, the Nubia Z18 Mini features a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The device packs in 6GB of RAM and comes with either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3450mAh battery powering up the internals.

In the camera segment, the Nubia Z18 Mini sports a 24MP+5MP dual-camera setup at the back with f/1.7 aperture and a LED flash. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie snapper with f/2.0 aperture and AI beauty features.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo launched in India: Price, Specifications and Availability

As for connectivity, the Nubia Z18 Mini supports 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS and a Type-C USB port. The smartphone also features a fingerprint scanner located at the back.

Price and Availability

The Nubia Z18 Mini has launched at a price of CNY 1,799 (roughly Rs. 18,700) for the 64GB variant while the 128GB variant comes with a price tag of CNY 2,099 (roughly Rs. 21,800). The smartphone will be available in Black, White, Blue and Pink colour variants. Nubia has also introduced a limited Provence edition Z18 Mini that will retail for CNY 2,199 (roughly Rs. 22,850). The smartphone will be available for pre-orders in China starting April 11. The smartphone will go on sale starting April 19.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo launched in India: Price, Specifications and Availability

By

Devesh Arora

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April 11, 2018

The South Korean giant, Samsung, has launched another mid-range smartphone in India. The Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo is the first mid-range smartphone from the company to feature a dual-camera setup at the back. Until now only Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9+ had a dual-camera setup at the back.

Commenting on the launch, Mohandeep Singh, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India, said "With Galaxy J7 Duo, we are attempting to drive next level innovation in the J series that rules the hearts of Indian consumers. The introduction of dual-cameras in Galaxy J shows that we listen to our consumers and bring meaningful innovations that help enhance their lives. The superior specifications along with other innovative camera features in Galaxy J7 Duo will further consolidate our leadership position."

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy J7 features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The smartphone is powered by a 7-series Exynos processor clocked at 1.6GHz. The device packs in 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage which is further expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. Interestingly, this mid-range smartphone runs on Android Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3,000mAh battery powering up the internals.

On the optics front, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo sports a dual-camera setup at the back. The rear camera setup includes a 13-megapixel and a 5-megapixel camera sensor. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter with f/1.9 aperture and a LED flash.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ receive a price cut in India: Here are the new prices

As for connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo supports 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS and a microUSB port. The smartphone also features a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button up front.

Price and Availability

Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo is priced at Rs. 16,990 in India. The smartphone will be available at most retail stores starting April 12. Galaxy J7 Duo comes in two colour variants, namely, Black and Gold.

How to check if Facebook shared your data with Cambridge Analytica

By

Tech Desk

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April 11, 2018

We all recently bare witness to the fact that Facebook had been sharing or data with Cambridge Analytica. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook on Tuesday and Wednesday will be testifying to the US Congress for the same. Numbers revealed last month showed that the social media network had shared data of 87 million users with Cambridge Analytica, out of which over 5 lakh users belonged to India.

In a statement, Facebook had promised to notify all of the affected users whose data had been shared improperly starting April 9. However, it seems that those notifications are being rolled out extremely slow to the affected users. The company has also released a tool for users to check if they were amongst the affected users.

If you want to check that you're ID was affected or not. You need to visit Facebook's Help Centre page. There the company has jotted down the way how to know if your ID was amongst the ones shared or not.

On the page, you will see a box with the title 'Was my information shared?'. If logged in the box will tell you if you or any of your friends are the one affected. Just a side note, in the box it is written that the page specifically tells if the 'This Is Your Digital Life' shared the data or not.

If any of your friends got infected the page will not reveal to you who it was. However, it will point you to a page from where you can check and update information that is shared with any apps or websites.

Also Read: How to stop Facebook from tracking your location

If you got infected, there is a good tool that Facebook quietly released last week, which lets users bulk remove apps. This will help the users disconnect their ID's from third-party apps linked to their Facebook accounts.

Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are now available in Red: Price, Availability and more

By

Devesh Arora

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April 10, 2018

Apple has finally announced the much-awaited (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. The company silently released a press release on their website on April 9. Interestingly, the new special edition smartphones will be available in India as well.

Sadly, the company did not launch a (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition Apple iPhone X. However, the good news is that the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are Black from the front. Last year's Red iPhone 7 series sported a white front which was hated by many. It seems like Apple heard the customer response and made the front Black this time. Also, this is the first time Apple has launched a (PRODUCT) RED smartphone with a glass back.

Specifications

Apple iPhone 8 features a 4.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 750x1334 pixels. The larger iPhone 8 Plus sports a 5.5-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. Both the smartphones are powered by the Apple's A11 Bionic chipset. The iPhone 8 comes with 2GB of RAM while its elder sibling has 3GB of RAM. Both the devices are available in 64GB or 256GB storage options. The smartphones run on Apple iOS 11 out of the box. The Apple iPhone 8 is backed by a 1821mAh battery whereas the iPhone 8 Plus comes with a larger 2691mAh battery under the hood.

On the optics front, the Apple iPhone 8 sports a 12-megapixel camera at the back. The iPhone 8 Plus, on the other hand, has a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back. Up front, both the smartphones come with a 7-megapixel selfie shooter.

Price and Availability

The Product Red Apple iPhone 8 will be available in India for Rs. 67,940 for the 64GB variant. The 256GB variant of the smartphone will retail at a price of Rs. 81,500. The 64GB and 256GB variant of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus is priced at Rs. 77,560 and Rs. 91,110 respectively.

Google Home and Home Mini launched in India: Price, Availability and more

By

Devesh Arora

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April 10, 2018

Google introduced the Google Home and Home Mini smart speakers a while ago. The company has finally launched them in India. These smart speakers are powered by the company's Google Assistant. Using the assistant, they can answer your questions as well as perform various tasks for you.

Google Home and Home Mini trigger once you say "Hey Google" which can be then followed by a question or a command. You can ask questions like, "Who is the Prime Minister of India?" or "How far is the moon?" The assistant will then use Google's search engine to find the answers. You can also ask it follow up questions like "What is his age?" and much more.

If you have Philips Hue bulbs set up at your home, Google Home or Home Mini can turn on/off your lights. It can even dim the lights or change their colours. You can also set up a few commands like "Good Night" which can turn off the lights of your room.

As they are speakers, they can also play some music. Google Home and Home Mini can use Google Play Music or YouTube to play some songs. The smart speakers can also use third-party services like Saavn and Gaana to play music. As a part of the launch offer, the company is providing 6-months of ad-free music streaming on Saavn and Gaana.

Also Read: Airtel Broadband now offers 1200GB data at 300mbps: Here are the pricing details

Price and Availability

As far as the pricing is concerned, the Google Home is priced at Rs. 9,999 while the Home Mini will retail for Rs. 4,499. The Home and Home Mini directly compete against the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot respectively. Both the smart speakers will be available via the e-commerce website Flipkart as well as 750 retail outlets around the country.

Customers who get the Google Home or Home Mini via Reliance Stores are eligible to get a free JioFi device. Along with the device, the customers will also get 100GB of additional 4G data.

SOL Republic brings their Relay Sport and Shadow Wireless headphones in India

By

Lalit Wadhwa

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April 10, 2018

American Audio accessories maker, SOL Republic is making moves to step into Indian Market. The company launched their latest Relay Sport and Shadow Wireless to support the same. The SOL Republic has already expanded Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Mexico, Canada, Australia and Latin America. Apart from their Home market America, the company has been successful in other markets too.

“Our goal is to deliver audio products that offer unmatched sound, style and durability in order to change the world one listener at a time. The brand’s expansion into India is allowing us to do just that.”

-Sol Vice president Mario Larsen

The company also claims after the initial launch procedure is completed. There will be more SOL Republic products entering the Indian market. However, we don't know when will that exactly happen.

SOL Republic Relay Sport Wireless

The company's Relay Sports Wireless has a durable and water-resistant design. As it's made for activities like running, it's also wireless. IT offers up-to 8+ hours of battery life. According to the company, the unique selling point of Relay Sports Wireless is its award-winning FreeFlex™ secure fit, ultralight earbud design. The design enables the ear hooks to grab no matter what the ear size.

The Relay Sports Wireless also features SOL REPUBLIC’s signature deep bass and crisp sound. The company claims that it brings out emotion in our music. Also, these earphones have an outdoor mode. The outdoor mode increases the bass so that with heavy noise in the background, you can still enjoy your music.

The Relay Sports Wireless costs Rs 4990. It can be purchased via Amazon India.

Also Read: Top 5 PC Gaming Accessories under Rs. 5,000

SOL Republic Shadow Wireless

Shadow wireless is a sleek and trendy designed Bluetooth earphone for the company. Also, the design of these earphones is ergonomic. This allows the neckband to rest comfortably around your neck all day long. The shadow wireless is designed to be an extension of your body. It also features an in-line mic and controls. The battery life lasts more than 8 hours.

The Shadow Wireless earphone costs Rs 5990. It can be purchased via Amazon India.

Google Home and Home Mini listed on Flipkart: To launch on April 10 in India

By

Devesh Arora

-

April 9, 2018

Google Home is Google's take on smart speakers. The smart speakers were introduced in the US and a few other countries earlier. Now the Google Home and Home Mini are finally making their way to India. Currently, the Indian market is dominated by Amazon's Alexa and the Google's Home will be a tough competition for that.

The e-commerce website Flipkart has already listed the Google Home and Home Mini on its website. The smart speakers are launching tomorrow, April 10. These smart speakers are capable of answering your questions and doing the various task. The tasks include setting a timer, playing a song, turning off the lights and much more. Once you have these speakers set up at your home, you are just one command away from getting things done.

Google Home is a larger variant and directly competes against the Amazon Echo. Similarly, the Google Home Mini is a smaller variant and competes against the Amazon Echo Dot. Google Home is available in the US for a price of USD 129 which roughly converts to Rs. 8,400. The Home Mini, on the other hand, is a bit cheaper at just USD 49 which converts to Rs. 3,200. The pricing of the smart speakers in India will be revealed tomorrow at the launch event.

Also Read: Here’s how the Xiaomi’s Black Shark Gaming smartphone will look like

For reference, currently, the competitor's Amazon Echo and Echo Dot are priced at Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 4,499. We expect that Google will also keep the pricing somewhat similar in order to create a tough competition.

Airtel Broadband now offers 1200GB data at 300mbps: Here are the pricing details

By

Devesh Arora

-

April 9, 2018

Bharti Airtel has come up with a new plan for its broadband customers. The new plan not only brings more data but also brings more speed to the table. This is a part of the company's V-Fiber FTTH (Fiber-To-the-Home) service. Under Airtel V-Fiber, the ISP provides high-speed internet connections along with a landline connection.

At Rs. 2,199, Airtel is now offering 1200GB of data which will run at a speed of 300mbps. The plan also brings data rollover support which means additional data can be carry forwarded to the next billing cycle. Also, the IPS is providing 1000GB of additional data which will be valid until October 31, 2018. Customers will also get unlimited Local and STD calls alongside the internet. If that is not enough to attract you, Airtel is also providing Amazon Prime subscription to the customers.

Earlier, the highest plan that Airtel had to offer was for Rs. 1,999. The plan brings in 700GB data at only a 100mbps. For comparison, the new plan offers you 500GB more data and thrice the speed at just an extra charge of Rs. 200.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ receive a price cut in India: Here are the new prices

Bharti Airtel also has plans at Rs. 999, Rs. 1,099 and Rs. 1,299 that offer 200GB, 260GB, 300GB of data respectively. The Rs. 999 and Rs. 1,099 plan provide a speed of 40mbps while the Rs. 1,299 plan offers speeds of up to 100mbps. Both the Rs. 999 and Rs. 1,099 plans come with 750GB of additional data whereas the Rs. 1,299 comes with 1000GB of additional data.

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Price and Availability

Specifications

Price and Availability

Specifications

Price and Availability

Price and Availability

SOL Republic Relay Sport Wireless

SOL Republic Shadow Wireless