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Google made the tech driving Potrait Mode on Pixel 2 open source

By
Lalit Wadhwa
-

Google is a company who doesn't need any introduction. Its Pixel lineup of smartphones offers the purest Android experience ever. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL might not sport dual camera setup at the back or front. However, the devices comes with the potraight mode at both front and back. Google manages to deliver the same experience driven by AI and software. This has led the camera to be rated one of the best on a smartphone ever. Now the technology has been made open-source by the company.

Google Pixel 2017

Google’s research and development team just put out a blog post. The blog post states they are making the open source release of their “semantic image segmentation model”. The model is known as “DeepLab-v3+” and implemented in TensorFlow. Also, according to the blog post, “semantic image segmentation” stands for “assigning a semantic label, such as ‘road’, ‘sky’, ‘person’, ‘dog’, to every pixel in an image.” The company this new application is helping power various other new applications. These new applications include the synthetic shallow depth-of-field effect. This is also known as the portrait mode seen on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones.

So how exactly the Google's tech works?

The blog post by Google explains what happens when each pixel or subject in the image is assigned one of these labels. This technology also helps in figuring out the outline of the objects. This is the most crucial thing in the Portrait mode concept. In the Portrait mode, everything apart from the object in Focus is blurred. This gives it a shallow depth of field effect. Apple introduced this in smartphones with the iPhone 7 Plus. While most of the companies rely on a dual camera setup for this, Google did it with just software.

Also Read: How to record the screen on a MacBook without any software

Google’s blog post also says with the DeepLab-v3+ open source release, it includes some more models. These models also include “models built on top of a powerful convolutional neural network (CNN) backbone architecture for the most accurate results…”. The post also states that the models have improved dramatically due to improvement in datasets and more. The post also says this technology will help industry professionals and students will be really benefitted by this.

How to record the screen on a MacBook without any software

By
Brahmjot Singh
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Recording a screen on a Mac is at least 10 times harder compared to a PC. At least that's what I thought. However, when I got hands on my first Mac and started fidgeting with it, I found it much easier than I thought. One plus sign of what you will gain on by reading this article is that you wouldn't need to spend a lot of money on screen recording softwares like Camtasia. By following the steps below you would easily be able to start recording your screen for free.

Firstly you are required to open up the QuickTime Player on your Mac. QuickTime comes pre-installed on every Mac as the default media player.

Mac Screen Recording

After QuickTime is open, you are required to click on the 'File' tab. The 'File' tab is located on the Menu bar at the top left corner of the display. After clicking on the tab a drop down menu will appear, where you will have to press 'New Screen Recording'.

Mac Screen Recording

That's it the recording will start automatically. Now you can easily start doing whatever work you wanted to record without any tension.

Mac Screen Recording

To stop the recording, you will have to click the 'stop recording button'. The 'stop recording button' can be found in the same Menu Bar where the 'File' tab is located.

Mac Screen Recording

After you have pressed the stop recording button. The Mac will automatically save the recording to the 'Movies' folder with a computer assigned name to it.

The only problem that I found was that you cannot customise the area you want to record. The software will record the whole screen, and then output the same for viewing purposes. Though the unnecessary areas can be cropped afterwards while editing the video but, that sure is an addition to your work. I would suggest that professionals who have got the machine for work shouldn't be cheap, and instead should spend a bit of money on screen recording softwares, which can do everything including basic editing, as for most the more time consumed on a single piece of work costs more than spending a few bucks.

Here are the Top 5 Reasons why not to buy the Xiaomi Redmi 5

By
Brahmjot Singh
-

Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant has finally launched the much-awaited Redmi 5 in India. The Xiaomi Redmi 5 is a budget-oriented smartphone launched in China a couple of months ago. As Xiaomi's budget smartphones see a lot of success in India, the company has finally brought the smartphone to the country. Though the smartphone is good, there are always a set of pros and cons. Here are the reasons why you should not put in your money on the Xiaomi Redmi 5.

1.) The Build

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 does give a metallic look but it is actually made of plastic. The whole build of the Redmi 5 might look a bit cheap. Also, looking at the build it is very unlikely that the smartphone will handle drops.

2.) Design

Xiaomi Redmi 5 does look refreshed when you look at the front. However, the smartphone carries an old design at the back. The design is something similar to what we have seen previously on some Xiaomi smartphones. Also, the company could have trimmed down the bezels a bit more at the front.

3.) Software

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 runs on MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat out of the box. MIUI is a really heavy skin and can make your smartphone slower. Also, the UI is hated by many people. The software also comes with some bloatware applications which might not be liked by many.

Also Read: Top 5 reasons to buy the budget-oriented Xiaomi Redmi 5

4.) Better Alternatives

Xiaomi Redmi 5 is launched in India at a price of Rs. 7,999. This price range has been growing a lot lately in the smartphone industry. There are smartphones like 10.or E to compete against the Redmi 5. The 10.or does come with an older processor but runs on stock Android which provides a fluid experience.

10.or E 2
10.or E

5.) Flash Sales

In the typical Xiaomi fashion, the Redmi 5 will also go through the Flash Sales. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has been there for quite some time now by now but many have not been able to get their hands on one. The Flash Sales system might make you wait a little more than expected. So if you are planning to buy the Redmi 5, you might have a hard time getting one on time.

Top 5 reasons to buy the budget-oriented Xiaomi Redmi 5

By
Devesh Arora
-

Xiaomi, on Wednesday, announced the launch of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 in India. The smartphone was launched in China a few weeks ago and now has finally made its way to India. The company did not launch the Redmi 5 Plus as it is already available in India as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. Here are the top 5 reasons why we think you should buy the Xiaomi Redmi 5.

1.) Display

As soon as you give your first glance at the smartphone, the biggest thing you will notice is an 18:9 panel. Yes, Redmi 5 being a budget oriented device comes with an 18:9 display up front. The display comes with a resolution of 1440x720 which is also impressive. Though the 18:9 panels are getting really popular, the display on the Redmi 5 looks really good and does outperform some of the other 18:9 phones like iVoomi i1s and the InFocus Vision 3.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

2.) Performance

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. The chipset is an octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz. The Snapdragon 450 also comes with the Adreno 506 GPU. This combination of the CPU and GPU on the Redmi 5 should give you some decent performance. It will easily handle day to day tasks and will also be able to run some high-end games like Asphalt 8.

3.) Cameras

On the optics front, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 sports a 12-megapixel camera at the back with a LED flash. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter. Xiaomi has used the same camera setup on the Redmi 5 and the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The cameras perform really well under good lighting conditions.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi 5 launched in India: Price, Specifications and Availability

4.) Price

Xiaomi has priced the Redmi 5 very aggressively in India. The smartphone starts at a price of Rs. 7,999. Xiaomi Redmi 5 brings a lot to the table for the price. The Redmi 5 is priced at Rs. 7,999 for the 2GB+16GB variant. The 3GB+32GB and the 4GB+64GB variants are priced at Rs. 8,999 and Rs. 10,999 respectively.

5.) MIUI 9

MIUI 9 banner

Xiaomi Redmi 5 runs on Android Nougat based-MIUI 9 out of the box. MIUI is a love or a hate thing, as some hate it while some love it the most. However, if you do like MIUI, the Redmi 5 brings a lot of new features with the MIUI 9.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 launched in India: Price, Specifications and Availability

By
Devesh Arora
-

Xiaomi has finally launched the budget-friendly Xiaomi Redmi 5 in India. The smartphone is being touted as a "Compact Powerhouse" by the company. The Redmi 5 is launched in order to fill the gap between the Redmi 5A and the Redmi Note 5. The highlights of the smartphone include it's 18:9 display up front.

Specifications

As far as the specifications are concerned, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. The smartphone features a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1440 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device is launched in three variants which include 2GB RAM+16GB storage, 3GB RAM+32GB storage and the 4GB RAM+64GB storage variant. Xiaomi Redmi 5 runs on MIUI 9.1 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3,300mAh battery powering up the internals.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

 

Also Read: Here’s how to download and install MIUI 9 update on your Xiaomi devices

On the optics front, the Redmi 5 sports a 12-megapixel camera at the back. The rear camera comes with f/2.2 aperture, PDAF and a LED flash. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter.

The connectivity options on the Xiaomi Redmi 5 include 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and a microUSB port. The smartphone also features a fingerprint scanner located at the back.

Price and Availability

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi 5 at a starting price of 7,999 for the 2GB RAM+16GB storage variant. The 3GB RAM+32GB and the 4GB RAM+64GB storage variants of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 are priced at Rs. 8,999 and Rs. 10,999 respectively. The smartphone is exclusive to Amazon India and will be available starting March 20. Xiaomi Redmi 5 will be available in Black, Gold, Blue and Rose Gold colour options.

Samsung Galaxy J8 Plus and Asus Zenfone 5 Max leaked on GeekBench

By
Lalit Wadhwa
-

Smartphones by companies like Asus and Samsung have been leaked on benchmarking platform Geekbench. After unveiling the Zenfone 5 series at MWC this year, Asus is planning to add new phones to the series. One of those new phones will be the Zenfone 5 Max. Samsung also, after releasing the Samsung Galaxy S9 series is planning to launch the new J series smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy J8 Plus was leaked on Geekbench.

Asus Zenfone 5 Max

As per the Geekbench listing, the smartphone sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. this is coupled with 4GB RAM. This listing also shows the smartphone running smartphone is running on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. This leads us to believe it is the Zenfone 5 Max which was left out at the MWC.

Asus Zenfone 5 Max

The Zenfone 5 Max scores 1518 in a single-core benchmark and 5386 in multi-core tests. While nothing else is revealed about the smartphone from the listing, there are several things we can infer. The scores hint at a budget segment device. Also, the Zenfone Max series come with huge batteries. This leads us to expect a 5000mAH battery. Moreover, like the other Zenfone 5 series smartphones, it will have an 18:9 display.

Also Read: Asus unveiled the Zenfone 5 series of smartphones with Dual Cameras and 19:9 displays

Let's hope the new device is something more than the recently announced Zenfone Max (M1) (2018). The company in the past have delivered great Zenfone Max series smartphones, so we expect the same performance now also.

Samsung Galaxy J8 Plus

The Geekbench listing reveals details about the smartphone Samsung SM-J805G. This is the Galaxy J8 Plus. The smartphone runs on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. The smartphone also sports an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 1.8GHz base frequency and Adreno 506 GPU.

Samsung Galaxy J8 Plus Geekbench Leaks

Apart from the Snapdragon 625, the listing also reveals that the Galaxy J8 Plus will be coupled with 4GB RAM. Considering, the device is supposed to be a budget segment device, the specs are really impressive.

Also Read: Best alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+

Geekbench listing also, shows that the upcoming smartphone manages to score around 749 points on a single core. Also its scores around 3708 points in multi-core test. The performance numbers hint towards a budget segment device. Which further confirms the claims.

So, the Samsung Galaxy J8 Plus will be a budget device, running on budget segment specifications and hopefully the budget segment price.

Huawei P20 series prices and colour variants leaked ahead of March 27 launch

By
Devesh Arora
-

Huawei is gearing up to launch a range of new smartphones. The Huawei's popular P-series are getting a refresh and the P20 series are on their way. The new P20 family will include the Huawei P20, P20 Pro and the P20 Lite. These smartphones will focus on different price segments and will come with 19:9 displays. The company is set to launch these smartphones on March 27 in Paris.

huawei-p20-invite
Huawei P20 Invite

Colour Variants

Huawei P20 series have been all over the news due to the constant leaks and rumours. A recent report suggests that the Huawei P20 family will be introduced in black, blue, and pink colour varinats. However, we still do not know what the company will call these colours for the smartphones.

Pricing

Apart from the colour options, the report has also leaked the prices of the upcoming smartphones. The Huawei P20 Pro will be launched at a price of EUR 899 which roughly converts to Rs. 72,000. The P20 will come with a price tag of EUR 679 (roughly Rs. 54,000) while the P20 Lite will retail for EUR 369 (roughly Rs. 29,500).

Also Read: Honor 7C with 18:9 display launched: Price, Specifications and Availability

If the prices are to be believed, the Huawei P20 Pro will compete against the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the Apple iPhone X. The P20, on the other hand, will compete against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Apple iPhone 8. The more budget-friendly P20 Lite will compete against the OnePlus 5T and the Nokia 8.

The all-new Huawei P20 series is expected to sport a 19:9 aspect ratio display up front. The P20 and P20 Pro will carry HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset under the hood. The P20 Lite being a much cheaper variant will be powered by the Kirin 659 processor.

Here's how to download and install MIUI 9 update on your Xiaomi devices

By
Devesh Arora
-

Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant, recently promised Xiaomi users that they will soon be getting the MIUI 9 update. The company rolled out the update first for few of their devices including the Redmi Note 4. Now the company has finally rolled out the software update for all the compatible Xiaomi devices.

Xiaomi, when released the MIUI 9, announced that the MIUI 9 update will be available for all the Xiaomi devices running on MIUI. Interestingly, the update has also made its way to the 4-year-old devices like the Mi 3 and the Redmi 1S. This new MIUI 9 update brings a lot of optimisations resulting in performance boos. The new ROM also packs in a number of features like App Vault, bundled notifications quick replies and much more.

List of devices to get MIUI 9

  • Xiaomi Redmi 2/ Prime
  • Redmi 4A
  • Redmi Note Prime
  • Mi 4i
  • Redmi 3S/Prime
  • Redmi Note 4G
  • Redmi 1S
  • Redmi Note 3
  • Mi 3
  • Mi 4
  • Mi Max/Prime
  • Redmi Y1/Y1 Lite
  • Redmi 4
  • Mi 5
  • Mi MIX 2
  • Mi Max 2
  • Redmi Note 4

Also Read: Top 5 smartphones under Rs 20,000 (March 2018 Edition)

How to download and install

Xiaomi is rolling out the software update to the above-mentioned devices via OTA (over-the-air). As soon as the update is available on your device, you will receive a notification. However, to manually check for the update, you can head over to Settings>About Phone and tap on System Updates to check for any updates available.

Once the update is available, simply download it by tapping on the download option. After the download is complete, tap on Install Now. Do note that the installation process can take some time and you will not be able to use your smartphone during the installation.

Best alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+

By
Lalit Wadhwa
-
PrevNext

4. They might be good, but its a tough fight

Samsung’s S series smartphones always have been their top of the line, flagship segment smartphones. Coming with a top of the line performance and exceptional features. In 2018, the company launched their Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are set to replace the S8 and S8+. The S9 series comes with exceptional features like dual aperture and super slo-mo cameras, first in mobile phones. Also, the S9+ is the first Samsung S series smartphone with a dual camera setup.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ Hands-on Review: Camera Reimagined?

However, All nice and new things aren't the best things. Howsoever good a smartphone maybe, there are really good alternatives, sometimes better or equivalent always. Same story with the latest Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. So let's take a look at the best alternatives to the Galaxy S9/S9+.

Please do note that the list is not in an orderly manner. This means the top listing in this article is not the best one. So please pay complete attention to the article.

3. Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Oreo

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ are the predecessors of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Apart from the hardware of the last year, badly positioned fingerprint sensor. It is almost same as the Galaxy S9. Other differences apart in the camera department. The Galaxy S9 has a dual aperture camera and the Galaxy S9+ was a dual camera setup. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have a fixed aperture single camera setup.

Still, the price drop of the Glaxay S8 due to the launch of its successor has caused a significant price drop. This makes the Galaxy S8/S8+ cheaper and almost same to the Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ launched in India

2. Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 S pen

The Samsung's own Note series is one of the most powerful smartphones out there in the market. After the tragedy of the Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy Note 8 came back with a blast. With pulling performance numbers greater than the Galaxy S8 and close to the Galaxy S9. With the dual camera setup, large display, and the S-pen it makes it a great bargain. Also, as the Note 8 was launched quite a while ago, the prices have started to drop.

Trading in the dual-aperture camera for the bigger display and the S-pen, this makes it a good alternative.

Also Read: Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 worth it or should you just grab the Galaxy S8?

1. Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

Pixel 2 series

The Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL are the Google's vision of Android smartphones. Since Google develop and manage the Android software, we can say its the visionary of the creator. The Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL runs on stock android, with guaranteed latest updates for the next 3 years. This makes it a true software joy to use. Also, as per the Google's vision, these smartphones are fairly cheaper when compared to their alternatives.

Also, the camera of these smartphones is known for being one of the best in the whole market. However, these pack a fixed aperture, so the low light photography won't be as good. But still, they are very much bang for the buck, if you like to get almost same performance for a little less price.

Also Read: How to install Android P developer preview in your Pixel/Pixel 2 devices

Honor 7C with 18:9 display launched: Price, Specifications and Availability

By
Brahmjot Singh
-

Huawei's sub-brand Honor has launched another mid-range smartphone, the Honor 7C. The Honor 7C is clearly a toned down version of the much popular Honor 7X. The highlights of the smartphone include the 18:9 display and the dual camera setup at the back.

Specifications

As far as the specifications are concerned, the Honor 7C is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC. Snapdragon 450 on the 7C is an octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz. The smartphone features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1440x720 pixels. The Honor 7C is launched in two variants, one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and the other with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The device runs on Android 8.0 Oreo-based EMUI 8 out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3,000mAh battery.

Honor 7C launched

On the optics front, the Honor 7C, just like its elder sibling, sports a dual camera setup at the back. However, the dual camera setup on the 7C is a 13MP+2MP setup instead of the 16MP+2MP found on the 7X. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.

Also Read: Huawei Y9 (2018) with four cameras launched: Price, Specifications and Availability

In terms of connectivity, the Honor 7C supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and a micro-USB port. The smartphone also features a fingerprint sensor at the back.

Price and Availability

Honor has launched the Honor 7C in China starting at a price of CNY 899 (roughly Rs. 9,200) for the 32GB variant. The 64GB variant of the smartphone comes with a price tag of CNY 1,299 (roughly Rs. 13,300). The Honor 7C is available in Red, Black, Gold and Blue colour variants. The smartphone is currently available only in China and there is no word as to when the device will make its way to the other markets.

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