Asus recently unveiled their dual-screen laptop, the ZenBook Duo. The company is now finally bringing this creator-focused machine to India. Priced at Rs. 89,990, the laptop might feel quite costly at first but it not only brings tons of exciting features but also offers a premium build and design.
Asus ZenBook Duo Specifications
The all-new Asus ZenBook Duo features a 14-inch fullHD LED-backlit display. It is powered by 10th generation Intel Core i7 or the Intel Core i5 processor. The device comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB PCIe SSD. For graphics, the laptop comes with the Nvidia MX250 graphics card with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM. All of this is backed by a 70Wh battery, which can be charged using the 65W charger included in the box.
As for connectivity, the Asus ZenBook Duo comes with a USB 3.1 Type-C port, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, an HDMI port, headphone jack and a microSD card reader. The laptop comes with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity.
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo Specifications
As the name suggests, the ZenBook Pro Duo is focused towards the professional users and hence comes with more powerful specifications. The device is powered by an Intel Core i7 or Core i9 processor. It packs in up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of PCIe fast SSD storage. Under the hood, there is a 71Wh battery powering up the show. Asus has also bundled a fast 230W charger right inside the box for fast charging capabilities.
In order to offer a comfortable and professional experience, the company has included a discrete palm rest, a detachable laptop stand and the ASUS Pen right inside the box.
On the connectivity front, the ZenBook Pro Duo gets a Thunderbolt 3 port, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port and a headphone jack. The laptop comes with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity.
Anker Soundcore review: Anker Soundcore is a Bluetooth speaker you should not refrain from buying. That is the end of my review.
But, making a purchase decision is not as simple as the line I wrote above. So here I will be elaborating on why is that the case, and why you should seriously consider purchasing the Anker Soundcore. However, if you really don't have that much of time to read through the full review, the above line still stands, just purchase it and you will be happy that you did.
Anker Soundcore review: Design and Build
In the design department, Anker has gone with providing users with a minimalist look for its Soundcore speaker. The speaker looks simple and elegant with soft feel plastic surrounding it. The front consists of a metal grille, which has the name Anker imprinted on it, which I found a bit too much.
The control buttons are located on the top with two LED light indicators. The speaker feels durable and quite solid in hand. It feels as if it can easily take a few drops without being damaged.
Anker Soundcore review: Audio Quality
Why would one purchase a Bluetooth speaker? To listen to music right. And this is where Anker Soundcore performs its best. I used Gaana to play my playlist on it in 'Extreme' quality in its wireless mode, I have to say that I was impressed with its sound quality at the price.
The buttons are soft to the touch.
The lows were extremely clean and did not sound muddled like some speakers of this size do. The bass in lows was extremely clean and did not feel fake at all. Mids were nice and smooth, is a thing that I am being able to say in a long time when it comes to speakers of this size and dimension.
Coming to the highs, the Soundcore did have a little harshness at full volume on songs with a lot of noise, but other songs were alright without any issues.
Anker Soundcore review: Connectivity
Connectivity is a point where I felt that the Anker Soundcore fell a bit short, even though it was better than what most other players have to offer in the same price range. The speaker has a range of 60 feet, however, after around 40 feet of proximity it does start to stutter. The Aux cable port is multi-threaded, which is a good thing considering it is able to take more data from the connected device and provide a better sound experience.
The battery is another area where the Soundcore is able to shine. I was able to get around a week of battery backup with 4 hours of approximate listening time daily. There was a point during my usage, where I started to wonder if I would be able to kill the speaker or not.
Anker Soundcore review: Verdict
Anker Soundcore is hands down one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can get at this price point. Even though it looks small and extremely portable, it is extremely powerful and can put most other Bluetooth speakers around this price point to shame. If you are currently looking to purchase a good quality speaker that would not break the bank, this is the one I recommend you should get.
The Daydream app will still continue to be listed on Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store for existing customers.
Google has discontinued its Daydream project. The company yesterday announced that its Pixel 4 devices do not come with Daydream support. It also discontinued its Daydream View VR headset. Instead of Virtual Reality (VR), the company will from now on diverting all of its focus on Augmented Reality (AR).
The Daydream app will still continue to be listed on Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store for existing customers. The company has even removed the Daydream VR headset from its own store. Daydream VR ecosystem was launched back in 2016.
A Google spokesperson told Engadget, "While we are no longer selling Daydream View or supporting Daydream on Pixel 4, the Daydream app and store will remain available for existing users."
He also stated that adoption was the first reason behind the discontinuation of the platform. The other reason as to why the product has been discontinued is that there are clear limitations constraining smartphone VR from being a viable long-term solution.
To recall, Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, which were launched earlier this year also don't support Daydream. Google will now be investing heavily in Google Lens, AR walking navigation in Maps and AR in Search.
Google was also seeing a decline in the userbase of Daydream, which is another reason as to why the product wasn't able to sustain itself.
Redmi Note 8 Pro looks quite premium in the Halo White colour variant.
Xiaomi India has finally launched the much-anticipated Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone. With competitors like Realme in the play, the company had to level up their mid-range smartphone game. Redmi Note 8 Pro now comes with a gaming-focused processor and a 64-megapixel camera at the back.
Redmi Note 8 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro sports a 6.53-inch fullHD+ IPS LCD display with support for HDR. The mid-range device is powered by the MediaTek Helio G90T processor coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. For storage, it comes with up to 128GB of onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 4,500mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.
It also comes with IP52 dust and water resistance.
Redmi Note 8 Pro is the first smartphone in the segment to get the IP52 dust and water resistance. It also gets Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as on the back. Xiaomi has also managed to achieve a screen to body ratio of 91.4 per cent with the help of Chip-on-Film technology. Since the phone comes with a gaming-centric chipset, the company has also added Liquid Cooling technology.
As for the optics, the Redmi Note 8 Pro features a quad-camera setup at the back consisting of a 64-megapixel primary sensor, 8-megapixel wide-angle lens, 2-megapixel ultra-macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The primary sensor also gets the latest ISOCELL Plus technology which allows the sensor to get more light. Upfront, there is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture.
Just like every year, the company has launched two new smartphones in the Redmi Note series. The Redmi Note 8 is slightly cheaper than the Redmi Note 8 Pro and in order to achieve that price tag, Xiaomi had to cut down on a few things inside. The Redmi Note 8 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor coupled with Adreno 610 GPU.
Redmi Note 8 comes in four colour variants.
The smartphone sports a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. The dual-SIM handset packs in 4GB or 6GB of RAM paired with 64GB and 128GB onboard storage respectively. It runs on Google's Android 9 Pie operating system with MIUI 10 layered on top of it. Under the hood, there is a 4,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.
In terms of the optics, the Redmi Note 8 comes with a quad-camera setup at the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, there is a
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro comes with two variants. While both of them feature 6GB of RAM, the storage options include 64GB and 128GB. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 14,999 for the 64GB variant and the 128GB variant comes with a price tag of Rs. 15,999. There is also an 8GB+128GB variant priced at Rs. 17,999. It is available in three colour variants, Gamma Green, Halo White and Shadow Black.
As for the Redmi Note 8, it is priced at Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 12,999 for the 64GB and 128GB variants respectively. It will be available in Neptune Blue, Moonlight White, Cosmic Purple and the Space Black colour variants.
Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro will be available starting October 21 at 12 Noon via Mi.com, Amazon.in and Mi Home stores. As for the launch offer, the company has collaborated with Airtel to offer double the data with Rs. 149 unlimited pack.
There are various online PDF to Word Converters that you can consider. For your convenience, we’ve gathered a list of top Online PDF to Word converters.
PDF or in other words, Portable Document Format is the most popular and common file formats use across various industries because of its unified formatting across platforms. Due to its efficiency, small size and compatibility, people love to use this format. But when it comes to editing, it has some limitations and restricts its usage. However, as compared to other application software like ‘.doc’ or ‘.docx,’ PDF offers very less scope for editing. So the only option that left is converted PDF to word format. You must be curious about how it can be done? Well, it’s simple!
There are various online PDF to Word Converters that you can consider. For your convenience, we’ve gathered a list of top Online PDF to Word converters.
Onlineconvertfree
If you are looking for a free online converter to convert pdf to word format, then Onlineconvertfree is here for you. You can upload 20 files at a time, and download all in a zip achieve format. The best thing is the website’s super easy to interact interface, which can be accessed on mobile devices as well.
What makes it best?
You can upload bulk files and download.
It offers fast conversion.
Supportable across various compatible devices.
Small PDF
Here comes all-rounder— Small PDF converter. It’s a superb web-based app present almost 16 different pdf tools with advanced functionalities, including pdf convert, unlocker, splitter, etc. You can operate it across various platforms like Windows, Linux, Mac, etc. Additionally, it offers superb security as it uses 256-bit SSL encryption.
With its Pro Subscription at $48 annually, you can unlock various advanced features like digital signatures, no ads, offline tools, etc.
What makes it different?
You can convert unlimited files.
Integrated with Dropbox.
Use 256-bit SSL encryption for protection.
Zamzar
Use Zamzar online pdf converter to change pdf to word and other formats. Yes, it supports more than 1200 different conversions, including audio, video, eBook converter, etc. The interface is super-easy to operate. The processing capacity of it is up to 50 MB. You need to provide an email address for downloading the changed files.
What makes it different?
It’s super easy to use.
Completely free website application for users.
Batching processing is also supported.
Online2PDF
Here comes another simple conversion tool which allows you to choose various formats, including merge files, extract pages, and compress pdfs, etc, called Online2PDF. It has introduced an advanced OCR feature which allows you to scan pdf document using OCR technology. A user can create covert 100 pages, and the maximum file size is up to 50 MB. However, it takes a bit more time as compared to other tools.
What makes it different?
It allows batch conversion of files.
Encrypted is available to protect files.
Foxy Utils
It’s famous for batch processing, but this feature is not available in the free version. If you have larger files, then you’ve to pay for the conversion. It’s available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. It’s OCR and scanning process is only for the premium version.
What makes it different?
It can convert multiple files.
The conversion speed is super-fast.
You can choose a file from Google drive or dropbox.
Super-interactive interface, and effortless conversion.
Google drive and dropbox are integrated.
Alto PDF
Here comes another superb pdf to word converter. Just drag and drop files and initiate the conversion. It offers full protection. When the website gets close, files get automatically deleted from their servers. It doesn’t offer a batch processing option.
What makes it different?
Easy-to-use interface and supports OneDrive.
Free pdf converter.
PDF Candy
It’s a free-to-use tool with an option to choose files from Dropbox and Google Drive. It’s a good tool to in retaining the formatting even in heavily edited documents.
What makes it different?
It’s free to use, with no restrictions.
Retains formatting, and automatic OCR feature also works well.
Verdict
So among mentioned above tools which one is your favourite free pdf to word file converter? Let us know if you know any other efficient free to use tool for conversion.
DishTV has just launched its all-new SMRT Hybrid set-up box. As the name suggests, this a smart set-up box that not only showcases regular channels but also runs on Android TV 9.0. By installing such a product, users can seamlessly switch between cable TV and OTT apps like Netflix and Prime Videos.
Since the new Dish SMRT Hub is powered by Google's Android TV operating system, it comes with Google Play Store as well as Google Assistant pre-installed. With the help of the store, users can easily download and install other media streaming applications like Netflix, Hotstar, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. Additionally, users will also be able to download Android games on to the hub and enjoy them on their big-screen TV. However, users might need to purchase a Bluetooth enabled gamepad to have proper gaming experience.
As far as the pricing is concerned, the Dish SMRT Hub will be available for a price of Rs. 3,999 for new subscribers. Existing subscribers, on the other hand, can enjoy a discount of Rs. 1,500, bringing the price down to just Rs. 2,499. In comparison, Airtel Xtreme Box with AndroidTV is available for Rs. 3,639.
In case you are not willing to spend as much, DishTV has also launched Dish Smart Kit. It is essentially an Amazon Alexa powered Wi-Fi dongle, which comes with a Bluetooth remote bundled. This can be attached to any existing DishTV set-top box. The Dish Smart Kit is priced at Rs. 1,199.
OnePlus 6 will get the Android 10 update this month.
OnePlus has just unveiled the OnePlus 7T Pro and the limited edition OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition. While the new OnePlus 7T series comes with Google's latest Android 10 operating system out of the box, the company is said to soon roll out the update for older OnePlus devices.
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer has confirmed that the Android 10 update will be made available for devices as old as the OnePlus 5. The list includes the following devices.
OnePlus 5
OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 6
OnePlus 6T
OnePlus 7
OnePlus 7 Pro
Carl Pei has confirmed that these devices will get the latest OxygenOS 10 update, which will be based on Android 10. The new iteration of OxygenOS will not only bring Android 10 features but also bring some additional features added by OnePlus.
OnePlus has already started rolling out the update for OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro devices. This will be followed by the OnePlus 6 and 6T, which will be receiving the update within this month. As for the older OnePlus 5 and 5T smartphones, the update will arrive sometime in Q2, 2020.
All these devices will get the update via OTA (Over-the-Air). If you happen to have any of these devices, you will get a notification once the update has arrived. However, if you are on the Open Beta version of OxygenOS, you will most likely receive the Android 10 update before others.
Also, in order to check for the available update manually, one can head over to Settings > System > System update and tap on check for updates.
Jio users will now need to buy additional packs to make calls to other operators.
Reliance Jio entered the market almost four years ago. The company single-handedly turned around the whole telecom industry. It offered unlimited calls and plenty of data for an unbelievable price. While Jio forced the competition to offer unlimited calls, it is now the first to back off. Here's why you will not be able to benefit much from the unlimited calling plans.
In order to understand why Jio is being forced to do this, we need to understand what is Interconnect Usage Charge (IUC). IUC is the charges that one operator needs to pay to another operator when its customers make outgoing calls to the other operator’s customers. These charges are fixed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) at 6 paise/minute.
Jio claims that they have paid NET IUC cost of approximately Rs. 13,000 crores till date. This comes down to roughly Rs. 200 crores per month. The company also claims that TRAI has finally agreed to wave off such charges starting January 1, 2020.
TRAI has made a few changes to the IUC charges, which means that Jio will no longer be able to subsidize IUC charges using its own resources. The company will need to recover this cost through its customers. This will only be charged when Jio customers make calls to customers of other operators including Airtel, Vodafone and Idea.
As for what it means for the customers, the tariff plans on Jio will remain the same. However, users who recharge after October 10, will need to buy an additional voucher to make calls to other operators. While the calls within the Jio network will remain free, users will need to pay 6 paise/min when made calls to other operators.
In order to compensate, Jio will be offering 1GB complimentary data on every Rs. 10 voucher purchased.
Instagram removes the following tab from the activity section
Instagram is currently one of the most popular social media platforms. The Facebook-owned application is dropping a feature, whcih has been there since the introduction of the platform, the following activity tab. Yes, users will no longer get activity updates about their friends.
The tab was available right in the Activity section, which can be accessed by clicking on the heart icon on the bottom panel. This tab provided information about what your friends have been up to. The tab showed what posts have been a particular person or a group of people have been liking lately.
Commenting on this major change, Vishal Shah, Product Head Instagram, said, "People didn't always know that their activity is surfacing. So you have a case where it's not serving the use case you built if for, but it's also causing people to be surprised when their activity is showing up."
While Instagram has made the announcement today, the feature started disappearing for many users back in August. People brought this to various forums and assumed it was some sort of a bug that needs to be fixed.
Meanwhile, the company is now planning to add a feature that has been requested by millions of users. The Instagram web is finally getting an option to access direct messages. This means that users will now be able to chat with their friends using the web interface of the application. Other social media apps like WhatsApp, Twitter and Hike already have such features.
Rich Communication Services works on Google Messages and Samsung Chat.
RCS is the short form of Rich Communication Services, which is a protocol that was made to replace SMSes. However, a variety of industry factors stopped it from growing for over around a decade.
In 2018, Google announced that it has been working with all major telecom carriers to adopt this protocol. The result is Chat. Google's own RCS based service, which is meant to replace SMSes and thus finally bring an iMessage like feature to Android.
RCS is rolling out to Indian carriers and smartphones slowly. It is currently in its early stages, so it doesn't work perfectly. However, we at Beetel Bite got a chance to play around with RCS on two Google Pixel smartphones. Both the devices were utilising Vodafone Idea's network. Here are our thoughts on the upcoming protocol.
I have used Apple's iMessage feature in the past, which allows users to send SMSes over a data connection, thus allowing users to save on the carrier charges. However, my only complaint with iMessage was that you can only communicate with other Apple device users.
With the advent of RCS, the same concept is now available for all Android phones. Also, keep in mind, RCS is not a proprietary protocol, It can easily be adopted on iPhones and other Apple products, finally providing simple communication for all.
We were able to send images, text and other forms of media without any hassle. If mine or my colleague's the internet was down, we had an option to retry sending the message as an SMS/MMS.
Unlike any other internet-based chat services, you can always be connected with your friends and family whether your internet was turned on or off. Also, it helps save carrier charges when you are connected to the internet by forwarding them with the RCS protocol.
How to use RCS?
Setting up Google RCS.
Currently, the Messages app by Google and Samsung's Chat application on Samsung devices are the only two applications that support RCS, however, more will join as the protocol gains popularity.
To activate the service on the Google Messages application. Click on three dots located on the top right corner of the chat window -> settings -> chat features. If your device supports RCS, you will see an option to turn it on and set it up.
Chatting on Google RCS.
When we had an RCS connection, we could easily send and receive messages over the internet and sent messages appeared with a dark blue background and white text. With this protocol disconnected due to internet issue, we had a light blue bubble with dark blue text and an SMS text below the send button. We also had options to retry, when the connection failed. One could set it to always send SMSes or ask first or never send an SMS depending on how they want to use it and how much their carrier charges them.
In the end, I personally feel like RCS is just getting started and will grow. It has a long way to go as of now. Also, until Google is able to make it work on iOS, it won't gain as much adoption that it can.
Depending on the carriers is a big issue as protocol means lost revenue for them and they will try to suppress it as much as possible. As of now, the RCS protocol is not groundbreaking, but with careful execution, it can become the next big thing in mobile communication.
