![]()
At the CES 2018 event, Google announced wide-range of assistant enhancements and new features. In association with Qualcomm, Google will be bringing Assistant to 'smart displays' powered by the Android Things. We have already seen Lenovo Smart Display powered by the Qualcomm SDA624 SoC launch.
Google launched the Home Mini speaker back in October 2016 and today the company announced that that the Assistant is coming to new voice-activated speakers from Altec Lansing, Anker Innovations, Bang & Olufsen, Braven, iHome, JBL, Jensen, LG, Klipsch, Knit Audio, Memorex, RIVA Audio and SōLIS. Apart from speakers, Google will roll out Assistant to 'Smart Display' devices which lets access YouTube, video call with Google Duo, find photos from Google Photos and more.
https://youtu.be/ARA0AxrnHdM
JBL, LG, Sony (based on the MediaTek MT8173 SoM) will join Lenovo by launching Smart Display products later this year. Back in September 2017, Google rolled out Assistant to NVIDIA SHIELD TV and Sony Android TV, the company now mentioned that is roll out Assistant to AirTV Player, Bouygues Telecom, LG U+, TCL, Skyworth, and Xiaomi.
Biggest announcement today is that Assistant will be coming to more headphones from Jaybird, JBL, LG, and Sony (WH-1000XM2, WI-1000X, WF-1000X, WF-SP700N, WI-SP600N, WH-CH700N, WH-H900N). Users can talk to the Assistant instantly with just ...
![]()
Amazon today announced 'Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit' with an aim to bring Alexa voice assistant to portable, on-the-go devices such as hearables, headphones, smart watches, fitness devices, and more. The kit has enough support for OEMs to add Alexa to their devices with minimum investment in hardware or integration efforts.
The Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit allows OEMs to quickly integrate AVS (Alexa Voice Assistant) without the need for bulk coding. Bluetooth headphones built with this new Alexa kit can connect directly to the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) via the Amazon Alexa App available both for Android and iOS. Once they are paired with the Alexa app on the phone, users can take advantage of the Alexa Voice Service.
The new Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit is an alternative to the AVS Device SDK that Amazon released last year which requires the accessories to run the Alexa Voice Service natively. OEMs such as Bose, Jabra, iHome, Beyerdynamic, Bowers and Wilkins, and AVS Solution Providers Linkplay, SUGR, and Libre Wireless have confirmed to bring Alexa enabled Bluetooth products this year.
OEMs who wish to include Alexa support can now sign up for the Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit here to get notified when it is available.
Source
When all the phones are getting Android 8.0 (Oreo), Motorola has started rolling out Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) update for the Moto G4 Play smartphone staring from Brazil. It was launched back in 2016 running Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow), but it did not get the Android 7.0 update and is directly being updated to 7.1.1, months after the soak test. Other Moto G4 series phones are still running on Android 7.0.
The Android 7.1 update brings new emoji that reflect the pivotal roles women play in the world, app shortcuts that can be launched directly from home screen in apps like Twitter, Google Messenger, Google Maps by simply long pressing the app icon. It also brings several bug fixes and improvements.
The company confirmed Nougat update for the phone back in October 2016, which will be the last update for it since only the Moto G4 Plus and the G5 series of phones are eligible for the Oreo update.
The Android 7.1.1 Nougat OTA update has the Build number NPI26.48-36, is 644MB in size and includes Android security patch for November, 2017. It should roll out globally soon. If you are on Android Marshmallow with September security patch, you can grab the OTA zip file from here and flash ...
HMD global has started rolling out Oreo beta update for the Nokia 6 last month, but it was not available in India at that time. Today it has started rolling out the update for the Indian users of the phone, as it had promised after a couple of improvements. The company’s Chief product officer; Juho Sarvikas has announced the same on Twitter.
[HTML1]
[HTML2]
Android 8.0 Oreo brings range of features including Background limits, Picture-in-Picture (PIP), notification channels, Wide-gamut color for apps, Adaptive icons, Companion device pairing, Keyboard navigation, AAudio API for Pro Audio and more.
The update will be available via Nokia phones beta labs and the beta testers will be the first ones to test the Android 8.0 followed by wide-roll out post the best testing phase. The update is 1799.3MB in size, slightly bigger than the earlier beta update that was released for other countries even though it has the same version number 5.140. It also includes Android security update for December 2017.
To join the Nokia phones beta labs, you need to have a working Nokia 6 phone and need to create an account and validate your device by entering the IMEI number. Once you are with the whole process, you will be ...
Amazon launched the Kindle Oasis 2 back in October last year. This is the successor of the first Oasis that was launched in early 2016. The latest top-end Kindle is waterproof, doesn't come with a battery case like the first and has a large 7-inch screen for the first time. Does it live up to the expectations? Let us dive into the review to find out.
Box Contents
Kindle Oasis (2017)
USB cable
Quick Start Guide
Hardware and Design
The second-generation Kindle Oasis has a familiar design with hand grip as the first one that has hardware page-turn buttons, which are now slightly smaller. This has a large 7-inch screen that is the main difference you notice. Bezels around the screen are smaller than the predecessor, but you have a lot of space near the hardware buttons that lets you hold the Kindle comfortably.
By default, the top page-turn button lets you turn a page forward and the bottom button for backward, which you can reverse from the reading options in the settings. I use bottom button for forward, which is more comfortable when holding the Kindle with a single hand. I prefer PagePress buttons on the Voyage that gives you haptic feedback when pressed.
It ...
Huawei’s Honor brand launched the Honor View 10 smartphone in India earlier this week, which goes on sale exclusively on Amazon.in from midnight of January 8th. Now the company has announced several launch offers that includes cashback and no cost EMI offers.
Honor View 10 launch offers
Rs. 1500 Instant discount on ICICI Bank Credit Cards from January 8th till 10th
No Cost EMI payment option on transactions made using credit card
15GB 3G/4G data per recharge for 6 recharges (on 349
prepaid recharge) / 15GB 3G/4G data for 6 months on postpaid plan of Infinity 499 and above
To remind you, the phone has a 5.99-inch 18:9 FullView display with ultra narrow bezels, Octa-Core HiSilicon Kirin 970 10nm SoC with i7 co-processor, dedicated neural network processing unit, 6GB RAM and Android 8.0 (Oreo) with Emotion UI 8.0.
It comes with 16-megapixel RGB sensor along with 20-megapixel monochrome sensor with Artificial intelligence engine that offers Real-Time Scene to recognize 13 different types of scenes and objects to automatically adjusts your camera settings to help you shoot in any environment. It also comes with A.I motion detection and smart camera features and comes with a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with A.I selfie portraits and face unlock. It packs a 3750mAh battery with Super Charge fast charging technology.
https://youtu.be/_q5-XcDexMU
Commenting on the launch offers, P Sanjeev, Vice-President Sales, Huawei India-Consumer Business Group, said:
We are ...
DJI, popular for its Drones and Camera Stabilizers at the CES 2018 introduced its new Osmo Mobile 2 (OM170) handheld camera stabilizer for smartphones. This has the same light-weight design that supports portrait orientation, three-axis gimbal technology, but this comes with simpler controls with zoom slider and three times longer battery life than the predecessor for more filming.
Highlights of DJI Osmo Mobile 2
Three-axis gimbal technology cancels out movement in three directions so your video stays steady even if your hands shake or wobble
Built in SmoothTrack technology detects and compensates for your movement of the camera to ensure a smooth cinematic shot
Made from high-strength modified nylon that cuts the weight to just 485g
Features a folding design for increased portability
Two-way mobile clamp lets you easily pivot between landscape and portrait orientation
Modified design now supports more compact folding for increased portability.
Simpler controls with integrated settings for ISO, shutter speed and more and a new zoom slider lets you completely operate your smartphone camera from the handle
Smart software in the DJI GO mobile app with modes including ActiveTrack to automatically follow of subjects in motion, Motion Timelapse with up to five different camera positions, Hyperlapse to create dramatic time-lapse videos ...
Acer today announced that it would roll out Amazon Alexa voice assistant to select PCs starting from Q1 2018. The list of PCs includes Aspire, Spin, Switch and Swift notebooks, as well as Aspire all-in-one PCs.
Alexa voice assistant will be initially available in the US via an update through Acer Care Center, and wider support is expected to be rolled out mid-2018. Acer will be utilizing the Intel Smart Sound Technology which is an integrated audio DSP (Digital Signal Processor) built to handle audio, voice, and speech interactions.
The company mentioned that the latest notebooks and desktops would support Amazon Alexa and respond to voice commands quickly while offering high fidelity audio without impacting system performance. Alexa on Acer will be able to check calendars, create lists, answer questions, play favorite music, podcasts or audiobooks; and manage smart home devices by controlling lights, thermostats, and home appliances through voice commands to Alexa.
Alexa voice assistant uses the voice and four digital microphones that support far-field voice recognition from up to nine feet (2.74 m) away, while others with dual microphones will be able to activate Alexa within three feet (0.91 m). Acer has announced Alexa support for the new V6820M/i 4K UHD projector.
The Acer V6820M/i wireless projector ...
Huawei's Honor brand launched the Honor 9i, a mid-range smartphone with dual front and rear cameras back in October last year. Today the company has announced that it will launch another smartphone with dual front and rear cameras in the country later this month. This will likely be the Honor 9 Lite that was introduced in China last month.
It has a 5.65-inch full HD+ full-screen display with 18:9 aspect ratio and comes with a 13-megapixel front and rear cameras along with a secondary 2-megapixel rear camera to capture depth information.
It is powered by Kirin 659 SoC, similar most other mid-range Huawei and Honor phones, but this runs on Android 8.0 (Oreo) with EMIUI 8.0 out-of-the-box. It has a metal frame, glass back, has a fingerprint sensor on the back and packs a 3000mAh battery.
Honor 9 Lite specifications
5.65-inch (2160 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display
Octa-Core Kirin 659 processor (4 xA53 at 2.36GHz + 4 x A53 at 1.7GHz) with MaliT830-MP2 GPU
3GB RAM with 32GB storage, 4GB RAM with 32GB / 64GB storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
Android 8.0 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.0
Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)
13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, LED flash, secondary 2MP camera, PDAF
...
Xiaomi announced Mi Drop, inhouse file sharing app like ShareIt during MIUI 9 launch back in November. The app has a user friendly and clean interface, Mi Drop doesn’t show annoying ads unlike other file sharing apps.
[gallery link="file" size="large" ids="239751,239752,239753"]
We covered it back in November to provide an overview and functionality Mi Drop offers, you can checkout the post here. During our time with Mi Drop last time we faced two major issues,
Option to set username was missing, it seems Mi Drop was fetching the username from primary google account logged in device.
It was resetting the WiFi Hotspot details
Mi Drop recently got a major update and the issues we mentioned above no longer exist.
[gallery link="file" columns="2" size="large" ids="239754,239755"]
Apart from these Xiaomi has added a new feature which is not found in many other file sharing apps. FTP (also called File transfer protocol) feature has been added to Mi Drop which can be used to transfer data between Android devices and PC, the feature was earlier available in Mi Explorer app only which Xiaomi recently listed on Play Store.
To open the FTP server page, user need to click on ‘Connect to computer’ option which can be found in app ...
Samsung's Gear Fit2 and Gear IconX were one of the first devices with support for on-device music storage, now Garmin has introduced the first smartwatch that lets you store music for offline listening. It can store up to 500 songs so that you can connect a Bluetooth headset and play them when you are working out, without the need of a smartphone.
It has 24/7 heart rate monitoring2, advanced running dynamics, performance monitoring tools, connected features and more. It has a metal bezel, chemically strengthened glass and interchangeable bands.
Training status automatically evaluates previous exercise and fitness levels to let athletes know if they are training productively, peaking or overreaching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWe40bzIAgA
Highlights of Garmin Forerunner 645 Music
1.2-inch (240 x 240 pixels) sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) always-on Garmin Chroma Display with chemically strengthened glass
Bluetooth Smart and ANT+, Compatible with Android and iPhone
Store up to 500 songs to your watch, and connect with Bluetooth headphones (sold separately) for phone-free listening
Syncs music from select streaming services for offline listening
Garmin Pay contactless payment solution lets you make convenient payments with your watch
Provides advanced running dynamics, including ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio and more
Uses wrist-based heart rate to offer performance monitoring features, including evaluating your ...
Garmin today announced the Garmin Speak Plus with Amazon Alexa, built-in dash cam for vehicles. In addition to the newly integrated dash cam, it can automatically record and save files when an incident is detected.
With the Amazon’s cloud-based Alexa voice service, drivers can take advantage of the hands-free access to music, news briefings, sports scores, exclusive GPS navigation from Garmin, and much more. It also introduces advanced driver assistance features that include Forward Collision and Lane Departure Warnings. The company claims that the Garmin speak plus will increase drivers awareness by helping with forward collision, lane departure warnings, and Go Alerts that will notify drivers when stopped traffic ahead begins to move.
The Garmin Speak Plus packs a 1.5-inches size and features LED light ring indicating Amazon Echo, bright OLED display showing lane guidance arrows to guide drivers to their destination. Alexa has support for Amazon music, Pandora, and Sirius XM and Amazon is offering 2 months free music subscription. With Garmin app, the driver has access to more controls.
The Garmin Speak Plus costs $229.99 (Rs. 14,605 approx.) and will be available to customers starting mid-February through Garmin, Best Buy, Amazon and other retailers. The company is offering a special limited time pre-order price of $199.99 ...
Xiaomi’s MIUI is amongst the most popular Android skins with more than 300 million worldwide users. MIUI is a heavy skin on top of Android, but what sets it apart from other Android skins is its feature richness and customizations. MIUI focuses towards providing a complete user experience and to achieve this MIUI is loaded with many system apps like Explorer, Calculator, Recorder, Mi Drop, Mi Video, Yellow pages and many more. A couple of months ago, Xiaomi listed it’s feature packed Mi Explorer app on Play Store, the app recently came out of Beta phase and in this post we will be looking at the features Mi Explorer offers.
There are three main sections of the app which Xiaomi calls Recent, Categories and Storage.
Recents shows the file you worked with or updated recently. Suppose user takes a screenshot or crops a already saved image, it will be shown at the top in recents whenever Explorer app is opened.
In Categories sections files are organised on basis of their formats, there are six categories as of now, Videos, Docs, Images, Music, APKs, Archives, user can see all the videos/images stored in device simply in a click. Folders for frequently used apps are ...
Centric today launched L3, the company’s latest budget smartphone in India. It has a 5-inch HD 2.5D curved glass display, is powered by a quad-core MediaTek SoC, runs on Android 7.0 (Nougat), has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and an 5-megapixel font-facing camera.
It has a fingerprint sensor on the front, has dedicated dual SIM and microSD slots and has a 3050mAh battery.
Centric L3 specifications
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD On-cell IPS 2.5D curved glass display
1.3GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6737 64-bit Processor with Mali T720 GPU
2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
Android 7.0 (Nougat) OS
Dual SIM
13MP autofocus rear camera with LED Flash
5MP front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
Fingerprint sensor
Dimensions: 141x70.5x8.6mm
4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
3050mAh battery
The Centric L3 Quartz Grey and Raisin Black colors, is priced at Rs. 6749 and is available through offline stores.
Commenting on the launch, Manish Agarwal, Founder, Centric Mobiles said:
At CENTRiC, we know how important a smart phone with good technological specifications is for the young generation of our country. And, that’s why we have launched L3 which has all the desired specifications in the right budget. With L3, we aim to become the category ...
Sennheiser at the CES 2018 introduced new CX 6.00BT, the company's latest Bluetooth wireless headset and HD 820 premium closed-back headphones. The CX 6.00BT features ear-canal earbuds joined by a cable around the neck for a lightweight design, superior fit and comfort. The Sennheiser HD 820 closed-back dynamic stereo headphones have unique glass transducer cover that minimizes resonances and for realistic and natural sound field.
Highlights of Sennheiser CX 6.00BT
Bluetooth 4.2 and Qualcomm apt-X Low Latency compatibility enhances gaming or video viewing by keeping audio transmission perfectly in sync with the visuals
Ultra-light 14-gram frame
Frequency response: 17-21,000 Hz , Sound pressure level (SPL) - 112 dB (1kHz/0 dBFS), THD + N, total harmonic distortion and noise - <0.5% (1kHz, 100dB)
Integrated microphone and the 3-way calling support.
Three button remote lets you control your music and calls with your fingertips.
Convenient voice prompts notifies you about incoming calls and the battery status
Comes with ear adaptors in four sizes (XS, S, M, L)
6 hour battery life with fast charging option via USB that for two hours listening with just ten minutes of charging
Highlights of Sennheiser HD 820
Innovative technology that makes them sound breathtakingly transparent and natural.
Soft comfortable microfiber ear pads are hand crafted, ...
After Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Karnataka and Chennai, Airtel has launched its 4G VoLTE services in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. This lets Airtel customers enjoy HD quality voice calls along with faster call set up time compared to normal voice calls on their VoLTE-compatible 4G handsets.
Airtel promises seamless connectivity and in the case of non-availability of 4G, Airtel VoLTE calls will automatically fall back on 3G/2G network, said the company. It will also allow customers to continue with their data sessions at 4G speeds while the call is in progress.
Airtel says that customers with Dual-SIM handsets should insert their Airtel SIM in SIM slot 1 and network mode should be set as "4G/3G/2G (Auto)" for VoLTE to work properly. The company says that the handset manufacturer need to upgrade the smartphone’s software to support Airtel VoLTE, even though there are hundreds of 4G smartphones in the market with VoLTE support.
You can check out the complete list of Airtel VoLTE compatible smartphones here. Airtel already said that it plans to roll out VoLTE across the country over the next few months without any time frame.
Commenting on the launch, Manoj Murali, HUB CEO, Kerala & Tamil Nadu, Bharti Airtel said:
We are delighted to extend our VoLTE footprint in Tamil Nadu with the launch ...
Google just announced that it is combining Android Pay and Google Wallet, into a single brand - Google Pay, making it an unified payment solution. Google Wallet peer-to-peer payments service was introduced back in 2011, which was launched in India as Tez last year. Google introduced Android Pay mobile payment service in 2015 to lets users pay with their Android phones.
Google Pay makes it less confusing so that it will be easier for you to use the payment information saved to your Google Account to speed through checkout.
"Over the coming weeks, you will see Google Pay online, in store, and across Google products, as well as when you’re paying friends," said Google. It also said that these experiences will be coming to Tez users in India soon.
To entice people to sign up, Google is working with a lot of retailers on promotional items, such as $10 off any $50+ order at B&H, $5 off a Fandango ticket and $10 off your Instacart order of $35+. Google Pay is already available on Airbnb, Dice, Fandango, HungryHouse, Instacart with more coming soon.
Source
Sony at the CES 2018 show has introduced BRAVIA X900F and A8F 4K HDR OLED TV series designed to deliver enhanced color, contrast, and clarity. The A8F Series range from 65" and 55" models OLED 4K TVs, while the X900F Series include 85'', 75", 65", 55", and 49" 4K HDR TVs.
The New A8F 4K HDR OLED TVs is the successor to the 2017's A1E BRAVIA OLED 4K HDR TV. The A8F incorporates Sony's unique 4K HDR picture Processor X1 Extreme and Acoustic Surface technology. It features traditional TV design with the enriched visual experience and wide viewing angles thanks to OLED panel's eight million self-illuminating pixels.
Sony says that unlike the conventional LED TVs where the sound emanates from the bottom or sides, the A8F enables a fusion of image and sound, that makes it look like the sound is coming directly from the character on TV. It features TRILUMINOS Display with X-Reality PRO.
On the other hand, the X900F4K HDR TVs with TRILUMINOS Display, series uses a new X-Motion Clarity technology that keeps fast action images smooth and lifelike. Both the series has support for Dolby Vision and the X900F series also supports Dolby Atmos sound technology. Since Both the series are Android TV support, they come with Google Assistant built-in and is also compatible with Amazon Alexa as well.
Sony didn't reveal ...
Sony at the CES 2018 introduced three new wireless headsets - WF-SP700N truly wireless earbuds, WI-SP600N and WI-SP500 in-ear headphones. Both the WF-SP700N and WI-SP600N come with with support for noise-canceling technology blocks out distractions to keep you focused, while Ambient Sound Mode lets you enjoy your music and still hear your surroundings. All these are splash-proof with IPX4 ratings. Sony also introduced MDR-1AM2 wired headphones.
Sony WF-SP700N earbuds highlights and specifications
Digital Noise Cancelling lets you listen without distractions
0.24" (Dome Type) driver unit
Ambient Sound mode lets you hear essential sounds
Secure fit earbuds sit and stay comfortably in your ears
Easy hands-free calls at the click of a button
Will be optimized for the Google Assistant with an update
IPX4 rating for protection against splashes and sweat during workout
Weight: 15.3g (Headset) / Approx. 45g (Charging case)
Bluetooth 4.1, NFC (Case)
Long Hybrid silicone rubber earbuds (SS/S/M/L), Arc Supporter(M/L)
Up to 9 hours of battery life, with 3 hours of music playback and up to 9 hours play time with chargeable carrying case
Sony WI-SP600N headphones highlights and specifications
Digital Noise Canceling puts the focus on your music
0.24" (Dome Type) driver unit
Ambient Sound Mode for more intuitive listening
Lightweight design makes these wireless ...
At the CES 2018 event, Google announced wide-range of assistant enhancements and new features. In association with Qualcomm, Google will be bringing Assistant to 'smart displays' powered by the Android Things. We have already seen Lenovo Smart Display powered by the Qualcomm SDA624 SoC launch.
Google launched the Home Mini speaker back in October 2016 and today the company announced that that the Assistant is coming to new voice-activated speakers from Altec Lansing, Anker Innovations, Bang & Olufsen, Braven, iHome, JBL, Jensen, LG, Klipsch, Knit Audio, Memorex, RIVA Audio and SōLIS. Apart from speakers, Google will roll out Assistant to 'Smart Display' devices which lets access YouTube, video call with Google Duo, find photos from Google Photos and more.
https://youtu.be/ARA0AxrnHdM
JBL, LG, Sony (based on the MediaTek MT8173 SoM) will join Lenovo by launching Smart Display products later this year. Back in September 2017, Google rolled out Assistant to NVIDIA SHIELD TV and Sony Android TV, the company now mentioned that is roll out Assistant to AirTV Player, Bouygues Telecom, LG U+, TCL, Skyworth, and Xiaomi.
Biggest announcement today is that Assistant will be coming to more headphones from Jaybird, JBL, LG, and Sony (WH-1000XM2, WI-1000X, WF-1000X, WF-SP700N, WI-SP600N, WH-CH700N, WH-H900N). Users can talk to the Assistant instantly with just ...
Facebook today announced that it is shutting down it's text-based virtual personal digital assistant M which was first introduced back in 2015. The human-enhanced M was available through bots in Facebook Messenger to just 2,000 people in California.
Facebook M was able to help users with day to day tasks like online hotel reservations, travel arrangements and so on. The M personal assistant powered by artificial intelligence is trained by people and could offer users with basic information like today’s weather, general knowledge questions, etc. Users will have to message M similar to any other Messenger or even record a message and send.
Facebook launched M in beta and mentioned at that time that it would come to more users over time, but it never did. Upon shutting down the M, Facebook described it as an experiment and people who worked on the project will be offered other jobs at the company. However, The Facebook's personal virtual assistant M will now be dead after January 19th, 2018.
Facebook in a statement to BuzzFeed said:
We launched this project to learn what people needed and expected of an assistant, and we learned a lot. We’re taking these useful insights to power other AI projects at Facebook. We continue to be ...
