Researchers make a portable smartphone lab to detect cancer

Image Credits: Jon Fingas, Flickr

  19 Oct 2016 , 17:48

In a major step towards faster and convenient delivery of medical tests, Washington State University researchers have developed a low-cost, portable laboratory on a smartphone that can analyse several samples at once to catch a cancer biomarker, producing lab quality results.

At a time when patients and medical professionals expect always faster results, researchers are trying to translate biodetection technologies used in laboratories to the field and clinic, so patients can get nearly instant diagnoses in a physician’s office, an ambulance or the emergency room. The research team created an eight channel smartphone spectrometer that can detect human interleukin-6 (IL-6), a known biomarker for lung, prostate, liver, breast and epithelial cancers.

A spectrometer analyses the amount and type of chemicals in a sample by measuring the light spectrum. “The spectrometer would be especially useful in clinics and hospitals that have a large number of samples without on-site labs, or for doctors who practice abroad or in remote areas,” said lead researcher Lei Li, Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

“They can’t carry a whole lab with them. They need a portable and efficient device,” Li noted. Although smartphone spectrometers exist, they only monitor or measure a single sample at a time, making them inefficient for real world applications. The multichannel spectrometer can measure up to eight different samples at once using a common test called ELISA that identifies antibodies and colour change as disease markers, according to a study published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

“With our eight channel spectrometer, we can put eight different samples to do the same test, or one sample in eight different wells to do eight different tests. This increases our device’s efficiency,” said Li, who has filed a provisional patent for the work. Although the system currently works with an iPhone 5, the researchers said they are creating an adjustable design that will be compatible with any smartphone.

IANS

Huawei announces new Kirin 960 chipset with 180 percent performance jump

By tech2 News Staff /  19 Oct 2016 , 17:50

Huawei-owned chipmaker HiSilicon has announced a brand new chipset called the Kirin 960 that should begin to appear in future Huawei and Honor-branded smartphones. This is why many would assume that it could arrive in the yet to be announced Huawei Mate 9 smartphone.

HiSilicon has stuck to the 16nm FinFET manufacturing process and goes with an octa-core setup with four Cortex-A73 cores coupled with with four Cortex-A53 cores. As for what’s new, the 960 will be the first chipset to use ARM’s Bifrost GPU, the Mali G71 that delivers reduced power usage compared to the ones available in the Kirin 955, the Exynos 8, Helio X25 and others. And this one is special in more ways than one because it packs 8 GPU cores. Looks like Huawei’s upcoming smartphones will be Daydream capable indeed.

As for what the Kirin 960 supports, you get UFS 2.1 flash storage, LPDDR4 RAM and LTE Cat 12/13 modems. You also get an improved ISP.

Image: ioncannon (Weibo)

Image: ioncannon (Weibo)

Looking through the graphs from the source, the Kirin 960 is indeed the fastest chipset, this side of Apple. It scored way above the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 and was second only to Apple’s A10 Fusion chipset in both GFXBench and GeekBench. Multi core results from GeekBench also showcase better performance than the mighty A10 as well.

Airtel offering 10GB of 4G data at Rs 259 for new mobile purchases

Image: Reuters

By tech2 News Staff /  19 Oct 2016 , 17:54

Airtel has announced that it will be offering 10GB of 4G/3G data on a recharge of Rs 259. The standard pack offers 1GB data and users who buy a new 4G handset get an extra 9GB through the My Airtel app.

While that sounds vague, Airtel has clarified that the offer is valid on all newly bought 4G mobile phones and will not work on handsets that are already being used.

The offer can be availed within 30 days of purchase of the handset The data will be valid for 28 days and users can avail a maximum of 3 recharges within 90 days.

Ajai Puri, Director-Market Operations, Bharti Airtel, said, “We are proud to have pioneered 4G network for users in India. This invitational offer has been designed for our data savvy customers who can now experience high speed broadband on Airtel’s 4G network with their new devices.”

The offer was introduced in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh last week and now it will be available across India in all 18 circles as well as valid on all brands of 4G handsets.

In non-4G circles, 3G data will be available to customers with their 4G devices.

This sounds like yet another move to counter Reliance Jio’s highly competitive rates.

Xiaomi announces the Wyatt Meter mechanical keyboard in China

Image Credit: home.mi

By tech2 News Staff /  19 Oct 2016 , 18:03

Xiaomi has announced its latest product, and it is not a smartphone. Instead, the latest product is an all aluminium mechanical keyboard called the Wyatt Meter mechanical keyboad. The company previously teased the launch of the mechanical keyboard last week as reported by GizmoChina.

The keyboard is most likely made by Xiaomi subsidiary as there is no visible Xiaomi branding on it. Just like there was no branding on the Mi Notebook Air.

Image Credit: home.mi

The best part about this keyboard as with all Xiaomi products is the affordability as it does not take a toll on your bank account. The mechanical keyboard is priced at CNY 299, which can be translated to Rs 3,000 at the time of writing. That is a very reasonable for a mechanical keyboard. The keyboard will have six layers of design with 87 keys along with TTC Red Switches which can withstand up to

Plants vs Zombies Heroes is a surprisingly deep game in a comic package

By Aditya Madanapalle /  19 Oct 2016 , 18:10

Plants vs Zombies Heroes just got a worldwide release after a limited soft launches in Brazil, Romania, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Ireland. There are five games in the franchise so far, and the game is very different from the classic tower defense in Plants vs Zombies orPlants vs Zombies 2. Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare and its sequel, Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 were third person shooters in addition to the tower defense base game. Plants vs Zombies Heroes goes in a fresh new direction for the franchise and is a collectible card game, with tower defense mechanics.

The game plays out as a funny comic book. There are our favorite characters from the old games, including the Pea Shooter, Crazy Dave and Z-Mech from Garden Warfare. The game starts when Dr Zomboss in his giant mech Zombot equipped with the Hero-Tron 5000 ray gun starts zapping zombies and transforming them into heroes with superpowers. The Hero-Tron 5000 malfunctions, and converts plants into heroes as well. This event that has worldwide repercussions that gamers will find over the course of the game, sets the stage for another epic confrontation between plants and zombies.

familiar characters from previous titles are in PvZ Heroes, including Crazy Dave!

There are five lanes, and the plant and zombie Heroes stand on either side deploying minions and executing special moves. There are two kinds of cards available. Fighter cards are deployed on a lane and persist till they lose health. Cards can be placed strategically in lanes to be more effective. For example, putting a burning plant in

New Pokémon Go update restricts game features while driving

REUTER/Manuela Hartling

By Kunal Khullar /  19 Oct 2016 , 19:32

Pokémon Go launched as one of the biggest smartphone games of all times. Based on the popular cartoon TV show, the game has also been one of the biggest launches for Nintendo. While the game is still not officially launched in India, it did have a huge following.

Today, while there are many who have given up on the game, there are a few loyal fans that are still playing the game. Niantic had mentioned that it is a small company with limited employees but it is trying hard to bring new features and add new countries.

The last update brought in some new features like changes in medals and Pokémon bonuses as well as the ability to take six Pokémons when battling a friendly gym. The new update however has upset some people. It is reported that a new update stops the spawning of Pokémons if one is travelling at a speed faster than 30mph. This is of course a security measure but then what about players who are in the passenger seat?

The outrage will be short lived though as another update has started rolling which is said to have fixed the issue. Yay!

What do you think about the game. Are you bored? Are you still a loyal player? Tell us about your experience.

Diwali 2016: A semi-comprehensive guide to buying from abroad

By Videep Vijay Kumar /  18 Oct 2016 , 15:27

Buying stuff online? You’re already living in the right country. India’s e-commerce industry has exploded, allowing shoppers to get everything from stupidly large televisions to groceries and bubble top water cans online. Prices are largely competitive, and during times of festive sale, you’re likely to score better deals shopping on Amazon India and Flipkart than their equivalents in the United States, Europe, or even *gasp* China.

If there’s a downside, it’s that of availability. Not everything is available immediately, sellers are very conservative with their stocking, or India somehow skips a generation of products—electronics, for instance. And if you’re the sort who digs fashion (this writer merely knows how to spell the word, admittedly) or are an avid fan of all things trendy, online Indian marketplaces could be entire seasons behind. Yes, whole seasons!

But we have the internet, and world is at our feet. What follows is a list of obvious and not-so-obvious online shopping websites which will put stuff in a box and send it to you from exotic locations—as long you give them your credit card information.

Amazon.com

Let’s get the usual suspects out of the way first. While Amazon.in is fully capable of keeping Indian shoppers happy with its huge catalogue of products, inexpensive Amazon Prime subscription and one-day grocery delivery in some cities, there are going to be some unattainable products. This would be a good time to point out that Amazon.com ships a lot of products overseas (there are restrictions, of course). International shipping and duty charges (based on estimates) are applied at the time of

Flexible display smartphones have a long way to go; flexible batteries is a start in the right direction

By Nimish Sawant /  18 Oct 2016 , 16:03

Earlier this week, a video leaked online showing a Xiaomi flexible display prototype. The concept display leaked on Youku is a 30-second clip showing a display running MIUI skinned Android OS. The lower half of the phone is bent. The user is swiping smoothly through various apps.

Sense of deja vu?

This is not the first time that we have heard of bendable or flexible displays. LG and Samsung have released phones with curved displays. We have seen the LG G Flex and G Flex 2 phones, Samsung had also released the Galaxy Round some years ago. But we have seen with both these devices, the limit to which the flex could be applied. Barring the flexible displays, everything else in these phones was pretty much standard fare. With non-bendable internals and battery, there is only so much a flexible display can do.

From the prototypes seen this year, it looks like 2017 will see a fair share of flexible display smartphones as well. Lenovo had showcased its prototype which you can wrap around your wrist and Samsung’s concept is looking at a 2017 release, most likely at MWC 2017. We had seen this Samsung flexible display prototype ad three years ago, but have yet to

Google launches Firebase cloud messaging for desktop, mobile web

By tech2 News Staff /  18 Oct 2016 , 15:59

The newest announcement from Google reveals support for Firebase Cloud Messaging service to desktop and mobile web. This expands Firebase’s reach, which was earlier limited to Android and iOS. The service lets developers send push notifications for their app to the user’s device.

This has been made possible by the new Javascript Library which supports Chrome on desktop and mobile, Opera on mobile and Firefox on desktop.

“The technical aspect of web notifications is just a start. In order to make the most out of web notifications, you need to engage your users with the right content in the right manner. Check out our “What Makes a Good Notification?” post for best practices on notification content and “Best Practices for Push Notifications Permissions UX” post for tips on interacting with Web users to get permission for sending notifications,” a Google blogpost reads.

Talking about its partner, Alibaba Express, the blogpost says that the latter saw 178 percent higher conversation on implementing Firebase Cloud Messaging. “We were unable to find any effective solution for notifications until we found FCM. It is the best solution because of its rich features, stable performance, and easy deployment,” said Zou Yu, Director of Alibaba.com Mobile.

MIT researchers develop flexible optical fibre for medical implants in the brain

By tech2 News Staff /  18 Oct 2016 , 16:33

A collaboration of researchers between Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Medical School has resulted in the development of highly flexible and stretchable optical fibre for use in biomedical implants within the human body.

The fibre can be used to measure strain, detect signs of disease, or directly treat cells in the human body, especially in the brain. The optical fibre is based on hydrogel, a material made up mostly out of water.

The implants are long lasting and can remain within the human body for extended periods of time. One of the major use case scenario is in a field of medical science known as optogenetics. Here, pulses of light are used to directly activate cells, especially neurons in the human brain. Very thin needle like fibers are used for this purpose. The brain is made up of jelly like material that can be easily damaged by stiff optical fibers. The flexible fiber can allow for therapy over longer durations of time.

Xuanhe Zhao, the Robert N. Noyce Career Development Associate Professor in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering says, “The brain is like a bowl of Jell-O, whereas these fibers are like glass — very rigid, which can possibly damage brain tissues. If these fibers could match the flexibility and softness of

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 woes continue; 5-7 million users may switch to iPhone 7

A burnt Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in an aircraft

By tech2 News Staff /  18 Oct 2016 , 16:42

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is dead! The new replacement devices began catching fire, and finally the company decided on a recall and provide users refund or other device options. This conundrum is believed to be beneficial to arch-rival Apple.

With slowing smartphone markets, everyone knew how important the new device was for Samsung. But, as luck would have it, Apple will be eating into Samsung’s share as prolific analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI (via 9To5Mac) says atleast 5-7 million ex-Note 7 users will switch to the iPhone 7, and majorly to the larger iPhone 7 Plus.

Kuo explains the new dual camera would prove to be an attractive feature for users. Moreover, the report adds that the intersection of users has shown very little loyalty to any particular manufacture, and many may choose to switch to iOS, who may have previously used the iPhone devices.

However, the analyst does add that the impact of Note 7 will not last for too long. But, Kuo does warn that repetition of such an event may destroy the Samsung brand. However, iPhone 7 isn’t the only alternative, and there are others in the queue too, such as the all-new Google Pixel and Galaxy S7 edge. In fact, Samsung is already known to be offeringalternatives like Galaxy S7, S7 Edge to appease India customers.

HTC Bolt leaks, will skip the 3.5mm headphone jack

By tech2 News Staff /  18 Oct 2016 , 18:23

HTC managed to survive this year with its flagship HTC 10 and struck a deal with Google to make the Pixel smartphones. Now it seems the next smartphone in line will be the HTC Bolt or so it seems from the leaks.

Thanks to profound leakster Evan Blass, we have a first look at the device. From the front it looks exactly like the HTC 10 with a curved glass finish along with a fingerprint scanner and capacitive buttons sitting below the display. It also seems to feature a full metal body finish with chamfered edges, although the back looks different.

The HTC Bolt could feature a 5.5-inch display, but the resolution is unknown. It could feature 3GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage along with microSD card support. There is also a USB Type-C port at the bottom and no headphone jack. So probably HTC’s first handset to omit the port. It won’t be the first handset to offer audio via the USB Type-C port as the HTC 10 offered the same feature, while still having the legacy audio port.

As mentioned above, the back is slightly different as there is no sign of the laser autofocus unit and the dual-LED flash has moved to the top. The camera could also see a bump with an 18MP F/2.0 unit. There is no confirmation as to when it will launch, but there is a chance that it could launch before the next year.

Potential class action lawsuit against Samsung in US over exploding Note 7

Image Credit: REUTERS

  19 Oct 2016 , 08:55

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s U.S. unit is facing a proposed class action lawsuit from three Galaxy Note 7 customers, according to a filing in a federal court in Newark, New Jersey. The complaint against Samsung Electronics America Inc seeks to represent a nationwide class of Note 7 customers in Nevada, Pennsylvania and California.The world’s top smartphone maker last week permanently ended sales of the fire-prone Note 7 smartphone less than two months after its launch.

The world’s top smartphone maker last week permanently ended sales of the fire-prone Note 7 smartphone less than two months after its launch. Samsung announced the recall of 2.5 million Note 7s in early September following numerous reports of the phones catching fire in what could be one of the costliest product safety failures in tech history.

A spokeswoman for Samsung Electronics America declined to comment on the pending litigation. The complaint, filed on October 16, alleges that the consumers discontinued using the phones after the recall, but were asked to wait days or weeks for a replacement phone.

The complaint states that the consumers continued to incur monthly device and plan charges for phones they could not use. This comes after the company opened up Samsung Galaxy Note 7 exchange and return stalls on airports from South Korea to United states of America. The USA has made carrying Note 7 in flights, a federal crime to deter people from carrying the phones.

With inputs from Reuters