Bezel-less Xiaomi Mi Mix listed online; ships to India for $766

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 16:21

We have seen it in the rumours and were more than surprised to see it launch at Xiaomi’s Mi Note 2 event. We are talking about the Mi Mix, Xiaomi’s concept phone with a bezel-less design which was announced only for the China market. Turns out an online store that has listed the smartphone with the best screen to body ratio. And yes they do deliver to India.

Yes, Gearbest has listed Xiaomi’s concept smartphone on its website in both the 4GB RAM 128GB storage model and the 6GB RAM 256GB storage model. The website has only listed the smartphones for now, with no date of arrival, but the site will notify you when it arrives in stock.

What do you get to know in advance is the price tags for these bezel-less beasts. The Xiaomi Mi Mix with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage is listed at 766 USD (roughly Rs 51,192) while the 6GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is listed at 889 USD (roughly Rs 59,412). Indeed, these are price tags listed before considering the shipping charges.

First reported by GizChina, the website also notes that the handsets on sale at Gearbest will work on FDD LTE bands B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8. So do have a look at the bands your operator supports before taking the leap. Another point to note is the warranty of the device, considering that Xiaomi has no plans to bring it to India.

The Mi Mix features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset (Daydream compatible) with 4GB/6GB RAM and is available in both 128GB and 256GB options. There is a 16MP PDAF rear camera and 5MP front facing camera. Apart from the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, there is also full NFC functionality with a high-precision GPS module.

Nike+ Run Club update brings Apple Music integration, GPS for Apple Watch 2

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 13:52

Just as the Apple Watch Nike+ is all set to hit stores, Nike+ Run Club for iPhone and Apple Watch gets a notable update. The version 5.1 brings some bug fixes along with features such as Apple Music integration and support for GPS.

For Apple Music subscribers, Nike+ Run Club will completely support streaming playlists from the Nike app on iPhone. The new update also brings full support for watchOS 3.1 along with support for built-in GPS on Apple Watch Series 2. A subscriber can sync it to Apple Watch for offline playback too.

“Previously, the app was a bit on the basic side and wouldn’t map your runs when you ran without the iPhone,” points out 9To5Mac. Several features are said to be watchOS 3-specific including Siri to start, pause and end the run,  audio readouts from Watch speaker, and so on.

The changes include a redesigned summary screen, some easy sharing. “All runs will sync to Apple’s Health app, and that run settings will stay in place after updates,” Apple Insider said.

The Apple Watch Nike+ is similar to the Series 2 models, but features Run Club, extra watchfaces, along with a improved version of the Sport Band.

Nike+ Run Club is available for free from the App Store. For running enthusiasts, the water resistant Apple Watch Nike+ will be available in India starting today. Apple Watch Nike+ will be available in 38 mm at Rs 32,900 and 42mm at Rs 34,900 from Nike.com, select Nike retail stores, select Apple Authorised Resellers and select specialty stores.

PlayStation Vue: Sony’s streaming service comes to Android TV; PC and Mac web support to follow

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 16:15

Sony’s streaming service – the Playstation Vue – has launched on Android TV. It will be available on dedicated streaming boxes as well as smart TVs that have Android TV support built in. Web support for PC and Mac will be coming soon said Sony.

PlayStation Vue is Sony’s answer to replacing your cable TV in the US. Subscribers can access from 55 to 100 channels and the prices for the same range from $29.99 (approx Rs 2,000) to $74.99 (approx Rs 5,010) per month. Most of the plans are quite US-specific. You can get the complete list here.

“If you already have a PS Vue account, you can begin streaming your favorite TV content starting today by downloading the PS Vue app on Android TVs running Android OS 4.4 or higher,” said Sony.

New users can sign in to PS Vue for a seven-day free trial through the PS Vue website and then link your account to your Android TV.

The PS Vue is expected to come to PC and Mac web browsers soon and will come with a feature such as ‘mini-player’. This will basically let you shrink the player to the corner of your browser and continue browsing PS Vue.

Apple’s MacBook Pro event in Images

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 15:11

Apple’s MacBook Pro event was jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring for some while other found it boring, bland and pointless. Still then it was easy to notice how Apple who is currently struggling with sales, put up a brave face and ignored the best-seller the MacBook Air. In fact, it was easy to conclude that Apple may soon be phasing out the old model with the recently launched 2016 MacBook now being its standard MacBook offering. Whether you are angered with Apple that a MacBook now costs an arm and a leg, or you are just glad to see a new layer of touch-based interaction on macOS here’s how the event panned out.

Visitors arrive for an Apple media event in Cuptertino. Image: Reuters

Apple CEO Tim Cook showcases what he terms as a Unified TV viewing experience with the new TV app for tvOS and iOS. Image: Reuters

Apple CEO Tim Cook announces the new 2016 MacBook Pro with the new Touch Bar hardware feature. Image: Reuters

Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, explains how 25 years later Apple has moved on with the new Touch Bar replacing the 45 year old function keys. Image: Reuters

The new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar seems to be a favourite with the guests at the event after the unveiling. Image: Reuters

Seems like a ‘Touch Bar’ is a hit for now. Image: Reuters

LG launches battery-focused X Power smartphone at Rs 15,990

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 15:35

LG has launched a new smartphone in the Indian market called the X Power. Priced at Rs 15,990 it will be available across India in couple of days.

The LG X Power sports a 5.3-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) in-cell display. On the inside there is a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735M processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable via microSD card.

At the back there is a 13MP camera with an LED flash, and a 5MP front-facing camera. The USP of the smartphone is its large 4,100mAh battery. The phone is 4G VoLTE compatible and offers dual-SIM card slots. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth 4.1. The smartphone will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

“Keeping in view of consumer’s needs, LG XPower brings huge 4100mAh battery that runs longer under heavy multimedia use,” said marketing head, LG Mobiles, Amit Gujral.

According to LG the smartphone features PE+technology, which helps the smartphone to charge at a faster rate. It is said to make it almost twice as fast to charge compared to other batteries. The smartphone will be coming in Black and Gold colour variants.

There are a lot of better smartphones in the same price range. For that matter, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes with almost the same battery size and better hardware on paper. It won’t be easy for LG to sell this product in India considering competition.

Hyundai’s new Azera seems to be inspired from BMW

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 14:58

Korean car-maker Hyundai showcased its new sedan called the Azera in its hometown. Called the Hyundai Grandeur in Korea, it is said to be a country-exclusive for now as the company hasn’t announced any plans for launching it abroad.

The new car makes a stand for the company’s fight in the sedan segment and comes with Hyundai’s new hexagonal grill which was seen on the new Elantra. It also comes with with a long hood as well as elongated double headlights with rounded edges which somehow looks a lot like the BMW 5 Series.

It is a more formal looking car with the sides featuring flowing character lines that add a bit of a muscular look. At the back, the Azera gets new full width taillights which look stunning.

Even on the inside there are some major changes. Instead of the downward flowing dash of the old model, the new version features an instrument panel with a dark top portion and lighter lower section. Between the two halves of the dash is a section that rises up at the center stack that has a large touch screen and an analog clock. With this launch, Hyundai has given us glimpse of how the next Sonata could look like.

Hyundai hasn’t yet revealed the engine or performance details. Neither has it disclosed any details on the launch.

Diwali 2016: Make your audio experience wire-free this Diwali

By Nikhil Rastogi /  28 Oct 2016 , 14:54

Diwali brings with it one important task: cleaning up your house. A major concern bothering a lot of my friends this year was managing the wires associated with their audio setups. While desktop PC is still something that is dear to my friends, there is definitely scope for making audio setups wireless at least. We got down to researching on it. We explore and find the best ways that you can continue listening to your tunes easily without interruption.

Have you tried Bluetooth speakers?
The first and most obvious answer is to get decent Bluetooth speakers that you can carry to any room for listening to your tunes. They are small, unintrusive and can be taken on trips too. Bluetooth speakers are best for lightly listening to your music in the background but certainly lack the oomph in sound if you really want to enjoy your music.

For the best Bluetooth speaker choices, do check out our Bluetooth speaker guide under Rs 10,000.

Make any speaker Wireless (Via Bluetooth)
If you’ve an excellent home speaker system but without wireless capability, perhaps Logitech’s Bluetooth Audio Adapter is what you need. This little device is really small, has a range of 50 feet, is simple with one button to sync with your phone/tablet/laptop to play audio. The device connects to regular speakers with 3.5mm or RCA jack and this little wonder can save you thousands of rupees as wireless amplifiers/home speaker systems cost a lot more. Logitech’s little receiver costs less than Rs 2,000.

Get Better Wireless experience on any speaker (Via Wi-Fi)

Bluetooth is the most basic wireless functionality you can get. But, it has limitations, such as poorer/compressed audio quality (than wired or Wi-Fi), limited range, and of course typical Bluetooth headaches of steady connectivity. If you want to alleviate these problems, Wi-Fi is the way to go. Here you’ll have to ensure that you have good Wi-Fi running in the house perhaps with extenders or boosters for rooms where Wi-Fi is weak.

Google Chromecast Audio
This little hockey puck-shaped device set to resemble a miniature record is from Google called Chromecast Audio that is similar to their video version but does only audio with RCA, 3.5mm and Optical connections.

So why use this over Bluetooth functionality?
Several reasons!

Chromecast has Wi-Fi inbuilt and connects through your home’s Wi-Fi network easily. So your phone connects through Wi-Fi to Chromecast audio and acts only like a remote. Chromecast audio, on the other hand, does the actual downloading and transmitting of audio, only on apps that support Chromecast of course. Here’s the ever growing list of supported apps by Google Chromecast.

This not only saves battery life but also you’d get a lot more bandwidth than

Apple, LG team up to announce the Ultrafine 5K display

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 14:33

During the event last night, we saw a brief mention of the new 4K and 5K displays, designed specifically for the MacBook Pros, together by Apple and LG.

What is known as the LG Ultrafine 5K display is a 27-inch monitor with 5120 x 2880 pixels of resolution along with a P3 wide colour gamut. The other model is 21.5-inch UltraFine 4K display with 4096 x 2304 pixels of resolution.

It will replace the discontinue Thunderbolt display, however, the highlight remains the ability to charge the new Magsafe-less laptop over the same Thunderbolt 3 connection, which delivers video, audio and data. In addition, you will find three USB-C ports on the back. Both models – 27-inch UltraFine 5K and 21.5-inch UltraFine 4K display – will come equipped with camera and speakers for FaceTime. It will let users change the settings like screen brightness, speaker volume sans a separate cable or buttons on the monitor, owing to Thunderbolt 3.

The LG Ultrafine 4K Display is available for order now at $699.95 that translates to approximately Rs 46,800, but will begin shipping only in the next 5 to 6 weeks. The Ultrafine 5K Display is expected to be available for purchase on December for $1,299.95 (approx Rs 86,900).

Qualcomm acquires NXP: The move is all about auto

REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo - RTX2QQBG

By Sheldon Pinto /  28 Oct 2016 , 14:27

Qualcomm recently held a 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong to answer one simple question. What is 5G? At the announcement, Qualcomm revealed how it would connect the world using the next generation network and its upgraded arsenal of 5G ready modems and chipsets, that are not just for the premium smartphone segment, but the masses. If something moves or connects to the internet, it’s got to have Qualcomm chipset inside (one way or the other). Qualcomm at the event also pointed out how the 5G works as a unifying fabric that could connect everything from computers, automobiles, and even your smartphone to the cloud. While we know of Qualcomm’s presence in smartphones, smartwatches and appliances, it was easy to

ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini review: Features good hardware but kills it with outdated software

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• By Sheldon Pinto /  28 Oct 2016 , 13:36

Head to an online shopping website these days and you will notice plenty of new smartphones popping up online in the Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,000 segment. They may not offer the most exciting designs or flawless construction quality, but you do get great hardware inside (in terms of raw processing power) which should be good enough for day to day WhatsApp messages, the occasional photograph and bit of gaming with a focus that is always on battery life.

The ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini is one such smartphone. The Chinese smartphone maker is indeed looking for its niche in the budget smartphone segment with the Z11 Mini but with so many options from so many brands, it is going to to be a tough sell even with a capable specifications sheet.

Add to this smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, the legendary Motorola Moto G4 Plus and others and it gets really tough to settle down on one. So is the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini worth its Rs 12,999 price tag? Well, that’s exactly what I am going to conclude by the end of this review.

Build and Design: 7.5/10

A short glance at the ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini and you will notice how similar it looks to the iPhone 6s from the front and the sides (see images below). The design looks simple but comes with some classy touches that will make it stand out from the current crop of budget-friendly smartphones like the plasticky Moto G4 Plus and the Redmi Note 3.

The Nubia Z11 mini features a glass and metal design with rounded corners and it also features 2.5D glass on the front and back.

The front facing glass which also protects the display, is made of Gorilla Glass 3 and features an oleophobic coating. The one on the back however does not and due to the lack of the same coating, makes it a smudgy mess. This is more so for

US Congress lawmakers ask for clarification on new hacking rules

Image Credit: RT.com

  28 Oct 2016 , 13:20

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress on Thursday asked the Justice Department to clarify how a looming rule change to the government’s hacking powers could impact privacy rights of innocent Americans.

The change, due to take place on December 1, would let judges issue search warrants for remote access to computers located in any jurisdiction, potentially including foreign countries. Magistrate judges can normally only order searches within the jurisdiction of their court, which is typically limited to a few counties.

“We are concerned about the full scope of the new authority that would be provided to the Department of Justice,” 23 senators and representatives wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The Supreme Court in April approved amendments to Rule 41 of the federal rules of criminal procedure that would allow judges to issue warrants in cases when a suspect uses anonymizing technology to conceal the location of his or her computer or for an investigation into a network of hacked or infected computers, such as a botnet.

Those amendments will take effect on December 1 of this year unless Congress passes legislation that would reject, amend or postpone the changes. Some lawmakers, led by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, have introduced legislation that would halt the changes, but it has yet to gain much traction.

In their letter, the lawmakers asked how the government would prevent under the expanded rule so-called “forum shopping,” where prosecutors seek warrants in districts considered more favorable to law enforcement.

They also asked how the Justice Department intends to notify users when electronic devices have been searched and whether law enforcement has the authority to disable malicious software on a protected device, including those belonging to innocent Americans, among other questions.

The Justice Department has worked on Rule 41 changes for years, arguing they are procedural in nature and necessary to keep pace with criminal threats posed by evolving technology.

Civil liberties groups and some technology companies, including Alphabet Inc’s Google, have said the changes could allow for searches that run afoul of privacy rights. The Justice Department is reviewing the lawmakers’ letter, which asked for a response within two weeks, spokesman Peter Carr said.

Reuters

Leaks suggest Moto M to launch soon with a metal body and 5100mAh battery

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 12:50

Lenovo took over Moto and managed to bring in an interesting product in the form of the Moto Z along with Moto Mods. Motorola also has some interesting offerings in the budget segment including the popular Moto G range and the Moto E range.

Now we are hearing that a new Moto series is arriving which will sit between the budget range and the higher-end Moto Z range. The new Moto M has leaked and there is quite a lot of info. Firstly it will feature a metal body design. Yup, we haven’t seen such a phone from Motorola ever since it jumped into the smartphone business.

Image: GSMArena

According to a set of leaked specs, the Moto M will be powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor with two variants, one for China with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage and a second international one, with a choice between 3GB or 4GB RAM and 32GB or 128GB of storage. There will be a microSD card slot as well to