Master of Project Academy Celebrates 50K Users with 50% off Online Certification and Training Courses

Master of Project Academy, provider of flexible online certification courses for the busy IT and business professionals, recently surpassed 50,000 successful sign ups in their wide range of career development courses. In celebration of the work and success of the many professionals who have accelerated their careers through Master of Project Academy courses, the company is offering lifetime and monthly course subscriptions for 50% off by using coupon code 50K50OFF. Affordable certification courses are available worldwide for any professional seeking professional development and career advancement.  

Courses are offered to students and professionals worldwide who seek to expand their knowledge base or need help preparing for a variety of professional certification exams. Courses are self-paced and conducted entirely online, with access to 24 hour support. Designed and led by seasoned industry professionals with a deep well of academic and field knowledge, Master of Project Academy courses guide professionals easily and effectively through certification exams.

"We are the most affordable and ultimate online training platform for the IT and business professionals," said Resit Gulec, Founder and CEO of Master of Project Academy. "Wherever you are in the world, wherever you are in your career, if you have an internet connection, we can prepare you for your professional certification exams."

Professionals from worldwide corporations have enrolled in Master of Project Academy's courses, including but not limited to, Ericsson, Moody's, Volvo, KPMG, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Roche.

Flexible, Affordable, Invaluable

Advanced certifications are often critical for IT and business professionals who want to further their career. According to popular employment site Indeed.com, professionals with certification command income 14% higher than their uncertified counterparts. Many organizations seek to get their existing employees certified in their field as well, yet face daunting training costs.

Master of Project Academy offers the best solution, with flexible online courses at a fraction of the cost of other certification training courses. The online platform offers a variety of courses starting at only $9 per month, allowing busy professionals to learn at their own pace and in the comfort of their own home or office. What's more, Master of Project Academy offers a unique lifetime course package to allow professionals to keep their certificate and their industry knowledge up to date with current technology and practices.

Master of Project Academy offers courses for at least 40% less than its competitors, making continuing education and advanced certification accessible to all professionals. At these rates, companies can support the enrichment and advancement of employees and entire departments without impacting the bottom line. Master of Project Academy's online courses lower the operational cost of training and development and introduce the most flexible road to advanced knowledge and certification.

Courses can be taken from anywhere, anytime, with just an Internet connection. Master of Project Academy allows professionals to advance their training at a schedule that fits their busy life. No set dates, no set number of hours. No need to take time off to accommodate a course schedule in a physical classroom. And with 24 hour assistance, professionals have access to help whenever they need it.

Master of Project Academy also offers a 30-day full refund guarantee, allowing professionals to test the course content and instructor style to ensure maximum satisfaction and compatibility.

Professional Development in IT and Business

Since launching its first online training in 2014, Master of Project Academy has offered over 40 certification courses for IT and business professionals, with new courses published monthly. Courses can be purchased individually as a monthly or lifetime access subscription, with bundled packages available for professionals seeking to take multiple courses within their field.

Current course topics include but not limited to:

Project Management

IT Service Management

Quality Management

PMP – Project Management Professional

CAPM – Certified Associate in Project Management

ITIL Foundation

Microsoft Project

Agile Project Management

Scrum Framework Certification Prep

Cisco Certifications (CCNA)

Cyber Security (Ethical Hacking, CISSP)

If you are still wondering what are these courses all about, then you should think of attending full time courses from well known colleges such as IEC Greater Noida to opt for a full time professional course and then above mentioned courses would add weightage to your resume.

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FreeCharge and Indus OS partners to launch Recharge 2.0 ; a payment solution integrated in OS itself

World's first Regional Operation System Indus OS and India's  leading digital payments platform Freecharge unveiled Recharge 2.0 which is unique in itself as it is a digital payment product integrated within the smartphone dialer interface. Recharge 2.0 on the Indus Dialer will enable users to have a seamless and simplified recharge experience powered through FreeCharge.

Indus OS and Freecharge - Recharge 2.0 launch

The Recharge 2.0 will help prepaid users which makes 95% of the India's mobile subscriber base. A majority of prepaid users also use fixed monthly charge for limited amount of data usage, however mostly they don't have clue how their money is spent. Recharge 2.0 aims to bridge this gap and gives features such as comprehensive analysis of usage pattern alongside real-time updates to offer more control in the hands of users. 

The OS-integrated payment innovation on Indus Dialer is seamless and accessible in the most natural interface, the phone dialer - moveing beyond the app and web interfaces as claimed. The new Indus dialer allows users one-touch access on the phone dialer to recharge through FreeCharge. Recharge 2.0 also allows users to set thresholds for low balance alerts. With detailed insights you can get to know talking to whom you spent most of your balance and on what day you spent most. Users can Recharge in just one touch. 

Responding to a question on Security of user's balance as anyone with access to dialer can misuse already configured Freecharge wallet, Mr Govind Rajan, CEO, Freecharge told that they do have more than 500 anomaly checks on Freecharge side which tracks parameters such as user's location, past transactions, recharge amount etc and reject if the transaction parameters doesn't confirm with these checks. However, on OS side there is no such protection which can be deal breaker for many.

Recharge 2.0 will be exclusively accessible to the existing 6 million plus Indus OS user base and new users of Indus OS powered devices. Indus OS is currently the #2 mobile OS in India, with a 7.6% market share. By catering to Indus OS user base via the OS-integrated brands, FreeCharge expects to scale up its recharging transactions and volumes by nearly 20%. FreeCharge currently sees a major chunk of its transaction coming through the recharge's category.

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Pebble signs deal with leading technology distribution chain Ingram Micro

Pebble (not to be confused with Pebble , smartwatch maker), a known name in power banks and other branded mobile accessories has announced a partnership with Ingram Micro, world's largest technology distributor and a leading technology sales, marketing and logistics company. The partnership will give a further boost to Pebble’s existing market presence over 18 states in India. Through the partnership with Ingram Micro as its National Distributor, Pebble has started Pan-India operations on a large scale across various states and is soon to delve into LFRs and Modern Retail.

Pebble Accessories for Mobile

Pebble, one of the fastest growing brands in India, was launched in the year 2013. A leader in organizing and branding the highly cluttered unbranded Mobile Accessory Industry that had no clear quality standards until now, Pebble stays a step ahead by offering a blend of user friendly elegant design and top-notch quality products. Headquartered in Delhi, Pebble is part of a group of companies that has been leading provider of various power back-up devices and other electronic products for the past 16 years. A one-stop shop for any and every electronic and portable mobile accessory, Pebble is the ‘Go-to’ brand offering an array of exciting range of products such as chargers, cables, charging cases, BT speakers, headphones, headsets, earphones, OTG pen drives, fitness bands and VR headsets along with superior quality power banks.

Commenting on the partnership, Komal Agarwal, Director-Marketing, Pebble, said, “We are extremely happy to have partnered with Ingram Micro as our national distributor, the world leader in technology distribution. With this association, we hope to strengthen the relationship with our consumers by making our products widely available throughout the country. As a brand, Pebble’s philosophy has been “Convenience with Quality” which is well reflected in all its products such as Power Banks, USB Cables, Bluetooth Speakers and others. For instance: Pebble power banks are among the most efficient in terms of output and quality, and sleekest in terms of design which make them extremely portable and convenient to use.”

It is the only brand in India to be well placed and established across all possible channels including General Trade (Retail stores), Modern Trade (Retail Chains), Online Portals, In-Flight and Airport Shopping & Corporate Gifting. Pebble products are also available on leading ecommerce portals including Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal.

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ASUS Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL) Review: Good Build , Design and Battery Life but high on Price

For long the battery life of Android Smartphones have been the Achilles heel. Though the shift to larger screens, media consumption, internet connectivity made phones really smart but the lack of enough juice left users in dilemma whether to save the power to last for the day or make use of the 'smart' features of the phone. When the race of Quad core/ octa core processors, number of Mega pixels in smartphone was still in market, there were few who took upon to solve the most prominent problem of smartphone usage. Gionee Marathon, ASUS Zenfone Max , Redmi Note 3 are product of such efforts.  We are doing a review of more refined version of one such device from ASUS which is ASUS Zenfone 3 Max. Zenfone 3 Max was launched along with Zenfone 3 series phones and is priced for Rs 17,999/- for 5.5 inch version (the one we are reviewing here). Let's take a look into the phone and see if its worth the price and hype.

Build and Design:

The ASUS Zenfone 3 Max, definitely brings a good change in terms of design language and build quality, In fact we are glad that ASUS has listened to feedback from tech community to change on the design which was not so appealing and had lot of waste space in the devices. The Zenfone 3 over comes all those drawbacks we could point out in Zenfone 2, Zenfone Max and other Zenfone devices. The phone is easy to hold and grip, it looks sturdy thanks to its unibody aluminium chasis.

On the front we have a 5.5 inch full HD display with very thin bezels around, on the top of the display sits proximity sensor, the ear piece and 8 MP front camera, whereas at the bottom of the screen there are three capacitive buttons viz. back, home and multi tasking in same sequence from left to right. The capcitive touch buttons are non-backlit though and it can be difficult to use the phone in dark in initial days of use, until your fingers are trained for the exact position of the buttons. The front is protected by 2.5D contoured glass which makes it look more elegant and premium.

ASUS Zenfone 3 Max comes with a 5.5 inch Full HD display which produces sharp pictures and brightness is good, Auto brightness works well for most of the cases however in direct sunlight we had to manually increase the brightness to make screen readable. Around 73% screen to body ratio makes it easy to use with single hand. We watched few videos on Amazon Prime and Youtube to test the display and we were satisfied with handling of the content by the phone.

The left edge of the phone has a sim tray towards the top which can hold one Micro SIM and another Nano SIM or a micro SD card. On the right side there is a power button just above the middle point and volume rocker is placed one finger distance above the power button. All the buttons are placed ergonomically, the feedback of buttons is good as well. On the top edge of the phone there is a 3.5 mm Audio jack and a secondary mic for noise cancellation. While the bottom edge sports a mic, micro USB slot for charging and data transfer and speaker grill.

Turning the phone backwards you will see a 16 MP rear camera adored by dual tone LED flash and Laser Assist Auto Focus on both sides. Just below the Camera unit, adhering to central line there is rounded square finger print sensor which is easy to reach by the index finger. The finger print sensor is active one which wakes the phone as well so you don't have to press power button to unlock your phone. The sensor works well most of the time and is accurate but its definitely not the fastest one around.

On the bottom there is sticker with IMEI details for the phone below which you can see the ASUS branding.

Features and Specifications:

Zenfone 3 Max(ZC553KL) comes with Octacore Snapdragon 430 chipset which we feel is not the best choice looking at the price and accompanying hardware. The chipset is fine in handling normal day to day tasks but when it comes to some power intensive games the phone shows clear lags.  The phone comes with a 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB storage, single band Wi-Fi b/g/n, FM radio, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, 4G support as well as VoLTE.

On software side the phone comes with Android Marshmallow with ASUS ZenUI 3.0 skin running on top of it. Still the new skin doesn't interfere much with the stock Android and you get lots of option to customize things as per your choice. However, there are still a lot of , really lot of pre-installed apps which unfortunately looks more of bloatware to us. You get few useful apps pre-installed as well such as Instagram, puffin browser, Facebook, NFS: No Limits, SimCity etc. There is a Game Genie widget as well for enhancing the gaming experience which can be activate for your chosen game and then you can close background apps to free some memory, record your game , livestream your game on YouTube or Twich.

At last the reason for the name Max, the battery of the phone has 4100 mAh of juice when fully charged. The battery lasts for more than a day easily for more than average usage for me which includes some 15-20 minutes gaming, few videos on YouTube, some browsing internet and reading Quora Feed. However if I extend the gaming session the battery drop was sharp. So we can comfortably say that with day to day usage one can even get 2 days of power but with some resource intensive tasks the battery starts draining quickly. There is a reverse charging feature too, but we don't feel its practical if you are on the move as you might want to save the fuel for yourself instead of donating it to others, nevertheless the feature is novel in its nature and can come handy in some situations.

Performance:

Despite Mediocre processor, we didn't  faced any major issues in day to day tasks, except sometimes while typing we felt that Keyboard was lagging a word or two. We didn't faced any overheating situation either even when the camera was used for a long time. The call quality is good, sound is crisp and clear on both sides of the call.

We have got 43680 score in Antutu Benchmarking test and Vellamo Metal Score of 1196 which is lower than even ASUS Zenfone 2. As mentioned earlier the video playback was good , at upto 1080p videos the phone handles videos quite well. The audio quality as well is pretty good with or without headsets.

Camera:

The  rear 16 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture produces detailed landscapes and works particularly well in daylight, however in low light the noise becomes dominant in shots taken by the phone. The lowlight mode and Night mode helps to some extent. ASUS Pixelmaster tech has been always good in terms of imaging and Zenfone 3 Max is no exception to that. Below is a slide show of shots taken by Zenfone 3 Max in various modes and conditions. Rest we leave it upto you to decide.

Verdict:

Here comes the tricky part and ASUS hasn't left any stone unturned to confuse us. For the Design, Build, Display, and Battery performance this device will be an easy pick. Even Camera is decent enough for the price range. So if you want to buy yourself a ASUS phone with all these qualities you can go for it, but if you are looking for some serious performance oriented smartphone then Zenfone 3 Max isn't the phone you should look at. Specially with the 17K plus price tag I would expect better performing phone based on the competitive phones present in market. Another deal breaker can be absence of Gorilla Glass protection for many. 

If you can ignore on the performance aspects then the phone packages a lot in itself, at the launch price it may be bit over priced but if the prices are dropped around 2000  less than it would make lot more sense to buy this device.

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Honor 6X to be Amazon exclusive in India

Honor, Huawei’s Smartphone e-brand for digital natives, announced today that the much awaited Honor 6X will be exclusively available on Amazon.in upon its India launch.The Honor 6X was recently launched at International CES 2017 and is a smartphone created for digital natives with cutting-edge dual-lens rear camera, sturdy performance and extended battery life.

The Honor 6X, carries dual camera setup which is a 12MP + 2MP combination, the secondary 2MP camera is for depth of field calculation and that makes the USP of the phone in terms of imaging power. The phone runs on Kirin 655 processor and will be available in two variants 3GB RAM/32 GB ROM and 4 GB RAM/ 64 GB ROM. The Honor 6x will come with a 5.5 inch Full HD display. The device also features one of the fastest finger print sensor on the back we have experienced so far in smartphones.The smartphone is also very light weight and thin considering the fact that it packs in a 3350 mAh battery.

Honor 6X

The Honor 6X, which is labeled as the SWAGphone in India is designed to offer the young and bold consumers around the globe a superb internet experience. The Honor 6X is a powerful and versatile all-rounder packing top-of-the-shelf features, empowering consumers to explore the world, cultivate their inner artist, and enjoy the world of music, gaming and movies.

“We are very delighted with the opportunity to showcase Huawei’sHonor brand on Amazon.in, and to bring the Honor 6X to the Indian customers. India is one of the fastest growing economies and we are delighted to partner with Amazon.in. We believe Amazon.in is in sync with our expectations and strategies of how we want to reach the consumers,” stated P. Sanjeev, Vice President, Huawei Consumer Business Group.

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Samsung launches its first product of year, the Gear S3 smartwatch for Rs 28,500 in India

Samsung India has launched its first product for the year, the company unveiled Samsung Gear S3, the successor to Gear S2 in India yesterday in an event held in Delhi. The Gear S3 has upped the ante with lot of processing power and sensors on board. The new watch now has the much required Barometer and Altimeter for those who are avid trekker and look out for such details in their gadgets.

Inspired by traditional timepieces and the art of watchmaking, the Gear S3 combines timeless watch design with the absolute cutting edge in mobile wearable technology, including IP68 water resistance, up to 4 days of battery backup, dedicated app store and built-in speaker and GPS, making it the ideal addition to any watch collection.

Samsung Gear S3 is available in two design patterns to suit different users’ lifestyles: frontier and classic. Inspired by the active explorer, the Gear S3 frontier evokes a rugged outdoor look with an enduring style that blends form and function. The frontier was designed to perform in any setting or environment – whether business or leisure. We personally liked Frontier.  The Gear S3 classic design is minimalist, elegant style found in the most iconic timepieces. The classic was designed with meticulous attention to detail – with its size and shape chosen to attain the same consistency and balance of a well-crafted luxury watch. 

The Gear S3 comes with Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ designed specially for wearables to give them more toughness along with a crisp display. The case is crafted from high end watch grade 316L steel. The 16 million colors full-color Always On Display (AOD) and Super AMOLED technology further differentiates the Gear S3 from other smartwatches. The AOD always shows the time rather than automatically fading to black, causing the Gear S3 to exude the aura of a luxury analog watch with a perpetually visible watch face & a ticking second hand.

The Gear S3 puts convenience at the flick of the wrist, allowing users to leave their smartphone behind when they don’t need it on-hand. Pushing the connectivity envelope to the hilt, the Gear S3 offers ‘hyper-connectedness’ with the Remote Connectivity feature that allows the Gear S3 to receive phone notifications way beyond the limits of BT or WiFi. All that is required is for ‘Remote Connectivity’ to be turned on in the Gear Manager app. The built-in GPS functionality enables users to accurately monitor their daily fitness activities while the Alti/barometer and Speedometer allow users to track everything from altitude and atmospheric pressure to sudden changes in weather, distance traveled and speed. 

Additionally, with the built-in speaker, users can take calls, activate voice messaging and listen to their favorite tunes. The battery is also a significant leap forward for the segment in terms of delivering the smartwatch experience uninterrupted. Lasting up to four days on a single charge, users can enjoy their music, make calls and show off their stylish smartwatch longer.

The Gear S3 was designed with consumers’ safety in mind. In case of an emergency, users can activate the SOS from the designated button to alert family, friends and emergency professionals about crisis situations, even when their phone isn’t in-hand.

Consumers can access a diverse range of apps, including fitness, music, news, sports and travel apps – all optimized for the Gear S3. With a variety of customizable watch faces available for download, users can personalize the circular UI to fit their lifestyle. Select apps and watch faces are also available for download directly from the Gear S3 without the need to download via a smartphone. Through an open collaboration with developers and partners, Samsung continues to enrich its wearables ecosystem and provide users with a unique smartwatch experience. 

For the first time ever on a smartwatch, the Samsung Knox Tizen Wearable SDK will be available to third-parties, enabling management capabilities and the development of customized applications for Samsung’s wearable ecosystem. With the Samsung Knox security platform, the Gear S3 will enable broader enterprise business opportunities.

Both the Gear S3 classic & frontier will go on sale from 18^th of January, 2017 and will be available in all leading Samsung sales channels at a price of Rs. 28,500/-.

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ASUS unveils Zenfone 3 Zoom with a dual Camera setup, 2.3X optical zoom and 5000 mAh battery at CES 2017

ASUS has unveiled the successor of Zenfone Zoom , the Zenfone 3 Zoom at CES 2017. Continuing on its legacy the USP of the phone is its camera albeit in different terms from its predecessor. The Zenfone 3 Zoom retains the optical zoom feature however its lowered to 2.3X while the original Zoom had an optical zoom of 3X. On brighter side other parts of the phone are much improved and a major of such improvements is its 5000 mAh strong battery and slim design. To give you an idea the new Zoom is around 3mm thinner than the previous Zoom. 

Zenfone 3 Zoom

Zenfone 3 Zoom is a much better device overall in terms of design, build and compactness of the device. ASUS has really heard the feedback about its design and made a mark with entire Zenfone 3 series. The Zenfone 3 Zoom comes with a dual camera setup, where in one is  for 2.3X optical zoom while another one is 12 megapixel wide-angle lens with f/1.7 aperture. ASUS claims that these two lenses can also work in conjunction to produce depth-of-field bookeh effect which we are sure it can as we are witnessing the same on Honor 6x review unit.

An improved TriTech+ autofocus system automatically chooses among three autofocus technologies — Dual Pixel PDAF, subject tracking autofocus, and second-generation laser focus — depending on the situation to achieve accurate focus in just 0.03 seconds, even when photographing moving subjects.

ZenFone 3 Zoom is also the first ASUS smartphone with SuperPixel camera technology that enables it to focus incredibly quickly and capture clear photos at night or in low-light environments. ASUS-exclusive hardware and software enhancements boost sensor light-sensitivity by up to four times by intelligently adjusting ISO levels while shooting and applying noise reduction in post-shot processing. SuperPixel technology enables the camera on ZenFone 3 Zoom to have 2.5-times (2.5X) greater light sensitivity than Apple iPhone 7 Plus as claimed by ASUS.

ZenFone 3 Zoom has a high-capacity 5000mAh battery that is sculpted to fit in the phone’s super-slim, 7.9mm full-metal body. The phone weighs just 170 grams, yet with its large battery and powerful, efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor it provides users with up to 42 days of standby time. The high-capacity battery also complements ZenFone 3 Zoom’s photographic capabilities, allowing users to shoot more photos, enjoy power-intensive operations like time-lapse photography, and capture up to 6.4 hours of continuous 4K UHD video on a single charge. ZenFone 3 Zoom can also double as a high-speed power bank for charging other devices.

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ASUS showcases world's first Tango Enabled and Daydream Ready phone Zenfone AR at CES 2017

ASUS Zenfone AR is also World's first 8 GB RAM phone.

ASUS today showcased its innovative products in CES 2017. ASUS displayed its first Dual Camera setup phone Zenfone3 Zoom and other devices, but the show stopper for the day was Zenfone AR. As you might have got it with the name AR has something to do with the Augmented Reality. The term which has picked up a lot more meaning by now than just a fun feature. So, ASUS Zenfone AR is the world's first Tango Enabled and Daydream Ready phone (The world's first Tango Enabled phone is Lenovo Phab 2 Pro). For those who are unaware of Google Tango project, it is a project by Google which enables you to combine objects from real world onto your phone screen and you can play around with it. The technology enables you to measure your surroundings, re-imagine your home with virtual furniture and so on.

ASUS Zenfone AR

Unlike Lenovo Phab 2 Pro , which comes with relatively inferior specifications for a device which is supposed to do power intensive tasks, Zenfone AR comes with promising hardware specifications and make this device more of a Flagship Tango smartphone. ASUS Zenfone AR runs on Snapdragon 821 SoC and packs in 5.7 inch , 2560x1440 QHD display. The phone also comes with 8 GB of RAM which is highest in a smartphone as of today. Though I am not a fan of massive RAM in smartphones when you don't actually need them but here it is absolutely required as Tango will need all the power you have packed in your smartphones. With that power you don't have to worry much about heating as the smartphone comes with an advanced Vapor Cooling system.

The smartphone comes with a Tricam setup at rear, which includes a 23 MP rear camera, one camera for motion sensing and another one for depth-sensing. The placement of these three cameras is also quite interesting and despite so much on board it does not cover most of the space at back (remember how Zenfone Zoom had a massive camera at back?).Unlike three-camera systems in other devices, the design of the ASUS TriCam system clusters its array of cameras to reduce their footprint within the phone, enabling the entire phone to be thinner and lighter.

ZenFone AR features a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor that is optimized for Tango, and is the world's first smartphone with 8GB of RAM. ZenFone AR's powerful performance and innovative camera work in conjunction with Tango to enable smooth and compelling smartphone AR experiences. A beautiful, 5.7-inch WQHD Super AMOLED display and a new five-magnet speaker makes Daydream VR apps, games, and videos more immersive and entertaining. Android 7.0 ‘Nougat’ lets users get the most out of ZenFone AR with new multitasking features and other enhancements that deliver a great mobile experience.

“The Snapdragon 821 processor is a perfect fit for a flagship Tango enabled device like the ZenFone AR,” said Amon. “You need a powerful heterogeneous computing and power-efficient chip to handle the intensive processing and complex features needed to optimize and deliver rich augmented reality experiences. We congratulate ASUS on this exciting new product and are excited to now have Snapdragon processors powering devices across their lineup.”

Also onstage to reveal more about ZenFone AR and Tango, as well as demonstrate some of the amazing augmented-reality experiences available through innovative mobile apps and games were Erik Hermanson, Head of Content & Brand Marketing at ASUS, and Johnny Lee, Director of Engineering for Tango. “Our phones already assist us in our day-to-day lives, but we believe they can do even more. We’re excited to see Tango technology incorporated into ZenFone AR, making its capabilities available to more people,” said Mr. Lee. Jeff Kirwan, Global President of Gap, then demonstrated DressingRoom by Gap, an augmented reality app that allows Gap customers to model clothes on a virtual mannequin and view it from any angle.

Following the announcements, ASUS hosted a demo area showcasing ZenFone AR, ZenFone 3 Zoom, and the latest lineup of lifestyle, business, and Republic of Gamers (ROG) gaming products. New lifestyle and business products include the ZenBook UX490 laptop, VivoPC X desktop PC, ProArt PA32U monitor, and ASUSPRO B9440 business laptop. New gaming products include the ROG Maximus IX Extreme motherboard, ROG Gladius II mouse, ROG GR8 II gaming PC, ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 router, and ROG Strix Magnus gaming microphone. Additionally, several desktop and laptop PCs updated with the latest 7th Generation (‘Kaby Lake’) Intel^® Core^™ processors were also shown, including the Zen AiO ZN270 desktop, ROG GT51CH gaming desktop, and the ROG GX800VH and G752 gaming laptops.

ASUS won eight CES 2017 Innovation Awards, with products across four competitive award categories honored for outstanding design and engineering innovation. The award-winning products include: ZenFone 3 Deluxe, Designo Curve MX34VQ, Vivo AiO V221, ZenBook 3, ROG GX800, ROG Maximus IX Apex and ROG Maximus IX Hero, and an upcoming powerful ROG gaming laptop.

All ASUS and ROG products will be on display at the ASUS Media Suite at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, from 4:00pm–6:00pm on January 4th, 2017, and from 9:00am-6:00pm on 5th-7th January, 2017.

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Lenovo and LXG Presents Indian LAN Gaming (ILG) Cup with Prize Pool of worth 20 Lakhs INR

LXG and Lenovo presents Indian LAN Gaming (ILG) Cup , Season 1, Powered by HyperX. ILG Cup is a celebration of competitive LAN Gaming in India. As part of the series there will be multiple tournaments spread across Gaming Cafes across seven cities in India. ILG Cups aims to rejuvenate the LAN gaming culture in the country. The Cities with Participating Gaming Cafes are Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi. 

ILG Cup Schedule(Click to Enlarge)

Games to be played as part of the tournament are:

• DOTA2
• CS:GO
• Overwatch

There will be a total of 27 Tournaments broadly divided into two categories. Out of 27, 21 Tournaments will be Minors comprising of 7 Tournaments each of DOTA2, CS:GO and Overwatch. Similarly remaining 6 Tournaments will be Major comprising of 2 Tournaments each of DOTA2, CS:GO and Overwatch.

As far as the prize is concerned the total pool prize is INR 20,00,000. Which is to be distributed as below:

1.       Minors – 21 Tournaments X 28,500 INR

a.       First Place       : 18,500 INR

b.      Second Place : 10,000 INR

The Winners and Runners-up of the minors get a slot in both the Majors.

1.       Majors – 6 Tournaments X 1,50,000 INR

a.       First Place       : 75,000 INR

b.      Second Place : 50,000 INR

c.       Third Place     : 25,000 INR

2.       Contests and Giveaways : 5,00,000 INR

Venues/Partnered Gaming Cafes

1.       League of Extraordinary Gamers(LXG), Bangalore

2.       League of Extraordinary Gamers (LXG), Chennai

3.       Playmax Interactive, Hyderabad

4.       Havok Nation, Pune

5.       Gearup Gaming, Mumbai

6.       INFI Lounge, Kolkata

7.       Xtreme Gaming, Delhi

Schedule

1.       Minors – January to July 2017

2.       Majors – September & October 2017

Registration Fee

There is No registration fee for any of the ILG cup tournaments. However all the participants will have to recharge Café time for their respective tournament games.

Website

Ilg.lxgindia.com

Facebook Page

facebook.com/Indian-LAN-Gaming-ILG-Cup-187180695089762

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Finnish Health Care Technology company HCS launches fitness devices in India under Brand name "Tango"

Health Care Technology company HCS, headquartered in Helsinki, Finland announced launch of its fitness devices in India under brand name "Tango" . The Finnish company has joined hands with Immpetus Enterprises LLP, India to launch its wide range of fitness tracking devices. Tango offers wellness motivators and heart rate monitoring products claimed to assure high quality standards, precision and accuracy, cutting edge technology and customer friendly products worldwide.

The promoters of HCS, are also known for inventing world’s first wireless heart monitor, they have used state-of-the-art motion sensor technology for developing Tango products which provides accurate monitoring in the smallest form factor possible.  All devices comply with CE standards and have undergone stringent technology tests, real time user experience reports and quality checkups. The devices are available on Amazon as of now, and are expected to hit other leading stores soon.

Tango Wellness Motivator

HCS International CEO Mr. Jari Raglundsaid about the Tango’s launch in Indian market “we are delighted to launch Tango products in Indian market. We have seen an exponential growth in the market of wellness motivators, heart rate monitoring devices and mobile point of care solutions in the last five years and we believe this pattern will continue and fitness consciousness grows among people. Entry in Indian market will take the brand Tango to new heights. Our main focus is to educate the people and influence them to be fit and follow healthy lifestyle and to offer them best quality and user friendly products at an ideal price”.

HCS Global Business Development Head Mr. Rishi Kamal adds “Data from International Data Corporation for third quarter of 2016 has shown that despite the smartwatch market not faring so well, the overall wearables market grew by 3.1% year over year, with basic wearables, primarily fitness trackers, experiencing double-digit growth and accounting for 85% of  the market.”

The IDC put this growth down in part to the simple, easy-to-use features of fitness trackers, as well as fashionable designs which allow users to wear them every day, blended seamlessly with their own existing accessories and style.

Immpetus enterprise India HeadMrBharat Nanda said, “The collaboration with HCS will give a chance to increasingly fitness conscious Indians to avail the best and latest technology in fitness gadgets and experience the innovation which Tango is offering worldwide. We can assure of real high quality and technologically superior products, more so as they are being offered by a reputed European company, which makes sure their products undergo stringent quality checks before they make their way to the market. There are many affordable products available in the market but when you use them the results they provide are not accurate. Then there are other brands which are highly expensive and are beyond the reach of normal customers. We feel that with these latest devices from Tango, we would be able to fill this gap and get good customers response”.

This tie up targets young urban population in India and would reach out to this audience through an aggressive marketing campaign. The company plans to be a leader in Indian market in Fitness monitor and Fitness gadget business with a varied range of highly innovative and quality products. 

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TataCliQ.com announces The Brand Slam Sale with the start of New Year

TataCliQ.com , Tata group's multi-brand phygital ecommerce platform announced End of Season Sale - The Brand Slam Sale with the start of New Year, to give consumers are CLiQtastic start to the New Year. With the best curation of authentic and exclusive Indian and International brands across categories like apparel, footwear, watches, bags and other fashion essentials, #BrandSlamSale is the perfect opportunity to overhaul your wardrobe and give it the brand makeover that you have always wanted to. With the month-long sale running from 01^st till 31^st January and a full bouquet of exciting brand deals, flash sales, best price offers, bank cash back and many more deals for its consumers, TataCLiQ.com offers a curated brand experience with hand-picked brands at affordable prices.

Get ready to slam dunk your must have brands into that shopping cart every Wednesday, as TataCLiQ.com hosts a Brand Treasure Hunt featuring products at ₹1 only! If lady luck smiles further, you could be one of the lucky customers to win Tanishq Vouchers worth ₹10,000 and high end polaroid cameras everyday all throughout the month.

That’s not all, TataCLiQ.com will ensure that you shop till you drop through the month of January with the below offers:

•                     Up to 65% off across the website and app on more than 300+ brands

•                     Additional bank cash back of 15% off on minimum purchase of ₹1000 on all Standard Chartered debit cards and credit cards.

•                     Flash sales on branded merchandise

•                     Exclusive App only additional offers

Speaking on the #BrandSlamSale, Prathyusha Agarwal, Head - Marketing, Tata CLiQ said that “After a successful Festober sale, it will be a grand brand slam for our fashion consumers at TataCLiQ.com with the biggest ever End of Season Sale of curated authentic and exclusive brands. Every fashion aware, brand conscious consumer looks forward to style their entire wardrobe with brands they love but stop themselves due to budgetary and price constraints. At TataCLiQ.com’s #BrandSlamSale we would want them to CLiQ away to their heart’s content and get an all new brand makeover wardrobe with our curated capsule collections and look books for every kind of fashion buyer at the best feel good prices. Partnering with popular fashion influencers we will also be offering fashion makeover advice and lucky customers stand a chance to win a complete styling advice session and wardrobe brand makeover sponsored by Tata CLiQ”

So, if you are looking to completely overhaul that wardrobe this New Year with C.A.M.E.Ls – that’s Certified Authentic Merchandise Everybody Loves, TataCLiQ.com awaits you with their Brand Slam Sale!

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ASUS Zenfone Go 4.5 LTE Launched in India: Price Specifications and Availability

ASUS announced launch of its  latest 4G smartphone the ZenFone Go (ZB450KL) in India, the phone is also known by the name Zenfone Go 4.5 LTE. Zenfone Go is one of most affordable 4G smartphones launched in India with a Price tag of Rs 6,999/-. The Zenfone Go 4.5 LTE is available online and is expected to hit leading retail stores across country by end of the month. The Zenfone will be available in 2 types of back cover finish variants – Matte finish in Glamour Red color, and with Hairline finish in Silver Blue, Gold, and Silver.

ASUS ZenFone Go 4.5 LTE

The phone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 1.0 GHz quad core CPU, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB ROM. For external storage users can expand it upto 128 GB via micro SD card and also gives users Google Drive 100 GB storage for 2 years. The Zenfone Go 4.5 LTE comes with 4.5 inch FWVGA 480x854 pixels with Blue-light filter. On Software front the device runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow topped with Asus ZenUI 2.0 skin.

The Zenfone Go 4.5 LTE comes with 8-mega pixel rear camera assisted with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture with ASUS well known PixelMaster technology, the camera application comes with 11 different modes which includes Low light mode, the Backlit (HDR) mode, manual mode and Beautification modes. On front there is a 2 MP camera for selfie and video calling purpose.

For connectivity options the ZenFone Go 4.5 LTE offers 4G, Wi-Fi 802. b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, FM, GPS, AGPS. The sensors on board includes Accelerometer, E-compass, proximity and ambient light sensor.

Commenting on the launch, Peter Chang, Region Head – South Asia & Country Manager, ASUS India said, “Through our smartphones, we aim to cater to a wide segment of users, and we endeavor to offer the differentiated ASUS technology even in mass segments. We are sure this smartphone will able to provide an enriching user experience and be appreciated by our users across the county.”

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LG V20: Specifications, Features, Pricing and Availability

We know LG as a consumer electronics brand since decades, in this segment it is a great competitor of the tech giant Samsung. However, the same cannot be said when it comes to smartphones as LG has a very low market share and number of devices in each segment when compared to Samsung, but does that mean it lacks the fire of innovation, the urge to rule and the desire to bring quality products to the market. For me the answer is no, if you have any doubt about that then you are missing on the great devices LG has introduced to the world and which are in no way short of any flagship devices of their time. On one side Samsung has had a very bad year in 2016 because of the Note 7 fiasco, on the other LG has just launched its next flagship in India i.e. the #LGV20. We will share all the details about the product we have, if you are short of time and think its too long to read complete post then we would like to inform you that this phone is like a Rajkumar Hirani's movie which is launched in December and grabs many awards for the year.

LG V20

Highlights of the Phone: 

• Secondary Display strip on top of primary display.
• Detachable Battery with a push of button, Detaches itself when shock is sensed.
• Fingerprint sensor at rear which can be pressed to use it as power button.
• Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
• Dual rear camera (16 MP + 8 MP), 5 MP front camera.
• 64 GB internal memory, can be extended up to 2TB via micro SD card.
• Incredibly durable-805g military certification.
• B & O play premium earphone worth Rs 18,000/- free for every buyer.

LG V20 boasts of metal body with a very thin bezel design, the device sports a squarish design as opposed to rounded one in in G5, the back cover is also made of aircraft grade aluminium while the top and bottom edges are protected by Silicon Poly Carbonate which is a great shock absorbing material.

Durability of the phone makes it one of the most sturdy phone to carry.

Talking about the durability of the phone, it is quite sturdy and reliable and in fact the LGV20 is US military compliant drop tests. As a witness to the launch event I can assure you that the different techies tried there way to make a crack on the phone with their drop tests but every time when we turned our neck towards a shattering sound we could see the phone safe after being picked up from the floor.

The phone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad core processor coupled with a 4GB RAM which is standard in current generation of smartphones. LGV20 comes with 64 GB of internal memory with UFS (2.0). LG V20 comes with a 5.7 inch primary Quad HD IPS display with a 513 ppi pixel density, the device also comes with a 2.1 inch secondary IPS Quantum Display to check notifications. This can also be seen as functionally implemented the same way as Samsung has implemented its edge display.

The LG V20 comes with wide-angle cameras on both the front and back of the phone. The V20 can take wide-angle photographs with rear-facing 135-degree and front-facing 120-degree lenses. Even more interesting is the Hybrid Auto Focus feature which delivers optimal picture sharpness while Auto Shot simplifies selfies with a face detection feature that triggers the shutter automatically. The phone comes with 3200 mAh removable battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support.

When it comes to video recording, the V20’s Steady Record 2.0 helps neutralize shaky images using both Electronics Image Stabilization (EIS) and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS 2.0) built into Qualcomm Snapdrago 820 processor. Moreover, high quality video wouldn’t be worth watching without an equally high quality of audio. Therefore, the V20 captures audio using formats similar to those used in professional video equipment. The powerhouse smartphone also supports optimal playback, minimizing distortion and noise.

For the Audio Features, LG collaborated with renowned European audio brand B&O Play, under the umbrella of Bang & Olufsen - the manufacturer of a complete line of audio and video products. The fastest-growing stand-alone unit of Bang & Olufsen, takes the audio game of V20 several notches higher, assuring one to ‘Play More’. Hitting the right cords, the new V20 comes with B&O Play headsets for absolutely free.

Detailed Specification of the phone:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
• Display: Main 5.7-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440 / 513ppi) /Secondary IPS Quantum Display (160 x 1040 / 513ppi)
• Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM / 64 GB Internal Memory / microSD(up to 2TB)
• Camera: Front 5MP with F1.9 (Wide Angle) / Dual Real Camera 16MP and 8 MP Wide Angle with F1.8
• Battery: 3200mAh (removable)
• Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat
• Size: 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm
• Weight: 174g
• Colors: Titan / Silver / Pink
• Others: Hi-Fi Video Recording / Steady Record 2.0 / HD Audio Recorder / Studio Mode / High AOP Mic /Second Screen / 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC / In Apps / Finger Print Scanner / Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0

LG V20 shall be available across India starting 6 th Dec 2016 through Retail stores and online exclusively at Amazon. V20 shall be available at market operating price of INR 54,999.

Exchange Program with LG V20: You can exchange your old smartphone for a minimum value of Rs 20000 when  you upgrade your LGV20.

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Acknowledging the most notable smartphones that we saw in 2016

2016 has been a great year for smartphones. Plenty of new brands made their mark in India and some even called it the Chinese invasion. Selfie was a big thing and phones crossed 6GB in RAM too. Here we take a look at some of the phones that made an impact in the market.

Google Pixel:

Google Pixel and Pixel XL were the first phones to be launched with Google’s own branding. Powered by the most powerful and latest processor Snapdragon 821, Pixel phones emerged as the king of Android smartphones. With a score of 89 from DxoMark, Google Pixel broke all the records of smartphone photography and reserved the top seat on the stack of best smartphone cameras.

Pixel - Phone by Google

 Apple iPhone 7:

iPhone 7 is the latest smartphone from Apple to be launched in 2016. This time Apple came up with a lot of new things such as new camera system, audio experience, removal of a 3.5mm audio jack, and what not. The iPhone 7 Plus also featured a dual rear camera setup, thus setting the trend for other smartphone maker to follow. It is powered by an all new quad-core A10 chipset. iPhone 7 is also first phone from Apple to come with water and dust resistance.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

OnePlus 3/3T:

OnePlus 3T is the most affordable phone to be powered by the latest Snapdragon 821 processor that too coupled with a massive 6GB of RAM. OnePlus 3T comes with world’s fastest Dash charger which is capable of charging 50% of phone’s battery just within 15 minutes of charging. It also flaunts a 16MP front and back camera, thus offering the best selfie camera in the market. With a very competitive pricing of Rs 29,999, it is near to impossible for any other smartphone to beat the OnePlus 3T.

One Plus 3 

OPPO F1  S:

OPPO is now synonymous to better camera phones, their commercials emphasizes on this fact by calling their products as camera phones. F1 series has honored that image and taken the selfie experience to a new level. Apart from that, it is powered by an Octa-core processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM which can be expanded to 128GB and is also powered by 3075mAh. F1S comes with industry leading 0.22s fingerprint reader. OPPO F1S is priced at Rs 17,990.

OPPO F1S

Moto G4 Plus:

With a price of Rs 14,999, Moto G4 Plus is giving tough competition to all the device priced under 20k. Packed with a great camera and powerful battery, Moto G4 Plus also has a very crisp and bright display. It is powered by Snapdragon 617 couple with a 3GB of RAM. Motorola has also rolled out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Moto G4 Plus. With a DxoMark rating of 81, Moto G4 Plus is the first phone to pack such a great camera under this budget.

Moto G4 Plus

Redmi Note 3

It is not just another phone from Xiaomi which needs any introduction. Redmi Note 3 is the highest selling smartphone in India from Xiaomi. The low pricing and really good features do set this phone apart. With a fingerprint scanner, Full HD display and an infrared emitter, Redmi Note 3 kills all other smartphones around its budget rate. This beast is powered by the Snapdragon 430 and comes with two variants of 2GB and 3GB of RAM.

Redmi Note3

These were the best smartphone of 2016 covering all the budget range. Apart from these, we must also acknowledge the aggressive push by Oppo and Vivo into the Indian market. And of course, the Reliance Jio impact coupled with LYF devices.

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