Alibaba's UCWeb looks to lead on Content with the launch of We-Media Reward Plan 2.0 investing initial amount of 5 Crore Rupees

UCWeb, now part of Alibaba group has announced the launch of We-Media Reward Plan 2.0 , a self creating content platform in India with an initial investment of Rs 5 Crores (50 Million INR). The group will be investing 2 Billion INR on driving content distribution in India in coming 2 years. It is worth noting that UCWeb's content distribution platfrom UC News which was launched last year in June has become one of the fastest growing app in country with a Monthly Active Users count of over 80 Million in India.

Announcing the initiative on his visit to India, He Xiaopeng, Co-Founder UCWeb and President, Alibaba Mobile Business Group said, “Dominance of mobile and digital proliferation is leading to an increased adoption of mobile internet and is making India ‘Digitally Ready’. UCWeb is realising its vision of “Serve half the population of the planet”, and we are moving forward to the era of “GUF” (Google, UCWeband Facebook). The investment falls under Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group’s targeted investment of $7.2 billion in content over the next three years.”

“Content consumption on mobile is rapidly rising while the We-Media ecosystem is still at a nascent stage. According to our data, there are at least 400,000 self-publishers in India already with a huge scope to grow the market, especially in the niche categories. UC Browser was launched with an aim to solve browsing-related problems while UC News and We-Media program aim to meet the increasing demand of varied content by users and build a well-established ecosystem. With our strengths in technology like Big Data AI and vast experience in markets like China, UCWeb will augment its focus on digital content aggregation and distribution in the world’s second largest internet market, India. We aim for UC We- Media to open a gateway to more opportunities in India’s content industry and emerge as the No. 1 content generation and service platform in 2017.” Xiaopeng added.

UCWeb is also upgrading its content and services portfolio by adding more short video-related content. Short Videos are fast becoming the most popular form of content consumed in China today and UCWeb sees huge potential for this concept here in India as well. UC News aims to provide upgraded content and services to its users and, going forward, will make significant investment in this category. According to the company’s latest Content Consumption Trends Report, video content has risen 30% in the last quarter alone. The company is in the process of setting up a separate team to handle the Short Videos section and is scouting for relevant partners to support this for UC News India.

“The latest data on UC News shows that we generated over 3,100 million page views in January, 2017 alone, which translates to 100 million page views daily. Moreover, we are experiencing a fast rise in the average time spent on UC News. As of this quarter, an average user spends over 23 minutes on UC News. Our strong user base number indicates the success of our strategy of moving ‘From Tool to Content’. We had said that content is booming and 80 Million MAUs of UC News is a clear reflection of that. Users are embracing diverse -digital content and their appetite for such content is being met by UC News”, said Kenny Ye, GM-Overseas Business, Alibaba Mobile Business Group.

We-Media Reward Plan 2.0 - A game-changer in the content ecosystem

Besides an upgrade in Ad revenue sharing model, We-Media Reward Plan 2.0 will open the door of opportunity to the most talented writers in the country. 1000 We-media writers will be recruited in India and Indonesia who will be able to earn at least INR 50,000 per month through the UC News platform. UCWeb has been setting new trends under the UC We-Media program where people get an opportunity to create, to write, share thoughts and engage with their followers on UC News. The Program saw an increase of 200% and 350% (MoM) in its page views of English and Hindi We-Media content respectively in the past quarter.

UC News is a big-data powered content distributor, serving as a one-stop source of trending and curated news content covering all popular categories that Indian users can consume on the go, with featured channels including news, cricket, technology, entertainment, movies, lifestyle, health, humor, etc. UCWeb’s strength in technology is helping UC News process millions of data request and content of massive origins everyday with the help of its 3 big data clusters set-up in India. The cluster combines over 5000 machines handling millions of data-request with a response time of less than 10 milliseconds for each, thereby boosting the content generation and distribution on UC News to meet the demands of 80 Million MAUs.

Late last year, Alibaba Holdings announced its new digital media arm, Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment, in a major reorganization of the company's entertainment assets. The transformation marked a total consolidation of Alibaba's media businesses, including video website YoukuTudou, UCWeb and Alibaba Pictures Group as well as the company's sports, games, literature, music, and the digital entertainment divisions. 

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Share your Fitness Funda/Mantra Creatively and Get Tango Fitness Tracker worth Rs 4990 at just Rs 8

Finland based Fitness accessories brand Tango has announced its very special offer on the occasion of Women's Day to attract the female fitness freaks in India. Tango Wellness is giving away the fitness trackers at dirt cheap price of INR 8 in India which is having market price of INR  4990.

Tango Wellness Fitness bands

How to avail the offer?

To avail this offer, women just need to write their fitness funda/mantra creatively and post it on Tango's Social Media Platforms. Shortlisted mantras will get the Tango wellness fitness trackers at just INR 8 which has a market cost of INR 4990. 

Social Media Pages where you can participate.

https://www.facebook.com/TangoWellnessIndia

https://twitter.com/Tangowellness

Commenting on this Women Day campaign, Tango India Head Bharat Nanda said, “India is emerging as a favorite market for health care products as people are getting more health conscious especially in the metro cities. To inspire women towards healthy lifestyle, this Women's Day, we are providing an exclusive offer and giving the fitness tracker at just INR. 8".

International Women's Day Campaign has already got huge momentum and has got more than 5000 registration within 4 hours of the launching the campaign. And the company is expecting to engage 5 lakh audiences.

The Tango fitness trackers are available on major E-commerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm and Tango World.

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HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play : Specifications, Features and Price

Recently HTC launched its Flagship smartphones HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play. The HTC U series is named as such as it is focused on U (you), i.e. the consumers. The U series smartphones comes with advance Artificial Intelligence which is named as HTC Sense Companion. The HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play smartphones comes with beautiful 3D contoured, liquid surface , adaptive HTC U sonic technology for personalized hearing and a unique combination of MegaPixel and UltraPixel Camera technology in front camera to provide vivid light, details and color.

Mr. Faisal Siddiqui launching HTC U Play (Left) and HTC U Ultra (right) in India

The HTC U Ultra is priced at Rs 59,990/- where as the HTC U Play is priced at Rs 39,990. The HTC U Ultra sports a dual display similar to that on LG V20. The Dual display is supposed to give you all top information you need from your phone right on the top. The secondary display gives you access to the things you use most such as favorite contact, app, reminder, event notification and much more. Apart from this the HTC U Ultra comes with HTC Sense Companion, U Sonic and Voice recognition features. The smartphone comes with a 16 MP UltraPixel in the front and 12 MP UltraPixel main camera unit which is claimed to deliver less blur, fast focus and better photos at night. HTC U Ultra also comes with  BoomSound Hi-Fi edition speakers. HTC U Ultra and U Play comes in with a 64GB memory variant. The HTC U Ultra is available in three colors, which include Brilliant Black; Cosmetic Pink and Sapphire Blue. The HTC U Play with a 5.2” perfectly symmetric thin design takes brilliant selfies with 16MP rear and UltraPixel front camera. The HTC U Play is available in Iceberg White; Indigo Blue; Black Oil and Cosmic Pink Gold colors in the India market.

HTC is betting big on its AI aka HTC Sense Companion aims to become your personal companion in all sense, it is always learning from you and give suggestions based on Machine Learning Algorithms implemented in the software. It learns it all from you like suggesting you to wear warm clothes on a snowy day or to remind you to charge the phone if it determines you will need more juice until you reach home. Similarly the device also responds to your voice even when its asleep. It recognized your voice and respond to navigation, take or reject calls, snooze or dismiss alarms etc.

The HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play come with a one-year insurance that covers liquid damage and any physical damage to the phones. The customers also have an option to avail 7.5% cash back on the MOP value of both the phones using Standard Chartered Debit or credit card. This offer is valid from 6^th March ’17 - 31^st May ’17. HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play will be available in Indian market from 6th March ‘17 and mid-March ’17 respectively

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Gurugram becomes second city after Hyderabad where Swiggy will make deliveries post mid-night

Swiggy, one of the most popular food delivery services in India announced extending its services in Delhi-NCR. Swiggy will start operations in Faridabad, Noida Expressway and Greater Noida. However, Gurugram where Swiggy is already operational since 2015 will be the second city in India after Hyderabad where Swiggy will start post mid-night deliveries up to 2 AM as opposed to 11 PM operational end time as of now.

Swiggy Food Delivery App

Srivats TS, Vice President, Marketing at Swiggy said, “Customers from NCR who travel to Delhi have experienced the customer-friendly benefits of Swiggy, like choicest restaurant options, lightning fast delivery, no minimum order among others. As we introduce Swiggy in Faridabad, Greater Noida and Noida Expressway, these customers can now enjoy the benefits of Swiggy delivery in their areas as well. At the same time, restaurant partners in these locations will benefit from Swiggy’s growing customer base and increased order volume.”

Swiggy deliveries are fast, hassle-free and reliable. The new service allows Swiggy to deliver from some of NCR’s favourite restaurants across various price points. “Greater Noida and Faridabad have a lot of good restaurants. Customers love the food variety here. But both were constrained by quick and reliable delivery limitations. We have seen our Delhi and Gurugram restaurants expand their reach with Swiggy. Now, we also get the Swiggy advantage to connect with our patrons in Faridabad,” said Kabir Advani, MD of Berco’s, known for its delectable Chinese and Thai cuisine restaurants across NCR.

This is part of Swiggy's ongoing plan to expand service area and extend service timings in the National Capital Region. Hundreds of restaurants from Noida, Faridabad, Greater Noida, Noida Expressway and Gurugram have come on board to reach customers, who have come to prefer Swiggy for its reliability and experience. 

In Gurugram, where Swiggy has been available since 2015 and connects food lovers to over 800 restaurants, there has been a growing demand from customers to extend delivery timings. In response to their love and appreciation for Swiggy, the company has extended its operating hours from 11 pm to 2 am. Many restaurants, that deliver orders post mid-night, have joined hands with Swiggy to leverage the assurance and experience Swiggy delivers to customers. This is the second location, after Hyderabad, where Swiggy will make deliveries past mid-night.

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Decoding OPPO's upcoming Breakthrough smartphone photography technology '5X'

OPPO Mobiles is now one of the leading handset maker company in China as well as India, its world's 4th largest selling brand. OPPO has established itself as a global player and its innovations have surely grabbed the attention of users and critics alike. 

True to its campaign 'OPPO Camera Phones' spirit, OPPO is set to unveil its next breakthrough in smartphone photography code named project '5X'. 

Speaking about the technology, Mr. Sky Li, VP, OPPO, MD of International Mobile Business & President of OPPO India, said, “OPPO’s relentless pursuit of perfection without compromise has given birth to a remarkable technological breakthrough that will change how the world perceives smartphone photography.”

Sky added, “This remarkable achievement is the result of an extensive, year-long R&D process, combined with OPPO’s unparalleled expertise in smartphone imaging technology. We chose MWC to unveil the ‘5x’ technology with the belief that we can inspire the industry to aim higher, and continue to create pioneering products that give amazing experiences to consumers.”  

OPPO is well known for its premium build smartphones with a strong emphasis on Camera of the phone, the name '5X' suggests that it can be related to the optical zoom capability of a phone. We have seen ASUS Zenfone Zoom with '3X' optical zoom. Extending that to '5X' will be interesting to see. Our speculations seems to be in right direction as the image for the event which is part of the official press release states 'So close you can feel it'. This further confirms that OPPO's next breakthrough project has something to do with the zoom capability of the smartphone.

Going by example ASUS Zenfone Zoom we now know that its pretty difficult to fit a complex lens mechanism in smartphones of today's era. On the other hand OPPO is well known for its well built slim profile smartphones. Now Is OPPO working on a better zoom enabled smartphone? May be that's what we can infer from whatever information we have as of now, but it would be interesting to see if they compromise on the form factor of the phone to that and if yes upto what extent. So if you are nearby you can experience it first hand on Feb 27, 2017 in OPPO’s booth at MWC is D31 in Hall 3, if not than don't be disappointed we are here to bring all the news to you just keep watching this space. 

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[GiveAway]: Participate to Win Fitbit Flex 2 Wireless Activity Tracker and Sleep Wristband

We are happy to announce that we are hosting our first ever giveaway on Tech Siddhi. We have just completed 4 years in journey and we would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for your support. To mark a wonderful start for the 5th year in progress we are hosting a giveaway of Fitbit Flex 2 Wireless Activity and Sleep wristband.

If you are a fitness enthusiast you must be aware of Fitbit as a brand, even if you are not currently into fitness routine Fitbit Devices have proved to be great motivator with their intuitive app and dashboards. The Fitbit Flex 2 is a wonderful Tracking device that monitors it all for you while you do the hardwork or even when you fall asleep. The automatic tracker doesn't need much attention of yours while you work or sleep it just calculates everything you need silently.

Fitbit Flex 2 Features

Specifications of Fitbit Flex 2:

• Track steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes

• Ultra-thin, removable tracker hides in bands, pendants and bangles

• Swim-proof for tracking swimming, life-proof for wear in the ocean, shower, pool and beyond

• Smart track automatically recognizes select workouts and records them to your Fitbit app

• Automatically track how long and how well you sleep and set a silent alarm to wake with a small vibration

• Get call and text notifications on your wrist with unique vibration patterns and color-coded LED lights

• LED display lights up to show progress toward your daily goal

So convinced you want it? Then what's the wait for, head right towards the giveaway widget at the end of the post to participate and leave the rest on us. 

1. The contest starts on 21st Feb, 2017 and  closes on May 21st, 2017.
2. The contest is managed by Rafflecopter, and the winner would be picked randomly by the same. The result provided by Rafflecopter would be final and binding.
3. Each entry of the winner would be checked manually, to confirm if he has completed the steps correctly. In the case of any irregularity with the entry, another winner would be picked up. No gaming the system, no cheating! We’ll be monitoring the entries.
4. The winner would be notified by eMail.
5. The contest is open to all geographic locations , we will do the shipping anywhere in India however shipping outside India has to be born by the winner.
6. You can complete few entries daily to earn more points, keep a check on them.
7. The contest can be closed in between in case we don't get enough response by the end of first Month.
8. Each point you earn will be counted as a unique entry, the more points you earn, the better your chances are to win. In short, try to complete as many steps as you can in the widget below; but it is not necessary to complete all steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Samsung launches World’s first Solar-powered Refrigerators with Digital inverter & World’s first 8-Pole Digital Inverter AC

Samsung India has recently introduced smart convertible frost-free and direct cool refrigerators which run on solar power, and a new range of air conditioners with digital inverter technology that cools 43% faster.

The new refrigerator and air conditioner range with advanced technologies enables faster cooling, power conservation, durability and great design. They combine innovation with advanced technology to deliver optimal performance. A key feature in the new line of refrigerators is solar power compatibility, which will go a long way in energy conservation in line with the Indian government’s efforts to promote solar power.

New S-Inverter Air Conditioner

Based on India specific customer insights, a new S Inverter air conditioner range is introduced in the affordable luxury segment with new technology, durability and design.

The new Samsung S-Inverter Air Conditioner series is engineered to consume less power and produce exceptional cooling comfort. Equipped with advanced and world’s first new 8-pole motor in its Digital Inverter range, they ensure faster cooling performance of up to 43% and consume much lesser energy as compared to conventional air conditioners. The entire New S-Inverter range will come with BEE ISEER rating.

For increased durability, it comes with DuraFin™ condenser which is corrosion resistant as compared to conventional condensers. DuraFin™ components are made of materials that are more resistant to corrosion with 34% more thickness. Its larger condenser and optimized refrigerant flow enables to endure extremely hot outdoor temperatures of up to 52°C.

Samsung air conditioner range comes with a new Voltage Protector feature which enables consumers to enjoy cool fresh air without having to worry about product damage due to power fluctuations. Best suited for India, these air conditioners with Voltage Protector can handle voltage fluctuations from 146V to 290V ensuring worry-free operation. In addition, they also improve the look of homes as there is no need to install an external stabilizer for managing voltage fluctuations.

All 1.5T and onwards Samsung air conditioners models comes with highly efficient twin BLDC (Brushless DC electric motor). Twin BLDC compressor optimises and enhances cooling by 40% when compared to the conventional compressor. Not only that, Twin BLDC compressor increased reliability, reduced noise and hence provided longer product life.

Samsung AC range comes with the trend-setting new Magnolia floral pattern following Samsung’s tradition of introducing new floral patterns as per Indian taste.

Smart Convertible Refrigerators

Taking further the benefits of digital inverter technology, Samsung smart convertible refrigerator is the first of its kind in frost-free category, which runs on solar power as well as on home inverter, giving convenience of cooling and freshness to the consumer during power cuts.

The smart convertible range also comes with features like Power Cooling Mode and Power Freeze Mode that help reach the target temperature in 31% shorter time. Maintaining health and hygiene has been a key feature of smart convertible refrigerator. Its twin cooling system avoids mixing of odours inside the compartment. Vegetables and fruits are stored at optimal humidity level by releasing moisture cyclically.

The digital inverter compressor optimizes usage by minimal wear-and-tear and extends the life of a refrigerator by over ten years. With low noise level, the smart direct cool refrigerator can withstand voltage fluctuations ranging from 100 volts to 300 volts. The new range of refrigerators comes with two new floral patterns: Rose Mallow and Magnolia. Star Flower and Tender Lily are the other shades available in the market.

Direct Cool Refrigerators

Samsung smart refrigerator has advanced compressor of digital inverter technology which can run on solar panel and home inverter to provide uninterrupted cooling. It can also operate on home inverters to provide uninterrupted service during power cuts with a cooling retention of nine hours.

The fridge automatically adjusts its speed in response to cooling demand and is equipped with up to 7 compressor RPM that makes precise adjustments to cooling performance and maximises freshness of food.

The digital inverter compressor optimizes usage by minimal wear-and-tear and extends the life of a refrigerator by over 10 years. With low noise level, the smart direct cool refrigerator can withstand voltage fluctuations ranging from 100 to 300 volts.

The premium range of direct cool refrigerators come with clutter-breaking designs of door and handle. The three handle designs are Island, Bar and Bar Chrome. For the door, Elegant Crown and Grande enhance the aesthetics.

Price and Availability

Smart Convertible Refrigerator: Priced at INR 27,250/-, the mid-segment range begins from 253L and has multiple sizes up to 670L.

Smart Digital Inverter Direct Cool Refrigerator: Starting at INR 14,900, the products range from 192L to 230L and will be available across key markets.

S-Inverter, Digital Inverter Technology Based Air Conditioners: INR 35,900 to INR 66,600

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Swipe Elite Power 4G vs Coolpad Mega 2.5 D

Swipe Technologies has launched their new phone “Swipe Elite Power 4G” for just Rs.6999. This android 6.0 phone is considered as one of the best smartphones under 7000.

The launching of this device is seen as a strong competition to the Coolpad Mega 2.5 D. It was one of the best selling phones of 2016 under 7000 INR.

It is necessary for smartphone buyers to compare both devices before making a purchase.To make your task simpler, we are doing a comparison between Swipe Elite Power 4G and Coolpad Mega 2.5 D based on key specs.

 Let us explore the comparison between Swipe Elite Power 4G and Coolpad Mega 2.5 D: -

Software:

Swipe Elite Power 4G and Coolpad Mega 2.5 D both runs on Android version 6.0 Marshmallow. It results into a tie between them.

Screen size and display:

Both the devices have same screen size 5.5 Inch while have same screen resolution around 1280x720 pixels. You will get almost equivalent real estate.

RAM, ROM, and Processor unit:

Swipe Elite Power has 2 GB RAM while 16 GB internal memory unit. On the other hand, Coolpad Mega 2.5 D dominates Swipe Elite Power by 3 GB RAM and 16 GB internal memory. In short, Coolpad Mega 2.5 D offers enhanced speed and performance than Swipe Elite Power 4G.

If we discuss about Processor Unit then Swipe Elite Power is leading the race with a slighter margin. Swipe Elite Power 4G has 1.1 GHz quad-core processor unit while Coolpad mega 2.5 D has 1.0 GHz quad-core processor unit.

Camera:

If you are a selfie lover, then you should go with Coolpad Mega 2.5 D, it has 8 MP front camera for capturing quality Images and videos. On the other side, Swipe Elite power is offering 5.0 MP camera.

Both devices have 8.0 MP Rear cameras. So, on paper you will get almost same camera quality with both the phone.

Battery:

Battery is a key feature to look for while buying a smartphone. Swipe Elite Power 4G has beaten Coolpad Mega 2.5 D with a greater difference. It has 4000 mAh battery; you can enjoy 12 h 3G talktime and 7+ hours’ online movie watching activities.

Battery is a weak factor of Coolpad Mega 2.5 D, it comes with 2500 mAh battery that offers less 3G talktime and standby  time than Swipe Elite Power 4G.

Connectivity:

Connectivity plays a key role in smartphone decision making. Both devices have almost same connectivity features. You can enjoy 3G, 4G, VOLTE, WiFi, hotspot etc services in both devices. Both devices have hybrid SIM slots, you can either enjoy Dual SIM feature or expand memory space.             

In short, Swipe Elite Power 4G is a best buy phone to geeks who needs reliable battery while if you are looking for performance and camera then 3 GB RAM Coolpad Mega 2.5 D is a best buy device.    

Note: This is a guest article and is not authored by Tech Siddhi team.                      

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ASUS launches Zenfone 3S Max in India for Rs 14,999/-, runs on Android Nougat out of the box

Strengthening its presence in Longer Battery Life Smartphones ASUS has today announced the Zenfone 3S Max in India for a price of Rs 14,999/-. ASUS Zenfone 3S Max will be available both offline as well as online from today itself in Sand Gold and Black colour variants.

ASUS Zenfone 3S Max

It is worth noting that in second half of last year ASUS launched Zenfone 3 Max phone with two variants with 5.2 inch and 5.5 inch display and other slight differences. The Zenfone 3 Max were priced at Rs 17,999/- and 12,999/-. Its courageous on ASUS's part to launch the successor device within a short span and intelligent to price it with atleast a 2K difference in price.

As you might already know the Zenfone Max series is known for its longer battery life, the last launched Zenfone 3 Max had 4100 mAh battery power to get you max from your phone while the latest Zenfone 3S Max comes with a massive 5000 mAh battery which is claimed to give 38 days of 4G standby time, 28 hours of 3G talktime, and 25 hours of Web browsing. As with the other Zenfone 3 models Zenfone 3S Max comes in all metal unibody design however the finger print sensor is placed on front this time and is claimed to unlock the phone in less than 0.5 seconds. The Zenfone 3S Max also comes with the familiar reverse charging feature using which you can also charge another phone from Zenfone 3S. 

Zenfone 3S Max comes with a 5.2 inch HD display which is claimed to have a brightness over 400 nits, the Display is covered with a 2.5D curved glass. The device is powered by a 1.5 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6750 SoC and Mali T860 GPU coupled with 3 GB RAM. Zenfone 3S Max comes with 32 GB inbuilt storage which can be further expanded upto a whopping 2 TB via micro SD card. As for camera, the Zenfone 3S Max comes with a 13 MP rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture, 5P Largan lens, PDAF and dual LED real tone flash. The rear camera comes with familiar features such as super resolution, panorama, low-light, backlit HDR mode etc. On Front there is a 8MP camera with 85 degree wide angle lens and has beautification mode along with HDR and low light mode.

On connectivity front the device comes with a hybrid dual SIM (dual standby) and has connectivity options such as 4G LTE (CAT 4), VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/A-GPS. Asus also claims that the ICEPower enhanced mono 5-magnet loudspeaker produces high quality loud sound while the dual microphone setup ensures noise cancellation. 

ASUS Zenfone 3S Max runs ZenUI 3.0 based on latest Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. ZenMotion Touch Gesture helps users swiftly launch apps by writing a letter on the Zenfone 3S Max’s blank screen. Multi-window mode, provided by Android 7.0 Nougat, allows users to multitask by working on a split-window or effortlessly switching between apps. GameGenie helps enhance the gaming experience with its search function offering tips and the option to record and live broadcast gameplay via YouTube and Twitch

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QNAP TS-453 Pro, 4 bay NAS - Features and Specifications

Taiwan based QNAP is known for its product in network attached storage (NAS) market. QNAP TS-453 Pro is among its latest offerings and we got a chance to play around it for a while. The QNAP TS-453 Pro is a multi functional machine with many facets. We will be detailing about its specifications and features in this post.

Build: QNAP TS-453 Pro is a light weight easy to install NAS machine. The machine has 4 bays for attaching HDD which comes with a unique circular lock to lock the Hard Drives in Bays. On the Front, the body has QNAP branding on the top left and at the bottom left there is a Power button to switch the machine on/off, below that you will find a USB 3.0 Port labeled as Copy. This port is used to connect any HD via USB and get the backup done instantly on NAS. The right side of the front is dominated by 4 bays to hold your storage hard drives. On top of Hard Drive bays you can see LEd indicators for Status, USB and LAN. above which on left side there is a small display where important information can be seen.

Any guesses what's this product here? #TechBlogger #NAS..

A photo posted by Rahul Kasana (@kasanarahul) on Feb 1, 2017 at 9:12am PST

On the back side you will see a large Fan for cooling, the power cable slot, On the right side there is a tiny Reset button on top, A HDMI output port (This is great, you can use your NAS as a multimedia player as well) , There are 2 Ports each of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 for data usage and connecting peripherals. At the bottom right you can see 4 GbE ports.

Specifications: 

• HDD Bays: 4 x SATA III – 6Gb/s
• HDD Form Factor: 4 x 3.5″/2.5″
• CPU: Intel Celeron J1900 2.0GHz
• RAM: 2GB or 8GB DDR3L
• Flash Memory 512MB DOM
• External Connectivity:
• 1 x HDMI
• 4 x Gigabit Ethernet
• 2 x USB 2.0
• 3 x USB 3.0
• Cooling: 90mm fan
• Max. Power Consumption: 21W (HDD in stand-by), 33W typical
• Dimensions: 180mm (W) x 177mm (H) x 235mm (D)
• Weight: 3.65 kg

In case you end up using all the space in your all 4 HDDs then you get the option to expand your storage using UX-500P a 5 bay external unit or UX-800P an 8 bay external unit.  

As TS-453 Pro comes with the USB connectivity options, it can be used just as a normal PC by attaching your peripherals ( Monitor via HDMI Port and Keyboard, Mouse via USB connection). When you do that the NAS loads QTS like interface. With QTS 4.2 looks like a modern mobile operating system with intuitive apps like browser and multimedia. When you set up your NAS first time you are asked if you are a business user or Home user. Based on the selection it installs the recommended apps such as multimedia apps for Home setting and other productive applications for Business settings. QTS 4.2 update updates Virtualization center and introduces Container Station with LXC and Docker so its now possible to run different versions of Linux on your NAS.  The NAS is not just another NAS it has lots of functionality associated with itself. TS 453 Pro can be used as a Virtualization server, FTP Server, Backup Server, Surveillance Stations, Printer Server, Web Server, VPN Server, MYSQL Server, RADIUS Server, LDAP Server and Remote access.

The QNAP TS-453 Pro is very easy to install and use even for a layman in NAS. You just need to install the Hard Drives in Bays by screwing them in caddy. Once you install the QTS software then you just leave it to QNAP to do all the work.  

QNAP is known for #DrivingInnovation in its products and QNAP TS-453 is a Taiwan Excellence Award winner, QNAP TS-453 Pro will be on display from 8th to 10th February at Convergence India 2017 Expo. 

So if you want to experience the product first hand for your own use then do plan to attend the Convergence India 2017 Expo between 8-10 February and visit Taiwan Excellence display area to first hand review of the device.

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How Artificial Learning Shapes The e-Learning Scenario

AI in today's E-Learning scenario

The modern day life is changing fast at an unimaginable pace that the process of learning has to be simplified as one could easily forget how far we have gone.  The technological development has come up to a level where a lot of exciting changes would happen in the near future. One of the best indicators of human progress viz. learning is exposed to these technological advancements. The affordability of technology has come to a level where one could not ignore the rising popularity of e-learning. The below reasons would validate the argument that e learning would get a facelift from the end of artificial learning.

Improves team building and social connectivity

The advent of online games like puzzles, Sudoku and so on creates a platform where we get the chance to bond and connect well with people with similar interests and this forms the foundation for building team to achieve greater heights.  This would pave way to more social interactions and connections that would help learning new skills and ideas more effective in the long run. In the days to come, the domain of education would benefit from the union of games with social connectivity.

Promotes the learning process by practice

Learning process improves only when the learners are able to apply the things they had learned in the right manner and this objective is rightly accomplished by the implementation of artificial learning. This modern style of learning blends the content of training like the Pythagoras theorem with an environment to practice with real world examples. Learners would gain ample exposure by being part of the assembly line of production, learn the steps of the manufacturing process and so on.

Creates simulated environment for learning

The fascinating element of learning in the artificial manner is the use of simulations which would seem as if the learner is facing a real test where actually he or she is just doing a virtual practice. Also this gives the added advantage of practicing without having to suffer the consequences of making mistakes. The cost to purchase materials like gadgets and tools could be reduced to a great extent as the training experience would seem like a real one and the training environment could be changed by using editing the virtual elements.

Turns learning into a fun activity

Unlike the conventional way of learning, the virtual way of learning makes the activity into a joyful experience as the activity itself would look like a game which everyone wants to be a part of. The reward based system of gaming is applied in the same manner for learning activities for learning topics like algebra. The learners engage with the learning activities with such intensity that positive results are ensured as the learning outcome. This could be achieved only through learning in virtual mode.

The above points would have given you enough clarity on why virtual learning would shape the e-learning domain like never before. Thus we could say that virtual or artificial mode of learning would take the learning processes into highly efficient ones in the years to come.

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Camera Focused mid range smartphone from ASUS, Zenfone 3 Laser review

ASUS has launched a array of new devices under Zenfone 3 series with a huge make over in design language. Shifting from plastic to metal body that too in sleek and light enclosure is the main USP of the new series. We already reviewed Asus Zenfone 3 Max in one of our earlier posts. In this post we will be looking at Zenfone 3 Laser a successor to Zenfone Laser series which is well known for its camera features assisted by Laser Auto focus.

Asus Zenfone 3 Laser Design:

The Zenfone 3 Laser comes in all metal body with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass in front and is 7.9 mm thin. The device weighs just 150 grams which is remarkable. The screen to body ratio is again pretty good as despite a 5.5 inch display the phone fits in hand quite well and can be operated with single hand.

On the front majority of real estate is owned by 5.5 inch Full HD display, over which lies the front camera, There are capacitive navigation buttons below the display without the ASUS trademark chin which saves a lot of space. The capacitive buttons are not back lit hence it might take some time to get used to it. On the back side the phone sports a metal back with oleophobic coating as per ASUS.

The rear camera is placed at top right in the center of the phone and is slightly protruded, the dual led flash and laser autofocus grace the camera on one side each. The finger print scanner is placed right below the camera unit and has a rectangular shape which we have not seen yet in any other phone. The power and volume rockers are placed on right, while the SIM slot is placed on the left side which is a hybrid dual sim slot. On the top you can find a 3.5 mm Audio jack where as at the bottom there is a Micro USB port for charging and data transfer along with Speaker gill and Microphone.

Specifications and Software:

Zenfone 3 Laser is powered by a 64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz, with Adreno 305 and 4 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. In terms of storage you get 32 GB of internal storage and can be expanded upto 128 GB via micro SD card. ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser comes with Google drive offer of up to 100 GB cloud storage for two years.

On Camera front, the phone comes with a 13 MP primary camera with f/2.0 aperture and dual LED real tone flash. On front you get 8 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera supports 1080p video recording at 30 fps. For connectivity you get options such as Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi direct, GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS and 4G. The phone supports 3G and 4G in both sim slots however only one can be activated at any given point of time. 

On software front the phone runs on ASUS ZenUI 3.0 which is built on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The UI features are same as with the other Zenfone 3 series devices such as real-time weather animation and clock widgets, Zen motion gestures to perform tasks quickly etc.

Over all we like the interface and for a change it looked much less cluttered however there are still a lot of pre-installed applications mostly from ASUS itself which still can be classified as bloatware apps if not all a majority of apps are those which are not used by average users.

Camera:

Most talked about feature of the phone is its camera with laser autofocus tech which claims to lock focus in just 0.03 seconds. We found that laser autofocus is indeed pretty fast and it quickly locked focus very quickly. We found camera to be especially good in well lit conditions where you can capture a lot of details. Low light shots too turned out good however you can still notice some noise and grain in the photos where lighting was not adequate.

Daylight Shot - Auto HDR Mode

The front camera is also good and compliments its rear part. The selfies are automatically taken with beautification mode on however you can choose to disable the feature or adjust the scale on which you want it to work.

Performance:

The phone turns out to be a mediocre performer when it comes to day to day usage. Its good for normal usage like browsing internet, social media apps and photography. However with lots of background apps running it starts to respond slow. Watching movies on the phone is a good experience owing to its vibrant display. We accidentally dropped the device once as it felt a bit slippery on the edges (like most of metallic phone does), however we did not notice any damage due to the fall. The finger print sensor is responsive but not the fastest one around. For music lovers the speakers quality is decent for this segment, the earphones works even better with decent music quality. In terms of battery life the phone lasted with around 25% juice left for which we used in day for social media apps, internet browsing , video playback of around 30-40 minutes, casual gaming for around half an hour and around 8-10 phone calls for an average of 50 seconds duration. We got average scores on Antutu and other benchmarking test scores as expected keeping in mind the processor and other hardware.

Verdict:

ASUS has really upped the ante with the Zenfone3 series, however the pricing is also substantially high for these smartphones when compared to competitors like Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 or Lenovo Z2 Plus. The Zenfone 3 Laser is priced at Rs 20,000 and offers you average specifications and specialized camera features. On the down side the phone doesn't comes with USB Type-C port and doesn't support Fast charging. However, we personally feel that it is still worth for around 15000 Rs and if you are getting some offers, cashbacks or buyback options around this range then it becomes a sensible choice.

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Honor 6X with Dual Camera Setup Launched for starting price of Rs 12,999/- in India, will be Amazon Exclusive

Honor 6X is trending in Tech circles in India for around a month now, if you follow tech bloggers in country on their social profiles, you must be aware of the #SwagPhoneHonor6X posts mostly displaying the camera prowess of the phone. The Honor 6X comes with a dual camera setup and gives DSLR like bookeh effect as the 2MP additional camera works for calculating the depth of field in a frame.

Honor 6X officially launched in India

The phone comes in two variants 3GB RAM/32GB storage which is priced at Rs 12,999/- and 4 GB RAM/64 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 15999/-. The registration for the first Flash sales starts from Today at 2 PM. The sale starts from 2 Feb 2017. The Honor6X will be exclusively available on Amazon.

“The Honor X series is most celebrated series from the Honor” –Senior Product Manager, Huawei India

“The Honor X series is most celebrated series from the Honor” –Senior Product Manager, Huawei India. Dual camera is a perfect blend of Hardware and Software unlike how it is commonly perceived as just 1 plus 1 camera setup, he added.

Honor 6X is an affordable device with dual camera setup with 6p lens and PDAF technology, it gives you control set focal length before or after taking the photo. Apart from the most talked about wide aperture mode, the low light and night shot are also talking point of the phone. The camera also comes with a Pro mode (manual mode) and light painting mode as well with other common options. Some more fun modes are Light Graffiti or light painting mode.

Honor 6X wide Aperture mode in action

The device comes with a Full HD display with Content adaptive screen. The Fingerprint sensor is one of the fasters we have ever seen and Honor claims to get the device unlocked on 0.3 seconds. The Finger print sensor can also be used to see Notifications, clear it, and take pictures on a tap and more such customizable options.

(See Unboxing and Hands On Experience)

Honor 6X comes with three color options Gold, Silver and Gray. 3340 mAh battery with 16NM Chipset and power saving technology, Low voltage LCD display. Honor claims 30% better battery backup than the competition.

The Kirin 655 16NM Octa Core chipset, gives 65% better performance, 100% better GPU performance as compared to its predecessor. Dual SIM VoLTE on connectivity front, OTG support. An interesting unique feature which comes with this phone is Wi-Fi Bridge where in you can share your wi-fi to other 4 more devices. The Honor 6X comes with Smart file system and Machine learning algorithms which gives you more operation smoothness and response from the phone. On Software front the device comes EMUI 5.0. The phone allows you to use dual Whatsapp and Facebook Account. The beta version of EMUI 5.0 with Android Nougat is Honor 6X ready and it will be rollout somewhere in Q2. 

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UniPixel Enters into Memorandum of Understanding with GIS

UniPixel, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNXL), a provider of Performance Engineered Films™ to the touchscreen and flexible electronics markets, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") to enter into a strategic partnership with General Interface Solution, Limited ("GIS"), a Taiwan-based, subsidiary of Foxconn, and a billion-dollar provider of integrated touch display solutions in the mobile phone, Notebook PC, 2-in-1 laptop and tablet markets to global customers including major PC and smart phone brands.

Under the memorandum the parties will form a strategic manufacturing project that will initially extend over three years and which may be renewed by mutual agreement. A definitive agreement is expected to be executed in the coming weeks. The parties also contemplate entering into a separate development project for foldable/flexible displays.

Jeff Hawthorne, president and chief executive officer of UniPixel, commented, "We are very pleased to enter into this MOU with GIS. They are a highly respected, leading-edge provider of integrated touch display solutions. UniPixel will benefit from the manufacturing expertise and scale of GIS to address the volume production requirements of our multiple design wins. An additional benefit is a potential path to Asia-based manufacturing in parallel with our Colorado Springs production.  Both companies will also explore advanced development opportunities to utilize UniPixel's unique metal mesh technology to co-develop integrated touch displays for bendable and foldable applications in the coming years."

UniPixel today filed Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding this Memorandum of Understanding. 

UniPixel, Inc.  develops and markets Performance Engineered Films for the touchscreen and flexible electronics markets. The Company's roll-to-roll electronics manufacturing process patterns fine line conductive elements on thin films. The company markets its technologies for touch panel sensor, cover glass replacement, and protective cover film applications under the XTouch and Diamond Guard brands

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Retail POS Terminals Market to Hit $45bn by 2024: Global Market Insights Inc.

The report "Retail POS Terminals Market Size By Product (Mobile, Fixed), By Services (Professional services, Support & Maintenance, Training), By Component (Software, Hardware), By Application (Department Store, Supermarket/Hypermarket, Warehouse, Convenience, Discount Store, Specialty Store, Drugstore, Category Store), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 - 2024", by Global Market Insights, Inc. says Retail POS Terminals Market size is set to surpass USD 45 billion by 2024

Rising popularity of non-cash transactions due to the digitization of payments, technological innovation, and proliferation of immediate payments will fuel global retail POS terminals market growth. Cash handling and cost elimination further contributes towards the global demand. Increasing investment from the technology providers to offer advantages such as digital mishap control, reduced payment processing time, and low fee charges will drive Retail point of sale terminals market size. 

Mobile retail POS terminals market is anticipated to witness substantial growth at over 18% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. Advancements in wireless technology and emergence of mobile wallets are responsible for industry growth forecasts. Moreover, the advantages such as low upfront cost, easy usage, positive return on investment, and portability, have collectively spurred mobile POS terminals market consumption.

Manufacturers in the retail POS terminals market facilitate customized services including offers & loyalty initiatives, coupons (not to be confused with online ones such as Makemytrip coupons), and suggestions, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction. Emergence of advanced payment technologies such as NFC and Europay, Master Card and Visa (EMV) coupled with the increasing adoption of payment options such as debit and credit cards have played their role in demand development. Technology advancements have improved cost effectiveness and features such as Quick Payment Service (QPS), automated download, and back-lighted keyboards leading to the high adoption rate.

Supermarkets/hypermarkets will witness increase adoption in the coming years owing to the maximum RoI and increasing focus on enhanced customer experience. Ability to reduce manual error and regular inventory track is enhancing the usage resulting in retail POS terminals market growth.  Data security and costly software upgrades are challenges for companies operating in the industry. If we talk about effect on ecommerce market, travel domain is still unaffected with this growth and you various discounts for Goibibo offers and other such portals continue to be main reason for people flocking to book from online portals, seems I deviated from the main issue here so let's get back to the POS adoption.

Support & maintenance services accounted for over 20% of the 2015 retail POS terminals market share, due to the increase in demand for optimization of the IT software and hardware infrastructure of an organization in regions such as North America and Europe. Training services will be driven by the increasing demand across developing countries for proper guidance and familiarity with the technology.

Growing adoption of cloud computing technology and mobile devices will continue strengthening the demand for software. Increasing requirement of data security across the retail industry will further boost the demand for advanced software solutions.

India retail POS terminals market share is expected to witness considerable demand gains due to government efforts and stringent rules & regulations to promote digital payments in the country. In addition, demonetization issues and demand for mobile payments are expected to surge the adoption across the region.

Players operating in the industry include PAX, Ingenico, NEC, VeriFone, Cisco, MICROS, HP, Samsung, and Panasonic. Technological advancements and innovation are the key strategies to maximize share and to compete in the highly competitive retail POS terminals market.

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