Vivo's first bezel less display phone V7+ emerged as market leader in its segment in Counterpoint Report

Counterpoint Research report has indicated that Vivo's latest flagship launch V7+ is market leader in INR 20-25K category with 33 percent market share in September 2017.

Being the company’s first phone with 18:9 FullView display, the V7+ stands out with its selfie focus, enabled with a 24-megapixel front camera. Further, the phone’s Snapdragon 450 ensures a higher level of efficiency and power. Its contemporary and ingenious visual experience, futuristic design, superior performance makes V7+ an obvious choice for Indian youth.

Vivo V7+

Speaking on the milestone, Mr. Kenny Zeng, CMO, Vivo India said, “The smartphone market in India has been clocking rapid strides of growth with the country’s conducive socio-economic environs. Vivo focuses on customer-centric offerings that best complements their lifestyles by heavily investing in understanding their consumers. V7+’s success story testifies that we are on the right track and we look forward to clocking many more such milestones in the near future.”

Also speaking on the success of V7+, Mr Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint said, “Vivo's V7+ offers a unique and differentiated set of features with its 18:9 display and stellar camera in the 20-25K INR price segment. As a result of which, within two months of its launch, it became the leader in this segment.”

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Carnegie Mellon University and BitClave partner to improve the search experience

BitClave, the company that is disrupting the traditional ad tech market, is proud to announce its partnership with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). This fall, BitClave is sponsoring a practicum project for graduate students in the College of Engineering’s Information Networking Institute (INI) at CMU Silicon Valley. The practicum pairs teams of students with corporate, research and government sponsors to work on groundbreaking ideas that shape our future in everything from computing and mobile systems to things like ad tech and software development.

“Community is essential for any project to be successful. The CMU tech community has been very welcoming to our team and supportive of our mission. They’re always forward-thinking and I think they see a lot of promise here,” says Alex Bessonov, CEO at BitClave.

BitClave will be bringing its extensive knowledge in blockchain and cryptocurrency to work with INI’s mobility and information security students on disruptive advertising technology. While providing the students a rich learning experience, this collaboration will benefit the BitClave’s platform as well. For instance, one such project will help to improve anonymization and ranking system of BitClave Active Search Ecosystem (BASE). BitClave’s software engineers will be working in collaboration with INI students to improve the user’s search experience while still offering a comfortable level of anonymity.

"Bridging the gap between theory and practice, the practicum affords INI students the opportunity to innovate in the wild alongside experts in the field," said Dena Haritos Tsamitis, director of the INI. "A startup like BitClave provides exposure to entrepreneurial, startup culture and frontier technologies like blockchain, while also enabling students to apply classroom knowledge to solve real-world problems."

Patrick Tague, CTO at BitClave and associate director of the INI, is excited about the possibilities, stating,“Carnegie Mellon has long had a reputation as a leader in technology, so disruptive tech like blockchain is naturally very appealing. Combining blockchain with ad tech has a lot of potential, and I think it gets people excited.”

BitClave is a startup company using blockchain to eliminate ad service middleman and create a direct connection between businesses and customers. BitClave is building a decentralized search engine that helps its users truly find what they are looking for and get compensated every time they click on search results for products and services from their favorite brands, making third-party advertising networks unnecessary and annoying ads a thing of the past.

On the BASE, customers exercise full control over their identity, deciding who has access to their data while earning CATs each time businesses use their data to make them offers. Through this platform, businesses can serve personalized, relevant offers directly to users who have already expressed interest in their products and services, significantly increasing their return on advertising spending.

Partnering with companies like BitClave is one way that the INI's students in Silicon Valley benefit from hands-on, industry experience at the epicenter of high-tech innovation. The INI's advanced, specialized curriculum combines rigorous technical topics, practical industry-oriented topics and real-world project experience to empower students to be the movers and shakers of the tech industry, whether launching a start-up, joining an enterprise R&D team or fighting cyber-crime.

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Mi A1 : Android One Reviver or Killer of 'Flagship Killer' or both

Hey Guys, remember Android One? If not then let us remind you, it was Google's initiative to make Android phones more accessible to Indian consumers with a promise of pure Android on the device and certified by Google the branding was licensed to Indian manufacturers Micromax and Karbonn. These phones from respective companies were priced below 7000 INR and packed in 1 GB RAM, 8 GB ROM with Quad Core processors something which was generally available at price greater than 8000 in market at that time. A great initiative with massive advertisements, however the results were not up to the mark.

Highlights:

• Xiaomi Mi A1 is priced in India for Rs 14,999
• The phone comes with a guarantee of 2 years update from Google.
• Mi A1 Comes with Dual 12 MP rear Camera and2X optical zoom
• The device comes with 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM.
• Available on Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Home Stores from 12 PM IST, 12th September

Today Google and Xiaomi announced the Android One launch with Xiaomi Mi A1 in India. The phone is a great example of what Android One represents: a collaboration between Google and its partners to deliver a software experience designed by Google.

Xiaomi Mi A1

3 years later Google is back with program albeit this time partner is changed and a lot have changed on the device profile. Though its very obvious you had to upgrade the device configuration to cope up with the market equations of today, however Mi A1 is a device which exceeds expectations by a great margin, at least on the paper. This is the device which priced at INR 14999/- can eat away the market share of present 'Flagship Killer', if you know what I mean. Thus this time there is expected to be huge hype around the device and it is expected that Android One will get a revival as Budget Flagship brand from Google . 

As you might have guessed , Mi A1 is optimized for Google's best products such as Duo, Personal Assistant and comes with security features such as Google Play Protect out of the box. The phone will receive latest Android Updates from Google for 2 years. As of now the device will come running on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. It comes with 5.5 inch full HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection and is powered by Snapdragon 625 octa core processor paired with 4GB of RAM. For storage you get 64 GB ROM onboard and can be further expanded upto 128 Gb via micro SD card on hybrid slot. The phone comes with connectivity options as 4G VoLTE , dual band WiFi 802.11ac, GPS, USB Type-C port and 3.5 mm headphone jack. 

For sensors the phone has accelerometer, ALS, gyroscope, IR, Magnetometer and proximity sensor. The device is fueled by 3080 mAh strong battery. 

Xiaomi Mi A1 enables the users to capture moments in stunning detail on Xiaomi’s dual camera with 2X optical zoom along with an unlimited storage space at high quality with Google Photos. The new phone will be available in dozens of countries, including India, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

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Hyundai Launches 2017 Verna with starting price of Rs 7.99 lakhs

In grand event held in National Capital Delhi, Hyundai India announced launched of its much anticipated Next Gen Verna i.e. 2017 Verna with starting price of Rs 7.99 lakh for Petrol variant and 9.19 Lakhs for Diesel one. The pricing however ex showroom Delhi Price and reserved for first 20,000 buyers. Which implies that we can expect a hike in price after that threshold.

Hyundai Verna 2017

The fifth generation of Verna comes with several firsts in segment as well as from Hyundai as well. The 2017 Verna is based on K2 Platform as opposed to K1 on its predecessor. FYI, K2 platform is used in Hyundai Elantra. The other changes includes cascading front grill, projector and cornering head lights, projector fog lamp, LED tail lamps, day time LED lamps, length  and wheelbase is increased. 

Inside the car, you will get ventilated front seats, seven inch infotainment system with IPS touch display which also supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, MirrorLink. Other than that you will find rear AC vents and an Electric Sun roof. Other unique features of the car are handsfree opening of trunk when you stand behind the car and Hyundai's Patented Eco-Coating which is said to kill odor creating microorganisms in car AC.

Under the hood the car comes in two power variants. 1.6 Dual VTVT petrol and 1.6 VGT Diesel engines with Power output of 123 PS, Torque 15.4 KGM and 128 Ps , 26.5 KGM respectively. The company claims the fuel efficiency as 15.92 kmpl for Petrol automatic and 17.70 for Petrol Manual, while for the Diesel the figures are 21.02 kmpl for automatic and 24.75 for Diesel. 

@HyundaiIndia #NextGenVerna 360 view. pic.twitter.com/AukiVWSr7Q

— Rahul Kasana (@RahulKasanaTech) August 22, 2017

Along with that the car will also be available in 7 color variants in each power terrain. Refer below for pricing of different variants.

Ex showroom Del prices for @HyundaiIndia #NextGenVerna for different variants. pic.twitter.com/gATItEWWvJ

— Rahul Kasana (@RahulKasanaTech) August 22, 2017

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Sony introduces Home entertainment audio systems MHC-V11 and SHAKE-X30D

 Sony India today further transformed its home entertainment audio system line-up, with the launch of MHC-V11 and SHAKE-X30D. Exclusively designed for music enthusiasts these powerful audio speakers offer clear, dynamic sound, coupled with wireless Bluetooth capabilities enabling users to enjoy music at the touch of a button. The advanced speakers are an extension of the previously introduced MHC-V77D and MHC-V50D. These newly launched home entertainment audio systems stand out for their dynamic audio output, distinctive design and premium technology. 

Product	Availability	MRP
MHC-V11	20th August, 2017	Rs. 19,990
SHAKE-X30D	24th August, 2017	Rs. 50,990

Addressing to the growing demand for entertainment focused products, the new series additions are packed with unique features like karaoke and DJ effects and Sony’s indigenous offering of music center smartphone app. The speakers are embedded with an option for built in USB port, audio input and also comes with a built in FM radio tuner.

Sony Shake X30D

Karaoke and DJ Effects

MHC-V11 and SHAKE- X30D are enabled with Karaoke and DJ effects and has the ability to enliven any atmosphere. One can just pop in a CD, USB, and sing along to songs from YouTube via Bluetooth. Two mic inputs offers an option to team up with friends for the ultimate sing-off. A built-in vocal fader function even turns down the voice on CDs so one can sing favourite songs.

SHAKE- X30D offers four different effects to set the stage for any party: Flanger creates a deep roaring effect; WAH distorts the audio; Isolator singles out a specific frequency band; and PAN sweeps the sound across speakers. One can use DJ effects with the Fiestable app and gesture control, so getting creative with party playlists has never been easier.

Browse music with Music Center App

Adding to the seamless experience, the Sony Music Center App (previously called SongPal) for smartphone or tablet allows to take control of the music collection. Simply connect over Bluetooth /USB and have access to all favourite tracks. The app can also be used to customise sound settings to ensure great, balanced audio.

NFC and Bluetooth Technology

Ensuring impressively deep lows, MHC-V11 and SHAKE-X30D produce audio output capability that allows one to enjoy the highest quality wireless audio via Bluetooth technology and NFC. Both speakers are enabled with the new audio technology from Sony, LDAC that allows users to enjoy the highest quality wireless audio via Bluetooth technology. With up to 3x the data transmitted, LDAC provides an enhanced wireless listening experience for all music needs.

LED Speaker lights

With LED speaker lights, the user can pump the atmosphere with club-like LED speaker illumination. MHC-V11 delivers blue speaker illumination to create the ambience which perfectly attracts party enthusiast.

In SHAKE-X30D, the LED light speakers come with various colour patterns, ranging from pure white to rainbow. One can control the lights on the system, and watch them sync to the beat of the music for a club-style dance floor at home. Synchronising with the rhythm of the beat, the power and speed of the light display matches the musical mood and atmosphere.

Party Chain Effect

The party chain feature lets one expand the speaker system. The speaker can be connected with other Sony one box audio system to add extra power to the sound system. The user can connect multiple systems in a chain to enhance acoustic experience and produce powerful sound.

Portable one-box design: MHC-V11

MHC-V11 is a compact, light weight speaker and comes with a portable design which is convenient to be carried everywhere. This unique feature makes the one-box speaker a perfect addition to any party. An apt combination of style and sound quality, it comprises of inbuilt carry handles which facilitate ease in movement and makes it the perfect addition to any party.

Guitar Input: SHAKE-X30D

The speaker lets one easily organize mini concerts with the available guitar input. Just plug in and press the guitar key to enjoy powerful sound of the instrument. One can also play solo style, or connect a microphone to sing along.

High Power Audio Quality: SHAKE-X30D

The perfect combination of style and sound quality, SHAKE-X30D delivers impressive shaking bass audio quality with the Sound Pressure Horn. An internal folded horn design efficiently increases acoustic pressure by pushing energy through an amplifying duct.

MHC-V11 and SHAKE-X30D will be available in all Sony Center and major electronic stores across India.

Note: This article is auto generated from a Press Release

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Online Travel Portal Yatra.com launches 'Smart Watch Wear' app for Android devices

India's one of leading online travel portal, Yatra.com today announced launch of its 'Smart Watch Wear' app, a first for the Indian travel industry. The app will give users access to the booking flow of flights, hotels, trains, buses, homestays, activities and cabs. The on the go app will also let users to browse ongoing offers on Yatra.

Yatra Wear App

Following a few easy steps, users need to create their profiles and the app will let them view their upcoming trips along with flight details, cab bookings and itinerary. The application is said to be extremely user friendly and will allow travellers to do web check in as well as check real time flight status. Adding to the functionality, it will direct travellers to their hotel/accommodation location via maps.

Commenting on the development, Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C), Yatra.com says, “With the ever evolving landscape of technology, the Android smart watch wear app will be an easy to use solution for all travellers. Catering to the needs of the modern day traveller, the app is built to literally help them wear their travel schedule on their sleeves. We believe that this app will help Yatra in reaching out to a wider and more diversified audience, and are confident that it will be well received by all.”

With the goal to be ‘India ka travel planner’, Yatra.com has been providing a ‘best in class’ customer experience. The smart watch wear app has been exclusively designed to make one’s travel experience seamless.

In another allied development, Yatra is also the first OTA in India to have adopted Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to offer an engaging and faster mobile web experience.

The move showcases Yatra's focus on technology and willingness to invest in the future. However, it will be interesting to see how many users does the app find for itself as the platform's own AI , Google Now offers similar features, however its only when you have already made a booking. But when you start planning your vacation and you are using Android wear it will be of much more use.

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With launch of Note 4 and Hot Pro 4, Infinix becomes the youngest brand in Indian smartphone market

How many times you have thought that the smartphone market is saturated now and how many times your belief is shattered with the entry of yet another vendor in market. Today is one such day, when you thought there are plenty of smartphone companies in market and no space left for any new brand, just then Transsion Holdings thinks otherwise and launches its smartphone brand Infinix in fully glory with launch of two budget smartphones.

(L-R): Benjamin Jiang, Global Head – Infinix; Anish Kapoor, CEO Infinix India; Ajay Veer Yadav, VP -  Smartphones, Flipkart and Marco Ma Chief, MD, Transsion India at the launch of Infinix mobiles in India.

Infinix begins its journey in India by introducing Note 4 and Hot 4 Pro from its global range of smartphones priced at INR 8,999/- and INR 7,499/- respectively to be available exclusively on Flipkart, India’s largest online retailer. To boost the consumer confidence Infinix is supported by an extensive service network of over 850 plus touch points across the country. All the launch products come with a free one-time screen replacement within the first 100 days of purchase (T&C apply).

 

“India is an extremely significant market for us” said Benjamin Jiang, Global Head Infinix. “The Indian smartphone industry is ever changing. It is interesting to note how millennials understand technology and become the conduit for driving online adoption. Our vision for Indian market is to become a preferred choice for young consumers by designing products that complement their lifestyle and make technology innovation affordable. We aim to expand our product portfolio by launching “Made for India” products soon” he further added.

 

Mr. Anish Kapoor, CEO Infinix India while speaking about India plans said, “Being a new player in the Indian competitive online smartphone market, consumer and product is at the centre of our “Go Beyond” philosophy. Our dedicated R&D team has evaluated the digital consumer needs and introduced unique features such as a big battery with Xcharge technology, big screens with stunning display and smartphones beyond ordinary colours that will enhance the young consumer’s smart lifestyle. Our partnership with Flipkart will be instrumental in making Infinix range of smartphones available pan India. We are targeting an online market share of 8-10% by 2018.”

 

To celebrate the launch of Infinix on Flipkart, Mr. Ajay Veer Yadav, VP Smartphones, Flipkart said, "Flipkart has a wide array of budget friendly smartphones that are not only easy on the pocket but are also equipped with best in class technology. A significant chunk of our large and growing customer base opt for affordable smartphones that are characterized by a sleek design, powerful battery life and high performance. Our exclusive association with Infinix checks all these boxes as we look forward to expanding shoppers’ choice of phones in this segment. We are determined to bring customers more innovation, superlative choices and a richer experience to constantly keep them excited and maintain our market leadership in this segment”. 

Flipkart is also providing a host of launch offers on purchase of Note 4 and Hot 4 Pro buyers (T&C apply). Consumers will get a free 2 months’ subscription for Hotstar Premium, up to Rs. 8,500 off on Exchange for Note 4 and Rs. 7,000 off on Hot 4 Pro. There is an extra 15% off on Flipkart Fashion and Lifestyle category on August 5th - 6th only.  In addition, consumer can also avail 84 GB data for 84 days at just Rs.443 from IDEA Cellular with the purchase of Infinix smartphones.

 

Note 4

In terms of specifications, Infinix Note 4 gets a 5.7-inch Full HD IPS Display with 500nits to provide unbelievably clear and colourful screen. The 2.5D curved glass on the front and metal print back body creates a sleek exterior and great style. It comes with latest Android Nougat operating system and further has a customized XOS UI layer for enhanced user experience. It has 32GB of internal storage and is powered by an Octa-Core processor with 3GB RAM for superior performance. It supports a big battery of 4300mAh with a 18W unique Xcharge technology which charges 75% of battery in just 60 minutes. The 13MP Rear camera comes with ‘Pro’ mode that enables users to adjust the manual settings as per their requirement. The 8MP front facing camera with large 1.14 µm pixel size comes with customizable LED flash to deliver optimum light while clicking selfies.

 

Note 4 priced at INR 8,999 will be available in exciting colours of Ice Blue, Champagne Gold and Milan Black.

 

Hot 4 Pro

Hot 4 Pro provides a delightful viewing experience with a vivid 5.5” HD IPS screen. The powerful 4000mAh battery extends beyond two days providing uninterrupted usage and the smartphone is packed with 3GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Music enthusiast are set to be captivated by dual speakers powered by Dirac Stereo Widening™ technology which produces more immersive, clearer, louder sound with powerful bass. The 80db+ Ultra loud receiver and Noise Reduction Technology in the smartphone allows users to listen conveniently even in the noisiest of surroundings. The 13MP rear camera comes handy to capture quality images while the 5MP front facing camera is supported by a soft light flash to avoid washed out selfies.

 

Hot4 Pro priced at INR 7,499 will be available in exciting colours of Bordeaux Red and Quartz Black, Magic Gold.

 

All Infinix range of smartphone supports 4G LTE bands with VoLTE support for HD calls and faster call connection. It also comes with 2-SIM card slots and one dedicated expandable slot, which can support upto 128GB of memory card. The stylish smartphones have a fast fingerprint sensor for secure phone unlocking and can also can be used for taking pictures, accepting calls and browsing pictures with ease.

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Idea raises concerns on JIO Phone over net neutrality, planning to launch its own cheap feature phone

Its over a week since the telecom giant JIO has announced its ambitious 4G feature phone the 'JIO phone'. The phone looks pretty good for the masses when looked at the bundle of offerings one gets with it. The customers get free voice calls to any network, a TV cable developed in house which will allow users to connect with normal television sets to watch the content on large screen and not to mention preloaded JIO apps to watch content, get news and do more on their affordable feature handset. And no this is not a dream shown by a con company like Ringing Bells. 

JIO Phone

One might think what could be wrong with someone being generous to help push the Digital India dream to next set of users which are forgotten even by the government, however competitors pay close attention to your moves in a game play. Its like the government and opposition where both groups work on their own agenda while also playing the role of watchdog to bring wrong doings of each other. In similar circumstances Idea is the first one to find and raise the anomalies behind the scheme.

The issue raised by Idea is very genuine and serious. The JIO phone booking starts from 24th August and offers the customers its own apps and may be some other apps with which company might tie up, but also deprive the users to have basic apps which are prevalent in market and force their own version of apps instead. The story is very similar to that of Facebook's internet.org. Facebook's mission to provide selective internet for free to users which had caused a massive outrage against the company and led TRAI to set out norms for the same.

Idea on other hand is planning on something slightly expensive offering but it will allow users the choice of operator, apps, browser etc. Its not only Idea that has raised the flag over JIO phone , Deutsche Bank and Kotak bank also expressed their concerns saying that the offering might well be breaching net neutrality principles.

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Top 10 reasons the ZenFone AR is the next big thing

The ASUS ZenFone AR is built from the ground up for augmented reality. There’s a lot to love about this cutting-edge smartphone, but let’s run down the biggest reasons why you should consider picking one up.

1. Tango Technology - Augmented Reality

Tango AR

Tango is the augmented reality system by Google which marries depth-sensing and motion-tracking camera technology. With the right apps, virtual objects can inhabit the space around you in fun, informative, and creative ways. For example, you could size up furniture for your living room, or chase monsters through your kitchen. It’s a brand new world of possibilities with augmented reality and Tango.

2. Daydream Technology - Virtual Reality

VR with Daydream view support

The ZenFone AR is the first Android phone to include both Tango and Daydream support in the same device. With the Daydream View headset, you can enjoy your own personal cinema filling your whole field of view, or dive into immersive games with the help of the included controller. The growing library of Daydream apps means you’ll always have new experiences right around the corner.

3. Next-generation camera

While the TriCam system combines every technology required for fluid virtual reality and augmented reality, the primary 23 megapixel camera can take some incredible shots. It has a large f/2.0 aperture, perfect for shooting in low-light. It can capture video in razor-sharp 4K, complete with optical and electronic image stabilization.

4.       Lightning-fast autofocus

ASUS has been carefully refining its autofocus system over the course of several generations. TriTech consists of three mechanisms working seamlessly with one another. First, there’s traditional object-tracking focus. Then, there’s laser autofocus, which can detect the distance of subjects out to 1.5 meters, even in low light. Finally, phase detection autofocus is specialized at capturing subjects in motion. All of that comes together for a lock in under 0.03 seconds.

5.       Incredible processing power

Thanks to the custom-tailored Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, the ZenFone AR is able to construct vibrant 3D worlds on the fly. This requires not only an impressive amount of sheer processing power power, but energy efficiency, too. We are working with a smartphone, after all, which needs to be able to carry on with usual functions the rest of the day.

 6.       Mind-blowing sound

The finely tuned SonicMaster 3.0 engine produces premium audio in any circumstance. A new 5-magnet speaker design can churn out music louder than ever without distorting or damaging the hardware. Advanced signal processing by way of the NXP Smart AMP can handle audio at up to four times CD quality. Whether you’re in VR, or just relaxing with some tunes, the ZenFone AR will not disappoint.

7.       A beautiful display

When using the ZenFone AR with the Daydream View headset, the screen will be quite close to your eyes. ASUS has made this display exceptionally sharp to maximize immersion. At 5.7 inches, your full field of view will be taken over. The Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 WQHD screen will produce details at the sharpest definition and with the deepest colors.

8.       Premium construction

The ZenFone AR pushes boundaries, and it feels built for the task. With a burnished leather rear and precision-milled metal frame, you’ll enjoy a true feeling of luxury every time you take the ZenFone AR out of your pocket. During day-to-day use, the Gorilla Glass 4 cover will amply protect the screen. Overall, the fine craftsmanship at play will ensure this phone ages gracefully.

9.       Biggest RAM ever in a smartphone

The ZenFone AR manages to pack in 8 GB of RAM. You can read more about how RAM works and why it’s important here, but the bottom line is that having 8 GB of it in the ZenFone AR ensures it will be able to handle intensive processing tasks of any kind, not just those that have to do with augmented reality and virtual reality.

10.   Cutting edge uses of AR technology

Last but not the least, the augmented reality or AR goes beyond VR in some key respects, enabling users to integrate real and virtual scenes — in effect, allowing you to try on products before you buy. Imagine buying furniture that you often have trouble visualizing in your home. Asian augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) startup iStaging lets you arrange furniture and appliances in your living space. By integrating the product images in your designated space, thus giving you a concrete visualization of potential purchases.

Bridging the gap between the virtual and physical worlds, augmented reality (AR) app enables students and teachers to visualize 3D models in the real environment, in real time, and at scale desired. AR Solar System, inspiring young kids to understanding the enormity and complexity of their universe. Anatomy 4D helps to discover a world of knowledge about your own amazing hardware. Zenfone AR opens up to plethora of opportunities for everyone irrespective of age.

The ZenFone AR is an absolute feat of engineering. Dig into more details on the ZenFone AR product page.

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ICC Women’s World Cup Final Creates a New Record on Hotstar

India's leading video on demand platform, Hotstar today announced record viewership for the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 final match played between host England and India. For some it may be surprising to hear this news but for me it is something which was expected and I have my reasons for that. Let me take you 12 years back  to 2005 when India was in Finals, Mithali Raj led the team and lost to Australia in the pen ultimate match. Next day we woke up to the news, not covered with great depth but many of  us came to know that India is represented in Women Cricket as well and not only that we have reached till finals. May be that was the only peak point of popularity at that stage. But 2017 is different, its different in many ways, the advertisements are  at the par of the men tournaments, the internet penetration is way too high and the accessibility is again one another factor. Thanks to apps like Hotstar which have made it possible to seamlessly stream live matches on the go.

Indian Women Cricket Team posing for cameras

From the very first match when India beat England by 35 runs, it was part of the discussion even though the Indian fans were just coming out the shocker of Champions Trophy defeat in Finals. The players were now being called by name, they were no longer discussed as statistics. Smriti Mandhana became national crush and Harmanpreet Kaur's 171 run made her a household name. Mithali Raj became the highest ODI scorer in women's cricket. India defeated the defending champions Australia in Semi-Finals. All this was not going to go un-noticed. 

The match peaked in the contentious 48^th over with India needing 11 runs to win off 12 balls, recording a peak concurrency of 1.9 million simultaneous viewers. This was higher than the average concurrency of many of the marquee men’s cricket tournaments on Hotstar in the last year, a feat in its own right and an inflection point in women’s sports. While Vivo IPL 2017 saw a predictable list of state-wise tune-ins, consistent with team loyalties, the Women’s World Cup saw a surprise entrant in UP, which along with Maharashtra, contributed to 25% of total viewership.

This is just the beginning, the sports has already garnered much support and recognition from local audience with this tournament we believe and wish there is more to this success story.

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Honor Band 3 Fitness Tracker with Heart Rate Sensor launched for Rs 2799, exclusively available on Amazon from today.

Huawei's digital brand Honor has announced launch of Honor Band 3 with continuous Heart Rate sensor, Water resistance of upto 50 meters, Smart Notifications, Advance Sleep tracking and a battery life claimed to be of 30 days. The band is priced very competitively at INR 2799 and will be exclusively available on Amazon India.

Honor Band 3

The minimalist design of Honor Band 3 curves to fit the wrist and follows a smooth pattern with sharp chamfered edges. The band is a first in its category to provide water resistance up to 50 meters and has customer swimming modes to track swim time, calories burned and more. Weighing just 18 grams, Honor Band 3 comes with optical heart rate monitoring technology that lets you check your statistics anytime with a twist of your wrist. For heart rate tracking, the band has five zones to help you precisely track and optimize your workouts – warm-up, fat burning, aerobic, anaerobic and extreme. The next generation heart rate algorithm coupled with M4 core technology is optimized for 10 different fitness scenarios and delivers a more accurate heart rate data.

“Focused on innovation and customer-centricity, Honor is committed to introducing meaningful products. Wearable technology is changing the world really fast as they provide us with vital information that can help us live better. The new Honor Band 3 is equipped with smart technology to help people use intelligent trackers to keep a close watch on their fitness statistics.” said Mr. P. Sanjeev, Vice President – Sales (Huawei & Honor Consumer Business).

Price and Availability

The Honor Band 3 is another Amazon excusive and will be available from July 20th in three funky colors- Dynamic Orange, Classic Navy Blue, and Carbon Black priced at INR 2,799. Honor will launch the most sort after Carbon Black color first and introduce the other two  colors in during the week of Raksha Bandhan & Independence Day celebrations.  The Band 3 will come with 12 month service warranty and backed by Honor’s best-in-class after sale facilities which no doubt will offer additional peace of mind to consumers. 

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Hotstar brings premiere of 'Game of Thrones' minutes after US telecast, sets right tone for campaign "Torrent Morghulis"

Winter has finally arrived for GOT fans on Sunday night when the premiere episode of pen-ultimate season was aired originally on HBO in US. For those who have somehow missed the GOT train, GOT stands for 'Game of Thrones' a series which is arguably most watched, downloaded, admired series of all time. We just can't stop admiring G R R Martin's brilliance in spinning up a world with 7 kingdoms, a new language known as High Valyrian. When we say that the show is most viewed in the world it also means that it is also one of the most pirated series which worries its creators a lot.

Hotstar, India’s leading video-on-demand platform, and the exclusive online destination for award-winning HBO content in India, launched the highly anticipated premiere of Game of Thrones Season 7 on Monday, 17 July. The first episode of the new season was available for audiences to view within minutes of its US telecast, under the Hotstar Premium service.

In response to the burgeoning audience for international content in India, Hotstar has partnered with the world’s largest studios, like HBO, Disney and Showtime, to bring the most celebrated international movies and shows to India.

Taking a humorous lens to this, Hotstar has launched a bold marketing campaign, intended to upend the behavior of illegal downloading. Titled ‘Torrents Morghulis’, a play on ‘Valar Morghulis’, as fans of the show will instantly recognize, the theme translates to ‘All Torrents Must Die’. The campaign lightheartedly highlights the trouble people put themselves through for finding and downloading illegal content, and how redundant these pains are in the current day and age where shows are readily available, at the user’s fingertips.

Leading with the promise of ‘Minutes after America, hours before Russia’, the campaign takes Torrents head on with 4 TV commercials, an outdoor campaign in key cities, and high impact digital activation. The films features two characters, one, who still labours through the process of procuring his content illegally, and another, who’s got a Hotstar Premium subscription and is able to enjoy the Game of Thrones experience the way it is meant to be – available to watch with the world, ad-free, unbeeped and unblurred.

Based on George R.R. Martin's best-selling 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, Game of Thrones has run for six extremely acclaimed seasons and holds the record for the highest Emmy wins for any Primetime TV show. Watch Game of ThronesSeason 7 immediately after the US telecast, Monday 17^th July onwards, on Hotstar - http://www.hotstar.com/tv/game-of-thrones/8184

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