TECH DESK

State-run telecom firm MTNL said it has increased 3G mobile internet data limit by up to three times in the same price for its pre-paid customers.The company announced that customers buying its Rs 99 data coupons will get 1.5 GB data with a validity of 30 days against 500 MB earlier. Similarly Rs 19 coupon will now provide triple data at 750 MB. The scheme has been in effect from August 7, the company said.

Redmi Note 5A is the latest model that has come under Xiaomi’s popular Redmi series, and it’s an affordable device shipping with a 16-megapixel front camera with a selfie flash. The latest budget smartphone was launched at an event held in Beijing and marks Xiaomi’s continued push to strengthen its position in the budget market against the likes of Oppo and Vivo.

Gionee X1 has been launched in India, featuring an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. Gionee X1 is priced at Rs 8,999, and it can be purchased through offline retailers. The mid-end smartphone will be available in Black and Gold colour options.

A few months after it released, OnePlus 5 is now available in a new Slate Gray colour option in India. Space Grey will join the already available Midnight Black and Soft Gold finishes. The Slate Gray color variant of the OnePlus 5 is priced at Rs 37,999, and users can grab the phone from Amazon India during OnePlus Super Seller Week on the e-commerce site from August 21 to August 25. Alternatively, you can purchase the smartphone with a new finish from oneplusstore.in.

Xiaomi is getting ready to launch its new smartphone, the Redmi Note 5A, in China later today. The event will take place at 7:30 pm (local time), which is around 5:00 pm IST. Now that the company has scheduled an event in Beijing for later today, here’s everything you need to know about the smartphone. 

A total solar eclipse will take place today, August 2017, over all of North America. The solar eclipse will start around 1 p.m EDT (which is around 10.30 pm IST), and US Space agency NASA will have a live video stream from locations across the United States.

A new report coming from an Indonesian website Kripitech claims that Xiaomi and Google are working closely to bring an Android One smartphone to the market. If true, that means the smartphone will run software based on pure Android.

Google is going to release the next version of Android, currently known as Android O, on August 21. The release date of Android O will coincide with the total solar eclipse. Here’s everything you need to know about Android O. 

Xiaomi is gearing up to launch Redmi Note 5A in Beijing, China on August 21. The event will take place at 7.30 pm Beijing time, which is around 5.00 pm in India. The Redmi Note 5A has been leaked online quite a few times now, including the retail box of the smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is supposed to officially launch on August 23, but it looks like the company just gave a detailed peek at the actual device. The Galaxy Note 8 was listed on the Samsung online store for US.

Google Android O name will be revealed on August 21 after the Solar Eclipse in the US. Google will have a livestream from New York, which will start at 2.40 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) which is around 12.10 AM for India.

Garmin India has just launched its latest multi-sport GPS smartwatches and fitness trackers. Here is a low-down on these products, the Fenix 5, Forerunner 935, Vivofit Jr and Vivosmart 3.

Micromax Evok Dual Note has been launched in India, featuring a dual-camera setup and Android Nougat. Evok Dual Note is priced at Rs 9,999, and will be made available for sale via Flipkart starting August 22. People looking for a big screen smartphone with dual rear cameras will appreciate the Micromax Evok Dual Note.

Just a day after the launch of the Nokia 8 in London, HMD Global plans to launch a high-end smartphone with a bigger screen. During the launch, the company representatives may have hinted at the possible launch of the Nokia 9, which according to many will feature a 5.7-inch QHD display and an aspect ratio of 18:9.

Swipe Technologies has launched a new smartphone, the Elite 4G, in India. The company claims its Swipe Elite 4G is “India’s most affordable 5-inch 4G smartphone with Gorilla Glass” on it. Swipe Elite 4G sells for Rs 3,999, and it is exclusive to Flipkart. If you’re in the market for a basic smartphone and don’t want to break the bank, this might be the one for you.

Google has announced a new Q&A section in Google Maps from Android and mobile web search. Users can ask or answer a question – or read the existing questions and answers about a place – by simply searching for the location on Google Maps or mobile Search.

Huawei has issued press invites for the launch of its next-generation flagship smartphone, likely to be the Mate 10. The invite doesn’t reveal much, it only shows etched “10” with the words “Meet the device worth waiting for”. The event is scheduled for October 16 in Munich, Germany.

Asus has unveiled six new smartphones in its Zenfone 4 series – ZenFone 4 Pro, ZenFone 4, ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro and ZenFone 4 Selfie – in Taiwan. The devices were unveiled at the We Love Photo event in Taipei. Asus ZenFone 4 Pro features a combination of  12 MP + 16 MP lens at the back.

Asus has launched the ZenFone Zoom S, the company’s latest smartphone with a dual-camera setup. ZenFone Zoom S is claimed to be the world’s slimmest and lightest 5.5-inch smartphone with a 5,000mAh battery. Asus ZenFone Zoom S is priced at Rs 26,999, and it will be made available exclusively on Flipkart.

Nokia 8 sports a metal unibody design, and there’s muted antenna bands on top. It comes in four colour options – polished blue and copper with a glossy finish as well as tempered blue and steel with a matte finish. Here’s a look at the full specifications and features of Nokia 8

Asus has launched the world’s thinnest gaming laptop, the ROG Zephyrus, in India. The Zephyrus has a slim, beautiful design with powerful hardware under the hood. Even though the laptop weighs under 3kgs, the ROG Zephyrus is powered by an Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake processor and Windows 10. Asus ROG Zephyrus is priced at Rs 2,99,999 in India.

Nokia 8 has been the subject of rumours and leaks, and it’s already being hailed as the ultimate Android smartphone to hit the market this year. That’s said , here’s everything we know about the Nokia 8, HMD Global’s first ever flagship smartphone of the year. 

Vodafone India has announced the launch of Vodafone 348 Prepaid Recharge Offer for its prepaid users in Rajasthan. Vodafone 348 Prepaid Recharge Offer gives 1GB data per day along with unlimited voice calls (local and national) for 28 days.

Lenovo-owned Motorola is known for launching smartphones with shatterproof displays. Now the company plans to launch the phone with a new self-healing screen technology, which could fix scratches on the device’s display. A patent first spotted by SlashGear shows that Motorola has designed a self-healing technology, which would detect a crack in the display and notify the user.

Google has announced that its Allo app will now work on the desktop. Unfortunately, it’s only available on Android and Chrome but Google promises iOS support is coming soon. Here’s how to use Google Allo on the web.

About 28 million smartphones were shipped to India in Q2 and the industry registered 3.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth, according to International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report. Samsung was followed by Xiaomi, which retained its number two position.

Facebook is updating the comment style to make it easier for users to identify which comments are direct replies to friends. Up next, Facebook will revamp the News Feed to make give it a new look and feel. Facebook users will now be able to see where a link will take them before clicking on it.

Google Pixel 2 will have Edge Sensors like we saw in HTC U11, expect that they’ll most likely be called ‘Active Edge’ in the next-generation Google device. Google Pixel 2, listed with product ID NM8G011A, is pegged to run the latest Android 8.0.1 O software.

If the buzz surrounding Huawei’s highly anticipated Mate 10 are true, then the latest leak could provide users with the first look of smartphone’s design. Purported images of the Mate 10 have recently surfaced on China’s social media platform Weibo that boasts of a bezel-less display, a uni-body metal-clad design, and a dual-camera setup. 

Samsung is believed to be hard at work on its next-generation wearable device, dubbed the Gear Fit2 Pro. While some reports have said the Gear Fit2 Pro will be a slightly more polished version of the Gear Fit2, other scattered reports suggest the wearable will be an all-new device. Ahead of the August 23 launch,  reputable leakster Evan Blass via VentureBeat has revealed even more details about the upcoming wearable.

Andy Rubin’s Essential is now valued at over a billion dollars without even shipping a single unit of the bezel-less smartphone. The news comes from Tim Culpan, a columnist with Bloomberg. According to Culpan, Foxconn’s FIH Mobile has invested a $3 million investment in Essential.

CNN (Cable News Network) is set to livestream total solar eclipse in 4K, 360-degree from multiple locations in the US on August 21. The American news channel has put in place cameras along the path of the eclipse from Oregon to South Carolina.

Google is paying Apple an estimated $3 billion to remain as the default search engine on the iPhone and iPad. The information has been revealed by Bernstein, US-based research and brokerage firm. Based on that rough estimate, Google may account for 5 per cent of Apple’s total operating profits this year.

Samsung has started teasing its next major smartphone, the Galaxy Note 8, ahead of the August 23 event. In the latest video, Samsung teases how the Galaxy Note 8 is going to “do bigger things”, hinting at the huge display the Note series is known for years. The teaser is accompanied with a #DoWhatYouCant hashtag, though the meaning behind the tagline is unknown at the moment.

Reliance Jio is offering a cash back of Rs 76 on a recharge of Rs 300 or above with Paytm. It is unclear whether the offer is available for select customers or whether it varies from number to number. The Rs 76 cash back will be credited to your Paytm account within 24 hours.

Google Earth’s Voyager will showcase Dandi March story on India’s 71st Independence Day. Voyager attempts to make the journey interesting by recounting what happened at specific locations with the help of a photograph taken at the time.