TECH DESK

Lava has made its entry into the notebook segment with the launch of the Helium 14. The domestic handset maker has collaborated with Microsoft  and Intel to launch its fist laptop, which it plans to sell for Rs 14,999. The budget  laptop has already been made available exclusively on Flipkart.

Microsoft Stream, which is now available commercially, is an “enterprise video service that enhances collaboration and productivity for business users across an organisation”. The service will be free to use for companies already using the Office 360 service.

Ola has replaced icons depicting its fleet of vehicles with characters from the movie Transformers. In Ola app, Ola Micro now appears as Bumblebee, while Stinger has taken over the Ola Mini icon. The new icons are available for Ola app on Android and iOS platforms.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Matte Black colour variant has been launched in Hong Kong. Mi Max 2 was originally unveiled in Gold colour option. Rest of the specifications of the new Matte Black version are the same as the Gold colour variant. It costs 1,899 HKD (Rs 15,000 approx) in Hong Kong.

Amazon Prime Day for India has been announced, which is a first from the company. Amazon Prime Day is an yearly event, which is now available in 13 countries and as the name suggests offers deals for Amazon Prime members on the website.

Xiaomi smartphone users can now get up to 30 GB of 4G data extra on the Reliance Jio network with every recharge of Rs 309 or higher. Reliance Jio’s extra data offer applies to the complete list of Xiaomi’s smartphones, across Redmi and Mi branded devices.

A new charging sound file has been spotted in iOS 11, leading to speculations that it will be implemented when iPhone 8 launches with wireless charging technology. Wireless charging technology is one of the most anticipated features for iPhone 8.

Petya cyber attack is not a ransomware, but a wiper, which leaves no scope for recovery of the data that gets encrypted. Now, according to a report in The Daily Beast, the original creator of the Petya code has resurfaced online, and is trying to crack the code.

Asus’ ZenFone 4 lineup won’t be visible until the second half of the year. The information has been shared by well-known leakster Roland Quandt on Twitter. Asus has already started to send press invites for the event scheduled to take place on September 21 in Rome.

Moto E4 gets a 5-inch HD display with a resolution of 720 x 1080 pixels. The smartphone runs Android 7.1 Nougat out-of-the-box. Moto E4 is powered by a Quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. The rear camera is 8MP auto-focus, while the front camera is 5MP. 

Petya ransomware cyber attack: In a new blogpost Symantec has put out data looking at the countries that are worst affected by this cyber attack. While Ukraine has had the maximum impact globally, India is the worst hit in Asia, according to the security firm.

Vodafone Red users on Rs 1,299/Rs 1,699 for two months will get Netflix subscription worth Rs 1,000. Those opting for RED 1999 plan for three months will get Netflix subscription worth Rs 1,5000. Users on RED 2,999 for 12 months will get Netflix subscription worth Rs 6,000.

Moto Z2 is said to feature a 5.5-inch QHD display with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. The smartphone will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat. As for camera specifications, there will be a 12MP shooter on the back with autofocus, face detection, and flash.

Petya cyber attack that swept globally, and has infected enterprise networks across Europe is actually much worse than initially thought. Security researchers have now come to the conclusion that the Petya attack is not a ransomware, but a wiper instead.

Vivo showed its new biometric solution which allows users to unlock the phone without having a physical fingerprint sensor. The announcement was made during the Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2017. For now, Vivo’s Under Display is a mere concept. It could appear in the company’s future devices but there are no commercial plans at the moment. 

Facebook has crossed two billion monthly active users globally, and the company is celebrating the feat by sharing personalised videos with its users. Each user gets a video of its own, and they can share it on their timeline as well. These videos can be edited as well.

BSNL has unveiled a new plan called ‘BSNL Sixer’ or  ‘666’, which gives users unlimited voice with 2 GB data per day to prepaid users. It offers unlimited voice call to any network and data for a period of 60 days. Post exhaustion of ‘666’ plan, prepaid users can choose to go for company’s other plans.

Xiaomi has announced the launch of three new products – Mi laser projector, Ninebot Plus, and Mi Ultrasonic toothbrush – in its Mi Ecosystem in China. Xiaomi claims that the Mi Ecosystem IoT platform has crossed 60 million connected devices in nearly three years.

Google News for desktop has been redesigned with a new user interface (UI), story cards, dedicated fact Check block, and more. According to a Google blog post, the update makes news more accessible, easier to navigate, and gives more control to users.

Petya ransomware has affected many computers, networks of some global firms in what is being seen as a massive cyberattack. The Petya cyberattack comes soon after the WannaCry ransomware attack, which had impacted over 300,000 computers worldwide, including those in India.

WhatsApp for Android beta has added support for two new features which includes a redesigned call screen, and media sharing. Users who are a part of WhatsApp’s official Play Store beta program are likely to receive the update sooner that everyone else.

The iPhone 8 may be limited at launch when it goes on sale in September, according to a new report.Citing sources close to the matter, Digitimes’ report says Apple will only able to ship 3-4 million units of the iPhone 8. This means a few consumers will be able to buy the iPhone 8.

Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 buyers can get some special Vodafone data offers when they purchase the smartphones. Vodafone will give users 5GB data on 4G or 3G networks on recharges, while postpaid users can get up to 10GB data for Nokia 6 smartphone.

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 450 mobile platform during the Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2017. The processor, which is aimed at budget phones, promises to deliver significant improvements across the board over its predecessor 435 chipset.

InFocus Turbo 5 features a 5.2-inch HD display with a resolution of 720 x 1080 pixels with 2.5D curved glass design. The dual SIM smartphone will run Android 7.0 Nougat. It will be powered by 1.25 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor with Mali T720 GPU.

Vivo X9s Plus may come with a dual front-facing camera setup with one 20-megapixel sensor and one 5-megapixel sensor, as per the TENAA listing. It is expected to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with company’s own FunTouch UI on top, according to leaked reports

HMD Global, the Finnish start-up which has the rights to manufacture and market the Nokia-branded smartphones, will be selling its Nokia 6 in the US in early July. Fans have been anticipating the release of the Nokia 6 , and now the company is finally bringing the smartphone to the US market. Nokia 6, when goes on sale in July, will cost $229 (or approx Rs 14,579). 

‘Jio-Gionee Additional Data’ offer only applies to eligible Gionee devices purchased in India on or after June 16, 2017. These Gionee device users are entitled to get additional 4G data from Jio for a maximum of 6 recharges on Rs 309 or above, performed on or before March 31, 2018.

The European Union’s Anti-trust Commission has just fined Google a record fine of €2.42 billion over anti-trust practices and accusations that the search giant abused its dominant position in the market for giving its shopping service an advantage over other results.

Lenovo announced Android 7.0 Nougat update for its popular Lenovo K6 Power and K6 Note smartphones in India. Both phones were launched last year with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The Android Nougat update brings several new features to the phones.

Samsung will launch the refurbished edition of the Galaxy Note 7 next month, according to Yonhap news agency. The refurbished Galaxy Note 7, named Galaxy Note FE (Fan Edition), will go on sale on July 7 for 700,000 won (or approx Rs 39,661).

OnePlus during a Reddit AMA on Monday confirmed that “OP3/3T will receive Android O within this year.” As of now, Android O is still in its beta stage. Google is likely to ship stable OTA in August and reportedly to Pixel smartphones first.

Xiaomi’s Redmi 4 smartphone has sold over 1 million units in the last thirty days making it more successful than the company’s previous hit, the Redmi Note 4. Xiaomi’s India Managing Director and Vice President Manu Kumar Jain tweeted this out from his official handle.

Nintendo has announced a miniature version of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The Super NES Classic edition comes with 21 built-in games and two controllers. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Super NES Classic Edition will be priced at $79.99 (or approx Rs. 5155) when it goes on sale on September 29.

Google has shut down its messaging service Google Talk (commonly referred to as Gchat) and replaced with Hangouts. For long, Google has been encouraging users to replace Google Talk with Hangouts. Now, Google Talk (or Gchat)  is officially dead. 

Facebook has rolled out animated reactions, filters, mask, and effects for video chats in Messenger. Animated effects include falling hearts and twinkling stars. The social media giant has also introduced the ability to take screenshots during one-on-one as well as group video chats.