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Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro with a micro HDMI port, Snapdragon 870 goes official

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Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro with a micro HDMI port, Snapdragon 870 goes official

Lenovo has launched the Yoga Pad Pro 13 in China. This Android tablet from Lenovo comes with a bunch of exciting features like kickstand-cum-handle, flagship-level chipset, stellar display, and the ability to use it as an external monitor. In this post, we will be discussing each of these features in detail along with the expected price of the Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro 13 in Nepal. 

Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro 13 Overview:

Design and Display 

Let us start with the display. The 13-inch LTPS panel on the Yoga Pad Pro has a 2160 x 1350 resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Also, the screen covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut and it can get as bright as 400 nits. That’s not all. It even supports multiple HDR formats such as HDR10 and Dolby Vision. This screen is also TÜV Rheinland certified for low blue light emission. 

Lenovo Yoga Pad 13 Display 2K 100% sRGB HDR10

You can even buy a “Xiaoxin” stylus separately to go with the tablet. It has 4,096 different pressure levels.  

The tablet has an Alcantara exterior which is common in sports cars. The handle or the kickstand is made from CNC-machined stainless steel. It can rotate 180-degree and weighs around 830 grams. 

Lenovo Yoga Pad 13 Exterior Alcantara Skin 180 CNC machined Hinge

Performance and Software 

Lenovo has not compromised in the performance department either. Yoga Pad Pro 13 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 chipset. It is clocked slightly higher than last year’s flagship Snapdragon 865+. The Prime core on the 870 can go as high as 3.2GHz. This has been paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage. Thus, the tablet is capable of all basic tasks and even gaming. 

ZUI 12.5 Android 11 Lenovo Custom UI

Yoga Pad Pro ships with Lenovo’s ZUI 12.5, which is based on Android 11. It comes with a feature that can force landscape modes in apps that do not support it natively. There is also a dedicated computer mode for easy multi-window operation.

Children can benefit from the built-in learning platform. Additionally, parents can monitor their children’s usage from an app too. Similarly, it also supports app projection to an external display through an HDMI connection. 

Rest of the specs 

Fueling the tablet is a 10,200mAh battery that is rated for 12 hours and 8.5 hours of video playback in tablet and display mode, respectively. It has a USB 3.1 Type-C port that supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4 protocol.

There’s also the aforementioned Micro HDMI port for a wired connection that allows you to use the tablet as an external display. For wireless connectivity, the tablet has Wi-Fi 6 (2×2 MIMO) and Bluetooth 5.2. 

The audio setup here consists of four JBL speakers with a 5cc cavity each. Together, they contribute to 9W of output (2x 2.5W + 2x 2W).  

Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro has a ToF sensor on the 8MP front-facing camera for Face Unlock. This hardware implementation is much safer than the software-based Face Unlock that we find on most Android devices. 

Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro 13 Specifications: 

  • Body: 293.35 x 203.98 x 6.2-24.9-mm, 830gm 
  • Display: 13-inches LTPS LCD panel, 400nits, HDR10, Dolby Vision 
  • Resolution: 2K (2160 x 1350 pixels), 16:10 aspect ratio 
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G (7nm mobile platform) 
  • Memory: 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
  • Software & UI: ZUI 12.5 on top of Android 11 
  • Camera: 8MP (with ToF sensor) 
  • Audio: Quad-speakers by JBL (2x 2.5W + 2x 2W), Dolby Atmos 
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (dual-band, 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C 3.1, Micro HDMI
  • Battery: 10,200mAh, Quick Charge 4

Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro 13 Price in Nepal

Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro 13 is now available for pre-order in China, where its price is 3,299 Yuan. It will go on sale starting May 31. We do not know if it will ever launch here. But if it does, we expect the price of Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro 13 in Nepal to be NPR 70,000. 

 

Tablet  Price in China  Price in Nepal (Expected)
Lenovo Yoga Pad Pro 13  3,299 Yuan  NPR 70,000

  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Lenovo Yoga 7i (2021).

Microsoft introduces a way to code using natural language, thanks to AI

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Microsoft introduces a way to code using natural language, thanks to AI

Microsoft is integrating the AI-powered GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) language model with Power Fx – a low-code programming language to simplify PowerApps progress. The tech giant had acquired the sole license of OpenAI’s GPT-3—the underlying technology behind it. GPT-3 is now used in the Power Apps programs from Microsoft to convert natural language into ready-to-use code.

Microsoft Power Apps with AI-powered GPT-3

The new feature can only be used on the Power Fx. This is Microsoft’s open-source, low-code programming language which is based on Excel. The company announced this tech’s capabilities on the first day of the virtual “Build 2021” developer conference.

Almost no coding

I understand the agony of creating an application (web or mobile) and having it fail due to a minor error. For instance, if you skip only a “;”, a program might not run and might throw an error instead. And you may find yourself wandering through the code again and again.

However, using Microsoft Power Apps, one can achieve a rapid application development environment to create bespoke apps as needed. GPT-3 integration with Power Apps would also help you use plain language for a specific output.

For the time being, the focus is on Power Apps formulas. But despite the service’s low-code nature, you’ll need to eventually write a code sooner or later if you want to construct a complex app.

Charles Lamanna, Corporate VP for Microsoft’s low-code application platform says “Using an advanced AI model like this can help our low-code tools become even more widely available to an even bigger audience by truly becoming what we call no-code”.

PowerApps using GPT-3 to translate natural language to usable code

Instead of mastering database queries, Power Fx’s natural-language integration will allow you to create code in natural language. GPT-3 AI algorithms transform natural language queries into usable code.

To search for a product, for example, programmers would need to write queries like “Filter(‘BC Orders’ Left(‘Product Name’,4)=”Kids”)”. But now, they can type “find products where the name starts with ‘kids’”. And GPT-3 will render the code for the same.

To note

While this does make coding easier and more convenient, programmers must still comprehend the logic of the application they are developing. Microsoft says “The features don’t replace the need for a person to understand the code they are implementing but are designed to assist people who are learning the Power Fx programming language”.

To some extent, it is similar to natural language query functions that are available in Excel, Power BI, or Google Sheets. GPT-3, on the other hand, can interpret more complicated queries.

Microsoft Power Apps with GPT-3 Availability

According to the company, these new features will be in public preview in the English language throughout North America by the end of June.

  • Meanwhile, check out our review of Razer Blade Stealth 13.

Upcoming USB-C standard to allow 240W charging, more than double its current limit

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Upcoming USB-C standard to allow 240W charging, more than double its current limit

USB-C is a dominant standard for data and power transfer. It uses a small physical connector and supports various USB standards like USB 4 and USB Power Delivery. And to make it even better, the latest revision of the USB forum has upgraded the maximum power supply of USB-C up to 240W.

USB-C 240W power delivery

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced that it is doubling the amount of power that can be sent over a USB-C cable. The total power these new cables will be able to transfer is up to 240 watts, making it compatible to charge even high-end gaming laptops.

To compare, the previous iteration or the one currently in circulation allows for power transfer of up to 100 watts only, which isn’t sufficient for gaming laptops and other high-end devices like large monitors. But with the update, one can comfortably rely on a Type-C cable for their charging needs.

Everything new

Mi 11X - Ports
Ports

USB-IF has dubbed this latest 240W technology as “Extended Power Range (EPR)”. It will replace the previous top-tier “Standard Power Range”. To take advantage of the new features, you will also require a new range of USB-C chargers and cables.

To recognize the cables that support EPR, they should have a specific icon. The icon will help the user visually check and ensure that it supports up to 240W of power. To be compliant, a cable must support up to 5A current and 50V energy.

Final words

All of this is great news for those of us who have wished for the ability to charge multiple devices with a single charger. Step by step, we are progressing to adopt a unified module. Who knows, maybe by 2030, we’ll be able to use a USB-Type C cable to fuel an electric vehicle as well.

  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Mi 11X (Poco F3).

What is a mini LED display? How does it differ from LCD or OLED?

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What is a mini LED display? How does it differ from LCD or OLED?

Mini LED is at the forefront of this year’s display technologies. And as Apple launched its latest iPad Pro with a Mini LED display, most people are still unaware of what it actually is. So, let us try to understand what exactly it is.

Mini-LED Overview:

Simply put, it’s a more efficient, and more effective way of backlighting an LCD screen. This means it relates more to backlighting technology rather than a display’s pixels. There are tens of thousands of miniature LED backlights behind the LCD panel to offer superior local dimming characteristics.

These small LED diodes are also responsible to make images look brighter and natural. Here, the diode which is no bigger than 0.2mm is considered a mini LED.

How mini-LED differs from LCD or OLED?

To clarify its difference, let’s first define LCDs and OLEDs:

LCD

LCD primarily uses a single backlight that throws the light on the screen. Furthermore, the panel uses a thin film called the LCD matrix to handle the contrast. The matrix selectively blocks certain parts of the backlight to produce contrast on the individual pixels.

Due to a single backlight, the pixels that require white color and the pixels that require black color end up getting the same amount of light which prevents dark pixel from showing the true pitch-black color. This is called backlight bleeding.

OLED

On the contrary, OLED displays have per-pixel lighting, which means each pixel has control of its lighting and regulates itself as required. This allows the screen to have granular control over which pixels get to be darker and which one gets to be lighter. For instance, for completely dark content, the parallel pixel stays completely turned off. This gives it that punchy black goodness.

So, how do they differ?

Now consider that the single backlight in the LCD panel is divided into different parts (or zones in technical terms). The technology where the backlight is divided into multiple zones is known as “local dimming” and is a common feature in premium LCD.

Furthermore, thanks to technological innovations, LED diodes used in the LCD backlight have shrunk in size. This mini size allows the backlight to be split into a higher proportion of local dimming zones.

While a standard LCD monitor with local dimming can have dozens or hundreds of backlight zones to increase contrast, a mini-LED display can have tens of thousands of them. This ensures that pictures are bolder in color, deeper in black levels, and brighter in terms of HDR content.

mini LED vs LCD

In other words, mini-LED displays mimic the emissive nature of OLED but are implemented in LCD panels. It’s a kind of mixed strategy. Note that, these miniature LED panels won’t be as good as OLED ones but are ultimately better than the regular LCD screens.

Conclusion

Overall, mini-LED aims to offer the best of both worlds as it tries to offer the contrast of OLED panels while being relatively cheaper. Add to that the ease of manufacturing mini-LED panels, they can be used to construct small displays including those used on notebooks, tablets, and smartphones.

  • Meanwhile, check out our review of Razer Blade Stealth 13.

Cryptomining limiters for GPUs are here—but can they really stop miners?

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Cryptomining limiters for GPUs are here—but can they really stop miners?

A while back, NVIDIA introduced a cryptomining limiter to its RTX 3060 GPU to discourage miners from purchasing it. The company has now expanded the restriction across other GeForce cards. These GeForce graphics cards with cryptomining limiters will have “LHR” (Lite Hash Rate) branding to differentiate them from the releases before them. But have you wondered how these limiters work and if they can really solve the problem of GPU shortage?

GPU market of today 

RTX 30-series graphics cards were initially launched in September of last year. However, these cards have not been readily available in the market. The problem is not limited to NVIDIA. AMD’s Radeon RX 600-series has suffered the same fate.

While the ongoing global chip shortage has limited the production of graphics cards, a sizeable portion of what has been produced has gone to the hands of crypto miners. This has deprived PC gamers, content creators, and other target customers from acquiring one easily. Very few graphics cards end up reaching the retail market and those that arrive are ludicrously priced—because of low supply. 

Hashing and Mining 

You may have heard that crypto miners are solving complex mathematical problems but it is not entirely true. What miners do is that they try to come with a hash by using random inputs on a crypto-currency block. The input, which is a random sequence of strings, is put into a special mathematical model called a hash function.

Think of it as a black box that takes these inputs and outputs numbers of fixed lengths. This is a one-way process and one cannot determine the input just by the output. 

Miners must be the first to come with an “output”, only then are they eligible for crypto coins as a reward. As a result, most of the time, miners find themselves trying out hashing with inputs with a single-digit changed from the previous input. 

Why GPU? 

Unlike a CPU which must accomplish a wide variety of tasks, a GPU has a single job in a normal setup – graphics rendering. This is a repetitive task where a handful of instructions are carried out in a sequence.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Design

Thus, GPUs are designed to carry out similar and repetitive tasks, which makes them fit for cryptocurrency mining. Also, modern GPUs are programmable and one can deploy them for several applications including mining. 

Feasibility 

Like all other things, mining is not free. Even after you have assembled a mining rig, it will be sucking power that will be reflected in your electricity bill. Also, the heat produced from mining can deteriorate the setup over time adding to the cost of maintenance. So, it is only logical to mine cryptos only when it is profitable. The latest-gen GPUs were launched at a time when cryptos like Ethereum were going high and we already know how that story ends (i.e. significant boom in their value—except for the recent dip). 

The problem would not have blown up if it were only a few enthusiasts getting GPUs for mining out of curiosity. People who are into mining have “farms” of their own for which GPUs come directly from distributors, leaving gamers frustrated at retail shops. 

Cryptomining limiters to the rescue?

Before we get into cryptomining limiters, we should be familiar with hashrate. It is the speed at which a GPU or a mining rig can mine. It is simply represented as the number of hash calculations that the setup can perform in one second. 

This is one aspect of the GPU that NVIDIA wishes to affect with its cryptomining limiters. To be more specific, these are hashrate limiters that reduce the hashrate of a GPU. This does not make the graphics card useless for games but will just make it a less attractive of a choice for miners. NVIDIA wants miners to go for their Cryptocurrency Mining Processors (CMP) that do not come with such restrictions (more on that later). 

First shot at hashrate limiters 

The first GeForce card to get this treatment was RTX 3060. It came with a new driver update that halved its hashrate. However, NVIDIA itself released a driver later (470.05) that bypassed the limiter – showcasing the weakness of the software-based security mechanism. 

Though NVIDIA did not address the issue publicly, it sent statements to few press members that said it was an internal development and that it was already removed. Also, the driver never made it to Linux, which is the preferred platform for experienced miners. 

NVIDIA launched another driver update with an updated hashrate limiter. The company also set the minimum driver version to 466.27 to restrict users from using the compromised driver.

And now, the limiters have made it to other RTX 30 series GPUs including RTX 3080, 3070, and 3060 Ti. These new cards will have an “LHR” (Lite Hash Rate) branding to separate them from the initial models. 

Will it solve the problem? 

The main problem today is the global chip shortage which NVIDIA has no control over. What the company is trying to do is improve the distribution of cards between gamers and miners. 

As previously stated, the cryptomining limiters or the hashrate limiters will not make the GPUs useless for miners. They can still be used for mining since the hashrate has been nerfed by half—instead of absolutely nullifying it. The limiters have been sturdy till now but given the profits that mining can bring, they will try their best at a workaround. 

Also, the non-LHR graphics cards that are still in use in mining farms will continue to work with older drivers. Here, the upcoming LHR-branded cards will be less attractive of a choice to the miners.

NVIDIA wants crypto miners to shift to their newly announced Cryptocurrency Mining Processor (CMP). It is a new product category from the company specifically for crypto miners. These cards cannot output graphics and have lower peak voltage and frequency for up to 50% better mining efficiency. 

CMP debunked 

NVIDIA wants gamers to believe that wafers being used here do not meet the standard of a traditional GeForce card and that it will not affect the availability of the latter. However, the statement has already been debunked by Linus in one of his Tech Tips videos.

First, the silicon that NVIDIA gets during this global shortage is limited. Up until now, the company would have used it for GeForce cards only. However, now it must be distributed among GeForce and CMP cards. 

NVIDIA Cryptocurrency Mining Processor HX

Linus also argues that silicons that “don’t meet GeForce’s standards” will eventually be replaced by higher quality silicon. Thus, CMP cards eventually will just contribute to e-waste when their life runs out. 

These will also have a huge effect on the second-hand market. When the mining boom crashes, lots of GPUs from mining farms end up in the second-hand market for relatively low prices. This makes them a better value-for-money compared to new GPUs off a retailer’s shelf. The last time such a situation arose, NVIDIA failed to meet its quarterly targets. However, such will not be the case if miners move to CMPs that cannot be repurposed for gaming. 

Cryptomining Limiters: Conclusion 

To conclude, NVIDIA’s cryptomining limiters will not guarantee stocks of GPUs in the retail market since the production is limited. It is only to encourage miners for using new CMP cards instead of GeForce ones. Theoretically, CMP uses low-grade silicon and it should not affect the availability of GeForce cards.

But this theory is not flawless. So, the limiters are less likely to make any significant contribution to the stock shortage, especially in the long term. It can only ensure the success of the new CMP cards at the best. 

  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Razer Blade Stealth 13.

Germany gives green light to driverless vehicles on the roads from 2022

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Germany gives green light to driverless vehicles on the roads from 2022

Self-driving or autonomous vehicles are the next big thing in the automotive world. While companies are still working to improve and eliminate any bit of error, Germany has passed a bill that will allow driverless vehicles on public roads by 2022.

Germany to allow driverless vehicles from 2022

Testing of autonomous vehicles is already available in Germany. In addition, the lower house of parliament has approved the bill for driverless vehicles, which opens the door for self-driving vehicles to roam through German roads.

Requirements

The law focuses on vehicles with Level 4 automation. It means a computer has full control of the vehicle and requires no human driver to control or monitor it. However, these self-driving cars may be limited to specific geographic regions only.

According to Germany’s Transportation Ministry, the bill was written to be as flexible as possible, with the new regulations not requiring a human driver to be on standby. “Individual permits, exceptions, and requirements — such as the presence of a safety assurance driver who is always ready to intervene — would not be necessary,” the ministry said in a statement. 

Permitted vehicles

Per the German government, the bill will allow the use of driverless shuttle buses and automated public transit buses that would run on predetermined routes. Companies that choose to run self-driving automobiles commercially will have to follow a host of other laws. This includes carrying liability insurance and having the power to remotely halt autonomous operations.

Driverless vehicles in Germany: Final words

With this “self-driving” feature, companies are attempting to change the way we drive. However, the recent Tesla car crash in the United States, in which two people died while using the self-driving feature, has reignited controversy about the capability and safety of today’s self-driving technology. So, I believe that before authorizing such technology, governments and companies should be absolutely sure of its safety first.

  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy A52.

Haylou RS3 brings a premium design, built-in GPS, and more under $80

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Haylou RS3 brings a premium design, built-in GPS, and more under $80

Haylou is a brand from Xiaomi’s ecosystem that manufactures affordable wireless earbuds and smartwatches. The company has just launched a new smartwatch called RS3 that comes with a dedicated GPS chip and a long battery life under $80. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Haylou RS3 in Nepal.

Haylou RS3 Overview:

Design and Display

Haylou RS3 features a 1.2-inch circular AMOLED panel with a 390 x 390 resolution. It has 2.5D curved glass on top that gives it a premium look. The display is enclosed inside an aluminum alloy frame. Haylou has opted for a matte sand-like finish that it claims makes the device’s body resistant against scratch and fingerprints.

Haylou RS3 Design

The watch is 5ATM resistant, which means it can survive under up to 50 meters of water pressure.

Health tracking

Haylou RS3 can keep track of your heart rate 24 hours a day. It also has an optical sensor that can measure oxygen saturation levels. It even records your sleep and categorizes them into light, deep, and REM sleep. This helps you have a better idea about your sleep quality. Similarly, there are guided breathing exercises for times when you feel stressed and overwhelmed.

Haylou RS3 SpO2

Fitness tracking

Haylou RS3 can keep track of 14 different sports modes including swimming, basketball, cycling, hiking, and so on. The six-axis accelerometer helps the watch keep track of your movement and determine the number of calories burnt. Moreover, there’s a dedicated GPS chip that can track your distance covered during activities like running, cycling, and walking.

Haylou RS3 GPS Tracking

Rest of the features

Like most budget smartwatches, you won’t be able to make or take calls on the Haylou RS3. But, it will remind you of incoming calls, messages and notifications. Other features include weather forecast, music control, and pedometer.

The watch connects to your smartphone through Bluetooth 5.0. Its companion app “Haylou Fun” is available for both iOS and Android platforms.

RS3 has a 230mAh lithium battery that Haylou claims can last up to 7 days under normal usage. But with GPS turned on, it is said to last for up to 25 hours.

Haylou RS3 Specifications:

  • Design: Aluminum alloy frame, Silicone strap
  • Dimension: 5.05 x 4.34 x 1.25cm
  • Display: 1.28-inches HD AMOLED panel, 2.5D glass
  • Resolution: 390 x 390 pixels
  • Water resistance: 5 ATM water resistance
  • Sensors: Six-axis gyroscope, heart rate sensor, SpO2 detector
  • Sports mode: 14 workout modes in total
  • Battery: 230mAh (7 days in typical usage, 25 hours with GPS)
  • Companion app: Haylou Fun (Android | iOS)

Haylou RS3 Price in Nepal & Availability

Haylou RS3 is now available in AliExpress where its price is $79.99. The brand is not officially available in Nepal yet its products have popped into the market in past. So we are hopeful about the RS3 too. If it launches here, we expect the price of Haylou RS3 in Nepal to be around NPR 10,000.

Smartwatch Global Price Price in Nepal (Expected)
Haylou RS3 $79.99 NPR 10,000
  • Check out our pick for the best smartwatches in 2021.

Redmi Note 10 Pro has balanced cameras for a budget phone, says DxOMark

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Redmi Note 10 Pro has balanced cameras for a budget phone, says DxOMark

Redmi Note 10 Pro is a great overall package in the mid-range market in Nepal. It currently ranks atop our list of best smartphones under Rs. 35,000 and is also among the handful of devices with a 108MP sensor. However, the Redmi Note 10 Pro doesn’t meet our expectations in terms of camera outputs and DxOMark also clarifies that the phone can’t compete against most flagship phones—which is in contrast to what Xiaomi promises.

Redmi Note 10 Pro camera review: DxOMark

With a 120Hz OLED screen, a decent battery life, and a premium build, the Redmi Note 10 Pro outperforms most of the competition in its price range. Xiaomi also refers to the Note 10 Pro’s 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor as an “Ultra Premium” camera while the entire setup is supposedly a “flagship-level imaging system”, which is quite misleading.

The DxOMark review also says the same. According to them, the phone’s cameras are on par with budget segment devices. The handset earned 106 points from DxOMark for its cameras, putting it in the 71st position on the smartphone leaderboard. To compare, this is what Apple’s iPhone XS Max scores as well.

Redmi Note 10 Pro DxOMark Camera ranking

On the other hand, Redmi Note 10 Pro ranks ahead of phones like Oppo Find X2 Neo, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, and iPhone SE (2020). To note, all of these phones are way more expensive than the Note 10 Pro.

Review

Normal Images

We compared the cameras on Redmi Note 10 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy A52, which has a 64MP primary lens to see if Xiaomi’s claims hold accurate. Surprisingly, the Galaxy A52 takes better photos than the Note 10 Pro. 

The pictures from A52 are sharper, have a wider dynamic range, more details, and are much brighter. On the other hand, photos from Redmi Note 10 Pro are oversaturated, resulting in unnatural-looking colors.

Portrait 

Portrait shots, on the other hand, aren’t great either. Images from the Note 10 Pro appear a little dark in daylight, but the Galaxy A52 processes images to have better skin tone.

Nightime

In low-light conditions, the Redmi Note 10 Pro stands out in terms of colors and its photos are pleasing to the eye. However, under extremely low-light conditions, the A52 continues to snap better-looking images.

Selfie

The selfie camera on the Note 10 Pro Max has a faint greenish hue, which makes images seem unnatural.

Conclusion

To summarize, don’t be swayed by Xiaomi’s marketing tactics of selling a 108MP camera in the mid-range product. If you want an all-rounder smartphone and don’t care about the cameras, this is still a good option. However, it does not have an “Ultra Premium” camera, as Xiaomi claims.

  • Watch our review of the Redmi Note 10 Pro (Max).

Seagate unveils the world’s fastest hard drive; will compete against SSD speeds

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Seagate unveils the world’s fastest hard drive; will compete against SSD speeds

For several years, Seagate has been working on dual-actuator hard drives. The Mach.2 Exos 2X14 is the company’s first dual-actuator hard disk drive (HDD). Although SSDs are getting cheaper and gaining more market share, HDDs are still quite popular and used in data centers because they can store large amounts of data at affordable prices. And Seagate plans to push the envelope even further with the world’s fastest hard drive, the Mach.2 Exos 2X14.

Seagate Mach.2 Exos 2X14 Overview:

In this instance, dual-actuator technology provides disk drives with two reads/write head actuators with dedicated channels, contrary to one on a traditional hard drive. As both actuators pass I/Os at the same time, the drive’s output speed is nearly doubled.

Increased speed

According to the company, the max sustained transfer rate of Mach.2 is up to 524MB/s, which is faster than the Exos 15E900 and faster than any other HDD in the world. With this speed, it is approaching the territory of SATA-based SSDs.

In terms of I/O performance, it gained 304 Input/Output operations per second (IOPS) for reading, 384 IOPS for write operations, with just 4.16 ms average latency. Contrary to this, traditional HDDs have around 100/150 IOPS and the same average latency.

Seagate Mach.2 IOPS Performance

Storage

Likewise, Seagate Mach.2 Exos 2X14 has 14TB of storage, which is basically two 7TB HDDs fused together in a “hermetically sealed helium-filled 3.5-inch chassis”. It has a spindle speed of 7200 RPM, a 256MB multisegmented cache, and a single-port SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) 12GB/s interface. When connected to a server, Mach.2 is listed as two logical drives that can be managed independently.

Higher power consumption

On the other hand, Exos 2X14 takes relatively more power to operate. In idle mode, it consumes 7.2W which goes up to 13.5W under heavy load. To compare, the standard level of power consumed by 3.5-inch HDDs is 12W. But if businesses want to use Mach.2 in low power, then they can use Seagate’s PowerBalance capability. However, this does come at a sacrifice to read and write speeds. 

Seagate Mach.2 Exos 2X14 Availability

While Mach.2 is listed on Seagate’s website already, it is only available to a limited number of buyers. And the odds of finding them on the open market aren’t great either. Rather, we might see dual-actuator Seagate hard drives in other products pretty soon.

  • Meanwhile, check out our top 6 picks for the best smartwatches.

Redmi Note 8 2021 Announced: Doesn’t quite feel like a 2021 smartphone

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Redmi Note 8 2021 Announced: Doesn’t quite feel like a 2021 smartphone

Redmi Note 8 is among the most successful smartphones in Redmi’s Note lineup, having sold 25 million units globally. The sheer popularity of the device has given the company enough confidence to refresh the model almost 2 years after its initial launch. Here, the Redmi Note 8 2021 is now official, with its detailed specs listed on Xiaomi’s global website. Let’s learn more about the Redmi Note 8 2021 including its features, expected price in Nepal, and more.

Redmi Note 8 2021 Overview:

Design and Display

Design-wise, the Redmi Note 8 2021 looks and feels exactly like its 2019 edition. At a time where mid-range phones have evolved to punch-hole cutouts, its waterdrop notch looks quite outdated. The 6.3-inch FHD panel has a noticeable chin with Redmi branding. Similarly, both the front and the back of the phone are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5.

Redmi Note 8 2021 Design and Display

At the back, we have an elongated pill-shaped camera bump. The rear panel also houses a physical fingerprint scanner. The phone has a splash-resistant nano-coating as well.

Performance and Memory

Under the hood, Redmi Note 8 2021 is powered by MediaTek Helio G85. It’s the same chipset that was used in last year’s Redmi Note 9. The company claimed back then that this chip performs 21% better than the Snapdragon 665 on the Redmi Note 8 (2019).

You get 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM that can be paired with either 64GB or 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage. The device is already running on the latest MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11.

Camera

On the other hand, the camera setup has remained pretty much the same. The 48MP f/1.79 primary camera features a 1/2” sensor. It takes 12MP photos by default. Here, four 0.8µm pixels combine to form a Super Pixel of 1.6µm. There is an 8MP ultrawide camera and two additional 2MP sensors for macro and portrait shots.

Redmi Note 8 2021 Camera

Still, this 2021 edition can only record up to 1080p 30fps videos while the original Redmi Note 8 was capable of 4K recording.

Rest of the specs

The phone gets its juice from a 4,000mAh battery. A 22.5W charger is included in the box when the phone can only charge up to 18W. There is dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 in terms of wireless connectivity. Redmi Note 8 2021 is available in three color options – Neptune Blue, Moonlight White, and Space Blue.

Despite “2021” in the moniker, the phone doesn’t feel like it justifies its name. The design is the same and it borrows the majority of the specs from the 2019 model too. The biggest change here is the Helio G85 that is already a year old by now. Also, the phone misses out on features like a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a higher refresh rate that are now popular in a 2021 mid-range smartphone.

Redmi Note 8 2021 Specifications:

  • Display: 6.3-inches IPS panel, Corning Gorilla 5, 500 nits
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2300 x 1080 pixels), 19.5:9
  • Chipset: MediaTek Helio G85, 12nm Mobile Platform
  • GPU: Arm Mali-G52 MP2
  • Memory: 4GB LPDDR4X RAM, 64/128GB eMMC 5.1
  • Software & UI: MIUI 12.5 on top of Android 11
  • Rear Camera: Quad;
    – 48MP primary shooter
    – 8MP ultra-wide sensor
    – 2MP macro sensor
    – 2MP depth sensor
  • Front Camera: 13MP lens (notch)
  • Security: Fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted), Face unlock
  • Battery: 4000mAh with 18W fast charging

Redmi Note 8 2021 Price in Nepal & Availability

Since the phone has been listed on Redmi’s global site, the company may be looking for a global launch. As of now, Redmi is yet to comment on the availability and price of the Note 8 2021. We will update you with the official price and availability once the Redmi Note 8 2021 launches in Nepal.

  • Meanwhile, check out our review of the Mi 11X (POCO F3).

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