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JBL Quantum Gaming Headsets are now available in Nepal

GadgetByte

-

June 28, 2021

JBL Quantum Gaming Headsets are now available in Nepal

JBL needs no introduction in Nepal. Though mostly known for its portable speakers, the company sells all sorts of audio equipment in Nepal. EvoStore, the official distributor for JBL products in Nepal, has now launched the Quantum gaming headsets lineup. Here, we have listed all the JBL Quantum Gaming headsets currently available in Nepal, along with their features and official price.

JBL sells its gaming audio accessories under the Quantum brand. Quantum’s portfolio includes headsets, earphones, and speakers. High-end JBL Quantum accessories come with features like QuantumEngine, QuantumSurround, QuantumSphere360, and more.

JBL Quantum Gaming Headsets in Nepal:

JBL Quantum 50

This is the only in-ear headset on this list. Its 8.6mm drivers are tuned by the JBL QuantumSound signature. The headset has a volume slider and a dedicated mute button. The microphone is placed away from the controls to avoid interference.

JBL Quantum 50 Specifications:

Weight: 21.5g
Driver: 8.6mm
Impbedance: 16 Ohm
Sensitivity: 97dB at 1kHz/1mW
Connectivity: 3.5mm jack
Mic: Yes
Companion App: No
Price: Rs. 4,500

JBL Quantum 100

Moving on, the Quantum 100 is the cheapest headset in the lineup. It has a 3.5mm audio jack that you can connect to PC and gaming consoles. As for sound quality, you get a 40mm driver with a frequency response of 20Hz – 20 kHz. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with RGB lighting nor surround sound. In addition, the mic is fixed to the headset.

JBL Quantum 100 Specifications:

Weight: 220g
Driver: 40mm
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 96dB at 1kHz/1mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity: 3.5mm jack, 1.2m
RGB lighting: No
Surround Sound: No
Noise Cancellation: No
Mic: Flip-up mic (fixed)
Companion App: No
Price: Rs. 6,000

JBL Quantum 200

JBL Quantum 200 is a lot like the Quantum 100. It is a little heavier at 245g and features a more sensitive sound driver.

JBL Quantum 200 Specifications:

Weight: 245g
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 100dB at 1kHz/1mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity: 3.5mm jack, 1.2m
RGB lighting: No
Surround Sound: No
Noise Cancellation: No
Mic: Flip-up mic (fixed)
Companion App: No
Price: Rs. 9,500

JBL Quantum 300

What differentiates Quantum 300 from the two above is the support for QuantumEngine. Thus, you can personalize the headset’s audio performance via software. It comes with a USB audio adapter that enables the QuantumSurround effect.

JBL Quantum 300 Specifications:

Weight: 245g
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 100dB at 1kHz/1mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity: 3.5mm jack, USB audio adapter (both 1.2m)
RGB lighting: No
Surround Sound: Yes
Noise Cancellation: No
Mic: Flip-up boom mic (fixed)
Companion App: Yes
Price: Rs. 11,000

JBL Quantum 600

JBL Quantum 600 is the first wireless headphone on this list, and it features RGB lighting. It connects wirelessly via 2.4GHz frequency. The headset has 50mm drivers and it features a 1300mAh battery with up to 14 hours of playback time with RGB off.

JBL Quantum 600 Specifications:

Weight: 346g
Driver: 50mm
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 100dB at 1kHz/1mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity: Wireless (2.4G)
Battery: 1300mAh (3.7V)
Playback time: 14 hours
Charging Time: 2 hours (USB-C)
RGB lighting: Yes
Surround Sound: Yes
Noise Cancellation: No
Mic: Flip-up boom mic (fixed)
Companion App: Yes
Price: Rs. 23,500

JBL Quantum 800

JBL Quantum 800 is heavier than Quantum 600 and has additional features. First, it supports Bluetooth connectivity. In addition, it has Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) as well.

JBL Quantum 800 Specifications:

Weight: 410g
Driver: 50mm
Impedance: 95 Ohm
Sensitivity: 95dB at 1kHz/1mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 40kHz (Passive) / 20Hz – 20kHz (Active)
Connectivity: Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth)
Battery: 1300mAh (3.7V)
Playback time: 14 hours
Charging Time: 2 hours (10W)
RGB lighting: Yes
Surround Sound: No
Noise Cancellation: ANC with USB dongle (PC, PSP, Mac)
Mic: Flip boom mic
Extra: Discord Certification, Audio Equalizer
Price: Rs. 30,500

JBL Quantum One

The ear cushions on JBL Quantum One come with leather wrapping. It has a detachable mic and USB for PC connectivity. The biggest highlight here is QuantumSphere 360. It pairs JBL’s surround sound technology with head tracking sensors. You can play with the RGB lighting from the JBL QuantumEngine software.

JBL Quantum One Specifications:

Weight: 369g
Driver: 50mm
Impedance: 95 Ohm
Sensitivity: 95dB at 1kHz/1mW
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 40kHz
Connectivity: 3.5mm jack (console), USB dongle (PC)
RGB lighting: Yes
Surround Sound: Yes, with 360 head tracking
Noise Cancellation: ANC with USB dongle (PC, PSP, Mac)
Mic: Detachable boom mic
Extra: User profiles, Discord Certification, Audio Equalizer
Price: Rs. 32,500

JBL Quantum Gaming Headsets Price in Nepal [Summary]

JBL Gaming Headsets	Price
JBL Quantum 50	Rs. 4,500
JBL Quantum 100	Rs. 6,000
JBL Quantum 200	Rs. 9,500
JBL Quantum 300	Rs. 11,000
JBL Quantum 600 (Wireless)	Rs. 23,500
JBL Quantum 800 (Wireless)	Rs. 30,500
JBL Quantum One	Rs. 32,500

Where to buy JBL Quantum Gaming Headsets in Nepal?

EvoStore is the official distributor for JBL products in Nepal, including the Quantum gaming headsets. You can even find them on other authorized stores like Oliz Store.

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JBL Speakers Price in Nepal [Updated]

Yadea e-scooters are finally available in Nepal

GadgetByte

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June 28, 2021

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Yadea e-scooters are finally available in Nepal

Nepali customers now have more options to choose from when switching to electric vehicles. Yadea, a world-renowned brand of electric two-wheelers has brought three e-scooters to Nepal. Here, we will be looking at all Yadea e-scooters launched in Nepal, along with their official price and availability.

Yadea is a company that specializes in high-end electric two-wheelers. It has a wide range of products, including e-bikes, e-tricycle, e-scooters, and kick scooters. Currently, the company has over 1,889 distributors in over 70 countries.

Yadea appointed Kuzu Group as its official distributor for Nepal in 2020. And now, Kuzu Group sells Yadea e-scooters and e-bikes. At launch, the company is also offering a flat Rs. 25,000 discount on all three models. But you’re gonna have to hurry up to avail of this offer as it’s only applicable on the first 15 units of each e-scooters. Besides this, there’s 0% EMI and other benefits as well.

Yadea E-Scooters Price in Nepal:

Yadea S-Like

The company calls this the urban city commuter as it is designed to get you through city roads. Thus, it is best suited for the daily commute or delivery jobs. It comes with a 4.2-inch LCD panel with automatic light adjustment. Yadea S-Like’s body is made from aluminum alloy and it has an IP65 rating against dust and water. This e-scooter boasts a range of 60km.

Yadea S-Like Specifications:

Range: 60km (Dual battery: 120km)
Top Speed: 50km/hr
Top Speed Torque: 120NM
Electromotor: GTR 3.0
Power: 1200W – 2000W
Tire: 12 inches tubeless
Battery: 24AH ATL Lithium (60V)
Charging Time: 6 hours
Battery life cycle: 800
Price: Rs. 230,000

Yadea G5

Next up is the Yadea G5 which features a 7-inch VA LCD speedometer with an automatic light adjustment feature. The highlight here is the 32Ah Panasonic Lithium battery, which allows it to have greater power and range. Otherwise, its specs are quite similar to that of S-Like.

Yadea G5 Specifications:

Range: 80km
Top Speed: 60km/hr
Top Speed Torque: 120NM
Electromotor: GTR 3.0
Power: 1200W – 2300W
Tire: 12 inches tubeless
Battery: 32Ah Panasonic Lithium (60V)
Charging Time: 6 hours
Battery life cycle: 800
Storage box capacity: 26L
Price: Rs. 330,000

Yadea C1S

Yadea C1S is the company’s premium offering. This e-scooter is designed by Kiska – the company behind the visual style of KTM bikes. Unlike the other two EVs in this list, it is IP67 dust and water-resistant. C1S boasts a top speed of 60km/hr and a range of 80km.

Yadea C1S Specifications:

Range: 80km
Top Speed: 60km/hr
Top Speed Torque: 120NM
Electromotor: GTR 3.0
Power: 1800W – 2200W
Tire: 12 inches tubeless
Battery: 32Ah Panasonic Lithium (60V)
Charging Time: 6 hours
Battery life cycle: 800
Storage box capacity: 25L
Price: Rs. 350,000

Yadea E-Scooters Price in Nepal [Summary]

Yadea E-Scooter Model	Price in Nepal
S-Like	Rs. 230,000
G5	Rs. 330,000
C1S	Rs. 350,000

Where to buy Yadea E-Scooters in Nepal?

Kuzu Group is the official distributor of Yadea e-scooters in Nepal. You can buy the above-mentioned e-scooters from Yadea’s showroom in Naxal, Kathmandu. For more info, you can visit the company’s official website or Facebook page.

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Nepali security researcher bags $100,000 from single bug bounty platform

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GadgetByte

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June 28, 2021

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Nepali security researcher bags $100,000 from single bug bounty platform

Lately, bug bounty has been a hot topic among Nepali youth. Many Nepali researchers have been rewarded for strengthening the cybersecurity of international platforms. Today, we are talking about Naresh Lamgade, a Nepali security researcher who won $100,000 from the Bugcrowd bug bounty program.

Story of Nepali security researcher who won $100,000 from Bugcrowd

Naresh Lamgade is not someone new in the field. He started his journey as a security analyst at F1Soft International back in 2014. Naresh completed his Bachelor of Technology from London Metropolitan University. He is also a founding member of ventures like Cynical Technology and Bugv. The former is a cybersecurity startup company based in Kathmandu whereas Bugv is Nepal’s first bug bounty platform.

If you are new to the concept, bug bounty platforms are where businesses sign up to have their system’s security tested. Independent researchers then help them to identify security flaws, for which they receive points and cash rewards.

Focusing is key

As mentioned earlier, Naresh has received $100,000 from the international bug bounty platform Bugcrowd. It’s a result of his 1.5 years of work on the platform, where he has helped secure multiple international companies.

This is why we think his story is an important one. Instead of coming off as a one-time success, his story highlights the dedication and consistency required to succeed in this field that often gets overlooked.

Naresh says, “Focusing on a single program will help you to understand and uncover hidden functionalities and get you more experience with the application.”

Also Read:
- Hackers are remotely erasing internet-connected WD My Book Live Hard Drives
- TU central library installs ProQuest to offer free access to digital reading

Idea behind Bugv

This experience also encouraged him to launch Bugv. Through this initiative, Naresh hopes to help strengthen the digital security of Nepali companies. As of now, companies like D-Paisa, Merojob, and Rojgari have already signed up for the program.

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Mi 11 Lite.

TU central library installs ProQuest to offer free access to digital reading

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GadgetByte

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June 28, 2021

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TU central library installs ProQuest to offer free access to digital reading

Tribhuvan University (TU) has started offering free access to ProQuest software – a database with millions of educational resources. It will give students access to international books and journals for digital readings.

TU provides free access to ProQuest:

The online library will employ a remote access system to offer the student with books, documents, journals, and other reading materials.

ProQuest at a cost

TU Central Library bought the software from the United Kingdom for Rs 3.2 million. This facility is available to students from TU’s constituent institutions and other universities that have established an agreement with the library. The platform will give access to content such as dissertations, thesis, ebooks, newspapers, journals, historical collections, governmental archives, cultural archives, and others in an aggregated database.

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How to get its access?

It just takes a few steps to become a member of the ProQuest digital library. Students must fill out a form available on the library’s website in order to read current and future publications from a variety of foreign writers. They will be given an email address based on their application forms in order to access such materials.

More than 30,000 readers have created their profiles on the platform as of March 2021. According to the central library, the database has over 50,000 e-books and over five million e-thesis and dissertations. Plus, it also hosts thousands of journals, articles, magazines, and write-ups.

Additions

Furthermore, TU has recently inked arrangements for additional materials with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the National Digital Library of India. With this, ADB’s three lakhs and the National Digital Library of India’s 45 million books, journal articles, and other materials are now accessible for free.

The central library is going on with plans to develop TU’s own e-library database. Here, postgraduate, philosophical, and doctoral research articles will be kept online. Accordingly, 2,000 research papers have gone into digital form.

Meanwhile, check out our camera comparison of IQOO 7 vs Realme X7 Max vs Mi 11X.

Explained: What is TPM and why do you need it for Windows 11?

GadgetByte

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June 27, 2021

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Explained: What is TPM and why do you need it for Windows 11?

Microsoft’s Windows 11 is finally here after a long wait. The new version of Windows introduces multiple highlighting features including Android app support (albeit not through Google’s Play Store), redesigned visuals, easy multitasking, and many more. One announcement that’s been a concern to many is the TPM requirement. Here, we will discuss what TPM is, why Microsoft is mandating it for Windows 11, and if your system has it or not.

TPM for Windows 11:

It’s fair to assume that most users have never heard of the term TPM (Trusted Platform Module) until Microsoft announced that the next iteration of Windows is making it a compulsory requirement. Early adopters who are eager to get their hands on the new operating system, are taking it as a concern.

“Does my laptop have TPM?” and similar inquiries dominated the internet following the release of Windows 11. So, before we dispel any myths, let’s learn about TPM.

What is TPM?

TPM is a small chip located on the motherboard of your computer. This chip is intended to help protect your extremely sensitive data. It stores data such as encryption keys, user credentials and creates a physical barrier to prevent potential attackers from accessing your system.

Here, Microsoft specifically stated that the new operating system required TPM 2.0. To note, TPM is available in two versions: an older and less secure v1.2 and a more secure 2.0 edition.

Also Read:
- Forget about speed or FUP, Nepal’s ISPs should allow port forwarding
- ICT Award 2021 opens online nominations for 11 diverse categories

The deal with Windows and TPMs

As aforementioned, TPM helps you to create a barrier that prevents possible attackers from accessing your computer. Now, Microsoft will be able to employ stronger encryption to safeguard Windows Hello, BitLocker PINs, and enable more advanced security features like Windows Defender System Guard. With Windows 11 focusing more on privacy and security, the decision to adopt TPM 2.0 isn’t questionable in the slightest.

Likewise, the hidden fact is that Microsoft has actually implemented TPM 2.0 compliance on all versions of Windows 10 from July 2016. They have expressly said that starting in July 2016, laptops and PCs should implement and enable TPM 2.0 by default.

What this means is that Windows-powered devices from July 2016 or later must have TPM 2.0 functionality. In fact, Intel and AMD have embedded TPM technology that is equivalent to TPM 2.0 into many of their CPUs since 2013.

Intel calls its solution Intel Platform Trust Technology (Intel PTT) whereas AMD’s alternative is called AMD Platform Security Processor.

“Almost every CPU in the last 5-7 years has a TPM. For Intel, it’s called the “Intel PTT” which you set to enabled. For AMD it would be “AMD PSP fTPM”. TPMs have been required for OEM certification since at least 2015 and was announced in 2013,” said David Weston, Director of Enterprise and OS Security at Microsoft.

So, why I am still not eligible for Windows 11?

Even when their machine qualifies for Windows 11 (as per the specifications), many users continue to see the “This PC cannot run Windows 11” message when running their PC’s eligibility test via the PC Health Check app. The reason for this is that you do not have particular BIOS options enabled.

To enable it, simply navigate to the BIOS Security settings and choose the correct TPM technology. To note, the enable process might differ with every motherboard. After this, the PC Health Check tool will now inform you that your hardware is compatible with Windows 11.

In addition, Microsoft has also released a list of Windows 11-compatible Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm CPUs.

Meanwhile, check out our initial impressions of the Samsung Galaxy M32.

Hackers are remotely erasing internet-connected WD My Book Live Hard Drives

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GadgetByte

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June 27, 2021

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Hackers are remotely erasing internet-connected WD My Book Live Hard Drives

Owners of Western Digital (WD) My Book Live hard drives are claiming that a remote data wipe has totally erased their storage devices. The WD My Book is a network-attached storage device, and the WD My Book Live app allows users to remotely access and controls their devices. The firm believes the device’s internet connectivity was the major cause of the remote data wipe.

WD My Book Live Hard Drives remote data wipe:

WD My Book Live devices range in storage size from 2TB to 24TB. Users on the Western Digital forums have reported that their data has been completely wiped. Even when they attempt to log in and access their disk, the remote management dashboard shows “Invalid password.”

User reports

One of the users of My Book wrote that “It is very scary and devastating that someone can do a factory restore on my drive without any permission granted from the end-user”.He also included a section of his system log, which clearly shows a factory reset at 3 p.m. on June 23rd.

Following him, other people claimed that the same thing happened to their drive. Further, when they checked their system log, the same factory reset command has been used on the drive.

Also Read:
- ICT Award 2021 opens online nominations for 11 diverse categories
- Realme Smart TV Full HD 32” launched with 24W Dolby Audio speakers

Western Digital Replies

According to a WD community post, the affected drives include WD My Book Live and WD My Book Live Duo. They were initially introduced in 2010, and the most recent firmware upgrade was in 2015. However, the firm has not revealed how many of them are now in use.

Moreover, WD confirmed on its website that the devices’ internet access was what allowed them to be remotely erased. Further, the company added that the access was gained either through a direct connection or by port forwarding, which was activated either manually or automatically via UPnP.

Additionally, logs on some devices reveal that a trojan named “.nttpd,1-ppc-be-t1-z” was running on the device. It is a Linux ELF binary compiled for the PowerPC architecture and is used by the My Book Live and Live Duo.

Temporary solution

At the moment, the company advises customers to disconnect the My Book Live drives from the internet. Besides this, the company said that some individuals were able to recover data using the data recovery tool. Thus, Western Digital is looking into the efficiency of these solutions.

Meanwhile, check out our camera comparison of IQOO 7 vs Realme X7 Max vs Mi 11X.

Apple’s colorful M1-powered iMacs have finally launched in Nepal

Apple
iMac

Nikhil Shrestha

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June 27, 2021

1

Apple’s colorful M1-powered iMacs have finally launched in Nepal

Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event back in April was full of exciting launches. Surprisingly, the multiple color choices for the latest iMacs was one of the biggest highlights of the show—who would’ve thunk it? Anyway, they’ve now launched in Nepal. Let’s get into what’s in store with the new Apple M1 iMac 24 (2021) including its specs, features, official price in Nepal, and more.

Apple M1 iMac 24 (2021) Overview:

Design

Like I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest talking points of the iMac 24 is all the hues it’s available in. There were speculations about this based on the promotional poster in the official invite for the “Spring Loaded” event. In fact, this corroborated Jon Prosser‘s initial claim that the new iMacs would come in multiple color options—5, to be precise.

To our delight, you can choose from 7 colors for the iMac 24: blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange, and purple. And the (re)introduction of such colorful variants is a direct homage to the iMac G3 from back in 1998. But unlike its bulky CRT body, iMac 24″ is slim—slimmest in the history of iMacs, in fact.

At just 11.5mm thickness, it seamlessly blends into any room it’s in. That’s major thanks to Apple’s in-house M1 chip which I’ll get into in just a second. According to Apple, it occupies 50% less volume. Even in such a sleek body, the company has managed to install two small fans.

Also Read:

Base vs high-end iMac

However, only the high-end 8-core GPU variant gets a dual-core treatment whereas if you opt for the base 7-core GPU model, Apple has fitted in a single fan in those iMacs. So, if your workload revolves around GPU-intensive tasks like photo/video editing, 3D rendering, and such, getting the high-end config would be a wiser choice.

There are enough real-life tests to verify this conclusion as well. At the back, you’ll find 4 USB-C ports (2x USB 4/Thunderbolt, 2x USB 3) alongside an optional Gigabit Ethernet port. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack too.

Yet, the ones with a 7-core GPU M1 chip skip the USB 3 ports and the LAN connection. Moreover, the power connector (2 meters long) now attaches magnetically and adheres to your iMac’s color option as well.

Also Read:

Display

Coming to the front, there’s a 24″ 4.5K Retina display. It boasts Wide Color (P3), True Tone technology, and over a billion colors. In terms of brightness, this display peaks at 500 nits. Other amenities like anti-reflective coating are present here too.

Then there’s the 1080p FaceTime camera. Apple says this larger sensor works in tandem with M1’s ISP for the best image quality ever on an iMac.

Furthermore, there’s a “studio-quality” three-mic array with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and directional beamforming. It also supports the “Hey Siri” command. Talking about audio, you get a six-speaker sound system that supports Dolby Atmos.

Performance

Powering the latest iMacs is Apple’s own M1 chip. You can learn more about why Cupertino ditched Intel’s x86 architecture in favor of Arm here. Anyway, the aforementioned reason as to why 2021’s iMac is so thin is the M1 chip. This has greatly allowed Apple to trim down the logic board and thermals to deliver a sleek form factor.

Getting into performance, Apple sells two variants of the iMac 24″: one with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, and the other with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU. This has been coupled with either 8 or 16GB of unified RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Also Read:

Compared to the 21.5″ iMac of last year, Apple promises up to 85% fast CPU performance, 2x faster GPU performance, and up to 3x faster machine learning. It runs on the macOS Big Sur which enables seamless interaction with your iPhone.

Unveiled at WWDC 2021, Apple says Big Sur’s successor—macOS Monterey is coming this fall as well. Anyway, the M1 iMacs are complemented with a new keyboard, mouse, and trackpad that have matching colors with the iMac. Plus, the wireless keyboard features Touch ID as well.

M1 iMac 24 (2021) Specifications:

Size and weight: 21.5 x 18.1 x 5.8-inches, 4.48 kg
Colors: Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, Purple
Display: 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, 500 nits brightness, Wide Color (P3)
Resolution: 4480 x 2520 pixels, 218 PPI
Chip: Apple M1 chip (8-core CPU, 7/8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)
Memory: 8/16GB unified RAM, 256GB to 2TB SSD storage
Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD camera with M1 ISP
Audio: High-fidelity six-speaker system, Spatial audio (Dolby Atmos)
I/O ports: 2x USB 4/Thunderbolt, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 2x USB 3 (optional)
Connection: Wi-Fi 6 (ax), Bluetooth 5.0
Input: Magic Keyboard (with/out Touch ID), Magic Mouse

Apple M1 iMac 24 (2021) Price in Nepal & Availability

The price of the Apple M1 iMac 24 (2021) in Nepal starts at NPR 205,000 for the 7-core GPU variant with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD. Similarly, 8-core GPU options with 8/256GB and 8/512GB memory cost NPR 235,000 and NPR 265,000, respectively. You can buy Apple M1 iMac 24 (2021) in Nepal from authorized retailer such as Hukut Store.

Apple M1 iMac 24 (2021) Model	Price in Nepal	Availability
7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD	NPR 205,000	Hukut Store
8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD	NPR 235,000
8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD	NPR 265,000

Meanwhile, check out our review of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Forget about speed or FUP, Nepal’s ISPs should allow port forwarding

ISP

GadgetByte

-

June 26, 2021

0

Forget about speed or FUP, Nepal’s ISPs should allow port forwarding

Most of us have subscribed to a home plan from a variety of ISPs. And it’s not unusual to register complaints about your internet’s speed to the customer service. But today, we’re talking about something completely different. Here, we are discussing port forwarding and Network Address Translation (or NAT) and their scenario in Nepal.

You might have experienced high ping and disconnections if you play online games. We aren’t sure about its cause in other countries, but one of the key reasons is the absence of port forwarding functionality by the internet service providers in Nepal. Other countries’ ISPs permit this functionality, whereas ISPs in Nepal don’t.

Port Forwarding Overview:

What is Port Forwarding?

Before moving forward, let’s understand what port forwarding actually is. It is a method of instructing the network to take a certain route or path. It will allow your network to route data packets on a single path, preventing your connection from roaming around elsewhere.

To put it another way, let’s say we’re going on a journey to Gosainkunda, and we haven’t hired a guide to help us get to our destination. Now, in the middle of the journey, if we keep flipping down the map to find our route, it would take longer. And, if we know our specific path, we can arrive at our destination in far less time.

This is precisely how port forwarding works. In this case, network packets or data follow a predefined path to reach their destination server or computer (final destination).

Where is port forwarding used?

The following aspects should give you a clear understanding of how port forwarding increases efficacy and enhances everyday internet performance.

Backups

There’s something needed to access backups from anywhere with an active internet connection—whether they’re files, servers, or hard drive copies. Port forwarding allows those with sufficient authentication to access even the most difficult-to-reach copies from anywhere.

Virtual desktops

Not all desktop runs in a local environment. Most business offices, banks, and big hospitals store computer desktops in cloud-based environments. Port forwarding allows users to access their virtual desktops from every device on-site.

CCTV and security

It is a router setup setting that requires correct configuration in order to access the security camera system from the internet. Unless you enable port forwarding, you cannot see a video recording from your phone or from a computer at another location. However, after it’s enabled, businesses or individuals can easily access their private security feeds from any location.

Game servers

Port forwarding is used for more than just business. Who says we can’t have any fun? Yes, you read it correctly. Gaming is one of the most popular applications for port forwarding. Therefore, port forwarding is useful for hosting private game servers.

How is it actually used in online games?

Before we get into how it works, you should be familiar with Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT usually distributes private IP addresses to multiple devices within your network so that they can share a single public IP address on the internet. With this, NAT can keep track of outgoing connections, such as a request for the Gadgetbyte website, and ensure that the response returning to your public IP address is routed to the correct computer within your network by keeping track of each connection and its port numbers.

However, if someone from outside the network attempts to connect to your device, NAT won’t know which one it’s for and will drop the attempted connection. That means, if you and your opponent are playing an online game, both should connect to the game’s servers, which may be a long way away. But, with port forwarding, you can easily tackle it.

With this, anybody attempting to connect to your public IP address on port number X gets to a specific computer in the network. Then, your adversary will bind to your IP directly, bypassing the intermediate node. It’s worth noting that this might work if one side uses port forwarding and the other doesn’t.

The scenario of port forwarding in Nepal and other countries

This brings us to our key topic. There are a total of 65536 ports. However, certain ports can be reserved by ISPs in order to fight viruses and spam. On the contrary, port forwarding is totally blocked by Nepal’s major ISPs, including Worldlink. Other countries, such as India, do not share this view.

When we attempted to play the online game FIFA, we encountered this issue. We got in touch with the Worldlink team asking if there was any way we could do enable port forwarding, and the response was to upgrade our plan. As a result, one can experience disconnections, high ping, and, last but not least, the inability to play a match with mates.

Solutions

As previously said, the ISP’s remedy is to upgrade our plan. Or, the next best option is to get a VPN that supports port forwarding. We must emphasize that these are just immediate remedies. ISPs must have a permanent answer to it.

ICT Award 2021 opens online nominations for 11 diverse categories

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GadgetByte

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June 26, 2021

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ICT Award 2021 opens online nominations for 11 diverse categories

The sixth edition of the ICT Award is here to honor innovations in Nepal’s ICT sector. The nomination process is now online because of the ongoing lockdown. Here, we will be discussing the nomination process, award categories, and eligibility criteria for ICT Award 2021.

ICT Award at a glance

ICT Award is among the biggest tech award in the country, which is hosted every year by “Living with ICT“. It has been around since 2016 and has honored over 50 awardees so far.

Last year’s campaign was a successful one, with over 400 applications. Though several events had to be canceled due to the pandemic, the winners were later honored at a separate event.

ICT Award 2021: Overview

As mentioned earlier, it is the sixth edition of the ceremony. There are 11 different awards categories, including two new ones. The decision to open nominees came after the recent decline in the number of COVID infections in Nepal.

Nomination process

The nomination process for ICT Award 2021 is already live. The forms are available from ICT Award’s official site. Interested individuals and organizations can apply for the relevant category till 16th Shrawan (30th June).

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Award categories

The awards can be roughly categorized into three groups. The first group is for innovations and startups while the second is for individuals. Finally, we have awards for private and government organizations.

Group	Awards	Eligibility	Last Year’s Winner
Innovation and Startup	Startup ICT	Companies registered in last 3 years	CryptoGen Nepal
	Product	Products made public from Baisakh 2077 to Chaitra 2078	CPFDS – AML and KYC Management System
	Rising Student	Projects by students under 30 years of age	Sanchai Chhau (St Xavier’s College)
Individuals	Pioneer	Contribution to ICT	Nilkantha Upreti
	Diaspora	Non-resident Nepali in ICT	Gaurav Raj Upadhyaya (Amazon)
	Entrepreneur	Entrepreneur in ICT	Vinay Bohara (Vianet)
	Woman Icon	Nepalese Women in ICT	Prof. Timila Yami
Organizations	Digital Education (Private)	Private educational institutes	NA
	Digital Services (Private)	Private sector	NA
	Digital Education (Public)	Public educational institutes	Budhanilkantha School
	Digital Governance (Public)	Government bodies	Inland Revenue Department
Other Winner from last year	Paila Emergency Resuscitator (Ncell Innovation Driven Crisis Response), Kiran Acharya (Media Person), and Hamro Swasthya (Jury Mention Award)

Selection process

Moving on, candidates will be analyzed by a jury of twelve members. For the first group, there will be three rounds of selections in three months. This will be followed by public voting for the top five candidates. Other categories will have to go through four rounds of selection and a field visit.

What’s in it for the winners?

In addition to the honors, winners will get different services and facilities according to their category. For instance, winners of the first group will get loans and investment opportunities.

Meanwhile, check out our initial impressions of the Samsung Galaxy M32.

Realme Smart TV Full HD 32” launched with 24W Dolby Audio speakers

GadgetByte

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June 26, 2021

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Realme Smart TV Full HD 32” launched with 24W Dolby Audio speakers

Along with Narzo 30 5G, Realme has introduced a new 32-inch Smart TV in India. This television has an ultra-bright Full-HD display and Chroma Boost picture engine. So, let’s take a close look at the specs, features, availability, and expected price in Nepal of Realme Smart TV Full HD 32″.

Realme Smart TV Full HD 32” Overview:

Display

As the name implies, it features a 32″ Full-HD LED-backlit LCD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The display boasts 16.7 million colors, HDR10, 85% NTSC color gamut, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 178° viewing angle. It has minimal bezels all-around, measuring as little as 8.7mm.

You can use the TV in 7 different modes – Standard, Vivid, Sport, Movie, Game, Energy Saving, and user-defined. Furthermore, Realme Smart TV Full HD 32″ has Chroma Boost picture engine for vibrant color reproduction.

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Features

Powering the TV is a MediaTek chipset consisting of a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU and Mali-470 MP3 GPU. Memory-wise, you get 1GB DDR3 RAM and 8GB of built-in storage. On the software front, it runs Android 9.0 with Google Play Store and Google Chromecast compatibility.

The voice-enabled remote control syncs with Google Assistant and has dedicated Netflix and YouTube hotkeys. Furthermore, it outputs audio through a 4-unit 24W speaker system that supports Dolby Audio.

Rest of the specs

Aside from that, wireless connectivity options include 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. For I/O connection, it features three HDMI (1x ARC), one AV, one tuner, two USB, a S/PDIF, and a LAN connector.

Realme Smart TV Full HD 32” Specifications:

Display: 32-inch LED-backlit LCD, HDR10, 85% NTSC color gamut, 16:9 aspect ratio, 178° viewing angle
Resolution: FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Dimensions: 730 x 469 x 161mm (w/ stand) | 730 x 432 x 88 mm (w/o stand)
Weight: 3.7kg (w/ stand), 3.6kg (w/o stand)
Sound: 4-unit 24W speaker
Audio Decoder: Dolby Audio
OS: Android TV 9
Processor: MediaTek quad-core CPU (Cortex-A53), Mali-470 MP3 GPU
Memory: 1GB RAM, 8GB storage
Viewing Angle: 178º
Power: 90-240V 50Hz
Wireless Connectivity: WiFi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0
I/O Ports: 3x HDMI (1x ARC), 1x AV, 1x tuner, 2x USB, 1x LAN, 1x S/PDIF

Realme Smart TV Full HD 32” Price in Nepal

Realme Smart TV Full HD 32” will go on sale in India from June 29 for INR 18,999. The company is also providing an early bird discount of INR 1,000 off the original pricing. If and when Realme launches the Smart TV Full HD 32” in Nepal, we anticipate its price tag to be around NPR 35,000.

Realme Smart TV	Price in India	Price in Nepal (Expected)
Full HD 32-inch	INR 18,999	NPR 35,000

Meanwhile, check out our review of the Mi 11 Lite.