Page 646 – GadgetByte Nepal

Things to consider while choosing headphones

GadgetByte

-

September 7, 2019

Things to consider while choosing headphones

Headphones are the best means to listen to music. They are the most favorite type of gadget for the audiophiles. A good headphone not only lets you listen to the music of your taste but also isolates yourself from the crowd and let you dive in the divine ocean of rhythms, words, and melodies.

Different types of headphones can be seen and found in the market. Some of them are jacketed with the sturdy materials and some of them are veiled in cheerful colors. Some headphones possess fancy designs and some come with colors and cushy ear cups and headbands enticing with comfort. Also, there are myriads of other types regarding their size, construction, and portability.

In the battle of choices, the design and construction get the upper hand in the majority of scenarios. However, the performance of the headphones and comfort while listening to the music is what matters at the end. Because of the large varieties of audio equipment available in the market, choosing a better one is pretty daunting. And the hellish intersection between the professional and consumer applications is one of the many reasons for it. The majority of the population also has confidently confessed their bitter stories of being fooled by the flashy colors and stylish design fools of the headphones. So, here are the things to consider while choosing headphones without getting enslaved by the pretty designs and fancy contours on the headphones and ears.

Also Read: MI Headphone Comfort launched in Nepal

Form factor, portability, and comfort

Based on the ways they sit on the ears, there are basically three types of headphones. And their types can be named as, In-Ears headphones, On-Ears headphones, and Over-Ears headphones.

In-Ears headphones (In-Ear Monitors)

In-Ears headphone is the first kind of headphone, which is also known as In-Ear Monitor (IEM). They are also recognized as earphones on a regular. These kinds of headphones possess minimalist construction and are the most portable of all. The earbuds in these headphones are designed to fit meticulously into the ear canal, where it resonates soaking its users with the melodies of sound.

Because of the minimalist construction and small size, IEMs are easy to wrap and store quickly and effortlessly. These features have also made the IEMs go-to headphones when traveling and commuting. IEMs are light in weight and small in size, because of which they are effortless to carry and are comfortable to use. And to add more, IEMs are generally inexpensive. However, because of its invasive nature, they are usually unsolicited in the privy environment.

On-Ears headphones (Supra-aural headphones)

On-Ears or Supra-aural headphones are bigger than the In-Ears headphones and feature pads that go over the ears but do not cover them entirely. Since they do not cover the ears entirely, they offer small to no help when the background noises are to be avoided. Hence, they are not preferred to be used in noisy environments. Also, because of its nature to sit on the ears and squish them, they generally invite discomfort while using for a long time.

Over-Ears headphones

Over-Ears headphones are little bulkier than the two and have a tendency to cover the entire portion of the ear. They are designed in a way to fit the ears perfectly inside the ear cups. Because of such construction, the ears are not squished and they are comfortable with the use. Furthermore, this type of headphone blocks the noises and sounds in the backgrounds. It usually resists the leakage of the sound output and its closed configuration is to be hailed for it. Hence, such headphones are useful if privacy is a major concern. However, Over-Ears headphones are generally costlier than the aforementioned two and generally invites inconvenience when carried.

Also Read: Anker SoundCore nano Review: Best Bluetooth Speaker Below Rs.2,000

Controls and Pairing

This portion deals with the ways in which a media device connects to the headphones. On the basis of pairing or connectivity option, headphones can be broadly classified as wired and wireless headphones. Opting for a headphone with lightning jack when the audio device possesses 3.5mm headphone jack port is a futile attempt. So it is another basic thing to devise before going for a particular headphone.

One must also consider the privilege of control buttons while buying a headphone. Those who need changing the music and to play and pause them quite often should go for the one which possesses such designated buttons.

Wired Headphones

As the name implies, tiny cables are used to transfer the sound or musical output from the media device to the headphone. These kinds of headphones use a 3.5mm headphone jack, micro USB or a lightning jack to couple with the audio device. If you like the wired headphones better go for the tangle-free type. As the name implies, they are less prone to entanglement and this special feature does not affect their sound quality.

Wireless Headphones

Wired headphones are sometimes cumbersome to use because of the entanglement of the wires. The wired headphones also endure the misfortune of broken cables quite frequently. So, to cope such inconveniences and to increase the portability, wireless headphones were discovered.

Wireless headphones are essentially cordless in nature and they use wireless means of communication like the Bluetooth. Once paired, the audio device can transfer the sound output to the headphones directly and wirelessly headphones if their distance between them is well within the designated range.

Also Read: JBL E45BT and JBL E55BT: Your Next Wireless Headphones?

Needless to say, these type of headphones have better portability over the wired ones and are more suitable for using on outdoors and at a distance more than the length of headphones usually available. However, wireless headphones lack the sound quality of its wired counterpart. Wireless headphones also have the range and battery life issues. The wireless headphones are also prone to malfunctioning at times, as they are vulnerable to the interferences from other devices.

If the wireless headphones are your primary priority, you also need to check technologies used in the device. Wireless or Bluetooth headphones compress the sound during the transmission. These compressions usually take the essence of music and listening to the music is not entertaining. So, it is also wise to check the technology used on the headphones. For example, headphones with aptX technology are rich in audio quality and the sound output is more similar to CDs. However, for this technology to work, not only the headphones but also the audio devices should be compatible with the aptX technology.

Also Read: Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers under Rs. 10000 in Nepal

Noise cancellation

Noise cancellation is another thing to consider while buying a headphone. Noises displease the audiophiles by spoiling the fun while listening to the music. And if such consequences are to be avoided, the headphone opted for the purchase must be capable to block the noises completely. Over-ears headphones work fine most of the time on isolating the sound and the background noises. Such types of headphones, which shield the ears from the background noises because of its special construction, are called passive noise cancellation headphones. They are good to some extent but are inefficient if the background sound is loud enough to penetrate. In such scenarios, the use of an Active noise cancellation headphone proves to be helpful. Active noise cancellation headphones are the special type of headphones available in the market, which are equipped with active noise cancellation technology and specialize in canceling noises.

Active noise cancellation headphones also offer peace and quiet to the listener. Such headphones use small microphones to pick up the outside noise and produce noise in opposite frequency to suppress it. The technology does not work if the sound varies frequently as the microphone cannot pick up the sound and adjust to different frequencies in such quick instances. But if the frequency of the noise is consistent, the device can suppress even the loud droning sounds like airplane engines, factory machinery, air-conditioner hum, etc.

Active noise cancellation headphones may act as a boon to creating a peaceful environment and can even prevent the damages in eardrums in loud environments, however, they are pricey on the purchase. So, it is better to buy a headphone considering the work environment.

Frequency Response, Impedance and Driver diameter

These are the technical aspects of the headphones and if one has a proper idea of these things, finding a good headphone is not at all difficult.

Frequency Response

Frequency response is the range of bass, mids, and treble at which the headphone drivers are capable of reproducing sound from the lowest tones to the highest. It is said that humans can hear from 20Hz to 20 KHz. However, while choosing a headphone, it is better with the wider frequency response. Lower frequencies represent the bass end of the spectrum whereas the higher frequencies represent the treble end. Though these numbers are not the indicator of the quality of sound, these values help you choose the right type of headphone for your particular music type.

Impedance

Impedance is a value indicating the degree of headphone electrical resistance, which in the case of headphones signifies the voice coil resistance along with the cable resistance. Impedance is measured in ohms (Ω). Choosing low-impedance headphones ensures better efficiency as such headphones require less power to deliver high audio levels. However, using such headphones are more susceptible to blowouts when used with a more powerful amplifier. So the best way to decide your impedance is to check for the device’s impedance (on the net) and get a headphone with a better match.

Driver Diameter

Drivers or driver unit are the element inside a headphone that converts an electrical signal into the sound output. Every headphone carries tiny speaker driver inside the earplug and the size (diameter) of the driver determines the varieties of frequencies it can reproduce. The bigger the diameter, more powerful sound it produces. But it does not necessarily imply a better quality. The quality of sound depends on the quality of driver used. The size of the driver unit in In-Ear headphones (earphones) falls in the range of 8-15mm, where it goes from 20mm to 50mm in On-ears and Over-Ears headphones. If EDM (Electronic Dance Music) is your type of music, going for a bigger driver unit will be better. But if you are more of an acoustic lover, medium-sized driver unit be the best.

Brand

Sometimes, brands can be deceptive. Branded headphones are high on price but same cannot be said about the quality of sound it delivers. Branded headphones may possess alluring designs and fancy packaging but these are also the factors that make it pricey. So if the quality of sound is the primary focus while choosing headphones, it would be better not to get distracted by the brands and their fancy designs and packaging.

Check before you buy

People have their own preferences while buying products. Even in the case of headphones, some care about bass and treble balance and others do not. Since ears are the judge, one must always consider testing the headphones to identify if the sound quality of the headphone matches the personal preference. These tests also let the users know how comfortable the headphones are when are used. The fancy colors and enticing contours can be misleading and the salesperson’s cheesy lines may be deceptive. But checking the device in person clears all the muddles of doubts by divulging the truth.

Budget

Expensive headphones are obviously alluring but the budget on the pocket fixes the horizon and makes all the differences. If the quality of sound is the primary importance and there is an ample budget for the endeavor, opting for a premium one with best sound output and maximum comfort would be the key. But if there is a limited budget, a compromise has to be made between the quality, comfort, and design. Since the relationship between price and output sound quality is not proportional, an optimum choice accounting the needs, comfort, and price should be made. The durability, portability, cables (replaceable, tangle-free, etc.) are also things to consider while choosing headphones.

[socialpoll id=”2481216″]

Nokia launches Nokia 7.2, Nokia 6.2, and Nokia 2720 flip phone at IFA 2019

GadgetByte

-

September 6, 2019

0

Nokia launches Nokia 7.2, Nokia 6.2, and Nokia 2720 flip phone at IFA 2019

After the launch of its flagship Nokia 9 PureView, we haven’t heard much from Nokia except for its budget phones. But the company is back on track once again. HMD Global selected the grand stage of IFA 2019 this time around, where it launched three new phones. Among the three, Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2 are the mid-range phones from the company whereas the Nokia 2720 flip phone is an entry-level device, which promises to bring back nostalgia.

Nokia 7.2 Overview

The Nokia 7.2 is the most premium smartphone among the three launched in IFA 2019. And the major highlight here is the camera. The phone packs a triple camera setup on a circular terrain on the back. Because of the circular island, the device looks somewhat like a Motorola product. But unlike the Moto devices, the Nokia 7.2 carries Zeiss branding in proximity to the camera module.

The rear camera module embraces a 48MP main camera, which actually captures 12MP images with 4-in-1 pixel binning. The primary shooter is HDR enabled, which stacks up to 6 photos to enhance the dynamic range on the captured images. On the low-light setting, the phone combines up to 20 photos when the night mode is turned on.

Alongside the primary shooter come an 8MP ultra-wide-angle-lens and a 5MP depth sensor. The 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens extends the field of view up to 118-degrees. Similarly, the 5MP depth sensor pulls in depth information while capturing the portrait images. The portrait mode on the handset also comes with some Zeiss-branded effects like Modern, Swirl, and Smooth, which basically manipulates the blurring.

On to the front, there is a 20MP selfie snapper, which also merges 4 pixels into 1. And just like the rear cameras, this one too comes with Zeiss branding. And this selfie rests on the top of the display in a tiny waterdrop style notch. It is surrounded by a 6.3-inch IPS display, which comes with Full-HD+ resolution. The display on the device also happens to be HDR 10 compliant, which ensures rich color tones.

Powering the device is the Snapdragon 660 chipset, which is a two-year-old chip. Nokia used the same SoC in last year’s Nokia 7 Plus. So no any sort of upgrades on this front. On to the memory side of things, there are 4/64GB and 6/128GB options. As for the battery, a 3500mAh unit keeps the device running.

The software is the strong suit of Nokia phones. And like all the previous Android phones from Nokia, this one too comes stock version of Android with no bloatware at all. This one, in particular, comes with Android Pie. Google has promised to provide OS upgrade for 2 years and monthly security upgrades for up to 3 years.

Nokia 7.2 Specifications:

Display: 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection; HDR 10 Compliant; Always-on Display
Resolution: Full-HD+ (1080 x 2280 pixels); 19:9 ratio @ 400 PPI
Chipset: Snapdragon 660
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.2 GHz Kryo 260 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260)
GPU: Adreno 512
OS: Stock Android Pie (v9.0), planned upgrade to Android Q (v10)
RAM: 4/6GB
Storage: 64/128GB, expandable up to 512GB via SD card (Dedicated slot)
Rear Camera: Triple camera: (48 MP, f/1.8, PDAF) + (8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultra-wide-angle)) + (5MP Depth Sensor), LED flash
Front Camera: 20MP, f/2.0
Sensors: Fingerprint (Rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery: 3500mAh battery; supports 10-watt charging; USB Type-C port
Color Options: Cyan Green, Charcoal and Ice
Price: €300 (4/64GB)

Nokia 6.2

Nokia 6.2 is basically a toned-down version of the 7.2. Except for the cameras and processor, all the features are basically the same.

Talking about the camera, Nokia 6.2 boasts a 16MP primary camera. Although it can perform photo stacking to capture the HDR shots like the Nokia 7.2, there will be no pixel binning on this one. So you will get true 16MP images from this one. Alongside the primary shooter, you get an 8MP ultra-wide-angle module and a 5MP depth sensor just like on the Nokia 7.2.

But it’s not just the primary rear camera that got demoted. Even the resolution of the selfie camera has been slash down here. The front shooter on this model gets an 8MP snapper with no pixel binning of any sort. As for the performance, there is Snapdragon 636 coupled with 3GB or 4GB of RAM.

Nokia 6.2 Specifications:

Display: 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection; HDR 10 Compliant; Always-on Display
Resolution: Full-HD+ (1080 x 2280 pixels); 19:9 ratio @ 400 PPI
Chipset: Snapdragon 636
CPU: Octa-core 1.8 GHz Kyro 260 CPU
GPU: Adreno 509
OS: Stock Android Pie (v9.0), planned upgrade to Android Q (v10)
RAM: 3/4GB
Storage: 32/64/128GB, expandable up to 512GB via SD card (Dedicated slot)
Rear Camera: Triple camera: (16 MP, f/1.8, PDAF) + (8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultra-wide-angle)) + (5MP Depth Sensor), LED flash
Front Camera: 20MP, f/2.0
Sensors: Fingerprint (Rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery: 3500mAh battery; supports 10-watt charging; USB Type-C port
Color Options: Ceramic Black and Ice
Price: €200 (3/32GB) | €250 (4/64GB)

Nokia 2720 Flip Phone

Every year Nokia brings an iconic model, which reminds us of the glorious old Nokia days. And this time, it was the Nokia 2720 Flip phone to bring back the nostalgia.

Nokia 2720 Flip phone is the company’s fresh take on Nokia’s original 2720 fold. But this time with the modern features. The phone supports with 4G connectivity and comes with modern apps like Google Assistant, YouTube, Facebook, and Whatsapp on the board.

The phone features a sleek design with a dual display. The front display has a 1.3-inch, which shows notifications about any incoming calls or the messages. On flipping inside, you can find a 2.8-inch display. The phone boots on KaiOS with support for the majority of modern-day apps. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 205 processor and you get 512MB RAM under the hood. There is also 4GB internal memory, which can be expanded up to 64GB via dedicated SD card. Furthermore, you get a 2MP camera on the rear panel, which comes alongside an LED flash.

Like the classic Nokia 2720, you also get the feature to answer the phone calls by opening the phone and to hang up calls by snapping the phone shut. And like all the traditional Nokia phones this one too comes with promising battery life. HMD Global says the 1500mAh unit on this one will last to an impressive 27 days at standby. The price of the device is set at EUR 89 (~ $98).

Honor 20s and Honor Play 3 launched with 48MP triple camera setup

GadgetByte

-

September 5, 2019

0

Honor garnered quite a lot of success with its Honor 20 series smartphones. The company managed to sell 1 million units of Honor 20 alone just in a matter of two weeks. Maybe to repeat that success, the company has added yet another device in its Honor 20 series lineup in the form of Honor 20s. The newly launched Honor 20s is basically the toned-down version of the Honor 20. But apart from the Honor 20s, Honor also launched a budget-oriented Honor Play 3.

Honor 20s

The Honor 20s highly resembles with the vanilla Honor 20 in terms of looks. The phone packs a 6.26-inch IPS display with a tiny punch hole cutout on the top-left corner. When it comes to resolution, Honor 20s boasts a Full-HD+ resolution in the elongated 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

Also Read: Huawei Nova 5T with Kirin 980 processor & quad-camera setup launching soon in Nepal

The camera is growing as a strong on all the recent Huawei and Honor phones. The flagship Honor 20 Pro managed to get a noteworthy 111 points sharing the position with the OnePlus 7 Pro. Honor 20s, being a member of the same Honor 20 series family, we can expect a notable camera prowess. And even its setup looks quite promising. The phone packs a triple camera setup, which comprises of a 48MP main shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro lens. Similarly, on the front, you get a 32MP selfie snapper.

The biggest thing that differentiates the vanilla Honor 20 and the 20s is the processor. Honor 20 had the flagship-grade Kirin 980 processor. But on the 20s, Honor swapped the Kirin 980 with Kirin 810. So you can expect some drop in performance during the side-by-side testing. On to the memory front, the phone comes in 6/128GB and 8/128GB variants with no support for storage expansion.

On to the security front, there is a fingerprint scanner and the Face Unlock feature. But unlike the competitors, who are into in-display fingerprint scanner bandwagon, Honor has mounted the scanner on the side. Also, the phone lacks a 3.5mm headphone, which can still be a bummer for the audiophiles.

As for the battery, the phone powers with a 3750mAh battery, which supports 20-watt fast charging.

Specifications:

Display: 6.26-inch IPS LCD display with a punch-hole cutout
Resolution: Full HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio @ 412 PPI
Rear Camera: Triple-camera setup – (48 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide) with PDAF) + (8 MP Ultra-wide (13mm) with f/2.2) + 2 MP, f/2.4 dedicated macro camera
Front Camera: 32 MP lens with f/2.0
Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 810; 7nm platform
CPU: Octa-core (2×2.27 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×1.88 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU: Mali-G52 MP6
RAM: 6/8 GB
Storage: 128 GB internal memory, No memory card for storage expansion
OS & UI: Android 9 Pie with Magic UI 2.1
Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery: 3750mAh, 20-Watt Fast charging support

Also Read: Honor Mobiles Price in Nepal

Honor 20s Price & Availability

The phone is up for sale in various online stores in China like VMall, Tmall, and JD.com. Talking about the price, the 6/128GB variant demands CNY 1,900 in its home nation, which translates to around $265/€240 (NPR 30,500). Similarly, the 8/128GB model is priced at CNY 2200 (~ $310 / NPR 35500).

Honor Play 3

When Honor launched the Honor Play, it was considered a flagship killer at that time. The phone had flagship processor and some other top-of-the-line specs. But the newly launched Honor Play 3, which supposedly is the successor of the Honor Play lacks all of those traits. Honor Play 3 is basically a budget-oriented device, which happens to come with a triple camera setup at the back.

The camera module on the rear panel packs a 48MP primary shooter, which happens to be the common features among the smartphones in 2019. An 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP depth sensor complete its triple-cam setup. Similarly, an 8MP selfie snapper rests on the front.

Talking about the front, the houses a 6.39-inch IPS display with a punch-hole cutout on the top. And it probably is the least expensive smartphone to have such kind of display. However, the display comes with merely HD+ resolution.

The Performance part of the device is handled by Kirin 710F chipset with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM at its disposal. On the memory side, the phone comes in 64GB and 128GB options. Additionally, you get an SD card slot, which lets you expand the storage even further.

Color Variants

1 of 3

The phone is enriched with a sizable 4000mAh battery with support for 10-watt charging. Although Honor has claimed the device to be water-resistant, it just comes with IP5x certification. IP5x certification means that the phone is merely resistant to dust.

Specifications:

Display: 6.39-inch IPS LCD display with a punch-hole cutout
Resolution: HD+ (720 x 1560 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio @ 269 PPI
Rear Camera: Triple-camera setup – (48 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide) with PDAF) + (8 MP Ultra-wide (13mm) with f/2.2) + 2 MP, f/2.4 depth sensor
Front Camera: 8 MP lens with f/2.0
Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 710F; 12nm platform
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.2 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
GPU: Mali-G51 MP4
RAM: 4/6 GB
Storage: 64/128 GB internal memory, Expandable up to 1TB via Micro SD card slot
OS & UI: Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9.1
Sensors: Fingerprint (Rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
Battery: 4000mAh, 10-Watt charging support

Honor Play 3 Price & Availability

The Honor Play 3 will cost CNY 1,000 for the 4/64GB model (~ $140/€125). The other variants i.e. 6/64GB and 4/128GB cost the same (CNY 1,300). The device will be available for pre-orders starting from September 10 and the first units will start shipping from September 17.

How is AI evolving in Nepal? An in-depth look at the AI Expo Nepal 2019

AI
Featured

GadgetByte

-

September 4, 2019

0

How is AI evolving in Nepal? An in-depth look at the AI Expo Nepal 2019

Nepal’s first and biggest AI Expo happened on August 24^th, 2019 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza. AI Expo Nepal 2019, a joint initiation by Fusemachines and Artificial Intelligence for Development (AID) aimed to showcase the best AI projects/papers from academia and industry. More than 2000 people attended the event which came to as a surprise and marked a significant period in history. The expo featured about 20 projects from academia and industries with each project focused on interesting use cases.

The event commenced with a keynote address from Dr. Sameer Maskey, Founder and CEO of Fusemachines where he talked about democratizing AI and officially announced his campaign ‘AI Shikshya for Nepal’ which aims to empower students, AI engineers and researchers all over Nepal. The event followed up with two plenary discussions consisting of panelists and moderators sharing their thoughts on integrating AI and AI for national development which then followed up with an address by Chief Guest Minister of Education, Science, and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel and then followed by learning sessions on AI.

The plenary discussions highlighted major concerns, shortcomings, challenges, plans, and policies concerning AI in Nepal. The discussions pointed out a major design flaw in existing systems in the government sector where the systems are fragmented and lack integration among other systems. The discussion also helped shed some light on the need for policies on data and security.

In ‘Learning Sessions’ senior engineers from Fusemachines and AID presented attendees with key concepts on Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing. In case anyone missed the event, AI Expo Nepal has listed a range of learning resources where one can teach themselves and sharpen their skills in AI.

The exhibition stalls were the main center of attraction about this expo as it featured some interesting projects and added a new perspective on intelligent systems and its application areas. The 20 projects featured in this expo is actually the condensed version. The selection, elimination, and mentoring projects from idea and prototype to a minimum viable product lasted for about 3 months prior to the main event, the AI Expo. Here I’ll discuss some of the projects featured in the expo based on my interaction with teams:

Attendance with Facial Recognition

This project identifies students in a classroom and takes attendance recognizing their faces via CCTV cameras. The algorithm recognizes faces on certain predefined intervals based on which it sets attendance as present in class. The technology they used for this project is TensorFlow library with machine learning models such as SSD (Single Shot Multibox Detector): used for object detection and FaceNet: used for facial recognition.

For this application to identify faces it needs an image source of students as a dataset and trains the algorithm based on the classified data. As the number of students will vary, the data collection and training of the algorithm might take a significant amount of time. Also, the quality of the CCTV camera plays a vital role in the performance of the algorithm to correctly identify faces, the same with the latency due to internet speed. Based on their demo footage, their application detected facial geometry but not the person in the face, upon which they added the feature could be integrated in the future.

Learn about SSD and FaceNet here:
Building a face recognition system with FaceNet
Understand Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) and Implement It in Pytorch
Tensorflow Face Detector

Prevention Road Kill

The main purpose of this project is to detect objects and track lane in a highway and prevent a car from a collision. This project makes use of deep learning algorithm such as Convolutional Neural Networks (ConvNet/CNN) to detect objects from video frames and prevent collision.

The limiting factor for this project is it requires a lot of training data and based on their presentation it seemed the project needed a lot of work to be done.

Learn about ConvNet here:
Deep-dive into Convolutional Networks

Savior of the Heart

This project is a desktop application that takes various input parameters from the user and predicts their risk score of having any heart-related diseases within a 10 years’ time interval along with health status of the heart with prevention measures based on their status. This project uses a machine learning model such as Random Forest Regression and SVM Regression.

As promising this project sounds, this could be a good fit for clinical labs and hospitals as they have a wide range of data from patients. As this application deals with critical data, the result it predicts is critical too. If this results in too many false positives then this could have a major impact on the patient’s psychology. This concern was acknowledged by the team and they stressed the fact that for this application to perform well it needs to be trained on health data from Nepal.

Learn about Random Forest Regression and SVM Regression here:
Random Forest Regression
Understanding Support Vector Machine Regression

Essay Grader

This application auto grades human written essays based on the number of datasets, i.e. a wide variety of essays it’s trained with. The project is based on Natural Language Processing (NLP), a subfield of AI concerned with interactions between computers and human languages.

According to the team, this model can help grade essays in standardized tests like IELTS writing test and GRE. Moreover, it can also be used to grade essay written by students in school which could save a lot of time for teachers. There are some limitations though, the model is not well trained as it lacks actual academic datasets and the results might be biased, in case, if the sample assays for training were marked inconsistently. They acknowledged the model is not perfectly ready to score essay better than humans but it does give a sense where the essay score stands in a range of 0 to 12.

Learn about NLP here:
Your Guide to Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Music Generation with Nepali music

This project aimed to generate polyphonic music from a model trained on Nepali music. The model was based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM); a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) architecture.

The primary objectives are:
– Inspiration for aspiring composers.
– No Copyright Music for use in YouTube videos.

The team explained they learned about music theory, explored restricted Boltzmann machines, LSTM based networks, simple Markov models and experimented with LSTM model with attention for polyphonic music generation.

Based on their demo, the application was able to generate music but the melody was just a random one based on a diatonic scale that lacked motif and context. Overall, it was a decent effort.

Learn about LSTMs here:
A Beginner’s Guide to LSTMs and Recurrent Neural Networks

Real-Time Vehicle Tracking and Recognition (RTVTR)

This prototype was developed by Inspiring Lab Pvt. Ltd., an AI startup. RTVTR is a computer vision application that recognizes characters in Nepali number plates. Initially, an image frame is captured from a CCTV camera and passed through a prediction model to extract the region from the frame consisting of a license plate. This plate image is then passed through an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) model for prediction of Nepali characters. Additional features include recognition of different types of vehicles, vehicle count, flagging and identifying specified vehicles and detection analytics.

According to the team, the purpose of developing this system was aimed towards solving traffic congestion and surveillance, parking system and time card management, as well as toll booth collection problems prevalent in the urban landscape of Nepal.

Learn about computer vision and OCR here:
A Gentle Introduction to Computer Vision
A Gentle Introduction to OCR

Winners of the AI Expo Nepal 2019

Based on the selection criteria, out of 20 projects, three winning projects were selected:

Real-Time Vehicle Tracking and Recognition (RTVTR)
GhumGham
Polyphonic Music Generation with RNN

The event ended with closing remarks by Mr. Kshitiz Rimal, Head of Research at AID, and Photo Session.

Conclusion

This expo proved that there are AI talents here among us waiting for the opportunity to showcase their skills. The participating teams also highlighted a major limitation which hindered their projects due to lack of availability of local datasets, as a result, they had to rely on sample datasets from the internet. As AI is built on top of data, the more data is fed to the algorithm, the better the performance. Also, the overwhelming number of 2000+ attendees showed that people are interested in AI and want to learn more about it and embrace change. The plenary discussions showed that government needs to step up and embrace change as well and integrate their available infrastructure with modern technology, scalable architecture and artificial intelligence.

Daraz Dashain Dhamaka: Offers on products & exclusive discounts on Holiday Packages

GadgetByte

-

September 3, 2019

0

Daraz Dashain Dhamaka: Offers on products & exclusive discounts on Holiday Packages

Daraz, the leading e-commerce website in Nepal doesn’t miss any chance when it comes to bringing offers in the festive season. And as Dashain, the greatest festival of Hindus is approaching, Daraz brought ‘Dashain Dhamaka’ campaign with plenty of offers at its sleeves.

Previously, Daraz had brought plenty of offer campaigns like the Shake your A** and the Mobile Week 2019. But this one would be quite different. Like all the previous offers, there will be some massive discounts on the products and some exclusive offers on the selected ones. In addition to those regular deals, there are also some exclusive discounts on the Samsara Holiday Packages. The campaign will start from 29^th Bhadra (15^th September) and will last till the 5^th of Asoj (22^nd September).

Visit Daraz Dashain Dhamaka Here

In such campaigns, offering discounts has been the norm of Daraz. But in this Daraz Dashain Dhamaka, there will be more to look out for.

In the festive seasons, every brand brings its own schemes. But Daraz has promised to bring better deals and they will place such lucrative deals on the Mega Deals segment. Similarly, the products receiving massive price drops are said to be kept under the Hot Picks category.

In addition to that, there will be Maha Dakshina and Crazy Dakshina, which are nothing but the catchy name for the discount vouchers. And talking about the vouchers, Daraz hasn’t missed out on Collectible Vouchers, Mystery Boxes and Shake Shake offer.

Furthermore, there is a card payment system, which we already saw in Mobile Week 2019. And with the card payment, you can get a discount of up to 20% with the discount amount not exceeding Rs. 2,500. So you get an extra bit discount there too.

These kinds of deals and discounts make the Daraz Dashain Dhamaka already sound lucrative. To top it all, there is a lucky draw offer, where every buyer during the campaign will receive an entry. And the Bumper Prize in the lucky draw is the TVS Apache RTR 160 motorbike.

Samsung Galaxy A90 5G goes official: A midrange phone with flagship specs

GadgetByte

-

September 3, 2019

0

Samsung Galaxy A90 5G goes official: A midrange phone with flagship specs

Samsung launched a vast number of smartphones this year. And that happened mostly in the midrange segment. With its M-series and A-series smartphones, the South Korean tech giant populated every small corner of the midrange and budget segment. Despite having over a dozen of smartphones in that segment before the end of Q3, the smartphone maker isn’t done yet. Samsung yet again launched a new premium midrange device expanding its A-series lineup. But unlike all the previous A-series devices, the recently-launched Samsung Galaxy A90 5G comes with a flagship chipset and a 5G connectivity.

Overview:

The most striking thing on the phone is its capability for the 5G connectivity. And that’s what set the A90 5G apart from its A-series siblings. The Galaxy A90 5G also happens to be the fourth smartphone in Samsung’s lineup to have the 5G modem on the board.

To unleash its 5G capability, Samsung also had to include the flagship-tier Snapdragon 855 processor. To complement the performance, 6/8GB RAM has been provided. Talking about the storage, the phone comes only with the 128GB storage. And it’s quite strange that there is an SD card slot only on the 6GB RAM variant.

1 of 2

While looking at other specs of the phone, the Samsung Galaxy A90 5G highly resembles with the Galaxy A70. The Galaxy A90 5G features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Display with a U-shaped notch on the top.

The infinity-U display on the device gets Full-HD+ resolution in the weird 20:9 aspect ratio. And like all the Samsung’s premium mid-rangers out there, A90 5G also comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Although the type of fingerprint scanner is yet kept a secret, it is probably an optical one like that on the Galaxy A50 and A80.

As for the cameras, the phone flaunts a triple camera setup on the back, which seems like a norm in 2019. The camera module embraces a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 5MP depth sensor. Similarly, on the selfie front, there is a 32MP snapper tucked neatly inside the notch. The A90 5G also comes with built-in features like Super Steady, Scene Optimizer and Flaw Detector for the rear cameras, where the front one boasts a Live Focus Mode.

Samsung has tried to generously provide top-grade features on the device. And in that context, the South Korean smartphone maker has added Samsung DeX support. And that made the A90 5G the first one to feature that impressive feature on the A-series family. Furthermore, there is a sizable 4500mAh battery with 25-watt fast charging support.

Also Read: Samsung Mobiles Price in Nepal

Samsung Galaxy A90 5G Specifications:

Display: 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-U display
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2400×1080 pixels); 20:9 aspect ratio @ 393PPI
Chipset: Snapdragon 855
CPU: Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485)
GPU: Adreno 640
RAM: 6/8GB
Storage: 128GB; Expandable up to 512GB (on 6GB variant only)
OS & UI: Android 9.0 (Pie) with Samsung’s OneUI on the top
Rear Camera: Triple camera – (48 MP, f/2.0, PDAF) + (8 MP, f/2.2, 12mm, (ultrawide)) + (5 MP, f/2.2, depth sensor), LED flash
Front Camera: 32MP, f/2.0
Sensors: Fingerprint (under display), Gyro, accelerometer, proximity, compass
Battery: 4500mAh with 25watt fast charging support; USB Type-C port
Colors: White and Black

Price & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A90 5G is said to be available in South Korea starting tomorrow and it will expand to other market as well. But that will happen shortly after. Although Samsung hasn’t officially spoken anything about its price but there has been rumors that the phone would cost 899,800 Won on Korea, which translates to $740. If it’s true the Galaxy A90 5G would be one of the least expensive phone to have a 5G connectivity.

Vivo Y12 with Triple rear camera, 5000mAh battery launched in Nepal

GadgetByte

-

September 1, 2019

0

Vivo Y12 with Triple rear camera, 5000mAh battery launched in Nepal

Vivo has launched a new mid-range phone, the Vivo Y12 in Nepal. It is among the first device to flaunts a triple camera setup at this price range. But a lot of things have changed in 2020 and the smartphone market has been competitive more than it has ever been. So can Vivo Y12 compete against the new contenders in the market? Let’s learn more about the phone.

Vivo Y12 Overview

Design

The Vivo Y12 features a large 6.35″ IPS Halo Full View display with a tear-drop notch. The screen here comes with HD+ resolution, just like on the Y17. Even in terms of design and looks, it again highly resembles with the Y17. The screen is large but the limitation is its HD+ resolution. The company has not revealed any kind of Gorilla glass protection.

Camera

One of the exciting things about this phone is a triple camera setup for the budget price. The triple camera setup comprises of a 13 MP lens, an 8 MP ultrawide and a 2 MP depth sensor. Of course, even with triple lenses, we can’t expect very high results with a phone of this price range. Also, it’s selfie camera is an 8 MP shooter with AI support.

Performance and Memory

Furthermore, the phone runs on the modest Helio P22 chipset, and there are two memory options available – 3 / 32 GB and 4 / 64 GB. The version that’s launching in Nepal has 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with a dedicated microSD card slot.

Battery and others

And another nice feature about this phone is its 5000 mAh battery, which, with its specs should last more than 2 days easily. Charging is done via micro-USB and there’s no fast charging as well. In addition, there’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. On the software front, it runs on Android 9.0 Pie with VIVO’s custom UI FunTouch OS 9.0. Color Option includes Burgundy Red and Aqua Blue.

Also Read: Best Smartphones Under Rs.25,000 in Nepal

Vivo Y12 Specifications:

Display: 6.35″ IPS LCD display, Halo FullView with HD+ resolution
OS: FunTouch 9 on top of Android 9
Rear Camera: Triple, 13 MP Primary with f/2.2 + 8 MP with f/2.2 and 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: Singe. 8 MP with f/2.2 aperture
Chipset: MediaTek Helio P22
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 64 GB; microSD up to 256GB
SIM: Dual (4G+4G)
Battery: 5000 mAh

Also Read: Vivo Mobiles Price in Nepal

Vivo Y12 Price in Nepal & Availability

The new official price of Vivo Y12 in Nepal is Rs. 21,590. You can buy the device from both offline and online shops in Nepal and many of them do offer some discounts over the marked price.

Model Name	Old Price	New Price in Nepal
Vivo Y12 (3/64GB)	Rs 20,990	Rs.21,590

Although the phone offers a big battery and triple cameras, you will get better performance, high-res FullHD display, and better cameras with Redmi Note 8.

However, what do you think of Vivo Y12? Are triple cameras in a budget phone a very compelling feature? Or will you skip this because it’s not going to be good enough, anyway? Do let us know.

Also, Watch VIVO Y17 Review:

Teaser released for the Vivo Nex 3; sports a waterfall display

GadgetByte

-

August 29, 2019

0

Teaser released for the Vivo Nex 3; sports a waterfall display

New teasers have started flowing in for the latest Vivo flagship. Labeled as the Vivo Nex 3, the device will probably launch sometime next month. But what’s the hype about this device you say? Well, for starters, the device sports the worlds first waterfall display.

Vivo Nex 3 Overview:

The waterfall display is basically a fancy term for a device with edge screen. Galaxy Edge devices have implemented such a screen for a long time. However, in a video, the popular Youtuber Mrwhosetheboss claims that the edged display is more in this device. In Nex 3 it is almost 45% more than devices that are already available. Now, that’s huge!

In the video, we can see that the device does not have any notch. So, sticking to the on-going trend, the device must have a motorized pop-up front camera. Furthermore, as one would expect from a Nex device, the bezels are all thinned out. And as mentioned before, the display is extremely curved. This thereby gives the device its prized “waterfall” effect.

Also Read: Vivo Mobiles Price in Nepal

Aside from its huge display, the phone does not have any physical buttons either. Their replacement? Capacitive buttons. These capacitive buttons have haptic feedback. No need for buttons. Pressing on the capacitive buttons supposedly gives one the feel of pressing an actual button. The haptic feedback in the specified place analyses your fingers motion when placed over them. And then perform the necessary task. However, there is a small power button on the top rim of the phone.

No particular details about the phone were disclosed in the teaser video by Mrwhosetheboss. However, he did test the devices 5G capabilities, camera, and its general performance. 5G as many of us no is really fast. And the Nex 3 has it. Furthermore, as the device has a waterfall display, anything you capture will seamlessly fit into your screen. Nevertheless, the camera details are not mentioned at all.

From the teaser, the device looks exciting to me. But the waterfall display comes with its own set of disadvantages too. Huge edge display probably means a lot of accidental touches. But we cannot say anything with certainty right, now can we? We’ll have to wait until the device officially launches before giving the final verdict.

OPPO launches three Reno smartphones- Reno 2, Reno 2Z and Reno 2F!

Pratima Adhikari

-

August 29, 2019

0

OPPO launches three Reno smartphones- Reno 2, Reno 2Z and Reno 2F!

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO has unveiled three variants of the OPPO Reno in India. The phones are named OPPO Reno 2, OPPO Reno 2Z and OPPO Reno 2F. The Reno 2 has the highest of the specs among the three followed by Reno 2Z and Reno 2F. The three phones differ mostly in terms of display size, processors and camera modules.

First, let’s look at what’s similar in all three phones. All three of them come with 8 GB of DDR4X RAM. The Reno 2 and Reno 2Z comes with 256 GB memory respectively while the 2F has 128 GB storage. All three devices flaunt an ultra-fast UFS 2.1 storage. So you are gonna get better read/write speeds with these devices. All the phones also come with quad-camera setup at the back. But, these differ in the configuration and the sensor type.

None of the three have a notch for the selfie camera as all of them feature motorized pop-up selfie cameras. The OPPO Reno 2 has a shark fin-like selfie camera following the legacy of its predecessor while the other two, the Reno 2Z and Reno 2F have a centrally- faced pop-up selfie camera.

Likewise, the trio features Android 9 Pie out of the box with ColorOS 6 on top. All are backed by 4,000 mAh batteries and support 20-watt VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge technology.

But like mentioned earlier, there are slight differences between the three in terms of camera specs. The Reno 2 comes with optically and electronically stabilized 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, a 13 MP telephoto lens (that supports up to 5x Hybrid Zoom), an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2MP Monochrome sensor for capturing depth information.

Also read: OPPO Mobiles Price in Nepal

The Reno 2Z however, has a quad-camera setup comprising of an electronically stabilized 48MP Sony sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP Mono lens, and a 2MP portrait sensor.

The Reno 2F sports a 48 MP Samsung GM1 sensor accompanied by the other three sensors same as the 2Z.

Power-wise too these three are different. The Reno 2 is powered by Snapdragon 730G, which is designed especially for gaming. The Reno 2Z and 2F are powered by MediaTek chipsets, namely the Helio P90 and P70 respectively.

Oppo Reno 2 Specifications:

Display: 6.5-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 6
CPU: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
GPU: Adreno 618
OS: Android Pie (v9.0) with ColorOS 6
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB
Rear camera: Quad, 48 MP primary with f/1.7 aperture (Sony IMX 586) + 13 MP Telephoto with f/2.4 aperture, 8 MP ultra-wide with f/2.2 aperture + 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 16 MP motorized pop-up selfie camera
Battery: 4,000mAh with 20-Watt VOOC Flash charge
SIM(s): Dual Hybrid SIM
Sensors: Fingerprint (under-display), Accelerometer, Gyro, proximity, compass

Oppo Reno 2Z Specifications:

Display: 6.53-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
CPU: Octa-core Mediatek Helio P90 (12 nm)
GPU: PowerVR GM9446
OS: Android Pie (v9.0) with ColorOS 6
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB
Rear camera: Quad, 48 MP primary with f/1.7 aperture (Sony IMX 586 Sensor) + 8 MP ultra-wide with f/2.2 aperture, 2MP Monochrome sensor+ 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 16 MP f/2.0 motorized pop-up selfie camera
Battery: 4,000mAh with 20-Watt VOOC Flash charge
SIM(s): Dual Hybrid SIM
Sensors: Fingerprint (under-display), Accelerometer, Gyro, proximity, compass

Oppo Reno 2F Specifications:

Display: 6.53-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
CPU: Octa-core Mediatek Helio P70 (12 nm)
GPU: Mali-G72 MP3
OS: Android Pie (v9.0) with ColorOS 6
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB
Rear camera: Quad, 48 MP primary with f/1.8 aperture (GM1 sensor) + 8 MP ultra-wide with f/2.2 aperture, 2MP Monochrome sensor+ 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 16 MP f/2.0 motorized pop-up selfie camera
Battery: 4,000mAh with 20-Watt VOOC Flash charge
SIM(s): Dual Hybrid SIM
Sensors: Fingerprint (under-display), Accelerometer, Gyro, proximity, compass

Oppo Reno 2, Reno 2Z, and Reno 2F Price:

The company has launched smartphones in India and are going to be sold through Amazon, Flipkart, and OPPO partner stores in India. As of now, there is no official confirmation on the pricing of these phones yet!

Also Watch: Oppo Reno 10X Zoom Edition Vs OnePlus 7 Pro camera Comparison

Cam Scanner removed from Play Store: Found infected with Malware

Pratima Adhikari

-

August 28, 2019

0

Cam Scanner removed from Play Store: Found infected with Malware

Nothing is 100% safe anymore. Researchers have found a Trojan-Dropper malicious virus hidden inside Cam scanner, an Android app with more than 100 million downloads on Google Play Store! The malware was found by two Kaspersky security researchers, Igor Golovin, and Anton Kiva. The app was following a series of negative reviews for the last few months and while researching for the cause, the team of two found the faulty virus.

Cam scanner is a free app on the Google Play store that turns an Android mobile device into a portable scanner. It scans and manages documents, receipts, bills, business cards, certificates and so on.

The intrusive module so identified in Cam scanner is a Trojan virus called Trojan-Dropper. It can extract and run a second malicious component accommodated within the app. This can be leveraged to infect people’s devices with other kinds of malware.

Also Read: Using FaceApp: Do you have to worry about Privacy?

What happens when you download and run the Cam Scanner app is, the dropper decrypts and executes malicious code contained in a “mutter zip” file present inside of the app before downloading encrypted code from the control server.

The virus functions to download and launch a payload from other malicious servers, hence infecting your device. As a result, the owners of the malicious module can use an infected device to their benefit by showing the victim unwanted advertisements and maybe even stealing money from their mobile accounts by charging paid subscriptions.

But thankfully, the virus did not reside in the code of Cam Scanner app itself, instead, it’s part of a 3rd party advertising library that was recently included in the app.

After discovering such intrusive activities, the researchers promptly reported the findings to Google, who then removed the app from its Play Store. Similarly, the app developers have reportedly gotten rid of the virus and with the latest update of Cam Scanner. However, if you are running the previous version of the app, the virus might still be contained in the app, say the researchers.

But, if anyone is using the paid version of the app which does not include 3rd party advertising, then those people are safe from the infectious module as reported by the developers.

So, the conclusion that can be drawn from this is that any app, even if it is from the most trusted store, even the ones with trusted reviews can turn into malware overnight. So, your safety is in your hands. Everybody is strongly advised to always keep a good antivirus app on your Android device to detect and block such malicious activities before they can infect your device.

Also, one should keep a check for the latest reviews of the app and verify app permissions before installing any application.