According to reports, the Federal Trade Commission and Google have finalized a settlement in its investigation into YouTube. YouTube was facing an accusation for violating federal kid’s data privacy laws and seems like a huge fine is imminent.
The investigation finds that Google inadequately protected kids who used its video-streaming services and improperly collected their data in breach of the COPPA. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prohibits the tracking and targeting of users younger than age 13. (But tracking the data of anyone older is totally fine, it seems…)
They have not disclosed the exact amount of the fine yet. However, we can speculate that this will set Google back with millions of dollars. The case now rests on the hands of the Justice Department. This is still not good news for Google because the Justice Department rarely upends the FTC’s settlements.
Privacy advocates have filed years of complaints about YouTube to the FTC. There are allegations that YouTube is directing some of the most popular streaming channels (meant for people over age 13) towards children. They include videos featuring nursery rhymes, cartoons and people opening kid’s toys. The agency spokesperson Cathy MacFarlane and Google spokesperson Chris Dale, however, have declined to comment on the investigation.
The fine is potentially small when comparing it to Google’s annual revenue. But, this allegation still carries broad legal risks for both the tech giants and the rest of the industry. Many popular online services also shared these cases raised by privacy advocates. Instagram, Snapchat and even games like Fortnite have also shown support to the case.
The settlement also arrives at a moment when the FTC has embarked to rethink how it enforces COPPA. Joe Simons, FTC’s chairperson, announced his intentions to update the process this week. Among the FTC’s concerns are websites, video games, and other services. Primarily those, that are not explicitly marketed to children but still attract large numbers of young users.
During the course of the FTC’s investigation, Google has explored ways to change how YouTube handles children’s videos. That has included changes to the algorithms that determine which videos YouTube queues up next.
Remember when very few liked Samsung’s heavy UI? Well, those days are gone, with their advent of One UI. They refurbished their User Interface with One UI – making it look fresher, smoother and more lightweight. And we have seen it incorporated in various Galaxy smartphones launched in 2019. Later, Samsung also introduced One UI in its smartwatch lineup.
Now, new reports suggest that Samsung will introduce One UI 2.0 with the Android Q. Of course, the one to get it first is the unannounced Galaxy S11 smartphone, with a One UI 2.1 update. Firstly, the One UI 1.0 was introduced with Android Pie and 1.1 version with the Galaxy S10 series.
For now, there is not much information regarding the new features of One UI 2.0. However, it is expected to include Digital Well-being improvements that Google announced earlier this year. The update is also expected to include Live Caption feature, Smart Reply for notification, Focus mode which is designed to help users focus without distraction and other core Android Q features.
Also, the company is expected to launch Android Q update soon. The company might also add more features to the One UI 2.0.
All of the speculations and doubts will soon be over, however. As we will probably have more information revealed to us in the coming months.
The wait is over. After a lot of rumors here and there, Asus ROG Phone II is here. Even before its official unveiling, the hype was heavy for this phone. Now that it’s finally here, let’s see how what this gaming beast has for offer. And what will be the expected price of Asus ROG Phone II in Nepal.
Asus ROG Phone II Overview
A 120Hz screen coupled with the huge array of accessories, the phone aims to bring the ultimate mobile gaming experience. This spec-heavy device uses an overclocked Snapdragon 855 Plus, has a 6.59″ AMOLED screen and a huge battery of 6,000mAh among others.
Even before the release, we knew Asus was going all in for this device. It first announced the 120Hz AMOLED screen in collaboration with Tencent, the first of its kind in gaming smartphones. Thereafter, it was also to be the first to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset.
The powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus overclocks the Adreno 640 GPU to 675MHz. This results in a 15% boost in performance. In addition, the prime CPU is overclocked too. However, the gain is only 4%. The massive 6,000 mAh battery claims 7 hours non-stop action for games like PUBG. It charges using a standard 3A cable, although it also supports Quick Charge 4.0.
The phone is designed to suit both hardcore gamers and Android power users. Users can switch between a near-stock UI(similar to Zenforce 6) and the game focused ROG UI. Similarly, the dual nature of the phone can be seen in its design too. The width is just under 78mm so that it can be used one-handed. However, everything is optimized for landscape use too.
With a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, Asus ROG Phone II exceeds the bounds of DCI-P3 color space. And with something called a deltaE <1, it boasts a perfect color accuracy.
It also features front-facing speakers with DTS: X ultra support. As compared to the first-gen ROG Phone, the speakers are 2x louder. There’s an update on the AirTriggers too. It’s stated that they are in line with what an actual feels like and can also detect new swiping gestures.
For directional haptic feedback during games, there are two vibration motors (one on each side). The AirTriggers too make the use of the motors in order to simulate the actual press and release of buttons. Similarly, there are four microphones. So, no matter how you hold the phone, your audio will not be compromised.
The use of vents that take care of the heat will ease your thermal throttling worries too. In addition to it, an AeroActive Cooler II is provided in the box. It keeps the exterior of the phone cooler and can also be used as a kickstand while using a wireless controller.
To top it all up, there’s a 48MP Quad Bayer for the main camera coupled with a 13MP sensor. In front, there’s a 24MP dedicated selfie camera.
With the specs that this device boasts, it would be ludicrous to label this as just a smartphone. It is quite literally a monster!
Asus ROG Phone II Specifications:
Display: 6.59-inch AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection, Full-HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels), DCI-P3 Color Gamut (108%), 120 Hz refresh rate (60 Hz default, 240 Hz Touch-sampling rate, 49 ms touch latency)
Gaming: Ultrasonic, pressure-sensitive Air trigger buttons
Audio and Vibration: Dual high-end vibrating motors for surround feel, 3.5mm headphone jack, DTS Headphone X
Additional accessories: a light-up NFC case, AeroActive Cooler II (in addition to the accessories that were available in ROG Phone I)
Asus ROG Phone II Price in Nepal & Availability
There is no official retailer of the device in Nepal. However, people will be able to purchase it in the grey market. The expected price of Asus ROG Phone II in Nepal with 8GB/128GB configuration is around Rs. 65000. Similarly, the 12GB/512GB should cost around Rs. 80,000.
Browser Extensions, to those who use them, are really something else. If you know the right extensions, they can open your browser to another level. Extensions were these great ideas, that promised a lot. And these days, most of the browsers support various kind of extensions as well. Be it to block ads, uncover more information, check your grammar, or manage your downloads, these add-ons bring in a lot of possibilities. But every once in a while, some developers manage to misuse this feature. How? Well, collecting your data and selling them, of course! And recently, 8 such extensions got caught. If you are a Chrome or Firefox user, do check your extensions tab for a any of the followings. Also, if by chance you happen to have any of these installed, consider uninstalling them:
Currently, these extensions have been taken down by their respective web stores. However, they might still be running on your browser. And also, there isn’t much the browser itself can do in order to safeguard your privacy. In addition, only a few of these extensions let their users know about their data collection policies.
This leak was recently coined “DataSpii”. It is responsible for leaking data from up to 45 major companies and over 4 million individuals. The data was sold to “Nacho Analytics”, a fee-based service. Moreover, the 45 companies include Fortune 500 corporations like Apple, Walmart, Amazon, 23AndMe, SpaceX, and Skype. You can check out the types of data that were leaked through DataSpii below:
Personal Data
Corporate Data
Personal Interests
The real-time activity of employees, including the corporate tasks they were assigned
Tax Returns
Private LAN network structure
GPS Location
Partial page content (includes hyperlinks embedded on a LAN website)
Dell is, probably, the most versatile laptop manufacturer. The company seems to make all kinds of laptops. From powerful gaming machines like the Alienware to the ultra-portables and creators’ tools like the XPS 15, and everything in between, Dell has got it all. But their “everything in between” mostly doesn’t get the attention they deserve. Sure, they’re not the most powerful or the most portable laptops, but these are your ideal devices for the normal productive workers. And here’s one such laptop – the Dell Inspiron 15 7580.
The Inspiron lineup has three series – the 3000, which are the most affordable, the 5000, which lie somewhere in between, and the 7000, their most premium ones in the Inspiron series.
Dell Inspiron 15 7580 Specifications:
Design: Aluminum body, smooth matte metal texture, 1.8 kg, 18 mm
Display: 15.6″ Full-HD matte display (1920 x 1080), 53% sRGB Color Range
Keyboard: Island-style full-size keyboard, 2-level back-lighting, No num-pad
Trackpad: Metal surface trackpad, Windows Precision Drivers
Ports: 1 x Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 1, 3 x Type-A USB 3.1, 1 x HDMI, 1 x audio jack, 1 x Ethernet Port, 1 x SD Card Slot
Wireless connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V4.2
The premium of the Dell Inspiron 15 7580 shows in the build quality, too. If you ask me, these are perhaps the second-best build from Dell, after their XPS lineup. There’s metallic build all over, except for the bezels around the display. And that is enough to give you a confidence boost about its durability. And with that kind of design language, it also manages to look good. Of course, nothing to go all whistling over, but still, it kinda reminds of the pre-Touchbar MacBook era.
Dell Inspiron 15 7580 Design
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Lid
Chassis
Back
It’s also pretty thin, and the weight, at 1.8 kg is okay, considering its size and build quality. There are a few exhaust vents at the bottom and the back to dissipate heat, which we’ll discuss later. The hinge looks pretty sturdy too and is stable, but you still can’t open up the laptop single-handedly.
dell xps 15 7580 ports
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Left
Right
The port selection looks regular – you get a USB-C, an HDMI 2.0, three USB A (one of which gets power share support), an Ethernet port, an SD Card slot, and an audio jack. That’s pretty much enough for a regular laptop as this one.
Overall, I’d say the design language screams Dell, just the right amount of premium and style, but nothing overboard, for the price.
Display
Similar is the display on this one. Full-HD resolution screen on a matte IPS panel makes for a standard kind of laptop display. The 15.6” display looks good, and even with the thin bezels, the webcam is still on top. And that’s a good thing because even though I love XPS laptops, that’s the one part they get wrong.
The screen has about 53% sRGB color coverage, which is not great, but not terrible either. That makes it suitable for your everyday tasks, but, not good enough for content creation.
Other than that, the viewing angles are decent, except for some color shifts at extreme angles. Brightness is also 240 nits max, which could’ve been better. But still, for the price, this screen is a lot better than the ones with a TN panel. In addition, the laptop comes with a Dell Cinema Color pre-installed with a total of 5 color profiles, which you change your viewing experience with according to preference.
Performance & Thermals
As for the performance, I can’t really say the 8th-gen i5-8265U processor is an intensive performer. The thing is, it can handle its own, but its tendency to be power efficient makes it not so suitable to very heavy tasks. You can edit videos and all that, but it does fall behind the 45W 8th gen i5 processor of the XPS 15s. Photoshop and Illustrator run okay, and over 10 tabs on Google Chrome is a walk in the park. But for things like Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, things can get jittery. But then again, content creation is held back by the low color range and accuracy of the screen.
Still, we tried doing those editing things on it, and for long length videos, there’s quite a bit of heating, even with the fan at full throttle. Maybe because it has only a single fan in here, but it can get to a point where you can fry some eggs on it. And that happened quite a bit while rendering large video files. But besides that, this laptop does other things pretty well. You get 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB SSD, that ensures smooth performance of most tasks.
As for gaming…let’s be clear, this isn’t meant to be a gaming laptop. But still, you do get an entry-level MX250 graphics card. And it’s good enough for games like CS:GO and FIFA 19 on low settings to get about 60 fps. It will handle things like DOTA 2, and such, but I wouldn’t try anything else. Even if the MX250 looks promising, its thermals don’t help in that department.
Battery & Storage
As for the battery, it’s got a 41 Watt-hour battery, which is small. But with a power-efficient processor, it will last around 5 hours in normal usage. But if you push it a bit harder, it will drop to around 2.5 hours, and it’s less than my expectations from a laptop like this.
For the storage, the 256 GB SSD is pretty fast. It can give you read speeds of 1600 MBPS while write speeds can go to 800 MBPS, which is impressive. And while the SSD is plenty fast, it’s not plenty enough. So, there is room for a 2.5” hard drive or another SSD of the same size, if you so want.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Let’s talk about the keyboard and trackpad next. While the keyboard isn’t the best in the business, it’s still very tactile, and the feedback is pretty good. There is no number pad, but for a laptop of this size, it’s okay, because it’s still a 14” body. Plus, that keeps the keyboard deck clean and not over-crowded, which I don’t really like. And what’s more, you get white backlighting on the keyboard – and two levels of it. So, not the best keyboard, but still pretty good.
What’s good here is the trackpad. I don’t think its plastic, but it’s not glass, either. But whatever it is, it’s damn good – not your XPS level, but better than other laptops, especially, in this price range. It’s accurate, very smooth for a non-glass trackpad, and using it is an actually joyful experience. The size is commendable, touch is responsive and the gestures are on point. Clicks are also tactile, and the pressure it needs to register a click is almost perfect. So, unless you want to game with it, it will get the job done.
Dell Inspiron 15 7580: Conclusion
So, that’s pretty much everything about the Dell Inspiron 15 7580. It’s a great machine for general usage. It’s very portable, well-built, and has a good set of connectivity options and the performance, too, is good enough in this price range. The disappointments include thermals and battery life.
Overall though, I liked the laptop. The charger is pretty small, so, carrying it around won’t be a hassle, either. This is not a perfect machine, but livable.
One thing I’d like to mention is that maybe I liked it because we only paid around $600 for it, because it was on offer at the time, at $200 off on its original price. And while that is an amazing deal, I feel like it still provides a good value for money even on its original $800 price tag.
You can do light gaming, and photoshop and things like that. Plus, it’s like a perfect machine for professional office-goers, and it does many things well, that some others fail to do, at this price range.
Huawei has officially launched the Y9 Prime 2019 in Nepal. It is the first smartphone from the Chinese tech giants to feature a motorized pop-up camera on its smartphone. It was first launched in January but the device landed in South Asia around a time where Huawei was still bouncing back from the trade-ban imposed by the US. With a plethora of competition, how do Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 fares against its competition in its price range in Nepal? Let’s dig more about the phone.
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Overview
Huawei is, right now, in the way of bouncing back after, well, the whole world knows what. Even during the instabilities occurred in its market for the past few months, the company certainly stood their ground. And while Huawei mostly focuses on killer mid-range phones like the Huawei Nova 5i Pro, it also is well-known for its mid-range and budget phones that go head to head with the big boys like Samsung and iPhone. One such phone from Huawei is Huawei Y9 Prime 2019.
Design and Display
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 comes with a 6.59-inch IPS LCD panel. It comes with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. The bezels around the display are slim except for the bottom where it is more profound than on the other three sides. It has a motorized pop-up mechanism to house the front camera. Thanks to that, there are no notches and punch holes and the screen looks a lot cleaner than previous Huawei smartphones.
Camera
Talking about the Nepalese market, it was Vivo, with devices like Vivo Y17, that made triple camera in the lower end of the market a trend. Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 follows the same trend. It comes with a 16MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, the device carries a 16MP selfie camera. A motorized pop-up mechanism reveals it only it is to be used.
Performance and Memory
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 comes with Kirin 710F under the hood. It is something we see in a lot of budget and mid-range smartphones. It is paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory. If the storage onboard seems insufficient to you, you can expand it up to 512GB via a dedicated microSD card slot. The device will handle your day to day activity but you won’t be satisfied with gaming on this one. The device runs on EMUI 9.0 which is based in Android Pie.
Battery and Others
The device packs a massive battery of 4,000mAh battery and you can charge it via the Type-C port provided. For security, it comes with a capacitive fingerprint sensor that is mounted on the back of the device. You get a gorgeous dual-tone finish on the back of the device which is available in two color options – Emerald Green and Sapphire Blue.
One may argue that phones like Oppo F11 Pro and Vivo V15 also provide the same kinds of features, but on the contrary, the Y9 Prime costs way less than what those two phones do. If this doesn’t get you excited, then the triple camera setup at the rear will surely do.
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 in Nepal is Rs 29,990 and it is available via official Huawei showrooms and select retail stores in Nepal.
Model Name
Price in Nepal
Available stores
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019
Rs 29,990
Authorized retailers
The MSP of this device is its design and motorized pop-up selfie camera. But if you can look past those, there are better options in this particular market segment. For the same price, you can get Redmi Note 8 Pro with a bigger RAM and internal storage.
A company embroiled in issues… That’s the headline we’ve all been waking up to concerning Huawei. However, with the expected release of Huawei Nova 5i Pro later this month, things might finally take a positive turn for the Chinese tech giant.
The company announced the Nova 5 series earlier this month with the Nova 5, 5i and 5 Pro models. However, the Nova 5i Pro, which was hugely anticipated, was nowhere to be seen. Thereafter, a schematic of 5i Pro made rounds around the internet. The leaked images only revealed the design. Now, new marketing material has leaked leaving little to the imagination. The new leaks reveal full specs as well as the image of the device.
As per the leaks, the phone has a 6.26″ Full HD+ punch-hole screen with a resolution of 2640×1080 pixels. It will use Kirin 810 SoC with either a 6GB or 8GB RAM. The storage options are 128GB for the 6GB variant and 128GB or 256GB for the 8GB variant.
The rear includes a quad-camera setup of one 48MP, one 8MP, and two 2MP modules. The fingerprint scanner is conveniently placed below the rear camera. On the front, there is a 32MP selfie shooter inside the punch hole. The device runs on Android 9 Pie and will house a huge 4,000mAh battery. The full leaked specifications of the phone are:
Huawei Nova 5i Pro leaked specs:
Display: 6.26″ Full HD+ display
Rear Camera: Quad-camera setup, 48MP Sony IMX 586sensor with f/1.8 aperture + 8MP Ultra Wide Angle lens + 2MP f/1.75 aperture for macro + 2MP depth sensor
The device is set to compete with the Redmi K20 which was game-changing in its own rights. K20 runs on Snapdragon 730, has an in-display fingerprint sensor and a pop-up camera. The performance estimates of both the devices were compared in the form of GeekBench estimates and the results show that Nova 5i quiet literally thrashes the Redmi K20. Though performance estimates are not the only determining factors, the sheer horsepower of Nova 5i Pro as per the result definitely gives it the upper hand.
So far the device seems great to me but what can one really say from just the estimates. The actual launch date will be out soon so till then all we can do is speculate.
For a long time, Xiaomi has been known to deviate in areas outside of smartphones. Xiaomi has all kinds of devices – from laptops, televisions, and power banks; to electric scooters and robot builders!
Now, along the same lines, Xiaomi has come up with T-series CIGA Mechanical Watch. While it does not offer any fitness tracking and notification features like the Mi Bands; the T-Series watch focuses on premium aesthetics and craftsmanship. So, if you’re a fan of gadgets with transparent design, then, this watch will surely grab your attention.
It features a fully transparent body exposing all the mechanical internals of the watch. The casing features a 360-degree view of the insides which allows you to see both the bottom and top insides of the watch.
The purely mechanical watch doesn’t feature any other component other than the mechanical parts. The design is minimalist however, with the finishing giving it a classy and premium look.
The watch will set you back $101 and according to reports, the watch will be available in two versions with a black and red watch band. Usually, mechanical watches have a business exec accessory-like outlook due to leather straps they mostly feature. However, the CIGA Design mechanical watch looks sporty due to rubber straps.
I don’t know what Xiaomi’s thinking with this. There already are premium watch brands in the market. Of course, this one is a lot more affordable option. So, let’s see how this turns out for the company.
It seems August will be a very busy month for Samsung. With the Galaxy Note 10 launch nearing and preparations for the relaunch of Galaxy Fold, Samsung has their hand-full. Yes, it is true! Samsung is ready to launch its foldable handset once again.
Phone enthusiasts’ dreams came true when Samsung came up with a phone with a foldable screen. However, after some phone units were provided for review, a few problems occurred. The problems were related to the screen of the phone; like screen flickering, blacking out and a bump or bulge to appear under the display.
However it seems, the Korean tech giant has revamped the hinge and screen design and tested the device. This, in turn, passed with flying colors and seems like only a few finishing touches are needed before the launch.
July launch still seems a less likely scenario. However, according to the rumors, August might be the month we get to see the phone. The Galaxy Note 10 is also scheduled to launch in August. But we really doubt that Samsung will unveil both phones during a shared event. So, we can expect the Galaxy Fold to relaunch, sometime in late August.
Now, a question may arise; why is Samsung planning a re-launch so soon? The most well-founded answer can be, to become the first phone with a folding screen in the market. With the Huawei Mate X set for release on the first half of September, Samsung must really be bustling to achieve what they are aiming for. Let’s just hope their dreams will hold true this time…
While devices around the world are hell-bent on achieving the highest screen-to-body ratio, Google might just be thinking otherwise. A leaked image of the Google Pixel 4 shows a rather large bezel upfront.
Apparently, the bezel will house some mystery components. From what we can speculate, the multiple cutouts are for the two front-facing cameras, a facial recognition sensor, a speaker and a radar sensor. The widest one on the right is, according to rumors, for a radar sensor – “Project Soli“.
As a matter of fact, Project Soli is one of the most anticipated features in Pixel 4. The radar sensor in it is capable of detecting fine motion above it. This is useful for anything from the new Assitant interaction method to gesture-based controls. From how it looks, the game-changing motion sensor technology will need a lot of space.
Furthermore, @OnLeaks and @iGeeksBlog have posted what the finished product might actually look like. Of course, they might be speculating themselves about the wide cut out. But the guess is that it could be used for something similar to Apple’s True Tone Dynamic’s Display.
However, the large bezel up top seems like good news for existing Pixel users. The previous version included a notch that disappointed many. This time, hopefully, it will at least make up for that.
Also, Google is finding it hard to contain the excitement around Pixel 4. A series of leaked images last June forced the official announcement of the device. However, what this latest development will bring, no one knows.
The previous announcement suggested an in-display fingerprint with a dual-camera setup on the back. Some render images are also showing the device with triple rear cameras. Either way, there will be a multiple-camera setup on the rear panel. After all, the major players like Huawei and Samsung already have such setups. Even on the iPhone is on the verge of doing so, it wouldn’t be a new thing in the market. Nonetheless, the multiple-camera setup with Google’s software capabilities spells for stunningly high-quality images from the new device. The Pixel 4 will release this October. So, let’s see what Google will actually offer.
