Page 671 – GadgetByte Nepal

Honor launches two new phones in Nepal

GadgetByte

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June 11, 2019

Honor launched their Honor 20 series despite all the conflict surrounding the parent company, Huawei. And among them, the lightest of the bunch, Honor 20 Lite was launching soon in Nepal as well. And well, it did, along with another budget phone. But this is not a new one, though. So, Honor has launched the Honor 20 Lite and the Honor 8A in Nepal.

Honor 20 Lite Overview

The Honor 20 Lite, looks like the same Honor 10i that was launched back in March. And with a price of Rs.32500, this is a mid-range phone. This phone sports a 6.21-inch Full HD+ display with a waterdrop notch on the top. Underneath its body, is a HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor that runs the show. Also, aiding it is the Mali-G51 MP4 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. The phone also runs on Android 9.0 Pie like the other two Honor 20 devices, with EMUI on top, of course

As for the cameras, the Honor 20 Lite comes with a triple-rear-camera setup, which comprises of 24 MP primary lens with f/1.8 aperture, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2 MP depth sensor. Also, the notch up front houses a 32-megapixel selfie shooter embedded on the notch. In addition, this phone packs a 3400 mAh battery and has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

This device is priced internationally at €299. And we expected it to compete against the Oppo F11 and the Huawei P30 Lite with its price. But it’s actually much cheaper than that. It can be yours for Rs.32,500! That’s a lot better than expected. Maybe the current scenario has something to do with it, but nevertheless, this is great pricing! And yes, it’ll work just fine…except the future updates are uncertain.

Specifications:

Display: 6.21-inches LTPS IPS LCD, Full HD+, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
CPU: HiSilicon Kirin 710
GPU: Mali-G51 MP4
OS: Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9 on top
RAM: 4 GB
Storage: 128 GB, expandable
Rear camera: Triple – 24 MP, f/1.8 (primary) + 8 MP, f/2.2 (ultra-wide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (depth)
Front Camera: 32 MP, f/2.0
Battery: 3,400 mAh non-removable Li-Po battery
SIM(s): Dual Hybrid SIM
Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), Accelerometer, Proximity, and Compass
Price: Rs.32,500

Honor 8A Overview

The Honor 8A belongs to the budget category with its modest specs. And of course, it has been around in the international market for 6 months. It sports a 6.09″ IPS display with HD+ resolution, with a trending water-drop notch. Under the body, it runs on the budget standard Helio P35 chip, supported by 2 GB RAM.

However, it fails to keep up with the trend with only a 13 MP single camera at the back. The front camera is an 8 MP module. Also, only 2 GB RAM makes it a strictly budget phone. However, there’s 32 GB storage, so, it’s okay as well. The battery is 3020 mAh unit, and there’s also a fingerprint sensor and a face unlock feature as well.

And for the price of €100 internationally, I think a Nepali price of Rs.15,790 is good pricing, too. This competes directly with the likes of Oppo A3s in here, but of course, there’s the Galaxy M10, a much better offering for the price.

Specifications:

Display: 6.09-inches LTPS IPS LCD, HD+,
CPU: MediaTek MT6765, Helio P35
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
OS: Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9 on top
RAM: 2 GB
Storage: 32 GB, expandable via microSD
Rear camera: Single – 13 MP, f/1.8 aperture
Front Camera: 8 MP, f/2.0 aperture
Battery: 3020 mAh non-removable Li-Po battery
SIM(s): Dual Hybrid SIM
Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), Accelerometer, Proximity, and Compass
Price: Rs.15,790

Android Pie Update with One UI started rolling out for the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro and J7 Nxt

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June 11, 2019

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Android Pie Update with One UI started rolling out for the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro and J7 Nxt

Samsung Galaxy M10, M20 and M30 recently received an Android Pie update. The Galaxy M-series devices were launched back in February 2019. So the update was expected from the company. But who would’ve expected that the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro and J7 Nxt, the smartphones from 2017 would receive such a vital update? Beyond everyone’s expectation, Samsung turned out generous and started rolling out updates to such antiquated devices.

The update is slated to roll on various countries really soon. As per the reports, the OTA update for the J7 Pro has already started rolling out in the countries like Russia, Mexico, Spain, and Algeria. Similarly, the J7 Nxt users in Thailand can expect an update on their smartphones really soon. Other countries, however, will have to wait for a while to receive the update.

Along with the Android Pie, users will also be getting the new and latest version of the One UI. Since the new One UI is much optimized and very smooth to navigate, the users might enjoy it quite a lot. On top of that, there will be a May 2019 security patch. So you are sorted on all the aspects. The firmware is said to have a size slightly over 1GB for both devices.

The new One UI also brings a truckload of amazing features. System-wide Night Mode, floating mode for the Samsung Keyboard app, Adaptive battery feature to enhance the battery life are few of the many.

Both of the aforementioned smartphones had Android Nougat when they were launched. So this will be the second major software update for those devices. Since Samsung just provide two major updates even for its flagship devices, we can expect it to be the last major update from the company.

So are you guys excited for the update? Let us know in the comments.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S5 with Snapdragon 855 might launch soon

GadgetByte

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June 11, 2019

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S5 with Snapdragon 855 might launch soon

It looks like Samsung will launch the successor to the Galaxy Tab S5e soon. A new Geekbench listing suggests that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5 is in the works, and it is a flagship tablet.

The Geekbench listing suggests that the Samsung SM-T865 will be powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset with a base frequency of 1.78 GHz. While the Galaxy Tab S5e came in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM versions, the Tab S5 will feature 6 GB of RAM which is also mentioned on the listing itself. The tablet has Geekbench’s single-core score of 3506 and a multi-core score of 9788.

Even with the Geekbench listing, the Galaxy Tab S5 hasn’t yet leaked in the smartphone world like other devices. But we expect the device to come in a similar form factor like the Tab S5e. The predecessor had given up on the headphone jack for a slimmer design, and the same is expected of the Galaxy Tab S5.

About four months ago, Samsung had unveiled its first tablet for 2019 – the Galaxy Tab S5e. It is a tall 10.5-inch tablet with Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 inside. The device has a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper.

The Galaxy Tab S5e is available in 64 GB and 128 GB memory variants. The device has quad speakers and supports Type-C connector. It is backed by a large 7,040 mAh battery and is available for $399.

Also Watch: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 2018 Review

SiFive – Open Source alternative to ARM, and backed by Qualcomm!

GadgetByte

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June 10, 2019

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SiFive – Open Source alternative to ARM, and backed by Qualcomm!

While ARM is the leader of the processor architecture and instruction sets, a startup might be up for a bit of a challenge. ARM is well, something big, and besides Intel’s x86, ARM basically enjoys no competition! But the startup, known as SiFive, which has been around for 4 years, is using RISC-V architecture to develop new CPUs. And one of the investors is Qualcomm!

Why is that a big deal? Well, because Qualcomm is one of the biggest customers of ARM. And for them to financially back a direct competitor is a surprise, to say the least. Of course, RISC-V is not really a direct competitor, as it cannot they can’t go head to head with mobile and phone processors. Currently, the chips based on RISC-V are only used in IoT devices, smart-watches, wearables, and such. But definitely not mobiles and tablets.

Should ARM be worried? Well, not right away. When it comes to mobile and phone processor architecture, it’s way ahead. But SiFive is also developing rapidly, and it’s getting more and more successful in terms of collection of fundings. This is all rapidly boosting RISC-V’s development, and this can be a threat to ARM in the long run.

Why?

This is because, ARM (and other similar companies like MIPS) charges royalties for use of their designs, patents, and copyrights. Also, they require non-disclosure agreements before releasing documents that describe their designs’ details and instruction set. And in most cases, they don’t even describe the reasons behind their design choices.

All this secrecy makes the development of new hardware and software more difficult. Sure, a company, when it develops new tech, it is entitled to issue patents or copyrights. After all, it’s their hard work! But if we look at the development of technology as a whole, this is not a good thing. Also, the secrecy prevents security audits to those companies. In addition, this makes modern, high-quality general purpose computer instruction sets non-available for general usage.

RISC-V was designed to overcome those problems. It is an open-source platform usable in any software or hardware design without royalties. Plus, the explanations of all the project are explained as well. Since RISC-V designers planned to support a wide variety of practical uses: small, fast and low-power implementations, this project is more like a community effort.

So, the company SiFive is developing new processors using the open source RISC-V architecture. And with such funding and development, this new architecture might become more prominent and threaten a part of ARM’s standings. Of course, that’ll take time. But nothing is unlikely. Especially, when your investors are the likes of Qualcomm, Intel, and even Samsung!

Deal Alert! Honor’s Monsoon offer: Finally worth it?

GadgetByte

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June 10, 2019

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Deal Alert! Honor’s Monsoon offer: Finally worth it?

The Honor brand came into Nepal with four smartphones, the Honor 7s, 7a, 8x and Play. And they also brought the Honor 10 Lite. Also, Honor 20 Lite is launching soon, too. So, to make space for the Honor 20 Lite, the company decided to slash the prices of some of their current phones in the market, as a part of their Monsoon Offer!

And if you thought these phones were not a good value for money, maybe check these out after this price drop.

Honor 7s

This smartphone runs on the MT6739 SoC, which alone should make you not even consider it. International pricing aside, Nepal already has a few phones competing at this price point. The Samsung Galaxy M10, a much much better smartphone than this one, is priced at Rs.13,790. So, the price of this phone is going down even more… This new phone can be yours for Rs.12,190!

Display: 5.45″ IPS LCD, 1440 x 720 resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio
Rear Camera: 13 MP, PDAF
Front Camera: 5 MP
CPU: Quad-core MediaTek MT6739 (4x Cortex A53 1.5GHz)
GPU: PowerVR GE8100
RAM: 2 GB
OS: Android Oreo 8.1; EMUI 8.0
Memory: 16GB storage; expandable up to 256GB
Battery: Li-Ion 3020 mAh battery
Price in Nepal: Rs. 12,990 12,190

Honor 10 Lite

The Honor 10 Lite competes directly with the base model variant of the Redmi Note 7 and the likes of the Redmi Y3 (4 GB). But with its features, it more likely resembles the Note 7 than the Y3. It has a 6.21″ LCD display with Full HD+ resolution, and with a flashy glass-looking plastic body, it is quite trendy, too. In addition, with a Kirin 710 on-board, it’s looking like a direct competitor to the Redmi Note 7.

Design: Dual Gradient colors with a shiny finish
Display: 6.21″ IPS LCD Full HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels)
Rear Camera: Dual cameras, 13 MP primary with f/1.8 aperture + 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: Single 24 MP with f/2.0 aperture with AI capabilities
CPU: Octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710
GPU: ARM Mali-G51 MP4
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 64 GB (expandable with microSD up to 512 GB using SIM 2 slot)
Battery: 3400 mAh with Fast Charging
OS: Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9.0.1 on top
Features: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, Turbo Boost 2.0
Colors: Gradient Blue, Gradient Red, Night Black, Lily White
Price: Rs. ~~24,990~~ 23,990

Honor 8X

The Honor 8X was a well-received mid-range phone despite its comparatively high pricing. Maybe because it was a well-awaited device as well. The 8X still has a regular notch up top, but that is, still in fashion, though. And with a similar Kirin 710 processor on board, the only things setting it apart from the Honor 10 Lite are the slightly better rear cameras and a larger battery. With the price cut, it now competes with the Galaxy A30, and the 4 GB variant of Redmi Note 7, too.

Display: 6.5″ IPS LCD, 2340 x 1080 resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Rear Camera: Dual, 20 MP with f/1.8 aperture + 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 16 MP with f/2.0 aperture,
CPU: Octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710
GPU: Mali-G51, GPU Turbo Technology
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Android Oreo 8.1; EMUI 8.2
Memory: 64 / 128 GB storage; expandable up to 400 GB
Battery: Li-Ion 3750 mAh battery
Price in Nepal: Rs. ~~29,990~~ 28,990 (64 GB) / Rs. ~~32,490~~ 30,500 (128 GB)

So, this is all the price cuts we’re getting. Yes, a price cut of mere Rs.1000 isn’t really an exciting offer. I don’t know what Honor was thinking, but they did, anyway. So, it’s at least better than the former pricing!

Are you buying Honor phones? Do you even consider them? Or will you just pass? Do let us know…

E3 2019: Microsoft’s XBox Brefing – Project Scarlet, Elite Series 2, Halo Infinite and more

GadgetByte

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June 10, 2019

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E3 2019: Microsoft’s XBox Brefing – Project Scarlet, Elite Series 2, Halo Infinite and more

E3 2019 has ended and there are a few things that grabbed our attention. But we shall cover all the aspects so you don’t have to sit through the 1.5-hour briefing and find everything you need to know right here. With over 60 games in the lineup, a new controller, Xbox Pass for PC, among others, it was pretty exciting, to say the least.

The event started off with the world premiere trailer of “Bleeding Edge”. The third person action combat from Ninja Theory can be experienced both from an Xbox one and Windows 10 PC. It will be available through the Xbox Play Anywhere. Then came Ori and the Will of the Wisps followed by Minecraft Dungeons. What’s even more exciting is the later will be available on Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. OK, maybe I am overhyping it a little, but it’s easy to get lost into all this. So, let’s take a breather and get through this one by one.

Xbox Game Pass for PC

The Xbox Game pass for PC beta can be downloaded through the Xbox app on your Windows 10 PC. You will need an applicable device linked to your Microsoft account, but that’s about it. From over ‘100 high-quality PC games’ that includes titles like the Metro Exodus, Gears 5, alongside 30 others. Xbox also launched the new Xbox Game pass Ultimate which combines the curated game library for both the console and PC with Xbox Live Gold. Further information to follow soon.

Also Read: Oppo paving its way in the premium segment in Nepal with Reno

Project Scarlett

Project Scarlett is all set to create a new bar for gaming. With more power, speed, & performance based on the new Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture and a promise to deliver 4 times the power of your average Xbox One X. Microsoft will be launching two new Xbox consoles in 2020, and this was the first detail we got on this next-gen hardware.

Microsoft will be employing the faster GDDR6 RAM, which they claim will “usher in resolution and framerates we’ve never seen before”. Codenamed the Project Scarlett, the new console will support 8K gaming, up to 120fps, and raytracing. They will also use SSDs now, and that will deliver a proper 40x improvement over the current generation.

While Sony is also coming up with its own PS5 with similar features, it will be exciting as to what both manufacturers offer as the end result.

Xbox to the cloud

Starting October, players will be able to stream games from your Xbox one console right to your mobile devices. The E3 attendees were also among the first to play Xbox One titles like the Halo 5 and Hellblade tight from their tablets and smartphones through Project xCloud. This shall ensure players a choice fo freedom to play any game anywhere, however, they want.

Also Read: Presenting Brain Talker: A device that lets you mind-control

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Inspired by fan feedback, the Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is, as Microsoft claims, “the world’s most advanced controller”. The controller will be available starting November this year and will bring in over 30 new features. A few of the feature includes adjustable tension thumbstick, USB-C, and Bluetooth for even easier PC, Tablet or smartphone support among others.

The built-in battery will last up to 40 hours and be easily recharged through an integrated charging dock. With over three custom profiles for optimized gameplay across multiple devices and game genres. There is just so much going for it right now, which includes durability. The Elite Series 2 is already up for pre-orders starting $180 and will be available in over 24 markets starting November 4.

29 new titles

The event actually included over 25 new titles, which included games for Windows 10 PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and a few others. I will just list out the new games in alphabetical order, take a look. It includes titles like CyberPunk 2077 with Keanu Reeves himself, Bleeding Edge, Age of Empire: Definitive Edition, Halo Infinite, and the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (Windows 10 PC)
Battletoads (Xbox One)
Blair Witch (Bloober Team, Xbox Game Pass)
Bleeding Edge (Xbox One and Windows 10 PC)
Borderlands 3 (2K)
CrossfireX (First to Console on Xbox One; Xbox Game Pass)
Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.)
Dying Light 2 (TechLand)
Elden Ring (Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.)
Forza Horizon 4 LEGO Speed Champions Expansion (Xbox One and Windows 10 PC)
Gears 5 (Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, Steam)
Gears POP! (iOS, Android)
Halo Infinite (Project Scarlett, Xbox One, and Windows 10 PP)
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Microsoft Flight Simulator (Xbox One And Windows 10 PC)
Minecraft Dungeons (Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4)
Ori and the Will of The Wisps (Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, Steam)
Phantasy Star Online 2 (Sega)
RPG Time: The Legend of Wright (Deskworks)
Sea of Thieves (Xbox One and Windows 10 PC)
Spiritfarer (Thunder Lotus, Xbox Game Pass)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Electronic Arts)
State of Decay 2: Heartland (Xbox One and Windows 10 PC)
Tales of Arise (Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.)
The Outer Worlds (Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division, Xbox Game Pass)
Twelve Minutes (Annapurna Interactive)
Wasteland 3 (Deep Silver, Xbox Game Pass)
Way to the Woods (One Pixel Dog)

Oppo paving its way in the premium segment in Nepal with Reno

GadgetByte

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June 10, 2019

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Oppo paving its way in the premium segment in Nepal with Reno

By now, it’s no news that Oppo’s new sub-brand is out and about. The sub-brand, known as Reno, launched with the tagline “For the young and lively”, and apparently, it’s a new series engineered for creativity. And this Oppo Reno series is making its way to Nepal, too. However, this is only part of the news.

Because, Oppo has revamped its brand identity, too. The company claims that this new brand identity focuses on quality, craftsmanship, and uniqueness in every detail. And apparently, this is a big deal! Because Oppo partnered with a celebrated designer, Eddie Opara of Pentagram, to craft a new brand identity! If you don’t know who that is, well, just know, he’s a very celebrated name in the design industry. The new brand imagery reveals a much simpler, symmetrical logo, apparently. Because, to me, it looks much simpler than before.

Oppo’s new symmetrical logo

Anyways, this new logo showcases an exciting evolution in the company and its ongoing growth and success. And also mark the growth and wider reach of Oppo as it continues to expand.

However, for us, as consumers, that is hardly interesting. We’re more interested in their new Oppo Reno series lineup. And since this series is making its way to Nepal, we’re waiting to see what kind of an impact it’ll make here. Because Oppo claims it’ll serve as a catalyst for Oppo’s smartphone development in Nepal for the next ten years! While only time will tell about that, there have been no dates or any other information about the Reno series launch in Nepal. All we know is that it’s launching, soon.

But if it’s going to make a place for itself in the premium smartphone segment, we expect it to release their Oppo Reno 10X Zoom in here, too! At least…it would prove to be a lot better premium phone than the Oppo R17 Pro!

Boston Dynamics Spot robot dogs will be commercially available soon!

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June 9, 2019

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Boston Dynamics Spot robot dogs will be commercially available soon!

Ever fancied having a robot dog? Well, not one that is cute and plays around only, like the one from Sony, but something heavy duty? Of course, “heavy duty” and cute don’t go together. And these Boston Dynamics Spot Robot Dogs aren’t cute…to say the least. Actually, if you think so, they can look pretty scary. And combine that with the fact that they’re super strong and agile, it only makes you more paranoid about the uprise of AI!

Boston Dynamics has been showing off their scarily lifelike robot-dogs in action often. And now, after some final tweaks in the design, and some testing in heavy-set areas, it’ll be ready for commercial purposes.

The quadrupedal robot relies on a 360-degree LIDAR (Laser Image Detection And Ranging) technology to navigate. There are cameras on every side of the device, making it particularly useful in roles on construction sites, such as scanning for hazards or opening doors. Also, these robots also have a better sense of balance than us, humans. Because there are multiple videos showing of them being kicked around, and yet not falling over. In addition, there are videos of them performing dangerous feats like opening a door, dragging a truck, and autonomously loading a dishwasher!

There will be two variants of the Boston Dynamics Spot Robot Dogs. Both operate the same way, but the Spot Classic can carry up to 100 pounds (~45 kg), while the Spot Mini is smaller, lightweight and can carry only about 30 pounds (~13.65 kg). However, in the presentation of the two dogs, some mishaps occurred, revealing that these guys weren’t the most graceful of robots.

The Spot Mini, after a short time on stage, began flailing and fell on the stage and stopped responding. However, Boston Dynamics didn’t waste time – they quickly demonstrated another Spot Mini. So, needless to say, there are still some tests pending before its full-fledged usage. However, the company has already announced it will soon be over commercially. But there’s still to be an official launch date and price tag although it will cost some five-figures!

For a five-figure cost, these Boston Dynamic Spot Robots can be used for various purposes. These robots are usable in your household as well as. But a more practical usage is for industries, delivery, and security. Right now, these machines are under testing at some construction site and playgrounds.

These Spot robots are also pretty easy to control. You can control them simply with a handheld controller to tell it where to go, maneuver its robot arm and other functions. And of course, with stuff like these, there are also visions of its usage in the entertainment industry. Fancy two Boston Dynamics Spot Robot Dogs fighting inside a ring, anyone? I think I’ll pass…but let me know what you think!

Facebook’s own Cryptocurrency: And we don’t trust it!

GadgetByte

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June 9, 2019

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Facebook’s own Cryptocurrency: And we don’t trust it!

Facebook, after revealing all the new developments happening to the platform at Facebook Developer Conference 2019, is now going to launch its own cryptocurrency! While there were rumors about it coming for months, it is no official. But with all the accusations in the past, no one can blame us for not trusting it! The new Facebook Cryptocurrency, dubbed “Libra“, is launching next year, according to sources.

By the rumors that were around for quite some time, the name was supposed to be “GlobalCoin”. But it was not to be. It will be named “Libra”. This is also the codename for Facebook’s blockchain project, a large part of which, is this cryptocurrency.

Facebook Cryptocurrency Overview

The cryptocurrency, Libra, will bear a likeness to BitCoin – the most popular cryptocurrency (for now). Libra will connect and associate itself to a number of currencies popular worldwide, and not only the US dollar. The company hopes to prevent the price fluctuations Bitcoin faces with this strategy.

So, this Facebook Cryptocurrency will stay stable with the help of a basket of Fiat currencies. (Fiat currency means a legal tender whose value is backed by the issuing government). This should make it more stable than the normal commodity money (backed by gold or silver, in general). Also, it will make it cross-compatible with a number of digital currencies worldwide.

Now we don’t understand everything about this currency right now. But, a white paper about its basics is going to launch on June 18. So, we’ll have to wait for more information. For now, all we have is that Facebook is already making preparations to launch the new cryptocurrency next year.

Facebook has already held talks with governor of the Bank of England and to US Treasury officials. The company also took former PayPal president to lead its blockchain division. Also, it’s contacting other US and British financial regulators to speed up the launching process. In addition, a firm called “Libra Networks” registered in Switzerland for financial services. Furthermore, Facebook also met with other cryptocurrency exchanges, Gemini and Coinbase. With all this, it is clear that Facebook is gearing up for something big.

And rightfully so. Because besides Facebook’s advertising-based revenue model, it’s also adding e-commerce to its platform. So, we can say, Facebook might be becoming similar to WeChat of China, where Facebook is inaccessible. WeChat allows its users to chat, shop, and play games without leaving its platform. It’s a one-stop solution for almost all online purposes. And with this, Facebook might become very similar.

Applications

Generally, this Facebook Cryptocurrency allows you to send money to each other, pay for things on Facebook, Whatsapp, and Instagram. And also, you can use it to pay for other online marketplaces – those who will accept this form of payment. Also, rumors suggest there will be some kind of a physical device that’ll enable you to trade your currency at Libra ATMs.

Why we don’t trust it?

Well, for starters, why would you? We are all aware of Facebook’s cloud of scandals regarding the privacy of its users. Of course, we know of Facebook’s invasive ad-targeting policies, but there are also cases of it tracking those who don’t even use Facebook!

And with its own payment system, Facebook can use its digital currency to spy on your purchases, too! Also, Facebook can use information about the users’ purchases to offer better target-adverts to attract further investment from firms. In addition, this will give a better understanding of who buys what, and the popularity of brands among Facebook users. Therefore, it will assist Facebook in measuring, ranking and targeting to amplify its core business.

Now, Facebook is already under scrutiny over various mishaps. But Facebook didn’t react to these new speculations. So, we never know what they’re planning. Only time will tell what Facebook is really after.

What do you think of Facebook Cryptocurrency? Do you think Facebook has ulterior motives? Or is it safe to trust it?

Presenting Brain Talker: A device that lets you mind-control

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GadgetByte

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June 8, 2019

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Presenting Brain Talker: A device that lets you mind-control

When I was a kid, whenever I heard about the 5^th gen computers and their intelligence in my computer classes, I always thought those devices could be controlled with a person’s mind. Things turned out differently, though, but the controlling part is developing gradually.

Chinese scientists and researchers have just developed a mind-reading device which can control phones and other electronic devices all by a person’s thoughts. The ‘Brain Talker’, first of its kind, has been manufactured by scientists of Tianjin University and the China Electronics Corporation. The product was unveiled at the World Intelligence Congress which was held in Tianjin Municipality, North China.

A mind-controlling device is not an alien concept in the world of technology. Two years back, Netflix had claimed that it had designed a headband that could channel the user’s thoughts to select the shows and movies. These devices work with the same idea. The brain produces pulses which decodes and travels to the electronic devices in a signal format so that the computer can understand what they are thinking.

The possibilities of devices like the Brain Talker are endless. They will let users control electronic devices without any movements or voice control. This is obviously the basic function. But think of how helpful it can be to disable people. A wheelchair user would be able to control their wheelchair with ease.

Daily Mail says, “The brain decoding chip works by picking out minor neural electrical signals within the cerebral cortex and rapidly translate them into a form that the computer can understand.”

Dong Ming, dean of Tianjin University’s Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, said, “This brain-computer codec chip has the ability to discriminate minor neural electrical signals and decode their information efficiently, which can greatly enhance the speed and accuracy of brain-computer interfaces.”

“The Brain Talker chip advances brain-computer interface technology, allowing it to become more portable, wearable and accessible to the general public.”

The scientists haven’t yet cleared out on how the Brain Talker will be worn. Since such devices are usually worn outside, the Brain Talker is also expected to be worn in the same way. The device will also be helpful in the medical field.