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Locus 2018: What are the attractions of the largest educational tech fair in Nepal?

GadgetByte

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January 16, 2018

Locus 2018: What are the attractions of the largest educational tech fair in Nepal?

The best way to predict the future is to design it. Appreciating this quote by Abraham Lincoln, a bunch of students had strived for the betterment by aspiring for innovation. The same independent society of students, formed in 2003 as a name of the Locus is longing for organizing the education tech fair this year. Agreed to proceed with the theme of “Building smart city with ICT“, the new Locus committee consented to organize the Locus 2018 event starting from Magh 19 (February 2). Showcasing some innovative hardware prototypes and software projects, the event will last for three days.

Locus 2018 is just not about the three days event and to showcase the projects. Some pre-events are also organized by Locus to support and nurture the talents and intellectuality amongst all kind of students. With the theory-oriented teaching methodology prevailing in Nepal, Locus aspires to restore the craze for development and innovation in the students. And there are numerous events and pre-events (which we will discuss later) to give platforms for the students having different interests. So mark your calendar, iron your suit and polish your boots to prepare yourself to visit this largest innovative tech fair in Nepal. The entry fee for the event is completely free.

What is Locus?

As mentioned earlier, Locus is an independent group of students focused to encourage development and innovation in the nation. Pillared by the students of Computer, Electronics and Electrical departments of Pulchowk Campus, the organization aspires for the development of vocational education in Nepal. The organization was established in 2003, since then the organization hosts the tech fair every year in the courtyard of the IOE Central campus, Pulchowk. Locus comes with creative ideas every year to provide the platform for students to excel and demonstrate the hardware skills, software skills, and skills for logical reasoning. Themed as “Building smart city with ICT”, the Locus 2018 will focus on uprising the smart technologies, which would result in better and efficient daily activities.

Pre-events of the Locus 2018

Locus committee targets to complete some of the initiatives and competition before the day marked for the main event. Such activities are Locus pre-events in the Locus dictionary. And below are the list of Locus pre-events along with their dates.

Energy Hackathon

The energy crisis is one of the burning issues in the present world. Even in Nepal, consumers are obliged to bottleneck the use of electricity. Without a proper plan, the curse of electrical energy crisis conjures darkness in the world in different ways. So, to cope with the inconveniences due to the electrical energy crisis and inefficient system, a proper planning and their appropriate implementation are crucial. And Energy Hackathon 2.0 is the pre-event of Locus 2018, which concentrations on finding the ways to cope with the prevailing energy problems.

It is a five-day long event in which participants as a team encounter some kind of energy-related problems of Nepal, find the solution with the help of expert and present their solution. The team with the best presentation from each category is declared the winner. Alternative Energy, Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management are the three board categories for this year. This event is a perfect way to get more involved in the energy industry as well as a helpful platform to learn real-world challenges, generates ideas, meet energy specialists and win cash prizes. The competition will be held from 21 January (Magh 7) at IOE Pulchowk Campus.

Registration Fee: Rs. 1000 from each team

Accepted Team members: 2-4

Registration Date: Poush 26 to Magh 4

Prize Amount: Rs. 10,000

Contact Person: Sagar Bimali (9843605233) | Swaechchha Dahal (9843133343) | Prabesh Neupane (9811858818)

Tech Debates

As the name implies, this pre-event focuses on debates and discussions of logic and intellectuality regarding the technology. In this pre-event, participants are expected to perform logical reasoning on the given topic. This will be in a similar pattern to World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) following the format of British Parliamentary Debate. This program will go on for three days starting from 6^th of Magh. And the mandatory number of participants in the team is two.

Registration Fee: Rs. 1500 from each team

Accepted Team members: 2

Registration Date: Poush 21 to Magh 1

Technical quiz competition for +2 students

Locus 2018 presents +2 & A level Inter College Technical Quiz Competition. It is one of the pre-events of the grand tech-festival LOCUS in which students will be putting their knowledge to test in different exciting rounds of the Quiz progression and the teams finishing on top will be awarded exciting prizes. This event is scheduled for 13^th of Magh.

Photography competition and workshop

Photography Competition is the event, where Locus inspires young photographers to capture the world through their lens. In its fourth edition, Locus Photography Competition challenges its participants to bring their best shots in the mentioned categories.

It will be held on the days of main exhibition. Along with the main photography event, LOCUS organizes a pre-event “Workshop on Digital Photography”. The workshop includes the teaching of basic skills of photography. This workshop is scheduled from 7^th of Magh to 10^th of Magh.

Art Competition and Exhibition

LOCUS art competition is a pre-event where art enthusiasts participate to make arts on various themes. The best arts are shown in the art exhibition on the 3-days of main exhibition. The art competition will be held on 17^th of Magh.

Walkathon

Walkathon is another promotional event of LOCUS. This year walkathon will take place on 16^th of Magh (on Martyr’s day) with the theme “Walk for the Martyrs”. Every enthusiast are welcomed for the walkathon to show the devotion for the Martyrs.

Children in Technology

Children in Technology is a social initiative of Locus where a group of students of Pulchowk Campus will be teaching about the current technological development and providing a basic crash course on hardware and software to the secondary and higher secondary level students of different schools and colleges of the valley.

Hack-a-week

Hack-a-week is one of the pre-events being organized by LOCUS as a means to bring together developers, programmers, and tech-enthusiasts and stimulate them to get involved in a competitive and innovative challenge. Hack-a-week aspires to become a hub to amass a large number of enthusiasts coming from different disciplines working together to come up with impactful solutions in raging issues. It is a week-long event in which a number of innovative participants engage in teams of collaboration to fashion out some product in forms of software development, business modeling and ambitious marketing campaign, which revolves around one of the three themes. The competition will be held from 21 January to 28 January (Magh 7 to Magh 14) at IOE, Pulchowk Campus.

Prize Amount: Rs. 15,000

Contact Person: Anuj Poudel (9849933272) | Anup Pokharel (9847481555) | Enish Paneru (9843693075)

Code Jam

Code Jam is a competition in which many students and programmers participate to demonstrate their programming skill in the event. The participants are required to solve the given problems in given time. The online judging system without any bias selects the first 2 participants completing the challenge as the winners. This event is scheduled for 13^th of Magh.

Yomari Code camp

Code Camp is a comprehensive platform for students and young researchers to unleash their potential to develop their ideas into useful applications. Within a short interval of time, students are required to present their idea, frame it into a functional application using their skill-set, and justify their efforts to win the competition. The event is scheduled for the second and the third day of the main exhibition, ie: 20^th and 21^st of Magh.

Talk Show with motivational and inspirational figures

Various talk shows and interactive sessions with motivational personalities are held as a pre-event of LOCUS. The topics are mainly related to technology, entrepreneurship, professionalism, research methodology, etc.

MATLAB Simulation Competition

Before heading for the assembly of components or the development of hardware prototype, it is crucial to test if the system is free from flaws. And simulation is the way to make sure of it. Matlab software is one of the most powerful simulation software ever built. And to check the excellence in Matlab, Locus has presented simulation competition as the part of the Locus pre-event. This is a two-day pre-event starting from 20^th of Magh.

Locus 2018 Event attractions

Despite the numerous pre-events, the main event is what the Locus is renowned for. With the creative and innovative ideas showcased in the event, the environment is certainly going to be filled with technical awesomeness.

The main event is an absolute platform for hardware and software competitions. The competitions are divided into the theme and non-themed category. All the hardware and software projects aiding in the renovation of society will be quarantined in the themed section and remaining in the non-themed section. The main event will start at 19^th of Magh and will run for three days. At the ending day i.e. 21st of Magh, all the winners of main events and the winners from the competitions of pre-events will be rewarded. Along with the hardware and software project competitions, there will also be some exciting competitions during the main events.

Dronacharya

The word Dronacharya comes from a mixture of two words-“Drone + Acharya” where Drone meaning the unmanned aerial vehicle and Acharya meaning Expert. It is a competition where participants should fly their drones tackling certain obstacles and going through various checkpoints to win the title. The event is scheduled on the first and third day of the main exhibition, ie: 19^th and 21^st of Magh.

Robo warz

Robo Warz is a war between two robots. The robots are vehicular with differential or omnidirectional drive. The game is about pushing the opponent robot outside the circular or hexagonal Arena. The Last Robot standing in the arena will be the winner of the game. The event is scheduled on the second day o the main exhibition, ie: 20^th of Magh.

For more information regarding the Locus 2018 events and pre-events, you may dial one of the following numbers.

Prasidha Karki, Co-ordinator– 9860167527

Sampada Bhujel, Event Co-ordinator- 9856038388

Basanta Chaulagain, Media Co-ordinator– 9849743206

CES 2018: $599 Moviphone with built-in Projector

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January 15, 2018

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CES 2018: $599 Moviphone with built-in Projector

CES 2018 has discovered many astonishing innovations and future technology this year. One of the great innovations is Moviphone with a built-in projector. So you have another great option on the list if you are looking for a portable projector.

Although it isn’t the first of its kind, it is without a doubt the most advanced. The astonishing innovation has grasped a lot of attention since it was showcased at CES. The device is already up for order starting at $599( which comes to around Rs 70,000 in Nepal).
The feature focus of Movi phone is, it doesn’t have any extra accessories or mods on the smartphone for projection. So basically, to cut out any bulk or additional weight it already is integrated into the body. Movi phone offers an inbuilt “Projection App” that lets you start/stop the projection. Movi phone’s projector offers a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels along with autofocusing and auto keystone.

Having keystone on a pico projector is a convenient addition, you can easily straighten a slanted projection on the wall. The phone uses laser projection technology to project a 720p image up to 100 inches in size. That’s plenty enough to cover a whole wall creating a theatrical experience to enjoy movies and games. But the brightness rating offered by this device is 50 lumens. It’s decent for a pocket projector but a dark room is required for proper visibility. Also going full 100-inch won’t result in a good experience with this brightness.

The device feels almost like any other mid-range Android phone. It comes with a unibody metal construct with a 5.5-inch full HD display. It doesn’t look bad like the other Android hybrids we have witnessed. The phone is just 10.28mm thick, which is a really slim form factor compared to any pico projectors. Movi phone is powered by a quad-core 32 bit MediaTek processor clocked at 1.5GHZ. It offers a 4,000mAH battery which is large for any smartphone. With this chunky battery, the company promises around 4 hours of projection. Plenty enough for two movies! On the bright side, it also offers fast charging with its 5V 5A charger which should juice up the phone within 1.5 hours or so.

Two configurations of 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB is provided. And if it is not enough to store your multimedia contents then the storage can be further expandable using a microSD card. The phone has a 13-megapixel camera with PDAF and LED flash on the rear and an 8-megapixel shooter with fixed focus and soft LED flash on the front. It boots on stock Android Nougat. Connectivity options include Wifi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS, Audio jack, FM radio, and USB OTG support.

Specifications of Moviphone

Display: 5.5 inches Full HD (1920*1080)
CPU: MediaTek MT6750V/WT
CPU: Quad-Cortex A53 1.5GHz+4x Cortex A53 1.0GHz
OS: Android 7.0 Nougat
Dimensions (mm):153.06*75.64*10.28mm
Weight with Battery (g) : <200g
Battery Capacity: 4000 mAh
Connectivity: One slot with SIM(Micro SIM+TF/Nano SIM) & Micro SD, Bluetooth 4.1, FM Radio, WIFI b/g/n.
ROM: 32GB/64GB (Extendable using microSD card)
RAM: 3GB/4GB
Back Camera: 13M，3L8/OV 13855，PDAF, Auto Focus, Flashlight single LED
Front Camera: 8M，1/4+4P，OV8856/HI846，Wide-angle, Auto Focus, Flashlight
USB Port : USB 2.0 high speed – Micro USB 5pins
Sensors: G-sensor, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, E-Compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint
Projector Brightness: 50 Lumens
Projector Contrast Ratio: 80,000:1
Projector Focusing Method: Infinite/Autofocus
Battery Life: 4 hours with screen ON and max brightness | 5.1 hours with screen ON and middle brightness | 6 hours with screen off

CES 2018: HP rocked the show with some remarkable laptops, impressive 3D camera & more

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January 14, 2018

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CES 2018: HP rocked the show with some remarkable laptops, impressive 3D camera & more

Consumer Electronics Show, CES 2018 ended this Friday. And in this biggest tech fair, the technology giant HP had not abstained itself from showcasing the greatest gadgets in its lineup. With the devices like 3D camera, laptops with 8th generation Intel Core processor, remarkable tablet PC and big gaming display, HP gained lots of appraisals from the audiences in the show.

HP Spectre x360 15 convertible laptop

Spectre series laptops are the ornamental legacy of the Hewlett Packard (HP). Ergonomically beautiful, powerful specs and longer battery are some defining features in the Spectre laptops. And this time around, there is nothing different. Because of such ingenuities in the past, the new Spectre x360 15 also gained loads of attention in the show.

This convertible is one of the first laptops to possess 8th generation Intel Chip. And The 2-in-1 seems sturdy in its CNC machined aluminum chassis. Available in Dark Ash Silver with Copper Luxe accents, this new convertible comes with an angular profile of 19.5mm. In terms of display, this new 2-in-1 possesses UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution protected by Gorilla glass 4. Weighted 2.1Kg, the HP Spectre x360 15 is also rich in terms of security. IR camera and a fingerprint scanner are incorporated into the device to evade the data vulnerabilities.

Two variants of this convertible laptop were showcased at the event, one with integrated graphics and other with discrete Nvidia graphics. The first of its kind i.e. the laptop with Intel Core I7-8750G processor with AMD Radeon RX Vega M graphics offers 12 hours of battery backup. The name of the processor used on another variant is still suspense. However, it was disclosed that an 8th gen quad-core Intel Core processor is used to power the device. This variant is provided with Nvidia GeForce MX150 discrete graphics and is capable to drive the device offering 13.5 hours of battery backup. Both of these laptops are hassle-free to juice up, as they are compatible with fast charging. Priced at $1369.99, these new laptops will be available in the US starting from March this year.

HP Envy x2 Hybrid

Jacketed inside CNC machined aluminum shell, Envy x2 is an ‘Always Connected’ PC. In terms of display, this hybrid is gifted with the 12.3-inch display with WUXGA+ (1920 x 1280 pixels) resolution and Gorilla glass 4 for the protection. The device is powered by 7th gen Intel Core Y-series processor. This newbie runs on Window 10 Home OS and is coupled with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB of PCIe SSD storage.

Envy x2 includes fanless design and comes with LTE support. This tablet PC can be positioned in laptop mode, reading mode or tablet mode. The tablet comes with the 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. On the connectivity side, the PC has two USB Type-C ports, a microSD slot, a SIM card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack accumulated. Weighing a mere mass of 766 grams, the device is remarkably light and claims to provide 17 hours of battery backup.

HP Pavilion Wave

Pavilion Wave is the first laptop to incorporate Amazon Alexa AI in its system. The voice recognition integrated with AI can be used to web surfing, video streaming and to perform the task within. Furnished with Intel Smart Sound technology, the PC is also capable of offering 360-degree audio output. The device is priced $549.99 and its shipment will begin from the spring of 2018.

HP OMEN X65

OMEN X65 is a big gaming display from HP. As its name cues, this display is sized 65-inch. This huge display is an HDR10 compliant and offers UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution. In addition, this display possesses 120Hz refresh rate and is remarkably bright with 1000 nits of brightness. This gigantic display also features Nvidia G-Sync and Nvidia Shield Integration for an enhanced gaming experience.

HP Z 3D camera

Capturing the 3D textures of the objects has been often cumbersome. Accumulating the micro details and encapsulating them in the workspace had always been a pain in the neck. To annihilate such inconveniences, HP showcased Z 3D Camera in this CES 2018. This camera is unique in design and offers maximum compatibility in the workspace despite the small footprint. This camera performs 3D scans of the objects just like recording videos. The Z 3D camera creates create life-like digital images by rotating an object in your hands or positioning under the camera – SLAM tracking and scanning technology construct the 3D model in real time. Despite the use of hands-on rotating the objects, hands are removed from the images in real time and creating life-like objects. This camera can be a great device to scan objects with computer-graphics-friendly resolutions. The scanned objects can reliably be used for Physical-based rendering (PBR) and Virtual Reality (VR) applications.

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CES 2018: LG applauded for the Rollable TV, ThinQ devices & impressive Gram Laptops in the event

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January 14, 2018

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CES 2018: LG applauded for the Rollable TV, ThinQ devices & impressive Gram Laptops in the event

CES 2018 has got every tech lovers psyched. CES (Consumers Electronics Show) not only highlights the new and exciting technologies but also projects a little bit of tech industry throughout the year. With technologies and gadgets showcased in burst mode, here is the list of some best technologies and gadgets showcased by LG at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

65-inch rollable OLED TV

Watching on the big screen is always a fun, be it a movie, video or the football. However, big display consumes more space they turn out to be a huge burden when not in use. So with a view to eradicating such inconveniences, LG developed 65-inch OLED TV, which is not just capable of reproducing vivid colors but also is rollable. This is an unprecedented feature on a TV, which reduces the space issues to great extent.

Video Credits: BBC

LG had also showcased its 18-inch foldable and rollable TV back in 2016. However, this time around LG has not just increased the size of the TV but also made it adjustable to a different aspect ratio. This OLED has a long rectangular base and the TV hides within the base when not in use. The users can watch the information like news and weather in a small display. While watching movies, the aspect ratio of 21:9 is often preferred and this OLED TV can be brought to that aspect ratio too. And if one wants to enjoy the whole of its gargantuan display, one can always to the traditional 16:9 display.

This rollable OLED TV possesses Ultra HD display (3840 x 2160 pixels) and the colors pop out with an accurate natural tone. Because of its unprecedented portability, this TV gained lots of attention in the show and most visitors wished to own such TVs. However, this TV was just a prototype during the show and LG has not planned for its mass reproduction.

LG TVs lineup 2018

The successor to the W7, LG brought the 65-inch wallpaper style LG W8 TV for the year 2018. This 65-inch TV is also equipped with a 4.2 Dolby Atmos sound bar attached via a flat cable.

There is also the LG G8. Available in the size of 65 and 77 inches, the LG G8 TV also uses the same panel and processor as that of the W8. However, to add a little difference, this TV has desktop design and a small built-in soundbar.

Also Read: LG TVs Price in Nepal

With the thinner sound bar and more subtle audio, LG E8 presented itself better than the last year’s E7. But LG claimed that there will be no change in volume despite the size of the sound bar. This TV has continued the use of ‘Pixel in glass’ design, however, this time around, the glass section has extended near to the metal stand at the bottom.

LG C8 and B8 were also showcased at the event. However, these TVs lacked the changes and were indistinguishable to their 2017 counterparts. The same pixels-on-glass design can be seen in the two in the same super-slim OLED attires.

Though the new OLED TVs lack tangible improvements over its predecessors, the inclusion of “Alpha 9” processor and Google Assistant is somewhat praiseworthy. This OLED TV comes with webOS blended the Google Assistant. The webOS seems nothing different from the last year’s webOS 3.5. However, because of the Google Assistant, some AI-related activities are seamless with the device. These new OLEDs can also handle the high frame rate of 12Hz over USB, broadcast and streaming sources. However, this feature is only supported with 1080p resolutions from extended sources connected with HDMI.

88-inch 8K OLED TV

As the title cues, this OLED TV is an absolute record breaker. This 88-inch 8K OLED TV from LG is not just enormous in size but also overwhelming in terms of resolution. The 8K display (7,680 x 4,320 pixels) is four times as sharper as the 4K display and 16 times sharper than the Full-HD display. And with thin bezels to wrap the display, this TV would show the lively pictures on it. And with the OLED panels, the colors are accurate with natural-like colors reproduction. Because of the clarity, color accuracy, and immersiveness his TV can definitely fool the eyes.

LG V30 in new Color

V30 is the current flagship of LG. The smartphone was already impressive in terms of specs and in this CES 2018, it just welcomed another color variant. Called as LG V30 Raspberry Rose, this new color variant possesses electric pink hue.

LG Gram Laptops

Most of the Ultrabooks come with one major issue, Webcam placed below the screen. And LG Gram laptops have tried to fix that issue by placing it on the top. The new laptops were unveiled in the event, which was brought in three different sizes, 13.3-inch, 14-inch, and 15.6 inches. These new laptops are also powerful and efficient at the same time. Provided with 8^th generation Intel Core I5 and I7 processors, these laptops offer a great performance additionally. These laptops are provided with 72Wh batteries, which provide 22.5, 21.5 and 19 hours backup on 13.3-inch, 14-inch and 15.6-inch laptops respectively.

These laptops are also durable and are impressively resistant to impacts, temperature, and pressure. The new Gram laptops passed seven MIL-STD 810G durability tests, all thanks to its new nano-carbon magnesium shell. LG Gram laptops are also remarkably light. The base model or the one with 13.3-inch weighs 961 grams, whereas, its 14-inch and 15.6-inch counterparts weigh 993 and 1095 grams respectively.

Furthermore, there is also the privilege of upgrades. One can always enhance these laptops further with touchscreens, fingerprint readers, and Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. The touchscreen upgrades can be done without a major compromise in the thickness, all thanks to the new IPS In-cell Touch Technology by LG. This technology by LG offers haptic control without distorting colors while touching the panel.

ThinQ Smart Home Solution

Provided with the ThinQ technology, LG brought a smartphone speaker to the event. To say in simple words, this is a new version of Google Home made by LG. LG has claimed that this device offers a “premium sounding” experience that works with high-quality lossless files. Also, the device has the Meridian Audio technology built in, the technology built after the new partnership of LG with hi-fi stalwarts Meridian.

In addition to the smart speaker, LG brought devices like smart refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, dryers, and even vacuums with the ThinQ technology. With the new ‘ThinQ’ (thin cue) technology, the devices are integrated with voice recognition and the devices can act smartly with the voice commands. These devices are powered by Google Assistant and in addition to the smart using experiences, these devices are compatible for IoT (internet of things).

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CES 2018: Samsung unveils ‘The Wall’ – A 146-inch MicroLED 4K TV, and the Q9S – An 8K QLED TV with AI

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January 13, 2018

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CES 2018: Samsung unveils ‘The Wall’ – A 146-inch MicroLED 4K TV, and the Q9S – An 8K QLED TV with AI

Samsung has a tendency of announcing some products right before the start of an event. It did this at CES 2018 by unveiling two new TVs namely The Wall and the Q9S. Both these TVs stole the headlines because of their respective features, The Wall is a huge 146-inch modular TV and the Q9S has 8K resolution and comes with AI on the inside.

Samsung The Wall TV:

The Wall, according to Samsung, is the ‘world’s first modular TV’. It uses a new MicroLED display technology which could bring an evolution in the display fronts after LED, Quantum Dots, and OLED. During its launch event, the President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, Jonghee Han, said, “As the world’s first consumer modular MicroLED television, ‘The Wall’ represents another breakthrough. It can transform into any size, and delivers incredible brightness, color gamut, color volume and black levels.” So, what he means is that the pixels the TV has can light up without backlight. The Korean giants have boasted its bezel-less design and its ability to fit in any kind of environment due to the modular design.

Samsung The Wall TV Specifications:

146-inch modular design TV
4K resolution
MicroLED display
Customization of shape and size

Samsung Q9S 8K TV:

The Q9S, like I said before, supports up to 8K video resolution in an 85-inch frame. It also has AI inside due to which the TV itself gets better over a certain period of time. According to Samsung, this AI capability of the device has the capacity of upscaling any video quality to 8K straightaway. And it does this all while improving the picture quality, reducing noise and refining the overall sound.

Samsung is yet to give a word in the availability and the pricing of these devices. We can expect the prices of this device to be sky high due to the features they come with, and they probably won’t make their way into the Nepali market.

Samsung Q9s 8K TV Specifications:

85-inch 8K UHD TV
AI compatible
Ability to upscale video quality
Detail enhancement and noise reduction
Automatic sound adjustment

CES 2018: Acer launches Swift 7, Spin 3, Nitro 5 and Chromebook 11

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January 13, 2018

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CES 2018: Acer launches Swift 7, Spin 3, Nitro 5 and Chromebook 11

CES 2018 was huge for Acer. The company unveiled four new devices including the world’s thinnest laptop ever. The company launched the Acer Swift 7, Acer Spin 3, Acer Nitro 5 and the Acer Chromebook 11.

Acer Swift 7

The Acer Swift 7 is the thinnest laptop ever. It has a futuristic look and comes with a 14-inch touchscreen display with minimal bezels up top and on the sides. This display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Inside, it has a Kaby Lake Intel Core i7 processor with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD. The device, according to Acer, provides up to 10 hours of battery life.

Acer Swift 7 Specifications:

14-inch Full HD touchscreen display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection
Kaby Lake (7^th Gen) Intel Core i7 Processor
8 GB RAM
256 GB SSD
Up to 10 hours of battery life
Windows Hello Integration
Fingerprint Scanner
Price: Starts at $1,699

Acer Spin 3

The Acer Spin 3 is a laptop with a 360-degree hinge mechanism, just like the name Spin suggests. It is a notebook that can work as a tablet or a laptop according to a user’s liking. This device is powered by an 8th Gen processor which is something the Swift 7 lacks. It has a 14-inch full HD display. One of the impressive features of the Spin 3 is the front-facing speakers which are optimized with Acer’s own TrueHarmony technology. In terms of battery life, it has a 12-hour battery life.

Acer Spin 3 Specifications:

14-inch Full HD touchscreen display
Coffee Lake (8^th Gen) Processor
360-degree hinge
Up to 12 hours of battery life
Price: Starts from $599

Acer Nitro 5

The Acer Nitro 5 is a device meant for someone who wants gaming in a portable laptop. It is packed with a Ryzen Mobile processor alongside a Radeon TX560 graphics. Storage wise, the Nitro 5 can house up to 32 GB RAM and supports up to 512 GB of SSD. It sports a 15.6-inch full HD display and comes with NitroSense software. The device’s prices start from $799.

Acer Nitro 5 Specifications:

15.6-inch Full HD IPS display
AMD Ryzen Mobile Processor
AMD Radeon RX560 GPU
Up to 32 GB RAM
Up to 512 GB SSD
Price: Starts from $799

Acer Chromebook 11

Acer also launched a new Chromebook alongside the other laptops. The Chromebook 11, like its name suggests, has an 11.6-inch screen with HD resolution. In the performance side of things, it is powered by Intel Celeron processor, that is aided by 4 GB RAM and 16/32 GB memory. According to Acer, the Chromebook 11 provides around 10 hours of battery life. One of the impressive features of the device is its compatibility with Google Play.

Acer Chromebook 11 Specifications:

11.6-inch HD touchscreen display
Intel Celeron Processor
4 GB RAM
16/32 GB storage
Up to 10 hours of battery life
Google Play support
Price: Starts from $249

CES 2018: Lenovo Unveils Miix 630 Laptop Powered by SnapDragon 835

CES 2018

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January 13, 2018

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CES 2018: Lenovo Unveils Miix 630 Laptop Powered by SnapDragon 835

CES 2018 is over and we have seen few noticeable enhancements in the laptop section. The new laptops are more lean, flexible, cheap and powered by mobile processors. Under the Microsoft’s ‘Always Connected’ PC, the Lenovo has showcased the Miix 630 2-in-1 laptop. This is one of three laptops in the world that is powered by a mobile processor, namely, the flagship Snapdragon 835. Let’s see what this laptop has to offer.

The Lenovo Miix 630 comes with a 12.3-inch display(1920×1280) which is detachable. It enables this laptop to be used as a tablet. The laptop comes with its own flip cover attached to keyboard and kickstand. The keyboard is backlit and on it’s right, there’s a stylus pen. The stylus comes by default when you purchase this laptop so no extra costs there. The stylus has 1,024 levels of pressure enabling different variations when you sketch or doodle.

Being powered by a mobile processor, it comes with Gigabit LTE connection as well as dual-band ac wifi. For this very reason, Microsoft calls these laptops ‘Always Connected.’ Lenovo Miix 630 is running on Windows 10 S. It is a secure and ultra-limited version of Windows 10. It packs Microsoft goodness like the Windows Hello Face Unlock with the included 5MP IR camera and Cortana Voice Assistant. It holds a 13MP camera on the back as well. For graphical performance, it is aided by Adreno 540 GPU. It packs either 4 or 8GB of RAM. For storage, it offers up to 256 GB of NAND flash UFS storage. For peripherals, it comes with a single USB 3.1 C port for charging and data syncing, card reader and headphone jack.

Since it’s powered by energy efficient Snapdragon 835 chipset and runs optimized windows apps only, the battery life is significantly great. Lenovo claims around 20 hours of video playback with 150 nits of brightness with its 48Wh battery.

Specifications of Lenovo Miix 630

Display: 12.3″(1920×1280) at 187 PPI
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 [4 x Kryo 280 Performance (2.45 GHz) 4 x Kryo Efficiency (1.9 GHz)]
GPU: Adreno 540 GPU at 710 MHz
RAM: 4GB and 8GB
Storage: 64/256GB UFS Storage
Connectivity: 802.11/ac WIFI, Qualcomm X16 Gigabit LTE, Bluetooth 4.1
I/O: 1 USB C, audio jack, card reader
Camera: 5MP Front with Windows Hello, 13MP Rear
Battery: 48WH with 20 hours backup
Weight: 1.33 KG

Clearly, it’s not a powerful laptop that you can carry around to do some heavy works on the go. But with its lightness and long battery life, it is a handy carry for documents, spreadsheets, presentation or note taking. It is priced at $800 and will be on shelves for the second quarter of 2018.

CES 2018: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 with Hybrid Processor Launched

GadgetByte

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January 13, 2018

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CES 2018: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 with Hybrid Processor Launched

Dell XPS 15 is one of the most popular and certainly the most modern looking laptops around with its minimal bezel-less display. At CES 2018, Dell has launched the 2018 version of XPS 15 which is dubbed as the world’s slimmest and most powerful 15-inch laptop. How and Why we’ll get to that part later, but first let’s check out few of the new upgrades this laptop has received.

The first thing that we shouldn’t forget to mention, this is the first 2-in-1 convertible in XPS lineup. So if you want to use it as a tablet you can just flip it and do so. This has been possible because of the slim form factor with just 16mm of thickness. As the name suggests, the XPS 15 is a 15.6-inch laptop that you can get in 2 variants, either with a 4K display or a full HD display. No matter the panel of choice you’ll get 100% Adobe RGB color, meaning doing graphic sensitive works and other kinds of stuff you’ll have colors that are as real as it can get. The display like the previous gens is touch enabled.

But to our surprise, Dell has introduced a Stylus pen that goes along with the laptop. The stylus has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilts to assist in more detailed sketching. It is magnetic so you can stick it to few designated surface of the laptop. It has to be bought separately although the price has not be quoted yet.

Dell XPS 15 2 in 1 maglev keyboard — Image: Trusted Reviews

The new and somewhat refreshing update that the new XPS 15 has received is its keyboard. It uses a new keyboard mechanism called maglev. The keys are shallow with just 0.7mm travel but the magnets beneath each key tend to provide the feel of more travel by controlling their strength of repulsion. Maglev ensures that there is less friction so the keyboard should be more durable. Talking about buttons, the XPS 15 also receives a fingerprint scanner on its power button. You can also unlock the laptop with your face with the Windows Hello feature.

The Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 has received an upgrade in terms of performance as well. It houses one of the first hybrid chips built jointly by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). It has8th Gen Intel Quad CoreTM i7-8705G processor with RadeonTM RX Vega M GL graphics (8MB cache, up to 4.1GHz) on the same chipset. Due to this hybrid nature, the motherboard is now 50% smaller. This has mainly contributed to the laptops thin form factor. Because the processor and graphics unit is together the thermals would be managed better as well. The RadeonTM RX Vega M GL graphics will provide performance comparable to the GTX 1050. Not only can you run power intensive apps but you can easily game on it as well. You can get up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB PCIe SSD. Dell promises about 15 hours of backup from this laptop.

Talking about peripherals, it has 4 USB C ports, out of which two are Thunderbolt 3 with full 4 PCIe lanes. It has a headphone jack and a microSD card.

Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 Specifications:

Display: 15.6″ Ultrasharp 4K UHD (3840×2160) or FHD (1920×1080) InfinityEdge Touch Display w/100% Adobe RGB
CPU & GPU: Intel’s 8th Generation Kaby Lake-G Processors:
i5-8305G quad core with Radeon RX Vega M GL Graphics (6MB cache, 3.8 GHz) OR
i7 8705G quad core + HT with Radeon RX Vega M GL Graphics (8MB Cache, to 4.1 GHz)
RAM: 8-16GB Dual Channel DDR4 2400
Storage: 128GB, 256GB PCIe, 512GB PCIe, 1TB PCIe SSD
Connectivity: Killer 1435 802.11ac (2T/2R) + Bluetooth 4.1 OR
Intel 8265 802.11ac (2T/2R) for Vpro + Bluetooth 4.1
I/O: 4*USB type C where 2*Thunderbolt 3, audio jack, card reader, fingerprint scanner
Battery: 75WHr, 15 hours backup on FHD display
Weight: 1.97KG

The Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 will be available from April with the price of $1299.

CES 2018: What does Yamaha have in store for the future

GadgetByte

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January 13, 2018

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CES 2018: What does Yamaha have in store for the future

Yamaha, the superbike manufacturer from Japan have their own booth in CES 2018. With that, they had some really interesting concepts on display. And let’s just say they are pretty interesting. There were a total of five concepts on display, and we will explain them to you one by one.

expanding the possibilities of mobility with advanced technology

MOTOROiD

What is a MOTOTOiD you ask? It’s a self-driving AI fused motorbike that seems really cool and futuristic. It has a bunch of technologies built into it, which enables it to stand up on just two wheels and manage to balance itself. It can also move without the need of its rider.

But that’s not all, the AI inside this machine helps it maneuver its rider. This new tech did get its fair share of attention back in Tokio Motor show, thanks to it’s biometric and movement analysis based on the rider.

MOTOBOT Ver 2

The 2017 version of the robot that can ride a motorcycle at high speeds. The robot does fit on almost any motorcycle with very fewer modifications and can ride it very fast. It did fail to beat “The Doctor”, by almost half a minute actually. But Yamaha says that the newer version is faster and better than before.

Public Personal Mobility

A driverless four-wheeler designed specifically to transport people over a course of a few kilometers. Here you can think of a really large airport or an office where a group of people can safely and comfortably transport from point A to point B with ease. It is designed to be usable in high traffic areas as well.

YMR-01

At first sight, this looks like the drones that we see in movies being used by the bad guys. But it’s not, it’s just a really big drone that can fly really fast, so there are a lot of possible use for it. It does have a capacity to deliver high spraying performance to meet the needs of today’s farmers. It is also pretty lightweight, easy to use and very reliable.

Fazer R

The Fazer R is a helicopter, not bigger than the YMR-01. So it’s unmanned and can keep flying in paths that are evenly spaced. This makes it a really useful tool for farmers or the agricultural industry in general. Think of a really big farm that needs water or pesticides, and a helicopter that can do the exact same.

The Fazer R even support a spraying toggle switch for a much better and precise spraying session. It also comes with a turn assistance for improved controllability and can maintain a flying position as well, just like most of the real sized helicopters.

Best smartphones with 4GB RAM under Rs.35000 in Nepal

GadgetByte

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January 13, 2018

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Best smartphones with 4GB RAM under Rs.35000 in Nepal

It was not a long ago that a smartphone with 2 or 3GB of RAM would engulf us with astonishment. Back then, app sizes were smaller, and the number of apps used for multitasking was few. With the passage of time, smartphones’ functionality has increased along with the app sizes demanding a greater amount of RAM.

So, these days, to avoid repercussions regarding the RAM insufficiency and to lure more smartphone lovers, manufacturers are generously adding more RAM to their new phones. This trend is making the smartphones with 1 GB of RAM obsolete and smartphones with 2 or 3GB of RAM are being pushed in the mid-range and low-end price segment (except for the iOS devices, which has a heavily optimized system and low as 2 or 3GB of RAM, ensures smooth operation even for the multitasking).

3GB of RAM works fine for most cases, but 4GB of RAM makes sure a buttery smooth performance even for high-end gaming and multi-tasking capabilities. So, in order to help you with the smartphones that avoid app freezing and lagging problems on the use, here we present you a list of best smartphones with 4GB RAM that are available under the price of Rs. 35,000.

[Note: This article focuses on the smartphones with 4GB of RAM, which are available under Rs. 35,000 in Nepal. But we are also taking SoC into consideration that put together yields into better gaming and multitasking without lags, app freezing and drop in frame rates.]

Coolpad Cool1

Justifying the name it carries, Cool1 performs awesomely cool. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor used on this phone is backed by Adreno 510 GPU and 4 GB of LPDDR3. This assembly has obliged the device to run without hiccups. Even while playing games with intense graphics, one could sense no stutter or drop on frame rate. The device performance seems indistinguishable even on the multi-tasking. Along with its performance, Cool1 impresses the user with its remarkable camera and overwhelming battery backup.

Coolpad Cool1 Full Specifications

5.5-inch full HD display
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
64GB storage (no SD card slot)
4GB LPDDR3 RAM
13 MP Dual Rear-facing Camera with f/2.0 aperture and Dual-LED (Dual-tone) flash
8 MP Front Facing Camera with f/2.2 aperture
Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 64-bit SoC
Octa-core processor (4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A72)
Adreno 510 GPU
Fingerprint Sensor (rear mounted)
USB Type-C connectivity
Non-removable 4060 mAh battery
Price: – Rs. 30,996

Also Read: Coolpad Cool1 Dual Review: A Great Value Proposition

Xiaomi MI A1

With metallic luster on the phone, Xiaomi MI A1 is elegant on the looks. And the presence of dual-camera setup is another cheesy addition to lure the customers. In addition to the alluring looks and impressive rear camera, the device is great in terms of performance. The smartphone possesses Snapdragon 625 chipset to trigger the processes within the device. And there is Adreno 506 GPU monitoring the graphics department. With this setup in the device, even the high volume and high graphics apps/games boot without lags and run without hiccups. And the presence of the bloatware-free Android OS could be another entity to be credited for.

Xiaomi MI A1 Full specifications

5.5 inches FHD IPS LCD display @401 PPI
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset
Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
Adreno 506 GPU
Stock Android Oreo (v8.0)
Hybrid Dual-SIM (Nano SIM + Nano-SIM)
4 GB RAM
32/64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Rear Camera: Dual: 12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm) + 12 MP (f/2.6, 50mm), phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom
Selfie- camera: 5MP
Connectivity: Hybrid Dual SIM Nano-SIM, dual standby), WIFI b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type C
Sensors: Fingerprint sensor (rear- mounted), Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Ambient light
Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3080 mAh
Price: Rs. 27,000 (32GB); 30,000 (64GB)

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi A1 Review: When Two Worlds Collide

Vivo V7

The 24MP selfie camera is the sweet spot on the Vivo V7. Despite being the camera phone, Vivo V7 is also excelsior in terms of performance. Powered by Snapdragon 450 chipset, the smartphone is swift on the use. Lags and stutters seldom come to nudge the device even during the rigorous gaming; the choice of Adreno 506 GPU is sincerely commendable. In addition to the remarkable camera and noteworthy performance, the smartphone is quite alluring with the bezel-less display.

Vivo V7 Full specifications

5.7 inch Full View IPS LCD display, 77.1% screen-to-body ratio
HD+ (720 x 1440 pixels) resolution @ 282PPI pixel density, 18:9 aspect ratio
Snapdragon 450 chipset
Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
Adreno 506 GPU
Android Nougat (v7.1.2) with Funtouch OS 3.2 on the top
4GB of RAM
32GB Internal storage; expandable up to 256GB via SDcard (dedicated slot)
Rear Camera: 16 MP (1/3″ sensor size, 1.0 µm pixel size), f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, LED flash; Captures 64MP Ultra HD photos, portrait mode
Front Camera: 24 MP, f/2.0; Face beauty with natural face enhancement
Connectivity:Dual-SIM (Nano), 4G, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, USB-OTG
Sensors: Fingerprint (Rear Mounted), Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient light, Compass
Battery: 3000mAh non-removable battery
Price in Nepal: 29,990

Also Read: smartphones with Bezel-less display in Nepal

Oppo F5

With the tagline of “Selfie expert and leader”, Oppo F5 came with the camera as the user selling point. And like the Vivo V7, the Oppo F5 also comes with the bezel-less display and 18:9 aspect ratio. However, the major difference between the two will be the chipset used. Oppo F5 is equipped with MediaTek Helio P23 chipset. MediaTek chipsets are often criticized for the accusation of sub-par performance. However, the chipset used on the Oppo F5 is fairly decent and gets everything done abruptly without issues. Because of its tall screen, multitasking with the multi-window feature is also quite fun and its blazing fast performance assists there to keep the entertainment uninterrupted.

Oppo F5 Full specifications

6.0 inches LTPS IPS LCD
Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 402PPI pixel density
Android Nougat (v7.1.1) with ColorOS 3.2 UI on the top
MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23 chipset
Mali-G71 MP2 GPU
4GBRAM
32GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB (dedicated slot for microSD card)
Rear Camera: 16MP, f/1.8, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Front Camera: 20MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8-inch sensor
Connectivity: Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, USB-OTG, 3G, 4G LTE
Sensors: Fingerprint (rear mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
Battery: 3200mAh (non-removable)
Price: Rs. 33,990 (4GB/32GB)

Also Read: Oppo F5 launched in Nepal: Hands-on with the device gave a surprising result

Huawei Nova 2i

Nova 2i is the smartphone, which is getting a lot of buzz and traffic in the smartphone market because of its quad-camera setup. And the smartphone is the first smartphone of such kind in Nepal. Along with its expertise in the camera department, the smartphone is enticing because of its minimum bezels. Powering the device is Huawei’s home-baked HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset with Mali-T830 MP2 GPU to take care of the graphics department. Loading and playing light apps and games are swift and multitasking with them is smooth. Even the heavy titles run without a conspicuous frame drop most of the time. However, the smartphone struggles sometimes with the heavy games.

Huawei Nova 2i Full specifications

5.9 inches LTPS IPS LCD
Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 409PPI pixel density
Android Nougat (v7.0) with EMUI 5.1 on the top
HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset
Mali-T830 MP2 GPU
4GBRAM
64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB (uses SIM2)
Rear Camera: 16MP+2MP, f/2.2, LED flash
Front Camera: 13MP+2MP
Connectivity: Hybrid Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, USB-OTG, 3G, 4G LTE
Sensors: Fingerprint (rear mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass, Ambient light sensor, and Barometer
Battery: 3340mAh (non-removable)
Price: Rs. 33,900

Also Read: Huawei Nova 2i Review: Mid-range Segment has a new challenger

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