We all want our precious moments to be framed forever inside photographs and videos, which helps us to relive such moments whenever wanted. But all that need is a good photographer/videographer. In addition, some of such special moments are so abrupt making it impossible to grab a camera and shoot the moment. But, no worries, Google has brought the solution for such scenarios in the form of Google Clips.
Google Clips is a smart hands-free camera that is capable of taking pictures all by itself. In its miniature size of 2 square inches, is the lens, sensor and clever sets of algorithms to define exact moment to capture, simply making it smart. Furthermore, Google Clips is quite unlike the digital cameras or action cameras as it lacks a viewfinder. The device also lacked shutter button when conceived, which, however, can be found in its final state.
“We used to not have a button”, Eva Snee, the user experience lead for the camera explained. “And then we put a button in because we learned from real users- outside of Google- that a camera needs to have that agency.”
A smart-camera named Clips, the nomenclature sounded confusing. But contrary to the other cameras, which capture photos or videos, Google Clips records snippet or motion pictures. As such snippets lack sound (since the Google Clips lacks microphone), such snippets are termed as clips. The clips are several seconds long, which can be exported as Motion Photos, GIFs, JPEGs or movie files. Since the device captures such snippets in 15fps frame rate, a high resolution still image can even be extracted from the snippet.
The device features machine learning and it gets acquainted with the faces that come frequently on the frame. The device gets gravitated to such people and takes their shots more often. The device is designed especially to work on kids and pets (cats and dogs). And according to the Google Clips team, the device worked seamlessly with the designated demographics and also worked well with goats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXh1yyvXpwo
In terms of specs, Google Clips inherit 12MP sensor with a 130-degrees field of view. It also with silicone clips so that one can place it somewhere wanted to define the field of view. It also comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage and an inbuilt battery to power the device.
The device is priced $249 and is currently flagged as “coming soon”. We are eager to see how Google will dazzle the world with Google Clips when general enthusiasts have their hands-on on the device.
Google Clips Highlights
Dimensions: 2-inch square
Resolution: 12MP
Field of view: 130-degrees
Frame Rate: 15fps
Internal Storage: 16GB
Transfer Media: Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth
Currently Supported smartphones: Pixel phones, Samsung Galaxy S7/S8, iPhones (6 and up)
Battery Backup: lasts 3 hours on single charge
Comes with silicone clips to hold the camera at any angle
At its annual event held yesterday (October 4th, 2017), Google launched an array of other products besides the flagships: Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Among those products, Google Pixel Buds are also one. What exactly has Google put forward as Pixel Buds? Here’s more below:
These trademarked set of wireless headphones from Google are connected by a rope-like cord that goes around your head or neck and can be used for more than just listening. These ear-buds can be monitored using a touch-sensitive control on the right bud that allows users to tap to play/pause music, swipe forward and back to change volume and also offers a connection to Google Assistant on long press.
Now why connect to Google Assistant, you ask? This connection will offer users a communication channel through which the Google Assistant can read out notifications and messages to you. Moreover, this will also allow users to activate their own personal Google on-the-go by communicating their needs to the Google Assistant. The connection is also pretty simple. All the user needs to do is open the case and a Pixel Smartphone or any other Android phone with version 7.0 Nougat software and Google Assistant will connect them automatically.
Also, these Pixel Buds are worn in a unique way. As these are ear-buds, not in-ear headphones, they don’t fit into your ear canal and instead nestle into your outer ear and stay anchored in place by a small loop formed by the cord. In the event yesterday, Product Manager: Adam Champy explained how Google did not like the way in-ear headphones force users to handle the sizing of the buds. He further went on to add how users are asked to either take the headphone apart or put something in their ears that didn’t fit. Coming back to what he had to say about the Pixel Buds: “The loop here fits into a non-sensitive part of the ear and the whole system is stable enough to go running with.”
The most intriguing feature of the Pixel Buds is the integrated Google Translate feature. This feature was demoed on stage yesterday at the launch event where two Pixel Bud wearers: a native English speaker and a native Swedish speaker held a conversation with one another in their native language by translating communications in real time. There was barely any lag time between the speaker saying the words, the Buds’ hearing them and translating them into the appropriate language. Using the existing Google Translate data and infrastructure, the Pixel Buds are able to comprehend conversations in over 40 different languages.
Now speaking in terms of battery power and charging, the Buds come with a 120mAh battery and the cloth-covered charging case is of 620mAh. Google says that they should last about five hours on a charge. The company claims that the case will beam up to 24 hours of listening time on the Buds. Available in Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue color variants, these Pixel Buds are available now for pre-orders in the USA priced at $159.
This is Google’s attempt at letting people get more done and stay connected without having the need to look at their Android smartphones. Also, needless to say, multilingual! What is your say about Pixel Buds? Do let us know in the comments below. We will keep you posted on these once they are available in the country. Stay tuned!
With the passage of time, memories are faded and beautiful moments tarnish from our mind palace. To archive such memories, the cameras were introduced. However, the photos taken by cameras are photographer dependent. Photographer, lacking the knowledge or skills of photography will capture shaky, blur and less vibrant images.
There are many devices available that can take photos; be it a smartphone, digital camera or high-end DSLRs. However, without a general knowledge of photography, these devices are merely a lump of digital burden. Hence, with a sole purpose to help you excel your photography skills, we have collected few photography terms. After the end of this article, you will gain a general knowledge to take good photos and will gain a conscience to buy a new camera device that matches your photography interests.
Megapixels
It determines how big the image will practically be. Megapixel only reckons the maximum size of the image while zooming or printing without getting pixelated. Megapixel determining the quality of photos is just codswallop. Evidently, Samsung Galaxy S7 (12 MP) captures great photos as compared to OnePlus 3 (16 MP).
PC: Photography Life
Sensor size
The size is always written in a fraction with 1 divided by a number, 1/2.3” and 1/2.6” for an instance. Smaller the denominator, greater will be the size of the sensor and vice versa. With a greater sensor, greater will be the size of a pixel and greater pixel size ensures better quality photos.
The aperture
Aperture sizes
This is the hole within the lens, through which light enters the camera body. Evidently, larger the hole, more amount of light enters through the lens into the sensor. The aperture is measured in terms of ‘f-number’, which is a focal ratio. ‘f-number’ is the ratio of the diameter of lens aperture to the length of the lens. Larger the f-number, smaller is the aperture (smaller hole). It is written as f divided by a certain number, for example, f/1.8. Smaller the denominator, larger will be the hole and vice versa.
Images with varying aperture
Aperture not only controls the amount of light in the sensor but also controls the ‘depth of the field’. In the case of landscape photography, greater depth of field is required, so larger f-number is required. Larger f-number (smaller aperture) ensures more of the picture in focus. However, for the subjective focus like ‘bokeh effect’, smaller f-number ensures perfection. Smaller f-number provides shallow depth of field keeping less of the picture in focus.
ISO
It is the measure of how much sensitive the camera is to light. The sensitivity of the camera increases with the increase in ISO value. A higher value of ISO is set to capture images in the dark and low values in the daylight.
Images with varying ISO
It is good to have a camera device that has the capability to capture images with higher ISOs. However, capturing the images with higher ISO will induce noise/grain in the photos. They are unnoticeable while printing in small sizes. However, on printing in large size or on zooming, the grain will be conspicuous.
Shutter speed
The shutter in the camera is like a curtain, which opens for a while and closes. For the time of shutter being open, the sensor of the camera is exposed to the scene it sees through the lens and the detail is captured and is saved as a photo. The time of shutter being open is called shutter speed and is normally expressed in fraction of a second.
photos with varying shutter speed
Shutter speed in a camera is used to control the movement of a subject in a photograph. While shooting a photo, if the subjects in focus are in motion then the captured images would be blurry. In the photography, this is referred as ‘camera shake’. So, for capturing motion subjects, you should set a faster shutter speed. For an instance, if you wish to shoot a race of Formula 1, then you should keep a fast shutter speed of around 1/2000. However, for the stationary subjects like mountains or any natural scenario, even a low shutter speed of 1/4 would suffice.
Image stabilization (IS)
It happens most of the time that our handshakes while pressing the capture button. This results in a blurry image, making us disappointed. IS on your phone ignores gentle shakes while taking the photos and gives a clear image despite shakes. There are two types of image stabilization technique, optical image stabilization (OIS) and electronic image stabilization (EIS).
In this technique, the image stabilization is done by varying the optical path of the sensor. This is real time compensation and hence no alteration or image degradation takes place. With the gentle shake of the device, the OIS mechanism makes the lens rotate in opposite direction. Due to which, the lens assembly always remains parallel to the image plane. And at the end, a clear and sharp image is obtained. In addition, OIS guarantees a better quality image even in the low light. However, EIS works on a completely different principle and in this technique the problem is solved at programming level after the optical signal has been converted to a digital signal. If your phone is equipped with Image Stabilization, you are in benefit.
Focus
After all the photography, all we need is a sharp subject. Focusing is the technique of giving extra attention to the subject, ensuring the sharpness in the designated subject. However, there are different types of focusing techniques installed in camera devices. Some of them are discussed here.
LASER Autofocus: – The device supporting LASER autofocus inherits a LASER sensor, which is used to adjust the focus of the subject pointed. Near the device camera, there lies a LASER transmitter, which fires out LASER light burst towards the subject selected. After the strike of LASER beam, they are reflected. With the time taken to travel towards the subject and to return, the actual distance of the subject is calculated. That is how the subject is focused.
Laser Autofocus
Phase detection Autofocus (PDAF):- In the PDAF, the sensor detects the phase of the light coming from the subject and tries to keep the light in phase with its movement. At the end, the subject is locked within the focus area.
Dual- Pixel Autofocus (DPAF):- In DPAF method, the principle involved is same as that of PDAF. In the cameras with PDAF, only 5-10% of the sensor pixels are phase detection enabled. However, on the DPAF enabled cameras, all the sensor pixels are phase detection enabled, so a lightning fast focusing can be obtained. Similarly, on the DPAF enabled cameras, two separate light-sensitive photodiodes are provided for each pixel. These photodiodes convert light energy into electrical signals. During AF detection, two such signals are analyzed for focus information, which merges intro one when the images are captured. Hence, a sharp image is obtained.
Contrast Detection Autofocus (CDAF):- Contrast Detection Autofocus is another method of automatic focusing. The basic principle behind the CDAF is that the system involved analyses the contrast of the image sensor for different focal positions and thereby focuses on the point at which there is maximum contrast. When the point of maximum contrast is found, the optical system is adjusted accordingly. Hence, a sharper image is captured. CDAF offers a greater accuracy over PDAF, however, the speed is quite slow.
Hybrid Autofocus (HAF):- In the HAF, multiple autofocusing techniques are employed to offer greater accuracy and speed. This autofocusing technique produces more sharp images as the disadvantage on one autofocus technique is fixed with the addition of other. Generally, the combination of CDAF and PDAF are used on HAF.
Flash
With the sole intention to let you capture quality images even in a poor –lighting-condition, the flash was included in the camera. And out there in the market, there are multitudes of devices carrying a different type of flashing technology. Some of them are discussed here.
Single LED flash:- In the devices with single LED flash, the single LED embedded to it flashes, whenever the shots are taken.
Dual LED flash:- In the devices with dual LED flash, both the LEDs embedded to it flashes, whenever the shots are taken. The shots taken by these devices are brighter than that of devices with single LED flash.
Dual tone flash:- In the devices supporting dual tone flash, there are two LEDs, both having a different shade/color. One of LED will be a cool type or bluish and another will be a warm type or yellowish. According to the subject, the intensity of both the lights is varied. The lights produced by both the LEDs are mixed ensuring a more natural image.
With the knowledge of above terms and making a proper exposure, you surely can take great photos. So, grab your device out and expose your photography skills.
Huawei is all set to launch the successor of Honor 6X/GR5 2017. The company will unveil its latest midrange phone on October 11 as the latest teaser suggests. The Honor 6x was one of the most successful midrange phones and Huawei wants to continue that trend with the upcoming release.
Huawei Honor 7X Rumored Specs:
As per the leaked info, the Honor 7x is going to feature the infinity display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. With bezel-less like the design, the phone is going to be a little bit bigger at 6-inches. It is going to be powered by the Huawei’s in-house Kirin 659 chipset which is an upgrade from Kirin 650 used on the Honor 6x. The Kirin 659 SoC has an octa-core processor (4x A53 at 2.36GHz + 4x A53 at 1.7GHz) with MaliT830-MP2. It is equivalent to Snapdragon 625 (Xiaomi MiA1) and Exynos 7870 (Samsung J7 Pro) in terms of performance.
Huawei is lately known for its incredible dual cameras on its high-end phones like Mate 9 and P10 Plus. While the dual cameras on its high-end phones are made in partnership with Leica (flagship camera maker), the dual cameras on its cheaper models have not exactly been awe-inspiring. The Honor 7X is also rumored to feature a dual camera (12MP+2MP). With the secondary 2MP camera, the camera can produce bokeh when taking portrait images.
Other leaked specifications of the Honor 7X features an 8MP selfie unit, 3240mAh battery with a 5V/2A charger, Dual nano-SIM, 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM with microSD card slot, and a 4G LTE connectivity.
As for the pricing, the Honor 7X might cost around $315 (NRs. 32,000 approximately). At this price, the phone goes head to head with the Xiaomi Mi A1 and Samsung J7 Pro.
The Honor 7X should launch in Nepal before the end of December and should cost slightly higher than the international pricing. However, we expect Huawei to provide exciting freebies and free data packs on the purchase of the phone.
Huawei Honor 7X on a nutshell:
5.93-inch (2160 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 2.5D curved glass display
Octa-Core Kirin 659 processor (4 xA53 at 2.36GHz + 4 x A53 at 1.7GHz) with MaliT830-MP2 GPU
4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
Any mobile display that goes beyond 5.5-inch and stays right under 7-inch is considered as a phablet. Giant displays have changed how we use and interact with our phones, no wonder majority of people prefer larger uncanny phones. When phones are this big, handling is obviously an issue, but if you prefer utility on top of convenience then we’re on the same page here. Phablets are most suited for multimedia consumption, like watching movies, gaming, and other things which you can fit on its giant screen. Here we’ve arranged the list of best Phablets in Nepal you can buy today:
Micromax Canvas Infinity
If you are looking for a big display phone on a cheap, the latest Micromax Canvas Infinity is the one for you. With a 5.7-inch display with 18:9 aspect ration, the device is tall and elegant. Despite being a budget device, the Canvas infinity is inspired by a bezel-less design which we normally see on high-end phones.
DISPLAY
5.7 inches IPS LCD (720 x 1440), 279ppi
CHIPSET
Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
CPU
Quad-core (4×1.4 GHz Cortex-A53)
GPU
Adreno 308
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android 7.1.2 Nougat
INTERNAL MEMORY
32GB
EXPANDABLE MEMORY
Up to 128GB via microSD card
RAM
3GB
REAR CAMERA
13MP, f/2.0, LED flash
FRONT CAMERA
16 MP, f/2.0, LED flash
SIM
Dual SIM with 4G LTE
BATTERY
2980mAh
PRICE
Rs. 18,500
Sony Xperia XA Ultra
Sony Xperia XA Ultra is a massive device featuring 6-inch Full HD IPS display with 367ppi. Priced at Rs. 27500, its one of the most affordable phablets you can buy right now. Another highlight of the phone is it has a high-res 16MP camera on the front and a commendable 21MP shooter on the back.
21.5 MP, f/2.2, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
FRONT CAMERA
16 MP, f/2.0, LED flash
SIM
Dual SIM with 4G LTE
BATTERY
2700mAh
PRICE
Rs. 27,500
Xiaomi MI Max 2
If the Xiaomi MI Max has not able to satisfy, the second generation of the series, the Xiaomi MI Max 2 fills up the void with certain upgrades. Except for the size, some major improvements reside inside the MI Max 2. The MI Max 2 is powered by a more efficient chipset, Snapdragon 625. Though the Megapixel count has fallen here from 16MP to 12MP, the improved sensor with larger pixel size and sensor size outdoes the older one. Increased RAM, larger battery and faster battery charging capability with Quick Charge 3.0 are other luring specs in the MI Max 2.
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is an upgrade over the Xperia XA. The phone comes with a larger 6.0-inch FullHD display with scratch-resistant glass. The XA1 Ultra is currently running on Android 7.0 Nougat and will be getting the Oreo update. Powering the phone is Helio P20 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. For storage, the device offers 64GB storage which can be expanded up to 256GB. Sony smartphones are all about their camera and higher megapixel count. The Xperia XA1 Ultra comes with 23MP Rear Camera with f/2.0 and PDAF. However, it cannot shoot 4K videos. Up front, it offers a 16MP camera with f/2.0 and OIS. The phone has also opted for USB Type C. The Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is backed up by a 2700mAh battery and comes with fast charge 2.0.
The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro is the latest flagship from the company and this one sports a 6-inch display. Unlike other Galaxy flagships, the display is only FullHD, but Samsung opted for the AMOLED technology making the display produce vivid and punchy colors. It also sports an aluminum body making the phone look and feel premium. With the latest Samsung touch wiz update, you can now use multi-window natively to take full advantage of the big screen. In terms of performance, it is swift with little to no lag with an Octa-core Snapdragon 652 SoC. Backing it all up is a decent 4000mAh battery with quick charge 3.0.
DISPLAY
6-inch Super AMOLED (1080 x 1920), 367ppi, Gorilla Glass 4 Protection
The Galaxy Note 5 is still relevant to this date despite being a 2-year-old phone. When it comes to the display, there’s no beating Samsung. Galaxy Note 5 sports a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED display, which makes watching movies and playing games a whole lot better with a sharp color punch and saturation. It is the only phablet which uses every bit of its massive screen and it is all because of the included S Pen. You can get creative and work much faster with the help of S Pen.
DISPLAY
5.7-inch Super AMOLED (1440 x 2560), 518 ppi, Gorilla Glass 4 Protection
16 MP, f/1.9, 28mm, OIS, autofocus, LED flash, 4k @30fps
FRONT CAMERA
5 MP, f/1.9
SIM
Dual SIM with 4G LTE
BATTERY
3000mAh
PRICE
Rs. 62,900
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
If you are looking to buy a phablet in 2017 and if it happens to be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, could you keep yourself from buying it? The S8+ is such a phone that you can’t keep your eyes off. Not only are they beautiful, but they redefine the meaning of portability when it comes to phablets. Despite the phone not having a typical screen size, it is more compact than the rest of the bunch. Due to the small bezels, the 6.2-inch screen has a smaller footprint than the iPhone 7 Plus with a 5.5-inch screen.
The S8 Plus powered by the latest Exynos 8895 Octa-Core Chipset clocked at 2.3Ghz and for Graphical performance comes with Adreno 540GPU. It has 4GB of RAM despite 2017 seemed like the year of 6 or 8GB. For storage, it has got 64GB Internal memory and comes with a Micro SD card slot which is an utmost necessity. Optics-wise, it comes with the same camera module as the Galaxy S7 but it has been tweaked for better low-light imaging and faster focus. Backing up this phone is a 3500mAh battery which seems pretty low given the high tuning of the phone.
DISPLAY
6.2inch Super AMOLED (1440 x 2960 pixels) Display, 529ppi, Gorilla Glass 5 Protection
CHIPSET
Exynos 8895
CPU
Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz & 4×1.7 GHz)
GPU
Mali-G71 MP20
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android Nougat 7.0 (Experience UI)
INTERNAL MEMORY
64GB
EXPANDABLE MEMORY
Up to 256GB
RAM
4GB
REAR CAMERA
12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS, LED flash
FRONT CAMERA
8 MP, f/1.7
SIM
Dual SIM with 4G LTE
BATTERY
3500mAh
PRICE
NRs. 86,900
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
If we are talking phablet, then the Samsung’s Galaxy Note Series is a definite choice. The Galaxy Note 8 is hands down the most premium and most expensive phablet we can think of right now. With its thin side bezels and screen to body ratio of 83.2%, the Note 8 is the handiest phablet in the world.
The most imperative facet of a phablet is its display. The Galaxy Note 8 has one of the best displays on a smartphone. Period. It offers a 6.3inch Super AMOLED HDR display with 18:5:9 aspect ratio. This display with definitely quench your thirst for high-resolution multimedia consumption and takes gaming to a whole another level. Powering the device is the Exynos 8895 Octa-core chipset clocked at 2.3GHz and comes coupled with 6GB of RAM. The Note 8 offers Dual 12MP Camera where the secondary camera is facilitated with Telephoto lens. For storage, it offers 64GB storage, expandable up to 256GB. The phone is backed up by a minute 3300mAh battery.
The Galaxy Note 8 has everything a high-end phablet is meant to offer. However, when it comes to purchasing decision it all comes down to defining how much beneficient will the S Pen be on your daily usage and how advantageous will the additional telephoto lens be for your photography needs. If you are okay even without these features then you won’t be compromising much with the Galaxy S8+. On the bright side, you’ll also be saving Rs.16,090.
DISPLAY
6.3 inches Super AMOLED (1440 x 2960 pixels), 521ppi, Gorilla Glass 5 Protection
First things first, let us discuss blue light. We all know that light is made up of electromagnetic particles that travel in waves. These waves emit energy and range in length and strength. The interrelation between wavelength and energy can be described as – shorter the wavelength; higher the energy. Light can be grouped according to wavelength into an electromagnetic spectrum that consists of gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet (UV) rays, visible light, infrared light, and radio waves.
However, the human eye is sensitive to only one part of this spectrum: visible light, which is seen as colours: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Blue light has a very short wavelength, and thus it produces a higher amount of energy.
The sources of blue light include- the Sun, and it’s artificial sources include electronic devices such as cell phones and laptop computers, as well as energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs and LED lights.
In this present tech-savvy world, it would be irrelevant to say that our exposure to blue light has not been increasing. Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours staring at the digital screen, whether it’s the computer at work, our personal cell phone, playing a video game, or just relaxing and watching TV. However, it is essential to understand what this exposure is doing to us.
Blue light has both pros and cons. In its natural form, your body uses blue light from the sun to regulate your natural sleep and wake cycles. This is known as your circadian rhythm. It also helps boost alertness, heighten reaction times, elevate moods, and increase the feeling of well-being. However, prolonged exposure to artificial blue light or blue light after sundown may cause retinal damage and contribute to age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to loss of vision; several types of cancer (breast, prostate), diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Similarly, brain imaging researchers have found brain changes to be very similar in those addicted to their smartphones and other digital devices as those who are addicted to alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, meth and other drugs. Many studies have also shown that screen use increases depression, anxiety, and aggression, and can even lead to psychotic-like behaviour and a loss of touch with reality.
Effects of exposure to blue light after sundown
Affects your natural circadian rhythm
Triggers memory problems and trouble learning, anxiety
Disrupts hormones: raises insulin and cortisol, suppresses melatonin, lowers leptin and testosterone, destroys dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate movement and emotional responses.
Developmental process in children is greatly affected: social interaction, creativity, compassion, engagement and communication skills
Causes eye strain, dry eyes, blurry vision, damages the retina and increases risk of macular degeneration
Reduces muscle strength
Increases risk of diabetes, depression, obesity, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, breast and prostate cancer, and other diseases
Ways to be safe from Blue light
Avoid looking at bright screens two to three hours before bed
If you work a night shift or use a lot of electronic devices at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses (orange tinted glasses) or installing apps like – the F.lux, Twilight app or any other blue light filter app onto your wireless devices
Expose yourself to lots of bright light during the day, which will boost your ability to sleep at night, as well as your mood and alertness during daylight
Dim the lights in your home when the sun goes down so your body can produce melatonin naturally. Turn on salt lamps or light some candles
Implement digital detox
It is better to be safe than sorry! Rather than risking oneself to all those health hazards, it is highly smart that we implement these ideas to keep ourselves safe and healthy.
GoPro today revealed its latest action cam, the GoPro Hero 6 Black. The Hero 6 sees no new improvement on the exterior but a lot of vital changes have been made internally. It enjoys a lot richer and better features which the users have been demanding for years.
GoPro Hero 6 Black comes with a 12MP camera, same as the Hero 5, which can shoot in both RAW and JPEG. But it has better low-light imaging and dynamic range. The biggest change in GoPro Hero 6 is; it now can shoot 4K videos at 60fps. The 4K at 30fps on the previous model just wasn’t enough for adventure junkies. It can also shoot 2.7K at 120fps and 1080p at 240fps. These higher frame rates are going to make the videos much smoother, plus superfine slo-mo are going to get awesome. The action cam also gets electronic image stabilization.
[Update: Go Pro Hero 6 is now available in Nepal for just Rs. 46,500]
These advancements are possible with the new custom GP1 processor which took 3 years to make. Previously GoPro used Ambarella chips which many of the Chinese counterparts have been using to make cheaper action cam. This custom chipset will help to add-in custom features and make the new GoPro cams stand out.
GoPro Fusion
Lookswise it is identical to Hero 5 with a rugged body and 2-inch LCD display. It is waterproof up to 33feet. The action cam comes with built-in GPS, voice control, auto-editing, and 5GHz WiFi support. The battery life is going to be same as the Hero 5 which is around 1 hour 20 minutes of 4K recording with stabilization off. The GoPro Hero 6 costs $499 which is $100 more than the previous model. GoPro also introduced its 360-degree camera called the GoPro Fusion priced $699 and ships in November. The fusion will be compatible with most of the GoPro mounts. It sports two 18MP cameras which can shoot up to 5.2K at 30fps. This dual combo can capture 360 videos with sound and is waterproof up to 16 feet.
GoPro Hero 6 Black specs Highlights:
same looks as Hero 5 Black
touchscreen
voice control
Waterproof up to 10m
video quality up to 4k at 60fps, and 1080p at 240fps
Samsung is among the raining smartphones in the Nepali market, and everybody well knows about it. Among the variety of j7 lineups, the all-new Samsung Galaxy J7 Max is, without a doubt one of the new launches that people are talking about. The’ Max’ in its name gives a clear idea that the phone has something large in it, which unquestionably is the size.
Labeled with a price of Rs. 28,290, this smartphone, other than its massive 5.7- inch display enjoys a 4 GB RAM that is quite an impression in a Samsung phone under the price bracket of Rs. 30,000.
Latest Price: Rs. 26,290 [Last updated on: December 6, 2018]
Handset Highlights:
Dimension: 156.7 x 78.8 x 8.1 mm
Weight: 179g
5.7-inch Full HD PLS Display
Android v7.0 Nougat
4 GB RAM; 32 GB ROM; Dedicated SDcard slot for memory expansion up to 256 GB
Octa-Core MediaTek MT6757 Helio P20 Processor
13 MP Rear Camera with f/1.7 aperture, LED Flash
13 MP Front Facing Camera with f/1.9 aperture and LED Flash
Dual SIM (Nano + Nano)
4G connectivity, WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, USB OTG
Front-mounted Fingerprint Sensor
Gyro sensor
3300 mAh Battery
Color(s) available: Gold, Black
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max Price in Nepal: Rs. 28,290
Display and design
First things first, what’s striking about this phone is the massive 5.7-inch display that makes it look like a phone cum phablet. It sports a PLS display and not the usual celebrated Samsung AMOLED display panel, which can be a bit of a setback to most. However, that does not stop it from providing a crisp and vivid display as J7 Max is equipped with an FHD screen.
I have thoroughly enjoyed watching movies in it, all thanks to its display. The display is bright enough and has good viewing angles. Only under extreme sunlight, the visibility gets a little tough.
Needless to say, the phone does not fit in my pocket. Ladies’ jeans have small pockets of themselves. So, I asked one of my friends to put it in his pocket and again it resulted in the edges of the phone popping out slightly.
The Galaxy J7 Max sports a metallic build, except for the top and bottom portion on the rear side. The bezels on this device are less and on hands; it is not too slippery which append up to the positives. Nevertheless, the phone looks like any other conventional Samsung smartphones, so overall, there is nothing ‘wow’ in it in terms of appearance.
Battery
The J7 MAX is powered by a 3,300mAh battery which is one of the driving forces behind the phone’s performance. Though I don’t play heavy games, I am into activities like streaming videos and listening to music most of my time. Once fully charged, this device gave me an entire day of continuous usage, noting the fact that the battery was not fully dead for 3 hours of normal usage the next day. To make things better, the presence of various power saving modes helps you optimize your battery life. The phone, however, does not support fast charging, so be prepared to put this phone on charge for about 2 and a half hours to get it full on power.
Camera
To all the mobile photographers out there, this phone brings good news. The device flaunts a 13 MP f/1.7 primary camera and a 13 MP f/1.9 selfie camera. What’s even better is, both the cameras are equipped with led flash, so no more shady selfies and dark images in low light! However, on my usage of the camera, even the slightest of movements resulted in shaky images (same goes with the videos), so make sure you have a firm hand while clicking pictures and shooting videos. Also, there’s a noticeable lag while taking pictures. Both the front & back can capture video in 1080p@30fps and there is no video stabilization. Overall, in this budget range, the phone’s camera does more than justice to the price.
Performance
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max runs on Android 7.0 (Nougat) operating system with Experience UI and is powered by 1.69GHz octa-core MT Helio P20 processor. The absence of Samsung’s renowned Exynos processor is a little disappointing here. It has a vertical swiping interface in place of a separate apps button, so by swiping up or down, you can navigate to your desired apps spontaneously.
The phone offers 4GB of RAM in total and an expandable 32 GB of internal storage. App switching is an ease in this device. I tried running multiple apps at once to check for any difficulties in app switching but amazingly there was none. The fingerprint sensor in this phone resides on the home button and is swift and responds well to touch. The maximum number of fingerprints you can add is three. On the J7 Max’s use, I have not encountered any lags in the performance side, although, at one instance, it froze when I tried opening a game. But that was only once, and it never happened again! For heavy gamers old there, it’s not an ideal phone since the Mali-T880MP2 suffers a lot and there’s noticeable heat while gaming for more than 15 minutes.
An important spec I found majorly missing in it was NFC. NFC is a cool feature and including it, the phone could have been better.
The J7 MAX attributes a smart glow feature where a LED ring around the rear camera glows for notifications. You can customize this feature for particular app or contact in four different customizable colors in accordance to your choice. However, for people who don’t keep their phones upside down, this feature may not appeal much, but for those who do, this can be fun and useful.
In terms of connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Max supports 4G network. The phone exhibits a dual SIM card slot on the right side and also a slot for micro SD card. Well, with this you don’t have to sacrifice one of your SIM card slots to a memory card slot.
Even on continuous use, J7 MAX does not heat much, so that portion is commendable. I am not saying it does not heat at all but having used other phones, this one showed quite a performance in this area. But you really got to watch for the absence of gorilla glass protection.
Conclusion
On my say about this phone, I would state that for this price, the phone is a decent pick. It has an excellent battery life and display. If I weren’t to go for the looks, the mediocre processor, and absence of fast charging, the phone is not a bad deal. Nonetheless, in the similar price bracket, other phones may give this one a fight. On the plus side, the camera performs really well and the 4 GB RAM is something to look after.
Xiaomi phones shine when it comes to the budget series. It’s hard to beat what Xiaomi phones have to offer in distinctive price ranges. Two of the most well-received phones from the brand are Redmi 4A for under Rs.20,000 and Redmi 3S Prime for under Rs.25,000. Both the phones are already a year old, and since it’s Dashain, Mi Nepal has decided to offer a discount on both of these devices. Xiaomi is also offering sure gifts with purchase of every new smartphone.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A is our phone of choice for under 17k. The phone is a good pick with offerings like 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon 425 chipset, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, a decent pair of 13MP and 5MP camera on back and front, along with a durable 3120 mAh battery. For those with a tight budget, it will definitely check out all your needs.
Specifications of Xiaomi Redmi 4A:
5 Inch HD IPS Touchscreen Display
Quad-Core 64bit Snapdragon 425 Processor (4x ARM Cortex A53)
2GB RAM With 32GB ROM
MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
Hybrid Dual SIM (micro + nano / microSD)
13MP with f/2.2 aperture, Autofocus, Dual-Tone LED Flash
5MP Front Camera with f/2.2
4G, WiFi 802.11 B/G/N, Infrared, Bluetooth 4.1
3120mAh Battery
Xiaomi Redmi 4A (32GB) Price in Nepal:Rs.17500 Rs.15,999
Redmi 3s on paper looks similar to the Redmi 4A but the differentiation is more than meets the eyes. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 430 chipset coupled with 3GB of RAM. For optics, the 13MP camera onboard provides larger f/2.0 aperture. Redmi 3S also offers fingerprint sensor (only on 32GB variant). It is backed up by a massive 4100mAh battery and supports fast charging.
Specifications of Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime:
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 ( 4 x 1.2 GHz Cortex A53 + 4 x 1.5 GHz Cortex A53) 64-bit processor with Adreno 505 GPU
3GB LPDDR3 RAM with 32GB (eMMC5.0) internal storage with expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD
MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
Hybrid Dual SIM (micro + nano / microSD)
13MP rear camera with PDAF, LED Flash, f/2.0 aperture, 1080p video recording
5MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p video recording
Fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS + GLONASS
4100mAh battery with fast charging
Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime Price in Nepal:Rs.22,999 Rs.20,499
SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate. It is the measure of the rate at which energy (in Watts) is absorbed by the human body when exposed to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field, per unit kg of the human body weight. It can also be referred to as the absorption of other forms of energy by tissue, including ultrasound. In the case of smartphones, the SAR is measured by keeping the phone in the talking position and then calculating the amount of radiation absorbed by the part of your head which is closest to the antennas of the smartphone.
Primarily, while buying a smartphone, users are usually concerned about the camera, display, processor or battery but it is also equally essential to keep note of the SAR value of the smartphone before considering it as an option. The Federation Communications Commission (FCC) and EU have stringent safety standards regarding cellphone radiation levels. And according to it, every country has a regulatory threshold value of SAR. In the US, the regulatory unit is 1.6W/kg; in Europe, it is 2W/kg and in India, it is 1.6 W/kg. The SAR rating of each individual phone model has been displayed on all mobile phone packaging done in both the US and the UK. This makes the users make informed choices while purchasing a smartphone. Generally, the SAR values of smartphones are mentioned at the bottom of the packaging.
Several types of research conducted over the effects of smartphone use and their potential health hazards have concluded that the exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, are not completely without potential health risks. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has announced- “The cellular industry should design mobile phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user that is not necessary for the device to function.” This indeed is an essential precautionary step towards reducing the potential health hazards. Not only on human beings, these radiations also effect wildlife and vegetation. Unlike smoke, these radiations are not visible to the naked eye and long time exposures to them have been linked to prolonged complications.
However, it is necessary that the users understand that the SAR values mentioned, have been calculated when the phone is in its finest condition. And this value may vary as per the usage of the device. The older a device gets its SAR value keeps on surging. We can say that the SAR Value largely depends upon the circumstances under which the smartphone is being used and how frequently it is being used. It is imperative that the users keep in mind that a smartphone with a lower SAR Value can emit more radiations than a smartphone with higher SAR value if the smartphone with higher SAR is being used under normal conditions and the one with lower SAR is being under poor signal strength areas.
Precaution is obligatory in order to prevent the possible health hazards due to RF. The following steps have been suggested by researchers to minimize the effects –
Try to use headsets all the time, avoid putting your phone in your ears. This is the best way to stay away from radiations of your smartphones.
Try to use texts more instead of calling every now and then, Call only when it is really important. Tests are usually short and to the point, so it saves lots of your time too.
Switch off your phone when you go to bed or put your phone on the airplane mode and then turn ON the WiFi if you want anyone to reach out to you via the internet (incase it’s a matter of emergency).
You can use various cases available out in the market which claims to shield this radiation, but we are not sure whether those cases are reliable or not.
Avoid using your phone in those areas where the signal strength is poor because while searching for the network your antennas keep on producing the radiations to their maximum limit.
Lastly, after following all these measures if you still feel threatened due to some symptoms mentioned above, then you should go ahead and replace your smartphone.
Irrespective of the low SAR value of your smartphone mentioned in the manufacturing box, it is highly advised that you follow the aforementioned steps to keep yourself safe from the potential hazards.
