Smartphone is something that is the most personal tech you can find in today’s day and age. Everyone has one and everyone uses it constantly. It consists of all your contacts, email, photos and videos, and contains all you link to the World Wide Web. There is a company that claims its product can keep all your private data secure. Introducing PRIVAT Smartphone which secures your phone using hardware.
The problem with Today’s Smartphone:
Your photos and videos are the most sensitive data on your Smartphone and it is very easy to access them without you noticing. The device may get hacked through a malware. This malware are quite powerful and could get the data flow from your Smartphone cameras and microphones and even track your exact location. Even through the use of encryption software protection cannot be 100% secure. The only other solution is through hardware securities which are implemented in this device.
What’s The Solution?
The solution is quite simple which is to use a switch that physically turns off devices like the built in GPS, Camera, and Microphone. PRIVAT has two independent circuit boards. The first one is for the Smartphone hardware such as the processor, GPU etc. The other is for the independent camera. Furthermore, each circuit board has its own operating system with an internal memory and an expandable SD slot. You can also physically disconnect the GPS module, cameras, and microphones with a hardware slider. The photos and videos are stored in their respective private memory. This means that if the switch to the camera is turned off the photos and videos cannot be accessed. PRIVAT Smartphone is for the famous artists, business people, politicians or simply everyone who needs to keep high control of their private data on their Smartphone.
What about the Specs:
Talking about the specs, it is quite nice. It is on the flagship end with the latest OS, processors and a generous amount of RAM. On the camera side, it sports a massive 21 MP f/2.0 laser detected autofocus unit on the back. At the front, it sports an 8 MP f/2.0 unit which is also decent on paper. The plus point to the phone is the integration of Fast battery charging (Dash Charge) that can charge the device to 60% in 30 min. The only downside to the spec below would be the 1080p display it offers which is quite low when compared to most of the flagship phones out there. However, the display does come with Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
Spec Sheet:
Platform
OS
Android OS, v7.0 – Nougat
Chipset
Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821
CPU
Quad-core (2×2.35 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo)
GPU
Adreno 530
Network
GSM / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
Display
Type
Optic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size
5.5 inches
Resolution
1080 x 1920 pixels
Multitouch
Yes
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Memory
Card slot
Yes, one for Android
Yes, one for the Private Camera
Internal
64 GB Android
8GB Private Camera
RAM
6 GB
Camera
Primary
21 MP, f/2.0, laser detection autofocus, OIS, LED flash
Features
1/2.8″ sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR, Sapphire Crystal camera lens
Fast battery charging: 60% in 30 min (Dash Charge)
Induction charging
DivX/Xvid/MP4/H.265 player
MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC player
Document viewer
Photo/video editor
Battery
Non-removable Li-Ion 3400 mAh battery
Construction
Colors
Black, Grey
Materials
Aluminium, One-body
Dimensions
153 x 73 x 6.5 mm (6.02 x 2.87 x 0,24 in)
Verdict:
All in all, this looks like a promising Smartphone. The concept of the phone is quite realistic for the Smartphone of the 21st century where security has become a bargaining factor for the purchase of a personal device. The only this remaining is for the company is to price this Smartphone competitively. PRIVAT Smartphone is set to launch on June 12th on the INDIEGOGO platform through the modality of crowd funding.
There are countless health apps on the Play Store but most of them focus on counting your body calories and such. But a handy app specialized for your location, that lets you look for hospitals near you and search for your health problems is a rare thing. Today we are reviewing such Health App specialized for Nepal called the Hamro Doctor. Let’s see how Hamro Doctor can be the solution for your health problems.
Opening up the app, we can see different categories to choose from. All of the primary functions of the apps are right on the home screen giving an easy access to all the main functionalities. Scrolling down a little bit we’ll see all the news and articles related to health.
Going into the Hospital tab, you can find almost all the hospitals in Nepal arranged alphabetically. From there, you can search for hospitals, view its contact details, no. of wards and all the doctors of that hospital based on their specialization. It also shows all the services that are available in that hospital. You can directly send a query to book or get a feedback on your health issue as well.
Moving on to the Doctor tab, we can find doctors specializing in different aspects of health. You can also find information on which hospital the doctor belong to. But this tab doesn’t’ seem to be complete. Feature to show doctor’s schedule seems to be an ongoing process along with the Doctors contact information. So in the future updates, we can expect some improvements here but still previewing everything related to a doctor means violating Doctor’s privacy.
Blood Donor Service is possibly the best service of this app. You can either sign up to donate blood or request blood. All the information of the donors based on their blood types are listed and you can request blood from any of them. I highly recommend anyone who is willing to donate blood to use this app to register as a donor as it can save people’s live for real.
From the Ambulance tab, you can quickly contact ambulance from different hospitals. On the medicine tab, based on the type of health issue you have, you can quickly find the medicine related to that problem./
Also, a pretty handy feature provided by the app is to Track Your Medicine. You can add multiple medicines you want to be reminded about and at what times you want to take them, then the app will give a push notification based on the time set.
If you swipe from the left, you’ll get the array of options. On the Articles section, you can find articles related to health which explains about causes and remedies of different occurring health problems. And on the Video section, you’ll find videos talking about health issues which you can also see directly view from the Hamro Doctor’s YouTube channel. On the Disease section, you can search for a disease and get a detail description about the diseases with symptoms, prevention, treatments and so on.
So Hamro Doctor is your one-stop app for all your health related queries and support. If you want some general information about anything related to your health then it doesn’t get any better than this. Sure there are few problems with the app like incomplete information about hospitals and doctors and sometimes even wrong information but that doesn’t stop this app from doing what it’s supposed to that is quick and easy look up for your health problems in times of emergency.
Xiaomi has announced the Mi Max 2 smartphone at an event in Beijing, China. It is the successor of the Xiaomi Mi Max which was launched last year. The Mi Max 2, like its predecessor, is all about a big display, bigger battery, and affordable price tag. The Mi Max 2 is available in Nepal for Rs. 35,000. You can buy the phone using this link.
Quick specs overview of the Xiaomi Mi Max 2:
6.44-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS 2.5D curved glass display with 450nits brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 72% NTSC color gamut
2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU
4GB RAM with 64GB / 128GB storage, expandable memory with microSD
MIUI 8 based on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
Hybrid Dual SIM (micro+nano/microSD)
12MP rear camera with dual-tone LED Flash, PDAF, f/2.2 aperture, Sony IMX386 sensor, 1.25μm pixel size
5MP front-facing camera with 85-degree wide-angle lens, f/2.0 aperture
3.5mm audio jack, stereo speakers
Fingerprint sensor, infrared sensor
Dimensions: 174.1×88.7×7.6mm; Weight: 211g
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 / 5GHz) MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C
5300mAh (typical) / 5200mAh (minimum) battery with Quick Charge 3.0 (68% charge in just 1 hour)
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Price in Nepal: Rs. 34,999
What’s Changed? Mi Max Vs Mi Max 2
Although both the Mi Max and Mi Max 2 looks similar in terms of design, the Mi Max 2 offers a better unibody design with rounded edges. Even on the front, the 6.44 display has ultra thin bezels.
In the performance department, the Mi Max 2 has cut corners in favor of a more energy-efficient processor, the Snapdragon 625. However, Xiaomi has somehow managed to install a bigger 5300mAh battery. With such configuration, Xiaomi claims the phone to offer excellent battery life. Also, the phone supports Qualcomm quick charge tech and dual charging module that offers fast charging and better heat dispersion.
Camera is an area where Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has seen a huge upgrade. It now features an improved 12-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX386 sensor, 1.25μm pixel size, PDAF and dual-tone LED flash.
The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 will be available in Golden color and is priced at $247 for the 4GB RAM/64GB ROM version and the 4GB RAM/128GB ROM version will cost US$ 290. It will go on sale in China from June 1st.
We always think the biometric authentication is the safest. But, then there come the hackers who make us realize we were wrong. This happened with the fingerprint sensors on phone. But, now the Samsung stepped up the game on biometric authentication with the Iris scanner on the Galaxy S8. Right when we were thinking this new biometric authentication system might be the safest though not the fastest. Yet again, the hackers have proved us wrong by tricking the Samsung Galaxy S8‘s Iris Scanner.
How Hackers tricked Samsung Galaxy S8’s Iris Scanner?
The hackers from the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), Germany have tricked Samsung Galaxy S8’s Iris Scanner using a digital camera, Samsung laser printer and contact lens. What they did is took the photo of the device owner’s iris using a digital camera with a night mode. Then the photo was printed from the Samsung laser printer. And, finally, they put the contact lens over the printed iris photo to replicate curvature of real eye’s surface. With these simple three steps, they bypassed the Samsung Galaxy S8’s Iris Scanner successfully.
If you have a trouble understanding those steps you can watch this one-minute-long video which illustrates how exactly hackers tricked the Samsung Galaxy S8’s Iris Scanner:
DJI, the company that comes first to anyone’s mind while thinking about a drone, has announced its smallest and lightest drone yet. Well, this announcement didn’t come as a surprise since we already shared in our last post that DJI will be announcing it’s selfie drone on May 24. DJI already impressed the drone-maniacs with the release of smaller yet powerful Mavic Pro last year. And, this new drone takes the thrill to a whole new level. The best thing about this drone is its portability with the weight and size of a soda can.
DJI Spark: Everything you need to know
The first thing you need to know about DJI Spark is its new control feature that lets you control the drone with hand gestures. So, you can simply make the drone fly to the right, left, back and front with respective hand gestures. Plus, you can also take a selfie with the help of shoot gesture using both of your hands.
While controlling the DJI Spark using gestures, the drone won’t go any further than 10feet away from you. To increase the flying distance of the drone you’ve to switch to either smartphone-controlled flying or remote-controlled flying that will let you fly it up to 300feet and 1.3miles away, respectively.
Image Source: DJI
The DJI Spark is super light as it weighs 300gm only. It has a 12-megapixel camera with a 1/2.3″ sensor, 81.9-degree field of view, and f/2.6 aperture. The camera can shoot up to Full HD videos at 30fps. The camera gimbal uses 2-axis mechanical stabilization.
The drone app for Smartphones will let you choose different intellectual shooting modes like QuickShot, TapFly, Active-track, Dronie, Circle and Helix. Quickshot, for example, will take a minute long footage and then turn it into a 10seconds Highlight video.
Other specs of the DJI Spark are
Maximum Speed: 50km/h (*with no wind)
Battery Capacity: 1480mAh
Maximum Flight Time: 15-16minutes
Dimension: 143×143×55 mm
Weight: 300gram
Obstacle Avoidance using: 3D depth sensing and vision position system
GPS GLONASS sensor
Pricing and Availability
DJI has started taking pre-orders of the drone in the US at a strating price of $499. The drone will have its first shipping starting from June 15. The drone is available in four different color options: sky blue, metal green, alpine white and lava red. DJI has introduced a “Fly More” bundle that comes with an additional battery, analog remote controller, extra pair of propellers, propeller guards, charging hub, shoulder bag, and few other cables. To buy this bundle, one needs to pay additional $200.
There hasn’t been a word from DJI distributors in Nepal regarding the availability and pricing of DJI Spark in Nepal. However, it’s likely that this mini-drone from DJI will eventually make to the market of Nepal after few months from international launch.
Nepal Telecommunication Association (NTA) has granted permission to Smart Telecom to initiate 4G service.
Smart Telecom has the third largest customer base in Nepal and with this new service plan in progress, the company plans to at least double their customers base. The Telecom had initially started it’s services in the rural areas of the country, later expanding to some major cities like: Palpa, Syangja, Pokhara, Bhairahwa, Butwal and Kathmandu. Furthermore, network expansion is also being carried out in other places like: Nepalgunj, Chitwan, Birgunj.
The country’s third-largest mobile operator — Smart Telecom had submitted an application to the government seeking permission to launch 4G in Nepal, in November, 2016. The NTA, after analyzing whether Smart Telecom met all its obligations to operate 4G, granted permission to the Telecom yesterday amidst a press conference. As per the permission granted, the Telecom will be able to offer 1,800 MHz brand frequency of 4G service.
NTA spokesperson Min Prasad Aryal has said that as the permission has been granted, a new company has joined the race for providing efficient and effective 4G network in the country. The Telecom has said to have already paid the required frequency charges, royalty, renewal charges among others. According to the permission granted, the Telecom will be able to initiate it’s 4G drive all over Nepal from July 30th and will have to submit it’s activity report every three months.
Are you in the market for a new portable ultralight laptop/ tablet? Well, you’re in luck cause Microsoft has just announced the refreshed version of the earlier Surface Pro 4. It’s not called Surface Pro 5 rather they are calling it the “New Microsoft Surface Pro”. The new Surface Pro may look the say as the Surface Pro 4 but make no mistake as there is a lot that is new for 2017.
Features:
Tech Packed Inside:
The first this that you will notice with the all-new Surface Pro is the type cover. It gets Alcantara Type Cover which is the only exterior change to the laptop. On the other hand, there are about 800 changes made to the internals of the laptop. It begins with the seventh-generation Kaby Lake processor from Intel.
Microsoft has also improved on its battery. It now has a jaw-dropping battery life of 13.5 hours which is significantly better to its predecessor which was 8 hours. This is achieved through the more compatible Window 10 creator update, SSD integration to the motherboard and a slight increase in battery capacity. Also the all new Surface Pro comes with fanless passive cooling for the core m3 and i5 processor. Sadly for the i7, the fan has been integrated but Microsoft claims that it is very quite.
For the artist in you:
Even though you only get the tablet out of the box, the new Surface Pro does gets gadgets such as the Surface Pen and the Surface Dial. It does have to be bought separately of course. The new Surface pen now comes with 4096 levels of pressure levels with tilt sensing. Also, the Surface pen is now snappier as Microsoft claims the reduce in lag time. Tilt will detect the angle of the pen to enable shading and better accuracy for inking effect. Microsoft has finally delivered for the creator that use the Surface pen for their creative work.
LTE Connectivity:
For the first time on the Surface Pro, Microsoft will also offer a model with LTE connectivity. The LTE version will support micro SIM and eSIM. Microsoft isn’t revealing exact pricing or a but it will be expensive than models without LTE support. The Release date for the Surface Pro with LTE is not been finalized but LTE versions should be available later this year.
Summary of the New Surface Pro 2017:
12.3-inch (2736 x 1824 pixels) 3:2 PixelSense 10 point multi-touch display
7th Gen Intel Core m3 with HD Graphics 615, i5 with HD Graphics 620, or i7 with Iris Plus Graphics 640
4GB, 8GB, or 16GB RAM, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD hard drive
8.0MP autofocus rear camera with 1080p video recording
5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p video recording
4G LTE (Optional), WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, Full-size USB 3.0, microSD card reader, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port, Surface Connect
Vatsal Impex, the authorized distributor of Xiaomi devices in Nepal faces criticism frequently for the overpricing of Xiaomi devices in Nepal. The accusation and criticism for the overpricing are obvious for the vast differences between the international price expressed in Nepali value and the value of the Xiaomi devices in Nepal through Vatsal Impex.
If you are a fan of Xiaomi smartphones and thinking to buy one but unable or uninterested because of the repulsive price segment then this could be your chance as Vatsal Impex has slashed the price of two smartphones. The devices to receive the price drops are Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime and Xiaomi Redmi 4A. After receiving the price drop of Rs. 1500, Xiaomi Redmi 4A is now available at Rs. 15,999. Similarly, the drop of Rs. 2000 on Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime has made it available at Rs. 20,500.
Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime Key Specs
5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor
Adreno 505 GPU
3 GB RAM
32 GB internal storage with expandable memory up to 256 GB 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
Dimensions: 139.3 x 69.6 x 8.5mm; Weight: 144g
Fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor
4G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS + GLONASS
4100mAh (non-removable) battery
PRICE: 22,000 Rs. 20,500
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Xiaomi Redmi 4A key Specs
5 Inch HD IPS Touchscreen Display
Quad-Core Snapdragon 425 Processor
2GB RAM With 32GB ROM
Hybrid Dual SIM
13MP PDAF Autofocus Camera With Dual-Tone LED Flash
5MP Front Camera
4G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS + GLONASS
In the matter of Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime, the phone has premium metal built body providing soothing touch on the hand on use. The phone carries fingerprint scanner on the back and carries gyro sensor providing you the privilege to play VR games and surf and stream VR videos. The whopping 4100 mAh battery comes as icing on the cake. Though the device has strong contenders (in the same price range) like Huawei GR5 Mini and Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime, the fore-mentioned qualities have made the device somewhat superior. In addition, the 3GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage have been another striking feature that helps 3S Prime to gain more votes in the option. So, for the price of Rs. 20,000, Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime is a good buy.
Xiaomi Redmi 4A too has strong competitors. Lava R1, ZTE Blade S6, and Colors P85+ surpass Xiaomi Redmi 4A in the optics department. However, the smooth performance of Redmi 4A can make it a first choice among the users who ought to indulge themselves into games and multi-task. In addition, the presence of gyro sensor has provided the VR-compatibility to the phone. The internal memory of 32 GB on Redmi 4A is another advantage for the users who hate to spend on the memory card after making an investment on the phone. So, if the camera is not your major priority, Xiaomi Redmi 4A is a great device for the price.
Even in Nepal, we can realize the advancements in technology. As compared to international trends, yes, changes come a little slow but they make it up to here eventually. Especially, e-commerce and online payment systems are emerging aggressively in the market of Nepal. Realizing this, we thought of reviewing an online payment app designed for Nepal and that’s Nepzy.
What’s Nepzy?
Nepzy is a newly introduced online utility payment solution exclusively for Nepal. Other than mobile recharges, one can do his/her other utility payments such as Landline bills, Internet/ISP, TV/DTH and Electricity bill payments. The service is not limited to recharges and bill payments since users can also do domestic flight ticketing online by using its app or the website. As an extended service, Nepzy is planning to launch another new feature of booking hotels.
Nepzy App Review
User Interface (UI)
Nepzy is currently available on both mobile platforms of android and iOS. However, we reviewed the app on an android device. Regardless of mobile platform, the UI is pretty identical. The UI of the app is pretty eye catching and well organized giving a good user experience. You can easily know what the app does right from its homescreen. So it is all about bill payment and recharges and flight ticketing. You can easily navigate through the app by swiping from the left edge of the screen or by clicking on three bars menu key on top. Then it reveals the navigation tree for the app that allows you to go to your profile, check your nepzy wallet, your transaction details and much more.
App’s Feature and Services
The app’s key feature and services can broadly be classified into two two and that’s recharge and flight. From the Recharge service, one can easily recharge his/her mobile, Landline, ADSL, DishHome and SimTV accounts. And from the flight service, one can easily buy domestic flight tickets for both one way or round trip.
Way to recharge Nepzy E-Wallet
Recharging of the Nepzy E-Wallet can be done in four different ways and they are using SCT cards, Nepzy Cashcards, e-banking of partner banks and by using promo code. Plus, the wallet can be transferred between any two Nepzy Accounts. So you can easily borrow or lend money between friends.
Payments within the app
The payments done in the app should not always be from the wallet. If you’re skeptical to load your wallet with a bigger sum of money then you can still do payments directly from your bank accounts in partner banks using the e-banking service. And, while paying using the e-banking you’ll be directed to the respective bank’s e-banking site with the Nepzy App.
Securtiy
Nepzy is secured with 128 bit EVSSL. Additionally, it is GODADDY.COM, and Nepzy strictly follows PCI compliance. If you are not a technical guy, it basically means you don’t need to worry while punching in those credit card numbers.
Bugs and Crashes
There weren’t much of bugs in the app other than while trying to set my date of birth in my account the calendar could be navigated only to the future. Coming, to the crashes, the app never crashed on me throughout the time of my review.
Verdict
Nepzy UI Screenshots
1 of 3
Nepzy- Recharge UI
Flight Booking UI Nepzy
Nepzy's App home User Interface
Nepzy is an easy-to-go-through app. That doesn’t take long to get used to. On the UI side, the app is pretty strong. But what it lacks is the functionality and features. So, for this app to be a tough rival to its competitors, it certainly needs to provide more services. So, if you are looking for an app to recharge your mobile, landline, ADSL and dishhome then this could be a great choice. Plus, this app might be a boon for those looking forward to an app that’s capable of domestic flight ticketing online.
As long as we won’t have a Paypal or Paypal equivalent stable system of online payment, we’re sure to see more of such emerging payment systems here. From a users point of view, it’s good to have more options. Since that way, the service providers will be in competition and we’ll be getting better and cheaper services along with promotional offers.
Leagoo entered the Nepali smartphone market just a few months back and we already have their product in every price range. Leagoo has the Z series for entry level, M series for mid-range and the T series for upper midrange. M5 Edge is another midrange phone from Leagoo that comes with curved edge screen which will soon hit the Nepali market. Curved edge Screen is something that used to be featured on a high-end smartphone, but with Chinese manufacturer replicating these display, it has gotten much cheaper and is featured in affordable devices. The same is true with Leagoo.
Edge phones usually come with a large screen real estate but the Leagoo M5 Edge comes in a tiny form factor with just 5inch of display making it more manageable. Being a midrange phone, it sports a 720p panel with 294ppi. The phone also sports a metal body making it a bit hefty at 164 grams.
Optics wise, it comes with a 13MP Rear Camera and 8MP Front Facing Camera. The phone is powered by MT6737 Quad Core Processor clocked at 1.3Ghz coupled with DDR3 2GB RAM. For storage, it comes with 16GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via MicroSD Card. Leagoo M5 Edge is backed up a small 2,000mAh battery.
Specifications of Leagoo M5 Edge:
5.0″(1280*720) @294ppi
Freeme OS 6.0(Android 6.0)
MediaTek MT6737 Chipset
ARM Cortex-A53 1.3Ghz Quad Core CPU
ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 600MHz GPU
2GB RAM
16GB Internal Storage Expandable up to 128GB
Dual SIM
2,000mAh battery
The price of Leagoo M5 Edge is expected to be around Rs.15,000.
Spec Sheet:
