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Qualcomm announced new Snapdragon 660 and 630 SOC

Qualcomm, a major name for bringing chipset for mobile platforms has introduced two new chipsets. The new chipsets brought by Qualcomm are Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and 630. Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and 630 are ought to provide a premium experience in the devices in the mid-range section. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and 630 are the successor of Snapdragon 653 and 626 respectively. These newbies are brought to provide faster charging, enhanced connectivity, enriched imaging, improved security and machine learning, upgraded CPU and GPU, and more.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and 630: What’s Inside?

For the connectivity, both the chipset inherit X12 LTE, which was found in last year’s flagship Qualcomm 820/821. This gives a glimpse of Qualcomm’s concern on the advancements of LTE modems. Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and 630 also embraces Bluetooth 5.0, the latest version of the Bluetooth technology. In addition, the devices with these chipsets will be privileged with ultra-fast charging with Quick charge 4. With this latest quick charge technology, a mere company of five minutes of your device with the wall charger provides five hours of talk time. In Quick Charge 4, the device gets juiced up to 50% for the charge time of 15 minutes. Qualcomm first brought Quick Charge 4 in its flagship SoC Snapdragon 835.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and 630

The new chipsets include Qualcomm Spectra 160, which provides improved image quality and focuses on more natural skin tones and superior image quality even on the low lights. In addition, it also assists in smooth optical zoom, dual pixel autofocus, and upgraded video stabilization.

There is quite an improvement in the GPU and CPU section too. Snapdragon 660 features 20% increase in CPU performance and 30% increase in the GPU performance than its predecessor, Snapdragon 653. Similarly, Snapdragon 630 provides 30% superior performance on the GPU and 10% superior performance on the CPU as compared to its predecessor (Snapdragon 626).

Others features and potential of Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and 630.

Snapdragon 660

Snapdragon 630

CPU 4x Kryo 260 @ 2.2GHz
4x Kryo 260 @ 1.8GHz
4x Cortex-A53 @ 2.2GHz
4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.8GHz
GPU Adreno 512 (Vulkan API) Adreno 508 (Vulkan API)
Co-processors Hexagon 680 + HVX, All-Ways Aware, Spectra 160 Hexagon 642, All-Ways Aware, Spectra 160
LTE X12 LTE
600Mbps downlink,
150 Mbps uplink,
3x20MHz CA, up to 256-QAM
X12 LTE
600Mbps downlink,
150 Mbps uplink,
3x20MHz CA, up to 256-QAM
ISP/Camera Dual 14-bit Spectra

160 ISP

24MP

Dual 14-bit Spectra

160 ISP

24MP

Memory 2x 32-bit @ 1866MHz LPDDR4

29.9 GB/s

2x 16-bit @ 1333MHz LPDDR4

10.66GB/s

Bluetooth 5.0 5.0
Quick Charge 4 4
Manufacturing Process 14 nm 14 nm

 

Devices with SD 630 start shipping next quarter and Devices with SD 660 will start shipping by the end of this quarter. Read more about them here.

Smartphone with a massive 10,000 mAh battery launching next month

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These days, the launch of smartphones with 4,000 mAh battery leave us in an awe. We praise the manufacturers for thinking about their customers and including a battery that could last 2 or even 3 days in total. But what if a manufacturer came up with a smartphone whose battery could last a whopping 15 days in total? Well, the day we can witness this may not be far as Oukitel, a smartphone manufacturer from Shenzhen, China, is set to launch a smartphone with 10,000 mAh battery next this June.

The Oukitel K10000 Pro isn’t the first smartphone from the company to feature such a massive battery. It had previously launched the Oukitel K10000 back in December 2015. And using the slogan ‘To Be the King’, the manufacturer is set to launch another beast of a device again.

Specification wise, the Oukitel K10000 Pro will sport a 5.5-inch display with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The display will wear a version of Corning Gorilla Glass which the company hasn’t mentioned yet. Under the hood, it will run on a 1.5 GHz Octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor which will be coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

Oukitel is yet to disclose other specifications and the price tag of the device. Whatever the price tag is, the fact that it will house a 10,000 mAh battery is more than impressive. But how long will it take to charge this battery completely? Oukitel has said that the K10000 pro will come with a 12V/2A flash charger which is capable of charging the battery in about 3 hours.

The fact that it has such a huge battery means that the Oukitel K10000 pro will have a heft to it. The device will weigh 292.5 gram. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S8 weighs 155 gram whereas the iPhone 7 weighs 138 gram.

So what do you think about the Oukitel K10000 pro? Are you interested in buying this device? Are devices with such a large battery a necessity? Let us know in the comment section below!

Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 Specs Leaked on GFX Bench

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We have been writing about the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) from as early as February 2017. First, we shared about its design render video and the expected specs of the phone. Then we shared its press image leak and WiFi Certification release two months ago. That WiFi certification didn’t share much other than the phone will be running on Android 7 Nougat. But the latest leak of the phone reveals all of its Specs. The Galaxy J7 2017 recently got spotted in GFXBench as “SM-J730” and here’s everything you need to know about the phone.

Samsung Galaxy J7 2017: Specs Revealed on GFXBench

Samsung Galaxy J7 2017

The next iteration of J7 will have noticeable upgrades as compared to last years J7 and the one before that. The screen size of 5.5ich is same as those two J7 but will have a greater resolution of 1920*1080 pixels. The phone will be running on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat. It will be powered by Exynos 7870, an Octa-core CPU clocked at 1.5GHz. Another upgrade the phone will be having is in the RAM department since it’ll have a 3GB RAM. So, the phone will have a configuration identical to that of current J7 Prime as this too will come with base storage of 16GB.

The another upgrade the phone will have is in the selfie camera department as it will sport a 12MP camera on the front. The Back Camera too will be of 12Megapixels. Both the cameras will shoot videos of up to 1080p. The phone seems to be coming with all essential sensors except one and that’s the fingerprint sensor.

Pricing and Availability:

No information about the phone’s pricing has yet been revealed. But the phone is likely to be released anytime soon. So, once the phone gets officially launched. The phone will certainly make to the market of Nepal after few months from its initial release.

Verdict:

This leak on Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 came with both the Good News and the Bad News. The Good News is it has Full HD Screen, 12MP front shooter, 3GB RAM and the Nougat. The Bad News is it comes with 16GB of onboard storage and doesn’t sport a fingerprint scanner. So despite its these two major flaws, if the phone gets the pricing right, it has some good chances to do well in the market just like its predecessors, if not more.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 with 4GB RAM being introduced in Nepal

A couple of days back, Snapdragon version of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 was launched in Nepal. It came with the combination of 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage back then for a price of Rs. 24,999. Within a week of time, the device has now invited a new variant coupled with a superior set of RAM and internal storage. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 phablet will be now available in the package of 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage and yet powered by Snapdragon chipset. The price the 4GB variant is Rs. 28,499. You can buy the device from xiaominepal.com.np or from Xiaomi official showrooms located in Newroad and Labim Mall (Pulchowk).

  • Redmi Note 4 (3GB RAM | 32GB ROM): Rs. 24,999
  • Redmi Note 4 (4GB RAM | 64GB ROM): Rs. 28,499

Read Full Review of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Here

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 comes with the wide screen of 5.5 inches with a Full-HD resolution. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, which is manufactured with 14nm FinFET architecture. This chipset has fixed the heating issue found on MediaTek Helio X20  version of Redmi Note 4 and has also assisted in providing a greater backup battery backup on the comparison. On the software side, it is favored by Android Marshmallow flavored by Xiaomi’s own MIUI 8.0 on the top. The phone comes with Adreno 506 GPU, which provides great graphics experience on the phone and the 4 GB of RAM surprises with lag-less performance. The new variant of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is privileged with 64 GB of internal storage, which could be sufficient for most of the users even without the use of SD card.

On the optics side, the phone packs rear camera of 13MP with an aperture of f/2.0, PDAF and Dual-LED Flash. A 5 MP camera adheres on the device above the screen. Beneath the rear camera, the device embraces a circular slot, which acts as a fingerprint scanner and safeguards your device. In addition, the phone is privileged with a gyro sensor, which helps you in surfing on the Virtual Reality (VR). The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is fueled by whopping 4100 mAh battery and yet just weighs 165 grams.

XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 4 KEY SPECS

  • 5.5 inches FHD IPS LCD display @401 PPI
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset
  • Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
  • Adreno 506 GPU
  • Android Marshmallow (v6.0) with MIUI 8.0 on the top
  • Dual-SIM (Micro SIM + Nano-SIM)
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 64 GB internal storage, expandable up to 128 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
  • Rear camera: 13MP with f/2.0, PDAF, Dual-LED (Dual-tone) Flash, 1080p@30fps
  • Front camera: 5MP with f/2.0
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, USB OTG, IR Port
  • Sensors: Fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity, gyroscope, compass
  • Non-removable Li-Po 4100 mAh battery
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Price in Nepal: – Rs. 28,499 (4GB) | Rs. 24,999 (3GB)

Teletalk slashes the price of the Gionee S6s in Nepal

Gionee is considered as one of the growing smartphone company here in Nepal. It already has a stronghold in several price range and with the launch of the Gionee A1, we feel that the Chinese manufacturer is taking the Nepali market more seriously than ever. The price cut of the 9 month old Gionee S6s confirms this as Teletalk Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor of Gionee phones in Nepal, has slashed the price of the device.

Read More: Gionee Smartphones Price in Nepal

The Gionee S6s is the successor to the Gionee S6. The company is still cashing in on the 8-megapixel front-facing camera of the device which is targeted towards selfie enthusiasts. The secondary camera is accompanied by a front-facing LED flash and comes with f/2.2 aperture. On the back rests a 13-megapixel Sony IMX258 image sensor with f/2.0 aperture. It is capable of taking 1080p videos at 30 frames per second.

Gionee S6s Price in Nepal: Rs. 25,999 Rs. 23,999
Gionee S6s Price in Nepal: Rs. 23,999

The Gionee S6s comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi). This display is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for that extra protection against drops and scratches that ends in a 2.5D glass arc making the device look and feel seamless. Under the hood, it rocks an Octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with 1.3 GHz clock speed. It is aided by Mali-T720MP3 GPU and 3GB of RAM. The Gionee S6s features 32GB of internal memory with an option to expand it up to 128GB via a microSD card.

The Gionee S6s is backed up by a 3,150 mAh non-removable battery. It is available in two colors: Latte Gold and Mocha Gold. Now on to its new price- Teletalk Pvt. Ltd. has decreased the price of the Gionee S6s by Rs. 2,000. Thus, the device now comes with a price tag of Rs. 23,999.

Gionee S6s in a nutshell:

  • 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) display
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
  • 1.3GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6753 Processor with Mali T-720 GPU
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB onboard storage, expandable up to 128GB via microSD
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Amigo 3.2 UI
  • 13MP camera with LED Flash, f/2.0 aperture
  • 8MP front camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture
  • Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
  • 3150mAh built-in battery
  • Available Colors: Mocha Gold, Latte Gold
  • Gionee S6s Price in Nepal: Rs. 25,999 Rs. 23,999

If you want to know more about the Gionee S6s and its real-life performance, don’t forget to watch our full review!

General Mobile GM 5 Plus Review: Best Android One Phone?

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When it comes to an Android One device, what we recall is a cheap smartphone that does provide pure android experience but fails to impress us with its hardware. But, the newly introduced Android One Phone in Nepal, the GM 5Plus that is designed by General Mobile is a little different. This phone doesn’t just come with pure android Nougat sweetness but also sports competitive specs in the price range. So, should you really buy this Android One phone priced at Rs. 25,000? Let’s find out.

Key Specs of General Mobile GM 5 Plus:

  • 5.5″ IPS LTPS Full HD (1080×1920 pixels) Display
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 4
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 Octa-Core 64 Bit
  • 3GB LPDDR3 RAM
  • 32GB Storage (expandable up to 128GB)
  • Rear Camera: 13MP AF with Dual Led Flash
  • Selfie Camera: 13MP AF with Front Flash
  • Li-Po 3100mAh Battery
  • Type-C connector, GM Turbo Charger
  • Hybrid Dual SIM tray
  • Android 7 Nougat (upgradable to 7.1.1)

Design

General Mobile GM5 Plus

The GM 5 Plus, looks attractive from the front and the side but the same cannot be said about the back. The slim chamfered metal frame makes the device look slimmer than it really is. The buttons are also made out of metal and the power button is easy to spot with its dotted texture. The polycarbonate back kind of looks cheap and outdated. The camera bump and huge General Mobile branding make the device look even uglier.  But when it comes to holding the phone, the phone does provide a good grip.

Display

General Mobile GM 5 Plus

The 5.5inch Full HD display used in this phone is a good one. The color reproduction is near perfect and the viewing angles are wide too. The best thing about the display is the great outdoor visibility it has. The display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. After 2 weeks of use as my daily driver, there are very few faint scratches on it. I used the phone for hours at night by setting the brightness to its minimum and surprisingly I didn’t feel any eye burning.

Performance

The phone powered by Snapdragon 617 that is coupled with 3GB of RAM is powerful enough to be used as a daily driver. The apps load pretty fast. The display touch is pretty responsive. I could switch between the apps with an ease. The phone doesn’t heat much but when I used the phone’s camera while charging the phone’s frame got warmer. The loudspeaker on the bottom is pretty loud and so is the earpiece. The earphone that comes with the phone is of good quality as well. During the time of my review, both the data and WiFi connections were stable and I didn’t experience any call drops.

On the memory side, it has 32GB of internal storage. In case it’s insufficient, the phone supports a microSD card of up to 128GB. Like other phones with hybrid SIM tray, the card is gonna use your SIM2 slot.

Camera

General Mobile GM 5 Plus

The phone has 13Megapixel autofocus camera units both on the front and the back. The primary camera is accompanied with dual led flash and the front too has got a LED flash for taking selfies in under-lit conditions. The photos taken under ideal lighting conditions come out sharp and well detailed. The color reproduction on photos is well okay. But, If you want to take photos with more vibrant colors, you can do so by turning the HDR on. The regular selfies are well detailed but come with a darker skin tone so I personally preferred the selfies taken with HDR on. The phone can shoot Full HD videos both from the front and the back. So, I found the cameras in this phone to be on par with the pricing.

Software

This is an Android One phone so software is the best part about this phone. It comes with the Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and after the latest update, it’s running on Android 7.1.1 with Security Patch of April 2017. You can easily access the Google assistant by long pressing the home button. The Google launcher is simple and keeps four of the most used apps on the top of the app drawer. What I liked the most about this version of android is the grouping of the notification it does and the option of quick reply straight from the notifications of messaging apps.

Battery

The GM 5Plus comes with a 3100 mAh battery and the battery performance of the phone is well, average. Once fully charged, I got around 3 to 4 hours of screen on time in normal usage. In case you run low on power, the GM Turbo charger with quick charge 3.0 will get you covered. Though the phone has been advised to get 60% charge in 30minutes, the unit I tested gave a surprising result of only 33% of charge in 30minutes. It took a little under 2 hours to fully charge the phone. The phone is the one with USB type-c but however, you may still borrow your friends microUSB type-B charger if you’re carrying the microUSB to Type-c connector that comes with the phone.

Verdict

The GM 5 Plus, the android One phone that was initially released a year ago in Turkey still seems to be worth buying if the pure android experience is what you’re after.  So during my period of review, these are the things I liked and disliked about the General Mobile GM 5 Plus.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT GENERAL MOBILE GM5 PLUS:

  • The phone runs on the latest version of Android and timely gets the latest android security patches. So, the stock android is minimalistic, responsive and snappy.
  • The phone has a great display and this display is arguably the best display used in any phones of this price range.
  • The cameras (both the front and the back) are equally impressive. The camera performance of the phone is on par with its pricing.

WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT GENERAL MOBILE GM5 PLUS

  • The phone lacks a fingerprint sensor that has almost become a ‘must-have’ feature in a smartphone recently.
  • The phone’s battery isn’t as optimized as I expected for a phone running on stock android.
  • The black borders around the screen of the phone are so thick that I can’t get my eyes off them every time I look into the screen.

 

ALSO READ: TOP PHONES UNDER RS. 30,000

GPD Pocket: a tiny portable yet powerful laptop that fits in your pocket

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If you look close at the advancement of technology in past couple of years, then you’ll realize two things. First, the phones are getting bigger. Second, the laptops are getting smaller. When we’ve to name a few smaller laptops what we recall are the ones with the 12-inch screen. But, the GamePad Digital (GPD), a Chinese company is mass producing a tiny laptop after fundraising over $3million dollars in an IndieGoGo campaign. This GPD Pocket is even smaller than the smaller laptops that we’ve been seeing. The 7-inch screen laptop, is indeed small but still, comes with worth-mentioning specs.

GPD Pocket: Everything You Need to KnowGPD Pocket

GPD Pocket comes with a 7inch touchscreen Retina Display that sports a resolution of 1920*1200 resulting in odd 16:10 aspect ratio. The display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. This tiny laptop is powered by Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor and has 4GB of RAM. It boots on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or Windows 10 Home. It is 480 grams heavy and 18.5mm thick. The housing is stylish yet sturdy since it’s CNC precise all-in-one body made of magnesium and alloy. So, this tiny little thing is just as good-looking as the Apple Macbook Air or Microsoft Surface 3. As far as the ports are concerned, it has a USB 3.0, USB-C, mini HDMI and 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead of a trackpad, this laptop comes with a mouse knob like the one in older dell and Lenovo laptops. It has Bluetooth for connecting BT mouse and headphones. The company claims that the laptop will give 12hours of battery life off a charge.

Pricing and Availability:

The GPD has already closed its Indiegogo campaign, so you can’t be a backer and can’t pre-order the device. However, the device is expected to go on Sale in the US starting from June 15. The device can be bought from Indiegogo at the price of $399. Whereas, those buying from an offline retail store will have to pay $599.

GPD Pocket

Verdict:

Well, this small laptop from GPD seems impressive. Despite its small dimensions, it is still feature-rich and has the configuration that is comparable to Apple Macbook Air and Microsoft Surface 3. As far as my personal opinion is concerned, the laptop has been made tinier than it should be. So this tiny laptop with a tiny keyboard wouldn’t be a right one for me to write my stuff on the go. Well, that could be just me and you might be interested in buying a tiny laptop that you can carry around in your pocket.

 

Hidden truth behind the Captcha

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We all have come across these boxes with distorted letters and asked upon to retype those displayed letters in a text box. These tests are called CAPTCHA which stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. In artificial intelligence, Turing test is a test for intelligence in a computer. This test is done to check if a human can distinguish a computer from a human using the replies to questions put to both.

How it all started

CAPTCHA were created in the early days of internet to prevent the access of web content by automated pieces of codes. These code could damage the integrity of the website. The whole point of these tests is to prevent SPAM on the internet. It also stops automated programs from making online purchases like all the tickets of a well awaited concert or an event to prevent the sale of the tickets in black market.

CAPTCHA has become a universal tool and an accepted part of the internet user experience. Millions of people on the internet input these CAPTCHA on a daily basis. Some companies in developing countries have taken this phenomenon as a business opportunity. These companies basically let low wage workers solve these CAPTCHA on behalf of others. They may be people such as the visually impaired or to the companies interested in advertisement.

Evolution to reCAPTCHA

Millions of people were voluntarily translating nonsensical images into text. This seemed to the creators of CAPTCHA as waste of free labor. This led to the birth of reCAPTCHA which utilized this man power to solve words rather than random letters. The creators decided to digitize all books by scanning the pages of the book. It led to the utilization of optical character recognition software to translate the words to digital text. Any word that was not correctly recognized by the software was uploaded as reCAPTCHA.

Any reCAPTCHA that was typed as the same word for the text image shown multiple times, the word would be confirmed as the text and uploaded to the eBook database. Due to this effort hundred million reCAPTCHAs were solved per day. This rate led to digitization of two and a half million books every year. Google then acquired reCAPTCHA in 2009 to digitize all their Google books. Also they used it to digitize street sign from Google street view to label Google maps.

Birth of noCAPTCHA reCAPTCHA

As the advancement in image recognition grew, CAPTCHA were no more a barrier for bot. As CAPTCHA were made more and more difficult, a 2014 Google analysis found that artificial intelligence could crack even the most complex CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA images with 99.8 percent accuracy where as the humans could not even solve a CAPTCHA with 50 percent accuracy. Google then launched the now familiar “I’m not a robot” checkbox know as the noCAPTCHA reCAPTCHA. While it may appear to the user as a simple task, the program in the background analyzes things like the IP addresses, cookies of the user’s web activities and event the user’s mouse movement as it hovers and approaches a checkbox.

This method can pretty much distinguish a human from a bot. If the program is still not sure, a set of challenges are presented to the uses which are based on multiple image recognition problems.Google will then remember the next time the user checks a noCAPTCHA reCAPTCHA. ‘noCAPTCHA reCAPTCHA’ means no frustration, let people go where they are going faster and keep the bots at bay.

Everything You need to know about New Windows 10 S

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Recently, Microsoft released a new version of Windows 10 called the 10s. By name, it sounds like a new update to your current windows but it’s an operating system with a completely different concept. If you have heard about the Windows 10 S but don’t know what it is and what sets it apart from the regular Windows 10 then here’s your answer:

What is Windows 10 S?


Windows 10 S is the trimmed down version of the Windows 10 Pro which is designed to run on low-powered hardware computers. The new OS is made to compete directly with the lightweight laptop operating systems like the Chrome OS that is taking the industry by storm. A lightweight OS means, it can run on a very cheap hardware and provide optimum performance and battery life. Windows 10 S is targeted for students and business who prefer security and performance. The ‘S’ in the name is streamlined for simplicity, security, and speed. If you’re running Windows 10 then it can also run the 10 S.

Apps from Windows Store Only:

Your applications are delivered via the Windows Store ensuring Microsoft-verified security and integrity. You cannot just run a .exe file to install third-party software on the 10 S. This means you don’t have Chrome, iTunes or any Adobe products on your computer. Microsoft does allow developers to port their apps to the store but it may take some time to really see some popular third party apps on the store.

Default Apps:

Windows 10 S
Source: Windows Central

With Windows 10 S Microsoft is locking down users on the Windows ecosystem. The default browser on the OS will be Microsoft Edge which you cannot switch despite installing other browsers from the store. Also, whichever browser you use, Bing will be default search engine which you cannot change.

Security, Performance and Battery Life:

Windows 10 S

By limiting apps to those in the Windows Store, Windows 10 S is ideal for people who have everything they need in the Windows Store and prefer the peace of mind that comes with removing the risk of downloading apps from other places. As a trimmed down version of the Windows 10, the 10 S is optimized for maximum performance. As Microsoft demonstrated on their Surface Laptop, it boots up in just 15 seconds.

The lite software and minimum use of hardware resources ultimately result in less battery consumption. Microsoft promises the best battery life out of the 10 S. With the Surface Laptop, MS assures it will provide backup for 14 Hours which is a pretty bold claim.

Bottomline:

Windows 10 S is not for everyone, it is targeted specifically for students and schools, where on a limited environment one can assure productivity, security, stability, and affordability. The operating system is not completely restrictive, you have all the core functionalities of the system intact.  If you are a professional then it is definitely not the right operating system for you. But if you happen to buy a laptop running 10 S, it can be easily upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for $49 from Windows store. But until this year, for every 10 S user, there’s free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.

All the major laptop manufacturers like Acer, Dell and Lenovo will be bringing out their own series of laptop running Windows10 S, later this summer.

India Launches SAARC Satellite, A big step for Nepal as well?

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India launched their GSAT-9 Satellite on May 5th 2017 by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. It is basically a communications and meteorology satellite. This plan was put forward by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of a satellite that serves the needs of SAARC member nations in the 18th SAARC submit held in Nepal in 2014.

What is a communication satellite?

Well a communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunications signals. It creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. These satellites are used for television, telephone, radio, internet applications. There are over 2,000 communications satellites in Earth’s orbit of which the SAARC satellite will be one of them. Like every other machine, satellites do not last for ever. However the mission duration is estimated to be 12 years.

The SAARC satellite basically has a geostationary orbit (GEO). It orbits the Earth at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers which is about 35 times the length of the east west highway. It orbits around the earth once every 24 hours which is similar to the earth’s rotation about its axis. This means that the satellite will appear stationary to all the observer from the earth. This Satellite is specifically for TV broadcasting and telephone communication as the satellite dishes pointing toward this GEO satellite will never have to change the position. This GEO satellite is at such high altitude and has uninterrupted view of a large area of the earth. It is therefore also used for monitoring the weather and climate of the Indian Ocean.

Will it be beneficial for us?

SAARC Satellite

As stated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the satellite focuses on enabling:

  • full range of applications and services in the areas of telecommunication
  • broadcasting applications viz television (TV)
  • direct-to-home (DTH)
  • very small aperture terminals (VSATs)
  • tele-education and tele-medicine
  • disaster management support

The launch of SAARC GSAT-9 satellite is an excellent multi-dimensional facility that is currently at our disposal. This has led to the decrease in dependency of Nepal to other foreign satellite. Nepal can now rely on its own SAARC satellite for communication with the world. However, it depends on how the Government of Nepal is going to utilize its new resource.  Do you think this is a big step for communication development in our country? Will it help to improve the rural communication infrastructure of Nepal? Well this is a question that only time can answer.