Wednesday, December 7, 2016

After Cyber Attacks, IoT Companies Eyes to Make Smart Devices Safer

Recent cyber attacks harnessing everyday devices such as cameras, video recorders, printers, routers and speakers are a wake-up call to the hidden dangers of the Internet of Things.
The problem for the device makers, though, is that few are well equipped to tackle the unfamiliar task of foiling hackers.
For a sense of that challenge, take AV Tech Corp, a once proud giant among CCTV camera makers whose 1990s building in a Taipei suburb hints at the gap it must overcome between hardware factories of a decade ago and those of today.
AV Tech, which made the 2008 Forbes list of companies to watch, has seen competition from China shrink its profits to about a tenth of what they were then. Like its peers, AV Tech has moved its products online, connecting its cameras and the digital video recorders that store the footage on to the Internet so users can access them remotely.
But such companies are not well schooled in cyber security, leaving these devices wide open to hackers.
"The harsh reality is that cyber security is not even on the radar of many manufacturers," said Trent Telford, CEO of Covata, an internet security firm. "Security will eventually become more of a priority, but it may well be too late for this generation of IoT users."
Up to 30 billion devices are expected to be connected to the Internet by 2020 - all potentially vulnerable.
The danger was highlighted when hundreds of thousands of consumer devices were harnessed recently into so-called botnets, launching attacks on target websites, including PayPal, Spotify and Twitter.
Cyber security experts say this is just the beginning.
They have since found new versions of the malware designed to find and infect poorly secured devices. Botnets could also be used in advertising fraud and blackmail, according to Daniel Miessler of IOActive, an internet security consultancy.
Flashpoint, a cyber security consultancy, said parts of the botnet used in last month's mass attack were used this week to launch denial of service attacks on the campaign websites of both U.S. presidential candidates, though neither site appeared to have been knocked offline.
VULNERABLE
While researchers have not found any AV Tech devices in a botnet, they have pointed to lapses that make them vulnerable.
In a blog post, confirmed by his company, Gergely Eberhardt of Hungarian security firm Search-Lab said he spent a year trying to alert AV Tech to 14 security holes in its products. He got no response, and last month released his findings.
That, and news of other botnet distributed denial of services attacks, was a wake-up call for the Taiwanese firm.
"To be honest, in the past, hacking and discovering such matters was not an issue for AV Tech," said Dick Lee, special assistant in the company president's office. "This experience has significantly raised our alert level internally. This is something that those in the surveillance equipment business must face seriously."
That's happening, but slowly - and sometimes reluctantly.
Chinese camera maker Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology Co recalled thousands of its devices after researchers said they may have formed part of the botnet that took down Twitter and other websites, but it also threatened legal action against those defaming the company.
SECURITY FOCUS
Chipmaker Qualcomm said it was looking into new technologies, including those based on machine intelligence, to make IoT devices safer.
"We can build into the hardware certain fundamental things that will watch to see: is the device doing something it wasn't expected to do? Is it talking to somewhere it wasn't expected to talk to? Is it accessing memory differently?" executive chairman Paul Jacobs told Reuters on the sidelines of an event in Taipei on Monday. "It's very important for IoT to make sure you have a way of securing and updating devices."
AV Tech said it was talking to Search-Lab and other security firms about long-term cooperation, and also plans to release updated firmware - software that upgrades the inner workings of its devices to make them more secure.
It's not just the more established consumer electronics firms which are battling this.
Lani Refiti, cyber security lead for Cisco Systems Inc, said he has been working with Australian hardware start-ups to make their devices more secure.
One firm making sensors to allow treadmill users to share their workouts, he said, faced a three-month delay if it rewrote software to properly encrypt data. The cheaper solution was to obscure the data, and make any hacker work harder to crack it.
A handful of industry groups are emerging to focus exclusively on security.
Refiti set up IoTSec Australia this year to work with entrepreneurs, while UK-based IoT Security Foundation has chipmaker ARM, Huawei and Philips among its members.
Its main goal, says founder John Moor, is to simplify guidance so engineers actually read it. The foundation is releasing its first best-practice manual, condensing a 300-400 page industry document to just 30 pages.
"The challenge is more than the technical challenge" for these companies, said Moor. "You can put in security features, but do you have the right processes in place, are you doing the right things?"
For AV Tech, improved security may prove to be a way to differentiate its products from Chinese competition.
"This is a good opportunity. For these surveillance products, the demand on their security is the most important," said Lee, adding the inevitable higher cost "is not expected to be huge."

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Thursday, October 6, 2016

These Moto Smartphones Are Set to Receive Android 7.0 Nougat

Lenovo in September announced that its Moto Z lineup and the Moto G4 would receive the latest Android 7.0 Nougat update beginning Q4. The company has now put up a full list of its smartphones that will soon receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update.
The list now includes Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play along with Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen), Moto X Style, Moto X Play, Moto X Force, Droid Turbo 2, Droid Maxx 2, Moto Z, Moto Z Droid, Moto Z Force Droid, Moto Z Play, Moto Z Play Droid, and the Nexus 6.
To recap, Android 7.0 Nougat brings tons of new features such as multi-window support which will allow you to run two apps side by side, direct reply to notifications, updated Doze for better battery life, virtual reality support and improved system performance.
(Also see: Android 7.0 Nougat Is Here: 8 New Features You Need to Know About)
Lenovo India on Tuesday launched the Moto Z and Moto Z Play modular smartphones in India, along with the Moto Mods. The Moto Z has been priced at Rs. 39,999, while the Moto Z Play has been priced at Rs. 24,999. Both the smartphones go on sale staring 11:59pm on October 17 via Amazon and Flipkart.

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Google Pixel vs iPhone 7, Galaxy S7 Edge: Price, Specifications Compared

Google at the Made by Google event in San Francisco on Tuesday unveiled two new Pixel smartphones, officially killing its Nexus series. Moving forward, Google looks to unveil its own smartphones built around the Android ecosystem powered by the newly announced Google Assistant. The Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have been positioned as premium flagships boasting of high-end specs with exclusive features. At the event, Google executives took several digs at Apple, the most notable being that the Pixel smartphones do not sport the 'unsightly camera bump' - referring to the much-derided bump seen on recent iPhone models.
Camera bump or not, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL at their price point are placed among the other premium handsets out there - the most notable ones being the iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge - or, the flagships by the two largest and most famous smartphone manufacturers in the world. We pit the three together to see whether the new Google Pixel stands firm amongst the leaders of the old regime, or falters in their shadow.

Price
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are set to arrive in India this month, with the pre-sale beginning as soon as October 13. The price of the Google Pixel 32GB is at Rs. 57,000, while the 128GB can be purchased for Rs. 66,000. The larger Pixel XL 32GB is priced at Rs. 67,000, while the 128GB variant can be purchased for Rs. 76,000.
In comparison, the iPhone 7 is priced starting at Rs. 60,000 (32GB variant). The 128GB is priced at Rs. 70,000, and the new 256GB will set you back by Rs. 80,000. The larger iPhone 7 Plus is priced at Rs. 72,000, Rs. 82,000, and Rs. 92,000 respectively. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is up for pre-order on Amazon and Flipkart, and shipments are set to begin on October 7.
Coming to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, the company only brought the 32GB variant to India and priced it at Rs. 56,900. However in August, it received a price cut of Rs. 5,000 and can now be purchased for Rs. 50,900 from the Samsung India Store. If the 32GB storage suffices your needs, then the Galaxy S7 Edge is the cheapest in the market currently. To put things into perspective, the 128GB variant of the Google Pixel is much cheaper than the iPhone 7 128GB variant in India.
(Also see: Google Pixel and Pixel XL First Impressions)
Specifications and Features
Google at the event highlighted various specifications and features of the Google Pixel including the camera, the fast charging, the unlimited storage, and the Really Blue colour variant. We dive deep into the specs to see which one holds more weight on paper.
(Also see: Google Pixel India Launch: Everything You Need to Know)
Display
The Google Pixel is slightly bigger than the iPhone 7 and sports a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display with 441ppi pixel density. The iPhone 7, meanwhile, has a 4.7-inch (750x1334 pixels) display with 326ppi pixel density.
The 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge falls in the same category as the larger Google Pixel XL and the iPhone 7 Plus. The Google Pixel XL and the Galaxy S7 Edge have the same resolution and pixel density at - 1440x2560 pixels resolution and 534ppi pixel density. The iPhone 7 Plus on the other hand has the same 5.5-inch display, but with 1080x1920 pixels resolution and 401ppi pixel density. So, while it might be unfair to compare a 5.5-inch display with a 5-inch one or a 4.7-inch one, the Galaxy S7 Edge stands tall with the highest pixel density.
(Also see: Google Pixel Phones in Pictures)
Processor
While the Google Pixel XL is powered by the current fastest Snapdragon 821 quad-core SoC, the Galaxy S7 Edge is powered by the the company's own Exynos 8890 octa-core SoC in India. The former comes with an Adreno 530 GPU, while the latter houses a Mali-T880 MP12 GPU.  Both the smartphones are paired with 4GB of RAM. The iPhone 7, on the other hand, has its own A10 processor paired with 2GB RAM (3GB of RAM on the iPhone 7 Plus). All the three smartphones look capable enough to handle multi-tasks and heavy games, however our full opinion is reserved till we review the iPhone 7 and the Pixel smartphones.
Storage
As mentioned, Samsung is offering only the 32GB Galaxy S7 Edge variant in India for now. The Google Pixel has been launched in 32GB and 128GB variants, while the iPhone 7 is available in 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants. However, Google goes a step further, and is even offering unlimited cloud storage for photos and videos to all Pixel and Pixel XL smartphone buyers. At its price, as we mentioned, the Galaxy S7 offers the most storage for your money (it also includes a microSD card slot), however, the lack of a variant larger than 32GB in the country might put some off.
(Also see: Google Pixel, Pixel XL: Five Features Only Pixel Phone Users Will Get)
Camera
Google positions its camera as the 'best in the market' and even asserts that it got the highest score of 89 on DxOMark. The camera analysis website does rate the Pixel smartphone higher than the iPhone 7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge. The Google Pixel has a 12.3-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, OIS, and dual-LED dual tone flash. It captures 1.55-micron pixel size, and offers HDR+ mode which claims to have no shutter lag. The front camera has an 8-megapixel sensor for selfies.
The Galaxy S7 Edge gas a 12-megapixel sensor at the back with f/1.7 aperture, OIS, and LED flash. It captures 1.4-micron size pixels, and has auto-HDR mode as well. At the front, there is a 5-megapixel camera with a screen flash for low-light photography.
The iPhone 7 boasts of a 12-megapixel sensor as well, but with f/1.8 aperture, OIS, and quad-LED dual tone flash. HDR mode is also available on the iPhone 7, and the front camera has a 7-megapixel sensor for selfies (with screen flash). The iPhone 7 Plus has a dual camera setup - one 28mm wide-angle lens with f/1.8 aperture, and another 56mm telephoto lens with f/2.8 aperture. With the second lens, optical zoom can go up to 10x, without compromising on clarity. Once again, we'll reserve our judgement until after we've reviewed both the iPhone 7 and Google Pixel.
Battery
Apple falls behind as usual, when it comes to battery size, however, battery life figures are arguable. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus pack 1960mAh and 2900mAh batteries respectively. The Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have 2770mAh and 3450mAh batteries, while Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge sits on top with a 3600mAh battery. Batteries of all three smartphones are non-removable, and only the Android-based smartphones support fast charging. We'll hold back in declaring a winner in this case as well, as we haven't independently tested the battery life of the iPhone 7 and Google Pixel.
(Also see: Google Pixel and Pixel XL: Yet Another Expensive Experiment?)
Operating system
This is probably one of the biggest reasons why a consumer buys an iPhone over an Android smartphone, and vice versa. While the iPhone 7 runs on the latest iOS 10, the Google Pixel runs on Android 7.1 Nougat out-of-the-box. Each operating system has unique features and offerings, and has loyalists around the world. Both the smartphones run on the latest respective software, while the Galaxy S7 Edge runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow (with TouchWiz UI tweaks on top) out-of-the box. The iPhone 7 and Google Pixel stand tall here, with the Galaxy S7 lagging behind in terms of the latest Android features, if nothing else.
Water resistance
In this department, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is the clear winner. The Google Pixel is IP53 certified, which means it can withstand splashes and rain when held at an angle not more than 60 degrees from the vertical, but it will falter if kept flat or at an angle more than 60 degrees from the vertical - all of which means it is not very water resistant at all. Apple on the other hand announced an IP67 certification for the iPhone 7, which means it is rated to withstand immersion in up to 1 metre of water for up 30 minutes - it is also marketing it as splash and water resistant. Coming to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, it has an IP68 rating, which means it can withstand immersion in up to 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes - it is also being marketed as water resistant.
Exclusive Features
All three smartphones have their own share of exclusive features making them stand apart from the other. The Google Pixel is offering a Really Blue colour variant, something that was heavily rumoured to come with the iPhone 7, but didn't. It also is the first phone to have built-in Google Assistant and a live 24x7 customer care support with integrated Screen Share for better help. As mentioned, it offers unlimited cloud storage, a useful feature that isn't a part of Apple or Samsung. Apple charges for cloud storage after a certain limit is exceeded.
The iPhone 7, on the other hand, has Siri - the venerable voice-based virtual assistant built much before Google Assistant. It performs all the tasks that Google Assistant can, including third-party integration now, and has been a popular feature among users. The iOS platform also offers exclusive services like FaceTime and iMessages, apps that some loyalists swear by. The iPhone 7, however, lacks the headphone jack, a feature that Apple tries to compensate for with the bundled but arguably inconvenient adapter inside the box.
(Also see: Google Pixel Launch: A Roundup of All Announcements From Tuesday's Event)
The Galaxy S7 Edge is the only smartphone of the three to sport a dual edge display. The S7 Edge has garnered high sale numbers for Samsung, and has proved to be very successful in the market. The TouchWiz UI brings some useful tweaks to the Android interface, such as Smart Share, and many Samsung fans swear by them.
Conclusion
Companies like HTC and LG have tried hard to make a solid mark in the highly competitive market, but have failed to measure up with Samsung and Apple, who continue to rule the premium smartphone segment. But now with the entry of Google, there is potential for change. Even with the steep price tag, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL have all the muscle on paper to give Apple and Samsung a fair bit of fight. Our final call on which smartphone makes for the best investment of your hard earned money will have to wait for our reviews of the Apple's and Google's latest. Stay tuned.
Corrigendum: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge does not support a microSD card, and the iPhone 7 sports an f/2.2 aperture on its rear camera. We regret the errors.

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Asus ROG GX700 Review

Would you spend more on a laptop than a small car? Asus is hoping that there are at least a few people in this country willing to do that - and given how well multi-crore cars and homes sell all over India, that might not be such a far-fetched idea. However, Asus hasn't taken the usual luxury route, with exotic materials and high-fashion styling. What it's selling instead is pure power. The GX700 is an absolute beast of a machine, with the kind of hardware - and price tag - that no manufacturer has ever dared trying with a laptop before now.
The GX700 is, on the surface, meant to be a hardcore gamer's dream come true. It certainly does have everything we could possibly want in a modern gaming PC and then some. However, the more time we spent with it, the more we began to see that it isn't so much about gaming as it is about showing off. Read on to see what we mean by this, and whether it makes any difference.

Asus ROG GX700 look and feel
First of all, there's the packaging. A standard cardboard box would have been too low-key, so of course Asus ships this thing in a completely over-the-top four-wheeled suitcase. We've seen high-end hardware come in secret-agent-style briefcases before, mainly for the theatricality of it, but this takes the cake. The suitcase might actually come in handy to haul the GX700 laptop around with its dock and accessories. However, to be honest, it isn't an especially high quality piece of luggage, so opening it doesn't feel like unwrapping a luxury product.
On popping the latches, you'll see the laptop, liquid cooling dock, and their respective mains adapters all tightly ensconced in black foam cutouts with red Velcro straps for effect. The laptop is one of the biggest we've ever encountered, and we'll get to it in a moment. More interesting is the dock, which is completely unique. This is basically a self-contained external liquid cooling apparatus that can augment the laptop's own fans. It's massive and heavy, with a deliberately aggressive look combining black metal mesh, exposed bolts, brushed gunmetal plastic, shiny orange chrome, and a dark tinted plastic window. Thankfully, Asus avoided a military-themed design, which we've seen enough of to last a lifetime.

When you want to dock the laptop, it sits on a sort of sled which raises it at an angle and aligns two gaskets on its rear with the mechanism of the dock itself. Pushing down on the dock's huge central lever moves this mechanism forward to engage with the gaskets. Red lights start pulsating behind the tinted window, fans spin up noisily, and it's all gloriously satisfying.There's another mechanical button to release the seal, and pressing it is just as geektastic as watching the Enterprise-D's saucer section separate from its secondary hull.
The whole point of this system is that you can separate the two units when you need a more portable gaming machine, but even on its own, this thing is hardly easy to move around with. The laptop weighs 3.9kg and measures 429x309mm. The only concession to modern styling is that it's relatively thin, at 35mm. The body is mostly plastic with metal accents, all in the same gunmetal and orange colour scheme. There are two red LED strips and an illuminated Republic of Gamers logo on the lid.

The laptop's hinge is extremely firm, and is designed to stop with the lid at an angle that allows the dock to sit behind it without the two knocking into each other. There's a power inlet on the back, between the two liquid coolant seals, which means that the laptop gets its power from the desk unit when docked. All other ports are on the two sides. On the left, there are two USB 3.0 ports, individual 3.5mm mic and headphones sockets, and an SD card slot. On the right, there's another regular USB 3.0 port, two Type-C ports, HDMI and Mini-DisplayPort video outputs, and a collapsible Ethernet port. The two Type-C ports can handle 10Gbps transfers as opposed to 5Gbps on the others, and one of them also supports Intel's 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 standard.
Flip the lid up and you'll see a nearly full-sized keyboard with a number pad and an arrow cluster that actually has room to breathe instead of being scrunched up into the bottom row. The layout is a bit unorthodox, but it's designed for gamers, not typists. There are five programmable macro keys in the upper left corner and a sixth shortcut that's permanently bound to Xsplit Gamecaster (to which you get a lifetime pass). Backlighting is red, of course, and there are three brightness settings. The WASD keys have transparent sides so the backlight shines through more and sets them apart.


The screen measures 17.3 inches diagonally, and it still feels like it's floating in a sea of plastic because of how massive the surrounding body is. It isn't a touchscreen, but that's more of an advantage here because it doesn't have to be glossy. You'll find speakers to the sides of the keyboard, firing both upwards and sideways to create a surround effect. There's no subwoofer, which many other large laptops are able to fit in.
Asus ROG GX700 specifications and software
The Asus GX700 was first announced a year ago, but its specs are still almost entirely top-notch thanks to delayed refreshes this year. With the sole exception of the GPU, everything sounds like someone drew up a fantasy wishlist without the slightest concern about cost, and just decided to go for it. We start with an Intel Core i7-6820HK processor, which can go up to 3.6GHz as is, but also allows for overclocking thanks to its unlocked multiplier. When docked, it automatically goes up to 4GHz and Asus says there's enough headroom to take that further manually.

The GPU in question is a GeForce GTX 980 - definitely still a powerhouse, but easily outclassed by this year's GTX 1080. The GPU has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM of its own, and is of course also overclockable. Asus claims that its liquid cooling solution lets you get over 40 percent better performance out of the GPU, and there's also more robust power delivery which lets it draw 80W over and above the usual 100W.
Only the best will do, and so there's 64GB of DDR4-2400 RAM which is also overclocked to 2800MHz. For storage, we have the pleasure of having not only a super-fast NVMe SSD, but two of them in a striped RAID 0 array for twice the speed. The drives are both 512GB Samsung SM951 M.2 units, and are seen by Windows as single 1TB logical disk.

The screen is a 4K IPS panel, which, at just 17.3 inches, has a density of 254ppi. Windows 10's scaling is absolutely necessary with these dimensions, and is set to 175 percent by default. You also get Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 720p webcam. The battery is rated at 93Whr and Asus obviously isn't bragging about battery life in terms of hours. You get a 180W power brick to use when the laptop is on its own and a much bulkier 330W one for the dock.
Our review unit came running Windows 10 Home. We're used to seeing a glut of self-branded apps pre-installed on Asus laptops, and there's no shortage here either. The company has tried to unify them into one master control panel, to limited success. The ROG Gaming Center app is awkwardly designed and many controls are either hidden, poorly arranged, or lack descriptions of what they do. You can define and switch between profiles here, or just flip individual toggles. Some options are simple toggles but others launch their own apps, such as Turbo Gear which lets you overclock on the fly as well as manually; Splendid, which offers screen colour temperature control; ROG MacroKey to configure the five macro keys; Sonic Radar, a game overlay designed to help you pinpoint enemies based on aural cues; and Sonic Studio, an audio equaliser which includes a handy mode for recording your voice as you live stream your games online.

The overclocking tool has three presets: Standard is the default when running on battery power; Optimized kicks in with the laptop using its own power adapter; and Extreme can only be used when the dock is engaged and powered up. There's also a Manual mode which has fairly basic sliders and no graphs or heat/power target settings like Asus' own motherboard and graphics card utilities. You can tweak very basic CPU, GPU and RAM parameters here if you like. We would have liked some on-screen guides or prompts, or at least a printed overclocking guide, considering the UI is geared to those who aren't going to be digging very deep.

Asus ROG GX700 usage and performance
While not the easiest to carry around, it still is definitely possible to travel with the laptop section of the GX700. We're eager to see how wide the performance gulf is when using the laptop on its own and when coupled with the cooling unit.
The docking and undocking process is extremely simple. We have to commend Asus for figuring out how to seal the coolant tubes without making things complicated for users. The company does warn that tiny amounts of liquid might drip from the gaskets after undocking, but we didn't see this happen during our review process, and we played with the mechanism quite a lot. Hopefully, the amount that drips out over a lifetime won't be enough to require a refill; a process that seems as though it would involve a trip to an authorised service centre.

However on the software side, docking tended to be a bit unpredictable. There's no obvious message about whether you need to shut down the laptop beforehand, so we went ahead and did it. We found that in most cases, things went perfectly fine, and the laptop adjusted its clock speeds on its own. On a few occasions though, it became unresponsive or refused to wake up from sleep. The dock also emits a really long, loud beep each time it kicks in, which took us by surprise.

You'll need a deep desk to fit the laptop with the dock behind it. The combined contraption is fairly comfortable to use, but it does vibrate quite a lot thanks to the twin radiators in the dock. The keyboard is just about okay; though a bit too mushy for our tastes. We loved the full-sized arrow cluster but hated the merged delete/insert key. Num Lock has been displaced in favour of a shortcut to Asus' Gaming Center application which has controls for overclocking, fan speed, accent lighting, and other user preferences. You can define four profiles for different kinds of games or other usage scenarios. The trackpad is particularly bad, often failing to recognise taps. The two buttons are also extremely wobbly and difficult to use.

If you use the built-in keyboard's WASD block, your wrist will end up half on the trackpad and half off it, which is a bit uncomfortable - though at least the low sensitivity means that unwanted input isn't a problem. We saw and felt a fair bit of flex towards the centre, with the entire keyboard deck visibly sinking with even normal key pressure. This area also got quite hot when we were gaming. You'll definitely want an external keyboard and mouse for serious gaming.
The display is incredibly sharp, but not very vibrant. Colours don't pop like they do on many other high-end devices, and we found it to have an unnecessarily warm overall tone. Asus's multiple utilities include Splendid, a display tuning tool which let us tweak the colour temperature to our liking.

Audio from the built-in speakers was a letdown. We were hoping for a full, rich sound considering the size of this laptop, but were instead disappointed by how hollow and grating it was. Music and even voices were often scratchy, and the maximum volume wasn't all that loud.
Thanks to its blazing fast hardware, the GX700 booted in under five seconds even with loads of our test software installed. Of course what everyone wants to know is how well it performed in benchmark and gaming tests. We started with just the laptop on its own, running in Optimized mode when plugged in, and then ran the same tests with it docked, running in Extreme mode.

PCMark's Home test gave us 4065 points with just the laptop, and 4218 points when running overclocked thanks to the dock. We also saw a modest boost in the Work test run, with 3120 and 3282 points respectively. The Creative test caused the machine to crash, which was a surprise.
Cinebench R15's GPU-bound OpenGL test run showed a massive improvement, from 59.76fps to 122.69fps. The CPU-bound test was less affected, going from 712 points to 861. Similarly, POVRay's benchmark ran in 3 minutes, 2 seconds on the laptop alone, but 2 minutes, 18 seconds when docked.

SiSoft SANDRA's CPU tests also made the GX700 crash, which is not only unusual but now possibly part of a pattern. No matter the settings, the GX700 just rebooted itself as soon as the tests began. We managed to check out some of the other subsystems and came away with some astounding numbers. The RAID SSD array gave us 1.85GBps and 2.38GBps sequential reads and writes respectively when undocked, and 2.08GBps and 2.59GBps respectively when docked. Memory bandwidth was reported as 29.12GBps and 29.43GBps, a surprisingly small difference since Asus says the GX700's RAM is also liquid cooled when the unit is docked.
Moving on to synthetic game tests, we found that the dock had much more of an effect on graphics than it did on CPU performance. 3DMark's Time Spy test produced 3304 points without the benefit of liquid cooling, and 4014 points with it. The Fire Strike Ultra test showed a similar jump from 2412 to 3108 points. Unigine Valley refused to run at 2560x1440 so we stepped down to 1920x1080 and got 40.6fps undocked and 65.2fps docked.

Ashes of the Singularity did not run at all - it exited with an error at launch whether we launched it in DX11 or DX12 mode. We ran Rise of the Tomb Raider's built-in benchmark at 4K using the Very High preset, and it gave us a fairly solid average of 29.52fps with the dock and 22.41fps without it. Bringing the resolution down to 1920x1080 resulted in a rise to 77.95fps and 57.04fps respectively. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a bit more stressful, and gave us an unplayable 11.5fps at 4K using the Very High preset with the dock. We knocked the resolution down to 1920x1080 and managed a decent 35fps. GTA V had no problem running at 4K on the GX700. We got a score of 48.28fps when running its built-in benchmark with the dock, and 38.96 without.
Finally, we ran through a few games manually with the GX700 docked on our desk, the way it's meant to be used most often. We started with one of our favourite games of the year, Doom (2016). Since it runs well on even mid-range hardware, we had high expectations. Using the Vulkan API and Ultra quality preset, we were able to get roughly 136fps at 1920x1080 and a very respectable 43fps at 4K. There's no reason not to use Vulkan, but we did check out standard OpenGL performance and found it to be slightly lower, at around 120fps and 36fps respectively.

We then moved on to Far Cry 4, a classic which scales well to all kinds of hardware. As expected, we had no trouble at 4K even with the Ultra preset selected. Motion was smooth, with an average of 34fps. Reducing the quality would certainly make for better frame rates, but we found even this much to be extremely smooth.

Rise of the Tomb Raider can be somewhat demanding at its highest settings, and we pushed everything as far as it would go. At 4K and using the Very High profile, the game did feel just a little choppy. We recorded 27fps in ordinary gameplay, and while more noticeable than Far Cry 4, gameplay was just as enjoyable.

That brings us to one thing that's hard to quantify: the value of the GX700's G-Sync capable screen. This is a proprietary Nvidia feature for LCD panels which varies the rate at which it refreshes and syncs this to the GPU's output, thereby eliminating tearing and other artefacts which are the result of inconsistent frame timing. The feature only works with specific monitors which have Nvidia's hardware built in, which costs extra, and so its inclusion makes perfect sense for the GX700. We did definitely feel that games were smoother than usual, particularly the scenery in GTA V which can easily exhibit tearing when you race through it.
Verdict
Overall, this isn't a bad laptop, but it does leave us with a dilemma. The only way you're going to get the most out of it would be to use it docked on a desk, where it isn't all that comfortable. When used as a laptop, you aren't getting all the performance you've paid for and it still isn't all that portable. For the price Asus is asking, we could build an equally powerful desktop as well as buy a highly capable gaming laptop - and yes, there'd be more than enough left over for a nice suitcase if you really want one of those too. Sure, you'd get a specific combination of features and capabilities that no other product offers, but we can't help feeling that the GX700 isn't as great as the sum of its parts.

Applications that should work perfectly fine just crashed, the keyboard and trackpad were disappointing, and the speakers just aren't all that good. There's also no upgrade path; the dock won't work with future laptop models. However, the worst thing about the GX700 is that we already know it's outdated. This product has been available internationally for just under a year, and if we're spending so much money, we want the absolute best. Asus showed off its GX800 model at this year's Computex, and that model has not one but two GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs, plus a mechanical keyboard and better speakers. The GX800 isn't available for purchase yet, but it does exist, and that's reason enough to feel like we're being served something a bit stale with the GX700 at this point in time.
There's nothing wrong with spending your money however you see fit, but at the end of the day, the GX700 is like buying a supercar when you live in the city. It will give you a thrill and will be fun to show off, but is utterly impractical and will only be used to its full potential on rare occasions.
Price: 4,12,990
Pros
Unparalleled performanceGives buyers undisputed bragging rights
Cons
Absurdly expensiveHuge and heavyUnderwhelming keyboard, trackpad and speakersLaunched in India almost a year late
Ratings (Out of 5)
Design: 3.5Display: 4Performance: 5Software: 4Value for Money: 1.5Overall: 3.5
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Five Features Only Pixel Phone Users Will Get

At its event in San Francisco, Google announced the launch of two new phones, the Google Pixel and the Google Pixel XL, as well as the starting price in India and other markets. The Pixel starts at Rs. 57,000 for the 32GB variant, and the Pixel XL will set you back by Rs. 67,000 for the 32GB variant.
The two phones are identical except or the screen size and resolution, apart from the battery capacity, and both are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with 4GB of RAM. They come with the same 8-megapixel front camera, and 12.3-megapixel rear camera, and in many ways live up to the premium pricing. You can see the full specifications of the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL.
The phones also pack some unique features that are only going to be for the Pixel line; these features aren't supposed to extend to the rest of Android, except one. Here are five features unique to the Google Pixel phones:

1) Unlimited photo and video storage for life
As a regular user of Google Photos, you can back up your images without having to pay a paisa. It's great, but Google compresses the images to a "high-quality" size. That's not really an issue if you're only going to be viewing the images on your phone's screen, but if you're taking printouts, or perhaps viewing them on a 4K monitor, then the compression starts to look bad. Google's Pixel phones will offer unlimited backups of photos and videos at full resolution - even videos recorded at 4K will be backed up for free on the cloud, with no limit.
2) Smart storage
You know what's better than having unlimited backups? Not having to worry about managing unlimited backups. Google calls this feature Smart Storage, and it automatically removes images and videos from your phone to the cloud when it decides that you're running short on space. It picks the files automatically so you're not wasting time managing your storage, and thanks to the unlimited backups Google is offering, you don't lose out on the quality of your videos at all.

This means that your 32GB storage will still be adequate for use, even if you decide to film 4K videos - the files will just live on the cloud instead of filling up your phone needlessly.
3) Google Assistant
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL are the first smartphones with Google Assistant built-in. Google Assistant is the new smart assistant that some of the people reading would already have experienced thanks to Allo. The Assistant gets promoted to the home screen, and you can call it up with a long-press on the home button.
The Assistant is more than just a voice search interface - it's backed up by AI smarts, and it contextualises the information it digs up through your earlier interactions. In our usage of Allo, the Assistant came across as a work in progress, but Google says that the more you use it, the more useful it will become. As of now, you can already use it to add events to your calendar, make a grocery list, and navigate home.
Google has told Gadgets 360 that the feature will be coming to other phones, but didn't announce a timeline for this.

4) Pixel Launcher
Google's Pixel Launcher is exclusive to the Pixel phones, and is the evolution of the Google Now Launcher. This includes replacing Google Now with the Google Assistant, a dynamic calendar icon that shows you the date in a glance, a revamped app drawer, new, round app icons, and more.
Google might bring it to more devices down the line, though given the name, don't get your hopes up for this happening in the near future. Sideloading could be an option, as was demonstrated when the unofficial version leaked last month.
5) 24/7 customer support
One of the biggest problems with buying a phone is getting customer support. Google is aware of this, and is offering 24/7 customer support via both voice and text and it also has a screen sharing solution so that the tech-support can directly see what's on your screen to diagnose problems. It's an optional setting, in case you were worrying about security issues.
Putting this in place requires a lot of manpower, which is why Google can't roll this particular feature out to all phones, though of course, other manufacturers could add a similar feature themselves if they wanted to.

These five features will clearly distinguish the Pixel phones from other Android offerings and help them stand out.
Bonus
One of the coolest offerings of the event was also one of the smallest - Google's Quick Switch feature and dongle. The adapter will enable you to quickly switch to a Pixel phone, copying all your data from an iPhone or another Android handset with on-screen instructions to transfer your data.
Other brands including Samsung and Motorola have their own solutions to migrating from other hardware so this isn't completely unique, though the implementation is slick and appealing.
What do non-Pixel users get?
The Pixel phones also launch with Android 7.1 Nougat before anyone else gets to use the operating system. However, this at least isn't exclusive to them, and the rest of us will get the new OS at some point in the line. Android 7.1 also brings some cool features that people will benefit from though this will take some time to happen.
1) Daydream VR The biggest of these is clearly Daydream VR - support for the Daydream View headset and Google's new VR ecosystem. As of now, the headset will be certified for use only with the Google Pixel phones but Daydream is supposed to be a platform and phones with Android 7.1 Nougat will also support the use of Daydream View headsets and have access to the Daydream VR platform.

2) Fingerprint gestures Android 7.1 Nougat also gets fingerprint gestures – Among other manufacturers, Coolpad has done something similar with the Coolpad Note 5 but with Android 7.1, you will be able to have features like swiping on the sensor to open notifications as a standard.
3) Night Mode Some Android manufacturers already ship phones with night mode which filters out blue light, and the same is true for iOS. Now Google has made the feature standard and phones from Android 7.1 onwards will also be able to switch to night mode to reduce eyestrain.
It's a small feature that nonetheless has a huge impact, and it's surprising that it wasn't the norm across devices much sooner.

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How Apple Will Save Samsung

Scarred by the global recall of its flagship smartphone, Samsung Electronics Co is set to report on Friday it still expects a small rise in third-quarter profit, analysts say, with healthy sales of memory chips and displays easing the pain.
Lost sales and expenses tied to the recall of at least 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 handsets to fix battery problems could cost the firm nearly $5 billion (roughly Rs. 33,432 crores) this year, some analysts have said. That could sap momentum from a nascent recovery in Samsung's mobile business, an underperformer in recent years.
(Also see:  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall May Cost Company as Much as $1 Billion: Report)
But a pickup in the memory chip market, led by demand from rival smartphone maker Apple Inc, will buttress earnings, company watchers say. A Thomson Reuters SmartEstimate, derived from a survey of 20 analysts, tips overall July-September operating profit to have edged up 0.7 percent from a year earlier to KRW 7.4 trillion ($6.65 billion).
(Also see:  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall: User Says New, 'Safe' Unit Exploded)
Samsung will report its estimates for third-quarter revenue and operating profit, without further details, on Friday.
"So long as the operating profit number comes in at a low KRW 7 trillion level, the market will look at it and think some of noise surrounding the Note 7 recall issue has cleared," said HDC Asset Management fund manager Park Jung-hoon.
Analysts have lowered their expectations for Samsung's mobile division since the September 2 recall made global headlines. Some have cut their mobile division profit forecast by KRW 1 trillion or more to reflect the lost sales and costs of recalling a smartphone that had won rave reviews and made a strong sales start since its launch in August 19.
(Also see:  Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall: Restart of Sales Delayed by 3 Days in South Korea)
Korea Investment analyst Jay Yoo forecast Samsung's third-quarter mobile division operating profit at KRW 2.6 trillion, up from KRW 2.4 trillion a year earlier but down from KRW 4.3 trillion in April-June.
But analysts say Samsung's chips division - the firm is the world's biggest memory chip maker - will soothe the Galaxy Note 7 woes as other smartphone makers filled chip order books and drove prices higher ahead of the peak year-end shopping season. Analysts estimate the division could report quarterly operating profit of KRW 3 trillion or more - its highest in four quarters.
Analysts said the semiconductors uptrend was more pronounced for NAND memory chips - used for long-term data storage - as demand started to outpace supply during the quarter due to orders from Apple and Chinese smartphone makers. Demand for solid-state drive storage chips for mobile devices also grew.
(Also see:  Can You Trust the Lithium-Ion Battery in Your Pocket?)
Samsung stands to benefit from the upswing - especially in the NAND market, where it dominates rivals such as Japan's Toshiba Corp and US firm Micron Technology Inc in the market for high-end 3D products such as enterprise servers and storage.
Samsung's display business earnings also likely picked up some of the slack from the mobile division thanks to increasing adoption of its organic light-emitting diode displays (Oled) by rising Chinese smartphone makers such as Oppo and Vivo, analysts said.
"While the Galaxy Note 7 recall is a painful blow, the third quarter will show that components including DRAM, NAND and displays did better than expected," Dongbu Securities said in a report, tipping operating profit for the chips division to be at KRW 3 trillion.
© Thomson Reuters 2016

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HTC's Relegation to Google Contractor Completes a Story of Demise

In electronics manufacturing there's no better sign you've made the big league than winning a deal to supply an international brand. Conversely, nothing says loser more than an international brand being relegated to the minor league of contract work.
Google, of Android operating system fame, released its first Pixel smartphones Tuesday to replace its Nexus lineup. HTC has been selected to assemble the device, becoming for Google what Foxconn is to Apple. "Google has done the design work and a lot of the engineering," the Mountain View-based company's hardware chief Rick Osterloh told Bloomberg News.
Ouch! That's gotta hurt. After spending years building its design and engineering chops, HTC has been demoted to water boy. Supplying Google with smartphones isn't a victory - it's an embarrassing end to HTC's decade-long campaign to break out of that contract-manufacturing business and stand on its own two feet.
Biggest reason for HTC's demise
Bad marketing
There was a time when HTC wasn't just the biggest Android smartphone maker, but the only Android smartphone maker. It was the first to make handsets for Microsoft's mobile software, the first to make a 3G smartphone, the first to add GPS, and the first to manufacture devices using Google's operating system.
HTC's brand was so successful it made Interbrand's global top 100 list in 2011, the same year it pipped Apple and Samsung to briefly and gloriously top the US smartphone market.
Now, HTC can barely ship a few crates of phones each quarter - its share has shrunk so much it shows up under the ignominious category marked "other" in market research.
How it managed to squander such an early lead can't just be put down to discount wars started by the likes of Xiaomi. Nor can it be blamed on a Nokia-like failure to evolve its product range in line with consumer tastes. HTC has kept up with, and very often led, every development in smartphones over the past 20 years, from faster chips to better cameras and improved screen resolution.
At fault is a fundamental failure of leadership in both design and marketing. For years, HTC refused to change its form factor, even as Apple kept setting new benchmarks in hip and Samsung learned you can make a smartphone that doesn't look ugly.
When it did come up with something cool - its M-series One phones - management couldn't be bothered with marketing. At a time when Samsung's ad spend topped the GDP of a Third-World nation, HTC spent $12 million signing Robert Downey Jr. only to then cut its annual marketing budget, thus failing to leverage its newly acquired star. It didn't help that management later decided to load the company's expensive flagship phones with freeware in a move that alienated its most-loyal customers.
Five years after climbing to the top, HTC has lost almost 90 percent of its market value and its only hope is to convince someone, anyone, that virtual reality can be a winner. But given how it messed up smartphones and Google's entry this week into the same space, that's a stretch.
If you can't be bothered with marketing, you might as well be a lowly contract manufacturer. HTC playing second fiddle to Google simply highlights its loser status.
© 2016 Bloomberg L.P.

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Intex Aqua Strong 5.2 With 4G VoLTE Support Launched at Rs. 6,390

After launching the Aqua Raze II and the Aqua Pro 4G just a few days ago, Intex has again expanded its Aqua series by launching the Aqua Strong 5.2. The successor of the Intex Aqua Strong 5.1 comes with VoLTE support, 2GB RAM, and amped up internal storage. Listed on the company website, the Intex Aqua Strong 5.2 is priced at Rs. 6,390, however availability details remain unknown.
The Intex Aqua Strong 5.1 was launched in August with 8GB internal storage for Rs. 4,999. Two months later, the Indian smartphone company has listed the Aqua Strong 5.2 with 16GB of inbuilt storage. We expect the company to announce availability details soon. As for the specifications, they largely remain the same as the Aqua Strong 5.1, apart from a few tweaks.
The Intex Aqua Strong 5.2 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and supports dual-SIM slots (Micro+Micro). It sports a 5-inch FWVGA (480x854 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection and a pixel density of 196ppi. It is powered by a 1GHz MediaTek MT6735 quad-core processor with ARM Mali-T720 MP1 GPU and 2GB of RAM (up from 1GB on the Aqua Strong 5.1). It offers 16GB of inbuilt storage with the option to expand further via microSD card (up to 32GB). The user available storage is at 10.8GB.
The smartphone has a 5-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash, and a 2-megapixel selfie camera at the front. Extra camera features include smile detection, face beauty, panorama mode, and voice capture. It measures 141.2x72.3x9.47mm and weighs 150 grams. The Intex Aqua Strong 5.2 packs a 2800mAh battery, and the company claims it is rated to deliver up to 16 hours of talk time on 3G and 4G, and around 466 hours of standby tune. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro-USB port, FM radio, and GPS/ A-GPS. It will be made available in White, Blue, and Champagne colour variants.

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Mafia 3 to Support PS4 Pro, Will Have Upgraded Visuals

In an interview with Gadgets 360, Haden Blackman, Studio Head and Creative Director at Hangar 13 - the studio behind Mafia 3 has confirmed that the game will be supporting the PS4 Pro.
With Sony’s iterative variant of the PS4 hitting the shelves next month, Mafia 3 will have some updated visuals.
(Also see: Mafia 3 Release Date, Price, and Collector’s Edition Revealed)
“I’m always excited about new technology because it means we can push our art even further,” he says in an interview with Gadgets 360. “For the PS Pro specifically, we’ll add some graphics upgrades.”
Considering that not all games plan to leverage the PS4 Pro’s beefier spec, it comes as a sigh of relief for those planning to buy the console.
(Also see: Mafia 3 Is Out in 2016. Here's All You Need to Know)
Stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for our full interview with Blackman, where he touches upon several aspects of the game including its design, narrative, music choices, and post-release content strategy.
(Also see: The PS4 Pro Won't Solve the PS4's Biggest Problem)
Mafia 3 follows the exploits of Lincoln Clay building a new family after his mob was betrayed and hunted down by the Italian Mafia in New Bordeaux. Considering employees at Hangar 13 have worked on the likes of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Knights of the Old Republic, it’s likely that Mafia 3 will have a strong narrative. Nonetheless, we’ll only know for sure when the game is out on October 7.

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Nexus 9 LTE Users Finally Get the Android 7.0 Nougat Update

When Google decided to roll out the Android 7.0 Nougat update in August, the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 LTE were left out of the mix. A month later, Google apologised for the delay in rolling out the update for the two Nexus devices. Earlier this week, Nexus 6 users started receiving the update along with the October Android security patch. Now, Nexus 9 LTE users have also started to receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update, however this time, only the September Android security patch is bundled with it.
Once the rollout process is complete, it would mean all eligible Nexus devices have now officially received the Android 7.0 Nougat update. Notably, at the Made by Google event earlier this week, Android 7.1 Nougat was unveiled alongside the two Pixel smartphones, and Google claims that Nexus and Pixel C tablet will receive the developer preview before the end of the year. Just which Nexus devices will receive the update however has not been clarified. Google confirmed that even though the Nexus series is dead with the launch of Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL smartphones, it will continue to support Nexus devices.
The update is rolling out over-the-air, but if you can't wait Google has also uploaded factory and OTA images. As mentioned, the Nexus 6 update earlier came with the October Android security patch, but the Nexus 9 LTE update bundles the old September patch.
Google, at its Made By Google event, killed old practices of launching Nexus devices by partnering with OEMs. Instead, Google now has a new hardware team lead by Rick Osterloh, which will now take care of Google-branded products - though HTC is responsible for "assembling" the current crop of Pixel phones. At the event, Google also launched the new Chromecast Ultra, Google Home speaker, Google Wi-Fi router, and the new Daydream View.
The Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are coming to India this month, and the pre-sale will start on October 13. The smartphones will be made available in 32GB and 128GB variants, and are priced at starting Rs. 57,000.

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Oppo F1s Diwali Limited Edition Launched in India

Oppo India on Thursday launched the Oppo F1s Diwali Limited Edition smartphone. Sporting the same Rs. 17,990 price tag as the original, the smartphone will go up for pre-orders from Oppo Concept Stores from October 8 to October 13, and will go up for sale on October 14 via Snapdeal.
The Oppo F1s Diwali Limited Edition smartphone is identical in terms of specifications with the original Oppo F1s smartphone that was launched in India in August. However, it features a redesigned rear panel with a 'gilded Diwali pattern' or a flame, alongside signatures from brand ambassadors Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor. The limited edition smartphone comes with Diwali Elements theme that bears special icons amongst other changes.
The Oppo F1s sports a 16-megapixel front-facing camera with a 1/3.1-inch sensor and f/2.0 aperture, certainly the highlight of the smartphone. Other selfie-focused features on the smartphone include its Beautify 4.0 app for selfie editing, the Selfie Panorama feature that stitches together three selfies, and the Screen Flash feature.
(Also see: Opp F1s Review)
The smartphone also sports a fingerprint sensor on the home button, and Oppo claims it unlocks the F1s in as little as 0.22 seconds. The company is also touting the fingerprint sensor based shortcuts on the Oppo F1s for making voice calls and launching apps.
The dual-SIM (Nano-SIM card) Oppo F1s runs ColorOS 3.0 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, and sports a 5.5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection apart from support for gloved and wet touch input. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT6750 SoC, coupled with the Mali-T860 MP2 GPU and 3GB of RAM.
The Oppo F1s bears a 13-megapixel rear camera with PDAF autofocus, an f/2.2 aperture, and dual-LED flash. The smartphone comes with 32GB of inbuilt storage that's expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB). Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, USB OTG, GPS, and Bluetooth v4.0. The smartphone is powered by a 3075mAh battery, measures 154.5x76x7.38mm, and weighs 160 grams. Sensors on board include proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, and digital compass.

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World's First 'Google Tango' Smartphone Set to Launch Next Month

The first Tango smartphone in the world was made by Lenovo, and was due to launch in September. That didn't happen, and Lenovo quietly delayed the release "to this fall". Now, a Google representative has confirmed that the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is coming to markets next month.
For those unaware, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro was unveiled at the Lenovo Tech World event in June this year. The smartphone has been made in collaboration with Google, and is the first smartphone that uses AR and VR to sense and map surroundings. The smartphone will make "AR and VR as pervasive as the GPS", and will be intelligent enough to understand the size of the room you're in, and even sense the presence of people in it. Project Tango (now renamed as just 'Tango') is expected to transform how we interact with e-commerce, education and gaming.
During the launch, the company claimed that the smartphone would hit the market in September, but that didn't happen, and Lenovo quietly pushed the release to fall. Now, Clay Bavor, head of VR at Google, has told CNET that the phone will go on sale this November.
Around the same time Google's two Pixel smartphones will hit the market as well. The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro's abilities are based on machine vision, with a camera and sensor setup that provides motion tracking, depth perception, and area learning. This can enable augmented reality applications like indoor navigation, search, and gaming. With depth sensing, it can be used for gesture tracking in virtual reality as well.
And for all of this to work, Lenovo has introduced four cameras inside the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. It bears an 8-megapixel front camera, a 16-megapixel rear RGB camera, a depth-sensing infrared camera with an imager and an emitter, as well as a motion tracking camera. The smartphone is huge with a 6.4-inch QHD display, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor paired with a 4GB of RAM.
It is expected to be priced at $499 (roughly Rs. 33,300) on launch. The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro also packs a 4050mAh battery and promises 15 hours of battery life.

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Vivo Y55L With 5.2-Inch Display, 4G VoLTE Support Launched at Rs. 11, 980

Vivo has launched the 4G VoLTE-enabled Vivo Y55L smartphone in India at Rs. 11, 980. The Y55L is an upgraded version of the Y51L that was launched in January. The Y55L's main highlights include a split-screen feature for multitasking and an eye protection mode that reduces blue light for a comfortable screen brightness. The Y55L will be available across India and will be offered in Gold and Space Grey colour options.
The Vivo Y55L runs Funtouch OS 2.6 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It sports a 5.2-inch HD display (720x1280 pixels) with a metal unibody and a 2.5D curved-edge screen. The handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz coupled with 2GB of RAM.
On the camera front, the Vivo Y55L features an 8-megapixel rear sensor and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The device offers 16GB of inbuilt storage, which is expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). Connectivity options include 4G and VoLTE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, and Micro-USB with USB OTG.
The Vivo Y55L is fitted with a 2650mAh battery pack. The device measures 147.9x72.9x7.5mm and weighs 142 grams. Sensors include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, and virtual gyroscope.
Commenting on the launch, newly appointed CEO of Vivo India, Kent Cheng, said, "India is a very important market for us because of the maximum smartphone penetration. We want to cater to every price point with our innovative products. And, through Y55L we want to tap the users that are looking for a smartphone that not just looks great but also delivers the desired results with its overall package."

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Xiaomi India Claims It Sold Half a Million Smartphones in 3 Days

The October festive sales in the country have proven to be phenomenally successful for Xiaomi. The company's Indian arm has reported that it has sold more than 500,000 smartphones in less than three days between October 1 and 3, which it claims is an industry first and milestone for the Chinese smartphone maker. The company sold Xiaomi and Redmi devices during the festive season sales on Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, and Tata Cliq. While it also sold products on Mi.com, the company does not appear to be counting sales from its own platform.
(Also see: Amazon, Snapdeal, Flipkart Sales - Best Offers From the Festival Sales)
The Redmi 3S (along with Redmi 3S Prime) was the top-selling product on Flipkart during its Big Billion Days Sale while Redmi Note 3 was the best-selling smartphone of Amazon's Great Indian Festival sale. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 3 (Gold), Redmi Note 3 (Grey), Mi Band 2, and 10000mAh Mi Power Bank were placed among the top six best-selling electronics on Amazon.
Manu Jain, India Head, Xiaomi said, "We are extremely proud to be sharing this milestone with our fans, partners and employees. More than six months of rigorous planning and hard work has helped us set a new benchmark in the industry. Last year we sold more than half a million phones in 30 days during the month of October, and this year we were able to achieve a similar number within three days. Based on what we know, no other brand has ever achieved this in India."
"We are extremely thankful to all our Mi Fans for their amazing support, and will continue to work hard to constantly outdo ourselves as we have done on many occasions this year. One thing I would like to share with our Mi Fans is that this is just the beginning of a beautiful Mi India journey and there will be many more reasons to celebrate," he added.
Over 800,000 smartphones were sold in one day during Flipkart's Big Billion Days Sale which started on October 2 and Xiaomi was the top smartphone brand, contributing significantly to the number.
(Also see: Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal Sales: Gadgets 360 Writers Pick Their Favourite Deals)
Meanwhile, Amazon's Great Indian Shopping Festival began on October 1 which saw deals on the Redmi Note 3, Mi Max, 10000mAh Mi Power Bank, 20000mAh Mi Power Bank, and Mi Band 2.
Xiaomi has seen an incredible growth rate in India ever since the company entered the market in 2014. The company has managed to tap into the huge budget-to-mid-range smartphone market with the likes of the Redmi 3S and Redmi Note 3, which has proved fruitful for the company.
Xiaomi in September also achieved a milestone with the Redmi Note 3 as it became the bestselling online phone in India with 2.3 million units having been sold to date.
As per IDC, Xiaomi is now the third largest smartphone brand across top 30 cities in India.

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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Facebook Messenger slims down for older phones

Facebook is launching a stripped-down version of its Messenger chat app aimed at emerging markets and people with older phones.

"Messenger Lite" will initially be available on Android services in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela.
Facebook's login page
It is aimed at people with phones which do not have enough room to store, or the ability to run, the full-featured application because of slower internet speeds or other issues.
The company did not say when it would be available in other countries or whether it is also coming to Apple devices - although Android is far more popular in emerging markets than even older iPhones.
"Facebook Lite" is already available for people whose phones are too old or too simple to run the fully-fledged Facebook.
Messenger Lite is a similarly slimmed-down version of Messenger, letting people send text, photos and links but unable to deal with more complex tasks such as video calls.
More than one billion people use Messenger each month, with Facebook pushing for it to be the main way that people send each other direct messages, rather than using the main Facebook site or app.
Image Caption: Facebook is keen for people to move away from the site as a messaging service
David Marcus, head of messaging products at Facebook, described web-based messaging on Facebook as a "remnant of the past" and added that he "can't think of any other mobile messaging service that has a web version."
WhatsApp, the messaging app which is owned by Facebook but operated as a separate business, has also proved popular in emerging markets.
Mr Marcus said people use the apps for different reasons and they are not in direct competition.
WhatsApp also has more than one billion users, and many people use both services.

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Apple Loses Patent Retrial to VirnetX, Owes $302.4 Million

A federal jury in Texas on Friday night ordered Apple Inc to pay more than $302 million (roughly Rs. 2,008 crores) in damages for using VirnetX Holding Corp's patented internet security technology without permission in features including its FaceTime video conferencing application.
The verdict came in a new trial in Tyler, Texas that had been ordered by the judge in the case, Robert Schroeder, who last August threw out VirnetX's $625.6 million (roughly Rs. 4,160 crores) win over Apple from a previous trial because he said jurors in that case may have been confused.
VirnetX and Apple have been fighting over patents for years. The case began in 2010 when VirnetX, a Nevada-based patent licensor, filed suit in the Eastern District of Texas federal court, claiming infringement of four patents for secure networks, known as virtual private networks, and secure communications links.
A jury in 2012 awarded $368.2 million in damages, but the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, DC, partly overturned that verdict, saying there were problems with how the trial judge instructed jurors on calculating damages.
On remand, VirnetX's two suits were combined, and in February, a jury returned with an even bigger verdict, $625.6 million, one of the highest ever in a US patent case.
However, Schroeder later voided the result, saying that the repeated references to the earlier case could have confused jurors and were unfair to Apple.
In the latest trial, jurors were asked to determine damages on two VirnetX patents that Apple had already been found to infringe, and to determine both infringement and damages on another two patents. The $302.4 million award was in line with what VirnetX had been demanding.
Apple spokeswoman Rachel Tulley declined to comment. An attorney for VirnetX could not immediately be reached. According to court documents, Apple is to face another court proceeding over whether it willfully infringed the patents, which could lead to higher damages.
Apple will also have to contend with the trial in a second lawsuit VirnetX filed against Apple over newer versions of Apple security features, as well as its iMessage application.
Many patent cases are handled in the Texas court, which has a reputation for awarding favorable verdicts to plaintiffs alleging infringement. VirnetX had been assigned the four patents by Science Applications International Corp in 2006, court papers show.
© Thomson Reuters 2016

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EU Wants Google to Stop Anti-Competitive Android Practices, Fine Expected

EU antitrust regulators plan to order Alphabet's Google to stop paying financial incentives to smartphone makers to pre-install Google Search exclusively on their devices and warned the company of a large fine, an EU document showed.
The document, running to more than 150 pages, was sent to complainants last week for feedback. Google received a copy in April in which the European Commission accused it of using its dominant Android mobile operating system to shut out rivals.
The EU competition enforcer in its charge sheet, known as a statement of objections, said it planned to tell the US technology giant to halt payments or discounts to mobile phone manufacturers in return for pre-installing Google's Play Store with Google Search.
The regulators also want to prevent Google from forcing smartphone makers to pre-install its proprietary apps if this restricts their ability to use competing operating systems based on Android.
Google "cannot punish or threaten" companies for not complying with its conditions, according to the document seen by Reuters.
The Commission's investigation followed a complaint by FairSearch, a lobby group supported by companies that want to ensure they are not disadvantaged by search engine market dominance, in March 2013.
Google could face a large fine because the anti-competitive practices, which started from January 2011, are still ongoing, the document said.
"The Commission intends to set the fine at a level which will be sufficient to ensure deterrence," it said.
The penalty could be based on revenue generated from AdWords clicks by European users, Google Search product queries, Play store apps purchases and AdMob's in-app advertisements.
Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso declined to comment. Google said: "We look forward to showing the European Commission that we've designed the Android model in a way that's good for both competition and consumers, and supports innovation across the region."
Separately, the Commission, which has also charged Google of favouring its own shopping service over those of rivals, could also fine it in that case, according to a second charge sheet seen by Reuters.
Google may have to rank rival comparison shopping services in the same way as its own services, the charge sheet sent in July and forwarded to its foes last week said. The document, close to 150 pages, was heavily edited, with large sections of confidential information redacted by Google.
The Commission said it would decide at a later stage whether to let Google charge competitors for displaying their services prominently, with the amount corresponding to Google's operating cost or a nominal amount based on the lowest reserve price for AdWords which is currently 0.01 euro per click.

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Looking to Buy Gears of War 4 for the Xbox One on Disc? Read This First

As is the case with most high-profile games, if you buy Gears of War 4 on disc for the Xbox One, it will tax your Internet connection before you can play it.
According to Rod Fergusson, Studio Head at Gears of War 4 developer The Coalition, you'll have to download 11GB before you can jump in.
"To clarify - if digital, no day one patch since all 54.6 gigs are downloaded. If physical disk then there will be 11 gig download," Fergusson tweeted earlier this week.
(Also see: Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Recore Pre-Order and Price for India Revealed)
It's something we've seen in the past with the likes of Fallout 4 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. With standard Blu-ray discs limited to 50GB, a mandatory day one download seems like a necessity although there are some developers who try to be considerate of the bandwidth constraints of their customers.
Nonetheless, Microsoft is trying to incentivise the digital release of Gears of War 4. Buying Gears of War 4 digitally for the Xbox One nets you the Windows 10 version as well thanks to Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere program.
(Also see: Gears of War 4 Pre-Order Gets You Every Gears of War Game for Free)
Our initial impressions of the Gears of War 4 multiplayer beta were tepid at best. It did not stray too far from a formula established by a game studio that's currently at odds with Microsoft for its vision of PC gaming. The result appears to be an unremarkable experience which does little to cater to anyone who isn't a fan of the series.
Perhaps The Coalition is saving any potential innovations for the game's release on October 11? Only time will tell.

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Lenovo Z2 Plus to Launch in India on Thursday

Lenovo India has started sending invites of the launch of its Z2 Plus smartphone in the country on Thursday. The company is holding a launch event in New Delhi that's scheduled to begin at 11:30am IST.
The Chinese consumer electronics giant will be launching the Lenovo Zuk Z2 – which was launched in China in May this year - as the Lenovo Z2 Plus in India.
Detailing the reasons behind the rebranding in the country, Anuj Sharma, Head of Product Marketing, Smartphones, Lenovo MBG India told Gadgets 360, "Once we are getting into a particular price band, we want to make sure consumers know the brand. We want to sell the phone. We are not bringing the device as token flagship as India is still a big market for us. However, Zuk branding will be there on the box, with the text 'Powered by Zuk' as a hat tip for the Zuk team."
The Lenovo Z2 Plus will be launched in two variants in the country – 3GB of RAM with 32GB of inbuilt storage, and 4GB of RAM with 64GB of inbuilt storage. Both variants are dual-SIM, and will support 4G SIM cards in one slot, and 3G SIM cards in the other.
The Z2 Plus won't run Cyanogen OS - like the Lenovo Zuk Z1 (Review) did - and will instead come with the Google Now Launcher pre-installed. The company says India-specific features will include gesture shortcuts via the fingerprint scanner. It will also bear a dedicated pedometer and come with the company's new U-Health app.
The Zuk Z2 smartphone launched in China features a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display with 2.5D curved high-fibre glass. It is powered by a Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked up to 2.15GHz. The smartphone sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with EIS, an f/2.2 aperture, and PDAF. An 8-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture round off the optics on board the Zuk Z2. It packs a 3500mAh battery that supports fast charging – charging up to 80 percent in one hour. The Lenovo Zuk Z2's connectivity options include offers 4G LTE (with support Indian LTE bands), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.1 BLE, and USB 2.0 Type-C port.

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iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Face Barrage of Drop Tests Online

Drop tests can be as fun to watch as they can be scary. And if you're an iPhone user, watching an iPhone drop test can be very scary indeed. With every new smartphone comes a whole bunch of drop tests uploaded online for those curious to know how a device holds up after being dropped.
With the launch of the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, some popular YouTubers managed to get their hands on the latest smartphones to do some drop tests to see how durable Apple's latest offerings really are.
Here are some of the best drop test videos on the iPhone 7 found online:
TabTimes dropped the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus 12 times covering all sides and angles. Despite dropping from two different heights, both the iPhone managed to survive the drops without their displays shattering, though there were scratches on the body.
EverythingApplePro tested the iPhone 7 against the iPhone 6s in a drop test and the former survived the drop with minimal damage to the glass at a height of up to 10 feet.
Meanwhile, YouTuber Callux took the drop test up a notch by dropping the iPhone 7 from a helicopter way up in the sky. However, the smartphone's display did not shatter as it fell on a soft surface.
Finally, we have TechRax dropping both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus from 5 feet. Here, however, the displays of both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus shattered after fall, but remained functional.

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WHAT’S NEW: NEW TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

Software & Online
ABSOLUTE DATA & DEVICE SECURITY
(www.absolute.com)
Absolute introduced functionality that detects data at risk on endpoints associated with cloud storage applications. This new capability allows organizations to remotely secure data stored in the cloud and beyond the corporate network. With the latest release of Absolute Data & Device Security, users can determine which cloud applications are being used and what information is being stored, including the discovery of sensitive data using Absolute’s Endpoint Data Discovery capability. Leveraging Persistence technology from Absolute, organizations can detect folders on devices associated with cloud storage applications, identify at-risk data such as PHI, PII, payment information, or intellectual property, and remotely delete sensitive data – even if an endpoint is off the corporate network.
AEROHIVE SD-LAN
(www.aerohive.com)
Aerohive Networks introduced a comprehensive solution for Software Defined LAN (SD-LAN), offering flexible wireless and wired networking capabilities. SD-LAN is a new architecture for access networks designed to help organizations adapt their network to the changing demands of mobility. Aerohive’s SD-LAN capabilities include a new line of cloud-managed access switches –the AP250, a Wave 2 802.11ac access point with software definable dual 5 GHz radios; the latest release of HiveManager NG cloud-delivered network and policy management; dynamic application and identity-driven network performance; and an open API platform.
AUDIO NOTETAKER
(www.sonocent.com)
Sonocent released its enhanced Audio Notetaker tool for Windows, enabling users to work more effectively with information in text, audio and visual formats. The latest update includes a suite of audio enhancement features. The new Clear Lecture functionality has been embedded into the software to improve the clarity of recordings on playback. Additional features allow users to download content from both Sonocent and third party providers in the form of “content packs.” These can be a mixture of Audio Notetaker and other files, such as presentations or PDF files.
CEV MULTIMEDIA SKILLED WORKER CURRICULUM
(www.icevonline.com)
CEV Multimedia announced the release of a new Architecture, Construction, Transportation, and Manufacturing curriculum that addresses the demand for educational materials that provide realworld and practical learning opportunities for the next generation of skilled workers. Delivered through iCEV, an online learning platform, and developed in collaboration with various industry organizations and professionals, the new curriculum offers content areas on construction technology, welding techniques, small engine repair, and more.
CHRONICLING AMERICA
(www.chroniclingameria.loc.gov)
New digital content has been added to Chronicling America, the open access database of historic U.S. newspapers that’s part of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). The content covers 18th-century newspapers from the three early American capitals: New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The NDNP is expanding its current time window (1836-1922) to include digitized newspapers from 1690-1963. The expansion will further the program goal of capturing the diversity of American history in an open access database.
CODECOMBAT
(www.codecombat.com)
CodeCombat offers an engaging platform for helping kids learn computer science. New updates to the platform include Game Development and Web Development, as well as a quadrupled number of levels within the Learn to Code module, allowing students to keep enhancing their coding skills. Additionally, a new adaptive personalized learning system recommends extra practice levels when it senses a student is having trouble with a concept to ensure they have mastered a skill before they move on.
DESTINY 14.0
(www.follettlearning.com/librarymanager)
Follett’s new Destiny 14.0 release supports IMS LTI capability, providing single sign-on integration to resources available in Destiny Discover via districts’ learning applications. Now, institutions using any LTI-compliant learning application can enhance the visibility and accessibility of resources the district has invested in through the addition of Destiny Discovery tools to their online classes. Additional updates to Destiny include a Chrome extension and access to open education resources.
DISCOVERY EDUCATION
(www.discoveryeducation.com)
To further support educators using Discovery Education’s digital services to grow their students’ creative, communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills, ten collaborative projects will be added to all Techbooks as well as Discovery Education Streaming and Streaming Plus. Powered by GlobalLab’s Web-based platform, the projects help students explore data with their peers, learn content, and build skills like data analysis, reasoning, and teamwork. Discovery Education is also offering educators using the Science, Math, and Social Studies Techbooks the opportunity to increase student engagement through an advanced level of immersive learning experiences. With lessons powered by Discovery Education’s new virtual reality content, students can explore topics such as how potential energy is transferred into to kinetic energy as they ride along with a pro skateboarder.
EDGENUITY ACQUIRES COMPASS LEARNING
(www.edgenuity.com)
Edgenuity has acquired education software provider Compass Learning, supporting a comprehensive suite of digital curriculum products. Compass Learning gives Edgenuity a full K-12 math and ELA curriculum product line, enabling Edgenuity to meet the growing demand of school leaders and teachers for personalized, targeted learning at all grade levels. Compass Learning products help pinpoint and close skill and concept gaps and move students forward academically with explicit instruction, supported practice, independent practice, and ongoing formative assessment
IMPERO KEYWORD LIBRARIES
(www.imperosoftware.com)
Impero Software has updated its keyword libraries to include a more comprehensive list of U.S. specific terms related to bullying, selfharm, radicalization, and more, in order to alert educators so they can help students before a tragedy occurs. The updated library, combined with Impero Education Pro software, helps teachers monitor and analyze student activity on school devices. Impero’s keyword library includes terms such as “gkys” which is text-speak for “go kill yourself;” “smack down” which is slang for severely injuring someone in a fight, and “thinspiration,” a term often used by people with eating disorders. The software also allows for adding new keywords or phrases so that educators can incorporate such things as neighborhood-specific gang references or student nicknames. Students can also use the software to anonymously report concerns about themselves or others to trusted, trained adults.
ITSLEARNING AND GOORU
(www.itslearning.net)
itslearning partnered with Gooru, a nonprofit that provides educators with free open educational resources (OER). The two organizations will offer 35 curriculum courses, backed with assessments, for grades 6-12 in core subject areas, including science, mathematics, ELA, and social studies. Gooru’s catalog includes standards-aligned courses, assessments, and multimedia resources, and has been vetted by educators and districts. By using the itslearning platform with Gooru’s capabilities, educators and learners can easily curate publisher, district-developed, or open education content with standards-aligned instructional support.
JAMF SUPPORT FOR IOS 10 AND MACOS SIERRA
(www.jamfsoftware.com)
JAMF Software announced support across all of its products, including Casper Suite and Bushel, for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. Now, institutions will be able to automatically associate Managed Apple IDs for simplified app deployment using Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) with Apple School Manager, as well as manage Bluetooth settings to ensure that the Classroom app for teachers has uninterrupted communication with student iPads.
KIDS DISCOVER ONLINE
(www.kidsdiscover.com)
Kids Discover, a provider of science and social studies curriculum, announced that its interactive digital library, Kids Discover Online, now includes custom assessment capabilities. Kids Discover Online enables educators to mix and match material from science and social studies to facilitate students’ exploration of big ideas through cross-curricular learning. The new Assessments tool helps teachers create, distribute, and assess custom quizzes, tests, and homework assignments directly within the platform. The tool includes more than 5,000 questions covering more than 1,200 science and social studies topics. Question types include discussion prompts, short answer, multiple choice, and true/false.
KORGEDU WEBSITE FOR EDUCATORS
(www.education.korg.com)
-image in Dropbox Korg USA recently launched a new Web site dedicated for KorgEDU, the company’s educational division dedicated to helping educators integrate electronic music instruments, audio components, video production tools, computers, and software into learning environments. The mobile-friendly site is easy to use and navigate, and includes access to videos and downloadable lesson plans withcorresponding assets such as handouts, worksheets, and music/audio files.
MASTERTRACK 3.0
(www.mastertracksolutions.com)
MasterTrack Solutions released the latest version of its progress monitoring tools to track student mastery in K-8 CCSS for Math and ELA. MasterTrack 3.0’s tools serve as an early warning system, providing feedback to principals and teachers that they can use to make course corrections throughout the school year. Additionally, MasterTrack’s monthly coaching helps elementary school principals collect and act upon school-wide formative learning feedback to identify, clarify, and rectify students’ skills gaps on the CCSS.
MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 EDUCATION
(www.microsoft.com/o365eduction)
Based on feedback from teachers, Microsoft has released new features of Office 365 Education (free for teachers and students) for the new school year—Microsoft Classroom, School Data Sync, Microsoft Forms, OneNote ink, and Learning Tools. Using these tools, teachers and students can manage their class and assignment workflows in a single experience, receive and directly provide feedback on assignments, send out quizzes, and collaborate with colleagues and students paperlessly.
ONCAMPUS
(www.k12.blackbaud.com/oncampus)
Blackbaud announced that its onCampus LMS is Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) certified, giving users the capability to plug into external tools that pass through content, roster, and gradebook information in a standardized way. By leveraging onCampus’ LTI certification, Blackbaud integrates with Microsoft OneNote Class Notebook to streamline user experience and save time for educators. Through these LTI capabilities, Class Notebook can add to a variety of onCampus Topics to help create and share relevant and engaging resources within the classroom and throughout a school.
ORMIBOARD
(www.exou.com/products/ormiboard)
EXO U Inc. recently introduced Ormiboard, a digital learning environment that transforms any device with any operating system into a whiteboarding and collaboration tool. Teachers can migrate existing whiteboard content from software such as Smart Notebook and ActivInspire, choose from Ormiboard’s ready-made lessons, or create their own activities, games, and lessons with students on any device within Ormiboard’s interface. Ormiboard’s growing library of templates and searchable content covers all subject areas and includes quick quizzes, clickand-drag assignments, games, and exams. Additionally, teachers can fully integrate Ormiboard with Google Classroom, Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, and other platforms.
RENAISSANCE AND CLASSLINK
(www.renaissance.com)
Renaissance has partnered with ClassLink to enable OneClick access to Renaissance solutions. ClassLink’s OneClick delivers single sign-on to cloud-based resources, such as the Renaissance platform, and to files, whether they are stored in the cloud, on a device, or on the school network. The partnership aims to simplify sign-on for student and teachers while maintaining high levels of data security and privacy.
RETHINK FEEDBACK
(www.turnitin.com)
New resources and tools in Turnitin’s back-to-school program, “Rethink Feedback,” help K-12 teachers and higher education instructors teach proper methods of attribution and improve students’ writing skills. The resources include “In the Loop: Feedback Quiz,” a 12-question, online self-teaching tool that explains how students can get the most from feedback and how they can respond to instructor feedback; “Feedback that Makes the Grade,” an infographic that offers tips for high-quality feedback and details how students use and think about feedback; “Aiming for Integrity Analysis,” a report that covers student perceptions of plagiarism and citation methods; and “Plagiarism Spectrum,” an infographic that defines ten types of plagiarism.
SINGAPORE MATH FACT FLUENCY
(www.mceducation.us/fact-fluency)
Marshall Cavendish Education released a new workbook series for grades K-5, Singapore Math Fact Fluency. Each print-format student workbook is for one grade level and supports any math curriculum. Marshall Cavendish’s approach to help students master fact fluency is based on the idea that number sense leads to fact fluency, and that fact fluency and higher-order thinking can be taught simultaneously.
SKYWARD AND CLEVER
(www.skyward.com/k-12/partners)
Skyward, a K-12 school administrative software provider, has teamed up with Clever, a platform that simplifies and secures the integration of student data exchanged between SIS platforms and educational applications. Districts using Clever will be able to access Skyward’s free API to complete a data transfer of students enrolled in their district or select schools. The information will then integrate, at the discretion of district administrators, with authorized educational applications. Students are then able to use approved learning apps in the classroom through Clever’s single sign-on, which ensures student data is kept secure.
SMITHSONIAN PRIMARY SOURCES IN U.S. HISTORY
(www.gale.com/smithsonianps)
Gale introduced Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History, offering access to 1,800 digital primary sources such as documents, maps, and historical objects from the Smithsonian’s museums and archives, in addition to content from Gale’s own collections. These curated materials are designed to help libraries provide a one-stop resource to save educators’ time while satisfying curriculum requirements and enhancing the study of U.S. history. Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History is integrated with Google Apps for Education tools and Microsoft Office 365.
TOSHIBA AMERICA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
(www.business.toshiba.com)
Toshiba America Business Solutions announced the availability of ten new e-STUDIO MFPs, including six color and four monochrome models. Advanced software and hardware features enable users to tackle nearly any print, document management, and workflow application. The models include a multicore Intel Atom processor, a customizable tablet-style user interface, Embedded Application Platform, and Dual-Scan Document Feeder. The latest e-BRIDGE Next controller, combined with the new user interface, gives users the flexibility and power to accommodate their unique workflow needs.
VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL COURSES
(www.vhslearning.org)
The Virtual High School will pilot three new courses suitable for ESL students this fall. The courses were developed in partnership with CERNET Education and with input from ESL professionals at the Massachusetts International Academy. The courses are American Studies, Introduction to Natural Science, and Differential Calculus.
VOTERS ED AND EPALS
(www.secondavenuelearning.com/products/voters-ed)
Cricket Media partnered with Second Avenue Learning to integrate Voters Ed into one of the collaborative ePals Global Community Experiences. The collaborative Global Experiences integrate educational content from Cricket’s other reading-leveled media products as well as multimedia resources from experts such as the Smithsonian Institution. Voters Ed is an interactive product that helps students worldwide understand the U.S. Electoral process. The combination of Voters Ed and the Global Community helps students around the world become more informed global citizens while practicing skills in communication, collaboration, and the purposeful use of technology.
YOUCUBED WEEK OF INSPIRATIONAL MATH LESSONS
(www.youcubed.org)
To help students in grades K-12 approach math with creativity and enjoyment, youcubed, a Stanford University center that provides research-based resources for teaching and learning mathematics, released a series of free lessons. The Week of Inspirational Math lesson series for teachers, parents, and students includes five lessons that offer students open, rich mathematics experiences that inspire creative thinking and a growth mindset. Five motivational videos created by Stanford professor Jo Boaler and her undergraduate students accompany the lessons.
Apps
BLOOMZ
(www.bloomz.net)
Bloomz recently added new functionalities to its free parent communication app: Behavior Management and Student Portfolios. Behavior Management lets teachers securely share student conduct reports with parents in real time, while reinforcing positive behavior through a points-earning system. Finally, the Student Portfolio feature allows teachers to share student-submitted work with parents, keeping a record of the student’s work throughout the school year and beyond.
CLASSFLOW MOMENTS
(www.classflow.com)
Promethean released ClassFlow Moments, a new free app for teacher-parent communication. With the app, teachers can easily share classroom assignments, announcements, and awards with parents so they can proactively engage with their students’ learning. Additionally, teachers can share classroom content directly from ClassFlow – the hub where they direct classroom activities, deliver lessons, launch quizzes and interactive polls, and send out homework assignments.
LEARN WITH HOMER
(www.learnwithhomer.com)
Learn With Homer has updated its learn-to-read app with more robust teacher and classroom integration, Wickle avatar makeovers, the addition of reading lessons on planes, trains, dinosaurs, giraffes, presidential pets, and more, and added parental controls. The company also introduced Learn With Homer for Educators, bringing the program to classrooms and libraries. Teachers and librarians can access Learn With Homer through the Web site and access a custom classroom dashboard that supports progress tracking for up to 32 students with one account, placement of student at the appropriate level, and have students complete lessons in a specific order.
LEGO MINDSTORMS EDUCATION EV3
(https://education.lego.com/en-us)
The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 app is now available for Chromebooks, enabling the robotics platform to reach a larger number of students with additional mobility and hands-on learning activities. The free app controls the EV3 programmable Brick using Bluetooth. The app includes a “Get Started” lesson plan along with six tutorials and three design engineering projects. The functionality mirrors the experience of the EV3 Programming app for iOS devices.
VISION CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT FOR CHROMEBOOKS
(www.netop.com/chrome)
Netop released the Vision Classroom Management app for Chromebooks, a simple solution to manage a Chromebook classroom. The app provides real time views of every student screen on the teacher’s computer, and shows every student action, inside and outside of the browser window. Teachers can stop certain activities and freeze computer screens with a single click. Additionally, teachers can share their screens on student Chromebooks, allowing students who struggle to see the teacher’s materials to have a clear view.
Hardware
InFocus (www.infocus.com) announced the Mondopad Ultra line of premium multi-touch collaboration displays, available in 80 and 85 –inch screen sizes. With all-in-one videoconferencing, interactive whiteboarding, and data sharing, the Mondopad Ultra line delivers high-definition 4K clarity with seamless operation and enterprise integration out of the box. The InFocus Mondopad all-in-one system enables teams to connect and share any type of content with local and remote audiences. Users can brainstorm on a shared whiteboard, collaboratively edit documents, and draw directly onscreen. Documents can be saved to the Mondopad for future access and can be emailed to anyone directly from the device. A built-in high-quality camera and speakers facilitate enterprise-grade video conferencing.
WowWee (www.wowwee.com/coji) introduced its Coji robot, which combines STEM education with humor, games, and robotics for students ages four and up. Coji helps young kids learn the basics of coding through interactive educational games, with an optional app feature. The robot is sturdy enough to withstand hours of classroom play. Students can easily program Coji with simple Emoji comments, control the Coji using their smart device, and play games that test memory, show cause and effect, and help develop problem-solving skills.
The Kensington (www.kensington.com) LS510 Portfolio for 11.6” Chromebooks provides both drop protection and a professional carry experience for classroom users. Key features include EVA foam bumpers, a faux leather cover, soft inner lining, and magnetic flap to guard Chromebooks against bumps and drops. Ventilation channels ensure proper airflow to prevent overheating, while strategic cutouts allow easy access to power and USB ports. Hand straps provide a safer option for students and teachers to carry the portfolio, and a handy ID window quickly helps identify each user’s device.
D-Link (www.dlink.com) announced the new Wireless PoE Outdoor Access Point, DAP-3320, built to withstand outdoor environments and offering expanded coverage and signal strength of any wireless network. Equipped with high-performance 802.11n wireless connectivity, the DAP-3320 delivers wireless signal rates of up to 300 mbps using the 2.4 GHz band, and a built-in 2dBi omni antenna ensures the wireless signal will cover a wide area. The Wireless PoE Outdoor Access point can be used as a wireless bridge for an outdoor IP camera. In addition, the DAP-3320 is able to support a large number of wireless clients due to its processing power and support for 802.11n. The Wireless PoE Outdoor Access point also offers advanced security features, including WPA/WPA2, wireless LAN segmentation and VLAN support, and is powered by PoE for convenient installation.

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