Home Blog Page 1243

Western Digital inspires more gamers to level up gaming rigs

0

As game worlds become more immersive and place greater demands on our systems, gamers are looking for ways to optimize their rigs for intensive games and add storage for future updates and downloadable content.

To help PC gamers play at their best, Western Digital just released its latest addition to the WD_BLACK portfolio, the WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe SSD. The new drive fuels gaming PC rigs with faster speeds and longer gameplay, offering up to 40% faster performance and up to 20% more power efficiency at maximum speed over the previous generation.

The WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe SSD features a PCIe Gen4 interface that delivers ultra-fast read speeds of up to 5,150MB/s3 (1TB and 2TB models only) to fuel in-game responsiveness, minimize stutter, and provide smooth streaming for a performance boost that gamers can see and feel. The drive is an accessible option for gamers looking to transition to Gen4 while also being backwards compatible for those with Gen3 systems. Purpose-built for PC gaming, it’s an ideal solution for enthusiast PC builders and long-time gamers looking to elevate their gaming experience.

Western Digital

Khalid Wani, Senior Director – Sales, India, Western Digital said, “Our WD_BLACK portfolio provides a variety of innovative, high-performance solutions that are purpose-built for every type of gamer, at every level. Today we have introduced WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe SS, which is designed for PC gaming with blazing fast speeds and additional storage for quick game load times, smooth streaming, and minimal in-game stutter.”

“As more gamers look to make the transition to PCIe Gen4 systems, we believe it is important for the PC gaming community to have a variety of reliable, high-performing solutions to level up their gaming rigs,” said Jaganathan Chelliah, Senior Director – Marketing, India & Middle East and Africa, Western Digital. “The new WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe SSD makes Gen4 technology more accessible, helping more gamers get into the game faster and improve their overall gaming experience,” he added.

Key features of the new drive include:

  • Blazing fast sequential read speeds up to 5,150 MB/s3 (1TB and 2TB models only) for quick game load times
  • Smooth streaming and minimal in-game stutter thanks to the drive’s PCIe Gen4 compatibility with modern motherboards and laptops2
  • Consistent performance at maximum speed thanks to advanced thermal management and 20% increased power efficiency over previous generation internal NVMe SSDs1

Pricing and Availability

Western Digital

The WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe SSD is now available for purchase from select IT retail stores amazon.in, primeabgb.com, www.themvp.in, pcstudio.in, kryptonitemicrosystems.com & mdcomputers.in. Available in capacities ranging from 250GB4 up to 2TB4, starting at an SRP of Rs 4,749.

Also Read: Maxhub Conference Speakerphone BM21 earns Zoom Certification

 ‘Kitne aadmi thae’ to Covid among top popular requests made to Alexa in 2021 in India

0

Alexa voice service which turned four in India entertained customers by playing more than 21.6 lakh songs every day, genre such as kids, devotional and regional language were extremely prominent in the top 20 songs. Besides, ‘Kitne aadmi the’ to Covid are most popular requests to Alexa in 2021 in India. With almost 50% customers from non-metro cities, the number of requests to Alexa in 2021 increased by 68% since the previous year.

From sports, movie dialogs, and word definitions to tough math problems, weather, and the latest stock market updates, customers quizzed Alexa with around 1.7 lakh questions every day. During March-April’21, customers asked 11,500 questions every day about Covid, health and wellness related topics. Customers also loved starting and concluding their days with Alexa, they wished “Alexa, good morning” and “Alexa, good night” 11,520 times every day.

Recap of new Alexa features and devices

The year 2021 was special because customers were able to interact with Amitabh Bachchan’s voice on Alexa and ask for stories from his life, a selection of poems by his father, tongue twisters, motivational quotes, and more. The most popular requests included fun questions such as “Amit ji, Kitne aadmi the”, anecdotes from his childhood and stories from his movies like Sholay.

Customers now have more options to access Alexa. In 2021, Amazon launched a fresh line-up of devices such as All-New Echo Show 10, Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen), Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen), Fire TV Cube and Fire TV Stick 4K Max with Alexa Voice Remote. Echo Show devices come with a camera shutter for additional privacy, as well as multiple accessibility features that can be set up using the touchscreen. Brands such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, boAt, Zebronics and Noise launched Alexa built-in smartphones, smart watches, speakers and more. Mahindra launched the XUV700, now customers can enjoy hands-free control of vehicle-functions along with the full Alexa experience when they are on the go.

“We are constantly working to make Alexa more useful and delightful for customers in India with launches such as our most advanced Echo Show 10 with intelligent motion, India’s first celebrity voice with Amitabh Bachchan, and the Mahindra XUV700 vehicle with Alexa built-in”, said Puneesh Kumar, Country Leader for Alexa, Amazon India. “Many customers have shared feedback that having Alexa around makes life more fun, convenient and productive. This encouragement helps us to continue innovating and work like it’s still day one.”

Blockbuster deals on Alexa devices

To thank customers Amazo has announced up to 50% off on AmazonEcho range of smart speakers and displays, up to 43% off on Fire TV devices, up to 30% off on smart home gadgets and Alexa built-in devices by brands such as OnePlus, boAt, Wipro, Panasonic, Xiaomi & more. These deals are available for 48 hours; from 12 AM on 15th February 2022 till 11:59 PM on 16th February 2022. Check out the deals here: .

Alexa

Improvements in Alexa’s speech science

Improving Alexa’s understanding of customer requests in English, Hindi and a mixed language such as Hinglish in various Indian dialects and accents is very complex and requires deep science and invention by the Alexa science team. In 2021, with a move to neural speech recognition technology, Alexa became more accurate in understanding user queries and we reduced Automatic Speech Recognition errors by 25%. The team also drove numerous initiatives towards algorithmic improvement of Alexa’s understanding of English and Hindi, leading to 27% improvement in Alexa’s Natural Language Understanding. They equipped Alexa with hundreds of new words from the Hindi vocabulary, used machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to help Alexa understand different ways in which customers can ask for the same information. These improvements have made interactions with Alexa more natural.

Also, Read Here: Intel to acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4 billion

Twitter soon to become a safer place for your expressions: Here’s why!

0

Twitter is soon going to be a safer place providing safety on your every expression! It has rolled out three major tools intended to combat the abuse within its walls. The network will put a stopper on all the face accounts created, presenting users with more safe results, and pushing potentially abusive or sensitive tweets further down users’ timelines. It’s time to take down the unwanted validation to the unsavoury trolls whose presence hinders the experience of others.

Google launches Chrome OS Flex, details inside

0

Google has launched a new version of Chrome OS bringing the benefits of Chrome OS to PCs and Macs. A USB drive and compatible PC or Mac is all needed to get started.

What is Chrome OS Flex

Chrome OS Flex is the cloud-first, fast, easy-to manage, and secure operating system for PCs and Macs. Chrome OS Flex is a new, free-to-download operating system from Google. Built for businesses and schools, it’s fully compatible with Google’s powerful cloud-based management. Chrome OS Flex modernizes devices you already own, allowing you to experience the benefits of Chrome OS on PCs and Macs:

A fast, modern work experience

In a blog post, it says that Chrome OS Flex provides fast access to web apps and virtualization, all within an intuitive, clutter-free experience for users. Chrome OS Flex boots up in seconds and doesn’t slow down over time. And with system updates that happen in the background, there’s less downtime for users.

Chrome OS

Proactive security against the latest threats

With Chrome OS Flex, there’s no need for antivirus software. With regular security updates, Chrome OS Flex has built in protection against threats including viruses, ransomware, and phishing. Sandboxing technology keeps threats contained to a specific tab or application, the read-only OS blocks executables where threats often hide, and Google Safe Browsing proactively warns users before navigating to malicious sites. IT can even prevent data loss on lost or stolen devices with remote wipe.

Easy deployment and management

Within minutes, IT can install Chrome OS Flex on devices through USB or network deployment. After login, a user’s cloud profile gets downloaded and automatically syncs their settings, bookmarks, and policies. And with the cloud-based Google Admin console, IT has a powerful and simple management experience. Even with 500+ policies and controls, it’s still easy to get started with pre-set policies recommended by Google.

A sustainable solution making the most of existing hardware

Google informs that Chrome OS Flex maximizes the life of your existing device fleet. Rather than disposing of aging PCs and Macs, refresh them with a modern and fast operating system to reduce e-waste.

Chrome OS Flex has the same code base and release cadence as Chrome OS which ensures a consistent end user and IT experience. Chrome OS Flex delivers the official Chrome Browser, Google Assistant, and cross-device features in the same user interface as Chrome OS. And with Chrome Enterprise for Education Upgrade, IT can manage Chrome OS Flex devices and Chrome OS devices like Chromebooks side by side in the Google Admin console.1

With such similar end user and IT experiences, it’s also easy to transition from Chrome OS Flex to Chrome OS devices when you’re ready to purchase new hardware: With Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, and Chromebases, you’ll experience end-to-end optimization across hardware and software with the strongest security and largest app ecosystem through the Google Play Store.

Also, Read Here: Samsung Galaxy A03 India launch coming soon: Check specs, price

 

Facebook drops 15 years old feature, News Feed renamed to Feed

0

The most unexpected happened today as Facebook dropped News from its News Feed. The feature was there on the app for more than 15 years, but with Meta improving the user experience for better, renamed it to Feed only. Reportedly, it was found that the name News Feed created a picture of news-restricted content in users’ minds and apparently was confusing for some. “Starting today, our News Feed will now be known as ‘Feed’,” announced the company on Twitter. “Happy scrolling!”

 

Maybe they, too, want to give the user some diverse content they’ve been looking for!

Maxhub Conference Speakerphone BM21 earns Zoom Certification

0

Maxhub recently announced a new development for its unified communication product portfolio. The impressive all-in-one UC BM21 Bluetooth speakerphone is now officially Zoom Certified, the market leader in cloud meeting solutions.

Achieving Zoom certification identifies the Maxhub UC BM21 device as a high-quality solution for plug-and-play communication that meets or exceeds Zoom requirements. Designed for the modern workplace, the BM21 series speakerphone can be permanently set up in the office, or for staff adapting to remote and hybrid work models, it combines impeccable ease of use with crystal clear audio quality and reliability. As a Zoom Certified device, buyers can rest assured that the Maxhub UC BM21 teleconferencing speakerphone works seamlessly and intuitively with the Zoom Meetings and Zoom Rooms environments.

Earning Zoom certification is another successful milestone for Maxhub in cooperating with key industries partners. The achievement demonstrates the commitment of the company to creating user-friendly devices for the modern age of work, with enterprise-grade quality and features.

Maxhub Conference Speakerphone BM21

The UC BM21 speakerphone is a comprehensive tool for collaboration and communication, capable of meeting Zoom’s high standards for pristine communication performance. The product features a 360-degree omnidirectional voice pickup capability, wireless charging, an 8-hour playtime, and delivers clear audio quality in any environment. Furthermore, at only 1.5 inches high and under 5 inches in diameter, the BM21 can seamlessly blend into any meeting room space.

A set of large dynamic speakers equipped with enhanced DSP for intelligent noise reduction and echo cancellation, ensures users experience natural, clear sounds from any position in the meeting room, while the 6-element PZM boundary microphone intelligently masters omnidirectional voice acquisition. It’s the ideal microphone and speaker solution for the conference table in small to mid-sized meetings.

Achieving Zoom certification is significant progress for the Maxhub team in delivering impeccable quality products. As Darren Lin, General Manager, Maxhub says “Zoom’s Hardware Certification Program inspired us to prove ourselves to our customers and demonstrate our ability to offer the high-quality audio and video collaboration experiences teams need. In the future, MAXHUB will continue to build better solutions for customers of Zoom.”

Maxhub BM21

Keith Kang, Product Manager for Maxhub UC commented, “Zoom certification reassures users that MAXHUB can provide the high quality required in today’s crucial Zoom Meetings. The intuitive plug-and-play design, combined with state-of-the-art audio defines the UC BM21 tool as a tool for maximum performance, with minimal setup complexity. With Zoom and MAXHUB, every meeting attendee can get the most out of their conferencing sessions.”

Zoom Certification Program Manager, JC Leffler states, “We are very pleased to see the official cooperation between MAXHUB and Zoom. We have already seen the capabilities of MAXHUB in the UC BM21 product and look forward to further cooperation with MAXHUB in the future.”

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A03 India launch coming soon: Check specs, price

 

Samsung Galaxy A03 India launch coming soon: Check specs, price

0

Samsung is getting ready to introduce the Galaxy A03, its entry-level smartphone, in India. Despite the fact that the phone was unveiled globally in November, the Samsung Galaxy A03 will be available in India by the end of this month or early in March.

Samsung Galaxy A03 Specifications

Along with the date, we have also learned the expected pricing and features of Samsung Galaxy A03. Here’s all we know so far about the upcoming device’s specifications and price.

Samsung Galaxy A03 display

The global variant of Samsung Galaxy A03 features a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display.

Samsung Galaxy A03

Samsung Galaxy A03 processor

The Samsung Galaxy A series smartphone is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T606 chipset coupled with up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage.

Samsung Galaxy A03 storage

Galaxy A03 is offered in two RAM and storage configurations — 3GB RAM + 32GB, and 4GB + 64GB. The storage can be expanded via a microSD card (up to 1TB) through a dedicated slot.

Samsung Galaxy A03 Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy A03 camera

Samsung Galaxy A03 sports a dual rear camera unit with a 48-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, the phone has a 5-megapixel front-facing sensor.

Samsung Galaxy A03 battery

The Samsung Galaxy A03 packs a 5,000mAh battery as well.

Samsung Galaxy A03 price in India (Expected)

Samsung Galaxy A03 phone

According to the rumour, the Samsung Galaxy A03 will cost around Rs 12,000 in India. The smartphone is expected to be available in three memory configurations: 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, and 5GB RAM + 64GB storage. It is expected to be available in two colours: Black and Red.

Also Read: Ukraine army, defense ministry websites hit by cyberattacks: Reports

Intel to acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4 billion

0

Intel Corporation and Tower Semiconductor, a leading foundry for analog semiconductor solutions, announced a definitive agreement under which Intel will acquire Tower for $53 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $5.4 billion. The acquisition significantly advances Intel’s IDM 2.0 strategy as the company further expands its manufacturing capacity, global footprint and technology portfolio to address unprecedented industry demand.

“Tower’s specialty technology portfolio, geographic reach, deep customer relationships and services-first operations will help scale Intel’s foundry services and advance our goal of becoming a major provider of foundry capacity globally,” said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. “This deal will enable Intel to offer a compelling breadth of leading-edge nodes and differentiated specialty technologies on mature nodes – unlocking new opportunities for existing and future customers in an era of unprecedented demand for semiconductors.”

As a key part of its IDM 2.0 strategy, Intel established Intel Foundry Services (IFS) in March 2021 to help meet the growing global demand for semiconductor manufacturing capacity and to become a major provider of US- and Europe-based foundry capacity to serve customers globally. IFS currently offers leading-edge process and packaging technology, committed capacity in the U.S. and Europe and other geographies in the future, and a broad intellectual property (IP) portfolio.

 

Tower’s expertise in specialty technologies, such as radio frequency (RF), power, silicon-germanium (SiGe) and industrial sensors, extensive IP and electronic design automation (EDA) partnerships, and established foundry footprint will provide broad coverage to both Intel and Tower’s customers globally. Tower serves high-growth markets such as mobile, automotive and power. Tower operates a geographically complementary foundry presence with facilities in the U.S. and Asia serving fabless companies as well as IDMs and offers more than 2 million wafer starts per year of capacity – including growth opportunities in Texas, Israel, Italy and Japan. Tower also brings a foundry-first customer approach with an industry-leading customer support portal and IP storefront, as well as design services and capabilities.

“With a rich history, Tower has built an incredible range of specialty analog foundry solutions based upon deep customer partnerships, with worldwide manufacturing capabilities. I could not be prouder of the company and of our talented and dedicated employees,” said Russell Ellwanger, Tower CEO. “Together with Intel, we will drive new and meaningful growth opportunities and offer even greater value to our customers through a full suite of technology solutions and nodes and a greatly expanded global manufacturing footprint. We look forward to being an integral part of Intel’s foundry offering.”

Randhir Thakur, president of Intel Foundry Services, said: “We are building Intel Foundry Services to be a customer-first technology innovator with the broadest range of IP, services and capacity. Tower and IFS together will provide a broad portfolio of foundry solutions at global scale to enable our customers’ ambitions.”

Intel is the only leading-edge player with both research and development and manufacturing in the US, including recently announced capacity expansions in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as plans to build a new mega-site in Ohio. Tower’s technology and manufacturing footprint is highly complementary to Intel’s IFS capabilities in leading-edge processes, allowing the combined company to provide broader offerings to customers at scale. With the addition of Tower, Intel is strongly positioned to bring more value to customers across the nearly $100 billion addressable foundry market.

Also, Read Here: Oppo Reno 7Z official images, colors and other details leaked

Ukraine army, defense ministry websites hit by cyberattacks: Reports

0

As tensions over the threat of a possible invasion by Russia remained high, Ukrainian authorities said a series of cyberattacks knocked down the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry, and major banks on Tuesday.

Reportedly, the attacks knocked out at least 10 Ukrainian websites, including the defense, foreign, and culture ministries and the country’s two largest banks. In such attacks, websites are bombarded with junk data packets, rendering them unreachable.

“We don’t have any information of other disruptive actions that (could) be hidden by this DDoS attack,” said Victor Zhora, a top Ukrainian cyber defense official. He said emergency response teams were working to cut off the attackers and recover services as reported by the Associated Press.

Among Ukraine’s largest state-owned banks, Privatbank, and state-owned Sberbank, customers complained about problems with online payments and apps.

Russia sent signals Tuesday that it might be pulling back from the brink, easing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, but Western powers demanded proof.

Since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine has faced relentless cyberattacks by Russia.

As part of a cyberattack on Jan. 14, a malicious “wiper” cloaked as ransomware damaged servers at Ukraine’s State Emergency Service and at the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau. Cybersecurity experts believe it was deliberately designed that way, given Russian state-sponsored hackers’ capacity to do such damage. A message posted simultaneously on dozens of defaced Ukrainian government websites said: “Be afraid and expect the worst.”

Also Read: Oppo Reno 7Z official images, colors and other details leaked

Oppo joins Hasselblad for its upcoming next-gen flagship: What to expect?

0

Finally, the lines between Oppo and OnePlus are going to blur as Oppo announced its exclusive three-year collaboration with Hasselblad.

OppoXHasselblad

For those who don’t know, Hasselblad is a well-known professional camera maker from Sweden. It has patterned up with many smartphone brands like OnePlus in the past, and now, it is working with OPPO for its upcoming premium grade handsets.

In a post on Weibo (a Chinese microblogging site), Oppo dedicated a blog post about this recent three-year commitment with Swedish camera maker Hasselblad to “co-develop industry-leading camera technologies for Oppo’s flagship Find series,” the post said.

If this sounds familiar to you, or you’re wondering why One Plus is in the intro is because One Plus also announced its partnership with Hasselblad before the launch of One Plus 9 and 9 Pro last year.

Oppo also unveiled that it will be working on the cameras of its upcoming next-gen Flagship Find X series with the Swedish imaging professional. Furthermore, the brand also shared its expected innovations and technological improvements with Hassleblad’s tuning and performance support.

Additionally, with OPPO merging with OnePlus, both firms will also share their research and development platform as well as resources, which means that more users will benefit from the Hasselblad cameras. This is definitely a power-packed collab, and with the inclusion of the former’s expertise in camera technology, we can expect the new flagship to offer better optimizations for its sensors, with more natural colors.

Also Read : Oppo Reno 7Z official images, colors and other details leaked