HP Inc. recently announced a definitive agreement to acquire HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company. The acquisition supports HP’s strategy to drive growth in its Personal Systems business, where gaming and peripherals are attractive segments. HyperX’s award-winning product portfolio spans a range of gaming peripherals, including headsets, keyboards, mice, mousepads, USB microphones, and console accessories.
“HyperX is a leader in peripherals whose technology is trusted by gamers around the world, and we’re thrilled to welcome their outstanding team to the HP family,” said Enrique Lores, President and CEO, HP Inc. “We continue to advance our leadership in personal systems by modernising computer experiences and expanding into valuable adjacencies. We see significant opportunities in the large and growing peripherals market, and the addition of HyperX to our portfolio will drive new sources of innovation and growth for our business.”
PC gaming continues to be one of the most popular forms of video gaming, with the PC hardware industry anticipated being worth $70 billion by 2023. The global peripherals market is expected to grow to $12.2 billion by 2024, with gaming peripherals representing a disproportionate share of this growth.
“HyperX products are designed to meet the most rigorous demands of all gamers – from casual to the most hardcore – giving them a winning edge and helping them stay on top of their game,” said John Tu, co-founder and CEO, Kingston. “Both of our companies thrive because we focus on our employees and share the same core values and culture. David Sun (Co-founder and COO) and I saw the possibilities for the HyperX business and its employees, and we both realised that this change brings a brighter future for HyperX.”
HP has built an extensive and growing global gaming portfolio in recent years, led by its OMEN brand and a world-class ecosystem of hardware, software, content, and services. The company continues to push gaming progression with powerful devices like the OMEN 15 gaming laptop and the HP Pavilion Gaming 16 laptop. Beyond devices, HP is driving software innovation with OMEN Gaming Hub, a destination for players to connect, customise, and explore their gear and games. Adding HyperX to HP’s broader gaming ecosystem will deliver innovative new experiences across everything gamers see, hear, and touch.
Under the terms of the agreement, HP will pay $425 million, subject to customary working capital and other adjustments, to acquire HyperX’s gaming peripherals portfolio. Kingston will retain DRAM, flash, and SSD products for gamers and enthusiasts. The acquisition is expected to be accretive on a non-GAAP basis to HP in the first full year following closing. The transaction is expected to close on calendar Q2 2021, pending regulatory review and other customary closing conditions.
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ASUS Brings ROG Academy for e-sport enthusiasts in India
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG), the No.1 Gaming Laptop brand with an endeavour to empower gaming enthusiasts in India, announced the launch of India’s first virtual academy programme for gamers – ROG Academy. As part of this initiative, ASUS ROG will identify PC gamers through a screening process and provide them with a platform to sharpen and enhance their skills and prepare them for competitive E-sport tournaments on a national and a global level. This initiative is a testimony to India being an important market for ASUS’s consistent efforts towards building a strong gaming ecosystem in India and empowering gamers through a number of programmes and initiatives.
ASUS ROG will be providing tournament-ready gaming equipment and first-in-class high-quality technology to gamers, with professional mentorship through this initiative. This will help gamers to enhance their skills to participate and conquer the E-sport tournament.
Speaking on the announcement, Arnold Su, Business Head, Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, ASUS India, said “The count of online gamers in India grew by 31% in 2019 and reached approximately 365 million. It is expected to reach 440 million by 2022 as per a FICCI-EY report on the media and entertainment industry. Due to the pandemic, we are witnessing a permanent shift in content consumption patterns globally and increased digital acceleration. With an increase in e-sports gamers during the pandemic, ASUS has strengthened its commitment towards investing in the future of the gaming industry in India. It gives us immense pleasure to be the first brand in the laptop segment to introduce first-of-a-kind unique initiatives like ROG Academy, empowering gamers to conquer competitions and elevating the e-sports industry. We aim to encourage more and more gamers to mentor them through their journey and familiarise themselves with future opportunities in this landscape. This initiative will provide a huge boost in establishing a pool of credible E-sports players in India and pave the way for next-generation gamers with access to resources, mentorship and training”.
ROG Academy:
Curriculum & Duration:
ASUS ROG Academy is a yearlong- programme, divided into four sessions as per the quarter, aimed at strengthening the e-sports talent pool in India. The shortlisted team and players will go through an extensive selection process divided into different phases. This will culminate in 6 select players becoming part of a 3-month long session for the first quarter, which will include activities ranging from individual skill training and mentorship from the coach to teamwork, communication, and high-level concepts used in the highest level of competition. The exercises, schedule and entire programme will be specifically designed keeping in mind the title and the existing skillsets of the players who will be a part of it. The long term goal of the programme is to have more and more skilled e-sport players from India.
Rewards & Outcome from the training:
The first session of the quarter will involve “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” as the official title as we seek to uncover India’s most talented players. Panellists will consist of a representative from ASUS ROG, partners, and CS: GO. ASUS ROG will be providing the entire team Ex-Gratia with INR 100,000 price to all the final 6 players once they complete their 3-month training successfully. Players will also receive monetary compensation of INR 15,000 as a stipend as well as a bonus on a monthly basis during the training. Also, the 6 players will continue to represent the brand for an additional 3 months while participating in any tournaments or events post completing the 3-month training programme successfully.
How to Apply: ROG Academy
Aspiring Gamers aged 16 and above and who are willing to participate in the programme can register themselves through its official website.
Gamers aged between 16 and 18 will need to provide a consent letter from their parents to participate in the programme.
Registration to be a part of ROG academy will start from Date 1st Feb till 10th Feb
After registration, participants will have to go through a screening process which will include showcasing their abilities in the open tryouts where they will be judged by a jury.
The top six participants chosen from the tryouts phase will receive admission into the programme. Participants will receive a stipend of INR 15000.
ViewSonic India and Ingram Micro boost Indian LCD technology
ViewSonic Corp. recently collaborated with Ingram Micro for the exclusive distribution of ViewSonic’s LCD monitors in the Indian market.
The LCD monitor business in India is at a matured state and high-end professionals and gaming professionals have been the key players in fostering its growth. Mr Eric Wei – Senior Director, Asia Pacific ViewSonic said, “We are glad to cooperate with Ingram Micro, a reputed national distributor, to jointly develop business in India. With Ingram’s strength and ViewSonic’s advantage, I believe we can create the value and share the value with partners and customers. Then eventually make life more convenient and make business more efficient.”
“We are excited to expand our offerings from ViewSonic to their LCD business. This partnership further strengthens the relationship between the two organizations and gives an opportunity to offer LCD monitors to our channel partners. It complements our existing portfolio. The best-in-class products from ViewSonic and Ingram Micro’s wide channel footprint will be mutually beneficial to both the organizations in advancing the business”, said Mr Sanjay Achawal, Executive Director, Ingram Micro India.
Commenting on the association with Ingram Micro, Mr Sanjoy Bhattacharya, IT Business Head, ViewSonic India said, “We are happy to welcome Ingram Micro as National distributor for ViewSonic range of LCD monitors in India. Ingram Micro is India’s largest distributor, and they have a vast product portfolio of computer peripherals/hardware, with ViewSonic monitor they have completed the basket.”
He also added, “ViewSonic is a global leading display brand with a futuristic product line up. I am sure this association will do wonders and together we give the best display solution to the Indian consumer & commercial customers.”
The exclusive distribution partnership with Ingram Micro will strengthen ViewSonic’s LCD business in India. The company has been steady in developing ergonomically designed LCDs in pursuit with the latest technology and best in class smart features for its end users. In this year, ViewSonic will be adding new and innovative products in its portfolio compelling with its end customers. This sole partner will ease the distribution process benefiting both. Ingram Micro has commenced its business with ViewSonic from 1st January 2021.
BLADE India helicopters set to soar Karnataka skies with their charter services
BLADE India, a pioneer in urban air mobility, today announced the launch of its services in Karnataka. After a hugely successful launch of its by-the-seat services in Maharashtra (Mumbai-Pune-Shirdi) and its personalised charter service, BLADE Anywhere, the company is all set to expand its unique and differentiated urban air mobility offerings in the Karnataka region. With air travel reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and travellers increasingly sceptical of crowded spaces, BLADE’s personalised charter services address the need of the hour by providing a more exclusive, hassle-free and convenient travelling option for consumers.
BLADE will currently offer charter services anywhere within Karnataka to both leisure and religious destinations such as Coorg, Kabini, Chikmagalur and Hampi, and will gradually move towards ‘by-the-seat’ offerings as well.
A joint venture between USA’s BLADE Urban Air Mobility, Inc. and Hunch Ventures, BLADE India’s precision-engineered crafts and refined services are a natural extension of its international pedigree of success, style, and safety. BLADE’s expansion into the South India market is well-timed with consumers emerging out of a lull in travel and at the same time grappling with concerns over safety and hygiene issues related to flying.
On entering the Karnataka market Karanpal Singh, Founder, Hunch Ventures and BLADE India says, “BLADE is an urban air mobility company designed to connect locations more efficiently. BLADE Anywhere is our personalised charter service that will allow customers to fly safely and conveniently. Going forward, we are working with the relevant stakeholders to bring in our by-the-seat services to various locations in and around Karnataka.”
BLADE operates from a network of vertiports (helipads and lounges) out of several city centres in India. Initially, it started charter services from various pickup locations within Bengaluru to places such as the Evolve Back, Coorg and The Serai.
“It is wonderful to hear about “BLADE Anywhere” in Karnataka and we at Evolve Back eagerly look forward to the launch. There is a definite need from our high-end clientele for these short-haul helicopter services and will definitely be a big boost for tourism (both Domestic and Foreign) to our destinations at Coorg, Kabini & Hampi,” says Thomas Emmanuel Ramapuram, Joint Director – Sales at Evolve Back.
The company flies from strategically located vertiports from multiple locations connecting them as part of the solution. It currently offers charter flight options and will soon begin by-the-seat option as well to various destinations in Karnataka as well as Intra-City flights in Bengaluru to reduce daily friction from traffic and in turn improve quality of life. BLADE has implemented industry-leading health and safety protocols designed by BLADE USA, keeping in mind safety and sensitisation as its priority. Contactless temperature checks, staff to wear masks and gloves during travel and the fleet being electrostatically decontaminated using an airline-grade fogging system before take-off and after landing are few measures taken.
Flight schedules, rosters and various other BLADE services are accessible on the BLADE India website upon signing up and their mobile application BLADE; available for iOS and Android.
HP introduces esports scholarship at OMEN FanFest 2020
HP India today announced the inaugural ‘esports Gold Quest’ scholarships at the OMEN FanFest 2020, in support of the rise of PC Gaming culture in India. The ‘esports Gold Quest” scholarship is a program that will provide gamers with the necessary financial support, equipment, skills, and exposure to help them in their quest to compete on the global stage and become future esports stars.
With esports becoming a global phenomenon, HP recognizes the need to provide Indian talent with the right set of tools and guidance to compete at the world stage and bring the country its recognition in esports. The esports Gold Quest scholarships will select three applicants and will offer them an annual scholarship worth Rs 12 lacs each, which will include a full esports kit from OMEN, a monthly salary of 50k and an international training stint.
The scholarship will be open to Indian applicants in the 16 – 20-year age group. The nationwide talent hunt program for selection will roll out in Jan 2021 with final selections in June 2021.
With gaming breaking down boundaries and merging seamlessly with popular culture, a platform was needed to showcase its rise. The OMEN FanFest accomplishes this by bringing together influential figures in the world of esports, contemporary culture and gaming enthusiasts on a common stage, and celebrates PC gaming in a manner never seen before.
Ketan Patel – Managing Director, HP India Market said, “Gaming and esports are among the fastest-growing competitive pursuits in India and globally. It is a stage on which Indian talent has the potential to compete with the best in the globe. As a market leader, we are working towards making the gaming ecosystem more inclusive for everyone, fueling the passion for gaming, and providing a launchpad for budding esports talent in the country. The scholarship program announced today is in line with our philosophy of ‘Play to Progress’ and we hope to see champions at the world stage from India soon.”
As a confluence of gaming and popular culture, the OMEN FanFest will bring together some of the biggest names in the world of esports and entertainment. These include Tirth Mehta, India’s first esports medalist; Ulrich Schulze, SVP, Product Management at ESL; Akshat Rathee, MD & Founder, NODWIN gaming, Abish Mathew- Standup Comic and other enthusiast gamers among many more.
The OMEN FanFest will also feature a contest that will offer participants the chance to become the fifth member of the HP OMEN Squad – which brings together people of diverse origins with one unifying goal to merge gaming with mainstream culture. Current members of the OMEN Squad include esports pro gamer Hellranger, professional live streamer Manasvini, gamer and content creator Ocean Sharma and stand-up comic Abish Mathew.
To further enhance the gaming ecosystem, HP is also announcing the ‘OMEN Crib’ – an entire gaming setup designed for the ultimate gameplay experience. The OMEN Crib comprises a dual monitor desk, keyboard, headset, mouse, mousepad, speakers and the OMEN gaming chair – all in a minimalist but stylish package.
Gamers stand a chance to win one OMEN Crib every week through a contest all through December exclusively on Flipkart.
The OMEN FanFest follows the recent unveiling of the brand-new range of OMEN laptops and accessories, updates to OMEN Command Center, and the HP Pavilion gaming 16. The OMEN range offers “First of its kind” hardware technologies in the industry enabling Gameplay experience to the next level and offers unmatched power without any compromise. OMEN and Pavilion PCs, and accessories provide an immersive experience to the gamers helping them stay connected, relaxed, and entertained while at home.
Advertisement Feature: Garmin India brings more joy to this festival with the all-new Venu SQ Smartwatch
Garmin India, a unit of Garmin Ltd. today launched their pocket-friendly yet feature-loaded latest GPS smartwatch: Venu Sq and the Venu Sq Music Edition. The Venu Sq is built with bright colour display, sleek design and best suited for every part of your day while keeping a track of your health and fitness activities.
The new Venu Sq series boasts over 20 built-in indoor and outdoor sports apps including Pilates, yoga, strength training, running, pool swimming, cycling, golf and many more supporting its users with extensive workout required to inspire movement. Adding more to it, the Music edition features on-device music storage for phone-free listening.
Apart from the sports app, the smartwatch also comes loaded with health monitoring features including advanced sleep with Pulse Ox2, respiration tracking, abnormal heart rate alerts (high and low), menstrual cycle tracking, stress tracking with relax reminders, hydration tracking and more. Bringing more convenience to the users, the Venu Sq supports battery life of up to six days in smartwatch mode and up to 14 hours in GPS mode.
Ali Rizvi, Director of Garmin India said, “We at Garmin have always focused on fulfilling the needs of our customers with the best of quality products and high-end technological innovations. Today, with the launch of Venu Sq, we are now entering into a new market segment under which people can buy a Garmin smartwatch at a competitive price with premium features including 20 built-in sports apps, on-device music storage, advanced sleep with Pulse Ox2 with the broadest range of 24/7 monitoring features available on the market.”
Venu Sq’s robust suite of workout options also includes preloaded workouts on the watch, preset workouts available to download from Garmin Connect, and “create your own” customizable workouts. Whether training for a 5K or something longer, the Venu Sq is compatible with Garmin Coach, free training plans adapted to a runner’s goals and performance, complete with a virtual personal trainer for added motivation.
Innovative Body Battery energy monitoring also lets users monitor their energy level which can help with scheduling workouts, rest times and sleep. The Venu Sq series provides all-day connection and convenience with a host of smart features including notifications, music storage, safety and tracking, and more.
The new series of Venu Sq will be available for ₹ 21,090 and the Venu Sq Music will be available for ₹26,290.
Move over traffic! The flying car is here.
A flying car: Something that fans of The Jetsons and tech freaks have always been pining for. After all the fantasizing and day-dreaming, finally, it is one step closer to reality. The AirCar, an experimental prototype by KleinVision has recently taken its maiden flight!
Developed by the aforementioned KleinVision, which is a Slovakian company founded by Stefan Klein, the AirCar is predominantly built from advanced composite materials that were produced by the certified Slovak company SKMODEL, s.r.o. All construction parts were manufactured meeting the highest quality standards using high-tech methods. It was tested successfully at Nitra airport in October 2019.
To test a number of aerodynamic and flight control characteristics predicted by digital simulation and analyses, a Flight Demonstrator Testbed (FDT), a model in the scale 1:1, had been built and used in flight mode. All the results measured and observed with the FDT confirmed the theoretical predictions. Currently, the FDT has been donated to and is displayed in the Aviation Museum in Košice.
The AirCar comprises several functional units. Its aerodynamic fuselage provides enough space for the passengers and simultaneously contributes to better lift characteristics during the flight. Among advanced technologies are retractable wings, folding tail surfaces, and a parachute deployment system, among others. The folding tail surfaces contribute to better longitudinal stability and take-off characteristics, just like in a conventional aircraft. However, in the car mode, the retracted tail results in a more compact size.
A fully functional flying of the AirCar prototype has been developed, from an initial idea to final product in the experimental category within 18 months. Experimental categories support the complete research and verification of all technical and design tasks.
Simulation methods and design optimization have been used throughout the entire R&D stage. A simulation, based on the CFD analyses was carried out at VUT Brno in close cooperation with experts in aerodynamics. The team has performed extensive analyses using state-of-the-art simulation methods such as FEM to achieve the best overall outcome. The load and stress calculations were conducted by Dalibor Vlček, MSc., who also contributed with his experience gained while acting as a Compliance Verification Engineer within several projects overseen by EASA.
The AirCar prototype is currently subject to intense ground and flight tests in the experimental category since October 2019. The flying prototype of AirCar was introduced to the general public on November 5, 2019, at CIIE in Shanghai, China. Thorough testing will continue in the next months to come. Variations of two engines will be included in the tests, along with an amphibious version.
Though there is no news of the official launch of the AirCar in the Indian or international market, its research is expected to conclude soon, which will lead to the initiation of its commercial production.
Apple launches lighter, sleeker and stronger iPhone 12 series!
American tech giant Apple has launched the latest iPhone series around the world. The new iPhone 12 will be available in three variants apart from the standard one. These include the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and an affordable option, the iPhone 12 mini.
Apple launched the phones at its virtual “Hi, Speed” event which was live-streamed on its official YouTube channel as well as its website. CEO Tim Cook took the centre stage where he announced the latest lineup of the iPhone, as well as the latest HomePod mini.
The iPhone 12 will run on Apple’s latest operating system, the iOS 14. All phones will also have complete 5G support. While the iPhone 12 is still a 6.1-inch device with an OLED Super Retina XDR screen, the iPhone Pro Max will span 6.7 inches. That, as well as the 6.1-inch iPhone Pro, will be equipped with an OLED Super Retina XDR display with 10-bit Colour Depth. The iPhone 12 Mini, on the other hand, gets a 5.4-inch OLED screen. All phones will also carry over the notch from their predecessors, though none have a 120Hz refresh rate.
Apple has made the iPhone 12 stronger by giving it a “ceramic shield”. Essentially a stronger protection material for the display screen than conventional materials, the “shield” is claimed to be four times tougher than other smartphone glasses.
Apple has equipped the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone 12 with a dual-camera setup that includes a 12MP wide and a 12MP ultrawide lens, while the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max get triple cameras each that offer an additional 12MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom. The Pro models also borrow the LiDAR from the iPad Pro models.
The LiDAR Scanner offers the ability to measure light distance and use pixel depth information of a scene. This technology delivers faster, more realistic AR experiences and improves autofocus by 6x in low-light scenes for more accuracy and reduced capture time in photos and videos. This advanced hardware, combined with the power of the Neural Engine of A14 Bionic, also unlocks Night mode portraits, rendering a beautiful low-light bokeh effect.
The entire series will be powered by Apple’s latest A14 Bionic chip. It is the first chip in the world to be built on the 5nm technology. It gets a hexacore CPU along with a quadcore GPU. Its Neural Engine also now gets 16 cores, increasing its performance by 80 percent, taking it up to 11 trillion operations per second! The iPhones get 4GB RAM and are offered with an option between 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage.
Coming to the HomePod, it is integrated with Apple’s latest S5 chip which makes it more of artificial intelligence than a simple smart speaker. Combined with Siri, the HomePod mini offers a chance for users to transform their homes into complete smart homes, quite like living in a Tony Stark mansion!
A new Intercom feature offers a quick and easy way for family members to connect with each other at home. One person can send an Intercom message from one HomePod to another — whether in a different room, a specific zone, or multiple rooms throughout the home — and their voice will automatically play on the designated HomePod speaker. Intercom works with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay, so everyone in the household can get Intercom notifications and send Intercom messages from the backyard or on their way home.
Apple has given the iPhone 12 a base price of $799 while the mini retails at $699. The iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will be offered for $999 and $1099 respectively.
Tech This Week I Episode 9
Today we will be talking about :
1. Motorola is launching Motorola Razr 5G.
2. Samsung recently launched the Galaxy M51 in India.
3. Mi has launched its Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition in India.
4. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X will be launched in India on November 10.
5. Apple has introduced the iOS 14
6. The Nord, 7T, 8 series and the premium OnePlus Q1 TVs go on sale with fresh offers.
7. Redmi 9i with MIUI 12 is launching in India, on September 15
8. Toshiba is set to launch its smart TV range in India
9. Honor Hunter is debuting its gaming laptop on September 16. & much more
Shooting Partner : Digitek India : https://www.digitek.net.in/
Hosted by : Nashpreet Singh : http://www.instagram.com/nashysingh/
Advertisement : Hyundai ‘Click to Buy’ x Ranvijay Singh
We introduced Ranvijay Singh to Hyundai’s online buying platform ‘Click to Buy’ which is meant to make car ownership during these difficult times – contact-less safe convenient and hassle free. Also, all of Hyundai’s models are available for purchase through this platform.
See how he gets his hands on the new wheels in just few steps. So what are you waiting for? Get your hands on the new wheels now!