What to Do When You Spill a Drink on Your Laptop

If you have spilled a drink on your laptop, then you are probably frantically reading this from a panic filled state. But don’t worry, it may not be as catastrophic as you might think. Whether you placed your drink down too close to your laptop or just had a clumsy moment, you are probably cursing yourself while trying to desperately think of a way to save your precious laptop and all the information it contains. It is important that you act quickly, so while you are reading this article, be sure to follow these steps along the way. Here is some helpful advice on what to do straight after spilling a drink on your laptop to limit the damage, as well as how to try and retrieve any at-risk information.

TURN THE LAPTOP OFF

Firstly, it is important that you don’t panic, so if you are panicking right now; calm down! You need to unplug your laptop from any power source straight away and then hold the power button down to ensure that the device is completely turned off. You shouldn’t waste precious time by trying to go through the shutdown procedure on the laptop. It is important that you turn the laptop off as soon the spillage occurs as otherwise it could cause a fatal short circuit, leaving your device damaged permanently.

REMOVE THE BATTERY

Now, the next step entirely depends on what sort of laptop you have. If possible, remove the battery from the laptop. While some devices allow you to easily remove the battery through a small latch, others require you to unscrew the back panel in order to access it. It is important that any source of power is removed from the laptop before you start the cleanup process, so be sure to remove any extra devices such as USB drives.

REMOVE EXCESS LIQUID

Once your laptop is shut down and removed from any form of power source, you should take a dry cloth and wipe away any liquid that remains on the device. Be sure to particularly focus on the ports and keyboard areas of the laptop. You should turn the laptop upside to drain any of the liquid that you can’t see. Ideally you should aim to leave it drying for around 24 hours as, even if it seems dry to you, it will likely still be damp in hidden areas.

START THE RECOVERY PROCESS

If you have followed the above instructions, but your laptop is beyond repair, then there are still ways that you can get back the information that is stored on your device. Industry leaders, such as Secure Data Recovery offer hard drive recovery services for laptops that have failed due to liquid damage. Spilling a drink on your laptop can easily feel like the end of the world, but by acting quickly and drafting in the help of a recovery service, it may not be as bad as you anticipated.

Google Android Q Features Explained

With the launch of the Beta version of Google Android Q, many devices have been receiving updates for the beta version of the OS before the final release. The stable build of the Android Q is expected to be launched in the 3rd quarter of the year.

The Android Q OS is its current beta stage is quite stable when compared to its previous beta update. The Android Q also brings in several new features along with it. The current beta OS supports Google Pixel 3 among the listed devices.

Here are some listed features which will be present on the Android Q OS which will support devices which run on pure android without any modifications. Currently, Google is in the process of taking reviews from developers all over and has put out several features to be tested for functionality.

  • Privacy features like location permissions, restricting background data and background activity are available for test
  • Gesture navigation is also available for test
  • The camera now gets a new dynamic format. AV1 for video streaming and HDR10+ for hu=igh dynamic range video is available
  • A dark theme is also added
  • For better multimedia experience suggested replies, notification panel and settings panels come along
  • Audio playback capture which enables captioning and gameplay recording

To get android Q on your device, it has to be in the compatible devices list. Currently, the android Q beta is available for the partner OEMs, mainly the Xiaomi Mi 9, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, Asus Zenfone 5z, Essential Phone, Nokia 8.1, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, LG G8 ThinQ, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7, OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, OPPO Reno, Realme 3 Pro, Sony Xperia XZ3, Redmi K20 Pro, Tecno Spark 3 Pro, Vivo X27, Vivo NEX S, and Vivo NEX A which have received the beta update. Not only this, Google will update these devices everytime with new beta releases until the final build is rolled out.

Building Your First Computer – Basics You Need to Know

Building your own computer can be a very satisfying task – it allows you to work on something you can use for years! It’s also much cheaper than buying a prebuilt one, and although it may take a little more time, is certainly worth the effort. It can, however, be confusing, so we’ve got a few tips on the ins and outs of building a computer so you can be certain you’re doing it right.

Which Components Make Up a Computer?

The biggest component of most computers is the motherboard – here you will find the CPU, the RAM, graphics cards slots, connection ports, storage drives and related components. Everything goes back to the motherboard, from the power supply to the hard drive, so it’s important to be familiar with it and its components. Most manufacturers set standards for motherboards – there are 2 major CPU manufacturers, Intel and AMD, and their standards are different, so you must purchase the appropriate type of CPU to fit with the motherboard. Whenever you’re looking at sourcing parts, make sure to get the right parts for your computer – use a part number search engine so you know and can order the exact parts you need.

What Is the Basic Layout of a Computer?

Most computers have a similar layout, making it easy for you to familiarize yourself with. The motherboard is situated at the back of the case, and this is the first thing you place in. Everything stems up from this. On the motherboard, you attach the CPU, then the RAM, then the wires connecting to various components around the computer (e.g. your storage drives). Most cases have dedicated storage bases where you screw in the hard drive – the same goes for power supplies, and this should be easy to locate via observation or an instruction manual. Some cases have USB ports in the back as well as the front, and it may be worth investing in one like this, particularly if you plan on using plenty of cables!

Remember – Safety First!

The main killer of work-in-progress computers is static electricity – be careful with where you assemble your computer, as using anything but a wooden or plastic surface can cause static electricity to generate which can fry your parts, costing you time and money. These are fairly common-sense safety tips, like turning off the power before you start working on your computer and being careful with the parts. It is also important that you aren’t tempted to force pieces into place, as this could cause much more damage than good. Another important tip is to avoid leaving metal against metal once your computer is assembled – turning your computer on with two pieces of metal touching can also fry your computer. This is especially important with screws – don’t screw things in too much as they may touch the case and, again, fry. It’s also worth looking over instruction manuals beforehand as well as YouTube videos – these can be a plentiful source of information.

Building a computer can feel daunting, but using these tips will give you the boost you need to do the job.

How To Take Great Pictures On Your Smartphone

Smartphone photography has vastly improved in the last few years. It is relatively easy now to carry and get the best images from a vacation from just your phone. All you need to do is get used to your phone camera settings and use its capabilities to improve the quality of the images you take.

While most of us prefer to use our phones for taking most of the pictures, be it a casual vacation or a few images for your Instagram blog, it is important for the images to convey the message. Here are a few tips which cover most of the aspects which you can use and see how much better your images become, especially for those serious photography sessions.

  1. Check the Lighting – Light can make or break an image. Proper lighting around your subject and you will be amazed by the quality of it. Similarly, when you shoot an image in poor light, the image quality will be poor even if the smartphone camera is capable. For heavily sunlit or ambient lit images, take your subject to a shade. The light in the shade is diffused and that is exactly what you need for a portrait of a person. Harsh light creates very hard shadows which make the image look very contrasty and uneven. For indoors, place your subject near to the windows where you will have the external light coming in and evenly lighting the subject’s face.

2. Tap to focus and meter – Your smartphone camera can focus as well as meter reading for an image all by itself. You need to keep your camera steady and tap the subject in your frame. Similarly, you can tap for it to meter the settings of the shot. At times, you will have to deal with the part of the day when the background is brighter than the subject. Such situations can create very poorly lit images, especially the subject. You can also choose to override the automatic settings and use the manual/professional mode of the camera for a better picture. I  this way you will have more detail in the image, especially in the shadow regions. Using the HDR more is also helpful, however, sometimes too much of HDR in an image can ruin it.

3. Set shortcuts – When you are an avid shutterbug, you need to set the available shortcuts for your smartphone camera. This will allow you to quickly open the camera app and shoot whenever you come across something interesting. On some android phones, double-tapping the power button launches the camera, while one can also set the volume up/down button for a physical shutter button. For iPhones, a quick swipe is enough to fire the camera app. You can also go to the control centre, long-press the camera icon to display multiple options like taking a selfie image or to record a video. You should be able to access the camera app quickly, regardless of the phone you have,

4. Use portrait mode often – You might think that the portrait mode is handy only when shooting portraits but no, you can use the portrait mode more often. The portrait mode can actually help you isolate the subject (both human and still) and create a background blur. You can use to portrait mode to take good images even when the background is disturbing. However, a clear background makes a better image as so as placing your subject far away from the background does. Not only this, you can use the telephoto mode (which most smartphones have these days, courtesy, more cameras on smartphones, you can easily create the depth effect on the image.

5. Shoot RAW/High-Quality JPEG image – Smartphones are blessed with amazing features. One of them is the ability to shoot in RAW or high-quality JPEG images. RAW image files have the most amount of details captured. Some smartphones allow capturing RAW or DNG files for maximum quality. For those smartphones with JPEG only output, you need to set your JPEG to ‘Large’ or the maximum setting available. This will allow you to extract the best out of the image later in a post-processing application like Snapseed.

6. Keep it clean – Well, who wants to have a dirty phone or a dirty camera lens for a matter of fact. You should take care or at least take the effort to wipe your camera lens before shooting. Since most smartphones have a bigger camera module which is slightly raised from the rest of the smartphone back, use a cover to protect the back of the camera as well as the smartphone itself. A clean/unscratched lens will go a long way in taking good images. So what are you waiting for, go ahead and make some great looking images?

Range Rover Evoque | First Drive

Do you have a cool elder sibling in your family that steals all the limelight? And how you wish you could get some of their traits. Well, the story is quite similar in the Land Rover family. The cool elder sibling in this story is the Range Rover Velar and the young sibling is the new Range Rover Evoque. Watch the video to know more about the new Evoque.

Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, diesel

Power: 180 hp Torque: 430 Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Starting Price: ₹ 54.94 lakh (ex-showroom, India)

Car in frame: Range Rover Evoque Reviewer: Saurabh Gamare Cinematography: Harmanpreet Singh Video Editing: Sam Phillips Location: Mumbai, India

Benelli Imperiale 400 – Review | A Classic Motorcycle With A Modern Heart

The year 2019 has been pretty exciting for the Italian motorcycle brand Benelli as they have been on a launching spree in India. After the Benelli TRK 502 and 502X, the brand was not too late to introduce the Benelli Leoncino 500 and a Leoncino 250 which use the same engine from the TRK 502 and the TNT 250 respectively.

Benelli sure wants to get a stronghold of the Indian automotive market and this is why they have now launched the Benelli Imperiale 400, a modern-retro motorcycle from the house of the Italian two-wheeler maker.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 comes as a modern interpretation of the MotoBi models which Benelli used to produce in the 1950s. A first look at the motorcycle and you are sure to find many similarities with a few motorcycles in this segment. There are several chrome elements on the motorcycle which definitely lend it a character to it. The Imperiale 400 sports a round headlamp as well as round indicators and an oval-shaped taillamp. Like on most of the motorcycles we see these days, you do not get any LED lighting on offer. The twin-pod analogue-digital instrument cluster displays all information, tell-tale lights and also gets small digital panels for the trip, time, odometer, gear and fuel-level display.

The motorcycle looks quite impressive given the 12-litre teardrop-shaped tank. It gets a lot of black treatment as well on the engine as well as the side panels, silencer as well as the front and rear mudguards with black split seats with colour contrast stitching. Overall, it is a handsome looking motorcycle which reflects the retro out loud.

Powering the Imperiale 400 is an air-cooled, 374cc, fuel-injected SOHC engine which makes about 21 PS of peak power and 29 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Now coming to the ride quality, the Imperiale 400 offers a good rideability both on and off the pavement, thanks to the relaxed seating position and the 19-inch 100 section front and 18-inch 130 section rear tyres shod on spoke wheels. The suspension duties are taken care of by 41mm telescopic forks at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear with preload-adjustability. Braking department gets a 300mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear along with dual-channel ABS as a standard offering.

Coming to the ride quality, the rear suspension feels a bit stiff, especially at slow speeds but surprisingly handles Indian road conditions quite well. It is happy to cruise all-day at speeds up to 100km/hr without even breaking a sweat. Heating on the motorcycle is not really evident. At 205 kgs, it is slightly heavy, but you would feel the weight only when parking or in traffic doing dead speeds. Take it off the pavement and you will be surprised how well it holds on to the off-road patches despite having less ground clearance. The TVS tyres seemed to offer a firm grip even when being pushed.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 rivals the likes of the Royal Enfield Classic 350, the Jawa variants. Priced at Rs. 1.69 lakhs (ex-showroom), the Imperiale 400 is a strong contender in this segment for the price it is being offered for. What you get are solid build quality and a 3-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. The company is also offering free services for the first two years which makes it an even more interesting proposition for someone who is looking to buy a retro-themed motorcycle which can do touring as well as occasional rough terrains.

SPECS

Engine – 374cc,Four-stroke, Fuel-injected, SOHC, Air-cooled

Power – 21 PS @ 5500 rpm

Torque – 29 Nm @4500 rpm

Transmission – 5-Speed

Revolt RV 400 | First Ride Review | Electric Storm on the Horizon?

Ever since it was revealed last month, the Revolt RV400 has been one of the most eagerly anticipated motorcycles in the country. That’s because it isn’t any ordinary motorcycle, its India’s first AI-enabled all-electric motorcycle. Recently, we got a chance to have a go on the RV400 at a go-kart track and here’s our first ride review of it.

Performance:

The track was fairly short but had a series of engaging corners and straights. For starters, it’s important to remember that the all-electric motorcycle has three riding modes. These three modes (Eco, City and Sports) determine the degree of acceleration, similar to a gearbox.

Eco mode is more suited for a calm and traffic oriented form of riding, while City and Sports aren’t very different from each other, in the mid-range at least. The Sports mode, however, did have that ever-so-slight amount of extra kick.

Interestingly, the RV400 comes fitted with an external speaker near where the engine would’ve been located had this been a conventional internal combustion motorcycle. The function of this speaker is to simulate a sound we’re used to hearing on a petrol-powered two-wheeler.

Overall, the power delivery is good but there is a slight jerk at the beginning of the rev band since the power suddenly comes in all at once. This can be felt more in the most in Sports mode but is much more relaxed in the Eco mode.

At first, it is a little confusing because the RV400 looks like a normal motorcycle but it doesn’t have an exhaust pipe, brake pedal, clutch or gear shifter. It feels like a motorcycle, but the controls are similar to a scooter. This took a bit of getting used to but after a few laps, I found myself trying to outdo myself, pushing its electric heart a little harder every time.

Since the battery sits where the fuel tank and engine would’ve been, the RV400 feels well balanced, given that it has a ground clearance of 220m. The seat height is at a comfortable 814mm, making it accessible to riders of varying heights. The RV400 tips the scale at 108 kg (approximately) which makes it nippy around the corners.

We’re happy to report that after quite a number of laps around the track, the battery had drained only very slightly, even though we’d been mostly riding in Sports mode.

Ride & Handling:

First impressions are good, the RV400 feels easy to handle around the corners and has ample grip going into a corner, fast. The only worrying thing at first was the braking set up. Since both the brakes are controlled from the levers are front, I found myself looking for the foot brake under intense braking, which can be just a little nerve-racking.

The RV400 gets upside-down forks at the front and an adjustable mono-shock at the back. At slower speeds, the RV400 feels fairly composed and there isn’t really any cause for concern.

Braking is handled by two 240mm disc brakes at the front and back with a Combined Braking System (CBS) which works well. The RV400 is driven by a belt and not a chain, as is the case with most mass-market motorcycles in the world.

Looks:

Even with just a glance, the RV400 looks rebellious. It gets all-LED treatment for the front and tail lamps; even the turn indicators are LED! We then move onto the digital instrument cluster. It displays the range, speed, time and much more.

Revolt RV 400. (Image: Revolt Motors)

However, it wasn’t really working since the speed it was displaying was hard to read. We felt that the Revolt RV400 looks funky, cool and modern. But it still maintains the look of a conventional motorcycle, which is definitely a positive aspect. All in all, it’s bound to catch your attention.

Range, Charging & Features:

We now have to address the elephant in the room, which in this case is the lithium-ion battery. That’s not quite a metaphor since the battery pack in the RV400 is quite heavy (15kgs, approximately).

Folks at Revolt Intellicorp plan to setup swap stations in major cities. This will allow riders to swap out their depleting or depleted battery for a fresh one. Alternatively, customers will also be able to charge the batteries at home or office with the help of a charger which requires a 15-ampere socket. A full charge is expected to take 4.5 hours.

Another interesting feature on the RV400 is that of a Start/Stop button. That’s right, the RV400 doesn’t need for you to insert the key in order to start. However, there will be key for other purposes. Revolt Intellicorp has stated an ARAI certified range of 156 kilometres.

Verdict:

The Revolt RV400 looks to be a step in the right direction. Given the state of our environment and the price of petrol; a simple to use and purposeful all-electric motorcycle could be the need of the hour. In our opinion, the RV400 is a good looking, light, nimble and fairly powerful motorcycle.

Mercedes Benz India launches AMG C43 Coupe

Mercedes Benz India today introduced the much anticipated AMG C43 Coupe for enthusiasts in the country. With an additional 23bhp under the hood, Mercedes Benz AMG C43 Coupe is a facelift version to the outgoing generation and is priced at ₹ 75 lakh India. Imported as a complete CBU, the two-door coupe is based on Mercedes C-Class platform however in this avatar, it adorns an aggressive exterior look, interiors are sporty and the performance is certainly something one should take note off.

Up against the likes of Audi S5 Coupe and BMW M2 Competition, 2019 Mercedes Benz AMG C43 Coupe gets a new AMG radiator grille in comparison to the outgoing version. Its coupe-like silhouette is the striking point out here and so is the sharp overall exterior design. While the rear stands to provide a pair of circular tailpipes having a gloss chrome finish with a boot lip spoiler coming in the same body colour as the vehicle itself. To give it more substance, the AMG C43 Coupe comes equipped with 19-inch AMG inspired alloy wheels. Plus the customer has the choice of opting for the AMG styling package that provides an aggressive front splitter, side skirt inserts and flics in the rear bumper.

As for the interiors, the updated 2019 Mercedes AMG C43 comes with an all-black cabin. Finely crafted, the seats, door panels and dashboard bear Dinamica microfibre finished in black leather with red stitching on top. Then, of course, there are AMG inspired seats alongside the steering wheel that comes wrapped in Nappa leather with touch control buttons and a heads up display. Plus it is provided with a 12.3-inch full digital display that offers threedifferent moods of style Classic, Sport and Supersport.

Now to the most important part, Mercedes AMG C43 Coupe can do a standstill 0-100kmph in just 4.7 seconds. With a restricted top-speed of 250kmph, AMG C43 Coupe comes fitted with a 3.0-litre V6 engine under the skin that produces a maximum power output of 385bhp. This, when compared to the 2018 Mercedes Benz AMG C43 Coupe, produces 23bhp more and now has an improved torque figure of 520Nm. Propelling the wheels of this performance coupe is a 9G automatic transmission that comes matted to AMG Performance 4MATIC All-Wheel Drive System.

2020 Jaguar XE – Review

It was the 24th December and I had already planned to go to Aamby Valley for an overnight stay when my team informed me that the all-new Jaguar XE in red colour had just made its way to our Garage. And that it was red in colour on Xmas eve, that was the closest I could have brushed with Santa. The first look of it was fresh, the slimmer LED headlights and taillights fitted very well with the larger front grille and the sculpted bonnet. Ok, it’s a facelift, and we won’t use the word again and neither compares the new XE with its previous generation. For me, it is a complete new XE which has parked itself right in between the A4, the 3 Series and maybe the A6.

t’s become a habit now to slide your phone to the wireless tray and the XE has it, although it charges slowly, it may be because of the low Amp, wish they could have been higher, but does the job. Also, the rotary knob gear selector has been replaced with the gear shifter as seen in the F-Type. I was driving it on the Pune expressway, and let me admit I had touched 180 km/h and mostly was cruising at 140. Sssh! Please don’t tell this to anyone as I don’t want this to reach the Mumbai traffic cops. At speeds like this when you are on the dynamic mode the sound of the engine seeps in easily through the windowpane, maybe the insulation is not that great, it’s a confusing engine sound which you will expect from a sportscar like the F-Type but not exactly the same engine sound, which is the disappointing part.

 

The pick up had a quick rush of gasoline hitting the chambers at times giving you jerks, and you could feel the charge. It was the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that I was driving with the Santa. The Touchscreen was smooth and the connected navigation with Interactive Driver Display using high-definition, graphics showing 3D maps were spot on and I particularly loved the Red graphics on the Dynamic mode. Another unimportant thing to note is that it lets you connect with your Bluetooth while on the move, and we had two connected while the other one being the Santa. It has an Ice mode, still wondering where can we drive this in India, but with rising global warming just in case, it’s future-proof.

The speakers and the sound quality is not something which will appeal to the audiophile and you will always be reminded of the engine noise even when the volume is above conversation levels. What I loved was the almost bucket seats which are rather comfortable and holds your back and the firm steering wheel and premium interiors, it also has Torque Vectoring by Braking technology which means on tight turns, it applies the brake to the inside wheel and directs more rotating force from the engine to the wheel with the most grip.

 

We had arrived and Santa had a smile, and jaguar has got something which will take away buyers from the 3 Series and the A4, but would you buy one? It’s a Jag!

 

Love it –

  • The design, exteriors, seats, touchscreen, and the way a streak of light passes through head and taillights every time you lock or unlock.
  • The pick-up, power, ride quality and the tech.

 

What’s not that great – 

  • The Insulation letting the engine noise seep in.
  • The music system & the rather cramped rear seats, if you’re a 6 footer then the legs might have to be amputated after a long drive.

 

Specifications:

Jaguar XE

Engine: 2.0-litre Ingenium Turbocharged Petrol
Power: 250 hp
Torque: 365 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Starting Price: Rs 44.98 lakh (ex-showroom)

 

For Comparison:

Audi A4 35 TFSI S tronic

Engine: 1.4-litre Turbocharged Petrol
Power: 150 hp
Torque: 250 Nm
Transmission: 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission
Starting Price: Rs 41.49 lakh (ex-showroom)

The Real Virus!

Did you know, Creeper was most likely the first computer virus developed in 1971, of course since then there have been many malware including Melissa, Blaster, Slammer, Nimda, Code Red, The Morris Worm, Elk Cloner and even ILOVEYOU which did not spread any love but screwed up your computers. More than 10 million computers were in ‘love’. So, as techies, we seriously thought that viruses were something which happened to computers and smartphones until the deadly coronavirus entered the scene, which has shaken the world. It has pulled the carpet in one sweep from the feet of travel, business, economy, stock market and everything with thousands suffering and many dead. We stand with China as it fights the worst of epidemics and still gripping and because we live as global citizens its cases are reported everywhere now. Also, it shows in our integrated global economy where China is the manufacturing hub, supplying components or finished goods in almost every sector is now crippling.
The rumour mills are doing its rounds with some saying it’s a bio war, its an experiment gone wrong, and the Yuhang province known to be eating all kinds
of things including bats. Yes, the flying bats. The Tech industry is going to be affected the most, with everything being manufactured there. We already saw Mobile world congress being called off, Geneva Motor Show and many such events shaking up the ribs of commerce. In India, lots of big launches had been delayed including Note 9 from Xiaomi. Things are not looking good, and no one has an answer with the global sentiments down. But nothing lasts forever and just like we have hot water springs in Iceland, water wells in scorching deserts and morning sunlight tearing apart the darkness and the COVID-19.
In China, the auto sales are down 92% and in India, the auto sales are going through its worst phases with the only good news being BBC Topgear Magazine is back in India with an Exhibit Signature on it and is standing tall on stands now.
The optimists might say, the show must go on, maybe with masks on and hands constantly dipped in sanitizers. Travel if it is necessary, and let’s make use of all the technology for communication VoIP, chat meetings and stay alert till the Corona rests in peace. Forever that is!

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