In Conversation with Ms. Devita Saraf – Chairman & CEO of The VU Group

We talked about the idea behind the transition from lifestyle products to work style products & the response on their new launch of Meetings by VU.

Kingston launches refreshed ‘Canvas’ Card Series and ‘MobileLite Plus’ Readers in India

Kingston Technology announced today the refresh of its ‘Canvas’ series Flashcards to Canvas Plus. The new SD and microSD lineup include Kingston’s first UHS-II cards. To keep up with Canvas Plus, new MobileLite Plus UHS-II readers have been engineered to support blazing fast read speeds. Canvas Plus represents the next generation of SD and microSD cards with increased performance for DSLRs, 4K/8K video production, Android devices, action cams, and drones.

Canvas Plus offers three different variations for both SD and microSD cards: Select Plus, Go! Plus, and React Plus. Canvas Select Plus, which began shipping in Q4 2019, is joined by Canvas Go! Plus and Canvas React Plus. They support not only the latest advanced cameras that are capable of 4K and 8K video capture, React Plus and MobileLite Plus are also backward compatible with UHS-I and conventional SD bus standards. MobileLite Plus readers will be available on their own or as a bundle with React Plus cards to ensure optimized speeds.

The Canvas Plus card series include:

Canvas Select Plus:

Designed for recreational/amateur Full HD and 4K DSLR cameras (SD), and Android mobile devices (microSD).
Class 10 UHS-I speeds1 up to 100MB/s read.
MicroSD supports the A1 app performance class to expedite workflow on tablets and smartphones.
SD and microSD in capacities2 up to 512GB.

Canvas Go! Plus:

Ideal for shooting 4K UHD video and burst-mode photography on your DSLR (SD), or using with your 4K action cameras and drones (microSD).
Class 10 UHS-I U3 speeds1 up to 170MB/s read3, 90MB/s write.
MicroSD supports the A2 app performance class to expedite workflow on next-gen tablets and smartphones.
SD and microSD in capacities2 up to 512GB.

Canvas React Plus:

Top-of-the-line UHS-II performance to capture professional-grade 4K/8K videos and high-resolution photos on industry-standard cameras.
Class 10 UHS-II U3 speeds1 up to 300MB/s read, 260MB/s write4 (SD) and 285MB/s read, 165MB/s write4 (microSD).
The first UHS-II microSD to support the A1 app performance class to expedite workflow on tablets and smartphones.
SD and microSD in capacities2 up to 256GB.

MobileLite Plus Readers:

Built to increase workflow efficiency with incredible UHS-II speeds for faster file transfers and processing time.
USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds with backward compatibility support for UHS-I cards.
Designed for optimal performance with Kingston microSD and SD cards.

Asus Expertbook: Is it really an expert?

Asus has been known to provide genre-specific, purpose-oriented computers that are built for a reason and they follow that reason alone. But what about a laptop that is touted as an ‘expert’? Is it a stronger testament to their dedication towards a purpose or is it more of a forced moniker to draw attention away from its flaws? 

Touch, feel, and vibe:

First and foremost, it is a solid laptop hands-down. Good built quality, sturdy backlit keyboard, and decently lightweight. It also offers a modern version of the ThinkPad TrackPoint, called the SensePoint. For newcomers, it is basically a tracking nub in the centre of your keyboard. Yes, the old-school one. The trackpad is also old-fashioned, with the left and right-click buttons on the top, instead of the conventional bottom. What’s more, there is even a privacy shutter for the webcam, so you can access the dark web more easily (just kidding, please don’t visit the dark web. It’s bad, trust me.) Weighing in at around 1.5 kilos, it also offers great portability. So what’s the problem? It is the display.

Display:

Oh, the display! If only it were sharper and clearer! Colour accuracy of only 46% sRGB is acceptable, so is an average brightness level of around 190 nits. However, what rubs off all the charm is the aspect ratio of 70:1! It simply destroys the picture quality and does not give a good output whatsoever. The LCD screen is absolutely outdated and takes away all the modernness of the laptop. Just by glancing at my colleague’s screen and looking back at mine, I could make out the difference. Yes, it is that hindering.

Performance:

That said, the laptop performs like a businessman. Crisp, curt, professional. What else can you expect though, with Intel’s 10th-Gen i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a pretty decent graphics card? Yes, you can play games and edit videos, and generally use it as a standard laptop. Or, you can be a good employee and use it exclusively for work! That way, you won’t have to deal with overheating, lagging, or battery drainage. Speaking of, moderate to standard office use will allow the battery to run for an entire day, assuming it is fully charged.

User Experience:

Funnily enough, I got the chance to use this laptop under varied circumstances. Be it on the desk of my office or in the middle of nowhere during a shoot, the laptop did its job and did it well. There were no complaints when copying or transferring data and also sustaining a day-long use without a recharge. But again, the display quality was a big let-down and dimmed the otherwise bright spotlight. Nevertheless, there is nothing a standard office-goer would miss on this laptop. Its body is meant to be durable and that’s what it is. You will have a tough time breaking it apart, provided you don’t make special efforts to do so! The keyboard is also intuitive, though the SensePoint nub is a bit intrusive. That would probably be because its presence is scarce these days, but the privacy shutter over the webcam is a welcome addition.

Verdict:

With a starting price of ₹62,999, the Asus Expertbook can be a consideration for anybody looking for a sturdy laptop with sufficient corporate abilities. Other users with a more focussed purpose, such as gamers, content creators, or graphic designers will find a lot of flaws and shortcomings and hence should prefer other options. Overall, the Expertbook is definitely not an expert, but rather a business specialist.

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!HomePod mini makes controlling smart home accessories easier than ever with simple voice commands for Siri to turn off the lights, change the temperature, lock the doors, or set a scene. HomePod mini is the perfect home hub, providing access to smart home accessories while at home or away.

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.

Leadership Series | Asim Warsi – SVP, Samsung India

Episode 2 of our Leadership Series where we connect with the ‘Top Leaders in Tech & Auto’ to give you all the insights on the journey behind the big brands. Get inspired by the ideas, hard work & ambitious future.

Leadership Series | Sunil Nayyar – MD, Sony India

Welcome to our Leadership Series where we get candid with ‘Top Leaders in Tech & Auto’. Mr Sunil Nayyar, young MD of Sony India has a huge responsibility on his shoulders in motivating his entire team while working from home and managing growth and challenges.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE | Unboxing Under 2 Minutes

Unboxing is a therapy for us & here’s another video of us unboxing the newly launched smartphone by Samsung which is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, the Fan Edition. Do let us know if you have any questions and we will answer them all in our next video. Until then, don’t forget to hit the bell icon so that you don’t miss out on any more tech videos.

Motorola Razr 5G I Unboxing & Review

Sleek just got sleeker and the already sharp Razr is back in a sharper avatar. Tough body, good looks, smart & stylish. No, we are not describing Chris Hemsworth but this is what we feel about the Razr. Know more about the phone in our video & comment below which feature did you find the most interesting.

Beebom | Top 100 | Influncex’20

 

Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?

Beebom: The changes in the digital space are more rapid than any other industry and in the past 10 years or so, we’ve seen a lot. What’s cool today might not be there after a few years, things move that fast in the Internet era and you always have to keep up with it. If you don’t, then you might not even be on the map. It’s the same for content creators, and the platforms they’re on.

Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?

Beebom: If you do it right, then you will see a lot of success in terms of the engagement and reach but if you don’t optimize your content as per the platform and try to repurpose the same content on all platforms then you might not reach the full potential. It’s something you learn once you start making content for the online audience.

Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)

Beebom: As the co-founder of Beebom, I’ve started working on it at the beginning of my 20s and now I am at the end of my 20s and it’s the only thing I ever worked on.

Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?

Beebom: I’d take my iPhone, my MacBook, and my Airpods Pro because that’s all I use these days.

Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?

Beebom: A hybrid foldable phone that wraps around the hand and becomes a smartwatch and that too in a budget of most people. I am working on it, maybe.

Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)

Beebom: I was in my hometown shopping some essentials for the home with my mother and we stopped at a shop selling towels and the person who worked there recognized me and started having a conversation followed by a selfie request and when I got out of the shop my mother told me that it’s because of you we couldn’t bargain. We could have gotten a better price for these towels and we both laughed.

Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?

Beebom: Since we’re in the business of introducing and reviewing new tech to our audience, we maintain that space very well. We don’t post unnecessary stuff and try to give our opinions only on tech. Sometimes, we need to take a stand in tech as well but we do ensure that we make a comment after properly understanding the situation and forming an opinion basis of true facts.

Ex: What does success mean to you?

Beebom: Success is the celebration of reaching a milestone and planning for the next one while you’re at it., and so on. If you’re happy doing whatever you’re, you’re already successful.

Ex: What are your three favorite photo/video editing tools?

Beebom: We use all the Adobe software and Final Cut Pro as the razor-sharp forged in fire weapons of our choice for video and image editing.

Ex: A machine/gadget that you’re obsessing over right now?

Beebom: It has to be the Boston Dynamics robot dog that costs a whopping $75,000!

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Rider Girl Vishakha | Top 100 | Influncex’20

Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?

Vishakha: I personally believe change is the only constant, talking digital blogging historically since Pyara Lab developed its blogger; it evolved as a primary mode of expression today. The journey of my blogging from mobile phone to action camera witnessed many turns. 

Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?

Vishakha: I wished I would have invented modern-day action cameras. I could have developed them in more friendly ways, sans all difficulties we face while making a travel vlog. 

Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)

Vishakha: Seriously, it happened a week before when I received an email from a college-going girl. I was highly emotional reading the mail from Siddhi, who was explaining to me how she was preparing herself to become a female moto-vlogger.

Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?

Vishakha: It applies to each and everything under the sky. One must be mentally strong and strategically clear on what to be done and what not. I would rather say the more light you bring, the more darkness you can remove. 

Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?

Vishakha: The journey just started and has a long way to go. If you see various recent studies, brands started looking at Influencer Marketing as a vital or topmost strategic priority. We still have to go a long way ahead. I was going through some recent studies which suggest around 75% of brands and agencies started developing independent, separate policies for influential marketing programs as a top priority. 

Ex: What is your dream car or motorbike?

Vishakha: My dream car or bike must not be to drive or ride but to keep in a décor place with love and care. I am excited to ride CBR500 or Tiger in the future. 

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