75 Gadgets that changed the world

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Every invention is a birth of an idea that was once considered vague and impotent. However, some inventions bring about major changes in everyone’s life and gradually knits themselves closely with our routine and habits. Every invention is a prop for a man to advance his own life and to teach future generations how to be more creative and independent. Why 75 gadgets, in particular, you would ask? Well, it’s the 75th year of Independence for India. To celebrate this occasion, we have brought together 75 gadgets that changed the world for the better and made our lives easier as a country and as individuals.

Toaster

The first electric toaster was designed by Alan MacMasters in London. The electric filaments used in it had a large amount of nickel in their composition, which led them to overheat easily. This discovery came as an accident, and now all we do is just toast and drink.

Refrigerator

Before the early 19th century, people relied on ice, snow, and naturally cool areas in their houses to preserve food. Refrigeration raised the expectations of what food would taste like. People no longer expected that the old food would still taste fresh.

Smartphones

When one thinks of an invention that took over the whole world, numerous things come to mind. However, nothing brought a revolution as a smartphone did. Think of anything, and your smartphone might be capable of pulling it off.

Mobile phones

Cell phones have also changed the way that people interact with each other. When we call someone, we are actually calling the person and not a place. Unlike the telephone, which was mostly at homes or offices, cellphones could now be carried around at our own convenience.

Cars

When one thinks of an invention that took over the whole world, numerous things come to mind. However, nothing brought a revolution like a car did, as it gave people more personal freedom and access to jobs and services.

Geysers

The history of water heaters accelerated quite extremely around the time of the industrial revolution. Fire-heated methods that had been in use for thousands of years quickly went the way of the dodo, while newfangled technology was invented and subsequently popularized as a mainstay of home construction and domestic life.

 

Laptop

There’s no question that laptops have changed the world. They’ve made it possible for people to work from anywhere, and they’ve given us a whole new way to connect with each other. The first laptops were introduced in the early 1980s and were bulky, expensive, and not very powerful.

Computer

Thanks to computers, space exploration came true, new designs of vehicles and other transportation were made, entertainment became more entertaining, medical science made more cures for diseases, etc.

Video Games

As video arcades and home video game consoles gained in popularity, youth culture quickly adapted to this type of media, engaging in competitions to gain high scores and spending hours at the arcade or with the home console.

3D Glasses

In the mid-19th century, Charles Wheatstone discovered that simply viewing a pair of similar (but not exact) images side-by-side can give the impression of three-dimensionality. The images are taken by two cameras that are slightly separated. This way, the photographs mimic what each one of our two eyes would see in reality.

Glasses

The invention of glasses is considered a crucial step forward in humanity’s cultural history: suddenly, people suffering from visual impairments could not only play an active role in day-to-day life, but also study for longer, expand their knowledge and then pass it on to others.

Watches

Explorers needed the time to navigate at sea. The latitude could already be accurately determined on the basis of the stars, but the longitude was the local time needed. If the clock was one minute wrong, that was already a deviation of 28 km in the tropics. So the origin of the watch stemmed from the need for a precise navigation tool.

Hard Drives

The fact that every year scientists have managed to compress more and more information on hard drives for less and less cost, has led to a revolution just as dramatic as the one triggered by the much more celebrated microprocessor.

Television

Not not only did television re-envision our sense of the world, it remains, even in the age of the internet, Facebook, and YouTube, the most powerful generator of our collective memories, the most seductive and shocking mirror of society, and the most virulent incubator of social trends.

Light Bulb

The invention of the lightbulb was a big one for the people living in the period. It enabled them to work longer days, go home late, and still have supper and do unfinished work, attend social gatherings like meetings and parties, even though it was dark outside.

come in a range of sizes from large Megawatt sizes, which store the power from solar farms or substations to guarantee stable supply in entire villages or islands, down to tiny batteries like those used in electronic watches. However, the term was first coined by Benjamin Franklin in 1749 when he was doing experiments with electricity using a set of linked capacitors.

Voice Assistants

Apple introduced Siri in 2011. Siri was the first Voice Assistant to reach a wide audience. Then in 2014, Amazon introduced the Alexa Voice Assistant and Echo smart speaker. A.I.-based chatbots provide interactions that are far from being capable of having a conversation with a real-life human assistant.

The Printing Press

Before the printing press, books in Europe were hand-scribed, and thus they were costly. Granted, these books often contained beautiful calligraphy and artwork, and illuminated manuscripts were real works of art. The mass-produced books made information more accessible to a middle class that was becoming increasingly literate.

Steam Engine

The simultaneous perfection of the steam engine and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution is a chicken and egg scenario that historians have long debated. The world was becoming industrialized before the advent of steam power, but it would never have progressed so quickly without it.

Guns

The invention of guns followed the development of explosive black powder in China. The first guns were simple tubes from which to shoot explosive charges, but gradually they were made easier to load, aim, and fire. Guns revolutionized warfare and effectively ended the age of the armoured knight and the castle stronghold.

Bike

Motorcycles played an important role in World War I and World War II, as they were a quick, efficient way of transporting important communication to the front lines. Since then, motorcycles have been capturing the enthusiasm and excitement of riders all over the world.

Switches

The first ever switch used on a mechanism is called ‘The quick break mechanism’. It was invented by John Henry Holmes in 1884. The time taken to get together the circuit was reduced which increased the life of the switches.

DVD Player

Home video changed the entire business model of film, giving movies a second life and another chance at turning a profit, from right inside people’s homes. From the beginning, DVDs have had menus and other interactive content, but producers were driven to find more ways to use that space.

Electric Razor

The idea of creating an electric razor came to Jacob Schick while he recuperated from an injury in the early 1910s and found it difficult to shave. Schick drew up crude plans that featured a shaver with a shaving head driven by a flexible cable and powered by a grapefruit-sized external motor.

Binoculars

Honestly, binoculars seem to be one of the coolest things to exist. Credit for the first real binocular telescope goes to J. P. Lemiere, who devised one in 1825. The modern prism binoculars began with Ignazio Porro’s 1854 Italian patent for a prism erecting system.

Smoke Detector

In 1964, Duane D. Pearsall was developing an ionization chamber and found his invention detected smoke particles better than ones made earlier. Since 1964, the low-voltage electronics market has developed electronic smoke detector and smoke alarm models. National awareness of their importance to life safety has propelled them to the head of many “top 100 inventions of our time” lists.

Sony Walkman

In 1979, the new device forever changed the way we listened to music and launched a cultural revolution. All thanks to Walkman, now you could walk down the street, and the music altered the very experience of looking at the world.

Polaroid Camera

The Polaroid camera bypassed the entire process of film development, thus providing photographers an immediate look at their work. Released for sale in 1948, the first version was an “instant” hit.

Calculator

The calculator has profoundly impacted the world, making computations quicker and more exact. In the classroom, calculators have allowed many students to learn about and put complex formulas and concepts into practice more easily.

Wi-Fi Router

The freedom it has afforded is immense, changing how people interact, socialize and form relationships. Wireless connections and Wi-Fi are now central to how governments work with technology, information exchange, finance, and commerce.With the invention of the microphone, news spread quicker, people were also able to communicate easier and quicker. People didn’t have to rely on letters or telegraphs. Microphones also greatly influenced the music industry, allowing recordings to be made and amplification of artists.

Computer Mouse

The computer mouse you use today had humble beginnings back in the 1960s. American computer engineers Douglas Engelbart and William “Bill” English were working on something bigger when the idea of a “computer-aided display control” was realized.

LED

Without blue LEDs, the world wouldn’t have backlit smartphones, TV and computer LCD screens, Blu-ray players, many forms of lighting and countless other technological marvels.

Pager

Long before email and texting, pagers and portable mini radiofrequency devices allowed instant human interaction. Invented in 1921, pagers—or “beepers” as they are also known—reached their heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. To have one hanging from a belt loop, shirt pocket, or purse strap was to convey a certain kind of status.

Electric Guitar

By making music performance more accessible and allowing for more rebellious music, the electric guitar provided much of the soundtrack for the social revolution of the 1960s. Artists like Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and others all sang about radically new concepts not often heard on the radio at the time.

Radio

For just 5 years short of a century, radio has shaped and advanced society like nothing that came before it. Radio has changed the way we communicate with each other, how we share and promote our thoughts, opinions and creations — and ofcourse enjoy good music.

TV Remote Control

Remote controls completely changed the way consumers interacted with their electronic devices. Now people could remain glued to their chairs for hours on end instead of getting a bit of exercise every time they wanted to change a radio station or TV channel.

 

Handheld GPS

GPS has made the human environment safer and easier to live in by keeping track of the children, helping people locate their destination, and knowing the estimated time to reach a particular place.

Electric Kettle

The invention of the electric kettle has, directly and indirectly, impacted society since the ‘supermarket convenience foods’ concept became a thing and companies started making their own version, leading to new jobs. Soon after the invention of the automated kettle, in 1958, Instant noodles were invented in Japan.

Helicopter

Choppers have become a modern mainstay – saving lives in rescue operations, and ending many more in wars from Vietnam to Afghanistan. With private jets, helicopters are the ultimate object of prestige travel, carrying world leaders to key meetings or to their golf courses.

Thermometer

The first crude temperature measure was created by the Italian inventor Galileo Galilei. His invention could show if it was getting hotter or colder but did not have a scale. The invention is now known as a thermoscope and led to the creation of the thermometer.

Vacuum Cleaner

The impact of the vacuum cleaner on society is significant, as electricity was becoming available, and our cultural need to keep things clean was beginning to develop. The vacuum cleaner would increase the frequency of cleaning to once a week and involve fewer people.

Solar Cooker

Not only have solar cookers changed the world, but it has the potential to save the world too. With catastrophic environmental effects, some three billion people worldwide rely on dung, wood and charcoal to cook their food. Cookers powered by the sun provide a cheap and clean alternative.

E-Readers

The increasing availability of e-content is prompting some to read more than in the past and to prefer buying books to borrowing them. The prevalence of e-book reading is markedly growing, but printed books still dominate the world of book readers.

Robots

Although the concept of robots has existed for many years, it’s only been in the last few decades that they’ve grown in complexity and use. Today, robots are used everywhere in industries, military, services, exploration, medical, and entertainment – you just name it.

Virtual Reality and AR

VR is the perfect tool for raising awareness of social and environmental issues and goes beyond the traditional 2D depiction of the situation by putting users in someone else’s shoes. Users are no longer passive spectators but are now capable of taking part in real-time without actually being present.

Digital Currency

Digital currency might be the closest thing we have come to retaining economic freedom. If these are regulated, it could lift many countries out of poverty, improve the lives of billions, and accelerate the pace of innovation.

Water Purifier

In the 1700s, the first water filters for domestic application were applied. These were made of wool, sponge and charcoal. In 1804 the first actual municipal water treatment plant designed by Robert Thom was built in Scotland. The water treatment was based on slow sand filtration, and the horse and cart distributed the water.

Hearing Aid

Hearing aids have not only helped people in hearing better but, to an extent, reduced anxiety and depression. Hearing aids trigger the ability to learn, speak, be understood, belong to a community, and pursue one’s dreams.

Sunglasses

Well, the Chinese invented the first sunglasses in the 12th century. They were crude slabs of smoked quartz that was made to block out the sun’s rays. The primitive frames were roughly framed to hold them against a user’s face. These darkened lenses were however not vision corrected, unable to protect against harmful UV rays and made only for the rich.

Chain Saw

Did you know that chainsaws were initially invented to assist in childbirth? You are probably clenching your teeth right now, but facts are facts. It then evolved into a woodworking tool when people noticed how quickly and easily it was to get through, well, anything.

VCR

The story of the VCR as we know it began much later in the 20th century. By the 1970s, companies began competing with each other by releasing premium in-home video recording systems, which sent Hollywood in a tizzy over copyright concerns.

Electric Toothbrush

It all started when navy submarines thrived on mushy canned food that got almost zero gum stimulant. The electric toothbrush solved that problem in 1959, and this invention inspired another vibrating device (that’s an article for some other day.

Lantern

When W.C. Coleman debuted his Quick-Lite lantern in 1916, he marketed the device to farmers looking to stretch the workday. Until electricity and light bulbs became prevalent in every rural home, lanterns were the way to go.

Old lantern or Old lamp isolated on white background

Hair Dryer

The concept for the handheld hairdryer was developed during the 1920s in Racine, Wisc., where engineers at Hamilton Beach–tasked with developing motorized mixers for making malted milkshakes. They realized the potential utility of a handheld device capable of blowing heated air. Early models were heavy, though, and susceptible to overheating.

Lawnmower

It took over 100 years until the first mechanical lawn mower was invented and patented by engineer Edwin Beard Budding of Gloucestershire, England, in 1830. Budding got the idea after seeing a machine in a local cloth mill. The machine used a cutting cylinder with a bladed reel to trim the irregular nap from the surface of woollen and velvet cloth in order to give it a smooth finish.

Gameboy

Today, portable gaming is a fact of life–most people have games like Angry Birds and Bejeweled on their smartphones. But when the original Nintendo Gameboy was released in 1989, there had never been a successful cartridge-based portable game system.

Bicycle

For a few heady years in the 1890s, the bicycle was the ultimate must-have—swift, affordable, stylish transportation that could whisk you anywhere you cared to go, anytime you liked, for free. For the first time in history, the masses were mobile, able to come and go as they pleased. No more need for expensive horses and carriages.

Answering Machine

Released in 1971, the Phone-Mate Model 400, the first widely used answering machine, was a blessing and a curse. Its tapes could capture 20 messages, enabling selective communication. The downside: phone tag, screening calls, and annoying recorded messages.

MP3 Player

Although iPod wasn’t the first MP3 Player, it was certainly the most successful. The device debuted in 2001 and sold more than 300 million units. The iPod and iTunes helped create a new MP3 era and made listening to music cool.

Cassette Tape

Cassette tapes mostly gather dust these days. But back in their heyday, they fundamentally changed how we communicate in ways we’re still making sense of today. On this week’s On the Media, hear how the cassette tape fueled the Iranian revolution, helped pierce the Iron Curtain, and put the human connection in the palm of our hands.

Car Jack

Richard Dudgeon invented the compact, portable hydraulic jack in 1851 when he was 32. Now available at every auto shop and pit row on the land, its original habitats were shipyards and railroad repair shops.

Old Car Jack over white background

Sewing Machine

The sewing machine shifted the burden of sewing from housewives and seamstresses to large-scale factories, providing greater productivity and lower prices. Women who had been busy at home could now find employment in these factories, increasing their family’s income.

Fitness Watches

What’s better than wearing a watch? Wearing a personalized watch that tracks your fitness and tells you how much more you need to push through. Watches today can tell not just the physical well-being but the mental well-being too, representing how far we have come with technology.

Helmet

The motorcycle helmet that we wear has its own rich history that started almost 80 years ago. It seems inseparable as it is the most important gear that helps keep us safe. It has been guarding our heads against potential damage and made people more sensible on the road.

Stapler

I believe staplers are the most used gadget in the office after pen and paper. An unknown artisan made the first-known stapler for King Louis XV of France in the 18th century. Each staple bore the royal seal, and the King could use the device to hold his decrees and documents together.

Fishing Rod

The history of fishing rods goes back to ancient Egypt and China. When people started to fish in prehistoric times, they used bare hands to catch the fish in shallow water. This method was not practical in deeper water, so someone invented a fishing hook and a line. Thanks to this, fishing has become a sport now.

Lighter

Think about a backyard barbecue, a candlelit bubble bath, or cigars with the boys at a bachelor party. What do all these things have in common? You need a lighter to make them happen! It was a simple act, but it had a monumental impact on the survival of the entire human race.

Tecno Pova 3 – A new Workhorse

Tecno has expanded its product portfolio in the Indian market to cater to a larger audience with smartphones at different price ranges. The Pova series still happens to be sitting at the sweet spot of the budget segment smartphone, a hot category among young buyers. So, does this latest iteration live up to its hype, and should you consider it? 

How does it look and feel?

Tecno Pova 3 is a little hefty considering the battery it packs within. The phone feels sturdy with substantial character around it. It is also fairly big, with a 6.9-inch display. We had the tech silver model which definitely looks premium and feels above its category. The phone is IPX2 splash resistant, which protects it from drizzle and light splashes of water. It’s a handy feature to have on a phone that costs this much. Keeping up with its gaming-centric approach, there are subtle yet practical touches that have been given to the smartphone. For instance, the sides of the Pova 3 have inverted edges for placing your index fingers while you are gaming. 

A design feature missing in the Tech Silver variant is an LED strip that chimes in three different colours for notifications and battery capacity. Other design elements are generic, we get a volume rocker on the left, which is tactile, and right next to them is a SIM tray. It is a hybrid slot that supports 2 Nano SIM cards and a micro SD card. To the right, you will find the power lock and unlock button with an integrated fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is quick in its response. The bottom comprises the USB type-C charging port, speaker grill and an old-school headphone jack. 

How’s the screen?

Tecno Pova 3 features a 6.9-inch FHD+ display with a 1080 x 2460 pixel resolution which is pretty nice considering the category of the phone. Most colours on the Pova 3 look natural, and the screen is able to project decent clarity. 

The display has a peak brightness of 500 nits, which is sufficient for indoor usage but moves outside on a good sunny day and one might find it difficult to glance at the screen. 

But all’s not bad, especially if you are a gamer. Tecno Pova 3’s screen has a max refresh rate of 90Hz. These figures might not be as phenomenal as the 120Hz that we see on other phones, but combined with the 180Hz touch sampling rate, the performance is pretty satisfactory.

A good highlight of the Tecno Pova 3 is the haptic feedback on the device which you receive while playing games. It is apt and adds a lot of character to your gaming experience. It won’t numb your hands, but the subtle vibration adds a more of personalized touch.

How does it sound?

While the display makes up for gamers, a casual user will be engrossed in consuming content. Packing in dual speakers, the Tecno Pova 3’s hidden USP is its audio prowess. The audio output is loud, sharp and clear. Be it the effects while playing games or binge-watching on social media apps or simply streaming a YouTube video, it sounds well.

 

What’s inside?

Tecno Pova 3 runs on Android 12 out of the box which is paired together with HiOS 8.6. It is powered by a Mediatek Helio G88 processor, an almost a year-old SoC, the G88 is a 4G chipset. The variant we tested, packs in 6GB of RAM which can be bumped up to 11GB using RAM fusion if you are gaming intensively. That being said, the default 6GB of memory is sufficient for most of the tasks and holds up applications pretty well. The internal storage on the device is 128GB out of which 20GB is used by the OS. This is ample for most of the users. But you can expand it to 1TB with a micro SD card if you need more storage.

The massive 7000 mAh battery is very well optimized and for light usage, should easily last well over 2 days.For gamers, playing graphic-intensive games continuously won’t affect much and the battery will last for at least a day. The 33W power adapter in the box charges the Pova 3 to 50% in about 45 minutes. But a full 0-100% charge needs at least 2.5 hours, which is considerable given the battery size.Tecno also provides a reverse charging feature on the Pova 3, which means it can charge up other devices with a 10W voltage. The best practical usage is charging your TWS or Bluetooth headphones if they run out of juice during a commute. 

How’s the camera? 

Tecno Pova 3 features a triple rear camera set-up with the primary one being a 50MP shooter with F1.6 aperture. The second one is a 2MP depth sensor and finally an AI lens for all the gimmicks it packs within. The colour grades can go off sometimes, especially if you have the AI beauty filter on. Dark colours like Red, or Navy blue look undersaturated and with the AI filter and seem to shift further away from the natural tones a bit. There is a super night mode on the camera, which aids when you are clicking pictures at night. There is no ultra-wide lens on the phone, so you cannot open up the frame and are just limited to zooming in.

The 10X zoom can be considered a feature, but it is better to be left off. The video performance is decent. The camera shoots a maximum resolution of 2K. The video stabilization is not impressive and the output can be shaky sometimes. So if you are a creator looking for a device to Vlog or just shoot in general then this camera can be considered but for a light usage. Audio recorded by the in-built mic though is pretty decent. The real charm is actually the 8MP front camera. Unlike the primary camera which can deceive you sometimes, the front camera is pretty consistent for that matter. The images look sharp and are worthy of your social media selfies. The front camera also features dual flashlights which are a talking point. 

How much on my Pocket? 

The Tecno Pova 3 is available in 2 variants. The base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage is priced at ₹11,499 and the other variant packs in 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and retails at a price of ₹12,999.

Time Machine-James Webb Space Telescope

Time machines exist! They’re popularly known as telescopes. NASA’s new space telescope can see through time, and we just got our first images from billions of years ago. These are the very first images captured by the James Webb space telescope, the deepest we’ve seen into the universe with alien planets, far-off galaxies, and the birth and death of distant stars, but this is just the start. We are going to break down everything you need to know about the James Webb space telescope. From those first images to how it uses infrared light to see the past and what it could teach us about the universe? On the 12th of July NASA released the first five images from the James Webb space telescope showing us the most profound and most detailed look into our universe ever. The first big reveal was Webb’s first deep field, an image of thousands of galaxies 4.6 billion light years away. This is the furthest into our universe we’ve ever seen, and all that detail is in an area of sky as big as a grain of sand. Next up, we saw science data spectroscopy from an exoplanet captured when it passed in front of a distant star. This data shows us evidence of water on an alien planet a thousand light years away. Our third image was the stunning southern ring nebula. A dying star 2500 light years away captured by two instruments on the telescope NIRcam and MIRI (Mid-infrared instrument). It shows shells of gas and dust ejected from a dying star. Next was a group of five galaxies called Stephan’s Quintet. This is Webb’s largest image yet, with more than 150 million pixels showing us what NASA calls a cosmic dance of galaxies, stars being born and even outflows from a black hole. And finally, the most phenomenal image of them all, the cosmic cliffs of the Carina nebula. This stunning vista reveals new details about this vast stellar nursery for the first time. 

We’re seeing brand-new stars that were previously completely hidden from our view. In this view, we see some great examples, of the hundreds of new stars that we’ve never seen before. We see examples of bubbles and cavities and jets that are being blown out by these newborn stars. We even see some galaxies sort of lurking in the background. Up here, we see examples of structures that, honestly, we don’t even know what they are! What’s going on here? The data is just so rich! These spectacular images really represent the dawn of a new scientific era, one powered by the world’s most powerful telescope.

What is the James Webb space telescope? 

Well, it’s essentially a giant observatory orbiting the sun a million miles away from earth that examines space through infrared light after decades of development by NASA’s Goddard space flight centre, the Canadian space agency and the European space agency. It was launched from French Guiana on Christmas day in 2021. It’s on a decades-long mission to look at our whole universe. This telescope was initially designed to look back in time and see the very first galaxies that were born after the big bang. We’re talking about looking back in time over thirteen and half billion years into the past. It will study how galaxies change throughout cosmic history. We’ll learn more about how stars and planets are born. We’ll learn about exoplanets, planets orbiting other stars, and then we’ll also learn about objects within our own solar system. This fantastic new telescope is really going to be able to study our universe from our sort of own cosmic backyard of the solar system all the way out to the most distant objects in the universe and everything in between space and time. 

The telescope orbits the earth around the sun in a fixed position on the dark side of our planet; staying away from the sun which is very important for its mission. Its sensitive instruments are on the hunt for infrared light, which is essentially heat energy; that’s the reason behind that massive diamond-shaped sun shield the size of a tennis court. The telescope collects infrared light from space using its giant honeycomb-shaped mirror, which is covered in actual gold! Why infrared light? Well, infrared is the key to seeing distant parts of our universe, and that’s because of the way those light waves travel through space. The fact that the universe is expanding all the time and accelerating, thereby as light travels through space, that expansion of the universe literally stretches the light waves. Light waves that are longer in length stretched out show different waves and so are the most distant galaxies, the ones we’ve never seen at all. They’re so far away, their light has been stretched so much that it no longer appears in the optical at all. It’s all in the infrared. Hence, to see into deep space we need to observe those infrared light waves. The light waves that James Webb can see have travelled a long way from 13.6 billion light years away, to be exact in deep, deep space.

This is where it starts to get very cool because the universe is so large by the time this light reaches us from that distance, it’s taken billions of years to get here. When we see the light from that far away, we actually see 13.6 billion years into the past. As astronomers often say, telescopes are time machines, and that’s actually true.  We’re able to see into the past with telescopes, and the reason for that sounds very dramatic and sci-fi, but it’s actually based on the straightforward fact that light takes time to travel through space in the same sense light from the sun takes about eight minutes to get to the earth. So you’re seeing the sun as it was about eight minutes ago, and it’s because of this simple nature of the way light works that we’re able to look back in time and see how the universe was in the distant past. And by that, we can sort of put together a story of how the universe has changed over the last 14 billion years of cosmic history. 

How far can we look back into our past?

How does this telescope time machine actually capture this ancient light? Well, the primary way is with the near-infrared camera or NIRcam built by Lockheed Martin Space in silicon valley. It’s like any other camera, except it’s way more complex and it sees invisible light. The whole optics to collect that light is quite a bit of departure from a little lens that we would have on a regular camera. It’s more based on lenses that let the light through and then modify the light in a particular way. Navcam has several different filters. So it doesn’t look at just infrared or just one wavelength; it is a range. We have a number of filters that allow you to look at the different regions of this spectrum to extract even more information than just a simple image. One of the big benefits of measuring infrared light is that NIRcam can see through clouds of dust and space things that would normally block visible light from reaching us. This helps scientists find whole galaxies that might otherwise be hidden. 

We saw that with James Webb’s predecessor, the Hubble space telescope, and now we’ll be able to see even more. NIRcam can also do what’s known as Coronography. Essentially blocking light from bright stars to get a better view of the planets orbiting them, and it can measure the way the light from stars passes through the atmospheres of alien planets. All of this could potentially help us find habitable planets. Coronography is all about what’s the composition of these planets, and what’s in their atmosphere. Potentially can we find carbon or water traces and so on, which don’t prove that there’s light, but these are the building blocks for life. There are three other instruments alongside NIRcam on the telescope – MIRI captures longer wavelengths of infrared light. Then there’s NIRspec (Near-infrared spectrograph) which has tiny mechanical shutters that open and close to collect data on things like the temperature composition and mass of distant objects. Finally, there’s NIRISS (Near-infrared imager and slitless spectrograph) and the FGS (Fine guidance sensor). NIRISS observes planets around bright stars by diffusing the light of the stars over a lot of pixels while the fine guidance sensor keeps Webb perfectly steady in space. 

Game changer?

The big question is, why is the James Webb space telescope such a game changer? Well, unlike Hubble JWST can see further and dig deeper into the origins of space. Its light-collecting mirror is six and a half meters wide compared to Hubble’s two and a half meters. All that light collecting power means it can look further back in time seeing fainter and more distant objects capturing more data, and taking us closer to the very origins of our universe. As for what’s next, well, the first batch of images took just five days to capture, and NASA says the telescope could have enough fuel to last for 20 years.

So, this is just the beginning. We can expect more discoveries, more unknown galaxies and more beautiful images, letting us peek deeper into the universe and learn more about the very dawn of time. This first look data that we’re getting shows us the power of this incredible instrument in terms of really our next big step in our search for life in the universe. We think the most exciting thing about this incredible new telescope is the idea that there are surprises in the universe. To say that this is a pivotal moment in the history of science is an absolute understatement. We are about to look into the past further than we’ve ever seen before and that thrill itself makes up for this $10 billion gold-clad space telescope.

How does Instagram influence music trends?Trending reel music starts trending on music streaming platforms

Instagram is an addictive yet entertaining app. TikTok and other apps popularised the vertical short-form video format. Instagram soon followed as an update to keep up with the consumer demands of our generation. Instagram calls this feature Reels. Reels are arguably one of Instagram’s most consumed forms of video content. Long-term Instagram users may know that Instagram was a picture-sharing platform, but as nerds call it, each video is either 24/30/60 frames of pictures per second. 

Instagram influences music trends 

Instagram reels are all about trending music and music suitable for content uploading. Adhering to the needs of Instagram users, reels have a built-in music selection for your video content on Instagram. TikTok is no longer available in India, so many content creators have switched to what is available, Instagram. A new trend is emerging involving music consumed by the masses in the form of short video content on Instagram.

Maximum reach is achieved when one selects music on the Instagram app for reels. Reels allow user content audio to play alongwith trending music for the reels, followed by many people hopping on the latest trending music to make their content. A new trend witnessed due to this approach is how the selection of music on trending reels influences consumption of that particular song or music on other streaming and download platforms. 

Anatomy of music trends

The song that trends on Instagram as a story or reels directly impacts the song’s consumption in other apps like Spotify, Gaana, Saawan, YT Music, etc. This is a recent phenomenon and is genuinely impacting the music industry. What was once possible for products and services as a form of entertainment through influencer marketing now applies to the music industry. For example, Duke & Jones, Louis Theroux – Jiggle Jiggle song was released on 13th May 2022 and was introduced by the duo as a form of music on TikTok on 14th May 2022. Thanks to the platform, this music saw 2.6 million views on just one platform by 17th May 2022. As the world trend followed, it was soon popularised on Instagram, and millions of views are pouring in as you read this article. A direct influence has this song trending on top charts across music streaming platforms. We believe that as the short form of video consumption popularises new and old music, it will shape and transform the music industry.

Xiaomi Smart TV 5A!An important update in a competitive market

Research has found that 43-inch televisions are the most sold television size in India. Thanks to the predecessor of the unit we review below, 43-inch television prices became competitive. In 2022, getting a new television is not that big deal. Infact there is now a paradox of choice. Most options are so good that it is almost impossible to go wrong when selecting a 43-inch television. I own the Xiaomi Smart TV 4X, and this is how I feel the newer 5A TV has improved over the years. 

New age budget package 

This time around, the Xiaomi 5A TV features slim and thin bezels. It makes the television seem much more premium than its asking price. It has almost identical TV stands as the earlier models, and nearly all exterior is gloss black plastic, including the stands. A subtle Xiaomi branding upfront and an LED light with a power button below it keep the design clean. There are two HDMI 2.0 ports with one supporting ARC, two USB Type-A ports mashed into one socket, an ethernet port, an AV composite port, an optical port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Basics done right! The display has improved many folds. The remote, too, has seen improvements with Google Assistant speak to command button right below the power button.  

The remote buttons have been updated, and now this television gets 14 controls with a volume rocker. These also include popular OTT applications Netflix, amazon prime video, Disney+ Hotstar and a dedicated apps button to access all the apps quickly.

Evolutionary improvements

The 43-inch display now comes with IPS LCD technology. A new vivid picture engine powered by a new age low-end quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, and 8GB ROM, make the display brighter and more vibrant. The overall feel, bezel-less design, and better picture quality make the Xiaomi Smart TV 5A a worthy competitor in a crowded, dynamic TV market. The TV comes loaded with Android TV 11 based on Android 11 and thus supports all modern apps available on Google Play Store for Android TV. 

The video experience is enhanced with global dimming controls, local contrast control and adaptive luma control. But the main highlight is the vivid picture engine that makes the contrasts, brightness and colours look better than in previous iterations. The most significant change from the last 4 series must be the new and improved 24W dual-speakers with Dolby Atmos and DTS-X software enhancements. 

The audio quality of the television is further improved with options like DTS-X bass enhancement, surround virtualizer and dialogue clarity. If that wasn’t enough, there is a DAC-4 dialogue enhancer with three levels of settings. Technicals aside, the television sounds above average in its segment and is enough to fill a small room easily. 

A budget option in a crowded market

The 43-inch TV market is buzzing with good options from all brands. Xiaomi Smart TV 5A is an excellent addition to the budget market and improves on the overall appeal as a feature-loaded budget smart TV. Android 11 over and above the improved audio-video experience. This is a worthwhile investment if you’re looking for a budget 43-inch FHD TV. 

Good – Improved AV experience, Android TV 11

Bad – No more bundled OTT content 

Ugly – Competitor offerings 

Price – INR 25,999

Specs 

43-inch IPS Panel 

Dual-band WiFi, BT 5.0

Android TV 11

Quad-core A55 SOC with 1.5GB RAM and 8GB storage

24W Speakers with Dolby Audio, DTS-X

Rating – 3.5/5

 

July 2022 – Top 10 releases of the month

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Madhavan has risen from being a cute romantic hero of the early 2000s to being the first A-list actor to make an OTT debut, and now he has added one more star on his shoulder by writing and directing the upcoming film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. The biographical film is based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, a former scientist and aerospace engineer of the ISRO, who was falsely charged with espionage and arrested.

Release: 1st July (in theatres)

Genre: Biography

Directed by: R. Madhavan

Stranger Things S4 Volume 2

 

Stranger Things S4V1 revealed a few new characters, two of whom are quite brutal, the villains of the story – Vecna in the upside-down and number ONE in the laboratory. At the end of the S4V1, we saw Nancy fall into a new dimension while trying to climb the rope of the new world. Volume 2 of the Season 4 consists of two episodes of about 2 hours each called ‘Chapter 8 – Papa’ and ‘Chapter 9 – The Piggyback’, respectively.

Release: 1st July (Netflix)

Genre: Science Fiction Horror

Created by: The Duffer Brothers

Thor: Love and Thunder

 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are going crazy over the release of Thor: Love and Thunder. The 29th superhero film in the MCU is based on the Marvel Comics character Thor and is the direct sequel to Thor: Ragnarok (2017). The film shows the story of Thor returning to action after spending a brief time looking for inner peace. In the process, he recruits Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster to stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all gods.

Release: 8th July (in theatres)

Genre: Superhero

Directed by: Taika Waititi

Boo, Bitch

We have seen Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and now she’s returning with yet another mind-boggling character. Her upcoming mini-series – Boo, Bitch is a supernatural comedy which depicts the story of a high school student who lives a life of a wallflower and wakes up one morning only to find out she’s a ghost. The series is labelled as a mini-series, and it will have eight episodes.

Release: 8th July (Netflix)

Genre: Comedy

Created by: Tim Schauer, Kuba Soltysiak, Erin Ehrlich and Lauren Iungerich

Jaadugar

 

Jeetu Bhaiyya is back again with another movie, and this time he plays the magician’s character. His recent release, Panchayat 2, is already breaking the records and the audience across genres appreciates his performance. With Jaadugar, the actor is looking forward to expanding his movie resume. In the film, Jitendra Kumar plays a role of a Jaadugar with no athletic skill and must win a football trophy to marry his love interest.

Release: 15th July (Netflix)

Genre: Sports Comedy

Directed by: Sameer Saxena

Shabaash Mithu

We have seen films/documentaries based on many cricketers, be it an MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar or the most recent one, Kabir Khan’s 83, but what about the female cricketers? Yes, we have two films in the pipeline based on the female cricketer’s life journey, and one of them is Shabaash Mithu, based on the life of former Test and ODI captain of the India women’s national cricket team, Mithali Raj, and it stars Taapsee Pannu in the titular role.

Release: 15th July (in theatres)

Genre: Biographical Sports Drama

Directed by: Srijit Mukherji

Hit: The First Case

The remake of 2020 released Telugu-language action-thriller film with the same name, which starred Vishwak Sen and Ruhani Sharma in the lead role. The Bollywood remake of the movie stars Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra in the lead role and follows the same plot where the lead character Vikram Rudraraju (Rao), a police officer of the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) who is tasked to investigate the missing case of a young girl.

Release: 15th July (in theatres)

Genre: Action Thriller

Directed by: Dr Sailesh Kolanu

Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi

Recently, Netflix India declared they are on the other side of the success and trying to rise from their current situation in India. However, the company has done great homework over the course and observed what the Indian audience wants to watch! After “House of Secrets – The Burari Deaths”, now they’re all set to release their next true-crime documentary “Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi.” In the end, Netflix realised good documentaries could prevent them from drowning.

Release: 20th July (Netflix)

Genre: True Crime Documentary

Directed by: Ayesha Sood

Shamshera

 

June was all about Ranbir Kapoor. We witnessed the actor being the part of the two trailer launches (Brahmastra and Shamshera) and, of course, the pregnancy announcement with his wife, Alia Bhatt. When people experienced the trailer for Brahmastra, they were in awe, but when they saw the trailer for Shamshera, they hailed him like a king. The period drama film is set in the 1800s and tells the story of a dacoit tribe and their fight for independence against British rule.

Release: 22nd July (in theatres)

Genre: Period Drama

Directed by: Karan Malhotra

Vikrant Rona

Since the theatres opened after the pandemic South Indian movies are going on another level. With every new release, they’re coming up with a masterpiece, be it a Pushpa, KGF, Vikram or 777 Charlie. Vikrant Rona is a fantasy action-adventure film which stars Sudeep in the title role alongside Nirup Bhandari and Neetha Ashok. The movie is based on incidents in which people from a remote village start witnessing a series of unexplainable supernatural events.

Release: 28th July (in theatres)

Genre: Fantasy Action

Directed by: Anup Bhandari

OnePlus 10R-R stands for rapid charging or rebranded?

It doesn’t look like a OnePlus phone!

The OnePlus 10R feels like it was rebranded, and maybe that’s true. The new age, flat edge design looks neat, but the sharp design with more contemporary looks does feel a stark departure from the traditional curved configurations of the past from OnePlus. It feels relatively lightweight for a 6.7-inch display phone with plastic sides and back along with Gorilla Glass 5 protection up front, weighing 186gms. Buttons are tactile, and the overall sharp edge feels like a love or hate situation. Available in two colours – Forest Green and Sierra Black, we test the latter but opine the former as a choice. 

Top-tier hardware but lacklustre software  

Our unit features a mind-blowing 160W charger inside the box and a 4500mAh battery. This device’s highlight must be that insane combination of blazing-fast 150W SuperVOOC charging. The phone juices up in less than 10 mins when it comes to charging up to 70+% and thus eliminates charge anxiety in a weird way. A full charge comes in less than 18 minutes, which is mighty impressive. The phone is no slouch either, with Dimensity 8100 Max (custom SOC), 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1, an in-display fast fingerprint sensor and relatively long-lasting battery life. 

The AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate feels fast, but the Oxygen OS 12.1 is based on Android 12. Yes, the usual customisations, simplicity, and speed prevail, but there are glitches, and we faced quite a few. For instance, the YouTube app would randomly hang and display over all other apps, including system UI. A long press on the power button triggered the power menu but was not accessible thanks to YouTube recommendations scrolling endlessly on display. This also happened with other apps like GPay and thus was not limited by one app misbehaving. 

We did receive two updates during our usage with the phone, but none seemed stable. That said, the hardware and the triple-camera setup are an excellent package. The 50MP primary shooter with f/1.8 and OIS can capture good images and videos even in low light. The 8MP ultrawide manages to match colours, and FOV is quite broad. There’s a 2MP macro shooter lacking details, but weirdly enough, all the rear sensors are capable of shooting in 4K! The front 16MP camera with f/2.4 is wide and clear but can only do EIS 1080p recordings. Mics and connectivity are spot-on, and there were no issues. There is dual-SIM 5G support, with no spectrum to test. 

The phone was stable after four non-stop battle-royale games, which was undoubtedly impressive with an astounding 720Hz touch-sampling rate. None of the games supports 90fps yet, but they all easily ran at their max settings. WiFi 6 support is icing on a rather tasty yet simple-looking cake. All OTT apps support FHD resolution and HDR10+ content. 

A sleeper phone?

The OnePlus 10R blazed through our tests only to get stuck on any random app requiring a soft reboot. The phone is not only capable of handling this generation of usage but charges faster than most of our bath times. As much as we loved it, we do not wish random software glitches on anyone. If the software experience improves with OTA updates, and you can look past the relatively simple generic look of the OnePlus 10R, it is a great all-around phone. 

Good – Insanely fast charging, good hardware

Bad – Generic looks 

Ugly – Software glitches

3.5/5

Processor – Dimensity 8100 Max

RAM – 12GB + UFS expandable 

ROM – UFS 3.1 256GB

Charge – SuperVOOC 150W Charging

Charge time – 0-100% – 18 Mins

Touch sampling rate – 720Hz

Display – 6.7-inch AMOLED 120Hz 

Cameras – Rear – 50MP OIS, 8MP Ultrawide, 2MP Macro, 16MP front camera

OnePlus 10T reportedly sports improved gaming performance

Likely launching next month in India, the OnePlus 10T has been spotted on Benchmark sites reportedly performing with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 at the helm. Frame rates, along with operating temperature have been reported on Twitter by leaker Yogesh Brar, claiming that in the popular and graphically demanding game Genshin Impact, the newly identified OnePlus smartphone boasted 57FPS on average, at 43-46˚C on Extreme graphics settings. This is in comparison to the existing OnePlus 10 Pro which currently performs at 55FPS running at 45-49˚C. A common complaint with the 10 Pro is that the phone runs too hot. Although this is not entirely fixed, OnePlus has partially internalised this problem with the new chip.

Another leaker Mukul Sharma revealed that the OnePlus 10T is currently undergoing Research and Development testing in India, revealing variants with 8GB/128GB and12GB/256GB, attesting that 150W charging is quite likely. Two supposed finishes are a Green and Grey shade, while he further confirms that the smartphone will be offered as an upper mid-range device.

In other news, the smartphone is expected to come with a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with second-generation LTPO technology allowing the display to refresh between 1hz and 120hz. The phone might come with a 360hz touch sampling rate to improve responsiveness and gaming. On the back of the phone, the phone is rumoured to come with a triple camera setup yet again, with the now popular 50MP IMX766 sensor on the primary shooter, an 8MP sensor for the ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro camera. The phone would feature anything between 4500-5000mAh battery as there is no real clarification on the same.

Everything on the Upcoming Smartphones of July 2022

Nothing Phone(1) – July 12th

The upcoming Nothing Phone(1)’s design was recently revealed to a private audience at Art Basel, finally lifting the covers on the long-anticipated unique transparent phone design. The phone is expected to come with the new Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 at the helm, with up to 8GB of RAM and a dual-camera setup on the back, housing a 50MP shooter with an ultrawide second camera with no confirmation on the lens or sensor. The device is expected to come with a centre hole punch design and a 6.55-inch 90hz FHD+ OLED panel. Interestingly enough, with the open back of the phone, wireless charging is confirmed, along with a standard USB C port. Lastly, the phone will come with Android 12 based on the all-new NothingOS.

The product is expected to launch in the under $500 (39k INR) range. 

Realme GT Neo 3T 5G – July 7th [unofficial]

Realme’s latest instalment of the GT series, the Neo 3T 5G, will come with the Snapdragon 870 platform, with up to 8GB RAM, featuring a 6.62 inch 120hz AMOLED panel. On the back is a triple camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary shooter, 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel Macro camera. With a whopping 80W charger, the phone is expected to top out the 5000mAh cell in 36 minutes. 

 

The Realme GT Neo 3T 5G is expected to launch at about 36,599 INR. 

Moto G62 5G – July 20th [unofficial]

The Moto G62 is a mid-range offering from the Lenovo-based brand for about 20k INR. The phone features a slightly upsetting Snapdragon 480+. The phone will feature up to 4GB of RAM, which is considerably less, slightly made up by the fact that the phone sports a 120hz IPS FHD+ panel. The product also comes with a 15W charger. The phone comes in two colourways – Midnight Gray and Frosted Blue, shipping with a close-to-stock Android 12 experience of Moto’s MyUX. 

Oppo Reno 8 Pro [Early July]

After the success of the Reno 7 Pro, the 8 Pro carries heavy excitement, and so far, it seems to be delivered. Along with a unique curved class camera module design, the phone will feature the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max with up to 12GB of RAM onboard. Furthermore, the phone will be packed with a 4500 mAh cell with up to 80W of fast charging. The phone is expected to be priced at about 35K INR and ship with RealmeUI over Android 12.

 

Oppo Reno 8 [Early July]

The Oppo Reno 8 is the younger sibling of the aforementioned 8 Pro, featuring a slightly clunkier display, featuring the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 instead, and up to 8GB RAM, with a 50MP primary shooter, but a disappointing dual 2MP setup for the Macro and Depth cameras. The phone will feature a 4500 mAh cell with their VOOC standard charging for up to 80W going from 0-100 in 26 minutes. The price of this phone is expected to be around 25k INR, 10K less than its Pro variant. 

Enabling the Smartphone Future

The global pandemic has triggered digitization at an unprecedented rate in India, with the country becoming a leading mobile-first consumer economy1. As smartphone prices cease to be prohibitive, the smartphone user base is expected to reach 829 million in 2022, accounting for 60% of the population, which will represent 38% of all networked devices in India this year2. Today, India ranks second in the world for the number of smartphone users.6 

Smartphones are playing a pivotal role in bridging the divide between urban and rural India and improving digital literacy- they are offering access to education, healthcare, banking, and other vital services. In fact, during the most severe lockdowns, smartphones and internet access were central to keeping children connected and educated, especially in rural and remote parts of the country.  People are turning to their phones both for enrichment as well as entertainment. 

The Photographer in Us

Smartphones have dramatically changed our lifestyles and have become our go-to devices. People in India spend around five hours a day on these devices on average, and are one of the world’s highest data consumers per day—even surpassing China3. After all, digital natives turn to smartphones for work, play, and nurturing hobbies. Phone cameras offer rich 4K resolution today, and several new devices bring 8K video recording. These innovations have turned many people into amateur photographers and content creators, capturing and documenting our lives. However, at the same time, this means that unless we have the right level of storage, we have to make the debilitating decision of deleting our memories in order to create new ones. 

Today, dedicated storage devices are developed especially for mobile content creators, such as SanDisk® Dual Drives, which can be used to enhance mobile storage by up to 1TB5 and offer ease of moving content between various compatible devices. Moreover, dedicated storage is available both for AndroidTM and iOS devices. This simple plug-and-play device allows us to continue the pursuit of the best picture and capture our precious moments without worrying about the lack of storage space. Other options are available too, such as microSDTM cards and external SSDs, that offer phenomenal transfer speed and can be plugged directly into smartphones that feature a card slot.

1 InMobi’s Annual Mobile Marketing Handbook 2021

2 https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/m/en_us/solutions/service-provider/vni-forecast-highlights/pdf/India_Device_Growth_Traffic_Profiles.pdf

3https://www.nokia.com/about-us/company/worldwide-presence/india/mbit-index-2021/

4 https://go.inmobi.com/gaming-report-2021-india/

5 Add footnote: 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user storage less

6 https://newzoohq.medium.com/the-india-opportunity-tapping-into-one-tenth-of-the-worlds-gamers-3d9248f6fea9

Booming Mobile Gaming 

Thanks to the smartphone penetration in the country, mobile gaming has also become a mass phenomenon and is competing with other popular entertainment categories, such as short-form video, streaming services, and social networks for user attention. With one out of ten gamers across the globe being in India, it is the fifth-largest mobile gaming market globally4. Even an entry-level smartphone today comes packed with more power and features. As a result, affordable yet powerful smartphones are one of the critical enablers of this massive boom in mobile gaming. Additionally, easy access to various game titles has also aided the popularity of mobile gaming. For example, many casual games are ‘Pick Up and Play’, usually available as a free download and monetized by ads. These also attract casual gamers looking for no-obligation games to pass the time. 

Hardcore gamers can easily access the games of their choice from almost unlimited title options and play immersive multiplayer games, which are gaining traction. While immersive and graphically taxing titles are becoming popular, these take up a lot of space on the device, which can hamper the gameplay in the absence of the right storage. The storage should be designed to avoid the lagging graphics that can slow the game down. For example, the microSDTM card, in addition to offering ample space, should also offer high-performance speeds to support demanding game graphics and 4K ultra-HD video. 

Smartphones have changed our world and have become a crucial part of our lives. However, these devices will become inhibited without storage.  

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