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iPhone 14 to get the biggest front-facing camera hardware upgrade in years?

The upcoming iPhone 14 has gathered the world’s attention with its leaked refreshing new design on the front, although there is not much to be expected of the back. Apple is finally moving on from its longstanding notched display design, at least for the highest-end Pro variants.

However, recent leaks and developments have revealed what to expect on the inside of this new ‘i’ shaped design. Earlier in the year, the new iPhones were reported to be getting major camera improvements on the front and back modules. These reports are now further corroborated by reliable supply chain insider Ming-Chi Kuo, who states that Apple has gathered all of its suppliers for the new line-up of iPhones. Long story short, Apple has completely omitted Chinese camera manufacturers from their supply chain due to substandard quality by their metrics.

According to Kuo, the new front camera technology will be a massive leap from the previous generations, seeing the new specifications. First, Kuo predicts that the new front-facing shooters will finally ship with auto-focus, which was unavailable on the fixed-focus cameras used today. This will improve sharpness in photos and videos and low-light performance for the less well-lit situations.

The new module will also sport a 5-element lens versus the current 4-element arrangement, which would improve sharpness and clarity in photos and videos. Furthermore, the aperture will be wider, at f/1.9, compared to the f/2.2 aperture on the last three generations of iPhone.

Latest leaks and rumours on the iPhone 14

The Pro line-up for the 2022 range of iPhones has previously been tipped to finally move on from the 12-megapixel efforts on iPhones since the iPhone X to a 48-megapixel shooter, enabling the iPhone to finally shoot 8k video, keeping up with its modern Android rivals.

Contrary to the existing line-up of phones: iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, the new range seems to be ditching the mini completely, in favour of a non-pro Max variant, i.e. the iPhone 14 Max, sporting the same tech as the vanilla 14, but with a larger size due to the disappointing outcomes of the 13 mini.

Some not-so-great news is that the vanilla 14 models (14 and 14 Max) will feature not the new and upcoming A16 but the existing A15 bionic SoC at the helm of the current generation of flagship iPhones, along with the iPhone SE and iPad mini. As powerful as the A15 is, it would be slightly upsetting to see the last generation SoC for a second year running.

iOS 16 Not available for iPhone 7 or lower

In the recent WWDC 2022 event on June 6, Apple inc finally announced its iOS 16 update, which will be released in September 2022. Although this is excellent news for all the tech followers and smartphone enthusiasts, this is also bad news for some previous iPhone users.

https://twitter.com/AslanMarius/status/1533950503243096064?s=20&t=Xgp590wZ3lX5IWP2Je0ZPA

With iOS 16, Apple also announced that some devices wouldn’t be receiving these updates, specifically the iPhones starting from 7 Plus to the bottom will not be receiving these updates. The announcement shocked many people because the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were released in September 2016, which isn’t a long time for smartphones not to receive further updates.

Like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 16 is not to be released for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, among other devices. Following Apple’s WWDC event on June 6, iPhone 7 customers rushed to Twitter to voice their frustrations over the lack of an update for their phones.

Everything new in iPadOS 16

The iPad, iPad mini, and iPad Pro are Apple’s three iPad product lines. For tech products to thrive in the market, updates and changes are very important. Apple has done precisely that.

In the recent update, Apple Inc. introduced an entirely new multitasking experience with the Stage manager and full external display support, bringing in new ways to collaborate via the Messages app, significant updates to Mail and Safari, new apps and more.

Updates to Messages

The Messages application now has new capabilities that make it simple to collaborate and manage shared material across Apple-based applications like Files, Keynote, Pages, Notes, Reminders, Safari and other third-party applications. The document, spreadsheet, or project is automatically shared with all the members of the thread/group when users submit a collaboration invitation via Messages. Everyone will also be able to see live updates to a shared file right at the top of the Messages thread when someone modifies.

In addition to the improved collaboration, messages will also allow users to have a better messaging experience by enabling users to edit sent messages and recover recently deleted messages.

New Application: Freeform

Apple is introducing a collaboration application called Freeform during the iPadOS 16 updates. With this application, you can view, share, and collaborate all in one location without worrying about layouts or page sizes. Coming to iPadOS 16 later this year, Freeform will permit users to view others’ contributions as they add content or make edits while enjoying a real-time collaboration space by starting FaceTime sessions and getting updates from others on Messages.

New Application: Weather

In the new update, the long-awaited weather app is being added to the iPad. Users may access essential weather information with only a swipe or browse maps to check precipitation, air quality, and temperature. Users will also receive notifications when a severe weather alert is issued in their location and monitor the air quality using a colour-coded scale.

Updates to ‘Live text’ and ‘Visual look up.’

Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Live Text identifies text in photos. This functionality has been extended to videos, allowing the reader to interact with stopped video frames. Users can now use this feature to convert currencies, translate different languages, or copy the text in a live video!

Updates to Safari & Mail

Shared Tab Groups allow users to collaborate on a set of tabs with friends and see updates instantly while they work together, share tabs and bookmarks, and start a conversation right from Safari.

Passkeys, a quicker and safer sign-in technique meant to replace passwords on the web and in applications, make browsing in Safari even more secure. Passkeys are stored on the iPad and are unique to the sites they were created for. Hackers can’t leak passkeys or fool users into providing them since they’re special digital keys that stay on the device and are never saved on a web server.

Mail introduces new smart tools; some are options to cancel the delivery of a message before it reaches a recipient’s inbox, schedule emails to be sent at the perfect moment and more.

New Feature: Powerful Multitasking

Stage Manager is a brand-new multitasking experience that organises programmes and windows for you, making switching between jobs a breeze. Users may now construct overlapping windows of various sizes in a single view, drag and drop windows from the side, or start applications from the Dock to build groups of apps for quicker, more flexible multitasking on the iPad for the first time.

Final Conclusion

These are the most significant updates coming to the new iPadOS 16. These changes will positively impact the user experience of iPads because additional features for multitasking were much needed, which now have been implemented to the iPadOS.

OnePlus Nord Buds – Your Budget BUDdy

OnePlus has always been a rulebreaking brand that dares to take a risk. Over the last few years, the brand has launched many high-end products at affordable prices and indirectly forced other brands to lower their costs. The brand recently launched OnePlus Nord Buds alongside the Nord CE 2 Lite and the OnePlus 10R in India but are they worth it?

OnePlus has attended all the classes on how to lure customers with the attractive packaging, and with the Nord Buds, they’ve done a great job. The Nord Buds box has a cute little packaging of blue and black colour combination. Inside the box, it contains a charging case along with earbuds, brand sticker, charging cable, 4 ear tips, and a red cable welcome card.

Design & Comfort

The shape of the OnePlus Nord Buds is quite traditional and ordinary, but you can’t expect something extraordinary from a ₹2,799 earbuds. The earbuds and the case look premium at first but they are made up of cheap plastic. The buds feature connect button in the back and an indicator light in the front. The buds we received for the review were white (marble) in colour.

The boxy ergonomic case of the earbuds is prone to scratches, while the earbuds are inclined to store a little dirt in between the hubs. The outer circular layer doubles as the touch surface for controls. The buds are not the ones you carry along easily due to their shape. The buds weigh under 5 grams a piece but don’t offer the best comfort, especially during long use.

Sound Quality

The water and dust resistant earbuds don’t disappoint you when it comes to sound quality but if you’re an audiophile or into the business of music for a long time then you might not like the output. The buds are packed with 12.4mm titanium drivers, and looking at the price, they deliver a pretty decent sound. The sound of the earbuds will leak out, once you cross the 80% of the volume level.

I thoroughly enjoyed the earbuds, especially while watching the content, as the earbuds have 12.4mm Titanium audio drivers and Dolby Atmos support for deeper bass and clearer sound. The earbuds have 4 microphones for filtering out the noise while taking calls, but they only deliver an okayish calling experience. The earbuds have many software issues which the brand has to resolve in the future.

Battery

The earbuds are advertised to have about 7-hours of battery life and another 30-hours with the case, and we couldn’t agree more. The cable offers ultra-fast charging resulting in 5-hours of listening time in 10 minutes of charge. The OnePlus Nord Buds last for at least 5-hours when charged to the core and play the role of your buddy while you’re on the go.

Verdict

The OnePlus Nord Buds have various rivals at the price point, but the Nord Buds stand apart as they’re a dealbreaker for people looking for TWS earbuds under 3000. I loved them while listening to the songs and watching content as I’m more into low volume decks, but if you desire the best audio experience, please invest a few more thousand and get something extraordinary.

WHERE IS THE INVENTION & INNOVATION?

When was the last time you were enthralled with any new tech innovation? Are all the problems solved yet? Let’s Airbnb, let’s Uber it, let’s google it, what’s next? Indeed Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are all good, but they are not really solving any significant problems. When did the last excellent smartphone innovation happen? Flip phones and fold phones – yes, different form factors and promising but this Invention I saw several years back at the CES. When the new iPhones are announced, the upgrades are minimalistic so much that if you have an iPhone 12 series and unless you want a flaunt factor, there is no real need for an upgrade to the iPhone 13. Android smartphones from Samsung, Vivo, and Oppo, Oneplus make changes mostly around camera, RAM & resolution upgrades and maybe some surface material improvements. Is anyone really thinking about profound inventions? Something like a smartphone that doesn’t need to charge for 30 days is a good starting point or a solar-powered one.

Robotics innovation though promising has not pushed the boundaries and really can’t do much more than dance and get a can of coke. What about medical innovation? A deadly virus like Covid can paralyse the whole world and suck everything out of us; what were the world scientists doing. The last time the deadliest invention happened was when nuclear bombs were invented, which resulted in giving destructive powers to heads of state to bring the countries to an end. What if Vladimir Putin loses it entirely and does a nuclear strike on Ukraine, whose only fault is that it gave up its nuclear arsenal and doesn’t possess those weapons of mass destruction, to have a counterthreat ready. Where is the invention which can save the world from an accidental nuclear explosion? Are we really working on it or waiting for another pandemic type phenomenon.

The dark web and digital currency are both a reality. A parallel universe exists in the dark web even before we got acquainted with Meta Verse. Oculus VR, invented by Palmer Luckey, which Facebook later acquired, has opened a string of norms where Digital land, digital avatars, and all sorts of virtual-real world thighs are happening, so much so that Facebook changed its name to Meta. Just like bitcoin in 2008 made cryptocurrency a reality and opened the flood gates of the token and NFT industry. But it’s 2022 and in the last decade, nothing which can change the world for good and make living more beautiful has come out. It’s symbolic that iPod has taken a bow giving way to the streaming industry, and storing music is historical. As long as it progresses, technological changes are good. Just like iPod did its job and changed the way music was consumed, we need technological breakthroughs that can change a lot of things, make the air we breathe better again, keep check on global warming and provide drinkable water to all. Just the basic things we need!

Gaming on Samsung S21 FE 5G vs Asus ROG5 vs OnePlus 9RT

We test gaming on Asus ROG 5, a dedicated gaming phone vs two of the newest launches of 2022 – OnePlus 9RT and Samsung S21 FE 5G. How good are these phones when pit against each other? Watch the video, as we benchmark these phones, play squad games in BGMI, play against each other in COD and summarize our impressions. Help us grow better and let us know what else could we do in the comments section below. Thanks for watching.

ASUS VivoBook 15 K513EA – Review

Vivibook series from ASUS has always been a budget-oriented device and something you can look forward to if you are considering buying a mid-range laptop. The price for the VivoBook series starts somewhere at Rs 47,000 and goes all the way up to 80,000.

The laptop I am currently testing is the Vivobook 15 K513EA, a CORE i5, 11th Gen device. The overall build of this machine is pretty decent. The top has a nice grey fibre finish with a clean ASUS branding on the right-hand side. On one side, you have two USB 3.0 ports and a battery charging indicator, and on the other, you have a proprietary DC port, an HDMI port, another USB 3.0 port, a USB C port just beneath that, a headphone jack, and finally a Micro SD card reader. At the bottom, you’ll see four rubber stands to let your laptop breathe easily. On either side, a speaker gives you a loud, clear sound.

VivoBook 15 comes with Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD storage, and 1TB of HDD storage. It has a big 15.6 inch OLED display at an FHD resolution. It has enough RAM to hold multiple chrome tabs at once without giving that irritating lag. It makes for a fantastic laptop for regular office bees and students whose workloads wouldn’t stress the machine.

I like the OLED display of this laptop, which makes the overall experience better and brighter. Even a bad OLED display looks good to an untrained eye, but this one is just plain gorgeous! The maximum brightness at around 404 nits gives a practical outdoor experience.

The charging for VivoBook 15 goes from 0 to 100 in about 45 minutes and lasts for almost a full day when used rigorously. I have tried playing a few games on this machine and it ran quite smoothly until the machine started to overheat. Overall, it is compatible with low-res gaming but definitely wouldn’t make up for a proper gaming laptop, which is fine for a mid-range laptop.

I have the Intel Core i5 + 16 GB RAM + 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD model that goes for Rs 68,990, and my final verdict is that I found the machine easy to use for everyday use.

Sennheiser IE 300 – The BASSY Buds

To start with, I do not particularly like the hardened cable that stays in one place, but I was pretty surprised by how well Sennheiser 300 sits on my ears. After trying these earphones on, I would not like to change a thing about them, except a few, which we will talk about shortly.

IE 300 has a decent treble response if we talk about the sound signature, but the bass response on these is pretty sick! Infact, bass response is the standout feature of this device and has a very strange texture. You usually get to hear two types of bass responses in headphones. One is similar to the natural bass sound, like an ample drum space being hot by a large stick, and the other is an electronic one, which is artificial but more powerful. IE 300 has a more natural texture to it but is supremely strong. I recommend buying it if you have an ear for the particular tuning.

Remember that these earphones cost around Rs 30,000 and is not for a regular headphone user. The device is specially designed for audiophiles who give music their all. Inside the box, you get different sets of earphone tips – silicon, foam and E types; and a soft case for keeping your earphones safe. These earphones are much more expensive than the entry-level ones but promise an experience that capitalises on the benefits of high-resolution audio streaming.

The body is completely made up of plastic, with each earpiece weighing around 4gms. The included hard cable is detachable, uses a standard MMCX connector, and has a 3.5 mm plug for the incoming audio signal.

I like these earphones because they give gentle, cheerful beats, and the vocals and instruments all sound distinct and full-bodied. I could listen to all the elements in track as it was meant to be heard.

However, the downer for IE 300 is that it lacks the microphone feature. If you receive a call when your earphones are plugged in, you’ll probably have to plug it out.

Vu Televisions Store Launch – A More Human-Way To Buy TV

Vu Televisions are the new hottest thing for the television market. The brand is now the largest selling TV brand in the large size 4K TVs, with over 30 lakhs TV sold and a consolidated sales of Rs. 5,000 crores.

The brand is self-funded and claims to be one of the only debt-free and profitable companies in the consumer tech industry. Vu owes this to the successful balance of its distribution across offline and online platforms, with a 50-50 ratio strategy. They believe in delivering excellent quality products and providing the best customer service, which has led to a 97% customer-repeat ratio.

Vu experiences high demands from GenZ and the Millenials nationwide. To reach them directly, the brand has recently launched an online store that promises the best prices, faster delivery, genuine products, faster installation, and guided shopping. Vustore.com has an average selling price per unit of Rs 20,000, which is highly affordable compared to what 4K TVs usually cost.

The new online store will enable nationwide customers to browse with ease and shop with confidence. The brand has always been customer-oriented and makes sure it exceeds customers’ expectations. But what’s good without a little human touch? Vu enables guided shopping with personalized assistance via chats and calls. The brand will also notify all its customers via WhatsApp about the order and delivery status.

Devita Saraf, Chairperson and CEO, Vu Televisions, said,

“Ever since we started the company, Vu has been a youth favourite! However, during the lockdown I received hundreds of messages on social media from young people across the country asking to make our products more affordable and accessible. Today’s Gen-Z and Millennial buyers are the most informed, intelligent and connected generation in history. We’ve taken their requests seriously and launched a platform that addresses their needs without compromising on the luxury brand experience that Vu is famous for.”

The brand’s 43” 4K TVs remains their best-selling segment sold at the price of Rs.24,999/-, which is currently the ongoing price of FHD TVs. The brand’s 43” FHD TVs will then be sold at Rs.19,999/-.

Top 5 Honda Divisions & A Few Interesting Facts About Honda

Honda established itself as one of the topmost manufacturers of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment globally. The Japanese company also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft, power generators, robots and mountain bikes. Let’s take a look at the top 5 Honda divisions.

Honda Motorcycles

Honda has come a long way from manufacturing noisy scooters to making the finest cars on the planet, but people will always remember the company for its motorcycle division. Since 1955, Honda has been the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan and one of the topmost motorcycle manufacturers globally. Honda started venturing outside the Japanese motorcycle market in the ’60s and began exporting their motorcycles to the United States.

Along with Robert Emmenegger, creative director, Grey Advertising, the company created an innovative 12-year-long advertising campaign, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda”, and it became hugely successful, helping the company to sell over 90,000 motorcycles. The campaign marked the inception of the decay of domestic and British motorcycle brands in the US market and helped Honda to rise as a top motorcycle manufacturer.

Honda Automobiles

After Honda Motorcycles, a large sum of the company’s annual sales came from Honda Automobiles, which the company began manufacturing in 1963. The first car from Honda was the S500 sports car, which had chain-driven rear wheels. Over the next few decades, the company expanded their range of vehicles and exported its automobiles to the United States and other parts of the world.

In 1986, the company ventured into the luxury car segment and became the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand- Acura. Soon, the company released the wildly successful Acura brand to the American market to gain ground in the luxury vehicle market. Since its inception, Honda has produced several prosperous cars, including the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, and Honda City.

Honda Engines

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is the world’s largest engine manufacturer that sets the standard for reliable and hard-working engines. When it comes to making engines, Honda focuses on better fuel efficiency, higher power output, superior and quieter performance. Honda engines are built with high-quality elements designed for optimum performance in the harshest environments. Honda engines are renowned for being easy to start but, despite being known as an engine company, Honda has never built a V8 for passenger vehicles. Honda engines powered the entire 33-car starting field of the 94th Indianapolis 500, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, in 2010.

Honda Robots

Being a motorcycle and automobile manufacturing expert, Honda has always shown interest in Robotics. Since 1986, the company has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research. The Japanese company developed its first humanoid robot in 1986 and named it the Honda E series. The E series was a collection of experimental humanoid robots made by Honda between 1986 and 1993.

The series later evolved into the Honda P series and helped Honda gather the knowledge and expertise necessary to create Honda’s advanced humanoid robot: ASIMO, which the company released in 2000. ASIMO was the world’s most advanced humanoid robot of its time, and even today, it is the world’s only humanoid robot able to ascend and descend stairs independently.

Honda Aircraft Company

Honda Aircraft Company is an aircraft manufacturing company founded as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Company in August 2006. The aircraft division of Honda has pioneered new technology in its HA-420 HondaJet and is responsible for producing the HondaJet family of aircraft. Honda Aircraft Company builds aircraft with the latest innovations in aviation to change the way we travel.

The company has introduced several innovations and cutting edge technology in general aviation aircraft, including an over-wing engine mount, carbon composite fuselage and natural laminar flow wings. In late 2003, an experimental HondaJet equipped with Honda HF118 engines completed its initial flight test, and in 2005, the aircraft division made its world debut for the public. Since 2017, the HondaJet has been the most delivered aircraft in its class, earning the accomplishment for the fourth consecutive year.

Did You Know?

As of October 2021, Honda’s market capitalization was valued at over $52 billion.
The Honda Accord was the first foreign vehicle manufactured in the United States.
Honda has its airport.
The Honda Gold Wing motorcycle has been in production for over 40 years.
The Honda Civic was Honda’s answer to the ’70s Fuel Crisis; the car is still one of the best value and fuel-efficient options on the market.
Honda made the first four-wheel-drive car, the 1987 Honda Prelude.
Honda’s logo is the most conservative one as it has remained unchanged in its entire history.
Every Honda CR-V manufactured from 1997 to 2006 had a picnic table under the cargo area.