Tech magazine India Archives - Page 10 of 16

QUIBI | QUICK BITES, BAD STORY

From the day Quibi was launched, I had my eyes fixated on it. Firstly because it was Meg Whiteman who raised an eye popping USD 1 Billion, secondly it was trying to enter a space where the grand daddies like Apple, Google, Netflix, Amazon are heavily invested and willing to lose billions for their share of eyeballs. Literally this time. Back in India, I used to get these OTT platform startup pitches and my reply was simple: it is the airline business which will make you a millionaire from a billionaire. There is no way under the sun that any new OTT platform without any strategic bundle can be a profitable and sustainable business. Case in point, Netflix – Early mover advantage and the man Reed Hastings is simply outstanding. Let’s look at Amazon- Its prime membership and e-commerce play is big to keep churning content and throwing it for free. Imagine in future while you are watching an Amazon original and a pop up comes selling you any of its products. They are building their own advertising audience ready to be monetized in a few clicks Disney + Hotstar – For them the stakes are too high not to be in this space and even MX player for The Times of India is backwardly integrated with their own production jungle and their media muscle. Zee5 – Similarly if they don’t have their own OTT they will not be relevant any more, and if you are still not tired of all the above then there’s YouTube with billions of hours worth of free content which you can keep watching with your next generations ahead.

Coming back to Quibi, with its 10 minute – 5 USD service, on the face of it is a great idea. We want smackable content and just like 20/20 cricket matches, they are the need of the hour. But how many will pay for it? 10 minutes is a free spot served by YouTube. At first, the idea of mobile-first content, 10 minutes content and a great team led by Meg Whitman who has been associated with HP, Procter & Gamble, Walt Disney and that this will succeed was a no-brainer. But having attempted many startups myself and failed in many I can vouch that what looks on the surface as a brilliant idea, sometimes does a somersault once it goes on the floor. The project faced skepticism from the beginning, but there was a Hollywood heavyweight of Katzenberg’s reputation involved. As former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and a co-founder of DreamWorks Animation, it seemed that if anyone could disrupt the OTT shape in mobile viewership patterns, as Quibi was trying, it would be Katzenberg.

It’s easy to blame the present times for any failed business, but OTT and streaming apps have seen a huge uptick. But possibly, for Quibi dearth of content production since they were new in the business and the content factory was slammed with hard “Covid brakes.” In spite of shows like 50 states of fright and a dream team with 1.7 billion dollars in funding , streaming is a complicated space to disrupt. It’s almost like the e-commerce business after Amazon, Flipkart. That is where your search ends.

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.

Toshiba 50U5050 4K TV | First Impression

Here is a very honest first impression of the newly launched Toshiba 50U5050 4K TV, which has all the Smart TV features but is it really serving the qualities of a 4K TV, let’s find out in this video.

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.

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.

My Yellow Plate | 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?

Himanshu: I started back in 2015 when it was less crowded, more meaningful and more engaging. Over the last five years, I have seen more creators joining the space, getting more crowded and becoming less engaging for the audience.

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

Himanshu: I don’t know such platforms which only an influencer would know as social media isn’t just for influencers but for masses to interact with friends, family, neighbours, community and influencers.

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

Himanshu: Mobile first, headphones second and a JIO sim

Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?

Himanshu: To smell and taste the recipes online and rate them!

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

Himanshu: At my first meetup years ago, there was this one guy who turned up and he was so happy about it and motivated me to continue.

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?

Himanshu: I take it as two sides of a coin and understand that I am not RAJMA CHAWAL and that everyone will like me! 😛

Ex: Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise. Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?

Himanshu: Certainly it has increased and it does get worse with popularity but again that’s part of every influencer’s journey/career. You need to take it lightly and don’t judge yourself on the basis of someone else’s opinion. No one is PERFECT like Rajma Chawal.

Ex: What does success mean to you?

Himanshu: Living on my own terms and doing what I planned to do and love to do. Money, fame, name and rest everything else is a bonus.

Ex: Which is that one dish or cuisine that you haven’t tried yet but are looking forward to?

Himanshu: Any dish from Gordon Ramsay’s Menu is what I am looking forward to.

Ex: What do you do to make your content unique from others?

Himanshu: The Yellow Plate is the USP and makes it stand apart from others.

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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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