Technology

Tokyo, Oct 5 (IANS) Japanese tech giant Sony is likely working on a new smartphone as a report says that "out of nowhere, a mysterious Sony handset has been spotted on Geekbench".

According to GizmoChina, the device's RAM capacity, the chipset information and with the software is also included in the listing.

"An unknown Sony-branded smartphone with model number XQ-DS99 has made its appearance on Geekbench. As per the listing, the phone will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8000 SoC," the report said.

The report mentioned that the device will include 12GB RAM and will run Android 12.

A recent report said that the tech giant is working on its first 100MP camera sensor.

The sensor will be aimed at premium mid-range smartphones. Notably, Sony also makes camera sensors for tech giants Apple and Google which are popular brands among smartphone photography enthusiasts.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer Gigabyte on Tuesday announced the latest AMD B650 motherboards after the success of the X670 series.

The lineup includes AORUS, AERO, and GAMING series that provide more reasonable options with remarkable features for users.

GIGABYTE select B650 comes with up to 16+2+2 phase Twin Digital power, 105Amps Smart Power Stage and up to 12-layer PCB that provides increased stability and performance for AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors.

GIGABYTE B650 motherboards come with PCIe and M.2 EZ-Latch technology. Whereas, B650E motherboards adopt advanced M.2 EZ-Latch Plus for the quick and screwless detach of M.2 SSDs.

"PCIe EZ-Latch technology incorporates an easily accessible design that helps to make it simple to detach the installed VGA cards," the company said in a statement.

The improved SMD slots increase the shear resistance up to 2.2 times to provide strengthened stability.

GIGABYTE B650 motherboards include well-reputed Shielded Memory Routing, SMD memory DIMMs, and dual metal armour that help users to enjoy premium memory overclocking performance with more stability and durability, said the company in a statement.

The B650 lineup comes with 2.5 Gbps Ethernet connection speeds for gamers to enjoy faster and more stable wired network connectivity.

The GIGABYTE B650 motherboards features covering software, hardware, to firmware, including notable Ultra Durable Technology, Q-Flash Plus and the new GCC (GIGABYTE Control Center)

The company also said that it will soon release next-gen AORUS PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs to unleash the utmost transfer speed.

--IANS
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San Francisco, Oct 4 (IANS) Google-owned video streaming platform YouTube might reportedly limit access to 4K videos to only users of its Premium service.

According to MacRumors, some users on Reddit and Twitter mentioned that they have started to notice that on iOS, and presumably across other platforms also.

However, not all users are seeing the 4K quality option blocked behind YouTube's paywall, and it is unclear if YouTube plans to move forward with this.

A standard YouTube Premium plan costs $11.99 in the US and includes ad-free videos, background playback, and the ability to download videos for offline viewing.

The platform recently said it is testing a new feature in its mobile app with its Premium subscribers that allows them to zoom in on any video.

The latest opt-in experimental feature enables a pinch-to-zoom gesture for videos -- and it works both in portrait and full-screen landscape view.

To enable pinch to zoom, open YouTube's settings menu either on your phone or from the website. If you are subscribed to YouTube Premium, there should be a "try new features" section.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Apple Music has reached the record mark of 100 million songs in its catalog, a number that will continue to grow and exponentially multiply.

The company said that 21 years on from the invention of iTunes and the debut of the original iPod, "we've gone from 1,000 songs in your pocket to 100,000x that on Apple Music".

"It's phenomenal growth by any metric. The entire history, present, and future of music is at your fingertips or voice command," said Rachel Newman, Apple Music's global head of editorial.

Back in the 1960s, only 5,000 new albums were released each year.

Today, anywhere in the world, in 167 countries on Apple Music, any artist of any description can write and record a song and release it globally.

"Every day, over 20,000 singers and songwriters are delivering new songs to Apple Music -- songs that make our catalog even better than it was the day before," said Newman.

With 100 millions songs, human curation is more important than ever for connecting artists and fans.

"At Apple Music, human curation has always been the core to everything we do, both in ways you can see, like our editorial playlists; and ways you can't, like the human touch that drives our recommendation algorithms," she added.

Apple Music gained popularity rapidly after its launch, passing the milestone of 10 million subscribers in only six months.

The music service has more than 100 million subscribers around the world.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Microsoft-owned LinkedIn on Tuesday launched a new Instagram channel to help young Indians navigate the ever-changing world of work after more than two years of the pandemic.

The campaign invites young professionals to co-create content with LinkedIn on professional themes they care about the most.

The professional networking platform said that participants are encouraged to post their ideas using Instagram-first content formats such as reels and stories to spark creative conversations around topics that shape their world of work, including flexi-working, work-life balance, purpose-driven values, and social impact responsibilities.

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with over 850 million members worldwide, and over 92 million members in India.

This launch is part of the company's efforts to further engage with young professionals and support them as they progress in their careers.

The campaign titled #LinkedInByYou has been created by Dentsu Webchutney, which will run on @linkedin_in.

The campaign will be open for entries until October 10 and Instagram members with an open profile can nominate themselves through stories and reels hashtagged with #LinkedInByYou, and the @linkedIn_In handle tagged.

"The most creative and gripping pitches will give respective young professionals the exciting opportunity to be the face of @linkedin_in for one day, via co-created content and showcase how they view their ideal world of work," said the company.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Nord on Monday launched its first Watch in the wearable catogry that comes with a 1.78-inch AMOLED display and 6 Hz speedy refresh rate.

The watch is available in Midnight Black and Deep Blue colour and is compatible with Android 6.0 and iOS 11 and above.

The OnePlus Nord Watch, priced at Rs 4,999, is made from waterproof and weatherproof material and is equipped with a dedicated health and fitness tracker.

According to the company, the new wearable shows the heart rate, stress levels, oxygen saturation (SpO2) and helps women to predict their monthly menstrual cycle with a built-in algorithm.

'N Health' is a customisable mobile app which can be paired with the Watch. It helps to track the state of health and monitor daily activities and is equipped with 105 fitness modes.

It is powered by a 230mAh long-lasting battery that lasts up to 10 days or 30 days of standby time.

The strap of the wearable is made of a breathable and sweat-permeable material.

The Nord Watch is now available on OnePlus.in, OnePlus Store App and select OnePlus Experience Stores. It will be available on Amazon from October 4, said the company.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Taiwanese manufacturer of premium gaming hardware Gigabyte on Monday launched four GeForce RTX 4090 series graphics cards powered by NVIDIA ADA Lovelace architecture in India.

Gigabyte launched three air-cooled graphics cards -- AORUS GeForce RTX 4090 MASTER 24G, GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING OC 24G and GeForce RTX 4090 WINDFORCE 24G, and one water-cooled graphics card AORUS GeForce RTX 4090 XTREME WATERFORCE 24G.

"To fully unleash the unparalleled performance of this new architecture, GIGABYTE equipped its GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards with amped-up designs and improved features, giving hardcore gamers and content creators more of everything," the company said in a statement.

The AORUS MASTER is recommended for the enthusiasts who want the ultimate performance and colourful RGB appearance. The WINDFORCE is the best choice for those who desire a neat and elegant design, while maintaining both performance and durability.

In addition, there is the AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE all-in-one water-cooled solution. It is the best choice for gamers who want the advantages of water-cooling and easy installation, the company said.

The AORUS MASTER graphics card features the new fan blades and a special surface design, WINDFORCE bionic shark fan increases the static pressure by up to 30 per cent while reducing noise level by up to 3dB at the same time, compared to the regular fans at the same RPM.

The WINDFORCE graphics card also uses the WINDFORCE cooling system. It features three unique blade fans, alternate spinning, large vapour chamber with direct touch to the GPU, composite copper heat pipes, 3D active fans, and screen cooling that work together to provide efficient heat dissipation.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Consumer electronics brand Samsung on Monday unveiled a new smartphone -- Galaxy A04s -- under Galaxy A series that comes with a 90Hz refresh rate and 5000mAh battery for Indian consumers.

The smartphone is available in three colours -- black, copper and green -- and is priced at Rs 13,499 for 4GB+64GB variant. It is available across retail stores, Samsung.com and leading online portals.

"The dual-SIM Galaxy A04s provides immersive viewing experience to Gen Z and young millennials who love binging on content," the company said in a statement.

Galaxy A04s sports a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display with a super smooth 90Hz refresh rate. It is secured by Samsung Knox with side fingerprint scanner and comes with 64GB inbuilt storage that supports expansion up to 1TB via microSD card.

"Whether you are playing a game or binge-watching your favourite web series, the 20:9 aspect ratio coupled with Dolby Atmos support on wired and Bluetooth headsets allows you to completely immerse yourself in cinematic viewing," the company said.

Galaxy A04s sports 50MP main camera and it also houses depth sensor and macro camera paired with f/2.4 lens to enable you to take detailed pictures even in close proximity. The 5MP front camera is a treat for those looking for eye-catching selfies in high clarity.

The phone packs 5000mAh battery with 15W adaptive fast charging that provides up to 2 days of battery backup. It comes with AI power management that detects and adjusts to your mobile usage habits for optimized battery life.

With RAM Plus, the 4GB RAM can be expanded to 8GB RAM by utilising the internal ROM memory, the company said.

--IANS
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Seoul, Oct 3 (IANS) LG Electronics said it has showcased the world's largest organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV at the latest trade show in the US in a bid to target the premium TV market in North America.

LG Electronics unveiled the lineup of its 97-inch OLED TV, or the OLED evo Gallery Edition, at the Consumer Electronics Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo 2022 that was held in Dallas, Texas, reports Yonhap news agency.

The South Korean consumer electronics giant first unveiled the 97-inch OLED TV at the IFA 2022 electronics trade show held in Berlin last month.

At the CEDIA 2022, the company also showcased the Flex, the world's first bendable OLED gaming monitor, and movable LG StanbyME.

LG Electronics said with the latest new lineup, it aims to solidify its leadership in the premium TV market in the U.S. as high demand is expected during major shopping seasons in the U.S., such as Black Friday in November and Christmas.

OLED TVs accounted for 33.2 per cent of all TV sales by LG in the first half.

TV manufacturers have been doubling down on their push in the high-end, more profitable segment, where demand slowed down less markedly than in the budget category.

In the premium TV segment, in which TVs are priced at $2,500 or more, Samsung Electronics Co. took up a 53.6 per cent market share, followed by LG at 21.5 per cent and Sony at 17.2 per cent, according to industry tracker Omdia.

In the OLED TV segment, LG kept its solid No. 1 spot by selling 1.69 million units in the first half, about 62 percent of all global OLED shipments.

--IANS
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By Nishant Arora
New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) As India rolls out 5G with showcasing some early use cases with telcos setting some aggressive deadlines, millions of smartphone users will only enjoy the super-fast Internet in 2024 amid infrastructure limitations, limited use cases and low 5G handset penetration, industry experts said on Monday.



India is home to more than 500 million smartphone users and over 100 million users with 5G-ready smartphones wish to upgrade to a 5G subscription in 2023, according to a latest Ericsson report.

However, there are multiple challenges ahead for telecom service providers to meet the tough roll-out deadlines.

"In theory, there are use cases out there which really warrant and demand 5G: enterprise solutions, private networks, IoT, logistics. But it could take a year or more for those applications to really take off," Prasanto K. Roy, a leading technology and public policy expert, told IANS.

Telcos will focus on converting existing higher-ARPU (average revenue per user) individual customers to 5G, which really limits how much more they can charge for 5G especially in a competitive space.

"I don't see 5G really bumping up ARPU overall in any significant way -- at least not in 2023," Roy said.

In the top four metros, consumers should be able to experience 5G in early October (according to Airtel) to late October (according to Reliance Jio), with Airtel planning to take 5G to eight cities this month.

There are no 5G roll out plans from Vodafone-Idea yet.

"However, with tariffs still unclear, I do not know if current 4G customers will all be able to sample a limited trial, or will have to upgrade right away. Although Airtel (and possibly Jio) expects a revenue increase (from its current ARPU of Rs 183), I do not expect most customers to shell out much more for 5G," Roy noted.

The Ericsson study, however, claimed that the Indian smartphone users are willing to pay a 45 per cent premium for a plan bundled with novel experiences, which could be a delight for Internet service providers ready with 5G.

According to Neil Shah, Vice President of Research at Counterpoint, in terms of population coverage, for all operators, India should reach the current blanket 4G coverage by the end of 2024 , way sooner than the 4G or 3G era.

"Jio is in a driver's seat with respect to its peers to likely achieve a pan India 5G network rollout over the next 15 months with no 2G, 3G and 4G baggage," Shah told IANS.

Not only consumers but also enterprises and the public sector will be able to benefit from 5G over the period of next two years.

"Airtel, on the other hand, also has been building a highly upgradeable network to easily reuse the same towers for both 4G and 5G. Most of its key circles should be able to experience 5G by mid-2024," Shah noted.

According to smartphone players, 5G has the potential to bring together the entire ecosystem and online gaming, augmented/virtual reality (AR-VR) experience, along with content creation, will take centre-stage with the launch of 5G services.

"With 5G being officially available now, we are looking forward to exploring the numerous opportunities it provides to us and will be directing our efforts into making this technology even more accessible to users," said Madhav Sheth, CEO realme India, VP, realme and President, realme International Business Group.

According to Roy, infrastructure limitations and limited use cases and revenue also pose great challenges for telcos and smartphone players.

"To really leverage 5G bandwidth and latency, towers are to be connected by fibre. Only a third of them are 'fiberised' so I would expect 5G service to be reserved for large cities until the fiber gets to twice that number of towers," he explained.

Telcos have also struggled with adequate tower density even for 4G, but 5G needs a much higher tower density -- increasing upfront investment.

"All this capex investment would also be limited by the telcos' high debt and stagnant ARPU (revenues), already stretched by spectrum fees and initial 5G investments," according to Roy.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expects telcos to invest Rs 2-3 lakh crore on 5G and 4G in the next two years for better voice quality and high-speed data.

There are also 5G network equipment availability challenges, because of very strict supply chain reporting mandates for cybersecurity and related reasons since June 2021 (called the NSDTS directive).

"This is slowing down approved telecom and IT equipment available for the telcos, or requiring them to apply for case by case exemptions," Roy told IANS.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

--IANS
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