Gadgets Now Bureau26 Jun, 2022, 09:10AM IST
Microsoft has decided to bid adieu to Windows 8.1. The Redmond-based software giant announced that it will end support for Windows 8.1 in January 2023, and with alerts to users starting from next month.
“Microsoft 365 Apps is no longer supported on Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 after they have reached their end of support dates. To avoid performance and reliability issues, we recommend that you move to a newer version of Windows,”, said the tech giant in an update. Click here for the full story.
Leading domestic audio and wearable manufacturer Noise launched its first smart eyewear in in India. The Noise i1 smart eyewear comes with a price tag of Rs 5,999. The device will be available online on gonoise.com. It is a limited edition device so the stocks will be limited.
Noise i1 smart eyewear is a Made-in-India device and it comes with various features like motion estimation, motion compensation, microphone for calling, magnetic charging,
hands-free voice control and more.
Noise i1 supports Bluetooth version 5.1 and claims to deliver up to 9 hours of battery backup on a single charge. The smart eyewear also supports fast charging and with 15 minutes of charge users can enjoy 120 minutes of music playback. Click here for the full story.
Zomato’s board of directors has approved the acquisition of online grocery store Blinkit (formerly Grofers) in an all-stock deal at a board meeting, according to a BSE filing. The long-anticipated deal will help Zomato, which has been bullish on quick commerce, strengthen its position significantly in the buzzy, ultra-fast grocery delivery space.
The deal is valued at Rs 4,447 crore or close to $570 million. It is close to 43% lower than Blinkit’s last valuation of just over $1 billion. Blinkit became a unicorn in 2021 following a $120-million funding from Zomato and Tiger Global. Click here for the full story.
HP has updated its entire gaming laptop portfolio with the launch of its latest-generation gaming laptops. The update lineup includes new OMEN 16, OMEN 17 and Victus 15 & Victus 16 laptops, with prices starting from Rs 67,999. The new gaming machines are powered by 12th-generation Intel Core processors as well as AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors. Along with this, the company has also updated its Omen, Victus desktop and Omen Gaming Hub app.
The HP Omen 16 and Omen 17 come with revamped thermals. The new laptops come with a built-in IR thermopile sensor which can detect real-time CPU and GPU capacity and allocate power between them. This, according to the company, claims to offer better in-game FPS.
The laptops feature QHD 165Hz IPS panel with 3ms response time and 100%sRGB rating.
They come with up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070Ti laptop GPU/RTX3080 Max-Q or AMD Ryzen RX 6650M GPU. Click here to know all about the pricing of every laptop range.
Telegram Premium, a paid version of the user privacy-focussed cloud-based messaging app, was launched this week on iOS and Android. You can get it by updating the mobile Telegram app to the latest version. Premium subscribers get a host of exclusive features like 4GB uploads, faster downloads, voice-to-text feature and more. Click here for the full story.
Poco this week finally launched the much-awaited Poco F4 – a spiritual successor to Poco F1 – in India. The vanilla F4 is the second smartphone in the F4 lineup, which consists of another gaming-oriented F4 GT. Poco F4’s key specifications include a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 870 chipset, 64MP triple camera setup and a 4500mAH battery with 67W fast charging. The Poco F4 is said to be a rebranded Redmi K40S.
The Poco F4 comes in three storage variants in India – 6GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB. The base storage configuration is priced at Rs 27,999, while the 8GB+128GB variant costs Rs 29,999 and the high-end model comes at Rs 33,999. The Poco F4 comes with two years of warranty. The smartphone will be available in two colour options – Nebula Green and Night Black.
The smartphone will be available to purchase through Flipkart starting June 27. Poco is offering an instant discount of Rs 1,000 and a Rs 3,000 discount on SBI debit and credit cards on the first day of the sale. Customers can purchase the smartphone at a discount of up to Rs 4,000 on the first day. Click here for the full story.
Google Nest Cam has made its India debut. Google has launched its home security services in the country in collaboration with Tata Play, previously known as Tata Sky. Google Nest Cam is based on battery (rechargeable) and it will work with Tata Play’s satellite-based platform.
Google Nest Cam (battery) is priced at Rs 11,999. Buyers get Google Nest Mini worth Rs 4500 free and 2 months Nest Aware subscription with Tata Play Secure Play Plus plans.
Google Nest Cam offers features including Animal/Vehicle/Person alerts, two-way communication via its built-in microphone and speaker, a built-in battery, weather resistance and more. It houses a 1/2.8-inch 2MP sensor with a 130 degree field of view and can capture live video in 1080p HD.
The Google Nest Cam also supports HDR and Night Vision. Users can check up on things whenever they want, from anywhere using the Google Home app, claims the company. Nest Aware includes features such as familiar face detection and 30-Day or 60-Day event video history depending on users’ plan. Click here for the full story.
Realme has added a new smartwatch to its lineup with the launch of the Realme TechLife Watch R100. This is the first smartwatch of the company to come with Bluetooth calling functionality. The wearable comes with a built-in microphone and a speaker. It means that users can answer calls and also talk using the device. The smartwatch also comes with Amazon Alexa support.
Realme TechLife Watch R100 comes at price tag of Rs 3,999. Customers can purchase the smartwatch in two colour options: Black and Grey. As part of a launch offer, buyers can purchase the smartwatch at Rs 3,699. The wearable will be available online on realme.com and Flipkart starting June 28.
The Realme TechLife Watch R100 sports a 1.32-inch colour touch display with 360×360 pixels resolution. The smartwatch offers up to 450 nits peak brightness and more than 100 watch faces. It comes with more than 100 sports modes like Outdoor Running and Walking with automatic tracking, Outdoor Riding, Cricket, Swimming, Yoga, Rower, Elliptical, HIIT and more. Click here for the full story.
Earlier this year, Samsung introduced a new range of soundbars in the global market. Now, it has brought those soundbars to India as part of its Q-series and S-series. The lineup includes seven new soundbars starting from Rs 24,990 up to Rs 99,990.
The Samsung Q-series soundbars include four models – Q990B, Q930B, Q800B, Q700B, and Q600B – and as per the South Korean tech giant, they are meant for the Neo QLED and OLED TVs. Also, Samsung claims that they are the first soundbars to come with support for Wireless Dolby Atmos.
Samsung has brought the S801B model under the S-series which it claims to be the “world’s thinnest soundbar”. The soundbar has a depth of 39.99mm. It has a 3.1.2 channel surround sound setup and comes with built-in Alexa support, Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual: X audio. Click here for the full story.
Jabra has expanded its audio series with the launch of Jabra Talk 65 – a Bluetooth mono headset – in the Indian market. Jabra Talk 65 can be purchased at Rs 8,999 from select retailers.
Jabra Talk 65 offers 80% noise cancellation and is equipped with 2-microphone technology to ensure clear communication. The headset can be worn on either ear.
As per the company, the headset has a Bluetooth range of up to 100m/ 300ft and offers up to 14 hours of talk time on a single charge. Click here for the full story.
Domestic wearables manufacturer Fire-Boltt has expanded its product lineup with the launch of the Ninja Bell smartwatch. The Fire-Boltt Ninja Bell smartwatch comes at a price tag of Rs 2,999. Customers can purchase the smartwatch in Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Grey, Pink and Purple colour options. It will be available online on Flipkart.
The Fire-Boltt Ninja Bell smartwatch sports a 1.69-inch LCD display with 240×280 pixels resolution. The display is protected with a layer of 2D High Hard Glass. The device comes with Bluetooth calling functionality and also features in-built microphone and speaker. Users can directly make and receive calls using the smartwatch. Click here for the full story.
Domestic audio and wearables maker Noise has added a new smartwatch to its lineup with the launch of Noise ColorFit Vision 2. The smartwatch comes with an introductory price tag of Rs 2,999. Customers can purchase the smartwatch in Blue, Black and Green colour options. The wearable will go on sale starting June 24 and can be purchased from Flipkart and gonoise.com.
The smartwatch sports an Always-On display and offers 40 sports modes. It comes equipped with a heart rate sensor and is claimed to deliver up to a week of battery life. Click here for the full story.
