Samsung Galaxy Note8 hit stores in India ahead of Apple iPhone 8 series; price, specs and more

The new Galaxy Note8 boasts formidable specifications including S Pen to match Apple's iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 8 in hardware aspects and also the price makes the Samsung's phablet more compelling.

As promised, Samsung's flagship Android phablet: Galaxy Note8 hit stores in India for Rs 67,900 on September 21.

As part of the launch offer, Galaxy Note8 consumers can avail an attractive Introductory Offer comprising a one-time screen replacement (have to pay Rs 990) and a free Convertible Wireless Charger.

The company has also announced 'Samsung Upgrade' program offering its loyal Galaxy device owners the maximum value when they trade in their old device for Galaxy Note8. The program offers a convenient solution through My Galaxy app (powered by Cashify).

Galaxy Note8 buyers will also get a Double Data offer on Jio, under which they can get up to 448 GB of extra 4G data over 8 months, as well as complimentary Jio Prime Membership.

To further sweeten the deal, consumers who purchase their Galaxy Note8 using an HDFC Credit Card will get a cashback of Rs 4,000.

With the release of Galaxy Note8, Samsung has got a headstart over arch-rival Apple, which is scheduled to launch iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus on September 29.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 flaunts a gorgeous 6.3-inch super AMOLED screen with Infinity Display feature, that makes the screen cover more than 75 percent of the front-panel offering rich viewing experience and also improving exterior looks by several notches compared to previous generation model.

In India, it comes packed with Samsung's proprietary Exynos 8895 octa-core backed by 6GB RAM, 64GB internal storage and a 3,300mAh battery with fast wire/wireless charging capabilities.

with thanks : IBTimes : LINK : for more details

India loses 6.41 mn mobile subscribers in August; Idea hit the hardest with loss of 2.89 mn subscribers: COAI

In a report provided by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), it showed that there has been a loss of 6.41 million mobile subscribers from the month of July to August.

The report said that the total number of all India mobile subscribers in the month of August was 948.54 million. This is a drop from the 954.95 million mobile subscribers in the month of July.

According to a report by Indian Express, Bharti Airtel was standing at the top with a market share of 29.3 percent. Meanwhile, Vodafone and Idea Cellular were close with a difference of 17.08 million subscribers. Vodafone came second and Idea Cellular came third.

When it came to the loss in subscriber base, it was Idea Cellular that lost the most subscribers (2,898,508), followed by Vodafone at 2,404,807 customers. Least was by Airtel which was around two million.

Since it was all India, Kerela had the maximum mobile subscriber additions, while UP (East) Circle had 84.07 million mobile subscribers. Uttar Pradesh had the highest total number of mobile subscribers.

The report quoted director general COAI, Rajan S Mathews, saying, "Mobile connectivity and data services have played a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and moving India towards a truly equitable and democratic nation. The telecom industry, therefore, deserves urgent relief and an immediate intervention to encourage policy and regulatory stability, and facilitate growth, innovation and investment."

with thanks : yahoo news : LINK : for more details.

Renault unveils the All-New Renault MÉGANE R.S. at 2017 Frankfurt International Motor Show

• Renault extends Mégane lineup with renewed iconic sports version.
• Packed with 4CONTROL, new engine, a choice of transmission and chassis.
• Outstanding agility, improved dynamics driver appeal for both road and track.
• New colour, wider tracks, bumper and wings, R.S. Vision lighting, sporty stance.
• Technology brought from motorsport – for people who love to drive.

Frankfurt, September 12 – Renault today unveiled the All-New MÉGANE R.S., the third-generation of the iconic car now made even more powerful by a new turbocharged engine with direct fuel injection. The four-cylinder 1.8-litre (1,798cc) unit combines maximum power of 280hp (205kW) at 6,000rpm with peak torque of 390Nm, a figure that puts it amongst the very best in its class. The New MÉGANE R.S. is equipped with 4CONTROL, with four-wheel steering, a global first for the segment, now affording the car’s Sport and Cup versions outstanding agility through tight turns and impressive cornering stability at higher speeds.

“Performance is the chief reason our customers cite for purchasing the MÉGANE R.S. and the All-New MÉGANE R.S. takes the styling and technologies even further to deliver truly exceptional driving enjoyment. Our intention is to see the All-New MÉGANE R.S., with its chassis and 4CONTROL, remain THE C-segment hot hatch benchmark,” says Patrice Ratti, General Manager of Renault Sport Cars.

A car that benefits from Renault’s expertise in and passion for motorsport

The All-New MÉGANE R.S. is differentiated by four hydraulic compression bump stops, inspired by rally driving. This configuration provides the Cup version of the car with optimal handling efficiency on all types of road, plus a level of comfort that is unprecedented in the car’s class for the Sport version. Combined with entirely redesigned independent steering axis front suspension for even sharper precision, the Cup version’s new Torsen limited slip differential improves traction and cornering speeds. For the first time, the All-New MÉGANE R.S. can be specified with a choice of two types of transmission, namely a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed EDC dual clutch transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle-shift gear changes.

Customers are also treated to R.S. Monitor onboard telemetry technology which, in additional to being more user-friendly than ever, has been upgraded to incorporate an ‘Expert’ mode that allows users to connect a camera, film their drive, play back and analyse their data, and share their images on social media.

Design geared for performance

For even greater road-hugging performance and high-quality dynamics, the New MÉGANE R.S. is wider, features wider tracks and sits on new 18- or 19-inch wheels. A wide air intake feeds airflow to the heat-exchangers for efficient engine cooling and the rear lip spoiler has been redesigned to generate additional downforce.

The styling of the All-New MÉGANE R.S. incorporates numerous cues from the world of motorsport, including a rear diffusor, an F1-style front blade and a 3D honeycomb-pattern grill mesh that has been revisited by Renault Sport. Meanwhile, the sculpted, sensuous flanks that are a hallmark of the Renault Mégane are accentuated by the R.S. version’s wider wings and tracks. Renault Sport’s exclusive, patented R.S. Vision lighting technology recalls the world of motorsport and delivers a degree of visibility that is unprecedented in the car’s segment.

The All-New MEGANE R.S. is the first production car to feature the new Renault Sport badging which is common to both Renault Sport Racing and Renault Sport Cars, while a new dynamic body colour – Tonic Orange – has been added to the catalogue. Careful attention has been paid to the interior which comes with sports front seats complete with integrated head rests, a charcoal grey trim, red top-stitching, fabric or Alcantara® upholstery, R.S. badging, etc.

A sporty Mégane

In keeping with the rest of the Mégane range, the All-New MÉGANE R.S. is equipped with Renault’s MULTI-SENSE system which provides drivers with a choice between five driving modes: Comfort, Normal, Sport, Race and Perso. It also comes with a suite of driver aids (ADAS) that can be activated or switched off using the R-LINK 2 tablet.

Renault Sport will be introducing a 300-horsepower ‘Trophy’ version of the New MÉGANE R.S. at the end of 2018.

Order books for the All-New MÉGANE R.S. open in December 2017

Source : Renault

Captur Iridium, the smart crossover

• Captur Iridium: an extensively-equipped limited-edition version
• Exclusive appointments, with prices starting from €20,000 (France only)
• Production restricted to 2,000 cars

The generously-equipped Captur Iridium – the first limited-edition New Captur to hit the market – comes in a choice of stylish colour combinations.

This distinctive and technologic New Captur, which sits on 17-inch Explorer alloy wheels, features specific two-tone finishes, while its side protective mouldings and front and rear skid plates are picked out in Alto Grey. The roof and door mirror housing graphics are also specific and the sides sport bespoke Iridium badging.

There are Alto Grey touches inside the cabin, too, including the air vent and gear lever surrounds, while the fabric and Alcantara upholstery is exclusive to Captur Iridium. Indeed, thanks to details like the illuminated climate control module surround, this limited-edition version boasts a level of refinement previously reserved for the model’s Initiale Paris version. 

Captur Iridium is based on the line-up’s Intens equipment level and comes complete with the Techno Pack, R-Link, hands-free parking and the City Pack Plus (front and rear parking sensors), not to mention Media-Nav and the Bose Sound System.

Customers can choose from a selection of four body/roof colour combinations, namely Etoilé Black/Platine Grey, Cassiopée Grey/Etoilé Black, Platine Grey/Etoilé black and Ocean Blue/Platine Grey.

The limited-edition Captur Iridium is on display at Renault’s French dealerships during the network’s special September promotional weekend (September 14-18).

Source : Renault

OnePlus 5 features the highest resolution dual-camera system

Dual Camera. Clearer Photos.

The OnePlus 5 features the highest resolution dual-camera system on a smartphone today. A tailor-made 16 MP sensor is supported by a 20 MP sensor with a telephoto lens to accurately determine the distance between the sensor and objects in the environment. A large f/1.7 aperture allows for faster snaps and helps compensate for stuttering to improve image stabilization.

In Portrait Mode, the two sensors work together to create a focal separation between faces and backgrounds, while a custom software algorithm makes your subject clear and well-lit. This results in a professional depth-of-field (bokeh) effect that keeps faces sharp in front of a blurred backdrop. Smart Capture combines optical zoom with multi-frame technology to let you zoom in with greater clarity, while Fast AF uses the dual-camera system to more accurately calculate depth to speed up auto-focus by up to 40 percent.

The all-new Pro Mode gives smartphone users powerful DSLR features such as ISO, balance, shutter-speed, focus and exposure modification, as well as an on-screen histogram and RAW image file support for complete control of post-shot editing.

Smooth Experience

Through a combination of powerful hardware and intelligent software, the OnePlus 5 provides a truly seamless smartphone experience.

The OnePlus 5 takes advantage of the top-of-the-line Qualcomm? Snapdragon? 835 platform that provides powerful performance while drawing up to 40 percent less power. With up to 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, the OnePlus 5 can run a large number of apps in the background without a single second of lag. The combination of UFS 2.1 and a new two-lane ROM results in 26 percent faster storage performance in everything from installations to loading apps and games.

OnePlus’ custom operating system, OxygenOS, is designed to refine stock Android’s core functionalities with features and optimizations that add value to the user experience. New updates to the OnePlus 5 include Reading Mode, which utilizes an ambient sensor and gray-scale mapping to make reading as comfortable as reading an actual book. Gaming Do Not Disturb Mode allows users to play their favorite games without being disrupted by notifications or accidental hardware button presses. With App Priority, the OnePlus 5 loads your most-used apps more quickly to further improve performance.

Source : oneplus

OnePlus 5 Now Available in Croma Stores: All You Need to Know

With the likes of Xiaomi, Moto and others boosting their offline presence, Chinese startup OnePlus has partnered with electronics retail chain Croma. Starting September 19, all OnePlus products will be available for sale at same price as online channels and would include consumer offers as available on all other authorized channels. Additionally, customers will benefit from promotion campaigns run by respective Croma stores.

OnePlus 5 devices will be available in 10 Croma stores, across major cities in India. These locations are Devarc Mall in Ahmedabad; Belapur, Lower Parel Phoenix Mall and Vasundhara (Juhu) in Mumbai, Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad, Pimpri in Pune, South Ex and DLF Mega Mall in Delhi NCR, Phoenix Market City in Chennai and Indraprastha in Bangalore. Later, the OnePlus products will gradually be launched to 100s of other premium Croma stores in a phased manner.

with thanks : News 18 : LINK : for more details

India's first bullet train project: 350 km/hr top speed, 7 km tunnel under sea, Rs 1.08 lakh crore cost

The high-speed bullet train in India is expected to bring a paradigm shift in how the world views transport system in India. The bullet trains, besides running at unbelievable speeds, are also known for their punctuality and safety features.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today laid the foundation stone for the much-hyped Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed bullet train project.

"If technology is used to empower the poor, we can win the fight against poverty," said Narendra Modi.

The Prime Minister and Shinzo Abe inspected a model of the project as well before taking to the dais to inaugurate the billion dollar bullet train project.

Newly appointed Railways Minister Piyush Goyal pitched bullet train as the train for the future and said that "many people criticised the introduction of Rajdhani but now it is the train everyone wants to travel in".

"With laying foundation of the bullet train, we are also laying foundation of a New India," said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the inauguration ceremony in Ahmedabad.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HIGH-SPEED BULLET TRAIN PROJECT:

HOW MUCH DOES THE BULLET TRAIN PROJECT COST?

The ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed bullet train project will cost an estimated Rs 1.08 lakh crore or USD 17 billion. The project is expected to be completed by 2022.

WHAT WILL BE THE TICKET FARE FOR BULLET TRAIN?

According to Railway officials, the bullet trains would have two categories of seats, executive and economy, and the ticket fares will be comparable to that of AC-2 tier fare for Rajdhani Express.

with thanks : Yahoo News : LINK : for more details

Google’s Pixel 2 is being launched on October 4

Google is all set to launch the successor to its Pixel smartphone on October 4. Please view the video embedded below, which clearly shows the Launch date of 4th October. It asks for your E mail ID as well your country. Once submitted, it asks to wait for the 4th October, for a lot more. It's new advertising campaign and official landing page, asks that if you are “thinking about changing phones”, wait and tune in, for more information, that will be coming on October 4.

 


Pic used with thanks to Google Pixel2. Link of the Landing page above.

Amazon launches ‘Blink’ fashion imaging studio in India

In order to support its fast growing fashion retail business, Amazon has launched its largest standalong fashion imaging studio in Gurugram, India.

The facility, which is named ‘Blink’, offers solutions for photo shoots, editing as well as catering to sellers and manufacturers to better display their products on Amazon India.

This is the third such facility from Amazon in the world. Apart from India, the other two such facilities are located in London and New York.

The 44,000 sq. ft. studio in India has 16 photography bays, a ramp and a presentation area along with enclosed workspaces for Amazon teams and fashion sellers to collaborate.

Arun Sirdeshmukh, Head of Amazon Fashion India, said,

At Amazon, we are always thinking about how we will raise the bar, how we will redefine the way the customer discovers, engages with, and shops for fashion online. All our efforts that we have made for this studio in terms of technology, scale and talent are designed to deliver high-quality imagery that inspires and educates our customers.

The new facility is like an extension to Amazon’s imaging and cataloguing services, which gives retailers access to low-cost photography solutions. Amazon operates 35 photo studios across 14 countries, with four out of five of those in India housed in fulfilment centres.

With thanks : theindianwire : LINK : for detailed news report

Spike in sales of dual SIM phones following Reliance Jio launch: Study

New Delhi: Velocity MR a new age market research agency, unveiled their latest study report conducted among mobile users in the country. One of the trends that the study discovered was that two thirds of the respondents had purchased a dual SIM phone to take advantage of the Reliance offer in the past year.

The study was conducted among over 2000 respondents to understand user sentiment and their views about Reliance Jio and other players in this volatile market segment.

The study was conducted across the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune Ahmadabad and Kochi through an online Panel Poll of respondents in the age group of 18 to 45 with a male to female ratio of 70:30.

Jio's free offer stayed for a year before they announced their monthly plans. As a result, the customers are still purchasing a new dual SIM phone to continue using their Jio connection; in fact, two of the three respondents purchased a dual SIM phone. This would have definitely helped drive sales of dual SIM handsets.

"We at Velocity MR felt that it has now been a year since Reliance announced Jio and their free network services which shook-up the telecom industry and forced the rivals to consolidate to take on the freebies offered by Jio. Dual SIM phones were selling like hot cakes following this offer and we believe it also opened up the handset market in the process to accommodate more players," said Jasal Shah, Managing Director and CEO of Velocity MR.

with thanks : EconomicTimes : LINK : for more details