Microsoft officially announces the Xbox One S

Images of the Xbox One Slim have sprung up online just a day before Microsoft's E3 2016 conference.

The first image, posted on NeoGAF and picked up by Kotaku, sports new info on the hardware. The Xbox One Slim will have a 2TB hard drive, be 40% smaller in size than the original Xbox One, and will support 4K video.  The leak comes hot on the heels of plenty of rumors that the new, smaller hardware would be revealed at the show.

This is the first revision for the Xbox One, but certainly not the first Xbox hardware revision. Throughout the lifetime of the Xbox 360, we saw various versions including the Premium, the Slim, and the E.

During Microsoft's E3 2016 press conference the company officially confirmed the leaked Xbox One S details. The console is 40% smaller, supports 4K, and features a slightly tweaked design.

The 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB versions of the Xbox One S are available for pre-order on Amazon.

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Watch Dogs 2 Teaser Site Goes Live, Reveal set for This Week!

Ubisoft has released the first official Watch Dogs 2 teaser, and more importantly, announced that the official world premiere will take place on June 8, almost a full week ahead of E3. 

The trailer itself doesn't reveal much, except that the man with the phone is far better with his thumb. The real info will come at 6 pm CEST, that's noon ET, or 9 am PT at watchdogs.com, presumably followed by a more significant info-dump at E3.

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Tiny Lasers Could Make Microprocessors Faster, Less Power-Hungry

By fabricating tiny lasers directly on silicon, an international group of scientists has found a way that could make microprocessors run faster without consuming more power. The group of scientists from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of California, Santa Barbara, Sandia National Laboratories and Harvard University grew tiny high-performance lasers directly on silicon wafers. Reported in the journal Applied Physics Letters, the group said integrating subwavelength cavities the essential building blocks of tiny lasers onto silicon enabled them to create and demonstrate high-density on-chip light-emitting elements.

“Putting lasers on microprocessors boosts their capabilities and allows them to run at much lower powers, which is a big step toward photonics and electronics integration on the silicon platform”, said professor Kei May Lau from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The scientists used “tiny whispering gallery mode lasers only 1 micron in diameter that are 1,000 times shorter in length and 1 million times smaller in area than those currently used.” In terms of applications, the group’s tiny lasers on silicon are ideally suited for high-speed data communications.

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SanDisk releases a faster, better USB-C flash drive

SanDisk announced the second generation of its USB-C flash drive at Computex, and it's faster, retractable, and now there's a 128GB version. The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C flash drive features USB-C and USB-A connectors, which can be accessed by using the slider on the side of the drive. SanDisk has improved transfer speeds, which now reach up to 150MB/s thanks to USB 3.1.

If you're looking for a USB-C flash drive, a dual drive should be your choice for at least the next few years, although USB-C adoption is moving along at a nice pace, the standard USB connector we all know and hate won't exactly disappear in the near future. You can pick up the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C flash drive on Amazon in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB variations for $19.99, $29.99, $39.99, and $69.99, respectively.

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Leaked blueprint shows possible Galaxy Note 6, launch likely in August

The next big thing from Samsung is going to be the Galaxy Note 6. The phablet, which is likely to have a screen with size between 5.5-inch to 5.8-inch, will possibly launch in August. And, according to the leaks, it will likely look very similar to the existing Galaxy Note 5.

Although, this is not a bad design at all. The Note 5, with its metal and glass body, is one of the best designed large phones. It is also a very compact phone for its size, utilising a screen with thin bezels and slim profile. Renders based on the leaked blueprint of the Note 6 shows that it will be similar to the Note 5 size. Although there are likely to be some tweaks. The new Note will possibly have a more curvier and sleeker body.

For now, there is not much clarity on the other aspects of the phone. However, traditionally, the Note series has followed the Galaxy S series in hardware and features. So, we can expect the Note 6 to have the hardware that is similar to what users get in the Galaxy S7. This means, the Note 6 will use either the Exynos 8890 or Snapdragon 820 processor. It will also have at least 4GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and a similar 12MP camera, considering the camera in the Galaxy S7 is the best ever seen in a phone.

However, just like other Note series devices, the Note 6 will also come with a stylus. It will also have a screen made of Super AMOLED  panel with the 1440p resolution.



Similar to other Galaxy devices, the Galaxy Note 6 will also launch in India a few weeks after the global unveiling. It will possibly have the Android Marshmallow, modified with the TouchWiz users interface. It is safe to assume that the device, when it launches in India, will cost around Rs 55,000.
For Samsung, the top-end Note devices has always been one of the best selling phones. These have also been devices in which Samsung puts the best of the hardware it can manage. In fact, the Note 5 is so good that recently a consumer research organisation in the US found that it was more trustworthy and reliable than even the iPhone 6S for majority of consumers. You can expect that with the Galaxy Note 6 too Samsung will take aim at the numero uno position

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Xiaomi soon to launch cheaper iPhone SE compititor

Xiaomi is reportedly working on its own small phone, which will have a screen size of 4.3-inches. Rumours from China suggest that Xiaomi may come out with not one but two devices later this year. The company is expected to launch the Mi Note 2 phablet, and a smaller smartphone with 4.3-inch display.

A post on Weibo, a Chinese social network website, says that the phone will have a 4.3-inch display with 720p resolution. The rumoured phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor. It will also have 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The phone is rumoured to have a 2350mAh battery.

By launching this phone, if it does at all, Xiaomi will be putting it directly against the iPhone SE, which has been selling well in China. But considering Xiaomi sells its phone at affordable price tags, it shouldn't be a tough match for the Chinese company. It has been rumoured that Xiaomi's phone will cost around 1,800 Yuan, which is approx Rs 18,000, or around half of what the iPhone Se costs.

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Buy the OnePlus 3 without knowing anything about it, not even the price a full week before the official launch!

OnePlus will offer a thousand of its new OnePlus 3 phones a full week before the official launch. The catch is that absolutely no details about the device have been officially revealed, not even its looks or the price. 

So how do you buy a device if you don't know the price? Easy; OnePlus has set the price at 2,999 yuan, or about $455, but that's not the real price. When the real price gets revealed a week later, buyers will either get a refund or pay the price difference to get their OnePlus 3. 

Early blind sale buyers will be rewarded with a 6-month screen warranty (a value of 49 yuan or $7) as well a gift certificate worth 249 yuan ($48). 

The sale will open on OnePlus' Chinese site on June 6, 10 a.m. local time (that's 10 p.m., June 5, in ET). The device will officially be launched on 10 a.m., June 15 in China (10 p.m., June 14 ET). 

The phones will be shipped on June 15, buyers unhappy with their purchase will be able to cancel their orders and get a refund.

OnePlus is no stranger to odd marketing ploys similar to this one. The company's original smartphone, OnePlus One, was only available with an invite, and in Dec. 2015, OnePlus started selling a $19.99 iPhone case which came with an invite to the company's OnePlus X phone. 

The OnePlus 3 is rumored to include an all-new metallic design, as well as a full HD screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 16MP rear camera and an 8MP front cam.

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Watch Dogs 2 Confirmed for E3 2016 Reveal

Ubisoft has officially confirmed Watch Dogs 2 will make its debut at E3 2016.

In an email detailing its plans for the event, the company said it will "present highly anticipated titles such as Watch Dogs 2, For Honor, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands." It has also promised to "unveil some surprises."

Ubisoft's E3 showcase is scheduled for Monday, June 13, starting at 1 PM PST.

The confirmation follows a leak originating from a YouTube personality, who posted a picture of a Watch Dogs 2 themed gift box on Twitter, effectively outing its impending debut ahead of schedule.

Although Watch Dogs 2 was previously mentioned by Ubisoft in an earnings call, it had not yet been announced in an official capacity. During the same call, a it said Watch Dogs 2 will launch before the end of April 2017.

Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot previously said Watch Dogs 2 will have a "new tone," and that it has the potential to be one of Ubisoft's best-selling games of all time.

An image of what is reportedly the protagonist of Watch Dogs 2 has appeared online. The picture was found on an Instagram profile belonging to a performance artist.

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Lava A82 launched with 5-inch display, 5000mAh battery at Rs 5,299

Lava has launched another budget smartphone in India. Lava A82 comes with 3G support and will be TataCliq.com exclusive.

Lava A82 features a 5" display with a FWVGA (854x480p) resolution. The smartphone is powered by 1.2 GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. Lava A82 also supports expandable storage up to 32GB via microSD card slot.

Lava A82 is a dual-SIM smartphone and have a 5000mAh battery. Lava A82 comes with a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera.

Lava A82 runs Android Lollipop with support for smart gestures. The device also supports host of connectivity option one expects from budget smartphones.

Lava A82 is attractively priced at Rs 5,299 and will be available in blue, white and gold colour variants. The device comes with 1 year manufacturer warranty for the phone along with 6 months warranty for the in-box accessories.

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Xiaomi Mi Band 2 launched with OLED display, heart rate sensor

Xiaomi has finally launched its widely-speculated Mi Band 2. Priced at CNY 149 (Rs 1500 approximately), the tech firm will be making the wearable device available to buyers starting June 7. The company has not yet revealed when the band will be launched in India and at what price.



The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 features a 0.42-inch OLED display that shows health information along with other stats, a heart rate monitor and other functionalities. The fitness band , as tweeted by the company's global vice president Hugo Barra, can run for 20 days on a single charge.

Besides a hear rate sensor, the Mi Band 2 tracks the wearer's sleep and counts the steps taken using the updated pedometer. It sports a hypoallergenic silicone band and is IP67 rated that makes it water resistant as well.

According to the company, Xiaomi Mi Band 2 features a military-grade ADI accelerometer, an anodized 0.05mm button on top of the oval display to move through different menu options, and second-generation Bluetooth v4.0. The new Mi Band will also be showing smartphone notifications on display and will give a vibration alert like its predecessor.

The band weighs 7 gram and will be available in Black, Blue, Green, and Orange colours. It can sync with smartphones running on Android 4.4, iOS 7 and later versions.

Xiaomi recently sealed a deal to buy 1500 patents from software giant Microsoft Corp. The deal not only features patent cross-licensing but also requires Xiaomi to sell its upcoming handsets and tablets with Microsoft-branded software including the Office and Skype. The two companies, however, did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

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Swipe Elite Plus with 13MP camera, 3050mAh battery and Octa-core processor Launched at Rs. 6,999

Swipe Technologies has launched its new Elite Plus smartphone priced at Rs. 6,999. The smartphone will be available online exclusively via Flipkart starting Monday. The company confirmed that the Elite Plus will be available in an open sale model.

The Swipe Elite Plus is the company's fourth in the 'Elite' line-up after the Swipe Elite, Swipe Elite 2, and Swipe Elite Note.

The Swipe Elite Plus features a 5" full-HD (1080x1920p) IPS display and comes with DragonTrail glass for protection from scratches. The company says that the Elite Plus sports a 78 percent screen-to-body-ratio and comes with 8.4mm thick profile. Powered by 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939) processor, the smartphone comes with 2GB of RAM and packs 16GB of storage. The smartphone supports expandable storage upto 64GB via microSD card.

The Swipe Elite Plus sports a 13MP rear camera with f2.0 aperture and also includes an 8MP front camera. The rear camera is accompanied by an LED flash. The handset supports 4G LTE apart from other connectivity options such as 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Micro-USB.

The handset packs a large 3050mAh battery which the company claimed can last up to 2 days of mixed usage. The dual-SIM Swipe Elite Plus runs the company's Freedom OS based on Android Lollipop.

The company at launch announced that the Swipe Elite Plus will be available in two colours Ivory White and Midnight Blue.

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Intex iRist Pro, Smartwatch compatible with Android and iOS at Rs.4999

Intex Technologies on Thursday launched its latest smartwatch the iRist Pro at Rs. 4,999. It is exclusively available via Flipkart.

Made up of aluminium alloy body with a 2.5D curved glass showing a trans-reflective display, the Bluetooth-enabled iRist Pro is available in Black and Mustard colours.

"The Bluetooth iRist Pro integrates devices to make communication and sharing of information better and provides tools to take care of health and fitness", Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Mobile Business Head, Intex Technologies, said in a statement.

The trans-reflective 240x240p resolution Display enables clear view in sunlight and will give time display even if the screen is off.

iRistPro displays all kinds of notifications from smartphones, lists all call logs, and enables the user to make or receive calls using smartphone's SIM via Bluetooth.

The smartwatch also has an in-built pedometer that helps in-step monitoring, distance measurement, and calorie count.

The wearable device comes with interchangeable straps option along with an additional nylon strap free of cost.

It has a 64MB RAM, 128MB built-in storage, 400mAh battery and is compatible with smartphones running Android 4.3 and above, and iOS 7 and above.

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LG launched G Pad III 8.0 tablet

LG has unveiled its latest mid-range tablet G Pad III 8.0. Launched in Korea, the device is priced at $240 and will be available in Black and White colour options.

Talking about the specifications, the LG G Pad III 8.0 features an 8" Full-HD display with 1920x1080p resolution. It is powered by 1.5GHz octa-core processor and runs Android Marshmallow operating system.

The G Pad III 8.0 offers 2GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB of internal storage which can be expandable up to 64GB via a microSD card. The device is equipped with an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS. The device is backed by a large 4800mAh battery.

LG G Pad III 8.0 comes with a Reader Mode which prevents the eyes from straining when reading on the tablet for a long time.

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LG Stylus 2 Plus soon to launch in India

LG on Wednesday unveiled Stylus 2 Plus in Taiwan at a price of $340 (roughly Rs 23,000). The Stylus 2 Plus is the successor to the Stylus 2, which was launched in India earlier this month. The company has announced that the phone will be launched in other markets like Asia, South and North America, and Europe in the coming weeks.

The Stylus 2 Plus is very similar to the Stylus 2 in terms of design. However, the company has made significant changes inside.

The latest phone comes with 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. The Stylus 2 Plus launched in Taiwan also gets another variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB memory. It's yet not clear if the company will launch both the variants in India or only one.

The Stylus 2 Plus has 5.7-inch display with a resolution of 1080 X 1920 pixels. Both the variants also have different camera configurations. The 16GB model carries a 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. The 32GB model has 16MP rear camera and 8MP front camera.

The Android Marshmallow based phone is powered by a 3000mAh battery and supports 4G connectivity. The Stylus 2 Plus has been launched in brown, titan, and gold colours.

The phone carries the nano-coated tip pen, which we saw in Stylus 2 smartphone. According to LG, the nano-coated tip offers better accuracy, which was lacking in the original LG G4 Stylus.

Juno Cho, president of LG electronics and mobile communications company said, "The LG Stylus 2 Plus offers users a spacious screen, powerful multimedia functionality and a writing experience at a competitive price. It's just another example of the constant refinements we're making to our mobile products to give LG customers a wide variety of features and designs to choose from".

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Lenovo Brings Android Marshmallow to K4 Note

Lenovo has rolled out Android Marshmallow 6.0 update to its K4 smartphone. The update includes various new features including revamped app permissions, Google Now on Tap, Doze and adoptable storage.

The phone features a 5.5" Full-HD display with Gorilla Glass 3. It sports a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. In terms of storage, the phone comes with a 16GB internal memory that is expandable upto 128GB via microSD card.

Under the hood it is powered by 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6753 Processor, with 3 GB RAM and a 3300mAh battery.

Lenovo's Vibe K4 Note, priced at Rs 11,999, is claimed to be the world's first smartphone to be launched with TheaterMax. One can now convert any multimedia content on the Vibe K4 Note into an immersive one, giving users a virtual cinematic experience when viewed through a VR headset, says Lenovo.

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