Valve Is Launching a VR Headset and HTC Is Not a Part of It

Valve just made a surprise reveal of a brand new VR headset via a teaser site. The headset, called the Valve Index, is a VR headset that we currently have no other information about, apart from an expected launch timeframe of May 2019.

Surprisingly, the website makes no mention of Valve's long time VR partner HTC, which means it might be a completely in-house product developed by Valve.

The headset's image looks like it will have 4 wide-angle cameras, along with inside-out tracking, and there's also an adjustment slider on top, which looks like it might let users adjust the interpupillary distance according to their own comfort and liking.

Mobile RPG Elder Scrolls: Blades Out Now on Android and iOS

Originally set to release last year, Bethesda's Elder Scrolls: Blades is finally out on mobile and you can play the fantasy RPG in early access on iOS and Android (Download for

The early access does not include a multiplayer mode but you can still crawl through the dungeons in Abyss or Town, the other modes available. You can set up the touchscreen controls for melee and magic attacks, and the ability to create your own custom character.

Blades for iOS currently supports the iPhone 6s and beyond and select iPads, and you can see a list of supported Android devices Here is the video

Adobe Shows Off Future of Its AI Apps at 2019 Summit

Whether you are struggling with data to make charts and presentations or simply worked up about maintenance of your cars, then relax, good news is on its way, and it's coming from Adobe.

A "sneak" into the future of digital solutions at the Adobe Summit 2019 presented by actress Mindy Kaling, where 'data unbound', an AI-based document handling feature won hands down in an open voting.
Presented by Sana Malik of Adobe Research, 'data unbound' analyses the data, draws the summary and converts it into charts and graphs for web pages and power points using Adobe Sensei and data analytics.

Another futuristic innovation presented was an AR airline mobile app with interactive terminal map enabling the customer to store and pick up 3D objects. Adobe's automobile app will track the statistics about your car and keep you informed about its health for taking corrective measures in time and avoiding breakdowns.

Apple Apologizes For Faulty Butterfly Switch Keyboards in New MacBooks

Apple has apologized to users who are still encountering issues with the third-party butterfly keyboards on MacBooks and MacBook Pros even after the company introduced a fresh batch of laptops last year with redesigned keyboards.

The butterfly keyboards have troubled users with unexpected repetition of letters while typing, unresponsive keys and sticky keys and with letters not appearing.
"We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry," MacRumors quoted an Apple spokesperson as saying on Wednesday.

While Apple had a free repair program for affected 2015-17 MacBook and 2016-17 MacBook Pro models, the latest 2018 MacBook Pro and 2018 MacBook Air models with third-generation butterfly keyboards do not qualify at this time.
Image: iFixit

Sony, Microsoft Announce Free Games For Subscribers in April 2019

Sony has revealed the April 2019 games which will be pushed out for PlayStation Plus members, which include The Surge and Conan Exiles.

The Surge is a sci-fi action RPG, while Conan Exiles as the name suggests is an action and survival game set in Conan the Barbarian universe, which is boatloads of fun. Both games will become available to download starting April 2. Until then you can get March 2019 games including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered and The Witness.

Microsoft also announced the free games you get Xbox Gold for April 2019, which include The Technomancer, Outcast: Second Contact, the original Xbox version of Star Wars Battlefront II and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2.

Suspense Remains on Satellite Shot Down by DRDO in India's First Anti-Satellite Missile Test

India PM Narendra Modi today announced that India had acquired anti-satellite capability by shooting down a live satellite in low earth orbit, the question is which satellite was shot down. Modi was silent on the satellite that was hit.

Officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were said to be in a meeting and not available when asked to clarify the issue. However, an ISRO spokesperson told IANS: "The entire activity was that of the DRDO's and we were not involved in it."

India has a good number of earth observation and communication satellites in orbit. The space debris resulting because of India hitting a satellite in low earth orbit is expected to be not much.

Though India's anti-satellite capability was talked about earlier, it was only proved to the world after this announcement. With China shooting down its own satellite some years ago, the question of safety of India's satellites in orbit had come up for discussions.
Representative image: Shutterstock

HTC Vive Focus Plus Headset Arrives Mid-April For $799

HTC will start selling its enterprise-targeted Vive Focus Plus standalone virtual reality (VR) headset for $799 from April 15.
The Focus Plus will be available through the Vive website in mid-April for $799 in 25 markets around the world. When compared to the enterprise version of the original

Vive Focus, it's a $200 premium, but HTC is betting on better performance and visual fidelity. The all-new head-mounted display (HMD) design comes with fresnel lenses; the standalone headset does not need to be tethered to a smartphone or a PC.

Fresnel lenses can reduce the screen door effect or the grid of lines that you can see in a VR application that make you feel like you are looking through a screen door.

Huawei P30 Pro Supports Mind-Boggling 50X Digital Zoom

Huawei has today unveiled the much-awaited P30 Pro flagship smartphone and with the quad-camera grabbing all the headlines.

One reason is the P30 Pro comes with Huawei's proprietary SuperZoom technology, which combines an 8MP telephoto lens with a prism element. This gives Huawei P30 Pro the power of 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, and
50x digital zoom

Having this feature onboard means you can capture pictures of the moon like the one attached below, without attaching a tripod, which is quite amazing. And you can find out all about the four cameras on the phone right 

IIT-Hyderabad's 'ArmAble' Device Could Help Stroke Victims Recover More Quickly Through Gamification

An Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) incubated startup has developed a "gamified arm rehabilitation" device that would aid in brain and motor rehabilitation of stroke victims.

BeAble Health's 'ArmAble' is affordable, offers engaging game-based therapy, has data-based quantified progress and recovery and can also be used for tele-rehabilitation.

Aimed at targeting conditions such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, fracture and frozen shoulder, it can solve the pressing need for intensive, engaging and regular rehabilitation therapy for the upper limb, the institute said.

The device motivates the patients to engage in therapy using the immersive games which lead to an increased number of repetition. The tele-rehabilitation in ArmAble connects a therapist to patients by remotely connecting through a cloud platform.
Click here for watching video

Fly Around and Save the World as Iron Man in this Marvel PlayStation VR Game

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 VR games have not yet hit mainstream, but that could change if Sony's massive bet with the upcoming Marvel's Iron Man VR game from Camouflaj pays off. The Marvel franchise is one of the most popular entertainment properties in the world and is a great way to promote PlayStation VR gaming.

The game has you playing as Tony Stark, the billionaire genius and Iron Man's alter ego. Not only can you fly around the world and fight villains, you can also team up with other Marvel superheroes - after all, with Avengers: Endgame coming later this year, this is a perfect tie-up.

Camouflaj director, Ryan Peyton, said the gameplay and narrative will be "deeply personal, and appropriately funny", but there's no telling when the game will launch just yet.Here is the video

Nintendo Could Launch Two New Switch Consoles This Year

After not refreshing the Nintendo Switch all of last year, the company might be looking at two new Switch devices this year. According to a WSJ report, the Japanese video game giant would release a higher-end Switch for more serious gamers, along with a smaller, more portable variant.

WSJ says Nintendo will revamp its controls for the new generation of Switches - most notably dropping the HD Rumble controller vibration.

There's no doubt that the Switch has been a big hit — according to estimates, Nintendo has sold 32 million Switch units so far — and with mobile gaming growing at a great pace every year, there's definitely room for a couple of Switch handheld consoles.

Stadia Won't Support Offline Game Downloads

Google's Stadia game streaming platform will not support offline downloads, which automatically makes it a hard sell for casual gamers without a high-speed connection.

Speaking to GameSpot, Google VP Phil Harrison, who presented most of Stadia at the GDC keynote, said the offline game downloads are "not technically possible." He added: "It would be a compromise of our vision if we were to do that."

It also explains why Google didn't release console hardware along with the Stadia Game Controller. Without offline downloads, there's no need for dedicated hardware including internal storage as seen in the PS4 or Xbox One X.

Hackers Win Tesla Model 3 For Exposing System Error

Electric Vehicle (EV)-maker Tesla had to give away one of their Model 3 cars and $35,000 prize money to a group of hackers after they managed to crack its system during a hacking event.

Amat Cama and Richard Zhu of team Fluoroacetate exposed a vulnerability in the vehicle system during the Pwn2Own 2019 hacking competition, organised by Trend Micro's "Zero Day Initiative (ZDI)", held here this week.

The hackers targeted the infotainment system on the Tesla Model 3 and used a "JIT bug in the renderer" to take control of the system, Electrek reported on Saturday.

"Since launching our bug bounty programme in 2014, we have continuously increased our investments into
Partnerships with security researchers to ensure that all Tesla owners constantly benefit from the brightest minds in the community," the report quoted David Lau, Vice President of Vehicle Software at Tesla as saying.

The First iPhone Prototype Looked More Like a PC Than a Smartphone

Announced on January 9, 2009 by Steve Jobs, Apple's original iPhone changed the face of the mobile phone industry. Now,
what it says are photos of the original iPhone M68 prototype board that looks more like a traditional PC motherboard than the circuit boards typically used in smartphones.

According to the report, the board was developed by Apple as an engineering validation test (EVT) sample and is said to have been used by engineers working on the software and radio portions of the original iPhone.

As can be seen from the images, the board contains a SIM card slot, two antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and various other I/O ports and sockets, including a marked RJ11 port for landline phones. Also visible are a Samsung K4X1G153PC memory, a 620MHz ARM processor (ARM1176JZF), a Samsung NAND card (K9HBG08U1M) and other components.
Image Courtesy: The Verge

Researchers Grow 'Mini Brain' That Can Produce 'Functional Output'

In a breakthrough research that experts believe could improve our understanding of human brain development and help the treatment of neurological disorders, scientists in the UK have reportedly grown a miniature brain in a dish with a spinal cord and muscles from a mouse.
published in Nature Neuroscience
"a remarkable self-organization of corticofugal and callosal tracts with a functional output, providing new opportunities to examine relevant aspects of human CNS development and disease"

Apple Updates Regular iMac Lineup with New Intel Processors, AMD Graphics

Following the iPad Air and iPad Mini, Apple has updated iMac desktops, with new Intel processors and AMD graphics. This is the first update for the iMac lineup in nearly two years, but the iMac Pro remains untouched for now. The new 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,299, while the 27-inch model starts at $1,799.

Starting with the more affordable 21.5-inch iMac, it now starts with an 8th Gen quad-core Core i3 and you can upgrade to six-core Core i5 or i7 processors. You get processor and either a Radeon Pro 555X GPU or a Radeon Pro 560X by default, but the top-end model comes with 32GB RAM, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 GPU (with 4GB of memory) for much faster performance, with a standard 4K Retina display.

The 27-inch iMac, on the other hand, can be configured with up to an Intel 9th Gen eight-core Core i9 processor, up to 64GB RAM, up to 3TB of fusion drive storage or 1TB SSD, Radeon Pro 570X, 575X, or 580X GPUs for prebuilt models, with the Radeon Pro Vega 48 GPU (8GB memory) is available with the most expensive option. The base version has 8GB RAM.

Apple Launches New iPad Mini With Apple Pencil Support, Priced From Rs 34,900

Apple also launched an updated iPad Mini, which also has the same Apple A12 Bionic chipset, along with support for Apple Pencil.

The iPad Mini will be available in India starting next week and is priced at Rs 34,900 for the Wi-Fi model and Rs 45,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The iPad Mini comes with a 7.9-inch Retina display with True Tone support in the 25 percent brighter panel, which has the highest pixel density of any iPad. It also has the same 8-megapixel f/2.4 primary camera, and a 7MP f/2.2 front camera for FaceTime calls as the bigger iPad Air.

Unlike the iPad Pro, both these new iPads have Touch ID, and no Face ID. The Mini has a 19.1 wHr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, rated for up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music and up to 9 hours of web surfing using cellular data.

Dell G7 with RTX Graphics Arrives For Rs 1,57,399

Besides its Alienware lineup, Dell has also updated its G-series gaming laptops in India with the new G7 15, which has Intel's 8th-gen Core processors and Nvidia's GeForce RTX graphics. With a price tag of Rs 1,57,399, the new G7 is very attractively priced and undercuts competition such as the Asus ROG Scar II, which also features the RTX graphics.

The G7 15-inch comes with a slimmer design, all-metal body and a full-HD (1920x 1080) panel with up to 144Hz refresh rate. Processor options include the Core i5-8300HQ, Core i7-8750HQ and Core i9-8950HK (G7 Only), while new-generation GPU options include GeForce RTX 2060, GeForce RTX 2070 and the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q.

Apple Announces New iPad Air Powered by A12 Bionic; Starting at Rs 44,900

Apple has announced an all-new iPad Air, which comes with the latest Apple A12 Bionic chipset and the Apple Neural Engine, and support for Apple Pencil. The iPad Air will be available in India from next week in 64GB and 256GB variants. The iPad Air is priced at Rs 44,900 for the Wi-Fi model and Rs 55,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

The iPad Air comes with a 10.5-inch Retina display with True Tone technology. There's a 8-megapixel f/2.4 primary camera, and a 7MP f/2.2 front camera for FaceTime calls. Like in the past, the more expensive WiFi + Cellular models offer support for Gigabit‑class LTE connectivity and eSIM support for using mobile connectivity in more than 180 countries around the world. The iPad Air comes with a 30.2 wHr lithium‑polymer battery, rated for 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music

Apple Watch Can Safely Detect Irregular Heartbeat

Apple Watch can detect and notify users when they experience irregular heart rhythms, finds a study demonstrating the ability of wearable technology to detect atrial fibrillation.

Researchers from the Stanford University studied whether the heart rate pulse sensor on the Apple Watch can identify atrial fibrillation, for over a year. Atrial fibrillation, a deadly and often undiagnosed condition, can lead to strokes.

The findings showed only 0.5 percent participants received irregular pulse notifications, but 84 percent of the time participants who received irregular pulse notifications were found to be in atrial fibrillation at the time of the notification and 34 percent who followed up by using an ECG patch over a week later were found to have atrial fibrillation.

NASA Creates Groundbreaking 'Hot Jupiter' Atmosphere In Its Labs

To understand conditions of exoplanets, NASA has managed to create the atmosphere of a super-hot planet outside our solar system, in its labs.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California used a high-temperature "oven" to heat a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,100 Celsius),2 about the temperature of molten lava.

The aim was to simulate conditions that might be found in atmospheres of a type of exoplanets called "hot Jupiters", NASA said. The tests, published in the Astrophysical Journal, revealed some new details about the possible atmospheres humans might encounter on those planets.

Poco F1 Lite Spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 660

It's just over six months since Xiaomi launched the Poco sub-brand, and the Poco F1 phone. Now there's a new Poco device coming to join the ultra-popular Snapdragon 845-powered phone.

Benchmark scores on Geekbench show the company is working on a Poco F1 Lite. The much-cheaper phone will be powered by a Snapdragon 660, and has at least 4 GB of RAM. It also runs Android 9 Pie.

We are not sure why Poco would dilute its brand and launch a mid-range phone which is likely to be exactly the same as a Redmi Note 7. It would be better to stick to what fans most associate the brand with - the best performance at the most affordable price.

Intel Looks to Give Celeron, Pentium Processors Big Performance Boost

Intel's low-priced offerings are under serious threat from ARM processors, especially as Qualcomm brings the heat with the 8Cx computing platform for consumer devices.

Phoronix found new code in Intel’s open source Linux graphics driver that suggests the company is planning a performance boost for the lineup, and the new generation budget chips will be partially based on Intel’s upcoming 10th-gen Ice Lake processors.

It also looks like next-gen Celeron and Pentium Silver chips could come with improved Intel Gen11 integrated graphics, and will be manufactured using a 10nm process instead of 14nm. So we can expect really great performance in entry-level budget laptops early next year.

Rebellion Announces Four New Sniper Elite Games Including VR Version

Like Sniper Elite? Rebellion is ready to unleash four new Sniper Elite projects in the near future, including a VR version. The lineup is headlined by the next major Sniper Elite title, which may be called 'Sniper Elite 5'.

The other three are made up of two two remasters and a VR title. Sniper Elite V2 Remastered will bring the 2012 title to current-gen consoles with new visuals, 4K HDR support, photo mode, expanded multiplayer, and more content for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

Rebellion is also announcing a Sniper Elite 3 Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch, while the Sniper Elite VR game is being made in collaboration with Just Add Water, but it's only likely to come to markets late next year.

Solar Cells Seem to Work Just As Well in Near Space in 'Air Mass Zero'

Chinese researchers have found that solar cells can retain most of their power conversion efficiency in near space, opening up the possibility of using them for applications in space.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are known for their potential of achieving higher efficiency and low production costs compared to traditional silicon solar cells.

A balloon with the cells attached rose to near space at an altitude of 35 km, a region above Earth's atmosphere where there is only a trace amount of moisture and ozone. The region, considered to have "air mass zero" contains no atmospheric attenuation of solar radiation. One type of PSCs used in the study retained more than 95 per cent of its initial power conversion efficiency during the test.

Xiaomi's Foldable Phone Could Undercut Galaxy Fold, Mate X With Aggressive $999 Price Tag

Xiaomi is also set to join the foldable phone brigade this year, as it has already teased the upcoming Mi Flex or Mi Fold a couple of times. And now new reports claim that the unique phone will be priced at US $999, which would seriously undercut the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold.

In contrast, the Mate X was announced with a US$2600 price tag, while the Galaxy Fold will set buyers back US$2000. The unconfirmed report from iGyaan says the foldable phone from Xiaomi will be priced at $999 in the US, €999 in Europe, and around Rs 74,999 in India. It’s expected to launch around June.Here is the video.

You Can Now Buy These Limited-Edition Luxury iPhone XS Units Starting at Just over $8,000

Russian luxury brand Caviar has announced limited edition iPhone XS and XS Max models, which start at $8,370 (nearly Rs 5.8 lakh), and come with a mechanical watch and the dial protected by a sapphire crystal.

The limited-edition unit also features a "tourbillon", a miniature, constantly rotating mechanism which is often seen inside high-end luxury watches. The body of the limited edition iPhones comes with a composite black titanium panel with white composite stone inserts and gold-plated elements. The dial is said to consist of a set of circles inscribed into each other.

Caviar is selling 64GB, 256GB and 512GB variants of iPhone XS for $8,370 (Rs 5.8 lakh), $8,680 (Rs 6.01 lakh) and $9,060 (Rs 6.29 lakh), respectively. The limited edition 64GB iPhone XS Max model could be purchased at $9,130 (Rs 6.3 lakh) for the 256GB and $9,440 (Rs 6.54 lakh) for the 512GB variant. Check them out Here.

Tencent Seeks 'Reasonable Solution' After PUBG Mobile Arrests Cause Panic in India

Tencent India has finally commented on the PUBG Mobile-linked arrests in India and the ban on the game in certain parts of the country. The company says PUBG Mobile "is meant merely for entertainment and should be enjoyed in a healthy and responsible manner."

Tencent, which publishes the mobile version of PUBG, added, "In consonance with our endeavor to continue promoting responsible gaming experience, we are working on the introduction of a healthy gameplay system in India to promote balanced, responsible gaming, including limiting play time for under-aged players."
About the bans, the company's statement, reported by many Indian publications, said,

"We are working to understand the legal basis of such bans, and hope we can have a constructive dialogue with relevant authorities to explain our objectives and that they withdraw the prohibition. To PUBG Mobile players, we want to assure you that we are on your side and we will try our best to find a reasonable solution."

Google Patent Describes 'Z-Fold' Display for Foldable Devices

Google has recently filed a patent which suggests that the search-engine giant could be interested in a "Z-fold" display technology that could bend in two different places without breaking.

The patent does not mention the word "phone" even once, instead it refers to how the display could be used by "modern computing devices" which could refer to tablets or laptops.

The patent does not mention the word "phone" even once, instead it refers to how the display could be used by "modern computing devices" which could refer to tablets or laptops.
google_zfold

Scientists Reportedly Use Quantum Computer to Reverse Time

A team of scientists from Russia, Switzerland and the US claims to have reversed the flow of time with an IBM quantum computer.Published in scientific report , the study also theorizes that an electron in empty interstellar space will spontaneously travel back into its recent past.

According to the researchers, the study done at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology explored the possibility of developing protocols for reversing the 'arrow of time' in a direct contradiction to the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the universe's disorder, or entropy, can only grow, or at best, remain constant under thermodynamic equilibrium, but never decrease over time.

You can read the entire report on Nature journal at the above link, but don't hold your breath for a time machine any time soon.

Here's What the Viral 'Trashtag' Challenge is All About

The viral #Trashtag challenge is taking over social media these days and if you are unaware of what's it all about, here's a refresher. All you need to do to participate is clean up a public space, post pictures of before and after on the social media and nominate others.

Believed to have been started in 2015 by outdoor gear company UCO, the challenge started trending in its present avatar after one Bryon Roman, posted about it on Facebook.

"Here is a new #challenge for you bored teens. Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then take a photo after you have done something about, and post it" on his Facebook page last week.

Indians have been associated with the challenge since the early days. Afroz Shah, a Mumbai-based lawyer, used the hashtag to encourage folks to participate in cleaning up the dirty Versova Beach, and was bestowed the award by the United Nations. It has even spread to relatively remote cities such as Dimapur

Image Courtesy: Bryon Roman (Via Facebook)

Acer Unveils Ultra-thin TravelMate X514 Business Laptop Starting at $1,100

Acer has announced the TravelMate X514 business laptop as an upgrade over the last-gen TravelMate X3410 series, bringing a more refined design and faster hardware.

Specifications include a 14-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS touchscreen with Gorilla Glass protection, up to an Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, 10 hours of battery life and more.

With a chassis made out of magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum alloy, the newest member of the TravelMate family is said to be the 'lightest and thinnest professional notebook' from the Acer stable, weighing more than 200grams lighter than its predecessor.

The TravelMate X514-51 is expected to go on sale in the US from June with prices starting at $1,100 for the base model with a Core i5-8265U, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD.

Android Q Developer Preview Now Live; Here's How to Get It

With the first Android P Developer Preview coming in early March last year, we had our eyes set on the Android Q beta since last week. Well, it's here now.

The Android Q Beta 1 might not look too different from Android 9 Pie on the surface, but there are noticeable changes including
, especially under the hood. The beta is available for the first-gen Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 phones.

If you have any of these phones, just head to This link, and join the beta program in the devices section. Every compatible device you own and have signed in to with your Google account will be displayed here. After that, it's just a matter of going into the Settings and checking for the update. We got it in the first attempt so it's very likely you will too.

Do note that the beta is likely to be full of bugs - along with new features - so unless you have a backup phone, don't dive into it with your primary phone.

Android Screen Mirroring Comes to Windows 10 Insider Preview

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Insider Preview build 18356 to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring, bringing a number of changes, including a cool new feature that was first announced last October. Called 'Phone Screen', the feature allows users to mirror their Android display directly on their PC.

Microsoft said that the new feature allows users easy access to their phone apps on their PC. "You can thus access all your phone apps without having to even unlock your phone", it said.

To uses Android screen mirroring, users will need Your Phone version 1.0.20701.0 or above and the latest 19H1 build. On the phone side, however, availability is restricted to only four devices for now, all from Samsung: Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Do note that the feature is only compatible with Android 7 Nougat or newer.

Targus Launches 'Mobile VIP+ Smart Backpack' With Qi Wireless Charging

Targus has launched the Mobile ViP+ Smart Backpack with an integrated Qi-charging holster that allows users to charge their Qi-enabled smartphones, such as the iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, or Samsung Galaxy S9. Originally unveiled at CES 2019, the backpack also has an RFID-blocking pocket, which would prevent credit cards from being skimmed remotely.

The Targus Smart Mobile ViP+ backpack comes with contoured shoulder straps and an air-mesh back panel for comfort, a trolley strap to secure to rolling luggage and a tuck-away water bottle holder. It is expected to be available for purchase in the US from next month for $199 before hitting Indian shelves later this year.

Russian Hackers Most Skillful in the World, Claims New Report

In its 2019 Global Threat Report, US cyber-security company, CrowdStrike, has
 the West's cyber-foes not just by the sophistication of their software, which can be bought from third-party vendors, but by
, which measures how long it takes hackers to go from breaking into a machine to accessing valuable info.

While average breakout times in 2018 increased to more than four-and-a-half hours in 2018 from just under two hours in 2017, the report states that Russian spies were blisteringly fast, taking an average of just 18 minutes to get the job done.

At number 2 were the North Koreans, taking a little over two hours. Chinese hackers, meanwhile, came in third, needing around four hours to gain access to the vaults.

Asus ROG Scar II, ROG Zephyrus Laptops With GeForce RTX GPUs Launched in India

Asus today unveiled its range of gaming laptops in India, including the ROG Zephyrus S GX531, ROG Zephyrus S GX701 and ROG Strix SCAR II and a desktop named GL12CX.

The lineup features the all-new Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, RTX 2070 as well as RTX 2080, along with updated designs and 144Hz displays.

The Zephyrus S GX531 is an ultra-slim laptop with a 15.6-inch display, featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and costs. It would be available starting April for Rs 2,39,990.

The ROG Zephyrus S GX701GX is a 17-inch gaming laptop that packs high-end computing prowess with up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU. It would be available for Rs 3,49,990 starting April.

The ROG Strix SCAR II is built for the FPS side of the e-sports arena and features NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics with 8GB of VRAM. The device is powered by the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H six-core CPU. The SCAR and HERO models start at Rs. 1,64,990 and go up to Rs 2,09,990 for the top-end model with 512GB SSD.

Galaxy A40 Certified by FCC; Listed on Samsung UK Site With A90, A20e

Three unreleased Samsung smartphones, viz. the Galaxy A90, Galaxy A40 and Galaxy A20e, have been listed on the company's UK website, possibly suggesting their imminent launch in the country.

Now, one of those devices, the Galaxy A40, have even been certified by US communications regulator, the FCC, suggesting that it might even make its way stateside.

While the listings on the Samsung UK website didn't reveal any info about the devices, the FCC certification reveals that it will feature a 5.7-inch display panel.

According to the FCC website, the Galaxy A40 will come with the model number(s) SM-A405FN/DS, and support Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0 LE.

A Geekbench listing back in January seemed to suggest that the Galaxy A40 will ship with an Exynos 7885 SoC, 4GB of RAM and Android 9 Pie.

Vivo V15 With 32MP Popup Selfie-Cam Said to Launch March 15 in India

suggests that the Vivo V15 mid-range smartphone will be launched in India on Friday, March 15, at a price of Rs. 22,990.

The device, which was launched earlier this month in Thailand, is a relatively more affordable version of the V15 Pro, but retains the true bezel-less display and the 32MP popup selfie camera of the latter.
The device, which was launched earlier this month in Thailand, is a relatively more affordable version of the V15 Pro, but retains the true bezel-less display and the 32MP popup selfie camera of the latter.
suggests that the Vivo V15 mid-range smartphone will be launched in India on Friday, March 15, at a price of Rs. 22,990.

The device, which was launched earlier this month in Thailand, is a relatively more affordable version of the V15 Pro, but retains the true bezel-less display and the 32MP popup selfie camera of the latter.

Galaxy S10 Series Selling Better Than Expected, Says Top Analyst

In his latest investor note, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo increased the sales estimate of the Galaxy S10 lineup, saying that the phones are selling better than expected.

According to CNBC,Kuo increased the sales estimate by around 30 percent, from 30/35 million units to 40/45 million units, largely on account of strong demand in China.

The news comes amid reports that pre-orders for the Galaxy S10 lineup is breaking records in many markets around the world, including the US and the UK.

Kuo cited new features such as the on-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader and bilateral wireless charging as some of the primary reasons for the popularity of the devices.