City-based startup AlphaVector on Thursday entered the fast growing e-bicycle segment and launched its flagship model Meraki priced at Rs 29,999.

The bicycle has a 250 watt brushless DC motor with a top speed of 25 kmp and is equipped with 6.36AH lithium-ion battery that can be charged completely in 2.5 hours, which offers up to 35 km at full charge, the company said.

AlphaVector has already received over 100 pre-booking registrations from cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad for its new offering, it said.

“We are excited to announce the launch of our flagship e-bicycle in India. With the launch of this e-bicycle, we are pedalling the extra mile for each of our riders.

“We also aim to contribute to the adoption of e-bicycles in India in line with the government’s initiative of introducing smart mobility and ultimately build smarter and sustainable cities for citizens,” said Vishal Chopra, co-founder, Alpha Vector.

Designed and developed in-house, Meraki will be available across over 350 cities in the country through the company’s retail network of 700 stores as well as online via the company website.

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By Stephen Nellis and Munsif Vengattil

(Reuters) – Qualcomm Inc forecast fiscal first-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday as it predicted sales of 5G smart phones would balloon to more than half a billion units next year, powered in part by new Apple Inc iPhone 12 models.

Qualcomm’s shares were up 14% in extended trading.

The San Diego-based company is the biggest supplier of processors for smartphones and modem chips that connect phones to wireless data networks. It has invested heavily in developing lucrative 5G technology hoping to profit as it becomes mainstream in mobile phones, a trend poised to ramp up with the introduction of Apple’s first 5G phones last month.

Revenue from the company’s chip segment, its largest by sales, was $4.97 billion (£3.84 billion) in the fiscal fourth quarter, compared with FactSet estimates of $4.59 billion.

Qualcomm this year returned to being a major supplier for Apple, supplying chips that help the new iPhone 12 models connect to high-speed 5G networks. Apple did not give a forecast for its sales during the current quarter, making Qualcomm’s chip sales one of the few proxies for investors to gauge the progress of the new iPhones.

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Fujifilm is one of the last standing camera makers that still sells instant cameras. The company’s latest Instax Mini 11 is an improvement over its predecessor, though it looks and works in similar fashion. You might wonder why go for an instant camera when one can capture better still photographs from smartphones. Well, the reel-based point-and-shoot cameras might have become a thing of the past but the paperback photos still hold relevance, and what could be better than instant cameras to capture and print photos almost instantly. That said, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is a niche product aimed at shutterbugs who still appreciate paperback photos over digital.

Successor to the Instax Mini 9, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 looks like a toy but not a cheap one. It is a portable device with lightweight design that is easy to carry around. Using the camera is easy too. On the right side, it has a thumb grip, which is slightly better than the Instax Mini 9. On the front, it has the camera lens and the power button next to it. The shutter button, flash and viewfinder is at the top right side, and there is a tiny mirror for selfies just above the lens.

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Google has advised Android smartphone users to update the Chrome browser after it patched a Zero-Day bug in the browser.

Google said the bug was exploited to allow attackers to bypass and escape the Chrome security sandbox on Android devices and run code on the underlying OS, reports ZDNet.

The tech giant has released security updates for the Chrome for Android browser to fix the Zero-Day vulnerability.

This marks the third Chrome Zero-Day discovered by the Google Threat Analysis Group (TAG) team in the past two weeks. The first two Zero-Days affected only Chrome for desktop versions.

“Chrome for Android version 86.0.4240.185 was released last night with fixes for the vulnerability dubbed as CVE-2020-16010,” the report said on Wednesday.

While the three zero-days are all different from each other, Google did not clarify if all zero-days are exploited by the same hacking group.

Late last month, a team of Google security researchers revealed a zero-day vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows operating system that is under active exploitation.

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Swedish music streaming service Spotify has started rolling out support for standalone streaming through its app for Apple Watch.

The feature continues to be available in Beta and is not available for all users at this time but Spotify has confirmed it is rolling out the feature, reports TechCrunch.

The standalone streaming feature will allow users to stream music or podcasts via Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity directly from their wrist to a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

“We are focused on developing experiences that enable users to listen to Spotify wherever and whenever they want – regardless of the device or platform. After an initial testing period, we are now rolling out streaming capabilities for Spotify on the Apple Watch,” the report quoted a Spotify spokesperson as saying.

Apple Watch users who have Spotify should see the new update on their devices.

It will appear with a pop-up message “Want to stream on your Apple Watch? Select it here.” Once updated, users can choose to stream Spotify on their Apple Watch.

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Micromax made a comeback to India’s price conscious smartphone market with the launch of IN Mobile series. The home-grown electronics maker on Wednesday launched the Micromax IN Note 1 and the Micromax IN 1B smartphones. Powered by MediaTek G-series mobile processors, both the smartphones feature big screen, large capacity battery, and multi-optics camera set-up.Micromax IN Note 1: Price, specifications and feature

The Micromax IN Note 1 is a top-tier model in the IN Mobiles line-up. It sports a 6.67-inch punch-hole screen of fullHD+ resolution. Powering the smartphone is the MediaTek Helio G85, paired with 4GB RAM and up to 128GB internal storage. The phone sports a quad-camera set-up on the rear, featuring a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. On the front, the phone sports a 16MP sensor for selfies, videos and phone unlock mechanism. It also has rear mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor for phone unlock mechanism. Powering the phone is a 5,000 mAh battery, supported by 18W fast charger.

The phone supports reverse wired charging. The phone comes in 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage and 4GB RAM + 128GB internal storage variants, priced at Rs 10,999 and Rs 12,499, respectively.

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Skullcandy recently launched its true wireless earbuds Indy Evo. From impressive on-battery time to water resistance and in-built Tile tracker, the wireless earbuds cover wide spectrum of features on paper. Priced at Rs 9,999, the Skullcandy Indy Evo seems to be in close contest with Sony’s recently launched WF-XB700 and TicPods 2 Pro. Are they as good? Let’s find out:

Build and Design

Despite some changes, the Indy Evo resembles its predecessor Indy in looks and design. Made of plastic, the earbuds have matte finish that looks attractive. The earbuds’ charging case is of decent size but the quality leaves you asking for more.

Inside the package, the Indy Evo comes with silicone ear tips of different sizes and ear gels for in-ear fit. It is unlikely for the earbuds to fall off accidently, thanks to in-ear design. However, the fit is not comfortable and softer ear buds could have made the fit a lot more comfortable.

Overall, the Indy Evo offers a good grip for workouts and regular use. Its in-ear design provides good noise isolation, which might not be as good as active noise cancellation yet blocks a good amount of external noise.

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 Casio’s G-Shock has maintained its niche fan base of people that prefer rugged look and study design. So far, the G-Shock line-up has been restricted to non-smart watches despite the growing clutter of smartwatches but 2020 seems to be the year of the unusual. Known for making watches for adventurers, Casio in August launched the G-Shock GBD-H1000. This smartwatch is one-of-its-kind as it carries forward Casio’s legacy of making rugged watches but with smart features this time. It has built-in GPS for location services, multiple sensors, and solar charging on top of regular USB charging. Besides, it features an optical heart rate sensor. Being a G-Shock, it goes without saying that the watch is both shock and water resistance.

Priced at Rs 39,995, the Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000 brings the modern day features in a conventional G-Shock form factor. Business Standard took the smartwatch out for a spin to test its worth. Here is the review:

Build and design

The G-shock GBD-H1000 has a thick strap, pop colours, large display bezel, and a familiar display. The dial has a thick case made of resin and stainless steel.Read Complete Article

Chinese short-video making app TikTok has announced a new licensing agreement with Sony Music Entertainment (SME).

As part of the deal whose financial details were not disclosed, TikTok will continue to offer songs from Sony Music artists for use by creators on its platform.

“With this deal, the TikTok creator community will have access to sound clips from Sony Music’s massive catalog of current hits, cutting edge new releases, emerging favourites, iconic classics and deep cuts from every genre of music for use in their TikTok content,” the company said in a statement late on Monday.

TikTok and Sony Music will work together to support greater levels of TikTok user personalisation and creativity on the platform, and drive new and forward-looking opportunities for fan engagement with SME’s artists and music.

“Short form video clips have developed into an exciting new part of the music ecosystem that contribute to the overall growth of music and the way fans experience it,” said Dennis Kooker, President, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales, Sony Music Entertainment.

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Microsoft has announced that Apple TV is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S gaming consoles on November 10.

The Apple TV app will give gamers access to thousands of shows and movies from one convenient location, allowing them to enjoy Apple TV+, Apple TV channels, brand-new and popular movies, and personalised entertainment recommendations.

One can subscribe to Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app directly from Xbox for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial starting November 10.

Apple TV is also arriving on Sony PlayStation5 on November 12.

Microsoft said in a statement on Monday that Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, NBC Peacock, Vudu, FandangoNow, Twitch, Sky Go, NOW TV, Sky Ticket and more will be available on both next-gen Xbox consoles next month.

Both the Xbox Series X and Series S will support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which work in apps like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Vudu.

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