HP Envy 13, Pavilion 13 x360, Pavilion 15 Star Wars Edition Launched in India

HP on Wednesday launched a slew of consumer and commercial PC devices in India. While the HP Envy 13, Pavilion 13 x360, and Pavilion 15 Star Wars Special Edition are consumer-facing products, the HP ProBook 430 G3 laptop, ProOne 400 G2 AiO, and ProDesk 400 G2 devices are for commercial use. All the devices ship with Windows 10.

The HP Envy 13, Pavilion 13 x360, and Pavilion 15 Star Wars Special Edition start at Rs. 64,990, Rs. 45,990 and Rs. 73,000 respectively, while the ProBook 430 G3, ProOne 400 G2 AiO and ProDesk 400 G2 start at Rs. 49,990, Rs. 49,000, and Rs. 45,000 respectively. All the devices are available to buy in the market except the Pavilion 15 Star Wars Edition, which would arrive on November 20.

The slim HP Envy 13 (seen above) is just 12.95mm thick and has a metal body. Including a 13.3-inch display, it supports Windows 10's biometric Windows Hello login feature with an integrated fingerprint sensor. It will be available with sixth-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processor options and promises up to 10 hours of battery life. Bang & Olufsen sound is standard. The laptop weighs in at 1.3kg and is 12.95mm thin - claimed to be the company's "thinnest notebook ever". It sports a metallic build.

The HP Pavilion 13 x360 (seen above), as the name suggests, is a convertible laptop which can be used in different modes as the display can be rotated up to 360 degrees. Featuring a 13.3-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) resolution IPS touch display, the device comes with sixth-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i3 processor versions, clubbed with Intel HD GPU. The base model features 4GB RAM, 1TB SATA drive (5400rpm), HP TrueVision HD Webcam, and 48 Wh Li-ion prismatic battery. It measures 327.4x223.6x22.5 cm and weighs 1.71kg.

The Windows 10-powered HP Pavilion 15 Star Wars Special Edition (seen above), which was one of the highlights at the launch event, houses a 15.6-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) resolution display. The laptop comes with sixth-generation Intel Core i5 processor and is rated to deliver up to seven hours of battery life. HP also showcased the Star Wars Special Edition Wireless Mouse along with the laptop. A simila- themed laptop sleeve is also available. Both accessories are sold separately. There's up to 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M GPU, solid-state and high-capacity hard drive options, Bang & Olufsen sound, and optional Intel RealSense camera. It houses 1TB of inbuilt storage, of which 35GB is reserved for the system.

Users can even click on the Imperial Cog desktop icon to access the Star Wars Command Center for browsing the Star Wars Special Edition's themes and galleries. This would give users access to content collections with over 1,100 images spanning 40 years of Star Wars history. For hardcore Star Wars fans, the laptop features Aurebesh font to type in Galactic Base Standard language. HP launched the Pavilion 15 Star Wars Special Edition outside India earlier this month.

The ProBook 430 G3 (seen above) sports a 13.3-inch HD display and comes in sixth-generation Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processor options. Supporting maximum 16GB of RAM, the laptop can be configured up to 1TB inbuilt storage. It features a HD (720p) front-facing camera. It comes with security features like HP Client Security and HP BIOSphere as well as the embedded TPM 1.2.

The HP ProOne 400 G2 AiO and ProDesk 400 G2, like others run on sixth-generation Intel Core processors and is designed mainly for SMBs. The ProOne 400 G2 (seen above) features a 20-inch IPS LCD display with 1600x900 pixels resolution and supports maximum of 32GB DDR4 SDRAM, and 2TB SATA drive (5400rpm) as well. Besides an 1-megapixle webcam, DTS Audio tech supports the AiO's sound system.

The ProDesk 400 G2 Microtower PC supports a range of Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Pentium and Celeron chipsets and can support up to Windows 10 Pro (64-bit), 16GB DDR3 SDRAM, and 2TB SATA drive (7200rpm). It can run Intel HD, AMD Radeon, and Nvidia GPUs, weighs 6.5 kgs and measures 165x358.8x355mm (without stand).

Sony Swings to Big First-Half Profit on Video Games

Sony on Thursday posted a six-month net profit of almost $1 billion (roughly Rs. 6,520 crores), crediting its PlayStation video game unit and a weak yen for a big improvement in its finances as the company moves past years of losses.

The Tokyo-based electronics giant said net profit came in at JPY 116.0 billion (roughly Rs. 6,259 crores) in the first half of its fiscal year, reversing a JPY 109.2 billion loss a year earlier.

Sony also reversed a year-earlier operating loss although sales ticked down 0.3 percent to JPY  3.7 trillion. Sony's operating profit for July-September came to JPY 88 billion (roughly Rs. 4,753 crores), slightly above the JPY 87.3 billion average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. In the same quarter last year, it booked a loss of JPY 85.6 billion.

The quarterly operating profit from strong video game sales helped to offset a fall in smartphone sales and as the year-ago quarter had seen a big impairment charge.

Sony has been emerging from a painful corporate restructuring that has included layoffs and asset sales, with executives focusing on its upbeat video game unit and turning around a long-struggling television division.

A sharp decline in the value of the yen has given a lift to some of Japan's best-known exporters, including Sony, as it made them more competitive overseas and inflated their repatriated profits.

But Sony has struggled in the consumer electronics business that built its global brand, including losing billions of dollars in televisions over the past decade as it faced fierce competition from lower-cost rivals from South Korea and Taiwan.

The upbeat earnings Thursday come a day after Sony said it would acquire Toshiba's image sensor business.

The deal could boost Sony's position as a global leader in image sensors, which are key components in smartphones and other mobile devices.

Written with agency inputs

Apps News Skype Apps for Android and iOS Updated With Video Filters and More

Microsoft has rolled out an update to Skype's Android, iPhone, and iPad apps to add a shiny new feature. Users with any of the said clients will be able to add video message filters. In case you're wondering, yes, it is indeed similar to Snapchat's recently rolled out video filters.

Users will now be able to add filters such as balloons and ghosts to their video messages. The option appears at the bottom left of the video message window. "Add balloons to your video message to celebrate any occasion. If you're feeling goofy, change the appearance of your face to make it look rounder or longer - we love this one!" Skype team wrote in a blog post.

The feature is similar to the additions Snapchat introduced in its app last month. The video-centred ephemeral messenger added lenses, trophies, and paid replays to its app. Using these features, users were able to take a selfie and then choose face filters, and add awards icons to the images.

Additionally, the team has also added support for 3D Touch in its Skype app for iPhone. Users with aniPhone 6s or an iPhone 6s Plus will now be able to force touch the Skype icon and see search and calling options in the contextual menu without having to open the app. In addition, inside the app, users can get a peek into conversations and video chats.

Separately, at an event in New Delhi, the company announced that it will be adding Bollywood content to Skype Mojis. For those unfamiliar, Mojis is a feature that the company introduced in Skype last month. Using this, users are able to add short clips of their favourite movies and TV shows right into a Skype chat. The company said that it has partnered with Yash Raj Films and Eros Now to get content. The company says that it will also add several India-centric emoticons.

Skype is in an interesting spot right now. On one hand, it is seemingly losing relevance in the aggressively growing instant messaging market, but on another, it holds the tentpole position in the enterprise space. In the recent months, it has ostensibly grown interest to make its instant messaging client appealing to the younger audience. A recent example of it is the upcoming Dialer app, an India-optimised Skype app we exclusively reported about earlier this month.

LG Profit Sinks as Smartphone Business Suffers Loss

LG Electronics said Thursday its mobile communications division suffered its first operating loss in more than a year, dragging down the company's overall earnings for the third quarter.

The mobile business lost KRW 77.6 billion (roughly Rs. 443 crores) for the July-September quarter. The South Korean company's overall net income sank 48 percent over a year earlier to KRW 83.7 billion, far below the KRW 146.5 billion forecast in survey of analyst by financial data provider FactSet.

LG said it shipped 15 million smartphones during the quarter but its smartphones could not command high prices. The company said its mobile business will likely improve its performance during the current quarter as it began sales of the LG V10 smartphone and the Nexus 5X smartphone.

LG's TV business turned profitable for the first time in three quarters.

Its home appliance business, which makes washing machines and refrigerators, contributed more than 80 percent of overall profit.

Sales fell 5 percent to KRW 14 trillion. Operating profit slumped 37 percent to KRW 294 billion.

OnePlus X With 5-Inch Display, 3GB of RAM Launched at Rs. 16,999

OnePlus has launched its third smartphone - the OnePlus X. Meant to be the company's affordable offering, priced below its 'flagship killer' products, the OnePlus One, and OnePlus 2.

Priced at Rs. 16,999 for the Onyx variant, and Rs. 22,999 for the limited edition Ceramic variant, the dual-SIM smartphone will be made available via the company's much-criticised invite system, and will go on sale via Amazon India. It will release on November 5 for the Onyx variant, and November 24 for the Ceramic variant. OnePlus specified only 10,000 units of the Ceramic variant will be made available globally.

(Also see: OnePlus X vs OnePlus One)

The OnePlus X, running OxygenOS based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, features a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Amoled display, and is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC coupled with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM. Like the OnePlus 2, it features a hardware Alert Slider, and capacitive keys. The smartphone has a metal frame, and dual speaker grilles on the bottom panel.

The OnePlus X comes with 16GB of built-in storage expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). The smartphone features a hybrid dual-SIM slot, with the second slot usable for microSD cards. It features a 13-megapixel rear camera with flash and a f/2.2 aperture, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with a f/2.4 aperture, and a non-removable 2525mAh battery. It does not bear a fingerprint sensor, as had been expected.

(Also see: OnePlus X vs Motorola Moto X Play)

The Ceramic variant weighs in at 160 grams, while the Onyx variant weighs 138 grams. Connectivity options include support for Indian 4G LTE bands, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, FM radio, and Micro-USB. The company is touting the OnePlus Radio app, as well as its new OnePlus Icon in-ear headphones.

OnePlus X cases will also be made available in Rosewood, Black Apricot, Bamboo, Karbon, and Sandstone options. The firm announced the OnePlus X is its first Made in India smartphone, but the first batch of smartphones to be sold in the country will be produced in China. India production will begin from November.

OnePlus has also provided prices of the OnePlux X Onyx in the US, UK, and Europe, which is $249 (roughly Rs. 16,200), GBP 199 (roughly Rs. 19,800), and EUR 269 (roughly Rs. 19,200). Prices of the limited edition Ceramic variant, which won't be launched in the US, are GBP 269 (roughly Rs. 26,800) and EUR 369 (roughly Rs. 26,400).

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro Reportedly Passes China Certification

by Gadgets 360 Staff , 29 October 2015

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The unannounced Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro, which earlier this week was leaked in couple of images, has now been certified in China. Some other Xiaomi-branded gears are also spotted in database listing.

The 3C certification in China, spotted by Timesnews UK, shows smartphones with model numbers 2015617, 2015611, and 2015056, which might be the variants of Redmi Note 2 Pro. As per the report, the smartphone's certification in China suggests it could launch as soon as next month. However, nothing is confirmed as of yet. Xiaomi has not mentioned anything about the handset or hinted towards its existence.

Over the week, two leaked images of the unannounced Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro also surfaced the Web. The handset is said to arrive in two variants. While one would house a fingerprint sensor on the back panel below the rear camera, the other variant would completely miss out on the particular feature. The Redmi Note 2 Pro is tipped to share the same specifications as the Redmi Note 2. The only difference would be an inclusion of a fingerprint sensor and a metal build.

For reference, the Redmi Note 2 features a 5.5-inch full-HD display, an octa-core MediaTek MT6795 SoC clocked at 2.2GHz clubbed with PowerVR G6200 GPU and 2GB RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 3060mAh battery.

Another handset dubbed Redmi 2 Pro earlier this week passed the US FCC certification website The Redmi 2 Pro appears to be the US variant of a recently launched Xiaomi phone, the Redmi 2 Prime, launched in India back in August. It features almost identical specifications, except for network support. It features 4G LTE (supports bands 2, 4, and 7), 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz) connectivity features as well.

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Huawei Appoints Former Apple Creative Director as Chief UX Designer

by Manish Singh , 29 October 2015

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Huawei's Android skin - Emotion UI - might soon look like Apple's iOS. The Chinese conglomerate has hired Abigail Brody, former Apple creative director as its chief user experience designer.

The Chinese telecommunications giant, currently the third largest smartphone manufacturer by volume, said that Brody will be working in the company's device and consumer division, and oversee the interface design on Huawei lineup of products. The Chinese company will create a design studio in the United States.

"Based on our plan, Huawei is going to set up a user experience design studio in the US, tracking and leading pioneering design concepts in the industry, working with China's domestic design teams to provide the best user experience of Huawei's ultimate products," a translation of the company's official statement reads, courtesy CNBC. According to Brody's LinkedIn profile, she joined the company in September.

Brody left Apple in January 2011 after working at the company for almost 10 years. In her stay, she worked on the design of a range of products including and especially the first iPhone and the first software version of iOS, and iCloud, including cloud-based solution for photos, documents, apps, notes, and calendar.

"Assigned by the Apple executive team, Abigail played a key role in creating new projects as individual design contributor, from inception and prototyping, through formal proposal, executive review for funding, to development and launch, e.g. for the iPhone's iOS1, aspects of Mac OS X and Aperture," her LinkedIn notes.

Her profile reveals that she has also held the role for vice president of global design for eBay andPayPal between December 2010 and October 2012. Huawei, which already has a global presence, was at the limelight of attention for launching the Nexus 6P, which it has manufactured. Earlier this month, the company also became the top Android shipper in China, surpassing Xiaomi.

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