Here are Xiaomi smartphones and TVs that have got cheaper in 2019

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Samsung announce price cuts; TCS revenue hits new high, Amazon sale and more

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Here's why SpaceX is laying off 10% of its workforce

As SpaceX attempts to get two expensive projects off the ground, the US-based private spaceflight company said it would lay off 10 per cent of its roughly 6,000-person workforce. http://bit.ly/2QIxmSm

'ABCD-i' will dominate the world of technology in 2019, as per this report

The ABCD-i (AI, Blockchain, Cloud, Data Analytics and IoT) will dominate the world of technology in 2019, gaining more maturity in the next two-three years with several enterprises rolling out their deployments, a new report said on Saturday. http://bit.ly/2VR2BhI

Apple demanded $1 billion for chance to win iPhone, says Qualcomm CEO

Qualcomm sought to become the sole supplier of modem chips for Apple's iPhone to recoup a $1-billion "incentive payment" that Apple insisted on, not to block rivals from the market, Qualcomm's chief executive testified on Friday. http://bit.ly/2H6ZEGQ

This AI algorithm may detect cervical cancer more accurately than a human

Researchers have developed a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computer algorithm that can identify cervical cancer with greater accuracy than a human expert http://bit.ly/2Cg9aBC

Facebook brings fact-checking programme to Britain

Facebook has entered into a partnership with independent charity Full Fact to launch its fact-checking operation in Britain, a media report said. http://bit.ly/2M72lHh

There should be no road tax on electric vehicles: NITI Aayog CEO

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Friday said there should be no road tax on electric vehicles to bring the ownership cost of electronic vehicles at par with combustion vehicles. http://bit.ly/2skPwjm

Facebook considered selling users' data in 2012: Report

Facebook considered selling users' data to companies some years ago but later decided to act against it, the media reported. http://bit.ly/2TJCMi4

Google partners with LG Uplus on VR content

In line with its drive to make virtual reality (VR) content more accessible to people around the world, Google has entered into a partnership with South Korean mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. http://bit.ly/2D5SKxq

Sony mulling over restructuring its mobile division: Report

"We've been undergoing a lot of change. Every component of our business has been touched," Don Mesa, Vice President of Marketing, Sony Mobile. http://bit.ly/2CfR82A

Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL may be getting support for HDR in Netflix: Report

Key highlights Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL may soon support HDR in Netflix Select  Google Pixel 3 users are seeing an ‘HDR’ badge on supported content on Netflix The Google Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL aren’t there on Netflix’s list of HDR-supported devices It looks like the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL now support HDR in Netflix. According to a report by Android Police, select  Google Pixel 3 users are seeing an ‘HDR’ badge on supported content on Netflix. However, the publication notes that not all users seem to be seeing the badge, so it is possible that the feature is being rolled out in phases. It should be noted that the Google Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL aren’t there on Netflix’s list of HDR-supported devices. It is  possible that the phone will be added to the list soon.  Google recently rolled out the January security update for the two Pixel 3 devices. The update fixes vulnerabilities on the kernel and system level. It should be noted that the January security update has not been rolled out for any of the Nexus devices. The update only comes with the Pixel 3, Pixel 2, Google Pixel, as well as the Pixel C devices. However, the Pixel C still runs Android 8.1 Oreo, while others have all been upgraded to Android Pie. Google Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, coupled with 4GB RAM. The are available with either 64GB or 128GB onboard storage. The smartphones also feature the Titan M custom chips for added security. While the Pixel 3 features a Full HD 5.5-inch flexible OLED display, the Pixel 3 XL sports a 6.3-inch QHD+ OLED panel with 18.5:9 aspect ratio and a notch. Both the smartphones have a single 12MP dual-pixel camera at the back with 1.4um pixels and OIS. There’s an added spectral and flicker sensor and the lens has f/1.8 aperture. On the front is a dual camera setup. Two 8MP sensors are housed in the notch of the Pixel 3 XL, while on the Pixel 3, they are placed in the bezel above the display. While one has a wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and 97-degree wide field of view, other has an aperture of f/1.8 with a field of view of 75-degrees. Recommended read Google Pixel 3 review Google Pixel 3 XL review http://bit.ly/2SS7LrU

Vodafone Rs 1,499 prepaid plan gives one year validity with 1GB per day data limit

Highlights: Vodafone has launched a Rs 1,499 prepaid plan The plan has a validity of 1 year It gives users access to 1GB data per day The Vodafone Plan competes with the Rs 1,699 plan from Reliance Jio The prepaid plan war continues. Vodafone has launched a Rs 1,499 plan in India. The plan has a validity of 365 days giving users unlimited calling, Vodafone Play subscription, unlimited national roaming and 1GB data per day. Once the data limit has been reached, users can pay 50 paise per extra MB. Users also 100 SMS’ daily. The Vodafone plan will compete with the Rs 1,699 plan offered by Reliance Jio. Under the Reliance Jio Plan, customers get unlimited local and national calls without any FUP along with 100 local and national SMS’ daily. The Jio Plan also gives access to JioTV, JioMovies and JioSaavn Music and more apps to its customers. When it comes to data, the Jio offer gives customers, 1.5GB data per day. After the data limit has been reached, the speed drops to 64Kbps until midnight. In December 2018, Airtel has revamped its Rs 448 recharge and instead of 1.4GB daily data, it offers 1.5GB data every day along with unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day for 82 days. At the same time Idea has also refreshed its Rs 392 prepaid recharge with 1.4GB of data per day for 60 days, extended from the previous validity of 54 days. The recharge comes with unlimited calling and 100 SMS per day. You can read more about the plans here. Also Read Airtel Vs Reliance Jio Vs Vodafone Vs Idea: Best prepaid plans under Rs 500 compared Airtel Vs Reliance Jio Vs Vodafone Vs Idea: Best prepaid plans compared http://bit.ly/2FuSbyK

The reason why smart TVs are so affordable is because they are collecting and selling your data: Report

If you are one looking to purchase a TV, chances are you are looking at a Smart TV. Whatever your budget, there will always be that one TV that gives you access to the internet, an app store and access to some streaming services if not all. As you increase your budget, the smart capabilities of your TV become more sophisticated and the TVs even boast of voice controls from services like the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. In an interview with the Verge, Vizio’s CTO Bill Baxter talks about how the cost of Smart TVs can be kept so low.  In the interview he says, “It’s not just about data collection. It’s about post-purchase monetization of the TV. This is a cutthroat industry. It’s a 6-percent margin industry, right? I mean, you know it’s pretty ruthless. You could say it’s self-inflicted, or you could say there’s a greater strategy going on here, and there is. The greater strategy is I really don’t need to make money off of the TV. I need to cover my cost. And then I need to make money off those TVs. They live in households for 6.9 years — the average lifetime of a Vizio TV is 6.9 years. You would probably be amazed at the number of people come up to me saying, “I love Vizio TVs, I have one” and it’s 11 years old. I’m like, “Dude, that’s not even full HD, that’s 720p.” Business Insider goes on to say, “Some manufacturers collect data about users, then sell that data to third-parties. That data can include what type of shows you watch, which ads you watch, your approximate location, and more.” This will help content providers show you what you would like to see or content related to the kind of content that you are consuming, so on and so forth to keep you engaged and of course ensure you pay for the content you are consuming.  It is these additional revenue streams that help manufacturers keep the cost of TVs down. Without these revenue streams, the consumer would be paying more for the TV upfront so that the manufacturer could make up for the cost of the TV and the fact that this is a once in a decade purchase for the consumer.  Also Read: iFFALCON 75 inches Smart Ultra HD 4K LED TV Review TCL 65 inches Smart 4K QLED TV Review Xiaomi announces Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch 4K HDR TV for Rs 39,999 and refreshes 43-inch 4A Pro for Rs 22,999, also launches Mi Soundbar in India for Rs 4,999 http://bit.ly/2FsGKYo

Asus ROG Phone with Android 9 Pie spotted on Geekbench

Key highlights Asus ROG Phone with Android 9 Pie spotted on Geekbench This suggests that the phone might soon be updated to the latest version of Android  The exact date of the rollout is not yet known It looks like the Asus’ gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone, will soon be updated to Android 9 Pie. A version of the phone running on the new operating system was spotted on Geekbench, which suggests that the update might be rolled out soon. However, the exact date as to when the update would be rolled out is not yet known. To recall, Asus launched the ROG Phone at Computex last year, and brought it to Indian shores in late November. The gaming centric smartphone was designed to compete with the likes of the Xiomi Black Shark and the Razer Phone, both of which are yet to come to India. The ROG Phone takes a lot of design cures from gaming devices and as such, sports angular designs. It also features an Aura-illuminated ROG logo at the back with RGB lighting.  In terms of specifications. The Asus ROG Phone features a 6-inch AMOLED HDR display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It is powered by an overclocked 2.96GHz “speed binned” Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC with 8GB of RAM. In order to keep things cool, the phone comes with a 3D vapour-chamber cooling system. The device offers 512GB of internal storage and packs a 4000mAh battery with Asus HyperCharge direct-charge technology. Other features of the phone include front facing stereo speakers, as well as ‘Air Triggers’ which are aimed an enhancing the gaming experience for users. Asus also has some accessories that can be hooked up to the phone to enable enhanced functionality. The phone sports side-mounted ports that can be used to link it with the optional TwinView Dock for dual-screen handheld mode, the Mobile Desktop Dock for desktop-style gaming, and the Gamevice controller with WiGig Dock. The TwinView Dock provides an additional display for the device, along with two more speakers. It has a 6000mAh battery and a cooling fan to keep the temperature low.  Recommended Read Asus ROG Phone first impressions http://bit.ly/2FrCqcG