Techno World

Lava Blaze Pro review

Powered by the MediaTek Helio G37 processor, the Lava Blaze Pro is priced at Rs 9,999 – at par with rival smartphones powered by the same chip such as Motorola Moto G22 and Techno Spark 9

Home-grown electronics brand Lava recently launched its second smartphone in the Blaze series, the Lava Blaze Pro. Powered by the MediaTek Helio G37 processor, the smartphone is priced at Rs 9,999 – at par with rival smartphones powered by the same chip such as Motorola Moto G22 and Techno Spark 9. The smartphone brings a few upgrades to justify the ‘Pro’ moniker, but are they good enough? Let us find out

–Design

The Lava Blaze Pro looks identical to its predecessor, the Lava Blaze, except it has a frosted glass back design. The phone’s frame is made of plastic with a smooth finish, which gets easily smudged with fingerprint marks. On the frame, there is a power button on the right, which doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and a volume button just above it. The button placement is appropriate, making one-handed operation comfortable.

–Display and audio

The Lava Blaze Pro sports a 6.5-inch IPS HD+ screen of 90Hz refresh rate. The screen is bright, vivid and responsive. Considering the phone’s price, the screen quality and performance is acceptable. It is set to standard colour profile by default, but can be tuned for vivid and cool colours from display settings.

As for the audio, the phone has a mono speaker on the bottom side of the frame. It is loud and clear, but lacks clarity. The speaker delivers modest experience while watching videos, listening to music, and playing games. Besides the mono speaker, the Lava Blaze Pro has a 3.5mm audio out port for wired connectivity.

–Camera

Imaging is covered by a triple-camera system on the back, featuring a 50-megapixel primary sensor, 2MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP mono lens. From a price-performance ratio, the rear camera system is good. However, do not expect quality output. The camera struggles with zoom. The zoomed shots show lack of details and there is visible noise across the frame. Moreover, the camera tends to artificially smoothen the frame in the post processing, resulting in loss of details. On the front, the phone has an 8MP camera sensor. It is good for selfies and video calls, but struggles in low-light conditions.

–Performance and battery

The Lava Blaze Pro is powered by MediaTek Helio G37 system-on-chip, paired with up to 4GB RAM and 64GB on-board storage. The phone has a microSD card slot for storage expansion (up to 256GB). It boots Android 12 operating system with stock user interface free from bloatware and advertisements. From a price-performance perspective, the Lava Blaze Pro works well. It handles regular operation with ease and does not slow down even with 15 apps opened in the background.

As for the on-battery time, the smartphone survives a day of moderate usage with the screen set at 90Hz refresh rate. For battery saving, the refresh rate can be reduced to 60Hz from settings. The Lava Blaze Pro discharges quickly and gets warm when used for power-intensive tasks. The phone comes with a 10W charger, which takes about an hour to recharge a completely drained battery.

–Verdict

The Lava Blaze Pro is not perfect, but it can do all things to an extent. The smartphone has a good display and clean user interface. Aside to these, there is barely anything to make it outshine its peers in its price segment Rs 9,999.

What is the SOVA virus?

India’s federal cyber security agency has recently issued an advisory on the SOVA virus. And, leading banks are alerting their consumers to stay cautious about the new virus. Know more in this segment

Several Indian banks, including HDFC Bank and IDBI Bank, have warned account holders against downloading their mobile applications from any source other than official app stores. They issued the alert after an advisory issued by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In. Reason? A new type of malware, is the SOVA virus.

A new version of the Trojan virus, SOVA, has reportedly targeted over 200 mobile banking and crypto apps and is stealing their login credentials and cookies. It can hold the information to ransom.

– What is SOVA?
SOVA is an Android banking trojan malware that targets banking apps to steal personal information and adds false layers over a range of apps. These layers help the malware mimic the payment app. The malware was first detected for sale in the underground markets in September 2021.

– What can SOVA do?
SOVA virus can harvest usernames and passwords via keylogging, stealing cookies, and adding false overlays to a range of apps. There are several functions an SVA malware can perform. These include performing gestures like swiping, stealing cookies, taking screenshots, and adding false overlays. The virus has also undergone an update. Now, it can encrypt all the data and hold it for ransom.

– How does SOVA work?
The malware spreads through smishing. Smishing is a process where fraudulent SMS are sent to individuals prompting them to share their details, including passwords. Once the app is downloaded on the mobile phone, the malware sends the list of all the downloaded apps to the server that the attacker controls.

The server sends back the list of targeted apps to the malware and stores the critical information in an XML file. The malware and the server then manage the apps.

– Can the attacked app be uninstalled?
Sorry. After the latest updates, when a user tries to uninstall an attacked app, they will be unable to do so. A message, “This app is secured”, will be displayed on the screen.

– How can users protect themselves?
Download the mobile apps only through official app stores. Also, check the “Additional Information” section while downloading the apps and review the app details, number of downloads and user reviews.

Another practice CERT-In recommends is downloading the latest updates of the apps and operating software provided by device vendors. Additionally, download and activate anti-virus software.

Do not browse un-trusted websites or follow un-trusted links and exercise caution while clicking on the link provided in any unsolicited emails and SMSs

In case of any unusual activity in the bank accounts, immediately report it to the respective banks.

OPPO Enco Buds 2 review

Consider the OPPO Enco Buds 2 if you need good in-ear type wireless earbuds for casual everyday use

Oppo’s entry-level Enco Buds were a surprise hit of 2021 and the Chinese tech giant is back once again with a new pair of affordable wireless earbuds: the Oppo Enco Buds 2.

Oppo Enco Buds 2 Design

The Oppo Enco buds 2 look drastically different from their predecessors. The peculiar oblong look of the original Enco buds have been replaced by a conventional stem design and the charging case is now circular. It’s small enough to fit into most pockets and is surrounded by a glossy black strip that provides a nice contrast to the plastic matte finish. The buds are also very lightweight – each earbud tips the scale at just 4 grams.

Oppo Enco Buds 2 Touch Controls

The Enco Buds 2 get touch sensitive areas on both earbuds and the controls work really well. By default, it’s double tap to play the next track or answer a call and triple tap to play the previous track. There are even volume controls here, something that many brands skip out on – just hold down the left bud to decrease volume and hold down the right one to increase it.

Also Watch: OPPO Enco Buds 2 Unboxing

Oppo Enco Buds 2 Connectivity

Connectivity is through Bluetooth 5.2 for both Android and iOS devices, and I always got a stable connection on the OnePlus 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. Oppo phones come with native support for the Enco Buds 2, and therefore don’t require a dedicated app. Those with non-OPPO phones , however, will have to download and install the Hey Melody app to take full advantage of all the features these earbuds have to offer.

Oppo Enco Buds 2 Sound Quality

The Oppo Enco Buds 2 sounds surprisingly good for a set of earbuds in this price range. They feature10 mm titanised drivers that focus on bass, so genres like pop and hip hop just ooze with energy. At max volume, these earbuds can also get very loud, but there’s hardly any audio distortion.

Though the buds lack any sort of noise cancellation, there is AI noise cancellation for calls, and it did a respectable job of filtering out ambient sounds.

Oppo Enco Buds 2 Battery

Battery life is pretty solid as the buds deliver up to seven hours of continuous battery life, and the case has enough juice to get you to 28 hours of total listening time.

Your mileage will vary depending on the volume level you choose but 50 percent is a good mark, especially considering how loud these get.

Verdict

Good sound, commendable set of features, solid battery life, and an affordable price — the Oppo Enco Buds 2 delivers on all these fronts and more.

It would have been nice to see Active noise cancellation here, something the Realme Buds Q2 offers for only 200 Rupees more. But if you don’t care about something like that, then these earbuds are a great choice to consider, especially if you are on a very tight budget.

Google Pixel Buds Pro review

A long list of features, snug fit, ease of use, and uniform experience across Android devices put the Google Pixel Buds Pro a notch above other wireless earbuds in the premium segment

Design

Google has designed the Buds Pro in the usual format, having a pebble-like case with the buds inside the oval-shaped nests. The design is neat and the build quality feels sturdy in its matte finish. The case comes with a Type-C port which is convenient to charge, and a physical reset button on the back. It will help in connecting to new devices. The front has an LED that blinks when the case is opened up. It indicates pairing and battery status as well. The orange light suggests that the buds are low on battery whereas the white blinking light confirms it is fully charged.

The buds have a peculiar design as well; they look more like a mouse when placed on flat surfaces. They don’t really go very deep into the ear canal and thus avoid in-ear pressure. In my case they fit well enough, but I had to adjust them or push deeper while on the move. The Buds themselves are lightweight and easy to wear; they are water and sweat-resistant, and hence have a wide variety of use cases.

Connectivity

The Pixel Buds Pro pairs with two devices simultaneously, but can be used with only one at a time. I have been using it on Android and iOS without any hiccups. Google’s fast pairing makes it connect in a second with Android devices.

The Fast Pair app lets users select other functions for the Buds as well and is handy to have on the playback device. There is a Pixel Buds app that collects statistics regarding the seal check. This will suggest tips and tricks for an immersive audio experience. You can also use the Google Assistant on the buds with a tap, after setting it up on the app first.

Performance

The Google Pixel Buds Pro has a remarkable active noise cancellation (ANC) feature that is intelligent in many ways. The transparency mode makes it the preferred TWS for a long period of use. The ANC works perfectly on the Pixel Buds Pro to cut out the extra noise. Even the swirling of air couldn’t pass through it, which makes it a suitable choice for office calls. The transparency mode is similar to an open-air design, which we noticed in the Sony LinkBuds. It allows some ambient noise to make us aware of the surroundings, without amplifying it.

The touch controls on the buds are responsive as well. You can control the volume, skip tracks and trigger the Assistant with the Pixel Buds Pro, thanks to a sensitive interface. The volume can be adjusted by swiping forward and backward on the buds. Tap once to play or pause the audio and to answer a call. Do it twice for the next song or to reject the call. For the previous track, you have to tap it thrice.

The sound output on the Pixel Buds Pro is fine. You won’t get very discerning clarity where you can distinguish between the instruments, but overall, the feeling is conveyed. The Pixel Buds Pro is meant for daily users and not very ardent audiophile buyers, where details matter. Having said that, the audio on the Buds Pro is pleasing to say the least. The bass and treble are present but do not expect them to go along with higher levels of volume.

Battery

The Google Pixel Buds Pro goes for seven hours of playtime. The case stores an additional 12 hours for them to go on for a longer duration as required. The buds get charged quickly and even a 10-15 minutes charge is good enough to give it an hour of playback. The Pixel Buds Pro supports wireless charging as well but takes ages to charge completely.

Conclusion

The Google Pixel Buds Pro offers high-quality ANC along with seamless pairing, good battery life, and pleasing audio. The transparency mode adds an additional layer for listeners to use it for long periods of time. The call clarity on the Pixel Buds Pro is great as well.

Despite these features, Google Pixel Buds Pro falls in a difficult terrain of premium TWS where competition is brutal and tastes are more refined and developed

Apple iPhone users to get 12 spam message filters with iOS 16 in India

The new feature in Apple’s iOS 16 will make it simple for iPhone users to distinguish between spam messages and helpful ones

The new feature in Apple’s iOS 16 will make it simple for iPhone users to distinguish between spam messages and helpful ones.

According to Mashable, the technological behemoth improved the SMS filters by adding 12 additional filters for spam communications. This update was made specifically for Indian iPhone owners.

There will be 12 sub-categories, according to a study, including warnings for credit or debit cards, bill payment, finances, government services, network providers, healthcare, and online orders. There will also be the currently in place ones, including Transactions and Promotions.

Additionally, users will be able to easily and quickly add movie or train tickets to their Apple Wallet accounts or calendars from their communications.

This new software upgrade from Apple reportedly rolls out to the general public in September and includes a multitude of capabilities.

The business has made numerous improvements to iOS 16 including the lock screen widgets, alerts, and more, making it a completely revamped upgrade. Within 15 minutes, users will be able to amend the texts they have sent over iMessage, as reported by Mashable.

The final public release of iOS 16 will likely occur in September along with the debut of the iPhone 14 series, the following flagship smartphone lineup. The update is presently available for beta testing.

OnePlus Nord 2T 5G set to launch in India soon: Know specs, expected price

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus might launch the OnePlus Nord 2T in July, Read to know the Specifications, and expected price.

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus on Monday announced it would soon launch the Nord 2T 5G in India. Successor to the Nord 2, the T-edition model was recently launched in its home country. Therefore, details of its design, features, and specifications are already available in the public domain. Here are the details of the Nord 2T 5G based on the international model. Important to note, that the details are subject to change if OnePlus tweaks the India-bound model.

OnePlus Nord 2T 5G: Specifications

Starting with the details confirmed by OnePlus, the Nord 2T 5G would get a new processor, enhanced imaging system, fast wired charging technology, updated interface, and more as part of its upgrades. The Nord 2T would be the first smartphone in the Nord series to get 80W fast wireless charging, which debuted on the OnePlus 10 Pro. Likewise, the phone will get its imaging system from the recently launched OnePlus 10R. Powering the experience would be the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 system-on-chip and Android 12 operating system-based Oxygen OS12.1 interface.

ALSO READ: OnePlus 10R 5G review: Cross between Realme and OnePlus with little novelty

Coming to finer details, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G would come in two color variants – jade fog and gray shadow. It would sport a 6.43-inch AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone would boast dual stereo speakers and an artificial intelligence-based vibration system for haptics. Imaging would be covered by a triple camera set-up on the back with 50-megapixel primary sensor with optical image stabilization paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, the phone would sport a 32MP in-display camera sensor.

ALSO READ: OnePlus 10 Pro review: Unmissable OPPO influence, in both good ways and bad

The phone would be powered by a 4,500 mAh battery, supported by 80W fast wired charging. It would boot the Android 12 operating system with OxygenOS 12.1 interface layered on top. The OnePlus Nord 2T is expected to be priced below Rs 30,000 for the base model

Bug hits Meta-owned Instagram stories, several users left in the lurch

Meta-owned Instagram faced teething troubles with its Stories feature and several users were left in the lurch while viewing someone’s stories

Meta-owned Instagram faced teething troubles with its Stories feature and several users were left in the lurch while viewing someone’s stories.

Users went to various social media forums late on Tuesday as they had to view all of someone’s stories all over again before they’re able to see new ones.

The issue also cropped up when someone posts a new story to their feed.

“Does anyone else have this issue where someone posts a new story and you click on it to watch it and it sends you back to the very first story they posted and not the new one? lol it’s annoying i hope it gets fixed soon,” posted one user on Reddit.

Another user said: “It was happening to me, too! i logged out and deleted the app. then reinstalled it and it is back to working normally thankfully!”

A Meta spokesperson told The Verge that the company is “aware that some people are having trouble accessing Instagram Stories,” and was “working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible”.

Meanwhile, the photo-sharing platform is testing a new Stories layout that hides excessive posts.

Users can currently post 100 Stories at once.

Currently, it seems that only a small group of users have received the update with the new Stories layout, so it is likely that Instagram is still testing these changes before rolling out them to all users.

Meta adds parental controls to Quest VR headsets to keep tab on young users

Meta has announced that it is adding parental controls to all Quest VR headsets that will allow parents to keep a tab on underage users’ screen time and receive approval requests for purchases

Meta, formerly Facebook, has announced that it is adding parental controls to all Quest virtual reality (VR) headsets that will allow parents to keep a tab on underage users’ screen time and receive approval requests for purchases.

The company said it is beginning to roll out parental supervision tools to all Quest headsets.

“This is just a starting point, informed by careful collaboration with industry experts, and we will continue to grow and evolve our parental supervision tools over time,” the company said in a blogpost.

In the Parent Dashboard, parents and guardians can approve their teenager’s download or purchase of an app that is blocked by default based on its IARC rating.

It will let teens over 13 submit an “Ask to Buy” request, which triggers a notification to their parents.

The parent can then approve or deny the request from the Oculus mobile app. They will also be able to block specific apps that may be inappropriate for their teenagers.

Meta said it is also launching a new Parent education hub that will include a guide to VR parental supervision tools from ConnectSafely to help parents discuss virtual reality with their teens.

HP launches 12th Gen Intel Core processor powered Spectre x360 laptops

Priced Rs 129,999, the laptops in HP Spectre x360 portfolio come in 13.5-inch and 16-inch touchscreen variants, both with OLED panels of 3:2 aspect ratio and up to 4K resolution

HP on Tuesday launched the 12th Gen Intel Core processor-powered Spectre x360 series laptops in India. The new laptops come in 13.5-inch and 16-inch screen sizes, both with 3:2 aspect ratio for an impressive 91 per cent screen-body ratio. The laptops come in nightfall black with pale brass accents and nocturne blue with celestial blue accents. Currently, the laptops are currently available for pre-orders on HP India web portal in. Price starts at Rs 129,999 and Rs 139,999 for the 13.5-inch model and 16-inch model with Intel Evo Core i7, respectively.

“At HP, we focus on insights-based innovations to deliver the best solutions for our customers. The new HP Spectre x360 laptops are stunning, powerful and provide modern consumers with the tools and technology necessary to maximise their potential in the today’s hybrid world. The Spectre range has a variety of AI features including AutoFrame, Noise reduction and backlight adjustment, as an attempt to create intelligent products that can keep up with today’s youth and help them show up at their best,” Vickram Bedi, Sr. Director, Personal Systems, HP Inc. India, said in a statement.

Powered by 12th Gen Intel Core processors and Intel Evo certified, the HP Spectre x360 laptops has built-in artificial intelligence-based features such as auto-frame support in video calls, noise reduction, dynamic voice levelling, health and well-being features, AI-based privacy alert, and sound enhancements.

According to HP, both the laptops in the Spectre x360 portfolio are crafted from recycled aluminium and ocean-bound plastics. The devices boast OLED touchscreens of up to 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The screen on both the laptops supports multi-gestures like pinch-to-zoom, double tap, and press and hold to create and manipulate drawings.

Only 12% companies are utilising AI to outpace their rivals: Report

Only 12 percent of organisations that use AI are doing it at a maturity level to achieve a strong competitive advantage while the rest are still experimenting with the technology, a new report said

Only 12 percent of organisations that use artificial intelligence (AI) are doing it at a maturity level to achieve a strong competitive advantage while the rest are still experimenting with the technology, a new report said on Tuesday.

The research from Accenture puts the median AI maturity of organisations at a moderate score of 36, revealing most companies have significant opportunities to generate greater value with AI.

Tech firms globally already have a high AI maturity score of 54, which will rise moderately to 60 in 2024.

In contrast, carmakers and suppliers will leap from a moderate 39 today to 57 in two years — betting on a significant surge in sales of AI-powered self-driving vehicles.

Similarly, retail companies will evolve in their AI Maturity from 38 today to 54 in 2024.

The 12 percent of firms that are using AI to its maximum to outpace their competitors is dubbed “AI Achievers”, with a score of 64 on the maturity scale.

“AI adoption rapidly matured during the pandemic, yet to create more value with AI and use it to reinvent the enterprise, companies require a clear leadership vision combined with effective change management and human capital reinvention,” said Piyush N Singh, India Business Lead at Accenture.

According to the research, AI maturity is the degree to which organisations outperform their peers in a combination of AI-related foundational and differentiating capabilities.

These capabilities include the technology (data, AI, cloud) as well as organisational strategy, Responsible AI, C-suite sponsorship, talent and culture.

“To successfully scale the use of AI, the companies need to industrialise AI tools and teams and also nurture a culture of responsible AI design. But most importantly, they must invest in talent,” said Prithvijit Roy, Managing Director, Applied Intelligence, Accenture in India.

Besides hiring for multidisciplinary AI-related skills, it is imperative to create data and AI fluency across the workforce through skilling and reskilling for a majority of employees.

The report showed that most companies (63 per cent) are ‘AI Experimenters’, barely scratching the surface of AI’s potential with an AI maturity score of 29.

“We believe every part of every business must be transformed by technology, data and AI, in some cases resulting in total enterprise reinvention,” said Sanjeev Vohra, global lead for Applied Intelligence at Accenture.