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• Signal Now Allows 40 Participants on the Group Video Call; May Expand Further in Future
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE New Specifications, Price Details Emerge
• Xiaomi 12 Series New Leaks Suggest Price and Specifications for Standard Xiaomi 12
• Spammers Make 27,000 Calls Every Hour, India Ranks 4th in Most Spammed Country List: Truecaller
• MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC Better than Snapdragon 8 Gen1 in Some Benchmarking Tests
• Ericsson Helps DNB Launch 5G Network in Malaysia
• MediaTek Ahead of Qualcomm in Q3 Again in Smartphone SoC Market
• NEC Corporation to Invest in 5G, 6G and More, Sets Up New $150 Million Fund
• Bharti Airtel Has Prepaid Rs 15519 Crore Deferred Spectrum Liability to DoT
• Apple Wants to Make 5G Chips Itself
• Excitel Broadband With PlayboxTV Launches Rs 799 OTT Plan
• 5G Rollout Expected to be Delayed Further in India
• Basic Guide to Hardware for Internet Services
• Truecaller Call Recording Feature Explained
• Bharti Airtel All 4G Data Recharge Vouchers after Tariff Hike
• iQOO 9 Battery Specifications Surfaces after Spotting at 3C Certification Site
• Xiaomi to Enhance its Display Technology with the New Partnership
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Launched at a Budget Offer, Check Specifications
• Realme GT 2 Series Expected to Hit the Indian Markets Soon
• OnePlus 10 Pro Leak Suggests 80W Fast Charging, Launch in April 2022

Signal Now Allows 40 Participants on the Group Video Call; May Expand Further in Future Posted: 17 Dec 2021 08:18 AM PST The cross-platform encrypted instant messaging app Signal will now allow up to 40 users in a single group video call according to the recent reports. The platform will still offer end-to-end encrypted communication despite the fact that the number of users will be increased. It was informed by Signal that the app will use a "Selective Forwarding" technology that allows calls to go through servers that forward the contents of the call to other participants which doesn't hinder the privacy of the people participating in the group video call. The feature is currently in the process of rolling out on Android and iOS devices. Signal's Video Calls and Other Platforms In a blog post published by Signal, it was stated that the entity launched group calls using a modified version of them but soon it was discovered that despite the number of modifications are made, it was very difficult to accommodate more than 8 participants in a single video call without getting a very heavy load on the CPU. To solve this issue and include more users in a single group video call, the messaging platform wrote a new Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) from scratch in Rust. It has been serving Signal group calls for 9 months now and can hold up to 40 participants at once and the company expects to expand its capacity further in the future. Talking about the other platforms, WhatsApp has been constantly bringing in new features to its video calls with the regular updates rolling out on the app. However, when it comes to group video calls, the messaging platform still supports only 8 participants at once. Users can call a WhatsApp group and join in the call from the group chat window. Telegram on the other hand, in July 2021, enabled the feature where 1000 participants could join in on a group video call. Users can also share screens on one-on-one calls on their devices when broadcasting in any video call. Signal reached its height of popularity in India earlier this year when WhatsApp struggled with its terms and conditions policies. It is to be noted that for a brief period of time Signal also became the number one app in India on Google Play Store. Users can relay their voice calls on Signal allowing them to hide their identities from their contacts much like a VPN.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE New Specifications, Price Details Emerge Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:15 AM PST There are several reports that hint at the fact that Samsung Galaxy S21 FE may be launched during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2022. Although the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is still awaited, leaks of the device are plenty in the market. The probable cause of Samsung Galaxy S21 FE not being launched yet after its earlier variant Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was launched in September is being speculated as to the shortage of chips worldwide due to which manufacturers around the world have been facing supply constraints. However, the latest reports have surfaced online which suggest new specifications, price and design details of the device. Design Specifications The latest images of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE that have surfaced online suggest that the design of the handset might be very similar to that of the standard model of the Samsung Galaxy S21. The rear end of the device will house a triple camera setup and an LED flash might be placed outside the camera module. The volume rocker and the power button is visible on the side of the handset. Expected Specifications of Galaxy S21 FE The upcoming device by Samsung is likely to have a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with 1,080×2,340 pixels resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate support. Galaxy S21 FE is said to run Android 11-based One UI 3.1. The processor of the device on the other hand is tipped to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC or Samsung manufactured Exynos 2100 chipsets. Claims suggest that Exynos 2100 chipset will be available in Indian devices whereas Snapdragon 888 SoC will be available on devices shipped to the USA. As far as storage space is concerned, the device will have two variants – one with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage and another with 8GB of RAM with 256GB of internal storage. Moreover, it is expected that the device will be backed by a 4500mAh battery which will support 25W fast charging technology. It is rumoured that the device will have a triple rear camera setup which will consist of a 12MP primary sensor, which may be complemented with a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8Mp telephoto sensor. Moreover, the device might have a 32MP selfie shooter. The connectivity options on the device are expected to consist of 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5, NFC, and USB Type-C port. Price of the Device The reports suggest that the 8GB+128GB model of Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be priced at EUR 749 which is somewhere around Rs 64,500 whereas the other variant with 8GB + 256GB will be priced at EUR 819 which amounts to around Rs 70,500. The colour options are expected to be Graphite, Lavender, Olive, and White.

Xiaomi 12 Series New Leaks Suggest Price and Specifications for Standard Xiaomi 12 Posted: 17 Dec 2021 06:35 AM PST As reported quite a few times, Xiaomi is all getting ready to launch its latest flagship series in the month of December – the Xiaomi 12 series. As per the rumours, the Xiaomi 12 series is expected to include six smartphones in the lineup – Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12X, Xiaomi 12 Pro, Xiaomi 12 Ultra, Xiaomi 12 Lite and Xiaomi 12 Lite Zoom. There have been various leaks and a lot of speculations have been made regarding the models of the upcoming series. Now according to the latest rumours, new information has surfaced about the base model of the Xiaomi 12 series. A render of the device has also surfaced suggesting design aspects of the handset. Rumoured Specifications and Price Details of Xiaomi 12 One of the major spottings of the Xiaomi 12 base model or standard edition was at the 3C certification site. The listing had revealed that the device might offer 67W fast charge technology. Another leak has suggested that the handset may pack a 5000mAh battery. However, the recent leak has revealed details about the design of the device. Xiaomi 12 Standard Edition is expected to feature a triple rear camera setup and it has been earlier revealed that the handset could feature a 50MP primary rear camera. The device will also have a dual-LED flash and is expected to have a hole-punch design for the selfie camera. Several rumours have emerged in the past in regards to Xiaomi 12. If these rumours are to be believed the Xiaomi 12, is said to operate on Snapdragon SM8450 which is expected to be Snapdragon 898, although it is also the possibility that vanilla Xiaomi 12 could also come with Snapdragon 8 Gen1 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM. The design details suggest that the device could feature a curved full HD+ display. Xiaomi 12 base model could also feature an in-display fingerprint scanner. For the charging technology mentioned above, the device might have a USB Type-C fast charge port and wireless charging as well. As far as the price of the device is concerned, the 5G enabled Xiaomi 12 Standard Edition could start at a retail price of Rs 69,990 which is the same as the price of Xiaomi 11 Ultra launched earlier in 2021.

Spammers Make 27,000 Calls Every Hour, India Ranks 4th in Most Spammed Country List: Truecaller Posted: 17 Dec 2021 05:04 AM PST India ranks four in the list of countries with the most spam calls, Truecaller report stated. In 2020, India was at the 9th position and moving to position four is a significant rise in spam calls. The data on spam calls was revealed in Truecaller's fifth edition of Global Spam Report that studies spam calls and how they affect people's lives. According to Truecaller, scam business remains an issue globally as it is hugely profitable for minimal effort and consequences. The report estimated that around 59.49 million Americans reported the loss of money to scammers in one year, from June 2020 to January 2021. Interestingly, a spammer has made 202 million spam calls from January to October 2021. A bifurcation reveals that it is over 6,64,000 calls every day and 27,000 calls every hour of every day – from just one phone number. The popular scam was the KYC scam, where the scammer will pretend to be a financial service provider such as a bank and ask for the call receiver's KYC documents. The number of spam calls has shown a slight decrease of 1.4% compared to the previous year. Brazil is the most scammed country Brazil tops the list among the countries most affected by spam calls. It is the fourth consecutive year that Brazil remains in the position, indicating zero reduction of spammers in the nation. Peru ranked second in the list with an average of 18.02 spam calls per user. Ukraine stood in the third position ahead of India. Indonesia saw a 2X increase in spam calls between January and October. While the country recorded nearly 12.6 million spam calls in January, the number increased to 25.8 million in October 2021. On average, Indonesians received 14 spam calls per user per month. In the trend of calls, March 2021 showed an increase in the calls. Considering that the waves of COVID-19 were high, the rise in March can be correlated to the spammers trying to capitalize on the opportunity. Truecaller's worldwide data recognized 184.5 billion calls and 586 billion messages. Among them, Truecaller identified and blocked 37.8 billion spam calls. The app also sorted 184.5 billion messages and blocked them. Truecaller has around 300 million active user bases across the world. Among its user base, 99.7 billion users made calls and sent 7.8 billion messages from January 2021 to October 2021.

MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC Better than Snapdragon 8 Gen1 in Some Benchmarking Tests Posted: 17 Dec 2021 04:07 AM PST In a recent development, one of the leading chipmakers in the market, MediaTek, had launched its latest and most powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC for smartphones previously this week. The new chipset from Taiwan based company is expected to power a number of high-end devices next year. Now, MediaTek has officially revealed the benchmarking results of its latest chipset, which offer some interesting results. MediaTek Benchmarking Results MediaTek took over the Chinese microblogging website Weibo and posted a video there revealing benchmarking details of its latest chipset. The tests have shown that MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC has been through benchmarking sites which include AnTuTu, Geekbench, PCMark and more. The result from benchmarking site AnTuTu revealed the latest chipset from MediaTek has scored a total of 1,017,488 points which is very close to the high-end chipset from Qualcomm – Snapdragon 8 Gen1 SoC. The latter had a similar score at the same benchmarking site revealed in previous reports. Things take a turn when it comes to Geekbench results. On Geekbench 5, the latest chipset from MediaTek managed to have a score of 1273 points on single-core tests, whereas, on multi-core tests, the chipset had a score of 4324 points which is quite surprising. Even though the single-core test results were good enough, the multi-core test is where the SoC took away the game as even the high-end chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen1 had a score of around 3800-3900 points on the same benchmarking site. When it comes to the PCMark benchmarking site, MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC scored a total of 17,573 points on the Work 3.0 performance test. This is again higher than Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen1 score of 16,858 revealed in reports earlier this month. To sum it up, MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset is a very powerful SoC that is capable of competing in the flagship market against Qualcomm's latest and most powerful chip. MediaTek chipsets have always been known for their affordability aspect in the chip market, but the company introducing chips in the mid-range and flagship sectors of the market as well is going to raise the stakes. In a recent report, it was also revealed that MediaTek has been taking up Qualcomm's market share and now even leads the market in terms of 4G LTE SoCs.

Ericsson Helps DNB Launch 5G Network in Malaysia Posted: 17 Dec 2021 03:17 AM PST Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), wholly-owned by the Mister of Finance, Malaysia, has announced the commercial availability of 5G networks in the country. Ericsson has deployed the 5G network of DNB after it was selected by the DNB for becoming the sole 5G network equipment provider in July this year. Areas including Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya will see get to see commercial 5G services coming to life. By the end of 2022, DNB and Ericsson plan to reach over 40% coverage of 5G networks in the populated areas with a further aim of covering 80% of the populated areas with 5G networks by the end of 2024. Mobile Network Operators (MNO) Are Getting 5G for Free in Malaysia DNB is offering its 5G services at no cost to all the MNOs in the country integrated into the DNB network until Q1, 2022. David Hägerbro, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, said, DNB will be able to deliver a world-class 5G network and experience for the users living in Malaysia with the ultra-low latency and reliability of the networks. Hägerbro added that for 5G to be successful in Malaysia, Ericsson and DNB are addressing the key factors such as customer experience, affordability, and security. To ensure that the radio access network can be shared by the six telecom operators, Ericsson will be using advanced solutions like Multi-Operator Core Networks using the 5G Radio Resource Partitioning feature. This will enable the six operators to each have their own core for creating differentiation. Hägerbro said that security is one of the cornerstones of Ericsson and the 5G network that the company has been building in Malaysia is resilient, trustworthy, and secure from day one. Ericsson will also be bringing together partners across ecosystems for collaborating to ensure that Malaysia gets the full value out of 5G networks, said Hägerbro. Ericsson says 5G is going to be the most important platform for innovation. Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of Ericsson South East Asia, Oceania, and India, said Ericsson is completely committed to helping DNB with its 5G project in Malaysia because the company believes in the value that Malaysia will get out of it. Mirtillo added that Ericsson would ensure that the DNB network isn't just a showcase of 5G experience in the region but also becomes a shining example of innovation across the world to show what the technology can offer.

MediaTek Ahead of Qualcomm in Q3 Again in Smartphone SoC Market Posted: 17 Dec 2021 02:28 AM PST MediaTek is once again leading the processor market for smartphones as it has witnessed an increased share of 40% in the third quarter of 2021. The company has been growing continuously for a while and has made it difficult for Qualcomm to take back its top position in the market. However, the latter still is in the lead when it comes to the 5G modem market. Qualcomm has been making growth month-on-month and year-on-year basis when it comes to chip shipments for smartphones thanks to its strategy of dual sourcing from foundries. The Chipset Market Share The reports have informed that because of the high demand of 4G chipsets from MediaTek and its competitive 5G, the company's share has gone up to 40% in the third quarter from 33% last year during the same timeline. It has been reported that Taiwan based company saw its major share growth due to the low-mid segment of 5G SoCs, however, 4G SoCs have also helped the company to grow its market share. Talking about Qualcomm, the company on the contrary has lost 1% of its market share to 27% in the quarter according to the reports. However, the chipmaker has made a 9% growth sequentially because of dual sourcing from foundries. As far as SoC shipment from the company is considered, it grew both on a month-on-month and year-on-year basis. One of the research analysts said that Qualcomm witnesses a high demand for its 5G SoCs both for its high-end 8 series and affordable 4 series. This along with the fact that the company won the 5G baseband modem chipset in the Apple iPhone 13 series has taken the entity to the top of the 5G baseband market with a 62% share. After MediaTek and Qualcomm, Apple has been able to successfully retain its third position in the market share, reports suggest. The Cupertino based giant managed to raise its market share by 3% and now has a total of 15% share in the SoC market. The company is expected to grow even further in the fourth quarter credit to the launch of the iPhone 13 series, however, the chipset shortage may become a barrier to the significant growth of the company in the chip market.

NEC Corporation to Invest in 5G, 6G and More, Sets Up New $150 Million Fund Posted: 17 Dec 2021 01:26 AM PST NEC Corporation of Japan has said that it is setting up a new "NEC Orchestrating Future Fund", a Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) fund aimed at driving the ecosystems required for creating a social value by collaboration with partners and customers. The fund will also be used to promote new external services, technologies, and knowledge. For the same, the CVC fund will be looking to raise capital to the tune of $150 million by the end of June 2022. Corporate enterprises that share the same goal as the fund would be given an opportunity to participate and contribute to the capital. NEC Believes Evolution of Network Tech to Drive Creation of New Social Value In a statement, NEC said that it believes that the transformation of digital services and the evolution of network technology is going to drive the creation of new social value. The new CVC fund will be investing actively in both services and technologies with an aim to maximise the investments by generating synergies. NEC will also be working with corporate enterprises and portfolio startups for accelerating new business development activities. The company said that the fund would have six areas of focus which includes Smart Cities, 5G/6G, Digital Finance/Digital Government, Healthcare and Life Sciences, DX, and Carbon Neutral. The major investment areas of the fund would be Asia, Europe, Israel, and the US. The fund was established on December 16, 2021. Note that the maximum fund size is $150 million. The management company for the fund will be Translink Capital. Again, the purpose of NEC to set up this fund is for creating evolving digital services with the next generation networks (5G and 6G), which will meet the social needs of the future. NEC Corporation is a leading global firm in the integration of IT and network technologies. The company enables the communities and the businesses to adapt to rapid changes taking place both in the market and the society.

Bharti Airtel Has Prepaid Rs 15519 Crore Deferred Spectrum Liability to DoT Posted: 17 Dec 2021 12:27 AM PST In a statement, Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest telecom operator, said that it had prepaid the entire deferred spectrum liability from the 2014 auction worth Rs 15,519 crore to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The spectrum liabilities surfaced when Airtel acquired 128.4 MHz of spectrum from DoT, which included Telenor's spectrum for Rs 19,051 crore in the 2014 auction. Bharti Airtel had to pay off these liabilities starting FY27 to FY32 in annual instalments. The dues carried an interest of 10% along with an average residual life of seven years. But Airtel said that it had paid the entire deferred spectrum liability to the DoT that pertained to the 2014 spectrum auction. Bharti Airtel Estimates Savings of Rs 3400 Crores At Least Over the Residual Life By prepaying the liability, Bharti Airtel expects that it would save at least Rs 3400 crores in interest over the residual life for fully substituted capital. The DoT has allowed the telcos to prepay their deferred dues anytime at their NPV (net present value) basis the interest rates specified for the respective auction. This will help Bharti Airtel in efficiently using its cash flow for the upcoming 5G spectrum auctions. The pre-payment of such a large amount of dues suggests the kind of position Bharti Airtel is in. The telco is enjoying the fruits of tariff hikes and help from the government. In addition to this, the return of bank guarantees (BGs) by the DoT has helped the telco in enriching cash resources. Despite the pre-payment, at the time of writing, Bharti Airtel is trading at Rs 667.25, which is 2.08% in the red from its previous close. Not just Airtel, but all the telecom stocks are trading in the red amid weak global cues. NIFTY50 is down 1.09%, while SENSEX is down 1.10%. It has turned out to be a freaky Friday for the money market in India.

Apple Wants to Make 5G Chips Itself Posted: 16 Dec 2021 11:14 PM PST Apple might soon start designing a 5G modem for chipsets on its own. The Cupertino tech giant might design a 5G modem for its chipsets used in the iPhones. Apple's iPhones run on the A-series chipsets that have been designed in-house. Apple has already spent over a billion dollars in 2019 for acquiring Intel's smartphone modem chip business. Now, a Bloomberg report suggests that Apple is looking to hire dozens of engineers for a new office in Southern California. The company is looking for engineers who are experienced with modem chipsets and other kinds of wireless semiconductors. The company might soon start designing its 5G modem chipsets for future generation iPhones. TSMC to Manufacture the Apple's 5G Designed Chip The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is expected to manufacture Apple's own 5G designed chipset. According to Gizmochina, the company might bring its own 5G modem designed chipset to the market in 2023. Other reports suggest that as soon as Apple starts designing its own 5G modem, it will start designing its own Wi-Fi chipsets as well. Currently, Apple depends on Broadcom and Skyworks Solutions for its Wi-Fi chips. But since Apple doesn't have semiconductor facilities, it would have to again depend heavily on TSMC for manufacturing all of its chipsets. But this could backfire severely for the company as the tensions between Taiwan and China as well as China and the United States are quite high. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Apple going into semiconductor manufacturing in the coming years to reduce its dependence on others for manufacturing products. The Cupertino tech giant has already been making moves to reduce dependence on Intel for MacBook and iMac chipsets. It is only a matter of time before Apple starts semiconductor manufacturing of its own. Apple is known for keeping the quality of products in check, and getting complete control over manufacturing and designing is a great way to ensure that.

Excitel Broadband With PlayboxTV Launches Rs 799 OTT Plan Posted: 16 Dec 2021 10:18 PM PST Excitel, a growing internet service provider (ISP), has launched a new 'OTT Entertainment Plan 2.0' for the users for Rs 799 per month plus taxes. The ISP has partnered with a super over-the-top (OTT) aggregator, namely 'PlayboxTV', for launching this service. Users with a 100 Mbps plan for at least three months can go ahead and buy this new service from the company. Note that the OTT Entertainment Plan 2.0 is available for Excitel customers wherever the company provides broadband service. Excitel OTT Entertainment Plan 2.0 Details The Excitel's OTT Entertainment Plan 2.0 will bring popular OTT platforms such as ZEE5, Amazon Prime, SonyLIV, and more along with Live TV channels such as Sony, CNBC Awaaz, Colors, NDTV, Nickelodeon, and more. The customers need the 100 Mbps plan for at least three months if they want to purchase this new service from Excitel. The cost of the OTT Entertainment Plan 2.0 is Rs 799 per month plus taxes. Note that the customer would have to pay for the 100 Mbps plan for three months at least separately. Excitel also offers a subscription to OTT services with its 300 Mbps broadband plan when purchased for three months. Users get access to four popular OTT platforms in India with this plan. Vivek Raina, CEO, Excitel, said that the company's goal was to see fiber internet replacing traditional linear TV as a main source of entertainment and finally, it is coming true. The new service from the company is meant to serve the entertainment needs of both the children and the parents (kids and adults). There are different genres of content available with the service. Aamir Mulani, Founder & CEO, PlayboxTV said the company has always aimed to create a disruption in the existing norms and provide service that is unparalleled. Interested customers can contact the customer support of Excitel if they want to update their current plans to get the OTT Entertainment Plan 2.0.

5G Rollout Expected to be Delayed Further in India Posted: 16 Dec 2021 09:12 PM PST 5G rollout in India is expected to be delayed further in India. This is because the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is likely to submit the fresh pricing recommendations to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) by March 2022. This means that the spectrum auctions might not take place in the first quarter of FY22. An official aware of the matter told ET Telecom that 5G spectrum auctions are unlikely to take place between the April-June period as the TRAI will take a little more time than expected for submitting the fresh pricing recommendations to the DoT. The official added that the July timeframe is likely for the spectrum auctions to proceed. India's Delay in 5G Not an Issue While many countries already have live 5G networks, there is no issue that India doesn't. The more time the telcos get for rolling out 5G, the more use-cases they will be able to develop and test. Further, there are many things that need to get absolute clarity, such as whether 5Gi will be a part of India's future network ecosystem or not. Then there is the matter of changing regulatory policies and also a better system for expediting Right of Way (RoW) approvals for a quicker broadband rollout in India. The 5G spectrum auctions next year will also include the airwaves in the 600 MHz band, which is a first for India. But the reserve price of the airwaves needs to be brought down significantly for the telcos to rollout 5G quicker in India. A higher than expected airwaves price would push the telcos in the direction of paying attention to 4G only. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), had said that the rollout of '5G' should be made a national priority. 2022 should be the year where at least some parts of India get a live 5G network.

Basic Guide to Hardware for Internet Services Posted: 16 Dec 2021 08:19 PM PST To establish an internet connection at a location, most people contact an internet service provider (ISP) or subscribe to their service online. The technical person from the ISP visits the premise and takes care of the installation. Although you limit your role in bringing an internet connection to this extent, it is wiser to understand the hardware involved in establishing the internet connection. The internet service provider sets up the hardware at your place to establish the connection. The hardware involved is the backbone of robust internet services. Your network's communications pass through the connected hardware, and if they fail to communicate at the optimum level, it results in weak and unstable internet. One must be aware of the different roles they play in your network. This article looks at various components associated with establishing a good internet service at your location. Routers A router is a device that sends and receives data on networks. They use packets containing various kinds of data (files, communications, web interactions, etc.) with several layers for transmission. One layer of the data will have the identifying information such as sender, data type, size and destination IP. The router reads this layer, prioritizes the data and chooses the best route to send the data to the destination IP. How to Choose Routers? Check the type and number of ports to make sure you can connect the necessary equipment. Ensure that you have sufficient bandwidth, wireless capability, easy setup and installation, and security. A router should at least have WPA or WPA 2 password protection in terms of security. Some also come with firewall software and media control access (MAC). While firewall scans for malware and viruses, MAC deals with filtering. That's using device-specific IDs to screen users and whitelist/blacklist network access based on the screen. You may also look for automatic updates, changeable configurations, and provisions to set up a guest network. Modems As its name implies, the modems are the devices that 'modulate' and 'demodulate' the digital data of a computer and the analogue signals (called sine waves) of a phone line. They encode and decode information simultaneously, hence, its name is a combination of 'modulate' and 'demodulate'. In laymen language, the information is transmitted over a telephone line to an analogue modem, which will convert the signal back to the digital format for the computers to read. Usually, modems are built into the internet/broadband router and not purchased separately. Ethernet cables These cables connect computer systems, routers and switches within a network. They should be of good quality; else, they would not carry good signals. They are plugged into the Ethernet ports. They can connect the modem to your system directly. Switches Switches connect the devices together, including computers, printers, and servers, in a network. These connected devices can thus communicate with each other regardless of their location. While switches connect multiple devices, routers connect multiple switches and their networks. Fibre optics cables These network cables contain strands of fibre made of plastic or glass. They are about the diameter of a strand of human hair, and when bundled into a fibre optics cable, they become capable of transmitting data over long distances faster than any medium. They transfer data signals in the form of light. They are faster than traditional electrical cables and are non-metallic in nature. Hence, no electromagnetic interference can reduce the speed of data transmission. They are also safer as they do not carry current. It extends your network to connect to the internet service provider's upstream from where you access the internet connection. While the above components are not the complete list of all hardware involved, they are the basic hardware requirements for establishing an internet connection. Each has several features and factors involved, which will be dealt with as separate articles.

Truecaller Call Recording Feature Explained Posted: 16 Dec 2021 06:53 PM PST The latest version of Truecaller that was released offers a lot of new features that users might not be aware of. These new features include call announce, ghost call and Video Caller ID among others. But one of the features that we are talking about in this article was earlier taken off the platform by the company for its Indian users. But now with the recent update, users will be able to once again access the call record feature. Let's learn about the call record feature offered by Truecaller and some additional features below. Call Recording Feature and More The new features that were rolled out with the recent update also witnessed bringing back of call record feature. Recording a call on the Truecaller app is a very simple process. To begin with, users simply need to go to the setting menu on the app and then select accessibility. There they can click on the Truecaller Call Recording option. The toggle option will be available next to the 'Use Truecaller Call Recording" and by turning it on users can record their calls on the app. By simply following these steps, users can record their calls on the platform when the app is active in the background. In the same way, users can also disable the feature at any given point in time. It is to be noted that the caller ID platform doesn't notify the users that their call is being recorded. So, if a user turns on the call recording option, the person on the other end of the call won't be able to know that call is being recorded and vice versa. The recorded calls are saved in the phone storage and can be shared using any of the methods. Other features were also rolled out with the last update on the app. One of these features allows users to add a short video on their caller ID using which friends and family of the users can be able to see a personalized video set by the user themselves whenever they connect on a call. Also using ghost calls, users can schedule a fake call to avoid scammers or just have fun with their known contacts.

Bharti Airtel All 4G Data Recharge Vouchers after Tariff Hike Posted: 16 Dec 2021 05:38 PM PST The recent tariff hikes imposed by the private telecom companies recently not only changed the unlimited prepaid plans but also witnessed a rise in the price of 4G data vouchers. 4G data vouchers are the add-on data packs that telcos provide to their users at an additional cost which can be used when the daily data runs out. India's one of the leading telco Bharti Airtel has been offering a few data vouchers to its subscribers and some of these come with added benefits as well. Mentioned below are the 4G data vouchers offered by Airtel to suffice the user need for data consumption. 4G Data Vouchers – In-Depth Details The first data voucher offered by Airtel is the Rs 58 plan. For Rs 58, Airtel users can get a total of 3GB of internet data, The validity period of this plan is the same as the other existing pack in use by the user. This means that the plan is available for Active Bundle and Smart Pack users. It is to be noted that after the completion of 3GB of data, users will be charged 50p per MB for any further usage. The next 4G data voucher in the list from Airtel comes at a price of Rs 98. The plan offers a total of 5GB of high-speed data at the mentioned price tag. As it is a data voucher, the validity of the plan is also the same as the existing plan. To mention it again, the plan will be applicable to the Active Bundle pack and Smart Pack users. In addition to this, Rs 98 data voucher comes with access to Wynk Music Premium which is the company's own music app that offers music, live concerts, podcasts and more. Users will be charged 50p/MB post-consumption of 5GB of data. The next plan on the list is Rs 108 4G data voucher. The plan at the cost of Rs 108 offers 6GB of internet data that has the same validity as the existing plan availed by the user. The plan will also be applicable to the Active Bundle pack and Smart Pack users. In addition to this users can also enjoy the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video Mobile Edition for a period of 30 days which has been bundled up with this plan. Also, after the completion of 6GB of data, users will be charged 50p per MB for any further usage. By paying an additional Rs 10 to the above plan that is Rs 118 users can get a 4G data voucher that offers double the data as compared to the above plan. At the price tag of Rs 118, Airtel offers 12GB of internet data that has the same validity as the existing plan availed by the user. However, this plan doesn't offer any added benefits as above two. Users will be charged 50p/MB post-consumption of 12GB of data. The next on the list Rs 148 4G data voucher offered by the telco. At Rs 148, Airtel users can get a total of 15GB of internet data. The validity period of this plan is the same as the other existing pack in use by the user. The plan is also available for Active Bundle and Smart Pack users. It is to be noted that after the completion of 3GB of data, users will be charged 50p per MB for any further usage. Additionally, the plan offers Airtel Xstream access which allows 30-day access to any of the Xstream channels on the Airtel Xstream App. The last on the list is the high priced 4G data voucher. The plan offers a total of 50GB of internet data at a cost of Rs 301 and has the same validity as the existing plan. All the terms and conditions are the same as above mentioned plans. Moreover, the plan offers only one added benefit and that is access to Wynk music Premium.

iQOO 9 Battery Specifications Surfaces after Spotting at 3C Certification Site Posted: 16 Dec 2021 08:20 AM PST Several rumours in the past have hinted towards the launch of the new smartphone iQOO 9 which has made it one of the most awaited devices to arrive from Vivo's sub-brand iQOO. The handset is expected to be unveiled with another model of the same series – iQOO 9 Pro and now has been spotted at 3C (Compulsory Certificate of China) listing as well. As per the reports, the device has been listed with the model number V2171A. The information on the listing provides details regarding the battery and suggests some enhancements over iQOO 8 launched earlier this year. Specifications of the Device and Launch Details iQOO 9 is expected to arrive featuring a Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The handset is expected to feature an in-display fingerprint scanner as well. The device is most probably going to be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset. In addition to this iQOO 9 may come with a second-generation independent display chip, two stereo speakers, and a dual X-axis linear motor. Even though details of the camera specs of the device is unknown as of now, it is rumoured that the device may feature a micro gimbal mode for smooth stabilisation during video recording. iQOO 9 is expected to be backed by a 4700mAh battery which will be supported by 120W fast charge technology. It is also speculated that the smartphone may have 8GB of RAM. As far as the arrival of the device is considered, it is expected that both iQOO 9 and iQOO 9 Pro will be launched together as a part of the iQOO 9 Series. The launch timeline of the devices is expected to be in the first quarter of 2022, probably in the month of February. The iQOO 9 Pro model as well is expected to feature 4700mAH battery backup and 120W fast charge technology according to the rumours. This would mean that both the devices in the series will have the same battery specs. More information on the highly anticipated handsets is expected to arrive soon along with official confirmation from the makers.

Xiaomi to Enhance its Display Technology with the New Partnership Posted: 16 Dec 2021 07:37 AM PST It is to be noted that previously this week Tianma Microelectronics announced at the Wuhan Tianma G6 Industrial Base that the company joined hands with Xiaomi Corporation. The new partnership deal between the two companies will focus on studying and developing new display technologies for the devices. Both companies have agreed to a joint laboratory where all the research work on developing display technologies will take place. The Reason Behind the Joint Lab Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has significant available resources in consumer electronics products which will be combined with Tianma Microelectronics innovative platform working on display technologies to feature a series of independent labs at this new facility. The new facility will work towards researching, studying and developing new display technologies along with studying and researching equipment and materials related to these technologies. Executive Vice President of Tianma Microelectronics, Cheng Wei has said in a statement that the new joint lab will enable the company to gain access to the industry chain ranging from the market to terminals, and even parts manufacturers as well. This would mean that the focus of the new facility will be on improving its research and development capabilities by working directly with upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. More descriptive aim of the facility will be developing new slim, lightweight, portable, and energy-efficient display panel technology and figuring out ways in which it can be mass-produced for the commercial market. It is to be noted that both Xiaomi Corporation and Tianma Microelectronics have and business relationships in the past as well. The latter has been continuously providing display technology to the Chinese manufacturer for its devices including smartphones and wearable techs. So put in simpler words, the new facility under this partnership will speed up the process of introducing new display technologies to the global market. Thus, it is no shocking news that the companies have decided to partner up to create new technologies one of which – the flexible OLED panels are already scheduled to arrive soon.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Launched at a Budget Offer, Check Specifications Posted: 16 Dec 2021 07:18 AM PST South Korean tech giant Samsung has launched its latest budget offering, Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, worldwide. The latest version of the affordable Galaxy Tab A8 from the company comes with improved performance, an increment in screen size of the device, higher storage capacity and multi-tasking features allowing for more versatile usage. The latest budget device from Samsung comes with an in-built Samsung TV Plus that offers streaming of about 200+ free channels both live and on-demand but only available in select markets. Moreover, users can also get two months of YouTube Premium for free. The all-new split-screen multi-tasking and floating windows feature also gives the compatibility to use it as a work device. Specifications of Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 comes with a display featuring a 10.5-inch WUXGA TFT display with 2000×1200 pixels resolution and an 80% screen-to-body ratio. The budget tablet from Samsung features a single camera both on the rear and the front. The backside of the device has an 8MP camera, while the front has a 5MP selfie camera. The connectivity features on Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 includes 4G LTE (optional), Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS, GLONASS, and USB 2.0 Type-C. The new device from Samsung works on Android 11 OS with OneUI 3.1 custom skin out of the box. As mentioned, the user interface offers a split feature for multi-tasking. Galaxy Tab A8 also features a quadruple speaker setup and Dolby Atmos support. The device is claimed to provide ten times enhanced CPU and GPU performance thanks to the anonymous octa-core chipset that powers it. The device features 3GB/4GB RAM paired with 32GB/64GB/128GB internal storage that is further expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card. The tablet is backed by a 7,040mAH battery and supports 15W adaptive fast charging support. Price of the Device Talking about the price specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, the device is priced at EUR 229, which is around Rs 19,700 for a 3GB+32GB Wi-Fi version. 4GB+64GB Wi-Fi version is priced at EUR 259, approximately Rs 22,300. 4GB+128GB Wi-Fi version is priced at EUR 309, which amounts to around Rs 26,600. The LTE models of the tablet come with different price tags.

Realme GT 2 Series Expected to Hit the Indian Markets Soon Posted: 16 Dec 2021 06:13 AM PST According to recent reports, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme is expected to hold a launch event coming December 20, and if the rumours are to be believed, the brand may launch two new handsets, namely Realme GT 2 and Realme GT 2 Pro. Although there hasn't been any official announcement, the GT 2 model has been apparently spotted on the source code of the maker's Indian website. Another speculation about the more advanced model Realme GT 2 Pro is that the device may feature a 150 degrees ultra-wide camera in place of a telephoto lens. Details on the Devices According to a report from 91mobiles, Realme GT 2 was spotted on the company's Indian website, which suggests that Realme is gearing up to launch the handset for the Indian markets. Official confirmation from the manufacturer is still awaited. In a completely unattached report, it was leaked on the microblogging site Weibo that Realme GT 2 Pro is not going to feature a telephoto lens and instead will witness an ultra-wide-angle camera. The camera setup on the device is expected to consist of dual rear cameras. On the other hand, a virtual event on Facebook and YouTube has already been confirmed by Realme and has been slated as Realme GT 2 Series special event, which will be hosted on December 20, Monday 2:30 PM IST. However, the company has not confirmed the handsets which will be announced at the event. Rumours suggest that Realme GT 2 Pro will be a definite highlight of the event. Specifications and Price (Rumoured) There have been several instances where information on Realme GT 2 Pro has been surfaced online. According to the speculations, the device will come featuring a 6.8-inch WQHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pro model is expected to feature a triple rear camera setup and a selfie shooter as a part of its camera module. It is expected that the primary sensor on the device will be a 50MP lens. The reports have confirmed that the device will feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset under the hood and may feature 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. The price details of the handset have been leaked as well in the past. Realme GT 2 Pro is expected to come with a starting price tag of CNY 4,000, which is roughly around Rs. 47,700. Moreover, the handset could feature a higher storage variant which could be priced at CNY 5,000, which amount to around Rs. 59,600.

OnePlus 10 Pro Leak Suggests 80W Fast Charging, Launch in April 2022 Posted: 16 Dec 2021 04:46 AM PST The market awaits an upcoming smartphone release from the Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus – its OnePlus 10 series handsets OnePlus 10 and OnePlus 10 Pro. Several speculations about these handsets are surfacing online, one of which claims their launch in the Chinese market in January/February 2022. The global launch of the OnePlus 10 and OnePlus 10 Pro are expected to be in April 2022. There are multiple rumours about its specifications; the latest one is from a famous Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station. According to the tipster, One Plus 10 Pro will support 80W wired fast charging, unlike the earlier rumours that claimed it to come with 125W fast charging. Also, it will support 50W wireless fast charging similar to its predecessor OnePlus 9 Pro. OnePlus 10 Pro specifications OnePlus 10 Pro is likely to feature a 6.7-inch Curved LTPO AMOLED display with 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the handset will have Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, runs on Android 12 with ColorOS layer on top. OnePlus recently started using ColorOS for its smartphones in China and the global counterparts continue to feature OxygenOS. It may come with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The upcoming 4nm-based processor Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is expected to significantly upgrade the smartphone in terms of its performance. It will include a new 3GHz ARM Cortex X2 high-performance core as well as 4x faster AI performance with Qualcomm's 7th Gen Qualcomm AI engine. OnePlus 10 Pro may feature a triple rear camera setup tuned by Hasselblad in terms of optics. The primary camera will be a 48MP sensor, which will be accompanied by a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens and an 8MP auxiliary sensor. The handset will comprise a 32MP shooter inside a punch-hole notch for selfies. A 5,000mAh battery may power this new OnePlus smartphone, and there could be an IP68 rating for water resistance. An earlier leak of the OnePlus 10 Pro showed a 3.5mm audio jack on top, a USB Type-C port, speaker and microphone grills at the bottom. If the OnePlus 10 and 10 Pro make their debut in April 2022, the competing handsets series would be Samsung Galaxy S22 series.

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