Category: Gadgets

Myanmar startup Goama launches mobile gaming app in India

Myanmar startup Goama has launched its “Netflix of Games” mobile gaming subscription app in India. Called Go|Games, the Android app has more than 700,000 subscribers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Glitch with Google Home and Chromecast

OK Google…

By Edward Lim

“Sorry, something went wrong. Try again in a few seconds.” and “There was a glitch. Try again in a few seconds.” are not messages most Google Home and Home mini users are familiar with, but these messages kept repeating themselves most of yesterday.

Microsoft to launch pricey USB-C dongle for Surface

Photo credit: The Verge
Photo credit: The Verge

The cost of having thinner and lighter devices can be really high. The compromise is the absence of jacks and ports that users often take for granted. To get that needed port, users have to pay a hefty price. In the case of the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface laptop, a soon-to-be-launched USB-C dongle will cost US$79.99, according to The Verge.

NVIDIA Shield TV comes to ANZ

It’s been a long time coming — more than three years — but NVIDIA Shield TV is finally heading to Australia and New Zealand. The Android TV-based device was dubbed the “world’s first 4K Android TV console” when it was introduced in March 2015.

Smartwatch market heading towards steady growth

The Fitbit Versa has been well-received by the market.
The Fitbit Versa has been well-received by the market.

The worldwide wearables market is adjusting as smartwatches continue to come to the forefront. In the coming years, smartwatches will encompass more features and functionalities.

App to teach children responsible mobile device usage

Help is at hand for parents who need help in teaching their young children the dos and don’ts of using smartphones and other mobile devices. They can now turn to Tittle for Parents, an app that lets parents protect their children on mobile devices and teach about safe and appropriate use.

Royal Holdings launches 3D image scanner for smartphones

Security checks have become the norm in airports, malls and many public places. While screening devices are often bulky, a more portable alternative is now available following the launch of SWORD, a mobile 3D image scanner that can be used with smartphones.

Giant notebook and graphics card spotted at Computex

A gigantic version of the ASUS Zenbook Pro — thankfully, the real thing is a lot smaller and lighter.

By Edward Lim

Computex seems to have mellowed down over the years. While the show floor used to be filled with booth girls and exhibitors literally pushing bags and tchoichke in the past, this is no longer the case.

Power efficient chipsets to drive edge AI

The NVIDIA Jetson TX2 is a credit card-sized platform that puts AI computing on the edge.
The NVIDIA Jetson TX2 is a credit card-sized platform that puts AI computing on the edge.

Power efficient chipsets are set to be the main driver as artificial intelligence (AI) moves makes a significant shift from the cloud to the edge, according to ABI Research.

Google moves to top of smart speaker market in Q1

Google has ousted Amazon from the perch of the global smart speaker market. According to Canalys, Google shipped 3.2 million units with its Google Home and Google Home mini series , surpassing the 2.5 million units of the Amazon Echo series for the first time in Q1.

Bigger yet smaller with NVIDIA Max-Q

Razer has unveiled a new version of its Razer Blade gaming notebook that sports a bigger screen, smaller bezel and the NVIDIA Max-Q design, an innovative approach to designing the world’s thinnest, fastest, and quietest gaming laptops.

Cryptocurrency and Carry

Singapore-headquartered Carry is teaming up with Spoqa of South Korea to bring cryptocurrency payment and blockchain-enhanced loyalty points to brick-and-mortar retailers.

India smartphone market posts strongest Q1 shipment

The popular Redmi 5A has helped Xiaomi retain its pole position in India.
The popular Redmi 5A has helped Xiaomi retain its pole position in India.

The India smartphone market shipped 30 million units in Q1, the strongest Q1 performance ever and an 11-percent growth year on year, according to IDC.

ZTE ceases activities

ZTE has hit a massive roadblock that has resulted in the cessation of its business operations. China’s number 2 telecom equipment maker was hit by the US’s seven-year blockade to vital components needed for its devices.

Singtel and Razer to unite e-payment network

Xiaomi tops India smartphone market in Q1

Xiaomi shipped 3.5 million Redmi Note 5A smartphones in Q1.
Xiaomi shipped 3.5 million Redmi Note 5A smartphones in Q1.

Building on a momentum of 155 percent annual shipment growth in India last year, Xiaomi started Q1 at the top with a whopping nine million plus units to snag 31 percent market share, according to Canalys.

Gaming and VR focus at Computex

With the global gaming market expected to touch US$128.5 billion in 2020, this year’s Computex will have gaming and virtual reality (VR) as a focus area, alongside artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, blockchain, Internet of Things, and innovations and startups.

Doogee unleashes 4 innovative smartphones

Shenzhen-based Doogee is not one for the humdrum. While most other smartphones sport mostly similar technologies, this maker has decided to go for the different feel with four new phones — the transparent Doogee TT, flip camera Mix 3, slide phone Mix 4, and flexible screen phone.

H2O.ai optimises Driverless AI and H2OGPU for NVIDIA

H2O.ai has announced that its Driverless AI automated machine learning platform and H2O4GPU open source GPU-accelerated machine learning package are now both fully optimised for the latest-generation NVIDIA Volta architecture GPUs — the NVIDIA Tesla V100 — and CUDA 9 software.

IoT goes deep

Arm is taking its recently-announced Project Trillium a step further with a collaboration with NVIDIA. The partners will bring the open-source NVIDIA Deep Learning Accelerator (NVDLA) architecture into Project Trillium platform for machine learning.

Safer self-driving car tests with NVIDIA Drive Constellation

A number of self-driving cars sporting NVIDIA’s autonomous driving technologies were present at GPU Technology Conference in San Jose this week. However, none was available for a test drive — a sensible move by NVIDIA in the light of the fatal Uber self-driving car accident the week before.

Something old, something new

The telecommunications industry, specifically mobile communications, is converging in Barcelona this week. Even before Mobile World Congress (MWC) kicks off today, two companies have fired the first salvo with something old, something new.

Singapore creates drone zone

R&D centres will be able to test drones such as the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum at one north.
R&D centres will be able to test drones such as the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum at one north.

With concerns over privacy, security and safety, drone flying has been limited to only certain areas and heights. However, recognising the need to test unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the Singapore government has established the nation’s first drone estate.

Apple Watch outsells Swiss watches

How the watch industry has changed! As a show of its strength and popularity, Apple Watch has taken the crown, not just among smartwatches, but outselling the entire Swiss watch industry in Q4. Now, that’s quite an accomplishment!

Chery to pop NVIDIA-powered ZP ProAI system into autonomous vehicles

China carmaker Chery has adopted the new ZP ProAI system, powered by NVIDIA Drive AI self-driving technology, for its autonomous vehicles. The move will bring Level 3 autonomous driving to the world’s biggest auto market.

Smart speaker adoption to rise in 2018

Google Home Mini is competing against Amazon Echo Dot.
Google Home Mini is competing against Amazon Echo Dot.

Amazon and Google went head to head in the smart speaker market last year and the battle is expected to be more intense in the coming days with more players joining the fray.

Apple caught slowing down

The names Benjamin Lazarus, Jeffrey Aberman, Stephen Margolis, Sandy Brodsky, and Victoria Childs are probably unfamiliar to most. But inthe days to come, they may become more popular.

Learn robotics at Udacity

Robotics is no longer just a hobby but serious stuff.  NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute is now working with online learning provider Udacity to develop a programme that will immerse students in the field of robotics, giving them career-ready skills.

Sweet quarter for Apple in China

iPhone 8
The iPhone 8 helped spur Apple’s growth in Q3.

The launch of the iPhone 8 and drop of prices of older models have helped Apple turn in a sterling quarter in China, with shipment rising 40 percent to 11 million units this Q3.

Enter the gaming smartphone

Razer Phone
Play Final Fantasy XV on the new smartphone.

Finally, a smartphone that’s made for gamers. Razer has launched in London the latest high-end smartphone with a focus on mobile gaming.

But what makes this phone different from others in the market? And how does it enhance the mobile gaming experience?

Smartphone makers in a rush?

Google Pixel 2 XLIn 2016, Samsung had battery overheating issues with its Note 7. Recently, Apple is constantly pushing out iOS 11 fixes to improve battery life for the iPhone 8. And now, Google is working on a solution to address the screen burn-in issues of the Pixel 2.

What’s happening? Are smartphone makers in such a rush to launch new phones that they are cutting short quality tests? Admittedly, this is the probably the hottest segment of the consumer technology market and every player is trying its best to outdo each other.

According to IDC, the worldwide smartphone market will reach a total of 1.53 billion units shipped in 2017, up 4.2 percent from the 1.47 billion units shipped in 2016. That’s a lot of phones and perhaps the reason why makers are hurrying to snare a share.