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Xiaomi Mi MIX 2

The Mi MIX 2 smartphone with 5.99-inch bezel-less display and 18:9 aspect ratio and flagship-class features and specifications have been launched in India. Xiaomi's first premium smartphone in India since the Mi 5 about a year and a half ago, the Mi MIX 2 in India is available in ceramic + aluminum 'regular' configuration; the Xiaomi MI MIX 2 Special Edition with an all-ceramic body and 8GB of RAM not making its way to the country. The Mi MIX 2 is a Flipkart exclusive, though it will also be available via mi.com, Mi Home stores, and Xiaomi retail partners. 
 
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Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 price in India, launch offers 
 
The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 price in India is Rs. 35,999, and at that price, it competes with the OnePlus 5, Nokia 8, and LG G6. The company has launched the Mi MIX 2 in its 6GB RAM, 128GB storage variant in the country, with no mention of whether the other variants will be brought here as well. The smartphone will be available via Flipkart and Mi.com in a preview sale on October 17. The smartphone's general availability will begin in the first week of November, and it will then go on sale via Mi Home and other offline retailer partners in addition. There is no Mi MIX 2 launch offers as such, beyond a zero percent EMI offer, which will be available via all retail channels, the Xiaomi's Manu Jain said at the launch event. 
 
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 specifications and features 
The dual-SIM (Nano) Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 runs MIUI 9 based on Android 7.0 Nougat. It sports a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) LCD display, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC that's coupled with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM. The dual-SIM (Nano-SIM) smartphone sports a 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 rear camera sensor with 1.25-micron pixels, 4-axis optical image stabilization, 5-piece lens, a f/2.0 aperture, as well as a facial recognition feature. On the front, it bears a 5-megapixel front camera, also with the facial recognition function that can be used to unlock the smartphone. 
 
As for storage, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 variant launched in India bears  128GB of storage that is not expandable. Connectivity options on the Mi MIX 2 smartphone include 4G (support for 43 LTE bands), VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11c, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, and USB Type-C. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, barometer, digital compass, gyroscope, and ultrasonic proximity sensor. The smartphone runs on a 3400mAh battery, measures 151.8x75.5x7.7mm, and weighs 185 grams. 
 
As we mentioned, the biggest highlight of the Mi MIX 2 is its 5.99-inch bezel-less LCD display that has a full-HD+ resolution (1080x2160 pixels) in an 18:9 aspect ratio. The company says the display has a pixel density of 403ppi and is complete with DCI-P3 color gamut support. The smartphone has minimal bezels on three sides, with only a 'bottom chin' that sports the front camera and other sensors. 
 
 
With no top bezel to house the earpiece, the company has decided to use a 'hidden sound-guided speaker' that resonates sound through the display and frame. The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 bears a ceramic body with a 7-Series aluminum frame and a 18K gold plated camera ring on the rear panel.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2

The Mi MIX 2 smartphone with 5.99-inch bezel-less display and 18:9 aspect ratio and flagship-class features and specifications have been launched in India. Xiaomi's first premium smartphone in India s…

11 Oct 2017

Buy Mi Max 2 just for Rs 999/- This Diwali

Flipkart and Amazon are offering more than one discount offer for their customers. Amazon again started its Great Indian Festival Sale, then Flipkart also came in the race for the Fest with a festive explosion. 
 
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Off, discount and other offers are being offered on both e-commerce platforms ranging from smartphones to other gadgets and electronic devices. Today we are talking about the most attractive offer that is being given at Flipkart Mi Max 2 
 
This smartphone of Xiaomi is available at FLIPKART at Rs 16,999, but the customer can buy this phone for Rs 999. In fact, Flipkart is offering an exchange offer of up to Rs 16,000 on this phone, after which the phone will cost Rs 999. 

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 smartphone has a metal body. Edge given on the phone makes it beautiful. This phone has a fingerprint sensor. Talking about the phone's display, it has a 6.44 inch full HD 1080p display. Its big screen is its biggest highlight. 
 
MI has given the Sony IMX 386 sensor of 12 MP in Max2. This camera also has LED flash and PDAF. Better phones can be better light photography. This phone has a front camera of 5 MP. This phone of Xiaomi works on the Android 7.1.1 nougat operating system. This phone has MIUI 8. The phone has features like USB Type C port as well as IR Blaster, Mi Remote App. Also, the company says it will get MIUI 9 updates. 
 

Xiaomi's has given a second-generation 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 625 SOC in the tablet. This phone has 4GB of RAM and has 64 GB of storage. To give full support to the big screen and processor, the phone also has a 5300mAh battery, which gives a 2-day backup to the phone. In this, Quick Charge 3.0 is supported, so that the battery charges 68% in 1 hour.

Buy Mi Max 2 just for Rs 999/- This Diwali

Flipkart and Amazon are offering more than one discount offer for their customers. Amazon again started its Great Indian Festival Sale, then Flipkart also came in the race for the Fest with a festive…

09 Oct 2017

Samsung HMD Odyssey VR headset and Windows 10 : Review

For a while, virtual reality has seemed stuck in neutral for the nongaming audience, with companies struggling to make VR appealing to everyone. But firms keep trying -- and they're starting to make a better case as prices continue to drop. Microsoft recently showed off a slew of new high-end virtual reality headsets for Windows 10 PCs from a number of partners to show off the breadth of its ecosystem, including a new $500 set from Samsung. 
 
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And it's pretty good. The graphics were immersive enough to activate my fear of heights in a demo set high in the mountains. The headset also has a design that curves snugly around the face. That makes the immersion feel pretty complete, even if the graphics aren't quite as striking as what you'd see on a high-priced headset hooked up to an equally pricey gaming computer. 
 
And, having tried out a few versions of virtual reality headsets over the past several years, I was surprised by how comfortable this one was. It weighs about a pound and a half -- on the heavy side for a headset, but the weight is distributed well. 
 
Above all, the price of the HMD Odyssey is notable, as it's in line with the fast-descending price of virtual reality headsets. Both computer-based virtual reality headset makers, Oculus and HTC, slashed their prices this summer to $500 and $600 respectively -- down from their original price tags of $700 and $800. Other previously announced sets from HP, Dell, Acer and Asus are launching for Windows 10 on Oct. 17, and their prices go as low as $350 or so. 
 
Those still aren't quite impulse-level prices -- at least for me. But at least the price of good VR is down significantly from when the hype first began. 
 
Which is to say: this may be the beginning of the beginning of VR for the average person. Microsoft showed off some appealing applications, such as being able to watch video on the virtual equivalent of a 300-inch television or being able to easily teleconference. Outside of entertainment, the promise becomes murkier. The idea of editing a spreadsheet or writing an article using those VR controllers makes me queasier than any VR-related motion sickness. 
 
Microsoft consumers should expect to hear way more about this type of experience in the years to come. Microsoft's Alex Kipman, who invented its HoloLens and is its chief presenter on all things augmented and virtual reality, said that the experience lets us "renegotiate our very contract with reality. 
 
 
That's no small claim. To accomplish it, though, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Samsung HMD Odyssey VR headset and Windows 10 : Review

For a while, virtual reality has seemed stuck in neutral for the nongaming audience, with companies struggling to make VR appealing to everyone. But firms keep trying -- and they're starting to make a…

08 Oct 2017

Koenigsegg Agera R beats Bugatti Chiron's record

A Koenigsegg Agera RS has just managed to go from 0-400km/h and back to a standstill in just 36.44 seconds. 
The new time, set at Vandel Airfield in Denmark with Koenigsegg test driver Niklas Lilja behind the wheel, is a full 5.52 seconds faster than the current Guinness World Record time. That was set by the Bugatti Chiron in September in the run-up to the Frankfurt International Motor Show. 
More impressive still is that while the Chiron has an 8-liter 16-cylinder engine, four turbochargers and 1500hp on tap plus the weight of the entire Volkswagen Group behind it, the Agera RS only has a 5-liter twin turbo V8 under its carbon fiber shell, capable of outputting 1360hp. And is built in a tiny facility in Sweden by a tiny company headed up by a single man with a singular vision, Christian von Koenigsegg. 
 
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"It makes me so proud, so happy and excited to see what we have achieved as a team with the Agera RS. A result like this does not just happen," he said of the new record. "It may have only taken a few hours of driving to complete this run, but we cannot overlook all of the work that went into creating the car in the first place." 
And the new record may not stand for very long. The Agera RS is by no means the fastest or most powerful car that Koenigsegg currently builds. In fact, the only reason the 0-400-0 run was attempted with the car in the first place was to appease a client. The car used for breaking the record is about to be shipped to its owner in the US, but he wanted some independent test carried out so that he could verify the car's veracity when compared with Lamborghinis, Ferraris and, of course, Bugattis. 
Indeed, when it's ready, von Koenigsegg has confirmed he and his team will be heading back out onto the track with the Regera. It does have the same 1500hp on tap that the Bugatti Chiron boasts, and early tests show that the car can accelerate from 0-400km/h in under 20 seconds. During its record-breaking run, the Agera RS took 26.88 seconds to hit 400km/h. 
However, Bugatti isn't finished, either. It has confirmed that it will be heading out to the track early next year to set a new record for the world's fastest production car. That accolade is currently held by the Bugatti Veyron (in SS specification), the model the Chiron is replacing and a car that managed to hit 431.072km/h.

Koenigsegg Agera R beats Bugatti Chiron's record

A Koenigsegg Agera RS has just managed to go from 0-400km/h and back to a standstill in just 36.44 seconds. The new time, set at Vandel Airfield in Denmark with Koenigsegg test driver Niklas Lilja beh…

08 Oct 2017

Happy Birthday Begum Akhtar

Begum Akhtar was born on 7th October 1914 in Faizabad town of Uttar Pradesh. Her name was Akhtaribai Faizabadi though she was much popular as Begum Akhtar. Her family belonged to the upper class of the society and was not even inclined towards music. She showed interest in music at a very young age and was sent to train under the great sarangi player, Ustad Imdad Khan. Later, she learned classical music from great exponents of this field like Mohammad Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan and Ustad Jhande Khan Saheb. Read the life history of Begum Akhtar in this short biography.  
 
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 At the tender age of fifteen, she gave her first public performance. People were moved by her voice and she gained instant recognition. Her ghazals even impressed the famous poetess of India, Sarojini Naidu and were appreciated at a concert that was organized for helping victims of Bihar earthquake. Her first recording was done by the Megaphone Record Company and they released many gramophone records with her melodious Ghazals, thumris, dadras, etc. In 1930's, Begum Akhtar also acted in a few Hindi films which include Ameena (1934), Mumtaz Begum (1934), Jawaani Ka Nasha (1935), Naseeb Ka Chakkar (1935). In all these films, she sang all her songs herself.  Begum Akhtar moved back to Lucknow after a while where the renowned director Mehboob Khan approached her for a film titled "Roti". The music was composed by the famous Anil Biswas. The movie was released in the year 1942 in which Begum Akhtar had sung six Ghazals. Unfortunately, four of the Ghazals were deleted due to some tension between the producer and the director. The film was appreciated by one and all and the music took the industry by storm.  Begum Akhtar married barrister Ishtiaq Ahmed Abbasi in the year 1945. Due to family restrictions, Begum Akhtar could not sing for almost five years. She fell ill and her only medicine was music. In the year 1949, she returned to record at the Lucknow Radio station and sang three Ghazals and a dadra. She felt so satisfied and happy that she wept with joy. She then continued to give public performances and sing in concerts till she passed away.  Begum Akhtar was persuaded by Madan Mohan, a famous music director to sing in two movies "Daana Paani" (1953) and "Ehsaan" (1954). The songs "Aye Ishq Mujhe Aur to Kuch Yaad" and "Hamein Dil Mein Basa Bhi Lo" were absolutely melodious and were liked by one and all. Her last movie stint was that of a classical singer in Satyajit Ray's film "Jalsa Ghar". Begum Akhtar was a refined Ghazal singer and was called as Mallika-e-Ghazal or the Queen of Ghazals. Her style of singing is inimitable and few can match to her style. Most compositions were self-composed and based on Ragas.  Begum Akhtar performed last in a concert in Ahmedabad. That day she felt that her voice was not up to the mark and raised her pitch. This put much stress on her and her health deteriorated. The situation became critical and she had to be rushed to the hospital. She breathed her last on 30th October 1974, leaving many fans disappointed and heartbroken.

Happy Birthday Begum Akhtar

Begum Akhtar was born on 7th October 1914 in Faizabad town of Uttar Pradesh. Her name was Akhtaribai Faizabadi though she was much popular as Begum Akhtar. Her family belonged to the upper class of th…

07 Oct 2017

Samsung Galaxy S8 Becomes Best-Selling Android Smartphone

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The Samsung Galaxy S8 has been selling extremely well ever since it was released earlier this year but a new report from Strategy Analytics has claimed that the handset has managed to become the top shipping Android smartphone in Q2 2017. Interestingly, Xiaomi, with its Redmi 4A smartphone, managed to make it to the list of top 5 selling smartphones after being topped by Oppo in the previous quarter this year. Though referring to shipments, the report also called the Samsung Galaxy S8 the 'top selling' Android smartphone. 
 
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Samsung managed to ship 10.2 million units of Galaxy S8 (2.8 percent market share) and 9.0 million units of Galaxy S8+ (2.5 percent market share), together accounting for 19.2 million units, during the second quarter of 2017, as per Strategy Analytics report. "Samsung's Galaxy S8 has instantly become the world's most popular Android smartphone model, due to its attractive curved-screen design, a rich portfolio of software apps, and best-in-class retail distribution across dozens of countries," the research firm said in its report. 
 
Talking about the other Android smartphone-maker, Xiaomi managed to make the list of top-selling smartphones with its Redmi 4A smartphone. "Xiaomi Redmi 4A shipped 5.5 million units for fifth place and 2 percent (precisely, 1.5 percent) market share worldwide in Q2 2017. Xiaomi is becoming wildly popular across Asia. Xiaomi is now the fourth largest smartphone vendor in China and the second biggest across India. Xiaomi is selling a large volume of smartphones through online channels, with key distribution partners such as Flipkart and JD," the research firm said. 
 
To recall, in an earlier report, Strategy Analytics said that Redmi 4A is proving to be "wildly popular" in India and that Xiaomi was able to snatch volumes from other competitors such as Micromax and Lenovo in the country. 
 
Despite an impressive performance by Samsung, just like previous quarter iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus remained the best-selling smartphone models in terms of global shipments. The Cupertino-based company managed to ship 16.9 million units of the iPhone 7 and 15.1 million units of the iPhone 7 Plus during Q2 2017. 
 
"We estimate Apple iPhone 7 shipped 16.9 million units and captured 5 percent market share worldwide in Q2 2017. The iPhone 7 remains the world's most popular smartphone model overall, due to a compelling blend of user-friendly design, extensive supporting apps, and widespread retail presence for the device. Apple iPhone 7 Plus, with its bigger screen and higher pricing, shipped 15.1 million units for second place and 4 percent market share worldwide in Q2 2017," Strategy Analytics said in its report.</div>

Samsung Galaxy S8 Becomes Best-Selling Android Smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has been selling extremely well ever since it was released earlier this year but a new report from Strategy Analytics has claimed that the handset has managed to become the top …

07 Oct 2017

Ralphie May, 'Last Comic Standing' Comedian, Dead! May His Soul Rest in Peace..

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Ralphie May, the stand-up comedian who turned a second-place finish on Last Comic Standing into a successful career in comedy, died Friday in Las Vegas. He was 45. 
 
 
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May died of cardiac arrest following a brief battle with pneumonia, Variety reports. In September, May canceled a string of dates from his Unruly stand-up tour due to illness.</div>
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"We are heartbroken to announce the untimely death of our friend, Ralphie May. Ralphie had been battling pneumonia and had cancelled a handful of dates over the last month in an effort to recover. Earlier this morning at a private residence in Las Vegas his body was discovered, cause of death is cardiac arrest," the comedian's rep said in a statement posted on Facebook.</div>
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"Two days ago he won the Casino Comedian of the Year at the Global Gaming Expo and had performances throughout the remainder of 2017 as part of his residency at Harrah's Las Vegas."</div>
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On September 22nd, after canceling a Colorado Springs concert, May wrote on Facebook, "I can't shake this bronchitis and the altitude is no joke."</div>
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Known for his distinct delivery and outsized personality and stage presence, May finished second on the inaugural season of Last Comic Standing in 2003. Over the next 15 years, the Arkansas-raised May went on to star in four Comedy Central comedy specials as well as a pair of Netflix specials, Imperfectly Yours and Unruly. In 2016, May appeared alongside Amy Schumer, another one-time Last Comic Standing contestant, in an Inside Amy Schumer sketch.</div>
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Following news of May's death, dozens in the comedy community paid tribute to the stand-up on social media. 
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"Wow....I was just told that Ralphie May passed. I'm truly saddened by this. He was a good dude. Heaven just got another funny angel RIP man," Kevin Hart <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinHart4real/status/916413741515923456" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #c81429; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, while Marc Maron <a href="https://twitter.com/marcmaron/status/916413610842189824" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #c81429; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">wrote</a>, "Damn. RIP Ralphie May. Comic warrior."</div>
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"Ralphie May RIP funny man. We shared good talks & good laughs . See you on the other side kid," Jim Breuer wrote. Ken Jeong <a href="https://twitter.com/kenjeong/status/916405592305975296" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #c81429; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, " This hurts too much. <a href="https://twitter.com/Ralphie_May" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #c81429; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@Ralphie_May</a> helped me so much. Rest In Peace. Thank you for all the love you have given me. Thank you for everything."</div>
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Ralphie May, 'Last Comic Standing' Comedian, Dead! May His Soul Rest in Peace..

Ralphie May, the stand-up comedian who turned a second-place finish on Last Comic Standing into a successful career in comedy, died Friday in Las Vegas. He was 45. May died of cardiac arrest followin…

07 Oct 2017

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill #Relationship goals

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Still in love after all these years! </div>
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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been giving us relationship goals to aspire to for over two decades. As two of the biggest artists in country music, it's surprising that they are just now getting around to releasing their first album together. </div>
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It could be because the couple has always strived to ensure their careers didn't get in the way of time spent with their kids. "It's a collaborative effort and when we married we had to have that talk," Tim shared. "When one's working, the other one has to be back at home and it works out"</div>
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What can you expect next from the country superstars and their first album together? </div>
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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill #Relationship goals

Still in love after all these years! Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been giving us relationship goals to aspire to for over two decades. As two of the biggest artists in country music, it's surprisi…

07 Oct 2017

Beauty Tips for this ‪‪Karva Chauth

Karva Chauth is an Indian festival in which a married woman keeps a fast for her husband’s well-being and long life. Despite the stringent rules of this fast, every married Hindu woman celebrates this day with great dedication. The vast array of delicacies, gifts, mother-in-law’s love in the form of sargi, and the opportunity to dress up, make the day-long fast a smooth ride.  
 
 
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In addition to following every ritual of Karva Chauth with sincerity, women also need to ensure that their appearance is perfect from head to toe. So, if you need some tips to spruce up your look for Karva Chauth this year, check these out. </div>
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#1. Pick the best outfit</h2>
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<img alt="Karva Chauth Fashion" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-20171027910415338513000.jpg" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-20171027910415338513000.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 446px; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 670px;" /></div>
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Karva Chauth is all about looking and feeling good. While the fast takes care of the latter, the former is taken care of by the right outfit. So, it is important to decide your outfit with proper accessories too. The quintessential traditional saree will work wonders for your look on this auspicious day. For women, who want to stay traditional yet modern, opt for an Indo-western outfit like a dhoti saree. </div>
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#2. Beauty regime</h2>
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<img alt="Karva Chauth" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-20151029913484949729000.jpg" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-20151029913484949729000.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto !important; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 749.99px;" /></div>
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It is very important to resort to beauty treatments that are tried and tested by you, that will enhance the glow of your skin. Get facials that suit your skin type, and make sure to get it done at least three days before Karva Chauth to get the glow. All other treatments, like waxing, pedicure, and manicure should be done before you go for the mehendi application or the final makeup.</div>
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#3. Experiment with care</h2>
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<img alt="Karva Chauth" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-2017102768164629806000.png" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-2017102768164629806000.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto !important; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 749.99px;" /></div>
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Cosmetic treatments, new hair colour or style, or nail art, should be tried a few days before this auspicious day. This will give you ample time for rectification in case of any goof-ups.</div>
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Some additional tips</h2>
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Here are a few more tips, apart from the ones given above, to look your best this Karva Chauth:</div>
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<img alt="nail art for karva cahuth" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-20151029913435349433000.jpg" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-20151029913435349433000.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto !important; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 749.99px;" /></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 30.4px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Nail art over mehendi can pep up the look of your mehendi adorned hands.</li>
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<img alt="hair styles for karva chauth" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-20151029816154558545000.jpg" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-20151029816154558545000.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto !important; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 749.99px;" /></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 30.4px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Go for stylish braids, or if you are planning to knot your hair in a bun, fancy judapins can make your hairstyle look elegant. You can experiment with few side decorative matching hair pins too if you have short hair. Soft curls or waves will also look good with your attire.</li>
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<img alt="Karva Chauth" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-2016102809302934229000.jpg" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-2016102809302934229000.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto !important; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 749.99px;" /></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 30.4px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Ditch the maroons and reds this year, and opt for other colours that are trending presently. You can try anything from the hot picks of this season, like glacier grey, aquamarine blue, lucite green, or toasty almond.</li>
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<img alt="eye makeup for karva chauth" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-20151029913230448184000.jpg" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-20151029913230448184000.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto !important; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 749.99px;" /></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 30.4px; padding-bottom: 10px;">To give a dramatic look to your eyes, you can also opt for winged eyeliners to give your makeup a finishing touch.</li>
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<img alt="traditional look for karva chauth" class="lazy" data-original="/img-scale/670/article-20151029817190762347000.jpg" src="https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/img-scale/670/article-20151029817190762347000.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto !important; margin: 0px auto 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 749.99px;" /></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 30.4px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Do not miss the mangalsutra, bangles, sindoor and bindi to complete your look.</li>
</ul>
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Karva Chauth is all about revelling in a good mood, and nothing makes women feel better than dressing well, especially while doing something special for their husbands. Be it clothes, jewellery or makeup, everything adds to the feel-good factor on this day. So, keep these tips in mind, and feel gorgeous like never before this Karva Chauth. </div>
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Beauty Tips for this ‪‪Karva Chauth

Karva Chauth is an Indian festival in which a married woman keeps a fast for her husband’s well-being and long life. Despite the stringent rules of this fast, every married Hindu woman celebrates this…

07 Oct 2017

'Once Upon a Time': Breaking down the big reveals of the season 7 premiere

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Warning: This story contains major spoilers from the season 7 premiere of Once Upon a Time. Read at your own risk!</div>
 
Once Upon a Time has officially cracked open a new book, trapping some of our favorite fairy tale characters in a new curse and kicking off what’s hopefully a long road ahead as the show heads in a different direction. 
 
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So here are the basics of what happened in the premiere: Young Henry (Jared Gilmore) left Storybrooke to find his story. Years later, Henry (now played by Andrew J. West) crosses paths with Cinderella (Dania Ramirez), the catalyst for what viewers know will be an epic love story — through their initial meeting does not indicate that. 
 
After they literally crash into each other, the glass-slippered princess steals Henry’s motorcycle so she can kill the prince at the ball. Twist. (By the way, that prince is played by Liam Hall, who will portray Slade Wilson’s son on Arrow this season.) But Cinderella decides not to kill him at the last second. Another twist: Lady Tremaine (Gabrielle Anwar) does and frames her, so Cinderella must escape with the aid of Henry. (Side note: Henry was dosed by Rose Reynolds’ Alice, who was working for Robert Carlyle’s Rumplestiltskin because apparently bad things happen when you take part in a story that isn’t yours.) 
 
That’s all fine and good in fairy-tale land, but all these dynamics are wildly different in the Seattle-based cursed neighborhood of Hyperion Heights. Jacinda is a single mother working to stay afloat — at Mr. Cluck’s Chicken Shack, a cheeky reference to Lost. Henry is a Swift driver, which is the equivalent to Uber. He wrote a book called Once Upon a Time, which told the stories of the first six seasons, but it didn’t sell. He has writer’s block until Lucy (Alison Fernandez) shows up at his door and claims to be his daughter. He, of course, doesn’t believe her because he’s cursed. 
 
After Lucy steals his laptop, he goes to Roni’s bar to get it back. Roni, by the way, is Regina’s (Lana Parrilla) cursed alter ego, so the two don’t know that they’re mother and son. This is also where he first meets Jacinda as well as Victoria, a.k.a Lady Tremaine, the vicious Miranda Priestly-like developer who is gentrifying the neighborhood to push out the fairy tale characters. After Jacinda tries to leave town with Lucy, a fact Henry spills to Victoria, her stepmother decidedly takes custody of Lucy, a real twist of the knife considering they’re already under a curse! 
 
Henry also crosses paths with Rogers, otherwise known as Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), when his car is stolen — clearly to keep him in the neighborhood. Officer Rogers is a uniform cop who ultimately is promoted to detective by hour’s end. His new partner? Weaver, a.k.a Rumplestiltskin, who appears to be a corrupt cop seemingly in Victoria’s pocket. (The mystery behind Gold’s new character is finally solved!) Sure, we got a lot of answers, but the premiere raised just as many burning questions. Here’s our attempt at breaking them down: 
 
Who cast the curse? Unlike how the pilot revealed Regina was to blame for the Dark Curse, we still don’t know. A fairly obvious answer is that Lady Tremaine did it, but is that too obvious? 
How did Regina, Hook, and Rumple end up cursed? No answers during the premiere, but the producers have previously teased that the trio is among those who answer Henry’s call for help, which we’ll get to see during episode 2. 
Why is Hook in Hyperion Heights, but not Emma? It’s one of the biggest burning questions of the season, and unfortunately, the premiere gave no clear indication of why. When Rogers saw Emma’s picture in Henry’s book, there did seem to be a glimmer of recognition.The good news is that viewers will get more answers during the second episode, which features the return of Jennifer Morrison for an “emotional curtain call.” 
What’s the Hyperion Heights version of the clock tower? In the pilot, the Storybrooke clock tower was frozen at 8:15 — another reference to Lost — but it started working again when Emma (Jennifer Morrison) decided to stay in Storybrooke. It appears that the community garden may be the equivalent, as Cinderella’s lucky flower begins to grow after she makes a wish in the wishing well. Also, a candidate: The clock ticking could be the equivalent to Henry’s writer’s block abating by the end of the hour. Henry’s arrival certainly seemed to spark something, at least, within Roni, who ends up not selling her bar to Victoria by hour’s end. 
What did the prince do to Cinderella? She aimed to kill him at the ball, explaining to Henry that he took everything from her. No answers now, but surely there will be more in the upcoming flashbacks. 
What are the consequences of Henry being in a story that’s not his? Alice drugged him during the ball, all but threatening him that bad things happen when you’re involved in a story that doesn’t belong to you. Could the curse be one of those consequences? 
Why is Alice working for Weaver and Rumplestiltskin? Not only does Alice do his bidding in the fairy-tale world, but her Hyperion Heights alter ego Tilly tells Weaver as soon as Henry shows up. How are they connected? TBD, of course! 
 
Where is Belle? Speaking of Weaver, it appears Rumple is back to his evil ways, and Belle is nowhere to be found. What has happened to her? Another TBD question, but we should get answers in the Rumple-centric fourth episode, which features the return of Emilie de Ravin.

'Once Upon a Time': Breaking down the big reveals of the season 7 premiere

Warning: This story contains major spoilers from the season 7 premiere of Once Upon a Time. Read at your own risk! Once Upon a Time has officially cracked open a new book, trapping some of our favori…

07 Oct 2017

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Review

It’s not very often that two new iPhone models are upstaged at their own launch, but that’s exactly what happened at Apple’s September event this year. The iPhone X was the star of the show, the cool new kid everyone wanted to hang out with, while the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were relegated to the role of the designated driver - boring, reliable, the one you know will be there once you are done partying with your new friends. 
 
 
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That was certainly the case in the hands-on area post the launch event at the Steve Jobs Theatre, where everyone stood in line just to spend some time with the iPhone X, while most iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus units waited for an audience. But as quickly as it came, the cool new thing was gone, not to be seen again until November. Having seen the one with the X-factor, it seems not everyone is excited at that prospect of getting reunited with their ‘boring’ old friends. 
 
If there’s one thing that being in your 30s teaches you, it’s that ‘boring’ has a lot going for it. You learn to value familiarity over the latest trend and appreciate the reliability that comes with the tried and tested. Have doubts about Face ID on the iPhone X? Touch ID on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus works great as always. Can’t get your head around the ‘notch’? No such thing on the 'standard' models. It’s this familiarity and reliability that these two models hope to appeal to, though Apple wouldn’t want the ‘boring’ tag anywhere near the duo, even if we frequently use the word as a compliment. 
 
Let’s forget about the iPhone X for a bit and see how the other two new iPhone models fare in a world where their sibling doesn’t exist. Are they compelling enough upgrades in their own right? Let’s find out. 
 
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iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus design and display</h3>
From the front, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are practically indistinguishable from their predecessors. Virtually everyone we showed our review units to opened with “Oh, it looks just like the [iPhone] 7” before we asked them to turn them around and look at the all-glass backs. That’s right, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are all-glass on the front and the back, a throwback to the design last seen in the iPhone 4S. Apple says it has used “the most durable glass ever in a smartphone”, a claim that millions will no doubt put to the test in everyday life in the days to come. 
 
During a couple of weeks spent with these phones, accidentally, managed to drop them once each. First, the iPhone 8, face down, from a coffee table, and then the iPhone 8 Plus from a height of about four feet. While the iPhone 8 escaped unhurt, its bigger sibling landed on tiles on one of its corners and had a little abrasion to show for it afterward - a stark reminder as to why most people choose to cover their precious phones in cases. While on the subject, though the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are marginally bigger than their predecessors, we had no problem fitting our Apple leather cases from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus onto them. Most existing third-party cases designed for the older iPhone models should fit just fine as well. 
 
At 148 grams, the iPhone 8 is the heaviest non-Plus iPhone to date, while the iPhone 8 Plus crosses the 200g mark. The extra weight would be noticeable if you used an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus without a case, but if you are someone who changes your case quite often, you are probably used to the overall weight fluctuating slightly and are unlikely to notice these differences. Still, it’s interesting to see a company obsessed with ‘thin and light’ move in the opposite direction with two of its marquee products. 
 
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If showing the world you have the latest and greatest iPhone (we told you to forget about the iPhone X, remember?) is important to you, hiding your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus in a non-transparent case would not be the best idea. As we said earlier, the front is virtually identical to that of the previous generation iPhone models, so the only visible difference is in the back. From five (not counting the Product Red) color options in the previous generation - Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black, and Jet Black - we are down to three - Gold, Silver, and Space Grey. 
 
The Gold finish on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus looks like an amalgamation of the Rose Gold and Gold colors seen previously. Silver is essentially white, and Space Grey is black. The latter is the only option that’s black on the front, while the other two have white bezels, like in previous years. Colours are largely a personal choice, though we have to say we will miss the Jet Black finish, despite its well-documented tendency to get scuffed up. 
 
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The nearly-all-glass body means that all iPhone models offer excellent grip, and are unlikely to slip out of your hands. In the two weeks that we spent with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, we didn’t see any scratches or scuff marks resulting from being put into and taken out of pockets, or being stored with other objects in our bag. 
 
In the box you get Lightning EarPods, a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter, a USB Type-A to Lightning cable, and a 5W charger (more on this later), apart from the phone itself, and some literature. There’s no Type-C to Lightning cable, which means you cannot directly connect Apple’s flagship phone to its flagship laptops without buying additional cables or dongles from Apple or third parties. 
 
 
There’s no change in the size of the displays on the iPhone 8 or the iPhone 8 Plus compared to their predecessors, and, indeed, the screens have the same resolution, brightness, and contrast ratios as well. OLED and HDR support are reserved for the iPhone X, so the only improvement here is the addition of True Tone functionality. 
 
According to Apple, True Tone technology “uses an advanced four‑channel ambient light sensor to subtly adjust the white balance onscreen to match the color temperature of the light around you.” If that sounds like a load of jargon, we are here to help. In simple terms, like recent iPad Pro models, additional sensors present in the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus can detect the quality of light around you, and the phone can tweak the display’s white balance to match. This is designed to reduce eye strain and make objects on screen look “as natural as on a printed page”. 
 
In terms of real-world experience, perhaps the most significant word in the previous paragraph is “subtly”. The presence of True Tone - a setting that is turned on by default, but can be switched off if you really care about color accuracy - is unlikely to be noticed by most users. The effect is nowhere as dramatic as turning on Night Shift, which alters the tone of the display and cuts blue light emission to reduce eye strain in a very visible way, and was introduced in iOS 9.3. Most users probably even won’t notice (which, as Apple will tell you, is a good thing) True Tone’s impact until they see their phone side by side with one that doesn’t have the setting enabled. 
 
 
You will no longer find the Auto-Brightness option under Display settings. Turned on by default, this option is instead available under Display Accommodations in Accessibility settings, a hint by Apple that most users shouldn't bother toggling it on an everyday basis. iOS 11 even warns you that turning auto brightness off may have an impact on battery life. 
 
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<h3>
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus performance and software</h3>
While the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus might not look very different from the outside, there are big changes on the inside. All three new iPhone models - okay, we promise no reminders that the iPhone X exists after this - are powered by Apple’s brand new A11 Bionic chip. In our review of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus we noted how Apple has established itself as a leader in the mobile SoC space, and how both phones were streets ahead of the competition in terms of raw performance at the time of their release. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus continue this tradition, and in some ways kick things up a notch higher. 
 
The Apple A10 Fusion inside the previous-generation iPhone models was a quad-core chip with two high-performance cores and two energy-efficient ones, but only one pair could be active at a time. The A11 Bionic, on the other hand, has six cores - four efficient cores that are up to 70 percent faster than ones on the A10, and two performance cores that are up to 25 percent faster - making it Apple’s first hexa-core chip. More importantly, the A11 is capable of running all six at the same time. 
 
 
This means the Apple A11 Bionic absolutely smokes the opposition, especially when it comes to multi-threaded tasks that can scale to multiple cores. In the Geekbench multi-core test, for example, the iPhone 8 Plus scored more than 55 percent higher than the OnePlus 5, the phone that had scored the highest before now, and around 75 percent higher than the iPhone 7 Plus. In fact, its Geekbench multi-core score of 10,386 is higher than that of many laptops out there. 
 
For the first time, an iOS device features an Apple-designed GPU. Given the CPU performance lead that Apple established with the A-series by moving chip design in-house, we’ll be closely watching what the company has to offer in this department. The A11 Bionic features a new Apple‑designed three‑core integrated GPU that delivers a ‘paltry’ 30 percent performance gain over the A10 Fusion. 
 
All this power means that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus can handle everything you throw at them with ease. Everyday tasks are smooth, and everything feels really snappy, especially on the smaller iPhone. We experienced a few niggles during the initial days of our review period, but the iOS 11.0.1 update seems to have addressed all of them. We’ve covered iOS 11 in depth elsewhere on Gadgets 360, so we won’t repeat ourselves here, but talk about a couple of other interesting new features instead. 
 
Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice when setting up your new iPhone is that you now have the option to use Quick Start to, well, quickly set up your device. Just hold your new iPhone (or iPad running iOS 11) next to another recent iOS device, and after ‘pairing’ the two, some of your settings like your Apple ID are automatically transferred to the new one. It will also ‘inherit’ your old device’s passcode. Remember that this step just copies some of the settings from the old device to the new one - you still get to choose whether you want to restore apps and data from an iCloud/ iTunes backup or set this device up as new. In our experience, Quick Start saved a couple of steps during the setup process, and the post-restore experience wasn’t that different compared to a ‘regular’ restore from an iCloud backup. We still had to enter passwords and set up email accounts, etc, in third-party apps. 
 
 
While older iOS devices do support ARKit - Apple’s framework for augmented reality games and apps - the latest iPhone models truly shine when it comes to bridging the digital and physical worlds. Apple says the cameras on the new iPhone models are “individually calibrated” with new gyroscopes and accelerometers to enable more accurate motion tracking than the older iPhone models. The A11 Bionic chip is faster at things like world tracking and scene recognition, and the new image signal processor (ISP) is capable of real-time lighting estimation when using AR apps. 
 
Sadly, iOS 11 does little to improve the experience of using first-party apps in India: Apple Maps is still practically useless here and doesn’t even have basic navigation features, even as Apple is adding lane guidance and more in other regions. This means other apps’ features like Calendar’s ‘time to leave’ alerts for meetings don’t work either. There’s also no sign of Apple Pay, even as rival Samsung’s payment service can be used at virtually every point of sale in the country. 
 
Though Apple doesn’t officially state the amount of RAM that iOS devices ship with, third-party teardowns and benchmark apps have revealed that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have 2GB and 3GB of RAM respectively, figures that are identical to those of their predecessors. What is new, and a welcome change is the amount of storage that you get on the base model. 
 
You now get 64GB of storage on the entry-level iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (compared to 32GB earlier), and the only step up is to 256GB. What this means is that not only has Apple reduced the number of colours the latest iPhone models are available in from five (ignoring Product Red) to three, but the number of storage variants has also gone down from three to two, reducing the total number of SKUs across the lineup from a whopping 30 (5x3x2) to a more manageable 12 (3x2x2). 
 
The entry price of the flagship iPhone lineup has gone up as well - $50 in the US and Rs. 4,000 if you compare the iPhone 8’s launch price with that of the equivalent iPhone 7 a year ago, though it’s worth reminding our readers that MRP of the 32GB iPhone 7 was reduced to Rs. 56,100 after launch, so in a way the Rs. 64,000 price tag of the 64GB iPhone 8 is Rs. 8,000 higher than that of its predecessor. Apple says the increase was necessary as its input costs have gone up, a claim that may have some merit as global RAM and flash storage prices have been on the rise recently. Rival Samsung has also launched its flagship smartphones at higher price points this year, so Apple is certainly not alone in this regard. 
 
 
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus both had stereo speakers, as do the new models. Apple says the new speakers are up to 25 percent louder and deliver deeper bass, a claim we found to be true during our testing. Like their predecessors, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is IP67 rated for water and dust resistance, which means they can be submerged in depths of 1 meter or less for up to 30 minutes, though, like before, Apple’s warranty won’t cover liquid damage. 
<h3>
 iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus battery life and wireless charging</h3>
The glass back of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is not just a design element, it enables an important feature: wireless charging. Apple has adopted the Qi industry standard of wireless charging, which means that though the new iPhone models don’t ship with a wireless charger, you can pick up one of the many third-party Qi-compatible ones out there. The likes of Samsung have supported this standard for a while, so we finally live in a world where the same charger can top up both your iPhone 8 and Galaxy Note 8. 
 
 
If you are new to the world of wireless charging, you need to remember a couple of points: first, it’s not really ‘wireless’. Most wireless charging mechanisms involve a plate of some sort where you can just place your phone and have it begin charging without plugging in any wires, but the plate itself needs to be connected to an outlet via a wire or an adapter. Second, though there have been improvements in the technology recently, wireless charging is still painfully slow. 
 
Apple gave us a 7.5W Belkin wireless charger to test this feature on the new iPhone models with, and it took 24 minutes to move the battery on the iPhone 8 Plus from 20 percent to 30 percent. Apple’s bundled 5W wired adapter charged the same phone from 20 percent to 36 percent in the same time. iPhone models have supported faster charging - using an iPad’s 10W charger, for example - for a while, so it’s baffling why Apple continues to ship such a low-power charger in the box. 
 
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus support even faster charging using USB Type-C, but you will need to buy an expensive power adapter that is compatible with the USB Type-C Power Delivery specification and a Type-C to Lightning cable just to use this feature. If you already have a current (or previous generation) Apple MacBook, you can use its charger, but you will still need to buy the cable. Using our MacBook Pro’s 78W charger and a third-party Type-C to Lightning cable, we could top up the battery in our iPhone 8 Plus from 20 percent to 51 percent in the same 24 minutes. Having said that, forking out nearly Rs. 70,000 on a phone and then being expected to spend even more to enable what should be standard functionality is classic Apple up-selling that rightly upsets many. 
 
In terms of battery life, the experience using the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus was similar to that with their predecessors: the former will just about manage a day of use if you don’t do a lot of heavy lifting, while the latter will easily get through a day with some juice to spare. In our HD video loop test, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus clocked nearly 8.5 hours and 9.5 hours respectively. 
<h3>
 iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus cameras</h3>
Camera performance is an area where smartphones have made arguably the biggest improvements in the decade since the original iPhone was launched. From tiny, grainy images in which we could barely recognize ourselves to ones that can be printed on a billboard, and movies that see a theatrical release, the phone camera has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. 
 
For most of this journey, Apple has enjoyed the status of having the best camera phone out there, and the company has taken a lot of pride in calling the iPhone the most popular camera in the world. But as we’ve noted in our recent iPhone reviews, this hasn’t necessarily been true for the last couple of generations. Samsung, HTC, and Google (with the HTC-made Pixel) have caught up with - and in some scenarios even surpassed - the iPhone’s camera performance, which means the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will need to really up their game to regain the crown. With tight control of hardware as well as software, Apple seems to have done just that. 
 
 
While the camera specifications remain the same in terms of megapixel counts and aperture sizes, Apple says the 12-megapixel primary camera has a larger and faster sensor, a new color filter, and deeper pixels. As noted earlier, the A11 Bionic chip includes a brand new Apple-designed image signal processor, which, among other things, aims to provide faster autofocus in low light and better HDR photos. 
 
All this is backed by enhancements at the OS level. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus support the new High-Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) and High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) container for storing photos and videos respectively, which, Apple says, reduce the amount of space taken by your media by up to 50 percent. This, obviously, means you can save more photos and videos on your device and in the cloud. HEVC also enables new capabilities like shooting 4K video at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps. 
 
If you set up an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus as a new device, they will save media in the new formats by default. Technically, HEIF is a new file format, and your images are no longer stored as JPGs on the phone. But for the most part, you don’t need to worry about this. When you share photos and videos using others using apps like Facebook, they will automatically be converted to JPG or H.264 respectively so everyone can see them. If you want, you can have your phone use JPG/ H.264 by default by going to Settings > Camera > Formats and choosing Most Compatible, though you will miss out on the space savings and the ability to shoot 4K/60fps and 1080p/240fps. If you restore your iPhone from an iOS 10 backup, it might have the Most Compatible option selected by default, which means you will not see the additional video shooting modes. You can safely switch to High Efficiency without any problems if you so desire (we recommend that you do). 
 
 
With all that work put in, how do the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus fare in terms of camera performance in the real world? In daylight, we noticed that the new iPhone models capture the most accurate colors and more details than the likes of the Galaxy Note 8 and HTC U11. In macro shots, again the phones had the best-in-class color reproduction, but the amount of detail captured was just a fraction less than the HTC U11. 
 
Low-light performance is greatly improved compared to that of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and with good reason. This is one area in which Apple had fallen considerably behind its competitors. While the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus still don’t quite capture as much detail as the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and HTC U11 in low-light conditions, their sensors still manage to do a lot better than before. At times, noise is visible when you zoom in, but most people will be perfectly happy with the results. 
 
Overall, we believe the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are now at par with the likes of the HTC U11 and Galaxy Note 8, but not significantly better than either in any one aspect of still photography other than capturing the most accurate colors (which obviously matters a lot). The camera performance of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is identical, though the latter obviously has the ability to use up to 2x optical zoom thanks to the additional telephoto lens. 
 
The headline camera feature of the iPhone 7 Plus was its Portrait Mode, which was enabled in a software update that shipped after the phone’s launch. The iPhone 8 Plus retains and greatly improves on this feature, and some of the portraits that we shot with it were just stunning. “DSLR-like” is a marketing phrase often used by companies to sell their phones, but in this case, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration. 
 
 
A new feature called Portrait Lighting lets you tweak the light on your face and in the background after you’ve taken a portrait or in real time while composing your frame, but with mixed results. Like the original Portrait Mode, how it performs depends on a lot of the background, the subject, and the lighting in the frame. Apple is labeling this feature as ‘beta’ and just like Portrait Mode, it should get better in the future thanks to machine learning. 
 
The iPhone was already our favorite phone for shooting videos with, and the addition of 4K/ 60fps and 1080/ 240fps means that its video capabilities are unmatched. If you shoot a lot of videos with your phone, you don’t need to look beyond the iPhone 8/ iPhone 8 Plus, with the latter supporting 2x optical zoom in video mode as well. We are not into selfies but if you are, the front camera on the new iPhone models packs enough punch to keep you happy. 
 
We believe that the best photos are taken with the flash turned off, but we realize most people leave it on the default ‘auto’ option, which means it inevitably triggers in low-light conditions. Apple says the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are fitted with “a new quad LED True Tone Flash with Slow Sync” and we tested it against other top-end phones. In our tests, we found that although Apple’s flash did not shine the brightest, it did provide the most uniform lighting given the right conditions, without flooding a particular object or spot with light. Apple’s implementation of the ‘selfie flash’ where the screen becomes the flash also came out trumps during our tests. 
 
There are some changes to the Camera app as well. You can no longer toggle HDR from within the app - it’s set to Auto by default (and is designed to kick in when the ISP feels it’s needed), but you do have the option to turn it off completely by going to Settings > Camera. Apple has also added some new filters to the app for post (and live) processing of photos if third-party apps like Instagram are not your thing. 
 
Verdict 
Still here? Good, let’s wrap this thing up. Though many have argued that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus feel like ’S’ upgrades, our experience shows that in many ways they offer more improvements than the jump from the iPhone 6s to iPhone 7 cycle. The camera enhancements are significant, bringing Apple back at the same level as the best in the business in some scenarios, while maintaining, or even extending, its lead in others. 
 
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are priced at Rs. 64,000 and Rs. 73,000 respectively for the 64GB variants, with a Rs. 13,000 premium on both if you wish to get the 256GB variants. Though there are a couple of other options in this price bracket, the only other phones worth considering at this price point are Samsung’s flagships Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 or the Galaxy S8 and the HTC U11, which are marginally cheaper. If you don’t care about the OS, you could pick any one of these devices and safely call yourself the owner of the best smartphone in the world - software and the Note’s S-Pen aside, there’s very little to choose between these phones. 
 
In a world where you can buy a smartphone that’s pretty good on all counts for about a quarter of these prices, we believe flagship smartphones continue to offer an experience that’s unmatched, though the number of people who really need this kind of refinement needs to be examined. 
 
If you already have an iPhone and money is no object, you could upgrade to the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus and be extremely happy, but you’d probably want to wait for the iPhone X for even greater bragging rights. Sadly, we don’t know a lot of people for whom money is not a factor when making buying decisions. 
 
The cameras would be the best reason for owners of recent iPhone models to upgrade, and the A11 Bionic chip and wireless charging are welcome additions. However, if you have an iPhone 7 (Plus) or even an iPhone 6s (Plus), you have a phone that’s already fast enough for most tasks. Yes, the newest iPhone models will have an edge when it comes to running ARKit apps, but there are no “must-have” uses cases for AR right now. Wireless charging is a convenience that will one day be fast enough to be practical for all occasions, but that day isn’t here yet. And if you really want, there are ways and means of getting it to work with your existing iPhone as well, like by getting a case that supports wireless charging. 
 
If you already have an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you can probably skip the iPhone 8 line (unless having the latest and greatest camera is really important to you), and wait to see what Apple does with its lineup next year: maybe the X design language and features will become available at a more accessible price? We’d give the same advice to iPhone 6s line owners who are happy with their phone - if it ain’t broke, don’t go broke buying an upgrade just for the sake of it. But if you have a previous-generation iPhone that’s starting to feel long in the tooth, you will experience significant gains in all departments by upgrading to the new iPhone models. 
 
So who are the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus for, especially in the real world where the prospect of the iPhone X looms large? If you have absolutely no interest in the iPhone X’s design, if you can’t get your head around the idea of the ‘notch’, or can’t afford the phone’s crazy price tag, then you can safely consider its siblings without thinking that you are ‘settling’ for an inferior phone. Yes, you will miss out on what looks like a gorgeous OLED display and other additions like optical image stabilization on the telephoto lens, but there are plenty of question marks around the iPhone X right now - is Face ID good enough to replace Touch ID? How will the ‘notch’ be incorporated into your favorite applications? 
 
 
We won’t have answers to these questions until we get the chance to test the iPhone X closer to its release in November. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus might seem ‘boring’ in comparison, but with their improved cameras, A11 Bionic chip, wireless charging, and a whole lot more, either one of them could happily be your designated driver for the next couple of years - or until your head is turned by the new ‘X’ in town.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Review

It’s not very often that two new iPhone models are upstaged at their own launch, but that’s exactly what happened at Apple’s September event this year. The iPhone X was the star of the show, the cool …

07 Oct 2017

Honor 9i With Four Cameras, 5.9-Inch FullView Display Launched in India just for 17.999/-

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Huawei-owned brand Honor has launched the Honor 9i smartphone with a bezel-less 5.9-inch display and four cameras in the Indian market. The Honor 9i price in India is Rs. 17,999, and the new smartphone will be available in the country starting October 14, exclusively via e-commerce titan Flipkart. The company has not yet announced the launch offers for the phone, which will be revealed at the time of release only. Honor 9i will come in three colorMaimang 6, launched in China last month, and the Huawei Nova 2i that was launched earlier this month in Malaysia. 
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options - Platinum Gold, Navy Blue, and Midnight Black. For those unaware, the new phone is identical to the Huawei 
 
The Huawei owned-brand also launched the 10000mAh Quick Charge Power Bank, priced at Rs 2.399. It will be available via the Honor online store for India, with a Diwali offer till October 28 that makes it available at a discounted price of Rs. 1,999. 
 
Honor 9i specifications, features 
Following the current trend, the new Honor 9i features a FullView display which is a highlight of the device. It comes with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Another highlight of the Honor 9i is it sports four cameras: two at the front and two at the back. Dual cameras on both panels mean that the handset is capable of clicking Bokeh shots and portraits. Much like Huawei 8 Pro, the new Honor 9i also lets users readjust the focus after the photo has been shot while also allows to choose different Bokeh effects. 
 
The company adds that the Honor 9i features the 'Huawei Histen audio system' from its 2012 Lab, algorithmically enhancing sound output. Honor is also highlighting Bluetooth aptX support. The handset also comes with some gesture-based shortcuts like 'draw an S' for a long screenshot to capture an entire webpage; 'tap twice with one finger' for a screenshot, and 'tap twice with two fingers' for screen recording. 
 
As for specifications, Honor 9i sports a 5.9-inch full-HD display, and comes with a metal unibody design. It features a screen resolution of 1080x2160 pixels (FHD+) and comes with a screen to body ratio of 83 percent. At the front, it sports a 13-megapixel sensor accompanied by a 2-megapixel sensor for depth of field enabled shots. At the back, there's a 16-megapixel primary sensor clubbed with a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. 
 
An octa-core Kirin 659 processor powers the handset clocked at 2.36GHz coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It runs on EMUI 5.1 based on Android 7.0 Nougat. The handset is backed by a 3340mAh battery which the company claims can deliver up to two days of standby time. 
 
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source:NDTV

Honor 9i With Four Cameras, 5.9-Inch FullView Display Launched in India just for 17.999/-

Huawei-owned brand Honor has launched the Honor 9i smartphone with a bezel-less 5.9-inch display and four cameras in the Indian market. The Honor 9i price in India is Rs. 17,999, and the new smartpho…

06 Oct 2017