Wi-Fi Alliance announces Wi-Fi EasyMesh standard

If you have a large house and you experience dead spots when connected to your Wi-Fi network, then having a mesh network system is one of the prime solutions. A mesh WiFisystem requires multiple routers so that the WiFi signal can be carried throughout your whole household or office. At this time, you have to have the same kind of router for a mesh network – like building one out of Google WiFi routers. But what if you can build a mesh network out of different brands of routers? Until today, this can’t be done, as mesh systems require that you commit to one type of router. But the Wi-Fi Alliance, the entity that controls Wi-Fi specifications, has just announced a new standard called Wi-Fi EasyMesh. The idea is to make different brands of routers – as long as they support EasyMesh – work together to create a mesh network.

For instance, your Google WiFi will only play nice with other Google WiFi routers as nodes for a mesh network. But if Google decides to adopt EasyMesh, then it will be theoretically possible to build a mesh network with Google and Linksys routers. You only need one router as the network controller and all the others as EasyMesh agents. And EasyMesh provides ways to create the mesh network either with wired connections (between nodes) or wireless. The great thing about EasyMesh is that it is only a software update, so theoretically, existing routers can be upgraded to support it. The problem now is getting manufacturers to actually get on the idea.

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Xbox One vs Xbox 360

Xbox One vs Xbox 360 – Design

The Xbox One is a huge, hulking beast with a huge hulking power supply dragging it down. By comparison the Xbox 360 is dinky.

The Xbox One measures an XXL 33.3cm wide, 27.4cm deep and 7.9cm tall. The Xbox 360 is 27cm wide, 26cm deep and 7.5cm tall, which is quite a lot smaller than the Xbox One. Even the first iteration of the Xbox 360 was smaller (if a touch fatter) 30.9cm wide, 25.8cm deep and 8.3cm tall.One of the reasons Microsoft has made the Xbox One so chunky is to give it room to breathe. The smaller Xbox 360 suffered from some well-documented overheating problems, which were partly to blame for the Red Ring of Death problems that cost Microsoft over a billion dollars. There’s no wonder why Microsoft has played it safe with the Xbox One. The Xbox One has been designed to be switched on for its whole anticipated 10-year life cycle and we haven’t heard of any major issues with it since it launched.

The chunky design all set to change with the svelte Xbox One S. The new Xbox is 40% smaller than the original and comes with an inbuilt power brick, which means it will fit in tighter spaces and can be stood upright. Nice. If you can, wait for it to be released in August before buying an Xbox One.If you’re into voice commands or motion gaming features, you’ll also want to consider the Xbox One Kinect. Originally, it came pre-packaged with the Xbox One console itself, but now you can buy the console cheaper without it.

The Xbox One Kinect is smaller than the original Kinect, measuring up at 6.68cm tall 6.6cm deep 24.9cm wide compared to the original’s 7.62cm tall, 7.62cm deep, 27.9cm wide dimensions.

Of course, the Xbox One Kinect is far more advanced than the original, with better body recognition, wider field of vision for play in smaller spaces and enhanced voice commands. We would say that the Xbox One UI is far easier to navigate with Kinect, as often it can be tricky to find certain options or settings with the Wireless Controller alone.

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OnePlus 6

OnePlus 6 Design Leaked In Several Case Presentation Photos, With 4 Days Before Its Launch

The presentation of OnePlus 6 is scheduled for later next week, during an exhibition in London. But that hasn’t prevented the OnePlus 6 cases leaks from happening swiftly and wildly. The cases producers are typically quite prompt in releasing their most recent cases for new smartphones, often prior to the smartphone being launched. This is the story of the OnePlus 6, too. Numerous cases manufacturers have now announced their products for OnePlus 6, thus, now we have more pics that show the design of the future smartphone.

OnePlus 6 Design Leaked In Several Cases Presentations Photos

The photos displayed below offer a very good indication of everything to expect from the next handset but they do not come with anything else besides rendering the design.Also noteworthy is that the cases are made on the basis of measurements that OnePlus has already disclosed to the cases producers prior to launch, and now they appear online as leaks, therefore, you should take these rumors with little skepticism.

However, the leaked cases pics look to fit in very neatly with earlier OnePlus 6 leaks, from the notch on the front side of the device and the vertical dual-camera system on the back.On the other hand, from the latest leaks, OnePlus 6 resembles the OPPO R15 which made its debut in China, in April, with the exception of the cameras.Furthermore, the fingerprint sensor is no anymore a circle but a square. Therefore, some changes are still happening here but not very many.

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Panasonic Lumix FT7

Panasonic Lumix FT7: Rugged in orange, blue, and black.

Panasonic has announced the Lumix FT7, a new compact camera aimed at the more adventurous among us. This is a rugged camera, meant to be used outdoors and perhaps in turbulent situations. At the same time, Panasonic doesn’t want its rugged nature to mean that it has to compromise on resolution, granting the FT7 4K capabilities.

First, let’s dive into just how rugged this shooter is. Panasonic says the FT7 is waterproof up to a depth of 31 meters, which translates to 102 feet. The camera is also shockproof for drops up to 6 feet, and freeze proof down to temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). So, while the camera can’t quite withstand sub-zero temperatures, it can handle a lot before the cold starts to cause problems.

The FT7 is also dustproof and pressure resistant up to 220 lbf. It comes equipped with a compass and altimeter, so it’s something of a multifaceted device in that regard, good for not just taking pictures but also for finding your bearings as you’re on an adventure. You can even use the flash as a torch light without the camera active, allowing you to illuminate dark areas without having to snap a bunch of pictures of it.

The camera comes equipped with a 20.4-megapixel sensor that’s paired with a 28mm lens which supports 4.6x optical zoom. True to its rugged nature, it uses optical image stabilization to make sure that your images don’t turn out blurry, which is certainly handy for any number of outdoor activities. The 3-inch display around the back has been outfitted in tempered glass, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the FT7’s billing as a resilient device.Finally, the FT7 can record video and capture photos in 4K, with a couple of burst shooting modes that allow you to pick the best images from a collection of quick snapshots. All in all, it doesn’t sound like too bad a camera, especially if you need one that can stand up to the elements. We’ll see it launch in July in three colors – orange, blue, and black – with a price tag of £399. There’s no word on whether or not the FT7 will make its way to the US, but we’ll keep an ear to the ground for more.

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Dell’s New XPS 15 9570

Dell is rolling out the XPS 15 9570, the new laptop that’s succeeding the 9560 model.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem to have changed much from the previous version. However, there are a lot of significant upgrades under the hood.

Dell’s refresh of the tried-and-tested laptop is labeled as the “new XPS 15” in town. Just like its predecessor, it comes with a 15.6-inch IPS display with an FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution or a 15.6-inch touch screen that boasts 4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160). Needless to say, it’s equipped with the PC maker’s InfinityEdge technology.

Now the components powering it are where things start to get really interesting. It sports eighth-generation Intel Core processors, and there are three choices to choose from: Core i5-8300H, Core i7-8750H, and Core i9-8950HK.

While the base option only supports the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630, the others house an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB of VRAM.

In terms of RAM, it starts out at 8 GB and 16 GB of RAM to 32 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, there are loads of storage options in store. Users can pick a 1 TB SSHD, 256 GB SSD, or even a 1 TB SSD.

All versions come with Waves MaxxAudio Pro stereo speakers, a 720p webcam, and dual array digital microphones. When it comes to connectivity, it has two USB 3.1 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, a Thunderbolt 3 port that supports a 40 GB data transfer rate, a headset jack, an SD card reader, and a noble lock slot. On the wireless front, it has Bluetooth 4.2 and Killer 1535 802.11ac 2×2 Wi-Fi.

One notable difference between the base model and the rest is its three-cell 56 WHr battery. The others all have a six-cell 97 WHr battery.

It has a height of 0.45 to 0.66 inches, a width of 14.06 inches, and a depth of 9.27 inches. The version with a 56 WHr battery, an SSD, and a non-touch display weighs at 4 pounds, while the one packing a 97 WHr battery, SSD, and a touch display is at 4.5 pounds.

The new XPS 15 9570 is already available on Dell’s website. The most affordable option is set at $999.99, and the other starting points go for $1,399.99, $1,499.99, and $2,549.99. The most expensive choice among the selection can get even beefier with a Core i9-8950HK, but that’ll add $350 to the price, totaling to $2,899.99.

Just to be clear, buyers who fork over $2,899.99 will get the model with a 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB SSD, a GTX 1050 Ti, a 15.6-inch 4K Ultra HD touch display, and, of course, a Core i9-8950HK.

See Now: 27 Most Inspirational And Motivational Quotes By Influential Leaders In Tech

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GOOGLE An Empowered Assistant

An Empowered Assistant Is How Wear OS Could Get Back on Track

When Google changed the name of its smartwatch OS from Android Wear to Wear OS, I was pissed. Not because the name sucked, as Wear OS does do a better job of reflecting the platform’s support for both Android and iOS devices. The problem was that the rebranding didn’t come with any new features or updates that advanced the capabilities of the platform. That meant the name change was more symbolic than anything, or at the very least, poorly timed.

However, after checking out a preview of the next version of Wear OS at Google I/O 2018, it seems Google could be finally turning around its floundering smartwatch system, which as of late has seen much more success in the hands of fashion brands like Louis Vuitton or Movado than traditional tech makers, who had largely abandoned Android Wear/Wear OS.

In previous versions of Wear OS, you could ask the Assistant questions and get a response, but that’s about it. However, in the new Wear OS, the Google Assistant has the ability to make smart suggestions based on your questions. So for example, after asking about the weather, the Assistant in Wear OS will also provide you with an extended forecast covering the next five days.

Alternatively, if you ask the Assistant about an upcoming flight, it can provide little buttons right on the watch, so you can tap on one to learn about an airline’s baggage policies, a list of connecting flights, and what time your check-in is. And like the Google Assistant on your phone or a Google-powered smart speaker, the Assistant in Wear OS now has full Actions support so you can turn on your robo vacuum, get updates on the stock market or check the local subway schedule without needing to use a different device.

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OnePlus 6

Well, things are heating up quickly in the Android world this year. As opposed to the last year, we have witnessed flagship smartphones launching earlier than their schedule. Initially, it was the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ to have been advanced to the first quarter. Following the same, OnePlus 6 appears to have advanced from June to May this year. We say so as the smartphone is all set to see the light of the day on May 17.

Despite being preponed, it looks like the flagship killer will not shy away from rendering a great performance. The device has surfaced on popular benchmarking tools revealing its scores and key specifications too. And, these scores show that the device can beat the bestselling models in the market right now.

OnePlus 6 AnTuTu benchmark listing It looks like the OnePlus flagship for 2018 will shake things up for the other Android manufacturers. The smartphone has hit the AnTuTu benchmark database and managed to score 276510 points. In another listing, the device has scored 263398 points. Both the listings reveal that the smartphone will run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and make use of a Snapdragon 845 SoC. We can expect these two be the different variants of the smartphone.

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OnePlus 6

OnePlus 6 Geekbench listing confirms Android Oreo and 8GB RAM

The next OnePlus phone -- OnePlus 6 -- is coming to India on May 17. But before that we have a number of leaks, rumours and renders revealing a lot about what is expected to be the next flagship killer. In the latest leak, the OnePlus 6 has made an appearance at the Geekbench website, revealing some of the specs that have been already confirmed by the company. Earlier in the we saw Amitabh Bachchan, who is OnePlus brand ambassador in India, leaking the phone on his Twitter account. He tweeted an image of the phone, but it was deleted later.

The listing at Geekbench, noticed by GSMarena, mentions OnePlus 6 with model number A6003. The phone scores 2402 in single-core test and 8931 in multi-core test, which is fairly standard for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor that is going to inside the phone. The test results are apparently with the latest software in the phone as the listing notes May 7, 2018 as the upload date for the Geekbench results.

The listing confirms that the OnePlus 6 will come with Android 8.1. This in other words also means that the OnePlus 6 will support Google's Project Treble, which apparently would make updating software in the phone easier and faster. On the top of the Android 8.1 in the OnePlus 6, the phone will run the Oxygen OS that OnePlus has out in all its phones. In a way, the Oxygen OS is a supercharged version of Android with a number of unique features, while retaining the good bits like the clean stock Android and an intuitive notification system. It is expected that the OnePlus 6 will come with some unique gestures as well as will allow users to tweak some of its interface, such as giving people an option to switch the position of back and menu buttons.

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Google releases third beta

Developing for both Android and iOS usually involves working with two codebases, two UI frameworks, and two different design languages. There have been many projects over the years to remedy this problem, but they usually result in apps that don't work well or don't look native. Google unveiled its 'Flutter' framework at the 2015 Dart developer summit, allowing developers to quickly create native iOS and Android apps.
The first beta was released during Mobile World Congress this year, and today marks the arrival of the third beta. In the accompying blog post, Google says Flutter is now ready for production use:
Over the last year, we've invested tens of thousands of engineering hours preparing Flutter for production use. We've rewritten major parts of the engine for performance, added support for developing on Windows, published tooling for Android Studio and Visual Studio Code, integrated Dart 2 and added support for more Firebase APIs, added support for inline video, ads and charts, internationalization and accessibility, addressed thousands of bugs and published hundreds of pages of documentation. It's been a busy year and we're thrilled to share the latest beta release with you!
The third beta includes localization support for right-to-left languages, improved accessibility, a powerful widget inspector, and preliminary support for Firebase ads. Visual Studio Code is now an officially-supported IDE, and Flutter is now a "first-class toolkit for Material."
You can find more information about Flutter Beta 3 at the source links below.
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SiriusXM Radio App Brings a Completely New Design and More

The official app of the popular SiriusXM satellite radio service has recently made the move to version 5.0 with a number of new features, and most notably an entirely new design.

First up, the new ForYou homepage that provides both favorite channels and other recommend content. Those recommendations automatically update depending on your history and other listening preference.

Another great new feature allows listeners to explore previous content with the Jump Back in and Episodes You’ve Missed sections.

Howard Stern fans will be happy to hear that SiriusXM video is also debuting on the app with current shows and archives from the popular host.

Along with different tabs for music, sports, news, and talks, users can also select channels, shows, and episodes to appear in a favorite section.

When browsing the app, the mini player will appear so you can still listen or view content.

SiriusXM is designed for the iPhone and all iPad models. It can be downloaded now on the App Store for free. You’ll need to have a subscription, which starts at $15.99 per month, to listen to the satellite radio network.

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Nikon D850

Category: Full frame
Sensor size: 864 sq. mm
Megapixels: 30.4
What we like: 4K video and a host of other modern features.
What we don’t: The D850 above is so impressive that it overshadows the 5D Mark IV.
Lenses: 10 Great Canon EF (Full Frame) Lenses

Canon’s 5D Mark IV was at the top of this list for much of last year, until the release of the Nikon D850 that is. When you put the two head to head, it’s flat out hard to argue that the Canon is better. It has lower resolution, inferior autofocus (although it does have dual pixel), and doesn’t offer much in the way of additional features or functionality. Having said that, the 5D Mark IV is a quality camera and all that most Canon professionals and enthusiasts will need. If you already own a bunch of L series glass, sticking with Canon is a fine choice. And as we’ve come to expect, this is an arms race and Canon likely will respond in kind.

Who should buy the 5D Mark IV? It’s Canon’s top full-frame DSLR not built specifically for action (that would be the 1DX Mark II). The 5DS R below is a nice choice for professional landscape and portrait photographers who can afford super expensive lenses, but most people won’t be able to take full advantage of the sensor. And the 6D series Mark II is great from a value perspective but doesn’t offer the resolution or features of the 5D Mark IV. For these reasons, it’s the top overall Canon on this list.
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Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality is a fascinating  way to travel using nothing more than the power of technology. With a headset and motion tracking, VR lets you look around a virtual space as if you're actually there. It's also been a promising technology for decades that's never truly caught on. That's changing with the current wave of VR products.

Oculus has the popular Rift, HTC and Valve have the Steam-friendly Vive, Sony launched the excellent PlayStation VR, Samsung recently added a separate controller to its Gear VR, and Google's Daydream is steadily growing from the remains of Google Cardboard. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Windows 10 mixed reality platform and a variety of hardware manufacturers working on it are waiting in the wings. There are a lot of promising headsets across a lot of different price and power spectrum.

The Big Question: Mobile or Tethered?

Modern VR headsets fit under one of two categories: Mobile or tethered. Mobile headsets are shells with lenses into which you place your smartphone. The lenses separate the screen into two images for your eyes, turning your smartphone into a VR device. Mobile headsets like the Samsung Gear VR and the Google Daydream View are relatively inexpensive at around $100, and because all of the processing is done on your phone, you don't need to connect any wires to the headset.

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