So observed one of our colleagues in the media. And he is not alone when it comes to this sentiment. 2018 has for the most part seen Xiaomi go into overdrive stressing how it is now the leading smartphone company in one of the world’s largest smartphone markets, India. It has been infuriating at some level (our resident gossip, Tech Auntyji, was even moved to write about it) and at times, it has seemed as if the company is almost way too much celebration mode – with “No....

Today Samsung’s sales have declined big time. Their latest flagship, the Galaxy S5 didn’t sell much as its predecessor and the company had to catastrophically reduce its price to boost sales. There were even reports that Micromax has officially taken over them as the number one smartphone seller in India (but Samsung has rubbished this claim). Also, what isn’t helping them is that their old-time nemesis Apple has brought out big-screen phones which are selling like hot cakes in the Asian markets where Samsung has dominance....

And then in 2014, along came the Moto G, followed by the Chinese. Things would never be the same again for not just the Indian brands, but almost all brands in the market as consumers tasted high-end specs at surprisingly low prices. The days since have seen a number of Indian brands hold their own against the “invaders” (so to speak), but a number have faded away too. And as their own traditional “low price, good specs” market has been under attack, recent days have also seen Indian brands try to move up the value ladder, trying to mix it with the best at higher price points, trying to offer their own innovations in software and UI and trying to match the hardware muscle of their better-known counterparts....

Timex might call the Metropolitan+ a “fitness tracker” but make no mistake about it, this is pretty much a wristwatch first. It comes with a rather large 1.65 inch case (there is only one size option, so we really think this is one for the men) which is about 12.5 mm thick. That is pretty close to the 42mm Apple Watch, and while we do not have its accurate weight, it did seem to be close to its weight – it might be a tad heavier, though....

Podcast users are looking for apps that offer ease of access to online content, from music, to shows and news. Also, these apps must have a simple and intuitive user interface, fast downloads and the possibility to create customized podcast feeds. Best Podcast Apps for iOS Unlike Google with its dedicated podcast app, Apple has continued its Podcast service and thanks to this, now it is one of the most used apps in the iTunes Store, for users that enjoy podcasts....

Such is the case with UsBidi, a new smart charger which is described as “reliable, battery saving, time saving, mess/tangle free, and worthy of our beloved phones and tablets“. It’s said to be the most intelligent charger currently available on the market, and judging by its features, we don’t think this is a far-fetched affirmation. First of all, UsBidi doubles the charging speed on computer USB, which is a great feature to have when you want your device to be near you when you’re working....

T-Mobile has partnered with the popular mobile security firm, Lookout to bring a unique security feature called Scream Tones to help users track their android smartphones if lost. With the popularity of smartphones and tablets at an all time high, they have become hot properties in the eyes of thieves. Many have started to realize the importance of android tracking apps, not just in case of thefts, but also when you leave your phone somewhere and fail to recollect where you left it....

The Teen Choice Awards is an awards show presented annually by FOX. The program honors the year’s biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teens aged 13–19. The program usually features a high number of celebrities and musical performers. The winners are given with authentic full size surfboards,decorated with fresh summer time design.This is actually the biggest trophy given in the history of American entertainment....

WeChat pitches the service as “super-low calling rates” and “excellent call quality”, and as rightly pointed out by VentureBeat it will help the company to link customers’ credit cards to their WeChat accounts. So the feature can be accessed by tapping on the ‘+’ symbol at the top right and selecting WeChat out. The service will take some time to import your phonebook post which you can dial the number directly....

For those of you, more tech-savvy, NFC is a set of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or less. NFC operates at 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface and at rates ranging from 106 kbit/s to 424 kbit/s. NFC has gotten a great deal of attention in the last years, as especially from the major cell phone manufacturers which have started The NFC Forum. Now, there are over 150 members, including Intel, Microsoft, Samsung and MasterCard Worldwide, and all are working on making NFC better and more integrated in everyday life....

Now, the funny folks over at Begeek have taken this further and have extended this comparison to guess what the next 2 revolutionary devices of Apple would be – iBoard and iMat!! Brilliant! Isn’t it?

We always knew that iPhone users will soon get the WhatsApp voice calling feature, but didn’t know how soon. Brian Acton, WhatsApp’s co-founder had promised late last month that iPhone users will get the voice calling feature within a couple of weeks and he has almost kept his word. The world’s most popular messaging platform recently announced that it has hit 800 million monthly active users. No wonder it takes weeks and months to roll out a major feature like Voice calling to all the users on all the platforms....

Since then, things have evolved quite a bit, and nowadays, people are embracing new ways of discovering the hidden worlds within books. I see more people that choose to read with eReaders or with tablets. I have personally discovered that I like listening to audiobooks, especially when I have to walk or before going to sleep. Finding free audiobooks in your native language is the tricky part, so you’ll have better luck with looking for free audiobooks in English....

Apparently, with WiFi Alliance (an organization that promotes WiFi technology and certifies WiFi products) adopting a new naming convention, it would be much easier for common people (with a limited understanding of technology) to comprehend and differentiate the different WiFi versions and help themselves make an informed decision when shopping for a networking device. Until now, the WiFi naming convention has been based on the 802.11 protocol – a family of specifications for wireless local area networks (WLANs) developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)....

Windows 8.1 will sort of bring back the start button that computer users have been asking for ever since Windows 8 was released. Apart from this update, Windows 8.1 will have a number of other upgrades, which shows that Microsoft has payed attention to the user’s demands. New features of Windows 8.1 Even though Windows 8.1 will still be optimized for touchscreen interfaces, as Steve Ballmer said – that this is the direction technology is moving, and Microsoft wants to be in the first line of this technical revolution – the update will make it more accessible for computer users....

Mi 8 Explorer Edition Highlights One of the highlights of the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is the all-new under display fingerprint scanner with multiple pressure points helping in faster unlock speeds. We’ve seen this technology in the recently launched Vivo X21 where the speed of the scanner wasn’t up to the mark. There’s also a 3D face recognition system on board, similar to the iPhone X’s implementation with structured lighting, which is a first of its kind implementation on an Android device....

Xiaomi Mi 9 Specifications The Xiaomi Mi 9 sports a 6.39-inch full HD+ AMOLED display from Samsung, a notch at the top, with a 19:9 aspect ratio producing 90.7% screen-to-body ratio. The back has a ‘holographic design’ finish that shows different colors of a rainbow depending on the angle at which the light hits it. Xiaomi says this is made using nano-level laser engraving and dual-layer nano-coating. Both front and back is covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 protection....

The AirDots Pro 2s feature a similar design as the older model, and they include a 14.2mm driver with support for LDHC/SBC/AAC codes. The company says the earphones come with semi-in-ear design, which ensures they fit your ear canal and don’t fall off easily, while also being comfortable. Besides, there is support for smart voice controls and an infrared sensor that automatically pauses/resumes music when you take them out of the ear....

But the Y1 is not quite like any other budget smartphone that the company has launched so far – it is the first from the Xiaomi stable to be targeted at selfie lovers, with a front-facing camera that has a higher megapixel count than the rear one. Is this is going to be another hit straight off the bat by the company? Or will it stumble in selfieland (we did not say “selfiestan”!...

Given the specifications and looks of the TV, we are assuming that the ‘Lux’ in the name stands for luxurious edition and you will agree to when you find out more about the TV. The Mi TV Lux is an OLED TV which you may think is quite regular, but the twist here is that the OLED panel on the Mi TV Lux is transparent. Xiaomi had launched a variant of the Mi TV Lux earlier which had a 65-inch display but that did not have a transparent panel....