Samsung or Apple, who leads the smartphone market?

 

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Samsung and Apple maintained their leadership in the smartphone market in early 2017 while Chinese-based Huawei s strong growth cemented its number three position, a market tracker said Thursday.

Research firm IDC said overall smartphone shipments grew 4.3 percent in the first quarter, slightly better than its prior forecast, to 347 million units.

"The first quarter smartphone results further prove that the smartphone industry is not dead and that growth still exists," said IDC analyst Ryan Reith.

"There is no question that 2016 was a pivotal year for the industry as growth dipped to low single digits for the first time. However, we believe the industry will show some rebound in 2017, and the strong first quarter results certainly support this argument."

Reith said the 2017 market will feel the impact of the new Samsung Galaxy S8 flagship handset, and a widely expected announcement from Apple for its new iPhone later this year.

According to the survey, Samsung led the market in the first quarter with a 22.8 percent share to 14.9 percent for Apple, with little growth for the top two vendors.

But Huawei s sales jumped 21.7 percent to give it a 9.8 percent share, and fellow Chinese makers Oppo and Vivo, the number four and five vendors, respectively, also boosted their sales.

IDC said the bulk of smartphone growth is likely to come from low-cost handset makers.

"Although we have seen an abundance of premium redesigned flagships that just entered the market, moving forward, we still expect most of the growth to come from more affordable models in a variety of markets," said IDC s Anthony Scarsella.

"Despite all the popularity and media hype around premium devices, we continue to witness a shift in many companies  portfolios geared towards affordable devices with premium-type styling compared to flagship models."

He added that makers "have started to implement a single premium design language that ultimately blurs the lines between the high-end and the low-end, allowing the average consumer to jump on the brand without a hefty upfront investment."

The report is based on preliminary quarterly estimates, with Apple due to report sales figures next week.

All you want to know about Facebook's new rocket icon

 

(Web Desk) – A lot of Facebook users have began seeing a ‘rocket icon’ between newsfeed and friend request options. It’s a new feature by the social media giant that shows popular posts from people and pages.

Source: Mashable

---

Reportedly, when someone taps the rocket icon, it shows posts from people that one hasn’t connected with yet. It also shows popular posts from pages all around Facebook according to the user’s interest. These pages are too not liked by the user.

The all-new rocket icon may or may not be available to people as it has not been fully launched yet. The ‘rocket feed’ is similar to the common newsfeed, but the difference is that it displays a different side of the Facebook world which one hasn’t explored yet.

There are several requisites for a post to appear in the rocket icon. It may be there due to geographic location, relevant to interest, association or mutual connection with friends or liked pages, etc.

Just like in Instagram’s explore tab, the Facebook’s rocketfeed will engage people further with new people and content. Unlike newsfeed, it has large icons or thumbnails which look more exciting.

 

Domino’s and Starship Technologies will deliver pizza by robot in Europe this summer

(Web desk).

 Domino’s has just inked a partnership with Starship Technologies to begin using its “personal delivery devices” this summer in Hamburg, Germany. If all goes well there, Domino’s and Starship intend to bring robot pizza delivery to the Netherlands as well. 

Starship’s devices have the look of a self-driving food cart, rather than some science fiction humanoid model. They travel on six wheels at a clip of 4 miles per hour, and can carry just over 40 lbs. of cargo. In Hamburg, the robots will deliver pizzas within a one-mile radius.

Starship is facing significant competition in the burgeoning market for “professional service robotics.” Competitors range from fellow startups like Marble to established players like Boston Dynamics.  The International Federation for Robotics (IFR) forecasts that between 2016 and 2019, logistics businesses will have begun using at least 175,000 robots to provide their services. That compares to UPS’ global fleet of around 100,000 trucks today.

A customer takes a pizza from Starship Technologies’ delivery robot.

Launched by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis in 2014, Starship Technologies also recently inked food delivery partnerships with DoorDash and Postmates in the US. But Domino’s has yet to offer pizza delivery by robot here.

Many retailers and restaurants are waiting to see how robot delivery tech shapes up, but also how the rules for using these devices are set in the US market. Virginia, and as of this week Idaho, allow delivery by robot today. Other states and federal US laws are still to be determined..

Domestically, Domino’s has offered other tech-enabled and entertaining ways to buy a pie, including by Tweeting a pizza emoji to @dominos, or requesting delivery from drivers of the Domino’s DXP “ultimate pizza delivery vehicle,” a modified Chevy Spark. In New Zealand, Domino’s has also begun delivery by drones in a partnership with Flirtey.

Indeed, tech has become an international marketing gimmick for Domino’s. But learning what works, and doesn’t, in the next wave of logistics tech could spell serious cost savings, and not just near-term buzz, for any major restaurant chain that delivers. After all, robots may need maintenance, but they don’t call in sick unexpectedly or hop between employers like the people they could displace.

Featured Image: Starship Technologies

Facebook’s Messenger app adds live location-sharing

 

(Web desk)

Facebook Inc added a feature to its Messenger app the other day to allow users to share their locations continuously for up to an hour, ramping up competition with tools offered by Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google Maps.

The company has found that one of the most used phrases on Messenger as people talk to friends and family is “How far away are you?” or some variation, Stan Chudnovsky, head of product for Messenger, said in an interview.“It happens to be what people are saying, what they’re interested in the most,” he said.

Sharing location information is optional, but it can also be live, so once shared, the friend can watch the user’s movement for up to 60 minutes.

Messenger was once part of the core Facebook smartphone app, but the company broke it out as a separate app in 2014 and has since invested in frequent changes to build a service distinct from the massive social network.

Google Maps said last week that it was adding a similar live feature, an attempt to boost engagement on a product of increasing strategic importance to that company.

The close proximity of the announcements tells Facebook “that we’re working on the right things,” Chudnovsky said.

The Messages app on Apple’s iPhone has such a feature, too.

Facebook has been testing its change in Mexico, he said. It was ready as long ago as October, he added, but the company worked on it for five more months to minimize the impact on the battery life of phones.

Facebook sees the feature being used for convenience to coordinate with friends, for safety-related purposes or for other uses, Chudnovsky said. “There are all sorts of products that you can imagine you could build on top of that,” he said.

Samsung to launch Glaxy 8 on 29th March

 

Samsung Galaxy 8 - Best Hit Of 2017! 
Samsung has decided to continue Galaxy s eries and this time its 8 which is rising from the ashes of its discontinued sibling. Sometime things go wrong and we did not get the same results as we expected. Korean giant is leaving behind all its bad memories and SamsungGalaxy 8 is going to launch soon. It will the fresh start for company after discontinuation of its most loved device. All rumors will die with the launch of Samsung's Galaxy 8 and we will see that one day it will be praised as the top ranking phone of year 2017. No matter what happened in the past the upcoming device is equipped with 5.7 inches display. Samsung Galaxy Note's display has packed super AMOLED technology to make things looks great and sharp from each and every angle. Per inch pixel density of Galaxy 8 by Samsung is 773 pixels which is highest amount yet recorded in the history of smartphone. Resolution is also its touching the heights where you will get the highest number which is 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution. Note 8 is protected with corning gorilla glass 5 while it is also dust proof and water proof and it is IP68 certified to make sure that your device will stay in water for up to 30 minutes. Galaxy Note 8 is really a wonder because this phone is combo of all high end technical specification to take the company to the new heights.Now you will get the Samsung Galaxy's 8 in two different variants where one is coming with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB ROM while second variant has packed 8 GB RAM and 128 GB built-in storage. Samsung 8 has 12 MP eye on its back which is equipped with high-end techs while on front 8 MP camera is installed for sharp and vibrant selfies  

Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion battery
OS	Android OS, v7.1 (Nougat)
Memory	64GB built-in, 6GB RAM, 128GB built-in, 8GB RAM, MicroSD Card (support up to 256GB) (dedicated slot)
Processor	Not available
Connectivity	Bluetooth v5.0, A2DP, EDR, LE, USB (v3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector), NFC, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot), GPRS, EDGE, 3G (HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps), 4G (LTE-A (3CA) Cat12 600/150 Mbps)
Display Size	5.7 Inches, 3840 x 2160 pixels (773 PPI) Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2, Iris scanner, fingerprint (front-mounted)
Display Colour	Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Multitouch, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Always-on display, TouchWiz UI
Operating Frequency / Band	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Band	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G Band	LTE
Browser	HTML5
Colors	Gold, Silver, Black, Blue
Entertainment	3.5mm audio jack, MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.265 player, MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+/FLAC player, YouTube, Google Talk, 24-bit/192kHz audio, Games (built-in + downloadable)
Camera	12 MP, f/1.6, OIS, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED + dual tone) flash, 1/2.3" sensor size, 1.55µm pixel size, geo-tagging, simultaneous 4K video and 9MP image recording, touch focus, face/smile detection, Auto HDR, panorama, Video (2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, dual-video rec), 2ndry 8 MP, f/1.6, dual video call, Auto HDR
Other Features	GPS + A-GPS support & GLONASS, BDS, Pen stylus, Single SIM + Nano-SIM), Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, ANT+ support, S-Voice natural language commands and dictation, P68 certified - dust proof and water resistant over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes, Stylus, Fast battery charging, Samsung Desktop Experience support, Photo/video editor, Document editor
Ring Tones	Downlaodable, Polyphonic, MP3, WAV
Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM

Huawei Honor 6x comes on top in mid range category

 

Huawei Honor 6x's retail price in Pakistan is Rs. 28,499. Official dealers and warranty providers regulate the retail price of Huawei mobile products in official warranty.

• Retail Price of Huawei Honor 6x in Pakistan is Rs. 28,499.
• Retail Price of Huawei in USD is $273.

Huawei Honor 6X - Topper In Mid-Range Devices! 
Huawei has decided to bring Honor 6X to the light which quite unique mid-range smartphone. The revealed design of phone show that it is quite dazzling in looks and it has the power impress anyone with its hot looks. Huawei 6X is different in many ways. As we talk about its front then it is equipped with 5.5 inches IPS capacitive display is carrying high end 1080 pixel resolution for its users. Huawei Honor 6X is protected by 2.5D curved glass while it also support multi-touch and many other dashing features to rule on the heart of peoples. 16M color support is also there to prettify the display of Huawei's Honor 6X. Well engine of this phone is based on Kirin 655 which is the newest chipset at this time. Octa-core processor is stuffed inside the body of latest Honor 6X by Huawei where quad core units are running with 2.1GHz while other four units work with 1.7 GHz cortex-A53 processor. To improve the graphics display of phone Mali T830-MP2 GPU is working along with Huawei Honor 6X's main processor. This device is available in two different variants. 32 GB version is combined with 3/4 GB of RAM while the second variant of Huawei Honor's 6X is carrying 4 GB of RAM along with 64 GB of built-in storage. To expand the memory micro SD card slot is also there for those users who want some extra storage for their Huawei Honor 6X. On the dual camera setup is located to enhance the image. Main camera is equipped with 12 MP sensor while second camera scores 2 MP. On the front side 8 MP selfie shooter is embedded to take sharp selfies with Honor 6X's front shooter. Detailed spec are given below.

Huawei Honor 6x detailed specifications

Price in Pakistan	Rs. 28,499/- ($273)
Dimensions	150.5 x 75.7 x 7.5 mm
Weight	165 g
Battery	3340 mAh
OS	Android OS V6.0 (Marshmallow)
Memory	32GB Built-in, 3GB RAM 32GB Built-in, 4GB RAM 64GB Built-in, 4GB RAM
Processor	Octa-core CPU (4 x 2.1 GHz + 4 x 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53), Kirin 655 SoC GPU: Mali T830-MP2
Connectivity	Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, LE, USB (microUSB v2.0), WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, hotspot), GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSPA, 4G VoLTE
Display Size	1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.5 inches (~401 ppi pixel density) Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, compass, Fingerprint
Display Colour	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Multitouch, Emotion UI 3.0
Operating Frequency / Band	SIM1: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 SIM2: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Band	HSDPA 900 / 2100
4G Band	LTE
Browser	HTML5
Colors	Various
Entertainment	Radio (Not yet Confirmed), 3.5mm Jack, MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player, MP4/H.263/H.264 player, SNS integration, Google talk, Games
Camera	12 MP Dual, autofocus, Dual LED Flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, Video (1080p@30fps), 2ndry 8 MP
Other Features	GPS + A-GPS support, Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, hybrid SIM slot, Organizer, Document viewer, Photo viewer/editor, Voice memo/dial, Predictive text input
Ring Tones	Downloadable, Polyphonic, MP3

Google Maps already tracks you; now other people can, too

 

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —(web desk) = Google Maps users will soon be able to broadcast their movements to friends and family — the latest test of how much privacy people are willing to sacrifice in an era of rampant sharing.

The location-monitoring feature will begin rolling out Wednesday in an update to the Google Maps mobile app, which is already installed on most of the world’s smartphones. It will also be available on personal computers.

Google believes the new tool will be a more convenient way for people to let someone know where they are without having to text or call them. The Mountain View, California, company has set up the controls so individuals can decide with whom they want to share their whereabouts and for how long — anywhere from a few minutes to indefinitely.

But location sharing in one of the world’s most popular apps could cause friction in marriages and other relationships if one partner demands to know where the other is at all times. Similar tensions could arise if parents insist their teenagers turn on the location-sharing option before they go out.

It could also be turned into a way to stalk someone entangled in an abusive relationship, warned Ruth Glenn, executive director for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "It has the potential to be another tool in an abuser’s toolkit," she said.

Similar tracking is already available on other apps; Glympse, founded by former Microsoft employees, has offered this function for years. Although it isn’t as wide-ranging, Apple also offers a tracking option called "Find My Friends" on its iPhone, iPad and Watch.

That’s one of the reasons Google isn’t expecting a lot of complaints about adding the option to Maps, especially since everyone can decide when to turn it on and who can monitor them.

"We don’t feel like we are changing the game," said Jen Fitzpatrick, Google’s vice president of maps.

Maps users will be able to activate the location-sharing feature by tapping a button near the search bar and then picking a person from their contact list to text with the information. If the recipient doesn’t have the Google Maps app on their phone, it will text them a link to open the location on the map in a browser.

The settings also allow users to determine how long their movements can be tracked each time a location is shared. If no time limit is selected, Google will periodically send people email reminders that they’re still sharing their location, a step that Glenn said may help anyone who didn’t know an abusive partner was still following them. 

Nokia Returns With A Bang,,,,Nokia 8 Flagship Smart Phone

Nokia 8 - Journey To Top!
Surprise! Revived Nokia has revealed 8 with flagship standard snapdragon chipset which is 835. In recent model they used 821 chipset but now it is clear that this phone will get high-end chip because Nokia 8 appeared in Qualcomm house at CSE event. As days are passing suspense is building up that what we will see in the next product from this reborn brand. Our eyes are staring at horizon that Nokia's 8 will reveal itself according to our wishes. On the front screen 5.7 inch LCD is installed while the technology used for touchscreen is IPS LCD display. Nokia 8's QHD resolution bringing 2560 x 1440 pixels display that will change our preservative about the smartphones display. Now due to higher number of resolution Nokia labeled 8 has better and higher number of pixel density from all four sides. A flat screen is used in the handset instead of curved display. 6 GB of RAM is accompanied with chipset to manage multi-tasking of Nokia 8. 128 GB of internal storage is allocated inside this device which will be used in future to store your data along with your favorite music and videos all at the same place inside the body of 8. If you feel that you need more memory to store more data on your device then you have a micro SD card slot that will expand the memory up to 256 GB with in instant. Nokia is performing well and now this new model 8 will take this company to the peak of success and popularity that this brand deserve. Android operating system is running through the veins of this phone and it is to be said that 8 by Nokia is is running on android's latest nougat OS which is not yet properly introduced in smartphone world. 24 MP camera is hired to serve as the back camera for this modernized 8 while 12 MP front selfie camera lens is used to make the image result more sharp from each and every angle. This is single SIM phone which is equipped with both LTE and 3G that makes 8 worlds fastest phone ever with super fast internet speed.

Nokia 8 detailed specifications

Price in Pakistan	Rs. More than 60,000 estimated,
Dimensions	N/a
Weight	N/a
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion battery
OS	Android 7.0 (Nougat)
Memory	64/128GB built-in, 6GB RAM, Micro SD card Support (up to 256GB)
Processor	Octa-core (4 x 2.45 GHz Kryo + 4 x 1.9 GHz Kryo), Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 GPU: Adreno 540
Connectivity	Bluetooth v5.0 with A2DP, LE, USB (v3.1, Type-C reversible connector), NFC, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot), GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA, 4G LTE
Display Size	5.7 Inches, 1440 x 2560 pixels (515 PPI) Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, Compass, heart rate, Fingerprint (front-mounted)
Display Colour	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Multitouch, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Operating Frequency / Band	SIM1: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 SIM2: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Band	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G Band	LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Browser	HTML5
Colors	Various
Entertainment	FM radio (Not yet Confirmed), 3.5mm audio jack, MP4/H.264 player, MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player, Games (built-in)
Camera	24 MP, OIS, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED + dual tone) flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama, Video (2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps), 2ndry 12 MP
Other Features	GPS + A-GPS support and GLONASS, 24-bit/192kHz audio, Dolby Atmos sound enhancement, Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, Document viewer/editor, Photo/video editor, Speakerphone
Ring Tones	Downloadable, Polyphonic, MP3, WAV
Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM
	Price in Rs: Estimated is more than 60,000,