99Techreviews: Technology Advice And Reviews

"Quantum Computing merges two great scientific revolutions of the 20th century: computer science and quantum physics. Quantum physics is the theoretical basis of the transistor, the laser, and other technologies which enabled the computing revolution. But on the algorithmic level today's computing machinery still operates on "classical" Boolean logic. Quantum computing is the design of hardware and software that replaces Boolean logic by quantum law at the algorithmic level. For certain computations such as optimization, sampling, search or quantum simulation this promises dramatic speedups. Soon we hope to falsify the strong Church-Turing thesis: we will perform computations which current computers cannot replicate. We are particularly interested in applying quantum computing to artificial intelligence and machine learning. This is because many tasks in these areas rely on solving hard optimization problems or performing efficient sampling." We produc...

What is 3D Touch and How it Works? Here is All You Need to Know About With several defining innovations that have changed the way we look at technologies, Apple has become synonymous of modernism. What was once believed to be complex, the Cupertino-based company made it unbelievably simple. Whether it's a mouse or an ultra-advanced smartphone with a large screen having just a single button, Apple has been a pioneer in bringing innovative technology to the world. The tech giant first introduced Multi-touch that brought about a revolutionary change in the way we navigate apps using Tap, Swipe, and Pinch on iOS devices.  The iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus recognise force as well as gestures in order to offer more accurate haptic feedback. This in turn results in apps being more accessible thanks to variations in pressure offering previews, quick swiping and more. Quick  access to apps from home screen One of the great thi...

Chinese smartphone manufacturer  Xiaomi announced on Saturday that its popular Mi 3 flagship will go on sale in India on on Monday, or Republic Day. The company notes that limited units are available, on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Part of the firm's Republic Day offers (which includes the  Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G being made  available without registration this long holiday weekend - from January 24 to January 26), the  Xiaomi Mi 3  will be available to customers who register their interest before 2pm IST on Monday.  To purchase the Mi 3, customers are asked to like the Mi India Facebook announcement  post  and share it with at least 3 friends, and then visit the dedicated promotion page  on the company's India site at 12pm IST on Monday, and then enter the email address associated with their Flipkart account to register. Users will have until 2pm IST on Monday to register with their Flipkart account's email address, and if they...

Ever faced a virus attack on your PC? Have an old laptop that refuses to boot up one fine day, throwing up errors such as bootmgr missing  or  NTLDR missing ? Your best option in both these cases may be to reinstall Windows on your computer. When you first use your computer, you're prompted to create a DVD backup of your Windows install, but keeping a DVD safely and not losing it can be a bother. Being able to reinstall Windows using a USB you just keep nearby can be a big help, and to do this all you need to do first is create a bootable Windows USB drive. This is also very helpful if you bought a compact laptop - many smaller new devices don't have a DVD drive. Remember you'll need a working Windows install (any version) to do this - if your computer won't boot, use a friend's to follow these steps. Here's everything you need to know about the process. Windows 7 The first thing you need is a Windows ISO or an image file. This is a virtual copy of a Windows...

Xiaomi, apart from  launching  the Mi Note phablet, also revealed the Mi Note Pro. The company stressed that the Mi Note Pro is even better than the Mi Note - and looking at the specifications, it would certainly appear to be. #MiLaunch115  - The most epic flagship phone of the year gets even better with #MiNotePro !  pic.twitter.com/bNuQQgD1i7 -- Mi India (@MiIndiaOfficial)  January 15, 2015 The  Xiaomi Mi Note Pro  has been priced at CNY 3299 (approximately Rs. 32,900) and will enter mass production by the end of March. The highlight of the Mi Note Pro is that it packs an octa-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor (quad-core ARM Cortex A57 and quad-core Cortex A53) alongside 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and Adreno 430 GPU. Running Android 4.4.4 KitKat-based MIUI 6, the Mi Note Pro supports a single SIM. Much like the  Xiaomi Mi Note , the Mi Note Pro also features a 5.7-inch display; though with a higher QHD (1440x2560 pixels) resolution off...

Micromax has launched another smartphone, called Micromax Canvas Hue in India priced at 10,999 INR. This time, Micromax has opted for a Super AMOLED display panel instead of IPS LCD units which it conventionally uses and a capacious battery. Specifications aren’t as alluring as, say, Yureka, but this one follows different revenue model and will be available on offline stores. To begin with, there is a 5 inch Super AMOLED display panel with 720p HD resolution and Gorilla Glass 3 Protection. AMOLED display means you can expect oversaturated colors, magnificent blacks and high contrast ratio. The quality of whites and viewing angles remain to be judged. The handset is powered by 1.3 GHz (MT6582) quad core chipset with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage. The Dual SIM Micromax Canvas Hue is running Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, which is upgradeable. Micromax has used an 8 MP Sony sensor in its Autofocus rear camera, which is paired with a 2 MP front shooter for selfies. Big ju...

Yu Yureka went on sale today, and as expected stocks ran out in just 3 seconds. When you pitch 3,00,000 registrations against a measely stock of 10,000 units, 3 seconds is conceivable. Even if YU would have added 5 times the stock, the result wouldn’t have been much different. Xiaomi on other hand has been selling around 50,000 Redmi Note every week and the third flash sale today lasted for almost 3 Minutes. YU recently admitted that they failed to estimate public response and will be ramping up production for future flash sales. Needless to say, this has left several fans frustrated, who have been waiting for more than a month and have now resorted to online forums and social media channels to vent out their frustrations. Even if Micromax ramps up the stock, it will take several weeks before the demand dials down. YU Yureka is an extreme value for money 4G smartphone with 5.5 inch HD display, powered by 1.5 GHz Snapdragon 615 octa core chipset with 2 GB DDR3 RAM and 16 GB expa...

The recently announced Yu Yureka smartphone is about to go on sale tomorrow. The company will reportedly put up 10,000 units of the  Yu Yureka   up for sale in its first flash sale, to be held on Amazon. This seems rather small, considering that Yu has received three lakh registrations for its first smartphone. The flash sale model had been started in India by Xiaomi and the company had taken a lot of flak over the low number of units. On the other hand, Yu’s flash sale model is slightly different from  Xiaomi’s . According to Amazon’s email sent to registered users, while the devices are limited to one per user and the total quantity will go down as soon as a  Yureka  unit is added to a person’s card, there will also be a wait list. If the smartphone is not available when you click on ‘Add to cart’, you can join the waiting list. Users who have added the  Yureka  to their cart will have 15 minutes to buy the d...

At the CES 2015 tech show in Las Vegas, Alcatel has announced the launch of Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 series of devices including four smartphones and a tablet. The devices in the list include Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 (4), Pop 2 (4.5), Pop 2 (5) and Pop 2 (5) Premium smartphones and Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 (10) tablet. Notably, all the smartphones in the Pop 2 series offer 4G LTE connectivity and they are stuffed with 1.2 GHz quad core processors under their hoods. As of now, the manufacturer has not revealed any official word regarding the pricing and availability of the Pop 2 series devices and we expect them to arrive soon. Detailing on the specifications, the Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 (4) boasts of a 4 inch WVGA display and makes use of 1 GB of RAM. Fueled by Android 5.0 Lollipop, the smartphone flaunts a 5 MP rear camera, a VGA front facing snapper and 4 GB of native storage space that can be extended externally by another 32 GB. The 2,000 mAh battery is rated to pump in up to 5 hours o...

At the CES 2015 tech show that was held in Las Vegas, Philips announced the Fidelio NC1L on-ear headphones. This is the first ever Active Noise Cancelling headphones to go battery free with a direct digital connection to the iOS device using a Lightning connector. There is 24 bit Digital to Analog Conversion (DAC) and amplification and noise cancellation in the headphones that ensures an immersive musical experience that lets users enjoy even minute details. The Philips Fidelio Headphones NC1L combines high quality sound, advanced technology and sophisticated design and operates in three modes namely Active Noise Cancelling for a completely immersive noise cancellation experience, Open-ear listening that lets in ambient noise enabling users to hear what is going on around when the headphones is in use and Natural voice that renders a calibrated level of Active Noise Cancellation to render a natural and comfortable experience while a microphone is used on call. Ads by Google The Phi...

The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) has been a podium of futuristic innovations for years. Almost all big tech giants take part in this 3-day long event to showcase their prototypes. This year’s CES also saw some really amazing gadgets; from Samsung to HTC, from mobiles, TVs to wearables, from devices to concepts, we have summed up the CES 2015 in this list of top 15 gadgets. The below listed technologies gathered the limelight at this year’s CES: 1.  Razer Forge TV The one that tops the list is Forge TV by Razer that has won the People’s Choice Award for Best of CES 2015. It’s an Android-powered console for hardcore gamers. Its compact size brings gaming to your living room. The console is powered by a Snapdragon 805 processor, quad-core Krait 450 CPU, and Adreno 420 GPU. The device has 2 GB of RAM along with 16 GB of internal storage capacity and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. 2.  Saygus V 2 This one nearly broke the internet. Sayg...

Microsoft's Spartan browser will have new inking features, support voice commands and more. Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 browser dubbed Spartan will have an integration of voice assistant Cortana, will come with a new inking feature that lets users annotate a web page and much more. Spartan will have Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant integration and could be used for getting information on flights, hotel bookings, and much more. Cortana will also display all information related to tracked flights and will also allow users to view the status of the flight directly. Reportedly, Cortana will replace existing Bing search in Internet explorer. Users will be able to access Cortana search directly from the new tab interface in Spartan . Microsoft is also adding an inking support in its upcoming browser that will allow Windows 10 users to annotate a web page with a stylus and share notes with their friends or coworkers. According to reports the web note service will be...

At the CES 2015, LG added a new flagship smartphone to its portfolio with the launch of the LG G Flex 2 smartphone with a curved design and self healing back cover. Well, there are several enhancements in this 2015 model against the yesteryear variant. We can say that the latest offering packs in all the necessary specifications and features in it to be a top notch device in the market. If you are planning to upgrade your smartphone to a curved device, here is comparison between the LG G Flex 2 and the original LG G Flex. Display and Processor The G Flex 2 is given a smaller display measuring 5.5 inches, while there is a 6 inch screen on the original model, but in terms of resolution it is the successor that tops the segment with Full HD 1920×1080 pixels as compared to the HD 1280×720 pixel resolution on the 6 inch screen of the G Flex. Eventually, it is the latest model that has a better pixel density that is complemented with the Corning Gorilla Glass ...

Dirt cheap android phones aren’t exactly new (or interesting) in this part of the world, and we do see ultra cheap Android phones with grave compromises pop up time and again. Elephone G1 with quad core processor, however, pushes the limits further than the rest. The Elephone G1 priced at $49 (Approx 3000 INR) is powered by 1.3 GHz quad core MT6582M processor with 512 MB RAM, 4 GB internal storage and MicroSD card support. At 4.5 Inches, the display is larger than what you would expect at $49 and rendered quite usable with FWVGA (854 x 480) resolution amounting to 218 ppi. The display and chipset is similar to that present in Android One smartphones which cost double the price. Imaging hardware includes 5 MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera, again analogous to Android One phones. The hardware sounds good enough for a pleasant Android 4.4 KitKat experience. Other features include Dual SIM functionality, 3G, WiFi, GPS and an 1800 mAh battery.

  Top 5 smartphones with 13 MP Camera below 10,000 INR Though Megapixel count is not a correct judge for camera quality, but yes in average low end smartphones, we do find 13 MP shooters generally outperform 8 MP ones. If a detailed 13 MP shooter is high on your priority list, here are a few options that you can consider. YU Yureka Yureka  seems to have the sole objective of incorporating the best possible specifications at the lowest possible price. The new YU brand from Micromax features a 13 MP rear camera capable of full HD video recording and a 5 MP front wide angle camera for selfies. Other features include Snapdragon 615 processor, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, MicroSD card storage, CyanogenMod OS and 2500 mAh battery. You can buy Yureka from Amazon.in for 8,999 INR. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G Xiaomi Redmi Note  and  Redmi Note 4G  are other good value for money smartphones launched in India in 2014. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G powered by 1.6 GHz Snapdragon...

Nokia (or to be precise, Foxconn) managed to sell 20,000 N1 tablet units in its first flash in just four minutes in China, according to the latest report. Notably, the device was launched in China at a CNY 1,599 (Rs. 16,300 approximately) price tag on Wednesday. The tablet has also appeared in GFXBench and AnTuTu benchmarks. The firm, following the flash sales method like Xiaomi, will again let interested users buy the device on January 15. The flash sales however, would still be limited to China only, as per Blogjackphone - the publication that reported how fast the tablets were sold out. The Nokia N1 tablet, when put under AnTuTu and GFXBench tests (via Nokiapoweruser), is seen performing better than the iPad mini 3. The Nokia tablet, as per the report, led the race under Manhattan, 1080p T-Rex Offscreen and T-Rex tests in GFXBench benchmark with 589 frames, 1691 frames and 1437 frames respectively. Apple iPad mini 3 received 553 frames, 1598 frames and 1271 frames in the same tes...