Xiaomi launches a special edition Redmi Note 4X for Hatsune Miku fans

Redmi Note 4X comes to China with Hatsune Miku branding.

Xiaomi has unveiled the Redmi Note 4X in China, with the phone offering the same internal hardware as the Indian version of the Redmi Note 4. The phone will be sold in five color variants — gold, pink, black, grey, and green — and the last color option is the most interesting, as it is the special edition model with Hatsune Miku branding.

The anime-inspired Hatsune Miku is a virtual pop star whose 3D persona was developed by Japan’s Crypton Future Media. The vocaloid star has a considerable fanbase, and Xiaomi is now catering to that audience with the Redmi Note 4X.

The Hatsune Miku edition of the phone comes with a green hue, and features the singer’s signature at the back along with a limited edition number. Xiaomi is also bundling a Mi powerbank and case with Miku artwork, and the phone will offer Miku-inspired themes and backgrounds as well.

As for the hardware on offer, the Redmi Note 4X has a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, 13MP camera, 5MP front shooter, 4100mAh battery and MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The major change is the SoC, with the Redmi Note 4X offering the 14nm Snapdragon 625 instead of the MediaTek Helio X20 seen on the Chinese variant of the Redmi Note 4. The phone will go up for sale starting February 14 in China, and as of now, there’s no word on pricing. It is unlikely the phone will make its way outside of China.

More: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review

Alleged Moto G5 Plus leak reveals 5.2-inch Full HD display, 12MP camera

Moto G5 Plus leak details specs of Motorola’s upcoming budget phone.

Motorola has announced that it will unveil a new phone at Mobile World Congress at the end of the month, and current rumors point to a new handset in the Moto G series. A new leak originating out of Brazil of an alleged Moto G5 Plus shows off the front of the device covered in a plastic film.

The Moto G5 Plus will apparently come with a 5.2-inch Full HD display, and earlier leaks hinted at a 5-inch display for the smaller Moto G5. The phone will be powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core processor, most likely to be the Snapdragon 625. Other details include a 12MP “Rapid Focus” imaging sensor at the back, 3000mAh battery with Motorola’s proprietary TurboPower fast charging tech, NFC, and Motorola Experiences. The 12MP camera is likely to be a Sony IMX362 unit that offers the ability to shoot 4K video.

Moto G5 Plus has a 12MP Sony IMX362 camera on rear. With PDAF, 4K video @ 30FPS and a F1.7 (!!!!) aperture. Front 5MP OmniVision OV5695 F2.2

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) February 8, 2017

The image suggests that the Moto G5 Plus will retain the fingerprint sensor at the front, although this time around it looks like Motorola will switch to a rounder implementation. With the phones slated to make their debut on February 26, we don’t have to wait long to find out what’s in store for the Moto G series this year.

What do you guys think of the Moto G5 Plus based on today’s leak?

Samsung Pay goes live in Thailand

Following initial rollout last October, Samsung Pay is now widely available in Thailand.

Samsung initially rolled out Samsung Pay in Thailand last October, and the company is opening up the service to everyone in the country starting today. Samsung Pay works with most MasterCard and Visa credit cards in the country, including KCC, Bangkok Bank, Citibank, KasikornBank, KTC and Siam Commercial Bank.

Samsung hasn’t detailed the phones the service will work on, but if its availability in other regions is any indication, Samsung Pay will be limited to the likes of the Galaxy S7, S7 edge, Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note 5, and the Galaxy A series.

The digital payments service works with both NFC as well as MST, making it compatible with older POS machines. From Samsung Electronics Thailand’s VP of IT and Mobile Communications Wichai Pornpratang:

More than three months ago, we introduced Samsung Pay early access to the Thai market, giving people a mobile payment solution that is simple, secure and almost anywhere.

During this pivotal phase, Samsung Pay has aligned with many notable partners. From the financial sector are MasterCard, Visa, KCC, Bangkok Bank, Citibank, KasikornBank, KTC and Siam Commercial Bank. Department stores and shops across Thailand have also supported Samsung Pay.

With Samsung Pay, they don’t need to carry cash or credit cards, minimizing their risk of theft. Moreover, we hope that Samsung Pay will play a big role in transforming Thailand in line with its national e-payment strategy. Our innovation will revolutionize Thais’ way of spending and usher them towards a cashless society.

Another country that is set to go cashless is India, and Samsung has said that it will launch Samsung Pay in the subcontinent later this month. An update to the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy A7 2016 has introduced the Samsung Pay app, and a rumor from earlier this week suggested Samsung was looking to team up with American Express to launch the service in India.

19 retro gadgets you can buy that will remind you of the glory days

We all love a good gadget and there’s nothing like a piece of tech you can buy today that throws you back in time with a haze of nostalgia for days gone by.

Taking a trip down memory lane, we’ve scoured the web for a selection of the very best retro-style gadgets with a nostalgic feel.

Smartphone magnifier mini retro television

Firebox

In 2017, it’s painfully easy to beam a wealth of video content from your phone straight to your TV, but where’s the fun in that? What you want is an old-fashioned telly to view it on.

The Smartphone Magnifier from Luckies of London is the height of television nostalgia. Pop your phone in the back of this chunky, faux wood television set and watch the videos blown up into 8-inch glory. Comes complete with an utter lack of remote control.

No need to give this set a bash to sort the picture out and no aerials to fuss about with.

Buy yours now from Firebox or IWOOT

Wild & Wolf American Diner Telephone

Wild & Wolf

For most of us, a landline phone might be on the verge of being a thing of the past, but if you still like the idea of having a home handset then why not go the whole hog and invest in something truly classic.

The Wild & Wolf Diner Telephone boasts the vintage charm of a 1950’s phone straight out of an American diner. With push button dialling, volume controls and other features it works perfectly in the modern home with the added bonus of a functional coin slot that could act as a great piggy-bank too.

Dial in your order at Amazon UK or John Lewis.

The Brick phone

Pocket-lint

If the Diner Phone is a bit too old school for you, then spin forward a few decades with The Brick. A modern re-imagining of the classic early mobile phone from the era of yuppies and Filofaxes.

The Brick from Binatone is available as both a mobile and home phone, has a ridiculously long lasting battery (up to 3 months of standby power) and even comes with gaming classic Snake. What more could you want?

Buy yours from Amazon UK or Amazon US.

Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator

Firebox

One for classic Trekkies, this Bluetooth Communicator pairs with your mobile so you can make and receive calls like Captain Kirk himself.

Officially licensed and 3D scanned from the last official communicator prop in existence, this replica is as close as you’re going to get to the real thing.

Packed with other awesome features like wireless charging, authentic Star Trek SFX sounds, a high-quality speaker and MEMS microphone, this retro device will allow you to boldly take your phone calls where no man has gone before.

Beam yours into your shopping basket at Firebox.

Leica M10 camera

Pocket-lint

Leica is a German brand of camera manufacturer with an unflinching dedication to craftsmanship and retro-styling. Its latest camera, the M10, is a perfect example of that.

Not only does this camera boast classic looks from days gone by, it also shuns modern functionality of other cameras, like video capture and autofocus. There’s still a rear LCD screen at least and you won’t need to fiddle with 35mm film but you might have trouble stomaching the price tag of more than £5.5K.

READ: Leica M10 preview: The rangefinder refined 

Lofree mechanical keyboard

Lofree

This compact and super-portable mechanical keyboard is inspired by traditional typewriters with rounded keys, a contemporary design and a satisfying “click-clack” as you type.

Compatible with a range of different devices (except an actual typewriter) and able to work both wired and wirelessly, as well as boasting multiple backlight settings, this keyboard is a smashingly quirky addition to your home office.

Find out more at http://www.lofree.co/

USB typewriter iPad dock/Bluetooth keyboard

Amazon

If the typewriter-styled keyboard isn’t quite quaint enough for you, how about the real thing?

This classic 1930’s typewriter has been restored and repurposed as a USB/Bluetooth keyboard which you can either hook up to your PC or Mac or simply dock with your iPad.

Fully functionally, with all the modern keys you could need in a 21st Century environment, this little beauty has it all. No ink ribbons necessary.

Pick up your USB typewriter from Amazon.

LOVE turntable

LOVE Turntable

For audiophiles who swear you can’t get a better sound than vinyl but also grumble about not being able to skip tracks comes the LOVE turntable.

Pitched as “the world’s first intelligent turntable” LOVE is attempting to revolutionise an age-old music playback tradition – with a system that keeps the record still but moves the needle instead.

Not convinced? Consider the ability to connect to and control the vinyl player via your phone over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and play, pause, skip and repeat without any faffing. Sounds great to us!

Discover more at Kickstarter.

STG European retro phonograph

Amazon

If you truly adore vinyl, but the LOVE turntable is just a bit too modern for you, why not go really old school with this antique-styled phonograph?

Complete with turntable, CD player, AM/FM radio and an antique styling from the early 1900s, this phonograph is a true modern wonder to behold.

Find out more and buy one today at Amazon UK or Amazon US.

GPO Retro Rydell Portable DAB Radio

GPO

Something your parents or grandparents might appreciate unwrapping for their birthday, this rad retro radio brings digital audio broadcasts to a 1950’s styled set.

Battery or mains powered with 20 pre-set stations and alarm clock functionality, this little box has it all. Unless you’re after Spotify of course. Still – a great gift for someone that’s not quite caught up with the rest of us yet.

Grab one over at IWOOT.

ION iCade arcade gaming cabinet for iPad

Amazon

Modern tablets are great – you can easily download and play all those classic arcade games you enjoyed in your youth without spending a fortune – but it’s never quite the same when using a touchscreen. Which is where this classically styled arcade cabinet comes in.

Add a tactical joystick and full-sized arcade buttons to your retro gaming. Simply plug your iPad in, download classic games like Asteroids and Battlezone and get to mashing those keys!

ION iCade arcade cabinet is available to buy from Amazon US and Amazon UK.

NES Classic Mini

Pocket-lint

If you’re not quite old enough to remember classic arcade games, but have hazy memories of Nintendo games from yesteryear the NES Classic Mini might be the modern console with a retro spin for you. This little package brings classic 8-bit gaming to the big screen with upscaling for modern HD TVs and the ability to save your game progress.

The Nintendo Classic Mini console comes with 30 gaming titles from the Japanese gaming giant’s past, including original Mario games, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man and more. The original controller style remains and the classic games are a joy to revisit.

Available to buy from Amazon UK and Amazon US, but if you struggle to find one (they’re in high demand), then you can always build your own retro console.

Sega Arcade Classic console

Menkind

If you were always more of a Sonic fan than a Mario lover, then fear not! The Sega Arcade Classic features 80 old-school 16-bit Sega favourites from Golden Axe to Sonic the Hedgehog.

This little kit not only includes wireless controllers but also boasts compatibility with the original Sega Megadrive cartridges. So dig about in your loft, find your old games, give them a bit of a blow then get stuck into an old fashioned gaming session!

Pick up this console from Menkind for £79.99.

Retro Macintosh Apple Watch stand

ELAGO

Fan of all things Apple? Then this watch stand is probably for you. The Elago W3 Apple Watch stand is a simple charging dock for your Apple Watch that’s designed to look like the Macintosh computers we knew and loved in the 1980’s, complete with floppy drive cut out and recessed screen.

Your beside clock will never have looked so retro and modern at the same time.

Available for the bargain price of £16.99 from Amazon UK or $14.99 from Amazon US.

Mattel View-Master virtual reality headset

Amazon

The original View-Master was introduced in 1939 giving people the ability to view stereoscopic 3D colour images via thin cardboard disks slotted into the headset.

Now updated for the era of augmented and virtual reality, this View-Master headset uses the power of your smartphone to transport you to a virtual world. All housed in the classic View-Master design.

The traditional reels are still available too, but are now scanned to access more augmented reality content and games.

Available for just £22.99 from Amazon UK or $17.19 from Amazon US.

ION Bluetooth Audio Cassette Tape Adapter

Amazon

If you’re stuck driving an older car with a cassette deck that does nothing but sit there gather dust or play FM/AM radio then you’ll welcome this addition to your gadget arsenal.

Stick this tape in your cassette deck, pair with your phone via Bluetooth and then stream any music you like without the hassle and expense of upgrading your head unit to something more modern.

There’s a built-in rechargeable battery that’s sufficient for six to eight hours’ playback and, as if that wasn’t enough, the tape even has a microphone too – perfect for hands-free calls. No need to worry about winding unspooled tape back in with a pencil!

Upgrade your car audio for just £29 from Amazon UK or $23.37 from Amazon US.

USB Mix Tape

Amazon

Remember the hazy days when you spent hours recording songs onto a cassette tape to gift to the object of your affections? Well now you can revive your romantic side and rekindle the flame with this USB Mix Tape gift pack.

Simply pop some romantic tracks onto the stick, bung it into the cassette tape shell, scribble some notes on the index card and hand it to someone you love.

Much classier than just giving them a USB stick on its own. Alternatively, you could just create a Spotify playlist, but where’s the fun in that?

Available to buy at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Star Trek Phaser Universal Remote Control

The Wand Company

Set phasers to standby and arm yourself with the pinnacle in remote control geekiness – a universal remote control built to look like a phaser from the original Star Trek series.

Control your TV and other gadgets with a range of motions, buttons and dials. Just don’t try blasting any Tribbles.

Head on over to Firebox to pick yours up today.

Remax Floppy Disk Power Bank

Remax

Portable battery packs are popular these days, almost as popular as 3.5-inch floppy disks in the 1990s. Indeed, we’d suggest the storage format was even more so considering they were a necessity. And considering the most common ones held a whopping 400KB think of the fun we all had.

They looked cool though, so it’s great that Remax has chosen the style for its range of power banks. And these hold a 5,000mAh battery, perfect for charging your phone on the go.

Pick yours up from Amazon UK.

Amazing Samsung Galaxy S8 picture leak shows phone in the flesh

We’ve seen countless renders and drawings depicting the Samsung Galaxy S8 over recent months but now we may have been presented with a real life image showing the real deal. The image, that appeared on Chinese social site Weibo, shows the Galaxy S8 conforming with many of the renders we’ve previously seen, showing curved edges, a USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack and a single speaker on the bottom right edge.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know

It also clearly shows that Samsung has indeed got rid of the physical home button on the front, and replaced it with a much larger screen than before.

Another feature expected to come with the Galaxy S8, but not shown in this particular picture, is a dedicated side-mounted button to access Samsung’s very own personal assistant, Bixby. And Bixby will, according to ET News, be able to support seven to eight languages including English, Korean and Chinese.

• What is Bixby? Everything you need to know about Samsung’s assistant
• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus: What’s the rumoured difference?

It’s thought that Samsung wants to support multiple languages because Bixby will be integrated into the company’s home appliances and Samsung Pay. Once a customer buys a Galaxy S8 with Bixby, the aim is for them to eventually invest in Samsung refrigerators, washing machines and the like, to create an entire Samsung ecosystem.

In comparison, Google Assistant on the Pixel phones can currently only support English and German, although Siri can understand languages from 36 different countries.

The Morning After: Wednesday, February 8th, 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

It’s the middle of the week, and we’re here to help. Besides a brand new episode of The Future IRL, we have a new record broken by Tesla and a 5,000-year-old beer recipe.

Super sharp, super slowSony’s latest smartphone camera sensor is capable of 1080p 1,000fps video

If you, like Dave Chappelle, believe everything is better in slow motion, then we have good news. Sony just announced its latest camera sensor for smartphones, which is capable of recording HD (1,920 x 1,080) video at 1,000fps, which it says is about 8x the speed of any other chip. Plus, it can pull this off without producing any of that wobbly jello-like distortion effect.

Even if you don’t want to know how it works (high-speed DRAM is involved) you can probably expect to see this, or something like it, in your next iPhone / Pixel / etc.

You get a robot, YOU get a robot, EVERYBODY GETS A ROBOTThe Future IRL: Everyone gets an R2D2

Our latest episode of The Future IRL is here, as host Kerry Davis investigates how real domestic robots are quickly catching up with your dreams.

And it looks like CTF is here to stay‘Overwatch’ starts testing a server browser

PC Overwatch players who stay on the cutting edge can try out a new “server browser.” That way players can not only create new game types, but they can also get strangers to drop in and play. Of course, it’s also testing out a few new hero tweaks, and Capture the Flag is becoming a regular feature.

The name is earnedTesla Model S breaks acceleration record with Ludicrous Mode

In Motor Trend testing, no production vehicle had ever broken 2.3 seconds to go from 0 – 60mph — until now. The Model S P100D hit 0-60 mph in 2.275507139 seconds, faster than even the 2.5 seconds Tesla itself promised.

“Computer, enhance”Google shows how AI can sharpen faces in low-res images

The Google Brain team has published a paper showing how its neural network can learn from images, and apply that information to guess and upscale fuzzy low-res pictures of someone’s face. Similar technology is already in use to improve image compression on Google+, but in the future, it could help turn a pixelated mess into something usable.

Nintendo is getting easier for indiesThe developers of ‘TumbleSeed’ cold-called their way onto Nintendo’s Switch

Game designer Greg Wohlwend calls TumbleSeed a “rolly roguelike” where players guide a seed up a mountainside. Along the way they’ll dodge deadly holes and dangerous creatures, but the real first challenge was getting access to Nintendo. The developers are pleased to reveal the company is much more accommodating for the indie scene now, so hopefully, we’ll see more games like this for the Switch.

But wait, there’s more…

• Three years later, ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ hits 75 million shipped
• Archaeology of Food students at Stanford made beer using a 5,000-year-old recipe
• Logitech turns your car into an Amazon Alexa controller
• Twitter’s diversity and HR heads are leaving the company
• Fox’s crime drama ‘APB’ attempts to tackle the complexities of privatizing law enforcement

UK schools trial police-style body cameras for teachers

To combat disorderly students, two secondary schools in the UK have started trialling staff-worn body cameras. Teachers will use the equipment to record specific incidents, such as a “perceived threat to a member of staff or pupil,” according to Tom Ellis, a lecturer at the University of Portsmouth and a former Home Office researcher. The identity of the schools is, for now, a mystery, to avoid unwanted interference during the trial. The cameras won’t be recording at all times either — similar to the police, it will be up to teachers to decide when to hit the record button.

“It’s not like a surveillance camera,” Ellis stressed.

It’s hoped the cameras will discourage “low-level background disorder” during lessons. Classrooms can get pretty rowdy; a clearly visible camera could act as a deterrent for troublesome students. The parents at each school have been “fully informed” of the scheme and are “supportive,” according to Ellis, due to the nature of the recording. “Filming only occurs when it is legitimate, proportionate and necessary,” he explained.

Body cameras have been trialled in schools before. Iowa’s Burlington Community School District purchased 13 cameras for principals and assistant principals in 2015. Usage by teachers, however, is rarer, mostly due to the volume and associated costs involved with a school-wide roll-out. Police in the US and UK have been quick to adopt the technology, but in schools the decision is arguably more complex. The UK’s Department for Education says teachers are “acting within the law as far as we know,” but admits it hasn’t looked into the matter. We suspect it will pretty soon, given the impact body cameras could have on the education system.

Source: The Guardian

FBI’s FOIA website will make it easier to submit requests in March

The FBI’s decision to stop accepting email-based Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests wouldn’t have sounded so bad if the agency didn’t present horrible alternatives. Compared to email, snail mailing and faxing requests would take much longer, after all. Plus, the beta version of the eFOIPA submission web portal requires too much personal info and has too many restrictions. Fortunately, the feds seem to have heard the people’s complaints and will roll back the portal’s worst limitations when it officially opens on March 1st.

An FBI spokesperson told The Daily Dot that the final version of the website won’t ask for your phone number — apparently, the beta only asked for one so the feds could contact you in case something went wrong with the request you sent. You also don’t have to indicate your country of origin anymore. The spokesperson said it was only necessary to auto-populate the address fields. More importantly, the FBI will tweak the portal’s terms of service to allow you to send an unlimited number of requests, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

These changes definitely make eFOIPA a lot more usable, though email still would’ve been the better choice. As Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’ attorney Adam Marshall told The Daily Dot:

“I’m glad to hear they are lifting some of the restrictions that were put in place by the online portal. But I think there are still significant questions and issues that need to be answered and resolved. I think [email] is the most ubiquitous form of communication. And the government should be doing everything it can to make it easier for people to request information — not harder.”

Source: The Daily Dot

Microsoft Previews Touch Bar Support For New MacBook Pros Running Office

During Apple’s MacBook Pro keynote last October, Apple briefly mentioned that Microsoft was working on introducing support for the new Touch Bar across its suite of Office applications.

While Microsoft has yet to officially roll out the support, Office users can opt to test the new Touch Bar features by becoming an “Office Insider”, which is basically a public beta program.

In Word, Touch Bar users will be able to activate the distraction-free Focus Mode to remove the Ribbon, and access text formatting and font style options.

In PowerPoint, the Touch Bar will show a graphical overview of all slides in a deck, and offer the ability to reorder slides. Excel is set to get the most useful Touch Bar features though, bringing recently used functions, color cells, and chart options to the MacBook’s OLED strip.

Lastly, Outlook brings a today view to the Touch Bar, allowing users to see calendar appointments for the day, while recently used documents will display when composing emails, for quickly attaching files. Skype call functions are also set to be available from the Bar.

Office users interested in testing the Touch Bar functions in the beta program – along with any attendant bugs/issues – can sign up to become an “Office Insider” here.

(via The Verge.)

Tag: Microsoft Office
Discuss this article in our forums

Vivaldi browser will become much more share-happy with version 1.7 update

Why it matters to you

Vivaldi already offers an interesting alternative to the top browsers, but the latest update make it even more attractive.

The battle for your browser is often perceived as being a two- or three-horse race, but that’s not really the case. Other browsers, like Vivaldi, can offer some unique features to users, not least because their lower usage adds a layer of security by virtue of their relative obscurity. In its latest update to version 1.7, Vivaldi has added a lot to aid sharing.

Vivaldi is a relatively young browser, having only become publicly available for the first time in April 2016. Built by the founders of the original Opera browser, it’s garnered over a million users to date, and supports a number of visual and functional customization features.

More: Battle of the browsers: Edge vs. Chrome vs. Firefox vs. Safari vs. Opera vs. IE vs. Vivaldi

Its latest update is all about sharing. Built-in screenshot functionality is one of the key additions. It lets users capture what they see and what they don’t, saving entire web pages for sharing if needed. A small camera icon has been added to the browser’s status bar, which opens up a pop-up window with all of the options about where you want it copied or saved automatically.

You can even include the annotations you made on specific web pages. Vivaldi developers see it as a way to share web pages without a user at the other end having to load the whole thing — you can simply share the image with annotations to highlight what your friend is interested in.

If you don’t want to save the image and share it manually, you can also copy it to the clipboard and then paste it into a photo-editing tool, or into direct applications like Slack or Twitter.

Other features added in this update include improved sound control for tabs. No longer will Vivaldi users be faced with the common web problem of a tab suddenly playing a video or music, leaving users scrambling to figure out which one. Vivaldi 1.7 adds the ability to mute all tabs, or do so on an individual basis.

Smaller enhancements made to the browser experience include quicker access to favorite and pinned tabs, native MacOS notifications, configurable top-level domain expansion, and extra warnings for non-HTTPS websites that request passwords.