Xiaomi Redmi 5A: Hands on and first impressions

The Redmi series continues to do well for Xiaomi, and has established the company as the top smartphone maker in markets like India.

With the new Redmi 5A, Xiaomi brings to the table another budget smartphone – a segment it revels in. A successor to the Redmi 4A launched in March this year, the Redmi 5A is almost the same device and you’d be hard pressed to find any major difference between the two.

I spent some time with the Redmi 5A before the launch, and here are my initial thoughts about the same.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A Specifications

• Operating System: Android 7.1 Nougat with MIUI 9
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (Quad-core 1.4GHz) | Adreno 308 GPU
• Display: 5-inch HD (1280 x 720) IPS display
• RAM: 2/3 GB
• Internal Storage: 16/32 GB; expandable up to 128GB with microSD card
• Rear Camera: 13 MP with LED flash | ƒ/2.2 aperture | 1.12 μm pixel size | PDAF
• Front Camera: 5 MP | ƒ/2.0 aperture | 1.12 μm
• Battery: 3,000 mAh
• Dimensions: 140 x 70.1 x 8.35 mm
• Weight: 137g

Design

At first glance, the Redmi 5A looks like the quintessential Xiaomi smartphone, similar to many Redmi phones that we’ve seen in the past. There’s nothing new, and that’s not a bad thing.

The Redmi 5A sports a polycarbonate body with a metallic matte finish that looks quite polished. It’s all plastic, yes, but doesn’t feel cheap. With a 5-inch display and 8.35mm of thickness, it is a compact smartphone that sits comfortably in your hand.

One of the obvious omissions on the Redmi 5A is a fingerprint sensor. While these are increasingly getting ubiquitous on even budget smartphones, it is fair to cut corners in a smartphone at this price.

Xiaomi has finally listened to the demands of a vocal niche that doesn’t prefer the hybrid SIM tray, and the Redmi 5A comes with a 2+1 card slot which allows you to use two nano SIMs and a microSD card to expand the storage all at once.

Display

The Redmi 5A boasts of a 5-inch fully-laminated HD (1280 × 720) IPS display which offers good color reproduction and contrast. It’s duller than what Xiaomi offers on its more expensive smartphone, and the vibrancy is a casualty of the price. The text and images look sharp though, so there’s no complaint on that front.

There’s also a Read Mode that reduces the amount of blue light emitted by the screen to prevent eye fatigue at nights or during long reading sessions.

Hardware

Like its predecessor, the Redmi 4A is powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset paired with 2 GB of RAM. There’s 16 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card. There’s also a higher memory variant with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

The Snapdragon 425 is a good choice at this price as it has enough muscle for a decent Android experience and is quite power efficient. The performance is good enough for a budget smartphone, and multitasking and web browsing were quite smooth – although I really didn’t try it in many real-world scenarios with a multitude of third-party apps that one would do typically.

The initial impressions were quite good and promising, but several budget smartphones with limited innards tend to have a performance decay after 6 months or so. I’ll delve on this more when I take the device for a spin for a longer period of time for the complete review.

The Redmi 5A is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery underneath, which is actually lesser than 3,120 mAh found on the Redmi 4A but sufficient for what should be a day long battery life.

Software

The Redmi 5A runs MIUI 9 which is based on Android 7.1 Nougat. There’s no word on the timeline for Android Oreo upgrade since Xiaomi prefers to maintain its own cycle of upgrades defined by MIUI versions. 

Editor’s Pick

What’s new in MIUI 9

While there’s a big camp of Android users that prefer stock Android experience, there are also fans of customized UI layers that several OEMs ship their phones with.

Xiaomi’s MIUI is one of the more popular …

While the Android skins are a matter of personal preference and several users prefers just stock Android, MIUI is fairly popular. MIUI 9 offers one of the more intuitive and functional UIs, and there are nifty utilities and tools that improve one’s overall Android experience.

Camera

In the photography department, the Redmi 4A offers a 13-megapixel rear snapper with f/2.2 aperture and phase-detection auto-focus (PDAF). On the front, there’s an improved 5-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture.

While I’ll reserve my judgement on the camera till the review, a few test shots in daylight came out quite well for a phone at this price. There’s nothing exceptional about the camera as per the initial testing, just that it is better than most of the competition so a fair win for Xiaomi in the segment.

Summary

The 2 GB + 16 GB variant of the Redmi 5A is priced at ₹4,999 ($78) while the 3 GB + 32 GB variant is priced at ₹6,999 ($109). The price of the lower spec’d variant is discounted for first million units, post which the price will be ₹5,999, but for those five million customers, it’s a steal, really.

The Redmi 5A is not an upgrade to the other budget smartphones by Xiaomi released this year, but a well-rounded budget smartphone at the moment that would expectedly sell quite well. It’s an affordable package that offers decent smartphone experience without too many compromises. You get what you pay for, right?

Homeland Security claims DJI drones are spying for China

A memo from the Los Angeles office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau (ICE) has been making the rounds and it states some pretty bold claims about drone-maker DJI. The memo, which was apparently issued in August, says that the officials assess “with moderate confidence that Chinese-based company DJI Science and Technology is providing US critical infrastructure and law enforcement data to the Chinese government.” The LA ICE office also says that the information is based on, “open source reporting and a reliable source within the unmanned aerial systems industry with first and secondhand access.”

Part of the memo focuses on targets that the LA ICE office believes to be of interest to DJI. “DJI’s criteria for selecting accounts to target appears to focus on the account holder’s ability to disrupt critical infrastructure,” it said. The memo goes on to say that DJI is particularly interested in infrastructure like railroads and utilities, companies that provide drinking water as well as weapon storage facilities. The LA ICE office concludes that it, “assesses with high confidence the critical infrastructure and law enforcement entities using DJI systems are collecting sensitive intelligence that the Chinese government could use to conduct physical or cyber attacks against the United States and its population.”

The accusation that DJI is using its drones to spy on the US and scope out particular facilities for the Chinese government seems pretty wacky and the company itself told the New York Times that the memo was “based on clearly false and misleading claims.”

But this isn’t the first time that the US government has butted heads with DJI. In August, a US Army memo directed its members to immediately stop using all DJI products due to cybersecurity concerns — something that the Australian Defense Force also did temporarily. Shortly thereafter, DJI released its Local Data Mode, which allows users to cut off drones from all internet activity. And there have been some legitimate security vulnerabilities brought up in regards to DJI’s systems. But the idea that one of DJI’s main goals is to spy on the US seems pretty absurd.

In a statement to the New York Times regarding the ICE memo, DJI said, “The allegations in the bulletin are so profoundly wrong as a factual matter that ICE should consider withdrawing it, or at least correcting its unsupportable assertions.”

Via: Gizmodo

Source: ICE

Philips’ first Roku TV is now available for $349

If you’ve been patiently waiting for the new Philips television set that comes with Roku built in, you’re in luck. The electronics giant announced that the 40-inch model from its new Roku TV 4000 series is available now at Sam’s Club. It will appear on the Sam’s Club website “soon.” Philips says that you’ll be able to get its 50-inch version in January at Walmart; it has not determined a date for the 43-inch model.

The new series of televisions will have inputs for over-the-air (OTA) antennas and more typical cable and game box connections. The sets run Roku’s OS 8, which includes a smart guide that can show OTA broadcast television alongside streaming content. Philips says that its Roku TVs offer more than 500,000 movies and television shows across more than 5,000 streaming channels. You can watch local antenna broadcasts from seven days in the past up to 14 days in the future, as well. Philips promises 1080p resolution, WiFi and surround sound on all three sets, which retail for $349 for the 40-inch, $379 for the 43-inch and $429 for the 50-inch version.

Noninvasive RFID tag measures your vital signs without body contact

Being able to carry out continuous monitoring of the body’s vital signs could be great for offering early warning about potential abnormalities. But for this kind of technology to ever become mainstream it’s necessary that it can be done in the most noninvasive way possible — meaning no mess of wires and electrodes. That’s something that researchers from Cornell University have been working on with a new project. They have created a new touch-free monitoring system that can keep tabs on a person’s heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing with nothing more invasive than a tiny RFID tag that could be placed on an item of clothing like a shirt pocket.

The technology was developed by Edwin Kan, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell University, and graduate student Xiaonan Hui. The method relies on radio waves and something called near-field coherent sensing. In the researchers’ demonstration, they were able to successfully pick up subjects’ heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing measures with a high degree of accuracy, using only a small antenna and RFID tag placed within 10 centimeters of the body, and an RFID reader located up to two meters away. “This method increases the sensitivity and the signal quality,” Xiaonan Hui told Digital Trends.

In the near term, the researchers are interested in using this technology in hospitals. In that situation, it could be employed to monitor large numbers of patients without having to hook them up to separate machines and devices for measurement. In a simulation carried out as part of their study, they showed that their system could detect up to 200 tags at once — all carried over the same wireless communication channel.

“There are several potential real-world applications for this, such as the next generation wearable devices, smart garments, healthcare monitoring, and clinical studies,” Hui continued. “The convenience and the high performance could be particularly helpful for smart garments. Imagine if your daily garments were able to gather your vital signs directly, and then report them straight to your cell phone.” (As part of the research, the RFID chip and antenna was shown to be so robust that it could be embroidered directly into fabric, and survive continuous washing.)

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature Electronics.

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‘Continue on PC’ feature could help Edge stand out in the mobile browser crowd

Microsoft officially made its flagship browser and Internet Explorer replacement, Edge, compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Although it faces stiff competition from the likes of Chrome and Safari, features that sync your device with your Windows PC may give it a boost in the ongoing mobile browser wars.

Though there may be plenty of alternative browsers on both Android and iOS, the default options of Chrome and Safari are near monopolies on their respective platforms. Edge is unlikely to change that dynamic, though Microsoft clearly hopes that its feature set will draw in some new users.

Along with expected features like favorites, reading lists, a new tab page, and reading view, Microsoft is also adding roaming passwords, so you can continue a browsing experience from PC to phone. If you save a password on your PC, you will be able to use that same login system on your mobile device, too.

In fact, the entire browsing experience can be interchangeable between the two platforms, so you can browse on your phone and then, as Microsoft puts it: “immediately open the page you’re looking at right on your PC — or save it to work on later.”

For those who like browsing late at night, Microsoft also introduced a new dark theme to the app.

However, this isn’t the end of Edge’s feature rollouts. Microsoft pledged to continue updating the application on all platforms, with plans for new feature reveals in the future. Microsoft is also actively seeking out feedback, especially when it comes to new feature ideas, as it is keen to hear what people want Edge on mobile to be capable of.

Those looking to get access to the new app can download it straight from the iOS App Store, or the Android Google Play Store. Supported languages at the time of launch include U.S. and U.K. English, French, and simplified Chinese on iOS, while the Android version enjoys support for the same, plus Canadian English/French, Australian English, and Indian English. Other languages and markets will be targeted over time.

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These ridiculously fun remote-control toys will make you feel like a kid again

First popularized by children, remote-control toys have gotten so technologically advanced that, these days, they are no longer just for kids. RC cars are still fun to use at any age, and drones can now do just about everything, whether you want to capture picturesque aerial shots for your Instagram or simply explore the skies from the ground below.

Cars and drones are just the beginning, however; there’s an absolutely massive range of toys and gadgets on the market that can be controlled remotely. To help you navigate this highly saturated category, we’ve put together (in no particular order) a roundup of the best remote-control toys known to man. Enjoy!

Parrot Jumping Sumo ($60)

Don’t let the name mislead you — Parrot’s Jumping Sumo is a zippy two-wheeler that can do big things with its little body. The RC device is quite agile, as it can cruise along at 4.5 miles per hour. The Sumo is also capable of performing 180-degree spins and, like the name implies, jumping more than two feet in a single bound. The Sumo also has an on-board camera and a USB port, which allow you to record and upload videos of your death-defying stunts via an accompanying mobile app.

Read more

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Orbotix Ollie ($60 – $100)

The Orbotix Ollie may seem rather limited, but the remote-controlled tube is capable of pulling off a variety of tricks at the push of a button. The Bluetooth-connected Ollie can go as fast as 14 mph, and run for an hour before needing to charge. It also features built-in LEDs, which allow it to race, spin, and flip at night.

Read more

Buy one now from:

Amazon Kohls

WowWee MiP ($50)

Standing 8-inches tall, the emotive MiP features LED eyes and two Segway-like wheels that allow it to zoom around while maintaining perfect balance. Perhaps the coolest aspect of MiP, though, is its IR sensors, which let you control robot the robot with hand motions. If that that’s too futuristic for you, however, you can also control MiP via a mobile app. The robot even features six programmed modes (Tricks, Track, Roam, Cave, Dance, and Stack), granting you access to more than 50 commands and a selection of ’70s-style disco tracks.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

iRobot Create 2 ($200)

Based on the Roomba robot vacuum, iRobot’s Create 2 is a must-have for robot enthusiasts. Why’s that? Well, the device features the same sensors and behaviors found on most Roomba models — minus the vacuum component — along with a handful of programmable elements that give you the means to customize the robot’s LED display, movements, and sounds. And since there are drill holes and mount brackets affixed to the shell, you can easily outfit the circular bot with accessories and hardware from iRobot’s store. It’s perfect for entry-level coders, or anyone involved with STEM programs (science, technology, engineering, and math) in or outside of school.

Buy one now from:

iRobot

Boosted 2 Dual+ ($1,500)

The Boosted 2 Dual+ isn’t exactly a toy; it’s an electric skateboard that can be controlled via a handheld remote. Thanks to dual, brushless motors and a set of lithium batteries, Boosted’s premium offering can go as fast as 22 mph and can travel for up to 14 miles on just a single charge. All of these features — plus the outstanding controls and superb build quality of the deck — render the Boosted 2 Dual+ ideal for commuting purposes. Just don’t expect to make it far once the battery dies.

Read our full Boosted 2 Dual+ review

Buy one now from:

Amazon Boosted

Traxxas R/C Funny Car ($120)

The Traxxas R/C Funny Car allows you to recreate the speed and fury of today’s modern drag races right in your driveway. All four iterations of the Funny Car are equipped with ET-3s brushless power systems, and because they were developed from full-size CAD drawings, the cars have tilt-up bodies and tube-style chassis. The advanced TQi 2.4 GHz remote features a variety of controls, too, so you can quickly adjust brake strength, steering, throttle sensitivity, and toggles for Burnout, Staging, and Race modes. There’s even a Launch Control switch, which makes it easier for you to hold the throttle down.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Nerf N-Strike Elite Terrascout Drone Blaster ($188)

The N-Strike Elite Terrascout Drone Blaster is built for stealth, as as such, it allows you to sneak up on people and fire covert shots from the next room over. It’s armed with a turret-style gun and a built-in camera, the latter of which lets you navigate and shoot from afar. The camera also records videos in 720p, so you can share your opponents’ priceless reactions on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

Buy one now from:

ToysRus

GMAXT S913 RC Truck ($71)

The GMAXT S913 truck can go up to 25 mph and maintain a smooth ride across sand, grass, and mud; thanks largely to its four-rod suspension system. The waterproof truck is also outfitted with a robust 380 RC motor, and can be used for up to 20 minutes on a single charge. The onboard, 2.4 GHz radio transmitter allows you to use the truck from up to 400 feet away, while the aptly-titled crawling feature gives you a quick means for conquering inclines and rough terrain. The truck’s ability to drift is just a plus.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Sphero BB-9E ($130)

With The Last Jedi just on the horizon, now is a good time to consider getting a BB-9E of your own. And while the retail version isn’t as industrious as the full-size model, this miniature robot still mimics the real BB-9E. Sphero’s iconic device can roll in any direction with ease, and features a magnetically-attached dome and the same blue-and-red LEDs from the film. The companion app allows you to run the First Order droid through several different custom animations, too, or move it via a digital trackpad. Best of all, you can use Sphero’s gesture-sensing Force Band to control BB-9E with a simple tilt of your wrist. Talk about being Force-sensitive…

Read more here

Buy one now from:

Macys Target

Yuneec Breeze ($330)

Drones come in all shapes and sizes, but what makes the Breeze stand out is its ultra-portable frame (among other things). You can literally throw the drone in a regular-sized backpack and go about your day, without it weighing you down or taking up a ton of space. The Breeze also touts an impressive camera: one that can capture 13-megapixel stills and 4k videos at 30 frames per second. It even lets you stream video from above using the drone’s smartphone-based piloting app. And with its low price point and suite of autonomous flight modes, the Breeze may be the best drone you can buy for less than $400.

Read our full Yuneec Breeze review

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Kamigami Lina Robot($50)

If you believe lady bugs are good luck, then the Kamigami Lina Robot is probably up your alley. It will resemble a small lady bug once constructed — or a rhinoceros beetle or scorpion, if you choose another model — and execute an assortment of tricks at the push of a button. The Kamigami can even learn how to dance and battle with other Kamigamis, or perform a variety of simple movements with a bit of coding. It’s biomimicry at its finest.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Best Buy

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Amazon designs a $250 A.I. camera to teach computer vision to developers

From Google to Snapchat, artificial intelligence is expanding the camera’s prowess and Amazon wants to give developers the chance to learn about deep learning and computer vision. On Wednesday, November 29, Amazon Web Services launched AWS DeepLens, a video camera designed to teach developers how to program A.I. functions from stylistic transfers to recognizing a hot dog.

DeepLens is less of a camera and more of a learning tool. The camera is pre-loaded with several different A.I. infrastructures and helps teach developers how to use the tech with AWS infrastructure inside their own apps. The camera comes with AWS Greengrass Core and a version of MXNet, while users can also add their own frameworks like TensorFlow.

The learning camera looks rather unlike other cameras on the market — instead, it more closely resembles an action camera mounted on top of an external hard drive. The camera component houses a 4-megapixel camera capable of shooting standard 1080p HD video while a 2D microphone system incorporates sound.

But of course, a 4-megapixel camera isn’t what the DeepLens is all about. The camera system uses an Intel Atom processor fast enough to run deep learning algorithms on 10 frames in one second. The 8 GB of memory houses both the pre-stored code along with custom algorithms. Wi-Fi also opens up the possibility of using cloud computing for algorithms too large to run on the internal hardware.

Using AWS DeepLens software and a computer, users can choose from project templates for a more guided learning experience or choose to design their own software from scratch. The templates or sample project walks developers through how the project works so they can build hands-on experience to integrate deep learning into their own projects.

Deep learning is a form of artificial intelligence that requires less developer supervision over more traditional A.I. The form of machine learning is commonly used for computer vision, or the ability to recognize objects or patterns in images.

The AWS DeepLens will start shipping in April for $250. While the camera is designed primarily for developers, the hands-on access could allow smaller app companies to integrate the advanced features.

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Smart wearables market keeps growing as Fitbit and Xiaomi lead the way

While smartphone sales continue to grow, the wearable segment of the market also seems to be on the rise. According to a report from market research firm IDC, the wearables market grew as much as 7.3 percent in the third quarter, thanks largely to the rise of so-called “smart wearables.”

What are smart wearables? Well, IDC defines them as devices that can run third-party apps, while devices that can’t are defined as “basic wearables.”

“The differing trajectories for both smart and basic wearables underscore the ongoing evolution for the wearables market,” said Ramon T. Llamas, research manager for IDC’s Wearables team, in a blog post.

The wearable market in general has had a bit of a bumpy ride over the past few years. When the market first emerged with devices like the Pebble and eventually the original Apple Watch, many hailed wearables as the next big wave of tech that was poised to eventually take over the smartphone as our main way of connecting with the digital world. These days, wearables are seen more as an extension of the smartphone, and while some wearables, like the new Apple Watch, are getting LTE connectivity, they’re still not really billed as stand-alone devices.

Still, the new figures are promising for wearables in general. Fitbit and Xiaomi both had excellent years, and both ended in a statistical tie for first place in the wearables market. That’s actually bad news for Fitbit, which posted a decline in shipments, despite launching its first smartwatch — the Fitbit Ionic. Fitbit and Xiaomi ended with 13.7 percent of the wearable market each.

Apple, on the other hand, did see some growth — thanks in large part  to the launch of the Apple Watch Series 3, which boasts LTE connectivity. Apple comes in with 10.3 percent of the wearable market.

Perhaps most interesting is Huawei, which is fourth on the list. The company posted massive 156.4 percent year-over-year growth, thanks to its slew of new fitness bands and its new smart hearables, the Sport Pulse Earphones, which both play audio and track heart rate. Most of Huawei’s wearables shipments took place in China, but we’ll very possibly see Huawei move beyond China and into other markets in the near future.

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New Lidar tech uses 128 lasers to help self-driving cars see in high resolution

When it comes to autonomous vehicles, Lidar is one of the (no pun intended) driving forces that help make it all possible. A laser-based surveying method, Lidar builds up a depth-based image of the world by shining out laser lights and then measuring how long it takes for the reflected pulse to be bounced back to the sensor.

Well, thanks to the work of pioneering company Velodyne, Lidar just got a whole lot better!

Unveiled this week, Velodyne’s new VLS-128 sensor set a new record by doubling the number of laser beams on its previous top-of-the-line Lidar system to a massive 128, while shrinking the overall size of the sensor by 70 percent. By doing so, the $70,000 system promises to bring a crazy new level of resolution to the myriad applications that call for Lidar technology — from helping cars drive autonomously to mapping sites from the air.

“A 360-degree Lidar sensor such as the VLS-128 is optimal for keeping drivers and passengers safe in all situations,” Anand Gopalan, chief technology officer at Velodyne, told Digital Trends. “It provides the clearest view of both stationary and moving objects on or around the road, and in any direction around the vehicle. In addition, Velodyne’s Lidar sensors are capable of producing up to 3 million data points per second, with a range of up to 300 meters and accuracy [of around] 3 [centimeters].”

As can be seen from the above image, the new VLS-128’s resolution is considerably better than its (already highly competent) predecessor. When you factor in faster scanning and better algorithms, it’s anywhere from three to 10 times better than existing technology. In terms of what this means for its use in the real world, Velodyne suggests that it will sideline other sensors, such as cameras and radars, that are used by current autonomous vehicles. While those other sensors will almost certainly stay a part of the next generation of self-driving cars, there’s a good chance that they will be relegated simply to acting as backup devices.

“We are ramping production up now, and we expect to start providing engineering samples to key customers by the end of the year,” Gopalan said. “Production will be fully ramped up in early 2018.”

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Drop some serious clues about gifts with Verizon and Spotify’s Holiday Hintlist

The gift giving season is now well and truly upon us, and so too is the delicate dance of suggesting exactly what your perfect holiday gift really is. After all, you’ve too much tact to be too up front about what’s on your wishlist, but at the same time, you don’t want to receive something you’ll never use. Luckily, there may be a tactful solution. Thanks to a new partnership between Verizon and Spotify, you may finally be able to get something you don’t want to return. It’s called the Verizon Holiday Hintlist, and it’s a pretty clever way to make a subtle suggestion.

The tool is said to empower gift givers and receivers alike with its “surprisingly specific, curated playlists that spell out what tech products [customers] want for the holidays,” a Verizon spokesperson told Digital Trends. Using the Holiday Hintlists is quite straightforward. You’ll need to head over to the specially dedicated website, and then select the gift you want (of course, they’re all from Verizon). The list spans smartphones, smartwatches, and connected home devices, including the  Samsung Galaxy S8, Google Home, UE Boom 2, Nest Learning Thermostat, Google Pixel 2, Moto Z2 Force, Fitbit Charge 2, Canary Flex security system, and Samsung Gear S3 Classic.

Once you’ve made your selection, you’ll be provided with a unique hintlist, which you can share on all your social channels. And if you’re not totally satisfied with the playlist, much like a gift, you can exchange it — there are apparently “hundreds of curated playlists” that can be used to drop hints about exactly what you want. New playlists will continue to be added throughout the last month of 2017, and feature songs with names like “Z2” and “Samsung S8,” so you can be particularly pointed about what it is that you want.

“The activation is based on the insight that millennials, who are obsessed with sharing music playlists, actually create and share more of them during the holiday season,” a Verizon spokesperson noted. So go ahead — whether you’re trying to say something meaningful, or just trying to say what you really want under the tree, say it with song.

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