Sunday, 1 April 2018

New phones of the week - yet another big week

Last week was huge in terms of phone announcements, bringing us 16 new devices, including some high-flyers like the Oppo R15 and vivo X21. This week couldn't match the sheer number, but it more than made up for that with quality. The first device announced this past week wasn't a phone but the Acer Chromebook Tab 10. It went live on Monday along with the 25MP selfie cam Oppo F7. Tuesday was the biggest day in terms of announcements. Apple revamped its entry-level iPad but the spotlight belonged to Xiaomi and Huawei. Xiaomi unwrapped the Mi Mix 2S with a new dual camera and...



from GSMArena.com - Latest articles https://www.gsmarena.com/new_phones_of_the_week__yet_another_big_week-news-30336.php

Tesla says Autopilot was on but ignored in the fatal Model X crash

It's not been the best of times lately for self-driving car technology, with one of Uber's autonomous vehicles fatally injuring a pedestrian crossing the road in Arizona, and a Tesla Model X involved in another smash in California in which the driver was killed.

Now Tesla has revealed some of the details of the California incident, saying that its Autopilot self-driving technology was activated at the time of the crash. However, the company also says certain warnings were ignored by the driver just before the Model X collided with a concrete barrier.

Autopilot can brake, accelerate, and steer, but it's classed as an assistive technology at the moment, rather than a full autonomous mode – which hasn't yet been legalized. The Model X driver ignored instructions to take control of the wheel, it would seem.

Crash logs

"The driver had received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive and the driver's hands were not detected on the wheel for six seconds prior to the collision," Tesla says in an update.

"The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken." Apparently the crash barrier had already been hit in a previous incident, and not repaired in the meantime, leading to more damage for the Tesla car.

Tesla is once again emphasizing that while Autopilot can't prevent every crash, it should make the roads safer for everyone overall. Drivers must be prepared to take control back from Autopilot at any moment though, the company reiterated.



from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/tesla-says-autopilot-was-on-but-ignored-in-the-fatal-model-x-crash

Weekly poll: is the Huawei P20 Pro the flagship you wanted?

We're starting to understand why marketing departments love huge numbers they can push. "What's that, Samsung and Apple? Your camera shoots only 12MP photos? How quaint!" When you have the only 40MP camera on the market like the Huawei P20 Pro has, the ad basically writes itself. You can take a gander at the camera samples we took - both in the native 40MP mode and the 10MP supersampled mode. One is great during the day, the other does its magic at night. What do you think? DxO loves it. We have to say that the hybrid zoom was quite impressive. It's a combo of the 3x telephoto lens (8MP...



from GSMArena.com - Latest articles https://www.gsmarena.com/weekly_poll_is_the_huawei_p20_pro_the_flagship_you_wanted-news-30356.php

iPad 2018 now available in the UAE

Sunday debate: What matters more - performance or camera

This week we discuss which phone would you pick if you had to choose between one that is faster and the other that takes better photos. And yes, we know ideally you'd have both, but each manufacturer prioritizes different things when designing their phones so normally you have to pick your priorities too. Victor: Invest in the performance you need now, so you don't start hating the experience later. First, let's get one thing straight here - a good camera experience is very important on a modern smartphone. It's the device that you are most likely to have at hand at all times...



from GSMArena.com - Latest articles https://www.gsmarena.com/sunday_debate_what_matters_more__performance_or_camera-news-30349.php

Samsung launches the Notebook 5 and Notebook 3 for "everyday premium" computing

Samsung has a couple of new mid-range Windows 10 laptops for your consideration, to sit alongside the Notebook 7 Spin and the Notebook 9 in its portfolio. While they won't break any performance records, they'll see you right for "everyday computing" and "casual gaming", Samsung says.

You can pick up the Notebook 3 with a 14-inch or 15.6-inch screen, while the Notebook 5 sticks with just a 15.6-inch screen. That's with a 720p resolution on the small display and a 1080p on the larger one (the 15.6-inch Notebook 3 lets you choose).

Under the hood you've got your choice of 8th or 7th generation Intel processors – you can go right up to an Intel i7 with discrete Nvidia MX110 or Nvidia MX150 graphics, so it is possible to trick these laptops out to a fairly advanced spec if you want to. As yet the RAM and storage options haven't been announced.

Room for your fingers

Design-wise, Samsung has gone for a familiar, simple but stylish approach. You do get a full-sized keyboard, complete with number pad, on these laptops – so they'd suit someone who has to chew through spreadsheets, type lengthy documents, or do anything else that requires a lot of keyboard work.

If you don't need the latest and greatest specs – particularly in terms of screen resolution – then these laptops should do the job for you. As yet we don't have any details on price though, so it's hard to weigh them up against their rivals.

Samsung says the Notebook 3 and Notebook 5 models are going on sale in South Korea and other "select countries" this month, with wider availability in the second quarter of the year. The Notebook 3 comes in Misty Gray, Night Charcoal, Deep Peach, or Pure White, while the Notebook 5 sticks to Light Titan.



from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/samsung-launches-the-notebook-5-and-notebook-3-for-everyday-premium-computing

Weekly poll results: it's a tie! Huawei P20 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 2s loved equally

Well, we did not expect that - when we asked if you're more interested in the Huawei P20 Pro or the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s, we thought that surely one of the two will prevail. Sure, we asked a couple of days before the phones went official, but there we extensive leaks. Plus, the phones were unveiled this Tuesday, so you had plenty of time to change your mind. However, the phones remained of absolute even popularity - when we stopped the poll, the difference in votes was less than 10. That's good news, we think. The Huawei P20 Pro is a camera monster with a notched screen and a hefty price...



from GSMArena.com - Latest articles https://www.gsmarena.com/weekly_poll_results_its_a_tie_huawei_p20_pro_and_xiaomi_mi_2s_loved_equally-news-30353.php