Syanptics at Computex 2016, announced a USB dongle that enables fingerprint authentication on any notebook PC. Synaptics calls it “Turnkey USB Fingerprint Solution” and says that it
is an inexpensive alternative for notebook/PCs that lack lintegrated biometric
sensors. It is based on the company's Natural ID technology that relies on capacitive touch sensing and SentryPoint security feature. The USB dongle is small enough to be easily installed and remains unobtrusive in any notebooks/PCs USB port, so that users will not have to carry it separately. It is certified by FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) and is compatible with Windows Hello and Microsoft Passport. Sypnaptics will offer the USB fingerprint scanner to partners, which will be able to either bundle them with their PCs or resell the to interested parties under their brands. The company plans to sample the product in Q3 2016 and start selling the in Q4 2016. Pricing is not yet known. Via
AMD at Computex 2016, Taipei introduced an affordable VR-capable Radeon RX 480 graphics card, which it claims to be the 'world's most affordable solution for premium PC VR experiences", delivering VR capability common in $500 GPUs. The Radeon RX 480 is prices start at $199 for the 4GB edition (8GB also available), and will be available from June 29. The Radeon RX 480 graphics card will be based on AMD's Polaris architecture to deliver premium VR capability with low power consumption. AMD said that the Radeon RX series efficiency is driven by major architectural improvements and the industry's first 14nm FinFET process technology for discrete GPUs. It supports AMD FreeSync and HDR video via DisplayPort 1.3/1.4, HDMI 2.0b and has an average power draw of just 150W. AMD expects the PC VR technology demand to grow in education, entertainment and productivity area. With the new PC VR enabled Polaris architecture-based graphics cards, AMD aims to accelerate the pace of the VR ecosystem, enabling OEMs to build affordable priced VR-ready desktops and notebooks targeted at developing market. Source | Via
SanDisk at Computex 2016, has announced Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C, a OTG flash drive with retractable design, letting users to transfer content between their smartphones and USB-C devices on the go. The flash drive comes with USB Type-C connector on one side and USB 3.1 (Type-A) connector on the other side for easy file transfer between smartphones, tablets and PCs. The SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Type-C Flash Drive is available in 4 capacities – 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, and offers read speed of up to 150MB/s (130MB/s for 16GB). The OTG flash drive is priced at $19.99 (Rs. 1,345) for 16GB capacity, $29.99 (Rs. 2,000) for the 32GB, $39.99 (Rs. 2,700) for the 64GB and $69.99 (Rs. 4,700) for the 128GB capacity. They are backed by five-year warranty and will be available via Amazon and other leading retailers worldwide.
Dell has announced new line of Inspiron series convertible laptops that includes Inspiron 11 3000, Inspiron 5000 and Inspiron 7000. The new Dell Inspiron convertibles come with 360 degree hinges so that you can fold the screen all the way back and use it as a laptop. They come with touch screen display and run Windows 10 OS. For the first time Dell is offering a 17-inch display model of the convertible. This is part of the Inspiron 7000 series, which also includes 11.6-inch, 13.3-inch and 15-inch models as well. They offer Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution and are powered by Intel Skylake processor (6th-gen i3, i5, i7). Other features include Infrared camera (for Windows Hello login), USB Type-C port, USB 3.0 ports and backlit keyboard. They include SSD and Waves MaxxAudio Pro audio software. The prices start at $749 and will be available June 2. The Inspiron 5000 series gets two new models, one with 13-inch and the other with 15-inch display. Both offer Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution, Intel Skylake processor, infrared camera (for Windows Hello login), SSD, and up to 16GB DDR4 RAM. Prices start at $529 and will be available from June 2. The 11-inch Inspiron 3000 sports a 1366 x 768 resolution display and can be confirgured with up to Intel Core m3 processor and includes USB 3.0 port, micro SD card slot and SSD (capacity not mentioned). The prices start at $249 and the availability date is June 2. Via
Qualcomm has announced its latest processor for the wearable segment – the Snapdragon Wear 1100, aimed at targeted-purpose wearable segments including kids & elderly like watches, fitness tracker, smart headsets and wearable accessories. The Snapdragon Wear 1100 comes with low power features such as Power Save Mode (PSM), industry leading compact packages and next gen Cat 1 modem with LTE/3G global band support. The SoC also features Qualcomm iZat integrated location engine, WiFi and Bluetooth. For security the SoC comes integrated with hardware cryptographic engine, HW random number
generator, and TrustZone. Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon Wear 1100 is designed for next generation wearables where consumers are demanding wearable devices with smaller size, longer battery life, smart sensing, secure location and an always connected experience. The Snapdragon Wear 1100 is now commercially available and shipping. Source
Asus at its Zenvolution event at Computex 2016 introduced its latest robotic computing innovation dubbed Zenbo, a voice activated home robot designed to provide assistance, entertainment and companionship and to attend to needs of each family member. The robot is capable of moving around independently and can understand spoken commands as well. It also offers specific functionality for senior family members to safeguard their health. It has a screen and built-in camera. As a home assistant, Zenbo, provides spoken notification for appointments, medication, exercise schedules and more. It also monitors home emergency situations such as accidents and is able to notify specified member of the family on their smartphones immediately about the same, and the specified member will be able to remotely control the robot to move it around and use its built-in camera, to visually check on their family. The robot can also make video calls, check social media, help with shopping and stream movies and TV shows. Zenbo also works as a companion for children, as it can play music, dance, and tell bedtime stories from the built-in library in a variety of voices, and display accompanying images on the screen and control room lighting as well. It also comes with educational games and interactive encyclopedia. In addition to working with seniors and kids, Zenbo helps in household activities such as control devices like lights, TVs, ACs, and can be used as home security to unlock the door after you have authorized the robot. It can also perform kitchen activities such as read out recipes and function as voice controlled timer. Asus has also announced Zenbo Developer Program which offers members access to Zenbo SDK to further improve the functioning of the robot. The Asus Zenbo is priced at $599 (Rs. 40,000), and the availability details is yet to be known.
Asus at its Zenvolution event at Computex 2016 in Taiwan has lifted the covers of their new Transformer series 2-in-1 tablets by announcing the Transformer 3, Transformer 3 Pro and Transformer Mini. They run Windows 10 OS and come with detachable keyboard (w/ kickstand) that can be attached to the tablets for laptop experience. Asus Transformer 3 the Asus Transformer 3 is an ultra-slim and compact 2-in-1 with diamont cut edges and metal-finish, that measures 6.9mm thin and weighs 695g. The Transformer 3 comes with 12.6-inch with 2880 x 1920 resolution and is powered by 7th gen Intel Core processor and can be configured with up to 512GB SSD and up to 8GB RAM. Other features include 13MP camera, 4 x Harman Kardon speakers, USB Type-C & Thunderbolt 3 port which supports dual external 4K UHD display and fingerprint scanner (supports Windows Hello). Asus Transformer 3 Pro The Asus Transformer 3 Pro flaunts a 12.6-inch display with 2880 x 1920 resolution and is powered by Intel Core i7 processor and can be configured with up to 1TB SSD and up to 16GB RAM. It comes with USB Type-C port, Thunderbolt 3 port (support for dual external 4K UHD display), USB 3.0 port, HDMI port, 13MP rear camera, fingerprint scanner and Harman Kardon stereo speakers. It is 8.35mm thin Asus Transformer Mini Asus says that the Transformer Mini is the world's lightest 2-in-1 tablet, weighing in at 530g (790g with keyboard attached). It sports a premium magnesium-aluminum alloy body that's 8.2mm thin and flaunts a 10.1-inch display. It comes with a USB port, fingerprint scanner (w/ Windows Hello
support), 802.11ac WiFi and offers up to 11 hours of battery life. Asus has not provided the processor, RAM and storage configurations.
Asus also announced accessories that will support Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro, that includes Asus Pen, Asus Universal Dock (USB-C 3.1, USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, RJ45 LAN ports & SD card reader), Asus Audio Pod (4 x speakers that delivers 360 degree virtual 5.1 channel surround sound) and ROG XG Station 2 (external graphic dock for Transformer 3 Pro, for VR-ready experience). The Asus Transformer 3 Pro is priced at $999, while the Transformer 3 is bit more affordable at $799 (Rs. 54,000). The pricing of Transformer Mini is not yet known.
ARM at Computex 2016 has announced their new mobile and graphic processor technologies, the Cortex A73 CPU and Mali G71 GPU, designed for flagship devices of 2017. Both the CPU and GPU will enable next gen flagship device capable of delivering VR and AR experience and run 4K contents as well. The Cortex-A73 is built using 10nm process using FinFET technology, that allows the chip to measure less than .65 square mm. It is claimed to be 30 percent faster than the A72, offering 30 percent increase in performance. The Mali-G71 GPU uses the new GPU architecture called Biforst with up to 32shader cores and is Vulkan optimized. It promises 50 percent increase in graphics performance and 20 percent increase in power-efficiency than the Mali T-880 GPU. It supports 4K resolution with refresh rate of up to 120Hz and alatency of 4ms. ARM said that over 10 partners including HiSilicon, Marvell and MediaTek have licensed the Cortex A73, while the Mali-G71 GPU has been licensed by HiSilicon, MediaTek and Samsung. (Source | Via) Highlights of ARM Cortex A73 CPU and Mali-G71 CPU
ARM premium IP will redefine virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences on 2017 flagship mobile devices
The ARM Mali G71 graphics processor offers advanced efficiency and performance gains from the new Bifrost architecture
The ARM Cortex-A73 addresses the most demanding use cases with impressive increases in sustained performance and efficiency
Products are optimized for the latest 10nm FinFET process technology.
Asus at the ongoing Computex event in Taipei, has introduced the next-gen ZenBook 3 Windows 10 laptop. The laptop's ultra-thin 11.9mm chassis is crafted from aerospace-grade aluminum allow, which is 50 percent stronger that the standard alloy used in laptops. The Asus ZenBook 3 comes with 12.5-inch Full HD edge-to-edge display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection, and can be configured with up to Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage. Other features include fingerprint scanner with Windows Hello support for quick log in, 4 x Harman Kardon speakers and reversible USB Type-C port. The ZenBook 3 houses an innovative cooling system that features the world's slimmest fan design at 3mm. The laptop also features a full-size backlit keyboard and a glass-covered precision touchpad that incorporates palm-rejection technology, Smart Gestures and handwriting support. It provides up to nine hours of battery life and supports fast charging, that can charge the laptop up to 60 percent in just 49 minutes. Pricing of ZenBook 3 (Royal Blue, Rose Gold & Quartz Gray color options) Core i5 + 4GB RAM + 256 SSD – $999 (Rs. 67,200) Core i7 + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD – $ 1,499 (Rs. 1,00,000) Core i7 + 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD –$1999 (Rs. 1,34,500)
Asus at its Zenvolution event at Computex 2016, Taiwn, unveled the third generation of ZenFone series smartphone. The ZenFone 3 family includes ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe and ZenFone 3 Ultra. Asus claims that the ZenFone 3 Deluxe and Ultra are the world's first full-metal smartphones with visible antenna lines. All ZenFone 3 smartphones run Android Marshmallow with ZenUI 3.0 top and are equipped with Fingerprint scanner for security. Asus ZenFone 3 The Asus ZenFone 3 features 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) Super IPS+ display with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and is powered by 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor with Adreno 506 GPU. It comes with up to 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. There is Hybrid dual-SIM slot, which means the second SIM slot can be used as microSD card slot. For photography it gets 16-megapixel SONY IX318 rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, dual-tone LED flash and ASUS TriTech autofocus, which automatically selects laser, phase detection and continuous autofocus to achieve fast focus in just 0.03 seconds. For clicking selfies and video calling you get 8-megapixel front snapper. Connectivity duties are handled by 4G LTE w/ VoLTE, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and USB Type-C. It is fueled by 3000mAh battery. Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe The Asus ZenFone Deluxe sports a 5.7-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) Super AMOLED display and is powered by Quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor backed by Adreno 530 GPU and 6GB RAM. It comes in three storage variants, 64GB/128GB/256GB. It sports a five-magnet speaker with NXP smart amplifier and Hi-Res audio, supports 4G LTE, USB Type-C connectivity and is backed by 3000mAh battery, with Quick Charge 3.0 support. The camera department gets 23-megapixel Sony IMX318 rear camera w/ dual-tone LED flash, f/2.0 aperture and PixelMaster 3.0 technology. For slow 4K video recording, it features 4-axis optical image stabilization and 3-axis electronic image stabilization. It also boasts Asus' Tri-Tech autofocus system with laser, phase detection and continuous autofocus for accurately and quickly locking the focus on the subject. Front facing camera is 8-megapixel. Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra The Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra flaunts a phablet grade 6.8-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) pixels display and is powered by octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor paired with Adreno 510 GPU and 4GB RAM, along with 64GB or 128GB internal storage options. It gets 23-megapixel Sony IMX318 rear camera with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture and Asus TriTech auto-focus. It supports 4G LTE, USB Type-C connectivity and is backed by 4600mAh battery which supports Quick Charge 3.0 tech and also works as a power bank for other devices. Asus says the ZenFone 3 is the world's first smartphone with a headphone jack that supports 7.1 channel DTS surround audio and a 4K TV-grade processor, and offers Asus Tru2Life+ video enhancement software to optimize video for contrast clarity and smoothness. The Asus ZenFone prices start at $249 (Rs. 16,750) for the 3GB RAM / 32GB storage model. The ZenFone 3 Delux prices start at $499 (Rs. 33,600) for 6GB RAM / 64GB storage, while the ZenFone 3 Ultra will be available at starting price of $479 (Rs. 33,250)
