New DisplayPort standard leverages USB Type-C's blazing speed

DisplayPort standards are one of those things most of us don't think about a whole lot, but are pretty important in terms of how our monitors connect to computers. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has published the latest version of the transfer protocol, about two years after the last. Whereas version 1.3 focused pretty heavily on 4K in 2014, 1.4 is more about providing lossless compression and further leveraging relatively new connection methods like USB Type-C.

So, here in 2016 what's new? How does displaying HDR and 8K video via the new USB format grab you? Specifically, 8Kp60Hz HDR with support for deep color and 4Kp120Hz with HDR and deep color. In English, that means DisplayPort will be able to handle an awful lot of information at once -- something most folks likely won't even be able to take advantage of for quite awhile. Unless you have one of Acer's fancy new monitors, that is.

Beyond that, VESA says that the new version of its Display Stream Compression (1.2 for those keeping track at home) is visually lossless now and there's bandwidth for 32 audio channels and ultra-high sampling rates. While this likely won't have too much of an impact on your living room where HDMI reigns supreme, VESA board member Alan Kobayashi says it should play a "vital" role in the growth of all those fancy automotive infotainment systems.

Windows 10 Started Showing Ads on LockScreen — Here's How to Turn It OFF

If you've upgraded your older version of Windows OS to an all new Windows 10 operating system then you may have noticed an advertisement appearing on your desktop or laptop’s lock screen over the past couple of days.

Yes, this is what Microsoft has chosen to generate revenue after offering Free Windows 10 Download to its users: Monetize the Lock Screen.

Thanks to Windows 10's new Spotlight feature that usually shows you clean and beautiful photographs and fun facts on your lock screen, but now started displaying advertisements to over 200 Million devices running Windows 10.

Some Windows 10 users have reported seeing ads for Rise of the Tomb Raider with links to Windows Store from where users can purchase the video game. Microsoft started selling the game last month.

Although the ads are not as annoying as the Windows 10 privacy concerns related to the way Microsoft collects your personal data, the good news is that you can turn the ads OFF.

Here's How to Turn the Ads OFF

The advertisements are because of the Windows Spotlight feature in your Personalization settings.

If you don't want to see these intrusive ads, follow the steps given below to disable Windows Spotlight:

• Open the Start Menu and look for 'Lock Screen Settings.'
• Under 'Background,' Choose either 'Picture' or 'Slideshow,' instead of Windows Spotlight.
• Now, Scroll down to 'Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen' and uncheck this box.

The advertisements are turned ON for your lock screen by default, which is definitely a clever way to offer companies to reach their customers, without mentioning the word 'advertisements' to the Windows users.

As I previously said: Nothing comes for Free, as "Free" is just a relative term. Everything comes with its own price.

As warned last year, Microsoft also started pushing Windows 10 upgrades onto its user's computers much harder by re-categorizing Windows 10 as a "Recommended Update" in Windows Update, instead of an "optional update."

Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge arrive on March 11th

Samsung really, really doesn't want you to wait long to get your hands on aGalaxy S7. The company has announced that both the S7 and the S7 Edge will arrive in Europe and the US on March 11th, with pre-orders starting as early as February 23rd. In the US, the biggest four carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) will offer the S7 starting at $23 per month on an installment plan, and the S7 Edge for $27 per month. How much you pay depends on the network, of course, but there's an important note here: unlike the S6, there's only one 32GB capacity available for either S7 model. You'll have to spring for a microSD card if you need more storage.

The perks you get vary by the carrier, as well. AT&T's big deal is DirecTVintegration, which lets you both watch live TV and remotely control your set-top from your phone. Sprint, meanwhile, has a new Galaxy Forever program that (much like iPhone Forever) lets you upgrade to a new device after you've made a year's worth of payments. T-Mobile is tossing in a year's worth of Netflix, and Verizon will give you 2GB of extra data per month if you activate your phone on Plan XL service. And as Samsung mentioned during its keynote, pre-order customers get a free Gear VR headset -- if you're willing to pay full price for an S7, you won't be hurting for bonuses.

Update: And Oculus is promising a VR content bundle. Contents vary depending on carrier, but it says it'll total a value of $50. Enough to get some sort of VR habit going

source : engadget

World's Cheapest Phone - Freedom ₹ 251

The Freedom 251, complies with government's Make in India program. Freedom 251 is priced at just Rs. 251 (approximately $4), making it arguably the cheapest smartphone in the world.

The smartphone's design looks like it's been borrowed from the iPhone 6s, with similar rounded edges, a round button and the silver ring around it. 

The phone's back panel features its name and a reminder of where the phone was made. Hint: It's not China.

Freedom 251 sports a 4-inch IPS display. It is powered by a quad-core SoC clocked at 1.3GHz, coupled with 1GB of RAM.

The smartphone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop but the icons on the home screen make it look like the phone runs iOS. The browser icon looks like that of Safari, and icons for apps such as Calculator, Clock, Music, Gallery, Email, among others resemble iOS icons.

The smartphone has a removable battery and bundles in a pair of earphones as well.

The Freedom 251 comes with 8GB of inbuilt storage, which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 32GB).

The Freedom 251 smartphone ships with a number of apps pre-installed on it like Women Safety, Swachh Bharat, WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube.

The Freedom 251 smartphone ships with a number of apps pre-installed on it like Women Safety, Swachh Bharat, WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube.

Its home screen also has a dock for icons at the bottom, much like iOS. The app drawer button makes it easy to tell that the phone runs Android.

Freedom 251 includes a 3.2-megapixel rear camera, a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 3G support.

The iPhone likeness appears to extend to the Freedom 251's side buttons. Apart from volume buttons, it appears to have a ringer/silent mode button lookalike.

The base of Freedom 251 has the speaker grille and the mic, and its charging port is at the top.

The lock screen appears to be devoid of much customisation.

Freedom 251 will be available in June 2016, according to the company. With its low price point, the little known smartphone maker from Noida is aiming to make the smartphone accessible to everyone.

Display

4.00-inch

Processor

1.3GHz

Front Camera

 0.3-megapixel

Resolution

 540x960 pixels

RAM

 1GB

OS

 Android 5.1

Storage

8GB

Rear Camera

3.2-megapixel

Battery capacity

1450mAh

TSMC beats Samsung to manufacture A10 processors for iPhone 7

According to reports, TSMC will be the sole manufacturer of the iPhone 7 processor. The company will start manufacturing processors by June 2016 and the iPhone 7 is expected to launch in September 2016.

As per a recent report by South-Korean news outlet- The Electronic Times, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is going to be manufacturing processors for the next Apple iPhone - The iPhone 7. According to the report TSMC and Apple have already signed a deal, making TSMC the sole manufacturer of iPhone 7's chipset, which may be termed the A10.
Earlier, both Samsung and TSMC were responsible for building processors for the iPhone. TSMC had also manufactured the A8 chipset found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The year that followed, saw Samsung share the responsibility for manufacturing the A9 chipsets for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Now, TSMC is expected to go into full scale production for the next-generation iPhone 7 processor by June 2016. The iPhone 7 is expected to be revealed in September 2016. According to rumours, the iPhone 7 may not have a headphone jack and may also be missing the home button. It is also expected that the iPhone 7 may feature. But, these rumours are very typical in nature and many more are expected to surface before the final launch of the iPhone 7. Stay tuned to Digit for more news and updates on the upcoming iPhone 7.

Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge say hello in leaked photos

We're in prime flagship leak season since Mobile World Congress is just a few weeks away, and we might have just gotten our first in-the-wild looks at Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. If this pace keeps up, we could all the most important details down before Samsung's February 21st press bonanza in Barcelona.

Let's start from the back. The first photo -- obtained by ReviewDao.vn -- doesn't offer the most tantalizing view of Samsung's new S7, but it does seem to validate a handful of reports that have made the rounds these past few weeks. Consider that camera, for instance — while we can't tell if Samsung actually swapped the S6's 16-megapixel sensor for a 12-megapixel affair, the hump that houses the lens is much slimmer than it used to be. Moreover, the photo matches up pretty nicely with a render shared by noted leaker/VentureBeat writer Evan Blass, while the curvy back (which should house a bigger battery than in last year's model) syncs up with previously leaked CAD diagrams.

Meanwhile, a separate photo of what appears to be the Galaxy S7 Edge came from China and shows off the device's trademark curved display.Weibo user JKwan managed to get the device running a benchmarking app that identifies the phone as an SM-G9350, a model number that was tied to the S7 Edge when it passed through China's Compulsory Certification organization. Really though, none of us should be surprised that Samsung has a new Edge to go with the regular S7; the company underestimated demand for the S6 Edge last year, and it even accidentally confirmed the phone's existence on its own site. Juicy details like the phones' chipsets and pressure-sensitive screen have yet to be full-on confirmed, but with any luck, we'll learn plenty before we even fly off to sunny España.

Source : Engadget

Google is giving away 2GB of free Drive storage today

Google is giving away 2GB of Drive space today. In what's become an annual tradition, Google is again offering free Google Drive storage space to users who go through a brief account security checkup. The checkup will take less than a minute to review things like your two-step verification settings, account recovery information, and which apps have access to your Google account. Once you're done you'll be rewarded with 2GB of permanent Drive space.

Google ran a similar promotion last year, but you'll still get 2GB of space even if you claimed it last time. Often times these type of promotions expire after a year, so it's nice to see Google not place any limits on the bonus storage. The free offer coincides with Safer Internet Day 2016, which is meant to promote safe and secure usage of technology and smartphones. To claim your free 2GB of Google Drive space just visit Google's account security checkup and step through the various checks.

• SOURCEGOOGLE SECURITY CHECKUP