Knowledge Update

​New York, Jan 10 (IANS) Social media giant Facebook is planning to show ads in the middle of videos and share the revenue generated with the publishers -- giving them 55 per cent of the sales -- media reported. "The company is testing a new 'mid-roll' ad format which will give video publishers a chance to insert ads into their clips after people have watched them for at least 20 seconds," Re/Code reported on Tuesday. The ads can also pop up on videos that run for atleast 90 seconds. The new format suggests that the social networking giant is relatively giving more importance to the time people spend watching videos, rather than the total number of videos they watch. To give users even more ways to watch, Facebook last year rolled out the ability to stream videos from the social network to your TV through devices like Apple TV or Google Chromecast.

​New York, Jan 9 (IANS) At Macworld 2007 in San Francisco, Steve Jobs introduced the world to iPhone as three products in one -- a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough internet communications device. January 9 marks the tenth anniversary of Apple's iPhone. In the 10 years since, iPhone has enriched the lives of people around the world with over one billion units sold. It quickly grew into a revolutionary platform for hardware, software and services integration and inspired new products, including iPad and Apple Watch, along with millions of apps that have become essential to people's daily lives. "iPhone is an essential part of our customers' lives and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work and live," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. Last year, the company introduced iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that came with A10 Fusion chip, most powerful chip ever in a smartphone, with processing performance 120 times faster and the graphics performance 240 times faster in iPhone 7 than the original iPhone. The smartphone sports a 12MP lens, optical image stabilisation, an f/1.8 aperture that captures 50 per cent more light as well as wide colour capture, all allowing for more vibrant colours with more detail even in low light, while iPhone 7 Plus also offers a dual-lens. iOS 10 was the biggest iOS release ever, with innovations including -- bringing the power of the App Store to Messages, a Memories feature in Photos, SiriKit for developers so apps can talk to Siri, an improved Maps app that is even simpler and more intuitive to use, support for breaking news notifications and paid subscriptions in the News app. "iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come," Cook added.

​New York, Jan 7 (IANS) For the first time, social media giant Facebook and its photo-sharing service Instagram will showcase videos and photos from the red carpet as well as from backstage during the 74th Golden Globe Awards 2017. In a partnership with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), Facebook will let fans watch full 360-degree videos of celebrities' red-carpet experience while Instagram is teaming up with fashion photography duo Mert and Marcus to shoot the action backstage as the Golden Globe Awards goes live from California on January 8 (4:30 am India time on Monday). "The goal is to make Facebook and Instagram go-to hubs for video and other content from the Golden Globes and celebrities -- and further the company's broader aims of boosting user engagement and growth on both platforms," a report in Variety said on Friday. Twitter has also partnered with HFPA to host a live-stream of the red carpet at goldenglobes.twitter.com. The collaboration comes after Facebook served as an exclusive streaming platform for the 2017 Golden Globes nominations. Instagram will post photos from the show exclusively to the Golden Globes' account on Instagram throughout the event. "Instagram is also curating an exclusive video experience on the app's "explore" tab that will go live on January 8. Throughout the day, the Golden Globes channel will present exclusive video content from celebrities, media personalities and industry insiders," the report added.

​Las Vegas, Jan 6 (IANS) ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) on Friday unveiled its latest lineup of gaming gear at the ongoing Consumer Electronic Show (CES 2017) in Las Vegas. The Taiwan-based computer hardware company also introduced a router designed specifically for gamers, Rapture GT-AC5300, at the event. The 2017 gaming-gear lineup includes -- GX800VH, G701, G752, GL502, GL702, GL553 and GL753 gaming laptops, and GT51CH, GD30, G20CI and GR8 II gaming desktops. Featuring tri-band Wi-Fi, eight-port gigabit-LAN, 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, GT-AC5300 enables fast and responsive network gaming, the company said in a statement. GX800VH is the world's first gaming laptop with an 18-inch panel and NVIDIA G-SYNC technology for real 4K UHD gaming visuals. It also has the MechTAG mechanical-switch keyboard, which features anti-ghosting with 30-key rollover, and customisable ROG Aura RGB LED effects for each key. G701 boasts HyperDrive RAID 0, NVMe and PCIe technologies for blazing-fast storage speeds, and a 120Hz panel with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. G752 is driven by Intel Core i7 processor and a VR-ready NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU. GL502 and GL702 are compact and potent gaming laptops that offer good performance, with up to Intel 7th Generation processors, VR-ready NVIDIA GeForce GTX1070/1060 GPUs, 120Hz NVIDIA G-SYNC panels, and backlit anti-ghosting keyboards with 30-key rollover. GT51CH is an powerful gaming desktop PC featuring an overclocked 4.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700K processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 2-way SLI graphics, and 64GB of RAM. G20CI is a small-form-factor gaming PC, housed in a compact 9.5-litre chassis, runs whisper-quiet at just 22dB at idle and has an efficient heat-management system, including two internal fans and copper pipes to dissipate heat. GD30 has a customisable design featuring interchangeable black and white front panels and is powered by 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics. GR8 II is the smallest gaming PC built for VR, has ASUS-customised NVIDIA GeForce 1060 GPU, 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, and 32GB of RAM.

​Las Vegas, Jan 6 (IANS) In its bid to redefine personal computing, US-based computer technology company Dell has launched new products at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017) here. The new products include Dell Canvas, XPS 13 2-in-1, XPS 27 AIO, Precision 7720 mobile workstation, UltraSharp 32 Ultra HD 8K monitor and 12-inch Latitude 7285 2-in-1 notebook. Dell Canvas is a 27-inch QHD smart workspace of its kind with touch, totem and pen capabilities that can be used at an angle or flat on a desk so professionals can create, communicate and express their thoughts and ideas as naturally as they do with pen on paper. Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 offers a 360-degree hinge for multiple productivity and viewing options using Continuum, up to 15 hours of battery life and a QHD+ (5.7M pixels) InfinityEdge touch display. XPS 27 AIO features 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) edge-to-edge touch display supporting 100 per cent Adobe RGB colour gamut, comes with Intel Xeon processors, AMD Radeon Pro graphics capable of powering VR. Dell Precision 7720 mobile workstation is the company's first VR-ready mobile workstation designed specifically for VR content creation. The workstation is powered by latest 7th Gen Intel Core, Intel Xeon processors and NVIDIA Pascal Quadro professional graphics. Dell UltraSharp 32 Ultra HD 8K monitor is the world's first 32-inch 8K resolution display. It has more than one billion colors, 33.2M pixels of resolution, 100 per cent Adobe RGB and sRGB colour gamut and has 280 ppi. Dell will deliver a true wireless experience by incorporating WiTricity magnetic resonance wireless charging technology in the 12-inch Latitude 7285 2-in-1, which will be available later this year. When combined with a charging mat and WiGig wireless dock, users can take the Latitude 2-in-1 with them without disengaging any wires or a physical dock. And when they return to their desk and set the 2-in-1 on the charging mat, it begins charging, automatically reconnects to the WiGig dock and content appears on the external display, the company said.

Las Vegas, Jan 6 (IANS) Chinese technology company Xiaomi started its Consumer Electronics Show (CES) debut here on Thursday with an announcement of Mi TV 4 with a 4.9mm ultra-thin frameless metal body. The 65-inch version is designed with a modular approach, with the separate Mi TV Bar consisting of the mainboard and a sound system that supports Dolby Atmos. Xiaomi also displayed over 70 products from Xiaomi's core range of smartphones, smart TVs, smart routers and dozens of Mi Ecosystem products in the smart home, health & fitness, personal transportation, smart toys and other categories. The company also launched the white version of Mi MIX that has been designed jointly developed with world-renowned designer Philippe Starck. The white version will be available in China later in the year. "We continue to push boundaries with the use of ceramic on smartphones, this time in white, which presents more challenges in terms of yield," Hugo Barra, Vice President, Xiaomi said. Mi TV 4 will be available in China at a later date, with an estimated price well under $2,000 for the 65-inch version that comes with the Dolby Atmos home theater. Mi TV 4 has a 4K display, 4.9mm ultra-thin metal body, Quad-core 64-bit flagship TV processor, Artificial Intelligence (AI) system for intelligent recommendations and is available in 49-inch and 55-inch as well.

​Washington, Jan 5 (IANS) America's largest department store chain Macy's said it is shutting down 68 stores and cutting more than 10,000 jobs, the media reported. The announcement on Wednesday was issued alongside an unfavourable earnings report, showing comparable store sales dipped 2.1 per cent last quarter, reported CNN. The news caused its stock to plunge nearly 10 per cent during after-hours trading Wednesday. Macy's said it expects to layoff about 3,900 workers as a result of the upcoming store closures, and another 6,200 jobs will be cut as the company works to streamline its management team, according to a press release. A few stores have already been shuttered, but 63 will close down between now and mid-2017, leaving about 660 US stores left open, said the report. The closings are among the 100 stores Macy's said last August that it intends to shutter. Mark Cohen, a professor at Columbia Business School, said it's not the last time Macy's will make this type of announcement. "It's a very hard day for the folks involved obviously, but I would also say it's inevitable," Cohen said. "And there's definitely more to come." Terry Lundgren, who is preparing to step aside as Macy's CEO this year, said he expects 2017 sales to decline at a similar rate to the company's holiday performance.

​Las Vegas, Jan 5 (IANS) With an aim to deliver tailor-made devices to customers to meet their needs and fit their usage habits, Chinese tech giant Lenovo on Thursday announced a new range of laptop and tablet products at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017) here. Lenovo showcased its premium work and play experience device ThinkPad X1, Miix 720 detachable, new gaming sub-brand Lenovo Legion and two laptops under the new sub-brand -- Lenovo Legion Y720 and Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop at the event. "Our approach to innovation is to ensure we are constantly evolving and understanding how technology is infused within every individual, business and home," Gianfranco Lanci, President and Chief Operating Officer at Lenovo, told reporters here. The next generation of ThinkPad X1 products cater to the need of professionals who blur the line between work and personal PC use. Lenovo's 5th generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon -- available in classic ThinkPad Black and new metallic silver colours -- is the lightest 14-inch business notebook that weighs just 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) and packs a 14-inch IPS display into a new sleek 13-inch form factor. The new X1 Carbon offers up to 15 hours of battery life and has been redesigned to include Thunderbolt 3 ports (the fastest port available on a PC), super-fast LTE-A Wireless WAN and WiFi certified WiGig options that deliver superior performance and connectivity. "Over 80 per cent of our consumers were concerned about battery life. Other thing the customers were worried about is colours, so we are now offering a choice of silver colour this year," Dilip Bhatia, Vice President of Global Marketing, User and Customer Experience Lenovo PC and Smart Device Business Group, said. Taking a note of increased cybercrime threats, the new device offers enhanced security features. It comes with a fingerprint sensor with a dedicated chip that handles biometric processing and helps secure and simplify the Windows Hello login experience with a new face recognition Infrared camera. Adding to the list is the updated ThinkPad X1 Yoga which is flawlessly flexible, offers true multi-mode capabilities and delivers stunning colours on the only 14-inch notebook with an OLED screen. Also, a redesigned rechargeable pen and improved "rise and fall" keyboard complete the improved experience. "Rise and Fall" feature pulls in the keys of the device when working in tablet mode, giving a flat surface feeling. Also when a user folds the laptop after turning it off, it again pulls in the keys to keep the display free from any marks and scratches. Alongside continuing to impress with its lightweight, modularity and serviceability is the ThinkPad X1 Tablet. The device has unique modules that offer port expansion and up to five hours of additional battery life and an integrated projector option. Meanwhile, the Miix 720 Windows detachable combines a 12-inch QHD+ display and precision touchpad-enabled keyboard with up to 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and Thunderbolt 3. One can simply remove the keyboard to instantly transform the Miix 720 into a touchscreen tablet. Paired with a multifaceted Lenovo Active Pen 2, the Miix 720 is ideal for effortless note taking or bringing creative concepts to life. "Why Mixx 720 is better than its competitors? Its simple; the 150-degree tablet kickstand easily adjusts to the users' preferred viewing angle, ensuring comfort and entertainment," Bhatia added. The Thunderbolt Lenovo Active Pen 2 is sold separately and may be hard bundled or optional depending on the geography. Also to meet the evolving needs of the gaming community, the company also launched a new gaming sub-brand Lenovo Legion and two powerful gaming machines under this name -- Lenovo Legion Y720 Laptop and Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop. "The reason why we launched these gaming laptops is we needed to provide legitimacy to our product. Legion is all about the community of gamers. In future we will have a line of gaming desktops under the legion sub-brand," Bhatia noted. The new devices allow a greater gaming experience powering VR through the latest NVIDIA graphics, sound with Dolby Atmos and increased performance with the 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. The devices ThinkPad X1 Carbon -- which starts from $1,349 -- and ThinkPad X1 Yoga -- which starts from $1,499 -- will be available in February. While ThinkPad X1 Tablet (starts from $949) will be available in March, Miix 720 (keyboard included) which starts at $999.99 will be available in two colour options champagne and iron gray beginning in April 2017. Lenovo Active Pen 2 starts at $59.99 will be available beginning in February. While, the Lenovo Legion Y720 Laptop is price range starts from $1,399.99 and will available from April, Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop will be available from February at price range starting $899.99.

​Las Vegas, Jan 5 (IANS) Taiwan-based tech major ASUS on Thursday showcased its latest lineup products at Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017) here. Featured products include ProArt PA32U, the world's first 32-inch direct-lit LED 4K UHD high-dynamic-range (HDR) monitor, Designo Curve MX38VQ, a 37.5-inch ultra-wide QHD monitor with a 2300R curvature, ASUS HiveSpot and HiveDot Mesh Wi-Fi System for reliable, ultra-fast and secure wireless coverage. Other products include mini PCs VivoMini UN65U, and the VivoMini VC66 and VM65 Series. ProArt PA32U has a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB 3.1 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort 1.2 support. These ports also enable display daisy-chaining, which allows users to connect two 4K UHD displays for increased productivity and more versatile viewing. MX38VQ monitor features 8W stereo speakers incorporating Harman Kardon and ASUS SonicMaster audio technologies, as well as a Qi wireless charging pad on its stand for Qi-enabled devices. ASUS HiveSpot and HiveDot Mesh wi-fi system is a modular, high-speed wireless mesh-networking system for the home that eliminates wi-fi dead spots and dropped connections. With the compact ASUS HiveSpot or ASUS HiveDot mesh-networking nodes, users can enjoy a single-sign-on Wi-Fi network with seamless and secure whole-home coverage. VivoMini UN65U is powered by the latest 7th Generation Intel Core (Kaby Lake) processors, features a dual-storage-bay design, which users can specify with up to a 1TB 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD), up to a 512GB M.2 solid-state drive (SSD), or a combination of both for added flexibility. VC66 series PCs are compatible with any monitor, HDMI-equipped TV, or projector and includes four USB 3.0 ports on the front panel for added convenience as well as HDMI, DisplayPort++ and DVI ports. Designed to provide faster performance and stunning 4K UHD visuals, VivoMini VM65 is powered by up to a 7th Generation Intel Core i7 (Kaby Lake) processor and features discrete NVIDIA GeForce 930M Optimus graphics.

Las Vegas, Jan 4 (IANS) Printing and personal computer major HP Inc. unveiled new PCs at Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017)-- world's biggest annual electronics event. Designed for work at home or on the go, the new PCs include HP EliteBook x360, HP Spectre x360 and HP ENVY Curved All-in-One 34. HP EliteBook x360 features 4K UHD display with Windows Hello, pen support and has a battery life of up to 16 hours and 30 minutes. Following the success of HP's 13.3-inch diagonal model, the second generation of HP's 15.6-inch diagonal x360 powers a micro-edge 4K display, Intel Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics, adds two new front facing speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen and an IR camera for Windows Hello. HP ENVY Curved All-in-One 34 features a 34-inch diagonal ultra-WQHD micro-edge display and packs four-speaker sound bar tuned by Bang & Olufsen. To better meet the needs of commercial customers, HP also introduced the new Sprout Pro, the second generation immersive all-in-one PC. It incorporates a grounds-up redesign with a 2.2mm thick, 20-point capacitive Touch Mat display with a sharper, near 1080p projected resolution. It also now features an Intel Core i7 processor, 1TB of SSHD storage, up to 16GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics for faster 3D scanning. OMEN X by HP is now bringing gamers closer to their virtual worlds with the new OMEN X 35 Curved Display. As the first OMEN display with NVIDIA G-Sync technology, the device provides higher refresh rates that result in a more natural, realistic, and true-to-life gaming experience, the company said.