Panasonic Eluga Ray 500 With Dual Cameras Now Available via Offline Stores in India

Panasonic on Tuesday announced that its Eluga Ray 500 smartphone will be made available across leading retail stores in India. Initially available exclusively via Flipkart, the Eluga Ray 500 will now be sold offline for the same price of Rs. 8,999. The smartphone will be available in three colour variants - Marine Blue, Champagne Gold, and Mocha Gold.

At its price point, the Panasonic Eluga Ray 500 faces competition from Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Xiaomi Redmi 4, Motorola Moto G5, and Micromax Canvas Infinity, among others.

Panasonic Eluga Ray 500 specifications

To recap, the Panasonic Eluga Ray is a dual SIM (GSM+GSM) smartphone that runs Android 7.0 Nougat, and has support for Panasonic's Arbo digital assistant. The phone sports a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) IPS LCD display, with a 2.5D curved glass. It is powered by a 1.25GHz quad-core processor, coupled with 3GB RAM.

Talking about the optics, the Eluga Ray 500 bears a dual camera setup on the rear with a 13-megapixel rear sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor, paired with dual LED flash. In the front is a 5-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calling. There is 32GB of inbuilt storage expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). A fingerprint sensor is embedded into the home button on the front of the phone. Powering the internals is a 4000mAh battery.

Pankaj Rana, Business Head - Mobility Division, Panasonic India, said, "We have received tremendous demand for Eluga Ray 500, our first dual camera phone and therefore have decided to make it available in the offline channel as well at all leading retail stores. The Eluga 500 has been a great success in the online channel and we believe we will be able to replicate this success in the offline channel too.

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Samsung Galaxy S9 Design, Single Rear Camera Tipped by New Phone Case Listing

Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ sometime in February next year but that hasn't stopped case manufacturers from listing phone cases for the Galaxy S9. Ghostek, a mobile accessories manufacturer, has listed renders for the Galaxy S9 and is taking orders for its rugged waterproof case - part of its Nautical series.

As we mentioned, Ghostek has listed a case for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9. Renders of the smartphone show a design that other reports have been suggesting in the past few weeks. The images show a similar 18.5:9 display as seen on the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy A8 (2018) duo. The bezels do appear slightly thinner than last year, and the images show that the Galaxy S9 is also expected to retain the Bixby button from the Galaxy S8.

The renders of the back of the case reveal that the Galaxy S9 will not sport a dual camera setup, which might be exclusive to the Galaxy S9+.

The Ghostek case offers shockproof, impact, and drop protection for the upcoming Galaxy S9. Additionally, the product page also claims that the case is "Touch ID Fingerprint & Face ID Compatible." The rugged waterproof case supports wireless charging, which has been a feature since the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Case renders of the Galaxy S9+ were listed on Mobilefun's website last week. The images from the product listing reveal a dual camera setup.

Last week, Samsung had released images for its music creation app SoundCamp that "accidentally" leaked the design of the Galaxy S9. The Galaxy S9+, on the other hand, had some of its specifications leaked on GeekBench. According to this listing, the Galaxy S9+ will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and 6GB of RAM.

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OnePlus 5 Starts Receiving Android 8.0 Oreo-Based OxygenOS 5.0 OTA Update

After two open beta releases, OnePlus 5 has finally received its anticipated Android 8.0 Oreo-based OxygenOS 5.0 update. The new version has started been rolling out as an incremental over-the-air (OTA) update for the previous OnePlus flagship.

OnePlus, in a forum post on Friday, confirmed that the Android Oreo-based OxygenOS 5.0 update for the OnePlus 5 is reaching a small percentage of users at the initial stage, though it will get a broader rollout in a few days. This means that your OnePlus 5 would receive the new update sometime in the coming days. Separately, Carl Pei, Co-Founder OnePlus, revealed in a tweet on Saturday that the OnePlus 5 would also get the OnePlus 5T's Face Unlock feature, one that had at launch been exclusive to the newer phone.

As far as the list of new changes is concerned, the OxygenOS 5.0 update for the OnePlus 5 brings an upgraded launcher that includes optimisations for the shelf and includes the ability to let users upload their photos through Shot on OnePlus. The default Camera app has received an uplift with a new UI design, optimisations for photo quality, and a beauty effect for the preloaded Portrait mode. Additionally, the Gallery app has added a "Places" tab to let users view photos on a map.

The OxygenOS 5.0 update for the OnePlus 5 also has a bunch of system upgrades. There is a Parallel Apps feature to let users have multiple accounts for apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn. Also, there is a new design for Quick Settings panel and Lift up display as well as an "Adaptive model" screen calibration and system-level optimisations for Wi-Fi and Battery Saver. The update additionally comes bundled with the December Android security patch. Users would also observe a history feature in the Calculator app and an alarm calendar feature in the Clock app.

In addition to OnePlus' proprietary offerings, the OxygenOS 5.0 update for the OnePlus 5 brings all the core Android Oreo features. These include new Notification dots, Picture-in-Picture mode, Auto-fill feature, and Smart text selection.

Though the Android Oreo-based OxygenOS 5.0 is an incremental update and is rolling out in batches, you can check its arrival on your OnePlus 5 manually. You need to go to Settings > System updates.

At the time of launching the OnePlus 5T in November, OnePlus announced that it will bring Android 8.0 Oreo to OnePlus 5 sometime in early 2018. However, the Chinese company has managed to enable the new experience sooner than its promise. This is would ultimately help the company incline more buyers. Having said that, the latest Android version is yet to arrive on OnePlus 5T, which runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

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Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018), Galaxy A8+ (2018) Price Revealed

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) were officially launched on Tuesday. Samsung has revealed pricing and availability for the two smartphones in Vietnam. The latest mid-range smartphones from Samsung feature an Infinity Display and an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. These are the first phones from Samsung to have dual-front facing cameras.

As we mentioned, Samsung has officially announced the pricing and availability for the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) in Vietnam. The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) is priced at VND 10,990,000 (roughly Rs. 30,980) and the Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) is priced at VND 13,490,000 (roughly Rs. 38,040), according to Samsung Vietnam. Samsung also mentions that the two phones will be made available on January 6, 2018. Pricing and release date are applicable only for the respective market and will vary for others, but, give us a good indication of what to expect.

Samsung's Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) will both be available in Black, Gold, Blue, and Orchid Grey colour variants. These offbeat options suggest that Samsung is targeting a younger demographic with its mid-range offerings. The Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) come with Samsung Pay integration and are the first phones in the Galaxy A series to support the Gear VR headset.

Both the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) are based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The Galaxy A8 (2018) features a 5.6-inch full-HD+ (2220x1080 pixels) Super AMOLED with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, while the Galaxy A8+ (2018) sports a 6-inch full-HD+ (2220x1080 pixels) Super AMOLED display with the same aspect ratio. Powering the internals is a 2.2GHz octa-core processor (two cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six cores clocked at 1.6GHz) on both the phones.

In terms of optics, the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) are the first smartphones from Samsung to come with two selfie cameras. There is a 16-megapixel fixed focus,f/1.9 camera sensor, and an 8-megapixel f/1.9 sensor. To further enhance self portraits, there is a Live Focus feature that helps users adjust Bokeh effect even after the photo has been clicked.

specifications  Of A8 2018

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

5.60-inch

Processor

1.6GHz octa-core

Front Camera

16-megapixel

Resolution

1080x2220 pixels

RAM

4GB

OS

Android 7.1.1

Storage

32GB

Rear Camera

16-megapixel

Battery Capacity

3000mAh

   

specifications Of A8 + 2018

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

6.00-inch

Processor

1.6GHz octa-core

Front Camera

16-megapixel

Resolution

1080x2220 pixels

RAM

4GB

OS

Android 7.1.1

Storage

32GB

Rear Camera

16-megapixel

Battery Capacity

3500mAh

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Moto G5, Moto G5s Plus, Moto Z2 Play, Moto E4, and Other Moto Smartphones Get Limited Period Discounts in India

Just days after the Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus received a temporary price cut on Amazon; Lenovo brand Moto has temporarily slashed the price of the Moto G5 in India for its Christmas sale. Other smartphones like the Moto M, Moto Z2 Play, Moto E4, and Moto C are also available at discounted prices. The discounts are available via leading offline retail stores, as well as Moto Hub outlets, the company said.

As we mentioned, Moto India is offering a festive discount on a range of Moto smartphones. The Moto G5 is available at a price of Rs. 8,999, down from its previous price of Rs. 9,999. The Moto Z2 Play gets a price cut of Rs. 3,000 and is now available for Rs. 24,999, down from Rs. 27,999. The Moto M 3G now comes at a price of Rs. 11,999, down from Rs. 13,999; the Moto M 4G is available at Rs. 13,999, down from Rs. 15,999; the Moto E4 is available at Rs. 7,999, down from Rs. 8,499, and the Moto C is down to Rs. 5,499 from the earlier Rs. 5,999. The Moto G5S is now available for Rs. 12,999, down from Rs. 13,999.

This limited period offer will be applicable on the above mentioned Motorola smartphones until December 30. The offer can be availed at all leading mobile retail (Moto partner) stores includingMotoHub stores across the country.

As for the price cuts on Amazon, the Moto G5s is still available for Rs. 11,999 on the e-commerce site, though the Moto G5s Plus has gone back up to Rs. 15,999. The Moto G5 on the other hand, reflects the same temporary price cut on Amazon as seen on offline stores.

Moto recently announced the launch of three new Moto Mods in India - JBL SoundBoost 2 Mod, GamePad Mod, and TurboPower Pack Mod. All three Moto Mods will be compatible only with the Moto Z, Moto Z Play, Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z Force Droid, and the Moto Z2 Force Edition

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Vodafone Rs. 198 Plan Offers 1GB Data Per Day, Bundled Calls

Jio launched the Rs. 199 and Rs. 299 plans late last weekwith 1.2GB and 2GB data per day, respectively, and the other standard freebies such as free calls and SMSes. Vodafone has emerged as the first operator to counter this move by Jio with the launch of the Rs. 198 plan that offers similar data and calling benefits. Existing Vodafone customers will get 1GB data per day, bundled calls and 100 SMSes per day for Rs. 198. On the other hand, new customers will have to shell out Rs. 229 for the same benefits. The validity of the Vodafone plans is 28 days, same as that of the new Jio plans.

"As a part of this offer, customers will also enjoy unlimited local and STD calls even while roaming in India. The pack also offers 100 free SMS per day," the statement said. "With 1GB data per day and unlimited calling, the plans will take care of all their (users) communication needs," said Avneesh Khosla, Associate Director-Consumer Business, Vodafone India.

As has become the norm for most telcos, Vodafone is putting a cap on these 'unlimited' calls. Consumers will be able to make free calls worth only 250 minutes per day, and 1,000 minutes per week. Beyond this, they will be charged calls at 30 paise per minute for the remaining day and week, respectively. Also, they can call only a maximum of 300 unique numbers in a 7-day period; if this limit is breached, the call tariff will become 30 paise per minute for the rest of the validity period.

The company statement said that the new recharge pack is available across all Vodafone 4G circles. However, the official website does not mention the new Rs. 198 plan in some circles, such as Delhi-NCR, Chennai etc. Therefore, users need to check the plan mentions 1GB per day data allocation, as plans at a similar price point (such as the Rs. 199 pack) offer just 1GB data for the entire 28-day validity period.

Written with inputs from PTI

Digmine Cryptocurrency Mining Malware Being Spread via Facebook Messenger: Trend Micro

   

A new cryptocurrency-mining bot, named "Digmine", that was first observed in South Korea, is spreading fast through Facebook Messenger across the world, Tokyo-headquartered cyber-security major Trend Micro has warned.

After South Korea, it has since spread in Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, the Philippines, Thailand, and Venezuela. It is likely to reach other countries soon, given the way it propagates.

Facebook Messenger works across different platforms but Digmine only affects the Messenger's desktop or Web browser (Chrome) version. If the file is opened on other platforms, the malware will not work as intended, Trend Micro said in a blog post.

Digmine is coded in AutoIt and sent to would-be victims posing as a video file but is actually an AutoIt executable script.

If the user's Facebook account is set to log in automatically, Digmine will manipulate Facebook Messenger in order to send a link to the file to the account's friends.

The abuse of Facebook is limited to propagation for now, but it wouldn't be implausible for attackers to hijack the Facebook account itself down the line. This functionality's code is pushed from the command-and-control (C&C) server, which means it can be updated.

A known modus operandi of cryptocurrency-mining botnets and particularly for Digmine (which mines Monero), is to stay in the victim's system for as long as possible. It also wants to infect as many machines as possible, as this translates to an increased hash rate and potentially more cybercriminal income, the blog post stated.

The malware will also perform other routines such as installing a registry autostart mechanism as well as system infection marker. It will search and launch Chrome, then load a malicious browser extension that it retrieves from the C&C server.

If Chrome is already running, the malware will terminate and relaunch Chrome to ensure the extension is loaded. While extensions can only be loaded and hosted from the Chrome Web Store, the attackers bypassed this by launching Chrome via command line.