Indian IT services firm HCL Technologies has said it has signed a strategic partnership with HANCOM Inc., a South Korean software company, to share technology solutions and work for “overseas expansion”.

HCL will support training for software development at HANCOM’s in India research and development centre, which was established in 2016.

Noida-based HCL will also share its development studio and provide human resource support to meet demand and development capacity at the R&D center. In addition, it will promote technological cooperation to strengthen HANCOM products’ global competitiveness.

The two companies also plan to cooperate on global market expansion. This includes HANCOM’s entry into Southeast Asian countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh, Middle Eastern countries, and HCL’s business expansion into the South Korean market.

“HCL’s modern applications and architecture principles will allow us to scale our products to make them more suitable for enterprise customers in the global market and ultimately achieve global aspirations with our products,” said Daeki Kim, Chief Operating Officer, HANCOM.

HCL employs more than 175,000 people in 50 countries and generates annual sales of $10.5 billion. It recently named Joonho Moon as its head to lead and expand business in South Korea.

“South Korea is a key strategic market for HCL, and this engagement with HANCOM will further help us grow and establish ourselves in the region,” said Sanjay Gupta, Corporate Vice President, HCL Technologies.

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Robotics and automation firm Addverb plans to expand its robot manufacturing unit in India to boost its output by around 10 times in the next financial year, a senior company official said.

The company has announced the start of international operations in Singapore, Australia, Europe and is looking to start operations in the US before the end of the ongoing calendar year.

“Addverb is looking to expand its manufacturing capability and is looking to create the world’s largest robot manufacturing facility in India which will expand Addverb’s capabilities by almost 10 times by next financial year,” Addverb Technology CEO Sangeet Kumar told PTI.

The company has a manufacturing unit in Noida which was inaugurated in March with capacity to manufacture more than 50,000 robots of varied types in a year.

Addverb will also set-up micro-factories in geographies where it sees a surge in demand.

“Addverb plans to onboard 30 global employees across different offices at middle and top management positions and will also be looking for existing employees from India with relevant subject matter expertise to support global offices,” Kumar said.

According to the company, the global robotics market was valued at USD 27.73 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 74.1 billion by 2026.

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Apple is all set to unleash its new iPhone models on September 14. With its upcoming iPhone 13 series launch, it is primed to build on its recent growth momentum in India with a potential double-digit growth for the full year.

“I believe the new generation of iPhones will come with enhanced camera upgrades, faster A15 Bionic processor, always-on display, dynamic 120Hz refresh rates, and bigger batteries, amongst others. Increased local assembly, expanded retail initiatives including online store, aggressive marketing initiatives, and positive consumer appetite including, especially iPhone loyalists, will potentially fuel Apple’s growth.

“As we run into the all-important festive quarter, Apple does need to navigate some potential headwinds ahead, including potential supply chain constraints, and associated increase in component prices,” CMR’s Head, Industry Intelligence Group, Prabhu Ram, told IANS.

Apple registered more than 140 per cent growth in India in the second quarter this year, as iPhone 11 continued to perform well with a strong aspirational brand value, according to CMR.

iPhone 11 contributed over 60 per cent of the iPhone shipments during the April-June quarter in the country. The rest of the iPhone line-up, including Apple iPhone 12, XR and SE 2020 also performed well.

“Apple is likely to capture over 2 per cent share in 2021, its highest annual share ever. Apart from this, local manufacturing will help it to further localise its operations and save on the duties that can make help to bring the cost of its products down. Additionally, refurb market is also growing and entry to enter into Apple ecosystem can now happen from sub Rs 20K price points.

“Going forward we expect Apple and are on track to record its best annual performance in India ever since,” market intelligence firm Counterpoint’s Research Director Tarun Pathak said.

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In a first step towards its new energy focus, Jio-bp, the fuels and mobility joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited and bp, announced a partnership with BluSmart, India’s first and largest all-electric ride-hailing platform to set up a network of commercial large scale EV charging stations.

As part of the partnership, Jio-bp will set up these stations for passenger electric vehicles and fleets across the country. BluSmart, through its all electric fleet, provides zero-surge and zero-tailpipe emission ride-hailing service in the Delhi NCR. Besides, it has corporate tie-ups for providing electric mobility for fleet requirements. The company now plans to expand its network into other major cities across India.

“Through this partnership, both companies will collaborate in planning, development and operation of EV charging infrastructure, at suitable locations across cities where BluSmart operates. With the first phase-roll out in the National Capital Region, these EV charging stations will be capable of accommodating a minimum of 30 vehicles at each station and will be concentrated in urban areas,” said a joint statement from the companies.

ALSO READ: EV Plugs comes up with aggregator service for EV charging

According to Harish C Mehta, chief executive officer, Jio-bp, said, Jio-bp plans to be at the forefront of EV infrastructure development in the country. “Leveraging bp’s learnings from the UK with bp Pulse, where they have the country’s largest EV charging network, from Germany through their Aral brand, Jio-bp intends to bring in the latest in EV technology to our consumers. In line with the New Energy vision of RIL, our Advanced Mobility teams are working tirelessly to create cleaner and smarter ways for Indians to travel,” he said. The partnership with BluSmart will help in offering new age low-carbon emitting, cleaner and more affordable options, he added.

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Short video-making platform TikTok’s users now spend more time each month watching content than YouTube users, says a new report.

According to app analytics firm App Annie, in the US, TikTok first overtook YouTube in August last year and as of June 2021, its users watched over 24 hours of content per month, compared with 22 hours and 40 minutes on YouTube.

In the UK the difference is even starker as TikTok overtook YouTube in May last year and users there now reportedly watch almost 26 hours of content a month, compared to less than 16 on YouTube, reports The Verge.

The figures only include viewership on Android phones, however, so may not be representative of mobile users as a whole, the report said.

But caveats aside, they show the extent of TikTok’s meteoric rise over just a few short years, and are even more impressive given the three-minute maximum of most of its videos, compared to the 10-minute format preferred by many YouTube’s, it added.

Not to mention the fact that for much of 2020, TikTok faced continued threats that it would be banned in the US amidst chaotic negotiations.

YouTube is still ahead in time spent overall, no doubt because of its two billion users compared to TikTok’s roughly 700 million, BBC News notes.

Again, excluding iOS users and users of the app renamed Douyin in China, YouTube is still number one in terms of time spent on Android phones among “Social and Entertainment Apps” as of the first half of this year, with TikTok in at number five behind three Facebook apps — Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

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I was planning to buy a midrange laptop and was amazed to see that every other legacy brand in the consumer PC market had products with similar features and specifications. Blame the oligopoly, but as a consumer I was almost convinced that the product offerings by the legacy PC makers were the best available in the market. And then was released the Mi Notebook Ultra by Chinese technology company Xiaomi.

A premium laptop, the Mi Notebook Ultra challenged the conventions set by legacy consumer PC makers by democratising features and specifications usually seen in laptops that cost almost twice as much as the top-end model (review unit – Rs 76,999) on offer here. Starting with the design, the Mi Notebook Ultra boasts a unibody made of series 6 aluminium alloy. For a laptop with 15.6-inch screen, the Mi Notebook Ultra is appropriately built but does not meticulously fit in the thin-and-light category. Speaking of build, the Mi Notebook Ultra is spot on. From smooth edges to a sturdy hinge, the laptop’s build quality is nothing short of premium.

Complementing the solid build quality is the 15.6-inch 3.2K resolution screen of a 90Hz refresh rate with support for 100 per cent sRGB colour gamut. The display is stretched in a 16:10 aspect ratio and is covered with anti-glare coating. Compared with conventional 16:9 aspect ratio screens, the Mi Notebook Ultra screen is both wide and tall. Therefore, it is suitable for both productivity and entertainment purposes. As for the quality, the display is not the best out there in terms of brightness, colour rendition and viewing angles. These compromises, however, come to notice only if you work in bright outdoor conditions. When indoors, at home or office, the screen dazzles. While the Mi Notebook Ultra is a visual treat, the laptop’s audio leaves you asking for more. The laptop’s bottom-facing dual stereo speakers (2W each) lack loudness, depth and clarity. They work fine for basics but do not quite match the viewing experience offered by a competent screen.

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The laptop I had been using for on-the-go work stopped working soon after I, like many other Indian professionals, began work from home in early 2020. It was a 2016 model powered by Core i3 processor with integrated Intel graphics, 8GB RAM and 1TB hard disk drive storage. I thought it was a decent laptop for basic everyday use, but I was wrong. Since then I have not been recommending any Intel Core i3-powered laptop to anyone for work-from-home purpose.

Recently, when I began testing the Realme Book Slim laptop for this review, I had my reservations, simply because it was powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor. But I had to change my mind after a while, partly because Realme seemed to have changed the rules set by legacy consumer PC makers. The Realme Book Slim was unlike any other laptop in the entry-level thin-and-light segment. Everything about the Realme Book Slim appeared novel. No wonder the laptop delivered an unmatched experience.

Take for example the aluminium alloy construction. It is an entry-level laptop but its design and build quality speaks otherwise. Likewise, the laptop’s bright and vivid 2K resolution display is a monumental shift from conventional HD and fullHD screens available on most consumer laptops from legacy brands. Even the features like backlit keyboard and big trackpad are deserve appreciation as they are hard to find in most other entry-level laptops. Rounding off the package is the availability of most commonly used interfaces, including 2 x USB-C 3.2, 1 x USB-A 3.1 and 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack. For connectivity, there is the dual-band Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1.

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The abrupt departure of Apple Inc.’s top automotive executive imperils its efforts to develop a self-driving car, a project that’s been seen as one of the tech giant’s biggest bets.

Doug Field, a Tesla Inc. veteran who joined Apple in 2018 to head up its car project, left Tuesday to become Ford Motor Co.’s chief advanced technology officer. The announcement, which came after Bloomberg first reported the news, made only passing reference to Field’s work at Apple.

Field’s exit calls into question the progress Apple has made toward developing the technology and experience needed to compete in the auto industry. It’s just the latest upheaval for the division: Field is the fourth executive leading the Apple car project to step away in its seven-year history.

Not that developing self-driving cars has been easy for anyone else. Tesla, the market leader in electric vehicles, is still probably years away from offering fully autonomous cars. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo has suffered a rash of departures in its efforts to develop the technology. And Uber Technologies Inc. agreed to sell off its autonomous-driving division last year.

Apple’s car efforts have always been a bit of a paradox — it’s a hotly anticipated product that the company says almost nothing about. Field’s official title at Apple was vice president of special projects, belying the significance of his role. But he was entrusted with developing one of the company’s “next big things,” a product that could keep sales growing the way the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch did in the past decade.

Apple first kicked off plans to develop a self-driving electric car around 2014, entering a race with the likes of Tesla. By 2016, the project was struggling with confusing messaging from leadership, a lack of vision and problems surrounding autonomous-driving technology. Apple also found it hired too many people and laid off hundreds of engineers from the project in 2016 and 2019.

Around the time of the first layoffs, former chief Apple hardware engineer Bob Mansfield began overseeing the effort — known as Project Titan — and sought to refocus on the underlying capabilities. Apple seemed to zero in on the technology that runs self-driving cars, rather than trying to build a whole car itself.

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Asus is known for its gaming-centric laptops, especially the premium ROG series ones. For price conscious buyers, the Taiwanese PC maker has a TUF series of gaming laptops. It recently launched the Asus TUF A15 in India. Geared towards those on a limited budget, this gaming laptop seems good for most of its specifications – at least on paper. But is it a good entry-level gaming laptop? Let’s find out:

Asus TUF A15: Build and design

The TUF A15 might be an entry-level gaming laptop but its design speaks otherwise. It looks premium, has fancy bells and whistles, and a solid and sturdy build to justify ‘TUF’ in the moniker. Though heavy (2.3 kg) and bulky, Asus says the laptop has ‘military grade protection’ and can take some beating without showing a purple patch.

The TUF A15 sports a 15.6-inch FHD screen of 144Hz refresh rate with support for Adaptive Sync. The Adaptive Sync feature allows the display’s refresh rate to synchronise with the GPU’s frame rate. This reduces lag, minimises stuttering, and eliminates visual tearing for smooth and immersive gameplay.

The display maintains the frame rate, but the response time is not great. Moreover, it is not the best display when it comes to colour accuracy. While the display seems fine for a gaming laptop, audio ruins the experience. Acoustics is one area this laptop will disappoint many. While gaming laptops usually don’t have an impressive output, it’s high time companies start fixing it. Despite the DTS:X Ultra, the audio in TUF A15 is feeble and disappointing.

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Sony recently launched in India the Sony SRS-XG500 party speaker. Though it reminded me of the old boombox music players, it is by no means a retro one but a modern party speaker with a powerful output and wide connectivity options. Although bulky, the SRS-XG500 is a moveable party speaker that is easy to manage irrespective where you throw a party. Priced at Rs 32,999, the speaker seems to be on the expensive side. Is it? Let’s find out:

Build and design

The cylindrical body gives the speaker a distinct look while the fabric covering brings minimalism. The big handle is sturdy enough for us to carry it anywhere. On the front, there are buttons for power, Bluetooth, volume, play/pause, and a bass boost button. A rubber lid at the back covers power and USB ports and a connector for plugging in a guitar. The two large rubber feet keep the speaker stable when the bass comes in. The sides have LED lights that change colour when you play music and it looks absolutely beautiful under dim or low light. The Sony SRS-XG500 weighs nearly 5 kg but quality material is used so weight isn’t much of a factor to point out.

Performance

The audio quality of the Sony SRS-XG500 is at par with most of the small-sized trolley-style party speakers, although it has its own limitations considering it is a portable speaker. That said, the sound is loud and bassy, but at the same time, highly balanced so it will be music for your ears.

For bass lovers, there is a bass boost feature but honestly, the default sound is much better because of the balance. The feature to connect a guitar adds to its credentials as a party speaker. You can also connect the SRS-XG500 with other speakers using Party Connect. There are slight tweaks you can do with the sound and light settings using the Sony Music Centre app. I had to play with the equalizer as the default sound at times doesn’t go well with all genres of music.

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