The Mirosoft Edge is finally here & it's finally a Microsoft-made web browser you should be excited about.

Microsoft has just announced at their Build 2015 developer conference that Microsoft Edge is their new web browser for Windows 10, which went under by its code name "Project Spartan" during development. 

Microsoft Edge will have features such as built in note taking, making annotations and it will also feature Microsoft's digital assistant, Cortana.


Developers will be able to take their Chrome extensions and Firefox add-ons with just a few changes, bring them to Microsoft Edge. Joe Belfiore showed on demo a Reddit chrome extension, running on Microsoft Edge. Also, web extensions made via HTML and Javascript will also be supported in Microsoft Edge.

In the aesthetics department, Microsoft Edge will have a new tab page, which will be located in the address bar in the middle of the page. It will also include top sites, including if there is an app, and user information. It looks very clean (unlike Internet Explorer)

Windows 10 testers have been able to play with Microsoft Edge's unstable version, Project Spartan for a few weeks now as a part of the newer Microsoft Windows 10 Technical Preview builds.

What are Yu?

Yu has been in the limelight lately. But what is it exactly? Here's Yu's backstory.

It’s rare to find top of the line components in budget mobile devices. Xiaomi, the 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer showed the world that a high end superphone need not cost as much as if it were able to empty out your pockets. OnePlus showed the world the same thing, but also took customization to another level which was unprecedented from a smartphone manufacturer in the past, with the inclusion of CyanogenOS (which is essentially a 3rd party modification on top of Android). The likes of Xiaomi, OnePlus (amongst others) entered the Indian budget smartphone maket with extremely competitive offerings because of the specifications they offered  at unmatched prices. 

Indian companies like Micromax, Lava, Spice and more lost the edge they had because their offerings in the higher low end to the lower midrange segment was not really that competitive. The Indian companies slowly began to lose brand value. Their names now became synonymous with low quality hardware with outdated software. 

In the quest to not only make a comeback but also to standout from the competition, Lava made a bold move. They established ‘Xolo’, a brand of Lava which sold the first Intel Atom powered smartphone. Micromax continued selling their ‘Canvas’ family of smartphones with MediaTek processors and other low quality components. Years past & Micromax started loosing market share. 

To make a comeback Micromax partnered Cyanogen Inc and launched Yu Televentures. 

Yu aimed to do what Xiaomi & OnePlus did in the footsteps of Lava (Xolo). Too much to understand? Simply put, Yu aims at the price to performance proposition that Xiaomi gives, the customization that OnePlus gives with the inclusion of CyanogenOS & Yu (Micromax) aims at doing it in the same way Lava did by establishing a new brand, Xolo.

So there comes the Yureka. Actually the Yureka is a rebranded Coolpad F2 4G with CyanogenOS and a sub Rs.10000 price tag.

Why Augmented Reality excites me more than Virtual Reality does..

Despite being so similar, Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality are two completely different concepts. Before I jump into the article, let me tell you more about it.

 Let’s get started with the easier one of the two, that’s Virtual Reality. The word ‘Virtual’ means almost or nearly as   described, but not completely or according to strict definition. So then, what is Virtual Reality? Well, in simple words, ‘the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.’ Let me explain this with the help of a Virtual Reality headset, the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift looks like this. Once you wear it, it takes you to a completely new, computer generated ‘Virtual’ world.

Here's a user wearing the Microsoft HoloLens.
This is how his existing reality is augmented by the AR headset.

On the other hand we have Augmented Reality. On its own, the word ‘Augment’ means to make (something) greater by adding to it. So, Augmented Reality is basically a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. In simpler words, Augmented Reality enhances what the user is already seeing.  Take the Microsoft HoloLens, an augmented reality glasses. The HoloLens displays information on top of everything that the user is currently seeing.

So what’s the difference? Well, Virtual Reality completely replaces your entire reality with a new computer-generated world. Augmented reality adds computer generated images & information to the existing reality in the form of an overlay of some sort.

And that’s exactly the reason Augmented Reality excites me more than Virtual Reality does. Augmented Reality enhances the world I am in, hence helping me.  Augmented Reality can make everything ‘smarter’. 

But that’s not to say that Virtual Reality is bad. Virtual reality can be enjoyed while gaming (which is VR’s main targeted audience).  Virtual Reality can also help in giving a very aggressive cinematic experience to movies.

So what do you guys think? Be sure to let me in the comments below.

Here are the current AR & VR products (most of them in development)

VIRTUAL Reality

HTC RE VIVE

Image credits: Techradar

SONY PROJECT MORPHEUS 

Image credits: Sony

SAMSUNG GEAR VR

Image credits: thenextweb.com

OCULUS RIFT

Image credits: independent.co.uk

AUGMENTED Reality

MICROSOFT HOLOLENS 

Image credits: wearableworldnews.com

MICROSOFT CITY LENS

Image credits: Microsoft (Nokia)

GOOGLE GLASS

Image credits: Wikimedia

EYETAP

Image credits: Wikimedia

Here's why Apple MacBook is completely irrelevant to me.

The Apple MacBook is Apple's 3rd addition into their notebook portfolio. It is positioned as their premium ultra-portable offering besides the cheaper MacBook Air and the powerful MacBook Pro. In another article, I told you the differences between the MacBook and the MacBook Air. But after doing an adequate amount of research on the new MacBook, I realised one thing. Even though the MacBook is an amazing laptop, it is something that I'd simply stay away from. 

Firstly, the MacBook is too underpowered for my tastes. I use a laptop as a desktop substitute, not as a tablet with a keyboard. I game, edit videos and do much more on my laptop besides surfing the web, listening to music and watching videos. So that's reason 1.

Next, for what it's offering, the MacBook doesn't justify its high price. In a hypothetical world where tablets didn't exist, the MacBook would make perfect sense for medium sized screen media consumption with stellar battery endurance. But sadly, Apple themselves revolutionised the tablet realm in 2010 with the iPad which would 5 years later make the MacBook completely irrelevant (atleast in my eyes).


Thirdly, is the absence of convertibility. In my mind this is one aspect Apple forgot which can make the MacBook a failure. In a world where Intel Atom & Intel Core M powered Windows tablets dock into a first party dock which includes a keyboard and trackpad, the MacBook makes a complete fool out of itself. If Apple implemented Force Touch on the screen of the MacBook which had the same keyboard and trackpad, detachable this time, I would exchange my iPad for it, considering the iPad is basically a glorified iPod touch.

That's what I am into - Apple!

Lastly, the absence of expandability. In short, the Macbook fails when we talk about expandability. What were you thinking Sir Jonathan Paul Ive while designing the MacBook? Just one port? One single USB-C port? No Magsafe 2 port to go along with it? Don't try to cover it up by telling us that the future is wireless. We still have A LOT of wired stuff. If you could atleast drop another USB-C port, that would be amazing. 

So to round it all up. Dear Apple, while designing the 2nd generation of this product, please put atleast an Intel Core i3 and a little fan. If possible, try to squeeze 2 more USB-C ports. Consider the possibility of making it a convertible. And lastly, considering this is more expensive when compared to Apple's more powerful and comparatively slim MacBook Air, please make the MacBook cheaper.   

But it's not like the MacBook was designed with nobody in mind. If all you do is check your emails, surf the internet, write a few articles for your blog and work on office suite apps, the Macbook is a perfect fit for you, giving you an amazingly thin laptop but you get just one USB port (Type-C, so it’s not backwards compatible without a clunky adaptor by Apple).  Also, the new Macbook is fanless, so don’t push that poor little Core M CPU to its limit

The all new Apple MacBook? or the Apple MacBook Air? Which one is for you?

For the past few years, Apple had a very straight-forward laptop portfolio that consisted of the Macbook Air, their mainstream ultra-thin laptop and the Macbook Pro, which as the name suggests, is the ‘pro’ version with the higher-end bells and whistles. But in March, Apple announced (actually reintroduced) the Macbook brand. But instead of positioning it as the mainstream laptop, Apple is using the Macbook moniker for an all new super-thin ultra portable laptop. It is so thin, Apple could only manage to put one port in it, USB-C, no less.

But wait, if we go back to the 2008 Macworld Conference & Expo, Steve Jobs introduced the Macbook Air with a similar positioning. So if you’re in the market now for a thin and light Macbook, you are stuck between the Macbook & the Macbook Air. We’re here to help you out.

Let’s start with the already existing Macbook Air.

Source: anandtech.com

It has a 11” or 13” HD display (not a Retina or IPS display) and it’s powered by an Intel Core i5 or i7 mobile cpu, coupled with the integrated graphics. That ULV CPU is paired with either 4GB/8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of PCIe-based flash storage. For ports, you get 2 USB 3.0, Magsafe 2 for charging and a SDXC card slot.

Now let’s move the spotlight over to the all new Macbook. 

Source: techcrunch.com

The new Macbook has a 12” IPS Retina display, which is driven by an Intel Core M CPU and again, integrated graphics. You also get 8GB of RAM which is coupled with 256GB/512GB of flash storage. And we come to ports, now this is where the Macbook gets interesting. In order to achieve its razor thin body, Apple had to make sacrifices and the most prominent one is the ports. The ports on this new laptop are just limited to one USB type-C port. Just one port for typing and connecting peripherals!


So which one’s for you? 

Well, to kick things off, these two laptops, even though they’re so similar, their target customer is extremely different. The Macbook Air aims to be a slim laptop which offers expandability and the power to edit photos and even some videos with stellar battery life while costing lesser than the Macbook. So if you value battery life and performance along with thinness and looks along with amazing battery life, go for the Macbook Air. And did I mention that it costs less too, just starting at $899.

But then who is the Macbook aimed at? The answer is simple. If all you do is check your emails, surf the internet, write a few articles for your blog and work on office suite apps, the Macbook is a perfect fit for you, giving you an amazingly thin laptop but you get just one USB port (Type-C, so it’s not backwards compatible without a clunky adaptor by Apple).  Also, the new Macbook is fanless, so don’t push that poor little Core M CPU to its limits.

  

TFH PC-X1+

With Intel's latest & greatest 8 core processor, Nvidia's most advance graphic card, DDR4 RAM and more, the TFH PC-X1+ is built to make every gamer's dream come true, gaming in 4K resolution. So let's check all that's inside this bad boy!

Intel Core i7 5960X

Nvidia GeForce Titan X

Asus x99 Deluxe Motherboard

32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4

4TB Western Digital Black hard disk

1TB Samsung 850 Pro SSD

1000W Corsair HX1000i

NZXT H440 Razer Edition

Corsair H100i

Since this is the the world of gadgets, prices keep fluctuating all the time. Please contact stores in real time to be updated with the prices.

Is it worth spending more than $350 on a smartphone?

Shopping for a smartphone can be extremely tough. Usually, cheap smartphones lack quality and quality smartphones are enough to make you bankrupt! But what if I told you that this is a thing of the past?? Here’s a little ‘did-you-know?’ for you. Xiaomi (a Chinese company you may have heard of) is the fastest growing smartphone manufacturer. 

So why do people gravitate towards these new smartphone manufacturers? The only answer is a very a competitive price tag. This gives the top tier manufacturers a run for their money. Take the OnePlus One as an example. If you look at the specifications of the phone, you will classify it as a higher end phone. But then look at the price. It costs merely $299! Even though it has the same (or better) hardware when compared to devices like Samsung Galaxy S5 or an HTC One (M8). 

 

Here’s the reason there is such a big price difference between phones like HTC One series, Samsung’s Galaxy S & Note series and devices like the Xiaomi Mi Note, OnePlus One, etc. The answer in one word is ‘margins’. If you see, the Samsung Galaxy S5 costs only $256 to build in parts. But the that’s just the hardware. Samsung also makes its own software layer, etc so the people behind that have to be paid. & lastly, there’s marketing. Have you seen a Samsung phone commercial on television or on Youtube? I’m sure you have. But if I ask you the same question again but replace the word Samsung with OnePlus, the answer’s surely going to be a no. So when you buy a phone from a top tier manufacturer, you’re not only paying the parts, but you pay for extras like marketing, RnD, higher profit margins, retail charges & more. Most of this is absent in the case of a company like OnePlus. OnePlus uses an online retail strategy, hence eliminating retail charges. OnePlus also depends on their customer so popularize the company instead of using mainstream advertisement methods. All of this causes a Samsung and a OnePlus smartphone with similar specifications to be priced very differently. 

Now that we know why some smartphones are way cheaper when compared to similarly spec-ed smartphones, let’s answer the question, is it still worth buying those $700 phones, or is a $350 phone good enough. In simple words, the answer depends on the way you use your phone. Software from companies like OnePlus’s Oxygen OS / Cyanogen OS and Xiaomi’s MIUI isn’t as polished like HTC’s Sense or Samsung’s TouchWiz. The guarantee and reparability proposition is a strong one for the top tier smartphones. Just picture yourself in this situation. With a lot of difficulty and after many months of waiting, you receive your OnePlus One. But when you open the box, it turns out that the phone broke in shipping! With OnePlus barely able to meet fresh purchases, it is next to impossible for them to hook you up with a replacement device.  

So there you have it. It is clear that the value per dollar proposition is a strong one for companies like OnePlus, Xiaomi & Asus. But, it also includes a little risk factor.  

So what do you think? Are you going to spend more than $350 on your next smartphone? Let me know in the comments below.