2016: A defining year for gaming

It has been a defining year for the gaming industry. Indeed, the year 2016 was a launch pad for many elite titles in both mobile and console gaming.

Although there had been many games that swept us off our feet, two in particular took the entire world by the storm.

PokemonGo enthralled enthusiasts the world over, who tried to capture the furry creatures and battle for gym control.

However shortlived the fever may have been, the entire world felt the effects of this addictive game, So much so that the government bodies across the world had to issue cautionary advisory to the players.

Although a dying breed now, you may still come across some chatting enthusiastically about the appearance of or capture of a rare pokemon.

But what came out as a shining example -- after fourteen instalments of the Battlefield series -- was the battlefield 1 from the house of EA. I personally love this game for its multiplayer gaming, going back to brutal historical battles in the backdrop of World War 1.

This game captures the imagination and thrill of fighting on the battlefield empowering the player with World War 1 weapons including bolt-action rifles, automatic and semi-automatic rifles, artillery, flamethrowers, and mustard gas to combat opponents.

Asus Zenfone 3 Max: Review

Buying a smartphone today can be challenging. Not because one doesn't have many options but because one is spoilt for choice. India is a key focus market not only for established but also for new players. Asus too joined the bandwagon with its wide range of offerings that fits everyone's needs. And the Zenfone 3 Max is designed for those who want lasting battery backup.

This is one good looking device. The ZenFone Max 3 has got curved edges with metallic unibody design, which makes it look and feel premium. This is a 5.5 inch device, with a 2.5D glass touchscreen. Navigation keys are placed below the display.  There is a metallic strip running on the top as well as the bottom. The camera module along with the flash sits on the top and is followed by a fingerprint scanner and Asus branding at the bottom. The device is 8.3mm thick and weights 175 grams. Its curved edges makes it comfortable to grip in a single hand. The SIM card tray sits on the left edge, 3.5 mm jack on the top, power and volume keys on the right and the charging port along with speaker grill on the bottom panel.

The ZenFone 3 Max packs in a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core 64 bit processor paired with 3GB of RAM. The phone comes loaded with Zen UI, which is nowhere close to stock Android UI but is still decent. Shortcuts and widgets are placed on the homescreen whereas the app tray icon at the bottom contains all the apps. Asus has loaded this device with a lot of Asus apps - MyAsus Service Center, ZenTalk, ZenFone Care, Amazon Kindle, Puffin, ZenCircle, etc.. One cannot uninstall most of these apps, only disable them. The Zenfone 3 Max is capable of performing daily tasks with ease. It can handle emails, web browsing, streaming videos, casual gaming without any lag. While the videos appeared bright and crisp on the display, audio output isn't extraordinary. The device doesn't have any heating issue, which is a plus point. The Zenfone 3 Max features a 16MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture. The images captured looked good on the phone's display offering rich colours and details. But transferring them to a bigger screen revealed it lacked sharpness. The low light shots captured over the low light shooting mode captured some good images. The 8MP front facing camera is good at capturing selfies but only in well lit surroundings. The device can capture 1080p videos. It also has electronic image stabilization but works only while shooting videos at 720p resolution.

The biggest plus point of the Max is its 4100 mAh battery, which easily lasted a day and a half on a single charge. Where most of the smartphones struggle to last a day with a single charge, it still had 30 per cent battery left at the end of the day with heavy usage.

Bag it or Junk it: A good looking smartphone with great battery backup.

Price: Rs 17,999
Rating: 4/5
Plus: Design, Battery
Minus: Bloatware

Norton boosts security and privacy protection for android devices

In today's digital age with apps ruling our world, our sensitive data is at threat of being released to unidentified sources.

Cyber security companies are constantly working towards improvising solutions. Norton by Symantec, one of the leading cyber security companies, has beefed up its Norton Mobile Security for Android with new features such as App Adviser feature, Report Card and Norton Safe Search and Web Protection.

Since January 2016, the company claims to have identified 6,464,472 new pieces of malware apps and 5,741,834 new pieces of greyware - apps with potential privacy issues or intrusive behaviors.

The Report Card feature offers users a 360-degree view of mobile device's security and privacy status, which can help them in taking control of and overcome potential mobile threats and privacy risks.

Within this feature, subscribers can take advantage of the enhanced Privacy Report and see where mobile apps are sending their photos and other personal information.

It also offers an easy-to-understand list of potential privacy vulnerabilities, like past unsecure Wi-Fi connections, so users can understand what data might be at risk and course correct.

It is integrated with Norton Safe Search and Web Protection protects users from visiting malware-infected sites and blocks phishing websites helping to protect devices from sites that can install ransomware, Trojans and other threats. It also protects users by displaying a website's safety and shopping ratings before a user visits the site.

This security solution has an anti-theft capabilities and contacts backup to help users find their device and restore lost information.
 
"We are seeing a significant uptick in customers installing Norton mobile solutions and believe it is due to people seeking ways to protect their devices, which are loaded with sensitive and personal information," said Ritesh Chopra, Country Manager, Norton by Symantec.

"With every update to Norton Mobile Security, we aim to enhance security capabilities and increase proactive protections to fend off today's privacy risks and security threats."

The top five permissions majority to apps seek are sending promotional emails and SMS, accessing contacts, accessing mobile data, bookmark history and camera. These could put any device to risk, adds Chopra.

With over 18 million downloads from Google Play Store in India, Norton by Symantec has been focusing and penetrations through different channels. The company is tying up with telecos and insurance companies for bundling it with phones. For OEM tie-ups, the solution comes pre installed on Jio's LYF smartphone.

"Last 12 to 18 months have been really busy. We are in talks with OEMs, both multinational and national players for their India specific handsets," adds Chopra.

The new features will be available to the existing Android subscribers through an app update. However, a new consumer can purchase the security software with one year license fee of Rs 599 to start with. These new features have been first rolled out for Android platform and has not been launched on iOS yet.

BenQ launches W11000 UHD home theatre projector

One of the leaders in projector segment, BenQ has announced the launch of a new digital home cinema projector. The W11000 is priced at Rs 3,99,000.

The W11000 is a true 4k UHD with Razor-Sharp 8.3 million pixel detail with 3840x2160p resolution.
It has 2,200 lumens brightness, 16:9 aspect ratio with lamp life of 3,000, 4,000 and 6,000 hours for normal, eco and smart eco mode, respectively.

It has a highly optimised 4K optical system then employs 14 high-resolution elements, a true zoom system, and special low-dispersion lens coatings to preserve spectacular visual quality for an authentic digital cinema experience.

Capable of projecting up to 95 to 180-inch clear image size, it can project up to a maximum of 300 inch.

It has a THX HD display certification for cinematic performance. It also supports 4k auto-upscaling from 1080p signal.

Interface options include LAN, IR In, PC, two HDMI ports, USB Mini B, 12v trigger and RS-232.  

OnePlus 3T with Snapdragon 821 chipset launched for Rs 29,999

After launching the OnePlus 3 in June this year, OnePlus has announced an upgraded edition to the flagship smartphone. The  OnePlus 3T packs in a better processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor), a bigger battery and a better selfie camera.

Priced at Rs 29,999, the OnePlus 3t will go on sale starting December 14, exclusively on Amazon India. The device will be manufactured in India.

The two smartphones look exactly the same. It features a 5.5-inch full HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Weighing 158 gm, it is 7.4 mm thick. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor over the Snapdragon 820 processor on the OnePlus 3.

Paired with 6 GB of RAM, the OnePlus 3T will be available in two storage capacities - 64 GB and 128 GB.

OnePlus has updated the camera, too. It features a 16-MP still camera with Sony IMX 298 image sensor and 4k video recording. Even the front camera has been updated from an 8 MP to 16 MP fixed focus with f/2.0 and 1080p video recording.