#1 Tech news 20/11/2016

1) Apple iPhone 8 to Samsung Galaxy S8: Top smartphones rumoured to launch with bezel-less design

 The smartphone was unveiled in China early this month 

The first smartphone to be launched with an edge-to-edge display is Xiaomi's Mi Mix. The concepThe concept of edge-to-edge display has taken the smartphone industry by storm with big names such as Apple and Samsung working on the same for their next flagship devices. Apple’s iPhone 8 which is set to launch in 2017 is rumoured to sport a bezel-free design, while the Galaxy S8 is said to come with a bezel-less display and no home button in the front. However, the first smartphone to be launched with an edge-to-edge display is Xiaomi’s Mi Mix. The concept smartphone was unveiled in China early this month and comes with a 91.3 per cent screen-to-body ratio. Mi Mix has a 6.4-inch display which is edge-to-edge, and Xiaomi says this will come with a custom 17:9 ratio aspect. If reports are anything to be believed, Huawei and Meizu are working on smartphones with bezel-less design as well. 

2) Xiaomi Mi Box 3s, Mi Box 3c Launched, Remarkable Specs Include 4-Core Processor, 4K Support, AI 

Xiaomi Mi Box line reportedly gets two new smart TV box under 3,000 Rupees. Both devices are slated to come with quad-core processors, 4K support and artificial intelligence out of the box.Xiaomi recently announced two new versions of the smart TV box. The Xiaomi Mi Box 3s was launched at Rs 2,949 while the Mi Box 3c came with a Rs 1,969 price tag. The Mi Box 3s reportedly also comes with a 64-bit Quad-core Amlogic S905X processor. Additionally, the device will come with 2GB RAM and 8GB internal storage.

The Xiaomi Mi Box 3s will also sport HDMI 2.0a support as well as 4K support at 60fps out of the box. The company also included support for HDR images combined with a Patch Wall and AI system. Other features include Mi Touch IR Remote, DTS decoding and Dolby support, FirstPost Tech reported.The Xiaomi Mi Box 3c reportedly rolls out with 1GB RAM and 4GB internal storage. The 3c will also come with Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Dual band support at 2.4 and 5GHs as well as Bluetooth v4.1. The 3c is said to come with specs similar to the Mi Box 3 but cheaper while the Mi Box 3s received the five major updates at the price of the Mi Box 3.Leaked reports also claim that the smaller Mi Mix codenamed Nano may be announced before the year ends. Watch  Xiaomi Mi Box 3s and Mi Box 3C launch starting Nov. 22

3) SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

SpaceX designing low-Earth orbit satellites to dramatically reduce latency.

SpaceX has detailed ambitious plans to bring fast Internet access to the entire world with a new satellite system that offers greater speeds and lower latency than existing satellite networks.

The private spacecraft company founded by CEO Elon Musk filed an application Tuesday for satellite space station authorizations with the US Federal Communications Commission. SpaceX recently said that its satellite service’s commercial availability date has not yet been determined, but the application’s technical description mentioned 2019 as a possible time for launching satellites into orbit.

SpaceX wants to launch 4,425 satellites into low-Earth orbits, with altitudes ranging from 715 miles to 823 miles. By contrast, the existing HughesNet satellite network has an altitude of 22,000 miles.

SpaceX’s plan for low orbits would greatly reduce latency. As we’ve previously written, current satellite Internet systems suffer from high latency, meaning that data packets must travel great distances between Earth and satellites, resulting in noticeable delays for Internet users.

SpaceX expects its own latencies to be between 25 and 35ms, similar to the latencies measured for wired Internet services. Current satellite ISPs have latencies of 600ms or more, according to FCC measurements.

4) Google reverses ‘digital death’ for customers involved in Pixel resale

Google has reversed the decision to disable accounts of customers involved in reselling of Google Pixel smartphones.

Google has reversed its earlier decision to disable accounts of customers involved in reselling of Google Pixel phones. In the incident termed as ‘digital death penalty’, Google had banned accounts of users who had shipped out the Pixel phones from Project Fi mobile carrier to a New Hampshire re-seller, The Guardian reported.

Google, in an email, notified the banned users that it was re-enabling their accounts after reviewing their appeals. The company, in the email said it, “takes violations of our terms very seriously, and we ask that you review relevant terms and product policies to ensure that you understand them”. It further added: “Repeated violations of our terms may lead to account termination.”