The affordable Amazfit Neo smartwatch is now available in India. After launching Amazfit Bip S and Bip S Lite earlier this year, the company has expanded its affordable wearable portfolio to even cheaper price point with the Amazfit Neo.
The Amazfit Neo is a smartwatch that comes in a retro-styled design with a four-sided screen - equipped with four physical buttons. These buttons are can be used to perform select, back, up, and down operations. You get a 1.2-inch STN monochrome screen with always-on display feature. There is also a lift-to-wake feature. The Amazfit Neo features a durable exterior case and PUR strap. The smartwatch is water-resistant up to 50 meters.
The Amazfit Neo harnesses Bluetooth 5.0 and can be paired with new Zepp app to gain more control over the smartwatch. Talking about the features that are offered, you get three basic modes here - walking, running, and cycling. The watch is also equipped with PPG bio-tracking optical sensor, that monitors your heart rate 24 hours a day. The sleep quality monitoring can measure your total sleep, light sleep, deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM).
And, lastly the PAI score a.k.a Personal Activity Intelligence. Using a special algorithm, this system converts complex data like heart rate, active time, and other indicators into values that help you assess your overall health. The watch can last up to 28 days on a single charge and it takes about 150 minutes to completely charge the smartwatch. It has a 160mAh battery built-in.
The body of the smartwatch is made up of plastic and weighs 32 grams. The dimension of the watch stands at - 40.3 x 41 x 11.7mm. The Amazfit is compatible with Android 5.0 or iOS 10.0 and above.
You can save up to £172 on your energy bills and fix your gas and electricity prices for a year by switching to our exclusive E.ON tariff - but you'll need to be quick, because it ends on Friday October 8.
The good news is that Ofgem's new energy price cap comes into effect today, which means that approximately half the UK will see their energy bills fall slightly. However, these customers are still paying more than they need to.
Our exclusive E.ON tariff undercuts the price cap by over £170, so if you're one of the UK's 11 million households on a standard variable tariff (SVT), you could save a lot more by switching provider. (And if you were previously on a fixed tariff but haven't changed tariff or provider in over 18 months, then you probably are on a SVT.)
All the savings shown below are calculated based on the energy usage of the average UK home, and compared with the new Ofgem price cap of £1,042, which came into effect on October 1.
The exact amount you could save by switching depends on how much energy you use, and where in the UK you live. To find out, just pop your post code into our energy comparison tool and answer a few quick questions about your energy use. We'll show you the best energy deals in your area - including E.ON - and how much you would save by switching.
The cheapest Big Six energy tariff
E.ON: Fix 1 Year Exclusive September 2020 v2 | Early exit fees: £25 per fuel | Average annual price: £870/year* | Save £172/year This exclusive E.ON deal has 100% renewable electricity and will fix prices for 12 months. It's £172 cheaper than the energy price cap, making it the cheapest Big Six tariff that you can switch to right now. To be eligible for this deal, you need to manage your account online, pay by fixed monthly direct debit and agree to free installation of a smart meter (where eligible). See how much you could save by switching to our exclusive E.ON tariff
*Details are subject to change. Average bill value based on Ofgem figures for medium dual-fuel use. All information correct as of 01/10/2020. Offers subject to change or be removed at short notice.
Why should I switch to E.ON?
Our exclusive energy deal with E.ON is the cheapest Big Six tariff available right now and has the biggest savings for the average UK home. If you want to move to a big-name energy supplier and get 100% renewable energy, it's worth seeing if you could switch and save.
You need to know that this deal is only available to new customers - which means you can't be an existing E.ON, npower, npower Select, Powershop or Sainsbury's Energy customer. You also need to manage your account online, pay by fixed monthly direct debit, and agree to get a SMART meter installed for free. If you switch before the end of the contract, you'll have to pay a £25 exit fee for each fuel.
See more of the best energy deals in your area
Find the best energy deal for your home Our energy price comparison tool will find all the best tariffs in your area, in minutes. We'll show you how much each would cost every year, and how much you could save by switching. Start saving now
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/3ijqwkf
With so many shows and movies to choose from on Australia's major streaming services, it can often be difficult to find the best new stuff to watch each week.
In an effort to make things easier, every weekend we'll be hand-picking the best new shows and movies to watch on Aussie streaming platforms, covering the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Binge, Stan and Amazon Prime Video.
Below, you'll find a list of this weekend's highlights, separated by streaming service, with binge-worthy new shows sitting alongside some great big-budget new movie arrivals – and a couple of oddball left-of-field entries, just for some variety.
Thankfully, there's a nice selection of new shows and great movies landing on Australia's streaming services this week for watching this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here are our streaming picks for the weekend of October 2-4, 2020.
Netflix
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (Movie – available now)
Having proved to be the standout character in DC's first Suicide Squad film, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) now leads the all-girl team-up film Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Having recently broken up with the Joker (not present in the film), Harley teams up with Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett), Huntress (Elizabeth Winstead) and Renee Montoya Rosie Perez) to save a young girl (Ella Jay Basco) from the evil crime lord, Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).
Song Exploder (TV Series – available 2/10/2020)
Based on the brilliant podcast series of the same name, Song Exploder dives deep into the creation of classic songs, allowing the artists themselves to break down their hits into individual layers. Watch and listen as a song builds from silence into a multi-layered masterpiece. Season 1 features such artists as Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, R.E.M. and Ty Dolla $ign.
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Documentary – available 4/10/2020)
He's narrated countless documentaries about the world around us – now it's time for David Attenborough's time in the spotlight. In the feature-length documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, the celebrated naturalist is reflects on his life while offering his concerns for the future of planet Earth.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond (TV Series – available 2/10/2020)
In this new spin-off of The Walking Dead, we follow a group of teenagers who are the first generation to come of age after the apocalypse. According to the show's synopsis, "Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. In the end, all of them will be changed forever." The Walking Dead: World Beyond will consist of only two seasons before it concludes.
Based on true events, the sublime Ford v Ferrari recounts the infamous rivalry between American automaker Ford and Italian automaker Ferrari that would come to a head at the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. In an attempt to beat Ferrari at its own game, Ford hires car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) to design a capable performance vehicle. Of course, he'll need a driver worthy of it, which is where the brash but brilliant Ken Miles (Christian Bale) steps in.
Raised By Wolves: Season Finale (TV Series – available now)
In this epic science fiction series produced by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner), Androids have been tasked with raising human children on a mysterious and unforgiving planet. Now heading into its season finale, all ten episodes of Raised by Wolves will be available to stream on Binge from October 1.
One of the first shows to arrive on Stan as part of its partnership with NBC Universal's new Peacock streaming service, Code 404 is a comedy show in which a top London cop (Daniel Mays) is brought back from the dead using artificial intelligence. if only he wasn't such a goofball. Also stars Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire).
https://ift.tt/1yhd1WC has introduced a new ‘Hold for Me’ feature on Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G phones enabling users to use their time productively, while waiting on call for a customer support representative. Called ‘Hold for Me’, this feature does the waiting for the user and notifies them when a representative finally comes on the call.
https://ift.tt/2lyxlBj 4a will be launched in India on October 17 and will go on sale via Flipkart, Google has announced on Twitter. The phone was originally unveiled in early August as a successor to the Pixel 3a that debuted in May last year.
Silver Lake seems to like making investments in Reliance Industries companies in two tranches. It did so with Jio Platforms (here and here.) Now, after putting in Rs 7500 crore in Reliance Retail, Silver Lake through its co-investors has decided to invest an additional Rs 1,875 crore into Reliance Retail.
This brings the aggregate investment by Silver Lake and its co-investors in Reliance Retail to Rs 9,375 crore, which will translate into a 2.13% equity stake. This latest investment values Reliance Retail at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.285 lakh crore.
Reliance Retail operates India's largest and fastest growing retail business serving close to 640 million footfalls across its 12,000 stores nationwide.
Reliance Retail, through its New Commerce strategy, has started the digitalization of small and unorganised merchants and is committed to expanding the network to over 20 million of these merchants. This will enable the merchants to use technology tools and an efficient supply chain infrastructure to deliver a superior value proposition to their customers.
Reliance and Silver Lake happy to join forces again
Commenting on the aggregate investment brought by Silver Lake, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said in a statement, “Silver Lake and its co-investors are valued partners on our journey to transform Indian Retail for the benefit of all Indians. We are pleased to have their confidence and support, as well as the benefit of their leadership in global technology investing and their valued network of relationships for the Retail revolution in India. Silver Lake’s additional investment is a strong endorsement of the tremendous potential of Indian Retail and the capabilities of Reliance Retail.”
Commenting on the investment, Egon Durban, Co-CEO and Managing Partner of Silver Lake, said, “We are delighted to increase our exposure and bring more of our co-investors into this unmatched opportunity. The continued investment momentum over the last few weeks is proof of the compelling vision and business model of Reliance Retail – and underscores the tremendous potential of the transformative New Commerce initiative.”
Amazon, Flipkart too ready to up the ante
Indian e-commerce space, dominated by Amazon, Flipkart and Jio Mart (linked to Reliance Retail) is set for a major battle.
Reliance Retail and Jio Mart (with the help of Jio Platforms) have been getting huge funds and are making major inroads in recent times. Reports have it that Japan's SoftBank Group is also keen on investing in Reliance Retail.
Ambani explained his plans to add newer categories like electronics, fashion, pharmaceutical and healthcare into its omni-channel venture, JioMart.
Jio Mart is positioned to take on Walmart-backed Flipkart and the other behemoth in the business Amazon.
The other two are no slouches when it comes to getting funds to sharpen their competitive presence.
Walmart, which owns Flipkart, recently invested $560 million in it, as part of its $1.2 billion round announced in July. Qatar Investment Authority’s subsidiary INQ Holdings also invested $8.14 million as part of the round.
China’s Tencent has also put in $62.8 million into the e-commerce company. Flipkart is expected to go public internationally in a few months time.
And Amazon has recently infused Rs 1,125 crore in fresh capital into its Indian unit, Amazon Seller Services.
So, all in all, there is battle royal in the offing in the e-commerce and retail market place.
The Google Pixel 5 is the latest flagship from Google, and the successor to 2019’s Google Pixel 4. But the new phone isn’t as much of an upgrade as you might expect – in fact, it's arguably not an upgrade at all, as the chipset is mid-range and the price is temptingly low.
As such, you might be wondering whether it’s better to just pick up a Pixel 4 instead, or if it’s worth upgrading from the Pixel 4 to the Pixel 5. To help you answer those questions we’ve compared the two phones based on their core specs and features and – in the case of the Pixel 4 – our hands-on experiences.
So read on to see how the new Google Pixel 5 stacks up against the older Google Pixel 4 in all the areas that matter – from the screen to the camera, and the all-important price.
Design
From the back the Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 5 look quite similar. They both have a square camera block in the top-left corner and a Google logo near the bottom, and are otherwise near featureless single-color slabs.
However there are two key differences. Firstly, the Pixel 5 has a fingerprint scanner on the rear, whereas the Pixel 4 doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner at all. The other big difference is that while the Pixel 4’s back is made of glass, Google has gone with the unusual choice of using aluminum for the Pixel 5.
The colors of the back also differ – the Pixel 4 comes in black, white, and orange shades, while the Pixel 5 is available in a choice of green or black.
The Pixel 5 has a plain metal back(Image credit: Google)
From the front these phones look quite a lot different, as while the Google Pixel 4 has a large bezel above the screen, which houses its front-facing camera, the Google Pixel 5 has a more modern (and Pixel 4a-like) punch-hole camera and minimal bezel. However, one thing you get with both phones is water and dust resistance.
As for dimensions and weight, the Google Pixel 5 comes in at 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm and 151g, while the Pixel 4 is 147.1 x 68.8 x 8.2mm and 162g, so they’re very similar in size, but the Pixel 5 is a little shorter, wider, thinner and lighter.
Screen
The Pixel 5 has a bigger screen than the Pixel 4: it’s a 6-inch 1080 x 2340 OLED display, with 432 pixels per inch and a 90Hz refresh rate.
The Google Pixel 4, meanwhile, has a 5.7-inch one with a marginally lower resolution of 1080 x 2280 and 444 pixels per inch. It’s still OLED though, and also has a 90Hz refresh rate, so interactions should feel just as smooth.
The Pixel 5 (above) has a bigger screen than the Pixel 4(Image credit: Google)
Really on paper then there’s minimal difference between these two screens – the Pixel 5’s is a little bigger, but that’s about all. Of course, it might perform better in practice, but we won’t know that until we’ve put the phone through our testing process.
For what it’s worth, we were reasonably impressed with the Pixel 4’s screen, calling it “bright and colorful” in our review.
Camera
As with the screen, there’s not a huge amount of difference between the cameras on these two phones, at least on paper.
They both have a dual-lens camera with a 12.2MP f/1.7 main snapper, although while the Pixel 4 has a 16MP f/2.4 telephoto camera (with 2x optical zoom), the Pixel 5 swaps it for a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide one. Both phones have an 8MP camera on the front.
The Google Pixel 4 has a telephoto lens(Image credit: Future)
The fact that the Pixel 5 has the same main camera isn;t necessarily a bad thing, as the Google Pixel 4’s snapper is excellent – in our review we called it “great” and we found that it performed well even in low light.
But we were also fond of the telephoto camera, so whether the change to an ultra-wide on the Pixel 5 will prove the right decision remains to be seen.
Battery life
One big upgrade in the Google Pixel 5 is its battery, as the phone has a 4,080mAh cell, while the Pixel 4’s comes in at just 2,800mAh.
Whether that will lead to much better life from the Pixel 5 remains to be seen – while Google claims that both phones offer “all-day” life, in our Pixel 4 review we found that the phone had “frustratingly short” battery life, with the phone often failing to make it through a full day.
The Google Pixel 5(Image credit: Google)
So we certainly hope the larger capacity translates into a significantly longer lifespan. It’s likely to have done, but we’ll let you know for sure once we’ve fully reviewed the Pixel 5.
Both phones support 18W fast charging, and both support wireless charging.
Specs and features
The Google Pixel 5 has an upper mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. While those specs are reasonable, the processor isn't a match for the likes of the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 865 Plus, found in phones such as the OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
In fact, it’s debatable whether the Pixel 5’s chipset is even an upgrade on the Pixel 4’s, which is the Snapdragon 855. That’s an older chipset, but it was high-end at launch. However, it’s paired with just 6GB of RAM in the Pixel 4, along with either 64GB or 128GB of storage. It’s also worth noting that while the Google Pixel 5 supports 5G, the Pixel 4 doesn’t.
The Pixel 4 has less RAM but a potentially faster chipset(Image credit: Future)
In terms of software, both phones run Android 11 – although while the Pixel 5 runs it out of the box, the Pixel 4 launched with Android 10 and will probably stop getting updates before the Pixel 5 does.
As for features, one of the biggest features on the Pixel 4 was Motion Sense. This allows the phone to detect when you’re near it and automatically turn the screen on. It also allows you to perform air gestures above the screen, so you can interact with your handset without touching it.
However, we found that its usefulness was limited, and that it was a big battery drain, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that Google has ditched the feature for the Pixel 5.
One thing you do get on the Google Pixel 5, though, is a fingerprint scanner. This is located on the back of the phone, and it’s something the Pixel 4 doesn’t have at all – it’s instead reliant on facial recognition.
Price and availability
The Google Pixel 5 costs $699 / £599 / AU$1,079. It’s not yet available to buy at the time of writing, but you can pre-order it now, and it’s landing on October 15.
The Google Pixel 4 has of course been on sale for a while, and starts at $799 / £669 / AU$1,049 for 64GB of storage, rising to $899 / £769 / AU$1,199 for 128GB.
So the Pixel 5 is actually cheaper than its predecessor, thanks presumably to its lesser chipset – though of course the Pixel 4 is likely to start being heavily discounted now that the Pixel 5 has landed, so you may well be able to find the older phone for less than the new one.
Surprisingly, the Pixel 4 is the more expensive of the two(Image credit: Future)
Takeaway
Based on first impressions the Google Pixel 5 is a bit of an oddity – it’s a clear upgrade on the Pixel 4 in some ways, offering a bigger battery, 5G, more RAM and a larger screen.
But the chipset is arguably a downgrade, and some other aspects are either much the same or different without necessarily being better, such as the change from a telephoto lens to an ultra-wide one.
The phone is priced accordingly, but as a successor to the Pixel 4 it might disappoint people hoping for a 2020 Google flagship. We’ll have to put it through a full review to know for sure though – and the lower price may end up giving the phone more mainstream appeal than its predecessor.
For the last couple of years, Amazon Prime Day has been our mid-year shopping spree – something to look forward to right after the end-of-financial year sales in Australia. However, July has come and gone, as has August, and finally Amazon has announced when its big sale will begin.
Prime Day 2020 is officially kicking off at midnight October 13 and will go on until 11:59pm AEDT October 14... at least for the offers available locally. You can continue shopping for an additional 18 hours – until 6pm on October 15 to be precise – for offers from the US, giving Aussies a marathon 66 hours of deals.
There's a dedicated Prime Day landing page on Amazon Australia where the company will be listing all its deals. You can bookmark this page for when the sale begins but the sheer volume of offers that are available during Prime Day can be overwhelming and can take a long time to trawl through.
So let us save you time and energy and TechRadar's Australian team will be on hand to sift through it all and list only the biggest bargains on the hottest tech in town.
With just two weeks to go, it's time to get cracking on your Amazon wish list, which you can save on the site itself and use that during the sale to save you time and, more importantly, money.
Amazon Prime Day began in the US in 2015 as a celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary, with more deals on offer than Black Friday back then. Prime Day then quickly transformed into Amazon’s mid-year sales event where members of Amazon Prime get exclusive discounts on a wide range of items. While it began as a one-day sale, 2018 saw the offers last for 36 hours, while 2019 saw a recording-breaking 65-hour event for shoppers in Australia.
How to shop during Prime Day 2020
The only way to maximise your savings during the Prime Day sale is to become a Prime member. Click on the link below to sign up now and you'll get a 30-day free trial, plus access to a lot of other Amazon services, including Prime Video, Prime Reading and Prime Gaming (previously called Twitch) Sign up for Amazon Prime now
Why does Amazon have Prime Day? It's presented as a neat ‘thank you’ to its paying members, but one that involves giving Amazon more money and shifting a lot of stock at the same time.
Prime Day isn’t just about selling Amazon-branded products – many other brands and third-party sellers also save their best deals for Prime Day, completely aware that thousands of extra shoppers will be hitting the online store.
To make the most of Prime Day you’ll need to get yourself an Amazon Prime membership which, in Australia, will set you back just AU$6.99 a month or AU$59 a year – half the cost of the US subscription.
While you’re paying for the privilege of free, swift delivery, signing up for Prime means you’ll also have free access to Amazon’s streaming services, including Prime Video, Prime Music and Twitch. Members also get free access to Prime Reading and Prime Photos for all their ebook and storage needs.
If you'd like to know more about how a Prime membership can benefit you, head to our dedicated page on Amazon Prime in Australia where we explain it all.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2020?
Amazon has finally confirmed the highly anticipated dates of Prime Day 20202. As mentioned earlier, this year the sale event kicks off at 12am AEDT on Tuesday, October 13 – a first as Prime Day is usually in July and always on a Monday.
In Australia, the sale will carry on for a massive 66 hours. Until 11:59pm on Wednesday, October 14, you'll be able to shop for all offers – those sold and shipping domestically and those shipping from abroad (like the UK and US). Once that ends there'll be 18 hours more of offers for Aussie shoppers, although these will be the US deals which, like last year, will carry on until they end in the US West Coast. That's 6pm AEDT on Thursday, October 15.
Last year's Prime Day was 65 hours, but thanks to daylight savings kicking in early October, we get an extra hour to shop this year.
If you're a music buff, this might just be for you. If you're a new customer and sign up for Amazon's music streaming service now, you'll only need to pay 99c for a full four months of access to 60 million songs, all playing ad free. After the four months, though, you'll need to pay the usual monthly subscription fee of AU$11.99.View Deal
Avid readers, specifically those who've never tried Kindle Unlimited before, will be able to score a three-month free trial period instead of the usual one month. That means you get free access to over a million titles and their audiobooks as well. If you're loving the experience, then after the three-month trial you'll need to cough up AU$13.99 per month for the service.View Deal
Audible| three months for free, plus free monthly audiobook
Another excellent offer for Prime members right now – if you're looking to try out Audible audiobooks, Amazon Prime members can get three free months of the service. On top of that, you'll be getting a free audiobook of your choice each month. After the trial, it'll return to AU$16.45 per month. View Deal
Prime Video is part of Amazon's Prime membership package, but not everything is free to stream. There's a store where you can buy or rent the blockbusters and classics that aren't available for free. In the lead up to Prime Day, Aussie Prime members will be able to save on movie rentals with some of them starting at just 99c. Great time to catch up on all those flicks you've been wanting to watch.View Deal
With a 5-inch screen and all the Alexa smarts on board, this little device will fit into any space and help you control your smart home setup. If you don't have connected devices, you can still use it to watch videos, check the weather, keep up with the news and listen to music. Better yet, the 23% discount makes the Echo Show 5 a lot more affordable at just AU$99.View Deal
For those who might find the 5-inch screen of the Echo Show 5 too small, there's the option of going one step higher for the 8-inch display of the Echo Show 8. Not only do you get a bigger screen, you get a better, higher resolution one, with a speaker that boasts bigger sound too. It's the perfect middle ground if you don't want to spend the premium price for the new Echo Show 10, and it's available with a AU$70 saving.View Deal
Amazon’s just-released Fire TV Stick Lite is already pretty cheap, but there’s a great deal available if you’re looking to buy a smart speaker too. If you bundle the Stick Lite (which retails for AU$59) with the third-generation Echo Dot (worth AU$79) you’ll score both of them for just AU$89. That’s a great price for the smart speaker and the streaming stick bundle, saving you AU$49 in total. The Fire TV Stick Lite is now available to pre-order from Amazon, shipping on October 6.View Deal
It's not very often you find retailers discounting recently announced cameras. But Amazon is and it's official Nikon stock too. So if you're looking for an entry-level camera with some serious skills and features, you really can't go wrong with this full-frame mirrorless marvel that takes a leaf or two out of its more expensive and older Z6 sibling. This single-lens kit is a good buy at 17% off the listed price.View Deal
Garmin has been edging towards smartwatch territory, and the Venu is its best effort yet. It comes with a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen display, which it matches with a strong battery life and a full suite of fitness features, as a Garmin watch should. While it can't quite keep up with the likes of Apple, it's a superb sports watch which can track almost anything you throw at it.View Deal
Are Prime Day deals competitive?
Amazon has a plethora of offers on its site each day and those are usually some of the best prices you can find on consumer tech. Whether you’re after a Samsung Note 10 or a Philips Hue smart lighting system, chances are you’ll get them cheaper on Amazon than any other Aussie retailer. It’s even more the case with Prime Day deals.
Leading the raft of deals during Prime Day 2020 will be Amazon’s own products, including all the Echo and Kindle products, not to mention Ring security devices. Amazon is also one of the most convenient places to score a discount on the Oculus VR headsets and, now, lay your hands on official stock of Samsung devices, Xiaomi phones, Instant Pots and Nikon photography gear.
You can easily score about 35% off on Amazon’s own devices during Prime Day which, for the rest of the year probably don’t drop more than 28% or thereabouts. If you’ve managed to score a $500 discount on Samsung or Huawei devices during one of Amazon’s regular deals, then it’s highly likely that the discount will be much deeper come Prime Day. It’s the perfect time to snag a Nintendo Switch or find the lowest prices on the best premium headphones – cheaper than any other retailer who will likely be scrambling to price-match.
What were people searching for on Amazon Prime Day 2019?
According to analytics experts Hitwise, Amazon saw an increase in traffic across all major categories on the Australian site, with the Electronics & Computing showing a 359% growth in reach between 2018 and 2019, with Amazon-branded items being the most popular products on the site, followed closely by the Nintendo Switch. There were nearly 100,000 page views for all NIntendo-branded items, including consoles and games.
With Samsung now having partnered with Amazon to sell its products on the e-commerce platform in Australia, it was no surprise that the South Korean brand clocked up over 95,000 pageviews during Prime Day 2019.
The other big winners in Australia included Sony, Sandisk, Corsair and Philips.
What to expect from Prime Day 2020
We’re not expecting shopping trends during Amazon Prime Day 2020 to change very much. The Nintendo Switch is still going to disappear within minutes of being discounted, and this could happen to the Switch Lite too if you aren’t quick enough. We're not expecting the next-gen game consoles from Sony and Microsoft to be discounted either, but you'll be able to save a packet on older models still in stock.
Of course, Amazon’s Echo devices will likely be flying off the shelves like before, and we’ll still see the Paperwhite beating out the other Kindles in terms of sales. You can even expect to pocket some decent savings on Ring’s range of security devices, including the Doorbells and the cameras.
Premium headphones have been very popular on Amazon over the last couple of years and 2020 will likely see that continue, particularly for Sony and Bose headphones. With the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 one of the more expensive ANC cans on the market, Prime Day will be a great time to get a set for less.
With more TVs available on Amazon Australia now, we think Prime Day 2020 would be an ideal time to upgrade your home entertainment system, especially if you’re in the market for a good 4K smart telly – we've already seen Sony's TVs discounted on the site on a regular basis.
It will also be a good time to get yourself a new fitness wearable, be it from Garmin’s very premium GPS sports watch range or more affordable options from Fitbit. Likewise, cameras and drones will see a price drop, too, so keep that credit card handy.
How to shop on Prime Day in 2020
1. Check out our deals predictions and, eventually our Prime Day deals list
There are also too many deals available on Prime Day. It's never a problem finding discounts, it's always an issue of figuring out what deals are worth your money. That's why we always set up a curated list during the sales marathon.
2. Amazon Prime Day has historically required being a Prime member, so be sure to have a subscription on Prime Day
Amazon started Prime Day as a clever way to drive up its Prime subscription count, and this online shopping marathon – conveniently opposite Black Friday – accomplished just that.
3. Create a wish list to curate what you want, as there will be loads of deals
You're also going to want to create a wish list ahead of time, which will let you sort out what you want and how much everything costs. This will give you a head start. You'll be able to see which deals dropped in price and which did not.
4. Snap up the best Prime Day 2020 deals before they're gone
We often find the best deals to go in a matter of minutes, at which time Amazon rolls out a waitlist for those who were just behind the curve.
Prime Day: why does it matter more to Amazon?
There are some crucial differences between Prime Day and Black Friday. The first is that Prime Day is Amazon’s own day. It’s right there in the name which, of course, refers to Amazon’s Prime membership program and associated services. Amazon doesn’t own Black Friday, and that means ultimately it’s just another retailer shouting for attention – a massive retailer with a really loud voice. Black Friday is a sales event for the entire retail sector. With Prime Day as its own take on November sale period, it makes it much harder for rivals to muscle in on something that Amazon has effectively created from thin air.
The second and more important difference is that Black Friday doesn’t create new spending. It just moves it slightly. As we’ve discovered in recent years, the money people spend over the Black Friday period is money they were probably going to spend anyway: all Black Friday really does is concentrates pre-Christmas shopping in the last week of November.
Prime Day spending is different in two ways. First of all, people aren’t spending the money they’d already planned to spend on Christmas presents. And secondly, they’re buying mainly for themselves, not for others.
There’s another key benefit for Amazon. Its global bestsellers on Prime Day weren’t just Amazon devices; they were Amazon devices that connect to Amazon services. Fire TVs, Kindle Fires, Echo devices, Alexa remotes. Each one of them connecting to Amazon Prime, and each one of them requiring a Prime membership to buy in the first place. So when Black Friday rolls around, Amazon will have a whole bunch of Prime members for whom shopping on Prime is the default, and who might want to enhance their Amazon-powered smart homes with Amazon-branded Black Friday deals.
Prime Day means that, for Amazon, Christmas now comes twice a year.
The recent Google Play Store fiasco with PayTM and the emerging controversy over Google's 30% fee demand for using the Play Store seem to be leading to the inevitable: A plea for setting up an Indian digital app ecosystem.
According to multiple reports, a number of prominent technology entrepreneurs in India are joining forces in a bid to create an indigenous app store and reduce the dominance of US tech biggies Google and Apple.
A bunch of Indian technology entrepreneurs have had a meeting this week and discussed ways and means to set up a platform that will host apps, especially Indian ones and not be at the mercy of companies like Google and Apple.
Tech companies are doubtless concerned at the monopolistic approach of both Google and Apple.
The issue has been brewing for nearly a year or so. But when Google temporarily removed India's dominant digital payment app PayTM from the Play Store, the matter came to a head.
And it further got vitiated with the move by Google to increase the commission on purchases made on its app store.
This has a brought of clutch of influential Indian firms together and petition the Indian government to help create an Indian digital ecosystem. And with the mood still dominated by 'Make in India', there seems to be plenty of takers to the idea.
According to a report in Economic Times, "Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Yashish Dahiya of Policybazaar and Murugavel Janakiraman of Matrimony.com, plan to approach the country's banking regulator as well as the finance ministry seeking redressal for Google's recent move to increase commission on purchases made on its app store."
As it happens, just yesterday, food delivery apps Swiggy and Zomato have received notices from Google stating that the in-app gamification feature used by both platforms violate its Play Store guidelines.
Google's actions have been questioned by legal experts who question its right to play both the gatekeeper and policy maker due to the obvious conflict of interest. Android holds more than 90% share in India's mobile market and amounts to Google playing judge, jury and executioner, is the general opinion.
Politics behind Google and FB investment in India?
Even as the move against Google, and by extension against Apple, gathers momentum, there is a belief in certain sections in India that both Google and Facebook have invested in Jio Platforms in the hope that it brings with it some leverage with the India government. The suggestion here is that the Reliance Industries, which owns Jio Platforms, is powerful enough to influence Indian governmental policies.
Whether it is true or not, the fact is the fight against companies like Google, Apple and Facebook is not going to be easy. Even in the US there have been antitrust cases against them. But nothing has emerged out of them.
In India, the move against Google and Apple may, however, help Indus OS (on Android platform), which has a suite of localized applications focused on serving the Indian market. Interestingly, Samsung and Venturest have funded the four-year-old startup’s $5.75 million Series B round last year.
Indus OS over 100 million monthly active users. This should be a good number to build on.
Google has already confirmed that the new Googe Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G won't make to India a couple of months. However, the Google Pixel 4a which was launched in India was confirmed to launch in India.
Last night, after Google's "Launch Night In" event, several users from India on Twitter started asking the company about the availability of the Google Pixel 4a. To which the Made By Google handle responded with the actual launch date of the device.
Hi Roger, we appreciate your interest in our Pixel devices. The Pixel 4a launches in India on October 17th and will be available for purchase on Flipkart. To learn more about the Pixel 4a check out the official blog post here: https://t.co/EOgWtQ7NMg Appreciate it.October 1, 2020
The Pixel 4a launches in India on October 17th and will be available for purchase on Flipkart, said the tweet response to multiple queries about the availability of the Pixel 4a. The teaser page is live on Flipkart for the past couple months.
The Google Pixel 4a offers a 5.81-inch 1080 x 2340 OLED screen that’s fairly compact for a 2020 smartphone. It has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 730G octa-core chipset, which is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The battery meanwhile is 3,140mAh, which isn’t massive. It supports 18W fast charging, but there’s no wireless charging.
Since its a Pixel phone, the camera is the USP of the device. It has a single-lens 12.2MP shooter with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization on the rear. The front camera meanwhile is an 8MP in a punch-hole, and there are stereo speakers along with a plastic back with a fingerprint scanner in the center. The device runs on Android 10 out of the box and the Android 11 update is already out for the same.
As for the pricing, the predecessor, Google Pixel 3a currently retails for Rs 30,999. So, we can expect the Google Pixel 4a to launch in India for around Rs 35,000.
Dell has cut a huge AU$1,050 off the asking price of its G7 17 gaming laptop, bringing the total price down to just AU$2,449.
If you’re a gamer, you’ll appreciate the G7’s excellent performance thanks to its i7 CPU paired with robust Nvidia RTX 2070 graphics. A relatively low resolution 1080p screen runs at an exceptionally high 144Hz, so you should easily see silky smooth gaming approaching the maximum frames per second this screen is capable of running.
It’s also great for casual use as well as productivity, boasting 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and a 9th-generation six-core Intel Core i7 processor.
This laptop would suit those who identify themselves as an ‘active gamer’ that requires a new rig to not only play their favourite titles but also to perform a range of other tasks.
If that sounds like you, the Dell G7 17 is definitely a machine worth considering (especially with the enormous AU$1,050 discount).
No code is required to receive the generous discount, meaning you simply have to head to Dell’s online store to secure yours today. Whilst there isn’t a displayed deal expiration date, Dell often refreshes its deals every Friday, meaning this discount may not be here tomorrow. In other words, now's the perfect time to make a decision.
An impressively sleek and slim laptop with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and a 9th generation six-core Intel Core i7 processor, Dell’s G7 17 Gaming Laptop also packs in Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2070 design graphics card for immersive 1080p gaming. Currently discounted by 30% through Dell’s online store – that’s a massive saving of $1,050!View Deal
Get ready for more amazing deals and discounts with Amazon Prime Day starting on October 13. Click here to find out more
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/3l2xWtP
Update(October 1): The Redmi 9i will go on sale again today at 12 noon via Flipkart.
Xiaomi's latest budget phone, the Redmi 9i will be up on sale today for the time. The newest Redmi 9 series device was unveiled in India earlier this week.
The Redmi 9i will go on sale at 12 noon today via Flipkart. The Redmi 9i base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB is priced at Rs 8,299. And, the 4GB+128GB variant is priced at Rs 9,299. The device will be available in three colour options - Midnight Black, Sea Blue, and Nature Green.
Starting off with the display, you get a 6.53-inch HD+ IPS display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display is also certified by TUV Rheinland for low Blue light. It sports a water-drop notch at the front which houses the selfie camera. On the inside, the device is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 chipset clocked at 2GHz. The PowerVR GE8320 GPU will take care of graphics.
The Redmi 9i comes in two storage options with 4GB of RAM common across the variants. You can opt between 64GB and 128GB storage options. Additionally, you also get a microSD card slot which can further expand your storage. Powering the device is a 5,000mAh battery. The battery is capable of 1000 recharge cycles.
For optics, the Redmi 9i is said to come with a 13MP shooter at the rear and a 5MP selfie snapper. The camera comes with a bunch of shooting modes including HDR, portrait, AI modes, and filters. And, finally, as for software, the Redmi 9i runs on MIUI 12 out of the box which is based on Android 10.
Xiaomi unveiled its latest budget centric fitness tracker in India earlier this week. The Mi Smart Band 5 was unveiled in India along with Mi Watch Revolve and a bunch of other AIoT products at Xiaomi's annual Mi Smarter Living event.
The Mi Smart Band 5 will be available on Amazon starting 12 noon today. The Mi Smart Band 5 is available in Black, Teal, Purple, Navy Blue, and Orange colour options. The biggest upgrade in terms of hardware is the 20% larger screen compared to the last-gen Mi Band 4.
While its dimensions dont really change, the Mi Smart Band 5 has a 20% bigger display, now spanning 1.1-inches. It’s an AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 126 x 294. The brightness also gets a bump up to 450 nits. Xiaomi tells us that the bands from the previous Mi Bands should also be compatible. The other hardware change comes with the new magnetic charging connector, replacing the finicky old cradle mechanism.
The Mi Smart Band 5 comes with multiple new tracking modes that can check your vital physical and mental stats: stress, breathing, heart rate, sleep tracking and nap tracking, menstrual cycle, step counting, calories, etc. Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) also makes the cut to track progress over time. The total number of workout modes has also been increased to 11 with the addition of yoga, power walking, swimming, jump rope and freestyle.
Hundreds of watch faces will be available at launch, and each can be further customized as per liking. Music and media playback can also be controlled. A notable new feature is the remote shutter control to click pictures on the connected phone. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 can also be used to unlock Xiaomi phones and laptops, bypassing the need to enter a password.
A battery life of 14 days is claimed, with the power saver mode taking it up to 21 days. The included charger should take it from 0 to full in less than 2 hours.
The VPN firm will provide a one-month trial to users of LastPass Premium and Family packages, which can be activated by logging into the LastPass Vault and accessing the Security Dashboard on the left hand menu.
The move, while unexpected, is logical for two of the biggest players in their respective fields. Rival password manager Dashlane, for example, already offers a VPN service from Anchorfree, the company behind HotspotShield. The combo package costs $60 per year and offers credit monitoring, identity restoration support and identity theft insurance.
Privacy focused bundles are rapidly becoming the norm in the security market, with most big players (e.g. Norton, Bitdefender, F-Secure) offering an integrated approach to security.
While most examples come in the form of software-as-a-service (SaaS), there's also a growing number of providers that offer hardware solutions too, like Torguard.
Just like the rest of the sporting world, it’s been a season like no other for the AFL. Now heading into the first week of the finals series, we’re looking at four powerhouse matches, and it all kicks off tonight.
The road to finals glory starts today (Thursday, October 1 at 7:40pm AEST) with the Power playing to a fired-up home crowd, but the team have its work cut out for it when facing the Cats. Port Adelaide was dominated by Geelong back in round 12, where the Cats lost 91-31.
The Brisbane Lions will face Richmond at the Gabba on Friday, October 2 (7:50pm AEST) in a qualifying final. The Tigers have been in top form, but if Brisbane can handle the pressure and come out on top, the Queensland team will be on its way to securing a home ground final.
St Kilda will meet with the Western Bulldogs on Saturday, October 3 (4:40pm AEST) in an elimination match. This has been a long time coming for the Saints, who will be making their first finals appearance since 2011.
Later that night, West Coast Eagles will face Collingwood in another finals decider (8:10pm AEST / 6:10pm WST). The Magpies started off strong this year, but have since slumped to the bottom of the top eight teams. Collingwood has had a rocky season on and off the field, so this go-hard or go-home match to be played with an Eagles home crowd will be hard won.
Every finals game will be broadcast live online and on free-to-air. Here's how you watch it all unfold in the lead up to the Grand Finals on October 24.
How to watch AFL 2020 Finals Week online
The best place to catch all the qualifiers live online would be on Kayo. This streaming service is dedicated to sports so there won't be any distractions, with the exception of a few ad breaks perhaps.
The advantages with watching footy on Kayo is the versatility – you'll get live interactive stats while the matches are happening, the ability to watch up to three other streams at the same time in SplitView and have all the AFL matches available on-demand later if you happen to miss it all. If you want to just check the highlights, Kayo Mini videos are bite-sized clips of all the best bits.
And, if you haven't signed up yet, you get a 14-day free trial before you need to pay your monthly subscription. If you'd like to know more about the streaming service, take a look at our in-depth Kayo Sports review.
Kayo’s Basic package will let you live stream and catch up on over 50 sports on two devices at the same time. You’ll have access to Kayo’s features such as SplitView, and you can cancel any time as there’s no lock-in contract.View Deal
How to live stream AFL 2020 Finals Week for free
The Seven Network has broadcast rights to all the qualifier games during Finals Week. They'll be available to watch live and free on Seven or 7Mate, depending on which state you're in.
That means, you'll also be able to stream the games on the Seven Network's catch-up app, 7Plus. This platform is available on a web browser, and has apps for both Android and iOS.
How to live stream AFL 2020 Finals Week from abroad
If you're a footy fan who happens to be living outside of Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific Islands, you needn't despair. You can watch every single AFL game this season no matter where you are on the Watch AFL streaming service.
Like Kayo, Watch AFL is also a subscription service and has three different plans to choose from:
For the qualifiers, Watch AFL has a new option called the Finals Pass, which temporarily replaces the monthly plan. It gives customers the ability to watch all the matches during Finals Week as well as the Grand Finals live.
The contents of this streaming service are only available to view outside of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, but a subscription can be purchased from anywhere. It includes every match in the Premiership, including the fixtures from the Women’s League. Watch AFL allows you to pause and rewind live matches, and also allows you to download matches for offline viewing. While you can watch the livestream on desktop via the website, the Watch AFL app is also available for iOS, Android and Apple TV. You can even cast onto a TV via AirPlay or Google Chromecast.View Deal
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/3cMlQC4
https://ift.tt/2ugZxyk 9i smartphone will go on sale today at 12pm (noon). It will be available for purchase via Flipkart, Mi.com, Mi Home stores and Xiaomi partner offline retailers.
