Gurgaon will have India’s First Pod Taxis

Now this is what I call - #MegaTechProgress - Catchy hashtags I tell you.

The mega project of India’s first pod taxi service, connecting Gurugram to Delhi will begin this month-end. This is expected to be a Rs 4,000-crore public transport project and will connect people to commute via ropeway connected driverless pods. It promises to decongest traffic problems for lakhs of office going commuters on the NH8. 

Even Gartner Finds the India PC Market declining 13% in Q2 2015

People, Gartner has published a report yesterday about a 13% drop in the Indian PC market, in Q2 Y15. The PC Market for this report is a combination of "desk-based" and "mobile PC" markets.

Reference Image for Market Share:

DDR3 Memory Getting More Affordable, Look Out For DDR4

Some say DDR3 is on the edge of being completely overtaken by DDR4. Coming to the Indian grounds, I don't think so! How many of us even know about DDR4? You need to buy a completely new DDR4 system. There are brands that are introducing more affordable versions but mind you, overall, that is still an expensive affair. 

It is true that the prices of DDR3 memory modules are way below what they used to be (Check examples). In under a year the prices have been almost cut to half and expected to drop further because of DDR4. However, that's not the only point. People are buying more of DDR3 modules may be because there are so many new systems being built or even upgraded with new memory. 

Source: MySmartPrice.com

Intel's new Skylake a.k.a 6th Gen processors support both, the DDR3 and DDR4 systems. The company is going all guns blazing with this range. These are now available for Desktops, Servers, Laptops & MiniPCs.

Source: AnandTech

Intel does claim the above when compared to a 5 year old laptop. But if I want to buy a new system, I might as well compare this with the newer configuration available. And reviews suggest only a pinch of better performance, unlike the price tag which would be much higher.


-vk

In Brief: Declining Personal & Entry-Level Storage Market - IDC

IDC has published a report on Worldwide personal storage market. Personal storage, which accounted for over 98% of the market shipments, continued to experience decline in the second quarter of 2015. Entry-level storage shipment remained flat during the quarter, and the segment has not been able to gain market share in the past two years. Overall, though the total Shipments have declined by 9.7% year over year, the share of Hard Disk Drives has grown. Here are the details of the report followed by a few notable pointers.

Release: Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free in India

Microsoft Corp. announced that Windows 10 will become available as a free upgrade or with new PCs and tablets. Windows 10 includes innovations such as Cortana2, an Xbox app and Microsoft Edge for a familiar, yet more personal and productive experience.

The new Windows Store and Windows Software Development Kit also become available from today, opening the door to new and innovative app experiences on Windows 10.

Xiaomi Mi 4 64GB now for Rs. 19,999 on Flipkart

Xiaomi's 64 GB Mi 4 is now cheaper by INR 4,000. This was the second time they slashed the price of their flagship smartphone. IT is now available on Flipkart for INR 19,999. 

OPPO plans to set up handset assembly unit in India by August '15

OPPO seems to be the first (within the handset makers) to set up its assembly in India. The company will focus on setting up a state of the art facility to manufacture smartphones for the Indian audience as well as key markets overseas. 

According to company spokesperson they will be coming here by around August 2015 to focus on the burgeoning domestic market. That is just 3 months away! 

Anti Dumping Duty Levied on USB Drives

Buy soon, the price of USB drives is heading north very soon. The Indian customs have imposed anti-dumping duty on quite a few products since the start of 2015, including USB flash drives that are Originating in OR Exported from China ($3.12/unit) and Taiwan ($3.06/unit). This duty, for now, is levied for a period of Five years.

The designated authority in its final findings, concluded that:

1. The subject goods has been exported to India from subject countries below its normal value, thus resulting in dumping of the product
2. The domestic industry has suffered material injury due to dumping of the subject goods
3. The material injury has been caused by the dumped imports of the subject goods originating in or exported from the subject countries

Sony Launches PumpX Wireless Speaker for Rs.7,990

A bit late I believe, but finally Sony India has launched a its ultra-compact wireless speaker - PumpX (SRS-X2) at Rs 7,990 in India. (Source: The Time of India)

Here's what to look out for:

• PumpX speaker comes with one-touch wireless listening with Bluetooth and NFC
• The device also sports an in-built microphone that enables the device to act as a wireless hands-free unit
• The speakers come with a frequency response of up to 20kHz
• Battery life that ranges from 5-12 hours
• It also supports charging through USB port
• The speakers also feature a virtual surround sound mode, which delivers an impressive and wider sound quality
• Available in Black, White & Red colours, the portable speakers are available at Sony Center and major electronic stores across India

Are You Interested in Value: My Take on InFocus M2

We all are so geared up with the Samsung's and the HTCs of the world, that we seldom look at the affordable segment. So much is the excitement around the new gadgets that the price tags have started to bother less. It has something to do with our sense of valuing the real thing.

The underlined statement these days is "Thy shall repent if thou buys cheap phones". As true as it may be for the experienced, there is a lot of chatter for affordables, specifically at the 7k to 10k bracket. There is Redmi 2 and Moto E Gen 2 at the forefront, both priced at 7K on Flipkart.com.

InFocus, is mainly known for Projectors and Displays and is making some noise in the Indian smartphone market. The company’s India Facebook page went live last month and have a few phones featured.