Technology companies such as Asus, Panasonic, Philips, Godrej, and Soundcore, among others launched new laptop PCs, refrigerators, accessories, and more this week (December 20-26).
DH's Gadgets Weekly edition lists the latest prominent personal technology products to keep you abreast of everything that's happening in the world of consumer electronics.
Asus ExpertBook B1400 laptop series
The new Asus laptop comes with military-grade durable construction with MIL-STD-810H specification. It features aluminium lid, ErgoLift, and a 180-degree lay-flat hinge. It weighs around 1.45 kg and measures 19.2 mm tall with an 84 per cent screen-to-body ratio.
It also features a 14-inch LED-backlit IPS full HD (1920 x 1080p), 16:9 aspect, anti-glare screen, 250nits brightness, 178-degree wide-view technology, fingerprint sensor-enabled power-on key, shielded 720p HD webcam with microphone, dedicated TPM 2.0, Kensington lock, 42Whr 3-cell Li-ion polymer battery and optional NumberPad 2.0 precision touchpad and backlit keyboard, along with standard features.
The new ExpertBook B1400 also boasts proprietary Asus two-way AI noise-canceling technology and software that employs machine learning to eliminate background sounds, both in single presenter and multi-presenter mode.
As far as physical connectivity is concerned, it features USB-C 3.2 with display out and power delivery, VGA, HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 2.0, Gigabit LAN, and audio combo jack.
Inside, it runs Windows 10 Home/Pro (upgradable to Windows 11 OS), backed by an 11th Gen Intel Core processor paired with powerful Iris Xe integrated graphics. It is backed by dual heat-pipe cooling for consistent high performance, optional discrete NVIDIA GeForce graphics, up to 48 GB of upgradable RAM, and hybrid storage (PCIe 3.0 SSD + SATA HDD) up to 2TB. Its price starts at Rs 32,490.
The company is offering three CPU options-- Intel Core i7-1165G7 with Intel Xe Graphics, Intel Core i5-1135G7 with Intel Xe Graphics, and Intel Core i3-1115G4 with Intel UHD Graphics.
Philips multi-functionality 3-in-1 air purifier with heater
The new Philips 3-in-1 purifier comes equipped with a 3-layer HEPA filtration system which promises to remove 99.95 % of particles as small as 0.003 µm and purify the air of viruses, allergens, pollutants, and the 350-degree rotating fan can distribute the clean air across the room.
The company says that the purification function of the air purifier is suitable for a room size of up to 215 sq feet. The company says that the purification performance of up to 165 m3/hr of Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is driven by an optimum 360-degree airflow intake design and exceptional ultra-fine particle filtering efficiency.
The purifier also comes with a three-speed setting to choose from fan levels: 7.5 W, 15 W, and 25 W or 3-speed heat levels: 1250 W, 1500 W, and 2200 W and 3 level settings for light control and display, offering more control to the consumers. The Philips 3-in-1 Air Purifier is priced at Rs 32,995.
Soundcore Infini soundbar
It comes with a built-in Dual Bass port with a sleek and stylish design with a premium black finish.
With 100W RMS, the soundbar boosts every aspect of the entertainment - be it your living room or dedicated entertainment room, it promises to offer a theatre-like experience while watching movies. The portable device provides a 360-degree balanced sound and deep Bass for movies, music, and other entertainment sessions.
The soundbar comes embedded with two top-notch subwoofers, mid-range drivers, and tweeters are paired with dual bass reflex ports to work in tandem with impressive amplifiers to deliver crisp audio and depth.
Additionally, the soundbar is equipped with three modes movie, music, and dialogue, enabling customized acoustics for an enriching experience. Switch to the sound, depending on the mood, whether with pulsating Bass or well-measured Balanced mode. It costs Rs 9,999.
Panasonic Toughbook S1
It features 7.0-inch WXGA (800x900p) IPS LCD screen with a drop-resistant rating. It can survive 1.5 metres drop and be able to operate at varying -20 degrees and 50 degrees celsius.
Under-the-hood, it comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core CPU, Adreno 512 GPU, 4GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC 5.1, and 3,200mAh with extended cell capability, which will boost the capacity further by 5,580mAh to ensure longer battery life. There is a single 13MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie camera.
Connectivity features include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.1, NFC, USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone port, and one port replicator. It costs Rs 98,000.
AnkerWorks PowerConf C300 AI-powered cam
It comes with AI colour adjustment feature, which can shine bright in low light or dark conditions. The webcam C300 promises to ensure perfect lighting even in inconsistent conditions with auto white balancing. Colour, skin tone, and contrast are displayed with face-to-face realism no matter how the room is lit.
Also, the HDR technology with AI exposure automatically focuses on people or objects within just 0.35 seconds. The auto-focus AI show off every detail of the latest samples and prototypes without waiting for the focus to catch up.
The webcam PowerConf C300 comes with two ultra-sensitive microphones. The two microphones work together alongside Active Noise Cancellation so callers can only hear the user's voice instead of distracting background noise. With four types of adjustment and adjustable field of view, PowerConf C300 can be placed anywhere in use. Download the Anker Work app to choose from four meeting modes and tailor the use to every unique need with customized settings. It costs Rs 9,999.
Inbase Urban Fab smartwatch
It is specifically designed for the group of 5-15 years old. It comes with 10 alarms to remind them of their daily activities such as waking up early on time, breakfast, time to go to school, homework, playing time, family time, sleeping time, and other routines of the day.
The new smartwatch also comes with 4 in-built games namely 2048, Candy Crush, Maze, and Fly a Plane. Urban Fab Teen is backed with an IP68 rating and is water-resistant so even with any of those frequent accidental cola/juice spills.
It also features multiple health functions such as heart rate, sleeps tracking, walking, and running, etc. so that you can keep a track of your kid's health without really taking them to the doctor.
The watch can expand for 7 days with normal, regular working time and 14 days on standby mode. It costs Rs 5,499. But, as part of the festive launch offer, it is being made available for Rs 2,999, but only for a limited time only.
To help parents keep track of their children and do not misuse the smartwatch, it comes with a child lock feature. This means parents can set a lock for the watch with a password.
Godrej security camera
Godrej's new SeeThru Color NV+ comes in two variants - an Indoor Mini Dome color camera and an Outdoor Bullet color camera. The SeeThru Color NV+ range comes with colour night vision, backlight compensation, supports ultra-low illumination, and more. The Dome camera is Rs 4099 and Bullet camera is Rs 4,399.
WK Life power banks
WK Life launched three-- HP-067 Luxury, WP-004, and WP-133. They come with protection features against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging while using the devices. The onboard IC provides over current/voltage protection for the phone's battery.
Wk Life HP-067 Luxury and Wk Life WP-133 are equipped with 10,000mAh battery capacity, whereas Wk Life WP-004 has 2400 mAH. The power banks boost features like fast charging technology and USB Type-C charging. The newly-launched devices can be purchased via both online and offline stores with prices starting at Rs 499.
Godrej's new refrigerator
The new Godrej refrigerator series boasts Nano Disinfection Technology. They come with a special Anti-Germ Nano coating in the airflow duct. When the air passes through the duct, it gets disinfected and as it circulates. This controls microbial activity in the enclosed refrigerator compartment, further disinfecting food surfaces in the refrigerator.
Godrej's proprietary technology has been tested (at a NABL accredited lab) to deliver 100% surface sterilization at the duct and an average of 95%+ food surface disinfection against germs.
The 24-hour food surface disinfection lab tests were conducted against a select set of commonly found germs like E-Coli, Salmonella, etc and on different foods - exposed tomato, exposed bread, curd, and cut apple – things which one commonly finds in the refrigerator.
The clear reduction in microbial activity helps ensure better food preservation, keeping it fresh and healthy for longer. Unlike regular refrigerators which reduce microbial growth with cooling, the disinfection technology goes a step further in sanitising the air in the refrigerator and therefore the exposed food surfaces against any germs which may be present on it.
The new Godrej refrigerators are available in 244-350 liters capacity starting from Rs 29,000.
U&i Prime Shuffe 3 Neckband
With a battery capacity of 150mAh, it promises to deliver up to 15 hours of music listening time and talking time of up to 20 hours. If not in use at all, the standby time is upto 400 hours.
The new Prime Shuffle 3 Neckband is adapted well and gets fully charged in 30 minutes with a Micro USB charging type.
Also, it supports quick charging. Just 10-minute charging can offer playtime of 5 hours. It supports 10 meters of wireless connectivity range. It costs Rs 2,699.
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