5G : The Game changer of Mobile Technology

5G - It's being compared to the arrival of electricity.

That's a big call but Qualcomm has its eyes on a 5G future. And it's not just thinking about speed.
At the Las Vegas CES 2017 that has given us intelligent robots, autonomous drones and wallpaper TVs, the next generation of wireless technology might not seem like that big of a deal. But Qualcomm says it will change society in ways we haven't seen since the introduction of electricity.

For anyone who thinks 5G is just an iteration after 3G and 4G, Qualcomm CEO Stephen Mollenkopf spent his keynote outlining why the next generation of mobile connectivity is about so much more than faster 4K Netflix streaming on your phone.
It's about connectivity.

Think of it this way: If 3G ushered in the picture era and 4G was about video, 5G will be about tying our entire world together. What will we get? Live-streaming VR, autonomous cars that respond to real-time conditions, and connected cities where everything from the houses to the street lamps talk to each other.

"5G will be a new kind of network, supporting a vast diversity of devices with unprecedented scale, speed and complexity," Mollenkopf said at the packed keynote. "5G will have an impact similar to the introduction of electricity or the automobile, affecting entire economies and benefiting entire societies."

Qualcomm is buzzing about 5G as the key to our future connectivity.

As far as Qualcomm sees it, our hyper-connected future will be about three key things: VR, the internet of things and connectivity for mission-critical tasks like autonomous cars and health care.

Qualcomm showed off to the gathered audience about the different ways it’s going to deliver better performance using 5G technology. Qualcomm CEO, Steve Mollenkopf, also shared interesting titbits in his keynote address at the CES gathering.

"5G Will Let You Download 1GB File In 3 Seconds" Qualcomm

In his keynote, Mollenkopf said that 5G isn’t just the next version existing 3G and 4G technologies but a whole new ball game in the field of mobile telephony. Mollenkopf said that 5G will be the key driver of the new age technology like VR live-streaming, autonomous cars, connected townships, etc.

According to him, 5G is expected to change the entire industry as it’ll increase the data speeds and reduce the associated costs. Apart from these benefits, the best thing about 5G is its low latency compared to 3G and 4G which will help users achieve many unimaginable and mission critical operations. Moreover, Mollenkopf said that 5G will have an impact similar to the introduction of electricity or automobile and “affect entire economies and benefiting entire societies.”

The research commissioned by Qualcomm predicts that 5G value chain will support up to 22 million jobs and generate up to $3.5 trillion in revenue by 2035. It also predicts that the full economic impact of 5G is expected to be realized by 2035. It also said that the new 5G technology will allow users to download a 1GB file in 3 seconds flat. Due to its high speed and low latency, the users will be able to download a full-length 4K movie in 18 seconds. The 5G tech will also usher in a new Internet age as far as speeds are concerned.

Qualcomm certainly had plenty of big ideas, and we're starting to see some of them on the CES show floor, even if they're just proof of concept. The only thing we need now is the wireless power to get us there. We now have to wait for mobile service companies to adopt the 5G tech and provide 5G services to users. As per a report, 5G tech will be implemented in Japan as early as September 2017.

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Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder?

Since 2005, Microsoft has offered both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of its Windows operating system (OS) to support new 64-bit CPUs. So, if you see a folder Program Files (x86) on your computer, it means that you are running a 64-Bit Windows OS. You will notice that there are two separate folders where your Program Files are kept:

• Program Files (x86), which contains 32-bit programs and applications, and.
• Program Files, which contains 64-bit programs and applications.

But, have you ever wondered why it is necessary to have these two folders and what’s the difference between them?

A 64-bit Windows OS has a backward support for 32-bit applications. Also, a 64-bit Windows stores all 32-bit apps on another folder to let you know that these apps are created for a 32-bit OS, which is also a very good way to organize everything properly.

Microsoft’s solution to this transition from 32-bit to 64-bit has been to add legacy support for most 32-bit applications. In other words, most 32-bit applications will function in the 64-bit operating environment. Keep in mind that other operating systems operating on a 64-bit architecture cannot load or run 32-bit applications at all.

To help make the transition easier, Microsoft has designated that all 32-bit application should, by default, be loaded into the Program Files (x86) folder rather than getting mixed in with true 64-bit applications in the regular Program Files folder.

Windows runs smoother if it keeps these two very different types of code separate. The OS can’t assume that an x86 program even knows that such a thing as x64 code exists, and that could cause problems if they cross. For example, if a 32-bit program went looking for a .dll, and found one that came with an x64 version, the program wouldn’t work and wouldn’t know why it didn’t work. Therefore, keeping them in separate folders is the simplest way to avoid such problems. However, this folder (Program Files x86) is only available on a 64-bit Windows OS (XP, Vista, 7, 8,10).

"What would go wrong if I somehow avoided the redirection mechanism and forced everything to install to the real 'C:\Program Files\' ?"

Nothing. The two program directories are only for organisation, or to keep programs that have two version a 32-bit and 64-bit version separate, like Internet Explorer. But you can install a 32-bit program in "Program Files" and a 64-bit program in "Program Files x86" and nothing will happen the program will run the same.

Wikipedia says 'Some application installers reject spaces within the install path location. For 32-bit systems, the short name for the Program Files folder is Progra~1. For 64-bit systems, the short name for the 64-bit Program Files folder is Progra~1 (same as on 32-bit systems); while the short name for the 32-bit Program Files (x86) folder is now Progra~2.'

So, is it the 32-bit folder called “(x86)”?

x86 is another way to refer to 32-bit processors. Originally, 16-bit processors — specifically, the 8086 and 8088 processor architectures — were referred to as “x86”. This name was later extended to include the 32-bit 80386 and 80486 processor family. When 64-bit processors were introduced, they were referred to as x64 to distinguish them from the older processor lines. The number 86 now refers to pre-x64 code, whether it’s 16- or 32-bit, even though the 16-bit x86 code won’t run in 64-bit versions of Windows.

Other than the Program Files, there are also some other components that have both 32-bit and 64-bit version of Windows. Some of these are stored in Winsxs (stands for Windows Side By Side) and WoW64 (Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit), which is a subsystem of the Windows OS capable of running 32-bit applications that is included in all 64-bit versions of Windows.

Source: Superuser

Nokia is back in the Smartphone Game and We Are Excited !

After losing the smartphone battle a couple of years ago, it was almost like we had forgotten what Nokia was. Once a giant in the mobile industry, Nokia was simply kicked out of the game amid evolution and with heavy hearts, the world bid adieu to it.

However, it preached about coming back in the game and finally the long wait is over. After acquiring rights to the Nokia brand name last year, HMD Global has finally launched the first Android-powered smartphone bearing Nokia’s name called the Nokia 6. The Nokia 6, announced by HMD Global on January 8th 2017, will be initially available for buying for 1699 CNY (roughly Rs 16,739) in China only, with no word on global availability and pricing for now.

But, the bigger point to note here is that Nokia is back. There was previously no estimated time frame around which Nokia would launch its smartphones. Although, reports had hinted that Android-based Nokia phones would be released some time in Q2 2017. The Nokia 6, it seems, would be hitting the market (albeit, just in China) sooner than one would have anticipated.

Surprisingly, HMD Global did not take the global stage at CES to unveil Nokia's new smartphone. It, instead, decided to announce it rather silently which means global media is still to get their hands on a functional unit. The company has, however, teased the phone on its global website, and also took the wraps off of what's in store.

The Nokia 6 by HMD Global runs Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and supports dual-SIM cards. It features a 5.5-inch (1080x1920 pixels) Full HD display with 2.5D curved glass coating and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor along with Adreno 505 GPU and 4GB LPDDR3 RAM. The device will offer 64GB of storage and Dolby Atmos audio. At the back of the device is a 16MP camera, while at the front is an 8MP camera. The 4G LTE -supporting Nokia 6 comes with Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, USB OTG and Wi-Fi connectivity and has a 3000mAh battery as well.

Nokia phones are known for their build quality and it seems like HMD has done its bit to ensure this holds true with the Nokia 6. The device features an aluminium build and the company says that it takes  55 minutes to machine the device from a block of aluminium. It then receives two separate anodising processes, which take over 10 hours to complete and each phone is polished at least five times.

Finland-based HMD will manufacture Nokia's upcoming phones -- for ten years in a row -- in partnership with Foxconn: the same company that also makes Apple's iPhones. HMD will invest a minimum of 500 million Euros in marketing in the first three years alone and will broadly deal with developing (marketing) and selling all Nokia-branded smartphones and accessories.

The Nokia 6, it seems, is just the beginning. Clearly, more Nokia smartphones are in tow. The fact that Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri will be hosting a keynote at the upcoming MWC event in February raises lots of possibilities. Chances are the world would also get the first look at the Nokia 6 at the MWC, prior to availability. Going by its spec-sheet, the Nokia 6 appears to be a decent mid-ranger banking heavily on nostalgia.

World's First Smartphone with 8 GB RAM

Asus Zenfone AR has been announced officially at CES 2017, carrying some really exclusive features like 8 GB of RAM and support for Tango AR as well as Google Daydream functionality. The phone is second only to Lenovo Phab 2 Pro for Tango Augmented Reality feature while Zenfone AR is the World’s first smartphone to carry 8 GB of RAM.

The phone comes with 5.7 inch, 1440 x 2560 pixel super AMOLED display and uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. Apart from its huge RAM, it comes with 23 megapixel, three camera configuration that enables motion tracking, depth sensing and high resolution photography at the same time. This helps in creating a three dimensional atmosphere for the AR functionality through Tango.

Tango actually combines the camera, gyroscope and accelerometer to calculate six degrees of freedom and create a map of the surrounding through 3D motion tracking. The phone has been made with close interaction with Google engineering, providing the users with a best in class experience while using the Virtual Reality function on the phone.

Zenfone AR comes with impressive 5-magnet speaker for high quality audio and DTS surround sound. Apart from its 8 GB version, the phone even offers a 6GB RAM version also. The storage options include 32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB / 256 GB with more option through the use of microSD expansion port. It runs on Android 7.0 and uses ZEN UI 3.0 at its top. The front camera is 8 MP with wide viewing lens.
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Under the hood, Asus ZenFone AR packs the high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor that the company claims has been customised for Tango. With Qualcomm announcing the new Snapdragon 835 Soc, the Snapdragon 821 processor choice for Tango-enabled and Daydream-ready ZenFone AR smartphone looks dated. Asus at the event confirmed that the company will have exclusive Asus ZenUI VR 360 degree app support on PhotoCollage, Gallery, and ZenCircle apps.

The phone even offers fingerprint sensor, 4G VoLTE support, 3300 mAh battery with quickcharge 3.0 and Gorilla Glass 4 protection. The phone is offered in just Charcoal Black shade and their has been no estimates for the price of this exclusive phone.The Android 7.0 Nougat-based Asus ZenFone AR will be available in the Q2 2017, with the company to announce prices near to market launch. Asus is yet to reveal the entire specifications details for the ZenFone AR. Other specifications revealed include up to 256GB of inbuilt storage that’s expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB) in a hybrid dual-SIM (Micro+Nano) configuration; a 3300mAh battery; USB 2.0 Type-C port, as well as Bluetooth v4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac connectivity.