T3 India

Sweta Baruah

Apple Updates Technologies to Push the App Experience Forward

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Apple has unveiled new tools, technologies and APIs designed to help developers create ‘rich experiences for their users’.

“We love collaborating with our developer community and providing them with new innovative technologies that enable them to build the next great generation of apps,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Enterprise and Education Marketing. “With powerful new APIs for widgets on the Lock Screen, new services like WeatherKit, the availability of Xcode Cloud to help every Apple developer build apps faster, and new gaming capabilities with Metal 3, developers have more tools than ever to create app experiences that their users will love.”

Xcode Cloud is now available with a range of subscription plans, starting with 25 hours per month free through December 2023 to all members of the Apple Developer Program and topping out at 1,000 hours per month.

The Xcode 14 features new enhancements to further improve developer productivity. According to reports, project builds are up to 25 percent faster, thanks to improved parallelism, and the Xcode application is now 30 percent smaller to download, with downloadable simulator runtimes for watchOS and tvOS. The new multiplatform target creates a single SwiftUI interface for use across iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS. The new App Icon feature in Assets Catalog allows developers to provide a single icon size for all platforms, and Xcode automatically generates all the required assets for the app. Xcode includes language and editing enhancements with smarter autocompletion, and additional dynamic snippets get developers to the code they want to write faster.

Metal 3, the latest version of Apple’s graphics framework, also comes with new features such as MetalFX Upscaling that enables developers to quickly render complex scenes by using less compute-intensive frames, and then apply high-quality spatial upscaling and temporal anti-aliasing. Game developers also benefit from a new Fast Resource Loading API that minimises wait time by providing a more direct path from storage to the GPU.

Swift and SwiftUI have added new features that streamline the development process.
With new Package Plugins available in Swift Package Manager, it’s now easier for developers to run custom commands on their projects, and even upload and share the commands with others. SwiftUI has added Custom Layouts to enable developers to go beyond common app layouts and create versions that work best for their app designs.

WeatherKit enables developers to integrate the same world-class global weather forecast that powers Apple Weather directly into their apps. It is available to developers through both native Swift and REST APIs, and comes with 500,000 API calls per month included with an Apple Developer Program membership. With improvements to SKAdNetwork, ad networks and developers can better measure how ads perform while still preserving user privacy. Additionally, the latest APIs available to the developers include Widgets on the Lock Screen, Live Text, Collaboration tools, Passkeys, MapKit, Focus filters, Automatic Shortcuts, watchOS 9, RoomPlan and Live Activities.

Lenovo Launches Tab P12 Pro 

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Lenovo has launched a premium consumer android tablet, the Tab P12 Pro in India.

The tablet offers images in 16:10 aspect ratio from a 12.6-inch AMOLED (2560 x 1600) touchscreen display with S-Stripe RGB subpixel layout. It supports Dolby Vision and its display features a colour gamut of 107% NTSC and up to 400 nits of brightness. It comes with SLS surround sound JBL speakers, quad audio channels and Dolby Atmos, combined with Lenovo Premium Audio tuning. The tablet also boasts protection against eye strain with the low-blue light emissions certification from TÜV Rheinland.

The Tab P12 Pro sports the Snapdragon 870 Mobile Platform with up to 8GB RAM memory. The tablet delivers a 10200mAh battery capacity and a battery life capable of streaming online videos for up to 14.6 hours. It measures 5.63 mm with four-sided narrow bezels, weighs 565 g and comes in Storm Grey colour with a sleek and all-metal build. The device also features Corning Gorilla Glass 5 which, reportedly, ensures up to 2x improvement in scratch performance compared to competitive aluminosilicate glass.

Users have the option to attach the optional keyboard with four-point pogo pin and prop the tablet on its folio kickstand. The Lenovo Precision Pen 3 that comes bundled with the pack auto-pairs with the tablet, has very low latency and allows for wireless charging while being magnetically attached.

Pankaj Harjai, Director – Tablets and Smart Devices, Lenovo Indiasaid, “Tablets have become indispensable for both work and play during this new normal, with consumers spending more time streaming everything and also creating digital content using tablets. Our latest addition to the market – the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, is incredibly versatile. It offers smart entertainment and is built with all the clever bells and whistles that consumers have come to expect from a Lenovo flagship Android tablet, for instance its brilliant AMOLED display, immersive sound, long lasting battery and the all-new digital pen.”

The Lenovo Tab P12 Pro is available for INR 69,999, across Lenovo.com, Amazon.in and Lenovo exclusive stores. It is scheduled to be available at other offline retail channels soon.

Flexnest Launches Smart Elliptical Cross Trainer

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Flexnest announced the launch of Smart Elliptical Cross Trainer, called the Flextrainer+. The machine connects wirelessly to Android and iOS tablets and phones and provides trainers from India and Dubai.

On the latest launch, Co-Founder Raunaq Singh Anandsays, “The success of the Flexbikes and Flexrowers proved India’s love for connected fitness. Customers are looking to elevate their at-home fitness experience and we strive to deliver that game-changing experience with seamless integration of top quality equipment and world-class content. Our community has grown to 50,000+ in 18 months and we are working tirelessly to create never seen before experiences for them. Each pillar – hardware, software and content is given equal importance to assure an immersive and satisfactory workout”.

Key features of the product include Bluetooth connectivity, on-demand trainer-led workouts, virtual videos (the app has a collection of 100+ virtual walks in cities across the globe), option to compete with an exclusive community of over 50,000+ Flexnest members on the leaderboard in the Flexnest app, skilled instructors, easy tracking and real-time leaderboard that comes with performance-tracking metrics, compatibility with devices such as the Flexnest heart rate monitor and a 6-month complimentary membership.

Rhea Singh Anand, Co-Founder, Flexnest says, “Brands like NordicTrack and Bowflex have been dominating this category of Smart Ellipticals in the US and European Markets. However, Flexnest is the 1st brand to introduce this innovation to the Indian market. The Flextrainer+ will introduce an all-new workout experience for Indian consumers and continue to disrupt the fitness industry”.

The Flextrainer+ is available at an introductory price of INR 64,999, including shipping and taxes. It also offers COD and 0% EMI options along with free shipping. The company’s current portfolio includes a range of products like Flexbikes and Flexrowers to strength equipment like Flexibell, Flexikettle, Flex barbell and exercise accessories like smart weighing scales, massage guns, yoga ranges, etc.

Rapoo Launches Ralemo Series

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Rapoo has introduced its flagship Pre 5 and Air 1 in the Indian market.

The Pre 5 is a multi-mode mechanical wireless keyboard that features a modern design with vintage-style adjustable LED-backlit keys. The keyboard sports mechanical keys with a lifespan of up to 50 million operations and multimedia hotkeys for quick access to functions like media player, homepage, volume adjustment and more.

The keyboard can pair with multiple devices allowing you to switch between them with a single click. It uses multi-wireless modes to connect between devices such as Bluetooth 3.0/ 5.0 and 2.4GHz nano receiver dongle.  It runs on a built-in 4000mAh rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and uses a USB C-Type cable that will enables it to be used as a wired keyboard, while simultaneously recharging the internal batteries.

The Air 1 multi-mode wireless optical mouse is crafted with durable aluminium alloy, using a compact shape and lightweight body. Further boosted by a ‘silent click’ feature, the mouse is a simple 3-button mouse based on a 1600 adjustable dpi invisible optical engine and comes with a spherical roller type scroller. Similar to the Pre 5 keyboard, the Air 1 mouse is also designed using multi-device and multi-wireless technology. It can be paired to multiple devices and switched between them with just a single click. It uses a 300mAh lithium rechargeable battery offering a 25-day life with 2-3 hours charging and an option of wireless recharging using any Qi-compatible wireless charging pad.

The Rapoo Ralemo Pre 5 Keyboard and Ralemo Air 1 Mouse are available for purchase at an MRP of INR 11,999 and INR 4,999 respectively. Both products are available on Flipkart as well as offline IT stores in Blue, Pink, Purple and Silver colour variants and are backed with a 12 month limited replacement warranty.

ViewSonic Introduces Business Monitor

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ViewSonic has announced the launch of VG2455, a single cable Type-C monitor.

The ViewSonic VG2455 is a 24-inch 1080P IPS monitor is designed to fit the modern hybrid workspace. It comes with a built-in USB Type-C port and USB 3.1 Type-C connectivity provides charging power, video and audio over a single connector. It also features SuperClear IPS panel technology that delivers wide-angle viewing with vivid colours, while a 3-sided thin-bezel design comes with support for multi-monitor setups.


Commenting on the new launch, Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Director Sales and Marketing –IT Business, ViewSonic India said, “At ViewSonic, our focus is towards innovation and offering products based on the evolving technology and bringing the best to the customers. With the offices opening up and users coming back to their workspaces after a long gap, the launch of VG2455 business and office monitor will help us in catering to professionals with a top-class and a sturdy monitor that is most simple to use.”


The VG2455 monitor comes with a 40-degree tilt offering an advanced ergonomic design that includes pivot, swivel and height adjustment. In addition, the monitor has an easy-to-install quick release stand that makes for a out-of-the-box setup. The quick-release stand also includes an integrated client mount and cable management features.
The ViewSonic VG2455 monitor will be retailing at INR 28,600 and is currently available in leading offline shops and Amazon, at an introductory price of INR 20,000.