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August Horch- The German automobile pioneer behind the strong foundation of Audi

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Presently, Audi is the name counted in some of the oldest automobile firms in Germany. The logo showing four rings shows the integration of four car firms. These all firms set up the foundation of today’s Audi. However, to set up the Audi one personality is most important that is August Horch. He built the first car and started the revolutionary era of the car industry in Germany. As well, he is the most important person behind exploring the business globally. Today, Audi is a big name in the car industry.  Surely, August Horch made it possible with his immense efforts and extraordinary vision.

About Founder

Audi is one of the popular names in the vehicle industry. One will amaze to know that it set up by a blacksmith. Yes, the founder of Audi, A. Horch’s first trade was as a blacksmith. Thereafter, he studied engineering and set up a revolutionary Automobile firm Audi. He is one of the well-reputed German engineers and pioneers in this industry.

August Horch
Image Source: motor1.com

His contribution to this field is noticeable and inspirational for many entrepreneurs. Due to his work, his native place Winningen has a street named for his Audi cars. Let’s see the life journey of A. Horch.

Early life

He was born on 12 Oct 1868 in Winningen, Prussia. Horch attended Mittweida Technical College for studying engineering. Before that, he was in the business of Blacksmith. After completing the education, he started working in the shipbuilding sector. However, he got the chance to learn about automobiles during his job at Karl Benz. August worked there for about three years and learned all skills required to build any car. In 1899, he set up the firm A. Horch & Co. In Germany. So that he can design the cars as per his ideas.

Building the base of the firm

In 1901, August built the first Horch Automobile firm. After that, he shifted the firm in Reichenbach and later on to Zwickau. But in 1909 he had to leave the firm due to some disputes and clashes among partners. However, he decided to start a new firm to compete in Zwickau’s car market.

He wanted to set the second firm’s name as Horch. But he had already used this name for his first one. Thus, due to the trademark issue, he selected Hark. Later on, it became Audi.

Role of A. Horch to make Audi as an international brand

He not only build the foundation of the firm but also worked to explore its business. August’s extraordinary policies and the visionary helped to popularize it in the global market. During those days, he was involved in the Austrian Alpine Runs(AAR). This network helped the firm to rise as an international brand.

Later life

In 1920, August withdrew from the firm and went to Berlin. Since then he decided to work as an automotive expert and to helped the rising car firms. Unknowingly he inspired so many entrepreneurs with his autobiography, I built Cars.

As well, he worked as one of the board members of the Auto Union. Horch was also the Braunschweig University of Technology’s professor in his last days. A. Horch rests in peace on 3rd February 1951.

The up-downs in the business of Audi

Not all businesses grow steadily. Most of them faced several up-downs throughout the evolution of the firm. The same happened in the case of Audi. After August withdrew from the business everything was ok for some time.

However,  the company’s market declined rapidly which remained about 0.1% till 1938. In fact, the name of Audi completely disappeared for more than two decades. Fortunately, the firm again managed to come back to the market and overcome the obstacles.

Later success of the firm

In the long history of Audi, it gave birth to many unique designs, best performances, and unique features. The firm witnessed all technology evolutions.

As well, it successfully adapted all the changes and design the new models as per the demand of the era. Yet, it never compromised the quality. Audi is based on the strong foundation and core values, which helped it to rise impeccably. Today, Audi is a big name in the car industry.  No doubt,  Horch made it possible with his efforts and extraordinary vision.

android

All You Need to Know About the Android 11 Update

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It is time for all tech geeks and enthusiasts to rejoice because Google just released the beta version of Android 11 for Pixel phones! The new Android OS comes with a sleuth of new features, revamps, and quite a few surprises. Read on to get an in-depth analysis of all the new features, how they work, and different the new OS will feel. 

Maturity Shows

Since Android is a mature OS, that has gone through various iterations, there aren’t any large missing chunks in it. That is precisely why the new update doesn’t come with massive revelations, but smaller surprises. Android and iOS already have many features in place. Rather than pick those apart, the developers have made them more intuitive and user-friendly. Therefore, the primary function of such a mature OS is not to add a lot of new features but to help manage those that exist more efficiently.

Major Changes and Additions

  1. Conversations Tab: On your notification bar, you can now see the messages from texting apps in a separate section, broken out from the rest.
  2. Priority: Users will now have the option of marking conversations as “priority.” This essentially allows such messages to bypass your Do Not Disturb mode. 
  3. Bubbles: This feature enables texting threads to pop out as little bubbles over other apps the way FB Messenger’s Chat Heads do.
  4. Notification Customisation: Users can now choose notifications to be either Alerting or Silent, giving them more power concerning how to view their information.
  5. DND: The revamped Do Not Disturb setting allows users to decide which apps and contacts can bypass their DND setting. 
  6. Quick Controls: All the media controls have become Quick settings, making it easier than ever to determine where your audio output should go.
  7. Screenshot: With the new OS, when you click a screenshot, it appears on the lower-left side of the screen, much like an iPhone.
  8. Recording: In all probability, native screen recording will become a fully-fledged feature with this new Android update.
  9. Power: The revamped power menu works like a digital wallet, powering your phone, passes, and cards on Google Pay and your smart home control.

Other changes include a Recent screen that allows you to click and share screenshots, the ability to customize your app dock, and one-time permission for location registering. Also, in case you don’t use any app for a while, all the permissions granted to it resets automatically. The new Voice Access has been upgraded to recognise screen content and generates labels for commands to improve accessibility and inclusivity.

Notifications Update

Every Android update finds some way to revamp the notifications section and make it more user-friendly. While that makes it challenging to keep up with all the settings moving around, the new layout is a lot smoother and efficient than before. For Android 11, Google has decided to abstract notification options and split them into three presets. Doing so makes notification management easier than ever before.

The new Conversations tab will allow users to clearly distinguish between messages and other notifications. Much like the interface sprouted by the FB Messenger, the Conversations preset sits atop the notification panel. They also stay separate from the rest of your notifications, which can get buried, meaning you will never lose texts again. The Bubble feature also makes it easy to draw them out and answer them immediately, by overlaying the chat thread on your app.

Furthermore, by long-pressing a notification, users can choose to set it to Alerting, Silent, or Priority. Priority messages remain in your status bar, and on your lock screen with a yellow highlight, making them prominent. The Alerting preset handles the messages just like the older version, whereas the Silent setting ensures that messages only remain at the bottom of the Conversation section.

More Granular Control

In case you are someone who quickly brushes through notifications, only to lose important messages, Google has something to help you. The new update introduces a fix that enables you to have an updated notification history. When turned on, this feature allows users to have access to a new “History” button, which brings up all notifications from the last 24 hours.

Also, users can manage their Do Not Disturb settings more precisely now. The new Settings panel allows them to set options for what apps and contacts can breach their DND settings to alert them. Therefore, through this update, Google has successfully made a ton of options more accessible to everyday users via a single long-press.

Other Changes

The new update doesn’t really change much about the Home screen. The only changes here being a dock upgrade, wherein you can replace the dock with apps the phone thinks you need. Another difference here is the Recents screen, which has a new screenshot grab button and a share sheet to send it to someone. Also, there is a Select button in the middle, which allows people to copy text with ease. 

The Android 11 update also sees Google doubling down on its permission settings. The automatic resetting of permissions of rarely used apps is a welcome move. Here again, we see Google replicating an Apple trend by incorporating the one-time permission option. Also, users have found the new Voice Access to be celebrated as it allows people to speak much more naturally than before to control their phone via voice.

Plenty Of Tweaks 

The Gboard will be updated, too, allowing users to mix and match emojis and improve its auto-fill capabilities. Other smaller tweaks include 12 new modules for Google’s Project Mainline, an improved Dark mode, new icon shapes, and resizable videos. They will also introduce tethering via USB-Ethernet, which has been missing for years.

While some of these changes might look small, for a mature OS, rearranging icons in itself can be a good change. It is these small and subtle things that make a phone more intuitive and user-friendly. Google is essentially trying to simplify Android by adding layers to its complex framework, and as of now, it looks like it’s working.

headphones

Best Wireless Headphones Under $150

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The queues at the airport, waiting in long security lines, and dealing with the cacophony of excitement jumping around in an airplane, it is a priceless luxury to be able to silence the outside world while traveling. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay a high price for a first-class private suite to get it. Good noise-canceling headphones can give you the peace of mind you need when you need some Zen amidst all the craziness.

To help you stay in the cold zone on the next flight. access your favorite podcasts or playlists, and not notice the baby screaming in the aisle, we’ve put together a list of the best one headphones for noise reduction, currently less than $150 on the market.

Also Read: HOW PETER L. JENSEN TRANSFORMED THE WORLD OF AUDIO

V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Vocal Limited Edition

For those of us who tend to throw everything in one bag and go out on the streets, investing in something that can withstand years of falling and swaying is a good thing. Enter the V-Moda crossfades with exceptionally durable hard-shell headphones. Though not equipped with active noise canceling, they comfortably seal against your ears so that they choke everything very well (you will surely have a hard time hearing what the people next to you are saying) without the need for batteries or Charge to get a unique job done.

V-moda
Image Source: Amazon.com
Image Source: Amazon.com

Skullcandy Venue Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphone

So, are you looking for something with a more aesthetic personality? Available in three different colors. These Skullcandy venues offer a range of practical features and exceptional sound (many critics were impressed by the crystal clear high and medium frequencies and rumbling bass). It is known as the best wireless headphones under 150. In addition to a pretty solid active noise canceler (they may not block as much as others on this list), they offer 24-hour battery life, a quick charge feature that gives you 10 minutes in just five hours, and built-in tracking technology that lets you do that You can easily track your steps if you accidentally lose them

Bluedio T2 Plus Turbine Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

Bluedio T2 Plus Turbine
Image Source: Amazon.com

Another relatively unknown brand, but again highly rated, so it’s worth taking a look. The Bluedio T2S is another of our favorite choices as the best wireless headset, but there is a relatively standard Bluetooth headset here, but the standard isn’t necessarily bad. They have a remarkably cool look, decent sound quality (their technology is called “Turbine 2 Shooting”, also known as T2S. They are said to have a large speaker about 2 inches wide for clear frequencies) and are comfortable with padded ear cups and headband. You connected a microphone (45 hours of talk time) and the music time would be up to 40 hours (but it seems a bit bloated, but more than enough, even if it’s 24 hours). You have to charge the headphones with the right headset, and the left has a 1/8 “connector if you really want to use them with a cable. There’s also a song and volume control with a thumbwheel selector to skip tracks. Check whether you want a cheaper Bluetooth headset, also available in different color styles.

Also Read: Jim Marshall: The Guitar Amp Pioneer and the ‘Father of Loud’

Also Read: Gaana.Com – Success And Transformation of India’s Largest Music Streaming Service

Ausdom M04S-B Bluetooth Headphones

Despite the lack of brand awareness, these ratings are quite high (it doesn’t matter, right?). Not available in too many colors; However, their quality is quite high when it comes to sound and general comfort. The earpads are soft and can be rotated, the frequency range is wide (20 to 20 kHz) and the battery is quite long at 18 hours per use. It is also practical that they can be used as cables if required (stereo audio). A fairly complete package here at an affordable price.

Yes, they are Bluetooth! The reviews are very positive, although the brand is (at least for us) fairly unknown. We discovered it on Amazon and user reviews on the corresponding buttons on each headset are free (volume, skip the title, play, stop, etc.). The sound quality has been criticized, but will people really be picky about headphones at low prices in terms of bass and treble? It’ll sound good.

Also Read: How Jaap Haartsen Changed the World Sends and Receives Files With Bluetooth

Also Read: The Success Story of Michael Qiu, the Co-founder of SHAREit

The corresponding buttons on each headset are free (volume, skip the title, play, stop, etc.). The sound quality has been criticized, but will people really be picky about headphones at low prices in terms of bass and treble? It’ll sound good. Enter them if you want to go beyond our economic opportunities above. The Ausdom M04 is super cheap and a little more than the price of the previous choice of wireless transit.

Also Read: Success Story of Xender, Sharing Files Without The Expense of Mobile Data

Li-Fi

Harald Hass- German Professor who coined the new Li-Fi technology

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Generally, we all know wired and wireless communication technologies because we all use it. For example, the telephones(the cable ones) as a wired communication device, and of course mobile as a wireless communication device. But like all fields, communication technology is also improvising day by day, many new inventions are there like Li-fi technology. It is introduced by Harald Hass for the first time in the world. Well, it is a form of wireless communication known as light fidelity technology.

In 2011, at TED global talk, Hass made the reference of visible light communication, and based on this he introduced the advanced Li-fi communication technology for the first time. After this, it became the center of attraction for many researchers and scientists. As well, Time Magazine listed the Li-fi technology in the list of Top 50 inventions of the year 2011.

About Li-Fi

Li-fi stands for Light Fidelity. It is the Optical Wireless communication’s derivative. In common language, we can say it as an advanced form of optical wireless communication. Light-emitting diodes are the center of this technology. The light emitted from these LEDs is used as a medium to deliver the network to mobile phones and enables high-speed communication. Similar to Wi-Fi, but Li-fi uses light as a medium.

A person who introduced Li-Fi for the first time- Harlad Hass

He is a German professor who is best known for many scientific types of research, Li-Fi is one of them. In fact, he has been credited for introducing li-fi for the first time. Presently, he is working at the University of Edinburgh as a professor in the field of mobile communication. However, he has a Ph.D. degree from the same University. As well, Hass is the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s fellow since 2017.

Career and Notable researches

He is a professor at the University of Edinburgh and director of life research center at the same university. Also, he contributed to establishing pureLiFi ltd where he is serving as a director and chief scientific officer.

Coming to his research field, Hass’s special area of research is wireless communications. Specifically in Hybrid optical wireless/RF communication, spatial modulation, optical wireless communication, and interference coordination in wireless networks. However, he coined Li-fi and spatial modulation, and among these researches, Li-fi became most popular.

In 2011, Li-fi was in the Time Magazine’s list of Top 50 inventions. As a matter of fact, Hass introduced the world about Li-fi in TED Global talk in 2011.

Contribution to promote Li-fi

In his TED talk, he represented Visible light communication, whose references found in history(Particularly 1880s duration). Base on this, he introduced Light fidelity, attributed to Li-Fi. He not only coined the term but also try to market it with setting up a company known as PureLiFi. Today, this firm is working to commercializing Li-fi products.

Awards and recognition

Harald Hass received many awards for his contribution to wireless communications. In 2015, for his Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, Hass received EURASIP Best Paper Award(Co-recipient). Also, he became co-recipient of the Jack Neubauer Memorial Award of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society in the same year. EPSRC offered him Career Fellowship in the UK in 2012, it is one of the prestigious fellowships. Moreover, the University of Edinburgh honored him with Tam Dalyell Prize in 2013 for his contribution to engaging common people with science. Recently, EPSRC selected him as one of the RISE Leaders in the UK in 2014(RISE- Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Engineers).

Future of Li-fi technology

As of 2018, the Li-fi market had projected to deliver the 6 billion dollars per year. But till now the market is not developed as wi-fi. Because there are few limitations. Like as of now, it is not ideal for mobile communication purposes. However, Li-fi technology offers many advantages especially in electromagnetic sensitive areas. Like hospitals, nuclear power plants, aircraft cabins. Therefore, it can be turn out useful in the future.

Bottom Line

Harald is working on commercializing the product that uses Li-fi technology with his PureLiFi firm. As well, many scientists are working on this. It is just the beginning of Li-Fi, in the future it may get more advanced and scientists can find the solution to its restrictions. Also, we know that whenever any technology is new, there are some limitations and people take some time to accept it. But once it is accepted it becomes part of daily life. Hopefully, it will turn out useful for humans in the future.

RIOT

Riot’s Valorant Opens to a Massive Twitch Viewership as Beta Version Releases

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With most people now having to stay at home due to COVID-19, most people are now looking forward to video games. Since they cannot step out due to nation-wide lockdowns, they will have to spend time on their favourite consoles and controllers. Much to the delight of fans around the world, gaming industry legend Riot has come out with a new video game. Here’s a look at what Riot’s Valorant offers and why it has got fans excited.

Beta Release of Riot

Valorant is unique and unoriginal at the same time, being a first-person shooter that opened to a massive reception on Twitch. Riot also has a deal with the gaming platform, along with streamers a chance to test out the beta version of the new game. Other streamers also got an opportunity to watch popular streamers play and test out the competition. Valorant is a super-competitive game that offers various playing styles and experiences. However, for now, the game will release only on PC, and Riot has not released any announcement regarding a console release. The game looks like it has all that takes to become the next big gaming sensation. Though it is hardcore, it borrows components from different styles, making it highly playable and enjoyable.

Timing is Perfect

Valorant, in its beta form, is coming at a critical point of time for the competitive gaming scene. Much of the Esports scene has to do with online multiplayer battle arenas, called MOBAs. Popular games in this genre include Valve’s Dota 2 and Riot’s League of Legends. While there are peripheral communities, such as fans of Psyonix’s Rocket League, MOBAs reign supreme at the end of the day. Only games of companies with immense resources have been able to make a name for themselves in this field. Such games include the legendary Call of Duty League, Overwatch League and Fortnite.

The most significant exception to this rule being Counter-Strike, which is a tactical shooter game, from which Valorant borrows heavily. Counterstrike remains one of the world’s most popular FPS games, while the industry around it has changed and evolved much. The game is so popular that it enjoys a far-flung fan base that even Call of Duty lacks. This has helped Counterstrike remain the most-watched title on Twitch, and it continually remains in the most-played lists. While it has been eight years since the game released, even now over one million people play Counterstrike on Steam.

Highly Popular Characteristics

Maybe this popularity is why Valorant borrows so heavily from Counterstrike when it comes to gameplay and characteristics. The game brings together superpowers like from Overwatch and the high-intensity tactical shooter gameplay copied from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In many ways, it seems like Riot is building a more modern Counter-Strike. Riot’s aim appears to be to create a modern version of Counter-Strike that will appeal to MOBA fans around the world. From what was visible on Twitch, Valorant seems to be able to attract both the streamers and pro players equally. Valorant’s beta broke the record for the most-viewed game within a day, with 34 million hours and 1.7 million viewers, second only to last year’s League of Legends Championship.

A New Era

Another interesting fact being that Valorant is not a battle royale game, but rather a tactical shooter. Since PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds came out in 2017, Battle Royale games have become the most popular type when it comes to the shooter market. Fortnite is one of the most famous examples of this type of game, with several other developers coming out with their own BR games, such as Respawn’s Apex Legends and Activision’s Call of Duty: Warzone. However, with so many companies pushing out BR games, the industry is feeling fatigued by the large number of such games out there. Therefore, Valorant seems to be a whiff of fresh air in an industry that honestly has enough and more BR games.

Valorant Gameplay

Valorant has both team-based and skill-based components wrapped in a hardcore shooter gameplay, removing the luck factor associated with BR. The basic premise sees one team plant a bomb and try to protect it, while the others race against time to defuse it. Since everyone has just one life, it makes the game extremely fast-paced and exciting. Whichever team wins 13 rounds wins the match, with this taking somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes to complete. The hero abilities, which Valorant resemble Overwatch, help add some flair and flamboyance to the otherwise skill-based game. While such superhuman skills make things more exciting, the game requires you to communicate and collaborate with teammates to succeed. More than anything else, Valorant is a tactical game that is less chaotic than a standard MOBA. As Counter-Strike proved simple tactical shooter games require just a community to become successful. Instead of having over 100 million players, such games grow in time thanks to the effort of dedicated fans.

Though Valorant has a long road ahead, experts believe that it will come out somewhere between late summer and early fall. The game’s success and early interest raised makes it evident that the game has all it takes to go a long way. With enough potential for lasting entertainment, Valorant is a game people will enjoy playing themselves and also watching others play. With enough potential to be the company’s next League of Legends, fans are excited to see how the game will pan out.

samsung galaxy

The Latest Galaxy Note Fold Is One Of The Largest Breakthrough In Samsung’s History

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The news of galaxy note fold has surely stunned most of its fan. While Samsung released the news yesterday, the team was researching this for the past few months. Previously, Samsung has come up with some flabbergasting series of handsets. But, it is considered the biggest innovation of the company till date.

The New Galaxy S20 Series

When it comes to smartphones, this new series will be the talk of the city for this year. This Galaxy S20 series will comprise of three models, namely, S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. All three handsets will have a 5G network and a 120Hz AMOLED display. The display screen will have a resolution of 3200X1400 with HDR10+. The company also confirmed that the series will either use Samsung Exynos 990 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865.

The storage will either be 12 or 16GB RAM given that current fold has 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. This increase in RAM will help the user multi-task more smoothly on the expansive screen. When the user unfolds the device, the multi-window becomes more prominent. The series will also have a triple camera system which will include wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens. This can be the dream handset of every mobile photographer out there.

Apart from these features, the S20+ and S20 Ultra will have an additional depth sensor.

The jaw-dropping display

Samsung has released the best display features in the history of the smartphone. The Galaxy S20 series comes with a 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display. It has the concept of folding which adds extra compliments to its screen. The handset is made up of tissue-thin of such materials that will make it flexible and look elegant at the same time.

The AMOLED display will provide Dynamic Tone Mapping to make sure every color looks as prominent and life-like as possible. But, Samsung has also thought about the harmful glares coming from too much bright light. That’s why it has reduced the amount of blue light without the use of filters. This will provide less strain on the eyes. The materials that the company has used for colors of different models are highly polished glasses. It will give you an extraordinary experience.

A phone or a tablet

The Galaxy Fold will give you the experience of a mobile and a tablet in one handset. When folded, the note will be easy to grip as it is provided with an ergonomic design, comfortable to hold. Moreover, you can handle it using only one of your hands as it becomes compact when folded.

In normal handsets, the fingerprint scanner is present at the backside of the phone. This makes it difficult for some people to hold it and scan it at the same time. So, the Galaxy Fold has put its scanner along the side. Generally, our grip comes with the thumb and index finger holding the handset. So, you don’t need to make much effort for scanning.

When it is folded, the slim form factor helps in managing apps using one hand only. And, whenever you are planning to multi-task or simply watch a movie, unfold for a better experience. The handset also comes with an advanced vapor chamber and a clad metal cooling system. So, dive into the world of gaming without being concerned about your phone.

But, an invention always promises a better invention. Similarly, there is one minor drawback of the Galaxy Fold. It contains magnets and hence it should not be placed anywhere near objects like credit cards and implantable medical devices. So, people who are planning to buy one should make a thorough research.

Enhanced performance 

The RAM has been expanded from 12GB to 16GB which will make multitasking more efficient. It is somewhat AI-driven as the new Galaxy S20 series will observe your habits and preload the frequently used apps. This is a great time saver. The dual battery system of 4380mAh will power your handset throughout the day. It prevents overcharging and it will learn your usage pattern with Adaptive Power Saving Mode.

Not only it is functioned with the capabilities of wireless charging, but it can also act as a wireless charger. Samsung Galaxy Fold can share the battery with any Qi-certified devices and wearables. The features are truly stunning marking the beginning of a new era.