If LG defined the future of smart homes at last year's CES, this 2020, the South Korean brand wants to up your standards of living.
LG is launching smart products for the home at CES 2020
LG introduces new appliances fit for the modern home at CES 2020
Home is a place you can go to at the end of a busy day to sit back, kick your feet up, and relax. And it is only imperative that you fill it with things that will facilitate comfort and enjoyment. LG wants to be a part of this, and they’re aiming to do just that with their new home offerings.
LG 8K 2020 LG Signature OLED and LG NanoCell TVs
The television is still king, and what better way to enjoy content than with a TV that brings you a viewing experience the way it's intended to be.
LG's new Signature OLED and NanoCell TV's offer real 8K experience
According to the company, it is the first in the world to go beyond the stringent requirements set by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
These LG TVs are claimed to produce four times more detail than 4K TV and 16 more times than HDTV. They have also exceeded requirements in resolution, digital inputs, high dynamic range, upscaling, bit depth, and measurement technology which all translates to impressive picture quality and color no matter the angle.
LG is the only manufacturer to offer Real 8K TVs in OLED and LCD, both of which deliver CM values in the 90-percent range.
Craft Ice and ThinQ Fridges
LG said that the new InstaView smart refrigerators can cut downtime in the kitchen while bringing more fun to cooking.
A show-stealer at last year's CES, LG's InstaView allows users to see the contents of their fridge with just a knock, eliminating the need to open the door thus saving power, and also doubles as a display for keeping inventory and watching cooking videos.
LG's said that the InstaView fridges are smart and power-efficient
The LG InstaView with Craft Ice, as its name suggests, has a world’s first built-in spherical ice maker. And since the ice it produces is spherical, it is said to melt slower.
The second iteration of LG’s top-of-the-line InstaView ThinQ refrigerator will have a real-time inventory feature, possible through the advanced vision and artificial intelligence, that can track what goes in and out of the fridge. Its 22-inch front panel that turns transparent at will is also internet-enabled via WiFi.
These InstaView fridges are also under LG's ThinQ AI-infused smart customer service solution that will provide personalized support and track potential issues for InstaView owners.
New Soundbar lineup with Meridian High-Resolution Sound, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X
LG wants to give you an audiovisual experience like no other. Paired with its real 8K offerings, LG's new soundbar models are said to immerse you like no other.
LG's new soundbars are promised to produce fine-tuned, true-to-life sound with accuracy and depth through sound technology developments made with partners Meridian Audio, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X. New features boost low-frequency production and widen soundstage for sound reproduction that is dynamic and immersive.
New in LG premium soundbars is an AI Room Calibration feature that automatically optimizes sound to the characteristics of the room. It analyzes and accurately assesses the dynamics of the room and calibrates accordingly for a sound that is tailor-fit for any situation. The soundbars also feature advanced processing algorithms for upscaling audio formats to virtually studio quality, voice control with built-in Google Assistant, eARC, and an optional SPK8 Wireless Rear Speaker Kit for 4K Pass-Through and cinema-like audio/
LG's premium wireless models SN9YG and SN11RG are CES Innovation Award winners.
LG InstaView ThinQ Range with Air Fry
LG wants to innovate the way you prepare and cook your meals with its InstaView ThinQ Range with Air Fry.
LG wants you to make healthy meals with the ThinQ Range with Air Fryer
Combining AI, InstaView, technology and air frying, users can look forward to healthy meals prepared in no time. The range features up to 6.3-cubic feet of oven capacity and guilt-free air frying through LG’s True Convection technology that circulates hot air at high speeds for crunchy, evenly cooked favorites. With the integration of InstaView technology, consumers can just tap the oven’s glass window twice to see if their dishes are cooking well. There’s also an EasyClean feature that removes residue with steam and Seal Clean mode that makes use of high heat to get rid of stubborn splatters.
And as part of the ThinQ family of devices, this range can be operated through an app or other connected devices such as smart speakers. It is also under the brand’s AI service solution same as the InstaView fridges.
AI-Powered Washer
Washing clothes is a chore most of us would want to skip if possible, but our clothes won’t wash themselves. LG wants to take away the chore from washing clothes with its ThinQ front load washing machine.
LG ThinQ washing machines provide intelligent and efficient clean
Featuring Artificial Intelligent Direct Drive, LG’s ThinQ washer can accurately detect volume, weight, and even identify the garment type for optimized wash cycles that carefully cleans. It also has an ezDispense feature for dispersing just the right amount of detergent or fabric softener, TurboWash 360 that uses powerful jets for a complete clean, 3D Multi Spray that shoots jets of water in five different directions, LG TWINWASH for two-in-one clothes washing, and an LG Smart Pairing feature that sends information to a compatible LG Dryer for optimal setting.
The washer can also be monitored through the ThinQ app and get notifications when you’re running low on detergent or connect with a compatible smart device. The LG ThinQ Washer is also under LG’s Proactive Customer Care.
These devices will be on display at the CES 2020 Las Vegas booth from January 7 to 10, 2020.
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It only takes one IT security oversight to cost a company millions of dollars in data breaches. That’s why organizations are rushing to recruit as many cybersecurity specialists as possible.
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This week we’re giving away a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus,brought to you by the DGiT Daily newsletter!
The DGiT Daily newsletter is a daily briefing focused on bringing you the best tech news and links to what’s happening all around the web. It doesn’t matter if it’s from The Wall Street Journal or the depths of a 41-tweet Twitter thread — we’ll find it, and tell you what it means.
The daily email arrives fresh at around 7 a.m. ET every day, and we’re committed to making sure it entertains with a brief, honest, authoritative, and never-too-serious look at the tech news of the day via our Senior Editor, Tristan Rayner.
The DGiT Daily also comes with two bonuses. The first is a daily surprise segment you’ll have to read each day — you’ll get an idea by looking at our recent editions from this week: OnePlus Concept One adds smart glass from Friday and the rise of music streaming from Thursday.
The second bonus is a podcast! Yes, the DGiT Daily is also available as the DGiT Daily podcast, accompanying the newsletter but made for your ears, via always entertaining podcast host Adam Doud (yes, he’s on the Android Authority Podcast too).
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is bigger, faster, and thinner than ever before. With a Snapdragon 855 processor, 12GB of RAM, and a baseline of 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage, this thing flies.
The screen is bigger and brighter than its predecessors, winning Samsung 13 DisplayMate awards. 6.8-inches is pretty massive, but surprisingly the phone doesn’t feel unwieldy. The Dynamic AMOLED display looks brilliant, and it features the same ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor that we saw in the Galaxy S10.
There’s so much more to say about this device. Suffice to say that the Note 10 Plus is, undoubtedly, the most refined Note yet.
To find out more about the Note 10 Plus, check out our related coverage below:
This is an international giveaway (except when we can not ship to your country).
We can ship prizes to all regions in North America, Europe, and Australia. If you live in another region, depending on where you live, we may contact you to offer an alternative prize of equal or similar value to the smartphone offered in the giveaway.
We are not responsible for lost shipments.
We are not responsible if your giveaway prize malfunctions.
You must be age of majority in your country of residence.
We are not responsible for any duties or import fees that you may incur.
Only one entry per person; please do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
This giveaway is operated by Android Authority.
The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.
Smartphone photography underwent two major trends in 2019: the adoption of bigger sensors with megapixel counts stretching into the hundreds and the growing number of use cases for computational photography. Not to mention the mainstream adoption of triple cameras as well.
Two smartphones epitomize these trends and their different approaches to mobile photography. On the one hand, there’s the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 with its 108MP main sensor and quintuple rear camera configuration. On the other, the Google Pixel 4 offers a more modest dual rear camera configuration with just 12MP and 16MP of resolution each.
Of course, these two phones cater to two rather different price points. The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is a much more affordable smartphone, while Google’s Pixel 4 and 4 XL come with flagship-tier price tags. However, both pride themselves on their photography capabilities and make great showcases for these two prevailing approaches to improving smartphone picture quality. If you want a rundown of the two phone’s camera specs, check out the table below.
20MP, f/2.2, 1/2.8", 1.0µm
Laser AF
13mm ultra-wide focal length
Camera 5
2MP, f/2.4, 1/5", 1.75µm
Depth sensor
Today, we’re running through a selection of head-to-head scenarios. Rather than looking at broader imaging differences, we’re going to hone in on how these two approaches affect the type of pictures you can take and how successful they are at what they set out to do.
We’ll get the really obvious and least interesting comparison out of the way first. On paper, the 108 megapixels of the Mi Note 10 offers vastly more detail capture than the 12MP main camera on the Pixel 4. Although when you consider than the Xiaomi handset defaults to 27MP through the use of pixel binning, the discrepancy isn’t as large as it first seems.
To get the basics out of the way first, both cameras take great-looking pictures when examining at full frame. You won’t spot issues with over-processing, lack of detail, or noise, at least not until you start pixel peeping. Xiaomi hands in a more natural color balance than the Pixel 4, which tends to be a tad too warm. But that’s arguably just my personal preference for cool pictures.
The only noticeable differences at full frame boil down to color processing. 108 megapixels certainly doesn’t mean that Xiaomi’s pictures automatically look better. The Pixel 4 is renowned as one of the best smartphone shooters for a reason, even with its seemingly small 12MP count. To see the real differences we need to pixel peep. So just how much more detail to do you get from one of these 108MP sensors?
Google Pixel 4 - 12MP cropXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 108MP crop
Our first sample reveals close to a 4x cropable zoom difference between the two cameras, thanks to Xiaomi’s massive resolution. However, closer inspection reveals that at 108MP the Mi Note 10’s images are heavily processed and don’t contain as much detail as we typically expect from a 100% crop. There’s a fair amount of noise in all the images captured at 108MP, making the files not worth their huge 22MP size.
Google Pixel 4 - 12MP cropXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 108MP crop
In this lower-light shot, note how both phones are noisy and quite heavily processed. You can still crop in closer with the Xiaomi, but the fine details are mushed together due to the lack of light. The huge sensor still gives you a decent crop factor that well exceeds the Pixel 4, but there’s a reason the Mi Note 10 defaults to 27MP. In less than perfect conditions, you simply can’t max out the huge resolution.
Unfortunately, we can also see a few purple patches of chromatic aberration distortion on the tree trunks from the poor quality lens slip into the second image. Just as worryingly for Xiaomi’s sensor implementation, I was actually able to obtain superior distant detail using Google’s software zoom versus its 108MP sensor. Although both are much too ugly to want to use as a 100% crop.
Google Pixel 4 - 4.5x software zoomXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 108MP crop
108MP gives you more detail, but results are highly environment-dependent.
Overall, the Xiaomi Mi Note 10’s 108MP sensor is a bit of a disappointment when it comes to providing additional detail capture. You’ll gain some benefit, providing you’re in bright daylight, but nothing close to 108MP of actually usable detail. Better to stick to the 27MP pixel binned-mode.
Google Pixel 4 - 12MP cropXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 27MP crop
In reality, we’re looking at something closer to a 27MP versus 12MP resolution difference. The image above of a 27MP vs 12MP shows the actual crop benefits you’ll get from Xiaomi’s camera. Just over a 2x free crop factor is notable, but not game-changing, given the prevalence of telephoto zoom capabilities.
The Mi Note 10 certainly captures more detail as the Pixel 4 and produces a smoother image in its 27MP mode. However, the results vary greatly. Hence why Xiaomi chose to include a wide range of zoom cameras too.
Detail at a distance
Both the Mi Note 10 and the Pixel 4 offer telephoto zoom capabilities. Google finally came around to the idea and implemented a 2x optical zoom camera. Xiaomi goes further, offering not only a 108MP sensor for digital crops but also 2x and 3.7x optical cameras too. The Mi Note 10 hits up to 5MP lossless zoom by cropping in on the 3.7x camera’s 8MP sensor. However, Google also implements a machine learning-based super-resolution zoom technology that obtains very decent results at long range as well.
Google Pixel 4 - 2x cropXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 2x crop
At 2x, the optical zoom of both phones’ cameras, the Pixel 4 produces a much more natural, less processed look. It’s arguably a tad on the soft side but does a great job at capturing detail, exposure, and color. The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 provides a hefty dose of oversharpening that ruins the look of the image on closer inspection. Both pictures look decent at full frame, but the Pixel 4 presents the cleanest image.
Google Pixel 4 - 3x cropXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 3x crop
At 3x, we see Google’s software implementation come into play. The image is again quite soft, but the bulk of the important details remain in the full-frame shot. Xiaomi’s small zoom sensor, by comparison, has the opposite problem. Although Xiaomi captures more fine detail, the crop reveals some noise that’s made worse by a sharpening pass. The image is also overexposed.
The Pixel 4's zoom looks better at medium range, but the Mi Note 10's hardware pulls ahead at 5x.
Google Pixel 4 - 5x cropXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 5x crop
At 5x, Google’s software zoom algorithm has a much more negative impact on image quality. While certainly not bad at full frame, our crop reveals that fine details mushing together. Xiaomi’s 5x shot (a combination of 3.7x optical zoom and cropping) retains finer details. Again though, the small dedicated zoom sensor struggles with noise and the image is a tad over-sharpened.
It’s actually a surprisingly close call between these two shooters. At medium zoom distances below 3x, the Pixel 4 is the better camera. Owing to far less aggressive post-processing and sharpening, although the images are a tad soft. However, at longer zooms of 4 and 5x, it’s the Mi Note 10’s camera that captures a smidgen more detail. Still, it’s an excellent showing for the Pixel 4’s primarily software-based zoom.
The best at low light
The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 and Google Pixel 4 offer two very different takes on low-light photography. Google continues to focus on its multiple exposure, HDR+, and Night Shot technologies. Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s 108MP sensor uses pixel binning technology to offer 27MP images with large 1.6µm sized pixels. That makes each pixel slightly larger than the Pixel 4’s 1.4µm and should, at least in theory, offer slightly better low light performance. So which will win out in low light: hardware or software?
Google Pixel 4 - low lightXiaomi Mi Note 10 - 27MP scaled
This image showcases the typical differences between the two cameras in low light. The Mi Note 10’s larger sensor results in a better color balance and less noise than the Pixel 4. The Pixel 4’s reliance on multi-exposure software produces a more over-processed look with harsher edges. However, Google’s HDR+ does a better job at picking out details in low light. Take a look at the rock textures, for example.
Google Pixel 4 - noiseXiaomi Mi Note 10 - noise
This second example highlights the difference in noise capabilities. The Pixel 4 exhibits black crush and noise towards the left and bottom of this crop. Resulting in a loss of detail. There’s no such issue for the Mi Note 10 and its colors are also more vibrant and realistic. The phone does experience a larger lens flare problem than the Pixel 4, but both have issues here when shooting into the sun.
Xiaomi's larger sensor wins in terms of noise and dynamic range, but Google's algorithm pulls out more detail in low light.
There are scenarios where each handset shows its pros and cons. The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 performs admirably in high dynamic range environments. The large sensor captures plenty of light from shadows, avoiding the black crush that you sometimes see from Google’s software. However, even in pixel binned mode the Mi Note 10 misses out on low light detail in a lot of shots.
What about dedicated Night shooting modes?
Google Pixel 4Xiaomi Mi Note 10
Google Pixel 4Xiaomi Mi Note 10
Both phones boast impressive Night mode processing. Google’s multi-exposure technology ensures a good balance of highlights, shadows, and detail even in very dark environments. The Mi Note 10’s implementation, combined with its good low-light hardware, is enough to make up the gap. In fact, Xiaomi provides, arguably, better white balance and overall exposure with its Night mode.
The Pixel 4 earned its reputation as an excellent low-light shooter, but the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is even better. Xiaomi’s phone performs pretty well with a quick shutter press and its long exposure easily keeps up with Google’s. Although the Pixel 4 is still the way to get your hands on the fun Astrophotography mode.
Bokeh hardware vs software
The fifth and final camera on the back of the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is the 2MP depth sensor. This is used to create depth maps for software bokeh blur. Google is almost completely reliant on software for bokeh edge detection. However, the Pixel 4 now features two cameras allowing Google to use camera perspective differences to obtain more accurate results than previous generations.
Google Pixel 4Xiaomi Mi Note 10
Both phones exhibit familiar bokeh issues, albeit to different extents. Edge detection on both handsets is reasonably good, providing that you avoid complex textured backgrounds. These tend to mess with the software algorithms. Xiaomi’s dedicated sensor helps guide depth detection into the right places, but the limited resolution still relies on software to detect finer edges. Sadly, Xiaomi’s software pass removes far too much image detail and the quality of its software bokeh is not as good.
Google Pixel 4Xiaomi Mi Note 10
In the second example, the Mi Note 10 places parts of the skull and android in two different planes. This error bleeds some blur into the foreground prematurely, although other edges are detected very well. While the Pixel 4 identifies front and background planes more conclusively, it struggles with the glass edges and doesn’t blend into its bokeh blur as seamlessly. Furthermore, Google still doesn’t allow you to remap the focal point in post-processing, which remains a major bugbear of mine. Xiaomi has no problem with this, although its bokeh processing times are notably slower than Google’s.
Overall, the two perform admirably at bokeh edge detection but both are hit and miss, as is typical of all phones. However, the quality of Google’s blur effect is notably better than Xiaomi’s, resulting in nicer looking results in most scenarios.
Computational photography vs 108 megapixels: the verdict
I’m a big fan of Xiaomi’s color grading and white balance. If nothing else, the Mi Note 10 nails these points better than Google’s flagship Pixel 4. Both phones take great-looking photos in a variety of environments, demonstrating that there are still quite a few ways to achieve great-looking pictures.
However, the 108MP and quintuple camera arrangement in the Mi Note 10 is more hype than substance. The combined camera capabilities are certainly very flexible. However, the results are mixed. The 108MP sensor certainly offers more detail than the Pixel 4’s 12MP sensor, but it only shines in perfect daylight conditions. In lower light, the detail difference between these sensors is far less pronounced than the numbers suggest. Zoom-wise, Xiaomi’s cameras just aren’t as good as the best out there, and its software bokeh algorithm could be improved. Despite the Mi Note 10’s huge range of sensors, it doesn’t quite master any of them.
Computational photography helps the Pixel compete on flexibility with just two sensors.
The Pixel 4 proves that you can obtain similarly flexible and great-looking results with just a couple of cameras and very smart software. Of course, not everyone has made the computational photography investments that Google has. But this is where high-end phones can continue to add value over more affordable models.
Computational photography squeaks into first place in this shootout. However, Google’s next-gen Pixel could certainly learn a few tricks from Xiaomi. Most notably using a bigger sensor for even better low-light performance. Afterall, computational photography still benefits from better underlying hardware. Despite the verdict, the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is an excellent shooter for its price point. It rivals much more expensive smartphones, like the Pixel 4, and should certainly be on your radar if you’re after a great camera phone on a budget.
To start the year right, ASUS announced the "Platinum Protection Warranty" service, a new warranty program designed to provide users with a "more complete and worry-free" experience to its customers.
Platinum Protection Warranty
To serve its customers better
The new service is eligible for customers who will purchase any ASUS, ROG, or ExpertBook laptops from January 1, 2020. It provides users coverage for accidental damage within the first year of warranty with no extra cost.
2-year global warranty and more
It covers accidental damage such as falls, drops, liquid, electrical damage, acts of nature (floor, quakes, etc.), and more.
2019 was a BIG year for ASUS, and more so for ASUS Philippines. Year after year, we launch innovative products and introduce exciting promos for our end-users, and now, as we welcome a new decade, we focus our first efforts of 2020 towards launching a new after-sales service that will help all our new ASUS users enjoy and have a worry-free experience with their laptops. With the ASUS Platinum Protection Warranty, we assure our fans that we will be with them every step of the way, closes Mr. Lenny Lin, ASUS Philippines Business Development Manager for Gaming PC.
In addition, ASUS made previous costly repairs outside the standard warranty more affordable. ASUS will shoulder 100 percent of the labor cost and 80 percent of the part replacement cost for ASUS laptops eligible under PPW within the first year of warranty.
This new service is on top of the existing 2-year global warranty and Premium Care.
To recall, the global warranty of ASUS is available in 193 countries worldwide. Premium Care, on the other hand, allows customers to take advantage of the company's Authorized Service Partners for their laptops' internal maintenance.
Currently, ASUS has 99 Authorized Service Partners in more than 60 cities in the Philippines.
For the list of the company's Authorized Service Partners, visit this link.
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