Tech News #1 - Bitcoin, Oneplus 6, Google announces cut price, Google play 12 days sale, Samsung a8 a8 plus launch date, Samsung j2 (2018) design leaked, Xiaomi mi max 3 specificatons leaked, Instagram launches a new way to invite friends in a Live Video,

1. This week has been worst week for Bitcoin since 2013

LONDON/TOKYO: Bitcoinplunged below $13,000 on Friday after losing around a third of its value in just five days, with the digital currency on track for its worst week since 2013 after a blistering ascent to a peak close to $20,000 on Sunday.  

Virtual currency Bitcoin hit another all-time peak on Tuesday, two days after the launch of the first-ever Bit... Read More

The biggest and best-known cryptocurrency had seen a staggering twentyfold increase since the start of the year, climbing from less than $1,000 to as high as $19,666 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange on Sunday and to over $20,000 on other exchanges.

But bitcoin has fallen each day since then, with losses accelerating on Friday. It fell to as low as $12,560 on Bitstamp, marking a fall of almost 20 per cent on the day. At 0850 GMT it was trading down 15 per cent on the day at $13,320 and was heading for its worst day in more than three months.

For the week, it was down around a third - its worst performance since April 2013.

"A manic upward swing led by the herd will be followed by a downturn as the emotional sentiment changes," said Charles Hayter, founder and chief executive of industry website Cryptocompare in London.

"A lot of traders have been waiting for this large correction."

"With the end of the year in sight a lot of investors will be taking profits and saying thank you very much and closing their books for the holiday period," he added.

2 . OnePlus 6 rumoured to come with iPhone X-like Face ID

Considering OnePlus is releasing a new iteration of its flagship device 

every six months, it’s no surprise that speculation and rumours have taken no time to surface about the upcoming OnePlus 6. Not surprisingly, reports state the OnePlus 6 could come with the iPhone X’s marquee feature — Face ID.

The OnePlus 6, slated to launch sometime in the middle of 2018 will have an all-screen design distinctly similar to the iPhone X. In fact, a “reliable tipster” told Android Marvel that the OnePlus 6 will have 3D facial recognition like the iPhone X.

The OnePlus flagship will have an advanced camera setup on the front that will use infrared light to measure depth and map 3D images of people’s faces to authenticate.

Considering OnePlus is releasing a new iteration of its flagship device every six months, it’s no surprise that speculation and rumours have taken no time to surface about the upcoming OnePlus 6. Not surprisingly, reports state the OnePlus 6 could come with the iPhone X’s marquee feature — Face ID.

The OnePlus 6, slated to launch sometime in the middle of 2018 will have an all-screen design distinctly similar to the iPhone X. In fact, a “reliable tipster” told Android Marvel that the OnePlus 6 will have 3D facial recognition like the iPhone X.

The OnePlus flagship will have an advanced camera setup on the front that will use infrared light to measure depth and map 3D images of people’s faces to authenticate.

3. Google announces price cut of up to Rs 11,000 on its latest Pixel smartphones

NEW DELHI: If you are a Google fanboy and were waiting to buy the Google Pixel 2 or the Pixel 2 XL then this is the right time. Both the smartphones have got a price cut and are now selling with the new price on Flipkart and offline stores in the country.

The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL come in two storage variants - 64GB and 128GB. The Google Pixel 2 has got a price cut of Rs 11,000 while the Pixel 2 XL have got a price cut of Rs 5,000.

The Google Pixel 2 64GB was launched at Rs 61,000 and is now selling at Rs 49,999 and the 128GB variant which was launched at Rs 70,000 can now be purchased at Rs 58,999. On the other hand, the Google Pixel 2 XL 64GB which the company launched at Rs 73,000 is now available at Rs 67,999, and the 128GB which came with a price tag of Rs 82,000 is now selling at Rs 76,999.

Along with this, Flipkart is also giving an exchange offer of up to Rs 18,000 on both the smartphones. Moreover, HDFC Bank customers can avail the cashback of Rs 8,000 if they purchase the smartphone on EMI transactions. Other than this, the Axis Bank buzz credit card holders can get additional 5% discount.

To recall, the HTC-made Google Pixel 2 comes with a 5-inch full HD with 1080x1920 pixels resolution. The display is protected with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

 The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor paired with 4GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with a 12.2MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. With all the necessary connectivity options onboard the smartphone is backed by a 2700mAh battery.

On the

While we're set to say goodbye to 2017, Google Play 

 other hand, the LG-made Google Pixel 2 XL offers similar set of specifications with a slight change. The Pixel 2 XL sports a 6-inch QHD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio and 2880x1440 pixels resolution. This one also come with a coating of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone houses a 3520mAh battery and it promises to offer 7 hours battery backup in 15 minutes of charging.

4. Google Play's 12 Days of Play Sales Kicks Off With Discounts on Apps, Books, Movies, and More

 has launched its "12 Days of Play" holidays sale to offer apps, books, movies, music, and TV shows at discounted prices. There are also discounts on various in-app purchases to offer the best of 2017. The sale is expected to be available live until we enter the new year.

Amongst other offers on the list, various premium games are discounted by up to 80 percent. There are notable titles such as Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two, Final Fantasy Tactics: WotL, Clue, Reigns, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Need For Speed Most Wanted, FRAMED 2, and Sonic Jump Pro among various others. Additionally, games like Clash of Clans, ROBLOX, and Pokémon GO are listed with discounted in-app purchases.

If games aren't your choice, TuneIn is available on Google Play with 40 percent discount on its yearly subscription. This means you can enjoy listening to music for the whole 2018 at a discounted price. Similarly, there is 40 percent off on the annual subscription of healthcare app Lifesum that offers you a single platform to track and monitor your calories, food, and nutrition. Google Play Movies & TV is also celebrating the holiday season by offering movie rentals at Rs. 20. You can also buy some of the renowned Bollywood and Hollywood movie titles at a discount of up to 60 percent.

For studious users and bookworms, Google Play has listed various books at up to 60 percent of discount. There are offerings such as I Do What I Do by Raghuram G. Rajan, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, Khullam Khulla by Rishi Kapoor, and My Enemy's Enemy by Avinash Paliwal amongst others.

In addition to other offers, Candy Crush Saga through Google Play is set to host huge discounts from December 29 to January 2. Candy Crush lovers can also opt for unlimited lives and get incredible discounts on gold bars during the ongoing sale. Similarly, there are some fruitful offers on other Candy Crush titles including Candy Crush Soda Saga, and Candy Crush Jelly Saga. Some special discounts are also anticipating Dragon Ball Z fans.

Google Play Music in the US is offering subscribers four months of ad-free music playback. Also, there are various discounts on movie rentals and TV shows specifically for the US users.

5. Samsung confirms Galaxy A8, A8+ launch date

NEW DELHI: Samsungrecently took the wraps off its 2018 models of Galaxy A8 and the Galaxy A8+ in Europe. At that time, the South Korean tech firm did reveal the price of the smartphone but the release time frame was still vague. The company did not reveal a specific release date for any of the markets. But now, Samsung has given a release date of the two smartphones

In a recent event in Vietnam, the company announced it will be making the smartphone available in the country starting January 6. Although the European release date is still not yet confirmed, it could still fall around January 6. So far, there are no details about the availability of the two smartphones in India.

The Samsung Galaxy A8(2018) comes with a 5.6-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display with 1080x2220 pixel resolution, while the A8+ (2018) sports a 6-inch full HD+ display. The display of the both the smartphones come with layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The duo runs Android 7.1 Nougat operating system and is powered by an octa-core Exynos 7885 processor with Mali-G71 GPU.

Both the smartphones sports a dual front camera setup. The devices offer 16MP primary front camera with f/1.9 aperture and a secondary 8MP camera with f/1.9 aperture. The rear of the devices also offers a 16MP camera with f/1.7 aperture and LED flash. The company said, "The Dual Front Camera is made up of two separate cameras so you can switch between the two to take the type of selfie you want - from close-ups with the background to portrait shots with a clear and crisp background. And with the advanced Live Focus feature, you can easily adjust the bokeh effect before or after you take the picture to create high-quality images."

The smartphones come with a rear mounted fingerprint sensor and come with IP68 rating which makes then dust and water resistant.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) offers 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, while the Galaxy A8+ (2018) comes with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The users can add more storage to the devices by inserting a microSD card of up to 256GB. The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) houses a 3000mAh battery and the A8+ (2018) is backed by a 3500 mAh battery with fast charging capabilities. Both the smartphones offer support for Samsung Pay and NFC.

In terms of connectivity the smartphones offer, 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC and USB Type C.

6.Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) design and specs leaked online

NEW DELHI: It seems that consumer electronics giant Samsung is working on a new budget smartphone under its Galaxy series. According on a German website winfuture.de, the company will launch the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018). The website has also posted the some of the images of the upcoming smartphone.

Along with the images, the website has also posted the specifications of the upcoming smartphone. As per the leak, the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) comes with the model number SM-J250 and is expected to sport a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with 960 x 540 pixels resolution. The smartphone is said to sport a plastic body design and a physical home button. It is reported to be powered by quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor and run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box.

The smartphone is expected to come with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. There will also be support for a microSD card. The device is said to be backed by a 2600mAh battery. In terms of optics, the device is reported to feature an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front shooter for selfies.

On the connectivity front, the smartphone will offer 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

As per the specifications, it is expected that it will be a sub 10K smartphone.

Recently, Samsung's flagship smartphone received a price cut in India. Launched at Rs 67,900, the smartphone is selling at Rs 64,900 after the price cut of Rs 3,000. The device is exclusively available on Amazon and the e-tailer is also offering cashback of Rs 4,000 to HDFC credit card holders on the purchase.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with the same Infinity display which the company used in its Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones.

7.Xiaomi Mi Max 3 Specifications Leaked, Tip 7-Inch 18:9 Display

Xiaomi's Mi Max phablet range has been known for offering plenty of screen real estate for users to enjoy multimedia content on their phones. The original Mi Max came with a 6.44-inch display, and the Mi Max 2 borrowed the same display with upgraded specifications. The Mi Max 3 is reportedly set to launch soon and rumours suggest that it will sport a much larger 7-inch display this time around, thanks to its taller-than-usual 18:9 aspect ratio.

A report by CNMO claims that the upcoming Mi Max 3 will feature a 7-inch fullscreen display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and smaller bezels. The Mi Max 3 will also reportedly have a dual camera setup on the rear of the phone. There is, however, no information on the type of lens in this setup.

A bigger battery is another one of the rumoured features from the report. The Mi Max 3 might feature a battery capacity of 5500mAh, which is bigger than the 5300mAh battery on the Mi Max 2. There are also rumours of Quick Charge 3.0 and reverse charging being a part of the smartphone's capabilities.

Apart from that, the report suggests that there will be two variants of the Mi Max 3. The standard variant is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, while the premium variant might be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC.

Xiaomi had launched the Mi Max 2 in May 2017. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB inbuilt storage expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 runs Android 7.0 Nougat.

8. Instagram launches a new way to invite friends in a Live Video

NEW DELHI: Instagramhas rolled out a new feature to boost its Live Video engagement. The Facebook-owned photo sharing app now lets users send a Live Video invitation to friends using the Instagram 'Direct' feature. All they need to do is to tap on the Direct icon. They can send Live Videos they are watching or creating, to users.

"You can now send live videos to friends in Direct. With a single tap of the Direct icon, you can send your own live video — or a live video you're watching — to a friend or a group of friends to encourage them to join in the fun," said Instagram in a blog post.

When users are live, they would need to tap on the 'Direct' icon at the bottom of the screen and send an invitation. Inside the Direct inbox, "friends can only view your video if you're currently live. If your live video is over, your friend will see a message saying the video has ended."

It is possible to disable this feature from the stories settings page. "Today's change makes it easy to invite people to watch your live videos and send exciting live videos you're viewing to your friends in real time," says the photo and video sharing platform.

This feature is already available as a part of Instagram version 26 for both iOS and Android users from App Store and Google Play.

This announcement comes exactly a month after the launch of a feature wherein it lets users join live stories of their friends.

Instagram recently started allowing users to follow hashtags. The company claims that this new method will enable users to discover photos, videos and people more easily than before. In order to find the hashtags that users want to follow, they just have to search for the topics of their interest or tap on a hashtag from posts of other subscribers.