Vishal Mathur is Technology Editor for Hindustan Times. When not making sense of technology, he often searches for an elusive analog space in a digital world.
Articles by Vishal Mathur
Fitness devices start to flex: Tech Tonic with Vishal Mathur
New devices, made in India, for India, are offering to liven up exercise routines with VR experiences, magic mirrors, real-time feedback and live stats.
Updated on Jul 02, 2022 05:58 PM IST
The iRobot Roomba J7+ vacuum cleaner has better vision than its peers
The reason Roomba J7+ has superior navigation tech is the inclusion of a camera at the front along with an LED spotlight, which gives further data for the artificially intelligent hazard detection to work with
Published on Jun 27, 2022 03:50 PM IST
Netgear Orbi RBK353 is a good mesh system to eliminate Wi-Fi dark zones at home
For ₹17,499 (RBK352, with two nodes) and ₹25,999 (RBK353, with three nodes), you are indeed spending money on what is arguably one of the slickest home mesh systems for Wi-Fi
Updated on Jun 23, 2022 04:19 PM IST
Will a metaverse open standards group with Microsoft and Meta change anything?
The Metaverse Standards Forum includes tech giants such as Meta and Microsoft, chip makers, gaming companies and standards-setting bodies such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Updated on Jun 22, 2022 07:06 PM IST
VR headsets need more than 8K for full human field of view: Mark Zuckerberg
Meta, formerly Facebook, hopes the varifocal technology will underline improvements in its next-generation VR headsets
Published on Jun 20, 2022 07:35 PM IST
The Xiaomi Pad 5 – Is it Android’s response to the Apple iPad?
Two options to choose from, with differing value for money – there’s the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage spec that’s for ₹26,999 and for ₹2,000 more, you get the 6GB+256GB option
Published on Jun 17, 2022 04:10 PM IST
As Microsoft Defender is available for all, do you need another antivirus app?
Available within Microsoft Defender will be antivirus protection, malware protection that’ll also scan for malicious apps already installed
Published on Jun 17, 2022 02:16 PM IST
How Microsoft forced Sony to change its approach towards PlayStation gamers
Sony was forced by competition into a much-deliberated reconfiguration of its companion subscription service for PlayStation consoles, currently PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4
Published on Jun 15, 2022 12:29 PM IST
Do we really need the complication of premium subscriptions in messaging apps?
Messaging app Telegram has confirmed that premium subscriptions are on the agenda, though it will be optional as all existing functionalities will continue to remain free for all existing and new users
Published on Jun 13, 2022 03:29 PM IST
New EU rules on USB-C chargers go much beyond an iPhone redesign
The EU’s pitch is simple – consumers will save money they’d have otherwise spent to buy new chargers, and more than 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually will be saved in the form of disposed or unused chargers
Published on Jun 09, 2022 12:45 PM IST
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite treads a different path to achieve Android affordability
OnePlus’ most affordable phone in India at this time, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, has a spec sheet that is quite solid — Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip, a 6.59-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate, fast charging and a 64-megapixel camera
Published on Jun 08, 2022 09:31 AM IST
iOS 16 for iPhones builds on privacy, interface
The highlights include a redone lock screen, updates to the iMessage platform, as well as a new privacy tool called Safety Check
Published on Jun 07, 2022 09:01 AM IST
Ultraportable Apple MacBook Air can outshine powerful Windows laptops
The M1, which on its own can put a whole host of Intel and AMD chips in the shade, has been truly surpassed by the M2
Published on Jun 07, 2022 08:50 AM IST
Never have Apple’s software direction choices been more important
This year, it perhaps becomes important for a closer look at the iPhone, iPad, and Macs in particular. Not just because of how the likes of Windows 11 and Android for tablets have walked closer in the last 12 months, but because of the improvements they’ll inevitably bring over the next 12 months too.
Updated on Jun 06, 2022 01:47 PM IST
Apple App Store blocks $1.5 billion worth of fraudulent transactions
Apple’s payment technologies include Apple Pay and StoreKit, which process in-app payments, subscriptions, and new purchases
Published on Jun 02, 2022 04:04 PM IST
Google to integrate Meet’s video call features with Duo
Google confirms that the feature set for Meet will be integrated within Duo, which will then be renamed to Google Meet
Published on Jun 02, 2022 03:15 PM IST
Does tech help Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% set a new racing shoe benchmark?
prototype of the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% was seen back in 2019 when Kenyan marathon winner and long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge clocked 1:59:40 at a marathon in Vienna
Published on Jun 01, 2022 04:39 PM IST
Inside the metaverse: Watch out for real threats in the virtual world
The promise of the metaverse is fantastical, but even in its nascent stage, experience providers are struggling with issues of safety, standardisation and public access
Updated on May 28, 2022 02:58 PM IST
Meta rewrites the privacy policy, but the contents and complexities haven’t changed
This is mostly an exercise to include Meta’s newer products and services (such as Shops and Facebook View), and simplify the language for anyone who wants to read through a privacy policy document.
Updated on May 26, 2022 08:42 PM IST
OnePlus 10R plays the powerful Android phone part well, till you get to the cameras
It is a curious choice of the triple cameras OnePlus 10R has gone with — a 50-megapixel wide camera, an 8-megapixel ultra wide camera and a 2-megapixel macro sensor
Updated on May 26, 2022 07:05 PM IST
Microsoft Windows 11 and Teams line up exciting updates, alongside Android apps
Microsoft is now rolling out new tools and improvements for developers, with the focus on rolling out updates for Windows 11 in the coming months
Published on May 25, 2022 01:51 PM IST
Xiaomi and Leica write the latest chapter of smartphone camera chronicles
The new phone will join the Xiaomi 12 series, the current flagship being the Xiaomi 12 Pro, which has a triple 50-megapixel camera configuration.
Published on May 23, 2022 10:03 PM IST
Auto update: Is your car smarter than you know?
New-generation automobiles contain radar and sensors, eSIMs and driver’s aids that can work together to offer virtual assistance, remote control, even self-diagnosis.
Updated on May 21, 2022 12:41 PM IST
Google details next steps for Android, tablets, privacy and app experiences
Android 13 for smartphones, which has been in the developer beta testing phase since last month, is adding new functionality for certain apps as it now adopts the public beta stage
Published on May 12, 2022 04:02 PM IST
End of the road for the Apple iPod Touch: People changed with time, it didn’t
Over the years, brand after brand tried and competed with Apple’s iPod line-up, which soon expanded to include different form factors such as the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and the iPod Touch
Published on May 11, 2022 03:01 PM IST
Decoding Twitter and Elon Musk’s world: Twitter X, Bill Gates and revenue plans
Twitter Blue was launched in June last year, and Musk expects the Blue subscriber base to increase to 69 million by 2025 and 159 million by 2028
Published on May 09, 2022 04:56 PM IST
Xiaomi 12 Pro is a sophisticatedly restrained take on Android flagship phones
Xiaomi is no longer apprehensive about getting into the battles of higher-end smartphone price bands
Updated on May 06, 2022 04:53 PM IST
It does not get quirkier than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Prices for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio series start around ₹1,65,999 in India, and you’ll have the base spec powered by the latest generation Intel Core i5 processor, along with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage
Updated on May 05, 2022 04:41 PM IST
Illegal offline, illegal online: Will EU rules for the internet have a global impact?
Even though the upcoming Digital Services Act (DSA) of the European Union will be applicable to citizens in the EU countries, it will have a global impact much like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) did a few years ago.
Published on May 02, 2022 12:58 PM IST
Apple’s iPad Air should not be mistaken for iPad Pro. It stands out on its own
It’s been two years and there is still that familiarity the new Apple iPad Air bears with its immediate predecessor
Updated on Apr 29, 2022 04:38 PM IST