Topps Blog: September 2017

Saturday 30 September 2017

Gionee M7 Specs and Price

Sporting an impressive Full HD display, the Gionee M7 promises great multimedia experience and superb power. The mid-range device comes with a robust octa-core processor and abundant memory, amongst other amazing features.

Where to Buy Gionee M7

Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers

Gionee M7 Key Specs & Features

6.01-inch AMOLED Display, 1080 x 2160 pixels (402ppi)
Octa-core Mediatek Helio P30 CPU with 6GB RAM
Android 7.1 (Nougat)
64GB Storage, up to 256GB memory card
16MP + 8MP Dual Rear Camera and 8MP Front Camera
4G LTE (up to 150 Mbps download)
Fingerprint Sensor (Rear)
4000 mAh Battery with Fast Charging

Design and Display

At roughly 6 inches, the Gionee M7 is a big phone. You may require shifting up or down to operate with a single hand. But this is an attractive, svelte device. It measures just 7.2 millimetres in thickness. Gionee M7 sports gold, black, blue or red finish.

The massive FullView AMOLED display promises enjoyable viewing with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Another thing that suggests great experience awaits on the 6.01-inch screen is the Full HD resolution. This offers roughly 400-ppi pixel density for very sharp images. It has 2.5D curved glass on the surface.

Camera

Specs sheet shows the Gionee M7 is a dual camera device. It packs a 16MP sensor and an 8MP sensor on the rear. This one is obviously competing, to an extent, with some heavyweights on the market in this regard.

As one would at least expect, the phone shoots Full HD (1080p) videos at 30 frames per second. It uses a very capable looking 8MP sensor for selfie taking.

Hardware and Software

You can expect robust performance from the Gionee M7, with an octa-core MediaTek Helio P30 processor under the hood. The Cortex-A53 CPU zips along at speeds up to 2.3 GHz. It comes with a Mali-G71 MP2 GPU for solid, enjoyable gaming.

RAM is abundant at 6 GB; the same is true for the onboard storage of 64GB. The phone also takes a microSD card (up to 256 GB) for expansion. Gionee M7 boots Android 7.1 Nougat OS with Amigo 5.0 skin from the factory.

Other Specs and Features

The Gionee M7 is one of those devices that promise to last a long time on a charge. It packs in a powerful 4,000mAh Li-Polymer battery. This also enjoys support of fast charge tech for quick top-up.

You will find a fingerprint sensor on the rear of the mid-ranger. Gionee M7 also offers you 4G LTE with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support. Among the connectivity features are USB On-the-Go (OTG), NFC and infrared blaster.

Pricing and availability

Gionee M7 is not yet available in Nigeria and Kenya. Gionee M7 Price in Nigeria is expected to range from 150,500 Naira to 230,000 Naira, depending on your location in the country. Price in Kenya is expected at around 49,500 KSh.

Gionee M7 Specs

Here are a few specs of the Gionee M7 Smartphone:

General Features

Platform: Android 7.1 (Nougat), Amigo 5.0
Processor: Octa-core Processor: 2.3GHz Quad Core and 1.65GHz Quad-core (Mediatek Helio P30)
GPU: Mali-G71 MP2
Memory: 6GB RAM
Colours: Sapphire Blue, Star Blue, Maple Red, Champagne Gold, Black
Dimension: 157 x 76 x 7.2 mm
Weight: 180 g
SIM Type: Nano-SIM
SIM Count: Dual SIM, Dual Standby

Display

Display: 6.01-inch AMOLED Display, 1080 x 2160 pixels (402 ppi)
Screen Protection: –

Camera

Rear Camera: 16MP + 8MP Dual Camera, 1080p HD Video
Rear Camera Features: Autofocus, LED Flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, Panorama, HDR
Front Camera: 8MP Camera

Storage

Built-in Storage: 64GB
Memory Card Support: up to 256GB
Bundled Cloud Storage: –

Network Support

2G GSM: Yes
2G CDMA 1X: No
3G WCDMA: Yes
3G CDMA EVDO: No
4G LTE: Yes, LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)

Internet & Connectivity

GPRS: Yes
EDGE: Yes
3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
HSPA+: No
CDMA EVDO: No
4G LTE: Yes, up to 150 Mbps
WLAN: Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP
NFC: Yes
Infrared Blaster: Yes
USB Port: Yes USB 2.0, USB on the Go

Messaging

SMS/MMS: Yes
Instant Messaging: Yes
Push Emails: Yes
Email Protocol: –

Entertainment

Music Player: MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player
Video Player: MP4/H.264 player
FM Radio: Yes (with RDS and FM Recording)
Loudspeaker: Yes
3.5mm Jack: Yes

Navigation

Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS
Maps: Yes

Sensors & Control

Digital Compass: Yes
Accelerometer: Yes
Proximity Sensor: Yes
Light Sensor: Yes
Barometer: No
SpO2: No
Pedometer: No
Heart Rate Monitor: No
Gyroscope: Yes
Fingerprint Scanner: Yes (Rear)
Iris Scanner: No
Intelligent Digital Assistant: Yes
Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: No
Voice Control: Yes

Other Features

Video Streaming: Yes
Active Noise Cancellation: Yes (with dedicated mic)
Wireless Charging: No
Built-in Mobile Payment: No
Water Resistant: No
Dust Resistant: No
Image Editor: Yes
Video Editor: Yes
Document Viewer: Yes
Document Editor: No

Battery

Battery: 4000 mAh Li-Po Battery (Non-Removable)
Talktime: –
Standby Time: –
Fast Charging: Yes

More on Gionee

The post Gionee M7 Specs and Price appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.

ET Deals: Save Big on Complete C Programming Bonus Bundle

Want to learn to program? Curious about learning the intricacies of C? Today's deal from StackSocial is a bundle you absolutely must check out. From absolute newbies to long-time programmers looking to learn the ins and outs of this specific language, there's something for everyone in these ten courses.

The post ET Deals: Save Big on Complete C Programming Bonus Bundle appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Building a NASA-Themed Mechanical Keyboard

My obsession with custom mechanical keyboards is well-established at this point. I don't technically need more keyboards. So, if I'm going to add to my collection, I want to make sure it's something distinctive and cool.

The post Building a NASA-Themed Mechanical Keyboard appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Friday 29 September 2017

TStv Nigeria Direct to Home Pay TV

TStv is the latest Pay TV service in Nigeria. Launching on October 1, 2017, TStv is promising loads of new value added services that are already exciting consumers in Nigeria. Some of the perks include the ability to pause your subscription for up to 7 days in a month, PVR feature with up to 500GB built-in storage, Video on Demand, Video Calls, and free 20GB data. However the thing that is exciting consumers the most about TStv is the affordable price, which has been capped to 3000 Naira per month by the company.

Satellite Dish Required

TStv is a satellite Direct to Home (DTH) Pay TV service just like DSTV. This means you will need to install a satellite dish for your system. According to information on the company’s website, your dish should be pointing to the ABS 3A satellite located at 3 degrees west.

You also require a set top box (decoder). The good news is that the dish and the decoder will cost just 5,000 Naira, making it affordable for a lot more Nigerians.

The TStv Set Top Box

The set top box (decoder) by TStv is the most versatile so far in the industry. This decoder uses the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HBB TV) tech to deliver high quality entertainment to your home. HBB TV combines satellite and internet services like IPTV and broadband to deliver content and other value added services to your home.

The TStv set top box will support internet connectivity and will even act as a Wi-Fi hotspot for connecting your devices to the internet. The company is also bundling 20GB of free data in the 3000 Naira monthly. With the data you can do video calls, Video on Demand, and other value added broadband services.

The decoder also comes with a PVR feature that enables you pause and rewind live TV. With its 500GB built-in storage you can store a whole lot of content for future viewing. The decoder also allows you pause your TStv subscription for 7 days with a 30-day period. This means you can pause your subscription if you are not going to be around for a couple of days and resume when you return.

TStv Subscription & Package

For now it seems TStv will offer one subscription plan. The plan costs 3,000 Naira. However, the unique thing about the service is that it offers flexible pay as you go option. For example, you can pay 200 Naira, 500 Naira, 750, Naira, 1000 Naira, 1500 Naira, and 3000 Naira depending on the length of time you want to subscribe.

Paying the full 3000 Naira will give you 30 days access plus 20GB of free data. You also get one month free subscription.

TStv Channels

TStv boasts of over 70 channels ranging from Sports, News, Movies, Music, Kids, Documentaries, and much more.

Some popular TStv channels include:

FOX
AIT
CNN
BBC News
Channels
Aljazeera
Bloomberg
beIN Sports (Multuple Channels)
FOX Sports (Multiple Channels)
EWTN
MTV Base
National Geographic
Nat Geo Wild
FashionOne
Nickelodeon
TeleNovela Channel
Nina TV
M Africa Yoruba
M Africa Hausa
Riwendu TV
M Africa Movies
TVC News
Sunna TV
Emmanuel TV
Euro Sport
HITS TV
Trace Africa
For full channel list click here

Where can you get TStv

Technically TStv can operate nationwide, but the company will begin rollout of the service officially in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Owerri and Kano. You can buy the decoder and dish from dealers in your city.

Thursday 28 September 2017

Liquid Nitrogen Drives 18-Core Core i9-7980XE Above 6GHz

Intel's newest Core i9-7980XE has been pushed above 6GHz in a record overclock.

The post Liquid Nitrogen Drives 18-Core Core i9-7980XE Above 6GHz appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Hands Off With Cadillac Super Cruise, the Masterful One-Trick Pony of Self-Driving

Despite minor gotchas--not glitches--Super Cruise is a powerful tool that is the pinnacle of Level 2 autonomy. You'll want it on your car.

The post Hands Off With Cadillac Super Cruise, the Masterful One-Trick Pony of Self-Driving appeared first on ExtremeTech.

ET deals: Save $200 on a Dell XPS 8910 Desktop PC

In search of an affordable desktop that has plenty of room for upgrades? Take a look at the XPS 8910 tower PC from Dell. With a sleek modern design, a quad-core CPU, space for three 3.5-inch drives, and support for up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, this PC is up for almost anything.

The post ET deals: Save $200 on a Dell XPS 8910 Desktop PC appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Showtime Caught Mining Cryptocurrency With Viewers’ PCs

Malware? Nope, Showtime apparently intended to do this by integrating the Coinhive mining API.

The post Showtime Caught Mining Cryptocurrency With Viewers’ PCs appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Is Donald Trump Accelerating Our Robot-Driven Future?

There are several reasons to believe Donald Trump is inadvertently hastening the rise of our machine overlords--or at least our effective replacements.

The post Is Donald Trump Accelerating Our Robot-Driven Future? appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Intel’s Upcoming Coffee Lake Z370 Motherboards Aren’t Backwards Compatible

Intel's new Coffee Lake CPUs are on their way, but you won't be able to use them with current Kaby Lake or Skylake CPUs.

The post Intel’s Upcoming Coffee Lake Z370 Motherboards Aren’t Backwards Compatible appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Nvidia’s CEO Declares Moore’s Law Dead

Nvidia's CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, believes the traditional version of Moore's Law is dead, replaced by a GPU trend he calls Hyper-Moore's Law. He's got a point.

The post Nvidia’s CEO Declares Moore’s Law Dead appeared first on ExtremeTech.

SNES Classic Review Roundup: A Great Value, Provided You Can Find One

Reviews on the new SNES Classic have dropped, and they're quite positive--if you can find one to buy. Keeping the hardware in stock is critical to Nintendo's overall success here.

The post SNES Classic Review Roundup: A Great Value, Provided You Can Find One appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Wednesday 27 September 2017

Intel, Not Nvidia, Will Power Tesla’s Infotainment Systems

Intel is muscling into Nvidia's turf when it comes to vehicle partnerships. For now, Intel is only providing infotainment systems, but that's not the end of Intel's ambitions.

The post Intel, Not Nvidia, Will Power Tesla’s Infotainment Systems appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Report: Andy Rubin’s Essential Has Only Shipped 5,000 Phones

This report comes from BayStreet Research, which tracks smartphone shipments across the US.

The post Report: Andy Rubin’s Essential Has Only Shipped 5,000 Phones appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Gionee X1 and Gionee X1s Specs and Price

Gionee X1 and X1s are affordable smartphones for users who desire features such as 4G LTE support, decent cameras and a fingerprint scanner. As one can easily guess, the X1s variant brings better specs to the table, including a faster processor and higher RAM.

Where to Buy Gionee Phones

Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers

Gionee X1 & X1s Key Specs & Features

5.0-inch or 5.2-inch IPS Display, 720 x 1280 pixels
Quad-core Mediatek MT6753 CPU with 2GB / 3GB RAM
Android 7.0 (Nougat)
16GB Storage, up to 256GB memory card
8MP or 13MP Rear Camera and 8MP or 16MP Front Camera
4G LTE Data
Fingerprint Sensor (Rear)
3000 mAh or 4000 mAh Li-ion Battery

Build and Screen

These phones do not digress from what you’d expect of a budget device in terms of build quality. While they are not shabby, they are nowhere near the most elegant. They are just there. A measurement of 8.8 mm puts them somewhat on the thicker side. But then, you may not really complain, knowing how much you are paying.

Both the Gionee X1 and X1s come with HD (720 x 1,280 pixel) displays. While the standard variant rocks a 5-inch IPS panel, the latter sports a 5.2-incher. This means the X1 should offer slightly sharper images.

Camera and Storage

The Gionee X1s looks to provide better image quality. This is because it features a 13MP rear and 16MP front camera combo. It is safe to assume that the target segment for this one is that of selfie enthusiasts.

In its own case, the X1 offers 8MP sensors on both its front and back. It should perform well for an entry-level phone, judging by this setup.

Hardware and Software

Both devices come with quad-core MediaTek processors. But you can expect better performance from the Gionee X1s in that its CPU runs at 1.5 GHz and it features 3GB RAM. The regular model packs a 1.3GHz chip and 2GB RAM.

Internal storage for the two stands at 16 GB, expandable via a dedicated microSD card slot. The phones run on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, which has Gionee’s Amigo 4.0 skin on top.

Other Features

If you need an affordable phone you can lock with your fingerprint, these ones may not be a bad choice. You will find the scanner on the rear, below the main camera.

Gionee equips the X1 with a 3,000mAh battery, while the juicer on the X1s has a bigger 4,000mAh capacity. The phones support super fast 4G LTE with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) feature.

Pricing and Availability

The Gionee X1 and X1s is targeted at the Indian market and is likely to sell in Nigeria, Kenya, or Ghana. The Price of the Gionee X1 in India is 8999 INR while Gionee X1s goes for 12999 INR.