TecQ: Internet Ban, Asus, Lava, 4G VoLTE, Social Media & More

This week we’ve got India’s internet shutdown scenario, Lava’s VoLTE feature phone and more.

ZenFone 3S Max is the smaller variant of the ZenFone 3 Max. (Photo: The Quint)

TecQ is our weekly round-up of the top tech and science stories.

1. With Virtual Reality & A Cycle, Hit the Road Without Leaving Home

This cycle may be ordinary, but what it can do is futuristic. (Photo: The Quint)

If you’re wondering what a bicycle has to do with virtual reality, you’re in for an exciting visual treat.

Amid the gaming giants at the India Gaming Show held in Delhi this month, we ran into a Hyderabad-based company, Loop Reality. The guys at Loop have taken a bike, a laptop and a VR headset to give fitness freaks the experience of riding in the great outdoors – complete with road bumps and a sense of acceleration.

Read the story here to know more.

2. Decoded: How India’s First-Ever 4G VoLTE Feature Phone Works

There’s nothing special about this phone, except that it supports 4G VoLTE. (Photo Courtesy: Lava Mobile)

When Lava launched India’s first-ever 4G VoLTE feature this week, I made it my mission to dig up info more information on the phone. I needed an answer: How exactly is a feature phone supporting high-end connectivity standards like 4G VoLTE?

Reliance Jio is the telecom operator offering this technology, and with the Connect M1, Lava is the first mobile brand to come out with a support device. What else can we tell you about this ‘smart’ feature phone? Read the full story here.

3. Are You Really Dead If You’re Still Alive Digitally?

If death wasn’t the end, would you leave behind a digital avatar of yourself for posterity to interact with? (Photo: Altered by The Quint) 

A search for Jiah Khan on Twitter takes you to a verified account of a user tweeting about sun signs and taking time off the overwhelming presence of social media.

However, the updates become slightly jarring when one is reminded of Jiah’s death in June 2013. Later, you realise that the tweets don’t go beyond May of the same year.

Want to read more? Click here.

4. Asus ZenFone 3S Max Review: Just Another Long Battery Warhorse?

The 13-megapixel snapper on board the ZenFone 3S Max. (Photo: The Quint)

Another day, another phone that promises a long battery life. This week, its the Asus ZenFone 3S Max, which is an under-powered, smaller version of the ZenFone 3 Max.

The phone has been priced Rs 14,999, a price range dominated by Lenovo’s Z2 Plus, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 4 and the Honor 6X. So does the ZenFone 3S Max live up to its competition?

Read The Quint’s review here to know more.

5. Digital Push? India Has More Internet Shutdowns Than Iraq, Pak

India needs to cut down on the number of internet shutdowns. (Photo: iStock)

In recent years, whenever large-scale violence erupts in India, the government often shuts down internet connectivity, as it did in Kashmir a few months back. The aim is to contain rumours and mobilisation, but the internet blackout also results in massive losses.

A new report has made the alarming claim that India lost over Rs 6,458 crore in businesses due to internet shutdowns over the past year.

As per the Brookings Institution report, India had more days of internet shutdown than Iraq or Pakistan, which is a matter of shame for a country that hopes to see itself amongst global super powers.

Read the story here.