TecQ: New Wi-Fi Standard, Surface Pro 6, Tata Sky Vs Sony & More

Here’s a look at the top technology stories of the week. From new Wi-Fi standards to newly launched Surface Pro 6.

Tata Sky has removed 22 channels of Sony Pictures Networks in India.

(Photo: The Quint)

TecQ is our weekly round-up of the top stories

Making Sense of Wi-Fi 6: More Than Just a New Naming System

Wi-Fi standards will now get names that everyone can remember. (Photo: iStock)

The new Wi-Fi standard will be available in routers from 2019, but the bigger news is that it will be called Wi-Fi 6. The Wi-Fi Alliance, which is responsible for making decisions on the connectivity and its standards, has decided to name Wi-Fi standards differently from now on.

Till date, Wi-Fi standards were denoted by coding, like 802.1.ac etc. But soon, these devices will get Wi-Fi names with numbers like Wi-Fi 5 for the current standard, which is 802.1.ac.

From next year, the new standard (802.1.ax) will be called Wi-Fi 6. The new names will appear on the routers with symbols (given below), helping buyers understand what each router is capable of.

Read the full story here.

Viewers Upset As Tata Sky Seeks ‘Missed Call’ for Sony Channels

Tata Sky has removed 22 channels of Sony Pictures Networks in India.(Photo: The Quint)

Many football fans (on Tata Sky) trying to catch the Champions League action recently were met with a blank screen, belatedly followed by a message reading: “Give a missed call to 888******* to view the channel”.

Though, there was a message that stated the customers would not be charged anything extra to view the channel, they would still have to wait till the “missed call” request was processed.

Tata Sky recently decided to remove 22 channels out of the total 32 belonging to Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) from its service. This included popular channels like Ten1 HD, Ten2 HD and it didn’t even spare news channels like Aaj Tak and India Today TV.

Read the full story here.

Top 5 Announcements Made at Microsoft’s Surface Event

The Surface Book 2 was launched at the event.(Photo: Microsoft)

Tech giant Microsoft showcased its latest line of products at its annual Surface event in New York where the company announced new laptops, hybrids and also added more gizmos to its line-up.

The new hardware brings a new colour scheme, which really isn’t more than Microsoft exploring the ‘darker’ side of the colour spectrum.

Here’s a closer look at the top five announcements made at Microsoft’s gala event.

Desire the Apple Watch But Don’t Have the Money? Try These Instead

The Amazfit Bip (left) and Fitbit Versa (right).(Photo: The Quint)

What is it about an Apple Watch that catches the eye instantly? It’s the design! The fact that Apple has stuck to the same design for all these years clearly tells us one thing: it works! The Fitbit Versa and the Huami Amazfit Bip are testament to that.

While the Versa is the latest addition to Fitbit’s illustrious line-up of fitness trackers, the Amazfit Bip from Huami, a startup funded by Xiaomi, is looking to give customers what the Chinese smartphone maker has been giving many Indians for so long: options within their budget.

Here’s a look at two alternatives to the Apple Watch.

The Pure Android Battle: Motorola Moto One Power vs Nokia 6.1 Plus

Nokia and Motorola devices are fighting it out in 2018.(Photo: The Quint)

Nokia and Motorola are battling it out in the mid-range smartphone market. No, we’re not kidding, these two legendary brands are back in India and are going up against each other with a pretty decent set of devices that cost under 20K.

The Moto One Power and the Nokia 6.1 Plus are the latest contenders, carrying the Android One flag, relying on stock Android and quality hardware to hit it off with buyers.

But in an era where you have so many brands like Xiaomi, Asus and Honor among others, can these long-lost giants rekindle their past dominance and prove their worth?

We pit these two devices against each other to find out. Check out the comparison here.