T3 India April 2024

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t unlock your house as easily as you can your car or phone, then your frustration is nearly at an end. Philips has announced a new top-of-the-range smart lock as part of its Home Access Smart Lock lineup, and it uses your palm rather than your fingertips to unlock your home. This works by recognising the unique pattern of veins each of us carries in our hands, which means you don’t actually have to touch the lock – proximity sensors detect your hand as you reach towards it – though you will need to take off your gloves. It has built-in Wi-Fi, and will interface with systems such as Alexa and Google Assistant. And although it hasn’t made it to the UK yet, US…

The standout news this month has been the DOJ (Department of Justice, USA) pursuing Apple for allegedly exploiting its monopoly position in various ways. In contrast to India, where Apple’s market share is less pronounced, the company holds a significant presence in the US smartphone market. This is largely due to carriers bundling phones with postpaid plans, which, given the substantial monthly charges in the US, allows carriers to subsidize devices, with Apple products being the primary beneficiaries owing to their brand equity. This case is anticipated to proceed to trial, echoing the trajectory of Microsoft’s legal battles in the 90s over similar allegations of monopolistic practices. The DOJ this time has given five instances of suppression of competition - super apps, messaging apps, digital wallet, cloud streaming game apps…

PUNKT MCO2 SMARTPHONE ₹62,000 punkt.ch/en A smartphone with a minimalistic design, which is also the first device to ship with Apostrophy OS built on top of Android. The device offers full control to the user with added security. It offers the full Android smartphone experience without compromising on user privacy and also includes an integrated VPN called Digital Nomad that safeguards network activity. The specifications of this smartphone might not impress tech-savvy users. The Punkt MCO2 smartphone comes with a large 6.7-inch display with a 60Hz refresh rate, Mediatek Dimensity 900 SoC, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of internal storage. The device does pack a large 5,500 mAh battery, which should help the phone deliver over a day of battery life. T3 SAYS: A privacy-centric Android smartphone with…

Next year marks 80 years since the founding of UNESCO, the organisation responsible for designating World Heritage Sites. In late 2023, UNESCO added 42 new sites spanning five continents, and several of these look set to shine the spotlight on lesser-known regions of popular destinations. Take Koh Ker, the capital of Cambodia’s Khmer Empire between 928 and 944 CE. This newly designated World Heritage Site has one of Southeast Asia’s few seven-tiered pyramids and it’s an easy day trip from Siem Reap. We recommend staying at the historic Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor (above); founded in 1932, it’s packed with original features, including the restored timber elevator. Other sites to receive World Heritage Site status include the volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the pitons of northern Martinique. When Mount…

Smart rings are having a moment. Not only is it rumoured that established smartwatch brands like Apple and Samsung are working on their own take on the concept, but we’re also seeing more models being announced and launched than ever before, such as last year’s Ultrahuman Ring Air. The latest company to join the smart ring ranks is Amazfit, well-known for its affordable outdoor watches and posture-correcting headphones. The upcoming Amazfit Helio Ring (₹TBC, amazfit.com) has a ‘skin-friendly’ titanium alloy external shell, weighs less than 4 grams and has a 2.6mm thickness. What makes the Helio Ring different is that it’s aimed at high-level athletes and offers data like VO2 Max, Training Load and Training Effect via the PeakBeats algorithm. It can also provide ‘Race Achievement’ predictions, as well as…

Performance giant Garmin’s latest wearable, the Garmin HRM-Fit (₹15,000, garmin.com), is a heart-rate monitor designed for women. Featuring a clip-on design, it attaches to medium- and high-support sports bras to maximise comfort while accurately capturing real-time heart rate and training data. HRM-Fit is also versatile enough to be used during activities like running, indoor and outdoor cycling, strength training, HIIT and more. It can also capture advanced running dynamics data.…