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Kia's design is going from strength to strength, with the firm following up on its eye-catching, all-electric EV6 with its new Sportage full-size SUV for Europe.

The new Kia Sportage takes some clear design lessons from its fully electric sibling, and while the SUV is yet to completely ditch its internal combustion engine, it's taken a major step towards doing so.

That's because the 2022 model will be the first Sportage to offer a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain option. 

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The current Sportage is available as a mild hybrid, but the new PHEV powertrain in the 2022 refresh will allow you to drive a significant distance in a fully electric mode.

The PHEV Sportage comes with an 1.6-litre T-GDI engine, 66.9kW electric motor and a 13.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. This delivers a total system power output of 265PS, with 180PS originating from the internal combustion engine.

Kia hasn't revealed the new Sportage's electric range just yet, but it has confirmed to TechRadar that it's aiming for a development target of 56km (around 34 miles). 

If it achieves that, it will be similar to the electric range offered by the plug-in Niro and Sorento SUVs.

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Kia goes big-screen

Move inside and the most noticeable upgrade are the enhanced displays on the dash.

Kia has brought two full digital displays to the Sportage, with the first a large, 12.3-inch curved central touchscreen and the second a full screen for the instrument cluster, again 12.3 inches in size.

The Sportage will benefit from over-the-air (OTA) updates for software and maps, plus it will be compatible with the firm's smartphone application, allowing you to control various functions remotely.

You'll also find two USB ports and a wireless phone charging pad in the centre console, which back seat passengers also get treated to USB charging ports located on the side of the front seats - which is a little unusual.

This should, however, make them easier to access for those in the back, as these ports tend to be located near feet-level between the front two seats.

The European Kia Sportage will also be available with hybrid (HEV) and mild hybrid (MHEV) powertrain options when it goes on sale in early 2022 in the UK (and likely around the same time across Europe).

Specific model specification and pricing will be announced closer to launch.

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Analysis: Kia is exceling with electrification

The plug-in hybrid Sportage is another positive step from Kia, which has excelled with its affordable electrification offerings.

Its all-electric Kia E-Niro and Soul EV are solid electric cars balancing range and technology which make them attractive offerings, while its extensive hybrid offering covers its Rio, Ceed, Stonic, Niro, Sportage and Sorento ranges.

The Sportage is a common car to see on European roads, which bodes well for the 2022 model and while the plug-in powertrain is likely to be the priciest, it's still likely to undercut the premium competition while offering a similar level of technology.

• Finally, wireless car charging is coming to an electric car you'll be able to buy

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Packed with some impressive specs the Huawei nova 8 and Huawei nova Y60 are here and ready to be discovered. Will one of them be your next phone, Gen-Zer?

Charging power

(Image credit: Huawei)

If you’ve got plans to be out and about with your friends, then a smartphone that offers a long-lasting battery is important, especially if you want to capture your day with pics or enjoy some music streaming on your phone. The Huawei nova 8 has the 66W Huawei SuperCharge support, which saves users the trouble of charging the device frequently. Your phone can also be charged to 60% in just 15 minutes and 100% in 35 minutes, so even if you had forgotten to charge it earlier, you can still charge up while you’re busy getting ready to meet up with the gang.

The Huawei nova Y60, on the other hand, is equipped with a 5000mAh large battery and Huawei’s power-saving AI Algorithms, which lets users explore as much as they like with their phone without worrying about the battery dying. Coupled with the Ultra Power Saving mode, the smartphone can last longer even when the battery level is low, which is a great if you’re out and about for a longer time than you planned. 

Incredible picture quality

If you’re looking to jumpstart your influencer career or just love a good picture, then the Huawei nova 8 is a good start because it gives you the best camera features, and the price tag is just right for a Gen-Zer’s pocket. The Huawei nova 8 is fitted with a 64MP high resolution rear camera that lets you take vividly sharp photos. When taking photos at night, Huawei nova 8 Super Night Mode makes sure that you still capture your best angles. The Main Camera and Ultra-Wide Angle Camera on the back of the Huawei nova 8 work together to enable Dual-View Video, which is perfect for taking group selfies and fun videos.

The Huawei nova Y60 can hold its own with the camera features, with a solid AI Triple Camera, allowing users to capture clearer photos of everyday moments with ease. The 13MP Main Camera has an f/1.8 large aperture – the bigger the aperture, the more light your smartphone camera can gather, which is needed to get great quality pictures.

It’s all in the appearance

(Image credit: Huawei)

The Huawei nova 8 comes in a spectacular Blush Gold colour and has a thin and light body that weighs only 169 g. From the back, the universe-inspired Nebular Camera System sits elegantly on the exquisite glass panel, giving the device a unique and a striking appearance.

Coated with a simple yet trendy hood, the Huawei nova Y60 is available in two classic colours – Crush Green and Midnight Black. It adopts a 3D design with smooth, rounded edges to ensure a comfortable grip, which is made even better by its handy on-screen navigation.

(Image credit: Huawei)

SPECIAL DEALS!

The Huawei nova Series is designed to bring out the best you possible. Be part of this cool journey and unlock your next best level by buying these devices sooner rather than later.

The Huawei nova 8 will be on sale on the Huawei Online Store from 1 September 2021 for R12 999 and receive a bundle deal with the Huawei FreeBuds 4i for R12 999.

You can also buy the Huawei nova Y60 for R3 099 and get a free Bluetooth headset valued at R699.

Both these smartphones come with a two-year warranty, one-time free screen guard service, free unboxing service at store and 50-days screen insurance. Also available from Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C and Takealot. 

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It seems Samsung is serious about dropping chargers from its phones, as following the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S21 range and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 launching without one, it now seems that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE probably won’t come with one either.

We’ve come to that conclusion because SamMobile appears to have obtained a copy of the manual for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, and it states that the wall charger is sold separately.

That’s not all the manual says though: it also mentions that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and that it will have an in-screen fingerprint scanner, a high refresh rate screen, Dolby Atmos audio, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

• Check out all the best Samsung phones
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An image from the leaked Samsung Galaxy S21 FE manual (Image credit: SamMobile)

There are also pictures of the phone shown, which match what we’ve seen before and include a triple-lens camera. Full specs for this aren’t shared, but there is a mention of an ultra-wide lens. What there’s no mention of is a microSD card slot, and there doesn’t appear to be a 3.5mm headphone port either.

While we’d take this manual with a pinch of salt, it certainly looks to be the real deal, so the details in it are probably accurate. We should find out for sure soon, as while an exact release date is unclear, leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will probably land sometime in October.

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A Samsung charger (Image credit: Jitendra Soni)

Opinion: wall chargers are on the way out, and that’s a good thing

While some buyers will probably resent not getting a wall charger with their expensive phone, there are some very good reasons not to include one. First of all, most people probably already have a perfectly good one they can use. If you’re anything like us you probably have about 20.

And that’s the issue with including them – so many of these chargers are being produced, and largely going unused. It’s bad for the environment and adds unnecessary cost to phones.

So by not including them, not only will mass producing phones become slightly less harmful to the environment, it could also save you money on the handset – or that money might be used to improve the phone in other ways.

Of course, in some cases companies are sure to just pocket the savings. That’s less good, but the environment still benefits, and that’s probably the most important thing here.

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What is E10 petrol? The relatively eco-friendly petrol alternative is widely used in plenty of European countries, and has been the norm in the USA for over 20 years – and the UK is finally following suit. 

E10 is now going to be a common sight in petrol stations across the UK – but those of you bewildered by the change, or unsure whether your car is compatible with E10, needn’t worry too much.

E10 is a form of petrol, much like the standard E5 that’s likely powering your car at the moment, but with 10% ethanol rather than 5% ethanol – hence why it’s called ‘E10’. The remaining 90% is unleaded petrol, which is a big carbon emission culprit.

Increasing ethanol therefore makes for fewer carbon emissions, and while the footprint of your car will still be more than that of an electric car, it’s still going to improve things. E10 is already appearing in some petrol stations, and will be rolling out "at pace" throughout September, says RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes.

• EV vs PHEV vs self-charging hybrid vs mild hybrid: what's best for you?

Wait, can my car run this magic eco-fuel?

Almost certainly. As the BBC reports, “every petrol vehicle built after 2011 should accept E10”, though a number of cars older than that may not be so lucky. 

You can check whether your car is E10-compatible in this Gov.UK checker, and you’ll need to know the vehicle manufacturer, model, engine size and year it was manufactured.

If you're unsure of your vehicle’s model, you should look for the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on your car – it usually appears on the driver side of the dashboard, or on your vehicle registration documentation. (It’s also worth noting that any replacement parts used in your car could impact the ability of your vehicle to use E10.)

If your car isn’t compatible, it won’t turn to a useless husk overnight – you’ll still be able to use E5 super unleaded, though you will be paying something of a price premium. E5 super unleaded may cost 10-12p more per litre than E10, which will remain at the same price as current E5 petrol (135.1p at the time of writing).

For the overwhelming majority of drivers, then, there’s very little to worry about, in terms of either price changes or vehicle compatibility. Still, it’s worth checking to see whether your car will have to stick with the pricier E5 super unleaded petrol as the changes roll out.

If you want to avoid these changes altogether, though, you may want to consider an electric car – or even an electric bike – to get around.

• The best electric bikes 2021: the best e-bikes tested, reviewed and ranked

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The Samsung Galaxy S22 might still be four months or so away, if the rumors are to be believed – but we're starting to see a steady trickle of leaks drip in around Samsung's next flagship devices, and the latest concerns battery capacities.

As per MyFixGuide (via SamMobile), two new batteries corresponding to two new Samsung phones just passed through the certification process in China, and it looks as though the Galaxy S22 Plus will come fitted with a 4,500mAh battery, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra will carry a 5,000mAh battery.

Of course, you want to know how that compares with the equivalent phones that Samsung launched earlier this year, so we'll tell you: the Galaxy S21 Plus has a 4,800mAh-capacity battery and the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 5,000mAh-capacity battery.

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Power to the people

The capacities mentioned in the new leak match up nearly with what we've heard previously: that we're going to see a drop from 4,800mAh to 4,500mAh as far as the Plus model is concerned.

When it comes to the standard Galaxy S22 model, the word is that  it's going to have a capacity of 3,800mAh, which again is lower than the 4,000mAh battery capacity offered by the standard Galaxy S21 handset.

These rumors are going to raise concerns about battery life, but we'll have to see on that. What's more encouraging for potential buyers is charging speed, which is rumored to be getting a significant boost with the 2022 Galaxy S series models.

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Analysis: wait and see on battery life

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. (Image credit: Future)

While it's disappointing to see battery capacities staying the same or dropping when comparing the Galaxy S21 series with the rumors around the Galaxy S22 series, it's worth remembering that these changes don't necessarily translate into dips in battery life.

The capacity of a smartphone's battery plays a big role in how long the device can last between charges, but it's by no means the only factor at play. There's screen size, for example, and how much power gets drawn by the display technology that's in use.

Perhaps even more important is the efficiency of the silicon fitted inside the phone – how well the internal components can manage power while doing all the tasks that they need to do to keep your handset and its apps running.

Whatever chipset is fitted inside the Galaxy S22, it should be more power efficient than the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100 processors running the S21 models, so it's possible that Samsung will be able to squeeze more battery life out of its flagships next year after all.

• Here's everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

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We've been hearing rumors that the Apple Watch 7, as well as the iPhone 13, new iPad (2021) and maybe other gadgets too, could get shown off at a big Apple event on September 14. Even if that turns out to be the case, it might be pretty hard to pick up the smartwatch soon after the event.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is facing difficulties in producing the Watch 7, seemingly due to the differences between it and the Watch 6. As a result, apparently the device release date will either be delayed, or the watch will only go on sale in limited amounts to begin with.

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Knowing Apple, the former is more likely: in 2020, it staggered the iPhone 12 series launch which ensured it was easier to buy one of the new devices as soon as they went on sale.

Bloomberg's report adds that the Apple Watch 7 will come in 41mm and 45mm sizes, each 1mm up on the options for older watches. Apparently, while this change is partly to blame for the production woes, it also allows Apple to design some new watch faces with more complications.

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Analysis: is a September 14 launch likely?

Apple hasn't officially confirmed the September 14 event yet - it usually announces these things about a week before they're due to happen - and we only cite it as multiple leakers seem to think it's happening.

Apple could simply hold off announcing the Apple Watch 7 until it's ready. Judging by last year, the format will likely be a pre-recorded live stream event, which doesn't need to be recorded at any set time.

So if Apple is having trouble rustling up enough Apple Watch 7 units to sell after the event - bear in mind, the company usually releases its device on the Friday after the event - there's an easy solution.

Apple could easily delay the event without even needing to tell the public - perhaps it could push it back a week or two, and that'd give it more time to make sure it had the iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches ready in stock.

In 2020 the Apple iPhone event was in October, with the company pushing it back from its expected September date to the spooky month, so there's precedent for it delaying device launches when necessary.

Whenever the Apple event takes place, whether it's September 14 or later down the road, it's sure to be one of the biggest tech events of the year, so keep checking TechRadar on the day for everything you need to know.

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Square is set to offer a paid tier to its online invoicing service alongside its current free model. Called Invoices Plus, the new offering will come with a number of new features, as well as a few that were tested in the free version.

As reported by TechCrunch, the service has already been quietly rolled out to some users, with some users notified of the upcoming changes via email, despite an official announcement yet to be made.

The announcement, which has since made its way to the Square Seller Community forum, says multi-package estimates, custom invoice templates, and custom invoice fields will all be part of Invoices Plus, after previously being tested in the free version. 

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Additional new features include the ability to automatically convert accepted estimates to invoices, and the option to build schedules based on milestones. 

Square Invoices will get a “trial” button next to these features, to communicate the changes with the users with more clarity.

The free version will still allow unlimited invoicing, estimates, and contracts. Users will also keep the invoice tracking, reminders, and reporting tools.

Further developments

There's still no information on how much the subscription to the new service will cost, with Square set to reveal more detail soon.

At the moment, Square takes 2.9% of every invoice paid online by check or debit card, plus a $0.30 flat fee. Furthermore, there is a 1% fee per ACH transaction.

By becoming a paid service, Square Invoices will join the broader Square family of subscription-based products, such as Square Online, Appointments, Square for Retail and Square for Restaurants.

The company hopes that by bringing Invoices into the paid subscription model, it will be able to better compete with other paid invoicing apps.

•  Here’s our rundown of the best money transfer apps out there 

Via: TechCrunch

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Smart lights not only let you brighten and dim your home lighting from your smartphone, they can also be used to create the perfect ambiance. By changing the tone of white or the color the bulb illuminates you can create everything from a warm cozy atmosphere to a more striking lighting effect great for parties. 

Now Philips Hue wants you to go one step further by allowing your smart lights to flash, dim, brighten, and change color to suit the beat, mood, genre, and tempo, through a partnership with Spotify. Until now, Hue lights have only been able to flash in time to the beat, and that was only with the help of third-party apps such as Huegasm. 

At the same time, Philips also announced an array of new smart bulbs, lamps, and ceiling pendants including offering a White Ambience version of its Filament range of bulbs so the tones can be changed from cool to warm. Something these stylish, retro-looking bulbs haven’t been able to do before. 

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More than just beat matching 

Smart lights are one of the more affordable smart home devices, and as you simply need to replace your existing bulbs with smart versions, they’re one of the easiest to install too. So it comes as no surprise that market research firm Statista estimates the smart lighting market will be worth $105.2bn by 2023 - up from ‘just’ $8.68 billion in 2018.

There’s no denying the ability to control lighting from your smartphone makes life easier but while I’m a fan of adjusting the tone of white a smart bulb glows throughout the day in sync with the natural light, I’ve always seen the millions of colors offered by bulbs as a bit of a gimmick. I prefer sleek, stylish and somewhat ‘grown-up’ home decor, so I’ve never been interested in illuminating my home in garish colors. 

However the new Philips Hue and Spotify integration may have just changed that for me, as being able to have my home lighting change color in time to the music playing would be the perfect fit for a party...and after being unable to see friends and family during the pandemic, I definitely plan on hosting a soiree or two. 

According to Philips, an algorithm analyses the metadata of each song in real-time to create a lighting script that suits the track, including the genre and mood created by the music. This is a step-up from a similar feature offered by LIFX smart bulbs. Known as Visualiser, the function can adjust the color and brightness of the bulb in time to the beat of the song but doesn’t take into account the genre or mood the music creates, unlike the new Philips Hue feature. 

We’re also impressed the feature doesn’t require Spotify Premium to be enabled, it will work with the free version too, providing a Hue Bridge - a hub that connects to the router in the home the lights are installed in - is being used with the lights. 

Philips Hue also offers some customization over the feature too - so you can choose the color palette if you’d prefer, and even set a limit on the brightness and intensity of the lights when they’re creating these effects in time to the music. 

In our eyes, this really takes syncing your lighting and music to the next level, and will certainly make more smart bulbs owners consider using the color-changing function. We look forward to seeing how LIFX and other rival smart bulb brands react to this game-changing feature. 

• Check out these great smart home device deals

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There are many reasons why computer video files get ‘lost’.

The user may have deleted these files accidentally and then emptied the Recycle Bin. Their internal hard drive or external storage media may have been corrupted by improper formatting, partition errors, a loss of power or a virus attack. Or perhaps the computer itself crashed - aka the fatal ‘Blue Screen of Death’ - corrupting the file and apparently dooming it to cyber oblivion.

In the past, such unfortunate users would have to hire expert file recovery experts to find these files, and pay dearly for the service. But today, thanks to Wondershare’s Recoverit software, they can search for and recover these files themselves, at a price that is well within anyone’s budget. 

What is Recoverit? 

(Image credit: Wondershare)

Available in both Mac and Windows versions, Wondershare’s Recoverit v10.0 is a software program that helps users in finding lost files of all kinds on their computers and external media, including USB keys and removable Solid State Drives (SSDs). 

The ‘try before you buy’ download will recover up to 100 MB of lost data for free. Wondershare also offers monthly payment plans with a range of capabilities, with the $79.95/month Advanced Plan supporting advanced video recovery and the repair of corrupted video files. 

This includes video files at the highest resolution and largest file sizes, such as HD, Ultra HD, 4K and 8K. The recovered and restored files are then stored on whatever computer and storage media that the user has specified.

However, the best part of Recoverit is not waiting for a third-party expert to fix a lost video problem, nor the hefty consulting fees that usually accompany this service. 

Using Recoverit, an average computer user can find and fix their missing video files right on their own premises, or indeed anywhere they happen to be in the world. And they can do so at low, predictable prices.

How Recoverit works 

(Image credit: Wondershare)

The Recoverit process begins by downloading this free software from the web. Once downloaded, the user simply installs Recoverit and begins the video file recovery process, by selecting from the easy-to-follow options provided on the Recoverit home screen. 

They include the locations to be searched for the missing files, plus three Advanced Recovery options: Recover from Crashed Computer (including creating a bootable disk to bring the computer back to life to enable file recovery), Video Repair, and Advanced Video Recovery.

For video professionals, Advanced Video Recovery is a must-have tool. Whenever a video file gets damaged and irretrievable for any reason, Advanced Video Recovery scans the relevant drives to find and copy the fragments of corrupted videos. 

It then uses this data to reconstruct the files as much as is technologically possible, often up to 100% restoration. 

(Image credit: Wondershare)

That’s not all: Advanced Video Recovery can find both deeply hidden and deleted videos, since no file is ever truly lost on a hard drive until its sectors have been overwritten with new data. By the way, this is why a user should immediately cease performing new operations on a computer that has lost video files, until the files have been found and recovered.

Of course, the opportunity for video files to go awry has increased with the number of shooting platforms in use today. In addition to standalone video cameras, people are shooting video using smartphones, digital and DLSR cameras, camera-equipped drones, GoPros, dashcams, and the list goes on and on. Fortunately, Recoverit can locate and restore video files on all of them.

The bottom line 

Anyone who works video files - from casual users to professional videographers, editors/content creators, and distributors - needs to have Recoverit loaded onto their computers at all times. 

Doing so ensures that they can begin the recovery process whenever something goes wrong. Because as anyone who has worked with video well knows, things do go wrong from time to time.

The best part? To reiterate an earlier point, Recoverit is free to download and try. For a quick video explanation of what Recoverit can do in all kinds of data situations, go here. You can also find Wondershare Recoverit on Facebook at @RecoveritDataRecovery.  

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Do you prefer aero or upright, pedal power or electric? Whether you are a club or competitive, cycle only in fair weather at the weekend, suit up for the commute on Monday morning, or spend your winters in a virtual world on your indoor trainer, we want to hear from you.

The world of cycling is changing faster than ever, and to help keep you abreast of all the developments, we want you to tell us your views.

We'd like to hear about your bike and the sort of kit you choose to make the most of your cycling, from bike components and accessories through to what you like to wear.

Cycling can be an all encompassing hobby for some, with a huge range of options from best bikes, kit, gadgets and training products to improve your fitness, reach targets and stay at the top of your game. 

In contrast, some people will use the same tried and trusted bike they've had for years. So let us know where you sit.

This cycling survey takes about 6-8 minutes to complete and to say thank you for your time, your entry will be placed into a prize draw for a chance to win an Amazon voucher worth $300 or £250*. 

Complete our cycling survey today

*T&Cs apply. Prize draw for US, UK and Europe only. The survey runs to 22 September 2021 and is open to readers in Australia and Canada as well, although those in these territories will not be eligible for the prize draw. 

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After announcing its in-house chipset Tensor for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro  smartphones, it seems Google will build larger size CPUs as well for its notebook and tablet computers.

Nikkei Asia, quoting three sources privy to the development, said Google has plans to unveil new chips by 2023 for laptops and tablets that run on its Chrome operating system. 

Google is apparently encouraged by the success of Apple with its custom-built M1 chips. Also, companies like Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Tesla, Baidu and Alibaba Group Holding are all working to build their own semiconductors to power their cloud services and electronic products.

Companies are veering towards the idea of developing their custom chips because it helps to pack their own features into those chips for their specific purposes. Basically, it helps in seamless software and hardware integration.

• Google's Tensor Processing Unit explained
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Chips based on ARM's blueprint

"The new CPUs and the mobile processors that Google is developing are based on the chip blueprints of Arm, the Softbank-controlled UK chip company whose intellectual property is used in more than 90% of the world's mobile devices," Nikkei Asia said in its report.

Smaller chips can put more computing punch in devices with restricted, or passive, cooling designs like tablets, thin-and-light laptops and mobile phones.

Actually, it is no secret that Google was at making its own CPU designs from the middle of the last decade. But most of the research was focused on chipsets for its flagship Pixel phones to possess real-time faster computational processing for video and photos and better AI intensive mobile tasks. The Pixel 6 series will also feature Google’s own mobile silicon that go by the insider-name Whitechapel.

The Nikkei Asia report quoting analysts said that it will cost around $500 million to design a new chip on TSMC’s 5 nanometre process, whereas something built on the traditional 28 nanometre process would only cost about $50 million. 

Google is also said to be hiring chip engineers around the world, including in Israel, India and Taiwan.

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Tesla is slowly but steadily moving towards its India debut. Four of the company’s cars have got a nod from the Indian Transport Ministry.

Since this certification is mandatory for any new vehicle -regardless of its origin, it confirms that all the four models offered by Tesla can be launched in India.

The identification of these variants is not known as of now. Also, this certification may not guarantee that the company will introduce all these cars in the country. It only ensures that the tested vehicles are roadworthy and meet all the regulations set by the relevant authorities.

BREAKING : Tesla has completed homologation & received approval for 4 of it's vehicle variants in India. While we don't have any confirmation on names yet, these are probably Model 3 & Y variants. Will post more once we have confirmation.#TeslaIndia🇮🇳 #TCIN #Tesla pic.twitter.com/ozE5LV1u8YAugust 30, 2021

See more

• Tesla Model 3 Long Range (2021) review: the Model 3 is better than ever
• Tesla’s new affordable car being made in China - will India accept it?

The leading electric car maker is eyeing an India launch for some time and is setting up operations in the country. It had recently hired top-level executives and even had been scouting for showroom cum experience centres in three Indian cities - New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

In all probability, these four cars that have got regulatory approvals are variants of Tesla 3 and Y cars as these cars were recently spied testing camouflaged. The Model 3 comes in three variants: Standard Range Plus, Long Range, and Performance and it is expected that the Standard and the Long Range variants may get introduced in the country initially.

That said, the Tesla India launch may still have some hurdles that need to be cleared. While the Indian government is ready to offer extra subsidies to Tesla, Elon Musk recently tweeted his concerns about the high import duties. The company is said to be initially looking to import fully built units hence attracting extra charges which in turn will be passed on to the end consumers.

Analysis – Why is Tesla's India launch important for Indian consumers? 

Though the awareness of electric vehicles in India is increasing and we have brands like Ola - which has built a massive factory for electric vehicles and other startups that are making slow and steady progress. When it comes to electric cars, we have a handful of brands with battery-powered cars in the market.

Apart from Tata’s EVs most of the cars available in the Indian market are priced premium and even the cars from Tesla are expected to be priced in the north of Rs. 50 lakhs.  However, the introduction of Tesla in the country could give a booster shot to India’s EV dreams.

Not only will it help international brands consider India as a serious market for electric vehicles but Tesla setting up its manufacturing facility in India will help set up the supply chain and research facilities in the country. This will aid other manufacturers and will surely bring the costs of electric vehicles down in the long run.

Additionally, the arrival of Tesla will also mean that the charging infrastructure will improve since, unlike other carmakers, Tesla does not have any ICE-powered vehicles. This lack of charging infrastructure is probably the biggest reason why consumers are still hesitant in buying electric cars currently.

• Strom R3 is India's cheapest electric car - would it work though?

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The OnePlus Buds Pro are the company’s latest and the most premium pair of true wireless earbuds. The OnePlus Buds Pro offer active noise cancellation, an excellent audio experience, and good battery life 一 all for a price tag of Rs 9,990. 

Now, the company is reportedly working on a new pair of affordable true wireless earbuds which is said to have an active noise cancellation feature and also carry an aggressive price tag. According to tipster Max Jambor, OnePlus is working on a lower-priced pair of earbuds which is also said to come with ANC feature. 

• Best true wireless earbuds (TWS) in India for 2021
• Best true wireless earbuds (TWS) under Rs 10,000

1+ is working on a new - lower priced - pair of headphones with ANC. Some sort of Lite edition of the Buds ProI really like the Buds Pro so I am curious what those cheaper ones have to offerAugust 30, 2021

See more

He also further says, the upcoming buds will be some sort of Lite edition of the Buds Pro. OnePlus entered the TWS market with the OnePlus Buds last year which were priced at Rs 4,999, later the company launched the OnePlus Buds Z for Rs 2,999 and this year, along with the Nord 2, the company revealed the OnePlus Buds Pro for Rs 9,990. 

The OnePlus Buds Pro offers premium features like active noise cancellation, wireless charging, IP55 rating, fast charging, etc. With the new and upcoming cheaper model of the OnePlus Buds Pro, we could see OnePlus omitting a couple of these features to keep the price down. Since the tipster has confirmed the presence of ANC, that will remain as one of the prominent features of the new buds.

OnePlus Buds Z (Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

OnePlus has captured the second spot in TWS market

According to a report by Counterpoint Research, OnePlus is India’s second-largest TWS brand with a 12% market share with just two products 一 OnePlus Buds and Buds Z. This might also be one of the reasons for OnePlus to consider launching a cheaper version of the OnePlus Buds Pro. While we still do not have a timeline of more details on the newer buds, it could be the successor of the OnePlus Buds Z from 2020. 

• OnePlus Buds Z review
• OnePlus Buds Pro review
• OnePlus Buds vs OnePlus Buds Pro: is it worth buying the high-end earbuds?

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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) latest broadband report has found the NBN is finally living up to its promises, with data collected in May 2021 showing fixed-line users experienced record high speeds.

On average, NBN users monitored for the report reached 98.4% of their plan’s rated speed during all hours, which fell slightly to 97.6% during the evening hours (between 7pm and 11pm when the network is at its busiest).

It’s a decent increase from the ACCC’s previous findings, which reported figures of NBN users attaining 96.5% of their plan’s top speed during all hours and 95.7% during the busy hours.

As the report points out, internet providers have mostly achieved this due to NBN Co overprovisioning the network.

• NBN plans: compare providers and best deals at every speed

FTTN NBN is the worst NBN

As has been well-documented in consecutive reports by the ACCC, not all NBN connection types are created equal.

Despite the number of underperforming services decreasing among the NBN users monitored, fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) services overwhelmingly remain the problem, and are still not performing as well as other connection types.

As shown in the table below, the ACCC found that FTTN households on an NBN 50 or NBN 100 plan received lower speeds than the maximum plan speeds achievable at any given time.

(Image credit: ACCC)

The figures are particularly dismal if you’ve got a FTTN 100Mbps plan, as it’s the worst for delivering on its speed promise, and has an average download speed about 17Mbps lower than other connection types on the tier. 

The report found these monitored users reached 84.7% of their plan’s rated speed on average while other technologies were able to surpass 100% due to their overprovisioning.

Unfortunately, the only real solution for Aussie’s on underperforming FTTN NBN 100 plans is to move to a slower (and cheaper) plan.

• Cheap NBN plans: compare the best internet deals in Australia

Dodo and iPrimus show speed improvement

Along with recording record high speeds on the network during May 2021, the ACCC also found certain internet providers showed significant improvement in delivering promised speeds.

Dodo and iPrimus, which both form part of the Vocus Group, increased their performance during all hours and busy hours, up by 5.4 percentage points in comparison to the previous report, which was the biggest jump in performance among the telcos monitored.

These improvements come after Dodo and iPrimus were ordered to pay AU$2.5 million in penalties by the Federal Court for making misleading claims about the typical evening speeds on their plans.

Other improvements came from Vodafone and MyRepublic, who both recorded an increase in their speeds during the peak evening period. Vodafone jumped by 4.3 percentage points in comparison to the previous report, while MyRepublic improved by 3.7 percentage points.

Overall, the ISPs monitored reached between 92.2% and 100.5% of plan speed across all major NBN plans during busy hours, with Dodo and iPrimus recording 92.2% and Exetel topping 100.5% – the figure above 100% is due to overprovisioning.

That means the gap between ISPs is getting smaller, as the numbers account for a range of 8.3% between internet providers, compared with a range of 12.3% recorded in the previous report.

“The performance gap between retail service providers’ download speed metrics has narrowed significantly in recent reports,” says the ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey, “however individual consumer experiences by retailer still vary”.

And that varied experience, as we know, is largely due to your fortune, or misfortune, in connection type.

• Fastest NBN plans: compare 100Mbps internet and above

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UK startup Oviva, which sells a digital support offering, including for Type 2 diabetes treatment, dispensing personalized diet and lifestyle advice via apps to allow more people to be able to access support, has closed $80 million in Series C funding — bringing its total raised to date to $115M.

The raise, which Oviva says will be used to scale up after a “fantastic year” of growth for the health tech business, is co-led by Sofina and Temasek, alongside existing investors AlbionVC, Earlybird, Eight Roads Ventures, F-Prime Capital, MTIP, plus several angels.

Underpinning that growth is the fact wealthy Western nations continue to see rising rates of obesity and other health conditions like Type 2 diabetes (which can be linked to poor diet and lack of exercise). While more attention is generally being paid to the notion of preventative — rather than reactive — healthcare, to manage the rising costs of service delivery.

Lifestyle management to help control weight and linked health conditions (like diabetes) is where Oviva comes in: It’s built a blended support offering that combines personalized care (provided by healthcare professionals) with digital tools for patients that help them do things like track what they’re eating, access support and chart their progress towards individual health goals.

It can point to 23 peer-reviewed publications to back up its approach — saying key results show an average of 6.8% weight loss at 6 months for those living with obesity; while, in its specialist programs, it says 53% of patients achieve remission of their type 2 diabetes at 12 months.

Oviva typically sells its digitally delivered support programs direct to health insurance companies (or publicly funded health services) — who then provide (or refer) the service to their customers/patients. Its programs are currently available in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and France — but expanding access is one of the goals for the Series C.

“We will expand to European markets where the health system reimburses the diet and lifestyle change we offer, especially those with specific pathways for digital reimbursement,” Oviva tells TechCrunch. “Encouragingly, more healthcare systems have been opening up specific routes for such digital reimbursement, e.g., Germany for DiGAs or Belgium just in the last months.”

So far, the startup has treated 200,000 people but the addressable market is clearly huge — not least as European populations age — with Oviva suggesting more than 300 million people live with “health challenges” that are either triggered by poor diet or can be optimised through personalised dietary changes. Moreover, it suggests, only “a small fraction” is currently being offered digital care.

To date, Oviva has built up 5,000+ partnerships with health systems, insurers and doctors as it looks to push for further scale by making its technology more accessible to a wider range of people. In the past year it says it’s “more than doubled” both people treated and revenue earned.

Its goal is for the Series C funding is to reach “millions” of people across Europe who need support because they’re suffering from poor health linked to diet and lifestyle.

As part of the scale up plan it will also be growing its team to 800 by the end of 2022, it adds.

On digital vs face-to-face care — setting aside the potential cost savings associated with digital delivery — it says studies show the “most striking outcome benefits” are around uptake and completion rates, noting: “We have consistently shown uptake rates above 70% and high completion rates of around 80%, even in groups considered harder to reach such as working age populations or minority ethnic groups. This compares to uptake and completion rates of less than 50% for most face-to-face services.”

Asked about competition, Oviva names Liva Healthcare and Second Nature as its closest competitors in the region.

“WW (formally Weight Watchers) also competes with a digital solution in some markets where they can access reimbursement,” it adds. “There are many others that try to access this group with new methods, but are not reimbursed or are wellness solutions. Noom competes as a solution for self-paying consumers in Europe, as many other apps. But, in our view, that is a separate market from the reimbursed medical one.”

Noom competitor OurPath rebrands as Second Nature, raises $10M Series A

As well as using the Series C funding to bolster its presence in existing markets and target and scale into new ones, Oviva says it may look to further grow the business via M&A opportunities.

“In expanding to new countries, we are open to both building new organisations from the ground up or acquiring existing businesses with a strong medical network where we see that our technology can be leveraged for better patient care and value creation,” it told us on that.

Oviva scores $21M Series B to bring its digital diabetes treatment to more of Europe

Personalized nutrition startup Zoe closes out Series B at $53M total raise

 

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