Microsoft has released a new feature in the Skype Desktop app called active noise cancellation. This new feature will enhance the experience of Skype voice and video calls by optimally reducing the background noise.
According to Skype, “We are pleased to announce the release of our latest background noise suppression feature in the Skype desktop app. Originally developed for Microsoft Teams, this new feature is designed to silence just about everything except for your voice when you’re meeting on Skype.”
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How does this feature work?
Skype revealed that this technology of active noise cancellation works on Machine Learning. When the user speaks in a voice or video call, the voice signals are sent through the microphone. The audio feed is analysed and feed to deep neural networks that cancel the noise without compromising the voice quality.
According to Skype, “This technology relies on machine learning (ML) to learn the difference between clean speech and noise and is frequently referred to as artificial intelligence (AI). A representative dataset is used to train the ML model to work in most of the situations our Skype users experience. There needs to be enough diversity in the dataset in terms of clean speech, noise types, and the environments from which our users are joining online calls”.
This technology relies on machine learning (ML) to learn the difference between clean speech and noise and is frequently referred to as artificial intelligence (AI).
How to enable the active noise cancellation video calls?
To activate the active noise cancellation feature in Skype video calls, follow these steps.
1) Launch the Skype Desktop app.
2) Click on the three vertical dots located on the top-left part of the screen next to the profile picture.
Click on the three vertical dots located on the top-left part of the screen next to the profile picture.
3) Click the ‘Settings’ option to open the ‘Settings tab.
4) In the ‘Settings’ tab, click the ‘Audio & Video’ option from the side menu.
5) Scroll down to the ‘Audio’ section.
6) Click the down arrow located next to the ‘Noise cancellation.
Click the down arrow located next to the ‘Noise cancellation.
7) Choose the desired option among the following: ‘Off’, ‘Auto’, ‘Low’, ‘High’. If you are not sure which option to choose, click the ‘Auto’ option. This is the default option that optimally cancels the background noise.
8) Exit the ‘Settings’ Tab. Your updated preferences will automatically be set.
Which platforms support this new feature of Skype?
Microsoft has released the active noise cancellation feature of Skype Desktop for Windows and Mac devices. However, you can’t find this feature on Skype Mobile and Skype for Web.
The Clubhouse, an invitation-only audio-chat iPhone app, recently announced its new accelerator programme in which it will offer support to the selected 20 creators with resources. According to Paul Davidson, the Clubhouse co-founder, the selected creators will be offered assistance and resources to help them connect with sponsors.
According to Clubhouse, “We are launching our first creator accelerator program, Clubhouse Creator First. We are looking to support and equip 20 creators with resources they need to bring their ideas and creativity to life”.
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What will the creators get in the accelerator programme?
The selected creators will receive a monthly salary of around $5,000. They will have the choice to pick up to three gears among booking guests, mentorship, recording features, and analytics. The programme will also allow the creators to share links to their profiles. To expand the reach, the Clubhouse has decided to allow users to join rooms of their chosen language. Moreover, they can send invitations using their phone numbers.
According to Clubhouse, “Clubhouse Creator First is an accelerator program designed to help aspiring creators on Clubhouse host amazing conversations, build their audience, and monetize.”
The Clubhouse has added a new feature for nominating users from clubs. Now, the invitees will have a nomination bade sowing the name of the club. Moreover, new provisions have been made to discover abuse in the programme.
What will the creators get in the accelerator programme?
What is the significance of the programme?
Till now, Twitter has been the most effective medium for broadcasters to connect with their viewers. The accelerator programme is seen as an opportunity for the Clubhouse to encourage creators to use the app. Also considering Facebook’s importance in information sharing, the new programme will bind the users to the app.
According to analyst Vajresh Balaji, “Clubhouse only has a little over 10 million users. To put that into perspective: Facebook has 2.9 billion users, TikTok has 2 billion users, and Twitter has almost 200 million users”.
What is the limitation of the program?
Despite being a significant step to support the creators, the accelerator programme has a few limitations. The programme works on the invite-only concept i.e. it’s based on audio chats and not available freely to creators all around the world. Moreover, the programme is available only on iOS. As a result, the users who primarily work on other operating systems will not be counted in the first place.
The Clubhouse shall be selecting 20 creators for the accelerator programme via applications till March 31, 2021.
Microsoft’s Surface Duo set multiple new dimensions for the company. The device helped the company to establish its new identity in the field of smartphones with Android experience. The smartphone, being a dual-screen gadget, gave competition to the most advanced smartphones. Now, Microsoft is preparing to release an improved edition of the smartphone, named ‘Surface Duo 2’.
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What can we expect from the Surface Duo 2?
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is expected to come with more powerful features as compared to its predecessor. It will sport a faster processor, better camera quality and 5G support. The Surface Duo was quite appreciated for its design and display but had a lot of issues with the software. This time, the company has emphasised eradicating the software issues including the camera app.
Surface Duo comes with an 11MP camera that didn’t produce outstanding results. We expect the Surface Duo 2 to get an improved camera quality. Microsoft has even posted several job listings to grow a team of engineers to work on the Surface Duo 2. The Duo has one battery installed in each panel but could only provide the power of 3,577mAh. We can expect an improved battery in the upcoming smartphone. The Surface Duo offers a Dual 5.6-inch OLED screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, and 6GB RAM. The Surface Duo 2 might sport a more powerful processor to support a double screen. However, like its predecessor, the Surface Duo 2 might come in 128GB and 256GB variants.
What can we expect from the Surface Duo 2?
When will Microsoft release the Surface Duo 2 and how much will it cost?
Surface Duo 2 has been reported to be under development and is expected to arrive by the end of the year 2021. Comparing with its predecessors and enhanced features, we can expect the 128GB model of Surface Duo 2 to cost around $1,400. Likewise, the 256GB model might be available at a price of $1,500.
What else is Microsoft working on?
The company endeavours to bring to the customers “the best of Microsoft to the Android ecosystem”. The “Obscured Regions” API shows that Microsoft is working in the field of Android.
What else is Microsoft working on? (Image Credit: Microsoft)
According to Microsoft, “The API will allow the developer to re-flow the experience into the visible regions. For example, a Launcher might animate its bottom drawer to the un-obscured are to allow the user to launch another application”.
The company is also aiming to release Surface Laptop 4 at the beginning of the second quarter. Surface Pro 8 is also expected to arrive in the market in the last quarter.
MyHeritage is an application that allows you to colourise black and white pictures in one click. The app is available for Android as well as iOS devices. You get a simple way to colourise old photographs of your family tree and save them to the MyHeritage server where they will stay preserved.
Who would like to colourise a black and white photograph and why?
A coloured photograph is truer to life as compared to a black and white one. A colour picture helps us more effectively relate to the past events. Thus, anyone interested in giving a modern touch to a black and white picture and wishes to permanently save them on the MyHeritage servers can use the app.
To colourise a black and white photograph using the MyHeritage app, follow these steps.
Step 1: Select the black and white photo that you want to colour
The Photos section allows you to select pictures from the smartphone’s storage. The selected black and white photos will be sent to the ‘Album’ of the application.
Step 1: Select the black and white photo that you want to colour
Step 2: Colouring the black and white photograph
As soon as you select the desired black and white photograph, it will be sent to the canvas to edit. Here you can see features to enhance your photograph. Click the colourful circular icon located at the top of the screen. This will appropriately colourise the black and white picture with a balanced hue and saturation.
Step 2: Colouring the black and white photograph
Step 3: Compare with the previous version
The app comes with a slider bar that you can drag horizontally to compare the colourised picture with the old one. This will help you get an idea of the hue and saturation aspects.
Step 3: Compare with the previous version
Step 4: More options
You get features to tag the photo and save the coloured and the black and white pictures to the library. It should be noted that if you decide to delete the black and white version, the coloured photograph is also erased.
How much colourising the black and white pictures using the MyHeritage app costs?
You can colourise as many black and white pictures as you want free of cost. However, the colourised photographs will have a watermark of the MyHeritage logo located on the bottom right. To get rid of the watermark, you will need to upgrade your account. There are four kinds of plans, namely, ‘Premium’ ($79/year), ‘PremiumPlus'($129/year), ‘Data'($129/year), and ‘Complete'($189/year). With the ‘Complete’ subscription, you can colourise an unlimited number of photos without any watermark.
Memes are an interesting element of social media. They are full of humour as well as sarcasm. Nowadays, there are several pages and accounts on social media posting funny memes on the internet, WhatsApp et al. If you have a comical bent of mind, you can easily create wonderful memes without requiring much stuff. Here are the top 10 applications that you can use to create funny memes in just a few steps.
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1) Meme Generator by ZomboDroid
Meme Generator is one of the most widely used apps to create memes. You can easily generate funny memes and share them on social media. The app provides more than 1,000 memes along with unique captions to mix and match to pour out your creativity. The interesting thing about this application is that you can manipulate hair in the pictures to create funny memes of your friends.
Pictophile is an easy-to-use meme-generator available for Android and iOS operating systems. The app offers unlimited ways to create funny memes free of cost. The unique feature of this application is that you can create GIFs of your memes to share on social media. The app allows you to edit videos to create GIF memes free of cost. You get a huge library of more than 1,000 memes captioners to use in your memes.
Meme Creator is a widely used app to create memes on your smartphone free of cost. You get a plethora of unique backgrounds that are renewed regularly. You can choose the desired background based on popularity, new, or most searched. The app offers more than 20 stylish fonts to enhance the effectiveness of your memes. Favourite memes created by you can be kept separately in a list format.
Easy Meme maker, as the name suggests, is a free and easy-to-use application available for Android and iOS devices to generate memes. You can generate hilarious memes of your friends’ photographs and selfies. The app provides a list of popular images as templates for you to import into your memes. This increases the chances of your memes getting viral on social media.
Memedroid is an awesome application to create funny memes and share them with your friends and family. You can explore the huge library containing pictures from categories including sport, politics, and celebrity. Memedroid is completely integrated with popular social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Thus. you can create interesting memes and instantly share them on social platforms.
GIPHY is one of the most preferred applications for creating GIF memes on Android and iOS devices. In a few steps, you can create wonderful memes with unique stickers and filters. GIPHY has one of the largest libraries of funny templates of animated GIFs. There are several categories to choose from including TV, movies, music and comedy. You get a feature to instantly share your created memes on a variety of social media platforms.
Mematic is a popular application for creating amazing memes on Android and iOS devices. The app offers a feature to include funny captions to your memes free of cost. You get a simplified user interface where you can easily import images from the storage to create innovative memes. The unique feature of this meme-generator app is that you can prank your friends by creating fake quotes and headlines.
Meme maker is a widely used free application to create funny memes on your smartphone. You can choose from a plethora of popular images or import them from your phone’s storage. The app offers features to include cations in your memes. You can modify the font, font size, and font style in a few clicks. Besides, the app provides an option to add a watermark to your memes with text and images.
Simple Meme Generator is an application to generate comical memes based on ordinary life. You can create innovate memes in a few simple steps and share them with your friends and family. The app comes with options to include the text of varies font style, size and colour. You can simply import images from the phone’s gallery and manipulate them to create hilarious memes.
Thug life photo maker is one of the most popular applications on Android and iOS to generate high-quality memes. The app offers several stickers to overlay on your images to create funny images. The categories include sunglasses, necklace, hats, and thug life. You can modify the angle and size of the stickers to fit the faces and images of all kinds.
GIPHY is one of the most widely used application to create GIFs. When you launch the app, you’re automatically directed to the GIPHY’s gallery to browse different varieties of GIFs. However, in this article, we will discuss how you can create a GIF from the captured screen or shot videos.
The Graphics Interchange Format, commonly known as GIF, is one of the most used media formats across different platforms and purposes. Static images and videos have their limitations. While creating presentations, using multiple images at different places is inconvenient. Videos are too bulky to import into a project. On the other hand, a GIF condenses a few frames in one place. Nowadays, GIFs are extensively used on social media to create memes. They don’t utilise much storage and can be easily shared. Thus, if you are a digital creator or a presentation maker, you would need to learn the art of creating GIFs.
To make a GIF using the GIPHY application, follow these steps.
Step 1: Getting the video
Tap the ‘Create’ button, located in the top-right corner of the screen. You could also tap the ‘Profile‘ tab situated in the bottom-right.
You can either select a video from the Gallery or capture a new video.
Permit the app to access your camera or Gallery.
Getting the video
Step 2: Once you shot the video or captured the smartphone screen, you can go ahead with creating a GIF.
Capturing the video
Text: Type the desired text or caption that you want to add to your GIF. You can choose from the nine available colours.
Effects: There are eight unique effects available including rainbow overlay, weird crystal effect, and black-and-white film grain.
Stickers: You can add cool stickers to your GIF. The app offers several animated stickers to choose from.
Trim: You can select or reject the parts of the video as per your wish. Use the markers to delete the portions that you don’t wish to add to your GIF.
Adding effects
Step 3: You can modify the resolution and the aspect ratio by cropping the GIF. Once you tap the Crop tool in the top-right corner, you’ll the default aspect ratios to choose from like 1:1, 3:2, 16:9, 4:5, and 9:16.
Step 4: Once you choose the desired aspect ratio, tap the ‘Right Arrow’ button.
Ready to export
Step 5: Now you can save your GIF by tapping the ‘Save GIF’ option.
The GIFs made using the GIPHY application are compatible with all the social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also share the files from within the app.
OnePlus recently made announcements regarding the launch of the OnePlus 9 series on March 23. The OnePlus Global launch event will begin at 8:30 PM IST on March 23, 2021. The event will be streamed live on the social media channels and the official YouTube page of OnePlus. Here is what do we know so far and what is churning in the rumour mill.
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Which smartphones are expected to launch on March 23?
We may expect three smartphones to be released, namely, the OnePlus 9, the OnePlus 9 Pro, and the OnePlus 9E/9R. The OnePlus 9 Pro is said to be superior among them. The OnePlus 9E will be the most budget-friendly smartphone with mid-tier features. Besides the premium OnePlus 9 series, the company is expected to release its most-awaited smartwatch called the ‘OnePlus Watch’. The device is reported to come with a circular dial and features like a heart-rate sensor, activity tracker, and sleep, tracker. It might be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100 processor and run the Wear OS along with the OnePlus’s OxygenOS.
Which smartphones are expected to launch on March 23? (Image Credit: OnePlus)
What features can we expect in the OnePlus 9 series?
The upcoming OnePlus smartphones will come packed with enhanced cameras as compared to the OnePlus 8 series. The OnePlus 9 will have a triple camera setup at the rear while the OnePlus 9 Pro will offer four cameras at the back powered by Hasselblad.
According to OnePlus, “The two companies have already been cooperating on the revamped camera system – Hasselblad Camera for Mobile – for the new OnePlus 9 Series, set to launch globally on March 23”.
OnePlus asserted that the OnePlus 9 series will come with a Sony IMX789 sensor that would be the most advanced sensor ever installed on an OnePlus smartphone. The 12-bit RAW would enable the device to capture vibrant colours. The OnePlus 9 series will take 4K videos at 120FPS and 8K videos at 30FPS video.
According to OnePlus, “Now, through close R&D collaboration, OnePlus and Hasselblad will work together to deliver vastly improved camera systems on future OnePlus smartphones, including the upcoming OnePlus 9 Series,”.
OnePlus and Hasselblad will work together. (Image Credit: OnePlus)
The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro smartphones are expected to run the powerful Snapdragon 888 processor and outstanding Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. You will get 12GB RAM, 156GB of storage, and 5G connectivity.
The OnePlus 9E/9R will run the Snapdragon 690 chipset and will sport a triple rear camera setup. The display will offer a 90Hz refresh rate that would be powered by a 5,000mAh battery.
What are the expected prices of the upcoming smartphones?
The OnePlus 9 series will be composed of the most premium smartphones from the OnePlus. Considering the features and the price range of their predecessor, we can expect the OnePlus 9 series to arrive in the Indian market at a price slightly above Rs 50,000.
The news about the launch of Poco X3 Pro was floated many times in the recent past. The new smartphone is finally expected to launch on March 30, 2021. The release of the teasers from the company further consolidates the news regarding the release. The device is reported to touch the mid-level price range. Let’s find out what we expect from this smartphone.
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What features can we expect in the Poco X3 Pro?
The Poco X3 Pro is expected to come with an FHD+ 120Hz display as we can find in its predecessor, the Poco X3. The smartphone may run a powerful Snapdragon 860 processor. It may have a 5,200mAh battery with the support of a 33W charger. You may get two storage configurations i.e. 6GB RAM + 128GB and 8GB RAM + 256GB. The device is reported to arrive in three colours, namely, Black, Blue, and Bronze. The connectivity features are still awaited. However, we can expect the smartphone to offer 5G connectivity.
Poco X3 Pro announcement (Image Credit: Poco)
How much will the Poco X3 Pro cost?
The company mentioned that the year 2021 as not yet witnessed a smartphone at the price and equivalent level of the Poco F1 i.e. Rs 21,000. We can expect the Poco X3 Pro to arrive in the Indian markets at around Rs 21,000.
According to the company, “It’s crazy that we are in 2021 and not a single phone launched at the price of the F1 that has been able to match or beat its performance”.
In the international markets, the 6GB RAM smartphone may be available at around 250 euros while the price of the 8GB RAM smartphone may hit around 300 euros.
Can the Poco X3 Pro stand out?
Owing to its features, the new Poco X3 Pro is expected to be an enhancement to the Poco F1. The Poco F1 includes features such as the Snapdragon 845 chipset and 4000 mAh battery supported by the Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+.
According to the company, “only a Poco can beat a Poco.”
Considering a mid-range price, the new Poco X3 Pro can turn out to be the first choice of Poco users as it has a more pore powerful processor and battery. The 120Hz display will surely offer tough competition to other brands. However, connectivity will be the deciding factor. We still expect it to be a 5G smartphone.
Image of the available Poco X3. Can the Poco X3 Pro stand out?
Micromax is set to launch a new smartphone called Micromax In 1 on March 19. Micromax is an Indian brand that made a comeback in 2020 with the launch of In Note 1 and In 1b smartphones. The new In 1 is expected to re-establish the company’s position in the Indian market.
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What can we expect in Micromax In 1?
According to reports, the upcoming Micromax phone will come with a MediaTek Helio G95 processor. This chipset is an enhancement to the Helio G90 chipset that is installed in some of the available smartphones. Micromax co-founder, Rahul Sharma gave a glimpse of the company working on a 5G smartphone. On this basis, the new Micromax In 1 is expected to be a 5G device. However, future updates from the company will throw some more light on connectivity. As far as performance is concerned, this smartphone can emerge as a budget gaming smartphone, too.
The new Micromax In 1 may consist of a triple camera setup and a 5,000 mAh battery like the one that came in In Note 1 and In 1b smartphones. The display size may lie between 6.5 and 6.7-inches. We can also expect a 4GB RAM like you get in In Note 1.
Micromax In 1b and In Note 1 (Image Credit: Micromax)
How much will the Micromax In 1 cost?
Micromax has its unique image of offering fully-featured smartphones at affordable prices. The Micromax In Note 1 and 1B were both budget-friendly 4G smartphones falling in the price range of Rs 8,000 to Rs 11,000. But we think the sweet spot for the above configuration will be under Rs 10,000.
How will Micromax In 1 help the company regain its market?
According to Rahul Sharma, the co-founder of Micromax, the company is looking forward to widening its portfolio. As a result, we can expect multiple Micromax smartphones to be launched this year including 5G devices. The new Micromax In 1 may open the dimension for the company to venture out into premium smartphones as well. At the same time, Micromax is aiming to launch other categories of gadgets including Smart TVs and ACs.
What’s the significance of Micromax In 1 for the Indian Market?
The launching of the new Micromax In 1 is seen as a significant step towards the motive of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. According to Micromax, the manufacturing unit doesn’t outsource the assembly of smartphones. Instead, the factories owned by the company are utilised throughout the process. According to Rahul Sharma, the co-founder of Micromax, 60%-70% of the components of the Micromax smartphones are procured locally. The company is targeting to source the remaining 30%-40% parts as well from the local markets.
Amazon.in announced the ‘Amazon Apple Days’ where you can avail of exciting deals and discounts on various Apple products including the iPhone 12 series, iPad Mini, and MacBook. The company revealed in a statement that the offers will be live until March 17, 2021. Moreover, customers with HDFC bank credit cards can avail of an instant discount of ₹6,000.
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1) iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 12 Mini is known for being the lightest 5G smartphone with an outstanding edge-to-edge display. The iPhone 12 Mini has an M.R.P. of ₹69,900. But during Amazon Apple Days, you can get it for ₹67,100 with a discount of Rs 2,800. Moreover, if you have an HDFC bank credit card, you can avail of an additional discount of Rs 6,000.
The iPhone 11 Pro is the predecessor of the latest iPhone series ie. iPhone 12 and comes with a triple camera setup. The smartphone has an M.R.P. of ₹ 1,06,600. During the Amazon Apple Days, it is available at a deal price of ₹ 81,900 with a discount of ₹ 24,700. The 256GB variant of the smartphone is available at a deal price of ₹ 85,900.
The Amazon Apple Days have brought an overwhelming deal on Macbook Pro. If you use an HDFC Debit or Credit Card, you can avail of an instant discount of ₹ 6,000 on the Apple MacBook Pro.
iPad is another product from Apple that catches everyone’s eye due to its performance and stunning looks. Amazon Apple Days also offers attractive discounts of up to ₹9,000 on iPads. If you have an HDFC bank credit or debit card, you can get an additional discount of ₹ 3,000.
When you browse through websites, your activity is not immune to monitoring. Your login history and cookies associated with the websites provide enough information about your online activity. However, today, almost all the web-browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla provide methods to privately surf through the internet. Google’s web browser Chrome provides the incognito mode for visiting websites without being monitored or tracked.
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Who needs to enable Google Chrome extensions in an incognito window and why?
Although the incognito mode saves your online activity to a certain extent from being tracked, it automatically takes away the extensions of the default window. Chromes does this to eliminate all chances of tracking by the extensions. However, you can enable Google Chrome extensions in your incognito window.
How to activate extensions in incognito mode?
To activate one or more extensions in incognito mode, follow these steps.
1) Clicking on the three vertical dots on the top-right.
2) Go to the ‘Settings’
3) On the side menu, click on ‘Extensions’
You could also quickly navigate to the Extensions tab through the ‘Extensions’ icon located on the top bar right next to your profile photo. When you click the ‘Extensions’ icon, you’ll find all your installed extensions. Click the ‘Manage Extensions’ option listed below the extensions.
4) Choose the extension that you want to enable in incognito mode and click on ‘Details’
5) In the pop-up box, locate the ‘Allow in incognito’ section.
6) Turn the toggle on.
You may enable as many installed extensions in incognito mode as you like. As soon as you exit the ‘Extensions’ tab, the settings will take effect. The above steps won’t change any permissions for the extensions in the default (non-private) window.
Before you enable one or more extensions in incognito mode, you must note that they may track your browsing history or other sensitive information and yield it to a third party. Thus, ensure the extension you’re permitting is trusted and has a fair record.
Acer has released a new gaming laptop named Nitro 5 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card and a 10th Gen Intel Core processor. The laptop has been priced at Rs 89,999 and is expected to give tough competition to the gaming series of other brands including Asus Rog, HP Omen, and MSI.
According to Sudhir Goel, Chief Business Officer, Acer India, “With the new Nitro 5 gaming laptop using the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, we are entering a new era of high-performance gaming. Our Nitro 5 gaming laptop range has been a huge success in the Indian market and provides the perfect stepping stone to competitive e-sports. The close collaboration between Acer and NVIDIA has resulted in a laptop which has the performance, design, cooling and portability which is unmatched at this price point and we are excited to bring this to the Indian market”.
Here are some features of the Acer Nitro 5 that make it stand out among gaming laptops.
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144Hz display
Fast-paced gaming requires a responsive display. If the display fails to render what the GPU is delivering, visual issues like ghosting and latency occur. To check these issues and enhance the gamers’ responses, the Acer Nitro 5 comes with an ultra-fast display. You get a full-HD (1080p) IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. This laptop will surely give you an edge over others during an online gaming match.
The Acer Nitro 5 will surely give you an edge over others during an online gaming match (Image Credit: Acer)
RTX 3060 GPU
Ray-tracing is a revolutionary technology in the field of gaming visuals. It is also the most GPU demanding process. The Acer Nitro 5 comes with a GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card built on the Ampere-NVIDIA’s 2nd generation RTX architecture. Now you will get outstanding visuals with enhanced Ray Tracing Cores and Tensor Cores.
Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 6 is another revolutionary technology that will change the way we play multiplayer games. With minimal communication latency, WI-Fi 6 will begin a new era of multiplayer gaming in which an unimaginable number of players can join a deathmatch simultaneously. The Acer Nitro 5 is the futuristic gaming laptop that comes with WI-Fi 6.
256GB Solid State Drive
With the advancement of video games, hard drives are falling short in providing less loading time. Owing to their mechanical origin, their moving parts are not fast enough to load a heavy game. The Acer Nitro 5 offers 256GB SSD to fetch and feed a huge amount of data from the secondary storage to the RAM.
The Acer Nitro 5 offers 256GB SSD (Image Credit: Acer)
Price
Setting up a gaming console is not at all cheap when solely an RTX graphics card costs more than a workgroup laptop. At Rs 89,999, the Acer Nitro 5 is offering you what a high-end gaming PC would offer at twice the cost. Moreover, the RGB lit keyboard with 4-zone implementation and a dedicated NitroSense key make this laptop the most-awaited gaming laptop.
According to Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director, NVIDIA South Asia, “This next-gen laptop will increase energy efficiency by up to 2x, accelerate performance dramatically, and introduce third-generation Max-Q technologies for thin and lightweight designs. Along with this, the new series laptop promises to deliver stunning ray-traced gaming experiences in top game titles”.
Bonus reasons why you must own this gaming laptop
The Acer Nitro 5 comes with CoolBoost technology that employs dual fans for full-throttle performance.
The machine uses DTS: X Ultra to render a 3D spatial soundscape for immersive gameplay.
The COVID-19 pandemic led organisations and companies all over the world to allow their employees to work from their homes. However, working from home has its bottlenecks. It’s always a challenge to achieve the same level of productivity while working from home as one would get in an office environment. Besides, several factors, ergonomics play a key role in your body-stress level and hence performance. Here are some tips that will significantly enhance your work-from-home ergonomics.
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Correct Posture
Your posture is a key determinant of the amount of stress your body will bear during extended hours. You must sit up straight without forcing too much so that your spine is just straight. When you slouch forward on your dashboard, the risk of developing back issues may increase. Keep your forearms resting horizontally on your desk without bending your wrist to reach your keyboard.
Correct Posture
Desk
The average office desk height is about 29-inches that may vary from person to person. Your desk should offer a neutral elbow height i.e. it should relax your shoulders and let your elbow to rest at 90-degrees. This can be achieved if your desk height is just below your neutral elbow height.
Monitor
The positioning of your monitor not only decides how much strain will be borne by your spine, neck and eyes. The recommended distance to view the screen without straining the eyes is about 550mm that may slightly vary across individuals. You may also tilt the monitor to enhance visibility and counter slouching. If you use multiple monitors, your total horizontal eyesight should fall within 30 degrees to either side.
Chair
Your chair is one of the most important ergonomic factors of your working dashboard. Even if other factors can’t be controlled you can always rectify them by adjusting your chair. Your chair should come with a height adjustment function, a tiltable backrest, and lumbar support. If your monitor is too high and can’t be lowered, you can adjust your chair. While adjusting the chair height, your thighs should be almost parallel with your feet resting flat on the footrest. Ensure that the seat pan is not compressing the rear of your thighs.
Your keyboard should be placed flat on your desk with a slope of up to ± 15 degrees slope. The height of the panel should be appropriate. Keyboards having a high profile may cause your wrist to bend.
The 20-20-20 rule
When it comes to working on a device like a PC or a laptop, your eyes play an important role in ergonomics. To avoid strain on your eyes, follow the 20-20-20 rule. As per this rule, you should look at something (say wall) 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds after every 20 minutes of screen time.
Fitbit has launched the third generation of its Ace series activity and sleep tracker called the Fitbit Ace 3. It is designed for kids as it comes with animated clock faces, daily physical activity targets, bedtime reminder, and a durable design.
According to James Park, Fitbit CEO, “As families continue to navigate remote learning and social distancing guidelines, it is a constant challenge to keep kids moving, motivated, and happy. We’ve infused Ace 3 with experiences that bring more fun to kids’ day-to-day lives to help them, and their parents, reconnect with the joy of movement”.
Fitbit Ace 3 encourages physical activity in children. It comes with a pedometer with a target of recommended CDC value. The device tracks the number of skips, steps, and jumps taken. Parents can connect to their children using the family account on the Fitbit app. They can track the physical activity challenges completed by their kids. The Ace 3 restricts children from indulging in the social features of the Fitbit app.
Stay Active (Image Credit: Fitbit)
Animated Clock Faces
The graphics on the Ace 3 are designed keeping kids’ preferences in mind. As a result, the display offers animated clock faces and celebration animations to boost kids to complete the daily challenges. For encouragement and feedback, the device offers badges and stats. The Ace 3 comes with a 20 per cent brighter screen compared to its predecessor and has do-not-disturb and sleep modes.
Animated Clock Faces (Image Credit: Fitbit)
Bedtime Reminder
Not following a regular sleeping habit can deter kids’ growth and performance. The Fitbit Ace 3 helps induce healthy sleeping habit in children. It gives a bedtime reminder with a soft buzzing. Parents can track their sleep duration. The Ace sets sleep and fitness targets based on the age of the kid.
Bedtime Reminder (Image Credit: Fitbit)
Long-Lasting Battery
The Fitbit Ace 3 comes with a long-lasting battery. It can easily last up to 8 days. So, kids can wear it throughout their lifestyle like school, play, and entertainment. The device is made of durable material and is water-resistant up to 50m in depth. Thus, Ace 3 will always enhance the activities of children.
Long-Lasting Battery (Image Credit: Fitbit)
The Fitbit Ace 3 will cost $79.95, which roughly is Rs 5850 and will be available in the global markets by March 15, 2021. The company wishes to launch (soon) two Minions-themed bands each costing around $29.95. It’s available for preorders starting today and available worldwide on March 15th in the USA.
In its official announcement, Samsung revealed to host the ‘Galaxy Awesome Unpacked’ event on March 17, 2021. The company is expected to reveal new smartphones and a smartwatch. The event is set to be streamed live on Samsung Newsroom and Samsung’s YouTube channel.
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What can we expect at the event?
There have been several rumours regarding what new products will be talked about during the ‘Galaxy Awesome Unpacked’ event. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip was launched last year. However, there has been no news from the company regarding foldable smartphones so far. As a result, we can expect that to take place in the upcoming event. We can also expect some happenings related to the new Exynos-powered Windows 10 PC from Samsung. The company can also throw some light on its mid-range smartphones including the Galaxy A series like the Galaxy A72 and A52.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3 and Z Fold Lite
Samsung is reported to reveal the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 2 to extend the category of foldable. According to TM Roh, Samsung Electronics president, the company is planning to make foldable smartphones “more accessible to everyone”. The Galaxy Z Fold Lite is expected to come in the first quarter of this year. It may have a fold-out tablet design with a 7-inch internal display and a 4-inch external display. The smartphone may run a Snapdragon 865 chipset backed by 256GB storage.
The current Samsung Galaxy Z fold 2
Samsung Galaxy A72
The Samsung Galaxy A72 is expected to come with a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. It may be launched in LTE and G versions. The 64 MP primary camera is expected to be a major camera upgrade over Galaxy A71 5G launched in 2020. It may consist of a 64MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro sensors, and an 8MP telephoto lens. You may also get a 32MP selfie camera inside the central punch-hole notch. The smartphone is reported to run the Snapdragon 720G chipset with 6GB/8GB of RAM. The Galaxy A72 may be powered by a 5,000 mAh battery with 25W fast charging. The device will operate on the Android 11 operating system and may have 128GB/256GB of secondary storage. For the above features, the Galaxy A72 may cost around $600.
Samsung Galaxy A52
The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is expected to come with a 6.5-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The smartphone may have a quad-camera setup at the rear (a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide, 5MP, and 2MP ) and a 32MP selfie camera located at the centre of the screen. Featuring. It will feature a 64 MP primary camera and will run on the Android 11 operating system. The Galaxy A52 is also expected to be launched in either LTE or 5G version. The Galaxy A52 may be powered by a 4,500 mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Based on the above features, the Galaxy A52 may be launched at $200.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung may also announce the new Galaxy Watch 4 that may run on Google’s Wear OS instead of the Samsung Tizen OS. The device is rumoured to come with a blood glucose monitoring system. According to leaks, the smartwatch may come in the second quarter of this year.
PUBG Mobile is celebrating its 3rd anniversary. On this occasion, the publishers of the game are releasing its new update named ‘PUBG Mobile 1.3’. The game is expected to come with several new features including Clowns Tricks gameplay and the Hundred Rhythms game mode.
According to a tweet by the PUBG MOBILE, “The 3rd Anniversary – Hundred Rhythms 1.3.0 Update is NOW LIVE! Use mesmerizing music abilities in Hundred Rhythms Mode to take your defences and attacks to a whole new level. Hop into the game and try it out now!”
The new PUBG Mobile 1.3 update will come with the following new features.
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1) Hundred Rhythms Event
PUBG Mobile 1.3 update comes with a new event named ‘Hundred Event’. This mode is set in the Erangel map where players will have a set of three unique skills based on the chosen Armband, namely, Guardian, Recon, or Camouflage. The Guardian Armband offers strong abilities to the player. The latter-two are not active skills and only give buffs to the players. The players begin with core skills that can be upgraded be achieving ‘cassettes’.
According to the patch notes, “Hundred Rhythms arrived in Erangel, get the party started at the electronic music festival. The Music Armband grants three special skills. Choose a skill that suits you, upgrade the skill by collecting scattered cassettes, and dominate the battlefield with the help of your skill. Choose Erangel in the map selection screen to experience this exclusive gameplay mode”.
2) Mosin-Nagant weapon and Motor Glider vehicle
The Mosin-Nagant in the new update is a sniper rifle with 7.62mm bullets capable of eliminating an unarmored enemy from a long distance. The new Motor Gliders will allow the players to fly over the opponents. You can find the motor gliders in Erangel and Miramar. The Motor Glide vehicle utilises the fuel based on the speed at which you fly. The faster you fly, the more fuel it will consume.
The new PUBG Mobile 1.3 update will come with new features.
3) Metro Royale: Uncover mode
The Metro Royale is a new chapter added to the update where you can find new rewards and permanent finishes. This mode throws smarter enemies with equipment adjustment capabilities. However, you will not find the Metro Exodus monsters and Tikhar Rifle. Now the enemies can appear instantly on the battlegrounds that can be spotted as marks on the map.
4) Clowns’ Tricks Gameplay
This new gameplay will offer graffiti scattered on the map and a Clown Shop Vehicle in Erangel. The target will be to acquire Clown Tokens to buy combat items from the Clown Shop Vehicle. These items will tell the players regarding the Playzone, airdrop, and opponents. You can also find a Music Graffiti Wall located near the Graffiti Square at Spawn Island.
Google provides the option to change your profile picture across all Google services through a single Google account. Your profile picture is also displayed on your Gmail and YouTube. Here are the methods to change your profile picture across three different platforms, namely, PC, Android, and iOS.
Change your Gmail / Google Account profile picture
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How to change your profile picture on PC?
Open the Gmail app on your PC.
Click the profile picture located at the top-right corner.
Click the Manage your Google Account option.
Select Personal info
Under the Profile section, click the current profile picture.
Follow the on-screen instructions to choose a photo from your PC’s storage or take a new photo.
Click Set Profile Photo.
How to change your profile picture on PC?
How to change your profile picture on Android?
On your Android device, launch the Gmail app.
Tap your profile picture located at the top-right corner.
Tap Change or Add Profile picture options
Choose a new profile picture from the Gallery or take a new photo.
Tap Save as Profile picture.
How to change your profile picture on iOS?
On your iOS device, launch the Gmail app.
Tap your profile picture located at the top-right corner.
Tap Change or Add Profile picture options
Choose a new profile picture from the Photos app or take a new photo.
Tap Save as Profile picture.
How to change your profile picture on iOS?
Change your YouTube profile picture
How to change your profile picture in YouTube Studio on PC?
Sign in to your YouTube Studio.
Select Customization from the side menu.
Click Upload and choose the desired image.
Click Publish.
How to use the YouTube Android app to change your profile picture?
Tap the YouTube profile picture.
Tap Your Channel.
Tap Edit Channel and then tap the profile picture.
Choose a new profile picture from the Gallery or take a new photo.
Tap Save.
How to use the YouTube iOS app to change your profile picture?
Tap the YouTube profile picture.
Tap Your Channel.
Tap Edit Channel and then tap the profile picture.
Choose a new profile picture from the Photos app or take a new photo.
Microsoft Teams is an application that allows users to conduct online meetings, seminars, and classes. The app requires the webcam and the microphone to be enabled. However, sometimes the video fails to appear on the screen. The reasons may vary across different devices. Here are the top solutions that can cure this problem on the majority of devices.
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Solution 1: Make sure Microsoft Teams has permission to use the webcam
Windows 10 requires you to offer permissions to the apps for using the system components like webcam and microphone. You can permit the Microsoft teams app for using the webcam in the following steps.
Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Camera
Turn on the Allow apps to access your camera option.
The Choose apps that can use your camera option for Teams app should be on.
Solution 2: Update all of your drivers
The Microsoft Teams app might not be detecting the camera because of the old camera drivers installed in your system. To update the camera driver, follow these steps.
Go to Start.
Type Device Manager in the search bar.
Expand the Cameras category
Right-click the required camera.
Select the Update Driver option. Windows will automatically scan and install the latest version of the driver.
Solution 2: Update all of your drivers
Solution 3: Install the latest version of Microsoft Teams
There might be compatibility issues between your camera and the Teams version installed on your system. Go to the official website (https://teams.microsoft.com/downloads) and install the latest version of the Microsoft Teams client. Usually, the Teams client automatically updates when you connect your system to the internet. However, you can do that manually by selecting the user profile picture and then clicking the Check for updates option.
Solution 3: Install the latest version of Microsoft Teams (Image Credit: Microsoft)
Solution 4: Disable the GPU hardware acceleration
While using the Teams app, ensure that your GPU hardware acceleration and animations are disabled. Follow these steps.
Select the profile picture and then click on Settings.
Check the Disable GPU hardware acceleration and Turn off animations.
Close and relaunch the Microsoft Teams.
Solution 5: Disable the background blur
Before you use the Teams app, ensure that the custom background or the background blur in Teams is turned off. Follow these steps.
Click on the Background effects button located on the right side of the microphone.
Click the first box with an icon showing a circle with a slash.
Bonus Solutions:
Before launching the Teams app, close all unused applications. Sometimes these applications consume the RAM preventing the video to be rendered.
If you’re sharing the Wi-Fi, ensure that you’ve suspended the bandwidth-heavy tasks on connected devices such as gaming, downloading, and streaming.
Google is celebrating the decadal anniversary of the Chrome OS. In a short span, Chromebooks have become one of the prominent devices in the field of education and business. To express gratitude, the company is releasing new features to the Chrome OS including a fresh appearance. Here are the key new features that you will find in the new update of the Chrome OS.
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1) Phone Hub
The Phone Hub feature enables users to control their connected phones using their Chromebooks. As soon as you click the phone icon located near the status information, it will give you details regarding the network signal, ring mode, Hotspot, battery level, and Quick Settings. You will also see the last two tabs opened in Chrome on your smartphone. This feature will also allow you to reply to messages using your smartphone.
2) Screen Capture
The new Screen Capture feature will enable users to record their screen without installing any third-party application. This feature will be available in the Quick Settings menu. The videos of the screen capture will be accessed from the Chrome OS Shelf.
3) Wi-Fi Sync
The Wi-Fi sync feature will save you from entering passwords individually on all devices with the same Google account. If any of your Chrome OS device is connected to a Wi-Fi network, your Chromebook will not ask for a password. By using Wi-Fi Sync, your device will automatically get connected to the network. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Connected devices.
Wi-Fi Sync (Image Credit: Google)
4) Media Controls
The new media controls will enhance your productivity and listening experience. Now, you can find media controls in Quick Settings. You don’t need to open the music application to control the volume or change the track. You can control the playback right from the Quick Settings.
5) Redesigned Icons
With the new update, you will get a new appearance of the icons. The icons in the app launcher now have circular shapes with a white background. You will also get new icons for the calculator and canvas apps.
6) Enhanced Clipboard
The clipboard of the Chrome OS will now display the recent five things you copied. The Tote will show the copied items, screenshots, and recent downloads.
7) Quick Answers
Quick Answers is a new utility feature that defines the word you right-click on. It will also provide a translation of the word. If you highlight a number, it will suggest the unit conversion.
Quick Answers (Image Credit: Google)
8) Nearby Share
The Nearby Share feature will enable you to share media files and applications to (and from) Chromebooks and Android devices located in the same proximity.
As long as we use our smartphones, we are constantly generating data. No matter how the nominal activity we do on our devices, companies gather this data for targetted advertisements. In targetted advertisements, companies make unique profiles of individuals based on their search habits to know about their preferences. These preferences help companies build a list of products and services for which they will present advertisements. On the iPhone, you can manually change the permissions regarding ad tracking.
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What Is Ad Tracking?
Ad tracking is a technique by which websites track users while surfing the internet to send relevant advertisements. When you surf the internet on your iPhone, websites use a code block known as ad trackers to learn about your search behaviours.
To disable location-based ads, follow these steps.
Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services
Turn off the Location Services option.
How to turn off location-based ads?
How to enhance privacy on Safari?
On Safari browser, you can tweak the setting to make surfing more secure.
To block all cookies, follow these steps.
Go to Settings > Safari
In the Privacy & Security section, turn on the Prevent Cross-Site Tracking option. Now, advertising companies won’t be able to track the websites you visit.
Turn on the Block All Cookies option. A cookie is a collection of data generated based on the data you enter into the website. As soon as you block these cookies, no data regarding your website usage will be saved.
How to enhance privacy on Safari?
How to turn off background app refresh?
When you keep the Background App Refresh active, the suspended apps will be able to check for updates and new content. To disable the Background App Refresh, follow these steps.
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You’ll find all the apps that can use the Background App Refresh feature.
Select the Background App Refresh located at the top of the screen.
Select the Off option. Now, all the toggles for the apps listed on the previous page disappear.
How to turn off background app refresh?
You may also choose which apps should use the Background App Refresh feature. Just keep the Background App Refresh feature on and manually select the apps to toggle off.
Food-processors are one of the key kitchen appliances in today’s busy lifestyle. Food-processing is the most time consuming and effort demanding step of cooking. A good food-processor efficiently does this task, thereby, saving you precious time. You can perform tasks like blending, grinding, slicing, shredding and juicing, with a switch of a knob. Here are the best and most-affordable food-processors that you can buy that will make your cooking experience a pleasurable one.
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1) Inalsa Food Processor INOX 1000-Watt With Blender Jar
This processor comes with a lot of features for everyday use. It consists of a powerful 1,000Watt motor made of 100% Copper. This appliance can perform several tasks including chopping, slicing, shredding, extracting juice, and knead bread dough. It offers two varieties of juicers, namely, centrifugal, and citric juicer. You get three jars made of high-quality steel. You get vacuum enabled base legs and a cord to keep the wire protected. The attachments of the food processor can be swapped conveniently and are easy-to-clean. up after use. You get the main bowl with a capacity of 2L making it perfect for large families as well.
Inalsa Food Processor INOX 1000-Watt With Blender Jar
This food processor from Bosch comes with an 800Watt motor, six knives and three double blades. You can adjust the motor in two-speed settings to change the speed as per your need. You get multi-level six knife blades that can blend vegetables and nuts. The smart storage feature enables you to keep safely all the attachments. This food processor can perform around 50 unique functions including chopping, grinding, slicing, whipping, and kneading. You get a variety of accessories to fulfil all our food-processing requirements including blender attachment, reversible slicing disc, plastic dough tool, universal shredder, and a mixing bowl.
3) Philips Food Processor HL1661 700Watts with Chutney Jar
This food processor comes with an efficient 700W motor with two-speed settings to control it as per your requirement. The appliance is designed on the PowerShot Technology that offers blade shape, cutting angle, and inner bow for convenient chopping. The food processor is compact to fit well in all sizes of kitchens and requires less effort for maintenance. It offers a unique chutney jar. You get jars made of high-quality stainless steel providing strength and durability. The base stands remain stable during blending and kneading. The centrifugal juicer is ideal for both hard and soft fruits.
Philips Food Processor HL1661 700Watts with Chutney Jar
The Morphy Richards Icon Food Processor comes with a powerful 1,000Watt motor with a three-speed setting to perform up to 16 unique functions. You get a 1L grinding jar, a 1.5L jar, a 2.4L processing jar, and a 400 mL chutney jar. The appliance is designed using Quandra flow technology enabling you to check whether the ingredients are mixed or not. The customized slicing thickness allows you to cut vegetables as per your preference. You can use the Citrus Juicer to conveniently extract juices from fruits like oranges, lemon, and sweet lime. This food processor comes with a 2-year warranty.
Another food processor with a powerful 1,000watt motor comes from the house of Bajaj. It comes with an adjustment knob for you to set the speed up to three-speed levels as per your requirement. The appliance comes with an SS blade, citrus and centrifugal juicer, and dough kneader. You can perform a variety of tasks including whipping, juicing, and dicing. You also get a 500mL chutney jar, a 2.3L liquidizing jar, and a 1L dry grind jar. This food processor comes with 14 attachments and a 2-year warranty. The individual parts are made of durable ABS material and are easy-to-clean.
As technology is expanding its influence on more and more people, kids are no exception. Today, the growing stage of children is not only restricted to books. If used properly, technology can serve as an ideal source of entertainment and knowledge for kids. A tablet is one such gadget that offers loads of applications and games that help kids evolve their thought process and analytical skills. Here are the top tablets meant for kids that will enhance the learning curve of your kids.
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1) Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition
The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is one of the best tablets for kids. It comes with a two-year warranty and a powerful battery that can last up to 10 hours after charging. The rubber bumper protects the tablet from scratches and drops. The case of the tablet has a rough texture so that kids can firmly hold it with their nimble hands. You get a good quality sound with a vivid 8-inch (1,280×800) display. The Amazon Fire HD 8 comes installed with the Fire operating system offering loads of content for kids. It offers 32GB of storage to install tons of apps and games meant for children. You get a 2MP camera each on the front and the rear.
The Lenovo Tab 4 8 is an ideal choice for kids offering an Android operating system. Thus, you can install dozens of Google apps and games eliminating the risks of side-loading. The tablet comes with a powerful battery do that kids can remain engaged without the need to charge the device frequently. The 1280 x 800 screen renders vivid colours for rich gaming and video viewing. You can buy the Lenovo’s Kids Pack add-on worth $20 extra offering content meant for kids, parental control features, a protective bumper case, and a blue light filter. This tablet is packed with dual Dolby Atmos stereo speakers that produces crystal clear sound.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 comes with a mature design ideal for teenagers. It has the option of adding parental controls so you can still have some peace of mind. It comes with 32GB of storage to install several games and apps. The Tablet runs Android operating system. Thus, you can find endless content for kids on the Play Store. The device has a great design but does not come with a pre-attached protective bumper. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers an 8-inch display for comfortable viewing. The quad-core processor is ideal for running all the apps and games meant for kids. It also features an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera.
The Kurio Tab runs an Android operating system thus kids can access tons of apps and games on the Play Store. It comes with a durable build quality with a protective bumper to prevent damages from rubbing and drops. The tablet offers parental control features to block inappropriate content. It comes with dimensions of 20.3 x 12.7 x 1.3 cm that is suitable for kids to hold with their hand. The device comes with 16GB storage and an onboard Play Store to download content for kids. The tablet integrates with the ‘Kurio Genius’ system covering around 500 million web sites across 170 different languages. It comes packed with more than 90 Apps including games, e-books, educational apps, and video streaming apps.
LeapFrog is a brand that manufactures a plethora of gadgets meant for kids. The LeapFrog Epic comes with and Android operating system with a customised UI with parental control features. The device comes with a durable design keeping kids in mind. The rubber bumper prevents damage from scratch and drops. It has a powerful battery that easily lasts for more than 5 hours. The 7-inch (1024 x 600) screen renders bright colours to elevate the experience of kids while playing games. It has a microSD card slot for expanding storage. The bundled stylus makes it ideal for young kids as well. The quad-core processor can easily run games and applications meant for kids.
The new Asus ROG Phone 5 smartphone is set to launch tomorrow i.e. March 10, 2021. The Asus Rog series is one of the trusted smartphone series in gaming. This new smartphone will extend the gaming limits even further. The Asus ROG Phone 5 smartphone is likely to launch in the Indian market at Rs. 60,350. The table below breaks down the features of this smartphone in a crisp manner.
The new Asus Rog Phone 5 features everything that a high-end gamer demands such as a powerful octa-core Snapdragon processor, an AMOLED screen, a 12/16GB RAM, and a powerful 6000mAh battery. Moreover, the smartphone will perfectly cater to the requirements of photography enthusiasts as it comes with a camera that is capable of capturing 8K videos. Lastly, the unique ROG UI makes this smartphone stand-out from the rest.
Apple is reportedly working on a new mixed-reality headset that might arrive in the markets by 2022. Apple wants to release a powerful headset capable of featuring 8K resolution for each eye with the implementation of technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies. According to technological experts, Apple’s new headset could bring a shift in the paradigm that is currently dominated by smartphones.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple analyst, “We predict that Apple’s MR/AR product roadmap includes three phases: helmet type by 2022, glasses type by 2025, and contact lens type by 2030–2040”.
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How will Apple’s Mixed Reality headset work?
The new headset will come installed with Sony’s Micro-OLED displays and enhanced optical modules to give a better experience than the existing VR devices. Although the prototypes of the product weigh between 200 and 300 grams, the company is aiming to decrease it by another 100 to 200 grams.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple analyst, “We believe that Apple may highly integrate this helmet with video-related applications as one of the key selling points”.
Apple’s Mixed Reality headset is reported to consist of more than a dozen cameras for tracing hand gestures. These cameras will utilise a visor placed on the headset to deliver the video of the real world. The headset might carry two UHD 8K screens along with eye-tracking technology.
How will Apple’s Mixed Reality headset work?
Is Apple the only player in the field of AR/VR/MR?
Apple is not the only player in the field of AR/VR glasses. Tech giants including Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft are constantly working on these innovative technologies. For instance, Facebook’s Smart Glasses are expected to be released soon with the brand name of Ray-Ban. Mesh is one such technology, which was recently announced by Microsoft that will enable people located at different locations to meet in a shared mixed reality space.
According to Alex Kipman, Microsoft technical fellow, “This has been the dream for mixed reality, the idea from the very beginning. You can actually feel like you’re in the same place with someone sharing content or you can teleport from different mixed reality devices and be present with people even when you’re not physically together.”
Microsoft Mesh mixed reality platform (Image Credit: Microsoft)
What else is Apple working on apart from the Mixed-Reality headset?
Apple is also working on the AR glasses that are expected to be released around 2025. Unlike the Mixed-Reality headsets, the AR glasses will be portable and present an optical see-through AR experience. The Mixed-Reality headsets offer a more comprehensive virtual experience. On the other hand, the AR Glasses will focus on providing a mobile experience coupled with VR.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple analyst, “We foresee that the helmet product will provide AR and VR experiences, while glasses and contact lens types of products are more likely to focus on AR applications”.
What else is Apple working on apart from the Mixed-Reality headset? (Image Credit: Apple Inc.)
Apple is also reportedly working on contact lenses to transition from computing to invisible computing. However, not much information is available regarding this future product except that it will not arrive earlier than in 2030. Kuo just observed that Apple is working on technologies related to MR, VR, and AR. Many companies are supplying intermediate products including Micro-OLED displays by Sony and EMS by Pegatron.
It’s reported that WhatsApp is working on a new feature to save encrypted chat backups on iCloud and Google Drive. The password-protected feature would enable WhatsApp users to secure their chat backups against unauthorised access.
According to a screenshot shared by WABetaInfo, “To prevent unauthorised access to your iCloud Drive backup, you can set a password that will be used to encrypt future backups. This password will be required when you restore from the backup”.
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Why is WhatsApp working on this new feature?
WhatsApp chats are claimed to be end-to-end encrypted i.e., they remain on the devices of the users involved in the chat and not on the Facebook servers. However, privacy concerns were raised regarding the chat backup provided by the app itself. Many instances revealed that the chats backups on the Facebook servers were leaked to the law enforcement authorities and foreign players. As a result, WhatsApp is said to be planning to release a functionality so that users will be able to keep a backup of their chats on their cloud storage such as iCloud or Google Drive. The feature is expected to be released on both iOS and Android platforms.
Why is WhatsApp working on this new feature? (Image Credit: WABetaInfo)
How will the new feature work?
According to the screenshots shared by WABetaInfo, the task of encrypting chat backup on the cloud will require several steps. The user will require to go to the WhatsApp Settings to enable the function. In the Settings, an option will be available for users to encrypt while creating backups. The app will ask them to set a password for the chat backups. After setting a strong password, the users will be asked to need to enter the phone number once again.
How will the new feature work? (Image Credit: WABetaInfo)
What will be the impacts of the new feature?
The new feature will bring a lot of convenience to WhatsApp users as well as a few disadvantages. The following will be the impacts of the new feature.
1) Apart from chat backups on the cloud, the local Android backups would also work so that you can use password protection to the locally saved backups on your devices. However, there is no such feature for iPhone users.
What will be the impacts of the new feature?
2) Since the backups will be saved on the users’ cloud storage and not on the Facebook servers, it would not be possible for WhatsApp to assist users in recovering their lost passwords. The users shall have to enter their phone numbers for password protection.
3) Encrypted chat backups on the cloud will keep the chats secure and private. As a result, there would be minimal chances of them being leaked.
