Highlights: Nokia 8.1 will now be available in 6GB RAM, 128GB storage variant. The new model is up for pre-orders and will go on sale from February 6. In December last year, HMD Global launched its Nokia 8.1 smartphone with an HDR 10-supporting PureView display, a dual rear camera setup and more. The smartphone was launched in a 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant that's priced at Rs 26,999. Now, the company has quietly announced a new 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant of the Nokia 8.1 in India. The new variant of the handset with more memory and storage is up for pre-orders priced at Rs 26,999 and will be available via the Nokia Online Store and Amazon.in from February 6. The company has also listed some pre-order offers on the 6GB version of the Nokia 6. Airtel prepaid customers will get to avail 1TB of 4G data on eligible plans starting at Rs 199 and the telcos’ postpaid customers will get an additional 120GB of data, along with three months of free Netflix subscription and one year of Amazon free Prime subscription when they recharge with plans starting at Rs 499. Nokia 8.1 Specifications Like most Nokia smartphones, the Nokia 8.1 is also said to be constructed out of a single block of Series 6000 aluminium with dual-tone diamond cut edges. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC and now comes in two variants, one with 4GB RAM coupled with 64GB of internal storage and another with 6GB RAM with 128GB of onboard storage. The handset is backed by a 3,500mAh battery and Nokia claims that the phone can last for two days on a single full charge. The phone also supports 18W quick charging. In terms of display, the Nokia 8.1 sports a 6.18-inch full-HD+ display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. It comes with HDR 10 support and has a resolution of 1080x2244 pixels. The phone gets a fingerprint sensor on the back as well. The handset is an Android One device that runs on stock Android 9 Pie. In terms of optics, the Nokia 8.1 sports Zeiss optics and comes with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) support. The phone sports a 12MP primary camera with 1.4-micron pixels, 1/2.55-inch sensor and is paired with a 13MP secondary depth-sensing camera. The phone’s primary camera supports Dual PDAF and can capture 4K videos at 30 frames per second. On the front, the Nokia 8.1 comes with a 20MP sensor, which is said to be optimised for capturing enhanced images in low-light. Related Reads: Nokia 8.1 first-impressions 
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Highlights: Redmi Note 7 is reportedly launching on February 12 The Redmi Note 7 has already been launched in China Both Xiaomi and Redmi have been teasing the Note 7 phone with a 48MP camera setup on their Indian social media accounts. Last week, the teasers promised market disruption, though the exact launch date of the phones was not known. Citing industry sources, 91mobiles has now claimed that it has procured a launch event invite which allegedly says that Redmi will launch the Note 7 in India on February 12. Comments on the teaser tweeted by Xiaomi and Redmi suggested that the Redmi Note 7 could launch in India on February 14. This was because Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India on the same date last year. The Redmi Note 7 starts at 999 Yuan in China (approx. Rs 10,000) for the 3GB+32GB variant. The 4GB+64GB variant is priced 1199 Yuan (approx Rs 12,500) and the 6GB+64GB variant retails for 1399 Yuan, which is approximately Rs 14,500. Redmi Note 7 specifications: The Redmi Note 7 sports a waterdrop notch on top of a 6.3-inch LCD panel offering a resolution 2340x1080 pixels. The phone has a 2.5D curved glass chassis and has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. In China, the phone is offered in 3GB, 4GB or 6GB RAM variants, while the storage variants are 32GB or 64GB. There is a 4,000mAh battery inside, which is same as the one in the phone’s predecessor. The rear camera unit is aligned vertically in the top corner with a single LED flash unit below the camera. This is the first Redmi phone with a 48MP sensor combined with a 5MP secondary sensor for portrait shots. Redmi claims the 48MP sensor helps take better shots in low-light as well as poster-like HD photos. On the front is a 13MP camera featuring AI algorithms for face beautification and portrait mode. The smartphone will run MIUI 10 out of the box. Related Report: Xiaomi CEO confirms Redmi will be a separate brand
We are just a few days away from the launch of Samsung’s flagship devices for 2019, the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+. Therefore, leaks of the two phones are in full swing and with just a few days left for the final reveal, it turns out, alleged press renders of the device have leaked, revealing the design in full. The design reveals that Samsung has managed to really narrow down the top and bottom chins by moving the front facing camera into the display. Additionally, it appears that the company is getting rid of its Iris scanner technology so as to reduce the clutter on top. In its place, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ will utilise an in-display fingerprint sensor. This is further corroborated by the fact that there is no fingerprint scanner on the back, as shown by the press renders. Looking at the back, we also see a triple camera setup on the back. Interestingly, the renders show three colours for each variant; a black and two new finishes of green and the already seen Polaris Blue. The other interesting revelation from the press renders is the corners of the devices, which appear to have a sharper edge in comparison to the S9 and S9+. Samsung Galaxy S10+ in Polaris Blue Samsung Galaxy S10 in Green The Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ will sport Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 855 in some markets and the company’s own Exynos 9820 processor in other markets. Rumours suggest that there may be a variant of the S10+ which will sport a whopping 1TB of storage. This is substantiated somewhat by the fact that Samsung just announced the production of its 1TB UFS 3.0 storage chip. Samsung is expected to announce the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy S10+ on the 20th of February, just ahead of Mobile World Congress 2019. We know that the S10 has already entered mass production. The 5G variant of the phone is expected to go into production a little later. The company is expected to showcase both the 5G variant of the S10 series and the foldable smartphone during its Unpacked event.
Highlights: MSI has launched its updated G-series and P-series of laptops in India The G-series laptos get NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics The P-series laptops stand for 'Prestige' The new models are currently available in India MSI has launched new gaming laptops in India under its G-series line-up. It has also unveiled new laptops under its P-series for creators. The new models are currently available on Flipkart and at MSI exclusive stores in major cities across India like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, and Kolkata. The price of the new G-series gaming laptops starts at Rs 79,990 and goes all the way up to Rs 3,99,990 while the price of the P-series laptops starts at Rs 77,990. According to a recent report by Gadgets 360, the new laptops launched under the G-series include the GT75 Titan, GS65 Stealth Thin, GE75 Raider, and GL73. The GT, GS, GE, and GL models in MSI’s new line-up will come with NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics. New models under the Taiwanese company’s P-series, where P stands for Prestige, include the P65 Creator, PS42, and PS63. MSI had officially announced these models at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. The highest variant of the MSI GT75 Titan comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage. The display has a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. Rendering graphics on it is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU with 8GB of GDDR6 vRAM. Its price is a staggering Rs 3,99,990. The highest variant of the MSI GE75 Raider, on the other hand, comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of SSD-based storage. Its price starts at Rs 1,94,990. The highest variant of the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin, costing Rs 2,09,990, gets an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 2070 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. The GL73 comes with a similar configuration but gets an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage for Rs 1,58,990. Under the company’s new P-series laptops, the P65 Creator is the most sophisticated. It comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD-based storage for Rs 1,59,990. The PS63 and PS42 come with a 15.6-inch and 14-inch display respectively. The highest variant in both models comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q (or GeForce MX250) GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. The PS63 starts at Rs 99,990 while the PS42 starts at Rs 77,990. Related Read: Asus F570 Review
The Oppo K1 is going to launch in India on Feb 5th. The phone was released in China back in October last year with an in-display fingerprint sensor and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 under the hood. The phone has a 25MP selfie camera and is expected to come around Rs 20,000. On the other hand, we have the Xiaomi Poco F1, which is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and has a dual camera setup on the back. Let’s begin with a quick specs comparison to know which device is more powerful when it comes to hardware at least on paper. The Oppo K1 features a 6.4-inch display that offers a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, while the Xiaomi Poco F1 sports a slightly smaller 6.18-inch display that comes with a resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels. When it comes to the processor, the Oppo K1 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, which is coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory. The phone is expected to launch in India in 6GB variant as well. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Poco F1 is equipped with a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, which is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal memory. The Poco F1 will also available in the 8GB/256GB storage model. As far as the cameras are concerned, one of the main highlights of Oppo K1 is its 25MP selfie camera and a dual 13MP + 2MP camera setup on the back. The Xiaomi Poco F1 also has a dual 12MP + 5MP rear cameras along with a 20MP sensor on the front. The Oppo K1 will launch in India on February 5, while the Xiaomi Poco F1 is available in India for Rs 19,999.
Highlights: Apple briefly stops Google from running its internal iOS apps Both Facebook and Google are now allowed to use them Google was also allegedly spying on people Just when the media was criticising Facebook for spying on teenagers through an app, Apple dropped a bomb on Google by measuring the search engine giant with the same yardstick that it used with the social media platform - in simpler words - revoking Google’s Enterprise Certificate that allowed it to distribute its own private app and allegedly monitored iPhone usage. The move can be seen as Apple’s reaffirmation of itself as an advocate of users’ privacy, and a powerful tech entity that does not kneel down to the (implied) data-hungry competitors. Though Apple has let Facebook use internal iOS apps and restored functionality to Google’s apps, it should be clear that the Cupertino-based giant is clearly sticking to its rules and applying them equally to any company that may get caught breaking its rules in the future. Just like Facebook, Google’s Screenwise Meter came under the lens for tracking users and rewarding them with gift cards for letting Google collect information on their internet usage. Google has released a statement clarifying its stance. “The Screenwise Meter iOS app should not have operated under Apple’s developer enterprise program — this was a mistake, and we apologize. We have disabled this app on iOS devices. This app is completely voluntary and always has been. We’ve been upfront with users about the way we use their data in this app, we have no access to encrypted data in apps and on devices, and users can opt out of the program at any time,” Google spokesperson told The Verge. A person familiar with the situation told The Verge that the “early versions of Google Maps, Hangouts, Gmail, and other pre-release beta apps stopped working alongside employee-only apps like a Gbus app for transportation and Google’s internal cafe app.” Reportedly, Amazon, DoorDash, and Sonos all distribute beta versions of their apps to non-employees and could face the same action as the Google and Facebook. Related Read: Apple bans Facebook Research App that allegedly spied on teenagers
Highlights: OnePlus halts OxygenOS Open Beta for OnePlus 5 and above smartphones. The company had recently started seeding the new updates. It's paused because some OnePlus 5/5T users reported of their phones being bricked. OnePlus is rolling back the new OxygenOS Open Beta for OnePlus 5 and above smartphones that it recently started seeding. As per the company, the new update is being paused because some OnePlus 5/5T users have complained of the OTA update not installing after being received on their units and for some unlucky few, their handsets were bricked, unable to boot, after installing the new update. So, if you have received the new update, we suggest you hold off on flashing it on your phone. As the open beta for the OnePlus 6/6T was similar to the one released for the OnePlus 5/5T, for good measure, the company has halted its rollout as well. Those users who are experiencing the above-mentioned issues can try and recover their device by following the instruction laid out by OnePlus here. In case you are unable to get your phone to work, the company suggests one gets in touch with the official customer care service, who have been made aware of this issue and will help the users flash the package remotely. As mentioned, the new open beta patches for the phones are almost the same and bring the same set of features for the four handsets. It optimizes the screenshot function and enables quick reply to messages when in landscape mode. The latter is aimed at making texting easier when watching a video or playing games. The Gaming mode also gets optimised and the OnePlus Laboratory feature was supposed to come for the OnePlus. Both, OnePlus 6 and 6T now support world clock with weather information. In terms of specs, the OnePlus 6T features a 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display with a 1080 x 2340p resolution and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The device is backed by a 3700mAh battery and comes in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants. There is also a 10GB Mclaren edition variant of the phone. In terms of storage, one has the option of 128 or 256GB. In terms of optics, the handset comes equipped with a 16+20MP camera on the back and a 16MP selfie sensor on the front. Related Reads: OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T receive new Open Beta builds OnePlus 6T users facing battery drain issue 
Highlights: Google Screenwise Meter app collected extensive user data. The company has apologised and disabled the app on App Store. Like Facebook Research app, the Google app also used an Enterprise Certificate. Everyone slammed Facebook for having an app that was used exclusively for data collection and Apple banned the app from its App Store. Soon after, TechCrunch reported that Google too has a similar app that violates Apple App Store’s policies and collects bundles of data on users and the company has now disabled the app. Called Screenwise Meter, the Google app functioned by crediting gift cards to users who opted in the company’s Opinion Rewards program, in exchange for keeping track of a user's web traffic and data by installing a VPN app. Similar to the Facebook Research app, the VPN app installed by it used an Enterprise Certificate, which indicates that an app is meant for use within a company and not for the public. The app is still up on the Google App Store. Google has issued a statement to the press saying, “The Screenwise Meter iOS app should not have operated under Apple’s developer enterprise program — this was a mistake, and we apologize. We have disabled this app on iOS devices. This app is completely voluntary and always has been. We’ve been upfront with users about the way we use their data in this app, we have no access to encrypted data in apps and on devices, and users can opt out of the program at any time.” As per the report, while the Screenwise Meter app was meant for users aged 18 and above, users as old as 13 years of age can be added as secondary panellists if they were included in the same family group. Google had rebranded the app as part of the Cross Media Panel and Google Opinion Rewards programs to reward users for installing the activity tracing services on their phones, PC web browser, router, and TV. The Facebook Research App was reportedly offering up to $20 per month to users to download a VPN app. The company is said to have been secretly paying users to install a “Facebook Research” VPN app that enables it to access to their web activity and data. The report claimed that Facebook sidestepped the App Store and “rewarded” teenagers and adults to download the Research app. Reportedly, Facebook admitted that it was running the Research programme to gather data on usage habits and later, Apple banned the app. Related Reads: Apple bans Facebook Research App that allegedly spied on teenagers
Highlights: Google+ shut down timeline released. No user will be able to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities, or events on the platform from February 4. A bug forced Google to prepone the shut down of the consumer version of its social media platform Google+ to April. At that time, not much information was available about the whole process, but now, Google has released an update on the topic. The latest update brings the step-by-step breakdown of the whole procedure that the company wants the Google+ consumers to follow to save their data. Google says that the process of deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts, pages, and album archive will take a few months. According to the timeline shared by Google, no user will be able to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities, or events on the platform from February 4. If you’ve used Google+ for comments on your own or other sites, this feature will be removed from Blogger by February 4 and other sites by March 7. All Google+ comments on all sites will be deleted starting April 2. Google+ Community owner or moderator have an option to download and save data for your the community. “If you sign in to sites and apps using the Google+ Sign-in button, these buttons will stop working in the coming weeks but in some cases may be replaced by a Google Sign-in button. You’ll still be able to sign in with your Google Account wherever you see Google Sign-in buttons,” Google said in a blogpost. For G Suite customers, Google+ should remain active. Finally, on April 2, all Google+ accounts and pages will be shut down and Google will begin deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts. Photos and videos from Google+ in users' album archive and Google+ pages will also be deleted, however, if you have backed up photos and videos in Google Photos, you can access them anytime. In December, Google announced that it will shut Google+ for consumers four months earlier than originally planned. The company said that they had found (yet another) bug in the platform which impacted 52.5 million users in connection with a Google+ API. Google+ was pitched against Facebook in 2011, but it failed to take off as expected. Google+ will now join instant messaging app Google Allo, which will discontinue in March. Related Report: Google is shutting Google+ for consumers amid security concerns
The Honor View 20 is the world’s first smartphone that comes with a 48MP sensor on the back along with a TOF 3D camera. The device is priced at Rs 37,999 in India and is now on sale at Amazon. On the other hand, we have the Xiaomi Poco F1, which gave a tough fight last year to a lot of premium devices. It has a dual camera set up on the back both and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. So, let’s begin. The Honor View 20 sports a bigger 6.39-inch display that offers a resolution of 1080 x 2310 pixels, while the Xiaomi Poco F1 features a slightly smaller 6.18-inch display that comes with a resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels. The Honor View 20 is powered by a Kirin 980 octa-core processor, which is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal memory. On the other side, the Xiaomi Poco F1 is backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, which is coupled with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal memory. The Honor View 20 features a dual 48MP + TOF 3D camera setup on the back along with a 25MP sensor on the front. On the other side, the Xiaomi Poco F1 has a 12MP + 5MP dual camera setup on the back with a 20MP sensor on the front. The Honor View 20 is available on Amazon for Rs 37,999, while the Xiaomi Poco F1 is available for Rs 19,999 in India. 
Highlights: ISRO inaugurates Human Space Flight Centre. The centre will be the home of the upcoming GAGANYAAN crewed space mission. GAGANYAAN is expected to take off by 2022. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) inaugurated the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) at its headquarters in Bengaluru yesterday. The new centre will be the home of all crewed missions by ISRO in the future, including the GAGANYAAN project. The government-owned space agency made the announcement of its new inauguration on its official Twitter account, along with a picture of the dignitaries present and a full-scale model of of GAGANYAAN’s crew module. While S Unnikrishnan Nair serves as the Founder and Director of the HSFC, R Hutton is the Project Director for the GAGANYAAN project. The grand opening was made by K Kasturirangan, the Former Chairman of ISRO in the presence of K Sivan, the incumbent Chairman and Secretary of the Department of Space at ISRO. “HSFC shall be responsible for implementation of GAGANYAAN Project which involves end-to-end mission planning, development of Engineering systems for crew survival in space, crew selection and training and also pursue activities for sustained human space flight missions. HSFC will take support of the existing ISRO Centres to implement , the first development flight of GAGANYAAN under Human Space Flight Programme,” reads the news release from the Indian space agency. ISRO began work on its human spaceflight programme way back in 2009 with a budget of Rs 12,400 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on August 25 last year that India would put astronauts in space by 2022 as part of the GAGANYAAN mission. If everything goes to schedule, India will be the fourth country to carry out crewed missions indigenously, after Russia, the US, USSR, and China. The entire project is projected to cost less than Rs 10,000 crore. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV III) is expected to be the launch vehicle for the mission. Only last week ISRO delivered two satellites into space. Kalamsat, the first satellite, was designed and developed by members of a Chennai-based organisation on a budget of Rs 12 lakh. It was the first payload to use PS4, the fourth stage of the vehicle, as a platform to orbit the earth. Microsat-R, the second satellite, was built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for military and imaging purposes. Related Read: ISRO puts Microsat-R and student-made Kalamsat in space 
Highlights: Mark Zuckerberg says that integration of Facebook’s services is a “2020 thing or beyond.” Reason for the unification is said to be security, better user experience, and interoperability of services. Zuckerberg also said that over 2.7 billion people use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger each month. Facebook’s Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg was reportedly planning on integrating WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger. This is now official as Zuckerberg announced the plans in the company’s Q4 earnings call that the new implementation won’t happen at least until 2020. “We're really early in thinking through this. There's a lot more that we need to figure out before we finalize the plans. And then, of course, this is going to be a long-term project that I think will probably be to whatever extent we end up doing it in -- a 2020 thing or beyond,” Says Zuckerberg. In the call, Zuckerberg stated that some of the key reasons for the integrating of these services are security, better user experience, and interoperability of services. For example, WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption and the company, and users of its services, could benefit from this security measure being implemented on its platforms like Messages and Instagram. This is also said to help users with interoperability so that they can switch between the company’s apps with ease since the underlying technical infrastructure would be, more or less, the same. In example use cases, there was also talk of a system for people that use Facebook messaging as their SMS client and that enabling SMS over WhatsApp would be more secure as its encrypted end-to-end. It was also revealed that over 2.7 billion people use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger each month. There are also more than two billion people who use at least one of these services every day. Additionally, Zuckerberg reveals that Instagram has passed 500M daily active users on Stories. However, not all news is good news since there is an increase of spurious accounts on Facebook with around 116 million fake accounts and 255 million duplicate accounts on the site. A previous report on Facebook integrating its services suggested that the plan will require reconfiguration of how WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger function at base levels. It also tipped that all apps could incorporate end-to-end encryption, which would provide enhanced protection for messages. Even if the company manages to successfully pull off this new venture, it remains unknown how it will tackle challenges like the spread of fake news on the platforms, and a standardised login mechanism. Related Reads: Mark Zuckerberg plans to integrate WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger: Report
Highlights: After a series of delays, the flagship Intel Xeon W-3175X HEDT is now finally available. The flagship processor houses 28 cores and 52 threads and is specially optimised for a variety of operations. The CPU has a base clock speed of 3.1GHz and go up to 4.3GHz if overclocked. The flagship Intel Xeon W-3175X that was last showcased at Computex 2018, in Taiwan. It is now finally available for sale. The high-end desktop processor has the highest core count ever released by the chip-maker for the HEDT platform. It also happens to be the most expensive Intel processor with a retail price of $2999, a whopping $1000 more than the Core i9-9980XE, the company’s flagship Core-series processor for desktops. The high-end desktop processor saw various delays since its announcement back in June. It was previously thought to launch by the end of 2018. Finally, at the end of January 2019, the chip has been made available. Intel had not disclosed the pricing of the processor all this while as well, and only now do we know about the exorbitant price of the processor. The Intel Xeon W-3175X rocks 28 cores and competes directly with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX featuring 32 cores. Incidentally, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX costs $1000 less than Intel’s chip. The chip, Intel claims, is specially optimised for many applications. The processor comes with 28 cores and 56 threads. The base clock of the Intel Xeon W-3175X is set a 3.1GHz while it can go up to 4.3GHz in maximum single core turbo. The chip has a TDP of 255W and houses a 38.5MB cache, 68 PCIe lanes (44 directly from the CPU), and a fully unlocked design for overclocking. The CPU also supports six-channel DDR4 memory including ECC memory. The company claims the processor is different from any other Intel desktop processor for the features it touts. The high-end specs are extremely important for tasks like editing and rendering 3D videos. The CPU uses Intel’s Mesh Architecture that promises low latency and high data bandwidth between the CPU cores, cache, memory and I/O. There’s Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility, that allows for precise optimisation with unlocked processors. The Intel Xeon W-3175X also houses the company’s Extreme Memory Profile that simplifies the overclocking experience while Intel’s Advanced Vector Extensions 512 ratio offset that also helps in controlling voltage while overclocking. There’s of course Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 that delivers CPU frequencies of up to 4.3GHz. The CPU can support 6-channel DDR4 memory up to 512GB at 2666MHz alongside EEC and standard RAS support. The processor will require the Asetek 690LX-PN all-in-one liquid cooler. It’s a custom created solution that’s sold separately by Asetek. The Intel Xeon W-3175X will require new motherboards as well. As such, ASUS and Gigabyte have already showcased their new motherboards that support the monster CPU — The ROG Dominus Extreme and Gigabyte SKL-SP 1S. Additionally, G.Skill has also launched new hexa-channel high capacity DDR4 memory kits with 4000MHz speeds and 192GB capacities. Related Reads: Intel's new 28-core Xeon W-3175X CPU sighted online, might be priced starting at $4000 AMD's 7 nm processors and graphics cards will debut at CES 2019
Jenga, the popular block stacking game that has been the source of much amusement and plenty of frustration across the world, now has a new player. In a basement on the MIT campus, a team of scientists have taught a robot to play Jenga. The feat was achieved by a team led by MIT graduate student Nima Fazeli. This achievement is a remarkable one for the field of robotics, as Jenga is a game that requires complex understanding of the forces of physics such as push, pull, spatial arrangement. What makes their achievement special is that they achieved their goal using vision and touch, rather than just vision. For a robot to know how to play a game of Jenga using vision alone, the model would have to be trained to be trained for every single scenario that would transpire between the robot, the tower and the block(s). This would require far too many games, which was not feasible. The robotic arm is equipped is equipped with a gripped, a wrist cuff that senses the amount of force being exerted and a camera that allows the robot to “see.” The combination of pressure, force and vision allowed the system to learn all that it needs to about the game in far fewer training sessions. Alberto Rodriguez, the Walter Henry Gale Career Development Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, said that “Unlike in more purely cognitive tasks or games such as chess or Go, playing the game of Jenga also requires mastery of physical skills such as probing, pushing, pulling, placing, and aligning pieces. It requires interactive perception and manipulation, where you have to go and touch the tower to learn how and when to move blocks,” Rodriguez says. “This is very difficult to simulate, so the robot has to learn in the real world, by interacting with the real Jenga tower. The key challenge is to learn from a relatively small number of experiments by exploiting common sense about objects and physics.” The team says that their technique goes beyond having robots play Jenga, and can instead be used on smartphone production lines for screwing and locking components into place. With the ability to sense resistance and force, the robots would be perfect for assembly line work. 
The Samsung Galaxy M20 has been finally launched in India at a starting price of Rs 10,990. The phone is powered by an Exynos 7885 octa-core processor and has a dual camera setup on the back. On the other hand, we have Xiaomi’s mid-range segment device Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro, which is available in India for Rs 9,999 for the base 3GB/32GB variant. The phone features a traditional notch on top of the display and a dual camera setup on the back. Let’s do a quick specs comparison of the two to know which one would be the right buy for you in terms of hardware? The Samsung Galaxy M20 sports a slightly bigger 6.23-inch display that offers a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, while the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro features a 5.84-inch display that comes with a resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels. When it comes to the processor, the Samsung Galaxy M20 is powered by an Exynos 7885 octa-core processor, which is paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory, the phone is also launched in 4GB/64GB variant. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, which is coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. The phone is also available in 4GB/64GB and 6GB/64GB storage models. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro features a dual 12MP + 5MP rear cameras along with a 5MP sensor on the front, while the Galaxy M20 has a 13MP + 5MP dual camera setup on the back with an 8MP unit on the front. The Galaxy M20 will go on sale in India on Feb 5 via Amazon, while the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is starting from Rs 9,999 in India currently. 
Highlights: Reliance and Honor partner to sell View 20 phone offline. The phone will be sold at Reliance Digital as well as My Jio stores in 700+ cities. Potential buyers can get their hands on the phone from February 6. Honor has tied-up with Reliance to sell its recently-launched Honor View 20 offline at Reliance Digital outlets as well as My Jio stores in 700+ cities. Customers can get their hands on the View 20 at these stores starting February 6. The pre-bookings of the Honor View 20 started on January 24 and the phone was launched in India on January 29. According to the press note, there will be no price difference between offline and online channels. Jio customers can also get Rs 2200 cashback and upto 2.2TB data on purchase of this phone. “At Honor, we are committed to delivering the best of technologies to our customers at affordable price points. In line with our commitment, the partnership with Reliance enables us to reach a larger audience. Further, this partnership allows the end-customer to experience firsthand the Honor View20 smartphone at Reliance Digital & My Jio stores across India and enables them to make an informed choice. We are confident that the end-customer will benefit from this tie-up,” Suhail Tariq, CMO - Huawei Consumer Business Group, said in a statement. The move is aimed at strengthening Honor’s foothold in the country where the company is claimed “to enjoy a good following for its devices.” Brian Bade, CEO - Reliance Digital said, “With the addition of Honor View 20 to our portfolio and through this exclusive offline tie up, we reiterate our constant endeavor to provide customers with the latest products and world-class retail experience while personalizing their technology needs.” Honor View 20 Specifications The Honor View 20 was launched with a punch-hole display design and a 48MP main camera sensor. The handset is also equipped with the ‘Link Turbo’ technology, which the company claims enables faster download speeds by leveraging both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. The phone has an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset under the hood, and in India, it comes in two variants: one with 6GB RAM, coupled with 128GB of internal storage, and another with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. The phone sports a 6.4-inch Full HD+ All-View display that offers a resolution of 2310x1080 pixels. It also features GPU Turbo 2.0 technology, which the company claims can enhance the graphics and performance of its phones while gaming, while keeping power consumption low. Along with the GPU Turbo 2.0, the View 20 is also equipped with a liquid cooling system which is claimed to keep the CPU temperature in check. When it comes to camera, the smartphone gets a dual camera setup on the back with a 48MP Sony IMX586 CMOS primary sensor, and a Time-Of-Flight (TOF) 3D sensor for capturing depth. On the front, there is a 25MP sensor with an f /2.0 aperture lens in the punch-hole display. The Honor View 20 is powered by a 4000mAh battery. It runs Android Pie 9.0 with Magic UI 2.0 on top. The 6GB variant is priced at Rs 37,999 and the 8GB RAM version costs Rs 45,999. Related Read: Huawei Honor View 20 Review
Highlights: User Agent profile on Huawei's website revealed important details of the upcoming Huawei P30 Lite. The P30 series has been certified by Russian Certification Agency, EEC. The phones are expected to launch sometime in March 2019. Quite predictably, Huawei will be unveiling the next-generation P-series flagships in the first half of 2019. The Huawei P30 phones reportedly have codenames named after fashion brands — Elle, Vogue and Marie Claire. Incidentally, the latter seems to be the Huawei P30 Lite with model number MAR-LX1M and now, more information about the phone is available. The phone, which had been doing the rumour rounds for quite some time now, has once again surfaced via the handset’s UA profile available on Huawei’s website. The User Agent profile information reveals some important details about what the smartphone will offer. According to the UA profile, the Huawei P30 Lite's display will sport a 1080x2312 pixel resolution. That indicates the display will have FullHD+ resolution. However, the number of pixels seems to be a little weird, considering no other smartphones have 2312 pixels yet. Perhaps, Huawei will be incorporating a punch-hole design in the display, or house a dewdrop notch. The smartphone’s UA profile also reveals the phone will run on Android 9 Pie out of the box. Most likely, the phone will run on the latest EMUI 9.0, which debuted with the Huawei Mate 20 Pro late last year. The latest version features interesting new features like wireless projection, digital life management and more. Apart from this, no other information is available from the UA profile. The Huawei P30 phones have popped up in Russia’s certification agency EEC revealing the model numbers as — VOG-L29, ELE-L29 and MAR-LX1M. While the latter is reportedly the Huawei P30 Lite, the first two are likely to be Huawei P30 Pro and Huawei P30. The phones have not been spotted on any other certification site so far. Yet, they are tipped to launch globally soon. The Huawei P30 and the Huawei P30 Pro are expected to be the company’s flagship phones for the first half of the year. They are expected to officially be unveiled in March 2019. Rumours indicate the Huawei P30 will sport a 6.1-inch OLED display while the P30 Pro will house a larger 6.5-inch OLED panel. Both phones are expected to be powered by the flagship Kirin-980 SoC. The Huawei P30 Pro is also expected to come with a periscope module for high optical zoom, while the P30 is expected to sport a triple-camera setup, like the Mate 20 Pro. Alongside the Huawei P30 phones, the company is also expected to launch its 5G-enabled phones at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona. The company’s press conference is scheduled on February 24 at 2PM CET. Related Reads: Huawei P30 may offer triple-rear camera setup and 5x lossless zoom Huawei P30 Pro could feature curved OLED display without a punch-hole design
Highlights: PUBG Vikendi PS4 contest kicked off on January 29 and will go on till February 7. The winner will get a custom PS4. Are you playing PUBG on your PS4? Would you like to win a custom PS4 Pro by showcasing your PUBG skills? Well you are in luck. Take a look at the PS4 Pro in the image above. That could be yours! If you can show your stunt skills in the Vikendi map. The Vikendi map is available on the PS4. With the release of the map PUBG for PS4 has a new contest. It is called the Vikendi Stunt Contest! The official PUBG website reads, “Show us your sleek stunts on Vikendi and win cool prizes! We will pick the top 10 players with the best stunt footage and the winners will receive Custom PUBG PS4 Pros (supplied with American power plug)!” Every eligible participant that meets the requirements will also receive special in-game items. If you are interested in participating in the contest, you can do so by dropping into Vikendi, performing a stunt and record it using the PS4’s Share button. You need to upload your recording to YouTube or Google Drive. After that, you need to submit your PSN ID and link to your video here. The file format of the video can be any. However, the video needs to be a minimum 10 seconds short and maximum 60 seconds long. There are a bunch of rules and regulations which you can read on the official website, but there is one that we need to highlight. The rule reads, “Depending on the country of residence, the winner may be liable to pay the import tax of the reward. Import tax law is individual to each country, and we will offer guidance to the winner regarding their local laws”. If you are a PUBG player on the Xbox, then there is a scavenger-hunt that you can take part in. The The first round with the first five challenges started on January 26 and players have till February 1 to complete it. The second set began on January 27 and will go on till Feb 3. The first player to submit a correct screenshot for the challenges will be eligible to win special PUBG goodies along with in-game items. Also Read: Ban PUBG, 11-year old appeals to Maharashtra Govt as it promotes "gaming addiction, violence and cyber bullying" Vikendi scavenger-hunt announced for PUBG Xbox, new update released with multiple hotfixes New leaks suggest PS5 and next Xbox specifications and pricing
It is finally January 31, but it appears that there is still no Spotify service available for Indian customers. A quick visit to the company’s website reveals the message “Spotify is currently not available in your country” in big, bold letters. The last few days, Spotify’s January 31 launch date has been dominating the news cycle, but unfortunately, Indians continue to be left out of the service’s coverage. There were always signs that the January 31 deadline may not be met, but let’s examine what has happened in the last few days, which is bound to paint a clearer picture of the service’s launch status. The T-Series Deal Probably the first and the biggest clue to an impending launch of Spotify in India was the company signing a licensing deal with T-Series. The deal was to add T-series’ portfolio to Spotify’s streaming platform, at a global level. T-Series has the largest library of Bollywood songs and without access to T-Series’ library, Spotify would not have a relevant enough collection of songs to offer in India. The news of the deal signing broke on January 14. The Variety Piece The American magazine Variety published an article on their website stating that Spotify was preparing to launch the service in India on January 31. This was the first time a date was put to the recent round of rumours surrounding the Spotify launch in India. Their source claimed that the company was planning to host a party on January 31 in Mumbai, possibly to celebrate the launch. This story broke on January 15, U.S time. The New Terms and Condition An eagle-eyed internet citizen was quick to point out that the terms and conditions page had been updated, but more importantly, carried a message stating, “Effective as of January 31, 2019.” This added more credibility to the rumours of the service’s launch on 31 January. This news broke on January 21. The Hiring spree Over the last few months, Spotify has been aggressively expanding its Indian workforce. After having established an office in Mumbai, Spotify now allegedly has a team of 300 strong, including people for handling their communications. You don’t do this unless you’re planning to launch. The close proximity of the above three events probably added a lot of credibility to the January 31 launch date, but what was ignored were the various red flags that existed, which were likely to delay the launch. Here’s what was missed Pending Deals While Spotify had signed up with T-Series, it was yet to announce deals with Sony, Universal and Warner, three of the biggest music labels, to bring their music library to India. Additionally, for the service to be successful, it also needs to offer music in other regional languages such as Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and even Punjabi. Deals with their respective labels are yet to be announced. Terms of the Trial Period For India, Spotify is allegedly going to offer a trial period of longer than 30 days for its users in India. Spotify had done the same for users in Vietnam and South Africa when they launched the service in those respective countries last year, but according to the Variety piece, there is a hold-up here. For the duration of the trial period, Spotify has allegedly offered to pay a royalty amount that is far lower than what other Indian streaming services pay. If negotiations are still on-going, there is no way Spotify would be able to launch. Spotify has a lot of eager fans awaiting its launch in the country. The company has to ensure that they have every single aspect of the service covered for Indian relevance. This means not just the right music portfolio, but also the right pricing. Not to mention, the service needs to ensure they’re able to stream over India’s mobile network, which is considerably slower than other countries. Sure, it is disappointing that Spotify hasn’t launched today, but then again, the company never said they would. For now, let us just patiently wait for the company to make an official announcement.
Highlights: The periodic table has turned 150. UNESCO celebrates the anniversary with a day-long programme. It’s 1869. An energetic 35-year-old Russian named Dmitri Mendeleev is writing the second volume of his book titled The Principles of Chemistry while teaching at the Technical Institute in St Petersburg. On a cold winter day in March, his mind is preoccupied with a certain table structure he is certain will reveal to him all the known elements in some logical way. Having written the names of all 65 known elements on small individual cards along with their fundamental properties, Mendeleev moves them around on a table to find the right logical order. Weary, he naps at his table, but when he awakes, something significant is born from his mind—the periodic table. Can you believe it? One and half centuries have passed since that historic day when Dmitri Mendeleev formulated the first periodic table. Today, the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (as it’s officially called by the UNESCO) is a representation of not 65 but 118 known elements. Notable scientists like Lord Rayleigh and Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier have contributed to it. The table has been published in innumerable textbooks and reference books. We’ve all had it in our science lessons through school and college. Why, Tom Lehrer even wrote a song about it. To celebrate the periodic table’s 150th anniversary, UNESCO launched The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2019, a day of conferences and debates to highlight the significance of the periodic table and relevant challenges for sustainable societies across various fields like medicine and energy. The day-long programme took place on January 29 at the UNESCO headquarters in Place de Fontenoy, Paris. The programme included a lecture by Ben Feringa, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. For those seeking a refresher on the subject, the periodic table is a tabular representation of known chemical elements, arranged by atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring properties. The seven rows of the table are called periods, and the eighteen columns are called groups. Elements in a period have the same number of atomic orbitals, and elements in a group have the same number of electrons in the outer orbital (aka valence electrons). Head over to Wikipedia if you want to continue learning about the periodic table, or to Famous Scientists to read more about Dmitri Mendeleev. Related Read: Kilogram overhauled, is now defined on a universal constant
Highlights: PUBG on PC gets Update #25 on live servers. The new update brings Moonlight mode for Vikendi, along with loot rebalance. The Snowbike has not included with this update. Update #25 for the PC version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is now available for gamers. The new update brings a slew of new changes to the game, including a new SMG weapon called the Bizon that is said to be a low recoil, fully equipped weapon. There is also loot rebalance and a new weather setting for Vikendi, multiple quality of life improvements and more. However, the company has decided to not include the Snowbike with this update, which was previously teased, because of some gameplay issues that still need to be fixed. The Snowbike is said to be made available in a forthcoming update once the problems have been fixed. Additionally, a new 'secret location’ has also been added to Vikendi. With this update, one will notice that there are fewer SMGs and DMRs to be found in Vikendi as a loot rebalance has been applied. More Automatic Rifles will be spawned now and the Sniper Rifle spawn rate will remain the same. LV3 helmets and vests have also been reduced and the spawn ratio of attachments has also been improved. As for the new Bizon SMG weapon, it uses 9mm bullets and is exclusive to Erangel and Vikendi. It can hold 53 rounds by default and can be equipped with only muzzle and sight attachments and does not support grips or magazines. A new Canted Sights attachment has also been added to the game, which is a new scope that has a secondary scope slot. It can be equipped with M416, Mutant, QBZ, SCAR-L, Beryl M762, AKM, AUG, G36C Assault Rifles; Mini14, Mk14, QBU, SLR, and SKS Designated Marksman Rifles; M24, Kar98k, and AWM Sniper Rifles; Vector, Bizon and MP Small Machine Guns, and S12K Shotgun and M249 LMG. The Moonlight weather setting is also live on the Vikendi map. Even though the new weather is implemented at night, it will not be as dark since “the big glowing super moon and bright aurora borealis will help you to detect enemies.” As mentioned above, a new secret location has also been added to the snow map and it remains to be seen where exactly this location is. Some quality of life improvements to the game includes the option to pre-set the firing mode of any firearm being picked up. There’s also improved UI widget visibility and the purchase failure message will show up when a purchase fails due to a Steam issue. Related Reads: Vikendi scavenger-hunt announced for PUBG Xbox, new update released with multiple hotfixes Ban PUBG, 11-year old appeals to Maharashtra Govt as it promotes "gaming addiction, violence and cyber bullying" "PUBG Wala hai kya?" asks PM Modi addressing online gaming during Pariksha Pe Charcha event
Highlights: Both Samsung and Apple lost smartphone shipment market share. Chinese players HOVX (Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi) end the year with positive growth. HMD Global registered a 126 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth. The global smartphone market saw a 4 percent decline in shipment in Calendar Year (CY) 2018 even as the fourth quarter of the year saw a 7 percent fall, Counterpoint Research’s Market Monitor Service has said. The research firm claims that the decline in shipments in Q4 2018 marks the fifth consecutive quarter of this behaviour. Chinese players HOVX (Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi) continue to defy market decline ending the year with positive growth, the report notes. “This is the first time that the global smartphone market has witnessed decline for a whole year. The decline in smartphone shipments can be attributed to lengthening replacement cycles in developed markets like US, China and Western Europe. Smartphone OEMs tried to push sales by adding features such as AI, multiple camera assemblies, full-screen displays, in-screen fingerprint scanners etc. but consumers held on to their devices longer due to the absence of groundbreaking innovations and higher prices of devices being offered by the OEMs,” Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, said in a statement. Pathak said that in 2019, the smartphone-makers are looking to launch devices with specifications like 5G, foldable displays, punch-hole cameras and full-screen in-display fingerprint scanners to lure consumers to upgrade. The global decline can be attributed to the decrease in smartphone shipments in China, which was responsible for almost 1/3rd of global smartphone shipments in 2018. The magnitude of decline is so huge that the collective smartphone shipment growth of emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia and others was not enough to offset the decline in China. “With China showing little or no sign of recovery due to various politico-economic factors, Chinese brands are looking to expand overseas. To increase market share, Chinese brands have been aggressive in both hardware/software design and marketing. They are bringing many firsts into smartphone designs and are taking multiple brand strategies to enter new segments without making a compromise of their brand image,” added Shobhit Srivastava, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research. Brand-wise segregation of smartphone shipments: Samsung and Apple saw a tough quarter and tough 2018 as demand for their flagship phones have waned due to competition from affordable premium offerings from Chinese brands such as Huawei and OnePlus. Apple has already attempted to reduce prices in China in oorder to reduce losses, but the firm claims that a small price cut will not move the needle. It says that Apple’s buy-back programmes and installment plans “will be more effective.” Huawei took the third spot, followed by Xiaomi, which surpassed Oppo globally to take back the fourth position. BBK Group, which owns Oppo, Realme, Vivo and OnePlus brands, is collectively the world’s third largest manufacturer, even bigger than Huawei in terms of volume. HMD Global, the company that sells the Nokia-branded phones, registered a whopping 126 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in the CY2018. In the fourth quarter, the company registered a 6 percent YoY growth. Related Read: Jio Phones top feature phone, overall handset Indian market in 2018: Counterpoint Research Overall iPhone sales down 20% YoY in November: Counterpoint Research
Highlights: Apple is reportedly working on a laser-based 3D camera system for 2020 iPhones. The new camera setup is said to enable better AR implementation and imaging functionality. The company is said to debut the tech with a new 10-inch iPad. We already know that Apple is working on its new generation of iPhones as we brought you the first look at how the upcoming iPhone XI might look like, with a triple-rear camera on the back. Now, a new report by Bloomberg claims that the company is planning to launch the 2020 iPhones with a “more-powerful 3-D camera to get a leg up in the Augmented Reality (AR) market". Citing people close to the development, the report states that future iPhones could come equipped with a longer-range 3D camera that is made for scanning the environment and reconstructing it in 3D. It is said to work up to about 15 feet from the device, as opposed to the front-facing 3D camera in current generation iPhones that can scan a user’s face from about 30 cms for enabling Face ID. While the current generation face scanning technology used by Apple employs dot-projection for creating a 3D model, future iPhones will reportedly use a laser scanner that is better suited to work over longer distances. This sensor could theoretically enable enhanced AR functionalities with better depth perception for placement of objects in the AR space. It could also be used for imaging application and enable better depth in images captured in portrait mode. Apple is apparently talking to Sony about testing sensors for its phones. The new laser-based 3D sensor is said to be one of the many new features, as Apple is also said to introduce a third “more advanced camera, enhanced photo-capture tools and a more powerful chip” in its 2020 iPhone lineup. Even though the new 3D camera system might be introduced in the upcoming iPhones, the report suggests that it could first debut on an upgraded iPad Pro, which could be launched in early spring 2020. Additionally, the company plans to unveil an updated version of the more affordable iPad with a faster chip, maybe the A12 Bionic, and a 10-inch display. While the new iPad Pro comes with USB-C ports, this upcoming iPad is said to retain the Lightning connector. Additionally, there could also be a new, cheaper iPad Mini in the works. Coming to this year's speculated iPhone lineup by Apple, previous reports suggested that the company is planning an upgrade for the iPhone XS (codename D42), XS Max (D43), and the iPhone XR. Bloomberg reports that the top-end iPhone model coming this year will feature a triple-rear camera setup and the other models could be updated with the new camera setup as well. This new camera setup should’ve made its way to the current iPhone line-up but the company reportedly delayed it. In addition to the new camera tech, Apple could also incorporate a USB-C connector instead of the Lightning port. An upgraded processor can also be expected, along with updated Face ID sensor for unlocking the device and payments approval. Delving more details on the camera setup, the report states that inclusion of a third camera on the 2019 iPhones will enable them to capture a wider area, maybe with a wide-angle lens, and enable better zoom capabilities. This new setup is said to capture more pixels for the Apple software that might be used in various scenarios. An example being reparation of a video or photo to include a subject that’s accidentally cut off from the initial shot. The Live Photos feature is also said to get an update with the length of the video being doubled from three to six seconds. Finally, there is some new information on Apple’s upcoming iOS 13. The new operating system revision could introduce a dark mode for devices, along with some improvements for CarPlay. iPad centric updates include a new home screen, improvements to file management, and the option to tab through multiple versions of a single app, which is said to be similar to switching between tabs in a browser. Later this year, Apple is said to combine two new services via iOS updates, a magazine subscription service and its alleged video streaming service. Related Reads: Apple bans Facebook Research App that allegedly spied on teenagers Apple sued over FaceTime eavesdropping bug Sharp hopes to be OLED supplier for future Apple iPhones: Report 
Highlights: Fortnite for Android and iOS now supports bluetooth controllers. The game supports 60FPS on select Android devices. The update for Fortnite on mobile brings with it bug fixes. If you are frustrated using touch controls for Fortnite on iOS and Android then there is good news for you. Epic has updated the game on iOS and Android to support bluetooth controllers. On Android you can use any bluetooth controller, but on iOS users can only use controllers that are “Made for iPhone” certified. On its official website, Epic says, on Android “most of Bluetooth controller adapters, such as Steelseries Stratus XL, Gamevice, XBox1, Razer Raiju, and Moto Gamepad” are supported. On iOS, “MFi controllers, such as Steelseries Nimbus and Gamevice” are supported. Fortnite already supported 60FPS on the new iPhones but the developer has also added 60FPS support for select Android devices. As of now, 60FPS is supported on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (USA variant), HONOR View 20 and the Huawei Mate 20 X. The update also brings with it bug fixes for issues that bar players from building multiple structure types while simultaneously holding down the build button and changing build types. Epic has further "Fixed Harvesting Tool button no longer swaps back to the previously selected weapon, Fixed Multiple simultaneous button presses on mobile can disable the fire button, Fixed No padlock icon appears on the directional pad when locking with auto-run on mobile and Fixed Several UI buttons having lower resolution than the other buttons.” There are a number of other additions to the game and you can check out all the details of the update on the official Epic website here. Moving to other platforms the game is running on, Fortnite for Xbox has received keyboard and mouse support. Microsoft announced keyboard and mouse support for the Xbox One and Fortnite was one game that capitalized on it. At CES, Razer showcased its Xbox Keyboard and mouse combo and announced support for a number of games. Sadly, PUBG isn’t getting keyboard and mouse support on the console. Speaking of the other popular battle royale game, PUBG, a survey conducted in India found that 73.4 percent of players were found to play PUBG on their smartphones. This is of course because the game is free for smartphones and the specifications required to run PUBG on a phone are not as demanding as Fortnite on a phone. Apart from smartphones PUBG is available on the PC, Xbox One and PS4. The PS4 was the last gaming hardware to get the game. Also read: Fortnite made $2.4 billion revenue in 2018, PUBG earned $1.028 billion: Report Fortnite V7.20 content update brings new Sneaky Snowman item, Sniper Shootout Limited Time Mode and more "PUBG Wala hai kya?" asks PM Modi addressing online gaming during Pariksha Pe Charcha event
Highlights: Retail box image leak shows Moto G7 Plus with 27W TurboPower fast charging support. The main 16MP camera is also seen having OIS. The phone is seen sporting a waterdrop notch. Last week, all the phones belonging to the Moto G7 series were leaked delving out a lot of information about the devices. It seemed that we might not see any major leaks in the run-up to the launch event, but now the images of the retail box of the Moto G7 Plus are making rounds on the internet showing that the phone will come with 27W TurboPower fast charging support. Previous generation of Motorola phones ship with the Turbo charging support. However, there is no confirmation if all other phones in the series, apart from Moto G7 Plus, will have the same TurboPower fast charging support. In addition to the TurboPower charging, the Moto G7 Plus is expected to have the Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) on its main 16MP camera. Brazilian tech website Tudocelular also reports that Motorola will bundle a protective cover for free, along with a charger with USB-C to USB-C cable. Last week, press renders and the starting price of the Motorola G7 series were leaked after Motorola Brazil accidentally listed the phones on the website. According to the leaks, the Moto G7 is expected to sport a waterdrop notch on a 6.24-inch display. Under the hood, the Moto G7 may have a mid-range Snapdragon 632 processor, which is expected to power the Moto G7 Play and Moto G7 Power as well. The Plus model may have a Snapdragon 636 SoC. The spec sheet shared in the article also shows the G7 having 4GB of RAM. The G7 Plus is seen having a 4GB RAM (base), the Moto G7 Play has a 2GB RAM (base) and Moto G7 Power has a 3GB RAM. Motorola is expected to launch four phones under the G7 lineup in Brazil, ahead of the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2019 event. All the phones are said to be offered in multiple variants, that is, with different RAM and storage capacities. Related Read: Moto G7, Moto G7 Plus renders hint at 'waterdrop' notch design, dual-rear cameras Moto G7 Play EEC listing suggests it will come pre-loaded with Android 9 Pie Moto G7 leaked specs hints 6.4-inch display, 3500mAh battery
