Microsoft could reveal Xbox Series S in August 2020: Report

If information circulating the internet is to be believed, then we could see the much rumoured less powerful Xbox Series S also known as Lockhart revealed in August 2020. According to the source, “The company was aiming to show off the long-rumoured, more-affordable Xbox Lockhart around June 9. But it pushed those plans all the way to August — at least for now”. So it looks like Microsoft is waiting to showcase the new console, but when Sony held its PS5 reveal event, the company showed off the design of the PS5 along with an all-digital version of the console. 

According to Tom Warren from the Verge, “I’ve been reporting on Xbox Lockhart having a slightly underclocked CPU, but I now believe it’s the same speed as Series X. Just different GPU frequencies and CU counts”. So if the CPU is the same, then we can presume that the CPU bottleneck will not be an issue for developers. However, the lower CU counts and GPU frequency means that the console could take a hit on resolution but still deliver the same performance with games. This is quite the different approach when compared to Sony who is giving users the same hardware under the hood, with the only difference being the presence/absence of a Blu-ray drive. 

"Obviously, in the name 'Series X,' it gives us the freedom to do other things with that name so that we can create descriptors when we need to," Xbox head Phil Spencer said in December 2019 to Gamespot when the Xbox Series X was first unveiled. 

Information about the Lockhart console was also revealed in leaked Microsoft documents. The documents read, “Welcome to the June 2020 Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) release. You can use the GDK to develop games that can be certified and approved for release on Windows 10 PCs, Xbox One Consoles, and Project Scarlett consoles. In fact, you can target all those devices using a shared codebase”.

Microsoft is expected to showcase its first-party games at an event in July. We are looking forward to getting a look at gameplay from titles like Hellblade: Senua’s Saga, Halo Infinite and many more.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/31ugYy3

Indian government bans 59 mobile apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, Mi Community and more

TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, Xiaomi Mi Community, ES File Explorer, Clash of Kings are among the list of 59 mobile apps that have been banned by the Indian government. The Ministry of Information Technology finds these apps “engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.” 

The Indian government had earlier reportedly received a list of apps that originated or have links with China from intelligence agencies citing security and privacy concerns over the use of these apps. In a press release issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the government cites several complaints, reports and an “exhaustive recommendation” which forms the basis of this new order to ban 59 apps.

The government hasn’t revealed the nature of the ban, neither has it approached Google Play Store and Apple App Store to enforce the order. As of writing this report TikTok, Shareit and more apps from the list are available on the respective app stores. 

Interestingly, a viral message doing the round of the Internet was recently spotted that prohibited the use of 14 apps with Chinese origin but it was discredited by the government at the time.

The Indian government has accused these 59 mobile apps on Android and iOS platforms of “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data” in an unauthorized manner to servers outside of India. Hence, the government has deemed these apps as a security concern for mining and profiling users data by “elements hostile of national security”.

Here’s the list of 59 mobile apps issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT that it has disallowed for use in mobile and non-mobile Internet devices.

 

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/38d92T4

Homegrown Tik-Tok alternative Chingari garners 25 million downloads on Google Play

A homegrown social networking app called “Chingari” has gone viral with more than 2.5 million downloads on the Google Playstore. Launched as a TikTok alternative, the short video sharing app reached 500,000 downloads in just 72 hours and the new milestone is coupled with thousands of favourable reviews on the app’s listing page on Google Playstore.

Apart from helping users reach out to millions with their posts, the biggest draw for the app is that it also pays content creators for content that goes viral. It’s also available on the Apple App Store.

It’s a truly Indian app with support for multiple vernacular languages, which has perhaps resonated with the people of the country amidst a surge in Anti-China sentiments. On the Google Playstore, it’s called Chingari - Original Indian Short Video app.

What is Chingari app?

Billed as a Tik-Tok alternative, Chingari is a homegrown, short video sharing app founded by two Bengaluru-based software engineers Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam. It’s free to download and offers a TikTok like interface to consume and upload content. Creators can also upload their own short videos.

The app has a feed which users can scroll up or down to watch short videos based on topics and people they follow. Topics include Entertainment, Technology, Health, Movies, Sports and more. Posts can also be filtered by hashtags and they can be shared as WhatsApp staatus, along with sharing them as links on other social media apps.

But it’s not new per se. The first version of the app launched on the Google Playstore in November 2018 and on iOS, it debuted in January 2019, according to Gadgets 360. And the recent fame is likely due to the demand for Indian alternatives. But there’s also another factor driving the downloads.

Chingari pays the content creator based on viral the video becomes. For every view one gets on their videos uploaded on the app, users get points which can then be redeemed for money.

The app is available in Hindi, English, Bengali, Gujrati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telegu.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2Vxs1Tk

PUBG Mobile Update 0.19.0 Coming on July 7 With New Livik Map

PUBG Mobile has announced through its Twitter handle that the 0.19.0 update will land on July 7. It will bring the recently named Livik map that is currently in the beta version of the game. The post on Twitter does not share any more details on what we can expect from the 0.19.0 update.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3dHWap2

Apple might exclude charger and earpods from iPhone 12 box

As we near the launch of the next iPhone, the rumours and leaks around it start to pick up with a feverish pace. Just like the last few years, we’re getting early, unconfirmed reports surrounding the charger of the iPhone. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that the iPhone 12 will not come with EarPods in the box. Perhaps the more notable claim is that Apple might, in fact, even be doing away with the bundled charger, leaving just the charging cable as the accessory in the box.

According to Kuo, the reasoning behind the removal of the bundled accessories is the potentially high cost of making the iPhone 12. Kuo says that Apple wants to maintain the current retail price for the iPhone 12 and apparently, removing essential bundled accessories seems to be the only way to do so. Do note that at this point, it is not clear whether Kuo is referring to all four alleged models that make up the iPhone 12 series or just a smartphone that might be called the iPhone 12.

Unfortunately, we cannot help but recommend taking these “predictions” with a pinch of salt. For the last three years, there have been numerous reports just before the year’s iPhone launch, speculating that Apple would bundle a fast charger in the box (rumour started with the iPhone XS) or that Apple would ditch the Lightning connector in favour of USB-C. This last one has come up over and over again, once when Apple shifted to Type-C port on the iPad Pro, again when a screenshot from an early build of iOS 13 leaked, showing a type-C cable to be connected to a computer, and recently, with the EU going after Apple for using a proprietary connector.

Current rumours, as they stand, suggest that Apple would remove the bundled charger from the box, and instead, would coax people into buying the newly leaked 20W fast charger. Apple is known for being consistent with whatever it is they do and removing a long-standing bundled accessory would go very much against that image. The only accessory to ever be removed from the iPhone box is the lightning to 3.5mm headphone converter, something that was included only on 2 generations of iPhones, to ease the transition to a headphone-jack-less world.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/3dGKxyH

Xiaomi MIUI 12 stable update rolling out to new phones Heres whats new

It’s been just about a month that Xiaomi announced the global version of MIUI 12 for its smartphones, with beta versions rolling out on the same day. Now, with the sale and production of new smartphones impacted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Xiaomi is focusing on rolling out the new interface to new smartphones on priority.

A new report states Xiaomi smartphones have already started to receive the stable update to MIUI 12 which includes the Redmi K30 5G, Redmi K30 Pro Zoom, Mi 9, Mi 9 Pro 5G and Mi 10 Youth. The report claims that the updates started rolling out from June 28 for more phones including the Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 9 Explorer Edition, Redmi K20 Pro and the Redmi K20.

However, it seems there’s still time for the updates to roll out to phones in India. The rollout falls in line with the timeline shared by Xiaomi at the launch of MIUI 12. Xiaomi had promised that the first stable build will start rolling out from June. The rollout will also depend a lot on the COVID-19 pandemic that’s presently raging across the globe.

What’s new in MIUI 12?

MIUI 12 brings a new design that’s powered by a Physics Engine and an animation rendering engine, which makes UI elements appear a lot better and more consistent across the software. The new interface also introduces floating windows to Xiaomi smartphones that can be used for quick replies to messages, or even a game to run minimized. MIUI 12 also supports universal casting to TVs and displays that support Miracast.

Then there are Super Wallpapers which let you tour planets from your phone screen. These wallpapers use part of the same package to animate the home screen, lock screen and the always-on display.

There are also a host of privacy improvements including a better notification management feature. MIUI 12 will highlight the critical components like the camera or microphone used by an app in the background. You can also choose to let apps acquire your location information only when they are running in the foreground.

There’s also a new dark mode that can force third party apps to also emulate the theme style. Lastly, a new Ultra Battery Saver mode is included to make phones last longer on a single charge. It kicks in when the phone hits 5 per cent battery,  and shows a minimalist home screen with just a few essential apps.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/3i63fTX

Apple could launch a 108-Inch iPad in 2020, 85-inch iPad Mini in 2021: Report

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is expected to launch a 10.8-inch iPad in 2020 and an 8.5-inch iPad Mini in 2021. It isn’t clear whether the new iPad will replace or be in addition to the 10.2-inch iPad and 10.5-inch iPad Air. It also isn’t clear what chip the upcoming iPads will run on as the refreshed iPad Air and iPad mini in 2019 run on the A12 Bionic chip which is Apple's latest and greatest. It is possible we could get the A13 with the upcoming iPhone 12 and the same chip could find its way to the upcoming iPads. Kuo has also said that a 20W power adapter will come with the new iPads in the box. 

Kuo has often been right with his Apple predictions, but we still suggest you take this with a grain of salt. Apple recently refreshed its iPad Pro lineup and also introduced a snazzy new keyboard that magnetically holds the iPad in place, giving the illusion that it is levitating. The refreshed iPad Pros come with the A12z chip. You can read more about the new iPad Pros here. 

We had a chance to review the iPad Air in 2019 and in our review we said that “The iPad Air is a fantastic device for content consumption, playing games and running a host of different apps from the App Store. It has swift performance and the display is a treat. The battery life and touch response are good too. The sound output from the tablet is good. However, it doesn’t have stereo separation when watching movies and it does not support the second-gen Apple Pencil.” You can read our review in detail here. 

The iPad Mini was also refreshed in 2019, bringing with it Apple Pencil (1st gen) support, A12 Bionic Chip and an upgraded display. Though it does retain its 7.9-inch form factor. It isn’t clear whether the upcoming 8.5-inch iPad will replace the 7.9-inch one or offer customers one more choice for an iPad mini.

At WWDC 2020, Apple announced the latest version of iPadOS and if you want to know if your iPad is compatible with iPadOS 14, then you can check out the list here.

Source

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2YEX55t