PlayStation 4 Hits 100 Million Consoles Sold Milestone, Sony Sees Growth in Image Sensor Business

Sony on Tuesday reported an 18.4 percent increase in first-quarter operating profit, beating market expectations.

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MediaTek Helio G90, G90T gaming-centred chipsets with HyperEngine tech launched

Smartphone gaming has seen a boom lately, and MediaTek has now joined the fellow chipmakers by launching its gaming-centric chipsets, the Helio G90 and Helio G90T with HyperEngine game technology. The Taiwanese chipmaker says that the Helio G90 Series of chipsets combine the CPU and GPU cores with MediaTek’s HyperEngine game technology that tunes the smartphone for gaming. The Helio G90 Series uses Arm Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 cores which can be clocked up to 2.05GHz. The chipset will also feature Arm Mali-G76 3EEMC4 GPU with clock speeds of up to 800MHz. MediaTek claims that the GPU can offer up to 50 percent performance boost.

“The mobile gaming market is growing and device makers are looking to give consumers and especially gaming fans the best smartphone game-play experience. That’s why we designed the G90 series. Our combination of hardware and software delivers high performance, unrivalled image quality, uninterrupted connectivity, and smooth responsive action even in the most demanding games. With the Helio G90 series, you get a super-fast and responsive display and reduced lag for smoother gameplay. Whether it’s Fortnite, PUBG or other top titles, this chip is a gaming powerhouse,” TL Lee, General Manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Communication business unit, said in a statement.

Performance

The new G90 Series will support up to 10GB of LPDDR4x RAM. MediaTek’s HyperEngine game technology has an array of engines to boost the mobile gaming experience. MediaTek’s HyperEngine technology includes:

Networking Engine: It optimises the connection between smartphone and cellular network. The chipmaker says that when it detects the Wi-Fi signal degrading, it triggers Wi-Fi and LTE concurrency in milliseconds to keep the game “lag-free”. It claims that even with a crowded network, gamers will get up to a 50 percent faster response than competing solutions. Further, the Dual Wi-Fi Connections allows a single smartphone antenna to be connected to two Wi-Fi bands (2.4GHz/5GHz) or two routers simultaneously for a decrease in latency and game jitter reduction.

These chipsets support Call and Data Concurrency, which basically means that when you receive a call, there won’t be a drop in data connection. MediaTek says that users can defer a call without leaving the game, that is, the data connection remains live and the game server connection does not drop. The Rapid Response Engine uses touch acceleration to improve in-game action-to-display speeds.

The Resource Management Engine is said to direct device resources to deliver for “optimum performance”. The Picture Quality Engine provides support for the HDR10 standard with 10-bit Color Depth on HDR-enabled smartphone displays.

Cameras

Both the chipsets feature triple-ISP design for “fast, precise” AI facial detection. On the premium imaging side, the chipsets support up to 64MP single camera and multi-camera combinations. The chipsets have a dedicated ‘night shot’ mode that uses quad-pixel technology to capture clearer images in low-light conditions. The chipsets’ multi-camera (Triple/Quad) framework also supports ultra-wide, telescopic and/or sub-sensor for depth-mapping or HDR. They support video recording at up to 240fps.

Xiaomi, Realme, Vivo and Moto to launch G90-powered phones

Manu Kumar Jain, Managing Director of Xiaomi India, announced that the company would launch a MediaTek Helio G90T-powered gaming phone soon. Representatives from Realme, Vivo and Moto told Digit that they could also launch G90-powered phones, however, they refrained from giving out any timeline for these launches.

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Best gaming laptop deals in the Amazon Grand Gaming Days sale

Amazon Grand Gaming Days sale is live now. The e-commerce giant is offering discounts on a wide variety of gaming products, including headsets, mice, laptops, and more. The sale went live on July 29 and it will end on July 30. Meanwhile, we have put together a list of laptops you can consider to buy from the ongoing sale.

Asus TUF FX505GD (Buy Here)

The Asus TUF Gaming FX505GD features a 15.6-inch FHD display with 60Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel. It is powered by the 8th gen Intel Core i5, paired with 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD storage. The laptop has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB of memory for taking care of graphics.  

Processor: Core i5-8300H 8th Gen RAM: 8GB (upgradeable up to 32GB) GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Storage: 1TB HDD Display: 1920x1080, 60Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel with 45% NTSC

Maximum Retail Price: Rs 75,990 Sale Price: Rs 56,990 Savings: 19,000

HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop (Buy Here)

The HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop is selling at a discount of 24%. The model we are mentioning here has a 15.6-inch FHD display with SVA anti-glare WLED-backlit. On the storage front, you get 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD storage. It has NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4GB memory. 

Processor: Core i5-8300H 8th Gen RAM: 8GB GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD Display: 1920x1080 SVA anti-glare WLED-backlit panel

Maximum Retail Price: Rs 78,680 Sale Price: Rs 59,990 Savings: 18,690

MSI GL63 (Buy Here)

The MSI GL63 is selling for a discount of Rs 40,000. The 8SD-1020IN model includes 8GB RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD. It is powered by 8th Gen Intel Core i7, and it runs on Windows 10. It features a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 10800 Wideview anti-glare display. The laptop has GTX 1660 Ti 6GB graphics. It weighs 2.22Kg.

Processor:  Core i7-8750H 8th Gen  RAM: 8GB (upgradeable) GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti Storage: 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD Display: 1920x1080 Wideview anti glare screen

Maximum Retail Price: Rs 1,29,990 Sale Price: Rs 89,990 Savings: Rs 40,000

Lenovo Legion Y540 (Buy Here)

The Legion Y540 is selling at a discount of 34%. It features a 15.6-inch (1920X1080) full HD display with anti Glare technology and 144Hz refresh rate. The laptop has 16GB RAM and 1TB HDD + 256 GB SSD. It comes with 6GB NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti Graphics.  

Processor:  Core i7-9750H 9th Gen  RAM: 16GB GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti Storage: 1TB HDD + 256GB SSD Display: 1920x1080 anti Glare technology, 144Hz refresh rate, 300 Nits Brightness

Maximum Retail Price: Rs 1,55,290 Sale Price: Rs 1,02,990 Savings: Rs 52,300

Asus ROG Zephyrus M (Buy Here)

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GU502GU-ES003T is the most expensive gaming laptop on this list. It features a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Anti-glare IPS-level panel with 144Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB colour reproduction. The laptop has 16GB DDR4 RAM, which is upgradeable up to 32GB RAM. It has 512GB NVMe storage with additional 1x M.2 Slot for PCIe SSD expansion. The laptop is powered by 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. Also, it weighs just 1.93Kg.

Processor:  Core i7-9750H 9th Gen  RAM: 16GB (upgradeable up to 32GB) GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD with additional 1x M.2 Slot for PCIe SSD expansion Display: 1920x1080 Anti-glare IPS-level panel, 144Hz refresh rate

Maximum Retail Price: Rs 1,85,990 Sale Price: Rs 1,39,990 Savings: Rs 46,000

Additionally, you can avail a 5% instant discount with HSBC cashback card. The exchange offer is valid on all the laptops as well.

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Nintendo Sells 2.1 Million Switch Consoles in Q2, Sees Profit Drop

Nintendo Switch sales in the quarter brought the total installed base to 36.9 million units.

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WhatsApp users will soon be able to use one account on different devices simultaneously: Report

WhatsApp users will soon be able to use the same account on multiple devices simultaneously, WABetaInfo, which tracks Whatsapp features before they are released to the general public, has confirmed. In a tweet, the tracker says that this support will be extended to WhatsApp for Windows/Universal Windows Platform (UWP) when available, iOS, iPadOS when available and Android. So users can now use WhatsApp on their PCs if their phones have no connection.

Last week, the same platform “launched a rumour” suggesting that the multi-platform system will be supported on iOS. It said that the 1) same WhatsApp account can be used on an iPad (when the app will be available) without uninstalling it from an iPhone, 2) the same WhatsApp account also on iOS and Android devices (or on devices having the same OS), and 3) WhatsApp on your computer (without the necessity for an Internet connection on your phone) using the UWP app.

The news is in line with a recent report, according to which, WhatsApp could soon have a web version that works without a smartphone. WhatsApp is said to be working on a way for users to use the instant messaging app on their desktop browsers without the need for a smartphone. Currently, if you need to run WhatsApp on the desktop, you need to have an active account on smartphone and are required to log on by scanning a QR code on phones.

WhatsApp has been undergoing a hard time when it comes to Whatsapp payment support in India. WhatsApp’s payment feature went live last year for a limited few users. The platform allowed users to send and receive money from other users, using the UPI platform, who also had the feature activated. The feature, however, remained in beta with pending regulatory approvals. Media reported that the authorities are concerned that WhatsApp might share user’s payment information with its parent company Facebook and subsidiary Instagram -- company’s other subsidiaries.

It's no longer a rumor, it's confirmed. You will be able to use your WhatsApp account on a lot of devices! It includes WhatsApp for Windows (UWP, when available), so you can use WhatsApp on your PC if your phone has no connection. iPhone/Android and iPadOS included https://t.co/PgNZTnOxlj

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) 29 July 2019

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Sony A9G, A8G Bravia OLED TVs launched in India

Sony has launched the A9G Bravia OLED TV in India. The TV is priced at Rs 2,69,900 for the 55-inch variant and Rs 3,69,900 for the 65-inch variant. The TV has a 4K resolution along with support for HDR including Dolby Vision. Under the hood it has the X1 Ultimate chipset. We have seen this chipset active in the recently launched Sony X95G LED TV that we reviewed earlier. You can check out our review of the X95G here. For the audio, the device as the company’s Acoustic surface technology that makes the entire screen vibrate to produce sound. Just like the A9F, the A9G can be used as the centre channel speaker of your home theatre system. 

The TV supports eARC but sadly doesn't support HDMI 2.1 a feature that the recently announced LG C9 OLED does. It runs on Android TV 8 out of the box and has 16GB built-in storage. It also has access to the Google Play store and supports all the popular streaming services like Netflix, Prime Videos, Hotstar and more. For your connectivity needs the TV has 4 HDMI ports and 3 USB ports. The TV comes with an updated remote control similar to what we saw on the X95G. The TV supports the Google Assistant and works with Amazon Alexa speakers as well. 

Coming to the A8G, the TV is available in 55 and 65-inch screen sizes priced at Rs 2,19,900 and Rs 3,19,900 respectively. The features of the TV are the same as the A9G with the difference being in the design and the processor powering the TV. The A8G is powered by the X1 Extreme chipset that powered the A1 and the A8F OLED TVs. The choice of going with an older gen processor in a flagship TV does feel like a bummer. The new TVs will be available from August 1 via Sony Centers and major retail stores. 

Competing with the Sony OLED lineup, LG launched their OLEED series in India. You can read more about the LG OLED TVs here.

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Google Pixel 4 confirmed to have Motion Sense, Face Unlock

It seems that Google has taken up the mantle to best the industry leaksters. Earlier, when tipsters were sharing source-based information about the camera of Google's upcoming phone, the company went ahead and posted an image of the camera module. Similarly this time around, when news of Google’s Soli radar chip cropped-up, the tech giant edged forward and announced that the company will use Soli motion-sensing radar, which it has been working on for the last five years. This new technology is expected to enable Motion Sense and Face Unlock functionalities.

We have already seen these features in some other phones. Talking about Motion Sense, LG was first to introduce this concept in LG G8 that was launched at MWC this year. It called the feature Air Motion, which allowed users to use gestures to perform tasks like changing songs, increase/decrease volume, etc. When it comes to Face Unlock, it was first introduced by Apple in the iPhone X (Face ID) almost two years ago. Since then, other OEMs have been trying to replicate it by using the front camera, however, unlike others, Google is adding sensors in the Pixel 4.

Moreover, the company also took a dig at Apple and said that keeping users’ privacy and security in mind, it will store the facial data used to unlock the device on the Titan M chip on the phone. “As we shared last month, Pixel 4 is in the works. Today we’re giving you an early look at the technology behind two new features coming to Pixel 4 that make your phone more helpful and represent the next step in our vision for ambient computing,” the company said in a blog post.

Motion Sense

As mentioned above, Google has confirmed that it will be using Soli motion-sensing radar to power this feature. It said that the company’s Advanced Technology and Projects team (ATAP) has been working on Soli for the past five years. Google says that it has developed a miniature version of the radar used to detect planes and large objects. The radar will be located at the top of Pixel 4 and it will sense small motions around the phone. Along with software algorithms, the radar will be able to recognise gestures. With the Soli radar at its disposal, the Pixel 4 will let users skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls, just by waving their hand(s). Google says that these capabilities are “just the start, and just as Pixel phones get better over time, Motion Sense will evolve as well.” Motion Sense will be available in select Pixel countries.

Face unlock

“Unlocking your phone should be easy, fast, and secure. Your device should be able to recognise you — and only you — without any fuss. Face unlock may be a familiar feature for smartphones, but we’re engineering it differently,” Google noted. While taking a dig at Apple, Google said that unlike “other phones” that are required to be lifted “all the way up, pose in a certain way, wait for it to unlock, and then swipe to get to the homescreen”, Pixel 4 does “all of that in a much more streamlined way.” Apple has apparently improved upon the feature in the iPad Pro and it is likely to bring a better version in the 2019 iPhones.

Google says that as a user reaches for Pixel 4, Soli turns on the face unlock sensors and recognises that the user may want to unlock the phone. “If the face unlock sensors and algorithms recognise a user, the phone will open as you pick it up, all in one motion,” Google claims. It adds that face unlock works in almost any orientation- even if the phone is held upside down - and the feature can be used for secure payments and app authentications. The comapny also released an image showing the components used for these features. There is no secondary camera on the front, it could mean that Google is going ahead with a single camera like the one in the Pixel 3a.

The company also mentions that it has taken into account the privacy and security of the users. It highlights that the face unlock feature uses facial recognition technology that is processed on the device. It claims that the images used for face unlock are not saved or shared with other Google services and the face data is securely stored in Pixel's Titan M security chip, which was introduced in Pixel3 devices. Similarly, Soli sensor data is said to be processed on the phone, and never saved or shared with other Google services.

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