Oppo's New Age-Based System to Combat Smartphone Gaming Addiction: Report

Oppo has introduced a new system to help curb the rampant smartphone gaming addiction epidemic among youngsters. This comes as manufacturers, developers and governments alike are in efforts to tackle smartphone gaming addiction.

from RSS Feeds | GAMES - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2U08E4U

Apple iPad Pro 2020: Whats changed and whats the same

Apple, in a rather surprising turn of events, announced a new iPad Pro last night. The device was rumoured for some time, as was an event, but due to the ongoing Corona Virus situation, things had been uncertain. However, the cat is out of the bag and the new iPad Pro is here to stay. Offering the tablet in the same two sizes as the 2018 model, the new iPad Pro comes with a number of new hardware features. If you’re on the fence about which iPad Pro to get, here’s everything that’s the same, and everything that’s changed between the two tablets.

What’s New

The Processor

The 2018 iPad Pro shipped with the A12x Bionic SoC with 4 efficiency cores and 4 high-performance cores. The chipset incorporated a seven core GPU along with the M12 motion coprocessor. The new iPad Pro, according to Apple’s website, sports an A12z Bionic SoC. The new SoC features the same 8 CPU cores, but adds an extra core for the GPU, bringing the total core count to eight. There’s also an improved thermal design, which should help the CPU-GPU hit higher clocks for longer periods of time. We will be testing this out when we get the new iPad Pro for review. It is very interesting that Apple chose to stick to the A12-series of SoCs instead of coming up with an A13x Bionic SoC. Apple already uses the A13 Bionic in the new iPhone 11 (Review)  series of smartphones, so it would be logical to conclude that the company would put their flagship SoC in their flagship tablet (like they have done in the past).

The Camera

The iPad, regardless of the generation, has always had a single camera, that it until now. The new iPad Pro 2020 comes with a dual-camera setup, the primary camera offering 12MP of resolution while the ultra-wide camera offers 10 megapixels of resolution and 11mm of field of view. The iPad Pro 2018 only sports a single 12-megapixel camera on the back. What is not yet known, however, is whether the new iPad Pro’s cameras will support the stellar night more that we’ve seen on the iPhone 11 Pro (Review), or whether creators will be able to shoot 4K video using both the cameras simultaneously, like on the iPhone 11 Pro (using third-party apps).

LiDAR

Augmented Reality has always been a major focus for Apple, and with the iPad Pro 2020 edition, the company is taking things one giant step forward. Embedded next to the dual cameras is a LiDAR sensor, essentially a Time of Flight sensor. Apple doesn’t list any specifics about the LiDAR system, except that it has a functional range of five feet regardless of whether it's indoors or outdoors. The 2018 iPad Pro relied on its singular camera to enable augmented reality, so it can be expected that AR experiences will be far better on the new iPad Pro.

Faster Wi-Fi

The new iPad Pro models feature faster Wi-Fi modems in comparison to the 2018 iPad Pro. The new models are compatible with Wi-Fi standards going all the way to AX, supporting speeds of up to 1.2Gbps, whereas the older iPad Pro only supported speeds of up to 866Mbps.

What’s the Same

A lot of the new iPad Pro remains the same in comparison to its previous generation model. For starters, regardless of whether you get the 11-inch model or the 12.9-inch model, the dimensions and weight are identical between the two generations. The two models also feature the same displays too, both with ProMotion (120Hz refresh rate), 600 nits peak brightness, and the same resolution with an effective pixel density of 264 PPI. Apple’s listing of the battery life also points to the same battery capacity as well. Both the tablets will work with the second-generation Apple Pencil

Which One Should You Buy

Now we’ve not talked about the new Magic Keyboard or the trackpad support that was announced alongside the 2020 iPad Pro models. This is because the trackpad support is actually part of the iPadOS update coming out on March 24, and the new keyboards will also be compatible with the 2018 iPad Pro models. If you live by the “newer is better” philosophy, then buying the 2020 iPad Pro models is a no brainer. Similarly, if you’re someone who could really benefit from the additional camera, then the new iPad Pro makes more sense for you as well. However, if you’re looking for a reliable tablet that can be a good substitute to your laptop for your travel, the 2018 iPad Pro can still very much handle its own. All you’d need is a nice keyboard to go with, and you’d be all set. Additionally, it should be pointed out that Apple has not announced any price drops on the 2018 iPad Pro, so don’t expect that you may be able to pick up the older model on the cheap once the new one is launched.  

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

TV shipments in India climb to a record 15 million units in 2019: Counterpoint

TV shipment in India grew 15% annually, bringing the total number of units shipped in 2019 to 15 million as per a Counterpoint report. The growth is primarily driven by the budget smart TV segment. 32-inch TVs are leading this segment, available at affordable prices. Highlighting the Indian TV market growth, Senior Analyst, Karn Chauhan notes, “India is one of the largest markets in the world with more than 200 million potential TV households and is still underpenetrated which makes India a more attractive growth market for the entire TV and content value chain. The growing number of smartphone users in India is also driving a need for Smart TV as users look to continue their streaming content consumption on the bigger screens when at home. The broader broadband penetration in the home will further drive the overall smart TV usage. Though affordability and value for money are the key growth drivers. The new crop of brands such as Xiaomi, TCL and others are tapping their existing relationships with e-commerce channels such as Flipkart, Amazon, etc to successfully distribute the TVs affordably with a direct-to-consumer model.”

Commenting on the competitive landscape, Research Analyst, Debasish Jana, shared, “Samsung continues to lead the overall TV market but the emerging smart TV segment is being cornered by the newer players. Smart TV was the fastest-growing segment, up 25% YoY. The smart TV market in India was mostly driven by brands like Xiaomi, Samsung and emerging tail brands such as TCL, Vu and others, which are leveraging their growing channel presence both online and offline to target the new users and upgrade users. Non-smart TV grew by 7% YoY in 2019. While Samsung, LG, Sony are experiencing a YoY decrease in their non-smart TV business, brands like BPL, Sansui and others are still banking on the non-smart TV segment that mainly caters to the rural market, B2B segment or a second bedroom TV in many cases.”

Mr. Jana, further added, “Brands like Xiaomi, TCL, VU have been expanding over the last few years taking on incumbents such as Samsung. LG, Sony, and Panasonic. Furthermore, 2019 was marked by the entry of smartphone brands such as Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus with their Smart TVs looking to build a connected device story complementing their smartphone devices. These new-age brands from Xiaomi to OnePlus are offering high specifications, some unique features at highly affordable price-points targeting urban users via e-commerce channels. This has led to some serious price-cuts by competition during the year to match the value proposition from these Chinese brands leveraging the cost-effective e-commerce channels.”

The Counterpoint report breaks down the performance of TV brands in India as follows.

Samsung recorded a 6% YoY growth in 2019. This growth is mostly coming from its smart TV portfolio which saw 5% YoY growth and includes N5000, N7000, R5000 and R7000 models. In the Rs 50,000 and above price segment, Samsung leads the market with a 40% market share. Its non-smart business, however, declined.

Xiaomi is the leader in the smart TV segment with 40% YoY growth in 2019. This growth was driven by the popular models, such as Mi TV 4A, 4A Pro and 4C Pro series TV in both 32 and 43-inch sizes.

LG’s share has taken a hit due to lower than expected performance in the non-smart TV market. For LG, 32- and 43-inch TVs performed well in 2019 with models like LJ573D, LK526B, LM560B, LK616B, etc. LG is growing strongly in the sub Rs 30,000 segment. In 2019, LG introduced its Nano cell Smart TV with ThinQ AI technology in India.

Sony’s overall TV shipments declined 14% YoY. Smart TVs, on the other hand, helped Sony keep some of its markets with 3% YoY growth. The X80G, X90G and A8F series became quite popular for Sony this year.

TCL made 110% YoY growth this year. Its Smart TV business grew even more with a 186% YoY increase thanks to its affordable smart TVs such as S6500, P6 and P8 series.

Other brands like Kodak and Thomson made an impressive 40% YoY growth in the market while VU and BPL have recorded 16 and 35% growth respectively.

LED TVs still account for more than 90% of the market in India, OLED and QLED TV the remaining 10%.

Android is leading the Smart TV market when it comes to the operating system (OS) with a 30% market followed by Samsung and LG’s homegrown TV platforms Tizen and WebOS respectively. The Indian smartphone market is dominated by Android and that may influence consumer's Smart TV purchase decisions.

The report concludes by saying that “with the popularity of OTT platforms and robust Internet connectivity, the Smart TV market will continue to grow in India. The budget-oriented Smart TV sector will dominate the market as the majority of Indians are likely to taste the water with less costly Smart TV before making any high-value purchase decision”.

The quality of budget Smart TVs in India has also seen improvement. 2018 and 2019 were populated with Android Smart TVs running on AOSP (Android Open Source Platform). AOSP isn't the best experience when it comes to a Smart TV experience but brands like Xiaomi, TCL, iFFALCON, and more moved quickly to offer users an Android TV experience. LG’s WebOS and Samsung’s Tizen also saw presence in the budget segment. 

A lot of these budget TVs offer 4K resolution along with HDR support, but the HDR performance of these TVs has been lacklustre. With TVs like the Nokia TV and recently announced Kodak TV offering 400 nits of brightness and Dolby Vision support, HDR capabilities of these budget HDR TVs will get better, making it tougher for most to invest in a flagship TV. 

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

COVID-19: All the tech events that are cancelled, postponed or made online-only

The novel coronavirus outbreak that started in China’s Hubei district is now a worldwide pandemic as declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and as the virus continues to spread across countries, restrictions are being put on public gatherings with governments urging citizens to maintain social distance and self-quarantine.

As of Thursday, 19th March, there are 214,915 confirmed cases across the world with over 8,733 dead. The situation in India, though kept under control has also started to rise exponentially. The total cases in India now stand at 166 as of writing this article, and the number is increasing every day. To help contain the contagion, governments across the world have already stopped accepting tourists and foreigners. The Indian government has also cancelled all visas of incoming foreigners. Schools, colleges, multiplexes, malls and historical sites have been closed. You can stay updated on covidout.in, a tracker built specifically to track the virus' spread in India.

Tech brands have taken a big hit as well. Since this is a category that evolves through conferences and summits, a lot of tech companies have postponed their launches. Some have also cancelled them altogether, while some are doing online-only events. We will keep updating this article to keep you informed about developments around tech events. Whether they will be streamed online, or postponed or cancelled altogether.

February

Feb 24 - Feb 27: Mobile World Congress (Cancelled)

March

March 5: Realme 6 series launch (online-only live stream)

March 12: Redmi Note 9 series launch (online-only live stream)

March 13 - March 22: SXSW (Cancelled)

March 16: Moto Razr launch (Online-only live stream)

March 16- March 20: Game Developers Conference (Postponed; Brands are holding individual online-only streams)

March 31: Adobe Summit (Virtual, online-only)

March 31: Xiaomi Mi 10 5G launch (online-only live stream)

April

April 6 - April 8: Google Cloud Next (Postponed)

May

May 6 - May 8: Facebook F8 Conference (Cancelled)

May 12 - May 14: Google I/O (Cancelled)

May 19 - May 21: Microsoft Build (Virtual)

June

June 2 - June 6: Computex (Happening as planned)

June 9 - June 11: E3 Conference (Cancelled)

June 11 - June 15: Dreamhack Summer (Ticket sales suspended)

June 2020: Apple WWDC (Online-only)

June 30 - July 2: Mobile World Congress Shanghai (Happening as scheduled)

August

August 3 - August 7: Game Developers Conference (New Date)

...We will be updating this article with more information as soon as more news develops.

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2Uj6oVh

Sony PlayStation 5 specifications revealed, heres how it compares to the Xbox Series X

A lot of fanboys will say that the PS5 is more powerful than the Xbox Series X and vice versa. The only thing that will put that debate to rest is when we see third party games fully optimized for each system and can compare them side by side, or wait for the guys at Digital Foundry to do it for us. Until then, let's quickly break down the specifications of the PS5 in terminologies that mere mortals can understand and see how it stacks up against the recently announced specifications of the Xbox Series X. You can read the details of the Series X's specs here. For those that want to see a side by side comparison can scroll down to the table below and see how the 2 consoles compare. 

Custom AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU

Just like the Xbox Series X, the PS5 runs on a custom AMD Zen 2 CPU and an RDNA 2 GPU with dedicated ray tracing. The PS5 doesn't have locked clock speeds for the CPU and GPU like the Series X. Instead it has a variable frequency up to 3.5GHz for the CPU and a variable frequency up to 2.23GHz for the GPU. Since the frequency isn’t locked, the power consumption of the console can be reduced to slightly lower the frequency when needed, leading to a better overall performance of the system. The PS5 will also use something called Smart Delivery which is an AMD technology for its mobile chips where a reduction in power is smartly optimized between the CPU and the GPU, based on the workload. This is interesting and we will have to wait and see how developers exploit it. 

RAM and Storage

The Xbox series X has 16GB GDDR6 with 320b bus. The RAM is divided into 10GB @ 560 GB/s and 6GB @ 336 GB/s. 

For the PS5, we have GDDR6 16GB with a 448GB/s Bandwidth. When it comes to storage, Microsoft has gone with a custom internal solution of 1TB. So has the PS5 but the capacity is 825GB. Storage is where things get interesting. Microsoft has implemented 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) speed for its storage. Sony, on the other hand, has gone with a massive 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw) and uncompressed going all the way higher in the ballpark of 8GB/s and higher. That is an impressive feat and with these high read speeds, Sony wants to eliminate the need for loading screens together and make fast travel really fast. 

When it comes to storage expansion, both the consoles will support storage expansion. For the Series X, Microsoft has partnered with Seagate for a custom 1TB expandable storage whereas Sony will support PCIe 4 based storage that's available off the shelf, but there is a catch. Put simply, the tech Sony is using is yet to be implemented in PCIe 4, kinda. So we will have to wait for a list of approved drives that are compatible with the console. How these storage expansion solutions play out is something we will know when the console's launch.

Backward Compatibility

The Xbox Series X is compatible with Xbox One, and the backward library of 360 and OG Xbox games. The PS5 will be compatible with PS4 games and Sony hasn't said anything about PS3, 2 or PS1 games yet. If you have an external hard drive where your PS4 and Xbox One games are stored, you can connect that to the respective console and play your current-gen library off it without any hassles, leaving space on the internal drive for the new games that need to exploit the fast storage. Whether you will be able to swap games between the internal and external drive is yet to be seen. 

3D Audio

Mark Cerny had a glow on his face when he spoke about the Audio capabilities of the PS5. There is a custom 3D audio engine that is built for the system. He highlighted that the Audio shift from the PS3 to the PS4 was a step-down and that on the PS4 a mere half core was used for audio. The PS5 will use Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) to give players a more immersive audio experience. So for example, if the sound is coming from the back right from a very specific direction, you will be able to identify that exact position rather than know the general direction of the sound. Playing with headphones will be the gold standard for this and will be incorporated into other systems like TV speakers, home theatres, etc. down the line. 

We now have a lot of information about the hardware the two consoles pack. We also know what the Xbox Series X looks like but are still waiting to see what the PS5 looks like. Mark Cerny did say that the teardown of the console is quite exciting, and we are looking forward to it. Below is a look at the specifications of the Xbox Series X vs the PS5. 

Particulars Xbox Series X PlayStation 5 CPU Custom Zen 2 CPU 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz w/ SMT) x86-64-AMD Ryzen Zen 2 8 Cores / 16 Threads Variable frequency, up to 3.5GHz GPU 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU RDNA 2-based graphics engine Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS) Ray Tracing Hardware Accelerated Hardware Accelerated System Memory 16 GB GDDR6 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s GDDR6 16GB @ 448GB/s Bandwidth Internal Storage 1 TB Custom NVME SSD 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) 825GB 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw) External Storage 1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly) PCIe 4 based storage Disc 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc HDMI Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1) Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1) Variable Rate Shading Yes NA Audio Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Windows Sonic “Tempest” 3D AudioTech

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

Nokia 83, Nokia 53, Nokia 13 expected to be launched today: Live stream, specs and more

HMD Global is all set to unveil a range of phones today. The Nokia 8.3, Nokia 5.3 and Nokia 1.3 are expected to be announced at the event. Nokia was going to hold the event in London. However, it got cancelled. Now, we’ll see an online-only launch event. It will begin at 4 pm GMT (10 PM IST). Further, the company will be live-streaming the event on YouTube. You can watch the event live below.

 

According to a report, Nokia will be skipping the “Nokia 8.2” and launching the Nokia 8.3 instead.  It is said to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 SoC. The design could be similar to that of the Nokia 7.2 phone from 2019. Earlier reports have claimed that the smartphone could sport a 64MP primary camera and a 32-megapixel selfie camera. It may have 6GB and 8GB RAM variants. The device is rumoured to come equipped with 128GB of internal storage. Further, it may come with a 32MP selfie shooter. It is said that the phone could be coming with a pOLED or LCD screen and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. It may pack a 3500mAh battery as well.  

As for the Nokia 5.3, it is likely to feature a 6.55-inch display. It could be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 660/665 processor. It is rumoured to pack 3GB and 4GB RAM options, and offer 64GB of storage. The device may be a part of the Android One program. It is tipped to pack a 4000mAh battery. The phone is reported to come with four rear cameras — a 16-megapixel camera, a 5-megapixel shooter, and two 8-megapixel sensors. The front camera will also be an 8-megapixel shooter. It may come in Charcoal and Cyan colour options.

Lastly, Nokia 1.3 will be a budget device. It is rumoured to pack a waterdrop-style notch display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage, and a 13-megapixel rear camera. The phone may come with a 5-megapixel selfie camera. 

from Latest Technology News https://ift.tt/2IZme28

Sony Finally Announces PlayStation 5 Technical Specifications, Loses Out to Xbox in Numbers

Sony announced the hardware details for the PlayStation 5 during an online stream on March 18, where PlayStation's lead system architect Mark Cerny took the stage to explain what the fifth generation of the PlayStation will bring. The next PlayStation will come with an ultra-fast SSD storage, an integrated custom I/O system, a custom AMD GPU with r...

from RSS Feeds | GAMES - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2IXpZoD