PUBG Mobile may soon be getting a new map

It looks like PUBG Mobile may be releasing a new map soon. The guys over at PUBG Mobile sent over a very cryptic email which was pretty much three sentences and an image. However, what caught our eye was the attached image. It features a postcard, but the stamp seems to be of some landmass. Upon closer inspection, the stamp bears the #2/4, which seems to suggest that the stamp is a part of a large image. We also noted that YouTuber and professional PUBG Mobile player @Rollexxx_ also received a similar postcard, but it had the #1/4 stamp. As such we can conclude the PUBG Mobile is teasing the launch of a new map, and the four stamps can be combined to form the upcoming map. However, since we do not yet know which are the third or fourth stamps, we will just have to wait. It also explains the line “Join us at the gamer’s cafe to enjoy a cup of coffee while breaking new ground,” which was a part of the email. The ‘breaking new ground’ part does seem to suggest the launch of a new map.

Many online users seem to think that the new map could be Karakin. The new map has been available on PC and console for quite a while. So it is only a matter of time before it makes the jump to mobile. Other maps, like Miramar, Sanhok and Vikendi also followed the same route.

Kraken is a desert-themed map, similar to Miramar. But the size is quite small at 2x2km, which is the same size as Sanhok. So expect a lot of tight battles. However, it is also very different from other PUBG maps. For starters, the PC and console version of the map only supports 64 plays, leading to faster matches. Further, the map also introduces a Black Zone. This zone will bombard players with projectiles and artillery. However, unlike the Red Zone, the Black Zone also demolishes any buildings in the area. On top of this, the buildings also feature specific ‘drywall’ areas where people can shoot or blast through. 

Of course, this is pure speculation. We tried reaching out to the guys over at PUBG and they are playing their cards very close to the chest. So for now, we will just have to wait and see.

So @PUBGMOBILE gave me this exclusive postcard to share on stream, @PowerbangGaming you think you can help me figure out what it's all about? pic.twitter.com/MNgOH2HBid

— Rolex (@Rollexxx_) May 18, 2020

 

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MIUI 12 announced globally with devices as old as Redmi Note 5 set to receive it Here are the top features

Xiaomi announced the global version of MIUI 12 in an online event. With an increased focus on UI aesthetics and some productivity-improving multi-tasking features, MIUI 12 will start rolling out to Mi, Redmi and Poco smartphones from the end of June. Beta builds of the custom Android skin will be available from next week. The custom Android skin was previously announced for the Chinese market.

MIUI 12 rollout schedule

Xiaomi announced MIUI 12 will start rolling out to Xiaomi devices from end of June. The event did not touch upon India availability specifically, details of which will be released by the Xiaomi India team in the coming few days.

The first batch of devices that will receive MIUI 12 includes the Mi 9, Mi 9T, Mi 9T Pro, Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro.

In round 2, a lot more devices will receive the update. The second list includes —

Redmi Note 7 Pro Redmi Note 8 Pro Redmi Note 9 Poco F1 Mi 10 Pro Poco F2 Pro Poco X2 Redmi Y2 Redmi Note 6 Pro, and more.

We noticed devices as old as the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Redmi Note 5 in the list of devices scheduled to get the update.

Xiaomi said MIUI 12 is a product of a decade’s worth of research and innovation and the latest version goes big on design, privacy and multi-tasking. Here are the top features announced today —

Universal Casting

MIUI 12 will support universal casting to TVs and displays that supports Miracast. Xiaomi announced that you can cast just about anything from your phone — Videos, games, docs, apps and more.

Furthermore, private messages you receive while casting the screen will not be shown on the big screen. You can also exit the cast screen from your phone and go somewhere else, and it won't impact the casting process.

Floating windows

Xiaomi also announced floating windows to allow quick replies to messages from within another app like Instagram. Floating windows are not just for messaging apps. According to the demo, you can even make a game float on the main screen while it's loading or keep a video in a floating window while you do a quick Google search.

The window can be enlarged to enter the app in full screen or kept minimised in the corner. Notably, the floating windows aren't bubble-shaped like we see with Facebook Messenger and the likes. Instead, it forms a small rectangular window in the corner and may cover part of the app you're on.

Animation render engines

MIUI 12 has restructured animation rendering with a new physics engine. There’s a new animation framework called Light Cone Animation Framework that adds real-time gaussian blur to the background with varying degrees of blurring. The same rendering engine also introduces dynamically rounded corners that changes as you click on an icon to when the app opens.

The Physics Engine delivers tangible feedback to UI actions, whether you are pulling an app from a corner, or tapping on an icon upfront or tilting it to the corner. The opening animation of apps also happens with a 3D touch making it look like it pops out of the screen. The weather app is also updated to show weather elements on the screen. Icons also got a big upgrade with the inclusion of layers. You will now see elements in the icons change shape with the passage of time. There’s also a new iOS-like Control Center that gives you control over frequently used settings. It’s basically a redesign of the quick access bar in the notification shade.

Animations are present across the interface and even in the Settings app. The About Phone section will visualise information like storage space. Clicking on it will give an even more visual breakup of what’s eating your space.

Super Wallpapers

Xiaomi has collaborated with NASA to let you tour plants from your phone screen. Called Super Wallpapers, they animate the home screen, lock screen as well as the Always-On display offering a detailed peek into a planet’s geography. What’s more, you can even see the planets change from day to night as the sun sets.

Permission notification

Xiaomi will finally notify users of background behaviour. When critical components of your smartphone like the microphone, camera and others are used, you will see a sticky notification informing in the status bar. There’s now the option to let apps use location services only when the app is running in the foreground, and these settings are available for seven critical scenarios including contacts, camera, microphone, storage, calendar, location and contacts. MIUI 12 will also provide an option to keep details like a location from being shared when you are sharing a photo. This is turned on by default.

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Realme X3 SuperZoom specifications confirmed ahead of May 25 launch

Realme X3 SuperZoom is scheduled to launch on May 25 but a Thai technology publication Tech Hangout went ahead with a preview of the phone revealing and confirming key specifications of the upcoming Realme smartphone.

The post on Tech Hangout has been taken down but a cached version is still available that lays bare the Realme X3 SuperZoom in its entirety. The phone has previously been spotted on the NBTC, Thailand and the BIS certification websites. Let’s take a look at the specifications of the X3 SuperZoom.

Realme X3 SuperZoom specifications

According to the post on Tech Hangout, Realme X3 SuperZoom features a 6.6-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution display with a dual punch-hole cutout on the top-left corner. This gives way to a 20:9 aspect ratio and the display also supports 120Hz high refresh rate. The screen is layered with Gorilla Glass 5 for added protection against drops.

The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chip with Adreno 640 GPU and is paired with upto 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.0 storage options. It runs on Realme UI out-of-the-box which is based on Android 10.

The X3 SuperZoom comes with a quad-camera setup that consists of a primary 64MP camera that uses Samsung’s GW1 sensor, an 8MP periscope camera with up to 5x optical zoom and up to 60x hybrid zoom, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera with 119-degrees field-of-view along with a 2MP macro camera. On the front, there’s a 32MP primary selfie camera accompanied by an 8MP wide-angle camera with 105-degree field-of-view.

There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the phone but Realme has done away with the 3.5mm audio jack. Though the phone supports HiRes audio playback.

It is equipped with a 4,200mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging via an in-the-box adapter.

Realme is hosting an event on May 25 where it's expected to unveil the Realme TV, Realme smartwatch and Realme X50 Pro Player smartphone alongside the Realme X3 SuperZoom.

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Motorola Edge Plus launched in India at Rs 74,999, pre-bookings start from May 19 on Flipkart

Motorola Edge Plus has gone official in India with a price tag of Rs 74,999 and while this wasn’t unexpected given that it packs flagship-grade hardware, many, including us, assumed that the Edge Plus will likely go up against the likes of Xiaomi Mi 10 5G which launched recently for Rs 49,999 bearing a similar set of internals. 

At its asking price, the Motorola Edge Plus goes up against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and Apple iPhone 11. The phone was announced alongside a regular Motorola Edge on April 22. Let’s take a brief look at the specifications, pricing and availability of the Motorola Edge Plus.

Motorola Edge Plus pricing, launch offers and availability

Motorola Edge Plus will be up for pre-orders starting May 19 on Flipkart and leading offline stores across India. There’s just one variant of the phone with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and is priced at Rs 74,999. It is expected to go on sale from May 26 and comes in two colours-- Smokey Sangria and Thunder Grey.

As part of the launch offer, Motorola is offering an instant discount of Rs 7,500 to ICICI bank credit card holders and also on EMI transactions.

Motorola Edge Plus specifications

Motorola Edge Plus features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels) resolution display that uses an AMOLED panel with a punch-hole cutout on top for the selfie camera. The screen has a high 90Hz refresh rate and is certified for HDR10+ playback.

It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset with 5G support and an octa-core CPU. This is paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and there doesn’t seem to be another available variant.

Motorola Edge Plus has a triple camera setup on the back followed by TOF 3D depth sensor and dual-tone LED flash. The primary camera uses a 108MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS support, an 8MP secondary telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS followed by a 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The rear camera setup can record in 6K UHD at 30fps and 4K UHD at up to 60fps. On the front, housed within the notch cutout is a 25MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture.

The Edge Plus has stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6 modem and Type-C port for charging. The battery is rated at 5,000mAh and supports 18W fast charging and 15W fast wireless charging.

 

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Garena Free Fire Battle Arena tournament open to all players, registrations open from May 21 to May 23

Garena has announced that it will hold the Free Fire Battle Arena (FFBA) tournament that will be open to all players in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The registrations for the tournament will be open from May 21 to May 23. Players will be competing for a prize pool of 300,000 diamonds. The tournament will have no cap on the number of participants.

The company notes that this edition of the Free Fire Battle Arena will feature a number of firsts. The online squad mode tournament will be the first Free Fire tournament for players in Bangladesh and Nepal, while the lack of any cap on the number of participants is a first for India. The latter has been made possible thanks to the Free Fire Cup (FFC), a new in-game mode that will help support large scale online qualifiers for esports tournaments like the FFBA.

Garena Free Fire Battle Arena Tournament Format

Players need to register in teams of 4-5 players in order to compete in the online qualifier stage on May 24. Regardless of the number of teams, all players will play the open qualifiers on the same day. The top 24 teams will get to advance to the league stages. 

The league stages will divide these 24 teams into four groups of six teams each. These stages will be played from May 29 to June 5. The top two teams from each group will earn a spot in the finals. However, teams that placed third, fourth and fifth teams will compete in the playoffs on June 7 for a wildcard entry to the last four spots in the finals. The top 12 teams from the league and the playoff stages will advance to the online finals on June 14, where players will battle for a prize of 100,000 diamonds.

The league, playoffs and the grand finale will be broadcast on the Free Fire Esports India YouTube and Free Fire India Official BOOYAH! channel.

While the tournament is aimed at skilled players, it is open to all. So there's no harm in trying it out. Here are some links that might be of use to you.

Free Fire beginner's guide

Free Fire advanced guide

Mistakes to avoid in Free Fire

Landing zones on the Bermuda map

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Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 launch offer extended till May 20: How to avail the offer

Xiaomi announced the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 in India on May 8 alongside the Mi 10 5G and the Mi Box. The earphones are priced at Rs 4,499 but as part of the launch offers, the TWS Earphones 2 is being offered for an introductory price of Rs 3,999 till May 20. Earlier, the duration of this promotional offer was until May 17 but after the Indian government eased the lockdown restrictions for the fourth phase, Xiaomi has extended the offer till May 20.

Mi TWS Earphones 2 is available to purchase from Amazon India and Mi India store. Let’s take a brief look at the features of these true wireless earphones by Xiaomi.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2: how to avail the launch offer

The Mi TWS Earphones 2 is available on Amazon India and Mi India store at Rs 3,999. There is no coupon/voucher code that you need to use to avail the launch offer.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 specifications and features

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 have a semi-in-ear design to offer a comfortable fit and offers up to 14 hours of battery life with the charging case and up to 4 hours worth of listening on a single charge.

The TWS earphones are fitted with 14.2mm drivers that deliver a crisp sound profile with support for LHDC Hi-Res audio codec. It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0 and is equipped with noise cancellation technology that uses its dual microphones to cancel out unwanted noise.

Xiaomi’s latest TWS earphones are specifically tuned for phones running MIUI 11 and pairing it is as simple as opening the lid of the carrying case. These pair of earbuds also features an optical sensor that detects when it’s being used and accordingly plays/pauses the music playback.

These earphones also come with support for Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa, so you can ask for help from either of these voice assistants by tapping the side button.

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Xiaomi MIUI 12 global launch today at 5:30 PM: What to expect and how to watch it live

Xiaomi will be announcing the global variant of MIUI 12 today via an online event. The successor to MIUI 11 is expected to bring a host of new features and is expected to be a massive upgrade over MIUI 11. The ROM was announced for Xiaomi’s home market China a few weeks back giving a glimpse of some of the new features that will be hitting Xiaomi phones later this year.

How to watch MIUI 12 Global Launch online?

MIUI 12 will be unveiled at an online event that will start from 5:30 PM in India. Xiaomi India VP Manu Kumar Jain shared a link to the live stream on his Twitter feed and initiating banter around the ROM’s India availability. You can head to the live stream directly from the link embedded below —

At the event, Xiaomi is not only expected to outline the new features of the custom skin, but also the schedule for global availability of the same. Here are some of the big features that the Chinese version of MIUI 12 has received. It remains to be seen how many of these make it to the global variant.

What to expect from MIUI 12?

MIUI 12 is expected to bring a big change in the design aesthetics of the custom skin. Xiaomi will be focusing on a minimalist approach to design with MIUI 12 that will feature three individual rendering engines with multiple animations across the UI. The UI will be capable of inducing real-time colours, blur along with better integration with the hardware.

MIUI 12 is also expected to bring new icons, fonts and an iOS-like control centre along with gesture navigation and live wallpapers. There are animated elements even in the Settings app while new features like floating windows will be introduced.

Privacy-centric upgrades will include a new “App behaviour records” page where you can keep a track of the permissions granted to apps and when and how they use them.

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