Punjab government to distribute free smartphones to students: What you need to know

The Punjab government has said that it will distribute smartphones for free to students starting August 12 which is also International Youth Day. The government has already announced that students of call 12 of government schools will be getting a smartphone. The first phase of the distribution of smartphones has a total of 1.75 lakh devices and the government has apparently received the first consignment of 50000 smartphones. Which smartphones are these and what models are still unknown.

Punjab government to distribute free smartphones to students

To avoid creating large gatherings and to keep people safe during the ongoing pandemic, it is reported that, “Not more than 15 students studying in that town/district will be invited at each location for handing over the smartphones”. The distribution of the smartphones will take place across 26 locations in Chandighar and Punjab. The 26 locations are expected to cover all district headquarters along with some major towns as well. 

#PunjabGovernment will launch scheme for distribution of smartphones to youth on Aug 12. CM said that in difficult times of #COVID19, some of youth were facing pressing problems in accessing online education content.......(1) pic.twitter.com/MNQSk4mVUr

— Government of Punjab (@PunjabGovtIndia) August 11, 2020

With schools and colleagues shifting to a learn from home model, students need to have access to a smartphone at least to be able to watch online classes. There is a large part of the population that does not have access to a smartphone hence making the process of attending online classes difficult. In these times of social distancing, it isn’t feasible for a student to go to his/her friend’s house to share a smartphone to attend the online classes. 

A lot of telecom service providers were extending validity and providing alternate methods of recharging consumers devices when the nation was in lockdown. However, even though the lockdown has eased in parts of the country, schools and colleagues still remain closed and are moving towards online classes. This initiative by the government of Punjab will help more students that don't have access to a smartphone attend online classes.

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Lenovo Legion 5 gaming laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 processor to launch in India on August 18

Lenovo Legion 5 gaming laptops with AMD Ryzen 4000 series processors is scheduled to launch on August 18 in India. This comes after a couple of launches by other laptop makers like Asus, Acer and HP and now the Legion 5 will try and make a mark with up to Ryzen 7 processors. The company has been teasing the Legion 5 from a while now and we also spotted a listing for the Legion 5 on Amazon India. This indicates that the Legion 5 will likely sell on Amazon India at launch.

The past couple of weeks have seen numerous laptop launches in India such as the updated Asus ZenBook and VivoBook lineups and HP Omen and Pavilion Gaming series, to name a few. The Legion 5 was announced globally on July 16 alongside the Lenovo Legion 5P and IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptops. Let’s take a brief look at the specifications and expected pricing of the Legion 5 gaming laptop.

Lenovo Legion 5 specifications and expected pricing

Lenovo Legion 5 comes in two display sizes-- with 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution or 17.3-inch screen. The 15.6-inch version comes with 60Hz/120Hz/144Hz refresh rate and support upto 100% sRGB colour gamut. The 144Hz refresh rate variant is also Dolby Vision-enabled which enhances the picture quality. Additionally, the speaker system is powered by two Harman Kardon speaker units and is tuned by Dolby Atmos for an immersive audio playback over headphones.

The Legion 5 laptops are powered either by AMD Ryzen 7 4800H or Ryzen 5 4600H processor with upto NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics support. This is paired with upto 16GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB SSD/HDD options to choose from. The laptop also comes with Legion Coldfront 2.0 thermals which ensure optimal heat dissipation when gaming for long hours. 

The new Ryzen 4000 H-series processors are made on AMD’s Zen 2 architecture using 7nm fabrication process which improves the performance of Legion 5 by ensuring that all games, content and apps run efficiently and offer the slickest gaming experience.

The Legion 5 laptop supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and comes with a host of I/O ports including a USB Type-C port, four USB 3.1 ports, an HDMI 2.0, an ethernet jack and a 3.5mm audio jack. It also features the Legion TrueStrike keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlight support.

The Lenovo Legion 5 15.6-inch version offers upto 9.3 hours of battery backup with its 80WHr 4-cell battery and the 17-inch variant offers 7.7 hours worth of battery life on a single charge. 

The 15.6-inch Legion 5 with AMD Ryzen 7 4800H processors and RTX 2060 GPU starts at $1,019 and $759 with GTX 1650 Ti GPU. This roughly translates to a price of around Rs 75,000 by direct conversion and we expect Lenovo to launch the Legion 5 around the same price point on August 18.

 

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Amazon Freedom Sale 2020 ends tonight: Catch these last-minute deals

It’s the final day of Amazon Freedom Sale 2020 which kicked off from August 8, right after Amazon Prime Day. The Freedom Sale 2020 will conclude at midnight and with just hours to go by, there are still some great deals and offers available on Amazon to satiate your last minute shopping woes. From popular deals on mobile phones, laptops, headphones, TVs and more to cashback offers, we have compiled some of the best deals that you can get before the Freedom sale ends.

Additionally, Amazon India is offering a 10 per cent instant discount to SBI Credit cardholders on a minimum purchase of Rs 5,000. Then there’s Rs 13,500 off on exchange of old products and No Cost EMI offers as well. 

Amazon Freedom Sale 2020: Best deals and offers  OnePlus 7T starting at Rs 35,999 (Rs 4,000 off)

OnePlus 7T comes with a powerful processor, fluid high refresh rate display and is available at Rs 35,999. It usually retails for Rs 39,999 and Amazon is also offering an extra Rs 1,500 off on SBI credit cards.

Apple iPhone 11 starting at Rs 62,900 (Rs 5,400 off)

The Apple iPhone 11 is the company's best selling smartphone from the company in recent times. The 64GB storage variant of the phone was launched at Rs 68,300, and it's now down to Rs 62,900, making it a great deal for those who want to opt for the iOS experience. It comes with a great set of cameras, a powerful processor and few other premium features seen on the iPhone 11 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy S10 starting at Rs 44,999 (Rs 26,000 off)

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is a great buy for those who are looking to get a powerful phone with a great camera. It is selling for Rs 44,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. It has a decent set of cameras for still and videos, alongside the flagship specifications that ensures a decent performance for the price it is selling for.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro starting at Rs 22,999 (Rs 6,000 off)

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro is a popular mid-range phone that has gotten more affordable with time. It is currently selling starting at Rs 22,999 which is a Rs 2,000 drop from its usual selling price of Rs 24,999. In addition, you can also avail the instant cashback offer if you use an SBI credit card. The K20 Pro with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage is priced at Rs 29,999 under the same offer.

Samsung Galaxy M31s starting at Rs 19,499 (Rs 3,500 off)

Samsung Galaxy M31s is on sale for the first time starting at Rs 19,499 for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The M31s features a Super AMOLED display with 64MP quad-camera setup on the back, 6,000mAh battery with fast charging support and is powered by the Exynos 9611 processor. The Galaxy M31s comes in two colours-- Mirage Black and Mirage Blue. The 8GB RAM variant of the phone is also paired with 128GB storage and is selling for Rs 21,499. Amazon is also offering up to Rs 11,000 off on exchange of your old phone along with no-cost EMI offers with major banks.

Sony WH-1000XM3 noise cancelling headphone at Rs 19,990 (Rs 10,000 off)

Packing industry-leading Noise Cancellation and a reliable 30-hours of battery life, the Sony WH-1000XM3 is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for premium cans. The headphone also comes with features such as Quick Attention Mode, Ambient Sound mode, and touch controls. The headphones usually sell for Rs 26,990 but are now available at a base price of Rs 19,990 with an additional discount of Rs 1,500 for customers paying through SBI Credit cards.

OnePlus TV Q1 series starting at Rs 59,899 (upto Rs 20,000 off)

If you're looking to buy a premium TV on a discount, you must check out the OnePlus TV Q1 and Q1 Pro as both the TVs have got a Rs 10,001 and Rs 20,001 off, respectively. The Q1, which comes without the soundbar and table stand is now selling for Rs 59,899, and the Pro variant is selling for Rs 79,899.

Boat 10,000mAh power bank at Rs 799

Boat 10,000mAh power bank comes with 18W fast charging support and is priced at Rs 799 and is also eligible for an instant discount of up to 10% for SBI Credit cardholders. This battery pack from Boat is claimed to be capable of charging a 4,000mAh phone up to 1.5 times. It takes around 2-2.5 hours to fully charge its 10,000mAh cells. It is built from a durable aluminium case and has dual USB ports with Quick Charge 3.0 support, a Type-C port and a micro USB input as well.

Amazon Echo Show Smart Display starting at Rs 5,399 (upto 40% off)

Amazon Echo Show smart displays lineup consists of the Echo Show 5 with a 5.5-inch display, Echo Show 8 with an 8-inch HD screen and Echo Show with a 10.1-inch HD display. These smart screens come built-in with Alexa skills and offer complete control of your smart home devices right from one screen. The Echo Show also serves as an entertainment device for your home which can play music, watch videos, video call your friends and much more. 

The Echo Show 5 is the most affordable out of the lot and is priced at Rs 5,399 which is a discount of 40% over its retail price. The Echo Show 8 has received a discount of Rs 5,000 bringing down its price to Rs 7,999. The Echo Show is also available during the sale at Rs 15,999 which is a 30% discount on its selling price.

Amazon Kindle (10th gen) e-reader at Rs 6,599 (Rs 1,400 off)

Amazon Kindle (10th Gen) e-reader features a 6-inch glare-free display and comes with an adjustable front light that lets you read in dark environments as well. The new Kindle is very thin and lightweight for one-handed use and can go on for weeks on a single charge. There are thousands of titles available to read and store on this Kindle device as it comes with 8GB storage and Prime members get some of the titles for free as well. It is priced at Rs 6,599 after a discount of Rs 1,400.

 

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Google People Cards launched, heres how to make your virtual visiting card

Google now lets you add yourself to Search with the People Cards feature rolling out to mobile users in India. It works like a virtual visiting card for people to find on top of search results, when they look up a name.

Introducing the people card on Google Search. Showcase your business, passion or portfolio when people search for you on Google. Get started https://t.co/CAm3mRiCgM pic.twitter.com/wPx6GIUdWz

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) August 11, 2020

If you opt in, information about you will be displayed as a knowledge card on Google Search. The feature is aimed at people who wish to put their name and information out for the world to know. Entrepreneurs, freelancers, influencers and more people can find it useful.

"For the millions of influencers, entrepreneurs, prospective employees, self-employed individuals, freelancers, or anyone else out there who wants to be discovered, we hope this new Search feature will help the world find them,” Google wrote in a blog post.

How to create a People Card on Google?

People Cards can only be created on smartphones right now. To get a People Card for your name, simply search your name on Google, or ask “add me to search”.

Tap on the prompt that appear, and it will open a form for you to fill up and verify your details. The mandatory details include your location (city, country), bio, and occupation. Optionally, you can include your education, work, home town, website, social profiles, email and phone number.

How is the information protected and guaranteed?

Google promises a “variety of protections and controls in place to maintain the quality of information on people cards.” These include things like a single Google account for each people card, authenticated by a phone number. You also have to start the process with a six-digit OTP sent to your phone number.

"We have a number of mechanisms to protect against abusive or spammy content, and if you come across low quality information or a card that you believe was created by an impersonator, you can tap the feedback link to let us know. If you no longer want your people card to appear in Search, you can delete it at any time,” Google said in the blog.

In other Google news, we have a sweet guide on how you can share your location on Google Maps. Google has also been facing an uphill climb with Google Stadia as Apple won’t allow Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud on its platform because of App Store rules. And finally, Google has officially launched the Pixel 4a and you can read more about that here. 

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Flipkart sale is ending: Grab these smartphone deals before the day ends

It's that time of the year when customers keep their trigger fingers ready to hit the “add to cart” button. Yes, sale season is here and if you’ve been catching up on some sleep this past weekend, then know that today is the last day to cash in on some deals available online. Today we will take a look at some interesting last day deals available on smartphones on Flipkart. 

One thing to note is that the devices on a deal here today may not have a massive discount when compared to their regular price, but look closely and there are discounts available on various bank debit and credit cards along with no-cost EMI options that make some of these deals lucrative

iQOO 3 (Buy here)

If you are looking for a phone with flagship specifications at a deal price, then you can check out the iQOO 3. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 865 under the hood and comes with a quad-camera setup at the back - 48MP+13MP+13MP+2MP. At the front, it has a 16MP selfie camera. The smartphone comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and the entire package is powered by a 4000mAh battery. The smartphone also supports 55W fast charging. It also houses an in-display fingerprint sensor. 

Samsung Galaxy A80 (Buy Here)

If it’s a mid-range phone that you are looking to pick up, then you can check out the Samsung Galaxy A80. The smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor coupled with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. It has a 6.7-inch FHD display. The unique thing about this smartphone is that it houses a rotating camera, so the rear camera is used to click selfies. For the optics, the smartphone has a 48MP primary camera paired with an 8MPultra wide camera and a TOF (Time-of-Flight) sensor. The entire package is powered by a 3700mAh battery. 

Redmi K20 Pro (Buy here)

If you don't mind a smartphone with last year's flagship hardware, then you can check out the Redmi K 20. The smartphone runs on last years Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor which even today is a very capable chipset. The smartphone also comes with6GB RAM and 128GB storage. It has a 6.4-inch FHD+ display. The rear of the smartphone has a 48MP + 13MP + 8MP camera setup while the front houses a 20MP selfie shooter. The selfie camera is a pop-up camera giving you a complete camera free front display. 

Apple iPhone SE 2020 (Buy here)

With the iPhone SE 2020, Apple made a comeback in the small screen space and also shook the upper mid-range smartphone market. The iPhone SE is the most affordable iPhone today and it got a little more affordable with its deal price. The iPhone SE has a small 4.7-inch Retina HD display, ideal for those looking for a small screen smartphone. Under the hood, the smartphone has Apple’s A13 Bionic Chip which is blazing fast and the smartphone also houses apple’s TouchID fingerprint sensor. It has a 12MP rear camera and a 7MP front camera. The smartphone is water and dust resistant and also boasts of wireless charging.

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Get Ready for Hyper Scape Season 1, starting August 11, 2020

Ubisoft’s latest fast-paced, free-to-play FPS battle royale game, Hyper Scape will be making its official release on 11 August 2020. We don't have any official time as of yet. Developed by the creators of Rainbow Six Seige, the game is set to debut its first season on Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Hyper Scape Season 1 starts August 11! Our first season introduces a new weapon, a new hack, new limited-time game modes, a 100-tier Battle Pass, and more. Oh, and did we mention that Hyper Scape Season 1 is coming to XBOX ONE and PlayStation 4? pic.twitter.com/HneNXHfTMB

— Hyper Scape (@HyperScapeGame) July 30, 2020

Hyper Scape was announced to go into PC open beta starting 12 July 2020 at Ubisoft Forward, which later came to a close on 2 August 2020. Since its initial announcement on 29 June, this will be the first time that console players get their hands on the title.

The company announced late last month that Season 1 will be introducing an all-new weapon - “The Dragonfly” and a new hack - “Magnet”, along with new limited-time game modes and a whopping 100-tier long Battle Pass. The game will also be coming out with cross-progression across all platforms on launch day. Meaning every item and XP earned during or after the beta will be carried over, shared and linked to whichever system you choose to play on. As for cross-play, the company has stated that it will be making its way into the game at a much later date.

Previously seen topping the charts on Twitch during its closed beta period, the game eventually started losing its hype, owing to its overwhelming, twitchy and fast-paced mechanics. Set in the futuristic world of Neo-Arcadia, Hyper Scape has been built in collaboration with Twitch by primarily keeping streamers in mind and therefore features heavy integration. Twitch chat and viewer interactions have a direct impact on the streamers’ gameplay, as their actions change the course of in-game events. For example, voting for special events such as a low gravity mode will temporarily reduce the gravity in the streamers’ game session, making it all the more entertaining and engaging. The game also provides options for streamers to squad invite any of their subscribers into their lobby as well, if need be.

As of now, Hyper Scape has not announced a specific release time for their first season. So, the best bet would be to keep an eye out for any updates on their official Twitter account.

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OnePlus HydrogenOS 11 goes official with Always-On Display, Zen Mode 20 and more

OnePlus has officially announced HydrogenOS 11 for its smartphones and brings in a host of new features and system optimisations based on Android 11. While the HydrogenOS 11 is used in China, OnePlus has the OxygenOS for all the other markets which are similar to HydrogenOS when it comes to feature-set. So we expect most of the new HydrogenOS 11 features such as the Always On Display, Zen Mode 2.0 and more to be implemented in upcoming OxygenOS 11.

According to the company, the HydrogenOS 11 update is for OnePlus 6 and above phones meaning that OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T and more are not eligible to receive the update anytime soon. However, this is for China as we don’t have any official information about the OxygenOS 11 as of yet.

Nevertheless, HydrogenOS 11 comes with Always On Display (AOD) which has been one of the most requested features by the OnePlus community. There’s an updated Zen Mode 2.0, new wallpapers that change through the morning, noon and evening, smart gallery, new ORM memory management system and Turbo Booster 2.0, to name a few.

HydrogenOS 11 features a revamped design that makes the whole interface feel more minimalistic. The current OS seems fairly minimal on its own but the developers have used bright colours, geometric shapes and new icon designs to provide a holistic experience. OnePlus phones have a reputation for offering a slick user interface that’s fast and intuitive. There are new wallpapers that change real-time with respect to the time in the day.

The new update also brings Always On Display to OnePlus phones with different designs to choose from. There are two designs by OnePlus, one is a picture shadow and the other one is called Time. The former uses a picture and converts it to a wireframe drawing that is displayed on your phone along with time and other information. As you unlock the phone, the outline turns into the actual colourful picture. 

The Time theme for AOD has been designed in collaboration with Parsons School of Design in the US and has a very minimal design with a single gradient line in the middle. This line basically depicts the user’s full day with the time moving across the line as the day ends and monitors every time the user unlocks the phone and leaves markings on the straight line.

Smart Gallery feature adds editing and week-in-a-review to the gallery app and automatically creates a video clipping with music and filters as memories of the week. There’s a new voice recorder in the Notes app that can switch between text and voice easily. Users will now be able to create document scans after taking a picture of the document from the camera, so you no longer need a third-party scanning app.

OnePlus HydrogenOS 11 goes official with Always-On Display, Zen Mode 2.0 and more

The Zen Mode 2.0 adds multi-user mode which will let you create a virtual meditation room with duration sharing and can add your friends to it. This feature of the Zen Mode will be supported by all the phones and is not restricted to OnePlus phones. 

There’s an optimized dark mode and OnePlus claims that it took over 130 attempts for them to find a shade of black that makes the Dark Mode more comfortable to use. With the new update, the UI will use different shades of black to display information on the phone without straining the user’s eyes.

The HydrogenOS 11 update adds a new memory management system which ensures that the phone remains operational with utmost efficiency. The new ORM memory management system works on optimising the background apps and tasks while keeping apps ready for use at the same time by prioritizing tasks based on usage. The Turbo Booster 2.0 is responsible for maintaining the high refresh rates when playing games, ensuring smooth gameplay.

The HydrogenOS 11 rollout schedule looks set to deliver a stable version sometime in Q4 2020 for the OnePlus 8 series and mid-December for OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 6 series. There’s currently no word on the release of OxygenOS 11 but it shouldn’t be a long time before we hear something on that front from OnePlus now that the HydrogenOS 11 is out.

 

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