This WhatsApp chatbot helps fast-track senior citizens vaccination in India

Robin Hood Army, a volunteer organization has launched a WhatsApp chatbot that will help senior citizens fast-track their vaccination in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chatbot has been developed in association with Yellow Messenger and lets people connect with volunteers from the organization to help them with the vaccination process. In addition, people who want to volunteer for Robin Hood Army can also use this WhatsApp chatbot to join the organization or share food and other essential items. 

The WhatsApp chatbot currently lends support in 186 cities across 21 states. To use Robin Hood Army’s WhatsApp chatbot, users need to send ‘Hi’ to +91 8971 966 164 on WhatsApp and choose from the options provided in the chat. 

The Robin Hood Army is also helping senior citizens register on the CoWin and in selecting vaccination centres. To date, the organization’s volunteers have helped senior citizens across 155 cities get registered on CoWin get vaccinated.

Neel Ghose, Founder, The Robin Hood Army said, “WhatsApp has been a very important medium for our volunteer groups across the country to stay connected and serve our local communities. A large part of our everyday communication with our 100,000 volunteers across 227 cities happens through decentralised WhatsApp groups. We are very excited to launch the #SeniorPatrol campaign on WhatsApp to help senior citizens with their vaccination. We believe this campaign will particularly break barriers to vaccination among senior citizens, who can now easily seek help through a simple message on WhatsApp.”

Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India said, “At this critical time for the country WhatsApp is focused on helping people stay connected and supporting organizations that provide access to important services and information to those in need. Robin Hood Army has been doing exemplary work and we are pleased that they rely on WhatsApp to strengthen their volunteer network and take COVID relief efforts to more cities in India.”

 

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The next PS5 India restock could be sooner than you think

According to IGN India, “the next PS5 India restock date is due in June 2021.” The source says that of the stock of PS5 (review) consoles that reached India in April 2021, not all units were made available due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown in various parts of the country. Another reason for the June restocks, as per the source, is the launch of an anticipated PS5 exclusive set to release in June 2021, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. 

It will be interesting to see if Sony makes any official announcement about the upcoming restock of the console. The May 2021 restock announcement came from banners and social media posts via retail websites like Amazon, Flipkart, GamesTheShop and many more. Needless to say, the console sold out in a matter of minutes.

The PS5 has a handful of exclusives such as Returnal (review), Demon Souls, Astro's Playroom, Destruction AllStars, to name a few. First party heavy hitters like Spider-Man Miles Morales (review), Sackboy: A Big Adventure and more are available on the PS4 as well. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will be exclusive to the PS5 only. We had a chance to check out about 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes gameplay of Ratchet and Clank: Rift apart, and you can learn more about the game here.  

Getting a next-gen console has been difficult in India. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X (review) are hard to get and a big reason for this is the ongoing global chip shortage. You can learn more about it here. 

Despite the global shortage, Sony says the PS5 is the best-selling console, with more than 7.8 million units sold. Sony still has highly anticipated games such as God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West scheduled to launch in 2021 for the PS5.

If you are looking to pick up a new TV for gaming, you can check out our list of best gaming TVs here.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G processor launched to power high-end smartphones by Xiaomi, Realme and more

Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 5G processor has officially been announced as the latest chipset in the 7-series SoCs. The Snapdragon 778 5G chip was unveiled at the Qualcomm 5G Summit to meet the increasing demand in the high-end smartphone segment. The first Snapdragon 778 5G phones from companies like Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, Motorola, Honor and iQOO will launch later this year.

The Snapdragon 778 5G processor is manufactured on a 6nm architecture process with Kryo 670 CPUs and Adreno 642L GPU that increase the performance and graphics rendering by upto 40 percent over the previous generation. The new chip also brings in mobile gaming and AI-backed photo and video features to high-end phones. 

Thrilled to share that #realme will be one of the first brands to Leap to #Snapdragon 778G 5G! Who's excited? pic.twitter.com/4DswTsozg8

— Madhav108MP (@MadhavSheth1) May 19, 2021

“Snapdragon 778G was developed to address the growing demand by global OEMs for more platform options in the high-tier. Snapdragon 778G brings many of the latest premium technologies and features into the high-tier to help make next-generation experiences more broadly accessible,” said Kedar Kondap, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 5G processor is integrated with the Snapdragon X53 5G modem that enables mmWave and sub-6 5G support. The new chip also supports Qualcomm FastConnect 6700, multi-gigabit class WiFi 6 speeds upto 2.9Gbps and more. It also supports Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6E that enables low-latency gaming.

The Snapdragon 778 5G processor also features select Snapdragon Elite Gaming features including Variable Rate Shading (VRS) and Qualcomm Game Quick Touch. The VRS helps in reducing GPU workload and offers better power efficiency while the Quick Touch offers a 20 percent bump in input response for an enhanced gaming experience.

Qualcomm’s new chip also features a 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine with Hexagon 770 processor offering twice the performance gains over the previous generation. Moreover, the Snapdragon 778G supports Triple ISP allowing it to capture three photos or videos simultaneously. These could include inputs from wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. It also supports upto 4K HDR10+ video recording, HDR and more.

Honor has revealed that its upcoming Honor 50 series will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor. Other mobile phone manufacturers like iQOO, Motorola, Oppo, Realme and Xiaomi have also announced that they will launch Snapdragon 778G powered phones in the second half of 2021.

 

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Everything you need to know about the 80s Action Heroes event in Call of Duty: Mobile

Activision has been hyping up its ‘80s Action Heroes’ event and for good reason. The event is scheduled to go live from May 20 onwards and will see 80s action movie stars, John Rambo and John McClane enter Call of Duty: Mobile, Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The two-week event will go on till June 2.

80s Action Heroes on Call of Duty: Mobile 

The event will see the addition of two new bundles that players can purchase. As one might expect, this includes two new bundles that include Rambo and John McClane. The Rambo Call of Duty: Mobile Bundle includes John Rambo as a selectable character. Other inclusions include three Epic Blueprints, namely one LMG, an assault rifle, and a knife. Further additions include an epic parachute, an avatar, a calling card, a grenade, a tank and a frame. 

The Die Hard Call of Duty: Mobile Bundle includes John McClane as a selectable character. It too includes three Epic Blueprints, namely two SMGs and a pistol. It also features an Epic Frag Grenade, a parachute, a cargo truck, an Avatar, a calling card and a frame.

New game mode added to Call of Duty: Mobile

As part of the 80s Action Heroes event, Call of Duty: Mobile gets a new game mode called Guns Blazing. This event gives players the chance to live the 80s action movie power fantasy. Players are tasked with racking up eliminations and become either Rambo or McClane. As these 80s action heroes, players will be able to dual-wield Death Machines and enjoy increased health.

80s Action Heroes on Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

To be brutally honest, the 80s Action Heroes event looks a lot more fun on Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, as compared to Call of Duty: Mobile. Both these games get bundles as well as new in-game additions. Call of Duty: Warzone gets new points of interest such as the iconic Nakatomi Plaza, complete with floors based on the first Die Hard movie. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War sees the addition of new maps as well as new game modes. The new game modes include Die Hardpoint and Rambo’s Gun Game. These take traditional game modes and tweak the established formula for faster and more frenetic action. 

You can learn more about the 80s Action Heroes event here. 

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Battlegrounds Mobile India: Imitator apps flood the Google Play Store

It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that Battlegrounds Mobile India is currently the most anticipated game in the country. Pre-registrations for the game finally went live on May 18 on the Google Play Store. Almost on cue, a bunch of imitator apps popped up on the store. So much so that finding the actual app on the store is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. It is very similar to what we saw around the launch of FAUG.

How Battlegrounds Mobile India imitators work

These imitator apps use any and all tricks to try and get you to download them. Some claim to be game guides, while others are poorly made asset-swapped games designed to cash in on Battlegrounds Mobile India’s popularity. Most of these ‘games’ will also be full of advertisements designed to milk as much money as possible before players wise up and delete the game. 

If you are really unlucky, one of these apps might just be designed to steal your information by using phishing tactics. Regardless, you should avoid downloading any and all apps that try and con you into downloading.

How to spot the original Battlegrounds Mobile India app

The first thing you should see when looking for the app is the developer name. The game is developed by Krafton Inc., which is the parent company of PUBG. If you see a similar-sounding game offered by some other developer, you’d be wise to stay away.

Another tell-tale sign of an imitator is in the app’s name and description. The titles of some of the imitators either jumble up the words or include slight misspellings that may not be caught by those not paying close attention. Most descriptions will mention that the app isn’t the official Battlegrounds Mobile India app, or the description will differ wildly from the game or will be full of grammatical errors. The included screenshots will also give you a clue to the game’s origins.

Of course, there is an easy way to ensure you get the right link. You could simply let us help you out. Click here to head to the official Battlegrounds Mobile India listing on the Google Play Store. 

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Try out Android 12 Beta on these supported smartphones

Google has officially released the Android 12 Beta update for developers on the opening day of the Google I/O 2021. At its annual developer's conference, Google made several announcements and showcased its machine learning prowess that will back some of the new features on Android 12. Google has released the Android 12 beta for popular flagship smartphones from companies like Asus, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Vivo and Xiaomi. Here are all the eligible phones that currently support the Android 12 beta update.

Also Read: Google I/O 2021announcements: Android 12 with Material You, new app features and more

Google Android 12 Beta supported phones

Google Android 12 has undergone a major design overhaul that makes it more fluid and allows more ways to personalize it than before. The new update will let users customize the system colour palette and also adds new widgets. Google Pixel smartphones from Pixel 3 and above are all eligible for Android 12 beta update. The process to install Android 12 beta on all supported phones is different and it is recommended that you go through all the important instructions before installing the beta build. Here’s the full list of smartphones that support Android 12 beta.

1. Google: Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5

2. Asus Zenfone 8 (ZS590KS)

3. OnePlus: OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro

4. Oppo Find X3 Pro

5. Realme GT

6. Tecno Camon 17

7. TCL 20 Pro 5G

8. Vivo iQOO 7 Legend

9. Xiaomi: Mi 11, Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11i, Mi 11X Pro

10. ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G

Do note that installing the Android 12 beta on any of the aforementioned phones puts it at risk as many default functions may not work at the moment. It is therefore recommended that only people experienced in flashing ROMs and developers should use this beta update. 

Read more: Google and Samsung join hands to make smartwatches better for Android users

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The new VAIO Z is the worlds first contoured carbon fibre laptop with a 4K display & 11th gen Intel Core processor

VAIO has made stellar laptops over the years and the company's new set of products coming out in the market showcase the same level of competency that we have come to expect from the brand. The new VAIO Z, in particular, stands out for a lot of good reasons. It's the company's new thin and light ultrabook that has a lot going for it. Here's everything that you need to know about the VAIO Z.

VAIO Z Design

Besides a really powerful set of internals, the highlight of VAIO Z is its build quality. It is touted to be the world's first 3-D moulded, carbon fibre laptop that makes it one of the lightest laptops around. It weighs just about a Kg, putting it right next to the ASUS B9400 enterprise laptop that we absolutely loved using during our review.

Not only does the carbon fibre build makes it one of the lightest laptops around, but it's also tougher than most laptop chassis that's made out of aluminium or magnesium alloy. It also goes without saying that the VAIO Z scores some brownie points for its sleek design.

VAIO Z Specifications

The VAIO Z is powered by the 11th gen Intel Core i7-11375H processor and packs 32GB of RAM. You also get 2TB SSD putting it up there on the list of premium laptops. On top of that, the VAIO Z also sports a 14-inch 4K LCD panel with a 180-degree hinge for a wide range of viewing angles.

The laptop also has a ton of other cool and useful features like a fingerprint scanner, Dolby Audio speakers, a backlit keyboard, and plenty of ports. There's indeed a lot to like about this laptop, so it will be interesting to see how it performs in our test lab.

VAIO Z Pricing & Availability

The VAIO Z laptop is officially out and you can now purchase it from Amazon in India. The laptop comes in the Signature Black variant and is priced at Rs 3,52,990.

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