Google Play Store will neither show nor let you download old apps soon

Google Play Store clamps down on older Android apps that don’t match the target API level. This privacy measure will revoke permissions of outdated apps, or even prevent the user’s access to these apps on the Android app store. As a step toward this new security initiative, users with Android versions 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will start receiving a Google Play Protect update now. 

But while it does, let’s understand what this update changes and what the new Google Target API policy entails.

Google Play Store API requirements for Android Apps

Target API Level requirements for existing apps, starting November 1​

Before we get into the new update from Google, you may want to know what the minimum API level and the target API level mean. Here on we will be talking about the latter which is the most recent Android version based upon which the app is built. Meanwhile, the former refers to the oldest Android version it is meant for.

Now, coming to the topic at hand.

At present, New Android apps must adhere to a Target API level within one year of a new Android OS release. In this case, that is Android 11 (API level 30) and from Android 2022, the Target API requirement will be raised to Android 12 (API level 31). 

With the new announcement, Google extends the target API policy to existing apps, particularly old apps. If these don’t meet a Target API level within two years of the latest Android OS release, they will not be “available for discovery or installation for new users with devices running Android OS versions higher than apps’ target API level”. 

So, basically, such apps won’t appear on the Play Store or be available for download. Users may find the app only if it supports the Android OS on their device.

Note that, with the release of every new Android OS version, this “requirement window will adjust accordingly.”

Also, if you have an older device running on Android 6 to Android 10, your device would soon get a Play Store update. This will reset the permissions of the apps on your device that haven’t been used in a while. It all will be done automatically and you don’t have to do anything.

Well, if you want, you can backup any old apps that you may have on your Android handset for if they go missing after November 1, you could sideload them.

For other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.

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Realme Book Prime, Realme Buds Air 3, and Realme Smart TV Stick launched in India

At the Realme GT 2 Pro launch event, the company also unveiled the Realme Book Prime, Realme Buds Air 3, and Realme Smart TV Stick. So, a specced-up laptop which is an upgrade over the predecessor, i.e., Realme Book Slim. The new Prime model boasts a higher TDP Intel 11th gen processor backed by a new dual-fan cooling system. Then there is the new pair of ANC earbuds and an FHD-resolution smart streaming device.

Realme Book Prime Specs and Features

Launched initially at MWC 2022, the Realme Book Prime is finally available in India. It flaunts a 14-inch 2K resolution panel with a 3:2 aspect ratio, 100% sRGB, and 440 nits peak brightness. There is a 720p webcam up top and a 3-level backlit keyboard below.

The internal housing consists of an 11th-gen Intel Core i5-11320H quad-core processor with Intel Xe Graphics, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, and a 54WHr battery. There is support for 65W PD charging. The software on top is Windows 11.

Other things you get with the laptop are WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, a fingerprint scanner on the power button, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a dual speaker system, 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, and a Thunderbolt 4/ USB 4 port.

Realme Buds Air 3 Specs and Features

Realme Buds Air 3 packs in a 10mm dynamic ‘bass boost’ driver. It offers up to 42dB of Active Noise Cancellation and dual-mic noise cancellation for calls. You also get Transparency Mode for listening to ambient sounds. You can connect to two devices simultaneously. The repertoire also consists of 88ms super latency mode, IPX5 sweat resistance and a claim of 30 hours of total music playback.

Realme Smart TV Stick FHD Specs and Features

This new Realme Smart TV Stick is a downgrade as it only gets up to FHD (1080p) resolution output with HDR10+ encoding. There is support for HDMI 2.0 for media transfer and the processing under the hood is taken care of by a quad-core processor. The streaming device also features Android 11 OS, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. 

Realme AIoT Price and Availability

You can purchase the Realme Book Prime at ₹64,999 for the solo 16GB + 512GB memory variant. The launch price for the first sale will be ₹57,999. It will go on sale from April 13 at 12 noon through Flipkart and Realme.com.

The Realme Buds Air 3 has been priced at ₹3,999 although with the special offer on the first sale you can purchase it for ₹3,499. It will be available via Flipkart and Realme stores starting April 7 at 2 PM.

Finally, the Realme Smart TV Stick carries a price tag of ₹2,999 and will be up for grabs from April 13 at 12 PM. The outlet is Flipkart and Realme stores only.

The company also announced that Realme GT 2 will be arriving soon during the company's 4th-anniversary celebration. 

For more news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.

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Realme GT 2 Pro and Realme 9 4G launched in India with Snapdragon chips and triple rear cameras

Realme has finally brought the GT 2 Pro to India along with Realme 9 4G, Realme Buds Air 3, Realme Book Prime, and Realme Smart TV Stick. We will be covering the AIoT products from the brand in a different article. Here, we will be focussing on the Realme GT 2 Pro and the newcomer from the Realme 9 series. Let’s kick off with the Realme flagship.

Realme GT 2 Pro Specs and Features

Realme GT 2 Pro sports a 6.7-inch LTPO 2 AMOLED display with 2K resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1400 nits of peak brightness, Gorilla Glass Victus protection and a left-cornered punch hole. Inside the hole resides a 32MP camera with FHD@30 FPS video recording ability.

Meanwhile, at the back, you get a 50MP primary camera (OIS) plus a 50MP 150° ultrawide sensor plus a 3MP 40x microscopic shooter. You get to capture 4K60 or even 8K videos on the GT 2 Pro.

Internally, the phone relies on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC for the processing power aided by LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, and battery backup from a 5000mAh cell. You can top up the device using a 65W charger.

Realme 9 4G Specs and Features

Realme 9 4G is outfitted with a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. 

Its front camera is a 16MP snapper while at the back, you get a 108MP (HM6)+ 8MP ultrawide+ 2MP macro triplet. 

The phone is powered by Snapdragon 680 silicon, LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. The battery size is 4500mAh and is supported by 33W charging. 

Both Realme phones come with Android 12 based Realme UI 3.0 software. 

Realme GT 2 Pro, Realme 9 4G Price in India and Availability

Realme has priced the Realme GT 2 Pro at ₹49,999 for the 8+128GB variant and ₹57,999 for the 12+256GB edition. The brand offers a launch discount of ₹5000 with SBI and HDFC cards and EMI transactions. It will be up for sale on April 14 at 12 noon.

Realme 9 4G's 6+128GB variant is priced at ₹17,999 and 8+128GB model costs ₹18,999. The special offer on the first sale is a ₹2000 discount on using HDFC cards and EMI purchases. The first sale will be on April 12 at 12 noon. 

Both phones will be retailing through Flipkart and Realme stores.

For other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.

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Ubisoft is launching Rainbow Six Mobile on iOS and Android Registration begins

Mobile Gaming is said to be where the money is and perhaps why all major PC and Console games are crossing over to the mobile space. The latest entrant is Tom Clancy’s Rainbox Six Siege which has been branded as Rainbox Six Mobile (RSM) for both iOS and Android. It will be a tactical FPS shooting game. The company has opened up the registration window and interested people can apply for early access.

Making the announcement, Ubisoft, the developer of Rainbox Six Mobile tweeted:

Welcome Operators to Rainbow Six Mobile! Rainbow Six Mobile will bring the same tactical shooter gameplay that you love to your mobile devices. Sign-up now to receive the latest updates and get a chance to play before the release https://t.co/Jvbs6dHXau pic.twitter.com/gWjH2I2bSm

— Rainbow Six Mobile (@Rainbow6Mobile) April 5, 2022

Here’s what you need to know about the new Ubisoft mobile game:

Rainbow Six Mobile: What to expect 

 

Rainbow Six Mobile is called a tactical FPS game between two teams named Attackers and Defenders. Both will include 5 characters each. The operator names from the Attackers team are Ash, Sledge, Twitch, Thermite, and Hibana. As for Defenders, the members are Caveira, Bandit, Smoke, Valkyrie, and Mute.

Ubisoft claims “the core gameplay, characters, and maps may share similarities with Siege,” and they have apparently “rebuilt everything from the ground up with mobile usability in mind”. It speaks about a new mobile-focused gameplay control system with “extensive optimization of the UI and in-game visual presentation.”

A few of the RSM maps have also been disclosed. This includes Bank and Border.

Finally, it’s been revealed that Rainbow Six Mobile Closed Alpha will be up for download in Spring.

So, if you are excited about the game, here’s how to get an early taste of it in form of a closed alpha variant:

Ubisoft Rainbow Six Mobile Registration and Download

Visit the Rainbow Six Mobile website. Click on the Register button at the top-right corner Choose the platform between Android and iOS. Log in with your Ubisoft, Facebook, Twitch, PlayStation or Xbox account. Create an account on Ubisoft if you don’t have one and want to avoid the other social routes. Next up, you will have to fill in a survey that appears. It simply asks you if you have earlier played similar games. You will be prompted about the game’s availability before release.

Now, if you want to change the platform, you get to do it too. Once logged in, you may receive email notifications about “future testing opportunities and will be first to receive the latest updates, including the dates, territories, and requirements for the upcoming tests when the information will be available.” Additionally, the company will be sharing step-by-step instructions for installing the game.

We will keep you posted on more details as they surface. 

For other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.

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Remedy Entertainment to remake Max Payne 1 & 2 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series XS

It’s a good time to be an old school gamer. A week after a new Monkey Island game was revealed, Remedy Entertainment has announced that it is working on a remake of the first two Max Payne games. This includes Max Payne, and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. Remedy will be developing the new remakes in partnership with Rockstar Games. 

“Max Payne has always held a special place in the hearts of everyone at Remedy, and we know the millions of fans worldwide feel the same,” said Remedy CEO, Tero Virtala in a press statement. “We’re hugely excited to be working with our partners at Rockstar Games once again for the chance to bring the story, action and atmosphere of the original Max Payne games back to players in new ways.” 

Max Payne 1& 2 remake: Platforms and details

Remedy notes that the remake is currently in the concept development stage, so it may be a while before the game is launched. The developer also notes that the two games will be released as a single title for the PC, PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S. Remedy further added that the game would be developed using its proprietary Northlight game engine. This is the same engine that was used for Control (review) and Quantum Break.

Remedy also noted that the game’s development budget will be financed by Rockstar Games, and the size of that will “be in line with a typical Remedy AAA-game production.” It adds that there is also a royalty opportunity after Rockstar Games has recouped its development, marketing and other costs for distributing and publishing the game.

Hopefully, this game will come out better than GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. That game was plagued with technical issues at launch. However, since then, Rockstar has released updates to fix the initial issues. 

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There is a new Monkey Island game releasing this year called Return to Monkey Island

Here’s a throwback for all you old-school gamers out there. The classic point-and-click adventure game series, Monkey Island, is all set to make a grand return this year. The game will be published and developed by Devolver Digital and Lucasfilms Games. The exact release date of the game is not yet known.

Aptly called ‘Return To Monkey Island’, the game would be a continuation from Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, which was released way back in 1991. It should be noted that there have been other releases since, with the last title being Tales of Monkey Island, which was released in 2009. In 2010, we got remastered versions of the first two games, under the ‘Special Edition’ name.

What should get old-school gamers really excited is the fact that Ron Gilbert is returning to make the game. To recall, the 1st two titles in the series were created by Ron Gilbert alongside Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman. Grossman will also be a part of the new Return to Monkey Island game. These three were behind some of the most legendary point-and-click games during the genre’s heyday back in the late 80s and early 90s. Notable titles include The Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, and Sam and Max: Hit the Road.

Monkey Island Series: The setup

The Monkey Island series of point and click adventure games are set sometime during the Golden Age of Piracy. The initial game’s main protagonist is Guybrush Threepwood, a hapless simpleton who wishes to be the greatest pirate in history. The titular Monkey Island itself is an island set somewhere in the Caribbean. The Monkey Island series is best known for its humour. The game regularly breaks the fourth wall and makes fun of not just the player, but also gaming as a whole. 

Another notable feature in the Monkey Island series is the fact that the game never leaves the player in an unwinnable situation. While this may seem obvious now, we are talking about the game in the 90s. A time when ‘Git Gud’ was the norm, not the exception. 

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Google Maps gets estimated toll prices and better iOS widgets in India

Google Maps in India will show the likely toll pass prices on a route so that you can take that into consideration while calculating the cost of travel. This is among the few other features that Google has freshly added to its map application. Especially on Apple devices, the navigation app is becoming more accessible.

Common, let us walk you through the new Google Maps update.

New Google Maps features

Google Maps India shows toll prices on a route. This is an estimate based on the trusted toll pass information from local authorities. It also depends on the standard cost of using a toll, other payment options as well as the time and day of the week you would be travelling on. However, if you don’t want to take the toll road, just tap on the three dots at the top right corner of the ‘Directions’ screen on Google Maps, then hit on ‘Change Toll Settings’ and within the ‘Route Options’, toggle off the ‘Avoid Tolls’ option. That’s it. This feature will be rolled out this month to both Android and iOS users. Google Maps on iPhones are becoming smaller but will show details of a trip like “arrival time, the next departure for your public transport trip, and even a suggested route if you’re driving”. If you don't have the phone handy, you can access Google Maps directly from Apple Watch shortcut and begin navigation. There's even an option called ‘Take me home’ for navigation guide on that particular route.  Making things even convenient could be the new Siri shortcuts like “Hey Siri, get directions” or “Hey Siri, search in Google Maps” to trigger navigation on Google Maps.

Now all you got to do is ensure that you are having the latest Google Maps version on your device and soon you should be getting these new features. 

In the meantime, for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.

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