Information aggregated on the search engine comes from all sources other than the brand. While you may search for anything on Google, some searches may cause problems in various ways. So, are there any certain Google searches you should avoid?
How Do You Make A Bomb? How Do You Make A Pressure Cooker Bomb?
If you don't want the cops knocking on your door, this is one Google query you should never type in. Users hunting for such information might quickly end up on the radars of security services, and if your search history is littered with such a question, you are almost certainly inviting problems.
Pornography involving children
This one search is unquestionably a call to confinement. Any sort of video with content linked to child pornography or any sexual exploitation of children is a crime not only in India but across the world. If you view and download such pornographic films on your gadgets, cops will rush to your house.
Criminal Activity-Related Questions
In addition to the aforementioned search for how to manufacture a bomb, any related Google searches that may reveal a user's criminal proclivity should be avoided. Again, repeated searches for kidnapping and narcotics may find you in hot water.
Avoid looking for Abortion-Related Terms
Again, if you frequently search for it, this is one inquiry that may cause you problems. This is due to the fact that there are certain standards for medical abortion in India, and if you try to uncover any loopholes, you may end yourself on the radar of dedicated authorities.
Google is clearly the most beneficial internet resource for searching for any type of information with only a few keywords. This search engine makes it simple to learn new things. However, Google is not without its drawbacks. Before conducting any Google search, you should be aware of various constraints and limitations.
While exploring the Apple Watch's ECG sensor in some depth, a team of researchers has said that the watch's ECG sensor data can be used to develop a robust and accurate stress prediction tool.
According to MacRumors, the researchers from the Canada-based University of Waterloo discovered a close relationship between ECG data, including heart acceleration and deceleration capacity, and participants' reported stress levels at the time the readings were taken, using the Apple Watch Series 6's ECG sensor.
Using this data, machine learning algorithms were created to create a prediction model.
The stress models are said to have a "high level of precision", but lower recall, said the report.
The study concludes that the Apple Watch has "promising" potential for stress prediction, and suggests that because the device collects additional health data such as sleep and activity data, even more, data points could be integrated into stress models to improve predictive accuracy.
Moreover, the researchers hypothesise that the Apple Watch could be used to aid mental health care by providing activities such as breathing exercises to offset stress signals and responding early to changes in mental health, the report added.
Meanwhile, a recent study also revealed that the Apple Watch can help detect silent heart disease.
The Mayo Clinic study explains that cardiac dysfunction often goes undiagnosed due to its asymptomatic nature, meaning people with it are unaware of it.
The findings showed that "consumer-watch ECGs acquired in nonclinical environments can identify patients with cardiac dysfunction".
Xiaomi’s subsidiary Redmi has launched two new fitness trackers with various health monitoring features. The Redmi Watch 3 and the Redmi Band 2 are the latest products, which are likely to make their way to India in the coming months.
These products were launched along with the Redmi K60 series of smartphones in China. Besides, the company also announced an affordable TWS earbud called the Redmi Buds 4 Lite.
The Redmi Band 2 is a compact smart band with a 1.47-inch colour TFT display with 172×320 pixel resolution and a peak brightness of 450nits. The band is powered by a 210mAh battery which can last up to 14 days on a single charge.
Redmi Band 2 is available in multiple colour options (Image credit: Xiaomi)
In terms of features, the Band 2 from Redmi supports up to 100 band faces with an option that allows users to set their own picture as a band face. Similarly, it supports up to 30 sports modes and is also 5ATM certified for water and dust resistance.
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The band can also measure heart rate, track sleep, and can even monitor the menstrual cycle. Coming to the Redmi Watch 3, the device comes with a 1.75-inch OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate and is packed with a 289mAh, capable of delivering 12 days of battery life per charge.
This budget smartwatch has a bright display with up to 600 nits of peak brightness with a native resolution of 390×450 pixels. Despite having a large display, the watch just weighs just 37g, which includes the strap.
The Redmi Watch 3 also supports 121 sports modes and just like the Redmi Band 2, the Watch 3 can also measure heart rate, and SpO2, and can also monitor sleeping patterns. The watch supports GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, and the GALILEO navigation system for improved workout tracking.
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Redmi Band 2, Redmi Watch 3 pricing details
When converted, the Redmi Band 2 will cost around Rs 2,000 while the Redmi Watch 3 will retail for Rs 7000, which is a bit more expensive than the Redmi Watch 2 Lite. As of now, there is no update on the launch of these smart wearables in India.
India will require mobile devices sold in the country to have the USB-C charging port by March 2025.
The government will find two types of charging ports for mobile devices and wearable electronics.
It's following the European Union which will require USB-C charging ports by December 28, 2024.
India will require mobile devices in the country to have the USB Type-C standard charging port by March 2025, Business Standard reported.
The Bureau of Indian Standards is setting standards for two common types of chargers — one for mobile devices and possibly another one for wearable electronics, like smartwatches, Rohit Kumar Singh, secretary to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said.
The Ministry of Environment may look at the impact of having a common charger for electronics on e-waste, Business Standard reported.
The requirement follows suit of the European Union, which set a December 28, 2024, deadline for all smartphones sold in member states to have the USB-C charging port.
"There is a broad consensus among the industry and government that the use of USB type C charging ports can be made mandatory after six months of the European Union's rolling out of standards for USB charging ports in 2024 as electronic manufacturers have a global integrated supply chain," Singh told Business Standard.
In 2019, India knocked the US out of second place for the largest market for smartphones because of the expansion of Chinese smartphone brands. Androids have an almost 96% share of the mobile devices market in India, while Apple is in second place with 3.1% of the market share.
Apple is reluctant to ditch its proprietary Lightning charging port, which is on all of its iPhones and some iPads. But the company confirmed that it will make iPhones with a USB-C port to comply with EU laws.
The company doesn't seem too thrilled about it. Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said it will "obviously" be forced "to comply" with the new law, at The Wall Street Journal's Tech Live conference. He added that Apple "doesn't mind governments telling us what they want to accomplish," but that Apple's engineers are "pretty smart" and have figured out better ways to accomplish things before.
For example, Joswiak said, Apple created the industry standard for hearing aids made for iPhone after the US government's regulation for hearing aid compatibility with mobile phones didn't work.
The European Parliament said in June that the standard charging port legislation is "part of a broader EU effort to make products in the EU more sustainable, to reduce electronic waste, and make consumers' lives easier."
Apple holds the largest share of the US smartphone market, taking up 48% of the market share in the second quarter of 2022. Samsung is next, with 30% of the market share in the same quarter, and Lenovo is third with 9% of the market share. Samsung and Lenovo smartphones mostly use USB-C or MicroUSB chargers.
Washington [US], December 28 (ANI): American tech giant Microsoft has announced that they are making Excel’s autocomplete even smarter, at least in the web version that comes with Microsoft 365.
According to The Verge, an American technology news website, the company unveiled formula suggestions and formula by example last week. These two features may help automate various tasks that were previously required to be done manually.
The idea behind formula suggestions is very straightforward: whenever you enter the equals sign in a cell, Excel for Web will attempt to propose an appropriate formula based on the data that’s around it.
For instance, Excel can suggest adding the range of cells if you have a column at the end of your spreadsheet named “total” and a row full of quarterly sales data, reported The Verge.
According to a blog post from Microsoft, the feature currently only works in English and will suggest sum, average, count, counta, min, and max formulas.
Then there’s Formula by Example, which is similar to the Flash Fill feature that can automatically identify patterns in data and fill out the remaining columns.
Microsoft’s blog post also includes several other feature announcements.
For testing purposes, the company is also bringing nested Power Query data types and the capability to access data from dynamic arrays to the Insider version of the Windows programme, in addition to a feature that will allow you to add photos with alt-text to your tables for Windows, Mac, and the web.
As per The Verge, another potentially useful web feature is “suggested links,” which will automatically assist you in fixing broken links to other workbooks stored in the cloud. (ANI)
This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Realme GT Neo 5 is reportedly coming with 240W fast charging and three cameras on the back. According to the latest rumors, it will have a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. The source also claimed the camera will come with a 50 MP Sony IMX890 sensor and OIS - features we have seen in Oppo devices such as the new Find N2 and the Reno9 Pro+.
The poster is most likely a fan render, but this source has been credible in their sporadic leaks. According to them, Realme will use the full power of the Snapdragon chipset instead of downgrading it for speed purposes.
Bringing a former flagship chipset to its Neo smartphones could mean these devices will no longer be mid-rangers with fast-charging speeds, but they will actually move into the premium category where performance is a step above the midfield.
We still have no official info from Realme on whether this device will arrive anytime soon, but given the increasing frequency of leaks from the rumor mill, an official launch is likely just around the corner.
Apple is expected to announce the refreshed iPad mini in 2024. While it might look similar to the current generation iPad mini, the upcoming iteration is expected to get a hardware refresh. As reported by CNET, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with a great track record on Apple leaks, the next iPad mini won’t be a foldable one.
Due to higher manufacturing costs, Apple is unlikely to upgrade the iPad mini with foldable tech at least until 2025. So, if you were looking forward to a foldable device from Apple, you might have to wait for a few more years. This also suggests that Apple might be working on it’s very first foldable, and might launch it once the technology is mature enough for general usage.
Apple refreshed the iPad mini back in 2021 with a new unibody design with slim bezels, and Touch ID integrated into the power button, and it is also the first iPad mini to receive a USB Type-C port for charging and data syncing. Similarly, the device was also launched with the latest A15 Bionic processor, although it came with a slower GPU and CPU when compared to the iPhone 13 Pro.
Additionally, the 6th Gen iPad mini also got Apple Pencil support (2nd Gen). The upcoming 7th Gen iPad mini might look similar to the current variant. However, in terms of performance, it is likely to get a new processor, possibly with more RAM and storage options.
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Currently, the 6th Gen iPad mini is the most affordable iPad that supports 2nd Gen Apple Pencil and the 64GB variant is available for around Rs 43,000 in India. In fact, the iPad mini almost costs similar to the 10th Gen iPad despite having a more powerful processor and a better display (laminated screen).
The Apple Watch 8 series, which was released with the feature to send an automated call to emergency services when the device experiences an abrupt stop, usually a result of a car crash, recently backfired.
According to GSM Arena, a tech news-related website, The Colorado Sun has reported that the feature is now backfiring as one US ski town fielded 71 crash notifications. None of these automated calls was an emergency – skiers just stopped abruptly on the slopes without needing medical attention, as per the outlet.
The iPhone 14 series’ “crash detection” and “fall detection” features immediately dial 911. The emergency centre then calls the caller back, and if they do not answer, it is presumed that they have been in an accident and that an emergency vehicle needs to be deployed.
According to Trina Dummer, the interim director of the Summit County 911 centre, these calls involve “a tremendous amount of resources, from dispatchers to deputies to ski patrollers,” but none of them was an actual emergency event.
Apple acknowledged the issue with skiers and the collision detection system in a response to dispatch supervisors, according to Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin, and indicated a remedy is being developed in Cupertino, as per GSM Arena.
Meanwhile, apart from crash detection, Apple Watch Series 8 can track changes in body temperature as little as 0.1 degrees Celsius, checking it every five seconds. It comes in four colours: midnight starlight, silver, and product red along with three stainless steel finishes: silver, gold, and graphite.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Garena Free Fire Max codes are out for December 28 and can be used for upgrading skins, outfits, weapons etc. The good information for the fans of this multiplayer royale game is that there is still an option to play this game with an alternative and its availability on app stores i.e android as well as ios.
The game requires players to spend a certain amount of money to get upgraded versions of skins , outfits, weapons and other vouchers. Here is a golden chance for those players to redeem such vouchers without spending any money. Those in need of upgrading into premium and elite versions can definitely grab their hands on this code for today.
This is why the developers come out with such redeem code with some exciting rewards and other accessories and much more.
The makers of this game are always creating new alphanumeric codes into it . These codes can also be used to unlock many new features and many reward points.
Some of the redeemable codes are-
MCPW3D28VZD6
ZZZ76NT3PDSH
FFCMPSJ99S
FFCMCPSGC9XZ
HNC95435FAGJ
FFCMCPUYUY7E
XZJZE25WEFJJP
BR43FMAPYEZZ
NPYFATT3HGSQ
V427K98RUCHZ
EYH2W3XK8UPG
FFCMCPSEN5MX
MCPW2D2WKWF2
NPYFATT3HGSQ
UVX9PUZV54AC
6KWMFJVMQQYG
MCPW2D1U3XA3
FF11HHGCGK3B
One can follow these steps to redeem new offers and vouchers.
Step1 go to the official redeeming page
Step2 log in with any of your social media account
Step3 now copy and paste the redeem codes in the text field
step 4 click on the confirm button .
The very popular royale battle game Garena Free Fire comes among such games which was prohibited by the Indian government, due to which the mass number of fans were disappointed by the inaccessibility of the game.
FAQ
Q.1 What are these redeem codes?
These are 12 digit codes for getting exclusive offers and exciting eliteness in the game .
Q.2 what kind of advantage will one get by redeeming the codes
One can get new skins in the game which are mostly paid, also new weapons , diamonds etc.
Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by an external agency. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein.
Gigabyte on Tuesday launched a new range of gaming laptops in India. The company released more laptops in its G5 series focusing on the lower-end segment. The new range is powered by the 12th generation Intel Core i5 processor and up to Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics.
The range is priced starting at roughly Rs 77,000 and goes all the way up to Rs 1,03,000. Let’s take a look at the details.
New Gigabyte G5 series specifications and features
The new Gigabyte G5 range comprises three laptops, namely, Gigabyte G5 KE, Gigabyte G5 ME, and Gigabyte GE. The entire lineup is powered by the Intel Core i5 processor and has a similar design.
The Gigabyte G5 series sports a matte black finish with a 15.6-inch Full HD display. It has a 144Hz high refresh rate for all your gaming needs. All three models come powered by the Intel Core i5-12500H processor with a base frequency of 2.5 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.5 GHz.
The processor is paired with 8GB of DDR4 RAM clocked at 3200 MHz. As for storage, all have 512GB of M.2 Gen 4 SSD storage.
The Gigabyte G5 KE is the higher-end model with a 6GB Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU. The Gigabyte G5 ME has a 4GB Nvidia RTX 3050Ti, whereas, the Gigabyte G5 GE has a 4GB Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU.
Since the G5 series is for gaming, it comes with Gigabyte’s proprietary cooling solution, the WINDFORCE cooling technology. The laptops feature 59-blade dual fans, 5 heat pipes, and 4 exhaust vents, all to dissipate heat generated while gaming.
Coming to the battery, all pack a 54Wh battery with support for 180W charging on the G5 KE and 150W on the G5 ME and G5 GE. The trio boots on Windows 11 Home Edition and come with a free Microsoft Office 365 Personal version for 1 year.
New Gigabyte G5 series price in India
The Gigabyte G5 GE is priced at Rs 77,887, the G5 ME is priced at Rs 85,801, and G5 KE costs Rs 1,03,890. The laptops come with a 2-year carry-in warranty and have Microsoft Office 365 pre-loaded. The laptops can be purchased from Flipkart and other offline retail stores in the country.
Samsung Galaxy S22 FE is now tipped to launch soon after the Galaxy S23 series launch.
Samsung's Fan Edition devices have been around to take on the class of flagship killer devices emerging from China every few months. The Galaxy S21 FE is the latest model in this series, offering buyers an affordable way to experience Samsung's Galaxy S series perks. The Galaxy S20 FE 5G, meanwhile, has been a hot seller in recent e-commerce sale events owing to its tremendous value. Now, reports suggest that there is a Galaxy S22 FE coming in the next few months.
The Galaxy S22 FE was originally said to be cancelled but fresh rumours now suggest otherwise. The phone is now rumoured to launch with a 108MP rear camera and an Exynos 2300 4nm chip. Another leak suggests Samsung could use the older Exynos 2200 chip, or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip from the Galaxy S22 series. Samsung is yet to confirm anything on this front.
Samsung Galaxy S22 FE now rumoured to launch
The phone is now expected to launch in its separate launch event, just after the first Galaxy Unpacked event announcing the new Galaxy S23 series, suggests tipster RGCloudS in a report from Gadgets360.
Another tipster OreXda says that the Galaxy S22 FE could come soon along with the Galaxy Buds 2 Live earbuds. It is also said that this could be the last time we get to see a Fan Edition variant of the Galaxy S series device. Another tipster Dohyun Kim adds on to this, suggesting that the Galaxy S23 FE may never happen.
Note that these are all unconfirmed rumours and we need to wait for Samsung to make official announcements. Tipster RGCloudS says that Galaxy S22 FE could replace the Galaxy A74, which has been cancelled. The Galaxy S22 FE with its older specs could come at a lower price, thereby matching the price of the Galaxy A73 5G.
What remains to be seen is how much compromises will Samsung bring to keep the price low.
The Microsoft-Activision contract is extending further than it should, and the reason for this is Sony’s lack of cooperation in reaching an agreement with Xbox for the transaction. This is also why Phil Spencer is attempting to reach an agreement with their Japanese competitors, including Sony and Nintendo.
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However, it seems that Microsoft might be actually trying to force things to go their way. Data from 2021 suggests that Xbox consoles might not have been performing as well as the other two, namely PlayStation and Nintendo. Thus the question arises, is the console war real and ongoing?
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PlayStation blames Xbox for being trying to capture the majority of the market, but data shows that the real competitor is Nintendo here
In a statement from September, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said, “Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends.”
Living room with a Microsoft Xbox Series S home video game console alongside a television and soundbar, taken on October 27, 2020. (Photo by Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
He further added, “After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers. We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.”
However, data uploaded by industry insider Hunter in a tweet shows that the real competitor of Playstation is not Xbox but Nintendo. He tweeted, “Microsoft says in 2021 that PlayStation sold more than 2x the consoles vs. Xbox, in a new FTC filing Nintendo sold over 3x the consoles vs. Xbox Microsoft also says PlayStation has the same # of exclusives as Xbox + Nintendo combined”
Microsoft says in 2021 that PlayStation sold more than 2x the consoles vs. Xbox, in a new FTC filing
Nintendo sold over 3x the consoles vs. Xbox
Microsoft also says PlayStation has the same # of exclusives as Xbox + Nintendo combined
Although PlayStation might be trying to blame Xbox for all the console losses, it seems that Xbox is actually trying to save itself without making others take the fall for them. According to filing from FTC, “Xbox also believes it is good business to make Activision’s limited portfolio of popular games more accessible to consumers, by putting them on more platforms and making them more affordable. That includes making Call of Duty, one of Activision’s most popular games, more broadly available. Microsoft made this public pledge on the day the deal was announced.”
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Now the only thing that remains is to get a strong reply from Nintendo on the matter. Till then let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
To see this trick in action, fire up the Notes app and open a fresh note to start typing on. Next, with your iPhone in your hand, give the device a brief physical shake. Doing this should produce an "Undo Typing" pop-up on screen. When you tap "Undo," it will delete all the text that was previously typed. Of course, if it was an accidental iPhone shake, you can hit "Undo" and resume typing without deleting anything.
It is important to note that the Shake to Undo feature is not limited to erasing typographical errors. Depending on when you execute the shake, your iPhone will correct whatever typing-related action you last performed. For example, if your last move was to delete a series of words, shaking the device and hitting "Undo" will bring back what you just removed. It also works on any body of text that was copy-pasted into the text area of whatever Apple app you're typing on. Essentially, it's a generic undo tool that'll skip back one previous app action. It can be performed any number of times if there's a need to take back a series of actions, including typing errors.
Customers can now avail the Nothing Phone (1) at a subsidized rate of Rupees 25999 on Flipkart's Year End Sale. The current original price of the 8GB + 128 GB variant of the Nothing Phone (1), on Flipkart, is Rs 27,999 and after a 10 per cent discount, customers can now avail of the same set at Rs 25,999.
Customers using a Bank of Baroda Credit Card for EMI transactions ranging up to Rs 2000 can become beneficiaries of the 10 per cent discount provided by Flipkart on the Nothing Phone (1). Furthermore, shoppers using Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card are eligible to get a 5 per cent cashback reward on the purchase of this phone set.
Flipkart is now conducting a year-end sale on its app and website. The deal began on December 24 and will run till December 31. It provides deals on a variety of smartphones.
The phone is available on Amazon for Rs 29,948. Customers can get discounts up to Rs. 13,300 if they go for an exchange offer on their old phone. Nevertheless, the exchange amount is dependent on the model, brand and condition of the phone put on the exchange.
Nothing Technology Ltd.'s Nothing Phone (1) is an Android smartphone and was unveiled on March 23, 2022, and went on sale on July 21, 2022. Carl Pei, a former One Plus co-founder, formed Nothing Technology Limited in 2020. Carl Pei created the firm with the goal of breaking down boundaries between humans and technology.
Nothing Technology Limited unveiled the design of the Nothing Phone (1) at the Art Basel Show in Basel, Switzerland on June 20, 2022.
Regarding sales of the Nothing Phone (1) Nothing Technology Limited announced a collaboration with O2 in the UK and Deutsche Telekom in Germany. Flipkart retailers released the Nothing Phone (1) in India and acted as the prime, but not exclusive, distributor of the same. Nevertheless, the phone was later featured on several other online retailers like Amazon.
FAQs:
How does the Nothing Phone (1) look like?
The Nothing Phone (1) has a transparent design.
When was Nothing Phone 1 released?
It was released on July 12, 2022, at an online event.
Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by an external agency. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein.
WhatsApp, a Meta-owned instant messaging app, has always been introducing and upgrading its features. This time, as per a report, the instant messaging platform is planning to work on a feature which would allow users to report status updates on the desktop beta version.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, the alleged feature would let users report a status update within a new menu in the status section. Reportedly, if any user finds a suspicious status update which violates the Terms of Service, users will have the option to report it to the team.
The report also suggests that the feature is currently under development and would soon be rolled out on WhatsApp Desktop beta.
Meanwhile, The festival of Christmas and holiday season is around the corner. With the advent of technology, now it is easier to wish your family, friends and dear ones with quirky Instagram and WhatsApp stickers rather than sending them greeting cards and telephonic wishes. If you are wondering how to send lively Christmas stickers on Instagram and WhatsApp, here is the guide for you:
Guide to send Christmas stickers on WhatsApp
In order to send the Christmas stickers, a user must download them from the Play Store. Proceed to the Play Store and download any sticker pack of choice from there. After downloading these sticker packs, users can find multiple sticker packs inside the app, all with an Add button next to them in a shape like a plus (+). Users can tap on these buttons to add these stickers on their WhatsApp app.
After adding these stickers to the app, users can send any sticker by simply going to WhatsApp, opening the chat window with any contact and selecting stickers of their choice. Users can open the emoji section and head to the right-most tab for stickers which is where all the new Christmas stickers will be present.
Guide to send Christmas stickers on Instagram
To send the Christmas stickers on Instagram, just open the Direct Messages on the app and then open the chat window of the receiver. A sticker icon will appear next to the text-typing bar at the bottom. Tap on the button to open the sticker-search bar. Type Christmas to find the festival themed stickers. Tap on any of these stickers and they will be sent.
Among other things, the year 2022 will also be remembered for weird gadgets and strange ideas in tech. They were bold, risky, and well, truly original. Not just smaller brands, but legacy tech brands also jumped to the idea that edgy and bizarre are the new cool. Strange tech was the craze for 2022. Here are some of the oddest gadgets we saw this year from the Snap Pixy drone to Samsung’s Odyssey Ark curved monitor to the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio.
Snap Pixy
It was conceptualised as a drone-powered camera that could fly around and record videos and photos for sharing on the Snapchat app. The idea was to have a lightweight, toy-like, selfie drone creating great-looking images and video. It was indeed a weird-looking product with several good ideas backed into it. However, it was far from perfect.
The drone could only fly for five minutes on a single charge and its image and video quality were a hit-and-miss depending on the lighting conditions. Being the first-generation product, the Pixy was a polished device but had several shortcomings. Less than four months after its launch, Snapchat killed its drone-powered camera and shut down the development as part of a re-prioritisation of company resources.
Nothing Phone (1)
It might not come close to the iPhone 14 but Nothing’s debut phone was anything but funky, fun, and a little flawed. From the front, Nothing Phone (1) looked like a traditional flagship Android device. However, flip the phone over and you will find a series of white LED strips across a transparent glass back to create patterns of light that Nothing calls “glyphs”.
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It was a well-executed attempt at making a distinctive-looking smartphone that doesn’t cost much. In a way, Nothing represented something lighthearted and even silly when smartphone designs have become flat. So yeah, love it or hate it, there’s no doubt that Nothing Phone (1) has proven to be majorly popular and has been generating buzz ever since its first unveiling.
Dyson Zone
More than its staggering $950 price, Dyson’s Zone headphones will make you sit and take notice. The combination of headphones and air purifiers is not only unique but also tests the imagination of human beings in achieving things that often look impossible to accomplish. The weird gadget doubles up as a personal air purifier for your nose and mouth, securing you inside an attachable mouthpiece, free from air pollution, while also delivering clean audio with active noise cancellation.
The Zone has been the result of six years of development, as the company wanted to develop a portable iteration of its existing air purification technology. The Zone may look outlandish, but that’s the beauty of a product.
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Samsung Odyssey Ark
The Odyssey Ark wasn’t just another monitor. The 55-inch Odyssey Ark, which retailed for $3500, brought a curved screen gaming monitor into the world that felt as if you were inside a virtual game. While most monitors were meant to be used horizontally, the Odyssey Ark came with a Cockpit mode that would let you rotate it by 90 degrees. Everything about the Ark was bizarre. Its Multi View feature was designed to show you four screens at once on Ark. From its specs to design, Ark was designed to satisfy nerds.
Nokia 5710 XpressAudio
The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio wasn’t anything but a route to “escapism” in a smartphone-obsessed world. The message from HMD Global, the Finnish company that licensed the rights to produce Nokia phones, was actually fairly profound: to have fun with a device. The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio was unquestionably different, a feature phone with true wireless earbuds built right in. The device was created from an untraditional board, and the reason why it promised a twist to “boring” phone designs is that we are so accustomed to them.
HidrateSpark Pro Steel
Finally, the coolest and strangest thing we saw this year was HidrateSpark’s $80 smart water bottle. The smart water bottle came with both chug and straw lids and an LED puck at the base that lights up in customisable colours, reminding you to drink water throughout the day. The 32-ounce HidrateSpark Pro supported Bluetooth technology and connects to the HidrateSpark App and also provides real-time data to the Apple Health App and Apple Watch. We didn’t know we needed a smart bottle in our lives.
The Redmi K60 series will succeed the popular Redmi K50
Highlights
Redmi K60 series is expected to go on sale on December 31
All three handsets are tipped to pack 5,500mAh battery
The Redmi K60 Pro is expected to run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Redmi K60 series, which is said to include the Redmi K60, the Redmi K60 Pro, and Redmi K60E, has been confirmed to launch in China in December. The launch date was recently leaked by a tipster, but has now been officially confirmed by the Chinese company. Redmi has confirmed that the Redmi K60 series will debut in China on December 27. Leaks about the series' expected specifications have also surfaced ahead of launch, providing an insight into what to expect. A set of leaks on Weibo have also detailed the expected specifications for the lineup, hinting that the Redmi K60 Pro could be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
According to the Redmi website in China, the Redmi K60 series will launch in China at a New Year's conference on December 27. The website mentions that the reveal is scheduled for 7 PM local time (4:30 PM IST) and gives an option to interested customers to book the handset in advance. Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing had also teased the same launch date for the K60 series on Thursday. The handsets are also tipped to go on sale starting December 31.
Meanwhile, specifications for the upcoming Redmi K60 series seemed to have leaked on Chinese social networking website Weibo. Tipster Mukesh Sharma (@stufflistings) spotted the leaks and tweeted out a detailed list of specifications. According to the leak, the Redmi K60, the Redmi K60 Pro, and Redmi K60E could be powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipsets, respectively.
The leak also mentions that all three phones will pack a 5,500mAh battery, with the Redmi K60 and Redmi K60E said to support 67W fast charging, while the Redmi K60 Pro is expected to support 120W fast charging.
Both the Redmi K60 and the Redmi K60 Pro are also expected to sport a triple rear camera setup, led by a 64-megapixel primary sensor with OIS support.
According to earlier reports, the vanilla Redmi K60 is expected to feature a 6.67-inch quad-HD+ display, with 120Hz refresh rate. In addition to the 64-megapixel main sensor, the handset is said to include an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro lens.
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The Apple MacBook Air M2 can be bought at a price of Rs. 99900 on Amazon. Here is how to get the deal.
The Apple MacBook Air M2 is currently available with a massive discount on Amazon. The MacBook Air got a major redesign earlier this year and Apple gave it the updated M2 chipset. The new MacBook Air now becomes a solid work laptop for those who seek a reliable machine without needing extra graphical processing performance. Additionally, the MacBook Air M2 also proved itself with a great battery life, which is a rarity in slim notebooks these days.
The only con was with its price, which was a notch higher than its predecessor at launch. The MacBook Air M2 was launched at a starting price of Rs. 119,900 for the base 256GB variant and 8GB RAM. With the old MacBook Air M1 still around, not many people find it a good deal to spend more and get the upgraded variant. With this Amazon deal, things could change for the M2 model.
Apple MacBook Air M2 deal on Amazon
The 2022 MacBook Air with the M2 chipset is currently enjoying a great discount. The MacBook Air M2 256GB variant is usually available at a price of Rs. 105,900. However, Amazon is selling the laptop at a discounted price of Rs. 105,500. That is a major price cut from the original launch price and makes for a great deal in itself.
However, that is not all. Those customers who make the transaction via the HDFC Bank credit card can avail a discount of additional Rs. 6000 on this price. Hence, the price of the MacBook Air M2 on Amazon goes down to Rs. 99,900.
For that price, the MacBook Air M2 is a great deal. You get a bigger 13.6-inch display that is brighter; thanks to its slimmer bezels and a display notch on the top. The port situation doesn't improve but you get an extra MagSafe port to charge the laptop via the provided MagSafe cable. The new M2 chip also offers faster performance and the battery performance is among the best you can find in the market today.
The iPhone 14 is the latest generation of Apple’s smartphone range, replete with all the bells and whistles you’d expect. But, if you’re on an iPhone 11 and thinking of upgrading, you can be certain that the iPhone 14 is a lot better. But how does it really compare to Apple’s latest phone?
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Design
These two iPhones come with quite noticeably different aesthetics. The iPhone 11 shares the same curved lines as the iPhone X, Xs, and Xr, while the iPhone 14 uses Apple’s newer flat-edged design that was introduced with the iPhone 12 and has a smaller notch than the 11. The phones are similar, but the iPhone 14 definitely looks more modern, with sharper lines that hark back to the golden era of iPhone design that debuted with the iPhone 4.
Here’s how the two compare in terms of dimensions:
iPhone 14: 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.8mm; 172g
iPhone 11: 150.9mm x 75.7mm x 8.3mm; 194g
As you can see, the iPhone 11 is taller, fatter, and thicker than the newer model, plus it’s more than 20 grams heavier too.
iPhone 14
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Both have many similarities, sporting a 6.1-inch display, dual rear cameras, Lightning port, and aluminum chassis, and come in a variety of colors (white, black, green, yellow, purple, and red for the iPhone 11; Midnight (black), Starlight (silver), blue, purple and red for the iPhone 14). In a nutshell, they both look like iPhones, but the iPhone 14 looks like a newer one.
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Display
While both phones have a 6.1-inch screen, there are some significant upgrades on the iPhone 14. Firstly, the display on the newer model is OLED rather than the lower-quality LCD on the 11. The iPhone 14 also has a higher resolution, HDR, a greater contrast ratio, and is significantly brighter.
iPhone 14
2532×1170 resolution (460ppi)
2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
800 nits max brightness (typical), 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
iPhone 11
1792×828 resolution (326ppi)
1400:1 contrast
625 nits max brightness
That’s not to say that the display on the iPhone 11 is bad, but the years between the models have seen Apple ramp up the quality on the superior panel of the iPhone 14. The new range also comes in a larger variant, the iPhone 14 Plus, which boasts a 6.7-inch OLED panel for those who want even more space on their display. The iPhone 14 also has a Ceramic Shield covering for the front panel, which is tougher than the Gorilla glass found on the iPhone 11l.
iPhone 14 Display
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Camera
At first glance, it might seem that the cameras on the two devices are actually very close. Both have dual cameras on the rear, consisting of a 12MP main and 12MP Ultra Wide. Look a bit closer, however, and you’ll see that like with everything else the iPhone 14 has been tweaked to offer more capabilities.
For a start, the iPhone 14’s 12MP main camera has an aperture of f/1.5 rather than the f/1.8 on the iPhone 11. This might not sound like much, but will improve low-light photography and offer a shallower depth of field. Stabilization is also different, with the older device coming with Optical Image Stabilisation (good) but the iPhone 14 having Sensor-Shift Stabilisation (better).
There’s the same Deep Fusion technology on both, as well as .5x and 1x optical zooms, True Tone Flash, Portrait, Portrait Lightning, and Night modes. The iPhone 14 bumps up the Smart HDR to version 4, whereas the 11 is back on version 2, plus there’s the new Photonic Engine in the 14 that uses software to further improve the color and contrast balance in shots. Apple upgrades the camera with each iPhone generation, so after three years, you’ll definitely see a significant improvement in photo quality.
iPhone 14 Camera
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
On the video side of things, there are a lot of shared features, as both can shoot up to 4K at 24, 25, 30, or 60 frames per second. There’s also slo-mo video that maxes out at 1080p/240fps, Time-lapse with stabilization, QuickTake videos, 2x optical zoom, audio zoom, and stereo recording.
The TrueDepth front cameras are very similar, as they both have 12MP sensors but the f/1.9 aperture on the iPhone 14 is slightly wider than the f/2.2 one of the iPhone 11. You’ll also get Night mode on the iPhone 14, which will help will low-light situations.
Where the newer processor in the iPhone 14 comes into play is with Cinematic mode, which allows you to pull focus and have a very shallow depth of field to achieve movie-style effects. There’s also the Action mode that keeps everything steady even if you’re running around with the camera, plus HDR video at 4K/60fps. You’ll get some great pictures and video on the iPhone 11, but if you’re a budding Christopher Nolan then the extras features on the iPhone 14 will be hard to resist.
iPhone 14 v iPhone 11: Processor and specs
The iPhone 14 has Apple’s A15 Bionic chip at its heart, which is quite the beast. From a structural point of view, it has the same 6-core CPU as the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11, but it’s significantly faster with an additional GPU core and twice as many cores in its Neural Engine. Battery life will be greatly improved as well. In our testing, we got about 9 hours of battery life with the iPhone 14 versus 5-and-a-half with the iPhone 11.
Storage is more generous on the iPhone 14, as it comes in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants, while the iPhone 11 launched with 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB allocations. Both phones have IP68 waterproof ratings, though the iPhone 14 can survive being immersed deeper than the iPhone 11 (6 meters as opposed to 2). You’ll also get Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and Bluetooth on both (although the latter is 5.3 on iPhone 14 but 5.0 on iPhone 11). And on the iPhone 14, you’ll get 5G wireless speeds, while the older model has 4G LTE.
The iPhone 11 has a slower processor but is still a very capable iPhone even in 2022.
Shutterstock / ALDECAstudio
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Price
When it was released in 2020, the iPhone 11 was cheaper than today’s iPhone 14. However, you’re getting more storage, 5G support, and a newer design for an extra $100 and up.
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 (128GB): $799/£849
iPhone 14 (256GB): $899/£959
iPhone 14 (512GB): $1,099/£1,179
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 (64GB): $699/£699
iPhone 11 (128GB): $749/£749
iPhone 11 (256GB): $849/£849
iPhone 14 vs iPhone 11: Should you upgrade?
Even all these years later, the iPhone 11 is still a decent phone with plenty to offer. The cameras are solid, the performance should still be plenty good, and iOS will still be supported for several years to come. However, the iPhone 14 is vastly superior in many ways, with a fantastic display, faster chip, and enhanced camera capabilities, as well as a lighter and newer design. Both are good, but the iPhone 14 is simply better—and if you’ve been considering an upgrade, we recommend going for it.
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
A high-level overview of the pipeline. First, a text prompt is fed into a GLIDE model to produce a synthetic rendered view. Next, a point cloud diffusion stack conditions on this image to produce a 3D RGB point cloud. Credit: arXiv (2022). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2212.08751
A team of researchers at San Francisco-based OpenAI, has announced the development of a machine-learning system that can create 3D images from text much more quickly than other systems. The group has published a paper describing their new system, called Point-E, on the arXiv preprint server.
Over the past year, several groups have announced products or systems that can generate a 3D-modeled image based on a text prompt, e.g., "a blue chair on a red floor," or "a young boy wearing a green hat and riding a purple bicycle." Such systems generally have two parts. The first reads the text and tries to make sense of it. The second, trained on internet searches, renders the desired image.
Because of the complexity of the task, these systems can take a long time to return a model, ranging from hours to days. In this new effort, the researchers built a similar system that returns results within minutes, though they readily acknowledge that the results "fall short of the state-of-the-art in terms of sample quality."
To create images more quickly, the researchers adopted an approach somewhat different than others. Their system does not even create images in the traditional sense. Instead, it generates point clouds, which, when viewed together, resemble the desired image. The team took this approach because generating point clouds is far easier than generating actual images. To create the results, the system routes images it finds through another AI system they developed that converts what it receives to meshes, which produce the 3D point cloud model of the intended object.
The first part of the system was made using two modules—the first converts the text into an image idea and the second part finds images that are used to generate a generic image. In operation, the system runs very much the same as others of its kind—a user inputs a descriptive text prompt and the system returns an image model. They note that while the visual quality is not comparable to other systems, it might be more suitable to other applications, such as fabricating real-world objects via a 3D printer.
The researchers have made the system open access—users who wish to work with it can access the code on GitHub.
More information: Alex Nichol et al, Point-E: A System for Generating 3D Point Clouds from Complex Prompts, arXiv (2022). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2212.08751
Citation: OpenAI announces Point-E, a machine learning system that quickly creates 3D images from a text prompt (2022, December 21) retrieved 21 December 2022 from https://ift.tt/xPUw30j
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Redmi Band 2 is available in multiple colour options (Image credit: Xiaomi)
