 "Tech Wrap May 28")
Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi has scheduled the launch of the Xiaomi 14 Civi in India for June 12. Civi in the name stands for “Cinematic Vision”, pointing that the smartphone would be camera-centric like other models in the Xiaomi 14 series. The Xiaomi 14 Civi would likely be a rebranded Civi 4 Pro, which was launched in China last month. The smartphone will feature a triple-camera system co-engineered in partnership with German imaging entity Leica.
Software and imaging are core strengths of Google smartphones, and the Pixel 8a excels in these areas. However, it is marred by thermal issues that hamper the overall experience. Moreover, slow battery charging is a significant drawback. The Pixel 8a is on the expensive side of the price spectrum, especially considering that competitors offer better packages at the same or lower prices.
The British consumer technology brand Nothing would be unveiling new colour variants of the Phone 2a on May 29. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the company shared a teaser image that shows the elements, such as the rear camera module, in blue, red and yellow colours along with the text “Something special. Tomorrow.”
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Chinese smartphone brand Realme has launched the Narzo N65 5G in India. The budget 5G smartphone is a maiden offering in the country powered by MediaTek Dimensity 6300 system-on-chip (SoC). Priced at Rs 11,499 onwards, the smartphone is offered in 128GB on-board storage with 4GB and 6GB RAM options. The smartphone will be available in amber gold and deep green on Realme online store and e-commerce platform Amazon India from May 31 at 12 pm.
TCL has launched the Google QLED, 4K QLED, 4K UHD range of smart televisions in India. The range comprises C655, P755Pro, P755, P655, and S5500 models starting at Rs 36,990, Rs 46,990, Rs 33,990, Rs 42,990, and Rs 15,990, respectively. TCL said that all new models offer innovative features across accessibility, functionality and performance as they are powered with AiPQ Processor, which optimises colour, contrast and image for exceptional gaming and entertainment experience.
Microsoft’s Phone Link service on Windows is reportedly getting a new feature that allows users to extract texts from images that are stored on the synced Android smartphones. According to a report by Windows Central, the feature uses optical character recognition (OCR) to detect texts within an image and allows copying and pasting into other apps on the PC.
Video streaming platform Netflix could soon end support for watching content offline on its app for Windows. Citing multiple posts on X (formerly Twitter), Android Authority has reported that Netflix has started notifying Windows users about the change, which is expected to roll out with a new forthcoming update.
Apple Inc.’s iPhone staged a rebound in China last month with shipments rising 52 per cent amid a flurry of discounts from retail partners. The latest figures from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology showed smartphone shipments surging in the country, of which roughly 3.5 million units came from foreign brands, according to a Bloomberg calculation.
Meta’s popular instant messaging app WhatsApp has introduced a new feature allowing users to share one-minute voice notes as status updates, doubling the previous limit of 30 seconds. Users might need to update their WhatsApp to use this feature. According to WABetaInfo, this feature is currently rolling out to all WhatsApp iOS and Android users.
French video game publisher Ubisoft recently unveiled the trailer for the Assassin’s Creed Shadow, its next major title in the Assassin's Creed series. Set in 16th century Japan, the video game goes through the Feudal Era of the country where it was facing a brutal unification attempt. The video game will be released globally on November 15 through Ubisoft+ Premium subscription on PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X and Series S gaming consoles. For desktops, the video game will be available on Mac App Store for Macs with Apple silicon, and on Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store for Windows PC.
With its May 2024 update, Google is letting users share passwords with the members of their own family, making it easier for everyone in the household to access passwords for shared services. The feature will be available once the users download the latest version of the Google Play Services from the store.
Elon Musk's AI startup xAI raised $6 billion in series B funding, reaching a post-money valuation of $24 billion as investors bet big on challengers to companies like OpenAI in the intensifying AI race. The funding round was backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital.
A US lobby group representing tech giants Google, Amazon and Apple has asked India to rethink its proposed EU-like competition law, arguing regulations against data use and preferential treatment of partners could raise user costs, a letter shows.
