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PUBG Mobile Arctic Mode now available on iOS and Android, here's how you survive the cold

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The new Arctic Mode takes place in the Vikendi map, which is the only snow map available inside of the game.

Tencent Games has rolled out a new update for PUBG Mobile, bringing a new gameplay mode, called the Arctic Mode. To play the new Arctic Mode players can head to the EvoGround section.

The new Arctic Mode takes place in the Vikendi map, which is the only snow map available inside of the game. While playing a game in this mode, gamers need to keep in mind that they have to maintain the body temperature of their character at an optimal position.

During gameplay, there will also be arctic storms that will come your way from time to time. During which you will need to find a shelter to keep warm or else you will die off of cold. Apart from this, you will also need to keep an eye out for other players that will be looking to kill you and loot your supplies.

This mode is entirely based on survival, and the players able to survive until the end will be awarded chicken dinners.

To survive the extreme cold, you can simply follow the given steps:

  • Find a lighter and some tree branches to light an indoor fire and stay warm.
  • Go hunting for wild chickens then cook them over the fire and eat. This will also restore the body heat.

Also Read: Candy Crush vs PUBG Mobile: Here's what women prefer

  • Find a heater to stay warm when inside.
  • Lastly, you can use health kits and other health increasing items to recover the health that you lost due to the cold.

This update also brings the highly teased snowboard, that can be used to traverse the map. It also brings in drones to scout for other players, in a similar fashion to Call of Duty: Mobile. After the drone pings, you can go and kill the opponent and collect all of his resources that will help you stay warm and alive.

Apple brings back iPhone SE, looks like a repackaged iPhone 8

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Apple iPhone SE looks just like a repackaged iPhone 8.

After tons of leaks, rumours and renders, Apple has finally launched its new budget iPhone, the iPhone SE. The smartphone was initially expected to be called the Apple iPhone 9 or the iPhone SE2. However, the company decided to go old school with the naming scheme. While the older SE is already gone, this one will kill the iPhone 8 and force Apple to bring the prices of the iPhone 7 series even lower.

Apple has priced the smartphone quite aggressively considering the iPhone 11 Pro sells for over Rs. 1 lakh here in India. The all-new iPhone SE is priced at Rs. 42,500, where it goes right against brands like OnePlus and Samsung. However, the smartphone is priced at $399 in the United States, which roughly converts to Rs. 30,500.

In the US, the Apple iPhone SE 2020 goes right against the Google Pixel 3a and it might even manage to outsell a lot of Samsung, OnePlus and Huawei smartphones.

Apple iPhone SE 2020 will be offered in three colour options, Black, White and Product Red. In terms of the storage, users can pick among 64GB, 128GB and 256GB options.

In terms of the specifications, the Apple iPhone SE (2020) comes with the A13 Bionic chipset, which also powers the flagship iPhone 11 series. Unlike the costlier models, this one skips on FaceID to bring back the beloved TouchID fingerprint scanner. The new Apple device sports a 4.7-inch Retina HD display.

On the optics front, the iPhone SE sports a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture at the back. The camera features bundled in are Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting effects and Depth Control and monocular depth estimation. Upfront, the handset features a 7-megapixel selfie shooter.

Just like the iPhone 8, the new Apple iPhone comes with a glass back design, which also adds room for wireless charging. The smartphone also supports fast charging, which will require the user to pick an additional power brick with USB PD support.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 11 series shortage in India: Here's what it means for you

In my opinion, the iPhone SE 2020 will set a new trend for Apple and will beat brands like OnePlus, Realme and Samsung in the sub-50k segment. It is a great option for Indian consumers who usually end-up buying older iPhones due to smaller pockets.

But, it is also worth noting that even the iPhone XR is available for under Rs. 50,000. While it does come with an older processor, it brings in a larger display, nearly bezel-less design, FaceID and more.

Honor 30 series spotted online ahead of launch: Key features

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An interesting thing that the TENAA listing states, is that both the Honor 30 and Honor 30 Pro phones will come with the same dimensions and similar hardware. (Image: GSM Aren

Huawei sub-brand Honor is expected to launch its 30 series of smartphones globally on April 15. Now, both the devices have surfaced on China's TENAA certification website, which appears to have all the key features of the devices listed. Apart from the Honor 30 Pro has shown up on Geekbench. Lastly, a camera module image of the Honor 30 is also doing rounds.

Honor 30 Pro was recently spotted on Geekbench sporting the model number Huawei EBG-AN00. According to the listing, the device runs Google's Android 10 operating system and comes with an octa-core processor with a 1.95GHz bandwidth, which is equal to the present Kirin 990 processor. However, a few reports point to the fact that the phone series will be powered by the upcoming Kirin 985 processor.

Apart from this, the listing states that the device will come with 8GB of RAM. In the benchmarking test, it was able to get a single-core score of 3,876 and a multi-core score of 12,571.

Both the Honor 30 and Honor 30 Pro have recently made it to TENAA. An interesting thing that the listing states, is that both the phones will come with the same dimensions and similar hardware. The only changes they had were at the camera and processor sides.

Honor 30 specifications

According to the TENAA listing, Honor 30 will sport a 6.57-inch full HD+ OLED display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. It is powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 2.86GHz. The device will come with 8GB of RAM paired with 128GB/256GB of internal storage expandable up to 256GB of expandable storage.

Also Read: Honor 9X, Honor Magic Watch 2, Honor Band 5i launched in India: Everything you need to know

It runs Google's Android 10 operating system, which expectedly will come without the support for Google Play services. All of this is backed by a 3,900mAh battery. On the back, it will sport a 40-megapixel primary sensor and on the front, it will feature a 32-megapixel sensor for taking selfies.

Honor 30 Pro specifications

A lot of the hardware is similar for both the phones, however, the listing suggests that the Honor 30 Pro will come with a 50-megapixel primary sensor on the back, which could be the Sony IMX700 sensor along with a periscope lens and a dual-LED flash.

Vivo V19 unveiled: How it looks, specifications and more

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The device has been listed in Gleam Black and Sleek Silver colour options.

Vivo was expected to launch its V19 smartphone in India on March 26. However, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the company delayed its launch. Now the company has officially unveiled the smartphone globally and it is quite different from the model launched in Indonesia.

The company has made the device listing page live on its official international website. The device has been listed in Gleam Black and Sleek Silver colour options. The device will come with 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of internal storage. However, the company is yet to unveil the pricing of the device.

According to Vivo India's official website, the company has said that it will unveil details regarding the upcoming device once this coronavirus pandemic has been resolved in the country.

Vivo V19 specifications

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The company is yet to unveil the pricing of the device.

The vivo V19 sports a 6.44-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels. The company has used an anti-flicker technology for added protection during the dark. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 GPU paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of internal storage expandable via a dedicated microSD card slot.

Also Read: Top 5 Oppo F15 alternatives: Vivo V17, Realme X2 and more

The device runs Google's Android 10 operating system with the company's own Funtouch OS 10 skin on top. All of this is backed by a 4,500mAh battery with support for the company's own 33W FlashCharge 2.0 technology, which it claims can charge the phone from 0 to 54 percent within 30 minutes.

Also Read: Vivo U10 Review: All rounder or not?

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Vivo V19 sports a 6.44-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels.

In terms of cameras, the device has a quad camera setup on the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary sensor paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor, a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, it features a pill-shaped cut-out to accommodate the dual cameras, which include a 32-megapixel primary sensor paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor.

Xiaomi starts rolling out PatchWall 3.0 to Mi TVs: Here's what's new

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The new update brings a deeper content integration with the new Disney+ Hotstar service along with the addition of new content partners and other UI enhancements.

Xiaomi has announced the release of its PatchWall 3.0 operating system skin for its televisions. The company states that the software update sticks to the company's content first philosophy.

The new update brings a deeper content integration with the new Disney+ Hotstar service along with the addition of new content partners and other UI enhancements. The UI enhancements include cleaner animations, horizontal scrolling and more.

The company has announced that it will start rolling out the new update to its TVs starting April 6, which is today. The TVs to get it include: Mi TV 4A, Mi TV 4C Pro, Mi TV 4A Pro, Mi TV 4 Pro, Mi TV 4X and Mi TV 4X Pro.

Content additions

Xiaomi has partnered with Disney+ Hotstar to bring all of their content into the PatchWall ecosystem. This partnership also introduces a dedicated sports channel, which will offer users content related to ongoing sports tournaments.

Also Read: Xiaomi reveals Redmi K30 Pro to launch on March 24 along with K30 Pro Zoom Edition

The update also brings the addition of Docubay and Lattu Kids. Docubay will provide consumers with the ability to stream international documentaries. Whereas, Lattu Kids will provide children with over 1,500 hours of suitable content.

UI specific changes

The new update brings a number of different changes to the operating system. With this, the content is now placed higher than the input tab. It also brings the ability to scroll content horizontally.

Animations for browsing carousels have been redesigned and now focus much more on the current selection. The new hood animations according to the company help in content discoverability and providing the users with a cleaner TV experience.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi Band 3 vs Mi Band 3i: Which one should you go for?

Lastly, the update brings over the new Mi Lanting Pro font from MIUI 11.

What is PatchWall?

PatchWall is a custom skin for TVs designed by Xiaomi to work over Google's Android TV platform. The skin comes with AI integration, with the help of which it is able to recommend its users content in 13 languages in over nine categories.

"At Xiaomi, we are always exploring and innovating to improve the technology experience of our customers. PatchWall has not only been a key differentiator for us but has also fueled an overwhelming response and popularity for Mi TVs in India. Since the launch of PatchWall in India in 2018, 4.5 billion minutes of content has been streamed on the platform.  With the latest Patchwall 3.0 we are strengthening on our "Content first" philosophy with improved curation & discoverability while also making it more convenient with 1 click play experience. We sincerely hope that these innovations elevate our Mi TV user’s overall entertainment experience,"
said Raghu Reddy, Chief Business Officer, Xiaomi India.

YouTube developing TikTok rival, called 'Shorts'

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It will be very interesting to see how YouTube will implement this 'shorts' feature inside of its app. And if it would be able to take on TikTok with it or not.

YouTube according to a new report by The Information is working on a new feature that will allow users to make short videos like TikTok. It states that the company is currently developing the feature and will roll it out to users by the end of 2020.

The report states that the feature will be called 'Shorts'. And with it, YouTube is looking to take on TikTok, which has grown multiple folds since inception. It states that the company will launch this new feature as a part of its mobile app, in a similar fashion to how it launched the Stories feature.

These short videos will show up in a special feed, which will feature all the creators that make such content. A major plus point that Google has on its side is that it already has a large catalogue of licensed music, which the creators can use to make videos.

TikTok allows users to make short looping videos of three to 60 seconds, with the 15 seconds point being the most popular. The app was initially made available in China back in 2016 and was introduced worldwide two years after in 2018 after ByteDance acquires musical.ly and merged it with TikTok. Since then the app has seen immense growth, even surpassing the numbers of YouTube in terms of daily active users.

Also Read: COVID 19: YouTube takes steps to curb misinformation about coronavirus

It will be very interesting to see how YouTube will implement this 'shorts' feature inside of its app. And how it will manage to show users short-form and long-form videos together. The company has not made any public comments as of now, and we don't expect them to say anything about this any soon, considering that it might have just started working on the feature that will be released sometime late in 2020.

Poco F2 will not be a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro, confirms company

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During the meetup, Manmohan also said that the Poco F2 will not be priced at around Rs 20,000, suggesting it might be priced higher.

Poco India's General Manager, C Manmohan during a virtual fan meet announced that the company will soon launch its Poco F2 smartphone in India. During the meet up he also put the rumours to rest that the Redmi K30 Pro will be rebranded as the Poco F2.

These rumours were there as the company has rebranded and launched the Redmi K30 in India as the Poco X2. He also revealed that Poco has been working on its own truly wireless earbuds, which will be launching soon.

During the meetup, Manmohan also said that the Poco F2 will not be priced at around Rs 20,000, suggesting it might be priced higher. Considering this, the Poco F2 might not be as good of a deal as the Poco F1, which was launched back in 2018 priced at Rs 20,999 for the base variant. It came with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and other flagship-grade specifications.

Also Read: Xiaomi spins off Poco as an independent brand, might do the same with Redmi soon

This is a bit contradictory as a recent report showed that the MIUI Camera app code of the latest MIUI 11 beta version, it stated that the Redmi K30 Pro will be sold under the Poco brand name, to which everyone assumed it would be the Poco F2. It might launch under the Poco brand but under a different series. It could also just be called the Poco X2 Pro.

During the meet, he also said that the company was working on a pair of truly wireless earbuds. Xiaomi already sells a pair of truly wireless earphones in China, called the Mi AirDots. These could be what Poco brings to India after rebranding them.

COVID-19: Indian Govt launches Aarogya Setu coronavirus tracking app for Android, iOS

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Aarogya Setu coronavirus tracking app is now available on Android and iOS.

Coronavirus Pandemic has scared the world as the cases are rising rapidly. The Indian Government is doing a lot of work to contain this deadly virus from spreading. One such effort can be seen on the recently launched Aarogya Setu coronavirus tracking app. The application is available on both Android and iOS platforms. Here's how you can use it to determine if you have been hit the COVID-19.

The term Aarogya Setu comes from the Sanskrit language and it means "a bridge of health." It has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The application basically takes advantage of the GPS and Bluetooth signals to determine if you have come in contact with any Coronavirus-infected person. It also showcases the best practices one can follow in order to fight against the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Making it easier on everyone, the Government has launched the app with support for 11 languages including English, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil and more.

How to download Aarogya Setu app?

Downloading and installing the Aarogya Setu app is as simple as any other app. Just follow these steps:

  • Open App Store or Google Play Store on your iOS or Android smartphone
  • Search for "Aarogya Setu"
  • Download the app listed by the developer - NIC
  • Once downloaded, open the app and walk through the simple one-time setup process

The setup process basically includes the selection of the language, logging in with a mobile number and OTP, permission requests and filling of personal details like gender, full name, age, profession, travel history and more.

Also Read: Corona Kavach: How to download and use Indian government's coronavirus tracking app

Once the app is set up and ready to use, the users will be able to collect more information about the Coronavirus. It also gives additional information on help centres, self-assessment tests and more. Lastly, the app even requests the users to check the app every now and then to stay updated about the deadly virus.

While this might be the first app to offer such features, the MeitY introduced the Corona Kavach app last week for providing information on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Both these applications can prove to be handy in many situations.

Corona Kavach: How to download and use Indian government's coronavirus tracking app

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Corona Kavach: It is a COVID-19 tracking app that will alert users if they are at risk.

Corona Kavach: With the coronavirus pandemic growing daily and the death toll rising, the Indian Government has launched its own coronavirus tracking app, called Corona Kavach. The app is currently available for only Android devices, and has been developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW).

Corona Kavach is a COVID-19 tracking app that will alert users if they are at risk. It will also provide consumers with daily data and other information about the pandemic to curb misinformation. Apart from this, it has a breathing capacity tracker and self-diagnostic tool.

Take note, the app is currently in beta, so it might have a few bugs that will pop-up.

Corona Kavach: How does it work?

In the app, you will be required to answer a couple of questions, after which it will mark you as "All Good, See a Doctor, Quarantine or Infected."

Also Read: COVID-19: As coronavirus pandemic spreads, video calling apps surge in popularity

You will also be required to enable the app and provide it with location permissions. It will then track your movement and alert you if you are in the close proximity of a person that is infected or at a high-risk.

Corona Kavach: How to download

The Corona Kavach app is currently available only for Android smartphones, the government has said that it will soon be launching the iOS version of the app to the Indian public. To download the app on to your Android smartphone you can follow the given steps:

  • Open the Google Play Store, and search for Corona Kavach.
  • The app store will then bring up a display for the same.
  • Select the right app that has the developer named as MeitY and MHFW.
  • Press Install. After which the app will download and install itself on to your smartphone.
  • After the app is downloaded, you can open it and will have to register yourself on it using your mobile number.
  • After completing the registration process, the app will take you to its homepage, which consists of the number of people infected, mortality rate, recovery rate and more.

The app currently consists of three options on the bottom, which are 'Upload' that lets users upload their Unique ID, 'Kavach' that lets users start tracking themselves while stepping out of the home and 'Options', which consists the questionnaire and the breathing exercise.

Also Read: WhatsApp tips and tricks: How to use Advanced Search feature

Apart from this, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is also developing its own app for curbing the spread of misinformation and tracking the coronavirus pandemic. The app is reportedly named "WHO MyHealth" according to 9to5Google. It will provide users with tips, authentic news, alerts and other crucial information related to COVID-19. The app will not initially roll out location tracking feature, however, the report states that it is in the plan and will be rolled out at a later date.

COVID-19: As coronavirus pandemic spreads, video calling apps surge in popularity

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Video calling apps have also seen a major increase in the number of downloads and daily users.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread like wildfire. Many governments are taking precautions like India's 21-day lockdown to curb it. And due to this lockdown people are having to work from home and attend meetings via video chatting apps like Zoom Cloud Meetings, Skype and more. Apart from making official calls, these apps are also letting users stay connected to each other, even if they cannot meet as they are practising social distancing.

According to a report by VentureBeat, citing data from Apptopia, video-calling apps like Zoom Cloud Meetings, Houseparty and Marco Polo are being widely downloaded and used on both iOS and Android operating systems. This trend started back in February and has grown many-fold in March.

According to App Annie, Zoom Cloud Meetings was the top app downloaded in the first two weeks of March, which the major chunk of downloads coming from the US and UK.

According to Apptopia, worldwide downloads of Zoom Cloud Meetings grew from 1,71,574 back on February 15, to 24,10,171 on March 25.

Houseparty, which is another video calling app rose from 24,795 per day on February 15 to 6,51,694 on March 25.

Other video calling apps have also seen a major increase in the number of downloads and daily users. App Annie has stated that Snapchat has also increased its app engagement time between March 1 to March 14.

Marco Polo according to Apptopia, jumped from 12,674 daily downloads on February 15 to 73,395 daily downloads on March 25.

In related news, Microsoft has also announced that its Microsoft Teams chat and conferencing app between March 11 and March 18 gained over 12 million daily users, which according to the company was a 37.5 percent jump from its usual userbase.