PUBG Mobile 0.18.0 adds sandstorm weather effects to Miramar, Cheer Park, and a bunch of other changes

PUBG Mobile kicked off Season 12 for the game with a major update earlier this year in March. The update (v0.17.0) marked the return of the Hardcore Mode, along with new features and improvements to the Classic Mode. Now, the game is receiving yet another massive update which packs in some more noteworthy changes. According to the patch notes published on the official website, the latest update (v0.18.0) brings new sandstorm weather effects to the Miramar desert map, adds a 2.7x scope to the Win94 rifle, adds the Canted Sight attachment to the game, and kicks off Royale Pass Season 13, among other things.

The latest update for PUBG Mobile has already started rolling out to users via the Play Store and users who update the game before May 13th stand the chance to win 1 Radio, 2,888 BP, and 3 Lieutenant Parsec Backpacks. Here are the complete patch notes for the latest update:

• Updated Miramar with Sandstorm
  • The map has received visual updates with a few new elements
  • An oasis has been added to the northern part of the map and Urban Ruins is now to the northwest. More housing areas, roads, and resources have been added to the made.
  • Added a race track that runs through the whole map.
  • New Miramar map vehicle: Golden Mirado.
  • Added vending machines for Energy Drinks or Painkillers
  • Added the chance for areas in Miramar and the Main Menu to be ravaged by sandstorms.
  • Added new Miramar main lobby theme and music.
  • Added new Miramar achievements and events.
• Win94 with 2.7x scope
• Canted sight available
• New classic mode content: Jungle adventure in Sanhok (Available soon)
  • Random chance to enter new Jungle Adventure mode while looking for matches on Sanhok.
  • The mode adds a variety of features and challenges to the map.
  • Totem: Find ancient totems and invoke their power for a chance to receive a blessing or item.
  • Jungle Food: Fruit and other foods grow in the wild. Eating them may grant mysterious effects.
  • Hot Air Balloon: Control a Hot Aur Balloon to survey the battlefield.
• New Customizable weapon system: Guncraft finishes (Available soon)
• New weapon: P90 in Arena Mode

• Royale Pass Season 13: Toy Playground (Available May 13th)
• Cheer Park
  • New social area that can accommodate 20 players at any time.
  • Includes most of the basic Training grounds features and lets players interact with other players in real time.
  • Players can view the information of other players, chat, interact with Emotes, and add friends.
  • Players can team up with other players and play matches in various modes.
  • Players can invite their friends to interact and roast chicken together.
  • Additional activities include 1v1 duels, Hunt game, and Shooting range.

• Bluehole Mode: Brand new EvoGround Experience (Available soon)
  • Erangel will now have 2 zones — inner and outer. The inner zone represents the next playzone location, but players will lose health if they are in the inner zone as long as the outer zone is present. Once the outer zone finishes shrinking, players will be able to move into the former inner zone and a new inner zone will appear.
  • All supplies spawn with a 50% increase over the Classic mode Erangel map and players can review downed teammates in 4 seconds.

• New anti-cheating implementation: Points protection against cheater kills
• New results screen UI

Along with these aforementioned changes, PUBG Mobile v0.18.0 also includes a ton of improvements and bug fixes. For a more detailed look at everything included in the update, you can check out the source linked below.

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Source: Patch notes

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Xiaomi launches Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and Android TV-powered Mi Box 4K in India

Xiaomi has shaken the smartphone and smart TV market in India and is now working towards grabbing a significant chunk of other segments. Along with the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G, Xiaomi has now announced two new products in India – the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 TWS and the Mi Box 4K, which is a rebranded version of the Mi Box S.

Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 TWS

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 truly wireless earphones feature a 14.2mm drivers. Xiaomi India has specially optimized the sound for the Indian audience, tuning it for Bollywood and other bass-heavy music. Each of these earphones feature two microphones, one of which is specifically working to minimize background noise during calls.

Like the Apple AirPods and the Realme Buds Air (review), the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 feature proximity sensors that allow automatic pausing when you take either of the earphones out of your ears. The earphones come in a rigid design without any sort of cushioning or earbuds. Xiaomi says that they have optimized the shape of the earphone by mapping millions of ears in simulation software. Each of the earbuds weighs just about 4g while both of them with the case weigh 50g in total.

In terms of battery life, the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 can last up to 4 hours while the case can add an additional 10 hours of battery life. There’s no wireless charging and the case can be charged using a USB-C port at the bottom.

Mi Box 4K

The Mi Box 4K is an Android streaming device running on Android TV Pie and can convert any dumb TV into a smart TV. The streamer box appears to be a rebranded Mi Box S, which has been available in the market for about a couple of years. Unlike Xiaomi’s own Mi TV lineup, the Mi Box 4K does not run on Patchwall and comes with the standard Android TV UI.

As is in the name of the device, it supports up to 4K video transmission over HDMI. It is certified for HDR10 and can play supported content if your TV also supports that. For improved audio, the TV box also supports Dolby Audio format.

In terms of I/O, the Mi Box 4K features an HDMI 2.0b port, a 3.5mm jack for audio output, and Bluetooth 4.1 for audio transmission. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi and features a USB 2.0 port so you also play your offline files.

It is powered by a quad-core Amlogic S905X processor and comes with 8GB of internal storage.

The Mi Box 4K comes with a remote controller that has Netflix and Prime Video hotkeys. Additionally, it comes with an in-line microphone for interaction with the Google Assistant.

Price & Availability

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 will be available in India starting May 12th for an introductory price of ₹3,999 (~$53) via Amazon India, Mi Homes, and Mi.com. After May 17th, the price of the earphones will be ₹4,499 (~$60).

The Mi Box 4K will be available in India from May 11th at a price of ₹3,499 (~$46) on Flipkart, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores.

Do note that the delivery might be delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown in India.

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Samsung is planning to offer a debit card this summer

Samsung is the latest tech company looking to get into the personal finance game. According to Samsung, the company is planning to introduce a debit card for Samsung Pay this summer. The card will be backed by SoFi, an online personal finance company that has gained traction in the last five years.

Tech companies getting into personal finance is becoming a trend. The Apple Card is a credit card that was launched in 2019, whereas Google’s rumored to be working on a debit card of its own. Samsung’s plan is more in line with what we’re hearing about Google’s plan. The Samsung debit card will be tied into Samsung Pay and offer users more ways to manage money.

Samsung Pay was launched in 2015 and it allows select Galaxy devices to pay at virtually any terminal thanks to Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). In contrast, platforms such as Google Pay and Apple Pay only use NFC for payments. To date, Samsung Pay has been about mobile payments and rewards, but the introduction of the debit card will bring new money management tools to the service as well.

This announcement comes as Samsung celebrates 5 years of Samsung Pay. The company says they will have more information to share in the coming weeks. What do you think of the idea of a Samsung debit card? Is this something you’re interested in?

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Source: Samsung

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Google’s messaging and communication apps are now led by a single team

If you are a person who follows technology news, you’re likely familiar with Google’s messaging problem. The company has launched many messaging services and several of these attempts have ended up abandoned, merged into different services, or rebranded. Google has repeatedly stated that they’re aware of this issue and they’re trying to clean things up. Its latest move is putting all of its communication apps under the same leadership.

Currently, Google has three main communication apps:

• Google Phone – Pre-installed dialer on Pixel and Android One devices.
• Google Duo – Video-calling for consumers, available to everyone in the Play Store.
• Google Messages – Default SMS and RCS app on some devices, available to everyone in the Play Store.

In addition to these three apps, Google also has Meet and Chat for G Suite customers. Javier Soltero was made the VP and GM of G Suite last year, which put him in charge of Meet and Chat. Soltero is behind the recent rebranding of Hangouts Meet and Chat. Now, Google is also putting him in charge of Phone, Duo, and Messages.

Previously, each of these services had a team that was operated largely independently from the others within Google. That’s why it’s not uncommon to see key features come to one service before the others. The apps themselves won’t be merging together, but the teams behind them will be combined under Soltero’s leadership.

The new team hopes to “drive more innovation and more clarity around how these products can fulfill their specific missions.” It doesn’t sound like Soltero plans to make any major changes right away. He even says it would be “irresponsible” to make rapid changes. It is worth noting, however, that it’s common at times of big change to say nothing will change, so we’ll have to wait and see how it turns out.

Google’s statement:

We are bringing all of Google’s collective communication products together under one leader and unified team that will be led by Javier Soltero, VP and GM of G Suite. Javier will remain in Cloud, but will also join the leadership team under Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms and Ecosystems. Outside of this update, there are no other changes to the personnel and Hiroshi will continue to play a significant role in our ongoing partnership efforts.

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Source: The Verge

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Google Lens can now copy text from your phone to computer, pronounce words, and more

Google Lens is one of the company’s products that has improved impressively since launch. Lens seems to be constantly getting new features and abilities. Today, Google showed off several additions to Lens that should make it an even more powerful tool.

First up is a feature that will be very welcomed to anyone who works with physical and digital documents. Google Lens already had great text recognition and now, not only can it copy the scanned text to your phone’s clipboard, it can also send it to another device. After you scan a document and select text, tap the “Copy to computer” option and choose another device with Chrome. The text will now be in that device’s clipboard.

Next up is a feature to help you pronounce words. Google Lens can already translate words, but now you can also use it to hear these words recited out loud. Of course, this doesn’t have to be only for words in different languages. It can be used to hear any word that you may not know how to pronounce. Simply select text with Lens and tap the “Listen” button to heart it.

Lastly, in-line Google Search results can help you define words and phrases. Select text in Google Lens and then you’ll see a Google Search tab slide up from the bottom with more information. No more opening a separate app to look something up. All of these features are rolling out to Android today.

Google Lens (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Google

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NVIDIA announces 19 new games for GeForce NOW

NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW game-streaming service enjoys its share in the now-crowded game streaming market on the fact that it was one of the first to appear for end consumers. The service started beta testing for Android last year and opened up for everyone in February. NVIDIA had pledged to announce new games for GeForce NOW every week, and over the past weeks, it has kept to that promise on multiple occasions. Today, NVIDIA is announcing 19 new games that will now be available on GeForce NOW.

GeForce NOW  incorporates technology that utilizes AI and RTX GPUs to enable “the next generation of performance and visuals”. It’s NVIDIA’s improved deep learning neural network that “boosts frame rates while generating beautiful, sharp images for games”. Since the base technology is game streaming, games begin playing instantly when you fire them up. They also include an experience that has been optimized for cloud gaming and includes Game Ready Driver performance improvements, managed directly by NVIDIA.

Here is the complete list of new games that have been added to GeForce NOW this week:

• Population Zero
• Age of Conan: Unchained
• Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition
• Cube World
• Darksiders II
• Door Kickers: Action Squad
• EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair
• Genesis Alpha One Deluxe Edition
• Hitman: Blood Money
• King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North
• Sacred 2 Gold
• Space Hulk: Deathwing – Enhanced Edition
• STEINS;GATE
• Styx: Shards of Darkness
• The Guild II: Renaissance
• This Is the Police 2
• WORMS Armageddon
• WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship
• X3: Terran Conflict

In addition to these, the service is also in the process of gaining access to the new Ghostrunner demo, the trailer of which was recently released by All In! Games.

Population Zero, from Emplex Games, has also been released on GeForce NOW at the same time as its PC launch via Steam.

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NVIDIA GeForce NOW (Free, Google Play) →

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A new version of Android TV may be coming, and it could be called Google TV

The market for Android TV Box is pretty erratic and confusing. Since the Nexus Player, Google’s efforts have been devoted to either making Chromecast dongles or enabling other OEMs to create their own smart TVs portfolio with devices running on the Android TV platform. Google, however, has been working on a 4K Android TV dongle for quite some time and even announced a new streaming device called ADT-3 for developers along with Android TV 10 in late 2019. Now, a recent report suggests that Google is working on a new streaming device actually available for consumers and running on the Android TV platform. Meanwhile, another suggests the platform could also be rebranded to Google TV.

The upcoming version of Android TV might come with significant improvements to the UI, lower hardware requirements, and more emphasis on movies and shows instead of apps. This content-focused approach is to ensure that the rumored streaming device can stand the competition from the likes of Amazon Fire Stick and Roku. Several of Protocol‘s sources confirmed these changes while one suggested that the upcoming device might be listed under the Nest brand, which is also owned by Google.

Protocol reports that Google is mulling the exact branding for the upcoming Android TV device and the addition to the Nest portfolio is quite possible. Meanwhile, 9to5Google also floats the idea of Google dropping the Android branding from Android TV and renaming it to Google TV. This is supported by a similar name change that a horde of other services such as Android Pay (now Google Pay), Android Wear (now Wear OS), Android Messages (now Messages) have gone through.

While Google I/O 2020 could have been the perfect platform to introduce the purported product, the conference had to be canceled due to COVID-19. Instead of an on-ground event, Google will be hosting an online event in June to announce the Android 11 Beta 1 but we can’t say for sure if this TV box would be announced then. While it’s natural to link the TV remote that passed through FCC back in March with this device, that remote might be for another telecommunication hardware (perhaps a video conferencing equipment) that Google is building.

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