by Hansraj Agrawal | Aug 5, 2024 | Technology
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 05 2024 | 12:51 PM IST
After a global unveiling in June, ASUS launched the ROG Ally X handheld gaming console in India on August 5. The new model from Taiwanese electronics maker boasts double the battery capacity and a faster 24GB LPDDR5x RAM over the first-generation model. Based on Microsoft Windows 11, the ROG Ally X is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor that comes with the first generation model too.
ASUS ROG Ally X: Price and availability
Priced at Rs 89,990 onwards, the ASUS ROG Ally X will be available in India from today onwards on ASUS Eshop, e-commerce platform Amazon and Flipkart, and offline at ASUS ROG stores.
ASUS ROG Ally X: What is new
Powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, the ROG Ally X is offered with up to 1TB SSD storage. Additionally, the handheld gaming console features a redesigned motherboard with easy access to M.2 2280 SSD form factor slot, allowing users to upgrade the storage up to 4TB. Along with the storage upgrade, the ASUS ROG Ally X gets up to 24GB of LPDDR5X-7500 RAM.
Among one of the biggest improvements has been on the battery front. The ROG Ally X comes with an 80Wh battery, doubling the 40Wh battery on the first-generation model. This change also results in the handheld console weighing 70 grams higher than the ROG ALLY at 678g. ASUS has also improved the connectivity option on the console by replacing the XG Mobile port on the predecessor with two USB Type-C ports, among which one is a Thunderbolt port.
Other notable changes include a new design with an extra air vent for keeping the thermals in check, a new black colourway and improved joysticks for precise control.
ASUS ROG Ally X: Specifications
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Display: 7-inch FHD touchscreen display, 120Hz refresh rate, 500nits peak brightness, 100 per cent sRGB, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
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Processor: AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
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GPU: Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
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Memory: 24GB (12GB x 2) LPDDR5X on board (7500 MHz dual channel)
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Storage: 1 TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD
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Battery: 80Wh
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Charging: 65W (USB-C)
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Ports: 1 x Audio combo jack, 1 x Micro SD Card reader, 1 x USB-C (supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort 1.4), 1 x USB4 (Thunderbolt 4 compliance, DisplayPort 1.4)
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OS: Windows 11
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Weight: 678g
First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 12:51 PM IST
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by Hansraj Agrawal | Aug 5, 2024 | Technology
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 05 2024 | 12:43 PM IST
The POCO M6 Plus 5G smartphone and Buds X1 wireless earphones are now available for purchase in India. An addition to the M-series lineup, the POCO M6 Plus 5G features a glass with a ring flash design and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen2 AE chipset. The smartphone is IP53 rated for water and dust protection and has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the display. The POCO M6 Plus 5G is powered by Android 14-based Xiaomi HyperOS. The Buds X1 are budget offerings with support for hybrid noise cancellation and multiple sound profiles.
POCO M6 Plus 5G: Variant and introductory offers
6GB RAM+128GB storage: Rs 13,499
8GB RAM +128GB storage: Rs 14,499
Colours: Misty Lavender, Ice Silver, Graphite Black
In introductory offers, both the variants of the smartphone are offered with Rs 1,000 instant discount from SBI, HDFC, and ICICI bank. In addition, the base model with 6GB RAM gets a Rs 500 coupon. The POCO Buds X1 are priced at Rs 1,699. The POCO M6 Plus 5G and Buds X1 are available for purchase on e-commerce platform Flipkart.
POCO M6 Plus 5G: Specifications
Display: 6.79-inch LCD, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen2 AE
RAM: 6GB and 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Rear camera: 108MP primary (Samsung ISOCELL HM6)
Front camera: 13MP
OS: Android 14-based Xiaomi HyperOS
Battery: 5030mAh
Charging: 33W
POCO Buds X1: Details
The POCO Buds X1 are equipped with 40dB Hybrid Noise Cancelation. It features 12.4mm Dynamic Titanium Drivers and quad-mic setup with AI Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC). The POCO Buds X1 offers five EQ sound profiles, providing customisable audio settings. The Buds X1 also features IP54 protection and features Bluetooth 5.3 for stable connections and low latency, and Google Fast Pair for easy setup. POCO has claimed up to 36 hours of total playtime and 7 hours of playtime on a single charge.
First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 12:43 PM IST
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by Hansraj Agrawal | Aug 5, 2024 | Technology
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 05 2024 | 12:20 PM IST
Google has been working on reducing the size of Android apps for years, especially through the Play Store. In 2018, Google introduced a new way to create Android apps called the Android App Bundle (AAB). This became the standard format for new apps in 2021. Developers now make their apps in smaller pieces, including different files for languages, device types, and Android versions. When you download an app from the Play Store, it only downloads the parts your device needs, saving storage space. In its strides, however, the US-based software giant has added an extra step for those who download Android apps from outside the Play Store.
Previously, Google Play could create full-size Android Application Packages (APKs) from these bundles, making it easier to share apps or updates with others through services such as APKMirror. However, Artem Russakovskii, founder of APKMirror, recently noted in a post on X that “Google stopped generating fat APKs for many apps entirely all of a sudden, and only bundles will be available from now on.”
According to 9to5Google, this changes nothing if you download apps directly from the Play Store, but makes it a tad difficult if you like to share app updates or new versions from your device via third-party services like APKMirror. Full-size APKs can be installed using the system Package Installer without extra tools. Bundles, on the other hand, require additional tools like APK Mirror Installer, Split APKs Installer, or ADB. This means installing apps from these sites now involves an extra step.
Google’s apps on APKMirror, which are offered as .apkm files, are still available with full-size APKs to some users. However, newer apps, especially those made by other developers, are not.
The Play Store doesn’t need to extract APKs for sharing on other services. Developers who share their apps on platforms other than the Play Store can still provide full-size APKs, as there are no changes to how Android handles sideloading.
First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 12:20 PM IST
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by Hansraj Agrawal | Aug 5, 2024 | Technology
Apple MacBook Pro with M3
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 05 2024 | 12:20 PM IST
Apple is reportedly planning to update the MacBook Pro and iMac devices with M4 by later this year. According to a report by 9To5Mac, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, next-generation Mac models with the M4 series chips are on track to launch this year. Gurman also said that the company could launch a new Mac mini this year.
Apple launched the M4 chip alongside the new iPad Pro model at the “Let Loose” event back in May.
According to the report, the MacBook Pro and iMac models that were updated last year with the M3 series chip could get new M4 chip-powered versions later this year. Gurman also said that MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro will receive their M4 updates, but these are planned for 2025. While the update is only expected to bring performance boost with the latest Apple Silicon, Apple is expected to pack USB-C accessories for the iMac as the current version still uses accessories with lightning connectivity.
As per the report, Gurman in his newsletter said “…though the M4 overhaul will mostly focus on making the computers more powerful, there’s at least one Mac model that will get more dramatic changes.” This could be a new Mac mini model which the analyst said is scheduled for launch this year. Mac mini was last updated in January 2023 with the M2 Pro chip and is yet to feature an M3 powered model. However, Apple could skip a generation and introduce a new Mac mini with an M4 series chip instead. The company could do the same for the Mac Pro model which was last updated in 2022 and still features an M2 Ultra chip.
Apple Mac mini and Mac Pro models have mostly remained the same in terms of design over the past generations. It is also possible that Apple could bring a major design overhaul for both the devices.
First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 12:20 PM IST
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by Hansraj Agrawal | Aug 5, 2024 | Technology
Valorant Game (Image: Riot Games)
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 05 2024 | 11:24 AM IST
American video game developer Riot Games has confirmed that its tactical shooting game Valorant is available on gaming consoles, including Xbox Series X, Series S and Sony PlayStation 5. The company last month announced that the video game will be available on consoles in a limited beta version. However, after releasing Valorant to select users for testing, the company has updated its website stating that the video game is now available “officially on PlayStation and Xbox.”
Currently, the console version of Valorant is available in select regions, including the US, UK, Canada, and Europe. However, the company had confirmed previously that it will roll out in more regions “shortly thereafter”. As of now, the Xbox game store in India states that Valorant is not available in the region and the game is not listed on the PlayStation store.
Riot Games has also confirmed that Valorant is not getting support for cross-playing. This essentially means that Valorant players on Xbox and PlayStation players will only be able to play together, and will not be able to join games with PC players. The company said that this has been done to maintain “competitive integrity.”
While cross-play is not supported, cross-platform progression is supported on all platforms. This will allow saved in-game progress on PC to reflect on the console and vice-versa. This cross progression will allow users to carry over purchased Battle Pass, recruited Agents, purchased skins and more between console and PC.
Valorant: Details
Valorant is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooting game, consisting of two teams of five players where one team attacks and other defends. The video game is played in a series of rounds until a team wins a total of 13 rounds. For the attacking team to win a round, they must eliminate all defenders, or plant a ‘spike’ at a designated site. For the defending team, they need to eliminate all attackers or defuse the ‘spike’ in time. The game features characters that are called agents who have their unique abilities that come handy during the game.
First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 11:24 AM IST
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by Hansraj Agrawal | Aug 5, 2024 | Technology
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 05 2024 | 11:06 AM IST
OpenAI has had a system ready for years to watermark text generated by
ChatGPT, but it has failed to reach a consensus internally about whether to release it or not – according to the Wall Street Journal.
OpenAI has confirmed that it is working on a text watermarking method, after the report by Wall Street Journal. According to the US-based artificial intelligence company, its text watermarking method is accurate and “even effective against localized tampering, such as paraphrasing, it is less robust against globalized tampering.” However, the company has kept it on hold to date over concerns about stigmatisation of use of AI as a useful writing tool for non-native English speakers.
What is OpenAI’s watermarking method
OpenAI’s watermarking can be described as the process of regulating the model’s predictions of the word and phrase that are going to come up next to create a pattern that can be noticed. Reportedly, the company feels that watermarking is the right thing to do, but also believes watermarking could prevent people from using ChatGPT.
Watermarking can prove to be an effective way to find out if a content was written by AI, and according to reports the company has said that the watermarking does not affect the quality of content produced by ChatGPT.
OpenAI said that it is exploring embedding metadata, too. “For example, unlike watermarking, metadata is cryptographically signed, which means that there are no false positives. We expect this will be increasingly important as the volume of generated text increases. While text watermarking has a low false positive rate, applying it to large volumes of text would lead to a large number of total false positives,” said OpenAI in a blogpost it updated on August 4.
OpenAI had shut down its previous AI text detector, AI classifier over low rate of accuracy. This new tool is expected to be different from the previous ones. Watermarking would focus on detection of content from ChatGPT only, resulting in an invisible watermark within the written content that is detectable by different tools.
First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 11:06 AM IST
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