#Opinion
191 Stories
Widgets are being widely implemented across operating systems, and I hope to see it on ChromeOS. As ChromeOS comes with ARCVM, it should be pretty easy for Google to bring Android widgets to both Desktop and Lockscreen on ChromeOS.
After a lot of waiting, the Vivo X200 Pro Mini has finally landed on my lap, and I've spent a rather brief but quality time with it. Turns out, this compact monster is packing some serious technology inside. Read my detailed first impressions right here!
I Tried Out Focus Mode on Chromebook, and It Rescued Me From All the Worldly Distractions
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google rolled out Focus Mode to Chromebooks with ChromeOS 129 update. It immensely helped me get more productive. Focus Mode comes with Google Tasks integration and auto-activates DND which makes it a great tool if you get distracted easily.
Ajith Kumar
If you have been paying close attention, you have probably seen the global upsurge in fascination with Japanese pop culture. Thus, I explored in this article how the popularity of every category of Japanese popular culture such as anime, manga, live-action movies, television series and video games with Japanese themes has grown over the years.
I Tried Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, and They’re Now a Must-Have Accessory for Me
Sagnik Das Gupta
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The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are the coolest and most convenient pair of wearables I have ever adorned my face with. Here's why!
Fans Think Jujutsu Kaisen’s Ending Shares a Similarity with AOT; Does It?
Aparna Ukil
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Jujutsu Kaisen's final panel reminded us of AOT's ending in a lot of ways and here, we tell you why.
Minecraft Needs Redstone Escape Rooms to Bring Us a Cool New Challenge
Radojka Travar
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Minecraft structures mostly focus on mobs, but I think there should be more structures that include block-based challenges like desert temples. That's why I believe a redstone escape room structure would be a perfect addition to Minecraft. It may include various unique rooms, where some can teach you about redstone components and make you solve riddles quickly, while others utilize mob path-finding and specific in-game utility blocks. The loot may vary, but you can also find some really cool items there, like a unique armor trim.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Brings Apple-like Precision to Android Location Tracking
Anshuman Jain
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The Snapdragon 8 Elite Processor will include an Ultra Wide Band (UWB) chip as part of the Fastconnect 7900 connectivity suite. This integration could increase UWB chip adoption in Android smartphones, currently lacking in most models. The UWB chip, known for accurate location tracking, could improve finding lost or stolen devices.
Ash Singh
Newly released game Supervive is an insane combination of Battle Royales and MOBA games spiked with a touch or two of action. This top down title offers a lot of possibilities. Read our first impressions to find out what we really loved about the game.
The Realme TechLife Studio H1 headphones feature a sturdy plastic build with memory foam cushioning. The sound quality is well-tuned with a warm, U-shaped curve, and LDAC support. The noise cancellation is good, but the transparency mode is underwhelming. It has an impressive battery life and can last up to 70 hours.
I have with me the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus, and after spending a decent couple of days with it, I'm honestly disappointed. Why? Read my first impressions right here and be the better judge yourself.
At the IMC 2024, I came across a demo of a new Hindi LLM called Nanda, developed by G42, a UAE-based tech firm. I gave it a try, and here are my honest thoughts!
Android 15 is finally out and it brings many small improvements and features that make it a pretty significant release. Some of the new features include App Pairs, Private Space, Notification Cooldown, Partial Screen Recording, and lots of security and UI enhancements and features.
In this read, I have discussed my hands on experience with Nothing OS 3.0, based on Android 15. It comes with new quick settings panel which has received a modern, dynamic makeover, and the Smart App Drawer which automatically sorts apps into categories. There are new lock screen customizations with new clock faces and widget options. The settings page has a fresh look, and the N-dot font has been replaced with a sans-serif font for better readability.
I spent over a week using the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold as my daily driver. While there are many improvements on the design, display, and hardware over the original, there are a few setbacks too. So, here's what I genuinely think about Google's latest Foldable venture!
Motorola Edge 50 Neo First Impressions: Unbeatable in the Segment?
Sagnik Das Gupta
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The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is the brand's latest affordable mid-ranger, offering a 6.4-inch 120Hz LTPO display and the Dimensity 7300. We could test it out for some time, and here's our first impressions!
I finally gave the Pixel 9 Magic Editor's Reimagine feature a try, and it's scarily good. While it doesn't allow you to go all out, you can work around it and really exploit the tool to get some disturbing results. Bottom line is, we're not ready for tools like this yet, especially since there are barely any tools to detect them in the first place. I have tried some messed up prompts to test the true malicious potential of the feature, all of which you can go through right here.
I Tried Google Pixel Screenshots and My Life Has Never Been Easier!
Sagnik Das Gupta
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The Pixel Screenshots app doesn't try anything insane, and makes finding screenshots as easy as possible. You can take to the floating search bar in the home screen to describe the screenshot you're looking for. Or, you can use voice input to do so, and the screenshot will instantly show up. However, that's not all and there's some solid attention to detail at play here, which I have talked about in detail right here. So, if you want to know all about it, read on!
Anmol
I believe Gege Akutami might bring back Gojo in the ending of Jujutsu Kaisen, and I do have a crazy theory for how it will happen. I expect Principal Gakuganji to use Masamichi's technique to make a cursed corpse similar to Panda to save Gojo and two other characters.
The Motorola Razr 50 has landed as the toned-down version of the Razr 50 Ultra and a successor to last year's vanilla Razr 40. From a bigger cover screen to a better processor, it certainly does arrive with a bunch of upgrades over its predecessor. To know of our detailed first impressions, take a look right here!
Android 16’s Quick Settings Could Be a Step Backward and Here’s Why
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google has already started working on Android 16, and one of the first major changes the giant is planning is a complete revamp of Android's notification and Quick Settings panel. Some of the major changes is in the layout, edit panel, and the way of accessing the panel, alongside a new light mode.
If you're trying to look for a good reliable compact phone under $800, the Galaxy S24 beats the Pixel 9 to emerge victorious. From a better LTPO-backed display to way more power with the Exynos 2400 and even slightly better cameras, the Galaxy S24 has got you covered on all fronts. It's a much more versatile device than the Pixel 9, thereby making it an easy suggestion. The only things that the Pixel 9 has going for it are a refreshing new design and those cool new AI features.
The Pixel 9 is easily one of the best Pixels we have received. However, when you start looking at the big problems that Pixels have been infested with, it just feels like a phone that's the best of the worst. The slightly improved connectivity, better design and slew of AI features are just not enough to overlook the miserly upgrade in performance and underwhelming cameras. For more details, read our in-depth review here!
Enough is Enough: Google, This Wear OS Feature Needs a Fix ASAP
Abubakar Mohammed
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Wear OS is cut for my usage but one thing I despise about the smartwatches is the unresponsive or excessively responsive tilt-to-wake features. It not only affects the battery life but could be quite annoying when it doesn't work. However, one of the best solutions to this is to add a tilt-to-wake sensitivity setting to Wear OS.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro boast an overhauled design, improved mic pickup, and high-quality sound. They support SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable, and Samsung Seamless codecs for high-res audio streaming. The Adaptive Noise Cancellation is impressive, while the Ambient mode can be unreliable. The Live Interpreter AI feature is a hit-or-miss. Battery life lasts for more than 6 hours with ANC turned on.
Sony's new hero shooter Concord is a sinking ship in terms of numbers. However, this is not a Concord hate train and there are solid reasons why the game is not getting enough players. Being paid in a market full of solid free shooters as well as uninspiring character designs overall makes Concord a below par option.
As a full-time FPS player, I used to play The Finals regularly. However, the invisible light players made me quit the game first time. After three seasons I returned to the game and the pesky invisibility factor of light users made me quit The Finals again. Find out why here.
Sanmay Chakrabarti
The Pagoda Realm is the worst area in Black Myth: Wukong, filled with annoying mobs, badly designed maps and a life drain mechanic. This area is extremely hard to get through in Chapter 3, however, there is one spell that almost trivializes Pagoda Realm in Black Myth: Wukong, solving the biggest issues of the map.
Xbox Might Revive These Iconic Marvel Games; Ready for a Nostalgia Trip?
Ishan Adhikary
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According the XboxEra Podcast, Xbox is trying to re-license Deadpool and Marvel Ultimate Alliance after almost a decade of them going delisted. With these games we might see Xbox revive the Marvel games back on the green brand. Activision previously made Marvel games like Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions and X-Men as well. However, we will have to wait for this nostalgic trip and see if the revival actually happens.
How to Make a Wireless Android Auto Dongle for Your Car Using Raspberry Pi
Arjun Sha
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If your car supports Android Auto but requires a wired connection, you can follow our article and create a wireless Android Auto dongle using Raspberry Pi. It costs much less and supports all of the Android Auto features including call routing, Google Maps navigation, music controls, and more.
Google’s New AI Features Widen the Gap as Apple Struggles to Keep up
Anmol Sachdeva
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Google has rolled out new set of AI features with Pixel 9 Series and the gap between Google and Apple has further widened.
Spectre Divide Hands-On: Shroud’s New Game Forced Me to Think Outside the Box
Ishan Adhikary
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Shroud's game Spectre Divide has given me a fresh look at tactical shooters. I tried the game for half a day and experienced many amazing things that makes this tactical shooter enjoyable. Whether its the clone mechanic or the artstyle and clean gameplay, Spectre Divide has it all.
Google Breaks 7-Year Android Update Promise with Pixel 9 Launch
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google launched the Pixel 9 series in the 2024 Made by Google event, but weirdly, the phones come with Android 14 out of the box, skipping the tradition of including the latest Android version on new Pixel devices. This means that the upcoming Android 15 update will reduce a year from the 7-year update quota, and the Pixel 9 series won't receive Android 22. This begs the question, has Google already started backtracking on their 7-year promise?
After testing out a bunch of earbuds, the boAt Nirvana Space turned out to be all-rounder cheap earbuds in India for Rs 2,500. From ANC and customizable EQ to Spatial Audio, these earbuds are feature packed. To back it all up, there's a battery that lasts for days, which is chef's kiss. When you consider the price tag, all that seems more enticing!
Reddit's recent hint at introducing exclusive paid subreddits into the platform has taken the community by storm, causing users to question the integrity of the platform. The information popped up during Reddit's Q2 2024 earnings call, when CEO Steve Huffman talked about the future of the platform. While Reddit's open-source nature is what has been allowing it to onboard more and more users every year, this move is a bit alarming.
The OnePlus Pad 2 offers solid performance with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a superb multimedia viewing experience with its impressive display + speaker combo, and a commendable battery backup to support it all. There's barely any room left for complaints, allowing it to easily be one the best all-rounder Android tablet I've used in a long time. The starting price of Rs 39,999 is also not that big of an ask taking into consideration all that it has to offer.
I Tried the New Pixel Weather App, and It’s a Breath of Fresh Air
Sagnik Das Gupta
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The new Pixel 9 Weather app strikes the perfect blend of minimalism and functionality. So, while it may not be the more aesthetic weather app in comparison to its predecessor, it's the more useful one. The big and bold font, interchangeable weather panels and a super easy way to search and save locations make it one hell of an app that I'm really looking forward to using on the upcoming Pixel 9.
It Ends with Us Review: A Stellar Tale of Love, Loss, and Liberation
Shashank Shakya
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Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us is now live in its theatrical adaptation in cinemas near you and here is our review for the movie!
Mace is the new Minecraft 1.21 weapon that is fairly OP. Its pros include high damage output that's not capped, powerful complementary enchantments and the highly risky but fun and potentially strong combo with the elytra. The cons of the mace are the pure rareness of the heavy core item, the difficulty of mastering it and the fact that it's useful in open areas only. Personally, I believe the mace is very well balanced. It doesn't overshadow the other features nor is it redundant. Overall, the mace is a great addition to the Minecraft 1.21 update.
Wuthering Waves Just Added a Feature Genshin Impact Fans Have Been Dreaming Of
Abubakar Mohammed
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Wuthering Waves has released a list of improvements and features that will be added to version 1.2 and one of them is auto regenerating Waveplate Crystals. Once the Waveplates cap is reached, Waveplate Crystals are automatically generated and can be used to replenish Waveplates later. Players can have 480 Waveplate Crystals at the maximum.
The Nothing Phone 2a Plus is just a glorified Phone 2a, with a couple of upgrades that just don't hit the spot. The slightly better processor and design changes don't make it the upgrade that we have been eagerly waiting for. Since the competition offers a better display, bigger battery with faster charging and significantly better performance at that price segment, it makes the Phone 2a Plus lose out to those very phones as well.
Nothing Phone 2a Plus vs Phone 2a Comparison: Is Plus Really an Addition
Sagnik Das Gupta
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From the looks of it, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus will not be remembered as a device that left its own unique mark in the segment. It's simply not a good upgrade over the Phone 2a. The design changes, although aesthetically pleasing, are not enough to justify its existence as an upgrade. It offers the same display size and resolution, same battery capacity with only 5W more of fast charging, and a processor that's only ever so better on paper.