Technology

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Apple Offers Up to Rs. 500 Bonus for Adding Funds to Apple ID in India

LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned professional social media platform, is working on diversifying its offerings beyond job searches and business networking. The company is reportedly going to add games to the platform to increase user engagement. LinkedIn would be the latest in the line of several social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube that have experimented with adding in-app games.

According to a TechCrunch report, LinkedIn is working on bringing several puzzle-based games on the app, three of which are called “Queens”, “Inference” and “Crossclimb.” The social media platform confirmed its gaming plans to the publication, but did not reveal a launch window for the upcoming games.

“We’re playing with adding puzzle-based games within the LinkedIn experience to unlock a bit of fun, deepen relationships, and hopefully spark the opportunity for conversations,” the report quoted a LinkedIn spokesperson as saying.

Nima Owji, an app researcher, also found evidence of in-app LinkedIn games, posting screenshots on X (formerly Twitter) that suggest that companies on the platform will be ranked in the games based on the scores of their employees. The screenshots showcase three games — “Blueprint”, “Queens” and “Crossclimb,” all of which seem puzzle-based games.

While LinkedIn confirmed its plans to offer games to its users, there are no details yet about the number and genre of games that will be available on the platform. The games could likely be offered as part of LinkedIn Premium subscription.

Earlier this month, LinkedIn disclosed sales figures for its premium subscription for the first time, confirming that the service reached $1.7 billion (roughly Rs. 14,091 crore) in revenue in 2023 after the company added AI tools to the platform.

In November last year, YouTube introduced “Playables” game arcade, collection of over 30 arcade games that can be played on the YouTube app on iOS, Android and Web, for its premium subscribers.

Microsoft has appointed DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman as the head of a newly created consumer AI unit and hired several employees of his Inflection AI startup, seeking to defend its lead against rising competition from Google.

Suleyman will be CEO of the unit, Microsoft AI, the company said on Tuesday, bringing under one roof its consumer AI efforts such as its Copilot chatbot and the new Bing browser that uses the technology.

The Copilot, built using technology from ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, is the lynchpin of Microsoft’s efforts to generate revenue from its AI efforts and can write emails, summarize documents and make presentations.

“This infusion of new talent will enable us to accelerate our pace yet again,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a blog post.

“As part of this transition, Mikhail Parakhin and his entire team, including Copilot, Bing, and Edge; and Misha Bilenko and the GenAI team will move to report to Mustafa,” he said.

It comes when Microsoft has been partnering with other startups including France’s Mistral AI against the backdrop of heightened regulatory scrutiny of its tie-up with OpenAI.

Nadella said on Tuesday that Microsoft is “very committed” to its OpenAI partnership.

Karen Simonyan, who co-founded Inflection AI along with Suleyman and Microsoft board member Reid Hoffman, will join as chief scientist.

Meanwhile, Alphabet’s Google unit is expanding its AI-related efforts. Bloomberg News reported on Monday that Apple was in talks to build Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence engine into the iPhone.

Inflection AI has emerged as one of the most high-flying names in the genAI race after raising $1.3 billion (roughly Rs. 10,802 crore) from Microsoft and Nvidia in a mix of cash and cloud credit at a valuation of $4 billion (roughly Rs. 33,240 crore) last June.

The startup behind the chatbot Pi said on Tuesday Sean White, former head of research and development at Mozilla, will be its new CEO and that it plans pivot to serving models to commercial customers, instead of focusing on consumers.

It also added that its Inflection-2.5 will be available on Microsoft Azure.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

OnePlus Pad 2 will launch globally on July 16 at the OnePlus Summer Launch Event in Milan, Italy. The tablet will launch alongside the OnePlus Nord 4, Watch 2R, and Nord Buds 3 Pro. It is expected to succeed the OnePlus Pad, which was unveiled in February 2023. The global variant of the OnePlus Pad 2 is tipped to be a rebadged version of the OnePlus Pad Pro, introduced in China in June this year. A tipster has shared some leaked key specifications of the tablet and suggested an India launch.

OnePlus Pad 2 features (expected)

According to an X post by tipster Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24), the OnePlus Pad 2 is expected to sport a 12.1-inch IPS LCD screen with a 3,000 x 2120 pixels resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate and 900nits of peak brightness level. It is also tipped to support Dolby Vision.

The tipster claimed that the OnePlus Pad 2 will likely be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The tablet could be available in two RAM and storage configurations – 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB. It is also likely to be equipped with six speakers.

The OnePlus Pad 2 is also expected to be backed by a 9,500mAh battery with support for 67W wired SuperVOOC charging. For optics, the back camera is expected to have a 13-megapixel sensor, while the front camera is tipped to get an 8-megapixel sensor.

OnePlus Pad 2 launch

According to a community post, the OnePlus Pad 2 will be launched during a OnePlus Summer Launch Event in Milan, Italy, on July 16 alongside the OnePlus Nord 4, Watch 2R, and Nord Buds 3 Pro.

The aforementioned tipster noted that the OnePlus Pad 2 will also launch in India. The company will also introduce the OnePlus Stylo 2, which is a stylus, a Smart Keyboard and a Folio Case to accompany the tablet, he suggested.

Honor will unveil a host of new flagship products in China in the coming days. The company is confirmed to introduce the next generation of foldable smartphones alongside a tablet and a laptop at a launch event in Shenzhen. It has now announced the date for the event and teased a few details about the upcoming products. The Honor Magic V3, Magic Vs3, MagicPad 2 and MagicBook Art 14 Notebook are confirmed to be launched during the event. Honor also unveiled AI-backed features at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC 2024) in Shanghai which are expected to launch with some of the upcoming products.

Honor Magic V3, Magic Vs3, MagicPad 2, MagicBook Art 14 Notebook launch

The Honor Magic V3, Magic Vs3, MagicPad 2 and MagicBook Art 14 Notebook are confirmed to launch in China on July 12 at an event in Shenzhen, the company confirmed via a Weibo post. The post announcing the date shows the sideways silhouette of one of the upcoming products, possibly one of the foldable smartphones. The body appears to be very slim with a slightly thicker camera bump.

Honor MagicPad 2 features

In another promotional poster on Weibo, the company confirms that the Honor MagicPad 2 will sport a 12.3-inch screen. It is also claimed to launch as the industry’s first vision relief tablet. This will entail the tablet employing the AI-backed defocus eye protection feature that the company showcased at the MWC Shanghai 2024 event. 

The image also teases the design of the Honor MagicPad 2. It appears with a slim body and a flat display with very slim bezels. The tablet is expected to succeed the Honor MagicPad 13 which was introduced in July 2023. 

Notably, the foldable smartphones, namely the Honor Magic V3 and the Honor Magic Vs3, are expected to succeed the Honor Magic V2 and Honor Magic Vs2.

Honor Magic V2, Magic Vs2 specifications

The Honor Magic V2 and Magic Vs2 were launched in September and October 2023, respectively. The former, powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, sports a 6.43-inch cover display and a 7.92-inch inner screen.

The V2 handset also has a 50-megapixel triple rear camera unit and a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. The book-style foldable smartphone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 66W Honor SuperCharge support. While folded, the phone measures 9.9mm and unfolded it is 4.7mm in thickness.

Meanwhile, the Honor Magic Vs2 comes with a similar display, camera, battery and charging specifications. But it is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. While folded, it measures 10.7mm and unfolded it measures 5.1mm in thickness.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, expected to succeed the Galaxy Z Fold 5, will be unveiled on July 10 at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris. Leaked details about the upcoming book-style foldable handset have surfaced online previously over the past few weeks. Recently, promotional images of the phone, alongside those of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, were also leaked. Now, a tipster has reiterated some of the key features and specifications that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is expected to get.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 features (expected)

According to an X post by tipster Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd), the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is expected to sport a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,856 pixels and a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X outer screen. Both displays are tipped to get a 120Hz refresh rate, and the cover screen is expected to have Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 will likely be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The phone is expected to ship with Android 14-based One UI 5.

For optics, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is tipped to feature a 50-megapixel optical image stabilisation (OIS) supported primary rear sensor alongside a 12-megapixel sensor paired with an ultra-wide lens and a 10-megapixel telephoto shooter with up to 3x optical zoom. The cover screen will likely hold a 10-megapixel front camera sensor, while the inner display is expected to sport a 4-megapixel under-display sensor.

Samsung is expected to pack a 4,400mAh battery into the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The handset is also expected to come with S-Pen support and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C port. Connectivity options will likely include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC. The phone is also expected to carry an IP48-rated build.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is tipped to feature an Armor aluminium frame and is expected to weigh 239g. When folded, the phone is expected to measure 12.1mm in thickness; when unfolded, it may measure 5.6mm.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Netflix May Reportedly Introduce a Free Ad-Supported Plan in Select Asian, European Markets

Sony Said to be Working on Native PS3 Backwards Compatibility on PS5

Redmi A3x was launched in select global markets last month. Now, the Redmi A-series smartphone has been listed on the Amazon India website for sale. The listing has revealed the price, launch offers, design and complete specifications of the phone, but the Xiaomi sub-brand has not made any official announcement regarding its India launch yet. The Redmi A3x is available for purchase on the e-commerce website in four colour options with an entry-level price tag. It runs on an octa-core chipset and has dual rear cameras.

Redmi A3x price in India

Amazon India has listed the Redmi A3x with a price tag of Rs. 6,999 for the single 3GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. It is offered in Midnight Black, Ocean Green, Olive Green and Starry White colour options. Shoppers with Amazon Pay ICICI credit card can avail of up to Rs. 2,500 welcome rewards while making purchases. Additionally, payments made through select cards from HDFC and other banks can get up to Rs. 1,750 discount.

However, price and availability details about the Redmi A3x are not listed on the company’s India website at the time of writing. No announcements about the launch were made by Xiaomi’s official X handle either.

The Redmi A3x is listed on the global website with two RAM and storage configurations — 3GB+64GB and 4GB+128GB. It is up for sale in Pakistan with a price tag of PKR 18,999 (roughly Rs. 5,700) from May.

Redmi A3x specifications

As per the listing, the dual SIM (Nano) Redmi A3x runs on Android 14 and features a 6.71-inch HD + (720 x 1,650) LCD display with up to 90Hz refresh rate and 500 nits local peak brightness. It has a waterdrop-style notch display. It runs on an octa-core chipset coupled with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Amazon listing doesn’t specify the chipset, but Xiaomi’s global website confirms that it is Unisoc T603 SoC. The inbuilt RAM can be expanded up to 6GB with additional onboard storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 1TB through a microSD card.

For optics, the Redmi A3x boasts an 8-megapixel dual AI rear camera setup. On the front, it has a 5-megapixel camera for selfies and video chats. As per the listing, connectivity options on the phone include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type-C port. It has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. It packs a 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W fast charging.

Google Chrome for Android recently introduced a feature that enables the browser to read any text-heavy webpage aloud. The feature – dubbed ‘Listen to this Page’ – can be accessed via the three-dotted menu icon and comes with the option to listen to the text in different voices as well as several languages. Now, a recent report suggests that this feature may be further enhanced with an option for background text playback.

Background Text Playback

According to a report by MSPowerUser, Google is said to developing an additional functionality for the ‘Listen to this Page’ feature that will enable background playback of the webpage text. At present, Chrome users on the Android platform can toggle this option to start the text-to-speech feature, but it stops as soon as the browser is minimised.

Google Chrome for Android app is reported to have a flag called “Read Aloud Background Playback”. This is said to allow Google Chrome’s feature to work in the background. The description for the flag reportedly reads, “Add support for background playback for Read Aloud”.

Notably, the ‘Listen to this Page’ feature on Android can play the audio while the user switches to a different tab and even when the device is locked. It was introduced with Google Chrome for Android version 125. Once toggled, it appears with a mini-player at the bottom of the screen with play/pause, 10-second fast forward/rewind and playback speed options. Additionally, the webpage auto-scrolls as the feature continues reading the text.

Google’s ‘Listen to this Page’ supports several Indian and global languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Minimised Custom Tabs

Apart from the ‘Listen to this Page’ feature, Google Chrome for Android also recently introduced Minimised Custom Tabs with Chrome 124 update. It enables users to shuffle between native apps and Web content and appears as a downward button on the top banner alongside the name of the website. Once toggled, it turns the Chrome tab into a floating picture-in-picture (PiP) window.