Realme Narzo 50A Prime India launch set for April 25, Pad Mini coming on April 29
Realme will introduce the GT Neo 3 in India next week on April 29, but before that, the company will launch the Narzo 50A Prime in its biggest market.
Realme today announced that the Narzo 50A Prime will debut in India on April 25, and its launch event will be streamed live on Realme India’s official channels starting at 12:30PM local time.
This one’s going to level up your smartphone viewing experience manifolds!
The Realme Narzo 50A Prime was unveiled in Indonesia last month, so we know what’s on offer. The smartphone is powered by the Unisoc Tiger T612 SoC and runs Android 11-based Realme UI R Edition out of the box. It has 4GB RAM on board and two storage options – 64GB and 128GB. But it’s unclear what memory configurations will be available in India.
The Narzo 50A Prime features a 6. 6″ FullHD+ LCD with a notch for the 8MP selfie shooter, and around the back is a 50MP primary camera joined by the depth and macro units.
The Narzo 50A Prime has a side-mounted fingerprint reader for biometric authentication and packs a 5,000 mAh battery with 18W charging support.
In addition to announcing the Narzo 50A Prime’s India launch date, Realme also announced that it will launch the Realme Smart TV X Full HD in India on April 29, with 24W Dolby Audio Quad Stereo Speakers and two screen sizes – 40″ and 43″.
The Realme Pad Mini and Buds Q2s TWS earphones will also debut in India on April 29. You can head this way to know more about the Realme Pad Mini, and here for more details about the Buds Q2s.
Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack updated to charge iPhones faster
A new firmware update to the MagSafe Battery Pack has been released. This will make it faster to charge an iPhone. When plugged into a 20W charger, the MagSafe pack can transfer up to a 15W charge to an iPhone, but now, the MagSafe Battery Pack will be capable of charging up to 7. 5W while off the power grid. Previously, it only charged at up to 5W while portable.
Apple updated their support page to include details about how you can update your MagSafe Battery Pack. You can use your iPhone, iPad, or a Mac to update the Pack. The Pack automatically updates when it’s attached to an iPhone. This could mean that the update can take as long as a week. Apple says you can connect the MagSafe Battery Pack to an iPad or Mac and the update should take about 5 minutes.
To verify the latest update has been installed (version 2. 7), attach the Pack to your iPhone and head into Settings > General > About > MagSafe Battery Pack.
Despite OTA update changelog, Samsung Galaxy Watch4 won’t get Google Assistant after all
Earlier on April 20, Verizon pushed an update to its LTE-variant of the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic. The online documentation that initially released with the update screenshots of the feature that enabled Google Assistant on the two Watch4 models. Assistant has been missing since the smartwatches launched despite running WearOS 3.0.
Verizon’s changelog originally included these screenshots of the Google Assistant feature.
However, following the update, users were perplexed to find that the update would not bring Google Assistant. The verge contacted Google to clarify the absence of this feature. A Google spokesperson responded with the following statement.
To confirm, Assistant is not rolling out to Gaalxy Watch 4 and we don’t have an update on timing,” – Ivy Hunt, Google spokesperson.
Verizon has updated its release notes to remove the Google Assistant addition. Other updates to the Galaxy Watch4 include Backup and Restore support with Smart Switch. You can now take measurements of your body composition through the target notification. You can check out the full update notes on Verizon’s support site.
Let’s be honest, our modern urban homes can be quite cramped! We often have to squeeze through our belongings because of space constraints. It’s the ultimate test of our maneuvering skills. You may also need tiny-home designs if your goal is to live in one. We’ve put together a selection of space-saving and super functional products to help you do just that. These clever designs can be used to maximize the space available in small spaces, such as to create a mini-office or a compact exercise machine.
1. D-Tach
D-Tach is a versatile stool that transforms into a small workspace designed to accommodate today’s mobile work culture. With each day, our world seems to become more and more mobile. As we leave corporate offices behind, mobile offices and working remotely are becoming more popular. With work culture making such a big shift towards mobile lifestyles, our home offices and furniture should reflect that.
Why is it noteworthy?
Andrew Chang, a
Industrial designer, decided to design a chair that would fit the bill. D-Tach, a modular stool that can be used as an office chair but that can also disassemble to provide small work space for those who are on the move, is designed.
What we like
Transforms into a small workspace
Fits into most modern offices
What we dislike
We’re unsure how comfortable would the small workspace be to actually work in
2. The Snap Hanger
Hangers have pretty much reached necessity status in a household. But no matter how handy they might be, there is something to be said about their pesky form! Their odd shape makes it difficult to adjust clothes with a narrow or tight neck on them. It’s also difficult to store them, and forget about packing them in your suitcase to carry them with you on your travels! It’s difficult to pack their non-ergonomic forms into my bag. But this is where Yong Jeong’s Snap Hanger comes to the rescue!
Why is it noteworthy?
The Snap Hanger will be all that the average hanger cannot. This cleverly designed product comprises two units. These units can be attached at one joint and function as a pair or scissors. The two units can be attached and detached. When attached, it functions as an ergonomic hanger that can be easily slipped into narrow or tight necked clothing, without any hassle! When detached, the hanger can be effectively stored away or carried with you when you hit the road. To save space, multiple hangers can be connected vertically and stored together.
What we like
Functions like a pair of scissors
Revamps the traditional design of a hanger
What we dislike
Some people may find it difficult to get accustomed to the new form
3. The NOOK Built-in Water Purifier
Built-in water purifiers are preferred, but you can also have something that looks as inviting as the NOOK Built-in Water Purifier. Designed by South Korean Hyunbin Yan, this water purifier can be installed in the corner. It will not interfere with the rest of your sink or kitchen counter because of its slim and sleek build. It does not take much space in a small sink, so it can be the perfect choice for tiny homes or apartments.
Why is it noteworthy?
The NOOK Built-in Water Purifier’s interesting features are what make it unique. It features an attachable drip tray. The magnet on the bottom can be adjusted to suit the users’ preferences. It looks sleek and modern, like a coffee maker, but in reality, it’s a purifier. The black button at the top lets you know when water is out. You can adjust the temperature and amount of water by touching the controller.
This exercise bike doesn’t just take up space when not in use – rather performs double duty as a piece of furniture for urban dwellers who find themselves constricted for space. Ones who are always on the lookout for multifunctional accessories.
Why is it noteworthy?
Meet “The-O” exercise bike is minimalistic and without all of the extras you won’t use in your everyday fitness regimen. This accessory was designed with the unique needs of a fitness enthusiast in mind. First up is the space requirement and the non-flexibility of usage. Complexity of usage can ruin a basic fitness program. The-O has none of them, and it doubles as a functional piece of furniture when your fitness is kept on hold for some days or even weeks. It can be used as a chair in casual settings or as a bar stool for events. You can even turn it into a base for keeping indoor plants.
What we like
Doubles up as a functional + stylish piece of furniture
Can be used to keep indoor plants
Brings a dimension of modularity to exercise equipment
What we dislike
No complaints!
5. Solar
MyZoo, a cat goods company, designs modern cat furniture that caters to your cat’s every need, while not disrupting your interior design. Solar, one of their more recent designs, is a wall-mountable floating cat bed that mounts onto any vertical surface so cats rest midair in their own designated space.
Why is it noteworthy?
Shaped like the sun, Solar is a small, but sturdy floating cat bed that’s built from pinewood. In a similar fashion to their other pieces of cat furniture, MyZoo lined Solar with a slotted resting platform for safe jumping. Solar is ideal for smaller spaces as it provides both a jumping and resting platform and also saves space.
What we like
Solar doesn’t take up any ground space and easily mounts to any wall where there’s room
Easy to assemble
What we dislike
There’s no cushioning on the bed, which would make it comfier
6. The Rubik Stool
When you hear the word Rubik, it brings to mind something that can be turned whatever which way and can still be functional. The Rubik stool is a bit like this. It can be turned, flipped and combined to serve any purpose in your home. This furniture was specifically made for small spaces, such as those that don’t have enough space to accommodate sofas or shelves.
Why is it noteworthy?
If you just need somewhere to sit down, the upright version can be used with the seat attached. But you can also use the underlying part as storage for things like shoes, magazines, or whatever it is that you don’t mind being under your seat. You can flip the top to make it a shelf. Although it is not modular, you can use it for multiple purposes.
What we like
Unique seat + shelf concept
The furniture is specifically designed for spaces that cannot accommodate a sofa or shelves
What we dislike
No complaints!
7. Spinel
Spinel is a hanging light designed to be easily transformed. It was important to make a light that was both durable and small-sized.
Why is it noteworthy?
“Our responsibility as designers is to produce objects that occupy the smallest possible volume. The purpose is to use the least amount of raw material, producing long-lifespan objects that can be easily recycled,” says Guille Cameron. It is minimalist, simple, yet elegant and unique. The lamp can be folded to add a new dimension to its design. Additionally, the wood-designed base is warm and welcoming to any room.
What we like
Origami-inspired form
Recyclable
What we dislike
No complaints!
8. The Folding Heater
This compact heater is crafted for individuals who are fed up with the bulky and impractical design of static heaters that beam heat only in one position. This highly maneuverable heater is different from those traditional ones in all respects though!
Why is it noteworthy?
The tripod can be adjusted at almost any height and angle to meet the users’ needs. It is designed like a folding lamp that can be kept even in the cabinet drawer when not required. It folds in itself so it can be carried around with you. It is a great feature for those who frequently travel in the colder areas and want to keep warm.
What we like
Foldable design
Portable form
What we dislike
No complaints!
9. FLUP
Who isn’t fascinated by transforming furniture designs? I love watching how furniture can serve multiple purposes by simple actions like a pull of a string or folding of a flap. FLUP is my latest obsession in (furniture transformers) – it’s a furniture piece that can be used as both a rug or a seat. Furniture designs like FLUP are perfect for smaller living spaces, especially with the growing tiny house movement.
Why is it noteworthy?
FLUP can be folded in a position that allows us to sit down or stand on it. FLUP transforms from a plane to a volume and from floor to surface, while also changing its function by its shape. In the folded position, it works as a piece of minimal furniture – it can be used as a pouf, an auxiliary seat, a footrest, a nightstand, etc.
What we like
Transforming design
Space-saving
Ideal for tiny homes
What we dislike
Doesn’t rate high on aesthetics
10. Collapsible Wood Chair
Quite unlike any of the folding chairs you may have seen around you, on the internet, or even on this website, this creative little number comes from Jon 117 SP, a designer based out of Leon, Mexico.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Collapsible Wood Chair is simply a combination of two identical wooden profiles and thick paracord weaving in between them. This creates the backrest and seat. Paracord serves two important purposes. It makes sitting more comfortable than metal or wood, and it allows the chair to fold flat when not in use.
What we like
A unique take on a collapsible chair
What we dislike
We’re not sure how comfortable it would be to sit on the paracord
Huawei nova Y70 Plus arrives on May 1 with 6. 75-inch display, 6,000 mAh battery
Huawei has a new phone on the way, as it turns out, and it’s going to be part of the ever-expanding nova family of mid-rangers. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Huawei nova Y70 Plus. It has been semi-announced by the Chinese company for the South African market, where a teaser page is already up ahead of sales starting on May 1.
In fact, you can pre-order one from April 21 until April 30, by paying just ZAR 99 as a deposit – that’s about $6. This will mean you get a ZAR 499 ($33) price cut when you pay the balance between April 28 and May 6.
But wait, there’s more! If you pre-order you also get a Huawei Bluetooth speaker and a Huawei backpack, worth a combined ZAR 1,298 apparently ($86). But wait, there’s even more! You also get 24 months warranty, 50 days of free screen replacement insurance, 3 months of extended warranty, the Huawei Unboxing Service, and free repair shipping and delivery.
So now you may be wondering what this phone brings to the table. Huawei has thankfully outed the main features of the nova Y70 Plus through its listing in South Africa.
The handset has a 6. 75-inch screen of unknown resolution with a waterdrop notch housing an 8 MP f/2.0 selfie snapper, 64 or 128GB of expandable storage, and a 6,000 mAh battery with support for 22. 5W fast charging. The nova Y70 Plus has a triple rear camera system with a 48 MP f/1. 8 main sensor, a 5MP ultrawide with 120-degree field-of-view, and a 2 MP depth sensor.
It runs EMUI 12 and will be available in Crystal Blue, Pearl White, and Midnight Black. It’s unclear where else it might be launched and when, and the price is also still a mystery, but if you are in South Africa and enter your email address at the Source linked below, in order to be notified about more details, you have the chance of winning a nova Y70 Plus for yourself.
Every now and then you run into a game that feels like it’s absolutely brimming with energy. Such is the case with Zoomer by Root Pilot, which looks like if you smashed together a game like The Pathless with Spider-Man action. Its development is off to a roaring start, and thousands of people on Twitter have taken note.
We have cool runners and more in Cool WIP, Polygon’s weekly roundup of eye-catching clips and screenshots of works in progress. Each week, the Polygon staff scours the internet for the most interesting games still under construction to give you a sampler of the coolest up-and-coming projects.
This week we have a game that adds a gun to Spider-Man-like web slinging; a procedural skiing game with a turtle; a manga panel created in Unity; and a game with Miyazaki-esque animations.
Spider-Man finally gets a gun
Root Pilot made it to a previous Cool WIP column, but this new clip of their game Zoomer is a feast for the eyes, for any action lover. In a tweet, they posted a clip that showed off a mechanic the developer originally designed for Portal-style puzzles. However, in the video we see the main character shoot a bullet that creates a pathway the character can ride up, which combines with web slinging for incredibly smooth platforming. The game is bursting with energy, and you can check out regular updates on Root Pilot’s Twitter.
A manga created in Unity
Developer Fabio Consorti rendered a scene in Unity to make it look like a manga panel. It’s just a city street lined with business signs and lanterns, but it’s beautifully created. A clip showed the shifting shadows in reaction to a moving light source. Consorti is also working on a neon action-racing game, so if you’d like to check out more of the developer’s work, you can on Consorti’s Twitter account.
A stunningly animated scene
Drop everything and check out Bioid from developer Pagurus. This black-and-white puzzle game pairs captivating Miyazaki-esque animations with a world filled with intriguing creatures and curiosities. A clip from the developer shows the transformation for “King of Thorns,” in which a plant-like creature morphs into a monster that resembles No Face from Spirited Away. The world of Bioid looks like an absolute delight, and you can check out more information about the game on its Steam page.
Elden Ring fan art
Generally speaking, I think about drawings of my favorite characters when I use the term “fan art.” However, developer Asher Zhu brings a whole new level of dedication to the idea by creating an entire 3D animation as an ode to FromSoftware’s Elden Ring. In a clip on Zhu’s Twitter account, you can see an animation of a character using a giant flame blade, inspired by the Frenzied Flame Seal in Elden Ring. Zhu posts regularly about game development and is also making a slime game, and you can check out more of his work on Twitter.
Yeet this downhill skiing turtle into the sky
I first saw downhill skiing game Bunny Hill on TikTok. Don’t let its name deceive you — this low-poly downhill skiing game looks like pure chaos. According to developer Dogma Quest, it’s a procedurally generated downhill skiing game and allows you to play as high-flying animals. The game is out now and available on Steam.
Saints Row reboot’s wild character creator lets you make anything
The new, rebooted Saints Row is cranking character creation to 11. Developer Volition revealed a new look at customization of players’ Boss characters and the cars (and street-legal pirate ships) they’ll control in the upcoming game on Wednesday, and it’s… a lot. Volition takes customization to new heights with its wild and bizarre skin textures and unique cosmetics.
Whether you want to make a galactic-skinned cowboy, a vampire-toothed candy-corn-toothed, or dad-bod, the Saints Row character creator tools seem up to it. Volition showcases a variety of hair styles and colors, body shapes, age settings, and genitalia-masking emoji in the above trailer, which is absolutely stuffed with options for Griffin and Justin to futz with in Monster Factory.
That same level of deep customization also extends to vehicles and weapons, so if you want your Boss to have foam finger guns or an El Mariachi-style guitar-case rocket launcher, go for it. Cars, helicopters, jets, golf carts, and everything else you can drive will get the same customizable flair at the body shop known as Jim Rob’s. Your Saints HQ is also upgradeable and customizable.
Check out the breadth and depth of character customization in Volition’s Saints Row trailer above, lest you suffer choice paralysis when the game hits PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via the Epic Games Store on Aug. 23.
This wearable for toddlers keeps them safe by letting their parents track their health and location
It fills the gap between the age when parents use baby monitors and the age at which parents give their kids phones.
Even though parents are likely to work from home, it is unrealistic to expect them all the time to be there for their kids. The Littlebird is a great tool to help you keep an eye on your children. Littlebird is a toddler-friendly wearable that helps parents monitor their children’s sleep, activity, whereabouts and health. Monica Plath (a mother of two from Seattle) came up with the idea. Her own experience helped her design a device to help her keep track of her children while she was away. Plath partnered with NewDealDesign who helped take LittleBird from a concept to a fully developed product.
The name Littlebird borrows itself from the commonly used phrase ‘A little bird told me…’, pointing at the wearable’s ability to keep the parent informed of their kid’s whereabouts and health. Designed to sit on a child’s wrist, the Littlebird Toddler ‘CareTracker’ (a portmanteau of caretaker and tracker) is a sans-screen wearable for kids aged 1-5, that works along with an app on the parent/guardian’s phone. The wearable comes with 24×7 GPS and cellular connectivity, allowing parents to track their kids’ locations, while onboard sensors help monitor the toddler’s heart rate, temperature, activity, and mood, allowing guardians to chart their physical and emotional wellbeing.
Plath reached out to NewDealDesign to help bring her idea to life. Having previously worked with Fitbit for 10 years developing their wearables, NDD was uniquely positioned to help design and engineer the Littlebird wearable, taking it from a mere idea to a fully fleshed product. Plath’s brief was both simple and relatable – “I was just trying to feel that my children were safe,” she explained. I wanted them to be happy. Just the really primal needs that any parent has when you’re trying to juggle two lives. A mother should be an example of excellence. You need to provide for your family, and to feel good about the care choices that you’re making.”
The Littlebird Toddler CareTracker is a $299 wearable device that offers a year’s worth of free cellular connectivity, with a fee of $15 per month after that. It is perfectly sized for children’s wrists. The tracker must withstand bumps and scrapes as well as getting dirty/wet, along with the teething process. It’s not complete without the companion app. This is part-health and location-tracking system, part social media timeline, that lets caregivers, friends and babysitters share information on their child’s activities and whereabouts with parents. Parents can also see their kid’s temperature, heart rate and steps and get comprehensive reports about their child’s health through the app’s dashboard.
vivo V1+ dedicated imaging chip to make its debut in the X80 series next week
Developing an own imaging chip solution seems to be all the rage in the BBK stable this year, and after Oppo introduced the MariSilicon X on the Find X5 series earlier this year, this month it will be vivo’s turn. The company just announced that the X80 family of devices, which are due to become official on April 25, will feature the vivo V1+ imaging chip inside.
This has support for both the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. In developing the V1+, vivo worked closely with MediaTek, and this has resulted in 30 new patent applications. vivo is also quick to stress that its custom image processor is the first one that can work with high-end SoCs from different companies (Oppo’s is currently limited to Snapdragon chips as you may know).
Over 300 vivo and MediaTek employees have been working on the V1+ for 350 days to fully adapt it to the Dimensity 9000 platform. This work is now done and the best possible performance can be achieved from the imaging chip inside devices powered by MediaTek’s latest top of the line SoC.
With fine tuning of its noise reduction algorithm, the V1+ can take night shots in situations where there is less than 1 lux of ambient lighting. This is also made possible by the chip’s 32MB SRAM and 8GB/s data throughput speed.
Additionally, vivo announced improvements in image brightness by 16% and white balance accuracy by 12%. A photo’s most prominent portions can in fact see further boosts in brightness of up to 350%, making your images appear “brighter and more transparent”, allowing for more details to be perceived. Zeiss Natural Color gets an 8. 3% improvement in color accuracy as well as fine tone adjustments.
The V1+ can also enable more games to run at 90fps or 120fps, and thus it might replace existing tech from Pixelworks that is currently used by vivo and iQOO phones.
vivo boasts that it has implemented special algorithms to optimize CPU resource allocation and thus reduce heat generation and boost efficiency for the Dimensity 9000. There are promises of greatly improved power consumption, up to 10% in heavy gaming sessions. The upcoming X80 phone with the Dimensity 9000 at the helm scores 1. 07 million AnTuTu points, and animations have been improved in high-load scenarios, having processing power allocation maximized. Finally, you can expect performance not to degrade for up to 36 months.
These are lofty claims and we cannot wait to meet the new phones and test them thoroughly for our detailed reviews.
Ghostbusters VR is another take on the co-op ghost-hunting genre
Meta announced Wednesday a Ghostbusters cooperative game that was published by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality. It is being developed by nDreams. The game was announced alongside a brief trailer that shows an original cast of characters exploring an abandoned factory with their ghost-hunting gear. Predictably, there’s a ghoulie about, and they need to stop it from wreaking havoc with their gadgets and proton packs. The trailer allows for some banter, as is fitting for the source material.
This is the second Ghostbusters co-op title to be announced recently; in March, we learned about Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, a more traditional co-op game for PCs and consoles. There’s a lot of promise in a VR version of Ghostbusters, and similar games like indie horror title Phasmophobia have been very successful.
While players can play the game solo if they wish, it is possible to also play the game with three or more friends. It seems that the game was designed to be played in a group and to learn some strategies. Ghostbusters VR does not yet have a release window.
