Cloud game-streaming seems to be the future of video games. The hardware limitations do not bind it, and one can play the games any time they want. One needs a decent internet connection and a subscription to various games.
Steam by Valve is one of the very first cloud gaming services that introduced this feature to its users. Although steam games are not entirely cloud-oriented and still depends on the user’s hardware for performance. Nonetheless, the service is no less than a gem among stones.
Now the developers behind steam have added a new feature to their service. According to the quality, the game makers can now invite players to test their new games without access to a game’s beta key. They can do so by using the steam client itself. The feature is being called Steam Playtest and will allow interested testers to click a button in a game’s listing on the Steam store and request access and be added to a testers queue.
Developers will be able to see how many people have access to the test. Along with how many people have expressed interest and are waiting for access to the test. The feature will also inform developers as to how many people were manually invited to the test. When the developers decide to end a trial, the button to request access to it will be removed from the game’s Steam store page. Also, the game will be pulled from user libraries.
However, it is worth remembering that Playtests aren’t intended to replace Steam Early Access. Steam also allows games to have a Playtest alongside its Early Access version. The Playtest feature is entirely free, and users won’t be charged for it. But the quality is still under beta version and may not be available for all users. However, since it is not fully developed, we can expect Valve to add more future features.
Apple’s iPhone 12 5G is released in the market and is already garnering a lot of attention. The device is powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic, which is currently the world’s fastest smartphone processor.
According to sources, Apple is reportedly planning on bringing back the Touch ID feature for its future iPhones. The iPhone maker has reportedly been granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). According to it, the company has been awarded a patent for an under-display optical image sensor. It reads that the sensor would be “positioned at least partially behind a display and is configured to emit shortwave infrared light.” The patent was initially filed back in October 2018 and has now been approved with patent number 10,824,837 B2.
According to sources, the technology would use shortwave infrared light to map the ridges on the finger pressed against the screen. It is presumed that the technology would be used by smartphones to analyze fingerprints for verification.
The infrared light that would be reflected by a finger on to a photosensitive element for verification. We know that the infrared light is not part of the visible spectrum; hence it won’t interfere with the display. The photosensitive element, on the other hand, would filter out light from the visible spectrum.
With the advent of cutting edge tech and an increase in demand for high-performing devices. It is imperative to keep bringing out innovations. However, it would be interesting to see apple bringing out its new technology in the upcoming iPhones. Apple has already launched its Face ID feature, but its customers have been craving for the Touch ID feature for a long time.
We still don’t know whether Apple will launch the Touch ID with its iPhone 13; however, we can expect the quality by the end of next year.
Sony is always a ruler in the Indian television market, especially in the premium segment. So, to maintain the impact, Sony needs to refresh its television lineups and have to add new models into its portfolio. This Thursday, the Korean electronics giant introduces its new high-end television Sony A8H.
Sony A8H Details
Sony’s new premium television is coming with a 65-inch Ultra-HD OLED display panel. This display panel holds the support for Dolby Vision HDR. Along with the panel, the X1 Ultimate 4K HDR processor and X-Motion Clarity technology are backing up to produce an unbelievable image quality. One of the most attractive features of this A8H is users can enjoy 1080p content at a 120Hz refresh rate. If the resolution goes up to 4K, the refresh rate’s upper limit comes down to 60Hz.
Sony in its press release wrote, “With Pixel Contrast Booster, color and contrast are enhanced in bright areas so one can enjoy their TV viewing with full of lifelike shades and hues, more depth, fine texture and the pure black contrast that only Sony’s OLED can deliver”,
Besides the display quality, the audio is also an important factor. So, Sony is providing four speakers and twin sub-woofers that produce 30 watts of output. On top of that, there is a unique Acoustic Surface Audio technology. The company claims that this technology enables the display to double the soundbox. The support for Dolby Atmos and Acoustic Surface Audio technology is also there.
The Sony A8H is running on Android and obviously has Google Play Store support. 16GB of internal storage is there to install and run the necessary applications. The built-in Chromecast, Google Assistant, and Apple AirPlay 2 are additional.
You can own this premium Sony A8H at Rs.2,79,990 only and can purchase from Sony’s offline retails as well as an official online store.
Xiaomi has recently announced Mi Box 4S Pro, a new TV box that is capable to stream up to 8K. Let’s check out the specifications of this device.
This Mi Box 4S Pro runs on Xiaomi’s own MIUI (TV version), paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The Mi Box 4S Pro is basically the successor of the Mi Box 4S. But both of them look very similar to each other having all-white design. Having 2 GB of RAM will allow the device to work smoothly and 16GB of internal storage is more than enough for a TV Box.
Coming to the ports and buttons of this device, the Mi Box 4S Pro features a USB Type-A port, an AV port, and an HDMI port. It is quite enough ports for I/O of normal usage. The HDMI port is HDMI 2.1. You will also get a same-colored Bluetooth remote with the Mi Box 4S Pro. In recent years, these kinds of TV boxes have been really popular globally. Google, Xiaomi, Amazon, everyone has its own TV Box, such as Fire-stick for Amazon, Google Chromecast, and so on.
Coming to the pricing and availability, the Mi Box 4S Pro is now up for pre-orders in China at a price tag of CNY 399 (~US$60). As of now, this TV box is only available in China. Xiaomi has not confirmed anything about whether they will release this TV box internationally. This device is expected to be sold by third-party retailers like AliExpress and Gearbest very soon, at any rate.
Formula 1 reports a $115 million loss this quarter due to races without fans. They hosted 13 of 17 planned races this season but 12 of those happened without the fans which resulted in such a heavy loss.
The loss was for a three-month period which ended on September 30 despite record quarterly revenues of $597 million.
The global motorsport series’ third-quarter income saw a US$36 million drop from the US$633 million during the same period in 2019. The operating loss compares to a US$32 million profit last year.
Absence of fans and other reasons for the heavy loss!
Revenue from media rights, advertising, and sponsorship sales rose on a per-race basis. The revenue decline was down to the fact that fans were only able to attend one Formula One Grand Prix.
In addition to the absence of fans, Formula 1 said its earnings were impacted by the location of races and the timing of its revised calendar, which got underway in July after been suspended in March. The series also paid $441 to teams due to an increased number of races, up from US$335 million in 2019.
Liberty Media said: “Results in the third quarter of 2020 were impacted by the absence of fans, the location of races as well as the timing of the revised race calendar and pro-rata recognition of certain revenue streams.”
It noted: “Primary F1 revenue decreased mainly due to the limited race promotion revenue received since fans were prohibited at all but one race during the third quarter. “This was partially offset by growth in broadcasting and advertising and sponsorship fees due to the impact of higher proportionate recognition of season-based income with three additional races during the current period, as well as the impact of recognizing revenue over fewer races in 2020.”
Into the present competitive audio market, Skullcandy adds its new product – Skullcandy Spoke truly wireless earphones. Maintaining the standards, this time too, the company is providing some of its key specs to the consumers. Here is the description of the offerings.
The new Skullcandy Spoke is equipped with massive 8mm audio drivers. There are multi-function buttons in both the buds that will help you to manage your tracks, take or reject calls, or activate the voice assistant. To perform all these activities, you have to click the buttons in a particular sequence. It’s similar to the other TWSes with multi-function buttons.
To maintain the strong connectivity there is Bluetooth 5.0. According to the company each bud can run for up to 4 hours alone and with case 10 hours more. Unfortunately, Skullcandy adds a micro USB port to it, whereas TWSes under Rs.1,999 have a Type-C port. For better safety, this TWS is coming with IPX4 certification.
Coming to the availability, the Skullcandy Spoke is currently available on its official website at Rs.2,999. The MRP of it is Rs.7,999. If you have a habit to pick your product from various color options – here is the only True Black available.
Skullcandy partners with the online music streaming platform Gaana and providing 3 months of free Gaana Plus subscription at no extra cost.
The Premier League is the richest league in the world, and for a very good reason. The quality of football played at the top flight of English football is some of the best in the world.
Hence, it only makes sense that the big bucks be splashed out where the talent and the quality is the best that it can be. For some of the clubs, the market value is equal to that of a small country, while for others, the number is a little more believable.
However, hundreds of millions are spent every year in maintaining the functioning of clubs. Owing to that end, here are the top 10 Premier League clubs based on market value.
10. Aston Villa (€311.80 million)
via Yahoo Sports
The once European champions kick off the list of the most expensive clubs in the Premier League, with a market value in excess of €300 million.
Aston Villa were unbeaten this season until their match against Leeds United and lost their next match against Southampton in a seven-goal thriller.
9. Wolves (€387.90 million)
Wolves managed to compete in the Europa League last season but failed to qualify for the tournament again. Considering the fact that they spent the most part of the last decade in the Championship, the growth has been rapid for the Midlands club since the Chinese investments started flowing in.
8. Leicester City (€469 million)
On their day, Leicester City play some brilliant football. But they also have a tendency to let form drop pretty quickly. All that said, Leicester City, much like Wolves, were nowhere close to the top of the table when the 2010s began.
However, following an influx of cash, the Foxes won the 2015 Premier League and also competed in the Champions League. They currently compete in the Europa League and are one of the favourites to win the tournament.
7. Everton (€508.3 million)
The Toffees are the club that have always been left out of the so-called Big Six of the Premier League, and the evaluation of the squad by market value includes few changes for the Merseyside Blues.
They enjoyed a fruitful start to the 20/21 season and will be hoping to achieve a Europa League spot if a top-four finish is out of their reach.
6. Arsenal (€632 million)
The Gunners are one of the oldest clubs in the Premier League and have always been one of the biggest clubs in the division, ever since their inception. Although the era of the Invincibles is far gone, the Gunners are regulars to a top 6 finish almost every season and are on the verge of a rebuild under former player-turned-manger Mikel Arteta.
5. Tottenham Hotspur (€738.55 million)
The London based club made it to the Champions League final two seasons ago and have since fallen to the Europa League. Although they have been mocked for their lack of silverware in the Premier League era, Jose Mourinho is probably their best shot at winning some form of silverware before too long.
4. Manchester United (€799.85 million)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 12: Alexander Buttner, First Team Coach Rene Meulensteen, Manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Robin van Persie of Manchester United celebrate in the dressing room after the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Swansea City at Old Trafford on May 12, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images)
Arguably one of the biggest clubs in England, Manchester United have managed to maintain their stature right from the very beginning as the home of some of the best players in the country and the league. When you look at the number of trophies and legendary players that have all played for the Red Devils, it becomes clear as to why they have such a dedicated fanbase and high value.
3. Chelsea (€838.90 million)
The London based club have undergone a massive change in stature ever since Roman Abramovich assumed ownership of the club. Since then, the Roman era has seen the club win some form of silverware in almost every season and has produced some of the best footballers that the Premier League has seen.
1. Manchester City and Liverpool (€1.08 billion)
The last encounter between Liverpool FC and Manchester City
Liverpool have won the most number of Champions League titles in all of England with six to their name while Manchester City were a mid-table side until Etihad came along. These two clubs have been in a league of their own within the Premier League, and have some of the best talents in the entire league. They have been battling it out at the top of the league for the better part of the last decade and this leads to them being tied at the top of the list for the club with the highest market value in the league.
Motorola’s license holder Binatone has launched three latest three new audio devices in India. One of them is a Truly Wireless Earbuds (TWS) whereas the other two are Bluetooth earphones. So, let’s check out each of them one by one.
1. Vervebuds 100
This is the TWS one. This audio product weighs 32 grams and it comes in Black and White color variants. In the box, you will get extra ear tips of three different sizes: Large, Medium, and Small. Regarding the case, it has an almost square-shaped case with rounded corners. There is an LED light as well at the front, probably to measure the charging meter. And at last, the Motorola logo is there on the top of the case as well as on the earbuds. It runs on Bluetooth v5.0.
Coming to the audio part, the company claims that these earbuds support HiFi Audio. Every feature that a TWS holds is also there such as naturally enabled Intelligent Noise reduction, powerful bass, quick touch controls for accessing different media functions like play/pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, and answer/reject calls. It has a total 14hrs of battery life(5hrs-buds + 9-hrs-case). For extras, this audio product has an IPX5 rating for sweat and splash-proof. It will be available exclusively on Amazon in India at an introductory price tag of ₹2,699($36.51).
This device has the support of Hubble Connected’s “Hubble Connect for Verve Life App”, by which users can customize controls, and unlock nearly 70,000+ abilities of Alexa.
2. Ververap 105 Bluetooth Neckband Earphones
This is a flexible neckband-type Bluetooth earphone that runs on Bluetooth v5.0. This audio product weighs just 18 grams and it comes only in the Black color variant. This earphones does not have silicone ear tips for grip. However, they are magnetic and can be attached together when not in use.
Coming to the audio section, these earphones feature a 15mm audio driver which produces deep bass. it has 8 hours of battery life. This audio product does not support touch control. In place of touch, it has buttons for media control and an integrated mic for hands-free calling as well. This device has an IPX5 rating and is compatible with Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. As per the pricing and availability, this device will be available on both Flipkart and Amazon, and on other offline channels at a price tag of ₹1,699($24).
This device has the support of Hubble Connected’s “Hubble Connect for Verve Life App”, by which users can customize controls, and unlock nearly 70,000+ abilities of Alexa.
3. Verveloop 105 Bluetooth in-ear Earphones
This is a flexible neckband-type Bluetooth earphone that runs on Bluetooth v5.0. This audio product weighs just 17 grams and it comes only in the Black color variant. These earphones have silicone ear tips with a stabilizer hook for better grip. It is ideal for a gym freak or a sportsperson.
Coming to the audio section, these earphones produce deep bass. it has 8 hours of battery life. This audio product does not support touch control. In place of touch, it has buttons for media control and an integrated mic for hands-free calling as well. This device is compatible with Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. As per the pricing and availability, this device will be exclusively available on Amazon at a price tag of ₹1,299($17.57).
This device has the support of Hubble Connected’s “Hubble Connect for Verve Life App”, by which users can customize controls, and unlock nearly 70,000+ abilities of Alexa.
Mario Balotelli is one of the most memorable footballers of the recent era, but for all the wrong reasons.
Fans all across the world agree on the fact that Balotelli had the potential to be one of the best strikers of all time. However, despite stints at Manchester City, Liverpool, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Marseille and Nice, the Italian’s career has been bogged down due to his attitude.
His most recent stint was at his hometown club of Brescia in Serie A, but his contract was terminated by the club at the end of the season partially due to the club being relegated to Serie B at the end of the season.
The player has a decent amount of silverware to his name, winning the Premier League title with Manchester City in 2012. He was also part of the treble-winning Inter side of 2009/10.
However, despite playing for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, the striker has not managed to make a hard impact at any of them and has been relegated to being a free agent at 30.
The player is now training with semi-pro Italy side Franciacorta that play in Serie D, the fourth division of Italian football to keep himself fit. The player is currently looking for a club despite having decent experience at the highest level.
Marseille’s Italian forward Mario Balotelli reacts during the French Ligue 1 football match between FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Olympique de Marseille at the Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on April 5, 2019. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP) (Photo credit should read NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP/Getty Images)
Local Brescia media report that Balotelli is friends with Alessandro Bertazzoli and Eugenio Bianchini, a player and sporting director at Franciacorta, who have invited the player to train at the club while he waits for a club to reach out to him.
The player was at the top of his game during 2012 when he helped Italy reach the EURO finals against Spain. However, his antics and mentality have been a constant source of criticism for fans and pundits.
Arguing with the referees while on the pitch and kicking out at opposition players has accounted for a poor disciplinary record for Balotelli. He was once caught smoking in a train before a match against Fiorentina for Milan and was suspended by Serie A.
Skipping training sessions has also been one of the major challenges for the Italian striker and have ultimately wasted a career that could have been one of the best in the modern era.
Apple has launched its iPhone 12 series a few weeks ago and unveiled the four models of this iPhone 12 series: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Among those iPhones, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were made available for retail. As of now, another piece of news has come in the market that iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are now available from pre-orders.
If we check out the pricing, the iPhone 12 mini variant’s price tag starts at $699 and the Pro Max variant’s pricing starts at $1,099. Apple is trying to make these devices available in multiple countries across the globe. As per the reports, the pre-order of these iPhones are launching in more than 50 countries and regions. Not only this but also Brazil, South Korea, and other regions’ customers will be able to grab this deal of pre-orders from 20th November.
iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 12 Pro Max
Other than that, from today (6th November), you can pre-order iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro Max. But the shipping of both the iPhones will start on 13th November. Monthly payment modes are available as well. Apart from these, HomePod Mini pre-orders are also available for pre-orders in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the US whereas the shipping will start around November 16.
Let’s just check out the pricing of the different variants of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
