Apple iPod has captivated the audience since it launched 20 years ago. iPod had become the perfect companion for all the music lovers out there.
“Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry — it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to, and shared. Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio — there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music”, said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.
Apple has officially announced the discontinuation of the iPod Touch model.
Let us look at the evolution of the iPod since its launch to date.
2001: iPod
2002: iPod 2nd Generation
2003: iPod 3rd Generation
2004: iPod Mini
2005: iPod Shuffle
2007: iPod Shuffle 2nd Generation
2008: iPod Classic
2010: iPod Nano
2012: iPod Touch
2015: iPod Touch 5th Generation
2019: iPod Touch 7th Generation
While the iPod Touch became at times highlighted as a gaming tool, or a extra low-cost Internet-linked device for children, it is less relevant now in the age of streaming content. Apple now says this version will remain available while stocks last, however suggests its diverse other merchandise inclusive of iPhones, the Apple Watch, and HomePod mini as ways to listen to music at the move and at home.
Instagram never stops surprising its users with the updates and features it introduces time and again. New filters, background music for a single image or a carousel, reels, close friends for stories, live video, and much more. What started as an image-sharing social networking site has evolved with time and has become a part of our lifestyle. Who would have thought that users could sell their Non Fungible Tokens (NFT) on Instagram.
The NFT integration for Instagram focuses on the term “Digital Collectible” in preference to NFT, given the confusion across the term fungible for plenty of people. The digital collectible Instagram posts will have a “shimmer effect” to allow them to stand out from regular posts in the feed. NFTs will possibly be included in Instagram as standard posts on your Instagram feed. A digital wallet will be connected to let users share digital collectibles and automatically tag the creator and the collector.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram Head Adam Mosseri took to their Instagram handle to explain how and why NFTs will be introduced to Instagram. The reason stated by the company is to let their fans support their favourite creators by purchasing digital collectibles.
“The creator economy is incredibly important to Instagram. But one of the challenging things that we need to solve as an industry is how to help creators make a living doing what they love. Right now there are a number of different ways for creators to make money but a lot of them are unpredictable and changing rapidly. Now we think one really interesting opportunity for a subset of creators is NFTs,” Adam Mosseri, Instagram Head, says.
The pilot release won’t fee customers for posting and sharing an NFT. It isn’t immediately clear whether or not Instagram could support NFT from all four chains at launch. As per the report, Instagram will permit a small organization of NFT lovers based in the US to test the feature.
“We’re starting to test digital collectibles on Instagram so that creators and collectors can display their NFTs,” Zuckerberg told blockchain entrepreneur Tom Bilyeu. The company would be rolling out augmented reality NFTs, which he described as “3D NFTs” and appear as stickers in Instagram Stories, said Zuckerberg.f
Realme Narzo 50 5G line is ready to add a smartphone i.e., Realme Narzo 50 5G. Though the phone’s official launch date is unknown, renders have been revealed. Realme has not confirmed any specifications or other details; there are speculations of its features.
Body and Design
An expected display is a 6.58-inch AMOLED display and FHD+ screen resolution. Realme Narzo 50 might have a 90Hz refresh rate.
Processor
Narzo 5G will be packed with MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor. The company claims to have used ‘the fastest 5G processor in the segment’ and ‘the best cooling technology.’ Realme Narzo 5 G’s Indian variant will come in 4GB RAM with 128GB storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. The smartphone will likely run on Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0 custom skin out of the box and Virtual RAM expansion.
Camera
If the renders leaked are believed, the phone will have a dual-camera setup with a 13MP primary camera and a 2MP depth sensor. Though it does not seem exciting on the camera, let us wait for the official confirmation. There is no information for the front camera of Realme Narzo 50 5G.
Battery
Realme Narzo 50 5G may have a 4800 mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Price and Availability
A suggested price of Realme Narzo 50 5G is something around Rs.15,000. The smartphone’s render reveals that the phone is available in grey colour as of now.
There are certain things that moms like, and there are things that moms despise. If my mom is to be believed, I would be living a much-sorted life if I didn’t invest much time on my mobile phone. The funny part is that I see my mom busting out YouTube videos at maximum volume as I jot this article down.
Here are five tech devices that our mothers prefer or do not prefer having.
Smartphones
The one thing that moms have a love-hate relationship with. They only love it when the ball is in their court. Smartphones have become a convenient medium to kill the boredom of aged beings. The inclusion of OTT platforms has also made it easier for our parents to watch movies on the go. Now that I am mostly out for work, I find it relieving that my mom has her little friend to keep her occupied. And yes, I almost forgot, the annoying family Whatsapp groups make the smartphone even more interesting.
Video-games
I have lost count of the number of times I got trashed in my childhood for playing video games. I am sure most of you have gone through this or at least have been asked to pause your online game. Playstation and other video game consoles are totally uncool and would ruin your eyesight, of course, according to our moms.
Television
Although my mom wasn’t ever into television dramas, I have seen in my friends’ house how much of a television buff moms become when those family dramas start to roll on the screen. I still haven’t figured out why anyone would watch 1000 episodes of something that doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Or maybe I am just bad at understanding moms.
Amazon Echo
During the corona days when everyone was stuffed inside their homes, I bought an Amazon Echo device, and little did I know it would be one of the essentials for mom. Now she orders Alexa to play music or listen to recipes, and stream movies, and there’s a pinch of excitement every time she does it. Echo has been a constant with mom, especially when she’s in the kitchen preparing food.
Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Ah! The hate that moms have for this machine is real. They wouldn’t trust anyone with the house cleaning out themselves. We always get to hear this complaint that the vacuum cleaners do not cover the corners, which becomes a big headache for moms. Why have a machine when everyone can do their bit of cleaning and chores and not leave everything for moms?
A feature-packed versatile portable projector which actually lives up to expectations and sometimes, even more.
–The biggest limitation in the portable projector market right now is that there are a lot of options to choose from, but not all deliver performance as advertised. One quick search on the internet will reveal a plethora of inferior results, many impersonating as 720p, 1080p or even 4K projectors when their true display resolutions don’t even score close. All those who aren’t as tech-savvy, therefore, end up getting tricked into buying something that’s more of a kid’s toy than an actual home entertainment device.
The world of portable projectors is fraught with tawdry plastic tat. You’ll find countless Amazon listings for small cuboidals that claim to “support HD” with a brightness similar to any cinema projector that costs ten times the price.” Lumens” or “lux” is an entirely made-up metric. Instead, you need to look for “ANSI lumens”, which is a standardized metric. This is why we’re rather skeptical about approving any review of a portable projector. Thankfully, the Xgimi Mogo Pro+ is not one of those.
Xgimi, unlike other brands, does not lie about the brightness of its projectors. It’s about one-tenth the luminance of a similarly priced home cinema projector, and we appreciate this honesty. XGIMI is a brand that has yet to create a distinction that the likes of Epson or BenQ carry when it comes to business projectors. And yet, despite its relative anonymity, this brand has won the prestigious Reddot and IF design awards several times.
Design :
Measuring just about 5.8 inches of height, with curved edges and a cuboidal profile, and weighing just under a kg, the Xgimi Mogo Pro+ is a truly portable device.
The top houses basic touch sensitive play/pause, volume up, and volume down buttons which are very responsive – a light tap is all it takes. You have to press and hold just to turn the device on or off.
The top frontal frame consists of a glass panel which shields the projector lens housed inside.
Near the front bottom is the Xgimi MoGo Pro+’s perception system responsible for its auto keystone correction and autofocus system. Beneath all that is an integrated stand that’s beautifully simple yet extremely effective. When the situation calls for it, simply pop it back out and adjust it up to 30-degrees for the most ideal position. On this same panel is a 1/4-inch tripod female thread for mounting it on a tripod, but there’s no carry case included. Onething which bothered us was there isn’t any lens cover, which is a little more concerning for something designed to be carried around.
Features :
The XGIMI runs actual Android TV 9.0, and is Google certified.The remote even has a dedicated button to summon the Google Assistant, and the system is Chromecast compatible, making the process of casting content from your other devices pretty seamless.
In fact, setting up the device was not a hassle either, with a simple “set up my device” voice command on my phone. It all just worked, which was nice, and avoided having to use an on-screen keyboard on the projector, which is usually awkward and time-consuming on these kinds of devices.
There are two video input ports here: HDMI and USB. The USB 2.0 port is tremendous for connecting the device to an external drive to play downloaded movies, even those in older video file formats. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack for hooking it up to a pair of speakers or headphones. While we’re on the subject of connectivity, it not only has dual-band 2.4/5Ghz Wi-Fi for linking up to an existing wireless network, but also Bluetooth 5.0 for pairing it with other Bluetooth.
Auto-Focus and Auto-Keystone
Able to correct for up to 40-degrees of horizontal or vertical angle projection, the auto-keystone and the auto-focus feature worked well, and it kicks in automatically whenever it detects a slight movement or shift in position. You can disable this if you want, but there’s no point to, as it is just an aided advantage. A micro-switch on the base of the remote control enables manual focus using the volume keys.
Throw Ratio and Brightness
As mentioned, the device claims to run at a maximum 300 ANSI lumens of brightness. The throw ratio—which is the relationship between the size of the projected image and the distance you place the projector from the surface—works out at about 1:1. Which is to say, if you want a 6-foot diagonal projection, you’ll need to place the Xgimi Mogo Pro+ around 6 feet away from the screen.
Battery Life
Claiming to have a battery-run of around 3 hours, we for an extreme test, fully charged and ran the battery down by streaming live over Wi-Fi, at full brightness and full volume. The battery lasted about an hour and a half before forcefully switching to Eco brightness.
Audio Quality
With Harman Kardon on the box, you expect some good quality audio. The laws of physics put a slight damper on that. You simply can’t get deep bass from something so small.
The Xgimi Mogo Pro+ definitely gets loud enough for any impromptu movie night without distortion creeping in, and across the rest of the spectrum it sounds clean, crisp, and well balanced.
Supporting Bluetooth 5.0 or AUX stereo out, you’re free to connect your favorite pair of headphones or external speakers for an even better auditory experience.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a mini projector that you can take and play just about anywhere, have the money to spare, the Xgimi Mogo Pro+ is certainly one of the best in class options. The audio is clear and loud but lacks bass. The projection is bright and true HD and the software experience with Google integration makes it easy to use.
Good
-Snappy and easy to navigate interface
-Auto Keystone Correction
Bad
Slightly expensive compared to the competition and no card reader.
Ugly
Battery life is a little short and the speaker has Lackluster bass.
There are certain things that moms like, and there are things that moms despise. If my mom is to be believed, I would be living a much-sorted life if I didn’t invest much time on my mobile phone. The funny part is that I see my mom busting out YouTube videos at maximum volume as I jot this article down.
Here are five tech devices that our mothers prefer or do not prefer having.
Smartphones
The one thing that moms have a love-hate relationship with. They only love it when the ball is in their court. Smartphones have become a convenient medium to kill the boredom of aged beings. The inclusion of OTT platforms has also made it easier for our parents to watch movies on the go. Now that I am mostly out for work, I find it relieving that my mom has her little friend to keep her occupied. And yes, I almost forgot, the annoying family Whatsapp groups make the smartphone even more interesting.
Video-games
I have lost count of the number of times I got trashed in my childhood for playing video games. I am sure most of you have gone through this or at least have been asked to pause your online game. Playstation and other video game consoles are totally uncool and would ruin your eyesight, of course, according to our moms.
Television
Although my mom wasn’t ever into television dramas, I have seen in my friends’ house how much of a television buff moms become when those family dramas start to roll on the screen. I still haven’t figured out why anyone would watch 1000 episodes of something that doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Or maybe I am just bad at understanding moms.
Amazon Echo
During the corona days when everyone was stuffed inside their homes, I bought an Amazon Echo device, and little did I know it would be one of the essentials for mom. Now she orders Alexa to play music or listen to recipes, and stream movies, and there’s a pinch of excitement every time she does it. Echo has been a constant with mom, especially when she’s in the kitchen preparing food.
Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Ah! The hate that moms have for this machine is real. They wouldn’t trust anyone with the house cleaning out themselves. We always get to hear this complaint that the vacuum cleaners do not cover the corners, which becomes a big headache for moms. Why have a machine when everyone can do their bit of cleaning and chores and not leave everything for moms?
JBL has just released a new Tune collection of TWS earbuds in India. The new earbuds are the JBL Tune 230NCand Tune 130NC, which includes active noise cancellation (ANC) and provide up to 40 hours of battery life.
“The all new True Wireless JBL Tune 230 NC and JBL 130 NC are the ideal customer delight earbuds, designed to mold into different needs and moods of the listener. JBL’s 75 years of legacy of creating unmatched customer experience intertwined with our innovative sound engineering adoption has inspired us to come up with these beauties. You want style, quality, convenience, noise cancellation, customization, attractive pricing. We have it all covered with JBL Tune 230 NC and JBL 130 NC,” said Vikram Kher, Vice President, Lifestyle, HARMAN India.
JBL Tune 230NC
Active noise cancelling and Smart Ambient with Ambient Aware and Talk Through features
40 hours of playtime
Fast charge
IPX4 water and sweat resistant
JBL Pure Bass sound with making your very own Equalizer
TWS stick shape
4-mic technology for crisp, clear calls
Voice assistant with built-in Google and Alexa voice assistants
Bluetooth 5.2 with Fast Pair enabled by Google
Dual Connect + Sync
Touch sensor
JBL Tune 130NC
Active noise cancelling and Smart Ambient with Ambient Aware and Talk Through features
40 hours of playtime
Fast charge
IPX4 water and sweat resistant
JBL Pure Bass sound with making your Equalizer characteristic
JBL Headphones App TWS bud shape
4-mic technology for crisp, clear calls
Voice assistant with built-in Hey Google and Alexa
Bluetooth 5.2 with Fast Pai enabled through Google
Dual Connect + Sync
Touch sensor
The JBL Tune 130NC JBL Tune 230NC is priced at an inaugural offer of Rs.4,999 and Rs. 5,999. The three colour options available are Blue, Black and White. The sale started on May 3 across HARMAN brand stores, jbl.com and significant retail and online stores.
Homegrown smartphone brand Micromax is set to launch a new smartphone IN2c tomorrow. The brand announced the launch via its official Twitter handle by posting the phone’s image.
Micromax is making a comeback in the Indian markets. The new Micromax IN2c will be the successor to In2b. Flipkart’s support page for Micromax IN2c reveals some specifications and design insights.
Body and Display: The handset will boast a 6.52-inch HD+ (720×1600 pixels) LCD with a 20:9 factor ratio and 420-nits of peak brightness. The Micromax IN2c will have a waterdrop notch layout and a prominent bezel at the bottom.
Processor and Storage: The UNISOC T610 chipset will be coupled with 4GB/6GB of LPDDR4x RAM. Both editions will be equipped with 64GB of eMMC 5.1 built-in storage. For extra storage, the device will have a microSD card slot. Micromax IN2c may have an Android 11 operating system.
Battery: Microsoft IN2c will be packed with a 5000mAh battery and a 10W standard charger.
Camera: The Micromax IN 2c will load a dual rear camera module, which may also include an 8MP primary lens and a VGA sensor. There should be a 5MP camera for taking selfies and video calling on the front.
Pricing and Availability: Micromax will divulge the availability and pricing information of the IN2c phone in India at its release event on April 26. However, the device is tipped to be under Rs 10,000 and will go on sale through Flipkart and Micromax’s official website. It can be seen that the smartphone will be sold in Silver and Brown colors.
We all know M-series chips for Mac computer systems and iPads have been pretty successful, and now Apple is reportedly working on the subsequent M-series chip, the Apple M2, to be launched later this year. Now, a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has stated that the agency is working on 9 new Mac computer systems as a way to feature the M2 chip. This comes after Apple introduced that the Apple M1 Ultra that powers the Mac Studio will be the last M1 chip from the organisation. At least 2 Mac products with an M2 chip are anticipated this year, while the rest of the Macs can also arrive in the subsequent year.
The M2 processor is expected to be the successor to the M1 and bring enhancements in terms of graphics handling. Bloomberg claims to have seen developer logs, corroborated by people aware of the improvement — Apple is trying out at least 9 Mac devices, powered by 4 distinctive M2-primarily based chips, with third-party apps in the App Store. This is part of the chip improvement technique to ensure the working device and the apps are compatible with the brand new chipset. It also suggests that the new machines can be prepared for launch soon.
The new devices being examined consist of:
1. A MacBook Air with an M2 chip codenamed J413. This Mac could have 8 CPU cores, the additives that manage the primary processing, and 10 cores for graphics. That’s up from 8 graphics cores in the present-day MacBook Air.
2. A Mac mini with an M2 chip codenamed J473. This device may have identical specs as the MacBook Air. In testing, there’s also an “M2 Pro” variation, codenamed J474.
3. An entry-level MacBook Pro with an M2 chip codenamed J493. This, too, could have identical specs as the MacBook Air.
4. A 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and “M2 Max” chips, codenamed J414. According to the logs, the M2 Max chip has 12 CPU cores and 38 graphics cores, up from 10 CPU cores and 32 graphics cores in the current model. It may even have 64 gigabytes of memory.
5. A 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips codenamed J416. The 16-inch MacBook Pro’s M2 Max could have identical specs because of the 14-inch MacBook Pro model.
6. A Mac Pro, codenamed J180. This device will consist of a successor to the M1 Ultra chip used in the Mac Studio computer.
7. Apple is also trying out a Mac mini with an M1 Pro chip, the same processor used in today’s entry-level 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. That device is codenamed J374. The company has also tested an M1 Max model of the Mac mini. However, the new Mac Studio can also additionally make these machines redundant.
Motorola has added a new affordable and budget-friendly smartphone to the famous G series called the Moto g22. The smartphone comes with a price tag of Rs 9,999 and packs a near-Stock Android 12.
The device comes with a 6.5 inch IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and offers a 20W TurboPower charger. Moto g22 has a quad-camera setup with a 50MP main sensor, an 8Mp ultra-wide camera, and a 16 MP front or selfie camera.
The smartphone is powered by a 5000 mAh battery with a 20W TurboPower charger. Moto g22 weighs around 185gm which is quite light and is 8.4 mm thin and has a flatbed design. It is also backed by MediaTek Helio G37 processor with 4GB RAM for efficient performance. Other major features include a water-repellent design, a side Fingerprint scanner, and a Face Unlock sensor.
Availability and Pricing
Moto g22 will come in two colour variants – Iceberg Blue and Cosmic Black. The third colour Mint Green will release soon. The smartphone will be available on Flipkart between 13th and 14th April on limited stocks for a price of Rs 9,999.
