February 2022 was a month of smartphone launches, but sadly Apple didn’t launch anything in the month, which was a little disappointing. However, yesterday, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Apple unveiled several products, including iPhone SE 3, iPad Air 5, Mac Studio, Apple Studio Display and Apple M1 Ultra chip. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
iPhone SE 3
Apple unveiled iPhone SE 3 at the event, which looks the same as the iPhone 6 design but offers much more. The new iPhone SE (2022) runs on an A15 chipset, the same as the iPhone 13 series. The display and storage options remain the same as it was on the previous model – 4.7″ and 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The smartphone has an enhanced battery, superstar camera, an incredible water resistance feature, and of course, a home button, which some of us love while some don’t.
iPad Air 5
The newly launched iPad Air 5 stands firmly between the cheap iPads and expensive iPads. It has Apple’s M1 chipset and optional 5G support with eSIM, but the base model is Wi-Fi-only. The M1 chip allows the iPad Air 5 to match the iPad Pro in performance.
The Air 5 also features the new ultrawide front camera with Center Stage, which automatically pans during video calls. The iPad Air 5 features a 10.9″ Liquid Retina display, landscape stereo speakers, Touch ID, and on the back, it has a 12-MP camera.
Along with these two, Apple also launched a supercharged Mac mini with an M1 Max chip and a 27-inch studio display with 5K resolution and 600 nits, which also has a 12-MP camera and powerful speaker system. Lastly, Apple announced its most powerful ARM-based custom processor, the Apple M1 Ultra chip, which packs a 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU and 32-core Neural Engine.
Tissot has recently released a set of new watch series such as Tissot PRS 516, Tissot T-Race Cycling, and Tissot T-Race MotoGP.
Tissot PRS 516
Tissot watches have long embodied high performance on the wrist and the track, but the PRS 516 is the race leader. Its story began in 1965 when Tissot developed a pioneering watch designed to meet the unique demands of gentleman drivers. The new PRS 516 range stays true to the iconic vintage design and adds a dash of state-of-the-art mechanics. The PRS 516 Automatic Chronograph borrows from the iconography of motorsport with its piston-shaped pushers and chequered case back, while its Valjoux movement will appeal to connoisseurs of watchmaking. Tissot PRS 516 have the same attention to detail as required in top-level racing.
Tissot PRS 516 Specs:
Tissot T-Race MotoGP Series
“The best advice that I have ever had is simple: to enjoy what you are doing, and do it with passion,” says Mark Marquez, the six-time MotoGPTM World Champion. Inspired by his heroics, and the thrills of his sport, Tissot has produced three unique timepieces – the Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic, the T-Race MotoGP Quartz, and the T-Race Marc Marquez. The watches are crafted with the same detail and expertise shared between watchmaker, motorbike mechanic, and world champion rider. The newly redesigned Tissot T-Race MotoGP Quartz has a purer style with a 70s vintage touch. Important motorcycle details remain of course, such as the brake disc design, a grooved middle band on the case side that is reminiscent of the cooling fins of an engine, and handlebar-style pushers.
Three-time Vuelta an Espana winner and Olympic champion Primož Roglič. “I try to be in the moment. I give absolutely everything to make the most of that moment.” The 2022 edition of the Tissot T-Race Cycling timepiece blends a more classic look and design than its predecessor, while still inspired by the sport. Pushers reflect brake levers while the hands represent spokes. The lugs are levitated to reference the lightness of racing bike frames, the crown and case-back are reminiscent of the cassette, while the middle ring of the watch’s case is made of carbon. A leather perforated aspect that reflects the handlebar grips of Tour bikes has been added to the rubber bracelet.
The Indian smartphone market is maturing as you read this line. Do not get me wrong, it is still the same price-sensitive market as earlier. What has changed is the sheer amount of competition and phones to choose from in a galaxy of phones. Samsung witnessed massive success with the S20 FE and riding that success, the S21 FE seems like a good package. Is the Samsung phone worth your attention?
The S21 was questioned over their choice of materials at the rear. The S21 FE adds to the entire package by completely shifting to a high-quality polycarbonate (read – Plastic) structure wrapped in a thicker, well-rounded metal frame. The camera humps are also integrated into the plastic design. Overall, this phone tends to be lightweight at 177gms despite a 4500mAh battery, a welcome departure from regular glass sandwich dense and heavy phones. The rear does little to feel premium, but overall, the phone is built well.
There’s IP68 water and dust protection with wireless charging capabilities both for direct and reverse wireless charging on offer. This phone also comes in iPhone-ish colours for an added variety of choices. There’s no headphone jack, the earphone turns into a stereo setup with the downward-firing speaker, and overall, the phone exudes a premium yet lightweight design. Buttons are metal and clicky, while the overall bezel is aluminium adding to the sturdy feel. The 6.4-inch FHD+ display is excellent with vibrant colours, amazing visuals, HDR, deep blacks, and 120Hz enabled out of the box. Despite their display naming scheme, this display can only do 60 or 120Hz with always-on, extra-low dim settings, 240Hz touch sampling, excellent sunlight viewing legitimacy and much more.
Latest Android, great cameras but questionable performance
I use more than 150 apps on my main phone, and replicating the same with the Samsung S21 FE, things became a lot clearer. The S21 FE uses the same camera sensors (12MP primary sensor with OIS + 12MP ultra-wide) as the regular S21 except for an 8MP OIS telephoto camera against the 64MP used by the S21. The pictures and videos from all sensors are brilliant for social media standards and capture memories. Samsung vibrancy is seen throughout the shots and videos. The front 32MP camera is also an excellent addition to the overall setup, and there are 4k 60fps capabilities on both front and rear cameras. The camera setup is top-notch, even in low light conditions.
The phone also comes with Android 12 based One UI out of the box. As you read this line, Samsung has been pushing updates for the phone, refining their UI apps to optimise them for Android 12. Powered by a 5nm Exynos 2100 5G SOC with 8GB RAM, 128GB ROM, dual 5G sim capabilities, and optimised new UI make this phone feel snappy for most of your usage. But, launch a game or play around with the cameras for longer, and the Exynos starts showing its flaws. The phone can barely sustain peak performance in demanding situations for not more than 30mins, post which it throttles and slows down the UI and overall the phone in general.
These demanding tasks also drain the battery to dire conditions if that isn’t enough. If you are used to flagship processors, you are well versed with its general nuances. But, if you aren’t doing heavy tasks on your phone, then the S21 FE performance won’t be that big of a deal. Wifi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 on this phone connect well, and the call quality is excellent too.
Verdict
Overall, with an average battery life and performance figures coupled with an excellent display and great set of cameras, the S21 FE is an absolute winning package from the house of Samsung. Adding to the fact is that this phone is also lightweight and comes with all sorts of protection, from IP ratings to Gorilla Glass Victus upfront. Some things still leave us wanting more, like optimising their processor, no accessories in the box and 25W wired charging. But with the addition of wireless charging, wireless Samsung dex, the whole Samsung PC, amazing vibrant display, Android 12, 3-4 years of software updates and impressive cameras, the Samsung S21 FE with ample 5G bands is a vast galaxy worth exploring. The flagship suite is open to be explored in this relatively affordable galaxy.
It’s the season of love. While it’s easier to differentiate between the two strong emotions of love and lust, it’s likely that a particular emotion could account for another in some time. For this article, I will be comparing some of the dating apps and tell you which one I find better. Yes, I used these apps for around a month (not saying that I haven’t turned to these apps in the past in desperate times). This time, I had a purpose.
Here are a few dating apps that I used:
Tinder
The good thing about Tinder is that it is insanely popular across all regions in the country, so much so that it has become synonymous with the online dating scenario. The app is widely used among millennials and GenZ, and its algorithm creates potential matches via location and preferences.
The best part about using Tinder is that it is user-friendly and does not spam you with unwanted emails. If you are from the LGBTQ community, the app lets you seek connections with similar interests.
The downside of this app is that there are a lot of fake profiles on the app due to its massive fame. However, Tinder has addressed this issue and has started with the verified profile feature where you have to click a selfie of yourself to verify your profile.
On Tinder, you get a limited number of swipes and if you want to go past that, there is a Tinder Gold feature that you have to purchase. Not only do you get unlimited swipes, but you can also change the geographical location and see who liked your profile. The cost for Tinder Gold is Rs 600 for a month, Rs 566/m for 3 months and Rs 373/m for 6 months.
OK Cupid
The OkCupid app is extremely user-friendly and one can sign up on the app without having to struggle too much. The app can be used for both casual hookups and meaningful connections. Moreover, there are literally 20+ sexual orientations and 12+ genders to choose from on the app, so you do not have to feel left out anymore.
What’s good about OkCupid is that, unlike Tinder, one can send messages to anyone even before you are matched. This one quality makes it extremely lucrative for people who want to shoot their shots. However, one thing I found while using OkCupid is that since its registration is free there are lots of fake accounts on this one, many of which are scammers.
The cost of OkCupid Premium is Rs 525 for a month, Rs 350/month for 3 months, and 260/month for 6 months, which upon subscribing you can see who liked you, send unlimited likes, and unlock the intros that you received from other people.
Bumble
This one is my personal favourite for how well sorted this application is. Again, signing up on this app is completely free and easy, but here you can choose from the three given options. That is, the ‘Date’ option where you can start your relationship or engage in hookups, the ‘BFF’ option which leads you to make friends or find community, and the ‘Bizz’ option that allows you to take your career ahead.
Unlike the date option, the BFF feature does not allow you to choose for specific gender and is inclusive in nature, so this does not reduce the app to just being a mere dating app. The buzz acts somewhat like a LinkedIn whose purpose is to get people connected on professional terms.
There is something else too that makes the application more interesting. Bumble makes it a lot easier for you to boost your profile by giving the ‘one-day’ purchase option at a very reasonable price. Besides Premium, Bumble also lets you buy Spotlight for half an hour that sort of pushes your profile for the time period and SuperSwipe which will push your profile to the top for someone you super swiped.
Conclusion
See, love happens, it is not searched for. But if you don’t seek what’s seeking you, you are likely to have hard luck. These are some of the best applications if you are either looking for dating scenes or trying to build a community. What do you think works best for you?
And yes, if online dating doesn’t turn out well for you, remember that you are capable of going out and having actual conversations with people. A little old school but works like a charm!
January 2022 started with a bang and we witnessed many smartphones launches. February 2022 is about to get lit with some amazing new phones. We were startled when the upcoming smartphone list crossed the two-dozen mark. Yes, there are as many or more phones as expected in February 2022. Here is our list of the most note-worthy smartphones launching in February 2022. Stay tuned for all the latest from the world of consumer technology & Upcoming smartphone launches of February 2022. If you are waiting for buying a smartphone February
From photographing some prominent celebrities such as Alia Bhatt, Tapsee Pannu, Jacqueline Fernandes, Saif Ali Khan, and many more to playing a small yet central role in Kesari, Toranj Kayvon is as much of a genius in front of the lens as she is behind it.
In a conversation with Exhibit Magazine, Toranj gave us a few insights into her professional and her personal life. Here is the whole interview:
Toranj, you have Persian-Canadian roots, and you have spent most of your life in Canada. What made you come to India?
I was born in Iran and shifted to Canada when I was six years old. At age 21, I met another Canadian photographer who was shooting in Mumbai, and he told me about the industry there — I was instantly intrigued. I planned a trip to come and meet various clients, magazines, and advertising agencies. On day 2 or 3 of that trip, I knew Mumbai was where I needed to be. It was just an instinct, and when people ask me why I always say ‘it was my kismat’ because more than any reason, it was an inner knowing that India was where I needed to be. It was not an easy decision because I had to leave my boyfriend at the time, my family, and all familiarity to pursue that inner calling.
You started as a celebrity photographer before venturing into films. When did you decide you have an eye for photography?
I grew up being very interested in the fashion world and sketched my fashion designs since I exposed myself to a lot of fashion TV, and that’s where I became familiar with runways and fashion shoots — Watching photographers shoot fashion inspired me a lot, so when I entered high school I took the photography program there which ultimately changed my life. When I left high school, I was going to university to become a lawyer, but I worked as a photographer while I studied — both as a freelancer and with a studio. I kept going to school until I was finally able, to be honest with myself and my family, and let them know that law was not the path I wanted to take, but rather that I wanted to become a full-time photographer. I have been shooting behind the camera since I was 14 years old.
You had mentioned before that your parents weren’t encouraging about your passion for photography. What were some of the hurdles that you had to face along the way? Do they feel happy about your decision now?
I think the biggest hurdle when you want to pursue the thing that your heart tells you to go after is that if the people closest to you do not believe that you should not be doing that, there is a part of you that believes it. As a result, you can become very unclear about what is authentic to you because you become unclear about what path feels good. I think we have a deep need to be supported by our families so when they do not help us in a particular pursuit, it is natural for us to somehow, at some point, believe that our desire may be silly– even though another part of you is yearning for that path. For a long time, I thought that my desire to be a photographer was silly, and I laughed when my friends would ask me if I was going to pursue photography as a career. I think many people feel silly about following their dreams because so many of us have been trained not to listen to our authenticity but rather to our social or family culture. Today my parents do not interfere with any of my decisions or desires. I think when you become very clear about who you are, and it becomes easy to stand in your authenticity, somehow interference from the outside seems to disappear.
You have captured names like Shahrukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Saif Ali Khan, Jacqueline Fernandes through your photography. Who among the big stars has been your favourite to collaborate with so far?
Every artist I have collaborated with goes into the shoot with me with trust, and I believe that is why I have had the best experiences shooting with the faces of Indian Cinema. I do not have a favourite because each collaboration has been about teamwork between myself, the actor, and the rest of the team, and because of the trust between us, we have gotten to create something we all love.
How did working alongside Akshay Kumar in Kesari change your life?
Professionally, it gave me the big film set experience, which greatly influenced my knowledge and confidence as an actor. Another aspect that greatly influenced my work confidence was working with a star as profound as Mr. Akshay Kumar on the same side of the lens because up until that point, I had always worked with stars on opposite sides of the camera.
Your latest show is The Empire, which was streamed on Disney Hotstar. Both of your big ventures have historical drama. Do you now look to shift from that genre?
Answer: I love historical dramas, and a lot of what I watch is that genre. I believe we attract what vibes with us, and I have the historical drama vibe! Of course, I enjoy other genres of film, and I will look forward to working on those projects, but I am always open to historical drama!
As a photographer, can you please tell our readers your favourite camera and lens?
Answer: I have been shooting with Canon since I started photography when I was 14, so they are always my go-to cameras unless a client specifies otherwise. My favourite lens is the 85mm F1.2
When you go out to shoot, do you take any essential items other than your camera and lenses?
I always shoot tethered, so I always take my laptop with me to see my images as I shoot. It just really helps to be able to see what’s being captured clearly, so that you can make any adjustments right there and then, rather than going through your images later and regretting something.
What tools do you use for post-processing?
Lightroom and Photoshop!
As a photographer and actor, respectively, whose work inspires you the most?
As a photographer, Annie Leibovitz, and as an actor Meryl Streep, their work truly speaks to my heart.
What makes a good picture stand out from the average?
Presence. When I see a portrait that stands out for me, it’s because I can feel the presence of the person being captured in it. I think presence is ultimately authenticity. If an image captures a bit of someone’s soul… that’s when you want to take a double look…or perhaps let your eyes linger.
Every photographer has a different style. How do you direct your clients in front of the camera?
I really love eyes because everything can be expressed through them and because they are so revealing. When I’m photographing someone, I really love to capture them close up. I often speak to them or ask them to bring up certain scenarios from their memories or imagination to capture a particular emotion in their face and eyes. This is the part of my work that merges acting and photography.
Photography or acting. If you had to choose one over the other, what would it be and why?
Acting because it cultivates awareness, compassion, and understanding within me. Acting for me is about understanding that we have everything inside of us; we can be heroes or villains.
We’ve witnessed several launches of foldable smartphones in the past couple of years, including Moto Razr 5G, Microsoft Surface Duo, and the most recent one is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G. The foldable smartphones are new-age toys, and every smartphone manufacturing company wants at least one such smartphone in their purse.
Oppo was left little behind in this segment, but with Oppo Find N, the company is now ready to launch its first foldable smartphone in the market. Oppo Chief Product Officer Pete Lau recently revealed a glimpse of the new foldable smartphone on which the company has spent about 4-years to finish the research and development work.
The upcoming foldable smartphone from Oppo is teased with a tagline, “a small enough, big enough folding screen phone,” and is expected to offer a proprietary software experience to deliver a distinctive user experience. The phone’s layout is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, and the design is claimed to be simple, practical, and easy to use.
The teaser video shows the inward folding design of the Oppo Find N and appears to have a hole-punch design, at least for its foldable display. The smartphone has the main folding screen on the inside and another smaller one on the outside, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold series. The video also hints that the foldable smartphone would come with a USB Type-C port and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
In his letter, Lau further claimed, “With the Find N, we have solved the main pain points in previous foldable smartphones, such as the crease in the display and overall durability of the device, by inventing perhaps the best hinge and display designs available today.” The first foldable smartphone from the house of Oppo, the Find N, is set to be launched on December 15, 2021.
The future is bend. Like in Automobiles future is electric, the same way in the tech world future is screens that can bend, rotate, and remain submerged in water. Flip phones have a nostalgia attached to them ever since Moto Razr was launched and again when Motorola launched its Razr Flip, but before that, Samsung has been axing its saw and had already dropped Fold1 and Fold2 along with Flip1 and Flip2.
And now it’s time to meet Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, while the Z Fold3 is around the corner. The new flip phone is not heavily updated, but it has a unique and wonderful charm to grab attention. When it’s flattened, it looks like a regular smartphone, but when flipped, it feels like you’re having one of the most incredible devices in your hands.
The new flip phone from Samsung comes in two colours (Phantom Black and Cream) and two variants. The 8GB/128GB variant is priced at ₹84,999, while the 8GB/256GB variant is priced at ₹88,999. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has the same processor as the Galaxy S21, and clearly, it’s the first foldable phone everyone wants to buy, including Alia Bhatt, as it doesn’t compromise on performance, durability, and most of all, price.
When it comes to competition, only Motorola Razr lies in this category, but it’s a year-old phone now. I spent most of my time with the Z Flip 3 while running errands, while driving, while trekking, and I realised it just occupies a very little space in your pocket and helps you to move quicker. The Z Flip3 isn’t necessarily a sure bet, it has flaws too, but this new foldable smartphone from Samsung has the potential to be the most normal foldable smartphone available.
Design
The phone arrives in a small box with minimal accessories and doesn’t look different from its predecessors, but it has an outer display with useful features this time. When unfolded, it boasts a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and when folded, it sports Super AMOLED 1.9-inches. The hinge is more flexible now, and there’s less of a gap between sides when it’s closed, which makes the phone more handsome than ever.
The back of the Z Flip 3 is covered in Gorilla Glass Victus, while a flexible plastic display protects the inside screen. On the right side, there is a lock button with a fingerprint sensor and a volume rocker over it, and on the left side, there is a SIM slot. Sadly, the phone doesn’t have any micoSD slot, so you have to be dependable on the internal storage, but for the very first time, Samsung has secured its foldable phone with an IPX8 rating for water resistance.
Display
The third-generation Z Flip3 has a 6.7-inch tall, 1080 pixel wide OLED display. It has been improved compared to its predecessors but not to the extent to blow your mind. It looks and feels just as lovely as Samsung’s other OLED screens and bright enough for outdoor expenditure. It has comparable visuals to other flagship Full HD displays as it arrives with fast touch response, deep blacks, and smooth scrolling.
The display has a new factory-installed screen protector made from a more rigid material to avoid dents or scratches. The exterior display of the Z Flip3 is four times bigger than the original Z Flip’s tiny outer screen and allows you to do a lot of stuff with it, like checking selfie previews, setting timers and many more.
Camera
The camera hardware on the Galaxy Z Flip3 didn’t upgrade, it remains the same as its predecessor. It has wide and ultrawide cameras on the cover, and a hole-punch selfie camera is on the main display. The camera setup in the Z Flip3 is enough to handle casual photography, but you can get the same camera setup in any other smartphone, which will cost you about half-price of Z Flip3.
The image quality looks great in bright lighting, and you’ll get addicted to the ultra-wide-angle camera. The camera provides impressive outcomes even during low light sessions and dark hours, but overall image quality stays below compared to S21 and S21 Ultra’s image quality.
Performance
The Galaxy Flip3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 8GB of RAM, the same as the Galaxy S21, and it runs on Android 11 with the company’s One UI 3.1 skin on top. The flip phone offers an impressive performance throughout the tasks, whether you’re playing games or watching videos.
The tiny 3,300-mAh batteries are the only significant problem in this phone as it only provides between four and five hours of screentime. Fortunately, the phone supports 15-watt fast charging along with wireless and reverse wireless charging options, so there’s no need to worry about Z Flip 3’s stamina.
Final Verdict
Samsung Z flip3 5G is a device that folds performance, style and a novelty factor which otherwise regular boring clamshell phones don’t offer. If this is what you are looking for, then this could be the one which would fit perfectly in your ‘pocket’.
In the first-quarter report for 2020, Google’s parent company Alphabet reported its earnings during which Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai shared that Google’s video conferencing app ‘Meet’ is reporting a heavy addition of users. The addition of users goes up to 3 million users on a daily basis which is a big jump from its 2 million a day users when it reported earlier in the month.
Google Meet is a video conferencing application
Google Meet is a video conferencing application like other that we know of and the platform has been seeing a steady rise in its user base, most of it triggered by the current stay at home situation. The current rise in users is basically a three-fold increase in users since the month of January taking the total to over 100 million now.
Google Meet has been experiencing a strong surge in its user base and Google has been putting constant efforts in its developments. The company recently rolled out several updates last week including tiled layouts. The current update allows the app to 16 people together as opposed to four previously. Google meet also allows users to share high-quality video with audio with the new feature ‘Present a Chrome tab’. other features include a low-light mode for better visibility and improved noise cancellation.
Not only this, but Google also rechristened its video conferencing app for G Suite customers from ‘Hangouts Meet’ to just being ‘Meet’ now. Moreover, the company has made all the premium features of meet absolutely free for people until the 30th of September. The following extension has been made owing to the current pandemic situation across the world.
