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Showing posts from March, 2019

Sony smartphone to cutback half its workforce by 2020: Report

Recently came the news of the Sony Mobile division being merged with the company’s other divisions like TV, audio and camera into Sony Electronics Products and Solutions. Now, the Nikkei Asain Review says that the company will be cutting down the workforce in its phone division by almost half of its current workforce of 4000, by March 2020. Stiff global competition and shrinking sales are being blamed for the layoffs. As per the report, Sony’s market share in the smartphone market has sharply fallen from more than 3 percent in 2010 to lower than 1 percent currently.  “In fiscal 2014, Sony pulled 1,000 employees from its smartphone operations, but sales have plunged faster than expected, necessitating a further round of cuts. Sony's smartphone business generates annual revenue of about 500 billion yen, but is expected to post an operating loss for the third straight year through fiscal 2019. By halving operating expenses from fiscal 2017, the company hopes the business will turn a ...
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Oppos new patent hints at a phone with motorised setup for raising dual front cameras

Oppo introduced the motorised camera mechanism with its Find X smartphone, which was innovative. Many other smartphone manufacturers soon followed suit to release their offerings with the same setup, to get rid of the notch and add a unique design element to their phones. However, a new patent granted to Oppo suggests that it might be working on another phone, which could sport a new design for the motorised camera setup. While both the front and rear cameras were hidden on the Oppo Find X, the patent suggests that the company might integrate a dual camera on the front this time and leave the rear cameras outside the motorised setup.  Images included in the patent hint that an upcoming phone by Oppo would be near bezel-less. There’s a tick mark shaped break in the phone’s rear panel, which would be seen where the motorised setup raises. Additionally, there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the phone’s design. However, there’s no fingerprint sensor on the back, which might mean th...
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Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 133 2019, Mi Notebook 156 2019 with updated processors launched in China

Xiaomi recently launched the refreshed version of its 12.5-inch display Mi Notebook Air in China and now has updated two more of its offering. The Mi Notebook Air 13.3-inch (2019) and the Mi Notebook 15.6-inch (2019) are the latest laptops to be updated by the company. The laptops are powered by new Intel processors and get updates in many other departments. While the Mi Notebook Air 13.3 (2019) is already available for purchase in China, the Mi Notebook 15.6 (2019) will be available from April 9.  Mi Notebook 15.6 (2019) The Mi Notebook 15.6 (2019) is equipped with a 15.6-inch Full-HD display and runs on the eighth-gen quad-core Intel Core i5 processor. The laptop comes with the discrete Nvidia GeForce MX110 GPU and features 8GB RAM, coupled with 256GB/512GB of SSD. It sports Dolby surround sound and will come pre-installed with Windows Office suite of applications.  The Mi Notebook Air 15.6 (2019) is priced at CNY 4,299 (Rs 44,300 approx). Mi Notebook Air 13.3 (2019) The Mi...
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Forget OnePlus TV, Carl Pei teases OnePlus Warp-Charged electric Car

OnePlus’ next big entry into a non-smartphone segment is its foray into Televisions. Or is it? The company’s co-founder Carl Pei has taken to OnePlus Forums to announce yet another venture - a Warp Charged OnePlus electric car. You heard it right, OnePlus is making a car. Now before you get too excited, this cryptic and untimely announcement from OnePlus came on Friday, the weekend before April Fools’ Day. Pei would like OnePlus fans to believe that the company wants them to experience “the thrill of unmatched performance, design and control” with the so called fastest charging electric car in the world, but April Fools’ pranks from tech companies have just become too obvious since the past couple of years. In his post, Pei writes - “We’re always looking for new ways to bring better technology to the world. Today, I’m excited to share about our entrance into a new industry. We've taken the power of Warp Charge and applied it to the road.” In an attempt to add credibility to the an...
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Motorola One Vision appears on Googles ARCore device list hinting at imminent launch

Highlights: Moto One Vision appears on Google ARCore website. The phone could launch soon. It is expected to be an Android One smartphone with Exynos 9610, a 48MP camera.   Lenovo-owned Motorola could launch the long rumoured Motorola One Vision soon. The smartphone has appeared in several leaks in the past and its imminent launch is now hinted by a listing on Google’s ARCore website. The ARCore lister by Google notes the names of all smartphones which bring support for the company’s Augmented Reality platform. The Motorola One Vision is a new entrant to that list, confirming the phone will indeed carry the One Vision moniker. Besides listing the name of the upcoming Android One-powered Moto One Vision, Google’s listing does not give out any more details. However, specs of the smartphone have leaked in the past. The Motorola One Vision is expected to be powered by the Samsung Exynos 9610 SoC . The SoC is manufactured on Samsung’s 10nm FinFET process. Besides this, the device is ex...
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Apple AirPower Wireless Charging Mat officially cancelled

After months of teasing the AirPower Wireless Charger, Apple has gone ahead and announced that the device stands cancelled and will not be launched after all. First announced alongside the iPhone X in September 2017, the launch of the Apple AirPower Wireless Charging Mat had been long awaited by users. Apple promised that the device would wirelessly charge iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watch all at the same time. Now, in a statement to TechCrunch, Apple has said that the device did not meet the company’s high standards and therefore the project stands cancelled. “After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward,” Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Dan Riccio, tolf TechCrunch. Contrary to traditional wireless chargers tha...
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LG K12+ launched with 57 inch HD+ display, Helio P22 SoC

Highlights: The LG K12+ has launched in Brazil The smartphone has the Helio P22 SoC It runs on Android 8.1 out of the box. LG has launched the K12+ in Brazil. The USP of the K12+ is that it brings with it features found on more expensive LG devices such as AI enhanced software and premium audio. All this comes at a mid ranged price point. Speaking of specifications of the K12+, the smartphone has а 5.7-inch HD+ display without a notch. On the front, the device has an 8MP selfie shooter coupled with a front-facing flash. Under the hood, the device has the Helio P22 SoC coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB built-in storage. You can expand the storage using a microSD card. The K12+ runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. The device also houses a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left. Below this button is the volume controls.  At the back, the smartphone houses a 16MP camera along with a flash. The back also houses a fingerprint sensor. A 3000 mAh battery powers the entire package. ...
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PUBG Mobile Beta update 0120 is out now

Highlights: PUBG Beta update 0.12.0 is out now The update brings with it some new features and fixes known bugs There is no information when the update will make it to the stable version of the game PUBG Mobile has a new beta update which game be downloaded by players now. The update is 1.8GB in size. The update brings with it new features, bug fixes and some changes. The Survive Till Dawn mode is now under Expansions. Stun Grenades now also stun zombies. There is also the addition of Liquid Nitrogen Grenades to freeze enemies and hence reducing their movement speed. There is also the addition of jumping zombies and zombie dogs. Some of the zombies can now climb over low walls or onto the roof. Zombies now move slower after being hit by firearms. The Flamethrowers can now deal more damage.  In terms of bug fixes, the developers have fixed a bug where hair was not displayed correctly when equipping certain headgear. Fixed a bug where Season 6 Pants caused graphics glitches in certa...
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Nokia X71 powered by Snapdragon 660, 6GB RAM spotted on Geekbench

Highlights: The Nokia X71 has been spotted on Geekbench Browser The smartphone will be launched in Taiwan on April 2 It's expected to be launched later in India (and other markets) as the Nokia 8.1 Plus   Days before its launch in Taiwan, the Nokia X71 has been spotted on Geekbench Browser, where the smartphone is seen bearing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset with 6GB of RAM. Scheduled to be unveiled on April 2, the Nokia X71 could later sell in global markets (including India) as the Nokia 8.1 Plus. The smartphone is expected to feature a 48-megapixel rear camera and a punch-hole display. According to the listing on Geekbench Browser, the smartphone is labelled as HMD Global Nokia X71 and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset with an octa-core CPU and 6GB of RAM. As expected, it runs Android 9 Pie out of the box. According to its results, the Nokia X71 scores 1455 on the Single-Core test and 5075 on the Multi-Core test. In comparison, the recently launched Xiaomi Redmi...
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WhatsApp beta plays voice messages consecutively

Highlights: WhatsApp beta ver. 2.19.86 plays voice messages consecutively WhatsApp has included a small ding between each voice message An improved picture-in-picture too is reportedly being tested   Only yesterday we learnt that WhatsApp is testing a biometric authentication feature on a beta version of the popular mobile messaging app. Now we see that WhatsApp is also testing a new feature that will allow users to play voice messages consecutively. Reported originally by WABetaInfo, the new feature is found in version 2.19.86+ of WhatsApp and will automatically play voice messages one after the other when many of them are received at the same time. In addition, WhatsApp is reportedly working on an improved picture-in-picture feature for forwarded videos. On our WhatsApp beta (ver. 2.19.87), the new feature seems to be working as expected. If you too are on the latest WhatsApp beta, you’ll be able to see it in action when someone sends you multiple voice messages consecutively—tw...
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Google IO 2019 schedule goes live, covers Android Q, Stadia, Google Assistant

Highlights: Google I/O schedule for 2019 goes live Android and Google Assistant are expected to be hot topics again Google should also cover "Android for cars" and "Accessibility within Android"   Google has announced the schedule for this year’s Google I/O. It will be held from May 7 to 9 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The Google I/O schedule, which is now live on a standalone website, seems to contain sessions on various developer topics, including Android Q, Google Assistant, and the recently announced Stadia game streaming service. Though the schedule is live, Google could add more events to it in the coming days. Going by the list of events added to schedule so far, we expect Google to talk extensively about the next version of Android and its features the way the company does every year. More specifically, we expect Google to dive deeper into Android Auto, Accessibility on Android, and the much-awaited Dark Mode on Android. While ...
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Apple AirPods top global true wireless hearables market in Q4 2018: Counterpoint

Highlights: Apple tops top global true wireless hearables market in Q4 2018. The quarter also saw strong performance by low- and mid-tier brands. North America was the largest market accounting for 24 percent of the total volumes.   Apple AirPods remained the leader in the global true wireless hearables segment with a massive 60 percent share as the overall market reached 12.5 million units in the fourth quarter 2018, Counterpoint Research said in its latest Hearables Market Tracker. The market research firm added that the the iPhone-maker’s share was dented as customers waited for the new generation of AirPods, which were recently launched in the US. The firm notes that apart from the wait for the second generation of AirPods, the strong performance of second-tier brands priced under $100, such as JLab and QCY, also had a negative impact on Apple’s market share. The best sellers list featured premium models priced around$150-200, like Jabra Elite Active 65t, Samsung Gear IconX, a...
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WhatsApp biometric authentication feature spotted in Android beta

Highlights: WhatsApp beta for Android brings biometric authentication feature. The update shows that UI has been improved. There is no info about the stable roll out of the feature.   WhatsApp has submitted the beta update version 2.19.83 bringing improvements in the biometric authentication feature for Android. The initial hints of the feature were provided in the version 2.19.3 and the latest submission through the Google Play Beta Program now makes it available for testing. In particular, the latest update shows that WhatsApp has improved the UI of the feature, including some new settings. WABetainfo has shared some screenshots of how the UI of the feature will look once it is rolled out to the masses. When the Authentication feature is enabled, a screen displaying messages “WhatsApp locked” and “Touch the fingerprint sensor” is shown every time a user opens WhatsApp. To enable the Authentication feature, users can find a new option in WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privac...
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BSNL WiFi hotspot vouchers announced starting at Rs 19

Highlights: BSNL announces four new Wi-Fi hotspot vouchers for its WiFi hotspots. The vouchers are priced at Rs 19, Rs 39, Rs 59 and Rs 69.  One will get to use a certain amount of data, depending upon the value of the purchased voucher.  BSNL has announced new WiFi hotspot tariff vouchers that will enable users to access the telcos’ WiFi hotspots across the country. The announcement comes via the company’s official Twitter handle, as per which, there are 38,000 operation Wi-Fi hotspot locations by BSNL that are operational in India. One can access them by buying the newly announced Wi-Fi vouchers that are priced starting at Rs 19. The company has announced a total of four vouchers. With the Rs 19 voucher, one will get to avail 2GB data, which is valid for two days. Then, there’s the Rs 39 and Rs 59 vouchers, which enable usage of 7GB and 15GB data for seven and 15 days respectively. The BSNL WiFi 69 voucher is priced at Rs 69 and comes with 30GB of data, which is valid for a...
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Intel 9th Gen Core CPUs get R0 stepping, motherboard makers reveal

Highlights: Intel 9th Gen Core series CPUs are getting a new stepping (revision in design) called R0 stepping The revision reflects in the BIOS updates offered by motherboard makers like Asus, ASRock, and Gigabyte Intel's 9th Gen Core series CPUs featuring the R0 stepping are expected to come out by Q2 2019   As integrated circuits often do, Intel’s upcoming 9th Gen Core series CPUs are about to receive a new “R0” stepping. For the uninitiated, a stepping is essentially a revision in the design of the CPU chip. As originally reported by Tom’s Hardware, motherboard manufacturers like Gigabyte, Asus, and ASRock have revealed this update in CPU design ahead of an official announcement from Intel by sending out BIOS updates to eligible  motherboards. The motherboards set to receive the BIOS updates are Asus, ASRock, and Gigabyte models augmenting Intel’s 300 series chipset. Asus and ASRock have simply announced in their respective news releases that the new BIOS updates are curre...
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watchOS 52 software update brings ECG app and irregular rhythm notification to more markets

Highlights: watchOS 5.2 brings ECG and irregular rhythm notification to hong Kong and 19 European countries. The update is rolled out for all compatible Apple Watches. It also brings support for AirPods 2.   Apple has rolled out the watchOS 5.2 software update to all compatible Apple Watches, and it brings the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification to Hong Kong and 19 European markets including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Apart from this, the latest update also brings the AirPods 2 support that will let users to use it with the Apple Watch. The expansion means that in addition to receiving De Novo clearance in the US from the FDA, the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification are now CE marked giving it a clearance in the European Economic Area. The ECG feature on Apple Watch Series 4 enables customers to take an electrocardiogram...
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Researcher holds Asus responsible for cyber attack on its software update utility

Highlights: A researcher blames Asus for attack on their software update utility. He claims that company employees shared passwords on Github which gave hackers access to company’s corporate network. Apparently, Asus got a heads up two months before the attack was executed.   Asus is being held responsible for the attack on its software update utility that was hacked to install malware on thousands of computers. A researcher has claimed that an Asus employee left passwords on code-sharing platform GitHub that gave hackers access to company’s corporate network. Moreover, it is also being claimed that the Taiwanese tech company was warned two months before the attack was executed. Citing a security researcher, who goes by name SchizoDuckie, Tech Crunch reported that Asus was warned two months ago that employees were “improperly publishing passwords in their GitHub repositories” that could be used to access the company’s corporate network. A password was found in an employee repo whi...
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Oppo Reno with Snapdragon 855, 8GB RAM pops up on Master Lu benchmark

Highlights: Oppo Reno smartphone spotted on Master Lu benchmark. The phone is listed running on Snapdragon 855 and 8GB RAM. The handset supposedly features a 6.4-inch AMOLED display. The Oppo Reno smartphone is slated to launch on April 10 in China. However, there have been several leaks and reports about the device ahead of the official announcement. You can add another one to the list now as the phone has been spotted on Master Lu benchmarks. Some key specs of the phone have been revealed via both the listings. The benchmark listing suggests that the handset features a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.  Oppo Reno is confirmed to launch in two variants, one powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and the other by the Snapdragon 710 SoC. This listing benchmarks the Snapdragon 855 powered version of the phone with model number CPH1919. Additionally, it is listed with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. The phone manages to score 389,38...
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NASAs Mars Helicopter is ready to fly on the Red Planet

Highlights The Mars Helicopter is scheduled to launch alongside the Mars Rover in 2020. It is a technology demonstrator and researchers hope to complete flights of 90 seconds on Mars. Researchers had to replicate the thin Martian atmosphere and lower gravitational pull here on Earth. Next year, NASA is set to launch a new mission to Mars. This time around, the US space agency plans to send a rover as well as a small helicopter. The team behind the helicopter has announced that they have compete test flights while simulating martian conditions. The Martian atmosphere as well as gravitational pull is very different than that on earth, so the team had to replicate those conditions in order to prove that their helicopter would be capable of flight.  "Gearing up for that first flight on Mars, we have logged over 75 minutes of flying time with an engineering model, which was a close approximation of our helicopter," said MiMi Aung, project manager for the Mars Helicopter at NASA...
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Xiaomi trolls the Huawei P30 series on social media

Highlight: The Huawei P30 Pro became the subject of Xiaomi's trolling on two Facebook. Xiaomi took a dig at the pricing and the specs of the Huawei P30, comparing it against the Xiaomi Mi 9. The Huawei P30 comes with a triple-camera system along with flagship hardware like a 7nm Kirin 980 SoC, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Huawei P30 series recently launched at an event in Paris where Huawei marketed the flagship that revolutionises the camera. But the company couldn’t escape the ire of Xiaomi’s social media trolling after the P30 Pro became the latest target in a series of such trolls where Xiaomi took on Samsung, Apple and even OnePlus. In a Facebook post, Xiaomi took a potshot at at the Huawei P30 series, especially the pricing of the phones showing a screenshot from the livestream, with the caption, “is this really necessary?”. Not stopping there, Xiaomi posted another photo comparing the specs and price of the Xiaomi Mi 9 and the Huawei P30, along  with a caption, “we really...
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Poco F1 becomes top online selling smartphone in Rs 15,000 and above market in Q42018: IDC

Highlights: Poco F1 leapfrogs OnePlus to become top selling phone online in Rs 15,000 and above segment in Q42018. It captured 22.4% share while OnePlus captured 17.9%.   Xiaomi's Poco F1 has become the top selling smartphone in online market space in the Rs 15,000 and above segment with 22.4 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2018. Citing International Data Corporation (IDC), Manu Jain, Managing Director at Xiaomi India, tweeted the development taking potshots at its Chinese rival OnePlus that captured the second spot with 17.9 percent share in the same quarter. When Digit reached out to IDC, the market research firm confirmed the development. “The Poco F1 brought all the specifications that OnePlus has at a very affordable price. People were looking for a powerful device and they didn't want to spend much on it. Poco F1's specs are on par with the OnePlus’ latest flagship, and when a customer goes online, price as well as the performance is considered by a customer. ...
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ISRO Yuvika programme: Heres how 9th standard students can become scientists and join a 2-week programme at ISRO

Highlights: ISRO will choose three 9th standard students for a two-week special programme. Chosen students will get to meet eminent ISRO scientists and tour various ISRO labs and facilities. ISRO will pay for the transportation and accommodation of the chosen students. Registrations for the programme are currently open and close on April 3.   The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has quietly launched a special programme for school students called “Yuva Vigyani Karyakram”. Shortened to “Yuvika” or also referred to as Young Scientist Programme, the new ISRO initiative will play host to a small selection of young high school students aspiring to become scientists during their summer holidays in May. Registrations are currently open and close on April 3. The space agency will invite three chosen students from each state or union territory for a two-week-long all-expenses-paid tour to an ISRO centre, where they will get a chance to be included in exclusive talks, meet and ...
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Xiaomi Mi Mens Sports Shoes 2, Mi Sports Bluetooth Earphones and Mi 2-in-1 USB Cable 30cm to go on sale in India on April 4

Highlights: Xiaomi Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2 to go on sale in India next month. Mi Sports Bluetooth Earphones and Mi 2-in-1 USB Cable (30cm) will also be available for purchase. The three products will be up for sale from midnight on April 4.  Xiaomi has announced that its Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2 will go up for sale on April 4. Mi Sports Shoes 2 were announced in India through its crowdfunding programme last month. Alongside the shoes, the Mi Sports Bluetooth Earphones and the Mi 2-in-1 USB Cable (30cm) will also go on sale on April 4. Do note that the Mi Sports Bluetooth Earphones and Mi 2-in-1 USB Cable are just being announced in the country and are not to be confused with the previously announced Mi Sports Bluetooth Earphones Basic and Mi 2-in-1 USB Cable (100cm).  The Mi Men's Sports Shoes 2 are priced at Rs 2,999 but those who backed them during the crowdfunding stage received them for Rs 2,499. The shoes come in Grey, Black and Blue colour options. The company ...
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Amazon smart speakers led India market with 59 market share in 2018: IDC

Highlights: IDC says Amaon led Indian smart speaker market in 2018. Amazon topped the list with 59% market share. Google with its Home devices was placed second with 39% share. Amazon remained the leader in the Indian smart speaker market with a 59 percent share in 2018 as a total of 753,000 units were shipped last year in the country, International Data Corporation (IDC)'s India Monthly Smart Speaker Device Tracker said. Google, which launched its devices in the second quarter of 2018, captured the second spot with 39 percent unit share for the year. The market research firm said Google Home Mini outsold all other smart speaker models, emerging as a top seller. However, the Echo Dot with its second and third generation models was the most dominant series with four out of ten devices sold in the country. According to IDC, a smart speaker is a speaker that is embedded with a smart assistant directly in it, and since the introduction of these devices in 2017Q4, more than half a doze...
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Microsoft and Sony expected to surpass Google Stadias 107 teraflops with next-gen consoles

Highlights Microsoft and Sony working on consoles with more than 10.7 teraflops of power. Next-gen consoles are still a very tightly guarded secret. Big reveal expected from Microsoft at E3. Google made big waves when they announced Stadia, the company’s cloud gaming platform. With a whopping 10.7 teraflops of computing power behind the service, Google is poised to make a big splash in the gaming scene, so it would be assumed that Microsoft and Sony would have some reason for concern. Turns out, the two veteran console makers have plans of their own. According to Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, both Microsoft and Sony are readying consoles, the Xbox One Scarlett and PS5 respectively, which would go well beyond the 10.7 teraflops. Schreier has been steadfast in his predictions of 2020 being the year we get new “next-generation” consoles, not 2019. In the ResetERA forums, Schreier says that very few developers have been brought into the knowledge of the next-gen consoles.  “Even ...
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