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Samsung Begins It’s April Fools With A CPU Converter – Installs An Exynos SoC On Your PC

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There’s no doubt, phones are getting powerful every year. With the competition never-ending, Samsung has begun its April fools tantrum by announcing a CPU adapter that allows you to install an Exynos SoC onto your full-fledged desktop PC.

Apparently, the teaser image Samsung has been throwing around their social media platform showcases how one may install an Exynos SoC onto their PC. Samsung, in typical fashion, teases all the benefits of their Exynos 9820 SoC. From powering the latest Galaxy S10 series to featuring some of the very raw scores obtained from a mobile SoC. And while the concept is incredible, it would surely show its limitations in a lot of tasks.

For the mobile chip though, the Exynos 9820 is no joke. Not only is it 40% faster than its last-gen counterpart, the Exynos 9810. But it also features a decicated NPU for tasks that require complex artificial intelligence operations to be executed.

In benchmarks though, the Exynos 9820 could go up against a ton of modern low-level desktop CPUs though when it comes to simply crunching numbers. If that wasn’t the case, we’d bet that Samsung would be more than happy to begin taking over the world with its SoCs. After all, it’s the last ingredient Samsung needs to dominate the desktop market. What doesn’t Samsung have? From flash storage devices such as SSDs to memory controllers, Samsung has them all. However, if the tech does become prevalent over the next few years, you’ve seen it here first… from Samsung.

Samsung ending their April fools press release for the CPU adaptor in typical troll fashion.

OnePlus’s April Fools Joke Is An Electric Tesla Killer, Reigns Light On Continued Partnership With McLaren

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OnePlus just can’t have enough of their new partner, McLaren. Following the launch of the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition, OnePlus has found a way to justify its continuosly increasing price tags.

Following a series of other April fools jokes, OnePlus has decided to throw in their own take on the whole April Fools tantrum brands have been going on for the past few years. This year, OnePlus has teased a McLaren-like design car, dubbed the “Warpcar”.

In hysterical fashion, OnePlus claims their imaginative Warp Car would be the fastest-charging electric vehicle on the planet, clocking in 270 miles of range with a 20-minute charge. Furthermore, OnePlus details that the total range of the vehicle would top out at 290 miles along with an acceleration of 0-60mph in just 3 seconds.

And while you may be giggling your feathers off, it’s worthy to note how much OnePlus has been promoting their products around the McLaren branding. If you were watching close enough, you would have realized the car logo on the McLaren being switched out for OnePlus’s logo.

Given that the OnePlus 7 launch is just around the corner, we can’t wait to see what OnePlus has in store within the next month or two as we head deeper into 2019. Hopefully, these teasers may be calling for yet another McLaren-branded OnePlus 7. In a world where Huawei has their P30, Samsung has their Galaxy S10 and Xiaomi has their Mi 9, it would be interesting to see what OnePlus brings to the table. For now, though, we’re going to have to wait and see.

Nokia 7 New Leaks Emerge – Yet Another Punch Hole Device?

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The Nokia X71 as we speculated earlier is HMD Global’s entry device to hit the mid range market in 2019. The manufacturer has been phenomenal ever since the revival of the Nokia brand. Nokia phones have been very well balanced and have provided an overall pleasing experience to many users.

Recent leaks for the phone accompanied by a Chinese website revealed the sketching of the phone and the basic set of specifications of the device. Right off the first glance, we notice the fact that Nokia’s upcoming mid-ranger would house a punch hole design display to counter the notch. Definitely a credible move especially by 2019’s standards. The display is expected to feature a 6.4 inch 1080p+ IPS LCD panel with a single punch hole on the left-hand side of the phone.

The punch hole has gained exposure throughout the ending months of 2018 and is undoubtedly the next big trend of 2019 after the notch. As we uncovered earlier, the phone is to rock a Snapdragon 660 SoC with 6GB of RAM and 3500 mAh battery. As for the cameras of the device, the phone comes with a total of 3 cameras. One 8MP shooter at the front and two 48MP/5MP at the rear. Our speculations suggest that the phone would house a primary shooter with an additional depth sensor.

As for the geometry of the phone, the phone does seem to still house a fingerprint scanner at the back which is a good thing since the under display sensor on the Nokia 9 failed miserably. Moreover, the design itself is pretty standard with a rectangular slab curved from the edges and a flat front and back design. The main selling points of the device would be its inclusion in the Android One program and the cheapest punch hole display.

The future for HMD Global seems bright as they never cease to impress. The Nokia X71 is undoubtedly a killer and given the fact that these rumours are true then Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei may be in some serious trouble.

Google Introduces Screen Cleaner In The Files App – Google’s Way For An April Fool Prank

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April fools are considered to be a festival rather than some random banter and regardless of anyone’s beliefs, everyone does enjoy the day. Today since it is April the 1st, Google has in fact launched their April fool product and it is astonishingly attractive.

The brand took it to its YouTube channel and released a trailer for the Files App by them which allows users to keep a clean and organized structure inside their phone. With the inside of the clear, the outside was being a little too neglected with constant dirt and stains covering our smartphones but not anymore.

Apparently, Google has found a solution to the “Curry Problem” with a brand new feature in the files App which users can activate to clear their screens off any stains by just a single tap. Gone are the days when one would need to install expensive screen protectors and encase their phones in order to protect them. The Google Screen Cleaner does it all using their gimmicky “Smudge Detector API” to detect stain models and then erases them using the fictional “Haptic Movement Generator”.

Moreover, once the phone is clear of any sort of dirt, stains or smudges, the haptic controls take over the phone performing a series of harmonic vibrations to form a uniform protective shield around the phone which would last for hours keeping the phone from any further damage.

While these sort of fun pranks definitely keep the morale up, fans took it to reddit and started bashing Google on their recent moves in the smartphone department with their Pixel 3 and their softwares. For we on the other hand look forward to having this technology implemented in the future of course.

The Nvidia R.O.N AI-Assistant Is Nvidia’s New April Fools Joke

Oh boy, April has begun, so have the fools and trolls. Within minutes, Nvidia has released a troll-some video announcing their new AI-assistant dubbed as RON.

And while RON may be a fad for now, it definitely seems to be an interesting concept to say the least. RON is said to be an AI assistant that keeps track of your gameplay, keeps your games optimized, takes on online trools, keeps you updated with the latest gaming news, and more.

Furthermore, the design of the RON features a hologram on top of the device, which may most likely never be a thing even in the next few years. Overall, we’re personally stoked to see the RON become a reality if it may ever be.

As Nvidia continues to go hand-in-hand with AI, we won’t be shocked to see if Nvidia comes out of the blue and suddenly released a RON-like virtual assistant that sits on your desk. Competition is fierce, with reports suggesting Amazon and Google battling trading blows for the first place. in the smart speaker market. And then thinking of Nvidia’s sideline launches, the Nvidia Shield hasn’t been updated for a while, so Nvidia better be cooking brewing some new crazy device by now. I mean, does anyone remember Razer’s RGB-enabled mug holder from two years ago.

Since this is just the beginning, we can’t wait to see what other brands come up with today to commemorate April Fools.

Nokia X71 Leaked Via GeekBench – Yet Another Mid-Ranger Aiming To Take On Xiaomi & Samsung

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HMD Global has been enjoying massive success with the Nokia X71 smartphone. The Nokia X71 has just made its way to Geekbench’s database, suggesting the development of an alleged Nokia X71.

The Geekbench results suggest that the Nokia X71 would be packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. And just like many other Geekbench leaks, we could only speculate for what the rest of the spec sheet of the Nokia X71 may look like.

The device managed to score 1400 and 5000 in the single-core and multi-core tests.

Judging by the SoC and RAM capacity of the device, it’s evident that the Nokia X71 would be targeting the mid-range market, especially in areas where Xiaomi and Huawei currently dominate. The Nokia X71 would most likely feature an additional variant featuring 4GB of RAM and would come with a 64GB storage option across the board based off of pure speculation.

The mid-range market has become a crucial market for Nokia, especially with the recent aggressive entry from Samsung with their Galaxy A30 and A50, aiming to take a few chunks of the pie back from Huawei and Samsung in the mid-range market. Given how competitive and tight the market has become, we would suggest that the Nokia X71’s pricing may very well fall in line with the rest of the pack for its given specs which is around the $200-$300 mark if our speculation is correct.

If the device is actually legit, we may very well see a few more tidbids o the device appearing on the internet over the next month or two. However, if true, the X71 may very well be renamed to another device.

Why Apple Terminated AirPower At Such Short Notice, Explained

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Apple’s AirPower wireless charger was introduced way back in 2017 with the iPhone X and was planned to wirelessly charge the iPhone, Apple Watch and the Air pods altogether. The product, however, was recently reported to be cancelled and meant that the wireless charging mat was no longer in production. This news has been circling around the web for quite some time and the internet has blown up with remarks about this move by Apple.

The wireless mat stood to provide innovation in the wireless charging department and focussed on bringing a more cleaner experience to Apple users. Housing all three of the Apple products that supported wireless charging in one go and integrating the software accordingly, the Apple AirPower was considered to be the future of wireless charging.

The project was cancelled in a hurry and this can be speculated from the fact that various leaks suggested that the new iOS update did have support for the wireless charging mat in its code. Moreover, the new Air Pods do in fact have a diagram of the AirPower charger on the box which states that the cancellation was indeed unexpected.

The project was expected to release in 2018 but was delayed and was then expected to release later this year but the news of its cancellation has saddened enthusiasts. Craig Lloyd from iFixit cleverly explains what could have gone wrong for Apple in this case.

Source: iFixit

He explains that wireless charging itself works on the basic principles of electromagnetic induction. Both the charger and the device consist of a coil which when in contact with another coil induce current and charge the batteries. This whole phenomenon however comes with a price and that is heat and electromagnetic disturbance. While FCC rules and regulations for wireless chargers are already so strict, Apple here was planning on taking wireless chargers on a larger scale. Having a bigger and better wireless chargers would mean that there was a bigger coil fitted inside the product or a greater number of small coils were fitted for it to operate effectively. Unfortunately though, having more coils would only mean more trouble and more frequency disturbance which could trigger everyday products to malfunction and interfere with them.

Unfortunately for Apple, there was no other alternative to having such a product and ultimately they had to cancel it since it couldn’t bypass the rules and regulations in the EU or the US. While the dream for a perfect Apple wireless charger is broken, not all hope is lost and we hope that Apple does comeback with a better and more innovative alternative to AirPower.

Valve Index Is Going To Be The New VR Headset For Steam Gamers

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Valve has begun the hype train today for its new VR headset. The teaser comes months after SteamDB managed to spot a logo for the device filed under the EUIPO.

This year, Wccftech expects to see an even wilder field of view from the new headset after, UploadVR, another news publication, managed to get their hands on a few images of the VR headset a while ago. It is said that the new Valve Index would feature a 135° FoV paired with a 1440 x 1660 resolution per eye to enhance the gaming experience this year. And while it may not seem much of a big deal, it seems like Valve has done its homework well this time around given how much the teaser image has revealed so far.

As far as release dates goes, the teaser image has suggested that the new VR headset from Valve could be coming as early as May 2019 which seems to be around the corner now that March is finally on its last leg.

Given how much feedback Valve has accumalated over the past few weeks and how much the VR industry has shifted over the past few years, we’re hoping to see Valve make their whole VR gameplan stick this time around now that Sony has its own PSVR headset in the game.Judging by the tech itself, unlike Sony’s PlayStation VR headset, it seems like the Valve Index would not be cheap at all. So expect a price tag that matches previous Vive VR headset releases unless Valve has a stunner saved to for, but at this point, it seems unlikely. Nevertheless, can’t wait to see what Valve has in store for VR this time around.

Apple’s New Credit Card Is Yet Another Tactic To Lock Users Down Into It’s Ecosystem

Apple has been the pioneer of modern smartphones. The first ever iPhone crossed boundaries of innovation and showcased the potential of handheld computing. Ever since then, Apple has had a lot to go along and it’s game plan has shifted significantly from being a tech manufacturer to an all-out brand. The brand swiftly shifted from providing premium products to a more service-oriented company offering unique services and software exclusive on their devices to users.

The Gradient Of Apple Products – From Raw Innovation To An Ecosystem

The iPhone is undoubtedly the most recognizable product from Apple and it has come a long way from the first ever iPhone. The first iPhone 3G offered top of the line internals and premium hardware which at the time was pretty new to the consumer base. A phone was considered as an accessory and a necessity but Apple shifted that mindset of the people. The iPhone by Apple made people believe that it was a lifestyle more than an accessory or a tool.

This move opened up the concept to a majority of folks who were not in any way interested in purchasing tech. Modern iPhones, on the other hand, have strayed away from a vision which Steve Jobs stood for. Modern iPhones now feature gimmicks rather than pure innovation and a yearly release is mandatory for a gimmicky generation gap to grab the most of revenues.

The Dawn & Invasion Of Apple Exclusive Services

Apple has always created its own solutions for its users rather than relying on third-party developers or services. Even the first iPhone featured a custom operating system and Apple decided to leave Android which at the time was well advanced. Fast forward to 12 years and iOS is one of the most refined and advanced operating systems on smartphones. The above chart clearly shows how Apple has shifted from a hardware powered company to a more software oriented one.

This immense success led Apple’s software development up a notch. Afterwards, Apple introduced the Apple App Store, iCloud, iTunes and many many more. Apple Recently introduced the latest member of its fleet of services, the Apple Card. Now, this service holds immense potential and could revolutionize modern day banking but keeping it exclusive to iPhones is definitely a loss in potential.

Restricting Apple services for devices other than the iPhone definitely add to the perks of getting the iPhone and bounds folks interested in those services to stay in Apple’s ecosystem despite the fact that their upcoming devices are not as innovative as its competitors. Personally, I’ve met countless folks claiming that Apple’s services are in fact amazing and don’t generally have an equivalent alternative but they are bound to purchase Apple products.

Conclusion & Ending Statement

Despite amazing innovation being brought in Android devices, users are forced to purchase successors to Apple products in order to upgrade. This while being frustrating for users is a way for Apple to make quality sales of their products. Keeping folks in their ecosystem helps them the most since the users even if they tried wouldn’t be able to leave it. Now, Apple has actually ported some of its services out to the Google Play Store like Apple Music, iMessage and more but the core applications still remain exclusive to the iPhone.

The future of Apple and its products still remain the same and as time progresses we only hope for them to work for the betterment of technology rather than their own cause. Now don’t get me wrong, Apple products are likeable, in fact, the iPhone offers the best software experience on a smartphone and the camera performance is phenomenal. Yet the phone still lacks basic features and compatibility with third-party products. All in all, we hope that Apple does add functionality for other manufacturers since it would not only bring in more sales for Apple products but would also bring new levels of innovation for the general consumer.

Samsung’s One UI Dark Mode Is One Of The Best Implementations Of Dark Themes Yet

Android manufacturers have begun embracing dark themes and designs recently. With folks doing their best to get dark modes and features on their phones, Google, Samsung, Xiaomi and others have finally got to work in an effort to deliver a dark UI to their lineup of devices.

Samsung, with the development of One UI, showed clear signs of Samsung’s presence listening to feedback. With OneUI, Samsung has played a ton lot with how their new design flows on their latest fleet of Galaxys. The one I have in particular is the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus with me, showcasing the major leaps Samsung has implemented over the now-dated, TouchWiz UI. Apart from the new flashy hardware, I had been curious regarding how well Samsung’s new UI performs. Sure, I’ve seen a few teasers and tidbits along the way, but not a whole lot.

Apart from the new flashy hardware, I had been curious regarding how well Samsung’s new UI performs. Sure, I’ve seen a few teasers and tidbits along the way, but not a whole lot.

As soon as I unboxed the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and booted it up, decided to take the new dark mode or a spin. And since Samsung didn’t take the time to choose your theme while setting up the phone, I decided to search or “Dark” or “Black” in the settings menu, imagining that the “Dark Mode” option would pop up out of the horizon, quenching my thirst for the dark mode. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. However, after playing around with the device a bit and digging into the setting menu, I was pleased to finally came across the “Night Mode” toggle buried into the Display Settings menu.

After enabling it, I was curious to see how well Samsung implemented its dark mode for the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup. I was delighted to find that the dark mode extended into the Messaging app, the Settings menu, the quick settings drawer, the Gallery app, the Clock app, and into essentially ever native Samsung app.

I’ve seen a number of “Dark Mode”(s) on devices over the past two years, and I’ll be honest, I absolutely hated them for being grey, rather than being completely back. Sure, there’s a few incredible implementations of dark modes from the folks over at OnePlus too. However, since I have the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus today, I think it was worth appreciating how much attention Samsung paid to every single app.

However, that isn’t to say that there is no room for improvements regarding the Dark mode. And while this is subjective, I would love other parts of the UI to be darker, if not black. A good example of this has to be the context menus, the subsections in the settings app and many others. There’s a ton of other ways to theme it even further. After all, the benefits of having an AMOLED display are incredible. Not only for the eye-candy but for battery longevity too. What made the experience even better was the fact that Samsung had included a toggle to bolden the system fonts in case it becomes harder to read.

There’s definitely some things Samsung could get even better. And I’d bet they’re on track to making things better with One UI. The question is, when?

What 5G Has In Store For The Future Of e-Sports & Gaming

Mega-hit games such as PUBG and Fortnite have sparked some massive growth in the gaming industry. Naturally, this has led telecoms, phone manufacturers, and app developers to capitalize on the trend immensely.

However, the already lucrative $138 billion gaming and eSports market is about to grow even more. Given the throughput, speed, and low latency needed for creating an even better gaming experience, the much anticipated fifth generation (5G) technology’s capability to handle such needs is bound to boost the growth of this industry even more.

5G will improve the experience of streaming multi-user games and eSports

Intel, Telstra, and Ericsson conduct a joint eSports trial over 5G in Australia
eSports tested over 5G
Source

The significance of 5G connectivity comes with the rise of eSports and multiplayer gaming competitions, which have elevated gaming to the realm of professional sports. The eSports market alone was valued at $500 million in 2016 by Goldman Sachs. He predicted approximately 22% annual growth over the following three years, leading to a $1 billion industry. According to BI Intelligence, around 300 million people globally watch esports, and by 2020, this number would reach 500 million.  

5G comes in handy to this market, given its high speeds and low to zero latency. This means lag-free online gaming, fast downloads, and ample use of the clouds. In fact, these are what are needed to meet the growing demands of gamers worldwide, both professional and casual. In short, 5G will change the world of gaming and eSports in a number of ways.

5G presents breakthrough for gaming & eSports market

The widespread rollout of 5G is expected next year, 2020. However, the technology has already seen some action in 2019, in the form of Korean mobile networks that have achieved 1 Gbps bandwidth already.

With 5G, gaming hardware doesn’t require excessive processing power. 5G will reduce the time required for data to be crunched or a heavy file to be downloaded or uploaded quickly and easily. The technology will also provide for lag-free gaming, creating a smoother, jitter-free online experience for streaming games.

Also, edge computing will shorten the distance data has to travel. It can profoundly reduce the network latency associated with the cloud.

Future of video gaming with 5G & Cloud Computing

Advancements in cloud computing may influence the future gaming landscape. Console developers may transit to cloud-based subscription services to achieve greater flexibility and reduced upfront costs for enthusiasts while providing upgraded performance.

However, the technology is not so perfect as to support all firms attempting to gain space in cloud gaming. The impending wireless standard – 5G – may be the solution to their problems. Another problem might be the actual price. Costs will result in prices that are much higher than a monthly subscription to Spotify or Netflix. This is because data centres have to be close to the users. But the high price may just mean high performance.

According to Mark Hung, vice president at Gartner Research, 5G cloud enables tactile internet with short latency that provides instant feedback. It suggests that 5G could resolve the latency problem associated with cloud-based gaming. 5G will reduce the latency to 0.5 milliseconds, down from ten milliseconds with the current 4G standard.

In addition to providing high-quality gaming to any device, 5G may solve many other problems in the video game world. It could enable games to stream old games onto their latest devices. Once 5G becomes prevalent, console makers may start re-examining the mobility of their consoles to provide a high-quality gaming experience on the go.

5G will fuel the growing esports industry According to eSports Charts, the market was estimated have generated $1.5 billion in revenue. After the launch of 5G, the market is expected to exceed $2 billion by 2021.

eSports is expected to see an increase in revenue by the year 2021, with the emergence of 5G
Expected eSports revenue by 2021
Source

eSports leagues have specific technological needs to support tournament plays. Currently, they rely on expensive, wired, fibre internet connections that require IT specialists to set up and manage. This is not only time consuming, but it also adds to the costs. Moreover, it also limits tournaments to venues that support a fibr optic network. 

Games at home also rely on a similar type of network. Those who don’t have access to the fiberoptic network have to sign-up for an internet service that offers above 10 Mbps (Megabytes per second) and require an Ethernet connection to achieve top quality speeds with low latency.

5G’s wireless nature could provide unique opportunities to gamers, whether they are casual games playing on their couch or professional ones playing live in front of millions of fans. 5G technology will deliver fixed wireless access to under-served residents with limited or no broadband service providers. 5G for gamers in such areas will unlock the next eSports professionals by delivering gigabit level wireless service to their homes.

5G’s capabilities may enable service providers to offer gaming packages that will support more rigorous online games inside the home. Just imagine connecting multiple devices for multiple users all at once, without causing any lag.

Conclusion & Ending Statement

The shift to 5G won’t take place overnight, as it requires a lot hardware and software updates on both the service providers’ and consumers’ sides. It may be years before we see the full 5G roll out to consumers on a global stage. However, there’s no denying that the technology is well underway, and in some areas and aspects it’s already here.

While we await mobile connectivity for phones and the likes, some providers have launched 5G connectivity in fixed broadband form in certain areas, enabling WiFi access for several devices, including gaming consoles. This is enough to experience the capabilities of the technology, and understand its lag-free improvements on the gaming and eSports industry. Thus, while a full roll-out is yet to come, mobile advertisers, game developers, and service providers must start building a foundation now, for the next big shift in the gaming and eSports industry.

Here Are Best Smartphones Of Q1/Q2 2019 – The Beginning Of A New Era

2019 has begun with a bang. Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei and many others have stepped up their game as they fight for a larger slice of the market. 2019 would be a major year for the smartphone industry as a whole. From foldable devices, to devices that bring incredible innovation to the forefront, Q1 2019 has just tipped us for what’s about to come ahead in the next three quarters.

Huawei Mate X – Huawei’s Savage, Yet Incredible Entry Into The Foldable Race

The Huawei Mate X has to be on top of the list. Without a doubt, Huawei’s announcement of the Huawei Mate X stunned everyone. The announcement of Huawei’s Mate X was not only a surprise, but it was a completely savage thing to do right after Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

We had seen foldable designs coming for quite a while, as far as 2012 if I would recall correctly. The first foldable designs came in from the folks over at Samsung back in the day that once seemingly looked a fad that would never make its way to the real world. Fast-forward to 2019 and the race is on.

In my personal opinion, Huawei’s foldable Mate X looks a whole lot better than Samsung’s Galaxy Fold. Unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, the Huawei Mate X uses a simple foldable design that folds outwards, leaving no room for bezels.

When unfolded, the Huawei Mate X reveals a monstrous 8-inch OLED display. However, that could be halved into smartphone mode by leaving 6.6-inch and 6.3-inch displays on either side. Furthermore, the device would come with Huawei’s 5G modem as well to revolutionize the path for 5G thanks to their in-house Balong 5000 modem.

For specs, the device comes with Huawei’s Kirin 980 SoC, 8GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage. And as usual, the Huawei Mate X comes with a triple-camera setup pushing into a bezel of the device. The triple-camera setup consists of a 40 MP (Wide Angle Lens), a 16 MP (Ultra Wide Angle Lens), and an 8 MP (Telephoto) camera. The battery is rated at 4500mAh and would support Huawei’s 55W Super Charge technology.

The device is set to retail for about $2600 when it arrives in Q2 2019. And while it may be expensive, it may very well pave the way for the industry to move forward, eventually leading to more competition and cheaper foldables in the next year or two.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus & Galaxy S10 5G – The Two Behemoths Set Wreck Havoc In 2019

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 lineup has been the buzz ever since the Galaxy S9 launched. Being Samsung’s device that commemorates their 10th anniversary in the smartphone market, Samsung has to be sure that the Galaxy S10 and its mercenaries were heavy hitters.

Last month, Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup of devices, consisting of the Samsung Galaxy S10E, Galaxy S10, and S10 Plus. However, Samsung didn’t end there, revealing their trump card, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the highest-end variant of the S10 lineup ahead of the Galaxy S10 5G launch. The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus features the best of Android, featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, a 6.4-inch display, up to 12GB RAM, up to 1TB of internal storage, a triple camera setup on its rear, an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor, a 3.5mm headphone jack, IP68 water and dust-resistance, and a 4100mAh battery.

Regarding the camera setup, the Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with a 12MP, 12MP and 16MP trio on its rear dedicated for telephoto, wide-angle, and ultra-wide shots, respectively.

Samsung is also reportedly said to unlock 25W fast-charging support for the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup most probably set to be delivered via an OTA update. A time frame for the update hasn’t been leaked nor revealed. However, I would suggest that the update may be coming in the very near future, most probably ahead of the Galaxy Fold launch.

The next device though, the Galaxy S10 5G is set to trump the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. Not only would it feature 5G support, but it would also introduce a larger 6.7-inch display, a 4500mAh battery, and a quad-camera setup on its rear all-the-while retaining the best of the Galaxy S10 Plus.

Reports have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G could be released as early as next week. However, Samsung seems to be quiet of now.

Xiaomi Mi 9 – The Best Value-Oriented Flagship Of 2019… With Incredibly Fast Wireless Charging

Xiaomi’s early introduction was something I had been predicting for quite a while. However, what I didn’t expect was for them to announced the Xiaomi Mi 9 on the same day as the Galaxy S10 lineup.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 clearly shows why Xiaomi isn’t simply a cheaper cut-down version of the big boys. The Xiaomi Mi 9 features the beastly Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, 8GB RAM, up to 256GB of internal storage, a triple rear camera setup and a 3300mAh battery.

However, it doesn’t end there. Aside from the beastly specifications, the Xiaomi Mi 9 comes with 20W super fast wireless charging, a new standard Xiaomi has introduced with the Mi 9 and Mi 9 Transparent Edition. Furthermore, Xiaomi has also recently teased 100W fast charging via a Type-C cable earlier this week. If true, it could be ground-breaking, leaving OnePlus, Oppo and Huawei in the dust.

Huawei P30 Pro – Talk About Innovation

The next device that is making its way to this list is the Huawei P30 Pro. The Huawei P30 Pro has just made it’s way fresh out of the oven last week, introducing some crazy changes and introductions to take on its rivals in 2019.

Featuring Huawei’s in-house Kirin 980 SoC, up to 8GB, up to 512GB of internal storage, a 6.47-inch curved QHD+ OLED display, a triple-camera setup on its rear, IP68 water and dust resistance, and a 4200mAh battery under the hood.

However, it’s evident by now that anyone could cram in beastly specs. I mean, just ask Xiaomi. Anyways, where the Huawei P30 Pro flips the table is in the camera department. The triple camera setup on the rear of the Huawei P30 Pro consists of a 40MP f/1.6 main shooter, a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide shooter and 8MP f/3.4 telephoto shooter on the back. In addition to that, Huawei has also added a tiny TOF 3D camera to capture and process depth effects. Unlike traditional smartphone camera sensors, the Huawei P30 Pro utilizes an RYYB grid rather than an RGGB grid to capture its shots. Huawei claims that this would allow the Huawei P30 Pro to capture 40% more light compared to traditional camera sensors.

If you thought it would end there, you’re horribly wrong! The Huawei P30 Pro doesn’t only come with a few new updates to its camera sensor, but it also comes with 10x hybrid zoom and 50x super-zoom under its belt so that you could creep on people. And thanks to the super-wide angle camera on the P30 Pro, seeing how much you could zoom into a shot from the ultra-wide camera lens is simply mind-boggling, especially when you realize that Huawei coupled that with OIS.

Overall, the Huawei P30 Pro looks like an absolute killer, even when put side to side against the big names. What boxes doesn’t the Huawei P30 Pro tick? It has an incredibly large 4200mAh battery, beastly internals, beastly set of cameras and an incredible design to go along with it. And if the absence of the 3.5mm headphone jack and 4K/60FPS recording doesn’t bother you, I would personally recommend you to keep it on your shopping list this year.

Nokia 9 – This Bad Boy Has 5 Cameras On Its Back

The Nokia 9 has been standing out for more than a while now. Leaks regarding the device and its incredibly creepy penta-camera lens at its back crept the internet as early as late 2018. With the device finally out, I can’t simply appreciate Nokia enough for what they’ve done with the Nokia 9, this year.

The Nokia 9 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, 6GB RAM, 128GB of internal storage, a 5.99-inch QHD+ pOLED display, as aforementioned, a triple-camera setup, and a 3320mAh battery, Qi Wireless Charging, and a whole lot more.

Just like the Huawei P30 Pro, the Nokia 9 mesmerizes tech enthusiasts for its five 12MP camera sensors at its back. Three of those sensors capture monochrome images. While the other two capture RGB information. What the Nokia 9 then does is that it combines them together for form a crazy-detailed shot.

Nokia has declared the device to be an “experiment”. However, for enthusiasts, this is more than just an experiment. The hype surrounding the device is surreal, and so are the features Nokia has introduced with the device.

Samsung Galaxy A50 – Samsung Takes A 180 On The Mid-Range Market

Samsung’s Galaxy A50 has to be one of the biggest head-turners from Samsung this year, especially for folks who are out in the market for a few mid-rangers. Samsung has traditionally disrespected the market by flooding the market with devices no one could count on.

Taking advantage of Samsung’s bad habits, rivals from the Chinese coast begun to spring around Asia and soon made their way to the European market, muching through Samsung’s dominant market share. Companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus introduced stiff competition that banked on Samsung’s noncompetitive moves. And for the past six to seven years, these Chinese brands have gained so much momentum that they’re challenging the likes of Samsung, Apple, LG, and Sony.

However, this year, Samsung has finally begun to tackle its Chinese rivals aggressively. Beginning with the M20 and M30, Samsung sent a strong message of its presence in the mid-range market, further amping its presence with the launch of the Galaxy A30 and A50.

Out of the bunch, Samsung’s Galaxy A50 has consistently stood out of the crowd for us. Not only does it feature decent internals for its price point, but Samsung made sure that they don’t skimp on the under-display fingerprint sensor, a great design, a 4000mAh battery, and a decent trio of cameras on its back.

Samsung is expected to launch three major Galaxy A devices next month. Given how much attention Samsung is paying to the Galaxy A-series of devices lately, it seems like Samsung is stoked to pull back a major share the Chinese rivals with these devices. In the end, us, as consumers, win. I personally can’t wait to see what Samsung has in-store next month.

Huawei P30 Pro Still Records At 4K/30FPS – Huawei, Yet Again, Throws 60FPS Out Of The Gate

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Huawei just launched the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro. Their first ever major smartphone to hit markets in 2019. The P30 and P30 Pro despite having top of the line specifications still lags behind when it comes to raw performance. Now don’t get me wrong, the Kirin 980 chipset is phenomenal but it isnt on par with the Snapdragon 855.

One of the most important features which the P30 and P30 Pro targetted was the camera department and the phone performs desirably in that department. Bringing in 50X zoom to a smartphone for the first time and then introducing the RYYB colour processing to allow 40% more light to enter the sensor is no joke. The brand has been producing quality results with its devices and the innovation level by the brand is undoubtedly on an all-time high.

Taking another look at the specifications of the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro it was revealed that the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro still records videos at 4K/30fps. Considering the video encoding technologies of the Kirin 980, even previous generation phones like Xiaomi’s Pocophone F1 and Samsung’s Galaxy S8 did, in fact, support 4K/30FPS after launch.

The Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro while powered by the same Kirin 980 SoC had the same issue and it just showcases that Huawei seems uninterested in bringing 4K/60FPS to their flagship phones. Similar is the case with Google’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL which Google launched with a 4K/30FPS lock and up until now theres no way to achieve that sweet 60 FPS glory on both the phones.

Taking a glance at all the recent phones rocking the Snapdragon 855 SoC, it really shows how Huawei’s hardware manufacturing department lags behind and is unable to keep up with the fast-paced smartphone world. For Huawei to retain that number 2 spot in global rankings they would definitely have to step up their game.

As for the matter at hand, we’ve contacted Huawei about the feature and await their response. There could be a slight possibility that they may enable 4K/60FPS via and OTA update but taking the Mate 20 Pro into consideration it seems highly unlikely.

Samsung Galaxy Fold’s Folding Test Surfaces – Built To Withstand 200,000 Folds

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The Galaxy Fold was recently teased with the launch of Samsung’s flagship S10 series. The phone immediately gained a ton of exposure with almost every major, minor tech enthusiast talking about the unique standpoint of the device and how it paints the picture of the future of smartphones. Today, Samsung has released the footage of the durability test every Galaxy Fold undergoes before they are fit to perfection.

The crease on the Galaxy Fold is aesthetically the most pleasing feature about the phone but apparently the most sensitive as well. For a foldable smartphone to succeed in a modern smartphone world, it would have to be extremely durable and the folds must in fact be built well enough to last a while. Samsung has done exactly that and as we know how they have made remarkable progress in their quality control department ever since the Note 7 incident.

https://youtu.be/McdgS3Popjk

The folding test showcases Galaxy Fold devices attached to robots constantly folding and unfolding the phone. The robots ensure that every Galaxy Fold device undergoes proper testing before proceeding to the next stage and that is what makes the hinge design worthy. The test examines whether the Galaxy Fold would survive about 200,000 folds and unfolds in its lifetime equaling around 5 years given that a person folds and unfolds a smartphone 100 times a day. Samsung’s approach to new designs has been very professional and they have a perfectionism very few manufacturers tend to achieve.

The Galaxy Fold despite having tough competition with the Huawei Mate X seems to superior in build quality and the tablet to phone convertible has proved to be a worthy successor in terms of innovation. The durability test itself takes about a week to complete which might seem a little too extreme but whence talking about a brand new innovative feature, things must be perfect.

The hinge geometry on the phone works effectively in reducing the stress on the actual display panel and keeps the phone’s durability on point. All things considered, the durability tests are still conducted in a controlled environment and cannot by any means depict real-life instances. Nevertheless, we expect the Galaxy Fold to perform desirably and to continue operations for the desired period of time without any hiccups.

Taking one look at this test, Huawei would definitely want to level up their durability standards for Samsung is undeniably on the move and wont stop till they become the very best.

CS: GO Replaces Cache With Vertigo In The Active Duty Map Pool, Update Reveals

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Valve recently announced that the play map Vertigo in CS: GO is added to the active duty map pool. The map immediately became the most hyped up topic in CS: GO. After a ton of new content being added to the game, Valve has decided to give fans one more hope by removing Cache from the active duty map pool for the first time.

The community-based map was undoubtedly one of the most played maps in the game even by professionals. With a ton of easter eggs and unique features to it, Cache has always impressed folks with how well it is craft. Counter Strike itself is a pretty old title and with its age, the maps really show their outdated graphics and features.

With major renovations already done to the UI of the game, Valve has had a great track record in remastering classic maps like Dust 2, Inferno, Train and Nuke. It seems that Cache is their next project and the removal of the map from the active duty map pool indicates that we’ll be seeing a renovated Cache soon.

This move by CS: GO devs gives them enough time to speculate the reaction of the community to their latest addition. Vertigo itself has been around for some time in casual modes but never really flew in competitive modes but looking at the reaction from the public, the map definitely looks promising.

The update also brings a brand new Music Kit inspired by the most recent Katowice Major in which ENCE made it to the finals. The music selected is composed by “The Vekkars” and thanks to its popularity during the major, “EZ4ENCE” has now official in CS: GO. Moreover, the update also introduces a brand new Sticker Capsule with various “Feral” themed stickers with character roles. The capsule features 9 designs and 18 stickers in various different finishes ranging from Paper and all the way up to Foil and Holo.

The recent moves by CS: GO developers have been inspiring to say the least and they have definitely been adding content to the game at a constant rate. For now there’s no news about the next operation what so ever but thanks to the competition from Battle Royale games, CS: GO is officially back on track.

Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus & S10E Expected To Get 25W Fast-Charging & Super Night Mode via OTA Updates

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Leaks have just made their way onto the internet suggesting some new stirs regarding Samsung latest lineup of flagships. It is said that Samsung’s Galaxy S10E, S10, and S10 Plus would most probably get 25W charging enabled really soon via an OTA update.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lineup To Get 25W Fast-Charging Really Soon

The story comes with China’s trusty Ice Universe who has suggested that the Samsung China’s President has just tipped that the Galaxy S10 lineup may be getting a 25W fast-charging really soon. Given how lazy Samsung has been at amping up their charges, we’d bet that the addition 25W fast-charging should make the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup with their larger batteries a whole lot bearable, especially in the case of the S10 Plus.

The president of Samsung Greater China said that it is considering opening the Galaxy S10’s charging power to 25W and developing the handheld super night mode to the S10 series.? – said Ice Universe on Twitter

To put the boost into perspective, this means that the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup of devices would charge up as twice as they currently are. However, regarding when these updates would be landing is yet to be confirmed, leaving us in limbo for a whole. But then given that Samsung has the Galaxy Fold and the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus 5G on their checklist, Samsung should be updating their devices prior to the arrival of these new devices.

And while Samsung may be late, it’s definitely respectable from Samsung to finally step their game up in a world where Xiaomi has begun teasing 100W fast-charging technology as of lately.

Regarding the super-night mode Samsung is planning to introduce, it seems like Samsung would be copying Google’s layout over here, giving Night mode its own separate mode that you would have to enable or toggle. As of yet, no other details have managed to seep through the cracks. However, we could only speculate that the upcoming night mode may bring Samsung’s low-light photography samples back in the game.

Fortnite Update 8.20 – Introduces New Poison Dart Trap & New Perky Consumables

Epic Games has finally released the next major update for Fortnite Season 8. The new update comes with a few changes as well as introduces a few new items to the game.

Fortnite Update 8.20 Introduces Foraged Items, A New Poison Trap & Floor Is Lava LTM

Fortnite Foraged Items – You can now consume Coconuts, Peppers, and Bananas

Beginning with the additions, the most notable change with Fortnite update 8.20 has to be the new Foraged Items. These new foraged items include bananas, coconuts, and even red peppers.

Each one of these items come with perks attached to them. Aside from the apples introduced last year, the new bananas, coconuts, and red peppers add 5 HP to your heath. Coconuts and Red Peppers, however, do come with an additional set of perks. Coconuts would add 5 HP to your health and would also be able to top up your shields as well. Regarding the peppers, aside from adding 5HP to you health, it increases your movement speed by 20% for about 10 seconds.

As their names suggest, unlike apples, they would be scattered across certain locations of the map. With coconuts and bananas found on the trees of Lazy Lagoon. Red peppers would be available east of Paradise Palms, near the race track.

Fortnite Poison Dart Traps – Deal Damage With This Bad Boy Over Time

Coming over to the Poison Dart Traps, you would be happy to know that you know have yet another option to troll your enemies with. Unlike the usual traps, the Poison Dart Traps act a whole lot like Fortnite’s Stink Bombs. Damage is rated at 10HP per tick that would reduce your health exclusively, and would deal about 8 ticks before wearing the effect out. And just like the usual trap, you could place it on walls, the ceiling and on the floor.

Fortnite’s New LTM – Floor Is Lava Is Here

Fortnite’s latest LTM, Floor is Lava has to be one of the very best LTMs of Fortnite Season 8.

Experience lava taking over the island of Fortnite. With the new LTM, players would have to survive by taking the high-ground constantly as the lava continues to gain group and engulf the island.

Materials and other objects would not be destroyed if lava touches builds. However, if you do happen to touch the lava, it’s going to hurt… a ton lot!

Fortnite Update 8.20 Patch Notes

Here’s the rest of the patch notes that include changes to the infantry rifle, baller and more. Patch notes retrieved from the Epic Games blog.

LIMITED TIME MODE: FLOOR IS LAVA

Summary
Lava gradually rises from the lowest parts of the map, and it’s hot! Drop in and quickly loot and gather materials so you can be the first to reach the high ground.

Mode Details

  • A few minutes into the match, the lava will begin to rise.
  • The lava moves at a steady speed until the entire map is covered.
  • Touching the lava will apply damage directly to your health and bounce you up in the air.
  • You can build on the lava.
  • Players will be given a small number of materials every second, to help out in those “entire map is on fire” situations.

WEAPONS + ITEMS

  • The Baller no longer applies damage to players on collision. 
    • The knockback/bounce effect will remain unchanged.
  • Future Baller Iterations
    • We’ve noticed a lot of discussion around the Baller, so here’s an update!
    • We’re not satisfied with the current use of Ballers, specifically in the late game. With the v8.30 update, we will release a change that will allow players to shoot through the glass of The Baller.
      • Non-glass parts will still have collision and block damage from bullets.
  • Siphon/Material Changes
    • In v7.40 we implemented a few Pop-up Cup settings as a test in core modes. After monitoring a combination of gameplay, data, and feedback, we’ve gathered necessary info to conclude this initial test. We feel it has resulted in an unhealthy level of aggressive play, diminishing other viable strategies. The following changes have been reverted in all core modes:
      • 50 Health (or Shield) based on your health when the Elimination occurs.
      • 50/50/50 materials dropped on Elimination.
      • 500/500/500 Cap on materials.
      • Harvest rate increased by 40%
      • That said, these mechanics have proven to be positive in our competitive playlists. All changes above remain enabled in the new Arena Game Mode.
  • Infantry Rifle
    • Converted to hitscan, meaning this weapon no longer fires projectiles (snipers) and now fires the same as other Assault Rifles.
    • Base damage reduced from 45/42 to 42/40.
    • Uses the same damage fall off profile as existing assault rifles.
  • Poison Dart Trap
    • Available in Uncommon Rarity.
    • Can be placed on walls, floors, and ceilings.
    • Found from Floor Loot.
    • Can be triggered up to three grid cells away.
    • Fires Poison Dart projectiles a distance of three horizontal grid cells (four vertical grid cells).
    • Targets hit by darts will receive a damage-over-time effect that applies damage directly to health, bypassing any shields.
      • 10 health damage per tick.
      • 8 total ticks over 7 seconds for a total damage of 80.
      • Subsequent hits will refresh the duration of the effect, but the amount of damage per tick does not change.
  • New Foraged Items
    • Bananas
      • Instantly grant 5 health when consumed.
      • Can be found in the tropical biome.
    • Coconuts
      • Foraged by damaging palm trees.
      • When consumed, Coconuts grant 5 points of effective health over a short time. That means it will replenish shields if the player is at max health.
      • Can be found in tropical and desert biomes.
    • Peppers
      • When consumed, peppers instantly grant 5 health and also increase the player’s movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds.
      • Can be found in the desert biome.
  • The Buried Treasure directional indicator is now attached to the player and emanates from the area of the treasure map in order to improve visibility, especially while moving.
    • The indicator will continue to pulse every 3 seconds while the item is equipped.
  • Pirate Cannon adjustments
    • Adjusted the collision of the Pirate Cannon to ensure the driver’s seat is always enterable without needing to nudge the cannon.
    • Moved the seat prompt locations for easier entry into the cannon.
    • Increased the radius of cannonballs and player land explosions from 200 units to 250 units.
    • Reduced cannon impulse/knockback when firing a cannonball while driving or when launching a player. This is unchanged when coasting.
  • Adjusted the equip time of the Epic / Legendary Pump Shotgun to match the Uncommon / Rare versions.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where Clingers were damaging players through walls when stuck to another player.
  • Fixed an issue preventing Glider item pickups from displaying their stack count.
  • Smoothed out the motion of grenade projectile trajectories, which were lagging behind by a tick.
  • Balloon Fixes
    • Entering a vehicle no longer plays the release sound of balloons if you have no balloons.
    • The balloon rope will no longer remain on your back when you run out of balloons.
  • Pirate Cannon Fixes
    • Fixed an issue where players were flying out of a Pirate Cannon in a different direction than expected.
    • Fixed an issue preventing the ability to enter a Pirate Cannon when close to other geometry.
    • Fixed the ability for players to finely tune Pirate Cannon’s ability to aim side to side.
  • Fixed an issue causing Buried Treasure to spawn loot on the Starting Island.

GAMEPLAY

  • Marker pings are now allowed while DBNO.
  • Added a unique elimination message when eliminated by a Lava surface.
  • Increased relevancy distance for players being able to see explosions.
  • That’s not all! Increased infinite dab from 13 hours to 14 hours in the lobby.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue with the icy feet effect remaining on indefinitely while emoting.
  • Traps now do damage directly to The Baller vehicle instead of dealing damage to the driver.
  • Fixed issue causing some traps to be inside thicker structures, making them hard to see.
  • Fixed a rare occurrence of a player being invulnerable while DBNO.
  • Fixed the camera sometimes traveling too far when cycling to another player.

EVENTS

  • New Feature: Arena Game Mode (Solo & Duos)
    • Compete any time and gain ‘Hype’ to advance to higher leagues and unlock exclusive tournaments, such as the Fortnite World Cup Online Opens.
    • Each League is broken up into several Divisions, with players working their way from Open League to Contender League to Champion League.
    • Scoring will update from division to division, with an increasing amount of Bus Fare lost with each match at higher divisions.
    • Note: Matchmaking in Arena is based on players with similar Hype. As a result, players in higher divisions may experience longer than normal wait times before a match is found.
  • New Tournament: Luxe Cup (March 30th & 31st) [$100,000 in Cash Prizes!]
    • Duos Game Mode
    • Participation in this event requires players to have reached Contender League in Arena play prior to the start of the event.
    • The prize pool will be distributed across all server regions, with official rules and details released later this week.
    • Format:
      • March 30th – Round One: All Eligible Players
      • March 31st – Round Two: Top 3000 Players from Round One

PERFORMANCE

  • Fixed an issue where poor server performance could cause undesired effects on clients such as unnecessary movement corrections.
  • Added a fix for a rare server crash.
  • Made a small server performance improvement related to the Baller vehicle.
  • Updated animation budgets to be more performant on higher scalability settings.
  • Improved file I/O performance on PS4, this reduces the occurrence of late streaming buildings.
  • Improved file I/O performance when skydiving on all platforms by changing what data we prioritize loading first.

ART + ANIMATION

  • Adjusted lighting in Battle Royale.
    • Increased lighting contrast in areas with shadows.
    • Increased vibrancy in colors.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug where the destruction effects were not playing on the Baller when it’s destroyed.

AUDIO

  • Re-scaled audio volume settings to avoid clipping artifacts.
    • What used to be the 0.5 setting is now mapped to 1 (maximum loudness)
    • If your volume was previously above 0.5 you will need to adjust the volume on your television or whichever device you’re playing on to achieve the same level of loudness.
  • Footsteps from spectated players’ teammates are now played at a reduced volume.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where some items didn’t have proper audio when dropping them from inventory.

UI

  • Changes to the ping graph for the net debug HUD.
    • Red vertical lines added that indicate packets were reported lost that frame.
  • There’s now a setting to control if pinging while ADS/Targeting places a danger marker.
  • On the Battle Pass page, scrolling down on the mouse wheel moves the contents right and scrolling up on the mouse wheel moves the images left.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed issue with Main Menu icons becoming off-center.
  • Fixed a bug that was causing a player’s Squad Fill preference to reset to “Fill”.
  • Fixed an issue where scopes would be missing reticle lines on low settings.

SPECTATING

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an occasional awkward camera movement that would occur when switching to different view targets while spectating.

MOBILE

  • Dedicated use buttons now support hold to swap.
  • Voice Chat has been reactivated on iOS.
  • Emote button now supports hold to replay last emote.
  • Updated the Baller button icons.
  • Updated the battery icon to indicate the device is charging. Refreshes visibility every 2 seconds.
  • Cycle left button added to the HUD layout tool.
  • Added loot pickup stream UI.
    • This is the part of the UI that tracks how many resources and ammo you’re picking up.
  • Net Debug Stats is now movable in the HUD Layout Tool.
  • Enabled Squad Communication and Emote buttons while DBNO.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed field of view on 21:9 devices.
  • Fixed an issue with quickbar and extra buttons that made it possible to cause fire state to be stuck on a continuous loop.
  • Fixed an issue causing the camera to jump on initial touch input.
    • This will also fix the issue where HUD control buttons are missing when starting a match on some Android devices.
  • Fixed an issue causing incorrect building pieces to gain focus when editing.
  • Fixed missing outline effect for squad members.
  • Fixed minimap remaining on screen during Victory Royale sequence.
  • Fixed not being able to select building material while being a passenger in a vehicle.

CREATIVE

WHAT’S NEW?

Creature Spawner
Ready to create some serious PvE challenges? Use the Creature Spawner to setup fiendish challenges for you and your friends.

BPS6_LoadingScreen_Week06.png

Shooting Range
Line up the targets and hone your skills using this new gallery available in Creative Mode!

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ISLANDS

  • Portals added in the Creative Hub to access the Battle Royale Island.
  • Added a waterfall along the edges of the Playground Hub.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where spectating players would still be considered to be on the island, even after leaving.
  • Fixed an issue with creative replays not properly showing the correct time of day.
  • Fixed an issue where some trees and rocks were floating on the Volcano Island.
  • Fixed an issue where waterfalls didn’t have sound effects on the Volcano Island.
  • Fixed an issue where rocks were losing their material and defaulting to dark blue rocks on the Volcano Island.
  • Known Issues:
    • If you’re unable to build on the Volcano Island, the island setting “Unlimited Material” need to be set to On.

GAMEPLAY

  • Added siphon settings to Creative Game Settings.
    • Health Granted on Eliminations – Mix of values from 0 to 1000.
    • Wood/Stone/Metal Granted on Eliminations – Mix of values from 0 to 999.
  • Added a new scoreboard for Creature Eliminations that tracks how many creatures you’ve eliminated.
  • Added a new win condition – Creature eliminations to win, with a mix of values from 1 to 1000.
  • Moved the Challenge gallery and Chest & Ammo gallery from the gallery tab to the devices tab in Creative inventory.
    • The goal is for anything that is interactable to be in the devices tab.
  • Organized the devices tab in the following order: Galleries, Traps, Vehicle Spawners, Spawners.
  • Organized the consumables tab – Resources, Ammo, Health, Shields, Grenades, fort throwables, and the rest.

Bug Fixes

  • Improved Islands to restore faster after a game has ended.
  • Starting game now ensures all players have downloaded the key game data before starting. This fixes game start issues for players on slower connections.
  • Texture data should be reappearing on all buildings that lost their texture data. Griptape Obstacle Course is now fixed!
  • Fixed an issue where being eliminated and entering a vehicle at the same time would cause the player to lose most controls.
  • Fixed Game Settings resetting if “My Island” menu was opened before the island was ready to start a game.
  • Fixed an issue where the camera occasionally behaved oddly when starting and ending games.
  • Fixed an issue where the camera behaved oddly after respawning.
  • Fixed an issue where the spectator camera would occasionally get stuck in the sky when the spectated player respawns.
  • Fixed an issue where the camera would occasionally flip upside down for a brief moment after respawning in the sky.
  • Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in a strange state when respawning while the game ended.
  • Fixed an issue where players would start games in building mode instead of holding their pickaxe.
  • Fixed an issue where the Treasure Map could appear in Chests in Creative Mode.

WEAPONS + ITEMS

  • Infinity Blade
    • This Mythic melee weapon can be found in the Weapons Tab in Creative Inventory.
    • Primary Fire delivers a powerful sword slash. It deals big damage to enemies and destroys structures in one blow.
    • Alternate Fire allows the player to leap great distances, destroying objects in its path. Upon landing, it delivers damage and a knock-up to nearby players.
    • The wielder of the sword is also granted additional abilities:
      • An increased pool of max Health and Shields (200 Health/200 Shields).
      • Regeneration of effective Health over time up to max Health and Shields (1 HP per second).
      • An instant burst of effective Health upon elimination of an enemy (50 HP).
      • Increased movement speed (130%).
    • If a player picks up the Infinity Blade, all other inventory items aside from building materials will be dropped.
    • When the wielder of the Infinity Blade picks up an item (aside from building materials), the Infinity Blade will be dropped.
    • The Infinity Blade will be dropped when the wielder is knocked out or eliminated.
    • Blade in Stone will be included in the next major release.

CREATIVE TOOLS + PHONE

  • Coming to a future patch… Multi Select. With a button press you’ll be able to select multiple items with the phone to copy and place. This feature needed more to fix issues.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug with the phone tool that made it difficult to see the object highlight when pointing at extremely bright objects.
  • Fixed a bug where music blocks would prevent you from selecting other props behind them, even if pointing above the blocks themselves.

PREFABS + GALLERIES

  • Added New Dirt, Grass and Cobblestone Floor Galleries.
    • Grass is a flat grassy texture.
      • 3D Grass Floor tech is currently a work in progress for the next major update!
  • Added a New Tropical Rock Gallery.
  • Updated the Volcano Rock Gallery to include additional rocks.
  • Updated the Ring Gallery to include more lighted beams and a lighted grate.
  • Added new General Props Gallery A and Gallery B.

Known Issues

  • Large rock in the Tropical Rock Gallery has lava rock textures.  This will be addressed in a future patch.
  • Ice Cliff Gallery pieces, when selected with phone, are way up in the air, which makes placement difficult. We’re working on a solution for a future patch.
  • Ice Cliff Gallery pieces have jump collision issues.

Bug Fixes

  • Particle props will now delete when resetting the Island.
  • Ice Cliff Gallery pieces will no longer be destroyed when building through them.
  • Fixed an issue where certain particle props would begin flickering when many particles were placed. The visual effects remained visible even after deleted or island restart.
  • Fixed an issue where the ‘Lava Tiles Gallery’ had invisible collision.
  • Fixed an issue where the spark particle visual effects flickered when walked through.
  • Fixed an issue where the collision bounds for Visualizer Gallery pieces are much higher than the pieces themselves.
  • Removed the consumable apples from the ‘Cozy Cabin’ prefab. They weren’t working correctly in Creative and will be added back once we’ve resolved the issues.
  • Fixed an issue where the Jungle Temple Gallery has no green inner corners.
  • Fixed an issue where the grass was clipping through some props or assets in the Mine Cart Gallery, Industrial Gallery A, Cabins Prop Gallery and General Gallery A.
  • Fixed an issue where the ‘Cabin Prop Gallery’ had an invisible collision when deployed above ground.

DEVICES

  • Creature Spawner
    • Spawn up to 20 creatures at a time on your island.
    • Select from 6 types of creatures, from a normal fiend, up to a Megabrute.
    • Set the number of creatures to spawn from 1 to 20.
    • Set the total available number to spawn from 1 to infinite.
    • Set how fast they should spawn with the wave timer from 1 second to 5 minutes.
    • Set how close the player needs to be for the spawner to activate from 1 tile to 15 tiles.
    • Set distance away from players for the creature(s) to despawn between 1-15 tiles.
    • Set various properties on the spawner: Visibility, Invincibility, Destroying pieces on spawn, and Spawn effects.
    • Set the number of tiles from the spawner the creatures should spawn from 2 to 6. Currently, this is limited to creatures spawning exactly that distance away from the spawner. A future update will allow creatures to spawn in more confined spaces.
    • Limited to having 32 spawners per island.
  • Known Issues
    • Creatures will sometimes get stuck on indestructible pieces.
    • Generating the AI navigation map can take a long time. Players may see long loading times on really complex islands.
    • Music Sequencer doesn’t always eliminate Creatures.
  • Shooting Gallery
    • Select from 14 different types of shooting targets with 12 options that can be set to create a different play.
    • Targets can be either stationary or on a moving rail.  Moving rail targets are limited to 200 for performance.
    • Use the Total Score scoreboard type for building Shooting Gallery games.
    • Set the score per target from -20 to 20 for when it’s knocked down.
    • Set score multiplier for hitting the bullseye when knocking the target down.
    • Set which team receives a score for knocking down the target.
    • Set the amount of health a target has before it’s knocked down from 1 to 5000.
    • Set the amount of time it takes for a knocked down target to reset from, Never Reset, 2 to 600 seconds.
    • Set the maximum number of times a target will pop back up from infinite, 1 to 10.
    • Set a time delay to hide: Off, 1 second to 20 minutes.
    • Set the starting position up or down.
    • Set proximity from the player for a target to pop up. Once activated target will stay up unless a time to hide is set.
    • Set the hinge location base or center.
    • Set the bullseye to instantly knock down the target to on/off.
    • Make your targets move up and down with Hop Time: 0.5 seconds to 20 seconds.
    • Known Issues
      • Targets spawned from the gallery will reset to the Standing target if they are not modified or copied with the phone when a player leaves and rejoins their island.
      • Hitting the bullseye will not cause critical damage multiplier on the Standing target and Round targets.
      • If a thrown device grenade reaches the maximum quantity limitation for the moving targets, the spawning targets will replace the earliest placed ones.
  • Added new options for the Team Settings & Inventory device.
    • Spawn Location – Sky, Spawnpads
    • Spawns – Infinite, 1 to 10
    • After Last Spawn Go To – Spectator, Team 1 – Team 16
    • Drop Items on Death – On, Off
    • Health granted on elimination – Mix of values from 0 to 1000
    • Wood / Stone/ Metal granted on elimination – Mix of values from 0 to 999
    • Creature Eliminations To Win – Off, Mix of values from 1 to 1000
    • Instant Reload – Weapons do not require reload animations upon depleting magazines.
  • Poison Dart Trap
    • Available in Uncommon Rarity
    • Can be placed on walls, floors, and ceilings
    • Can be triggered up to three grid cells away
    • Fires Poison Dart projectiles a distance of three horizontal grid cells (four vertical grid cells)
    • Targets hit by darts will receive a damage-over-time effect that applies damage directly to health, bypassing any shields.
      • 10 health damage per tick
      • 8 total ticks over 7 seconds for a total damage of 80
      • Subsequent hits will refresh the duration of the effect, but the amount of damage per tick does not change.
  • Added new material options for the barrier: Space Black, Gloss Black, Sky Blue, Red Forcefield, and Blue Forcefield.
  • Challenge Gallery and Treasure Gallery have been moved to the Devices Tab.


Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where damage Traps (ie. Spikes) would trigger on players and vehicles when a game was not active.
  • Fixed an issue where unmanned vehicles would trigger elimination audio cues when sitting in the Elimination Zone and Music Sequencer.
  • Fixed an issue where players who are unaffected by a damage volume device would trigger elimination audio cues.
  • Fixed an issue where Music Sequencer damage option was causing loud sound effects.
  • Fixed an issue where the Music Sequencer damage sound effect was triggered when the player was standing close to it.
  • Fixed an issue where the Sentry would trigger multiple hit sound effects from the Music Sequencer, when damage was turned on.
  • Fixed an issue where teams were able to destroy their own Objective Device while boosting with a Quadcrasher.
  • Fixed an issue where player-built wooden floors would clip through Player Spawn and Player Checkpoint Plate.
  • Fixed an issue where the Max Initial Team Size setting on the Team Settings & Inventory device wouldn’t apply as intended when set to Unlimited.

UI + SOCIAL

  • Improved the loading experience when joining and leaving games.
    • Allow games to start only after the Island has fully loaded.
    • Smoothed the transition of fade-in and fade-out of loading screens.
  • Changed the “Leave Match” button to “Leave Playground” when in Playground mode.
  • HUD indicators for Devices/Traps placed on Islands are now hidden.
  • HUD elements are now hidden when transitioning into and out of games.
  • Improved transitioning to spectator mode when a game has “join in progress” disabled.


Bug Fixes

  • Replaced the lighting bolt in triangle with an exclamation point in triangle for damage zones.
  • Fixed an issue where the mobile HUD stayed visible during game transitions.
  • Updated string in Creative Mutator to say “Return to Hub” instead of “Return to Creative Hub” as the menu option has changed names.
  • Fixed an issue where some game UI elements would sometimes not appear correctly.
  • Fixed an issue where players weren’t notified when they joined a game as a spectator.
  • Fixed an issue where Device tooltips appeared while playing a game in Playground.
  • Fixed an issue where rich presence wasn’t clarifying whether a player was in Playground or Creative when selecting a server.
  • Fixed an issue where the Hub was still being referred to as the “Creative Hub”.
  • Fixed a misspelling in the My Island menu.
  • Fixed an issue where the Sky spawn location was referred to as “air”.
  • Fixed an issue where players would occasionally remain on the “Restoring Island” screen after a game ends.
  • Fixed an issue where game settings would get set to defaults if the player open and closed the My Creative Island menu after entering their island.

PERFORMANCE + STABILITY


Bug Fixes

  • Fixed various stability issues.

SAVE THE WORLD

WHAT’S NEW?

Yarrr! Questline
Pirates have invaded Homebase! Grab an eye-patch, and prepare for a swashbuckling, plundering, plank-walking adventure.

08STW_Social_Pirate.jpg

Beta Storm: Resupply
Time is short! Collect the list of items and refill your backpack before the Storm closes in!

08StW_Resupply_Social.jpg

MISSIONS + SYSTEMS

  • Yarrr! Event Quests
    • Ahoy Mateys! Join our Heroes and complete the “Yarrr!” Questline to earn event themed rewards.
    • Rewards: More information in Weapons + Items
      • Blakebeard the Blackhearted
      • Corsair Sword
      • Jack’s Revenge Pistol
  • X Marks the Spot!
    • Once per zone, players can find a map that leads to treasure by opening chests and safes.
  • Pirate Llama is now available
    • May contain Pirate Heroes, Steampunk Weapon schematics, and Broadside Trap schematics
    • Cost: 500 Spring Tickets
  • Beta Storm: Resupply
    • Time is short! Run around the map destroying and collecting a list of items
    • The Storm closes in fast! The safe area doesn’t stay for long and will rotate around the map

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bomb desync in Deliver the Bomb missions

UI

  • HUD scale setting now also applies to HUD announcements.
  • The In-game Hero Loadout now has warning indicators if the perk is not being applied (similar to the ones in the frontend)

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where the Xbox controller could lose input in the frontend after interacting with the event banner.
  • Fixed defender trap UI issues related to selecting a defender from a different pad.
  • Players should no longer lose navigation functionality when returned to the Quest Tab from the Quest log.
  • Consumable items that are currently hovered over in the Resource menu should no longer be consumed when selecting an option from the ‘More’ popup menu.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the “Transform” item dialog to not properly show up when inspecting the transformed item.
  • Fixed an issue that would cause items and people to become offset from the camera while being leveled up or evolved.
  • Fixed the ability description text getting cut off in Hero inspect details panel.
  • Fixed research point accumulation text to use the correct pluralization when a single point is earned.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the HUD vote indicator to not properly show when the pickup info setting is disabled.
  • Fixed the UI to correctly Save/Load the pinned schematics
  • The banner in the Manage Profile menu should now display correctly for players with really long account names.
  • Fixed an issue where players were unable to back out of the Modify Perks menu.
  • Fixed pick up messages to not stack on top of each other
  • Updated the Recycle confirmation panel so that the recycle item tiles show the quantity being recycled and not the quantity in the inventory
  • Fixed an issue that caused slotted collection book items to show the “you must unslot an item before it can be reset” error message.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the zones to not properly update when changing the privacy settings while on the map.
  • Updated the Expedition screen to properly update the Expedition list when first entering the screen.
  • Changed the padding on Zone name header to fix Korean language text getting cut off on the in-zone mission objectives screen
  • Placeholder text should no longer be visible when inspecting X-Ray Llamas.
  • Fixed Hero abilities appearing grayed out on the quickbar if another ability is used right as it is coming off cooldown.
  • Hero Loadout unlocks now appear in feature unlock screen as opposed to the quest reward screen.

PERFORMANCE

  • Improved responsiveness of equipping items to quick bar slots.

Bug Fixes

  • The full-screen minimap is now prepared in advance to fix a hitch on the first map display.
  • Fixed a hitch when another player loads into a match that’s already in progress.
  • Fixed a hitch when entering the Shadow Stance effect.
  • Updated the Expedition screen to increase performance when hovering over buttons.

HEROES

  • We’ve added a new Hero to the Event store!
    • Hybrid, a new Legendary Ninja!
      • Standard Perk: Fire Of The Dragon
        • Increases Affliction Duration by 34%.
      • Commander Perk: Fire Of The Dragon+
        • Increases Affliction Duration by 67%. Dragon Slash applies Affliction, which deals 15 base Fire Damage per second for seconds.
      • Available in the Event Store March 27 at 8 PM Eastern Time
  • We’re introducing a new Hero with the “Yarrr!” quest line.
    • Blakebeard the Blackhearted, a new Mythic Pirate Constructor
      • Standard Perk: Avast Mateys
        • Increases Cannonball Damage by 20%.
      • Commander Perk: Avast Mateys+
        • Increases Cannonball Damage by 40%. Converts R.O.S.I.E to fire 25 cannonballs.
      • Mythic Rarity
      • Obtainable through the “Yarrr!” Questline.
  • We’ve added 4 new Pirate Heroes that can be obtained in the Pirate Llama.
    • Crossbones Barret, a new Pirate Outlander!
      • Standard Perk: Goin’ Coconuts
        • 20% chance to find Coconuts in containers. Coconuts restore health instantly and restore additional health over time. Increases damage by 16% while under the effects of a Coconut.
      • Commander Perk: Goin’ Coconuts+
        • 30% chance to find Coconuts in containers. Coconuts restore health instantly and restore additional health over time. Increases damage by 36% while under the effects of a Coconut.
      • Obtainable from Pirate Llamas
    • Buccaneer Jonesy, a new Pirate Soldier!
      • Standard Perk: Buckle
        • Dealing Sword Damage Increases Pistol Damage by 22% for 6 seconds.
      • Commander Perk: Buckle+
        • Dealing Sword Damage Increases Pistol Damage by 65% for 6 seconds.
      • Obtainable from Pirate Llamas
    • Swashbuckler Keelhaul, a new Pirate Ninja!
      • Standard Perk: Swash
        • Dealing Pistol Damage Increases Sword Damage by 22% for seconds.
      • Commander Perk: Swash+
        • Dealing Pistol Damage Increases Sword Damage by 65% for 6 seconds.
      • Obtainable from Pirate Llamas
    • Privateer Hype, a new Pirate Constructor!
      • Standard Perk: Swab The Deck
        • Increases Club Damage by 17%.
      • Commander Perk: Swab The Deck+
        • Increases Club Damage by 50%.
      • Obtainable from Pirate Llamas
  • Acquiring Blakebeard will unlock a new Quest, which rewards a new Team Perk!
    • Blakebeard’s Stash
      • Eliminating enemies has a 5% chance of uncovering one of Blakebeard’s stashes which contains the following items:
        • Peg Leg
          • Club that deals extreme damage but breaks quickly
        • Coconuts
          • Restores health instantly and restores additional health over time
        • Cannonballs:
          • Can be thrown as grenades that fragment on impact, exploding multiple times
        • Requirements
          • Requires 3 Pirate Heroes in your loadout.
  • Constructor R.O.S.I.E. can now be auto placed, just like traps.
  • Overtaker Hiro is eligible for an item reset due to his head being changed in update v8.11.

Bug Fixes

  • Free items that have been unslotted from the collection book will no longer be eligible for a reset if they have not been upgraded.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented Impossibility Matrix from correctly reducing the cooldown of Shock Tower.
  • Fixed an issue where Survivalist wouldn’t trigger if the player also had the Emergency Override+ commander perk.
  • Fixed an issue where Bass Solo extended Warcry by 1 or 2 seconds per elimination, instead of the intended duration of 0.4 or 0.9 seconds per elimination.
  • Steel Wool Carlos has been marked eligible for item reset.
  • Fixed an issue where Assassination+ was dealing the incorrect melee damage multipler
  • This was applying 13.5% instead of 18%

WEAPONS + ITEMS

  • Steampunk Weapons Set – Available from the Pirate Llama
    • The Baron
      • A heavy hammer with slow, wide swings and a powerful smash attack.
    • Steam Thrasher
      • A mid-sized scythe with wide sweeping attacks and a new channeled spinning heavy attack.
    • Steam Piston
      • A versatile semi-automatic assault rifle that deals steady damage
    • Steamroller
      • A revolver with heavy recoil that shoots high impact musket balls
    • Bon Voyage
      • A fast and powerful semi-automatic sniper rifle
  • New Flintlock weapons – Obtained from the “Yarrr!” Questline
    • Corsair
      • A deadly cutlass that combines a good mix of damage and impact with exceptional crit. Best when paired with pistols.
      • Quad Chop: A series of heavy attacks that deal increased damage and knockback.
    • Jack’s Revenge
      • Single shot piercing pistol with a powerful kick that deals heavy headshot damage and knocks back targets.
      • Most effective when used with a sword in close to mid-range combat.
  • Increased the attack speed of Quad Chop heavy attack by 35%. Increased damage per second by 4.6%. Increased impact per second by 7%.
  • The Bowler and Jabberwocky are now classified as Cannons and gain benefits from perks affecting cannonball damage, such as Avast Mateys
  • Increased the hit area of Hydraulic Smash to better match the visual
  • Purchasing random schematics from the event store will now put the schematic directly in your inventory instead of granting a Llama to open.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue with the teleporter floating after destroying the floor beneath
  • Fixed an issue that caused the teleporter to appear on the victory screen if held by a player
  • Added the heavy attack description to the Vacuum Tube Spear
  • Fixed an issue where the Yeoman sniper rifle could spawn extra projectile impact particles.
  • Changed Joel and Karolina Mythic survivors so that only one copy of each is allowed in the inventory at a time.

GAMEPLAY

  • Removed the Skatepark that could load into Autumn Cities that was causing building issues.
  • Several quest requirements in Plankerton and Canny Valley have been adjusted.
    • Required Objective Counts for some Quests have been reduced in Plankerton.
    • Increased the drop rate for some quest items in Canny Valley
  • Enhanced Demolition updates
    • Enhanced Demoltion has been re-enabled!
    • Trap resources go back to the trap owner if present when using Enhanced Demolition in a player’s Storm Shield Base.
    • Increased the number of resources gained when destroying tier 2 and 3 building pieces.
    • Players will now receive 100% of the resource amounts.(This is prorated by the health of the building piece)
  • Show HUD messages when crafting materials are returned to a Player due to disassembling a trap in an SSD mission

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue that caused players to load into the game as one Hero while having the active abilities of another Hero.
  • Fixed an issue where players loaded into the game with their Hero missing and having to wait for a timer to count down to respawn.
  • Fixed an issue where defenders would keep previously equipped weapons if spawned on a second defender pad.
  • Fixed Deliver the Bomb in the Thunder Route 99 zone, where the Armory and Launcher would be reversed.
  • Campfire traps no longer heal players who are DBNO.
  • Fixed an issue where players were unable to place traps on floor pieces that are built over other level floor pieces, such as sidewalks.
  • Fixed an issue that caused players to load into a zone with a level 1 pickaxe.
  • Fixed an issue that caused weapons, Gadgets or Abilities to not appear on the quickbar.
  • Survivors no longer benefit from Bluglo Pylon buffs.

ENEMIES

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue that allowed Husks to continue moving while frozen in a slow field.

AUDIO

  • Added audio for new perks, ambient sounds, and items.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue that caused music to be missing in certain areas.
  • Fixed an issue with missing audio in the onboarding cinematic.
  • Fixed an issue with missing sound on Banner placement.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the ground wave from Seismic Impact to have no sound.
  • Updated threat music so that is reserved for more significant threats during combat.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented the correct sounds from playing while picking up multiple items
  • Fixed an issue with DBNO music continuing after the player has been revived.
  • Fix an issue with music not playing for players joining the Test the Limits quest late.




GENERAL

UI

  • Quantity selector slider and settings slider will now accelerate over time when using a gamepad.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed some issues with being able to click survey answers with mouse buttons other than the primary (left) button.
  • Fixed an issue with the bottom bar being missing/obscured on the player reporting screen.
  • Updated the controller settings screen so the text for the header “Controller Configurations” can grow vertically as opposed to growing wider. This stops text from going behind the next column.

SOCIAL

  • Added a “Joinable Parties” section to the Social Panel to provide a quick overview of the parties that your friend(s) are in with at least two members.
    • Party Invite list is now merged into this list. In the case of an invite, the sender’s name will get highlighted in the party entry, and the entry itself will have a different background.
  • The “Game” Voice Channel has been added and allows speaking to and hearing only the people in:
    • Your Battle Royale Squad
    • Your Save the World Team
    • Your Creative Island’s Voice Chat
  • New options have been added to the Social Panel when clicking on yourself.  In addition to being able to set Online / Away, you can now
    • Adjust your party’s Privacy settings
    • Change the Voice Channel you want to use during active gameplay.
      • Choose “Party” to speak with everyone in your party, and “Game” to speak to the game-specific channel.

GAMEPLAY

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug where traps could be hidden under the terrain.
  • Fix for switching to Save the World when joining a friend in Battle Royale’s party
  • Fixed launchpad transition animations triggering incorrectly if you immediately attached to a zip line
  • Fixed traps not triggering when inside their triggering range, but behind a building piece that gets destroyed

PERFORMANCE

  • We’ve increased the bandwidth cap for all game modes.
    • This should help with network performance issues across all platforms.

Xiaomi Showcases Its First 100W Super Fast Charging Demo On A 4000mAh Battery – Gets Full In 17 Minutes

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Fast charging is a feature which almost every modern smartphone has. The technologies regarding charging and batteries have crossed boundaries ever since. With modern smartphones coming in with even bigger batteries, the time required to shorten the charging period is definitely the centre of attention. Today Xiaomi has showcased the world’s first 100W fast charging demo on a 4000 mAh battery.

The demo showcased a couple of devices with connected to a power source together. A Xiaomi phone connected to a 100W power source and another device with a 3700 mAh battery connected to a 50W power source. The Xiaomi smartphone achieves a full charge in a matter of minutes, 17 to be exact while the other phone manages to fill up 65% of the tank.

Xiaomi was one of the very few innovators to promote quick charge technologies as things went on and was the first to include a 20W wireless charger with its flagship devices. With the successful of this experiment under optimized conditions we could expect Xiaomi to take initiative and introduce top of the line quick charging technologies in their upcoming smartphones.

https://www.facebook.com/wangxiang.xiaomi/videos/337246410239405/

Having about a 100W of power at disposal definitely comes with its fair share of hurdles and would create a massive amount of heat which unless tackled to perfection can cause serious issues. After what happened with Samsung in this department, Xiaomi would want to step up their quality control regarding the matter just to be on the safe side.

This experiment also confirms that the future is bright when we consider the fact that slow charging has been a pain since ages. Super fast turbocharging could be around the corner and with that, we could expect even bigger battery sizes on modern smartphones. For now, all we can do is hope that Xiaomi implements this technology soon in their products. Exploiting this aspect of the smartphone market would certainly cater a massive audience since the issue is extremely vast. This would also act as a driving force for Xiaomi’s market shares in Europe.

Xiaomi Takes Jabs At Huawei’s P30 Pro – Made Sure It’s Heard At Huawei’s P30 Keynote

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Huawei has just wrapped up their Huawei P30 keynote and it seems like Xiaomi has begun throwing jabs at the non-pro Huawei P30. it’s not typical for Xiaomi to throw jabs at their competitors this clearly. However, over the past few months, Xiaomi has been more than blatant enough for comparing their devices to its rivals.

Xiaomi Mi 9 vs Huawei P30 Specifications & Features – Xiaomi tries to take the first jab at the Chinese giant’s latest flagship

Xiaomi’s social media channels have just posted a spec comparison between the Xiaomi Mi 9 and the Huawei P30, making the Xiaomi Mi 9 looking a whole lot better on paper compared to Huawei’s P30.

For a bit of revision, Xiaomi’s Mi 9 features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC, a 6.4-inch Full HD display, a triple rear camera setup, an under-display fingerprint sensor, 20W wireless charging support and more. Furthermore, the Xiaomi Mi 9 comes in a few variants, but Xiaomi chose to compare their 6GB/128GB variant to Huawei’s equally equipped P30.

The Huawei P30, on the other hand, comes with a 6.1-inch Full HD+ display, Huawei’s in-house Kirin 980 SoC, a rear triple-camera setup, an under-display fingerprint sensor. and the same storage/RAM configuration as the Mi 9.

However, in classic biased fashion, Xiaomi is being sneaky is by not comparing the battery sizes, DxOMark scores and mentioning that the Huawei P30 actually comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. And this is where the Huawei P30 clearly trumps Xiaomi’s Mi 9. The Huawei P30 comes with a 3650mAh battery compared to the Mi 9. Regarding the P30’s score, you could rest assured that the Huawei P30 would be able to score above the Mi 9 given how many improvements Huawei has introduced this year, especially in the camera department where once the P20 dominated alongside its elder brother, the P20 Pro.

Sure, value is one core area where Xiaomi has done an incredible job at. I mean, we’re comparing a $449 device to a $799 device. However, Xiaomi has since announced that the next Xiaomi flagship may not be all that valuable anymore as they plan to take on Huawei and innovate just as well as Huawei does. After all, it’s in Xiaomi’s best interest to dethrone Huawei from the top spot in China.

Apple Announces The Apple Card – A Credit Card Built To Satisfy Modern Cosmopolitanism

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Apple’s product line up has been phenomenal these recent years. With more and more emphasis on polishing the already existent technology, Apple is redefining classic problems with modern solutions. Today Apple has announced a new method of purchase, an Apple credit card.

Considering the fact that services like Apple Pay and Google Pay have been around for quite some time, Apple has felt the need to introduce a complete standalone credit card service for Apple enthusiasts. The Apple Card is a virtual credit card completely transparent and independent of any banks. The Apple Card is directly affiliated with Apple and offers a clean and secure experience for those who like to shop online.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAZiE9NtRfs

The Apple Card can be virtually used anywhere where there is support for Apple Pay and other services by Apple. Moreover Apple thanks to its software has brought in a completely new and mesmerizing interface under the wallet’s app on iPhone. The Apple Card now fully harnesses the power of iPhone and intelligently manages dues, spendings and payments.

With this new credit card, Apple claims that every transaction is secure, transparent and instantaneous making Apple Card superior to all the mainstream credit card services. Furthermore, users can now for the first time transfer cash to their bank accounts from their Apple Cash Card within a matter of minutes. Protected solely by the user’s fingerprint and face ID, the Apple Card hosts no number and has a set of complex algorithms working to make it one of the most secure systems.

Now if Apple plans on taking mainstream consumer market then they would definitely want to opt for an offline and physical version of their Apple Card and they have done exactly that. A titanium plate laser etched to perfection would be available for folks wanting to use their Apple Cards as a mean of purchase. This physical card would be usable anywhere in the world hassle-free.

Apple’s credit card is the first to encourage a non-interest policy bringing in more power to the people with no hidden payments or charges. Moreover, when buying something using the Apple Credit Card you receive some percentage of that purchase back immediately. This makes for a compelling choice for Apple enthusiasts. The Apple Card hits markets this Summer and would join Apple’s fleet of quality services soon.

Huawei P30 & P30 Pro Revealed – Huawei’s Camera Game Is Now On Another Level

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Huawei has finally revealed the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro. And oh boy, they weren’t joking. Huawei’s going to have the last laugh this year as the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro decimate the market with their sheer performance and camera experiences.

After a plethora of leaks and rumours about the device, Huawei’s P30 and P30 Pro is live and it has definitely changed the course of modern smartphone computing for good. After Huawei’s Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, the Chinese tech giant has opted for a more modern and sleeker looking device, a direct successor to the P20.

Geometry & General Design Language Of The Phones

Taking A look at the exterior of the phone, the phone satisfies the leaked renders and brings the leaks to life. Featuring a huge 6.47-inch/6.1-inch display with a substantially minute notch as compared to the Mate 20 Pro. Huawei’s design choice here carries the same Huawei DNA but adds a layer of innovation to the mainframe.

The P30 offers a standard flat display panel while the P30 Pro takes it up a notch by featuring a curved edge display very similar to the Galaxy S series smartphones. As for the material choice, the P30/P30 Pro consists of the standard metal aluminium and glass slab which is basically the standard for all modern flagships. The back of the device is where all the magic happens and all four cameras are situated. The geometry of the device is quite unique and the arrangement of the sensors are unorthodox as well. The three major sensors are aligned in a parallel manner while a smaller depth sensor is situated besides the module below the flash.

Overall the back of the phone is pretty clean with a Huawei branding and Leica label on the left-hand side of the phone. Design wise the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro definitely step up over the previous year, polishing the rough corners in their design and overall stepping and acting as a direct competitor to the Galaxy S10.

The Beastly Camera Setup On The P30 & P30 Pro

One of the highlights of the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro is the innovation and work invested in the camera department of the phones. Huawei has definitely taken time and brought in unexpected features with an immense upgrade over the previous generation. With over 5 cameras on the device the P30 comes full of different tricks.

As for the front-facing sensor, not much is going on for the device except the fact that Huawei has shifted its gaze from a more secure and complex face unlock setup to an insecure and compact single camera setup. The front now features a 32 MP, f/2.0 aperture sensor with face unlock capabilities and various modern gimmicks like AR fun etc.

The rear of the phone is what the device is all about and for 2019, Huawei has chosen a very unique array of sensors. The rear features a quad camera setup with a 40MP standard shooter, a 20MP Ultra Wide Angle Lens and an 8MP Telephoto Lens. The fourth camera is a TOF ( Time Of Flight) sensor with depth sensing capabilities. The P30 sacrifices the TOF camera and only features a triple camera setup for a price cut.

The Huawei P30 & P30 Pro for the first time features an optical zoom lens. The lens offers a 5X optical zoom without any degradation in quality and then steps it up with the software by achieving up to 50X zoom paired with digital zoom. The phone achieves this by a periscope design, consisting of a literal prism present inside the phone which makes all the magic happen. All of this paired with optical image stabilization makes the zoom lens produce a worthy experience and lefts a lot to be desired when it comes to other smartphones.

Out of them all, the standard and telephoto lens consists of optical image stabilization which is always a decent perk to have. As for low light performances, the Huawei P30 for the first time uses RYYB colour sensing technology instead of the traditional RGGB technology which allows the sensor to absorb 40% more light. This allows for superior low light performance as compared to previous generation cameras.

Internals, Specifications & Features Of The Devices

As for the internals of the devices, the P30 and P30 Pro are powered by the same old 7nm Kirin 980 SoC. Now, the Kirin 980 powered the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro last year and the release cycles for Huawei devices have definitely been unusual making the life cycle of a Huawei flagship smaller than a year if compared to other manufacturers.

The display of the phone is stunning and it shows the class and grade of the phone. Having a 6.47-inch/6.1-inch dew drop display with dual curved edges on the Pro variant, the FHD+ 2340×1080 display defines flagship grade. Huawei definitely means business as the P30 comes with an OLED panel offering stunning colours and deep inky blacks and blues.

As for the sensors integrated under the display, both the phones feature an in display fingerprint sensor and an in display speaker. The screen of the device no acts as a speaker as the display vibrates accordingly to the different wavelengths of sound. The front of the phone now acts as a speaker which could mean that we would be able to experience heightened sound quality and loudness.

The Huawei P30 now comes with a massive 4200 mAh battery with IP 68 & 67 ratings. The phone supports 15W Huawei Quick Charge up to a whopping 40W SuperCharge. Surprisingly enough, the P30 Pro does not have a headphone jack while the P30 still houses a headphone jack. Both the devices run the latest Android 9 Pie with an EMUI skin on top. Here are the complete specifications.

SpecificationsHuawei P30 Huawei P30 Pro
Display6.1-inches FHD+ 2340*1080 OLED6.47-inches FHD+ 2340*1080 OLED
Memory6/8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM 6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
8 GB RAM + 128/256/512 GB ROM
ProcessorHUAWEI Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor
Dual NPUs(Neural-network Processing Unit)
2*Cortex-A76 Based 2.6GHz+ 2*Cortex-A76 Based 1.92GHz + 4*Cortex-A55 1.8GHz
HUAWEI Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor
Dual NPUs(Neural-network Processing Unit)
2*Cortex-A76 Based 2.6GHz+ 2*Cortex-A76 Based 1.92GHz + 4*Cortex-A55 1.8GHz
CamerasRear Camera:
Leica Triple Camera:
40 MP (Wide Angle Lens, f/1.8 aperture) + 16 MP (Ultra Wide Angle Lens, f/2.2 aperture) + 8 MP (Telephoto, f/2.4 aperture,OIS), supports autofocus (laser focus, phase focus, contrast focus), supports AIS (HUAWEI AI Image Stabilization).

Front Camera:
32 MP, f/2.0 aperture
Rear Camera:
Leica Quad Camera:
40 MP (Wide Angle Lens, f/1.6 aperture,OIS) + 20 MP (Ultra Wide Angle Lens, f/2.2 aperture) + 8 MP (Telephoto, f/3.4 aperture,OIS)
HUAWEI Time-of-Flight(TOF) Camera
supports autofocus (laser focus, phase focus, contrast focus), supports AIS (HUAWEI AI Image Stabilization).

Front Camera:
32 MP, f/2.0 aperture
ColoursAmber SunriseBreathing CrystalPearl WhiteAuroraBlackAmber SunriseBreathing CrystalPearl WhiteAuroraBlack
DimensionsWidth:71.36mmHeight:149.1mmDepth:7.57mmWeight:Approx. 165g (including the battery)Width:73.4mmHeight:158.0mmDepth:8.41mmWeight:Approx. 192 g (including the battery)
Battery Capacity3650mAh4200mAh

Colours, Variants & Availability

Both the devices come in a variety of gradient colours which Huawei has been exceptional in. The P30 and P30 Pro come in an Amber Sunrise, Breathing Crystal, Pearl White, Aurora and Black colour choices for enthusiasts. As for the storage options, both the phones come in 6GB/8GB RAM options with the P30 topping at the 128GB internal storage mark while the P30 Pro goes all the way up to the 512GB mark. Pricing for the P30 Pro start at €999 and at €799 for the P30.

Days Gone Gets A Story Trailer – The Zombie Apocalypse Experience You Want

Days Gone is an Open World game filled with mindless zombies roaming around to eat your brains. But perhaps the zombies are not your enemies, your fellow survivors are. The story trailer for the game has been released and it shows a story you do not want to miss out on.

Days Gone features a very vast and changing Open World with beautiful graphics. The game’s world is very harsh with scenes that change by the minute. One minute you are in a dense alpine forest and the next you find yourself in a snowfield or a lush meadow. Before long you find yourself fighting zombies through hard desert lava fields and caves.

In this Open World Sandbox game, you are sure to have loads of fun. Whether you decide to take on the main story of the game with heart-crushing narratives or you decide to have fun exploring the sandbox world on your trusty bike, you have tons of stuff to do in the game.

You play as the main protagonist Deacon St John, who is a bounty hunter that faces the savage world every day to survive while searching for the reason to live on. The story is very immersive as the game, believe it or not, is not all about the zombie apocalypse. You get to go through human desperation, loss, madness, betrayal, friendship, brotherhood, regret, love, and hope. You go through all of these feelings and experiences while fighting the horde of zombies to live on as humanity is decreasing in numbers to eventual extinction. Somehow, the hope never dies even when confronted with tragedy and betrayal. The story overall is very good and it certainly adds to the experience.

You have a lot of dangers roaming around in this Open World. Roaming Zombies referred to as Freakers, fellow human survivors, and dangerous animal predators roaming in the wilderness. All of them pose a serious threat that you will encounter and will have to tackle to survive in this very harsh world. Where even friends and fellow survivors can’t be trusted, you have Deacon’s one and only true friend, his trusted bike that he relies on in his darkest of times. The bike can be upgraded to include more gas, increase gas mileage, faster speeds and more.

The game is set to release on April 26th as a PlayStation 4 exclusive. This Zombie Apocalypse in an Open World Sandbox is sure to keep you plenty busy this summer.

Blood & Truth Launches May 28th On PS VR – Interactive Blockbuster Movie Like Game in VR

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Perhaps one of the most exciting additions to not only PS VR but VR games in general, Blood & Truth. Set to release on May 28th, this action hero game developed by SIE London Studios is one game you do not want to miss out on.

Most action games in the past have had you as the main character going through a wild series of events to totally immerse you into the game. Games like Grand Theft Auto V, The Mafia series, Max Payne, L.A. Noire, and many others feature you as the main character going through a story that really draws you in. Video games like these have been able to give very good experiences to the player but this particular VR game takes it to an even higher level. With the capabilities of Virtual Reality, games have the potential to go to a new level of experiences for the player. This especially stands true for a game like Blood & Truth.

In Blood & Truth, you play as the main protagonist named Ryan Marks who is an army soldier set out to save your family from a savage criminal empire. You are the center of it all and get to experience it first hand in VR. Experience amazing fights against a horde of enemies through various locations and situations in a thrilling manner all to save your family. Jump out of the helicopter into the ocean or take cover to avoid gunshot while you fight back. you’ll have your heart pumping really fast with that adrenaline rush going through you while you play this game.

All of this sounds good does it not. Just the Idea of being your own main hero is thrilling, just like James Bond in his action movies. The game does not automatically get points for being a good action game just because it is in VR.

As can be seen in the short trailer, Blood & Truth is beautifully put together with a good storyline set in iconic London locations. The game has very good and convincing characters and their voice lines sell the experience even more. The game also features a very good combat system on top that really completes the experience. Don’t be sold on it too much though, you can’t be completely attached to the characters in-game. Else you will find it hard to move on if your favorite character ends up dying and let’s be fair that always ends up happening.

Battlefield 1’s Competitive 5v5 Mode, Incursions, About To Get Its Plug Pulled

After months and years of updates and incredible gameplay, the folks over at DICE have finally decided to pull the plug on the Incursions game mode from Battlefield V.

It was DICE’s first take on 5v5 gameplay after realizing how important e-sports has bloomed over the past few years, especially with the competitors like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rainbow Six Siege around, DICE, for the first time tried to introduce their take on the competitive side of Battlefield 1. However, it seems like it didn’t last long.

Titles such as CSGO and Rainbow Six Siege focus on strong chemistry between teammates and do put a ton of emphasis on certain aspects of the game such as clear audible cues, spray patterns and more. However, despite the reduced 3D map spotting and other casual features being disabled, Battlefield 1 did not manage to captivate its player base. It seems like Battlefield V may have taken the cake here which left the player base on Battlefield 1’s side in limbo.

But then, the whole reason of playing a Battlefield title apart from its incredible graphics is to experience the 64-player mayhem.

We started the journey of Battlefield™ 1 Incursions with a goal of building a competitive Battlefield™ 1 experience with the community in mind. Your feedback, comments, suggestions, and support helped us to better understand what works – and what doesn’t work – for competitive Battlefield™, said DICE.

They then further added…

With this in mind, we’ve decided to sunset Battlefield 1 Incursions. Effective April 25, 2019, Battlefield 1 Incursions will no longer be accessible or available to download. Players who’ve already downloaded Battlefield 1 Incursions will not be able to start or join matches and no further development will be made on this experience.

With that being said, it’s interesting to see how the 5v5 competitive mode did not work out for the folks over at DICE. However, in my personal opinion, the modern setting of Battlefield 4 made it a whole lot more compelling of a title for the e-sports scene. Hopefully, DICE gives the modern war environment another chance.