Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is bringing popular rappers into the game, in celebration of 50 years of Hip-Hop music. As part of its Season 5 update, coming August 2, Activision confirmed that Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj will be joining the game and its battle royale counterpart, Warzone 2.0, as playable operators. Other major additions include three new multiplayer maps and several ‘War Track’ packs composed of hip-hop music to listen to in-game. The studio also teased a third operator by only showing their silhouette, but Activision’s blog post reveals it’s 21 Savage. No pricing details have been confirmed at this time but like previous collaborations, they should be available to buy as separate bundles.
Minaj’s appearance in Call of Duty was, sort of, signalled in a promo video from last year, before Modern Warfare II dropped worldwide. As per the official blog post, the artist’s look is inspired by her latest alter ego ‘Red Ruby Da Sleeze,’ which coincidentally timed perfectly with the Barbie movie’s release, which led to an internet obsession with the colour pink and everything sassy. Even her assault rifle is bright pink coloured, details of which will be revealed later. Meanwhile, this marks the third in-game appearance for Snoop Dogg; he first appeared as a multiplayer announcer in Call of Duty: Ghosts and then went on to appear in Call of Duty: Vanguard and Mobile. Snoop Dogg’s rifle in the upcoming collaboration is a silenced, blue-tinted one, adorned with gold engravings that of course resemble a marijuana leaf.
Call of Duty is no stranger to weird collaborations, having recently teamed up with the Amazon Prime Video series The Boys to bring Homelander, Starlight, and Black Noir into the game — each with their own brutal finishers like laser eyes. Other fun crossovers include the Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, outfits based on the Attack on Titan anime, and even adding Godzilla to the map as part of a limited-time mode in 2022. With more brand partnerships, we can only expect more outlandish operators to flood the streets, akin to how Fortnite’s been doing it for years now.
Season 5 also brings three new multiplayer maps — Livestock, an offshore Petrov Oil Rig, and Harbor flush with fish markets and shipping areas. Be prepared for some new game modes as well, starting with Havoc, which while fashioned like a classic arena shooter, injects a random selection of modifiers that’s aimed at making gameplay frenetic. Your operator’s jump heights could be affected to simulate if they were walking on the moon, landing from high altitudes might cause a grenade-like explosion around you, and more. There are some ‘big’ capture-the-flag modes coming your way, alongside Gunfight Variants, which pits you in close-quarters 2v2 and 4v4 matchups. Expect a battle pass as well, while Warzone 2.0 adds a dirt bike and an MRAP armoured vehicle to its catalogue.
Vivo S20 could launch soon. It is expected to succeed the Vivo S19, which was unveiled in China in May. The Vivo S20 handset has not yet been officially confirmed, however, an upcoming Vivo smartphone, speculated to be the S20, has surfaced on a certification site. Meanwhile, key features of the purported phone, including display, camera, chipset and battery details have been tipped. Notably, the preceding Vivo S19 launched alongside a Pro variant. Therefore, it is likely that the vanilla Vivo S20 version may come with a Vivo S20 Pro model.
Vivo S20 Features (Expected)
A Vivo handset with the model number V2429A was spotted on the TENAA certification site. It is speculated to be the Vivo S20. Meanwhile, tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) has shared a list of features of the purported handset in a Weibo post. It may come with a 6.67-inch 1.5K (1,260 x 2,800 pixels) OLED screen.
The Vivo S20 is said to be powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset. For security, the handset could carry an optical fingerprint sensor. It is expected to be backed by a 6,365mAh rated or a 6,500mAh typical battery. The phone could measure 7.19mm in thickness and may weigh 185.5g.
In the camera department, the Vivo S20 could carry a dual rear camera unit, including a 50-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter. The front camera of the handset could be equipped with a 50-megapixel sensor.
Vivo S19 Specifications
The Vivo S19 was launched in China alongside the Vivo S19 Pro in May this year. The vanilla model comes with a 6.78-inch 1.5K OLED screen, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC, a 50-megapixel dual rear camera unit, and a 50-megapixel selfie shooter. The phone packs a 6,000mAh battery with 80W wired fast charging support. It measures 7.19mm in thickness and weighs 193g.
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Honor has unveiled a lineup of new products at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The Chinese manufacturer debuted the Honor Magic 6 Series, Honor Magic V2 ahead of the event. The company also launched a new laptop and a tablet at MWC. The Honor MagicBook Pro 16 and the Honor Pad 9 were unveiled Sunday. The new laptop boasts AI features and is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series GPU. The Honor Pad 9, on the other hand, runs on a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset and features a 12.1-inch display with 2.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
Honor MagicBook Pro 16 and Honor Pad 9 Price
The Honor MagicBook Pro 16 comes in White and Purple colourways. Honor is yet to reveal pricing details for the laptop but has confirmed that it will initially hit the Chinese market, with a global release anticipated in in the second quarter of 2024.
Pricing for the Honor Pad 9 starts at GBP 299.99 (roughly Rs. 31,499) in the UK for the single 8GB + 256GB RAM and storage model. With the keyboard attachment, the tablet is priced at GBP 349.99 (roughly Rs. 36,748). The Honor Pad 9 comes in Cyan Lake and Space Gray colourways and is currently available to buy in China, select regions in Europe, and Saudi Arabia via the Honor website.
Honor MagicBook Pro 16 specifications
The Honor MagicBook Pro 16 runs Windows 11 out-of-the-box and is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H with six performance cores, eight efficient cores, and two low-power efficient cores. The laptop’s 16-inch display sports a resolution of 3072 x 1920 pixels,100 percent DCI-P3 and 100 percent sRGB wide color gamut support, and a refresh rate of up to 165Hz.
Honor’s laptop comes with a GeForce RTX 40 series laptop GPU. It comes packed with AI features like Smart Picture Search, Smart Document Summary, Text Comprehension, AI Subtitle, and Magic Text.
The Honor MagicBook Pro 16 includes six speakers, with four woofers and two tweeters. Honor claims it is the world’s first spatial audio laptop on a Windows-based PC. The laptop comes with a 75Wh battery and claims to offer up to 12 hours of battery life.
The Honor Pad 9 sports a 12.1-inch LCD display Photo Credit: Honor
Honor Pad 9 specifications
Honor Pad 9 runs Android 13-based MagicOS 7.2 and is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. It features a 12.1-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.
The newly launched tablet sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, OTG and a USB Type-C port. The tablet also comes with an accelerometer, ambient light sensor and a gravity sensor.
Honor’s latest tablet packs an 8,300mAh battery and includes dual microphones and 8 speakers. The Honor Pad 9 measures 278.27 x 180.11 x 6.9mm in size and weighs approximately 555g.
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An increase in solar activity has resulted in the early re-entry of three CubeSats from Curtin University’s Binar Space Program. These small satellites, which operated at low Earth orbit, were designed to last for at least six months. However, due to intensified solar conditions, they were destroyed within two months, significantly shortening their scientific mission.
CubeSats like Binar-2, 3 and 4 are particularly vulnerable to space weather impacts because they lack propulsion systems that could counteract the heightened atmospheric drag caused by solar activity. The satellite programme had launched Binar-1 in 2021 during relatively low solar activity, which allowed it to complete a full year in orbit.
The Science Behind Solar Activity
As per a report by The Conversation, solar activity, which includes phenomena such as solar flares, sunspots and solar wind, follows an 11-year cycle driven by the Sun’s magnetic field. Known as “solar cycle 25,” this phase has shown unexpected activity levels, currently over 1.5 times higher than projected. This has impacted not only the Binar satellites but also large-scale operations like the Starlink constellation and the International Space Station, both of which require continuous adjustments to counter increased drag.
Impact of Space Weather on Satellites and Earth
Increased solar activity generates higher levels of ionising radiation and charged particles. This can damage sensitive satellite electronics, disrupt radio communications and increase radiation exposure for astronauts. The intensified solar conditions have also expanded the Earth’s atmosphere outward, leading to increased drag for satellites in low Earth orbit. This affects many smaller satellites, which lack the capability to adjust their altitude.
The recent solar activity has also created more visible auroras, with these atmospheric light displays appearing closer to the equator than seen in decades.
Future Considerations for Space Missions
Despite current challenges, solar activity is expected to decline gradually, reaching a minimum by 2030. This pause may offer more favourable conditions for future missions. In response to current conditions, work has commenced on future Binar missions, which may benefit from a more predictable space weather environment.
A new month brings more new games to look forward to, and August is no different. A diverse lineup of games both big and small awaits us, covering a wide spectrum of genres. Kicking things off is a heavy hitter — Baldur’s Gate 3, the much-awaited RPG from Larian Studios, which arrives August 3. You can expect the purest RPG experience from Baldur’s Gate, one whose roots can be traced to tabletop RPGs of yore. Larian doesn’t cut corners and its games offer a plethora of meaningful choices, character builds, and gameplay approaches.
August also brings the next game from FromSoftware — Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. The makers of Elden Ring are reviving their long-dormant mech-combat series, which perhaps might not be familiar to many gamers. Since the last Armored Core title released in 2012, the Japanese developer has found sensational success with the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and most recently with Elden Ring. FromSoftware is known for its difficult but rewarding games, and Armored Core will be a departure from its regular slate of titles. That said, you can expect the same level of uncompromising adherence to its game design ethos.
Then there’s Immortals of Aveum, EA’s new IP focusing on first-person magic-based combat, much like Ghostwire Tokyo. Sports fans can get their hands on Madden NFL 24, and if you just want a laid-back narrative-driven experience, upcoming indie title Goodbye Volcano High with its high-school theme, evocative soundtrack and beautiful art style could be the game for you. August offers a lot more – here are our picks for the biggest game releases of the month.
Baldur’s Gate 3
When: August 3 Where: PC
Having spent nearly three years in early access, Larian Studios appears to have slow-cooked Baldur’s Gate 3 to the kind of perfection that’d have D&D enthusiasts giddy with excitement. The land of Faerûn is under siege by a group of creatures — including us — whose brains have been infected by Mind Flayers. Lost in a trance and with the parasite slowly turning you into a monster, it’s for you to decide whether to resist the corruption or embrace the otherworldly powers, gambling it all in a dynamic world where every dice roll shapes your fate. Embody one of the seven Origin characters to enjoy their uniquely hand-crafted stories, or build your own custom protagonist and recruit them to fight beside you in the war against devils, deities, and sinister forces.
Baldur’s Gate 3 promises a vast character creation suite, with a dozen classes, 11 races, 31 subraces, and over 600 spells to choose from, all of which factor into your overall stat. Its expansive campaign rewards exploration in every corner, in addition to offering a challenging turn-based combat experience that’s more accessible, thanks to three difficulty settings. This CRPG is so big, in fact, that the cinematics alone will keep you entertained for over 174 hours. Add to it the ability to nurture strong bonds and explore romance options with those you meet along the way, and this is a role-playing game that shows a ton of promise. BG3 can also be played in co-op with friends or players online to help tackle its numerous quests together, or strategise and split your party for better coverage.
Moving Out 2
When: August 15 Where – PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch
Moving out is a rite of passage for many millennials and Gen Z-ers. It’s a time of excitement and independence, but it can also be a stressful and overwhelming experience. That’s where Moving Out 2 comes in! This fun and addictive game makes moving out fun and easy.
In Moving Out 2, you and your friends play as a team of professional movers. You’ll work together to pack up, load, and transport furniture and other belongings from one home to another. Working together as a team will make moving much easier. Along the way, you’ll encounter all sorts of obstacles, from tight spaces to dangerous objects. You’ll have plenty of tools and power-ups to help you overcome them.
Power-ups can give you a temporary boost in strength or speed, which can be helpful when moving heavy objects. There are often objects in the environment that you can use to help you move furniture, such as ramps and elevators. It’s the perfect game for anyone who’s ever moved, or who’s thinking about moving in the future.
Madden NFL 24
When – August 18 Where – PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Madden NFL 24 is the latest instalment in the popular American football video game franchise. One of the most significant changes in Madden NFL 24 is the new engine, which will allow for more realistic collisions and tackles, and it will also make the game more responsive. This will make the game feel more like real football, and it will give players more control over their players.
Another new feature in Madden NFL 24 is the improved career mode, which will allow players to create their own players and take them through their entire careers. Players will be able to choose their college team and their NFL team, and they will be able to make decisions that will affect their careers.
Madden NFL 24 will also offer a host of other new features, including a new commentary team, new stadiums, and new uniforms. The game will also feature updated rosters and ratings to possibly make it the most realistic football game ever made. The game is sure to be a hit with NFL fans, as it promises to make you feel like you’re on the field.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
When: August 18 Where: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
If you enjoyed the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film franchise, this upcoming title from Sumo Digital will let you step into the shoes of the infamous Slaughter family, as you track and hunt down your victims before they escape. This asymmetrical title is based on the 1974 horror movie, and will allow you to play as Leatherface, the Hitchhiker, Johnny, the Cook, and Sissy.
You can also play as one of the guests — or victims — but you’ll need to stay alert and use tools in your surroundings to find a way out. These victims include Connie Taylor, Leland McKinney, Julie Crawford, Ana Flores, and Sonny. It will also let you team up with your friends with the built-in co-operative (coop) mode. Movie buffs will be glad to know that Edwin Neal, who played The Hitchhiker in the original movie, reprises his role in the game.
Immortals of Aveum
When: August 22 Where: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
Revealed at The Game Awards 2022, this first-person shooter with spell-based combat is set in the world of Aveum, where soldiers are fighting the Everwar. You will play as Jak, one of the battlemages and a Triarch Magnus, as you work towards discovering the truth about its past — if you want to save the planet before all is destroyed.
Like some of the most popular magic-based games, you can use 25 offensive and defensive spells, along with more than 80 talents and magical equipment — these can be honed and upgraded as you progress in the game. Immortals of Aveum offers very fast-paced combat, so you’ll have to learn how to chain attacks together in order to win against your enemies.
The magic effects and particles in Immortals of Aveum feel quite distracting Photo Credit: EA/ Ascendant Studios
Blasphemous 2
When: August 24 Where: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch
The Game Kitchen’s Blasphemous 2 is a 2D Metroidvania, much in the mould of Dead Cells. The game follows the journey of The Penitent One, picking up the story from the first game and its DLC. This time, it’s a new world bursting to the rim with new dangers and secrets. As you’d expect from a Metroidvania, the game plays out as a recurring loop of death and resurrection, as you explore maze-like intricate levels and engage in flashy combat.
The sequel to 2019’s Blasphemous will bring new weapons to your arsenal and new ways to kill. There are boss battles to wage, mysteries to uncover, and NPCs to befriend. There’s also a ton of customisation options for both your abilities and weapons, so you’re never really tied down to a play style. Is a Dead Cells-like Metroidvania truly complete without the throwback pixel art style? Blasphemous 2 arrives August 24 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch.
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon
When: August 25 Where: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
FromSoftware is returning to its mech-crunching roots, tossing you into a dystopian future where interstellar travel is commonplace in an effort to locate the Coral, a rare energy source that has resurfaced on the ashen planet of Rubicon 3. Taking up the mantle of the mercenary 621, you’re thrust into an intergalactic war for the substance, competing with countless other extra-terrestrial corporations and resistance groups. Director Masaru Yamamura stressed that while Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon takes heavy knowledge from its years of experience in souls-like titles, at its core, the gameplay loop is still focused on customisation – specifically, assembling the mechs and swapping out parts to fare better in battles.
Each AC unit is equipped with four weapons — one for each arm and shoulder — which is entirely your space to mess around with and fine-tune your battle style. Pick from projectile weapons like Gatling and energy guns, to pulse blades, shields, missile launchers, and more, in addition to dripping out your mechs in new colours and fashion by way of body modifications. Combat is way more fast-paced than the Soulsborne games, relying on both melee and long-range attacks that help dispatch ingeniously designed bosses that scream FromSoftware DNA. Battle huge combat helicopters and armoured mobile turrets using the new Assault Boost to quickly close distance by swooping in, before landing a finishing blow. It’s easily the best-looking mech game to come out in years.
Director Masaru Yamamura stressed that Armored Core 6 will not be a souls-like game Photo Credit: FromSoftware
Goodbye Volcano High
When: August 29 Where: PC, PS4, PS5
High school is a time of hope and uncertainties, as you struggle to figure out what you want out of life before graduation. But, what if that time is cut short by an oncoming asteroid that is sure to cause mass extinction? That’s the premise of Goodbye Volcano High, a cinematic narrative adventure set in a world of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, where Fang and the members of her band VVORM Drama choose to make an impact during the final year. Much of the gameplay revolves around character interactions — specifically in a visual novel format, where choices seem to have a major impact on relationships. What will you do at the end of an era? Confess feelings to your crush, fix family issues, or compose the greatest song ever?
The music sections are fashioned after rhythm games, whereby timing button inputs and moving sticks in a specific way lets you strum guitars and bang drums to the tune of your vocals. By writing songs and trying out different instruments, you can create original tracks to best suit your emotional soundtrack that conveys what the end of the world means to you. During downtimes, immerse yourself in Fang’s day-to-day interactions online via dino-themed social media and text messages, which will progress relationships. All of this is presented in beautiful hand-drawn art that mimics playable cartoons from your childhood, albeit in a more tear-jerking manner.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S25 lineup is expected to go official early next year. As we wait for a formal launch announcement, dimensions for the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra have surfaced online. The leak suggests that the upcoming phones will be slightly thinner than their Galaxy S24 counterparts. Additionally, aluminium dummies and images of alleged screen protectors of the Galaxy S25 models have also emerged online indicating thinner bezels.
Tipster Yeux1122 claimed that the Galaxy S25 will measure 146.94×70.46×7.25mm. For comparison, the Galaxy S24 measures 147×70.6×7.6mm. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25+ is said to measure 158.44 x 75.79 x 7.35mm, slightly slimmer compared to the 158.5×75.9×7.7mm dimensions of the Galaxy S24+.
Lastly, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is said to measure 162.82×77.65×8.25mm, which is also slightly thinner than Galaxy S24 Ultra, that measures 162.3x79x8.6mm.
Aluminium Dummies Show Galaxy S25 Design
Additionally, tipster David (@xleaks7) posted a side-by-side image comparison of the alleged aluminium dummy units of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. In the images, the Ultra model is seen with rounded corners. They appear to have individual camera rings on the rear.
Meanwhile, well-known tipster, Ice Universe @UniverseIce, posted images of alleged screen protectors of the Galaxy S25 family. The tempered glass screen protectors suggest thin bezels for the flagships. They include cutouts for a front-facing camera. All three phones seem to come with flat displays.
Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S25 series in January 2025. The Ultra model is said to run on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, along with up to 16GB of RAM. All three models are likely to ship with Galaxy AI features.
MWC 2024 is live this week in Barcelona, Spain and Lenovo showed off a prototype laptop with a see-through screen on Monday (February 26) during the global event. The Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept has a 17.3-inch Micro-LED transparent display. Besides this concept laptop, the Chinese tech giant has introduced a new lineup of ThinkPad and ThinkBook business laptops alongside the ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 portable mobile monitor during the event. The latest generation of ThinkPad lineup includes ThinkPad T14 i Gen 5, ThinkPad T14s Gen 5, ThinkPad T16 Gen 3, ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2, and ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4. They are powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processors with Intel vPro on select models.
Lenovo unveiled a transparent see-through laptop at the MWC 2024. In a statement, the company said that the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept is the industry’s first laptop with a 17.3-inch Micro-LED transparent display. The laptop has a borderless screen with 1000 nits of brightness. It has a transparent keyboard area and is said to use artificial intelligence (AI) in tasks. The laptop will allow users to switch between the keyboard and drawing board with a supported pen. Lenovo said that the laptop is a ‘proof of concept’. It is not expected to be available for purchase anytime soon.
Price and availability details of new laptops and monitor are not available at this moment. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 are available in Eclipse Black or Luna Grey colour options, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 and ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 are offered in Eclipse Black shade.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5, ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 specifications
Both Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 run on Windows 11 Pro and offer up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. They are powered by Intel’s Ultra Core processors with Intel vPro and Intel Arc graphics. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 model also be available with an AMD Ryzen 8040 CPU option with built-in AMD Ryzen AI.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 comes with up to 14-inch 2.8K OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, and 400nits brightness. The ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 supports up to 16-inch OLED display with 4K resolution. They feature a 5-megapixel camera and include dual speakers alongside dual microphones.
It is backed by up to 52.5Whr battery unit, while the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 offers up to 86Whr battery. Both models have a fingerprint reader on the keyboard and an IR Camera option with Windows Hello facial recognition. They offer up to Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 measures 315.9×223.7×17.7mm and weighs around 1.30 kilograms, whereas the ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 measures 359.7×251.7×23.5mm and weighs 1.63 kilograms.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5, ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 specifications
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 and Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 laptops run on the Windows 11 Pro operating system and are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors featuring Intel vPro. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 offers up to 64GB DDR5 memory and up to 2TB PCIe Gen4x4 SSD storage. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 has up to 32GB LPDDR5x RAM and a maximum 1TB of PCIe Gen4x4 SSD storage.
Lenovo is offering the ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 with up to 14-inch 2.8K OLED display option with 400nit brightness and 120Hz refresh rate. The ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2, in contrast, comes with a 12.3-inch WUXGA IPS display with 400nits brightness.
Both models pack dual speakers and dual microphones with Dolby Voice support. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 has Dolby Atmos technology, while the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 offers Dolby Audio support. The former gets a 5-megapixel camera while the latter features an 8-megapixel webcam. They also include a fingerprint reader, an IR camera with Windows Hello facial recognition, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and offer support for up to Wi-Fi 7.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 houses a 58Whr battery and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 is backed by a 42Whr battery.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 specifications
Lenovo’s new ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 bring along up to Windows 11 Pro with the latest Intel Core Ultra CPUs and Intel integrated graphics. It supports up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage. The laptop comes with either full-HD or full-HD IR Hybrid camera. The camera will use Windows Hello and the fingerprint reader for security.
ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 Photo Credit: Lenovo
The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 can be used as a tablet and features a 14-inch WU IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 300 nits brightness. It features dual Harman speakers with Dolby Atmos support and 2W output. It is backed by a 60Whr battery, supports up to Wi-Fi 6E, and measures 312×223.5×16.85-18.7mm while weighing around 1.64 kilograms.
Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 Mobile Monitor specifications
Finally, the Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 Mobile Monitor comes with a 14-inch IPS display with a 1,400×2,240 pixels resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, and 60Hz refresh rate. The touch display has a three-sided NearEdgeless bezel design with a 1500:1 contrast ratio and 100 percent coverage of sRGB colour gamut. The display is TUV Rheinland certified for low blue light emissions.
The monitor has dual USB Type-C interface for charging and connectivity. Users can connect the screen to a laptop or smartphone through these ports, which can also be used to charge the device via a power-pass or one AC/DC adapter. The monitor weighs around 700 grams and is 4.6mm thick.
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Coinbase is actively seeking to enhance its suite of services. This week, the crypto exchange completed its acquisition of Utopia Labs, a San Francisco-based blockchain fintech firm. The acquisition aims to refine Coinbase’s on-chain payment systems and services, although financial details have not been disclosed. Coinbase’s valuation was approximately $59.49 billion (roughly Rs. 5,02,159 crore) in March, dropping to $36.26 billion (roughly Rs. 3,06,073 crore) by September.
Moving forward, the Utopia Labs team will join forces with the team behind Base – which is Coinbase’s own layer-2 scaling network, the exchange said in an official blog post. The exchange is expected to enhance recordkeeping for smart contracts, transactions, and tokenization activities directly on the blockchain.
“Base is supporting developers who build onchain apps, those apps attract users on-chain, Wallet onboards those users, and in turn more users incentivise more developers to build on-chain. In pursuit of this, I’m excited to share that the Utopia Labs team is joining Base to help accelerate our on-chain payments roadmap within Coinbase Wallet,” said Jesse Pollak, creator of the layer-2 blockchain Base.
In the coming months, Coinbase will attempt to bring low-cost, fast, and global payments to its users. The focus will also be on strengthening its stablecoin services—cryptocurrencies that are backed by reserve assets like fiat currencies or gold.
“Stablecoins amounted to $8.5 trillion (roughly Rs. 7,17,48,727 crore) in transaction volume across 1.1 billion transactions Q2 2024, and continuing to improve the user experience will be crucial as stablecoin payments continue to grow,” Pollak added.
Founded in 2021, Utopia Labs claims to have developed several solutions to enable low-cost transactions for Web3 projects. The platform shared the official announcement of its acquisition by Coinbase with its follower base of over 16,000 on X.
Since 2021, we’ve launched a suite of products designed to make onchain payments more accessible and efficient for both individuals and businesses.
Today, we’re thrilled to announce that our team is joining @coinbase to accelerate this vision – a world where we’re able to bring… pic.twitter.com/sMyUAyFMZy
For Coinbase, this acquisition follows its recent demonstration of what it called the world’s first AI-to-AI crypto transaction. In September, CEO Brian Armstrong showcased an AI entity purchasing tokens from another AI entity, highlighting the potential of AI integration within Web3.
In July, OpenAI’s Chris Lehane joined Coinbase’s board of directors as one of three new appointees.
Recently, the exchange introduced its Pre-launch Market initiative to support upcoming crypto projects by serving as a launchpad. Coinbase has also been actively challenging the US SEC, seeking clear guidelines on compliant business practices and areas requiring caution.
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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is headed to old-gen platforms. During the Q1 2024 earnings call, EA confirmed that developer Respawn Entertainment is in the early stages of developing dedicated versions for the PS4 and Xbox One. The Cal Kestis-led (Cameron Monaghan) galaxy-spawning adventure originally launched in April, but entirely skipped previous generations — akin to other major publishers, who’ve been leaning toward the newer consoles for ease in optimisation and being able to render the visuals to the highest quality they desire. Currently, there’s no release window, though when it eventually drops on older systems, will be an interesting testing bench to see how much visual fidelity the game sacrificed to run at minimum 30fps on a hard drive.
“Our team at Respawn proudly launched this title [Star Wars Jedi: Survivor] to critical acclaim and commercial success. Millions of players have already engaged with the game, making this one of the biggest events in the Star Wars galaxy this year,” CEO Andrew Wilson said during the call. “Thanks to the strength of this legendary franchise and community demand, our development team has committed to bringing this Jedi experience to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.” The company credited the game and the FIFA 23 ecosystem — soon to be EA Sports FC — as the major proponents of its record-breaking first quarter. Its net bookings for the quarter were $1.58 billion (about Rs. 13,021 crore), up by 21 percent YoY.
That said, the existing version on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X isn’t being abandoned, with Respawn continuing to work on ‘additional improvements’ for better performance. While Star Wars Jedi: Survivor opened to rave reviews — crediting its story and intricate level design — the game delivered poorly on the performance front, especially on PC, causing choppy and inconsistent framerates even during interior segments with barely any movement. The console versions weren’t devoid of those issues either, but it was nowhere close to its state on PC, leading to the game being bombarded with negative reviews on Steam, at launch. The studio has since been releasing patches in a timely manner to gradually bring it to a smoother experience. At the time, Respawn kind of blamed running Windows 10 on newer CPUs as the cause for performance issues, which to my knowledge has never posed downsides on any other game.
Earlier this month, a pair of job listings reportedly appeared on EA’s careers portal for Star Wars Jedi, indicating that a sequel might already be in development. One of them was for the role of a Senior VFX Artist, specifically for Star Wars Jedi, while the other was a listing for a Senior Combat Designer for the ‘Star Wars Team.’ Experience working on Unreal Engine 4 — maybe even UE5 — was a big plus for anyone applying for the role. This aligns with game director Stig Asmussen’s comments from March, where he admitted that he wanted Jedi Knight Cals’ journey to branch out as a trilogy. He further claimed that discussions for potential sequels were happening internally before even 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order came out and that the third game would most likely be built using Unreal Engine 5.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is out on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. Currently, there is no release window for the old-gen version.
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Peter Parker’s Spider-Man origin story is tied to science fiction. However, his Indian counterpart’s existence in the multiverse has more to do with spirituality. The connection becomes even more unmistakably undeniable as one realises that the creatives who first brought Pavitr Prabhakar to life in a Marvel Comics entry in the early 2000s are also behind one of the highest-rated original Indian streaming shows, the trailblazing Disney+ Hotstar series The Legend of Hanuman.
Sharad Devarajan (right), the co-creator of Spider-Man: India (2004), with the late Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee (left). (Graphic India)
In an exclusive interview with HindustanTimes.com, one of these veteran creatives, Sharad Devarajan, went into great detail about Spider-Man: India’s yesteryear big screen debut and hopeful live-action dreams. The founder and CEO of Graphic India, a pioneering Indian character entertainment company, also opened up about the latest season of the Hotstar Specials epic animated project he created alongside Jeevan J Kang and Charuvi Agrawal. Furthermore, the media entrepreneur introduced his brand-new venture, Toonsutra, which gained immense popularity within months of its launch earlier this year.
On Pavitr Prabhakar’s cinematic debut through Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
While live-action MCU films have majorly fumbled in the multiverse domain, the animated Spider-Verse expansion has worked its charms across numerous Earths. They have also, in quite a few ways, done diversity right on the big screen. Without pushing out tokenistic representations, the 2023 Marvel blockbuster especially went where most Western superheroes don’t even think of sailing. Finally shattering the live-action borders that majorly stuck to New York while digging into the superhero affinity, the animated hit even jumped geographical borders, bringing Spider-Man: India to us. Actor Karan Soni lent his voice to the original English version, whereas cricketer Shubman Gill voiced Pavitr in Hindi and Punjabi dubs.
Now that we have finally met the animated persona of the Indian Spider-Man, there’s no way that the live-action possibilities won’t be crossing our minds. Audiences first met the Spider-Hero from Mumbai in the Marvel Comic issue Spider-Man: Indian (2004) #1, thanks to co-creators Jeevan Kang, Suresh Seetharaman, and Sharad Devarajan.
Now, even Devarajan is counting on the studios to breathe life into Prabhakar beyond his animated self. “It only took 20 years for Pravitra Prabhakar to jump from that comic we created and onto the big screen – hopefully it won’t take another 20 before we see the live-action version and Pavitr meet the rest of the MCU,” he told HindustanTimes.com.
Pavitr’s co-creator admitted that while the character’s look was tweaked with new costume designs for the big screen, “the heart, character and unique ‘Indianess’ of Pavitr seems to shine through and remain the same.”
Same heart despite cultural differences
The web-slinging vigilante swung into action for the first-ever time in the anthology Amazing Fantasy #15 in the 1960s. Therefore, the character had already solidified quite a legacy while experiencing its booming contemporary popularity when Pavitr joined the web-crawling adventures. Two of the three original Spider-Man movies starring Tobey Maguire also came out before 2004. Inevitably, the Indian team had some big shoes to fill. Devarajan also expounded on the “important design challenge” that was “to make the character still largely recognisable as Spider-Man.… yet still give him unique local Indian design elements.”
While applauding the “exceptionally well done” new design for Pavitr, the industry veteran highlighted some culturally relevant differences between the Western origins and the Indian counterpart. “Unlike the origin, which is deeply rooted in science, our Indian version was more rooted in spirituality,” Devarajan explained. When Pavitr’s story was first served to Indian readers, they saw him “bouncing off rickshaws.” In a parallel vision to the iconic Chrysler Building in Manhattan becoming a common feature in Maguire’s Peter Parker journey and the American Spidey celebrating Christmas, Prabhakar is seen climbing the Gateway of India in Mumbai in the comic. He is also pictured celebrating Diwali with his Aunt Maya.
Despite making these cultural translations for local audiences to find a part of themselves in the Indian superhero counterpart, Pavitr’s creators still stove “to remain true to the underlining core of Spider-Man” written by Stan Lee: “With great power, there must also come, great responsibility!” In their efforts to “take a global hero and make them a really local one,” the Spider-Man: India team resorted to what one could call a “‘reverse globalisation’ approach to exporting a character franchise.”
Iconically enough, Graphic India seems to share a long history with Marvel. This unmissable connection has seen the late legend Stan Lee coming on board to breathe life into his first Indian superhero, Chakra, with the company to Spider-Man’s multiversal existence expanding with Pavitr Prabhakar’s origins. On top of that, the Robert Downey Junior-starring Iron Man movie’s writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are now also working with Devarajan’s company for the upcoming Shadow Tiger films. When asked if these developments were purely coincidental or the sign of an actively orchestrated partnership, Devarajan answered that it was “just coincidence and good fortune and recognition of the amazing creative talent behind much of the Marvel universe in the past.”
The Graphic India CEO vividly illustrated his dream of creating superheroes, telling stories through the medium of comics, and Marvel Comics’ instrumental influence in shaping his ideology on this front. “I had the honour of knowing Stan as a friend and mentor for two decades and first met him when I was in my early twenties and then maintained a friendship. I eventually worked with him to create his first Indian superhero, Chakra the Invincible,” he traced steps back to his connection with Stan Lee.
Explaining how his ties with Lee ultimately became one with his love for Indian comics, Devarajan added, “I felt a deep kinship with the characters Stan brought to life so vividly in his work…Through both the western superheroes of Stan’s world, and Indian comics that told stories of powerful gods and goddesses with superhuman abilities. For me, the synthesis of these worlds into my identity was seamless.” He went on, “Often his heroes were the underdog, the outcast…the person who didn’t fit in. Yet, their uniqueness was the true source of their strength. Stan’s heroes taught me to embrace being different and to respect the differences in everyone.”
Years before Lee and Devarajan picked each other’s brains for the Chakra project, they were brought together by the Spider-Man: India chapter. “Though Stan was not directly involved in the project, I remember meeting him shortly after the book was released and being incredibly nervous to discuss what we had done with one of his most iconic heroes,” said the latter. “As I handed him the book and told him about the story, my heart raced as I saw him carefully flipping through the pages with his master’s gaze. When he finally looked up, he had a smile that warmed the room and instantly put my fears at ease. We talked about his characters and his belief that creators around the world could build on the foundations of those stories. As a show of graciousness, he even signed one of the copies to show his support for the project to me – a treasure I keep close to me on my desk.”
After Pavitr Prabhakar’s character came to life in the early 2000s, Devarajan and Lee reunited in 2009 to begin their work on Chakra: The Invincible. “Working with Stan to create a superhero, was like being able to paint a picture with Picasso or write a poem with Shakespeare. It was quite simply one of the greatest joys of my life.”
Despite being widely foregrounded through Japanese anime, such content doesn’t always pertain to the younger audience. With troves of TV shows and films depicting mature and R-rated themes, a widespread audience still perceives that animation projects largely target a younger audience.
Like its Japanese counterparts, Graphic India is doing its bit to challenge the notion that animation only produces “cartoonish” results. Devarajan admitted that through The Legend of Hanuman’s launch, his team aimed to transcend these limiting perceptions while attempting to “target older audiences with the story, visual style and writing.” He confessed, “In the same way that filmmakers like Hayao Miyazaki redefined anime in Japan with films like Princess Mononoke, I wanted our audiences to experience animation as a sophisticated form of storytelling that does justice to the complex themes and profound narratives of our mythologies.”
Acknowledging the audience’s modern forwardness to accepting “this shift in perspective for animation,” he pointed out that viewers across India, like those in Japan and Korea, are now embracing “animation as a medium and not a genre.” Citing his own show’s example, he emphasised, “A parent watching The Legend of Hanuman with their child might connect with the deeper philosophical themes, while the child is captivated by the adventure and spectacle. That’s the power of animation – it can operate on multiple emotional and narrative levels, to multiple different audiences and ages, simultaneously.”
Countless production banners are racing towards developing live-action translations of originally animated storylines in the contemporary age despite a sound detestation voiced by the viewers – in most cases. Backing that argument, Devarajan quoted the contributions to The Legend of Hanuman: “…sequences like Lord Hanuman’s journey through Patala Loka or his manifestation as Panchmukhi Hanuman… aren’t just intended to be ‘cool animated moments’ – they’re sophisticated narrative devices that allow us to explore profound themes of Indian spirituality in ways that would be difficult in live action.”
Future of Indian superheroes
With exclusively Indian mainstream superhero mythos still a very new concept, even the pre-existing roster of characters has yet to earn a footing on the global scale. Nevertheless, with Spider-Man: India’s titular character making his cinematic debut in the 2023 film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, these icons are riding the wave of fictional immortality. Not restricting himself to Pravitr Prabhakar’s example, Devarajan established that the superhero related to a “universal psyche” instead of singularly being labelled as a Western product.
Super-powered entities have already “firmly established India through centuries of mythological stories depicting our gods and heroes with supernatural abilities.” Devarajan noted that such Indian-created characters have “the power to be fundamentally different and form a philosophical worldview completely different than a Western superhero paradigm.”
Highlighting how “now is the time for great experimentation and creative risk-taking to bring our own fresh and uniquely Indian ideas to these genres,” he told HT that his company is already working towards announcing an exciting lineup of superhero films soon.
“The rise of the Indian superhero has just begun.”
The Legend of Hanuman + the Superhero foundations
Adding on to the growth of animation as a medium and how they tapped into that sense of evolution through the latest season of The Legend of Hanuman, Devarajan revealed that Season 5 delved further into mature aspects. The exploration of “complex concepts like the duality between immortal beings, the bonds between fathers and sons, and the price of power without purpose” embodies the essence of the Graphic India chief’s vision.
The Indian superhero landscape, though still exhaustive, has delivered great names like Shaktiman, Krrish, G.One and others. Yet the awe-inspiring world of the Hindu God Hanuman has always been a consequential foundation of the Indian comic book culture and animation universe. Despite being overly familiar with the legendary icon’s ever-expansive mythology, the Indian audience has always found its back to him. When asked why viewers keep coming back for more and more Lord Hanuman stories, Devarajan answered that Indian mythologies, including those of Hanuman, hold “morals, lessons, and the universal human truths they highlight remain relevant today, more than ever,” thus granting them a “timeless” identity.
Similarly, Graphic India’s production of the new-age Hanuman TV series aimed to harness “the power of contemporary animation, direction and storytelling to portray the characters” while remaining “reverent and respectful of the original myth and characters.” Citing the Indian comic of Amar Chitra Katha and the Western Marvel Comics as his source of inspiration, Devarajan found himself “seamlessly integrating aspects of Western and Eastern storytelling” into his life and projects.
“Lord Hanuman’s lessons went far beyond that of any ‘superhero’ and I wanted to create a series that really showcased his heroism and timeless wisdom to the world,” he continued. “The greatest lesson I learned was that the true measure of a hero is not defined by physical power, but by inner strength, fortitude, courage, hope and compassion. The combination of Hanuman’s immense power, balanced by his great loyalty to Lord Rama and those he cares about are aspirations we all strive towards.”
“After all, long before Spider-Man learned that ‘With great power must come great responsibility,’ Lord Hanuman was already teaching that lesson to billions of people for thousands of years in our culture!”
What’s new in The Legend of Hanuman Season 5?
Premiering on October 25, The Legend of Hanuman Season 5 secured the #1 spot as the most-watched series across OTT platforms within the first two weeks of coming out on Disney+, according to November week 1 reports by Ormax Media. As per the estimates recorded from October 21 to November 3, the mythological series amassed an impressive score of 9.4 million viewers.
Explaining the selling highlights of the new episodes, Devarajan said that Season 5 further delves into themes surrounding immortality’s duality and how immortal beings wield such power. The new installment maps out the complex relationship between Ahriravan and Lord Hanuman. While the former will go to an unimaginable extent to gain this power as a means to face off against his father Ravan, Lord Hanuman is only beginning to understand his own divine powers. Season 5 particularly invests in exploring the “parent-child relationship through multiple lenses.” Ahriravan’s troubled relationship with Ravan is contrasted with Makardhwaja being dscovered as Hanuman’s son. Either side of the coin illustrates the universal essence of how the parent-child bond can either break or make someone.
The Patala Loka narrative, in turn, pushes the “boundaries of exploring the complexity of these transcendent mythologies.” As the realm reflects its ruler’s soul, the Patala Lok eventually becomes a physical embodiment of Ahriravan’s growing darkness and offers him a science-defying space to enjoy his stance as all-powerful.
Devarajan insisted that the creative teams behind the show “spent countless hours studying ancient texts and historic imagery” to personify the spiritual significance of certain sequences. Yet, this wholehearted commitment to honouring the spiritual foundation of the source material didn’t compromise the high-quality visual experience for audiences.
Sharad Devarajan + Jeevan K Kang = The Dream Team
Spider-Man: India co-creators Sharad Devarajan and Jeevan Kang have birthed numerous unforgettable characters throughout a creative partnership that has spanned over two decades. With Indian animated behemoth franchises like Baahubali: Crown of Blood and The Legend of Hanuman already under their mutually shared belt, Devarajan and Kang also share creative autonomy under the banner of Graphic India. As the CEO and his longtime collaborator, Mr Devarajan labelled Jeevan Kang, the company’s EVP Creative, a “once in a generation creator whose artistic vision has shaped comics and animation in this country.”
“It has truly been the honour of my life to be able to collaborate with him from the first comic either of us had ever done before (Spider-Man: India) to breaking new barriers with The Legend of Hanuman, “ Devarajan shared his thoughts on his professional relationship with Kang. “The one thing I have been fortunate to experience over two decades of my life is the continuous and constant joy and unmistakable awe when I see the work Jeevan shares with me every week. We have a lot of new mountains we want to climb together, and I, for one, can’t wait.”
India’s comic and webtoon app, Toonsutra
According to a press release issued in June, Toonsutra, India’s homegrown webtoon app climbed the ranks to attain the high stature of the country’s #1 comic app in app stores. The Indian banner cracked this milestone within months of its launch. Media veteran Mr Devarajan established that as the country’s “first dedicated webtoons comics platform across mobile devices,” Toonsutra strives to “create a home for Indian storytellers.” With a “creative renaissance” emerging in the nation, people’s perception of comics and animation is gradually drifting away from its pigeonholed identity as a “kids’ product.” Aiming it as a “serious platform,” Toonsutra is exploring contemporary themes “beyond the ‘Tights and Capes’ of the traditional superhero genre.”
Having already registered over a million downloads, Toonsutra has surfaced as a worthy opponent against Naver’s Webtoon Entertainment on the national front. “Toonsutra’s mission is to bring together a community of passionate fandom and pop-culture, catering to the largest youth market in the world – India’s 700 million+ mobile youth market. It is the only premium webtoon comics app in the region dedicated to catering to Indian audiences with Hindi, Tamil and Telegu language content offerings,” Mr Sharad went on.
With partnership deals with some of the biggest global published already locked in, the app is poised to “bring over 250,000 comic episodes of the highest quality content into local languages for the first time.”
What’s next for Graphic India
As one of the pioneers of “India’s character entertainment revolutions,” Mr Sharad Devarajan concluded his interaction with HT.com by asking viewers to “expect a lot of announcements.”
“We are just getting started,” he affirmed. Continuing his mission to “recruit, train and showcase India’s amazing artists, writers, creators and disruptors at our studio,” the Graphic India CEO assured that his team intended to “spark a creative renaissance” in the country across new genres and character entertainment.
Contributing to home-bred challenges, the visionary company aims “to help transform the perception of India in animation and comics from ‘outsourcer’ to ‘the source’ – to create new heroes and characters that are uniquely Indian but spark the imaginations of audiences all across the world.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
