Poco F6 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC was launched in May. Now, the Chinese brand owned by Xiaomi is said to be working on the Poco F7 Pro and a new Poco F7 Ultra model. Poco is yet to confirm the existence of these phones, but ahead of it, they have allegedly landed on the IMEI database. The Poco F7 Pro is expected to run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. It is said to debut as the Redmi K80 in the Chinese market.

X user Erencan Yılmaz (@erenylmaz075) spotted the Poco F7 Pro and Poco F7 Ultra on the IMEI database with model numbers 24122RKC7G and 24117RK2CG, respectively. The letter G in the model number may denote the global availability of the phones.

As per the post, the Poco F7 Pro will launch in China as Redmi K80. It is said to run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. The Poco F7 Ultra, in contrast, is tipped to debut in China with the Redmi K80 Pro moniker and could be equipped with the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor.

The purported China-exclusive Redmi K80 Pro is said to be associated with model number 24122RKC7C, while the Redmi K80 Ultra is said to have model number 24117RK2CC.

Poco F6 Pro Price, Specifications

The Poco F7 Pro and Poco F7 Ultra are expected to come with upgrades over the Poco F6 Pro. The latter was launched in May this year with a starting price tag of EUR 449 (roughly Rs. 40,000) for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage model.

Poco F6 Pro runs on Xiaomi’s HyperOS interface and features a 6.67-inch WQHD+ (1,440×3,200 pixels) AMOLED display. It gets a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, coupled with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.

For optics, the Poco F6 Pro has a triple rear camera setup comprising a 1/1.55-inch 50-megapixel Light Fusion 800 image sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. It includes a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies and video chats. The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery with support for 120W wired charging support.

Windows 11 has received a new update for March 2024 that will bring new features and major improvements to supported PCs, laptops, and workstations. Microsoft announced the long list of features on Thursday and stated that the update has started rolling out to users. However, not all the features will be available immediately, with the new Copilot features coming later this month. Some of the notable features include improvements to Widgets, new skills for the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot Copilot, and new features for multiple apps.

Announcing the new features via a Windows blog, Yusuf Mehdi, Executive Vice President, Consumer Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft highlighted that the Copilot features build on the introduction of the Copilot key on the keyboards powering Windows PCs from earlier this year. He also said that Snap, Widgets, and Inking are receiving major upgrades.

Copilot is getting new plugins that will enable it to perform tasks such as making restaurant reservations via OpenTable and grocery ordering via Instacart. In the coming months, support for Shopify, Klarna and Kayak will also be added. Apart from plugins, Copilot can also do more tasks. By just typing a prompt users can make it turn on the battery saver, launch the narrator, empty the recycle bin, launch the screen magnifier, show available Wi-Fi networks, and more. These features will be shipped in late March.

Windows 11 will also bring new AI upgrades for creativity apps. Generative Erase is being introduced to the Photos app which can remove unwanted objects or imperfections from images. This works similar to how the AI feature in Samsung Galaxy S24 series and Google Pixel 8 series. Another improvement is coming to ClipChamp which will now be able to remove awkward silences in audio tracks.

One really interesting feature being added through this update will let users use their Android smartphone as a webcam for video calls. This will require a smartphone running Android 9 or higher and it needs to be linked with a Windows app that is version 1.24012 or higher. This feature is being rolled out to Windows Insider for testing currently. Improvements are also coming to Widgets and the Snap layout feature. Users will have more control over Widgets and can create their own board based on their preferences. Snap is also getting smarter and will remember user preference for apps, and will quickly organise it accordingly.

Finally, an accessibility feature is also being added. Users can now create custom tasks and add Voice Shortcuts for them, enabling more efficient verbal commands. Some of these tasks include pasting text and media, pressing keyboard keys or mouse clicks, opening folders, files, apps or URLs, and more.

The financial authorities of Kenya managed to collect KES 10 billion (roughly $77.3 million or Rs. 653 crore) from VASPs in FY 2023-24. The announcement was made by KRA board chairman Anthony Mwaura this week during the Taxpayers’ Day celebration. By requiring official registration of crypto firms, Kenya has effectively tracked businesses involved in digital asset trading, enabling the country to collect the reported crypto-related tax revenues.

Between 2023 and 2024, the Kenya Revenue Authority was able to collect taxes from a total of 384 digital asset dealers, local publication The Standard reported recently.

In the next five years, the KRA is aiming at collect KES 60 billion (roughly $464 million) from players operating in Kenya’s Web3 ecosystem.

This is the first tax cycle for crypto firms in Kenya after the country enforced Finance Act of 2023, which introduced a three percent tax on the transfer or exchange of digital assets. This rule is called the Digital Assets Tax (DAT) and applies to traders as well as the exchanges facilitating the trading of digital assets.

To ensure that Web3 firms are in accordance with the tax laws, the Kenyan authorities have decided to use technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to detect any attempt of tax evasion.

As per a 2022 UN report Kenya has the largest share of crypto users in Africa. The country, as per UN, had over four million crypto owners in 2022.

Statista estimates that Kenya’s Crypto sector will at least see a four percent growth between 2024 and 2025. As Kenya’s crypto sector expands, authorities are taking proactive measures to protect citizens from financially risky projects.

Last year, Kenya became the first country to subject the World initiative, founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, to an investigative probe. The World project, which aims to provide blockchain-based universal proof-of-personhood through ‘World IDs’ and iris scans, has been under scrutiny. Earlier this year, Kenya directed the project to officially register in the country.

While steps are being taken, Kenya has yet to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto sector.

If films like Heat and Sexy Beast are anything to go by, when you’re in the professional heist business, retirement does not come easily. There’s always that one last job you get called in to tie up some loose ends, rekindling greed and the drive to plan elaborate robbery schemes within you. With the old gang rounded up, Payday 3 now takes us to the bustling streets of New York City, several years after our reign of terror in Washington DC, masked-up and prepared for new challenges in a present-day environment of mass surveillance gadgets, cryptocurrency, the deep web, and more. Having spent a few hours in the internal playtest, followed by the ongoing closed beta, I must say that I’m truly impressed with how streamlined this sequel is shaping up to be.

The test version only came with one location, the SCB Bank, which is carrying an unusually big amount of cash in its vault, awaiting transport. In what feels like a familiar callback to the Payday 2 days, this is your standard bank heist mission, sticking to the four-player co-op shooter formula, that has you bring a personalised loadout of weapons and high-tech gadgets to ease your cashout. Your approach can heavily vary between sneaking in and out without triggering any alarms, or you could take the loud route and blast in with guns blazing, striking fear into the hearts of the civilians. My experience with Payday 3 was a mix of both, starting by meticulously lockpicking my way through the backdoors to eventually culminating in an all-out assault, where my team was surrounded by cops from every angle.

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Interestingly though, there’s a bit more freedom in stealth segments, where previously, simply being spotted in restricted areas would set the alarms off. But here, you can trespass in private staff areas or behind counters without wearing a mask and the guards would politely escort you to the nearest public area without ruining your stealth attempt. You only get one slip-up, though. Not to mention, it’s a more realistic depiction of how security would react in a given situation. What I did find perplexing, however, was how you could freely walk up to windows in the lobby of the bank and press a button to close the shutters without raising suspicion. While this would prevent passersby from being able to peer inside the building and watch my team take everyone hostage, its inclusion feels very off-putting — almost as if it was an oversight from developer Starbreeze Studios. Hopefully, it’s addressed in a sensible manner, closer to launch. Regardless, it’s a massive step up from Payday 2, where you mostly just avoided detection and intimidated security.

You can do more with your mask off

Well, what was I doing back there, you ask? Scouting, mostly. Keeping track of important rooms and cameras, and quietly sneaking behind guards to pickpocket keycards that would grant access to the main security control room. This allowed me to hack into and disable the security system without too much hassle — such actions are all tied to a single button press, ‘F’. Stealth is still extremely difficult to pull off though, especially once you put on heist masks to conceal your identity, whereupon being spotted, witnesses would immediately report your presence. However, I did feel a bit pressured into wearing a mask, because there were certain basic mechanics, such as vaulting over surfaces, that Payday 3 kept locked behind the mode. Without a mask, you cannot climb through windows nor can you brandish a pistol. That said, it’s still quite insane how far you can progress in the game with masks off — as opposed to Payday 2 — so with the remaining time, I’d just run around the block to look for any potential escape routes that wouldn’t draw attention.

Once you put on a mask, you can’t take it off anymore, immediately raising the stakes for the heist, as you’re finally allowed to partake in more nefarious activities. Now equipped with guns, your squad can walk around intimidating civilians into submission and tying them up, check corners for cameras and shoot them down, and snap security guards’ necks for no disruptions. I’d recommend investing in a silencer for your pistol ASAP, in order to avoid creating a ruckus, but the most important toolkit in your arsenal would be to remain alert at all times. Dropping guards triggers a small alarm on their radio/ walkie-talkie, which if left unanswered, raises suspicion among the security team. Other times, an unattended civilian might escape and pull an alarm, throwing a wet blanket over your perfect plan. Things could easily go sideways once the mask is on, so it’s best to have a team you could always rely on.

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Once you put on a mask, you can’t take it off anymore until the heist session ends
Photo Credit: Starbreeze Studios

Such nail-biting sequences are peppered throughout Payday 3, though they can be severely eased by evenly dividing tasks among you. There’s a lot more flexibility in how you approach missions, such as sifting through documents for clues on how to open the vault, intuitively following red cables to shut down power to the gates, or grabbing an executive to scan their retina on the bank’s high-tech lock system. Of course, none of this would’ve been possible without numerous failed attempts, where my team and I almost immediately set off alarms, causing the police to come barging in. That’s the beauty of Payday 3 — there’s always something new to learn through repeated tries, making it more rewarding for the experienced players.

Now, you might be wondering how the early games in Payday 3 would work for newer players. Well, usually super loud, because you have zero clue of what’s going on or how things work. So, you’ll end up drawing all kinds of unwanted attention, shooting every guard in sight, and grabbing civilians as body shields to help with negotiation, before getting bored soon enough that you let go of them and shoot them in the back of the head. Guilty as charged. I mean, no witnesses if everyone’s dead, right?

Speaking of going loud, the bank heist mission has you breaking into the vault from the floor above in an aggressive fashion, where you collect bags of thermite, pile them up, and ignite them to gradually breach through the fortified wall. Of course, there are bells and sirens going crazy all around, which just adds to the tension as more cops start storming into the place. There is some method to this madness though, as adding too much thermite to increase the rate of breaching causes the water sprinklers to turn on, effectively reducing the flames and sending you on an errand run to turn it off.

Improved combat, more unpredictability

The combat is a strong highlight in Payday 3, throwing increasingly challenging enemies at you, which gets pretty overwhelming, even with human teammates. While it might seem too daunting and overly difficult for some, the heat level perfectly ties with the premise, where you’re trying to steal a truckload’s worth of cash — it’s a pretty serious crime you’re committing here. You should get punished for making careless moves like not checking corners or standing out in the open and tanking bullets Tropic Thunder style. Taking the fight to the streets with bags of cash strapped to our shoulders is where I had the most fun, mimicking the chaos from the iconic LA shootout scene in Michael Mann’s Heat (1995).

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Taking the fight to the streets is where I had the most fun, mimicking the chaos from Michael Mann’s Heat (1995)
Photo Credit: Starbreeze Studios

As you await your getaway vehicle and run back in to grab more cash, you engage in an all-out battle with hordes of different police types, including far-away snipers who’ve got their laser sights trained on you. I’ll admit, they appear a lot more scary than they actually are — in the sense that the snipers are very slow to react to movement. So, you’ll generally have an easy time dealing with them, as long as you keep sliding around the map. Don’t completely ignore them though, as a single shot from them will instantly deplete your armour, leaving your body exposed to direct hits.

Whatever tactics you had planned at the start of a heist session are completely thrown out of the window at this stage, leaving you to rely on any armour or medic bags you brought along. In merely 10 to 15 minutes since the alarms sounded off, the tone of the game will have changed entirely to a modern-day warzone, with special enemies like the Grenadier who will chuck highly damaging poison bombs, which not only blur our vision but prevents us from sprinting until we step out of the gas. The near-indestructible Bulldozer also returns, armed with powerful firearms and occasionally charging headfirst into you. It’s best to have all four teammates focus on this behemoth at once since trying to take him down solo would result in guaranteed death or quick depletion of resources.

The Heavy SWAT team also consists of a brutish riot shield user, who would bash and stun you if you get too close. I found it super beneficial to just hurl a grenade behind them, causing them to turn around and expose their bodies to my onslaught. Another powerful unit relies on stun guns as well, though none of them seemed to be affected by the difficulty modifiers. All difficulty increments — at least in the Payday 3 closed beta — were based solely on security measures, such as indestructible cameras and a lead guard. This ensured that the enemies you faced in combat had the same health pool across the board, without turning them into mundane bullet sponges.

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You can pick skills to create a personalised build, or synergise them with teammates for better success rates
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Rahul Chettiyar

All of this is bolstered by a robust skill tree, opening room for you to experiment with various builds, whereby performing certain stealth or assault-based actions, you’ll gain bonuses in terms of movement speed, inflicted damage, faster reload speeds, and more. For instance, investing skill points into Tank stats grants defence-oriented perks such as effective armour, while favouring Hacking lets you take remote control of security cameras. You could also double down on stealth abilities to perform faster takedowns and lockpicks or gain ‘Rush’ buffs to escape into hiding quickly. In addition to working toward a setup specifically tailored for you, one could also synergise them with teammates to see which ones offer better success rates.

Just like Payday 2, cash earned from heists can be spent on new weapons and their respective attachments such as scopes, muzzles, and grips to help with heavy recoil. All changes to guns’ stats are neatly shown via a graph, and they can all be personalised with cosmetic mods like paint jobs, stickers, and charms. This forms the core gameplay loop of Payday 3, though for now, I have no idea how the larger story ties into this — after all, we reunited after years to identify and crush an undisclosed ‘new threat.’

It was cool to see Robert De Niro’s mask from Heat in Payday 3
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Rahul Chettiyar

Further, you could customise your characters’ appearance with new suits, gloves, and a medley of creepy-looking masks, including the white, perforated hockey one that Robert De Niro wore in Heat! Not to mention, all armour and protective gear is worn underneath your suit, so you don’t need to worry about making a bad impression.

Final thoughts

Having only played one heist level, Payday 3 comes across as a remarkable evolution from its predecessor’s ethos, focusing on mechanical depth through a myriad of new high-tech toys to mess around with. The emphasis on stealth opens room for creativity, giving you the incentive to scout locations more freely and tick past an array of meticulous objectives, before donning the mask and going berserk. I also think it’s an excellent choice for this threequel to be set in a contemporary timeline, given the game is designed to grow over time with a regular flow of post-launch content, so it should hopefully feel timeless.

Payday 3’s closed beta is now live and is slated to end on August 7, across PC and Xbox. The full game will launch September 21 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset was unveiled by Qualcomm at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii on Tuesday. Qualcomm’s newest mobile processor is targeted at delivering top-of-the-line performance with upgrades such as on-device generative artificial intelligence (AI) and multi-modal AI capabilities, a dedicated Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU), second-generation custom-built Qualcomm Oryon CPU, and enhanced AI image signal processing (ISP). Courtesy of these features, the Snapdragon 8 Elite claims to bring a massive performance leap over its predecessor — the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset Availability

Qualcomm says flagship Android devices powered by its latest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC are expected to be available in the coming weeks. The chip will be adopted for flagship devices by global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including Asus, Honor, iQOO, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset Specifications

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, with the model number SM8750-AB, sits above the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as its newest mobile processor for flagship devices. The chip is built on a 64-bit architecture based on a 3-nanometre fabrication process and features a second-generation custom-built Qualcomm Oryon CPU with eight cores, having a peak clock speed of 4.32GHz.

It is claimed to deliver a 45 percent improvement in both single and multi-core performance, while web browsing is also improved by 62 percent. Qualcomm says devices running this chipset will support up to LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. It also brings Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite solution for enabling film-quality 3D environments in smartphone gaming.

Snapdragon 8 Elite features Qualcomm Adreno GPU and enhanced Hexagon NPU as part of the Qualcomm AI Engine — both of which contribute to achieving 40 percent better gaming performance and 35 percent enhanced ray-tracing capability. The chipset supports on-device generative AI, multi-modal capabilities and longer token inputs, accepting voice, text, image, and even live-view prompts. Qualcomm claims a 45 percent increase in overall AI performance, while the same boost is also applicable to the chipset’s performance per watt. However, it is more efficient too. The chipmaker says that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is 27 percent more power efficient compared to its predecessor.

For connectivity, the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC brings the Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 System with support for Wi-Fi 7 at 6GHz, 5GHz and 2.4GHz spectral bands and Bluetooth 5.4. The latest chip features the Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System. The mobile platform is claimed to feature a dedicated AI tensor accelerator which can achieve multi-gigabit 5G speeds in more places with the first 4×6 MIMO solution.

Smartphones equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip will be able to support up to 320-megapixel camera sensors, with the chipset featuring a triple 18-bit Spectra AI ISP setup, offering AI-based auto-exposure, auto-focus, face detection, and other features. It supports video capture and playback in up to 8K resolution at 60 frames per second (fps). Additionally, it has a new Qualcomm AI ISP which is fused with the NPU, enabling features like limitless Semantic Segmentation at 4K resolution, video object eraser, and real-time skin and sky adjustments via Insight AI.

The chip also supports on-device displays with a maximum QHD resolution with up to 240Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour depth.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Elite supports satellite systems such as QZSS, Galileo, Beidou, GLONASS, NavIC, and GPS with lane-level and sidewalk-level accuracy, and triple frequency support. It gets sensor-assisted navigation and concurrent satellite system features. Additionally, it brings support for up to Quick Charge 5 via USB Type-C. The SoC also supports fingerprint recognition via a dedicated sensor courtesy of Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor Max support. Alternatively, it also comes with biometric support for voice, facial and iris-based authentication.

I’ve been a fan of gaming laptops ever since my first gaming laptop – the Alienware M11x- almost a decade ago. They’re unique and powerful but expensive. I’ve owned a couple of gaming laptops, mostly Alienware’s, and have spent a fair share of my younger years building gaming PCs. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 takes me back to the days when I could stay up all night playing games. Asus’ laptop is big, flashy, and a gaming powerhouse. Yes, there’s also RGB lighting that screams, ‘I’m a gamer’.

As a PC gamer for most of my life, it was nice to use a high-end gaming laptop with all the bells and whistles that a gamer would want. I’ve been using the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 for over a week now, and here’s my take on it.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 price in India

Before talking about the laptop, let’s get the price out of the way. High-end gaming laptops are expensive, and so is the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, available in India at a starting price of Rs. 2,89,990. This variant comes with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU with 12GB VRAM. There’s also a version that comes equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU with 16GB VRAM, which is priced at Rs. 3,29,990.

We’re reviewing the base variant with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. The laptop is available in a single Black colour option with a matte finish.

In the box, the ROG Strix Scar 16 comes with a 330W charging adaptor that weighs more than most thin-and-light laptops, a user guide, and 1 customisable Armour cap.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 Review: Design and display

Asus has done an excellent job when it comes to the design of the ROG Strix Scar 16. The lid features an RGB backlit ROG logo and a slash pattern with the phrase ‘Republic of Gamers’ written on it. The lid is made from aluminium and features a matte finish that gives it a stealthy look. It does gather dust and some fingerprints but wipes off easily. The chassis on the laptop is made from light, durable plastic to keep the surface cool to the touch. There isn’t a lot of flex on the keyboard or the aluminium lid. It’s a solid-built laptop.

Open the lid, and you’re greeted with a translucent design keyboard deck that shows the internals towards the top but gets opaque as you move to the touchpad. You get a tenkeyless keyboard with 2mm key travel, fully customisable RGB backlighting, and five macro keys. Below the keyboard, there’s a glass trackpad that’s 10 percent larger compared to last year’s model. It also comes with the touch Numpad feature.

A simple power button is available at the top right corner. The display hinges are big and sturdy, and I never experienced any issues with opening or closing the lid during my time using the laptop. You get slim bezels on the sides and the top, with the bottom chin slightly thicker than the rest. The top portion of the display houses a webcam that sits inside its own bezel.

For lighting, you get an RGB light strip on the front of the laptop that wraps around the edges. There’s also an RGB lighting area behind the keyboard deck. All the lighting on the laptop can be controlled via the Aura Sync utility available on the system. You can disable the lights via the app or keyboard brightness toggle.

Talking about ease of upgrade, the bottom panel comes off easily, and you can upgrade both RAM and storage. The bottom panel has excellent ventilation for the cooling system, along with ROG branding. The laptop looks fantastic from all corners.

Now, let’s talk about the display. The ROG Strix Scar 16 comes with a new 16-inch mini LED panel that now has double the dimming zones when compared to last year’s display. The panel offers QHD+ resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, HDR support, 240Hz refresh rate, 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut, 2048 dimming zones, 3ms response time, 500 nits brightness, and support for both Nvidia G-Sync and Dolby Vision. The display is excellent, with deep blacks and vivid colours, and it gets plenty bright. Watching movies and playing games is a treat for the eyes. The display also gets TUV Rheinland certification and is Pantone-validated for colour accuracy, making it great for video editing.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 Review: Specifications and software

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a long list of specifications, just like its name. The 2024 model comes with the 14th gen Intel Core i9 14900HX processor with a choice of either the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 with 16GB DDR6 VRAM or the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 with 12GB DDR6 VRAM. The GPU supports a max TGP of 175W on both variants.

You get 32GB (16GB x 2) DDR5 RAM clocked at 5,600MHz, which is expandable up to 64GB. For storage, there’s a 2TB PCIE Gen4 performance SSD, and you get 2 x PCIE 4.0 SSD M.2 slots that support up to 4TB of storage.

For outputs, there are plenty of options, but if you’re more a creator than a gamer, you’re going to find it difficult to transfer media as there’s no card slot on the laptop. On the left side of the laptop, you get a Thunderbolt 4 port that supports DP 1.4 and G-Sync, a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen2 port that offers 100W PD support, an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ-45 LAN port, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, and the power input port.

There are dual USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports on the right side. In terms of connectivity, you get dual-band Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support.

You also get a 720p web camera, four speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and a 90Wh 4-cell Li-ion battery on the ROG Scar Strix 16.

Coming to the software, the laptop comes with Windows 11 pre-installed, and you get several Asus ROG features, such as the Armoury Crate, MyAsus, and Auro Creator app to control the RGB lighting on the laptop. With Armoury Crate, which is basically a command centre, you can control various aspects of the laptop, such as the CPU and GPU performance, Lighting, and more. You get various Operating modes to choose from to fit whatever you’re doing. Armoury Crate also lets you overclock the laptop.

The Aura Creator app lets you customise the RGB lighting even further. Finally, the MyAsus app is where you can check the laptop’s health, warranty, system app updates, and more.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 Review: Performance and Gaming

The most important aspect of a gaming laptop is its performance and how long it can sustain that performance. You can’t just jam the latest hardware and expect things to perform well. Asus has done a great job in this aspect. The ROG Strix Scar 16 offers top-notch performance and an excellent cooling system that keeps everything running smoothly even after a long gaming session.

I didn’t get to spend much time with the laptop to run benchmarks, but I managed to play a AAA game for a couple of hours. In the few hours I played the game, I did not face any lag or choppiness. I consistently got 60+ frames per second in ultra-high graphics settings at QHD+ resolution while playing Marvel’s Spider-Man. It is best to plug in the ROG Strix Scar 16 when gaming for the best performance. The fan kicks in as soon as you launch a game and start playing, and it does get loud, but that helps keep the heat off the keyboard deck. The exhaust vents are on the side, and there’s a large heatsink at the back. Meanwhile, the air is being sucked in from all around.

Asus has included three fans on the laptop and used Conductonaut Extreme Liquid metal thermal paste, which is said to offer 17 times better thermal conductivity than regular thermal paste. The large heatsink, three fans, and the liquid metal thermal paste keep the laptop from catching fire. They also help in providing maximum frame rates even during long gaming sessions. If you’d like to check benchmark numbers, you’ll be able to find them online, but trust me, you will not be disappointed with the ROG Strix Scar 16’s performance.

Gaming on the laptop is bliss; I could probably spend hours playing. It’s really amazing what you can pack in such a form factor these days. The ROG Strix Scar 16 can play any game you throw at it, even Crysis!! Jokes apart, the laptop can run almost all AAA titles without a sweat.

You can also use the laptop for video editing, as the Intel Core i9 14900HX performs very well in all kinds of situations.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 Review: Speakers, Camera, Touchpad, and Keyboard

Although the ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 is an absolute beast in terms of gaming and performance, I cannot say the same regarding things such as speakers and the web camera.

The laptop has four speakers but doesn’t get very loud and lacks bass. I expected it to pack a powerful sound for something so big and expensive. The speakers support Dolby Atmos, though, and you can tweak the settings around a bit in the Dolby Access app, but it’s nothing to write home about. My MacBook Air M1 is louder and packs more bass than the ROG Scar Strix 16. It’s not bad, but for this much money, I’d expect a subwoofer, at least.

Even the web camera is poor. The 720p camera is outdated, and I don’t understand why laptop manufacturers won’t just add a higher-resolution web camera. Again, why not just give a good web camera when you’re paying so much money? Images and videos from the in-built web camera on the laptop are noisy and dull.

Next up is the touchpad, which works fine and supports multi-touch gestures. The num lock touch keypad also works perfectly well. However, most people would just connect a mouse to a gaming laptop, as you can’t really game on a touchpad. The touchpad here is for when you’re using it for work and don’t have a mouse handy.

The keyboard on the ROG Strix Scar 16 is also good. I’m not really a huge fan of laptop keyboards, as they mostly suck, but this one offers 2-mm key travel, and there’s enough spacing between the keys. I got used to the keyboard pretty quickly and even wrote the entire review on the laptop and enjoyed doing so. You also get five macro keys on the top left, which you can customise to perform various functions using the Armoury Crate app.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 Review: Battery life

It’s a gaming laptop, so you shouldn’t expect great battery life. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 comes with a 90Wh battery that can last about 2 hours when performing regular tasks. You can still game in Battery mode, but you’ll run out of juice in about 45 minutes. And this is perfectly alright, as this laptop is meant to sit on the desk, plugged in, ready to game on your command. As for charging, the supplied 330W adapter can charge the laptop to 50 percent in just 30 minutes, but it does require sockets that are normally used to connect refrigerators, ACs, or washing machines. The laptop also supports 100W PD through the USB Type-C port on the left side.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 Review: Verdict

If you’ve got Rs. 3,00,000 to spare and are looking for a high-end gaming machine that you can carry anywhere you want, then the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2024 is an excellent choice. There aren’t a lot of alternatives available at the moment with similar specifications, but you can expect Lenovo, Alienware, and MSI to launch similar spec’d machines. However, what matters the most, apart from performance, is cooling.

The laptop is bulky at almost 2.7 kgs, and it probably won’t fit inside most daily backpacks, but if you do take it with you, then you will be able to play games anywhere in the world. But then again, Asus probably intends you to use this as your main computer and keep it at your desk. And you can do that. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is so good that it can replace your high-end gaming PC.

Realme launched the Narzo 70 Turbo 5G with MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy 5G SoC in September this year. A report now suggests that the company will soon launch another Narzo 70-branded model in India — Realme Narzo 70 Curve. The report also hints about the price range of the handset. The Realme Narzo 70 Curve is expected to come with a curved display. It is said to debut as the fifth phone in the Realme Narzo 70 series. All existing Narzo 70 series phones run on MediaTek Dimensity chipsets.

Realme Narzo 70 Curve India Launch Timeline, Price Leaked 

As per a 91Mobiles report, Realme will unveil the Narzo 70 Curve in India by the end of December. The new Narzo series phone with a curved screen could be priced between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000 in the country.

Specifications of the purported Realme Narzo 70 Curve are yet to be leaked. It is expected to look similar to the other phones in the lineup, namely Realme Narzo 70, Narzo 70 Pro, Narzo 70x, and Narzo 70 Turbo 5G.

The price of Realme Narzo 70 5G starts at Rs. 14,999 while the Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G and Realme Narzo 70x 5G have initial price tags of Rs. 18,999 and Rs. 10,999, respectively. The price of Realme Narzo 70 Turbo 5G starts at Rs. 16,999.

Realme Narzo 70 runs on MediaTek Dimensity 7050 5G SoC, while the Narzo 70x ships with MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC. The Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G has a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC under the hood, while the Narzo 70 Turbo 5G came with a Dimensity 7300 Energy 5G SoC.

The Realme Narzo 70, Narzo 70 Pro, and Narzo 70 Turbo feature 6.67-inch screens and 16-megapixel selfie shooters, while the Narzo 70x has a larger 6.72-inch display and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. All four models feature a 50-megapixel primary rear camera and house 5,000mAh batteries.

This year’s Call of Duty has been revealed as Modern Warfare III, and it’s coming November 10. Publisher Activision dropped a brief teaser, featuring an abstract mosaic of familiar characters from the franchise — Captain Price and Vladimir Makarov — and a voiceover saying, “Never bury your enemies alive.” There’s also the mention of ‘heads of snakes,’ which possibly alludes to the ultranationalist Russian Makarov, who also served as the main antagonist of the original MW3 (2011). Sledgehammer Games is taking the lead on developing the sequel, which is part of a trilogy of Modern Warfare soft reboots, which started back in 2019.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s release date matches a report from May, which suggested that Activision was planning a reveal sometime in early August, also implying that it was a continuation of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s arc. The publisher had originally decided against dropping a standalone title this year, skipping its annual release cycle, and instead focusing on a ‘premium expansion’ that included a campaign DLC and a classic map pack. As per Bloomberg games reporter Jason Schreier, the company had a change of heart earlier this year and decided to launch it as a full-price game. The teaser is short on details, though a recent tweet from the Call of Duty account seems to indicate that weapons and operators from Modern Warfare 2 would carry over to the sequel.

This is big news for the multiplayer crowd as they won’t have to leave behind unlocked rewards and paid items from the older instalment. The method seems quite similar to a live-service experience, which was suggested by an Activision spokesperson in 2022, so it gets regularly updated with new content. Sledgehammer Games was previously in charge of developing Call of Duty: Vanguard — received poorly — with additional support from Treyarch and Infinity Ward. The publisher rotates between these three studios for its annual releases, breaking the cycle last year and moving Treyarch’s planned title from 2023 to 2024.

Reports also claimed that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 would get at least two beta weekends for multiplayer testing, with the first one solely aimed at PlayStation — set to run from October 6–10. This special treatment may change, taking Microsoft’s ongoing buyout of Activision for $69 billion (about Rs. 5,71,316 crore) into consideration. The second beta weekend will allegedly run from October 12–16 and grants entry to Xbox and PC players, as well. Keeping in tradition, a campaign early access is also expected for pre-order customers, reportedly going live on November 2. For now, there’s no telling if MW3 would also fall under the $70 category, though the franchise will be available on PlayStation for another 10 years, at least.

Activision hasn’t confirmed platforms yet, but Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is expected to make its way to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Redmi A4 5G was unveiled in India on October 16 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024. It was introduced as the first entry-level smartphone with a Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset. Aside from the design of the handset and its SoC details, the company did not reveal much else. It added that the phone will be priced below Rs. 10,000 in the country. Now a report has suggested the probable starting price of the upcoming smartphone and its key features.

Redmi A4 5G Price in India (Expected)

The Redmi A4 5G could be priced at Rs. 8,499 for the 4GB + 128GB option, according to a Smartprix report. This price is inclusive of bank and launch offers among other discounts. This means the actual listed price may be slightly higher. The company had announced at the IMC event that the phone will launch at a price point below Rs. 10,000.

Redmi A4 5G Specifications (Expected)

Redmi A4 5G is confirmed to be equipped with the 4nm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 SoC. Meanwhile, the aforementioned report suggests that the phone could carry a 6.7-inch HD+ IPS LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone may get a 5,000mAh battery with 18W wired charging support. 

For optics, the Redmi A4 5G is tipped to come with a 50-megapixel primary rear sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter. It is expected to run on Android 14 with HyperOS 1.0 skin on top. For security, the phone will likely be equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The handset could get a USB Type-C port.

Notably, the Redmi A3 4G launched in India at Rs. 7,299 for the base 3GB + 64GB variant. It comes with a MediaTek Helio G36 SoC, a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support, and a 6.71-inch HD+ screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone has an 8-megapixel main camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. 

Apple is reportedly gearing up to announce multiple devices soon but without much fanfare. The Cupertino-based tech giant is said to refresh its tablet lineup with its new silicon via a press release, after skipping it in 2023. Alongside, new MacBook Air models, a new colour option for iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and several other products could also be launched by the company, a report has claimed. While the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and MacBook Air models could be introduced as soon as this week, the rest of the products are believed to be announced by April 2024.

Citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter”, a MacRumors report claimed that Apple could launch new devices this week itself. It does not reveal however which products are expected to be announced or when exactly might this announcement occur. However, it is not the only report to claim that Apple is planning to introduce multiple products.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter, said, “Apple has a lot of new hardware in store for release in the next several weeks. That includes revamped iPad Pro models and an updated iPad Air that adds a 12.9-inch screen option, as well as fresh Apple Pencils and Magic Keyboards for the high-end iPads. On the Mac front, there are 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air variants coming with the speedier M3 chip. All of these new products are in production overseas, and Apple’s marketing teams are preparing to announce them relatively soon.”

As per reports, the list could include significant upgrades to two new iPad Pro models. The Apple tablets are expected to be equipped with the M3 chipset, OLED panels, a redesigned rear camera module, a landscape-oriented front camera, a slimmer body, and more. This would be the first time in more than five years that the Pro models are getting such a major update.

Two new iPad Air models are also expected to be introduced and feature the M2 chipsets. The biggest highlight from this lineup is reported to be the company’s first-ever 12.9-inch iPad Air model. MacBook Air is also said to get a refresh in the coming weeks. New 13-inch and 15-inch models powered by the M3 SoC and support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 could be unveiled.

Apart from these, a new Magic Keyboard with a larger trackpad, a new Apple Pencil, and new shades for iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands are also expected. It is also the time when the tech giant traditionally unveils a new colour option for the latest iPhone series. The report has mentioned that the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus might be the first to get a new finish in the coming weeks.

Despite being significant releases for the company, the latest reports claim that no event will be held for these devices, and they will be launched via multiple press releases over the next few weeks.