Nokia forays into laptop segment with launch of Nokia PureBook X14 on Flipkart

Flipkart announced launch of Nokia's first laptop Nokia PureBook X14 in India marking brands official entry into laptop segment. The Nokia PureBook X14 comes in a 1.1 kg ultralight and 16.8mm sleek form-factor. It features a 14" Full HD screen that is powered by  Dolby Vision^® for ultra-vivid picture quality. The sleek and powerful laptop is priced at Rs. 59,990 at the launch and will be available to pre-order on Flipkart from December 18, 2020, enabling users to experience an ultra-light life-on-the-go.

Nokia PureBook X14

Vipul Mehrotra, Vice President – Nokia Brand Partnerships, said “Launching the Nokia brand into this new product category is testament to our successful collaboration with Flipkart. We are excited to offer consumers in India a Nokia branded laptop which brings innovation to address a gap in the market, as well as the style, performance and reliability that the Nokia brand is known for.”

Dev Iyer, Vice President – Private Brands at Flipkart, said, “At Flipkart, it is our constant endeavor to have our fingers on the pulse of consumers' needs. As consumers continue to stay indoors and design their work from home lifestyles, their needs when it comes to high-end value electronics have taken center focus. With the Nokia PureBook X14 laptop, our effort is to provide our customers a product that not only caters to their multifunctionality needs but also ensures supreme visual and processing quality - catering to both their personal and professional needs. We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with Nokia in our shared goal of providing for the needs of Indian consumers.”

The Nokia PureBook X14 offers an immersive audio-visual experience with Dolby Vision® & Dolby Atmos® for headphones feature. The laptop is powered by an Intel i5 10th Gen quad-core processor with up to 4.2 GHz turbo frequency and comes with Windows 10 Home pre-installed. The latest-gen processor coupled with a 512GB NVMe SSD enables super-fast boot-up, processing as well as delivers great performance during simulations, data crunching and content creation. The HD IR webcam with Windows Hello face unlock, backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness, and the precision touchpad with multiple gesture options enable great functionality and ease of use while working from home.

With online education and “work from home” becoming a norm, the demand for laptops has grown by over 2.3X, with Flipkart emerging as a key shopping destination for consumers. Analysis of millions of customer reviews and a study of the laptop market have revealed a high demand for attributes such as premium picture quality, multifunctionality, ultra-lightweight, and sleek design. Guided by these insights, Flipkart, along with Nokia, is looking to address the requirements of contemporary laptop users, who often juggle between work and home.

Below are key specifications of Nokia PureBook X14.

Feature	Description
Sleek and elegant design	1.1 kg ultra-light 14" FDH screen 16.8 mm sleek 4.8 mm bezels with 86% Screen-to-body ratio Matte Black finish
Processing powerhouse	Intel Core i5 10th Gen processor 1.6 GHz Base frequency with up to 4.2 GHz Turbo Frequency 512 GB NVMe SSD 8 GB DD4 RAM Windows 10 Home Plus
Impeccable viewing experience	14" full HD LED-backlit screen Dolby Vision for an enhanced & brilliant visual experience 4.8 mm slim bezels (2 sides) with 86% screen-to-body ratio 16.7 million colors and up to 250 nits brightness IPS panel for up to 178* viewing angles with image consistency and color accuracy.
Immersive audio experience	Dolby Atmos®
Accessibility and security	Face Unlock with Windows Hello-certified HD IR Webcam Backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness 1.4 mm Key Travel Precision touchpad with multiple gesture options for smooth transitions and maximum productivity
Integrated Intel Ultra HD Graphics	Integrated Intel UHD 620 Graphics with 1.1 GHz Turbo GPU 4K Support Enabled Intel® Quick Sync Video  Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology Intel® Clear Video HD Technology
Seamless wireless connectivity	Dual-band Wi-Fi for internet connectivity for surfing, downloading, uploading or streaming content Bluetooth 5.1 for seamless streaming and data transfers
All round connectivity	USB 3.1x2 / USB 2.0 x1 / USB type C 3.1 x1 HDMI x 1 RJ45 x 1 Audio out x 1, MIC In x 1
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours of battery life with 65 W charger

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Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax Technologies Partner to Create Stadium-Like Experience at Home for Global Sports Fans

Tech Mahindra Ltd. a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering services and ChampTrax Technologies, a Canadian sports startup, collaborate to develop a solution to create stadium like-experience at home for global sports fans. Through this partnership, Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax Technologies will provide a solution to herald the next generation fan and player engagement leveraging digital and virtual technologies.

 

Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, said, “We have been specifically focused on technologies that will enable experiences in the during COVID and after COVID world. Sports with a live fan experience is something that we will miss now for a while. Tech Mahindra’s sports vertical leveraging our 5G experience will enhance the fan experience globally. This strategic partnership with ChampTrax Technologies will give us an opportunity to bring the best of both the worlds and help sports fans adjust to the new normal.“

 

Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax Technologies will also work on 5G related use cases for introducing holographic virtual fan to the stadium. As part of the collaboration, Tech Mahindra will also support ChampTrax Technologies to reach wider markets and audiences for HearMeCheer solution that aggregates “crowd noise” from at-home spectators real-time, during live games played in fan free stadiums and venues.

 

Manish Upadhyay, Head Sports Technology Vertical, Tech Mahindra, said, “Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax will develop a joint solution to support revival of sports clubs post the COVID-19 pandemic. Sports technology is one of the focused business for us at Tech Mahindra, and we strongly believe that technology will play a crticial role to enable sports clubs to ensure wellness of fans, staff, and players globally.“

 

‘HearMeCheer’ solution by Champtrax Technologies combines audio through proprietary algorithms that weigh each household and enable users to yell loudly and not overpower the audio stream. As the audience watches a game with the web app it automatically sends microphone data that aggregates these sounds to create a single audio stream effect of a unified crowd integrated into real-time broadcasts.

 

Elias Andersen, Founder of Sports Tech Business, Champtrax Technologies, said – “We are very excited to partner with Tech Mahindra and this gives us a huge opportunity to serve their existing and potential customer at such critical times. HearMeCheer is great solution for close door games and we are keen to take it to market with Tech Mahindra.”

 

As part of the TechMNxt charter, Tech Mahindra is committed towards creating a partner ecosystem to deliver enhanced cutting-edge next-generation technologies like Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, 5G, and Internet of Things, to disrupt and enable digital transformation, to build cutting-edge technology solutions and services for customers globally.

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MPL launches India’s first indigenous shooter game Rogue Heist

India’s largest mobile gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) has partnered with Mumbai-based game developer Lifelike Studios to launch Rogue Heist, India’s first indigenous multi-player online shooter game exclusively on the MPL app, ahead of other platforms. Rogue Heist is developed by Lifelike Studios and backed by Bollywood Actor and Producer Arbaaz Khan and Time2play Gaming Studios.

Rogue Heist

 

Rogue Heist is one of the first multi-player Esports on the MPL platform and will see users face off against each other, with cash prizes for grabs for each battle and tournament. MPL currently has over 40 games on its platform.

 

Commenting on the launch, Shubh Malhotra, Co-Founder, Mobile Premier League, said, “Rogue Heist is a very exciting and engaging game and we are glad that it is launching exclusively on MPL, even before the Google Play Store. The graphics, gameplay, and the overall experience is top notch and our users are going to have the time of their lives, participating in a virtual cash heist. Lifelike Studios has done a great job optimising the game for our platform and we look forward to working with them to take Esports to all corners of the country.”

 

The idea behind Rogue Heist is to create a unique experience of a heist, which is intense, engaging, and fun in a truly competitive real-time multi-player environment.

 

The game mode on MPL is Rogue Heist- BRAWL - a super fast, action-packed Esport mode. Each game lasts only seven minutes in which 10 players are pitted against each other to steal the maximum amount of money. Here, the players get the real feel of a heist, yet come out top gainers based on their individual performance. Based on the leaderboard, top players will win cash prizes on MPL, making it a virtual cash heist with real money for takes.

“MPL has been our first choice for collaboration from the beginning. With the opportunity of exclusively launching on MPL (for real money awards), I am happy that we overcame many challenges by deep collaboration between both our teams. The biggest challenge was to reduce the size of the game from 1.5 GB to 450 MB for MPL users while still being able to provide the true Rogue Heist experience. As this is a live game, we plan on providing constant updates to keep MPL users engaged,” said Ashish Beuria, CEO, Lifelike Studios.

 

“Rogue Heist will be a game changer, which is made in India. Our team is really excited and happy to launch the Esports version of Rogue Heist on MPL, as it gives us the opportunity to engage with their massive playerbase and geographical reach all over India and Indonesia, while at the same time providing an exciting, edge-of-the-seat shooting game experience to MPL players,” said Bollywood Actor and Producer Arbaaz Khan.

Founded in 2018, MPL is India’s largest Mobile Gaming and Esports platform. It has grown to over 40 million registered users and currently has over 40 games, including titles like FreeFire and World Cricket Championship. MPL also has multiple gaming studios and developers as partners to publish their games on its platform. MPL’s app is available on both Android and iOS. 

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PLAY updates its PLAYFIT app on Google and Apple store for its wearable devices

Gurgaon based technology company PLAY,has released a major software update to the popular PLAYFIT app which hosts all of their wearable devices. 

“Due to the CORONA pandemic, there has been an obvious surge in the wearable device/app adoption and usage. With Android-10 getting popular both in terms of new smartphones as well as upgrades to the popular older smartphone models, we had started working on the application update and providing a fix to the connectivity patch to take the advantage of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) SoC of NORDIC semiconductors as well as U/I and U/X suggestions we had received from our community of users. With this update, we are glad we have been able to provide our users with better app connectivity with their mobile device and host of new features and improved UX design”, commented Mr. Sandeep Banga, CEO at PLAY.

PLAYFIT app boasts of a very user-friendly U/I helping our consumers monitor their fitness regime. The app tracks and displays the user walking/running/exercise pattern, the sleep pattern with mode and duration, etc. The application has features for pre-defined fitness activity that can be tracked and also has the option to add a new exercise regimen should the customer want more customization. Aside from the same, as we build our PLAY community we have integrated a leader board where the user can track their fitness quotient along with 99 other top fitness PLAY community members. Any user does not have to fear loss of data while upgrading their mobile device as PLAYFIT seamlessly integrates the historical data recorded through the old device and displays the same on the new device automatically.

“At PLAY, we remain committed to deep engagement with our customers and the idea is to provide periodic updates to all our customers in future also. Our research and development teams monitor the community feedback very closely for timely application and device updates and enhancements”, he commented. 

In the spirit of “Be-Vocal, Support-Local”, PLAYFIT application has been indigenously designed & developed by development team of PLAY in India and is also hosted on servers in India itself, thereby taking away any data security concerns of its users. It is the smart application for the wearable category of PLAYFIT 21, PLAYFIT 53, PLAYFIT SW75 devices launched by PLAY.  

PLAY products are currently available only in India and UAE. In India, PLAY has online partnerships with Amazon, Flipkart as well as its own e-store (https://store.worldofplay.in/) besides being available in offline stores across the country. In UAE, PLAY has (online) partnerships with Amazon, Noon as well offline retail partnership with Sharaf DG and Jumbo for availability across UAE.

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Uber introduces new safety features for Riders and Drivers amid COVID-19 crisis

Uber India today announced  at its first virtual press briefing the launch of a range of COVID-19 specific safety features and policies that will change the way you ride the next time you use the app.

 

The announcements include an interactive Go Online Checklist for both riders and drivers, a mandatory mask policy for riders and drivers, pre-trip mask verification selfies for drivers, and updated post-trip feedback mechanism and a cancellation policy. All these new features are aimed at building a new product experience, which will help protect everyone, every time they use Uber.

 

Beginning today, riders and drivers will see a number of new additions in the app, such as:

 

• Go Online Checklists: Before a driver can go online, they will be asked to confirm, via a new Go Online Checklist, that they’ve taken certain safety measures and are wearing a face mask. A similar checklist has been built for riders. Before every trip, they must confirm that they’ve taken precautions such as wearing a face mask and washing or sanitizing their hands. 
• Mask Verification: Before drivers are able to start accepting trips, they will be asked to take a selfie with a mask on. Uber’s new technology will verify the driver is wearing a mask.
• Accountability for all: We are adding new options for feedback including if a rider or driver is not wearing a mask or face cover.
• Updated cancellation policy: Drivers and riders can cancel trips if they don’t feel safe, including if a user is not wearing a mask or face cover. 
• New seat limits: To allow for space between the driver and rider during an Uber ride, we’re advising riders not to sit in the front seat. Only two riders will be allowed in a car and they’ll have to sit in the rear seat. 
• Rideshare Health Safety Education: Working with global and local public health authorities, we have compiled safety tips and recommendations that will be sent to all riders and drivers. 

 

Announcing the new features, Sachin Kansal, Global Senior Director of Product Management at Uber, said, “Over the last two months, our global tech and safety product teams have been hard at work building a new, product experience for riders and drivers. Today, as India eases its lockdown, it’s important we take all necessary precautions to help keep ourselves safe and to make the next trip safer for all. These new features and policies have been rolled out globally, and we will keep enhancing and revising them as needed to ensure a safer product experience for all.”

Below is the list of cities where Uber services are available as of 19th May, 2020 during Lockdown 4.0

1. Amritsar
2. Asansol
3. Bengaluru
4. Chandigarh
5. Coimbatore
6. Cuttack
7. Daman
8. Delhi
9. Durgapur
10. Faridabad
11. Ghaziabad
12. Gurgaon
13. Guwahati
14. Hubli
15. Jalandhar
16. Kochi
17. Kozhikode
18. Ludhiana
19. Mangalore
20. Mehsana
21. Mohali
22. Mysore
23. Panchkula
24. Patiala
25. Prayagraj
26. Rohtak
27. Silvassa
28. Sonipat
29. Thiruvananthapuram
30. Thrissur
31. Tiruchirapalli
32. Udaipur
33. Vapi
34. Visakhapatnam

Uber Essential is available to riders in Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Indore, Mumbai, and Nashik.  

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