News

The new iPhone SE now official

Most rumors were on point

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A lot of people waited, and now it’s finally here. Apple has officially launched the iPhone SE 2 and for the most part, the rumors and leaks were true.

Newer parts in an old body

First up, the design. It does follow the look of the iPhone 8 with a 4.7-inch Retina HD Display. So yes, there’s Touch ID but it’s now second-generation. There’s no Face ID but Apple put a new depth system so you can still take portrait shots with the selfie camera.

Speaking of the camera, on the rear, there’s only one. It’s a 12-megapixel wide angle shooter. But it has optical image stabilization (OIS) and focus pixels. It can shoot 4K videos up to 60FPS with extended dynamic range up to 30FPS. In a nutshell, it’s just as good as the iPhone 11, just missing the ultra-wide angle and telephoto lenses.

Just like the iPhone 11, the iPhone SE 2 is powered by the A13 Bionic Chip. Other features include support for wireless and fast charging, WiFi 6, stereo recording. It’s also a dual sim phone with support for eSims. For splash and dust resistance, it has an IP67 rating.

Pricing and availability

The iPhone SE 2 will come in three colors: white, black, and (PRODUCT)RED. It will be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage variants.

The rumor on pricing is also spot on. The iPhone SE 2 starts at US$ 399 — the same price of the first iPhone SE at launch. Pre-order will begin on April 17, Friday and will be widely available starting April 24.

In Singapore, pricing starts at SG$ 649 and will be available through Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers. In the Philippines, it will start at PhP 26, 490.

Gaming

Nreal can project an ultrawide monitor using AR tech

Will soon support Windows

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For a good number of PC users, there just isn’t enough space for a huge monitor. An emerging category of devices is making things easier for those with problems of space. Nreal, a company that makes augmented-reality glasses, can project an ultra-wide image straight onto the lenses of its wearables for the user. Now, the company has announced that it will support Windows in the coming future.

Announced during the Game Developers Conference 2023, Nreal announced Nebula for Windows. Complementing the company’s wearables, Nebula for Windows will allow users to connect their glasses to their PC. Users can project a virtual ultra-wide screen right in front of them. They can upgrade their 16:9 screen into a curved 21:9 screen.

Additionally, users can take advantage of enhanced 3-DoF (or three degrees of freedom) tracking, which can make virtual cockpit games much more immersive than with standard monitors. To showcase this capability and more, Nreal is presenting two sample AR games during the conference. These two games, Nreal Tower and In Wonder will maximize what the company’s products — especially the Light and the Air — can do.

Currently, Nreal has not announced when Nebula for Windows will launch. However, it is still a big boon for gamers who want to upgrade their setup but don’t have the funds or the space to do so.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s AR headset will let users pay with their eyes

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Apps

Bard is now available to try for Google One users

Join the waitlist now

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The race for artificial intelligence is a hot trail. Amid the unbridled popularity of ChatGPT, several companies have started pushing their own language models out the gate. Google, eager to compete in the emerging industry, has now opened Bard to users.

Today, Google has started issuing invitations to Google One subscribers for a chance to try the new chatbot. Subscribers can enter a waitlist to test the technology for themselves.

In essence, Bard acts the same as ChatGPT. Users can talk to the bot conversationally, and it will respond perfectly, as if you were talking to another human being. It’s a language learning model. By talking to so many users, the model can learn the best way to reply to certain prompts.

Although Google has access to its search engine, Bard is currently meant to complement it. The company warns users that the chatbot is still prone to occasional mistakes. As an example, it gave the wrong scientific name for a plant. While this example is innocuous, there can be more nefarious errors that the developers are still trying to fix. With a wider test now open to the public, Google hopes to fix more egregious mistakes ahead of a wider launch.

For now, if you subscribe to Google’s premium subscription service, you can wait in line to try out the new technology.

SEE ALSO: Google is working on a ChatGPT competitor called Bard

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Gaming

EA is delisting classic Battlefield games

And Mirror’s Edge

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EA is a mixed bag nowadays. Formerly one of the biggest names in gaming, the company’s public reception is more varied these days. However, no one can argue against the studio’s earlier eras with more notable titles. Unfortunately, that era is coming to a more definitive close. EA is officially delisting a few notable Battlefield titles and the original Mirror’s Edge from digital stores.

In an official statement from the company, EA has announced the retirement of four online titles this year. Starting April 28, users will no longer be able to buy Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Mirror’s Edge online. Additionally, the online services for these games will cease on December 8.

Still going strong today, the Battlefield franchise is EA’s answer to the Call of Duty franchise. While the latter focuses on more arcade-like shooting, Battlefield tries to infuse more strategic gameplay into historical and modern-day shooting.

On the other hand, Mirror’s Edge is a classic first-person parkour adventure. At the time, the title was notable for its fluid movement and easy-to-read visuals. It even spawned a sequel, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.

Anyone who owns these titles can still play through them after April. However, come December, players can only go through the offline single-player campaigns of these games.

SEE ALSO: Blumhouse is getting into gaming

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