News

Lenovo unveils the K8 Note as their first dual camera smartphone

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Lenovo is still in the smartphone game despite having its sister company, Motorola, in their arsenal. Today, they launched their first dual-camera handset, the K8 Note.

The K8 Note looks like your typical Lenovo smartphone — it’s blocky, utilitarian, and has the modern essentials. The company positions the phone as a multimedia device with its 5.5-inch Full HD display, Dolby Atmos audio, TheaterMax (Lenovo’s VR platform), and a dedicated Music key baked in. MediaTek’s 10-core Helio X23 processor powers the handset with up to 4GB memory and 64GB storage, dual-SIM slots, and LTE connectivity.

It’s got a metal unibody with a trio of capacitive keys for UI navigation in the front and a circular fingerprint reader at the back. A large 4000mAh fast-charging battery is sealed inside the phone. As an added feature, Lenovo has treated the phone with an advanced water-repellent coating to protect it from accidental spills and splashes.

The main show of the K8 Note is its dual-camera system. The rear cameras have a 13-megapixel primary sensor with a 5-megapixel secondary for depth sensing. This camera combo allows the phone to capture images with artificial background blur, just like on other high-end models. As for selfies, Lenovo granted the phone with a 13-megapixel front shooter.

Pulling inspiration from its sister company, Lenovo is now forsaking its Vibe Pure UI in favor of stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Google Assistant available out of the box.

The K8 Note is available in black and gold colors with two memory and storage configurations: 2GB+32GB for INR 12,999 (US$ 203) and 4GB+64GB for INR 13,999 (US$ 220). It’s coming to Amazon India on August 18.

SEE ALSO: Motorola Moto Z2 Play hands-on review

[irp posts=”15737″ name=”Motorola Moto Z2 Play hands-on review”]

Apps

Twitter is working on a way to hide the blue checkmark

May or may not launch

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A year ago, Twitter’s blue checkmark was a coveted piece of online identity making. Now, the once-prestigious marker has grown into somewhat of a meme. The blue checkmark doesn’t mean the same as it did a year ago. Now, Twitter is reportedly developing a way to hide the checkmark from your profile.

Last year, Twitter announced a much easier way to get a blue checkmark for themselves. Soon after Elon Musk purchased the platform, Twitter Blue offered the badge with the monthly subscription price. Users who earned the old checkmark without paying for the subscription had their badges converted into yellow legacy checkmarks.

With the change, the value of a blue checkmark changed drastically. It become associated with a joke mocking users who paid for Twitter, an otherwise free-to-use platform.

Now, as spotted by notable app engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, Twitter is developing a way to hide the blue checkmark altogether. Currently, the development is still just a leak. It remains possible that the app will not launch the feature after all.

That said, after several months reinventing verification, the platform is still struggling for the perfect way to blend the old with the new. Right around the same time the leak popped up, they also officially announced that it will retire legacy checkmarks starting April 1.

SEE ALSO: Twitter promises encrypted DMs this month

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Apps

PayPal slowly rolls out passkey support for Android

Coming to the app soon

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Big Tech has been pushing for an end to the password. However, the password-less future is taking a while to get off the ground. Only a few platforms can support passkeys. A big name is lending its hand to the technology, though. PayPal has announced that it is working on implementing passkeys for Android users.

Starting today, the digital payment platform is slowly rolling out support for the new security measure. With a passkey, users will no longer need a password or two-factor authentication. Instead, PayPal will install a passkey onto your device. That passkey will be exclusive to your devices. If PayPal recognizes the device you’re trying to log in from, then the platform will allow you in.

It’s not a grand rollout yet, though. PayPal will introduce the feature for mobile browsers first, rather than the app outright. Android users will need Chrome to access the feature. App integration will come in the future. In the meantime, Android users will start getting the feature from now throughout the year.

Passkeys are moving slowly across the tech space. Some time ago, Apple, Google, and Microsoft mutually pledged to help usher in the future of passkeys as a more secure alternative to passwords. Today, only a few platforms can support the technology. In a time when cybersecurity is quickly becoming a priority for everyone, the arrival of passkeys can’t come sooner.

SEE ALSO: Google Chrome can now go password-free

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Gaming

LEGO 2K Drive to arrive on May 19

Build, explore, race

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LEGO 2K Drive

2K and the LEGO Group has announced May 19 as the official worldwide release date of LEGO 2K Drive for multiple consoles.

The driving adventure game is developed by Visual Concept. It is the first title to be released as part of a multi-title partnership between 2K and the LEGO Group. They seek to evolve the LEGO experience in exciting new ways.

The game will feature a combination of open-world driving and competitive racing. Players can explore the vast world of Bricklandia, build any vehicle LEGO-style, drive anywhere, and become a racing legend.

The Sky Cup Trophy is the game’s coveted prize. Players will have to compete against a series of rivals across a broad range of tracks while taking advantage of unique power-ups that can guide them throughout a race.

LEGO 2K Drive also offers unique customization, with over 1,000 LEGO pieces available when building a vehicle. Color designs, stickers, flairs, and more are likewise customizable.

Players may also collaborate with others in a two-person split-screen mode or multiplayer mode.

There will be three editions for the upcoming game:

  • Standard Edition – US$ 59.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch; US$ 69.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (both physical and digital)
  • Awesome Edition – US$ 99.99; includes new vehicle, flair, in-game LEGO minifigure, Year 1 Drive Pass (covers four individual post-launch seasons of Drive pass content)
  • Awesome Rivals Edition – US$ 119.99; includes multiple new vehicles, flair, in-game LEGO minifigures, Year 1 Drive Pass

Preorders are now open, and those who purchase before launch day will receive an Aquadirt Racer Pack.

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