News

Moto Z2 Play slims down, keeps modularity

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Last year’s Moto Z Play was the darling of Lenovo’s Z series. It had an incredibly efficient processor, one of the best battery lives out there, and compatibility with all Moto Mods. The Moto Z2 Play is the follow-up, but it doesn’t follow the same ideals.

To be specific, the meaty battery got cut down from 3510mAh to just 3000mAh. This is alarming for fans of the original Moto Z Play, since the overly slim profile and tiny battery of the flagship Moto Z didn’t bode well for its endurance. Don’t worry, the 3.5mm audio port is still around and it’s even thinner at 5.99mm now. Aside from that, everything else got upgraded.

A Snapdragon 626 processor joins the party, with a choice between 3GB or 4GB of memory and 32GB or 64GB of storage which you can expand using a microSD card. In order to preserve compatibility with the Mods, we get the same 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED screen sandwiched between the rather thick top and bottom bezels.

Without using the Hasselblad camera attachment, you only have a 12-megapixel camera at the back and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Its Android skin is still lightly painted on top of Nougat 7.1.1, and we mean that in a good way; near-stock Android is the best Android for us.

Nothing too special after listing all that, but again, the Mods are the real heroes here. All the ones we tried out in our first look video and full review are as compatible as ever. On top of those, Lenovo introduced four more: Moto Style Shells with wireless charging, the JBL SoundBoost 2, Moto TurboPower Pack, and Moto GamePad.

Here’s the catch: For now, the Moto Z2 Play will be exclusive to Verizon subscribers in the US. It’ll retail for $499, while all the new Mods cost $79 each, except for the updated Style Shells which are valued at $39.

SEE ALSO: 24 Hours in Puerto Galera: Moto M vs Vivo V5 Lite

[irp posts=”11322″ name=”24 Hours in Puerto Galera: Moto M vs Vivo V5 Lite”]

 

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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Apps

TikTok enlists users’ help to fight against ban

Ahead of a hearing this week

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TikTok is in for another fight. Recently, the American government upped its efforts to ban the video-sharing platform from the country. The company is preparing to fight back. Ahead of a potential ban, it is enlisting the help of its most precious resource: TikTok users.

Today, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew shared a video to update the entire community about his impending congressional hearing later this week. In the video, the CEO thanks the American userbase in helping the platform grow, enumerating important numbers ahead of the hearing. For example, TikTok now has 150 million users — which, Chew notes, is half of the population of the United States — and 7,000 employees in the country.

The video then goes on to share the government’s plans to ban TikTok, potentially taking the app away from the big numbers that Chew mentioned. Further, the CEO is asking all these users to share what they love about the app in the comments of the video.

@tiktok

Our CEO, Shou Chew, shares a special message on behalf of the entire TikTok team to thank our community of 150 million Americans ahead of his congressional hearing later this week.

♬ original sound – TikTok

For years, the American government has hounded the app over its Chinese ownership. The company — especially parent company ByteDance — has the potential to act as a conduit for Chinese surveillance, the government argues. The company has tried to counter these claims by increasing its employees in the country.

Now, the fight is coming to a head with several government bodies and other countries banning the app outright. It’s unknown how Chew is planning to attack the incoming congressional hearing. However, it’s likely that the company will leverage user feedback to buoy the app as an essential part of the current American landscape.

SEE ALSO: UK starts banning TikTok

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