News
Nothing Phone (2a) now official
Doubling down on core user needs
The Nothing Phone (2a) is a spin-off of the brand’s flagship Nothing Phone (2) that’s focused on the daily needs of the regular user while still remaining undeniably, Nothing.
Powering the device is a Dimensity 7200 processor that Nothing says was exclusively co-engineered with MediaTek. That alone can signal confidence in its performance but it’s boosted even more by the 20GB RAM with RAM Booster technology equipped on the device.
It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED Display with a peak brightness of 1,300 nits. It has a 120Hz refresh rate that’s dynamic. The phone adapts to whatever is displayed on screen going from 30Hz to 120Hz as needed.
What about the cameras? The Nothing Phone (2a) sports dual-rear cameras: 50MP main, f/1.88 with OIS, EIS, and Autofocus, and 50MP Ultra-wide at f/2.2 114° FOV. For selfies, it has a 32MP f/2.2 shooter.
It can record up to 4K 30fps (rear cameras), 1080p 60fps, and 1080p 120fps (Slo-Mo). Other features are: Ultra XDR, Motion Capture, Night Mode, Portrait Optimizer, and Action Mode.
It packs a pretty huge 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W Fast Charging.
Out of the box, it comes with Nothing OS 2.5 with the usual nothing-designed widgets. It also comes with a new Recorder widget that lets users to create voice memos on-the-go. Nothing has also introduced an AI-powered Wallpaper Studio, which enables unlimited personalized wallpaper options for your home and lock screen.
Lastly, it’s not a Nothing phone without the Glyph Interface. The Nothing Phone (2a) reimagines the iconic Glyph Interface. It still retains the new capabilities of Phone (2), including the Glyph Timer and Glyph Progress with 3rd party integrations while contributing to the distinct aesthetic of Phone (2a)’s new back design with a unique trio-light configuration.
Price and availability
| Price / Color | Country | Retailer (for launch week) |
| $349 – 12 RAM + 256 GB
(Milk, Black) |
USA | Developer Program – Black |
| £319 – 8 RAM + 128 GB
£349 – 12 RAM + 256 GB (White, Milk, Black) |
UK | Nothing.tech – White + Milk + Black
Currys – Milk + Black John Lewis – Milk + Black Very – Milk + Black |
| Currency in IDR
23,999 – 8 RAM + 128 GB 25,999 – 8 RAM + 256 GB 27,999 – 12 RAM +256 GB (White, Black) |
India | Flipkart, Croma, Vijay Sales and other leading retail outlets – White + Black |
| PHP 18,990 – 8 RAM + 128 GB
PHP 20,990 – 12 RAM +256 GB (White, Black) |
Philippines | Digital Walker, Nothing Lazada, Nothing Shopee, Digital Walker Website, Open_Source by Beyond the Box |
Entertainment
UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October
Determination arrives in October.
For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.
On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.
The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.
In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.
Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.
SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow
The price of technology isn’t fun these days. Because of the ongoing RAM shortage wrought by AI, companies across the industry are raising the prices of their products. Some, however, are still willing to shoulder the burden for their customers. Unfortunately, Qualcomm is soon leaving that list.
As reported by Bloomberg, Qualcomm will raise the prices of its products starting in September. Though the exact figure is unknown, the company did confirm that it’s in the double digits, percentage-wise. According to them, they can no longer shoulder the costs for its customers.
If you’re just a regular user, Qualcomm’s prices might not mean much for you. After all, the chipmaker doesn’t make phones of its own.
That said, Qualcomm is still one of the biggest suppliers for smartphone chipsets, including those that Samsung uses. Pushing the burden from chipsets to phone manufacturers reduces one more buffer against costs being ultimately pushed to consumers.
All things considered, Samsung managed to keep its prices hikes relatively low with the latest batch of foldables. However, with chips getting more price increases, it’s still within the realm of possibility that Samsung will also increase the price of its smartphones. The same can be said for any Qualcomm-powered smartphone available today.
News
Apple is reportedly delaying its smart glasses due to privacy concerns
The brand wants to squash malicious recording.
Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While early adopters are celebrating the ability to record everything, a growing group of critics are decrying the loss of privacy. Formerly at full throttle, Apple, in response to these controversies, will reportedly delay its version of smart glasses to next year.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is heading back to the drawing board to further emphasize the unreleased wearable’s privacy protections, which includes “hardware and software-related privacy features not available on current products.” The report, however, doesn’t enumerate what these features are.
If anything, these features will likely prevent malicious recording. Most smart glasses today have a light that tells passersby that the device is actively recording video. However, users have discovered ways to tamper and disable this light, so their devices can start recording without alerting others. Apple will likely introduce better measure to prevent such tampering.
Additionally, it’s also possible that Apple introduces a version of the smart glasses without a camera attached.
Because of these new initiatives, the brand will delay the launch of the wearable to sometime next year. Previously, there was heavy speculation that the smart glasses will launch later this year.
On the bright side, there’s still substantial reason to believe that Apple is launching its first ever foldable device later this year.
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