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OPPO R15 and R15 Pro Edition now official with a notch

Just as expected

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OPPO finally made their latest R series official and we’re not just getting one, but two new smartphones for the upper midrange segment — the OPPO R15 and OPPO R15 Pro.

Both versions of the OPPO R15 have a 6.28-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels or simply Full HD with additional pixels for the taller 19:9 aspect ratio. One would see the R15 to be a blend of the new iPhones (8 Plus and X) because of the glass back with the horizontal camera setup and notch on the display. Unfortunately, OPPO still treats their latest releases with a micro-USB port, but the R15 has the latest ColorOS 5.0 based on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.

The similarities of the new OPPO phones end there, though.

The R15 is powered by the new Helio P60 processor with Mali-G72 MP3 graphics. The memory and storage configuration is set at 6GB and 128GB, respectively, which is truly abundant. VOOC, OPPO’s fast-charging tech, is fully supported by the built-in 3450mAh battery.

It has dual rear cameras with a main 16-megapixel Sony sensor with an f/1.7 aperture lens and a secondary 5-megapixel shooter. The cameras are also equipped with artificial intelligence that, according to OPPO, can recognize 120 scenes and do portrait lighting effects just like with the latest iPhones. Selfies are taken care of by the 20-megapixel front camera complete with bokeh effects.

The R15 Pro, also known as the Dream Mirror Edition, is the international version that will ship to other parts of the globe later on. It’s a beefed-up version of the R15 that’s powered by the Snapdragon 660 processor and Adreno 512 graphics. It still has 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage but has a slightly smaller 3400mAh VOOC-enabled battery.

There are still two rear cameras on board the R15 Pro, but the same 16-megapixel Sony sensor from the regular variant is now partnered with a 20-megapixel f/1.7 shooter. It’s a similar setup with the R11s and OnePlus 5T. There are still AI features on top of the usual camera controls, but the 20-megapixel front camera gets an exclusive portrait mode. We’re not yet sure how different it is with the other portrait modes, but it’s there.

The OPPO R15 and R15 Pro (Chinese version) will be available in China by April 1. The R15, which will only available in China, is priced at CNY 2,999 (US$ 475). It has three color options: Rouge Red, Frost White, and Nebula Purple. The R15 Pro, on the other hand, has a CNY 3,299 (US$ 520) price tag for the Ruby Red gradient and CNY 3,499 for the Infinity Black.

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St. Peter reunited people with their deceased loved ones through tech

The new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign generates letters from the imagined perspectives of loved ones.

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Grieving can take many forms. Sometimes, it manifests through a desire to hear a loved one again. We look at their old clothing, a gust of wind, or a butterfly, and imagine them talking to us one more time. This year, St. Peter, through the power of technology, gave 11,000 people that chance through its new “If Heaven Could Write” campaign.

During St. Peter Deathcare Week, which ran from October 27 through November 2, the deathcare provider started the “If Heaven Could Write” campaign, an interactive digital experience that offered participants a chance to reunite with their deceased loved ones. It was available in 37 St. Peter Chapels and 76 cemeteries nationwide.

Upon scanning a QR code which took them to a portal, participants answered questions about their loved ones. Then, the portal generates a personal letter from the imagined perspective of the participant’s loved one, giving them one more chance to converse.

Of course, an imagined letter can’t replace someone who passed away. Still, the experience affords us a way to grieve and process the loss. No, the letter isn’t really from your loved one, but you can imagine what they would have said while reading through it. And sometimes, that’s all we need.

Though St. Peter Deathcare Week has already come and gone for the year, those interested can still participate in the campaign through its link.

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Next iPhone might get rid of the Action Button

Both functions will be in one button instead.

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In a world with a love-hate relationship with extra buttons on a phone, Apple has gone to the deeper end and included two buttons in the latest iPhones: the Action Button and the Camera Control. Next year, Apple might consolidate the two buttons into one, ridding itself of the Action Button.

According to a Weibo leak from Instant Digital, Apple will merge the two buttons starting with next year’s iPhones. Though technically a new button in itself, the merged version will, based on the leak, retain more Camera Control than the Action Button.

Of course, both functions can coexist in the same button. The Camera Control activates with a single press, while the Action Button needs a longer press. In the merged button, a single press can still open the camera and a longer press can activate whatever the user sets it to.

Both buttons have had a storied past. The Action Button came in 2023, replacing the Ring/Silent Switch. Meanwhile, the Camera Control debuted a year later, offering control over the camera with a capacitive button. The current iterations retain both buttons on the same phone.

Personally, as someone used to creating content, the Camera Control button is ultimately a boon to get those shots quickly while in the moment. Retaining that functionality is definitely worthwhile.

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NVIDIA CEO admits to having an affair with alleged Chinese spy

The company is currently investigating the allegations.

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In one of the craziest headlines this year, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has admitted to having an affair with an alleged Chinese spy.

Over the weekend, a heavy allegation claimed that the NVIDIA CEO had a relationship with a person actively involved in Chinese intelligence. Since Huang is involved in business globally, the accusation isn’t a light one. In fact, it’s serious enough that Huang admitted to the affair late this past Sunday.

In an internal letter reported by Associated Press, the CEO acknowledged the existence of the affair with a business executive. Of note, Huang did not confirm the executive’s ties to Chinese intelligence. NVIDIA, however, will conduct its own investigations regarding the allegations. Despite the allegations, Huang will remain as the company’s CEO. The company is also confident that the alleged spy did not compromise NVIDIA’s secrets.

According to The New York Times, the executive, Alice Huang, was reportedly feeding information back to Beijing, despite being an executive of the Singapore-based Megaspeed, which is already a serious customer of NVIDIA.

Now, NVIDIA is currently in a prime position when it comes to the industry today. Formerly a huge proponent of gaming peripherals, the company is now one of the biggest names in AI hardware, allotting a lot of its products for data centers. Huang’s allegations come at an interesting time.

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