News
Xiaomi teases Redmi 4 budget phone ahead of launch

If you thought Xiaomi had put all its cards on table, what with all the devices it announced this year, including an all-screen concept phone you can actually buy, you thought wrong. The Chinese manufacturer is slated to launch another handset that could tighten its grip at the top of the smartphone market.
A recent consumer study found out that the technology company has lost touch with the Chinese masses, conceding its top-dog status to OPPO and Vivo throughout the third quarter of 2016. Xiaomi’s upcoming budget smartphone, the Redmi 4, aims to rekindle excitement in and outside its fan base. The phone will launch on November 4th, possibly alongside a less capable and less expensive variant called the Redmi 4A.
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A teaser image posted on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, didn’t reveal much other than that Xiaomi is planning to announce a handset with a display glass that curves toward a metal frame. Previous leaks paint a picture of a midrange phone with a “perfect for one-handed usage” screen size.
The Redmi 4 is tipped to have a 5-inch, full-resolution display and the same octa-core Qualcomm processor that powers the ASUS ZenFone 3. Its rumored specs may include 3GB of RAM; 32GB of expandable storage; 13- and 5-megapixel rear and front cameras; and a 4,100mAh battery.
The Redmi 4A, meanwhile, is said to be of the same size but takes things down a notch with less pixels on the screen, less processing power, less storage, and less battery life.
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Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Redmi 12, its latest entry-level smartphone, to the Philippine market.
The sleek budget phone features a 6.79-inch FHD+ 90Hz DotDisplay as part of its 8.17mm thick body which also sports a premium glass back and an infinite camera design.
The screen has Adaptive Sync, and is able to display a 2460 x 1080 resolution — the largest in the Redmi series so far. Moreover, the display is SGS Low Blue Light certified and has a Reading mode 3.0 feature to avoid eye strains.
The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 processor and has up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. It also houses a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W of fast-charging.
For its camera package, the Redmi 12 has a 50MP main camera, joined by an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro lens. In front is an 8MP selfie camera.
Price and availability
The Redmi 12 can be snagged for the low early bird price of only PhP 6,999 for the 8GB+128GB model, PhP 1,000 off its original SRP, from September 20 to 29 via Xiaomi’s Lazada store.
The 8GB+256GB variant, on the other hand, is priced at PhP 8,999 and is available on both Lazada and Shopee, on and TikTok starting September 30th.
From September 29 onwards, customers may opt for a 0% interest, 6-month installment plan via Home Credit.

For years, the American government hounded Chinese companies for allegedly giving China an easy backdoor into the United States. The allegations don’t normally happen from the other way around, though. Today is different. The Chinese government has accused the United States of hacking into Huawei servers since 2009.
It’s an uncommon turn of events. In a Weibo post (via Nikkei Asia), China’s Ministry of State Security claimed that it discovered evidence of American hackers breaking into Chinese servers.
According to the post, the U.S. government’s Office of Tailored Access Operations used spyware to access Huawei’s servers since 2009. The spyware involved was called Second Date, a piece of spyware that was, according to the Chinese post, “developed by the U.S. National Security Agency.”
The spyware was partially discovered by Qihoo 360, an agency investigating American-led hacking attacks against China. The mere discovery, however, does not include explicit references to Huawei as a target.
China’s retaliation against the United States is slowly ramping up. Recently, the Chinese government started banning its officials from using iPhones for work. A wider ban might even be in the works.
For the United States, the American government is also investigating Huawei once again. After the surprising launch of the Mate 60 series, the government is interested to see how the Chinese company can still make smartphones without American technology.

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord will launch on October 26 with pre-orders now available on the PlayStation and Meta Quest stores, as revealed during the PlayStation State of Play.
Players may get a first look at the title’s PlayStation VR2 gameplay and features through its newly-released trailer:
The game lets players team up with up to three more allies as they take on a variety of missions, solving puzzles and trapping ghosts to stop the March of the Malevolent.
Under solo mode, players can also take on the Ghost Lord with the help of a ghostly companion.
Thanks to PlayStation VR2’s capabilities, fans can step into the role of a ghostbuster while enjoying 4K HDR graphics, eye tracking for accurate navigation and interaction, both headset and haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers.
Price, availability
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord is available for pre-order via the PlayStation Store with a limited-time 10% discount at just US$ 31.49 for the base game and US$ 49.49 for the Full Containment Edition.
The Full Containment Edition is also available for pre-order on the Meta Quest Store for a limited time at US$ 49.99.
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