It looks like Sonos could be about to release a new subwoofer, after a Reddit user spotted details of the so-called Sub Mini in the brand's S2 app.
The user posted the details of the subwoofer appeared when they tapped the 'More information' button when adding a second Sub (Gen 3) – the brand's flagship subwoofer – to their Sonos system. They also uploaded a screenshot of the information screen.
As well as providing information on how to connect a second subwoofer to your home cinema setup, the page also revealed that the Sonos Sub Mini isn't supported in this process.
Currently, the company doesn't have any products with this name, which suggests that a launch is on the horizon – and perhaps coming very soon, if details of the new subwoofer are already available in the Sonos S2 app.
In a statement provided to Engadget, a Sonos spokesperson said that "we’re always working on ways to create an even better listening experience for customers, but we don’t have anything to share on our future product roadmap"; however we'd be surprised if the Sonos Sub Mini didn't launch in the next few months.
The page also reveals a little about the design of the Sub Mini, under a section titled 'How do I know if I have a Sub (Gen 3)?'. Apparently, the new subwoofer is "a smaller, cylindrical subwoofer" compared to the brand's existing lineup of relatively large, square devices.
Subwoofers like the Sonos Sub are a great way to boost the bass frequencies of your home cinema setup – especially if you have a smaller soundbar like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), which doesn't sound as powerful as bigger models.
Even if your soundbar is loud enough, a good subwoofer can add tension to movie soundtracks by enhancing the rumbling lowest frequencies, as well as making bass-heavy music sound more full-bodied.
However, subwoofers don't always come cheap – and that's especially true of the Sonos Sub, which costs $749 / £749 / AU$1,099. If the new Sub Mini is a smaller version of the brand's existing subwoofers, it should be cheaper than this – is the same way the Sonos Beam is cheaper than its larger sibling, the Sonos Arc.
Sonos pricing has been a point of contention in recent months. Back in September the company increased the prices of its wireless speakers and soundbars in what was seen as an unusal and surprising move.
The Sonos Black Friday deals were particularly disappointing this year, too. There were very few discounts, even as we moved through Cyber Monday – perhaps as a result of the global chip shortages that been hitting the AV industry hard, affecting both stock and delivery times.
In any case, a cheaper version of a Sonos product is always welcome – and even if Sonos is yet to confirm it, it looks like we'll be seeing a cheaper, more compact subwoofer in the next few months.
O2 is offering free SIM cards to Big Issue vendors as part of its National Databank intiaitve, hoping to address the challenges of digital poverty and enable contactless payments.
The Big Issue was founded three decades ago as a non-profit organisation that allows people living in poverty to earn an income by selling a magazine to the public. There are currently 1,500 vendors and the magazine sells 83,073 copies each week, generating £5.5 million for the people that sell it.
O2 will offer 7GB of data, along with unlimited calls and texts, to ensure vendors are not excluded from the digital society and economy, and to allow them to take cashless payment using a reader that connects to a mobile network.
Big Issue says that since vendors started accepting cashless payments in 2019, some have seen sales increase by a third. Having a mobile phone also has other benefits, such as reducing the impact of digital poverty and improving mental health.
“We are incredibly excited about this partnership. Not only does it mean our vendors will be able to boost their sales, but it also means they will be able to stay connected to their loved ones this Christmas,” said Russell Blackman, Commercial MD at The Big Issue.
“Whilst in 2019 we started to help ensure our vendors were connected, there are still many who need access. This partnership will ensure even more of our vendors are no longer left behind.”
“I can have a card reader, which increases my sales, but I need a mobile phone for that. I can now ring The Big Issue office when I need to, I can do banking on my phone,” added Rodney Lyall, a Big Issue vendor based in Bournemouth. “When I check my balance, I know how many magazines I can afford to buy that day. And my family are in Newcastle and I’m in Bournemouth, so being able to stay in touch when we’re so far apart has benefits for my mental health and wellbeing. You feel part of things.”
Virgin Media O2’s National databank intends to be like a ‘food bank’ for mobile data in acknowledgement that connectivity is not a luxury but an essential part of modern life. As society increasingly becomes digitised, Internet access is essential for education, work and access public services and anyone who remains offline is put at a disadvantage.
The company has pledged to get more than 255,000 people living in poverty connected by the end of 2023.
Need a new SIM? Here are the best SIM-only deals available right now
If you're still wondering where to buy a PS5 you're not alone. Those looking to make the most of the next generation are still hunting for those all-important PS5 consoles, but knowing where to focus your search can make all the difference. We're here to bring you all the latest info on this page with regular updates throughout the week.
Latest: Across the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Walmart, GameStop and Amazon all held PS5 restocks in the US. Two of those came out of the blue, while Walmart gave us a good heads up and time to prepare - hopefully, you were successful. Meanwhile, Game in the UK has put PS5 consoles and bundles up for sale today (November 30). Restocks might slow down now as we reach Christmas, but we'll update this page if we hear anything new.
We've seen more regular drops at certain retailers, like Best Buy and Walmart in the US, and Very and Game in the UK, but you'll find all the retailers that have offered the chance to buy PS5 recently just below.
We're hoping there will be more consoles in stock as part of this year's Cyber Monday deals but it's going to be one of the year's hottest items so competition will be tough. If you're lucky enough to secure a console, do keep an eye on our guide to all the best PS5 Cyber Monday deals so you can snag a bargain on some games or accessories in November. You can also still get the best price for PS Plus thanks to the current deal over the Black Friday sales period.
If you're getting desperate to buy PS5, it can be tempting to head over to a reseller site. However, even though stock can be snapped up quickly it's not impossible to get your hands on the next-gen console. We'd recommend staying well clear of these price hiked sites and instead sticking with retailers you know and trust.
The US stores below carry PS5 and Digital Edition consoles regularly. We update this list as soon as we get news of an upcoming restock with the announced (or rumoured) time and date so you can be best prepared to bag a console.
Amazon
Amazon has had PS5 stock spring up intermittently since pre-orders opened, but each time it flies off the shelves in a heartbeat. It's worth keeping an eye on Amazon though, as we expect it'll get more stock in the near future - plus you can grab fast, free delivery if you're a Prime member as well.
Best Buy
Best Buy has been one of the more regular stores when it comes to restocking the PS5. This makes it one of the best places to buy a PS5. Keep an eye out, then, because more units could arrive any time.
Newegg
Newegg had a brief amount of PS5 stock on launch day but it quickly sold out. We're expecting more stock could become available in the next waves so stay tuned for more updates.
GameStop
We've seen the chance to buy PS5 popping up a fair bit at Gamestop over the past few months, so it's worth keeping an eye on the retailer as new stock could land at any time. GameStop also offers bundles with all the accessories and games included (for their regular prices) to dissuade scalpers, and it's these bundles we usually see sticking in stock a little longer.
Walmart
Walmart has seen a fair few PS5 restocks over the last month, however, things seem to have settled down now. Where previously we would have seen a new date for stock, the PS5 is now listed as out of stock.
Check the quick links below to find out where to buy PS5 in the UK today. With PS5 stock regularly hitting the country at least every couple of weeks, your chances of getting a console have increased considerably as of late.
Amazon
When more PS5 stock drops, it will likely do so at Amazon, which means you'll want to be one of the first in line when it does. As a massive online retailer, Amazon may well have more stock to play with so we'll keep this link here in case more consoles go live soon.
Very
Very has also offered the chance to buy PS5, though stock on the individual console shifted within seconds. We've seen inventory sticking around a lot longer when paired with full-priced accessories, however, and Very regularly refreshed its stock over the Xbox launch day and console pre-order period. Definitely keep checking in with this one then.
Currys
Between early glitches allowing some to purchase the PS5 early, site crashes, and a delay in their promised launch times, the retailer has now conceded and stated that no more consoles will be available. We'd keep checking back, however.
Game
Game will have a selection of PS5 consoles and bundles to buy on October 28. This will include both the standard and digital editions. Expect the site to update at anytime between 9-11am when a queue system will be in place to manage traffic.
When more PS5 stock drops, it will likely do so at Amazon, which means you'll want to be one of the first in line when it does. As a massive online retailer, Amazon may well have more stock to play with so we'll keep this link here in case more consoles go live soon.
Like most Aussie retailers, The Gamesmen is experiencing a drought of sorts when it comes to PS5 stock. That said, we will absolutely keep you informed as soon as stock of Sony's latest powerhouse console becomes available.
While Target does not currently have PlayStation 5 stock on hand, the retailer does note on its website that it expects more stock soon, and to "Please check this page for release timing updates." It's also worth noting that the retailer will only be selling PS5 stock on its website, and will not be available for in-store purchase.
While EB Games was one of the first retailers to sell out, they also offered 2021 pre-orders of the console for quite a while, but even those appear to be currently out of stock. Yet again, this doesn't mean there won't be any more chances today to score a PS5, so keep checking in with them to try your chances.
JB Hi-Fi Australia – one of the country's largest tech retail outlets – is in the same boat as many, with the PS5 currently out of stock. With that said, stock seems to fluctuate regularly, so keep checking in to see if you can score a console.
As with most places, even Sony itself is out of stock currently. It's just as good an option as other retailers in terms of price (full RRP) and free shipping, but you'll need to keep checking back in for when they get more stock.
It's not easy to buy PS5 today, so you'll find answers to some of the top questions many shoppers have right now just below.
1. Find your retailers
The list above will keep you on top of all the latest PS5 stock updates as soon as they come in, but you should keep checking frequently as you never know when more stock will land and you might get lucky.
2. Prepare your wallet
You're likely already steeled against the PS5 price, but you'll want to make sure your retailers know that. Prepare your card and shipping details in a separate page or store them with your retailers of choice for a faster checkout.
3. Sign in
You may already have an account with your favorite retailers, but be sure to sign in ahead of stock. This will steal valuable seconds from your order at checkout and you'll need all the time you can get to buy PS5 today. Plus, you can often save your checkout details with your login (if you're comfortable doing this) and track your order a little easier. We'd recommend making accounts for each retailer offering PS5 stock today as well.
4. Find the product page
You don't want to be left navigating the virtual aisles when the chance to buy PS5 does arrive. We'll be linking straight out to product pages here when stock does land, but if you're going it alone be sure to have the relevant pages queued up for your search.
5. Don't give up
There's likely to be more chances to buy a PS5 in the near future, though you'll need to be quick. If you come up unlucky, however, keep refreshing the retailer's page - we've seen stock return for quickfire refreshes in a matter of minutes in the past so you don't want to give up at the first hurdle.
The PS5 is currently out of stock at most retailers but PS5 restocks have been popping up over the last few weeks, with the Sony Direct queue and Target offering more chances to buy PS5 in the US and over in the UK rumors are spinning of a massive PS5 restock hitting over January.
We'll keep you update when and where you can get your hands on PS5 stock as soon as it becomes available.
If you've missed out on PS5 stock until now, don't panic. It's likely retailers will offer up more chances to buy PS5 in the near future. These opportunities will all be equally competitive, however, so you'll want to stay tuned for the latest updates right here.
With stock looking low and delivery dates being pushed back, it's worth wondering if you need to buy PS5 today. In general, we would say that the earlier you can get your hands on Sony's next-generation console the better. We don't know what stock is going to look like for the next few months so the sooner your delivery date (however delayed that might be from today) the better.
However, if you're after bundle deals and can hold off, you might want to think about buying PS5 when stock settles down further into the new year.
The PS5 price is $499 (£449 / AU$749.95). That puts it at the same price point as the Xbox Series X, but that shouldn't come as a surprise to many, seeing as it's difficult to imagine the PS5 price exceeding $500 when it's up against the affordable spread put out by Microsoft.
However, the cheaper PS5 Digital Edition price is $399.99 (£359.99 / AU$599.95), which does flag some concerns considering the Xbox Series S's $299 price tag. However, the PS5 Digital Edition will run the same specs as the fully-fledged console, further cementing its position in the market as a high value for money option.
That means bargain hunters can still experience everything the PS5 has to offer while foregoing the opportunity to play physical PS4 and PS5 games or save cash by buying in the second-hand market. It's an excellent proposition that will certainly capture those going for sheer value for money at launch.
You can buy one of two version of the PS5 today - the standard disk version, or the Digital Edition. The former allows you to play your physical PS4 and PS5 games, however you can still access your downloaded PS4 titles on the Digital Edition as well.
The cheaper £359 PS5 Digital Edition doesn't have a disk drive, but still runs the same specs as the full fat console. That means you can buy PS5 for less today and you'll still be running the latest tech from Sony.
However, there's only 825GB in this SSD and that's going to fill up quickly, provided you don't grab an external HDD for your PS4 games. If you've got a substantial physical collection already then it might be worth upgrading to the main console.
That said, it's difficult to buy PS5 either way right now, with launch seeing an incredibly limited number of consoles hitting the shelves. While we wouldn't necessarily advise settling for the console you can get (there's going to be more chances to buy PS5 in the future, and it's a lot of cash to be taking second best with), if you're set on buying PS5 today you might have to take what you find.
You'll need some new gear when you do buy PS5 - check out the best PS5 accessories, the latest PS5 game deals, the best DualSense PS5 controller deals and new Pulse 3D headset stock.
If you’re someone who only uses Microsoft Edge to download another browser, you might want to rethink your habits, as it's about to become the best tool for enjoying Xbox’s Cloud Gaming service.
Microsoft has just announced that a new Cloud Gaming feature called Clarity Boost is coming exclusively to its first-party browser - and you can try it out today if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber by downloading Microsoft Edge Canary.
Clarity Boost does what it says on the tin: it makes the stream’s image clearer and more detailed for the player. You can see what this means practically from the picture below. The character model is overall less blurry with clarity boost switched on; their facial hair and scars look more defined, and their skin glistens in a way that makes it appear more realistic.
We aren’t quite sure how Microsoft is managing to pull this off, specifically - all it's said publicly is that the feature uses "client-side scaling improvements" - however, we suspect this tool is similar to one you might find on most modern TVs.
From premium brands like Samsung to more budget-friendly options like Toshiba, you’ll find they come equipped with AI that can instinctively improve an image with fairly minimal processing power to varying degrees of success. We imagine Clarity Boost will start out on the lower end performance-wise and will likely improve over time, until it's launched in the full release of Microsoft Edge next year.
On that note, if you download Edge Canary to try this new Cloud Gaming feature out, we’d recommend keeping your old browser installed as Canary is the company’s more experimental browser. In it, you’ll find all the latest features and updates, but at the cost that they may not yet be fully optimized.
Long-time techies may be rubbing their eyes and pinching themselves a little to see us recommending a Microsoft first-party browser, but Edge has come a long way from Internet Explorer - an app that built up a reputation for being pretty atrocious.
Many users felt that the Explorer browser was slow and not as update-rich as its rivals, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox - an issue they believed was caused by Microsoft’s effective monopoly of the space, disincentivizing it from releasing updates. Explorer was automatically installed as part of its Windows Operating system, so it became the default - and by extension, most popular - choice for most users.
Web developers also weren’t a fan of the platform, as Internet Explorer wasn’t always the best at sticking to web standards - a site that looked perfect on all other services could look janky on Explorer. Later versions of the Explorer platform were much better on this front, though the damage to the browser's reputation was done.
Even today, Microsoft's reputation still suffers, even if many of these woes aren’t fair to translate to Microsoft Edge, a service that is, in our opinion, the second-best internet browser available today. Edge runs very well - faster than many of its rivals - thanks to multiple optimizations that help to keep its CPU consumption to a minimum. You’ll also find it comes with a bevy of customization options and easy-to-understand yet comprehensive privacy tools.
This Clarity Boost feature for Xbox Cloud Gaming will hopefully pull some gamers back to the service, and show them that it’s nowhere near as bad as Explorer once was - members of our team are already downloading Microsoft Edge Canary to give it a try.
Both Sony and Marvel are planning a second Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy after No Way Home, Sony producer Amy Pascal has confirmed.
Speaking to Fandango in a recent interview, Pascal revealed that the studio is “getting ready to make the next Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland and Marvel,” adding that “we’re thinking of [the Homecoming trilogy] as three films, and now we’re going to go onto the next three. This is not the last of our MCU movies.”
While Sony insiders have attached the caveat that no plans are official just yet (per THR), the studio supposedly has a “strong relationship” with Holland and Marvel boss Kevin Feige, boosting hopes that collaboration will continue between all three parties.
The news comes just weeks before the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is set to hit theaters on December 15, 2021 and intended to tie up the so-called Homecoming trilogy of movies (following Homecoming and Far From Home in 2017 and 2019, respectively).
In the upcoming film – which is inarguably the most anticipated Marvel movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame – Peter Parker will, for the first time, be forced to deal with the consequences of being unmasked. In an effort to rectify the situation, he enlists the help of Doctor Strange, and the pair unwittingly trigger a series of multiverse-opening events.
Sony’s third Spider-Man movie will also be the final release in what’s been a jam-packed year for MCU films, with Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and Eternals all arriving earlier this year. It'll be the last Marvel movie for a while, too, with Doctor Strange 2 not set to release until May 2022.
It’s clear that audiences have an appetite for more Spider-Man adventures – the 78 million views on No Way Home’s first trailer prove that – but Holland’s willingness to don the red and blue suit for a further three movies is less certain.
In a recent interview with GQ, the star revealed that he still isn’t sure whether he’d be willing to reprise the role after No Way Home. “Maybe it is time for me to move on,” he said, adding that “maybe what’s best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film [next]. If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong.”
Still, Holland did allude to those aforementioned plans for a brand new Spidey trilogy: “I might do Spider-Man 4, 5 and 6, finish when I’m 32, and never make another. I’m not sure what I want to do.”
The question of whether Marvel and Sony can keep their leading man, then, remains unanswered for now. We know for certain, though, that Spider-Man: No Way Home is going to take the global box office by storm.
XGIMI has launched the Halo+ projector in India, at an introductory price of Rs 99,999. XGIMI says this projector is the brightest portable projector in its category with a luminance of 900 ANSI lumens.
The Halo+ houses a DLP cinema-grade display technique, a 200-inch display screen and a resolution of 1080 FHD, aimed at providing users a perfect movie night experience at home. The projector is fitted with a dual 5 W Harman Kardon speaker so users can enjoy a clean, distortion-free sound.
A unique feature of the Halo+ is the automatic keystone correction alignments, that allow a 45-degree angle alignment, making the projector extremely user-friendly.
The Halo+ also offers Intelligent Screen Adaption (ISA) technology, which is an autofocus feature. It is also embedded with an obstacle avoidance technology, making viewing ideal from anywhere in a room.
Equipped with a wireless connection and built-in Chromecast, the Halo+ gets the Android TV 10.0 operating system. Other features include the HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0 and headphone ports and a built-in, 59 W battery for extended playtime.
After the introductory offer ends, the Halo+ will be available at a price of Rs 1,05,999. However, the MRP of the product is set at Rs 1,25,000 and, it can can be ordered from XGIMI's India website.
As November 2021 draws to a close, there’s one thing that crypto market data can tell us in confidence; crypto retail investors can be a dramatic bunch.
The pullback in traditional markets resulting from the new Covid variant making its way into the media has played a big part in driving the current crypto market dip. But rather than seeing this as a healthy correction and a prime buy-in opportunity, general crypto market sentiment took a nosedive over the weekend, with the fear and greed index flashing ‘extreme fear’.
If you’re taking a long-term approach to grow your crypto portfolio, as you should be, there is more than enough data to support the idea that fears surrounding the current dip have been wildly exaggerated. Not only is this dip just another phase in a predictable crypto price cycle, but it has also shown the extent to which large-cap altcoins have decoupled from Bitcoin’s price movements. This is great news for investors who have been patiently waiting for signs of an alt season to start and for anyone interested in buying into Bitcoin at a discount. Let’s gain some perspective on what has happened and make an educated guess as to where we’ll go from here.
Log graphs also make it significantly easier to spot patterns in an asset’s price movements, which happens to be super handy in suggesting where Bitcoin’s price is likely to go from here.
While no investment is without risk, the variety and quality of information that our data-driven world has to offer has made investing in volatile assets far less intimidating than it once was, provided that you focus on a long-term investment strategy.
While there are numerous valuable metrics, graphs and indicators available to long-term investors, one of the most popular is called a log graph.
The log graph makes it much easier to understand and contextualise price movements over an extended timeframe. Explaining logarithmic graphs is outside the scope of this article, but this video explains the concept nicely.
Looking at Bitcoin’s logarithmic chart in a timeframe between 2012 and 2022 reveals a pattern that you don’t need to be a financial analyst to spot. If Bitcoin’s price follows the same pattern it has since 2012, we’re only halfway to the upper end of the growth chart, which sits at over $100 000. We’ll let you do the maths on what that would mean for investors who see this pullback as an opportunity.
What is an alt season, and why should I care?
One thing that is markedly different about this most recent dip is the extent to which the prices of large-cap altcoins have moved independently of Bitcoin. They have also started to recover faster than Bitcoin. In the past, large-cap altcoin price movements have been near indistinguishable from Bitcoin’s during a market dip, but this time around, things are different.
Usually, when Bitcoin pulls back, altcoins usually follow suit with a greater pullback. This time, when Bitcoin fell by 22.30% from its all-time high, Ethereum only fell by roughly 19%. This is all great news for altcoin holders, but what does it have to do with an alt season? Sure, Bitcoin’s price movements are still reflected in these altcoin’s price charts, but the reduction of Bitcoin’s influence is big enough this time around to be noticeable.
This could be an indicator of an incoming alt season that may be markedly different from any that have come before it. An alt season is the crypto term for a period where alternative coins outperform Bitcoin, thereby presenting a far wider range of investment opportunities than a focussed Bitcoin rally.
While large-cap altcoins’ independence from Bitcoin’s price movements isn’t enough to confirm that alt season is on, there are multiple other metrics that suggest it may be.
Alt seasons generally need a catalyst, and historically, an ETH breakout is just the thing. So how far away are we from ETH’s next breakout? If a picture is worth a thousand words, the graph below may just be priceless.
Another chart that’s showing a possible alt season is on its way is the Total crypto market cap excluding Bitcoin. In other words, the line shows the value of all altcoins combined over time.
Notice the repeating pattern highlighted with the red curves and green arrows? There are clear similarities between the two periods in question, namely 2014-2018 and 2018-present.
The 2014-2018 period shows an accumulation phase (red curves), followed by an alt season (2017 green arrow). The graph shows us that a similar accumulation phase has taken place in the 2018-2021 period. That puts us squarely in the same stage of the crypto price cycle as we were when the 2017 alt season kicked off.
If the pattern continues to follow the shape laid out in 2014-2018, then it could mean that this is only the beginning of yet another alt season.
Today, 30th of November, is the last day of Revix’s Black November fee-free promotion. Investors get 100% off all buy-in fees, valid for every product on the Revix platform
At the time of writing, ETH’s price is just $500 shy of its all-time high. Once it breaks above that point, it's anyone’s guess how high it will climb. Still feel like the crypto market is crashing?
Buy the dip?
In summation, there is significant evidence to support the idea that this pullback may just be one of the best buy-in opportunities that crypto investors are likely to see for many months to come.
Revix is a Cape Town-based crypto investment platform which makes it safer and simpler to invest in crypto than ever before. Not only can you buy individual cryptoassets, including BTC, ETH, SOL, DOT and BNB. Also, Revix offers Crypto Bundles, which allow you to buy into an instant diversified crypto portfolio. Perfect for investors who are new to crypto.
Revix is backed by JSE listed Sabvest and offers access to all of the individual cryptocurrencies and bundles mentioned in this article.
Halo Infinite will now reward players with significantly more XP for completing the first six matches of each day, which should make progressing through the game’s Battle Pass a lot easier.
343 Industries’ community manager John Junyszek announced on Twitter that players would now receive increased XP. The first game of each day will reward players with 300 XP, the second and third games will grant players 200 XP, while the fourth, fifth and sixth games will give players 100 XP. After that, it’s back to the regular 50 XP payout.
Junyszek hopes the change will benefit those who jump on and play each day, but stressed that the team at 343 is aware that “many of you want even larger changes and we’re committed to doing so,” but noted that “those will take time.”
When we made our initial change to progression, which added Daily "Play 1 Game" Challenges, updated Weekly Challenges, and doubled the duration of 2XP Boosts, we promised that we'd monitor the data and make additional changes if needed. Now, it's time to follow up on that.November 30, 2021
The XP changes will mean that players who have completed all their weekly challenges will only need to play six games of Halo to level up as opposed to 20, which is obviously a huge difference.
343 Industries recently changed the XP system to award players 50 XP per game played, and also doubled the time of XP Boost items from 30 minutes to an hour. This change, however, goes much further in addressing complaints that Halo Infinite's Battle Pass is a slog to get through.
While it’s worth stressing that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is still in beta, the game’s Battle Pass continues to draw the ire of players who believe progression is too slow, and that the game’s challenges go against the spirit of Halo.
Previous Halo games, and other popular first-person shooter titles, tend to award XP based on your personal or team’s performance after a game. That’s not the case with Halo Infinite, which only gives players XP for completing matches or arbitrary challenges.
One of Halo’s key strengths over other titles is its sandbox nature, and forcing players to complete specific challenges is counterintuitive to the experimental and freeing nature of Halo Infinite’s gameplay, as it forces you to use certain weapons and play a certain way, which can sometimes be to the detriment of your team.
Again, with Halo Infinite’s multiplayer launching early, it’s given the team at 343 Industries a massive headstart in addressing the most critical issues that players are taking issue with. Crucially, the game isn’t plagued with technical or server issues, which is often the case with far too many online-focused games these days. Halo Infinite’s gameplay has also been widely regarded as excellent.
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer official launches on December 8 alongside the game’s campaign. We’ve been hands-on with Master Chief’s next adventure, and came away extremely impressed.
Indian restaurant aggregator Zomato has launched Zomato Wings, which is a platform to help restaurants raise money for growth. Zomato Wings hopes to be the one-stop place for various types of funders looking to make private investments in restaurants and cloud-kitchens. Zomato will help restaurants position their "story and metrics" in the right manner and connect them with the right investors.
"Just like ambitious restaurant entrepreneurs look for investors, investors also hunt for brands and teams that have the potential to become the next big chain. We at Zomato have seen the growth story of such restaurants first hand. By curating a set of restaurants and cloud-kitchens that could become rocketships if fuelled with equity capital, we hope to build the go-to platform for venture capital firms, angel investors, family offices, etc. that are looking to make private investments in restaurants and cloud-kitchens," Zomato said in its announcement.
Zomato said that it was not easy for restaurants in India to raise funding through growth-focused equity investors.
Some large chains have attracted investors, but that is obviously not enough. In the last three years, only about 25 restaurants and cloud-kitchens saw Series A or larger equity funding rounds.
"There are thousands of budding restaurants that may not have the expertise or focus to fundraise at the right time from the right investors. This is where we want to help," Zomato said.
Zomato hoped that its exposure to enterprising restaurants would come handy for it to provide leads to potential investors.
Zomato has a target of giving wings to at least 100 restaurant brands in the next three years through this new initiative.
Zomato, which itself tapped the bourses with a $1.26 billion initial public offering earlier this year, has announced it has invested nearly $275 million across four companies over the past six months. These include fitness startup Curefit, logistics firm Shiprocket, grocery delivery player Grofers, and savings app Magicpin.
So that begs the question will Zomato will also invest in some interesting restaurant ventures. According to Zomato, it wouldn't
"We are mindful that by owning an equity stake in one brand, we may raise some concern among other brands. Again, we do not want to compete with restaurants, and want to remain a fair and neutral platform for all restaurants," it explained.
Zomato’s role would be limited to being a facilitator of fundraising for restaurants.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 phones are going to be heading our way early in 2022, and we just got some new information about what to expect from the camera setup on the two more affordable models: the standard S22 and the S22 Plus.
According to well-known tipster @UniverseIce, both of these phones are going to come with the same front and rear camera configurations. On the back, the camera modules will be led by a main 50MP camera, with a 1/1.57-inch sensor, 1µm pixels, and an aperture size of F1.8.
That will apparently be accompanied by a 3x optical zoom 10MP telephoto camera bringing with it a 1/3.94-inch sensor, 1µm pixels, and an aperture size of F2.4. Rounding out the triple-lens rear camera will be a 12MP ultrawide camera (1/2.55-inch sensor, 1.4µm pixels, F2.2 aperture).
三星S22（6.06英寸）和S22+（6.55英寸）相机参数：主摄：50MP 1/1.57 1um F1.8长焦：3X 10MP 1/3.94 1um F2.4超广角：12MP 1/2.55" 1.4um F2.2前摄：10MP 1/3.24" 1.22um F2.2November 29, 2021
Then there's the selfie camera around the front – this is said to be a 10MP camera with a 1/3.24-inch sensor, 1.4µm pixels, and an F2.2 aperture. As per previous leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S range of phones won't be making the switch to in-display selfie cameras until 2023 at least.
The same source also confirms the screen sizes for these two phones that we were already expecting: the Samsung Galaxy S22 is going to come with a 6.06-inch display, while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus is said to have a 6.55-inch screen attached.
This particular leak doesn't mention anything about the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, but from previous rumors it looks as though we'll get a 108MP main camera as well as 10x optical zoom in a quad-lens rear array – so significantly better than the other two handsets in this range.
There's always a certain point in the rumor cycle for a particular smartphone when we start to get the same information over and over again from different sources. That means we're able to be more certain that these leaks are in fact accurate.
It looks as though we're starting to get to that point with the Galaxy S22, and in particular the camera modules. A rear camera of 50MP+12MP+10MP now looks very likely, with 3x optical zoom and ultrawide capabilities, plus a 10MP selfie camera on the front.
The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus brought with them 64MP+12MP+12MP rear camera arrays, but megapixels aren't everything: Samsung will be hoping to improve image quality and light capture with tweaks to the sizes of the sensors and individual pixels.
We should know for sure at some point in February. The word on the Samsung street is that the launch of the Galaxy S22 series has been pushed back to the second month in 2022 in order to make room for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE in January.
There's a new Xiaomi phone on the block – well, on the globe, though you won't be able to buy it any time soon. The Redmi Note 11T just landed: it has only launched in India so far, though you might find the device very familiar.
That's because the new Note 11T is more than a dead ringer for the Redmi Note 11 in most ways – it's basically the same phone. That device was unveiled in China in early November, and the T variant is just the same device renamed for India.
The one key shift in the Note 11T is the design: instead of having flat edges like the Note 11, it uses a more traditional curved frame.
Could we eventually see this phone available more widely? Almost definitely – Redmi has a habit of staggering its phone launches around the world, so we wouldn't be surprised if the Note 11 line lands in Europe and the UK at some point in the next few months.
Who knows what it'll be called though. Redmi phone names get switched around and substituted for different regions, so we'll have to wait to see which devices show up.
The Redmi Note 11 or Note 11T has a 6.6-inch FHD+ 90Hz screen, 50MP main camera, 33W charging, a Dimensity 810 chipset and 5G compatibility.
All in all, it sounds like a decent budget phone, though that of course depends on its price when it launches globally.
We wouldn't expect the phone to launch in Europe in 2021 though – it's too close to Christmas for a new phone line to get unveiled, at least a big one like a family from Redmi.
Instead, maybe we'll see it come in early 2022 – it could be a good complement to the anticipated Xiaomi 12, which will likely be a premium device. We'd imagine a late January or early February launch is most likely, possibly to coincide with the MWC 2022 mobile phone conference which will happen towards the end of the second month.
Vacuum cleaners are so not an Indian thing. We dearly love our house helps and the good ol’ jhaadoo (broom). In any situation, we would be hard pressed to let them go. But that doesn't mean vacuum cleaners aren't making a case for themselves today.
I got to test out the Realme Techlife Handheld Vacuum Cleaner recently, and I have to say, I am impressed. What was once a back-breaking chore was made quite enjoyable. Priced at Rs 7,999, this vacuum cleaner is affordable, compact and a low-risk investment with high returns.
Over the weeks that I used it, there were multiple home renovations, furniture being moved and even a building that was pulled down in the vicinity. The presence of dust was constant, and this gadget couldn’t have come at a better time.
Easy to assemble and super intuitive, I spent more time charging it than reading the user manual, and it still tends to run out of steam at the most ill-opportune time. But we’ll get to that later.
The vacuum cleaner is made up of several moving and detachable parts. Initially, I was quite intimidated by it and occasionally even reached for my trusty broom while I got used to working with this machine.
The entire thing is made of five parts excluding the cleaning brush, charger and a wall mount. The main vacuum houses the dust box and the battery. It comes with an extendable arm that can be added to each of the three heads to make those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies more accessible.
The two brush heads and the auto-rotating floor brush sucked in gunk and dirt like magic. The best part about using a vacuum cleaner is not having to deal with those lines of dirt that refuse to get into the dustpan.
The main selling point of this vacuum cleaner is the price. It is affordable and aimed at the working millennial who cannot work around a house help’s schedule. The sleek, all-white design makes it a modern-looking gadget that I loved having at home. It is also small and thin enough to be tucked away behind a door or between a cupboard and a wall.
Dust is collected in an adequately large bin at the end of the main body. The bin can be emptied with a push of a button and even completely removed from the vacuum for an easier clean up. It has a HEPA filter which can be removed, gently washed and reused.
A high efficiency particulate air filter can remove around 99.97 percent of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm).
Realme claims its vacuum is ‘calmer and quieter’, but I disagree. This thing is loud. While it may not wake up your neighbours, it is quite noisy. Don’t even think of taking a phone call if you are anywhere in the house while the vacuum is switched on. There will only be a lot of Hellos and I-can’t-hear-yous to go with the cacophony.
It also blows a lot of hot air when switched on. This leads to an uncomfortable user experience and makes the handle, quite literally, too hot to handle. On several occasions, I had to give the vacuum a break to cool down even though I had only just picked it up.
Another issue was the short battery life. After its first five-hour charging session, the battery would take around 2-2.5 hours to be completely charged. The handy blue flickering lights let you know when it is fully charged.
The 1.3 kg vacuum is a lot heavier than a broom. It can get quite cumbersome to lug it around your house. While cleaning my two-BHK apartment, there were several instances when I would have to either stop or switch hands due to a cramp.
Even with the bad, I quite liked the Realme Techlife Vacuum Cleaner. There were a few shortcomings, but they're not deal-breakers. A handheld vacuum cleaner has always been something we have mostly seen in those kitschy Hollywood movies. While a little late, the Indian market is primed and ready for it. The pains posed by the COVID-19-induced lockdowns make a vacuum a super handy gadget to have today.
There are already several vacuum cleaners of different types on sale, catering to different budgets. However, the Realme Handheld Vacuum Cleaner can be a good starting point for new users. It is affordable and gets the job done without a lot of fuss. Easy to use, the vacuum makes cleaning the house less of a chore and a little more fun than it is otherwise.
Pros
Affordable
Compact
User-friendly
Cons
Takes forever to charge
Runs out of charge quickly
Loud
The best Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals are coming in thick and fast, but frankly, we think this incredible Alienware m15 R6 is going to be near impossible to beat.
Gaming laptops don't get much better than this, offering lightning-fast performance thanks to its high-end RTX 3080 GPU. At the standard price, we already consider it the best value gaming laptop around today. So here's a deal that truly makes this a tempting buy: use the code CYBER15 and you can save a whopping £460.85, bringing the price down from £2,448.99 to just £1,988.14.
(Not in the UK? Scroll down for deals in your region).
In short, this is one of the best Cyber Monday deals we've seen while updating our Cyber Monday laptops liveblog. We really rate this laptop, which doesn't just have high-end components, but makes them work together in a way that flies in practice, giving even the best desktop gaming PCs a run for their money. In short, this is one of those deals on Cyber Monday Gaming laptops that can't be ignored.
Alienware m15 R6, Intel Core i7, RTX 3080, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD: £2,448.99 £1,988.14 at Dell
Use code CYBER15 to save a whopping £460.85 off this impressive Alienware gaming laptop. Equipped with an RTX 3080, this is packing some serious power, and should be able to run just about anything you throw at it.
Don't wait around too long, though. Any gaming laptop with an RTX 3080 GPU is in high demand, especially one with an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM. And global supply chain issues aren't helping to serve that demand as fully as usual. With this sweet Cyber Monday discount, then, we can't be sure stocks will be around for long.
No matter where you live, you'll find all the lowest prices for gaming laptops here, with offers available in your region.
