‘Modiji is selectively washing corrupt people..,’ says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over Janardhan Reddy's re-entry into BJP

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticizes BJP for welcoming Gali Janardhan Reddy back into the party, highlighting his alleged involvement in a ₹35,000 crore scam and multiple cases against him.

from mint - politics Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticizes BJP for welcoming Gali Janardhan Reddy back into the party, highlighting his alleged involvement in a ₹35,000 crore scam and multiple cases against him.

Assam CM takes dig at AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal over Uniform Civil Code, says, ‘Right time for 2nd or 3rd marriage’

Lok Sabha polls 2024: The BJP government in Assam is planning to roll out the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) under which polygamy will be banned

from mint - politics Lok Sabha polls 2024: The BJP government in Assam is planning to roll out the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) under which polygamy will be banned

Gadgets 360

Poco has been delivering decent products for a while, mainly catering to diverse price categories. The X-series offers flagship-grade features, while the M-series delivers a punch in the mainstream category. However, it is the C-series that provides the real value-for-money proposition. The latest addition to this series is the Poco C61, which brings a refreshed design language along with a good combination of software and hardware, all at a starting price of Rs 6,999. But how does it fair against the competition? We have some time with the device, so here's our first look. 

Starting with the design, Poco has brought a fresh perspective to this segment, where most phones offer a standard design language. The phone has three colours: Diamond Dust Black, Ethereal Blue, and Mystical Green. We got the Mystical Green colour option, and it sure stands out from the crowd with the new Radiant Ring design. The back panel is made of glass with a big circular ring housing the camera module. Poco has also made sure to add some details to the Ring to make it look more attractive and premium. From the rear panel, you will feel it to be a mid-premium smartphone, which is good. The flat frame also makes it easier to hold in hand. The phone is 8.3mm thick and weighs 193 grams, which genuinely feels light and sleek despite the price tag. 

Flip it over, and you will see a large screen with uniform bezels around the edges. It is not the slimmest in the segment, but do strike a perfect balance. The phone also features a punch-hole cutout that houses a selfie camera. Coming to the display, you get a 6.71-inch HD+ LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a screen resolution of 1650 x 720 pixels. The phone also supports 500nits of peak brightness and an 89.5 per cent screen-to-body ratio. The screen is bright enough to enjoy your video content on the go. We will get it in detail in our upcoming review. 

Coming to the performance, the Poco C61 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G36 processor, which is MediaTek's chipset for entry-level gaming smartphones. The handset also features 6GB of RAM and 6GB of virtual memory, bringing up to 12GB of RAM. Moreover, the handset also packs up to 128GB of storage, which is expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card slot. The device's performance seems pretty satisfactory in a brief time of use, with easy scrolling and switching between different apps. On the software front, the phones run on the Android 14 operating system. However, we have yet to test out the full capabilities of the device, so stay tuned for a detailed review. 

For cameras, the Poco device offers a dual rear camera setup with an 8-megapixel primary sensor and an unspecified secondary camera. On the front, you get a 5-megapixel selfie shooter. Although the phone does not seem to have massive power in the camera department sensor-wise, the company has added some cool features like AI portrait mode, time burst, film filters, and more to make it more interesting. Apart from this, the phone also features a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support. In terms of connectivity, you get a 3.5mm audio jack, single speaker, Bluetooth, GPS, Type-C port, and more. 

That said, there are still many things that we need to explore about the latest Poco C61 to see whether it can fiercely compete with the likes of Lava O2, Infinix Smart 8 Plus, and more. So, stay tuned as we west out Poco's new budget phone in shiny armour. 

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/Yy65XvN

Poco has been delivering decent products for a while, mainly catering to diverse price categories. The X-series offers flagship-grade features, while the M-series delivers a punch in the mainstream category. However, it is the C-series that provides the real value-for-money proposition. The latest addition to this series is the Poco C61, which brings a refreshed design language along with a good combination of software and hardware, all at a starting price of Rs 6,999. But how does it fair against the competition? We have some time with the device, so here's our first look. 

Starting with the design, Poco has brought a fresh perspective to this segment, where most phones offer a standard design language. The phone has three colours: Diamond Dust Black, Ethereal Blue, and Mystical Green. We got the Mystical Green colour option, and it sure stands out from the crowd with the new Radiant Ring design. The back panel is made of glass with a big circular ring housing the camera module. Poco has also made sure to add some details to the Ring to make it look more attractive and premium. From the rear panel, you will feel it to be a mid-premium smartphone, which is good. The flat frame also makes it easier to hold in hand. The phone is 8.3mm thick and weighs 193 grams, which genuinely feels light and sleek despite the price tag. 

Flip it over, and you will see a large screen with uniform bezels around the edges. It is not the slimmest in the segment, but do strike a perfect balance. The phone also features a punch-hole cutout that houses a selfie camera. Coming to the display, you get a 6.71-inch HD+ LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a screen resolution of 1650 x 720 pixels. The phone also supports 500nits of peak brightness and an 89.5 per cent screen-to-body ratio. The screen is bright enough to enjoy your video content on the go. We will get it in detail in our upcoming review. 

Coming to the performance, the Poco C61 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G36 processor, which is MediaTek's chipset for entry-level gaming smartphones. The handset also features 6GB of RAM and 6GB of virtual memory, bringing up to 12GB of RAM. Moreover, the handset also packs up to 128GB of storage, which is expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card slot. The device's performance seems pretty satisfactory in a brief time of use, with easy scrolling and switching between different apps. On the software front, the phones run on the Android 14 operating system. However, we have yet to test out the full capabilities of the device, so stay tuned for a detailed review. 

For cameras, the Poco device offers a dual rear camera setup with an 8-megapixel primary sensor and an unspecified secondary camera. On the front, you get a 5-megapixel selfie shooter. Although the phone does not seem to have massive power in the camera department sensor-wise, the company has added some cool features like AI portrait mode, time burst, film filters, and more to make it more interesting. Apart from this, the phone also features a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support. In terms of connectivity, you get a 3.5mm audio jack, single speaker, Bluetooth, GPS, Type-C port, and more. 

That said, there are still many things that we need to explore about the latest Poco C61 to see whether it can fiercely compete with the likes of Lava O2, Infinix Smart 8 Plus, and more. So, stay tuned as we west out Poco's new budget phone in shiny armour. 

Gadgets 360

Microsoft and OpenAI are working on plans for a data center project that could cost as much as $100 billion and include an artificial intelligence supercomputer called "Stargate" set to launch in 2028, The Information reported on Friday.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence technology has led to sky-rocketing demand for AI data centers capable of handling more advanced tasks than traditional data centers.

The Information reported that Microsoft would likely finance the project, which is expected to be 100 times more costly than some of the biggest existing data centers, citing people involved in private conversations about the proposal.

The proposed U.S.-based supercomputer would be the biggest in a series the companies are looking to build over the next six years, the report added.

The Information attributed the tentative cost of $100 billion to a person who spoke to Altman about it and a person who has viewed some of Microsoft's initial cost estimates. It did not identify those sources.

Altman and Microsoft have spread the supercomputers across five phases, with Stargate as the fifth phase. Microsoft is working on a smaller, fourth-phase supercomputer for OpenAI to be launched around 2026, according to the report.

Microsoft and OpenAI are in the middle of the third phase of the five-phase plan, with a significant portion of the cost for the next two phases involving acquiring the needed AI chips, the report said.

AI chips are often sold at high prices. Chip company Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC earlier in March that the latest "Blackwell" B200 artificial intelligence chip will be priced between $30,000 and $40,000.

Microsoft had also announced a duo of custom-designed computing chips in November last year.

The report said the new project would be designed to work with chips from different suppliers.

"We are always planning for the next generation of infrastructure innovations needed to continue pushing the frontier of AI capability," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The spokesperson did not comment directly on the report about the planned launch of the Stargate supercomputer.

Expenses for the plan could exceed $115 billion, more than triple Microsoft's expenditure last year on capital spending for servers, buildings and other equipment, the report stated.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

---

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/Sdcj1Px

Microsoft and OpenAI are working on plans for a data center project that could cost as much as $100 billion and include an artificial intelligence supercomputer called "Stargate" set to launch in 2028, The Information reported on Friday.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence technology has led to sky-rocketing demand for AI data centers capable of handling more advanced tasks than traditional data centers.

The Information reported that Microsoft would likely finance the project, which is expected to be 100 times more costly than some of the biggest existing data centers, citing people involved in private conversations about the proposal.

The proposed U.S.-based supercomputer would be the biggest in a series the companies are looking to build over the next six years, the report added.

The Information attributed the tentative cost of $100 billion to a person who spoke to Altman about it and a person who has viewed some of Microsoft's initial cost estimates. It did not identify those sources.

Altman and Microsoft have spread the supercomputers across five phases, with Stargate as the fifth phase. Microsoft is working on a smaller, fourth-phase supercomputer for OpenAI to be launched around 2026, according to the report.

Microsoft and OpenAI are in the middle of the third phase of the five-phase plan, with a significant portion of the cost for the next two phases involving acquiring the needed AI chips, the report said.

AI chips are often sold at high prices. Chip company Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC earlier in March that the latest "Blackwell" B200 artificial intelligence chip will be priced between $30,000 and $40,000.

Microsoft had also announced a duo of custom-designed computing chips in November last year.

The report said the new project would be designed to work with chips from different suppliers.

"We are always planning for the next generation of infrastructure innovations needed to continue pushing the frontier of AI capability," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The spokesperson did not comment directly on the report about the planned launch of the Stargate supercomputer.

Expenses for the plan could exceed $115 billion, more than triple Microsoft's expenditure last year on capital spending for servers, buildings and other equipment, the report stated.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

---

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Politics or films? BJP's Mandi candidate Kangana Ranaut ready to work full time if…

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, a BJP candidate, pledged to serve the people of Mandi constituency full-time if elected in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She promised to be a voice for the people, citing Swami Vivekananda, Sadhguru ji, and PM Modi as her inspirations.

from mint - politics Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, a BJP candidate, pledged to serve the people of Mandi constituency full-time if elected in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She promised to be a voice for the people, citing Swami Vivekananda, Sadhguru ji, and PM Modi as her inspirations.

PM Modi's Economic Advisor to Rahul Gandhi; 'Mir Jafar' abuses gains momentum in Indian Politics; Who is he?

The term ‘Mir Jafar’ is used as an insult in Indian politics. BJP compared Rahul Gandhi to Mir Jafar for seeking foreign help to become a 'nawab'. Mir Jafar betrayed the Nawab of Bengal in 1757, leading to British rule in India.

from mint - politics The term ‘Mir Jafar’ is used as an insult in Indian politics. BJP compared Rahul Gandhi to Mir Jafar for seeking foreign help to become a 'nawab'. Mir Jafar betrayed the Nawab of Bengal in 1757, leading to British rule in India.

Gadgets 360

Budget smartphones are plentiful, and every brand is trying to do something different to capture the attention of the masses. The Poco X6 Neo is the new kid in the block, well not actually new, it's a rebranded Redmi Note 13, but with some changes to its design and software. The key selling points for the Neo are its slim display bezel and an overall slim form factor. The Poco X6 Neo joins the Poco X6 and the Poco X6 Pro. This results in a series of devices that stretches from the budget segment deep into to the mid-range.

We've been testing the budget Poco X6 Neo for a week to try and find out if it is a good phone for around Rs. 15,000 and here's what we found.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Price in India

The Poco X6 Neo is available in India in two variants. The base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at Rs. 15,999, whereas the higher-end 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option can be yours for Rs. 17,999.

Poco X6 Neo is available in three colour options

The Poco X6 Neo is available in Astral Black, Horizon Blue, and Martian Orange. We received the 12GB RAM variant in Martian Orange for review.

In the box, the Poco X6 Neo is available with a case, a 33W fast charger, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, SIM ejector tool, and the usual paperwork.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Design

In terms of design, the Poco X6 Neo is certainly a good looking phone. We've been testing out the Martian Orange colourway, which has a marble-like finish on its back panel that shines though when light hits the surface. It's kind of cool and is certainly eye-catching. Otherwise, the panel has a matte finish to it, which is good at resisting fingerprints and smudges.

It's got a flat frame with a slight taper that makes the phone comfortable to hold in hand. Both the frame and back panel are made from plastic, which helps keep it light at just 175 grams. There's also a rectangular camera module at the back with the dual cameras, which protrude outwards quite a bit. When laid on its back, the protruding cameras makes the phone wobble.

The Poco X6 Neo has a single loudspeaker

The Poco X6 Neo is also quite thin, at just 7.69mm. On the front, you get skinny bezels around the flat display which gives it a very premium appearance. There's no thick chin either like you see on most phones in this price bracket. The phone offers an IP54 dust and splash resistant rating and the display screen is covered in Gorilla Glass 5.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Specifications and software

Moving on to specifications, the Poco X6 Neo is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC, which is based on a 6nm fabrication process. It is paired with a Mali-G54 MC2 GPU and up to 12GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. You can't expect faster RAM and storage on a phone that's priced this aggressively.

Poco X6 Neo has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner

The phone comes with a USB Type-C port, a single loudspeaker, and a microphone at the bottom. The volume and power buttons are placed on the left side, whereas the right frame houses the SIM ejector tray, which supports dual SIM or a single SIM and a microSD card. At the top you'll find an infrared blaster, a microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone has 5G support, Bluetooth 5.3, dual-band Wi-Fi, and support for the usual global positioning systems.

Poco has used a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the X6 Neo that's placed underneath the Power button. The scanner is fast and works well. We did not face any issues during our time using the phone.

The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery and comes with a 33W fast charger. Out-of-the-box, the Poco X6 Neo runs Android 13-based MIUI 14, and you will get two years of Android and 4 years of security updates. However, since Google will soon launch Android 15 later this year, you're essentially only getting one year of Android OS update with the X6 Neo, which is kind of disappointing.

Poco X6 Neo has a lot of bloatware

In terms of software features, you get the Poco launcher on the phone with Glance lock screen (which thankfully can be disabled), along with plenty of bloatware and advertisements. While most of the bloatware can be uninstalled, there are a couple of apps that you'll have to live with. There's your usual set of MIUI 14 features onboard the phone as well.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Performance

In terms of performance, there's not much going on with the X6 Neo because it is your average run-of-the-mill performer. The MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC is decent for everyday use and for some gaming. We ran some benchmarks on the phone and here are the results. With AnTuTu, the phone scored 4,59,491 points. On Geekbench 6's CPU benchmarks, the phone scored 613 points in single core tests and 1,798 points in multi-core tests. In the GPU test, the phone managed a score of 1,407 points. As you can tell, it's nothing out of the ordinary.

The phone is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC

One of the key selling points of the Poco X6 Neo is its display. You get a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, full-HD+ resolution, and up to 2,160Hz touch sampling rate. The panel also features super thin bezels all around. The side bezels are razor-thin at just 1.5mm. Meanwhile, the top bezel is 2mm and the bottom bezel is 2.5mm. At first glance, the bezels appear to be uniform and give the device a premium look. It's quite a rare sight to see displays with such thin bezels at this price point, especially of the AMOLED variety. Most phones in this price bracket get an LCD panel, which means less deeper blacks and no support for Always-on Display (AOD).

The screen gets bright enough thanks to 1,000 nits of peak brightness, but it has a typical brightness of just 500 nits. The screen is visible outdoors, but only barely. The phone offers three colour modes – Vivid, Saturated, and Standard. We'd recommend going with the Standard colour mode if you want the most accurate colours, or Vivid if you want the phone to adjust colours based on what's on the display. You can also adjust the colour temperature on the phone. Viewing angles are pretty good with no change in colours and contrast.

The Poco X6 Neo has a 500 nits display

The phone comes with a single loudspeaker that can get loud, but it lacks any sort of bass. Microphone and ear speaker quality is also decent and I didn't face any issues when making phone calls. The Poco X6 Neo is good for content consumption, but it would've been nice if the company had included stereo speakers.

I played Call of Duty: Warzone on the Poco X6 Neo and it automatically set the graphics quality to ‘Low', but this wasn't surprising. You can play BGMI and other graphic intensive games on the phone, but don't expect high or ultra graphics. BGMI selected HD graphics by default but had most of the effects greyed out. During long gaming sessions (30 to 45 mins) the phone did not heat-up much, and performance didn't drop. Touch sensitivity was also good, but there were a few misses here and there. I didn't notice any heating issues when using the camera or during regular usage. The phone stayed cool in most scenarios.

Gaming on the Poco X6 Neo is fun thanks to the large display

Coming to software performance, I did not notice major lagging or stuttering when navigating the UI, opening apps, or using the camera. Yes, the phone did lag occasionally when switching camera modes and I did notice some stutter in animations. Overall though, the 120Hz refresh rate helps overcome these rare stutters and it's not going to be a dealbreaker.

The Poco X6 Neo's 5,000mAh battery would easily last me a day and half with regular usage that included some gaming, watching videos, listening to music using wired headphones, taking photos, browsing the web, and making some calls. With heavy usage that included an hour of gaming, photo/video capture, and a couple of hours of streaming content, the phone would last me a day. The phone supports 33W fast charging and comes with a charger in the box. In our tests, the phone took about 1 hour 15 mins to charge from 1 to 100 percent, whereas 50 percent charge was achieved in about 35 mins.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Cameras

Alright, let's talk about the cameras. The Poco X6 Neo comes with a dual rear camera setup that includes a 108-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HM6 sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, the phone has a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies and videos. The Camera app is easy to use and has most of the camera modes laid out right in front. There's a dedicated 108-megapixel mode, a Night mode, Portrait, Documents, and a More option that gives you access to Time-lapse, Slow motion, Pro mode, Panorama, and AI watermark.

Poco X6 Neo has a 108-megapixel main rear camera

Daylight shots from the main camera show good detail with accurate colours in most shooting scenarios. However, it wasn't able to handle difficult lighting conditions well, despite having the HDR option enabled. The 108-megapixel captures pack more detail, are surprisingly sharp and colour accurate. In low-light, the camera doesn't perform very well even in Night mode. There's a big drop in detail, sharpness, and colour accuracy. You will also see washed out colours and details.

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample (Tap image to expand)

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample captured at 3X digital zoom (Tap image to expand)

The Poco X6 Neo offers 2x and 3x digital zoom from the primary camera, but the zoomed shots are digital crops and so, don't pack much detail. There's plenty of watercolour effect seen in zoom shots especially at night. Daylight shots are better and do have some level of detail.

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample (Tap image to expand)

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample captured at 3X digital zoom (Tap image to expand)

You also get a 2-megapixel depth sensor which is used when capturing Portrait photos. The camera takes decent portrait photos in daylight, but things get bad once the sun goes down. There are no options to choose in Portrait photos, but you can adjust the depth of field. Edge detection in daylight average. In low light photos, you will notice flaws with edge detection.

When it comes to selfies, the Poco X6 Neo again manages decent photos. Daylight selfies are good and have a good level of details with accurate white balance and colours. Low Light selfies are washed out and lack details.

The Poco X6 Neo only offers 1080p 30fps video recording from both the rear and front cameras. While you can use the camera to record videos, expect it to have plenty of noise and artefacts. The dynamic range is also not great in daylight videos and things get worse in lowlight conditions. Stabilisation in video is decent at best, start running and you'll see all the jitters. In Slow motion mode you can record at 720p 120fps, but the results are mediocre.

Overall, the camera setup on the Poco X6 Neo is good for basic daylight photography.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Verdict

The Poco X6 Neo 5G has a starting price of Rs. 15,999 and sees competition from phones such as the Realme 12 5G, Redmi Note 13 5G, and the Vivo T3 5G. However, only the Realme 12 5G is in the same price bracket, whereas the others cost a little bit more. Of course, when you pay more, you will also get a better phone, especially when it comes to camera performance.

Poco's X6 Neo's hardware isn't really new, but it does offer good value for money. The AMOLED display is definitely something that you won't find in this price segment and is great for content consumption. The phone can also take good photos in daylight conditions. You get good battery life, and decent performance as well. At this price point, the Poco X6 Neo is definitely a hero.

---

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/b724ImQ

Budget smartphones are plentiful, and every brand is trying to do something different to capture the attention of the masses. The Poco X6 Neo is the new kid in the block, well not actually new, it's a rebranded Redmi Note 13, but with some changes to its design and software. The key selling points for the Neo are its slim display bezel and an overall slim form factor. The Poco X6 Neo joins the Poco X6 and the Poco X6 Pro. This results in a series of devices that stretches from the budget segment deep into to the mid-range.

We've been testing the budget Poco X6 Neo for a week to try and find out if it is a good phone for around Rs. 15,000 and here's what we found.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Price in India

The Poco X6 Neo is available in India in two variants. The base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at Rs. 15,999, whereas the higher-end 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option can be yours for Rs. 17,999.

Poco X6 Neo is available in three colour options

The Poco X6 Neo is available in Astral Black, Horizon Blue, and Martian Orange. We received the 12GB RAM variant in Martian Orange for review.

In the box, the Poco X6 Neo is available with a case, a 33W fast charger, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, SIM ejector tool, and the usual paperwork.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Design

In terms of design, the Poco X6 Neo is certainly a good looking phone. We've been testing out the Martian Orange colourway, which has a marble-like finish on its back panel that shines though when light hits the surface. It's kind of cool and is certainly eye-catching. Otherwise, the panel has a matte finish to it, which is good at resisting fingerprints and smudges.

It's got a flat frame with a slight taper that makes the phone comfortable to hold in hand. Both the frame and back panel are made from plastic, which helps keep it light at just 175 grams. There's also a rectangular camera module at the back with the dual cameras, which protrude outwards quite a bit. When laid on its back, the protruding cameras makes the phone wobble.

The Poco X6 Neo has a single loudspeaker

The Poco X6 Neo is also quite thin, at just 7.69mm. On the front, you get skinny bezels around the flat display which gives it a very premium appearance. There's no thick chin either like you see on most phones in this price bracket. The phone offers an IP54 dust and splash resistant rating and the display screen is covered in Gorilla Glass 5.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Specifications and software

Moving on to specifications, the Poco X6 Neo is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC, which is based on a 6nm fabrication process. It is paired with a Mali-G54 MC2 GPU and up to 12GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. You can't expect faster RAM and storage on a phone that's priced this aggressively.

Poco X6 Neo has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner

The phone comes with a USB Type-C port, a single loudspeaker, and a microphone at the bottom. The volume and power buttons are placed on the left side, whereas the right frame houses the SIM ejector tray, which supports dual SIM or a single SIM and a microSD card. At the top you'll find an infrared blaster, a microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone has 5G support, Bluetooth 5.3, dual-band Wi-Fi, and support for the usual global positioning systems.

Poco has used a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the X6 Neo that's placed underneath the Power button. The scanner is fast and works well. We did not face any issues during our time using the phone.

The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery and comes with a 33W fast charger. Out-of-the-box, the Poco X6 Neo runs Android 13-based MIUI 14, and you will get two years of Android and 4 years of security updates. However, since Google will soon launch Android 15 later this year, you're essentially only getting one year of Android OS update with the X6 Neo, which is kind of disappointing.

Poco X6 Neo has a lot of bloatware

In terms of software features, you get the Poco launcher on the phone with Glance lock screen (which thankfully can be disabled), along with plenty of bloatware and advertisements. While most of the bloatware can be uninstalled, there are a couple of apps that you'll have to live with. There's your usual set of MIUI 14 features onboard the phone as well.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Performance

In terms of performance, there's not much going on with the X6 Neo because it is your average run-of-the-mill performer. The MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC is decent for everyday use and for some gaming. We ran some benchmarks on the phone and here are the results. With AnTuTu, the phone scored 4,59,491 points. On Geekbench 6's CPU benchmarks, the phone scored 613 points in single core tests and 1,798 points in multi-core tests. In the GPU test, the phone managed a score of 1,407 points. As you can tell, it's nothing out of the ordinary.

The phone is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 SoC

One of the key selling points of the Poco X6 Neo is its display. You get a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, full-HD+ resolution, and up to 2,160Hz touch sampling rate. The panel also features super thin bezels all around. The side bezels are razor-thin at just 1.5mm. Meanwhile, the top bezel is 2mm and the bottom bezel is 2.5mm. At first glance, the bezels appear to be uniform and give the device a premium look. It's quite a rare sight to see displays with such thin bezels at this price point, especially of the AMOLED variety. Most phones in this price bracket get an LCD panel, which means less deeper blacks and no support for Always-on Display (AOD).

The screen gets bright enough thanks to 1,000 nits of peak brightness, but it has a typical brightness of just 500 nits. The screen is visible outdoors, but only barely. The phone offers three colour modes – Vivid, Saturated, and Standard. We'd recommend going with the Standard colour mode if you want the most accurate colours, or Vivid if you want the phone to adjust colours based on what's on the display. You can also adjust the colour temperature on the phone. Viewing angles are pretty good with no change in colours and contrast.

The Poco X6 Neo has a 500 nits display

The phone comes with a single loudspeaker that can get loud, but it lacks any sort of bass. Microphone and ear speaker quality is also decent and I didn't face any issues when making phone calls. The Poco X6 Neo is good for content consumption, but it would've been nice if the company had included stereo speakers.

I played Call of Duty: Warzone on the Poco X6 Neo and it automatically set the graphics quality to ‘Low', but this wasn't surprising. You can play BGMI and other graphic intensive games on the phone, but don't expect high or ultra graphics. BGMI selected HD graphics by default but had most of the effects greyed out. During long gaming sessions (30 to 45 mins) the phone did not heat-up much, and performance didn't drop. Touch sensitivity was also good, but there were a few misses here and there. I didn't notice any heating issues when using the camera or during regular usage. The phone stayed cool in most scenarios.

Gaming on the Poco X6 Neo is fun thanks to the large display

Coming to software performance, I did not notice major lagging or stuttering when navigating the UI, opening apps, or using the camera. Yes, the phone did lag occasionally when switching camera modes and I did notice some stutter in animations. Overall though, the 120Hz refresh rate helps overcome these rare stutters and it's not going to be a dealbreaker.

The Poco X6 Neo's 5,000mAh battery would easily last me a day and half with regular usage that included some gaming, watching videos, listening to music using wired headphones, taking photos, browsing the web, and making some calls. With heavy usage that included an hour of gaming, photo/video capture, and a couple of hours of streaming content, the phone would last me a day. The phone supports 33W fast charging and comes with a charger in the box. In our tests, the phone took about 1 hour 15 mins to charge from 1 to 100 percent, whereas 50 percent charge was achieved in about 35 mins.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Cameras

Alright, let's talk about the cameras. The Poco X6 Neo comes with a dual rear camera setup that includes a 108-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HM6 sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, the phone has a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies and videos. The Camera app is easy to use and has most of the camera modes laid out right in front. There's a dedicated 108-megapixel mode, a Night mode, Portrait, Documents, and a More option that gives you access to Time-lapse, Slow motion, Pro mode, Panorama, and AI watermark.

Poco X6 Neo has a 108-megapixel main rear camera

Daylight shots from the main camera show good detail with accurate colours in most shooting scenarios. However, it wasn't able to handle difficult lighting conditions well, despite having the HDR option enabled. The 108-megapixel captures pack more detail, are surprisingly sharp and colour accurate. In low-light, the camera doesn't perform very well even in Night mode. There's a big drop in detail, sharpness, and colour accuracy. You will also see washed out colours and details.

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample (Tap image to expand)

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample captured at 3X digital zoom (Tap image to expand)

The Poco X6 Neo offers 2x and 3x digital zoom from the primary camera, but the zoomed shots are digital crops and so, don't pack much detail. There's plenty of watercolour effect seen in zoom shots especially at night. Daylight shots are better and do have some level of detail.

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample (Tap image to expand)

Poco X6 Neo primary camera sample captured at 3X digital zoom (Tap image to expand)

You also get a 2-megapixel depth sensor which is used when capturing Portrait photos. The camera takes decent portrait photos in daylight, but things get bad once the sun goes down. There are no options to choose in Portrait photos, but you can adjust the depth of field. Edge detection in daylight average. In low light photos, you will notice flaws with edge detection.

When it comes to selfies, the Poco X6 Neo again manages decent photos. Daylight selfies are good and have a good level of details with accurate white balance and colours. Low Light selfies are washed out and lack details.

The Poco X6 Neo only offers 1080p 30fps video recording from both the rear and front cameras. While you can use the camera to record videos, expect it to have plenty of noise and artefacts. The dynamic range is also not great in daylight videos and things get worse in lowlight conditions. Stabilisation in video is decent at best, start running and you'll see all the jitters. In Slow motion mode you can record at 720p 120fps, but the results are mediocre.

Overall, the camera setup on the Poco X6 Neo is good for basic daylight photography.

Poco X6 Neo Review: Verdict

The Poco X6 Neo 5G has a starting price of Rs. 15,999 and sees competition from phones such as the Realme 12 5G, Redmi Note 13 5G, and the Vivo T3 5G. However, only the Realme 12 5G is in the same price bracket, whereas the others cost a little bit more. Of course, when you pay more, you will also get a better phone, especially when it comes to camera performance.

Poco's X6 Neo's hardware isn't really new, but it does offer good value for money. The AMOLED display is definitely something that you won't find in this price segment and is great for content consumption. The phone can also take good photos in daylight conditions. You get good battery life, and decent performance as well. At this price point, the Poco X6 Neo is definitely a hero.

---

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies: A look at the life and times of the 'Bahubali’ from eastern UP

While he was acquitted in most of the cases, Ansari, 60, was, however, convicted in at least eight criminal cases since 2022. In April 2023, Ansari was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the 2005 murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.

from mint - politics While he was acquitted in most of the cases, Ansari, 60, was, however, convicted in at least eight criminal cases since 2022. In April 2023, Ansari was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the 2005 murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.

Mukhtar Ansari death: How did gangster-politician die? ‘Poisonous substance in food,’ says brother

Mukhtar Ansari's body has been sent for post-mortem at Banda Medical College Hospital, Banda. He was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat

from mint - politics Mukhtar Ansari's body has been sent for post-mortem at Banda Medical College Hospital, Banda. He was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia, Rahul Gandhi to release Congress manifesto in Jaipur on April 6

Kharge, Sonia, Rahul Gandhi to release Congress poll manifesto in Jaipur on April 6 Lok Sabha elections 2024: Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia, Rahul Gandhi to release Congress poll manifesto in Jaipur on April 6

from mint - politics Kharge, Sonia, Rahul Gandhi to release Congress poll manifesto in Jaipur on April 6 Lok Sabha elections 2024: Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia, Rahul Gandhi to release Congress poll manifesto in Jaipur on April 6

Arvind Kejriwal's ED remand ends today; CBI likely to seek Delhi CM's custody in Liquor Policy probe

After the ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to seek Kejriwal’s custody in connection with the probe. Sunita Kejriwal, Arvind Kejriwal's wife, has said that the Delhi CM will reveal in the court where the money from the ‘so-called’ liquor scam is

from mint - politics After the ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to seek Kejriwal’s custody in connection with the probe. Sunita Kejriwal, Arvind Kejriwal's wife, has said that the Delhi CM will reveal in the court where the money from the ‘so-called’ liquor scam is

Congress drops Supriya Shrinate from Lok Sabha candidates list amid controversial remark against Kangana Ranaut

Supriya Shrinate has been embroiled in a controversy over a now-deleted social media post on Kangana Ranaut. The Congress spokesperson allegedly posted an offensive comment against Ranaut

from mint - politics Supriya Shrinate has been embroiled in a controversy over a now-deleted social media post on Kangana Ranaut. The Congress spokesperson allegedly posted an offensive comment against Ranaut

Centre to revoke AFSPA Act, reduce troops in Jammu and Kashmir: Amit Shah

Amit Shah announces plan to withdraw troops, hand over law and order to Jammu and Kashmir Police

from mint - politics Amit Shah announces plan to withdraw troops, hand over law and order to Jammu and Kashmir Police

Arvind Kejriwal arrest: 1st Delhi assembly session without CM's presence to be held today

Arvind Kejriwal arrest news: Delhi High Court will be hearing a petition by Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the ED on Wednesday

from mint - politics Arvind Kejriwal arrest news: Delhi High Court will be hearing a petition by Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the ED on Wednesday

Will CPI M lose national status, famous party symbol after Lok Sabha Elections 2024? Kerala leader AK Balan says...

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: AK Balan, a CPI(M) central committee member and former Kerala minister, cautioned recently, “It is time to make sincere efforts to protect the party symbol.” Will the CPI(M) lose its national status and famous party symbol after the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections?

from mint - politics Lok Sabha Elections 2024: AK Balan, a CPI(M) central committee member and former Kerala minister, cautioned recently, “It is time to make sincere efforts to protect the party symbol.” Will the CPI(M) lose its national status and famous party symbol after the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections?

Excise policy case: Delhi High Court to hear Arvind Kejriwal's challenge to arrest today. Here's all you need to know

Delhi High Court to hear Arvind Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest by ED in money-laundering case. Kejriwal seeks immediate release claiming arrest was 'illegal'. Hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma at 10:30 am.

from mint - politics Delhi High Court to hear Arvind Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest by ED in money-laundering case. Kejriwal seeks immediate release claiming arrest was 'illegal'. Hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma at 10:30 am.

Election Commission mulls advisory on INDIA bloc's ‘misuse of central agencies' concerns ahead of polls: Report

A delegation of INDIA bloc parties had last week urged the poll panel to ensure ‘level playing field’ during the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. This after Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

from mint - politics A delegation of INDIA bloc parties had last week urged the poll panel to ensure ‘level playing field’ during the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. This after Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

AAP Protest Today Live Updates: Gates of three Delhi Metro stations shut, no permission for ‘gherao’

AAP Protest Today Live Updates: A rally will be organized by the INDIA bloc on March 31 against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case. 

from mint - politics AAP Protest Today Live Updates: A rally will be organized by the INDIA bloc on March 31 against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case. 

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 : Rahul Gandhi to face ‘Amethi fate’ in Wayanad too, says BJP candidate K Surendran

K Surendran, the Kerala state president of the BJP, is contesting against the Congress leader and incumbent member of parliament (MP) from Wayanad in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 26.

from mint - politics K Surendran, the Kerala state president of the BJP, is contesting against the Congress leader and incumbent member of parliament (MP) from Wayanad in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 26.

Kangana you keep shining...: NCW says it is 'appalled' by Congress' Supriya Shrinate's post. What we know so far

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's candidature from Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh for Lok Sabha elections sparked controversy when Congress leader Suprita Shrinate posted an objectionable message on Instagram regarding the BJP candidate.

from mint - politics Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's candidature from Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh for Lok Sabha elections sparked controversy when Congress leader Suprita Shrinate posted an objectionable message on Instagram regarding the BJP candidate.

‘Withdraw his candidature: ’ Congress to BJP on Abhijit Gangopadhyay's 'can't choose between Gandhi and Godse' remark

Abhijit Gangopadhyay, former Calcutta High Court judge and a BJP candidate in West Bengal was heard saying to a TV channel that he cannot choose between Mahatma Gandhi and his killer Naturam Godse.

from mint - politics Abhijit Gangopadhyay, former Calcutta High Court judge and a BJP candidate in West Bengal was heard saying to a TV channel that he cannot choose between Mahatma Gandhi and his killer Naturam Godse.

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Mining baron Janardhana Reddy rejoins BJP ahead of polls

G Janardhana Reddy rejoined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after forming KRPP last year, merging it with BJP in the presence of party leaders. Accused in an illegal mining case, he had been politically inactive for 12 years.

from mint - politics G Janardhana Reddy rejoined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after forming KRPP last year, merging it with BJP in the presence of party leaders. Accused in an illegal mining case, he had been politically inactive for 12 years.

Lok Sabha Election: BJP names 111 more candidates; Kangana Ranaut, Sita Soren among bold choices in 5th candidate list

Lok Sabha election 2024: BJP announces 111 new candidates for Lok Sabha elections, including actors Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil. Varun Gandhi was omitted from the list. Several sitting MPs denied tickets. Notable nominations include Sita Soren, Naveen Jindal, and Varaprasad Rao.

from mint - politics Lok Sabha election 2024: BJP announces 111 new candidates for Lok Sabha elections, including actors Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil. Varun Gandhi was omitted from the list. Several sitting MPs denied tickets. Notable nominations include Sita Soren, Naveen Jindal, and Varaprasad Rao.

INDIA is not visible in naked eye but…: Assam CM Himanta on opposition bloc claiming to win 272 seats in Lok Sabha polls

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that the Assamese and Indian people will fight the upcoming elections with confidence and a clear sense of identity

from mint - politics Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that the Assamese and Indian people will fight the upcoming elections with confidence and a clear sense of identity

Lok Sabha Election 2024: PM Modi chairs BJP's CEC meet; 4th List of candidates likely today

Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) held a meeting of its Central Election Committee on Saturday to decide the names of the candidates from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

from mint - politics Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) held a meeting of its Central Election Committee on Saturday to decide the names of the candidates from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Who is Ajay Rai? Congress Varanasi candidate who will contest against PM Modi

Congress party's Varansai Lok Sabha candidate Ajai Rai was previously a BJP leader. He is a former five-time MLA from Varanasi.

from mint - politics Congress party's Varansai Lok Sabha candidate Ajai Rai was previously a BJP leader. He is a former five-time MLA from Varanasi.

Lok Sabha 2024: Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughters Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti likely to contest polls. Details here

Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti, daughters of RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, may contest Bihar Lok Sabha polls. BJP criticizes the move, accusing Lalu of 'selling tickets'.

from mint - politics Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti, daughters of RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, may contest Bihar Lok Sabha polls. BJP criticizes the move, accusing Lalu of 'selling tickets'.

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Actor Govinda likely to make a political comeback, may join Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena

Actor Govinda rumored to make a political comeback before 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Likely to contest from North-West Mumbai on Shiv Sena ticket after meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister.

from mint - politics Actor Govinda rumored to make a political comeback before 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Likely to contest from North-West Mumbai on Shiv Sena ticket after meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Electoral bonds: How giant donors timed their political funding

Mint analysis of the top 22 donors showed these entities have donated more than ₹100 crore since 12 April 2019 through electoral bonds.

from mint - politics Mint analysis of the top 22 donors showed these entities have donated more than ₹100 crore since 12 April 2019 through electoral bonds.

Arvind Kejriwal arrested ahead of Lok Sabha, assembly elections: 5 key challenges before AAP in Delhi

Delhi CM and AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the excise policy case. His arrest poses several challenges to the Delhi government and party leadership ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year and assembly elections in the Union Territory in 2025.

from mint - politics Delhi CM and AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the excise policy case. His arrest poses several challenges to the Delhi government and party leadership ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year and assembly elections in the Union Territory in 2025.

Gadgets 360

Hotstar's latest show, Lootere, will take you to the murky world of Somalia, where crime is the order of the day and law and order have taken a convenient backseat. The show is about Somalian pirates (no, they aren't as goofy as Captain Jack Sparrow) who otherwise live pitiful lives. It is reportedly based on the true incident of 2017 when an Indian ship was similarly hijacked on Somalian waters by pirates.

The first scene of Lootere gives a preview of what comes along thrill, adventure, cat and mouse chase, tons of action sequences, and lots of adrenaline rush. A lot of local Somalians are running towards the shore, some of whom have ammunition. It seems like they are all going on a mission. The captivating background music adds to the urgency that the makers are trying to create.

The first main character we meet is Vikrant (Vivek Gomber), an Indian businessman who has spent all his life in Somalia and is yet standing at the receiving end of discrimination and hatred from the localities. Before you start sympathising with him, it is worth mentioning that there might be other reasons for it as well: he is the President of the port organisation and has many illegal activities going under his wing. This is, of course, besides the fact that he is a money-minded asshole who has somewhat gotten his emotional fuse dismantled. He strongly relies on the philosophy of his father-in-law (from whom he has inherited his illegal business empire) that it is better to be a king in hell than a servant in heaven.

Vikrant is contending for the presidency of the port and needs lots of funds to lure the votes and clear his loans. One such piggy bank that he is relying on is the Ukrainian ship which is bringing an illegal consignment to Sonalia's Mogadishu for him. The ship has 13 crew members, including the savage Captain (Rajat Kapoor), a Pakistani crewmate, and two women – one of whom is pregnant.

As the information of illegal consignment on the ship goes out, Vikrant's enemies get ready to get this reported so that the ship is inspected on reaching Mogadishu, leading to Vikrant's presidency being nulled.

One of Vikrant's partners offers the unique solution of getting the ship hijacked and retrieving the priceless consignment midway before it reaches the enemies: an offer Vikrant agrees to without even listening to the entire plan.

Thus, kickstarts a series of thrilling sequences.

Lootere Review: Nuanced Performances by the Cast

Vivek Gamber plays a corrupt Indian businessman in Somalian waters

Lootere's cast has done an impressive job. I particularly liked Rajat Kapoor's ship Captain. Although there wasn't much scope for emotional diversity to explore, he nailed the parts of a leader who knows how to keep his team calm under distress. His character also knew how to shoot subtle sarcasm, even with pirates jumping around.

Vivek Gomber and Amruta Khanvilkar's performances are also worth noting. While Amruta's character will make you appreciate her bravery, Vivek will make you feel all kinds of emotions: anger, hatred, frustration.

However, Martial Batchamen Tchana's role stole the show for me. His character had a surprising moral compass and calm composure, even though he is a pirate. It brings a respite from the otherwise comical representation of foreign actors in commercial Indian films and shows.

It would have been very easy to screw the show with fake accents and incorrect casting, but the makers have scored well in that area.

Lootere Review: A Refreshing Change for Indian OTT

Lootere can be streamed in seven Indian languages on Hotstar

While there are plenty of crime thrillers, just a few of them have dared to explore beyond the hinterlands or overdone backdrop of the USA and Europe. Lootere brings a refreshing change in the form of a Somalian backdrop with an interesting premise of pirates. Some might even call it an African counterpart of the Uttar Pradesh or Bihar-based crime shows.

The show gives a closer look at the lawlessness of the region and the mayday situation that persists in this African nation. While the chances of civil war have been casually mentioned in the show, makers haven't dug deeper into that territory. However, Lootere is still likely to invoke curiosity in viewers regarding the actual socio-political scenario of Somalia. There is a scene where young kids are being trained in a pirate camp, and they are then kidnapping other children into camp recruitment.

Another scene of Somalian touch which grabbed my attention is of an organised dog fight where people are cheering and rooting for the canines to defeat the other.

Lootere Review: Final Verdict

Lootere is somewhat new territory for the Indian digital space and even cinema, which means fewer cliches. It is a good attempt by Jai Mehta, who is donning the directorial hat for the first time.

Lootere has all the ingredients of a good thriller and is likely to make your heart pounce in a bunch of scenes. The background score deserves special mention. The composers have struck just the perfect chord with music: I particularly enjoyed the Somalian notes.

The show has beautifully captured how humans desperately cling to every sliver of hope when their lives are thrown into danger, from trying to attack without a game plan to trying to side with the enemy.

The perspective of the poor pirates of Somalia is also an interesting concept to ponder. Even though they are the ones putting everyone at gunpoint, the makers haven't forgotten to mention their plight and how they feel unattended by the government. Is rather amusing to see the pirates making humanly mistakes while executing their mission.

Another notable point the show captures is the shortcomings of the corrupt administration and the resultant inefficiency. Unfortunately, I can't disclose much in this context without giving away spoilers!

All in all, Lootere is a decent crime thriller worth a watch.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/Ea1CH60

Hotstar's latest show, Lootere, will take you to the murky world of Somalia, where crime is the order of the day and law and order have taken a convenient backseat. The show is about Somalian pirates (no, they aren't as goofy as Captain Jack Sparrow) who otherwise live pitiful lives. It is reportedly based on the true incident of 2017 when an Indian ship was similarly hijacked on Somalian waters by pirates.

The first scene of Lootere gives a preview of what comes along thrill, adventure, cat and mouse chase, tons of action sequences, and lots of adrenaline rush. A lot of local Somalians are running towards the shore, some of whom have ammunition. It seems like they are all going on a mission. The captivating background music adds to the urgency that the makers are trying to create.

The first main character we meet is Vikrant (Vivek Gomber), an Indian businessman who has spent all his life in Somalia and is yet standing at the receiving end of discrimination and hatred from the localities. Before you start sympathising with him, it is worth mentioning that there might be other reasons for it as well: he is the President of the port organisation and has many illegal activities going under his wing. This is, of course, besides the fact that he is a money-minded asshole who has somewhat gotten his emotional fuse dismantled. He strongly relies on the philosophy of his father-in-law (from whom he has inherited his illegal business empire) that it is better to be a king in hell than a servant in heaven.

Vikrant is contending for the presidency of the port and needs lots of funds to lure the votes and clear his loans. One such piggy bank that he is relying on is the Ukrainian ship which is bringing an illegal consignment to Sonalia's Mogadishu for him. The ship has 13 crew members, including the savage Captain (Rajat Kapoor), a Pakistani crewmate, and two women – one of whom is pregnant.

As the information of illegal consignment on the ship goes out, Vikrant's enemies get ready to get this reported so that the ship is inspected on reaching Mogadishu, leading to Vikrant's presidency being nulled.

One of Vikrant's partners offers the unique solution of getting the ship hijacked and retrieving the priceless consignment midway before it reaches the enemies: an offer Vikrant agrees to without even listening to the entire plan.

Thus, kickstarts a series of thrilling sequences.

Lootere Review: Nuanced Performances by the Cast

Vivek Gamber plays a corrupt Indian businessman in Somalian waters

Lootere's cast has done an impressive job. I particularly liked Rajat Kapoor's ship Captain. Although there wasn't much scope for emotional diversity to explore, he nailed the parts of a leader who knows how to keep his team calm under distress. His character also knew how to shoot subtle sarcasm, even with pirates jumping around.

Vivek Gomber and Amruta Khanvilkar's performances are also worth noting. While Amruta's character will make you appreciate her bravery, Vivek will make you feel all kinds of emotions: anger, hatred, frustration.

However, Martial Batchamen Tchana's role stole the show for me. His character had a surprising moral compass and calm composure, even though he is a pirate. It brings a respite from the otherwise comical representation of foreign actors in commercial Indian films and shows.

It would have been very easy to screw the show with fake accents and incorrect casting, but the makers have scored well in that area.

Lootere Review: A Refreshing Change for Indian OTT

Lootere can be streamed in seven Indian languages on Hotstar

While there are plenty of crime thrillers, just a few of them have dared to explore beyond the hinterlands or overdone backdrop of the USA and Europe. Lootere brings a refreshing change in the form of a Somalian backdrop with an interesting premise of pirates. Some might even call it an African counterpart of the Uttar Pradesh or Bihar-based crime shows.

The show gives a closer look at the lawlessness of the region and the mayday situation that persists in this African nation. While the chances of civil war have been casually mentioned in the show, makers haven't dug deeper into that territory. However, Lootere is still likely to invoke curiosity in viewers regarding the actual socio-political scenario of Somalia. There is a scene where young kids are being trained in a pirate camp, and they are then kidnapping other children into camp recruitment.

Another scene of Somalian touch which grabbed my attention is of an organised dog fight where people are cheering and rooting for the canines to defeat the other.

Lootere Review: Final Verdict

Lootere is somewhat new territory for the Indian digital space and even cinema, which means fewer cliches. It is a good attempt by Jai Mehta, who is donning the directorial hat for the first time.

Lootere has all the ingredients of a good thriller and is likely to make your heart pounce in a bunch of scenes. The background score deserves special mention. The composers have struck just the perfect chord with music: I particularly enjoyed the Somalian notes.

The show has beautifully captured how humans desperately cling to every sliver of hope when their lives are thrown into danger, from trying to attack without a game plan to trying to side with the enemy.

The perspective of the poor pirates of Somalia is also an interesting concept to ponder. Even though they are the ones putting everyone at gunpoint, the makers haven't forgotten to mention their plight and how they feel unattended by the government. Is rather amusing to see the pirates making humanly mistakes while executing their mission.

Another notable point the show captures is the shortcomings of the corrupt administration and the resultant inefficiency. Unfortunately, I can't disclose much in this context without giving away spoilers!

All in all, Lootere is a decent crime thriller worth a watch.

Gadgets 360

Google Chrome for Android is reportedly adding support for third-party password managers. The browser currently only supports password autofill from Google Password Manager, its native service. As a result, Android users who prefer and use other password managers cannot use the app's saved data to log into their accounts on the browser. It appears that the tech giant is now addressing this pain point by allowing users to choose whichever third-party service they want. Notably, the desktop app of Google Chrome recently upgraded the standard version of the Safe Browsing feature with a real-time protection protocol.

Spotted by tipster @Leopeva64 on X (formerly known as Twitter) in the Stable version of Chrome for Android, the feature lets users autofill passwords from their preferred password manager. He said, “This feature now works and if you choose the "Use other providers" option, Chrome no longer shows you suggestions from its password manager.” The tipster first highlighted this feature in November 2023 when it was still under development.

In the example above I set Microsoft Authenticator as the default autofill provider in Android settings.

This is how it normally works in the Stable version of Chrome for Android: pic.twitter.com/t4oQ0ZVuQw

— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) March 18, 2024

The feature is already available on Chrome Stable, Beta, and Canary builds, and users with these builds can access them immediately. However, they will first have to activate an experimental flag. As per a report by Android Authority, it can be enabled at chrome://flags/#enable-autofill-virtual-view-structure. Once activated, the setting will appear. After that, users can go to Chrome Settings > Autofill options and select Use other providers. Once the setting is changed, Google will no longer show its password suggestions in login text fields.

This setting should automatically prompt Chrome to trigger the default password manager the user has set for their Android smartphone. To change the default password manager, users can head to Android settings and click on Passwords & accounts > Passwords, passkeys, and data services and select the password manager of their choice.

A thing to note here is while the feature is working, the report found a bug where entering a new password did not prompt an option to save it, despite the flag being activated. This can be a concern for users wanting to switch their password manager immediately. It appears Google is still fine-tuning the feature before its public release.

---

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2LczQyR

Google Chrome for Android is reportedly adding support for third-party password managers. The browser currently only supports password autofill from Google Password Manager, its native service. As a result, Android users who prefer and use other password managers cannot use the app's saved data to log into their accounts on the browser. It appears that the tech giant is now addressing this pain point by allowing users to choose whichever third-party service they want. Notably, the desktop app of Google Chrome recently upgraded the standard version of the Safe Browsing feature with a real-time protection protocol.

Spotted by tipster @Leopeva64 on X (formerly known as Twitter) in the Stable version of Chrome for Android, the feature lets users autofill passwords from their preferred password manager. He said, “This feature now works and if you choose the "Use other providers" option, Chrome no longer shows you suggestions from its password manager.” The tipster first highlighted this feature in November 2023 when it was still under development.

In the example above I set Microsoft Authenticator as the default autofill provider in Android settings.

This is how it normally works in the Stable version of Chrome for Android: pic.twitter.com/t4oQ0ZVuQw

— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) March 18, 2024

The feature is already available on Chrome Stable, Beta, and Canary builds, and users with these builds can access them immediately. However, they will first have to activate an experimental flag. As per a report by Android Authority, it can be enabled at chrome://flags/#enable-autofill-virtual-view-structure. Once activated, the setting will appear. After that, users can go to Chrome Settings > Autofill options and select Use other providers. Once the setting is changed, Google will no longer show its password suggestions in login text fields.

This setting should automatically prompt Chrome to trigger the default password manager the user has set for their Android smartphone. To change the default password manager, users can head to Android settings and click on Passwords & accounts > Passwords, passkeys, and data services and select the password manager of their choice.

A thing to note here is while the feature is working, the report found a bug where entering a new password did not prompt an option to save it, despite the flag being activated. This can be a concern for users wanting to switch their password manager immediately. It appears Google is still fine-tuning the feature before its public release.

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Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Will he or won't he? Speculation continues over Varun Gandhi's BJP ticket from Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat

Pilibhit, represented by Varun Gandhi, goes to polls, along with seven other seats in Uttar Pradesh, in the first phase of Lok Sabha 2024 elections on April 19, for which the filing of nominations started on March 20

from mint - politics Pilibhit, represented by Varun Gandhi, goes to polls, along with seven other seats in Uttar Pradesh, in the first phase of Lok Sabha 2024 elections on April 19, for which the filing of nominations started on March 20

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress finalises names of 12 candidates for Maharashtra, 3rd list soon

Those finalised include, Praniti Shinde, daughter of former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. Praniti is likely to be fielded from the Solapur seat.

from mint - politics Those finalised include, Praniti Shinde, daughter of former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. Praniti is likely to be fielded from the Solapur seat.

Electoral bonds: ‘Rahul Gandhi should clarify where he got ₹1,600 cr hafta vasooli from…,’ Amit Shah slams Congress

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a dig at the Congress and said that Rahul Gandhi needs to clarify where he obtained ₹1,600 crore termed as ‘hafta vasooli’

from mint - politics Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a dig at the Congress and said that Rahul Gandhi needs to clarify where he obtained ₹1,600 crore termed as ‘hafta vasooli’

PM Modi shrugs off Sanjay Raut's 'Aurangzeb' jibe: 'When poor bless me, opposition abuse'

PM Modi claims he remained unfazed by the barrage of abuses and threats from the Opposition leaders, expressing confidence in the support of the people for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

from mint - politics PM Modi claims he remained unfazed by the barrage of abuses and threats from the Opposition leaders, expressing confidence in the support of the people for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

Lok Sabha polls 2024: DMK releases manifesto, announces list of candidates; A Raja to contest from Nilgiris

Tamil Nadu's DMK party released its manifesto for Lok Sabha elections in presence of CM MK Stalin and other party leaders.

from mint - politics Tamil Nadu's DMK party released its manifesto for Lok Sabha elections in presence of CM MK Stalin and other party leaders.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 : Filing of nominations for first phase of polling begins today

Polling will be held an 102 Lok Sabha seats spread over in 17 states and four Union Territories in the first phase on April 19.

from mint - politics Polling will be held an 102 Lok Sabha seats spread over in 17 states and four Union Territories in the first phase on April 19.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 : Resentment in Karnataka BJP over first list of Lok Sabha candidates

Some senior BJP leaders, including a former CM, have even hinted that they would switch over to Congress party since they are unhappy with the choice of candidates on some seats.

from mint - politics Some senior BJP leaders, including a former CM, have even hinted that they would switch over to Congress party since they are unhappy with the choice of candidates on some seats.

‘South in focus’: PM Modi's public rallies in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu today

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, PM Narendra Modi will hold public rallies in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

from mint - politics Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, PM Narendra Modi will hold public rallies in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

Lok Sabha elections: BJP's new candidate list to be out soon? Party holds core committee meeting to discuss candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday convened core committee meetings at the party headquarters to deliberate on potential candidates for various states for the Lok Sabha polls.

from mint - politics The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday convened core committee meetings at the party headquarters to deliberate on potential candidates for various states for the Lok Sabha polls.

What makes India's Lok Sabha polls the world's largest 'electoral movement'? 2024 election in numbers

India is getting ready for the celebration of democracy. A mammoth exercise, termed “the world’s largest electoral movement of man and material”. The nationwide elections will be held in seven phases and the results will be declared on June 4.

from mint - politics India is getting ready for the celebration of democracy. A mammoth exercise, termed “the world’s largest electoral movement of man and material”. The nationwide elections will be held in seven phases and the results will be declared on June 4.

MK Stalin labels electoral bonds ‘BJP's white-collar corruption,’ yet corruption finds shelter in DMK's ‘hefty’ fund

Electoral bonds data 2nd list: MK Stalin calls BJP's use of electoral bonds 'white-collar corruption', while DMK received ₹656.5 crore through these bonds. Supreme Court recently struck down the scheme allowing anonymous funding to political parties.

from mint - politics Electoral bonds data 2nd list: MK Stalin calls BJP's use of electoral bonds 'white-collar corruption', while DMK received ₹656.5 crore through these bonds. Supreme Court recently struck down the scheme allowing anonymous funding to political parties.

Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya to join politics? 4th child of the family likely to contest polls

Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya joins politics, becoming the fourth child of the Yadav family to do so.

from mint - politics Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya joins politics, becoming the fourth child of the Yadav family to do so.

Those who used foul language against Veer Savarkar now…': Eknath Shinde comments on INDIA rally at Shivaji Park

Opposition leaders gathered at Mumbai's Shivaji Park for Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, sparking criticism from Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde over the choice of venue due to its historical significance to the party.

from mint - politics Opposition leaders gathered at Mumbai's Shivaji Park for Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, sparking criticism from Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde over the choice of venue due to its historical significance to the party.

‘Electoral bonds an experiment like EVMs,’ says RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale

Hosabale, 69, who was re-elected as the Sarkaryavah, or General Secretary on Sunday said like in case of Electoral Bonds questions were also raised when the Electronic Voting Machines were introduced.

from mint - politics Hosabale, 69, who was re-elected as the Sarkaryavah, or General Secretary on Sunday said like in case of Electoral Bonds questions were also raised when the Electronic Voting Machines were introduced.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: PM Modi outlines vision for 'Indian Railways Revolution' in next term

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: PM Modi unveiled ambitious plans for an Indian Railways revolution if re-elected, promising to give new heights to the infrastructure. Addressing India Today Conclave 2024, he vowed to share detailed information on modernizing the rail network in his potential next term.

from mint - politics Lok Sabha Elections 2024: PM Modi unveiled ambitious plans for an Indian Railways revolution if re-elected, promising to give new heights to the infrastructure. Addressing India Today Conclave 2024, he vowed to share detailed information on modernizing the rail network in his potential next term.

Lok Sabha Election 2024: ‘Find out what Modi is..,’ PM Modi says, ‘I planning for 2047’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focused on long-term planning for 2047, prioritizing results over attention-seeking headlines. He emphasized making India a Viksit Bharat and highlighted the government's increased attention to the Northeast region since 2014.

from mint - politics Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focused on long-term planning for 2047, prioritizing results over attention-seeking headlines. He emphasized making India a Viksit Bharat and highlighted the government's increased attention to the Northeast region since 2014.

J&K Assembly polls: Omar Abdullah says Lok Sabha Elections a 'test case' for 'One Nation, One Election' but....

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Vice President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Omar Abdullah reacted to the Elections Commission's decision to not hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir with the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

from mint - politics Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Vice President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Omar Abdullah reacted to the Elections Commission's decision to not hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir with the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Electoral Bonds not perfect but better, it is at least transparent, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Sitharaman's remarks come amidst controversies surrounding the electoral bonds scheme, which allows anonymous donations to political parties. Critics have raised concerns about the lack of transparency and the potential for misuse.

from mint - politics Sitharaman's remarks come amidst controversies surrounding the electoral bonds scheme, which allows anonymous donations to political parties. Critics have raised concerns about the lack of transparency and the potential for misuse.

'They all call us BJP’s B-team, but…': Asaduddin Owaisi says AIMIM ‘didn’t raise a single penny’ from electoral bonds

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi highlighted AIMIM's absence from electoral bond recipient list. Opposition demands Supreme Court probe against BJP after Election Commission data shows BJP received over ₹6060 crore.

from mint - politics Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi highlighted AIMIM's absence from electoral bond recipient list. Opposition demands Supreme Court probe against BJP after Election Commission data shows BJP received over ₹6060 crore.

Gadgets 360

Indian digital payments firm Paytm, formally known as One 97 Communications, was on Thursday granted a third-party application provider license by the country's payments authority, which will enable it to facilitate payments after its banking unit ceases operations.

The license will allow customers to continue using the Paytm app for payments through India's popular unified payment interface (UPI), after Paytm Payments Bank ceases operations by March 15, following regulatory action due to non-compliance with certain norms.

Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India and Yes Bank will act as payment system provider banks to Paytm, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said in a statement.

Yes Bank shall also act as a merchant acquiring bank for existing and new UPI merchants for Paytm, it added.

Paytm has been advised to complete the migration for all existing handles and mandates, wherever required, to new payment system provider banks at the earliest, the NPCI said.

UPI is India's real-time payments system that allows users to transfer money across banks.

Paytm, the third-largest app for UPI payments in the country, processed 1.41 billion monthly transactions worth 1.65 trillion rupees in February, down from 1.57 billion transactions worth 1.93 trillion in January, according to data on the NPCI website.

PhonePe and Google Pay are the two largest UPI payment apps in India.

Last month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had asked the NPCI to examine a request from Paytm to become a third-party application provider.

Early this week, Reuters was the first to report that the NCPI was likely to approve a third-party application provider (TPAP) license for Paytm.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

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Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/mOFnePQ

Indian digital payments firm Paytm, formally known as One 97 Communications, was on Thursday granted a third-party application provider license by the country's payments authority, which will enable it to facilitate payments after its banking unit ceases operations.

The license will allow customers to continue using the Paytm app for payments through India's popular unified payment interface (UPI), after Paytm Payments Bank ceases operations by March 15, following regulatory action due to non-compliance with certain norms.

Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India and Yes Bank will act as payment system provider banks to Paytm, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said in a statement.

Yes Bank shall also act as a merchant acquiring bank for existing and new UPI merchants for Paytm, it added.

Paytm has been advised to complete the migration for all existing handles and mandates, wherever required, to new payment system provider banks at the earliest, the NPCI said.

UPI is India's real-time payments system that allows users to transfer money across banks.

Paytm, the third-largest app for UPI payments in the country, processed 1.41 billion monthly transactions worth 1.65 trillion rupees in February, down from 1.57 billion transactions worth 1.93 trillion in January, according to data on the NPCI website.

PhonePe and Google Pay are the two largest UPI payment apps in India.

Last month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had asked the NPCI to examine a request from Paytm to become a third-party application provider.

Early this week, Reuters was the first to report that the NCPI was likely to approve a third-party application provider (TPAP) license for Paytm.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

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Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.