High tech devices boon or bane

Haptic feedback on Android phones running the Snapdragon 888 chipset might get noticeably better starting in the second half of 2021. Qualcomm recently announced (via 9to5Google ) that it’s working independently with a company called Lofelt to enhance haptics through software , not hardware. That initially read as a puzzling decision, since hardware — not software — seems to play the bigger role in the quality of the vibration. But this actually sounds very clever, definitely more clever than Lofelt’s Basslet vibrating wearable that it launched on Kickstarter in 2016. Outside of some high-end LG phones, most Android phones deliver muddy or rattling vibrations that don’t feel that great. Even the best ones can’t compete with Apple’s Taptic Engine it builds in-house and builds into iPhones and Apple Watch wearables. Tactile, punchy vibration probably isn’t high up on the list of many people in terms of must-have features, but it can go a surprisingly long way in making you … [Read more...] about Qualcomm’s new partnership aims to improve haptic feedback on Android devices

Today, quantum computing company D-Wave is announcing the availability of its next-generation quantum annealer, a specialized processor that uses quantum effects to solve optimization and minimization problems. The hardware itself isn't much of a surprise—D-Wave was discussing its details months ago —but D-Wave talked with Ars about the challenges of building a chip with over a million individual quantum devices. And the company is coupling the hardware's release to the availability of a new software stack that functions a bit like middleware between the quantum hardware and classical computers. Further Reading D-Wave announces the next generation of its quantum annealer Quantum annealing Quantum computers being built by companies like Google and IBM are general-purpose, gate-based machines. They can solve any problem and should show a vast acceleration for specific classes of problems—or they will, as soon as the gate count gets high enough. Right now, these quantum … [Read more...] about D-Wave releases its next-generation quantum annealing chip

Early on in D-Wave's history, the company made bold claims about its quantum annealer outperforming algorithms run on traditional CPUs. Those claims turned out to be premature, as improvements to these algorithms pulled the traditional hardware back in front . Since then, the company has been far more circumspect about its performance claims, even as it brought out newer generations of hardware . But in the run-up to the latest hardware, the company apparently became a bit more interested in performance again. And it recently got together with Google scientists to demonstrate a significant boost in performance compared to a classical algorithm, with the gap growing as the problem became complex—although the company's scientists were very upfront about the prospects of finding a way to boost classical hardware further. Still, there are a lot of caveats even beyond that, so it's worth taking a detailed look at what the company did. Magnets, how do they flip? D-Wave's system is … [Read more...] about D-Wave’s hardware outperforms a classic computer

Realme launched its Narzo 30 smartphone series in India today. Alongside, the company also launched its Buds Air 2 wireless earbuds. The newly launched earbuds come powered by R2 chipset and is equipped with Bluetooth version 5.2 for wireless connectivity. Realme Buds Air 2 comes with a 10mm Hi-Fi driver. The device supports active noise cancellation of up to 25dB. The earbuds come with dual microphones with support for ENC noise cancelling algorithm. Realme says that the earbuds can cancel out surrounding noise during calls. Realme Buds Air 2 sports Bass Boost+ mode. The earbud also supports AAC High Quality Sound. On the battery front, the wireless earbuds is claimed to have a battery life of up to 25 hours. The earbuds boasts of features like open-up auto connection, Google fast pair, smart wear detection, intelligent touch controls, and IPX5 water resistance. Realme Buds Air 2: Price and availability Realme Buds Air 2 comes in two colour options — Closer … [Read more...] about Realme launches Buds Air 2 wireless earbuds at Rs 3,299

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more . Play old school games Andrew Myrick 23 Feb 2021 Source: Andrew Myrick / Android Central So you've decided to enter the world of emulation on Android and want to learn how to emulate NES, SNES, or Nintendo DS games. There are a couple of steps you need to take before diving in — as you won't find any games listed on the Play Store. Nevertheless, we've got you covered, here's everything you need to know on how to emulate some of your favorite, old-school games on Android. Using the right emulator Source: Andrew Myrick / Android Central Before you can begin playing those old-school classics on Android, you'll need to find the best emulators for Android first. There are quite a few different options at your disposal, as a quick search through the Google Play Store reveals more than a few emulators alongside some of the best Android games . However, picking the right … [Read more...] about How to emulate NES, SNES and Nintendo DS on Android