EVIL BABY.

Draw T/C

Android tablets saw a resurgence in India during the pandemic. As most people were working or studying from home, the demand for large-screen smart devices increased significantly. While things have started to go back to the old normal in 2022, companies continue to offer value-for-money Android tablets in India. The Realme Pad X is one such Android tablet, which launched in July for a starting price of under Rs. 20,000. The Realme Pad X is currently the company's most premium Android tablet offering in India. The unique proposition of the Realme Pad X is that it's built for the creative crowd. From its large display, to the beefy battery and quad-speaker setup, to the support for a stylus that charges magnetically — Realme wants this to be in every creator's travel bag. The tablet also packs a 5G SoC. With the kind of hardware it offers for the price, should you consider buying the Realme Pad X? Here is our full review to help you decide.Realme Pad X price in India The Realme Pad X is available in two models. The base Wi-Fi-only model has a single variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage and is priced at Rs. 19,999. Their 5G model with the same configuration costs Rs. 25,999, and the top-end variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at Rs. 27,999.Realme Pad X design The Realme Pad X seems to have taken some inspiration from the iPad Air 2022 (Review) when it comes to design. The Android tablet sports a flat frame with a plastic body. It is fairly on the heavier side at 506g of weight but the tablet is quite sleek at just 7.1mm in thickness.Although the rear shell is made of plastic, it does not look like it. I mistook it for glass while unboxing the Realme Pad X but once I held it, it was quickly evident that it wasn't. That being said, the tablet does not feel cheap. Realme seems to have used some good quality plastics for the tablet and the glittery finish on the back panel makes it look quite premium. The company calls it the 'Glowing Light Design'. We have the Glowing Grey colour, which has a frosted black finish. There is also a Glacier Blue colour, which should do a slightly better job of hiding fingerprints and smudges. On the front, the Realme Pad X has a huge 10.95-inch IPS LCD with a WUXGA+ resolution (1200x2000 pixels). While the screen is of the LCD variety, it offers quite a good viewing experience. There is barely any visible colour shift when viewed off-angles, and with 450 nits of peak brightness the display is easily legible under most lighting conditions. When outdoors though, I preferred keeping the display brightness at max for a better viewing experience. The symmetrical bezels around the display are fairly thin for an Android tablet at this price. I also liked how the company has placed the front camera on the right bezel (landscape mode), something which is now also seen in the iPad 10th generation (Review). This helps keep the user in the centre of the frame when using the tablet horizontally on video calls.There is support for Widevine L1 on the Realme Pad X, so apps such as Netflix can play back full-HD content. For its price, I would not expect an AMOLED display so the typical shortcomings of an LCD panel such as the lack of deep black levels or rich contrast is forgivable. The Realme Pad X does not support HDR10 and that's most likely due to the SoC's limitation. There is no high refresh rate support either as the Realme Pad X's display runs at a standard 60Hz. In comparison, the much more affordable Redmi Pad (Review) offers a 90Hz refresh rate display. When held vertically, the Realme Pad X's top edge houses two of the four speaker grilles and the power button. The bottom edge houses the other two speaker grilles and the USB Type-C port. On the right edge, there are the volume buttons, whereas on the left, you get the SIM tray, which also has space for a microSD card. The Realme Pad X supports the Realme Pencil stylus, which can be attached on the right side of the tablet (when held vertically). There is also a keyboard cover, which comes with an in-built kickstand. There are no magnetic pins on the tablet to supply power to the keyboard, which means it needs to be charged separately via its own USB Type-C port. The keyboard does not have a trackpad. Both accessories are sold separately. Link: https://www.gadgets360.com/tablets/reviews/realme-pad-x-review-android-tablet-price-specifications-3561912#pfrom=indepth

Google has followed Apple in announcing its apps and games of the year – and if you're looking for something new to install on your Android phone then these Play Store picks are well worth checking out. These picks were made(opens in new tab) by the Google Play editorial team, and there are some honorable mentions as well as the winners in each category. Google has also highlighted the best books and audiobooks. From what we can tell, there are some country-specific choices as well: find your local selection here(opens in new tab). Most of us probably spend our days cycling around the same core set of apps on our phones, so these lists are a good opportunity to check out something new that perhaps we haven't come across before.The best Android apps of 2022 Best app overall: Dream(opens in new tab) (freemium) – artificial intelligence just keeps getting better and better, so it seems fitting that AI art generator Dream has the top spot. All you need to do is enter a few prompts, and the app will produce some fantastic-looking digital artwork. Best app for fun: PetStar(opens in new tab) (freemium) – if we tell you that PetStar gives you the tools you need to create a music video starring your pet's face, then we probably don't need to say anything else. We're not sure quite what your pet will make of the end results, however. Best app for personal growth: Breathwrk(opens in new tab) (freemium) – ready for a self-improvement drive over the next year? Breathwrk wants to help you reduce stress and release energy from your body through hundreds of carefully curated breathing exercises led by the app.Best app for everyday essentials: Plant Parent(opens in new tab) (freemium) – as the name suggests, this app helps you parent your plants, giving you customized tips on what your plants need to stay healthy. It can identify just about any plant through your smartphone camera as well. Best hidden gem app: Recover Athletics(opens in new tab) (freemium) – we're not sure exactly what qualifies as a "hidden gem", but Google has picked Recover Athletics, which works with Strava to ensure that your body recovers properly after exercise to avoid injury and fatigue. Best app for good: The Stigma App(opens in new tab) (free) – The Stigma App is on an important mission to normalize conversations around mental health. You can use the straightforward app to hear stories from other people, to reach out for help, and to support others as well. Best app for Wear: Todoist(opens in new tab) (freemium) – if you're looking for something to improve the experience on your Wear OS smartwatch then Todoist is well worth a look. The comprehensive to do list app gives you everything you need to plan and organize your life.Best app for tablets: Pocket(opens in new tab) (freemium) – there's never enough time to read everything online, and Pocket helps by providing an article archive to catch up on when you can. A distraction-free layout and the option to have articles read aloud add to the app's appeal. Best app for Chromebooks: BandLab(opens in new tab) (freemium) – Chromebooks can run Android apps now of course, and this is one of the apps that's most suited to the laptop format. BandLab makes creating and mixing music easy, whether you're a veteran or a complete beginner. Best app chosen by users: BeReal(opens in new tab) (free) – we're not sure exactly which users voted for this category, but the winner is BeReal, the social app that challenges you to post a picture of whatever you're doing at a particular time of day, whenever the app prompts you to. That's not all either: Google has also found time to give honorable mentions to DanceFitme(opens in new tab), noteit widget(opens in new tab), Learn to Read – Duolingo ABC(opens in new tab), Gym Log & Workouts(opens in new tab), Ukulele by Yousician(opens in new tab), Book Morning Routine Waking Up(opens in new tab), Daily Diary(opens in new tab), Sleep Tracker(opens in new tab), Linktree(opens in new tab), Little Lunches(opens in new tab), Wamble(opens in new tab), Sleep Fruits(opens in new tab) and Zario(opens in new tab). The best Android games of 2022 Best game overall: Apex Legends Mobile(opens in new tab) (freemium) – this strategy battle royale shooter remains phenomenally po[CENSORED]r and got the user's choice award too. You've got a choice of gameplay modes to pick from, and the speed and the fun of the combat is hard to beat. Best multiplayer game: Dislyte(opens in new tab) (freemium) – a urban mythological role-playing game that stands out from the crowd due to its style, the quality of its visuals, and the story running through it. The game also does well at staying challenging as you get better at it. Best Pick Up and Play game: Angry Birds Journey(opens in new tab) (freemium) – the Angry Birds will need no introduction for those who know their mobile gaming history, and this is the latest in the series. It's as fun as ever, as you throw birds to demolish structure after structure.Best indie game: Dicey Dungeons(opens in new tab) ($4.99/£4.19) – sometimes the best games don't have to be incredibly complex, and Dicey Dungeons takes a simple format and uses it well. You're a giant dice in this deckbuilding roguelike, and have to escape the whims of chance. Best story game: Papers, Please(opens in new tab) ($4.99/£4.09) – one of the most immersive and engaging games on the Play Store at the moment, Papers, Please is described as a "dystopian document thriller", asking you to be smart in identifying smugglers, spies, and terrorists. Best ongoing game: Genshin Impact(opens in new tab) (freemium) – assuming this is your type of game (an open world action role-playing game), you're guaranteed to get a whole lot of enjoyment out of Genshin Impact, which features beautiful landscapes and memorable characters.Best game on Play Pass: Very Little Nightmares(opens in new tab) ($4.99/£4.99 a month) – if you're paying a monthly fee for the Google Play Pass, you get games like Very Little Nightmares included, a brilliantly creepy and compelling puzzle game that will give you hours of entertainment. Best game for tablets: Tower of Fantasy(opens in new tab) (freemium) – Tower of Fantasy is one of the better Play Store games when it comes to taking advantage of the bigger screens offered by tablets, and the open world fantasy adventure title scores highly in most areas. Best game for Chromebooks: Roblox(opens in new tab) (freemium) – Roblox has been something of a gaming sensation over recent years, and Google has picked it as one of the best Android games for running on a Chromebook, giving you access to a keyboard and trackpad. Hang on a minute, because there are plenty of honorable mentions here too: you might also want to check out Catalyst Black(opens in new tab), Diablo Immortal(opens in new tab), Rocket League Sideswipe(opens in new tab), Gun & Dungeons(opens in new tab), HOOK 2(opens in new tab), Hyde and Seek(opens in new tab), quadline(opens in new tab), Dungeons of Dreadrock(opens in new tab), Knotwords(opens in new tab), One Hand Clapping(opens in new tab), Phobies(opens in new tab), DEEMO II(opens in new tab), Inua - A Story in Ice and Time(opens in new tab), The Secret of Cat Island(opens in new tab), Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion(opens in new tab), Candy Crush Saga(opens in new tab), Garena Free Fire(opens in new tab), Pokémon GO(opens in new tab), Bridge Constructor(opens in new tab), Final Fantasy VII(opens in new tab), Linelight(opens in new tab), and Path of Giants(opens in new tab). Link: https://www.techradar.com/news/google-picks-the-best-android-apps-and-games-of-2022-download-them-now

The Core i5-13500 poses to be one of the best CPUs, according to early benchmarks. A BiliBili content creator recently posted a video showcasing an engineering sample(opens in new tab) of Intel's upcoming mid-range Core i5-13500 Raptor Lake processor and what it can do in Cinebench R23 and CPU-Z. The performance characteristics of the new CPU are impressive, with the chip boasting a whopping 56% multi-threaded performance advantage over its Core i5-12400 Alder Lake predecessor, thanks to the inclusion of eight additional efficiency cores on the Raptor Lake chip. According to the Bilibili video, the Core i5-13500 engineering sample features a single-core turbo frequency of 4.8 GHz or 4.9 GHz - depending on the monitoring software shown, and an all-core frequency of 4.4 GHz. The efficiency cores peak at 3.4 GHz, with all cores going down to 3.3 GHz. The most significant upgrade on the Core i5-13500 could be its core count, which reportedly features the same 6 P-core and 8 E-core combinations as the higher-up Core i5-13600K. It is a massive upgrade from Intel's Alder Lake predecessor, the Core i5-12500, which lacked efficiency cores. However, compared to the Core i5-12600K, the Core i5-13500 still has a core count advantage with two more E-cores.We see this massive boost in core count clearly in Cinebench R23, where the chip in the Bilibili video hits a multi-threaded score of 19,891 points. It represents a whopping 56% performance improvement for the Core i5-13500 compared to the Core i5-12500, which scores 12,678 points in the same benchmark, according to Tech Notice(opens in new tab). In CPU-Z's benchmark, the results are even more impressive, with the Core i5-13500 pulling out a score of 8,222 points in the multi-threaded benchmark, and is 61% faster than the official Core i5-12500 multi-threaded CPU-Z score of 5,108 points. The single-threaded results aren't very imposing, with the Core i5-13500 pulling out a 9% lead over the Core i5-12500 in Cinebench R23, with a score of 1,901 vs. Tech Notice's score of 1,736 for the Core i5-12500. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a CPU-Z single-threaded result since the video's image quality was too blurry to make out any detail. Nonetheless, a 9% lead is not bad for an engineering sample since these chips are usually lower clocked than the production models. As a result, we might see noticeably higher single-threaded performance and clock speeds, on the full production models, compared to what we are seeing today. But, the most impressive results from the Core i5-13500 undoubtedly come from the multi-core results. Intel's decision to add a full eight E-cores to its budget-end Core i5-13500 is providing Intel's mid-range offering a serious performance jump over its Alder Lake predecessor. However, whether the Core i5-13500 offers a tremendous leap in gaming performance remains to be seen. Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/core-i5-13500-es-cpu-beats-core-i5-12500-by-over-50-percent

Massively multiplayer fashion-brawler Lost Ark began a Witcher crossover on its Korean servers in November, but only now has Amazon Games confirmed(opens in new tab) when Geralt and pals will be arriving on western servers: January, 2023. Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, Triss, and Dandelion will all be coming to Lost Ark, with "voiceover work from the game's original actors" according to a press release from Amazon Games. It also explains their arrival will be part of an event that's only available for a limited time, which will also add an island called White Wolf's Haven. The island is apparently "a setting for merriment and festivals until a mysterious vortex suddenly appears, pausing the celebrations. As players investigate the source of the unexplained phenomenon, they encounter a visitor from a different time and place – Geralt of Rivia, the famed Witcher. This starts a chain of events in which the player will face the mystery of this interdimensional vortex, meeting even more visitors from another dimension along the way. In this collision between worlds, players of Lost Ark will team up with characters from The Witcher to solve a puzzle that spans time and space."As well as the quests that players will get to take part in alongside PC Gamer's favorite gravelly videogame father figure, the event will of course add some additional fashion options to Lost Ark. "New Witcher themed cosmetics will be available in the store, and new character customization scars, Cards, Stronghold structures, Emojis (and more) await adventurers who participate in the event", Amazon says. While the versions of the characters who will appear as NPCs in Lost Ark look pretty much like they do in The Witcher 3, the wearable Geralt and Ciri skins for PCs to buy are a little disconcerting. As you can see in one of the Korean trailers(opens in new tab), while there are slight differences between the versions for each class, all the Geralts look quite young, clean-shaven, and handsome in an anime prettyboy kind of way. Meanwhile, the Ciri skins for nonhuman classes have pointed elvish ears for the mage or are tiny and childlike for the artist (a class currently only available in the Korean version who uses a magic paintbrush to work ink-based magic, and is basically a hobbit). I will probably end up buying some of the weapon skins and the Kaer Morhen background art(opens in new tab) for the character screen, but I don't expect too much from the story in a promotional event. Meanwhile, Lost Ark's also getting the summoner class and endgame Brelshaza legion raid(opens in new tab) as part of a December update along with the Caliligos guardian raid, T3 hardmode cube and boss rush, a new accessory type for bracelets, and new chaos dungeons. The Witcher has previously crossed over with over videogames, including Monster Hunter World, Soulcalibur 6, and mobile game AFK Arena. Geralt's also been spotted in a leaked trailer for Fortnite Chapter 4(opens in new tab). He sure does get around. Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/geralt-and-other-witcher-characters-will-arrive-in-lost-ark-next-year/

Lenovo K14 and the Lenovo K14 Note will reportedly be launched as the two new smartphones in the company's budget-friendly K series. Both the speculated Lenovo K-series handsets were recently spotted on the Google Play console. The listing has revealed some of the key specifications of the smartphones as well as a few front-facing images. However, Lenovo is yet to make an official announcement about the launch of these phones. It is also being speculated that similar to other K-series smartphones, the Lenovo K14 and the Lenovo K14 Note will also be the rebadged Motorola phones. According to a GSMArena report, citing MyFixGuide, the Lenovo K14 series smartphones recently made an appearance on GPC, revealing some major specifications including the display as well as their SoC. Lenovo K14 Note is tipped to arrive with a Full HD+ (2400x1080 pixels) screen, whereas Lenovo K14 is said to feature a HD+ (1200x720 pixels) screen. Moreover, the Lenovo K14 Note is speculated to feature a punch-hole selfie camera in the centre with thick edges around the screen, along with 4GB of RAM. The handset could be powered by an MT6769 chipset, which is expected to be MediaTek Helio G70 chipset. The device, as the listing suggests, will run on Android 11. The report suggests this upcoming handset could have similarities to the Moto G31 or Moto G41.On the other hand, the Lenovo K14 will have a V-shaped notch with thick edges around the screen. The device will offer 2GB of RAM and will be equipped with an octa-core Unisoc T606 SoC. The said features indicate that Lenovo K14 could be a rebadged version of Moto E20, which was launched in September 2021.Earlier this year in February, the company launched Lenovo K14 Plus as a rebranded version of Moto E40. Lenovo K14 Plus features a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It supports an octa-core Unisoc T700 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. Link: https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/lenovo-k14-note-series-spotted-google-play-console-specifications-imminent-launch-3573292

Windows 11 has been plagued by a bug in its 22H2 update that affects some users, causing stuttering in games, and leading Microsoft to block the upgrade for those people – but the good news is that a fix has now been implemented by the software giant. The solution to this annoying glitch is contained within the code of patch KB5020044(opens in new tab), a recently deployed cumulative update – but note that this is still a preview update. In other words, the patch is still in testing, but you can grab it the normal way, by checking under Windows Update. You may recall that Microsoft took action against this bug recently, when the software giant pinned down the games and apps which were problematic and suffered from stuttering, and therefore lifted the block on the 22H2 update for many folks, leaving only those who run an affected game (or games) unable to upgrade.With this full fix, once it’s applied, anyone can upgrade regardless of what games they have installed on their Windows 11 PC. (Incidentally, Microsoft didn’t share the details of which PC games or applications were provoking the slowdown issue, which was related to GPU debugging features being switched on by mistake, with that debugging work eating resources). Analysis: Grab it now – or maybe wait just a bit longer? It’s good to see a solution to this bug come through relatively quickly, as naturally it was frustrating for those who were blocked from upgrading to 22H2 due to the flaw. That said, remember that as KB5020044 is a preview update, installing it could have unforeseen consequences with it still being in the testing phase. But that said, if you’re keen to finally upgrade to 22H2 after being blocked by a safeguard hold for some time, odds are you might want to give it a whirl. More cautious types, though, should wait for the full release of this update. The finished version of this patch will be out mid-December, only a couple of weeks away now, and if there are imperfections in the preview update, any wrinkles should be ironed out by that time. (Or we certainly hope so, though from previous experience, we can’t take anything for granted when it comes to Windows patching). So, the choice is yours, but even if you don’t fancy chancing the fix right now, you can simply bide your time for a little longer in the knowledge that the full release version of the cure is literally just around the corner. This cumulative update is actually a pretty hefty one, coming with some other major bug fixes besides the resolution of these gaming problems. That includes several important fixes for issues with File Explorer – the beating heart of the Windows interface, which lets you browse through folders and the files therein – including a glitch which caused File Explorer to completely crash and burn (a pretty disastrous situation, ushering in a full reboot). If you’re in need of help troubleshooting any issue, by the way, check out our full guide to solving common problems with Windows 11. link: https://www.techradar.com/news/windows-11-gets-a-much-awaited-fix-for-gaming-bug

AMD is expected to formally reveal its Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000-series processors equipped with 3D V-Cache at CES 2023, although it is not yet officially confirmed. However, a South Korean media report says the company is preparing to introduce three new Ryzen 7000 X3D processors with 96 MB or 192 MB L3 cache in January. The three Ryzen 7000 X3D models will allegedly feature 16, 12, and eight cores, according to Quasarzone, a po[CENSORED]r South Korean publication (the report was kindly translated for the world by @harukaze5719). The processors are expected to be unveiled in January, so AMD will likely announce them at CES to attract maximum attention to the new parts and their capabilities. The report by Quasarzone is somewhat corroborated by a tweet from @All_The_Watts!, which indicates that there are three CPUs incoming and even mentions some of their specifications. It also clarifies that the parts will have clocks similar to regular models, and the Ryzen 7000 X3D processors will ship in March.While the information looks plausible, keep in mind that we are dealing with unofficial preliminary data, so take it with a grain of salt. 3D V-Cache makes the most sense for memory bandwidth and single-thread performance-depending workloads. For client PCs, this generally means gaming. Indeed, even after AMD launched its latest products, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is still one of the best CPUs for gaming. Furthermore, the Ryzen 7000 X3D parts are expected to gain even more from 3D V-Cache due to potentially higher bandwidth, further strengthening their performance in the aforementioned workloads and applications. Launching three Ryzen 7000X3D models with 3D V-Cache and expanding the lineup of X3D CPUs for client PCs from one (in the case of the Ryzen 5000 family) to three (for the Ryzen 7000 series) is an interesting move by AMD. On the one hand, expanding the family of 3D V-Cache-enabled desktop CPUs will strengthen AMD's offerings for gaming and will likely democratize their pricing, which will make it easier for AMD to compete against Intel. But on the other hand, they will overlap with processors without 3D V-Cache and cannibalize some sales of parts with higher core counts. Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-preps-three-ryzen-7000-x3d-cpus

The Stained Soil locations quest is the first thing that truly stumped me in Midnight Suns. It's not exactly an Easter Egg hunt: you're looking for evidence of the remains of witches killed by Hiram Shaw, the cruel Reverend of Salem in the Marvel universe. Had I unlocked enough of the Abbey locations to be able to locate the Stained Soil samples? Did I need to complete the Standing Stones puzzle? Midnight Suns doesn't give a ton of direction. The good news: if you're struggling with it, there's no hurry to complete the quest. The Abbey stuff, for the most part, runs independently from the campaign, and I was able to do a bunch of story missions even though I hadn't made progress on finding the Stained Soil. If you need help, though, here's a step-by-step walkthrough. Right before you start the Stained Soil quest, Midnight Suns asks you to "Search the Study" in Shaw's Church, a centuries-old building on the east side of the map. Agatha keeps going on about "There must be something we're missing." Not very helpful, ghost grandma! Turns out, you have to cast the second Word of Power, "Atum," at the desk in the middle of the room, where a magnifying glass overlooks an otherwise empty table. The first clues ("Coven Suspects," as sketched contemporaneously by Shaw), about the location of the Stained Soil are revealed once you do this.Find Stained Soil A, B, and C The same photographs you found in Shaw's Church are magically transported to the library room of the Abbey, adjacent to the Mirror Table. You can revisit them there to put the image fresh in your mind, or find the solutions below. Stained Soil A location Fast travel or jog over to the Standing Stones. While standing on the stone monument surrounded by large vertical totems, look north to find a cave in the distance (you can use the map to orient north by looking at the Hunter's icon), down the hill from the Standing Stones. Shaw's sketch, I eventually figured out, was not of the more prominent cave to the east. This one was the hardest to locate for me. link: https://www.pcgamer.com/midnight-suns-stained-soil-locations-quest-solution-search-the-study/

Accepted 🙂