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Nobody cares, but the HTC One A9 is coming in a week

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HTC is having a pretty rough year after the HTC One M9 family of devices failed to impress customers everywhere, leaving them disappointed in design, features, marketing, price and specs. The Taiwanese company is not giving up however, although it might end up where BlackBerry is right now in the end. With fewer and fewer people talking about the company, HTC has to do something if it wants to stay afloat in the smartphone industry. The HTC One A9 is the first attempt at changing things and comes as a mid-range smartphone. The HTC One A9 release date is set for October 20, but nobody seems to be interested, especially since the mid-ranger is expected to be the only one at the show.

According to reputable OnLeaks, the HTC One A9 will look more like an iPhone 6 than anyone would have expected, and that’s not a good thing. While the HTC One M8 was one of the favorites on the market when it comes to design, the HTC One A9 is disappointing. While it’s good that the company is embracing change, copying Apple design for it, and in a bad way at that, is not the way to go about things. Backlash towards the new HTC One A9 is already obvious, as Twitter and other social media posts emphasize that the device is plain… ugly.

Although smartphone design is certainly moving ahead, HTC seems to have taken a step back with the HTC One A9. Aside from the boring aluminum design, the device looks asymmetrical due to the button and port placement of the bottom, as you can see in the pictures. The microUSB port is not in the center, the speaker grill is like those on iPhones, but worse and the entire design of the phone seems like a failed attempt at making an iPhone 6 clone. The slightly rounded edges and the thick black bar that reads HTC, as usual, is not helping the design situation of the HTC One A9.

Hope in the community is that the leaked images are just for a dummy prototype unit that is not the final model of the HTC One A9. Although that sounds reasonable, since the One A9 release date is just a week away, it’s unlikely for it to be fake. At the same time, some are hoping for this phone to be launched as a very affordable mid-range that compensates for its ugliness with a multitude of features, a large battery and a nice camera. Based on the leaked HTC One A9 specs sheet, that might not be plausible either.

https://twitter.com/OnLeaks/status/652817150906880000/photo/1

Most leaks suggest that the HTC One A9 display will measure 5-inches and will have a nice 1090*1920 resolution. The phone is codenamed the HTC Aero because its lightweight body and thin chassis work together to make the phone a bit more appealing, and of course, more similar to the iPhone 6. Although HTC was the original antennae line patron, it still seems like a step back to incorporate them after Apple made them popularly recognized. Still, the display seems pretty nice, although that useless black bezel on the bottom is stupid.

Under the hood, the HTC Aero will feature a 64-bit Snapdragon 617 CPU, backed by 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage. The microSD card slot and dual SIM card slots should be appealing hardware features of the phone, as they offer better connectivity and storage expansion. The HTC One A9 will also feature 4G LTE and fast charging for the 2150 mAh battery that is said to be on board. The camera setup is interesting, as leaked HTC One A9 benchmarks place the rear camera at the 13 MP count with dual-tone flash, optical image stabilization and autofocus and the front camera at 5 MP.

While the HTC One A9 specs are interesting and appealing for a mid-range handset, the design is atrocious. If HTC wants to sell this phone (and it intends to, based on the various color options that will be available), the company needs to price it well. If the HTC One A9 price goes over the $400 mark, it is unlikely that anyone would buy it, because you can find better-looking smartphones with similar specs for a much more affordable price tag. Anyone looking forward to this phone?

As part of the editorial team here at Geekreply, John spends a lot of his time making sure each article is up to snuff. That said, he also occasionally pens articles on the latest in Geek culture. From Gaming to Science, expect the latest news fast from John and team.

Mobile Devices

3 Video Games About Women’s Health

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Video games have transcended entertainment to become powerful tools for promoting health and wellness. One notable genre in this realm is fitness gaming, exemplified by titles like Hatsune Miku Fit Boxing, which motivates players to engage in physical activity to enhance their fitness levels. Building on this foundation, developers have ventured into women’s health with games designed to raise awareness and empower players to take control of their well-being. Here are 3 video games on women’s health that provide valuable health information and foster a sense of agency to uplift women around the world.

Tampon Run – Menstrual health

Created by Girls Who Code alumnae Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser in 2014, Tampon Run is an old-school 8-bit online game where the main character, Luna, lobs tampons to destroy enemies, who will confiscate the tampons if she lets them pass by. Interestingly, the concept of weaponized tampons is based on a real incident that occurred in 2013, where Texas state troopers confiscated tampons as potential projectiles, but not guns, from visitors observing a vote on abortion restrictions at the Texas State Capitol. The goal of Tampon Run is to destigmatize periods and menstrual products, which, up until recently, have not been properly studied to measure their absorbency, which underscores the need to address menstrual health so that women can get better care.

In between tossing tampons, Luna shares empowering messages about how periods are a natural part of women’s lives and should not be a source of shame or embarrassment. The game is available to play on the Tampon Run website and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for iOS users.

PCOS Vitality – PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a complex hormonal condition and the leading cause of female infertility that affects approximately 5 to 6 million women in the US, according to the Endocrine Society. Common features of the condition include having irregular menstrual periods, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries. Additionally, some studies estimate that up to 88% of women with PCOS are overweight or obese. While there are weight loss programs helping women tackle PCOS, focusing on aspects like lifestyle, symptom management, diet, and other tips for how to lose weight with PCOS, the condition itself remains grossly under-researched. For some women, it may take years to confirm that they have PCOS, as there are other disorders that mimic PCOS signs and symptoms that must be excluded.

The lack of research has extended to a lack of awareness among the general population and is what clinicians from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland are trying to address with the 2023 game PCOS Vitality. Essentially a learning tool, the game takes users through a simple obstacle course. As you click toward the finish line, you are asked simple trivia questions about PCOS. The game is free to play on Focus Games’ website.

Bound by Blood – Period poverty

Period poverty refers to the lack of regular access to period products, painkillers, or underwear during a menstrual cycle. In the US, where 16.9 million menstruating women live in poverty, two-thirds cannot afford basic menstrual products. Period poverty has also been associated with mental health issues and urinary tract infections.

Available to play on the itch.io website, Bound by Blood was created by Jessica Gates in 2017 and aims to educate players about the reality of period poverty. Users take the character of Beth, a homeless woman who wakes up in her car and realizes that she’s started her period. Players then make a series of choices to try to stay as hygienic as possible in spite of lacking resources such as menstrual products and clean restrooms. There isn’t really a way to “win” the game, and it is instead a peek into the reality of life where period products are inaccessible and how this affects women’s quality of life.

Through these games, players not only gain valuable insights into various aspects of women’s health but also find themselves actively engaged in their own well-being. As developers continue to explore this emerging field, the potential for video games to serve as educational tools and catalysts for change in healthcare remains promising

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Consoles

PS5, PS4 Game Death Stranding Coming Natively to iPhone 15 Pro

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PS5 and PS4 console game Death Stranding Director’s Cut is coming natively to the iPhone 15 Pro, demonstrating its power. The entirety of Kojima Productions’ seminal hiking sim, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage, will be available on your phone. Bonkers!

Tech giant: “Continuing Apple’s leadership in smartphone silicon, A17 Pro improves the entire chip, including Apple’s biggest GPU redesign. The new CPU is 10% faster with microarchitectural and design improvements, and the Neural Engine is 2x faster, powering iOS 17 features like autocorrect and Personal Voice.

According to the company, the pro-class GPU is 20% faster and unlocks new experiences with a 6-core design that boosts peak performance and energy efficiency. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 4x faster than software-based, gives iPhone 15 Pro smoother graphics and more immersive AR and gaming experiences. The iPhone 15 Pro brings console games to smartphones for the first time.

As with all cutting-edge Apple products, participation is expensive. The iPhone 15 Pro will cost £999/$999 at launch, and the Max model will cost £1,199/$1,199 for a 6.7″ screen. The most basic option only gives you 128GB, so you’ll need more if you want to play Death Stranding on the go.

However, the blurring of standalone consoles and mobile games is fascinating. The success of Genshin Impact, a full-fledged open world, has shown there’s a market for console-like mobile games. It will be interesting to see how Death Stranding performs on this latest iPhone generation.

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Android

Launched Redmi Note 12 series: 200MP camera, 210W charging for less than $400

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The three phones have similar screens and processors, but they vary in a number of ways.

The Redmi Note series from Xiaomi has historically been the brand’s most well-liked smartphone line, providing excellent value in the entry-level market. The Redmi Note 12 series has now been unveiled by the firm in China.

The Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition, Redmi Note 12 Pro, and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus are the three phones we truly have this time. A flat 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, a Mediatek Dimensity 1080 5G processor, and a 16MP selfie camera are features shared by all three devices.

They both have a 3.5mm connector, NFC, IR blaster, and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, among other things. In contrast, there are a few significant variances.

Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition

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The Note 12 Discovery Edition of the Redmi Note 12 has a 200MP HPX primary camera (f/1.65, OIS), making it possibly the most striking model. This camera can capture photographs with a resolution of 200MP, 50MP pixels (using four-in-one binning), or 12.5MP (using 16-in-one binning). Additionally, the phone offers a 2MP macro lens and an 8MP ultrawide camera.

The phone is notably different from its stablemates in that it supports 210W wired charging; according to Xiaomi, a full charge can be achieved in just nine minutes. Although you only get a 4,300mAh battery here, this high wattage comes at the expense of battery capacity.

Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus

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Thought a 200MP smartphone with a larger battery would be cool? With the Pro Plus model, you get precisely that. The triple back camera system will have the same 200MP+8MP+2MP resolution as the Discovery Edition.

The Pro Plus variant, on the other hand, chooses a 5,000mAh battery and still blazing-fast 120W cable charging. Xiaomi claims that a full charge should be achieved in about 19 minutes.

Redmi Note 12 Pro

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Have no interest in megapixels? The Redmi Note 12 Pro, which adds a 50MP IMX766 primary camera (f/1.88, OIS) in addition to the 8MP+2MP duo, fills this need. The Oppo Find X5 Pro and the Asus Zenfone 9 both feature flagship devices with 50MP sensors similar to this one. We therefore have high hopes that it will also produce acceptable image quality on the Note 12 Pro.

The Pro version additionally includes a 5,000mAh battery with 67W wired speeds. A 100% charge should be expected in a still quick 46 minutes.

Pricing and availability for the Redmi Note 12 series
The base 8GB/256GB variant of the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition costs 2,399 yuan (about $332), while the base 6GB/128GB model of the Redmi Note 12 Pro costs 1,699 yuan (about $235). Do you want Pro Plus? The 8GB/256GB variant thus has a starting price of 2,099 yuan (about $290).

Although Xiaomi acknowledged that these phones are currently limited to China, it advised us to “keep tuned” for international announcements. To be fair, the Chinese Redmi Note 11 series was very different from the international variants that debuted a few months later.

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