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Xiaomi Mi5 launch still a mystery, but we’ve a new phone and a Windows 10 tablet to gawk at

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Xiaomi held a massively hyped event today in Beijing, at which we had been hoping the Xiaomi Mi5 would make an appearance. The launch of the flagship is long overdue and we were sure the company would launch it at today’s event. Unfortunately, we were wrong. The Xiaomi Mi5 wasn’t even mentioned at the event. Nonetheless, Xiaomi did unveil a couple of new devices that might be just as interesting as the Xiaomi Mi5 would have been – mostly because they scream premium.

The company refrained from divulging any information about what everyone’s most looking forward to, the Xiaomi Mi5, but the launch of the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and MiPad 2 was still a very interesting development. The Redmi Note 3 is Xiaomi’s version of a premium flagship with an affordable price and it comes as a telling sign that Xiaomi is in fact losing ground in its home market. Announcing a new phone and entirely new packaging strategies for its physical stores, Xiaomi showed at the event (and after) that Huawei is becoming a threat on the market. Although Xiaomi still seems to be the leading smartphone seller in China on occasion, numbers are fluctuating and the company needs to ramp their sales up if they want to stay on top.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is nowhere near the flagship we anticipated the Xiaomi Mi5 to be, but it’s a damn good challenger to the rest of the mid-range premium phones out there. Taking a page from Huawei’s and Apple’s book, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 design is its main focus and appeal. With a metal body, chamfered edges and a fingerprint sensor on the back, the device proves how Xiaomi does play catch-up on occasion. After receiving a lot of criticism for omitting biometric security from their latest releases, the company decided the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is the perfect opportunity to showcase their own implementation of biometric security.

The Redmi Note 3 costs about $140 in China and comes with a 5.5-inch FHD display, Mediatek Helio X10 CPU, 2 GB RAM in the 16 GB model and 3 GB RAM in the 32 GB model. A 13 MP camera with touch focus and phase detection autofocus, as well as dual-tone flash is on the rear above the fingerprint sensor and a 5 MP selfie camera is up front. It’s a pretty neat setup, considering the price and the extra microSD card slot that Xiaomi added. We weren’t expecting that, not even from the Xiaomi Mi5. For a $140 smartphone, the Redmi Note 3 offers much more than anyone could have expected, With a premium design that reminds of HTC, Apple and Huawei, the Note 3 is a very impressive new phone and it almost manages to take the spotlight from the still anticipated and still unreleased Xiaomi Mi5.

There was another gadget that Xiaomi launched today, the Xiaomi MiPad 2. This device is essentially an iPad Mini, and even the promotional photos have a distinct Apple-vibe to them. The tablet comes with a 7.9-inch high-res display with a 326 ppi count, a full metal unibody that follows the thin and light design elements Apple adopted for its most recent tablet devices. Under the hood, there’s an Intel Atom X5-Z8500 64bit CPU, backed by 2 GB RAM and 16 or 64 GB internal storage. There’s a USB Type-C port for charging the massive 6190 mAh battery and the device has its own 8 and 5 MP camera setup on the rear and front, respectively. The MiPad 2 price is only about $157 in China, which is outrageously low for such a neat device. And it comes with Windows 10 out of the box, which is truly wonderful, in my opinion. The tablet, for this price, is pretty much paying for itself. Now, it’s up to developers to make the Windows 10 experience worthwhile.

Although today’s launch event did not show us the Xiaomi Mi5, it did give us two mobile devices that have very little chances of failing. With very affordable prices, premium design and good hardware within, both the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and Xiaomi MiPad 2 are two of the most affordable and well=balanced devices I’ve seen come out of China – and out of anywhere, for that matter. If these come to the US anytime soon (and they most likely will), their prices are expected to at least double, unfortunately. The Xiaomi Mi5 release date is now up in the air, although rumors about an early 2016 launch have already started rolling. We’ll be back with more.

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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