With rising demand for battery-powered devices and batteries by extension to tackle the ongoing climate crisis, it revealed the shortcomings of the current battery technology i.e. Lithium-ion. As such, tech companies are racing towards the next breakthrough in energy storage which appears to be — solid-state battery. Chinese tech behemoth Huawei has also come forth in this race and patented its take on solid-state batteries with a sulphide-based electrolyte.
Huawei Solid-State Battery Tech Overview
Before getting into what Huawei did, let’s understand…
What is a Solid-State Battery?
The current battery tech utilises liquid or gel electrolytes to transport Lithium-ion from anode to cathode. While it is an industry default right now, it isn’t sustainable for the future. These batteries tend to be vulnerable to overheating, thermal runaway, catching fire, and exploding.
The go-to solution for this has become solid-state batteries, which use solid electrolytes instead. Companies are exploring the use of various materials like sulphides, ceramics, polymers, graphene, and so on. Solid-state batteries have greater energy density, are safer, degrade slower, and dis/charge faster.
So in an effort to figure out the next big battery tech, Huawei has also come up with its take on the solid-state battery. The company has come up with a sulphide-based solution and has patented it. This battery apparently has all the characteristics of a solid-state battery like faster charging speed and higher energy density, while being safer overall. Huawei is aiming to power EVs and energy storage systems with this new battery of theirs.
Huawei Solid-State Battery Tech: Conclusion
We all know of hard Huawei was hammered with the US trade ban. Regardless, the company persists in innovating in various forms. Developing and patenting a solid-state battery could be a crucial move for Huawei considering this tech has the potential to dominate as the energy source of tomorrow.
Other companies are innovating in the field of battery in other ways too. For instance: Huawei’s ex-subsidiary Honor is one of the pioneers in using silicon carbon for battery anode, significantly increasing its yield. Now it has grown to become the industry standard with more and more companies opting for similar kinds of batteries.
Royal Enfield is a historic motorbike company that has been around for over a century. It represented everything about petroleum vehicles — powerful, proud, and absolute badass. However, with growing environmental concerns and increasing interest and demand in electric alternatives — even Royal Enfield had to chime in. The company unveiled its EV sub-brand — Flying Flea, and we are here to talk about it.
Flying Flea Overview
Before delving into the details of Flying Flea, let’s reminisce…
About Royal Enfield
Initially, Royal Enfield was a British brand founded at the face of the 20th century in 1901. The company has some of the most iconic offerings such as Bullet, Classic, Himalayan, and so on in its catalogue. The “Bullet” line of bikes has a history of its own, first hitting the market in 1932. As such, it has stood the test of time and is the world’s oldest motorcycle in continuous production.
In the 1990s, it was wholly acquired by Eicher Motors — standing on the base of decades of partnership between the two companies. This move effectively transformed Royal Enfield into an Indian Brand. The company is still going strong as ever. It continues to produce retro-style motorbikes with rugged aesthetics and has one of the most fanbases.
Drop Flying Flea
Despite being an icon in internal combustion engine motorbikes, Royal Enfield recognises that the future is electric. Given that, the company has been working on electric alternatives for some time now. Last year, it showcased a battery-powered version of Himalayan — one of its popular offerings, but it never made it to the streets.
After long leaks and teases, Royal Enfield is finally entering the EV market with its new sub-brand — Flying Flea. While this name sounds like some quirky supervillain from comic books, it is actually a shoutout to the rich history of the company. It is a reference to small, lightweight motorcycles that would be airdropped into enemy territory during the Second World War. Even the promotional material of the Flying Flea shows a motorbike being parachuted down to the ground.
Royal Enfield will be launching two motorbikes under the Flying Flea brand name — C6 and S6. We only have information on the former as of now. It will be a cruiser bike with a forged aluminium frame and a magnesium battery case. Furthermore, it has rather thin tyres, and compact battery and motor units.
FF.C6
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As such, the FF.C6 is a far cry from the sturdy and heavy build of the motorbike, Royal Enfield is so famous for. This is likely a conscious approach, taken to reduce the strain on the bike’s battery and enhance the range it offers. Other than that, Flying Flea bikes will be receiving OTA software updates like every other EV in the market. Additionally, it will offer wireless charging for your smartphone, which will serve as a key for this bike. Royal Enfield also claims highway-capable speeds and cruise control, but we will have to wait and see about this one.
Flying Flea Launch and Availability
Royal Enfield announced its all-electric sub-brand Flying Flea at the EICMA 2024 held in Italy. As I mentioned earlier, the company will be launching C6 and S6 under the “Flying Flea” moniker. The former has already made it to the company’s official website, urging visitors to register their interest. In contrast, the latter will only see the light of the day later in 2026.
Meanwhile, check out our findings on being an InDrive rider:
Samsung’s chipset strategy has been a topic of significant discussion in recent years. While the company has previously partnered with Qualcomm for its flagship devices, it has also been developing its own Exynos processors. The Galaxy S24 series marked a shift with Samsung’s increased use of its in-house Exynos chips (S23 was Snapdragon across the board), now sparking debates about the company’s direction for the upcoming Galaxy S25 series. In this article, we will discuss the possibilities for what processors the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 series might house and let me tell you it’s quite confusing.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Chip Rumors
Latest Developments
Recent leaks have provided insights into Samsung’s plans for the Galaxy S25 series. A benchmark result has surfaced online showing the Samsung Galaxy S25+ (model number SM-S936B) powered by the upcoming Exynos 2500 SoC. That’d suggest a trend similar to the S24s. However, tipster Jukanlosreve claims that this is just for testing purposes and that all the S25 lineups will be using Snapdragon 8 Elite. If that sounded confusing, it is but we’re accustomed to Samsung using both Exynos and Snapdragon chips depending on the region and that pattern might is the one most likely to repeat this generation as well.
Performance Metrics
In the meantime let’s talk about the information leaked Geekbench shows. The Exynos 2500 (internally coded as S5E9955) comes with 12GB of RAM and runs Android 15. It managed to score 2,359 points in the single-core, and 8,141 points in the multi-core benchmark test. That’s a decent score for a modern smartphone but falls way behind its competition from Qualcomm as well as Apple.
Moreover, it also features a 10-core CPU configuration, with the primary core clocked at 3.3 GHz, two high-performance cores running at 2.75 GHz, and five additional cores operating at 2.36 GHz. Additionally, two power-efficient cores are running at 1.8 GHz. The system is further enhanced by AMD’s RDNA architecture.
Galaxy S25 Series Chip Dilemma : Final thoughts
It would indeed be a smart move for Samsung to equip the Galaxy S25 series with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, especially if the rumors are true. The Exynos 2500 may offer strong performance, but historically, Snapdragon chips have delivered better overall efficiency and performance in regions outside of Samsung’s home market. And not to mention the Exynos traditionally struggled with thermal management and battery life.
Oppo released its Reno 12 Pro this June, and the company is all set to release its successor anytime soon. In this article, we will discuss some of the specification details about the Oppo Reno 13 Pro that have surfaced online.
Oppo Reno 13 Pro Rumors
Design and Display
The design of the Reno 13 Pro will likely mirror its predecessor Oppo Reno 12 Pro with a flat frame design and a curved display. It might feature a minimalistic design with a triple camera setup arranged vertically in a rectangular module on the upper left of the back panel.
For the display, this phone is rumored to feature a 6.83-inch (making it slightly larger than Reno 12 Pro) quad-curved LTPO OLED display with a 2780×1264 resolution, classified as 1.5K. Additionally, this will come with an IP65 rating ensuring water and dust resistance.
Performance and Storage
Previously, the Oppo Reno 13 Pro was understood to feature MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300 4nm processor. But, now latest rumors suggest that the device will actually feature the Dimensity 8350 chipset instead.
In terms of memory, the predecessor offers configurations of up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. We can reasonably speculate that the new Reno 13 Pro will maintain the same specifications too.
Camera and Battery
Moreover, for the optics, the Reno 13 Pro is expected to be equipped with a 50MP periscope telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom, with a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide. What’s more? this will have a zooming capacity of up to 120X digitally.
Image: Oppo Reno 12 Pro
Additionally, in terms of battery capacity, the Reno 13 Pro will most probably come with a larger 5,900mAh battery capacity and is also expected to feature a wireless charger which was absent in the previous iteration. Talking about its durability, the phone is likely to come with IP69 and IP69 ratings, a improve from the previous IP65.
Battery: 5,900 mAh cell with 80W Fast Charging support
Oppo Reno 13 Pro Price in Nepal and Availablity
While official pricing for the Oppo Reno 13 Pro has yet to be announced, we can anticipate a starting price of around EUR 699 given that its predecessor is priced at EUR 599. When it makes it here, we can expect the starting Oppo Reno 13 Pro price in Nepal to be NPR 94,999.
Tecno recently launched the Spark 30 and its limited edition Bumblebee variant (review) in the Nepali market. In the meantime, the company outed a new tablet internationally. Let’s look at the Tecno Megapad 10 in further detail and discuss its potential price in Nepal too.
Tecno Megapad 10 Overview
Design and Display
This tablet comes in a mix of plastic and aluminium alloy body and weighs under half a kilo. It has a dual-tone finish at the back with a darker shade covering the smaller portion. Meanwhile, the Tecno Megapad 10 ships in Space Grey and Champagne Gold colours, and the company does not mention any IP rating on this product.
On the front, the Tecno Megapad 10 has a large 10.1-inch display, just as its name hints. The panel used in this tablet is likely an LCD given its low profile. Additionally, the screen stretches HD+ in resolution and offers 450 nits of brightness. It also supports Eye Comfort and Dark Mode so that it’s easy on the user’s eyes.
Performance
Under the hood, it has the Helio G80 — a budget chipset from MediaTek launched back in 2020. The tablet has 4GB RAM supporting the chipset. For storage, you get two choices: 128GB and 256GB. You can further expand the storage with a microSD card of up to 512GB.
In the tank, it has a 7,000 mAh battery with 18W charging support. Tecno says the Megapad 10 takes 2.5 hours to fully charge.
Talking of the optics, this tablet is equipped with one rear and front camera each. The one in the back is 13MP in resolution while the selfie snapper is a 5MP unit. Likewise, the Tecno Megapad 10 comes with a SIM slot supporting 4G cellular connectivity on top of dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth v5.1.
Software-wise, it boots on Android 14 allowing for a Dual-tasking view and a separate Kids Space. The tablet is also infused with Security Boot (Efuse) that prevents unauthorised software installation and protects your data from malicious software.
Tecno Megapad 10 Specifications
Design: Dual-tone design, plastic and aluminium alloy body
ROM: 128GB or 256GB + 512GB expandable with MicroSD card
OS: Android 14
Rear Camera: 13MP
Front Camera: 5MP
Battery: 7,000 mAh cell with 18W fast charging
Connectivity: 4G Cellular, Dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth v5.1, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Colour Options: Space Grey, Champagne Gold
Tecno Megapad 10 Price in Nepal and Availability
While Tecno has listed the tablet on its website, the price for the Megapad 10 is still unknown. Hence, we will have to wait and see what its pricing will be. Looking at the specs, we can tell it is a budget tablet and as such, it will be affordable, to say the least.
Lastly, the company hasn’t introduced its tablet in the Nepali market so far. Thus, the Tecno MegaPad 10 likely will not be available in Nepal.
Meanwhile, check out our Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 review video:
The Vivo V40 5G was launched a while ago and its Lite version, the Vivo V40 Lite is also here. As the name implies, it’s a toned-down version with major cuts on almost all the major components such as camera, display, speaker, and such, except for the design segment, which is Vivo’s troop card for their phones. And it is priced at 37,000 rupees, a price hike from the last gen V30 Lite which was originally launched at 35,000 rupees and on paper both siblings bear very similar specs. I have been using this guy for almost a week now, and here’s everything I have found, felt, and dealt with the V40 Lite. But before directly processing the Vivo V40 Lite review, let’s take a look at its specifications first.
Vivo and a beautiful design? Well, it’s like the sun rising from the east– Vivo always emphasizes building a phone that looks good aesthetically. So, the V40 Lite is a gorgeous-looking phone, and this Emerald Green option is the one to go for! Meanwhile, the Titanium Silver version is quite bland to my liking. The texture feels smooth and nice, and overall, it is pretty elegant. Flipping on the front, you are greeted with a hole-punch cutout display. The bezels are respectable all around, if not the best. Also, the IP64 rating is commendable here. Overall, I would rate a solid 4.5 stars out of five for the design side of things.
How’s the display?
6.67-inches AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
2400 x 1080 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio
In terms of display, the V40 Lite sports a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel, which is identical to the one on its predecessor, the V30 Lite. I would say, it’s a pretty decent panel but not so extraordinary. The colors are punchy and fair for your reels, TikTok, and movie-watching. But let me tell you, there is no HDR playback support on Netflix or YouTube. It’s still a 120Hz refresh rate, so scrolling-wise, you are getting a smooth experience. You can also use the smart refresh rate option to save some battery juice here. Meanwhile, the stereo speaker setup is just basic and can cater to your personal space.
The indisplay fingerprint scanner works as intended and the sunlight readability is fine too with 1200nits of HBM.So, overall, the Vivo V40 Lite’s display bags an A- rating from my side.
Performance
And then, here comes the part, in which I’m disappointed, for obvious reasons! Firstly, it’s the same old Snapdragon 685 SoC from the V30 Lite, and, that too at a more expensive price tag! Vivo could have priced this phone more effectively because if you look at the competition, we have much more powerful phones like the OnePlus Nord CE 3 with Snapdragon 782G, Realme Narzo 70 Pro with Dimensity 7050, and even, the Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G with Helio G99 SoC.
Amongst this bunch, the SD 685 stands pretty weak as expected! It can give you a basic kinda performance and if you tend to do some gaming, let me tell you– it’s just meant for casual gaming. Do not expect a smooth 60fps PUBG action, as it’s capped at 40fps while Call of Duty Mobile plays at 50fps. But again, CODM is a very optimized title and it can play at the same fps on much cheaper phones as well.
PUBG Settings and FPS Score
So, you are not getting any sort of performance boost from the predecessor. And the UI side is FunTouch OS 14 which I’m really not a big fan of from the early days. Plus pair that with the Snapdragon 685’s average performance, and the UI experience gets laggy sometimes, in spite of the phone boasting 8GB of RAM.
Camera
Dual-camera setup at the back
50MP main, 2MP depth, Flicker sensor
32MP selfie camera
Alright, the camera section is also basic here, a 50MP main camera with no OIS and a 2MP depth sensing unit. A Deja Vu from the V30 Lite once again! However, the front camera is now bumped to 32MP from the 8MP resolution. And here’s what I have found on the cameras of the V40 Lite.
Daylight
The V40 Lite clicks good images when the light source is ample. The outputs are not super punchy and processed. They are more on the close to natural side, I would say! But a bit more colors would have been really nice tho’
Daylight
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Portraits
The portraits are on the decent sides. I found a similar color tone as the V30 Lite which has a similar tint, which doesn’t look too natural to my liking.
Portrait
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Selfies
The 32MP snapper clicks good selfies most of the times, social media ready, I would say!
Selfies
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Lowlight
When the sun goes down, the dedicated night mode comes into play to garner some extra light and provide you with usable samples.
Lowlight
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Night Mode Off
Night Mode On
Night Mode Off
Night Mode On
Night Mode Off
Night Mode On
Night Mode Off
Night Mode On
Night Mode Off
Night Mode On
Aura Light
And how can Vivo miss out on some fancy thing like Aura Light? It comes in pretty handy when you are opting to capture a portrait shot in a low-light environment.
Aura Light
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Videos
The videography side is below average. Do not expect smooth videos here despite turning on the Stabilization mode. 1080p 30fps is all you can go while 60fps is surprisingly only available on the age-old 720p resolution, which is a bummer!
Battery and Charging
5,000mAh battery
80W wired fast charging support
Moving on, the Vivo V40 Lite’s 5,000mAh battery lasts you till the day as it should on moderate usage. Likewise, the 80W in-box charger can top it up in an hour or so. Other than that, Vivo claims a 4-year battery health on this guy.
Vivo V40 Lite Review: Conclusion
Okay, it’s conclusion time everybody! The Vivo V40 Lite brings good looks, decent main camera and selfies, but the performance side should have been better considering its price. Likewise, there is no ultrawide camera and the no guaranteed update policy, making it an average offering for around Rs. 35,000.
Samsung had planned to release its own Extended Reality (XR) headset by February 2024. However, due to the tough competition of Apple’s Vision Pro, the release was pushed back. Now the company appears to be ready to show the world what it has conjured after returning to the drawing board. In this article, let’s explore the expected features and launch details of the Samsung Extended Reality (XR) headset.
For those unaware, Extended Reality (XR or xR) is a technology that combines Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and even Mixed Reality (MR). Samsung has been aware of the potential of this cutting-edge technology having worked with companies like Ross Video. Though it has products like Gear VR and Odyesse VR to its name, Samsung doesn’t have a proper XR product of its own.
Google 🤝 Samsung 🤝 Qualcomm
Back in February 2023, Samsung announced that it would be partnering with Qualcomm and Google to build an XR ecosystem of its own. After having delayed the initial project, the partnership still stands. The Samsung XR Headset will apparently run on a new version of Android specifically optimised for XR devices.
Likewise, this headset will have the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 launched earlier this year, for its computing power. Previously, an independent report by the Korea Economic Daily revealed the LSI division of the South Korean tech giant was also working on an XR chipset independent of the mobile division. We might get an XR headset with the company’s in-house silicon. But for now, Samsung sees Qualcomm to be fit for the duty.
Design and Display
Some rumours suggest that the Samsung XR will be “glasses” rather than a headset. This is likely because the company filed for the “Galaxy Glasses” moniker a while back. Now that we have seen Meta put up Orion, it won’t be an easy way out for Samsung even if they go with glasses instead of a headset.
Regardless, the chances of the company taking the latter design route are higher, complete with full-fledged integrated displays. According to reports, the Galaxy Glasses will have a 3,000 PPI display and could adopt Micro OLED or OLEDoS panel technology.
Rumoured features of Galaxy Glasses include eye tracking, hand tracking, and foveated rendering. It utilises eye tracking to track the user’s eye movements, enabling cursor control in VR/AR. Hand tracking enables controller-free interaction with virtual objects. Foveated rendering optimises graphics by focusing on the user’s field of view, conserving battery life.
Samsung XR Headset / Galaxy Glasses Availability
Samsung XR Headset was supposed to launch in February 2024. However, it was delayed after Apple dropped a bombshell of a headset in the form of Vision Pro. Apple’s headset was visibly more powerful and feature-rich than any other headset in the market. Given the intense rivalry between Apple and Samsung, the South Korean firm might have delayed its headset to further improve it. Such that, it could present proper competition to Vision Pro.
Now, the company seems to be ready to show the world what it has come up with. Samsung initially teased the XR Headset during the launch of Galaxy S24. The company recently held a conference to announce its financial standing for 2024 Q3. At the event, the company mentioned “Improve connectivity among products, including upcoming XR devices” under its 2025 Outlook.
This has led sources to speculate the headset is coming in 2025. In the meantime, Samsung could just be looking to improve ecosystem features in the headset and actually launch it even later.
Meanwhile, check out our Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3 comparison video:
Apple launched its new batch of products, including the iPhone 16 series, Watch 10 series, and brand-new AirPods a while back. Alongside the iPhone 16 lineup and Watch Series 10, the AirPods 4 is now officially available in Nepal as well. In this article, we will discuss Apple AirPods 4 in further detail, including its official price in Nepal and more.
Apple AirPods 4 Overview
Design
The AirPods’ design is simply iconic and the Gen 4 does not deter from it either. They come in plain white and have the same semi-in-ear fitting. The charging case also looks the same, however, it has taken a slight size cut of about 10%. The earbuds feature an updated stem with a force sensor which allows you to control playback and calls with a pinch.
Furthermore, they are dust, sweat, and water resistant with an IP54 rating. Apple continues to offer a touch of personalization AirPods 4 as well, allowing one to engrave a mix of emoji, names, initials, and numbers.
The audio on these earbuds is delivered by an Apple-designed low-distortion driver powered by a custom high-dynamic range amplifier. They offer high-quality audio with 16-bit/48kHz processing.
Meanwhile, the AirPods 4 also comes with personalized Spatio Audio with dynamic head tracking. This provides users with an added layer of immersion when consuming content. Likewise, these earbuds have an inward-facing microphone that detects what you are hearing and automatically adapts the EQ accordingly to preserve the details of the song you are listening to.
Then there is the H2 chip, which enables “Voice Isolation” that minimizes background noise and clarifies your voice during calls. And finally a new feature on the base AirPods 4 — active noise cancellation. This is the first time that Apple has equipped its semi-in-ear offering with ANC. Users get “Adaptive Audio” on these earbuds, allowing for sounds like sirens to pass even when ANC is turned on.
It also senses when someone is talking to you and lowers the media volume for the time being, it brings the volume back to regular once you are done. Customers can turn the noise cancellation off too — or opt for earbuds without this feature entirely. Yes, AirPods 4 are available in two flavors — one with ANC and the other without it.
Apart from audio-related stuff, these earbuds come with other features too — such as Apple ecosystem benefits. The AirPods 4 pairs immediately with every device connected to the user’s Apple ID. They also support multi-device connection seamlessly switching between your Apple devices as needed. Similarly, you can connect two sets of AirPods to a single device too. You can then play music or a show on both sets at once.
The H2 chip powers Siri on standby and Siri interactions too. You can easily access the voice assistant by calling it, then respond to its announcements by nodding yes or gently shaking your head no. Talking of battery life, AirPods 4 can last up to five hours independently and 30 hours with the charging case.
The number slashes down to four hours and 20 hours respectively when the ANC is turned on. These earbuds finally come with a USB-C charging interface. The ANC variant comes with wireless charging support as well as a speaker on the case to help you locate them when misplaced.
Apple AirPods 4 Specifications
Design: Semi in-ear, stemmed with force sensors, IP54-rated
Without ANC: Up to 5 hours (Buds), Up to 30 hours (With Case)
With ANC: Up to 4 hours (Buds), Up to 20 hours (With Case)
Charging: Via USB Type-C, Wireless charging (optional)
Features: Personalised Spatial Audio with head tracking, Touch controls, Adaptive EQ, Seamless pairing, Multi-device connection, Multi-device switching, Audio Sharing, Siri on Standby, Siri Interaction, Find My
The official price of Apple AirPods 4 in Nepal is NPR 24,999 for the standard model and NPR 34,999 for the ANC variant. You can buy AirPods 4 in Nepal from Apple-authorized stores like Hukut.
Tecno is an active innovator on the imaging front. Last year the company introduced three new technologies, including the Universal Tone. Now the Transsion Holdings’ subsidiary launched a campaign and a new website to further promote its skin tone recognition algorithm. Let’s discuss the Tecno ToneProud campaign and the new tone-recognising website further.
Tecno ToneProud Campaign Overview
The human skin comes in a spectrum of colours and smartphone cameras historically struggled with capturing its vastness. An MIT and Stanford University study from 2018 stated some commercial AI systems had a skin-tone bias. As a result, the algorithm shifted the skin colour of the subject, usually to a lighter tone. Some Chinese smartphone manufacturers were guilty of this. It was so evident that this skin tone-shifting problem turned into a feature instead.
While it was the case a while back, the same cannot be said anymore. Imaging technology in phones has taken leaps in this aspect. Premium phones all across capture skin tones pretty accurately. However, the same cannot be said for the midrange and budget space — where Tecno thrives. The company questioned if smartphones truly capture the full spectrum of human diversity. They did not forget to add “especially in often-overlooked emerging markets” at the end.
With this, Tecno launched its ToneProud campaign partnering with celebrities across the world and skin tone spectrum. The cast included Nigerian singer-songwriter Johnny Drille, Indonesian-born singer-songwriter Anggun, Saudi Arabian filmmaker and actress Fatima Al-Banawi, and Polish actress Ewa Kepys. The campaign revolves around fighting tone bias by embracing your skin tones and accurate representation of it in photos and media.
Tone recognition website
Tecno developed its Universal Tone software by collaborating with colour science experts and includes 268 different skin tones in its database. General folks can utilise this algorithm to find out theirs as well. For this, the company has put up a dedicated website — 268toneproud.com. This site accesses the front camera of your phone to scan your skin colour and provides the code for it in hex triplet numbers.
Tecno ToneProud Campaign: Conclusion
While Tecno’s ToneProud campaign sounds inclusive, empowering, great, and all, it is also an opportunity for the company to collect free data samples. All the photos taken through the 268toneproud.com website will go into Tecno’s database and will be utilised to further develop the Universal Tone algorithm.
In the meantime, the camera hardware largely influences the photos taken by a smartphone. This is why, I find the accuracy of the whole “finding your skin tone” a bit questionable. A person might get two different skin tone codes if they log into the website from different devices with different camera hardware.
Additionally, some critics have also raised concerns about their privacy with the Tecno ToneProud campaign.
Google has recently added an AI-generated overview at the top of search results. They sometimes give questionable advice or incorrect information. If you do not like this feature you can turn this off with a simple change in the parameters but there’s actually a workaround. Let’s look deeper into it.
No more Google AI overview
Google has a “web” search filter that shows traditional search results which gives you clean results without AI summaries. It shows the classic “10 blue links” style of results. However, the downside is Google doesn’t let you make this your default view normally.
For this Google search uses URL parameters “&udm=14”(an extra bit of text in the web address).
How does &udm=14 work?
When the user adds &udm=14 to a Google search URL, it forces Google to show classic results. You can test this by adding “&udm=14” to the end of any Google search URL. The image below shows the before and after results of the search bar.
Additionally, you can even make this permanent in your browser by following these simple steps.
For Chrome
Right-click the address bar
Select “Manage search engines”
Add a new search engine
Name it something like “Google Web”
Use this URL: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
For Firefox
First type “about:config” in the address bar
Search for “browser.urlbar.update2.engineAliasRefresh”
Click the plus button
Go to Settings then – Search
Scroll to the search engine section
Add a new search engine with the same URL as above
There are two ways to use this. You can either make this a default feature or use a shortcut. For the default option, you first find your new search engine in the list and click the menu button next to it. Select the “make default” option. After this, all of your searches will use the AI-free version.
If not then you can go with the second option – using a shortcut like “gw” (like in the image above). For this, you will have to type “gw” before your search when you want AI-free results. However, regular searches will still show AI summaries.
You can also add “&tbs=li:1” to the URL. This will enable a “verbatim” search that makes Google use your exact search terms. This will stop Google from changing your words to synonyms or making fuzzy matches.
This new feature however does not fix other issues with Google search, and you will still see lots of SEO-optimized spam websites.
An extension to erase Google AI Search
If you don’t want to go with all the above hassle, there is an easy peasy trick to remove Google AI Overview. You can simply add an extension called “Bye Bye, Google AI” to your Chrome from the Chrome web store and it will show the necessary results only.
Performance Metrics
