Second stimulus check qualifications are official. Right? Will you get the next payment? - CNET

Some of the requirements in the latest stimulus proposal are more generous than others. Here's everyone who might be eligible for a second stimulus check.

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Realme to launch over 100 AIoT products in India next year

Realme is one of the most ambitious companies that arrived in India a couple of years ago. It is also the fastest-growing smartphone brand globally. Within a span of two years of its presence, Realme has quickly become one of the top smartphones makers. This year, the company also launched a bunch of AIoT products including smart TVs, True wireless earbuds, smartwatches, smart camera, smart plug and more. 

Going ahead in 2021, Realme is said to launch over 100 AIoT products in India. The company will expand its offering in India with the launch of multiple AIoT products throughout the year 2021. The company will launch TWS, affordable smart TVs, smart plugs, trimmers, smart bulb and more. 

(Image credit: YouTube/Realme)

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Talking to IANS, Madhav Sheth CEO Realme India and Europe said that the company aims to be the number one brand in smarty audio and smartwatch segment. Currently, Realme has a few TWS, neckband in the audio segment while it recently launched Realme Watch S series in India. 

In 2021, Realme will launch the new generation of Realme Buds Air, Buds Q, and smart TV. In Q3 2020, Realme had a market share of 12% and the Buds Q and Buds Air Neo were in the top 5 best selling TWS in India. While the market grew by a whopping 723% YoY in Q3, Realme will try to make the most of the rise in demand and offer multiple products in the TWS segment.

Furthermore, during the festive season, Realme sold 1,90,000 units of smart TVs and overall 2 million sales of AIoT products. As relatively a new brand to the AIoT space, this is a remarkable sales figure. 

As for the availability of the product, Realme AIoT products are available at more than 30,000 offline stores and the company is aiming to launch 300 to 500 Realme smart stores which will be exclusive for Realme products across India. Most Realme products are available at both online and offline platforms. 

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

He also further said for products like toothbrush and suitcase, the company is seeking for retail experience by partnering with channels such as pharmacy and suitcase shop. Lastly, he said the brand has received high demand for smart speakers and it is planning to add to teh pipeline along with more new devices. The company has also got feedback for home appliances products like electric juicer, air purifier to even AC, etc, added Madhav.

Realme has already announced it will launch Realme smart bulb while the Realme smart speaker was teased back in July in Realme AIoT video. The Realme smart speaker from the video looks similar to the charcoal black variant of the Google nest Mini.

Apart from these products, Realme has also teased the launch of the car charger, and weighing scale. The company is expected to launch all these new products along with a bunch of its smartphones in 2021.

In June 2020, Realme announced 1+4+N product strategy - One core product, four smart hubs and N AIoT and lifestyle products. These will act as the foundation for Realme’s expansion into more product categories.

The only rival to Realme’s product portfolio currently is Xiaomi which has slightly more AIoT products as compared to the Realme. But, will 2021 be the year Realme overtakes Xiaomi in terms of AIoT products? Only time will tell.

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Oppo Reno 5G getting ready for an India launch

A month back TechRadar, thanks to an exclusive interview, reported that MediaTek’s Dimensity chipset powered phones will be officially coming to India starting January 2021. While some brands were teasing a December launch, these phones are officially coming in January.

Now leaks suggest that Realme isn’t the only one to launch a MediaTek Dimensity powered phone and Oppo is also in line with the Oppo Reno 5G rocking a Dimensity 100 Plus chipset. These chipsets are said to help democratize 5G technology in the global markets especially India even though the country is yet to get 5G connectivity.

The phone was recently spotted on the BIS website with a model number CPH2201. Another tweet confirmed the presence of the same device in Singapore hinting at the global availability of the Oppo’s Reno 5 series. 

OPPO CPH2201 (Reno5 Pro) has received the Indian BIS certification. Launch is not too far away from now.#OPPO #OPPOReno5Pro pic.twitter.com/mieLXlqVKhDecember 24, 2020

Earlier, Oppo India’s VP and Head of R&D Tasleem Arif teased about bringing the Reno 5 series to India right on the day of it’s unveiling back home in China. “Amazed to share that we revealed this great smartphone to shoot brilliant videos. Are you excited to get this global product in India? Guess you already know what I’m talking about!” – he tweeted. 

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Oppo Reno 5 series India launch date

While there is not much officially available about the Oppo Reno 5 series’ India launch yet, the BIS certification is more or less a confirmation about the impending Indian launch. Going by the previous launches and reports, the phone may launch sometime mid of next month.

We will have to, though, wait for an official confirmation. And in case the Reno 5 series is indeed making a debut next month, Oppo will start teasing about the launch in the next few days.

Oppo Reno 5 series specifications 

The Reno 5 series consists of three different devices - Oppo Reno 5 5G, Oppo Reno 5 Pro 5G and a yet to be launched Oppo Reno 5 Pro Plus.

We’re not sure which all devices will make their debut in India soon, however, all the three phones are 5G ready. The base variant i.e the Oppo Reno 5 sports a Snapdragon 765G SoC paired with Adreno 620 GPU and up to 12GB of RAM. The Reno 5 Pro rocks a Mediatek Dimensity 1000 Plus SoC coupled with ARM G77 MC9 GPU and up to 12GB of RAM.

Powered by Color OS 11 skin on top of Android 11, the Oppo Reno 5 and Reno 5 Pro come with a 6.43 inches Full HD+ panel and 6.55 inches Full HD+ OLED panels each, respectively. The base variant has a 4300 mAh battery while the Pro variant has a slightly bigger 4350 mAh battery both supported by a 65W fast charging tech.

In terms of optics, both the phones come with a quad-camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary sensor coupled with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and two 2-megapixel sensors for depth and a 2-megapixel portrait shooter. Both the phones come with a 32-megapixel selfie sensor.

We will have to wait for the official confirmation if all the three variants get a green signal for the India launch.

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Realme Watch S First Sale Today, Realme Watch S Pro Goes on Sale Tomorrow: Price in India, Specifications

Realme Watch S is going on first flash sale today, and the Realme Watch S Pro will be available for its first sale tomorrow. Both the wearables will be available via Realme.com and Flipkart with a 10-percent instant discount on select credit cards and EMI transactions via Flipkart.

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Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ Specifications Surface in Detail, Camera Samples Leaked

Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ specifications have surfaced online ahead of their official launch. The leaked specifications detail the display, cameras, and dimensions of the upcoming Galaxy S21 models. Separately, camera samples of the Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra have also been leaked.

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How to watch the A-League 2020/21 season in Australia: live stream matches online

The 2020/21 A-League season is kicking off tonight (Monday, December 28), but the recent Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney has already led to disruption in the scheduling.

The opening match of the A-League 2020/21 season is going ahead, with the first clash set to be between Western United and Adelaide United.

• Watch the A-League 2020/21 season in Australia on Kayo Sports

State border closures and quarantine restrictions now mean that this season’s competition will be split – at least for the first month. So, for now, all NSW-based teams will play each other for the next four weeks.

For the foreseeable future, though, the remaining sides will travel to play each other without restriction. As a result, almost half of the season’s first 35 games are now listed as ‘to be confirmed’. 

Here’s a look at the first two rounds in the A-League 2020/21 season, with postponed games shown as TBC and times shown in AEDT:

• Mon, Dec 28 at 7pm: Western United vs Adelaide United
• TBC: Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix
• Tue, Dec 29 at 7pm: Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City
• TBC: Sydney FC vs Melbourne City
• Wed, Dec 30 at 7pm: Western Sydney Wanderers vs Macarthur FC
• Thu, Dec 31 at 7pm: Central Coast Mariners vs Newcastle Jets
• TBC: Western Sydney Wanderers vs Western United
• Sat, Jan 2 at 5pm: Wellington Phoenix vs Sydney FC
• Sat, Jan 2 at 7pm: Melbourne Victory vs Brisbane Roar
• Sun, Jan 3 at 4pm: Macarthur FC vs Central Coast Mariners
• Sun, Jan 3 at 6pm: Adelaide United vs Melbourne City
• Fri, Jan 8 at 7pm: Newcastle Jets vs Western Sydney Wanderers

Despite a shaky schedule ahead, current champions Sydney FC seem unstoppable, and will be chasing their third grand final win in a row this season – a feat no team is yet to achieve in the competition's history.

With (hopefully) a full season ahead of us, it’s time to get ready for the A-League before it gets underway tonight at 7pm AEDT (Monday, December 28).

Every match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports, and on streaming service Kayo, with certain games available on free-to-air. Here’s how you can watch it all unfold.

How to watch the A-League 2020/21 season live online

If you want to catch the A-League live online, your best option is Kayo Sports. The streaming service is a more affordable alternative to Foxtel’s Fox Sports, and boasts over 50 sports live and on demand.

It has almost everything there is from Foxtel’s sports pack, including all the A-League match-ups.

For AU$25 a month, you can get a basic Kayo package – that’ll get you access to two screens at once. There’s a 14-day free trial on offer and you’re able to cancel anytime, with no lock-in contracts to keep you bound to the service.

Kayo Sports | 14-day free trial, then AU$25 a month

Kayo’s Basic package will let you live stream and catch up on over 50 sports on two devices at the same time. You’ll have access to Kayo’s features such as SplitView, and you can cancel any time as there’s no lock-in contract.View Deal

How to live stream A-League 2020/21 season for free

The ABC is the official free-to-air partner of the competition, and will air one match each round of the 2020/21 season, as well as delayed broadcasts of certain final match-ups. Each match shown on free-to-air will also be available to stream on ABC iview.

There is a second option – Telstra’s My Football Live app – which is data free but exclusive only to Telstra customers.

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5G phones became the norm in 2020, but it still isn't a reason to upgrade

Next-gen internet connectivity has been available on smartphones since 2019, but 2020 was the year the technology began to shine, with most top-end devices you could buy this year sporting the new tech and more networks launching coverage around the world.

Samsung’s entire Galaxy S20 range included 5G-ready handsets, OnePlus brought the feature into its top-end phones, a whole host of other Android manufacturers debuted 5G-ready devices, and every single member of the iPhone 12 family is built with 5G in mind.

That’s impressive considering this time last year you only had a slim selection of 5G handsets on the market, with choices such as a specific Samsung Galaxy S10 5G variant if you wanted the next-gen tech.

It’s great that manufacturers are embracing the technology, and there are now even cheap 5G alternatives to big name handsets like the Google Pixel 5 and iPhone 12 mini. For example, the Realme X50 5G only costs £300 in the UK, making it one of the cheapest ways to get 5G.

One big rumor suggests 5G phones will become cheaper still in 2021. That makes sense as the technology becomes more commonplace, and there are rumors that Samsung will be introducing a handset called the Galaxy A22 5G that will cost only 200,000 Korean won (about $180, £135, AU$240).

The iPhone 12 mini is 5G-ready (Image credit: TechRadar)

But while 5G technology is now much more prevalent and cheaper to access, it's still not a big enough sole reason to upgrade your phone.

If you’re looking for a new handset and you would like it to be futureproof, by all means opt for a 5G-ready phone. That is the smart thing to do. We readily recommend 5G handsets, in fact a good portion of the devices in our best smartphone ranking are already 5G-ready, but don’t choose one of these purely because it has 5G tech baked in.

When 5G signal is available and you’ve got a compatible device, you can reach some phenomenal speeds. But there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get there and even by the end of 2020 it still isn't ubiquitous. 

You’ll need to live in a 5G-ready area, have the right phone, pay extra for 5G connectivity from your provider (that isn’t always the case, but many do charge extra), and more.

It's now becoming a reality

For example, in South London we’ve seen 5G coverage on a number of UK networks increase incredibly quickly in 2020. It’s still not available everywhere in this specific area, but we’ll often get those faster speeds when out for a walk, and it’s generally helpful when streaming music or sending messages.

But it isn’t available everywhere, and if you don’t live in such a metropolitan area you may have to wait a while longer for it to roll out where you are. We expect the technology to expand much further in 2021, but there's no guarantee you'll see it where you live then either.

Then there's the Covid-19 pandemic that has meant we’re making far less use of mobile networks, as we stay at home on our Wi-Fi connections more. If your house is covered by 5G, you may experience higher speeds than your Wi-Fi, but that is rare unless you live in the center of a city.

If you need to upgrade your phone, 2020's handset selection has made being ready for 5G to become more prevalent in the next few years much easier. You can upgrade to an iPhone 12 or any number of Android phones and know you won’t be left behind in a few years when 5G is more commonplace.

Our advice remains that you shouldn't upgrade specifically for 5G though. Don’t upgrade your phone purely for 5G as you may as well wait for it to become more common and easier to access.

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