Boult Audio continues its collaboration with Ford Mustang by launching two new products under its audio lineup, including the new Boult Mustang Q headphones as well as the Mustang Dyno TWS earbuds. The brand has also debuted two new colours for the Mustang Torq which it first launched in June 2024.
Boult Mustang Q, Mustang Dyno: Pricing, Availability
The Boult x Mustang Collection—Mustang Q, Mustang Dyno, and Mustang Torq (in new Silver and Yellow shades)—is available at www.boultaudio.com, as well as Amazon & Flipkart. Mustang Torq costs Rs 1,499, while Mustang Q retails for Rs 2,499 and the Mustang Dyno comes in at Rs 1,299.
Boult Mustang Q, Mustang Dyno: Features
The Mustang Q over-ear headphones feature 40mm Bass Boosted Drivers and BoomX Technology for deep bass and clear audio. With a 70-hour battery life and 4 EQ modes, users can customize their experience. It further packs Memory foam earcups to ensure all-day comfort and durability.
The Mustang Dyno packs 13mm drivers with BoomX Technology. With the first-of-its-kind Boult AMP App, users can personalize their sound experience, tune EQ settings, and control custom gestures, says the company.
To recall, the Mustang Torq features 13mm drivers, BoomX Technology, and ZEN Quad Mic ENC. The buds also includes Blink & Pair technology along with Bluetooth v5.4 for seamless connectivity. It also has breathing LEDs and is IPX5 rated as well for water resistance.
All variants support Lightning Boult Fast Charging, with just 10 minutes of charging providing upto 10 hours of playtime. Additionally, the Q offers an 70 hours of battery life, with the Torq and Dyno variants offering 60 hours each. Each model features Combat Gaming Mode, with ultra-low Latency (45ms) for an optimized gaming experience, ensuring a lag-free connection. With dual device connectivity across each model, users can effortlessly switch between two devices.
Apple is launching a new product later today and it is all set to debut as the “newest member of the family”. It is expected that the iPhone SE which is rumoured to launch today, might drop the SE branding and could end up being called the iPhone 16E with mounting rumours pointing towards the change.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s next budget-friendly iPhone may be rebranded to align with the iPhone 16 series, moving away from the “SE” naming convention. This aligns with leaker Majin Bu’s claim from December 2024 (via MacRumors) that the device could be named the iPhone 16E or feature a variation incorporating “16” and “E.”
As Tim Cook calls it the newest member of the family, the iPhone 16E looks more likely to be the name than the iPhone SE where Cook could be referring to the iPhone 16 series when he says “family.”
The name iPhone 16E was first mentioned in December by Fixed Focus Digital, a Weibo account with over two million followers. Later that month, leaker Majin Bu on X also cited a source claiming that Apple’s next iPhone SE would be rebranded as the iPhone 16E.
As for what one could expect from the device, the new low-end iPhone is expected to receive a major hardware upgrade over the previous iPhone SE, featuring an iPhone 14-like design with a notch instead of a Dynamic Island. This notch will house Face ID, and the device could be powered by the latest A18 chip and may include support for Apple Intelligence as well.
Finally, for optics, the new affordable iPhone is said to get a 48MP primary rear camera and a 12MP front camera from the iPhone 15. However, there won’t be an ultra-wide angle camera.
Samsung is now rolling out the One UI 7 Beta 4 for the Galaxy S24 series in India. The beta program of One UI 7 for Samsung’s last year flagships began in December last year and beta 4 comes after a gap of more than a month since beta 3 release. Here’s what the new update has to offer.
The new One UI 7 beta 4 update bears firmware version S92xBXXU4ZYBA in India and S921NKSU5ZYBA in South Korea. Other countries where the beta program is running should eventually get the update as well. The update has a file size of around 1.4GB, depending on the country. The update has several new features to offer, including support for AI filters, log video recording on the S24 Ultra, and more. Here’s what the changelog reads:
Add AI Filter in Camera.
Add Samsung Log (log video format) in Camera (S24 Ultra).
Fix Ul error of lock screen and AOD.
Fix quick panel Ul error.
Fix grouping alarm error.
Fix the problem of stuttering when releasing the fingerprint reader.
Fix the problem of the top bar disappearing from the home screen.
Modify the animation that was unnatural when opening and closing the App recently.
Fix the problem of there being a gap in the status bar after installing Goodlock Quickstar.
One should note that the Log video format support, which debuted with the S25 series and is available on all three devices in the family, is currently available only for the S24 Ultra. There’s no word on whether it’ll be made available to the remaining two candidates of the S24 family.
Samsung is yet to confirm the stable rollout date of One UI 7 for its previous flagships. Rumours floating around suggest that Samsung could be targeting an April release but nothing has been finalised. If Samsung does indeed launch One UI 7 in April for its older flagships, it could mean that it will release a couple of more Beta builds ahead of the stable build rollout.
Reliance Jio has announced the launch of JioTele OS, which it describes as “a next-generation Smart TV operating system crafted to meet the unique needs of Indian audiences.” The operating system is aimed to solve the “limited capabilities” of Indian consumers’ connected TVs.
“With approx. 35 million connected TV households in India, the demand for digital entertainment continues to rise. However, many consumers encounter challenges due to the limited capabilities of their connected TVs, such as restricted customisation, limited access to high-quality regional content, and the absence of seamless, premium user experience,” said the company.
JioTele OS aims to provide Indian households “with a fast, premium, and content-rich Smart TV platform at an affordable price.” Offering AI-powered recommendations, the OS offers seamless integration of global and regional content, support for leading apps, and regular updates. “This initiative seeks to transform entertainment in India, ensuring seamless and accessible viewing for every household,” the company noted.
AI-Driven content recommendation: Get AI tailored recommendations so users spend less time searching and more time enjoying the content.
Fast & Fluid: Enjoy smooth, lag-free 4K performance, making content consumption an unparalleled delight.
Easy access to entertainment: Opens access to a vast library of TV Channels, cloud Games, your favorite OTT apps and seamlessly switching between TV Channels, Content — all with a single remote.
Continuously evolving and upgrading: Regular software updates to ensure the TV OS stays compatible with new apps, content formats, and evolving securities & technologies.
Availability and Brand Partnerships
Televisions powered by JioTele OS will be available starting Feb 21, 2025, debuting with Smart TV brands such as Thomson, Kodak, BPL and JVC. More brands are set to join the lineup in 2025, ensuring a wide range of options for Indian consumers.
Humane AI Pin is shutting down as the company has sold itself to HP, including their AI-powered platform Cosmos, technical talent, and intellectual property with more than 300 patents and patent applications. “The acquisition advances HP’s transformation into a more experience-led company,” the company said in a statement. The rumours of an acquisition first surfaced in May of last year.
Humane announced via a blog post that acquisition “brings a highly skilled group of Humane engineers, architects, and product innovators to HP’s Technology and Innovation Organization.” They will form HP IQ, HP’s new AI innovation lab focused on building an intelligent ecosystem across HP’s products and services for the future of work. HP has acquired the company for $116 million and transaction is expected to conclude by the end of this month.
Post acquisition, the Humane AI Pin is shutting down which was first announced in 2023 and was aimed at being a replacement for smartphones. “We are writing to inform you that, effective immediately, we are winding down the consumer Ai Pin as our business priorities have shifted,” Humane said in a blog post. The AI Pin, which costed $699 plus subscription, is now as good as a paperweight for those bought it.
The company highlighted some points to know as it shuts down the AI Pin, which are:
“End of Consumer Availability: Effective immediately, new purchases of the consumer Ai Pin will be discontinued.
Device Timeline: Your Ai Pin will continue to function normally until 12pm PST on February 28, 2025. After this date, it will no longer connect to Humane’s servers, and .Center access will be fully retired.
Device Features: Your Ai Pin features will no longer include calling, messaging, Ai queries/responses, or cloud access.
Data Access: We strongly encourage you to sync your Ai Pin over Wi-Fi and download any stored pictures, videos, and notes from .Center before February 28, 2025. If you do not do this, your data will be lost upon deletion on February 28, 2025 at 12pm PST.
Data Deletion: On February 28, 2025 at 12pm PST all remaining consumer data will be permanently deleted.”
“Once again, thank you for being an early supporter of Ai Pin. Your engagement has meant the world to us, and we deeply appreciate the role you’ve played in our innovation journey,” the company said.
Tesla India operations could begin as soon as April 2025 according to a new report which suggests that the Musk-owned EV brand could import its vehicles from Berlin to India. Tesla’s India arrival has been long-awaited and it could finally be happening in the next two months.
According to Parikshit Luthra of CNBC-TV18 News, Tesla India operations are all set to begin from April 2025. “We have been told by sources over the last few weeks that Tesla is looking at an India entry in 2025,” said Luthra. The company is planning to debut a low-cost affordable EV range which could cost somewhere between $20,000 to $25,000 (approx Rs 21 lakhs) and these will be the vehicles that will make their way to the Indian market.
The retail operations will also begin in the next two months. The company has also narrowed down locations in BKC in Mumbai and Aerocity in Delhi where it will set up its sales offices during the first phase. The cars that will be sold here will be imported from Berlin while local manufacturing takes a back seat for now. However, it is still on the cards as the brand will continue to ramp up local sourcing of parts. This fall, Elon Musk might also visit India along with USA’s recently elected president Donald Trump.
Reports regarding the EV maker’s India arrival first surfaced in 2024 where it was also suggested that Tesla is also discussing a potential joint venture with Reliance Industries to establish a manufacturing unit for electric vehicles. However, that plan seems to have been scrapped for now. It was reported in November 2023 that India was on the verge of finalising an agreement with the automaker that would allow it to import its electric cars to the country.
The company’s current cheapest EV in its home market is the Tesla Model 3, starting at $29,990 (approx Rs 26.05 lakhs). It comes with a load of features such as up to 363 miles (EPA est.) range on a single charge with updated exterior styling optimised for maximum aerodynamics, 360-degree acoustic glass, up to 17 speakers with dual amplifiers and subwoofers, 8-inch rear display, ventilated seats, and much more.
Google is updating a couple of features in its video conferencing app, where it is adding a 30-minute history for live captions in Google Meet and is also updating the “Take Notes for Me” feature that is powered by its AI assistant Gemini. Here are all the details of the new additions to Google Meet.
Google is improving the live captions and translated captions experience in Google Meet by including the ability to scroll through the text. Previously, captions were displayed in real-time, but disappeared once they were no longer relevant to the current conversation.
The new update makes it possible to scroll back and review the last 30 minutes of captions at your own pace. This can be particularly helpful if you’ve missed a portion of the conversation or you want to review specific details mentioned earlier in the conversation, said Google. Available for all Google Workspace customers, as well as users with personal Google accounts, the ability to check the 30-minute history for Live captions in Google Meet should be visible to all users by February 20.
In August 2024, Google introduced “Take notes for me” in Google Meet which can automatically capture key discussion points and send a recap email of the video calling session, helping keep everyone informed. With the latest update, “take notes for me” will capture next steps discussed during the meeting in a new “suggested next steps” section. Powered by AI, these next steps and follow-ups will automatically be identified and organized within the meeting notes document.
You can review and edit the next steps and follow-ups as needed, and even assign the task to someone. This latest note-taking enhancement will help ensure important follow-ups aren’t missed and keeps everyone aligned on what happens next after your meeting. The feature is available to the following Google Workspace customers:
Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise Standard and Plus
Also available with the Gemini Education Premium add-on
India’s campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will begin on February 20 with their opening match against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. The tournament, featuring eight of the world’s top teams, will run for 19 days, starting on February 19 with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand. The final is scheduled for March 9.
For the first time in ICC tournament history, live streaming will be available in 16 feeds, including coverage in nine languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Haryanvi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. In India, the JioStar network will broadcast the Men’s Champions Trophy. JioHotstar will offer four multi-cam feeds, while TV coverage will be available on Star Sports and Sports18 in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.
Additionally, an Indian Sign Language feed and Audio Descriptive Commentary will be available. A vertical feed (MaxView) in Hindi and English will provide a mobile-friendly viewing experience. In India, audio coverage will also be accessible via All India Radio.
On Television, in addition to the English feed, the network will provide coverage in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, across Star Sports and Sports18 channels.
Every match counts at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and each group match win is worth more than $34,000 to the victorious team. Teams that finished fifth or sixth will each earn $350,000 while the seventh and eighth-placed sides take home $140,000. The format of this year’s tournament sees the eight teams divided into two groups of four, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals.
As for the match schedule for India, it is as follows:
Thursday, February 20: India vs Bangladesh – 2:30 PM IST
Sunday, February 23: India vs Pakistan – 2:30 PM IST
Sunday, March 2: India vs New Zealand – 2:30 PM IST
Tuesday, March 4: Semi-final 1 (if India qualifies) – 2:30 PM IST
Sunday, March 9: Final (if India qualifies) – 2:30 PM IST
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Is Streaming on JioHotstar Available for Free?
The OTT platform has confirmed that users can watch all the matches for free on the new JioHotstar app, with streaming quality restricted to 480p. If a viewer wants to watch in higher quality, they can opt for a paid plan, and the details for these are as follows:
JioHotstarMobile Plan
The Mobile plan costs Rs 149 for 3 months or Rs 499 for a year. With this plan, you can access the platform only on one mobile device, at 720p quality, stereo audio, along with ads as well.
JioHotstarSuper Plan
The Super plan costs Rs 299 for 3 months or Rs 899 for a year. With the Super plan, you can access the platform on two devices including TV, laptop, and mobile, at 1080p quality, and Dolby Atmos audio. However, this is an ad-supported plan.
JioHotstar Premium Plan
The premium plan costs Rs 499 for 3 months or Rs 1,499 for a year. It allows you to access the platform only any four devices with 4K streaming quality, no ads (except in live content), and Dolby Atmos audio quality.
Users of any social media platform long for a dislike button to show their disliking towards the content and Instagram seems to have heard that feedback. It has been confirmed that Instagram is testing a dislike button for comments which would downrank them, similar to the functionality of Reddit posts where you can downvote a thread or any of the replies to it.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a post on Threads, “Some of you may have seen that we’re testing a new button next to comments on Instagram – this gives people a private way to signal that they don’t feel good about that particular comment. I want to be clear: this is a test, there is no dislike count, nor will anyone know if you tap the button. Eventually, we may integrate this signal into comments ranking to move disliked comments lower down. Our hope is that this might help make comments more friendly on Instagram.”
By the looks of it, the functionality of the button is to downrank the comments that have been massively disliked. No dislike count would be shown next to the button. The aim is to make comments more friendly on the platform, and by that, we think the dislike button for comments on Instagram will help reduce hate speech and tackle other similar concerns on the platform. A screenshot from a Threads user shows how the button could look, where it appears as a downward arrow.
”We’re working on ways to help people better control their Instagram experience and what they’re seeing on the app,” Instagram spokesperson Christine Pai says in a statement (via The Verge). “We’re testing a new button next to each comment on a Reel or Feed post for people to privately signal they don’t feel good about that particular comment or find it relevant, with a small group of people to start. Later, we may also test moving these comments lower down in the comments section to help create a better experience.”
Meanwhile, earlier in January, Instagram announced Instagram Edits, where Mosseri described it to be “more than a video editing app,” claiming it’s “a full suite of creative tools.” The pre-order listing of the App is now live on Apple’s app store, which also states the launch date of the app is set for March 13.
Vivo V50 5G launched in India earlier this week and the company debuted it at a slightly higher price point than the Realme 14 Pro+ 5G which was launched back in January. Both of them claim to offer the same USP, which is the cameras. To help you pick one, here’s a comparison between the two devices.
Display
Vivo V50 5G features a 6.78-inch quad-curved AMOLED Display with a full-HD+ 2392 x 1080 Pixels resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, punch-hole cutout, 20:9 aspect ratio, HDR 10+, 4500 nits local peak brightness and 1300 nits max global brightness, 387 ppi, along with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut.
The Realme 14 Pro+ 5G gets a 6.83-inch quad-curved AMOLED Display with 1.5K Resolution and offers 10-bit colour depth, 2160Hz PWM dimming, 100% P3 colour gamut coverage, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 1500 nits peak brightness and 240Hz touch sampling rate. It also has 20000-level automatic brightness adjustment and Gorilla Glass 7i protection.
Realme 14 Pro+ 5G
Both the devices have a quad-curved AMOLED panel, but Realme’s device has a slightly bigger one, which is also marginally brighter in global brightness. Not only that, but the display on the Realme 14 Pro+ 5G also features a higher resolution so the content will appear sharper.
Performance & Software
The Realme device is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 Processor, while the Vivo device is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. Both have up to 12GB RAM, but Vivo’s handset gets up to 512GB storage, which is an advantage for those who want to store more content on their devices. However, note that Realme’s phone uses faster UFS 3.1 storage compared to Vivo’s UFS 2.2 storage.
On the processor side of things, Vivo’s Chipset is better in some areas, and you may or may not notice a difference between the two devices, as software optimisation plays a major role. Realme’s 14 Pro+ 5G and Vivo V50 5G run on their respective Android 15-based skins, but Realme’s UI is more polished and smoother compared to FunTouch OS 15.
Once again, Vivo’s device wins here because even though Realme may have a smoother software, Vivo will offer 3 major OS updates for the V50 but Realme’s phone will get only two OS updates. We’d give this round to the Vivo V50 5G.
Cameras & Battery
The Realme 14 Pro+ 5G packs a 6000mAh battery with 80W fast wired charging. It gets a 50MP f/1.8 Sony IMX896 sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), paired with a 50MP f/2.7 Sony IMX882 periscope telephoto sensor with OIS and 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP f/2.2 ultra Wide-Angle camera. For selfies and video chats, there is a 32MP f/2.0 Samsung camera on the front.
Vivo V50 5G also has a 6000mAh battery that supports 90W charging. The smartphone has a 50-megapixel f/2.0 selfie camera with autofocus. The rear camera setup consists of an OIS-assisted 50-megapixel f/1.88 primary camera and a 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultra-wide angle lens, both of which are backed by Zeiss optics.
While both have the same battery density, Vivo’s charging is slightly faster, but a 10 watt difference won’t be noticeable in daily use. On the other hand, Realme 14 Pro+ 5G wins in the camera department due to the extra periscope telephoto sensor it sports. However, it is possible that the general shots from the Vivo V50 5G could be better due to software optimisation. We can’t comment on that as we haven’t used the devices side by side.
Verdict
The Realme 14 Pro+ 5G costs Rs 29,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model, Rs 31,999 for the 8GB + 256GB trim, and Rs 34,999 for the 12GB + 256GB version.
The Vivo V50 5G is available in an 8GB + 128GB trim for Rs 34,999, an 8GB + 256GB model for Rs 36,999, and the top-end 12GB + 512GB version for Rs 40,999.
For the cheaper price tag, the Realme 14 Pro+ 5G has much to offer, including some features we didn’t even discuss, such as a better set of IP ratings. However, Vivo’s device does offer a superior experience in some areas, such as software update policy, a better ultrawide angle sensor, slightly faster charging, and more storage. Overall, if you are tight on budget, the Realme phone is a better choice, but if you want the Vivo phone specifically, it shouldn’t hurt either.
