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dimanche 24 juillet 2022

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Camera Shootout and Comparison: A back and forth battle

The iPhone is the most mainstream phone, which makes it almost seen as the “default smartphone.” This means anytime a major Android smartphone arrives, it should be compared against the iPhone, even if they don’t appeal to the same market. That’s the case here, as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has been grabbing a lot of attention for its 1-inch camera sensor with Leica optics, even though the phone is selling only in China for now. This means this comparison is more for enthusiasts and those curious about smartphones than an actual buying guide. It’s also worth mentioning that the smaller iPhone 13 Pro has the exact same camera hardware as the iPhone 13 Pro Max, so all camera results here apply to that phone as well.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: Specifications

Specifications Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Xiaomi 12S Ultra
Build
  • Stainless steel mid-frame
  • Glass back
  • Ceramic Shield glass front
  • Aluminum mid-frame
  • Faux-leather back
  • Gorilla Glass Victus front
Dimensions & Weight
  • 160.8mm x 78.1mm x 7.65mm
  • 240g
  • 163.17 x 74.92 x 9.06mm
  • 225g
Display
  • 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
  • ProMotion refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz
  • 6.73-inch Samsung E5 AMOLED
  • Dolby Vision TrueColor Display
  • 3200 x 1440 resolution, 522PPI
  • 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
  • 1,500nits peak brightness
  • 360-degree ambient light sensor
  • Native 10-bit color depth
SoC
  • Apple A15 Bionic
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
RAM & Storage
  • 6GB
  • 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
  • 8GB/12GB RAM
  • 256GB/512GB
Battery & Charging
  • 4,373mAh
  • 20W wired fast charging
  • 7.5W wireless charging
  • 15W MagSafe wireless charging
  • No charger in box in most regions
  • 4,860mAh
  • 67W wired fast charging support
  • 50W wireless fast charging support
  • 10W reverse wireless charging support
  • Xiaomi Surge P1 charging chip
  • Xiaomi Surge G1 battery management chip
Security Face ID Optical in-Display fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)
  • Primary: 12MP wide, f/1.5 aperture, 1.9μm
  • Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/1.8 aperture
  • Tertiary: 12MP telephoto, 3x optical zoom, f/2.8
  • Quarternary: LIDAR camera
  • Primary: 50.3MP IMX989, f/1.9, 8P aspherical lens, octa-PD auto-focus
  • Ultra-wide: 48MP IMX586, f/2.2, Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 aspherical lens, dual-PD auto-focus, macro mode support
  • Telephoto: 48MP IMX586, f/4.1, 120x periscope zoom, HyperOIS
  • Leica Authentic Look and Leica Vibrant look photographic styles
Front Camera(s) 12MP 32MP
Port(s) Lightning USB-C
Audio Stereo speakers
  • Symmetrical stereo speakers
  • Tuned by Harman Kardon
  • Dolby Atmos certification
Connectivity
  • 5G (mmWave)
  • Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • NFC
  • 5G (mmWave)
  • Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • NFC
Software iOS 15 MIUI 13 over Android 12
Other Features Dual physical SIM or eSIM support Dual physical SIM
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the biggest and best phone Apple has to offer right now
    Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    Xiaomi's 12S Ultra has a whopping 1-inch sensor with Leica optics -- and it lives up to the hype.

About this comparison: This camera versus was done after months and weeks of testing an Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max and Xiaomi 12S Ultra respectively. Each phone was provided by the company for review purposes, but neither Apple nor Xiaomi had any input in this article.


Camera Hardware Overview

iPhone 13 Pro Max and Xioami 12S Ultra in the hand

Apple, like Google, had traditionally not cared too much about chasing camera hardware the way Asian phone brands do, instead relying on software improvements and optimizations. But with the iPhone 13 series, especially the Pro models, Apple made a point of really marketing camera improvements made, which included a larger main camera sensor, faster aperture for the ultra-wide, and longer 3X telephoto zoom. The larger main camera sensor, which teardowns have shown to be 1/1.66-inch, gives the iPhone 13 Pro Max a pixel size of 1.9µm.

These numbers, however, still pale in comparison to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra’s, which boasts a 50MP main camera with a 1-inch sensor, which, after pixel-binning, results in a 3.2µm pixel size. In fact, looking at the physical difference between the 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra to the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s sensor is jarring to see.

image sensor size

The 12S Ultra’s ultra-wide camera is a 48MP camera, f/2.2 shooter, and rounding out the triple lens system is a 48MP 5X Periscope zoom lens offering 5X optical zoom.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max features an additional LIDAR (light detection and ranging) scanner while the Xiaomi phone has a 3D ToF (time-of-flight) sensor. Both do similar things, but the LIDAR is a bit more advanced from previous experiences. For selfies, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra uses a 32MP f/2.4 camera to the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s 12MP f/2.2 shooter.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra camera module with gold ring iPhone 13 Pro Max (left) and iPhone 13 Pro (right).

As I said, there’s no denying that the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has gaudier camera hardware numbers, but as Google has proven in the past, the camera software is equally important, so these numbers won’t mean a thing if Xiaomi’s image processing is significantly weaker than Apple’s Let’s find out.


Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: Main Camera

The first thing to note is that the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has two camera color profiles: “Leica Authentic” or “Leica Vibrant,” while the iPhone 13 Pro Max has three color profiles: “Vibrant Cool,” “Warm,” and “Cool.”

They do the exact things the name implies, though the difference is quite minimal by default. I shot mostly in the color profiles I prefer, which is the authentic mode for 12S Ultra, and vibrant cool for iPhone 13 Pro Max. We can see that the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s images are actually a bit punchier — reds are brighter, the neon-light drenched sky is more purple, heavy shadows are darker, etc. I’d say the real-life scene was somewhere in the middle. Apple has definitely begun playing with colors a bit more in post-shot processing starting with the 13 series, and Xiaomi’s “Leica Authentic” perhaps goes a bit too natural. But nonetheless, all of these shots are excellent, particularly when viewed on a phone screen or in photo gallery form on a website (which is what you’d be seeing if you’re reading this on a computer).

But the significantly larger image sensor of the 12S Ultra’s camera just flat out wins as soon as you zoom in to the actual size and pixel peep. A larger image sensor pulls in light information, resulting in greater dynamic range and details. Below are 100% crops of shots, notice the iPhone 13 Pro Max image is noisier, softer on details, and in the latter two shots, exhibit major digital oversharpening.

100% crops, Xiaomi (left), Apple (right) 100% crops, Xiaomi (left), Apple (right) 100% crops, Xiaomi (left), Apple (right)

If you want to pixel peep yourself, I have placed some full-sized photo samples in this Flickr gallery here.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max

For typical shots with the subject at a normal distance and some distance away from background, the iPhone 13 Pro Max's images look flat compared to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra's shots

Another trait of the larger image sensor is it shoots with a much shallower focus plane. If there is distance between the subject and background, you can see the depth a lot more clearly in Xiaomi’s images thanks to the noticeable bokeh. A shallow focus pane isn’t always better, as it makes close-up shots trickier, but for typical photos in which the subject is a normal distance away, it usually looks better. All the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s images look flat compared to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra’s shots.

 

One of the recent major breakthroughs in nighttime smartphone photography has been “night mode,” the multi-stack HDR trick that simulates the effects of shooting a long exposure shot with a real camera. Huawei and Google pioneered this around 2018, and every brand has followed suit in recent years. The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s night is one of the best, for it turns on automatically and seamlessly, and doesn’t require the user to hold still for too long — usually a second and a half (unlike the Pixel 6 Pro, which will often take an absurd four seconds to grab a night mode shot).

But Xiaomi had other ideas with the 12S Ultra. Because that larger sensor is so light-sensitive, the 12S Ultra doesn’t really turn on night mode until it’s in a near pitch-black scene. And as a result, the 12S Ultra’s night shots will often be “not as bright” as rivals, because it’s shooting normal shots while others are using night mode. This is noticeable in both samples, below, particularly the second set, of the graffiti taken in a dark alley.

I think for the first set, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra shot is more aesthetically pleasing, as the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s night mode did too much and made all the lights a bit too bright, but in the second set, the iPhone image really shows off the vibrancy of the graffiti’s colors.

But that’s viewing these images in smaller form. Again, if we pixel peep, Xiaomi shots are noticeably less noisy, and appear more natural, without the overprocessing that is a side effect of night mode.

100% crops, Xiaomi (left), Apple (right) 100% crops, Xiaomi (left), Apple (right)

I must also mention that not needing night mode is in itself an advantage because the camera can snap the shot faster. Night mode photos generally don’t work well when shooting moving subjects because the shot takes one or two seconds (or in Pixel’s case, four to five seconds).

Some readers may be in disbelief that the iPhone is losing this category in most areas so far but worry not, the iPhone 13 Pro Max will pick up wins in other categories later. But if we are just talking about the main camera, the drastic difference in camera sensor size is just too much.


Ultra-wide

Both phones’ ultra-wide cameras are very good during the day, the iPhone’s ultra-wide is a tad wider, and often exposes tough high contrast scenes a bit better than Xiaomi’s ultra-wide. In the first two samples in the below set, the iPhone colors and overall exposure are more aesthetically pleasing. The first shot, in particular, was tough, as I shot against very harsh sunlight. I couldn’t even keep my eyes fully open when I looked up. We often say smartphones have gotten boring, but there’s been a lot of subtle improvements in recent years. If we go back just a couple of years, the ultra-wides of the iPhone 11 and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro would have completely butchered this shot.

There isn’t much point in pixel-peeping ultra-wide shots, but we’ll do it for the sake of this exercise. Once again, the iPhone 13 Pro’s shot, if we examine it at 100% scale, exhibits a lot of oversharpening, look at rocks in the second set in particular. But again, this doesn’t matter nearly as much as main camera shots, because ultra-wide photos are meant to be examined in all their sweeping glory, not crop in and nitpick. I’ll take more consistent exposure over minor sharpness improvement in ultra-wides any day.

If we move to low-light scenes though, then it gets interesting. Here, Xiaomi will turn on night mode (so, too, does Apple), but because the 12S Ultra’s ultra-wide also uses pixel binning technology with a slightly larger sensor, its night shots are better illuminated. This isn’t always good, I think the iPhone’s ultra-wide keeping shadows so dark makes for a moodier, more atmospheric shot, but the iPhone’s images are noticeably softer on details and noisier than Xiaomi’s in all three sets below.

Ultra-wide is a close one. I’d give the clear win to iPhone during the day, and a slight win to Xiaomi at night, which gives the overall win to Apple.


Zoom

This one shouldn’t be a surprise, the Periscope zoom lens technology that Xiaomi uses to achieve 5X optical zoom is just superior to the telephoto setup Apple uses for 3X shots. The Periscope zoom lens is a complicated technology that sees a camera lens placed sideways in the phone’s body, and utilizes many more layers of lenses to help magnify the image before it reaches the ISP. Not only is Xiaomi’s 10X shot clearly sharper and cleaner than Apple’s 10X zoom, but even the 12S Ultra’s 5X zoom is also more detailed than the iPhone’s 3X zoom if we scale them to the same size.

I will say, however, that the colors in the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s zoom shots are more aesthetically pleasing, they pop a bit more.


Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: Portraits

Since the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 3X telephoto lens, it is used for portrait shots by default, as 3X zoom is a good focal range for portraits. But you can swap out to use the main camera for portraits. Xiaomi 12S Ultra, on the other hand, will only use the main camera for portraits, but Xiaomi applies a digital crop to make the framing a bit tighter, closer to 35mm.

You know how earlier, Xiaomi’s main camera shots all looked like they had more depth and bokeh than the iPhone’s main camera shots? Well, that’s all hardware sensor differences. Now that we move to portrait mode photos, which are software-driven, the script is flipped. Here, the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s portraits exhibit stronger and more realistic-looking bokeh.

Xiaomi loses the last two sets particularly badly. In the set with the lion statue, the iPhone 13 Pro correctly identified the leaf in the foreground, and the second lion in the background, and applied artificial bokeh accordingly. Xiaomi’s image tried to keep the second lion statue in focus too, messing it up in the process because it shouldn’t be — that statue is further back in the focus plane. In the last portrait set of me, I think my skin tone, clothing texture, and general color, look more realistic in the iPhone shot. Xiaomi’s image looks like I was cut out from another photo and pasted onto this background.

This is clearly due to Apple’s superior portrait mode processing, but also perhaps the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s superior LIDAR scanner, which allows the iPhone to pull off accurate 3D mapping of scenes, while the ToF sensor in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is likely nothing too special.


Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: Video

The iPhone has long been the video camera king and although 2022 Android flagships have closed the gap, the iPhone 13 Pro Max keeps the title. We can see here the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s colors and exposure are better from the start, and when I begin jogging, stabilizes better too. Xiaomi’s footage is a bit blown out here, likely due to the sensor size taking in so much light. Xiaomi’s image processing accounts for this and fixes matters, but it seems to not be doing as well as a job in video.

Xiaomi’s mics are also way too sensitive to wind noise. This is just a clear win for Apple on every front.


Macro photography and other trick shots

Both phones’ ultra-wide sensors can double as a macro lens, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s is much better. Not only does it turn on automatically (Xiaomi’s requires two taps to turn on), but the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s macro can get so much closer. Xiaomi’s shots by comparison almost can’t even count as macro photography.

However, Xiaomi’s camera software has several more trick photography shots up its sleeve, including a very fun clone video and photo mode, which lets 12S Ultra and other recent Xiaomi phones quickly stitch together two instances of the same person into a still image or video. Yes, there are third-party software apps that can do this, but the 12S Ultra can do this within the default camera app and in only a few seconds.

A clone photo snapped by the 12S Ultra.


Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: Which camera is better?

The answer to this question comes down to which camera you value more. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra’s main camera snaps clearly superior photos than the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s. More detailed, less noise, superior dynamic range, and bokeh. But the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s main cameras record better videos. More stable, better audio, better exposure.

iPhone 13 Pro Max Xiaomi 12S Ultra

I think Apple has to increase its image sensor size to keep up with Android hardware, while Android brands should focus more on consistency across all cameras

The ultra-wide camera is mostly a tie, with a slight edge to the iPhone 13 Pro Max in my opinion, and the Xiaomi 12S Ultra wins in zoom prowess. But Apple comes back and takes the macro and portrait shots category by a landslide.

Which of these categories matters more to you? Only you can answer this. I do think Apple has to continue to increase its image sensor size to keep up with Android hardware, while Android brands should focus more on consistency across all cameras instead of seemingly putting the bulk of the attention on the main shooter and calling it a day.

    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the biggest and best phone Apple has to offer right now
    Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    Xiaomi's 12S Ultra has a whopping 1-inch sensor with Leica optics -- and it lives up to the hype.

The post Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Camera Shootout and Comparison: A back and forth battle appeared first on XDA.



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samedi 23 juillet 2022

These are the best places to buy a refurbished MacBook Air

The expanding family of great Macs includes some of the best laptops you can buy today. The MacBook Air happens to be one of the notebooks that college students and senior users really like. It’s light, portable, mighty, reasonably priced, and has a sleek design. However, despite its fair price tag, some customers might find it a bit expensive. The good news is that you can buy refurbished MacBook Air units for a lower price. This allows you to take advantage of this iconic machine without spending more than your budget allows. We’ve listed below the best places to buy a refurbished MacBook Air, including the M2 model from 2022.

Amazon

Amazon is arguably one of the best places to find almost anything. It sells refurbished products under its Renewed branding, and that comes with a few benefits. Amazon Renewed products are inspected by Amazon to make sure they work like new. Amazon promises there are no visible imperfections at an arm’s length and that the battery is at least at 80% of its original capacity. That promise is backed by a 90 day warranty. So you can always return it if something isn’t how you want it to be.

You can get the Apple M1-powered MacBook Air from the link below, featuring 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. You can also try to peruse some older models at the Amazon Renewed store.

    Apple MacBook Air 13 (2020)
    The 2020 MacBook Air with the Apple M1 chipset is available refurbished from Amazon, allowing you to save some money on this great laptop. It's got a sleek design, powerful performance, and plenty of storage.

Swappa

This online community is for buying and selling used electronics of all kinds. This includes various models of the MacBook Air. Swappa is organized in a very straightforward way so you can easily find the specific MacBook Air you want and who’s selling it. It’s an entirely user-focused experience, so you deal directly with the seller. Additionally, when compared to marketplaces like eBay, it has lower fees. This means you should end up paying less when making your purchase.

Right now, you can already find listings for the 2022 MacBook Air, which is the most recent version. That’s in addition to some older models, too. You can browse Swappa below to try and find the model you’re looking for. There are quite a few sellers for all the different models.

    Apple MacBook Air
    Swappa is community-driven marketplace for all kinds of electronic devices, and it makes it easy to find the specific model of the MacBook Air you want.

Best Buy

Best Buy is another great place to buy electronics, and you can also find some refurbished products there. However, when it comes to the MacBook Air, proper refurbished units are a little hard to come by. But if you expand your scope to open-box or pre-owned items, there are still some good deals to be had. Best Buy has multiple tiers of Open-Box, so you can choose how close to brand-new you want it to be depending on how much you want to spend.

There are some options if you want the model with the Apple M1 chipset, and you can find them below. However, the M2 model remains absent for the time being. You can also look through all the open-box, pre-owned, or refurbished MacBook Air models at Best Buy.

    Apple MacBook Air 13 (2020)
    While not refurbished, Best Buy does have some used or open-box models of the 2020 MacBook Air. This is the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, which is plenty to get you started.

Apple

You may not know this, but Apple sells its own refurbished Macs if you’re looking to save some money. In terms of variety, Apple’s store probably offers the most options when it comes to buying a refurbished MacBook Air. You can find the 2020 Apple M1 models there, and there are also some older versions if you’d rather get an Intel-powered model. Apple also has a certification process for its refurbished items, and everything is packed in a new box with all the accessories and cables. Plus, you can still get AppleCare support if you need it.

You can browse Apple’s refurbished selection here, or get the 2020 Apple M1 model from the link below.

    Apple MacBook Air 13 (2020)
    Apple has a wide selection of recent models available, including this base model with the Apple M1 chipset, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It's $849, which is significantly less than the brand-new price.

Back Market

Back Market specializes in selling refurbished and used items, including the MacBook Air. There’s a fairly wide variety of models here, dating a few years back, but you can also find the 2020 Apple M1 version. Laptops here are tested to make sure everything is working properly, including all the components you’d expect to be fully functional. Plus, Back Market offers a 12 month warranty and money-back returns within 30 days.

If you’re specifically looking for the M1 model, it’s available at the link below. Otherwise, you can browse other deals on older MacBook Air versions.

    Apple MacBook Air 13 (2020)
    If you're looking for a used MacBook Air with the 2020 Apple M1 chipset, Back Market is a great place to check. This model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage.

IWM (ItsWorthMore)

Similar to Back Market, IWM is a website focused on selling used devices, and the MacBook Air is one of the options you can find. The conditions are also similar, with a 30 day money-back guarantee and a 12 month warranty on the product. IWM also claims a thorough inspection of the devices to make sure they’re usable, though you may find different conditions for each device.

At the time of writing, you can get a solid deal on the 2020 MacBook Air with the Apple M1 processor and 512GB of SSD storage in Like New condition, and it’s available in both Space Gray and Silver. You can also browse for older models if you want something even cheaper.

    Apple MacBook Air 13 (2020)
    IWC also has some solid deals on the MacBook Air, specifically this model with an 8-core GPU and 512GB of storage, which makes it quite a powerful machine

Mac of all trades

If you’re okay with going further back in time, Mac of all trades is a dedicated website for used and refurbished Apple products. Of course, refurbished MacBook Air models are included, but there are no models with an Apple M2 listed just yet. Still, if you want an M1 or Intel-powered laptop or you’re fine with something older and cheaper, it’s a valid option. Like other websites of the kind, devices are certified refurbished and you get a one year warranty included.

The latest model available is from late 2020 — powered by the Apple M1 chipset — and you can find it below. Otherwise, you can browse some of the older models to try and find even lower prices.

    Apple MacBook Air 13 (2020)
    This MacBook Air has an Apple M1 processor, making it ideal for university students. It's got a sleek design and a very sharp and tall display that's great for productivity.

Newegg

Newegg is a large well-known retailer of electronics, so they’re one of the best places to buy any product of this kind. The company does sell some refurbished MacBook Air models, but again, the Apple M1- and M2-powered versions aren’t available yet. You can, however, find a model with an Intel Core i7-1060NG7, which is still a high-end processor. It’s the latest Intel-based MacBook Air you can get, plus it has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, so it’s not a bad device by any means.

You can browse Newegg for older refurbished models. Navigation is a little harder on Newegg than some of the other retailers we’ve listed, though.

    Apple MacBook Air 13 (Early 2020)
    This MacBook Air has an Intel Core i7 processor, plus 16GB of RAM, so it's a very powerful PC for work and even some light entertainment. It's got a sleek design and a very sharp and tall display that's great for productivity.

Regardless of which option you choose, you’re bound to get a great laptop, since that’s exactly what the MacBook Air is. Most models are fairly powerful, though naturally the Apple M2 versions are the best. Because they’re so recent, you won’t find them everywhere yet, but more options may show up over time.

Which refurbished MacBook Air model will you buy? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post These are the best places to buy a refurbished MacBook Air appeared first on XDA.



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IEM Cologne’s Cathedral of Counter-Strike makes a grand return

We all have a favorite game, and for me, that game is Counter-Strike. I’ve been playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive since 2012, and I’ve been watching it as a spectator esport since 2014. The first-ever event I watched was ESL One: Cologne 2014, and since then, I’ve been hooked. I recently had the amazing experience of attending the most recent ESL-run Cologne event, now called IEM Cologne, in the Lanxess Arena. Hailed as the best crowd that the game has to offer, I was enthralled the moment I entered.

For context, Counter-Strike is one of the oldest esports titles on the planet. Its initial beta version was released in June of 1999 as a modification of the original Half-Life, and it later became a standalone title. Since then, Valve has released two more main entries to the series; Counter-Strike: Source in 2004, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2012. Global Offensive‘s aim was to merge the communities of the two previous games, as a divide had emerged with some players believing that the original Counter-Strike was superior to the version released in 2004.

Anyone can organize a tournament in Counter-Strike, be it a tournament organized by you and your friends, or a large-scale full production like an ESL event. IEM Cologne isn’t officially sponsored by Valve unlike Major tournaments like the PGL Major in Antwerp, but it’s arguably one of, if not the biggest tournaments of the year outside of Major events. It’s right before the player break too, meaning that it’s the last time we’ll see any of these players in a stream or big event for at least a month.

OJ Borg at IEM Cologne 2022

OJ Borg, stage host, introducing the final

IEM Cologne tournament structure

IEM Cologne took place over three stages: the play-in stage, the group stages, and the playoffs. Both the play-in stage and the group stage took place in the Hyatt Regency Cologne hotel behind closed doors, though games were streamed online for spectators to tune in.

However, the playoffs were played live on stage in the Lanxess Arena. It’s a massive venue capable of holding up to 18,500 people, and the event sold out entirely for the weekend. There was floor seating and then three rings of seating that went up and around the outside of the arena. The floor seats went right up to the stage, with a center walkway used by both interviewers and the players when entering. It was also used to display the trophy to the crowd.

My first day of attendance was the entirety of Friday, which was also the first day of games being played in the arena. While typically Fridays would be emptier, I was surprised to find that the arena was incredibly full. The crowd was loud with fans clearly having a great time.

The Cathedral of Counter-Strike

Faze Clan walks to the stage at IEM Cologne 2022

The Lanxess Arena is dubbed year after year as “The Cathedral of Counter-Strike”, and the reason is two-fold. For starters, there’s a massive cathedral in Cologne which the city is known for, and two, the venue is iconic. As previously mentioned, ESL has run Counter-Strike events in Cologne’s Lanxess Arena for years, and every year it delivers one of the best tournaments ever held in the game. This year was no exception either.

Cologne is a city that I’ve been to before, and it’s not much of a tourist city. It was full of people who had flown from all over the world to attend. I went to a bar with some friends and we ended up having a few drinks and talking to people from Finland who had flown over to attend the event — later on, we joined up with some Americans, as well.

As for the arena, it was an incredible experience. Fans were chanting constantly, and the crowd was incredibly engaged with everything happening on the stage. Hours before the games began, I saw people lining up to get into the stadium, and people started to line across the walkway to high-five their favorite players as they would walk up to the stage to play. The trophy was brought out by Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella, one of the winners of the last physical Cologne event in 2019.

Nicholas "nitr0" Cannella carries the IEM Cologne trophy

Fans could participate in lots of events around the arena too, including games sponsored by DHL and ESEA. ESL also had an airbrush booth where you could get a temporary tattoo of your favorite team for free and organized signing sessions for premium pass holders to get any of their merch or other items signed if they wanted it. The cost of a standard weekend ticket only came to a total of €94, which for fans of the game, isn’t all that bad of a price. Festivals and other weekend events typically cost a lot more.

The IEM Cologne 2022 final: Navi vs Faze Clan

IEM Cologne s1mple looks at the stage

Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, considered the best player in the world

Rehashing the same final from the PGL Major in Antwerp, it was again Navi vs Faze Clan to take the stage. This time around it was a best of five final, a grueling experience that ended up taking roughly seven hours from start to finish. It went the full distance too, with all five maps being played in an incredibly close fashion. ESL was also one for showmanship, as the final opened with a ten-minute ceremony celebrating some of the best moments in that very arena over the last number of years.

The games themselves were incredible, with both teams playing a chaotic style of Counter-Strike. The game is won when the first team reaches 16 rounds, and when Navi had 15 rounds and Faze Clan had 4, the map seemed basically over. However, Faze Clan managed to run it all the way back to 15-15 and bring it to overtime, where the arena went crazy.

In the end, Faze Clan brought it over the line in the fifth map in a nail-biter finish. A final score of 16-14 (the closest it can get) brought an end to the hours-long battle that took place on stage. The players were then interviewed by OJ Borg, the stage host for the event. It was hard to understand anything being said, as fans continued to clap and cheer throughout the entirety of it.

These events are why I love Counter-Strike as much as I do, and I’m always grateful to be able to attend. The fans and the talent involved in its production have always been fantastic, and in Ireland, the community is one that I spend a lot of time on. Some of the best friends I’ve ever made have been through the game, and in Cologne, thousands of fans descended on the one city to share one common hobby.

Where Counter-Strike goes from here

IEM Cologne became the most watched Counter-Strike event of all time that wasn’t a Major tournament, and it’s not hard to see why. The game has seen an explosion of interest since the return to in-person events on a global scale, and one that has propelled the game back into the spotlight of esports. I heard many stories of people who watched the game for the first time and hadn’t ever watched it before, with many not understanding the game to the depth that long-time viewers may.

That’s the best part though, as, with Counter-Strike, it’s possible to intuitively see what’s happening and understand it without understanding the tactical depth. I once took my father to see an ESL One Cologne final in the cinema near us, and while he had never played the game before, he intuitively could understand the meaning of the economy and see the reaction time of players.

IEM Cologne 2022 was likely the first event many will have seen, and just like it was for me in 2014, it’s possibly the event that will get people hooked for years on years. These events bring people together, they allow you to explore a new city and experience new cultures. I’m always excited to see what the future holds for the game, and with massive organizations like ESL pushing the envelope of what showmanship means to big esports tournaments, I’m excited now more than ever before.

The post IEM Cologne’s Cathedral of Counter-Strike makes a grand return appeared first on XDA.



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Yeedi Vac 2 Pro Robot Vacuum Review: Speedy cleaner with an oscillating mop

The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro is a sweeping and mopping robot vacuum that can be used as a stand-alone vacuum. It has an optional auto-empty station that empties the onboard dustbin into the base station so you do not need to empty the dustbin as often.

The Yeedi’s mopping system is different from most other mopping systems I have seen. This mopping module oscillates to scrub the hard flooring as it passes over the area. Yeedi claims that this system is unique. However, the Hobot Legee 688  has a similar vibrating mopping robot vacuum. The mopping pad vibrated as the Hobot robot navigated around my house. I’m sure that there are other robots online with similar features to the Vac 2 Pro.

The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro has a fully-featured app so you can set a schedule and forget about it. The Vac 2 Pro will sweep your floor or sweep and mop if you have the mopping module fitted to the robot vacuum. Fill the mopping module with water and it will scrub areas of dirt from the floor.

    yeedi vac 2 pro robot vacuum
    The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro has a 3000Pa suction to sweep floors and an oscillating mop pad to scrub stubborn stains

      Features:

      Pros:

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Yeedi Vac 2 Pro: Pricing and Availability

yeedi-vac-2-pro-oscilating-mop-pad-eileen-brown-xda-developers

Launched in May 2022, the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro robot vacuum is priced at the upper end of robot vacuums that Yeedi produces. It is currently offered at under $450 on Yeedi’s web site and on Amazon. This price is for the robot vacuum only. If you want the auto-empty station then you will have to fork out a further $180 at Yeedi’s site or buy the bundle of the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro robot vacuum and auto-empty station at Amazon for $579.99.


Yeedi Vac 2 Pro: Specifications

Spec Value
Suction Power 3000Pa (Max)
Rated Power (auto-empty station) 1000W
Battery Capacity 5,200mAh
On-board dustbin volume 420ml
Water tank module volume 180ml
Auto-empty station dust bag capacity 2.5l

About this review: This review was written after testing a Yeedi Vac 2 Pro two-in-one robot vacuum, provided by Yeedi over a period of a month. Yeedi did not have any input in this article.


Yeedi Vac 2 Pro: What’s in the box?

The box for the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro includes the robot vacuum only. If you want to buy the auto-empty station it comes at an extra cost in a different box. Some manufacturers bundle the auto-empty station package for the same price, but Yeedi offers consumer choice if you do not want the auto-empty station too.

In the box, there is:

  • One robot vacuum cleaner
  • One docking station
  • One side brush for the robot vacuum cleaner
  • One main roller brush
  • One on-board dustbin
  • One oscillating mopping module
  • One washable mopping pad which attaches to the mopping module
  • One cleaning tool for cleaning hair and dust from the roller brush
  • One power cord.

Design and Features: Oscillating mopping and 3000Pa suction power

  • Smart visual mapping and navigation
  • Powerful 3000Pa suction
  • Carpet detection sensor will avoid carpets in mopping mode and boost suction in sweeping mode
  • Auto-recharge when the battery is low
  • Auto-empty station
  • Voice assistant compatibility

Yeedi vacuum technology has come on by leaps and bounds since I first tested the Yeedi k700 robot in August 2020. The company has significantly upped its game and the product quality certainly shows. The Yeedi brand has invested both in app design and functionality. The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro is the latest in its range of multi-function robots and its oscillating mop which will scrub floors as it sweeps shows that the brand continues to innovate.

yeedi-vac-2-pro-underside-sweeping-brushes-eileen-brown-xda-developers.

Accurate mapping with the fully-featured app

  • Clean the floor once or twice per clean
  • Suction boost when a carpet is encountered
  • Carpet avoidance when mopping module is fitted
  • Effective object avoidance

The white, Yeedi Vac 2 Pro multi-function robot vacuum has been designed to look stylish and smooth. There is a side sweeping brush and a roller brush with silicone fins underneath the unit. The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro does not have a LiDAR navigation unit on the top of the robot vacuum.

Unfortunately, there's no LiDAR on the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro.

Instead, the Vac 2 Pro uses visual mapping and navigation to map your space. The optional auto-empty station is compact and reasonably quiet when it empties the onboard dustbin. At maximum power, the Vac 2 Pro operates at 67dB which is fairly quiet.

yeedi-vac-2-pro-with-auto-empty-station-app-configuration-settings-eileen-brown-xda-developers

The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro easily connects to the Yeedi app. I had no issues connecting to the Vac 2 Pro. Open the Yeedi app, tap the plus sign in the top right-hand corner of the app, and scan the QR code on the machine under the lift-up lid. Follow the instructions on the app to invoke wifi and connect your wi-fi to the robot vacuum.

yeedi-vac-2-pro-with-auto-empty-station-app-settings-eileen-brown-xda-developers

The app is reasonable, although the map saved on the app is a little primitive. There are several features you can control on the app. You can adjust the suction power of the vacuum, and when the oscillating mop module is fitted you can change the volume of water delivered through the mop.

Carpet avoidance and scheduled mopping

yeedi-vac-2-pro-oscilating-mop-module-and-dummy-mobule-eileen-brown-xda-developers

The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro has a dummy module at the rear of the robot vacuum which must be removed before attaching the oscillating mop module. Click the button and pull to remove the dummy module and replace it with the mopping unit. A voice prompt will announce that it’s now in sweeping and mopping mode.

When the mop is in place, you can change the water flow to the mop and specify if you want the area to be cleaned once or twice. When it cleans, the robot sweeps in parallel lines and covers part of its tracks to make sure there are no dirty stripes on the floor. If you have a particularly dirty area you will need to make sure that the robot cleans the area twice.

yeedi-vac-2-pro-onboard-dustbin-eileen-brown-xda-developers

3000Pa suction for sweeping

In use, the 3000Pa suction on the Yeedi is efficient at collecting dirt, fluff, and dust from floors. It is also good at collecting pet hair from carpets and hard flooring. The oscillating mop is good at getting extra dirt from floors. I have several robots operating over the same floor which get washed several times per day.

There's more than enough suction for dust, dirt, and pet hair.

The Vac 2 Pro still managed to dirty its mop after mopping only one room. The robot vacuum avoided all the rugs in the room and mopped the entire hard flooring space. When the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro robot vacuum is in sweeping mode only, it will cross onto a carpet and boost the suction to maximum power.

When the robot vacuum detects that the battery is low, it will return to the dock to be charged before going back to the last location cleaned and resuming cleaning.

Object avoidance

The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro has advanced obstacle avoidance. If you have a relatively tidy floor you can set the app to basic obstacle avoidance. But if your floor is untidy, set the app to advanced obstacle avoidance.

This will make sure that the robot vacuum will avoid all objects. The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro did, in fact, avoid my coffee cup on the floor, but it punted a clear plastic wine glass around the room. Fortunately, the glass was empty.

You can connect the robot vacuum to your Alexa or Google Home voice assistant and use commands to start, pause or stop cleaning. You can specify areas for the robot to clean too.


Who should buy a Yeedi Vac 2 Pro robot vacuum?

  • You should buy the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro if you have hard, non-porous flooring throughout your home
  • If you have a mixture of carpet and hard flooring, you will need to remove the mopping module if you want the carpets to be swept. The robot will avoid carpet when the mopping module is attached to the robot vacuum.
  • Buy the additional auto-empty station for the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro to store up to 30 days worth of dust and dirt in the auto-empty station bag.

Why I like the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro

The Yeedi robot vacuum gets its job done quickly. It whizzes around hard floors and carpets and does not seem to get stuck very often at all. Its oscillating mopping module does seem to get more grime off the floors than other robots such as the Dreame Bot D10 Plus robot vacuum which only draws a wet cloth over the floors and does not scrub them.

The auto-empty station is a must if you really want the best from this robot vacuum.

To get the best hands-off experience out of the Vac 2 Pro, buy the additional auto empty station. Set the app to sweep and mop twice per session to get the cleanest mopping with the oscillating mop.

If you have a large expanse of flooring, keep an eye on the mopping module. At 180ml, the mopping tank will clean a reasonably sized area, but if you set the mop to its wettest setting, the water tank might have emptied before your second pass of the area has been mopped.

Intelligent mopping

You do not need to add no-mop zones to the Yeedi app. The Vac 2 Pro will recognize carpeted areas and will not cross them – unlike the Dream Bot D10 Plus which will drag its wet mop across any carpeted areas unless you set no-mop zones in its app. The only downside is that you need to remember to remove the mopping module and send the robot out again to sweep carpeted areas.

Fortunately, the app schedules will allow you to specify auto cleaning or area cleaning. You just need to be vigilant in replacing and removing the mopping module before its scheduled time for carpet cleaning or your carpets will remain unswept.


Should you buy this robot vacuum?

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At $449.99 as a standalone unit or $579.99 with the auto-empty station bundled the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro will automate your daily sweeping and mopping with minimal intervention. The robot will return to its base to recharge, and continue cleaning. The auto empty station means that you only need to empty the dust bag monthly, and the oscillating mop will scrub your floors as it mops.

I certainly prefer the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro over the $499.99 Dreame Bot D10 Plus robot vacuum. This robot vacuum seems to get the job done far quicker and scrubs the floors instead of just giving them a quick wipe-over with a cloth. However, you will need to pay extra for the auto-empty station as it is not bundled and I certainly think you should add that to your shopping cart.

    yeedi Vac 2 Pro
    A multi-purpose sweeping and mopping robot with an optional auto empty station and an oscillating mop module

The post Yeedi Vac 2 Pro Robot Vacuum Review: Speedy cleaner with an oscillating mop appeared first on XDA.



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How to get Samsung’s One UI 5 emojis on any rooted Android device

One of the biggest reasons Android enthusiasts keep coming to the XDA forums is to find new ways to theme their phone. Luckily, for devices which aren’t heavily locked down, you can go ahead and make widespread modifications, including those that are originated from a different OEM Android skin altogether. XDA Senior Member RKBD felt the same way and wanted to spice up the emoji experience. Thanks to his work, you can now start using emojis from Samsung’s Android 13-based One UI 5 on any device if you have root access.

Some people get excited about new hardware and software releases, but it’s important not to forget about the new emojis being brought into the Android world. Samsung typically introduces a new set of emojis with each significant One UI update. This year, the company will likely continue the tradition with One UI 5 on top of Android 13. While the fifth One UI revision has yet to get a public rollout roadmap even for its beta form, RKBD has managed to obtain the relevant font file containing the new emojis from an unreleased pre-release build, courtesy of 9to5Google‘s Max Weinbach and Dylan Roussel.

A brief refresher regarding the correlation between Samsung’s emoji implementation and Unicode standards: The current stable One UI 4 skin (based on Android 12) incorporates the designs from September 2020’s Unicode Emoji 13.1 set. The upcoming One UI 5 is seemingly based on Emoji 14.0, which was approved back in September 2021 alongside Unicode 14.0.

Here’s a quick look at the emoji style included in One UI 5’s font resources:

Samsung One UI 5 emoji set


How to get One UI 5 emojis on any Android device

To install One UI 5 emojis on your rooted Android phone, you’ll have to flash a specially crafted Magisk module. The module will replace the emoji font file of the target device in a “systemless” manner with the one containing the new emojis that will make an appearance in Samsung’s upcoming One UI release. Notably, the module will work on any rooted Android device, and it doesn’t require Android 13.

  1. Before starting, make sure your Android device is rooted with the latest version of Magisk.
  2. Download the Magisk module for the One UI 5 emoji pack from the author’s thread (linked below).
    •  If you’ve downloaded it on a PC or a Mac, then connect your Android device to it and copy the downloaded ZIP file to the internal memory of the target device.
  3. Open the Magisk app on your phone and switch to the Modules tab using the bottom navigation menu.
  4. Tap on the button named Install from storage.
  5. Browse and select the module ZIP you downloaded earlier.
  6. Magisk will now install the module and prompt you to restart.
  7. After rebooting, open the Magisk app once again and take a look at the Modules tab. The One UI 5 emoji module you flashed should be listed under the Installed section.
  8. Fire up the keyboard and check out the new emojis!

Download RKBD’s One UI 5 Emoji Magisk module

Unicode 13 emojis on Android 11 One UI 5 emojis

As you can see, the process of changing emojis on Android is not a very difficult exercise. In case you want to revert back, just disable (or uninstall) the Magisk module, do a reboot, and you will get back your stock emoji set in a jiffy.

One thing to keep in mind is that the One UI 5 emoji style is only visible on those UI segments, which use the OS-specific emoji font. Several apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and others are using their own styles and hence don’t necessarily reflect the new emojis. Furthermore, if the destination device and/or the platform does not include support for the Unicode 14.0 emojis, they will not be rendered properly on the receiver’s end.

Do you prefer to install custom emojis, or just use the built-in ones? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post How to get Samsung’s One UI 5 emojis on any rooted Android device appeared first on XDA.



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vendredi 22 juillet 2022

“At a Glance” widget prepares to support Ring doorbell alerts

Just last month, Google updated its “At a Glance” widget on Pixel phones to add a bunch of new integrations. The Pixel 6 series debuted this revamped widget, which can display your calendar events, flight boarding pass, workout stats, and more on your home screen and lockscreen. One major integration was Nest doorbell alerts, along with a video feed. Now, strings discovered in a teardown suggest that support will soon be extended to Ring doorbells, too.

There are a few reasons why this is useful. Firstly, this can help you find out if a package has arrived, or if someone is just trying to get your attention out the front of your house. Being able to see an actual live video feed of your front door from your home screen is useful, especially if you leave your phone switched on on your desk. How the feature works is that when your doorbell detects activity at your door, the widget will show a persistent notification and a live feed of your front door.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be rolled out any time soon, but Google is clearly preparing to add it to its “At a Glance” widget, anyway. Sometimes features like this pop up in APK Teardowns and take months to appear, though other times, they’re integrated practically immediately. There’s no real in between. For example, we spotted preparation from Ring to add support for a Glass Break Sensor in an APK Teardown. While those strings exist, the product and adjacent feature still hasn’t been released.

Thanks Mishaal Rahman for the tip!

The post “At a Glance” widget prepares to support Ring doorbell alerts appeared first on XDA.



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