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MPL launches ‘Hai Akal Khelo MPL’ campaign for IPL 2021

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Mobile Premier League, Asia’s largest esports and skill-gaming platform, has launched its ‘Hai Akal Khelo MPL’ campaign on TV and digital media platforms across the country. This is MPL’s dedicated IPL campaign, as the marquee T20 tournament began last week.

All the films in the campaign feature a human brain as protagonist, with the central idea that anyone with a brain or ‘Akal’ (intellect) can create a fantasy team on MPL with their knowledge of Cricket during the ongoing T20 tournament.

There are a total of seven films in the campaign, of which three are already live and the rest will be released as the IPL progresses. The first three films are based on the age-old Hindi language sayings “Akal badi ya bhains”, “Akal ke dushman”, and “Dimaag ghaas charne gaya hai”. MPL has roped in veteran actor Vijay Raaz for the films’ voice-overs.

These films have been very well received by audiences across mediums. They have also led to a number of memes based on the ‘Brain’ flooding the internet and social media over the past week. Since the campaign first went live with the start of the IPL, MPL has already seen 1 million new app installs.

Abhishek Madhavan, Senior Vice President, Growth and Marketing, MPL said, “This IPL, we decided to go back to the basics of Fantasy Cricket- which is to make the best possible team by using your knowledge of the game and your thinking skills. By giving the human brain its own manifestation as a protagonist and by using some very well-known Hindi sayings that we can all relate to, we hope these films resonate with the masses. The initial response has been very kind and encouraging and we hope the audiences love all seven films in this campaign.”

Navin Talreja, Founding Partner of The Womb said, “Passion and love for the game of cricket can at best make someone a great fan of the game. But to play the game either in real life or in the form of fantasy one needs skill. Skill in the form of strong analytical skills and strategic abilities to create the best teams game after game. Our attempt was to bring this alive by creating the brain itself as a device. The campaign uses popular idioms associated with the brain to generate popular appeal.”

The films were brought to life by Early Man Films and were directed by Abhinav Pratiman.

Paytm Payments Bank registers lead in wallet, FASTag, UPI, bill payments and money transfers

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Homegrown Paytm Payments Bank has become the top enabler of digital payments in the country by registering over 970 million digital transactions in March this year. This achievement has been led by the growth in transactions on Paytm Wallet, Paytm FASTag, Paytm UPI, and internet banking over the last several quarters. PPBL which is rapidly gaining the trust of millions of Indians is now opening on an average 1 million savings and current accounts a month. With over 64 million accounts, the bank’s total deposits have crossed over Rs 3200 crores.

PPBL continues to be the largest beneficiary bank for UPI transactions and registers the highest success rate in the industry. It is also rapidly gaining traction as a remitter bank for UPI payments. The NPCI data also reveals that it has the lowest technical decline rate at 0.11% among all UPI remitter banks and 0.04% among all UPI beneficiary banks.

PPBL has democratized online transactions in the country with the Paytm Wallet and continues to remain the strongest digital payments service provider, witnessing consistent growth of 15% month-on-month. Paytm Wallet has consolidated its position as the leading digital payments service with 325 million wallet accounts. Over 78% of Wallet account holders use it for payments on a daily basis. The massive adoption of Paytm Wallet by the masses can be also be gauged from the fact that *85% of wallet transactions are merchant transactions across online platforms and Kirana stores.

With over 9 million FASTags sold and 42 million monthly issuer transactions, Paytm Payment Bank’s FASTag has become India’s most preferred instrument for digital toll payments as it allows users to directly pay from their Paytm Wallet. It has gained immense popularity amongst vehicle owners including commercial transport due to its seamless onboarding and integration process which requires minimum documentation, instant activation, and unmatched customer care support. Also, PPBL has now enabled cashless toll payments across 270 plazas and registers over 57 million monthly acquirer transactions.

Satish Kumar Gupta, CEO and Managing Director, Paytm Payments Bank, said, “Our leadership in digital banking and payments is a testimony to the trust that the whole country has shown in our services. We will continue to empower more merchants across the country to join the digital payment ecosystem and benefit from our innovative & personalized offerings. We are committed to playing a key role in building Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

IPL 2021: Vivo kicks off #PerfectFan contest, winners stand a chance to meet Virat Kohli

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Smartphone brand Vivo, the title sponsor of IPL 2021, has announced the #PerfectFan contest for die-hard cricket fans. The contest will be the most significant ever consumer gratification at IPL, where lovers of the game will have an opportunity to meet Virat Kohli and win exciting prizes, said Vivo in a statement.

“Cricket in India is not just a sport. It is an emotion that binds the nation together. At Vivo, our constant endeavour is to elevate customer experience and bring joy to our audience. What better way to do this than providing an opportunity to cricket lovers to meet their cricket hero – Virat Kohli,” said Nipun Marya, Director-Brand Strategy, Vivo India.

“These are difficult times as fans do not have the chance to witness the spectacle that IPL offers. The #PerfectFan contest aims to bring the stadium’s thrill to people’s homes. It gives fans a splendid opportunity to meet their heroes, feature on live television, and win many more exciting prizes. As a responsible and consumer-centric brand, we ensure that consumers have a joyful experience keeping in mind their health and safety,” added Marya.

Vivo India recently announced Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador. 21 lucky winners of the #PerfectFan contest will stand a chance to meet the effervescent Virat Kohli virtually. In contrast, many others will have an excellent opportunity to receive autographed bats, and many other exclusive gifts throughout the competition, the company said.

While fans do not have the opportunity to be a part of the live-action at stadiums, the handset brand has found a way for a few fans to be virtually present in the stadiums, using a LED fan wall. Selected winners in every match will have the chance to be on live television. They will be entitled to have their video submission on display on the vivo LED fan-wall that will be telecast live on national TV during every match.

The #PerfectFan contest is valid for residents (above 18 years) of all states. All cricket fans and IPL lovers can participate in the contest by following Vivo India handles on social media platforms that is Facebook (@vivoIndia), Twitter (@Vivo_India) and Instagram (@vivo_India)

The smartphone manufacturer launched its flagship X60 5G series last month and plans to expand its product portfolio by launching 5-6 new devices across price points this year.

Biwin to offer Acer-branded memory and personal storage products

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Biwin, a leading chip manufacturer for flash storage, reached an agreement with Acer to bring Acer-branded memory and personal SSD storage products to customers in India. The product offerings will take advantage of Biwin’s manufacturing capabilities and Acer’s global brand recognition to provide the latest memory and storage solutions for both professional and home users.

The new Acer-branded SSD portfolio offers a range of 2.5-inch SATA, M.2 SATA and M.2 PCIe NVMe drives. The entry-level 2.5-inch SA100 offers performance and reliability and is available in capacities from 120GB to 1.92TB.

The RE100 is available as a standard 2.5-inch SATA drive as well as in a smaller M.2 SATA form factor. With capacities from 128GB up to 1TB (M.2) and 4 TB (SATA) and with read and write speeds of 560 MB/s and 520 MB/s, the RE100 performs close to the SATA interface’s maximum speed and is an extremely reliable solution in terms of speed and capacity to upgrade any desktop PC or laptop to the latest SATA technology.

In terms of maximizing performance, an Acer-branded M.2 PCIe Gen3 NVMe drive, the FA100 is available in capacities from 128GB up to 2 TB, reaching up to 3300 MB/s read and 2700 MB/s write speeds. This exceptional performance is six times faster than standard SATA SSDs.

An Acer-branded DRAM module lineup includes standard SO- and UDIMM-modules with speeds in a range from 2666 MHz up to 3200 MHz and capacities from 4GB up to 32GB per single module.

For high-performance computing enthusiasts, Biwin will also offer an Acer-branded HT100 module with a heats preader and a unique design. The densities (from 8GB up to 32GB) and the offered speed rates (from 2666 MHz up to 3600 MHz) meet a wide range of customer needs.

For these newly launched product segment, Fortune Marketing Private Limited has been appointed as National Distributor in India.

Rajesh Khurana, Country Manager- Consumer Business, Biwin, said, “We believe that we will be able to contribute to the Indian market through experience, expertise and strong network of Fortune Marketing. These advanced quality products will give us the opportunity to provide mind-blowing experiences to our customer like never before. We are looking forward to work closely with Fortune Marketing to promote best of Acer branded storage and memory products to market.”

Manoj Gupta, MD, Fortune Marketing, said, “We are glad to partner with Biwin for their Acer branded memory and storage products in India. Their cutting-edge technology and quality products will be a value addition to our portfolio. It will further enhance our B2B solutions range to the Indian market by offering best-in-class products through our strong distribution network.”

HyperX adds blue mechanical switches to Alloy Origins Core Gaming Keyboard lineup

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HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology has announced that it is now shipping the HyperX Alloy OriginsTM Core Mechanical Gaming Keyboard featuring HyperX Blue mechanical switches. Built for performance and longevity, HyperX Blue mechanical switches offer a shorter actuation point and 80 million click rating to meet gaming and work from home needs.

The HyperX Alloy Origins Core tenkeyless keyboard features a minimalistic, compact design with RGB backlit keys to enhance home offices and PC gaming setups. HyperX Blue switches are favoured by gamers that like clicky key sounds and operating action.

Alloy Origins Core is built with a full aircraft-grade aluminum body for durability and stability, plus a space-saving tenkeyless layout to maximize desktop real estate for ultimate mouse movement. Alloy Origins Core features RGB backlit keys with exposed LED for brighter illumination with radiant lighting effects and five adjustable brightness levels to enhance gaming, day or night. The USB Type-C to USB Type-A keyboard cable is also detachable.

“Alloy Origins Core was designed specifically for TKL keyboard fans. Adding the new HyperX Blue switches alongside the existing red switch version allows gamers to choose their preferred switch type while receiving the top performance, reliability and style inherent in keyboards with HyperX-branded switches,” said Jennifer Ishii, keyboard business manager, HyperX.

Alloy Origins Core keyboards feature Custom Game Mode, allowing users to manage which keys are enabled and disabled. Macro keys can be assigned and stored in the macro library and users can choose from three adjustable keyboard angles for perfect height and angle positioning. With on-board memory, users may save up to three Alloy Origins profiles for on-the-go gaming using HyperX NGENUITY software. The software also offers advanced customization features for lighting and macros, including simple customizable per-key lighting effects. Other features include 100 per cent anti-ghosting and full N-key rollover.

The HyperX Alloy Origins Core Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with HyperX Blue switches is available for Rs 8,990 through Amazon.

Stay #AboveTheNoise with Cricbuzz Plus for cricket coverage

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The cricket fever and the accompanying chatter is back, and genuine cricket lovers are looking for a platform that gives them an edge over others. The Indian cricket news app – Cricbuzz is all set to launch Cricbuzz Plus.

Cricbuzz Plus is aiming to satisfy discerning viewers who would love to be updated on the finer aspects of the game. It will allow die-hard cricket lovers to improve their knowledge of the game as they get exclusive peeks into teams, players, match analysis, and strategies, said Cricbuzz in a statement.

If you are a true-blue cricket fan, you will find immense value in what this premium package has to offer from exclusive interviews and video shows to in-depth editorials written by the legends of cricket, all this in an ad-free format.

As Pankaj Chhaparwal, CEO of Cricbuzz says, “Cricbuzz Plus is aimed at discriminating cricket lovers who enjoy the game and are interested in the finer nuances of the sport. Everyone offers content, what we have on offer, is a complete cricketing experience that every cricket fan will find immensely valuable. We aim to be #AboveTheNoise and bring authentic premium cricket content, straight from our experts to your armchair as you soak in the cricket frenzy during this IPL season.”

Hifiman BW400 neckband with extreme bass, 12-hour battery life launched in India at Rs 2,799

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Personal audio brand Hifiman has introduced yet another around-the-neck tangle-free magnetic Bluetooth headphone BW400 in India. Key features of the Hifiman BW400 wireless neckband include solid bass, IPX4-rated dust, sweat and water resistance, a lightweight body, up to 12 hours battery life, quick charge and tangle-free magnetic clasping earbuds.

“The Hifiman BW400 is aimed for our Indian customers who love heavy bass along with prolonged battery life. Hifiman uses proprietary high-quality bass-driven dynamic drivers that deliver enhanced bass apart from a high-capacity in-built quick-charging battery allowing it to last up to 12 hrs for continuous music playback. The HIFIMAN BW400 also features an IPX4 certification making it robust for Indian weather conditions which resists sweat and dirt, making it ideal for outdoor activities. Lastly, the Hifiman BW400 is specific to India as a region and will not be available in any other global market,” said Purnachandra Samal, Director-Sales, Hifiman Electronics India.

The BW400’s drivers are carefully designed with specially tuned bass-driven 9mm dynamic drivers which enhance the overall music detail to produce a deep and sub-level strong bass audio performance.

The HIFIMAN BW400 in-ear headphones’ earbuds sport an ergonomic design with a silicone ear loop that allows it to stay fixated in the ears. Additionally, the tangle-free wires ensure all-day wearing without any discomfort, and users will never find it knotted when stored in a pocket or bag. BW400 comes with extra pairs of soft sweat-resistant silicone ear tips that are specially designed to give a comfortable and snug fit apart from shunting the ambient noise so users can concentrate on calls or enjoy disturbance-free music. Lastly, the HIFIMAN BW400 is compatible with all Android and iOS devices, laptops and other Bluetooth-enabled audio devices.

Weighing just 19g, the headphones rest around the neck comfortably without users even knowing it’s there. Each earbud has a built-in neodymium magnet which helps clasp the buds together when they are not in use. This prevents the BW400 from falling off, thus keeping them safe. The BW400 is also IPX4-certified which helps protect it from dust, sweat and rain, highly prolonging its life. Users can now safely keep wearing them all day long while working at home or office, whilst commuting, working out or during outdoor runs.

The Hifiman BW400 also sports an in-line control module (with mic) on the left earbud’s cable which makes it easier to reach when needed to control the volume, answer or reject calls, change tracks or summon a voice assistant.

Using the latest Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity, the BW400 can pair even faster with your smartphone, even at a distance of up to 10 meters, apart from offering superior connectivity and lower latency.

Lastly, an in-built Lithium-ion polymer battery featuring Quick Charge ensures that the BW400 can entertain you with music or calls for up to 12 hours on just a single charge while offering a standby time of up to 110 hours when not in use. With quick charge support, you can get up to 60 minutes of battery life by simply plugging in a compatible charger for 10 minutes.

The Hifiman BW400 wireless neckband is now available in India in black colour at Amazon, Flipkart, Tatacliq along with other leading e-commerce platforms for Rs 2,799.

iQOO 7 series to be available on Amazon India

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Smartphone brand iQOO today announced that its powerful iQOO 7 series will be available in India on Amazon.in.  The iQOO 7 series will have two devices in the line-up- iQOO 7 Legend and iQOO 7, both offering the best performance with flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 series processors. The iQOO 7 Legend will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 888 series chipset, providing unmatched gaming experience and enhanced photography capabilities, it said in a statement.

Gagan Arora, Director-Marketing – iQOO, said, “Our endeavour at iQOO is to offer products with superior performance and unmatched experience. Our partnership with Amazon is a step further in that direction. iQOO phones are built for those consumers who are naturally skeptical of the status quo and are constantly seeking to improve themselves- Quest  on and on!”

Nishant Sardana, Director – Mobile Phones and Televisions, Amazon India, said, “We are humbled to be the partner of choice for iQOO and are excited to bring the iQOO 7 series for our customers on Amazon.in. A powerful processor offering a superior gaming experience clubbed with rich photography and a premium look and feel, iQOO 7 series ticks all the right boxes for customers. ”

Continuing iQOO’s commitment to ‘Make in India’, the iQOO 7 series has been manufactured at Vivo’s Greater Noida facility.

Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop with 11th Gen Intel Core H-series processor launched

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Taiwanese PC brand Acer today unveiled its newest gaming laptop, Acer Nitro 5, powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core H-series processor, which is claimed to be designed for ultraportable gaming. The laptop is available from Rs 69,999 on Acer Exclusive store, Acer Online Store and Amazon.

The new Nitro 5 brings together thin bezel design, CoolBoost technology, industry-leading CPU performance, immersive graphics, amazing AI acceleration, and best-in-class wired and wireless connectivity to help users focus, create, and connect at new levels, Acer said in a statement.

The laptop features DTS: X Ultra dual 2W speakers, delivers outstanding audio, powerful graphics performance with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics, blur-free gameplay with a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 3ms response time to make each experience superior. The best of all is the all-day battery life, feature best-in-class wireless, and wired connectivity with Thunderbolt 4 and Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650i.

“Acer Nitro series gaming comes with a rich legacy of offering powerful gaming performance and latest technology and patented cooling technology at value price points. The latest Nitro 5 comes with the latest 11th generation Intel Core H35 series gaming processors which offers truly outstanding performance for the price and shows our deep collaboration with Intel to deliver the best for Indian gamers,” said Sudhir Goel, Chief Business Officer, Acer India.

“Intel’s new line of 11th Gen Intel Core H-series mobile processors deliver a powerful combination of mobility and enthusiast-level gaming. The demand for laptops that enable work, collaboration, creation and play in ultraportable form factors continues to grow. The Intel-powered Acer Nitro 5 packs responsiveness and performance in a sleek design that allows users to do everything from anywhere,” said Rahul Malhotra, Director – Consumer Sales, Intel India.

In terms of other specs, the Acer Nitro 5 features a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display. Gamers can enjoy smooth, blur-free gameplay with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 3ms response time with a screen-to-body ratio of 80% with narrow 7.02mm bezels.

Nitro 5 allows gamers to configure their laptops for maximum speed and massive storage with two slots for M.2 PCIe SSDs, up to 2TB HDD, and up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. When heavy use requires an added boost, chill out with twin fans, Acer CoolBoost technology, and quad exhaust port design to keep the Nitro 5 cool under heavy load and get consistent performance.

TikTok, Facebook most downloaded non-gaming apps worldwide in March

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Even though it is banned in India, short video platform TikTok emerged as the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide for March this year, with more than 58 million installs last month. It was revealed by app analytics platform Sensor Tower in its latest data.

Facebook became the second most installed non-gaming app after TikTok last month, with more than 56 million installs.

The countries with the largest number of TikTok installs were from Douyin in China at 11 per cent, followed by the United States at 10 per cent.

The countries with the largest number of Facebook installs were from India at 25 per cent, followed by the US at 8 per cent.

Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger rounded out the top five most installed non-gaming apps worldwide for the month.