Google Clock brings Bedtime Mode, Sunrise Alarm to all Android phones

Two previous Pixel-exclusive features are coming to all Android phones. Bedtime Mode and Sunrise Alarm are making their way to the Google Clock app. If your app has updated, you should see a new Bedtime Mode tab at the bottom right of the app, which also houses the Sunrise Alarm feature. The feature lets you set the time you typically prefer to go to bed, and when you want to wake up. 

Bedtime Mode can even play sleep sounds to condition you to wind down and rest. Your notifications will be silent, and emails and texts will be paused to remind you to shut off for the night. Meanwhile, Sunrise Alarm uses the light on your phone to gently wake you up in the mornings. And you can tweak the feature to set a Google Assistant routine to activate in the morning if you want.

If you have the Digital Wellbeing app and have an irregular schedule, it can trigger Bedtime Mode when you start charging your phone for the night.

Source: 9to5Google

Twitch Prime is now called Prime Gaming

Amazon rebrands Twitch Prime to emphasize the company's Prime branding. Now called Prime Gaming, it offers Amazon Prime subscribers the same perks and benefits on the live streaming platform. Subscribers will still get exclusive in-game content, free games you can keep, and a free monthly Twitch subscription.

The name change aligns with the other digital content that comes with an Amazon Prime subscription, including Prime Video (for streaming shows and films) and Prime Reading (for ebooks, digital magazines, etc.). An Amazon Prime subscription costs $7.99 a month or $79.00 a year and includes free shipping on many online purchases you make on the site.

Prime Gaming shows the company's interest and commitment to the gaming space. Amazon also owns a game development arm called Amazon Games, and it's rumoured to be developing its own cloud gaming service.

Source: The Verge

'The Last of Us Part II' gets ultra-difficult Grounded and permadeath modes, more tweaks

Maybe you didn't think The Last of Us Part II was challenging when you played it. Well, Naughty Dog is living up to its promise to bring the original game's "Grounded" mode into this title. It'll be arriving via a free software update, bringing with it an equally challenging new "permadeath" mode.

Like with the original game, Grounded amps up The Last of Us Part II's intense violence to make it more realistic. The enemies in this mode are smarter, more lethal, and more aggressive. The life gauge isn't available, and just a few bullets can end your run. But, at the same time, your enemies are also more vulnerable to well-placed shots. 

You won't be able to see how much ammo your guns have unless you're reloading or switching weapons. Resources are also more scarce here, requiring you to think about how to approach battles and use stealth more.

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Xiaomi launches a see-through TV

Chinese tech company Xiaomi might not have a significant presence on this side of the globe, but its new television is too eye-catching not to share. Or rather should we talk about what we can't see? The company unveiled a transparent TV in time for its 10th-anniversary celebration. The Mi TV Lux OLED Transparent Edition looks just like a piece of glass when it's turned off. And when it's turned on, Xiaomi claims the images will look like it's floating in thin air.

Engadget believes the 55-inch transparent OLED panel is based on LG's 55-inch transparent 55EW5TF-A display, which has the same 120Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and 10-bit colour depth. The Mi TV Lux OLED will go on sale in China on August 16 for 49,999 yuan (around CA$9,555). It's unlikely that Xiaomi will sell the TV here, but we couldn't pass up on a chance to talk about unusual tech.