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YouTube Music Is Adding Three Spotify-like Personalised Playlists

YouTube Music is now adding three personalized playlists, named Discover Mix, New Release Mix, and Your Mix. Although Apple Music, Spotify, and other music streaming apps already had similar programs, YouTube is the latest to join them. Spotify’s Discover Weekly became a huge hit among the users. Discover Mix by YouTube Mix was tested fully. Now, they are being made available for YouTube Music users around the world.

At the TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2019, the company talked about its plans to introduce these three mixes. Neal Mohan, YouTube Chief Product Officer, talked about this plan where they have used a combination of human curation and machine learning to offer better offerings to their users. The Discover Mix works in a manner quite similar to Spotify’s Discover Weekly. It will help users discover new music and artists. Users will receive suggestions on tracks that they have never listened to before and lesser-known tracks from artists that they already know and like. What is new here is that this playlist would be able to leverage historical listening data on YouTube and YouTube Music, unlike other music streaming services.

YouTube Music Discover Mix

Discover Mix

The Discover mix offers the users 50 tracks to listen every week. It automatically updates every Wednesday. The New Release Mix, as the name suggests, will consist of the recent release by top artists of your choice and other that YouTube feels you will like based on your history. This mix updates every Friday. However, it adds other tracks as and when needed, even in the middle of the week.

Your Mix is the third playlist introduced. This will have the kind of music you like with songs that you have not listened to yet. If YouTube thinks you will like it depending on your history, it will add those tracks to this playlist. It does not update once a week. Instead, it updates regularly so that you can always stay updated with new tracks.

YouTube Music

How does it work?

Naturally, the more you use the service, the better your mixes will become. This is because the engine gets a chance to understand more about your taste in music. However, YouTube claims that it can get started by offering personalized mixes as soon as a user gets started. All one has to do is to select some of their favourite artists. YouTube uses this as a base and creates mixes. As you continue listening to songs, it will update your mixes to reflect your choices.

These mixes are a result of Google’s investment in its music streaming service. Google recently made YouTube Music the default music app that comes with new Android devices. So, Google Play Music is no longer be the default music app. According to reports, YouTube Music has taken over Spotify and JioSaavn in India. This is a huge blow for Spotify since India was a major market for them in spite of entering pretty late. The new mixes are available now the music streaming service on Android, iOS, and even on the web version.

December 19, 2019
LG G7 One gets Android 10 update

LG G7 One is an Android One based phone. This smartphone is all set to receive an update to Android 10. Earlier this month, LG G8 ThinQ received its Android 10 update. However, this was only for users in South Korea. Other LG devices are running on Android Pie at the moment. LG G7 One was released last year. It runs on Android One, which is Google’s attempt at providing a stock Android experience without the OEM branding. One major benefit of this is that users would be able to receive Android updates almost immediately.

We have successfully reached a stage where we receive new OS upgrades regularly, instead of once in a blue moon. Currently, Samsung started rolling out Android 10 to its 2019 flagships. Sony, Motorola, and LG followed suit. The latest one to receive Android 10 update is LG’s G7 One. Although the company is still working on this, the process has started. The G7 One was also the first LG phones receive the Pie update last year. The update is being rolled out in North America and hopefully, will soon be made available for other areas.

LG G7 One

It looks like LG is taking full and complete advantage of Android One updates. It would be a 750 MB update and will come with the November 2019 security patch. The latest Android OS Upgrade offers improved camera functionality and enhanced usability via Google Patch. The LG G7 One is not the Android One phone to receive Android 10. OnePlus phones, Motorola One Power and Nokia 7.1 also received updates to Android 10 in the last week.

LG G7 One

While the first LG model to receive an update to Android 10 was G8 ThinQ, it was only for users in South Korea. Now, the G7 One model is all set to receive an update to Android 10 across North America. This smartphone was first released in 2018 as part of the Android One Program. That is why it does not come as a shock to know that it is one of the first LG phones to receive the latest update.

Of course, it is weird to see that LG’s mid-range phone is receiving Android 10 updates while its flagship models are still waiting for the same. Considering the fact that this is an Android One device and they usually have a very similar build to Pixel models; it is a bit surprising to see why it has taken this long. All in all, it was probably easier to update this and move on to the flagship devices.

LG G7 One Android 10 Updat

LG G7 One gets Android 10 update

The Android 10 update from LG G7 One model is being launched for the units in Canada. This 741MB over-the-air download will soon be made available for other areas as well. Besides the new OS version (of course!), you will be able to enjoy improved features as well. The very fact that updates have started rolling out gives us hope that it would be soon be made available for other regions and other phones.

December 19, 2019
PlayStation Plus update: PS Plus news is big win for Titanfall 2 on PS4

Following Sony’s recent announcement, dozens of new players joined the servers. A few weeks ago, we heard that Titanfall 2 and Monster Energy Supercross would be the last free PS4 games of 2019. Both the games are available for download from the PlayStation Store. All you need to enjoy this PlayStation Plus update is an active PS Plus account. Although Titanfall 2 is not a new game by any means, it received great reviews when it was first released in 2016. However, being a victim of bad release timings, we never got to see if it would have managed to maintain its popularity. Games like Call of Duty were released approximately around the same time. This didn’t help Titanfall 2 at all.

Even when the game’s single-player mode came into being, its popularity didn’t increase as the developers had hoped. After this attempt, Respawn Entertainment started focusing on other games. For example, Apex Legends and Jedi Fallen Order were more popular among the players. The free updates for Titanfall 2 will not have planned free updates like before. Still, players would still be able to experience what is available with extra people.

Titanfall 2 on PS4

The game’s player numbers increased to about 100,000 on PS4 servers right after the game was scheduled to become available to free play. According to a user online, “The Titanfall 2 player base on PS4 has been revitalized, from 1.5k players on a good day to 70,000. As some of you may know, Titanfall 2 is available on PlayStation Plus. The game is amazing and it’s wonderful to see it truly alive once again.”

Many users agree that Titanfall 2 is indeed a great and fun game to play. Gamers are enjoying both the single-player and the multiplayer modes. The interest of the players in the game seems to have renewed. Thousands of PS Plus players are making use of this opportunity to try out the game. Some are even considering renewing their PS Plus so as to be able to continue playing it. After a sad decline to the player base in the past few years, it is invigorating to see a boost to the player numbers this December. It is yet to be seen if the new players can keep the servers alive, and if so, for how long.

PlayStation Plus Update

PlayStation Plus Free Games

PS Plus offers free games to its players to keep them on their toes with a host of interesting and addictive games. In this month’s PlayStation Plus update, Titanfall 2 was offered to the users. This first-person-shooter game developed by Respawn Entertainment was once quite popular before other releases overtook it. You will take on the role of a pilot who has to manoeuvre around the battlefield. In the single-player mode, players will find themselves trapped behind the enemy lines. They will have to work together with their mates to escape and save the day.

This is all that PS Plus has in store for the 2019 holiday month. We expect news of PS Plus free games for January after December 25, 2019.

December 19, 2019
PUBG Mobile Lite Available Now for Download in India

Tencent Games, the developer of the popular PUBG game, recently launched the Lite version for PC. Now the company is planning to release PUBG Mobile Lite in India. This version would be available for download at the Google Play Store. It has been specifically designed keeping those in mind who use smartphones having less than 2GB RAM. This lite version was first released in the Philippines last year. However, the developers have added some new features, such as new “Buggy” vehicle, a new weapon “RPG-7”, increase in the number of players, and three new locations.

PUBG Mobile Lite Now Available

What is PUBG MOBILE LITE?

To put it simply, it is a much lighter version of the original PUBG MOBILE game. Since the main version of the game uses a lot of mobile resources, it doesn’t run all that well on low-end phones. Most Indian players have budget smartphones, giving them a poor experience. It has been a fair idea by Tencent Games to release a Mobile Lite version of PUBG. While the lite version has already been in Beta in many South-east Asian countries, it has arrived in India. Since the majority of the country has 1GB per day data packs or sometimes even less, downloading this shouldn’t be a problem. The size of the LITE version is only 400MB.

PUBG Mobile Lite Features

The lite version of PUBG was developed using the same engine as PUBG Mobile. The beauty of this release is that it works with devices having less than 2GB RAM while still offering the original game play to the players. The game features the Classic mode that has 60 players for the last 10-minute fast game. Previously, there were only 40 players. The map has also become smaller. You will also find that the game modes are now down to two – Classic and Arcade with one map each.

PUBG Mobile Lite in India

Regarding specific PUBG Lite features, you might be happy to know that it comes with Enhanced Aim Assist, Upgrade to Winner Pass, Weapon Recoil Suppression, Bullet Trail Adjustment, Location Display, Extended Time to Kill, Heal yourself while moving.

Talking about the installation, the pack is only about 400MB. However, the total size of the game will end up at about 491 MB. If you have not played PUBG so far, this might be a good time to start. New players will receive a ton of rewards, such as vehicles and gears.

Highlights

Besides being lighter than the original version, the lite version comes with many optimisations that make it easier for players to use the app. This is so that players from rural areas and those playing on lower-end smartphones would still be able to enjoy the game in all its glory. India has always been a huge market for PUBG. The company has realised this and organises dozens of events and releases even special India-themed seasons as well. Not so long back, the PUBG LITE for PC was released in beta in India for certain players.

December 18, 2019
Fortnite Save The World Mode

Fortnite: Save The World mode has been in a buzz for a reason. It introduces a new area to explore, the Dungeons. In Save the World mode, the Dungeons area is riddled with monsters and traps that players should deal with to win rewards.

Epic Games also introduced new heroes with different advantages to the game as well as a crossover event with Battle Breakers. In addition, players can also equip some mythical weapons in Save the World mode. Keep reading to explore what’s new you can find in Fortnite: Save the World Mode.

Fortnite Save The World Introduces Dungeons

In a blog post, Epic Games mentioned that the Dungeons area is a profound domain in the Hexylvania region where players will face loads of traps and monsters. However, they will also end up with magical keys, new weapons, and golden coins galore while going through the shady labyrinth. Mermonster Ken and Swamp Knight are two new heroes added to Fortnite’s Save the World Mode.

The standard pack of Swamp Knight boosts 42% of damage dealing and commander perk improves the odds of conjuring Phantasm by 45% while dealing with the damage.

The standard perk of Mermonster Ken improves melee attack damage by 44% and the commander perk improves the odds of tricking Phantasm by 60% when it comes to avoiding heavy melee attacks.

In addition, the crossover between Fortnite and Battle Breakers is live now. Now players can finish quests and win exclusive content while getting a chance to win dagger master of Battle Breaker, Razor. Fortnite’s Save The World mode has also added a few of the mythical weapons. In addition, Fortnite has improved the durability of rocket launchers and the current launchers have been changed to have deadly ammo.

About Fortnite: Save the World

Fortnite: Save the World is a third-person co-op survival shooter game developed by Epic Games. It was initially a paid game for early access in July 2017 for PlayStation 4, Windows, macOS, and Xbox One. Now it is free to play.

Fortnite is based on modern Earth where 98% of the population was vanished due to sudden storms across the world and zombies and other creatures rose to hunt the rest of humanity.

Considered as a crossover between Left 4 Dead and Minecraft by Epic Games, Fortnite is a co-op game played between 4 players on different maps and missions to build forts and collect resources across defensive goals to fight the storm and keep survivors alive and safe.

The players also need to build traps and weapons to engage enemies in combat and to stop waves of creatures trying to destroy the forts. Players can upgrade their heroes and gain rewards by playing such missions, trap schematics, support teams, and gain an arsenal of weapons to complete more challenging missions.

The game includes in-game currency and micro-transactions which can be used for such types of upgrades. Fortnite Battle Royale is the pure Battle Royale game released for the same platforms in 2017.

December 16, 2019
Xiaomi Posts Record Q3 Revenues, but Smartphone Sales Drop

hinese smartphone giant Xiaomi has published its quarterly revenue growth but it is slowest ever in its history. The smartphone market of the country deals with its secured calm period in sales and its archrival Huawei has grabbed more market share. The Smart Home and IoT divisions of the company were the major driving forces behind the growth and the smartphone division fell a bit.

For the third quarter in 2019, the revenues were higher than before at $7.63 billion by Xiaomi but the reason it recorded the same is even interesting. At $4.59 billion, smartphone sales make the record but it is still 7.8% down when comparing year on year. In the third quarter, Xiaomi shipped 32.1 million handsets due to which, it ranked 4^th in the global market (with 9.2% market share, according to Canalys).

IoT and other consumer electronics items sales were accounted for over $2.22 billion of the total revenue of the company, which is significantly 44.4% hike as compared to last year’s same quarter. The laptops and smart TVs have also recorded $824 million (which is 36.5% year on year hike).

The Global Expansion

The global expansion of Xiaomi is fruitful with around 17.2% of overseas revenues for the third quarter and it makes up around half of the total turnover for quarterly sales. For the first 9 months of 2019, the net profit of the company has marked a 37.1% hike of $1.3 billion over the same quarter last year. This profit of $1.3 billion is more than the company made during the whole of last year.

In the first quarter till September 30, revenue grew up to 5.5% to CNY 53.66 billion over the same period earlier this year, especially with the expectation of analysts by CNY 53.74 billion. The net income earlier this year was CNY 2.50 billion, which rose to CNY 3.47 billion.

Consumers are to holding on to their device for a longer period and smartphone demands have been lowered in China so far. In addition, Chinese shoppers have also rushed behind and helped Huawei to boost sales. The second-largest smartphone maker in the world, Huawei was recently blacklisted by the US.

More Details by Other Sources

According to Canalys, a market research firm, the shipments of Xiaomi to the Chinese market also fell by 1/3^rd in the quarter ended September, while the shipment of Huawei smartphones rose 66%. In the Chinese market, the shipment of smartphones shrank 3%.

Once the hottest favorite smartphone brand in China, Xiaomi still depends highly on smartphone sales but it has been focusing more on improving its online services department, which mainly includes ad sales. With this business, their revenue jumped 12.3% to whopping CNY 5.31 billion in a year. Around 10% of the total sales of the company came from the smartphone market itself. It is almost similar as compared to August 2018.

The company is also planning to aggressively launch dozens of 5G handsets in the mid-range segment by 2020 as 5G technology is already working across China. The company has also launched two 5G handsets to date – one in its local market and one in Europe. According to CEO Lei Jun, the company is planning to launch 10 5G devices even in mid-range.

December 16, 2019
5 Things You Should Know About Upcoming Nokia TV

Nokia recently released a teaser about its latest device. It is expected to be released on the 5th of December 2019. While Nokia has not said a word so far, Flipkart has confirmed that the new product by Nokia is a TV. Flipkart even shared a picture to give us a peek into how the Nokia TV would look. With the TV about to be released, let’s take a look at its highlights and features. The TV is expected to be unveiled at an event in New Delhi. Flipkart is the official brand licensee for Nokia and is expected to handle all the sales for Nokia branded Smart TVs.

Design

Nokia TV is designed and manufactured using the best hardware available for its display. There are plenty of rumours going around about the same. According to speculations, it is believed that the the TV will come with a 55-inch 4K panel, offering the best experience ever. The TV is designed to be ultra-slim and might look similar to Xiaomi’s 55 inches model.

Nokia Smart TV

Dolby Audio Sound Quality

One of the major drawbacks in the televisions today is that downgraded sound quality. Even the higher models come with only decent quality audio. However, the TV will have incredible audio enhancements like Dolby Audio support. Besides this, you will also be able to enjoy a surround and theatre-like sound experience thanks to DTS TruSurround Sound support.

JBL Acoustics

While Nokia has not mentioned that the TV would come with JBL Audio, the picture shared by Flipkart tells us that it will indeed be the case. Flipkart later confirmed the speculation that the it will be powered by the JBL audio. Since this is the first time JBL will be seen in the TV audio sector, many are excited to see how things will turn out.

Specifications of Nokia TV

While there has been nothing regarding specifications about the smart TV, we know that it will come with Android TV OS. With Nokia being a smartphone brand, we can be sure that they will use a good enough processor with the required RAM to make sure that the Nokia TV runs smoothly. The rumours also suggest that the TV might come with a separate JBL soundbar.

Nokia Smart TV with JBL Sound

Price

So far, there has not been any mention of price, from either Flipkart nor Nokia. However, looking at Nokia’s pricing trends, it doesn’t look like the TV will fall in the affordable range. It could be priced somewhere along with the range of the OnePlus TV. Despite this, it should be worth it since Nokia is known for its build quality and features.

Verdict – Nokia TV

While it may have come as a surprise that Nokia is releasing a smart TV, it is not really very shocking. Especially since other smartphone companies like OnePlus and Huawei have already dipped their toes in this sector. According to Flipkart, the date of release is not all that far away. So, we can expect the see the Nokia TV release any day now.

December 16, 2019
Vivo U20 with Triple Cameras, 5000mAh Battery Launched in India: Specs, Price & Availability

The latest Vivo U20 finally comes to India. This smartphone features a triple-camera set-up with an LED flash at the rear. The phone has a large 5000mAh battery with an 18W fast-charging system. Vivo U20 is designed to run on Funtouch OS 9 powered by Android 9 Pie. This phone succeeds the Vivo U10 model that was launched in September this year, not all that long ago. This new Vivo U20 model arrives in two variants – different based on its RAM specs. The model featuring 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage is retailed at Rs 10,990 while the higher model having 6GB RAM and 64GB storage costs Rs 11,990.

Specs and Highlights

The Vivo U20 is a decent enough phone, especially considering the budget. The smartphone has seen several upgrades from the U10 model. This includes a bigger display, a far nicer camera, and a better chipset. Let’s take a quick tour of the Vivo U20’s specs and features. With regards to display, the phone boasts of a 6.53-inch capacitive display with FullHD+ resolution of 1080 pixels. It has a screen-to-body ratio of 91.3%. As already discussed, the phone is available in two different models – 4GB and 6GB RAM. It features a 64GB internal storage which is expandable.

Vivo U20

The phone lasts a day and more on the 5000mAh battery. It has an 18W fast-charging system, so you don’t have to wait for a long time as it charges up. The U20 model is available two stunning colours – Racing Black and Blaze Blue. It runs on 4th Generation Kryo CPU and 6th Generation Adreno GPU.

Camera Quality

Moving to the camera specs and quality, the phone has a triple-camera set-up. The cameras are lined up with the LED flash seated the last. The 16MP Sony IMX499 primary sensor comes with an f/1.8 aperture. There is also an 8MP sensor for super wide-angle shots and a 2MP the super macro shots. The primary camera features a PDAF sensor with Night Mode as well. The Vivo U20 does not disappoint selfie enthusiasts either. With a 16MP selfie shooter, you can be sure that your selfies will be stunning and vivid. It does not feature a punch-hole camera like the Vivo V17 either.

Special features

The latest Vivo U20’s battery is incredible. Vivo claims that it can last for about 273 hours on standby, 11 hours on video use, and about 18-20 hours on social media browsing. Another nice find here is the Snapdragon 675 chipset. This is usually seen in higher-end phones, so the U20 is one of the few in this price range featuring it. Thanks to this, users would be able to enjoy better performance and imaging results.

Vivo U20 with Triple Cameras

You will notice that the price of the 4GB RAM model and 6GB RAM model are different. Both the variants will go live starting November 28 from 12 PM onwards. You will be able to purchase them from Amazon.in and Vivo India E-Store. This model was mainly designed and developed by Vivo to compete with the likes of Realme who have been steadily gaining market share. With the release of U20, Vivo has captured a fair share of the market.

December 16, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S11 Family Said to Offer 3 Display Sizes, 5 Different Variants

Samsung Galaxy S11 family is expected to be launched in three different screen size options in five different variants. This new range of devices come after the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup. The S10 range of devices was released earlier in the year in four variants – the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10e, and Galaxy S10 5G. The latest series has only one variant with 5G support.

However, the company is geared up to release the Galaxy S11 models with both 5G and 4G LTE support. The largest of the three display sizes is rumoured to be 6.9 inches. The smallest one could be launched under the name Galaxy S11e, which will basically act as Galaxy S10e’s successor. This phone’s screen is expected to be either 6.2-inch or 6.4-inch. The regular Galaxy S11 will come with a 6.7-inch screen size while the Galaxy S11+ model will have the largest 6.9-inch display.

The Different Variants – Samsung Galaxy S11 Family

There are also rumours going around that mention that all the five variants would feature curved-edge displays. In other words, it would be totally different to the Galaxy S10e that came with a flat panel. Regarding connectivity, the device should be offered in both 5G and LTE variants for the smaller S11 models. The larger one would only be released with 5G support. Blass’ tweet tells us that these devices might be launched sometime in mid to late February. The timing is nothing new for Samsung with most of its smartphones launching at the same time of the year. The launch event might take place in San Francisco, California.

There are also rumours making rounds that the Galaxy S11 might feature Samsung’s latest 108-megapixel ISOCELL HMX sensor. If true, it would offer the users better camera features like Optical Image Stabilisation and 5x optical zoom. Some reports mention that the company might be planning to use the 108-megapixel sensor’s second-generation version. The company is not planning on offering only 5G support for its latest line, possibly so as to keep up with the demand for its current 4G-only models as well. The S11 phone will have a tall 20:9 aspect ratio. However, it is not known for certain if the punch-hole camera seen in S10 phones will continue here.

Samsung Galaxy S11

Samsung Galaxy S11 is in the works and is referred to with codename “Picasso”. This smartphone is expected to run on One UI 2.1 powered by Android 10 out-of-the-box. The Galaxy S11e might be released with model number SM-G970. It is expected that it would come with a 3,730mAh battery. Looking at Galaxy S11, it might come with a model number SM-G985/986, with a 4,300mAh capacity.

The company could release the Galaxy S11 family with Exynos 9830 SoC for international markets. For the US regions, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 might be used. In addition to this, other reports suggest that Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series might be merged into a single flagship series the upcoming year. The Galaxy S11 might be released with S Pen support as well.

December 16, 2019
Samsung Launches World’s First 108-Megapixel Smartphone Camera Sensor in Partnership With Xiaomi

While the likes of Redmi and Realme are competing with 64MP camera phones and vying for market domination, Samsung has launched the world’s very first 108-megapixel smartphone camera sensor. This was developed in collaboration with Xiaomi. With this partnership, Xiaomi will become the first-ever company to release a smartphone featuring a whopping 108 megapixels camera. This camera sensor is the first one to go over 100 million pixels. You can expect a resolution comparable to that of a high-end DSLR camera.

Highlights Of The New Sensor

Let’s take a look at some of the highlight of this brilliant 108-megapixel camera sensor developed in partnership by Xiaomi and Samsung. It may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time these two companies have come together to work on camera sensors. Previously, Samsung and Xiaomi have collaborated to develop a smartphone that would use Samsung’s 64-megapixel ISOCELL GW1 sensor.

The name of this new 108-mega pixel sensor is ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. The best part about them is that they are capable of shooting photographs even in extreme lighting conditions. Now that the development is done, Samsung will start mass-producing the ISOCELL Bright HMX sensors towards the end of August 2020. These sensors are 1/1.33-inch in size which makes it easier for them to allow more light. The large surface area doesn’t hurt either.

Samsung said that they used the new Tetracell technology which joins 4 pixels into one. This is what lets the sensors take better photos even in low light areas. Besides improving colour accuracy, it will also minimize noise. For brighter lighting conditions, this sensor will make use of the Smart-ISO mechanism. This allows us to take clearer images by adjusting the level of amplifier gains. Since this adjustment depends on ambient light, the photos will emerge to be more realistic, rich in colour, and vivid.

Xiaomi’s Plans

Now that the companies have successfully finished the development of this 108-MP camera sensor, Xiaomi will now release the world’s 1st smartphone featuring this new sensor. Xiaomi’s co-founder and president, Lin Bin, said, “As we continue our partnership, we anticipate bringing not only new mobile camera experiences but also a platform through which our users can create unique content.”

Samsung 108-megapixel camera

Currently, Xiaomi is playing in the 64-MP camera smartphone market, competing with Realme and Redmi. Its 64-MP camera smartphone is expected to be released towards the end of 2019. What comes as a surprise here is that even Samsung has plans for releasing a 64-MP camera smartphone. Xiaomi, Samsung, and Realme will all be using ISOCELL GW1 sensor. Samsung was the one who developed this sensor as well.

As of now, Xiaomi has not mentioned which one of its smartphones would be featuring the 108 megapixels camera. However, those following the market speculation that it could be the Mi Mix 4. The comment of a senior Xiaomi executive gave rise to this rumour. He mentioned that Mi Mix 4 is likely to better than Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright GW1.

December 16, 2019