Intel’s 11th-Gen Core i7 Tiger Lake Might Be Faster Than Ryzen 7, Suggests Experiment

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September 17, 2020

Intel has been looking to make a statement with its laptop CPUs for quite some time. And the 11th-gen Core i7-1185G7, AKA Tiger Lake, might just be their biggest launch in years. While previous releases barely faced competition, Tiger Lake will face the game-changing Ryzen 4000 series by AMD.

Twitter is already filled with talks around the revival of the slugfest between AMD, Qualcomm, and Intel. Meanwhile, the team at PCWorld pitted the Tiger Lake against a 6-core i7, a 4-core i7, and an 8-core Ryzen 7.

While they weren’t allowed to reveal the build of the laptop featuring the i7-1185G7 Tiger Lake, they provided the specification for the other contestants in this experiment.

The “Comet Lake U” 6-core i7-10710U with HD graphics featured in a Dell XPS 13 7390 laptop. A Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 housed the “Ice Lake U” 4-core i7-1065G7 with Iris Plus graphics. The final feature was a “Renoir” 8-core Ryzen 7 4800U in a Lenovo Slim 7 with Radeon graphics.

How did the 11th-gen Core i7 fare?

The processors were tested over three major categories: gaming, AI, and conventional CPU performance. These categories helped provide the performances of the chips in a wide range of applications. As both the 11th-gen Core i7 and Ryzen 7 were several folds better than the rest, we will compare the findings head-on for the two.

Starting with gaming, Ryzen 7 performs well. However, Tiger Lake emerged as a clear winner. A 30% faster performance over Ryzen 7 is no laughing matter. Hence, if you care about gaming when using an ultra-light laptop, choose Tiger Lake.

The second category is more relevant for about a year in the future than right now. As more and more applications adopt AI, you would want to get a processor that is ready for things. And the winner, again, is Tiger Lake. But Ryzen 7 redeems itself by a landslide in the final category, as depicted in the following chart.

Ryzen 7 vs 11th-gen Core i7 — Image Courtesy: IDG

To compare the traditional CPU performance of the two chips, they were tested on the Cinebench R15. And if you didn’t guess it already, red shows Ryzen 7’s performance while blue is for the Core i7. Hence, if you are looking for a laptop that is a monster at raw multi-threaded performance, Ryzen 7 stands above everyone else here.

Realme Narzo 20 Series Full Specs Leak Ahead of Its Launch

By

Punkaj Kumar

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September 17, 2020

Realme Narzo 20 Series Full Specs Leak Ahead of Its Launch

Realme unveiled its Narzo 20 series at the IFA 2020 event held earlier this month. There are three smartphones in the Narzo 20 lineup, viz. Realme Narzo 20, Narzo 20A, and Narzo 20 Pro. The budget smartphone maker earlier announced that it would launch all the three phones on September 21, still, four days left. However, ahead of the launch, the leaks of all three handsets have surfaced over the web. A tipster, Mukul Sharma, took to Twitter and revealed the specs of the upcoming Realme Narzo 20 phones. Here are all the specifications that the tipster has revealed:

Realme Narzo 20 Specs (Expected)

According to the tipster, the Realme Narzo 20 will feature a 6.5-inch HD+ display with an 88.7% screen-to-body ratio. Further, the phone will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC paired with 4GB RAM. In terms of battery and charging, Realme Narzo 20 may pack a 6,000mAh battery that will support 18W fast charging.

As far as cameras are concerned, the upcoming Realme smartphone will sport a triple rear camera setup. The rear cameras will include a 48MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro lens. The phone will not offer other RAM options but, it may come with two storage variants — 64GB and 128GB, and two color options — Victory Blue and Glory Silver.

Narzo 20A Expected Specs

Like the specs leak of the Realme Narzo 20, Mukul Sharma revealed the specs of Realme Narzo 20A through a YouTube video. He said the Realme Narzo 20A would also feature a 6.5-inch HD+ display with an 89.8% screen-to-body ratio with Gorilla Glass protection. The smartphone may run Android 10 in custom Realme UI and will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC. It may come packed with a 5,000mAh battery with 10W fast charging support.

The Realme Narzo 20A will also come with a triple rear camera setup. However, the camera resolution seems lower in this variant. The rear camera setup will include a 12MP primary sensor, 2MP retro lens, and a 2MP black and white lens. The phone may feature an 8MP selfie camera for video calling.

The Realme Narzo 20A may be available in two variants — 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GM. It may also come in the same two color options, ie. Victory Blue and Glory Silver.

Narzo 20 Pro Specs (Expected)

Tipster Mukul Sharma shared the possible specs of Realme Narzo 20 Pro in a tweet. The phone will feature a 6.5-inch full-HD+ display with a 90.5% screen-to-body ratio. The smartphone display may come with a 90Hz refresh rate. It will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G95 SoC and will come with two RAM options of 6GB and 8GB RAM. There will be two storage options of 64GB and 128GB and two color options of White Knight and Black Ninja.

In terms of optics, Realme Narzo 20 Pro will also feature a triple rear camera setup that will include the same resolution lenses as in Realme Narzo 20. At the front, there may be a 16MP selfie camera. The battery capacity looks small as compared to the other two smartphones. It may pack a 4,500mAh battery but with 65W fast charging support.

These all specs may not be 100 percent true as they are a mere leaks. However, you will see all details and pricing on the official launch of these smartphones on September 21 only.

Android 11 Beta release comes to Asus Zenfone

By

Hridesh Kamal

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September 17, 2020

Android 11 Beta comes to Asus Zenfone 6 — Image Courtesy: ASUS

Asus has been the first major smartphone manufacturer to bring Android 11 to its customers. Available to Zenfone 6 users, the latest update provides you with an Android 11 beta build on your smartphone. The beta’s added features come bundled with Asus exclusive functionality. The update gave all Zenfone 6 systems an upgrade to Android 11.

Users should create any required data backups before they switch to Android 11. This helps ASUS ensure those uninterested users to have a path to return to Android 10 through official software packages. The backups are meant to prevent any loss of data when downgrading the operating system. However, this switch to Android 11 beta means several third-party apps can no longer be run on Zenfone 6 devices.

What comes with the Android 11 beta update?

The latest update made a host of changes to the ZenUI apart from just introducing Android 11. These changes include the removal of Private Listening and ZenUI Help. Further, the manufacturer put additional emphasis on the integration of PowerMaster functionality within device battery settings.

Another feature to disappear from the Asus Zenfone 6 was the Avast scanning engine. After that, Asus stripped the smart group alignment and icon pack functions. Instead, users can now organize app icons across screens by tapping the empty area.

The phone will now feature a brand new ZenUI design. It will support Bluetooth connections on airplane mode. Users can keep up to date with all the latest updates with notifications history and bubbles settings. While this is a beta update, it will feature navigation support for third-party launchers.

This beta update is available to Zenfone 6 users registered under the beta testing program. The update is around 1.3 GB in total size and it is available for download.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company To Build Loops in Austin And Texas as Las Vegas Tunnel is Almost Done

By

Punkaj Kumar

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September 16, 2020

Elon Musk's Boring Company To Build Loops in Austin And Texas

Elon Musk, CEO of Boring Company, has informed through a tweet that its first operational tunnel under Las Vegas is almost complete. After the completion of the loops in Las Vegas, he will connect them with the existing tunnels in Los Angeles. Very soon, his vision of warping out of traffic is going to come true. He took to Twitter and wrote:

“Tunnels under cities with self-driving electric cars will feel like warp drive

First operational tunnel under Vegas almost done

The @BoringCompany.“

Tunnels under cities with self-driving electric cars will feel like warp drive

First operational tunnel under Vegas almost done

The @BoringCompany
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 15, 2020

Musk’s Boring Company aims to create an underground traffic system to bypass the on-road traffic. The heavy traffic causes too long traffic jams, and people don’t like it at all. Musk wants to build tunnels to cope with the problem and says he doesn’t like the heavy traffic. The underground traffic system comprises of super safe, earthquake-resistant tunnels, and this is what the Boring Co. does.

Elon Musk has also said that creating multi-level tunnel for trains and cars will solve the traffic problem in large-cities. He showed his concern as virtually every large city on the planet is affected by worsening traffic. The tech billionaire finds the solution of multi-level tunnels worth trying.

Elon Musk Tunnels in Las Vegas

After completing the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop tunnel three months ago, the company is near the completion of its second tunnel in Las Vegas. This tunnel, called Vegas Loop, is almost done, and the company will soon open the tunnels to the public. The tunnels will cut the driving time from the Convention Center in Las Vegas to Mandalay Bay to just three minutes. During the peak hours, the driving time may take up to 30 minutes.

The tunnel will open for the public in January 2021, and, when completed, travelers will get the opportunity to go from one side of the Convention Center to another in Tesla electric vehicles. Tesla Model X and Model 3 electric vehicles, and the Model 3 trams will run through the tunnels to make visitors’ journeys in just 2 minutes.

Steve Hill, LVCVA President, and CEO said that the company, after the completion of the second tunnel, will link the Las Vegas tunnels to its existing tunnels in Los Angeles. It will cut the current driving time of five hours to just two hours.

Nintendo Direct Mini: Showcase Event Scheduled for September 17th

By

Hridesh Kamal

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September 16, 2020

Nintendo Direct Mini September — Image Courtesy: Nintendo

The Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase September event is going to be held on 17th at 7 AM PDT (2 PM UTC). The event will showcase Nintendo Switch titles from across Nintendo Publishing partners. The press release from Nintendo invites fans to join in “for a live-streamed Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase, featuring information on upcoming Nintendo Switch titles exclusively from Nintendo’s publishing partners.”

There was speculation surrounding Nintendo’s silence while the next-gen Xbox and PS5 grabbed headlines. However, apart from this, Nintendo has released no information beyond the starting time of the event. However, no third party games are expected to feature at the event. Here is the original tweet from the official Nintendo US twitter handle.

Tune in 9/17 at 7 a.m. PT for a livestreamed #NintendoDirectMini: Partner Showcase, featuring information on upcoming #NintendoSwitch titles exclusively from our publishing partners. pic.twitter.com/nidlz0AnWV
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 16, 2020

What to expect from Nintendo Direct Mini?

The Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase can be the perfect platform for Switch fans to know what to expect from their favorite console. It should include both upcoming titles as well as some Switch upgrade news. Some rumors suggest the release of a new and improved Nintendo Switch towards the beginning of 2021.

While the world watches, it will build upon the success of the Nintendo Partner Showcase held in August 2020. The last event brought us fans news on franchises like Kingdom Hearts and Fusor. Apart from these, we received the announcement of Donkey Kong Country 2’s arrival on Switch Online. As it rides on the expectations from the last month’s event, it remains to be seen how September’s Nintendo Partner Showcase will fare.

Fans and interested parties can take part in the entire Livestream of the Nintendo Partner Showcase event here on YouTube. Alternatively, users can enjoy the same stream from the official Nintendo Partner Showcase event page here.

Singapore Will Pay Its Citizens For Using Apple Watch To Keep Healthy

By

Punkaj Kumar

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September 16, 2020

Singapore Will Pay Its Citizens For Using Apple Watch To Keep Healthy — Image courtesy: Moneycontrol

The use of smart gadgets by harnessing technology for monitoring health is increasing day by day. Smart Gadgets such as smartwatches are becoming a part of people’s life these days. Apple has partnered with the government of Singapore on a two-year health initiative called LumiHealth. The health initiative focuses on tracking user behavior through the Apple Watch and an iPhone app. The government will reward the citizens of Singapore if they keep themselves healthy using the Apple watch for two years.

As pert the health scheme, the Singapore government will reward its residents up to S$380 ($280) for completing the tasks and goals within the app. The citizens will earn this money through various rewards and vouchers.

Tasks & Other Features in LumiHealth App

There are various goals and tasks to fulfill within the LumiHealth app to earn rewards and vouchers. You can accomplish the tasks and goals by walking, doing yoga, swimming, or other exercises. The app will also offer personalized coaching. You will also get reminders for immunizations and other health screenings from the health-monitoring app. The app also contains various wellness challenges to compel users to make better food choices and improve their sleep habits.

According to Apple, the LumiHealth program is voluntary, and it is designed keeping in view the user’s privacy and security. The company also said that the user’s data is encrypted and secure and will not be sold for marketing purposes.

Singapore was also among the first states to develop a contact-tracing app to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now distributing tokens to the residents to control large gatherings and allow people to enter selected venues.

The iPhone maker on Tuesday announced an update for the Apple Watch through a virtual event. The latest update comes with health-tracking features, including the reward system. If you don’t know, Apple has also collaborated with healthcare institutions like Stanford Medicine in the past.

Audi Presents SQ7 and SQ8 With V8 TFSI Gasoline Engine in Sporty Character

By

Punkaj Kumar

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September 15, 2020

Audi Presents SQ7 and SQ8 With TFSI Gasoline Engine in Sporty Character — Image Courtesy: Audi

Audi has announced the SQ7 and the SQ8 with new TFSI gasoline engines in sporty character with a superior performance. The German automobile manufacturer is now responding to the trend of sporty gasoline engines in the high-performance SUV segment. The company says that both the Audi models, ie. Audi SQ7 TFSI and SQ8 TFSI offer new connectivity features and many high-tech components. The brand says that the large S models will soon come to the European markets during the fall of this year.

Performance and Fuel Consumption

The presence of 4.0 TFSI in the Audi SQ7 and the Audi SQ8 boosts their performance. Both the models accelerate from zero to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds with the help of the twin-turbo V8. Further, the electronics limit the propulsion at 250 km/h. In terms of fuel consumption, both the SQ7 TFSI and SQ8 TFSI consume anywhere between 12.0 to 12.1 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. However, the CO2 emissions in the Audi models vary differently. The SQ7 TFSI model emits around 276 to 278 grams of CO2 per kilometer. In the SQ8 TFSI model, the range of CO2 emissions is 275 to 276 grams per kilometer.

Audi SQ7 TFSI and SQ8 TFSI Wheels

Audi Wheel of The Blue Color SQ7 — Image Courtesy: Audi Mediacenter

Audi has fitted the SQ7 TFSI and the SQ8 TFSI models with different wheel sizes. The SQ7 TFSI comes with 20-inch wheels, and the SQ8 TFSI has 21-inch wheels. The front axle features 400mm Dia brake discs. But, the rear axle comes with a slightly smaller brake discs of 350mm diameter. The brake calipers feature an S logo on the front axle and are available in black and red colors.

However, the luxury carmaker says that it will also install a powerful brake system made of carbon fiber ceramic discs upon the request of its customers. It will have a diameter of 420mm at the front and 370mm at the rear axle. Also, the brake calipers will be in anthracite gray color.

Exterior Look and Design Features

Both the Audi SQ7 TFSI and SQ8 TFSI look the same at first glance. At the front, there are double slats in the Singleframe, and the bumper features a distinctly three-dimensional blade. The air inlets at the side come filled with a honeycomb grid.

The exterior mirror housings at the side are in aluminum look, and some attachments, including the frame of the Singleframe, are designed in matt silver. However, in the black styling package, the car frame and other parts are also painted black.

If you want to read more about the detailed equipment, sporty look, electronics, and other features of the Audi SQ7 TFSI and SQ8 TFSI models, read the official media release of the Audi.

Microsoft Teams Joins Nuance DAX to Improve Virtual Health Consulting

By

Hridesh Kamal

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September 15, 2020

Microsoft announced a partnership with Nuance Communications Inc. that will see Microsoft Teams be integrated with Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX). The move aims to improve the experiences of both the physician and the patient when availing virtual consultancy services. Further, it aims to improve the quality of healthcare services on an online platform. Here is the official announcement.

We are expanding our partnership with @NuanceInc to integrate Nuance’s ambient clinical solution, Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) with #MicrosoftTeams, #Azure and #AI. https://t.co/cMSrYOSPQg
— Microsoft News and Stories (@MSFTnews) September 15, 2020

As the COVID pandemic still has the world in its grip, online consultation has seen explosive growth. Research indicates a 50 to 175 fold rise in the number of people availing virtual healthcare services. It has brought the need for an improved structure to handle virtual consults. Further, there is a need for tools to assist physicians who are trying to manage these unprecedented numbers.

The announcement, part of a broader partnership between the two companies, allows a physician to enable Nuance DAX in their Microsoft Teams workspace. It would mean that the doctor can focus on the patient as the AI records the details of the consultation. In essence, the AI creates clinical documentation to assist the physician in providing healthcare services.

Benefits of Nuance DAX – Microsoft Teams integration

Based on the official Microsoft News website, “the integration of Nuance DAX and Microsoft Teams for telehealth is part of the ongoing strategic partnership to accelerate the adoption of ACI solutions to improve healthcare experiences by reducing administrative workloads that lead to physician burnout.”

The innovation aims at making online consultation more efficient, allowing physicians to focus on the patient while delegating the note-making to a computer. Further, it incorporates the contextual data from the session in the patient’s medical record. This helps the physician to be in complete control of the virtual visit.

The Nuance DAX technology will also feature as part of Microsoft Azure. A demonstration of the same is scheduled for the Microsoft Ignite virtual conference between September 22 to September 24, 2020.

Watch Dogs: Legion Specs Out for PC

By

Hridesh Kamal

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September 15, 2020

PC gamers waiting for the release of Watch Dogs: Legion have received the first important piece of news from Ubisoft. With the game set to launch on 29th October, the development team has released the recommended specifications for the latest Watch Dogs game. The specifications allow gamers to know whether their gear will give them a 1080p low setting experience or a full-fledged 4K view of a neon-clad London.

Discover the PC Specs for #WatchDogsLegion 🖥️
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) September 15, 2020

What’s more? The game brings an exclusive experience for gamers owning an Nvidia RTX card. The game will support ray tracing, allowing players to immerse themselves in the most realistic Watch Dogs: Legion experience.

With select GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards coming with a free digital copy of Watch Dogs: Legion, the game will support ray tracing along with Nvidia’s DLSS Ultra Performance mode.

Recommended PC specs for Watch Dogs: Legion

1080p / Low Settings

RAM: 8 GB
Storage Space: 45 GB
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 / AMD Ryzen 5 1400
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon R9 290X
VRAM: 4 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

1080p / High Settings

RAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480
VRAM: 6 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

1440p / High Settings

RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB
CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060S or AMD Radeon RX 5700
VRAM: 8GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

4K / Ultra Settings

RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB (+ 20 GB HD Textures Pack)
CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700K
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti or AMD Radeon VII
VRAM: 11 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

1080p / High Settings with Ray Tracing

RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB
CPU: Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
VRAM: 8 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

Ray Tracing 4K / Ultra Settings with Ray Tracing

RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45GB (+20 GB HD Textures Pack)
CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
VRAM: 11 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

Watch Dogs: Legion PC Specs — Image Courtesy: Ubisoft

The game is set to launch on PC, Xbox One and PS4 on 29th October. The launch date for Xbox Series X and Series S is November 10.

How to Stop Pop-Up Ads on Android

By

Punkaj Kumar

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September 15, 2020

Smartphone usage has increased over time, and it is now the most used device to surf the internet. Among smartphones, the most popular operating system used around the world is Android. If you’re also an Android user and use your smartphone to browse the internet, this article is for you. While you may be reading an interesting article or are looking for something over the internet, sometimes you may encounter annoying popup ads on your Android browser that you want to stop immediately. Pop-ups are annoying and make the user’s browsing experience ugly by blocking the view, forcing redirects, or opening tabs automatically. It’s time you bring this to an end!

Also Read: How to tell if your Phone is being Tracked, Tapped or Monitored by a Spy software

No method of blocking pop-ups is 100 percent foolproof, but you can still avoid most of the digital nonsense by following the ‘right’ security practices. If you follow the required security practices, you can prevent most of the browser pop-ups by doing a few things in your web browser settings. Are you facing such a problem on your browser? Continue reading the article and follow the steps for your respective browser then.

Disable Pop-ups in Google Chrome

If you are a user that use Google Chrome as your default browser to surf the internet and are facing pop-up issues, follow these steps:

Also Read: How to Recover Deleted Text Messages On Android

1. Launch the Chrome browser on your Android phone and then tap the More icon (the three vertical dots) at the top-right corner of your phone screen.

2. Now tap Settings and then scroll down to select the Site settings option.

3. In the Site settings, tap Pop-Ups to turn on or off the pop-ups option using the available slider.

4. If the pop-ups are enabled, touch the slider button to disable them.

This method is to block pop-ups on the Chrome browser in Android phones, and it should work in all phones irrespective of the Android version.

Stop Popup Ads on Android Mi Browser

If you’re using a Xiaomi Redmi or POCO device, then you have a default browser called MI Browser. To block pop-ups on the default browser in Xiaomi phones, follow these steps:

1. Launch the default browser (here MI Browser) on your device and tap the Profile icon at the bottom-right of the phone screen.

2. Now tap the settings icon next to your name and then select Advanced, as shown in the following image

3. Find the Block pop-ups option by scrolling down and turn the toggle switch on to stop the popup ads on your Android.

If you use the default browser available on some other device, then find the option to block the pop-ups similarly by going to the advanced settings within that browser.

Stop Popup Ads Using Other Android Browser

Block Popup Ads on Android Using Ghostery

If you are looking for some more aggressive pop-up or advertisement blocking on your Android phone, then you will need to use a third-party web browser. Go to the Google Playstore and search for “Ghostery” in the search bar. From the search results, install the Ghostery Privacy Browser or click here to install it directly. This browser, as the name suggests, shows you the types of trackers available on the website and gives you the ability to block them. Follow the steps to block Pop-ups using the Ghostery browser:

1. First, select the Settings cog.

2. Now tap the Block Pop-ups from the available options.

Also Read: How to Download Youtube Videos Without Any Software

To go for the most aggressive blocking option, you can go to Ghostery > Tracker Blocking Options and then select Block Everything.

With this, there is a less chance of ads popping up on your browser that ruin your browsing experience.

There are many other browsers that offer the option to block pesky ads and pop-ups too. But, Ghostery has the reputation of blocking the pop-up ads and trackers aggressively.

Scan For Malware on Android

If your device is still showing pop-ups after following the above steps, you may need to run a malware scan on your phone. So if you are a user that has installed apps from outside the Google Playstore, then there are chances that your Android may have got affected with malware. Install some malware scanner or antivirus on your Android phone if it is acting funny or causing you troubles by loading pop-ups all the time. Want to read more on this? Then we recommend you to read our article on how to remove malware on Android, where we talk in detail about the procedure and malware scanners.