TECHNOLOGY

    “US govt Sues Apple on monopoly charges”

    The US Department of justice (DoJ) has filed a lawsuit against Apple and accused it of “broad, sustained, and illegal” monopoly in the smartphone market. The DoJ claims that Apple has hindered competition by limiting access to its software and hardware. Apple, on the other hand, argues that the “lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart”. The lawsuit aims to bring about alterations in Apple’s practices. Here is a complete lowdown on the lawsuit in 5 points: -The lawsuit specifically questions the functionality of iMessage and the interconnectivity of Apple products like the iPhone and Apple Watch. The complaint states that the case aims to “free smartphone markets” from Apple’s anticompetitive behaviour, contending that the company has impeded innovation to maintain its market dominance. “Apple has maintained its power not because of its superiority, but because of its unlawful exclusionary behaviour,” The Guardian reported…
    SCIENCE

    Study decodes how human brain plans before speaking

    New York: A team of US researchers has found pauses in speech in the human brain, which indicates how the complex organ that controls thoughts, memory, and speech, makes plans before speaking. The team from NYU Grossman School of Medicine analysed brain-mapping recordings of 16 people undergoing surgery to treat seizures related to epilepsy. The results showed that two regions — the inferior frontal gyrus and the motor cortex — in the folded top layers of the brain or cerebral cortex, play an important role in planning before words are said aloud. Previously, the brain regions were known to control the muscle (motor) movements in the throat and mouth needed to produce speech. It wasn’t clear whether these regions also control “the mix of sounds and words people want to say aloud”, said the team in the paper, published online in the journal Brain. “Our study adds evidence for the role…
    National

    Is India part of Apple’s Vision Pro global roll out plan? Find out

    Apple is may soon make its Vision Pro available in more regions outside America. The tech giant is planning to introduce 12 new languages to the virtual keyboard ahead of the launch, according to a report on MacRumors. While the virtual keyboard currently supports only English (US) and Emoji, limiting it to the United States now, the addition of more languages suggests the expansion of the Vision Pro’s reach to other countries. Will India be a part of the expansion plan? The list of 12 languages that may be supported by the Vision Pro are Cantonese, Simplified Chinese, French, French for Canada, German, Japanese, Korean and English variants UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Japan. Going by the speculated list of language options being made available on the device, an Indian launch does not seem to be a part of the scheme at this point of time. That said, Apple may launch their…
    TECHNOLOGY

    Rockstar Games may release second trailer of GTA VI soon

    Hyderabad: Video game developer Rockstar Games is expected to launch the second trailer of the sixth title of Grand Theft Auto, one of the most popular video games of all time. The gaming studio has upgraded its banner with a GTA VI artwork on its official website, leading to speculations of some news about the title coming out soon. Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting the release of GTA 6 for quite a while now. The first trailer of the game, which was released in December, 2023, got so popular that it became the most watched non-music video within 24-hours on YouTube. The first trailer of the game confirms that GTA will return to Vice City for the sixth edition and it may be noted there will be a male and a female protagonist. Some enthusiasts speculate a March or April release of the second trailer, but there has been…
    TECHNOLOGY

    Sam Altman texted Elon Musk after finding out about OpenAI lawsuit, here is what happened next

    A couple of days back, Elon Musk made headlines for his decision to fire OpenAI, saying that the company had abandoned its original mission and had violated its contract. In the lawsuit, Musk also accused OpenAI of malpractice and argued that OpenAI, along with its president Gregory Brockman and CEO Sam Altman, as well as Microsoft should be barred from benefiting from the company’s artificial general intelligence technology. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was seen sharing an old Twitter (now called X) exchange, trying to remind Musk of how he stood by him when people were against Tesla in 2019. And now, Altman has revealed in an interview that he had texted Musk right after finding out about the lawsuit. And what followed was exchanging of some “emojis.” Sam Altman reveals texting Elon Musk after OpenAI lawsuit In an interview with journalist Kara Swisher, Altman…
    TECHNOLOGY

    iQOO Z9 5G launched in India, price set at Rs 19,999: Launch offers, sale date, specs and other details

    The iQOO Z9 5G has been launched in India under Rs 20,000. Some of the key highlights of the new mid-range 5G phone are a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset, a 120Hz display, a 5,000mAh battery, a 50-megapixel dual rear camera setup and more. The iQOO Z9 5G will cost you Rs 19,999 in the country for the base model. Here is a look at the sale date, launch offers, specs and other details. iQOO Z9 5G: India price, launch sale offers The iQOO Z9 5G will go on sale in two configurations. The 8GB + 128GB storage model will cost you Rs 19,999, whereas the 8GB + 256GB variant is priced at Rs 21,999. The new 5G phone will be available for purchase in India via the company’s iQOO India website and Amazon.  People who have Amazon Prime membership will be able to buy the device in an early access…
    HYDERABAD

    IIT-Hyderabad cluster receives Rs. 60 cr grant from DST for SATHI scheme

    Sangareddy: The Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H)Cluster has been awarded aRs. 60 crore grant by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institutes (SATHI) scheme. Only three clusters have been selected under the SATHI scheme. The proposed IIT-H centre, called the Centre for In-Situ and Correlative Microscopy (SATHI-CISCoM), will serve as the cornerstone for cutting-edge characterisation. The proposed centre would be the first of its kind to enable real-time characterisation across multiple length scales for fundamental and industrial R&D purposes. This initiative aims to bring together scientists from a broad range of scientific disciplines, including physical sciences, chemistry, biology, and pharmaceutical studies, to address common scientific goals that can only be addressed by using suchsophisticated microscopy techniques. Led by Prof BS Murty, Director, a team of researchers from IITH with Dr Sai Rama Krishna Malladi as the Principal Investigator, the SATHI-CISCoM facility will be supported…
    TECHNOLOGY

    Tackling phobias to anxiety: Experts reveal 5 health benefits of VR headsets

    New Delhi: Virtual reality (VR) headsets such as the Apple Vision Probring a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘glued to the screen’, but these devices can also play a role in improving health and well-being, experts said. Online gaming information site Indivisible Game has revealed five ways that VR headsets can bring physical and mental benefits to players. “While VR headsets do pose various risks like injuries from your surroundings, motion sickness, and eye strain, this technology has also proved useful in recreational, educational, and medical settings,” an Indivisible Game spokesperson said. Tackle phobias with VR: Medical professionals have successfully adopted VR technology as a tool to help tackle and reduce phobias. Patients can be exposed to some of their greatest phobias such as spiders, crowded spaces, heights, etc. in a safe, controlled environment. The scope of VR allows for the gradual introduction of a wide range of phobias to patients, equipping…
    TECHNOLOGY

    Elon Musk vs Sam Altman fight starts as Musk sues OpenAI, says paid ChatGPT is betrayal of original mission

    Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unfair business practices by “maximising profits for Microsoft, rather than for the benefit of humanity”. Musk filed a lawsuit on Thursday in San Francisco court. In the lawsuit, Musk has reiterated something he has been saying for a few years now, that OpenAI’s recent collaboration with Microsoft has eroded the company’s original commitment to developing public, open-source artificial general intelligence. n the lawsuit, Musk demands that OpenAI, alongside its president Gregory Brockman and CEO Sam Altman, who have been named co-defendants in the lawsuit, and Microsoft, be barred from profiting from the company’s artificial general intelligence technology. Elon Musk and Sam Altman together set up OpenAI in 2015. OpenAI’s artificial general intelligence or AGI –– a tool that is capable of performing human-like cognitive level tasks –– was released in…
    TECHNOLOGY

    MWC 2024: Xiaomi Watch 2 makes global debut with WearOS 3, looks promising 

    At MWC 2024, Xiaomi showed off a set of new smartwatches catering to different price points. One of them is the Xiaomi Watch 2 which I used for some time. It comes with the latest WearOS 3 operating system and a generic round dial design. This is the company’s flagship offering, which looks quite promising, but it isn’t coming to India for now. Xiaomi already sells a few smartwatches in India under the Redmi branding, and of late, we haven’t seen it launching a Xiaomi-branded watch in the country. The current portfolio of Xiaomi India suggests that it is currently focusing on only offering budget watches under Rs 5,000 because it has been reported that the budget category is seeing growth in terms of shipments. Counterpoint reported that 54 per cent of India’s smartwatch market was under the retail price band of Rs 2,000, registering over 3x growth. But, this…

    TECHNOLOGY

    • Jan- 2024 -
      6 January

      Netflix may introduce in-app purchases, ads to games

      San Francisco: Streaming giant Netflix is reportedly planning to generate revenue from its gaming business by adding in-app purchases and advertisements. The company has had discussions in recent months about how to generate revenue from its games, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the discussions. For two years, Netflix subscribers have been able to download tons of mobile games, all free with their subscription. The company offers more than 75 mobile games, like Grand Theft Auto, Love Is Blind, Monument Valley and Oxenfree. According to the report, Netflix is planning to put a price tag on premium gaming titles and placing ads on games. Netflix was yet to comment on the report. The company last year said it…

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    • 4 January

      JNTU-Hyderabad to confer Doctor of Philosophy on ISRO Chairman Somnath

      Hyderabad: The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) – Hyderabad will confer Doctor of Philosophy (Honors Causa) on Dr. Sreedhara Panicker Somnath, Chairman Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary Department of Space in its XII convocation scheduled for Friday. ISRO Chairman Dr. Somnath will be delivering the convocation address and Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is also Chancellor of the JNTU-Hyderabad, will be taking part in the ceremony. As many as 88,226 degrees including 75,815 undergraduate, 11,088 postgraduate, 835 doctor of pharmacy, 142 doctor of philosophy and 346 other degrees will be awarded in the convocation. A total of 54 gold medals will also be awarded to meritorious students for the academic year 2022-23. Two new colleges – JNTU-Hyderabad University College of Engineering Mahabubabad and Palair…

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    • 3 January

      UK teen girl virtually ‘gangraped’ in metaverse, police launch probe

      New Delhi: The police in the United Kingdom are investigating an alleged case of rape in a virtual reality game. A 16-year-old girl has said that her virtual avatar was gangraped in metaverse by online strangers, the New York Post has reported. The report added that investigating officers have said that though the teen did not suffer any physical harm, she has suffered the same ’emotional and psychological trauma’ has someone who is raped in the real world. The name of the game the girl was playing at the time of alleged sexual assault is not known.

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    • 2 January

      iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max design details leaked: Here is all we know about the 2024 iPhone Pro models

      One of the biggest smartphone launches for this year is going to be the iPhone 16 series. As is tradition every year, Apple will most likely launch the new 2024 flagship iPhones in September this year. Which means, we are still months away from anything going official. And considering Apple likes to stay tight lipped about its launches till the last possible moment, we aren’t hearing anything from the Cupertino giant any time soon. However, leaks and speculations around the iPhone 16 have been unstoppable for months already now. And just days ago, some important design details about the iPhone 16 Pro models have also leaked, that suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max may have…

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    • 1 January

      Ola Electric captures 40 per cent market share in two-wheeler EV segment

      Bengaluru/Hyderabad: Ola Electric on Monday  announced that it recorded 30,219 registrations in December and captured a 40% market share in the EV 2-wheeler segment (as per VAHAN Portal). The company clocked its highest ever monthly registrations during the month and posted a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth of 74% compared to the same month last year. Additionally, it posted a Q-o-Q growth of 48% with 83,963 registrations during the quarter that ended December and a Y-o-Y growth of 68% when compared to the same quarter last year. Additionally, Ola Electric has achieved yet another achievement in December by reaching an industry-first production milestone of 4,00,000 scooters in the span of just two years. The company has also emerged as the first ever EV 2W…

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    • Dec- 2023 -
      30 December

      Microsoft quietly rolls out new AI-powered Copilot app for Android

      New Delhi: Microsoft has quietly launched a new dedicated Copilot app in the Google Play Store, offering the users access to its AI-powered Copilot without the Bing mobile app. The new AI-powered assistant is now available for Android users, reports Neowin, but an iOS version is not available yet. The Copilot app on Android is similar to ChatGPT, with access to chatbot capabilities, image generation through DALL-E 3, and the ability to draft text for emails and documents. It also includes free access to OpenAI’s latest GPT-4 model. “In addition, you can use Copilot within the Microsoft Edge browser for Android, SwiftKey, Skype, and more,” said the report. “Improve Your Productivity with Copilot” “Your AI-Powered Chat Assistant. Copilot is a pioneering…

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    • 28 December

      Xiaomi forays into automotive sector, unveils its 1st EV

      New Delhi: Global technology brand Xiaomi on Thursday announced its entry into the automotive industry by unveiling its long-awaited first electric vehicle. The company launched two EVs — XiaomiSU7 and XiaomiSU7Max. “#XiaomiSU7 makes a significant Stride as Xiaomi expands from the smartphone industry to the automotive sector, completing the Human x Car x Home smart ecosystem,” the company posted on X. “#XiaomiSU7 will forever journey alongside those steering toward their dreams,” it added. According to the company, the XiaomiSU7Max goes from 0-100km/h in 2.78 seconds, while the XiaomiSU7 reaches 0-100km/h in 5.28 seconds. The top speed of the SU7 is 210km/h and for the SU7Max, it is 265km/h. “#XiaomiSU7 goes from 0-100km/h in 2.78 seconds, officially joining the ‘2s Supercar Club’…

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    • 26 December

      Centre issues advisory to social media platforms on deepfakes, warns of legal consequences

      The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Tuesday issued an advisory to social media platforms directing them to follow existing IT rules to deal with the issue of deepfakes. As per the advisory, social media platforms are mandated to inform their users about prohibited content which is specified under the IT Rules.  Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules outlines prohibitions on sharing content that infringes on others’ rights, including bodily privacy, and “obscene or pornographic” content. Other prohibited content include those which could deceive or mislead the user about its origin by intentionally posing it as a fact and content which impersonates another person.  The social media platforms must inform the users about the prohibited content listed under Rule…

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    • 23 December

      Google to fire 30,000 more employees? Report suggests AI jobs may lead to restructuring inside company

      In a bid to embrace the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations, Google is reportedly contemplating a substantial reorganization within its 30,000-person ad sales unit. This move, however, has sparked concerns about potential job cuts, particularly following Google’s recent layoffs that affected over 12,000 employees in 2023. This restructuring aligns with Google’s growing reliance on machine-learning techniques to streamline ad purchases across its various platforms. Over the years, the tech giant has introduced AI-powered tools designed to automate the creation of new ads, contributing significantly to its annual revenue, estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. The efficiency of these tools, coupled with minimal employee involvement, results in high-profit margins. According to a report…

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    • 23 December

      Flipkart apologises after customer’s complaint about rude delivery agent goes viral

      An incident about a rude Flipkart delivery agent and a customer has gone viral on X. The customer, @gharkakabutar expressed her decision to never use the e-commerce site again after an unpleasant encounter her father had with one of their delivery agents. The issue arose when the woman’s father was unable to promptly provide the one-time password (OTP) required at the time of delivery. The delivery agent, apparently frustrated by the delay, rudely lashed out at the elderly man, saying, “Kuch aata nahi hai toh order kyun karte ho! (Why order stuff if you don’t know how to do anything!)”. Deity’s post has garnered over 170k views and prompted many to share similar stories of arrogance from delivery executives. In…

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