Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek has reportedly chosen the American tech firm Keysight Technologies to authenticate the radio frequency performance of 5G gadgets having multiple-input and multiple-output as well as Massive MIMO antenna technologies in OTA lab-based testing.
With Keysight’s 5G new radio device testing solutions, MediaTek will be able to validate, design, and develop 5G modem platforms used for establishing high-performance and reliable connectivity in wireless gadgets and transmitting data at high-speed rates.
MediaTek’s cutting-edge 5G modem technologies are integrated into personal computers, smartphones, mobile hotspots, routers, as well as fixed wireless access (FWA) by electronic device manufacturers.
The fabless semiconductor maker will be employing the 5G Network Emulation Solutions by Keysight for precisely simulating real-world channel settings and automating the validation of 5G devices that are compliant with the latest specifications established by global standards organizations such as CTIA and 3GPP.
Keysight’s toolset also checks for carrier acceptance test (CAT) plans required by leading mobile operators.
Dr. Ho-Chi Hwang, General Manager, Wireless Communication System and Partnerships, MediaTek, stated that the firm has been continuously working with Keysight to facilitate MediaTek’s technological advancements to empower its 5G offerings.
Hwang added that MediaTek’s ability to build 5G modem platforms had received a significant boost by Keysight platforms. This would lead to a growing network of 5G device makers.
Mark Wallace, SVP, Global Sales, Keysight, conveyed that the company is pleased to expand MediaTek’s lab-testing capabilities with its test tools and help maintain its position as the leader in 5G innovation and technology development.
He added that MediaTek will be able to accelerate the launch of chipsets for advanced 5G offerings in multimedia, gaming, and live video streaming in high-def. This will be achieved by integrating Keysight’s comprehensive MIMO test solutions and early access to 5G NR 3GPP Release 16 test cases.
Keysight has also been chosen by Chinese tech giant Xiaomi for accelerating validation of 5G Release 16 (Rel-16) devices, in order to capitalize on 3GPP 5G NR opportunities.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(270) "Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek has reportedly chosen the American tech firm Keysight Technologies to authenticate the radio frequency performance of 5G gadgets having multiple-input and multiple-output as well as Massive MIMO antenna technologies in OTA lab-based testing." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-08-17 21:16:16" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/17/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(79) "img/mobile/mediatek-selects-keysight-technologies-for-validating-5g-devices.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [1]=> object(stdClass)#27 (11) { ["id"]=> string(5) "34277" ["name"]=> string(71) "Qualcomm’s revenue forecast dented by a slowdown in smartphone demand" ["url"]=> string(68) "qualcomms-revenue-forecast-dented-by-a-slowdown-in-smartphone-demand" ["full_desc"]=> string(3005) "U.S. tech giant Qualcomm Inc’s revenue forecast for the fourth quarter is reportedly lower than the Wall Street targets, indicative of a tough economy amid slow demand for smartphones. This could severely impact its core business of handset chip manufacturing.
As per reports, the company’s shares dipped by around 2.8% in after-hours trading, which in the midst of a broader selloff in growth commodities, furthered this year’s drop of about 18%.
Akash Palkhiwala, CFO, Qualcomm, stated that the company expects that high uncertainty in the global economy coupled with Covid-19 restrictions in China will cause customers to be cautious of their spending in the second half of this year.
The San Diego-based company stated that the supply-chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and lockdowns in China are hindering demand, leading many phone manufacturers to cut down on chip orders.
The chip maker is now expecting a 5% drop in smartphones this year, in comparison to the earlier estimated flat growth. American market research firm IDC projected a 3.5% decline in smartphone shipments.
Qualcomm’s handset division, which makes modern chips for iPhones and Samsung Galaxy S models, drives more than half of the firm’s total sales. With a 59% growth, the firm went over the adjusted revenue expectations for the third quarter.
Cristiano Amon, CEO, Qualcomm, said that the revenue from its automotive business hit a record in the third quarter and will surpass in the fourth quarter.
Qualcomm’s current-quarter revenue forecast is between $11-11.8 billion, compared to the analysts’ forecast of $11.87 billion. It has also forecasted its adjusted earnings per share between $3-$3.30.
The firm’s adjusted revenue for the second quarter came at $10.93 billion, beating the $10.88 billion estimate.
Revenue for its chip designing business came at $9.38 billion, a 45% growth on-year, while revenue for its licensing business came at $1.52 billion, a 2% growth on-year.
Ensuring stability for its licensing business, Qualcomm extended its patent license agreement with Samsung till 2030. It has also expanded the use of its Snapdragon 800 platform for future Samsung Galaxy phones and other products.
Source credit: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/qualcomm-cites-alarm-of-sales-slowdown-from-cooling-smartphone-demand-11658973040359.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(186) "U.S. tech giant Qualcomm Inc’s revenue forecast for the fourth quarter is reportedly lower than the Wall Street targets, indicative of a tough economy amid slow demand for smartphones." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-07-29 16:16:04" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/29/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/qualcomms-revenue-forecast-dented-by-a-slowdown-in-smartphone-demand.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [2]=> object(stdClass)#28 (11) { ["id"]=> string(5) "17000" ["name"]=> string(71) "Samsung Australia fined $9.6 million over false water-resistance claims" ["url"]=> string(70) "samsung-australia-fined-9.6-million-over-false-water-resistance-claims" ["full_desc"]=> string(2873) "South Korean tech giant, Samsung, has reportedly been ordered to pay A$14 million ($9.6 million) in penalties by Australia’s consumer surveillant after it admitted to have mislead Samsung users in Australia over its Samsung Galaxy smartphones’ capability to withstand water.
As per reports, from 2016 to 2018, the Korean firm went on a marketing blitz across its website, stores, and social media claiming that its Galaxy phones would not be damaged even after being submerged in ocean water or any other pools of water.
However, the smartphone firm’s Australian affiliate has confessed that it broke the Australian Consumer Law, acknowledging that the phone’s charging port would corrode if submerged in water. It further added that the phone might also stop working if put on a charge while wet.
Gina Cass-Gottlieb, the chairperson of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), stated that the claims of being water-resistant were a crucial selling point for Galaxy phones.
Gottlieb added that the regulator reviewed hundreds of complaints filed by consumers, reporting issues with their Galaxy mobiles after they were exposed to water. Many of them informed that their devices stopped working completely.
Samsung made these claims for its Galaxy S7 Edge, S7, A5, A7, S8 Plus, S8, and Note 8 mobiles. Over 3.1 million of these were sold in Australia.
The ACCC brought Samsung Australia to court for the false representation back in 2019, with its ads showing that Galaxy devices could resist up to 1.5m deep water for about half an hour.
Prior to the launch of the Galaxy line in the country, the tech firm had already begun efforts to reduce corrosion related damage to its charging port from water exposure.
However, the Samsung affiliate went ahead with the marketing campaign even though it was aware that submersion in water could cause damage to the charger, or even make the phone stop working altogether.
Samsung has filed joint submissions with ACCC over penalties and orders. The watchdog has also asked users to reach out to Samsung Australia if there is any damage to their charging port.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(278) "South Korean tech giant, Samsung, has reportedly been ordered to pay A$14 million ($9.6 million) in penalties by Australia’s consumer surveillant after it admitted to have mislead Samsung users in Australia over its Samsung Galaxy smartphones’ capability to withstand water." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-06-24 16:21:26" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/24/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/mobile/samsung-australia-fined-9.6-million-over-false-water-resistance-claims.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [3]=> object(stdClass)#29 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8974" ["name"]=> string(67) "Apple unveils BNPL option among a host of new features at WWDC 2022" ["url"]=> string(67) "apple-unveils-bnpl-option-among-a-host-of-new-features-at-wwdc-2022" ["full_desc"]=> string(2933) "Silicon Valley major, Apple Inc., has reportedly unveiled a series of new features and innovations at its annual software developers conference, including a buy now pay later feature for products bought through its software, and an option to edit messages after they have been sent.
With the buy now pay later option, people would be able to pay for products in four installments with no additional interest fees over a course of six-week. Apple Pay Later, which is a direct competition to fintech firms such as ClearPay and Klarna, will be available wherever Apple Pay is accepted and managed with Apple Wallet.
Meanwhile, with the edit button, users will now be able to edit their messages after they have been sent on the company’s iMessage app, a long-requested feature that even Twitter has not yet unveiled for tweeted posts.
Apple also announced a collection of redesigned lock screens that can be set for different days in the week.
For instance, users can set a lock screen that does not show any notification related to work during the weekend and keep another that does not show any social media notifications during the workdays.
The tech giant has also teamed up with e-commerce platform, Shopify, to help Apple users track their orders through the Wallet app.
It has also updated its Maps software to offer a better rendering of landmarks on it. The messaging app will also get a shared video-watching app, SharePlay, which was earlier available only on FaceTime. Apple TV has also been updated to show live sports scores.
Apple has also unveiled a new MacBook Air laptop, which has been designed around the tech firm’s novel M2 silicon processor that, as per the firm, is 35% faster than its previous M1 chip. It will weigh 1.2kg and come with 1080p high-definition camera, providing better image quality on video calls.
Another feature that will be added is a ‘Safety Check’ tool with which access to sensitive information can be turned off in case of abusive situations.
Meanwhile, in regard to the Apple Car, whose shipping will begin next year, the tech firm is working on integrating its software more deeply into the instrument cluster on the vehicle’s dashboard.
Source credit: https://news.sky.com/story/apple-adds-edit-button-for-sent-messages-and-different-lock-screens-for-weekends-and-work-days-12629046
" ["meta_description"]=> string(282) "Silicon Valley major, Apple Inc., has reportedly unveiled a series of new features and innovations at its annual software developers conference, including a buy now pay later feature for products bought through its software, and an option to edit messages after they have been sent." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-06-08 16:17:16" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/08/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/apple-unveils-bnpl-option-among-a-host-of-new-features-at-wwdc-2022.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [4]=> object(stdClass)#30 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8960" ["name"]=> string(71) "MobiKwik adds ‘Pay one invoice for all payments’ feature on its app" ["url"]=> string(65) "mobikwik-adds-pay-one-invoice-for-all-payments-feature-on-its-app" ["full_desc"]=> string(2472) "MobiKwik, an India-based fintech company, has recently introduced an ‘AutoBill Pay’ feature for its ZIP customers to make recurring invoice funds simple and easy. ZIP is MobiKwik’s BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) product which facilitates a line of credit score for its 25 million users.
This new feature is exclusively designed for ZIP users to make payments for essential utility services such as water, electricity, DTH, cellular, electrical energy, gasoline, and so on.
In order to avail this feature, ZIP user must register their billers in the MobiKwik application and enable AutoBill Pay, the payment will be made robotically each month utilizing the BNPL credit score.
Moreover, with this new feature, MobiKwik ZIP users can automate all their invoice funds. It will give users the ability to create, modify, approve, and pause payments along with the option of revoking auto-debit on ZIP as per their needs.
To use the AutoBill Pay feature, user needs to install an up-to-date app where they can access the option of “Pay one invoice for all payments” on the dashboard for each iOS and Android users.
Furthermore, users can opt for their most preferred utility payments and one ZIP invoice for all payments can be generated monthly. The payments can be fetched fifteen to twenty days prior to the due date/s and users will get advance notification, earlier than the amount is debited.
Chandan Joshi, CEO and Co-Founder of Consumer Payments, MobiKwik, said that the company has analyzed that it becomes hectic for users to remember the due dates for several utility payments and clear them on time. To solve this issue, MobiKwik has now launched the BNPL feature for its 25 million ZIP users where they can pay one invoice for all payments.
With this, users can prevent late funds and penalties by initiating automated payments and billers will get their payments on time, said Mr. Joshi.
Source Credit: https://www.pehalnews.in/mobikwik-launches-autobill-pay-feature-for-zip-users/1993610/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(167) "MobiKwik, an India-based fintech company, has recently introduced an ‘AutoBill Pay’ feature for its ZIP customers to make recurring invoice funds simple and easy. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-05-28 08:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/28/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/mobile/mobikwik-adds-pay-one-invoice-for-all-payments-feature-on-its-app.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [5]=> object(stdClass)#31 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8919" ["name"]=> string(67) "Tata Group forays into consumer digital economy space with Tata Neu" ["url"]=> string(67) "tata-group-forays-into-consumer-digital-economy-space-with-tata-neu" ["full_desc"]=> string(2789) "Tata’s new app will be available on iOS, Android, and Tata Digital website enabling access to a range of its consumer brands
Tata Group has finally launched the much-awaited super app ‘Tata Neu’, underpinning the company’s goal to overtake Amazon and Jio Platforms in the consumer digital economy space of India.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, stated that the group is committed to equip today’s businesses for the digital world and in terms of consumer, combine them into a unified platform capable of offering an omnichannel experience.
Mr. N Chandrasekaran promoted Tata Neu’s core offerings which include loyalty, power of choice and a seamless experience, ultimately providing a satisfying On Tata experience.
With Tata Neu, users will gain access to a spectrum of services from Tata’s multiple consumer brands across tech, fashion, hotels, groceries, gadgets, finance, health, and travel on iOS, Android, and Tata Digital website.
According to Pratik Pal, Tata Digital CEO, the bunch of brands has an overall consumer base of 120 million users with 2,500 offline stores and an app footprint of 80 million across its digital assets.
Some of the brands incorporated into the new platform include online grocery provider BigBasket, consumer electronics store Croma, e-Pharma Tata 1Mg, Hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), e-commerce page Tata CLiQ, fashion retailer Westside, and coffee chain Starbucks.
Moreover, it will also house low-cost airline brand Air Asia, direct-to-home service provider Tata Play, and food delivery service platform Qmin.
As quoted by Chandrasekaran in his latest LinkedIn post, Tata Group’s other consumer brands such as airline brands Vistara and Air India, automaker Tata Motors, luxury product brand Titan, and jewellery maker Tanishq will be added to the app in near future.
Recognized as one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Tata Group already started testing the app – which the company has been working on for couple years - within its employees for the last six months.
Source Credit: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/tata-group-officially-launches-much-awaited-super-app-tata-neu-8330271.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(193) "Tata Group has finally launched the much-awaited super app ‘Tata Neu’, underpinning the company’s goal to overtake Amazon and Jio Platforms in the consumer digital economy space of India." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-04-09 11:18:02" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/09/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/tata-group-forays-into-consumer-digital-economy-space-with-tata-neu.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [6]=> object(stdClass)#32 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8918" ["name"]=> string(70) "Apple’s 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference to held be online again" ["url"]=> string(67) "apples-2022-worldwide-developers-conference-to-held-be-online-again" ["full_desc"]=> string(2611) "American tech giant, Apple Inc., will be reportedly hosting its annual WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) as an online event again this year, where developers will be able to attend for free.
The media event, which started being hosted online due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, will take place from 6th to 10th June 2022.
Apple will be showcasing its latest innovations in iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, and will also give developers access to its technologies and engineers to learn the process of creating groundbreaking apps and interactive experiences at the WWDC22.
Susan Prescott, VP of Worldwide Developer Relations, stated that the goal of WWDC was creating connections and build community.
Apple’s products have now become a part of their user’s daily life more than before, heling them learn, create, and connect. Apple’s global community continues growing its network of over 30 million developers where they gain insight and access to tools and technologies that can bring their ideas to real life.
This year’s program will furthermore include more cutting-edge learning labs, information sessions, as well as more digital lounges for engaging with audiences, and more localized content that will make the conference a truly global event, along with announcements from the keynote and Platform State of the Union address.
For the keynote and State of the Union presentation, a special day for students and developers will be hosted on 6th June at Apple Park, Cupertino, CA, to watch the videos along with those attending virtually.
This will be the third year of Apple supporting students interested in coding with its Swift Student Challenge. For this year’s challenge, students across the world have been invited to develop a Swift Playgrounds project on their choice of topic.
Swift Playgrounds app is available on Mac and iPad with which the programming language Switch can be learned in an interactive and fun way.
Source credit: https://japantoday.com/category/tech/apple%E2%80%99s-worldwide-developers-conference-returns-in-its-all-online-format
" ["meta_description"]=> string(195) "American tech giant, Apple Inc., will be reportedly hosting its annual WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) as an online event again this year, where developers will be able to attend for free." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-04-08 17:13:38" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/08/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/apples-2022-worldwide-developers-conference-to-held-be-online-again.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [7]=> object(stdClass)#33 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8913" ["name"]=> string(69) "MPL in talks to raise funds from investors including crypto giant FTX" ["url"]=> string(69) "mpl-in-talks-to-raise-funds-from-investors-including-crypto-giant-ftx" ["full_desc"]=> string(2494) "Indian mobile gaming and esports platform, Mobile Premier League (MPL), is reportedly in talks with various investors, including Bahamian crypto exchange FTX, to raise capital as it prepares to enter the web3 space, as per sources.
MPL, which operates more than 60 games on both Android and iOS, will have a significant shift in its future outlook as it plans on expanding its offerings in the new category.
Sources claim that the startup recently informed some of its existing as well as potential investors of its plans to launch NFT-based and play-to-earn games later this year, the deliberations for which are currently ongoing.
One of the sources added that MPL is looking to raise funds as an extension round of its Series E, to raise its valuation to more than $2.5 billion.
However, sources warned that the terms of investment are subject to changes.
In its December investor presentation, MPL had stated that it has over 5 million active ‘cash-playing’ monthly users, with the average revenue per user coming at around $5. The startup also said that it was developing a next-gen game distribution platform where more than 500 million tournaments will be played monthly.
Many startups in India have began exploring the web3 space, with Dream 11, MPL’s major rival, likely to lead a $100 million funding in Indian NFT startup Rario.
Last month, Glance, an AI-based software firm owned by InMobi Group, acquired Gambit Sports to introduce NFT-based live games to its users.
The investment would mark FTX’s entry into India’s startup ecosystem, which so far was mainly involved via sponsorships and partnerships.
Its rival crypto exchange platform, the U.S.-based Coinbase, on the other hand, has invested around $150 million in Indian startups, which include two crypto exchanges as well, CoinDCX and CoinSwitch Kuber.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/03/ftx-in-talks-to-invest-in-indian-gaming-startup-mpl-sources-say/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(231) "Indian mobile gaming and esports platform, Mobile Premier League (MPL), is reportedly in talks with various investors, including Bahamian crypto exchange FTX, to raise capital as it prepares to enter the web3 space, as per sources." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-04-04 17:52:38" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "04/04/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/mpl-in-talks-to-raise-funds-from-investors-including-crypto-giant-ftx.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [8]=> object(stdClass)#34 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "8909" ["name"]=> string(69) "Apple cuts iPhone SE production by 20% amid Ukraine crisis, inflation" ["url"]=> string(67) "apple-cuts-iphone-se-production-by-20-amid-ukraine-crisis-inflation" ["full_desc"]=> string(2756) "Silicon Valley tech giant, Apple, is reportedly cutting down the production of its budget smartphone, the iPhone SE 2022, by as much as 20 percent, claim sources privy to the matter.
While observers were expecting such a move, amidst increasing inflation and the war in Ukraine, the size of the figure is surprising for a handset that is not only brand new but also the first successor to iPhone SE 2020, or iPhone SE 2.
In its latest earnings report, Apple registered an overall 9% growth in smartphone sales while the rest of the market struggled with chip shortage and supply chain disruption.
However, it appears that even one of the biggest players in the sector could not remain uninfluenced by global affairs and uncertainties for long, as sources close to the matter have said that Apple will be dropping production of around 2 to 3 million iPhone SE handsets in this quarter itself.
Sources added that production for AirPods has been considerably scaled down as well, by about 10 million for the entire year, while on the other hand, fluctuations in seasonal demand have caused the production of the iPhone 13 to be reduced.
Earlier this month, the iPhone maker announced the halting of sales in Russia after the country launched an invasion into Ukraine.
The company stated at the time that it is evaluating the situation and communicating with relevant governments for its actions, joining in the call for peace.
Several key consumer hardware businesses had taken up similar action, including Apple’s main rival Samsung. The two brands had been continuously ranking among the top five smartphones in Russia in terms of market share.
While the global shortage of semiconductor chips has played an important factor, the broader issue at hand is rising inflation, which is seriously impacting the purchase decisions of consumers.
As smartphones are often categorized under non-essential purchases, financial concerns often hinder sales of such products, or at the very least cause users to continue with their older devices longer than they otherwise would have.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/28/apple-said-to-be-cutting-iphone-se-production-20-over-ukraine-inflation-concerns/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(182) "Silicon Valley tech giant, Apple, is reportedly cutting down the production of its budget smartphone, the iPhone SE 2022, by as much as 20 percent, claim sources privy to the matter." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-03-30 19:14:20" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/30/2022" ["author"]=> string(16) "Omkar Patwardhan" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/apple-cuts-iphone-se-production-by-20-amid-ukraine-crisis-inflation.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [9]=> object(stdClass)#35 (11) { ["id"]=> string(4) "6357" ["name"]=> string(72) "Google launches its B2B cloud gaming platform developed with Stadia Tech" ["url"]=> string(72) "google-launches-its-b2b-cloud-gaming-platform-developed-with-stadia-tech" ["full_desc"]=> string(2701) "Google has recently introduced Stadia’s B2B offering known as “Immersive Stream for Games” at its Google for Games Developer Summit.
The offering, which was developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, will empower companies to be benefitted from the underlying platform technology of Stadia and deliver games directly to the players.
Through this development, Google is branching out by unveiling its Stadia’s spilling technology for other firms to license.
Google claims that these services will empower the firm to run game trials, offers subscription bundles, or complete storefronts.
Google began collaborating with AT&T the previous year to test the new offering. The latter used the services to control its offering of Batman: Arkham Knight for free to its thousands of users. The firm will be using Immersive Stream for Games to authorize another game delivery to its customers, which the customers can play on mobile and the web.
The tech giant plans to scale the Immersive Stream for Games more this year.
In an email, Dov Zimring, Stadia’s Head of Product, said that the Google for Games Developer Summit is built to support studios of each size, with innovations and tools from teams across Google.
The core features benefit both the expansion journey and experience of players for Immersive Stream for Games customers, including Stadia. In collaboration with Google Cloud, the firm is working to build out the underlying cloud gaming technology that influences Stadia, and its offerings to the customers through Immersive Stream for Games.
Rising traction for cloud gaming boosts Immersive Stream for Games and Stadia, and the firm is thrilled for what is coming forward in 2022 and beyond.
Google’s official launching of the offering follows a report from February that specified that the company was deprioritizing Stadia and emphasizing prominent deals with companies via a B2B cloud gaming service. The announcement made recently finally gives it a name.
Source Credit - https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/15/google-unveils-immersive-stream-for-games-its-service-that-lets-companies-use-stadias-tech/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(138) "Google has recently introduced Stadia’s B2B offering known as “Immersive Stream for Games” at its Google for Games Developer Summit." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-03-18 10:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/18/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/mobile/google-launches-its-b2b-cloud-gaming-platform-developed-with-stadia-tech.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [10]=> object(stdClass)#36 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "670" ["name"]=> string(62) "Samsung confirms the end of its Galaxy Note series at MWC 2022" ["url"]=> string(62) "samsung-confirms-the-end-of-its-galaxy-note-series-at-mwc-2022" ["full_desc"]=> string(2631) "Samsung Electronics, the South Korean multinational electronics company, has reportedly announced plans to discontinue its flagship phablet range, the Galaxy Note series, in order to make way for the newest Galaxy S22 Ultra series.
Roh Tae-moon, president & head of Samsung Electronics Mobile eXperience business, stated at the MWC 2022 that going forth, the Ultra range for the S series will take the place of the Galaxy Note series every year. For the uninitiated, Samsung's MX division is in charge of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearable devices.
This is the first official confirmation that Samsung has chosen to discontinue the Note line. The world's leading smartphone maker by sales avoided releasing a new Note range in 2020, with the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra being the last in the company's decade-long history to be released.
The S22 Ultra, a 14.6-inch smartphone that comes with a built-in stylus, has piqued the interest of Note lovers all around the world since it went on sale on February 25. In late February, Samsung claimed that the S22 Ultra was responsible for record-breaking presales for the flagship S series smartphones.
According to Samsung, preorders for the S22 series, which includes the S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra, increased by more than threefold in more than 70 countries when compared to the S21 lineup, with S22 Ultra accounting for over 6 out of 10 presales internationally.
The S22 series' growing popularity is raising expectations that it will help the Korean company increase its market share, albeit it still has a long way to go before it can catch up to US rival Apple.
Just one day before MWC 2022, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Book2 lineup, stating that laptop users will be able to connect Samsung apps with Galaxy Book Experience, relish the very same user interface as smartphones with One UI Book 4, as well as control a laptop and a tablet with one keyboard and mouse with Samsung Multi Control.
These specs are part of Samsung's effort to build a more integrated Galaxy environment, with the goal of competing with Apple's own Continuity and Universal Control features.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220301000214
" ["meta_description"]=> string(231) "Samsung Electronics, the South Korean multinational electronics company, has reportedly announced plans to discontinue its flagship phablet range, the Galaxy Note series, in order to make way for the newest Galaxy S22 Ultra series." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-03-02 18:00:16" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "03/02/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(77) "img/mobile/samsung-confirms-the-end-of-its-galaxy-note-series-at-mwc-2022.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [11]=> object(stdClass)#37 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "327" ["name"]=> string(65) "Oppo forays into high-end market with new Find X5 Series flagship" ["url"]=> string(65) "oppo-forays-into-high-end-market-with-new-find-x5-series-flagship" ["full_desc"]=> string(2957) "First smartphone series launched by Oppo featuring MariSilicon X imaging NPU
Chinese consumer electronic company, Oppo has unveiled a new family of flagship smartphones, dubbed Find X5 Series, underpinning a solid move into the high-end market to strengthen business presence.
The latest addition to the Find X5 Series represents the first smartphone series to showcase Oppo’s MariSiliconX imaging NPU coupled with other state-of-the-art industry features.
With the futuristic design embedded with the seamless ceramic back panel and premium International Warranty Service, the Find X5 Series displays every aspect customized in a way to deliver a superior user experience.
The Find X5 Series is intimidating other flagship smartphones with the extraordinary performance achieved by Oppo’s best-ever technology, customer experience, and product service.
William Liu, VP and President of Global Marketing at Oppo, mentioned that the newly proposed brand strategy ‘Inspiration Ahead’ at OPPO INNO DAY 2021, underpins their commitment to revise boundaries of smartphone experience and enhance living for customers.
With the introduction of Find X5 Series, Oppo has successfully set a new benchmark for flagship smartphones featuring advanced performance and unique style, whilst focusing on exploration activities to open new avenues.
Moreover, Oppo has positioned itself uniquely in the international market after filing for more than 75,000 patent applications last year, out of which 4,500 patents are based on 5G.
Essentially, Oppo’s strong technical foundations have fostered a strong portfolio encompassing high-performance 5G products with a high success rate securing the brand a competitive edge.
For two consecutive years, Oppo reported second-largest global 5G shipments competing with other Android manufacturers.
Credible sources have cited that Oppo successfully retained its ranking as the fourth-largest smartphone manufacturing worldwide in 2021 accounting for a total market share worth 11%.
In line with the fastidious growth in the international market, Oppo is edging the game of end-to-end smartphone experience.
Source Credit: https://www.prnewswire.com/ae/news-releases/oppo-set-to-strengthen-presence-in-high-end-market-with-new-find-x5-series-893238973.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(199) "Chinese consumer electronic company, Oppo has unveiled a new family of flagship smartphones, dubbed Find X5 Series, underpinning a solid move into the high-end market to strengthen business presence." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-26 10:20:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "02/26/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/mobile/oppo-forays-into-high-end-market-with-new-find-x5-series-flagship.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [12]=> object(stdClass)#38 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "325" ["name"]=> string(69) "Fireside in talks to raise its Series A round, reach $125Mn valuation" ["url"]=> string(67) "fireside-in-talks-to-raise-its-series-a-round-reach-125mn-valuation" ["full_desc"]=> string(2866) "Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s newly co-founded app, Fireside, is reportedly in talks to raise its Series A funding round with plans on pushing into metaverse and web3.
Sources privy to the matter have stated that the app, a platform where creators can reach audiences via live and virtual shows, is undergoing private discussions with investors to raise around $25 million in the funding round, to reach a valuation of $125 million.
In industry sources are to be believed, Fireside has raised around $8 million since its inception.
The interactive app has attracted several high-profile creators, such as Michael Dell, Jay Leno, and screenwriter Doug Ellin, creator of the hit American sitcom Entourage.
The app gives creators the ability to distribute their content within as well as outside the app with relative ease, and also offers them ‘sophisticated’ analytics so they can better understand the type of content that best resonates with their audience in real-time.
One of the sources also stated that the app is in early discussions with various firms like Netflix to delve into strategic partnerships.
The platform was founded in 2021 by Cuban and Falon Fatemi, who also co-founded the AI-based customer intelligence platform Node.
Meanwhile, reports claim that the startup is planning to launch NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and host a metaverse play that will help creators monetize their work. Additionally, it is also rumored to be exploring the undertaking of a community DAO (decentralized autonomous organization).
In an interview in November, Cuban had said that Fireside is the first platform that enabled content creators to see and hear their audience’s response to live content, whether in Web2, Web3, or VR (virtual reality).
Notable backers of the startup include Cuban, American musicians The Chainsmokers, Sports agency Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), VC firms Goodwater Capital and Animal Capital, along with NFL players Kelvin Beachum and Larry Fitzgerald and former NBA player Baron Davis.
Many social networking startups have bet that the next wave of social networks would be creators directly engaging with fans and changing their economic models of how and what they are earning.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/23/fireside-mark-cuban-falon-fatemi/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(177) "Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s newly co-founded app, Fireside, is reportedly in talks to raise its Series A funding round with plans on pushing into metaverse and web3." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-24 16:08:04" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "02/24/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/fireside-in-talks-to-raise-its-series-a-round-reach-125mn-valuation.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [13]=> object(stdClass)#39 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "320" ["name"]=> string(66) "Google to limit data tracking on Android apps with Privacy Sandbox" ["url"]=> string(66) "google-to-limit-data-tracking-on-android-apps-with-privacy-sandbox" ["full_desc"]=> string(2986) "Tech titan Google LLC’s plan for limiting data tracking on its web browser, Google Chrome, has reportedly been extended to cover apps available on its Android-based smartphones as well.
The project, referred to as Privacy Sandbox, is aimed at curbing the overall amount of information advertisers can gather from users through apps. Roughly 85% of total smartphones owners globally use Google’s Android operating system.
Third-party cookies, that target adverts with the help of the user’s browsing history, will be stopped in the Chrome browser by 2023.
In its blog, Google stated that it is also working on solutions that will limit the sharing of its users’ data and operate without cross-app identifiers, such as advertising ID, used by apps to gather information.
Google said that it will be keeping these identifiers in place while it works with the industry and comes up with a new system, adding that it is also exploring technologies that prevent covert data collection, as well as safer ways for integration of apps with advertising software developer kits (SDK).
Details of its plans, however, have not been disclosed yet.
The move is expected to hinder firms like Meta, Facebook’s parent company, that rely on tracking consumer behavior by putting their code on apps.
Last year, rival Apple Inc. had rolled out a new feature where app developers will have to ask the user’s permission for tracking their activity.
While not directly referring to Apple, Google stated that other platforms have taken a blunt approach towards ads privacy, completely restricting existing technologies utilized by developers and advertisers. The company added that without providing an alternative for privacy reserving, such approaches will be ineffective.
For the uninitiated, Google, unlike Apple, relies on advertising revenue.
The UK Competition Markets Authority has stated that it will closely monitor the situation and engage with Google regarding its proposals.
Data information regulators are also investigating the advertising ecosystem, focusing on real-time bidding which automatically places billions of adverts on apps and webpages daily.
In a report commissioned by Apple last year, it was found that an average app contains at least six third-party trackers solely for collecting and sharing data online.
Source credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60403963
" ["meta_description"]=> string(187) "Tech titan Google LLC’s plan for limiting data tracking on its web browser, Google Chrome, has reportedly been extended to cover apps available on its Android-based smartphones as well." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-18 17:22:00" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "02/18/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/mobile/google-to-limit-data-tracking-on-android-apps-with-privacy-sandbox.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [14]=> object(stdClass)#40 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "309" ["name"]=> string(69) "Samsung gets ef-fish-ent with sustainable phones made of fishing nets" ["url"]=> string(69) "samsung-gets-ef-fish-ent-with-sustainable-phones-made-of-fishing-nets" ["full_desc"]=> string(2896) "Samsung Electronics Coo., the global electronic giant headquartered in South Korea, has reportedly announced the forthcoming launch of its new Galaxy devices, giving a glimpse of the innovative materials the company plans to use in the device in its quest for sustainability.
The company is aiming to enhance its efforts in eliminating single-use plastics, and instead encouraging the use of more eco-conscious raw materials; including recycled materials, particularly the post-consumer recycled materials, as well as recycled paper.
With this in mind, Samsung, to ensure a significant impact, has set its eyeing upon the 640,000 tons of fishing nets dumped into the world’s oceans every year.
The electronic giant will focus on collecting and repurposing some of the collected nets, as part of its contribution towards cleaning up the oceans.
This will not only introduce a novel, sustainable product but also make the watery landscapes more pleasant for marine ecosystem, which is currently threatened by growing oceanic waste, most notably fishing nets.
Samsung’s 2021 report underlines the environment-focused initiatives taken by the company; such as reducing plastic usage by 20% by redesigning its packaging, adding energy-efficient features to devices, collecting nearly 5 million tons of electronic waste and recycling 95% of its manufacturing waste.
The company also currently operates on 100% renewable energy across the U.S., China, and Europe and currently pursues the Carbon Trust Standard certifications associated with diminishing dependence on non-recyclable materials, CO2, and water.
Samsung stated that it is fully committed to countering the excessive plastic pollution that is hampering marine life by using several methods that would have a positive impact on the environment as well as the lives of Galaxy users.
For a while now, the South Korean electronic manufacturer has been working towards sustainable product development, encouraging eco-friendly supply chains, raw materials and manufacturing.
Samsung has previously led various upcycling programs and other initiatives to promote sustainable future, including with the end of plastic use in packaging initiative as part of its Galaxy for the Planet program, which explains the company’s recent focus towards ensuring cleaner oceans.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/06/samsung-sustainability/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(275) "Samsung Electronics Coo., the global electronic giant headquartered in South Korea, has reportedly announced the forthcoming launch of its new Galaxy devices, giving a glimpse of the innovative materials the company plans to use in the device in its quest for sustainability." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-07 20:20:11" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "02/07/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/samsung-gets-ef-fish-ent-with-sustainable-phones-made-of-fishing-nets.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [15]=> object(stdClass)#41 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "307" ["name"]=> string(69) "Samsung and Amdocs join hands for 4G, 5G wireless solutions in the US" ["url"]=> string(68) "samsung-and-amdocs-join-hands-for-4g-5g-wireless-solutions-in-the-us" ["full_desc"]=> string(2734) "Samsung Electronics, the South-Korean multinational electronics company, has reportedly joined forces with the US-based software company, Amdocs, to deliver 4G and 5G private wireless network services that help boost the level of connectively for businesses across the United States.
The collaboration will allow businesses to advance wireless connectivity by increasing download speeds and also simplifying the implementation of 5G-ready Citizen Broadband Radio Service solutions for a variety of sectors, including utilities, education, logistics, manufacturing, retail, and transportation. The corporations did not specify when their newest private network solutions will go live.
As part of the undertaking, the South Korean giant will provide a set of private network solutions based on the CBRS standards, allowing for private network as well as fixed wireless connectivity use scenarios.
In the United States, CBRS stands for a 150 MHz-wide broadcast band that is available for commercial 5G mobile network development without the need for spectrum licenses. Samsung claims that its CBRS solutions have offered US businesses a more efficient means to construct private networks, while also offering a more budget-friendly alternative to cable or fiber-based communications technologies for the underserved.
Samsung also stated that customers of the private network will be able to update from 4G to 5G with just a software update. Meanwhile, Amdocs will serve as a systems integrator, delivering end-to-end solutions to businesses.
Imran Akbar, Samsung Electronics vice president and the new head of business team, stated that a vibrant partner ecosystem is critical in the next stage of network expansion, as more enterprises look for methods to reap gains from private networks and enhanced communications.
Anthony Goonetilleke, head of the strategy and president of technology, Amdocs Group, stated that the company is thrilled to be involved with Samsung to drive its connected society as businesses and consumers grow increasingly reliant on ubiquitous connection.
Samsung has released a range of wireless 5G network technologies, including private network solutions, completely virtualized radio access networks, as well as AI-driven automation tools.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220203000578
" ["meta_description"]=> string(283) "Samsung Electronics, the South-Korean multinational electronics company, has reportedly joined forces with the US-based software company, Amdocs, to deliver 4G and 5G private wireless network services that help boost the level of connectively for businesses across the United States." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-04 15:29:42" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "02/04/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/samsung-and-amdocs-join-hands-for-4g-5g-wireless-solutions-in-the-us.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [16]=> object(stdClass)#42 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "298" ["name"]=> string(68) "Bank of Korea begins second-phase testing of CBDC on Samsung devices" ["url"]=> string(68) "bank-of-korea-begins-second-phase-testing-of-cbdc-on-samsung-devices" ["full_desc"]=> string(2820) "The central bank of South Korea, Bank of Korea (BOK), has reportedly announced that it will roll out offline, real-life tests for its digital currency project, central bank digital currency (CBDC), on the Galaxy smartphone series of Samsung Electronics Co.
The central bank stated that it had completed the first phase of its CBDC simulation project, spanning 10-month, back in December. Supposedly, the CBDC normally carried out basic functions such as manufacturing, issuing, and distribution under the test conditions.
For the second-phase pilot test, the central bank will be developing technologies that can store CBDCs in the digital wallets installed on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and smart gadgets, such as tablets and smartwatches.
It has ruled out Apple Inc.’s iPhone for now as a candidate device for second-stage testing of the digital currency.
Yoo Hee-joon, Head of Digital Currency Project Team at BOK, stated that simulation is being conducted under the assumption that CBDCs are stored on the Galaxy phones and other devices, and that it remains to be seen whether the central bank can cooperate with Apple for the project.
With the help of Samsung Galaxy phones and smart devices, the central bank will be testing payment functions using digital currency that is stored on mobile devices that are not connected to the internet, as well as remittances to accounts in countries outside South Korea.
It will also be exploring payment technologies for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of artworks, songs, and game items with CBDCs, along with enhancement technologies for personal information protection.
The digital currency that will be issued by the BOK will be exchangeable one-to-one with the country's national currency.
With regards to the possibility that CBDCs might replace crypto in the NFT market, Hee-joon stated that the bank has no idea which method of the settlement will be preferred by investors and cannot claim that introducing CBDCs will drive out cryptocurrencies.
The BOK had entered the simulation project last year in August, with the collaboration of Ground X, the blockchain unit of Kakao Corp., Kakao Bank, Kakao Pay, Samsung Electronics Co., and S-Core Co., Samsung SDS Co.’ subsidiary, but has not yet decided on issuing a CBDC.
Source credit: https://www.kedglobal.com/newsView/ked202201250001
" ["meta_description"]=> string(256) "The central bank of South Korea, Bank of Korea (BOK), has reportedly announced that it will roll out offline, real-life tests for its digital currency project, central bank digital currency (CBDC), on the Galaxy smartphone series of Samsung Electronics Co." ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-01-25 20:01:56" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "01/25/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/bank-of-korea-begins-second-phase-testing-of-cbdc-on-samsung-devices.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [17]=> object(stdClass)#43 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "295" ["name"]=> string(60) "Samsung and Vodafone launch first 5G open RAN site in the UK" ["url"]=> string(60) "samsung-and-vodafone-launch-first-5g-open-ran-site-in-the-uk" ["full_desc"]=> string(2703) "South Korean tech giant, Samsung Electronics, and UK telecom firm, Vodafone, have reportedly launched the first fifth-generation (5G) open radio access network (RAN) site in the UK.
With the help of Samsung’s virtualized RAN solutions built on Vodafone’s architecture, Vodafone and UK government officials were able to hold a virtual call on the open RAN infrastructure on January 11th on Europe’s first scaled commercial open RAN project.
Vodafone has reached a milestone with the operation after it decided on choosing Samsung as one of the major partners for launching at least 2,500 open RAN sites, a move speculated to be Vodafone reducing its dependency on Chinese telecom company Huawei.
Open RAN is a next-gen wireless telecom standard that creates a more diverse and flexible vendor ecosystem where smaller firms have increased access to the network, made possible with the separation of hardware and software and having the hosting software control networks with open interfaces.
With traditional RAN technology, only a select network equipment and service suppliers are given access to the wireless network sites on a combined platform of software and hardware.
Thomas Riedel, Head of Samsung Networks Europe, said in a statement that the deployment will help Vodafone UK customers get the benefits of Samsung’s carrier-grade 5G vRAN solutions.
As per Samsung, the two firms will be testing out the performance metrics of Samsung vRAN as well as its equipment’s compliance with the open RAN specifications and network technologies, in order to assign time-frequency resources to house both 4G and 5G network users and boost 5G performance by integrating 4G and 5G resources.
Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK, stated that open RAN can drastically change the telecom industry, adding that the firm is thrilled to be leading this technology in the UK, having started the first scaled deployment in the country as well as installing the 5G Open RAN site.
Vodafone and Samsung will also test other advanced network technologies that make use of LTE and 5G, to improve the mobile user experience.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220120000729&np=1&mp=1
" ["meta_description"]=> string(128) "South Korean tech giant, Samsung Electronics, and UK telecom firm, Vodafone, have reportedly launched the first fifth-generation" ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-01-21 13:12:26" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "01/21/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(75) "img/mobile/samsung-and-vodafone-launch-first-5g-open-ran-site-in-the-uk.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [18]=> object(stdClass)#44 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "288" ["name"]=> string(65) "Mobility startup Bolt raises €628Mn, reaches €7.4Bn valuation" ["url"]=> string(58) "mobility-startup-bolt-raises-628mn-reaches-7-4bn-valuation" ["full_desc"]=> string(2961) "Bolt, an Estonia-based mobility startup, which offers on-demand ride-hailing, scooters, and rise sharing, along with food and grocery delivery services, has reportedly announced that it has raised more than €628 million ($709 million) through its latest investment round. The new fundraise values the company at over €7.4 billion ($8.4 billion).
The startup, which also has an app of the same name, said that that it will use the funding to continue its geographic expansion and bring more customers and partners to its 'super app'.
The funds will also be used in newer business lines, such as Bolt Market, a 15-minute grocery delivery option, which will construct ‘dark stores’ in cities to expand its services.
The latest investment round was co-led by Sequoia Capital and Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC, and saw participation from Owl Rock, Whale Rock, G Squared, D1, Tekne, and Ghisallo along with some other unnamed backers as well.
Markus Villig, founder and CEO of Bolt, said in an interview that all of the startup’s business units are growing well, with its ride-hailing business observing a double-digit growth.
Villig added that as part of its latest transportation strategy, the startup is also working on expanding partnerships with various city governments to extend the reach of its services.
While Villig confessed to facing short-term fluctuations in demand during early lockdowns, he highlighted that Bolt kept attracting and retaining drivers, as its major focus, by offering better commissions than its rivals.
The platforms are in immense supply shortages, so the firm is focusing on taking a partner-friendly low commission. The company was able grow its monthly revenues two-fold, compared to its pre-Covid sales, through this approach.
Bolt, which was founded in 2013 in Tallinn, Estonia, took a diversification approach as part of its scaling-up strategy, offering food delivery services along with cars, scooters, and couriers, in a single app.
Villig said that by doing so, it was able to bring in new customers and cross-sell its services with almost zero marketing expenses and make it easier to build more services in the app at lower costs.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(152) "Bolt, an Estonia-based mobility startup, which offers on-demand ride-hailing, scooters, and rise sharing, along with food and grocery delivery services," ["date"]=> string(19) "2022-01-12 19:07:50" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "01/12/2022" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(73) "img/mobile/mobility-startup-bolt-raises-628mn-reaches-7-4bn-valuation.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [19]=> object(stdClass)#45 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "256" ["name"]=> string(63) "Google, Qualcomm partner on neural networking tech & mobile AI " ["url"]=> string(59) "google-qualcomm-partner-on-neural-networking-tech-mobile-ai" ["full_desc"]=> string(2486) "American tech corporation, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Google Cloud, are joining forces on a partnership deal in the neural networking space.
The two companies mention that the focus of the collaboration will be on the development of Google Cloud-managed Vertex AI Neural Architecture Search (NAS), a search technology which the company claims can generate, evaluate, and train models and architectures for application.
According to Qualcomm, its Artificial Intelligence Engine will enable NAS to accelerate the differentiation and development of a neural network that can be used for smartphones with Snapdragon processors, Always Connected-PC (AC-PC), Extended Reality (XR) platform, the Snapdragon Ride automotive platform as well for IoT (Internet of Things) platform.
With this partnership, the two companies hope to automate the creation of AI models which would reduce manual workload. For developer use, the Vertex AI NAS will be incorporated within Qualcomm’s Neural Processing SDK.
The chipmaker has remarked that platforms that utilize the Qualcomm AI Engine will be able to take advantage of optimizations as well as performance increases.
Ziad Asghar, VP of Product Management at Qualcomm, stated that the company looks forward to be the first chipset provider that is working with Google Cloud on Neural Architecture Search and is eager to release the technology as a sign of advancing in the field.
Mr. Asghar added that being able to utilize NAS’s technology in creating and optimizing new AI models, that too in a shorter time frame, has proved to be game-changing for the company.
It is reported that the technology will be available on Qualcomm’s newly unveiled Snapdragon 8, Gen 1 mobile platform, and will eventually be available across its other products. The flagship platform will feature improved camera capabilities and security enhancements, along with AI applications.
Source Credit: https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-qualcomm-partner-on-mobile-ai-technologies/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(145) "American tech corporation, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Google Cloud, are joining forces on a partnership deal in the neural networking space." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-12-02 18:32:28" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "12/02/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(74) "img/mobile/google-qualcomm-partner-on-neural-networking-tech-mobile-ai.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [20]=> object(stdClass)#46 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "254" ["name"]=> string(67) "China’s big tech crackdown: Tencent suspended from updating apps " ["url"]=> string(62) "chinas-big-tech-crackdown-tencent-suspended-from-updating-apps" ["full_desc"]=> string(2855) "
Chinese technology company, Tencent Holdings Ltd. has reportedly been suspended from updating existing applications or releasing new ones, as per instructions from the Chinese government until authorities verify the products.
According to reports, the Chinese government is implementing ‘transitive administrative guidelines’ on Tencent since nine of its products were deemed to have violated guidelines.
The decision was made just days after China approved a new protection law restricting what individuals and firms can do with private information, the newest in the nation's crackdown on big technology firms.
As per sources, the inspection period, and consequently the suspension of upgrades, is likely to last until the end of 2021.
However, Tencent’s applications can still be downloaded and will function properly in their current versions. The company controls many apps, including WeChat, which has over a billion users, and QQ, a messaging network.
Notably, Tencent stated that the firm is continuously working on enhancing the apps’ user privacy features, as well as timely coordinates with proper government institutions to stay updated with regulatory compliance.
The recent move showcases that China is slamming the brakes on some of the country's biggest tech companies once more.
The State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) claims that just like Tencent, other businesses such as Alibaba, Baidu, and more were fined recently for breaking antitrust regulations.
In China, the market regulator has led a year-long battle against big tech. The fines issued recently is in line to several more momentous charges imposed previously this year, such fine of 18.2 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) on Alibaba. Antitrust regulators claimed at the time that the internet shopping company was working like a monopoly.
In the wake of the announcement, Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu all saw their stock prices fall a tad in Hong Kong on Monday. Baidu experienced the worst-performing stock, falling 2.1%, while Tencent was down 0.3%.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(225) "Chinese technology company, Tencent Holdings Ltd. has reportedly been suspended from updating existing applications or releasing new ones, as per instructions from the Chinese government until authorities verify the products." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-11-30 17:51:14" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "11/30/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(77) "img/mobile/chinas-big-tech-crackdown-tencent-suspended-from-updating-apps.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [21]=> object(stdClass)#47 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "249" ["name"]=> string(69) "Meta delays Instagram and Facebook message encryption plans till 2023" ["url"]=> string(69) "meta-delays-instagram-and-facebook-message-encryption-plans-till-2023" ["full_desc"]=> string(2875) "Meta, formerly known as Facebook, Inc., has reportedly announced that it would be delaying its plan to introduce end-to-end message encryption on Instagram and Facebook until 2023, citing concerns of child safety.
According to Meta, the encryption process would allow only the sender and receiver to read the chats, and neither Meta nor law enforcement can have access to the same.
Child welfare organizations as well as lawmakers, in contrast, have expressed concern that it may make it more challenging for the police to investigate cases of child abuse.
As per the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), texting privately is considered the starting point of child sexual abuse.
Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, has also opposed the plans for encryption, stating earlier this year that it might seriously hamper the law enforcement's ability to investigate illegal conduct, such as online child abuse.
End-to-end encryption protects data by encrypting it as it flows through phones as well as other devices.
The only way to read the messages is to have physical access to an unlocked phone or other devices to which the texts have been transmitted to or received on.
The encryption system is already used by Meta's widely used messaging application WhatsApp, the rest of the firm's platforms, however, are not updated with the encryption technology yet.
Last year, the NSPCC issued Freedom of Information requests to 46 police forces in Wales, Scotland, and England, requesting a rundown of the platforms that were used to carry out sexual offenses against minors.
The results revealed that 52% of the total 9470 child sex abuse instances reported to the police took place on apps owned by Facebook.
Antigone Davis, global head of safety at Meta, clarified that the supposed delay in announcing encryption until 2023 was due to the firm's determination to get it right.
The business has previously stated that the transition would take place no later than 2022.
Davis further added that as a platform that links billions of people across the world and has established industry-leading technology, Meta is determined to secure people's private communications and keep them safe online.
Source credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59373959
" ["meta_description"]=> string(131) "Meta, formerly known as Facebook, Inc., has reportedly announced that it would be delaying its plan to introduce end-to-end message" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-11-24 20:34:11" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "11/24/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/meta-delays-instagram-and-facebook-message-encryption-plans-till-2023.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [22]=> object(stdClass)#48 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "229" ["name"]=> string(70) "Naver to launch innovative AI-powered search service called AiR Search" ["url"]=> string(70) "naver-to-launch-innovative-ai-powered-search-service-called-air-search" ["full_desc"]=> string(2904) "Naver Corp., South Korea’s leading internet portal operator, has reportedly introduced its latest tailored AI-powered search service dubbed as AiR Search.
Seemingly, the system will deliver results in block units that reflect the current trends as well as personal preference and will be driven by Naver's artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Kim Sang-Bum, Naver Search CIC’s director, stated that AiR Search, as much as the 'integrated search', which has thus far been the most distinguishing element of Naver's new search, will be the outset of a huge transformation symbolizing Naver's new search.
Until now, integrated search results for each user were classed under the same verticals, which did not immediately respond to each user's different search objectives.
Kim added that the company can give individualized information through the better adaptation of AiR Search technology so that consumers may browse further and find information fast.
The new search technology by NAVER, which analyzes the interest and intent of a user, allows them to not only find answers but also discover their respective taste with the help of search results for numerous topics.
Users are increasingly inclined to seek out multiple sources of information instead of just settling on a single correct solution. Exploratory searches make up around 65% of all queries put into NAVER Search, with query diversity increasing by 10% per year.
Kim further added that the rising need for more personalized search results that can accurately specify the vague interest and intent of individual users has been on the rise, effectively making information browsing a prominent part of the actual search.
Jaeho Choi, Naver Search CIC’s Executive Leader, stated that Smart Block customization will get more complex. NAVER implemented a personalization mechanism based on user demographics like gender and age. The company intends to improve the content suggestion engine by taking into account the users' real-time surfing history.
Naver is Korea's primary search engine, which has outlasted competitive pressures from international internet giants. Naver takes pride and responsibility in creating an atmosphere in which people may enjoy the variety of knowledge available in the digital world.
Source credit: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20211028000694&np=1&mp=1
" ["meta_description"]=> string(153) "Naver Corp., South Koreas leading internet portal operator, has reportedly introduced its latest tailored AI-powered search service dubbed as AiR Search." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-29 13:51:40" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/29/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/mobile/naver-to-launch-innovative-ai-powered-search-service-called-air-search.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [23]=> object(stdClass)#49 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "226" ["name"]=> string(70) "S Korea: KT to help businesses grow with AI customer service calls" ["url"]=> string(65) "s-korea-kt-to-help-businesses-grow-with-ai-customer-service-calls" ["full_desc"]=> string(2504) "KT Corporation, one of South Korea's main telecommunications operators, has reportedly announced that it will help businesses process customer service calls through artificial intelligence (AI).
The company expects the AICC (artificial intelligence contact center) market to grow by ₩3 trillion (approximately $2.5 billion), and it has the potential to take the initial step in the market, with its rich infrastructure and knowhow in the telecommunications sector, data platform, and research and development related to AI.
CEO of KT Corp., Koo Hyun-mo, stated that the AICC sector has jumpstarted with a sharp rise in the need for processing phone calls using AI voice and communication technology. Hyun-mo further added that the company will be developing an AI technology that will be able to speak akin to a human being.
With over 200 researchers invested, the research and development for AICC has ascended tremendously, with the result being such an advanced level of technology wherein a machine can accurately interpret the Korean language, even with complex contexts and tones.
The company claims, the AI can also respond with questions to better understand the customer's needs and queries.
Supposedly, this cutting-edge technology was brought to fruition by having Giga Genie, KTs AI-assistant that works with voice commands, utilize deep learning to effectively familiarize itself with conversations of as many as 7000 call center staff.
The AI assistant aims to help business respond to customers past business hours to perform tasks like receiving orders and managing other requests. The technology can support as much as 3.3 million medium sized enterprises and mom-and-pop stores, which have to deal with tight margins due to the burden of having to maintain labor and staff costs.
The firm is already negotiating with public as well as private institutions for its services, with names such as Woori Bank, Shinhan Life Insurance, and NH Investment and Securities being listed as potential clients.
Source credit: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2021/10/133_317595.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(124) "KT Corporation, one of South Koreas main telecommunications operators, has reportedly announced that it will help businesses" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-26 20:53:52" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/26/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/mobile/s-korea-kt-to-help-businesses-grow-with-ai-customer-service-calls.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [24]=> object(stdClass)#50 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "215" ["name"]=> string(70) "Apple appeals Epic Games ruling and asks for stay on App Store changes" ["url"]=> string(70) "apple-appeals-epic-games-ruling-and-asks-for-stay-on-app-store-changes" ["full_desc"]=> string(3079) "Silicon Valley tech giant, Apple Inc., has reportedly appealed a recent court ruling in the Epic Games vs Apple case where the judge, while siding with Epic Games, stated that Apple cannot prohibit app developers from directing their users to other payment means that are beyond Apple’s proprietary payment systems.
While making the appeal, the smartphone maker has also asked to put a stay on that particular injunction the court judge had set in place. Supposedly, the move could likely delay any changes to the regulations of the App Store until an ultimate decision is reached after a decision is reached on the appeals case.
For the uninitiated, last month, while issuing a decision on the high-profile Epic Games vs Apple case, a federal US judge declared that the Silicon Valley giant was not a monopoly. However, one area where Apple lost its ground was what type of rules it can formulate for the App Store.
Apple was ordered to change its App Store regulations to allow developers to include external links and additional calls to action within their apps to direct users to alternate payment methods, in addition to in-app purchasing.
The order also stated that Apple could not prevent developers from engaging with their customers using points of contact they received willingly from users through the app registration process.
This ruling falls in-line with other settlements the iPhone maker has negotiated both within and outside the United States, including one with a regulator from Japan that altered its ‘reader apps’ policy, allowing developers to include a link to their website within the apps. Additionally, the South Korean government also recently passed a bill that would prohibit Apple and Google from mandating developers to adopt their in-app payment systems.
Meanwhile, in a recent class-action settlement with U.S-based developers, Apple confirmed that developers can use communication methods such as emails to share data about alternate payment methods with app users.
However, in the Epic Games verdict, Apple was ordered to implement the new regulations within 90 days of the judge's ruling on September 10, 2021.
If Apple manages to win the stay, the injunction's early December deadline will be tossed out while the appeals case is debated in court. That implies App Store developers may not see any updates for several months.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/11/apple-appeals-the-epic-games-ruling-and-asks-to-put-ordered-app-store-changes-on-hold/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(132) "Silicon Valley tech giant, Apple Inc., has reportedly appealed a recent court ruling in the Epic Games vs Apple case where the judge" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-12 18:30:48" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/12/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/mobile/apple-appeals-epic-games-ruling-and-asks-for-stay-on-app-store-changes.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [25]=> object(stdClass)#51 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "213" ["name"]=> string(73) "OPPO launches its entry-level wireless earphones ‘Enco Buds’ in India" ["url"]=> string(67) "oppo-launches-its-entry-level-wireless-earphones-enco-buds-in-india" ["full_desc"]=> string(2483) "Chinese consumer electronics company OPPO has recently launched its entry-level wireless earphones coined 'OPPO Enco Buds' in India.
According to sources, the Buds will be available for purchase from 14th September exclusively on e-commerce platform Flipkart, at the launch offer price of USD 25 (approx.), down from the original USD 27. The discount offer will last for three days ending 16th September.
Chief Marketing Officer at OPPO India, Damyant Singh was quoted saying that the Enco Buds have been developed using OPPO's decades of expertise in creating award-winning audio products such as music phones, and MP4 & MP3 players.
This will enable the company to cater to young customers who seek to upgrade from wired to wireless earphones, without compromising on great design and premium features, he claimed.
Elaborating on the features, OPPO stated that the earbuds, along with the charging case can provide up to 24 hours of battery life, using the 40mAh battery fitted on each bud and the 400mAh battery pack on the charging case. Moreover, the buds come with an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance
Additionally, the Enco Buds leverage Bluetooth 5.2 technology, which allows users to listen to music or make phone calls while being up to 10 meters away from their smartphone. The Bluetooth 5.2 chipset also supports binaural low-latency transmission.
The earbuds also boast of AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), enabling high-definition wireless audio transmission protocol to provide an 80ms low latency Game Mode.
In related news, the OPPO brand recently launched its new Reno6 Series in the GCC region. The series has three sleek variations, namely the Reno6 5G, Reno6 Pro 5G, and Reno6 Z 5G. The devices have been designed to provide professional quality photos with cinematic portrait effects in real-time.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(130) "Chinese consumer electronics company OPPO has recently launched its entry-level wireless earphones coined OPPO Enco Buds in India." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-09 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/09/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/oppo-launches-its-entry-level-wireless-earphones-enco-buds-in-india.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [26]=> object(stdClass)#52 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "211" ["name"]=> string(66) "UK sets new safety-focused regulations for video-sharing platforms" ["url"]=> string(66) "uk-sets-new-safety-focused-regulations-for-video-sharing-platforms" ["full_desc"]=> string(2692) "The UK’s communications, broadcast, and supposed internet content regulator, Ofcom has reportedly introduced new regulations for the video-sharing platforms operating in the country, such as TikTok, Vimeo, Snapchat, and Twitch.
The news guidelines have reportedly been introduced to protect users under 18 and above from harmful content such as videos/ads encouraging violence against protected groups or hate speech. Child sexual abuse material, terrorist content, xenophobia, and racism have also been considered as harmful content.
Speaking on the matter, Ofcom stated that its research shows that one-third of the internet users in the UK claim to have experienced or witnessed hateful content. A quarter of the users stated that they’ve been exposed to violent or disturbing content, while one in five have witnessed videos or content that prompted racism, the regulator added.
There is reportedly no prescriptive list of the measures that must be used by the video-sharing platforms to prevent users from being exposed to harmful content. However, numerous recommendations have been made, such as the ability for uploaders to declare if their content contains an ad; user-friendly mechanisms that will allow viewers to report or flag harmful content; transparent complaints procedures; and clauses in terms and conditions. Age assurance systems and parental controls are also recommended.
A list of video-sharing platforms that have declared themselves under the scope of Ofcom regulations can be found here.
According to Ofcom, the video-sharing platform (VSP) regime is about the safety systems and processes used by the platforms. It won’t regulate individual videos, however, the prevalence of harmful content on a platform might need to be scrutinized closely.
The role of Ofcom as an internet content regulator will take effect in the upcoming years as the government works to pass legislation that will enforce the wide-ranging duty of care on digital service providers. It will supposedly instruct the digital service providers to manage user-generated content to prevent people, especially children, from being exposed to harmful material.
Source credits: https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/06/uk-publishes-safety-focused-rules-for-video-sharing-platforms/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(229) "The UK’s communications, broadcast, and supposed internet content regulator, Ofcom has reportedly introduced new regulations for the video-sharing platforms operating in the country, such as TikTok, Vimeo, Snapchat, and Twitch." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-08 16:21:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/08/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/mobile/uk-sets-new-safety-focused-regulations-for-video-sharing-platforms.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [27]=> object(stdClass)#53 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "209" ["name"]=> string(66) "Facebook apps and employee systems face catastrophic global outage" ["url"]=> string(66) "facebook-apps-and-employee-systems-face-catastrophic-global-outage" ["full_desc"]=> string(3085) "Facebook, the social media behemoth, reportedly suffered a catastrophic outage earlier this week, impacting a majority of the firm's 2.7 billion users across the world, idling several of its employees, and prompting a public apology from its chief technical officer.
For several hours, users across the globe were unable to use a range of Facebook's social media applications, including the primary social network, online texting service WhatsApp, and photo-sharing app Instagram, in one of the longest outages of its kind in recent memory.
The outage was apparently linked to the company’s DNS (domain name system) records, which typically makes it impossible to connect to a website in case of errors. Evidently, the company had to reset some of its servers physically to troubleshoot the issue.
Alex Stamos, Facebook’s former chief security officer, stated that the issue was probably triggered by a bad configuration or code push to the NMS (network management system).
According to Downdetector, a company that monitors Internet issues, the Facebook outage is the biggest it has ever seen, with over 10.6 million reports globally.
Several of Facebook’s internal services for employees, which includes the company’s Workplace tool; designed for team communication, were also unavailable to some employees during the incident, reports suggest.
As per credible sources, some employees also faced difficulty using Facebook's badge system in offices. While it is seemingly common for Facebook's applications to have glitches from time to time, technical issues rarely last for more than a couple of minutes.
Mike Schroepfer, chief technology officer, Facebook, apologized to users affected by disruptions to Facebook-powered services. Schroepfer added that that the company was facing networking issues and that several teams were working as fast as possible to troubleshoot and restore the ecosystem promptly.
This outage is the latest in a string of bad luck for Facebook. Recently, Ms. Frances Haugen, an ex-employee turned whistleblower, accused the firm of putting profits ahead of customer safety and mental health.
Haugen, also turned over thousands of incriminating documents to US legislators and the Wall Street Journal, which last month had published a series of articles on Facebook's problems with content moderation and Instagram's harmful psychological impact on teens.
Source credit: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/facebook-instagram-whatsapp-down-for-thousands-of-users
" ["meta_description"]=> string(96) "Facebook, the social media behemoth, reportedly suffered a catastrophic outage earlier this week" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-10-06 18:41:57" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "10/06/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/mobile/facebook-apps-and-employee-systems-face-catastrophic-global-outage.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [28]=> object(stdClass)#54 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "204" ["name"]=> string(61) "Researchers discover Visa, Apple Pay contactless payment hack" ["url"]=> string(60) "researchers-discover-visa-apple-pay-contactless-payment-hack" ["full_desc"]=> string(2824) "A recent study has reportedly unveiled a new, potentially severe lapse in Apple Pay security. According to the researchers from Birmingham and Surrey Universities, large unauthorized contactless payments can be made through locked iPhones by exploiting how an Apple Pay feature, that allows commuters to make quick payments at ticket barriers, functions with Visa.
The researchers have reportedly demonstrated this in a video that showed a contactless Visa payment of £1,000 (USD 1343.64) being made without unlocking the iPhone.
Speaking on the matter, Apple Inc., stated that it is a concern with a Visa system.
While on the other hand, Visa has stated that the payments were secure, and hacks of this sort are impractical outside a lab.
However, the researchers mentioned that the problem applies to Visa cards that are set up in 'Express Transit' mode in the iPhone's wallet.
For the uninitiated, Express Transit is an Apple Pay feature that allows commuters to make faster contactless payments without having to unlock their phone.
As a part of the demonstration, the scientists reportedly placed a tiny commercially available piece of radio equipment near the iPhone, which dupes it into believing that it is dealing with a ticket barrier. At the same time an Android phone using an app developed by the researchers relays the signals from iPhone to a contactless payment terminal. The terminal can be in a shop or can be the one controlled by the criminals.
The iPhone's communications with the payment terminal are manipulated to make it look like the iPhone has been unlocked and the payment is authorized. This can enable high-value transactions without entering a PIN, Face ID, or fingerprint.
Commenting on the new finding, Visa stated that it took all security issues seriously. However, Visa cards that are connected to Express Transit are safe, and users can continue using the cards confidently.
Apple put out an official statement that said the company takes any security threat to its users' security very seriously. Adding that the demonstrated payment exploit is of concern with the Visa system, which Visa has deemed unlikely to be reproduced in real-world settings considering the multiple levels of security that is currently in place.
Source credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58719891
" ["meta_description"]=> string(162) "A recent study has reportedly unveiled a new, potentially severe lapse in Apple Pay security. According to the researchers from Birmingham and Surrey Universities" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-30 16:12:59" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/30/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(75) "img/mobile/researchers-discover-visa-apple-pay-contactless-payment-hack.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [29]=> object(stdClass)#55 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "202" ["name"]=> string(68) "People with physical disabilities now can use Android phones: Google" ["url"]=> string(67) "people-with-physical-disabilities-now-can-use-android-phones-google" ["full_desc"]=> string(2829) "Google, the Silicon Valley technology giant, has reportedly announced that people with physical or speech disabilities would now be able to control their Android smartphones without using their hands by using facial gestures, such as raising an eyebrow or smiling.
According to reliable sources, two new technologies use machine learning and front cameras on phones to identify facial and eye motions. Subsequently, users can effectively scan their phone screens and pick a task by lifting their eyebrows, smiling, opening their mouth, or diverting their gaze to the left, right, or up.
Google stated that to make Android smartphones more approachable to everyone, the firm is releasing new features that make it easier to operate an Android phone and interact using facial movements.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 61 million individuals in the US live with disabilities, prompting Google and competitors, Apple and Microsoft to make their products and services more accessible.
People use voice commands, such as 'Hey Google', or their hands to use their phones every day. However, the tech giant wrote in a blog post that for some individuals with severe movement and speech impairments, this is not always feasible.
The modifications are the consequence of two new technologies, one of which is called Camera Switches, which allows people to interact with smartphones using their faces rather than taps and swipes.
The second is Project Activate, a novel Android app that allows individuals to use those motions to initiate an action, such as having a phone play a recorded snippet, send a text message, or make a phone call.
Anyone may now utilize eye motions and face gestures tailored to their range of movement to manage their phone — without using their voice, Google stated.
The free Activate application is available on Google Play in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.
Google, Microsoft, and Apple have constantly released improvements that make internet technologies more accessible to those with disabilities or who feel that the passage of time has made some skills, such as reading, more difficult.
Source credit: https://japantoday.com/category/tech/disabled-people-can-now-use-android-phones-with-face-gestures
" ["meta_description"]=> string(224) "Google, the Silicon Valley technology giant, has reportedly announced that people with physical or speech disabilities would now be able to control their Android smartphones without using their hands by using facial gestures" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-28 18:27:54" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/28/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/people-with-physical-disabilities-now-can-use-android-phones-google.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [30]=> object(stdClass)#56 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "199" ["name"]=> string(70) "Crypto firm Robinhood to roll out new crypto wallet feature next month" ["url"]=> string(70) "crypto-firm-robinhood-to-roll-out-new-crypto-wallet-feature-next-month" ["full_desc"]=> string(2556) "With the popularity of Dogecoin resulting in significant revenues for popular stock-trading app, Robinhood, the firm has reportedly revealed plans to wander deeper into the crypto rabbit hole, divulging information that it would soon begin testing crypto wallets for its customers.
According to reports, the cryptocurrency wallets, which the company says it would start rolling out next month to users on its waiting list, would allow users to receive, send and trade crypto tokens through the app. Robinhood intends to test the function with a small group of users first, before gradually increasing its availability to more individuals.
The update also adds a much-requested feature to Robinhood for crypto users, bringing the app deeper inside the crypto ecosystem.
Previously, users could purchase and sell a few cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Dogecoin, but they could not transfer or receive those coins to or from outside wallets.
The move will provide Robinhood access to many of the crypto prospects that rivals like Coinbase have taken advantage of. It also drove the firm into an area where there was even greater regulatory ambiguity. Coinbase canceled a long-planned loan program this week after the Securities and Exchange Commission threatened to sue the firm.
In the cryptocurrency realm, both 2020 and 2021 have been breakthrough years, with currencies bouncing up and down but achieving considerably larger profits overall. According to Coinmarketcap, the global market capitalization of cryptocurrencies is just shy of $2 trillion.
Following the announcement, Robinhood's stock went up more than 10% during trading, indicating that investors are positive about the company's move deeper into the crypto market.
According to credible reports, the firm anticipates that everyone will have accessibility to their own wallet by 2022. Early users' input on the software would be shared with the community, according to the firm.
Source credit: https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/22/robinhood-muscles-deeper-into-coinbases-territory-with-new-crypto-wallet-feature/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(106) "With the popularity of Dogecoin resulting in significant revenues for popular stock-trading app, Robinhood" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-24 12:40:12" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/24/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/mobile/crypto-firm-robinhood-to-roll-out-new-crypto-wallet-feature-next-month.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [31]=> object(stdClass)#57 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "194" ["name"]=> string(71) "Irish regulator to investigate TikTok over China data transfer concerns" ["url"]=> string(71) "irish-regulator-to-investigate-tiktok-over-china-data-transfer-concerns" ["full_desc"]=> string(2528) "Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which is the European Union's lead data privacy authority for many global internet firms, has reportedly initiated two investigations against the Chinese-owned short-video platform over the processing of children's data and transferring user information to China.
The first investigation concerns the processing of personal information in terms of platform settings for users below the age of 18 and age verification steps for individuals under the age of 13, said the Data Protection Commission.
The second investigation will look into personal data transfers by the platform to China and whether the company complies with EU data protection laws when transferring personal data to countries outside the EU.
In August, the Chinese firm implemented strict privacy restrictions for teenagers in response to concerns that the platform had failed to safeguard children from hidden ads and inappropriate content.
According to a TikTok spokesperson, the company has imposed numerous procedures and controls to protect user data and, it uses approved mechanisms like standard contractual clauses for data transfer from Europe. The firm claims to emphasize the privacy and safety of the TikTok community, especially for their young users.
It is to be noted that the Data Protection Commission (DPC) can issue fines of up to 4% of the firm’s global turnover. Earlier this month, under the EU's 2018 General Data Protection Regulation law (GDPR), the data watchdog issued a record 225 million euro (USD 265.64 million) fine on Facebook's WhatsApp.
However, other European authorities have criticized the watchdog for the speed with which it conducts investigations and the severity with which it imposes punishments. At the end of last year, the Irish regulator had 27 foreign inquiries open, including 14 investigating Facebook and its subsidiaries, sources cited.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(124) "Irelands Data Protection Commission, which is the European Unions lead data privacy authority for many global internet firms" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-18 13:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/18/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(88) "img/mobile/irish-regulator-to-investigate-tiktok-over-china-data-transfer-concerns-1.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [32]=> object(stdClass)#58 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "191" ["name"]=> string(67) "Apple releases emergency security patch to block zero click spyware" ["url"]=> string(67) "apple-releases-emergency-security-patch-to-block-zero-click-spyware" ["full_desc"]=> string(2843) "Apple Inc., the American multinational smartphone manufacturer, has reportedly rolled out an emergency software update to patch a security flaw after it was discovered that it allowed a prominent spyware, associated with the infamous Israel-based NSO Group, to infect a Mac computer, iPhone, or Apple Watch without the user having to interact with the device.
According to reliable sources, the malware was discovered on the phone of a yet unidentified Saudi Arabian activist by Citizen Lab, a Canadian internet security monitor.
This is the first time a "zero-click" security flaw has been discovered and analyzed. This exploit allows an attacker to effectively hack a device without needing the victim to click on anything, this means that there was virtually no chance to detect the cyberattack.
The phone is believed to have been hacked in February, but the researchers detected the dangerous malware on September 7 and promptly notified Apple.
Ivan Krstic, the head of Apple's security engineering and architecture, stated that after identifying the security flaw utilized by the exploit for iMessage, Apple quickly created and rolled out a patch in iOS 14.8 to protect the company’s consumers.
Krstic also explained that these type of attacks are highly complex and require an immense amount of capital, usually in millions to develop. They also have a short lifespan and are utilized to target specific people.
While this means they do not pose a threat to the vast majority of Apple users, the firm continues to work diligently to safeguard all of its customers. Apple is continuously implementing additional security to users' devices and data.
Bill Marczak, a researcher at Citizen Lab, stated that there is a significant probability that the cyberattack was carried out by the Israeli surveillance company, NSO Group. However, it is not being necessarily attributed to the Government of Saudi Arabia.
According to credible sources, NSO neither confirmed nor refuted its involvement in the technique, simply stating that it will continue to deliver life-saving technology to law enforcement and intelligence organizations throughout the world in the fight against terrorism and crime.
Source credit: https://news.sky.com/story/apple-issues-emergency-software-update-after-discovery-of-zero-click-malware-12407471
" ["meta_description"]=> string(203) "Apple Inc., the American multinational smartphone manufacturer, has reportedly rolled out an emergency software update to patch a security flaw after it was discovered that it allowed a prominent spyware" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-15 18:45:45" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/15/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/apple-releases-emergency-security-patch-to-block-zero-click-spyware.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [33]=> object(stdClass)#59 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "188" ["name"]=> string(73) "OPPO launches its entry-level wireless earphones ‘Enco Buds’ in India" ["url"]=> string(67) "oppo-launches-its-entry-level-wireless-earphones-enco-buds-in-india" ["full_desc"]=> string(2483) "Chinese consumer electronics company OPPO has recently launched its entry-level wireless earphones coined 'OPPO Enco Buds' in India.
According to sources, the Buds will be available for purchase from 14th September exclusively on e-commerce platform Flipkart, at the launch offer price of USD 25 (approx.), down from the original USD 27. The discount offer will last for three days ending 16th September.
Chief Marketing Officer at OPPO India, Damyant Singh was quoted saying that the Enco Buds have been developed using OPPO's decades of expertise in creating award-winning audio products such as music phones, and MP4 & MP3 players.
This will enable the company to cater to young customers who seek to upgrade from wired to wireless earphones, without compromising on great design and premium features, he claimed.
Elaborating on the features, OPPO stated that the earbuds, along with the charging case can provide up to 24 hours of battery life, using the 40mAh battery fitted on each bud and the 400mAh battery pack on the charging case. Moreover, the buds come with an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance
Additionally, the Enco Buds leverage Bluetooth 5.2 technology, which allows users to listen to music or make phone calls while being up to 10 meters away from their smartphone. The Bluetooth 5.2 chipset also supports binaural low-latency transmission.
The earbuds also boast of AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), enabling high-definition wireless audio transmission protocol to provide an 80ms low latency Game Mode.
In related news, the OPPO brand recently launched its new Reno6 Series in the GCC region. The series has three sleek variations, namely the Reno6 5G, Reno6 Pro 5G, and Reno6 Z 5G. The devices have been designed to provide professional quality photos with cinematic portrait effects in real-time.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(130) "Chinese consumer electronics company OPPO has recently launched its entry-level wireless earphones coined OPPO Enco Buds in India." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-10 15:27:09" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/10/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/oppo-launches-its-entry-level-wireless-earphones-enco-buds-in-india-1.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [34]=> object(stdClass)#60 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "185" ["name"]=> string(78) "TikTok beats YouTube in terms of 'average watch time' in the US and UK" ["url"]=> string(68) "tiktok-beats-youtube-in-terms-of-average-watch-time-in-the-us-and-uk" ["full_desc"]=> string(2348) "A recent report has reportedly suggested that the average time spent per user on TikTok is higher than that on YouTube in the US and the UK. However, the latter holds the top spot for overall time spent, although not per user, owing to its larger user base.
Credible sources have reported that YouTube has an estimated 2 billion monthly users, while TikTok had about 700 million monthly users in mid-2020, according to its latest public figures.
According to the analysts, the mass audience of YouTube implies that it is receiving more demographics comprising of relatively light internet users. It is apparently reaching everyone online. The most-invested users on YouTube seemingly match or exceed the engagement of TikTok users.
If sources are to be believed, TikTok has been making hefty investments for attracting a large number of users. However, they were not hanging around for a long time as compared to that on the other social media platforms.
As TikTok has now overtaken YouTube in the US and UK and is reeling in Facebook, it reflects the increasing prominence of the former. In the UK, TikTok had reportedly beaten YouTube in June 2020 and has retained its position since then. While in the US, the two video-streaming giants are known to have traded places several times in late 2020 before TikTok made it to the top in April 2021.
Since last year, TikTok is supposedly competing with YouTube in terms of consumer spending. Reports suggest that apps with the live-streaming feature, such as TikTok, are showing a notable rise in the money spent on creators. The apps that have live-streaming as a prominent feature have reportedly spent three-quarters of money in the top 25 social apps during the first half of 2021.
Tiktok is known to allow its users’ tip creators with coins which is its version of bits. On the other hand, YouTube also has similar programs for its live streams.
Source credits: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58464745
" ["meta_description"]=> string(140) "A recent report has reportedly suggested that the average time spent per user on TikTok is higher than that on YouTube in the US and the UK." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-07 15:16:46" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/07/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/tiktok-beats-youtube-in-terms-of-average-watch-time-in-the-us-and-uk.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [35]=> object(stdClass)#61 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "183" ["name"]=> string(69) "WhatsApp fined USD 193 million for violating EU data protection rules" ["url"]=> string(69) "whatsapp-fined-usd-193-million-for-violating-eu-data-protection-rules" ["full_desc"]=> string(2867) "Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has reportedly fined WhatsApp a sum of USD 193 million for violating the EU data protection rules. The decision comes after a three-year investigation into the messaging app owned by social media platform, Facebook Inc.
This is the second-largest fine imposed against a tech company under EU laws and the largest fine imposed by the DPC (Data Protection Commission). The Commission, which is responsible for upholding the fundamental right to data privacy in the EU, also ordered WhatsApp to rectify its policies to protect users’ data.
The data privacy watchdog stated that the instant messaging platform has committed four serious transgressions against the general data protection regulation (GDPR), a landmark decree on transparency that was enforced in 2018.
In a 266-page ruling, Helen Dixon, the data protection commissioner of Ireland, stated that the company has not provided adequate information to users regarding the processing of information between WhatsApp and other Facebook-owned companies.
WhatsApp provided only 41% of the prescribed information to its users, and non-users whose messages were forwarded from other platforms got no information, cited sources with knowledge of the matter
For the record, Dixon had proposed a moderate fine of USD 59 million after the conclusion of her investigation in 2020. However, eight data regulators rejected this decision, and it was referred to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).
The EDPB then issued a ruling in July which asked the DPC to reevaluate and increase the fine levied, following which the sum reached USD 193 million.
WhatsApp expressed disagreement regarding the decision and stated that it will contest this ruling. The company claimed that it has worked hard to ensure transparency of information provided to users and that the penalty is entirely disproportionate.
In related news, South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission has levied a penalty of USD 5.5 million on Facebook for the utilization of personal images of 200,000 platform users to developed facial recognition templates between April 2018 and September 2019.
Source Credits—
" ["meta_description"]=> string(137) "Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has reportedly fined WhatsApp a sum of USD 193 million for violating the EU data protection rules." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-09-04 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "09/04/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/whatsapp-fined-usd-193-million-for-violating-eu-data-protection-rules.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [36]=> object(stdClass)#62 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "177" ["name"]=> string(68) "Instagram to improve search functions for better photo & video reach" ["url"]=> string(66) "instagram-to-improve-search-functions-for-better-photo-video-reach" ["full_desc"]=> string(2585) "Instagram has recently announced that it is planning to feature photos and videos more prominently in search results soon. This change will reportedly show a grid of photos and videos relevant to the keyword searched by a user along with results for related hashtags and accounts.
In this context, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri was quoted saying that the feature primarily aims to enhance the discovery of posts and encourage more exploration.
While pages of suggested images will still show up in the search results when a user searches for hashtags, the new feature will give them more prominence.
For the record, relevance is the primary criterion considered when a user searches for a keyword in the app’s Search bar. Some signals used by the company to determine the results displayed include- the text entered in the search bar, user activity, and popularity signals of search results.
Notably, the same criterion applies to the visibility of content posted by a user. The social media platform also filters content according to its Recommendations Guidelines, to avoid sensitive topics like violence.
Although Instagram has been making several improvements in its keyword search function, sometimes the search bar does not show accurate results.
To eliminate such glitches, the American social networking platform is working on enhancing its keyword library starting with English and then moving to other languages.
In other news, Facebook is planning to launch a digital wallet named Novi this year. The wallet, which will enable users to store cryptocurrencies safely, might launch before Diem, a digital currency which the company is currently developing.
Source Credits—
https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/25/22641598/instagram-photo-video-search-ranking-results
" ["meta_description"]=> string(123) "Instagram has recently announced that it is planning to feature photos and videos more prominently in search results soon. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-28 12:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/28/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/mobile/instagram-to-improve-search-functions-for-better-photo-video-reach.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [37]=> object(stdClass)#63 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "175" ["name"]=> string(64) "LOVE unveils a modern asynchronous audio and video messaging app" ["url"]=> string(64) "love-unveils-a-modern-asynchronous-audio-and-video-messaging-app" ["full_desc"]=> string(2574) "
LOVE, a London-based tech startup, is reportedly launching a messaging app that combines video calling with asynchronous video and audio messaging. Through this app, the company aims to deliver a privacy-focused and ad-free experience using numerous bells and whistles, including artistic filters as well as real-time transcription and translation features.
The $17 million-valued company intends that the direction for its product should be guided by its users in a democratic way rather than having a top management making the decisions. The company has confirmed that its long-term goal is to hand over the ownership and governance of the app to its users.
These concepts seem to be a part of Web 3.0, or next phase of internet development where the services are decentralized, and privacy is heightened. Besides, data is also protected, and transactions are performed on digital ledgers, similar to a blockchain, in a more distributed way.
Speaking of the LOVE app, it is reportedly a sophisticated mobile messenger with interesting features. Through this app, a user can video call with friends and family in either one-on-one calls or in groups. At present, LOVE supports up to five call participants, and intends to expand that as it grows.
Sources have suggested that the app limits its video messages to 60 seconds to keep them brief. It also allows the users to both watch the video content and read the real-time transcription. The latter is not just for accessibility but will also help users to get the messages when they aren’t in a private place to listen or do not have headphones. For the record, the conversations can be translated into 50 languages.
The user interface of LOVE has been designed for promoting eye-to-eye contact with the speaker in order to make the conversations feel more natural. For this, the app uses a design element where bubbles float around as the user is speaking. The bubble with the current speaker then grows to draw the users’ focus away from looking at themselves.
Source credits: https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/25/love-unveils-a-modern-video-messaging-app-with-a-business-model-that-puts-users-in-control/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(148) "LOVE, a London-based tech startup, is reportedly launching a messaging app that combines video calling with asynchronous video and audio messaging. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-26 16:00:16" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/26/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(79) "img/mobile/love-unveils-a-modern-asynchronous-audio-and-video-messaging-app.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [38]=> object(stdClass)#64 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "170" ["name"]=> string(62) "Over 40 million customers of T-Mobile hit by a US data breach " ["url"]=> string(61) "over-40-million-customers-of-t-mobile-hit-by-a-us-data-breach" ["full_desc"]=> string(2826) "T-Mobile US Inc., a leading American mobile telecommunication company, has reportedly claimed that the personal data of more than 40 million of its customers has been exposed by a US data breach. According to reports, the company is calling it a “highly sophisticated cyberattack.”
As per a statement by the company, hackers took the social security numbers along with other personal information of the affected customers, but no financial details were leaked.
Notably, the breach came to light after online reports claimed that hackers were seeking to sell a large database comprising of T-Mobile user data online.
The telecom giant mentioned that the stolen data included first and last names of the customers, Social Security numbers, date of birth, and driver’s license information. The victims included people who had applied for credit with the company and nearly 7.8 million present subscribers with postpaid plans.
In addition to above close to 850,000 active T-Mobile prepaid customer phone numbers and accounts, PINs were also leaked. However, the company stated that it had reset all of the PINs in order to protect the customers.
Seemingly, no PINs, passwords, or any type of financial data was compromised in any of the files of the customers or prospective users.
Commenting on the latest breach, T-Mobile stated that as soon as the company was informed of the mishap, it began an exhaustive investigation supported by some of the leading cybersecurity experts. The access points that were used to trespass into the company’s server were then located and blocked.
In a similar incident back in 2019, hackers had gained access to a considerably smaller number of prepaid accounts, which included names, account details, phone numbers, and billing addresses. At that time T-Mobile claimed that the breach affected less than 1.5% of its total client base.
Additionally, further back in 2015, 15 million T-Mobile customers and potential clients in the U.S. faced a similar threat where hackers stole their personal information.
T-Mobile’s data breach marks one of the largest high-profile cyberattacks as digital thieves are taking advantage of the weakened security by work-from-home policies owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
Source credit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58263521
" ["meta_description"]=> string(285) "T-Mobile US Inc., a leading American mobile telecommunication company, has reportedly claimed that the personal data of more than 40 million of its customers has been exposed by a US data breach. According to reports, the company is calling it a “highly sophisticated cyberattack.”" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-20 17:23:06" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/20/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(76) "img/mobile/over-40-million-customers-of-t-mobile-hit-by-a-us-data-breach.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [39]=> object(stdClass)#65 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "167" ["name"]=> string(64) "Samsung launches two new foldable 5G Galaxy smartphones in India" ["url"]=> string(64) "samsung-launches-two-new-foldable-5g-galaxy-smartphones-in-india" ["full_desc"]=> string(2710) "Samsung, the South Korean smartphone manufacturer, has reportedly announced that starting 10th of September 2021, its latest foldable smartphones, Galaxy Z Flip3 5G and Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, will be made available in the Indian market at an initial price of ₹84,999.
According to credible reports, both smartphones will be made available in two colors, Phantom Green and Cream. Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G will be offered in two models; the first one will have 12GB RAM+256GB storage with a price of ₹1,49,999, and another one will have 12GB RAM+512GB storage with a price of ₹1,57,999.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, on the other hand, will be available for ₹84,999 for the 8GB RAM+128GB storage model and ₹88,999 for the 8GB RAM+256GB storage option.
Through a statement, Samsung announced that consumers in India could pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G and Galaxy Z Fold3 5G from August 24 until September 9, 2021, through Samsung.com or other leading retail stores. The sale will be launched on the 10th of September 2021.
Moreover, the statement added that customers can book their Galaxy Z Fold3 for ₹1,42,999 and the Galaxy Z Flip3 for ₹77,999 during the pre-order period.
Aditya Babbar, the Director & Head of Mobile Marketing at Samsung India, claimed that the devices offer the perfect blend of cutting edge technology and unrivaled style, with numerous firsts such as S-Pen on a foldable and the first under-display camera, as well as IP certified water resistance.
With a resolution of 2208x1768 pixels (337 ppi), the Galaxy Z Fold3 has a 7.60-inch Dynamic Foldable AMOLED 2X primary display and a secondary 6.20-inch touchscreen with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display resolution of 832x2268 pixels. Both screens are covered by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and have a refresh rate of 120Hz.
The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's newest flagship Snapdragon 888 octa-core 5G processor and Adreno 660 GPU. It runs Android 11 with the OneUI 3.5 skin on top.
" ["meta_description"]=> string(112) "Samsung, the South Korean smartphone manufacturer, has reportedly announced that starting 10th of September 2021" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-17 19:47:29" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/17/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(79) "img/mobile/samsung-launches-two-new-foldable-5g-galaxy-smartphones-in-india.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [40]=> object(stdClass)#66 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "165" ["name"]=> string(73) "Instagram launches anti-abusive feature ‘Limits’ to curb online abuse" ["url"]=> string(67) "instagram-launches-anti-abusive-feature-limits-to-curb-online-abuse" ["full_desc"]=> string(2656) "Flourishing social media platforms have been encountering various kinds of online abuse including trolling, racism, homophobia, and others. To curb such abuse, Instagram has rolled out a new feature coined “Limits” that protects users from offensive, unwanted, and abusive DM requests and comments.
The add-on was created to help combat racist attacks after research conducted by the company indicated that the platform witnessed a spike in negativity against prominent football players following the Euro Cup 2020 finals.
This led the Facebook-owned company to introduce the powerful feature to protect users, especially famous personalities, and influencers, from abusive content as well as hate speech on the platform. Notably, the company has also enabled the function for all of its users.
To use this feature, one needs to go to privacy settings and switch “Limits” on or off as per their requirement. When the Limits feature is turned on, Instagram will automatically hide comments from users whom the person does not follow.
Additionally, the feature will also hide comments from new followers of influencers or public figures, to prevent abuse from accounts created with the intent of just harassing the user. Moreover, this new feature will also hide DMs from accounts that the user does not follow.
Instagram commented that its survey indicated that negativity on public figure profiles was either from other users who did not follow them or had recently followed them just to “pile on” the moment.
The platform explains that this feature was also designed keeping in mind creators who are against the idea of switching off messages and comments completely and want to interact with their community to build relationships.
According to sources, the company is also working on developing functions enabling the detection of sudden spikes in comments and DMs on the platform that will allow it to notify a user to turn on the Limits feature promptly.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(139) "Flourishing social media platforms have been encountering various kinds of online abuse including trolling, racism, homophobia, and others." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-14 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/14/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(82) "img/mobile/instagram-launches-anti-abusive-feature-limits-to-curb-online-abuse.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [41]=> object(stdClass)#67 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "159" ["name"]=> string(65) "Twitter introduces co-host feature in Spaces to monitor chatrooms" ["url"]=> string(65) "twitter-introduces-co-host-feature-in-spaces-to-monitor-chatrooms" ["full_desc"]=> string(2397) "With an increasing number of people joining audio-based social networking platforms, Twitter has reportedly introduced a co-hosting feature for Spaces to offer users another way to manage their audio chats.
The new feature would be valuable for businesses looking to host Spaces as it would give them more control over the debates, help ward off spammers, and keep things civil in the audio chat. In this case, the option to pin tweets could be helpful as it enables the co-host to incorporate contextual information into the debate to help illustrate crucial points without distracting the speaker from their presentation.
Co-hosts also have the same moderation and management capabilities as the host; they can speak, pin tweets, invite other members to speak, expel people out of the room, and more.
Further, the co-host feature also brings up the number of people who can chat in a Space, from the previous limit of 10 speakers. Apart from one host and two co-hosts, ten more speakers can now be active simultaneously in a room.
However, there are certain restrictions with the new feature. Only the host can invite or remove other speakers as co-hosts; for instance, one co-host isn’t allowed to invite another. Co-hosts also cannot end the room; only the original host can do so, cited knowledgeable sources.
The new feature is already being rolled out and is expected to aid hosts in keeping Spaces under control, particularly for larger conversations. Twitter has dedicated the top section of users' timelines in the application (previously occupied by Fleets) to the social audio feature, demonstrating how vital Spaces is for the business.
Twitter, with this move, has displayed constant innovation to meet user demands and further prevent losing users to rivals like Discord and Clubhouse.
Source Credit –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(206) "With an increasing number of people joining audio-based social networking platforms, Twitter has reportedly introduced a co-hosting feature for Spaces to offer users another way to manage their audio chats." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-08-07 15:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "08/07/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/mobile/twitter-introduces-co-host-feature-in-spaces-to-monitor-chatrooms.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [42]=> object(stdClass)#68 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "145" ["name"]=> string(68) "Netflix to add games in its subscription packages at zero extra cost" ["url"]=> string(68) "netflix-to-add-games-in-its-subscription-packages-at-zero-extra-cost" ["full_desc"]=> string(2824) "Netflix, the US-based online streaming service provider, has reportedly confirmed rumors that it plans to include video games within its subscription packages at zero additional cost.
According to reports, the streaming giant claimed in a letter addressed to investors that it was still in the early phases of growing into games and those intended for mobile would be included in the platform initially.
At the start of the week, Netflix stated that the moment is ripe to understand more about how its subscribers value gaming. Netflix's shares, on the other hand, have dropped in after-hours trading after the firm missed to achieve its subscription target.
The California based firm stated that it plans to sign up 3.5 million new subscribers in the three months leading up to the end of September, which was less than the 5.86 million that were estimated by analysts.
In its most recent financial update, the company stated that COVID-19 caused some unevenness in its subscription growth (faster gains in 2020, slower growth in 2021, so far), which is being worked out.
Netflix is still working hard to improve its service to its subscribers and offer them the top stories from across the world, the company added.
It currently has over 209 million paid subscribers, having witnessed a surge in sign-ups during coronavirus-related lockdowns when customers were spending more time at home.
However, the pandemic has been a double-edged sword for Netflix since it has caused delays in the production of some major films.
The company also added that it is optimistic, while referring to upcoming seasons of the shows Never Have I Ever and Sex Education. Netflix elaborated that the unpredictability of COVID-19 and its variants make forecasting the future difficult, but productions have mostly gone smoothly.
Netflix has made a number of efforts to help with the shift into gaming, including the hiring of Mike Verdu as vice president of game development. Verdu worked as an executive at Electronic Arts (EA).
Additionally, the company is also expanding its agreement with Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Bridgeton, to include gaming.
Source credit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Snkr-mcirPl3fexcfsq6MW6TnoqB8S9YduCaK_U0hU/edit
" ["meta_description"]=> string(183) "Netflix, the US-based online streaming service provider, has reportedly confirmed rumors that it plans to include video games within its subscription packages at zero additional cost." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-22 16:47:02" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/22/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/netflix-to-add-games-in-its-subscription-packages-at-zero-extra-cost.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [43]=> object(stdClass)#69 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "143" ["name"]=> string(66) "NSO's spyware utilized to hack phones of journalists and activists" ["url"]=> string(65) "nsos-spyware-utilized-to-hack-phones-of-journalists-and-activists" ["full_desc"]=> string(2855) "
A sweeping investigation conducted by the Washington Post and 16 other news organizations, has reportedly found that a private Israeli spy software was employed to hack several smartphones owned by human rights activists, reporters, business executives, and the fiancée of slain Saudi-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Israeli spyware firm NSO Group is said to have licensed military-grade spyware. According to the investigation, the hacked phones were revealed to be on a list of over 50,000 numbers based in nations known to spy on people.
Hidden Stories, a Paris-based nonprofit organization for journalism, and Amnesty International, a human rights organization, shared the list of numbers with media outlets including the Post.
In various remarks, NSO Group has denied the report's findings, claiming that the research included uncorroborated hypotheses, which are based on a misleading interpretation of leaked information from easily accessible and obvious fundamental facts.
NSO Group further stated that it will continue to examine all valid allegations of misappropriation and take appropriate action if required.
According to reports, the Pegasus spyware developed by NSO Group is licensed to governments all across the world and can hack the data of mobile phones and activate the microphone. NSO stated that the spyware is exclusively used to track terrorists and other criminals.
Shalev Hulio, the chief executive officer of NSO, stated that the enterprise cares about activists, journalists, and the civil society in general. However, Hulio also continued to dispute the claim that the 50,000-long phone numbers records had anything to do with the company or its spyware, Pegasus.
NSO lists 60 intelligences, and law enforcement agencies and militaries from 40 nations as its customers. However, it would not confirm their names due to client confidentiality constraints.
A number of the phone numbers were discovered by the consortium in at least 10 nation clusters: Bahrain, Rwanda, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, India, Hungary, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. According to Bill Marczak, a Citizen Lab senior research fellow, all 10 nations have been NSO's clients.
Source credit: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/18/israeli-spyware-used-to-target-phones-of-journalists-and-activists-investigation-finds.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(89) "A sweeping investigation conducted by the Washington Post and 16 other news organizations" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-20 19:09:27" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/20/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/mobile/nsos-spyware-utilized-to-hack-phones-of-journalists-and-activists.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [44]=> object(stdClass)#70 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "141" ["name"]=> string(72) "Xiaomi trumps Apple to become world’s second-largest smartphone vendor" ["url"]=> string(69) "xiaomi-trumps-apple-to-become-worlds-second-largest-smartphone-vendor" ["full_desc"]=> string(2493) "Chinese multinational mobile company Xiaomi Corp. has reportedly secured its spot as the second-largest worldwide smartphone vendor during Q2 of 2021, recording a staggering 83% year-over-year growth and capturing approximately 17% of the total global market.
The leap has reinstated Xiaomi at the No. 2 spot, trailing only to Samsung’s 19% by a rather minuscule margin. Meanwhile, after losing its place to Xiaomi, Apple now stands third in the market at 14%. Vivo and Oppo together make the top five at 10% each.
Meanwhile, Huawei has lost its footing among the top companies mainly due to blacklisting that has both cut off its access to U.S. mobile products, including Google’s Android and banned the company from certain markets (specifically, the United States).
If reports are to be believed, Xiaomi’s aggressive pricing strategy has played a major part in the company’s success — particularly in contrast with the premium-priced offerings from Apple and Samsung.
The company is now pushing its business approach from challenger to the incumbent, with more careful management of older inventories, and new projects such as channel partner consolidation.
Notably, Xiaomi has been largely focused on the mass market, and its selling price is nearly 40% and 75% cheaper as compared to Samsung and Apple, respectively. This year, however, the company will focus to augment the sales for its high-end devices such as the Mi 11 Ultra.
It is also worth noting that Xiaomi does not have a strong foothold in the U.S, but has recently seen success in Latin America, Western Europe, and Africa.
Meanwhile, the company has access to several other potential markets to continue its expansion, as it looks to surpass Samsung, even as Vivo and Oppo seek to maintain their respective global growth, cited sources with knowledge of the matter.
Source Credits –
https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/15/xiaomi-global-shipments-push-past-apple-for-no-2-spot/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(149) "Chinese multinational mobile company Xiaomi Corp. has reportedly secured its spot as the second-largest worldwide smartphone vendor during Q2 of 2021" ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-17 11:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/17/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/xiaomi-trumps-apple-to-become-worlds-second-largest-smartphone-vendor.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [45]=> object(stdClass)#71 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "140" ["name"]=> string(71) "WhatsApp’s new update brings long-awaited multi-device feature to app" ["url"]=> string(68) "whatsapps-new-update-brings-long-awaited-multi-device-feature-to-app" ["full_desc"]=> string(2692) "
Facebook-owned online messaging app, WhatsApp, has reportedly rolled out its latest update that offers multi-device support. This newly-added feature would allow users to run the app on their phones and four other non-phone devices like computers or tablets simultaneously, as per reports.
Evidently, to add this feature, the developer had to rethink the architecture of the app and design new systems to support a standalone multi-device experience without compromising privacy and end-to-end encryption, which have become vital to its marketing.
The company stated that the novel feature would work even if the phone battery died, unlike how the current desktop and web work version of the app function. Presently, one other device can display the data sent to the phone, although it only works until the phone has battery, claim reliable sources.
However, the new update enables each device to connect to WhatsApp independently, reports suggest. Notably, the update syncs messages as well as other information, such as contact names, using the same end-to-end encryption technique that makes chats unreadable as they are transmitted between users.
According to reports, the new version is slated to rollout in a limited public beta test before making its way to all users eventually. During its rollout to users in the existing beta programme, WhatsApp would apparently continue to optimize performance and add more features before gradually rolling it out further.
Even though the old system seemingly made it easy to sync the phone and other versions of the app, WhatsApp noted that it had major issues like poor connection or higher chances of disconnection due to low phone battery. With the new system, the modified underlying architecture would supposedly allow all versions of the app to check in directly with WhatsApp’s servers instead of the phone.
WhatsApp claimed that it has established systems to make sure the new service is not abused by including several technologies, which allow people to check all devices that receive messages, along with the prerequisite of biometric authentication for adding a new device to an account.
Source credits: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/whatsapp-update-multi-device-phone-b1884261.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(124) "Facebook-owned online messaging app, WhatsApp, has reportedly rolled out its latest update that offers multi-device support." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-16 11:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/16/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/whatsapps-new-update-brings-long-awaited-multi-device-feature-to-app.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [46]=> object(stdClass)#72 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "135" ["name"]=> string(72) "Qualcomm introduces new Asus-designed smartphone for snapdragon insiders" ["url"]=> string(72) "qualcomm-introduces-new-asus-designed-smartphone-for-snapdragon-insiders" ["full_desc"]=> string(2528) "Qualcomm has reportedly introduced its first smartphone built in collaboration with Asus. The premium phone packing high-end features, dubbed ‘Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders,’ was developed particularly for the company's loyalty program, Snapdragon Insiders, that went live in March.
The Snapdragon Insiders smartphone features a resolution of 2448 x 1080 and a 6.78-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The AMOLED screen, provided by Samsung, has a brightness of 1200 nits (800 nits outdoor-readable brightness), 1ms rate, and Delta-E level of less than 1. The display has thin bezels to accommodate the sensors and cameras instead of a cutout in the screen, sources cited.
The Snapdragon 888 chipset is at the heart of the device and comes with 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM.
An ultrawide angle camera by Sony, IMX363, with 12MP and aperture of f/2.2 with real-time distortion correction and the ability to shoot 4cm macro images is also available. The smartphone comes with AI auto zoom and can record in 4K UHD at 30/60 frames per second and 8K at 30 frames per second.
The phone also comes with dual stereo speakers and a smart amp from Qualcomm, the first to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound technology. It also includes NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and dual 5G SIM support.
A 4000mAh battery powers the Snapdragon Phone, which supports Quick Charge 5 and 65W rapid charging, with a 65W adaptor.
As per credible sources, the Qualcomm Snapdragon Insiders Phone would be available in August for USD 1499. Customers can also sign up for notifications, however, Qualcomm said Snapdragon Insiders would be notified of the availability.
The phone is available in ‘Midnight Blue’ color and purchases can be made through offline and online retail channels of Asus. China, the United States, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom will be the first to receive the phone, followed by India.
Source Credit- https://www.gizmochina.com/2021/07/08/qualcomm-announces-snapdragon-insiders-phone-designed-by-asus/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(90) "Qualcomm has reportedly introduced its first smartphone built in collaboration with Asus. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-10 13:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/10/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(87) "img/mobile/qualcomm-introduces-new-asus-designed-smartphone-for-snapdragon-insiders.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [47]=> object(stdClass)#73 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "130" ["name"]=> string(68) "Google removes Facebook login data-stealing apps from the Play Store" ["url"]=> string(68) "google-removes-facebook-login-data-stealing-apps-from-the-play-store" ["full_desc"]=> string(2613) "In its continuing efforts to pull down Android applications that violate privacy policies, Google has reportedly announced that it has removed nine applications from the Play Store directory. Supposedly, the tech giant took this step after reports surfaced about trojans stealing login details of user’s Facebook accounts.
These apps were not difficult to find as the malware had more than 5.8 million downloads collectively and had titles like "Rubbish Cleaner" and "Horoscope Daily" that were easy to identify, reports suggest. Apparently, to extract users’ login details, the app would load the real Facebook sign-in page to trick users into entering their credentials, which, in reality, was a JavaScript from a command-and-control server.
The program would then hijack credentials and pass them to the app, taking them to the command server, as per reports. Reliable sources claim, the trojans were also stealing cookies from the authorization session.
Notably, in each case, Facebook was the target, however, creators of the malware could have easily directed users towards other internet services. Five malware variants were reportedly involved in the mix but all of them were running the same configuration file formats and JavaScript code.
Google stated that it has banned all these app developers from the store. However, the company further added that it was uncertain about the deterrent effect of the ban as perpetrators were likely to create new developer accounts.
The tech giant would supposedly need to screen for the malware itself in order to prevent attackers from using the same. The key question has seemingly been about the way these apps were able to amass so many downloads before they were removed.
According to reports, the firm’s primarily automated screening typically protects the Play Store against a lot of malware. However, in this case, subtle techniques of these rogue apps might have enabled the malware to slip past these barricades, leaving users unaware that their Facebook credentials had fallen into the wrong hands.
Source credits: https://www.engadget.com/google-removes-android-apps-stealing-facebook-passwords-192721252.html
" ["meta_description"]=> string(191) "In its continuing efforts to pull down Android applications that violate privacy policies, Google has reportedly announced that it has removed nine applications from the Play Store directory." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-05 15:14:26" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/05/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/google-removes-facebook-login-data-stealing-apps-from-the-play-store.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [48]=> object(stdClass)#74 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "129" ["name"]=> string(63) "TikTok users will soon be able to post three minute long videos" ["url"]=> string(63) "tiktok-users-will-soon-be-able-to-post-three-minute-long-videos" ["full_desc"]=> string(2389) "Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok is reportedly rolling out the option to post videos up to three minutes in length, in an effort to compete against YouTube, Triller, and other startups in the video sharing space.
Drew Kirchhoff, product manager at TikTok, expressed that this move will provide TikTok users with more flexibility and space for creating new and a wider variety of content.
It is worth noting that the ByteDance owned company had already released this feature for a small number of creators across the world on a trial basis. In fact, TikTok first begun testing 3 minutes videos as an early access feature starting December last year. The new option will be available for all users in a few weeks’ time, cited credible sources.
For the record, TikTok users could post only 15 second-long videos when the platform was first launched in 2016. The Chinese social networking service then increased this limit to one minute. However, users still wanted more time per video, particularly when filming beauty tutorials, comedic sketches, beauty demos, and cooking demos, which prompted TikTok to take this decision.
This change in video length will help Tiktok to compete with American video sharing giant YouTube, which recently launched YouTube Shorts, a feature that enables users to create videos clips on its main platform.
Speaking of competitors, Instagram released its ‘Reels’ feature in mid-2020 which works similarly to TikTok. Further, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri recently said that the platform will soon be trying out new video features to capitalize on the rising trend of video sharing and viewing.
TikTok is highly popular among young smartphone users and currently boasts of one billion users across the world, with more than 100 million in the U.S. alone. With the latest update, this figure will likely continue to rise.
Source: https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/tiktok-bumps-up-video-length-to-3-minutes/84056279
" ["meta_description"]=> string(217) "Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok is reportedly rolling out the option to post videos up to three minutes in length, in an effort to compete against YouTube, Triller, and other startups in the video sharing space." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-07-03 12:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "07/03/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(78) "img/mobile/tiktok-users-will-soon-be-able-to-post-three-minute-long-videos.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [49]=> object(stdClass)#75 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "126" ["name"]=> string(69) "Samsung pledges 5 years of security updates for some of its flagships" ["url"]=> string(69) "samsung-pledges-5-years-of-security-updates-for-some-of-its-flagships" ["full_desc"]=> string(2296) "While being at the top in terms of providing timely software updates for its smartphones, Samsung has reportedly amplified its offerings further. The South Korean electronics giants has now announced that it plans to offer five years of security patches to some of its existing and older Android flagship models.
However, only the enterprise edition of the Galaxy S20 range, Galaxy Note 20 range, Galaxy S21 range, Galaxy Note 20 range, Galaxy Tab Active 3 and Galaxy XCover 5 are known to be eligible for this five-year update commitment. All the other enterprise devices will be eligible for four years of updates, like all other devices of Samsung from 2019 or later.
For the records, the enterprise edition phones of Samsung are designed for businesses. These phones can be managed and programmed by companies with their own software and apps. The electronics major also endows these phones with its Knox Suite that plays a key role as a mobile command center for businesses. While the customers can purchase a Samsung enterprise edition phone online, they will supposedly be more interested in the usual consumer version as they would not require all that additional enterprise software.
With regards to the security firmware, Samsung has stated that the five years of security patches for enterprise flagship models will be divided into quarterly and monthly updates.
Sources have suggested that there is a high probability that Samsung will also offer five years of updates to its non-enterprise flagships although it promises only four years of updates for them.
Earlier, the company had reportedly offered to provide four years of security updates for its enterprise models. However, the consumer versions of the phones including Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S8 still received four years of updates starting from their release date.
Source credits: https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-five-years-of-security-updates-1239976/
" ["meta_description"]=> string(146) "While being at the top in terms of providing timely software updates for its smartphones, Samsung has reportedly amplified its offerings further. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-30 12:28:10" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/30/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/samsung-pledges-5-years-of-security-updates-for-some-of-its-flagships.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [50]=> object(stdClass)#76 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "122" ["name"]=> string(67) "EA acquires Golf Clash maker Playdemic from Warner Bros. for $1.4Bn" ["url"]=> string(65) "ea-acquires-golf-clash-maker-playdemic-from-warner-bros-for-1-4bn" ["full_desc"]=> string(2561) "American video game company EA has reportedly announced the acquisition of Playdemic, maker of Golf Clash, from multinational mass media firm WarnerMedia for $1.4 billion. According to the company, it is planning to utilize Playdemic’s experience to develop future mobile games and is inclined on using mechanics of Golf Clash with other franchises.
Apparently, obtaining ownership of the eminent mobile game like Golf Clash which has over 10 million installs on the Google Play Store is not the only intention of EA behind this acquisition. The company is also expected to gain an opportunity to incorporate some of its other series as it develops PGA golf games, which could link well with a mobile golf game.
EA seems to be focused on mobile gaming lately which is apparent from its acquisition of Glu, a renowned developer of video games for mobile phones, back in February for $2.1 billion.
Sources have suggested that Playdemic’s former owner- WarnerMedia is going through a transition at present, as it is being spun out from AT&T to merge with Discovery. The company confirmed that it is making a divestment from Playdemic as part of its strategy to develop games based on the storied franchises of Warner Bros.
Website of Warner Bros. is reportedly dominated by franchises including Lego, Mortal Kombat and Harry Potter, where Scribblenauts and Golf Clash are the only actual exceptions. It also has upcoming games such as Gotham Knights, based on the DC universe. According to the company, the remaining games will become the part of Warner-Discovery firm post the deal settlement.
If sources are to be believed, companies are largely focusing on mobile gaming as the gaming industry is expanding. In 2015, EA’s rival Activision had reportedly acquired King, maker of Candy Crush for $5.9 billion and its latest earnings depict that the division is now earning more than Blizzard. Several prominent PC and console games such as Valorant, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and EA’s Apex Legends have also obtained mobile ports.
Source credits: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/23/22547324/ea-golf-clash-playdemic-acquisition-warner-brothers-games-mobile
" ["meta_description"]=> string(171) "American video game company EA has reportedly announced the acquisition of Playdemic, maker of Golf Clash, from multinational mass media firm WarnerMedia for $1.4 billion." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-25 11:54:17" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/25/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(80) "img/mobile/ea-acquires-golf-clash-maker-playdemic-from-warner-bros-for-1-4bn.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [51]=> object(stdClass)#77 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "117" ["name"]=> string(70) "Apple witnesses huge sales in China despite plunging smartphone market" ["url"]=> string(70) "apple-witnesses-huge-sales-in-china-despite-plunging-smartphone-market" ["full_desc"]=> string(2619) "American multinational conglomerate Apple Inc. has reportedly witnessed a rise in iPhone sales in China despite the declining smartphone market.
Sources with relevant information stated that the shipment of international devices, which predominantly consisted of iPhones, has witnessed a month-over-month growth of 41% in sales, with figures surpassing 3.8 million units. This is 30% higher as compared to the usual trend.
Although international brands fared well in China, the smartphone market has observed a 16% drop in sales between April and May. In fact, May 2021 has been marked as the best month for non-domestic brands in China.
The majority of the original equipment manufacturers have also acknowledged the slowdown in the sales in the country, sources claimed.
Meanwhile, 5G-enabled smartphones accounted for the majority of the shipments, recording a y-o-y growth of 73%. In terms of volume, 5G device shipments have witnessed a 7% annual growth, which notably is as per the predictions.
If market speculations are right, the global smartphone market valuation has crossed the USD 100 billion mark for the first time in a quarter with sales reaching up to USD 113 billion.
Apple equipped the 5G technology to its iPhone 12 series lineup last year, which is quite late as compared to its competitors. Regardless, iPhones have managed to capture the largest share in the 5G smartphone market, with Apple selling around 58.55 million units globally in the first quarter of 2021 alone.
If reports are to be believed, although these figures are less than the previous quarter sales, it is an increase as compared to the same quarter in 2020. Apple’s shares were trading at USD 130.36 with a rise of 0.16%.
Source credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(144) "American multinational conglomerate Apple Inc. has reportedly witnessed a rise in iPhone sales in China despite the declining smartphone market." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-19 13:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/19/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/mobile/apple-witnesses-huge-sales-in-china-despite-plunging-smartphone-market.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [52]=> object(stdClass)#78 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "108" ["name"]=> string(69) "Prominent dating apps to offer COVID vaccination stickers to UK users" ["url"]=> string(69) "prominent-dating-apps-to-offer-covid-vaccination-stickers-to-uk-users" ["full_desc"]=> string(2454) "After the introduction of vaccine badges to dating apps in the U.S. in May, UK online daters will also be able to add a badge to their profiles showing that they have been vaccinated against Covid or are supporting the jab drive. However, there is no way to verify whether the users displaying the badge are truly vaccinated.
Prominent dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Match, Bumble, Plenty of Fish, Badoo, Muzmatch, and OurTime have reportedly signed up for the scheme, in collaboration with the UK government.
If sources are to be believed, some of these apps are also providing additional incentives to those members who claim to have received the vaccine. The incentives are being provided in terms of free credits or access to premium features that usually available at an extra cost, like virtual rose giving, profile boosts and super likes.
Reportedly, Bumble will also allow its users to share pandemic dating preferences including their views on mask-wearing, social distancing and if they are comfortable meeting in crowded area.
According to a recently conducted YouGov poll on around 5,000 adults in the UK, only 28% of respondents stated that they would not date someone who is unvaccinated, with 2% said that they would not date someone who had been jabbed.
However, concerns are being raised regarding the vaccination status and privacy.
In this regard, privacy campaigner Dr Stephanie Hare stated that as the vaccine badge on dating apps is voluntary and does not require official documentation, privacy risk is less.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has reportedly described this new initiative as an incredible asset for Covid-19 vaccination program in the UK.
In England and Wales residents in the age group of 30 years and above are noted eligible for vaccination. It is available in Northern Ireland and Wales to everyone aged over 18. As per government estimates, so far, around 40 million people have received at least one of the two doses.
Source credits: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57379034
" ["meta_description"]=> string(230) "After the introduction of vaccine badges to dating apps in the U.S. in May, UK online daters will also be able to add a badge to their profiles showing that they have been vaccinated against Covid or are supporting the jab drive. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-08 12:47:19" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/08/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/prominent-dating-apps-to-offer-covid-vaccination-stickers-to-uk-users.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [53]=> object(stdClass)#79 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "106" ["name"]=> string(71) "Twitter Spaces will soon have a dedicated central tab on the mobile app" ["url"]=> string(71) "twitter-spaces-will-soon-have-a-dedicated-central-tab-on-the-mobile-app" ["full_desc"]=> string(2626) "The popular social networking service Twitter Inc. is reportedly planning to redesign its app to make space for Twitter Spaces, a Clubhouse-like audio chat room feature. Although an update was released recently, only 500 iOS users from the original Spaces beta test will be able to see the new feature.
A dedicated centralized tab on the navigation bar has been made to accommodate Twitter Spaces, cited sources having access to the beta version. This new tab will offer users better access and control of the audio chat room feature.
Users will also be able to obtain complete information of the scheduled Spaces at their fingertips. This detailed information will include specifics of currently active sessions, the respective host, and the participators.
The feature will be made available only for accounts having 600 or more followers for now. Currently, there is no assurance of when the feature will be completely rolled out to all iOS users.
It appears that Twitter has grand plans for Spaces, with the company claiming to introduce additional features such as accessibility improvements, co-hosted as well as ticketed events. Twitter will also enable a purple ring around the display picture of users who actively use Spaces.
Other users will be able to tap on the purple ring to join the specific accounts on Spaces directly. The feature will make it easier to find Spaces while scrolling through the Timeline.
Android users, on the other hand, might have to wait for a while. The beta version of Twitter Spaces was first introduced on iOS before the Android launch.
Placing Twitter Spaces right on the navigation bar reflects on the company’s efforts in audio chat rooms, which otherwise have been impartially easy to ignore by those not that interesting in the Clubhouse competitor.
Speaking of which, Clubhouse recently claimed to have surpassed 2 million users after launching its Android version.
Source Credits:
" ["meta_description"]=> string(170) "The popular social networking service Twitter Inc. is reportedly planning to redesign its app to make space for Twitter Spaces, a Clubhouse-like audio chat room feature. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-06-05 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "06/05/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(86) "img/mobile/twitter-spaces-will-soon-have-a-dedicated-central-tab-on-the-mobile-app.png" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [54]=> object(stdClass)#80 (11) { ["id"]=> string(3) "100" ["name"]=> string(70) "Google, Jio working on developing affordable phones: CEO Sundar Pichai" ["url"]=> string(68) "google-jio-working-on-developing-affordable-phones-ceo-sundar-pichai" ["full_desc"]=> string(2790) "Google CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly said that the tech giant is working closely with Mumbai-based telecommunications company Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited to build inexpensive smartphones for the Indian market.
For the record, Google had bought a 7.7% share in Jio Platforms for around USD 4.6 million the previous year. It had also signed a contract with Jio Platforms to join forces on developing an entry-level, affordable smartphone.
Commenting on the move, Pichai mentioned they are focusing on producing an affordable phone and are committed to making progress on the project with Jio.
The availability of low-cost cellphones and internet data plans has the potential to not only make the internet more accessible to more people but also to help government service delivery initiatives. The Google-Jio phone aims to fulfill such demand, however, the details on the launch date and price of the device remain undisclosed, cited sources.
It is worth noting that the tech giant’s investment in Jio Platforms is part of its 'Google for India Digitisation Fund' that was announced last year. Under this initiative, Google CEO had also told about plans to invest USD 10 billion in India over the next five to seven years to speed up the country's adoption of digital technology.
Google is also exploring new ways to deploy cash from its IDF and will make some announced later this year, added Pichai. Concerning COVID-19's impact on these projects, the CEO stated that the pandemic has underlined the importance of technology in people's lives.
For a while, Google has struggled to make an impact in smartphones, unlike Apple and Samsung who currently hold the largest market share. However, the company has made a name for itself for offering a stock Android experience across all its smartphones.
Rumors have it that Google has also been working on developing a new framework in Android 12 which can potentially allow users to translate an app to their native language. The feature is currently only available on Google Chrome.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(210) "Google CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly said that the tech giant is working closely with Mumbai-based telecommunications company Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited to build inexpensive smartphones for the Indian market." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-29 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/29/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(83) "img/mobile/google-jio-working-on-developing-affordable-phones-ceo-sundar-pichai.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [55]=> object(stdClass)#81 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "97" ["name"]=> string(69) "Social media bigwigs wooed by secret Ad agency to slur Pfizer vaccine" ["url"]=> string(69) "social-media-bigwigs-wooed-by-secret-ad-agency-to-slur-pfizer-vaccine" ["full_desc"]=> string(2786) "
French social media influencers with a large audience have claimed to have been approached by a mysterious advertising agency which offered to pay a lucrative sum if they agreed to slander Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine with fake negative stories.
Léo Grasset, the renowned French YouTuber, who was among those contacted, stated that he was offered a potentially attractive secret deal to make false claims that the pharmaceutical company’s vaccine poses a fatal risk and that the regulators and mainstream media are covering up the alleged dangers. He has refused the offer, Grasset cited.
Other influencers from the country with large number of followers on Instagram, Twitter and other platforms have also claimed that they were contacted with similar offers.
Sources have reported that the person who contacted Grasset named himself as ‘Anton’ and stated that his agency has a sizeable budget for what he called an information campaign regarding COVID-19 and the vaccines provided to the European residents, particularly by Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
Anton reportedly asked the influencers to record a 45- to 60-second video on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube saying that Pfizer’s vaccine has 3 times greater mortality rate than that of AstraZeneca and questioning why the European Union is purchasing it. Anton claimed that this is a monopoly and is harming the public health.
In a follow up email, he apparently refused to reveal who is financing the campaign, stating that the client prefers to remain anonymous
Grasset has reportedly shared the email exchanges with the media.
The person who had contacted Grasset had mentioned that he works for Fazze, an advertising agency. Reportedly, a website for Fazze used to provide a London address which had been removed from the site on Tuesday (May 25). Companies House, registrar for the UK companies stated that there is no record of Fazze.
Anton’s emails had stated that the influencers who agreed to participate should not mention that they have been sponsored and should instead introduce the material as their own independent opinion.
Source credits: https://apnews.com/article/europe-social-media-coronavirus-pandemic-business-coronavirus-vaccine-c4ce42244be08d7d73a412dd42e36360
" ["meta_description"]=> string(244) "French social media influencers with a large audience have claimed to have been approached by a mysterious advertising agency which offered to pay a lucrative sum if they agreed to slander Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine with fake negative stories." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-27 17:41:37" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/27/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/social-media-bigwigs-wooed-by-secret-ad-agency-to-slur-pfizer-vaccine.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [56]=> object(stdClass)#82 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "94" ["name"]=> string(66) "Snapchat records over 500M active users amid pandemic-driven surge" ["url"]=> string(66) "snapchat-records-over-500m-active-users-amid-pandemic-driven-surge" ["full_desc"]=> string(2598) "Renowned social networking platform Snapchat has reportedly announced that it has recorded more than 500 million monthly active users with increased growth across several parts of the world.
Snapchat, which has reportedly widened its offerings beyond the disappearing messages feature, did not reveal the number of active monthly users earlier. However, it had announced last month that it had 280 million active daily users.
The recent announcement was reportedly made at its parent company Snap's partner summit, where the company revealed new partnerships for content and shopping. It also unveiled new spectacles for developers for creating augmented reality content.
Evan Spiegel, chief executive at Snap announced that the company has reached over 500 million active monthly users, and around one out of every two smartphone users in the U.S. is on Snapchat. He further stated that in U.S., Australia, UK, France and the Netherlands, the platform is becoming an imperative part of people's lives, with 90% people in the age group of 13 to 24 and 75% people in 13 to 34 age group.
Spiegel also stated that Snapchat has registered a notable growth over the last year as numerous consumers are locked down due to the pandemic. Daily active users in India have doubled over the last five quarters. Snap’s community outside of Europe and North America is rapidly growing, he added.
Popular for its disappearing messages feature, Snapchat has reportedly extended its partnerships with various media companies such as games, news, sports and entertainment snippets.
The company stated that it now has over 500 content partners on the Discover platform, which is a social feed that features news publishers, brands, etc. It is also known for its augmented reality features that enable the users to share their content and shop while virtually trying on items.
The company has also announced various new partnerships such as with the dating app Bumble, letting the users share their content using augmented reality technology of Snapchat.
Source credits: https://japantoday.com/category/tech/snapchat-claims-500-mn-users-amid-pandemic-fueled-surge
" ["meta_description"]=> string(190) "Renowned social networking platform Snapchat has reportedly announced that it has recorded more than 500 million monthly active users with increased growth across several parts of the world." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-24 16:23:06" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/24/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(81) "img/mobile/snapchat-records-over-500m-active-users-amid-pandemic-driven-surge.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [57]=> object(stdClass)#83 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "88" ["name"]=> string(69) "Clubhouse to roll out new Android app across more countries this week" ["url"]=> string(69) "clubhouse-to-roll-out-new-android-app-across-more-countries-this-week" ["full_desc"]=> string(2478) "Following the launch of its Android app a week ago, social audio platform Clubhouse has reportedly announced its plans to roll out its app in more countries in the upcoming week. Credible sources have confirmed that the app will be introduced in Japan, Brazil, and Russia on Tuesday, Nigeria, and India by Friday, and elsewhere in the world throughout the week.
During its inaugural year, Clubhouse app was reportedly available on iOS devices only. Regardless of its limited access before, the app managed to attract 10 million users and was recently valued at $4 billion, post a recent funding round. As Discord’s Stage Channels, twitter’s Spaces and other renowned social media platforms enter the audio market, whether the company will sustain the momentum amidst the competition has to be seen.
According to the sources, Clubhouse continues to be invite-only and has been criticized for not offering automatic captions for users with hearing impairment. Lately, the platform has emphasized on creators, and recently unveiled the results of an accelerator program which is expected to fund 50 audio shows of Clubhouse.
Paul Davison, CEO of Clubhouse stated during the company’s weekly town hall that next on its roadmap are in-room tipping for creators, subscriptions and paid events.
Speaking of the Clubhouse app, the company reportedly started its development this January and began testing of its beta version externally this month. During its townhall, the company mentioned that the presence on the Android platform has been the most popular product feature.
Clubhouse mentioned that while heading towards the summer and scaling out the back end, the company is planning to open even further, welcoming millions of more users from the iOS waitlist. It is looking forward to expanding language support and introducing more accessibility features, so that people from all over the world can get more native experience from the platform.
Source credits: https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/16/22439032/clubhouse-expanding-android-app-countries-audio
" ["meta_description"]=> string(178) "Following the launch of its Android app a week ago, social audio platform Clubhouse has reportedly announced its plans to roll out its app in more countries in the upcoming week." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-17 16:47:59" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/17/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/clubhouse-to-roll-out-new-android-app-across-more-countries-this-week.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [58]=> object(stdClass)#84 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "85" ["name"]=> string(73) "German regulator prohibits Facebook from accessing WhatsApp’s user data" ["url"]=> string(70) "german-regulator-prohibits-facebook-from-accessing-whatsapps-user-data" ["full_desc"]=> string(2694) "
Johannes Caspar, Hamburg’s Data Protection Commissioner, has issued an emergency three-month order prohibiting Facebook from collecting personal data from WhatsApp users. It appears that WhatsApp’s new privacy policy has violated European data protection regulations.
According to Casper, the three-month order will help in safeguarding the rights and freedom of a wide range of users that have accepted WhatsApp’s terms and conditions across Germany. The purpose is to avert any damage or disadvantages related to the messaging platform’s privacy changes.
The Data Protection Commissioner has also claimed that the new policies that allow Facebook to access the information of WhatsApp users are overly broad and not transparent.
Urgent proceedings were opened last month by the regulator’s office after WhatsApp announced that the last date to agree to its new privacy changes is the 15th of May. Users who do not agree to the new terms will not be able to access the popular messaging service.
Notably, the update was initially introduced at the beginning of 2021. However, WhatsApp had to postpone the release after it faced high criticism, withs several users moving to rivals such as Telegram and Signal.
WhatsApp has clarified that the update is related primarily to the data between customers and businesses. The company assured that it will not be sharing any information with Facebook. Reportedly, WhatsApp has also issued a statement saying the order is not legitimate since the new updated policy is widely misinterpreted.
In this context, Casper stated that there is a possibility of misusing the information for influencing the upcoming national election in Germany, which has around 60 million active users. The regulator has asked the European Data Protection Board to act and issue an effective decision.
It is also worth mentioning that the headquarter of Facebook Germany is in Hamburg, which has potentially allowed Johannes Caspar to enforce the new regulation at a national level.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(173) "Johannes Caspar, Hamburg’s Data Protection Commissioner, has issued an emergency three-month order prohibiting Facebook from collecting personal data from WhatsApp users. " ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-13 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/13/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Sumit Horo" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(85) "img/mobile/german-regulator-prohibits-facebook-from-accessing-whatsapps-user-data.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } [59]=> object(stdClass)#85 (11) { ["id"]=> string(2) "81" ["name"]=> string(69) "Google likely to allow Android users see what data is being collected" ["url"]=> string(69) "google-likely-to-allow-android-users-see-what-data-is-being-collected" ["full_desc"]=> string(2582) "Amidst the rising privacy concerns, Google recently announced that it will allow Android users to check what data is being collected and shared through a new safety section on the Google Play Store. The move will also provide better privacy and security information to Android users, which has been lacking for a while.
Users will be able to see the safety section on Google Play during the first three months of 2022. Meanwhile, Android app developers have until the second quarter of next year to inform users of what data is being collected.
Google’s effort echoes Apple’s decision to force app developers to disclose what information is being collected and shared. For those unaware, Apple recently released a new update for iPhone users, which comprises an App Tracking Transparency feature.
This new iOS update adjusts the IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers), basically a tracking number that allows advertisers to keep track of a user’s app usage. The data is then utilized to provide personalized ads.
Advertisers and app developers expect to lose revenue from this change, considering most users do not agree to have their data being collected.
Compared to Apple, Google has taken a measured approach since it too depends on advertising revenue, sources claimed. The search giant is analyzing how it can restrict data collection as well as cross-app tracking on the Android OS.
Sources confirmed that the Google Play safety section will also inform users if an app encrypts their data. The tech giant is likely to allow users to choose which information can be collected as well as shared, and check if the data is deleted if the app is uninstalled.
Google might also provide app developers an option of passing their product’s privacy sections using an independent third-party audit. This could be particularly useful for banking platforms and services that target the enterprise market.
Source Credits –
" ["meta_description"]=> string(198) "Amidst the rising privacy concerns, Google recently announced that it will allow Android users to check what data is being collected and shared through a new safety section on the Google Play Store." ["date"]=> string(19) "2021-05-08 14:00:01" ["publish_date"]=> string(10) "05/08/2021" ["author"]=> string(10) "Rini Dalvi" ["type"]=> string(6) "mobile" ["image_url"]=> string(84) "img/mobile/google-likely-to-allow-android-users-see-what-data-is-being-collected.jpg" ["algos_mail_id"]=> string(41) "connect.author@littlesaigoncollective.com" } }