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Showing posts from February, 2023

Apple Supplier Foxlink Investigating Cause of Fire, Working to Resume Production at Indian Plant

Taiwanese Apple supplier Foxlink said on Wednesday it is working hard to resume production following a fire at a plant in southern India that halted operations at the maker of iPhone charging cables. The factory is located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and is unlikely to resume full operations for two months, raising supply chain concerns for the US tech giant, Reuters reported this week. Foxlink was engulfed in a massive fire on Monday that led part of the building to collapse, but there were no casualties. Foxlink, in a statement to the Taiwan stock exchange, said it is investigating the cause of the fire and "working hard to resume production". In an earlier statement late on Tuesday, the company said that the site had been blocked off by the fire department and that four production lines were known to be damaged. As the plant, equipment and inventory are covered by insurance, the fire has not yet had a significant impact on the company's finances an...
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EU Antitrust Regulators Narrow Charges Against Apple Over App Store Rules, Drop In-App Payments Case

EU antitrust regulators on Tuesday narrowed their case against Apple, focusing on its App Store rules that prevent developers from informing users of other purchasing options, while dropping another charge related to in-app payments. The European Commission, which acts as the executive for the 27-country European Union, did not say why it had dropped its case against the iPhone maker for requiring developers to use its own in-app payment system. However, the victory for the US tech giant will be short-lived as a new EU tech law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will apply from May, bans both of the Apple practices investigated by the Commission, with fines of up to 10 percent of a company's global turnover for infringements. The Commission said Apple's so-called anti-steering obligations, which prevent developers from informing users about other purchasing options, violate EU rules against unfair trading conditions. These obligations are "neither necessa...
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Elon Musk Assembling Team to Develop ChatGPT Rival, Held Talks With Former DeepMind AI Researcher: Report

Elon Musk has approached AI researchers in recent weeks about forming a new research lab to develop an alternative to OpenAI's ChatGPT, the Information reported on Monday, citing people with direct knowledge of the effort. Tesla and Twitter chief Musk has been recruiting Igor Babuschkin, a researcher who recently left Alphabet's DeepMind AI unit, the report said. The report comes after ChatGPT , a text-based chatbot developed by OpenAI that can draft prose, poetry or even computer code on command, gained widespread attention in Silicon Valley. Musk, who had co-founded OpenAI along with Silicon Valley investor Sam Altman in 2015 as a nonprofit startup, had left its board in 2018, but chimed in with his take on the chatbot, calling it "scary good". Musk and Babuschkin have discussed assembling a team to pursue AI research but the project is still in the early stages, with no concrete plan to develop specific products, the report said quoting an interview with th...
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Honor Magic 5 Series With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 5,100mAh Battery Launched at MWC 2023

Honor Magic 5 series was unveiled by the company on the first day of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. The flagship lineup from the Shenzen-based company includes Honor Magic 5, and Honor Magic 5 Pro. The smartphone company also unveiled the Honor Magic Vs, which is its first foldable flagship to debut outside China. The Honor Magic 5 series smartphones come equipped with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Moreover, the Honor Magic 5 Pro packs a bundle of significant upgrades. Honor Magic 5, Honor Magic 5 Pro, Honor Magic Vs price, availablity The MWC 2023 witnessed the launch of latest flagship smartphones from Honor, which included non-foldable Magic 5 series and company's first global foldable smartphone — the Honor Magic Vs. The Honor Magic 5 Pro comes five colour variants — Black, Glacier Blue, Meadow Green, Orange and Coral Purple, while the vanilla Magic 5 variant comes in Blue and Black colour options. Similarly, the Honor Magic Vs also ...
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Twitter Lays Off Around 10 Percent of Its Workforce in Latest Round of Job Cuts: Report

Twitter has laid off at least 200 employees, or about 10 percent of its workforce, the New York Times reported late on Sunday, in its latest round of job cuts since Elon Musk took over the micro-blogging site last October. The layoffs on Saturday night impacted product managers, data scientists, and engineers who worked on machine learning and site reliability, which helps keep Twitter's various features online, the NYT report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Twitter did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company has a headcount of about 2,300 active employees, according to Elon Musk last month. The latest job cuts follow a mass layoff in early November, when Twitter laid off about 3,700 employees in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, who had acquired the company for $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,64,720 crore). Musk said in November that the service was experiencing a "massive drop in revenue" as advertisers pulled spending amid co...
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The Last of Us Episode 8 Trailer: Troy Baker’s Cannibalistic Gang Is on the Hunt for Ellie and Joel

The Last of Us episode 8 trailer is out. Keeping with the trend, HBO has dropped a preview for the upcoming episode of the post-apocalyptic drama based on the beloved PlayStation video game, teasing a group of cannibalistic survivors who come to Ellie and Joel's aid, but with ulterior motives. Titled ‘When We Are in Need,' this new episode stars Troy Baker — the original voice actor for Joel — as James, a senior member of the said group of settlers. Episode 8 reportedly clocks in at 51 minutes and is directed by Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider). The Last of Us episode 8 premieres March 6 at 8:30am IST/ March 5 at 9pm ET on Disney+ Hotstar and HBO Max, respectively. The trailer for The Last of Us episode 8 brings us back to the present, where Joel ( Pedro Pascal ) struggles to recover from his near-fatal injury. “You won't survive for long out there,” David ( Scott Shepherd ), the settler's leader tells Ellie ( Bella Ramsey ), having tracked his way into their safe house. “The...
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Xiaomi 13 Pro With Leica-Branded Sensors, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC Launched in India

Xiaomi 13 Pro, the high-end variant of the Xiaomi 13 series, has launched in India today. The smartphone has already been launched in China along with the vanilla Xiaomi 13. While the company is yet to reveal the pricing details of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the handset packs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The smartphone can be purchased in India via Amazon, while the information regarding its offline availability is yet to be revealed. Moreover, the company has not confirmed any plans for the vanilla variant in India yet. Xiaomi 13 Pro availability, price in India The Xiaomi 13 Pro has been launched in India today in partnership with Leica. The smartphone will be available for purchase on Amazon, and the e-commerce giant has already made a live microsite live for the handset. The handset can also be purchased on the Xiaomi India site . The smartphone from Xiaomi comes in two colour variants — Ceramic Black and Ceramic White. Moreover, Xiaomi 13 Pro offers up to 12GB of RAM, paired...
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Xiaomi 13 Pro First Impressions: New Heavyweight Flagship

The Indian smartphone market has already witnessed the launch of many premium devices in 2023, such as the iQoo 11 5G ( Review ), OnePlus 11 5G ( Review ) and the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. Joining the league is Xiaomi's most premium smartphone offering to date, the Xiaomi 13 Pro . The new flagship features top-of-the-line hardware and was announced here at MWC 2023 . The highlight feature is its new 1-inch camera sensor, which was first seen in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra . There is more to the Xiaomi 13 Pro than just the main camera sensor, and here's our first look at the phone. The Xiaomi 13 Pro comes in two premium colours — Ceramic Black and Ceramic White. We have the black colour option which has a glossy back panel. While it is a fingerprint magnet, I do like the overall look of the phone. Xiaomi has bundled a case inside the box for people like me, who like to keep their phone's back looking neat and clean. Using the case does add some weight to the al...
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Xiaomi 13 Lite Appears on Geekbench Listing Ahead of Global Launch; Specifications Leaked

Xiaomi 13 series will be launched in Barcelona on February 26, a day before the Mobile World Congress 2023 begins. The company will unveil three models in this series — the Xiaomi 13, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, and the Xiaomi 13 Lite. While the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro were already launched in China, the global series will reportedly have one more addition i.e, the Xiaomi 13 Lite. The details about all three devices have been doing rounds on the internet. Now, the Xiaomi 13 Lite has appeared on a Geekbench listing, suggesting the processor and its performance. According to a report by Gizmochina, the upcoming Xiaomi 13 Lite has been spotted on the Geekbench certification site with model number 2210129SG. The listing suggests that the handset will be powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC coupled with 8GB RAM. The phone is hinted to come pre-installed with Android 12, paired with MIUI 13 skin. Additionally, the listing reveals that the phone has scored 793 in single-core tests and 2,938 in mu...
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Meta Steps Up Chatbot Buzz, Announces Research Tool LLaMA as Rival to Microsoft's ChatGPT, Google's LaMDA

Meta Platforms introduced a research tool for building artificial intelligence-based chatbots and other products, seeking to create a buzz for its own technology in a field lately focused on internet rivals Google and Microsoft. The tool, LLaMA, is Meta 's latest entry in the realm of large language models, which “have shown a lot of promise in generating text, having conversations, summarizing written material and more complicated tasks like solving math theorems or predicting protein structures,” Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in an Facebook post on Friday. For now LLaMA isn't in use in Meta's products, which include social networks Facebook and Instagram , according to a spokesperson. The company plans to make the technology available to AI researchers. “Meta is committed to this open model of research,” Zuckerberg wrote. Large language models are massive AI systems that suck up enormous volumes of digital text — from news articles, social media pos...
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China Directs Tech Companies Not to Offer Access to ChatGPT on Their Platforms: Report

In yet another clampdown on big tech companies, China has instructed them not to offer access to ChatGPT services on their platforms, either directly or via third parties, people with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia. Beijing's clampdown on ChatGPT , the hugely popular AI -powered chatbot, comes as little surprise to many in China's tech industry. Chinese state media outlet blasted the chatbot for spreading US government 'misinformation' amid growing alarm in Beijing over the AI-powered chatbot's uncensored replies to user queries, reported Nikkei Asia. On Monday, state-owned media outlet China Daily said in a post on Weibo, China's heavily censored equivalent of Twitter , that the chatbot "could provide a helping hand to the US government in its spread of disinformation and its manipulation of global narratives for its own geopolitical interests." Tencent Holdings and Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, have ...
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Ericsson Could Cut 8,500 Jobs Under Cost-Cutting Plans, Reveals Internal Memo

Telecom equipment maker Ericsson will lay off 8,500 employees globally as part of its plan to cut costs, a memo sent to employees and seen by Reuters said. While technology companies such as Microsoft , Meta and Alphabet have laid off thousands of employees citing economic conditions, Ericsson 's move would be the largest layoff to hit the industry. "The way headcount reductions will be managed will differ depending on local country practice," Chief Executive Borje Ekholm wrote in the memo. "In several countries the headcount reductions have already been communicated this week," he said. On Monday, the company, which employs more than 1,05,000 worldwide, announced plans to cut about 1,400 jobs in Sweden. While Ericsson did not disclose which geography would be most affected, analysts had predicted that North America would likely be most affected and growing markets such as India the least. The company said in December it would cut costs by 9 billion crow...
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Uber Overhauls App Design, Brings New Homescreen, Increased Personalisation Features

Taxi-hailing service Uber on Thursday announced a comprehensive global revamp of its app, adding a slew of new features to help riders go anywhere effortlessly. Uber said its redesigned app has been made customised to the individual preferences of each rider, offering easy access to all services, consistent experiences, and smooth flows through the booking process. With the redesigned homescreen, the company said the new Uber app makes it way easier to book rides, taking into account the most preferred destinations and products for each rider. The redesigned homescreen, more personalisation and a new way of tracking rides are some of the features added to the redesigned app. The company in a statement said the homescreen has been simplified to help riders book trips more easily, with fewer taps, right from the get-go. The new app also features a 'Services' tab as a one-stop shop to find all product offerings available to riders in their city - from a nearby Moto to Auto, In...
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YouTube Music Rolls Out Option to Create Customised Radio Playlist for Android, iOS: Report

YouTube Music is reportedly introducing a new feature that allows users to create a custom radio list. The feature, rolling out to Android as well as iOS, will let users choose artists, songs, and their frequency. For now, users can choose up to 30 of their favourite artists for customised radio playlist. While Apple Music and Spotify already provide the choice to choose artists for radio playlist, they do not offer additional customisation options. The Alphabet-owned music streaming platform earlier allowed users to customise their music queue in the Now Playing section. According to a report by Tech Crunch, YouTube Music is rolling out a new feature that will let users create their own radios playlists by choosing artists as well as the content. Users can opt to add as many as 30 artists to create their playlist. They can also choose how frequently an artist's songs appear on a list. Additionally, users will also have an option to apply filters like “new discoveries” or “chill...
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Amazon Acquires One Medical at $3.5 Billion After FTC's Approval; Announces to Cut Subscription Fee

Amazon.com said on Wednesday it had completed its $3.5 billion (nearly Rs. 29,000 crore) takeover of primary care provider One Medical, a day after a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) official announced that the agency would not challenge the deal. The acquisition, announced last July, gives the online retailer a virtual health offering as well as offices for in-person medical services for the first time. It reflects Amazon 's long-held ambition to greatly simplify how consumers navigate healthcare in the United States, a lofty goal it has yet to realize even as the company has rolled out a virtual pharmacy and other programs. In a statement, Amazon's Chief Executive Andy Jassy said the deal would help the company improve, speed up and personalize care for patients. "If you fast forward 10 years from now, people are not going to believe how primary care was administered," he said. Amazon shares rose 2 percent in morning trade. The company also announced it would ...
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Facebook Parent Meta Plans Another Round of Job Cuts, May Lay Off Over 1,000 Employees: Report

Facebook-parent Meta Platforms is planning a fresh round of job cuts in a reorganisation and downsizing effort that could affect thousands of workers, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Last year, the social media company let go 13 percent of its workforce — more than 11,000 employees — as it grappled with soaring costs and a weak advertising market. Meta now plans to push some leaders into lower-level roles without direct reports, flattening the layers of management between top boss Mark Zuckerberg and the company's interns, the Washington Post reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. Meta declined a Reuters request for comment, but spokesperson Andy Stone in a series of tweets cited several previous statements by Zuckerberg suggesting that more cuts were on the way. Zuckerberg told investors earlier this month that last year's layoffs were "the beginning of our focus on efficiency and not the end." He said he would work on "flattening ...
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India to Soon Start Semiconductor Manufacturing, Production: IT Secretary

Electronics and IT secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma on Tuesday said that the production of semiconductors in the country will start very soon. He was responding to a query around plan of action of the Ministry of Electronics and IT after state-owned company Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) raised the issue of shortage of electronic chip and printed circuit board (PCB or motherboard) hindering domestic production of electric meters. "India will be one of those top 6-7 partners which will have semiconductor manufacturing. It will happen very soon," Sharma said. Speaking at a conference on technology transfer by C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram for local manufacturing of smart meters and electric chargers, Sharma said Meity has taken lead in technology development, be it electronic or automotive sector, artificial intelligence. "We have taken a lead when it comes to the climate change initiative. One big component is the shift towards green technology, and EV is an im...
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Binance's Stablecoin Company Paxos in Discussions With US SEC Over Security Token

The firm behind Binance's stablecoin, Paxos Trust Company, is in discussions with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after the regulator told the company it should have registered the token as a security, according to an internal email from Paxos' chief executive officer. "We are engaged in constructive discussions with the SEC, and we look forward to continuing that dialogue in private," said Paxos CEO Charles Cascarilla in an email sent on Saturday to Paxos employees which was seen by Reuters. He added that if necessary, Paxos would defend its position that Binance USD is not a security through litigation. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment. Paxos declined to comment beyond the email. The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) said in a consumer alert on February 13 that it had ordered Paxos to stop minting Binance USD, the third biggest stablecoin with about $16 billion (nearly Rs. 1,32,570 crore) in circulation. In turn, Paxos said ...
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India, Other G20 Finance Chiefs to Discuss Debt, Crypto, Inflation

G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will discuss debt troubles in developing economies, crypto currencies and global inflationary pressures at a meeting later this week, Indian officials said on Tuesday. The February 22-25 meeting in the Nandi Hills summer retreat near Bengaluru is the first major event of India's G20 presidency. The meeting straddles the February 24 anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war is likely to be high on the agenda. Unblocking debt restructuring for distressed economies and boosting aid for Ukraine is expected to take prominence at the meeting, where US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is also expected to press China to "quickly deliver" on debt relief for low and middle income countries. India's presidency of the bloc comes at a time when neighbouring South Asian countries Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan have sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the past year due to an economi...
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Foxconn-Vedanta to Open India's First Semiconductor Facility in Dholera

A joint venture of Indian conglomerate Vedanta and electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn has finalised the Dholera Special Investment Region near Ahmedabad city of Gujarat for setting up their semiconductor and display manufacturing facility, a senior state government official said on Monday. In the biggest ever corporate investment in the history of independent India, a joint venture of Vedanta and Foxconn in September last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government to invest Rs. 1,54,000 crore to set up the plant in the state. This will be the first manufacturing facility for semiconductors in India. At that time, the joint venture company had not disclosed the exact location of the facility. "After a detailed site analysis in consultation with Gujarat government authorities, the joint venture entity of Vedanta and Foxconn has selected Dholera SIR for setting up their semiconductor and display manufacturing facility. The project is in the...
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Google Chrome Rolls Out Memory, Energy Saver Modes for Desktops: All Details

Google Chrome is rolling out the Memory Saver and Energy Saver modes, which were announced last year, on Chrome for desktops. The features are now available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chromebooks and are turned on by default. Both Memory and Energy saver mode will boost the desktop's performance, as well provide better battery life while using Google's browser. Memory Saver mode will automatically free up memory from inactive tabs, while the Energy Saver feature will reduce battery consumption by limiting background activity. The modes, if not needed, can be turned off in Chrome Settings. According to a report by 9To5Google, Google , which first introduced the Memory and Energy Saver modes in December 2022, is now rolling out the features widely to Chrome 110 for Mac, Windows, Linux, as well as Chromebooks. The features prioritise the active tabs and limit the background activities to free memory and reduce power consumption. As per the details shared on Google's suppor...
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