World tech news and tech tweets

Foxlink's factory is located in the Chittoor district of India's Andhra Pradesh state and is unlikely to resume full operations for two months, raising supply chain concerns for the US tech giant, Reuters reported this week. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/v12OLpH

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...

Out of 187 internet shutdowns globally recorded by Access Now, 84 took place in India, including 49 in Indian- administered Kashmir, the New York-based digital rights advocacy group said in a report published on Tuesday. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/p6TdkXt

The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) may seem expensive to many, given the Rs. 32,900 price tag. However, the improved smart speaker promises more features and better performance, including Apple’s signature seamless ecosystem interfacing, if you already have other Apple products. Is this the best smart speaker for Apple users? Find out in this review. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/hIx7Czs

The Apple HomePod range of smart speakers may not be the obvious choice in the category for many buyers, because of its very obvious ecosystem-based optimisations. However, those who are suitably invested in Apple's hardware will see some benefit to this, particularly the ease with which the smart speaker is able to link and work with other Apple devices. The original HomePod was launched globally in 2018, and five years later it finally sees a successor which promises better features and performance. Priced at Rs. 32,900, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is said to be smarter, better equipped to work with IoT devices, and can also tell you the room temperature and humidity. It's also considerably larger and more capable than the HomePod mini ( Review ), the other Apple smart speaker that you can buy right now. Should you buy the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)? Find out in this review. The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is a bit smaller and lighter than its predecessor   Apple HomePod (2nd...

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...

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. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/LElhvom

The overall crypto market valuation dropped by 0.47 percent in the last 24 hours. BTC along with ETH, DOGE, and SHIB — stepped into the last day of February with dips. It is expected that the stablecoin Binance USD could see more losses in the coming days now that the Coinbase crypto exchange has decided to delist it amid its ongoing issues with the SEC. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/Hr5kx6c

Most cryptocurrencies reflected losses on the crypto price charts on Tuesday, February 28. Bitcoin, that recorded a small loss of 0.63 percent, is presently trading at the price point of $23,437 (roughly Rs. 19.3 lakh) on both, national as well as international exchanges. Throughout February, BTC came close to breaching the mark of $25,000 (roughly Rs. 20.6 lakh) several times but could not. Industry experts have time and again noted that once BTC rises in value, its next resistance point would be at around $31,000 (roughly Rs. 25.6 lakh). Ether tailed behind Bitcoin to trade in minor losses. As per Gadgets 360's crypto price tracker , the price of ETH stands stuck at $1,628 (roughly Rs. 1.34 lakh). While BTC values dropped by $103 (roughly Rs. 8,520) in the last 24 hours, ETH price increased by $10 (roughly Rs. 826). Majority cryptocurrencies recorded losses on the last day of February 2023. These include stablecoins such as Tether , USD Coin , Ripple , and Binance USD as w...

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". from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/UocMQXj

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...

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 ...

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. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/AV6Pw1Z

The Last of Us episode 8 trailer is out, teasing Ellie’s encounter with a cannibalistic survivor group which intends to take her in. Troy Baker, the original voice actor for Joel in the video game, also stars in the episode as James, a senior, untrusting member of the gang. Titled ‘When We Are in Need,’ the episode reportedly clocks in at 51 minutes, and is dire... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/xBW4qjZ

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...

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...

Xiaomi 13 series had a global launch today, on February 26, a day before MWC 2023 begins. The smartphone series from the Chinese manufacturer sported three models — the vanilla Xiaomi 13, the Xiaomi 13 Pro and the Xiaomi 13 Lite. The smartphone series announced its launch in China in December 2022. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/dAvhxlP

Xiaomi 13 Pro, the high-end variant of the Xiaomi 13 series, has launched in India today. While the company is yet to reveal the pricing details of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the handset is confirmed to pack 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. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/7JHmDgu

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...

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. The Xiaomi 13 Lite is said be powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC coupled with 8GB RAM. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/yz07UKW

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...

Meta Platforms will now go ahead with the purchase of virtual-reality startup Within Unlimited as the Federal Trade Commission voted to withdraw an antitrust complaint challenging the acquisition, officially closing the case. The FTC opted this month against appealing Davila’s decision and paused the administrative case while it considered next steps. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/M3R4yzs

Infinix recently launched a new model in its Zero series, the Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo . This smartphone features a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G SoC and is priced at Rs. 19,999 in India. The Marvel-themed Zero 5G 2023 Turbo, was launched to help promote the new Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania film. From what I have observed, this partnership does not extend to anything beyond additional packaging over the retail box. The cover has Infinix's logo as well as Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantamania artwork with a picture of Kang The Conquerer that does look cool. Infinix partnered with Marvel's Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantamania film to launch Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo   The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo comes in a sole 8GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration. Inside the retail package, we have the smartphone, a 33W power adaptor, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a user manual, a transparent hard case, and a SIM eject tool. All of these are placed inside the box without any holder ...

As Netflix looks to maintain subscriber growth amid stiff competition and falling stock, the streaming giant announced price cuts for its subscription plans in some countries. Netflix stock fell nearly 5 percent, underperforming the broader market and on course for its worst day in more than two months. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/Q6EJS9V

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) on Thursday said Google is blatantly disobeying CCI orders and charging app developers an exorbitant 11-26 per cent commission even if they opt for alternative billing system. ADIF, the policy think tank focusing on Indian digital startups, has urged the authorities, including the Competition Commission of India (CCI), to look into the matter and ensure that Google complies with the specific directives of the competition commission "in letter and in spirit". " Google has recently changed its billing requirement for app developers wherein it has mentioned that if a user pays through an alternate billing system, the Google plays service fee will be reduced by 4 per cent... Therefore, despite not using any service from Google, app developers will be forced to pay commissions to Google," ADIF said in a statement. ADIF said that in doing so Google is blatantly disobeying CCI orders. "This is nothing but another bl...

Cab aggregator app Uber has announced a comprehensive overhaul of its app globally, adding a host of new features and services to help riders go anywhere effortlessly. 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, Intercity, Rentals, Reserve, Connect and more. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/BRS5Vbx

Qualcomm on Thursday demonstrated the generation of AI images offline on an Android smartphone using Stable Diffusion, one of the most popular generative AI tools. The company says it ran Stable Diffusion 1.5 locally on an Android smartphone powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and showed an image being generated offline in under 15 seconds. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/0KEpUOn

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...

Food delivery platform Zomato on Wednesday said it has launched Everyday, home-style meal service under which its food partners will collaborate with home-chefs. "Zomato Everyday will bring you closer to home by serving you meals that make you feel at home," company's Founder Deepinder Goyal said in a blog-post.  from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/nLgObCT

Around 76 percent of respondents have claimed that they have noticed a rise in pesky calls or SMS based on their conversations with WhatsApp business accounts and their activity on Facebook or Instagram, online survey firm LocalCircles said on Wednesday. from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/SleuQCO

Mercedes-Benz said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Google to develop branded navigation for its new MB.OS operating system, as carmakers seek more control over technology in their vehicles. The system will equip Mercedes-Benz cars with Google traffic information and automatic rerouting, and enable drivers to watch YouTube on the cars' entertainment system when... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/I6lTuw7

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-per... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/17Klyns

Observations by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are upending the understanding of the early universe, indicating the presence of large and mature but remarkably compact galaxies teeming with stars far sooner than scientists had considered possible. Astronomers said data obtained by the telescope reveals what appear to be six big galaxies as mature as our Milky Way existing about 540 million to 770 million years after the explosive Big Bang that kicked off the universe 13.8 billion years ago. The universe was roughly 3 percent of its current age at the time. These galaxies , one of which appears to have a mass rivaling our Milky Way but 30 times more densely packed, seem to differ in fundamental ways from those populating the universe today. "Oh, they are radically different — truly bizarre creatures," said astrophysicist Ivo Labbe of Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature. "If the Milky Way we...

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 ...

Observations by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are upending the understanding of the early universe, indicating the presence of large and mature but remarkably compact galaxies teeming with stars far sooner than scientists had considered possible. Astronomers said data obtained by the telescope reveals what appear to be six big galaxies as mature as our Milky Way e... from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/zipG9Ut

Microsoft has struck a 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty and other Activision games to Nvidia's gaming platform if the Xbox maker is allowed to complete its much-contested $69 billion (about Rs. 5,71,468) acquisition of Activision. Regulators and competitors like Sony have come out hard against the proposed Microsoft-Activision tie-up. The move may allay concerns by ensuring more ways for consumers to get games controlled by Microsoft , but regulators around the world have been sceptical about the acquisition. Britain, earlier this month, said the deal could harm gamers by weakening the rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation , resulting in higher prices, fewer choices and less innovation for millions of players, as well as stifling competition in cloud gaming. Microsoft President Brad Smith told a news conference on Tuesday he was now more optimistic about getting the Activision acquisition done after the Nvidia deal and a similar arrangement with Nintendo . Phil Eisler, vic...