Tech News Updates: October 2018

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Twitter Testing Home Button to Switch Tweet Order

The micro-blogging platform said a small number of iOS users will soon see a button on the home screen that allows them to switch between a display of tweets.

Talk to Google Home Smart Speaker in Hindi Now

Already available on smartphones in Hindi, people can now talk to Google Assistant smart speaker in the language, the company said in a statement.

Google Home Officially Gains Hindi Language Support

Google on Thursday announced its smart speaker Home will now be able to respond in Hindi with uniquely Indian contexts.

Jio Effect: Airtel Brings a New Prepaid Recharge of Rs 119 Bundling 2GB Data And Unlimited Voice

This new Rs 119 prepaid plan is a segmented offer and the benefits vary with every user.

Flipkart Big Diwali Sale: Discount on Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3XL, Xiaomi Poco F1, Honor 9N And More

Here’s a look at the top offers and discounts available on smartphones during Flipkart’s ‘Big Diwali Sale’.

Japan Antitrust Authorities to Investigate Tech Giants Like Google, Amazon

The head of Japan's Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) said the investigation would take place next year.

Google Employees Plan Walk-Out Against Workplace Harassment

According to a report in The New York Times, more than 1,500 -- most of them women -- plan to walk out of almost two dozen company offices around the world to protest Google's handling of sexual harassment and its workplace culture.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Second Only to GTA V, Says Studio

The late October release of Wild West video game "Red Dead Redemption 2" resulted in the second-biggest entertainment launch of all time, according to studio network Rockstar Games.

Apple Users Still Waiting on AirPower, Macbook And iMac Updates And More

AirPods have been a hit since their release in 2016, so it's surprising that a new version didn't debut yesterday, especially given the number of reports hinting at their 2018 release.

WhatsApp to Soon Show Ads in Status Feature, Confirms VP Chris Daniels

According to media reports, the advertisements would be powered by Facebook's native advertising system and would be aimed at helping users understand and participate in businesses using the messaging app.

Google Executive Leaves Company Without Exit Package Over MeToo Allegation

Pichai said he has heard from many employees on the subject of inappropriate behavior at work and was "deeply sorry for the past actions and the pain they have caused employees."

Uber Goes to Court to Defend Business Model Over UK Worker Rights

Uber defended its business model at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday in the latest stage of a long-running battle over the classification of its drivers as self-employed.

Microsoft Removes Fake Bing Ad for Chrome That Potentially Contained Malware

The Bing ad takes users to a fake Chrome site, and even downloads a seemingly authentic file onto your computer.

From Streaming TV to Gmail, It's All About the Cloud

Whether you're watching your favourite show on Netflix or backing up all-important cat photos to Google Drive, the "cloud" has become an essential part of our digital lives.

Samsung Mobile Tops List of India's Most Popular Brands: Brand Asia Survey

The latest entrant in the Indian telecom space, Reliance Jio, has been ranked eighth in the list of top 10 brands by Brand Asia Survey 2018.

Britain to Target Online Giants With New 'Digital Services Tax'

Britain said it would tax the revenue that online platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon make in the country to update a system that had not kept pace with changing digital business models.

Not Seeking Decryption, but Location, Identity of Those Sending Provocative Msgs: Govt to WhatsApp

The Facebook-owned company has been under pressure for months now to put in place a mechanism to curb fake messages on its platform.

WhatsApp Stickers: How to Download and Send

While the stickers option is live with iOS version 2.18.100, some Android stable users aren't seeing it yet with latest version 2.18.327.

WhatsApp Preparing to Put Ads in Status, Confirms VP Chris Daniels

Daniels, however, did not give any timeline to this development that has been in the news for some time.

Siri Shortcuts App Updated With Actions for Weather, Alarms, Unit Conversion, and More

Now, with iOS 12.1 rolling out globally, the Siri Shortcuts app has also received an update in the form of version 2.1.

WhatsApp to Organise Startup Challenge in India

WhatsApp on Wednesday announced a tie-up with Invest India to promote Indian startups.

IBM's Rometty Stakes Legacy on Risky $33-Billion Red Hat Deal

The $33-billion acquisition is designed to save the century-old company from irrelevancy in a business led by younger tech giants like Amazon.

European Tech Firms Warn Against EU Digital Services Tax

In a letter to finance ministers of the EU, leaders of 16 tech companies including Spotify, Booking.com and Zalando say the proposed tax would undermine the EU's goal of a digital single market.

Nokia 6.1 is Now Receiving Android 9.0 Pie: Everything You Need to Know

Android Pie brings a range of useful new features such as adaptive battery, tweaked navigation and improved notifications.

Samsung Reports 3rd-Quarter Profit Surge on Demand For Chips

The South Korean technology giant on Wednesday said its operating profit during the July-September quarter grew at nearly a 21 percent annual pace to 17.6 trillion won ($15.4 billion).

Gmail for iOS Gets the Ability to View Multiple Accounts in the Same Tab

The “All Accounts” feature, which has been present on Gmail for Android for a long time now, has started to gradually roll out on iOS.

Facebook Plans Sprawling Office Near Microsoft Headquarters

The company's massive project is currently being referred to as "Building X" project. Facebook approached the city with plans for a 650,000-square-foot campus, the Puget Sound Business Journal reported late on Tuesday.

Gboard Gets New Emoji Minis Sticker Packs on Android and iOS

Gboard Minis can now recreate your face in a range of emoji-style expressions, which means that you can create mini custom emojis of yourself to express better in conversations.

Hawking's Signed Thesis, Wheelchair Auctioned in London

A copy of Stephen Hawking's doctorate thesis signed in a shaky hand was unveiled Tuesday as the highlight of a new auction of the British physicist's personal items in London.

Huawei to Bring Wireless Charging With Mate 20 Pro in India

The wireless charger is developed on the Qi standard for universal compatibility, thus, allowing it to identify smartphones, earbuds and other devices and adjust output power automatically to charge them safely.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

NASA Retires Its Planet Hunter, The Kepler Space Telescope

The telescope laid bare the diversity of planets that reside in our Milky Way galaxy, with findings indicating that distant star systems are populated with billions of planets, and even helped pinpoint the first moon known outside our solar system.

Apple Spruces up Macs, iPad Pros And Raises Prices

A new version of the Mac Book Air, originally released in 2011, will feature a higher-resolution display and thinner bezels and start at $1,199, up from $999.

Elon Musk Shakes up SpaceX in Race to Make Satellite Launch Window: Sources

Known for pushing aggressive deadlines, Musk quickly brought in new managers from SpaceX headquarters in California to replace a number of the managers he fired recently.

OnePlus 6T With In-Display Fingerprint Scanner And A smaller Notch Launched at Rs 37,999 in India

OnePlus 6T be available in midnight black and mirror black colours in 8GM RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variants for Rs 41,999 and Rs 45,999, respectively.

Apple MacBook Air, iPad Pro Price in India Revealed: Here Are The Details

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs 89,900 (Wi-Fi model) and Rs 103,900 for the Wi-Fi+ Cellular model. The second-generation Apple Pencil for the new iPad Pro will be available for Rs 10,900.

First Look: The New Apple iPad Pros Are Now Considered as Genuine Laptop Replacements

If you look carefully, the fact that the new iPads now have USB-C connectors, brings them at par with the latest MacBooks.

First Look: The Rs1,14,900 MacBook Air is Perplexing, And Price Isnt It’s Only Shortcoming

The MacBook Air has risen from the ashes. The reports of its demise, over the years, were greatly exaggerated. But its position within the existing MacBook hierarchy raises more questions than it answers.

Blockchain Startup Hires Away Google's Messaging Tech Leader

Blockchain technology startup Ripple Labs confirmed to Reuters on Friday that it hired Amir Sarhangi, who had been leading Google's rollout of a new wireless messaging system.

Google Reportedly Planning to Discontinue and Replace Unlock With Voice Match Feature on Android Devices

An APK teardown of the Google App version 8.39 for Android reportedly has a string of text that reveals the change.

Xiaomi Poco F1 to Get MIUI 10 Global Stable Update This Week; PUBG Mobile Notch-Covering Issue Fixed

Xiaomi has confirmed that the PUBG Mobile compatibility issues have been fixed on the Poco F1.

Netflix's Firing Culture Works for Netflix

If I were a shareholder - indeed, if I were an employee - I'd be hoping that Hastings never stops firing people.

Google Wants to Write Your Emails for You; It's Time to Draw the Line

I've been doing battle with Gmail. Every day my emails try to write themselves, and every day I try to prove I'm more clever than an algorithm.

Microsoft Completes $7.5 Billion Acquisition of GitHub

Microsoft has closed its $7.5 billion acquisition of GitHub, a leading software development platform.

Microsoft, Amazon Pledge to Work With Pentagon Following Anonymous Online Rebukes

The two companies are responding to a broader wave of discontent that has complicated the efforts of Silicon Valley tech companies to work with the military.

Microsoft Overtakes Amazon as Second Most Valuable US Company

Apple tops the list at over $1 trillion after crossing that threshold in September.

Fortnite Creator Epic Games Raises $1.25 Billion From KKR, Others

Epic Games is valued at almost $15 billion as part of the new investment round, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Apple MacBook Air (2018) With Retina Display, Touch ID Launched For 1199 USD: Everything You Need to Know

The new Apple MacBook Air features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD Graphics and faster system memory up to 16GB.

Apple MacBook Air With Retina Display, Touch ID Launched For 1199 USD: Everything You Need to Know

The new Apple MacBook Air features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD Graphics and faster system memory up to 16GB.

Apple MacBook Air, Mac Mini And All New iPad Pro Launched: Price, Specifications And More

While the MacBook Pro 13 and the MacBook Pro 15 got their updates earlier in the year, expected on the menu now are the updates for the iPad Pro line-up, the iMac, the Mac Pro and the much-awaited reboots of the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini.

Apple Event Live Updates: MacBook Air For 1199 USD; New Mac Mini For 799 USD, iPad Pro For 799 USD Launched

Apple Event Live Updates: The MacBook Air For 1199 USD, New Mac Mini For 799 USD, iPad Pro Launched

Apple Event Live Updates: New MacBook Air 2, Mac Mini, iPad Pro And More Expected to Launch

Uber Goes to Court to Defend Business Model Over UK Worker Rights

Uber defended its business model at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday in the latest stage of a long-running battle over the classification of its drivers as self-employed.

Microsoft Removes Fake Bing Ad for Chrome That Potentially Contained Malware

The Bing ad takes users to a fake Chrome site, and even downloads a seemingly authentic file onto your computer.

Huawei Teases New AI Speaker: Unoriginal Design, Unbeatable Price

At the Mate 20 event, Huawei teased their version of an AI speaker, which at least from the outside, looks almost exactly like the Apple HomePod -- with buttons.

Samsung Mobile Ranked India's Most Popular Brand: Report

The latest entrant in the Indian telecom scenario, Reliance Jio, which hit the existing telecom firms with unprecedented low tariffs, has been ranked eighth in the list of top 10 brands in the country, the Brand Asia Survey 2018 said.

From Streaming TV to Gmail, It's All About the Cloud

Whether you're watching your favourite show on Netflix or backing up all-important cat photos to Google Drive, the "cloud" has become an essential part of our digital lives.

Samsung Mobile Tops List of India's Most Popular Brands: Brand Asia Survey

The latest entrant in the Indian telecom space, Reliance Jio, has been ranked eighth in the list of top 10 brands by Brand Asia Survey 2018.

Beats Celebrates 90th Anniversary of Mickey Mouse

Beats has joined forces with Disney to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the world's most famous mouse with a special edition of the Solo3 wireless headphones featuring images of the Disney mascot.

A Refresh Could Give The Mac Mini a More Pro Personality

The market that used to exist for a just-about-powerful Mac Mini doesn’t exist anymore, but there are very enticing prospects up the price band.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Breaks Record For Coming Closest to Sun

The spacecraft passed the current record of 26.55 million miles from the Sun's surface on October 29, as calculated by the Parker Solar Probe team, NASA said in a statement .

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Closest Ever to Sun

The spacecraft passed the current record of 26.55 million miles from the Sun's surface on October 29, as calculated by the Parker Solar Probe team, NASA said in a statement .

Cryptocurrency Bitcoin Marks 10 Years: Everything You Need to Know

October 31, 2008 marked the birth of bitcoin. Ten years on, the world's first cryptocurrency is at the forefront of a complex financial system viewed warily by markets and investors.

Britain to Target Online Giants With New 'Digital Services Tax'

Britain said it would tax the revenue that online platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon make in the country to update a system that had not kept pace with changing digital business models.

Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition, Bharat 4 Diwali Edition Launched: Price, Specifications And More

The devices will be sold offline at a price of Rs 5,899 (Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition) and at Rs 4,249 (Micromax Bharat 4 Diwali Edition).

Apple Investigating China Report of Illegal Student Labor Used to Assemble Apple Watches

In a report last week, Hong Kong labor rights group said Quanta was "using significant numbers of student workers aged 16-19 years" to assemble the Apple Watch.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Apple Investigating Report of Illegal Student Labor Used to Assemble Apple Watches in China

In a report last week, Hong Kong labor rights group said Quanta was "using significant numbers of student workers aged 16-19 years" to assemble the Apple Watch.

India on Way to Becoming 3rd Richest Country, Lead 4th Industrial Revolution: Mukesh Ambani

Speaking at the 24th MobiCom conference here, Ambani, who heads the oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries, said India's digital transformation is "unmatch and unprecedented" after it took leadership position from being 155th in wireless broadband technology adoption in just 24 months.