Tech News Updates: January 2020

Friday, January 31, 2020

Budget 2020: Domestic Production of Smartphones Has Boosted Job Creation

The finance minister spoke about the importance of domestic production of smartphones and other electronics.

Budget 2020: Sitharaman Gives Big Push to Digital Connectivity With Data Centre Parks

The fibre to home internet connectivity through the BharatNet scheme will link as many as 100,000 Gram Panchayats in the next financial year.

Here's What the Coloured LED Rings on the Amazon Echo Signify

Trying to figure out what the various colours on your Amazon Echo indicate?

Here's How You Can Disable Windows 10 Automatic Updates

Windows 10 users can use either of these three options to disable automatic updates.

Nike Vaporfly Shoes Will Not be Banned, No Matter How Much Rivals May Have Wanted

The Vaporfly shoes have a new mid-sole foam called Pebax and an integrated carbon-fibre plate, which helps in energy feedback.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Narcos: Mexico, Homeland, and More: February 2020 TV Guide to Netflix, Amazon, and Hotstar

Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 7, Narcos: Mexico season 2, Altered Carbon season 2, Homeland season 8, Al Pacino’s Hunters, Taj Mahal 1989, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver season 7, Locke & Key — here’s our February 2020 TV guide to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Apple TV+, and Comedy Central.

This Bionic Jellyfish Can Swim Three Times Faster; May be Used to Explore The Oceans

Jellyfish propel themselves through the water by contracting their muscles to collapse their umbrella-shaped body, and then relaxing.

Coronavirus Outbreak: Google Launches New SOS Alert to Offer Accurate Information, Safety Tips

Google and WHO have collaborated to offer a new SOS alert that will offer information, news, and safety tips for all coronavirus related searches around the world.

Microsoft Azure Security Flaws Found, Now Fixed: Check Point

As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasised on keeping Azure Cloud secure with integrated end-to-end identity, security and compliance solutions, cybersecurity firm Check Point on Thursday revealed that it identified two major security flaws in Microsoft Azure last year which have now been fixed.

Avast Pulls Plug on Jumpshot After Data Privacy Scandal

Avast will close the Jumpshot analytics business at the centre of a data privacy scandal, it said on Thursday, putting hundreds of jobs at risk and deepening a slide in its shares.

Google Is Working on Yet Another Messaging App, but It Is for Enterprise Users: Report

Google is reportedly working on another communications app to fit in the G Suite for business users.

Emoji 13.0 Unveiled, Coming in 2020 With More Gender-Inclusive Options, Transgender Flag, Bottle-Feeding Parents

The Unicode Consortium has released a list of 117 new emoji that are releasing this year. The new set of emoji includes gender-inclusive options, transgender flag, and several interesting new emoji.

Social Media Companies May Be Asked to Maintain Active Mobile Number Database of Their Users

The Information Technology (IT) ministry has proposed that significant social media companies should maintain a database of active mobile numbers of all their users for verification purpose under a revised set of rules, according to a source.

WhatsApp Pay to Be Rolled Out in More Countries in Next 6 Months, Says Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Despite a delay in launching WhatsApp pay in India owing to data compliance issues, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the peer-to-peer, UPI-based payments feature will be rolled out in several countries in the next six months.

Apple's iPhone Strength Is Back and Analysts Say It Is Here to Stay

Wall Street analysts were smitten by a rebound in sales of Apple's iPhones after a year of decline. So much, in fact, that they looked past a weaker-than-expected rise in services revenue, the company's growth driver.

Microsoft Posts Better-Than-Expected Profits on Cloud Business Growth

Microsoft on Wednesday reported quarterly sales and profit that beat Wall Street expectations, driven by the first acceleration of Azure cloud computing revenue growth in eight quarters.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Samsung Galaxy A51 Goes on Sale: Price, Features, Offers and More

The new Galaxy A51 is the latest addition to the A-series bringing a sleek design, quad cameras and the latest Android 10 update.

No New Nintendo Switch Model This Year: CEO

Nintendo Co Ltd CEO Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that contrary to rumours, an upgraded version of the hybrid home-portable Switch will not be launched anytime soon.

N95 and N99 Face Masks Protect You From Pollution, But Coronavirus Too?

A high-quality mask can be useful in keeping most viruses, pollutants and other airborne illnesses, from your lungs. It could also protect you from Coronavirus.

Instagram Users See Usernames, Passwords Exposed After Third Party Database Leak: Report

A social media booting service called Social Captain, that helps users grow their Instagram follower counts, has leaked thousands of Instagram usernames and passwords for potential hackers.

Face Masks Protect You From Pollution, But Coronavirus Too? It Cannot Harm to Wear One

A high-quality mask can be useful in keeping most viruses, pollutants and other airborne illnesses, from your lungs. It could also protect you from Coronavirus.

SpiceJet Declines to Confirm Report That Stated its Customer Data Was Breached

A SpiceJet spokesperson has informed News18 that it does not confirm any data breach that may have compromised private data of its customers.

Japanese Billionaire Cancels Girlfriend Contest for Moon Trip on SpaceX Starship

In 2018, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa said that one SpaceX Starship seat would be reserved for the winner of a televised contest called "Full Moon Lovers".

Nintendo CEO Says No Plans to Launch New Switch Model in 2020

Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said the gaming company has no plans to launch a new Switch model this year. Nintendo launched a handheld-only version of its hit console in September, driving demand for the hit device through the year-end shopping season.

Tangi Is Google’s New Short-Form Video App for DIY, How-Tos, More

Google has joined the race to launch short-video making apps with unveiling Tangi that is focused on creativity and Do It Yourself (DIY) space.

Coronavirus: This Website Has A Realtime Map Tracking The Deadly Virus in All Countries

As many as 213 people have reportedly died in China and as many as 10,000 cases of Coronavirus infections are being treated.

Amazon Prime Reaches Over 150 Million Members As One-Day Delivery Hikes Up Sales

Amazon Prime subscribers keep returning to Amazon to benefit from perks like fast delivery, television and music streaming.

Apple Completes Rollout of Redesigned Maps App in the US, Europe Next

Apple on Thursday said it has finished rolling out an overhauled map app in the US in another attempt to challenge Google's popular smartphone navigation software.

Google Search For Coronavirus Will Now Also Show Tips on How to Keep Yourself Safe

This comes as the WHO declared the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.

Avast Antivirus to Close its Jumpshot Analytics Business Post Data Privacy Scandal

Jumpshot analyses users' online habits by tracking their search, click and buy patterns across over 150 websites, including Amazon, Google, Netflix, and Walmart.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Pay Adds UPI For iPhone, But You Must Use The New App For India

Amazon Pay UPI on the Amazon India Online Shopping app lets you make payments for shopping on Amazon India, scan a QR code, send money and request money.

Arvind Krishna, IIT-Kanpur Alumnus, Set to Lead IBM; Joins List of Indian-origin CEOs with Nadella & Pichai

IBM Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty said that Arvind Krishna is the right CEO for the next era at International Business Machines Corp (IBM).

WhatsApp Reported a Dozen Security Vulnerabilities in 2019, US Database Reveals

WhatsApp is found to have disclosed a total of 12 vulnerabilities in 2019. Entries were found on the US National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

Google Announces $1 Million Grant for Promoting News Literacy in India

Google on Wednesday announced a $1 million grant for global non-profit organization Internews that will launch a new initiative to promote news literacy among the Indian public.

Saif Ali Khan: A Star in Bollywood — and on Netflix

Saif Ali Khan, bonafide Bollywood royalty and star of Netflix hit Sacred Games, says India's massive film industry does not need international audiences to thrive. But that may not be a good thing, he cautions.

Amazon, Flipkart Need to Establish System for Collecting Plastic Waste: CPCB to NGT

Amazon and Flipkart need to fulfil their extended producer responsibility under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and need to establish a system for collecting back the plastic waste generated due to the packaging of their products, the Central Pollution Control Board told the NGT on Tuesday.

Amazon-Owned Ring App Sending User Data to Third Parties: EFF

US-based digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF) has found that Amazon-owned Ring doorbell app is "packed" with third-party tracking, sending out a plethora of customers' personally identifiable information.

India vs New Zealand Third T20I Cricket Match Today: How to Watch Live, Follow Scores Online

India vs New Zealand T20I cricket match is set to begin at 12:20pm today. India is currently leading the series 2-0 and will be looking to seal the series with another win over New Zealand in the ongoing T20I series.

iPhone Sales Rise for the First Time in a Year as Apple Braces for Coronavirus Impact

Apple on Tuesday reported sales and profits for the holiday shopping quarter above Wall Street expectations, thanks to rising iPhone sales for the first time in a year and soaring demand for add-ons like AirPods wireless headphones.

Apple iPhone 9, Wireless Charging Mat, iPad Pro, High-End Headphones, Coming in First Half of 2020

Apple could announce a new iPhone, updated iPad Pro and MacBooks, a new wireless charger and a new pair of Bluetooth headphones by early 2020.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro Expected to Feature Up to 16GB RAM With 512GB of Internal Storage

The Mi 10 Pro from Xiaomi is going to turn out to be one powerful smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Now Receiving Android 10 Update With OneUI 2.0

If you own a Samsung Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ you should soon see a prompt to update to the latest Android 10 update.

Google Assistant on The Pixel 4 to Support Three-Button Navigation

Google is planning to bring back support for three-button navigation for the Assistant.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Adds UPI Payments For iPhone, But You Must Use The App For India

Amazon Pay UPI on the Amazon India Online Shopping app lets you make payments for shopping on Amazon India, scan a QR code, send money and request money.

WhatsApp Pay to Be Rolled Out in More Countries in Next 6 Months, Says Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Google Unveils Android Support on Twitter Through #AndroidHelp

Users no longer have to send a direct message to Google on Twitter to seek help regarding their Android phones.

Apple's iPhone Strength Is Back and Analysts Say It Is Here to Stay

Bitcoin is Not as Popular as it Used to be, But Thieves Still Love it

Illegal transactions have been a part of Bitcoin's story since the first online black market, Silk Road, gave people a reason to begin using Bitcoin in 2011.

Cool New Emojis Are Coming to Your Phone And Are More Inclusive Than Ever Before

Typically, these new emojis should roll out for Android phones and the Apple iPhones, for instance, around September.

Microsoft Posts Better-Than-Expected Profits on Cloud Business Growth

Microsoft on Wednesday reported quarterly sales and profit that beat Wall Street expectations, driven by the first acceleration of Azure cloud computing revenue growth in eight quarters.

Facebook Pays $550 Million To Settle Lawsuit Against Collection Facial Recognition Data

Facebook allegedly got the data through its “Tag Suggestions” feature, which allowed users to recognize their Facebook friends from previously uploaded photos.

Suddenly, Wall Street is All Ga-Ga Over Apple iPhones And Say Demand Is Here to Stay

At least 15 brokerages raised their price targets on Apple'’s stock after the record breaking quarterly earnings.

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Lands in India With an Eye-Watering Price Tag of Rs 199,990

The AMBEO Soundbar is compatible with Dolby Atmos, MPEG-H and DTS:X audio formats.

Should WhatsApp Get a Doubt Button in a Bid to Fight Fake News?

WhatsApp's efforts to reduce spread of fake news has included limiting of number of forwards to five, as well as running awareness campaigns.

Biggest Credit Card And Debit Card Breach Ever Puts Details of 30 Million up For Sale

Majority are from US banks but some records are also linked to cardholders from Latin America, Europe, and several Asian countries.

Microsoft's Edge to Help Google Improve Tab Management in Chrome

Just days after bringing Chromium-based Edge browser for Windows and macOS users, Microsoft is found to have started helping Google engineers improve Chrome’s multi-tab management.

Indian Online Food Delivery Market to Hit $8 Billion by 2022: Google, BCG Report

The report by Google and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that variety in cuisines (35 percent) was one of the top reasons for recurrent use of online food ordering apps, followed by good discounts and convenience.

Instagram Led Social Media Outages in Q4 2019: Downdetector

Facebook-owned Instagram experienced the highest outage in the fourth quarter of 2019 with 21,682 reports at the peak on November 28, 2019

Avast Antivirus Collected and Sold Users' Web Browsing Data, Company Responds

An investigation on Monday claimed that the popular Avast antivirus -- installed on nearly 435 million Windows, Mac and mobile devices globally -- harvested users' data via browser plugins and then sold it to third parties.

Data Privacy Day: What It Is, Its Importance, and What It Means for Your Information Security

Data Privacy Day is an international event that occurs on January 28 each year. The event aims to spread awareness on user privacy and data security and is celebrated internationally.

TikTok, DSCI Partner to Launch Quiz to Spread Awareness on Online Privacy

Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Chinese short-video making app TikTok on Monday have come together to launch an interactive and informative quiz for its community online.

Jeff Bezos Phone Hack: Facebook Blames iOS for the Hacking

Facebook has blamed Apple's operating system for the hacking of Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos' phone, saying WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption is unhackable.

OnePlus Concept One Coming to India on February 8, But It's Only for You to See

OnePlus is going on a 10-city, eight-country world tour with the Concept One, and you can even attend a product briefing session if you're too intrigued by it.

Apple Expected to Produce 6 Million Units of iPhone 9 by Q1 2020

Apple had produced a total of 70 million iPhones in its first-quarter, of which 52 million phones were iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models.

Google Translate Will Soon Let You Transcribe in Real-Time

Google Translate's transcribe mode will help users understand lectures in other languages, and watch foreign movies without subtitles, among other uses.

Huawei Offered Limited 5G Participation in the UK by PM Boris Johnson

Johnson and Trump spoke by phone shortly after the decision was made public.

Saif Ali Khan: A Star in Bollywood — and on Netflix

Google Chrome to Soon Get New Tab Management System Similar to Microsoft Edge

As of now, if a user has to move multiple tabs to another window they have no option but to drag it one by one on Google Chrome.

Intel Patching its 'Zombieload' CPU Security Flaw for the Third Time

Intel responded to criticism from security researchers saying that major steps were being adopted to minimise the danger the flaws represent to its processors.

Where Do US Presidential Candidates Stand On Regulating Big Tech Companies?

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Amazon and Google are under scrutiny over their efforts to curb the dissemination of misinformation and false claims.

Friday, January 31, 2020

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Tuesday, January 28, 2020