Tech News Updates: February 2020

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Facebook Messenger Getting a Redesign, Will Remove Discover Tab: Report

Facebook Messenger has ditched chat bots and removed Discover tab as part of a larger redesign process to remain simple and catch more eyeballs.

Twitter Just Verified a US Congressional Candidate Profile Owned by a Teenager

It took the student about 20 minutes to create a website for his fake candidate and five minutes to make the Twitter account. Twitter suspended the account when alerted.

Game Developers Conference 2020 Canceled Due to Coronavirus Epidemic

After MWC and CP+ it seems that this year's Game Developers Conference will also be canceled, although the event is expected to now happen in the summer.

Game Developers Conference 2020 Postponed Due to Coronavirus Epidemic

After MWC and CP+ it seems that this year's Game Developers Conference will also be canceled, although the event is expected to now happen in the summer.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Facebook Messenger is Getting Rid of Chatbots in Large Redesign Process

In the new design, Facebook is promoting a "People" section where you can see large squares dedicated to friends who have recently updated their Facebook Stories. One can also see the contact list organised to promote the most used contacts who are actively online.

LinkedIn Follows Instagram, Snapchat; Begins Testing Stories Feature

LinkedIn Stories are geared more towards professional engagement than social conversation but bear striking resemblance to their Snapchat and Instagram counterparts.

IBLA 2020: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Wins Global Indian Business Icon

The CNBC-TV18's 15th India Business Leader Awards’ (IBLA) night was held in Mumbai on Friday. The event honoured high-achievers, outstanding leaders and true visionaries of corporate India.

Netflix March 2020 Releases: Kiara Advani, Manisha Koirala, Hayao Miyazaki, and More

Kiara Advani in Karan Johar’s Guilty, Manisha Koirala in Maska, Altered Carbon: Resleeved anime, Kaneez Surka in Ladies Up, Kingdom season 2, Elite season 3, Castlevania season 3, and several Studio Ghibli-Hayao Miyazaki films — the biggest TV shows and movies coming to Netflix India in March 2020.

Realme Vs Xiaomi: Who Launched the 1st Smartphone with Inbuilt Indian GPS?

Xiaomi claims that its upcoming phone will be the first to house India's satellite navigation system but Realme says that the X50 Pro 5G already supports NavIC.

Instagram Releases Progressive Web App With Direct Messaging Feature on Microsoft Store

Instagram has released a Progressive Web App (PWA) on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 users. The app is available as an update and comes with direct messaging features.

TCL C8 4K Smart TV Range With Far-Field Voice, Android TV Now Available at Rs 49,990

The key highlight of the new TCL C8-series is that it comes with far-field voice recognition technology. This lets users control the television with their voice from almost any corner of the room it is placed in.

Coronavirus Impact Could Delay Smartphone Components Supplies to India Till Q2

According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone sales in Q1 2020 will go down seven per cent compared to the same period last year.

Microsft Edge Now Allows Users to Block Potentially Unwanted Applications

Microsoft Edge is rolling out an update that will block potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) from downloading. PUAs can track users' behaviour online or send a barrage of pop-up windows.

Save Money For a New House on This Super Earth That Scientists Are Sure Can Host Life

This super earth, is 124 light-years away from the earth we reside on, and is 2.6 times the radius of Earth. The researchers confirmed the atmosphere to be hydrogen-rich with a significant amount of water vapour. The levels of other chemicals such as methane and ammonia were lower than expected for such an atmosphere.

Paytm Payments Bank Says Telcos Should Act Faster to Counter Online Fraud

Telecom companies in India need to implement stringent preventive and punitive measures to counter the menace of online frauds executed through spam SMS or calls, a top Paytm Payments Bank (PPB) executive said on Thursday.

Realme X, Realme 5 Pro Users Can Finally Enjoy Android 10 With Realme UI as Roll-out Begins

Realme is rolling out its new Realme UI along with the latest Android 10 update to two more devices.

Vivo Z6 5G With Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G Processor, 5,000mAh Battery Goes Official

The Vivo Z6 could potentially launch in India as a 4G variant, although the company has not confirmed any information.

Netflix Upgrades Mobile, Basic Plan to HD Video Quality in New Test in India

Netflix has silently upgraded the Rs. 199 “mobile” and the Rs. 499 “basic” plans to high-definition (HD) video quality in a new test in India. For the geeks out there, that means 720p.

Huawei MediaPad M6 Tablet Expected to Launch in India Next Month

Can Huawei make its presence felt in the Indian tablet market with its upcoming M-series tablet?

Gujarat Loves Sentimental Songs While Its Mushy Music For Bihar & West Bengal on Spotify

It turns out that the slightly older folks among the Spotify user demographic do have a cool taste in music. Spotify’s data points to Señorita by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello as the most streamed track across the country for the 55+ age group.

During Coronavirus Epidemic, Virus Game 'Plague' Pulled from Apple App Store in China

Several Chinese users reported they could not download the game after China's cyberspace watchdog removed it for having illegal content.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Vivo Z6 5G With Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, 5,000mAh Battery Goes Official

The Vivo Z6 could potentially launch in India as a 4G variant, although the company has not confirmed any information.

Microsoft, Epic, Unity Will Also Skip GDC 2020 Due to Coronavirus Threat. MS, Unity Will Hold Online Events

Three more companies have joined the ever growing list of attendees to cancel their presence at GDC 2020. This time, Microsoft, Epic, and Unity have announced that they will withdraw from the event due to coronavirus risks.

Microsoft to Skip Game Developers Conference 2020 Over Coronavirus Risk

Other companies who backed out from this year's GCD are Facebook, Unity, Sony and Epic Games. Facebook also cancelled its F8 developer conference.

Post Cambridge Analytica, Facebook Sues Data Analytics Firm for Harvesting User Data

Data analytics firm OneAudience secretly collected user data from Facebook and other social media companies and paid app developers to install malware.

There is Red Snow Falling in Antarctica But is Not All Doom And Gloom

Scientists also refer to this as “watermelon snow”, not just because of its colour but also the pleasant sweet aroma that it generates. But there is one problem--it captures more heat from the sunlight.

Facebook Cancels F8 Developer Conference Over Global Coronavirus Scare

This move comes just days after the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a coronavirus case in Northern California, home to many tech giants.

Spotify's Design Refresh For The iPhone App is All About New Icons And Simplifying The UX

Spotify is the most popular global audio streaming subscription service with as many as 271 million users, of which 124 million are paid subscribers. In India, Spotify subscription prices start at Rs 13. The streaming service is about to complete one year in India.

Big Bang Theory, Part 2? Scientists Have Discovered The Biggest Explosion in The Universe

The amount of energy required to create the cavity in Ophiuchus is about five times greater than the previous record holder, MS 0735+74, and hundreds and thousands of times greater than typical clusters, says the NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

'Plague Inc' Game Removed From Apple’s China App Store Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Strategy simulation game "Plague Inc.", which surged in popularity in China when the coronavirus epidemic first started, has been removed from the China app store after regulators said it contained illegal content, its developer said on Thursday.

Sir John Tenniel, Illustrator Who Brought 'Alice in Wonderland' Characters to Life, Honoured by Google Doodle

Tenniel’s illustrations have animated the imaginations of children and adults alike for generations. His legacy continues to thrive, as readers cherish these timeless works of art to this day.

UPI Became the Most Preferred Payment Mode for Indians in 2019

Key factors that powered UPI's transaction growth in 2019 are the adoption of UPI 2.0 features by banks, enabling payments for IPO applications, facilitating Foreign Inward Remittance service, supporting donations for several relief programs, and numerous cashbacks and discounts offered by banks and non-bank players,.

Spotify Dominated by the 18-24 Age Group in India

Top genres in India ranged across pop, filmi music, hip-hop, sufi and Indian folk, what unites Indian listeners is still their love for "love" as a genre for music.

Realme 6 Pro Press Renders Confirm Three Colour Options

Realme will be launching the new Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro in India on March 5.

Discussed Data Sovereignty, Digital India With Nadella: Prasad

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Wednesday discussed on a range of issues including data sovereignty and Digital India with Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Google Defeats Conservative Nonprofit's YouTube Censorship Appeal

Google persuaded a federal appeals court on Wednesday to reject claims that YouTube illegally censors conservative content.

Google Defeats Conservative Nonprofit's YouTube Censorship Appeal

Google persuaded a federal appeals court on Wednesday to reject claims that YouTube illegally censors conservative content.

Star Wars, Westworld, Ozark, and More: March 2020 TV Guide to Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon

Star Wars series The Mandalorian, Westworld season 3, Ozark season 3, Castlevania season 3, Mentalhood, Special Ops, Pushpavalli season 2, Better Things season 4, Amazing Stories — our March 2020 TV guide to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV+, ALTBalaji, and Zee5.

Twitter Expands 'Hide Replies' by Giving Developers Access to the Feature

Developers can now create tools that automatically hide bad tweets like those including certain prohibited keywords or those that score high for being toxic.

Tim Cook Confirms Apple Will Finally Open First India Flagship Store in 2021

The Cupertino-based tech giant is currently selling its devices in India via third-party offline retailers and e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon.in.

Dating Apps Are Becoming the Next Big Digital Tool for Political Campaigns in the US

Dating apps have grown in popularity in the US in recent years, making them fertile territory to connect with voters.

TikTok a 'Fundamentally Parasitic' App, 'Actively Tell People' Not to Install It: Reddit CEO Steve Huffman

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman calls TikTok fundamentally parasitic app. He further revealed that he "actively" recommends people to not install TikTok on their phones.

Get Rid of Your Stylish Beard If You Want to Stay Protected From Coronavirus

There are 12 beard styles that work with face masks and don’t reduce their efficiency. Millions around the world are now wearing face masks to protect themselves against Coronavirus, or COVID-19. Turns out, a certain Adolf Hitler with his Toothbrush moustache, had the right idea about beards.

Amazon Prime Video March 2020 Releases: Australia Cricket Ashes Docu-Series, Zombieland: Double Tap, and More

Australia cricket Ashes docu-series The Test, Zombieland 2: Double Tap, Charlie’s Angels, Naveen Richard: Relatively Relatable, Pushpavalli season 2, Blow the Man Down, Making the Cut — what’s coming to Amazon Prime Video India in March 2020.

Pep Guardiola’s Email Hacked by IT Worker Who Claims to Know Manchester City Transfer Plans

The hacker then also tried to sell the bounty, which includes contacts and confidential emails, for £100,000 and wanted the payment to be done via Bitcoins. He says Manchester City have, or at least had, transfer plans for Matthijs de Ligt and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

The Earth Has a Second Moon, And No One Noticed All This While

The researchers say the new and perhaps temporary minimoon is probably between 1.9 meters and 3.5 metres across, which is around the same size as a mid-size car. Incidentally, this isn’t the first-time earth has had an additional moon, albeit temporarily.

Special Ops: March Release Date Announced in New Trailer for Neeraj Pandey Series

Hotstar has released a full-length trailer for Special Ops, which also comes with a release date: March 17. Created, directed, and produced by Neeraj Pandey.

Opera’s Desktop Web Browser Updated to R2020 Release, Workplaces and Sidebar Panel Introduced

The latest release of Opera, R2020, brings a host of new features that will help users become more organised with their tabs. It adds features like Workspaces, Sidebar panel, switching between tabs using keyboard shortcuts, and searching for tabs.

The Best Movies on Hotstar in India [February 2020]

Our list of best movies to watch on Hotstar in India includes Hindi-, Malayalam-, and Tamil-language titles, in addition to those from Bollywood, and Hollywood on Hotstar Premium. Featuring the likes of Masaan, Logan, Avengers: Endgame, Bangalore Days, and Mughal-e-Azam.

Facial Recognition Problems Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Solved; Masked Faces Not a Problem Anymore: Report

China grapples to find a cure for the deadly coronavirus, but tech companies have seem to found the solution to identify masked faces that caused glitches in facial recognition systems.

Why Can’t We Get a ‘Skip Song’ Button on Hotstar, Netflix? Talk to the Record Labels

The likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have a “skip intro” button, but have you ever wondered why there isn’t a similar feature for songs in Bollywood movies? Record labels that profit off Bollywood music are to blame for the lack of a “skip song” button.

Netflix Top 10 Feature to Roll Out Globally, Shows Top Trending Movies and Shows in Your Region

Netflix has guarded its viewership data for years and only recently started revealing information about how many people watch its shows.

US Supreme Court Shoots Down Apple's Appeal in Dispute Over FaceTime Patents

The US Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear Apple’s bid to avoid paying about $440 million in damages for using patent licensing firm VirnetX's internet security technology without permission in features such as FaceTime video calling.

Apple Shareholders Defeat Proposal Over Chinese App Removal Policies

Apple’s shareholders on Wednesday defeated a proposal critical of its removal of apps at the request of the Chinese government, but the proposal drew a much higher proportion of votes than similar proposals in previous years.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Mars is More Alive Than You Probably Imagined, And Has More Quakes Than You Would Like

The InSight lander mission has also detected some weirdness with the planet’s magnetic field, which doesn’t exist anymore in the same way it probably did billions of years ago. But there are magnetizing ancient rocks which are now around 200 feet below the surface of Mars.

Chrome Gets Patch for a Zero-Day Flaw That’s Being Exploited in the Wild

Google has patched a zero-day vulnerability in Chrome that is being exploited in the wild. The Google Chrome update version 80.0.3987.122 carries the patch and is available for download on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines.

Mentalhood Trailer: Karisma Kapoor Is One of Six ‘Supermoms’ in ALTBalaji, Zee5 Series

ALTBalaji and Zee5 have released the full-length trailer for Mentalhood, the upcoming comedy-drama that stars Karisma Kapoor in the lead alongside Sanjay Suri, Dino Morea, Sandhya Mridul, Shilpa Shukla, Shruti Seth, and Tillotama Shome.

Apple Maps' Look Around Feature Expands to More Cities in the US

Apple Maps' 'Look Around' feature is now live in three more cities in the US, including Boston, Philadelphia, and the Washington, DC area.

Google Chrome's Latest Version Raises Privacy Concerns; Researcher Calls 'Scroll To Text Fragment' Risky

The latest version of Google Chrome risks private data in the Scroll To Text Fragment feature. Google will reportedly address the issue in its next update of Google Chrome 82.

Special Ops: Hotstar Unveils Teaser Trailer for Neeraj Pandey Series, Full Trailer Out Tuesday

Hotstar has released a teaser trailer for Special Ops, an upcoming action thriller series “based on events of national significance spanning a period of 19 years” from creator and director Neeraj Pandey.

Hotstar Gets 1-Star Reviews for Pro-PM Modi Censorship of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

After Hotstar’s decision on Tuesday to nuke the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-centric episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in India, many Android users have left 1-star reviews for the Hotstar app on Google Play.

Facebook Users Willing to Share Their Personal Data for As Little As $3: Study

As per a study, Facebook users in the US, Germany, and Latin America were willing to share their financial, biometric and location data for 3 to 8 dollars.

Scientists Have Found The First Ever Lifeform That Can Survive Without Oxygen

It has been a few years since we last went to school, but the definition of mitochondria reads, “an organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur.”

Mentalhood Trailer: Karisma Kapoor Is One of Six ‘Supermoms’ in ALTBalaji, Zee5 Series

Apple Maps' Look Around Feature Expands to More Cities in the US

Apple Maps' 'Look Around' feature is now live in three more cities in the US, including Boston, Philadelphia, and the Washington, DC area.

Google Chrome's Latest Version Raises Privacy Concerns; Researcher Calls 'Scroll To Text Fragment' Risky

The latest version of Google Chrome risks private data in the Scroll To Text Fragment feature. Google will reportedly address the issue in its next update of Google Chrome 82.

Special Ops: Hotstar Unveils Teaser Trailer for Neeraj Pandey Series, Full Trailer Out Tuesday

Apple May Release its First ARM-Based Macs Next Year: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the new Mac will be unveiled in the next 12 to 18 months and will feature an in-house processor not developed by Intel.

Ever Wondered How Apollo 13 Astronauts Saw The Moon? NASA Has a Video You Must See

NASA said that the Apollo 13 mission was in darkness for around eight minutes during which time they were between earthset and sunrise and till the lunar terrain emerged on the horizon. The Apollo 13 was the seventh crewed mission as part of the Apollo space program, and was the third mission meant to land on the moon.

WARNING! Update Your Google Chrome Browser Right Now; Nothing Else is as Important

The urgency to update Chrome on your PC or Mac is because one particular vulnerability among the bunch that the latest Google Chrome update patches actually exists in the wild, which means hackers have already exploited it before Google tracked it down and patched it.

WhatsApp Dark Mode Leaked for Desktop, Said to Be in Development for Web as Well

WhatsApp finally launched its dark mode on the beta mobile apps in early 2020, and now, development of the Web and desktop versions is said to have begun.

Disney CEO Bob Iger Decides to Step Down; His Legacy Includes Netflix Rival Disney Plus

Iger steered Disney through the successful purchases of Lucasfilms, Marvel, Pixar and other brands that became big moneymakers for Disney. Iger said he will spend more time on Disney’s creative endeavors, including the ESPN sports network, the newly acquired Fox studios and the Hulu and Disney Plus streaming services.

Could The Next Apple iPhones be Delayed Because of Coronavirus?

Last week, Apple warned investors it was unlikely to meet revenue targets for the first three months of 2020 and that global iPhone supplies would be limited as manufacturing sites in China were not ramping up production as quickly as expected.

Mentalhood Trailer: Karisma Kapoor Is One of Six ‘Supermoms’ in ALTBalaji, Zee5 Series

Apple Maps' Look Around Feature Expands to More Cities in the US

Apple Maps' 'Look Around' feature is now live in three more cities in the US, including Boston, Philadelphia, and the Washington, DC area.

Google Chrome's Latest Version Raises Privacy Concerns; Researcher Calls 'Scroll To Text Fragment' Risky

The latest version of Google Chrome risks private data in the Scroll To Text Fragment feature. Google will reportedly address the issue in its next update of Google Chrome 82.

Special Ops: Hotstar Unveils Teaser Trailer for Neeraj Pandey Series, Full Trailer Out Tuesday

iQoo 3 5G Smartphone to Launch Today in India: How to Watch Live Stream

iQoo will be entering the Indian smartphone market today by launching its first device in the country.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Samsung Galaxy M31 With 6,000mAh Battery to Launch Today in India: How to Watch Live Stream

The new Galaxy M31 is going to continue to offer a 6,000mAh battery that we saw on the Galaxy M30s.

Personal Data of At Least 150 Samsung Users Leaked

Personal data of at least 150 Samsung users was compromised following the 'Find my Mobile' notification glitch that affected several Galaxy smartphone owners.

Full Time Ethical Hackers Surpass $82 Million in Bug Bounty Earnings: Report

Ethical Hacking has emerged as a viable career with companies like Zomato and OnePlus willing to pay generously for finding and fixing bugs on their platforms.

Coronavirus And Superspreaders: Humans Can Carry And Transmit COVID-19 Without Symptoms

Any one of us could be Coronavirus or COVID-19 superspreaders, and simply not know about it. Mind you, Coronavirus uses human bodies differently before the symptoms show and superspreaders are not criminals.

Apple AirTags Will Be Fully Waterproof and Make Use of Magnetic Charging

Universal Scientific Industrial, Shanghai-based manufacturing company will begin supplying the system-in-package for company's upcoming Ultra Wideband item tracking tags in the second to third quarter of 2020.

Why Can’t We Get a ‘Skip Song’ Button on Hotstar, Netflix? Talk to the Record Labels

Samsung Galaxy A71 Launched in India, WhatsApp Group Invite Links Indexed by Google, and Other News This Week

Samsung Galaxy A71 launch in India on Wednesday was certainly the biggest news of the week, with the South Korean electronics giant quietly bringing its latest mid-range smartphone to the country with nary a teaser. Read on for all the top stories of the week past.