The 41 Most Anticipated Games of 2023

What are the biggest games in 2023 on PC, Android, iPhone, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X? Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Dead Space, Hogwarts Legacy, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, Diablo IV, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Final Fantasy XVI, Sk...

Spotify New Year's Hub Feature Launched, Brings Easy Access to Your Favourite Party Tunes

Music app Spotify is preparing its users for the coming year with a brand new feature that will be of great help in the spree of festivities ahead. The streaming platform launched 'New Year's Hub', a one-stop spot for users to access their favourite party tunes contained in a number of playlists. Some special numbers were also included from a host of pop artists like ...

Twitter to Soon Allow Users to Side Sweep Through Tweets, Trends, Topics, More

Elon Musk has announced that a new side sweep feature will be rolled out on Twitter in January. It will allow users easy access to recommended and followed tweets, trends, topics, and lists.

Google Voice to Alert Users With 'Suspected Spam Caller' Warning for Suspicious Calls

Google Voice will now make it more easy for a user to ignore spam calls with the launch of a new update. Google has now added a warning to its Voice feature which will alert the user by flagging “Suspected spam caller” label on calls that may seem suspicious.

Spotify New Year's Hub Feature Launched, Brings Easy Access to Your Favourite Party Tunes

Music app Spotify is preparing its users for the coming year with a brand new feature that will be of great help in the spree of festivities ahead. The streaming platform launched 'New Year's Hub', a one-stop spot for users to access their favourite party tunes contained in a number of playlists. Some special numbers were also included from a host of pop artists like ...

WhatsApp Desktop Beta Working on Feature to Select Multiple Chats: Report

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature to let users select multiple chats on the desktop app. Using the feature, users will be able to manage their chat easily. WhatsApp currently provides the ability to select multiple chats on Android and iOS app.

Microsoft Excel Gets New Search Bar, Image Function, Formula Suggestion, More: Details

Microsoft has announced new smart features for Excel on Windows, Mac, and the Web. The new features include Suggested Links, Image Function, Formula Suggestions, and more. Windows users get the Image Function and a new keyboard shortcut, while Mac users only get the Image Function tool.

Twitter Gets Significant Backend Server Architecture Changes, Should Feel Faster, Says Elon Musk

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has planned yet another set of upgrades to the platform. Taking to the microblogging site, the Tesla CEO wrote, "Significant backend server architecture changes rolled out". "Twitter should feel faster," Musk added.

Google, YouTube Said to Face Lawsuit in US for Violating Privacy of Children Under Age 13

A US appeals court on Wednesday has said to have revived a lawsuit accusing Alphabet's Google and several other companies of violating the privacy of children under age 13 by tracking their YouTube activity without parental consent, in order to send them targeted advertising.

Amazon Working on Standalone App for Sports Content: Report

Amazon.com is working on a standalone app for watching sports content, the Information reported on Wednesday, citing a source with direct knowledge of the plan. The move will likely complement Amazon's effort to double down on sports programming through its Prime Video service, a key channel to attract consumers to its shopping platform.

Paytm 2022 Recap Calls Delhi-NCR as India's Digital Payments Capital

Paytm parent One97 Communications on Wednesday announced the release of Paytm 2022 Recap, highlighting the interesting trends of transactions made through Paytm in the last year. Users can also check their individual payments journey with Paytm in 2022 through paytm.com/recap.

TikTok Banned From All US House of Representatives-Managed Devices, says House Administration Arm

The popular Chinese video app TikTok has said to have been banned from all US House of Representatives-managed devices, according to the House's administration arm, mimicking a law soon to go into effect banning the app from US government devices.

Ola, Uber, Dunzo, PharmEasy, Amazon Flex Others Provide Poor Working Conditions for Gig Workers: Report

Five digital platforms -- cab aggregators Ola and Uber, grocery delivery app Dunzo, pharmacy platform PharmEasy and Amazon Flex -- have reportedly received the lowest scores in a rating of digital platforms on the basis of providing fair working conditions for gig workers. The Fairwork India Ratings 2022 reportedly evaluated 12 platforms, including Amazon Flex, bigbas...

WhatsApp Said to Be Testing Ability to Report Suspicious Status Update on Desktop Beta App

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature for the desktop app that will let users report a status update to the company for moderation reasons. WhatsApp currently provides the ability to report suspicious messages or spam messages to the company in order to stop the spread of spam and malicious content on the platform.

Twitter Hack: Private Data of 40 Crore Users Up for Sale; Hacker Extorting CEO Elon Musk: Report

Private data of over 40 crore Twitter users has reportedly been hacked and put up for sale. According to a report, the data breach includes phone numbers and emails of prominent Twitter users like American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and a number of celebrities. The hacker is also reportedly attempting to extort Twitter CEO Elon Musk...

Netflix January 2023 Releases: Mission Majnu, Fauda, Vikings: Valhalla, and More

What are the biggest Netflix originals in January 2023? Mission Majnu, Fauda season 4, Vikings: Valhalla season 2, Christian Bale in The Pale Blue Eye, Pamela Anderson in Pamela, a love story, Trial by Fire series, Mumbai Mafia: Police vs The Underworld, Break Point, Copenhagen Cowboy, and That ‘90s Show lead Netflix January 2023 releases.

Twitter Blue Users' Replies Will Now Get Priority Ranking in Conversations: All Details

Twitter Blue subscribers will get more premium features including priority rankings for their replies in chats. This will improve user experience. Additionally, Twitter has also allowed Blue users to upload longer videos of up to 60 minutes.

Windows 11 Notepad Tabs Feature Leaked by Microsoft Employee: Report

Microsoft may roll out the Tabs feature for the Windows 11 Notepad app in early 2023, as per a report. While the feature is still in early testing within the company, a Microsoft employee has been said to have accidentally dropped an image of the same on Twitter. Though the tweet was deleted, a few of the news websites had already spotted it.

Twitter Restores Suicide Prevention Hotline, Other Safety Features for Users

Twitter has restored a feature that promotes suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking up certain content, after coming under pressure from some users and consumer safety groups over its removal. Reuters reported on Friday that the feature was taken down a few days ago, citing two people familiar with the matter, who said the removal was ...

Google Calendar Bug Reported To Create Incorrect Events on Android, iOS Devices

Google Calendar users are reportedly experiencing a bug that is causing the app to create random events based on messages from the user's Gmail inboxes. However, these events do not relate to any real event, and hence are bogus, according to a report by 9to5Google. Several users took to Twitter to share their concerns. However, Google hasn't officially responded to th...

Twitter Said to Have Removed Suicide Prevention Helpline, Other Safety Features on Elon Musk’s Order

Twitter is said to have removed a feature in the past few days that promoted suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking up certain content. According to two people familiar with the matter, it was ordered by new owner Elon Musk. The removal of the feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, has not been previously reported.

Twitter Rolls Out Ability to Upload 60 Minute Long Videos for Blue Subscribers: All Details

Twitter Blue subscribers can now upload longer videos of up to 60 minutes. However, this feature is only available on the Web version as of now, and not on iOS or Android. The users will be able to upload a video of up to 2GB in size. Earlier, it was limited to only 512MB file size or 10 minutes in length.

Twitter View Count Feature for Tweets Rolling Out Globally: All Details

Twitter is rolling out View Count for tweets enabling users to see how many people have seen a tweet. The feature is already available for videos on the platform, but now it will be accessible on texts as well.

Flipkart, PhonePe Complete Separation, Both Entities to Continue Operation Under Walmart

Flipkart and PhonePe have completed their separation and both entities will continue to operate under US-based retail giant Walmart, a joint statement said on Friday. Walmart will remain the majority shareholder of both business groups.

Best Games of 2022: Gadgets 360’s Favourite PC, PS4, PS5, Mobile, and Xbox Games

The best games of 2022: Gadgets 360’s favourite games on PC, PS4, PS5, Android, iPhone, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X this year include Cult of the Lamb, Elden Ring, Genshin Impact, God of War Ragnarök, A Plague Tale: Requiem, PowerWash Simulator, and Stray.

YouTube TV Wins Right to Broadcast Most NFL Games in the US Next Year

YouTube TV video platform has won the right to broadcast most NFL football games in the US next year, it announced Thursday, a major win by the Google subsidiary that underscores the growing role of streaming in sports.

Google May Be Working On Find My Device Service To Work Even When Offline: Report

Google may be working on updating its Find My Device service to work even when lost or stolen devices are offline, according to a report by Sammobile. The hint was spotted on Google's changelog for December 2022 system updates and hints at a new privacy-centric framework that enables tracking of stolen or lost Android devices.

Digital Competition Act Recommended by Parliamentary Panel to Regulate Big Tech Firms

A parliamentary panel on Thursday mooted a digital competition act aimed at reining in anti-competitive practices of Big Tech firms in India. Companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple have faced scrutiny in the past and the government has been working to tighten regulation of these Big Tech firms.

Meta Took Down 2.29 Crore Posts on Facebook, Instagram in November; Many Users Complained of Hacked Accounts

Meta said in a report released on Thursday that it had taken down more than 2.29 crore pieces of content created by Indian users on Facebook and Instagram in November. The company said it removed over 1.95 crore pieces of content on Facebook and 33.9 lakh pieces of content on Instagram.

Netflix, Nike Training Club Partner on Fitness Content, Launching December 30

Netflix is partnering with Nike Training Club to bring fitness content to its platform. The streaming company announced that it will offer 30 hours of Nike exercise classes, starting next week on December 30. The sessions will be released in two batches, with the second half dropping sometime in 2023. The initiative will be available across all Netflix plans, with the...

Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Versa 4 Smartwatches Gain Support for Google Maps on Android: Report

Fitbit Sense 2 and Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatches are getting Google Maps support on Android. Fitbit announced it would offer the Google Maps app on two of its latest smartwatches in November. iPhone users will be able to access the app next year.

Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma Declares End of Cash Burn Ahead of Firm's Plans to Turn Cash Flow Positive

Paytm on Wednesday announced that the company would turn off its cash burn, while the company's founder revealed that the payments firm was "far ahead" on re-setting its strategy. Softbank-backed Paytm said last month that it plans to become free cash flow positive in the next 12-18 months.

Assassin’s Creed Mobile 'Jade' Gameplay Footage Leaked From Alleged Alpha Test

Assassin’s Creed Mobile Jade gameplay footage has seemingly leaked online. The series of recordings allegedly originate from an alpha test for the mobile game — the sign-ups for which have since been shut down by Ubisoft. Being the first game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise to allow character creation, the footage offers a look at the various customisation opt...

More Than 270 Indian OTT Originals Released in 2022. Here Are All of Them

Indian OTT platforms released over 270 originals in 2022. They came from Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon miniTV, SonyLIV, Zee5, MX Player, Voot Select, Discovery+, Lionsgate Play, Hoichoi, ShemarooMe, manoramaMAX, Hungama Play, Watcho, Ullu, and Atrangii.

Government Asks YouTube to Take Down 3 Channels Spreading Fake News, Sensational Claims

YouTube was asked by the government to take down three channels that were found to have spread fake news online, while making sensational claims about the government's public welfare initiatives. The fact checking unit of the Press Information Bureau had identified three channels using thumbnails and images of TV news channels and their anchors to mislead viewers into...

Twitter Rolls Out Grey Tick Marks For Government Accounts After Giving Companies Gold Verification Badges

Twitter has begun rolling out a grey tick mark for government accounts, days after it enabled golden verification check marks for companies on the platform. Verified users get blue tick marks on the platform, which is part of the Twitter Blue subscription service that is priced at $8 (roughly Rs. 660) per month in a few countries. The microblogging service has now rep...

Twitter Faces Deeper FTC Probe Into Privacy, Security Practices After Elon Musk Takeover: Report

Twitter is facing a deepening probe in the US into its privacy and security practices, according to a report. The company has already been asked by the US FTC whether it has the required resources to comply with the privacy consent decree, and the investigation comes weeks after Elon Musk took over the microblogging platform, firing more than half of the company's sta...

Elon Musk Says Will Step Down as Twitter CEO After Finding 'Someone Foolish Enough' to Replace Him

Elon Musk said on Wednesday that he would step down as Twitter CEO after he finds "someone foolish enough to take the job", adding that he would then only run software and server teams at the microblogging platform. Twitter's new owner posted a poll on Monday asking users if he should resign as head of the company, and 57 percent of users voted in favour of him steppi...

Gmail End-to-End Encryption Beta Testing Expanded for Select Workspace Users: All Details

Google is rolling out the ability to beta test end-to-end encryption for Gmail to some Workspace users. This feature will provide an added layer of security to emails and attachments on the Web. The client-side encryption of emails will give users control over the encryption keys and who will have access to their data.

Amazon Prime Gaming Now Live in India With Free PC Games, In-Game Content for Prime Members

Amazon Prime Gaming has been launched in India. The subscription service offers access to multiple free PC games and in-game content to Amazon Prime members every month. The company is offering free games like The Amazing American Circus, Doors: Paradox and more via Amazon Prime Gaming.

Elon Musk is Changing What You See on Your Twitter Feed: All You Need to Know

Elon Musk has brought several changes to Twitter, weeks after he took over the microblogging platform. The company's new CEO has dissolved the Trust and Safety Council, which was made up of dozens of independent civil, human rights and other organisations. He has also given selected journalists access to some of the company's internal communications.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Feature to Briefly Undo Pressing the 'Delete for Me' Button on iOS, Android

WhatsApp on Tuesday announced the rollout of a feature designed to allow users to briefly undo the action of pressing the "Delete for Me" button on Android and iOS. Accidentally pressing the button instead of "Delete for Everyone" will show users a popup for 5 seconds, allowing them to restore the message and then delete it for all users.

Google for India 2022: Bilingual Search Results Announced, Project Relate to Cover Over 100 Indian Languages

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday announced that the company was extending its multimodal AI model to cover 100+ Indian languages, along with bilingual search results pages powered by machine learning. The company also announced other features such as access for Digilocker documents on the Files by Google app, and the rollout of YouTube Courses in India to enable new...

Fortnite Maker Epic Games Hit With $520 Million Penalty Over Alleged Violation of Children's Privacy

Epic Games, creator of the popular battle royale game Fortnite, will pay a record $520 million penalty to settle accusations of violating children's privacy and tricking users into making purchases, according to the US Federal Trade Commission. The Fortnite maker said it had eliminated pay-to-win and pay-to-progress mechanics, along with random loot boxes on 2019, and...

Twitter Will Restrict Voting on Major Policy Decisions to Twitter Blue Subscribers, Elon Musk Says

Elon Musk has announced that Twitter will make a change to only allow Twitter Blue subscribers to vote on major policy decisions, hours after his poll asking users whether he should step down as the head of Twitter concluded on Monday. Twitter's new owner agreed with a user's suggestion that only Twitter Blue subscribers should have a voice in future policy, adding th...

iPhone Maker Apple Fined Over EUR 1 Million by Paris Court Over App Store Practices

iPhone maker Apple was fined over EUR 1 million (nearly Rs. 8 lakh) by the Paris Commercial Court on Monday for imposing abusive commercial clauses on French app developers for access to the company's App Store, the court ruling showed. The ruling, seen by Reuters, said there was no need to order Apple, which has a market value of about $2.1 trillion (nearly Rs. 1,73,...

Meta Warned of Potential Breach of EU Antitrust Laws Over Competition in Online Classified Advertising

Meta was warned by the European Commission on Monday that it was likely breaching EU antitrust laws. The social media firm will face an investigation into whether it abused its dominant position and distorted competition in markets for online classified advertising. EU antitrust regulators last month were said to be drawing up charges against Meta over its use of cust...

FIFA World Cup 2022: JioCinema Records 32 Million Viewers During the Argentina vs France Final Match

JioCinema is celebrating a new record with FIFA World Cup 2022, as it managed to get 32 million viewers to tune into the finals match between France and Argentina. 110 million viewers consumed the content on digital platforms, placing India as one of the “highest digital viewership markets” for the global sporting event. As for the entirety of the contest, the com...

Twitter Backtracks on Policy to Remove Accounts Linking to Rival Social Media Services

Twitter on Monday backtracked from its new policy to ban accounts that linked to other social media platforms, such as Instagram, Mastodon, and Facebook, after some notable accounts were suspended under the new policy, including tech investor Paul Graham. The company's support handle has deleted its tweets announcing the new policy, which has also been taken down from...

Elon Musk Restores Journalists' Suspended Accounts After Twitter Poll, But Concerns Remain

Elon Musk has restored the Twitter accounts of several journalists who were suspended from the microblogging platform for a day, after they published public data about the private jet of the company's CEO. A Twitter poll that Elon Musk conducted had showed that a majority of the respondents wanted the accounts restored immediately. Musk had accused the journalists of ...

YouTube is Testing 'Add To Queue' Feature for Android, iOS Premium Subscribers: Report

YouTube is testing 'Add to Queue' feature on Android and iOS devices for users having a YouTube Premium subscription. The feature, which has been available on Youtube's web platform, is now being brought to the mobile app. The feature will be accessible through the three-dot menu. Once a video is added to the queue, users will be able to use gestures like drag and dro...

Elon Musk Dissolves Twitter's Trust and Safety Advisory Group Over Email

Elon Musk on Monday dissolved Twitter's Trust and Safety Council via email. The advisory group comprised around 100 independent civil, human rights and other organisations that provided expertise and guidance on how Twitter could better combat hate, harassment and other harms but didn’t have any decision-making authority and didn’t review specific content disputes...

Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G Spotted on NBTC Certification Site, May Debut as Redmi Note 11 Pro (2023) in Other Regions

Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G is reportedly in the works. Ahead of the official confirmation, the handset has been spotted on Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) website with model number 2209116AG. The listing indicates that Redmi will likely launch the Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G in markets in different monikers.

Apple Plans to Unveil 15.5-Inch MacBook Air in Spring 2023: Report

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a MacBook Air in 2023 with a larger display. According to DSCC'S Ross Young, its panel production will start in the first quarter of next year and the laptop will be launched in spring 2023.

Nubia Red Magic 8 Pro Series Launch Date Set for December 16; May Feature 6000mAh Battery: Details

ZTE Nubia Red Magic 8 Pro is all set to launch for Chinese markets on December 16. The smartphone will feature a a triple rear camera setup - 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel tertiary camera and a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. It will have a screen resolution of 2,480 x 1,116 pixels, and narrow bezels.

Twitter Suspends Accounts of Prominent Journalists Covering Elon Musk, Mastodon's Account Also Suspended

Twitter suspended the accounts of prominent journalists who covered Elon Musk, the company's new owner. The microblogging service on Wednesday suspended @elonjet, an account tracking Musk's private jet in real-time using data available in the public domain. On Thursday, the Twitter account of Mastodon, a Twitter alternative, was also suspended on the platform.

Amazon, Flipkart Served Notice by DCW for Selling Dangerous Acids Online

Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart have been issued with notices by the DCW asking why dangerous acids are available on their sites after a schoolgirl became the victim of an acid attack in Delhi. The Delhi Police had also issued a notice to Flipkart after it found that the acid was procured from the e-commerce firm.

Can Sending Fewer Emails or Emptying Your Inbox Really Help Fight Climate Change?

Reducing the number of emails that are sent and deleting them is claimed to reduce an individual's carbon footprint, an idea that has also been propagated in various news stories. However, quantifying the carbon footprint of sending emails, or any other digital service, is not an easy task. Here's everything you need to know about whether sending fewer emails or empty...

TikTok Algorithms Promote Videos About Self-Harm, Eating Disorders: Report

TikTok algorithms boost posts related to self-harm and eating disorders, which are shown to vulnerable teenagers, a new report claims. Researchers created TikTok accounts for fictional teen personas in the US, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and liked videos about self-harm and eating disorders and saw that the algorithm recommended similar content within minute...

Microsoft 'Data Boundary' for EU Cloud Customers to Be Rolled Out on January 1

Microsoft on Thursday said it would allow European Union cloud customers to process and store parts of their data in the region from January 1, as part of the company's phased rollout of its “EU data boundary”. The company said that the changes will apply to Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and the company's Power BI platform, or all of its core cloud services.

Spotify Reportedly Cancels Six Audio Shows as Part of Programming Cutback

Spotify has decided to pull the plug on at least six of its audio shows, according to a report. The audio streaming service will reportedly retain two shows, which have survived the company's programming cuts.

Twitter to Discontinue Newsletter Product Revue in 2023 Amid Elon Musk's Interest to Buy Substack

Twitter said on Wednesday it will discontinue its newsletter product Revue next year, days after owner Elon Musk said he was open to buying rival online publishing platform Substack. The social media platform bought Revue in 2021 for an undisclosed sum amid a larger boom for newsletters during the pandemic, and as it sought to attract users who wanted to make money fr...

Facebook Parent Meta's Oversight Board Increased Policy Implementation in Q3 2022

Facebook parent Meta Platforms implemented more recommendations from its oversight board in the third quarter than the second, the independent body said on Wednesday. The oversight board received more than a quarter of a million appeals from Facebook and Instagram users around the world during the quarter ended September 30.

Instagram Introduces Candid Stories, 'Add Yours' Nominations, Notes and More: All Details

Instagram introduced several new features making it easier for users to connect with their friends and followers. The Meta-owned photo sharing app has rolled out Notes, candid stories, Group profiles, Collaborative Collections and more. Notes will let users create a short post of up to 60 characters by using text and emojis.

YouTube Introduces Improved Bot Detection Feature, to Notify Users Posting Spam Comments: Details

YouTube has announced the introduction of improvements made to its artificial intelligence and machine learning systems that detect spam on comments, and bots in live chat. The platform has also introduced a notification system that will warn users when an offensive comment is detected and removed for violating its Community Guidelines. Meanwhile, YouTube has also int...

Elon Musk is Changing What You See on Your Twitter Feed: All You Need to Know

Elon Musk has brought several changes to Twitter, weeks after he took over the microblogging platform. The company's new CEO has dissolved the Trust and Safety Council, which was made up of dozens of independent civil, human rights and other organisations. He has also given selected journalists access to some of the company's internal communications.

Jack Dorsey Announces Annual Grant of $1 Million to Signal Private Messenger

Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday that he would give an annual grant of $1 million to Signal, the non-profit privacy-oriented messenger. The Twitter Co-Founder said that the grant to the private messaging app was the first in a series of grants to support "open internet development" and that social networking should not be owned by a single company or group of companies.

Microsoft Activision Deal: Firm Offered to Agree to FTC Consent Decree on Call of Duty Games for Rivals

Microsoft President Brad Smith on Tuesday revealed that the US firm, which is seeking approval for its takeover of Activision Blizzard that was announced earlier this year, offered to agree to a consent decree with the US FTC to provide its Call of Duty games to Sony and other rivals, like Nintendo. The company's acquisition deal is also facing scrutiny outside the US...

Android 13 Output Switcher Adds Support for Chromecast Devices With YouTube Music: Report

Google has rolled out support for Chromecast devices on Android 13 to the device output switcher. YouTube Music is the first app to display Chromecast devices in the output switcher.

Google Defeats Lawsuit Over Privacy Practices Involving Chrome Browser

Google defeated a lawsuit filed in a US court on Monday, that accused the company of collecting data of users who had opted out of sharing web activity on the browser. The lawsuit had alleged that Google tracked IP addresses and browsing history, even if users did not have a Google account, or if they had chosen not to synchronise their Google accounts with Chrome.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Feature to Let Users Search Recent Groups via Contact Names: Details

WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to desktop users that will allow them to find their recent groups by just entering in a contact name that is also part of the group. The feature is intended to add more convenience for users who operate or are part of multiple WhatsApp groups.

Spotify Rolls Out Rewards Program in India, Offers Premium Mini Subscription for as Low as Rs. 2

Spotify has launched a new Rewards Program in India. The new initiative is available only for Premium Mini subscribers and rewards users for various challenges. Spotify’s product manager Szymon Kopeć announced the feature on Twitter. The rollout started with India before gradually reaching other Asian countries.

Elon Musk’s Archaic Management Style Prioritises Profit Over People

Elon Musk has made a number of changes to Twitter since he took over the company at the end of October. The platform's new CEO laid off half of the company's 7,500 employees and its top executive, forcing more to resign after he issued an ultimatum to commit to being "extremely hardcore". Here's how Musk's archaic style of management prioritises profit over people.

Elon Musk Dissolves Twitter's Trust and Safety Advisory Group Over Email

Elon Musk on Monday dissolved Twitter's Trust and Safety Council via email. The advisory group comprised around 100 independent civil, human rights and other organisations that provided expertise and guidance on how Twitter could better combat hate, harassment and other harms but didn’t have any decision-making authority and didn’t review specific content disputes...

Twitter Community Notes Feature Rolling Out to All Users Globally: How to Join

Twitter is rolling out its much-awaited Community Notes feature to all its users across the world. It’s a renamed version of crowdsourced fact-checking feature ‘Birdwatch’ introduced in January 2021 to deal with the spread of fake news. The feature is now live for all allowing Twitter users from anywhere in the world to see and rate notes as helpful.

Smartphone Use Could Be Hurting Your Relationship, Study Shows

Smartphone usage, when excessive, can hurt the relationship of married couples in India, a study by smart device maker Vivo said on Monday. The study found that 67 percent of people confessed to being on their phones even while they're spending time with their spouse.

MIUI 14 With Photon Engine, Core System Improvements Announced; Coming to Xiaomi, Redmi Phones in January

MIUI 14 was unveiled by Xiaomi as its latest proprietary skin. The new MIUI version is claimed to improve battery consumption by third-party applications by 22 percent. It is also touted to have improved system fluency by up to 60 percent.

Did a Robot Write This? We Need Watermarks to Spot AI

ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence and machine learning powered text-generation system from OpenAI can effortlessly write essays, screenplays and limericks within seconds. However, the better the artificial intelligence gets, the harder it will be to distinguish between human and machine-made text, which means that OpenAI needs to work on labelling the work of its m...

China's Rules on 'Deepfakes' to Come Into Force From January 10, Cyberspace Regulator Says

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Sunday said that its new rules for content providers that alter facial and voice data will take effect from January 10. The regulations are designed to protect people from being impersonated by deepfakes without their consent, according to the regulator.

Twitter Blue to Relaunch With 1080p Video Uploads, Blue Checkmark; Apple Users to Pay $11

Twitter Blue will be relaunched on December 12, the company announced on Saturday. The company's subscription service will let users edit tweets, upload 1080p video, while showing a blue checkmark against their name. However, accounts will be verified manually, according to the company, and Apple users will pay $11 (roughly Rs. 900) which is higher than the $8 (roughl...

WhatsApp 'Message Yourself' Feature Rolling Out to Windows Beta App Users: Report

WhatsApp Message Yourself feature is reportedly rolling out to the WhatsApp for Windows beta app. The feature lets users send texts, files, media, reminders, and more to themselves. The feature was rolled out to WhatsApp for Android and iOS late last month. It is currently said to be available on the Windows beta app version 2.2248.2.0.

Google Chrome Update With Passkey Support on Android, Windows, and Mac Released

Google Chrome 108 stable update is rolling out on Android, Windows 11, and macOS with passkey support. Passkeys were first announced by the search giant in October to provide users a safer way to sign in than traditional passwords, and two-factor authentication methods.

Twitter Files: Elon Musk's Twitter Leak Raises Concern Over External Access to User Data

Elon Musk's "Twitter Files" leaks have provided outside writers unprecedented access to Twitter information, raising concern about external access to Twitter data and user accounts. Twitter's new CEO handed a collection of internal documents and emails from former Twitter employees over to external writers, who are now publishing those documents on Twitter.

Elon Musk Says Twitter Will Soon Display Account Shadowban Status, Allow Users to Appeal Decision

Elon Musk said on Thursday that Twitter was working on a software update that would inform users if their account was shadowbanned, along with the reason, and give them an option to appeal the decision. The announcement was made after the second instalment of the so-called "Twitter Files" that revealed how the company allegedly built blacklists and actively limited th...

Twitter Files: Firm Reportedly Placed People on 'Secret' Blacklists, Actively Limited Visibility, More

Twitter reportedly built blacklists and actively limited visibility of accounts on the platform using specialised tools. The second instalment of Elon Musk's "Twitter Files" published on Thursday claims that the company's executives and employees accessed a "Visibility Filtering or VF" tool that was used to block searches of users and to limit the scope of a particula...

Microsoft Activision Deal: US FTC Sues to Block $69 Billion Takeover Deal Over Competition Concerns

Microsoft's $69 billion (roughly Rs. 5,66,800 crore) bid to acquire Activision Blizzard, maker of the popular Call of Duty series, hit a roadblock on Thursday after the US FTC sued to block the takeover deal. Brad Smith, the company's president, tweeted on Thursday that the company would fight the FTC to complete the deal.

Twitter Set to Introduce New Controls for Ad Placements to Lure Advertisers Back After Elon Musk Takeover

Twitter is set to roll out new controls for companies to control where their ads appear on Twitter, according to an email sent to advertisers. The company earns 90 percent of its revenue through advertising, and new CEO Elon Musk has blamed civil rights organisations that have pressured brands to pause their Twitter ads for a "massive drop in revenue".

Biden Administration Tells US Supreme Court Section 230 of Communications Decency Act Has Limits

The Biden administration on Wednesday argued that Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act that protects social media firms from liability has limits. The legislation protects firms like Google and Meta, and states that these firms can't be treated as the publisher or speaker of information posted by users.

WhatsApp Avatar Feature Rolling Out to Users With Support for 36 Customisable Stickers

Meta-owned instant messaging service, WhatsApp has rolled out an 'Avatars' feature which offers customisable digital personas. These can be made from a combination of hairstyles, facial features, and outfits. The feature could be used as a profile picture or as part of 36 customised stickers that could be used in chat and elsewhere. In the Meta family of applications,...

Instagram to Inform Creators When Posts Are Blocked From Being Recommended to Other Users

Instagram will now inform users and creators about posts that are blocked from being recommended to other users. Users will be able to check which posts are blocked from recommendations via their account settings. The Meta-owned service shows users recommendations in places like the explore page and home feed.

Apple Brings 5G Support to Beta Testers in India with iOS 16.2 RC Update, Adds Karaoke-Like Sing Feature

The iOS 16.2 RC update from Apple finally adds 5G network support to compatible iPhones for beta testers in India. The update is expected to soon roll out to a wider userbase. The iOS update is also adding a new Freeform app for whiteboard collaborations and a Sing feature to Apple Music.

Apple Announces End-to-End Encrypted iCloud Backups, Security Keys Support for Apple ID, More

Apple on Wednesday announced support for Advanced Data Protection, a feature that enables end-to-end encryption of iCloud data. iCloud currently protects 14 sensitive data categories with end-to-end encryption technology, and the new feature will raise the number to 23. Apple has also added support for security keys, and will show iMessage users a security warning for...

Uber Fined AUD 21 Million in Australia Over Misleading Advertisements About Fares, Cancellation Fees

Uber was fined AUD 21 million (roughly Rs. 115 crore) by an Australian court on Wednesday, for misleading customers over fares, and threatening cancellation fees that it never charged users. Uber apologised to Australian users on its website, and said it had made changes to its platform based on concerns that were raised with the ride-hailing firm.

ChatGPT Could Soon Be the Better Way to Google

ChatGPT, the popular new chatbot from OpenAI that allows users on the Internet to generate poems, screenplays, essay answers, marked the first time that OpenAI brought its powerful GPT3 language-generating system to the general public. Here's how ChatGPT could soon be a better way for users to search for information on the Internet.

Apple Introduces 700 New Price Points in Biggest Upgrade to App Store Pricing Structure

In its biggest change to the App Store pricing structure to date, Apple is introducing 700 new price points for developers listing apps on its storefront. The new price points will provide greater flexibility and control over setting the price for an app. The new App Store pricing update is in effect for subscription-based apps and will be extended to paid apps and in...

Google Asked to Drop Ads of Online Betting Firms in YouTube, Search Results: Report

Google has been asked by the central government to stop direct and surrogate advertising of overseas betting firms like Fairplay, PariMatch, and Betway in the country. Ads for these companies were showing up in search and YouTube, according to a letter reportedly sent to the company by the government last week.

Microsoft Agrees to Release Call of Duty on Nintendo Platforms for 10 Years Amid Regulatory Scrutiny

Microsoft on Wednesday announced that it had agreed on a 10-year commitment to release Call of Duty for Nintendo platforms, a few days after it was revealed that the company had offered Sony same day releases for PlayStation consoles for a 10-year period. The agreement was announced by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in a tweet on Wednesday.

Twitter Fired Deputy General Counsel Over Concerns About Role in Information Suppression, Elon Musk Says

Elon Musk on Tuesday tweeted that he had fired James Baker, Twitter's deputy General Counsel. Twitter's new CEO said that Baker was fired over concerns about his role in supressing information posted to Twitter. Last week, Journalist Matt Taibbi in collaboration with Elon Musk published the "Twitter Files" alleging suppression of information on the microblogging platf...

Meta Oversight Board Calls for Overhaul of 'Cross-Check' Programme That Prioritises VIP Users

Meta's Oversight Board on Tuesday recommended that the world's biggest social media firm revamp its 'Cross-check' system that adds a layer of enforcement review for millions of Facebook and Instagram accounts belonging to celebrities, politicians and other influential users. Oversight Board director Thomas Hughes said the system prioritises users of commercial value t...

Google Photos Testing New 'Search' Button With Lens Features on Android: Report

Google is testing a new “Search” button for the Photos app for Android that will let users view photos, and recognise faces. Users can currently tap a “Lens'' icon in Google Photos to get more info about a particular subject in the photo. But the new generic “Search” button will replace the Lens button, as per a report.

Apple Faces Antitrust Complaints in Brazil, Mexico Over 'Anti-Competitive Practices'

Apple faces antitrust complaints from MercadoLibre in Brazil and Mexico. The e-commerce giant has accused Apple of indulging in anti-competitive practices and said the iPhone maker has abused its monopoly in the distribution of digital goods and in-app purchases.

Facebook Dating Will Allow Users to Verify Their Age Using AI Face Scanning, Meta Says

Meta has announced that it was prompting users on Facebook Dating to verify that they're over 18 if the platform suspects a user is underage. According to the US social media giant, it has partnered with a firm called Yoti, which uses facial cues to determine a user's age without identifying them.

ChatGPT: Everything You Need to Know About OpenAI's Powerful, Potentially Problematic Chatbot

ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that is trained using a machine learning technique called Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), is capable of simulating dialogue, answering follow-up questions, admitting mistakes, challenging incorrect premises and rejecting inappropriate requests. OpenAI's chatbot service has grown in popularity since i...

Government Tax Panel Said to Be Unlikely to Reach Consensus on Taxing Online Gaming in December

A government panel of state finance ministers has not yet submitted its report on plans to tax the online gaming sector, according to a government official. The panel is yet to decide whether to talk the profits of these firms, or the value of the entire pool of money collected from game participants.

WhatsApp Beta Update Adds ‘Picture-in-Picture' Support During Video Calls for iOS Testers: Report

WhatsApp has rolled out a ‘picture-in-picture' feature during video calls as part of its new beta update 22.24.0.79 on iOS. The feature is currently only available on iOS 16.1 to select beta testers and is expected to reach more users in the coming days. Those who have received the update can try multitasking during an ongoing video call on the messaging app.

Google Messages Group Chats to Get End-to-End Encryption Soon

Google is testing end-to-end encryption for group chats on its Messages app. The new feature will be rolling out to Messages users enrolled in the open beta program. Google announced that E2EE will be coming to group chats at its I/O 2022 earlier this year.

Gamers Who Spend Money on 'Loot Boxes' Twice as Likely to Gamble, Research Shows

Gamers who pay for "loot boxes" in games are twice as inclined to bet, according to research findings based on 1,600 adults in Canada published in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction Research & Theory. The findings call into question the hypothesis that psychological factors cause the link between gambling and loot boxes, according to the researchers.

New Zealand Plans to Introduce Law to Make Google, Facebook Pay Local Outlets for News

Facebook and Google may soon be required to pay media companies in New Zealand for local news content that appears on their feeds, based on proposed legislation from the government. The law is said to be modelled on similar laws in Australia and Canada aimed at large online digital companies.

Apple, Amazon Resume Advertising on Twitter After Elon Musk Takeover: Reports

Amazon and Apple have resumed advertising on Twitter, according to reports. The social media firm acquired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent emails to advertising agencies, offering what it called the "biggest advertiser incentive ever on Twitter", allowing US advertisers to have their ad spending matched with a "100 percent value add," up to a $1 million (roughly Rs. 8 cro...

UPI, Digital Transactions: Government Extends Deadline to Implement 30 Percent Cap

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Friday extended the deadline for third party UPI players to meet its 30 percent volume cap in digital payment transactions by two years to end-December 2024. The decision may provide a relief to third party app providers (TPAP) like Google Pay and Walmart's PhonePe which have a majority share in UPI-based transactio...

MIUI 14 Changelog Leaked Ahead of Xiaomi 13 Series Launch; Promises Better Performance, Privacy Controls

A new leak has teased the features coming to MIUI 14, Xiaomi’s Android 13-based operating system, ahead of the launch of the company’s Xiaomi 13 series of smartphones. A changelog of the upcoming MIUI 14 update surfaced on Twitter, detailing performance improvements, greater privacy control and increased personalisation.

Netflix Fraud: Elderly Mumbai Man Trying to Renew Subscription Duped Out of Rs. 1.22 Lakh

Netflix fraud has recently left a 73-year-old Mumbai resident lose Rs. 1.22 lakh. The online theft took place when the man received an email that appeared to have been autogenerated by Netflix, reminding the user to renew streaming subscription for the monthly price of Rs. 499.

YouTube Removed 56 Lakh Videos Globally From Its Platform in Q3 2022

YouTube removed 5.6 million (56 lakh) videos from its platform in the month of July and September 2022 for violating their community guidelines. The platform received roughly 2,71,000 removal appeals during the two months. Upon review, it reinstated about 29,000 appeals, said YouTube in its latest blog.

WhatsApp Begins Beta Testing Android Tablet Support, iOS Testers Get 'Search by Date' Feature

WhatsApp has begun testing support for Android tablets on its latest beta version. Until now, users couldn't link their primary WhatsApp account with the messaging app on Android tablets and multi-platform support was limited to computers and iPads. A recent update, now out for beta testers, will let select users access their existing account on an Android tablet.

Elon Musk Suspends Kanye West's Twitter Account Again; West Drops Plan to Acquire Parler

Elon Musk said on Friday that Twitter had suspended rapper Kanye West's account for the second time, after he posted a picture of a swastika merged with the Star of David. “I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended,” Musk tweeted on Friday morning.

Government Launches DigiYatra Facility at 3 Airports; Promises Data Security

The Indian government has launched DigiYatra facility at three airports across the country. With the new facility, the passengers will now be able to access a seamless entry for their travel at the airports using facial recognition technology. Starting December 1, the DigiYatra facility will be available on airports in Delhi, Bangalore and Varanasi.

Twitter Users May Witness Dip in Followers as Elon Musk Has New Plans for Spams

Twitter's new boss Elon Musk is working on "purging a lot" of spam/scam accounts. On Thursday, Musk took to his Twitter account and shared the particular update with everyone. Elon Musk is also planning to up Twitter's character limit from 280 to 1000.

WhatsApp Bans Over 23 Lakh Accounts in India in October, 'Proactively' Barred 8.1 Lakh Users

WhatsApp on Wednesday stated that it had banned over 23 lakh users in India in October. The company's monthly report, issued in compliance with the IT Rules, revealed that it banned 8.1 lakh users "proactively", which means they were blocked before WhatsApp users reported them.

Mark Zuckerberg Calls Apple's App Store Moderation Rules a 'Conflict of Interest'

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook parent Meta, on Wednesday said that Apple's App Store was a conflict of interest, joining Twitter's new CEO Elon Musk in his criticism of the platform. The social networking giant's chief executive said the Cupertino company's content moderation rules for apps were a “conflict of interest” since they are often pointed at rivals...

Spotify Wrapped 2022 Now Live, Here Are the Top Artists, Songs, Playlists in India This Year

Spotify has released its Spotify Wrapped 2022 experience that features a personlised list of top artists, albums, songs, playlists, and podcasts that users have played throughout the year. The company has also unveiled a Wrapped creator experience for podcasters and artists to view all the ways in which their fans listened to their content this year.

Elon Musk Meets Tim Cook, Says Apple Never Considered Removing Twitter From App Store

Elon Musk said on Wednesday that the misunderstanding over the possibility of Twitter being removed from the App Store was resolved after he met with Apple CEO Tim Cook. The CEO of Tesla and Twitter said that Cook informed him that Apple never considered doing so. Musk had accused Apple of threatening to block Twitter from the App Store on Monday, without saying why. ...

Google Announces Best Android Apps, Games for 2022; Apex Legends Mobile Named Best Game in India

Google Play Store has announced the Best of 2022 list which features the best apps and games across various categories. The list has been curated to reflect distinctly in each region. The Indian list was topped by the e-learning platform Questt which won the Best App of 2022 award. Meanwhile, Apex Legends Mobile won the Best Game of 2022 award. Google also introduced ...

Twitter Not Safer Under Elon Musk Leadership, Says Former Head of Trust and Safety

Twitter is not safer under its new owner Elon Musk, says the company’s former head of trust and safety Yoel Roth. Roth who resigned from the social networking website earlier this month has helped steer the social media platform through several watershed decisions including the move to permanently suspend its most famous user, former US President Donald Trump, last ...

WhatsApp Update Allows Users to Include Caption While Forwarding Media on iOS: All Details

WhatsApp has brought a feature that will allow iOS users on the app to forward media, images, files, documents, GIFs and more with captions. The feature is available on the latest iOS update. There is also a dismiss button that you can use to remove the caption from the image before forwarding the message

How DeFi Could Disrupt Centralised Finance and Help Build an Inclusive Financial Culture

Decentralised finance (DeFi) is beginning to have a global impact and is anticipated to disrupt the prevailing financial order in the markets to build an inclusive finance culture over the next decade. Here's what CoinDCX Pro's Gaurav Arora thinks about the impact and potential of DeFi, dApps, and Web3 technology in the country.

Twitter Stops Enforcing COVID-19 Misinformation Policy, Experts Express Concerns Over False Claims

Twitter has rolled back its COVID-19 misinformation policy, as public health experts and researchers have expressed concern that the change would have major repercussions as the virus continues to spread and vaccination numbers remain low. The company's new CEO, Elon Musk, has signalled an interest in rolling back many of Twitter's previous rules meant to combat misin...

FIFA World Cup 2022: Cybercriminals Using Fake Sites to Steal Personal Information, IT Security Firm Says

FIFA World Cup 2022 is being used by cybercriminals to lure football fans in the name of the ongoing football world cup, according to IT security intelligence firm CloudSEK. Several Telegram channels were found selling Hayya cards (FIFA entry permits) priced between $50 (roughly Rs. 4,300) to $150 (roughly Rs. 12,300), as per the security firm, while hacking technique...

Google to Face Class Action Lawsuit of 21 Million Individuals Over Play Store Competition

Google is set to face a class action lawsuit of 21 million individuals who have accused the search giant of violating competition law in the US, over the running of the Google Play Store. The complainants have argued that they would have paid lower prices for apps and in-app purchases and would have benefited from expanded choice, if Google had not engaged in anticomp...

WhatsApp 'Message Yourself' Feature Rolling Out on Android and iOS: Report

WhatsApp will now let you chat with yourself, send quick notes or reminders, or crucial information. The app's new Message yourself feature that will lets you send yourself messages, reminders, files, and links with a few taps.

Netflix December 2022 Releases: Qala, Glass Onion, Emily in Paris Season 3, and More

What are the biggest Netflix originals in December 2022? Qala movie, Randeep Hooda’s CAT, Beast of Bangalore: Indian Predator, Vir Das: Landing, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Emily in Paris season 3, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Noah Centineo in The Recruit, Charlie Cox in Treason, The Elephant Whisperers, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Lady Chatterley's Lover...

Facebook Fined EUR 265 Million by Irish Data Privacy Regulator After Investigation Into Data Scraping

Facebook has been hit with a EUR 265 million (roughly Rs. 2,250 crore) fine by Ireland's data privacy regulator on Monday. The watchdog was investigating the scraping of personal data that was found in a data set from Facebook between May 2018 and September 2019. This is the fourth fine that the DPC has imposed on one of Meta's companies, and the regulator has 13 more...

Elon Musk Claims Apple Threatened to Pull Twitter From App Store, Ready to 'Go to War' Over In-App Purchases

Elon Musk on Monday accused Apple of threatening to block Twitter from the App Store and claimed that the iPhone maker had halted advertisements on the microblogging service. He has stated that Apple is pressuring Twitter over content moderation demands. Musk also said he was willing to "go to war" with Apple over its in-app purchases commission.

WhatsApp Contact Cards Sharing Feature Rolling Out on Windows Beta App: Report

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a feature that will allow Windows users to share contact cards within a chat allowing recipients to easily add it to their address book. The feature is currently under development and is rolling out to selected beta testers of the WhatsApp for Windows app. Some eligible users can download the latest version of WhatsApp beta from Micro...

WhatsApp Numbers of 500 Million Users Up for Sale, Twitter Data of 5.4 Million Users Leaked Online: Reports

WhatsApp numbers of around 500 million users has been put up for sale on a popular hacking community forum. In related news, the information of 5.4 million Twitter users from a previously disclosed data breach has been leaked online.

Snapchat Progressive Web App for Windows Released on Microsoft Store: All Details

Snapchat for Windows has been launched as a PWA or progressive web app. The web app is powered by Microsoft's Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser and has a download size of just 1.4MB. It has the same features as the Web version. Windows will treat it like a native app as the app works through Microsoft Edge. It will also have an app icon in the Start Menu, notifica...

Gmail Updated With Search Improvements, Workspace Apps Get Collaboration Features

Google has added a couple of new features to its Workspace apps. This includes the ability to search better, share files more easily during presentations and make viewing data easier in the Sheets app. Google says that these updates should be available to most users already, or will be available within 15 days.

Elon Musk Says Twitter Will Add Encrypted DMs, Payments; Claims Signups at All-Time High as Advertisers Leave

Twitter CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that the social media firm would add features like encrypted direct messages (DMs), longform tweets and payments. He also said he sees a "path to Twitter exceeding a billion monthly users in 12 to 18 months." The company's new owner said new signups were at an all-time high, even as advertisers and users leave the platform followi...

Paytm to Resubmit Application for Authorisation of Payment Aggregator Services

Paytm has shared an update with the exchanges about its 100 per cent subsidiary, Paytm Payments Services. The company can now resubmit the application within 120 calendar days for the payment aggregator services. Ahead of that, the company will seek necessary approval for past downward investment from Paytm into its subsidiary.

Elon Musk Calls Donald Trump’s Twitter Ban ‘Grave Mistake’, Condemns Violence

Elon Musk has called Twitter's ban on then President Donald Trump after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol as a "grave mistake" that had to be corrected. Although he also stated that incitement to violence would continue to be prohibited on Twitter.

WhatsApp Reportedly Testing Voice Status Update for iOS Beta: All Details

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a feature that will allow iOS users on the app to share voice notes in their status updates, similar to pictures, videos and links. The feature is currently under development and is expected to roll out in the coming iOS update. The voice status updates will only be shared with the people selected in the privacy settings.

Jio, Rolling Stone India Partner to Launch Platfom Short Video App for Creators: All Details

Reliance Jio introduced the short-video app for entertainers, Platfom. The app, developed in partnership with Rolling Stone India and Creativeland Asia, will provide a platform for singers, musicians, actors, comedians, dancers, fashion designers, and all creators and influencers according to the company. Creators on the app will rise on the basis of fanbase growth an...

Elon Musk Says Twitter Will Grant 'General Amnesty' for Suspended Accounts From Next Week

Elon Musk said Thursday that Twitter would provide a "general amnesty" to users whose accounts were suspended, hours after a poll on reinstating these accounts concluded. More than 72.4 percent of over 3.16 million Twitter users who participated in the poll said they were in favour of bringing suspended users back to the platform. Last week, Musk reinstated former US ...

Twitter Responds to France Communication Regulator's Query on Deadline

Twitter has met a Thursday deadline to respond to France's communications regulator about whether the company can meet its legal obligations, a spokesperson for the regulator said. Arcom sent a letter on Monday to Twitter asking if it can meet its legal obligation to guarantee transparent information in spite of steep job cuts at the firm.

Black Friday Sale India, Cyber Monday 2022: Best Deals on Electronics, Games, More

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2022 are just around the corner. Several online stores in India like Amazon, TataCliq, and Vijay Sales are offering attractive deals on a wide range of of products during this period. From electronics to games and VPNs, here are some of the best deals currently on offer.

Amazon Academy to Shut Down Less Than Two Years After Launch as Edtech Firms Face Post-Pandemic Challenges

Amazon Academy will be shut down in the country, the company said on Thursday, without citing a reason. The service was launched last year amid a boom in virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on an assessment, the ecommerce giant said in a statement that it had made the decision to discontinue Amazon Academy "in a phased manner to take care of current c...

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G, Galaxy A53 5G, Galaxy A73 5G Get One UI 5.0 Update With Voice Focus Feature

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G, Galaxy A53 5G, and Galaxy A73 5G users in India have begun receiving an update to Android 13-based One UI 5.0 with support for Samsung 'Voice Focus'. The feature allows for an improved calling experience by reducing background noise even in crowded environments. The feature will work on Samsung's default caller app as well as third-party applica...

Meta Allows Quest VR Headset Usage Without Facebook Account As Firm Bows to German Regulator

Meta will allow the use of its Quest VR headsets without a Facebook account, clearing the way for the wearable headset to be sold in Germany. The German cartel office has been closely watching Meta since May when it declared it was of "paramount significance for competition across markets". In a statement on Wednesday, the office said Meta will allow the device to be ...

Elon Musk Polls Users on 'General Amnesty' for Suspended Twitter Accounts

Elon Musk on Wednesday floated the idea of a 'general amnesty' for suspended accounts on the platform, polling users to ask if they should be unbanned. Polls on Twitter are open to all users and are unscientific and potentially targeted by fake accounts and bots. Former US President Donald Trump's Twitter account was reinstated last week after a narrow majority of res...

Microsoft Could Face FTC Antitrust Lawsuit to Block Activision Blizzard Takeover Bid: Report

Microsoft could face an antitrust lawsuit to block its bid to acquire video game publisher Activision Blizzard, according to a report. A lawsuit challenging the deal is reportedly not guaranteed, and the FTC's four commissioners have yet to vote out a complaint or meet with lawyers for the companies. Microsoft is betting on the acquisition to help it compete better wi...

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides on Android Optimised for Foldable Phones, Tablets

Google has optimised several first-party applications for larger displays devices and foldable devices. The company had announced that it’s going to optimise more than 20 Google applications to run better on tablets during Google I/O earlier this year. The new update has brought drag-and-drop improvements and full mouse support for these Google workspace apps.

Shazam For Android Updated With Material You-Themed Home Screen Widgets

Shazam users no longer need to jump inside the application, they can find and listen to their favourite songs directly from the home widget. This new version of the Desktop Widget comes with a default size of 5×1 but you can change it to 1×1, as per a report.

Black Friday 2022 Sales: How to Shop from India, All You Need to Know

Black Friday 2022 falls on November 25 this year, and brings with it steep discounts on all kinds of products. We've prepared a simple guide to help you make the most out of this year's biggest shopping event in the US, from India itself.

Android TV, Google TV Apps Will Switch From APKs to Android App Bundles From 2023

Google is mandating that all new and updated apps submitted to the Play Store need to be in the newer Android App Bundle (AAB) format instead of the older Android Package Kit (APK) format. While this rule change only affects developers, it does bring plenty of benefits for smart TV users, according to the company.

OTT Communication Services Should Be Licensed, Compensate Telcos for Data Traffic, COAI Says

COAI on Tuesday pitched for licensing and light-touch regulation for OTT communication services, as part of its suggestions on definition of OTT networks as part of the draft telecom bill. The telecom operators' body also said that OTT services, which include apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Google Meet, and Telegram, should directly compensate telcos for data traffic they...

Elon Musk Tells Employees He Wants Twitter to Have Encrypted DMs With Video, Voice Chat Support: Report

Elon Musk, Twitter's new CEO, has outlined his plans to employees, to bring encrypted DMs to the microblogging platform, as per a report. The firm's new owner is also reportedly planning on adding encrypted voice and video calling for Twitter users. In 2018, Twitter warned that an undisclosed number of DMs between businesses and their customers had been accessible by ...

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides Updated With New Material You Design Toggles: How to Enable

Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides have been updated with a new Material You redesign. The new design appears like a pill that makes the Material 3 (M3) switch larger than before. Google has also introduced new color mappings, as well as a taller and broader track to the M3 toggles.

Zoom Annual Revenue Forecast Lowered Amid Decline in Online Business, Rising Inflation

Zoom on Monday stated that it had cut its annual revenue forecast amid a decline in online business. The company's CFO Kelly Steckelberg said that Zoom's online business would decline nearly 8 percent during the year. The easing of pandemic-related restrictions across the world is also weighing on its business as people started spending less time online.

WhatsApp Desktop App Testing Screen Lock Feature for PC, Laptops: Report

WhatsApp for Desktop is working on a new privacy feature that will let users set up a password to restrict unauthorized access on their PCs or laptops. Currently, users have the feature to set up security access on WhatsApp for Android and iOS app using password.

Elon Musk Says Twitter Blue Relaunch on Hold, Wants 'High Confidence of Stopping Impersonation'

Elon Musk on Monday said that Twitter will pause the relaunch of Twitter Blue, the company's new blue check subscription service. In a tweet, Musk said that it would not be relaunched until there was high confidence in stopping impersonation. The coveted blue check mark was previously reserved for verified accounts of politicians, famous personalities, journalists and...

Government Drafts Framework to Restrict Fake Reviews on E-Commerce Websites

India launched a crack down on Monday against fake reviews and unverified ratings in a bid to make online interaction and e-commerce more authentic and less misleading for users. The government has drafted a framework for companies as well as travel sites or food delivery apps which depend on consumer reviews to validate products and services. Positive reviews help ge...

Kanye West Returns to Twitter Weeks After Elon Musk Reverses Account Suspension

Kanye West made his return to Twitter on Sunday, two weeks after new owner Elon Musk restored access to his account on the platform. The rapper's earlier suspension had been due to an antisemitic tweet. Musk on Sunday also restored access to former US President Donald Trump's Twitter account, which was suspended in January 2021 after the US Capitol riots.

What the World Would Lose With the Demise of Twitter: Valuable Eyewitness Accounts and Raw Data on Human Behaviour, as Well as a Habitat for Trolls

Twitter has provided users with a trove of information since it was launched, and its archives allow for instant and complete access to every public tweet, which has positioned Twitter both as an archive of collective human behaviour and as a credentialing and fact-checking service on a global scale. Here's how the loss of Twitter would impact the world.

NPCI Said to Be in Talks With RBI on Implementing 30 Percent UPI Volume Cap Deadline

NPCI is said to be in talks with the RBI to implement its proposed December 31 dealine to limit payment app providers' volume cap to 30 percent. The corporation in 2020 came up with a directive to cap the share of transactions a third-party application provider (TPAP) could process at 30 per cent of the volume of transactions handled on UPI, but gave the existing TPAP...

FIFA 2022: Madras HC Blocks TV Cable, Internet Service Providers From Streaming World Cup Matches

The Madras High Court has restrained cable TV, Internet service providers from streaming or telecasting the matches held at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The interim injunction on a suit from Viacom-18 Media will operate until December 16. The company had submitted that it was granted licence and various media rights, including exclusive TV and radio, mobile transmissi...

Donald Trump Snubs Twitter After Elon Musk Reactivates Former US President's Account

Donald Trump on Saturday snubbed Twitter, hours after Elon Musk's public poll asking users whether he should reinstate the former US president over a year after he was banned from the social media platform for inciting violence. He said he would stick with his new platform Truth Social, which he said had better user engagement than Twitter and was doing "phenomenally ...

Google Assistant Now Lets Users Search, Play Podcasts by Guest, Episode Name

Google Assistant has added the option to search and play podcasts based on a specific guest in addition to episode and topic. The feature lets you quickly play a specific episode by simply using an assistant voice command.

Twitter to Close Office Buildings, Disable Employee Badge Access Till Monday: Report

Twitter fell into chaos under its new owner Elon Musk after several employees appeared to have quit following a deadline by the billionaire entrepreneur and the company sent messages it was closing its “office buildings” for the next few days. New York Times (NYT) said in a report that after a 5 pm Thursday deadline was given by Musk to employees to choose whether...

Elon Musk Celebrates 'All-Time High' in Twitter Usage Amid Engineer Exodus

Elon Musk said on Friday that Twitter hit an all-time high in usage, hours after reports that the company was seeing a mass exodus of engineers. Uncertainty now hangs over Twitter’s ability to continue normal operations after the company dismissed its executive team and laid off half the workforce in Musk’s first few days in charge.

Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill Reintroduced, Government Seeks Public Comments on Regulation

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was reintroduced by the Government on Friday, as part of the proposed privacy law that will govern the transfer of data to certain countries abroad. The revised draft of the regulation allows the government to specify countries or territories outside India to which entities managing data can transfer personal data of users. Th...

Elon Musk Accused of Undermining Twitter's Integrity, Safety by US Senators, Could Face FTC Probe

Elon Musk has been accused of undermining the safety and integrity of Twitter after taking over the platform, by seven Democratic senators. In a letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan, the senators warned that Elon Musk was acting in disregard of users, and urged the regulator to investigate any breach of a consent decree that the FTC inked with Twitter in May.

Google Agreed to Pay Activision $360 Million to Block Rival App Store, Epic Games Lawsuit Says

Google struck 24 deals with prominent app developers to prevent them from competing with the Play Store on Android, according to details from Epic Games' lawsuit against the search giant. The deals included an agreement to pay $360 million (roughly Rs. 2,941 crore) to Activision over three years. Google also agreed to pay Riot Games about $30 million (roughly Rs. 245 ...

Cyberspace Administration of China Revises Rules for Regulation of Online Comments

The Cyberspace Administration of China on Wednesday announced that the regulator would revise its rules to require social media and online account operators to improve their review and management of comments. The watchdog's announcement comes as authorities in China are tightening their policing of the Internet and what topics the public is allowed to discuss. However...

WhatsApp Polls Feature Rolls Out to Users on Android, iOS: How to Use It

WhatsApp Polls are rolling out to users on Android and iOS users. The messaging app had recently rolled out the Communities feature allows users to have separate groups under one "Community" to organise group conversations. In addition to that, WhatsApp had also rolled out one-tap video calling for up to 32 people and doubled the participant limit for groups.

YouTube Music Update Rolling Out With Redesigned Now Playing Screen, Gets Rid of Dislike Button: Report

Google is reportedly rolling out an update for its YouTube Music app for Android smartphones with some design changes. These changes are to do with the Now Playing screen where some interface elements have been moved around to make way for a new feature, while the dislike button has been removed entirely. There are also some minor design changes that make the app’s ...

Meta Appoints Sandhya Devanathan to Replace Ajit Mohan as India Head

Meta on Thursday announced that it had appointed Sandhya Devanathan as the Vice President of Meta India. Devanathan will replace Ajit Mohan, who left the Facebook parent to join rival Snap earlier this month. The announcement comes days after Meta announced company-wide layoffs that would affect 13 percent of its workforce.

Twitter Seemingly Working on End-to-End Encryption for Direct Messages, Elon Musk Teases Confirmation

An alleged line of code in the Twitter for Android app spotted by researcher Jane Manchun Wong seems to indicate that Twitter is working on end-to-end encryption for direct messages. Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that this feature is in development.

Activision Blizzard to Suspend China Game Services After NetEase Licenses End in January

Activision Blizzard will suspend most Blizzard game services in China, after its current licensing agreements with NetEase end in January, the publisher said on Thursday. The company said new sales would be suspended in the coming days and players would receive further details.

Netflix Launches New Feature Allowing Users to Remove Devices From Account

Netflix's newly introduced 'Manage Access and Devices' feature will be available to users around the globe on their Account Settings menu and will allow users to remove devices from their account that they no longer recognise or want to remain signed in to.

Elon Musk Asks Staff to Opt for 'Extremely Hardcore' Twitter or Take Severance Package

Elon Musk sent an email to Twitter's remaining staff asking them to opt to stay on for "working long hours at high intensity" or take a severance package of three months' pay. Twitter's new CEO also said that the platform would be "much more engineering-driven" under his leadership, adding that "those writing great code will constitute the majority of our team and hav...

Digital Services Act: Web Giants to Submit User Data as EU Law Comes Into Effect

Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter, Apple, TikTok, and other firms will have until February 17 to reveal their user numbers in order to comply with the Digital Services Act that comes into effect on Wednesday. The DSA rules will be fully applied from February 17, 2024, and officials will have to decide which companies are large enough to require scrutiny, as Very La...

Elon Musk Said to Ramp Up Purge of Engineers Over Alleged Criticism After Twitter Takeover

Elon Musk is said to have stepped up his purge of Twitter's engineers who criticised the new CEO after the takeover deal. An estimated dozen or more workers have been let go in the past couple of days after they rebuked Musk, who previously called himself a “free speech absolutist". While Twitter and Musk have not yet confirmed the firings, the company's new CEO ann...

YouTube Shorts Updated With Shopping Features, Firm Tests Commission Schemes for Influencers

YouTube Shorts will get support for shopping features, the video-sharing platform announced on Tuesday. The company is looking to combat the ongoing digital ad slowdown. Viewers in India, Brazil, Canada, Australia, and the US will be able to see shopping tags and interact with them, according to YouTube. The Alphabet-owned streaming service is also testing new commiss...

Twitter Blue to Be Relaunched on November 29 to Ensure 'Rock Solid' Release, Elon Musk Says

Elon Musk on Tuesday said that Twitter Blue, the company's subscription service would be relaunched on November 29. The company's new CEO had previously stated that he expected to release the paid verification service by the end of this week, but said the release date would be 'punted' to make sure that it was 'rock solid', in a tweet.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk Says App Developer 'Fired' After Public Discussion Over Android App Performance

Elon Musk, Twitter's new CEO, said he fired an engineer on Monday, after a discussion over the performance of the Twitter app for Android. On Monday, Musk tweeted an apology that the app was "super slow" in many countries, to which the engineer, who had worked at Twitter for 6 years, responded stating that he was wrong. After a brief discussion on the platform, Musk r...

YouTube Shorts to Gain Shopping Features Amid Digital Ad Slowdown: Report

YouTube Shorts will gain shopping features, as the Alphabet-owned firm seeks to diversify its revenue stream squeezed by falling ad spending, according to a report. The streaming service is also reportedly testing new commission schemes for influencers who sell products through links in videos. YouTube has struggled to compete with TikTok, the app that has burgeoned t...

Google Play Store Gets UPI Autopay for Subscription-Based Purchases in India

Google Play has introduced UPI Autopay for subscription-based purchases in India. It now includes a “Pay with UPI” option in the app when customers select a subscription plan. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) had launched the UPI AutoPay feature for recurring payments earlier this year in July.

VLC Media Player Website Block in India Lifted After VideoLAN Issues Legal Notice to DoT, MeitY

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) announced that the ban on VLC Media Player’s site in India by some ISPs since February has been lifted.

Three Out of Four Bitcoin Investors Have Lost Money Since 2015, Study Finds

Three out of four Bitcoin investors have lost money, according to a study by economists at the Bank of International Settlements, an institution widely considered as the central banks of central banks, based on data on investors in cryptocurrencies in 95 countries between 2015 and 2022. The number of people using smartphone apps allowing one to purchase and sell crypt...

Facial Recognition Technology, Smart Glasses Outlawed in Italy, Except for Fighting Crime

Italy on Monday prohibited the use of facial recognition and 'smart glasses'. The country's privacy watchdog has stated that facial recognition systems using biometric data will not be allowed in Italy until a specific law is adopted or at least until the end of next year, and exceptions will only be allowed for technologies that play a role in judicial investigations...

Elon Musk's SpaceX Buys Advertising Package for Starlink on Twitter

SpaceX has bought an advertising package on Twitter for its satellite internet service Starlink, said Elon Musk, who owns the rocket company and the social media platform that is seeing an exodus of advertisers. Companies including General Motors, General Mills, Mondelez International and Volkswagen AG paused advertising on the platform after Musk acquired it last mon...

Pushwoosh Russian Software Disguised as American Discovered in US Army, CDC Apps

Pushwoosh, a software firm based in Russia, presented itself as based in the US but is actually Russian, as per an investigation. The company's software was used by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US' main agency for fighting major health threats, and the US Army. Pushwoosh says the company stores data in the US and in Germany, but cyberse...

WhatsApp Testing Companion Mode on Android; Do Not Disturb, Tablet Client in the Works: Reports

WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out the WhatsApp for Android beta v2.22.24.18 update that brings a companion mode for smartphones and the ability to link tablets to an existing account. It is also said to be integrating the Do Not Disturb API in another Android beta build.

Twitter Blue Verification Subscription 'Probably' Coming Back End of Next Week, Elon Musk Says

Twitter Blue, the company's verification subscription service will probably "come back end of next week", new owner Elon Musk said on Saturday. The company recently paused its $8 (roughly Rs. 650) blue check mark service, days after several fake accounts masquerading as public figures and well-established firms signed up for the service and posted misleading tweets on...

Apple vs Epic Games: Antitrust Battle Over iPhone App Store Heads to US Appeals Court

Apple is set to meet Fortnite maker Epic Games in a US appeals court, as the two firms revive a high-stakes antitrust battle revolving around an app store that provides a wide range of products to more than 1 billion iPhones and serves as a pillar in Apple’s $2.4 trillion (roughly Rs. XXX crore) empire. The issue is so important to both companies that the losing sid...

Twitter's Outsourced Content Moderators Face Layoffs After Elon Musk Takeover

Twitter's content moderators are being laid off by the company, weeks after Elon Musk fired half of the company's regular workforce. Like other big social media firms, Twitter has also relied heavily on contractors to track hate and enforce rules against harmful content. Twitter is said to have eliminated an untold number of contract jobs over the weekend, and the m...

Meta Layoffs Mostly Affected Tech Team, Reorganisation Underway, Say Execs

Facebook owner Meta Platforms told employees on Friday that it would stop developing smart displays and smartwatches and that nearly half of the 11,000 jobs it eliminated this week in an unprecedented cost-cutting move were technology roles.

Twitter Restores 'Official' Label; $8 Blue Check Mark Option Vanishes

Elon Musk's Twitter on Friday brought back the "official" badge to some accounts, just days after doing away with it, while several users reported the new subscription option for the blue verification check mark had disappeared. The move follows a surge in fake accounts on the platform after new boss Elon Musk allowed users to pay $8 (nearly Rs. 650) for the coveted...

WhatsApp Tests Automated Group Chat Muting to Reduce Notification Overload: Report

WhatsApp Beta for Android may be set to receive the 2.22.24.15 version update that will bring a new feature that automatically mutes groups that exceed the 256-member threshold, according to a report by WABetaInfo. The report also adds that users who wish to continue receiving notifications from such large groups may choose to do so by manually unmuting the particular...

Twitter, Tesla, Other Elon Musk Companies to Remain Well Positioned Till 2023

Elon Musk, who heads five companies including Tesla and Twitter, said in a tweet on Friday that his companies will be well positioned in 2023 despite the possibility of a tough economy. Musk's tweet comes a day after he raised the possibility of Twitter going bankrupt.

Elon Musk Twitter Takeover: Tweets With Racial Slurs Soared Despite Assurances, Researchers Say

Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter was followed by an increase in instances of racial slurs on the platform, despite assurances from the platform that it had reduced hateful activity, according to a digital civil rights group. The number of tweets containing one of several different racial slurs soared in the week after Elon Musk purchased the microblogging platform, acc...

Monica, O My Darling Review: Vasan Bala’s Netflix Movie Is Overstuffed and Undercooked

Monica, O My Darling movie review: Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte, and Rajkummar Rao are wasted in this Netflix film from Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota director Vasan Bala, which presents itself as something out of the ordinary, but is oppressively pedestrian. Monica, O My Darling release date and time is November 11 at 1:30pm IST on Netflix.

Elon Musk Warns of Twitter Bankruptcy Amid Senior Executive Exodus, US FTC Warning

Elon Musk on Thursday warned that Twitter could face bankruptcy, as more senior executives exited the firm and a US privacy regulator warned that it was monitoring the microblogging platform. The US Federal Trade Commission said it was watching Twitter with "deep concern" after the three privacy and compliance officers quit. These resignations potentially put Twitter ...

Meta Layoff Impacts Some Indian Techies Within 2-3 Days of Their Joining

Some of the Indian techies, who switched to social media major Meta after quitting their stable jobs just two-three days ago, are among the 11,000 people laid off by the company. Facebook has laid off 11,000 employees across the globe to cut down cost.

Elon Musk Should Testify to EU Parliament After Twitter Takeover, Lawmaker Says

Elon Musk should come to the European Parliament to reassure lawmakers that Twitter won't become a platform that threatens democracy, a lawmaker said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the EU’s internal market commissioner has warned Musk that he will have to follow the EU’s rules, most notably the Digital Services Act that requires companies to take down illegal content and...

Elon Musk Ends Remote Work in His First Email to Twitter Staff to Prepare for 'Difficult Times Ahead'

Elon Musk on Wednesday emailed Twitter workers for the first time on Wednesday, banning remote work unless he personally approved it. The microblogging service's new CEO said there was “no way to sugarcoat the message” about the economic outlook and how it will affect an advertising-dependent company like Twitter. He has also told workers that he wants to see subs...

DigiLocker Updated With Support for Storing Ayushman Bharat Personal Health Records

DigiLocker, the digital document storage facility provided by the government of India has been updated with support for storing Ayushman Bharat health records. The service has successfully completed its second level of integration with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, enabling users of the app to utilise DigiLocker as a Personal Health Records (PHR) app.

US Midterm Elections: Experts Say Misinformation on Facebook, Twitter Limited, Not Stopped

The US midterm elections saw fewer posts with misinformation compared to the firestorm levels that followed President Joe Biden's victory in 2020, according to experts. Several posts on Twitter and Facebook challenged Democratic successes in the elections without evidence, but the conspiracy theories have not sparked major demonstrations or gone as viral as last time ...

Elon Musk's Relationships With Other Countries 'Worthy of Being Looked At', US President Joe Biden Says

Elon Musk's relationships with other countries are worthy of being looked at, US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday. The world's richest man's purchase of Twitter sparked concerns that he could face pressure from countries trying to control online speech. The US President was responding to a question on whether he thought Musk was a threat to national security and ...

Twitter Job Cuts: What Are Digital Layoffs and What Do They Mean for Employees and Companies?

Twitter's recent job cuts that saw the company fire nearly half of its workforce after Elon Musk took over, have been scrutinised globally. The firm's approach to mass layoffs resembles strategies adopted by a growing number of companies in recent years. If you face redundancy – whether digitally or face to face – it’s important to know your rights. Here's every...

Elon Musk Sold at Least $3.95 Billion of Tesla Shares Days After Closing Twitter Takeover Deal

Elon Musk sold at least $3.95 billion (roughly Rs. 32,200 crore) of Tesla shares days after the world's richest man completed his Twitter takeover deal. The Tesla CEO unloaded 19.5 million shares of the EV manufacturer's shares, his first disposals since August, according to regulatory filings. The deal has also sparked concern among some Tesla shareholders that the...

EU Regulators Seek Broader Rules on Companies' Market Power, Focus on Innovation

EU regulators are seeking broader rules to define the market power of companies, with a greater focus on innovation and pointers on digital markets, according to the European Commission. These rules help regulators in the EU measure a company's pricing power in a merger or its power to shut out rivals in an antitrust case. The EU executive proposed some additions to t...

Oreo Maker Mondelez Pulls Twitter Ads, Says Hate Speech Increased 'Significantly' After Elon Musk Takeover

Oreo maker Mondelez has pulled its ads off Twitter, the company's CEO said in an interview on Tuesday. The Mondelez chief executive said the firm felt there was a risk of its advertising appearing next to the wrong messages on Twitter, and that the company has decided to take a pause and a break from advertising on the microblogging platform until that risk was as low...

Microsoft Faces Full EU Antitrust Investigation Into $69 Billion Bid to Acquire Activision Blizzard

Microsoft will face a full EU probe into the publisher's $69 billion (roughly Rs. 5,62,500 crore) bid to acquire Activision Blizzard, after regulators warned about the deal's impact on competition on the markets for the distribution of console and PC video games. Meanwhile, Microsoft has stated that it would work with the EU antitrust watchdog to address valid market...

Elon Musk's Net Worth Falls Below $200 Billion as Tesla Investors Dump Shares Following Twitter Deal

Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, has seen his net worth fall below $200 billion (roughly Rs. 16,31,070 crore) as investors dump shares of Tesla. Wall Street is concerned that Musk has stretched himself too thin at a time when the EV maker is ramping up production and faces rising competition. Since buying Twitter, Musk has made very few tweets on electric car make...

Twitter's Pared-Down Staff Said to Struggle With Misinformation Amid US Midterm Elections

Twitter staff are said to be struggling to respond to political misinformation and harmful posts on the microblogging service, days after Elon Musk fired around half of the company's workforce ahead of the US midterm elections. Even though the recent mass layoffs spared many of the people whose job it is to keep hate and misinformation off the social-media platform, e...

Stellantis Pauses Paid Advertisements on Twitter After Elon Musk Takeover

Stellantis on Monday said that the firm had paused all paid ads on Twitter as the firm waits to see what the microblogging platform will look like, now that new owner Elon Musk charge of the firm. The automaker joins a number of major companies that have halted advertising on Twitter, including United Airlines, General Mills, luxury automaker Audi of America, and Gene...

Twitter Neutrality Called Into Question as Elon Musk Posts Partisan Tweets Ahead of US Midterm Elections

Elon Musk appealed to “independent-minded voters” to vote for the Republican party on Monday, ahead of the US midterm elections that are scheduled to take place on Tuesday. The world's richest man has stepped into the political debate that many tech executives have stayed out of, to prevent their platforms from appearing to favour one party over another. A direct ...

Gigi Hadid Deletes Twitter Account After Elon Musk Takeover, Calls It a Place of 'Hate'

Gigi Hadid has deleted her Twitter account on the microblogging platform, days after Elon Musk completed his takeover deal and fired half of the company's workforce. The American supermodel took to Instagram to announce, via a story, that she had deleted her account amid the mass layoffs, which included the human rights team.

Smartphone App Can Assess Structural Integrity of Bridges Using Natural Vibrations, Study Shows

Smartphone applications are capable of assessing the structural integrity of bridges, according to a new study. Researchers have discovered that mobile devices can capture the same kind of information about bridge vibrations that stationary sensors compile. It has also been estimated that depending on the age of a road bridge, mobile-device monitoring could add from 1...

Twitter Blue Verification Check Mark Badges Delayed Until After US Midterm Elections: Report

Twitter is reportedly delaying the rollout of the company's verified check marks for users to subscribe to the platform's Twitter Blue service, until the end of the US midterm elections. The company announced changes to its verification process a week after the completion of Elon Musk's takeover deal. The new 'Twitter Blue with verification' will first be available in...

Twitter Blue India Rollout Could Take Place in 'Less Than a Month', Elon Musk Says

Twitter Blue, the company's paid subscription service that is currently available in five countries, could soon be available in India, according to the firm's new owner. Elon Musk has said that the subscription service, which will offer users a verification badge, is expected to roll out in India in "less than a month". Twitter's strategy to introduce a monthly charg...

Twitter to Launch Long-Form Text Sharing Feature, Content Monetisation Announced by Elon Musk

Twitter will soon allow users to add long-form text to their tweets, the company's new owner Elon Musk has announced. "Twitter will soon add ability to attach long-form text to tweets, ending absurdity of notepad screenshots," Musk said, adding that Twitter will also add creator monetisation for all forms of content. In another tweet, he took a dig at Twitter's search...

Twitter Said to Ask Some Employees Laid Off 'By Mistake' to Return to Work After Elon Musk Takeover

Twitter is said to have reached out to dozens of employees who were fired after Elon Musk completed his takeover deal, asking them to return to work, according to a report. The company is said to have asked some who were laid off by mistake, or let go before management realised that their work and experience may be necessary to build the new features Musk envisions, a...

Why Elon Musk’s First Week as Twitter Owner Has Users Flocking Elsewhere

Elon Musk has taken charge of the social media platform Twitter and users are now wondering what he’ll do with the platform. Many have been concerned his approach to moderation may fuel more hate speech on Twitter.

Elon Musk Says Laid Off Employees Were Offered 3 Months of Severance

Twitter laid off half its workforce on Friday. The company said there were smaller in the team responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation. Teams responsible for communications, content curation, human rights and machine learning ethics were laid off, as confirmed by tweets. However, Elon Musk said he had no choice as “the company is losing over $4 milli...

Turkish President Erdoğan Says He May Negotiate Charge for Twitter Blue Check With Elon Musk

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated that he could negotiate the price of Twitter's new monthly charge for the "verified" badge with Elon Musk, in order to avoid paying for it. Erdoğan said on Wednesday in an interview with Turkish broadcaster ATV, that he may speak to Musk and discuss the charge. A blue check mark next to a person's user name on the so...

Delhi High Court Dismisses Plea to Implead Twitter's Elon Musk in Petition Challenging Account Suspension

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking to implead Twitter's new owner Elon Musk in a petition that challenging the suspension of a user's account for allegedly violating the platform's rules. The court dismissed the plea with Rs. 25,000 costs, and Justice Yashwant Varma termed the application to be "thoroughly misconceived".

Twitter Sued in Class Action Lawsuit Over Mass Layoffs by Elon Musk Without Enough Notice

Twitter has been sued over the microblogging service's plan to cut about 3,700 jobs at the social media platform, without enough notice as required under US federal and California law, in a class action lawsuit on Thursday. The company plans to start cutting staff on Friday, it revealed to employees in an email. However, the The federal Worker Adjustment and Retrainin...

iPhone 14 Assembly by Pegatron Said to Begin in India as Apple Adds Second Supplier in Shift From China

iPhone 14 assembly by a second supplier in India is said to have begun, as Apple's Taiwanese contract manufacturer Pegatron has begun making the company's latest iPhone model in the country. The development comes shortly after Apple's key iPhone Pro manufacturing hub in in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou was placed under lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19 in the C...

Twitter Down? Users Report Login Issues, Problems Accessing Web Service, Loading Feed

Twitter users have reported issues with being unable to access the microblogging site. Some users are seeing an error that says "Something went wrong, but don't worry - try again" appears when the feed page first loads. Twitter is also expected to start mass layoffs today, and the company is expected to fire nearly half of its 7,500-strong workforce.

Twitter Layoffs: Chaos, Confusion Reign Across Twitter Offices as 7,500 Employees Brace for Job Cuts

Twitter is set to announce job cuts on Friday, a week after Elon Musk announced that he had completed his takeover of the platform. Fear and dread are said to have spread across the company's offices as 7,500 employees brace for job cuts that are expected to hit half of the company's staff. Twitter managers are said to have been forbidden from calling team meetings or...

Gmail Package Tracking Features for Users in the US Announced Ahead of Holiday Season

Gmail is launching a feature that will allow users in the US to track and monitor packages and delivery information for orders placed by the user using their Gmail ID, right from their inbox. According to the company's blog post announcing the introduction of the package tracking feature, it will be made available across most major US shipping carriers.

Google Wants to Develop Artificial Intelligence Using One Thousand Most Widely Spoken Languages

Google said on Wednesday that the company wants to develop artificial intelligence using one thousand most widely spoken languages in the world. The company wants to mine data in new languages not only from texts available on the internet, but also from videos, images and speech. Google is also looking to collect audio clips for languages for which there may not be mu...

Twitter Could Face Crypto Makeover After Elon Musk Takeover, Binance Owner Suggests

Twitter could become much more intertwined with cryptocurrencies and the blockchain in the future, according to Binance owner Changpeng Zhao, who said that he was there to help Twitter in any future crypto-related moves. Zhao has invested $500 million (roughly Rs. 4,100 crore) into the takeover by the world's richest man, and has hinted that he would not be a complete...

Instagram Adds Support for NFT Sales, Gifts on Reels; Expands Subscriptions to Eligible US Creators

Instagram has added support for the ability to trade digital assets, such as NFTs, directly on the app. The company is also adding support for gifts on Instagram, initially on Reels, to help creators monetise content. Meanwhile, subscriptions will be expanded to all eligible US creators, according to Meta.

Elon Musk Said to be Preparing to Eliminate Half of Twitter's Workforce to Drive Down Costs

Elon Musk is said to be planning on eliminating around half of Twitter's workforce, as part of efforts by the company's new owner to drive down costs. After completing the takeover deal last week, Musk is aiming to inform around 3,700 affected staffers on Friday, and intends to reverse the company's existing work-from-anywhere policy for the employees that are retaine...

Google Lens Icon Added to Search Homepage, Street View App Reportedly Shutting Down in 2023

Google has announced that the Lens icon has now been added to the Search homepage. Meanwhile, a report suggests that the search giant will shut down its Street View app on March 31, 2023. Its Photo Paths feature might also get discontinued with the app.

Instagram for Web Getting a Redesign With Better Navigation, Improved Interface

Instagram is rolling out a redesigned version of Instagram for Web. The new features include a navigation sidebar that will come with links to pages including explore, search, messages among others. Earlier, these tabs used to feature as unlabeled buttons at the top.

UPI Autopay Pitched by NPCI CEO After Elon Musk Announces $8 Twitter Blue Service for Verified Accounts

NPCI CEO Dilip Asbe has replied to a tweet by Elon Musk, saying that UPI's recurring payments offering already has 7 million users, and pitching the use of the UPI Autopay feature to handle monthly payments for the service. Twitter has been issuing a 'blue tick' to verify public figures for many years now, but Elon Musk's new plan for Twitter includes giving the tick ...

Amazon Prime Music Increases Song Catalogue from 2 Million to 100 Million, Adds New Podcasts

Amazon Prime Music now has 100 million music tracks accessible to subscribers, the company announced on Tuesday. The service joins Apple, which also allows access to 100 million tracks for paying subscribers. Amazon said that Prime members will also have access to new podcasts on the service, in addition to ad-free music streaming on the service.

Ransomware Incidents in 2021 Mostly Tied to Russian Hackers, US FinCEN Report Says

Ransomware incidents in the US in 2021 were mostly tied to Russian hackers, according to a report by the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The report states that out of 793 ransomware incidents reported to FinCEN in the second half of 2021, 75 percent "had a nexus to Russia, its proxies, or persons acting on its behalf.

WhatsApp Banned 26.85 Lakh Accounts in India in September, 8.72 Lakh Users 'Proactively' Barred

WhatsApp banned 26.85 lakh accounts in India in September, the Meta-owned company said in its monthly report. The service's User Safety Report states that 8.72 lakh accounts were barred "proactively", which means WhatsApp blocked them before users could flag them. The report was published in compliance with the tougher IT Rules that mandate large digital platforms (wi...

Twitter Said to Discontinue Access to Ad-Free Articles for Twitter Blue Subscribers

Twitter will no longer allow subscribers of the Twitter Blue paid service to access articles without advertisements, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Meanwhile, Elon Musk said on Tuesday that subscribers of the company's revamped service would get blue check marks along with priority in replies, mentions and search and would be able to post longer videos and...

Twitter Blue to Cost $8 per Month; Will Include Verified Badge, Fewer Ads, Elon Musk Says

Elon Musk on Tuesday announced that the company would charge a monthly $8 (roughly Rs. 660) fee for Twitter Blue, and that it would include a verified badge. The company's new owner also said that subscribers with blue check marks would get priority in replies, mentions and search and would be able to post longer videos and audios. They would see half as many ads.

Predatory Lending Apps: MHA Asks States, UTs to Take Urgent Action Against Illegal Apps

The Home Ministry recently asked law enforcement in states and Union territories to take urgent and strict action against predatory lending apps as harassment, blackmail and harsh recovery practices by such Chinese-controlled entities have led to multiple incidents of death by suicide. The ministry said it was a form of organised cybercrime that was executed using d...

Elon Musk's Twitter Investors Include Jack Dorsey, Saudi Prince, Qatar Investment Authority

Elon Musk's new Twitter investors include Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, former CEO Jack Dorsey, and the Qatar Investment Authority, according to regulatory filings. The Saudi Prince was quick to endorse Musk's plan to acquire Twitter, saying in May that Musk would be "an excellent leader" for the social media company, while Dorsey lamented in April that the company...

Elon Musk Boosted Surge in Misinformation, Conspiracy Theories About Attack on Paul Pelosi

Elon Musk, now the owner of Twitter, one of the world's leading online platforms, recently boosted a surge in misinformation and conspiracy theories related to the assault on Paul Pelosi, the husband of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On Monday, posts falsely suggesting a personal relationship between Pelosi and the alleged assailant, soared on Twitter, a day after Musk twee...

Instagram Resolves Bug That 'Suspended' User Accounts, Causing Drop in Follower Counts

Instagram users have been facing issue on the social media platform on Monday, with many reporting that their account has been suspended without any prior information. The details mentioned that the accounts were suspended for not adhering to community guidelines.

Qala Release Date: Netflix Movie, With Triptii Dimri and Babil Khan, Out December 1

Qala — the period Netflix psychological drama film, from Bulbbul writer-director Anvitaa Dutt, and starring Triptii Dimri and Babil Khan — now has a release date: December 1. Set in the late 1930s and early 1940s pre-Independence India, Qala follows a young playback singer as her tragic past catches up with her, causing her to unravel at the peak of her hard-won s...

Elon Musk Said to Have Assured EU Chief to Abide by Online Content Policing Rules for Twitter

Elon Musk has assured the European Commission that Twitter will continue to abide by tough European rules on illegal online content policing now the social network has passed under his ownership, EU sources said on Monday. In May this year, EU industry chief Thierry Breton met Tesla boss Elon Musk in Texas and the two signalled agreement on EU digital media regulati...

Beware! These Five Android Apps Can Hack, Drain Your Bank Accounts

A new banking trojan has been identified by researchers that has been latching onto Android devices. This can steal users’ login information, account number, and other financial details. Five Android apps have been named by Threat Fabric as top suggestions to be uninstalled from devices right away.

Twitter Plans to Lay Off a Quarter of Its Workforce in First Round: Report

Twitter is reportedly going to let go of a quarter of its workforce in the first round of layoffs. Earlier, Elon Musk denied a New York Times report about laying off Twitter employees at a date earlier than November 1. However, soon after Twitter takeover, Musk fired Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Finance Chief Ned Segal and Legal Affairs and Policy Chief Vija...

Twitter Blue Subscription Fee Hike Reports Refuted by MoS IT, Says Doesn't Think It's True

Twitter is abuzz with reports that users will have to shell out a $20 fee for the 'blue tick'. Refuting the reports, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that he doesn't not think it is true and it will be a challenge for Twitter.

Twitter, Facebook, Others Will Have to Abide by Local Laws, Says Minister

The new amendments to IT rules impose a legal obligation on social media companies to take all out efforts to prevent barred content and misinformation, the government said on Saturday making it clear that platforms such as Twitter and Facebook operating in India will have to abide by local laws and constitutional rights of Indian users.

Twitter Blue to Reportedly Cost $20 a Month as Musk Revises Verification Process

Twitter will revise its user verification process, Elon Musk said in a tweet on Sunday, just days after he took over one of the world's most influential social media platforms. Separately, a report suggested that Twitter will increase the subscription price for Twitter Blue, which also verifies users, from $4.99 (roughly Rs. 400) a month to $19.99 (roughly Rs. 1,600) ...

Facebook Parent Meta Ordered to Pay $10.5 Million Legal Fees to Washington State

Facebook parent company Meta has been ordered to pay $10.5 million (nearly Rs. 86 crore) in legal fees to Washington state atop a nearly $25 million (nearly Rs. 200 crore) fine for repeated and intentional violations of campaign finance disclosure laws. King County Superior Court Judge Douglass North issued the legal-fee order Friday, two days after he hit the social ...

General Motors Temporarily Halts Paid Advertising on Twitter After Elon Musk Takeover

General Motors said late on Friday it had temporarily halted paid advertising on Twitter after Elon Musk completed his takeover of the social media company. The largest US automaker said it was "engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership."

Binance, Elon Musk's Co-Investor, Creating Team to Help Twitter With Blockchain

Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange that has invested $500 million into Elon Musk's buyout of Twitter, is creating a team to work on how blockchain and crypto could be helpful to Twitter, the company's spokesperson said on Friday. As one of Elon Musk's equity co-investors to fund his $44 billion (nearly Rs. 3,62,300 crore) deal, Binance said it will brainstor...

Elon Musk Receives Pleas to Remove Bans on Accounts Soon After Twitter Takeover

Mere hours after Elon Musk kicked off a new era at Twitter, the billionaire owner was deluged with pleas and demands from banned account holders and world leaders. The flood of requests underscore the challenge the CEO of electric car maker Tesla faces, balancing a promise to restore free speech while preventing the platform from descending into a "hellscape," as he...

Twitter's Ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, 2 Other Fired Executives' Total Compensation Worth $122 Million: Equilar

Three top executives of Twitter, Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, fired by new owner Elon Musk stand to receive separation payouts totaling some $122 million (nearly Rs. 1,000 crore), research firm Equilar said on Friday.

Twitter Would Now Hopefully Act Against Hate Speech, Check Facts More Robustly: Rahul Gandhi

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi hoped on Friday that Twitter would now act against hate speech, check facts more robustly and not stifle the voice of the opposition in India, soon after billionaire Elon Musk took over the social media giant and fired four of its top executives.

Elon Musk's Twitter Era Begins, Politicians Warn Billionaire of Existing Regulations

Twitter was acquired by the world's richest man, Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday. The running of the company is could face scrutiny from both critics and fans who ware waiting to see how Musk will run the microblogging service. He had previously vowed to cut down on content moderation and has expressed interest in allowing former US president Donald Trump to return to...

Twitter Deal: Parag Agrawal's 11-Month Tenure as Twitter CEO Said to End as Musk Gains Control

Parag Agrawal tenure as Twitter CEO is said to have come to an end after Elon Musk closed his takeover deal to acquire the microblogging firm. Considered a protege of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, Agrawal was appointed CEO of Twitter after Dorsey stepped down.

Elon Musk Takes Twitter Ownership, Said to Have Fired CEO Parag Agrawal, Other Top Executives

Elon Musk terminated Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, according to people familiar with the matter. He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform.

Elon Musk Advocates for Twitter to Be 'Most Respected Advertising Platform'

Elon Musk, who once tweeted "I hate advertising", said he wants Twitter to be "the most respected advertising platform", in a bid to gain the trust of ad buyers ahead of the expected close of his $44 billion (nearly Rs. 3,62,200 crore) deal for the social media firm. Musk, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and investors in the deal had previously suggested moving away fr...

Signal Would Rather Exit a Country Than Compromise on End-to-End Encryption, Meredith Whittaker Says

Signal President Meredith Whittaker asserted in a recent interview that the encrypted messaging app would rather exit a country than comply with laws that weaken encryption on its service. The top executive's comments assume significance in light of the new draft Telecommunications Bill 2022, that proposes a legal framework that could result in the weakening of end-to...

TRAI' Concerns Over Draft Telecom Bill Provisions Said to Be Duly Addressed

TRAI's apprehensions over potential dilution of powers under the draft telecom bill have been addressed, and the government may look at the option of taking up provisions related to strengthening of the regulatory body separately at a later stage, DoT sources said.

TikTok Wins Immunity From Lawsuit Over Death of 10-Year-Old Girl in Deadly 'Blackout Challenge'

TikTok on Tuesday gained immunity from a lawsuit that accused the firm of causing the death of a 10-year-old girl by promoting a deadly "blackout challenge" that encouraged people to choke themselves. The company was sued in May, saying the company's algorithm showed her daughter, Nylah Anderson, a video suggesting the blackout challenge.

Instagram Crosses 2 Billion Monthly Active Users, Over 2 Billion Using WhatsApp Daily, Meta Says

Instagram has crossed the 2 billion monthly active users mark, the company announced on Wednesday. The company's Facebook service has 2.96 billion users while more than 2 billion people now use WhatsApp. Meta’s total monthly users for its family of apps number 3.71 billion worldwide, according to the company.

Amazon Great Indian Festival 2022 Records Highest Growth in Festive Season, Smartphone Sale Dominates

E-commerce platform Amazon India has recorded the highest growth in the festive season sale, with 80 percent of the buyers coming from Tier 2 and beyond towns. Mobiles and accessories saw strong double-digit growth this season as compared to Amazon Great Indian Festival (AGIF) 2021 and 5 times higher when compared to average business days, with 80 percent of customers...

Elon Musk Lugs Sink Into Twitter Headquarters, Updates Twitter Profile to 'Chief Twit'

Elon Musk walked into the company's headquarters on Wednesday carrying a porcelain sink. The Tesla CEO tweeted “Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!” His Twitter takeover deal must be completed by Friday, a deadline set by a US court.

Meta Hit With $18.6 Million Fine by Turkish Competition Board for Breaking Competition Law

Meta has been hit with a TRY 346.72 million (roughly Rs. 153 crore) fine in Turkey, for breaking the country's competition law. The Turkish competition authority found the Facebook parent firm had obstructed competitors by merging data collected through the company's core services Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, it said on Wednesday.

Shutterstock to Gain DALL-E 2 Integration With OpenAI Partnership, to Sell AI-Generated Stock Imagery

Shutterstock has announced that it is entering into an extended partnership with AI research firm OpenAI, through which it will offer AI-generated stock imagery to users on its platforms utilising the DALL-E 2 text-to-image model. The utilised model was initially brought to life with the help of Shutterstock's contributor data that fed its machine learning models. Shu...

Meta Slams Apple Over Latest Ad Policy, Says iPhone Maker 'Undercutting Others' in Digital Economy

Meta has criticised Apple for a change the company App Store policy that will allow the latter to collect 30 percent of advertising revenue spent by users to "boost" posts on the company's apps. The Facebook parent firm says that Apple was “undercutting others in the digital economy”, after the company changed its policy to require users and advertisers to make an...

Twitter Losing Most Active Users Who Generate Half of Global Revenue, Internal Documents Show

Twitter research suggests that the microblogging service is struggling to keep its most active users - who are vital to the business - engaged. Internal documents, seen by Reuters, underscore a challenge faced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is expected to close his Twitter takeover deal by Friday. The documents suggest that cryptocurrency and "not safe for work" (NSFW) c...

Elon Musk Said to Inform Co-Investors That He Plans to Close Twitter Deal by Friday

Elon Musk is said to have informed co-investors that he plans to close the Twitter takeover deal by Friday, the deadline set by the Delaware Court of Chancery. The move is the clearest sign yet that Musk plans to comply with a Delaware court judge's deadline to complete the transaction by Friday, and Twitter shares jumped on the news and were trading up 3 percent at $...

WhatsApp Image Blurring Tool Rolling Out for Desktop Beta Users: Report

Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out an image blurring tool to WhatsApp Desktop Beta users that will allow them to blur out any sensitive or unwanted information from images before sharing them with others.

India 'Most Significant' Country for New Features Across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Top Executive Says

India is the "most significant" country for Meta across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships for Facebook India (Meta) said on Tuesday. Chopra also said that the tech conglomerate takes constant measures to rein in the menace of fake profiles and the spread of misinformation on Meta's platforms.

YouTube Redesign with Immersive Interface, Pinch-to-Zoom, More Announced: All You Need to Know

Google-owned video-sharing platform YouTube has announced a refreshed design that includes a dynamic colour sampling for an ambient dark mode, alongside a broad launch of a precision seeking feature for video navigation. The refreshed look and new features are being rolled out to users globally starting today.

Is the Metaverse Really the Future of Work?

Meta's vision of the metaverse includes people using the company's wearable technology for work, in addition to the company's main metaverse product, a virtual reality playground called Horizon Worlds. The Facebook parent firm is also working with Microsoft to make available virtual versions of the latter's business software, such as Office and Teams. Here's how the m...

Instagram May Soon Let You Add a Song to Your Profile, Feature Reportedly Being Tested

Meta-owned social media platform Instagram is reportedly testing a new feature that will allow its users to add a song to their profile page, similar to what was first seen and made popular in the Myspace era - 2005 to 2008, according to developer and tipster Alessandro Paluzzi.

WhatsApp Down? Users Unable to Send or Receive Messages Across the Globe, Including India

WhatsApp is down with several users reporting that they aren't able to send or receive messages on downtime tracker Downdetector. The Meta-owned messaging service seems to be down across the globe as well as in India. 

Facebook Parent Meta Asked by Shareholder to Cut Jobs, Spending in Open Letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Meta shareholder Altimter said on Monday that the Facebook parent needs to cut jobs and spending, as the firm has lost investor confidence as it ramped up spending and pivoted to the metaverse. The hedge fund, which has a 0.1 percent stake in the company said that huge investments "in an unknown future is super-sized and terrifying, even by Silicon Valley standards", ...

Twitter Deal: Mirae Asset Said to Be in Talks to Fund Elon Musk's $44 Billion Buyout Ahead of Deadline

Elon Musk's deadline to close the Twitter takeover deal is soon approaching, and South Korea's Mirae Asset Financial Group is said to have planned to commit $208 million (roughly Rs. 1,721crore) to finance the buyout. With the deadline set by a US court set for October 28, Musk's deal with Mirae is said to be expected to be finalised in the coming days.

WhatsApp Bitmoji-Style Avatars Reportedly Rolling Out to Some Beta Testers: All Details

WhatsApp will reportedly allow its users to customise and use their digital avatars on the app. The feature is rolling out to some beta testers of the app, as per a report by WABetaInfo. These 3D avatars have already been made available on other Meta apps including Messenger and Instagram.

Razorpay Says No Funds Frozen by ED Following Raids, All Operations Adhere to Regulatory Guidelines

Razorpay on Friday said that the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids were related to an ongoing investigation against a few suspicious entities who conducted illegal business through multiple payment gateways or banks, and that the company had blocked the entities and funds associated with them about 1.5 years ago and shared their details with the agency.