PayPal Access in Indonesia Temporarily Restored After Blocking Over Licensing Rules Sparks Backlash

Indonesia has temporarily opened access to PayPal to allow users to access their money, after a block on online services triggered a backlash in the country. The government blocked PayPal, Yahoo, and several gaming services for failing to meet a deadline under the country’s licencing rules, introduced in 2020. Users in Indonesia will have access to PayPal for five d...

Twitter Reports Huge Spike in Governments' Requests to Remove Content, Snoop Users' Details

Twitter has warned that governments around the globe are asking to remove content or snoop on private details of user accounts at an alarming rate. While US made up for 20 percent requests, India is close behind.

Facebook Shuts Funding for US News Partnerships Program Amid Economic Downturn, Changing User Behaviour

Facebook has announced it has ended funding for its US news partnerships program, that was launched in 2019. In order to reallocate resources amid the economic downturn and changing user behaviour, the Meta-owned company said it will no longer pay news organisations in the US for material that appears on its News Tab.  

WhatsApp, Snapchat Fined in Russia for Failing to Store Users’ Data on Local Servers

WhatsApp, Snapchat have been fined in Russia for not storing Russian users’ data on local servers. The process is a part of Russian government’s efforts to control online activity. Meta and Snap have not commented on the matter.

Facebook Fails Third Test to Detect Violent Hate Speech in Kenya, Other Countries: Report

Facebook has failed another test to detect hate speech in Kenya and other countries, according to a new report from the nonprofit groups Global Witness and Foxglove. The ads were never posted to Facebook. Meanwhile, Meta has assured that it has been working to improve the issues.

Amazon Subscription Services Grow 10 Percent YoY, Reduces Headcount to 1.52 Million as Revenue Tops Estimates

Amazon beat revenue estimates even as the company reported its second consecutive quarterly loss. Subscription services have grown 10 percent compared to the prior year, according to the firm. The e-commerce giant revealed that it is making progress in its efforts to controlling some of the excess costs from its massive expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instagram Pauses TikTok-Style Redesign After Complaints, Says Shift to Video Inevitable: Report

Instagram head Adam Mosseri told Platfomer’s Casey Newton that the image and video sharing service was pausing its TikTok style redesign. The changes to the service included promoting short-form video, and displaying it full-screen like TikTok, while recommending posts from strangers. The company has seen widespread protests from users, including Kim Kardashian and ...

How Super Apps Might Be the Next Big Thing in India

Super apps, or apps that remove the intermediaries and third-party services in favour of their own, are growing in popularity. Apps like WeChat, which has over 125 crore users, offer a wide variety of services tailored to personalised consumer preferences. Here's how super apps, whch aready popular in other countries such as China, Indonesia, and Singapore, may be the...

Yahoo, Paypal Blocked in Indonesia Over Failure to Comply With License Rules

Yahoo, Paypal and several gaming websites have been blocked in Indonesia after they failed to comply with the country’s licensing rule. Meanwhile, several tech companies including Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Amazon, and Alphabet registered in a rush close to the deadline.

WhatsApp Requested to Delay Launch of Communities Feature in Brazil Till January

WhatsApp has been requested by Brazilian prosecutors to delay the launch of its feature called Communities until January in the country. The request was made to avoid fake news amid elections in October. A WhatsApp spokesperson said the company will continue to carefully evaluate the best time to launch the new platform.

Meta's Facebook May Face Suspension in Kenya as It Fails Another Hate Speech Detection Test

Meta has been given a time of seven days to tackle hate speech on the platform. Kenya's ethnic cohesion watchdog has warned that failing to control incitement can lead to suspension of operations. Meanwhile, Meta’s spokesperson assures that the company has taken "extensive steps" to weed out hate speech and inflammatory content.

Elon Musk Countersues Twitter Under Seal in $44 Billion Acquisition Deal

Elon Musk has filed a confidential countersuit against Twitter over $44 billion (nearly Rs. 3.5 lakh crore) deal. The suit was filed after Delaware Court announced the dates for five-day trail scheduled for October in Musk vs Twitter legal battle. Musk, CEO of Tesla, abandoned the deal on July 8 citing incomplete information about bots as the reason.

India Tops List of Countries Looking to Block Tweets of Journalists, News Outlets, Twitter Says

India topped the list of countries making legal demands to remove content, posted between July to December 2021, to Twitter by verified journalists and news organisations, the microblogging platform said. The latest transparency report also states that the country was only behind the US in seeking Twitter account information, and was among the top five countries to is...

Twitter Reports Huge Spike in Governments' Requests to Remove Content, Snoop Users' Details

Twitter has warned that governments around the globe are asking to remove content or snoop on private details of user accounts at an alarming rate. While US made up for 20 percent requests, India is close behind.

Facebook Shuts Funding for US News Partnerships Program Amid Economic Downturn, Changing User Behaviour

Facebook has announced it has ended funding for its US news partnerships program, that was launched in 2019. In order to reallocate resources amid the economic downturn and changing user behaviour, the Meta-owned company said it will no longer pay news organisations in the US for material that appears on its News Tab.  

WhatsApp, Snapchat Fined in Russia for Failing to Store Users’ Data on Local Servers

WhatsApp, Snapchat have been fined in Russia for not storing Russian users’ data on local servers. The process is a part of Russian government’s efforts to control online activity. Meta and Snap have not commented on the matter.

Facebook Fails Third Test to Detect Violent Hate Speech in Kenya, Other Countries: Report

Facebook has failed another test to detect hate speech in Kenya and other countries, according to a new report from the nonprofit groups Global Witness and Foxglove. The ads were never posted to Facebook. Meanwhile, Meta has assured that it has been working to improve the issues.

Amazon Subscription Services Grow 10 Percent YoY, Reduces Headcount to 1.52 Million as Revenue Tops Estimates

Amazon beat revenue estimates even as the company reported its second consecutive quarterly loss. Subscription services have grown 10 percent compared to the prior year, according to the firm. The e-commerce giant revealed that it is making progress in its efforts to controlling some of the excess costs from its massive expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instagram Pauses TikTok-Style Redesign After Complaints, Says Shift to Video Inevitable: Report

Instagram head Adam Mosseri told Platfomer’s Casey Newton that the image and video sharing service was pausing its TikTok style redesign. The changes to the service included promoting short-form video, and displaying it full-screen like TikTok, while recommending posts from strangers. The company has seen widespread protests from users, including Kim Kardashian and ...

How Super Apps Might Be the Next Big Thing in India

Super apps, or apps that remove the intermediaries and third-party services in favour of their own, are growing in popularity. Apps like WeChat, which has over 125 crore users, offer a wide variety of services tailored to personalised consumer preferences. Here's how super apps, whch aready popular in other countries such as China, Indonesia, and Singapore, may be the...

Facebook, Instagram Expected to Push More Recommended Content by 2023 End: Mark Zuckerberg

Instagram has been recently receiving flak from its users for trying to be more like TikTok. Now, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook has announced that it is expecting to push more recommended content to users by the end of 2023. According to Meta, a Facebook user’s feed currently shows about 15 percent content from accounts they don’t follow, and for In...

Gmail Rolls Out Redesigned Material You Interface to All Users: All You Need to Know

Google is rolling out a new design for Gmail, the search giant’s free email service. The redesigned interface is available for all Gmail users as the default option. Moreover, it allows users to switch between Mail, Chat, Space and Meet on the platform with the help of a sidebar. Gmail is also expected to add improvements to the platform for tablet users, according ...

Twitter Blocked 1,122 URLs in India This Year Up to June on MeitY Directions, MoS IT Says

Twitter blocked 1,122 URLs in India in the current year, up to June, according to details shared by Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The blocking orders, under section 69A of the IT Act, 2000, were issued by the ministry in the first six months of the year. Based on data shared, the number of blocked URLs appear to have risen between 2018...

US FTC Files Lawsuit to Block Meta From Acquiring Its Way to Metaverse Supremacy

The US Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday filed suit to block Facebook owner Meta from buying the maker of a virtual reality fitness app named Within, claiming that it would weaken competition in the VR fitness app market.

Twitter Agreeable to October 17 Elon Musk Trial, Wants Commitment to Complete Trial in 5 Days

Twitter on Wednesday said it wanted a commitment that the trial over the Elon Musk’s bid to walk away from his $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,37,465 crore) takeover deal would be completed in five days, while stating that it does not object to a Musk's proposed October 17 date for the trial to begin. In a court filing, the microblogging service stated that Musk has offe...

Meta Reports Rise in Daily Facebook Users to 1.97 Billion as Profits Plunge Amid Q2 Revenue Drop

Meta, previously known as Facebook, announced it saw a rise in daily active users to 1.97 billion, while monthly active users dropped to 2.93 billion in Q2 2022. The company on Wednesday reported its first ever quarterly revenue drop, one percent, as revenue fell to $28.8 billion (roughly Rs. 2,29,700 crore) for the first time for the company since it went public in 2...

Netflix August 2022 Releases: Darlings, Morbius, The Walking Dead Season 11, and More

Naruto Shippuden, Darlings movie, The Walking Dead season 11, Morbius, Delhi Crime season 2, Locke & Key season 3, The Sandman, Godzilla vs. Kong, Never Have I Ever season 3, Indian Matchmaking season 2, and Wedding Season — these are biggest movies, TV series, and originals on Netflix India in August 2022.

Paytm Mall 2020 Hack Reportedly Exposed 3.4 Million Users' Data: How to Check If You Were Affected

Paytm Mall, the e-commerce marketplace wing of Paytm, was reportedly hacked in 2020 and private data such as email addresses, names, phone numbers, genders, dates of birth, income levels as well as previous purchases were exposed.

Amazon Prime Membership Fees See Double-Digit Hike in Five European Countries: All Details

Amazon Prime memberships pricing has been hiked in five European countries, the company announced on Tuesday. Earlier this year, the company announced a 16 percent increase in pricing for its annual Prime membership in the US, up to $139 (roughly Rs. 11,100). The e-commerce firm stated that the increase in Prime subscriptions were due to a jump in fuel prices and high...

Google Street View Makes a Return to India, Launches in 10 Cities Today

Google on Wednesday at a press conference in New Delhi announced that its Street View service will be made available on Google Maps in India again, starting with 10 cities today, and expected to expand to up to 50 cities by the end of the year.

Instagram Head Responds to Criticism Over TikTok-Style Video Layout as Meta Heads for First-Ever Revenue Drop

In response to criticism over the platform’s decision to switch to a TikTok-style feed for videos, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said that the layout was not very good and the company would have to work on the feature before shipping it to all users on the platform. Mosseri was responding to growing criticism of the redesigned feed, especially have two of Instagram’...

Elon Musk Asks Judge to Schedule Twitter Trial Starting October 17, Direct Firm to Produce ‘Core Documents’

Elon Musk has written to the chief judge on Delaware's Court of Chancery, asking for the Twitter takeover trial to begin on October 17, instead of a week earlier as requested by Twitter. The letter to the judge also asked that Twitter be ordered to immediately produce what it called "core documents," along with all raw data by August 1, and to require the company to p...

Twitter Shareholders to Vote on Elon Musk’s $44 Billion Takeover Offer in September: Details

Twitter has announced it will hold a shareholder meeting on September 13 to vote on the $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,51,450 crore) takeover offer from Elon Musk. The microblogging platform’s board has unanimously recommended that shareholders vote, in person or online, in favour of Musk buying the company for $54.20 (roughly Rs. 4,300) per share under the terms of a...

Microsoft Q2 Earnings Fall Short of Expectations Amid China Production Holdups, Strong Dollar Hits Sales

Microsoft’s second quarter earnings fell shy of expectations, the tech giant announced on Tuesday. The announcement comes on the back of production holdups in China in May, and weakening demand for PCs among users. The company also said that the earnings dive was due to foreign exchange rates and shutdowns of PC factories in China. However, Microsoft’s cloud and c...

Meta Hikes Price of Quest 2 Headset Ahead of Launch of ‘Project Cambria’ Successor

Meta said it was raising the prices of its current generation Meta Quest 2 virtual reality (VR) headset by $100 (roughly Rs. 8,000). The new pricing will be effective starting August, and comes ahead of the company’s plans to launch a new headset, codenamed ‘Project Cambria’, later this year.

Google Faces $34 Million Fine in Russia Over Breach of Competition Rules: Details

Off page: Russia’s competition watchdog has fined Google RUB 2 billion (roughly Rs. 260 crore) on Tuesday for breaching competition rules, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said in a statement. The search giant is the latest foreign tech firm to be fined as part of Russia’s assertive campaign against foreign tech firms. The company said it would study the tex...

Brands Using TikTok Influencers to Market Unhealthy Food to Children, Study Shows

Companies have begun to utilise the massive reach that social media websites and apps offer, using TikTok users to promote their unhealthy food and beverages while turning them into brand ambassadors, according to a new study. Researchers analysed video content posted on the app to highlight that children are exposed to a variety of unhealthy food loaded with salt, s...

iCloud Passwords for Windows Gets 2FA Code Generator Support: Report

Apple has added 2FA code generator support in iCloud Passwords apps for Windows. It is only compatible with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers.

Google Workspace Apps Being Optimised for Bigger Screens Like Tablets: All Details

Google is optimising its Workspace apps including Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Keep for Android tablets. Several new features are being rolled out to the Workspace apps as a part of the optimisation including drag and drop files, multiple windows which can be opened side by side in Google Drive. If users are using a keyboard to type on tablets, they can mak...

WhatsApp Privacy Policy Not Withdrawn, Probe Must Continue, CCI Tells Delhi HC

WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy of 2021 has not been withdrawn, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) told the Delhi High Court on Monday, while stating that its probe concerning the policy should be allowed to proceed. The CCI on its own had decided to look into WhatsApp's updated privacy policy after the company began to show a popup to users asking them to ...

Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal's Remuneration Falls Nearly 5 Percent in FY22: Details

Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal's remuneration fell nearly 5 percent in the financial year 2021-22 to Rs. 15.39 crore on lower perquisite value, according to the telecom company's annual report.

Zomato Stock Price Plunges to a Record Low as Share Lock-In Period Ends

Shares of Indian food delivery company Zomato fell more than 14 percent to a record low on Monday, as a one-year share lock-in period for promoters, employees and other investors expired following the 2021 listing.

Netflix Gets an External Subscription Button on iOS, Bypassing Apple's App Store Cut

Netflix is rolling out an update for its iOS app that adds an external subscription button. Apple previously did not allow external links in iOS apps.

San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Trailers: Black Panther Wakanda Forever, John Wick 4, The Lord of the Rings, and More

Comic-Con unveiled a slew of new trailers and announcements this year, at their first-in-a-long-time in-person event in San Diego, California. Both Marvel and DC Comics had huge showings including Black Panther: Wakanda, She-Hulk, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Black Adam. We were also treated to trailers for the new Lord of the Rings series, John Wick: Chapter 4, and ...

WhatsApp Working on Kept Messages Feature; Unread Chat Filter, Past Participants Out in Beta: Report

WhatsApp is supposedly developing a new kept messages feature for iOS, Android, and desktop. It has reportedly released an Android beta update with an unread chat filter. The Meta-owned platform is said to have also introduced the ‘past participants’ feature with an iOS beta update.

Amazon's Top Communications Executive Jay Carney to Join Airbnb as Head of Policy

Jay Carney, the top policy and communications executive at Amazon and one-time White House spokesman, has been named the head of policy at Airbnb, marking another high-profile departure for Amazon as it faces a shifting consumer landscape and heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Democrats Widen Scrutiny of US Tech Companies Over Abortion Data Privacy

Democratic representatives are widening their scrutiny into the role of tech companies in collecting the personal data of people who may be seeking an abortion. Recently, six House Democrats have asked the top executives of Amazon’s cloud-service network and major cloud provider Oracle about the companies’ handling of consumers’ location data from mobile phones,...

Google Restoring App Permission List on Play Store Months After Introducing Data Safety Labels

Google is restoring App Permission List on Play Store. The company mentions that it will come back on the platform shortly.

Amazon to Acquire US Healthcare Provider One Medical for $3.9 Billion

Amazon has announced to acquire the American primary care organisation One Medical in a deal valued roughly at $3.9 billion (nearly Rs. 31,100 crore), marking another expansion for the retailer into health care services. As of this March, One Medical had about 767,000 members and 188 medical offices in 25 markets.

Byju's Said to Owe Over Rs. 80 Crore to BCCI, Paytm Wants to Exit as Title Sponsor

Indian cricket team's jersey sponsor Byju's is said to owe Rs. 86.21 crore as dues to the BCCI while title sponsor Paytm has requested the board to transfer its rights to a third party. It was only in April that the Edtech company and the BCCI had agreed on the extension of their partnership until the end of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India at a 10 percent increment.

Google Wallet Now Rolling to Android Users, Google Pay to Work Alongside

Google Wallet is now rolling out to the users. It was said to replace the already existing Google Pay app. However, the company has confirmed that Google Pay will work alongside the Wallet.

Even if TikTok and Other Apps Are Collecting Your Data, What Are the Actual Consequences?

TikTok collects vast amounts of personal data from its users, like other social media companies, in order to serve them ads. However, unlike other apps, TikTok’s corporate roots extend to authoritarian China, which carries implications for users of the app. From censorship to privacy issues, here are the risks of apps like TikTok collecting your personal information...

WhatsApp Feature That Lets Users Create Avatars, Share Them as Stickers Spotted in Development: Report

WhatsApp is said to be working to bringing avatars on the platform, as per a report. The feature is said to be first spotted with the WhatsApp beta version 2.22.15.5 for Android. Now, a dedicated section for them has been spotted on the latest beta version for Android. The company was reportedly spotted working on introducing quick reactions for status updated earlier...

DALL-E AI Text to Image Tool Enters Beta Testing, OpenAI to Invite 1 Million Users on Waitlist

DALL-E, the popular AI-based tool to generate images from text, has entered beta testing, according to developer OpenAI. The firm will invite a million users on its waitlist to test the text-to-image tool over the coming weeks. While concerns have been raised about the use of the software to create disinformation, the company says it has built-in safeguards to curb ab...

House of the Dragon Trailer: Game of Thrones Prequel Reveals Plot Details, Battle for Succession

House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones, has a new trailer, touching upon the general plot and giving insight into the characters. House of the Dragon premieres August 21 on HBO Max (US) and August 22 on Disney+ Hotstar (India).

Microsoft Teams Down for Thousands of Users, Company Investigating Outage

Microsoft Teams is down for thousands of users, after the collaboration software was inaccessible on Thursday morning. Website and service downtime tracker Downtedector reported thousands of user reports stating the service was inaccessible. Microsoft has confirmed that it is investigating reports that the service is inaccessible.

Instagram Makes It Easy for Users to Search Locations With Its New Map Feature

Instagram adds an update to its map function which looks like the Google-inspired map. The update though lets users explore by tapping tagged locations in the feed or Stories.

Shopify Partners With YouTube to Tap Into Growing Pool of Content Creators

Shopify has announced a new partnership with YouTube that allows merchants on the company’s platform to sell via the Alphabet-owned video service. Merchants will be able to integrate their online stores with YouTube, allowing them to reach YouTube’s 2 billion strong monthly active users.

Google to Cut Play Store Fees, Allow Developers to Use Rival Payment Systems: All Details

Google will allow developers of non-gaming apps to offer rival payment systems to users in the European Economic Area, the company said on Tuesday. It will also cut fees to 12 percent, down from 15 percent. The move comes as the search giant aims to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will come into force next year and carries the risk of fines as ...

The Gray Man Release Date and Time, Cast, Review, Budget, Trailer, and More

The Gray Man release date and time is July 22 at 12:30pm IST on Netflix. Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Dhanush part of The Gray Man cast. The Gray Man budget is $200 million (about Rs. 1,598 crore).

Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Sign Up for Indonesia’s Licensing Rules Amid Blocking Threat

Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram have agreed to Indonesia’s licensing rules for tech companies, according to government records. The Meta-owned firms signed up for the rules a day ahead of the deadline provided by the government, before they risk being blocked in the country. Alphabet’s Google cloud services has signed up for the licensing rules, while Twitter is ...

Netflix Introduces Password-Sharing Payment Plan With ‘Add a Home’ Feature in Five Countries

Netflix will begin charging users who share their passwords in five countries, according to a report. Users in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras who use an account in different homes will see a prompt to “add a home” for an additional charge. Netflix says that users share their login information with more than 100 million non-...

Trump’s Social Media Merger Deal Said to Have Leaked Months Ahead of Announcement: Report

Information about a pending merger deal between Donald Trump’s social media company and a blank-check entity were leaked to employees at an investment firm long before it was announced, according to The New York Times. The employees at the Miami-based Rocket One Capital firm had discussed ways to profit off the transaction, which had not yet been announced, accordin...

Amazon Sues Administrators of More Than 10,000 Facebook Groups Over Fake Reviews

Amazon announced on Monday that it has sued over 10,000 Facebook group administrators for attempting to orchestrate fake reviews on the e-commerce platform. The groups were incentivising the creation of fake and misleading reviews on the company’s website, in the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan. In a press release the company said fraudulent rev...

Slack to Hike Pricing for Pro Subscription Users From September: All Details

Slack has announced it will hike pricing for its Pro subscription for users starting from September. Monthly Pro subscriptions will increase to $8.75 (roughly Rs. 700) from $8 (roughly Rs. 640) and annual Pro subscriptions will increase to $7.25 (roughly Rs. 580) per month from $6.67 (roughly Rs. 530) The workspace collaboration application has hiked pricing for the f...

Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit Accusing Firm of Antitrust Violations Over Apple Pay

Apple is facing a proposed class action suit after the Cupertino company was sued on Monday by payment card issuers. The iPhone maker has been accused of abusing its market power to stifle competition for its Apple Pay digital payments wallet. Apple already faces a possible heavy fine from European Union regulators over its refusal to give payment rivals access to the...

Elon Musk ‘Slow-Walking’ Trial Over $44 Billion Deal, Twitter Claims

Twitter has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of trying to "slow walk" the company's lawsuit to hold him to his $44 billion (roughly Rs. XXX crore) acquisition of the microblogging service. Urging a September trial to ensure deal financing remains in place, Twitter said that if Musk is ordered to close the deal it could still take months of additional litigation to close th...

WPS Office Accused of Freezing Document Over Million Words; Violated China Cyberspace Rules, Developer Says

WPS Office developer Kingsoft responded to censorship criticism on Monday after a writer’s document containing over a million words was frozen, over “sensitive content”. The word processing program that's part of China's most downloaded domestically produced suite of office applications, stated that it had restricted third-party access to an online document that...

Instagram Introduces Feature to Allow Users to Shop Directly in Chats

Instagram is getting a payment feature that will allow users to buy from small businesses through direct messages, parent company Meta Platforms said on Monday. Now, users will be able to make purchases with a qualified small business on Instagram without leaving the chat.

Facebook Owner Meta-Giphy Deal Block Quashed by UK Tribunal, Asks Regulator to Reconsider Filing

Britain's competition regulator said on Monday it would carry out another review of Facebook owner Meta's acquisition of Giphy after a tribunal quashed its original decision to block it. Recently, the US tech giant partially won an appeal against the regulator.

Samsung Galaxy Enhance-X App With AI-Powered Image Enhancement Launched

Samsung launched the Galaxy Enhance X photo editing app for Samsung users in July's first week. The app is said to be compatible with Samsung devices based on Android 10 and above.

Snapchat for Web Announced for Plus Subscribers: All You Need to Know

Snapchat for Web was announced by the company on Monday, as a web version of the messaging service.

Google Authenticator Removes Click to Reveal PIN Feature With Latest Update

Google Authenticator has removed the ‘Click to reveal PIN’ feature with the latest update. Google had reportedly rolled out the v5.20 update in May that hid the two-factor authentication (2FA) code until the user tapped to reveal it. The update was intended to add security, but was not received well by the users.

Why Is Tech Giant Apple Trying to Teach Our Teachers?

Apple is training educators with its free professional learning program for school teachers, Apple Teacher. Launched in 2016, the service has over 100 lessons and tutorials that can be accessed on the Apple Teacher Learning Centre. These include “skill-building tutorials, lesson ideas and inspiration to deepen student learning”. The move could help position Apple ...

Apple Music Sessions Premiere With Live Performances From Carrie Underwood, Tenille Townes

Apple premiered the Apple Music Sessions with live performances from Carrie Underwood and Tenille Townes. These sessions are available in Spatial Audio. Apple plans to feature revered country artists like Ronnie Dunn, Ingrid Andress, and many others in the future.

Elon Musk Opposes Twitter’s Fast-Track Trial Request in Filed Motion, Urges Delay Till February 2023

Elon Musk has filed a motion opposing Twitter's request to conduct a trial over his plan to terminate his $44 billion (INR equivalent) deal for the social media firm. Musk's lawyers called Twitter's demand as an "unjustifiable request". They requested a trial date on or after February 13 next year.

Facebook, WhatsApp Parent Meta in India Found Exposed to Human Rights Risks Due to Third Party Action

Meta Platforms, which include Facebook and WhatsApp, were found exposed to human right risks such as "restrictions of freedom of expression and information" and "hatred that incites hostility" due to action of third parties, the first human rights report of the social media giant has said.

ChromeOS Flex for Old PC and Mac Computers Out of Beta, Google Updates List of Certified Models

Google has announced that it is now rolling out ChromeOS Flex, which was previously available to beta testers, for older PC and Mac users. It is free-to-download and is available via the company’s website. Google claims that it relatively consumes 19 percent lesser energy. Additionally, Google has also updated it list of certified devices which now includes 295 diff...

Twitter vs Elon Musk: All You Need to Know About the Lawsuit in the Delaware Chancery Court

Twitter’s lawsuit filed in the small but powerful Delaware court to force Elon Musk to complete the $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3.5 lakh crore) takeover deal could take place over four days starting on September 19. Either Musk or Twitter would be entitled to a $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,000 crore) breakup fee if the other party is found responsible for the agreement fa...

Instagram Back Up After Brief Outage That Prevented Thousands of Users From Accessing Service

Instagram is back up after thousands of users were unable to access the service on Friday. According to outage-tracking website Downdetector, nearly 24,000 users were impacted by the outage and were unable to access the photo and video sharing service. The company acknowledged the error and said it was working on a fix, and access was restored within an hour.

Uber India to Show Drivers Passenger Destination Before Accepting Ride to Cut Down Trip Cancellation

Uber said on Thursday that drivers would be able to see a passenger’s final destination before accepting the ride, as part of the ride-hailing app’s efforts to cut down on cancellations. After a pilot project in May which the company says yielded encouraging results, Uber has rolled out the “unconditional” feature to all cities in India, according to the firm.

Shoorveer Review: Hotstar Web Series Crashes Before Take-Off

Shoorveer review: new Hotstar Specials web series sees the creation of a new elite unit made up of Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force — but it lacks narrative momentum, suffers from clunky dialogues and direction, and features some of the worst CGI on air right now. Download and watch Shoorveer online on Disney+ Hotstar. Regina Cassandra and Makarand Desphande lead Sh...

Elon Musk Faces the US SEC Scrutiny Over Tweets on USD 44 Billion Twitter Deal

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asked Musk in a letter whether he should have amended his public filing to reflect his intention to suspend or abandon the deal, according to the June 2 letter made public on Thursday. Securities lawyers said they expected the SEC would scrutinise Musk's public statements on the deal to assess whether he misled the marke...

Facebook Testing Ways to Allow Users to Create 5 Profiles Tied to Single Account

Facebook parent Meta Platforms will soon start letting more users create multiple profiles with their Facebook accounts, the company’s latest attempt to encourage posting and sharing on its social network. Users could have one profile for friends and another for co-workers, for example, each with its own feed. But they will only be able to comment or like another po...

Reddit Is Making GIF Comments Open to All Following Powerups Shut Down

Reddit is making commenting in GIFs open for everyone. This feature was earlier restricted to the Powerups subscribers of the social media platform. Reddit is winding up Powerups and the company announced that they will be un-gating some of the popular features.

Twitter Says No Companywide Layoffs Planned Ahead of Legal Battle Over Sale to Elon Musk

Twitter revealed on Wednesday that it has not planned any companywide layoffs, but is looking at changes to the organisation and restructuring, ahead of its legal battle with Elon Musk over the sale of the microblogging service. The announcement came a day after Twitter sued Musk on Tuesday, trying to force him to complete his $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,51,300 crore) ...

Amazon’s Ring Unit Gave Police Data Without User Consent 11 Times in 2022, US Lawmaker Says

Amazon’s Ring doorbell unit shared footage outside owners’ homes with law enforcement without their consent 11 times so far in 2022, according to a letter from the company shared by US Senator Edward Markey, a lawmaker interested in privacy. Amazon said it provided the video under emergency circumstances, and revealed that Ring made a “good-faith determination...

Elon Musk Reacts to Twitter Lawsuit Over Breach of $44 Billion Deal: All Details

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to react to Twitter filing a lawsuit against him on Tuesday, tweeting "Oh the irony lol", shortly after news surfaced that the microblogging site was suing the Tesla CEO. Twitter on Tuesday asked the Delaware's Court of Chancery to compel Musk to fulfil his obligations regarding the $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,37,465 crore) acquisiti...

Wordle Will Soon Let Players Link Stats and Streaks Across All Devices

The New York Times is soon going to release an option where Wordle users will no longer need to worry about losing their streaks while switching the device where they play the game.

The Uber Files: Leaked Documents Reveal a Strategy of Chaos - Has Anything Changed?

Uber Files, the recently leaked documents related to the ride hailing firm, revealed the the extent to which the firm under co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick capitalised on chaos to expand across 40 countries. While Uber appears to have toned down its approach and stop some of the more aggressive activity detailed in the leaks, here’s how much it has changed...

Ms. Marvel Episode 6 Trailer: Kamala Khan Tries to Tell Her Family Her Big Secret, but There’s a Twist

Ms. Marvel episode 6 trailer features Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) as she gears up to inform her family that she is “Light Girl”. Khan soon realises that everyone already knows about it thanks to her mother. Ms. Marvel episode 6 is out today on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar wherever available.

Netflix Seeks to Rework Programming Deals With Hollywood Studios for Ad-Supported Tier: Report

Netflix has reportedly started talks with Hollywood studios Warner Bros., Universal and Sony Pictures Television, as the streaming service looks to tweak its programming deals to enable the launch of an ad-supported version of the service. The company said it was still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower priced, ad-supported option, and that it was all...

Twitter Sues Elon Musk for Breach of $44 Billion Deal, Calls His Exit Strategy 'A Model of Hypocrisy'

Twitter sued Elon Musk on Tuesday for violating his $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,50,290 crore) deal to buy the social media platform and asked a Delaware court to order the world's richest person to complete the merger at the agreed $54.20 (roughly Rs. 4,300) per Twitter share.

Indian Matchmaking Season 2 Release Date Set as August 12 on Netflix, Here's Your First Look

Indian Matchmaking season 2 release date is set as August 12 on Netflix. The arranged marriage reality show will have eight episodes. Indian Matchmaking season 2 is led by Sima Taparia.

US Senators Fear Facebook, Instagram Parent Meta Censoring Abortion Posts

US senators seek answers from Facebook, Instagram parent Meta regarding censored information on abortion posts. The senators questioned how many posts about abortion have been removed since the US Supreme Court overturned a long-standing right to such medical care. Meta, referring to a tweet by spokesman Andy Stone, stated that attempts to provide or procure pharmaceu...

Twitter Unmention Feature to Remove Yourself From Tags Rolling Out Now

Twitter has rolled out the Unmention feature, which will let users have more control over their mentions on the social media platform. Using the feature, you can now exclude yourself from conversations that you don’t want to be a part of.

Apple iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura Public Beta Released: All Details

Apple has now released the public beta of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 after it first unveiled the new OS version back in June during its WWDC 2022 keynote. iOS 16 is bringing a new lock screen and a bunch of other features. The latest iPadOS 16 is getting a new multitasking interface. Apple iOS 16 will only release for iPhone 8 and later m...

YouTube Picture-in-Picture Mode Rolling Out to More iPhone, iPad Users Globally

YouTube has started rolling out the Picture-in-Picture mode to more iPhones and iPad users globally. This mode will allow users to watch YouTube videos in a floating window while using other apps on the device.

Twitter Fires Back in Letter to Elon Musk, Claims No Deal Obligations Breached

Twitter has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of "knowingly" breaching an agreement to buy the social media firm. The microblogging platform in a letter filed with regulators on Monday said it had not breached its obligations under the merger agreement as claimed by Musk last week. The world's richest person has sought to back out of the $44 billion deal, claiming Twitter f...

Spotify Silently Enables Real-Time Lyrics Support on Google Nest Hub: Report

Spotify has silently enabled real-time lyrics support on Google Nest Hub, according to a report. The feature that allows users to see scrolling lyrics that are synced in time with the music has been enabled for users, allowing for karaoke-like functionality, and is already available on iOS, Android, gaming consoles, desktop PCs, and some smart TVs. Spotify is yet to o...

Uber Files Reveal Company Exploited Violence Against Drivers: 10 Points

Uber Files includes records from 83,000 emails and 1,000 other files involving conversations.

Uber Relied on Bare-Knuckle Tactics for Frenetic Global Expansion, Joint Media Investigation Alleges

Uber engaged in ethically dubious and potentially illegal tactics used to fuel its frenetic global expansion beginning nearly a decade ago, a joint media investigation alleged on Sunday. The investigation that relied on 1,24,000 documents from 2013-2017, has been dubbed the “Uber Files”, with unvarnished text and email exchanges between executives including co-fou...

Shinzo Abe’s Shooter Reportedly Checked YouTube While Making Firearms

Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former Prime Minister who was assassinated last week, was shot by a gunman Tetsuya Yamagami who reportedly viewed YouTube when making the firearm used in the attack. The gunman has reportedly stated that he tested a homemade gun at a facility connected to a religious group. The police is said to havefound items that are believed to be explosives ...

Twitter Reportedly Hires Top Law Firm to Sue Elon Musk for Suspending $44 Billion Acquisition

Twitter is contemplating legal action against Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX CEO, over his decision to suspend $44 billion (roughly Rs. 420000 crore) takeover deal. The social media platform has hired Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP, while Musk will be represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Twitter will file its lawsuit in Delaware next week. 

Elon Musk Said to Avoid Discussing Collapsed Twitter Deal at Sun Valley, Mentions Bots Issue

Elon Musk said to have avoided the mention of collapsed Twitter deal at the recent Sun Valley Conference. The billionaire repeated his allegations of fake account issues at Twitter. Musk, chief of Tesla and SpaceX, shared his views on establishing a civilization on Mars, and boosting birth rates on Earth.

Disneyland’s Facebook, Instagram Account Hacked; Secured Hours Later

Disneyland Resort's Facebook and Instagram accounts were hacked earlier on Thursday. The self-claimed “super hacker” shared a series of inappropriate posts “to bring revenge upon Disneyland." However, Walt Disney stated that the posts have now been taken down and the accounts have been secured.

Twitter Says It Removes 1 Million Bots Each Day Amid Doubts Over Elon Musk’s Deal

Twitter claims to remove 1 million spam accounts each day in a call with executives on Thursday. The statement comes amid Elon Musk’s doubts regarding spam bots on the platform. Twitter said it reviews “thousands of accounts” sampled at random, using both public and private data to determine whether a user is real.

EU Antitrust Regulators Probing Alliance for Open Media’s Video Licensing Policy, Ahead of Incoming EU Rules

Antitrust regulators in the EU are probing the video licensing policy of the Alliance for Open Media (AOM), according to the European Commission. The investigation will look into the policy of the group, that includes companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Netflix, YouTube, Microsoft, Mozilla, Cisco and Tencent. AOM aims to create a new standard software for s...

TikTok Sued in US After Children Allegedly Died Doing Blackout Challenge

TikTok has been served with a lawsuit in California after children allegedly died while taking part in a Blackout Challenge. The challenge makes a sport of choking oneself until passing out. The suit has also listed names of children in other places who allegedly dies because of TikTok Blackout Challenge.

Twitter Shares Plunge After Report Suggests Elon Musk’s Deal Might Fall Through

Twitter shares plunge at least 4 percent after a report stated that Elon Musk's $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,48,700 crore) deal to buy the social media giant is in danger. It has been reported that Musk has been unable to pin down the percentage of spam Twitter accounts.

Twitter Withholds Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s July 2 Kaali Movie Poster Tweet

Twitter has withheld a tweet posted by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai on July 2. The controversial tweet, which included the poster for her film 'Kaali’ depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the goddess and smoking, is currently not accessible on the microblogging service. While it is unclear when Twitter took the tweet down, it has now been replaced with a ...

WhatsApp Rolls Out Android to iOS Chat Transfer Feature to More Beta Testers: Report

WhatsApp has started rolling out the ability to transfer data from Android to iOS for more beta testers, according to a report. The feature is said to come with the new WhatsApp for Android version 2.22.15.11 beta update, as per the report. The initial roll out of the feature was announced by the Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of WhatsApp’s parent company Meta, in mid-June.

Facebook Allowed Employees to Access Deleted User Data, Fired Content Screener Claims

Facebook introduced a protocol in 2018 allowing the company’s employees to access data that users deleted, according to a former content screener. Earlier this week, Brennan Lawson sued Facebook parent company Meta, claiming he was fired for raising alarms about the new protocol, which appeared to violate EU digital privacy rules and an FTC order requiring Facebook ...

Facebook Asks US Court for Old FTC Documents in Antitrust Fight Against Company's Merger

Facebook has asked a US court for eight documents created by the US Federal Trade Commission as part of their review of the company's purchases of Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC sued Meta's Facebook in 2020, during the Trump administration, alleging that the company acted illegally to maintain its social network monopoly.

Google, Facebook Parent Meta Battle It Out to Create Ultimate AI Translator

Google, Meta and others tech firms are locked in a battle to get as many languages as possible working with their AI models. While Meta's recent announcement confirmed inclusion of 200 languages that could be translated into each other, Google Translate, in May, mentioned to have support for 24 languages.

Amazon Collaborates With Just Eat to Offer Free Grubhub Delivery in US for Prime Members

Amazon Prime customers in the United States will be able to receive a year of free restaurant delivery through Grubhub+ under a deal announced on Wednesday by Just Eat Takeaway.com. Under the deal, Prime members will have access to hundreds of thousands of restaurants on Grubhub.

Amazon to Host Prime Day on July 23-24 With 50 Percent Higher Membership Fee

Amazon India will host its annual sales programme Prime Day on July 23 and 24, which new users will be able to access after paying about 50 percent higher membership fee compared to last year's event. The company increased prime membership fee to Rs. 1,499 per year around Diwali from Rs. 999 earlier.

Stranger Things 4 Becomes Second Netflix Series After Squid Game to Cross a Billion Hours of Viewing Time

Stranger Things 4 has been viewed for 1.15 billion hours since its debut on May 27. Of these, 301 million hours came this past weekend following the release of two-part Volume 2 release on July 1.

Chrome for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android Updated With Fixes for Vulnerabilities Including a Zero-Day Flaw

Chrome for Windows, macOS, and Linux has been updated to fix a total of four vulnerabilities, including a zero-day exploit. Google has also released a new Chrome version for Android users with a fix for the same zero-day issue that is impacting its desktop client.

US Senators Ask FTC to Probe TikTok for ‘Repeated Misrepresentations’ Over US Data Access

Two US Senators have called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate social media app TikTok and Chinese parent ByteDance, following a report saying the short video app permitted TikTok engineers and executives in China to repeatedly access private data of US users. "TikTok has never shared US user data with the Chinese government, nor would we if asked," ...

India Is Creating Ecosystem to Make Social Media Accountable: Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Social media is a "very powerful medium," said Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday, with an affirmation to make it accountable. Self-regulation is a first step in the direction of making social media accountable, followed by industry regulation, and then government regulations, said the Union Minister.

Russian Lawmakers Approve Harsher Rules for Foreign Tech Firms Without Offices, Personal Data Transfer

Russian lawmakers have approved a bill with stricter penalties for foreign internet companies that fail to open an office in Russia. Fines could be as high as 10 percent of a company's turnover in Russia from the previous year, rising to up to 20 percent for repeat violations.

WhatsApp's New Scam is Offering Users Free Visa, Job Benefits in the UK: Here’s How NOT to Fall for It

A new scam has been reported on WhatsApp, in which users are reportedly receiving messages regarding job employment offers in the United Kingdom.

Twitter India Said to Pursue Judicial Review of Content Takedown Orders, Alleging Abuse of Power

Twitter is said to be looking to overturn orders by the government to take down content from the IT ministry, according to sources. The US social media firm is looking to get a judicial review as part of a growing confrontation with the government over-regulation of content on its platform. Twitter has been warned of criminal action for not implementing government dir...

Darlings Trailer: Alia Bhatt Netflix Movie Gets August 5 Release Date

Netflix has unveiled the first Darlings trailer and set an August 5 release date for the Alia Bhatt movie. Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Verma, and Roshan Mathew lead Darlings cast. Darlings is a production of Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies, and Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine.

Social Media Firms Object to Personal Liability of Employees Under IT Rules, Industry Study Says

A majority of social media companies are opposed to the provision under the IT Rules to hold chief compliance officers personally liable for ensuring compliance with the Act and rules. The study revealed that personal liability could lead to increased censorship of content due to concerns of employee safety. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and IT has issued a d...

UK Proposes to Strengthen Internet Laws to Fight Russian Disinformation

Britain government has proposed a new law that will require social media companies to proactively tackle disinformation posted by foreign states such as Russia, the government said. The law will take care of fake accounts on platforms such as Meta's Facebook and Twitter, set up on behalf of foreign states to influence elections or court proceedings.

Twitter Said to Have Complied With Ministry of Electronics and IT's Final Notice

Twitter is said to have complied with the final notice issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT on June 27. The Ministry of Electronics and IT had set a deadline of July 4. According to another source, the social media firm was asked to take action on some tweets and Twitter accounts but the microblogging had not reported compliance on the same earlier.

Digital India Week 2022: PM Narendra Modi Launches Multiple Digital Portals in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple digital portals at the ongoing Digital India Week 2022 on Monday. He stressed that India is guiding the world in the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0. He also highlighted how the country resolved the issue of hustle from pin to pole for basic registrations and documents using digital technology.

Twitter Blue Subscribers Can Now Remove the Spaces Button, Customise Navigation Bar

Twitter is rolling out to the ability to modify and customise the navigation bar on Android devices, months after the feature was rolled out to iOS users. However, the ability to change the navigation bar tabs, from the original five tabs down to two, is only available for Twitter Blue users. Twitter Blue is the company’s monthly subscription feature that allows use...

Zomato Shares Fall Over 20 Percent After Blinkit Acquisition Announcement

Zomato’s shares have fallen over 20 percent since the company announced its acquisition of instant delivery platform Blinkit on June 24. In a move that appears to have not gone down well with investors, Zomato last week approved a proposal to acquire the cash-strapped quick commerce company Blinkit (previously known as Grofers) for Rs 4,447 crore. The company’s sh...

Apple Maps to Reportedly Bring Optimised Routes for E-Bikes

Apple Maps will reportedly bring optimised routes for electronic bikes. The American tech giant has lately been introducing a set of new features on Apple Maps. Apple launched its more detailed, three-dimensional city maps feature that was released with iOS 15 in Canada a few months ago.

Aarya Season 3: Disney+ Hotstar Renews Sushmita Sen Crime Thriller Series

Aarya renewed for season 3. Disney+ Hotstar announced Monday that it had officially greenlit a third season of the Sushmita Sen-led Hotstar Specials crime thriller, with creator, director and producer Ram Madhvani.

US-backed OTF Said to Provide Funding to Help Russians Bypass Censorship With Free VPN Access

Users in Russia are being given free access to virtual private networks (VPNs) as part of a US-backed campaign to help them dodge Moscow’s anti-censorship software. The Open Technology Fund is said to be paying out money to firms like Psiphon and nthLink which have provided VPN access to an estimated four million users in Russia.

Delhi Government to Engage With E-Commerce, Food Delivery Firms Over SUP Ban Implementation

The Delhi government plans to engage with various e-commerce firms and food delivery platforms, including Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon and Flipkart, for effective implementation of the ban on single-use plastic (SUP) items in the capital, officials said on Saturday.

Dutch University Gets Cyber Ransom Money Back, With Interest

The Netherlands' Maastricht University fell victim to a massive ransomware attack in 2019, and has now partly received back its stolen money... which in the meantime more than doubled in value, a news report said on Saturday.

Amazon Prime Day Sale 2022: Here's When to Expect It in India This Year

Amazon Prime Day deals events 2022 is coming to India later this summer along with countries like, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates for the first time. Amazon has announced that the Amazon Prime Day event will be held for Prime members in the US, the UK, and several other countries from July 12 to July 13.

WhatsApp May Soon Let You Hide Online Status From Certain Contacts, Delete for Everyone May Get an Extension

WhatsApp was spotted working on new privacy control features. The instant messaging app could soon allow users to hide their online status from select contacts. It is also reportedly working on extending the time limit for the ‘Delete for Everyone' feature to two days and 12 hours. Additionally, it reportedly released a beta version of the desktop app with a new con...

Google's Gboard Rolls Out Split Keyboard Mode in Beta for Foldable Android Phones: Report

Google is said to roll out the split keyboard option for Gboard app for Android, which will act as an added benefit for users with foldable phones. While Samsung already offers the split keyboard feature to Z Fold phones, a lot of users prefer Gboard keyboard app for typing.

China Cracks Down on Over 42,000 Counterfeit Investment Apps to Combat Telecom Network Crime

China has cracked down on counterfeit investment platforms, as part of the country’s campaign to target telecom network crime, the country’s cyberspace regulator said on Friday. According to the Cyberspace Administration of China, over 42,000 apps had been targeted since the start of last year, while the number of telecom fraud cases in China is said to have decli...

Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2, Better Call Saul 6 Part 2, and More: July Web Series on Netflix, Hotstar, Prime Video

What are the biggest web series and TV shows in July 2022 on Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Amazon Prime Video? Stranger Things 4, Resident Evil, Better Call Saul season 6 Part 2, Shoorveer, Modern Love Hyderabad, and Masaba Masaba season 2 lead the July line-up.

WhatsApp Reactions Updated Beta Version Rolling Out to Android, iOS: Report

WhatsApp Reactions updated beta version is reportedly being rolled beta testers on Android and iOS. This new feature will allow WhatsApp users to react to messages by using any available emoji. WhatsApp beta for Android is also getting an updated time limit for delete messages for everyone feature.