Friday, June 2, 2023

At Computex, Lenovo, Samsung, Acer, and more bet on OLED displays to revive PC sales, despite higher component costs; Samsung has 99%+ of the OLED laptop market (Vlad Savov/Bloomberg)

Vlad Savov / Bloomberg:
At Computex, Lenovo, Samsung, Acer, and more bet on OLED displays to revive PC sales, despite higher component costs; Samsung has 99%+ of the OLED laptop market  —  PC makers from Lenovo Group Ltd. to Samsung Electronics Co. are pinning their hopes for reviving laptop sales on upgraded displays.



Airtel reveals common international destinations visited by its customers

A recent report by Airtel reveals a surge of over 100% in international roaming plan subscriptions and up to 146% growth in international roaming subscriptions compared to last year, with up to a 47% increase in international travelers. US, UK, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany are among the most visited countries from Delhi, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh + Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Karela. Additionally, Middle East, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf countries were preferred by travelers. Airtel has also set up kiosks at Indian international airports to help users activate international plans. https://ift.tt/45AxBZ8

Apple adds this MacBook model to obsolete product category

According to a report by MacRumors, Apple has officially added the original 12-inch MacBook to its obsolete products list. The addition of the Apple 12-inch MacBook list marks its official end. https://ift.tt/cGAxsHv

Cat survival game ‘Stray’ coming to Mac

The adventure game 'Stray,' in which players assume the role of a cat, will soon be accessible to Apple's M1 or M2 processor-based Macs. The game's narrative includes solving puzzles, navigating challenges and mission paths, all while avoiding pitfalls like Zurks and Sentinels. The beta version for Macs has not been given a release date or price. https://ift.tt/GzC7eM0

WhatsApp to soon bring redesigned keyboard with emoji bar: Here’s what it means

WhatsApp is said to be working on a new feature which is said to improve the user experience. A new report has revealed that the popular messaging app is working on a redesigned keyboard with an emoji category bar. https://ift.tt/JIHhB83

Challenger report: US tech companies have announced 136,831 layoffs in 2023 so far, more than in any full year since 2001, when job cuts reached 168,395 (Alexandre Tanzi/Bloomberg)

Alexandre Tanzi / Bloomberg:
Challenger report: US tech companies have announced 136,831 layoffs in 2023 so far, more than in any full year since 2001, when job cuts reached 168,395  —  US companies have announced more job cuts this year than during all of 2022, according to executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.



AT Protocol's account portability tool gives the users of Bluesky, a public benefit LLC independent from Twitter, a way out should a billionaire take over (Micah Lee/The Intercept)

Micah Lee / The Intercept:
AT Protocol's account portability tool gives the users of Bluesky, a public benefit LLC independent from Twitter, a way out should a billionaire take over  —  Here are some answers about the new social media network Bluesky that you don't need an invite to see. … The vibes are great.



Thursday, June 1, 2023

Government of India offering free laptop to students scheme is fake: PIB Fact Check

A fake scheme claiming that the Indian government is offering free laptops to youth under the Prime Minister Free Laptop Scheme 2023 is circulating on the internet. PIB Fact Check has confirmed that this claim is false, and that the education ministry of India isn’t running any such scheme to offer free laptops. The scheme asks students to submit registration forms on the official website and login with required details to receive a Lenovo laptop. Students are advised to avoid the scheme to prevent getting scammed. https://ift.tt/C6yF4bx

LA- and Bengaluru-based hyperspectral imagery startup Pixxel raised a $36M Series B led by Google, after launching three demonstration satellites in 2022 (Aria Alamalhodaei/TechCrunch)

Aria Alamalhodaei / TechCrunch:
LA- and Bengaluru-based hyperspectral imagery startup Pixxel raised a $36M Series B led by Google, after launching three demonstration satellites in 2022  —  Hyperspectral imagery startup Pixxel has closed $36 million in funding as it prepares to roll out new remote sensing and analytics capabilities to customers.



Russia accuses US of using Apple iPhones for spying

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused the US of using Apple iPhones to spy. The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB said that it had uncovered a US National Security Agency (NSA) plot using previously unknown malware to access specially made so-called backdoor vulnerabilities in Apple phones. Incidentally, this is the same NSA that had tried to garner public opinion on its side as it objected to Apple's refusal to give it access to user data. https://ift.tt/HdrTyxn

A look at the grotesque world of AI true-crime-victim TikTok, where AI deepfakes, based on images of children who were abused, describe their own ghastly demise (EJ Dickson/Rolling Stone)

EJ Dickson / Rolling Stone:
A look at the grotesque world of AI true-crime-victim TikTok, where AI deepfakes, based on images of children who were abused, describe their own ghastly demise  —  TikTok accounts are posting horrifying artificial intelligence-generated clips of murder victims — mostly children — describing their own ghastly demise



OnePlus 11 Genshin Impact likely to launch in June: What to expect

OnePlus 11 5G made its debut in India earlier this year. It seems the company is still not done with its latest premium iteration as it is planning to launch a new edition of the OnePlus 11 5G model. Tipster Max Jambore has claimed that OnePlus may soon launch a special version of the phone in India later this month. Dubbed the OnePlus 11 Genshin Impact Limited Edition, the smartphone is likely to make its debut in India and China. The company has previously launched the Genshin Impact Limited Edition of the OnePlus Ace 2 and OnePlus Ace Pro in China. OnePlus has not confirmed any details about the launch of the special edition OnePlus 11. https://ift.tt/Vm9vG5I

KPMG, Coatue, VC firm Headline, and other investors are using AI to help pick acquisition targets and startups for investment, hoping for an edge over rivals (Financial Times)

Financial Times:
KPMG, Coatue, VC firm Headline, and other investors are using AI to help pick acquisition targets and startups for investment, hoping for an edge over rivals  —  Accountancy firm KPMG, hedge fund Coatue and VC firm Headline among those incorporating the technology



Arizona's Maricopa County is set to have the second largest concentration of US data centers by 2028, as the state races to increase electricity production (Pranshu Verma/Washington Post)

Pranshu Verma / Washington Post : Arizona's Maricopa County is set to have the second largest concentration of US data centers by 202...