Tuesday, September 5, 2023

iPhone 16 Ultra could get this Apple Vision Pro feature

Apple's upcoming iPhone Ultra, possibly the iPhone 15 Ultra, is rumored to have a "spatial photos and videos" feature that allows users to record immersive 3D content. The content can be uploaded and viewed on Apple Vision Pro. The camera setup is expected to revolutionize mobile phone photography, and it is likely that the new iPhone model will have a similar setup to the Vision Pro headset. The spatial photos and videos feature aims to provide an immersive experience with incredible depth, allowing users to relive their favorite memories. The Ultra model may be released next year. https://ift.tt/7Xw42Os

Indian telecoms giants Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea ask regulators to consider forcing internet companies to pay for network usage, echoing efforts globally (Manish Singh/TechCrunch)

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
Indian telecoms giants Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea ask regulators to consider forcing internet companies to pay for network usage, echoing efforts globally  —  Telecom operators in India, the second largest wireless market, would like internet companies to compensate for using their networks …



Happy Teachers Day 2023: How to download and share WhatsApp stickers

In order to celebrate Teachers' Day on September 5th, people are using WhatsApp stickers to reach out to their teachers and express their gratitude. Android users can download stickers by opening WhatsApp, tapping on the 'Smiley' icon, selecting the stickers icon, and then tapping on the '+' icon to download more stickers. For iPhone users, they can ask an Android user to download the stickers and share them with them on WhatsApp. https://ift.tt/HTNOGkW

Sources: China plans to launch a new state-backed fund that aims to raise ~$41B for its chip sector, larger than the ~$19B and ~$27B funds from 2014 and 2019 (Reuters)

Reuters:
Sources: China plans to launch a new state-backed fund that aims to raise ~$41B for its chip sector, larger than the ~$19B and ~$27B funds from 2014 and 2019  —  China is set to launch a new state-backed investment fund that aims to raise about $40 billion for its semiconductor sector …



Sunday, September 3, 2023

How Google may have a 'Shorts problem' on YouTube

Google has announced that over 2 billion logged-in users are watching YouTube Shorts, surpassing the 1.5 billion previously reported. While this gives YouTube an advantage over competitors like TikTok and Instagram Reels, it may be detrimental to the platform itself. YouTube is concerned that Shorts could cannibalize its core long-form video business, as creators are making fewer long-form videos due to a lack of consumer interest and brand preferences for short-form content. YouTube is now investing in creators and exploring ways to increase ad revenue from Shorts. Despite this, Google's overall quarterly results were positive, with growth in ad and cloud revenues. https://ift.tt/q03cI82

iPhone SOS feature: Elon Musk's SpaceX will send satellites for Apple-backed company

Apple has partnered with satellite communications company Globalstar to expand its Emergency SOS feature. Globalstar has signed a $64 million deal with SpaceX to launch more satellites, which will be used to enhance the emergency SOS services provided by Globalstar. Apple will reimburse Globalstar for 95% of the capital expenditures related to the satellites. https://ift.tt/r1jhWEI

How startups offering AI-powered cameras, tree-mounted sensors, water-dumping drones, satellite data, and more are helping prevent, detect, and fight wildfires (Christopher Mims/Wall Street Journal)

Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal:
How startups offering AI-powered cameras, tree-mounted sensors, water-dumping drones, satellite data, and more are helping prevent, detect, and fight wildfires  —  We can already detect fires from space, soon after they start.  Here's why we don't yet have a nationwide system for alerting us when they do—but could someday.



After ADL's CEO noted talking to X CEO Yaccarino last week, anti-Semitic X posts surged and #BanTheADL trended as Elon Musk replied to and liked far-right posts (Matt Binder/Mashable)

Matt Binder / Mashable:
After ADL's CEO noted talking to X CEO Yaccarino last week, anti-Semitic X posts surged and #BanTheADL trended as Elon Musk replied to and liked far-right posts  —  Anti-Semitic rhetoric has been especially rampant on the platform over the past 24 hours.  —  Over the past 24 hours …



A look at the endless battle being waged by a group of internet sleuths, trans engineers, and activists to banish stalking forum Kiwi Farms from the internet (Nitasha Tiku/Washington Post)

Nitasha Tiku / Washington Post:
A look at the endless battle being waged by a group of internet sleuths, trans engineers, and activists to banish stalking forum Kiwi Farms from the internet  —  The anonymous forum, known as Kiwi Farms, keeps popping back online despite a relentless campaign by transgender activists and a former insider



Emails: some UK Home Office officials lobbied the ICO to act "favorably" towards Facewatch, which is rolling out facial recognition tech across the country (Mark Townsend/The Guardian)

Mark Townsend / The Guardian:
Emails: some UK Home Office officials lobbied the ICO to act “favorably” towards Facewatch, which is rolling out facial recognition tech across the country  —  Officials reflected policing minister's enthusiasm to roll out controversial technology across the country, particularly in retail settings



A look at iPhone's upcoming Lightning to USB-C transition; sources: Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro coming next year will have an aluminum top case (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
A look at iPhone's upcoming Lightning to USB-C transition; sources: Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro coming next year will have an aluminum top case  —  Also: The company confirms the date of its Sept. 12 iPhone 15 event and aims to overhaul device production with 3D printers.



Saturday, September 2, 2023

Indian IT industry is moving to new cities from 7 major hubs, claims report

India's technology industry is undergoing decentralization, with IT companies moving to 26 tier-2 and tier-3 cities across the country. This shift is driven by factors such as access to skilled talent, cost-effective operations, and robust infrastructure. The report also highlights the growth of start-ups in these emerging hubs, with funding increasingly going to companies outside urban settings. The trend is expected to continue, with the next wave of technology hubs emerging from these cities. https://ift.tt/BCK8cLr

IIT Madras students’ Hyperloop Team Avishkar ranks in top 3 at European Hyperloop Week 2023

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Students' Hyperloop Team Avishkar has been recognized as one of the top three teams globally in certain technical categories at the European Hyperloop Week 2023. They are the only non-European team to be nominated in several award categories. The team's research on energy consumption and ticket pricing, levitation systems, and sense and control systems earned them prominent positions in the competition. Avishkar Hyperloop is a highly passionate student team focused on revolutionizing transportation with sustainable Hyperloop technologies. They have received support from the Government of India and industry partners. https://ift.tt/ctvPq2w

Instacart's IPO filing suggests its Snowflake cloud spending will fall 71% in 2023, sparking an online spat between staffers of Snowflake and rival Databricks (Ari Levy/CNBC)

Ari Levy / CNBC:
Instacart's IPO filing suggests its Snowflake cloud spending will fall 71% in 2023, sparking an online spat between staffers of Snowflake and rival Databricks  —  - Instacart's long-awaited IPO prospectus last week turned controversial in a way the grocery-delivery company wasn't anticipating.



Filing: Walmart spent $3.5B in H1 2023 to buy Flipkart shares from Tiger Global and others, growing its Flipkart stake to ~80%, and resolve PhonePe liabilities (Manish Singh/TechCrunch)

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
Filing: Walmart spent $3.5B in H1 2023 to buy Flipkart shares from Tiger Global and others, growing its Flipkart stake to ~80%, and resolve PhonePe liabilities  —  Walmart has spent $3.5 billion this year to acquire shares from certain Flipkart stakeholders and resolve liabilities …



Taiwan's National Security Bureau says daily average cyberattacks on government departments doubled in 2024 vs. 2023 to 2.4M, mostly from Chinese cyber forces (Yimou Lee/Reuters)

Yimou Lee / Reuters : Taiwan's National Security Bureau says daily average cyberattacks on government departments doubled in 2024 vs....