Technology News

Auto-Debit Rules From RBI Now Live: Prepare for Some Disruptions to Recurring Online Transactions New auto-debit rules constructed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) came into effect on Friday (October 1). The update is believed to impact lakhs of customers who have already opted for recurring online transactions. Banks and merchants are, however, working hard to follow the norms.

Instagram Content of Kim Kardashian, Other Celebrities Linked to Negative Feelings, Shows Facebook Research Instagram of celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, and Charli D'Amelio may cause their followers to experience more negative feelings about their self-image, according to internal Facebook research reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Facebook Research Shows Company Knew of Instagram Harm to Teens, Say US Senators Facebook at a US senate hearing on Thursday was accused of concealing the negative findings about Instagram and demanded a commitment from the company to make changes.

Zoom, Five9 to Terminate Nearly $15 Billion Deal After Shareholder Vote Zoom’s acquisition of Five9 in a $14.7 billion deal was called off after Five9 shareholders voted it down in a major blow to Zoom's plan to expand its offerings following its pandemic boom.

FIFA 22 Review: More Arcade Than Ever FIFA 22 review: the PC, PS4 and Xbox One version of EA Sports’ new football game is all over the place, somehow both more arcade-ish and more lifelike than before. FIFA 22 released October 1 on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Netflix India October 2021 Releases: The Office, Little Things Season 4, and More The Office (US), Little Things season 4, Sivaji, Army of Thieves, Locke & Key season 2, Call My Agent: Bollywood, Seinfeld, The Guilty, Maya and the Three, The Conjuring, Fight Club, Forrest Gump, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Twilight Saga — the biggest movie and TV show releases on Netflix India in October 2021.

Tech advice that can keep you and your family healthy, safe Kurt 'The Cyber Guy' Knutsson joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend.'

Facebook May Face Heavy Fine in Russia Over Banned Content, Says Regulator Facebook has been warned by Russian regulator that it may face a heavy fine if it fails to delete what Moscow says is illegal.

'Pro-Nuclear' Elon Musk Says He Is Surprised by Anti-Nuclear Sentiment Elon Musk recently said that he is sort of 'pro-nuclear' and that he does not understand the public sentiment against nuclear power plants. He was speaking at CodeCon 2021 in Los Angeles at a session moderated by journalist Kara Swisher.

Media top headlines September 30 In media news today, liberal journalists celebrate YouTube censorship of anti-vaccine content, Matthew Dowd announces he is running for Texas lieutenant governor, and 'The View's' Joy Behar calls Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin 'enemies' of U.S. democracy

Meesho Indian 'Social Commerce' Platform Backed by Facebook Raises $570 Million Meesho, an Indian ‘social commerce’ platform invested in by Facebook and Softbank, has raised $570 million (roughly Rs. 4,230 crores) in its latest funding round, the company has announced.

Facebook refers to teens as 'untapped' wealth: report Leaked documents show the social media giant has targeted preteens; 'Fox & Friends First' parent panel with reaction.

Google Maps Brings Wildfires and Tree Coverage Insights, New Address Maker App Google Maps has introduced three new features that will help users understand wildfires, track tree canopy, and get to locations without proper addresses. With the Address Maker app, people can create unique, functioning addresses from an Android app free of cost.

Elon Musk Advises Jeff Bezos to Spend Energy on Reaching Orbit Than Filing Lawsuits as Space Rivalry Heats Up Elon Musk in a recent interview took a fresh dig at Jeff Bezos saying that he should focus on reaching the orbit rather than filing lawsuits. Musk's comments were about Bezos' Blue Origin filing a case to block SpaceX's NASA moon lander contract.

Amazon Great Indian Festival 2021 Sale: How to Find Best Deals, What to Expect Amazon Great Indian Festival 2021 sale begins on October 2 for Prime members and on October 3 for everyone else. We've put together a simple guide to help you prepare for Amazon's biggest sale of the year.

Google Meet Live Translation Feature Goes Live in Beta for Select Paid Tiers Google Live Translation feature that converts live speech into captions has rolled out in beta for select Google Workspace paid plans.

Facebook to Highlight Its Positive Research on Instagram and Teens Following Criticism Facebook plans to highlight during a US Senate hearing what it argues were more positive impacts of Instagram after criticism over internal data showed the app affected mental health of teenagers.

The Book of Boba Fett Release Date Set for December 29 on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar The Book of Boba Fett — the next Star Wars live-action series — will premiere December 29 on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. The Book of Boba Fett reportedly has eight episodes, and acts as The Mandalorian season 2.5.

YouTube Goes Beyond COVID-19 Misinformation to Block All Anti-Vaccine Content YouTube said on Wednesday that it will block all anti-vaccine content moving beyond just removing misinformation related to COVID-19.

Dune, Shiddat, Rashmi Rocket, and More: October Guide to Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Prime Video Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Shiddat, Dune, Little Things 4, Rashmi Rocket, Sardar Udham, Army of Thieves, Dybbuk, The Guilty, Succession season 3, Invasion TV series, Maya and the Three, Insecure season 5 — the biggest movies and TV shows in October 2021 on Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Zee5, HBO Max, Voot Select, and the cinemas.

Poco C31 to Launch in India Today: Livestream Details, Expected Specifications Poco C31 will be launching in India today at 12pm IST (noon), as per the microsite on Poco's website. The smartphone will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 SoC that is paired with 4GB of RAM. Additionally, it will get a fingerprint scanner and a face unlock feature. Apart from this, no information is available on the specifications of the smartphone.

Google Search Improvements Detailed, Google Lens to Reach New Users via Chrome and iOS App Google Search is getting proprietary Multitask Unified Model (MUM) to enhance search experiences for users, the company announced at the Search On event on Wednesday. Google Lens is also coming to new users, and Google Maps is getting a Wildfire layer. Google is additionally bringing Address Maker as a solution to help assign addresses at scale.

Google Tells EU Court Paying to Pre-Install Google Search on Phones Was Necessary to Pit Android Against Apple Google on Wednesday told an EU court that Payments to phone makers to pre-install only Google Search on their devices were not aimed at preventing competition but were necessary for Android to seize market share from Apple.

Dropbox Introduces Capture, Replay, Shop Features to Assist Remote Work and Cut Down on Meetings Dropbox has announced new features to make remote working easier. The file-hosting platform has introduced an all-in-one visual communication tool named Capture, a video collaboration tool called Replay, and a sales platform called Shop.

Media top headlines September 29 In media news today, NBC's Chuck Todd calls for security after third-party Virginia candidate disrupts McAuliffe-Youngkin debate, an Axios reporter accuses LinkedIn of censorship after blocking her profile in China, and ESPN's Sage Steele slams the network's 'sick' and 'scary' vaccine mandate

Russia Threatens to Block YouTube After It Deletes State-Backed RT's Channels Over COVID-19 Misinformation Russia has responded with a threat to block YouTube after the video-sharing platform removed state-backed RT’s German-language channels over COVID-19 misinformation.

The Office, Seinfeld Coming to Netflix India in October The Office (US) and Seinfeld — all 18 seasons and 381 episodes of it — are coming to Netflix India on October 23 and October 1, respectively. Seinfeld will be exclusive to Netflix India, but no word on whether The Office is leaving Amazon Prime Video.

How Investing App Groww Witnessed Over 200 Percent Growth in First-Time Investors in COVID-Hit 2020 With startup culture thriving in India and the need for ‘going local’ becoming increasingly popular, we take a look at all the hottest tech startups grabbing headlines in the country. Gadgets 360 talks to Neeraj Singh, co-founder and CTO at Groww to know about the company’s history, growth, and future plans. We also talk to experts to understand what this startu...

China Says Governance Rules for Algorithms Coming in Next 3 Years China's cyberspace watchdog says it will set up governance rules for algorithms in the next three years, as Beijing seeks to tighten its grip on the algorithms technology companies use to attract users.

CNN Quits Facebook in Australia Citing Defamation Risk from Public Comments on Posts CNN has announced that it has stopped posting articles on Australian Facebook pages, citing a court ruling that says publishers are liable for defamation in public comments. The news organisation said Facebook refused to help it disable comments in posts.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Says AI 'Watershed' Moment for Technology But Not Necessarily Good Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said in an Interview that AI could be misused to spread misinformation at a much faster rate in the near future. His book The Age of AI is coming out in November.

YouTube Deletes Russian State-Backed RT's German Language Channels Over COVID-19 Misinformation YouTube has deleted Russian state-backed broadcaster RT's German language channels, saying it had breached its COVID-19 misinformation policy.

Instagram Kids App for Children Under 13 Paused After Criticism Instagram Kids, a version of the popular image-sharing app designed

Zoom Update Adds Option to Stop Incoming Video in Meetings: How to Use Zoom is bringing a new ‘stop incoming video’ feature that allows a user to block other people's video feeds in a meeting or webinar. Apart from that, Zoom has introduced rich text formatting in chat along with many security enhancements.

Flipkart Big Billion Days 2021 Sale Dates Revised to Rival Amazon, Will Go Live From October 3 to October 10 Flipkart Big Billion Days 2021 sale dates have been revised to coincide with Amazon Great Indian Festival sale. The Flipkart sale will now begin on October 3 and remain live until October 10. The dates earlier were October 7 to October 12. The 2021 edition of the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale will offer discounts on mobile phones, home appliances, healthcare devices,...

The Last of Us First Look Stars HBO Series Leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey The first look at HBO’s The Last of Us series shows Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal standing in a grassland, looking at a crashed plane in the distance. The Last of Us season 1 is currently filming and is expected to air in 2022 on HBO and HBO Max.

Google Said to Slash Amount it Keeps from Sales on its Cloud Marketplace Google will reportedly take a smaller cut when customers buy software from other vendors on its cloud marketplace.

CBSE Board Exam Results Being Secured Using Blockchain Technology Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) says that it has adopted blockchain technology to secure board exam results data.

Trudeau: Canada's decision on whether to allow Huawei is coming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada will decide within weeks whether to allow Chinese tech giant Huawei into the country’s next-generation 5G wireless networks

Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2021: Deals on Smartphones, Electronics Revealed Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale is almost here. Amazon has revealed some deals on various items such as smartphones, true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones, smartwatches, tablets, and cameras ahead of the sale which is set to begin on October 3. It has also revealed some deals on TVs, appliances, and Amazon products such as Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle. The e-commerce gi...

Ford CEO on building mega sites in Kentucky, Tennessee Ford Motors CEO Jim Farley discusses EVs and building new factories in Tennessee and Kentucky.

Google Defends Android Phone Maker Deals, Denies Carrot-and-Stick Tactics Google said deals with Android phone makers that landed it a record EUR 4.3-billion (roughly Rs. 37,230 crores) antitrust fine boosted competition and rejected EU charges they were a carrot-and-stick tactic that stifled rivals.

Skype Getting Colourful Redesign, Performance Upgrades, More New Features Skype is all set to get a new update that will offer users a new experience. Microsoft in a blog post offered a peek at what's coming later this year on the video chat platform. Skype will get colourful themes, a better call interface, Office Lens, a new TwinCam feature, and more with the latest update.

Social Media Firms Must Do More to Stop Advertising 'Dodgy Financial Promotions': UK Watchdog Social media firms must do more to stop advertising "dodgy financial promotions" that fuel a surge in fraud or face action, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said.

'Woke Inc.' author slams Facebook over 'rampant institutional lying' after halting kids app project Vivek Ramaswamy urged for accountability within social media companies after a report surfaced suggesting Facebook was aware of the app's toxicity for teen girls while working on a kids' version of the platform.

Netflix Reveals Total Viewership Hours for Top 10 Original Series and Movies Bridgerton had 625 million hours of viewing in the first four weeks after release. Money Heist season 4 and Stranger Things 3 had repeat viewing, Netflix data for total viewership hours of top 10 original series and movies shows.

Australia Takes on Google's Online Advertising Dominance, Calls for Data Shakeout Australia's antitrust watchdog said it wants the power to curb Google's use of Internet data to sell targeted ads, saying the Big Tech firm dominated the market to the point of harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers.

TikTok Hits 1 Billion Monthly Active Users Globally, Company Says Brazil, Europe, US Biggest Markets TikTok hit 1 billion monthly active users globally this summer, the company said, marking a 45 percent jump since July 2020.

Facebook to Invest $50 Million to Build the 'Metaverse' in Responsible Manner Facebook will invest $50 million (roughly Rs. 370 crores) to partner with organisations to responsibly build the so-called metaverse — a digital world where people can use different devices to move and communicate in a virtual environment.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says Failed TikTok Deal 'Strangest Thing I've Worked On' Microsoft's near-acquisition of TikTok last year was the "strangest thing I've ever worked on," Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said.

Activision Blizzard, US Employment Watchdog Reach Agreement in Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Case Activision Blizzard and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said they had reached an agreement to settle claims over sexual harassment and discrimination in the company's workplace.

Google's Confidentiality Request Accepted by CCI, Regulator Denies Allegations of Leaking Report to Media Google's request to keep confidential some information the company provided during an investigation into its business has been accepted by CCI, though the regulator denied allegations it leaked a report on the probe to the media, a judge said.

Google knows what you type, watch, and say — unless you take these steps Did you know your entire Google history is accessible online?

Instagram Kids App for Children Under 13 Paused After Criticism Instagram Kids, a version of the popular image-sharing app designed

Zoom Update Adds Option to Stop Incoming Video in Meetings: How to Use Zoom is bringing a new ‘stop incoming video’ feature that allows a user to block other people's video feeds in a meeting or webinar. Apart from that, Zoom has introduced rich text formatting in chat along with many security enhancements.

Flipkart Big Billion Days 2021 Sale Dates Revised to Rival Amazon, Will Go Live From October 3 to October 10 Flipkart Big Billion Days 2021 sale dates have been revised to coincide with Amazon Great Indian Festival sale. The Flipkart sale will now begin on October 3 and remain live until October 10. The dates earlier were October 7 to October 12. The 2021 edition of the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale will offer discounts on mobile phones, home appliances, healthcare devices,...

The Last of Us First Look Stars HBO Series Leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey The first look at HBO’s The Last of Us series shows Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal standing in a grassland, looking at a crashed plane in the distance. The Last of Us season 1 is currently filming and is expected to air in 2022 on HBO and HBO Max.

Google Said to Slash Amount it Keeps from Sales on its Cloud Marketplace Google will reportedly take a smaller cut when customers buy software from other vendors on its cloud marketplace.

CBSE Board Exam Results Being Secured Using Blockchain Technology Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) says that it has adopted blockchain technology to secure board exam results data.

Tech is expensive! Ways you’re wasting money and smart fixes to save With shiny new gear popping up daily and yet another streaming service there to woo you, it’s hard to stop the flow of cash.

How to Recover Deleted Files From Google Drive Google Drive users can recover deleted files from trash folder. Users need to go the trash folder, choose the file they want to recover, and click on Restore. Only files that are owned by the user can be restored. If the file is not owned by the user, they will need to contact the owner to restore it.

How to Enable Chrome Dark Mode on Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac Chrome Dark mode can be enabled on Android, iPhone, Windows, or Mac by following simple steps. Here’s how.

TUDUM Netflix Trailers: Money Heist, The Witcher, Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and More Money Heist season 5 volume 2, The Witcher season 2, Cobra Kai season 4, Stranger Things 4, Bridgerton season 2, Emily in Paris season 2, The Sandman, Murder Mystery 2, Army of Thieves, Enola Holmes 2 — the biggest trailers, announcements, and first looks from TUDUM Netflix event.

The Witcher Season 3: Netflix, Lauren Schmidt Hissirch Announce Renewal at TUDUM The Witcher season 3 is a go. On Saturday at the online-only Netflix TUDUM event, The Witcher head writer and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich announced that the Henry Cavill-led epic fantasy series will return for a third season.

The Witcher: Blood Origin First Look Takes Us Behind the Scenes of Witcher Prequel Series The Witcher: Blood Origin behind-the-scenes first look has arrived at Netflix TUDUM. The Witcher: Blood Origin release date to be in 2022 on Netflix. Sophia Brown, Michelle Yeoh lead The Witcher: Blood Origin cast.

The Witcher Season 2 Clips Bring Back Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia The Witcher season 2 has debuted two new clips. The Witcher season 2 release date is December 17 on Netflix. Henry Cavill, Freya Allan lead The Witcher season 2 cast.

Army of Thieves Trailer Sets Up Netflix’s Army of the Dead Prequel Movie Army of Thieves trailer has pulled in at Netflix TUDUM. Army of Thieves release date is October 29 on Netflix. Army of Thieves is the prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.

The Sandman Netflix Series First Look Is Mind-Bending, Character Posters Unveiled The Sandman first look, unveiled at Netflix TUDUM, is mind-bending. Characters posters also unveiled. The Sandman TV series release date to be in 2022 on Netflix. Tom Sturridge, Gwendoline Christie, Boyd Holbrook lead The Sandman cast.

TikTok users copy lawmakers’ stock trading habits Iris App co-founder Chris Josephs joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to provide insight into young investors trading stocks by copying members of Congress.

Money Heist Season 5 ‘Volume 2’ First Look Teases a Fiery Goodbye Money Heist season 5 ‘Volume 2’ first look was unveiled at Netflix TUDUM. Money Heist season 5 “Volume 2” release date is December 3 on Netflix.

Stranger Things 4 Teaser Trailer Introduces the Creel House Stranger Things 4 teaser trailer has spooked in at Netflix TUDUM. It introduces the newest locale, the Creel House. Stranger Things 4 release date to be in 2022 on Netflix.

TUDUM Netflix India Round-Up: Little Things, Aranyak, Khufiya, Finding Anamika, and More Dhamaka promo, Little Things season 4 trailer, Minnal Murali and Heeramandi featurettes, Aranyak teaser, Khufiya and Finding Anamika first looks — the biggest news and reveals from Netflix’s TUDUM: India Spotlight event.

TUDUM Netflix Trailers, First Looks, and the Biggest Announcements Money Heist season 5 volume 2, The Witcher season 2, Cobra Kai season 4, Stranger Things 4, Bridgerton season 2, Emily in Paris season 2, The Sandman, Murder Mystery 2, Army of Thieves, Enola Holmes 2 — the biggest trailers, announcements, and first looks from TUDUM Netflix event.

TUDUM Netflix: Time, Cast, Schedule, and How to Watch Netflix’s TUDUM fan event is on Saturday, September 25. Pre-shows begin 5:30pm IST, TUDUM India Spotlight is at 9pm IST, and the main TUDUM event is at 9:30pm IST. Find the full TUDUM schedule within. You can watch TUDUM on Netflix’s YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, and Facebook channels.

Elon Musk and Grimes Are Now 'Semi-Separated', Tesla CEO Says Elon Musk and Claire “Grimes” Boucher have “semi-separated” after three years of bring together, the billionaire tech entrepreneur reportedly said. However, Musk said that he and the Canadian singer would continue to co-parent their one-year-old son X Æ A-Xii.

Lithuania Looks to Ban 'Untrustworthy' Phones After Chinese Censorship Concerns Lithuania's Defence Ministry is drafting legislation to ban state institutions from purchasing "untrustworthy" equipment, after finding a censoring feature in a Chinese smartphone company's flagship phone, Margiris Abukevicius, deputy minister at the Defence Ministry said.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Leaves Canada After US Deal on Fraud Charges, Detained Canadians Head Home Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou flew home to China after reaching an agreement with US prosecutors to end the bank fraud case against her, relieving a point of tension between China and the United States.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Says New Semiconductor Plants Will End Global Auto Chip Shortage Next Year Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that thanks to new semiconductor plants that are planned or under construction, the global chip shortage that has pummelled the car industry this year should be short term in nature.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Sought to Keep Incognito Mode Issues Out of Spotlight, Lawsuit Alleges Google CEO Sundar Pichai in 2019 was warned that describing the company's Incognito browsing mode as "private" was problematic, yet it stayed the course because he did not want the feature "under the spotlight," according to a new court filing.

Online Games That Involve Betting, Wagering Could Be Banned by Karnataka; Worrying Booming Industry The state of Karnataka, home to India's Silicon Valley, has proposed a ban on online games involving betting and wagering, sparking concerns that growing state regulations could hit the nascent but booming sector.

Twitter Appointed Officers in Compliance With New IT Rules, Centre Tells Delhi High Court Twitter has appointed Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Resident Grievance Officer (RGO), and Nodal Contact Person in compliance with the new IT Rules, the centre has informed the Delhi High Court.

Huawei 2021 Smartphone Revenue to Drop by at Least $30 Billion–$40 Billion: Rotating Chairman Eric Xu Huawei will see revenue from its smartphone business drop by at least $30 billion (roughly Rs. 2,21,140 crores -40 billion (roughly Rs. 2,94,860 crores) this year as the company continues to grapple with US restrictions on its supply chain, rotating chairman Eric Xu said.

Chinese Gaming Firms Vow Self-Regulation, Possible Use of Facial Recognition Amid Crackdown on Teen Addiction Over 200 Chinese gaming companies have pledged to regulate their industry to combat gaming addiction, including through the possible use of facial recognition to identify minors, a state-backed gaming association said on Friday.

Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2021 Announced, Beginning October 4 as Month-Long Event Amazon Great Indian Festival sale 2021 will begin October 4, the US e-commerce giant announced. The festive season sale will be available as early access to Amazon Prime members in the country. Amazon rival Flipkart earlier this week announced that it is hosting its Big Billion Days 2021 sale starting October 7.

ExpressVPN Employees Complain About Ex-Spy's Top Role at Company When a senior executive at ExpressVPN admitted to working on behalf of a foreign intelligence service to hack American machines last week, it stunned employees at his new company, according to interviews and electronic records.

Chip Shortage: White House Prods Companies on Semiconductor Information Request The White House is pressing automakers, chip companies, and others to cooperate in a bid for more information about the ongoing semiconductor crisis that has forced cuts to US auto production but made clear that the industry needs to take the lead to solve the problem.

Google Said to Offer Settlement for EU Antitrust Probe Into Digital Advertising Google is seeking to settle an EU antitrust investigation into its digital advertising business, a person familiar with the matter said, a move that could help it stave off a disruptive, lengthy probe and a possible hefty fine.

Zero-Day Hacking Attacks Set New Record In 2021: MIT Technology Review A report by MIT Technology Review, based on the data collected from multiple sources, said at least 66 zero-days have been found in use in 2021, which is almost double the number of such attacks recorded last year. It blamed government-backed hackers for the rapid rise in such attacks.

Clubhouse Launches 'Wave' Feature to Let Users Invite Friends for Private Chats Clubhouse has launched a feature to let users virtually wave at friends inside its audio-only chat app to show they are open to a private chat, in a move to expand beyond public rooms that can have thousands of listeners.

Foundation Review: Apple TV+ Asimov Adaptation Far From ‘Game of Thrones in Space’ Foundation review: Apple TV+ series adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s books makes some much-needed changes and additions, but it doesn’t quite know where to go from there. Foundation release date is September 24 on Apple TV+.

Twitter Adds Recording and Replay to Spaces, Expands Tipping Worldwide, Adds Bitcoin Tips Twitter on Thursday expanded its tipping feature to users around the world, and allowed them to tip others on the platform using Bitcoin. Twitter is also updating Spaces with recording and replay options for audio conversations. It also announced updates towards customised controls and content moderation-centric options.

Government Warns Banking Users of Android Malware That Pretends to Help Generate Income Tax Refunds The government has warned Android users in India about a malware called Drinik that promises to help with generating income tax refunds. T​​he Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said in its advisory that customers of more than 27 Indian banks have already been targeted with the malware.

Apple Dealt Blow as EU Says It Will Impose Universal Charger for Smartphones to Cut Back on Electronic Waste The European Union said it will impose a universal charger for smartphones, setting up a clash with Apple and its widely used iPhone connector cable.

Amazon Says It's Relaxing Marijuana Policy To 'Become Earth's Best Employer' Amazon has said it will further relax its marijuana policy for employees and is gearing up to support national legislation to legalise the drug. Citing its decision from June 2021, the American e-commerce giant said it has “reinstated the employment eligibility” for former employees and applicants terminated or deferred during random or pre-employment marijuana sc...

YouTube Testing Offline Video Downloads on Desktop Browser for Premium Accounts: How to Enable YouTube is testing the ability to download videos for the desktop browser version of YouTube. The test will run until October 19. The new feature is limited to Premium subscribers only.

Facebook Explains Content It Demotes in News Feed in Bid for Transparency Facebook said it reduces the distribution of certain content including clickbait, posts with "sensationalist" or exaggerated health claims or low-quality videos on its news feed.

Apple's 'Pro-Competition' Claim Mocked by Australia's Commonwealth Bank Over Control of Payments Commonwealth Bank of Australia accused Apple of uncompetitive behaviour over control of payments on its phones, which have grown to about a third of all in-person payments the country's largest lender processes.

Facebook to feed company-friendly stories directly into users' news feeds The social media giant deserves scorn for trying to ‘manipulate perception,' 'Fox Across America' host Jimmy Failla says

Google Files Writ With Delhi High Court Against CCI After 'Leak' of Confidential Report Google said it has moved the Delhi High Court against the leak of antitrust body CCI's confidential report pertaining to the investigation against the tech giant.

Facebook Ordered by US Court to Release Records of Anti-Rohingya Content for Genocide Case Facebook has been ordered by a US federal judge to release records of accounts connected to anti-Rohingya violence in Myanmar that the social media giant had shut down, rejecting its argument about protecting privacy as "rich with irony."

SoftBank-Backed Oyo Said to File for $1.2 Billion IPO Next Week Oyo is expected to file for an initial public offering (IPO) next week to raise around $1 billion (roughly Rs 7,380 crores), as per a source.

Minnal Murali Release Date Set for December 24 on Netflix, First Look Out Now Minnal Murali release date is Christmas Eve December 24 on Netflix. Minnal Murali first look shows Tovino Thomas’ early superhero get-up.

Twitter Is Working to Fix Disappearing Tweets Issue: All You Need to Know Twitter users would reportedly face an issue where they would lose a tweet they were reading while the timeline got updated automatically. Twitter via the support page on Thursday announced that they are working to resolve this hassle and are expected to release updates in the next two months to fix the issue.

Apple to Pay One-Time Bonuses of Up to $1,000 to Store Employees: Report Apple will pay one-time bonuses of as much as $1,000 (roughly Rs. 73,710) to store employees next month, Bloomberg News reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Xiaomi Says Its Devices Do Not Censor Users Following Lithuania Report Xiaomi said that its devices do not censor users' communications, a day after Lithuania's Defence Ministry recommended that consumers avoid Chinese phones due to a censoring feature in the smartphone giant's flagship phone.

Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer to Step Down, Will Become Company's First Senior Fellow in 2022 Facebook executive Mike Schroepfer said that he was stepping down as the company's chief technology officer.

Facebook Warns It Is 'Underreporting' iOS Advertising Results Amid Apple Privacy Changes Facebook said it is underreporting the results of its advertising business on iOS devices, acknowledging that recent privacy changes from Apple have made it more expensive and difficult for brands to advertise on Facebook.

Apple Bars Epic's Fortnite barred From App Store Until All Court Appeals End Apple has blacklisted Fortnite from the App Store for several years until all the court appeals are done, Epic Games Chief Executive Officer Tim Sweeney said.

Pokemon Unite — First MOBA Game in the Franchise — Launched for Android, iOS Pokemon Unite is released on both Android and iOS devices. The game is developed by The Pokemon Company and TiMi Studios and was previously only available on Nintendo Switch.

Facebook Overpaid $5 Billion in FTC Fine to Protect Mark Zuckerberg, Shareholders Reportedly Allege in New Lawsuit Facebook shareholders have reportedly filed two new lawsuits in Delaware alleging that the company overpaid the US FTC fine by $5 billion just to shield Mark Zuckerberg from personal liability in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica probe.

Chrome 94 Released for Android, macOS, Windows, Linux: What's New Chrome 94 is the first stable version of Chrome on the new 4-week release cycle. It introduces auto HTTPS functionality, desktop sharing hub feature, and includes security updates.

Flipkart Xtra Launched to Onboard Individuals as Delivery Executives Ahead of Big Billion Days Sale Flipkart on Wednesday launched a service marketplace called Flipkart Xtra to allow individuals join as its delivery executives on part-time basis. In the coming months, the marketplace is also aimed to scale up further and enable service agencies and technically skilled individuals to onboard themselves as service partners and technicians. The launch of Flipkart Xtra ...

Infosys to Develop Quantum Computing Capabilities on Amazon Web Services, Will Use Amazon Braket Infosys announced a strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop quantum computing capabilities and use cases.

Bill Gates' Green Tech Fund Bets on Silicon Valley Farming Robots Iron Ox, a Silicon Valley startup that believes robots can grow produce more sustainably, said it raised $50 million (roughly Rs. 370 crores) in a funding round led by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Facebook Wraps Up Deals With Australian Media Firms, TV Broadcaster SBS Excluded Facebook has told Australian publishers it has stopped negotiating licensing deals, an email to the industry seen by Reuters showed, a move which came just six months after the passing of a law designed to make tech giants pay for news content.

Chinese Phones Should Be Thrown Away Due to Censorship Concerns, Lithuania Defence Ministry Says Lithuania's Defence Ministry recommended that consumers avoid buying Chinese mobile phones and advised people to throw away the ones they have now after a government report found the devices had inbuilt censorship capabilities.

Google to Buy More Office Space in New York City as Big Tech Swoops Down on Real Estate Google plans to buy an office building in Manhattan for $2.1 billion (roughly Rs. 15,470 cores), as the Alphabet-owned search engine giant joins fellow technology companies in investing in prime real estate, even as hybrid work models become common.

Cryptocurrency Exchange Suex Faces US Sanctions Over Ransomware Attacks The Joe Biden administration unveiled sanctions against a cryptocurrency exchange over its alleged role in enabling illegal payments from ransomware attacks, officials said, part of a broader crackdown on the growing threat.

Facebook Oversight Board Seeks Clarity on XCheck Review System for High-Profile Users Facebook's independent Oversight Board said it has asked the social networking giant to provide clarity on the system it uses to review content decisions relating to some high-profile users.

Shang-Chi Disney+ Hotstar Release Date Set for November 12 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will release Friday, November 12 on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar, as part of Disney+ Day global celebrations. Jungle Cruise out November 12 on Disney+ Hotstar. Marvel and Star Wars specials also debut on Disney+ Day.

Facebook Says It Spent Over $13 Billion on Safety, Security Since 2016 Facebook said on Tuesday it has invested more than $13 billion (roughly Rs. 95,830 crores) in safety and security measures since 2016, days after a newspaper reported the company had failed to fix "the platform's ill effects" researchers had identified.

Facebook Portal Go, Portal+ Announced; Portal for Business Introduced in US Facebook on Tuesday announced two new models of its Portal video calling devices, including its first portable version. The social media company also said it was testing with several US companies a service for businesses to remotely manage Portal work accounts and devices.

How Foundation’s New Emperor Cleon Clones — Dawn, Day, and Dusk — Came to Be Foundation star Lee Pace and creator David S. Goyer talk about the Emperor Cleon clones — Dawn, Day, and Dusk — that rule the galaxy in the Apple TV+ series. How they came to be, why Pace was inspired by Romans, Incas and Haile Selassie. Foundation release date is September 24 on Apple TV+.

Cambridge Analytica Shows Asimov’s Psychohistory Is Possible, Says Foundation Star Jared Harris Foundation star Jared Harris notes similarities between Hari Seldon and his Chernobyl character Valery Legasov, and how Cambridge Analytica shows us why Seldon’s psychohistory theory is possible. Foundation release date is September 24 on Apple TV+.

Inside Foundation, the Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Series That Makes Asimov’s Books Richer in Every Way Foundation creator David S. Goyer, and stars Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Leah Harvey, and Lou Llobell discuss how the new Apple TV+ sci-fi series makes Isaac Asimov’s books richer — and talk about their characters — by including a lot more women and people of colour, making it more emotional and crafting new characters, and filming on location as much as possible. F...

Star Wars Visions Review: Disney+ Anime Series Brings Lucas Films Full Circle Star Wars Visions review: rock opera “Tatooine Rhapsody”, black-and-white “The Duel”, and tabla-led “Akakiri” are the highlights of this Star Wars anime anthology series. Star Wars: Visions release date is September 22 on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar.

Gmail Gets Search Filters, Google App Now Has Option to Turn Off Personalised Search Results for Android Users Gmail for Android is getting filters to easily locate emails. Separately, the Google app on Android is gaining the option to control ‘personal results’ for Google Search.

Flipkart Big Billion Days 2021 Sale Dates Now Official, 6-Day Event Goes Live on October 7 Flipkart Big Billion Days 2021 sale is going live on October 7 and will continue until October 12. Customers will get deals, discounts, and offers on various products including mobile phones, laptops, and smartwatches during the Flipkart sale.