Technology News

ChatGPT Creator OpenAI Releases 'Imperfect' Software to Identify AI-Generated Text ChatGPT creator OpenAI on Wednesday released a tool designed to detect AI-generated text. While the tool is in public beta, OpenAI says it is very "unreliable" on texts under 1,000 characters, adding that the AI-written text can also be edited to trick the detection tool.

Hackers Using SwiftSlicer Wiper to Destroy Windows Files, Security Researchers Say Sandworm, a group linked to Russia's foreign military intelligence agency might be behind a recent cyberattack in Ukraine, said cybersecurity company ESET. The hacking team allegedly deployed SwiftSlice . Once executed, the SwiftSlicer deletes shadow copies, recursively overwrites files in the system and non-system drives and then reboots the computer.

Jio 5G Network Rolls Out Across 34 Cities as Operator Expands Coverage to 225 Cities in India Jio on Tuesday announced that it was launching its 5G network services in 34 cities across 13 states, bringing the total number of cities covered by the operator to 225. Subscribers in these cities will be invited to the Jio Welcome Offer, with access to unlimited data at up to 1 Gbps speeds, at no additional cost, according to Jio.

TikTok CEO to Testify Before US Congress in March Amid Increased Scrutiny Over Security Concerns TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before the US Energy and Commerce Committee in March, the company confirmed on Monday. The US House Foreign Affairs Committee plans to hold a vote next month on a bill aimed at blocking TikTok in the US over national security concerns.

Facebook Asks UK Tribunal to Block $3.7 Billion Mass Action Lawsuit Over Market Dominance Facebook has asked a London tribunal to block a mass action lawsuit against the firm that alleges the social media firm monetised users' personal data by abusing its dominant market position. The mass action lawsuit claims users should get compensation for the economic value they would have received if Facebook was not in a dominant position in the market for social n...

Twitter Working to Introduce Payments Feature Amid Drop in Advertising Income: Report Twitter could soon introduce support for a payments feature, and the microblogging service has reportedly begun applying for regulatory licenses. According to a report, Elon Musk is pushing Twitter to create new streams of revenue as it faces a drop in advertising income, following his takeover of the platform last October.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Shehzada, Babylon, and More: February Movie Guide to Cinemas and OTT MCU’s Ant-Man 3, Shehzada starring Kartik Aaryan, Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt-led Babylon, Akshay Kumar’s Selfiee, Sharper from A24, Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, and the Tom Hanks starrer A Man Called Otto — a list of the biggest movies out in February 2023 in cinemas and Apple TV+.

Twitter Direct Messages Button Disappears From Some Users’ Profiles on Android, iOS: Report The DM button on Twitter has reportedly disappeared for many users on both Android and iOS. This means there is no option to send DMs via a profile page. Many users have reported the same via the microblogging site. The “DM” icon usually appears in between Follow and Notification buttons on a user profile.

Shah Rukh Khan-Led Pathaan Collects Rs. 250 Crore Within First Five Days Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan has collected an impressive Rs. 250 crore in ticket sales in India, within the first five days. The film marks the Bollywood actor’s return to a lead role in a mainstream film after over four years, following 2018's Zero. Internationally, the film made over Rs. 100 crore in just three days, as per production company Yash Raj Films.

Facebook Intentionally Drains Users’ Phone Batteries, Former Employee Claims in Lawsuit: Report Former Facebook employee George Hayward has reportedly claimed that the app intentionally drains users’ phone batteries in a practice called negative testing. In a lawsuit filed against Facebook parent firm Meta at a Manhattan Federal Court, Hayward, a data scientist, claims that he was fired from his role for refusing to participate in the aforementioned “harmful...

The Last of Us Episode 4 Trailer: A Road Trip Poses Big Trouble for Joel and Ellie The Last of Us episode 4 trailer is out, teasing a new character in the form of Kathlyn (Melanie Lynskey), the ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City. Titled “Please Hold My Hand,” the episode highlights Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) distaste for coffee, and will reportedly run for 50 minutes.

‘Michael Jordan of Fundraising’: Elon Musk Emerges a Money Maverick in Tesla Tweet Trial Elon Musk, who now owns the Twitter service that he deploys as his megaphone, was often a study in contrasts during his roughly eight hours on the stand during the ongoing Tesla tweet trial. The CEO of the electric carmaker is facing a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Tesla shareholders after Musk tweeted about a company buyout that didn’t happen.

Chinese Internet Giant Baidu Planning to Launch AI Chatbot Similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT in March Baidu, the Chinese Internet giant, is planning to launch an artificial intelligence chatbot tool similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT in March. ChatGPT's tech works by learning from vast amounts of data how to answer any prompt by a user in a human-like way, offering the information like a search engine would or prose like an aspiring novelist.

Amazon Increases Minimum Purchase Amount on Amazon Fresh for Prime Members Amazon to charge grocery delivery for Prime members on orders less than $150 (roughly Rs. 12,200) starting February 28. Prime users who get their groceries delivered from Amazon Fresh for under $150 will be charged between $3.95 (roughly Rs. 350) and $9.95 (roughly Rs. 800), depending on the order size.

Big Tech Is Firing Employees by the Thousands. Why? and How Worried Should We Be? Since the end of the pandemic hiring spree, large numbers of employees have been fired from major tech companies, including Alphabet (12,000 employees), Amazon (18,000), Meta (11,000), Twitter (4,000), Microsoft (10,000) and Salesforce (8,000). Why exactly led to this massive shakeout? And what does it mean for the industry, and you?

DCPCR to Launch WhatsApp Chatbot for Public Interaction, Complaints Registration The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) is set to launch a WhatsApp chatbot to interact with people and help them register their complaints. The DCPCR is the apex statutory authority of Delhi government to protect, promote and monitor the implementation of rights and policies related to children such as education, immunisation, protection against a...

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan Met EU’s Antitrust Chief to Discuss Microsoft’s Activision Deal PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan met with EU’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager to discuss Microsoft's $69 billion (about Rs. 5,62,647 crore) bid for Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. Sony previously criticised the deal, stating that the Call of Duty IP being claimed by Microsoft poses a “threat to an industry enjoyed by hundreds of millions.” Specifics on this ...

Naughty Dog Has Moved on From Uncharted, Co-President Neil Druckmann Confirms Developer Naughty Dog seems to be done with Uncharted. Speaking to Buzzfeed, co-President Neil Druckmann stated that the studio has put its “final brushstroke” on the story with Uncharted 4, and is ready to move on. He also weighed in on a potential The Last of Us Part 3, stating that publisher Sony isn’t forcing them to churn a sequel out. For now, naughty Dog ...

Google Chrome Updated With Fingerprint Lock for Incognito Tabs on Android: How It Works Google Chrome is rolling out a new privacy feature for its Incognito tab that will let users lock it with biometric authentication. The incognito tab for Google Chrome will get locked when exited, however, users will be able to unlock it by using fingerprints. The feature is currently rolling out for Android users, however, not everyone can access it.

Twitter Teams Up With Ad Verification Firms to Show Advertisers Tweet-Level Analytics, Verified Views Twitter has teamed up with Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify to provide advertisers with tweet-level analytics on content that appears next to their ads, according to the firms. Both firms use technology to independently verify that digital ads are viewed by real people on the platform.

Made-in-India Battle Royale ‘Indus’ Gameplay Trailer Revealed, Pre-Registrations Now Live on Android Pune-based developer SuperGaming has dropped the gameplay trailer for its upcoming battle-royale title Indus, confirming that pre-registrations for the same are now live on Android. Signups for iOS and iPadOS will “follow soon.” The footage, based on a pre-alpha build, drops players onto the Indo-futuristic map of Virlok, as they fight for survival and try to obta...

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Xbox Series S/X Launch Delayed Indefinitely to Bring Fixes for the PC Version Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is delaying its console release indefinitely, as a means to solely focus on fixing issues on the PC version. The game was slated to drop on Xbox Series S/X shortly after the PC launch in November. But developer Fatshark has no decided to fully address the problems with the Darktide’s PC version, in regard to building a “complete” craft...

Government to Hold Discussions With Stakeholders on PIB Fact Checks for Social Media in February: MoS IT The government will hold discussions with stakeholders before its controversial plan to give powers to its arm the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to police fake news on social media, according to Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed removal of cont...

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Gets a New Launch Window, Will Release by September 2023 The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has just received a new launch window. As per co-publisher Nacon’s latest earnings report, it is aiming to launch the game in the first half of fiscal year 2023–24. This translates to a window between April and September 2023. Originally set for a 2021 release, this marks the third delay for the game, with developer Daedalic Entertain...

AI Will Create Powerful Tools That Need Legal Regulation, Social Norms, Nvidia CEO Says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Tuesday said artificial intelligence (AI) would need legal regulation and social norms that will need to be worked out, as it would create powerful tools. He also said that engineering standards bodies would need to establish standards for building safe AI systems, similar to how medical bodies set rules for the safe practice of medicine.

RRR’s Naatu Naatu, All That Breathes, The Elephant Whisperers Nominated for Oscars 2023: Details Three entries from India have been nominated for the 95th Oscar Awards. RRR’s energetic dance track “Naatu Naatu” has earned a place in the Original Song category. In the Documentary Feature segment, Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes secured a spot, while Kartiki Gonsalves’ The Elephant Whisperers claimed one in the Best Documentary Short of the year. The 2023...

Elon Musk Defiantly Defends Himself in Tesla Shareholder Trial Over 'Funding Secured' Tweet Elon Musk on Tuesday defended himself against a class action lawsuit filed by Tesla shareholders over his 2018 "funding secured" tweets about a possible buyout of Tesla that never took place. He spent much of his testimony depicting himself as a trustworthy business leader capable of raising as much money as he needs to pursue his visions.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Boasts the Biggest Budget for an Expansion in CD Projekt Red’s History Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion boasts the biggest budget for a CD Projekt Red add-on content yet. In an interview with Parkiet, the developer’s investor relations manager Marek Bugdoł suggested that it was the biggest content addition in the studio’s history, in terms of budget. Pricing and plot details are scarce, but it was revealed earlier that I...

Jio 5G Network Services Launched in 50 More Cities as Rollout Expands to 184 Cities in India Jio on Tuesday announced that it has expanded its 5G rollout to 50 new cities in the country. With the launch of 5G services in states including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, customers can now access 5G services in 184 cities.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis Casts Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito: Report Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis has reportedly added Giancarlo Esposito to its ensemble lineup. The Breaking Bad star has been tapped to play an undisclosed role, in a film that is described as the acclaimed director’s passion project. Esposito joins a lineup that includes Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey P...

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Tells Staff Cuts Avoided ‘Much Worse’ Issues Amid Slowing Growth Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an email to employees that job cuts at the search giant were announced after consultation with the company’s founders and board, and that he had to act decisively amid slowing growth at the company. By eliminating about 6 percent of its workforce, or 12,000 jobs, Google is the latest tech giant to retrench after years of abundant gro...

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Trailer Delivers Chaotic Banter and Easter Eggs Paramount Pictures has released a new trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Regé-Jean Page. Based on the titular tabletop role-playing game, the film follows a group of ragtag misfits, as they venture into the lands unknown in search of an ancient magic horn. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves releases ...

Microsoft Announces Further Multibillion Dollar Investment in OpenAI as Competition Heats Up Microsoft on Monday announced that it would make a further multibillion dollar investment in OpenAI, the startup behind ChatGPT, and building on a bet it made on ther firm nearly four years ago, when it dedicated $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,200 crore) to OpenAI.

343 Industries Says It Will Continue Development on Halo Games Amidst Microsoft Layoffs Amidst rumours that active Halo development was being handed over to a third-party studio, current developers 343 Industries has planted its flag, claiming that it will continue work on the franchise “now and in the future.” The news comes in the wake of Microsoft laying off 10,000 employees from its company, which includes the games division.

The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Edition Physical Release Set for January 26: Details The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s new-gen edition is getting a physical copy release later this week. Starting January 26, stores around the world — including India — will house box editions of the critically-acclaimed RPG, for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Dubbed “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition,” it was released digitally last month as a free upgrade t...

Jason Momoa Teases More Aquaman After Meeting With DC Studio Co-Head James Gunn Amidst rumours that Jason Momoa might soon have to give up on his role as Aquaman, the actor came forward and stated otherwise. “I’ll always be Aquaman. Ain’t anyone coming in there and taking s--t,” Momoa said in an interview, after having recently met up with DC Studio co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran to discuss the future of the comic book universe.

Elon Musk Says Higher Priced Twitter Subscription Will Not Carry Advertisements Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday that a higher priced subscription of the social media platform will not carry advertisements. Twitter earns nearly 90 percent of its revenue from selling digital ads and Musk recently attributed a "massive drop in revenue" to rights organizations that have pressured brands to pause their Twitter ads.

Dog Wearing AirTag Rescued From Storm Water Drain by Firefighters: Report Rescuers in California successfully saved a dog after he ran away from his owner and entered a storm water drain before being swept away. The dog was wearing an AirTag and a conventional ID tag, according to first responders.

Elon Musk Says Twitter Has 2,300 Active Employees, Refutes Report of 75 Percent on Workers Being on Leave Elon Musk on Saturday refuted a report that the company had only 1,300 active, working employees. He stated on Twitter that the firm has about 2,300 active employees, and that it employed hundreds of employees working on trust and safety, along with several thousand contractors.

Microsoft Reportedly Hosted Sting Concert in Davos a Night Before Laying Off 10,000 Workers Microsoft reportedly hosted a private concert by artist Sting for around 50 people including the company's top executives, during the annual World Economic Forum meeting at Davos. The concert came a night before the technology giant announced its was laying off 10,000 workers in its largest round of layoffs since 2014, as per the report.

Infinix Note 12i (2022) India Launch Date Set for January 25, Specifications Revealed Infinix Note 12i (2022) launch date has been announced by the company. The phone will debut in India on January 25. The launch was announced via a Flipkart microsite, which also revealed some phone specifications. It will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC and feature a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display.

Twitter App Update to Stop Displaying the 'For You' Tab by Default, Elon Musk Says Twitter will be updated with the ability to remember the last feed a user was viewing instead of automatically showing them the "For You" section by default, Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday. The iOS app has also been updated with the ability to bookmark tweets with a single tap. Twitter will also add support for translating and recommending tweets in the coming months, ...

Apple Files Appeal Against Investigation Into Cloud Gaming and Mobile Browser Dominance by UK Watchdog Apple has filed an appeal against an investigation by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into cloud gaming and mobile browsers on concerns about restrictions by the iPhone maker. Both Apple and Google owner Alphabet are drawing increasing attention from competition regulators in Brussels, London and elsewhere.

Reliance Jio Introduces Rs. 349 and Rs. 899 Prepaid Recharge Plans With 2.5GB Daily Data: All Details Reliance Jio has brought two prepaid plans with 2.5 GB daily data benefits. The plans priced at Rs. 349 and Rs. 899 also offer unlimited calling, SMS benefits as well as free access to JioCinema, JioTV, JioCloud and JioSecurity, and more. Apart from these, there is one more prepaid plan priced at Rs. 2023 with 2.5GB daily data.

Google Parent Alphabet Said to Cut 12,000 Jobs in Latest Jolt to Technology Sector Alphabet, Google's parent firm, is set to cut 12,000 jobs at the US firm, according to a memo issued to staff. The company follows rival Microsoft, which also announced that it would lay off 10,000 workers recently.

Meta Fined $5.9 Million by Irish Regulators for WhatsApp Data Protection Breach Irish regulatory body has fined Meta an additional EUR 5.5 million (roughly Rs. 47.8 crore) for violating EU data protection regulations with its instant messaging platform WhatsApp. In its new decision, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) found the group acted "in breach of its obligations in relation to transparency," the watchdog said in a statement.

Instagram ‘Quiet Mode’ Announced, App Updated With Parental Supervision Tools, More Instagram has introduced a new feature called Quiet Mode, which is designed "to help people focus and encourage people to set boundaries with their friends and followers." The feature will silence incoming alerts, auto-reply to DMs, and set your status to 'In Quiet Mode'. Although the feature is available to all users, it is specifically designed for teenage users, ac...

Twitter Updates Developer Terms to Ban Third-Party Clients Like Tweetbot, Twitterific Twitter has introduced new developer terms that prohibit all third-party clients on the platform. The company's 5,000-word developer agreement was quietly modified with a provision that disallows the "use or access the Licensed Materials to create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications." Even before the terms were u...

Why Google Is Delaying Portion of Employees' Year-End Bonuses Google has announced it will delay a part of its employees' year-end bonuses as part of a transition to a new performance management system. Eligible employees will get 80 percent of their bonus while the remainder will be paid in later months, the company said, adding that the decision was communicated to staff in 2022. The company typically paid full bonuses in the ...

Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings Steps Down as CEO, Streaming Service Adds Over 7 Million Subscribers in Q4 2022 Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder, announced he will step down as CEO. His longtime partner and co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, and COO Greg Peters will be taking over. Hastings will serve as executive chairman. His decision came after Netflix added 7.66 million subscribers in December.

Google Loses Bid to Block CCI's Ruling in Supreme Court, Vows to Cooperate With Antitrust Authority Google said it would cooperate with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) after the US tech giant lost its bid to halt a recent order by the antitrust body. The firm's setback will force Google to change the business model of its popular Android operating system in India, a key growth market for the company.

CCI Denies Google Allegations That It 'Copy-Pasted' EU’s Antitrust Order on Android The Competitions Commission of India has denied allegations by Google that its investigators had "copy-pasted" parts of a European ruling against the US firm for abusing the market dominance of its Android platform. The comments came at a hearing in India's Supreme Court, where Google is seeking to block the CCI ruling.

Wikipedia Introduces First Desktop Redesign in a Decade, Brings New Table of Contents for Better Navigation Wikipedia has introduced a redesigned reading experience for its desktop users. The redesign includes sticky headers that remain in the users' view as they scroll through a Wikipedia article. Other changes include a repositioned translation tool, an improved search bar that now supports images and article descriptions, and a fixed-scroll table of contents in-article n...

NetEase Declines Activision Blizzard’s Offer to Extend Partnership for Publishing in China Chinese games publisher NetEase confirmed that it rejected a proposal from Activision Blizzard, which sought to extend their long-term partnership for six months. NetEase claims the proposal was “commercially illogical,” and accused the US firm of “seeking a divorce but still remaining attached,” in a rare public display of acrimony between the two gaming gian...

Amazon to Cut Jobs in US, Canada, Costa Rica as Part of Mass Layoffs As part of its plan to cut 18,000 jobs company-wide, Amazon will be laying off employees in the US, Canada, and Costa Rica by the end of Wednesday. The layoffs are the latest in the U.S. technology sector, with companies cutting their bloated workforce and slashing costs to reverse pandemic-era excesses and prepare for a worsening global economy.

Apple Said to Be Working on Expanding Smart-Home Lineup With iPad-Like Smart Display, Faster Apple TV Box Apple is said to be working on several smart home devices that could challenge rivals Google and Amazon. These include new smart displays as well as a faster Apple TV streaming device. The latter was previously updated by the company in October, and the latest model comes with the iPhone 14’s A15 Bionic chip and a remote control that features a USB Type-C port.

New IT Rules Consider Removing Social Media Content Deemed 'Fake' by Government The government will not permit social media platforms to host any information that it identifies as false, according to a draft proposal of new IT rules released this week. Once information was identified as such, social media platforms or other "online intermediaries" would have to "make reasonable efforts" to ensure users do not "host, display, upload, modify, publi...

Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023: Best Laptop Deals Under Rs. 40,000 The Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023 has brought some great deals on a wide range of products. Here we have picked some of the best deals available on laptops under Rs. 40,000.

Tesla Engineer Tells US Court That the Firm Staged 2016 Video Promoting Self-Driving Capabilities A Tesla engineer has testified during Elon Musk's ongoing shareholder lawsuit that the company's promotional video in 2016 showing off the vehicle's capabilities like stopping at a red light and accelerating at a green light was staged and the vehicle did not have those capabilities. The video was released in October 2016 and promoted on Twitter by Chief Executive Elo...

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Leak Reveals Battle Pass, Live Service Elements A screenshot from the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has leaked online, and it confirms the game features a battle pass system. The image, which was based on a recent test build, revealed elements that aligned with a live-service title. News outlet VGC corroborated the information via an unnamed development source, who confirmed that the screenshot wa...

Twitter Confirms It Intentionally Blocked Access for Third-Party Apps Like Tweetbot, Twitterrific Twitter has finally confirmed that its move to block third-party apps like Tweetbot and Twitterrific was intentional. In a tweet, Twitter Dev account said that the Website was enforcing its “long-standing API rules,” which may lead to some apps not working.

John Wick Director Chad Stahelski to Helm Rainbow Six Movie for Paramount Pictures: Report Paramount’s Rainbow Six movie has reportedly found its director in Chad Stahelski. The John Wick filmmaker will helm the live-action feature based on the eponymous 1998 Tom Clancy novel and sees Michael B. Jordan reprising his role as Navy SEAL-turned-CIA operative John Clark.

The Last of Us Part I on PS5 Offers 2-Hour Free Trial for PS Plus Deluxe/ Premium Members The Last of Us Part I is now available as a two-hour free trial on the PS Plus Deluxe/ Premium plan. The PS5 remake is being offered to mark the release of the Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey-led The Last of Us series, which dropped on Disney+ Hotstar, earlier this week. Billed as a faithful reproduction of the original 2013 PS3 game, Naughty Dog’s remake adds upgrade...

Microsoft to Cut 5 Percent of Workforce Affecting Thousands of Employees: Report Microsoft will cut five percent of its workforce on Wednesday, according to a report. The Redmond company could cut as many as 11,000 employees, in human resources and engineering divisions and follow job cuts at Amazon and Meta amid slowing demand and a worsening economic outlook.

Amazon Great Republic Day 2023 Sale: The Best Deals on Echo Speakers, Fire TV Devices and Kindle EBooks Amazon Great Republic Day 2023 Sale is currently live on the e-commerce website, bringing in massive discounts on a range of products including Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, and Kindle ebook readers. The e-commerce giant is also offering an additional 10 percent instant discount on SBI bank cards. Check out the best deals on Amazon devices here.

Airtel 5G Services Rolling Out in Phased Manner in Jaipur, Udaipur and Kota: All Details Airtel on Tuesday announced that is rolling out its 5G services in Jaipur, Udaipur and Kota in Rajasthan. Customers will be able to access the telco's 5G network at no extra cost until the rollout is more widespread. Meanwhile, Airtel has also announced it has deployed its 5G services at the venue for the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).

Indian Gaming Companies Request Government to Distinguish Between Real Money Games and Video Games Over 40 notable Indian video game and e-sports companies have joined together to request the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India to create a regulatory distinction between video games and real money gaming. The companies have signed a representation letter and are seeking an audience with Minister of State for Electronics & In...

Elon Musk's Trial Over His 'Funding Secured' Tweets About Tesla in 2018 Set to Begin: All You Need to Know Elon Musk is set to face a trial in a US court over his tweets about Tesla from 2018, triggered by a class-action lawsuit on behalf of investors who owned Tesla stock for a 10-day period in that year. Here's why the beleaguered billionaire, who took Twitter private last year, is facing a trial over a firm that he didn't.

Himachal Pradesh to Have 5G Services in Rural and Urban Areas by 2024, IT Secretary Says Himachal Pradesh will have 5G services across the state by the end of 2024, according to a state official. The next-generation network services would be available in rural and urban areas by next year, according to IT Secretary Abhishek Jain. Operators must figure out a mechanism to roll out 5G networks without harming the environment and inconveniencing people, he ad...

Airtel 5G Network Services Roll Out in Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj: Details Airtel announced that it has begun rolling out its 5G network services in five cities of Uttar Pradesh, weeks after they were launched in Lucknow and Varanasi. The operator said on Monday that customers in select areas in Agra, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Kanpur and Prayagraj will be able to enjoy high speed Airtel 5G network at no extra cost until the rollout is more widespre...

Amazon Great Republic Day 2023 Sale: Best Deals on Smart Home Products, IoT Devices Amazon has kicked off the Great Republic Day 2023 Sale on January 15 and it will be live till January 20, 2023. The e-commerce giant has brought great deals on a wide variety of products ranging from security cameras to smart home speakers and others. Check out some of the best deals here.

Paytm Payments Bank Wins Final RBI Nod, Can Operate as Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit Paytm Payments Bank said on Monday that the company had received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India to offer bill payment services in the country. The service can now function as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) in India, with support for bill payment services of electricity, phone, DTH, water, gas insurance, loan repayments, FASTag recharge, ed...

ShareChat Cuts 20 Percent of Workforce Amid Pressure From Investors to Cut Costs ShareChat on Monday said it has laid off 20 percent of its workforce amid growing pressure from investors to cut costs. The company has joined other startups in the country that have laid off employees in recent months to cut costs and become profitable.

Tencent Fires Over 100 Employees Found Guilty of Bribery, Embezzlement Tencent on Monday revealed that it had fired over 100 employees found guilty of bribery and embezzlement, an announcement that comes as the company struggles under a broad regulatory crackdown on China's tech sector initiated in late 2020. More than a hundred employees were guilty of violating Tencent's anti-fraud policy and one employee was found guilty of "accepting...

Twitter Layoffs: Former Workers Cannot Pursue Claims via Class-Action Lawsuit, US Court Says Twitter workers who were laid off by the company must pursue their claims via individual arbitration than a class-action lawsuit over their termination, a US court has ruled. US District Judge James Donato

Amazon Great Republic Sale 2023: Best Offers on Our Top-Rated Smartphones Amazon has launched its Great Republic Sale 2023 which will be live from January 15 and go on until January 20. Amazon Prime users can access the sale a day early via the Prime Day early access program. Here are some of the best smartphone deals on our top-rated devices.

Amazon Tests Prime Lite Membership in India, Available to Select Prime Members Amazon is reportedly testing a new subscription service for users in India. Dubbed as Prime Lite, the new subscription is currently available as Beta version to limited Prime members in the country. Prime Lite will be slightly different from Amazon Prime in terms of benefits and services offered.

Amazon Great Republic Sale 2023: Best Offers on Large Appliances Amazon has started its Great Republic Sale 2023. The sale will begin on January 15. However, Amazon Prime users can access the sale a day early via the Prime Day early access program. The e-commerce website is offering massive discounts on large appliances that include air purifiers, ACs, refrigerators, and others. Here we look at some of the best deals you can avail ...

Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023 Begins for Prime Members: Best Offers on Mobile Phones, Electronics Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2023 is live for Prime members. The sale will go live for everyone else at 12am on January 15. We've handpicked the best deals and offers you can grab on the first day of the sale.

Indian Banks Said to Soon Use Face Recognition, Iris Scan for Some Transactions The Indian government is allowing banks to verify individual transactions that exceed a certain annual limit using facial recognition and an iris scan in some cases, in a bid to reduce fraud and tax evasion, three sources told Reuters. A few large private and public banks have begun using the option, said one of the sources, a banker, who declined to ...

Google Says CCI Orders Strike Blow at Digital Adoption in India, Will Lead to Higher Prices Google on Friday hit out at the competition regulator for slapping penalties for alleged abuse of its dominant position, saying the orders strike a blow at the effort to accelerate digital adoption in India and will lead to higher prices. Failing to secure an interim relief on more than Rs. 2,200 crore fine imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the US ...

Tencent Is Bringing Content Creators to WeChat to Challenge TikTok's Dominance WeChat Pay became the second-biggest player in China's mobile payment market within a year of its 2013 launch, behind Alipay which is owned by Jack Ma-founded Ant Group. Two sources familiar with Tencent said the importance of Channels has been repeatedly communicated within the company.

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, Life is Strange Lead PlayStation Plus Extra, Deluxe Games for January 2023 Sony has revealed the list of games coming to the PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe catalogue in January. Key highlights include Devil May Cry 5, Life is Strange, Life is Strange: Before the Store, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Back 4 Blood. The games will be available on PS Plus’s higher-tier plans, starting January 17.

Twitter Third-Party Clients Appear to Have Stopped Working on Android, iOS: All Details Third-party Twitter apps on iOS and Android are currently unable to access the microblogging service, according to reports from users online. The company's official apps appear to be working normally on both platforms.

Six YouTube Channels Exposed for Spreading False Information, PIB Tweets The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) on Thursday exposed six YouTube channels for "working in a coordinated manner and spreading false information" about the government, elections, proceedings in the Supreme Court and Parliament of India, the president and the prime minister. Last December, the Centre flagged three channels peddling fake news.

Apple Music, Apple TV Apps Preview for Windows Spotted on Microsoft Store: Report Apple Music and Apple TV apps for Windows are arriving at Microsoft Store. Microsoft announced to bring of Apple TV and Apple Music in October 2022 and now the preview of both apps has been spotted, according to a report. A third app called Apple Devices has also been spotted in the preview, which manages Apple devices on Windows.

Apple to Soon Disclose More Details About App Removals From the App Store: Report Following allegations that Apple's covert decision-making process jeopardises free expression in countries such as China and Russia, the firm has reportedly promised to enhance disclosures about why it removes certain apps from its App Store. According to reports, activist investors obtained the pledge from Apple earlier this month.

Keeping the PS5 in Vertically Upright Position Will Not Damage It, Report Clarifies Keeping your PS5 upright is completely fine, news outlet Wololo has clarified. A report from earlier this month suggested that placing the PS5 in a vertical position was prone to doing internal harm, causing the cooling liquid metal within to leak down the sides of the APU chip. The outlet has now retracted its statement, claiming that while the problem can still occu...

Google Meet to Support 360-Degree Backgrounds on Android and iOS, Emoji Reactions Rolling Out: Report Google Meet will reportedly get immersive 360-degree backgrounds on Android and iOS. It will be launched in the near future with selected background options like a beach, oasis, sky city, and mountain temple, according to a report. The company has said it will also roll out new emoji reactions to the in-meeting experience.

Fast X to Reveal First Trailer on February 10, TV Spot Planned for Super Bowl: Report The first trailer for the Vin Diesel-led Fast X is reportedly set to drop on February 10. As per Collider, the trailer will come in at “well over” 3 minutes, and a separate TV spot is expected two days from then, during the 2023 Super Bowl event. Fast X brings new additions to the cast lineup, including Jason Momoa, Brie Larson, and Rita Moreno. Fast X is slated t...

Google Refused to Be Given Interim Stay on CCI Fine by NCLAT Google on Wednesday was refused to be given an interim stay on the competition regulator imposing a Rs. 936-crore penalty on the US tech giant for abusing its dominant position in the market. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal directed Google to deposit 10 percent of the fine that was slapped by the Competition Commission of India in a case related to its Pla...

US Air Travel Services Restores Gradually to Life After FAA Computer Outage US flights were slowly resuming departures and a ground stop was lifted after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) scrambled to fix a system outage overnight that had forced a halt to all US departing flights. More than 6,000 flights were delayed and nearly 1,000 canceled according to the FlightAware website as officials said it will take hours to recover from ...

Xbox Game Pass January 2023: Monster Hunter Rise, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 3 Portable Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable are headed to Xbox Game Pass on January 19. These, alongside the previously released Persona 5 Royal, mark the first time the franchise has dropped on the Xbox ecosystem. Over from Capcom, Monster Hunter Rise is getting ported to consoles on January 20, across Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X via Game Pass, in addition to PS4 and PS...

Google Criticised for Data Handling Practices by German Antitrust Watchdog Google has been criticised by Germany's antitrust regulator for the way it handles users' data. Data collected by Google was used to "create very detailed user profiles which the company can exploit for advertising and other purposes", the Federal Cartel Authority said.

Apple Fitness+ Updated With Kickboxing Workouts, Sleep Theme, Beyoncé Artist Spotlight, More Apple Fitness+ launches a bunch of new features including new workout types, a meditation theme, Sleep, a Beyoncé Artist Spotlight, and more. The fitness platform is available on Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple Watch as well as Apple TV.

Amazon 'Buy With Prime' to Roll Out to US Merchants on January 31 to Compete With Shopify Pay Amazon has announced that it will roll out its 'Buy With Prime' button to allow merchants to sell products using its payment and delivery services outside it's shopping platform. The invite-only launch that was made available in April last year will be widely available to merchants in the US by January 31, according to the e-commerce firm.

Meta to Block Ads Targeted at Teenagers Based on Gender From February Meta will block the targeting of teenagers based on gender from February, the company announced on Tuesday. The firm also said that a teenager's previous activity on Meta-owned apps will no longer inform the ads they see on the platform, and that the changes were made following feedback received from parents and experts, and that it complied with new rules in various ...

YouTube Shorts Revenue Sharing Starts February 1, New Partner Program Agreement Rolled Out YouTube Shorts revenue sharing will begin on February 1, according to the company. A new YouTube Partner Program agreement is being rolled out this week, and all creators must accept and sign it by July 10 in order to continue monetization. YouTube has restructured the new agreement to include "Modules," which the company claims will give creators more flexibility in ...

Dead Space Remake Steam Pre-Orders Come With a Free Copy of Dead Space 2 Pre-ordering the upcoming Dead Space remake on Steam will grant you a free copy of Dead Space 2. Excluding sales and EA Play access, Dead Space two generally costs Rs. 999 on Steam, making this a sweet deal to jump into right after finishing the new remake. Since the original 2008 Dead Space provided around 11 hours of playtime, it’s hard to expect the remake to off...

PlayStation Plus Deal: Extra, Deluxe Tiers on 40 Percent Discount for 3, 12-month plans PlayStation Plus is on sale for all subscribers, offering discounts for upgrades to existing members, with new subscriptions to PS Plus Extra and Deluxe plans cut down by up to 40 percent. The PS Plus offer will be valid until January 13, and is only applicable on the three-month and 12-month plans. The base Essential tier, alongside one-month subscriptions on the hig...

Microsoft Trying to Integrate OpenAI’s GPT for Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint: Report Microsoft is reportedly considering incorporating OpenAI's language Artificial Intelligence technology into its Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook apps. Microsoft is said to have already incorporated an unknown version of OpenAI's text-generating GPT model into Word's autocomplete feature and is functioning to merge it further into Microsoft Office applications.

Avatar: The Way of Water Is Now the Biggest Hollywood Movie in India, With Over Rs. 454 Crore at Box Office Avatar: The Way of Water is now the biggest Hollywood movie in India, crossing Avengers: Endgame with a box office total of Rs. 454 crore (about $55 million). The latter made Rs. 438 crore (about $53 million) at the box office during its run in 2019. Globally, Avatar 2 has collected over $1.7 billion (about Rs. 14,000 crore), securing its place as the seventh-biggest ...

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Trailer Teases MODOK, Kang the Conqueror Promises Lost Time Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania just got a new trailer, ahead of its release on February 17. The Ant-Man 3 trailer sees Kang the Conqueror promising to offer Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) the time he lost, in exchange for an undisclosed favour. There’s also a brief look at MODOK, the mechanical supervillain played by Corey Stoll, who previously portrayed Yellowjacket in ...

Microsoft Said to Invest $10 Billion Into OpenAI, Other Venture Firms Microsoft is said to be in talks to invest $10 billion into OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, which will value the San Francisco-based firm at $29 billion, according to a report. The funding includes other venture firms and deal documents were sent to prospective investors in recent weeks, with the aim to close the round by the end of 2022, the report said.

Use of Unregistered Devices, Unsecured Networks During Hybrid Work Model Increases Cybersecurity Risk: Survey With hybrid model empowering employees to work remotely and ensuring business continuity for enterprises, the use of unregistered devices by employees to access work platforms is adding new security challenges for organisations in India, according to a new survey by Cisco. The scenario is further complicated as employees are logging into work from multiple networks ac...

Google Messages End-to-End Encryption for Group Chats Rolled Out to Open Beta Testers, Company Says Google has completed the rollout of its end-to-end encryption for group chats on its Messages app to beta testers within a month. The rollout of the feature was announced for Messages users enrolled in the open beta program in December. Google first announced plans to introduce E2EE for its group chats at its I/O event in 2022.

WhatsApp Will Soon Let Users Save Disappearing Chats as 'Kept Messages': Report WhatsApp users may soon be able to save disappearing messages. The Meta-owned instant messaging platform is said to be working on a feature called kept messages, which will allow users to save a disappearing chat for perusal at a later date, even if the message has expired. A message that has been saved appears to have its own visual cue that distinguishes it from oth...

CES 2023: How Companies Are Bringing Smelling and Touching to the Metaverse Technology firms have showcased innovations to improve experiences in the metaverse at the 2023 International Consumer Electronics Show, or CES 2023. OVR Technology's headset contains a cartridge with eight primary aromas that can be combined to create different scents and could debut this year. Another firm, Flare, will launch a VR dating app called Planet Theta next...

Elon Musk Wants Tesla Shareholder Lawsuit Moved to Texas, Claims He Can't Get Fair Trial in California Elon Musk's lawyers have asked a federal judge in the US to move a Tesla shareholder trial to Texas from California, claiming that he would not get a fair trial in the state. The billionaire has asked the court to postpone the trial until negative publicity regarding the billionaire’s purchase of Twitter has died down, if moving the trial is not possible.

Twitter Said to Make Deeper Cuts Into Teams Handling Global Content Moderation and Misinformation Twitter is said to have made deeper cuts across the company's content moderation and misinformation policy teams, including workers in the firm's Dublin and Singapore offices. The microblogging service that was acquired by Elon Musk last year eliminated roles in areas of the company that didn’t get enough “volume” to justify continued support, according to a sen...

Jack Ma to Handover Ant Group’s Control as Part of Company’s Restructure Chinese billionaire Jack Ma will cede control of fintech giant Ant Group as part of a restructure, the company announced Saturday. Regulators this week announced that Ant had won approval to raise CNY 10.5 billion (roughly Rs. 12,300 crore) for its consumer finance arm in a further sign that authorities may be loosening their grip on the firm.

Jio True 5G Services Launched in Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ludhiana, Siliguri Reliance Jio has launched 5G services in Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ludhiana and Siliguri, taking the total number of cities to 72. It has become the first and the only operator to launch 5G services in Gwalior, Jabalpur and Ludhiana.

Samsung Says Q4 Profit Tumbled 69 Percent to Eight-Year Low Amid Weakening Global Economy Samsung on Friday said that its Q4 profit fell to an eight-year low, amid low demand for electronic devices and falling memory chip prices and a weak global economy. The South Korean conglomerate's dismal profit estimate also sets a weak tone for other technology firms' quarterly results. Meanwhile, the company's profits are expected to shrink again in the current qua...

Google to Mentor 1 Million Indian Women Entrepreneurs; Working With Partners to Increase Numbers, Antony Blinken Says Google has committed to mentoring 1 million Indian women entrepreneurs, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. Blinken also stated that the US will address challenges holding women back, such as a lack of mentorship and training opportunities, adding that women's full economic participation was needed to "actually lead an inclusive recovery from the C...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Highlights Role of Developer Community, Indian Innovation in Transforming Lives Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Thursday highlighted the crucial role of the developer community in creating products and solutions to transform organisations, stating that Indian innovation was transforming the lives of people around the world. Nadella, who is visiting India after three years, also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S ...

Avatar: The Way of Water Is Now the Biggest Movie of 2022, Collecting Over $1.5 Billion in Less Than a Month After just 21 days in theatres, Avatar: The Way of Water has now become the biggest film of 2022. The James Cameron-directed sequel has collected $1.516 billion (about Rs. 12,505 crore) at the global box office, overtaking the Tom Cruise-led Top Gun: Maverick at $1.4 billion (about Rs. 11,548 crore). Avatar 2 has collected $1.05 billion (about Rs. 8,666 crore) from ma...

Twitter Hack: Email Addresses of 200 Million Users Leaked on Hacking Forum, Security Researcher Says Twitter users' data, including their email addresses, was leaked after the company was breached by hackers, according to security researcher Alon Gal, co-founder of Israeli cybersecurity-monitoring firm Hudson Rock. The email addresses of over 200 million users were posted to a hacking forum, and could lead to hacking, targeted phishing, and doxxing of Twitter users, ...

Google Said to Be Preparing to Approach Supreme Court to Block CCI's Android Antitrust Ruling Google is said to be preparing to challenge an order by the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) in the Supreme Court, days after the NCLAT turned down its request to block the ruling by the antitrust watchdog. The firm has also alleged in its filings that the CCI's investigation unit copied parts of a European 2018 ruling against the company.

Hitman 3 Getting Rebranded as World of Assassination, Will Fuse Entire Trilogy Into One Package Hitman 3 is getting rebranded to “Hitman World of Assassination.” The package will also include the preceding games — Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 — and is aimed at avoiding confusion for new players, over which edition to purchase. Those who already own hitman 3 will get a free upgrade to this new edition on January 26. The first two games in the trilogy will soon b...

Gran Turismo Movie Trailer Rips Camera Angles Straight From the PlayStation Game Sony has dropped the first sneak peek trailer for the Gran Turismo movie at CES 2023. The new footage confirms that Archie Madekwe’s name in the film, is indeed Jann Mardenborough, the real-life British racecar driver, who launched his career by participating in the GT Academy training programme. David Harbour plays Jack Salter, a retired racecar driver, who serves ...

CES 2023: Sony unveils New Project Leonardo Accessibility Controller Kit for PS5 Sony unveiled Project Leonardo, its latest accessibility controller for the PS5, at CES 2023. The controller is aimed at helping players with disabilities play “easily, more comfortably, and for longer periods.” The new kit takes the standard PS5 DualSense controller and divides it into two large circular halves, which can be placed on a table. Button mapping is p...

Walmart Confirms It Paid Most of $1 Billion Tax to Move PhonePe Headquarters to India Walmart said on Wednesday that it had paid the Indian government most of the $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,300 crore) tax after it shifted the headquarters for PhonePe from Singapore to India. The US retail giant said last month it had completed the separation of PhonePe from Flipkart, adding that it would remain a majority stakeholder in both firms.

CES 2023: Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC for Assisted Driving, Entertainment Unveiled by Qualcomm Qualcomm on Wednesday unveiled the Snapdragon Ride Flex, a new processor for vehicles that is capable of handling both assisted driving and cockpit functions such as entertainment. functions were previously handled on different chips and merging them can bring costs down, according to Nakul Duggal, Qualcomm’s head of automotive, who added that the new chip and would...

Meta Fined EUR 390 Million by EU Regulator, Told to Reassess Legal Basis for Personalised Ads Meta on Wednesday was fined EUR 390 million by the lead privacy regulator for the European Union and directed to reassess the legal basis on how Facebook and Instagram use personal data to target advertising in the bloc. The company said it plans to appeal the substance of the rulings and the fines imposed by the EU's lead privacy regulator.

CES 2023: Devices to Silence Snoring, Analyse Urine, Create Digital 'Twins' Unveiled CES 2023 has seen the launch of several highly anticiapted products from a range of companies as well as devices with very specific uses. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Withings has unveiled a new U-Scan device that can analyse urine, while South Korea's 10Minds that is designed to tackle snoring.

The Flash Season 9 Brings Back Trio of Familiar Faces, Reveals New Poster The CW Network’s The Flash is bringing back three familiar faces for its ninth and final season. According to Deadline, the series will see David Ramsey, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Sendhil Ramamurthy, reprising their roles as John Diggle/Spartan, Wally West/Kid Flash, and Ramsey Rosso/Bloodwork, respectively. The studio also dropped a poster for The Flash’s final seaso...

Google Directed to Pay 10 Percent of Rs 1,337.76 Crore CCI Penalty by NCLAT The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Wednesday refused to grant immediate relief to Google and directed the US firm to pay 10 percent of the Rs 1,337.76-crore penalty imposed on the tech giant by fair trade regulator CCI. The apellate tribunal has issued notices to the Competition Commission of India and the matter will be listed on February 13, for ...

Microsoft Activision Takeover: No 'Substantive' Settlement Talks With US FTC, Lawyer Says Microsoft and the US Federal Trade Commissin have not had "substantive" settlement discussions to resolve the legal dispute over the former's $69 billion (roughly Rs. 5,71,900 crore) deal to acquire Activision Blizzard. The FTC has asked a US judge to block the transaction, stating that the deal would prevent access to Activision titles on gaming consoles from Sony a...