Tech Bites

Elon Musk’s recent effort to transform Twitter into an all-encompassing platform akin to China’s WeChat has led the app into a concerning realm of data collection practices. This week, the company has made alterations to its privacy policy, introducing new sections pertaining to “Biometric Information” and “Job Applications/Recommendations.” Vague demands X claims that it may gather users’ biometric ID “with their consent” for purposes related to safety, security, and identification. However, the platform remains notably vague about the specifics of the biometric data it intends to collect, and Twitter has not provided any responses to inquiries from Gizmodo seeking clarification on this matter. It appears that X’s recent actions are likely part of their strategy to introduce additional verification layers on top of their $8 blue checkmark subscription. Recently, Twitter had been experimenting with user verification through government IDs. As outlined by a mobile app researcher, t

The Indian Space and Research Organisation on Thursday said that the Pragyan Rover module of the Vikram lander has recorded a natural event on the south pole of the moon. However, the detection of its source is underway. Taking to 'X' (formerly known as Twitter), ISRO said, " Chandrayaan-3 Mission: In-situ Scientific Experiments Instrumen https://www.gadgets360.com/tags/moon t for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload on Chandrayaan 3 Lander -- the first Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology-based instrument on the moon -- has recorded the movements of Rover and other payloads. Additionally, it has recorded an event, appearing to be a natural one, on August 26, 2023. The source of this event is under investigation". Chandrayaan-3 Mission: In-situ Scientific Experiments Instrument for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload on Chandrayaan 3 Lander -- the first Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology-based instrument on the moon -

Arm Holdings plans to launch its roadshow for investors after Labor Day, as the chip designer prepares for its much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in September, according to people familiar with the matter. Arm, owned by SoftBank Group , is expected to set a price range for its offering next week, the sources said, adding the company plans to price its shares on September 13, with stock trading to start the following day. SoftBank plans to sell about 10 percent of Arm's shares in the IPO at a valuation of $60 billion (roughly Rs. 4,96,095 crore) to $70 billion (roughly Rs. 5,80,600 crore), Reuters has previously reported. SoftBank decided to sell fewer Arm shares in the IPO after buying the 25 percent stake in Arm it did not directly own from its Vision Fund unit. Several customers of Arm have held talks about taking a piece of the IPO including Apple , Amazon.com , Intel , Nvidia , Alphabet , Microsoft , Samsung Electronics , and TSMC , Reuters has previously reporte

Viacom18  on Thursday created a near monopoly in Indian cricket broadcasting sphere by bagging both TV and digital rights of the national team's home series for the next five years with a cumulative bid of approximately Rs. 6000 crore, beating Star India  and Sony in a three-way battle.  The BCCI had invited separate e-bids for both linear (TV) and digital for best price discovery. "Viacom18 paid Rs. 3101 crore (approximately) for digital and Rs. 2862 crore for linear (TV). As has been the trend, digital has fetched more in Rs. 5963 crore (approximately) deal. "With IPL digital rights being bought by Viacom for Rs. 26,000 crore plus, they now have almost all the high profile cricket properties save IPL linear (TV) and ICC events," a broadcasting industry source, tracking developments closely, told PTI on conditions of anonymity. The rights will come into effect with India's three-match home series against Australia beginning September 22 and end on March 31,

The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G is the latest addition to the company's Z series of smartphones in India. iQoo is pushing the processor and the design as some of the phone's unique selling points. Armed with a more stylish design than the iQoo Z7 5G , should you be considering the new Z7 Pro 5G as your next mid-range purchase? Here's our initial thoughts on the new 5G smartphone. The Z7 Pro 5G comes with the typical bundled accessories, and this includes a 66W power adapter and a transparent case. The charging brick is pretty big and has a USB Type-A port. The phone is priced at Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 22,999, for the 128GB and 256GB variants respectively.  The iQoo Z7 Pro 5G looks very stylish in this Blue Lagoon colour. It's also available in a Graphite Matte colour. It's very light at just 175g and is only 7.36mm thick, giving it a very premium look and in-hand feel. Despite this slim size, iQoo has managed to pack a 4,600mAh battery inside. The body is also IP52 rated to wit

With the impending launch of India’s inaugural solar mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO provided an update on the mission’s status. On August 30, ISRO announced the successful completion of the launch rehearsal and internal assessments of the rocket. The Aditya-L1 spacecraft has been purposefully crafted to allow Indian astrophysicists to remotely examine the Sun, and everything that it entails. This includes some really critical areas such as coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, pre-flare and flare activities, along with their distinct characteristics. Additionally, these investigations will enhance our understanding of space weather dynamics and the behaviour of particles and fields as they propagate through space. A diagram of the Aditya-L1 observatory, with its major payloads and how they are positioned. Image Credit: ISRO To that effect, the Aditya-L1 solar observatory is carrying the following equipment as payload: Visible Emission Line Coronagraph

Bitcoin stepped into Thursday trading in losses. The most expensive cryptocurrency, that incurred a loss of 0.67 percent today, is trading at the price point of $27,190 (roughly Rs. 22.4 lakh). Bitcoin finally was able to break out of its $26,000 (roughly Rs. 21.5 lakh) spell a day ago. Despite today's minor loss, Bitcoin held onto its risen value. In the last 24 hours, BTC value slipped by $306 (roughly Rs. 25,292). Ether joined Bitcoin on the loss-registering side of the crypto price chart on Thursday. Dipping by 1.15 percent, Ether is currently trading at the price point of $1,699 (roughly Rs. 1.40 lakh). Over the last 24 hours, losses reduced Ether's price by $19 (roughly Rs. 1,570). “BTC seems to have lost the momentum it had gained after Grayscale's historic win against the SEC. However, analysts predict a 75 percent chance that Bitcoin ETFs will get approval this year. The SEC is also expected to rule on the ETF applications submitted by other players like BlackRo

The Aditya-L1 solar observatory is all set to be launched on board the PSLV-C57 rocket tomorrow, from Sriharikota. Once it reaches its destination, the Lagrange Point 1 or L1 as it is also known, the observatory will get to work, and collect an immense trove of data from the sun, on a daily basis. The Aditya-L1 is expected to start collecting and transmitting data from January 2024. As per a report by the Hindu, just the main instrument on board the Aditya-L1 observatory, which is called the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph or VELC, will transmit a total of 1,440 ultra-high-resolution images of the sun every day to ISRO’s ground stations. VELC, the main instrument on board Developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) located in Bengaluru, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) possesses the capability to consistently observe the sun’s corona from a significant vantage point known as Lagrange point 1 (L1), positioned approximately 1.5 million km away from Earth. Ac

Apple is testing the use of 3D printers to produce the steel chassis used by some of its upcoming smartwatches, according to people with knowledge of the matter, heralding a major change to how the company manufactures products. The technique would obviate the need to cut large slabs of metal into the product's shape. That would reduce the time it takes to build devices while also helping the environment by using less material, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan is private. The new approach has the potential to streamline Apple's supply chain and kick off a broader shift. If the work with Apple Watch  models goes to plan, the tech giant will look to expand the process to more products over the next several years, the people said. A spokeswoman for the Cupertino, California-based company declined to comment. To date, Apple has used a more conventional manufacturing approach for its stainless-steel watches, which account for about 10 perc

When you have 40K to spare for a smartphone, you get plenty of options to choose from. With more choice comes more confusion. But that’s where we come in to closely analyse all the candidates and shortlist the five best options in this budget. We have chosen phones with premium features like flagship-grade processors, high-quality cameras with OIS, high refresh rate AMOLED displays and more. Time to take a look at the best smartphones you can buy under Rs 40,000 this month. Best phones to buy under Rs 40,000 in India OnePlus 11R 5G The OnePlus 11R 5G may not have all the bells and whistles of the flagship OnePlus 11 5G, but it is no pushover either, and probably offers better value at its selling price. It also borrows a lot of goodness from its flagship sibling including the design. This stylish phone looks just like the 11 5G from the front and back, barring the placement of the front camera and a missing Hasselblad logo at the back. The OnePlus 11R has a 6.74-inch curved display

Apple on Tuesday confirmed that it would host its next launch event, titled 'Wonderlust' on September 12. The company's rumoured iPhone 15 series of smartphones is expected to make its debut at the event. Apple is tipped to bring noteworthy hardware upgrades to the iPhone lineup this year such as a periscope camera to the Pro series and a new programmable 'Action' button. The Cupertino company could also launch the Apple Watch Series 9 and a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, as well as a version of the second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB Type-C port, according to recent reports. From Apple's announcement of its next launch event to the products expected to debut in the coming weeks, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming 'Wonderlust' event that will take place on September 12. Apple 'Wonderlust' event and expected software updates The next Apple event is titled 'Wonderlust' and will take place on September 1

What are the biggest movies releasing in September 2023? Shah Rukh Khan headlines the biggest treat in Indian cinema this month with Jawan , an action-thriller which sees him in the role of an emotional vigilante, on a mission to rectify the wrongs in society. Marking the first Hindi-language film for director Atlee, it drops September 7 in cinemas. A bit before that, prime yourself for a warm tale of brotherhood, as a pair of bickering siblings unite to attend a secret party, while their mother is out of town. Starring Babil Khan - the son of the late Irrfan Khan - in the lead, Friday Night Plan releases September 1 on Netflix . On the Hollywood side, Denzel Washington is back to serve heavy-handed justice on behalf of the needy in The Equalizer 3, as he tests his odds against the Italian mafia. The final chapter co-stars Dakota Fanning, who reunites with the celebrated actor nearly 20 years after the 2004 film Man on Fire when she was a child. The film is out September 1 in th

After numerous rounds of speculation, Apple has at last officially unveiled the much-awaited launch date for its upcoming iPhone 15 series. Mark your calendars for September 12, as the company will be hosting the anticipated Wonderlust event. To ensure widespread access, the event will be live-streamed across Apple’s official platforms, including YouTube and its own official website. For those tuning in from India, the event is set to kick off at 10:30 PM. As has become an annual tradition, Apple consistently uses its September event as a platform to unveil its latest iPhone iterations. This year appears to be no exception. Enthusiasts can look forward to the grand revelation of the cutting-edge iPhone 15 series, accompanied by the introduction of the newest Apple Watch lineup. iPhone 15 series Out of all the products slated for launch on the notable date of September 12, it’s quite likely that the iPhone 15 non-pro models will garner the highest sales, judging by the company’s con

Bitcoin, after weeks of trading at a stagnated price point of around $26,000 (roughly Rs. 21.5 lakh), finally has managed to break out of its resistance point. On Wednesday, Bitcoin reflected a substantial gain of 5.30 percent to trade at $27,496 (roughly Rs. 22.7 lakh). In the last 24 hours, the most expensive cryptocurrency jumped by $1,409 (roughly Rs. 1.16 lakh). As per experts, this price action for BTC has resulted from the liquidation of around $75 million (roughly Rs. 620 crore) across exchanges in short positions. Ether price also rose notably by 3.81 percent stepping into Wednesday. At the time of writing, ETH was trading at $1,718 (roughly Rs. 1.41 lakh). The value of ETH rose by $65 (roughly Rs. 5,370) over the last day. "This tremendous positive growth could be attributed to the US Court ruling with Grayscale in a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission about the company's application to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust to an ETF. This develop

It seems that India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission is a gift that keeps on giving. After sharing reports about the varying temperature of the soil at the lunar south pole a couple of days ago, ISRO shared an update last night that is set to have huge ramifications on India’s space program, as well as on those in other countries. The Pragyran Rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has found traces of aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and most importantly, oxygen in the soil of the Moon. ISRO has also found sulphur in the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 Mission: In-situ scientific experiments continue ….. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument onboard the Rover unambiguously confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) in the lunar surface near the south pole, through first-ever in-situ measurements.… pic.twitter.com/vDQmByWcSL — ISRO (@isro) August 29, 2023 What Chandrayaan-3 has found on the Moon ISRO also confirmed that it has found sulphur in the