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Budget itel smartphone with face unlock feature in India

China-based Transsion Holdings' itel Mobile on Monday launched "A44 Power" smartphone with face unlock feature for Rs 5,999 in India.

Microsoft working with Apple to fix Windows 10 iCloud bug

It seems Microsoft's finding it difficult to push out a stable Windows 10 October Update. The company has now announced that it is working with Apple to tackle one particular bug in the new iteration of the software.In its support forum, Microsoft said that Apple has identified an incompatibility with iCloud for Windows (version 7.7.0.27) where users may experience issues with updating or synching albums.Now, the company is working with Apple to provide a compatible version of iCloud for Windows 10, version 1809 in an upcoming release. Until then, users are encouraged not to update manually.

Researchers use VR to simulate black hole

In a bid to better understand how black holes behave, researchers have created a virtual reality (VR) simulation of Sagittarius A, the black hole at the centre of our galaxy.

Now create, share personalised responses for Alexa in India

Amazon on Monday released "Alexa Skill Blueprints" allowing users to create personalised skills and responses for its voice-based assistant Alexa in India.

NASA bids final adieu to Kepler Space Telescope

The out-of-fuel Kepler Space Telescope has been officially put to sleep by NASA.NASA sent a series of "goodnight" commands on November 15, the death anniversary of the mission's namesake German astronomer Johannes Kepler.The final set of commands were to disconnect communications with Earth, NASA explained in its tweet.The telescope helped scientists learn about more Earth-size planets in the space. It discovered over 2,000 exoplanets since it first headed to space in 2009 before running out of fuel and retiring.

New tech regulation 'inevitable,' Apple CEO says

Apple CEO Tim Cook predicts that new regulations of tech companies and social networks to protect personal data are "inevitable." In an interview with news website Axios being broadcast Sunday on HBO television, Cook said he expected the US Congress would take up the matter. "Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of regulation," Cook said in an excerpt released by Axios. "I'm a big believer in the free market. But we have to admit when the free market is not working. And it hasn't worked here. I think it's inevitable that there will be some level of regulation. "I think the Congress and the administration at some point will pass something." Cook has previously been a proponent of self-regulation, especially as concerns user data protection. But following the scandal that saw data consultancy Cambridge Analytica obtain data from millions of Facebook users, Cook said the industry was now "beyond" the scope of self-regulation. Facebook has been trying to fend off concerns about how well

Google best Search engine, we keep Safari safe: Tim Cook

Google Search engine -- the default platform for iOS users -- is the best, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said, adding that the company has put proper controls in its Safari web browser to safeguard users' data.

New VR simulation lets you explore supermassive black hole

Scientists have created a virtual reality (VR) simulation of Sagittarius A* -- the black hole at the centre of our galaxy -- that allows viewers to better visualise the phenomenon. Scientists at Radboud University in The Netherlands and Goethe University in Germany used recent astrophysical models of Sagittarius A* to create a series of images that were then put together to create a 360 degree virtual reality simulation of the black hole, that can be viewed on widely available VR consoles. "Our virtual reality simulation creates one of the most realistic views of the direct surroundings of the black hole and will help us to learn more about how black holes behave," said Jordy Davelaar, corresponding author of the study published in the journal Computational Astrophysics and Cosmology. "Travelling to a black hole in our lifetime is impossible, so immersive visualisations like this can help us understand more about these systems from where we are," said Davelaar. Researchers also ...

Indian businesses fast adopting Oracle's 'self-driving' database

Big and small enterprises the world over are looking for Cloud-based solutions that simplify and organise their data in a way it can be easily accessed, managed and updated. For this to happen, the companies need databases that are agile, scalable, secure and cost-friendly.

Apple may delete 'WhatsApp Stickers' from App Store

Apple may delete all "WhatsApp Stickers" from the App Store as these apps have found to be violating the company's guidelines for developers, according to WABetaInfo -- a fan website that tracks upcoming WhatsApp features.

Google News may shut down in EU over 'link tax'

Google may shut down its Google News service in the European Union (EU) if a proposed "link tax" for using news stories comes into force in member countries, The Guardian reported.

Scientists send electrons through vacuum

Revolutionising transistor technology by sending electrons through a vacuum, a team led by an Indian-origin scientist in Australia has unveiled a device that eliminates the use of semiconductors, making it faster and less prone to heating up.

Facebook seeks to patent software to analyse who lives with you

Despite facing flak for leakage of personal data of millions of its users in recent times, Facebook is seeking to patent a software that could help it build profile of an user's household - the number of people in the household, the interests that they share, nature of their relationships or even the devices that they use.

Ousted Sri Lankan PM's party asks Facebook to protect users

The ousted Sri Lankanprime minister's party urged Facebook to safeguard the identity of its supporters on the social media platform, fearing information sharing with what it calls the country's "illegal" government can lead to a crackdown against the users. In a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, the United National Party said such information could be used against the users "in ways which are legally prohibited". Party spokesman Piyasena Dissanayaka said Sunday that Facebook blocked its official page ahead of a public rally on Thursday but restored it on Saturday. "It is very likely that officials from the current illegal administration ... may ask Facebook for information on selected Sri Lankan users of Facebook that should rightfully be private," said the letter, sent on Thursday. "Such requests may include information on named individuals, geo locations and other identification details of users who view and post on these pages," the letter said. "It is vital this ...

Microsoft stores start selling Amazon's Echo devices

Following its partnership with Amazon to integrate their two Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered assistants Alexa with Cortana, Microsoft has now started selling Amazon's Echo devices in its retail stores.

Samsung sets up 2019 innovation war with foldable smartphone (Tech Trend)

D.J. Koh, President and CEO at the IT and Mobile Communications Division of Samsung Electronics, knows what boredom can eventually do to technology -- especially to smartphones that are lately witnessing incremental enhancements amid sales slowing down globally.

Facebook logs 68% jump in data requests from Indian govt in H1 2018

Social networking giant Facebook, which has been under scrutiny over fake news and data leaks on its platform in India and other markets, received 16,580 requests for data from the Indian government during the first six months of 2018, over 68 per cent higher than the year-ago period. According to Facebook Transparency report, the platform offered "some data" in 53 per cent of the cases. "Facebook responds to government requests for data in accordance with applicable law and our terms of service. Each and every request we receive is carefully reviewed for legal sufficiency and we may reject or require greater specificity on requests that appear overly broad or vague," the report said. The report revealed that the total requests for data from Indian government stood at 16,580 between January to June 2018, against 12,171 similar requests logged in July to December of 2017 and 9,853 requests registered in January to June of 2017. Facebook, which has over 200 million users in India, ...

Ethical Artificial Intelligence a pressing need: UN expert

While digital solutions like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are transforming lives, these also raises concerns, ranging from security to human rights abuses, says an expert.

Sundram Fasteners Ltd bags Deming Prize

: City-based Sundram Fasteners Ltd part of the USD 7.2 billion TVS Group, has bagged the Deming Prize for all its 17 plants across the country. The Deming Prize is presented by the Union of Japanese scientists and engineers annually to companies that have achieved breakthrough results by the application of TQM (Total Quality Management) at the manufacturing units. The total quality management drive in Sundram Fasteners Ltd is an initiative by its Managing Director, Arathi Krishna. "It is especially gratifying that SFL has managed to simultaneously win the Deming Prize for all its 17 different plants which cover a range of technologies", she said. "Winning this award is a confirmation of the practice that we have been implementing at all our plants", she said. Sundram Fasteners Ltd had bagged TPM Excellence award in 1998, becoming the first in the engineering industry to achieve this feat, the release added.

Twitter confirms third-party involvement in crypto hackings

Micro-blogging site Twitter has confirmed that a third party software provider is responsible for the series of cryptocurrency-related hackings on its platform.