Page 374 - Technology Internet
Cambridge Analytica suspended head to appear at UK committee
British lawmakers investigating the use of Facebook users' data in political campaigns said today that the suspended head of the now-defunct consultancy Cambridge Analytica has accepted a summons to appear before a committee. Parliament's media committee said Alexander Nix had accepted a summons to appear June 6. He had refused to appear before the committee last month, citing the ongoing investigation into the firm. Separately, it was announced that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will meet with leaders of the European Parliament in a closed-door meeting next Tuesday about the data protection scandal that has engulfed his company. Even though his visit had been announced, it was left unclear exactly when Zuckerberg would visit the European Union's legislature. The EU and British parliaments have been calling for Zuckerberg to appear before them for weeks ever since it emerged that Cambridge Analytica had been allowed to misuse the data of millions of Facebook users. The EU meeting ...
China's first private rocket takes off
A Chinese based space startup, OneSpace has created history after it became the country's first private company to launch its own rocket.OneSpace said that it launched its OS-X rocket, measuring 9 meters tall successfully took off from a base in north-western China.The startup company has tied up with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, a state-owned company to collect data for a research project for this mission.CEO and founder of OneSpace Shu Chang told CNNMoney, before the launch of the rocket, "This is the first rocket developed and built entirely with homegrown technology. OneSpace's situation right now is very much like where SpaceX stood in its early years. SpaceX is the first in the US. We're the first in China."Although OneSpace is a private space company, it does have a tie-up with Chinese government authorities.The startup works with Chinese military institutions on research and development and technical services. It also has a manufacturing plant, partly owned by ..
Govt allows eSIMs, hikes mobile connections limit to 18 per persons
Mobile users will not need to buy a new SIM while changing service provider or buying a new connection, according to new guidelines issued by the Department of Telecom to allow use of embedded SIMs (eSIM). The eSIM will be installed in the device and details of service providers can be updated in it at the time a customer buys a new connection or changes operator or wants to buy standalone service from a telecom operator like data or calling etc. "To cater the needs of modern technological developments in M2M/IoT, it has been decided to permit the use of "Embedded-Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) with both single and multiple profile configurations with over the air subscription update facility, as the case may be, as per prevailing global specifications and standards," the DoT said. The guidelines have been issued five days after Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel started selling Apple Watch Series 3 which has eSIM service. Users of Apple Watch Series 3 can connect their eSIM with SIM ..
Facebook launches global project to fight election interference
In a bid to prevent its platform from being abused during elections, Facebook on Thursday announced a partnership with Washington-based Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab that will independently monitor disinformation and other vulnerabilities in elections globally, including in India.
Facebook received over 22K data requests from Indian govt in 2017
Facebook received more than 22,000 requests from the Indian government for data in 2017, the second highest globally after the US, the social networking giant said. The company in its Transparency Report said it had received 9,853 total requests in January-June 2017, followed by 12,171 requests in the later half of the year. This is about 62 per cent higher than 2016 when the Indian government made 13,613 such requests. According to the half-yearly report, Facebook -- which is the second largest userbase for the social networking giant -- received 12,171 requests from Indian government agencies for 17,262 users/accounts in the second half of 2017. It had produced some data in 53 per cent of the requests made. Facebook had received over 65,000 government requests for user data in the US in 2017. Globally, it had received over 1.6 lakh requests in 2017 as compared to about 1.23 lakh requests in the previous year. The company said it responds to government requests for data in accordance
India to be among fastest adopters of AI based services: COAI
Telecom industry body COAI said today that India will be one of the early adopters of artificial intelligence (AI) based services. AI is a crucial enabler for achieving the national goals in the areas of healthcare, education and capacity building, COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said in a statement. "With a positive ecosystem, driven by better connectivity and a financially robust sectoral health, AI will unveil possibilities hitherto unparalleled," he said on the World Telecom and Information Society Day. UN telecom body ITU, in its message, said: "Enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for All is the theme of WTISD-18 and will focus on the potential of AI to accelerate the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals." The recently released draft of the new telecom policy, branded as National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018 , has also proposed provisions to encourage AI. It lists "creating a roadmap for emerging technologies and its use in the ...
OnePlus 6 with all-glass design now in India
With the aim to make a dent in the premium smartphone market, Chinese player OnePlus on Thursday launched its flagship OnePlus 6 in India -- a first in the OnePlus' line-up featuring an all-glass design.
Russia-based Kaspersky Lab to transfer customers' data to Zurich by 2019
After facing a US ban, Russia-based Kaspersky Lab on Thursday announced to move its core customer data storage and processing processes for most regions to Zurich, Switzerland, by 2019 -- at a time when the European Union (EU) gets ready to introduce a new data privacy law.
CBI books its software programmer for amassing illegal assets
An assistant programmer of the CBI, who was arrested for allegedly selling an illicit software to penetrate 'tatkal' railway ticket reservation, has been booked in a fresh case for amassing assets to the tune of Rs 96.09 lakh which were disproportionate to his legitimate sources of income, officials said today. Ajay Garg, who was posted as assistant programmer in the CBI headquarters before his arrest in December last year for allegedly coding and selling the illegal railway ticket booking software, had amassed assets to the tune of Rs 1.46 crore during a six-year tenure between 2011 to 2017 in the agency, they claimed. Garg had earlier worked with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) for four years between 2007-11 where he learnt the vulnerabilities of the railway ticketing system, sources said. During the probe it emerged that the legitimate income earned by him during the period was Rs 79.29 lakh whereas expenses were in the range of Rs 29.59 lakh. The agency
Mamata raises voice against Internet misuse
On the occasion of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that social media should not be used to spread negativity.
Vivo V9 now in sapphire blue variant in India
Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Thursday introduced its latest flagship Vivo V9 in a sapphire blue colour variant for Rs 22,990.
Electronic 'rescue dog' can sniff out people trapped in debris
Scientists have developed a measuring device with small and extremely sensitive gas sensors that can find people trapped under debris, just like trained rescue dogs. The sensors developed by researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland can detect acetone, ammonia, and isoprene - all metabolic products that we emit in low concentrations via our breath or skin. These were combined with two commercial sensors for CO2 and moisture, to create a device useful when searching for entrapped people. To test the device, researchers used a test chamber at the University of Innsbruck in the UK as an entrapment simulator. Volunteers each remained in this chamber for two hours. "The combination of sensors for various chemical compounds is important, because the individual substances could come from sources other than humans. CO2, for example, could come from either a buried person or a fire source," said Andreas Guntner, lead author of the study published in the journal Analytical Chemistry. The ...
This is the $4,500 iPhone X with a solar charger
If you want an iPhone but want to go greener than Apple is, then you may want to take a look at this customized version of the iPhone X which comes with a solar charger at the back.Russian accessory maker Caviar is selling the custom version of the smartphone, called the iPhone X Tesla, with solar charger for an eye-watering $4,500, The Verge reports.The iPhone X Tesla doesn't come with any reworked internals. In fact, it is equipped with a thick phone case that attaches directly onto the device. The case has a solar panel that powers a secondary battery for additional backup.The case comes with IP67 water and dust resistance.Interestingly, the iPhone X Tesla comes with the engraving 'Made on Earth by Humans', similar to the Tesla Roadster which SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sent in space.There will be only 999 units of the iPhone X Tesla. The 64GB version is priced at $4,555, while the 256GB model will cost $4,805 with additional taxes and duties.
OnePlus 6 with iPhone X notch announced, to arrive on May 22
After months of leaks and teasers, OnePlus 6 was officially announced at an event in London on Wednesday.The OnePlus 6 features a glass body design and comes with the famed iPhone X-like notch on the top. While the smartphone features the notch, it allows users the option to hide it. It also maintains the bezel-less philosophy by getting rid of the bottom bezel as well.Other specifications include a 6.28-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, 6GB/8GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB/256GB of internal storage, 16-megapixelmegapixel dual cameras at the back, 16-megapixel front camera, and 3,300mAh battery, Cnet reports.OnePlus 6 comes with Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box but it can also run Android P beta version.It is priced at USD 529 for the base model, USD 579 for the 128GB model, and USD 629 for the 256GB version. It will be available online starting May 22.
Redesigned Google News app now available on iOS
Google recently revamped its Google News app, which is now finally available for iOS devices.The redesigned Google News app replaces the older Google Play Newsstand app and boasts the Material Design as one of its highlights.It further comes with AI-based personalisation, Ars Technica reported.The interface divides the content in four core sections with a dedicated tab for your personalised content, a headlines tab, a favourite tab, and a newsstand tab.Google says the redesigned app is available in 127 countries.
Instagram will tell you how much time you spend
After YouTube, Instagram will also be showing you the amount of time you spend (or waste) scrolling endlessly on the platform.Instagram's Android app has a code buried inside for Usage Insights feature. It will show you the the time spent on the platform, TechCrunch reports.It is not clear if it will show the total time or based on day, week or month. However, it will provide users with measurement of their time on the platform and in turn, also help the company better analyse the usage pattern to further provide a tailored experience.The feature is currently unlaunched, however, the company has confirmed that it is indeed working on user insights.The hidden code also reveals other upcoming features on Instagram including an Emoji Bar that lets you add most popular emoji with a single tap, and an @ button to help you tag others easily.
Facebook Stories get new archive, audio message feature and more
Facebook wants everyone to adopt its native Stories feature, starting with India. The company has introduced three new features to lure more users to try out the disappearing photo and video format borrowed from rival Snapchat.The new feature will be rolled out to other markets later. One of the features allows you to put up audio posts, which essentially combines a voice message with a colored background or photo, TechCrunch reports.The second feature brings an Archive feature to Facebook Stories. Similar to Instagram Stories, you will be able to save your clips privately after they expire from the Stories feed.Lastly, you will be able to privately save the clips from the Facebook Camera directly to the social network instead of the phone to save storage on the device.
Fyle launches India's first expense management app
SaaS-based expense management software startup Fyle Technologies Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of Fyle Lite, India's first expense management app designed exclusively for employees to make expense reporting intuitive, effortless and simple.Fyle's unique ML powered data extraction technology extracts expense data from all kinds of receipts, be it electronic or paper, with a single click. Fyle is integrated with various apps like GSuite, Outlook and other services that employees use on a daily basis and makes sure employees never lose track of their business expenses.Designed for enterprises, Fyle has already helped transform employee reimbursement process at some of the world's top enterprises like Edelweiss Tokio Insurance Limited, Freshworks and Hero Group.Fyle Lite extends the same experience to employees of companies that do not use Fyle yet. Employees can easily create an expense report in PDF format, CSV format or as an excel sheet that can be sent to their managers and accounts
Samsung leads flagship segment in India, logs 49.2% share in Q1
Defying the competition from Chinese players, Samsung has become the leader in the Indian flagship smartphone market, garnering 49.2 per cent share in the first quarter of 2018, the German research firm GfK revealed on Thursday.
Google brings AI-powered 'Google News' to iOS
Keeping up with the promise made at its I/O Developer Conference last week, Google has now officially rolled out its "Google News" for iOS, the media reported.