TECHNOLOGY
US lawmakers grill Snap, TikTok, YouTube over child safety
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, told the companies that everything they do is to add users, especially kids and keep them on apps for longer, reports CNET. Blumenthal said he has heard from parents about the "rabbit hole" teenagers go down when they log onto Snap, TikTok and YouTube. His office, which created accounts on TikTok and YouTube as part of their own research, also found that extreme dieting and eating disorder content is easy to find on these platforms.
JioPhone to drive next wave of smartphone revolution: Sundar Pichai
The upcoming JioPhone Next smartphone will house Pragati OS, powered by Android, which is touted as a world-class operating system built specifically for India. "People are looking for access and there's definitely been a wave of them who have adopted smartphones (in India)," Pichai said during the earnings call after announcing robust quarterly results late on Tuesday. "There is still demand to shift from feature phones to smartphones. JioPhone Next is like building a phone beyond the English-speaking community and going local, doing it in a way that many more people can take advantage of a smartphone," he elaborated.
Users can now transfer WhatsApp chats from iOS to Pixel, Android 12 phones
This feature is already available on Samsung Galaxy devices but unlike with Samsung phones, where the feature is available on devices running Android 10 and above, here it is limited to phones with Android 12. "You can safely transfer your chat history and memories from your WhatsApp account on iPhone to Android. We worked closely with the WhatsApp team to build a new set of capabilities, all designed to make it easier to switch from iPhone to Android and take your WhatsApp history with you," the company said in a statement.
WhatsApp may soon ask users to verify identity to make payments
According to XDA Developers, new strings spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta release suggest that the messenger will require users to upload verification documents to continue using payments on WhatsApp. Currently, when users set up WhatsApp Pay in India, the service only verifies the phone number linked to your bank account to enable UPI-based transactions.
OPPO planning to launch foldable smartphone in Nov: Report
The upcoming OPPO Fold is expected to feature an inward folding design like the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Huawei Mate X2, reports GizmoChina. The device is said to come with an 8-inch LTPO OLED panel that offers a 120W refresh rate. Under the hood, it will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform.
Apple users in India buying more on e-com apps after iOS 14 changes
According to AppsFlyer, a mobile attribution and marketing analytics provider, It appears that affluent users concerned about data privacy in their digital lives may now be more comfortable to make their first e-commerce purchase with Apple "knowing that iOS now gives consumers stricter controls over who has access to their user data".
Blue Origin to build a private space station by 2030
For the project Blue Origin has partnered with spaceflight company Sierra Space, a subsidiary of the Sierra Nevada Corporation, Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University, the company said in statement. "The station will open the next chapter of human space exploration and development by facilitating the growth of a vibrant ecosystem and business model for the future," the statement said.
Huawei's HarmonyOS-powered EV to launch later this year
The car is priced between 388,900 yuan and 429,900 yuan ($60,000 to $66,000) and runs HarmonyOS and related applications powered by a Huawei HiSilicon Kirin processor, reports GizmoChina. Alpha S has been developed in partnership with a unit of state-controlled automaker BAIC Group and it is the result of over a billion dollars worth of investment for research.
Apple iOS 14 privacy changes hitting us hard: Mark Zuckerberg
In an earnings call after posting robust Q3 results, Zuckerberg said late on Monday that the company did experience revenue headwinds this quarter. "Apple's changes are not only negatively affecting our business, but millions of small businesses, and what is already a difficult time for them and the economy," he told the analysts. Facebook has been fiercely critical of the iOS 14 changes since these were introduced some months ago.
YouTube to demonetise low-quality kids' videos from Nov
YouTube channels that primarily target young audiences are classified as "made for kids". "These channels will need to deliver high-quality content and comply with kids-specific monetisation policies," said James Beser, Director of Product Management, Kids and Family at YouTube. For example, channels that have predominantly low-quality kids content such as "heavily commercial or promotional" or "encouraging negative behaviours or attitudes" may be suspended from YouTube Partner Programme.
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