New Apple iPad 8: Another affordable yet powerful device

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New Apple iPad 8: Another affordable yet powerful device

Apple has introduced the eighth-generation iPad, featuring the powerful A12 Bionic chip, at an affordable starting price of Rs 29,900 for the Wi-Fi model and Rs 41900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

The eighth-generation iPad with the A12 Bionic chip aims to deliver a huge leap in performance, with 40 percent faster CPU performance and twice the graphics capability.

“With its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, the performance boost from the A12 Bionic, great cameras, and so much more, the new iPad is an incredible value at a time when, more than ever, our customers need powerful and versatile ways to work, play, learn, and connect with loved ones,” Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing said in a statement on Tuesday.

For the first time on iPad, A12 Bionic introduces the Neural Engine for next-level machine learning capabilities, including people occlusion and motion tracking in augmented reality (AR) apps, enhanced photo editing, Siri performance, and more.

In combination with A12 Bionic, the iPad also supports Apple Pencil, LTE connectivity as well as Touch ID support.

The new iPad comes in silver, space grey, as well as gold finishes in 32GB and 128GB configurations.

iPadOS 14 is available for all supported iPad models including the new eighth-generation iPad.

In addition, Apple Pencil (1st generation), will be available for purchase separately compatible with iPad (8th generation) for Rs 8,500 and Smart Keyboard for iPad will cost Rs 13,900 with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.

ShareChat acquires video production firm HPF Films

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ShareChat acquires video production firm HPF Films

Home-grown social media group ShareChat on Wednesday said it had acquired HPF Films, a video production company specialized in digital content.

The acquisition is aimed at helping ShareChat and its short video platform Moj, a TikTok rival, to strengthen their efforts towards building a better content ecosystem, establishing a stronger creator fraternity, and augmenting their advertising solutions for brands, the company said, without disclosing the amount spent for the new acquisition.

Started in 2018, HPF Films has ideated and produced over 3,500 titles across different formats including web-series, digital ads, short films, and documentaries for more than 20 brands like Meesho, OKCredit, ixigo, and Ola among others.

“As ShareChat continues on the aggressive growth journey, it is important for us to invest and build capabilities required to sustain growth on a large base,” Manohar Charan, VP – Corporate Development and Strategic Finance, ShareChat, said in a statement.

“This acquisition will help us build a framework for our creators and nurture them to evolve as influencers on the platform.”

With the acquisition, a 25-member team from HPF Films has already joined ShareChat and will be contributing towards content operations, digital marketing, creative solutions, and creator management for both ShareChat and Moj.

“Given our expertise, we will assist the creators on ShareChat and Moj for better content creation through workshops, training, etc. and strengthen the content operations and ad solutions,” said Navin Lalwani, Chief Operating Officer, and Co-founder, HPF Films.

HPF Films has developed its video production and content capabilities across 12 Indic languages.

Currently, it owns over 100 channels across multiple digital platforms, with a network of more than 120 collaborating artists.

ShareChat said it presently has over 130 million monthly active users, while Moj has over 50 million monthly active users.

The company last month announced the acquisition of Circle Internet, a hyperlocal information platform.

RS passes Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill

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RS passes Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill

The Rajya Sabha passed the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020. The Bill seeks to merge three Ayurveda institutes into one institution — Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda. The Bill declares the institute to be an institution of national importance.

The Bill was moved by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in the absence of Ayush Minister Sripad Naik, who is recovering from Covid-19.

Harsh Vardhan said, “The ministry is giving deemed university status to the institutes in various parts of the country and the matter is referred to the UGC and Education Ministry.”

The Minister said that there are 103 institutes of national importance, but there was none in Ayurveda. He said the Jamnagar institute has been chosen because this is one of the oldest institutes of the country founded by the Government of India in 1956.

Many MPs from the TRS, Bodoland People’s Front, AIADMK, CPM, BSP, and others demanded similar institutes in other states also.

The Chairman, M. Venkiah Naidu, said, “The minister should take into consideration the demand of such institutes in every state.”

Congress leader L. Hanumanthiah raised objections during the discussion. He said, “Why Gujarat is given so much importance and Kerala should also be given prominence, which is a pioneer of the Ayurveda.”

While Thambidurai AIADMK member supported the Bill, he demanded a National Institute of Siddha in Tamil Nadu.

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal raised the issue of mental health and said House the mental counseling is needed in COVID times.

RJD MP Manoj Jha demanded a regulator for the Ayurvedic medicines so that no misuse takes place. He cited the claims made by Ramdev that he has made medicine for Covid-19.

The Bill seeks three institutes to be merged — the Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Jamnagar, and, the Indian Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Sciences, all in Jamnagar.

The proposed Institute will be situated in the campus of Gujarat Ayurveda University, Jamnagar.

The Institute will be developed on the patterns of teaching in medical education in Ayurveda and pharmacy, bring together educational facilities for training of personnel in all branches of Ayurveda, and attain self-sufficiency in postgraduate education to meet the need for specialists and medical teachers in Ayurveda, also make an in-depth study and research in the field of Ayurveda.

The Bill provides that the Institute will consist of 15 members and the Director of the Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar will be appointed as the first Director of the Institute.

The Bill states that there will be a Governing Body of the Institute, which will exercise powers and such functions of the Institute, as specified.

2,273 new Covid cases, 12 deaths in Telangana

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2,273 new Covid cases, 12 deaths in Telangana

Telangana on Wednesday reported 2,273 new Covid-19 cases, taking the state’s tally to over 1.62 lakh.

During the last 24 hours, 12 people succumbed to the virus, pushing the death toll to 996. The case fatality rate in the state stands at 0.61 percent against the national average of 1.63 percent.

The majority of the new cases were reported from Hyderabad and surrounding districts. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) reported 325 new cases, up from 277 the previous day. Its neighboring districts Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri reported a daily jump of 185 and 164 cases respectively. Sangareddy, another district bordering the state capital, recorded 58 cases.

Outside Hyderabad and surrounding districts, Nalgonda topped the list with 175 cases followed by Karimnagar (122), Warangal Urban (114), Khammam (97), Nizamabad (91), and Siddipet (91).

The state also saw 2,260 people recovering from the virus during the same period. With this, the total number of recoveries have gone up to 1,31,447.

The state’s recovery rate has further improved to 80.71 percent against the national average of 78.52 percent.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 30,401 including 23,569 in-home/institutional isolation.

According to the director of public health, 70 percent of 1,62,844 cases reported so far in the state were asymptomatic.

The authorities conducted 55,636 tests during the last 24 hours ending 8 p.m. Tuesday. With this, the number of samples tested so far mounted to 21,76,222.

A total of 17 government and 38 private laboratories and 1,076 rapid antigen tests tested 55,636 samples, including 24,480 primary and 6,676 secondary contacts. However, no break-up of RT PCR and rapid antigen tests were available.

The state health authorities said samples tested per million population improved further to 61,310. This is much higher than the daily testing target of 5,600 per day as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmark of 140 per million per day.

Age-wise COVID positive details show that 65.23 percent of those tested positive were in the age group of 21-50 years. The officials said that the ratio of those above 51 years dropped to 21.82 percent against the earlier 24.71 percent. Those below 20 years are now 12.95 percent against 10 percent earlier.

Officials said 64.83 percent of those tested positive were male while the remaining 38.17 percent were female.

Out of 20,396 beds under the government, 17,823 beds are vacant, including 1,491 ICU beds.

The number of private hospitals treating COVID patients rose to 224 with the government’s 20 more hospitals added to the list. They have 11,288 beds, out of which 7,029 are vacant.

Google unveils new Meet hardware for efficient video chats

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Google unveils new Meet hardware for efficient video chats

Google has partnered with Lenovo to launch a new Meet hardware lineup for video conferencing at the post-pandemic workplaces.

Called ‘Google Meet Series One’, the new hardware includes a camera, soundbar with eight mics, and touchscreen remote.

“Series One comes with the best of Google AI built-in. People can join meetings touch-free with their voice, enjoy studio-grade audio through enhanced noise cancellation, and benefit from smart capabilities like automatic participant framing,” said TJ Varghese, product manager at Google.

Series One offers TrueVoice, multi-channel noise cancellation, and voice amplification technology that minimizes distractions.

The Smart Audio Bar uses 8 beam-forming microphones and the largest kit configuration can process up to 44 channels simultaneously.

“All Series One room kits take advantage of the same tech used in Google’s data centers, built right into the Meet Compute System and Smart Audio Bar,” Varghese said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Each Series One kit includes a regular or extra-large true 4K smart camera that captures every detail, with the Smart Camera XL featuring 20.3MP and a 4.3x zoom.

The Computer System in Series One is purpose-built for Meet on Chrome OS, making it easy to install and keep up to date.

“Everything is securely managed through the Google Admin console, including device setup, status checks, and minor issue resolution without ever having to visit the room,” Google said.

As room sizes change, kits can be expanded with more mic pods and an add-on audio bar for room-filling, stereo sound.

The company said that the hardware is always running the latest firmware, security patches, and new innovations.

“For extra peace of mind, Series One kits come with three years of Lenovo Premier Support,” Google added.

Coffee in Q: NZ keeper hones her barista skills

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Coffee in Q: NZ keeper hones her barista skills

New Zealand wicket-keeper batswoman Katey Martin is working on her barista skills as the team approaches the end of their first week in quarantine ahead of their limited-overs series in Australia.

The team is in a Bio bubble for the first two weeks of the tour where they will train and prepare for the first of the three T20Is against Australia starting on September 26 at the Allan Border Field.

Following the three T20Is, the teams will play three ODIs with the Rose Bowl trophy up for grabs.

Martin has set up a coffee machine in her room and provides a coffee-drop service to teammates. “I have brought a coffee machine and have been making coffee. I love my coffee and I am pleased that I brought my coffee machine here,” the wicketkeeper said.

“I have been watching a few Netflix shows and spending time in my room during the quarantine period,” she added.

She has been working closely with fellow wicket-keeper Natalie Dodd who returns to the White Ferns after showing strong domestic form.

“I think it’s important to pass on some tips, Doddy’s been brilliant. I love to chat, so she’s had to listen to me… but she’s helped me with some technical stuff as well,” Martin said as per as NZC media release.

Martin is looking forward to taking on Australia in their backyard.

“We get the bit between the teeth when we play Aussie, I’m confident we can get up, six games to play, so hopefully we can make it six from six,” said Martin.

The upcoming limited-overs series between Australia Women and New Zealand will also be the first since the outbreak of novel coronavirus which will see the presence of fans inside the stadium.

“A limited number of fans will be admitted to Allan Border Field, with the maximum attendance determined by current Queensland health and government guidelines which cap the attendance at 50 percent of the venue’s capacity,” said a report in cricket.com.au.

“The ground will be split into six zones with fans only allowed to sit in the section specified on their ticket,” it added.

Squads:

Australia: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (VC), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry*, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa *subject to fitness

New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Natalie Dodd, Deanna Doughty, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jenson, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin

Manmohan, Chidambaram to skip Parliament proceedings

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Manmohan, Chidambaram to skip Parliament proceedings

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram have sought leave for remaining absent for the session on health grounds.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkiah Naidu sought the nod of the House to grant leaves.

Apart from Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram, Oscar Fernandes, Navneeth Krishnan, Narendra Jadhav, and Sushil Gupta have also sought leave.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Meenakshi Lekhi, Anant Kumar Hegde, and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma are among 17 Members of Parliament (MPs) have tested positive for coronavirus in the mandatory tests conducted before the Monsoon Session of Parliament which began on Monday.

As many as 12 MPs from the BJP the most from any party in Lok Sabha, were found infected with the disease during the test followed by the YSR Congress’ two MPs and one each of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Shiv Sena, and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party.

Others who have been detected Covid-19 positive include Pratap Rao Jadav, Janardan Singh, Sukhbir Singh, Hanuman Beniwal, Sukanata Majumdar, Goddeti Madhavi, Bidyut Baran, Pradan Baruah, N. Reddeppa, Selvam G., Pratap Rao Patil, Ram Shankar Katheria, Satya Pal Singh and Rodmal Nagar.

BJP’s Belagavi MP and Union junior minister for Railways Suresh Angadi will definitely give the monsoon session a miss as he has tested COVID-positive. Though he said he continues to remain “fine” and “asymptomatic”, attending the House is out of the question for the Minister.

Meanwhile, Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, was on Saturday discharged from a Panaji hospital after being admitted for the same deadly virus, for a month. In fact, his situation turned serious following which a central team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences was monitoring his health. However, it’s very unlikely that the 67-year-old minister will attend the Parliament session.

Meanwhile, at least seven Trinamool Congress MPs including its Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Shukhendu Sekhar Roy have decided to give the monsoon session a miss. “I wrote to the House Chairman informing that I will not be attending this session primarily due to two reasons: my age and the order of the Home Secretary during unlocking, asking people above 65 years of age to stay indoors, which I have enclosed. As lawmakers, we cannot be lawbreakers,” Roy told IANS.

India’s Covid-19 cases cross 50 lakh-mark

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India’s Covid-19 cases cross 50 lakh-mark

With a massive spike of 90,123 cases, including 1,290 deaths in 24 hours, India’s tally on Wednesday crossed the grim mark of 50 lakh, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total corona tally stands at 50,20,359 cases.

On July 17, India had logged 10 lakh cases, which then doubled to 20 lakh in 20 days on August 7. The country added another 10 lakh on August 23 and went past 40 lakh on September 5. In 11 days, it added another 10 lakh cases, amounting to 50 lakh cases on Wednesday.

Out of the total cases, 9,95,933 are active, 39,42,360 have been discharged, while 82,066 lost the battle against the viral disease. In the last 24 hours, 82,961 patients were discharged.

While the recovery rate stands at a whopping high of 78.53 percent, the fatality rate has come down to 1.63 percent, the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit with a total of 10,97,856 cases, including 30,409 deaths; followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

On Monday, the ministry asked Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu to ramp up their testing. These are the states whose positivity rates are faring above the national average. Meanwhile, four of these states account for more than half (53.5 percent) of the active cases.

According to the data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India conducted 11,16,842 sample tests in a single day on Tuesday, taking the total number of samples tested so far to 5,94,29,115.

Bill Gates Sr, father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94

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Bill Gates Sr, father of Microsoft co-founder, dies at 94

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has lost his father William H. Gates II, a lawyer, and philanthropist. He was 94.

Gates died peacefully at his beach home in Washington state from Alzheimer’s disease, the family announced Tuesday.

“My dad’s wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world,” Bill Gates wrote in a tribute.

“As I got older, I came to appreciate my dad’s quiet influence on almost everything I have done in life. In Microsoft’s early years, I turned to him at key moments to seek his legal counsel,” Bill Gates added.

He said that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would not be what it is today without his dad.

“More than anyone else, he shaped the values of the foundation. He was collaborative, judicious, and serious about learning”.

“The experience of being the son of Bill Gates was incredible. People used to ask my dad if he was the real Bill Gates. The truth is, he was everything I try to be. I will miss him every day,” he said in the tribute.

Tour de France: Germany’s Lennard Kamna wins Stage 16

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Tour de France: Germany’s Lennard Kamna wins Stage 16

German youngster Lennard Kamna won the Stage 16 of the Tour de France after attacking over the summit of the penultimate climb to distance fellow escapee Richard Carapaz of Ecuador.

Exactly one month after his first pro win on the Criterium du Dauphine, and four days after he narrowly missed out in the Massif Central, Bora-Hansgrohe’s Kamna put in an emphatic display of power and finesse in the Vercors Massif to take a maiden Grand Tour stage win from a large group of 23 riders.

Carapaz cut a lonely figure as he crossed the line 1’27” down to take second place for Ineos Grenadiers, who also saw the Russian Pavel Sivakov take fourth place behind Switzerland’s Sebastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ).

By placing three riders in the day’s break, Ineos Grenadiers displayed aggressive tactics as the British team looked to turn a page following the collapse of defending champion Egan Bernal on the Grand Colombier in Stage 15. For his part, the Colombian definitely checked out of the GC battle by coming home in a gruppetto over 10 minutes behind the yellow jersey group.

Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) was called on to put out a small fire after compatriot Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) lit up the final climb to Villard-de-Lans with an explosive attack. The group of main favorites was eventually led home by Colombia’s Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) almost 17 minutes down on Kamna as Roglic retained his 40-second lead over Pogacar ahead of Wednesday’s queen stage in the Alps.

The 164-km stage from La Tour-du-Pin originally saw Bora-Hansgrohe work for Peter Sagan in his bid to slash his deficit on green jersey Sam Bennett of Deceuninck-Quick Step. But after the Slovakian was unable to infiltrate the day’s break, the focus shifted to the stage spoils with Italy’s Daniel Oss working hard to pave the way for Kamna.

But the 24-year-old Kamna had the measure of the current Giro d’Italia champion, dropping Carapaz near the summit of the Montee de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte with 20km remaining before stretching out his lead on the descent and long drag to the foot of the final rise to the finish.

“I’m feeling great – it’s an absolutely awesome day for me,” Kamna said after the biggest win of his career. “It was from the beginning and I knew I’d have to make it to the finish alone, so when I saw that Carapaz was dropping the speed I thought ‘now is the moment to go’. It’s big for me and a relief for the team. The step I’ve made this year is so huge and I’m blessed to win today.”

Cheaper Apple Watch SE to repeat the success of iPhone SE

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Cheaper Apple Watch SE to repeat the success of iPhone SE

After witnessing the success with its cheaper iPhone SE series, Apple has now launched Watch SE at a more affordable price, featuring the largest Apple Watch display, fall detection, advanced fitness features, and Family Setup with watchOS 7.

Apple Watch SE (GPS) starts at Rs 29,900 and Apple Watch SE (GPS+ Cellular) begins from Rs 33,900. It features a stunning Retina display, with thin borders and curved corners, that is 30 percent larger than Series 3.

As the introduction of the new iPhone SE encouraged users of older phones to upgrade their smartphones, similar can be expected in the case of older Apple Watch users to upgrade to the cheaper yet powerful SE version.

“Apple is democratizing Watch with an affordable version for its billion-plus user base. The device with S5 chip offers robust health and safety capabilities,” said Neil Shah, Vice-President Research at Counterpoint.

Apple Watch SE features the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as Apple Watch Series 6, and with the latest motion sensors and microphone, it offers fall detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, and the Noise app.

With watchOS 7, users can take advantage of powerful new features including Family Setup, which allows kids or older family members without an iPhone to enjoy Apple Watch, plus sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, and new workouts.

“Apple Watch SE combines elements of the Series 6 design with the most essential features of Apple Watch, all at a more affordable price,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

The next-generation always-on altimeter provides real-time elevation all day long by using a new, more power-efficient barometric altimeter, along with GPS and nearby Wi-Fi networks.

This feature allows for the detection of small elevation changes above ground level, up and down to the measurement of 1 foot, and can be shown as a new watch face complication or workout metric.

With Emergency SOS on Apple Watch, customers can quickly and easily call for help and alert emergency services with just a push of a button.

For added personal safety while traveling, users with cellular models of Apple Watch SE can complete international calls to emergency services, regardless of where the device was originally purchased or if the cellular plan has been activated, the company said.

This Ayurveda kit helps in covid cure, says UP’s Ayush Society

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This Ayurveda kit helps in covid cure, says UP’s Ayush Society

A kit of four Ayurveda medicines to counter the coronavirus is being provided by the Uttar Pradesh State Ayush Society.

The kit is being prepared at the direction of the Union Ayush Ministry, says the Ayush Society. It is to be used by the corona patients as well as those having similar symptoms to boost their immunity.

In compliance with the directive, the Ayurveda department in the state has provided the medicine kit to all districts. Officials said a batch of patients who took the medicines saw reports coming negative in seven days. The medicines are effective in enhancing immunity.

According to ministry sources, the medicines cure soreness of the throat and breathing problems.

The kit consists of the Ayush-64 tab, Sanshamani Vati, Anu Tel, and Agastya Haritiki.

Ayurveda expert, Dr. Nirankar Goel, said Ayush-64 and Sanshamani Vati can cure all types of fever.

Sanshamani Vati is an effective remedy for virus infection. Putting one drop of Anu Tel in both nostrils opens stuffy nose, cures throat infection, and eye problem. Agastya Haritiki Avleha cures breathing problems, TB, asthma, and fever.

The medicines have already been tested. They have to be taken for seven days under expert guidance, the doctor said.

Apple set to release iOS 14, iPadOS 14 as free software update

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Apple set to release iOS 14, iPadOS 14 as free software update

Apple was set to officially release iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 on Wednesday (US time) and the updates will automatically be available on devices that currently run iOS 13 or iPadOS 13.

Announced at the WWDC 2020 in June this year, iPadOS 14, the powerful operating system designed specifically for iPad, ships for free with the new eighth-generation iPad and new iPad Air.

It will be available as a free software update for all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later, the company said in a statement late on Tuesday.

The watchOS 7 will also be available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later on September 16 and requires iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14. Not all features like the Blood Oxygen monitoring one will be available on all devices.

The new iOS version is compatible with the iPhone as well as iPod touch models that are compatible with iOS 13 and for iPad users.

The most prominent change in iOS 14 is a redesigned screen.

In iOS 14, Apple users can pin widgets with updating information on the home screen, including calendar and maps mini-programs. Users can drag a widget onto the iPhone home screen, where it will remain.

Users can create a Smart Stack of widgets, which uses on-device intelligence to surface the right widget based on time, location, and activity said Apple.

At the end of the Home, Screen pages are the App Library, a new space that automatically organizes all of a user’s apps into one simple, easy-to-navigate view, and intelligently surfaces apps that may be helpful at the moment.

With Picture-in-Picture support, iPhone users can now watch a video or make a FaceTime call while using another app.

New Memoji options in Messages are even more inclusive and diverse with additional hairstyles, headwear, face coverings, and more.

In iOS 14, Apple Maps makes it easier than ever to navigate and explore with new cycling directions, electric vehicle routing, and curated Guides.

The on-device mode in iOS 14 allows users to experience the features of the app offline for private voice and text translation.

With iOS 14, incoming FaceTime and phone calls and Siri interactions take on an all-new compact design that enables users to stay in the context of what they are doing.

iPhone users will now be able to pin conversations to the top of their messages list.

As for iPadOS 14, it includes most of the new iOS 14 updates, minus the Home Screen redesign.

The biggest change is the new Scribble feature for the Apple Pencil to write on any text field, with the written text converted to typed text.

There are also compact designs for FaceTime and Siri.

Meanwhile, Apple has postponed the full enforcement of privacy practices in iOS 14 software release after Facebook went out in public against those changes.

The feature would require app developers to request users’ permission to track them across apps for advertising purposes. Facebook had complained about the feature, saying it would impact its ad business.

“We are committed to ensuring users can choose whether or not they allow an app to track them,” Apple said in a statement on its developer website earlier this month.

“To give developers time to make necessary changes, apps will be required to obtain permission to track users starting early next year. More information, including an update to the App Store Review Guidelines, will follow this fall”.

Now see up to 49 people, including yourself, in Google Meet

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Now see up to 49 people, including yourself, in Google Meet

Google has introduced a new feature in its Meet app where the users can now see up to 49 people at the same time in the auto and tiled layout options.

In addition, the company has added the ability to see the host of the meeting as a tile on the call.

Both the features are now available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google Accounts.

“Adding yourself as a full tile lets you see yourself better. This can make you feel more like part of the larger group, especially when taking screenshots or photos,” Google said in a blog post on Tuesday.

With this launch, the Meet users will also be able to use a slider to adjust the number of tiles they see.

“You may want to increase the maximum when you have a large group or reduce the number of tiles if you have a weak internet connection,” Google informed.

The slider adjustments are specific to each meeting and it will reset between each meeting.

The features are only available in Meet on the web.

By default, the maximum number of tiles in auto layouts is nine, and in tiled layouts is 16.

At times it can be mentally challenging: Archer on life in a bubble

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At times it can be mentally challenging: Archer on life in a bubble

England pacer Jofra Archer has said staying in a bio-secure bubble can be mentally taxing at times, pointing that lack of time with family for such long spells is not good.

Archer is currently with the England team who are playing Australia in an ODI series. The three-match series is tied at 1-1 with the decider to be played at the Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The fast bowler has become attuned to life in the bubble having spent 87 days in the bio-secure environment this summer, more than any other England player, with only four days off between the West Indies and Pakistan Test series and five during the T20I series against Pakistan.

“At times it can be mentally challenging – it’s going to (feel strange) going home and being normal again as this has become the new normal,” Archer was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

“I’m not sure I’ve got much more bubble left in me for the rest of the year. I haven’t seen my family really since February and we’re in September now.

“The IPL will be most of October and November. Then we’re hopefully going to South Africa (with England),” he said.

Archer will link up with the Rajasthan Royals for the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.

“That only leaves me with a few weeks in December for the rest of the year. When the year turns, I think (England) will then be in the UAE or India.

“Family time is really important, especially when you physically cannot see them. Any time I have I’m going to spend with them,” he continued.

“It is what we set out to do. I remember when we first came into the bubble, we said we wanted a clean sweep of the summer and we have it in sight.”

Committed to Indian market, says Toyota Kirloskar Motor

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Committed to Indian market, says Toyota Kirloskar Motor

Premium automobile manufacturer Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to India as being an integral part of the company’s global strategy.

“We need to protect the jobs we have created and we will do everything possible to achieve this,” the company said in a statement.

“Over our two decades of operations in India, we have worked tirelessly to build a strong competitive local supplier eco-system and develop strong capable human resources. Our first step is to ensure full capacity utilization of what we have created and this will take time.”

The company’s statement comes after a report cited that future investments by the automaker might stop given the high tax incidence in India.

“In wake of the slowdown that has been exaggerated by the Covid-19 impact, the auto industry has been requesting the Government for support to sustain industry through a viable tax structure,” the statement said.

“We remain confident that the government will do everything possible to support the industry and employment. We recognize the strong proactive efforts being made by the Government to support various sectors of the economy and appreciate the fact that it is open to examining this issue despite the current challenging revenue situation.”

The company had started production in 1999 and has 6,500 employees. It has two plants and manufacturers Innova, Fortuner, Yaris, and Camry Hybrid in India.

It imports Vellfire.

Facebook India grants Rs 32cr to help 3,000 small businesses

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Facebook India grants Rs 32cr to help 3,000 small businesses

Facebook India on Tuesday announced a grant of $4.3 million (Rs 32 crore) for more than 3,000 small businesses in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

The grant, which includes both cash and ad credits with cash constituting a larger share, is part of a $100 million global grant for small businesses Facebook announced in March this year as the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread globally.

“The grant program is open to small businesses from all industries and verticals, and businesses do not need to have a Facebook family of apps presence in order to apply. They are also free to do what they wish to do with this grant,” Ajit Mohan, MD, and VP, Facebook India, said in a statement.

Facebook and Instagram also launched capabilities for businesses to drive the discovery and sale of Gift Cards.

“Gift cards will help small businesses reach more potential customers online. They will also help small businesses to get cash flow when they need it the most, and even when physical stores might be shut,” Mohan said.

Configuring gift cards on Facebook and Instagram is free for businesses.

Facebook also released India’s findings of the ‘State of Small Business Report’, an ongoing research collaboration between Facebook, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the World Bank to survey SMBs globally, including India, in the context of Covid-19.

According to the survey, more than a third of operational SMBs on Facebook India expect cash flow to be a challenge in the next few months.

Nearly 41 percent of operational SMBs on Facebook India reported that at least a quarter of their sales are made digitally.

More than half of operational SMBs on Facebook India also said they feel optimistic about the future of their business.

According to Facebook, 180 million small businesses globally use the Facebook family of apps to reach potential customers and build their business.

It means, for every 45 people in the world, there is a small business presence on the Facebook family of apps.

“The 60 million small businesses in India are a key growth driver for the economy, fueling innovation and disruptive business models,” Mohan noted.

The social media giant in April announced to pour in Rs 43,574 crore for a 9.99 percent slice in Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)-led Jio Platforms, underlining its commitment to India and especially small businesses.

How ByteDance bypassed US ban, kept Tiktok secret sauce safe

TB Team
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How ByteDance bypassed US ban, kept Tiktok secret sauce safe

The most valuable asset for ByteDance is the intellectual property (IP) within TikTok and the China-based company has successfully offloaded geopolitics while keeping its secret codes safe by choosing Cloud major Oracle as its trusted tech partner.

The algorithmic models at the core of TikTok for content recommendations are continuously refined over a huge data set that will continue to grow.

In an effort to show some transparency, ByteDance recently unveiled details of how these algorithms work.

“This is a massive competitive moat for ByteDance, and this partnership excludes this item. The company must exclude it because the Chinese government updated its regulated catalog for technology export on August 30, and ByteDance cannot sell the core TikTok IP without permission,” Jeff Pollard, VP, Principal Analyst, said in a Forrester paper on Tuesday.

That makes a deal with some degree of oversight by a US company friendly with the intel community tolerable if it means continued operations in the US market.

“So, as a short-term measure to avoid the forthcoming ban, this partnership makes a great deal of sense, but it doesn’t necessarily end the saga of where TikTok eventually lands,” added a Forrester team of analysts in the paper.

The confirmation by Oracle to become a trusted tech partner of ByteDance came on Monday, a day after Microsoft, which was among the frontrunners to seal a deal for TikTok’s US operations, revealed that its bid was rejected by ByteDance.

“The announcement is murky at the moment, but the particulars indicate that Oracle and ByteDance will enter into a technology partnership to host the US operations of TikTok. This allows TikTok to escape planned shutdowns and gives the US government some degree of oversight into the operations of TikTok,” Forrester explained.

The deal is important for Oracle that is frustrated at being behind the global top four hyperscalers in public cloud revenue (behind Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Cloud, and Google Cloud) and has been vying with IBM to grow its cloud in two dimensions at once: expand its penetration in the traditional enterprise and prove its cloud platform’s scalability and “hip factor” with well-known brands such as Zoom.

“Nothing is hipper than TikTok at the moment, and TikTok has 100 million monthly active users in the US, putting a checkmark by both of Oracle’s goals,” Pollard noted.

This also gives Oracle access to a (small) monetization stream that its hyper-scale competitors all possess: owned advertising inventory.

This partnership may finally open this avenue up to Oracle, who has traditionally operated in the advertising technology side of the equation.

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison has a long history of working with the US government “specifically the intelligence community,” said the paper.

Oracle’s first customer was the CIA, and the company is named after a CIA project Ellison and co-founders worked on prior to starting the company.

“Based on the ambiguity in the current deal, it’s unclear exactly what degree of insight this will provide — and it appears Oracle gains little control over TikTok — but the links between the US government and Oracle certainly make the deal more likely to pass through White House review, which is required before the partnership is authorized,” the Forrester team emphasized in the paper.

If Oracle takes over US TikTok platform development, it will be the death knell for US TikTok as Oracle alone cannot cultivate and innovate the TikTok platform to keep up with the demands of its young, impatient, and finicky users.

According to the market intelligence and research firm, Oracle should allow the US TikTok team to operate independently if it wants to maintain and grow its user base — much like Microsoft did when it acquired LinkedIn in 2016 and left its team alone so the social network could stay relevant.

“But the US app could ultimately evolve and diverge from the ByteDance version of the app, which is not unprecedented: The WeChat app within China’s firewall is different and more robust than the WeChat app version outside China”.

Chris Evans uses nude photo leak to exhort voter turnout in US polls

TB Team
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Chris Evans uses nude photo leak to exhort voter turnout in US polls

Captain America star Chris Evans wants to turn his accidental explicit photo leak incident into a public service announcement.

Evans took to Twitter to break his silence after accidentally sharing his private photo, and used it as an opportunity to boost voter turnout for the upcoming US presidential election.

“Now that I have your attention…. VOTE Nov 3rd!!!” the 39-year-old star wrote on Twitter, his first comment since he shared a photograph of his manhood on Instagram on Saturday.

Evans became a trending topic on Saturday when he accidentally shared the picture on Instagram Story. He was quick to delete it.

The explicit photo leak sparked a Twitter frenzy, with the actor’s name trending for several days on the social media platform.

Evans’ younger brother, Scott Evans, joked about his brother’s social media gaffe while Mark Ruffalo and Chrissy Teigen tried to comfort the actor over the blunder.

“@ChrisEvans Bro, while Trump is in office there is NOTHING you could possibly do to embarrass yourself. See… silver lining,” joked Ruffalo.

At the moment, Evans is rumored to be dating actress Lily James. He previously dated actress Jenny Slate.

‘Mr Bean’ at 30: Childish, anarchic behaviour always funny, says Rowan Atkinson

TB Team
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‘Mr Bean’ at 30: Childish, anarchic behaviour always funny, says Rowan Atkinson

The popular Rowan Atkinson-starred series, Mr. Bean, has completed a 30-year run. The English comedian star said he always believed that the show had a very good chance of being successful and long-running, partly because the character is essentially a child in a man’s body.

“I always believed that ‘Mr. Bean’ had a very good chance of being successful and having longevity, partly because the comedy is mainly visual and partly because Mr. Bean is essentially a child in a man’s body. Across all races and cultures, the behavior of children tends to be the same and so is easily identified and laughed at,” Atkinson said.

What makes “Mr. Bean” relevant today, 30 years on? “His childish, anarchic behavior will always be funny,” Atkinson replied.

Talking about his fondest memories from filming “Mr. Bean”, Atkinson said that he found filming the show “stressful.”

“I’m sorry to say that I find all filming stressful but ‘Mr. Bean’ especially so, because of the burden of responsibility I feel to make it funny. Of course, you have support from other excellent actors but whether the jokes work or not tends to be down to me. And that’s stressful,” the 65-year-old actor reasoned.

He added: “However, I enjoy it when it’s over! I enjoy whatever success we have. If an audience finds it funny, then it’s been worth it.”

Were there any moments when Atkinson wanted Mr. Bean to speak? “Often, which is why he speaks a lot in the first Mr. Bean movie (‘Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie’, released in 1997). We felt that he had to talk more so that we could tell the story. He talks more in the latest cartoon episodes. I find the way he talks funny,” he said.

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