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Tuesday, Oct 27, 2020 | Last Update : 11:42 PM IST

Technology

Nirbhay missile fails during trial

Since the launch of the Digital Silk Road, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2015, Chinese tech giants’ global reach has grown across a range of sectors. Representational Image

China’s new data security initiative has implications for India

The VingaJoy SP-6560 Wireless Bluetooth speaker fits in your fist and can be carried anywhere.

Dhamakedaar like a firecracker — the VingaJoy SP-6560 wireless speaker

Weaken/remove encryption, and Facebook will instantly be branded Orwellian. Enforce encryption, and it becomes a lot harder to deal with bad actors on the platform. There are no winners here.

Tech This Week | Facebook services integration comes with trade-offs

Google has also begun insisting that apps must sell digital content only through its Play Store will have to use the Google Play billing system and pay 30 per cent of in-app purchases’ revenue as a fee. Many Indian startups have raised concerns around this Google move, which copies Apple’s App Store policy for which the iPhone-maker is facing many antitrust cases.

Google sends notices to Zomato, Swiggy, on IPL promos ‘violating’ Play Store norms

Sogou’s announcement comes a day after Chinese internet giant Sina Corp—which owns the country’s massive Twitter-like Weibo—said it would go private as well. (Photo | Weibo and Sogou icons)

As tech war heats up, China's Twitter-like Weibo and search engine Sogou delist from US

The company chose palm recognition, according to Dilip Kumar, vice president of Physical Retail & Technology, because it’s more private than other biometric technology, and a person would be required to purposefully flash a palm at the Amazon One device to engage.

Amazon will soon allow users entry to Seattle stadiums, offices with a wave of their palm

The Trump administration order had sought to ban new downloads of TikTok (owned by ByteDance) from midnight (0400 GMT Monday) but would allow use of TikTok until November 12, when all usage would be blocked. The judge denied TikTok’s request to suspend the November 12 ban. (Photo | AFP)

Temporary relief for TikTok as judge halts Trump’s download ban till November 12

Beverly Hills Polo Club (BHPC) approached the Competition Commission of India, claiming that Amazon had been indulging in anti-competitive practices.

Tech This Week | The need for anti-trust reform

Thousands of Google employees walked out of work in protest in 2018 after The New York Times revealed Android creator Andy Rubin received $90 million in severance even though several employees had filed misconduct allegations against him. Shareholder lawsuits followed, and in 2019 Google launched a board investigation over how it handles sexual misconduct allegations. (Photo | AFP)

Google parent settles sexual misconduct lawsuit with $310M pledge toward diversity, equity programmes

Shaming people who get sick or don’t follow the rules in a public health crisis has been a thing since well before coronavirus, researchers say. But the warp speed and reach of social media in the pandemic era gives the practice an aggressive new dimension.

Boy do they like to come after you! Social media won't let you live down your mistakes

Sberbank’s offerings include SmartMarket platform, on the lines of Apple’s AppStore and Google Play; virtual assistant Salute; TV streaming device SberBox; and SberPortal, Russia’s first multimedia smart display device that will go on sale in late 2020, and SberPrime subscriptions for films, TV series and songs in addition to grocery delivery service, like Amazon. (Wikimedia Commons - Владислав Фальшивомонетчик)

Russian bank Sberbank enters tech space in major move to rival Google, Facebook, Amazon

TikTok’s petition speculated that the president was retaliating because of reports the app was used by his critics to snatch up tickets to a Trump rally in Tulsa to which they had no intention of going—an event which belly flopped with significantly fewer people in attendance.

Trump’s order banning TikTok could be blocked by judge

Chinese authorities have not indicated whether they will agree to a transfer of TikTok’s technology to Oracle. But official newspapers criticised the proposed deal this week as bullying and extortion.

ByteDance applies for Chinese licence to sell TikTok stake to Oracle

A “YouChoose 2020” interactive voting special will also walk people through the voting process using “memes” such as a tutorial comparing voting to following a recipe and an auto repair video that breaks down the “nuts and bolts” of voting. (Photo | AFP)

YouTube adds information panels to videos to give voters reliable info ahead of US election

Reviews

Audio-Technica ATH-CLR100BT: Best 'Big-Name’ budget ‘earphones!

Realme C3 review: Premium performance, mind-blowing price!

Belkin RockStar headphones with Lightning review: A better Apple EarPods alternative!

JVC HA-A10T review: Great fit, awesome sound, but that's it!

Jabra Elite 75t review: An AirPods Pro killer!

JVC HA-FX9BT earphones review: Affordable, but surprisingly good!

Columns

Aakar Patel

Aakar Patel | Draw lessons from US, make voting in India better and safer

It must be asked if we cannot further reform the process and also learn from practices that other nations follow that might help us.

Manish Tewari

Manish Tewari | Talk ties mindfully, do not squander options

With the People’s Liberation Army of China menacing India’s northern borders it is quite natural for India to look for military allies.

Kushal Gulab

Kushal Gulab | A woke Navratri, and a Happy Dussehra

So far, dear reader, this whole puja season I have not had to use my ear plugs at all

Anand K Sahay

Anand K Sahay | Far & Near

Will the BJP use Nitish to get own CM in Patna?

Mobiles & Tabs

The company is also offering warranty on new Oppo phones up to Rs 2,599, as well cashback and EMI schemes till May 31.

Oppo to resume production at 30 pc capacity, will accept orders through WhatsApp, SMS

The company is also offering warranty on new phones up to Rs 2,599, as well cashback and EMI schemes till May 31.

The concept phone features a 120-degree FullView Edgeless Display with an in-display front camera for selfies.

Vivo releases Apex 2020 concept phone with edgeless display, Gimbal camera

The Vivo Apex 2020 is seen sporting a 48-megapixel Gimbal camera at the back, along with 5-7.5X optical zoom.

Mobile security has become an important matter of concern.

4 companies that safeguard your mobile phone

Unlike computers, mobile security did not receive much attention before.

Samsung will also provide YouTube Premium free for 4 months and Microsoft Office 365 at a discount of 22 per cent along with the 5G -enabled Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2.

Samsung's ultra premium Galaxy Z Fold2 5G pre-booking starts September 14

The phone costs Rs 1.5 lakh but Samsung offers a no-cost 12-month EMI on bookings done at its experience stores and on the website.

The price hike only applies to iPhone models that are imported and will not affect those assembled in India such as the iPhone XR and iPhone 7. (Photo | Apple)

High-end iPhones to cost more, as Apple passes on hiked customs duty to buyers

iPhone 11 Pro,11 Pro Max as well as mid-range iPhone 8 series now cost more but iPhone XR and iPhone 7 prices remain unchanged

Gadgets

The DMA’s are D Class digital amplifiers which have a smaller footprint that can save a lot of rack space and hence real estate, air conditioning and power consumption.

INOX to deploy Dolby Multichannel Amplifiers to provide the best in class experience

INOX is also taking the Dolby Atmos roll out further this year.

The Bassbuds Urban, the newest in a line of earbuds and other in-ear wireless audio devices from pTron, are comfortable for the ears both in terms of sound quality as well as fit.

Review | pTron Bassbuds Urban stereo earbuds are a sound buy — good on your ears and your purse

Available on Amazon at Rs 1,599, the latest earbuds from pTron are a good choice for the price.

Mi Dual Driver In-Ear Earphones come with the convenience of a 3 button operation and supports voice assistants.

Xiaomi India launches new Mi Dual Driver in-ear earphones

Comes with dual dynamic drivers, magnetic earbuds and braided cable.

Staying true to their product philosophy, FINGERS has designed the Solitaire with an intense focus on belting out unmatched quality in its segment.

FINGERS launch Solitaire 2.1 wood-encased speakers

Exclusive in design, quality, sound and bass to deliver a pure and exceptional sound experience.

In Other news

Apple is a small player in India, where sales of its smartphones lag those of South Korean rival Samsung. The company currently sells through third-party retailers in India including Amazon, and the country is seen as a huge potential market for the firm due to its giant 1.3-billion population and relatively low number of smartphone owners. (Photo | AP)