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Coronavirus has forced the whole world to wear a mask to protect themselves from the infectious virus and Japan's robotic startup has come up with an update to the protective gear. Donut Robotics unveiled a new mask called 'C-Mask'. This smart mask will help users connect it with their smartphones so that they could make calls without accessing their phones.

The mask developed by Donut Robotics also includes a speech recognition technology. This will helps people send a text message just by speaking without needing to access their phones at all. But the key objective of this startup was to make a mask that could make interpersonal communication much easier, especially during COVID times when social distancing norms are in place.

The mask is made with plastic and silicone with more pores to the comfort of users.

The mask comes with a special ability, the C Mask will translate Japanese into eight other languages. These languages include &nbsp;Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, Spanish, and French. The translation software in the mask was actually created for a robot called Cinnamon.&nbsp;

Cinnamon, was an initiative by the company to provide live translation and speech services for visitors at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, however, the plan could not go ahead due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Users could amplify their voice just in case the person on the receiving end does not hear because of the mask.&nbsp;

The embedded microphone connects to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth, to help conduct voice calls and speech messages.

This mask launch in Japan and 5,000 units will be shipped in September. It will cost around 3,980 Yen ($37).&nbsp;

Coronavirus has forced the whole world to wear a mask to protect themselves from the infectious virus and Japan's robotic startup has come up with an update to the protective gear.

Coronavirus has forced the whole world to wear a mask to protect themselves from the infectious virus and Japan's robotic startup has come up with an update to the protective gear. Donut Robotics unveiled a new mask called 'C-Mask'. This smart mask will help users connect it with their smartphones so that they could make calls without accessing their phones. The mask developed by Donut Robotics also includes a speech recognition technology. This will helps people send a text message just by speaking without needing to access their phones at all. But the key objective of this startup was to make a mask that could make interpersonal communication much easier, especially during COVID times when social distancing norms are in place. The mask is made with plastic and silicone with more pores to the comfort of users. The mask comes with a special ability, the C Mask will translate Japanese into eight other languages. These languages include Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, Spanish, and French. The translation software in the mask was actually created for a robot called Cinnamon. Cinnamon, was an initiative by the company to provide live translation and speech services for visitors at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, however, the plan could not go ahead due to the coronavirus pandemic. Users could amplify their voice just in case the person on the receiving end does not hear because of the mask. The embedded microphone connects to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth, to help conduct voice calls and speech messages. This mask launch in Japan and 5,000 units will be shipped in September. It will cost around 3,980 Yen ($37).

Japanese robotic startup launches 'C Mask' that helps you talk in 8 unique languages

Computer engineers in Chicago have developed a tool to protect one's online photos from facial recognition.

In an attempt to foil facial recognition&nbsp;technologies, the&nbsp;researchers from the University of Chicago have&nbsp;has developed a tool that disguises photos with pixel-level changes that confuse facial recognition systems.

The tool called&nbsp;Fawkes, named after Guy&nbsp;Fawkes,&nbsp;the software was made available to developers on the researchers' website last month.

It has been downloaded more than 50,000 times after a&nbsp;free app version&nbsp;was introduced for non-coders.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-could-face-a-fine-of-upto-250-million-for-unauthorised-usage-of-user-data-318080" hreflang="en">Twitter could face a fine of upto $250 million for unauthorised usage of user data</a>

In the researchers' parlance,&nbsp;Fawkes "cloaks" an image by subtly altering some of the features that facial recognition systems depend on when they construct a person's face print.

The tool and be a broadside if it is deployed&nbsp;against facial recognition systems, poisoning the accuracy of the data sets they gather from the Web.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/spanish-pizzeria-takes-social-distancing-to-another-level-with-new-mobile-application-318064" hreflang="en">Spanish pizzeria takes social distancing to another level with new mobile application!</a>

Dr Ben Zhao, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago,&nbsp;said "Our goal is to make Clearview go away."

Many tech companies use&nbsp;scrapes&nbsp;billions of online photos to build tools for police to reveal a person's identity. This includes the infacial&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;technology company Clearview AI.

The New York-based company bills itself as a tool for law enforcement, scraping the internet for publicly available photos and using&nbsp;facial&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;to identify potential suspects and victims.

Critics raised concerns earlier this year about the lack of consent of those searched and the potential for misuse of the service, leading to a joint investigation launched in February into the company by the privacy commissioners of British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and the federal government.

The company is under investigation in Britain, Canada, and Australia&nbsp;where Clearview said it would no longer offer its&nbsp;facial&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;services.

Computer engineers in Chicago have developed a tool to protect one's online photos from facial recognition. In an attempt to foil facial recognition technologies, the researchers from the University of Chicago have has developed a tool that disguises photos with pixel-level changes that confuse facial recognition systems.

Computer engineers in Chicago have developed a tool to protect one's online photos from facial recognition. In an attempt to foil facial recognition technologies, the researchers from the University of Chicago have has developed a tool that disguises photos with pixel-level changes that confuse facial recognition systems. The tool called Fawkes, named after Guy Fawkes, the software was made available to developers on the researchers' website last month. It has been downloaded more than 50,000 times after a free app version was introduced for non-coders. Also read: Twitter could face a fine of upto $250 million for unauthorised usage of user data In the researchers' parlance, Fawkes "cloaks" an image by subtly altering some of the features that facial recognition systems depend on when they construct a person's face print. The tool and be a broadside if it is deployed against facial recognition systems, poisoning the accuracy of the data sets they gather from the Web. Also read: Spanish pizzeria takes social distancing to another level with new mobile application! Dr Ben Zhao, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago, said "Our goal is to make Clearview go away." Many tech companies use scrapes billions of online photos to build tools for police to reveal a person's identity. This includes the infacial recognition technology company Clearview AI. The New York-based company bills itself as a tool for law enforcement, scraping the internet for publicly available photos and using facial recognition to identify potential suspects and victims. Critics raised concerns earlier this year about the lack of consent of those searched and the potential for misuse of the service, leading to a joint investigation launched in February into the company by the privacy commissioners of British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and the federal government. The company is under investigation in Britain, Canada, and Australia where Clearview said it would no longer offer its facial recognition services.

Engineers develop tool called 'Fawkes' to protect online photos from facial recognition

In a series of bad news for Twitter, the company could face a fine of over $250 million in the United States.

The company will have to pay US authorities for its unauthorised use of phone numbers and email addressed in order to increase the reach of advertisements.

Information compromised?

When authorities discovered the information leak, the Federal Trade Commission lodged a formal complaint against the company. On July 28, the FTC wrote that Twitter had used data promised to be used for security and safety purposes for targeting advertisement campaigning. “Data provided for safety and security purposes for targeted advertising during periods between 2013 and 2019”, it read.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/australian-envoy-continues-to-win-twitter-battle-against-chinese-ambassador-317934" hreflang="en">Australian envoy continues to win Twitter battle against Chinese ambassador</a>

Owing to this complaint, Twitter stands to lose between $150-$250 million.

Last year in October, Twitter admitted to have “inadvertently” used personal details like mobile phone numbers and email addressed for targeted advertisements. Upon joining, Twitter guarantees users that this data will only be used for security purposes.

No more private usage

Information such an email IDs and phone numbers are generally used to ensure security of the account, and for completing two-factor authentication.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/us-teenager-arrested-for-masterminding-massive-twitter-hack-317389" hreflang="en">US teenager arrested for masterminding massive Twitter hack</a>

Earlier, the FTC had lodged a formal complained against Facebook, and reached a $5 billion settlement in the aftermath, which marked the largest ever fine in the commission’s history. Facebook too, had been mishandling personal user data.

In 2020, Twitter reported revenues of over $638 million. In a time when millions have lost employment due to the economic slowdown triggered by coronavirus, tech companies have been inducting record amounts of profits.

In a series of bad news for Twitter, the company could face a fine of over $250 million in the United States. The company will have to pay US authorities for its unauthorised use of phone numbers and email addressed in order to increase the reach of advertisements.

In a series of bad news for Twitter, the company could face a fine of over $250 million in the United States. The company will have to pay US authorities for its unauthorised use of phone numbers and email addressed in order to increase the reach of advertisements. Information compromised? When authorities discovered the information leak, the Federal Trade Commission lodged a formal complaint against the company. On July 28, the FTC wrote that Twitter had used data promised to be used for security and safety purposes for targeting advertisement campaigning. “Data provided for safety and security purposes for targeted advertising during periods between 2013 and 2019”, it read. Also read: Australian envoy continues to win Twitter battle against Chinese ambassador Owing to this complaint, Twitter stands to lose between $150-$250 million. Last year in October, Twitter admitted to have “inadvertently” used personal details like mobile phone numbers and email addressed for targeted advertisements. Upon joining, Twitter guarantees users that this data will only be used for security purposes. No more private usage Information such an email IDs and phone numbers are generally used to ensure security of the account, and for completing two-factor authentication. Also read: US teenager arrested for masterminding massive Twitter hack Earlier, the FTC had lodged a formal complained against Facebook, and reached a $5 billion settlement in the aftermath, which marked the largest ever fine in the commission’s history. Facebook too, had been mishandling personal user data. In 2020, Twitter reported revenues of over $638 million. In a time when millions have lost employment due to the economic slowdown triggered by coronavirus, tech companies have been inducting record amounts of profits.

Twitter could face a fine of upto $250 million for unauthorised usage of user data

Spain is playing with new ways to counter the direct implications of COVID-19.&nbsp;

Public places like restaurants and malls remain at the highest risk of enabling coronavirus infection and causing new clusters to create.

A Spanish restaurant just came up with the perfect fix. The restaurant has come up with new ways to minimise contact among waiters and staff, which will effectively reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.

All about the funk!

Located in the country's northeastern Mediterranean coast, the the restaurant, called "Funky Pizza" has come up with a mobile application called "Funky Pay", which has been integrated in the restaurant's ordering system.

This means your server will no longer need to physically engage with you at all.

<h6><img alt="An employee using the &quot;Funky Pay&quot; app informs clients that their order is ready, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="610559bf-c9bb-45d1-b327-02924e2354cf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-5_10.jpg" /> 
An employee using the "Funky Pay" app informs clients that their order is ready, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters</h6>

 
The restaurant, situated in Palafrugell in Costa Brava is very popular with tourists. The best part of this move, is perhaps that the waiter does not bring the food to your table. The app has been specifically designed to cater to social distancing needs given the trying times.

"Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID," restaurant owner Carlos Manich told Reuters.

Literally zero contact!

To make management of orders easier, the staff tracks the orders through screens behind the bar. Coronavirus has changed life for all of us, and this restaurant is no different - it has become table service only, and has made it mandatory for people to wear face masks at all times when away from tables.

<h6><img alt="Employees pick up the pizzas near an IPad with the &quot;Funky Pay&quot; app, which helps tracking orders of clients and where, with a system of colours, clients can see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="df80ac36-fe7f-478e-b896-524964429253" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-6_9.jpg" /> 
Employees pick up the pizzas near an IPad with the "Funky Pay" app, which helps tracking orders of clients and where, with a system of colours, clients can see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

"The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving," Claudia Medina, 26, who was eating at the restaurant told Reuters.

Of course, not everyone agreed.&nbsp;"I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can't ask about different preferences or quantities," said another patron&nbsp;Javier Comas, 26.

Spain is playing with new ways to counter the direct implications of COVID-19. Public places like restaurants and malls remain at the highest risk of enabling coronavirus infection and causing new clusters to create.

Spain is playing with new ways to counter the direct implications of COVID-19. Public places like restaurants and malls remain at the highest risk of enabling coronavirus infection and causing new clusters to create. A Spanish restaurant just came up with the perfect fix. The restaurant has come up with new ways to minimise contact among waiters and staff, which will effectively reduce the risk of coronavirus infections. All about the funk! Located in the country's northeastern Mediterranean coast, the the restaurant, called "Funky Pizza" has come up with a mobile application called "Funky Pay", which has been integrated in the restaurant's ordering system. This means your server will no longer need to physically engage with you at all. An employee using the "Funky Pay" app informs clients that their order is ready, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters The restaurant, situated in Palafrugell in Costa Brava is very popular with tourists. The best part of this move, is perhaps that the waiter does not bring the food to your table. The app has been specifically designed to cater to social distancing needs given the trying times. "Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID," restaurant owner Carlos Manich told Reuters. Literally zero contact! To make management of orders easier, the staff tracks the orders through screens behind the bar. Coronavirus has changed life for all of us, and this restaurant is no different - it has become table service only, and has made it mandatory for people to wear face masks at all times when away from tables. Employees pick up the pizzas near an IPad with the "Funky Pay" app, which helps tracking orders of clients and where, with a system of colours, clients can see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters "The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving," Claudia Medina, 26, who was eating at the restaurant told Reuters. Of course, not everyone agreed. "I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can't ask about different preferences or quantities," said another patron Javier Comas, 26.

Spanish pizzeria takes social distancing to another level with new mobile application!

China said today that it has put chips for mobile devices that receive signals from the Beidou navigation system has been put in&nbsp;mass production.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-chinas-beidou-geo-tracker-satellite-will-take-on-us-owned-gps-307986">Also Read:&nbsp;How China's Beidou geo-tracker satellite will take on US-owned GPS</a>

China had successfully launched the Beidou satellite two months ago which several experts view as a direct challenge to the US-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) including Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

Beidou known as "Big Dipper" in Mandarin had gone into operation in 2012 with its second-generation navigation satellite coving Asia-Pacific. The Beidou satellite has secure communication network of the Chinese military.

According to some experts, Beidou has better bandwidth and accuracy compared to the GPS system as it has allowed the Chinese scientists to work on the weaknesses of the GPS system since the Chinese satellite network came much later.

Beidou's network is already being accessed by at least 120 nations with several linked to China's ambitious Belt and Road initiative(BRI). Pakistan which is has a major stakeholder in the BRI project had signed the Beidou deal in 2013.

Last year, Beidou reportedly accounted for 70 per cent of mobile phones including Huawei with increasing civilian application in taxis and buses and metrological prediction.

China's BDStar Navigation Co has been tasked with making the chips that receive Beidou signals.

&nbsp;

China said today that it has put chips for mobile devices that receive signals from the Beidou navigation system has been put in mass production. Also Read: How China's Beidou geo-tracker satellite will take on US-owned GPS China had successfully launched the Beidou satellite two months ago which several experts view as a direct challenge to the US-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) including Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

China said today that it has put chips for mobile devices that receive signals from the Beidou navigation system has been put in mass production. Also Read: How China's Beidou geo-tracker satellite will take on US-owned GPS China had successfully launched the Beidou satellite two months ago which several experts view as a direct challenge to the US-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) including Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. Beidou known as "Big Dipper" in Mandarin had gone into operation in 2012 with its second-generation navigation satellite coving Asia-Pacific. The Beidou satellite has secure communication network of the Chinese military. According to some experts, Beidou has better bandwidth and accuracy compared to the GPS system as it has allowed the Chinese scientists to work on the weaknesses of the GPS system since the Chinese satellite network came much later. Beidou's network is already being accessed by at least 120 nations with several linked to China's ambitious Belt and Road initiative(BRI). Pakistan which is has a major stakeholder in the BRI project had signed the Beidou deal in 2013. Last year, Beidou reportedly accounted for 70 per cent of mobile phones including Huawei with increasing civilian application in taxis and buses and metrological prediction. China's BDStar Navigation Co has been tasked with making the chips that receive Beidou signals.

Chips for devices using Beidou navigation system put in mass production in China

The founder of Bytedance, which owns social media giant TikTok, said Monday his teams were working around-the-clock "for the best outcome" as talks on the sale of its US operation to Microsoft continue, Chinese media reported.

The founder of Bytedance, which owns social media giant TikTok, said Monday his teams were working around-the-clock "for the best outcome" as talks on the sale of its US operation to Microsoft continue, Chinese media reported. TikTok, popular in the United States and widely used by young people who create, share and watch short videos on the platform -- is the latest target in a wide-ranging trade war between Beijing and Washington. Also read: TikTok owners may relocate to London from Beijing, Sun newspaper claims The US government has said the Chinese-owned company is a national security threat -- allegations that TikTok denies. "In the current environment, we faced the real possibility of a forced sale of TikTok's US business... or an executive order banning the app," ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming wrote in a message to all the company's staff, tech news outlet Pandaily reported. "While we encounter mounting complexities across the geopolitical landscape and significant external pressure, our response teams have been working around-the-clock and giving up their weekends over the past few weeks to ensure the best possible outcome". Microsoft said Sunday it would continue talks to buy the US operations of TikTok, which has an estimated one billion users worldwide. The tech giant added it aimed to wrap up discussions "no later than September 15." Also read | Microsoft confirms exploring buying TikTok in US after Trump and Nadella talk President Donald Trump said last week he would ban the app, but since appears to have backed away from the threat, which caused great concern for US users -- particularly content creators who make money on the platform. Many have posted links to their Instagram or YouTube accounts to avoid losing followers if the platform is ultimately blocked. Zhang said he disagreed with forcing TikTok to offload its US service. "We have always been committed to ensuring user data security, as well as the platform neutrality and transparency," he said. "Given the current circumstances, we must also confront the CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) decision and the executive order of the President of the United States, without giving up exploring any possibilities."

'Real possibility of forced sale of TikTok's US business': Founder Zhang Yiming

Corporate amid pandemic: Top 6 companies working from home until 2021 or permanently

Facebook condemned Saturday what it called an "extreme" ruling by a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordering it to block the accounts of 12 high-profile allies of President Jair Bolsonaro, which it vowed to appeal.

Brazil's Supreme Court is overseeing an investigation into allegations that members of the far-right president's inner circle ran a social media campaign to discredit the court, as well as slander and threaten its judges.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-agrees-to-pay-650m-to-settle-facial-recognition-lawsuit-317458" hreflang="en">Facebook agrees to pay $650M to settle facial recognition lawsuit</a>

A spokesperson for Facebook said the order was "extreme" and threatens "freedom of expression outside of Brazil's jurisdiction", but said the company has agreed to the order.

"Given the threat of criminal liability to a local employee, at this point we see no other alternative than complying with the decision by blocking the accounts globally, while we appeal to the Supreme Court," the spokesperson said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaros-poll-numbers-rise-in-brazil-despite-controversial-virus-handling-315855">Bolsonaro's poll numbers rise in Brazil despite controversial virus handling</a>

Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ruled on Thursday that Facebook and Twitter failed to comply with orders to block the accounts because they were only blocked within Brazil, but remained accessible with foreign IP addresses.

On Friday, he ruled that Facebook must pay a $367,710&nbsp;fine for not complying and face further daily fines of 100,000 reais per day if it does not block the accounts in question globally.

Before the fine was announced, Facebook said on Friday that it would appeal the decision. The world's largest social network said it respects the laws of countries where it operates, but that "Brazilian law recognizes the limits of its jurisdiction."

The judge's fine only addressed Facebook's non-compliance. It was not clear whether Twitter would face a similar fine.

The judge originally decided in May to block 16 Twitter accounts and 12 Facebook accounts of Bolsonaro supporters who have been linked to a probe into the spreading of fake news during Brazil's 2018 election.

The accounts were blocked due to allegations that they violated laws on hate speech.

Facebook condemned Saturday what it called an "extreme" ruling by a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordering it to block the accounts of 12 high-profile allies of President Jair Bolsonaro, which it vowed to appeal.

Facebook condemned Saturday what it called an "extreme" ruling by a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordering it to block the accounts of 12 high-profile allies of President Jair Bolsonaro, which it vowed to appeal. Brazil's Supreme Court is overseeing an investigation into allegations that members of the far-right president's inner circle ran a social media campaign to discredit the court, as well as slander and threaten its judges. Also read: Facebook agrees to pay $650M to settle facial recognition lawsuit A spokesperson for Facebook said the order was "extreme" and threatens "freedom of expression outside of Brazil's jurisdiction", but said the company has agreed to the order. "Given the threat of criminal liability to a local employee, at this point we see no other alternative than complying with the decision by blocking the accounts globally, while we appeal to the Supreme Court," the spokesperson said. Also read: Bolsonaro's poll numbers rise in Brazil despite controversial virus handling Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ruled on Thursday that Facebook and Twitter failed to comply with orders to block the accounts because they were only blocked within Brazil, but remained accessible with foreign IP addresses. On Friday, he ruled that Facebook must pay a $367,710 fine for not complying and face further daily fines of 100,000 reais per day if it does not block the accounts in question globally. Before the fine was announced, Facebook said on Friday that it would appeal the decision. The world's largest social network said it respects the laws of countries where it operates, but that "Brazilian law recognizes the limits of its jurisdiction." The judge's fine only addressed Facebook's non-compliance. It was not clear whether Twitter would face a similar fine. The judge originally decided in May to block 16 Twitter accounts and 12 Facebook accounts of Bolsonaro supporters who have been linked to a probe into the spreading of fake news during Brazil's 2018 election. The accounts were blocked due to allegations that they violated laws on hate speech.

Facebook slams 'extreme' ruling blocking Bolsonaro allies

Microsoft Corp is in talks to buy ByteDance-owned TikTok, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing a source. The discussions between Microsoft and TikTok were first reported earlier on Friday by FOX Business, the Times said.

Microsoft Corp is in talks to buy ByteDance-owned TikTok, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing a source. The discussions between Microsoft and TikTok were first reported earlier on Friday by FOX Business, the Times said. China's ByteDance has agreed to divest the US operations of TikTok completely in a bid to save a deal with the White House, after President Donald Trump said on Friday he had decided to ban the popular short-video app, Reuters report said quoting two people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. US officials have said TikTok under its Chinese parent poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. ByteDance's concession will test whether Trump's threat to ban TikTok is a negotiating tactic or whether he is intent on cracking down on a social media app that has up to 80 million daily active users in the United States. Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One late on Friday that he would issue an order for TikTok to be banned in the United States as early as Saturday. ByteDance was previously seeking to keep a minority stake in the US business of TikTok, which the White House had rejected. Under the new proposed deal, ByteDance would exit completely and Microsoft Corp would take over TikTok in the United States, the sources said. Some ByteDance investors that are based in the United States may be given the opportunity to take minority stakes in the business, the sources added. About 70% of ByteDance's outside investors come from the United States. The White House declined to comment on whether Trump would accept ByteDance's concession, according to Reuters. Under ByteDance's new proposal, Microsoft will be in charge of protecting all US user data, the sources said. The plan allows for another US company other than Microsoft to take over TikTok in the United States, the sources added. As relations between the United States and China deteriorate over trade, Hong Kong’s autonomy, cyber security and the spread of the novel coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

Microsoft in talks to buy ByteDance-owned TikTok: Report

Apple Inc removed 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 games, according to data from research firm Qimai. The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities.

Apple Inc removed 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 games, according to data from research firm Qimai. The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Also read: As Apple eyes shift to India from China, smartphone manufacturing to get major boost Earlier this year Apple gave game publishers an end-of-June deadline to submit a government-issued licence number enabling users to make in-app purchases. China's Android app stores have long complied with those regulations. It is not clear why Apple is enforcing them strictly this year. The smartphone maker removed more than 2,500 titles from its app store over the first week of July. Games affected by the sweep included titles from Zynga and Supercell, research firm SensorTower reported at the time. The Chinese government has long sought to enforce stricter regulations on its gaming industry to remove sensitive content. Also read: Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1 billion in India: Sources The approval process for games looking to enable in-app purchases is long and complicated, hurting all but the largest game developers, industry insiders say. "This affects small- and mid-sized developers' incomes the most, but due to the difficulties of acquiring a business licence, it's devastating to the whole iOS game industry in China," said Todd Kuhns, marketing manager for AppInChina, a firm that helps overseas companies distribute their apps.

Apple removes thousands of game apps from China store: Research firm

Apple Inc's Taiwan contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp have applied for India's $6.65 billion scheme to boost local smartphone manufacturing, the country's tech minister said on Saturday.

The production-linked incentive (PLI) plan offers companies cash incentives on additional sales of devices made locally over five years, with 2019-2020 as the base year. India hopes it will help turn the country into a global smartphone export hub like neighbouring China.

Apple already assembles some its smartphones, including the iPhone 11, via Foxconn and Wistron's local unit in two southern Indian states.

Also read- <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-supplier-foxconn-to-invest-1-billion-in-india-sources-312563">Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1 billion in India: Sources</a>

Pegatron, one of Apple's top suppliers, has yet to open a plant in India, but is in talks with various states to set up operations, according to sources.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has also applied for PLIs, technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a news conference.

Samsung runs what it calls the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturing plant on the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi. It also exports devices made at the plant.

Lava, which once also assembled some models for China's Lenovo, was among the Indian companies which had applied for the scheme, Prasad added.

India's smartphone sector is a bright spot in the South Asian nation's economy, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on local manufacturing in a bid to create jobs.

With more than 1 billion wireless subscribers and roughly 350 million users still on basic phones, India offers huge room for growth to smartphone makers.

Its labour, which is cheaper than China's, also allows companies to produce or assemble at lower costs. And companies are ramping up.

Foxconn said it plans to invest up to $1 billion to expand a factory in Tamil Nadu state where it assembles iPhones, sources told Reuters last month.

Apple Inc's Taiwan contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp have applied for India's $6.65 billion scheme to boost local smartphone manufacturing, the country's tech minister said on Saturday.

Apple Inc's Taiwan contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp have applied for India's $6.65 billion scheme to boost local smartphone manufacturing, the country's tech minister said on Saturday. The production-linked incentive (PLI) plan offers companies cash incentives on additional sales of devices made locally over five years, with 2019-2020 as the base year. India hopes it will help turn the country into a global smartphone export hub like neighbouring China. Apple already assembles some its smartphones, including the iPhone 11, via Foxconn and Wistron's local unit in two southern Indian states. Also read- Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1 billion in India: Sources Pegatron, one of Apple's top suppliers, has yet to open a plant in India, but is in talks with various states to set up operations, according to sources. South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has also applied for PLIs, technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a news conference. Samsung runs what it calls the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturing plant on the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi. It also exports devices made at the plant. Lava, which once also assembled some models for China's Lenovo, was among the Indian companies which had applied for the scheme, Prasad added. India's smartphone sector is a bright spot in the South Asian nation's economy, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on local manufacturing in a bid to create jobs. With more than 1 billion wireless subscribers and roughly 350 million users still on basic phones, India offers huge room for growth to smartphone makers. Its labour, which is cheaper than China's, also allows companies to produce or assemble at lower costs. And companies are ramping up. Foxconn said it plans to invest up to $1 billion to expand a factory in Tamil Nadu state where it assembles iPhones, sources told Reuters last month.

Apple's Taiwan suppliers, Samsung apply for India's smartphone scheme

Facebook on Friday added licensed music videos to the social network in the US, challenging YouTube for the attention of online audiences.

Facebook said users will be able to "come together" around official music videos, with the promise of premier content from J. Balvin, Karol G, Sebastian Yatra, and other artists.

"With official music videos on Facebook, we’re creating new social experiences that are about more than just watching the video," music business development vice president Tamara Hrivnak and entertainment vice president Vijaye Raji said in an online post.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-unveils-law-forcing-google-facebook-to-pay-for-news-317157">Also read:&nbsp;Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news</a>

"We'll continue working with our music partners to build unique social experiences and bring music into the ways people connect and share."

The Facebook "music experience" was already available in India and Thailand, but is making its US debut this weekend, according to Hrivnak and Raji.

The roster of US partners included Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and BMG.

Google-owned video-sharing service YouTube boasts more than 2 billion monthly users, many of those people tuning into music videos.

Subscriptions to YouTube premium content such as music have been climbing, according to recent earnings reports by parent-company Alphabet.

Interest in streamed entertainment has surged during the pandemic, as people staying home to avoid the virus turn to the internet for music, films and television.

Facebook on Friday added licensed music videos to the social network in the US, challenging YouTube for the attention of online audiences. Facebook said users will be able to "come together" around official music videos, with the promise of premier content from J.

Facebook on Friday added licensed music videos to the social network in the US, challenging YouTube for the attention of online audiences. Facebook said users will be able to "come together" around official music videos, with the promise of premier content from J. Balvin, Karol G, Sebastian Yatra, and other artists. "With official music videos on Facebook, we’re creating new social experiences that are about more than just watching the video," music business development vice president Tamara Hrivnak and entertainment vice president Vijaye Raji said in an online post. Also read: Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news "We'll continue working with our music partners to build unique social experiences and bring music into the ways people connect and share." The Facebook "music experience" was already available in India and Thailand, but is making its US debut this weekend, according to Hrivnak and Raji. The roster of US partners included Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and BMG. Google-owned video-sharing service YouTube boasts more than 2 billion monthly users, many of those people tuning into music videos. Subscriptions to YouTube premium content such as music have been climbing, according to recent earnings reports by parent-company Alphabet. Interest in streamed entertainment has surged during the pandemic, as people staying home to avoid the virus turn to the internet for music, films and television.

Facebook challenges YouTube with licensed music videos

Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million related to a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent.

The social media giant reached a $550 million settlement in January regarding the same lawsuit, which started in 2015, when Illinois users accused the company of violating the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act in collecting biometric data.

This comes after a federal judge balked at the original proposal on the grounds it did not adequately punish Facebook.

The settlement covers any Facebook user in Illinois whose picture appeared on the site after 2011.

The lawsuit came about as a result of a state law in Illinois, which obliges companies to get permission before using facial recognition technology on their customers.

The final Facebook settlement is likely to be approved later this year, meaning Illinois residents will be poised to collect a payout in 2021.

According to the new document, those users can each expect to receive between $200 and $400 depending on how many people file a claim.

Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million related to a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent.

Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million related to a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent. The social media giant reached a $550 million settlement in January regarding the same lawsuit, which started in 2015, when Illinois users accused the company of violating the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act in collecting biometric data. This comes after a federal judge balked at the original proposal on the grounds it did not adequately punish Facebook. The settlement covers any Facebook user in Illinois whose picture appeared on the site after 2011. The lawsuit came about as a result of a state law in Illinois, which obliges companies to get permission before using facial recognition technology on their customers. The final Facebook settlement is likely to be approved later this year, meaning Illinois residents will be poised to collect a payout in 2021. According to the new document, those users can each expect to receive between $200 and $400 depending on how many people file a claim.

Facebook agrees to pay $650M to settle facial recognition lawsuit

Social media giant Twitter on Friday explained how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts of&nbsp;Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian&nbsp;two weeks ago.

The tech firm revealed that&nbsp;hackers responsible for the&nbsp;recent high-profile breach used&nbsp;a&nbsp;phone to fool the social media company's employees into giving them access.

They used the technique of "spear-phishing" to attack, which&nbsp;is a practice of sending emails ostensibly from a known or trusted sender in order to induce targeted individuals to reveal confidential information.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-unveils-law-forcing-google-facebook-to-pay-for-news-317157" hreflang="en">Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news</a>

Attackers also targeted specific employees who had access to account support tools,&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/an-update-on-our-security-incident.html">Twitter</a>&nbsp;said, adding that it restricted access to its internal tools and systems ever since the incident occurred.

Hackers had accessed&nbsp;Twitter's internal systems on July 15 to hijack some of the platform's top voices including US&nbsp;presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, former US&nbsp;President Barack Obama and billionaire Elon Musk and used them to solicit digital currency.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/amazon-takes-on-spacex-set-to-invest-10-billion-in-satellite-broadband-plan-317163" hreflang="en">Amazon takes on SpaceX, set to invest $10 billion in satellite broadband plan</a>

Publicly available blockchain records show the apparent scammers received more than $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency.

The hackers targeted 130 accounts. They managed to tweet from 45 accounts, access the direct message inboxes of 36, and download the Twitter data from seven. Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has said his inbox was among those accessed.

Twitter didn't provide any more information about how the attack was carried out, saying it would provide a more detailed report later, given the ongoing law enforcement investigation. The company has previously said the incident was a coordinated social engineering attack&nbsp;that targeted some of its employees with access to internal systems and tools.

Social media giant Twitter on Friday explained how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts of Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian two weeks ago. The tech firm revealed that hackers responsible for the recent high-profile breach used a phone to fool the social media company's employees into giving them access.

Social media giant Twitter on Friday explained how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts of Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian two weeks ago. The tech firm revealed that hackers responsible for the recent high-profile breach used a phone to fool the social media company's employees into giving them access. They used the technique of "spear-phishing" to attack, which is a practice of sending emails ostensibly from a known or trusted sender in order to induce targeted individuals to reveal confidential information. Also read: Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news Attackers also targeted specific employees who had access to account support tools, Twitter said, adding that it restricted access to its internal tools and systems ever since the incident occurred. Hackers had accessed Twitter's internal systems on July 15 to hijack some of the platform's top voices including US presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, former US President Barack Obama and billionaire Elon Musk and used them to solicit digital currency. Also read: Amazon takes on SpaceX, set to invest $10 billion in satellite broadband plan Publicly available blockchain records show the apparent scammers received more than $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency. The hackers targeted 130 accounts. They managed to tweet from 45 accounts, access the direct message inboxes of 36, and download the Twitter data from seven. Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has said his inbox was among those accessed. Twitter didn't provide any more information about how the attack was carried out, saying it would provide a more detailed report later, given the ongoing law enforcement investigation. The company has previously said the incident was a coordinated social engineering attack that targeted some of its employees with access to internal systems and tools.

Twitter reveals how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts

To maintain gender balance, Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc, has announced that the company will be hiring more women this year.

This announcement has come in specifically for the tech teams. It was observed by company experts that while the company has 32.9 per cent women workers in their team, the tech team only had 16.1 per cent women.

The decision was announced in Snap Inc's first annual diversity report.

Snap Inc is aiming to improve its staggering gender balance within its tech team. The report claimed that the social media giant is aiming to double the number of women employees in tech roles by the year 2023.

"We are determined to do what it takes to improve these numbers, because behind the numbers are real people," the report stated.

In addition to this, Snap Inc will also be hiring more people from the minority groups&nbsp;to give them equal opportunities and to make sure that the company helps everyone grow and not discriminate. Snap aims to increase the number of underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in the United States by 2025.

This move has been welcomed and has received positive feedback by people of the United States.

To maintain gender balance, Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc, has announced that the company will be hiring more women this year. This announcement has come in specifically for the tech teams.

To maintain gender balance, Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc, has announced that the company will be hiring more women this year. This announcement has come in specifically for the tech teams. It was observed by company experts that while the company has 32.9 per cent women workers in their team, the tech team only had 16.1 per cent women. The decision was announced in Snap Inc's first annual diversity report. Snap Inc is aiming to improve its staggering gender balance within its tech team. The report claimed that the social media giant is aiming to double the number of women employees in tech roles by the year 2023. "We are determined to do what it takes to improve these numbers, because behind the numbers are real people," the report stated. In addition to this, Snap Inc will also be hiring more people from the minority groups to give them equal opportunities and to make sure that the company helps everyone grow and not discriminate. Snap aims to increase the number of underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in the United States by 2025. This move has been welcomed and has received positive feedback by people of the United States.

Snap to hire more women and minorities in tech teams

China's Huawei has overtaken Samsung to become the number-one smartphone seller worldwide in the second quarter, industry tracker Canalys said Thursday.

Huawei shipped 55.8 million devices in the April-June period, trumping Samsung's 53.7 million, according to data from research firm Canalys.

The Chinese company has felt the heat of US sanctions that have disrupted its business overseas, but the latest numbers show its rising dominance in its home market.

The findings marked the first quarter in nine years that a company other than Samsung or Apple has led the market, Canalys said.

More than 70 per cent of Huawei smartphones are now sold in the country, where Samsung has a very small share of the market.

Samsung said on Thursday it expects smartphone demand to pick up in the second half of the year.

Huawei -- the world's top producer of telecoms networking equipment -- has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat.&nbsp;

Washington has essentially barred Huawei from the US market and waged a global campaign to isolate the company.

The British government bowed to growing US pressure and pledged earlier this month to remove Huawei from its 5G network by 2027.

Australia and Japan have also taken steps to block or restrict the Chinese company's participation in their 5G rollouts, and European telecoms operators including Norway's Telenor and Sweden's Telia have passed over Huawei as a supplier.

The US has also requested the extradition of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on fraud charges, further damaging relations between China and Canada, where she is under house arrest.

Meng, the Chinese telecom giant's chief financial officer, was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver and has been fighting extradition ever since.

(with inputs from agencies)

China's Huawei has overtaken Samsung to become the number-one smartphone seller worldwide in the second quarter, industry tracker Canalys said Thursday. Huawei shipped 55.

China's Huawei has overtaken Samsung to become the number-one smartphone seller worldwide in the second quarter, industry tracker Canalys said Thursday. Huawei shipped 55.8 million devices in the April-June period, trumping Samsung's 53.7 million, according to data from research firm Canalys. The Chinese company has felt the heat of US sanctions that have disrupted its business overseas, but the latest numbers show its rising dominance in its home market. The findings marked the first quarter in nine years that a company other than Samsung or Apple has led the market, Canalys said. More than 70 per cent of Huawei smartphones are now sold in the country, where Samsung has a very small share of the market. Samsung said on Thursday it expects smartphone demand to pick up in the second half of the year. Huawei -- the world's top producer of telecoms networking equipment -- has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat. Washington has essentially barred Huawei from the US market and waged a global campaign to isolate the company. The British government bowed to growing US pressure and pledged earlier this month to remove Huawei from its 5G network by 2027. Australia and Japan have also taken steps to block or restrict the Chinese company's participation in their 5G rollouts, and European telecoms operators including Norway's Telenor and Sweden's Telia have passed over Huawei as a supplier. The US has also requested the extradition of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on fraud charges, further damaging relations between China and Canada, where she is under house arrest. Meng, the Chinese telecom giant's chief financial officer, was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver and has been fighting extradition ever since. (with inputs from agencies)

China's Huawei overtakes Samsung as top smartphone seller

The European Union imposed its first ever sanctions against alleged cyber attackers on Thursday, targeting Russian and Chinese individuals and a specialist unit of Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency.

The member states said measures would be taken against six individuals and three entities involved in various actions, including the attempt to hack into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Thousands of Russian and Chinese-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm about the new coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to fight the epidemic according to&nbsp;Fernando Arias,&nbsp;the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The accounts, run by humans, not bots, post at similar times in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French and can be linked back to Russian proxies, or carry similar messages to Chinese-backed outlets like Xinhua and&nbsp;Russian-backed outlets such as RT and Sputnik, he added.

The disinformation campaign was identified by US monitors in mid-January after Chinese officials announced a third death from the new coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

The European Union imposed its first ever sanctions against alleged cyber attackers on Thursday, targeting Russian and Chinese individuals and a specialist unit of Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency.

The European Union imposed its first ever sanctions against alleged cyber attackers on Thursday, targeting Russian and Chinese individuals and a specialist unit of Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency. The member states said measures would be taken against six individuals and three entities involved in various actions, including the attempt to hack into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Thousands of Russian and Chinese-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm about the new coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to fight the epidemic according to Fernando Arias, the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The accounts, run by humans, not bots, post at similar times in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French and can be linked back to Russian proxies, or carry similar messages to Chinese-backed outlets like Xinhua and Russian-backed outlets such as RT and Sputnik, he added. The disinformation campaign was identified by US monitors in mid-January after Chinese officials announced a third death from the new coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

EU slaps sanctions on Russian and Chinese 'cyber attackers'

True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds are all the rage these days. Almost every audio and smartphone manufacturer has gotten in on the game. They range from under Rs 1,000 all the way to over Rs 25,000. That’s a mighty large price range.

The two most important aspects of a TWS earbud that a company needs to get right is battery life and audio quality.

A giant in the technology world from Japan, Sony, has finally gotten into the game in India with the launch of the WF-XB700 and WF-SP800N. The higher-end WF-1000XM3 is launching on August 6th.

Today we’ll be taking a look at the WF-XB700 that is priced at Rs 9,990.

Fit: Bulky, weird and uncomfortable

Sony’s WF-XB700 earbuds have an unusual design. They may not be sticking out of your ears but compared to a lot of the competitors they surely do stand out. It’s just that I found them uncomfortable while wearing them for long hours. Over the days though it got easier to wear them as I got used to the design.

<img alt="Sony" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5d3faf45-9878-4a16-923d-b1be082cd6a4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2831%29_6.jpg" />

Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla

The build quality though is superb on these earbuds. They’re made of plastic but they hold their own. They’ve got a matte finish and a touch of gloss. As always, extra silicone tips are provided in the box and you can pick the size that suits your ear.

According to Sony, each earbud weighs just 8gm but in reality I found them a touch heavier.

<img alt="Sony" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="211f29a5-351f-49d4-95a9-bfa643f1e374" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2833%29_7.jpg" />

Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla

The earbuds didn’t fall out of my ear at all, even when running, and that’s something Sony seems to have gotten right. You just need to twist them in place and you’re good to go.

Case: Compact and easy to open

The oval-shaped magnetic charging case comes in an oval-shaped design (like Samsung’s Galaxy Buds) and has a translucent cover.

<img alt="Sony" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="10b7b9fe-b9cc-4320-9b27-f4931dada64c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2832%29_6.jpg" />

Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla

There’s a USB Type-C port at the back (a cable is provided in the box). Magnets hold the earphones securely in the case and they won’t fall out even if you tried. There is a red charging LED light that you can see when the case is closed. Flipping the case open one-handed is a pretty easy task.

The earbuds are rated for 9 hours on a single charge while the case is good for an extra 9 hours of battery life.

Features: IPX4 rating!

One feature I feel that shouldn’t be left out of any TWS earbud going forward is an IPX4 rating. TWS earbuds are meant to be used both inside and outside. Whether sunshine or rain, your music/calls shouldn’t have to stop.

IPX4 is the rating for water and dust resistance. This means the Sony WF-XB700 can withstand sweat rain and even a good amount of dust and dirt.

<img alt="Sony" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1385e220-0b36-4ae1-a456-40b2f4ddb3e4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2834%29_3.jpg" />

Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla

Both earbuds also get a physical button. It’s not ideally placed and I’m not certain they are better than touch controls. For the most part it works but sometimes it’s hard to press the physical button without moving the earbud a lot.

A feature that is lacking though is that there is no app for EQ. There’s no way to manually adjust it. One can’t change the bass. Sony does have a Headphone Connect app so it’s strange as to why they just didn’t add support for the WF-XB700 earbuds.

Lastly, one more omission from Sony is the lack of active noise cancellation. It isn’t a given in this price range but it would have made for a nice addition. Nonetheless, the earbuds offer fairly good passive noise isolation even in loud environments.

Audio quality: For the bass lovers out there!

Opening up the earbuds and syncing them to my smartphone was almost instantaneous. You just open the case, find the buds in the Bluetooth devices settings and pair them up. It’s that easy. In fact, the connection is strong for up to 10 meters.

The tiny little physical button can perform a variety of taste. A single press on the left bud will increase the volume. Press and hold it to decrease the volume. The single press on the right bud plays and pauses the music. A double press will take you to the next song and a triple click will take you to the previous track. You can’t adjust these settings and that’s one thing that irked me.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the audio quality now. The Sony WF-XB700’s are loud, bass-first earbuds. Constantly I had to make a note of keeping the earbuds to a volume level of 75 percent. Anything over that and my ears would get instantly overwhelmed.

The lows on the WF-XB700’s are boosted with ample bass and a whole lot of thump. Sometimes the lows are exaggerated but thankfully it doesn’t overpower the balance of sounds. On jazz tracks like Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, you can clearly hear the arrangement of instruments. On a whole different note, pop sounds are exactly as they should be. Popping and thumping in your years while you bob your head to the summer’s biggest hits.

Songs like Kanye West’s Touch The Sky shone through. The vocals were clear and the high-mids shone through. The WF-XB700’s got enough punchiness to keep them going.

Saying all of this, if you’re really a bass-lover then you’re going to love these TWS earbuds.

Podcasts were also crystal clear. I had no issues hearing each individual talk and argue on the various podcasts I listen to.

Call quality: Will suit you fine

One can’t really complain about the call quality here. While wearing a mask and on a socially distant walk, the people on the other side of the call could hear me clearly and I could hear them just as well.

The voice may be hollow at times but it shouldn’t deter you. The only negative is that ambient noise seeps through to the call at times. Maybe a software update can fix this.

Battery life: Amazing!

Sony adversities 9 hours of battery life on a single charge for the WF-XB700. I got just about 9 hours with about 70% volume at all times. This is in the top tier of battery life on TWS earbuds. The case can also charge the buds one whole time. So 18 hours of battery life without having to plug it in.

One thing I’d like to mention is that even though I always used both the earbuds together, the right one lost battery faster than the left one. It fixed itself after a few full charges but just something to note.

Note: It’ll take you almost 3 hours to fully charge the case.

Verdict: One of the best TWS earbuds under Rs 10,000

Kudos to Sony for pricing these TWS earbuds under Rs 10,000. That puts it in the lower range of the TWS earbud field. It’s a crowded field below Rs 10,000 but these match up to the best in the industry.

These certainly aren’t budget TWS earbuds (there are far cheaper options) but these also offer a far superior audio experience. Some features like wear detection, lack of active noise cancellation, and issues with the physical button (and how the consumer can’t customise it) may not sit well with some people. With excellent sound quality and battery life, it’s hard to go wrong with the WF-XB700 TWS earbuds from Sony

True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds are all the rage these days. Almost every audio and smartphone manufacturer has gotten in on the game. They range from under Rs 1,000 all the way to over Rs 25,000.

True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds are all the rage these days. Almost every audio and smartphone manufacturer has gotten in on the game. They range from under Rs 1,000 all the way to over Rs 25,000. That’s a mighty large price range. The two most important aspects of a TWS earbud that a company needs to get right is battery life and audio quality. A giant in the technology world from Japan, Sony, has finally gotten into the game in India with the launch of the WF-XB700 and WF-SP800N. The higher-end WF-1000XM3 is launching on August 6th. Today we’ll be taking a look at the WF-XB700 that is priced at Rs 9,990. Fit: Bulky, weird and uncomfortable Sony’s WF-XB700 earbuds have an unusual design. They may not be sticking out of your ears but compared to a lot of the competitors they surely do stand out. It’s just that I found them uncomfortable while wearing them for long hours. Over the days though it got easier to wear them as I got used to the design. Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla The build quality though is superb on these earbuds. They’re made of plastic but they hold their own. They’ve got a matte finish and a touch of gloss. As always, extra silicone tips are provided in the box and you can pick the size that suits your ear. According to Sony, each earbud weighs just 8gm but in reality I found them a touch heavier. Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla The earbuds didn’t fall out of my ear at all, even when running, and that’s something Sony seems to have gotten right. You just need to twist them in place and you’re good to go. Case: Compact and easy to open The oval-shaped magnetic charging case comes in an oval-shaped design (like Samsung’s Galaxy Buds) and has a translucent cover. Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla There’s a USB Type-C port at the back (a cable is provided in the box). Magnets hold the earphones securely in the case and they won’t fall out even if you tried. There is a red charging LED light that you can see when the case is closed. Flipping the case open one-handed is a pretty easy task. The earbuds are rated for 9 hours on a single charge while the case is good for an extra 9 hours of battery life. Features: IPX4 rating! One feature I feel that shouldn’t be left out of any TWS earbud going forward is an IPX4 rating. TWS earbuds are meant to be used both inside and outside. Whether sunshine or rain, your music/calls shouldn’t have to stop. IPX4 is the rating for water and dust resistance. This means the Sony WF-XB700 can withstand sweat rain and even a good amount of dust and dirt. Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla Both earbuds also get a physical button. It’s not ideally placed and I’m not certain they are better than touch controls. For the most part it works but sometimes it’s hard to press the physical button without moving the earbud a lot. A feature that is lacking though is that there is no app for EQ. There’s no way to manually adjust it. One can’t change the bass. Sony does have a Headphone Connect app so it’s strange as to why they just didn’t add support for the WF-XB700 earbuds. Lastly, one more omission from Sony is the lack of active noise cancellation. It isn’t a given in this price range but it would have made for a nice addition. Nonetheless, the earbuds offer fairly good passive noise isolation even in loud environments. Audio quality: For the bass lovers out there! Opening up the earbuds and syncing them to my smartphone was almost instantaneous. You just open the case, find the buds in the Bluetooth devices settings and pair them up. It’s that easy. In fact, the connection is strong for up to 10 meters. The tiny little physical button can perform a variety of taste. A single press on the left bud will increase the volume. Press and hold it to decrease the volume. The single press on the right bud plays and pauses the music. A double press will take you to the next song and a triple click will take you to the previous track. You can’t adjust these settings and that’s one thing that irked me. With that out of the way, let’s get to the audio quality now. The Sony WF-XB700’s are loud, bass-first earbuds. Constantly I had to make a note of keeping the earbuds to a volume level of 75 percent. Anything over that and my ears would get instantly overwhelmed. The lows on the WF-XB700’s are boosted with ample bass and a whole lot of thump. Sometimes the lows are exaggerated but thankfully it doesn’t overpower the balance of sounds. On jazz tracks like Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, you can clearly hear the arrangement of instruments. On a whole different note, pop sounds are exactly as they should be. Popping and thumping in your years while you bob your head to the summer’s biggest hits. Songs like Kanye West’s Touch The Sky shone through. The vocals were clear and the high-mids shone through. The WF-XB700’s got enough punchiness to keep them going. Saying all of this, if you’re really a bass-lover then you’re going to love these TWS earbuds. Podcasts were also crystal clear. I had no issues hearing each individual talk and argue on the various podcasts I listen to. Call quality: Will suit you fine One can’t really complain about the call quality here. While wearing a mask and on a socially distant walk, the people on the other side of the call could hear me clearly and I could hear them just as well. The voice may be hollow at times but it shouldn’t deter you. The only negative is that ambient noise seeps through to the call at times. Maybe a software update can fix this. Battery life: Amazing! Sony adversities 9 hours of battery life on a single charge for the WF-XB700. I got just about 9 hours with about 70% volume at all times. This is in the top tier of battery life on TWS earbuds. The case can also charge the buds one whole time. So 18 hours of battery life without having to plug it in. One thing I’d like to mention is that even though I always used both the earbuds together, the right one lost battery faster than the left one. It fixed itself after a few full charges but just something to note. Note: It’ll take you almost 3 hours to fully charge the case. Verdict: One of the best TWS earbuds under Rs 10,000 Kudos to Sony for pricing these TWS earbuds under Rs 10,000. That puts it in the lower range of the TWS earbud field. It’s a crowded field below Rs 10,000 but these match up to the best in the industry. These certainly aren’t budget TWS earbuds (there are far cheaper options) but these also offer a far superior audio experience. Some features like wear detection, lack of active noise cancellation, and issues with the physical button (and how the consumer can’t customise it) may not sit well with some people. With excellent sound quality and battery life, it’s hard to go wrong with the WF-XB700 TWS earbuds from Sony

Sony WF-XB700 review: Water-resistant, bass-first, TWS earbuds for under Rs 10,000

A US government national security review of the social media app TikTok is nearly complete and will deliver a recommendation to the White House this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday.

The comments marked the first time the US&nbsp;government has acknowledged that TikTok was under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which scrutinises deals by foreign acquirers for potential national security risks and is led by Treasury.

"TikTok is under CFIUS review and we'll be making a recommendation to the president on it this week," Mnuchin said. "We have lots of alternatives."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-republicans-worry-china-might-use-tiktok-to-meddle-in-election-316729" hreflang="en">US Republicans worry China might use TikTok to meddle in election</a>

The news comes amid increasing concerns voiced by US officials and lawmakers about TikTok's links to China and its potential use for espionage, an allegation consistently dismissed by the company.

In November last year, the app's Chinese parent company, Beijing ByteDance Technology Co was being probed by CFIUS over its $1 billion purchase of social media app Musical.ly, after lawmakers raised concerns over how it stores personal data as well as allegations of censorship.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-lawmakers-to-urge-government-to-put-curbs-on-tiktok-use-316682" hreflang="en">Japan lawmakers to urge government to put curbs on TikTok use</a>

A TikTok representative said the company could not comment on CFIUS matters, but added that TikTok was working to "develop a best-in-class security infrastructure" and promote a safe app experience.

The committee can force ByteDance to unwind the deal, or take other measures to mitigate the national security threat. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that ByteDance has received a proposal from some of its investors, including Sequoia and General Atlantic, to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to them. Some ByteDance investors are valuing the popular app at about $50 billion.

Flanked by Mnuchin, President Donald Trump said before leaving the White House on a trip to Texas that "we are looking at TikTok."

The company is under fire in Washington, as relations between the Trump administration and Beijing have grown chilly over the coronavirus and China's moves against Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was considering banning the app, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said earlier this month that action was coming in weeks.

A US government national security review of the social media app TikTok is nearly complete and will deliver a recommendation to the White House this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday.

A US government national security review of the social media app TikTok is nearly complete and will deliver a recommendation to the White House this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday. The comments marked the first time the US government has acknowledged that TikTok was under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which scrutinises deals by foreign acquirers for potential national security risks and is led by Treasury. "TikTok is under CFIUS review and we'll be making a recommendation to the president on it this week," Mnuchin said. "We have lots of alternatives." Also read: US Republicans worry China might use TikTok to meddle in election The news comes amid increasing concerns voiced by US officials and lawmakers about TikTok's links to China and its potential use for espionage, an allegation consistently dismissed by the company. In November last year, the app's Chinese parent company, Beijing ByteDance Technology Co was being probed by CFIUS over its $1 billion purchase of social media app Musical.ly, after lawmakers raised concerns over how it stores personal data as well as allegations of censorship. Also read: Japan lawmakers to urge government to put curbs on TikTok use A TikTok representative said the company could not comment on CFIUS matters, but added that TikTok was working to "develop a best-in-class security infrastructure" and promote a safe app experience. The committee can force ByteDance to unwind the deal, or take other measures to mitigate the national security threat. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that ByteDance has received a proposal from some of its investors, including Sequoia and General Atlantic, to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to them. Some ByteDance investors are valuing the popular app at about $50 billion. Flanked by Mnuchin, President Donald Trump said before leaving the White House on a trip to Texas that "we are looking at TikTok." The company is under fire in Washington, as relations between the Trump administration and Beijing have grown chilly over the coronavirus and China's moves against Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was considering banning the app, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said earlier this month that action was coming in weeks.

National security recommendation on TikTok due this week: US Treasury

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing us to mostly stay indoors and practice social distancing, a majority of people have started spending more time on their laptops - whether it is just doom-scrolling or gaming - than before.

Personally, I’ve spent more hours gaming during the lockdown than I did in all of 2019. If you’re into gaming or just looking to get started, then listen carefully because I’m here to tell you about one of the best budget-friendly gaming laptops in the Indian market today. It’s none other than the Asus TUF A15. The TUF A15 from Asus starts from Rs 60.990 (nearly 815 USD) and comes in two colours - Bonfire Black and Fortress Grey.

The gaming world was given a jolt when Asus announced it was going with AMD instead of Intel. Asus felt it was an inspired decision. Now that the laptops have rolled out to the public, we have evidence of just why they made that choice.

The laptops under the TUF series - there is also a TUF A17 model - are powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 Mobile series processors.

I have been using the Fortress Grey version for over two weeks and here’s how it fared.

Design &amp; Build Quality

The TUF line up of gaming notebooks from Asus is not as premium looking as their ROG counterparts. Saying that, they still look nice on the outside and for a mid-ranger, it is quite a solid looker. The design is basic with the TUF logo on the top and a textured finished surrounding it.

<img alt="Asus TUF A15" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="27c1895e-40a7-4f15-8e6e-658a04fb00c1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2819%29_8.jpg" />

Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla

The laptop is made out of plastic and is prone to easy damage if you drop it or keep brushing it against the walls. The hinge also didn’t feel as solid as I’d have liked.

There’s no bezel-less display - though the bezels are pretty slim - and the overall built is quite thick and chunky coming in at 2.3 kgs. It’s not as portable as some of the other gaming laptops these days but with a relatively cheaper price tag one can hardly complain. Furthermore, it’s not like we’re going away from our desks for long periods these days.

From the moment you open the lid you can see that Asus has made choices clearly targeted at the gamers. The keyboard has RGB lighting while the WASD (very popular keys for gamers) are highlighted with a translucent colouring to help them stand out.&nbsp;

The deck of the TUF A15 has a brushed metal finish. At the back of the laptop, the display hinges sandwich the pair of vents that are meant to keep the laptop cool.&nbsp;

Last but not least, the laptop is MIL-STD-810H tested. This means it can withstand extreme conditions. I wouldn’t recommend drop testing it as the plastic frame can give way but it seems like it’ll handle the occasional bumps and bruises.

The chassis can be opened easily with a screwdriver and allows the consumers to upgrade the machine - RAM and SSD - as per their requirements.

Display

The TUF A15 comes with a 15.6-inch FHD IPS panel. There are two options when buying this laptop. You can opt for a 60Hz panel or a 144Hz panel. The latter is the one to go for if you’re serious about gaming. A high-refresh-rate panel is a must for gamers as it makes the experience that much better.

<img alt="Asus TUF A15" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bfa1a9a5-74e7-4908-a4c6-78240fd92bdc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2820%29_11.jpg" />

Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla

With all that being said, the display is quite dim. This is strictly meant as an indoors laptop. The laptop isn’t meant for photographers or video editors. The colour accuracy is sub-par and just not something I was expecting.&nbsp;

Gamers may not care too much about this but the competition will surely have something to say.

Keyboard, trackpack and ports

What’s good though is the ample choice of ports on the TUF A15. You get a HDMI port, an ethernet port, two standard USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with support for DisplayPort 1.4. There’s also the power supply port.&nbsp;

The trackpad itself is nothing special and the keys aren’t great for travel. This is decidedly mid-level and Asus could have done some more work in these areas.

Performance

The laptop has three options - Ryzen 5 4600H, Ryzen 7 4800H and Ryzen 9 4900H - for its processor. All three of them are quite capable in their own respect.&nbsp;

<img alt="Asus TUF A15" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01d0cf95-0cef-4b0b-a3ef-c57ef44221f2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2821%29_3.jpg" />

Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla

The unit I’ve been reviewing TUF A15 (FA566) comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD and a 1TB hard drive along with the 144Hz display.&nbsp;

I started out reviewing the laptop by playing a casual game called Age of Empires 2: Definite Edition and ended it with some Battlefield V, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and some Need For Speed.

While high-end games won’t run on high settings they’ll run smooth at medium-settings. Lower end and some of the older games will work without a hitch. The laptop also stays relatively cool while gaming thanks to the vents which will come as a relief to many games out there.

Battery Life

One big disappointment, but something which isn’t surprising, is the below average battery life on the TUF A15. The new Ryzen 4000 series processors promises good battery but Asus only chose to pack a 48Whr battery into the chassis. That’s the problem.

I managed to get around 4 and a half hours of battery life with office work and some light gaming. If you game straight while on the battery it’ll die within 3 and a half hours. No one recommends that one should play games without the laptop plugged in.

The same laptop manages to pack a larger battery in the model released in the USa so we wonder why Asus couldn’t have brought it over to India.

Verdict

Asus has managed to stay ahead in the budget-friendly gaming crowd here in India. At a starting price of just Rs 60,990, this is an incredibly good price for those looking to get started in the world of gaming and even those who just like to play for fun.

You’ve got a good build, a laptop that stays cool while gaming and performs exceptionally well for its price.

I’m glad Asus chose AMD over Intel for their gaming laptops in 2020. AMD has really proven itself and is a major threat to Intel. With an Intel chip inside these laptops, Asus wouldn’t have been able to get the price down Rs 60,990.

It’s a strong gaming laptop with just a few issues that we hope Asus is able to fix when their new models are launched toward the end of the year.

Don’t go for its looks but go for the AMD guts inside of it. It’ll comfortably suit all your gaming needs (unless you’re an esports champion) and will even suffice for day-to-day work.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing us to mostly stay indoors and practice social distancing, a majority of people have started spending more time on their laptops - whether it is just doom-scrolling or gaming - than before.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing us to mostly stay indoors and practice social distancing, a majority of people have started spending more time on their laptops - whether it is just doom-scrolling or gaming - than before. Personally, I’ve spent more hours gaming during the lockdown than I did in all of 2019. If you’re into gaming or just looking to get started, then listen carefully because I’m here to tell you about one of the best budget-friendly gaming laptops in the Indian market today. It’s none other than the Asus TUF A15. The TUF A15 from Asus starts from Rs 60.990 (nearly 815 USD) and comes in two colours - Bonfire Black and Fortress Grey. The gaming world was given a jolt when Asus announced it was going with AMD instead of Intel. Asus felt it was an inspired decision. Now that the laptops have rolled out to the public, we have evidence of just why they made that choice. The laptops under the TUF series - there is also a TUF A17 model - are powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 Mobile series processors. I have been using the Fortress Grey version for over two weeks and here’s how it fared. Design & Build Quality The TUF line up of gaming notebooks from Asus is not as premium looking as their ROG counterparts. Saying that, they still look nice on the outside and for a mid-ranger, it is quite a solid looker. The design is basic with the TUF logo on the top and a textured finished surrounding it. Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla The laptop is made out of plastic and is prone to easy damage if you drop it or keep brushing it against the walls. The hinge also didn’t feel as solid as I’d have liked. There’s no bezel-less display - though the bezels are pretty slim - and the overall built is quite thick and chunky coming in at 2.3 kgs. It’s not as portable as some of the other gaming laptops these days but with a relatively cheaper price tag one can hardly complain. Furthermore, it’s not like we’re going away from our desks for long periods these days. From the moment you open the lid you can see that Asus has made choices clearly targeted at the gamers. The keyboard has RGB lighting while the WASD (very popular keys for gamers) are highlighted with a translucent colouring to help them stand out. The deck of the TUF A15 has a brushed metal finish. At the back of the laptop, the display hinges sandwich the pair of vents that are meant to keep the laptop cool. Last but not least, the laptop is MIL-STD-810H tested. This means it can withstand extreme conditions. I wouldn’t recommend drop testing it as the plastic frame can give way but it seems like it’ll handle the occasional bumps and bruises. The chassis can be opened easily with a screwdriver and allows the consumers to upgrade the machine - RAM and SSD - as per their requirements. Display The TUF A15 comes with a 15.6-inch FHD IPS panel. There are two options when buying this laptop. You can opt for a 60Hz panel or a 144Hz panel. The latter is the one to go for if you’re serious about gaming. A high-refresh-rate panel is a must for gamers as it makes the experience that much better. Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla With all that being said, the display is quite dim. This is strictly meant as an indoors laptop. The laptop isn’t meant for photographers or video editors. The colour accuracy is sub-par and just not something I was expecting. Gamers may not care too much about this but the competition will surely have something to say. Keyboard, trackpack and ports What’s good though is the ample choice of ports on the TUF A15. You get a HDMI port, an ethernet port, two standard USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with support for DisplayPort 1.4. There’s also the power supply port. The trackpad itself is nothing special and the keys aren’t great for travel. This is decidedly mid-level and Asus could have done some more work in these areas. Performance The laptop has three options - Ryzen 5 4600H, Ryzen 7 4800H and Ryzen 9 4900H - for its processor. All three of them are quite capable in their own respect. Image courtesy: Sahil Bhalla The unit I’ve been reviewing TUF A15 (FA566) comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD and a 1TB hard drive along with the 144Hz display. I started out reviewing the laptop by playing a casual game called Age of Empires 2: Definite Edition and ended it with some Battlefield V, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and some Need For Speed. While high-end games won’t run on high settings they’ll run smooth at medium-settings. Lower end and some of the older games will work without a hitch. The laptop also stays relatively cool while gaming thanks to the vents which will come as a relief to many games out there. Battery Life One big disappointment, but something which isn’t surprising, is the below average battery life on the TUF A15. The new Ryzen 4000 series processors promises good battery but Asus only chose to pack a 48Whr battery into the chassis. That’s the problem. I managed to get around 4 and a half hours of battery life with office work and some light gaming. If you game straight while on the battery it’ll die within 3 and a half hours. No one recommends that one should play games without the laptop plugged in. The same laptop manages to pack a larger battery in the model released in the USa so we wonder why Asus couldn’t have brought it over to India. Verdict Asus has managed to stay ahead in the budget-friendly gaming crowd here in India. At a starting price of just Rs 60,990, this is an incredibly good price for those looking to get started in the world of gaming and even those who just like to play for fun. You’ve got a good build, a laptop that stays cool while gaming and performs exceptionally well for its price. I’m glad Asus chose AMD over Intel for their gaming laptops in 2020. AMD has really proven itself and is a major threat to Intel. With an Intel chip inside these laptops, Asus wouldn’t have been able to get the price down Rs 60,990. It’s a strong gaming laptop with just a few issues that we hope Asus is able to fix when their new models are launched toward the end of the year. Don’t go for its looks but go for the AMD guts inside of it. It’ll comfortably suit all your gaming needs (unless you’re an esports champion) and will even suffice for day-to-day work.

Asus TUF A15 review: A mighty capable gaming laptop thanks to the AMD guts inside

After banning 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, the government today in the latest move banned 47 more Chinese apps, taking the total number of mobile applications banned for being prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and defence of the country, to 106.

After banning 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, the government today in the latest move banned 47 more Chinese apps, taking the total number of mobile applications banned for being prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and defence of the country, to 106. The 47 additional Chinese apps that have been banned now were clones and variants of the apps which were blocked earlier. It doesn't end here, now reports are suggesting that the Indian government could ban over 200 other apps in the country. As per the report, the government will scrutinize more than 275 apps for National Security violations, users privacy and security breach is found in any of the apps. The apps failing the scrutiny by the government is most likely to be banned shortly. The report came as a shock to many Mobile Game enthusiasts in India as the list includes PUBG Mobile. But, why PUBG? It was the most common listed question on the internet as the news report surfaced. Let us have a close look at the origin of the game and why it stands on the edge of losing one of its biggest user base globally. Origin of PUBG PUBG (video game) was developed and published by PUBG Corporation, a subsidiary of the South Korean video game company Bluehole Studio which is now unified under a gaming brand named Krafton Game Union. Difference between PUBG and PUBG Mobile After the initial success of the game, it was introduced in China and later faced a ban by the Chinese Government. China's Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association said, PUBG, is "a serious deviation from our socialist core values and the traditional Chinese culture and ethical norms." The agency also said that the game can cause serious harm to the physical and mental health of young consumers. It was then when Tencent Games, the video game publishing division of Tencent Holdings, which is also a Chinese multinational conglomerate secured the rights to distribute PUBG in China after changing the game. By that time the Chinese giant had also planned to develop the Mobile version of the game for the Chinese community, i.e., PUBG Mobile. The mobile version was released in China and became an instant hit and then later on released it worldwide in early 2018. Hence when the game is launched, the players first see the Tencent Logo and then the PUBG Corporation logo. Tencent Games also bought a 10% stake in Bluehole, in mid-2018. It is reported that the Tencent Games earned $1.3 billion from PUBG Mobile in 2019. Does that mean PUBG Mobile is a Chinese App? Yes! PUBG Mobile is backed by Tencent Games which is the video game publishing division of Tencent Holdings, a Chinese Company. While it can be safely said that the "origin" of the game didn't happen in China, PUBG Mobile might face a ban in India because of its China links. There still is no confirmation from the government over the media reports. If banned, India would be joining its neighbour Pakistan in banning the Chinese APP. Pakistani gamers are already up in arms against the government over the continued ban on popular mobile game PUBG despite court's order to suspend the ban. The ban was imposed on July 1 by the Pakistani Telecommunication Authority (PTA) after complaints of parents who said the children were addicted to the game. However, a Pakistani court on Friday suspended the ban and directed the telecom watchdog PTA to restore the game. Despite the orders, the ban remains in place, irking the gamers who have now taken to Twitter urging Prime Minister Imran Khan to restore the game under #ImranKhanPUBGKholo.

After ban on Chinese apps, why Tencent-backed PUBG Mobile may be axed in India

In less than a month, on August 5th, Samsung will be hosting its annual Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event. This time though, it’ll be an online-event as the coronavirus pandemic has halted travel and in-person events across the world. The Unpacked event is one of the two annual events hosted by Samsung but arguably the more important one.

At the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event, Samsung is inviting us to explore their latest ecosystem of Galaxy devices that are “designed to empower” our lives.

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While the prized package will be the upcoming Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra (if that is what they end up calling them), there is also going to be the brand-new Galaxy Tab S7/Tab S7+ (No one is sure if they’ll release two variants or if they’ll just be two sizes of the same tablet), Galaxy Watch 3 and the Galaxy Buds Live (bean-shaped TWS earphones). That’s a hefty lineup for Samsung going into their fall showcase.

<img alt="Samsung Galaxy note 20 " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8595e73f-1fa0-4d48-b5c9-85bf51f8678b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/960x0_1.jpg" />

In picture:&nbsp;Galaxy Note 20

Samsung has confirmed 5 devices to be launched at the Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event, Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the latter two being foldables which I won’t be talking about in this piece.

<img alt="Samsung Galaxy Watch 3" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="56a2b12b-8366-43f0-8c37-687ee67ce328" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/watch3.jpg" />

In picture:&nbsp;Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Samsung, for what it's worth, has been on an upward trajectory lately. It’s Android devices - S-Series, Note-Series and Tab-Series - have all got One UI 2.1, a much needed refinement on the Android experience.

<img alt="Samsung Galaxy Tab S7" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ccf2a32c-f76d-4a16-bca5-e641e891202d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/csm_iu65_7900ffaa78.jpg" />

In picture:&nbsp;Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

With just about two weeks to go for the event, let’s take a look at how the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Note 10 Plus and Galaxy Tab S6 fare in 2020 and what to expect from the showcase event of the year.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ &amp; Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra

Samsung’s Note-series of smartphones has been a revolutionary ever since they were first launched in 2011. Over the years they’ve been considered the one of the first successful examples of phablets (A combination of a phone and a tablet). The Note series devices have also brought big-displays to the mainstream.

What really has stood out with the Note-series has been the S-Pen. Other companies have tried and failed but Samsung stuck to its guts and with the Galaxy Note 10 plus, knocked it out of the park.

I’ve been using the Galaxy Note 10 Plus for a year - on-and-off for the past six months) - and I think it’s really held up as a wonderful multitasking device. I think the S-Pen can be further upgraded to do more going forward but let’s rewind a year.&nbsp;

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus was the first modern phone to drop the 3.5mm headphone jack. That was a paradigm shift in the industry with many other players following suit. It was also the first Note to embrace the bezel-less trend we’re all comfortable with. Last but not least, it also went far and away from the distinct bold colours and gave us the Aura Glow.

The only thing I really miss while using Note 10 Plus is a high-refresh rate display. Either 90Hz or 120Hz. The Note 10 Plus’ display is excellent. The colours and sunlight eligibility are superb. Samsung has always aced it with its displays. A high-refresh rate display comes at the expense of battery life and with the criticism toward the S-series a few months ago, there is hope that Samsung would have found a sweet middle spot between high-refresh rate and battery life.

Coming back to the all-important S-Pen. It’s a handy little stylus that comes with the device and can perform a plethora of tasks. Most importantly, one can scroll using the stylus, highlight text more precisely (thanks to the floating cursor) and just take notes with it. Last year though, with the Note 10 Plus, came an S-Pen that had a button on its side. It can be used as a remote shutter. A game changer. One needn’t use a self-timer anymore.

One last thing, Samsung needs to fix the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor in the upcoming Note 20 device. Samsung failed to improve it with the S20-series and all hopes are fixated on the Note 20-series.

If you were to buy the Note 10 Plus in 2020 then you’d only be missing out on 5G (doesn’t really matter here in India until end of 2021), a high-refresh rate display and the best cameras on a smartphone. Saying that, the Note 10 still feels every bit as modern as when I first got my hands on it near the end of 2019.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 &amp; Galaxy Tab S7

Nothing comes close to Apple’s iPad in the tablet industry. Unfortunately though, you’ve got to be deep into the Apple ecosystem to want one of those. On the Android side, Samsung is leading the charge for many a year. Samsung further consolidated their market share with the Galaxy Tab S6 last year. This time around, Samsung is rumoured to be bringing Galaxy Tab S7 in two sizes.&nbsp;

Samsung has been on top of the tablet industry on the Android side for many a year and 11" and 12.4". A press render shows the Tab S7 being eerily similar to the iPad Pro.

The tablets are likely to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 865+ chipset with 5G support and an S Pen. Furthermore, the larger tablet is rumoured to come with a 10,090 mAh battery, while the smaller one will have a 7,700-7,900 mAh battery cell. Finally, the display will be AMOLED and the speakers will be “tuned by AKG” (the sound engineering company now owned by Samsung).

Over the past eight months I’ve been using the Galaxy Tab S6 almost exclusively. My Dell XPS is way too old and it’s just easier and lighter to pull out the Galaxy Tab S6 for daily work (which for me, is mostly writing).&nbsp;

The Galaxy Tab S6 is by no means a tablet replacement but if you’re not a graphic designer nor a gamer then for day-to-day activity, this will suit you pretty well. Having the DeX mode also enables you to use the tablet like you would a laptop. It’s limited in what it can do as a laptop but the potential is certainly there.

Lugging the Galaxy Tab S6 around Delhi was pretty much no problem. I could take it to cafes, friends houses, the park and more. I’d have no problem plonking it down, and getting to my writing within seconds. Provided there was a flat surface, of course.

With the Galaxy Tab S7 there is hope that the official Tab Keyboard cover would do a whole lot more. For one, the back cover could be a lot more sturdy. The glue that sticks the cover to the Tab has come off way too many times for me during my typing and that has broken my chain of thought.

With fast charging up to 45W coming to the Tab S7, one needn’t worry about battery life anymore.

One thing Samsung, and all Android tablet players need to scale up significantly is the number of apps optimised for these tablets. It pales in comparison to iPadOS.

Still, one is optimistic that the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 models will be even closer to the iPad Pro from Apple and even surpass it in some areas.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4G &amp; Galaxy Watch 3

This is another category where Apple is head and shoulders above its Android-based competitors. The Apple Watch has done wonders for the company but yet again you’ve got to be tied to the Apple ecosystem.

On the Android side there is a whole lot more competition. Samsung may be leading with the Galaxy Watch 4G and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 but the competition - Huawei GT2e, Fitbit Versa 2 and others - isn’t far behind.

What Samsung has up its sleeve is the rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch 4G. It was absent on the Galaxy Watch Active and Watch Active 2 but is set to make a comeback with the upcoming Galaxy Watch 3.&nbsp;

The Galaxy Watch 3 will also reportedly be getting a heart rate monitor with 8 pulse-reading photodiodes and support for blood pressure monitoring. Furthermore, it could also be getting an electrocardiogram sensor. That’s something Apple implemented but was missing on the Android side.

I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4G for many months now and it is a fantastic watch. Two things have been bugging me while using this watch though. First, it is more of a smartwatch than a fitness tracker. I get that it isn’t purely a fitness tracker like FitBit or Garmin and it’s trying to be a cross between the two but the activity monitor could be much better at tracking my workouts and my walks. I’m hoping Samsung works on its fitness smarts so that I don’t get told to walk when I’ve already embarked upon one.

Second, the watch face is a little bulky. I’ve gotten used to it and actually kind of like it but a lot of people have been put off by its sheer size. It’s a nice looking watch but could do with a little bit of trimming. Battery life could also get a boost but seeing as I get over two days of battery life as compared to other watch’s even tinier batteries, I’m quite happy. 
&nbsp;

In less than a month, on August 5th, Samsung will be hosting its annual Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event. This time though, it’ll be an online-event as the coronavirus pandemic has halted travel and in-person events across the world.

In less than a month, on August 5th, Samsung will be hosting its annual Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event. This time though, it’ll be an online-event as the coronavirus pandemic has halted travel and in-person events across the world. The Unpacked event is one of the two annual events hosted by Samsung but arguably the more important one. At the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event, Samsung is inviting us to explore their latest ecosystem of Galaxy devices that are “designed to empower” our lives. × While the prized package will be the upcoming Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra (if that is what they end up calling them), there is also going to be the brand-new Galaxy Tab S7/Tab S7+ (No one is sure if they’ll release two variants or if they’ll just be two sizes of the same tablet), Galaxy Watch 3 and the Galaxy Buds Live (bean-shaped TWS earphones). That’s a hefty lineup for Samsung going into their fall showcase. In picture: Galaxy Note 20 Samsung has confirmed 5 devices to be launched at the Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event, Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the latter two being foldables which I won’t be talking about in this piece. In picture: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Samsung, for what it's worth, has been on an upward trajectory lately. It’s Android devices - S-Series, Note-Series and Tab-Series - have all got One UI 2.1, a much needed refinement on the Android experience. In picture: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 With just about two weeks to go for the event, let’s take a look at how the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Note 10 Plus and Galaxy Tab S6 fare in 2020 and what to expect from the showcase event of the year. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ & Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra Samsung’s Note-series of smartphones has been a revolutionary ever since they were first launched in 2011. Over the years they’ve been considered the one of the first successful examples of phablets (A combination of a phone and a tablet). The Note series devices have also brought big-displays to the mainstream. What really has stood out with the Note-series has been the S-Pen. Other companies have tried and failed but Samsung stuck to its guts and with the Galaxy Note 10 plus, knocked it out of the park. I’ve been using the Galaxy Note 10 Plus for a year - on-and-off for the past six months) - and I think it’s really held up as a wonderful multitasking device. I think the S-Pen can be further upgraded to do more going forward but let’s rewind a year. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus was the first modern phone to drop the 3.5mm headphone jack. That was a paradigm shift in the industry with many other players following suit. It was also the first Note to embrace the bezel-less trend we’re all comfortable with. Last but not least, it also went far and away from the distinct bold colours and gave us the Aura Glow. The only thing I really miss while using Note 10 Plus is a high-refresh rate display. Either 90Hz or 120Hz. The Note 10 Plus’ display is excellent. The colours and sunlight eligibility are superb. Samsung has always aced it with its displays. A high-refresh rate display comes at the expense of battery life and with the criticism toward the S-series a few months ago, there is hope that Samsung would have found a sweet middle spot between high-refresh rate and battery life. Coming back to the all-important S-Pen. It’s a handy little stylus that comes with the device and can perform a plethora of tasks. Most importantly, one can scroll using the stylus, highlight text more precisely (thanks to the floating cursor) and just take notes with it. Last year though, with the Note 10 Plus, came an S-Pen that had a button on its side. It can be used as a remote shutter. A game changer. One needn’t use a self-timer anymore. One last thing, Samsung needs to fix the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor in the upcoming Note 20 device. Samsung failed to improve it with the S20-series and all hopes are fixated on the Note 20-series. If you were to buy the Note 10 Plus in 2020 then you’d only be missing out on 5G (doesn’t really matter here in India until end of 2021), a high-refresh rate display and the best cameras on a smartphone. Saying that, the Note 10 still feels every bit as modern as when I first got my hands on it near the end of 2019. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 & Galaxy Tab S7 Nothing comes close to Apple’s iPad in the tablet industry. Unfortunately though, you’ve got to be deep into the Apple ecosystem to want one of those. On the Android side, Samsung is leading the charge for many a year. Samsung further consolidated their market share with the Galaxy Tab S6 last year. This time around, Samsung is rumoured to be bringing Galaxy Tab S7 in two sizes. Samsung has been on top of the tablet industry on the Android side for many a year and 11" and 12.4". A press render shows the Tab S7 being eerily similar to the iPad Pro. The tablets are likely to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 865+ chipset with 5G support and an S Pen. Furthermore, the larger tablet is rumoured to come with a 10,090 mAh battery, while the smaller one will have a 7,700-7,900 mAh battery cell. Finally, the display will be AMOLED and the speakers will be “tuned by AKG” (the sound engineering company now owned by Samsung). Over the past eight months I’ve been using the Galaxy Tab S6 almost exclusively. My Dell XPS is way too old and it’s just easier and lighter to pull out the Galaxy Tab S6 for daily work (which for me, is mostly writing). The Galaxy Tab S6 is by no means a tablet replacement but if you’re not a graphic designer nor a gamer then for day-to-day activity, this will suit you pretty well. Having the DeX mode also enables you to use the tablet like you would a laptop. It’s limited in what it can do as a laptop but the potential is certainly there. Lugging the Galaxy Tab S6 around Delhi was pretty much no problem. I could take it to cafes, friends houses, the park and more. I’d have no problem plonking it down, and getting to my writing within seconds. Provided there was a flat surface, of course. With the Galaxy Tab S7 there is hope that the official Tab Keyboard cover would do a whole lot more. For one, the back cover could be a lot more sturdy. The glue that sticks the cover to the Tab has come off way too many times for me during my typing and that has broken my chain of thought. With fast charging up to 45W coming to the Tab S7, one needn’t worry about battery life anymore. One thing Samsung, and all Android tablet players need to scale up significantly is the number of apps optimised for these tablets. It pales in comparison to iPadOS. Still, one is optimistic that the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 models will be even closer to the iPad Pro from Apple and even surpass it in some areas. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4G & Galaxy Watch 3 This is another category where Apple is head and shoulders above its Android-based competitors. The Apple Watch has done wonders for the company but yet again you’ve got to be tied to the Apple ecosystem. On the Android side there is a whole lot more competition. Samsung may be leading with the Galaxy Watch 4G and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 but the competition - Huawei GT2e, Fitbit Versa 2 and others - isn’t far behind. What Samsung has up its sleeve is the rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch 4G. It was absent on the Galaxy Watch Active and Watch Active 2 but is set to make a comeback with the upcoming Galaxy Watch 3. The Galaxy Watch 3 will also reportedly be getting a heart rate monitor with 8 pulse-reading photodiodes and support for blood pressure monitoring. Furthermore, it could also be getting an electrocardiogram sensor. That’s something Apple implemented but was missing on the Android side. I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4G for many months now and it is a fantastic watch. Two things have been bugging me while using this watch though. First, it is more of a smartwatch than a fitness tracker. I get that it isn’t purely a fitness tracker like FitBit or Garmin and it’s trying to be a cross between the two but the activity monitor could be much better at tracking my workouts and my walks. I’m hoping Samsung works on its fitness smarts so that I don’t get told to walk when I’ve already embarked upon one. Second, the watch face is a little bulky. I’ve gotten used to it and actually kind of like it but a lot of people have been put off by its sheer size. It’s a nice looking watch but could do with a little bit of trimming. Battery life could also get a boost but seeing as I get over two days of battery life as compared to other watch’s even tinier batteries, I’m quite happy.

Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2020: What impact will the upcoming Note 20, Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Tab S7 have?

Facebook&nbsp;has won the first round of its court battle against what it says are excessive demands from European Union antitrust regulators after Europe's second-top court temporarily halted such requests until it makes a final ruling.

The US&nbsp;social media group is being investigated by the European Commission for its trove of data and online marketplace, which may lead to hefty fines and orders to change its business practices.

On July 15, Facebook&nbsp;sued the EU competition enforcer at the Luxembourg-based General Court, saying that the Commission was seeking information beyond what is necessary, including highly personal details.

It also asked for interim measures to stop a May 4 information request. Failure to comply could expose it to a daily penalty payment of $9.4 million.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/trump-campaign-runs-facebook-advertisements-asking-if-he-should-ban-tiktok-314800">Trump campaign runs Facebook advertisements asking if he should ban TikTok</a>

The Court in a judgment dated July 24 suspended the EU request while waiting for the Commission's comment and its ruling on&nbsp;Facebook's application for interim relief.

It said such a move would "prevent a situation whereby the contested material is disclosed in violation of the fundamental right to privacy of the applicant’s management and employees, depriving of any effect any order for interim measures that may eventually be granted".

EU regulators are trawling documents looking for about 2,500 search phrases which include "big question", "shut down" and "not good for us", and which could be found in employees' health information or even job applications, said a person familiar with the matter.

Facebook has won the first round of its court battle against what it says are excessive demands from European Union antitrust regulators after Europe's second-top court temporarily halted such requests until it makes a final ruling.

Facebook has won the first round of its court battle against what it says are excessive demands from European Union antitrust regulators after Europe's second-top court temporarily halted such requests until it makes a final ruling. The US social media group is being investigated by the European Commission for its trove of data and online marketplace, which may lead to hefty fines and orders to change its business practices. On July 15, Facebook sued the EU competition enforcer at the Luxembourg-based General Court, saying that the Commission was seeking information beyond what is necessary, including highly personal details. It also asked for interim measures to stop a May 4 information request. Failure to comply could expose it to a daily penalty payment of $9.4 million. Also read: Trump campaign runs Facebook advertisements asking if he should ban TikTok The Court in a judgment dated July 24 suspended the EU request while waiting for the Commission's comment and its ruling on Facebook's application for interim relief. It said such a move would "prevent a situation whereby the contested material is disclosed in violation of the fundamental right to privacy of the applicant’s management and employees, depriving of any effect any order for interim measures that may eventually be granted". EU regulators are trawling documents looking for about 2,500 search phrases which include "big question", "shut down" and "not good for us", and which could be found in employees' health information or even job applications, said a person familiar with the matter.

Facebook gains temporary court reprieve on EU antitrust data demand

Google's new transatlantic data cable will connect three countries including the Unites States, United Kingdom and Spain.

The tech giant has announced that it is planning to make an undersea network cable to connect these countries.

Google claims&nbsp;that is incorporating a new&nbsp;technology for the project which it believes will be a significant&nbsp;upgrade of the existing technology. It&nbsp;is expected to be completed by 2022.

According to Google's estimate, underwater data cables are vital to global communications infrastructure as they carry out approximately 98 per cent of the world's data.

The cable used in the project, are named "Grace Hopper", after an American computer scientist and naval rear admiral, will hit the UK at Bude, in Cornwall. It is tech firm's fourth privately owned undersea cable.

<img alt="Google" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="55495455-7cb6-492a-8353-6b3bb3f5a5e7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/_113662133_uk_usa_spain_cable_640-nc.png" />

The first ever transatlantic telecommunications cable connected Ireland and the US by telegraph was and was built in 1858.

To support the demand for communication and entertainment, around 750,000 miles of cable already run between continents at the moment. It is enough to run around the world almost 17 times.

Internet usage across the globe has skyrocketed around the world since coronavirus&nbsp;restrictions were introduced.&nbsp;

Companies are continuing to look for ways to reach more consumers as demand for high-speed internet increases around the world.

Facebook and Microsoft collectively own&nbsp;telecom&nbsp;company Telxius of the Marea cable, which runs from the US to Spain.

Google's new transatlantic data cable will connect three countries including the Unites States, United Kingdom and Spain. The tech giant has announced that it is planning to make an undersea network cable to connect these countries.

Google's new transatlantic data cable will connect three countries including the Unites States, United Kingdom and Spain. The tech giant has announced that it is planning to make an undersea network cable to connect these countries. Google claims that is incorporating a new technology for the project which it believes will be a significant upgrade of the existing technology. It is expected to be completed by 2022. According to Google's estimate, underwater data cables are vital to global communications infrastructure as they carry out approximately 98 per cent of the world's data. The cable used in the project, are named "Grace Hopper", after an American computer scientist and naval rear admiral, will hit the UK at Bude, in Cornwall. It is tech firm's fourth privately owned undersea cable. The first ever transatlantic telecommunications cable connected Ireland and the US by telegraph was and was built in 1858. To support the demand for communication and entertainment, around 750,000 miles of cable already run between continents at the moment. It is enough to run around the world almost 17 times. Internet usage across the globe has skyrocketed around the world since coronavirus restrictions were introduced. Companies are continuing to look for ways to reach more consumers as demand for high-speed internet increases around the world. Facebook and Microsoft collectively own telecom company Telxius of the Marea cable, which runs from the US to Spain.

Google's new data cable to link US, UK and Spain

The 145-year-old India Meteorological Department &nbsp;(IMD) has launched its first app for the general public. This application will be called 'Mausam' and will provide its users with weather updates.&nbsp;

The application will also include radar-based forecasts updated every 10 minutes. The IMD already has another app called 'Meghdoot', however, it was meant for farmers only.&nbsp;

Mausam offers five services to users– current temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction for 200 cities and the information is updated eight times a day. It will also provide information on the sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset, three hourly warnings of local weather phenomena and their intensity issued for about 800 stations and will forecast the weather for 450 cities around the country.&nbsp;

The app will alert users twice a day to warn them of any intense weather phenomena, and station-wise radar forecasts updated every 10 minutes.

The alert will be issued for the next five days in colour code (red, orange and yellow).&nbsp;

The application was developed jointly by ICRISAT’s Digital Agriculture and Youth team, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, and IMD.

The application will be launched on Monday on the occasion of its foundation day and it will be available on Playstore and Appstore.&nbsp;

“Meghdoot was meant only for farmers. This is for everyone. The now-cast feature of this app will tell you if there will be rain, thunder or any other severe weather in your area based on data from the nearest meteorological station. Otherwise, there will be city-based information and forecasts and even radar products,” said M Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry of earth sciences.

The 145-year-old India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched its first app for the general public. This application will be called 'Mausam' and will provide its users with weather updates.

The 145-year-old India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched its first app for the general public. This application will be called 'Mausam' and will provide its users with weather updates. The application will also include radar-based forecasts updated every 10 minutes. The IMD already has another app called 'Meghdoot', however, it was meant for farmers only. Mausam offers five services to users– current temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction for 200 cities and the information is updated eight times a day. It will also provide information on the sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset, three hourly warnings of local weather phenomena and their intensity issued for about 800 stations and will forecast the weather for 450 cities around the country. The app will alert users twice a day to warn them of any intense weather phenomena, and station-wise radar forecasts updated every 10 minutes. The alert will be issued for the next five days in colour code (red, orange and yellow). The application was developed jointly by ICRISAT’s Digital Agriculture and Youth team, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, and IMD. The application will be launched on Monday on the occasion of its foundation day and it will be available on Playstore and Appstore. “Meghdoot was meant only for farmers. This is for everyone. The now-cast feature of this app will tell you if there will be rain, thunder or any other severe weather in your area based on data from the nearest meteorological station. Otherwise, there will be city-based information and forecasts and even radar products,” said M Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry of earth sciences.

145-year old India Meteorological Department launches first app for general users

TikTok is indeed China's global soft power.&nbsp;

For some, the app is a harmless video-sharing platform to encouarge hidden talent. However, many people see it as a platform for vulgarity and a national security threat.&nbsp;

Weeks after India officially banned TikTok, the US is thinking on similar lines.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-will-america-be-next-to-ban-tiktok-315822/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The US fears that the data of their citizens is being used by China.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tiktok-launches-200-million-fund-for-us-creators-despite-senate-ban-315622">TikTok launches $200 million fund for US creators despite Senate ban</a>

Earlier this week, a US Senate approved a bill, which bars federal employees from downloading and using TikTok. It is titled: 'No TikTok on Government Devices Act'.&nbsp;

This means no member or employee of the US Congress, government corporation will be allowed to download TikTok.&nbsp;

Not just TikTok, they are not allowed to download any app developed by TikTok's parent company ByteDance.&nbsp;

So far, the ban is limited to government employees, but there is a rising demand in US that a similar measure should be adopted for the entire American population.&nbsp;

For TikTok, America is its third largest market and the nation contributed to 8 per cent of the company's overall installations between January and June.&nbsp;

They cannot afford another major ouster and so they are presenting a more friendly face. They are injecting more cash to win hearts to the Americans.&nbsp;

TikTok has introduced a $200 million fund to reward American creators, known as TikTok Creator Fund.&nbsp;

The video-creating app will start accepting applications from August 18.&nbsp;

TikTok owners say under this fund, they will offer payouts to influencers who meet a certain baseline for the number of followers. It is also promising to help them collaborate on paid campaigns with brands.&nbsp;

This move is also meant to send out a message to countries like India that have already banned TikTok.&nbsp;

For weeks, the Chinese state media has been pushing propaganda stories about Indian TikTok stars going out of work with the decision by the government.&nbsp;

One article by Global Times headline said: "Indian app users, influencers baffled, hurt by ban of China's TikTok".&nbsp;

They use words like "hurt" and "baffled", which was felt by all the Indians after the Galwan Valley incident in Ladakh, in which 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred.&nbsp;

The Wuhan virus has "baffled" global economies, "hurt" investors, businesses and made thousands jobless, apart from killing millions.&nbsp;

As many as 213 countries and territories have been "hurt" and "baffled" by this pandemic.&nbsp;

Several of these countries are reimposing lockdowns keeping in mind a surge in new cases.&nbsp;

And only one nation has to be blamed for this, whose media gives sermons to India on how not to "hurt" and "baffle" others.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

TikTok is indeed China's global soft power. For some, the app is a harmless video-sharing platform to encouarge hidden talent. However, many people see it as a platform for vulgarity and a national security threat.

TikTok is indeed China's global soft power. For some, the app is a harmless video-sharing platform to encouarge hidden talent. However, many people see it as a platform for vulgarity and a national security threat. Weeks after India officially banned TikTok, the US is thinking on similar lines. Watch | The US fears that the data of their citizens is being used by China. Also read | TikTok launches $200 million fund for US creators despite Senate ban Earlier this week, a US Senate approved a bill, which bars federal employees from downloading and using TikTok. It is titled: 'No TikTok on Government Devices Act'. This means no member or employee of the US Congress, government corporation will be allowed to download TikTok. Not just TikTok, they are not allowed to download any app developed by TikTok's parent company ByteDance. So far, the ban is limited to government employees, but there is a rising demand in US that a similar measure should be adopted for the entire American population. For TikTok, America is its third largest market and the nation contributed to 8 per cent of the company's overall installations between January and June. They cannot afford another major ouster and so they are presenting a more friendly face. They are injecting more cash to win hearts to the Americans. TikTok has introduced a $200 million fund to reward American creators, known as TikTok Creator Fund. The video-creating app will start accepting applications from August 18. TikTok owners say under this fund, they will offer payouts to influencers who meet a certain baseline for the number of followers. It is also promising to help them collaborate on paid campaigns with brands. This move is also meant to send out a message to countries like India that have already banned TikTok. For weeks, the Chinese state media has been pushing propaganda stories about Indian TikTok stars going out of work with the decision by the government. One article by Global Times headline said: "Indian app users, influencers baffled, hurt by ban of China's TikTok". They use words like "hurt" and "baffled", which was felt by all the Indians after the Galwan Valley incident in Ladakh, in which 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred. The Wuhan virus has "baffled" global economies, "hurt" investors, businesses and made thousands jobless, apart from killing millions. As many as 213 countries and territories have been "hurt" and "baffled" by this pandemic. Several of these countries are reimposing lockdowns keeping in mind a surge in new cases. And only one nation has to be blamed for this, whose media gives sermons to India on how not to "hurt" and "baffle" others.

TikTok tries to lure US, send India a message: But who really got 'hurt', 'baffled'?

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