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Cornwall, in England’s far southwest, is known for antique fishing villages and snug, cliff-lined beaches. Soon it may be the scene of something very different: a small but growing space industry.

One day in a year or two, a modified Boeing 747 is expected to lift off from the long runway at the region’s airport, head out over the Atlantic Ocean and soar into the stratosphere. There, a rocket will drop from below a wing, fire its engines and ferry a load of small satellites into orbit, while the plane returns to the airport.

After six years of planning and fundraising, construction of a bare-bones spaceport, budgeted at about 22 million pounds ($28 million), is beginning this month at the airport in Newquay.

The anchor tenant is expected to be Virgin Orbit, a part of Richard Branson’s Virgin universe. Its selling point: Putting satellites into orbit via aircraft can be done faster and with less infrastructure than earthbound rockets. It plans to bring its 747 (called the Cosmic Girl) and other gear being tested in the Mojave Desert to Britain with the help of 7.35 million pounds from the U.K. Space Agency.

“At the beginning, people laughed at us,” said Melissa Thorpe, head of engagement for Spaceport Cornwall, the developer. “It took a lot of work to convince a lot of people.”

Among the better arguments: The spaceport, which is owned by the local government, could eventually provide 150 good jobs in what, despite its charm, is a region dependent on low-paid, seasonal work from tourism.

Britain is doubling down on the always risky space business after, some would say, years of neglect. Besides Cornwall, the government is putting money behind several other potential launch sites, including one on the remote north coast of Scotland, which is being tailored for an environmentally friendly rocket to be manufactured nearby.

This is all new for a country that does not have a deep history of rocketry or launching satellites into space. The case for spaceports in Britain is far from proven. In fact, some analysts say there are already too many such facilities, including in the United States.

The first — and, to date, only — British-made satellite-bearing rocket was launched from Woomera in Australia in 1971. That program, called Black Arrow, was scrapped after four launches for not being cost effective.

“You do have to pinch yourself that the U.K is within a few years of launching satellites,” said Doug Millard, space curator at the Science Museum in London. “That is something that never would have been considered not so long ago.”

A big reason for the turnaround is Brexit. The decision to pull away from the European Union has heightened awareness that Britain, which has largely relied on European and American space programs for services like satellite navigation, would be at risk without its own space infrastructure. This year the space agency’s budget was bumped up 10% to 556 million pounds (still a small fraction of NASA’s $22 billion).

Brexit has provided “a real stimulus to get us to think about what we actually need as a country in space,” said Graham Turnock, chief executive of the U.K. Space Agency.

But the decision to look skyward also coincides with the growing commercial use of space around the world, promoted by deep-pocketed investors like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Branson, but also pushed along by a range of less prominent entrepreneurs and businesses.

Key has been the emergence of much smaller and cheaper satellites, some the size of a shoe box and costing a relatively small $1 million or less. Some are used for observation, such as measuring how much oil is stored in a tank farm, valuable data for energy investors. Others are planned to provide internet connectivity on earth and a key link in the burgeoning Internet of Things, essential for self-driving cars and smart kitchens.

“We are right at the beginning of this journey,” said Mark Boggett, chief executive of London-based Seraphim Capital, which is managing a $90 million space fund.

The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson put its own chips on such efforts by agreeing in July to spend 500 million pounds to acquire 45% of OneWeb, a satellite operator.

OneWeb filed for bankruptcy this year, but is involved in the hottest area of the satellite industry: the creation of so-called constellations, blizzards of coordinated satellites in low orbit, designed to provide blanket coverage for purposes like extending the internet to remote regions.

OneWeb is building its satellites at a factory co-owned by Airbus in Florida. The hope in the British government and space community is that OneWeb will build a future generation of satellites in Britain.

Overall, the government is trying to support activity in what is known as “new space,” a more agile and commercial approach to an industry traditionally dominated by government and military programs.

“OneWeb, and what we are doing on launch, is all about taking a really big role in that new economy,” Turnock said.

While Britain has participated in prestigious space activities like making a Mars rover for an upcoming European-Russian mission, it has catching up to do. Still, space experts say the direction the industry is moving could play to its advantage.

The launch vehicles that Britain is trying to nurture would be suited for smaller satellites that operate in low-Earth orbit, around 800 miles up, compared with about 22,000 miles for telecommunications giants that sometimes cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Smaller satellites also have much shorter life spans than the larger ones, implying the need for more of them, and more launches. Virgin Orbit says it plans to charge $12 million to take a nearly 700-pound payload of satellites into space.

Having nearby launch sites will fill a need for companies like In-Space Missions, a space service firm in Hampshire, outside London. Doug Liddle, the chief executive, said the company went all the way to New Zealand to launch a satellite this year, only to lose it when the rocket failed.

The new space economy is also more affordable for medium-size countries like Britain.

“The small-satellite approach now means we are not going to spend our entire national budget on our space program,” said Martin Sweeting, a founder and executive chairman of a British university spinoff called Surrey Satellite Technology, a pioneer in small satellites.

Space is also becoming far more accessible to startups like Open Cosmos, which offers to build satellites and arrange their launch and early operation at a cost of $10 million or less. The company is one of many technology businesses clustered in Harwell, a community near the University of Oxford.

Among the neighbors are clients like Lacuna Space, which plans to deploy satellites for a range of uses like tracking cattle on vast Latin American ranches, and potential suppliers like Oxford Space Systems, which builds satellite-mounted antennas that unfurl once in orbit to send data to ground receivers.

“It is a small ecosystem. Everybody knows each other,” said Rafel Jordá Siquier, 31, founder of Open Cosmos.

But not all the companies are startups. Airbus, the giant French maker of commercial aircraft, is also a major manufacturer of satellites and employs 3,500 people doing space work in Britain.

The company had been nervous about Brexit’s implications for those operations, but the government’s move into OneWeb offered some reassurance.

“The investment in OneWeb and focus of the U.K. on space is actually making Airbus go, ‘Look, the U.K. is a really good place to invest,’” said Richard Franklin, head of space and defense for Britain at Airbus.

That said, Britain’s ambitions face large unknowns and risks.

The launch technologies it is counting on are unproven. Virgin Orbit’s first test this year in the United States sputtered when the main rocket engine shut down. And the coronavirus pandemic has put huge financial strain on Branson’s empire, including the flagship, Virgin Atlantic. To help bolster the finances of the airline and other companies, the entrepreneur sold around $500 million of shares in Virgin Galactic, a space tourism business.

But Will Pomerantz, Virgin Orbit’s vice president for special projects, said the 747 would come to Cornwall “when they are ready and they need us.”

The satellite market is also both competitive and turbulent. Musk, Tesla’s founder, whose SpaceX has carried U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station and returned them safely to Earth, is building his own mega constellation satellite system, Starlink. Other technology companies are likely to follow, while many countries can now build satellites.

“One of the beautiful things about small sats is that anyone can make one,” said Alexandre Najjar, senior consultant at Euroconsult, a market research firm.

Still, Britain’s space entrepreneurs say having a launchpad near home might give them an edge.

”If we can get in a van and drive our spacecraft up to Scotland or Cornwall, the whole process becomes much more straightforward,” said Liddle, the satellite builder.

Cornwall, in England’s far southwest, is known for antique fishing villages and snug, cliff-lined beaches. Soon it may be the scene of something very different: a small but growing space industry.

Cornwall, in England’s far southwest, is known for antique fishing villages and snug, cliff-lined beaches. Soon it may be the scene of something very different: a small but growing space industry. One day in a year or two, a modified Boeing 747 is expected to lift off from the long runway at the region’s airport, head out over the Atlantic Ocean and soar into the stratosphere. There, a rocket will drop from below a wing, fire its engines and ferry a load of small satellites into orbit, while the plane returns to the airport. After six years of planning and fundraising, construction of a bare-bones spaceport, budgeted at about 22 million pounds ($28 million), is beginning this month at the airport in Newquay. The anchor tenant is expected to be Virgin Orbit, a part of Richard Branson’s Virgin universe. Its selling point: Putting satellites into orbit via aircraft can be done faster and with less infrastructure than earthbound rockets. It plans to bring its 747 (called the Cosmic Girl) and other gear being tested in the Mojave Desert to Britain with the help of 7.35 million pounds from the U.K. Space Agency. “At the beginning, people laughed at us,” said Melissa Thorpe, head of engagement for Spaceport Cornwall, the developer. “It took a lot of work to convince a lot of people.” Among the better arguments: The spaceport, which is owned by the local government, could eventually provide 150 good jobs in what, despite its charm, is a region dependent on low-paid, seasonal work from tourism. Britain is doubling down on the always risky space business after, some would say, years of neglect. Besides Cornwall, the government is putting money behind several other potential launch sites, including one on the remote north coast of Scotland, which is being tailored for an environmentally friendly rocket to be manufactured nearby. This is all new for a country that does not have a deep history of rocketry or launching satellites into space. The case for spaceports in Britain is far from proven. In fact, some analysts say there are already too many such facilities, including in the United States. The first — and, to date, only — British-made satellite-bearing rocket was launched from Woomera in Australia in 1971. That program, called Black Arrow, was scrapped after four launches for not being cost effective. “You do have to pinch yourself that the U.K is within a few years of launching satellites,” said Doug Millard, space curator at the Science Museum in London. “That is something that never would have been considered not so long ago.” A big reason for the turnaround is Brexit. The decision to pull away from the European Union has heightened awareness that Britain, which has largely relied on European and American space programs for services like satellite navigation, would be at risk without its own space infrastructure. This year the space agency’s budget was bumped up 10% to 556 million pounds (still a small fraction of NASA’s $22 billion). Brexit has provided “a real stimulus to get us to think about what we actually need as a country in space,” said Graham Turnock, chief executive of the U.K. Space Agency. But the decision to look skyward also coincides with the growing commercial use of space around the world, promoted by deep-pocketed investors like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Branson, but also pushed along by a range of less prominent entrepreneurs and businesses. Key has been the emergence of much smaller and cheaper satellites, some the size of a shoe box and costing a relatively small $1 million or less. Some are used for observation, such as measuring how much oil is stored in a tank farm, valuable data for energy investors. Others are planned to provide internet connectivity on earth and a key link in the burgeoning Internet of Things, essential for self-driving cars and smart kitchens. “We are right at the beginning of this journey,” said Mark Boggett, chief executive of London-based Seraphim Capital, which is managing a $90 million space fund. The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson put its own chips on such efforts by agreeing in July to spend 500 million pounds to acquire 45% of OneWeb, a satellite operator. OneWeb filed for bankruptcy this year, but is involved in the hottest area of the satellite industry: the creation of so-called constellations, blizzards of coordinated satellites in low orbit, designed to provide blanket coverage for purposes like extending the internet to remote regions. OneWeb is building its satellites at a factory co-owned by Airbus in Florida. The hope in the British government and space community is that OneWeb will build a future generation of satellites in Britain. Overall, the government is trying to support activity in what is known as “new space,” a more agile and commercial approach to an industry traditionally dominated by government and military programs. “OneWeb, and what we are doing on launch, is all about taking a really big role in that new economy,” Turnock said. While Britain has participated in prestigious space activities like making a Mars rover for an upcoming European-Russian mission, it has catching up to do. Still, space experts say the direction the industry is moving could play to its advantage. The launch vehicles that Britain is trying to nurture would be suited for smaller satellites that operate in low-Earth orbit, around 800 miles up, compared with about 22,000 miles for telecommunications giants that sometimes cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Smaller satellites also have much shorter life spans than the larger ones, implying the need for more of them, and more launches. Virgin Orbit says it plans to charge $12 million to take a nearly 700-pound payload of satellites into space. Having nearby launch sites will fill a need for companies like In-Space Missions, a space service firm in Hampshire, outside London. Doug Liddle, the chief executive, said the company went all the way to New Zealand to launch a satellite this year, only to lose it when the rocket failed. The new space economy is also more affordable for medium-size countries like Britain. “The small-satellite approach now means we are not going to spend our entire national budget on our space program,” said Martin Sweeting, a founder and executive chairman of a British university spinoff called Surrey Satellite Technology, a pioneer in small satellites. Space is also becoming far more accessible to startups like Open Cosmos, which offers to build satellites and arrange their launch and early operation at a cost of $10 million or less. The company is one of many technology businesses clustered in Harwell, a community near the University of Oxford. Among the neighbors are clients like Lacuna Space, which plans to deploy satellites for a range of uses like tracking cattle on vast Latin American ranches, and potential suppliers like Oxford Space Systems, which builds satellite-mounted antennas that unfurl once in orbit to send data to ground receivers. “It is a small ecosystem. Everybody knows each other,” said Rafel Jordá Siquier, 31, founder of Open Cosmos. But not all the companies are startups. Airbus, the giant French maker of commercial aircraft, is also a major manufacturer of satellites and employs 3,500 people doing space work in Britain. The company had been nervous about Brexit’s implications for those operations, but the government’s move into OneWeb offered some reassurance. “The investment in OneWeb and focus of the U.K. on space is actually making Airbus go, ‘Look, the U.K. is a really good place to invest,’” said Richard Franklin, head of space and defense for Britain at Airbus. That said, Britain’s ambitions face large unknowns and risks. The launch technologies it is counting on are unproven. Virgin Orbit’s first test this year in the United States sputtered when the main rocket engine shut down. And the coronavirus pandemic has put huge financial strain on Branson’s empire, including the flagship, Virgin Atlantic. To help bolster the finances of the airline and other companies, the entrepreneur sold around $500 million of shares in Virgin Galactic, a space tourism business. But Will Pomerantz, Virgin Orbit’s vice president for special projects, said the 747 would come to Cornwall “when they are ready and they need us.” The satellite market is also both competitive and turbulent. Musk, Tesla’s founder, whose SpaceX has carried U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station and returned them safely to Earth, is building his own mega constellation satellite system, Starlink. Other technology companies are likely to follow, while many countries can now build satellites. “One of the beautiful things about small sats is that anyone can make one,” said Alexandre Najjar, senior consultant at Euroconsult, a market research firm. Still, Britain’s space entrepreneurs say having a launchpad near home might give them an edge. ”If we can get in a van and drive our spacecraft up to Scotland or Cornwall, the whole process becomes much more straightforward,” said Liddle, the satellite builder.

Britain is getting ready for its space race

John David McAfee, creator of the eponymous anti-virus software has been indicted on charges of tax evasion by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).&nbsp;

He has been arrested in Spain and is awaiting extradition.

Mcafee, who has been arrested over 22 times in past ten years is an English-American computer programmer and businessman. He founded the software company McAfee Associates in 1987 and ran it until 1994, when he resigned from the company. McAfee Associates achieved early success as the creators of McAfee, the first commercial antivirus software, and the business now produces a range of enterprise security software.

The US Justice Department announced the charges shortly after the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed it had brought civil charges against McAfee, alleging that he made over $23.1 million in undisclosed compensation from recommending seven cryptocurrency offerings on Twitter that were materially false and misleading. 
 
The indictment, filed under seal in June, was unsealed following his arrest in Spain where the United States is seeking to extradite him.

Mcafee posted this video in August this year and said: “Now that Ghislaine has been arrested, everyone is asking me how to avoid being collected by the authorities that might be pursuing you. Simple really — a four-step process.”

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Now that Ghislaine has been arrested, everyone is asking me how to avoid being collected by the authorities that might be pursuing you. 
 
Simple really -- a four step process: <a href="https://t.co/NaHZnSWPrx">pic.twitter.com/NaHZnSWPrx</a>
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) <a href="https://twitter.com/officialmcafee/status/1278716550728552448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

“McAfee leveraged his fame to make more than $23.1 million in undisclosed compensation” by recommending at least seven initial coin offerings or ICOs to his Twitter followers, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said.

McAfee’s recommendations were “materially false and misleading,” in that he tried to sell “virtually worthless” cryptocurrency tokens by encouraging investors to buy the securities without disclosing his own holdings, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged.

(With inputs from Reuters)

John David McAfee, creator of the eponymous anti-virus software has been indicted on charges of tax evasion by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). He has been arrested in Spain and is awaiting extradition.

John David McAfee, creator of the eponymous anti-virus software has been indicted on charges of tax evasion by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). He has been arrested in Spain and is awaiting extradition. Mcafee, who has been arrested over 22 times in past ten years is an English-American computer programmer and businessman. He founded the software company McAfee Associates in 1987 and ran it until 1994, when he resigned from the company. McAfee Associates achieved early success as the creators of McAfee, the first commercial antivirus software, and the business now produces a range of enterprise security software. The US Justice Department announced the charges shortly after the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed it had brought civil charges against McAfee, alleging that he made over $23.1 million in undisclosed compensation from recommending seven cryptocurrency offerings on Twitter that were materially false and misleading. The indictment, filed under seal in June, was unsealed following his arrest in Spain where the United States is seeking to extradite him. Mcafee posted this video in August this year and said: “Now that Ghislaine has been arrested, everyone is asking me how to avoid being collected by the authorities that might be pursuing you. Simple really — a four-step process.” Now that Ghislaine has been arrested, everyone is asking me how to avoid being collected by the authorities that might be pursuing you. Simple really -- a four step process: pic.twitter.com/NaHZnSWPrx — John McAfee (@officialmcafee) July 2, 2020 × “McAfee leveraged his fame to make more than $23.1 million in undisclosed compensation” by recommending at least seven initial coin offerings or ICOs to his Twitter followers, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said. McAfee’s recommendations were “materially false and misleading,” in that he tried to sell “virtually worthless” cryptocurrency tokens by encouraging investors to buy the securities without disclosing his own holdings, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged. (With inputs from Reuters)

Computer anti-virus creator John McAfee arrested in Spain on US tax evasion charges

Facebook and Twitter have pledged to keep their networks safe from misinformation about the coronavirus to protect the public’s health. But Monday, the sites were tested when President Donald Trump posted that people should not be afraid of the disease.

“Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump wrote on his Facebook and Twitter pages, saying he would be discharged from the Walter Reed military hospital after being treated there for COVID-19 the last few days. “I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”

Medical experts immediately took issue with the post. More than 200,000 Americans have died from the virus, and more than 35 million cases have been reported around the world. Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said Trump’s tweet was “breathtakingly callous, inhumane &amp;amp; counterproductive.” Dr. Bernard P. Chang of Columbia University’s Department of Emergency Medicine warned that people should remain afraid of the virus.

But Facebook and Twitter did nothing about Trump’s post, even though the companies have publicised their coronavirus misinformation policies.

Facebook has said it does not allow coronavirus posts that can lead to direct physical harm, and will redirect people to a COVID-19 information center. Twitter also removes only posts that contain demonstrably false information with the “highest likelihood of leading to physical harm.”

For Facebook and Twitter, these details matter. They are paying close attention to whether or not Trump is giving a specific direction or command to engage in an activity that could immediately put people in danger. When he suggested in April that experts look into whether people could inject disinfectant to fight off the coronavirus, Facebook and Twitter used the same yardstick and took no action to remove clips and posts about the unproven treatment.

Trump and his director of social media, Dan Scavino, have hewed closely to the line of what is allowed on various social media accounts over the past four years, seemingly pushing the envelope as far as possible without inciting the tech companies to take punitive action.

Facebook did not respond to a request for comment. A Twitter spokesman said the tweet did not violate the company’s rules since it did not include a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm.

By Monday evening, Trump’s tweet and Facebook post on COVID-19 had been viewed by more than 1 million people across both networks. Trump later posted a video reiterating that people should not let the virus dominate their lives. “Get out there,” he said. “The vaccines are coming momentarily.”

Facebook and Twitter have pledged to keep their networks safe from misinformation about the coronavirus to protect the public’s health. But Monday, the sites were tested when President Donald Trump posted that people should not be afraid of the disease.

Facebook and Twitter have pledged to keep their networks safe from misinformation about the coronavirus to protect the public’s health. But Monday, the sites were tested when President Donald Trump posted that people should not be afraid of the disease. “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump wrote on his Facebook and Twitter pages, saying he would be discharged from the Walter Reed military hospital after being treated there for COVID-19 the last few days. “I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” Medical experts immediately took issue with the post. More than 200,000 Americans have died from the virus, and more than 35 million cases have been reported around the world. Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said Trump’s tweet was “breathtakingly callous, inhumane &amp; counterproductive.” Dr. Bernard P. Chang of Columbia University’s Department of Emergency Medicine warned that people should remain afraid of the virus. But Facebook and Twitter did nothing about Trump’s post, even though the companies have publicised their coronavirus misinformation policies. Facebook has said it does not allow coronavirus posts that can lead to direct physical harm, and will redirect people to a COVID-19 information center. Twitter also removes only posts that contain demonstrably false information with the “highest likelihood of leading to physical harm.” For Facebook and Twitter, these details matter. They are paying close attention to whether or not Trump is giving a specific direction or command to engage in an activity that could immediately put people in danger. When he suggested in April that experts look into whether people could inject disinfectant to fight off the coronavirus, Facebook and Twitter used the same yardstick and took no action to remove clips and posts about the unproven treatment. Trump and his director of social media, Dan Scavino, have hewed closely to the line of what is allowed on various social media accounts over the past four years, seemingly pushing the envelope as far as possible without inciting the tech companies to take punitive action. Facebook did not respond to a request for comment. A Twitter spokesman said the tweet did not violate the company’s rules since it did not include a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm. By Monday evening, Trump’s tweet and Facebook post on COVID-19 had been viewed by more than 1 million people across both networks. Trump later posted a video reiterating that people should not let the virus dominate their lives. “Get out there,” he said. “The vaccines are coming momentarily.”

How Facebook and Twitter handled Trump’s ‘don’t be afraid of COVID’ post

Online abuse is driving girls to quit social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with nearly 60 per cent&nbsp;experiencing harassment, a global study showed on Sunday.

One in five girls and young women has abandoned or cut down on using a social media platform after being targeted, with some saying harassment started when they were as young as eight, the survey by girls’ rights group Plan International showed.

“Girls are being silenced by a toxic level of harassment,” said the organisation’s chief executive, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-failing-women-as-online-abuse-flourishes-says-amnesty-36559">Twitter failing women as online abuse flourishes, says Amnesty</a>

Attacks were most common on Facebook, where 39 per cent&nbsp;of girls polled said they had been harassed, followed by Instagram (23 per cent), WhatsApp (14 per cent), Snapchat (10 per cent), Twitter (9 per cent) and TikTok (6 per cent).

The charity, which will share the report with social media companies and lawmakers around the world, said the abuse was suppressing girls’ voices at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was increasing the importance of communicating online.

It called on social media companies to take urgent action to address the issue and urged governments to pass laws to deal with online harassment.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/web-is-not-working-for-women-girls-internet-founder-285988">Web is not working for women, girls: Internet founder</a>

The study found reporting tools were ineffective in stopping the abuse, which included explicit messages, pornographic photos and cyberstalking.

Nearly half of girls targeted had been threatened with physical or sexual violence, according to the poll. Many said the abuse took a mental toll, and a quarter felt physically unsafe.

“It is time for this to stop. Girls should not have to put up with behaviour online which would be criminal on the streets,” the report said.

Facebook and Instagram said they used artificial intelligence to look for bullying content, constantly monitored users’ reports of abuse and always removed rape threats.

Twitter said it also used technology to catch abusive content and has launched tools to improve users’ control over their conversations.

The survey polled 14,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 25 in 22 countries including Brazil, India, Nigeria, Spain, Thailand and the United States.

Online abuse is driving girls to quit social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with nearly 60 per cent experiencing harassment, a global study showed on Sunday.

Online abuse is driving girls to quit social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with nearly 60 per cent experiencing harassment, a global study showed on Sunday. One in five girls and young women has abandoned or cut down on using a social media platform after being targeted, with some saying harassment started when they were as young as eight, the survey by girls’ rights group Plan International showed. “Girls are being silenced by a toxic level of harassment,” said the organisation’s chief executive, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen. Also read: Twitter failing women as online abuse flourishes, says Amnesty Attacks were most common on Facebook, where 39 per cent of girls polled said they had been harassed, followed by Instagram (23 per cent), WhatsApp (14 per cent), Snapchat (10 per cent), Twitter (9 per cent) and TikTok (6 per cent). The charity, which will share the report with social media companies and lawmakers around the world, said the abuse was suppressing girls’ voices at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was increasing the importance of communicating online. It called on social media companies to take urgent action to address the issue and urged governments to pass laws to deal with online harassment. Also read: Web is not working for women, girls: Internet founder The study found reporting tools were ineffective in stopping the abuse, which included explicit messages, pornographic photos and cyberstalking. Nearly half of girls targeted had been threatened with physical or sexual violence, according to the poll. Many said the abuse took a mental toll, and a quarter felt physically unsafe. “It is time for this to stop. Girls should not have to put up with behaviour online which would be criminal on the streets,” the report said. Facebook and Instagram said they used artificial intelligence to look for bullying content, constantly monitored users’ reports of abuse and always removed rape threats. Twitter said it also used technology to catch abusive content and has launched tools to improve users’ control over their conversations. The survey polled 14,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 25 in 22 countries including Brazil, India, Nigeria, Spain, Thailand and the United States.

'Toxic': Online violence against women 'flourishing'; driving them away from social media

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it would start promoting content from public Facebook Groups in users' news feeds and in search engine results, defying calls by watchdog groups to limit algorithmic recommendations ahead of US&nbsp;elections next month.

In a blog post, Facebook app chief Fidji Simo said the company would surface recommendations in news feeds by showing "related discussions" from public groups next to a link or post. Facebook Groups are communities that form around shared interests, and public groups' posts can be viewed by any user.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/big-tech-companies-may-be-handling-data-of-hong-kong-users-to-china-331385">Also read:&nbsp;Big tech companies may be handling data of Hong Kong users to China</a>

Simo said Facebook would also start showing conversations from public groups outside the app, such as in web searches.

Facebook declined to specify when the changes would be rolled out, with a spokesman saying only that US tests would begin "in a very limited capacity" in the coming weeks.

The company, which made groups a strategic priority last year, also said it was adding new moderation tools for the more than 70 million people running those communities to help them reject posts, lead discussions and arrange paid sponsorships.

According to an internal memo seen by The Verge, the groups push this year has been a success for engagement on the Facebook app, with posts up 31.9% year over year as of August.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/expansive-study-finds-consistent-facebook-usage-linked-to-ill-being-330948">Also read:&nbsp;Expansive study finds consistent Facebook usage linked to ill-being</a>

At the same time, the company has faced a series of scandals over extremist activity within groups, including the spread of thousands of Boogaloo, QAnon and militia groups and communities promoting health misinformation.

Facebook has gradually removed some such groups and limited recommendations to others.

Its new groups push comes days after Accountable Tech and a dozen other advocacy organisations called on Facebook to pause its use of group recommendations altogether until the results of the November&nbsp;3 elections are formally certified.

The coalition accused Facebook of prioritising groups despite red flags from researchers, warning the tools have become "hidden breeding grounds for disinformation campaigns and organizing platforms for extremists."

Adam Conner, a former Facebook executive who now leads technology policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said the company's decision risked accelerating those dynamics.

"Giving content from those groups wider distribution and easier discovery is a dangerous choice right before a contentious election during a pandemic," said Conner.

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it would start promoting content from public Facebook Groups in users' news feeds and in search engine results, defying calls by watchdog groups to limit algorithmic recommendations ahead of US elections next month.

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it would start promoting content from public Facebook Groups in users' news feeds and in search engine results, defying calls by watchdog groups to limit algorithmic recommendations ahead of US elections next month. In a blog post, Facebook app chief Fidji Simo said the company would surface recommendations in news feeds by showing "related discussions" from public groups next to a link or post. Facebook Groups are communities that form around shared interests, and public groups' posts can be viewed by any user. Also read: Big tech companies may be handling data of Hong Kong users to China Simo said Facebook would also start showing conversations from public groups outside the app, such as in web searches. Facebook declined to specify when the changes would be rolled out, with a spokesman saying only that US tests would begin "in a very limited capacity" in the coming weeks. The company, which made groups a strategic priority last year, also said it was adding new moderation tools for the more than 70 million people running those communities to help them reject posts, lead discussions and arrange paid sponsorships. According to an internal memo seen by The Verge, the groups push this year has been a success for engagement on the Facebook app, with posts up 31.9% year over year as of August. Also read: Expansive study finds consistent Facebook usage linked to ill-being At the same time, the company has faced a series of scandals over extremist activity within groups, including the spread of thousands of Boogaloo, QAnon and militia groups and communities promoting health misinformation. Facebook has gradually removed some such groups and limited recommendations to others. Its new groups push comes days after Accountable Tech and a dozen other advocacy organisations called on Facebook to pause its use of group recommendations altogether until the results of the November 3 elections are formally certified. The coalition accused Facebook of prioritising groups despite red flags from researchers, warning the tools have become "hidden breeding grounds for disinformation campaigns and organizing platforms for extremists." Adam Conner, a former Facebook executive who now leads technology policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said the company's decision risked accelerating those dynamics. "Giving content from those groups wider distribution and easier discovery is a dangerous choice right before a contentious election during a pandemic," said Conner.

Facebook steps up promotion of groups content in feeds, around the web

In a major development, Google &nbsp;has decided to pay USD 1 billion to publishers globally for their news content. The payment will be made over next three years. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the new product called Google News showcase will be launch first in Germany and in Brazil.

This has marked a major step that appears to pacify news publishers around the world who have fought Google for compensation for using their content.&nbsp;

Google showcase will be rolled out in Belgium, India, Netherlands and other countries. In Germany Google has signed up with German newspapers including Der Spiegel, Stern, Die Zeit, and in Brazil with Folha de S.Paulo, Band and Infobae.

"This financial commitment - our biggest to date - will pay publishers to create and curate high-quality content for a different kind of online news experience," Pichai said in a blog post.

Google parent Alphabet reported a net profit of $34.3 billion on revenue of almost $162 billion last year. 
The product, which allows publishers to pick and present their stories, will launch on Google News on Android devices and eventually on Apple devices.

"This approach is distinct from our other news products because it leans on the editorial choices individual publishers make about which stories to show readers and how to present them," Pichai said.

German publisher the Spiegel Group welcomed the project.

"With News Showcase and the new integration of editorial content like from Spiegel, Google shows that they are serious about supporting quality journalism in Germany. We are happy to be part of it from the start," said Stefan Ottlitz, managing director of the Spiegel Group.

The European Publishers Council (EPC), whose members include News UK, the Guardian, Pearson, the New York Times and Schibsted, however, was not enthusiastic.

"By launching a product, they (Google) can dictate terms and conditions, undermine legislation designed to create conditions for a fair negotiation, while claiming they are helping to fund news production," said EPC Executive Director Angela Mills Wade.

The product builds on a licensing deal with media groups in Australia, Brazil and Germany in June, which also drew a lukewarm response from the EPC.

Google is negotiating with French publishers, among its most vocal critics, while Australia wants to force it and Facebook to share advertising revenue with local media groups.

Google`s funding for news organisations has frustrated other internet publishers, such as weather websites and recipe tools, which say Google has hurt their revenue.

(With Reuters input) 
&nbsp;

In a major development, Google has decided to pay USD 1 billion to publishers globally for their news content. The payment will be made over next three years. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the new product called Google News showcase will be launch first in Germany and in Brazil.

In a major development, Google has decided to pay USD 1 billion to publishers globally for their news content. The payment will be made over next three years. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the new product called Google News showcase will be launch first in Germany and in Brazil. This has marked a major step that appears to pacify news publishers around the world who have fought Google for compensation for using their content. Google showcase will be rolled out in Belgium, India, Netherlands and other countries. In Germany Google has signed up with German newspapers including Der Spiegel, Stern, Die Zeit, and in Brazil with Folha de S.Paulo, Band and Infobae. "This financial commitment - our biggest to date - will pay publishers to create and curate high-quality content for a different kind of online news experience," Pichai said in a blog post. Google parent Alphabet reported a net profit of $34.3 billion on revenue of almost $162 billion last year. The product, which allows publishers to pick and present their stories, will launch on Google News on Android devices and eventually on Apple devices. "This approach is distinct from our other news products because it leans on the editorial choices individual publishers make about which stories to show readers and how to present them," Pichai said. German publisher the Spiegel Group welcomed the project. "With News Showcase and the new integration of editorial content like from Spiegel, Google shows that they are serious about supporting quality journalism in Germany. We are happy to be part of it from the start," said Stefan Ottlitz, managing director of the Spiegel Group. The European Publishers Council (EPC), whose members include News UK, the Guardian, Pearson, the New York Times and Schibsted, however, was not enthusiastic. "By launching a product, they (Google) can dictate terms and conditions, undermine legislation designed to create conditions for a fair negotiation, while claiming they are helping to fund news production," said EPC Executive Director Angela Mills Wade. The product builds on a licensing deal with media groups in Australia, Brazil and Germany in June, which also drew a lukewarm response from the EPC. Google is negotiating with French publishers, among its most vocal critics, while Australia wants to force it and Facebook to share advertising revenue with local media groups. Google`s funding for news organisations has frustrated other internet publishers, such as weather websites and recipe tools, which say Google has hurt their revenue. (With Reuters input)

Google to pay USD 1 billion to news publishers for their content

Foldable phones are said to be the future of smartphones. I got my hands on one such device to understand the technology better.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G is Samsung's brand-new foldable phone. I spent a day with it and in the little time that I did, here’s what I think about it.

I will start with the design. You carry it around - either folded or unfolded, and it won’t go unnoticed. It's that attractive. When it’s unfolded, it becomes a tablet. And when folded, it takes the form of a phone - pretty much the same as the first iteration, but the Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes with major improvements.

Next comes the hinge mechanism -- a major component that sets its foundation and enables it to fold and unfold. When unfolded, the crease - on which the phone actually bends - remains noticeable, but it’s much better than the original Galaxy Fold. The gap between the hinge and the display has been reduced now. As a result, it’s smooth to use.

When closed, the hinge appears covered with a catchy metal piece, and it actually adds to the premium look of the phone. Some may not like the camera bump, but I find it cool. After all, the language of design is subjective. Also, I do like the matte finish at the back.

Interestingly, both the displays come with a punch-hole camera, another improvement over the first-generation Galaxy Fold. As a result, it leaves one with a neater display and a better viewing experience.

What really concerns me on the design front is the weight. It’s a little on the heavier side. It's felt more, when the phone is closed. As one would expect, the phone appears to be thick when it’s folded.

What I would have really liked is a foldable phone that is also much slimmer. Let's hope such a device is invented soon.

On the whole, the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 manages to impress.

That’s about the look and feel, but how are the displays? And most importantly, do the two displays with a flexible screen actually add value to the user experience?

One can easily notice that the cover display in the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a better viewing area than the first model -- which is good.

The two displays are pretty much in sync. So, anything opened on the cover screen seamlessly shifts to the bigger screen once you unfold it.

The split screen feature is quite interesting. It takes multitasking to a whole new level.

You can work on multiple apps on a screen - just drag the apps that you want to launch and drop. Interestingly, you can decide which app would consume how much space on the screen.

When it comes to typing on the big screen, the keyboard spreads across in such a way that it becomes easy to type.

The Flex mode is another highlight of the phone. It allows you to fold and keep the phone at any angle, which means you can enjoy watching videos easily. It also makes video conferencing easier.

I am not sure about how many apps have been optimised for the Flex mode right now.

The display is bright and produces vibrant colours, but it easily catches fingerprint marks. It would be too early to say anything about the display’s durability.

Both the front and rear cameras appear to be promising. They capture detailed photos with lifelike colours. I will be able to comment more on the cameras once I get to use the phone for a longer period.

The speaker delivers a big loud sound. I can’t say much about the battery performance as of now because I've only used it for a day, but what I do realise is that it takes around 1 hour to charge from 13 per cent to 50 per cent.

I didn't face any lag or heating issues in the time I used the phone, but a detailed review of the phone will help me come out with a clear verdict.

The new foldable phone comes with major improvements over its predecessor, but does it justify the price tag of INR 1.5 lakh? I will comment on that when I get to use the phone for an extensive period.

But, for now, all I can say is that foldable phones are getting better and I can’t wait for them to go mainstream.

Foldable phones are said to be the future of smartphones. I got my hands on one such device to understand the technology better. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G is Samsung's brand-new foldable phone.

Foldable phones are said to be the future of smartphones. I got my hands on one such device to understand the technology better. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G is Samsung's brand-new foldable phone. I spent a day with it and in the little time that I did, here’s what I think about it. I will start with the design. You carry it around - either folded or unfolded, and it won’t go unnoticed. It's that attractive. When it’s unfolded, it becomes a tablet. And when folded, it takes the form of a phone - pretty much the same as the first iteration, but the Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes with major improvements. Next comes the hinge mechanism -- a major component that sets its foundation and enables it to fold and unfold. When unfolded, the crease - on which the phone actually bends - remains noticeable, but it’s much better than the original Galaxy Fold. The gap between the hinge and the display has been reduced now. As a result, it’s smooth to use. When closed, the hinge appears covered with a catchy metal piece, and it actually adds to the premium look of the phone. Some may not like the camera bump, but I find it cool. After all, the language of design is subjective. Also, I do like the matte finish at the back. Interestingly, both the displays come with a punch-hole camera, another improvement over the first-generation Galaxy Fold. As a result, it leaves one with a neater display and a better viewing experience. What really concerns me on the design front is the weight. It’s a little on the heavier side. It's felt more, when the phone is closed. As one would expect, the phone appears to be thick when it’s folded. What I would have really liked is a foldable phone that is also much slimmer. Let's hope such a device is invented soon. On the whole, the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 manages to impress. That’s about the look and feel, but how are the displays? And most importantly, do the two displays with a flexible screen actually add value to the user experience? One can easily notice that the cover display in the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a better viewing area than the first model -- which is good. The two displays are pretty much in sync. So, anything opened on the cover screen seamlessly shifts to the bigger screen once you unfold it. The split screen feature is quite interesting. It takes multitasking to a whole new level. You can work on multiple apps on a screen - just drag the apps that you want to launch and drop. Interestingly, you can decide which app would consume how much space on the screen. When it comes to typing on the big screen, the keyboard spreads across in such a way that it becomes easy to type. The Flex mode is another highlight of the phone. It allows you to fold and keep the phone at any angle, which means you can enjoy watching videos easily. It also makes video conferencing easier. I am not sure about how many apps have been optimised for the Flex mode right now. The display is bright and produces vibrant colours, but it easily catches fingerprint marks. It would be too early to say anything about the display’s durability. Both the front and rear cameras appear to be promising. They capture detailed photos with lifelike colours. I will be able to comment more on the cameras once I get to use the phone for a longer period. The speaker delivers a big loud sound. I can’t say much about the battery performance as of now because I've only used it for a day, but what I do realise is that it takes around 1 hour to charge from 13 per cent to 50 per cent. I didn't face any lag or heating issues in the time I used the phone, but a detailed review of the phone will help me come out with a clear verdict. The new foldable phone comes with major improvements over its predecessor, but does it justify the price tag of INR 1.5 lakh? I will comment on that when I get to use the phone for an extensive period. But, for now, all I can say is that foldable phones are getting better and I can’t wait for them to go mainstream.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: First impressions of the foldable phone

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential&nbsp;requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official.

The allegation of cooperation between Hong Kong authorities and major technology company comes after China passed a controversial security law in Hong Kong according to which authorities can demand user sensitive data and threaten action if their request is denied.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-google-twitter-block-hong-kong-govt-from-accessing-user-data-311243">Facebook, Google, Twitter block Hong Kong govt from accessing user data</a>

“There is a possibility that things are happening but because of the restrictions put on by the Hong Kong authorities, they [companies] would not be able to divulge this,” the state department official said.

US tech giants face a reckoning over how Hong Kong's security law will reshape their businesses, with their suspension of processing government requests for user data a stop-gap measure as they weigh options, people close to the industry say.

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While Hong Kong is not a significant market for firms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, they have used it as a perch to reach deep-pocketed advertisers in mainland China, where many of their services are blocked.

But the companies are now in the crosshairs of a national security law that gives China authority to demand that they turn over user data or censor content seen to violate the law - even when posted from abroad.

“As we would with any new legislation, we are reviewing the new law to understand its implications. In the past, we’ve typically received only a relatively small number of requests from Hong Kong authorities, but we are pausing our responses to these requests as we conduct our review,” software and application developer Microsoft said in a statement.

"These companies have to totally reassess the liability of having a presence in Hong Kong," Charles Mok, a legislator who represents the technology industry in Hong Kong said.

If they refuse to cooperate with government requests, he said, authorities "could go after them and take them to court and fine them, or imprison their principals in Hong Kong".

The US internet firms are no strangers to governments demands regarding content and user information, and generally say they are bound by local laws.

The companies have often used a technique known as "geo-blocking" to restrict content in a particular country without removing it altogether.

But the sweeping language of Hong Kong's new law could mean such measures won't be enough. Authorities will no longer need to get court orders before requesting assistance or information, analysts said.

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official.

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official. The allegation of cooperation between Hong Kong authorities and major technology company comes after China passed a controversial security law in Hong Kong according to which authorities can demand user sensitive data and threaten action if their request is denied. Also read: Facebook, Google, Twitter block Hong Kong govt from accessing user data “There is a possibility that things are happening but because of the restrictions put on by the Hong Kong authorities, they [companies] would not be able to divulge this,” the state department official said. US tech giants face a reckoning over how Hong Kong's security law will reshape their businesses, with their suspension of processing government requests for user data a stop-gap measure as they weigh options, people close to the industry say. While Hong Kong is not a significant market for firms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, they have used it as a perch to reach deep-pocketed advertisers in mainland China, where many of their services are blocked. But the companies are now in the crosshairs of a national security law that gives China authority to demand that they turn over user data or censor content seen to violate the law - even when posted from abroad. “As we would with any new legislation, we are reviewing the new law to understand its implications. In the past, we’ve typically received only a relatively small number of requests from Hong Kong authorities, but we are pausing our responses to these requests as we conduct our review,” software and application developer Microsoft said in a statement. "These companies have to totally reassess the liability of having a presence in Hong Kong," Charles Mok, a legislator who represents the technology industry in Hong Kong said. If they refuse to cooperate with government requests, he said, authorities "could go after them and take them to court and fine them, or imprison their principals in Hong Kong". The US internet firms are no strangers to governments demands regarding content and user information, and generally say they are bound by local laws. The companies have often used a technique known as "geo-blocking" to restrict content in a particular country without removing it altogether. But the sweeping language of Hong Kong's new law could mean such measures won't be enough. Authorities will no longer need to get court orders before requesting assistance or information, analysts said.

Big tech companies may be handling data of Hong Kong users to China

Microsoft&nbsp;Corp said on&nbsp;Monday that&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;365 services, including Outlook.com and&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Teams&nbsp;and other online services experience outage due to&nbsp;a recent change it introduced.

The outages were confirmed by an official spokesman and Downdetector which aggregates user reports of issues.

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User reports indicate Office 365 is having problems since 5:33 PM EDT. <a href="https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ">https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ</a> RT if you're also having problems <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Office365down?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Office365down</a>
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While&nbsp;Teams is a collobaoration tool that integrates with Office 365, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel are other online subcriptions the tech giant offers.

The developer of Windows and Office software said it did not "observe an increase in successful connections" even after it rolled back the change to mitigate the impact.

"A moment ago nothing was working, then I went into files in Teams and it was working, now nothing is working. Well I guess now I have an excuse to not do work and watch TV," one Twitter user tweeted.

"We're pursuing mitigation steps for this issue. In parallel, we're rerouting traffic to alternate systems to provide further relief to the affected users,"&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;said on its status page, without specifying how many users were affected.

Several other Twitter users complained that the outage meant they could miss their job interviews and deadline for college assignments.

The Xbox maker also said https://bit.ly/339pRgI they were working to evaluate other solutions while they investigate the root cause of the outage.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday that multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook.com and Microsoft Teams and other online services experience outage due to a recent change it introduced.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday that multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook.com and Microsoft Teams and other online services experience outage due to a recent change it introduced. The outages were confirmed by an official spokesman and Downdetector which aggregates user reports of issues. User reports indicate Office 365 is having problems since 5:33 PM EDT. https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ RT if you're also having problems #Office365down — Downdetector (@downdetector) September 28, 2020 × While Teams is a collobaoration tool that integrates with Office 365, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel are other online subcriptions the tech giant offers. The developer of Windows and Office software said it did not "observe an increase in successful connections" even after it rolled back the change to mitigate the impact. "A moment ago nothing was working, then I went into files in Teams and it was working, now nothing is working. Well I guess now I have an excuse to not do work and watch TV," one Twitter user tweeted. "We're pursuing mitigation steps for this issue. In parallel, we're rerouting traffic to alternate systems to provide further relief to the affected users," Microsoft said on its status page, without specifying how many users were affected. Several other Twitter users complained that the outage meant they could miss their job interviews and deadline for college assignments. The Xbox maker also said https://bit.ly/339pRgI they were working to evaluate other solutions while they investigate the root cause of the outage.

Microsoft Office 365, Teams and other online services experience outage

Alphabet Inc`s&nbsp;Google will block election ads on its platform after the U.S. election on Nov. 3, a company spokeswoman said on Friday.

Axios, which first reported&nbsp;the news, said Google mailed advertisers saying they will not be able to run ads "referencing candidates, the election, or its outcome, given that an unprecedented amount of votes will be counted after election day this year."

Social media companies have been facing growing pressure to stop carrying ads that spread false information and could steer election results.

Facebook Inc&nbsp;also said it would stop accepting new political ads in the week before the election and would reject ads that seek to claim victory before the results of the election are declared.

Twitter Inc&nbsp;banned political ads last year, while Google has previously limited the ways election advertisers could micro-target voters.

Google`s new policy will target ads that are explicitly election-related as well as any other types of ads that reference federal or state elections, or ads that run based on targeting election-related search queries, the Axios report said.

Alphabet Inc`s Google will block election ads on its platform after the U.S. election on Nov. 3, a company spokeswoman said on Friday. Axios, which first reported the news, said Google mailed advertisers saying they will not be able to run ads "referencing candidates, the election, or its outcome, given that an unprecedented amount of votes will be counted after election day this year.

Alphabet Inc`s Google will block election ads on its platform after the U.S. election on Nov. 3, a company spokeswoman said on Friday. Axios, which first reported the news, said Google mailed advertisers saying they will not be able to run ads "referencing candidates, the election, or its outcome, given that an unprecedented amount of votes will be counted after election day this year." Social media companies have been facing growing pressure to stop carrying ads that spread false information and could steer election results. Facebook Inc also said it would stop accepting new political ads in the week before the election and would reject ads that seek to claim victory before the results of the election are declared. Twitter Inc banned political ads last year, while Google has previously limited the ways election advertisers could micro-target voters. Google`s new policy will target ads that are explicitly election-related as well as any other types of ads that reference federal or state elections, or ads that run based on targeting election-related search queries, the Axios report said.

Google to block election ads after US presidential election

Facebook said Friday it struck a deal in which Apple agreed to temporarily forgo its cut of revenue from paid events at the leading social network to help pandemic-hit performers earn money during the pandemic.

The social network had asked Apple to skip its usual 30 percent cut of transactions in mobile apps prior to enable the Facebook Live streaming to be used to create, promote and host paid events from concerts and theatrical performances to yoga classes and cooking lessons.

Apple agreed to a respite through the end of the year "after which struggling businesses will have to, yet again, pay Apple the full 30 percent App Store tax," Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne said in response to an AFP inquiry.

Apple originally stuck to its commission, but has since had a change of heart, according to Facebook.

The temporary reprieve means that transactions for events in Live on the iOS platform can be handled by Facebook's payment system instead of Apple's network, the social network said.

Gaming creators, however, will still have to use Apple's commission-collecting payment system for live events on its mobile devices, according to Facebook gaming vice president Vivek Sharma.

Facebook said it would not collect any fees from paid online events while businesses remain closed for the pandemic, until at least August 2021.

Apple did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. It has defended the commission to cover the costs of managing the App Store and protecting user security, but critics say the commission is an abuse of its position.

Other app developers have argued that Apple's commission is a "tax" and can thwart competitors.

Apple and Fortnite maker Epic Games are in a legal battle over the matter, with a hearing in the case slated for Monday.

Facebook said Friday it struck a deal in which Apple agreed to temporarily forgo its cut of revenue from paid events at the leading social network to help pandemic-hit performers earn money during the pandemic.

Facebook said Friday it struck a deal in which Apple agreed to temporarily forgo its cut of revenue from paid events at the leading social network to help pandemic-hit performers earn money during the pandemic. The social network had asked Apple to skip its usual 30 percent cut of transactions in mobile apps prior to enable the Facebook Live streaming to be used to create, promote and host paid events from concerts and theatrical performances to yoga classes and cooking lessons. Apple agreed to a respite through the end of the year "after which struggling businesses will have to, yet again, pay Apple the full 30 percent App Store tax," Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne said in response to an AFP inquiry. Apple originally stuck to its commission, but has since had a change of heart, according to Facebook. The temporary reprieve means that transactions for events in Live on the iOS platform can be handled by Facebook's payment system instead of Apple's network, the social network said. Gaming creators, however, will still have to use Apple's commission-collecting payment system for live events on its mobile devices, according to Facebook gaming vice president Vivek Sharma. Facebook said it would not collect any fees from paid online events while businesses remain closed for the pandemic, until at least August 2021. Apple did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. It has defended the commission to cover the costs of managing the App Store and protecting user security, but critics say the commission is an abuse of its position. Other app developers have argued that Apple's commission is a "tax" and can thwart competitors. Apple and Fortnite maker Epic Games are in a legal battle over the matter, with a hearing in the case slated for Monday.

Facebook gets reprieve from Apple on live events cut

A new class of robots is almost out.

This class would not be massive -- as traditional robots are -- but would be the size of a bug.

A whole arm of robotics is focussing on bug-size bots.

These bots will be able to glide, flip and hover. And will be adept at performing many complex functions.

They are being developed at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

These tiny robots would be useful in medical applications -- for targetted drug delivery or simple surgeries without incisions. Miniature robots could also save lives in dangerous places like minefields, or during search and rescue.

Small robots that can work together, like ants or bees do, would also be ideal for exploring other planets like Mars, again keeping humans away from risky, unexplored situations:

Ants have been their inspiration.

In the natural world, trap-jaw ants do all the ant things — and they can also snap their powerful jaws at the incredible speed of 90 miles per hour to jump away from predators.&nbsp;

Same mechanics have been used to help give the robots a variety of movements, including "vertical jumping for height, horizontal jumping for distance, somersault jumping to clear obstacles, walking on textured terrain and crawling on flat surfaces," according to the paper's abstract.

Each unit is completely autonomous, but they can communicate and thereby work together via a simple transmitter.

A new class of robots is almost out. This class would not be massive -- as traditional robots are -- but would be the size of a bug. A whole arm of robotics is focussing on bug-size bots.

A new class of robots is almost out. This class would not be massive -- as traditional robots are -- but would be the size of a bug. A whole arm of robotics is focussing on bug-size bots. These bots will be able to glide, flip and hover. And will be adept at performing many complex functions. They are being developed at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. These tiny robots would be useful in medical applications -- for targetted drug delivery or simple surgeries without incisions. Miniature robots could also save lives in dangerous places like minefields, or during search and rescue. Small robots that can work together, like ants or bees do, would also be ideal for exploring other planets like Mars, again keeping humans away from risky, unexplored situations: Ants have been their inspiration. In the natural world, trap-jaw ants do all the ant things — and they can also snap their powerful jaws at the incredible speed of 90 miles per hour to jump away from predators. Same mechanics have been used to help give the robots a variety of movements, including "vertical jumping for height, horizontal jumping for distance, somersault jumping to clear obstacles, walking on textured terrain and crawling on flat surfaces," according to the paper's abstract. Each unit is completely autonomous, but they can communicate and thereby work together via a simple transmitter.

Insect-inspired robots are almost here. They can jump and fly

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prof. Satish Dhawan, a pioneer who spearheaded ISRO's efforts as the organisation’s second Chairman, an Indian space startup has unveiled their indigenously developed cryogenic engine - Dhawan-I. This cryogenic engine is meant to fuel the upper stage of their rocket Vikram -II.

The company, Skyroot Aerospace has already tested a solid-fueled engine, but the cryogenic engine is even more significant because of the extreme complexity in the technology and the handling of its fuels. A cryogenic engine uses liquid fuel and an oxidizer that is maintained at extremely cold temperatures. Cryogenic is a generic term that can be used to describe temperatures below -150 degrees Celsius. Such engines are used in the uppermost stages of rockets, which are used for propulsion in space.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-isro-assistance-indias-skyroot-aerospace-aims-maiden-rocket-launch-by-dec-2021-320835">With ISRO assistance, India’s Skyroot Aerospace aims maiden rocket launch by Dec-2021</a>

A typical rocket consists of two or more stages, each of which would have its own engines(either single or packed in a cluster). Simply put, a rocket is a combination of multiple engines(stages) that are vertically stacked.&nbsp;Skyroot Aerospace has revealed that their cryogenic engine would be powered by Liquid Natural gas as fuel(LNG) &amp; Liquid Oxygen as oxidizer (LoX).&nbsp;

“This engine is India’s first fully Cryogenic engine running on futuristic fuel LNG,” said V. Gnanagandhi an ex-ISRO scientist &amp; Padmashri awardee who is the Sr. Vice President at Skyroot, leading their Cryogenic propulsion team.

It is said that LNG being used comprises of over 90% methane gas, thus making it a clean-burning, low-cost, highly re-usable field which is suited for long-duration space missions.&nbsp;

Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO of Skyroot Aerospace says that their team has successfully completed many tests to check the fuel flow and structural integrity. He added that they were building a dedicated test facility for hot-fire testing of this engine.&nbsp;

“Dhawan-I is a 100% 3D Printed cryogenic engine with regenerative cooling,” says Naga Bharath Daka, COO. Regenerative cooling refers to a configuration where, some or all of the propellant is passed through tubes, channels, or in a jacket around the combustion chamber or nozzle to cool the engine. This is effective because the fuel (and sometimes the oxidizer) are good coolants. The heated propellant is then fed into a special gas generator or injected directly into the main combustion chamber.

While the company has successfully tested the upper-most stage engine of its first rocket Vikram-I, the initial stage engines of Vikram-I are being manufactured. If all goes well, the company is looking forward to a maiden launch of Vikram-I by December 2021, with the support and guidance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The cryogenic engine won’t see action in Vikram-I and is meant for their bigger rocket Vikram-II.&nbsp;

In terms of payload capacity, Vikram I is meant to lift 225 kg to 500 km Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) and 315 kg to 45º inclination 500 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Vikram II is designed for 410 kg to 500 km SSPO and 520 kg to 45º inclination 500 km LEO. In the case of Vikram III, we are looking at 580 kg to 500 km SSPO and 720 kg to 45º inclination 500 km LEO.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prof. Satish Dhawan, a pioneer who spearheaded ISRO's efforts as the organisation’s second Chairman, an Indian space startup has unveiled their indigenously developed cryogenic engine - Dhawan-I.

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prof. Satish Dhawan, a pioneer who spearheaded ISRO's efforts as the organisation’s second Chairman, an Indian space startup has unveiled their indigenously developed cryogenic engine - Dhawan-I. This cryogenic engine is meant to fuel the upper stage of their rocket Vikram -II. The company, Skyroot Aerospace has already tested a solid-fueled engine, but the cryogenic engine is even more significant because of the extreme complexity in the technology and the handling of its fuels. A cryogenic engine uses liquid fuel and an oxidizer that is maintained at extremely cold temperatures. Cryogenic is a generic term that can be used to describe temperatures below -150 degrees Celsius. Such engines are used in the uppermost stages of rockets, which are used for propulsion in space. Also read | With ISRO assistance, India’s Skyroot Aerospace aims maiden rocket launch by Dec-2021 A typical rocket consists of two or more stages, each of which would have its own engines(either single or packed in a cluster). Simply put, a rocket is a combination of multiple engines(stages) that are vertically stacked. Skyroot Aerospace has revealed that their cryogenic engine would be powered by Liquid Natural gas as fuel(LNG) & Liquid Oxygen as oxidizer (LoX). “This engine is India’s first fully Cryogenic engine running on futuristic fuel LNG,” said V. Gnanagandhi an ex-ISRO scientist & Padmashri awardee who is the Sr. Vice President at Skyroot, leading their Cryogenic propulsion team. It is said that LNG being used comprises of over 90% methane gas, thus making it a clean-burning, low-cost, highly re-usable field which is suited for long-duration space missions. Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO of Skyroot Aerospace says that their team has successfully completed many tests to check the fuel flow and structural integrity. He added that they were building a dedicated test facility for hot-fire testing of this engine. “Dhawan-I is a 100% 3D Printed cryogenic engine with regenerative cooling,” says Naga Bharath Daka, COO. Regenerative cooling refers to a configuration where, some or all of the propellant is passed through tubes, channels, or in a jacket around the combustion chamber or nozzle to cool the engine. This is effective because the fuel (and sometimes the oxidizer) are good coolants. The heated propellant is then fed into a special gas generator or injected directly into the main combustion chamber. While the company has successfully tested the upper-most stage engine of its first rocket Vikram-I, the initial stage engines of Vikram-I are being manufactured. If all goes well, the company is looking forward to a maiden launch of Vikram-I by December 2021, with the support and guidance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The cryogenic engine won’t see action in Vikram-I and is meant for their bigger rocket Vikram-II. In terms of payload capacity, Vikram I is meant to lift 225 kg to 500 km Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) and 315 kg to 45º inclination 500 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Vikram II is designed for 410 kg to 500 km SSPO and 520 kg to 45º inclination 500 km LEO. In the case of Vikram III, we are looking at 580 kg to 500 km SSPO and 720 kg to 45º inclination 500 km LEO.

Space startup unveils India’s first privately developed Cryogenic Rocket engine

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it has dismantled three networks of fake accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election.

The company said the accounts, which it suspended for using fake identities and other types of "coordinated inauthentic behaviour," were linked to Russian intelligence and people associated with a St. Petersburg-based organisation accused by U.S. officials of working to sway the 2016 presidential vote.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/how-to-fix-facebook-an-appeal-to-mark-zuckerberg-329130">How to fix Facebook: An appeal to Mark Zuckerberg</a>

The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment after normal working hours in Moscow. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of election meddling and says it does not interfere in the domestic politics of other countries.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, said there was no immediate evidence that hacked documents were about to be leaked, but by suspending the accounts Facebook hoped to prevent them being used in any subsequent operation.

"Our team watches for the threats and trends that we need to be ready for, and one that we are very aware of ... is a hack-and-leak operation, particularly in the next 6-8 weeks," he told Reuters.

"We want to make sure that the accounts are down to prevent their ability to pivot them to facilitate a hack-and-leak around the U.S. election."

Facebook said the networks were small with only a handful of accounts on its website and photo-sharing service Instagram, some of which posed as independent media outlets and think tanks. The accounts had a combined total of around 97,000 followers.

While some of the activity did target audiences in Britain and the United States, the networks were predominantly focused on countries in the Middle East and bordering Russia, such as Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus, Facebook said.

Twitter Inc said it had worked with Facebook to identify and remove 350 accounts operated by state-linked organisations in Russia.

Both companies said one of the networks had been identified following a tip from the FBI, which warned on Tuesday that foreign actors and cybercriminals were likely to spread disinformation about the results of the Nov. 3 election.

The warnings follow an alert by Microsoft Corp earlier this month that hackers linked to Russia, China, and Iran are trying to spy on people tied to both U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.

Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, worked with Facebook to analyse the suspended accounts. He said the activity showed Russia was continuing efforts to exacerbate political tensions in the United States and elsewhere.

"That doesn't dismiss the fact that the scale and scope of domestic disinformation is far greater than what any foreign adversary could do," he said. "But Russia's efforts remain an extremely serious national security vulnerability." 
&nbsp;

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it has dismantled three networks of fake accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming U.

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it has dismantled three networks of fake accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election. The company said the accounts, which it suspended for using fake identities and other types of "coordinated inauthentic behaviour," were linked to Russian intelligence and people associated with a St. Petersburg-based organisation accused by U.S. officials of working to sway the 2016 presidential vote. Also read | How to fix Facebook: An appeal to Mark Zuckerberg The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment after normal working hours in Moscow. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of election meddling and says it does not interfere in the domestic politics of other countries. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, said there was no immediate evidence that hacked documents were about to be leaked, but by suspending the accounts Facebook hoped to prevent them being used in any subsequent operation. "Our team watches for the threats and trends that we need to be ready for, and one that we are very aware of ... is a hack-and-leak operation, particularly in the next 6-8 weeks," he told Reuters. "We want to make sure that the accounts are down to prevent their ability to pivot them to facilitate a hack-and-leak around the U.S. election." Facebook said the networks were small with only a handful of accounts on its website and photo-sharing service Instagram, some of which posed as independent media outlets and think tanks. The accounts had a combined total of around 97,000 followers. While some of the activity did target audiences in Britain and the United States, the networks were predominantly focused on countries in the Middle East and bordering Russia, such as Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus, Facebook said. Twitter Inc said it had worked with Facebook to identify and remove 350 accounts operated by state-linked organisations in Russia. Both companies said one of the networks had been identified following a tip from the FBI, which warned on Tuesday that foreign actors and cybercriminals were likely to spread disinformation about the results of the Nov. 3 election. The warnings follow an alert by Microsoft Corp earlier this month that hackers linked to Russia, China, and Iran are trying to spy on people tied to both U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, worked with Facebook to analyse the suspended accounts. He said the activity showed Russia was continuing efforts to exacerbate political tensions in the United States and elsewhere. "That doesn't dismiss the fact that the scale and scope of domestic disinformation is far greater than what any foreign adversary could do," he said. "But Russia's efforts remain an extremely serious national security vulnerability."

Facebook suspends fake Russian accounts, warns of U.S. election hack-and-leak threat

It’s not every day that you’re genuinely excited about a product that has just been announced in India. I had first heard about the Sony WF-1000XM3 TWS earbuds months ago when many of my colleagues had travelled abroad for an event. They picked up these earphones on their way back and have been raving about them ever since.

Sony has launched these TWS earbuds in the Indian market a year after they were released in the USA. As the saying goes though, “better late than never”.

Let me tell you why.

It was not long ago when the Apple AirPods were the only pair of truly wireless earphones on the market. In 2020, the floodgates have been unleashed. Every manufacturer and their uncle is releasing TWS earbuds across different price brackets.

Sony recently unveiled the WF-XB700 and WF-SP800N models and those were very well-received by the media and consumers. Now, the top-of-the-line - WF-1000XM3 - goes head-to-head with the Apple AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, Jabra Elite 75t, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and others. Priced at Rs 19,990, the terribly named WF-1000XM3 from Sony are on the upper range.

Fortunately, though, the TWS earbuds from Sony have a lot going for them.

The one thing you notice right out of the box is the elegance that the case and earbuds carry. The copper and black dual-tone finish are premium through and through. The case does seem bulkier than the competition. It becomes understandable when you take the earbuds out of the case. They are larger than you’d think compared to the competition. Surprisingly, they weigh just 8.5g each and, once you find a comfortable fit, they are good to wear for hours on end.

Finding that comfortable fit though is the problem. I went through all different eartips (there are seven different sizes in the box) and tried to twist and turn the earbuds in my ear.

The earbuds come with what Sony calls a ‘tri-hold structure’, leaning upon three key parts of the ear. This is supposed to be for a better fit. Nonetheless, after fiddling with them for a couple of days, I got a fit that was comfortable enough for hours on end. Luckily, after finding the right fit, these earbuds never seem to want to fall out. Even during an intense workout.

One downside is the fact that the case is chunkier than most of the competitors’ cases. The case also doesn’t have an LED indicator for battery level. The case also lacks wireless charging, which is a strange omission for TWS earbuds at this price.

The earbuds also lack any IP rating and hence they aren’t sweat/water resistance. Another thing to note if you’re going to use these while jogging or going to the gym daily.

Active noise-cancelling leads the way

With my gripes out of the way, let me just tell you that the WF-1000XM3 earbuds sound exceptionally good. Thanks to the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e chip and Dual Noise Sensor Technology, Sony leads the way in active noise-cancellation (ANC). No competitor comes close.

The QN1e chip also allows for better battery life, which I’ll get to in a moment. There may be no aptX HD Bluetooth support but unless you’re a hardcore audiophile, you probably won’t miss is.

No matter what track you play, the balanced audio signature shines across all frequency ranges. The vocals are crisp and the instruments are distinguishable. From Iron Maiden to Bollywood hits and even Hanz Zimmer’s soundtracks, the WF-100XM3 handles every track with aplomb. There is that thumping bass as well for though who like it.

I was surprised by the fact that these tiny earbuds can have such a wide soundstage. It definitely feels like the sound is surrounding you from all sides.&nbsp;

Furthermore, it’s the ANC that shines through and through. While I was walking on the road, the traffic noises were completely blocked out. I even couldn’t hear the people talking loudly next to me.

Call quality was also something that I was impressed with. I could hear people clearly and vice-versa. There was also no lag or any sort of distortion, which is a boon in these times.

Connectivity: Good but not the best

Pairing the earphones is seamless and connecting to the Sony app is even easier. I had no problem stepping dozens of feet away from my device and still hearing the crystal clear sound. The only niggle I had was that the right earbud sometimes got disconnected. I’ve reset the earbuds and there have been no problems in the last day or so. So maybe it was just a temporary problem.

Battery life: Brilliant

With ANC turned on, I was constantly getting around five and a half hours of battery life. The charging case is good for an additional three full chargers of the earbuds. That’s about sixteen and a half hours in total. Not the best in class but pretty consistently good, I must say.

Verdict: Are these worth the premium price tag?

The only people to whom I’d not recommend these TWS earbuds are those who need it for their ‘active’ lifestyle, namely exercising. For them, the clearcut option is the Jabra Elite Active 75t. Nothing even comes close to those for fitness-oriented earbuds.

For everyone else it is totally worth it. If you can afford to spend Rs 20,000 on a pair of TWS earbuds then don’t look elsewhere. These are much better than the AirPods Pro from Apple.

A little bit lower down the price range one can find the Galaxy Buds Live and Jabra Elite 75t, both excellent in their own respect, but what Sony has, no one else has. That’s a great pair of active noise-cancelling TWS earbuds.

It’s not every day that you’re genuinely excited about a product that has just been announced in India. I had first heard about the Sony WF-1000XM3 TWS earbuds months ago when many of my colleagues had travelled abroad for an event.

It’s not every day that you’re genuinely excited about a product that has just been announced in India. I had first heard about the Sony WF-1000XM3 TWS earbuds months ago when many of my colleagues had travelled abroad for an event. They picked up these earphones on their way back and have been raving about them ever since. Sony has launched these TWS earbuds in the Indian market a year after they were released in the USA. As the saying goes though, “better late than never”. Let me tell you why. It was not long ago when the Apple AirPods were the only pair of truly wireless earphones on the market. In 2020, the floodgates have been unleashed. Every manufacturer and their uncle is releasing TWS earbuds across different price brackets. Sony recently unveiled the WF-XB700 and WF-SP800N models and those were very well-received by the media and consumers. Now, the top-of-the-line - WF-1000XM3 - goes head-to-head with the Apple AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, Jabra Elite 75t, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and others. Priced at Rs 19,990, the terribly named WF-1000XM3 from Sony are on the upper range. Fortunately, though, the TWS earbuds from Sony have a lot going for them. The one thing you notice right out of the box is the elegance that the case and earbuds carry. The copper and black dual-tone finish are premium through and through. The case does seem bulkier than the competition. It becomes understandable when you take the earbuds out of the case. They are larger than you’d think compared to the competition. Surprisingly, they weigh just 8.5g each and, once you find a comfortable fit, they are good to wear for hours on end. Finding that comfortable fit though is the problem. I went through all different eartips (there are seven different sizes in the box) and tried to twist and turn the earbuds in my ear. The earbuds come with what Sony calls a ‘tri-hold structure’, leaning upon three key parts of the ear. This is supposed to be for a better fit. Nonetheless, after fiddling with them for a couple of days, I got a fit that was comfortable enough for hours on end. Luckily, after finding the right fit, these earbuds never seem to want to fall out. Even during an intense workout. One downside is the fact that the case is chunkier than most of the competitors’ cases. The case also doesn’t have an LED indicator for battery level. The case also lacks wireless charging, which is a strange omission for TWS earbuds at this price. The earbuds also lack any IP rating and hence they aren’t sweat/water resistance. Another thing to note if you’re going to use these while jogging or going to the gym daily. Active noise-cancelling leads the way With my gripes out of the way, let me just tell you that the WF-1000XM3 earbuds sound exceptionally good. Thanks to the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e chip and Dual Noise Sensor Technology, Sony leads the way in active noise-cancellation (ANC). No competitor comes close. The QN1e chip also allows for better battery life, which I’ll get to in a moment. There may be no aptX HD Bluetooth support but unless you’re a hardcore audiophile, you probably won’t miss is. No matter what track you play, the balanced audio signature shines across all frequency ranges. The vocals are crisp and the instruments are distinguishable. From Iron Maiden to Bollywood hits and even Hanz Zimmer’s soundtracks, the WF-100XM3 handles every track with aplomb. There is that thumping bass as well for though who like it. I was surprised by the fact that these tiny earbuds can have such a wide soundstage. It definitely feels like the sound is surrounding you from all sides. Furthermore, it’s the ANC that shines through and through. While I was walking on the road, the traffic noises were completely blocked out. I even couldn’t hear the people talking loudly next to me. Call quality was also something that I was impressed with. I could hear people clearly and vice-versa. There was also no lag or any sort of distortion, which is a boon in these times. Connectivity: Good but not the best Pairing the earphones is seamless and connecting to the Sony app is even easier. I had no problem stepping dozens of feet away from my device and still hearing the crystal clear sound. The only niggle I had was that the right earbud sometimes got disconnected. I’ve reset the earbuds and there have been no problems in the last day or so. So maybe it was just a temporary problem. Battery life: Brilliant With ANC turned on, I was constantly getting around five and a half hours of battery life. The charging case is good for an additional three full chargers of the earbuds. That’s about sixteen and a half hours in total. Not the best in class but pretty consistently good, I must say. Verdict: Are these worth the premium price tag? The only people to whom I’d not recommend these TWS earbuds are those who need it for their ‘active’ lifestyle, namely exercising. For them, the clearcut option is the Jabra Elite Active 75t. Nothing even comes close to those for fitness-oriented earbuds. For everyone else it is totally worth it. If you can afford to spend Rs 20,000 on a pair of TWS earbuds then don’t look elsewhere. These are much better than the AirPods Pro from Apple. A little bit lower down the price range one can find the Galaxy Buds Live and Jabra Elite 75t, both excellent in their own respect, but what Sony has, no one else has. That’s a great pair of active noise-cancelling TWS earbuds.

Sony WF-1000XM3 review: Truly wireless earbuds for the audiophiles

Samsung announced its flagship Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone at a time when the pandemic was still raging. The Note line of devices is the cornerstone of everything Samsung does in the smartphone business. While the Galaxy S line of devices are equally powerful, it’s the Note series that elevates the smartphone game year after year.

Back in August, the Note 20 Ultra was put on sale in India at a starting price of Rs 1,04,999. That’s a hefty asking price during a worldwide pandemic. Budgets may be stretched but if the product is that good, then why not?

I’ve been using the smartphone for over a month now and here’s why I think the Note 20 Ultra has a lot to offer

Design: Similar to the previous Note 10+

Let’s start with the design. The smartphone is all-screen at the front, while the back is covered with glass and has curved sides with a thin metal band. There’s the flat top and bottom. It’s one of those designs that immediately stands out despite its gigantic nature.

The 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED display is simply stunning to look at. It’s the back of the smartphone that will attract all the attention though. It’s got an enormous camera bump. So much so that the smartphone will never lie flat on a table when on its back.

What’s best about the rear panel is the frosted glass back. Probably the best Samsung has ever used. It hides fingerprints more than most other phones and also provides for a comfortable grip in one’s hand. In certain situations - answering calls and checking notifications - one-handed usage may be possible but this is really a phone for both your hands.

Samsung’s Note 20 Ultra is the first smartphone in the world to use the new Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back. It can withstand drops up to 2 metres and is twice as scratch-resistant as compared to Gorilla Glass 6.

The camera module is covered with Gorilla Glass 6. Despite a few drops and a couple of nicks here and there, there hasn’t been a single dent on my Note 20 Ultra. It is one sturdy device.

Mystic Bronze goodness

Is the mystic bronze colour really all that it is hyped up to be? The answer to that is YES. It may look like rose gold in certain lightings but it’s got this understated elegance to it. Thanks to the matte finish, there are close to zero fingerprints.

Display: Gorgeousness

<img alt="Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a56f986f-1474-42e9-a910-cc4c38b7a7b4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Samsung%20display%20final.jpg" />

The best-in-class display shows off its strengths on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.. It might be massive at 6.9 inches but it is pretty faultless. The colours are vivid and punchy and when maxed out at QHD+ resolution, binge-watching is a super treat.

The 120Hz screen refresh rate has been much better implemented than on the Galaxy S20 Plus and S20 Ultra. There’s the “Adaptive” motion smoothness, that adjusts the refresh rate based on the action being performed on the screen. Essentially, this saves battery in the long-run.

The one negative is the optical fingerprint scanner that is buried under the display. It’s easy to set up but the positioning is off. It’s the exact same sensor as in the Note 10+ but it’s inconsistent and slow.

Curved screens: Yay or nay?

The curved display of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra looks immersive, with its waterfall edge. But the edge-to-edge display makes it easy for accidental touches to occur. It’s more prominent when gripping the phone with one hand and typing with the other. Far too many times I unintentionally touched a part of the display I didn’t want to and it got in the way of my typic. Sometimes, an app would be closed by accident.

Some touch rejection along the edges would make this issue mostly go away.

Performance: Will breeze through any task

Despite the Indian variant of the Note 20 Ultra having the Exynos 990 chipset and not the Snapdragon 865+, the smartphone can handle any task with aplomb.

Whether it is capturing multiple photos, flipping through social media feeds, playing game after game, or just reading, the Note 20 Ultra will never slow down.

The Note 20 Ultra developed significant heat during my usage. Whether it was playing Call of Duty: Mobile, taking multiple pictures or even just charging the smartphone, the Note 20 Ultra got hotter than usual. It wasn’t too hot to hold at any point though.

Software: One UI 2.5

Samsung’s Note 20 Ultra runs the latest One UI 2.5 based on Android 10. It’s almost identical to S20 Ultra but has some nifty S Pen features such as handwriting recognition, translation and gesture support and various screen writing and screenshot tools.&nbsp;

One UI 2.5 may be filled with Samsung apps and a Galaxy Store (that basically acts as a duplicate), but the software works well and is very heavily-customised to suit the consumers’ needs. Samsung has promised three years of major Android updates and monthly security patches which bodes well for the company’s outlook.

Battery life: Middling at best

With the Galaxy S20 Ultra there was rarely a time I had to charge the smartphone in the same day. Samsung decided to stick with a 4,500 mAh despite the huge display and state-of-the-art processor. Sure, it is an improvement over the Note 10+’s 4,300 mAh battery, but was hardly an improvement in real world usage.

The Note 20 Ultra lasted me a day and over 5 hours of screen-on-time but barely any charge leftover to last through the night. I always have to put it on charge before hitting the sack.

With the S20 Ultra earlier this year, I rarely had to charge it at night. It was only in the morning, while getting ready, did I put it for charge.

The Note 20 Ultra ships with a 25W charger which means the phone takes about 70 minutes to reach a full charge from being dead. The Note 20 Ultra also supposes 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

Cameras: The all-important laser autofocus sensor

<img alt="Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review:" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f590d802-1d85-448e-9486-a3e0e6523306" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Camera%20final.jpg" />

One of the biggest downfalls of the S20 Ulta’s camera was blurry shots. The S20 Ultra had 100x digital zoom but the photos were blurry in both zoom shots and general shots.

The laser autofocus helps with all kinds of shorts. It provides for less blurry photos on the whole. Even those with the shakiest of hands get a huge benefit here.

Also, the Note 20 Ultra uses pixel-binning technology. This basically means that it uses a higher lens to capture a shot as smaller megapixels. Then it combines them for a rich and detailed shot. A 108-megapixel lens delivers 27-megapixel shots. It combines four pixels into one.

The Note 20 Ultra has a triple-camera setup plus the laser autofocus sensor.

<ul>
	<li>A 108-megapixel wide-angle camera: You can shoot at full 108 megapixels or the pixel-binned 27-megapixel shots.</li>
	<li>A 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera: This can be used to capture a wider field of view.</li>
	<li>A 12-megapixel telephoto camera: This lens allows for you to capture more details (when zoomed in) and offers up to 5x optical zoom.</li>
</ul>

The Note 20 Ultra’s camera is a huge step up from the S20 Ultra’s camera setup. The speed of the capture and the transitions between the three lenses is excellent. In good lighting, the photos are rich in detail with great colours. The low-light performance has been vastly improved. Using the Night mode is a pleasure.

It is the 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera that steals the show. One of the best implementations of an ultra-wide camera on any phone.

The 12-megapixel telephoto camera is definitely a step up from the S20 Ultra. The optical zoom makes a difference but going into digital zoom and anything over 30x is just not good.

Video quality up to 8K is also quite good and you get a range of shooting options. Finally, the 10-megapixel selfie camera is simply excellent.

This is by far Samsung’s best camera on any of its smartphones. It’s a reliable camera that you can just pull out of your pocket and shoot dozens of great photos in mere minutes.

S Pen: Game-changer

The S Pen on the Note series of devices has been a game changer since Day One. This time around, the latency on the S Pen has been drastically reduced making it a pleasure to use all the time. Taking notes is faster and more accurate.

The Air Actions and the physical button is great. I use it mostly to as a camera shutter

Final observations: Worth the price tag?

While I love the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and it is Samsung’s best photo to date, expensive smartphones just don’t cut it anymore. Going down the ladder, there are plenty of other phones that offer almost as much as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra but for far less.

Samsung played it safe with the Note 20 Ultra but that isn’t to cut into the fact that this is a fantastic device. Despite some shortcomings, the Note 20 Ultra has risen to the top of the Android smartphone charts.

During a pandemic nonetheless, spending over one lakh rupees is sheer exuberance. Once the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is on discount, it will be a fantastic deal.

Samsung announced its flagship Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone at a time when the pandemic was still raging. The Note line of devices is the cornerstone of everything Samsung does in the smartphone business.

Samsung announced its flagship Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone at a time when the pandemic was still raging. The Note line of devices is the cornerstone of everything Samsung does in the smartphone business. While the Galaxy S line of devices are equally powerful, it’s the Note series that elevates the smartphone game year after year. Back in August, the Note 20 Ultra was put on sale in India at a starting price of Rs 1,04,999. That’s a hefty asking price during a worldwide pandemic. Budgets may be stretched but if the product is that good, then why not? I’ve been using the smartphone for over a month now and here’s why I think the Note 20 Ultra has a lot to offer Design: Similar to the previous Note 10+ Let’s start with the design. The smartphone is all-screen at the front, while the back is covered with glass and has curved sides with a thin metal band. There’s the flat top and bottom. It’s one of those designs that immediately stands out despite its gigantic nature. The 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED display is simply stunning to look at. It’s the back of the smartphone that will attract all the attention though. It’s got an enormous camera bump. So much so that the smartphone will never lie flat on a table when on its back. What’s best about the rear panel is the frosted glass back. Probably the best Samsung has ever used. It hides fingerprints more than most other phones and also provides for a comfortable grip in one’s hand. In certain situations - answering calls and checking notifications - one-handed usage may be possible but this is really a phone for both your hands. Samsung’s Note 20 Ultra is the first smartphone in the world to use the new Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back. It can withstand drops up to 2 metres and is twice as scratch-resistant as compared to Gorilla Glass 6. The camera module is covered with Gorilla Glass 6. Despite a few drops and a couple of nicks here and there, there hasn’t been a single dent on my Note 20 Ultra. It is one sturdy device. Mystic Bronze goodness Is the mystic bronze colour really all that it is hyped up to be? The answer to that is YES. It may look like rose gold in certain lightings but it’s got this understated elegance to it. Thanks to the matte finish, there are close to zero fingerprints. Display: Gorgeousness The best-in-class display shows off its strengths on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.. It might be massive at 6.9 inches but it is pretty faultless. The colours are vivid and punchy and when maxed out at QHD+ resolution, binge-watching is a super treat. The 120Hz screen refresh rate has been much better implemented than on the Galaxy S20 Plus and S20 Ultra. There’s the “Adaptive” motion smoothness, that adjusts the refresh rate based on the action being performed on the screen. Essentially, this saves battery in the long-run. The one negative is the optical fingerprint scanner that is buried under the display. It’s easy to set up but the positioning is off. It’s the exact same sensor as in the Note 10+ but it’s inconsistent and slow. Curved screens: Yay or nay? The curved display of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra looks immersive, with its waterfall edge. But the edge-to-edge display makes it easy for accidental touches to occur. It’s more prominent when gripping the phone with one hand and typing with the other. Far too many times I unintentionally touched a part of the display I didn’t want to and it got in the way of my typic. Sometimes, an app would be closed by accident. Some touch rejection along the edges would make this issue mostly go away. Performance: Will breeze through any task Despite the Indian variant of the Note 20 Ultra having the Exynos 990 chipset and not the Snapdragon 865+, the smartphone can handle any task with aplomb. Whether it is capturing multiple photos, flipping through social media feeds, playing game after game, or just reading, the Note 20 Ultra will never slow down. The Note 20 Ultra developed significant heat during my usage. Whether it was playing Call of Duty: Mobile, taking multiple pictures or even just charging the smartphone, the Note 20 Ultra got hotter than usual. It wasn’t too hot to hold at any point though. Software: One UI 2.5 Samsung’s Note 20 Ultra runs the latest One UI 2.5 based on Android 10. It’s almost identical to S20 Ultra but has some nifty S Pen features such as handwriting recognition, translation and gesture support and various screen writing and screenshot tools. One UI 2.5 may be filled with Samsung apps and a Galaxy Store (that basically acts as a duplicate), but the software works well and is very heavily-customised to suit the consumers’ needs. Samsung has promised three years of major Android updates and monthly security patches which bodes well for the company’s outlook. Battery life: Middling at best With the Galaxy S20 Ultra there was rarely a time I had to charge the smartphone in the same day. Samsung decided to stick with a 4,500 mAh despite the huge display and state-of-the-art processor. Sure, it is an improvement over the Note 10+’s 4,300 mAh battery, but was hardly an improvement in real world usage. The Note 20 Ultra lasted me a day and over 5 hours of screen-on-time but barely any charge leftover to last through the night. I always have to put it on charge before hitting the sack. With the S20 Ultra earlier this year, I rarely had to charge it at night. It was only in the morning, while getting ready, did I put it for charge. The Note 20 Ultra ships with a 25W charger which means the phone takes about 70 minutes to reach a full charge from being dead. The Note 20 Ultra also supposes 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. Cameras: The all-important laser autofocus sensor One of the biggest downfalls of the S20 Ulta’s camera was blurry shots. The S20 Ultra had 100x digital zoom but the photos were blurry in both zoom shots and general shots. The laser autofocus helps with all kinds of shorts. It provides for less blurry photos on the whole. Even those with the shakiest of hands get a huge benefit here. Also, the Note 20 Ultra uses pixel-binning technology. This basically means that it uses a higher lens to capture a shot as smaller megapixels. Then it combines them for a rich and detailed shot. A 108-megapixel lens delivers 27-megapixel shots. It combines four pixels into one. The Note 20 Ultra has a triple-camera setup plus the laser autofocus sensor. A 108-megapixel wide-angle camera: You can shoot at full 108 megapixels or the pixel-binned 27-megapixel shots. A 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera: This can be used to capture a wider field of view. A 12-megapixel telephoto camera: This lens allows for you to capture more details (when zoomed in) and offers up to 5x optical zoom. The Note 20 Ultra’s camera is a huge step up from the S20 Ultra’s camera setup. The speed of the capture and the transitions between the three lenses is excellent. In good lighting, the photos are rich in detail with great colours. The low-light performance has been vastly improved. Using the Night mode is a pleasure. It is the 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera that steals the show. One of the best implementations of an ultra-wide camera on any phone. The 12-megapixel telephoto camera is definitely a step up from the S20 Ultra. The optical zoom makes a difference but going into digital zoom and anything over 30x is just not good. Video quality up to 8K is also quite good and you get a range of shooting options. Finally, the 10-megapixel selfie camera is simply excellent. This is by far Samsung’s best camera on any of its smartphones. It’s a reliable camera that you can just pull out of your pocket and shoot dozens of great photos in mere minutes. S Pen: Game-changer The S Pen on the Note series of devices has been a game changer since Day One. This time around, the latency on the S Pen has been drastically reduced making it a pleasure to use all the time. Taking notes is faster and more accurate. The Air Actions and the physical button is great. I use it mostly to as a camera shutter Final observations: Worth the price tag? While I love the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and it is Samsung’s best photo to date, expensive smartphones just don’t cut it anymore. Going down the ladder, there are plenty of other phones that offer almost as much as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra but for far less. Samsung played it safe with the Note 20 Ultra but that isn’t to cut into the fact that this is a fantastic device. Despite some shortcomings, the Note 20 Ultra has risen to the top of the Android smartphone charts. During a pandemic nonetheless, spending over one lakh rupees is sheer exuberance. Once the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is on discount, it will be a fantastic deal.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review: The best Android smartphone comes with a hefty price tag

TikTok's owner ByteDance&nbsp;said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license as it tries to complete a deal with Oracle and Walmart to keep the popular video app operating in the United States.&nbsp;

The Chinese&nbsp;firm submitted the application to Beijing's municipal commerce bureau and is awaiting a decision.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-asks-court-to-block-trumps-ban-claiming-it-to-be-us-elections-agenda-329813">TikTok asks court to block Trump's ban claiming it to be US elections' agenda</a>

The application comes about a month after China revised its list of technologies subject to export bans or restrictions for the first time in 12 years, in a manner which experts said gave the government a say over any TikTok deal. It can take up to 30 days to obtain preliminary approval to export such technology.

Chinese commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng told reporters on Thursday that the application has been received and would be handled in accordance with relevant regulations and procedures.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijing-unlikely-to-approve-bytedances-tiktok-deal-with-oracle-report-says-329318/amp">Beijing unlikely to approve ByteDance's TikTok deal with Oracle, report says</a>

ByteDance has said its deal with Oracle and Walmart will see the creation of a standalone US&nbsp;company and does not involve any transfer of technology, though Oracle will be able to inspect TikTok US&nbsp;source code.

It has also said the deal needs approval from both China and the United States.

However, the companies have issued conflicting statements over the terms of the agreement they reached with the White House.

ByteDance said it will establish a US&nbsp;subsidiary called TikTok Global of which it will own 80 per cent.

Oracle and WalMart, however, said majority ownership of TikTok Global would be in American hands, complying with an August&nbsp;14 executive order by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump that ByteDance relinquish ownership of TikTok within 90 days.

Chinese state media outlets China Daily and the Global Times this week said they see no reason for China to approve the deal that Oracle and Walmart said they have struck with ByteDance, calling it based on "bullying and extortion".

TikTok's experience is "a textbook example of the United States' modern-day piracy and tech bullying," Chinese state news agency Xinhua said in an English-language commentary on Thursday, adding that national security concerns that Washington has expressed over TikTok are "nothing but a fig leaf".

"It is time that other countries saw through the outrageous farce of the TikTok drama, knew what is really at stake, and joined hands to oppose such blatant robberies and maintain a fair global business environment," it said.

TikTok asked a US&nbsp;judge on Wednesday to block an order from Trump's administration that would require Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google to remove its short video-sharing app for new downloads from Sunday.

In response to a question on TikTok's request, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Thursday said China supports companies' use of relevant legal weapons to uphold their rights.

TikTok's owner ByteDance said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license as it tries to complete a deal with Oracle and Walmart to keep the popular video app operating in the United States.

TikTok's owner ByteDance said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license as it tries to complete a deal with Oracle and Walmart to keep the popular video app operating in the United States. The Chinese firm submitted the application to Beijing's municipal commerce bureau and is awaiting a decision. Also read: TikTok asks court to block Trump's ban claiming it to be US elections' agenda The application comes about a month after China revised its list of technologies subject to export bans or restrictions for the first time in 12 years, in a manner which experts said gave the government a say over any TikTok deal. It can take up to 30 days to obtain preliminary approval to export such technology. Chinese commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng told reporters on Thursday that the application has been received and would be handled in accordance with relevant regulations and procedures. Also read: Beijing unlikely to approve ByteDance's TikTok deal with Oracle, report says ByteDance has said its deal with Oracle and Walmart will see the creation of a standalone US company and does not involve any transfer of technology, though Oracle will be able to inspect TikTok US source code. It has also said the deal needs approval from both China and the United States. However, the companies have issued conflicting statements over the terms of the agreement they reached with the White House. ByteDance said it will establish a US subsidiary called TikTok Global of which it will own 80 per cent. Oracle and WalMart, however, said majority ownership of TikTok Global would be in American hands, complying with an August 14 executive order by US President Donald Trump that ByteDance relinquish ownership of TikTok within 90 days. Chinese state media outlets China Daily and the Global Times this week said they see no reason for China to approve the deal that Oracle and Walmart said they have struck with ByteDance, calling it based on "bullying and extortion". TikTok's experience is "a textbook example of the United States' modern-day piracy and tech bullying," Chinese state news agency Xinhua said in an English-language commentary on Thursday, adding that national security concerns that Washington has expressed over TikTok are "nothing but a fig leaf". "It is time that other countries saw through the outrageous farce of the TikTok drama, knew what is really at stake, and joined hands to oppose such blatant robberies and maintain a fair global business environment," it said. TikTok asked a US judge on Wednesday to block an order from Trump's administration that would require Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google to remove its short video-sharing app for new downloads from Sunday. In response to a question on TikTok's request, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Thursday said China supports companies' use of relevant legal weapons to uphold their rights.

TikTok's owner ByteDance applies for Chinese license to close US deal

Social media platform Facebook has taken down fake pages created in China aimed at influencing this year's&nbsp;US election.

In the United States, the network that operated the ''sliver&nbsp;of&nbsp;accounts'',&nbsp;posted material both in support of and against presidential candidates President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-spying-on-millions-around-the-world-by-harvesting-personal-details-from-the-dark-web-327896">China spying on millions around the world by harvesting personal details from the dark web</a>

According to Facebook,&nbsp;the people behind the network tried to conceal their identity and location via virtual private networks and other methods.

The social networking company said it suspended 155 accounts on its main platform along with six Instagram accounts.&nbsp;

Facebook cybersecurity policy chief Nathaniel Gleicher said that the takedown was the company's first of Chinese-based accounts on foreign-interference grounds with any engagement in US&nbsp;politics.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-trump-and-biden-battle-for-an-advantage-in-brewing-fight-329526" hreflang="en">US election 2020: Trump and Biden battle for an advantage in brewing fight</a>

Concerns about foreign efforts to interfere in the election were underscored by a warning Tuesday from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity agency that foreign actors and cybercriminals were likely to try to spread disinformation regarding the results of the election, including by creating fake websites or social media content aimed at discrediting the process.

US&nbsp;Intelligence officials warned last month about ongoing or potential efforts by China, Russia and Iran to interfere in November's election. In an August public assessment, the country's chief counterintelligence official, William Evanina, said officials had determined that Beijing regards Trump as unpredictable and wants to see him lose to Biden.

The statement said that China had been expanding its influence operations ahead of the election to ''shape the policy environment in the United States''&nbsp;and had been weighing the pros and cons of taking more aggressive action.

Social media platform Facebook has taken down fake pages created in China aimed at influencing this year's US election. In the United States, the network that operated the ''sliver of accounts'', posted material both in support of and against presidential candidates President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Social media platform Facebook has taken down fake pages created in China aimed at influencing this year's US election. In the United States, the network that operated the ''sliver of accounts'', posted material both in support of and against presidential candidates President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Also read: China spying on millions around the world by harvesting personal details from the dark web According to Facebook, the people behind the network tried to conceal their identity and location via virtual private networks and other methods. The social networking company said it suspended 155 accounts on its main platform along with six Instagram accounts. Facebook cybersecurity policy chief Nathaniel Gleicher said that the takedown was the company's first of Chinese-based accounts on foreign-interference grounds with any engagement in US politics. Also read: US election 2020: Trump and Biden battle for an advantage in brewing fight Concerns about foreign efforts to interfere in the election were underscored by a warning Tuesday from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity agency that foreign actors and cybercriminals were likely to try to spread disinformation regarding the results of the election, including by creating fake websites or social media content aimed at discrediting the process. US Intelligence officials warned last month about ongoing or potential efforts by China, Russia and Iran to interfere in November's election. In an August public assessment, the country's chief counterintelligence official, William Evanina, said officials had determined that Beijing regards Trump as unpredictable and wants to see him lose to Biden. The statement said that China had been expanding its influence operations ahead of the election to ''shape the policy environment in the United States'' and had been weighing the pros and cons of taking more aggressive action.

US election 2020: Facebook removes fake pages created in China targeting Trump, Biden

Airbus has unveiled three visual concepts for "zero emission" airplanes to be powered by hydrogen.

It is the planemaker`s latest effort to draw public attention to its "zero-emission" ambitions as European governments push for cleaner technology in their post-COVID recovery plans.

Airbus&nbsp;has set itself a deadline of 2035 to put a carbon-free commercial aircraft into service, a target engine makers like Safran&nbsp;have described as ambitious.

The "ZEROe" initiative includes concepts for two conventional-looking aircraft: a turbofan jet engine able to carry 120-200 people over 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) and a turboprop able to carry up to 100 people for 1,000 nm.

Unlike normal planes, the engines would be adapted to burn liquid hydrogen stored in the rear fuselage.

A third proposal incorporates a revolutionary "blended wing body" design similar to one presented in February.

At the same time, Airbus is working on a demonstrator, with initial results expected in 2021.

"The demonstrator will allow us to assess what the most promising architecture is," Airbus Chief Technology Officer Grazia Vittadini said in an interview.

"We see it as applicable to all Airbus products eventually."

To meet its 2035 goal, Airbus would need to select technologies by 2025, she said. Other industry executives said such a clean break in propulsion could take until 2040.

Challenges include finding ways to safely store volatile liquid hydrogen during flight at very cold temperatures.

Airbus dismissed concerns that hydrogen would be unsafe and has called for massive investment in new energy infrastructure.

While hydrogen has been discussed since the 1970s, it remains too expensive for widespread use. Proponents say infrastructure investment and rising demand will lower the cost.

Most hydrogen used today is extracted from natural gas, which creates carbon emissions.

However, Airbus said the hydrogen used for aviation would be produced from renewable energy and extracted from water with electrolysis. That`s a carbon-free process if powered by renewable electricity, but it is currently more expensive.

Airbus has unveiled three visual concepts for "zero emission" airplanes to be powered by hydrogen. It is the planemaker`s latest effort to draw public attention to its "zero-emission" ambitions as European governments push for cleaner technology in their post-COVID recovery plans.

Airbus has unveiled three visual concepts for "zero emission" airplanes to be powered by hydrogen. It is the planemaker`s latest effort to draw public attention to its "zero-emission" ambitions as European governments push for cleaner technology in their post-COVID recovery plans. Airbus has set itself a deadline of 2035 to put a carbon-free commercial aircraft into service, a target engine makers like Safran have described as ambitious. The "ZEROe" initiative includes concepts for two conventional-looking aircraft: a turbofan jet engine able to carry 120-200 people over 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) and a turboprop able to carry up to 100 people for 1,000 nm. Unlike normal planes, the engines would be adapted to burn liquid hydrogen stored in the rear fuselage. A third proposal incorporates a revolutionary "blended wing body" design similar to one presented in February. At the same time, Airbus is working on a demonstrator, with initial results expected in 2021. "The demonstrator will allow us to assess what the most promising architecture is," Airbus Chief Technology Officer Grazia Vittadini said in an interview. "We see it as applicable to all Airbus products eventually." To meet its 2035 goal, Airbus would need to select technologies by 2025, she said. Other industry executives said such a clean break in propulsion could take until 2040. Challenges include finding ways to safely store volatile liquid hydrogen during flight at very cold temperatures. Airbus dismissed concerns that hydrogen would be unsafe and has called for massive investment in new energy infrastructure. While hydrogen has been discussed since the 1970s, it remains too expensive for widespread use. Proponents say infrastructure investment and rising demand will lower the cost. Most hydrogen used today is extracted from natural gas, which creates carbon emissions. However, Airbus said the hydrogen used for aviation would be produced from renewable energy and extracted from water with electrolysis. That`s a carbon-free process if powered by renewable electricity, but it is currently more expensive.

Airbus unveils concepts for hydrogen-powered plane

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control.

Asked in an interview whether ByteDance would still have any involvement, he said that "they will have nothing to do with it and if they do, then we just won't make the deal."

He added Oracle and Walmart "are going to have total control over it. They're going to own the controling interest... If we find they don't have total control, then we're not going to approve the deal."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-bytedance-says-tiktok-will-be-its-subsidiary-under-deal-with-trump-329041" hreflang="en">China's ByteDance says TikTok will be its subsidiary under deal with Trump</a>

TikTok,&nbsp;which became a global phenomenon with its brand of short, addictive phone videos,&nbsp;has come under fire in recent months as tensions escalate between China and the west.

Trump has claimed&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;is collecting user data for China's Communist Party, and&nbsp;signed an executive order&nbsp;on August&nbsp;14 giving ByteDance until September 20&nbsp;to hand over&nbsp;TikTok's US operations to an American company.

ByteDance, under pressure in China not to give in to US demands, set out to clarify "rumours" on Monday after details of the deal were announced. It said the current plan "does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies".

While Oracle has the authority to check the source code of&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;in the US, ByteDance said displaying the source code is a way for multinationals to allay local data security concerns.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control. Asked in an interview whether ByteDance would still have any involvement, he said that "they will have nothing to do with it and if they do, then we just won't make the deal." He added Oracle and Walmart "are going to have total control over it. They're going to own the controling interest... If we find they don't have total control, then we're not going to approve the deal." Also read: China's ByteDance says TikTok will be its subsidiary under deal with Trump TikTok, which became a global phenomenon with its brand of short, addictive phone videos, has come under fire in recent months as tensions escalate between China and the west. Trump has claimed TikTok is collecting user data for China's Communist Party, and signed an executive order on August 14 giving ByteDance until September 20 to hand over TikTok's US operations to an American company. ByteDance, under pressure in China not to give in to US demands, set out to clarify "rumours" on Monday after details of the deal were announced. It said the current plan "does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies". While Oracle has the authority to check the source code of TikTok in the US, ByteDance said displaying the source code is a way for multinationals to allay local data security concerns.

No TikTok deal if China's ByteDance maintains control, says Trump

Think about a child who constantly makes mistakes,&nbsp;he is told to never steal, he is told to not lie, people explain to him that the use of foul language is not acceptable. For a moment, it looks like he is listening to you. He nods, apologies and promises to not repeat the actions again, but nothing has changed. The child continues to do indulge in all the objectionable acts, repeatedly.

Facebook is like that child in question. Over the last few years, the social network giant has been slammed for violating user privacy, fuelling hate, and spreading disinformation. The list of wrongdoings is extensive.

I don't want to get into the charges pressed against the world’s biggest social network, because all the scandals and controversies are out there for you to see. Instead, I am going to talk about the three things that Facebook needs to fix as soon as possible to win back the trust of users. It's a video appeal to Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive officer of Facebook.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tech-it-out-how-to-fix-facebook-328592/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

1. Facebook has been on an apology tour for a long time. For every mistake or fiasco that has been reported, Facebook has mostly reacted with the same answer, “We apologise”.

A random Google search with the words “Facebook apologises” gives you over 10 million results. No, I don’t mean to say that Facebook has apologised this many times, but what I am trying to highlight is that the log of Facebook wrongdoings is pretty long and endless. And not much seems to be changing. Zuckerberg needs to re-learn that apologies are good only if they are sincere. They need to come with a promise to do better.

For instance, Zuckerberg claims that Facebook has teamed up with civil rights groups and experts to develop more tools to fight hate speech. Those groups and experts, however, say Facebook isn’t committed or at least, the commitment in not translating into action. Zuckerberg should understand that when you apologise, you make amends and rebuild trust. And most importantly, you make sincere efforts to avoid mistakes from happening again.

2. Secondly, I am all up for new-age technologies, but when it comes to tackling sensitive issues like suicide, self-injury and child exploitation, human intervention becomes very important. So here's another suggestion for Zuckerberg. You should increase your pool of human reviewers to tackle sensitive issues, on priority. I mean, algorithms and artificial intelligence can never be as good as human content reviewers in determining, let's say, how dangerous a hate speech can be. Instead of looking at new acquisitions, Facebook should spend more money on hiring content reviewers who are well-versed with diverse cultures.

3. All of us understand that data is the new currency and Facebook makes billions of dollars from our data. Your data is used to serve you ads that you see on Facebook. And who makes all the money? Facebook.

In 2019, Facebook’s ad revenue was close to $70 billion. In the second quarter of this year alone, Facebook earned $18.3 billion in advertising revenue. So, if you think you’re getting to use Facebook for free, that’s not how it is. There are no free lunches.

Many people understand this and they don’t want their data to be harvested and used by Facebook or any other corporation, for that matter. I think, Zuckerberg should take this issue seriously. He should introduce paid accounts for such people and charge a monthly or annual fee. The company needs to give this option to users in times when data privacy is a matter of huge concern.

I hope Zuckerberg takes it as constructive feedback. All of us like using Facebook, but there is no denying that these issues need to be fixed on on priority.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Think about a child who constantly makes mistakes, he is told to never steal, he is told to not lie, people explain to him that the use of foul language is not acceptable.

Think about a child who constantly makes mistakes, he is told to never steal, he is told to not lie, people explain to him that the use of foul language is not acceptable. For a moment, it looks like he is listening to you. He nods, apologies and promises to not repeat the actions again, but nothing has changed. The child continues to do indulge in all the objectionable acts, repeatedly. Facebook is like that child in question. Over the last few years, the social network giant has been slammed for violating user privacy, fuelling hate, and spreading disinformation. The list of wrongdoings is extensive. I don't want to get into the charges pressed against the world’s biggest social network, because all the scandals and controversies are out there for you to see. Instead, I am going to talk about the three things that Facebook needs to fix as soon as possible to win back the trust of users. It's a video appeal to Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive officer of Facebook. 1. Facebook has been on an apology tour for a long time. For every mistake or fiasco that has been reported, Facebook has mostly reacted with the same answer, “We apologise”. A random Google search with the words “Facebook apologises” gives you over 10 million results. No, I don’t mean to say that Facebook has apologised this many times, but what I am trying to highlight is that the log of Facebook wrongdoings is pretty long and endless. And not much seems to be changing. Zuckerberg needs to re-learn that apologies are good only if they are sincere. They need to come with a promise to do better. For instance, Zuckerberg claims that Facebook has teamed up with civil rights groups and experts to develop more tools to fight hate speech. Those groups and experts, however, say Facebook isn’t committed or at least, the commitment in not translating into action. Zuckerberg should understand that when you apologise, you make amends and rebuild trust. And most importantly, you make sincere efforts to avoid mistakes from happening again. 2. Secondly, I am all up for new-age technologies, but when it comes to tackling sensitive issues like suicide, self-injury and child exploitation, human intervention becomes very important. So here's another suggestion for Zuckerberg. You should increase your pool of human reviewers to tackle sensitive issues, on priority. I mean, algorithms and artificial intelligence can never be as good as human content reviewers in determining, let's say, how dangerous a hate speech can be. Instead of looking at new acquisitions, Facebook should spend more money on hiring content reviewers who are well-versed with diverse cultures. 3. All of us understand that data is the new currency and Facebook makes billions of dollars from our data. Your data is used to serve you ads that you see on Facebook. And who makes all the money? Facebook. In 2019, Facebook’s ad revenue was close to $70 billion. In the second quarter of this year alone, Facebook earned $18.3 billion in advertising revenue. So, if you think you’re getting to use Facebook for free, that’s not how it is. There are no free lunches. Many people understand this and they don’t want their data to be harvested and used by Facebook or any other corporation, for that matter. I think, Zuckerberg should take this issue seriously. He should introduce paid accounts for such people and charge a monthly or annual fee. The company needs to give this option to users in times when data privacy is a matter of huge concern. I hope Zuckerberg takes it as constructive feedback. All of us like using Facebook, but there is no denying that these issues need to be fixed on on priority. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How to fix Facebook: An appeal to Mark Zuckerberg

Amazon is extending the feature of ‘Hindi language’ support for Alexa voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is easily available on Echo Dot, Echo Plus and more from where it can be used to gain information and entertainment of various genres.

Amazon India's smart assistant Alexa completed one year of its existence, and will now available be on both Android and iOS smartphones in the country from Monday. The customers can now interact with Alexa in Hindi using the Alexa app on their mobile devices.

Alexa in Hindi can be experienced on the entire Amazon Echo range of smart speakers, Alexa built-in devices by other brands, the company said.

Alexa can now understand 50 different ways to play a particular song in Hindi. Amazon has also added six new Alexa original songs and poems, along with 20 new stories in Hindi.

Alexa now has a special message for all users in India. Just ask "Alexa, hamari dosti par poem sunao".

The company said that Alexa is now equipped with hundreds of new words from the Hindi vocabulary, and is also able to understand different ways in which customers can ask for the same information.

At the launch last year, Amazon had over 500 Hindi skills. Today, it has over 1,000 Hindi Skills, including Audible Suno, Ramayan Katha, Devotional Stories by Hungama, Shilpa Shetty Yoga, Jungle Safari, Kabir's Dohe, Rekhta, Hindi Jokes and so on. 
&nbsp;

Amazon is extending the feature of ‘Hindi language’ support for Alexa voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is easily available on Echo Dot, Echo Plus and more from where it can be used to gain information and entertainment of various genres.

Amazon is extending the feature of ‘Hindi language’ support for Alexa voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is easily available on Echo Dot, Echo Plus and more from where it can be used to gain information and entertainment of various genres. Amazon India's smart assistant Alexa completed one year of its existence, and will now available be on both Android and iOS smartphones in the country from Monday. The customers can now interact with Alexa in Hindi using the Alexa app on their mobile devices. Alexa in Hindi can be experienced on the entire Amazon Echo range of smart speakers, Alexa built-in devices by other brands, the company said. Alexa can now understand 50 different ways to play a particular song in Hindi. Amazon has also added six new Alexa original songs and poems, along with 20 new stories in Hindi. Alexa now has a special message for all users in India. Just ask "Alexa, hamari dosti par poem sunao". The company said that Alexa is now equipped with hundreds of new words from the Hindi vocabulary, and is also able to understand different ways in which customers can ask for the same information. At the launch last year, Amazon had over 500 Hindi skills. Today, it has over 1,000 Hindi Skills, including Audible Suno, Ramayan Katha, Devotional Stories by Hungama, Shilpa Shetty Yoga, Jungle Safari, Kabir's Dohe, Rekhta, Hindi Jokes and so on.

Alexa in Hindi turns one; now available on smartphones in India

Apple Inc is set to launch its first online store in India on September 23, the iPhone maker said on Friday.

The launch date will coincide with the country's festive season.

The company currently sells its products in India through third-party vendors and e-commerce firms such as Amazon.com Inc and Walmart Inc-owned Flipkart.

Apple assembles some smartphones, including the iPhone 11, at Foxconn and Wistron's plants in two southern Indian states.

Through its online retail platform, Apple plans to offer assistance to customers in English and Hindi, while allowing users to engrave their iPads, Apple Pencil and Airpods in English and also in a handful of Indian languages, including Bengali and Gujarati.

India provides huge growth prospects for smartphone makers, as well as cheap labour to manufacture the devices.

Earlier this week, Apple rolled out a virtual fitness service and a bundle of all its subscriptions, Apple One.

(with inputs)

Apple Inc is set to launch its first online store in India on September 23, the iPhone maker said on Friday. The launch date will coincide with the country's festive season.

Apple Inc is set to launch its first online store in India on September 23, the iPhone maker said on Friday. The launch date will coincide with the country's festive season. The company currently sells its products in India through third-party vendors and e-commerce firms such as Amazon.com Inc and Walmart Inc-owned Flipkart. Apple assembles some smartphones, including the iPhone 11, at Foxconn and Wistron's plants in two southern Indian states. Through its online retail platform, Apple plans to offer assistance to customers in English and Hindi, while allowing users to engrave their iPads, Apple Pencil and Airpods in English and also in a handful of Indian languages, including Bengali and Gujarati. India provides huge growth prospects for smartphone makers, as well as cheap labour to manufacture the devices. Earlier this week, Apple rolled out a virtual fitness service and a bundle of all its subscriptions, Apple One. (with inputs)

Apple to launch first online store in India on September 23

Payment app Paytm has been mysteriously taken down from Google Play Store. The app, owned by One97 Communications Ltd, is not visible on Google Play Store for now.

All other apps under its umbrella -- Paytm For Business, Paytm Money, and Paytm Mall -- are, however, are available on Play Store.

The Paytm app is still available for download on the Apple App Store.

To this end, Paytm in a statement on Twitter said, "Paytm Android app is temporarily unavailable on Google's Play Store for new downloads or updates. It will be back very soon. All your money is completely safe, and you can continue to enjoy your Paytm app as normal."

Paytm disappeared from Google Play Store a few hours after Google’s Suzanne Frey, who is Vice President, Product, Android Security and Privacy, posted a blog, detailing a few guidelines.

“We have these policies to protect users from potential harm. When an app violates these policies, we notify the developer of the violation and remove the app from Google Play until the developer brings the app into compliance. And in the case where there are repeated policy violations, we may take more serious action which may include terminating Google Play Developer accounts. Our policies are applied and enforced on all developers consistently,” she wrote.

"We have the same goals for our gambling policy. We don’t allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies," wrote Suzanne.

This is being linked to the removal of the app.

One97 Communications Ltd was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma. The company had received massive funding from fintech firm Ant Financials, which is an ally of China's Alibaba group.

Payment app Paytm has been mysteriously taken down from Google Play Store. The app, owned by One97 Communications Ltd, is not visible on Google Play Store for now.

Payment app Paytm has been mysteriously taken down from Google Play Store. The app, owned by One97 Communications Ltd, is not visible on Google Play Store for now. All other apps under its umbrella -- Paytm For Business, Paytm Money, and Paytm Mall -- are, however, are available on Play Store. The Paytm app is still available for download on the Apple App Store. To this end, Paytm in a statement on Twitter said, "Paytm Android app is temporarily unavailable on Google's Play Store for new downloads or updates. It will be back very soon. All your money is completely safe, and you can continue to enjoy your Paytm app as normal." Paytm disappeared from Google Play Store a few hours after Google’s Suzanne Frey, who is Vice President, Product, Android Security and Privacy, posted a blog, detailing a few guidelines. “We have these policies to protect users from potential harm. When an app violates these policies, we notify the developer of the violation and remove the app from Google Play until the developer brings the app into compliance. And in the case where there are repeated policy violations, we may take more serious action which may include terminating Google Play Developer accounts. Our policies are applied and enforced on all developers consistently,” she wrote. "We have the same goals for our gambling policy. We don’t allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies," wrote Suzanne. This is being linked to the removal of the app. One97 Communications Ltd was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma. The company had received massive funding from fintech firm Ant Financials, which is an ally of China's Alibaba group.

Paytm app removed from Google Play Store. Is alleged violation of guidelines the reason?

A Chinese hacker group called&nbsp;APT41 has been&nbsp;charged by the US Justice Department after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Microsoft caught two of the hackers in a combined effort.&nbsp;

APT41 is a group of seven hackers, out of which five of them are Chinese nationals and are expert hackers. Majority of the group members have been employees of&nbsp;Chengdu 404 Network Technology — a company that provides legal hacking services to the company to help&nbsp;detect vulnerabilities in clients' computer networks. The other company involved in the case is&nbsp;SEA Gamer Mall, a Malaysia-based firm that sells video game currency, power-ups and other in-game items.

They trapped various groups — from gaming companies to non-profit organisations — by several sophisticated and basic phishing methods. While some companies got duped through phishing emails, rest gave permission to the group to modify their codes, which provided them free and unlimited access to clients' computers and internal data.

The group has been alleged of hacking hundreds of computers of various companies around the world. The hackers accessed identities, personal information and used the hacked information to ask for ransom and commit&nbsp;cryptocurrency/bitcoin frauds. They also hacked into systems of gaming companies through which they used the data to sell game items back to the customers and dupe them of money.

They have&nbsp;also been alleged of compromising government&nbsp;data in Vietnam and India.&nbsp;

Whether or not the group was working for the Chinese government is not yet clear. The court has alleged that the hackers collected information regarding pro-democracy activists of Hong Kong and&nbsp;a Buddhist monk from Tibet. One of the hackers,&nbsp;Jiang Lizhi, has a history of working with&nbsp;China's Ministry of State Security.

However, none of these allegations have successfully proved a connection between the hacker group and the Chinese government. More investigation is being carried out for this.

Out of seven, two members have been caught. However, these two were businessmen in Malaysia, and the hackers are still at large. The two businessmen were caught in a&nbsp;sweeping operation by the FBI and private companies including Microsoft to block the hackers from using their online accounts.

The US is currently seeking permission to extradite the hacker groups, which is seemingly difficult as none of the members have lived in the US, but have committed frauds in the country.

A Chinese hacker group called APT41 has been charged by the US Justice Department after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Microsoft caught two of the hackers in a combined effort.

A Chinese hacker group called APT41 has been charged by the US Justice Department after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Microsoft caught two of the hackers in a combined effort. APT41 is a group of seven hackers, out of which five of them are Chinese nationals and are expert hackers. Majority of the group members have been employees of Chengdu 404 Network Technology — a company that provides legal hacking services to the company to help detect vulnerabilities in clients' computer networks. The other company involved in the case is SEA Gamer Mall, a Malaysia-based firm that sells video game currency, power-ups and other in-game items. They trapped various groups — from gaming companies to non-profit organisations — by several sophisticated and basic phishing methods. While some companies got duped through phishing emails, rest gave permission to the group to modify their codes, which provided them free and unlimited access to clients' computers and internal data. The group has been alleged of hacking hundreds of computers of various companies around the world. The hackers accessed identities, personal information and used the hacked information to ask for ransom and commit cryptocurrency/bitcoin frauds. They also hacked into systems of gaming companies through which they used the data to sell game items back to the customers and dupe them of money. They have also been alleged of compromising government data in Vietnam and India. Whether or not the group was working for the Chinese government is not yet clear. The court has alleged that the hackers collected information regarding pro-democracy activists of Hong Kong and a Buddhist monk from Tibet. One of the hackers, Jiang Lizhi, has a history of working with China's Ministry of State Security. However, none of these allegations have successfully proved a connection between the hacker group and the Chinese government. More investigation is being carried out for this. Out of seven, two members have been caught. However, these two were businessmen in Malaysia, and the hackers are still at large. The two businessmen were caught in a sweeping operation by the FBI and private companies including Microsoft to block the hackers from using their online accounts. The US is currently seeking permission to extradite the hacker groups, which is seemingly difficult as none of the members have lived in the US, but have committed frauds in the country.

Chinese hacker group, APT41, dupe companies in Malaysia and China

When it comes to budget phones, the market is crowded. There are so many options to choose from and this makes it difficult to pick a phone that aligns well with our needs. And now joining the crowd is a new contender - the Nokia 5.3&nbsp;

I got my hands on the new phone and put it to different tests. I will share with you what’s good and what’s bad in HMD's latest Android smartphone, so that you can make an informed buying decision.

Design

I will begin with the design. Like many other Nokia phones from HMD, the Nokia 5.3 is aesthetically designed. The phone has a nice build quality. The gradient design and the circular camera module at the back are likely to draw your attention.

The scratch-resistant back is another highlight of the phone. It hasn’t got even a single scratch in around 15 days that I have spent with it.

Though it’s made of polycarbonate, it has a metallic finish, and that adds to the overall appeal of the phone. Most importantly, it's slim and pretty lightweight, which makes it easy to handle and operate, even for long hours. And a dedicated button gives users faster access to Google Assistant.

I have the Cyan colour with me, but it comes in two more colours - Charcoal and Sand. Overall, the design is nice.

Display

Next comes the display.

The slim bezels and a waterdrop notch add to the overall look of the phone.

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&nbsp;

The 6.5-inch display with the HD+ resolution is pleasing to the eyes, but note that it’s not the best screen resolution that you would get in this price range. There are sharper displays available on phones in the mid-range category.

I am fine with the display’s brightness, but some of you may find it a little dull.

The absence of 90Hz refresh rate is what I can’t ignore - something which competitors have started to offer on budget phones. Understand that a higher refresh rate results in a smoother and more fluid display experience. I wonder, why HMD decided to not include it.

All in all, the display is of acceptable quality if not the best in class.

Camera

Next comes the camera, something that’s really important for me in a phone. I can still compromise here and there on the design front, but not with the camera.

It has four camera lenses (13 MP + 2 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP) with a flash at the back and an 8 MP camera at the front. But how well does this quad-camera setup fare?

In daylight, and for that matter, even in room-light environments, the camera generates decently bright results, but they lack sharpness and detailing. The Macro mode is a disappointment in most of the conditions.

In Night mode, it captures a good amount of light, but the results are grainy.

Talking about the front camera, it’s satisfactory in daylight, but in low-light, it’s a letdown.

Overall, for me, the cameras of the Nokia 5.3 are below-average performers.

Performance

We have talked about design, display and camera, but how does it perform?

I must admit that the phone got along with me quite well. Mostly, I was doing usual things on the phone - calling, messaging, watching videos, browsing and managing social networks. It was smooth to multitask. The phone neither slowed down nor it had heating issues. I am not very impressed with its speaker; it’s fairly loud, but the audio quality is underwhelming.

The 4000 mAh battery is one of its strongest pillars. It easily lasts for a day, and if the usage isn’t heavy, it can survive for around half-a-day more.

The software is what could make it desirable for some people. The phone runs stock Android 10, meaning no bloatware, a clean interface, and regular software and security updates. The company also promises that it will be upgraded to Android 11.

Also, the Nokia 5.3 comes with a pair of earphones, which is usually not bundled with budget phones.

The dual-SIM phone comes in two variants - 64 GB storage with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage with 6 GB of RAM. The former is priced at INR 13,999, while the latter costs INR 15,499.

Verdict

Now comes the most important question - should you buy it? I would say, if the camera isn’t your priority, you can go for it, but if you’re looking for a complete package at INR 15,000, you should give this phone a miss.

When it comes to budget phones, the market is crowded. There are so many options to choose from and this makes it difficult to pick a phone that aligns well with our needs.

When it comes to budget phones, the market is crowded. There are so many options to choose from and this makes it difficult to pick a phone that aligns well with our needs. And now joining the crowd is a new contender - the Nokia 5.3 I got my hands on the new phone and put it to different tests. I will share with you what’s good and what’s bad in HMD's latest Android smartphone, so that you can make an informed buying decision. Design I will begin with the design. Like many other Nokia phones from HMD, the Nokia 5.3 is aesthetically designed. The phone has a nice build quality. The gradient design and the circular camera module at the back are likely to draw your attention. The scratch-resistant back is another highlight of the phone. It hasn’t got even a single scratch in around 15 days that I have spent with it. Though it’s made of polycarbonate, it has a metallic finish, and that adds to the overall appeal of the phone. Most importantly, it's slim and pretty lightweight, which makes it easy to handle and operate, even for long hours. And a dedicated button gives users faster access to Google Assistant. I have the Cyan colour with me, but it comes in two more colours - Charcoal and Sand. Overall, the design is nice. Display Next comes the display. The slim bezels and a waterdrop notch add to the overall look of the phone. × The 6.5-inch display with the HD+ resolution is pleasing to the eyes, but note that it’s not the best screen resolution that you would get in this price range. There are sharper displays available on phones in the mid-range category. I am fine with the display’s brightness, but some of you may find it a little dull. The absence of 90Hz refresh rate is what I can’t ignore - something which competitors have started to offer on budget phones. Understand that a higher refresh rate results in a smoother and more fluid display experience. I wonder, why HMD decided to not include it. All in all, the display is of acceptable quality if not the best in class. Camera Next comes the camera, something that’s really important for me in a phone. I can still compromise here and there on the design front, but not with the camera. It has four camera lenses (13 MP + 2 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP) with a flash at the back and an 8 MP camera at the front. But how well does this quad-camera setup fare? In daylight, and for that matter, even in room-light environments, the camera generates decently bright results, but they lack sharpness and detailing. The Macro mode is a disappointment in most of the conditions. In Night mode, it captures a good amount of light, but the results are grainy. Talking about the front camera, it’s satisfactory in daylight, but in low-light, it’s a letdown. Overall, for me, the cameras of the Nokia 5.3 are below-average performers. Performance We have talked about design, display and camera, but how does it perform? I must admit that the phone got along with me quite well. Mostly, I was doing usual things on the phone - calling, messaging, watching videos, browsing and managing social networks. It was smooth to multitask. The phone neither slowed down nor it had heating issues. I am not very impressed with its speaker; it’s fairly loud, but the audio quality is underwhelming. The 4000 mAh battery is one of its strongest pillars. It easily lasts for a day, and if the usage isn’t heavy, it can survive for around half-a-day more. The software is what could make it desirable for some people. The phone runs stock Android 10, meaning no bloatware, a clean interface, and regular software and security updates. The company also promises that it will be upgraded to Android 11. Also, the Nokia 5.3 comes with a pair of earphones, which is usually not bundled with budget phones. The dual-SIM phone comes in two variants - 64 GB storage with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage with 6 GB of RAM. The former is priced at INR 13,999, while the latter costs INR 15,499. Verdict Now comes the most important question - should you buy it? I would say, if the camera isn’t your priority, you can go for it, but if you’re looking for a complete package at INR 15,000, you should give this phone a miss.

Nokia 5.3 review: Should you buy it?

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