Technology

Apple working on iPad-like smart home display

San Francisco, Jan 19 (IANS) Apple is reportedly working on a new iPad-like display that will be used for smart home management purposes.

According to Bloomberg, the new device will be a sort of low-end iPad which can be used for controlling HomeKit devices, streaming video, FaceTime calls and much more, reports MacRumors.

It is expected to be more integrated into the home than an iPad because it is designed to be mounted to walls or other objects using magnetic fasteners.

Moreover, it is likely to compete with devices like the Meta Portal or the Echo Show from Amazon.

The iPhone maker is expected to launch its iPad-like smart home display next year, the report said.

On Wednesday, it was reported that the tech giant was planning to hold the release of its augmented reality (AR) glasses which were supposed to release after the debut of its mixed reality (MR) headset.

The company is likely to follow up with a lower-cost version of the MR headset in 2024 or early 2025, which could have a starting price closer to $1,500.

--IANS
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Instagram makes people depressed, Twitter makes people angry: Musk

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Elon Musk on Monday put Twitter on fire, after saying that Meta-owned Instagram makes its users depressed while his micro-blogging platform makes people angry.

"Instagram makes people depressed & Twitter makes people angry. Which is better?" he asked.

Musk's comment created a barrage of reactions on what platforms people like the most.

A follower posted that it is Microsoft-owned LinkedIn actually that makes people depressed, not Instagram. Musk replied with a fire sign.

Another follower said that Twitter doesn't make him angry but "makes me laugh all day long".

The Twitter CEO replied that he does "laugh a lot on Twitter".

Another platform user said that Twitter is less about getting angry and more about being amazed at the "irrational screeching and tantrums of politicians and zombie users infected by the woke mind virus".

Meanwhile, Musk also said that he is pro vaccines in general.

"But there's a point where the cure/vaccine is potentially worse, if administered to the whole population, than the disease," he posted.

Amid the fight to stay afloat, Twitter has now offered a new incentive to skeptical advertisers where the micro-blogging platform will match advertisers' ad spending up to $250,000.

The company is struggling to woo advertisers back on its platform, who paused spending after Musk took over and announced several controversial moves.

--IANS
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Gizmore launches Blaze Max smartwatch with 1.85-inch big display at Rs 1,199

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Homegrown smart accessories brand Gizmore on Monday launched a new smartwatch -- Blaze Max, which comes with a 1.85-inch Edge To Edge Curved IPS display, has a bigger screen-to-body ratio, and is priced at Rs 1,199.

The smartwatch comes in three captivating colours -- Black, Burgundy and Grey, available to purchase online starting January 16.

The smartwatch delivers 15 days of battery life on a single charge and supports 450 NITS brightness, and has an Always-On Display which is normally a feature of high-end smartwatches, making it comfortable and easy to use in all conditions, according to the company.

"With Gizmore Blaze Max, we are launching first of its kind 1.85-inch display smartwatch at a sub-Rs 1,500 price point. We believe this smartwatch will help us in strengthening our position in the big display smartwatch segment," Sanjay Kalirona, CEO and Co-founder of Gizmore said in a statement.

The new smartwatch comes enabled with Bluetooth calling feature and BT music that facilitates users to effortlessly accept and reject calls from the watch itself and connect with their near and dear ones.

Moreover, Gizmore Blaze Max comes equipped with a host of health and fitness trackers that help users lead healthier lifestyles.

The multiple sports mode on the Gizmore Blaze Max allows users to keep a tab on the changes and experience the difference.

It also offers integration with JYOU PRO Health Suit, enabling people to track their step count, SpO2 level, heart rate, calorie burn, hydration alert, menstrual tracker, guided breathing and stress management, and sleep monitor.

With an IP67 rating, it makes the smartwatch an ideal companion for any workout.

Users can also keep a tab on the weather, including the air quality index, on the home screen.

The smartwatch also has inbuilt games and a calculator and has Hindi language support, which makes it easier to use, said the company.

Its intuitive split-screen features allow users to multitask like a pro.

The smartwatch also supports AI-based Voice Assistance Commands, making it super easy to use.

--IANS
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iPhone 14 Crash Detection feature continues to send false alarms from skiers

San Francisco, Jan 16 (IANS) Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models, as well as the Apple Watch's Crash Detection feature, have continued to send false alarms from skiers as now it's dialling 911 even for inconsequential skiing stumbles.

Apple devices of skiers in the US state had sent automated crash warnings to dispatchers at the Summit County 911 Center, which saw a 22 per cent surge in hang-ups, open lines, and misdialed 911 calls last December compared to December 2021, reports the New York Post.

"We're still running in that 15 to 25 per cent increase in calls (compared to last year), that very well could be generated... by these Apple-generated and automated crash notifications," the county's 911 Communications Director, Jim DiPerna, was quoted as saying.

Moreover, the report said that when an automated call comes in, dispatchers will attempt to reach someone on the phone to confirm that there is no true emergency.

According to DiPerna, if the owner is unaware that their phone is dialling 911, officers will take steps such as tracking the Apple device's location and sharing it with the mountain's ski patrol.

"Worst case scenario, we're trying to figure out where you are, what went wrong and what resources we have to send out to take care of that. It can go from a 30-second phone call to God knows how long," he said.

The report further mentioned that Apple is in contact with 911 call centres that are currently experiencing a spike in automated 911 calls as a result of the crash detection feature, and is gathering feedback.

--IANS
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Google working on Fast Pair notifications for styluses

San Francisco, Jan 16 (IANS) Google is reportedly working on low-charging notifications for styluses which will be included in its existing Fast Pair feature.

This indication came from the new code which was discovered inside the latest Google Play services update, reports AndroidPolice.

Multiple strings labelled with "fast-pair-stylus" were found inside the aforementioned Play services update for Wear OS.

The strings highlighted three low-battery notifications that are likely to appear to users when the battery is beginning to dip.

The first is a basic low battery indicator which will advise users to "Consider charging soon".

This will be then followed by another notification when the battery of the stylus has dipped even more and the last notification is likely for when the stylus is just about to give up which will include the caption "Charge now".

This inlines with rumours that the Google Pixel Tablet is expected to be released alongside a stylus, the report said.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the tech giant might soon help users to find their misplaced Fast Pair accessories even when they are offline.

--IANS
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Twitter rolls out ‘For You’, ‘Following’ tabs on web

San Francisco, Jan 14 (IANS) Microblogging platform Twitter on Saturday announced that it is rolling out "For You" and "Following" tabs updates to the web interface.

Earlier this week, the microblogging platform announced that the 'Home' and 'Latest' tabs will be replaced by "For you" and "Following" tabs on iOS.

The company tweeted from its @TwitterSupport account: "See the Tweets you want to see. Starting today on iOS, swipe between tabs to see Tweets recommended 'For you' or Tweets from the accounts you're 'Following'.

"The 'For you' and 'Following' tabs replace 'Home' and 'Latest' and will be pinned to the top of your timeline so you can easily switch between them. Swipe to switch timelines instead of tapping the star icon".

In continuation of this update, the platform tweeted, "You can now easily switch between "Following" and "For you" on the web".

Moreover, Twitter in its announcement mentioned that this view is coming to the Android app soon, too.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk said that Twitter's "open source" algorithm will be revealed next month, as several people were unable to use third-party Twitter apps and faced issues with logging and accessing feeds.

Musk said that Twitter will publish a tweet recommendation code and make the account/tweet status visible no later than next month.

--IANS
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Instagram to remove shopping tab from home feed in Feb

San Francisco, Jan 10 (IANS) Social networking platform Instagram has announced that it will remove the shopping tab from the main bar at the bottom of the screen, starting next month.

Moreover, the button to create a new post will move down, reports The Verge.

However, the Reels tab, which is currently present in the front and centre on the navigation bar, will replace the Shop tab.

The company also said that shopping will still be a part of the platform even without its shortcut on the home feed.

"You will still be able to set up and run your shop on Instagram as we continue to invest in shopping experiences that provide the most value for people and businesses across feed, stories, reels, ads and more," the company said in its support page.

In September last year, the company had started testing a main feed without a shopping button and said it wanted to "simplify Instagram experience" for users, the report said.

Meanwhile, last month, Meta had introduced new sharing features including 'Notes' on Instagram, that would help users to feel closer to the people they care about.

--IANS
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Google Docs now allow users to view non-printing characters

San Francisco, Jan 10 (IANS) Tech giant Google has started to roll out a new feature to its online word processor, Google Docs, that will allow users to view non-printing characters.

When viewing or editing a Google Doc, non-printing characters such as line breaks, section breaks, tabs and spaces are not visible, the tech giant said in a Workspace Updates blogpost on Monday.

However, now, if users want to see how a document is formatted, they can choose to display non-printing characters.

This feature gives a visual representation of what controls the formatting in a document, which allows users to make appropriate edits much easier.

Moreover, the new feature does not have admin control, the company said.

Meanwhile, last month, the tech giant had started to roll out a new smart canvas feature in Docs, that allows users to easily format and display code in Docs with code blocks.

The feature gives users the ability to visualise code with industry standards, making code readable and collaboration much easier.

--IANS
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Anonymous Twitter user leaks 3 Commas API keys

San Francisco, Dec 30 (IANS) An anonymous Twitter user has acquired around 1,00,000 aapplication programming interface (API) keys belonging to users of crypto trading service, 3Commas.

More than 10,000 of the keys were released by the leaker who the rest "will be published full [sic] randomly in the upcoming days", CoinDesk reported.

In a tweet on Thursday, 3Commas CEO Yuriy Sorokin confirmed the authenticity of the leak and said that "as an immediate action, we have asked that Binance, KuCoin, and other supported exchanges revoke all the [API] keys that were connected to 3Commas".

Sorokin also mentioned that he and his company "did everything that we could to investigate an inside job, as it was always a possible scenario and on our watch list, but proof of an inside job was not found".

The leak follows claims made by dozens of 3Commas users that their API keys were used to perform trades on exchanges like Binance, KuCoin and Coinbase without their consent, the report said.

However, before 3Commas made its statement, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao warned users that "if you have ever put an API key in 3Commas (from any exchange), please disable it immediately".

Many 3Commas users confirmed to CoinDesk that they were able to locate their API keys among those that were released by the leaker.

--IANS
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A17 chip for iPhone 15 may focus on battery life over power

San Francisco, Dec 30 (IANS) The A17 chip, which is expected to be used in the iPhone 15, may potentially focus more on battery-life improvements than processing power, media reports said.

When discussing the 3nm process that will be used for the iPhone 15, Apple chipmaker TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) put more emphasis on power efficiency than performance, reports 9to5Google.

TSMC has been leading the chipmaking industry in using ever smaller processes.

Next year's iPhone 15, as well as Macs powered by a new M2 Pro chip, are expected to use the company's new 3nm process, according to the report.

Meanwhile, six months after Samsung achieved 3nm production, the TSMC announced mass production of its 3nm chips, which will outperform the 5nm chips found in the latest Pro iPhone models.

The company says it estimates that 3nm technology will create end products with a market value of $1.5 trillion within five years of volume production.

The chip-maker is also building a 3nm capacity at its site in the state of Arizona in the US, in addition to expanding the 3nm capacity in Taiwan.

Moreover, iPhone 15 series will include four models, with bigger feature differences than the iPhone 14 and all the models will feature USB-C charging ports, reveals a report.

--IANS
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