Technology

Tech giant Apple has redesigned its music website. The updated website, Artists.Apple.com, will act as a centralized location for artists. It said that the portal is aimed at providing more space to artists who are engaged in the process of creating content for Apple Music. The music and video streaming service by Apple is hugely popular as it offers high-profile exclusives and libraries. Apple said that the redesigned website will serve as the home for all artist activity. It will allow artists to access the Apple Music tools and other services to create engaging content. The website has been designed while keeping artists’ interest in view.

Apple said that the website will be an entry point to Apple’s ecosystem. The company will guide artists in using Apple Music tools. Artists can access tools like Voice Memos, Final Cut Pro, MainStage, and more. They can also link to the distributors. Artists can access instructions for multiple works. They can update artist info, create new cover art, add lyrics, and more. Besides, Apple will provide separate tools to create branded assets for marketing purposes. This will add more users to its pool. The iPhone maker said that it will also allow artists to earn money. Artists can make money through an Affiliate Program. They can access accessing its analytics to understand the performance.

To provide an outlook for new features, Apple said that it will provide documents. It has also added walkthroughs. Artists can go through the document to know about the new features. Apple said that Apple Music’s revamped website will show sales numbers, offer upstream data including all the latest features. The new website is available for every artist on Apple Music. It will also add new content and resources in the near future for artists. Meanwhile, Apple has announced that Apple Music will get Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. This will absolutely free. Spatial Audio will give artists an additional opportunity to offer immersive audio experiences to the subscribers.

Internet Explorer is a popular web browser. It was developed in 1995 by Microsoft. The company has decided to pull the plug now. Internet Explorer is set to retire after 25 years of services. Microsoft said that the browser will retire in June this year. The development is significant as Microsoft is moving away from the support for Internet Explorer since the last year. The company in a statement said that Internet Explorer 11 desktop will stop providing services starting June 15. It added that Microsoft Edge is now fully capable of taking responsibility. The company had last year asked Windows users to shift from Internet Explorer to Edge browser.

Internet Explorer was a widely used browser in the world 15 years ago. According to the company’s claim, the browser in 2003 attained a peak of more than 95 percent usage share across the world. Its popularity started to decline after the launch of Firefox and Google Chrome. Firefox was introduced in 2004. Google Chrome was launch in 2008. The two gained immense popularity to become favorite mobile browsers. The two have support for Android and iOS. But these mobile operating systems do not have support for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Microsoft recommended to Internet Explorer users to shift to Microsoft Edge before June 15 to keep browsing.

Microsoft said that the Edge will give a new experience to the user as it is faster and more secure. It comes with all the modern browsing options. It addresses concerns like compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications. The company said that web developers should plan an orderly movement. Microsoft has added an Internet Explorer mode in Edge. The Internet Explorer mode is built-in. It will provide support till 2029. This will allow users to access Internet Explorer-based websites and applications. Microsoft said that it will serve one year of notice to users before ending the Internet Explorer mode from Edge. Microsoft had in 2020 ended Internet Explorer 11’s support for its Teams web application.

Popular video conferencing platform Zoom has gained a competitive advantage in the market over its rivals. It has now got access to a private iPad camera API. The access was granted by Apple at a time when Zoom-like platforms are reporting a surge in users’ pool. The permission to enter a non-public iPad digital camera API will allow Zoom to use the camera during the Split View multitasking of the iPad. Zoom has now become the only platform other than FaceTime to use multitasking. FaceTime is a videotelephony service developed by Apple. The iPad Split View multitasking feature gives Zoom an additional advantage over competitors. The feature allows users to access the notes app, Twitter, and others during a call.

To get access to API, Apple needs to give an entitlement. It is just a privilege that grants support to execute specific capabilities. The iPhone maker provides public documentation. It also provides for requesting access to entitlements. Notably, there is no public process available for now to request a specific API. Also, there is nothing available in documents by Apple in the public domain about the entitlement. It remains unclear why did Apple grant access only to Zoom for this feature. The company, however, said that it treats developers equally. Notably, Apple had initially granted Hulu access to API before it was built-in to App Store.

The latest access granted by Apple will help Zoom to be in a position to get additional benefits over rivals. This privilege was earlier reserved for the FaceTime app. It is believed that Zoom had interactions with Apple over the latest entitlement. This will permit Zoom to make most of the iPad Break up View performance. Apple had in April announced a new feature called Center Stage. This feature is, however, available on the M1 iPad Pro only. It lets video calling apps take advantage of it subject to approval from their respective developers. The Center Stage feature allows the Ultra-Wide front camera to track the movement of the user, if any, during a video conferencing and position him/her accordingly in the frame.

A wide range of industries is facing a shortage of semiconductors and the problem is likely to persist for at least a ‘couple of years’, said new Chief Executive Officer of Intel Corp. Pat Gelsinger. Looking at the concerns of the auto industry over the chip shortage, Intel is reworking some of it factories to ramp up production. In an interview with a news channel, Gelsinger said that it will take several months before the supply strain even starts to begin easing. “We will take a couple of years to catch up the surge in the demand across every aspect of the business,” the CEO said.

Demand for semiconductors increased suddenly in 2020 as consumers started looking for home gadgets during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. But chipmakers struggled to meet the increase in demand as because of shuttered plants. There are some other factors as well that have contributed to it. Several companies are of the view that the supply constraints will continue for much of 2021. The global shortage of chips has brought the manufacturers in limelight. They are on top of the political agenda as several industries are struggling to meet their demands of the semiconductor shortage. Biden administration has already stated that they are ready to extend all kinds of support to address the shortage.

Gelsinger said that Intel is the only company that manufactures high-end cutting-edge chips. The lockdown had dwindled the dominance of the United States in the industry. So much so that the manufacturing has reduced to 12 per cent from 37 per cent. The semiconductor shortage has hit a wide array of industries. One of the worst affected is auto industry that has already flagged production cuts and lost revenue. All the big auto manufactures have announced the cut. Recently, Ford said that the shortage will reduce production by 1.1 million vehicles. Apple also said that the supply constraints are impacting sales of Macs and iPads.

Curbing the spread of hate speech and misinformation on social media platforms is a critical challenge for governments worldwide. Social media giants have introduced multiple tools to check the menace. However, there is much more required to be done to combat hate speech and abuse. Instagram has said that it is rolling out a new feature that will mainly shield people from abuse in direct messages. The popular photo-sharing app had received several complaints on abuse in DMs. The company said that the new feature comes with the ability to prevent a blocked account from contacting the victim from a new account. The Facebook-owned platform had in past reported that blocked users create new accounts to circumvent policy that prevents them from contacting another user.

Instagram in a blog post said that the new feature is specially designed to protect users from offensive or abusive DM requests. Earlier in February, Instagram brought an update to check abuse and hate speech on the platform. It added penalties for those sending abusive DMs. Instagram said that it wants nobody to experience such an experience. It, however, admitted that battling abuse and hate speech is a complex challenge. It added that although several steps are being taken to combat it, it is very difficult to eliminate it completely. DMs on Instagram are private conversations. It doesn’t look for hate speech proactively in the similar capacity it does anywhere.

Instagram said that when the new tool is turned on, it will filter DM requests automatically. The algorithm will filter requests after analyzing offensive words, phrases, and emojis in the DMs. Once filtered, users will not get to see such requests. The tool has been developed with a focus on eliminating DM requests containing hate speech and abuse. Users can turn off the tool. The new tool is called Hidden Words. Instagram has added the tool in a dedicated section under the Privacy Settings option. According to Instagram’s claim, it acted against more than 6 million hate speeches including in direct messages between July and September last year. Instagram said that it will bring more controls to combat abuse on the platform.

Discord has reportedly decided not to sell itself to Microsoft or any other company for now. The hot voice chat app was apparently in talks with the tech giant to sell itself. The talks that started in March had valued Discord for around USD 10 billion. The company was negotiating with at least three other companies besides Microsoft. Other potential buyers reportedly included both Epic Games and Amazon. Despite all the big names on the list of buyers, Discord has reportedly decided to stay independent. People privy to the development also said that the chat app is considering a potential public listing to build on the reputation.

The chat app already has over 140 million monthly users. But the only worry for the company is that it is not profit making. This despite the fact that it earned about USD 130 million in revenue last year. Microsoft was interested in the deal because of Discord’s role as a home for online communities. Creators who look for cultivating their own forums go for the Discord app. Also, homegrown groups that are at the centre of the video and tabletop roleplaying games are using the app. Microsoft is desperately looking for a way to be a part of the day-to-day lives of a large number of consumers.

The company is lagging behind in this and it was hoping a solution through the deal. This is the reason Microsoft has launched Teams for personal use. But is Discord is better placed and has built-in familiarity with consumers. Users of Discord don’t get the feeling of enterprise software. While some reports suggest that Microsoft is still looking for a way forward, Discord has decided to go in its own way. This decision makes sense as the company is looking to keep its unique identity intact. This wouldn’t be possible by getting merged with a big company. Also, the valuation of the company has doubled recently and the prospects are looking bright in 2021. Discord was even well ahead of the latest apps like Clubhouse.

Google Earth has added a new feature that allows users to have a look at the effect of climate change over the past 37 years. The latest feature, called Timelapse, provides visual evidence of impact on the earth because of climate change. Timelapse is eye-opening visual evidence that has changed static images of the platform into a dynamic 4D experience. Users can see how ice caps are melting, glaciers are receding, and the impact of urbanisation and wildfires on agriculture. 24 million satellite photos have been compiled for this Timelapse. These images are from the year 1984 to 2020.

Google said that the entire effort took two million processing hours which was spread across thousands of machines in Google Cloud. The tech giant worked in collaboration with the US space agency NASA along with several other organisations for this project. It also took support from the United States Geological Survey’s Landsat program, Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab and the European Union’s Copernicus program and its Sentinel satellites. They all joined hands to create this amazing Timelapse. Users can easily explore Timelapse in Google Earth. They simply have to type any location into the search bar. Whether it is the location close to their neighborhood or any landmark, Timelapse will show the impact of climate change over the years.

According to Google, Timelapse has been created by removing elements such as clouds and shadows from all the images since 1984. They are then computed into a single pixel for every location. The ultimate stitching resulted in a timelapse video. For example, it is possible to South Korea’s man-made beach in Busan, shifting of Cape Cod coast towards the south and even agricultural growth in the middle of Saudi Arabia’s desert. Google Earth director Rebecca Moore said that Timelapse shows what words cannot express. “Visual evidence is always better than what we say and communicate. Words cannot communicate complex issues,” Moore said in the blog post.

Amazon Prime has reached a new milestone. Amazon Prime is an online video-on-demand service. It has reached a user base of 200 million worldwide. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said that the platform saw a massive jump in users during the pandemic, almost a rise of 50 million. Several OTT platforms saw new users subscribing to their subscriptions during the pandemic. Bezos made the revelation in his final annual letter to the company shareholders. Bezos’s letter comes days ahead of him stepping down from the post. He will now serve as executive chairman after leaving the CEO’s chair. He will be replaced by Andy Jassy. Jassy’s current role is at Amazon Web Series where he serves as the CEO.

As an executive chairman, Bezos will work on the company’s side projects. According to Bezos’ letter, the company hired 500,000 employees last year. Amazon currently provides direct employment to 1.3 million people globally. He added that Amazon Prime has now more than 200 million subscribers. He said that Web Services has millions of customers. The year 2020 ended with over USD 50 billion annualized run rate. As many as 1.9 million businesses sell their products in the Amazon store. These small and medium businesses comprise approximately 60 percent of Amazon’s total retail sales. More than 100 million customers have connected smart devices to its virtual assistant service Alexa.

Bezos in the latter underlined that he has created a wealth of USD 1.6 trillion for those who own Amazon’s share. He is the biggest shareholder of Amazon. He founded Amazon 27 years ago as an online bookstore. He later expanded its reach by making building it into a shopping and entertainment behemoth. Bezos is holding the CEO’s chair since he founded the company. Bezos said as he vacates the CEO’s office, he will continue to have a broad influence over the company’s businesses and functioning. Bezos also owns Blue Origin which is a space exploration firm. The company is bidding for NASA’s vehicle that will take humans to Moon. Besides, Bezos has a handsome stake in Washington Post.

Cellphone number of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg got leaked in the data breach, suggest reports. This is the same data breach that leaked information of around 500 million Facebook users. Personal information like location, date of birth, marriage information, and Facebook user ID of Zuckerberg was stolen and made available on a hacker forum. The report about the leak has been confirmed by cyber researcher Dave Walker. Walker said that the personal information of Facebook Inc co-founders Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz too were leaked.

“Regarding the Facebook leak that involved information of around 533 million users, the iron is that details of Mark Zuckerberg is regrettably included as well,” Walker tweeted. When asked to comment on the development, a Facebook spokesperson said that it was old data. “The data we are talking about is old. We got to know about the issue and fixed it in August 2019,” the Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying by a report. But Facebook has not made any comment on information related to Facebook CEO getting leaked.

The information was being first distributed by a bot. But now the entire dataset has been made available free on the hacking forum. The first Facebook data leak includes the much-talked-about Cambridge Analytica saga. At that time, personal information of around 87 million was accessed by the political data analytics firm. Following the reports about the leak, the social media giant was hit a huge fine. The Federal Trade Commission had imposed a fine of USD 5 billion on Facebook. It was the part of settlement claims that Facebook mishandled the data of its users. The social media giant has vowed to take all measures to clamp down on data breaches. Facebook in a post had said that it will take appropriate actions against potential past abuse. The company also promised to put stronger security measures in place to prevent such measures in the future.

NASA has announced that it will fly its helicopter on Mars in the first week of April. The agency said that all modalities are in place for the flight. This will be the first time when a helicopter will fly on the Red Planet. According to the agency, engineers will attempt to fly Ingenuity on April 8. Ingenuity is a mini-helicopter that is attached to Perseverance. The helicopter weighs 1.8 kg. It will be a controlled flight and the first since the rover landed on the planet in February 2020. NASA said that the successful flight will see engineers achieving a series of daunting milestones. It will also pave the way for planning similar flights on Moon and other celestial objects.

NASA said that scientists want to demonstrate how this helicopter flight will redefine the approach towards Mars. It said that the scientific approach for Mars was changed in 1977. It was in 1977 when the Sojourner rover arrived at the Red Planet. It proved that roving Mars was possible. The future missions were then redefined accordingly. Data obtained during the upcoming helicopter flight will tell scientists about the expansion of research horizons on Mars. The agency is confident that technology used in Ingenuity will give expected results. Besides, it will broaden the scope of the planet’s exploration. Perseverance has already deployed the shield that protected Ingenuity at the time of landing. The rover is in transit to the airfield where the mini-helicopter will attempt the powered and controlled flight.

A controlled flight on Mars is much more difficult than a similar flight on Earth. The planet’s gravity and atmosphere are different from Earth’s. According to NASA, Ingenuity will have 30 days after deployment for the flight. It will take almost six days to complete the deployment process. Mars’ surface during the daytime receives nearly 50 percent of the solar energy that reaches Earth’s surface. The night temperatures drop as low as -90 degrees Celsius. These extreme weather conditions can damage electrical components. To survive the Martian nights, the helicopter needs to have enough power to keep its internal heaters active.

The dark mode theme is becoming very popular. Search engine giant Google is also adding support for the dark mode to its apps and services. The company has announced that the theme is now available for Google Maps on Android. It said that a full-fledged dark mode feature is being rolled out for users worldwide. Google started testing the dark mode in September last year. The company tested the feature with a limited number of users to iron out the issues. Google introduced dark mode theme for Maps on iOS in February but it was delayed for Android.

Google said that the dark mode has numerous benefits. It gives a soothing view because of the low contrast. The theme also saves battery and enhances its performance. Google said downloading the latest update of the app on Android devices is necessary to get access to the feature. The latest version that is available for download is 10.61.2. The company has added the dark mode support in this version. Users are given options to turn on and off the feature. One has to go to the profile option in Google Maps and then look for theme settings. Now search for the configuration and enable the dark mode.

As the name suggests, the dark mode theme will convert the display into a dark color. It will make it easier for users to read texts. Google first launched the dark mode theme in 2018 on Google Maps. But it was restricted for navigation purposes. The company delayed the feature’s expansion on the app. Additionally, Google has added a new tool for Android devices. It is called Password Checkup. The company said that the feature is integrated into smartphones. Devices running Android 9 and above version will get the feature in-built. Using Password Checkup will ensure the security of users’ passwords. Google will warn users in case of a compromised password. The feature will curb incidents of breaches. Users can manually review saved passwords and perform a checkup.

Those who often search Angie’s List will now have to change their searcher going forward as the company has rebranded itself as Angi Inc. The company has not just officially changed its name but also revamped its websites. With the aim to have deeper penetration in the home services industry, the company has even launched a new app. The company says that with the new name it simply wants to highlight that it will offer consumers a single platform where they can connect contractors for all work related to their home. The changes are justified as CEO Oisin Hanrahan has said that there is an opportunity to address a market of USD 500 billion.

“This is a very huge market and we have built a reputation for ourselves. Angie is a trusted and well-known name. People understand that what the company stands for. The change is to highlight that we have much more to offer to our customers. They have been so confined by the literal meaning of the name. It was a much-needed step to tap the market,” Hanrahan was quoted as saying in news reports. The portfolio of services offered by the company includes Fixd Repair, HomeStars, HomeAdvisor, and Handy. The company said that it has also made some functional changes to the technology in its app to give customers a better experience.

The company said that now its customers can have access to the entire home repair process. “From booking to payment, everything is available under one umbrella. The new app will let out customers make payments through the app. Moreover, financing options to have been included in it.” According to the company, the platform has 250,000 businesses for hire and they were used by more than 18 million households in the United States last year. The best thing for the company was that it registered double-digit growth even during the pandemic. Angi reported around USD 1.47 billion in revenue in the year 2020. This is was up by around 10.7 percent from the previous year.

Tech giant Apple has decided to discontinue the HomePod speaker. The full-size speaker will soon be out of the market. The product is famous among music lovers. It is touted as the perfect speaker for music enthusiasts. It allowed music lovers to explore a variety of aural entertainment. The HomePod was announced by Apple in 2017. The company will not focus on promoting the HomePod mini. The device has garnered public attention and has been a huge success in the market. Apple in a statement said that the full-size speaker will be available till its supplies last. The gadget will be available via Apple Retail Stores, Apple Online Store till the supply ends. It will also be available through Apple’s authorized resellers.

The company will provide software updates, technical support, and hardware services to HomePod customers via Apple Care. The decision to discontinue the original HomePod comes in the backdrop of a fall in the sales of the gadget. The HomePod mini was launched late last year. According to Apple, the HomePod mini has been a hit since its launch. The device comes in two colors white and grey. Apple said that it works effortlessly with iPhone and other company devices. The company said that it also workers perfectly with Apply TV. It elevates the sound and plays music from a Mac and more. The HomePod mini uses a full-range driver. The speaker deepens bass and offers high frequencies.

According to Apple’s website, the HomePod mini comes with a three-microphone array. It enhances the experience of music lovers by offering quality and impressive sound and services. It has smart home capabilities. The company said that it has built-in privacy and security. It works smoothly with Apple products. Besides listening to music, the smart speaker makes it easy to answer calls. The device has innovative technologies and advanced software. It comes with a new Intercom feature. This lets users in a home connect with each other. Apple said that the HomePod mini takes the sound to the next level.

Popular instant messaging app WhatsApp is working on a new encryption feature. The new password protection feature is aimed at protecting users’ chat backups in Cloud. The password feature will guard the data from hackers. To encode the data, one must enter a password. Once the entry is matched in the Cloud users will be able to access the chat backups. The company said that no one else other than the users can encrypt the backups. WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted. However, there is no mechanism available to lock chat backups in Cloud. The protection doesn’t apply to such online backups. The backups are stored on Apple iCloud and Google Drive.

The feature will check unauthorized access to the backups. The password to protect backups will be private. It will not be sent to WhatsApp. Users will be given an option to set a password in a future build for both Android and iOS. WhatsApp is believed to be testing the feature with limited users. The feature was spotted last year as well. Users will need the password when they restore the chat from the backup. WhatsApp didn’t reveal the launch date of the feature. It is predicted that the feature could become live in May alongside the company’s controversial privacy policy. The new feature comes amidst reports of feat among users over the privacy of their data.

WhatsApp is currently facing a barrage of criticism for its new privacy policy. The new policy was set to come into effect from February 8. But the company deferred it by three months. The company delayed the implementation to buy time to tell users about the policy. The company had said that accounts not accepting the new terms and conditions will be suspended or deleted. But WhatsApp postponed the privacy policy following a massive backlash. The company alleged that the new policy will compromise with users’ data and vowed to allay the fears related to the update. WhatsApp said it is committed to the privacy of users and that conversations are end-to-end encrypted.

Volvo has decided to be part of the trend followed by other competitors to respond to the growing concern about climate. The Chinese-owned vehicle manufacturer has announced its plan to go all-electric by the end of this decade. The company also said that it will sell electric vehicles only online. As part of its plan, the Swedish brand will stop selling vehicles powered only by diesel or gasoline by 2025. The company has set the target that 50 percent of total sales of vehicles will be electric and the remaining 50 percent will be of hybrid cars in the next four years.

The targets look pretty aggressive considering the fact that it so far had only one fully electric vehicle till recently. XC40 Recharge was the only fully electric vehicle that the company has been offering so far. However, the company has now revealed its second fully electric small SUV C40. It is almost identical to its predecessor XC40. However, changes at the front headlights and more tapered roofline are pretty obvious. The new vehicle has 150kW fast charging capability and the company is confident that it will allow customers to tap into the growing networks of fast-charging stations.

Volvo said that there is hardly a future with an internal combustion engine. “The company has decided to go through a transition. The decision to sell only electric cars will help the company to meet the expectations of our customers. Most importantly, we will be part of the solution to drastic climate change,” said Volvo chief technology officer Henrik Green. Volvo emphasized that it will focus on online sales as part of the transition and has plans to invest heavily in it. The announcement by Volvo comes days after Geely, owner of Volvo, scrapped the plans to merge two car companies. It must be noted that the strategy announced by the Volvo has already been adopted by carmakers like Tesla. The electric car market leader is already selling vehicles online.

Tech giant Apple has said that iOS 14 installation has increased significantly in the last few years. The company said that over 86 percent of the iPhones launched in the last four years have iOS 14 installed. iOS 14 is a mobile operating system. It is Apple’s fourteenth operating system for its devices. The operating system was released in September 2020. According to Apple’s Developer webpage, 80 percent of all devices use iOS 14. Around 12 percent are running iOS 13. The remaining 8 percent are still using iOS 12 or an earlier version. As many as 70 percent of the iPads are using iPadOS 14. Nearly 14 percent are running iPadOS 13 and the remaining 16 percent are using an older version.

Apple launched iOS 14 with exciting features and new improvements. The company introduced the new OS as a free software update to iPhone 6s and later. The company redesigned the widgets, picture-in-picture video and also improved Maps. The redesigned widgets display timely information at a glance. The picture-in-picture support allows users to watch a video. Users can also take a FaceTime call as they use another app. Other features also saw major improvements in iOS 14 including new options for third-party apps. Users can even pin conversations in iOS 14 to the top of the messages list. Apple has made the Maps application easier than ever to explore and navigate.

Apple said that it will soon release another iOS update. Apple said that it will provide support to set a default music streaming service with 14.5 while using Siri to play music. This means that users can select a third-party music service to play songs while using Siri. Apple has already released the update to developers. Public beta testers are also able to use iOS 14.5. Apple promised that iOS 14.5 will offer several exciting features to users. Meanwhile, Apple has claimed that its base of iPhone users has reached a new high. There are more than 1 billion iPhones currently active on Earth.

Tech giant Apple is working on the next-generation AirPods. Wireless earbuds are among hugely popular devices offered by Apple. Apple claims that AirPods delivers an unparalleled listening experience to users. The third-generation AirPods will come with some major changes. The iPhone maker has slightly changed its design. It will feature a flat edge. Apple has also changed the placement of the devices’ sensors. It will have the H1 chip at the core. It will be fixed in a SiP enclosure. A South Korean supplier of AirPods is developing the new SiP. It is said to be in a square shape. The AirPods Pro SiP previously came in a round-shape.

Apple has more to offer with the new AirPods. It will add features that are currently available in the Pro version. The company is unlikely to offer upgrades in sound quality but it will be providing support for Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). It is a popular method that reduces unwanted sound to deliver the best quality sound. The technique involves adding a second sound that is designed especially to cancel the first. Apple will offer the new AirPods at a much cheaper rate than the previous ones. It will be priced at least 20 percent cheaper. If all goes as per the plan, Apple could launch the device in the first half of 2021.

The charging case of the new device will be similar to the Pro variant. It will, however, be smaller in size. The company will add a charging indicator on the front. It will support wireless charging. The case will be rectangular instead of square in shape. The new device will also feature pressure-relieving technology. Apple offered this feature previously on the AirPods Pro. The technology is very helpful as it removes the discomfort when someone uses it for long. It equalizes the pressure within the ears of listeners. The overall new design of the new device will be an amalgamation of AirPods2 and AirPods Pro.

Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi is planning to venture into the automobile sector. The company is believed to working on building its own smart car. It is developing a new concept for a smart car. The development is seen as a strategic decision by the company. It has so far not revealed specific details related to the smart car. The Beijing-based firm is yet to determine the path to take the concept forward. Its CEO Lei Jun will directly head the project. Jun co-founded Xiaomi in 2010. Xiaomi is today one of the largest electronics companies in the world. It manufactures smartphones and consumer electronics. Jun took the company to new heights and his leadership will be crucial in materializing the new project.

Jun visited the United States twice in 2013. He had met Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Tesla is today’s world’s largest electric automaker. Jun’s meetings with Musk have finally yielded some results. He has grown interests in a smart car. The timing of Xiaomi’s entry into the auto sector is significant. The electric vehicle market is gaining popularity worldwide. Electric vehicles are projected as an alternative to vehicles that run on fossil fuels. They are greener than conventional vehicles. The fast adoption of electric vehicles will cut the dependency on fossil fuels and also check the rising levels of air pollution. Xiaomi’s diversification is likely to be influenced by the stagnation of the smartphone market.

Xiaomi is not the only electronics company that is planning to build a smart car. Another Chinese multinational Huawei has already announced to develop a smart car. The company has said that it is partnering with Hicar & BAIC for the project. The Chinese market has seen a demand for smart vehicles in the last few years. The government offers incentives to companies involved in the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Tesla has already set up a manufacturing plant in Shanghai. In another related development, iPhone maker Apple is also working on an electric car concept. The project is currently undergoing research and development.

Instant messaging app Telegram is gaining popularity. It has just achieved a new milestone in downloads. Telegram has now become the most downloaded app in the world. Data showed that Telegram in January 2021 was downloaded more than 63 million times. This is the highest number in the non-gaming category. This translates into 3.8 times of the apps total downloads in the corresponding period a year ago. The massive surge was mainly driven by Indian users. Indians contributed around 24 percent to the 63 million downloads. This means India saw the largest number of Telegram installs. No country was close to even half of the total downloads in India. The second country on the list was Indonesia with 10 percent.

On the Play Store, Telegram was at the ninth spot in December last year in the overall downloads in the non-gaming category. On the App Store, Telegram entered the list of top 10 most downloaded in the non-gaming category. It has grabbed the fourth spot. Telegram’s popularity increased dramatically after a massive row over WhatsApp. WhatsApp brought a new privacy policy for which it faced a backlash. It was sending notifications to users in India asking them to accept the new policy. The company said that accounts not accepting the new policy will be deleted from the platform. The policy was slated to come into effect from February 8. But WhatsApp delayed the implementation by three months.

Telegram saw people shifting from WhatsApp to the platform in the wake of the controversy. The messages on the platform are encrypted. In another related development, Telegram said that it will allow the users to bring chat history to the platform from WhatsApp and other apps. The facility is for both individuals and groups. Users can import messages, photos, and videos. The moved messages and media will not occupy extra space. Telegram was launched in 2013. Telegram chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted. Telegram was ranked the eighth most downloaded app in 2020 in the world. Telegram founder Pavel Durov has promised to launch new capabilities in the coming days to enhance user experience. It recently launched multiple pinned messages feature among others.