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Category: Technology

  • NCPCR Seeks Action Against Ullu App Over Distribution Of 'Obscene, Objectionable' Content

    The apex child rights body informed the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology about this issue in a letter.

  • Redmi Note 12 4G With 5,000mAh Battery Gets Price Cut In India; Check Specs, New Price |

    New Delhi: Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has significantly reduced the price of its Redmi Note 12 4G series for Indian consumers. To recall, this is the second such price cut in less than 3 months.

    The Redmi Note 12 4G was launched at a price of Rs 14,999 for the 6GB RAM/64GB storage variant and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant. However, Xiaomi had slashed the prices of these two storage variants by Rs 2,000 in an earlier price cut in January. It comes in Lunar Black, Sunrise Gold, and Ice Blue colours.

    The smartphone with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage is now priced at Rs 10,999, and another with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is currently priced at Rs 12,999. Additionally, e-commerce giant Flipkart is currently offering a 10 percent discount of up to Rs 1,500 for purchases made using debit or credit cards. With this discount applied, the effective prices of these devices are reduced to Rs 11,597 (including Rs 49 packaging fee) and Rs 9,597, respectively. (Also Read: Infinix Smart 8 Plus Launched With AI Camera Setup In India; Check Price, Specs And Color Options)

    Redmi Note 12 4G Specifications:

    The smartphone features a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, reaching a peak brightness of 1200 nits and fortified with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is powered by the Snapdragon 685 processor paired with an Adreno 610 GPU.

    The smartphone runs on the Android 13-based MIUI 14 custom skin straight out of the box. In the camera department, the smartphone is equipped with a 50MP Samsung primary camera sensor. For selfies and video chats, there is a 16MP shooter on the front. (Also Read: Flipkart Launches Its UPI Handle To Boost India's Digital Economy Vision)

    The device is loaded with a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. For connectivity, the smartphone offers Dual-SIM capability, 4G, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Glonass, and a USB Type-C port.

  • Flipkart Launches Its UPI Handle To Boost India's Digital Economy Vision

    Bengaluru: E-commerce giant Flipkart launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) handle to further enhance its digital payment offerings for all customers, including its 500+ million customer base.

    Empowering Users with Flipkart UPI

    With Flipkart UPI, users can now set up their own UPI handle for online and offline merchant transactions within and outside of the Flipkart marketplace. For a distinctive customer experience, loyalty features such as Supercoins, cashback, brand vouchers, milestone benefits, and more will be offered post the UPI launch.

    Versatile Usage with Flipkart UPI

    On the Flipkart app, Flipkart UPI can be used to pay for any product or service, including e-commerce transactions, Scan and Pay to UPI ID, and recharges and bill payments, the company said in a statement.

    Strategic Partnership: Flipkart and Axis Bank

    In its first phase, Flipkart has partnered with Axis Bank, wherein users can register for UPI with the @fkaxis handle for their digital transactions using the Flipkart app. (Also Read: Infinix Smart 8 Plus Launched With AI Camera Setup In India; Check Price, Specs And Color Options)

    Vision of Flipkart UPI

    “Recognizing the dynamic digital landscape, the launch of Flipkart UPI seamlessly merges the convenience and cost-effectiveness of UPI with the trusted efficiency customers expect from us,” said Dheeraj Aneja, Senior Vice President – Fintech and Payments Group at Flipkart. “At Flipkart, we are committed to delivering the best-in-class commerce experience to customers by offering safe and convenient payment options along with a wide array of rewards and benefits such as Supercoins, Brand Vouchers, and others.”

    Driving Digital Empowerment

    According to Aneja, “Flipkart UPI underscores our dedication to shaping a digitally-empowered society and reaffirms our role as a leading catalyst in India's digital evolution.”

    Enhancing Payment Efficiency

    It also introduces one-click and quick functionalities for recharges and bill payments, enhancing overall payment efficiency for the users. With the tagline, 'India's Most Rewarding UPI,' the offering aims to provide customers an intuitive, safe, and convenient digital payment experience through its integrated checkout funnel and a slew of delightful incentives, including the benefit of instant refunds, according to the company. .

    UPI's Growing Landscape

    In 2023, UPI processed over 117 billion transactions worth Rs 182.84 trillion, showcasing a dynamic landscape with participation from banks, payment service providers, and fintech companies, according to reports. (Also Read: Ashwini Vaishnaw's BIG Statement On Google-Indian Startups Row, Says..)

    Continued Partnership Growth

    “We continue to scale our growth in UPI with partnerships and innovations. Our partnership with Flipkart has come a long way from launching one of India's most successful co-branded credit cards to now launching the Flipkart UPI service,” said Sanjeev Moghe, President and Head – Cards & Payments, Axis Bank.

    Seamless Transaction Experience

    “Customers can now register for UPI with @fkaxis handle and can do all fund transfers and checkout payments using the Flipkart app. This solution is cloud-hosted and hence provides one of the most stable and scalable UPI platforms for customers,” he added.

  • Google Responds To Criticism By Reinstating Shaadi.com, Naukri, And Other Apps On Play Store

    Google had delisted more than a dozen apps by major Indian digital companies including Matrimony, and Shaadi.com from Play Store.

  • Ashwini Vaishnaw's BIG Statement On Google-Indian Startups Row, Says… |

    New Delhi: Taking a strong view of Google pulling out some apps from its Play Store, the government on Saturday said delisting of Indian apps cannot be permitted and that the tech company and the startups concerned have been called for a meeting next week. In an interview to PTI, IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the startup ecosystem is key to the Indian economy and their fate cannot be left to any big tech to decide.

    The minister's comments assume significance as Google on Friday began removing some apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India over a dispute on service fee payments, even as apps and well-known startup founders cried foul. (Also Read: Google Responds To Criticism By Reinstating Shaadi.com, Naukri, And Other Apps On Play Store)

    Taking a serious view of the issue, Vaishnaw said: “India is very clear, our policy is very clear…our startups will get the protection that they need.” The minister said the government will be meeting Google and app developers who have been delisted, next week, to resolve the dispute. (Also Read: Google Faces Backlash For Removing Indian Apps From Play Store Amid Fee Dispute)

    “I have already called Google…I have already called the app developers who have been delisted, we will be meeting them next week. This cannot be permitted..This kind of delisting cannot be permitted,” Vaishnaw asserted.

    Stating that India has built a strong startup ecosystem of over one lakh startups, and more than 100 unicorns from scratch in a matter of 10 years, the minister said the energy of youth and entrepreneurs must be channelised fully and “cannot be left to the policies of any big tech.”

    “I will be telling Google…Our entrepreneurial energy…startups, look at the whole startup India programme, 10 years back we had practically nothing and today we have more than 1,00,000 startups, more than 100 unicorns… This is something…the energy of our youth, the energy of our entrepreneurs, energy of our talented people that has to be channelised fully well, it cannot be left to the policies of any big tech,” Vaishnaw said.

    On Friday, Google said 10 companies in the country, including “many well-established” ones had avoided paying fees despite benefiting from the platform and Play Store, and proceeded to delist some apps.

    It did not name the firms but a search of Play Store on android phones did not give results for matrimonial apps such as Shaadi, Matrimony.com and Bharat Matrimony. Balaji Telefilms' Altt (formerly ALTBalaji), audio platform Kuku FM, dating service Quack Quack, Truly Madly also disappeared from Play Store.

    Separately, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he has been flagging the concerns around dominance of Google stifling competition and startups. The government, he said, has to find if the current issue “trespasses” into the “abuse and misuse” of dominance category.

    “I have raised concerns on the dominance of Google in the past, it controls more than 90 per cent of the app ecosystem in India, the fact that they are a vertically integrated large company, we are concerned that their dominance does stifle competitions and startups , and it can be misused against startups, and there are some legitimate concerns that the government has,” Chandrasekhar said.

    The government and court has to look whether this particular incident trespasses into that territory of abuse and misuse, he added. The raging dispute is over Google imposing a fee of 11 to 26 per cent on in-app payments after anti-competition body CCI ordered scrapping of an earlier system of charging 15 to 30 per cent.

    Google went ahead to remove the apps not paying the fee after the Supreme Court did not provide interim relief to companies behind these apps in their battle against the search giant's app marketplace fee.

    While Bharat Matrimony founder Murugavel Janakiraman described the move as “dark day” for the Internet in India, Kuku FM Co-founder Vinod Kumar Meena in a statement had said that Google was behaving like a 'monopoly'.

    Quack Quack Founder Ravi Mittal said the company would comply with rules to get back on the marketplace. Google previously sent notices of Play Store violations to Matrimony.com, which runs app BharatMatrimony, and Info Edge, which runs a similar app, Jeevansathi.

    Info Edge (India) Ltd on Saturday said its apps, including naukri.com, 99 acres.com, and shiksha.com have been removed from Google Play Store but within hours stated that some of them have been restored.

    “Many of the Info Edge apps are back on the play store. An effort very well led by (company MD and CEO) Hitesh and the entire Info Edge team. People were up all night for this. Great crisis management,” Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani said in a post on

    On Friday, Bikhchandani had emphasized on the need of an app store/ play store that is a part of Digital Public Infrastructure. “Indian companies will comply – for now. But what India needs is an App Store/ Play Store that is a part of Digital Public Infrastructure – like UPI and ONDC. The response needs to be strategic,” he had said.

    Bikhchandani had claimed that Info Edge had cleared all pending Google invoices in a timely manner and was compliant with its policies. IAMAI – an industry association that represents some of the largest Indian startups as well as international firms – condemned the removal of apps and had urged Google to reinstate delisted apps.

  • Google Faces Backlash For Removing Indian Apps From Play Store Amid Fee Dispute |

    New Delhi: Google initiated the removal of apps from 10 companies in India, which notably included popular matrimony apps like Bharat Matrimony. This action arose from a disagreement concerning service fee payments, potentially leading to a clash with startup companies.

    The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) criticized Google's removal of apps belonging to Indian companies and demanded Google to reinstate those delisted apps on its Play Store, on Saturday. (Also Read: Google Removes Some India Matrimony Apps, Executive Calls Move 'Dark Day')

    In a released statement, the association “strongly condemned” the removal of apps from some of the leading consumer digital companies, including Bharatmatrimony, Info Edge, Shaadi.com, and TrulyMadly, from the Play Store. (Also Read: Zoom To Stop Support For Certain iPhones By March 2024: All You Need To Know)

    “The association's governing council has called the delisting of apps unfair and disproportionate,” said IAMAI. Info Edge Founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani posted on X that Indian companies will comply for now.

    “But what India needs is an App Store/Play Store that is a part of Digital Public Infrastructure – like UPI and ONDC. The response needs to be strategic,” Bikhchandani commented.

    The IAMAI urged Google to urgently reinstate the delisted apps and engage in consultations with the industry body or member companies to find “mutually agreeable solutions till the matter is subjudice”.

    The industry body responded after Google said that at least 10 companies, including many well-established ones, “have chosen to not pay for the immense value they receive on Google Play by securing interim protections from court”, and removed some of them from Play Store as it enforces new policies.

    The IAMAI is an non-profit industry body representing 580 companies, including Indian and multinational corporations, as well as startups.

    The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), a policy think-tank representing homegrown startups, on Friday condemned the move, saying that by delisting apps, Google is trying to “intimidate and coerce the developers” who have dared to challenge its “exploitative policies”. (With inputs from IANS)

  • Elon Musk Sues OpenAI And CEO Sam Altman Over Agreement Breach |

    New Delhi: Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing them of violating their initial contractual agreements concerning artificial intelligence (AI). Filed in a San Francisco court in the United States, the lawsuit centers on OpenAI's recent development of the GPT-4 natural language model.

    The owner of company This is despite an agreement that the artificial general intelligence capabilities would be non-profit and aimed at serving humanity. (Also Read: Google Removes Some India Matrimony Apps, Executive Calls Move 'Dark Day')

    “Musk has long recognized that AGI poses a grave threat to humanity — perhaps the greatest existential threat we face today,” read the lawsuit. (Also Read: UK Woman Discovers Baby's Rare Eye Cancer Using Phone Flash; Read The Full Story)

    In Musk's lawsuit, he outlines grievances including breach of contract, violation of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices. Musk served as a founding board member of OpenAI until 2018.

    According to the lawsuit, OpenAI's initial research was performed in the “open, providing free and public access to designs, models, and code”.

    When OpenAI researchers discovered that an algorithm called “Transformers,” initially invented by Google, could perform many natural language tasks without any explicit training, “entire communities sprung up to enhance and extend the models released by OpenAI”.

    Altman became OpenAI CEO in 2019. On September 22, 2020, OpenAI entered into an agreement with Microsoft, exclusively licensing to Microsoft its Generative PreTrained Transformer (GPT)-3 language model.

    “Most critically, the Microsoft license only applied to OpenAI's pre-AGI technology. Microsoft obtained no rights to AGI. And it was up to OpenAI's non-profit Board, not Microsoft, to determine when OpenAI attained AGI,” the lawsuit further read.

    Musk said that this case is filed to compel OpenAI to “adhere to the Founding Agreement and return to its mission to develop AGI for the benefit of humanity, not to personally benefit the individual defendants and the largest technology company in the world”. (With inputs from IANS)

  • Google Removes Some India Matrimony Apps, Executive Calls Move ‘Dark Day’ |

    New Delhi: Google began removing the apps of 10 companies in India on Friday, including some popular matrimony apps such as Bharat Matrimony, in a dispute over service fee payments, potentially sparking a showdown with startup firms.

    The dispute centers on efforts by some Indian startups to stop Google from imposing a fee of 11 percent to 26 percent on in-app payments, after the country’s antitrust authorities ordered it to dismantle an earlier system of charging 15 percent to 30 percent. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza To Farmers Ahead Of Kharif Season! Center Clears Rs 24,400 Crore Fertilizer Subsidy)

    But Google effectively received a go-ahead to charge the fee or remove apps after two court decisions in January and February, one by the Supreme Court, not to give any relief to startups. (Also Read: Bill Gates And PM Modi Meeting: Did You Know Their Topic Of Discussion? Check Here)

    Matrimony.com dating apps Bharat Matrimony, Christian Matrimony, Muslim Matrimony and Jodii were deleted on Friday, company founder Murugavel Janakiraman said, describing the move as a “dark day of Indian Internet”.

    “Our apps are getting deleted one by one”.

    The unit of Alphabet Inc has sent notices of Play Store violations to Indian companies Matrimony.com, which runs the app BharatMatrimony, and Info Edge, which runs a similar app, Jeevansathi.

    Both companies are reviewing the notice and will consider the next steps, their executives told Reuters. Shares of Matrimony.com fell as much as 2.7 percent after the Reuters report, before paring losses, while Info Edge dropped 1.5 percent.

    Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani said it had cleared all pending Google invoices in a timely manner and was compliant with its policies.

    In a blog post, Google said 10 Indian companies had chosen for an extended period of time not to pay for the “immense value they receive on Google Play”. It did not identify the firms.

    “For years, no court or regulator has denied Google Play’s right to charge,” the company said on Friday, adding that the Supreme Court on Feb. 9 also “refused to interfere” with its right to do so.

    Google’s app removal could anger the Indian startup community which has been protesting many of the US giant’s practices for years. The firm, which denies any wrongdoing, dominates the Indian market as 94 percent share of phones are based on its Android platform.

    Google says its fee supports investments in the app store and the Android mobile operating system, ensuring free distribution, and covering developer tools and analytic services.

    Just 3 percent of the more than 200,000 Indian developers who use the Google Play platform are required to pay any service fee, it added.

  • UK Woman Discovers Baby’s Rare Eye Cancer Using Phone Flash; Read The Full Story |

    New Delhi: A woman named Sarah Hedges from London noticed something unusual about her infant’s son’s eye. She claims to have detected her infant son’s rare cancer through the flash on her phone’s camera. Sara Hedges, support worker from Kent, found herself in the midst of an ordinary evening in November 2022 while she was cooking dinner.

    Suddenly, Sarah noticed something strange, a bright white glow coming from her son’s eye. As reported by the New York Post, she said the strange glow was like the reflection in a cat’s eye. She then took pictures with her phone’s flash on, trying to see it again. (Also Read: Govt Clears 3 Semiconductor Plants With Investment Of Rs 1.26 Lakh Crore)

    At first, Ms. Hedges, who is 40 years old, couldn’t see the white glow again and thought it might have been because of the lighting. But she couldn’t shake off the feeling of doubt, so she tried moving her son, Thomas, to different rooms with different lighting. Eventually, she saw the glow again. (Also Read: NoiseFit Twist Go Smartwatch With More Than 100 Sports Modes Launched In India At Rs 1,199; Check Specs)

    Later, Ms. Hedges quickly searched on Google for more information. The results suggested that her son could have cancer. She took more pictures and then went to the doctor, who sent her to Medway Hospital for more tests.

    The three-month-old baby was diagnosed with retinoblastoma which is a rare and aggressive type of eye cancer that mostly affects babies and young kids, as per the report. Ms. Hedges remembered, “The doctor called us back into his room to discuss the results. I was in the bathroom. When I came out, he was waiting for me. I knew then it wasn’t good news – no doctor waits for someone outside. the toilet, do they?”

    Ms. Hedges asked the doctor if it was cancer before he said anything, and he confirmed that it was not good news.

    Thomas was sent to the Royal London Hospital where he underwent six rounds of chemotherapy starting in November 2022. He faced sepsis during the treatment but completed his last round of chemotherapy in April 2023. Thankfully, he was declared free of cancer in May.

    Sarah Hedges mentioned that Thomas is doing much better now. She describes him as “cheeky little boy” who enjoys playing rough and tumble with his older brother.

    According to the National Health Service (NHS), retinoblastoma is a rare kind of eye cancer that mostly affects children under three years old. It can affect one or both eyes, targeting the back part of the eye known as the retina. Common signs of retinoblastoma include a white glow in the eye, especially visible in certain lights, or a squint. Other signs may include changes in how the eye looks or a swollen eye, though often only one sign is noticeable.

  • Lava Storm 5G Review: A Budget Masterclass in Essentials |

    In the last 15 months or so, Lava has shown what brands should focus on: crafting handsets packed with features, all while keeping the budget-conscious folks in mind. For example, its Agni series has been a game-changer for the brand. It has taken those seemingly invincible Chinese smartphone giants here in India head on. Similarly, the Blaze line-up is also hot. It has garnered significant eyeballs for offering a pretty cool package in the affordable segment. Fast forward, they dropped the Lava Storm 5G towards the end of December, and lucky me, the device reached me just in time. Though, I’ll admit, I’ve been a bit tardy in getting this review out. So, I figured, why not give you a comprehensive long-term review instead? Now, having spent over a month with this device, here’s my take on it.

    Design: Lava decided less is more with the Storm, and adopted a simple and minimalist design this time. The back panel looks as elegant as it can get in any budget phone. Imagine three vertically-aligned circles placed gracefully on the top left, two of them cradling cameras in their embrace. The third one houses an LED flash. Then, drift your eyes to the bottom left where there’s the Lava branding, subtly making a statement. Apart from these touches, the glass back remains unadorned but looks elegant. That said, the Storm 5G does present a small caveat in its otherwise stellar design – its weight. Weighing 214 grams, it’s on a heavier side, something that might not sit well with everyone. The phone offers you a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and dual nano SIM card slots that are both 5G-ready.

    Display: Turn the phone, and you gaze at a 6.78-inch Full HD+ screen that looks beautiful. The IPS LCD panel is quite bright, offering a good viewing experience for the price. I have reviewed the Redmi 13 5G, and I must say that the Storm 5G’s screen takes the lead in color reproduction. It avoids the pitfall of overly softened tones. Unlike some budget phones that might dial down the vibrancy of colours, the Storm 5G keeps things balanced. A higher 120Hz refresh rate further assists in smoother animation playback and enhances the gaming experience. Also, the sunlight legibility is very good. I found all the text and content clearly visible on its screen when outside.

    Camera: What I would appreciate about Lava this time around is that they’ve sidestepped the whole craze of adding those almost ‘indispensable’ 2MP depth and macro sensors. You know, the ones many brands seem to throw in just to bump up their camera count. Also, you might have seen some budget phones or even pricier mid-rangers skimping on the ultrawide lens, Lava isn’t cutting any corners there. That’s a pretty solid thing if you ask me. The dual rear camera setup on the Storm 5G houses a 50MP primary sensor paired with an 8MP ultrawide lens. Given the price range, the photos turn out pretty impressive. Daylight shots I took came out really well, offering plenty of details and capturing colors accurately. The edge detection in portrait shots was also good. That said, I noticed a bit of softness in the images, especially when the lighting gets slightly dim. The ultrawide lens doesn’t disappoint either, capturing pictures with good detail. Even when you zoom in, the details remain largely intact.

    Performance: When it comes to performance, let’s be real, a lot of entry-level mid-rangers sometimes drop the ball. The Lava Storm 5G, however, has laced up its boots well. As my daily driver for routine stuff, it kept everything smooth and in order. The reason for this is that at the heart of the Lava Storm 5G’s performance is the MediaTek Dimensity 6080, which keeps the phone running smoothly across most tasks save the high-end gaming. I took it for a spin with titles like BGMI and COD: Mobile, along with a few other games, and could play them smoothly in HD settings. The Lava Storm 5G remains relatively cool even during extended gaming sessions, which is rare for a phone in this price segment. Also, the handset is bloatware free, and the clean Android experience enhances the overall user experience. It comes with Android 13, and they’ve promised an Android 14 update and two years of security updates. The phone comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

    Battery: The Lava Storm 5G packs a 5000mAh battery with 33-watt fast charge support. On moderate usage, it easily makes it through a day and a half on a single charge. And, even when you’re pushing it hard, it’s got your back from dawn till dusk. Lava’s put some thought into optimizing battery life, and it shows.

    Verdict: For budget-conscious consumers looking for a dependable daily driver, the Lava Storm 5G, priced at Rs. 13,499, stands out as a worthy contender. Its elegant design, coupled with a bright display and more than decent camera performance, sets a solid foundation for a budget phone that doesn’t just aim to tick boxes but to lead the segment.