Over 180 million Windows threats detected in Q2 2018: Quick Heal

Pune: Global IT security firm Quick Heal Technologies on Wednesday said it detected more than 180 million threats on Windows devices of individual and enterprise users between April and June of this year. More than two million malware, 16,000 ransomware, 13,000 cryptomining malware, 141,000 exploits, and 40,488 potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) and adware were detected on a daily basis, according to the quarterly threat report released by Quick Heal Technologies and its enterprise security brand Seqrite.

“Cybercriminals are at a completely different level today than they were a few years ago. They are using novel technologies to drive increasingly-complex attacks and are targeting larger user bases,” Sanjay Katkar, Joint Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer, Quick Heal Technologies, said in a statement. “The latest threat report highlights this risk that individuals and businesses in India currently face with this evolution of the threat landscape,” Katkar said.

According to data from the report, the Trojan Horse families retained its position as the most dominant malware in the second quarter of 2018, registering a quarter-on-quarter growth of  four per cent. The security experts at Quick Heal Technologies also identified a spike in the EternalBlue exploit, which was used for the WannaCry ransomware attack, one of the biggest global cybersecurity incidents ever seen. Other key trends identified in the report include a significant increase in the number of ransomware attacks targeting the Master Boot Record (MBR) of infected devices and cryptomining.

The report also revealed the rise of cryptojacking as one of the most worrying security trends and warned about it becoming an “advanced threat” as it is the new source of getting direct monetary benefits to cyber criminals. Cryptojacking attacks remain undetected for a long time and can often be used as a platform to launch other complex attacks.

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New iPhones worth the cost: Apple CEO Tim Cook

San Francisco: Defending the high cost consumers would have to pay to own the most expensive iPhone released this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the device is worth the cost as it replaces many other gadgets one might need, a media report said. Apple’s newest line of iPhones — the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — cost as much as $1,449 for the most expensive model, CNBC reported late on Tuesday.

“The phone has replaced your digital camera. You don’t have a separate one anymore. It’s replaced your video camera. It’s replaced your music player. It’s replaced all of these different devices,” Cook was quoted as saying to ABC’s “Good Morning America”. “And so arguably the product is really important. And we’ve found that people want to have the most innovative product available and with that, it’s not cheap to do.

In India, one would have to shell out Rs 12,075 a month as zero-cost EMI for a period of one year to own the 512GB variant of iPhone XS Max that will come for Rs 144,900 in India. The iPhone XS with 512GB storage model will cost Rs 134,900 and the cheapest of the lot, the iPhone XR, has a starting price (64GB) of Rs 76,900 in India.

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US: Facebook faces lawsuit for hiding job ads from women

Washington: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing Facebook on behalf of three women job seekers who accused the social media giant of posting ads that are shown only to men. The ACLU, along with the Communications Workers of America and the employment law firm Outten & Golden LLP, on Tuesday filed charges with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Facebook. The women job seekers accused Facebook for targeting ads for jobs in male-dominated fields to younger male Facebook users only — excluding all women and non-binary individuals, as well as older male users.

“The case is brought on behalf of three job seekers and the Communications Workers of America, on behalf of a proposed class of millions of job applicants. It alleges that these job advertising practices violate federal civil rights laws prohibiting sex and age discrimination in employment,” Galen Sherwin from ACLU Women’s Rights Project wrote in a blog post.Facebook requires users to identify their sex in the binary categories of male or female in order to even open an account.

“While users can later change their sex designation and select from among a few dozen options to describe their gender identity, Facebook still requires users to choose gendered pronouns (male, female, or neutral), which it then offers to advertisers for purposes of gender-based ad targeting. “Facebook delivers the ad accordingly, including a notice that the user is seeing the ad because of their sex,” the ACLU said.The lawsuit claimed that Facebook let 10 employers, including a police department, to run advertisements excluding women and nonbinary users.

Facebook responded to the allegations, saying there is no place for discrimination on Facebook. “It’s strictly prohibited in our policies, and over the past year, we’ve strengthened our systems to further protect against misuse,” Download reported, quoting a Facebook spokesperson. Facebook is “reviewing the complaint and look forward to defending our practices,” the spokesperson added. According to the ACLU, Facebook also offers advertisers the ability to use what it calls “Lookalike Targeting,” which allows advertisers to target customers with traits similar to those of their customer base.

It’s important to note that online platforms like Facebook are generally not liable for content published by others. “But in this case, Facebook is doing much more than merely publishing content created by others. It has built the architecture for this discriminatory marketing framework, enabled and encouraged advertisers to use it, and delivered the gender-based ads according to employers’ sex-based preferences,” the ACLU emphasised. Facebook must change its platform to prevent advertisers from exploiting user data for discriminatory purposes, and ensure once and for all that all users, regardless of gender, race, age, or other protected status, are given a fair shake, said the ACLU.

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Apple iOS 12 with new tools now available globally

San Francisco: Apple’s iOS 12, the latest version of advanced mobile operating system (OS) and the successor to iOS 11 which is said to make daily tasks faster and more responsive, is now available globally. The latest OS promises to bring performance improvements across the system and to more devices than any previous version, thus, supporting iPhone 5s that was introduced in 2013. “Available as a free software update, iOS 12 introduces new augmented reality (AR) experiences, fun new features like Memoji, Siri Shortcuts that open up a world of apps to work with Siri and new tools to help people reduce interruptions and manage screen time for themselves and their families,” the iPhone maker said in a statement late on Monday.

The Cupertino-based giant said with iOS 12, camera launches up to 70 per cent faster, the keyboard appears up to 50 per cent faster and typing is more responsive. “When there is a lot going on across the system, apps can launch up to twice as fast,” the company added. A few new tools like “Screen Time” built into the iOS 12 help users understand and take control of the time they spend interacting with their devices. This feature provides users with detailed information and tools to help them manage the time they spend with apps and websites and better understand and control where their child spends time.

Another nifty addition is “Siri Shortcuts” that allows any app to now work with Apple’s digital assistant Siri. With powerful on-device intelligence, Siri learns user routines and provides suggestions at just the right time. “Users can also use their voice to run any shortcut, making it even easier to use their favourite apps. The new shortcuts app goes even further, allowing users to create custom shortcuts to streamline frequent tasks,” the company said.

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OnePlus developing its own Smart TV

Shenzhen: Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus announced on Monday that the company is developing a Smart TV called “OnePlus TV” under its Founder and CEO Pete Lau. The development of “OnePlus TV” comes as a “natural extension” for the company with the aim to address the gaps in the TV segment and balance high-quality minimalistic hardware with the latest technology, the company said in a statement. “With this new division, we’re excited to explore the total connected user experience that can enhance everyday life,” said Lau. “OnePlus TV” is expected to be released in 2019.

The premium flagship design of the “OnePlus TV” would combine advanced image quality and audio experience and provide users with better “intelligent connectivity” experiences. “Intelligent connectivity” is the culmination of the underlying data and communication technologies that can connect. “With the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, our imagination is endless — and we are looking forward to the future,” Lau added.

As with smartphones, OnePlus is constantly listening, welcoming feedback and suggestions for what should be included in its new Smart TV, the firm said. It is still not clear whether or not the TV would run on an existing platform like Android TV or would the company launch something new altogether.

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India: HP unveils affordable mini desktop to empower students

New Delhi: HP India on Monday introduced an affordable mini desktop to help students learn and collaborate in schools and educational institutions across the country. Starting at Rs 19,990, the HP 260 G3 desktop will enable schools and institutes to set up or upgrade computers in their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs at a minimal cost, the company said in a statement. “As technology becomes integral to businesses and consumers’ daily lives, students need to learn digital skills that equip them well for the future,” said Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director, HP India.

When paired with HP Integrated Work Center and HP EliteDisplay, teachers can read and present files effortlessly. With the wide range of input display connectors, documents can also be shared across multiple monitors. “Driven by our goal to empower students, HP has launched the mini desktop solution to enable easy and affordable digital learning for students across India,” Chandra added. The Pentium Dual Core with 18.5-inch monitor system is available at a starting price of Rs 19,990 while Intel Core i3 with 18.5-inch monitor is available at a starting price of Rs 25,990.

 

“We are hitting a new price band with the HP 260 G3 desktop mini. With this, HP will be able to address the market’s need for cost-effective desktop PCs,” said Vickram Bedi, Senior Director, Personal Systems, HP Inc. India.The company is reaching out to schools and educational institutions as well as in smaller cities, where affordable digital learning devices can be highly useful. The system runs Windows 10 Pro and houses memory up to 32GB of DDR4.

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Google, Samsung working on advanced messaging service

Seoul: Samsung Electronics Co. has said it is working with Internet giant Google Inc. to offer improved messaging experiences that would allow users to engage in group chats and video calls and transfer large files without the need for additional apps. The collaboration will ensure that Android Messages and Samsung Messages will work together seamlessly, and it will boost coverage of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an upgrade to the SMS messaging system, Yonhap news agency reported.

The South Korean tech giant said it would work to bring RCS features to existing mobile phones beginning with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. It also said its new Galaxy smartphones will natively support RCS messaging, starting with those on a set of carriers that have or will soon launch RCS. “By furthering our robust partnership with Google, we will bring a richer messaging experience to our customers, letting them seamlessly chat with their friends and family across messaging platforms,” Patrick Chomet, Executive Vice President at Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business, said in comments posted on the website of Samsung Mobile Press on Wednesday.

“This collaboration will help further the industry’s momentum toward advanced messaging and global RCS coverage.” “Our partnership will further advance our shared vision of a substantially improved messaging experience on Android for users, brands and the broader Android ecosystem,” Anil Sabharwal, Vice President for Communications Products and Photos at Google, said. The move comes at a time when many people are opting to use popular messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and WeChat instead of traditional SMS messaging.

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Apple watch series 4: Now, your watch can take an ECG among many other things

The new iPhone was not the only thing which stole the lime-light yesterday, but Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Series 4, redesigned and re-engineered to help users stay connected, be more active and manage their health in new ways. While retaining the original iconic design, the fourth-generation Apple Watch has been refined, combining new hardware and software enhancements into a unified form.

These are not only thing Apple changed in the new watch, but there were many new features which apple introduced, which are:

The Series 4 watch with watch OS 5 includes revolutionary health capabilities, including a new accelerometer and gyroscope, which are able to detect hard falls, and an electrical heart rate sensor that can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) using the new ECG app, which has been granted a classification by the US federal agency Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Apple also says the body of the Apple Watch is slightly thinner, with the same 18-hour, all-day battery life. The Digital Crown has been updated to add support for haptic feedback, which means as you scroll through lists, you’ll feel a slight feedback (vibration) as you move through each item.

Beginning September 14, Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS) will be available to order in 26 countries and territories the price of that variant will be roughly around $399(28000 approx)and Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) will be available to order in 16 countries and territories. Both models will be available in stores beginning September 21. the price of this varient will be $ 499 (36000 approx)

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iPhone XR, XS and XS max launched: Read to know specifications and price in India

iPhone just launched three new iPhones which are iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. CEO Tim Cook really wanted to take the iPhone X series to the whole new level, at the Apple event he was really focused on the new budget friendly phone iPhone XR. However we still think it’s a little pricey. There were many thing that were revealed about the iPhones yesterday and if you missed the event here are the things you should known about the new iPhones.

iPhone XR

• Looks like Apple have been listening to their costumers, that’s why this year they launched an iPhone which does not affect our wallet that much. The price of iPhone XR is starts from $ 750(RS 54000 approx)
• iPhone XR is bigger than the previous iPhone X, but it does not have dual back camera.
• iPhone XR is considered to be the most battery friendly out of the three released yesterday, we think that’s because this iPhone consists a LED display.
• iPhone XR comes in various different colours such as Red, Orange, Yellow, Black, White and Blue.
• The iPhone XR comes in three storage variants, the 64GB variant has been priced at $749 (roughly Rs. 53,900), the 128GB variant has been priced at $799 (roughly Rs. 57,500), and the 256GB variant has been priced at $899 (roughly Rs. 64,700). Pre-orders going live on October 19 and shipping from October 26.

Iphone XS and XS Max

• The iPhone XS Max is bigger than the Note 9, and both XS Max and the iPhone XS get a makeover inside and out.
• The iPhone XS comes in $999 (Rs. 71,800 approx) for the 64GB variant, $1,149 (Rs. 82,600 approx) for the 256GB variant, and $1,349 (Rs. 97,000 approx) for 512GB.
• The iPhone XS Max has a starting price of $1,099 (Rs. 79,000 approx) for the 64GB variant, $1,249 (Rs. 89,800 approx) for the 256GB variant, and $1,449 (1,04,200approx) for the 512GB variant.
• Pre-orders for iPhone XS and XS Max start on September 14 with shipping beginning on September 24.
• These two variants only come in three different colours which are Black, White and Gold.
• Unlike iPhone XR, iPhone XS and XR max will have a OLED display.

 

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Apple launches new premium iPhone XS, health features for watch

Cupertino (US): Apple on Wednesday unveiled updated versions of its priciest iPhones along with a new smartwatch that allows users to take their own electrocardiograms, as the US tech giant looks to boost its momentum in a sputtering market. The California tech giant revealed its iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, updating the top-of-the line handsets released a year earlier. The new devices are aimed at maintaining Apple’s share in the premium segment.

“We are going to take iPhone X to the next level,” chief executive Tim Cook said at a media event at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. The new phones have displays of 5.8 and 6.5 inches, boosting screen size while keeping a small-format handset, Apple vice president Phil Schiller said. The September event allows the company to unveil its latest offerings before the key holiday shopping season.

While the iPhone has made Apple the world’s most valuable company, worth more than USD 1 trillion, it has slipped to third place among smartphone makers as Chinese-based Huawei has grabbed the number two spot. Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy said Apple had done enough “to keep its smartphone growth going until the competition responds.” – New smartwatch features – Apple also introduced a fourth generation of Apple Watch with a major redesign — and a series of features designed to improve its performance as a medical and health device.

Also Read: Apple event 2018 Live streaming: When and where to watch the mega event online

The watch, sold in the United States from USD 399 and up, will be available in stores on September 21. “Apple Watch has become an intelligent guardian for your health,” chief operating officer Jeff Williams said. He highlighted a major innovation — the watch’s ability to perform an electrocardiogram. “This is the first ECG product offered over the counter directly to consumers,” he said. “Now you can take an ECG any time, anywhere, right from the wrist.” The device also detects when a person suffers a fall, seen as an important feature for elderly or disabled users. “Identifying a fall may sound like a straightforward problem, but it requires a lot of data analysis,” Williams said.

If a person falls, and then is motionless, the watch will call emergency services, he added. Research firm CB Insights said Apple is at a “crossroads” a decade after introducing the iPhone. “Looking for the next wave, Apple is clearly expanding into augmented reality and wearables with the Apple Watch and AirPods wireless headphones,” the firm said. “But the next ‘big one’ — a success and growth driver on the scale of the iPhone — has not yet been determined. Will it be augmented reality, auto, wearables? Or something else entirely?” Apple’s event comes with the global smartphone market largely saturated, without a major catalyst for sales ahead of a likely rollout of 5G, or fifth generation, wireless networks, expected in 2019.

Research firm IDC expects worldwide smartphone shipments to decline 0.7 per cent in 2018 to 1.455 billion units, with growth likely to resume as 5G devices become available. Cook said Apple was nearing its two billionth device for its mobile operating system known as iOS. “We are about to hit a major milestone. We are about to ship our two billionth iOS device,” he said. “This is astonishing — iOS has changed the way we live.”

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Apple event 2018 Live streaming: When and where to watch the mega event online

The whole world is thrilled regarding Apple’s event today where new models of iPhones and various new devices are going to be announced. Apple is expected to unveil its biggest and most expensive iPhone today as part of a lineup of three new models aimed at widening the product’s appeal amid slowing sales growth.

The event will be held at Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. Amid the announcement, at least five devices are highly expected to be announced during the event which include three new models of iPhones, iPad Pro and Apple Watch series 4. Some other news gadgets are also expected to be announced during the event by the tech giant.

Apple event 2018 Live Streaming: When and where to watch the event

The event will be streamed live on Apple TV app named ‘Apple events’ and iPhone users can download the app to watch the event live.

Others can watch the event live on the Twitter account of the tech giant. The event will be live streamed on Apple’s Twitter account. The telecast of the event will start at 10:30 PM (IST).

Click here to watch the event live on Apple’s 2018 event live on Twitter.

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Facebook builds ‘Rosetta’ AI to understand the bizarre world of meme

California: Understanding a meme may not be everybody’s cup of tea. Facebook is perhaps one of those who needs a little help in understanding the text on the wonderful works floating on its platform and Instagram.

The company announced that it has built a machine learning system called Rosetta which extracts texts from billion of public image posts and videos on Facebook and Instagram to understand the context of the text and images together. The system first scans the image for text and then uses text recognition to identify what it actually says. It then interprets the text based on transcription.

According to Mashable, Rosetta is not dedicated to memes and can have a lot of other practical use cases. For instance, it can help read the text in menus, street signs, clothing labels, and so on. It can also make Facebook accessible to the visually impaired. Rosetta is also aimed at helping Facebook automatically detect and remove hate speech from the site. The system is capable of processing over a billion images a day.

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Engineers from British Columbia University develop cheap and portable smartphone-powered ultrasound machine

Toronto: Engineers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed a new ultrasound transducer, or probe — no bigger than a Band-Aid — is portable, wearable and can be powered by a smartphone. It could dramatically lower the cost of ultrasound scanners to as little as $100. Conventional ultrasound scanners use piezoelectric crystals to create images of the inside of the body and send them to a computer to create sonograms.

Researchers replaced the piezoelectric crystals with tiny vibrating drums made of polymer resin, called polyCMUTs (polymer capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducers), which are cheaper to manufacture. “Transducer drums have typically been made out of rigid silicon materials that require costly, environment-controlled manufacturing processes, and this has hampered their use in ultrasound,” said lead author Carlos Gerardo, a doctoral student at the UBC.

“By using polymer resin, we were able to produce polyCMUTs in fewer fabrication steps, using a minimum amount of equipment, resulting in significant cost savings,” Gerardo added. Sonograms produced by the new device were as sharp as or even more detailed than traditional sonograms produced by piezoelectric transducers, said co-author Edmond Cretu, professor of electrical and computer engineering.

“Since our transducer needs just 10 volts to operate, it can be powered by a smartphone, making it suitable for use in remote or low-power locations,” he added, in the paper detailed in the journal Microsystems and Nanoengineering. Unlike the rigid ultrasound probes, the transducer has the potential to be built into a flexible material that can be wrapped around the body for easier scanning and more detailed views — without dramatically increasing costs.

The next step would be to miniaturise these transducers and use them to look inside your arteries and veins. You could stick them on your chest and do live continuous monitoring of your heart in your daily life. It opens up so many different possibilities, the researchers said.

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Vivo trials 5G-enabled NEX S smartphone

Beijing: Chinese handset maker Vivo has announced it has successfully trialed a 5G-ready smartphone by modifying its NEX S smartphone by putting in a Qualcomm X50 modem, which was introduced in February. “The device set-up included a non-standalone architecture model that combined both LTE and NR (New Radio) antennas, based on 3GPP Release 15 standards. The test has completed the first phase of protocol and tests with Keysight UXM 5G signaling,” GSM Arena reported late on Monday.

Notably, this comes less than a month after OPPO successfully tested 5G modems in its devices. This also means Vivo and OPPO, both owned by Guangdong-headquartered multinational company BBK Electronics, are likely to be among the first smartphone players to offer 5G-enabled devices to the masses.”The next step ahead of vivo towards its development of an actual 5G phone is entering further Interoperability Data Testing (IODT) with 5G infrastructure and networking equipment with the modified NEX S.

The company says its ultimate goal is launching its first batch of commercial 5G devices by 2019,” the report added. Vivo showcased the world’s first in-display fingerprint scanning smartphone at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2018 in Las Vegas and introduced the technology to the Indian users in the form of Vivo X21 and Vivo NEX smartphones.

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Apple acquires global rights of 2 feature films, says deadline.com

San Francisco: In a push to enter the film and TV market, Apple has acquired global rights to two feature films — Victoria Stone and Mark Deebles documentary “The Elephant Queen” and an animated film “The Wolfwakers”. According to a report in Deadline.com on Sunday, Apple’s worldwide video division led by Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht acquired “The Elephant Queen” that made its debut at the Toronto Film Festival last weekend.

The documentary follows an elephant named Athena as she leads her herd away from a drought. “The Wolfwalkers” is two-time Oscar-nominee Tomm Moore’s animated film which follows a young apprentice hunter who travels to Ireland with her father to hunt wolves. There have been reports that Apple is set to produce its own content and start its own streaming service in order to share a pie of the growing video streaming industry dominated by Netflix and Hulu, among others.

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Apple event 2018: Tech giant likely to unveil ‘biggest’, ‘most expensive’ iPhone; here’s all you need to know

San Francisco: Technology giant Apple is set to hold an event to unveil new appliances and gadgets. Apple is expected to unveil its biggest and most expensive iPhone on Wednesday as part of a lineup of three new models aimed at widening the product’s appeal amid slowing sales growth. Here are all the facts you need to know about this Apple’s mega event.

The event will start from 10:30 PM (IST) and will showcase various new appliances brought up by Apple. The event is being held at Apple’s Cupertino, California, headquarters.

Three new models of iPhones are also going to be unveiled during the event which will be called iPhone Xs, iPhone Xr, iPhone Xs Plus. Most of the buzz is swirling around a rumored iPhone that is supposed to boast a 6.5-inch OLED screen, up from 5.8 inches on the existing iPhone X. OLED is a step up from traditional LCD technology in offering a display without a backlight, so black is truly black rather than simply dark.

If the speculation pans out, the even-bigger iPhone would represent Apple’s attempt to feed consumers’ appetite for increasingly bigger screens as they rely on smartphones to watch and record video, as well as take photos wherever they are.

The iPhone X, a dramatically redesigned model released last fall, got rid of the home button and introduced facial-recognition technology to unlock the device. It was the first mass-market smartphone to demand a USD 1,000 starting price. Although the iPhone X didn’t fulfill analysts’ lofty sales expectations, it fared well enough for Apple to up the ante with the bigger model, whose price is expected to unveil Wednesday.

Apple also is expected to release an iPhone with minor updates to last year’s USD 1,000 model and another version made of cheaper materials, including a 6.1-inch LCD screen. Even so, the cheaper iPhone is still expected to sell for USD 650 to USD 750. The cheaper phone also is expected to lose the home button. Price cuts for older models, with the home button, are also likely.

Names for the new devices aren’t known. The company may also announce a new smartwatch. It will be redesigned Apple Watch Series 4. Apple is also going to announce the release date of the AirPower charging pad. It will also announce the price of the product during the event. Buzz is also regarding an Updated AirPod headphones which will be unveiled during the event.

With PTI inputs

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JioPhone users get WhatsApp access in next 10 days

New Delhi: Select JioPhone users can access WhatsApp on their handsets from Monday and it will be rolled out across all the handsets in next 10 days. “For the first time, WhatsApp will be available for JioPhone across India. WhatsApp built a new version of its private messaging app for JioPhone, running the KaiOS operating system,” Reliance Jio Infocomm and WhatsApp said in a joint statement.

This is first of its kind rollout of the mobile messaging app on a non-touch screen mobile phone. “We will be providing WhatsApp, the most used chat application in the world, on all JioPhones starting today. Jio wants to thank the Facebook and WhatsApp team for making this happen,” Akash Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, said. People can download Whatsapp on both the JioPhone and the JioPhone 2 by visiting the AppStore and clicking on ‘download’ from September 10 and all the JioPhone mobile handsets will be updated with Whatsapp in a phased manner by September 20, the statement said.

JioPhone users can record and send voice messages on Whatsapp. “Millions of people across India can now use WhatsApp private messaging on the best-in-class JioPhone across India. By designing this new app for KaiOS, we hope to expand the ability for people to communicate with anyone in India and around the world,” Chris Daniels, Vice President, WhatsApp said.

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This MIT robot can visually understand objects never seen before

New York: Imagine letting a robot clean your house while you are at work, or to clear your tables. That’s exactly what the novel robot developed by researchers at the MIT can do. The team at the MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), developed a novel system which lets robots inspect random objects, and visually understand them enough to accomplish specific tasks without ever having seen them before.

The system, dubbed “Dense Object Nets” (DON), looks at objects as collections of points that serve as “visual roadmaps” of sorts. This approach lets robots better understand and manipulate items and allows them to even pick up a specific object among a clutter of similar objects — a valuable skill for the kinds of machines that companies like Amazon and Walmart use in their warehouses, the researchers said.

“Many approaches to manipulation can’t identify specific parts of an object across the many orientations that object may encounter,” said Lucas Manuelli, doctoral student at the CSAIL. “For example, existing algorithms would be unable to grasp a mug by its handle, especially if the mug could be in multiple orientations, like upright, or on its side,” Manuelli added.

The DON system, essentially creates a series of coordinates on a given object, which serve as a kind of “visual roadmap” of the objects, to give the robot a better understanding of what it needs to grasp, and where. It is “self-supervised” and does not require any human annotations. In the study, one set of tests done on a soft caterpillar toy, a Kuka robotic arm powered by DON could grasp the toy’s right ear from a range of different configurations.

This showed that, among other things, the system has the ability to distinguish left from right on symmetrical objects. “In factories robots often need complex part feeders to work reliably,” Manuelli said. “But a system like this that can understand objects’ orientations could just take a picture and be able to grasp and adjust the object accordingly.” The team will present their paper on the system at forthcoming Conference on Robot Learning in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Instagram makes emojis more accessible with new update

Washington DC: With the new update in Instagram, emojis have become more accessible.Instagram has now added personalized emoji shortcuts to its app, placing your most used emoji above your keyboard. The new feature for Android and iOS has been in public testing since May.

The feature will exclusively focus on the comment section, considering that a huge number of people prefer commenting with emojis. The emoji bar will not appear in other areas like responding to a story or captioning your own posts.

The photo and video-sharing social networking service have been introducing a lot of new features lately. Earlier this month, it added six new Superzoom effects to make your Stories more dramatic.

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Mark Zuckerberg seeks more time to fix Facebook

San Francisco: As countries over the world including India face elections amid the spread of fake news and political interference on social media platforms, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has asked for some more time to fix his network that has over two billion users.

In a post on Friday, Zuckerberg said that Facebook started on the platform sanitising project in 2017 and “even this work will extend through 2019, I do expect us to end this year on a significantly better trajectory than when we entered it”. “My personal challenge for 2018 has been to fix the most important issues facing Facebook — whether that’s defending against election interference by nation states, protecting our community from abuse and harm, or making sure people have control of their information,” the Facebook founder wrote.

After his grilling in the US Congress in April over the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and the Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, COO Sheryl Sandberg again testified at the US Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on election security on September 5. Along with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, she faced the committee which is probing the Russian interference from an angle to publicly hold Facebook and Twitter accountable for allowing Russian operatives on their platforms.

“I’m spending a lot of time on these issues, and as the year winds down I’m going to write a series of notes outlining how I’m thinking about them and the steps we’re taking to address them,” said Zuckerberg. The first note will be about the steps Facebook is taking to prevent election interference on Facebook, which is timely with the US mid-terms and Brazilian presidential elections approaching. “I’ll write about privacy, encryption and business models, and then about content governance and enforcement as well in the coming months,” he added.

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