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‘Return home’: Twitter to start laying off employees today, shuts office

‘Return home’: Twitter to start laying off employees today, shuts office

by | Nov 4, 2022 | Technology



Social media platform Twitter will start laying off its employees on Friday. In an internal email to its employees, Twitter said that the employees would get an email on Friday alerting them about the staff cuts.


“We recognise that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward,” the letter read.


It further added, “By 9AM PST on Friday Nov 4th, everyone will receive an individual email with the subject line: Your Role at Twitter.”


The employees who have not been laid off will be notified via an email to their work email ID. Those laid off will “receive a notification with next steps” via their personal email IDs.


The social media platform also said it has closed its offices temporarily and suspended entry badge access.


“If you are in an office or on your way to an office, please return home,” the letter said.


Since the company’s takeover by Elon Musk, Twitter has undergone several changes. Musk has replaced former top leadership, including former CEO Parag Agrawal. He has also fired the whole Board of Directors.


In a bid to cut costs and impose new work ethics, Musk has also been open about laying people off. Media reports earlier this week stated that there was an atmosphere of “mistrust and fear” inside the company due to high job insecurity.


Musk has also reportedly asked the team to launch the new $8 subscription pack by next week, giving them a tough deadline.


“We are grateful for your contributions to Twitter and for your patience as we move through this process,” the letter on Thursday said.



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Apple iPhones on iOS 16 beta to get 5G next week: How-to get beta software

Apple iPhones on iOS 16 beta to get 5G next week: How-to get beta software

by | Nov 3, 2022 | Technology



Apple has confirmed that iPhone users on iOS 16 beta will get a software update next week for 5G services. Apple’s beta programme allows users to test pre-release software and try the latest features before the software is rolled out publicly. That said, the 5G support is initially enabled in beta release only, with final software confirmed to arrive some time in December.


iOS 16 Beta: What is it


The iOS 16 beta is a software under testing before the final release. The pre-release software versions usually have bugs and inconsistencies. Therefore, these are made available under beta trials for people to test and share feedback. The feedback helps Apple identify and fix issues in software before final release. Important to note, these software builds are not part of commercial releases. Therefore, install the beta software only on non-production devices or on a secondary device.


iOS 16 Beta: How-to download and install


The Apple Beta Software Program is open to anyone with a valid Apple ID, who accepts the Apple Beta Software Program Agreement during the sign-up process. Visit beta.apple.com to sign-up for the Apple Beta Software Program. Once done, follow the steps below to download and install the beta release:


Step 1: Back up data and files before installing the beta versions of iOS. Apple recommends backup using Finder service


Step 2: From iOS device, go to beta.apple.com/profile to download the configuration profile


Step 3: After downloading the configuration profile, go to Settings – General – Software Update


Step 4: Tap on software update to check for update available in beta


Once the beta software is downloaded, the iPhone takes some time to install it. In some cases, the process requires fresh installation. Therefore, it is highly advised to take the backup of data and files before switching to beta software release. Once on beta software release, iPhone users automatically get future beta releases just like how the updates arrive on commercial released versions.


Important to note, Apple allows for public beta software testing. Therefore, installing the public beta software does not void hardware warranty. You can unroll from the beta software program and go back to commercial software releases. Follow the steps below to unenroll from the iOS 16 beta software program:


iOS 16 beta: How-to unenroll from beta software program


Step 1: Go to Settings – General – VPN & Device Management and tap the iOS Beta Software Profile that appears


Step 2: Tap Remove Profile. If asked, enter your device passcode, then tap Remove.


Step 3: Once the profile is deleted, your iOS device will no longer receive iOS public betas. When the next commercial version of iOS is released, you can install it from Software Update.



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Google plans to develop AI model supporting 1,000 most spoken languages

Google plans to develop AI model supporting 1,000 most spoken languages

by | Nov 3, 2022 | Technology



Tech giant Google has announced an ambitious new project to build a single AI language model that supports the world’s 1,000 most spoken languages.


According to The Verge, as a first step toward this goal, the company is unveiling an AI model trained on over 400 languages, which it calls “the largest language coverage seen in a speech model today.”


“The company believes that creating a model of this size will make it easier to bring various AI functionalities to languages that are poorly represented in online spaces and AI training datasets (also known as “low-resource languages),” Zoubin Ghahramani, vice president of research at Google AI was quoted as saying.


“By having a single model that is exposed to and trained on many different languages, we get much better performance on our low-resource languages,” he added.


These language models have already been integrated into Google Search, despite criticism about their functionality.


Models of language have some flaws, such as re-enacting harmful societal biases such as racism and xenophobia and failing to comprehend human-oriented language.


The company has fired its own researchers for publishing papers highlighting these issues, according to a report.


Moreover, the company shared new research on text-to-video models, a prototype AI writing assistant called Wordcraft, and an update to its AI Test Kitchen app that allows users access to under-development AI models like Imagen, which converts text into images, it added.


–IANS


shs/svn/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



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Samsung launches AX32, AX46 air purifiers in India: Know price and features

Samsung launches AX32, AX46 air purifiers in India: Know price and features

by | Nov 3, 2022 | Technology



Expanding its air purifiers line-up in India, Samsung on Thursday launched its internet of things enabled air purifier – the AX46 and AX32. The purifiers come in beige and grey colours, and will be available on Samsung online shop, Samsung stores and select retail outlets.


Samsung AX32 and Samsung AX46: Price and features


Priced at Rs 12,990, the Samsung AX32 has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 320 cubic meters per hour and coverage area of 356 square feet. The Samsung AX46 is priced at Rs 32,990. It has a CADR of 467 cubic meters per hour. It can clean the air in an area of up to 645 square feet.


The purifiers are designed for one-button control. According to the company, the air purifiers are capable of removing 99.97 per cent nano-sized particles, ultrafine dust, bacteria and allergens. Both the air purifier features a multi-layered purification system, including washable pre-filter to remove large dust particles, an activated carbon filter to remove harmful gases and chemical odours, and dust collecting filter to remove ultrafine dust particles.


Both are designed in a way to draw in air from the front, which also makes them easy to clean by opening just the front door. After purification, the purifier distributes the air in multiple directions using its other three sides. These purifiers come with hidden wheels, making it easy to shift the units from one place to another.


Both the models are supported by Samsung ‘SmartThings’ smartphone app, which enables users to remotely control the air purifier. It also lets the users check the air quality and control other functions of the air purifier with the help of their smartphone. These purifiers feature Auto Mode, which continuously monitors the air pollution level and adjusts the power and fan speed automatically; and Sleep Mode quiet operations at night for comfortable sleep.



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Qualcomm to provide 5G modems for vast majority of iPhone 15 series

Qualcomm to provide 5G modems for vast majority of iPhone 15 series

by | Nov 3, 2022 | Technology



Chip-maker Qualcomm has made it clear that it will provide 5G modems for the next generation of iPhone 15 series next year.


Qualcomm had earlier planned to provide nearly 20 per cent of the 5G modem parts for iPhone 15 series.


Akash Palkhiwala, Chief Financial Officer at Qlaucomm, said during the company’s fiscal Q4 earnings call that for Apple product revenue, “we now expect to have the vast majority of share of 5G modems for the 2023 iPhone launch, up from our previous 20 per cent assumption”.


Beyond this, Palkhiwala said there are no changes to the planning assumption, and “we are assuming minimal contribution from Apple product revenues in fiscal ’25”.


Earlier reports suggested that while Apple is likely to build its own 5G modem for new iPhones, chip-maker Qualcomm is still going to provide its modem for upcoming iPhones at least till 2025.


In October, a note to investors by Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu said that Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem will be used in the 2024 iPhones.


All four iPhone 15 models next year are expected to be equipped with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X70 modem.


The 5G modem will be made by TSMC using a 4nm process to introduce power efficiencies, reports MacRumors.


The iPhone 15 using X70 modem could provide download speeds of up to 10Gbps, improved coverage, better signal quality and up to 60 per cent improved power efficiency.


Famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also predicted that iPhone 15 could continue to use Qualcomm modems.


According to Kuo, due to the high demand for the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, the tech giant may decide to further differentiate its next iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.


–IANS


na/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



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Indian gaming worth .6 bn in FY22, will grow four-fold by 2027: Report

Indian gaming worth $2.6 bn in FY22, will grow four-fold by 2027: Report

by | Nov 3, 2022 | Technology



India’s gaming market was valued at $2.6 billion in FY 2022 and it will be worth $8.6 billion by 2027 as it clocks a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27 per cent, said a report on Thursday.


There are 507 million gamers in the country in FY22 out of which 120 million are paying users, according to the report by Lumikai, a gaming-focused venture capital fund. The number of gamers is expected to touch 700 million by FY 2025, growing at a CAGR of 12 per cent.


India recorded 15 billion downloads in FY22 to become the largest consumer of mobile games in the world. It is home to more than 900 gaming companies.


“India crossed half a billion gamers in FY22, up from 450 million the year prior. Industry growth is expected to be fuelled by a rapidly increasing gamer base, higher conversion to paid users, and increasing sophistication of Indian gamers. With the market now truly mainstream, we are thrilled to be at the forefront of investing in one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sectors in digital India,” said Justin Shriram Keeling, founding general partner, Lumikai.


According to the report, Indians spent an average of 8.5 hours per week on mobile games. Time spent on top mid-core games (like the now-banned BGMI) was approximately double that of top casual games.


A game called Free Fire led the pack with an average of 109 minutes spent per user per day. The average revenue per paying user grew 11 per cent to $20 per year, with 2 million New Paying Users (NPU’s) added per month, the report said.


Nearly 48 per cent of gamers spent money on mid-core games, while 65 per cent of paying gamers said they made in-app purchases at least once.


In FY22, mid-core games were the fastest-growing gaming category, achieving growth of 32% and grossing combined revenues of $550 million.


Salone Sehgal, founding general partner at Lumikai, said that the last 28 months have been watershed years in terms of attracting VC investment of over $2.6 billion in the Indian gaming landscape.


“Sustained capital investment and liquidity outcomes in the form of strategic exits valuing over $750 million, multiple unicorns, and a publicly traded company have heightened the interests of entrepreneurs and investors alike. This sustained momentum should further drive entrepreneurial ambition and innovation in the Indian gaming industry,” she said.


Indian gaming companies are on track to raise $513 million for the calendar year 2022. The gaming sector funding is up 380 per cent from 2019 and up 23 per cent from 2020, the report said.



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