Apple may launch iOS 16.2 update in mid-December with new features

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 31, 2022 | Technology

Apple’s upcoming major update to the iOS 16 operating system, iOS 16.2, might launch in mid-December with new features, alongside the iPadOS 16.2.

According to MacRumors, with iOS 16.2, users will be able to add a new Sleep widget option to their Lock Screen.

There will be three widget choices: one that displays the amount of time the user spent in bed, another that displays a bar chart illustrating the quality of sleep and the larger widget that displays the amount of time spent in bed with a visual representation.

Freeform is a brand-new Apple application that was unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) that enables users to communicate with friends and coworkers on a single board with drawings, text, videos, pictures, and more.

The application is currently accessible to developers and open beta testers and is likely to release in the middle of December along with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1.

Live Activities integration for some sports games will be added again in iOS 16.2 for the iPhone’s built-in TV app. Live Activities on the Lock Screen will allow users to monitor games in real time, the report said.

Recently, the tech giant had released the iOS 16.2 beta to developers that allowed users to send a report to the company when Emergency SOS had been triggered unintentionally.

–IANS

aj/ksk/

(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.)

Source link

Apple iPhone output may fall 30% as Covid curbs hit major China plant

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 31, 2022 | Technology

Production of Apple Inc’s iPhones could slump by as much as 30% at one of the world’s biggest factories next month due to tightening COVID-19 curbs in China, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday.

Manufacturer Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is working to boost production at another factory in Shenzhen city to make up for the shortfall, said the person, declining to be identified as the information was private.

Its main Zhengzhou plant in central China, which employs about 200,000 people, has been rocked by discontent over stringent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with several workers fleeing the site over the weekend.

The possible impact on production comes amid a traditionally busy time for electronics makers ahead of the year-end holiday season, which is also a prime time for vendors such as Apple.

Foxconn on Sunday said it was bringing the situation under control and would coordinate back-up production with other plants to reduce any potential impact. Its share price closed down 1.4% on Monday versus a 1.3% rise in the broader market.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

Foxconn is Apple’s biggest iPhone maker, producing 70% of iPhone shipments globally, which in turn makes up 45% of the Taiwanese firm’s revenue, analysts at Taipei-based Fubon Research said this month.

It also builds the device in India, but its Zhengzhou factory assembles the majority of its global output.

A second person familiar with the situation said many workers remained at the Zhengzhou plant and that production was continuing.

Strict Covid-19 measures

Under China’s ultra-strict zero-COVID-19 policies, localities must act swiftly to quell outbreaks, with measures including full-scale lockdowns.

Factories in affected areas are often allowed to stay open on condition they operate under a “closed loop” system where staff live and work on-site. Businesses have said such arrangements pose numerous difficulties.

Foxconn on Oct. 19 banned dining at canteens at the Zhengzhou plant and required workers to eat meals in dormitories. It said production was normal.

The measures led to people who said they worked at the site venting frustration about their treatment and provisions via social media.

Scores fled the site over the weekend, with photographs and videos on social media purporting to show Foxconn staff trekking across fields in daytime and along roads at night. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the posts.

Foxconn has not disclosed whether any workers at the Zhengzhou site had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Authorities have since Oct. 19 reported 264 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Zhengzhou, the capital of central Henan province.

Foxconn implemented closed loop measures in March and July this year at its smaller Shenzhen factory as cases in the southern city rose.

In May, the Shanghai plant of another Apple supplier, MacBook assembler Quanta Computer Inc, was also hit by worker chaos after the discovery of COVID-19 cases despite a closed-loop system being put in place.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Christopher Cushing)

(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.)

Source link

Nokia 8210 4G review: A good feature phone with mix of old and new features

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 31, 2022 | Technology

Launched in 1999, the original Nokia 8210 was a star of its time. This feature phone, with compact and lightweight design, made large and bulky phones look outdated. 23 years later, the Nokia’s official brand licensee HMD Global has launched the phone’s rebooted version. Named the Nokia 8210 4G, this feature phone comes with just enough updates and features to make it usable today.

The Nokia 8210 4G is a small screen device with a physical keypad for navigation. However, for a feature phone, its 2.8-inch screen estate of 240 x 320 resolution looks generous. Unlike the original model, the rebooted model has a colour screen.

Powered by the Unisoc T107 processor, the phone works well for the limited tasks it can handle. It has a 48MB RAM and 128 MB internal storage, out of which only 30MB is available. It supports a microSD card for storage expansion-up to 32GB.

The Nokia 8210 4G comes pre-installed with about 15 apps, including social media app Facebook, Opera internet browser, Snake game, and more. Though internet enabled, the phone does not have a dedicated store for apps download. Moreover, the internet experience even on 4G is abysmal. The phone should not be judged on its internet connectivity though. The 4G network makes it one of the few option in feature phones segment to support Reliance Jio, besides network from other Indian telecom operators.

The Nokia 8210 4G has a 0.3-megapixel camera on the back, without flash. Though basic, the camera supports digital zoom, camera effects, photo timer, and more. Photos taken by the phone’s camera can be cropped, edited, and set as the phone’s wallpaper. They can also be shared via messages and Bluetooth.

The Nokia 8210 4G is powered by a removable 1,450 mAh battery, supported by a microUSB 2.0-based port for charging. The phone easily lasts for about three days on regular usage. It boasts power saving mode, which turns on automatically when the battery level reaches 15 per cent. In the power saving mode, the battery lasts for another day of use.

The Nokia 8210 4G may seem old school to some, but it is a coming of age feature phone. It boasts 3.5mm audio jack, built-in MP3 player, and an FM radio. Besides, there is a slot for dual nano-SIMs with 4G support.

The Nokia 8210 4G is a good feature phone, but not without caveats. It does not show the total number of contacts in the phone or SIM. Besides, there is no option to select contacts. The messages inbox is a mess; it shows multiple windows for conversations with the same number.

Verdict

At Rs 3,999, the Nokia 8210 4G is a feature phone with old and new features. It may seem a bit pricey, yet reigns supreme due to lack of options in the feature phones segment. That said, the Nokia 8210 4G makes a good choice if you are in the market looking to buy a 4G feature phone that is not a JioPhone.

Source link

Elon Musk has quietly made a change in Twitter homepage, says report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 31, 2022 | Technology

Elon Musk has quietly made a change in Twitter’s homepage.

According to The Verge, Musk requested that the Explore page which displays trending tweets and news stories, be redirected to the logged-out users visiting Twitter.com.

Before the change, the platform’s homepage used to display just a sign-up form when logged out which encouraged users to create accounts in order to access tweets.

Musk’s directive required the involvement of the Vice President, in order to override a code freeze set in place to prevent renegade employees from making changes during the takeover process, the report said.

With less than three days under his belt as “Chief Twit”, Musk has already begun to quickly transform the company from the inside out, as evidenced by his modification of Twitter’s homepage.

Recently, the company had planned to charge users $19.99 per month for verification.

Verified users would have 90 days to subscribe under the current plan in order to keep their blue checkmark.

It was informed to the team members that if they failed to launch the feature by the deadline of November 7, then they had to face termination.

Musk wanted subscriptions to increase to cover up half of the business’ total revenue.

–IANS

aj/ksk/

(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.)

Source link

Contrary to reports, Apple may not launch new MacBook Pros till next March

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 31, 2022 | Technology

Apple’s upcoming M2-powered 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros might not launch till next march.

In contrast to earlier reports that claimed Apple might deliver the new devices before the end of the year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now predicts a March launch, reports The Verge.

The release of the new MacBooks is expected to coincide with the release of the macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.3, which are likely to be in early February and March, respectively.

According to Gurman, the company’s most recent earnings call is another proof that the improved line of MacBook Pros won’t be released this year.

The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, claimed that the business is “set” with its product lineup for the holiday season, whereas, Luca Maestri, the chief financial officer, believes that Mac revenue would “decline substantially” in December.

When the tech giant introduced the MacBook Pros last October, the devices increased Mac revenue by $10.9 billion, but it doesn’t appear like the company expects the same this year.

According to rumours, the M2 Max chip will have 12 CPU cores and up to 38 GPU cores, an upgrade from the M1 Max’s 10 CPU cores and up to 32 GPU cores, the report said.

–IANS

aj/ksk/

(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.)

Source link

Twitter may soon start charging $20 per month for ‘blue tick’: Report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Oct 31, 2022 | Technology

Twitter may soon roll out paid verification for its users. Elon Musk, who took over the social media platform last week, has asked employees to roll out by November 7 a $19.99 monthly subscription pack for Twitter Blue, a report by The Verge said on Monday.

Currently, Twitter Blue can be availed at $4.99 per month and provides additional features like ad-free articles and a home screen icon that has a different colour.

For a $19.99 subscription, Twitter may also offer paid verification. This would be the first time when the users would be able to actually purchase the “Blue Tick”. Musk, on Sunday, tweeted that the company is “revamping” the current verification process.

On Sunday, Musk also reportedly told its employees that they must meet the deadline or “pack up and leave”, The Verge reported.

Musk, on his first day at the company on Thursday, fired the top management including chief executive officer (CEO) Parag Agrawal and Vijaya Gadde, the legal affairs and policy chief.

Media reports have claimed that Musk may soon lay off as much as 50 per cent of the staff at Twitter. He may also soon introduce a mechanism to reduce the prevalence of bots on Twitter. Also, he is keen on making half of the company’s overall revenue through subscriptions.

Source link