Apple plans major overhaul for iPhone lineup from 2025: What to expect

Apple plans major overhaul for iPhone lineup from 2025: What to expect


Representative image: iPhone 15 series


Apple is reportedly planning a significant overhaul of its iPhone lineup, starting from 2025. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple will introduce a new iPhone “Air” model in the iPhone 17 series next year, positioned between the standard iPhone and the Pro models. The report also mentioned that this year’s iPhone 16 will not feature a substantial upgrade over the current generation, with Apple Intelligence being the primary selling point for the new iPhones.


The report stated that Apple is searching for the perfect “fourth iPhone model” after trying with the iPhone mini and Plus models, neither of which have been significant sellers for the American technology giant. Apple now plans to launch an “Air” model that will be similar to the standard iPhone but with a sleeker form factor.


Earlier, Bloomberg reported that with the new iPad Pro, Apple has successfully figured out how to make its devices thinner while still incorporating major upgrades. The iPad Pro 2024 features a chassis that is 5.1mm thick, making it the thinnest Apple device to date. Despite its sleek profile, Apple managed to include significant upgrades such as a tandem OLED display. The company now aims to apply the same approach to other devices, including one of the models in the iPhone 17 series.


However, according to the report, a slim variant of the standard iPhone 17 is just a step towards a more significant change in the overall iPhone design, as the company aims to develop a slimmer Pro model. Bloomberg stated that this change will take time, with a slimmer iPhone Pro not expected to debut before 2027.


Apple is also expected to release a foldable iPhone model, but according to the report, the company is currently prioritising a foldable iPad.


Earlier, Apple analyst Jeff Pu stated that Apple is working on multiple foldable devices, including a flip-style iPhone and an “all-screen MacBook” or iPad. Pu mentioned that the foldable MacBook/iPad is on track to be unveiled in the second quarter of 2026, while the foldable iPhone will likely launch towards the end of 2026.

First Published: Aug 15 2024 | 10:31 AM IST



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Meta ignores pleas, kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle

Meta ignores pleas, kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle


Meta acquired CrowdTangle in 2016. | (Photo: Reuters)


Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms has shut down CrowdTangle, a tool widely used by researchers, watchdog organisations and journalists to monitor social media posts, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company’s platforms.


Wednesday’s shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. In May, dozens of groups, including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch and NYU’s Center for Social Media & Politics, sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January so it would be available through the US presidential elections.


This decision jeopardizes essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta’s transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile, the letter said.


CrowdTangle, has been an essential tool in helping researchers parse through the vast amount of information on the platform and identify harmful content and threats, it added.


In March, the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation sent Meta a similar letter asking it to keep the tool, which was available for free, functioning until January. That letter was also signed by several dozen groups and individual academic researchers.


For years, CrowdTangle has represented an industry best practice for real-time platform transparency. It has become a lifeline for understanding how disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression spread on Facebook, undermining civic discourse and democracy,” the Mozilla letter said.


Meta has released an alternative to CrowdTangle, called the Meta Content Library. But access to it is limited to academic researchers and nonprofits, which excludes most news organizations. Critics have also complained that it’s not as useful as CrowdTangle — at least not yet.


Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said in a blog post last week that the company has been gathering feedback about Meta Content Library from hundreds of researchers in order to make it more user-friendly and help them find the data they need for their work.


Meta acquired CrowdTangle in 2016.

(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.)

First Published: Aug 15 2024 | 7:46 AM IST



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How deepfake version of Elon Musk became internet's biggest scammer

How deepfake version of Elon Musk became internet's biggest scammer


Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, featured in nearly a quarter of all deepfake scams since late last year, according to a deepfake detection software | Photo: Reuters


By Stuart A Thompson


All Steve Beauchamp wanted was money for his family. And he thought Elon Musk could help.


Beauchamp, an 82-year-old retiree, saw a video late last year of Musk endorsing a radical investment opportunity that promised rapid returns. He contacted the company behind the pitch and opened an account for $248. Through a series of transactions over several weeks, Beauchamp drained his retirement account, ultimately investing more than $690,000.


Then the money vanished — lost to digital scammers on the forefront of a new criminal enterprise powered by artificial intelligence. The scammers had edited a genuine interview with Musk, replacing his voice with a replica using AI tools. The AI was sophisticated enough that it could alter minute mouth movements to match the new script they had written for the digital fake. To a casual viewer, the manipulation might have been imperceptible.


“I mean, the picture of him — it was him,” Beauchamp said about the video he saw of Musk. “Now, whether it was AI making him say the things that he was saying, I really don’t know. But as far as the picture, if somebody had said, ‘Pick him out of a lineup,’ that’s him.”


Thousands of these AI-driven videos, known as deepfakes, have flooded the internet in recent months featuring phony versions of Mr. Musk deceiving scores of would-be investors. AI-powered deepfakes are expected to contribute to billions of dollars in fraud losses each year, according to estimates from Deloitte.


The videos cost just a few dollars to produce and can be made in minutes. They are promoted on social media, including in paid ads on Facebook, magnifying their reach. “It’s probably the biggest deepfake-driven scam ever,” said Francesco Cavalli, the co-founder and chief of threat intelligence at Sensity, a company that monitors and detects deepfakes.


The videos are often eerily lifelike, capturing Musk’s iconic stilted cadence and South African accent. Musk was by far the most common spokesperson in the videos, according to Sensity, which analysed more than 2,000 deepfakes.


He was featured in nearly a quarter of all deepfake scams since late last year, Sensity found. Among those focused on cryptocurrencies, he was featured in nearly 90 percent of the videos.


The deepfake ads also featured Warren Buffett, the prominent investor, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, among others.


Musk did not respond to requests for comment.


It is difficult to quantify exactly how many deepfakes are floating online, but a search of Facebook’s ad library for commonly used language that advertised the scams uncovered hundreds of thousands of ads, many of which included the deepfake videos. Though Facebook has already taken down many of them for violating its policies and disabled some of the accounts that were responsible, other videos remained online and more seemed to appear each day.


YouTube was also flooded with the fakes, often using a label that suggests the video is “live.” In fact, the videos are prerecorded deepfakes.


After former President Donald J Trump spoke at a Bitcoin conference Saturday, YouTube hosted dozens of videos using the “live” label that showed a prerecorded deepfake version of Elon Musk saying he would personally double any cryptocurrency sent to his account. Some of the videos had hundreds of thousands of viewers, though YouTube said scammers can use bots to artificially inflate the number.


YouTube said in a statement that it had removed more than 15.7 million channels and over 8.2 million videos for violating its guidelines from January to 


March of this year, with most of those violating its policies against spam.

First Published: Aug 14 2024 | 10:18 PM IST



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Tech wrap Aug 14: Google Pixel 9 series, Acer Chromebook Plus, and more

Tech wrap Aug 14: Google Pixel 9 series, Acer Chromebook Plus, and more



Taiwanese electronics brand Acer announced the launch of its Chromebook Plus 14 and Chromebook Plus 15 laptops in India on August 14. These laptops feature Google Gemini AI capabilities, including writing assistance, generative wallpapers, and AI backgrounds for video calls. Powered by Intel and AMD processors, the Chromebook Plus series starts at Rs 35,990 and is now available for purchase in the country.


Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphones are now available for pre-orders in India. The Pixel 9 series, launched globally at the Made by Google event on August 13, includes four models: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. While the base Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL models are available for pre-orders, the Pixel 9 Pro and the foldable Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be available at a later date.


In the latest betas of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, Apple has introduced the ability to rearrange the iPhone home screen from a supported Mac, as reported by 9to5Mac. Initially, when iPhone Mirroring debuted in beta, there was no support for managing the home screen, but this new functionality changes that. After enabling iPhone Mirroring, users can long-press on the home screen visible on the Mac using either a Mac’s mouse or trackpad. This allows users to rearrange apps, widgets, and other elements directly from their Mac.


Google introduced a suite of new artificial intelligence (AI) features with the Pixel 9 series launch. These new features include the Pixel Screenshot app, Pixel Studio for image generation, enhanced Magic Editor tools, and more. Google also announced that the Pixel 9 smartphones will be the first Android devices to feature Satellite SOS functionality. These AI features will be available on the Pixel 9 smartphones, alongside those released last year with the Pixel 8 series.


Apple is set for a big year in 2024, beginning with the anticipated launch of the iPhone 16 series in September. The new iPhone models are expected to be accompanied by other ecosystem products, including the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 3, new AirPods models, and more. Additionally, Apple is expected to launch new Mac models later this year, including the M4 chip-powered MacBook Pro.


Samsung’s new book-style foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, feels like a more polished version of its predecessor, thanks to minor design adjustments. On the software side, however, there have been significant changes to enhance the user experience, particularly with features tailored to the unique foldable form factor. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 could be among the best foldable smartphones based solely on its software. However, a smartphone’s overall performance is judged on the sum of its specifications.


The HONOR 200 Pro is a premium smartphone, boasting sleek design, vibrant display, swift performance, advanced imaging capabilities, and artificial intelligence-powered tools for photo enhancements and file sharing. The smartphone ticks all the right boxes, especially with regard to premium experience, yet could find itself catching up with competition simply because other brands have been there long before HONOR’s entry and users resonate with many of these brands.


Apple’s operations in India saw a significant increase in value to over Rs 2 trillion in FY24, a notable rise from Rs 1.15 trillion in the previous year. This growth was driven by a surge in iPhone production and the domestic sales of MacBooks, iMacs, iPads, Watches, and AirPods, according to a report by The Economic Times.


It’s been a rough six weeks for Nvidia Corp. shareholders. A historic dip that erased record market value from the company was followed by a four-day stretch of stomach-churning volatility. Now, though, signs are emerging the worst might be over.


In a major push towards manufacturing in India, Google has started assembling Pixel 8 phones through Wowtek Technology India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Bharat FIH, part of the Foxconn group, with a factory in Tamil Nadu.


China’s Huawei Technologies is close to introducing a new chip for artificial intelligence use to challenge Nvidia in China amid US sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing sources.


A rare bid to break up Alphabet Inc.’s Google is one of the options being considered by the Justice Department after a landmark court ruling found that the company monopolised the online search market, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations.


Mumbai-based farm-to-fork fruits and vegetable company Pluckk is investing heavily in artificial intelligence-driven solutions for sorting and grading food products such as apples, mangoes, onions, and tomatoes. One of the applications of the computer vision technology and machine learning-based approach is to analyse produce to detect defects such as cuts, cracks, and pressure damage.

First Published: Aug 14 2024 | 8:02 PM IST



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Foxconn chairman Young Liu meets PM Modi, discusses India investment plan

Foxconn chairman Young Liu meets PM Modi, discusses India investment plan


In a post on X, PM Modi said, ‘Wonderful to meet Young Liu, the Chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn).’ | X@narendramodi


The chairman of iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn, Young Liu, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and discussed the company’s investment plan in India.


“Wonderful to meet Mr. Young Liu, the Chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn). I highlighted the wonderful opportunities India offers in futuristic sectors. We also had excellent discussions on their investment plans in India in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh,” Modi said in a post on social media platform X.


Liu had also visited India in July last year to attend the Semicon India conclave where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


Liu was conferred Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, on the eve of the 75th Republic Day this year.


Foxconn is estimated to employ over 40,000 people in India. The company’s total investment in India is estimated to be in the range of $9-10 billion.


The company is in the process of expanding its iPhone production facility, setting up a chip plant in a joint venture with HCL Group, an electric vehicle manufacturing unit and an Apple Airpods plant.

(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.)

First Published: Aug 14 2024 | 6:37 PM IST



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Google begins assembling Pixel 8 in India, plans major manufacturing shift

Google begins assembling Pixel 8 in India, plans major manufacturing shift


Currently, Pixel smartphones are made in Vietnam and China.


In a major push towards manufacturing in India, Google has started assembling Pixel 8 phones through Wowtek Technology India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Bharat FIH, part of the Foxconn group, with a factory in Tamil Nadu.


According to senior Meity officials, the global giant has given a three-year timeline in which it expects to shift the bulk of assembly of its new range of mobile devices to India.


Currently, Pixel smartphones are made in Vietnam and China. The US tech giant started making Pixel devices in China in 2016 and shifted part of the assembly to Vietnam in 2019 due to growing US-China tensions. Google announced the global launch of its latest Pixel 9 smartphone yesterday.  

Speaking on the development, a top Meity official said, “In the initial stages, they will make a limited number of phones. But once the production stabilises, according to the plan discussed with us, in three years they will assemble most of their new smartphones in India for the domestic market and exports. In many ways, it is the same strategy Apple which has shifted a substantial portion of iPhone assembly to India.” A Bharat FIH and Google spokesperson did not respond to queries. 


PLI scheme challenges for Bharat FIH


Bharat FIH is already eligible for the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for manufacturing mobile devices. However, it has not been able to claim the 4-6 per cent incentive as it has not been able to meet the production value and investment target required for eligibility. In fact, one of the largest original equipment manufacturers, Xiaomi, has significantly reduced its reliance on Bharat FIH and shifted to other players, including Dixon Technologies.


Foxconn to double India capacity


In a related development, Foxconn has also decided to double its capacity in India to meet the near doubling of the original requirement of assembling iPhones in the country and the upside through its contract now with Google. In its discussions with the government it has also committed to creating 100,000 direct jobs on its own (from 50,000 currently).


The Meity official said, “Foxconn has big plans and has decided to double its capacity in the country. It will also generate a total of Rs 1 lakh jobs in the country.”


In October 2023 Google announced that it would be assembling the Pixel phones in India and was scouting around for vendors. While it identified Bharat FIH, which makes non-Apple mobile devices, it also has finalised a deal with Dixon Technologies (also eligible for PLI) to assemble the phones.


Google’s growing market share


However, Google is just a minor player in the global mobile sweepstakes. In Q1 2024 it had a negligible share of 0.25 per cent globally compared to Apple which was at 17 per cent according to Counterpoint Research. It is also a very small player in India. In 2023 its share in the country was only 0.25 per cent, which was double the share of the previous year.


Counterpoint projected that the latest development would help Google push the pedal and grow by 39 per cent in 2024. They estimate that it will be able to sell anything between 600,000 to 700,000 phones in India in a year once it starts assembling in India. 

First Published: Aug 14 2024 | 3:22 PM IST



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