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Tech wrap Jul 4: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, CMF Phone 1, OnePlus Summer launch

Tech wrap Jul 4: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, CMF Phone 1, OnePlus Summer launch

by | Jul 4, 2024 | Technology


4 min read Last Updated : Jul 04 2024 | 8:03 PM IST


The 2024 flip-style foldable smartphone from Motorola boasts a full-sized cover display with support for Google Gemini assistant for easy access without necessitating the phone unfolding. Other notable upgrades include a dual-camera system with a 2x zoom telephoto paired with main wide-angle sensor, and IPX8 rating for water resistance. Priced at Rs 99,999, the smartphone will be available on Amazon in its Prime Day sale, which commences from July 20.


Nothing is set to launch in India the CMF Phone 1 on July 8. In a run up to the event, the British consumer technology brand has revealed the design of the smartphone. Moreover, it has confirmed the launch of Buds Pro 2 and Watch Pro 2 alongside the CMF Phone 1. In its posts on X (formerly Twitter), the company has previewed the novel back cover design of the smartphone and the supported accessories. 


OnePlus has announced that it will be hosting a “Summer Launch Event” on July 16 in Milan, Italy. At the event, the Chinese smartphone brand is expected to unveil the Nord 4 5G smartphone, Pad Pro tablet, and a new variant of the OnePlus Watch 2 smart watch. For context, OnePlus recently launched the Ace 3 Pro smartphone and Pad Pro tablet in its home country. The latter is expected to launch globally on July 16, along with the Nord 4 5G and ecosystem products such as the refreshed model of the Watch 2.


The smartphone series will include the OPPO Reno 12 and a Pro model, both with artificial intelligence-powered features aimed at enhancing user experience. These smartphones will boast OPPO’s “all-round armour protection technology”, which it said will make them resistant to drops and impacts. Both devices will be IP65-rated for dust-and-water resistance, with reinforced components like speakers, USB-C port, and SIM card tray.


Samsung is set to expand its Galaxy M-series portfolio in India with the launch of the Galaxy M35 5G smartphone on 17 July. Ahead of the launch, the South Korean electronics maker has revealed key specifications of its upcoming smartphone – sAMOLED display of 120Hz refresh rate, Exynos 1380 processor, Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, 50MP main camera with OIS, and 6,000 mAh battery.


Meta has announced that Threads has reached the milestone of 175 million monthly active users, with India being one of the most active regions. Threads, Meta’s social media platform launched last year to rival X (formerly Twitter), made the announcement to commemorate its one year anniversary. Alongside this announcement, Meta shared following updates and insights into the activities within the Threads community.


Tech giant Google’s push to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) across its core products has led to a significant environmental challenge: a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The company’s latest environmental report shows a shocking 48 per cent rise in emissions since 2019, mainly due to increased energy use in its data centres and emissions from its supply chain.


A study by a multinational firm has identified cloud resources as the “biggest targets” for cyberattacks in India. Thales has announced the release of the 2024 Thales Cloud Security Study, its annual assessment of the latest cloud security threats, trends and emerging risks based on a survey of nearly 3,000 IT and security professionals across 18 countries in 37 industries, according to a statement.

First Published: Jul 04 2024 | 8:03 PM IST



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Will Apophis hit Earth? Nasa debunk myth; here's all you need to know

Will Apophis hit Earth? Nasa debunk myth; here's all you need to know

by | Jul 4, 2024 | Technology


Apophis will pass the earth with just 38,012 KM or 23,619 miles

4 min read Last Updated : Jul 04 2024 | 6:00 PM IST


Asteroids once ended the life of dinosaurs on earth, triggering an extinction level event that still haunts many people. There is a massive asteroid dubbed 99942 Apophis which is a near-Earth object (NEO) and it is believed that this may reach Earth in 2029. The size of the asteroid is 1,1100 feet or 335 metres in size, NASA confirmed. 


The average distance between the Earth and the Moon is 239,000 miles and NASA reports that the asteroid 99942 Aposphis will be just 38,012 KM or 23,619 miles away from the Earth on April 14, 2029. Hence, it would be 10 times closer than the moon, and moving with a speed of 29.98 KM per second.


Will it strike Earth? 


Many reports earlier claimed that the asteroid 99942 Apophis will strike Earth in 2029. This asteroid is one of the most hazardous since it was discovered in 2004. Nasa recently debunked such reports and clarified that a radar observation in March 2021 along with orbit analysis confirmed that the Apophis 2029 wouldn’t hit Earth.


Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) mentioned in the blog post that, “A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore, and our calculations don’t show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years.” He referenced the Sentry Impact Risk Table maintained by CNEOS tracking asteroids that could potentially impact Earth. Recent findings revealed that there is no risk of Apophis and it has been removed from the Risk Table. 


Can we watch the passing of Asteroid 99942 Apophis?


The asteroid will be very close to earth, and people will be able to have a glimpse of it from a safe distance. NASA said that the Apophis will be much closer than geosynchronous satellites on April 13, 2029. It will be visible to observers in the Eastern Hemisphere and they don’t need any telescopes or binoculars. It is a rare opportunity for all astronomers to study the relic that has shifted from a potential threat to a subject of scientific interest.


Discovery of asteroid 99942 Apophis


Astronomers Roy Tucker, David Tholen, and Fabrizio Bernardi discovered the asteroid 99942 Apophis on June 19, 2004. They only managed to observe the asteroid for two days due to technical and weather problems. A team at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia spotted the asteroid again later in the same year. 


Since it was first observed, it has been tracked by optical and radar telescopes as it orbits the Sun and scientists are confident and aware of its future trajectory. 


Nasa also redirected one of its spacecraft to study the asteroid after it completed its mission. The spacecraft aimed to collect samples of the Bennu asteroid in September 2023, OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) was renamed OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer (OSIRIS-APEX). It was sent to study Apophys during the asteroid’s 2029 Earth flyby.


How did Apophis get its name?


Apophis is named after the demon serpent who personified evil and chaos in ancient Egyptian mythology.


India should observe this asteroid, says Isro chief


While inaugurating a workshop on Planetary Defence for students at the ISRO headquarters, the Isro chief said, “India should be able to observe this asteroid…Discussions are in the process on how ISRO can contribute, maybe by preparing an instrument for the mission or providing other kinds of support for what is jointly being done by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA,”


He also mentioned that the impact of the asteroid can be disastrous and there is a need to prepare for planetary defence. If a 100-metre diameter object hits us, it can wipe out the entire nation. If a 2 km diameter hits the earth, the entire world could be destroyed.

First Published: Jul 04 2024 | 5:59 PM IST



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Govt to use 50% of India AI mission funds for GPU procurement: MeitY

Govt to use 50% of India AI mission funds for GPU procurement: MeitY

by | Jul 4, 2024 | Technology


Photo: Intel (Representative image)

3 min read Last Updated : Jul 04 2024 | 5:46 PM IST


The Centre will spend about ₹5,000 crore of the ₹10,372 crore fund under the India AI Mission to procure Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and provide subsidised compute capacity to Indian startups, a top IT ministry official said on Thursday.


GPUs are specialised chips optimised for accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tasks through faster processing. Players like Nvidia, Intel, and AMD are among the world’s biggest producers of GPUs.


“We have almost 5,000 crore earmarked for providing more than 10,000 GPUs that are required to support the creation of compute capacity under the mission,” said Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) at the Global IndiaAI Summit held in New Delhi.


He said the government was in the process of floating tenders for procuring the chips but the approach would not be to buy them directly.


“It is not that we will buy chipsets and build up a public-owned, public-run infrastructure. We will want the investments to come from the private players but part of the cost of access to that compute will be subsidised by the government. So that those who need the compute, those who are building models or training models or doing inferencing or doing research or working on algorithms, they will be able to access compute at a cost which is much less than what they are incurring today,” he explained.


Singh said the reason behind this approach was to let the users, enterprises and startups in this case, decide on which GPUs would be fit for their use.


“The way we are building the procurement model is that the users will decide what they want. So, if anybody wants H100, or Gaudi 2, they will be able to access that. If anybody wants to use CPUs to build an AI solution, that will also be possible. Sitting in the government, we will not sit into judgment about what the end users want. Ultimately, the startups and those who are building the solutions, they are the best judge with regard to how they want to train their models, which infrastructure to use,” said Singh.


“We would only do some checks and balances to ensure that it’s not misused, and we don’t start getting into voucher trade, that people get subsidised compute and give it to somebody else,” he added.


Earlier, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan had said that for faster and wider availability of GPU resources in the country, the government was looking at the viability gap funding approach or a voucher-based mechanism for the AI sector.

First Published: Jul 04 2024 | 5:16 PM IST



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Samsung to launch Galaxy M35 smartphone in India on July 17: What to expect

Samsung to launch Galaxy M35 smartphone in India on July 17: What to expect

by | Jul 4, 2024 | Technology


2 min read Last Updated : Jul 04 2024 | 5:02 PM IST


Samsung is set to expand its Galaxy M-series portfolio in India with the launch of the Galaxy M35 5G smartphone on 17 July. Alongside the launch date confirmation, the South Korean electronics maker revealed several key specifications of its upcoming smartphone, including processor details, display panel type, camera configuration, and battery capacity.


Samsung Galaxy M35 5G: Specifications


Display


The Galaxy M35 5G will feature a sAMOLED display of a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness level of 1000 nits. The display will incorporate its “Infinity-O” design, which essentially refers to the display punch-hole setup for the front-facing camera. Furthermore, this model will be the first in the Galaxy M-series to be protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, said Samsung.


Performance


The Galaxy M35 5G will be powered by the Exynos 1380 processor, based on 5nm architecture. Samsung said the Galaxy M35 5G will be an efficient performer. It will also be equipped with a large vapour cooling chamber to maintain thermal efficiency during intensive tasks such as graphic-heavy gaming. The smartphone will be powered by a 6000mAh battery, which Samsung claims will provide all-day battery life. Additionally, it will support 25W wired charging.


Camera


For imaging, the Galaxy M35 5G will sport a triple-camera setup on the rear, featuring a 50-megapixel primary sensor. The smartphone will also include dedicated camera features such as the Astrolapse mode, allowing users to create time-lapse videos of the night sky.


Additional features


Other notable features of the Galaxy M35 5G will include Tap and Pay functionality with Samsung Wallet, Samsung Knox security, and Knox Vault for storing personal information securely.

First Published: Jul 04 2024 | 4:40 PM IST



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Threads hits 175 mn monthly users, India among most active countries: Meta

Threads hits 175 mn monthly users, India among most active countries: Meta

by | Jul 4, 2024 | Technology


2 min read Last Updated : Jul 04 2024 | 4:37 PM IST


Meta has announced that Threads has reached the milestone of 175 million monthly active users, with India being one of the most active regions. Threads, Meta’s social media platform launched last year to rival X (formerly Twitter), made the announcement to commemorate its one year anniversary. Alongside this announcement, Meta shared following updates and insights into the activities within the Threads community.


Over 50 million topic tags have been created on Threads to date. Topic Tags, which Meta rolled out in December last year, sorts content based on the category of post making it more discoverable on the Threads platform.


In India, popular tags and topics revolve around film, TV, and OTT content, celebrity-related conversations, and sports.


Frequently mentioned topics by Indian users include “#GunturKaaram”, “#Kalki2898AD”, “#HouseofDragon”, and “#KotaFactoryS3”.


Popular topics


  • Cricket is among the most popular subjects on the platform.


  • The T20 Cricket World Cup, Indian Premier League, and Women’s Premier League 2024 are the most talked about events on Threads.


User behaviour in India


  • Threads users in India are more likely to mention other users in their posts compared to the global average.


  • Indian users also prefer to use videos in their posts more frequently than the global average.


  • Photos are a highly used feature on the app, with one in four Threads posts including at least one picture.

First Published: Jul 04 2024 | 4:32 PM IST



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India among most active nations for Meta's Threads; active users hit 175 mn

India among most active nations for Meta's Threads; active users hit 175 mn

by | Jul 4, 2024 | Technology


Among the other major takeaways are creation of 50 million topic tags on Threads till date. (Photo: Reuters)

2 min read Last Updated : Jul 04 2024 | 4:00 PM IST


India is one of the most active countries for Threads, which has notched over 175 million monthly active users globally, according to social media giant Meta.


The update assumes significance as it marks the completion of nearly one year since Meta officially launched rival to Twitter (now X).


“With a 175 million actives, we’re seeing Threads become a place where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. India is one of the most active countries for Threads globally,” Meta said in a release.


In India, some of the most popular tags and topics on Threads are centred around film, TV and OTT content, celebrity-related conversations and sports.


Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads has over 175 million monthly active users as the social media giant asserted that Threads was launched with the belief that “everyone has something valuable to say”.


“It’s been a year now, and we’re seeing it become a place where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. In fact, India is one of the most active countries for Threads globally,” the release said.


Among the other major takeaways are creation of 50 million topic tags on Threads till date, globally.


“Cricket has been reigning on Threads in India, with players from the current Indian squad like Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, to former cricketers like Akash Chopra and Suresh Raina, experts like Ridhima Pathak and international cricketers like AB de Villiers sharing their passion for the game,” Meta said.


The T20 Cricket World Cup, IPL, and Women’s Premier League 2024 have been some of the moments that have sparked cricket conversations on Threads this year, it further said, adding that over 200 creators shared updates about the concluded IPL season on Threads.


Threads scaled highs immediately after it was unveiled in July 2023 – it snapped up 100 million user sign-ups within a week of its launch.


The initial euphoria, however, wore off and according to industry watchers, the app struggled subsequently with steady decline in engagement metrics.

(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: Jul 04 2024 | 3:59 PM IST



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