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Apple says it blocked over .8bn fraudulent App Store transactions in 2023

Apple says it blocked over $1.8bn fraudulent App Store transactions in 2023

by | May 15, 2024 | Technology


3 min read Last Updated : May 15 2024 | 1:49 PM IST

Apple on May 14 published a report stating it had prevented a combined total of over $7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions on the App Store from 2020 to 2023. In 2023 alone, it stopped more than $1.8 billion such transactions, the report added. Moreover, Apple stated, the company blocked over 14 million stolen credit cards from transacting on its App Store between 2020 and 2023.


On the apps side, Apple in its report stated that the company rejected over 1.7 million app submissions for failing to meet the App Store’s security and privacy standards. The company also terminated around 374 million developers and customer accounts for security concerns.


Account Fraud


In 2023, Apple said it terminated around 118,000 developers accounts while more than 91,000 developers enrolments were rejected by the company over fraud concerns, preventing submissions of problematic apps to the Apple App Store.


Moreover, Apple said it blocked over 153 million fraudulent customer account creations and deactivated about 374 million accounts for spamming or manipulating ratings and reviews, charts, and search results which the company said “threaten the integrity of the App Store and its users and developers.”


Apps


Apple said that it rejected more than 1.7 million app submissions last year for various reasons including privacy violations and fraudulent activity. The company said that there were numerous instances where the identified apps initially appeared to be harmless products such as a photo editor or a puzzle game but later transformed into illegal movie streaming platforms and gambling apps. In 2023, Apple removed or rejected 40,000 apps for such “bait-and-switch” activities.


There were also instances where Apple found that a submitted app was a copy of an existing app and was meant to trick or scam users. According to the report published by the company, it rejected more than 248,000 such app submissions in 2023. Additionally, over 38,000 app submissions were rejected for containing hidden or undocumented features.


Pirate store fronts


Apple said that it detected and blocked more than 47,000 “illegitimate apps” on “pirate storefronts” (third-party app stores) from reaching its user in the last 12 months. Additionally, the company said it blocked nearly 3.8 million attempts to install or launch apps distributed illicitly through the Developer Enterprise Program, which allows organisations to distribute apps to its employees for internal use.


Rating and reviews


Apple said it removed over 152 million fraud ratings and reviews on its app store that could misguide users in 2023. 

First Published: May 15 2024 | 1:48 PM IST



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Google unleashes generative AI in Search, powered by custom Gemini AI model

Google unleashes generative AI in Search, powered by custom Gemini AI model

by | May 15, 2024 | Technology


Google Search AI Overviews

2 min read Last Updated : May 15 2024 | 1:39 PM IST

Google is set to revamp Search experience with generative artificial intelligence (AI) features, powered by its Gemini AI model. The US-based software giant announced at the Google I/O 2024 keynote that it “brings together Gemini’s advanced capabilities — including multi-step reasoning, planning and multimodality — with our best-in-class Search systems.” Here is everything Google announced related to Search at the I/O keynote:


Expanded AI overviews


After testing AI overviews in Search Generative Experience (SGE), Google is bringing this AI-powered feature to Search with immediate rollout in the US and in more countries soon. Like in the SGE, the AI overviews will offer a quick overview of a topic and links to learn more. However, Google expanded the AI overviews with options to simplify the language or break it down in more details. This update is coming soon to Search Labs, for English queries in the US.8


Another new feature coming to AI overviews is support for multi-step reasoning capability. This, Google said, will allow Search users to ask complex question, with all the nuances and caveats, in one go. The multi-step reasoning capabilities in Google Search are coming soon to AI overviews in Search Labs, for English queries in the US.


Meal and trip planning


Google Search will soon double up as a planner to help you figure out a meal plan and to lay down a trip schedule. The meal and trip planning are available now in Search Labs in English in the US. Later this year, Google said it will add customisation capabilities and more categories like parties, date night and workouts.


AI-organised search results


Google said its generative AI, powered by custom Gemini, will think and problem-solve with you when you are looking for new ideas and curate an AI-customised page for you with extensive results under AI-generated headlines. The search results can also be based on video inputs now. All these features will be available for Search Labs users in English in the US and will be enabled in other regions soon.


Search with videos


Google Search will soon get a new capability to allow searching with video. It will be available soon for Search Labs users in English in the US, and will be expanded to more regions over time.

First Published: May 15 2024 | 1:39 PM IST



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Android: Everything Google announced at I/O for smartphone operating system

Android: Everything Google announced at I/O for smartphone operating system

by | May 15, 2024 | Technology


3 min read Last Updated : May 15 2024 | 12:09 PM IST

Google I/O 2024 keynote focused on artificial intelligence and how it would change the experience across its platforms and services, including Android. The US-based software giant announced improvements to its gesture-driven Circle to Search feature, which is set to expand to 200 million devices by the end of this year. Moreover, Google announced new capabilities coming to Gemini app, multimodal Gemini Nano model for on-device AI, new accessibility features, and enhanced spam protection.


Circle to Search


Debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series smartphone, Google said its Circle to Search is now available on more than 100 million devices. For the uninitiated, Circle to Search let’s Android smartphone users search anything on their phone without switching to another app and leaving what they are doing.


With features like full-screen translation now available with Circle the feature is set to get new capabilities to help people do more. According to Google, Circle to Search will soon help students with their homework with not just answers but also explaining to them the concepts to reach the answers.


Google said students will receive step-by-step instruction to solve a physics and math problem, once they circle a prompt. This feature will also expand to more complex problems involving symbolic formulas, diagrams, graphs and more later in the year.


Gemini Assistant


With a better understanding of what is on the screen and what app is being used on the device, Gemini will get better at using generative AI to help the users be more efficient. Google plans to let users bring Gemini on top of the apps (overlay) with support for actions like drag and drop generated images into Gmail, Google Messages and other places. Moreover, there are new capabilities coming to the Gemini app such as “Ask this” to find specific information in a YouTube video, PDF files, and more.


Gemini Nano with multimodality


Google said it will bring its latest Gemini Nano model with support for reasoning across text, visuals, and audio to the Pixel devices later this year. It essentially means select Pixel smartphones will be able to process text input and understand more information in context like sights, sounds and spoken language. Importantly, the information will be processed on-device.


Gemini Nano’s multimodal capabilities will also help differently abled people, especially those who experience blindness or low vision, through the TalkBack feature that is said to offer richer and clearer descriptions of what’s happening in an image.


Scam call alerts


Google’s Gemini Nano with Multimodality on Android will work to screen the calls and notify users with an alert for suspected scams during phone calls. Google said that the conversation data will stay private as this is an on-device feature.

First Published: May 15 2024 | 12:09 PM IST



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86% of executives have deployed AI to enhance revenue: Global TCS study

86% of executives have deployed AI to enhance revenue: Global TCS study

by | May 15, 2024 | Technology


4 min read Last Updated : May 15 2024 | 11:14 AM IST

As many as 86 per cent of senior business executives have deployed artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance revenue streams or create new ones, said a report by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Wednesday.


As many as 69 per cent of businesses are more focused on using AI for innovation and increasing revenue than on improving productivity and optimising cost, said the ‘TCS AI for Business Study’.


Executives are positive about the impact of AI, with 57 per cent reporting “excitement” or “optimism”.


As many as 45 per cent of respondents in the study expected up to half their employees will need to use generative AI (GenAI) tools to do their job in three years’ time and another 41 per cent think even a greater number will do so. Most (65 per cent) believe AI will improve capabilities, enabling people to focus on activities that require creativity and strategic thinking.


“2023 was a year of exuberance, with every enterprise experimenting with AI/GenAI use cases. We are now entering an era of wide-and-deep enterprise AI adoption. Enterprises, however, are realising that the path to production for AI solutions is not easy, and that building an AI-mature enterprise is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Harrick Vin, chief technology officer at TCS, India’s largest information technology (IT) services company in revenue and market capitalisation.


“Our AI study has confirmed this sentiment; it has also highlighted that enterprises feel underprepared to deploy AI solutions at scale as well as to manage the profound shifts in the roles of people and ways of working resulting from such deployments,” he said.


Business leaders, however, are less certain about the “path to transformation” in AI, said the report. Only 4 per cent use AI in a way that has transformed their business and 24 per cent have not even moved beyond the initial exploratory phase.


Barriers to business success include corporate IT infrastructures and customer expectation. Organisations acknowledge the need to move beyond existing metrics to measure the success of AI implementation, but 72 per cent say they don’t have the right metrics. The survey highlights the need for businesses to take a strategic approach to adopting and developing the right performance indicators to measure the technology’s impact.


“When calibrated for accuracy and harnessed responsibly, GenAI makes the computational power of the data, cloud, and AI come alive. Add in human ingenuity and organisations can create a new paradigm for the modern marketplace,” said Sivaraman Ganesan, head, AI.Cloud Business Unit, TCS.

The TCS Thought Leadership Institute surveyed nearly 1,300 chief executive officers and other senior executives with profit and loss responsibilities, across 12 industries and 24 countries. About half the companies had $1-5 billion in annual revenue and the other half had over five billion US dollars in revenue.


Some key findings


  • Executives believe the impact of AI will be greater than or equal to that of the internet (54 per cent) and smartphones (59 per cent)


  • Corporate functions with the most completed AI projects: Finance/comptroller (completion rate of 29 per cent); HR (completion rate of 28 per cent); Marketing (completion rate of 28 per cent) 


  • 65 per cent of senior executives say their competitive advantage will still come from humans — with their creativity, intuition, and strategic thinking unleashed by AI’s augment and assist capabilities


  • 40 per cent of executives say that in the future they have a lot of changes to make to their business before they can take full advantage of AI


  • Over half (55 per cent) said they were actively making changes right now to their business or operating models, or to their products and services, due to the potential benefits and risks of AI


  • 81 per cent of executives highlight the need for global AI standards and regulations


  • 93 per cent of executives surveyed in the United Kingdom & Ireland said they have AI projects aimed at growing revenue. Executives in other regions are equally enthusiastic with 89 per cent in North America, 88 per cent in APAC, 83 per cent in Continental Europe, and 80 per cent in Latin America


  • Nearly two-thirds of BFSI (64 per cent) and manufacturing (63 per cent) industry executives surveyed say they are excited or optimistic about the impact of AI on businesses

First Published: May 15 2024 | 11:09 AM IST



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Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition goes on sale in India

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition goes on sale in India

by | May 15, 2024 | Technology


Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus AFA World Champions Edition

2 min read Last Updated : May 15 2024 | 10:29 AM IST

Xiaomi’s India-exclusive Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G World Champions Edition goes on sale today, on May 15, at 12 noon. Designed in collaboration with Argentine Football Association (AFA), the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G World Champion Edition is inspired by the blue and white stripes from the AFA jersey, incorporating three stars representing the world cup victories of the Argentine football team.


Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition: Price and availability


The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition is offered in in 12GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration at Rs 35,999. There is an introductory offer comprising discount of Rs 1,000 from ICICI bank that brings down the net effective price of the smartphone to Rs 34,999. Moreover, customers can avail a bonus of Rs 3,000 on top of the exchange value in trade-in deals. 


The Xiaomi Redmi Noted 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition is available on Xiaomi online store, e-commerce platforms Amazon India and Flipkart, and offline at select retail outlets.


Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition: Details


The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition comes in a collectible gift box, which includes a special card of the players who achieved victory on the global stage during the 2022 World Cup. Apart from the smartphone, which is inspired from the blue and white stripes from the AFA jersey, the package includes with a fully customised AFA edition 120W HyperCharger, colour coordinated USB Type-C cable, and a football-inspired sim ejector pin.


Xiaomi said it has redesigned the UI on the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition to offer new customisable lock screen, wallpapers, icons and more.


Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus World Champions Edition: Specifications


  • Display: 6.67-inch curved AMOLED, 1.5K (resolution), 120Hz (refresh rates), 1800nits (peak brightness)


  • Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra


  • RAM: 12GB


  • Storage: 512GB


  • Rear Camera: 200MP (Samsung ISOCELL HP3) OIS + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP macro


  • Front Camera: 16MP


  • Battery: 5,000mAh, 120W fast charging


  • Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, IP68


Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G World Champions Edition: Unboxing

First Published: May 15 2024 | 10:29 AM IST



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Google I/O 2024: Gemini AI gets new capabilities to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT

Google I/O 2024: Gemini AI gets new capabilities to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT

by | May 15, 2024 | Technology


4 min read Last Updated : May 15 2024 | 9:49 AM IST


Google I/O 2024 kicked off with a keynote address focused on Gemini, its artificial intelligence (AI) model that is set to get new capabilities to become the foundational model powering its services such as Search, Photos, Workspace, Android, and more. 


With Gemini, Google said, the goal is to make AI helpful for everyone. On that note, Google announced that it is expanding “AI overviews in Search” to everyone in US this week and to more countries soon. While this was long time coming, Google threw in a surprise with Gemini-powered “Ask Photos” feature for Google Photos. It essentially lets you search your entire library on Google Photos and follow-up the results with even more complex prompts. More details on the “Ask Photos” will be available later this year, which is when the feature is slated to roll out. 


About the Gemini itself, the model has been updated with new capabilities, said Google. Called Gemini 1.5 Pro, the new and improved version will be available to all developers globally. In addition, Google announced that Gemini 1.5 Pro with one-million context is now directly available for consumers in Gemini Advanced. This can be used across 35 languages. 


Here is a roundup of everything Google announced at I/O 2024 keynote:


Gemini in Workspace


Google said that it is rolling-out the Gemini 1.5 Pro model to its paid-tier customers with a new side-panel on Workspace apps such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets and more. The side-panel resembles the Microsoft’s Copilot side-panel on desktops and offers better accessibility to AI from any Workspace app. 


Another feature coming to Workspace is the new Gemini AI teammate, which is essentially an AI-powered assistant for Workspace apps. The Gemini Teammate has its own Google Account and can be incorporated into groups within Chats.


Google Project Astra


Google’s Project Astra is a multimodal AI agent with real-time spatial understanding. Google said that the AI agent is capable of understanding objects in a physical space and can process the data in real-time. It can basically watch and remember what it sees through your device’s camera and can respond to prompts based on it. Google said that the AI agent will be powering the company’s Gemini product starting later this year.


AI in Search


One of the biggest takeaways from Google’s announcement is AI in Search. The search engine will soon get the ability to analyse and search based on video inputs, similar to how it does with images using Google Lens. 


Google said that the Search is backed by a custom Gemini AI model and gets improved contextual understanding. Search results get AI-powered overviews, which were previously part of the Search Generative Experience (SGE) and was available as an experimental feature. Leveraging the Gemini AI, Google said, Search can break longer queries into smaller parts for better understanding as well.


Circle to Search


Circle to search for Android is set to get new features. Google said that the updated version of the feature will allow users to simply circle a mathematical problem and Google’s AI will provide with steps that should make it easy to solve the question. 


Smarter Gemini Assistant for Android


Google said that the Gemini AI assistant for Android will soon be able to harness multimodality by understand the video playing on the display and let users ask questions based on the video. The assistant will also gain the ability to answer the user’s query based on a document such as a PDF files. 


Gemini is also getting a new “Live feature” that will allow it to understand live videos in real-time and will be able to hold a more natural conversation with the user. 


Gems: Custom Gemini chatbots


Google said that it will soon allow Gemini Advanced subscribers to create custom chatbots for carrying out a specific task. The feature is similar to custom GPTs on OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 


Scam call detection on Android


Using the on-device Gemini Nano model, select Android powered smartphones will soon be able to detect if the phone call received is a scam call. Google said that the feature will understand the conversation pattern during the phone call and will notify the user if it thinks the on-going call is a scam call. According to Google, call data will be processed on-device for privacy and security. 


Google Veo


Google is set to rival OpenAI’s Sora with its new generative AI model called Veo, which the company said will be able to generate videos in 1080p resolution. The model will generate videos based on text, image, and video-based prompts and will allow users to further edit the generated video with more prompts.

First Published: May 15 2024 | 9:49 AM IST



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