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Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile arrives on Android and iOS platforms in India

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile arrives on Android and iOS platforms in India

by | Mar 21, 2024 | Technology


Call of Duty Warzone Mobile

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is now available in India for both Android and iOS devices. The Microsoft-owned American video game developer Activision on March 20 rolled out the smartphone version of the Call of Duty: Warzone video game in select regions, including India. The videogame is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for iPhone and Android devices, respectively.


On Android devices, the initial download file size is 1.5GB. However, the game requires additional files of about 5GB, which gets downloaded automatically when the game is launched for the first time.


On iOS devices, the initial download file size is 3.93GB and it requires additional files of 3.3GB that are downloaded when automatically when the game is launched for the first time.


Initially offered in limited release to select players who registered on the company’s website, the final official version is now offered as a separate download on iOS platform. Android devices, however, gets the final official version through the app update.


Activision has notified players in the region where the launch version is available. It has, however, put a disclaimer stating delay in download as the video game is still rolling out globally.

Call of Duty Warzone: Requirement


iOS


  • iOS version 16 or later (excluding iPhone 8)


  • File size: 3.93GB


Android


  • Android version 10 or later


  • 4GB RAM or more


  • File Size: 1.5GB


Call of Duty Warzone: What is new


The mobile game features two main maps – Verdansk and Rebirth Island – with capacity of accommodating 120 and 48 players, respectively. Apart from the main arenas, the Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile features various multiplayer maps such as Shipment, Shoot House, and Scrapyard.


The game features the Verdansk Gulag setting where eliminated players from Verdansk will spawn for a chance to get redeployed into the main game by eliminating rival players who were also knocked out.


The Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile supports shared progression with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone on PC and gaming consoles. This will allow players to carry XP (experience points), weapon level progression and in-game purchases such as Battle Pass, skins, bundles and more across the smartphone, PC and console version of the game.


 


 


 

First Published: Mar 21 2024 | 10:51 AM IST





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More risk of malware infection while accessing pirated websites: Study

More risk of malware infection while accessing pirated websites: Study

by | Mar 21, 2024 | Technology



Accessing pirated websites carries a higher risk of malware infection for Indian consumers compared to other platforms like those of adult content and gambling advertisements, says a study conducted by cybersecurity experts.


Indian consumers underestimate their true cyber risk when using piracy sites, and there is an urgent need to address cybersecurity threats associated with these websites, as per the study by experts at the Indian School of Business (ISB).


The 18-24 age group exhibits low awareness levels of cyber risks despite frequent engagement with these platforms, said ‘The Piracy-Malware Nexus in India: A Perceptions and Experience and Empirical Analysis’ report released here on Tuesday.


It has been co-authored by Professor Manish Gangwar and Dr Shruti Mantri from the ISB Institute of Data Science and Dr Paul Watters, adjunct professor of cybersecurity at the La Trobe University, Melbourne.

According to the report, “accessing pirated websites carries a higher risk of malware infection (59 per cent) compared to other platforms, such as the adult industry (57 per cent) and gambling advertisements (53 per cent).”

The study analysed 150 websites using VirusTotal, indicating cyber risk categories such as malicious content, malware, suspicious activity, phishing attempts and spam.


Additionally, the report found scam piracy websites pose a greater risk of exposing users to cyber threats compared to standard piracy sites, particularly popular ones.


It said that online piracy in India remains profitable, with malware distribution serving as an additional revenue stream for piracy site operators.


The report emphasised the importance of making internet users aware of the real online risks they face when accessing pirated websites and services.


Brijesh Singh, principal secretary to the chief minister of Maharashtra, who attended the study release event, flagged malware as a significant threat.


Piracy sites have become a “watering hole” for disseminating malware, he said.


“Consumers are not just watching a pirated movie or a TV show, they are compromising their device, and your device is a ‘second-you’. It contains your identity, your banking details, and the details of your friends and family. What has been suspected for many years has now been explained in this report. Hopefully, this ISB report is a starting point for change,” he added.


ISB Institute of Data Science Executive Director Professor Manish Gangwar said the study findings highlight the importance for government and the content industry to make internet users aware of the very real online risks they face when accessing piracy websites and services.


“Hopefully, our findings empower the less experienced members of the digital community to make informed decisions and be able to safeguard themselves from the dark underbelly of the internet,” he said.


The survey, conducted from May 23 to 29, 2023, included 1,037 respondents in India, as per an official release.

(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: Mar 21 2024 | 9:57 AM IST



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Musk's Neuralink shows 1st patient playing chess, video game using his mind

Musk's Neuralink shows 1st patient playing chess, video game using his mind

by | Mar 21, 2024 | Technology


Neuralink (Photo: Bloomberg)


By Sarah McBride and Dana Hull

 


Elon Musk’s Neuralink Corp. livestreamed an update with its first brain implant patient Wednesday, showing a quadriplegic man who was able to play video games and online chess using his mind. 

 


Neuralink is a brain technology startup founded by Musk. Its implant allows a patient to use their thoughts to control a computer. Musk has said that the company will start by working with patients who have severe physical limitations like cervical spinal cord impairment or quadriplegia.


In the video on Wednesday, which was streamed on Musk’s social platform X, the patient, Noland Arbaugh, was able to use his computer to play chess and the game Civilisation VI. “I had given up on playing that game,” he said.


“It has already changed my life,” Arbaugh said. “The surgery was super easy.”


Arbaugh, 29, said he sustained a spinal cord injury in a “freak diving accident” eight years ago. He also said he was released from the hospital a day after the Neuralink procedure in January, which went smoothly. He added that there was “still work to be done” to refine the technology.


Neuralink is not the only company working on brain devices that connect with computers. Modern demonstrations of cursor control by using thoughts have taken place in other humans with various types of implants, such as those deployed by the BrainGate consortium of research institutions and hospitals. 


However, the Neuralink device contains more electrodes than other devices, suggesting it may have more potential applications in future. The Neuralink technology works without needing a wired connection to external devices.


In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk hinted that the device may have the capability to restore vision. “Blindsight is the next product after Telepathy,” he wrote, referring to the name of the implant for paralyzed patients.


“I’m happy for the individual that he’s been able to interface with a computer in a way he wasn’t able to before the implant,” said Kip Allan Ludwig, co-director of the Wisconsin Institute for Translational Neuroengineering. “That’s not a breakthrough compared to what others have shown previously, but it’s certainly a good starting point.”


According to a Facebook page for Arbaugh, which hasn’t been publicly updated since 2017, his accident took place at a children’s camp in June 2016. In 2017, he successfully raised $10,000 via a GoFundMe campaign to purchase an accessible custom-built van.

First Published: Mar 21 2024 | 7:43 AM IST



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YouTube to roll out disclosure labels for videos created using GenAI

YouTube to roll out disclosure labels for videos created using GenAI

by | Mar 20, 2024 | Technology



YouTube, along with its parent company Google and Meta, has joined the ranks of internet platforms taking steps to combat Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven content manipulation.


The platform has introduced a new tool which mandates creators to disclose to users if a piece of content is generated using synthetic media or with the help of generative AI. The idea is to enhance transparency for users.


“We’re introducing a new tool in Creator Studio requiring creators to disclose to viewers when realistic content – content a viewer could easily mistake for a real person, place, scene, or event – is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI,” said YouTube in a blog post.


Once implemented, a label tagging video as ‘altered or synthetic media’ will appear in the video description or as a small overlay in the video player, said the company.


The platform, however, won’t require creators to disclose content that is ‘clearly’ unrealistic, animated, includes special effects, or has used generative AI for production assistance.


“We recognise that creators use generative AI in a variety of ways throughout the creation process. We won’t require creators to disclose if generative AI was used for productivity, like generating scripts, content ideas, or automatic captions,” said YouTube.


For videos that touch on sensitive topics like health, news, elections, or finance, YouTube will show a more prominent label on the video itself.


In some cases, YouTube may add a label even when a creator hasn’t disclosed it, especially if the altered or synthetic content has the potential to confuse or mislead people, according to the blog.


The move by the video streaming giant comes in the wake of heightened government scrutiny of big tech platforms over the issue of manipulated media, deepfakes, and AI bias.


Giants including Google and Meta have undertaken India-specific interventions to counter misinformation, after the Indian IT ministry issued advisories asking them to “ensure that the biases don’t hamper the interests of the average Indian user” and warning of legal consequences under IT rules.


Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced plans to establish a specialised operations centre in India ahead of the upcoming general elections.


Earlier, Google had said that its AI chatbot – Gemini will refrain from answering queries directly related to Indian elections after a controversy erupted over its responses to a question on Prime Minister Modi.


Further, the platform said that it was working towards an updated privacy process that’ll allow users to request the removal of AI-generated or other synthetic or altered content simulating an identifiable individual, including their face or voice.


“While we want to give our community time to adjust to the new process and features, in the future we’ll look at enforcement measures for creators who consistently choose not to disclose this information,” said the company.

First Published: Mar 20 2024 | 8:34 PM IST



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Lunar Eclipse 2024: Know complete details of Chandra Grahan with Holi

Lunar Eclipse 2024: Know complete details of Chandra Grahan with Holi

by | Mar 20, 2024 | Technology


Lunar eclipse. Photo: Reuters


The first Lunar Eclipse of 2024 will coincide with the festival of colours, Holi, and it will be a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. In 2024, we will observe a sum of four eclipses. Among them, two will be lunar eclipses or Chandra Grahan. The penumbral lunar eclipse will happen around the same time as the Holi celebration.


A lunar eclipse happens when the earth positions itself between the sun and the moon, creating a shadow area across the lunar surface. Lunar eclipses can happen during a full moon and are a popular occasion for skywatchers globally as they require no extraordinary equipment to observe this phenomenon, unlike solar eclipses.


What is the penumbral lunar eclipse?


A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the moon goes through earth’s penumbra or the faint outer part of its shadow. However, this type of lunar eclipse is subtle and, therefore, can be hard to observe. Penumbral lunar eclipse isn’t quite as dramatic as other kinds of lunar eclipses and is frequently confused with an ordinary full moon.


Lunar Eclipse 2024: When is the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse and Time?


The first Lunar Eclipse of 2024 lies on March 25. The Hindu celebration of Holi is also around the same time. As indicated by Space.com, the Penumbral Eclipse will start at 12:53 am EDT (0453 GMT), the maximum phase of the Eclipse will happen several hours after at 3:12 am EDT (0712 GMT) and the penumbral eclipse will end at 5:32 am EDT (0932 GMT). 


The general duration of the eclipse will be 4 hours and 39 minutes. According to NASA, the next lunar eclipse will be partial and will happen on September 18, 2024, and will be seen in America, Europe, and Africa.


Will the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse be seen in India?


The Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will not be seen in India. According to timeanddate.com, the eclipse will be seen in America, much of Europe, Australia and Africa, the Atlantic, the Arctic, North/East Asia, the Pacific, and Antarctica. 


It will also be seen in parts of Ireland, Belgium, Russia, Germany, Japan, Spain, England, South Norway, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Netherlands, and France.


Penumbral Lunar Eclipse 2024: Sutak Time and Holi Celebrations 


The Sutak period will start nine hours before the Eclipse. So it is suggested to not perform any religious activities or auspicious work during this time. 


But, since the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on March 25 won’t be seen in India, the Sutak period won’t be considered valid. There will be no limitations on religious exercises, and no temple doors will be shut. Meanwhile, the Purnima Tithi on Holi starts at 09:54 am on March 24, 2024, and closes at 12:29 pm on March 25.

First Published: Mar 20 2024 | 4:12 PM IST



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Google fined 250 million euro in French clash with news publishers

Google fined 250 million euro in French clash with news publishers

by | Mar 20, 2024 | Technology



By Samuel Stolton




Alphabet Inc.’s Google has been fined €250 million ($271 million) by France’s competition watchdog for failing to broker agreements with media outlets for publishing links to their content and for plundering press content to train its AI technology.

  


The move from the French authority marks another escalation in its bid to get Google to deal with the media sector more fairly, after having previously slapped the US tech giant with a €500 million fine for similar abuses. 


The regulator said Wednesday that Google had failed to respect commitments to negotiate deals with press publishers in good faith, and that it had trained its “Bard” generative AI chatbot — now called Gemini — on press content, without notifying the authority or the publishers. 


Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 


The French antitrust authority has been seeking to force Big Tech firms to negotiate deals with press publishers for republishing their content. Their so-called neighboring rights were targeted as part of the European Union’s 2019 Copyright Directive. 


The German antitrust authority previously ditched an investigation into Google’s News Showcase service after the company settled its concerns. In 2014, Google withdrew its News service from Spain after the country adopted laws that allow Spanish publications to charge Google for publishing snippets to their work. Google News was eventually reinstated in Spain. 

First Published: Mar 20 2024 | 2:29 PM IST



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