Spotify expands audiobooks to more countries beyond US: Details here

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 23, 2022 | Technology

Leading music streaming platform Spotify has announced that it has expanded its audiobooks in more countries.

Audiobooks are now also available in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, the company said in a blogpost.

The platform first announced the support for audiobooks in September, but then it was only available in the US.

It allows users to listen to more than 3,00,000 audiobook titles, which can also be downloaded for offline listening.

Audiobooks shows up with a lock icon on the play button, indicating that users have to purchase it in order to listen.

The automatic bookmarking feature helps users to save their place so that they can immediately resume where they left off.

“While audiobooks represent just a 6 to 7 per cent share of the wider book market, the category is growing by 20 per cent year over year,” the company said.

In August this year, the platform was working on a new feature to let users post audio comments or reactions to music playlists.

A Reddit user in Vietnam first spotted that Spotify experiment.

–IANS

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(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.)

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Qualcomm replaces SD778G+ processor with new Snapdragon 782G: Report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 23, 2022 | Technology

The Snapdragon 782G (SM7325-AF), which is the newest SoC from American multinational corporation Qualcomm has been unveiled and it’s an iterative upgrade to the Snapdragon 778G+.

According to GSM Arena, similar to the SD778G+, the Snapdragon 782G is a 6nm chipset with an 8-core Kryo 670 processor, and an Adreno 642L.

The CPU has the same core setup as the 778G+ – 1 Kryo 670 Prime core (Cortex-A78) but runs up to 200MHz faster at 2.7GHz, 3 Kryo 670 Gold (also Cortex-A78) at up to 2.2GHz, and 4 Kryo 670 Silver (Cortex-A55) at up to 1.9GHz.

Due to a slight bump in clock speed, its CPU is around 5 per cent faster, while the GPU is quoted as 10 per cent faster than the Snapdragon 778G+, reported GSM Arena.

Similar to the older SoC, the 782G brings Quick Charge 4+ (up to 50 per cent in 15 minutes), the same Fused AI Accelerator architecture, the same Qualcomm Spectra ISP with triple 14-bit ISP support, and the ability to process up to 2 gigapixels per sec, and up to 200MP resolution support.

As per GSM Arena, the modem is also the same Snapdragon X53 with Sub-6GHz and mmWave support, while FastConnect 6700 offers Wi-Fi 6 up to 2.9 Gbps, with ample capacity over the 6 GHz spectrum plus integrated Bluetooth 5.2.

(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.)

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‘Samsung’ was the most commonly-used password in 2021, study shows

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 22, 2022 | Technology

Samsung, or rather “samsung” with a lowercase S, is one of the most commonly used passwords in at least 30 countries, a recent study by password management solution company Nordpass has showed.

According to SamMobile, using the name of your smartphone/TV/home appliance brand, for example, Samsung, as a password is not the worst offender, but it has grown in popularity in recent years.

While the “samsung” password ranked 198th in popularity in 2019, it rose to 189th in 2020 and 78th in 2021, breaking the top-100 mark last year.

The most popular password is “password,” which was reportedly chosen by nearly 5 million users, while other commonly used passwords include “123456,” “123456789,” and “guest”, according to the report.

In the case of “samsung,” it turns out that it is not the only brand-based password used by a large number of online users.

According to a recent report, a simple and predictable password can be decrypted in less than one second, whereas combining lowercase and uppercase letters with numbers can also produce variable results.

A seven-digit password containing all of those elements can be decrypted in about seven seconds, while an eight-digit password takes about seven minutes, said the report.

The research firm discovered that the majority of commonly used passwords can be decrypted in less than one second because they are short and consist only of numbers or letters with no uppercase characters, the report added.

–IANS

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(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.)

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LG develops ‘Invisible’ Thin Actuator Sound Solution for automobiles

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 22, 2022 | Technology

LG Display has announced that it has developed the “Thin Actuator Sound Solution”, a new sound technology for automobiles.

While traditional speakers are large and heavy due to components such as voice coils, cones and magnets, LG Display’s film-type exciter technology makes the “Thin Actuator Sound Solution” extremely thin and light, making it an invisible speaker for cars.

“We have transformed the conventionally heavy and bulky speaker into a high-quality ‘invisible’ sound solution by using our cutting-edge technology to elevate space, design, and eco-friendly factors and provide a next-level sound experience like none before,” Yeo Chun-ho, Vice President and Head of the Business Development Division at LG Display said in a statement.

The new speakers come in a passport-like size (150mm x 90mm) with a thickness of 2.5mm, equivalent to that of two coins stacked together, and a light weight of 40g, making it just 30 per cent of the weight and 10 per cent of the thickness of a conventional car speaker, according to an official report.

The device uses the company’s unique technology to vibrate off display panels and various materials inside the car body to provide a rich, 3D immersive sound experience.

Moreover, the compact size and innovative form factor of the speaker enable it to be installed in various parts of the car including the dashboard, headliner, pillar, and headrests while eliminating deviations in audio quality, the report added.

–IANS

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(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.)

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SENS introduces range of headband earphones and wireless earbuds in India

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 22, 2022 | Technology

Home-grown consumer technology brand SENS on Tuesday announced its new range of hearables, including true wireless earbuds and neckband earphones. In the TWS category, the company launched the Hendriks1, Hendriks 2, Cnatra 1 and Cnatra 2, and the Alvis1, MJ1 and MJ2 in the neckband category. All these audio devices are water-resistant, compatible with both iOS and Android devices, and support Google Assistant and Siri voice assistants.

Hendriks 1

Launched at Rs 1,600, the Hendriks 1 will be available at an introductory price of Rs 1,499. The earbuds feature 10 mm graphene audio drivers. With a charging of 1.5 hours, it boasts up to 30 hours of battery life with a charging case. These earbuds come with a metal body in gunmetal grey colour. Other features include touch control, and voice assistance feature.

Hendriks 2

The Hendriks 2 is available at an introductory price of Rs 1,399 on Flipkart. Powered by a 500 mAh case, it is said to last up to 30 hours. It comes with an active and environmental noise cancellation feature. It offers touch sensor control, auto pairing, and a transparency mode. It comes in pearl white and pearl black colours.

Cnatra1

The Cnatra1 features 10mm audio drivers, auto pairing, along with a playback time of up to 22 hours. It comes with IIC technology (Intelligent Insta Connect) and environmental noise cancellation for enhanced user experience. The earbuds are available at an introductory price of Rs 799.

Cnarta 2

The Cnarta 2 is available at an introductory price of Rs 799 on Flipkart. It features 13 mm audio drivers battery life of up to 24 hours. It comes with AFAP technology (As Fast As Possible) and offers audio pairing.

MJ1

The neckband is available at an introductory price of Rs 799. MJ1 comes with environment noise cancellation (ENC), smart video voice connect, and AFAP charging. It comes in pine green and gunmetal grey colours. Other features include 24-hours playtime, voice assistance, and a magnetite lock.

MJ2

It comes with AFAP technology for charging, IIC technology for instant connect, and smart video voice connect. It also features environmental noise cancellation (ENC) and comes in crayon blue and gunmetal grey colors. The MJ2 is priced at Rs 999 on Flipkart.

Alvis 1

Alvis 1 is available at an introductory price of Rs 599. Powered by a 110 mAh battery, it has a playback time of up to 8 hours and a stand-by time of up to 200 hours. It offers magnetic lock, dual pairing, and alloy metal earbuds. It comes in sapphire blue, gunmetal grey, lemon yellow, and scarlet red colours.

SENS offers seven-day support, a free drop service, and six months to one year of warranty on all the products.

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iPhone 15 may feature titanium chassis with curved rear edges: Report

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 22, 2022 | Technology

Apple’s upcoming next-generation smartphone iPhone 15 is likely to feature a titanium chassis with curved rear edges, which will replace the existing squared off design.

The back edges of the iPhone 15 are expected to be rounded to create a new border, similar to the bottom edges on the cases of tech giant’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, reports MacRumors.

The iPhone 15 is rumoured to “still have a rear glass”, despite the switch to titanium.

If the most recent rumours are true, then the company would be using titanium in iPhones and iPads for the first time, the report said.

Earlier, it was reported that iPhone 15 series would include four models, with bigger feature differences than the iPhone 14 and all the models would feature USB-C charging port.

The tech giant would produce four models for its 2023 iPhone 15 range.

While, another report mentioned that iPhone 15 Pro models are likely to feature a Thunderbolt port for high-speed data transfer.

–IANS

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(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.)

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