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Monday, 3 April 2023

iQoo 11S Model Number, Specifications and Launch Timeline Leaked Online: All Details

After launching the iQoo 11 and the iQoo 11 Pro in China, the company now seems to be gearing up to launch a new addition to its 11 series. The handset, according to a new leak, has been tagged as the iQoo 11s. The smartphone could debut with a new processor or may go with an existing option. Keeping the new processor in mind, the placement of the new handset in the iQoo 11 series hierarchy also remains unknown. There is also a model number and details regarding the variants of this upcoming handset that have leaked online.

Tipster Paras Guglani (@passionategeekz) along with MEFMobile have collaboratively leaked out information about an upcoming iQoo smartphone tagged as the iQoo 11s. The handset will reportedly have the model number V2304A when released in China, but will have a different model number when it is released globally. This indicates the phone will first be launched in China followed by a global release. The source also claims that the iQoo 11s will be launched in China in the “third quarter” and is expected to release in global markets by August or June this year.

As for specifications, the iQoo 11s is expected to arrive in two variants. There could be a base variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage and a second option with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The iQoo 11s is expected to feature a 6.78-inch QHD+ resolution (3,200 x 1,440 pixels) E6 AMOLED panel made by Samsung. The handset is expected to be powered by a yet to be announced MediaTek Dimensity 9300 SoC or an existing Dimensity 9000 series SoC when released in China. The handset could also be equipped with UFS 4.0 RAM.

Other details about this new handset remain unknown. This includes details regarding its camera specifications and its battery charging-related details, which would give us a better idea about whether it is placed alongside the iQoo 11 Pro or below the iQoo 11 in terms of value. While a global launch is expected, it's unclear whether the iQoo 11s will make it to India as iQoo has also held back on launching the iQoo 11 Pro model this year.

The iQoo 11 was launched in India in January priced at Rs. 59,999 for the base 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant. The smartphone was also launched in a 16GB RAM variant, which is available at Rs. 64,999 in India. The iQoo 11 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and a Quad HD+ E6 AMOLED display with a 144Hz maximum screen refresh rate.

Smartphone companies have launched many compelling devices over the first quarter of 2023. What are some of the best phones launched in 2023 you can buy today? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Cyberabad Police Issues Notices to 11 Organisations in Probe of Data Theft of 66.9 Crore Persons

The Cyberabad police has issued notices to as many as 11 organisations, including three banks, a social media giant and an Information Technology services company, asking their representatives to appear before it in connection with a breach of data of 66.9 crore persons across the country, a senior police official said on Sunday.

The Cyberabad police on Saturday said they arrested one person, Vinay Bhardwaj, who was allegedly involved in stealing, holding and selling personal and confidential data of 66.9 crore individuals and organisations belonging to 24 states and eight metropolitan cities, maintained in 104 categories.

The accused person was found in possession of the data of students of ed-tech organisations as well as the GST details of persons and companies, and the consumer/customer data of major organisations such as road transport corporations of various states, major ecommerce portals, social media platforms and fintech companies.

The 11 organisations to whom the notices were issued include two PSU banks and one private bank, a social media giant, an IT services company, an online grocery seller, a digital payments app and an online insurance platform, police said.

The 11 organisations' representatives have been told to appear before the police during the next one week to furnish details on how the companies maintained their databases, what procedures and policies were followed in this regard and who could access the data. This could help investigators ascertain how the database was leaked and accessed by an "unauthorised" person, among other relevant details, police said.

The arrested accused was operating through a website, 'InspireWebz', at Faridabad, Haryana and selling databases to clients through cloud drive links, police said.

In March, Cyberabad Police arrested seven people of a gang who were allegedly involved in the theft and sale of sensitive data of the government and important organisations, including details of 2.55 lakh defence personnel as well as the personal and confidential data of about 16.8 crore citizens across the country.

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Sunday, 2 April 2023

Google Pixel 7a Colour Options Tipped; Said to Launch With 256GB of Storage

Google Pixel 7a is expected to launch at the Google I/O 2023 later this year. The annual developer Google event is confirmed to be hosted from May 10 in the US. At the event, Google will unveil Android 14. The company is also expected to launch a couple of hardware products, one of which could be the Pixel 7a. The upcoming Google phone's details have leaked in the past. A new leak has now suggested the colour options of the Google Pixel 7a.

Tipster Paras Guglani has suggested that the Google Pixel 7a will launch in five new colour options. The tipster claims that these colours will be called Dinuguan Black, Crispy Kale, Mayo Cream, Tide Orange, and Vibrant Ube.

In addition to the colour options, tipster Guglani further hints that the phone will offer a 256GB storage option. The Pixel 6a (Review) was launched in a single 128GB storage option in India and other markets.

Previously leaked details suggest that the Google Pixel 7a could have a launch price between $450 to $500 (roughly Rs. 37,100 to Rs. 41,200) for the base 128GB model. The phone is said to be available in global markets by the third quarter of 2023.

The Pixel 7a is expected to be powered by Google's Tensor G2 SoC, which is also found in the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro (Review). It is also said to sport a 6.1-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. The phone's leaked design renders suggested that the screen could remain flat and sport a hole-punch cutout at the top centre.

On the back, the phone is said to offer a dual-camera setup with an LED flash. The Pixel 7a is tipped to feature a 64-megapixel Sony IMX787 sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. It will most likely run Android 13 out-of-the-box. The phone is also said to feature 5W wireless charging support.

Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Survey Shows 'High-Level' Public Support for Some Forms of Government Surveillance

A survey has shown a "high-level" of public support for certain forms of government surveillance like through CCTV cameras even as the poor and groups such as Dalits and Muslims have the "least" trust in the police.

Surveyors from NGO Common Cause and the Lokniti programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies spoke to a total of 9,779 individuals in 12 states and Union Territories before they released the "Status of Policing in India Report 2023: Surveillance and the Question of Privacy" on Friday in the national capital.

"The study also involved focus group discussions with domain experts, in-depth interviews with serving police officials, and an analysis of media coverage of surveillance-related issues," according to a statement.

The findings of the survey, according to the statement, indicate a "high-level of public support for certain forms of government surveillance, but also a lack of public awareness regarding critical issues such as the Pegasus scandal and the Puttaswamy case." While the Pegasus refers to the alleged usage of military grade spyware for surveillance, the judgment in the Puttaswamy case formally recognised right to privacy as a fundamental right.

The survey report states that the support for any form of surveillance is "directly proportional" to the respondent's socio-economic status, i.e. the richer the respondent the more the support, the survey found.

The poor, Adivasis, Dalits, and Muslims trust the police the least, it found.

Some of the key findings of the survey state that "only one in four people strongly feel that CCTVs carry a risk of illegal mass surveillance." "Nearly three out of four people strongly believe that CCTVs help monitor and reduce crimes," it said.

The survey found, according to the press statement, that about half of the respondents supported the collection of biometric details of suspects while Adivasis and Muslims were "most critical" of the police collecting biometric details of all suspects.

More than one out of two people strongly support the use of drones by the armed forces, government, and police. However, farmers and the poorest are most likely to oppose drone usage by government agencies, the survey found.

"One out of two people fully support the use of FRT (facial recognition technology) by the government, and police. People are four times more likely to strongly support the use of FRT by government agencies, compared to its use by private entities," the survey found.

Nearly two out of three respondents believe that political parties surveil citizens for electoral gains, it said.

The survey also found that large sections of the respondents feel government surveillance by CCTVs (52 percent), drones (30 percent) and FRT (25 percent), etc. to suppress protests and political movements are "justified" to a great extent.

However, it said, the respondents from Punjab are least likely to support government surveillance during protests, while those from Gujarat are most likely to support it.

Retired Uttar Pradesh Police and BSF Director General Prakash Singh said the authorisation for putting up surveillance tools should only be handled by the government.

"In India there are certain agencies that have been authorised to put people under surveillance, but the sanction must come from the Home Ministry. About one lakh sanctions for surveillance are given every year, which works out to about 250 per day. Can there be judicious application of mind with such a large number?" "There is no liability provision, if it is found that a wrong person has been put under surveillance. Due application of mind is not happening today," Singh, one of the most prominent faces who worked for police reforms in the country, said.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a hefty price tag compared to the company's 2022 flagship model. How does it fare against other high-end phones launched in 2023? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Elon Musk Removes Verified Check Mark From New York Times' Main Account

Twitter has removed the gold "verified" marker from the New York Times' main account, as CEO Elon Musk bashed the news organization as "propaganda" on Sunday and the platform transitioned to a paid verification scheme.

Musk took over the microblogging platform last year and made a priority of opening the "blue checkmark," indicating an authentic account, to paying subscribers.

The site announced it would start winding down "legacy" blue checkmarks from April 1.

The New York Times was among news media companies, firms and charities that had already lost their blue tick and were tagged as verified business accounts with a gold tick under Musk's new system.

To retain the gold tick after the rollout of the subscription service dubbed Twitter Blue, these groups would have to pay a monthly fee of $1,000 in the United States, and $50 for each additional affiliated account.

The New York Times said it would not pay for a verified business account and would subscribe for a blue tick only for journalists finding it essential for their reporting needs.

As of Sunday, the organization's main account, with nearly 55 million followers, had lost its gold checkmark, though affiliate accounts, such as for its travel and opinion sections, retained the ticks.

Many media groups and personalities who also announced they would not pay for Twitter Blue, including basketball star LeBron James, have retained blue or gold checkmarks on their accounts.

In the early hours of Sunday, Musk targeted the New York Times in several tweets, saying, "The real tragedy of @NYTimes is that their propaganda isn't even interesting" and calling its main feed the "equivalent of diarrhoea" and "unreadable."

According to Travis Brown, a Berlin-based software developer who tracks social-media platforms, only a few dozen accounts have so far been unverified, suspended or had profile elements removed since Saturday.

He said there had been a recent jump in the number of accounts that had made the switch from legacy to the new system -- some 60,000 in the past week -- but that they were "mostly small accounts, and very few had legacy verification."

Since its creation in 2009, the blue tick became a signature element that helped the platform become a trusted forum for newsmakers and campaigners.

But Musk and his fans said the decision of who got the coveted checkmark was made by fiat in a secretive procedure, and they called it a symbol of an unfair class system.

The changes under Musk put pressure on companies, journalists and celebrities who used Twitter as their main channel of communication and relied on the blue and gold ticks for credibility.

They also raise the spectre of imposters and jokesters paying for an officially verified, but totally fake account.

After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India commitment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Saturday, 1 April 2023

Elon Musk Defends Pay Model for Twitter Amid End to Free Verified Blue Ticks

Elon Musk on Friday defended his controversial pay model for Twitter, claiming that any social media platform that didn't follow suit would fail because they would be swarmed by bots.

Musk made his prediction on the eve of Twitter's April 1 ultimatum that verified accounts with the cherished blue tick that had not forked over cash would lose it.

"The fundamental challenge here is that it's (easy) to create literally 10,000 or 100,000 fake Twitter accounts using just one computer at home and with modern AI (artificial intelligence)," Musk told a question and answer session on Twitter.

"That's the reason for really pressing hard on verified where the verified requires a number from a reputable phone carrier and a credit card," Musk said.

"My prediction is that any so-called social media network that doesn't do this will fail," Musk added.

The change in system puts pressure on companies, journalists and celebrities who used Twitter as their main channel of communication and relied on the blue tick for credibility.

And it also raises the spectre of imposters and jokesters paying for an officially verified, but totally fake account.

In the US, the subscription plan, known as Twitter Blue, costs $8 (roughly Rs. 700) a month or $84 (roughly Rs. 6,900) a year, or $11 (roughly Rs. 900) a month if bought through Apple's app store.

Since its creation in 2009, the blue tick or checkmark became a signature element that helped the platform become a trusted forum for news makers and campaigners.

But Musk and his fans said the blue check was decided by fiat in a secretive procedure and called it a symbol of an unfair class system.

Opening the blue tick to paying subscribers was among the first decisions made by Musk when he took ownership of Twitter last year, but his overhaul backfired.

Within hours, Twitter was flooded by fake yet verified accounts impersonating celebrities, major companies and even Musk himself.

Musk swiftly backtracked, but many advertisers fled the site, denying Twitter a major source of income that the CEO is struggling to replace.

For now, blue checks of celebrities -- including Justin Bieber and his 113 million followers or footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and his 108 million -- are tagged on the site as "legacy" accounts.

'Will be awful'

The verified account conundrum also involves officials, charities and news media companies.

Already the White House, which will keep a special designation as a government entity, told employees it would not pay to have its staff's official Twitter profiles keep the blue tick, Axios reported.

News media companies, firms and charities already lost their blue tick and were tagged as verified business accounts under Musk's new system.

According to Twitter's website, these cost a hefty fee of $1,000 (roughly Rs. 82,200) a month in the United States, and $50 (roughly Rs. 4,100) for each additional affiliated account.

"This will be awful for those who can't afford the new fees," said Andrew Stroehlein, European Media Director of Human Rights Watch, who said his group would not pay for the privilege.

"It will damage the effectiveness of local activists, including human rights activists, who have long used Twitter for grassroots organizing," he added in a blog post.

The New York Times said it will not pay for a verified business account and that it would only subscribe for a blue tick for journalists when essential for reporting needs.

The "pay to play" verification model is also being tested by Twitter rival Facebook in Australia and New Zealand, which has also drawn major criticism.

Much is riding on Musk's ability to find a business model for Twitter.

Last week Musk put the current value of Twitter at $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1,64,600 crore), less than half the $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,62,100 crore) he paid for the social media platform just five months ago.

The newly launched Oppo Find N2 Flip is the first foldable from the company to debut in India. But does it have what it takes to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Activision Blizzard Accused of Spying on Employees, Threatening Them

Activision Blizzard violated US labour law by illegally surveilling employees during a walkout and threatening to shut down internal chat channels as a union sought to organize its workers, a federal labour agency said on Friday.

A National Labor Relations Board spokeswoman said that unless Activision settles, the agency will issue a complaint against the company involving employees of its subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment based in California and three other states.

The Communication Workers of America union (CWA) has accused the Call of Duty maker of a series of illegal labour practices at the union has sought to organize video game testers and other employees at the company and its subsidiaries.

Blizzard employees around the country staged a walkout last year to protest what they said was a lack of gender equality at the company.

Kayla Blado, a spokeswoman for the labour board, said on Friday that a regional agency official had found merit to the CWA's claim that Activision used security staff to keep tabs on workers during the walkout.

A claim that the company also broke the law by threatening to close internal Slack channels where employees frequently discussed working conditions was also found to have merit, Blado said.

An Activision spokesperson in a statement defended the company's ability to prevent "toxic workplace behaviour."

"CWA wants us to accept their... false claims, but we strongly believe employees shouldn't have to be subjected to insults and put downs for their hard work – especially on company communication platforms," the spokesperson said.

The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Activision is already facing a separate NLRB complaint issued last year claiming the company used a policy limiting what workers can post on social media to bar them from discussing working conditions. Activision has said its social media policy is lawful and does not bar employees from exercising their rights under US labour law.

Small groups of workers at Activision subsidiaries in New York and Wisconsin have voted to join the CWA in recent months, and employees in Boston are seeking to have an election. Activision has said it is considering its options in those cases.

Xbox maker Microsoft last year agreed to buy Activision for $69 billion (roughly Rs. 5,67,000 crore), a deal that has faced antitrust scrutiny from US and European regulators.

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