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Monday, 1 May 2023

Apple, Masimo Smartwatch Trade Secrets Lawsuit Ends in Mistrial After Jurors Fail to Reach Verdict

A US judge in California on Monday declared a mistrial in Masimo's smartwatch trade secret lawsuit against Apple after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the potential billion-dollar case.

A Masimo spokesperson said in a statement that the company was "disappointed that the jury was unable to reach a verdict" but intends to retry the case.

The jury in federal court in Santa Ana had been asked to determine whether Cupertino, California-based Apple misused confidential information from Masimo related to the use of light to measure biomarkers including heart rates and blood oxygen levels.

The jury began deliberating on April 26 after a trial lasting about three weeks before US District Judge James Selna.

Apple said in a statement that it "deeply respects intellectual property and innovation and does not take or use confidential information from other companies," and will ask the court to dismiss the remaining claims in the case.

Irvine, California-based Masimo and its spinoff Cercacor Laboratories Inc sued Apple in 2020, accusing it of stealing trade secrets and using them to create and sell several Apple Watch models.

The lawsuit claimed Masimo representatives met with Apple in 2013 about integrating its inventions into Apple products and that Apple subsequently hired away two executives - one from Masimo and one from Cercacor - and used their knowledge to copy the technology.

Masimo asked for more than $1.8 billion (roughly Rs. 147.17 crore) in damages, reduced from its initial request for $3.1 billion (roughly Rs. 253.45 crore) after the judge dismissed some of its trade-secret claims during trial.

Apple in a court filing called Masimo's lawsuit a "maneuver to clear a path" for its own smartwatch. Apple sued Masimo in Delaware last year, accusing it of patent infringement.

Smartwatches, mobile devices worn on the wrist with an array of capabilities, are a lucrative market, with global sales worth tens of billions of dollars.

Masimo has also sued Apple at the US International Trade Commission over Apple Watch imports that it said violated its patent rights. An ITC judge preliminarily ruled in favor of Masimo in January, which could lead to an import ban on infringing Apple Watches if the full commission affirms the decision.

Apple is facing another potential Apple Watch import ban in a separate patent fight with Mountain View, California-based medical device maker AliveCor over heart-monitoring technology.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

Apple is opening its first stores in India, one in Mumbai and the other in Delhi. What does this mean for Apple customers in India? 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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Mobikwik Turned Profitable in March Quarter as Credit Active Users Doubled

Fintech platform Mobikwik turned profitable in the March quarter and expects to almost double revenue to over Rs. 1,000 crore in the current fiscal along with full-year profitability, the company's co-founder Upasana Taku said.

The company closed the 2022-23 financial year with a 39 percent net revenue growth at Rs. 560 crore.

"In Q4 (fourth), 2023, we booked profit. Now my aim is that every quarter from now on should be a profitable quarter. We have reduced cash burn by about 40 percent. For FY'24, we want to achieve Rs. 1,000 crore revenue and Rs. 40-50 crore profit," Taku told PTI.

She said that 50 percent of the company's revenue came from the distribution of digital credit products and the rest from payments.

"Number of credit active users has gone up from 2 million to 4 million. The reason we have pay-later products is that more than 75 percent of our users were first to credit customers. 'Buy Now Pay Later' helped us in testing users in short span of time. After they have used the pay later product, then we give them loan products," Taku said. The company has withdrawn its plan to go for public listing which it filed in 2021.

"We are a very much IPO focussed company. We will use this year to churn one after another profitable quarter. If we have 2-3 profitable consecutive quarters, then we will definitely look for it (IPO). Right now it's wait and watch. I don't think the market is amenable for any tech internet company to go for listing," Taku said.

She said that the company is well funded and has sufficient internal accruals and hence does not require additional fundraising.

Mobikwik had last raised funds at a valuation of around $700 million (nearly Rs. 5,720 crore) in December 2021.

"We may need funds in case we opt for acquiring companies," Taku said.

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Jack Dorsey's Bluesky Emerges as Another Twitter-Like Service, Gaining Traction Among Power Users

Jack Dorsey is taking another whack at a Twitter-like service with a new social media platform called Bluesky.

The service is gaining traction among Twitter power users, attracting prominent personalities including US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Bluesky, which bears similarities to the blue bird platform, is the latest in a long list of apps that are looking to steal Twitter's thunder after Elon Musk's chaotic takeover of the company.

Here are some details on the service:

What is Bluesky?

It's a text-focused social media service launched for select users in February. Users can post short messages of up to 300 characters, and pictures. There is no support for videos and direct messages, or DMs, so far.

Bluesky runs on a decentralized framework, similar to social network Mastodon. It allows users to build independent social media experiences and users can join a specific "server", which has its own unique set of rules, interests and participants.

How does it compare to Twitter?

Bluesky offers a similar experience to Twitter — people create profiles and post short messages with text and images. On the timeline, Bluesky has "What's hot" and "Following" feed, similar to the curated "For You" and the chronological "Following" feeds on Twitter.

Unlike Twitter, Bluesky's core framework allows for various customizations. "Instead of one site running the network, you can have many sites. It means you get a choice of provider, and individuals and businesses can self-host if they want," it said in a blog post in October.

Who is behind Bluesky?

It was started by Dorsey as a project within Twitter in 2019 and was set up as an independent company in 2022. As of April 2022, it had raised $13 million (nearly Rs. 105 crore) from Twitter.

Dorsey, Jeremie Miller, the inventor of communication protocol Jabber/XMPP, and Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky, are its board members.

Is Bluesky taking on Twitter?

Too soon to say. The company told Bloomberg News it had over 40,000 users.

The company began to sign up users on the wait-list early this year and announced its biggest single-day jump last week.

While its user base is still small, Bluesky has attracted many power users including writer and comedian Dril, following frustrations with Musk's management of Twitter and the recent changes to the platform.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

Xiaomi launched its camera focussed flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphone, while Apple opened it's first stores in India this week. We discuss these developments, as well as other reports on smartphone-related rumours 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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FAA Sued by Environmentalists Over SpaceX's Rocket Launch License for Texas

Conservation groups sued the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, challenging its approval of expanded rocket launch operations by Elon Musk's SpaceX next to a national wildlife refuge in South Texas without requiring greater environmental study.

The federal court lawsuit comes 11 days after SpaceX made good on a newly granted FAA license to send its next-generation Starship rocket on its first test flight, a mission that ended with the vehicle exploding over the Gulf of Mexico after blasting the launchpad to ruins on liftoff.

The shattering force of the launch hurled large chunks of reinforced concrete and metal shrapnel thousands of feet from the launch site, located adjacent to the Lower Rio Grand Valley National Wildlife Refuge near Boca Chica State Park and Beach in Texas.

The blast also ignited a 3.5-acre (1.4-hectare) fire on nearby grounds and sent a cloud of pulverized concrete drifting 6.5 miles to the northwest, raining over surrounding tidal flats and the nearby town of Port Isabel, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

SpaceX hailed the launch as a qualified success that will yield valuable data to advance development of its Starship and Super Heavy rocket, designed as major components in NASA's newly inaugurated Artemis program for returning astronauts to the moon.

But Monday's lawsuit said the April 20 incident marked the latest in a series of at least nine explosive mishaps at Boca Chica in recent years that are disrupting a haven for federally protected wildlife and vital habitat for migratory birds.

Intense noise and light pollution, construction and road traffic also have degraded the area, home to two endangered feline predators — the ocelot and jaguarundi — as well as nesting sites for the endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, and critical habitat for the piping plover, a threatened shorebird, the plaintiffs say.

The area and its wildlife are also considered sacred to the people of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation, an indigenous group in South Texas.

The disturbances show that the FAA violated federal law by permitting expanded operations at Musk's Starbase in Boca Chica without mandating the full environmental impact study (EIS) normally required for major projects, the lawsuit asserts.

There was no immediate comment on the court case available from the FAA or SpaceX.

Short-cut environmental review?

Such EIS reviews typically take years, even decades, to complete. They involve extensive analysis of the project at stake and alternatives, along with mitigation plans to curb or offset harmful impacts. The process also entails public review and comment and often re-evaluation and supplemental study.

Instead, the FAA granted its license on the basis of a far less thorough environmental assessment and a finding that SpaceX activities at Boca Chica pose "no significant impact" on the environment.

The lawsuit highlights a history of tension between environmentalists, who have sought to limit development at Boca Chica, and Musk, the billionaire SpaceX founder and CEO known as a hard-charging entrepreneur willing to take risks.

"This case concerns whether the nation's commitment to preserving our critical wildlife habitat and treasured coastal landscapes must be sacrificed as we reach out to explore the cosmos," the lawsuit said.

The 31-page suit was brought in federal court in the District of Columbia by the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Save RGV (Rio Grand Valley), and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation.

The plaintiffs seek a court order vacating the finding of no significant impact and requiring a full EIS before further launches are conducted.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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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Amazon Great Summer Sale May 2023: How to Find the Best Deals, Discounts and Offers

Amazon Great Summer Sale May 2023 is set to begin on May 4 for Amazon Prime subscribers, a day before the ecommerce giant's biggest sale of the season opens for all customers. The company will offer several deals, discounts, and offers across a variety of product categories including smartphones, laptops, TVs and appliances, and Amazon-branded devices. It has begun teasing some of these deals via a landing page on its website. Users can also avail of a 10 percent discount on specific bank cards as well as use exchange discounts to lower the prices of eligible products during the upcoming sale. Here's a guide to help you prepare for Amazon's upcoming summer sale.

When is the Amazon Great Summer Sale 2023?

The upcoming Amazon Great Summer Sale begins at 12am (midnight) on May 4. However, only Amazon Prime will be able to access the deals during the first 24 hours of the sale. If you don't have a subscription, you will have to wait for the next day. Like Amazon's recent sales in the country, the company has not revealed when the sale will end.

What can you expect from the Amazon Great Summer Sale 2023?

You can expect to see several discounts and offers on a wide range of products during the Amazon Great Summer Sale, and the platform has already started teasing price-based categories for products that cost less than Rs. 99, Rs. 199, Rs. 299, Rs. 499 and so on. Amazon will also let you take advantage of deals that will be live between 8pm and 12am (midnight) as well as deals priced under Rs. 999. It will also offer 'Grand Opening' deals, and a 'Price Crash' store, as per the landing page for the upcoming sale.

Amazon has teased discounts of up to 70 percent on Amazon branded devices while TVs and appliances will see their prices drop by as much as 60 percent during the sale. Smartphones and accessories will be available starting at Rs. 5,899, while pricing for computer accessories will start at Rs. 99.

In addition to the discounts listed alongside products during the Amazon Great Summer Sale, you can also avail of 10 percent discounts on Kotak Bank and ICICI Bank credit, debit card, and EMI transactions. Similarly, exchange discounts on eligible products will allow you to lower their prices even further.

Finding the best deals, discounts and offers during the Amazon Great Summer Sale May 2023

There are several ways to make sure that you're getting the best deals and maximise your savings during the upcoming Amazon Great Summer Sale. You will need to prepare in advance in order and be aware of upcoming deals and timings for specific sale discounts, such as Amazon's "8pm deals".

1. Plan ahead, add products to your Wishlist

While you should definitely browse through the various sale offers and discounted products when the Amazon Great Summer Sale begins at midnight on Thursday, having a few of your most wanted products added to your Wishlist will let you quickly check if their prices have dropped and then take a decision on whether you should purchase them.

2. Sign up for Amazon Prime or gain access to the 30-day trial

Some of the best deals will be available when the sale begins on Thursday — but these will first be available to Amazon Prime subscribers. Some of these deals only survive for a few hours as more customers avail of the offers, and you might want you make sure you have access to the sale when it begins, especially if you are looking forward to purchasing a specific product that has already been confirmed to go on sale via the company's landing page.

3. Do your research and track prices

You can use websites and apps to track the prices of specific products that you're interested in, which will allow you to keep track of their lowest prices and whether it's a good idea to buy them — or some of them — during the upcoming sale. If you see that a product is at its lowest ever price point, it might be the best time to pick up that product.

4. Update your apps and refresh the website regularly

The first thing you should do is update your Amazon Prime app via the Google Play store or the App Store. This should ensure that you have a glitch-free experience when the sale goes live and you receive updates for the latest deals and discounts when you open the app. However, you should also keep an eye on the Amazon website as some of the deals may not be listed on the mobile app.

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Apple's watchOS 10 Update to Introduce Widget-Focussed Interface Similar to Siri Watch Face: Mark Gurman

watchOS 10 is expected to be unveiled next month, at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. Ahead of the upcoming update for eligible Apple Watch models, details of changes to the operating system for its smartwatches have surfaced online. The Cupertino company is said to introduce an interface with widget-focussed design, showing as much information as possible without requiring a user to navigate using the small display. Until now, watchOS has offered a design similar to iOS, with information tucked away in different parts of the interface.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman states in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter that the watchOS 10 update will bring some of the biggest changes to the watch lineup since the first version of the operating system was introduced in 2015. The interface will be inspired by Apple's widgets introduced on iOS 14, allowing users to get information as quickly as possible.

The first-generation Apple Watch that made its debut in 2015 featured a widgets interface called Glances. In our review of the smartwatch, we noted that Glances were like iOS' Notification Centre widgets, allowing you to tap once to open the app and access additional information. You could also quickly check the weather and control music playback without having to dig through the interface for these applications. apple watch hand heart rate

Gurman states that Apple will introduce an interface that is based on Apple's Glances system from the first-generation Apple Watch that was dropped in favour of a Home Screen and app-centric approach that worked with the company's Digital Crown for easy navigation. It will also function in a manner similar to Apple's widgets system introduced on iOS 14, which allows users to stack several widgets on the Home Screen to conserve space and scroll through them.

However, the change to the user interface on watchOS 10 might be so wide ranging that Gurman says Apple could make it opt-in for users. The company is also considering modifying the Digital Crown's functionality to surface the widget-focussed interface from the watch face, instead of navigating to the Home Screen.

watchOS 10 is expected to be unveiled by the company at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference that begins on June 5. The company is expected to unveil iOS 17, macOS 14, iPadOS 17, and tvOS 17 at the event. Apple is also planning to unveil its first mixed reality headset that could be called Reality Pro, at WWDC 2023, according to a report.

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Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G With Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC, 33W Fast Charging Launched: Report

Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G was reportedly launched in China on Saturday. It is the latest model to join the expansive Redmi Note 12 lineup. The lineup consists of the Redmi Note 12 5G, Redmi Note 12 4G, Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pr+ 5G, and the Redmi Note 12 Turbo. The new Note 12R Pro 5G is said to be equipped with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. The phone is a mid-range offering and is expected to go on sale in China soon. The company reportedly released the handset in a single storage and three colour options.

Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G price

Launched in a sole 12GB + 256GB variant, the Redmi Note 12R Pro is priced at CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 23,700), according to a MySmartPrice report. The phone is said to be offered in Black, Gold, and White colour options. Redmi has not yet confirmed the launch or the sale date of the smartphone. The handset was also not listed on the company website, at the time of writing this story. It has also not been revealed if and when the model will see a global and/or Indian release.

Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G specifications, features

The Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G reportedly comes with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1080×2400) OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak local brightness of 1200 nits. The smartphone is said to be powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC paired with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 inbuilt storage. It reportedly runs Android 13-based MIUI 14.

The dual rear camera unit of the Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G is said to include a 48-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. According to the report, a 16-megapixel front camera is housed in a centre-aligned punch-hole slot at the top of the display.

The Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G reportedly packs a 5,000mAh battery unit with 33W fast charging support. For security, the phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, integrated with the power button on the right edge, the report adds.

The report also adds that the connectivity options of the Redmi Note 12R Pro 5G include 5G, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, dual-SIM card support, Bluetooth v5.1, and GPS. The handset comes with a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port, and an IP53 rating, according to the report. It is said to weigh 188 grams and measures 165.88mm × 76.21mm × 7.98mm in size.

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