Meta to Go Ahead With Acquisition of VR Platform Within Unlimited as FTC Withdraws Case

The Federal Trade Commission voted to withdraw an antitrust complaint challenging Meta Platforms's purchase of virtual-reality startup Within Unlimited, officially closing the agency's case.

The FTC sued to block the deal last year, filing twin complaints in federal court and its in-house court. Following a December trial in a San Jose federal court, US District Judge Edward Davila found in favor of Meta, ruling the FTC didn't offer enough evidence to prove that the acquisition would harm competition in the nascent virtual-reality industry.

The FTC opted this month against appealing Davila's decision and paused the administrative case while it considered next steps. Although the judge's ruling allowed Meta to close the deal on February 10, the FTC could have continued its case in administrative court and sought to unwind the transaction. But on Friday, the FTC voted to withdraw the complaint and end the case.

“We're excited that the Within team has joined Meta, and we're eager to partner with this talented group in bringing the future of VR fitness to life,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. 

The decision represents the first major loss for FTC Chair Lina Khan, who was appointed by President Joe Biden to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement. 

Khan has taken a more aggressive approach to mergers than her predecessors and stepped up the agency's focus on technology giants because of their potential to quickly dominate budding markets. The FTC has also challenged Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard on similar grounds — that allowing the acquisition would give the dominant platform a leg up in the emerging cloud-gaming market.

The FTC maintains that losing the case wasn't all bad: Davila's decision recognized the agency's theory that mergers that don't immediately hurt competition but have the potential to do so in the future should be blocked. 

“The judge sided with the FTC on basically every question of law and laid out a very clear opinion that said the way we were interpreting the law was correct,” Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Democratic member of the commission, said of Davila's decision at a conference in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

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 committment 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.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/uVM1Ps4

TikTok Accuses EU of Not Consulting It Over Staff Phone Ban

TikTok accused the European Commission on Friday of failing to consult it over a decision to ban the Chinese short video sharing app from staff phones on cybersecurity grounds, a move subsequently followed by another top EU body.

The app, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, is facing growing scrutiny from Western authorities over concerns that China's government could use it to harvest people's data. Beijing has regularly denied having any such intentions.

The EU executive and the EU Council, which brings together representatives of the member states to set policy priorities, said on Thursday staff will also be required to remove TikTok from personal mobile devices that have access to corporate services.

TikTok, which has in the past said that data on its service can not be accessed by Beijing, said it had not been told or contacted by either institution ahead of their decisions.

"So we are really operating under a cloud. And the lack of transparency and the lack of due process. Quite frankly one would expect, you know, some sort of engagement on this matter," Caroline Greer, TikTok's director of public policy and government relations, told Reuters.

She said she cold not respond to the bodies' cybersecurity concerns because they had not spelled them out.

The European Commission pointed to EU industry chief Thierry Breton's comments at a news conference on Thursday where he said the EU executive does not have to give reasons for decisions taken to ensure its proper functions.

"To suspend the use of TikTok is a purely internal decision for cybersecurity reasons to protect the Council General Secretariat's (GSC) data and staff. As the GSC has no contractual relationship with TikTok, there is no obligation to consult or inform them," an EU official said.

Greer said TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who met Breton and other commissioners in Brussels in January, was "concerned and a little puzzled".

"He has always been very available, you know, responding to the Commission... We have reached out for a meeting in whatever shape or form they would like that to happen."

Other EU institutions should do their own research before making decisions on the app, Greer said.

TikTok is banned on US Senate employees' government-owned devices and also in India. The European Parliament has not taken such a step.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

The OnePlus 11 5G was launched at the company's Cloud 11 launch event which also saw the debut of several other devices. We discuss this new handset and all of OnePlus' new hardware 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.

 

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/QvFq1VJ

Ericsson Could Cut 8,500 Jobs Under Cost-Cutting Plans, Reveals Internal Memo

Telecom equipment maker Ericsson will lay off 8,500 employees globally as part of its plan to cut costs, a memo sent to employees and seen by Reuters said.

While technology companies such as Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet have laid off thousands of employees citing economic conditions, Ericsson's move would be the largest layoff to hit the industry.

"The way headcount reductions will be managed will differ depending on local country practice," Chief Executive Borje Ekholm wrote in the memo.

"In several countries the headcount reductions have already been communicated this week," he said.

On Monday, the company, which employs more than 1,05,000 worldwide, announced plans to cut about 1,400 jobs in Sweden.

While Ericsson did not disclose which geography would be most affected, analysts had predicted that North America would likely be most affected and growing markets such as India the least.

The company said in December it would cut costs by 9 billion crowns ($880 million or nearly 7,300 crore) by the end of 2023 as demand slows in some markets, including North America.

"It is our obligation to take this cost out to remain competitive," Ekholm said in the memo. "Our biggest enemy right now may be complacency."

Many telecom companies had beefed up their inventories during the height of the pandemic which is now leading to slowing orders for telecom equipment makers.

Verizon, one of the largest telecom companies, plans to spend between $18.25 billion (nearly Rs. 151,400 crore) and $19.25 billion (nearly Rs. 1,59,700 crore) this year, down from a capital expenditure budget of $23 billion last year.

Ericsson Chief Financial Officer Carl Mellander had earlier told Reuters that cost cuts would involve reducing consultants, real estate and employee headcount.

Nordic rival Nokia has not announced any plans to lay off employees.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

The iQoo Neo 7 packs a lot of power at an affordable price. But did the company cut the right corners to keep the price low? 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.

 

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/GusRgfT

Succession to End With Season 4 on HBO, Creator Jesse Armstrong Confirms

HBO's acclaimed satirical family drama series Succession will come to an end with its upcoming season four, creator Jesse Armstrong has announced.

Armstrong shared the news in an interview with American publication New Yorker, saying that the fourth season, set to premiere on March 26, will conclude the show.

“There's a promise in the title of Succession. I've never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind. From season 2, I've been trying to think: Is it the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that?”, Armstrong said in the piece, titled ‘The End of Succession Is Near'.

Succession follows media baron Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his four children, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan (Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Connor (Alan Ruck) as the siblings compete to take over the family media conglomerate Waystar Royco.

Armstrong revealed he and his fellow writers had been planning the show's end since late 2021.

“And we played out various scenarios: We could do a couple of short seasons, or two more seasons. Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks.

“Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference,” he added.

Armstrong, who co-created hit shows Peep Show and Fresh Meat in the UK, admitted feeling “conflicted” about ending the show.

“I feel sad, and I have the the-circus-has-left-town feeling that everyone gets who works on a production that's good, and this one particularly so. I imagine I'll be a little bit lonely, and wandering the streets of London in a funk, and wondering, ‘What the f--k did I do?' I'll probably be calling you up in about six months asking if people are ready for a reboot,” he added.

The fourth and final season of the Emmy-winning series will continue from the events of the third season finale in December 2021.

“The sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) moves ever closer. The prospect of this seismic sale provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roys as they anticipate what their lives will look like once the deal is complete. A power struggle ensues as the family weighs up a future where their cultural and political weight is severely curtailed,” the logline reads.

Returning cast members include Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, J Smith-Cameron, Peter Friedman, David Rasche, Fisher Stevens, Hiam Abbass, Justine Lupe, Dagmara Dominczyk, Arian Moayed, Scott Nicholson and Zoe Winters.

The newcomers are Annabeth Gish, Adam Godley, Eili Harboe, and Johannes Haukur Johannesson.

Succession is executive produced by Armstrong, Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Jane Tranter, Mark Mylod, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown, Lucy Prebble, Will Tracy and Will Ferrell.

Succession season 4 streams March 26 on HBO and Disney+ Hotstar.

---

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 committment 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.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/6LhTCDE

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, Galaxy A34 5G Render Leaks Suggest Similar Camera Module Design as Galaxy S23 Series

Samsung is gearing up to launch its' upcoming affordable A-series smartphones with various rumours and tips suggesting that the launches are imminent sometime in March. Now, a latest report suggests that the South Korean conglomerate will kick off its Galaxy A-series with the launch of two smartphones, namely, Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, and Samsung Galaxy A34 5G. The report also reveals high-definition render leaks that suggest the design and specifications of both the purported affordable smartphone entries from Samsung.

According to a report by Winfuture, Samsung's upcoming affordable A-series entries, the Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G, will have circular camera modules that are aligned vertically, with the design mimicking the one seen on Samsung's flagship Galaxy S23 series smartphones. The design claim has been made through alleged leaked official high-definition marketing images of the Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G. The report also goes on to indicate that the Galaxy A34 5G smartphone will have a notched display.

The Galaxy A54 5G has been tipped to feature a 6.4-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate while being equipped with an Exynos 1380 SoC. In terms of RAM and storage, the 5G smartphone could arrive in 6GB or 8GB RAM options, with 128GB or 256GB of expected internal storage configurations.

In terms of optics, the Galaxy A54 5G could feature a triple camera rear setup led by a 50-megapixel main camera with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS), followed by a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. For selfies, the Galaxy A54 5G is expected to feature a 32-megapixel sensor.

The Galaxy A54 5G smartphone is expected to be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging and is expected to run on Android 13-based One UI 5.0 out-of-the-box. Connectivity options could include WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A34 5G smartphone has been tipped to arrive with a 6.6-inch display, while being made available in four colour options - Awesome Silver, Awesome Violet, Awesome Lime, and Awesome Graphite. It is expected to run on Android 13-based One UI 5.0 out-of-the-box. The smartphone has been tipped to support 25W fast charging. In terms of optics, the Galaxy A34 5G could feature a triple-camera rear setup led by a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 5-megapixel macro lens.

Pricing details of the Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G have also been suggested with the Galaxy A54 5G sporting a suggestive starting price of about EUR 550 (roughly Rs. 49,000) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model, while the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage model could be priced between EUR 590 (roughly Rs. 52,000) to EUR 610 (roughly Rs. 54,000). Meanwhile, the Galaxy A34 5G's 6GB+128GB variant could be priced between EUR 410 (roughly Rs. 36,200) and EUR 430 (roughly Rs. 38,000), while the 256GB storage model may be priced between EUR 470 (roughly Rs. 41,500) and EUR 490 (roughly Rs. 43,300).

---

Samsung's Galaxy S23 series of smartphones was launched earlier this week and the South Korean firm's high-end handsets have seen a few upgrades across all three models. What about the increase in pricing? 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.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/1wSWqKR

Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo First Impressions: Worth It?

Infinix recently launched a new model in its Zero series, the Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo. This smartphone features a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G SoC and is priced at Rs. 19,999 in India. The Marvel-themed Zero 5G 2023 Turbo, was launched to help promote the new Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania film. From what I have observed, this partnership does not extend to anything beyond additional packaging over the retail box. The cover has Infinix's logo as well as Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantamania artwork with a picture of Kang The Conquerer that does look cool.

Infinix partnered with Marvel's Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantamania film to launch Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo

 

The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo comes in a sole 8GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration. Inside the retail package, we have the smartphone, a 33W power adaptor, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a user manual, a transparent hard case, and a SIM eject tool. All of these are placed inside the box without any holder for the accessories.

The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo is the successor to the Infinix Zero 5G (Review) which was launched in 2022. It is available in three colour options: Pearly White, Submariner Black, and Coral Orange; the one we have. This smartphone has a matte back panel with a leather-like texture and a Zero 5G logo engraved in gold at the bottom. A raised, curved module houses the three-camera setup. The frame is also matte-finished and has chamfered edges.

Infinix claims to have used vegan leather for the Coral Orange colour variant

 

The power key has an integrated fingerprint sensor, and the volume buttons are placed near it on the right. The SIM tray is on the left. The USB Type-C charging port, speaker grille, microphone, and 3.5mm headphone jack are all on the bottom, and there's another microphone for noise cancellation on the top.

The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo features a three-camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro camera along with a flash. The rear camera captures images with a good level of detail and contrast, and even manages to maintain good saturation, but only in daylight.

Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo does not have an ultra-wide angle camera

 

When I tried to capture images at night, the smartphone overprocessed some of them so much that they did not appear to be real and were not usable at all. This phone can record video at up to 4K 30fps, but to get good results, you need a lot of light in the scene. The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo has a 16-megapixel front camera that takes pictures with good detail in daylight, but again, struggles in low light. 

The smartphone features a 6.78-inch IPS LCD that has a 120Hz refresh rate with a 240Hz touch sampling rate and can get as bright as 500 nits. The display is fairly colour-accurate but content is not visible under direct sunlight. For the price, this is not the display quality one would expect. 

The smartphone's display is not visible in direct sunlight

 

The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo comes equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that in my limited experience lasted for quite a while with some web browsing and watching videos on YouTube. This smartphone supports fast charging and comes with a 33W power adaptor.

It is powered by the 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1080 5G SoC which is good enough for daily tasks and smooth gaming. In my limited use, the phone performed well. The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo runs on XOS 12.0 based on Android 12 which isn't very smooth and needs a lot of improvement.

The Infinix Zero 5G 2023 Turbo is equipped with a good SoC and decent cameras, but a not-so-great display, and is priced at Rs. 19,999 in India. There are other options in this price range with better displays and cameras that offer much better value for the money.

 

---

The Infinix Zero Ultra has a decent set of specifications on paper, but does the phone justify its high asking price? 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.

 

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/HYbOepC

Google in ‘Gross Violation’ of CCI Order, Charging App Developers 11 to 26 Percent Commission: ADIF

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) on Thursday said Google is blatantly disobeying CCI orders and charging app developers an exorbitant 11-26 per cent commission even if they opt for alternative billing system. ADIF, the policy think tank focusing on Indian digital startups, has urged the authorities, including the Competition Commission of India (CCI), to look into the matter and ensure that Google complies with the specific directives of the competition commission "in letter and in spirit".

"Google has recently changed its billing requirement for app developers wherein it has mentioned that if a user pays through an alternate billing system, the Google plays service fee will be reduced by 4 per cent... Therefore, despite not using any service from Google, app developers will be forced to pay commissions to Google," ADIF said in a statement.

ADIF said that in doing so Google is blatantly disobeying CCI orders.

"This is nothing but another blatant attempt by Google to evade its obligation under the law and while Google claims that these changes are ostensibly in response to the regulatory development, the said change is in gross violation of the remedies mentioned in the CCI order," ADIF said.

Google's move is a "clear violation" of a specific direction of the CCI that the company shall not impose any condition (including price related condition) on app developers, which is unfair, unreasonable, discriminatory, or disproportionate to the services provided to the app developers.

"Further, there is absolutely no transparency as to why Google will charge 11-26 per cent even when the user avails of a third-party processing service. This becomes all the more problematic considering that most of the transactions carried out in the app digital ecosystem do not use GPBS (Google Play Billing System)," it said.

---

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 committment 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.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/kj3sSGE