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China has announced that it will soon be ready to launch commercial satellites into space with the help of new ‘small space rockets’. The commercial arm of the Chinese space agency, China Rocket, has unveiled three solid-fuel rockets named ‘Smart Dragon’ (SD) and a liquid propellant rocket named Tenglong. They are expected to be ready to launch in the next two years. SD-1, with a lifting capacity of 200 kg has completed its first flight on 17 August. SD-2 with a 500 kg lifting capacity will fly in 2020 and SD-3, which has a lifting capacity of 1,500 kg, will complete its first flight in 2021. The liquid-propellant rocket, Tenglong is slated to fly in 2021. The PSLV-C40 mission launching from ISRO's launchpad at Sriharikota. Image credit: ISRO This will be China’s foray into the industry of commercial satellite launches. India, on the other hand, has already carved a niche for itself with its commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) having got orders from private aerosp...

A bug recently made its way through Apple's App Store and removed over 20 million ratings from apps. According to a report by  TechCrunch ,   App Figures first spotted the bug , which apparently broke out last week, and as of 29 October, the issue was reportedly resolved. Representational image. The bug affected more than 300 popular apps including Google, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Nike . Reportedly, 155 countries were affected by this and on average, the apps saw a 50 percent decrease in ratings in these countries. However, some apps got it worse than the others.  App Figures reports, " Hulu lost 95 percent of its ratings in the US. Chase and Dropbox lost about 85 percent of their ratings in the US." WOW @Starbucks iOS app lost about 1.3mln of ratings overnight! @hulu lost about 900k, as well as dozens of other apps. I hope this is just @AppStore bug. pic.twitter.com/cUIrb8yeeN — ilia kukharev (@ilyakuh) October 28, 2019 Apple has now...

It was revealed yesterday that Facebook-owned online messaging platform WhatsApp sued Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group on Tuesday, accusing it of helping government spies break into the phones of roughly 1,400 users. Now it appears that some of those users had been Indian journalists. WhatsApp. A WhatsApp spokesperson told Indian Express  that the company was aware of those targeted and had contacted each one of them. WhatsApp first found a cyberattack involving a  vulnerability in their video-calling feature back in May ,  wherein users were being attacked with spyware via a malicious video call, that would affect their device even without them answering the call. “Indian journalists and human rights activists have been the target of surveillance and while I cannot reveal their identities and the exact number, I can say that it is not an insignificant number,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in an interview with Indian Express . WhatsApp head had s...

While most premium smartphone makers came out with 5G flagships, Apple was one of the few that held out this year. But that could change in 2020 if a new report out of Japan is to be believed. The 2020 iPhones, according to a new report, will come with 5G support by using Qualcomm's X55 5G modem. The X55 5G modem from Qualcomm will replace the X50 modem, and based on previous report, it could be sold both as a discrete module or integrated into a Snapdragon platform. Knowing Apple, it will be designing it's own silicon for the upcoming iPhones, and borrow the 5G modem from Qualcomm. Furthermore, the Apple A14 SoC that will house the 5G modem could be manufactured on the world's most advanced 5nm manufacturing process by TSMC. As of now, Huawei and Apple seems to be the only ones interested in 5nm manufacturing next year. Based on previous reports, we know at least two out of three iPhones in 2020 will sport flexible OLED displays, giving rise to rumours that we may see a...

Jessica Huseman / ProPublica : An in-depth look at ES&S, which controls around 50% of the US voting machine market and retained its position over the years despite several mishaps   —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up for ProPublica's Big Story newsletter to receive stories … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2C08wZb

Mysore city (or Mysuru) in Karnataka sure knows its birds. A lesser-known secret of the city that wears a royal cape is its thriving birding scene. On any given day, you can’t miss a few birders with binoculars and cameras gallivanting avian hotspots like the three famous lakes—Karanji, Kukkarahalli and Lingambudhi—and the equally famous Chamundi hills. These avid birders have pulled a rare feat of sorts when they got together to create a Bird Atlas of the city—a first of its kind in the country. The peacock in the Mysore zoo. Image credit: Wikipedia The Bird Atlas effort, which has completed three years of operation, documented 192 species of birds in the city with 130 species spotted in winter and 105 in summer/monsoon. The next time you hear the beautiful melody of an Asian koel more frequently than the cawing of the ubiquitous house crow in Mysore, don’t be surprised. Asian koels are more frequently found in this city than crows, reveals the Atlas. And black kites, rose-ring...

After a long and anticipated wait, game developer Rockstar's latest title Red Dead Redemption 2 is set to hit PCs on November 5 after being initially only being announced for consoles last year. The PC preload for the game is however now available for download. Red Dead Redemption 2. The information was given by Rockstar on its Twitter page and the game is up for preload means that those who have pre-purchased the game can now preload it on their system  through the Rockstar Launcher . Even so, be prepared to shell out a lot of hard disk space for the game as  Red Dead Redemption 2  clocks in at over 110 GB. This is more than size of the game on both the PS4 and Xbox One. ( Also Read - Red Dead Redemption 2: The symbology, morality and philosophy of Rockstar Games' latest ) "The first game in the Red Dead Redemption series to be featured on the PC platform, Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC features a range of graphical and technical enhancements for increase...

When it comes to the smartwatch category, there is only one name that matters: the Apple Watch. Since Apple Watch Series 2, Apple has consistently been delivering the best smartwatch experience on any platform. Rivals powered by WearOS and Tizen OS significantly outnumber the Apple Watch, but the user experience is quite clunky. Due to this, the Apple Watch has never left the no.1 spot in terms of smartwatch sales and revenue. The Apple Watch upgrade from Series 3 to Series 4 was huge. In fact, so impressed was I with what I saw at the Apple hardware event that I rated the Apple Watch Series 4 launch as one of the most significant launches last year —  even more important than the annual iPhone refreshes. In comparison, the Apple Watch Series 5, as an upgrade, feels about as insignificant as the OnePlus 7T Pro's (855+ SoC upgrade) . The apathy I felt for the iPhone XS series launch last year was carried over to the Apple Watch Series 5. That wow factor was mis...

In today’s stressful world, mindfulness – a type of popular spirituality that strives to focus on the present moment – promises to soothe away the anxiety and stress of modern life. The Internet is full of popular cure-all mindfulness apps targeting everyone from busy urban professionals to dieters , those suffering from insomnia and even children . We are scholars of Buddhism who specialize in social media research . In August of 2019, we searched on Apple’s App Store and Google Play and found over 500 apps associated with Buddhism. The majority of the apps centered on the practice of mindfulness. The market has been flooded with apps related to Buddhism and most of them claim to teach meditation. Image credit; Pixabay Do these apps truly promote Buddhist ideals or are they a product of a lucrative consumer industry? Health benefits As it is practiced in the U.S. today, mindfulness meditation focuses on being intensely aware, without any sort of judgment, of what one is ...

After having announced the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro smartphones globally, rumours are flying in thick about the OnePlus 8 which is expected to be announced next year. There have been a few renders of the device surfacing online and now we have a new report which states the possible launch timeframe for the devices. OnePlus 8 Pro renders. Image: OnLeaks This would make sense since that is usually the time when OnePlus announces its new phones just as it did with the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro this year. 8 and 8 Pro scheduled for Q2 2020 — Max J. (@Samsung_News_) October 29, 2019 As per the earlier report, the upcoming OnePlus 8 Pro is likely to feature a 6.65-inch punch-hole display and curved edges. The pop-up selfie camera is going to be dropped from the phones which could mean that there might finally be an official IP rating on OnePlus devices. On the back, the report suggests that there will be a triple rear camera setup with a 3D ToF sensor placed next to it. The LED flash ...

Kif Leswing / CNBC : Tim Cook suggests iPhone upgrade plans are akin to the idea of a “prime subscription”, says Apple sees it as a major growth area   —  - Some investors want Apple to sell its iPhone on a subscription basis to shift more of Apple's revenue from transactional sales to recurring revenue. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2PxUruc

Conservationists fear hundreds of koalas have perished in wildfires that have razed prime habitat on Australia’s east coast. Port Macquarie Koala Hospital President Sue Ashton said she hoped wildlife carers would be allowed to begin their search of the fire zone for survivors on Thursday. The fire was started by a lightning strike on Friday in a forest in New South Wales state, 300 kilometres north of Sydney, and has since burnt 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres). Two-thirds of that area was koala habitat, Ashton said. Mama and baby koalas sitting on a tree. Image credit: Wikipedia “If we look at a 50 percent survival rate, that’s around about 350 koalas and that’s absolutely devastating,” Ashton said of the death toll. “We’re hoping it’s not as bad as that, but because of the intensity of the fire and the way koalas behave during fire, we’re not holding out too much hope,” she added. Koalas climb high into trees during wildfires and survive if the fire front passes quickly below the...

Steven Musil / CNET : Samsung posts Q3 operating profit of $6.6B, down 56% YoY, on revenue of $53B, while the revenue from its mobile division grew 17.4% YoY to ~$25.2B   —  Declining demand for chips hurts the electronics giant's bottom line.  —  Samsung was hit hard in its third quarter by the slowdown in tech. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2N0QtIH

While Facebook stands firm on its decision to not fact-check ads run by politicians, Twitter will ban political advertising on its platform next month, the company's chief executive said on Wednesday, as social media platforms face pressure to block attempts to steer elections with false information. "We've made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally," said Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in a statement . "We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought." Social media companies, including Twitter rival Facebook Inc face growing pressure to stop selling ads that spread inaccurate information. Image: Reuters Dorsey pointed out that "while internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions." While internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very ...

An 8-inch sickle-shaped claw from the Cretaceous period hints at a new species of megaraptorid. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2q290vf

Kara Swisher / New York Times : Dorsey's political ad ban is a worthy dare to all social networks, which have become hostage to abuse and manipulation with their growth-at-all-costs mentality   —  Twitter will no longer allow political advertising, a move that places Twitter and Jack Dorsey in stark contrast to Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2N0Ry3n

There had been some rumours about the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite being worked upon by the company as an inexpensive offering in the Galaxy S10-series lineup. Now it would seem that a device has landed on Geekbench and it appears that this could be the S10 Lite. Galaxy S10. The phone has the model number SM-G770F and it is packing in the Snapdragon 855 chipset along with 8 GB RAM and it is also shown to be running Android 10. The presence of Android 10 could mean that this device may be launched only after Samsung unveils the Galaxy S11. Looking at the scores we see that the phone has managed 724 points in the single-core department and 2,604 in the multi-core test. To put that in perspective, it is higher than both Exynos and Snapdragon versions of the regular S10. Unconfirmed rumours have suggested that the Galaxy S10 Lite could, in fact, be the Galaxy A91 smartphone. As of right now there is not much else to go on about the device, but we will be sure to update you as th...

Small changes can make a big difference if taken up by enough people. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2NqMbt5

Chance Miller / 9to5Mac : Tim Cook says Apple Pay transactions more than doubled YoY to 3B+ transactions in Q4, exceeding PayPal's volume and growing 4x faster   —  Apple Pay has been growing at a brisk pace recently, and Tim Cook is making a point to emphasize that fact.  During Apple's Q4 2019 earnings call today … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/337PrR2

The men demanded money from companies in exchange for agreeing to delete data they had stolen. from CNET News https://ift.tt/3271oVO

Declining demand for chips hurts the electronics giant's bottom line. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2pqDKpG

These whisper-thin cases for iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy phones are spooky cheap. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2q4rATu

You can snag this printer for about what it might cost to replace the ink in your current printer. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2Nr8f6Z

It was reported   earlier that  Xiaomi might host an event on 5 November in China and is likely to unveil its 108 MP camera smartphone — Mi CC9 Pro and Mi Watch. Now, the company has officially released some images of its new smartwatch confirming that it will soon be released. Per the teased image, the Mi smartwatch will look a lot like the Apple Watch. The design — the shape of the dial and the placement of the crown button on the right side — has an uncanny resemblance to the Apple Watch. The Mi smartwatch is expected to come in two colour variants — black and white. The Xioami smartwatch is expected to come in two colour variants. Image: Weibo The post  on  Weibo   also reveals that the smartwatch will come with Wi-Fi, GPS, and NFC support as well as a linear motor and a  speaker. The watch is likely to allow eSIM support that might help users make calls. In terms of processor, it is expected to come wit...

Xiaomi has launched a new product on its crowdfunding platform — Mi Smart Bedside Lamp 2. As the name suggests, the product is a smart lamp that can remotely be controlled using the Mi Home app. The lamp produces 16 million colours and comes with support for voice controls via Alexa, Google Assistant, as well as Apple HomeKit. Xiaomi says that it will start shipping the Mi Smart Bedside Lamp 2 from 3 December and it will be available on the  mi.com website. Mi Smart Bedside Lamp 2 Mi Smart Bedside Lamp 2: Pricing and availability The Mi Smart Bedside lamp 2 is priced at Rs 2,999. Currently, the product has been put up on Xiaomi's crowdfunding platform and the company has set a goal of 2,000 units. The backers currently have to pay only Rs 2,299 for the product, and if Xiaomi is able to meet its target funding in time, the smart lamp will be available via open sale soon. At the time of writing the story, Xiaomi already achieved 56 percent of it...

Apple finally has a set of AirPods that really fits my ears. Here are my key early impressions. from CNET News https://ift.tt/34i8pVb

Bombs away. from CNET News https://ift.tt/31TCn09

Movie nights once required driving to the local video store to rent, rewind and return the latest blockbuster. Now on-demand video content providers offer countless binge-worthy options at the touch of a finger. But experts say the ease of streaming services comes with a hefty environmental price tag. Watching a half-hour show would lead to emissions of 1.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, said Maxime Efoui-Hess of French think tank the Shift Project. That's equivalent to driving 3.9 miles (6.28 kilometres). Most of the online traffic is related to streaming videos, on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Image credit; Flickr/Stock catalog Last year, online video streaming produced emissions equivalent to Spain and that amount may double in the next six years, according to the Shift Project. While most of the online traffic — 34 percent — is related to streaming videos, on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, for example, the next biggest sector is online porn. "Digit...

The Air Force’s mystery space plane is back on Earth, following a record-breaking two-year mission. The X-37B landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Sunday. The Air Force is mum about what the plane did in orbit after launching aboard a SpaceX rocket in 2017. The 780-day mission sets a new endurance record for the reusable test vehicle. It looks like a space shuttle but is one-fourth the size at 29 feet. the Air Force’s X-37B successfully lands at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. Image credit: NASA Officials say this latest mission successfully completed its objectives. Experiments from the Air Force Research Laboratory were aboard. This was the fifth spaceflight by a vehicle of this sort. No. 6 is planned next year with another launch from Cape Canaveral. The solar-powered plane is flown by remote control without a crew. from Firstpost Tech Latest News https://ift.tt/2osEo5B

Manish Singh / TechCrunch : MX Player, a streaming and offline video app popular in India, raises ~$111M Series A led by Tencent; source: MX Player has a post-money valuation of $500M   —  MX Player, a popular video app that offers both local playback and streaming services, said on Wednesday that it has raised $110.8 million … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2MVMdKD

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) today announced it is  suing Google  for misleading consumers about its collection and use of personal location data. The case is the consumer watchdog’s first move against a major digital platform following the publication of the  Digital Platforms Inquiry Final Report  in July. The ACCC follows regulators in countries including the US and Germany in taking action against the way “tech giants” such as Google and Facebook harvest and exploit their users’ data. What did Google do? ACCC Chair Rod Sims said Google “collected, kept and used highly sensitive and valuable personal information about consumers’ location without them making an informed choice”. Google is being sued for misleading consumers and using their personal location data. The ACCC alleges that Google breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by misleading its users in the course of 2017 and 2018, including by: not properly disclosing ...

Xiaomi had announced the Poco F1 (Review) more than a year back but it is not slacking on giving out updates to the device. The company has now announced that it has started the roll-out of the MIUI 11 update which is based on Android 10 for the device. Poco F1. The newest MIUI 11 software with build number 11.0.5.0.PEJMIXM is now being rolled out to those users who had participated in the beta test and a wider rollout will be launched in the following days. The update has a size of 1.8 GB and it also brings in the October security patch as well. Poco F1 specifications Poco F1 features a 5.99-inch full HD+ display with a 1080 x 2248 pixels resolution. The screen has a 19:9 aspect ratio, and includes a notch. That notch even houses an infrared face-unlock feature. Under the hood, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with an Adreno 630 GPU and comes with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The storage can be expanded via a microSD card. For optics...

Rachel Siegel / Washington Post : Common Sense Media: screen time for Americans aged 8 to 12 has remained flat since 2015, but time spent watching videos has doubled to an hour per day   —  More than twice as many young people watch videos every day as did four years ago, and the average time spent watching videos … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2NrLlfX

Last week, Apple released the iOS 13.2 update , which came along with a software update for the HomePod as well. The update for the smart speaker included features like multi-user support and Handoff. However, hours after the software's release many users complained that the update bricked their HomePod . Now, Apple has noted the issue and has temporarily pulled the HomePod update while it works on resolving the issue. Apple has also warned users not to factory reset their HomePods if they already updated it to iOS 13.2. The support document also mentions that users must also not attempt to remove their HomePod from the Home app. Apple HomePod. Earlier this week, many HomePod users found that the new update simply made the speaker stop working. While some users said that they could only see a white spinning light on top of the HomePod, others said they saw a red light. Some users also said that the HomePod just kept rebooting itself. In all cases, however, t...