Blog

  • Vedanta to Take Over Foxconn Chip Joint Venture From Twin Star Technologies

    Vedanta Ltd, owned by billionaire Anil Agarwal and located in Bangalore, announced it would take control from its holding company of Foxconn International Co, Taiwan’s joint venture established last year to produce semiconductors. Furthermore, they indicated their intent to acquire display glass ventures. This move comes only a week after India’s market regulator issued Vedanta with an $85,000 penalty for violating regulations by making disclosures which implied they were working together with Foxconn on this venture.

    VFSL had signed memorandums of understanding with the Gujarat government in September 2022 to set up units for chip production and display fabrication, marking an important step in India’s efforts to become an international manufacturing hub – marking its inaugural major investment under an incentive scheme which promised subsidies worth $10 billion.

    Foxconn announced its withdrawal on Monday, saying they are no longer willing to invest in the project and seek termination of contracts with VFSL. Their move had long been anticipated due to falling demand for iPhones as well as concerns surrounding their Dholera factory – however this decision came at no great surprise as Foxconn is also planning a second factory in China with plans of hiring 100,000 workers there.

    On Tuesday, India’s government downplayed this development, saying it “changes nothing about our semiconductor goals”. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s minister for electronics and information technology added that both companies could pursue their strategies for India without interference.

    Vedanta announced it has already lined up partners in order to fulfill its commitments for semiconductor fab projects, though did not name them. Furthermore, it resubmitted its application for incentives under India’s new version of semiconductor programme which now allows applicants with production-grade technology or letters of intent from partners to apply as soon as they have secured one or have their commitment secured by an agreement in principle from one.

    Vedanta’s revised application would permit them to begin manufacturing 40 nanometer (nm) chips in India from early 2022 if approved; this represents an upgrade over the current 28 nm chips produced at VFSL, giving Vedanta greater access to production-linked incentives.

    Vedanta may benefit from its resubmission in chipmaking, though it will likely struggle against Foxconn’s massive facilities. Foxconn is the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronic devices; its China plants produce around 60 million smartphones every month; this compares with 15 million from Vedanta operations which include AvanStrate Ltd – purchased as an acquisition in 2016. Vedanta boasts oil and gas reserves, copper, zinc, aluminium and iron ore deposits and infrastructure projects such as ports, power and steel projects with an estimated market value of roughly $8.5 billion.

  • Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro With Up to 30 Hours Total Battery Launched in India

    Oppo has released their Enco Air 3 Pro true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds with up to 30 hours total battery capacity in India, available in Green and White hues, on sale via Flipkart starting today. These new TWS earbuds are rebranded versions of their Enco Free 3 counterpart that was introduced back in March 2023 in China.

    OPPO Enco Air 3 Pro earbuds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 technology and feature 49dB noise cancellation for an immersive listening experience. Furthermore, they support AAC, SBC, and LDAC codecs for high-quality music playback.

    These earbuds feature proprietary Spatial Audio Technology which can deliver a three-dimensional sound experience by isolating audio from different directions, thereby improving its clarity and naturalness. Furthermore, multiple tuning modes such as Natural Inspiration, Bass Boost and Original Sound make these ideal for all users – from bass lovers to those who prefer listening to traditional music.

    As part of their gaming capabilities, these earbuds come equipped with Game mode which reduces latency to 47ms for improved hearing of footsteps and other critical sounds in battle royale games more quickly and accurately. Furthermore, dual connectivity allows two smartphones to connect simultaneously for independent audio playback – making these ideal when playing together or keeping tabs on notifications while messaging over WhatsApp.

    IP55-rated earbuds from OPPO can be used for exercise and outdoor activities, so you can enjoy listening to your favourite tunes while on the move. They come in Green and White color options and cost Rs 4,999; available now through both their official store as well as Amazon and Flipkart platforms.

    These earbuds feature 43mAh batteries in each earbud and come equipped with a 440mAh charging case, offering up to 7 hours of playback per charge and 30 when used together with its case. When charging together it takes 120 minutes; separately takes 90 minutes.

    OPPO ColorOS 11.0 and later phones allow for double-tap camera control on these earbuds to quickly take photos or videos, answer calls, and perform voice commands with Google Assistant and Siri. They are now up for pre-order on Flipkart with limited stock at their launch price of Rs 4,999; more details are available here on their product page. For even more tech news updates and reviews download our app on your smartphone! Thank you for reading!

  • Elon Musk Sues Law Firm Wachtell to Recover Fees From Twitter Buyout

    Elon Musk hasn’t made life any simpler for Twitter after burdening it with debt through his leveraged buyout last year. Since then, he’s engaged in legal battles with landlords, vendors and consultants claiming their services have gone unpaid; and now wants to recoup millions in legal fees paid out before his acquisition.

    According to a lawsuit filed this week by X Corp, which owns Twitter, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz took advantage of X Corp’s transition period when ownership was being transferred from them to Elon Musk and accrued a $90 million fee for their work. According to the complaint filed against Wachtell “arranged to secure funds from company cash register while keys were being given over.”

    The lawsuit alleges that Wachtell charged hourly for its services until it successfully secured an agreement with Twitter’s former owners that allowed it to play an integral role in closing its transaction. At that point, it allegedly levied an enormous “success fee,” which the lawsuit describes as being “unconscionable” given how long Wachtell had only worked on the Delaware case.

    The lawsuit filed by X Corp against Wachtell seeks to recover “any associated excess fee payments and related litigation costs”, though Wachtell has yet to respond to it. Also named in the complaint are former Twitter directors Martha Lane Fox and Vijaya Gadde as well as general counsel Sean Edgett as defendants.

    Wachtell did not immediately respond to our requests for comment, nor have they been named in any other suits against Twitter; yet according to this suit filed against Wachtell it seems clear that Twitter still faces financial difficulty.

    Twitter has been reported as losing tens of millions each quarter as it struggles to meet the demands of an aging user base and maintain its status as a global news source. As such, costs have been cut across various areas including layoffs and features reduction. Recently it rolled out an $8 monthly Twitter Blue subscription service as well as charging developers access levels it once provided for free.

    Elon Musk Sues Law Firm Wachtell to Recover Fees From Twitter Buyout

    This lawsuit represents a major setback for Twitter, which has experienced declining revenues and user growth since their purchase by Elon. Followed by significant layoffs, Twitter has decided to limit users who don’t pay for its service to 140 characters per tweet and implemented Threads as a new initiative offering limited features of Twitter to users who opt-in. Twitter is currently struggling financially after Musk loaded it with $12.5 billion in debt during his leveraged buyout of the social media platform, leaving more than $1 billion annually owed in service payments on that debt. Yet despite these challenges, Twitter remains one of the world’s most beloved and popular social networks.

  • Chandrayaan-3 Landing Is Important Step For Exploration

    Indian space agency ISRO sees India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission aimed at landing a rover and lander on the Moon this month as an essential step toward human spaceflight, according to its chief. Additionally, this adds momentum towards sending equipment onto lunar surfaces worldwide – particularly its south pole believed to contain water ice that could sustain human presence there but unfortunately three out of the last four attempts have failed so far.

    Chandrayaan-3 could make history when successful; becoming only the fourth Asian nation after United States, former Soviet Union and China to land successfully on the Moon.

    India can take great pride in the success of its homegrown space program, which has since evolved into an expanding network of private start-ups. International partners also expressed confidence in India’s ability to undertake crewed space travel in future missions.

    Chandrayaan-3 will use the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), with launch scheduled for July 14 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Once in Earth parking orbit, mission team can use its stability to verify all components are operating as intended before beginning its deep space journey. Once on lunar transfer trajectory, landing and rover missions will orbit around their respective lunar bodies close to those that orbit Earth itself.

    At this stage, the lander will separate from its propulsion module and alter its orbit so as to come closer to the Moon. Once close enough, it will initiate soft landing procedures. After it touches down on its target site, rover will gather photographs of it for analysis.

    Chandrayaan-3 features seven scientific payloads with varied purposes. RAMBHA will measure changes to lunar ionosphere density over time. The Lunar Seismic Activity Sensor can detect seismic activities on the Moon’s surface. The Large Area Soft X-Ray Spectometer will use Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram Lander/Rover as a basis to investigate water at both poles of the Moon, further strengthening evidence found by Chandrayaan-2 that there exists water at one pole (South Pole). The Lunar Exploration Rover will conduct various experiments as well as carrying a symbolic Indian Flag as part of its commitment to interplanetary exploration. India will use this mission to search for signs of life on the Moon as well as study its composition and temperature to help provide clues as to its potential habitability. Furthermore, new technologies including thermal protection systems will be tested out as preparation for eventual human flights to Mars or beyond – helping India compete with NASA and Russia in developing technologies necessary for human space travel.

  • WhatsApp Lets Beta Testers Log on to WhatsApp Web Using Phone Number

    WhatsApp is an extremely popular messaging app used by billions of people globally, and continues to add features that make its use easier for its users. Such features include end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls, the ability to send photos/videos that disappear after viewing once, etc. These updates typically first hit beta testers prior to becoming stable releases. WhatsApp recently unveiled a web version of their application so users can log on from any computer or laptop without using their phone; its multi-device support is currently limited to Android users only.

    To use WhatsApp Web with your phone number on PC or laptop, it is first necessary to have installed the latest version of its mobile app on your smartphone. Next, head over to WhatsApp Web website and enter your phone number on the top right of the page; an 8-digit code will then be shown for you to enter in on your phone in order to connect your device to your account. Alternatively, Blue stacks software provides another way of signing into WhatsApp from PC; however this method requires re-verifying it each time your connect to web via mobile device.

    Before, if you wanted to use WhatsApp on a computer or laptop, the only way to sign up for its beta program would be via your mobile phone. Now however, due to company changes, signing up is much simpler as beta test participation can now be completed from any computer and you can leave at any time!

    The WhatsApp Web feature makes accessing messages easy from any computer, tablet, or laptop – perfect for people working from home or traveling frequently and needing to stay in contact with colleagues and friends. Our team has taken on board your feedback regarding faster device linking speeds and better synchronisation across devices.

    WhatsApp has introduced several other features for its millions of global users in addition to multi-device support, including hiding online status in groups and the ability to silence unknown callers, according to WAbetaInfo. WABetaInfo anticipates this feature will soon reach beta testers on both Android and iOS platforms.

    If you’re curious about becoming a WhatsApp beta tester, make sure to keep an eye out on the play store or official website for updates and sign-up. However, keep in mind that beta testing slots are limited; only around 1000 people per year are chosen as testers. If any questions arise feel free to post in the comments section below! Jim is a tech writer specializing in VPN services, antivirus protection, mesh Wi-Fi networks and related topics.

  • Chandrayaan 3 Launch Will Make India Fourth Country to Land Spacecraft on the Moon

    India’s space agency launched a rocket on Friday that sent a spacecraft into orbit for its planned landing at the Moon’s south pole next month – an achievement which would solidify India’s position as an international player in space exploration. The mission will deploy a six-wheeled lander/rover pair searching for water deposits; success would make India just the fourth country after America, Russia and China to land spacecraft on our moon.

    Chandrayaan-3, costing over Rs 600 crore to construct, was launched by India’s Space Research Organization (ISRO) from Sriharikota Space Centre near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh India via LVM3 M4 rocket launch vehicle on its journey towards moon. A plume of smoke and fire was seen surrounding it upon launch into space.

    ISRO chief S Somanath announced that, all going according to plan, Chandrayaan-3 should touch down on the Moon at 5:47 pm local time on August 23 during lunar dawn. This mission marks India’s third attempt at landing softly on the Moon; Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008 discovered evidence of water ice on its surface while Chandrayaan-2 crashed during landing.

    India’s space agency boasts an impressive list of accomplishments, but landing on the Moon would rank among its greatest successes to date. India may have only begun participating in space activities recently compared with countries such as USA or former USSR; but its scientists have made inroads into space science with world’s second-best vaccine for covid-19 production as well as working on other life-saving projects.

    Modi also noted the mission could serve as an “moment of glory” for India. He extended his congratulations to all involved and called it an important “new chapter” in its space journey.

    ISRO will use this mission to showcase its indigenous technology, enabling it to work collaboratively with other nations on various missions – like NISAR spacecraft that will fly two radars to monitor minute changes on Earth’s surface and investigate water ice possibly present on permanently shadowed regions of the moon. India plans to partner with Japan’s space agency on another exploration mission known as Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX), which will probe for signs of water in the lunar polar regions.

    Chandrayaan-3 will, like its predecessors, comprise of an orbiter, lander, and rover. The orbiter will continue its observation of the lunar surface while the lander attempts to land on it – taking approximately 14 days from orbital descent until reaching lunar surface – with subsequent exploration by its rover as it collects samples for scientific investigations.

  • Oppo Reno 10 Series Expected to Sell 83 Percent More Than Previous Series

    Oppo’s Reno 10 Series smartphones are expected to sell 83 percent more than their predecessors thanks to a host of new features and an attractive price point. Oppo will launch their Reno 10 series phones today in India; ahead of this launch event they have already shared several interesting details.

    Oppo’s new smartphone lineup will boast cutting-edge technologies that will enhance user experience. Each phone will include an advanced power management chip called SUPERVOOC S, which helps increase discharge efficiency by an incredible margin – helping reduce heat while improving longevity of battery performance. Furthermore, each phone will come equipped with an improved IR blaster and powerful vapour chamber liquid cooling system to dissipate heat effectively while maintaining battery temperature stability.

    Oppo Reno 10 Series smartphones feature a dual-frequency GPS system that combines L1 and L5 frequencies to deliver improved location accuracy and speed, making this feature especially beneficial to gamers who use mobile devices for gaming purposes. Furthermore, their phones will feature a massive 6.7-inch OLED display perfect for watching videos or playing games and featuring an incredible peak brightness of 950 Nits that makes viewing it even under direct sunlight possible.

    Oppo Reno 10 Series cameras will also receive significant enhancements. New models will feature a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary sensor, 32MP telephoto portrait camera and 8MP ultra-wide camera; providing users with numerous photography opportunities as well as 4K video capture capability.

    Oppo has improved their fingerprint scanner to be both faster and more secure. Upgraded sensors now unlock phones in just 0.8 seconds while an optimized recognition structure reduces errors; additionally, these new sensors can recognize more fingerprints to unlock phones more rapidly and securely.

    Oppo’s Reno 10 Series is anticipated to be an immense hit among Indian consumers, and is confident of expanding its market share due to its innovative features. These phones will begin making appearances later this year in select markets before potentially reaching Europe as well.

  • Apple Sees Rise in MacBook Air Demand Amid Decline in Global PC Shipment

    Apple outpaced the market during the second quarter, showing a 51% surge thanks to strong consumer interest for their MacBook Air laptop, which features an M2 chip and sleek design that appeals to consumers, according to research firm Canalys. Apple’s success furthers early signs of PC market recovery as businesses and individuals upgrade devices in response to post-pandemic downturn.

    Q2 2023 saw an overall PC market decline of just 12%, significantly smaller than the over-30% drops seen in Q1 and Q2. This drop can be attributed to weak consumer spending as people increasingly rely on smartphones for tasks like social media use, email communications, calendaring and banking. Furthermore, businesses are deferring investments in IT hardware as they wait for macroeconomic conditions to improve before making commitments in IT hardware purchases.

    However, this overall decline should decrease during the second half of 2019 as demand grows for laptops that are more portable and feature longer battery lives – especially those equipped with 8th generation Intel Core processors that offer greater performance and graphics enhancement over previous generation models.

    Apple’s MacBook Air laptop has long been a top pick among students and business professionals alike, as its thin, lightweight design makes it easy to transport. Furthermore, its powerful processor and high-resolution display deliver exceptional performance; additional accessories and software make the MacBook Air great for work, school and entertainment purposes alike – its popularity most likely stemming from its affordable pricing structure, great design aesthetic, extensive ecosystem of apps services and accessories as well as affordability.

    Apple’s other laptops, particularly the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, have proven popular among customers. Both feature slim designs with fast processors and large displays. Apple notebook sales have experienced over 16% growth this year compared to last year, driven mostly by sales of these two models – specifically MacBook Air sales were responsible for much of this expansion.

    Although all five vendors reported YoY shipment declines in Q2 2023, Lenovo held onto its lead with 24% market share on 14.2 million units shipped even as their shipments decreased 18% versus Q1 2023. Second-placed HP experienced lower adjustments thanks to strong Chromebook sales while Dell experienced minimal reduction due to their focus on commercial and premium products. Acer saw its share slip to fifth with 19.2% decrease on 4.1 million shipped due to limited exposure in entry-to-mainstream segment products.

  • Motorola Razr 40 Ultra to Go on Sale in India During Amazon Prime

    Motorola Razr 40 Ultra to Go On Sale during Amazon Prime

    Amazon has made available for pre-order the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra foldable phone. This premium smartphone combines classic flip phone design with industry-defining Flex View technology, giving users new ways to interact, capture and create. This smartphone boasts a 6.69″ 1080p LTPO AMOLED display; Corning Gorilla Glass Victus; durable 7000-series aluminum frame; unique teardrop hinge design making it the World’s Slimmest Foldable Phone when closed – World’s Slimmest Foldable Phone in fact

    The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset and boasts up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. Running Android 13, this smartphone also supports various connectivity options including Wi-Fi 6E, 5G wireless charging and Bluetooth 5.0 for optimal use.

    On the camera front, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra features an advanced 12MP main camera sensor with Instant Dual Pixel PDAF and an f/1.5 aperture lens to capture stunning photos under challenging lighting conditions. There is also a secondary 13MP ultrawide + macro vision camera which captures wide-angle shots that capture 3X more content within each frame; users can flip open their phone for selfies or video calls using its 32MP front-facing camera.

    Razr 40 Ultra and Motorola Razr 40 Foldable Smartphones both boast a unique teardrop hinge design, making them among the slimmest foldable smartphones when closed. Each phone boasts a 6.9-inch POLED main display with industry’s fastest refresh rate of 165Hz for immersive viewing experience with HDR 10+ technology and Dolby Atmos for cinematic experience.

    Amazon India will begin selling the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Razr40 smartphones beginning today, July 15. Both devices can be found for an initial price tag of Rs 89,999 each and come with instant discounts up to Rs 7,000 with monthly installment payments starting from Rs 4,300 per month. Smartphones will feature prominently at this year’s Amazon Prime Day sale, set for July 15 and 16 in 2023. This sale promises an array of lucrative offers, cashback and discounts across a wide variety of products. Highlights of this sale include deals on newly released smartphones like the Samsung M34 5G, iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G, Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5G and OnePlus Nord 3 5G as well as attractive exchange offers on old phones – you can read more about this sale by reading our blog post here.

  • Indian Online Gaming Firms Planning to Relocate Could Violate Laws

    Indian Online Gaming Firms Planning to Relocate Could Violate Laws

    Companies affiliated with the E-Gaming Federation and All India Gaming Federation as well as several fantasy sports startups plan on approaching state governments regarding implementation of rules notified by the central government this year.

    MeitY has proposed new rules aimed at regulating gaming intermediaries. Furthermore, these new regulations aim to ensure user safety by restricting access to games that pose potential threats to India’s sovereignty and integrity as a nation, security of the state or friendly relations with foreign states or public order owing to their addictive properties.

    However, they still lump all gaming intermediaries together regardless of risk and require them to adhere to KYC requirements, placing an undue burden on young start-ups trying to compete against global players. Furthermore, this rule grants the Union government overly broad powers when classifying an entity as an online gaming intermediary and exercising regulatory power over them for KYC purposes – an overreach of central government discretion without an underlying legal basis, according to experts.