Spotify Planning to Test Full-Length Music Videos in App

Spotify Technology is considering adding full-length music videos to its app, which could help the streaming service better compete with Alphabet's YouTube and ByteDance's TikTok.

The service has already begun talking to partners about the product, according to people familiar with the plan who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak about it publicly. 

Spotify declined to comment. 

The feature would add to Spotify's growing efforts to establish video — which in the streaming media era has tended to be more lucrative than audio — as a core part of its app. Spotify already allows musicians to upload “canvases,” or looping GIFs under 10 seconds long, that populate the screen while music plays. Earlier this year, it debuted a feature called “clips,” which are videos shorter than 30 seconds designed to give artists a storytelling tool to communicate about their music, similar to how they might use TikTok.

The company also launched a new, TikTok-esque music home screen in March that allows users to preview and swipe through surfacing videos before committing to listen to a full track. Earlier this week, Spotify announced that the platform has surpassed more than 100,000 podcasts with video.

Spotify is responding to growing competition for the Gen Z audience by YouTube and TikTok. YouTube operates a streaming music service and appeals to fans with full-length music videos, as well as the more concise Shorts. It has also added podcasts to YouTube Music. ByteDance has reportedly looked to expand its music streaming service Resso, which already operates in countries where Spotify is offered, and TikTok has become an important discovery platform for musical artists. 

Spotify previously set its sights on video by creating its own original series and working with media companies, including Paramount Global and Vice Media, to place TV content in the app, such as clips from the Comedy Central show Broad City. Those deals eventually lapsed.

© 2023 Bloomberg LP

---

Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet on the latest episode of 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/YNzdV05
via IFTTT

US SEC Said to Have Raised Concerns About Bitcoin ETF to Asset Managers

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said recent applications by asset managers to launch spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were not sufficiently clear and comprehensive, a source familiar with the matter said.

The SEC has communicated its concerns to the exchanges Nasdaq and Cboe Global Markets which filed the applications on behalf of asset managers including BlackRock and Fidelity, the source added on Friday.

Bitcoin, which has jumped since BlackRock filed its application on June 15, fell after the Wall Street Journal first reported the SEC rejection on Friday. The world's largest cryptocurrency was last down 1 percent at $30.142 (nearly Rs. 2,500).

The SEC, Fidelity, BlackRock and Nasdaq declined to comment on the report, while Cboe was not immediately available.

The ETF filings by such major firms had sparked renewed investor hopes that a bitcoin ETF would finally be approved by the SEC, and revived interest in cyptocurrencies, which have been hit by a series of crypto company meltdowns including the sudden collapse of exchange FTX late last year.

The SEC has rejected dozens of spot bitcoin ETF applications in recent years, including one from Fidelity in January 2022.

In all the cases, it said the filings did not meet the standards designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative practices and protect investors and the public interest.

In a bid to address these concerns, the BlackRock and Fidelity filings proposed a surveillance mechanism aimed at preventing manipulation, but the applicants did not name which bitcoin exchange would be involved.

Blockchain-related stocks fell following the SEC's decision, with Coinbase, Riot Platforms and Marathon Digital between 3 percent and 3.7 percent lower.

© Thomson Reuters 2023 

---

Will crypto tax hurt the industry in India? 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.

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

US SEC Said to Have Raised Concerns About Bitcoin ETF to Asset Managers

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said recent applications by asset managers to launch spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were not sufficiently clear and comprehensive, a source familiar with the matter said.

The SEC has communicated its concerns to the exchanges Nasdaq and Cboe Global Markets which filed the applications on behalf of asset managers including BlackRock and Fidelity, the source added on Friday.

Bitcoin, which has jumped since BlackRock filed its application on June 15, fell after the Wall Street Journal first reported the SEC rejection on Friday. The world's largest cryptocurrency was last down 1 percent at $30.142 (nearly Rs. 2,500).

The SEC, Fidelity, BlackRock and Nasdaq declined to comment on the report, while Cboe was not immediately available.

The ETF filings by such major firms had sparked renewed investor hopes that a bitcoin ETF would finally be approved by the SEC, and revived interest in cyptocurrencies, which have been hit by a series of crypto company meltdowns including the sudden collapse of exchange FTX late last year.

The SEC has rejected dozens of spot bitcoin ETF applications in recent years, including one from Fidelity in January 2022.

In all the cases, it said the filings did not meet the standards designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative practices and protect investors and the public interest.

In a bid to address these concerns, the BlackRock and Fidelity filings proposed a surveillance mechanism aimed at preventing manipulation, but the applicants did not name which bitcoin exchange would be involved.

Blockchain-related stocks fell following the SEC's decision, with Coinbase, Riot Platforms and Marathon Digital between 3 percent and 3.7 percent lower.

© Thomson Reuters 2023 

---

Will crypto tax hurt the industry in India? 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.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/fINzlnB
via IFTTT

Meta Google Advised in Vietnam to Use AI to Detect Toxic Content on Social Media: Report

Vietnam has told cross-border social platforms to use artificial intelligence (AI) models that can detect and remove "toxic" content automatically, the latest requirement in its stringent regime for social media firms, state media reported on Friday.

Vietnam has repeatedly asked companies like Meta's Facebook, Google's YouTube and TikTok to coordinate with authorities to stamp out content deemed "toxic", such as offensive, false and anti-state content.

"This is the first time Vietnam has announced such an order," state-run broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV) reported from the information ministry's mid-year review event, which was opened to selected newspaper.

The report did not give details on when and how cross-border platforms had to abide by the new requirement.

During the first half of this year, in accordance with government requests, Facebook removed 2,549 posts, the ministry said in a statement. YouTube removed 6,101 videos while TikTok took down 415 links, the info ministry said in a statement.

The announcement came as Southeast Asian countries are drawing up governance and ethics guidelines for AI that will impose "guardrails" on the booming technology, Reuters reported this month.

Vietnam in recent years has issued several regulations together with a cybersecurity law that target foreign social media platforms in a bid to battle disinformation in news and force foreign tech firms to establish representative offices in Vietnam and store data in the country.

The country last month undertook a comprehensive inspection on short videos platform TikTok's local operations and preliminary results showed "various" TikTok violations, the info ministry has said.

VTV reported the info ministry saying at Friday's event that US streaming giant Netflix had submitted documents needed to open a local office in Vietnam.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/sKjAJVW

Meta Now Allows Secure Chat Transfer Between Devices on WhatsApp Using QR Code

Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg on Friday announced a new feature on the platform's instant messaging app, WhatsApp. According to the Meta CEO, users will now be allowed to transfer their chat history between devices conveniently and in a secure way. Currently, both the devices need to work on the same OS (operating system) for the transfer to take place. The new feature makes the process easier and faster to transfer messages as well as larger attachments from one device to another.

In a post shared by Meta CEO on his official Facebook handle, Zuckerberg wrote, "If you want to move your WhatsApp chats to a new phone, you can now do it more privately without your chats ever leaving your devices." Apparently, now the users will be able to share the chat history with the help of QR code authentication. He also shared a demonstration video to explain the new process. 

While WhatsApp already allowed users to transfer their chat history from one phone to another, the new method of chat transfer using QR code makes the process more safe. Currently, users can transfer their chat history by either using third party apps, or by updating the backup on cloud services. 

However, with the new process, users do not need to exit their app on one device to transfer the data on the other phone. The data remains only between two devices, without any third party apps or clod services in between, and stays safe.

Users will therefore not be required to take a backup of the data for the purpose of transferring that chat history or media files. In order to transfer using QR code, both devices should be physically connected to Wi-Fi and location enabled. One can transfer chats and media from an old phone by going to Settings > Chats > Chats Transfer > Scan the QR code using the new device. 

---

Apple's annual developer conference is just around the corner. From the company's first mixed reality headset to new software updates, we discuss all the things we're looking forward to seeing at WWDC 2023 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/qb4YI5J
via IFTTT

Microsofts Acquisition of Activision Blizzard Likely to Lessen Competition Says Canadian Justice Department

Canada's Department of Justice has concluded that Microsoft's deal to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard "is likely to" lead to less competition in some aspects of gaming, according to a court filing on Thursday.

In a letter dated Wednesday to Microsoft's US lawyers, the department said it had communicated to Microsoft's and Activision's lawyers in Canada that the deal would likely lead to less competition in "gaming consoles and multigame subscription services (as well as cloud gaming)."

On Thursday, the letter was put on the docket of a US federal court proceeding in which the US Federal Trade Commission is asking a judge to temporarily stop the proposed transaction so that an FTC judge will have time to assess it. Closing arguments in the proceeding are set for later on Thursday.

Microsoft has pressed for a decision in the court fight before the July 18 termination date for the deal. A ruling could come as early as next week.

In a statement, Microsoft said it was working with antitrust enforcers to address concerns.

"We received notice from the Canada Competition Bureau that it would continue to monitor our acquisition of Activision Blizzard after the formal waiting period preventing the deal to close expired," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Microsoft's bid to acquire the Call of Duty videogame maker also faces opposition from British competition authorities. Microsoft's appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal is scheduled for July 28.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of 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/nz5fmIi

Microsofts Acquisition of Activision Blizzard Likely to Lessen Competition Says Canadian Justice Department

Canada's Department of Justice has concluded that Microsoft's deal to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard "is likely to" lead to less competition in some aspects of gaming, according to a court filing on Thursday.

In a letter dated Wednesday to Microsoft's US lawyers, the department said it had communicated to Microsoft's and Activision's lawyers in Canada that the deal would likely lead to less competition in "gaming consoles and multigame subscription services (as well as cloud gaming)."

On Thursday, the letter was put on the docket of a US federal court proceeding in which the US Federal Trade Commission is asking a judge to temporarily stop the proposed transaction so that an FTC judge will have time to assess it. Closing arguments in the proceeding are set for later on Thursday.

Microsoft has pressed for a decision in the court fight before the July 18 termination date for the deal. A ruling could come as early as next week.

In a statement, Microsoft said it was working with antitrust enforcers to address concerns.

"We received notice from the Canada Competition Bureau that it would continue to monitor our acquisition of Activision Blizzard after the formal waiting period preventing the deal to close expired," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Microsoft's bid to acquire the Call of Duty videogame maker also faces opposition from British competition authorities. Microsoft's appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal is scheduled for July 28.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of 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/nz5fmIi
via IFTTT

Inflection AI Raises $1.3 Billion Investment From Microsoft and Nvidia

Inflection AI, a startup backed by several Silicon Valley heavyweights, said on Thursday it had raised $1.3 billion (nearly Rs. 10,670 crore) from investors including Microsoft and Nvidia, amid a boom in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.

The investment, a mix of cash and cloud credit, valued the one-year-old company at $4 billion (nearly Rs. 32,840 crore), a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Inflection released its chatbot Pi last month. Founded by Google DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, it focused on building consumer-faced AI products and is considered a top rival of OpenAI.

Pi uses generative AI technology, similar to ChatGPT, to interact with users through dialogues, allowing people to ask questions and share feedback. Inflection said it wants to build a personal AI that will help people plan, schedule, gather information and perform other tasks.

Palo Alto, California-based Inflection AI has about 35 employees. It raised $225 million (nearly Rs. 1,850 crore) in a first round of funding in early 2022 from Greylock, Microsoft and Reid Hoffman.

Last week, it released a report on its model Inflection-1, which powers Pi, and claims it has outperformed most models available.

Most of the funding will be used to build computing power to develop a more powerful foundation model, according to Suleyman, chief executive at Inflection.

"We'll be building a cluster of around 22,000 H100s. This is approximately three times more compute than what was used to train all of GPT4. Speed and scale are what's going to really enable us to build a differentiated product," Suleyman said at Collision Conference on Thursday.

The AI space has been hailed as the next frontier for technology after OpenAI's bot ChatGPT became a viral sensation late last year.

The industry has drawn several investors in the past few months as corporates examine ways to integrate the technology into their businesses, while regulators have been mulling over how to tackle the technology.

Microsoft, an existing investor and also backer of rival OpenAI, participated in Inflection's latest fundraise.

Nvidia, which has stepped up its AI investments recently, Hoffman, Bill Gates and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt also participated in the latest round, Inflection said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/wv8bGD4

Byju'sClose to Achieving Profitability at the Group Level Claims CEO

Edtech major Byju's is growing slowly but sustainably and is close to achieving profitability at the group level, the company's CEO Byju Raveendran said on Thursday.

The company organised a town hall with Raveendran to allay apprehensions about the uncertainty around the company's growth and its future.

According to sources, who attended the town hall, Raveendran said that issues with $1.2 billion (nearly Rs. 9,852 crore) Term Loan B lenders are being resolved through discussion and hopeful of a positive outcome in the next few weeks without the court's intervention.

"Byju shared that Byju's is close to achieving profitability at the group level, demonstrating the company's commitment to financial management and optimization of operations," a source said.

He said that despite the challenges faced by tech companies globally, Byju's has made substantial progress towards this significant milestone.

Byju's had set a timeline to achieve profitability by March 2023.

"He said that Byju's is now growing slowly but sustainably and most of its business verticals are in good shape, relatively speaking," the source said.

Several reports have emerged around Byju's financial performance, debt burden, delay in filing financial results and the latest being investor in the firm Prosus lowering valuation in the firm for 9.6 percent stake.

Prosus' 9.6 percent stake value pegs the edtech firm's valuation at around $6 billion (nearly Rs. 49,260 crore) instead of $22 billion (nearly Rs. 1,80,600 crore) claimed by Byju's.

Amid all the controversies, a Delaware Court recently passed an order in favour of Byju's giving the company a significant boost in its fight against various controversies.

"Byju shared an important update that the TLB dispute is being resolved through constructive discussions, and the company is confident about achieving a positive outcome in the next few weeks without court intervention," another source said.

Raveendran said that constructive discussion with lenders signifies the company's ability to navigate challenges and find solutions through proactive engagement.

The CEO clarified to employees about the director's and auditor Deloitte's resignation.

"Byju highlighted the strategic decision to appoint BDO as Byju's statutory auditors for the next five years which led to Deloitte's exit. He said that a mutually agreed-upon decision has been taken to focus on efficient and timely audits going forward," the source said.

Raveendran during the town hall said that the company is now actively expanding and diversifying its board to reflect the scale, scope, and reach of operations, which is a routine practice for large companies.

He touched upon concerns around the viability of edtech as an industry.

He said that edtech is not a 'pandemic phenomenon' but a permanent fixture in education.

"Byju reassured that Byju's has weathered storms before and emerged stronger. He exhorted his team to “rise above the noise” and work with the resilience and determination that is found in the DNA of BYJU'S," the source said.

Another source claimed that employees did not ask any questions about lay-offs and provident fund deposits.

"Raveendran said that the company has been under crisis multiple times and has come out stronger. So they will come out stronger this time too," the source said.

An email query sent to Byju's elicited no reply. 

---

Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet on the latest episode of 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/zoJblCy

Byju'sClose to Achieving Profitability at the Group Level Claims CEO

Edtech major Byju's is growing slowly but sustainably and is close to achieving profitability at the group level, the company's CEO Byju Raveendran said on Thursday.

The company organised a town hall with Raveendran to allay apprehensions about the uncertainty around the company's growth and its future.

According to sources, who attended the town hall, Raveendran said that issues with $1.2 billion (nearly Rs. 9,852 crore) Term Loan B lenders are being resolved through discussion and hopeful of a positive outcome in the next few weeks without the court's intervention.

"Byju shared that Byju's is close to achieving profitability at the group level, demonstrating the company's commitment to financial management and optimization of operations," a source said.

He said that despite the challenges faced by tech companies globally, Byju's has made substantial progress towards this significant milestone.

Byju's had set a timeline to achieve profitability by March 2023.

"He said that Byju's is now growing slowly but sustainably and most of its business verticals are in good shape, relatively speaking," the source said.

Several reports have emerged around Byju's financial performance, debt burden, delay in filing financial results and the latest being investor in the firm Prosus lowering valuation in the firm for 9.6 percent stake.

Prosus' 9.6 percent stake value pegs the edtech firm's valuation at around $6 billion (nearly Rs. 49,260 crore) instead of $22 billion (nearly Rs. 1,80,600 crore) claimed by Byju's.

Amid all the controversies, a Delaware Court recently passed an order in favour of Byju's giving the company a significant boost in its fight against various controversies.

"Byju shared an important update that the TLB dispute is being resolved through constructive discussions, and the company is confident about achieving a positive outcome in the next few weeks without court intervention," another source said.

Raveendran said that constructive discussion with lenders signifies the company's ability to navigate challenges and find solutions through proactive engagement.

The CEO clarified to employees about the director's and auditor Deloitte's resignation.

"Byju highlighted the strategic decision to appoint BDO as Byju's statutory auditors for the next five years which led to Deloitte's exit. He said that a mutually agreed-upon decision has been taken to focus on efficient and timely audits going forward," the source said.

Raveendran during the town hall said that the company is now actively expanding and diversifying its board to reflect the scale, scope, and reach of operations, which is a routine practice for large companies.

He touched upon concerns around the viability of edtech as an industry.

He said that edtech is not a 'pandemic phenomenon' but a permanent fixture in education.

"Byju reassured that Byju's has weathered storms before and emerged stronger. He exhorted his team to “rise above the noise” and work with the resilience and determination that is found in the DNA of BYJU'S," the source said.

Another source claimed that employees did not ask any questions about lay-offs and provident fund deposits.

"Raveendran said that the company has been under crisis multiple times and has come out stronger. So they will come out stronger this time too," the source said.

An email query sent to Byju's elicited no reply. 

---

Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet on the latest episode of 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/zoJblCy
via IFTTT

OpenAI Sued in US for Allegedly Misusing Artists' Work to Train ChatGPT

Two US authors sued OpenAI in San Francisco federal court on Wednesday, claiming in a proposed class action that the company misused their works to "train" its popular generative artificial-intelligence system ChatGPT.

Massachusetts-based writers Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad said ChatGPT mined data copied from thousands of books without permission, infringing the authors' copyrights.

Matthew Butterick, an attorney for the authors, declined to comment. Representatives for OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several legal challenges have been filed over material used to train cutting-edge AI systems. Plaintiffs include source-code owners against OpenAI and Microsoft's GitHub, and visual artists against Stability AI, Midjourney and DeviantArt.

The lawsuit targets have argued that their systems make fair use of copyrighted work.

ChatGPT responds to users' text prompts in a conversational way. It became the fastest-growing consumer application in history earlier this year, reaching 100 million active users in January only two months after it was launched.

ChatGPT and other generative AI systems create content using large amounts of data scraped from the internet. Tremblay and Awad's lawsuit said books are a "key ingredient" because they offer the "best examples of high-quality longform writing."

The complaint estimated that OpenAI's training data incorporated over 300,000 books, including from illegal "shadow libraries" that offer copyrighted books without permission.

Awad is known for novels including '13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl' and 'Bunny'. Tremblay's novels include 'The Cabin at the End of the World', which was adapted in the M. Night Shyamalan film 'Knock at the Cabin' released in February.

Tremblay and Awad said ChatGPT could generate "very accurate" summaries of their books, indicating that they appeared in its database.

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of money damages on behalf of a nationwide class of copyright owners whose works OpenAI allegedly misused.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/dMPTpRJ

Indian Government Met Foxconn Samsung Electronics Others to Discuss PLI Scheme

The Indian government met large global firms such as Foxconn, Samsung Electronics and Reliance Industries to find ways to boost manufacturing in the country with its production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

The meeting, addressed by India's Trade Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday, comes amid concerns that some of the businesses were facing delays in availing the incentives from New Delhi amid complicated procedures.

The discussions included ways to improve local manufacturing at competitive costs, higher domestic value-adds in production, and quick grievance redressal, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The meeting was also attended by executives from iPhone maker Wistron, laptop maker Dell, telecommunications firm Nokia Solutions and others that benefited from the scheme's incentive payouts.

The PLI scheme, introduced in late 2020, is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's main industrial policy to boost manufacturing.

The government has so far announced incentives for 14 sectors including electronics and technology products, pharmaceutical drugs, and drones, among others, drawing investments totalling Rs. 625 billion until March 2023, per the statement.

Investments under the PLI scheme are expected to rise further to Rs. 2.74 trillion as it runs its course, according to government estimates.

With more than Rs. 1.97 trillion earmarked for incentives, payouts totalled Rs. 29 billion until fiscal 2023 across eight industries.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/wfIPgxp

Indian Government Met Foxconn Samsung Electronics Others to Discuss PLI Scheme

The Indian government met large global firms such as Foxconn, Samsung Electronics and Reliance Industries to find ways to boost manufacturing in the country with its production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

The meeting, addressed by India's Trade Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday, comes amid concerns that some of the businesses were facing delays in availing the incentives from New Delhi amid complicated procedures.

The discussions included ways to improve local manufacturing at competitive costs, higher domestic value-adds in production, and quick grievance redressal, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The meeting was also attended by executives from iPhone maker Wistron, laptop maker Dell, telecommunications firm Nokia Solutions and others that benefited from the scheme's incentive payouts.

The PLI scheme, introduced in late 2020, is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's main industrial policy to boost manufacturing.

The government has so far announced incentives for 14 sectors including electronics and technology products, pharmaceutical drugs, and drones, among others, drawing investments totalling Rs. 625 billion until March 2023, per the statement.

Investments under the PLI scheme are expected to rise further to Rs. 2.74 trillion as it runs its course, according to government estimates.

With more than Rs. 1.97 trillion earmarked for incentives, payouts totalled Rs. 29 billion until fiscal 2023 across eight industries.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/wfIPgxp
via IFTTT

Activision Blizzard to Set Up Shop in Barcelona Following EU's Approval for Microsoft Acquisition

Activision Blizzard said its studio that developed Call of Duty would set up shop in Barcelona, putting into action its pledge to invest in Europe after Brussels approved Microsoft's $69 billion (nearly Rs. 5,66,000 crore) acquisition of the company in May.

The US company said on Wednesday its game developer Infinity Ward, which created the blockbuster first-person shooter game, would join its Digital Legends mobile games unit in the Spanish city.

The decision comes after Britain blocked the Microsoft takeover, prompting Activision, which has studios in Guildford and Warrington in England, to say it would "reassess" its growth plans in the country.

In contrast, it said it would "meaningfully expand" its investment and workforce in the European Union after the deal received the green light there.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are battling antitrust regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to clinch the deal, the biggest ever in video gaming.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and his Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella are due to testify in a court in San Francisco on Wednesday to urge a judge to allow the merger.

The Federal Trade Commission, which is seeking to block the deal, wants the transaction temporarily stopped in order to allow the agency's in-house judge to decide the case.

Microsoft is appealing the British veto with the "aggressive" support of Activision.

The games company, which also owns the Candy Crush Saga and World of Warcraft franchises, said in April that Britain was "clearly closed for business" after the deal was blocked.

It said on Wednesday it was looking closely at the EU to enlarge its studio footprint.

"For good reason: Europe has played a key role in the evolution of gaming — particularly mobile gaming — across the globe and it's not unreasonable to expect developers on the continent to maintain that momentum thanks to ample skills, ambition, and government support," it said in a blog post.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of 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/yciNn6t

Activision Blizzard to Set Up Shop in Barcelona Following EU's Approval for Microsoft Acquisition

Activision Blizzard said its studio that developed Call of Duty would set up shop in Barcelona, putting into action its pledge to invest in Europe after Brussels approved Microsoft's $69 billion (nearly Rs. 5,66,000 crore) acquisition of the company in May.

The US company said on Wednesday its game developer Infinity Ward, which created the blockbuster first-person shooter game, would join its Digital Legends mobile games unit in the Spanish city.

The decision comes after Britain blocked the Microsoft takeover, prompting Activision, which has studios in Guildford and Warrington in England, to say it would "reassess" its growth plans in the country.

In contrast, it said it would "meaningfully expand" its investment and workforce in the European Union after the deal received the green light there.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are battling antitrust regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to clinch the deal, the biggest ever in video gaming.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and his Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella are due to testify in a court in San Francisco on Wednesday to urge a judge to allow the merger.

The Federal Trade Commission, which is seeking to block the deal, wants the transaction temporarily stopped in order to allow the agency's in-house judge to decide the case.

Microsoft is appealing the British veto with the "aggressive" support of Activision.

The games company, which also owns the Candy Crush Saga and World of Warcraft franchises, said in April that Britain was "clearly closed for business" after the deal was blocked.

It said on Wednesday it was looking closely at the EU to enlarge its studio footprint.

"For good reason: Europe has played a key role in the evolution of gaming — particularly mobile gaming — across the globe and it's not unreasonable to expect developers on the continent to maintain that momentum thanks to ample skills, ambition, and government support," it said in a blog post.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of 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/yciNn6t
via IFTTT

Nvidia AMD Other US Chipmakers Face Fall in Shares as US Plans Curbs on Export to China

Shares of US chipmakers fell on Wednesday following a report that the Biden administration was planning new curbs on export of computing chips for artificial intelligence to China as early as July.

Companies such as Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel, which rely on the world's second largest economy for at least a fifth of their revenue, fell between 0.8 percent and 1.8 percent, caught in the US-China crossfire.

The Philadelphia chip index dropped 0.9 percent.

Last year, US officials had ordered Nvidia to stop exporting its top two AI chips to China to limit the country's technological capability.

Months later, Nvidia launched a new advanced chip called A800 in China to meet export control rules.

The new restrictions being considered by the Commerce Department would also include a ban on the sale of Nvidia's A800 chip without a special US export license, the Wall Street Journal report said.

Curbs on sales of datacenter graphics processing units to China would impact future financial results, Nvidia's finance chief Colette Kress said on Wednesday. However, the company does not expect the additional restrictions to have an immediate material impact on its results.

"With an update on export controls now expected, investors will assess just how limiting the new rules will be for chip makers' sales," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown.

"A handful of tech companies pack a huge punch on Wall Street due to their sheer size, so any wobble in confidence reverberates on indices."

Rising expectations over the advancements in AI have helped Wall Street climb this year, with Nvidia at the pole position on the S&P 500 index, gaining 187 percent so far this year.

But the sharp rise in shares has also sparked doubts over lofty valuations.

Nvidia is trading at 47 times its expected 12-months earnings, while AMD is at a 31.2 multiple and Intel at 31.8, way above the S&P 500's multiple at 19, according to Refinitiv data.

The Philadelphia chip index has surged more than 44 percent so far this year, far ahead of the benchmark index's 14 percent rise.

Across the Atlantic, Nordic Semiconductor, Dutch chipmaker ASML, Milan-listed STMicroelectronics, however, closed between 2.3 percent and 6.4 percent higher.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/N6G9qMy

Activison Blizzard CEO Urges Federal Judge to Allow Takeover by Microsoft

The chief executive of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, went before a federal judge on Wednesday to urge her to allow his company to be bought by Microsoft for $69 billion (nearly Rs. 5,66,300 crore).

Kotick said that any effort to make Call of Duty exclusive to one platform, as Microsoft critics have said might happen, would alienate some 100 million people who play the game each month.

"You would have a revolt if you were to remove the game from one platform," said Kotick.

He said that removing Call of Duty from PlayStation, which is made by Sony Group, would be "very detrimental" to Activision's business.

The Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to stop the Microsoft acquisition temporarily in order to allow the agency's in-house judge to decide the case. In the past, the side that lost in federal court often conceded and the in-house process was scrapped.

Much of the testimony in the trial has focused on Activision's Call of Duty, one of the best-selling videogames of all time. It is available today on smartphones, multiple consoles and on desktop computers.

Kotick said he had considered making Call of Duty available on Nintendo Switch but decided against it because he felt the console would not be a big seller. "I made a bad judgment," he said.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to testify on Wednesday afternoon before Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in federal court.

The FTC, which enforces antitrust law, has taken a harder line on mergers during the Biden administration. The agency says the transaction would give Microsoft, which makes the Xbox console, exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo and Sony Group out in the cold.

To address antitrust concerns, Microsoft has offered to license Call of Duty to rivals. It has also argued that it is better off financially by licensing the games to all comers.

The deal has won approval from many jurisdictions but has been opposed by the FTC in the United States and Britain's Competition and Markets Authority.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet on the latest episode of 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/Juax5Mt
via IFTTT

Nvidia AMD Other US Chipmakers Face Fall in Shares as US Plans Curbs on Export to China

Shares of US chipmakers fell on Wednesday following a report that the Biden administration was planning new curbs on export of computing chips for artificial intelligence to China as early as July.

Companies such as Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel, which rely on the world's second largest economy for at least a fifth of their revenue, fell between 0.8 percent and 1.8 percent, caught in the US-China crossfire.

The Philadelphia chip index dropped 0.9 percent.

Last year, US officials had ordered Nvidia to stop exporting its top two AI chips to China to limit the country's technological capability.

Months later, Nvidia launched a new advanced chip called A800 in China to meet export control rules.

The new restrictions being considered by the Commerce Department would also include a ban on the sale of Nvidia's A800 chip without a special US export license, the Wall Street Journal report said.

Curbs on sales of datacenter graphics processing units to China would impact future financial results, Nvidia's finance chief Colette Kress said on Wednesday. However, the company does not expect the additional restrictions to have an immediate material impact on its results.

"With an update on export controls now expected, investors will assess just how limiting the new rules will be for chip makers' sales," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown.

"A handful of tech companies pack a huge punch on Wall Street due to their sheer size, so any wobble in confidence reverberates on indices."

Rising expectations over the advancements in AI have helped Wall Street climb this year, with Nvidia at the pole position on the S&P 500 index, gaining 187 percent so far this year.

But the sharp rise in shares has also sparked doubts over lofty valuations.

Nvidia is trading at 47 times its expected 12-months earnings, while AMD is at a 31.2 multiple and Intel at 31.8, way above the S&P 500's multiple at 19, according to Refinitiv data.

The Philadelphia chip index has surged more than 44 percent so far this year, far ahead of the benchmark index's 14 percent rise.

Across the Atlantic, Nordic Semiconductor, Dutch chipmaker ASML, Milan-listed STMicroelectronics, however, closed between 2.3 percent and 6.4 percent higher.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/N6G9qMy
via IFTTT

US House Panel Critical of Twitter Privacy Investigation to Question FTC Chair at Hearing

US Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan is set to testify on July 13 before the House Judiciary Committee led by Republicans who have sharply criticized her leadership of the antitrust enforcement agency, the committee, and commission confirmed on Friday.

This will be her first appearance before the committee since Republicans assumed control.

Republicans have been especially critical of the FTC's privacy investigation into Twitter since it was purchased by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

In March, the FTC confirmed it was conducting an investigation into Twitter's privacy practices. The agency has been concerned whether Twitter had the staffing to abide by a May 2022 settlement with the FTC in which it agreed to improve its privacy practices.

In April, the committee subpoenaed Khan for documents related to the Twitter privacy probe following Musk's $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,61,687 crore) purchase of the social media company in October.

House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan suggested in a June 8 letter "there is an unjustified approximate one-year gap in the FTC's actions with respect to Twitter" and added it was reasonable to conclude neither the prior chair nor Khan "seriously planned to take action against Twitter "until political pressure arose given Mr. Musk's impending acquisition."

Jordan in February also questioned the FTC's plans to adopt a new rule to ban noncompete clauses for workers and its approach to the merger of Illumina and Grail.

San Diego-based Illumina, which specializes in gene sequencing, is appealing an FTC order that said the company's $7.1 billion (roughly Rs. 58,200,830 crore) acquisition of Grail will curb competition in the cancer-testing market. Illumina has denied the allegations.

The FTC, which typically has five commissions including two from the minority party, currently has just three Democratic commissioners after Christine Wilson stepped down at the end of March.

Khan, an antitrust researcher focused on Big Tech's immense market power, vowed to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement after she joined the FTC in June 2021 and was named chair.

This week the FTC sued Amazon.com accusing it of enrolling millions of consumers into its paid subscription Amazon Prime service without their consent and making it hard for them to cancel.

Politico first reported the plans for the hearing. 

© Thomson Reuters 2023 

---

What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of 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/gQYBL6J
via IFTTT

Explained: Why Are Facebook Instagram Cutting News Access in Canada

Meta Platforms plans to cut off access to news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada once a new law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers takes effect, arguing news has no economic value to the company and that its users do not use the platform for news.

Canada drafted new rules after legacy media companies complained about internet companies elbowing news businesses out of the online advertising market.

Why are technology companies against the law? 

The Canadian parliament passed "Bill C-18" into law, requiring internet giants to pay news publishers.

The Online News Act forces platforms like Facebook and Alphabet's Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.

Both Meta and Google had warned they would withdraw access to news articles on their platforms in Canada if the legislation is passed into law without amendments. Facebook says links to news articles make up less than 3 percent of the content on its users' feed, and that journalists benefit from posting their work on the social media platform.

Google has argued Canada's law is broader than those enacted in Australia and Europe, and puts a price on news story links displayed in search results and can apply to outlets that do not produce news.

Google proposed that the bill be revised to make the displaying of news content, rather than links, as the basis for payment and to specify that only businesses that produce news and adhere to journalistic standards are eligible to receive payments.

What happened when similar rules were passed in Australia?

Google and Facebook had also threatened to curtail their services after Australia became the first nation to enact similar laws in 2021. Eventually both struck deals with Australian media companies after amendments were made to the legislation.

During the fight, Facebook blacked out Australian news pages and only restored them once the government granted concessions.

Yet in the year following the law taking effect, Meta and Google have paid some AUD 200 million (nearly Rs. 1,100 crore) annually to Australian news outlets, according to a report from the former chair of Australia's competition regulator.

What could the global impact be?

Lawmakers are pushing for similar rules in Meta's home state of California and in the US Congress. Meta says it makes 40 percent of its revenue in the US and lists Australia and Canada among its most significant markets. If Meta fails to secure exemptions or get the rules changed in Canada, the tech giant may face a similar fate in the United States.

In 2022, US lawmakers released a revised version of a bill aimed at making it easier for news organizations to negotiate collectively with platforms like Google and Facebook.

The New Zealand government said in 2022 it would introduce a law requiring big online digital companies to pay New Zealand media companies for the local news content that appears on their feeds.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 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/dxAJ07D
via IFTTT

Google Said to Have Urged Supreme Court to Quash Android Antitrust Directives

Google has urged India's Supreme Court to quash antitrust directives against it for abuse of the Android market, two sources said, as its presses its legal battle against the competition watchdog in one of its most important markets.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in October that Google, whose Android mobile operating system powers 97 percent of the 600 million smartphones in India, had exploited its dominant position.

It ordered Google to remove restrictions imposed on device makers, including those related to the pre-installation of apps, and fined the US firm $163 million (nearly Rs. 1,300 crore), which it paid.

In March, an Indian tribunal gave partial relief to the Alphabet unit by setting aside four of the 10 directives in the case.

The tribunal said CCI's findings of Google's anti-competitive conduct were correct, but gave Google some relief by quashing some of the directives that forced it to alter its business model.

Google is now asking the Supreme Court to quash the remainder of the directives, the first source with direct knowledge said.

Google is also arguing in its filing made on Monday that it has not abused its market position and should not be liable to pay a penalty, the source added.

Google in a statement confirmed the Supreme Court filing, saying that it looked forward to presenting its case and demonstrating how Android benefited users and developers.

The Indian tribunal had ruled authorities must prove harm caused by anti-competitive behaviour "but did not apply this requirement" to several of CCI's Android directives, Google said, explaining the rationale of its latest challenge.

Google's Supreme Court challenge has not been previously reported.

The CCI too has approached the Supreme Court, seeking to reverse the tribunal's decision to give Google partial relief, according to a third source. The CCI did not respond to a request for comment.

Google has been particularly concerned about India's Android decision as the directives were seen as more sweeping than those imposed in the European Commission's landmark 2018 ruling against the operating system.

Google had made sweeping changes to Android in India in recent months following the directive, including allowing device makers to license individual apps for pre-installation.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. 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/Qa7XvwY

Google Said to Have Urged Supreme Court to Quash Android Antitrust Directives

Google has urged India's Supreme Court to quash antitrust directives against it for abuse of the Android market, two sources said, as its presses its legal battle against the competition watchdog in one of its most important markets.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in October that Google, whose Android mobile operating system powers 97 percent of the 600 million smartphones in India, had exploited its dominant position.

It ordered Google to remove restrictions imposed on device makers, including those related to the pre-installation of apps, and fined the US firm $163 million (nearly Rs. 1,300 crore), which it paid.

In March, an Indian tribunal gave partial relief to the Alphabet unit by setting aside four of the 10 directives in the case.

The tribunal said CCI's findings of Google's anti-competitive conduct were correct, but gave Google some relief by quashing some of the directives that forced it to alter its business model.

Google is now asking the Supreme Court to quash the remainder of the directives, the first source with direct knowledge said.

Google is also arguing in its filing made on Monday that it has not abused its market position and should not be liable to pay a penalty, the source added.

Google in a statement confirmed the Supreme Court filing, saying that it looked forward to presenting its case and demonstrating how Android benefited users and developers.

The Indian tribunal had ruled authorities must prove harm caused by anti-competitive behaviour "but did not apply this requirement" to several of CCI's Android directives, Google said, explaining the rationale of its latest challenge.

Google's Supreme Court challenge has not been previously reported.

The CCI too has approached the Supreme Court, seeking to reverse the tribunal's decision to give Google partial relief, according to a third source. The CCI did not respond to a request for comment.

Google has been particularly concerned about India's Android decision as the directives were seen as more sweeping than those imposed in the European Commission's landmark 2018 ruling against the operating system.

Google had made sweeping changes to Android in India in recent months following the directive, including allowing device makers to license individual apps for pre-installation.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

---

Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. 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/Qa7XvwY
via IFTTT

IndiaisNextKey LocationforSemiconductorManufacturers: AshwiniVaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said current Central Government has succeeded in attracting investments in emerging technology, and stated that India is the next important location for semiconductor manufacturers. Congress has attempted to do so since the 1980s but was not successful. 

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State visit to the US last week, Micron Technology announced a massive India-specific investment plan.

On Thursday, hours after PM Modi met Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra in the US and invited him to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India, the global semiconductor major announced plans to build a new assembly and test facility in Gujarat in India with an investment of $825 million (nearly Rs. 6,800 crore). Once set up, the facility will address demand from domestic and international markets.

Micron said it selected Gujarat due to its manufacturing infrastructure, conducive business environment and a firm talent pipeline in the SANAND Industrial Park (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation — GIDC).

Phased construction of the new assembly and test facility in Gujarat is expected to begin in 2023. Micronexpects Phase 2 of the project, which would include the construction of a facility similar in scale to Phase 1, to start towards the second half of the decade.

"This was a very historic visit. It is a very proud moment when India was discussed in the White House. The US sees India as an equal partner. Several foreign policies focusing on India were signed during the visit. India and US are coming together as a big force. PM Modi's visit is considered a milestone globally. India has now become a force to reckon with," said IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

During PM Modi's US visit, partnerships on 35 emerging technologies, including on semiconductors, space, quantum computing, and AI, among others, were signed.

According to the minister, jet engine manufacturing in India by HAL is the most significant milestone.

In a major announcement coinciding with PM Modi's visit, GE Aerospace announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. These state-of-the-art jet engines, known for their endurance and durability, will enhance the capacity of the Indian Air Force.

Co-production of jet engines for the Indian Air Force, defence industrial collaboration, space sector cooperation, semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership and collaboration in emerging Artificial Intelligence technology are among key takeaways from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US and his bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden.

"India tried for 40 years to 

develop the semiconductor industry but this is the first time a major semiconductor player, Micron is coming to the country," Vaishnaw added.

"Today it is very clear all over the world that India will be the next big distinction of Semiconductor, now the way the whole company has seen India from a different point of view and an MoU has been signed between US and India 3 months ago in Semiconductor Corporation, which resulted during the state visit of Prime Minister, there have been 3 major advances related to semiconductor."

"Congress is hiding its frustration, it is their frustration, Congress's frustration is that they tried twice, tried thrice, tried in the 80s, tried in the 90s, tried back in 2010, all three times they failed, to bring the semiconductor industry in India."

Today, India, according to Vaishnaw, India is clearly focused on technology, joint development of technology, and how India's position can be ent in the global world order.

About Micron's plant in India, Vaishnaw it will be ready in record six quarters — by late 2024.

---

Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet on the latest episode of 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/NwJCxBY

IndiaisNextKey LocationforSemiconductorManufacturers: AshwiniVaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said current Central Government has succeeded in attracting investments in emerging technology, and stated that India is the next important location for semiconductor manufacturers. Congress has attempted to do so since the 1980s but was not successful. 

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State visit to the US last week, Micron Technology announced a massive India-specific investment plan.

On Thursday, hours after PM Modi met Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra in the US and invited him to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India, the global semiconductor major announced plans to build a new assembly and test facility in Gujarat in India with an investment of $825 million (nearly Rs. 6,800 crore). Once set up, the facility will address demand from domestic and international markets.

Micron said it selected Gujarat due to its manufacturing infrastructure, conducive business environment and a firm talent pipeline in the SANAND Industrial Park (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation — GIDC).

Phased construction of the new assembly and test facility in Gujarat is expected to begin in 2023. Micronexpects Phase 2 of the project, which would include the construction of a facility similar in scale to Phase 1, to start towards the second half of the decade.

"This was a very historic visit. It is a very proud moment when India was discussed in the White House. The US sees India as an equal partner. Several foreign policies focusing on India were signed during the visit. India and US are coming together as a big force. PM Modi's visit is considered a milestone globally. India has now become a force to reckon with," said IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

During PM Modi's US visit, partnerships on 35 emerging technologies, including on semiconductors, space, quantum computing, and AI, among others, were signed.

According to the minister, jet engine manufacturing in India by HAL is the most significant milestone.

In a major announcement coinciding with PM Modi's visit, GE Aerospace announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. These state-of-the-art jet engines, known for their endurance and durability, will enhance the capacity of the Indian Air Force.

Co-production of jet engines for the Indian Air Force, defence industrial collaboration, space sector cooperation, semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership and collaboration in emerging Artificial Intelligence technology are among key takeaways from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US and his bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden.

"India tried for 40 years to 

develop the semiconductor industry but this is the first time a major semiconductor player, Micron is coming to the country," Vaishnaw added.

"Today it is very clear all over the world that India will be the next big distinction of Semiconductor, now the way the whole company has seen India from a different point of view and an MoU has been signed between US and India 3 months ago in Semiconductor Corporation, which resulted during the state visit of Prime Minister, there have been 3 major advances related to semiconductor."

"Congress is hiding its frustration, it is their frustration, Congress's frustration is that they tried twice, tried thrice, tried in the 80s, tried in the 90s, tried back in 2010, all three times they failed, to bring the semiconductor industry in India."

Today, India, according to Vaishnaw, India is clearly focused on technology, joint development of technology, and how India's position can be ent in the global world order.

About Micron's plant in India, Vaishnaw it will be ready in record six quarters — by late 2024.

---

Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 the best Android tablet you can buy under Rs. 30,000 in India? We discuss the company's latest mid-range tablet on the latest episode of 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/NwJCxBY
via IFTTT

Xiaomi Pad 6: Is This the Best Mid-Range Android Tablet Under Rs. 30000?

Xiaomi Pad 6 was recently launched in India as the successor to the Xiaomi Pad 5 that made its debut in 2022. Just like last year's model, Xiaomi has attempted to equip its latest tablet with a range of features and a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, while keeping the price of the device under Rs. 30,000. The Xiaomi Pad 6 sports a 11-inch LCD display, runs on Android 13 out-of-the-box, and Xiaomi claims it can offer up to two days of battery backup. It is equipped with a 13-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, resident device expert Pranav Hegde, who has spent some time with Xiaomi's latest tablet, talks to guest host Sheldon Pinto about the device. Pinto reviewed the Xiaomi Pad 5 last year, and the duo discuss some of the changes and upgrades that have made their way to this year's model and how it fares against the competition.

The Xiaomi Pad 6 isn't exactly a new device — it was launched in China earlier this year and only made its way to India last week. It runs on an Android 13-based MIUI 14 for Pad. The tablet sports a 11-inch LCD display with Dolby Vision up to 144Hz refresh rate, and supports up to 550 nits of peak brightness.

Equipped with a slightly older Snapdragon 870 chip that is paired with 8GB of RAM, the Xiaomi Pad 6 should be more than capable of handling daily tasks and a few games — you can read more details about the tablet's performance in our review. The processor is a slight upgrade over last year's Snapdragon 860 chip, which was an upgrade over Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855+ SoC.

You can also pick up a few accessories that are compatible with the tablet and were announced by the company when it launched the Xiaomi Pad 6 in India last week. This includes the Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard, cover, and the Xiaomi Smart Pen (2nd Gen). Hopefully, Xiaomi will be able to ensure that these accessories remain available while the product can be purchased in the country.

Xiaomi's latest tablet has a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel selfie camera, and like most tablet devices, one might find themselves using the camera to click images of documents and similar materials, while relying on one's smartphone camera for regular photography. You can view the camera samples and details of how it performs in different scenarios in our review.

The recently launched Xiaomi Pad 6 packs a large 8,840mAh battery with support for 33W wired charging. With that charging rate, Xiaomi says that going from an empty battery to a full charge will take about 100 minutes. The tablet is also claimed to last up to two days on a single charge, according to Xiaomi. 

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/UI6WVnp
via IFTTT

Motorola Razr 40 Razr 40 Ultra India Launch Scheduled for July 3: Expected Specifications Features

Motorola Razr 40 and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra India launch date was announced by the company on Thursday. As per a teaser on Amazon India, the foldable flip phones will launch on next month. Both handsets were launched in China on June 1 and sport 6.9-inch pOLED displays. The Razr 40 Ultra is equipped with a large 3.6-inch outer display with a 144Hz refresh rate, while the Razr 40 has a smaller 1.5-inch cover screen. The Motorola Razr 40 and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chips, respectively.

Unveiled in China earlier this month, the Motorola Razr 40 and Razr 40 Ultra are set to debut in India on July 3, a Motorola spokesperson confirmed to Gadgets 360. The listings for the handsets do not reveal details such as pricing or availability, which are expected to be announced on the launch date. Pricing for the handsets in China starts at CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 46,000) for the Motorola Razr 40 and CNY 5,699 (roughly Rs. 66,000) for the Razr 40 Ultra.

Motorola Razr 40, Motorola Razr 40 Ultra specifications

The Motorola Razr 40 and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra that were launched in China sport 6.9-inch (1,080x2,640 pixels) foldable pOLED displays with a refresh rate of 165Hz and up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness. The Ultra model is equipped with a 3.6-inch (1,056x1,066 pixels) pOLED outer screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, while the Razr 40 has a smaller 1.5-inch cover display. The Motorola Razr 40 and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra are powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chips, respectively.

For photos and videos, the Motorola Razr 40 is equipped with a 64-megapixel primary sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, while the Razr 40 Ultra has a 12-megapixel primary sensor with OIS support, and a 13-megapixel secondary ultra-wide-angle camera. Both handsets feature a 32-megapixel camera at the front for selfies and video calls.

The handsets are equipped with up to 512GB of storage. The Motorola Razr 40 and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra are equipped with 3,800mAh and 4,200mAh batteries, respectively. The former charges at 33W, while the latter can be charged at 30W and also supports 8W wireless charging, According to the company.

---

Is 2023 the year when you should finally buy a foldable phone? 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/0m25zwV
via IFTTT