Twitter is soon going to be a safer place providing safety on your every expression! It has rolled out three major tools intended to combat the abuse within its walls. The network will put a stopper on all the face accounts created, presenting users with more safe results, and pushing potentially abusive or sensitive tweets further down users’ timelines. It’s time to take down the unwanted validation to the unsavoury trolls whose presence hinders the experience of others.
Google launches Chrome OS Flex, details inside
Google has launched a new version of Chrome OS bringing the benefits of Chrome OS to PCs and Macs. A USB drive and compatible PC or Mac is all needed to get started.
What is Chrome OS Flex
Chrome OS Flex is the cloud-first, fast, easy-to manage, and secure operating system for PCs and Macs. Chrome OS Flex is a new, free-to-download operating system from Google. Built for businesses and schools, it’s fully compatible with Google’s powerful cloud-based management. Chrome OS Flex modernizes devices you already own, allowing you to experience the benefits of Chrome OS on PCs and Macs:
A fast, modern work experience
In a blog post, it says that Chrome OS Flex provides fast access to web apps and virtualization, all within an intuitive, clutter-free experience for users. Chrome OS Flex boots up in seconds and doesn’t slow down over time. And with system updates that happen in the background, there’s less downtime for users.
Proactive security against the latest threats
With Chrome OS Flex, there’s no need for antivirus software. With regular security updates, Chrome OS Flex has built in protection against threats including viruses, ransomware, and phishing. Sandboxing technology keeps threats contained to a specific tab or application, the read-only OS blocks executables where threats often hide, and Google Safe Browsing proactively warns users before navigating to malicious sites. IT can even prevent data loss on lost or stolen devices with remote wipe.
Easy deployment and management
Within minutes, IT can install Chrome OS Flex on devices through USB or network deployment. After login, a user’s cloud profile gets downloaded and automatically syncs their settings, bookmarks, and policies. And with the cloud-based Google Admin console, IT has a powerful and simple management experience. Even with 500+ policies and controls, it’s still easy to get started with pre-set policies recommended by Google.
A sustainable solution making the most of existing hardware
Google informs that Chrome OS Flex maximizes the life of your existing device fleet. Rather than disposing of aging PCs and Macs, refresh them with a modern and fast operating system to reduce e-waste.
Chrome OS Flex has the same code base and release cadence as Chrome OS which ensures a consistent end user and IT experience. Chrome OS Flex delivers the official Chrome Browser, Google Assistant, and cross-device features in the same user interface as Chrome OS. And with Chrome Enterprise for Education Upgrade, IT can manage Chrome OS Flex devices and Chrome OS devices like Chromebooks side by side in the Google Admin console.1
With such similar end user and IT experiences, it’s also easy to transition from Chrome OS Flex to Chrome OS devices when you’re ready to purchase new hardware: With Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, and Chromebases, you’ll experience end-to-end optimization across hardware and software with the strongest security and largest app ecosystem through the Google Play Store.
Also, Read Here: Samsung Galaxy A03 India launch coming soon: Check specs, price
Facebook drops 15 years old feature, News Feed renamed to Feed
The most unexpected happened today as Facebook dropped News from its News Feed. The feature was there on the app for more than 15 years, but with Meta improving the user experience for better, renamed it to Feed only. Reportedly, it was found that the name News Feed created a picture of news-restricted content in users’ minds and apparently was confusing for some. “Starting today, our News Feed will now be known as ‘Feed’,” announced the company on Twitter. “Happy scrolling!”
Starting today, our News Feed will now be known as “Feed.” Happy scrolling! pic.twitter.com/T6rjO9qzFc
— Facebook App (@facebookapp) February 15, 2022
Maybe they, too, want to give the user some diverse content they’ve been looking for!
Maxhub Conference Speakerphone BM21 earns Zoom Certification
Maxhub recently announced a new development for its unified communication product portfolio. The impressive all-in-one UC BM21 Bluetooth speakerphone is now officially Zoom Certified, the market leader in cloud meeting solutions.
Achieving Zoom certification identifies the Maxhub UC BM21 device as a high-quality solution for plug-and-play communication that meets or exceeds Zoom requirements. Designed for the modern workplace, the BM21 series speakerphone can be permanently set up in the office, or for staff adapting to remote and hybrid work models, it combines impeccable ease of use with crystal clear audio quality and reliability. As a Zoom Certified device, buyers can rest assured that the Maxhub UC BM21 teleconferencing speakerphone works seamlessly and intuitively with the Zoom Meetings and Zoom Rooms environments.
Earning Zoom certification is another successful milestone for Maxhub in cooperating with key industries partners. The achievement demonstrates the commitment of the company to creating user-friendly devices for the modern age of work, with enterprise-grade quality and features.
The UC BM21 speakerphone is a comprehensive tool for collaboration and communication, capable of meeting Zoom’s high standards for pristine communication performance. The product features a 360-degree omnidirectional voice pickup capability, wireless charging, an 8-hour playtime, and delivers clear audio quality in any environment. Furthermore, at only 1.5 inches high and under 5 inches in diameter, the BM21 can seamlessly blend into any meeting room space.
A set of large dynamic speakers equipped with enhanced DSP for intelligent noise reduction and echo cancellation, ensures users experience natural, clear sounds from any position in the meeting room, while the 6-element PZM boundary microphone intelligently masters omnidirectional voice acquisition. It’s the ideal microphone and speaker solution for the conference table in small to mid-sized meetings.
Achieving Zoom certification is significant progress for the Maxhub team in delivering impeccable quality products. As Darren Lin, General Manager, Maxhub says “Zoom’s Hardware Certification Program inspired us to prove ourselves to our customers and demonstrate our ability to offer the high-quality audio and video collaboration experiences teams need. In the future, MAXHUB will continue to build better solutions for customers of Zoom.”
Keith Kang, Product Manager for Maxhub UC commented, “Zoom certification reassures users that MAXHUB can provide the high quality required in today’s crucial Zoom Meetings. The intuitive plug-and-play design, combined with state-of-the-art audio defines the UC BM21 tool as a tool for maximum performance, with minimal setup complexity. With Zoom and MAXHUB, every meeting attendee can get the most out of their conferencing sessions.”
Zoom Certification Program Manager, JC Leffler states, “We are very pleased to see the official cooperation between MAXHUB and Zoom. We have already seen the capabilities of MAXHUB in the UC BM21 product and look forward to further cooperation with MAXHUB in the future.”
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A03 India launch coming soon: Check specs, price
Samsung Galaxy A03 India launch coming soon: Check specs, price
Samsung is getting ready to introduce the Galaxy A03, its entry-level smartphone, in India. Despite the fact that the phone was unveiled globally in November, the Samsung Galaxy A03 will be available in India by the end of this month or early in March.
Samsung Galaxy A03 Specifications
Along with the date, we have also learned the expected pricing and features of Samsung Galaxy A03. Here’s all we know so far about the upcoming device’s specifications and price.
Samsung Galaxy A03 display
The global variant of Samsung Galaxy A03 features a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display.
Samsung Galaxy A03 processor
The Samsung Galaxy A series smartphone is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T606 chipset coupled with up to 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage.
Samsung Galaxy A03 storage
Galaxy A03 is offered in two RAM and storage configurations — 3GB RAM + 32GB, and 4GB + 64GB. The storage can be expanded via a microSD card (up to 1TB) through a dedicated slot.
Samsung Galaxy A03 camera
Samsung Galaxy A03 sports a dual rear camera unit with a 48-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, the phone has a 5-megapixel front-facing sensor.
Samsung Galaxy A03 battery
The Samsung Galaxy A03 packs a 5,000mAh battery as well.
Samsung Galaxy A03 price in India (Expected)
According to the rumour, the Samsung Galaxy A03 will cost around Rs 12,000 in India. The smartphone is expected to be available in three memory configurations: 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, and 5GB RAM + 64GB storage. It is expected to be available in two colours: Black and Red.
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Intel to acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4 billion
Intel Corporation and Tower Semiconductor, a leading foundry for analog semiconductor solutions, announced a definitive agreement under which Intel will acquire Tower for $53 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $5.4 billion. The acquisition significantly advances Intel’s IDM 2.0 strategy as the company further expands its manufacturing capacity, global footprint and technology portfolio to address unprecedented industry demand.
“Tower’s specialty technology portfolio, geographic reach, deep customer relationships and services-first operations will help scale Intel’s foundry services and advance our goal of becoming a major provider of foundry capacity globally,” said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. “This deal will enable Intel to offer a compelling breadth of leading-edge nodes and differentiated specialty technologies on mature nodes – unlocking new opportunities for existing and future customers in an era of unprecedented demand for semiconductors.”
As a key part of its IDM 2.0 strategy, Intel established Intel Foundry Services (IFS) in March 2021 to help meet the growing global demand for semiconductor manufacturing capacity and to become a major provider of US- and Europe-based foundry capacity to serve customers globally. IFS currently offers leading-edge process and packaging technology, committed capacity in the U.S. and Europe and other geographies in the future, and a broad intellectual property (IP) portfolio.
Tower’s expertise in specialty technologies, such as radio frequency (RF), power, silicon-germanium (SiGe) and industrial sensors, extensive IP and electronic design automation (EDA) partnerships, and established foundry footprint will provide broad coverage to both Intel and Tower’s customers globally. Tower serves high-growth markets such as mobile, automotive and power. Tower operates a geographically complementary foundry presence with facilities in the U.S. and Asia serving fabless companies as well as IDMs and offers more than 2 million wafer starts per year of capacity – including growth opportunities in Texas, Israel, Italy and Japan. Tower also brings a foundry-first customer approach with an industry-leading customer support portal and IP storefront, as well as design services and capabilities.
“With a rich history, Tower has built an incredible range of specialty analog foundry solutions based upon deep customer partnerships, with worldwide manufacturing capabilities. I could not be prouder of the company and of our talented and dedicated employees,” said Russell Ellwanger, Tower CEO. “Together with Intel, we will drive new and meaningful growth opportunities and offer even greater value to our customers through a full suite of technology solutions and nodes and a greatly expanded global manufacturing footprint. We look forward to being an integral part of Intel’s foundry offering.”
Randhir Thakur, president of Intel Foundry Services, said: “We are building Intel Foundry Services to be a customer-first technology innovator with the broadest range of IP, services and capacity. Tower and IFS together will provide a broad portfolio of foundry solutions at global scale to enable our customers’ ambitions.”
Intel is the only leading-edge player with both research and development and manufacturing in the US, including recently announced capacity expansions in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as plans to build a new mega-site in Ohio. Tower’s technology and manufacturing footprint is highly complementary to Intel’s IFS capabilities in leading-edge processes, allowing the combined company to provide broader offerings to customers at scale. With the addition of Tower, Intel is strongly positioned to bring more value to customers across the nearly $100 billion addressable foundry market.
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Ukraine army, defense ministry websites hit by cyberattacks: Reports
As tensions over the threat of a possible invasion by Russia remained high, Ukrainian authorities said a series of cyberattacks knocked down the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry, and major banks on Tuesday.
Reportedly, the attacks knocked out at least 10 Ukrainian websites, including the defense, foreign, and culture ministries and the country’s two largest banks. In such attacks, websites are bombarded with junk data packets, rendering them unreachable.
“We don’t have any information of other disruptive actions that (could) be hidden by this DDoS attack,” said Victor Zhora, a top Ukrainian cyber defense official. He said emergency response teams were working to cut off the attackers and recover services as reported by the Associated Press.
Among Ukraine’s largest state-owned banks, Privatbank, and state-owned Sberbank, customers complained about problems with online payments and apps.
Russia sent signals Tuesday that it might be pulling back from the brink, easing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, but Western powers demanded proof.
Since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine has faced relentless cyberattacks by Russia.
As part of a cyberattack on Jan. 14, a malicious “wiper” cloaked as ransomware damaged servers at Ukraine’s State Emergency Service and at the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau. Cybersecurity experts believe it was deliberately designed that way, given Russian state-sponsored hackers’ capacity to do such damage. A message posted simultaneously on dozens of defaced Ukrainian government websites said: “Be afraid and expect the worst.”
Also Read: Oppo Reno 7Z official images, colors and other details leaked
Oppo joins Hasselblad for its upcoming next-gen flagship: What to expect?
Finally, the lines between Oppo and OnePlus are going to blur as Oppo announced its exclusive three-year collaboration with Hasselblad.
For those who don’t know, Hasselblad is a well-known professional camera maker from Sweden. It has patterned up with many smartphone brands like OnePlus in the past, and now, it is working with OPPO for its upcoming premium grade handsets.
In a post on Weibo (a Chinese microblogging site), Oppo dedicated a blog post about this recent three-year commitment with Swedish camera maker Hasselblad to “co-develop industry-leading camera technologies for Oppo’s flagship Find series,” the post said.
We’ve got an announcement to make ? We’re embarking on a three-year partnership with legendary camera manufacturer, @Hasselblad! Stay tuned to see how the next-level Hasselblad mobile imaging experience unfolds on the OPPO flagship Find X series.
— OPPO (@oppo) February 15, 2022
If this sounds familiar to you, or you’re wondering why One Plus is in the intro is because One Plus also announced its partnership with Hasselblad before the launch of One Plus 9 and 9 Pro last year.
Oppo also unveiled that it will be working on the cameras of its upcoming next-gen Flagship Find X series with the Swedish imaging professional. Furthermore, the brand also shared its expected innovations and technological improvements with Hassleblad’s tuning and performance support.
Additionally, with OPPO merging with OnePlus, both firms will also share their research and development platform as well as resources, which means that more users will benefit from the Hasselblad cameras. This is definitely a power-packed collab, and with the inclusion of the former’s expertise in camera technology, we can expect the new flagship to offer better optimizations for its sensors, with more natural colors.
Also Read : Oppo Reno 7Z official images, colors and other details leaked
Oppo Reno 7Z official images, colors and other details leaked
The Oppo Reno 7 series made its debut in China last November, and it will arrive in India in February 2022. The Oppo Reno 7Z, a new smartphone in the series, has now been listed on the Geekbench website. According to a report, the listing also revealed the upcoming smartphone’s RAM possibilities, chipset, and operating system.
Oppo Reno 7Z official images
The leaks have posted images of the Oppo Reno 7Z on Twitter. The smartphone is seen in three colour variations: Gradient, Black, and Soft Gold in these images. It will have a flat spine with a SIM tray and volume rockers on the left spine, similar to the Oppo Reno 7 Pro.
Furthermore, the leaked images indicate the presence of a punch-hole cut-out on the side. Unfortunately, the images don’t reveal any additional details about the Oppo Reno 7Z’s design. Nonetheless, previous leaks have disclosed some of the phone’s expected specifications. So, let’s have a look at the expected specifications of the Oppo Reno 7Z smartphone.
Oppo Reno 7Z Specifications (Expected)
If we go by what has been mentioned in the listing, then the smartphone may be available under Rs 20,000. Apart from that, the renders of the device have also surfaced online, which give us a fair idea of what we can expect in terms of looks.
Oppo Reno 7Z processor
If speculations on the internet are correct, the Oppo Reno 7Z will be powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 480+ CPU. Furthermore, the phone could be equipped with a powerful Adreno 619 GPU. It’s also worth noting that the Snapdragon 480+ is a 5G-capable SoC.
Oppo Reno 7Z storage
According to its Geekbench listing, the Oppo Reno 7Z will launch with 8GB of RAM.
Oppo Reno 7Z software
This listing also confirms that the Oppo Reno 7Z will boot Android 11 out of the box.
Oppo Reno 7Z battery
Oppo Reno 7Z could draw its juices from a robust 4,500mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. More details about the handset are likely to surface on the web in the coming days.
Also Read: Tech NewsWrap: Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Studio… and more
Tech NewsWrap: Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Studio… and more
Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Studio in India
Microsoft today announced the availability of the new Surface Laptop Studio in India starting next month. While the pre-orders via authorized retail and online partners will commence from February 15, the device will be available via both commercial authorized resellers and retail and online partners next month from March 8. The newly launched Surface Laptop Studio price starts in India at Rs 1,56,999. It is available in a total of seven configurations out of which two are available for both enterprises and customers while the remaining five models are available only for enterprise customers.
Nokia G11 launched
Nokia G11 has been launched as the latest budget smartphone. It comes as the successor to Nokia G10, which was launched in April last year. The smartphone is promised to deliver up to three days of battery life. The Nokia G11 features a 90Hz display, triple rear cameras, and 18W fast charging support. The phone also comes with a waterdrop-style display notch and carries two distinct colour options. As per the reports, the price of Nokia G11 has been set at AED 499 (roughly Rs 10,200) for the lone 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variant.
Asus ROG Phone 5s, ROG Phone 5s Pro launched in India
Asus launch its ROG 5s series in India. The company has introduced ROG Phone 5s and 5s Pro as the latest upgrade to its ROG Phone series. The ROG Phone 5s series is fuelled for winning by the flagship Snapdragon 888 Plus 5G Mobile Platform, featuring advanced 5G capabilities and premium Snapdragon Elite Gaming features. The processing power is complemented by up to 18 GB of fast RAM. The optimized and upgraded GameCool 5 cooling system with AeroActive Cooler 5 (fan accessory bundled with ROG Phone 5s Pro only and optional for ROG Phone 5s), and the performance manager in Armory Crate ensures maximum performance is available for any gaming scenario.
Apple iPhone 14 rumoured to be launched in March-April
Apple is reportedly gearing up for the launch of iPhone 14 in March or April this year. The internet is flooded with rumoured specifications of the iPhone 14. Though, Apple is yet to announce anything concrete on the launch of the product. According to rumours, the upcoming iPhone 14 might feature a single centered punch-hole camera as compared to notch design in earlier variants. Taking inspiration from iPhone 4, the new model is likely to have a titanium frame with rounded volume buttons. The iPhone 14 is expected to have 256 GB of storage, up from 128 GB.
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