Archives February 2023

Job cuts have come to the telecom gear industry. According to a report in news agency Reuters, Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson is cutting 1400 jobs. The job cuts at the company are said to be part of a broader plan to reduce costs globally. Ericsson had earlier announced plans to cut costs by 9 billion crowns ($880 million) by the end of 2023 as demand slows in some markets, including North America.
The 1400 layoffs have been announced in the company’s home country Sweden as of now. The job cuts amount to around 10 percent of Ericsson’s domestic employee base. Ericsson has reportedly been negotiating with its employee union in Sweden for months on how to handle cost cuts. Agreement has now been reached with Swedish unions on how to manage headcount reductions, a spokesperson said. The company intends to make the cuts through a voluntary programme. “Reducing headcount is never easy, and we will manage this with the utmost respect and professionalism,” a spokesperson for the company told telecoms.com. He further added that details are always communicated to the relevant staff first.
More layoffs likely in the coming days
Further job cuts, which may range in several thousands, are likely to be announced in other countries in the coming days. The report quotes sources close to the matter. The company’s global employee base is around 100,000 spread across all major markets. So far, there is no hint on where more job cuts will be made. Some reports say that North America may likely be next as it is one of the biggest markets where demand has slowed down.

Job cuts at Ericsson are back after almost six years. Ericsson last made deep cuts in 2017 when the company laid off thousands of employees. The company then focused on research to pull itself out of losses.

Microsoft is working on a new version of its Teams app that will come with improved capabilities, a report has claimed, adding that the business communication platform has been under development for ‘years’.
When will new Teams platform launch
The Verge reports that Microsoft is preparing to launch a new version of Microsoft Teams next month. With the tests being underway, the company plans to roll out a preview to users in March. The app is also said to include a toggle to switch back to the existing app.
What’s new in Microsoft Teams
Citing sources familiar with the company’s plans, The Verge reports that Microsoft has rebuilt the ‘new’ Teams software from ground up. This version is claimed to have a significantly improved system resource usage on PCs as well as on laptops. The report says that the app should use 50% less memory, relieve the pressure from CPU and result in better battery life on laptops.
The new app, known as Microsoft Teams 2.0 or 2.1 internally, has been under development for years. Furthermore, the Windows maker has reportedly started testing this new Teams client broadly recently.

The report notes that the new app will also have more changes when it comes to the technology it is based on. Teams is said to move away from Electron and to Microsoft’s Edge Webview2 technology, to React, a Javascript library. The effect of this shift is reported to be seen in terms of further UI improvements for Teams in the coming months.
How it will help users
These reported improvements are expected to help customers, especially with older laptops, a lot. With less load on PC resources, Microsoft Teams will likely open a lot faster and feel more responsive in terms of presenting in a meeting or responding to messages.
Furthermore, since the new Teams app is claimed to reduce power consumption, employees who are often on virtual meetings are more likely to get extended minutes/ hours from their machines.

In 2021, former head of Microsoft Teams engineering Rish Tandon said in a Twitter thread that Microsoft’s new architecture will be key for future Teams improvements.
“This architecture will help us add support for multiple accounts, work life scenarios, release predictability, and scale up for the client. It will be a journey but with Windows 11 we have taken key first steps,” said Tandon.

Wipro has reportedly cut freshers’ salaries by half. According to a report in Economic Times (ET), the company has given the option of taking up the project engineer role that pays a salary of Rs 3.5 lakh per annum, much lower than what it initially offered, to the freshers that are awaiting onboarding.
The Bengaluru-based IT company has sent emails to its Wipro ‘Turbo’ candidates, typically offered Rs 6.5 lakh per annum, asking them to take up the lower-paying role generally said to be offered to Wipro Elite candidates. The offers were made on February 16 with the deadline to accept by February 20. ET has seen a copy of the mail sent to these freshers.
The onboarding for these roles is likely to start from March 2023 and all previous offers will stand void if one chooses to accept the new offer. Quoting sources, the report says that the company has said it could not “commit to a joining date” if one chooses not to accept the lower-paid option and holds on to her original offer of Rs 6.5 lakh per annum.
What Wipro’s email to freshers says
“Like others in our industry, we continue to access global economies and customer needs, which factor into our hiring plans,” the company mail reads. “We appreciate your commitment and patience as we try to identify joining opportunities for you,” the email further added. According to the email, the offer has been made to all ‘Velocity’ graduates of the fiscal year 2022-23 batch. ‘Velocity’ is the skilling and training programme undertaken by Wipro Elite candidates (Rs 3.5 LPA) to be eligible for Turbo package (Rs 6.5 LPA).

“In light of the changing macro environment and, as a result, our business needs, we had to adjust our onboarding plans,” Wipro said in response to the mail seeking comment. “As we work to honour all outstanding offers made, this current offer creates an immediate opportunity for candidates to start their careers, build their expertise and acquire new skills — both through the interesting and innovative work that we do, as well as our extensive learning and development programmes,” it added.

Last week, Samsung’s latest Galaxy S23 series went on sale across the globe. Now, Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones are receiving the February 2023 update, bumping up the security patch to February 2023 and fixing some security issues.
Upon release, the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra come with the January security patch, which has since been updated to the February 1, 2023 version. These updates encompass 48 security enhancements shared across Android 13 devices and 7 improvements specific to Samsung’s One UI.
Included in the February 2023 update are fixes for WindowManagerService vulnerabilities which can enable malicious actors to take screenshots without the user’s knowledge. Additionally, this security update addresses a separate issue that may allow unauthorised access to the Secure Folder and the capturing of app previews without user consent.
The update is currently being released to unlocked Galaxy S23 units throughout Europe. It is anticipated to become available in other markets where the S23 series has been launched in the next few days. The update for the Galaxy S23 and S23+ weighs slightly over 500MB, while the Ultra variant’s update is roughly 600MB in size.
The newer Galaxy S23 models come with OneUI 5.1 out-of-the-box. Currently, the OneUI 5.1 update is being rolled out to Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 series with February 2023 patch. Further, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are also set to receive update soon.
OneUI 5.1 offers some updates to the Gallery app and improvements to personalisation and productivity features. It also introduces new features to apps such as Weather and Samsung Internet. An Expert RAW app is available for select devices. Further, multitasking has been improved. Also, Modes and Routines have been added. In addition, new home screen widgets have been added, such as a Spotify suggestions widget and quick panels for Settings.

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus launched the OnePlus 11 flagship smartphone series at the recently held Cloud 11 event. The lineup comprises two phones — OnePlus 11 5G and OnePlus 11R 5G smartphones. OnePlus 11R 5G smartphone comes powered by a powerful chipset and offers other features like an efficient cooling system, super-fast charging and more. The latest smartphone comes at a lower price point and will be available for pre-order in India starting February 21.
OnePlus 11R 5G: Price, availability and offers
Indian buyers can pre-order the latest performance flagship starting at Rs 39,999. Moreover, OnePlus has also added a limited-time bundle offer for this phone. In this offer, users will also get the OnePlus Buds Z2 worth Rs 5,999 for free during the pre-order phase.
Users can pre-order the OnePlus 11R 5G from OnePlus.in or Amazon. Currently, a ‘Notify me’ option is available on both sites that users can click to stay updated.
The OnePlus 11R 5G will retail at Rs 39,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant and Rs 44,999 for the 16GB RAM +256GB storage option. Pre-orders will begin on February 21 at 12 pm IST.
Customers can avail of an instant discount of Rs 1000 on the OnePlus 11R, on purchasing the phone through ICICI Bank Credit Cards, Debit Cards and EMI transactions on OnePlus.in, OnePlus Store App, OnePlus Experience Stores and Amazon.
Citibank card users can also avail of an instant discount of Rs 1000 on the OnePlus 11R through Citibank Credit Cards and EMI transactions on all the mentioned retail channels.

Users can also opt for up to 9 months no cost EMI on the OnePlus 11, on purchases made using major credit cards on these channels as well.
Moreover, RCC members can avail of up to Rs 2000 discount exclusively on Red Cable Club linked devices, on OnePlus.in and OnePlus Store App.
OnePlus 11R 5G: Key specs
OnePlus 11R 5G sports a 6.74-inch 10-bit AMOLED display that supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, a 360Hz touch response rate and HDR10+. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset backed with up to 16GB RAM, 256GB storage and Adreno 730 GPU. OnePlus 11R 5G houses a 50MP triple rear camera setup with OIS support and a 16MP selfie shooter that supports EIS. The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery unit that supports 100W fast charging and boots OxygenOS based on Android 13.

After being slapped with an antitrust order from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Google was forced to make some changes to the Android platform, which could significantly change Android smartphones in India. While the changes were notified earlier, a tipster has now come across an internal document that shows exactly how the Android smartphones in India may differ from the rest of the world.
As per the document seen by the informant Kuba Wojciechowski, India shall obtain a variant of Google Mobile Services (GMS) with non-mandatory Google Apps.
To begin with, smartphone manufacturers will be granted the option to select the Indian Mobile Application Distribution Agreements (IMADA) or the conventional MADA, which is utilised in other markets.
Opting for IMADA (Indian Mobile Application Distribution Agreement) entails a restriction on the sale of such smartphones solely within the confines of India. The selection of IMADA appears to be discretionary, unlike the obligatory regulations observed in other MADA agreements for different nations, such as EMADA for Europe or TMADA for Turkey, amongst others.
The conventional agreement necessitates the inclusion of 11 critical Google applications, whereas IMADA solely mandates the installation of the Google Play Store. Interestingly, the document notes that Google will offer “per-app bounty” to OEMs if they choose to install these 11 apps. Also, OEMs can choose to pre-load any third-party apps whatsoever.
Furthermore, IMADA does not compel OEMs to include a Google search bar, Google folder, or the Play Store icon on the home screen. And Indian users shall be free to elect their preferred default search engine.
What else is changing for Android smartphones in India
Apart from all the changes coming to Android in India, Google will allow its partners to build forked versions of Android. Also, developers can choose an alternative billing system. Furthermore, some changes are being made to sideloading in Android, and Google plans to inform users about the risks of sideloading.

Google’s Location History feature saves the locations that users visit. Earlier, this feature was used by apps like Google Photos to determine the place where an image was clicked or a video was recorded. The tech giant has stopped using Location History to figure out the location of a photo or a video. Google now works around this self-imposed restriction by using other methods.
What is the estimated photo-location feature
This feature is used by the photos stored in the Google Photos app. The estimated photo-location feature looks at the backgrounds of the images and videos taken with the phone’s camera to determine the place where the picture or video was clicked or recorded. This feature also uses landmarks that are visible in the image to figure out the location. According to a report by The Sun (US), Google has issued a warning related to the estimated photo locations feature
Google’s warning for the feature
An alert has started popping up in the Google Photos app for some users. It says, “Photos locations come from multiple sources, including locations estimated by Google Photos. We stopped using Location History to estimate photo locations, but we’ll continue estimating using other sources when ‘Estimate missing locations’ is on.” Moreover, the alert even asks users if they want to keep the estimated locations feature or disable it.
Google’s alert also notes, “Choosing ‘Keep’ means that you can use existing estimated locations to organise and find photos.” If users choose to disable the feature, they will receive a message that says, “Deleting estimated photo locations based on Location History may result in permanent loss of those estimated locations. Your photos will be kept.”
How to disable the ‘estimated photo-location’
Google keeps the estimated photo locations feature enabled by default. To disable this feature, users need to navigate to the settings menu in the Google Photos app. Users need to tap on their profile picture which is shown in the upper right corner of the app screen.
Here, users need to tap on Photos settings and choose the Location sources option from the Location section. In this option, users can find the “Estimate missing locations” button to disable the feature. Users who are concerned about Google using the landmarks in their photos to guess their location can decide to disable the feature.

Moreover, Google also allows users to edit or remove an estimated location from an image saved in the Photos app. For this, users have to select a particular picture or video and tap the three-dot menu to reach the “Edit” option which is denoted by a pencil icon.
Users can either choose to add or select a location from their recent locations or hit the Remove location option to delete the location associated with a picture or video. However, users won’t be able to edit the location of a picture that has been added by their phone’s camera.

Automobile manufacturer Tata Motors has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ride-hailing app Uber to bring 25,000 XPRES–T EVs into their premium category service.
Where will the services be available
The services will be available across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. The Company will begin the deliveries of the cars to Uber fleet partners in a phased manner, starting this month.
“In line with our commitment to grow sustainable mobility in the country, we are delighted to partner with Uber, India’s leading ridesharing platform. Offering customers our environmentally friendly EV ride experiences via Uber’s Premium Category service, will accelerate the adoption of green and clean personal ride sharing. The XPRES-T EV is a very attractive option both for customers and operators. While enhanced safety, silent and premium in cabin experience provides the customers with a relaxed ride, the fast charging solution, driving comfort and the cost effectiveness of the EV makes it an attractive business proposition for our fleet partners. This partnership will further cement our market position in the fleet segment,” said Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.
“Uber is committed to bringing sustainable, shared mobility to India, and this partnership with Tata Motors is a major milestone on that journey. It represents the largest EV partnership yet between an automaker and a ridesharing platform in India. It will supercharge the transition to zero emissions on the Uber platform as we work towards building a sustainable future. We are committed to doing our part to bring down the barriers to going electric by working with industry partners that are leading the change,” said Mr. Prabhjeet Singh, president, Uber India and South Asia.
In July 2021, Tata Motors launched the ‘XPRES’ brand exclusively for fleet customers. It is their first vehicle under this brand. The new XPRES-T electric sedan comes with 2 range options – – 315Km and 277Km. It packs 26 kWh and 25.5 kWh and can be charged from 0- 80% in 59 minutes and 110 mins respectively.
It comes with zero tail-pipe emission, single speed automatic transmission, dual airbags, and ABS with EBD as standard across variants.

Boat has launched a new pair of wireless earphones, the Rockerz Trinity. The Boat Rockerz Trinity has a neckband design, HiFi DSP and 150 hours of battery life. Here’s everything you need to know about Rockerz Trinity.
Boat Rockerz Trinity: Price, availability in India
Boat Rockerz Trinity wireless neckband earphones come in a variety of colours – Cosmic Black, Just Blue, and Kutch White. The earphones are available for purchase at a special introductory price of 1,499 INR from Flipkart, Amazon, and the manufacturer’s official website. The earbuds come with a 1-year warranty.
Boat Rockerz Trinity: Specifications, price, and more
Boat’s latest wireless earphones with a neckband design incorporate Crystal Bionic Sound‘s advanced audio technology, which is powered by HiFi DSP. This technology is expected to provide crystal-clear sound while maintaining the brand’s signature emphasis on heavy bass. Further, the earbuds feature a 10mm driver size, which provides a powerful and immersive audio experience.
The Rockerz Trinity earphones are designed to be lightweight and flexible. The earphones have button controls, which allows you to play, pause, skip tracks, and control the volume with ease. Further, The earbuds have an IPX5 rating, which means that they are water-resistant and can withstand splashes of water.
The earphones feature a Beast Mode with low latency of 65ms, which is perfect for gaming and streaming. Further, ENx technology is used in the earphones to provide clear calls. The technology filters out background noise and ensures that the person on the other end of the call can hear you clearly.
Boat Rockerz Trinity earphones have a 220mAh battery, which provides up to 150 hours of music playtime. The ASAP Charge feature ensures that you can charge the earbuds for just 10 minutes and get 24 hours of playtime. The earbuds come with a Type C charging interface, which provides fast charging and ensures that you can charge the earbuds quickly.

Secure Blink, a start-up incubated by DSCI National CoE, has announced that it has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Expert Dojo, a US-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage startups.
This latest funding round is expected to provide Secure Blink with the resources needed to accelerate its growth and strengthen its position in the market. Specifically, the funds will be used to expand its product offerings, increase its customer base in the global market, and improve its customer support services.
The news of this investment highlights the growing need for robust application security measures in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks in the digital age. Secure Blink’s innovative SaaS platform, Threatspy, has already generated significant interest since its launch in 2020. The platform empowers developers and security engineers to proactively secure their web applications and APIs using cutting-edge technology.
“We aim to empower organizations to proactively secure their applications and APIs, which tend to be vulnerable, leveraging our heuristic App sec approach. Using a heuristic approach and our custom-built Reachability Framework, Threatspy identifies vulnerabilities and provides a security posture score based on contextual analysis. The platform streamlines the remediation process with its Auto Remediation Playbook and Mitigation Campaign and calculates ROI,” said Tapendra Dev, Founder and CEO of Secure Blink.
Vinayak Godse, CEO of DSCI, said, “Application security market is expected to reach $13.2 billion by 2025, led by the rising frequency of security breaches and cyberattacks aimed at software applications. Businesses acknowledge the significance of protecting software applications from security threats, such as illegal access, data theft, and assaults that can jeopardize the application’s functioning or availability. Secure Blink, an incubated startup at the National Centre of Excellence – DSCI, covers a significant void in the market, and ThreatSpy is a dependable product for the industry.”