Archives January 2024

More and more businesses suffering a ransomware attack are deciding not to pay the ransom demand, new research has revealed.

The report from Coveware suggests the change is due to a number of factors, from the victims being more prepared for such a scenario, to losing trust in the attackers and that they’ll keep their word and not publish the stolen data online. Also, in some places the governments got involved, making paying the ransom demand illegal.

The Christopher Reeve documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story was one of the hits of this year’s Sundance film festival, and Warner Bros. Discovery has bagged the streaming rights in a deal worth a reported $15 million, according to Variety. The deal is precedent-setting for a Sundance documentary launch and likely means that the documentary will stream on Max. 

It’s been a good year for Sundance documentaries: Will Ferrell’s road trip with his trans friend, Will & Harper, has also generated serious buzz after it was greeted with tears and a standing ovation at the festival. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story has been similarly well received, and by all accounts it’s very emotional.

Amazon has shared a new Fire TV streaming trends report. The report claims that Indians spent more hours streaming cricket over entertainment content during domestic and international cricket tournaments in 2023 The annual edition of the report published by the e-commerce major captures aggregated insights on how Indian viewers consumed content on their Fire TV devices in 2023.Data reveals that Maharashtra, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu streamed more hours of cricket than other states on Fire TV.
In 2023, Indian households spent around four hours per day streaming their favourite movies, shows, cricket matches, playing games and listening to music through Fire TV. A family in Delhi streamed 5.4 hours every day in 2023, the highest by any Indian household through Fire TV.

Favourites on Fire TV: Sports, kids’ content, news and TV shows

Alexa’s universal voice search on Fire TV

Indians across 99% of the pin codes have purchased Fire TV devices

Fire TV users enjoyed streaming Prime Video movies and originals

Amazon Fire TV devices: More details

Amazon’s Fire TV is the one-stop destination for all the streaming needs and brings together 12,000+ channels, apps along with the Alexa voice assistant for an improved experience. It is built on the Fire OS and it converts your normal TV to a smart TV. It supports all the major OTT apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, JioCinema, ZEE5, Sony Liv, and much more.
With Fire TV devices, users can press and hold the voice/ Alexa button on the Fire TV remote and ask Alexa to find, launch and control content. Alexa can also play music, control compatible- smart home appliances, answer questions, read the news, check the weather, and set alarms. Customers can choose from a range of devices such as Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube, and Smart TVs with Fire TV built-in.

It’s been just over a week since Stolen Device Protection debuted with iOS 17.3, but iOS 17.4 will reportedly bring further improvements to the brand new security feature.

Stolen Device Protection essentially acts as a last line of defense against iPhone thieves in possession of your passcode. When activated, your iPhone will require Face ID or Touch ID authentication for sensitive actions like viewing passkeys, erasing content, turning off Lost Mode, and so on. For especially sensitive actions – like changing your Apple ID password or disabling Find My iPhone – Stolen Device Protection requires two instances of biometric authentication; the second coming one hour after the first. 

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced new changes for the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) online bank transaction system in October 2023. As per NPCI’s circular shared in October, customers will be able to transfer up to Rs 5 lakh between bank accounts without adding a beneficiary starting February 1. The regulatory body has also asked all members to comply with the directive for initiating and accepting fund transfers via mobile number and bank name on all IMPS channels by January 31.

What is IMPS

IMPS is a 24×7 instant domestic funds transfer system. This online bank account transfer system has played a crucial role in transforming the financial landscape of India. To ensure both accuracy and speed, it facilitates real-time fund transfers with a deferred net settlement between banks.

How this will help users

With the new changes implemented, users will soon be able to transfer up to Rs 5 lakh using IMPS. For such transactions, users won’t need to input recipient details like mobile numbers, bank account names, account numbers or IFSC codes.
The recent update is set to eliminate the need for users to input tedious beneficiary details during transactions. Users will be able to execute fund transfers with a simplified process that only requires the recipient’s mobile number and bank name.

How to use the new version of the IMPS online transfer system:

Soon after pop star Taylor Swift’s AI-generated explicit images grabbed millions of views on its platform, X (formerly Twitter) moved to suspend all searches with keywords like “Taylor Swift” or “Taylor Swift AI” on the platform. Now the search has been re-enabled, a company spokesperson told the media.
“Search has been re-enabled and we will continue to be vigilant for any attempt to spread this content and will remove it if we find it,” The Wall Street Journal quoted Joe Benarroch, head of business operations at X, as saying.
The Times of India-Gadgets Now team can confirm that X is returning results for multiple terms related to Taylor Swift.
Why X blocked Taylor Swift-related search
As a response to Taylor Swift’s AI-generated explicit images making rounds on the platform, the Elon Musk-owned company blocked searches for some prompts related to ‘Taylor Swift’.
While words like “Taylor Swift” did not return any results, a tweaked prompt returned several images, which included a mix of originally captured photos and some AI-generated photos which were not explicit.
Microsoft makes changes to AI tool
Meanwhile, Microsoft has reportedly made changes to an AI tool that people use to create explicit images of celebrities. It was reported that a Microsoft Designer image generator was used to make Swift’s explicit images and the company CEO Satya Nadella termed the incident “alarming and terrible.” He added that a lot has to be done on this front.
“I would say two things: One, is again I go back to what I think is our responsibility, which is all of the guardrails that we need to place around the technology so that there’s more safe content that’s being produced. And there’s a lot to be done and a lot being done there. But it is about global, societal — you know, I’ll say, convergence on certain norms,” Nadella added.

Tecno Spark 20 was launched in India on Tuesday, January 30. The model was initially unveiled in December 2023 globally. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM. It carries a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W wired charging. In the camera department, the handset gets a dual rear camera system and dual LED flash unit for both the back and front camera. This budget offering also arrives with an IP53 rating. It will be available for purchase in the country soon.

Tecno Spark 20 price in India, availability

Offered in Cyber White, Gravity Black, Magic Skin 2.0 (Blue), and Neon Gold colourways, the Tecno Spark 20 is priced in India at Rs. 10,499. It will be available for purchase in the country exclusively through Amazon starting February 2, 12pm IST. 

Tecno also announced that it is extending a free annual OTTPlay subscription worth Rs. 4,897 with the purchase of each Tecno Spark 20 model, which encompasses access to 19 OTT platforms like SonyLIV, Zee5, Lionsgate Play, and Fancode among others.

Tecno Spark 20 specification, features

Tecno Spark 20 sports a 6.6-inch HD+ (720 x 1,612 pixels) LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. The RAM can be extended virtually by an additional 8GB to up to 16GB. It ships with Android 13-based HiOS 13.

For optics, the Tecno Spark 20 comes with a 50-megapixel primary rear sensor alongside an unspecified secondary sensor and dual LED flash units. The front camera is equipped with a 32-megapixel sensor, placed within a centred hole-punch slot. Tecno’s Dynamic Port software feature, which works similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island, is available on the phone and appears around the selfie camera cutout at the top of the display. The pop-up bar shows notifications and other alerts like charging percentage, call status, etc.

The Tecno Spark 20 is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 18W wired charging support via a USB Type-C port. The phone also supports 4G, Wi-Fi, GNSS and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. For security, the handset carries a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The smartphone gets an IP53 rating for dust and splash resistance and measures 163.69mm x 75.6mm x 8.45mm in size. 

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As temperatures drop, keeping our homes warm and cosy becomes a top priority. Room heaters offer a convenient solution, providing warmth and comfort during chilly days and nights. However, finding an efficient and budget-friendly room heater can be challenging, especially with so many options available in the market. Fortunately, there are several affordable room heaters priced under Rs 2,000 that effectively heat small to medium-sized rooms without breaking the bank.
In this article, you can check out some of the best room heaters available under Rs 2,000, ensuring that you can stay snug and comfortable without exceeding your budget.

Room Heaters Under Rs 2,000

Bajaj RHX-2 Halogen Heater: The Bajaj RHX-2 halogen heater comes with two halogen tubes and high-quality reflectors to provide consistent and effective heating. It offers two heat settings, 400W and 800W, allowing users to adjust the temperature according to their preference. Moreover, it includes a sturdy mesh grill for hand safety from direct heat exposure, while its robust outer body is constructed from durable ABS material to ensure longevity.
RR Calid Halogen Room Heater 1200 W: The room heater functions silently, delivering ample warmth without producing any noise. Its 180-degree oscillation ensures uniform heat dispersion across the room by moving from side to side, effectively covering a larger area. Additionally, the heater includes tip-over protection, ensuring automatic shutdown if accidentally knocked over for added safety.
Crompton Insta Comfy 800 Watt Room Heater: The heater features a high-quality plastic body that remains cool even during operation. Its advanced Quartz tubes heat up rapidly, ensuring faster dispersion of warmth. Moreover, the inclusion of two advanced quartz tubes, each with a power of 400 W, enables you to adjust the heat level according to your preference.
Usha 2 Rod 800 Watt Quartz Heater: Immerse yourself in a perfect combination of warmth and effectiveness with the Usha 2 Rod 800 Watt Quartz Heater. Constructed from premium stainless steel, the reflector of this heater guarantees longevity and resistance to rust. With two heating positions, you can personalise the warmth according to your liking, ensuring efficient heating that suits your needs.
Havells Cozio Quartz Room Heater: Efficient and easy to use, the Havells Cozio Quartz Room Heater presents an excellent heating option for the colder months. With two quartz heating tubes, it efficiently spreads warmth throughout the room, ensuring comprehensive coverage. Furthermore, its stainless steel reflector enhances durability by resisting rust, ensuring longevity. Plus, the inclusion of a tip-over safety switch adds an extra layer of protection, automatically shutting off power if the heater falls or is placed on uneven surfaces.

Day of the Devs has announced that it has gone fully independent and become a non-profit through a fiscal sponsorship partnership with charity planning organization Legacy Global. 

Established in 2012 by game developer Double Fine and merchandising company iam8bit, Day of the Devs is a recurring festival that showcases some of the best upcoming indie games via both digital and in-person events.

Binance Co-Foudner Yi He has disclosed that unidentified notorious elements are reaching out to existing or potential crypto investors, offering them scam token listings for money using her name. These types of scams are classified as ‘token listing’ scams. Through social networking platforms like LinkedIn and X, cyber criminals first identify members of the crypto community, analyse their investment patterns, and then reach out to those who are more likely to invest in newer tokens with hopes to hit a jackpot. Sometimes the scammers also reach out to crypto projects luring them to pay and list their tokens on popular exchanges.

In He’s case, scammers impersonating her have been reaching out to strangers primarily through LinkedIn. Advising the crypto community to beware of these scammers, He published a detailed post on X. She also attached an image of the message her impersonators have been forwarding, to give people an idea of what to beware of.

“Please be wary of those who claim to be close to me and discuss with you about investments or listing,” He posted from her own X account.

Earlier this month, self-proclaimed blockchain expert Anndy Lian also brought to light several fishy groups on WhatsApp messaging app. Through these unauthorised groups, scammers have been known to lure-in group members into free crypto investment opportunities, crypto rewards, and monthly events among other services.

“This gives crypto a bad name,” Lian published in a tweet, that also showed a screenshot of a fake Binance WhatsApp group titled ‘Singapore Binance T10′.

Commenting under He’s word of caution, Lian re-shared his previous tweet and called for better education and awareness for the sector participants.

The crypto industry, that is currently sitting on the valuation of stands at $1.67 trillion (roughly Rs. 1,38,82,793 crore), has remained riddled with scams for years now. There were over 600 crypto hacks in 2023 that led to the loss of $2.61 billion (roughly Rs. 21,696 crore), a recent report by cybersecurity firm PeckShield reportedly disclosed. However, it also stated that crypto hacks and scams dipped by 27.78 percent in 2023 after the introduction of some new rules and regulations in the industry.

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