Archives January 2024

In August 2022, Amazon announced that it will acquire iRobot, a company known for making robot vacuums. Now, both companies have revealed that the deal has been called off. Amazon said that one of the key reasons was the expected regulatory hurdles. The European Union had launched an investigation in the deal.
According to a report by CNBC, Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission’s executive vice president, said “Our in-depth investigation preliminarily showed that the acquisition of iRobot would have enabled Amazon to foreclose iRobot’s rivals by restricting or degrading access to the Amazon Stores,” The EU’s argument was that the deal could have restricted competition in the “market for robot vacuum cleaners, leading to higher prices, lower quality, and less innovation for consumers.”
Disappointments expressed by Amazon, iRobot
“We’re disappointed that Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot could not proceed,” said David Zapolsky, Amazon SVP and General Counsel. “We’re believers in the future of consumer robotics in the home and have always been fans of iRobot’s products, which delight consumers and solve problems in ways that improve their lives,” added Zapolsky.
“Undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles discourage entrepreneurs, who should be able to see acquisition as one path to success, and that hurts both consumers and competition—the very things that regulators say they’re trying to protect,” he added.
“iRobot is an innovation pioneer with a clear vision to make consumer robots a reality,” said Colin Angle, Founder of iRobot. “The termination of the agreement with Amazon is disappointing, but iRobot now turns toward the future with a focus and commitment to continue building thoughtful robots and intelligent home innovations that make life better, and that our customers around the world love,” added Angle.
Zapolsky also said that the two companies were excited to make the deal work and “this outcome will deny consumers faster innovation and more competitive prices, which we’re confident would have made their lives easier and more enjoyable.
The companies have signed a termination agreement that resolves all outstanding matters from the transaction, including Amazon paying iRobot the previously agreed upon termination fee.

The European Union has been extremely strict about its data protection rules and it has been monitoring various platforms including AI tools and their activities as well as scope. And now, in Italy, Garante, the department responsible for evaluating compliance by AI platforms regarding data privacy rules has accused OpenAI’s ChatGPT of breaching rules, which may result in extensive penalties or a ban on this AI tool. Know what the Italian authorities said in 5 points.

What Italian authorities are accusing ChatGPT of?

1. Italy’s watchdog named Garante, which is one of the most active members of the EU, has been assessing ChatGPT for over a year now and it has found major data privacy violations by the generative AI tool.
2. ChatGPT has been under the scanner of various other countries who have expressed concern about privacy violations, and now Italian authorities have accused the tool of violating the country’s data protection rules too.
3. Notably, Garante had banned ChatGPT last year due to the breach of EU privacy rules, but the tool went live again in the region after OpenAI addressed some of the issues raised by the watchdog. Among the issues then raised by Garante were – OpenAI was failing to check the age of ChatGPT’s users who are supposed to be aged 13 or above and secondly, the watchdog had said, ChatGPT has an “absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data” to “train” the chatbot.
4. However, the EU did not close the case and continued the investigation into ChatGPT’s usage and has now accused the AI tool of one or more potential data privacy violations in a statement, Reuters reported. Garante did not specifically disclose the violation, and OpenAI did not provide a comment immediately.
5. Garante has provided OpenAI with 30 days to present its case. It also notified the involvement of the European task force along with national privacy watchdogs for further investigation.

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How bad can things get?

If the violations and accusations are found to be true, then the Microsoft-backed OpenAI may have to face some big consequences including fines and a ban on the tool in the European region. EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) says that any company found breaching the rules will have to bear fines of up to 4 percent of its total global income.

Significantly, things may get worse for AI companies and their tools as the EU authorities are still grappling with the consequences of using this new technology and Italian authorities are among the most active and strict in terms of implementation so far.

Also read other top stories today:

AI on Apple devices? Apple is working on making AI models that can work on devices alone by making them smaller. But we may have to wait a few years for these to work to circumnavigate the “memory wall”. Know where things stand here.

AI leaders on the rise! Businesses are scrambling to appoint AI leaders with the recent boom in technology, leaving metaverse leaders in the lurch. Instead, AI is taking their place. Find out more about this shift here.

Saviour against AI! Taylor Swift’s deepfake photos went viral on X during the weekend but they’ve since been taken down. Can the Time’s Person of the Year save humanity from the dark side of AI? Know all the details here.

Neuralink, the California-based neurotechnology company, has implanted a wireless brain chip in a human for the first time, revealed co-founder Elon Musk. The big development was revealed by Musk on January 29 via a series of posts on X (formerly known as Twitter). Neuralink has been working on creating implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Last year in May, the company received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct human trials. In September 2023, the neurotechnology firm began its human trial recruitment.

Announcing in a post, Musk said, “The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” He also revealed separately that the first BCI product by the company had been named Telepathy. The brain chip enables the control of a computer or a smartphone just by thinking, claimed the co-founder. Interestingly, the company posted a video on YouTube in 2021 where a monkey could be seen controlling a game of ping-pong with his mind, after being implanted with the chip.

“Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal,” he added. The first users of the product will be those who have lost the use of their limbs.

While Neuralink received its FDA approval to conduct human trials last year, it rejected an application to pursue the same in 2022. At the time, the regulatory body had cited major safety concerns involving “the device’s lithium battery; the potential for the implant’s tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain; and questions over whether and how the device can be removed without damaging brain tissue,” as per a report by Reuters.

In a 2019 presentation, Musk explained that Neuralink BCIs were composed mostly of polyimide alongside a thin gold or platinum conductor. These were inserted into the brain through an automated process performed by a surgical robot. The chip contains a high number of ultra-thin nodules with wires called probes. The endings of these probes contain electrodes that are capable of locating and reading electrical signals in brain. These signals are then wirelessly transmitted to a device which can convert it into electronic commands to control a device.

In the past, the company has conducted extensive tests on animals and has claimed a high success rate. While performing a successful brain chip implant is a major milestone, the success of the product will be determined by its long-term performance and lack of side effects.

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In today’s tech-savvy world, where home entertainment holds a paramount place in our lives, finding the perfect TV that balances performance, features, and affordability becomes crucial. A 50-inch TV strikes a sweet spot, offering an immersive viewing experience without overwhelming your living space. With an array of options available in the market, selecting the ideal TV within a budget can be a daunting task.
Worry not, we have curated a list of the best 50-inch TVs under Rs 35,000, combining exceptional picture quality, smart features, and value for money.Whether you’re a movie buff, avid gamer, or simply enjoy binge-watching your favourite shows, these TVs promise to transform your living room into a cinematic haven.

50-inch Smart TVs Under Rs 35,000 From Top Brands

VU 126 cm (50 inches) The GloLED Series 4K Smart LED Google TV 50GloLED (Grey): Indulge in mesmerising visuals and streamline your entertainment experience with the remarkable Vu GloLED TV, boasting futuristic features that captivate at first glance. Collaborating seamlessly, the Vu GloLED TV Panel and Vu Glo AI processor meticulously reproduce a full spectrum of colours and enhance OTT video content through advanced AI upscaling. Featuring a robust audio system comprising four speakers, one subwoofer, and a combined output of 104 watts, the Vu GloLED TV ensures immersive and high-fidelity audio playback.
MI 125 cm (50 inches) X 4K Dolby Vision Series Smart Google TV L50M8-A2IN (Black): Experience an extraordinary entertainment journey with the Xiaomi X Series TV, a remarkable masterpiece that sets new standards in home viewing. Prepare to be enthralled by the vivid colours and dynamic contrast delivered through advanced technologies like Dolby Vision, HDR 10, and HLG. Dive into a cinematic audio experience with the immersive sound produced by the potent 30 W speakers, enhanced further by cutting-edge audio technologies like Dolby Audio and DTS X.
Acer 127 cm (50 inches) Advanced I Series 4K Ultra HD Smart LED Google TV AR50GR2851UDFL (Black): This Google TV offers personalised profiles for each household member, tailored to individual interests. Experience theatre-quality audio with the Dolby Atmos audio system, delivering immersive sound right in your living room. With its frameless design, this Google TV maximises screen space and boasts a sleek metal body for added elegance.
TOSHIBA 126 cm (50 inches) 4K Ultra HD Smart LED Google TV 50C350MP (Silver) | Dolby Vision & Atoms | HDR 10+ | REGZA Power Audio: Toshiba introduces its distinctive AI technology to provide near 4K-level image quality for full HD content viewing. This television features a DLED backlight instead of conventional backlights, ensuring enhanced visual performance. With its sleek design, the TV presents a full-screen display complemented by minimal bezels, delivering a wide and immersive viewing experience.
Redmi 126 cm (50 inches) 4K Ultra HD Android Smart LED TV X50 | L50M6-RA (Black): The X Series Xiaomi TV delivers stunning 4K resolution, ensuring exceptional clarity and immersive visuals. With robust 30 W speakers, this TV ensures a clear audiovisual experience. It offers versatile connectivity options, including 3 HDMI 2.1 Ports, 2 USB Ports, Ethernet, AV Input, Optical, Headphone Jack, and advanced wireless technologies like Dual Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0.
MI 125 cm (50 inches) X Series 4K Ultra HD Smart Android LED TV L50M7-A2IN (Black): Indulge in crystal-clear, cinema-grade audio right in your living room, courtesy of the integration of Dolby Audio and DTS Technology in this TV. Explore a vast array of entertainment options, including 30+ OTT applications, 90+ Live channels, and exclusive features such as Universal Search, Kids Mode, Live Sports, and Smart Recommendations, all seamlessly accessible through the innovative PatchWall platform.
TCL 126 cm (50 inches) Bezel-Less Full Screen Series Ultra HD 4K Smart LED Google TV 50P635 Pro (Black): HDR 10 delivers a high-definition video standard, featuring dynamic tone mapping to enhance picture quality by adjusting tones, brightness, and contrast, ensuring an immersive visual experience. Immerse yourself in multi-dimensional audio and explore over 700,000 movies, series, or sports through various apps available on Google TV.

Moto G24 Power smartphone is here. Motorola has launched its new entry-level Android smartphone in India — Moto G24 Power. The affordable smartphone is backed by a 6000 mAh battery and sports an HD+ display. The smartphone packs a MediaTek chipset paired with up to 8GB of RAM.
Price and availability
The Chinese smartphone maker has launched two variants of Moto G24 Power — 4GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB priced at Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively.The smartphone can be purchased in Glacier Blue and Ink Blue colour options. Customers can purchase the smartphone online from Flipkart and Motorola.in. It will also be available in authorised retail stores in the country. The Moto G24 Power will go on sale starting February 7, 2024.
Moto G24 Power specifications
The Moto G24 Power sports a 6.56-inch HD+ display with 720×1612 pixel resolution. The IPS display of the smartphone offers 90Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits of peak brightness levels.
The affordable Android smartphone is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 chipset paired with up to 8GB of RAM. The smartphone packs 128GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 1TB by adding a microSD card.
The Moto G24 Power runs Android 14 operating system topped with the company’s own layer of My UX. The dual SIM smartphone sports a 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and a 2MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture. On the front you will get a 16MP selfie camera.
The Moto G24 Power comes equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and stereo speakers tuned by Dolby Atmos. The smartphone features a water repellent design and is backed by a 6000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging support.

Google has always been a little cautious about app sideloading. With the Android 14 update, Google introduced new warning messages telling users about the potential risks involved when downloading a Google app updated from sources other than Google Play Store. Now, this warning was initially noticed on Pixel devices along with Google’s apps and services on Android.
However, as per a recent report by Android Headlines, Google is extending this warning message to other Android devices as well as third-party apps.
According to the report, several users have reported that they are seeing this new warning prompt on non-Pixel smartphones like Galaxy S24 Ultra when downloading and installing apps from third-party sources. Interestingly, the warning also appears when downloading and installing apps from OEM’s stores like Galaxy Store on Samsung smartphones.
Google’s new warning prompt highlights the risk involved in installing apps from other sources. The prompt states that updating apps from random sources or app stores may change the app’s functionality. The prompt warns users about losing some of the features found in previous versions when sideloading the apps from other sources.
It is important to note that the prompt appears only once for each new source. This means, if users update an app from a third-party source once then the prompt will appear. However, if the update has been downloaded from the same source, the prompt won’t appear and it will let users update the app.
Why Google is showing this new warning prompt for sideloading
This goes without saying that installing apps from random third-party sources involves certain risks. The app installer file may have been tweaked to include malware, ransomware, etc and this can compromise the device’s security and affect users’ privacy as well.
This latest move from Google comes as creating a balance between Android’s open nature as well as the safety of the users on Android.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League seems to have hit a new hurdle right out of the gate. The co-op looter shooter from Rocksteady Studios is all set for a full release on February 2 and was supposed to be in its three-day early access launch for customers who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition. The developers, however, were forced to pull the title offline barely an hour into its early access release due to a major bug. Rocksteady confirmed Monday that several players, who logged into the game in early access, encountered a bug that resulted in full story completion. As a result, the studio took down Suicide Squad servers to work on fixing the issue.

“We’re aware that a number of players are currently experiencing an issue whereby upon logging into the game for the first time, they have full story completion,” Rocksteady said in a post on X. “To resolve this issue, we will be performing maintenance on the game servers. During this time the game will be unavailable. We expect this to take several hours and will update once we have more information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”

Finding the full story completed after logging into the game could expose players to major story spoilers and end-game content. It is unclear if players are able to start a new game or are forced to continue from the point of story completion. 

Rocksteady provided an update on the issue late Monday, confirming it had identified the problem that led to full story completion for several player profiles. The studio said it was testing a fix but hasn’t since confirmed if the bug has been resolved. “We hope to implement it and have the game back online as soon as possible,” Rocksteady said in its update post on X.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has had a rough road leading up to its launch, right from the first gameplay reveal in February 2023. The game attracted criticism for incorporating elements from generic looter shooters and ditching the single-player narrative focus from Batman Arkham titles that earned Rocksteady its repute. Suicide Squad was also hit with multiple delays after fan backlash. Originally slated to release May 26, 2023, the live service title finally set a February 2, 2024, launch date.

Meanwhile, publisher Warner Bros. has said that it intends to transform its biggest game franchises into live service titles. During the company’s Q3 earnings call in November last year, CEO David Zaslav confirmed that Warner Bros. games will follow the live service model to become long-term products, with post-launch content drops, season passes and additional DLC. “Ultimately we want to drive engagement and monetization of longer cycles and at higher levels,” Zaslav had said during the call.

Rocksteady, too, has said that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will feature free post-launch seasonal content, with each season bringing new playable characters, challenges, missions and more. Just last week, the studio confirmed that the Joker would arrive as a playable character in the game during its first post-launch season in March.

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A security breach found in the Rajasthan government’s website related to January 2023 Aadhaar has been fixed by the state government. If you are unaware, TechCrunch reported that a security researcher named Viktor Markopoulos found a bug in Jan Aadhaar portal, back in December last year.
What was the bug in Jan Aadhaar portal?
The discovery of a critical vulnerability on the Rajasthan government’s Jan Aadhaar portal exposes serious concerns regarding data privacy and security measures.This bug allowed unauthorised access to sensitive personal documents using registered phone numbers, potentially leading to identity theft and financial fraud.
An additional security flaw in the authentication process involved insufficient validation of the One-Time Password (OTP), allowing attackers to potentially bypass security measures and gain unauthorised access.
The bug exposed the personal documents of the citizens which includes copies of Aadhaar cards, bird and marriage certificates, electricity bills, income tax statements along with personal information like date of birth, gender, father’s name, etc.
The bug has been fixed now
As per the latest update, both the bugs in the Jan Aadhaar portal have been fixed with the help of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In. The same has been confirmed now by the CERT-In.
“This is to inform you that we have received a response from the concerned authority that the reported vulnerability has been fixed,” the agency told TechCrunch.
For those unaware, Jan Aadhaar portal was launched in 2019. The portal, according to the report, has over 78 million registered users and this includes around 20 million famalies. The portal is aimed at making Jan Aadhaar cards for citizens living in Rajasthan and make several other government services and schemes accessible through the portal.

Bitcoin on Tuesday, January 30 jumped to the price point of $43,495 (roughly Rs. 36 lakh). Over the last 24 hours, the asset grew by 2.73 percent, which in-terms of value stands at $1,320 (roughly Rs. 1.09 lakh). This is the first time in over a week that Bitcoin has managed to trade above the mark of $43,000 (roughly Rs. 35.7 lakh). It is also noteworthy that BTC dominance is rising which usually poses challenges for altcoins. Bitcoin dominance is the metric for the relative share of Bitcoin compared to the overall cryptocurrency market. Presently it stands at 51.2 percent.
Ether rose by 1.74 percent in price over the last day. The asset, at the time of writing, was trading at $2,310 (roughly Rs. 1.92 lakh).

“The crypto market has experienced a significant price increase following days of decline, after the approval of Bitcoin ETFs. This price shift can probably be attributed to a change in Google’s guidelines, now allowing Bitcoin ETF adverts in the US by companies like BlackRock, VanEck, and Franklin Templeton,” Shivam Thakral, CEO of BuyUcoin told Gadgets360.

Binance Coin, Solana, Ripple, Cardano, Avalanche, Dogecoin, Polkadot, Chainlink, and Polygon — all reflected gains on Monday alongside BTC and ETH.

“One of the notable gainers of the day remained PENDLE (+16.5 percent) as the Arbitrum based protocol entered the top 100 in terms of circulating market cap. This came as the total value locked in the protocol has crossed the 500-million-dollar mark, an all-time high. Another popular altcoin SOL (+5.12 percent) is also on the move again as Solana DEXs briefly flipped Ethereum trading volumes with rolling 24 hour volume on Solana crossing $700 million (roughly Rs. 5,819 crore) compared to $698 million (roughly Rs. 5,802 lakh) on Ethereum as per the data from DefiLlama. Some analysts are predicting another run might be due for SOL as the recent corrective wave seems to have settled,” the CoinSwitch Markets Desk told Gadgets360.

The overall crypto market cap rose by 2.30 percent in the last 24 hours. The current valuation of the crypto sector, as of Tuesday, stands at $1.67 trillion (roughly Rs. 1,38,82,793 crore), as per CoinMarketCap.

Cryptocurrencies trading in losses on Tuesday include Tether, USD Coin, Tron, Leo, and Augur.

“Market awaits key events: the Fed’s interest rate decision and US January unemployment rate data. If a widely expected rate cut occurs, bulls may triumph in the ongoing tug of war. Conversely, unchanged rates could signal bearish sentiment. Investors brace for potential impact even as Bitcoin’s Bollinger Bands show early signs of convergence, hinting at the possibility of reduced-price volatility in the coming days,” Rajagopal Menon, Vice President, WazirX told Gadgets360.

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Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks. The information provided in the article is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, trading advice or any other advice or recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any perceived recommendation, forecast or any other information contained in the article.

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