One of the last safe places for avoiding video calls could soon fall, no thanks to a new update for Microsoft Teams.
The video conferencing service is working on an update that will allow users to join a Teams call directly from their vehicle while driving using Apple’s CarPlay platform.
Apple has recently updated CarPlay to include a new calendar view, which will now allow users to join a Microsoft Teams call using their iPhone while driving.
Microsoft Teams CarPlay
The official entry in the Microsoft 365 roadmap (opens in new tab) for the update doesn’t provide any extra detail on exactly how the feature will work, simply noting that users can choose to join a Teams meeting using the new CarPlay calendar view.
Obviously, due care and attention should be paid to the road whilst driving, so hopefully the calls taking place can be audio-only as well, meaning users can keep their eyes on the road.
The feature is still marked as in development for the time being, with a scheduled general availability date of March 2023, so users won’t have too long to wait.
Microsoft Teams users have been able to dial into calls using Apple CarPlay since September 2021, as well the ability to call and message Teams contacts from most modern vehicles – although meeting video feeds do not appear on the dashboard.
The platform is also available on Android Auto, with Google’s car-focused software allowing Microsoft Teams users to make calls, join meetings or message contacts.
The news is the latest in a series of recent upgrades for Microsoft Teams as the company looks to continue improving the platform.
This includes a tweak that uses AI to detect the difference between sound from a speaker and the user’s voice, fixing a common issue when a microphone is too close to a speaker, causing sound to loop between input and output devices and create an echo.
For those making calls in large rooms, where speaking can often reverberate and echo around somewhat, Teams now uses a machine learning model to convert captured audio signal, making it now sound as if users are speaking into a close-range microphone.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has joined the cast of Invincible – and fans already think they know who he’ll play in the hit Prime Video series.
Taking to Instagram yesterday (January 29), Morgan uploaded an image of himself leaning on Invincible volumes 2 and 3. Coupled with the photograph’s caption, Morgan revealed he’ll be part of Invincible season 2. Or, at the very least, he’ll be voicing a character in season 3, which is being developed alongside the Prime Video show’s next entry.
Invincible‘s official Twitter account (opens in new tab) also uploaded a screenshot of Morgan’s Instagram image, before drolly suggesting there was “nothing else to see here”. If Morgan’s own social media post wasn’t enough to confirm his involvement, the subsequent Twitter post was.
Morgan’s hiring comes less than two weeks after Invincible season 2’s first teaser and launch window were released. The self-aware trailer, which made fun of how long it was taking to complete work on the series’ next instalment, revealed season 2 would arrive in late 2023. Those announcements came two days shy of Invincible‘s 20th anniversary, with the first comic issue having been released on January 22, 2003. As of right now – publicly, anyway – Amazon Studios hasn’t secretly renewed Invincible for a fourth season, either.
Interestingly, Morgan’s addition to Invincible‘s cast takes the show’s roster of Walking Dead alumni to nine. Most of those actors, including Lauren Cohan and Lennie James have only appeared in cameo roles. However, Steven Yeun (Mark Grayson/Invincible), Ross Marquand (Rudy Connors and The Immortal), and Khary Payton (Black Sansom) portray main and supporting cast members in the series.
Command and conquer
Morgan’s role hasn’t been disclosed, but Invincible fans already have a great idea about which character he’ll voice on the show: Conquest.
In the comics, Conquest is one of Mark Grayson’s most formidable foes. Like Omni-Man and Mark, Conquest is a Viltrumite – and one who revels fighting and killing those who oppose the Viltrumite Empire. He’s an elderly, battle-scarred warrior, but he’s also one of the most powerful Viltrumites to ever live, so he’s not something to trifle with.
He would be perfect for Conquest. pic.twitter.com/ulL5mceYNbJanuary 29, 2023
See more
Morgan would make a fantastic Conquest, in my view. The actor brought real menace and malice to Negan, The Walking Dead‘s most iconic antagonist, in the TV adaptation. Negan might be viewed as more of an anti-hero these days (in the TV series, anyway), but Morgan’s swaggering, callous portrayal of Negan makes him a perfect fit to play someone as psychotic as Conquest.
It’s unclear, though, if Conquest will be introduced as early as Invincible season 2. Conquest didn’t make his comics debut until issue 61, which was released in April 2009. Invincible‘s first season only covered the first 13 issues of the graphic novels – if season 2 follows a similar trajectory, it’ll only cover issues 14-26, meaning it’ll be a long time before Conquest arrives on the small screen.
A more likely character for Morgan to voice would be Grand Regent Thragg, the comic series’ primary villain and a recurring antagonist throughout. Thragg wasn’t revealed in Invincible season 1, but he debuted in issue 11, which was released in April 2004. If Invincible‘s second season picks up some loose plot threads and character introductions from issues 1 through 13, Thragg could appear in the show’s next outing and officially bring Morgan into the voice acting fold.
Please cast Jeffrey Dean Morgan to voice as Grand Regent Thragg! pic.twitter.com/Xji8lUYobIJanuary 29, 2023
The wait is almost over, Marvel fans. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will finally launch on Disney Plus on February 1.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was released in theaters on November 11, 2022, so it’s been well over two months since it launched worldwide. After a lengthy wait, it’ll arrive on one of the best streaming services in just two days’ time (at the time of writing, anyway).
We knew Black Panther 2 wasn’t coming to Disney Plus in January as Disney revealed it wouldn’t as part of its January 2023 release slate. Now, though, Marvel fanatics are gearing up to watch it for the first or 10th time.
If you’re looking for more news on Wakanda Forever’s Disney Plus debut, we’ve got you covered. Below, you can read more about why it’s taken so long for it to launch on Disney Plus, as well as other important information surrounding the MCU flick. So, dive in!
When is Black Panther 2’s Disney Plus release date?
On February 1, the worldwide phenomenon arrives on @DisneyPlus.Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: #WakandaForever is streaming February 1. pic.twitter.com/TDefiAFwUvJanuary 4, 2023
See more
As confirmed by Marvel Studios on January 4, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will debut on Disney Plus on February 1.
The film, which made it into the top three of our Marvel Phase 4 ranked article, landed in theaters last November, and we expected it to arrive in January 2023. That’s based on what we knew about some of the best superhero movies‘ Disney Plus releases. However, Marvel proved that wasn’t the case, confirming it’ll arrive a month later instead.
Marvel movies don’t launch on Disney’s streaming platform immediately after their theatrical releases; each one having a 45-day exclusivity period in cinemas. If Black Panther 2 was released exactly 45 days after its theatrical release, it would’ve arrived on Disney’s streamer on Monday, December 26.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Marvel hasn’t released any of its post-Avengers: Endgame films on Disney’s streamer so soon after their theatrical release. The exception to that rule is Black Widow, which received a day and date launch in theaters and on Disney Plus in July 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, Disney traditionally releases new films and TV shows on Wednesdays. That temporarily changed when She-Hulk: Attorney at Law debuted on a Thursday (August 18). This was due to the midweek episodic release of Star Wars TV show Andor. Clearly, Marvel and Lucasfilm didn’t want their tentpole franchises to compete for viewers on the same day.
If Black Panther 2 follows Marvel’s traditional Wednesday launch for Disney Plus releases, it should’ve come out on Wednesday, December 28, right? No – and Eternals holds the key as to why.
Eternals launched in theaters on November 5, 2021, but it wasn’t available to stream on Disney Plus until January 12, 2022. That’s because Marvel co-released Spider-Man: No Way Home (alongside Sony Pictures) in December 2021. In our view, Marvel didn’t want to Eternals’ Disney Plus launch to clash with No Way Home’s theatrical run, as it might have distracted fans from going to see No Way Home.
Add in the fact Wakanda Forever continued to make money over the 2022 holiday season and it wasn’t in Marvel’s financial interests to end its theatrical run and release it on Disney Plus (for free, remember!) until February.
Is there an end credit scene in Black Panther 2?
Yes, but there’s only one post-credits scene – not two – in Wakanda Forever.
We’ve broken down what that mid-credits stinger means for the Black Panther film series (and wider MCU) in this Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ending and post-credits scene explained article. It takes a deep dive into the film’s more spoiler-y elements, so don’t read it until you’ve watched the film.
What’s the runtime for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever runs for two hours and 41 minutes. That includes its sole post-credits scene and its two credits sequences, and makes Black Panther 2 the second-longest MCU film of all-time. It’s only surpassed by Avengers: Endgame’s three hour runtime, while it’s four minutes longer than the divisive Eternals film.
The central government last week issued a notification for setting up the Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs) to look into users’ complaints against social media giants, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as other internet platforms. Here, we will discuss the larger objectives of the GACs, its members and the need for such a body. What is GAC? As per the government, the GAC is a critical piece of overall policy and legal framework to ensure that the internet in India is open, safe and trusted, and accountable. A GAC has a team of three members and three GACs have been set up by the government.
Why are GACs established? The centre notified the establishment of three GACs last week based on the recently amended Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules 2021”). The IT rules 2021 mention the creation of avenues – apart from courts – for user grievance redressal. These avenues are set up to ensure that the constitutional rights of Indians are not contravened by any Big-tech Platform. As per a press note by PIB, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, had articulated the government’s stand during the extensive public consultations on the IT Rules. Objectives of GACs The government seeks the safety and trust of every Digital Nagrik and for that, a robust grievance redressal system to ensure accountability of all Internet platforms offering a service or product was needed. Hence GACs have been established with the goal that all grievances must be 100% addressed.
“The need for GAC was created due to large numbers of grievances being left unaddressed or unsatisfactorily addressed by Internet Intermediaries. GAC is expected to create a culture of responsiveness amongst all Internet Platforms and Intermediaries towards their consumers. The GAC will be a virtual Digital platform that will operate only online and digitally – wherein the entire appeal process, from filing of appeal to the decision thereof, shall be conducted digitally,” the government said. How can users file complaints? Users will have the option to appeal against the decision of the grievance officer of the social media intermediaries and other online intermediaries before the new body. Users can appeal on https://www.gac.gov.in and it will be operational from March 1. The Committee will work to address the user’s appeal within a period of 30 days. Periodic reviews of GACs and reporting and disclosures of GAC orders will also be part of the process. IT minister issues caution After the notification, IT minister Chandrasekhar said the compliance of rules and laws was not a “pick-and-choose” or “cherry-picking” option for the social media platforms. He also said that if and when rules are not followed, the “safe harbour protection” that these platforms enjoy will fall away. “The government looks at the internet through the prism of keeping it safe and accountable for 120 crore digital nagriks (digital citizens). Safe and trusted internet is an integral part of the trillion dollars digital economy goal,” the Minister had said.
Ashwini Vaishnaw on India’s digital payment transactions
Since November, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been the hot topic for every conversation on the internet for its “chatty” mastery. It has Google worried, while Microsoft has pledged a multi-billion investment in the company for its language model and is also now integrating it within its suite of services. But, there soon may be a newer AI chatbot to talk to, at least for people in China, as Baidu, the Chinese search giant, plans to bring its own ChatGPT-like AI chatbot. The Chinese search engine Baidu plans to release its own AI chatbot, reports Reuters. Citing people familiar with the development, the report notes that the chatbot could come as soon as March. Baidu plans to bring artificial intelligence into search As per the report, Baidu plans to introduce the chatbot as a separate application, much like ChatGPT. The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said it would work similarly to ChatGPT, giving conversation-style results. The report adds that the Chinese search giant plans to incorporate the language model within its search engine to cater to chatbot-generated results instead of providing links. Baidu has been actively researching artificial intelligence for a few years, spending billions of dollars, and transitioning from online marketing to deep technology. The ‘Ernie’ system of the company, a large-scale machine-learning model trained for several years, will reportedly be the foundation of the company’s upcoming ChatGPT-like chatbot. Last month, at a developer conference, Baidu introduced three AI tools that take on the roles of screenwriter, illustrator, and editor/animator. Microsoft, one of the early backers of OpenAI, has announced a $10 billion investment extending its partnership with the ChatGPT maker. The Redmond-based giant also announced the integration of ChatGPT within its cloud computing platform Azure, and the language model could soon be built into the Bing and other products of the company.
Microsoft recently surveyed 2,700 employees and 1,800 business decision makers (BDMs) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. The focus of the survey was to find out of employees in organisations feel empowered by the tools they currently have. Or whether new technology like AI and low-code and no-code tools help solve their challenges and open up new opportunities. AI to aid the performance of employees? According to the survey by Microsoft, nearly 9 in 10 (85%) respondents want more automation capabilities integrated with collaboration tools, “which they believe would help them spend more time on work that matters.” Interestingly, Microsoft has made an investment commitment of billions of dollars in OpenAI, the company behind the viral chatbot, ChatGPT. As per the survey, currently, AI benefits are not leveraged by nearly one-third (30%) of employees surveyed. “For those that do have access to automation and AI-powered tools, the vast majority (89%) feel more fulfilled because they can spend time on work that truly matters,” noted the survey by Microsoft. Employees, as per the survey, also agreed that having the ability to automate tasks helps them work more seamlessly with other teams (88%), and they credit artificial intelligence features for improving problem-solving (54%). “As a result, 9 in 10 (89%) hope they can apply AI solutions to even more tasks and activities,” the survey report noted. Microsoft also cited the example of iFit, an international exercise equipment company, which is using AI and machine learning tools. The company uses several AI tools — including Microsoft’s Supply Chain Center — to allow it to know where to allocate its inventory, which includes treadmills, exercise bikes, cross trainers, and rowers.“Previously, to get its products to customers within a few days, teams at the company used spreadsheets and pivot tables to determine which of its many micro-fulfilment centres should stock which items,” according to the survey report.
WhatsApp keeps adding new features to its platform allowing users to communicate with each other in a more convenient and secure way. Some of the latest additions to the app include– Community, forward media with captions, Message Yourself and others. These features are designed to make WhatsApp a secure and user-friendly platform for everyone. WhatsApp also offers a wide range of additional features that offer users a better user interface, privacy and much more. However, some of these features are in beta version and are yet to be rolled out to users. These include PIP mode (picture-in-picture), configuring image quality before sharing, report status, and others. All these features make WhatsApp one of the most comprehensive messaging platforms available today. Now, the Meta-owned giant is working on a new feature that will allow WhatsApp users to react within the announcement group.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, the company is planning to integrate the feature within the announcement group. The feature will be available for all WhatsApp users after installing the recent update (version 23.2.0.75) of WhatsApp for iOS from the App Store and TestFlight app for beta testers. The company is working on an in-app banner which will alert users during an update that brings message reactions within the announcement group, the report added. WhatsApp working on voice notes status updates Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also testing the ability to share voice notes via status updates. According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is rolling out a new update (version 23.2.0.70) through the TestFlight beta Program. The update will add the aforementioned ability to some selected beta testers and has been reportedly rolled out to some beta testers. WhatsApp users who are unable to share voice notes via status will have to wait for the future update of the app. The report further cites that WhatsApp Beta for iOS users running the latest version are able to share voice notes as status updates. As mentioned earlier, the feature is placed within the text status section. Just like images and videos, voice notes shared via status automatically expire after 24 hours but you can delete them for everyone at any time. The report also adds that users will have to update their WhatsApp app to listen to the voice notes posted as status. Also watch:
Whatsapp introduces Accidental Delete feature: Here’s how to use it
Dara Khosrowshahi, who has now headed Uber for over 5 years, could have been at another company if it were not for a sudden change of heart. In an interview with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, Khosrowshahi revealed the events that led to him accepting the role despite having doubts at first. The current Uber head shared that he considered rejecting the job offer – so much that he even ignored the call – until a chat with his friend, Spotify founder-CEO Daniel Ek. He credited “a special moment” during that conversation as the decisive point for his move to the online cab-hailing giant.
Khosrowshahi considered phoning the board According to Khosrowshahi, there were sound reasons for him being hesitant about the Uber offer back then. First off, the company was embroiled in what the executive calls a “historically difficult time.” Additionally, Khosrowshahi, who was in his twelfth year as the Expedia CEO, was in no hurry to switch jobs. He revealed that, back then, he was “having a great time” at the online travel booking company. Initially, the ex-Expedia head felt that his intention to turn down Uber was a no-brainer. He recalled, “When I first got the call, my first thought was, ‘Heck no’ … I thought, ‘Why would I ever do that?’.” Khosrowshahi’s conviction was firm, and he considered calling up Uber’s board to tell them of his answer to the offer.
Spotify CEO stepped in, convinced him to “make an impact” When Khusrowshahi met Spotify’s Daniel Ek at an investors conference, he learned that the latter had recommended him for the Uber job. The then Expedia CEO informed Ek of his decision to refuse the offer, basing it on his ‘happiness’ with the status quo. To this, Ek had a response that would convince Khusrowshahi to reverse his decision. The Uber boss said, “Daniel looked at me with his cold, Scandinavian eyes and said, ‘You know Dara, since when is life about being happy? It’s about having (sic) impact. You have to make an impact.” According to him, it was a “special moment” that spurred him to take charge of Uber and steer it in the right direction – something that would enable him to have an “outsized impact”.
Oppo is all set to expand its lineup of Reno series smartphones with the launch of Reno 8T 5G in India. The company has now confirmed the arrival of the Oppo Reno 8T smartphone which will be added to the existing Oppo Reno 8 series launched last year. The series comprises the Oppo Reno 8 and Oppo Reno 8 Pro models. Oppo Reno 8T: Launch (India, Philippines) Oppo took to Twitter where it officially confirmed the launch of the upcoming Reno 8T smartphone. The Chinese smartphone maker will unveil the Reno 8T 5G in India on February 3. Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that the smartphone will also make its way to the Philippines market.
Just in case you’ve missed it, #RanbirKapoor hands a fan an upgrade of a lifetime with the new #OPPOReno8T 😉🔥 The… https://t.co/UECuA9Nz9H
Oppo Reno 8T: Price, availability According to a report by Revu, Oppo Reno 8T is likely to be priced at PHP 18,999 (approximately Rs 28,500). As per the teaser video shared by the company, Oppo Reno 8T will make its debut on February 8 in the Philippines. Oppo Reno 8T: Expected specs and availability Oppo Reno 8T is said to feature a 6.43-inch AMOLED display panel with a punch-hole display on the corner. The display is likely to offer an FHD+ resolution with 90Hz refresh rate.
The smartphone is expected to house a triple rear camera setup comprising a 100MP main sensor and a 2MP micro sensor and a 2MP mono lens. The front could be home to a 32MP sensor for selfies and video callings. In a previous Geekbench listing, Oppo Reno 8T is expected to be powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage. The Bluetooth SIG listing revealed that the Oppo Reno 8T will support Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and will run ColorOS 13 out-of-the-box. Previous certifications have revealed that the upcoming Oppo smartphone will offer 33W wired charging support. Oppo Reno 8T was earlier spotted on multiple certification sites including India’s BIS and Malaysia’s SIRIM. According to a report by GizmoChina, the upcoming smartphone has now been spotted on the Bluetooth SIG certification site with the model number CPH2481. These certifications have revealed a few key specs of the Oppo Reno 8T. Also watch:
How to enable Android 13-themed icons on your phone
OnePlus has already confirmed that it will launch the OnePlus 11R smartphone in India on February 7 along with its flagship smartphone OnePlus 11. Now ahead of the official launch the Chinese smartphone maker has confirmed an important detail about the upcoming OnePlus 11R smartphone. OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 11R will be powered by octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset.
The next generation of power is here. It’s time to get ready for a new way to experience the #ShapeofPower with the all-new #OnePlus11R 5G.
What the chipset offers The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 features the Cortex-X2 prime core clocked at up to 3.2GHz. And the other two clusters are 3x Cortex-A710 performance cores running at a frequency of up to 2.8GHz and 4x Cortex-A510 cores with a clock speed of up to 1.8GHz. Also, this one is based on TSMC’s 4nm node process. The chipset is paired with the Snapdragon X65 modem, with peak speeds of up to 10Gbps. Also, there is Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, including support for aptX Lossless and Bluetooth LE Audio. It supports display up to QHD+ at 144Hz or 4K at 60Hz, with HDR10+ support. And the phones running the chip can have Up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. And the chipset comes with Qualcomm Quick Charge 5. Apart from this, the smartphone maker has not yet confirmed any other details about the smartphone. However, multiple online leaks have revealed the likely specifications of OnePlus 11R. OnePlus 11R likely specifications The OnePlus 11R may sport a similar design as the OnePlus 10T. aThe smartphone may come with a triple rear camera setup placed inside a rectangular module same as the OnePlus 10T. Along with this, the tipster has also revealed that the yet to launch OnePlus 11R smartphone may sport an AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution. As per the leak, the OnePlus 11R may come with a punch-hole display surrounded by minimal bezels. The smartphone is tipped to be powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. The mid-range OnePlus smartphone is expected to sport a 50MP main camera with OIS support. OnePlus 11R is also said to come with the much-loved alert slider button and an IR sensor. The smartphone is also tipped to house a 5000mAh battery with 100W fast charging support.