Airtel recently rolled out its 5G service in Haridwar. The telco has now further expanded its 5G reach. The telco has now rolled out the Airtel 5G Plus service in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. The Airtel users present at the above-mentioned locations can now enjoy Airtel 5G Plus service on their smartphones. In order to access the 5G service users need to have a 5G-enabled smartphone. Airtel has not yet announced any new 5G plan, so users can use the Airtel 5G Plus service on their existing 4G plan. Users must also keep in mind that they don’t need a new SIM card to access 5G services. The existing 4G Airtel SIM is already 5G-enabled. Commenting on the launch, Pushpinder Singh Gujral, CEO Upper North, Bharti Airtel said, “I am thrilled to announce the launch of Airtel 5G Plus in Chandigarh, Mohali & Panchkula. Airtel customers in these three cities can now experience ultrafast network and enjoy speeds upto 20-30 times faster than the current 4G speeds. We are in the process of lighting up all the cities which will allow customers to enjoy superfast access to High-definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more.” Airtel hiked the price of entry-level prepaid plans A recent online report by Telecom Talk revealed that the service provider has increased the price of its entry-level prepaid plan in Maharashtra and Kerala. Airtel used to offer an entry-level plan of Rs 99. Now the entry-level plan of Airtel starts at Rs 155 in the above-mentioned telecom circles. After revision, the entry-level prepaid plan of Airtel offers unlimited calling benefits and it is valid for a period of 24 days. Along with this, the plan also offers 1GB of total data and 300 free SMS.
Apple is expected to unveil its next generation of smartphone lineup, the iPhone 15 series in the second half of 2023. The rumours about the different models in the upcoming iPhone 15 series have already started making rounds on the internet. According to a report by 9to5Mac, 3D CAD files for the vanilla iPhone 15 model have revealed some of the features and design changes that the Cupertino-based tech giant might be planning for its next-generation smartphone. The report claims that Ian Zelbo converted these CADs files into initial renders which are now available on the internet. Apple iPhone 15: What to expect As per the latest renders, the vanilla iPhone 15 model is likely to adopt a Dynamic Island by replacing the notch. This feature was introduced by the company on the iPhone 14 Pro models which were launched in 2022. Dynamic Island includes an oval-shaped cutout at the top of the screen. The cut-out hides the front camera and Face ID sensors. The Dynamic Island feature is expected to be included in all four iPhone 14 models. The latest renders also revealed that iPhone 15 will also adopt USB-Type C charging port. USB-C is not only more versatile and compatible (than Lightning) but can also support faster charging and data transfer speeds. However, the company may retain its classic dual camera setup for the standard iPhone models and keep the triple camera and LiDAR setup exclusive to the Pro models.
iPhone 15 is also speculated to have a new display size of 6.2 inches. This size is slightly bigger than the latest base models of iPhones. The report didn’t reveal the display resolution and refresh rate of the display which is rumoured to remain the same as the iPhone 14. Moreover, the capacitive buttons are also likely to be restricted to the iPhone 15 Pro models. The base models are expected to have physical buttons like previous iPhones. The details in the report seem to be aligned with a supposed iPhone 15 model that was leaked on Twitter recently. The report also didn’t outline any other details about the price, colour or specs of the iPhone 15.
Popular ride sharing service Uber has revamped its app with a host of new features. The new features are first being rolled out on the iOS version of the app and will soon come to Android as well. Here are some of them: New look homescreen According to Uber, the homescreen experience has been simplified to help riders book trips more easily, with fewer taps, right from the get-go. Users can also access the new Services tab, which is a hub for all things on Twitter — from a nearby Moto to Auto, Intercity, Rentals, Reserve, Connect and more. The new “Activity Hub” helps keep track of past and upcoming rides all in one place. Ride features The new Uber app makes it easier to booking favourites – you can see ride types, locations, and more. Further, upon tapping “where to?” on the homescreen, “Saved Places” will appear for each rider, and the app will suggest a list of personalised destinations and ride types based on preferences, past trips, and most likely destinations. The app will also share personalised recommendations for ways to plan travel and save, based on how each rider uses Uber, according to Uber For instance, if a user often takes the Uber Auto, it is likely that it will be the first option they see on the app. There will also be suggestions regarding other affordable options. Live Activities come to Uber Those who have the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max can make use of the Dynamic Island. Now, with Live Activities on the lock screen, riders can easily track the live progress of their ride and receive critical updates like vehicle details, the latest ETA information, and trip status – all on the Lock Screen without opening the app. Do keep in mind that riders will need to ensure their device is up to date with the latest available software, and the latest version of the Uber app to experience the redesigned app and its new features.
Airtel is busy expanding its 5G services in the country. Now in order to showcase the 5G service, the telco has created 5G experience zones across all its retail stores in the country. The service provider is demonstrating the power of 5G via these specially curated zones. All these 1000+ stores will have specially trained executives who will not only demonstrate use cases but will also answer all 5G-related questions along with Airtel’s own offerings. Commenting on the launch, Shashwat Sharma, director – consumer business, Bharti Airtel said, “Customer obsession continues to be the core tenet driving us at Airtel. We heard from our customers about their curiosity and desire to experience the new technology, as the networks get rolled out. The Demo zones in our stores will provide first-hand experience of Airtel 5G Plus and the potential it holds to transform the lives of our customers. I am certain, the customers will love the experience provided here, as we construct our network across the length and breadth of the country”.
Airtel claims that it was the first company to launch 5G services in the country and today its services are available across 20 states. The company is rolling out its services in a phased manner and continues to construct its network in the country. Customers with 5G-enabled devices will enjoy a high-speed Airtel 5G Plus network at no extra cost until the rollout is more widespread as the existing data plan works on 5G. Airtel hiked the price of its prepaid plans Recently, an online report revealed that Airtel has hiked the price of its entry-level prepaid plans. As reported by Telecom Talk, Airtel has increased the price of its entry-level prepaid plan in Maharashtra and Kerala regions. The telco has increased the price of the Rs 99 prepaid plan to Rs 155 per month. The plan offers unlimited local and STD calling, 1GB of data and 300 SMS. The plan comes with a validity of 24 days.
Samsung has announced a new secured and standardised 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) modem technology. The technology will enable direct communication between smartphones and satellites. The company is planning to integrate this technology into its Exynos modem solutions. The company claims that this integration will accelerate the process of commercialization of 5G satellite communications. “This milestone builds on our rich legacy in wireless communications technologies, following the introduction of the industry’s first commercial 4G LTE modem in 2009 and the industry’s first 5G modem in 2018. Samsung aims to take the lead in advancing hybrid terrestrial-NTN communications ecosystems around the world in preparation for the arrival of 6G”, said Min Goo Kim, Executive Vice President of CP (Communication Processor) Development at Samsung Electronics. What is Non-Terrestrial Networks technology? NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) is a communications technology that uses satellites and other non-terrestrial vehicles to bring connectivity to regions that were previously unreachable by terrestrial networks, whether over mountains, across deserts or in the middle of the ocean. It will also be critical in assuring operability in disaster areas and powering future urban air mobility (UAM) such as unmanned aircraft and flying cars. Samsung claims that its NTN technology will help ensure interoperability and scalability among services offered by global telecom carriers, mobile device makers and chip companies.
Samsung revealed that it has developed and simulated the 5G NTN standard-based satellite technology using its Exynos Modem 5300 reference platform to accurately predict satellite locations and minimize frequency offsets caused by the Doppler shift. Based on this technology, Samsung’s future Exynos modems will support two-way text messaging as well as high-definition image and video sharing. Meanwhile, Samsung also launched its Exynos 1380 and Exynos 1330 chipsets. Both the new SoCs are based on the 5nm process and offer support for FHD+ display. The chipsets are designed to support up to 200MP cameras and are capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps.
If you’re already a Wordle addict then Quordle could be your next must-play game. This spin-off takes the familiar Wordle format and makes it harder by giving you four puzzles to solve simultaneously.
As you might imagine, it’s hard – particularly today! So if you already find yourself searching for Wordle clues, you’ll probably need some for Quordle too.
I’m a Quordle and Wordle addict who’s been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #395 and bookmark this page so you can easily return tomorrow.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Your Quordle expert
Your Quordle expert
Marc McLaren
Marc is TechRadar’s UK Editor in Chief and has been playing Wordle and Quordle for more than a year. He’s authored dozens of articles on the game for TechRadar and its sister site Tom’s Guide, including a detailed analysis of the most common letters in every position. His Wordle streak recently reached the 400 mark and he’ll be inconsolable if he loses it. Yes, he takes it all too seriously.
Quordle today (game #395) – hint #1 – Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #395) – hint #2 – total vowels
What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?
• The total number of vowels across today’s Quordle answers is 5.
Quordle today (game #395) – hint #3 – repeated letters
Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.
Quordle today (game #395) – hint #4 – total letters
How many different letters are used in Quordle today?
• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 15.
Quordle today (game #395) – hint #5 – uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appears among today’s Quordle answers.
What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with?
• D
• J
• D
• B
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #395) – the answers
The answers to today’s Quordle, game #395, are…
This was another tough one. There’s a Z in there – yet again – plus a J in JERKY, and Js are always hard to find. With two Ks also included, and not many vowels, it’s definitely on the harder side even for Quordle. I got lucky with a couple of guesses, though, and kept my streak going for another day.
Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar.
As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you’re competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.
The website also includes a practice mode – which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! – and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements – specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.
Oh, and it’s difficult. Really difficult.
What are the Quordle rules?
The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.
1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.
2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow.
3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…
4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two.
5. Answers are never plural.
6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.
7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle’s dictionary. You can’t guess ABCDE, for instance.
8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle’s Hard mode.
9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.
10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.
What is a good Quordle strategy?
Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can’t blindly throw letters at it and expect to win – you’ll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.
That’s the case in Wordle too, of course, but it’s even more important in Quordle.
There are two key things to remember.
1. Use several starting words
Firstly, you won’t want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words.
The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.
For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options – you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe – but something like that should do the trick.
If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!
2. Narrow things down
Secondly, if you’re faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options – for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH – you’ll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options.
In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It’s risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it’s the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure – you simply don’t have enough guesses.
In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.
Bing Chat, the ChatGPT-infused search engine preview that’s all the rage is now on your iPhone and Android phones where I found it just as wild an experience as it is on the desktop.
Actually, it’s wilder. Unlike the desktop, mobile ChatGPT Bing has the added special ingredient of a voice. That’s right, Bing speaks to you. There is some irony here that the most interesting thing Microsoft has done in years is also a moment to reflect on the company’s last Quixotic foray into voice-enabled assistants: Cortana.
You remember Cortana, right? If you’ve ever played Halo, then you have at least a passing knowledge of the AI assistant who helped Master Chief navigate his world. That fictional AI persona was so popular that Microsoft adopted the moniker as a code-name for its own real-world AI assistant and then kept the name when it introduced it a decade ago.
Cortana never lived up to its AI promise and was eventually deprecated and finally removed from Microsoft products.
Another chance at voice AI
Now we have a new AI voice chatbot from Microsoft and OpenAi (via a modified version of ChatGPT) that doesn’t have its own name, it simply lives inside Bing.
Still, knowing Microsoft’s history, and having spent two weeks playing with the Bing chat on my desktop, I could not resist getting some voice-to-voice time with Bing mobile.
I re-downloaded the Bing search app, a mobile bit of software I haven’t touched in years.
While the desktop puts the large “Ask me anything…” prompt window front and center, I had to select the small “b” icon at the bottom of the Bing app screen to access the AI-powered chat.
After installation, you’ll still have to decide if you want to let the app track you (I always say “no”) and give it access to your microphone so Bing can hear your query (say “yes”).
It’s weird but I have what might best be called AI anxiety. When faced with an artificial intelligence prompting me to “Ask it anything,” I freeze up, unable to think of a single good question.
Helping on the go
I eventually settled on, “Bing, write me a haiku about being on the iPhone,” which I spoke to the app.
Note, you don’t have to start with “Bing.” It’s not a watchword and activating the ChatGPT AI-powered Bing took pressing the Bing button.
Bing took a considerable amount of time before it responded. One thing I noticed is that Bing also says what it’s searching for based on your query. It’s pedantic but also useful in case you hear that Bing misunderstood and you want to stop Bing’s search.
After a few moments, Bing recited in a female voice that sounded a little like Cortana this original haiku:
On the iPhone screen
A world of information
Bing is here to help
Not bad and yes, it hit the 5-7-5 syllable limits for each haiku line.
Next, I asked Bing to come up with a romantic dinner for two featuring seafood and rice. The only caveat is that prep time had to be under 30 minutes.
After another long wait, Bing AI chat told me about two recipes and asked me which one I’d like. It’s here, though, where the conversational aspect breaks down a bit. Instead of leaving the microphone open to receive my response, I found I had to hit the microphone button again. After doing so, I told Bing that I chose the “second one.” Bing then graciously provided the Salmon and Rice recipe, which it would’ve read out in its entirety if I let it.
Finally, I asked Bing AI chat to play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe with me.
Bing happily agreed and presented an all-text-based playing board and, without asking me, made the first move as “X.” Each time either one of us made a move, it announced the board, not just the position of the “X”s and “O”s, but the dashes and plus signs it used to make it. Fine, I could live with that awkwardness for now.
After a couple of moves, I was prepared to block Bing AI chat for a win. Unfortunately, Bing cheats and insisted it won even though the board showed that it had not.
Aside from its sketchy game moves, the mobile version of Bing AI is relatively engaging. Microsoft still needs to work on the speed if it wants this to be a truly conversational AI and to take on the likes of Siri and Alexa. Otherwise, Cortana may have given her digital life in vain.
Generative AI software like — Midjourney, Dall-E and ChatGPT has witnessed a meteoric rise in the past few months. Meanwhile, a US agency has enclosed its decision on the scope of acquiring copyright protection for the works created with AI. According to a report by Reuters, the US Copyright Office has said that the images of a graphic novel were created by an artificial intelligence system named Midjourney and these images should not have been granted copyright protection. A graphic novel with AI-created images “Zarya of the Dawn” is a graphic novel which is authored by Kris Kashtanova. As per the letter from the copyright office, Kashtanova is entitled to copyright the parts of the book she wrote and arranged. However, the images produced by Midjourney shouldn’t have been granted copyright. The US-based office has also mentioned that it would reissue its registration for “Zarya of the Dawn”. The agency claims that the author should exclude the images that “are not the product of human authorship” and therefore cannot be copyrighted. Kris Kashtanova’s reaction The US Copyright Office’s decision to allow copyright protection for the novel’s story and the way the images were arranged was “great news”, claims Kashtanova. She also mentioned that the decision “covers a lot of uses for the people in the AI art community.” Kashtanova is considering the best ways to press ahead with the argument that the images were a “direct expression of my creativity and therefore copyrightable,” the report claims Midjourney’s reaction Midjourney is an AI-based tool that can produce images based on the text prompts entered by users. Kashtanova wrote the text of the novel “Zarya of the Dawn,” while Midjourney created the book’s images based on prompts. Meanwhile, Midjourney general counsel Max Stills suggested that the decision was “a great victory for Kris, Midjourney, and artists.” Stills also mentioned that the Copyright Office is “clearly saying that if an artist exerts creative control over an image generating tool like Midjourney …the output is protectable.”
In October 2022, the Copyright Office told Kashtanova that it would reconsider the book’s copyright registration because the application did not disclose Midjourney’s role. Later, the office said that it would only grant copyright protection for the book’s text and the way Kashtanova selected and arranged its elements. However, it also mentioned that Kashtanova was not the “mastermind” behind the images themselves. The letter from the US Copyright Office also said, “The fact that Midjourney’s specific output cannot be predicted by users makes Midjourney different for copyright purposes than other tools used by artists,”
The age-appropriate design code also known as the children’s code laid down by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) outlines 15 standards that online services need to follow. This ensures that the apps and services that are aimed towards kids are complying with their obligations to protect children’s data online under the data protection law. According to a report by Independent, new research conducted by the consumer group Comparitech has discovered that nearly 25% of apps that are aimed at children on the Google Play store don’t comply with ICO’s age-appropriate design code. During the research, the group studied 400 children’s apps available on the app store. The research found that nearly one in four apps violated the ICO’s guidelines in multiple ways and most of them did it by collecting the personal data of kids. Moreover, the apps that were collecting data also didn’t have a “comprehensive, child-specific privacy policy in place,” the report adds. Comparitech claimed that it conducted the study by choosing 50 apps from each of the individual app categories within the Google Play Store tab that is available for children. Google Play apps collecting data from children’s apps in the UK As per the research, most of the apps that were found to be violating the code were collecting the user’s IP addresses. However, in some cases, more data like the user’s name, address, online contact information, telephone number, or geolocation was found to be collected by some apps. The study also found that all the apps that were found violating the code were graded as “expert approved” by Google. Read what Comparitech has to say Rebecca Moody, the head of data research at Comparitech said, “Almost 25% of the apps we reviewed were found to violate the ICO’s guidelines in some way. The vast majority collected some kind of personal data without a clear and comprehensive section on children’s data protection within their privacy policy. Perhaps even more concerning was that 5.5% of the apps we reviewed claimed not to be targeted toward children, despite being featured within the child-specific section on Google Play and sometimes featuring the word ‘kids’ in the app name.”
Read what UK’s ICO has to say Another spokesperson from ICO said, “The children’s code makes clear that children are not like adults online, and their data needs greater protections. We want children to be online, learning, playing and experiencing the world, but with the right protections in place to do so that reflect their best interests. All online services likely to be accessed by children must conform with the children’s code to be compliant with data protection legislation. It applies to all companies who will process data on UK children. We will investigate when evidence suggests that online services are not complying with their responsibilities to protect children outlined by the code or wider data protection law.” Google’s reply to Comparitech’s study While replying to the research, Google revealed that it is investigating the study’s methodology and findings of the report. A person from the tech giant said, “Google Play takes the protection of children on its platform seriously. Play has policies and processes in place to help protect children on our platform and has invested significant resources into related features. Apps that target children must comply with our Google Play families policy, which requires developers to adhere to all relevant laws and all of Play’s developer programme policies, plus imposes additional privacy, monetisation and content restrictions like prohibiting access to precise location data. Developers are responsible for ensuring their apps are compliant with all relevant laws and appropriate for their target audiences, including children.”
According to a report by Counterpoint Research, the global smartwatch market shipments grew 12% YoY in 2022 due to the strong YoY growth witnessed in the first three quarters. However, the shipments fell 2% YoY in Q4, 2022 because of inflationary pressures and slow India growth. Reason for the growth in global smartwatch market The Counterpoint report adds that price polarisation in demand is the main reason behind this growth. “Shipments in the mid-price range decreased while those in the >$400 and ≤$100 segments increased 129% and 34%, respectively, compared to the previous year”, adds the report. The report also suggests that Apple strongly drove the average selling price (ASP) rise in the global smartwatch market in 2022. “There are two main reasons for this ASP rise – a diversified Apple smartwatch line-up and a rise in the exchange rate. This year, Apple released its first premium model, Ultra, at a release price of $799 in the US. “ Apart from this the low-price band smartwatch market also expanded with the remarkable growth of India’s market. Here’s how the companies performed Apple’s shipments increased by 17% YoY as the Apple Watch Series 8, Ultra and SE 2022 enjoyed strong sales. For the first time, the annual shipments also increased by 50 million. The second spot in the global smartwatch market is captured by Samsung as its shipments increased by 12%. The company witnessed positive sales of its newly launched Galaxy Watch 5 series. Huawei sits in the third position as its market share fell 1%p YoY due to the Chinese smartwatch market losing momentum to India in 2022. The fourth and fifth positions are captured by Indian manufacturers Noise and Fire-Boltt. The two brands surpassed 5% of the global market share and performed very well in the home market.