Hiring levels in India were 23% slower in December 2022 as compared to December 2021, LinkedIn said in a report, which added that despite this decline, four of five, or 80% of professionals are considering changing jobs in 2023. The report also says that the job change sentiment is largely led by Gen Z. According to LinkedIn’s economic graph data, the Indian workforce appears resilient in the face of economic uncertainty. Gen Z leads in terms of people who are looking to change jobs in 2023, with 88% of professionals aged 18-24 considering a switch, compared to 64% of those aged 45-54. “Despite uncertain economic times ahead, professionals are taking a long term view of their career by investing in their skills and proactively seeking opportunities to progress. Over three quarters (78%) of workers surveyed said if they were to leave their job, they would feel confident finding other roles to apply for,” the professional network revealed the results of a research.
Reasons for job change LinkedIn research suggests that professionals have multiple reasons for changing jobs. One of the major factors (23%) is the rising cost of living pressures and need for financial security. The second factor is better work life balance (33%) and job seekers are looking for jobs that offer a balance in their professional and personal lives. About a third (32%) said that they feel more confident in their abilities and think they can find a better role. Professionals ready for economic storm According to LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index, 43% of professionals in India feel prepared for an economic downturn, however, they are also taking proactive measures to ‘career cushion’ themselves from the ongoing uncertainty.
“Despite tough economic conditions, the Indian workforce is relying on their own abilities to grow and push forward. Since the pandemic, it’s clear that professionals have built up a bank of resilience, and we’re seeing this in their response to tackle the year ahead. They are striving for the ideal role that offers the right wage, and allows for appreciable work-life balance and flexibility,” said Nirajita Banerjee, LinkedIn Career Expert and Head of Editorial for LinkedIn India. The index suggests that more than half (54%) of professionals in India are growing their network by staying in touch with the right people as well as attending more business events. Nearly half (47%) of the professional workforce is asking for feedback from their peers and managers, and 44% are learning new in-demand and transferable skills. LinkedIn also says that it is hosting live workshops in addition to offering free learning courses and expert advice on the platform from January 30 to February 3 to support professionals in the new year.
Amazon Republic Day sale is here: 5G smartphones under Rs 30,000 to consider
It’s now over a year since Wordle exploded onto our phones as the biggest puzzle phenomenon since, well, ever. In that time, it has garnered millions of daily players, inspired countless headlines, been bought by the New York Times, and endured multiple controversies.
So, what is Wordle as we enter 2023? Is it still a fun way to spend a few minutes, or something much bigger?
We’ll attempt to answer that below, as well as explaining what the Wordle rules are, what makes the best Wordle start words, what WordleBot is, and much more.
What is Wordle?: The basics
What is Wordle?
Wordle is a simple game in which you have to guess a new five-letter word each day. You get six guesses, learning a little more information with each guess, and eventually narrow your guesses down to find the answer. Or at least that’s the theory – because while it is a simple game at heart, it’s sometimes surprisingly tricky to find the solution. More on that below.
It’s played online via the Wordle website (opens in new tab) or the New York Times’ Crossword app (iOS (opens in new tab) / Android (opens in new tab)), and is entirely free – though you can pay to access the NYT’s WordleBot helper tool. There’s also been speculation that the game itself will eventually go behind a paywall, but so far the NYT has resisted the urge to scratch that potentially lucrative itch.
Crucially, the answer is the same for everyone each day, meaning that you’re competing against the rest of the world, rather than just against yourself or the game. The puzzle then resets each day at midnight in your local time, giving you a new challenge, and the chance to extend your streak.
Ah yes, streaks…
What are Wordle streaks?
Wordle tracks your games via the browser or app, and gives you a running score of your wins and losses. Each time you win, you’ll be extending your Wordle streak.
Lose a game and your streak resets to zero, of course. What’s more, if you miss a day, your streak also resets – so if you won 100 games straight, then missed a day, then won your next game, you’d have a streak of 1, not 101. Unfair? Maybe – but it certainly keeps you playing.
One potential issue here is if you’re traveling. Some people have lost their streak through playing in another time zone, so be careful out there.
Why is it important? Well, avid Wordlers get very protective of their streaks. It’s a badge of honor or a sign of commitment – and something to brag about if you’re that way inclined.
What are the Wordle rules?
The rules of Wordle are pretty straightforward, but with a couple of curveballs thrown in for good measure.
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. Answers are never plural.
5. 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.
6. Each guess must be a valid word in Wordle’s dictionary. You can’t guess ABCDE, for instance.
7. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses unless you play on Hard mode.
8. You have six guesses to solve the Wordle.
9. You must complete the daily Wordle before midnight in your timezone.
10. All answers are drawn from Wordle’s list of 2,309 solutions. However…
11. Wordle will accept a wider pool of words as guesses – some 10,000 of them. For instance, you can guess a plural such as WORDS. It definitely won’t be right (see point 4 above), but Wordle will accept it as a guess.
12. You must guard your streak like a dog guards a bone.
What are all those funny yellow and green squares on Twitter?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you’ll have come across grids of yellow and green squares on your social media platform of choice. These are Wordle results, and they’re really quite clever.
Because everyone plays the same game, you can’t simply share the answer on social media without spoiling everyone else’s fun. So instead, the Share button creates a spoiler-free overview of how your game went, without actually revealing the letters you used. The result: you can dazzle people with your linguistic brilliance without giving the answer away.
Of course if you know someone else’s start word, the Wordle grid may still give you some pretty hefty clues – so for the ultimate challenge you’ll still want to stay off Twitter and other platforms until you’ve completed the day’s puzzle.
Do you need an account to play Wordle?
Not really – but you might want one anyway. Wordle tracks your progress through your web browser, so it’ll retain your stats so long as you don’t clear your cache. If you do that, you might find your streak and wins percentages reset to zero.
That reliance on the cache also means that if you play Wordle in one browser on your laptop (Chrome, say) then use a different one on your phone (maybe Safari), your progress won’t be stored.
The solution is to create a free NYT account. This will store your stats across devices and browsers, theoretically keeping your streak safe wherever you play. Although the note above about different time zones still applies.
Is Wordle free?
Yes! Wordle the game itself is entirely free to play via the New York Times’ website. As described above, you can choose to create a free account so that your progress is saved across devices, but there’s no need to pay for an NYT subscription.
You can also play Wordle via the NYT Crossword app, and again it’s free to do so – though you do have to subscribe if you want to complete the daily Crossword too.
As it stands, the only payment required for Wordle is if you choose to take out an NYT subscription in order to access WordleBot.
What is Wordle Hard mode?
Wordle Hard mode doesn’t make the answer any more difficult, but it does make it harder to find. Here’s how it works.
In Wordle Hard mode, any letters that you uncover have to be used in all subsequent guesses. For instance, if you guess TODAY and the T turns yellow, you have to include a T in your next guess. And if a letter turns green, you have to include it in the correct position in your next guess.
This can be a major problem in some games. One famous example (among Wordlers at least) was game #265, where the answer was WATCH. On Hard mode, once you had the -ATCH part uncovered in green, you would be forced to keep them in place for your other guesses. But with PATCH, LATCH, BATCH, MATCH, CATCH, HATCH and WATCH all being potential answers, you would have to get lucky with a guess; there are simply too many possibilities.
On normal mode, you could instead guess a word such as CHAMP. You’d know it wasn’t right, but it would rule out (or in) four possible answers in one go: CATCH, HATCH, MATCH and PATCH.
Some people – myself included – think that Wordle Hard mode is a bit silly. My reasoning is that rather than making the game harder as such, it simply increases the role that luck plays. Then again, maybe I’m just a coward.
Who made Wordle?
Wordle was created by Josh Wardle, a British software engineer based in Brooklyn. He’s no stranger to developing internet sensations either, having previously come up with the brilliant Reddit projects The Button (opens in new tab) and Place (opens in new tab).
Wardle – who named the game after himself, obviously – created Wordle for his puzzle-loving partner. He’d created a prototype as long ago as 2013, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that he completed the game we now know and love, and shared it with his family and a few friends.
Unleashed onto the wider internet in October 2021, it exploded in popularity over the next couple of months, growing from a handful of users to several hundred thousand by early January, and to more than two million by the end of that month.
Impressed by its success, The New York Times bought Wordle for a “six-figure sum” in February 2022. Not bad for a lockdown project, eh?
What is WordleBot?
WordleBot is a digital tool built by the NYT to help players master Wordle. It analyses your most recent game, giving you pointers when you screw up and (occasionally) offering praise when you do something clever.
Think of it as a kind of Wordle coach and you won’t be far wrong. While it won’t give you the answer (you can only use it once you’ve finished your daily game) it will suggest start words to try, and will provide you with strategies that might help in the future.
As well as rating your game, WordleBot is packed with data that you might find interesting. For instance, it will tell you what the average score is per game across everyone who plays, and what the most popular start words are on a given day.
Unfortunately, it’s no longer free: the NYT put WordleBot behind a paywall last year, shortly after it launched. You can access it with a New York Times All Access subscription (opens in new tab), which currently costs $1.25/week for the first year, then $6.25/week thereafter.
Is Wordle still worth playing in 2023?
Undoubtedly! The New York Times purchase didn’t get off to the best start, with some people losing their streaks in the handover, and many players convinced that the NYT immediately made it harder. It didn’t, though: Wordle’s answers were hard-coded into the game when Josh Wardle created it, with a different one assigned to each date. Though the NYT removed a few controversial words, and changed the order of a couple, it’s essentially the exact same game that launched in 2021.
In fact, the NYT’s influence has mainly been positive. The addition of a free account option gives players a way to save their progress across devices and makes it far less likely that streaks will be lost. It remains free to play and mostly free of ads. Yes, you can pay for WordleBot and yes, you will be pushed towards trying other NYT games such as Spelling Bee, but overall Wordle seems to be in safe hands.
Beyond the NYT takeover, Wordle continues to provide millions of people with a fun five-minute breather from the hectic pace of daily life. The numbers playing it may have declined slightly, but as our US Editor in Chief, Lance Ulanoff, wrote late last year, Wordle is steadily becoming an institution, a daily ritual that many people enjoy simply for the connection it gives them to family and friends.
If you’ve been playing for a while you’ll know all that of course; and if not, there’s no reason why you can’t start today.
Wordle strategy
Wordle start words
Start words are a crucial part of the Wordle experience, and choosing the right one can be the difference between scoring an excellent 2/6 or a hair-raising 6/6.
A vast amount has been written on the subject of what the best start words are, with mathematicians, data scientists, and other smart people weighing in on the subject at great length.
WordleBot’s favored choice right now is SLATE, although it used to be CRANE. It awards both a 99 skill rating (its top mark), but SLANT, TRACE, CARTE and CRATE all earn the same score.
Other sources have suggested the likes of SOARE, ROATE and RAISE, while some people prefer to play a start word with lots of vowels such as ADIEU, AUDIO or OUIJA.
Whichever you pick, your start word is vital, pointing you in the direction of the answer, and ruling out hundreds or even thousands or potential solutions in one go. With that in mind, I suggest you check out our best Wordle start words guide as soon as you can.
Wordle tips and tricks
Playing Wordle is easy, but mastering Wordle is hard. We’ve got a separate guide to how to win at Wordle, but here are a few things to bear in mind:
1. Play vowels early
Vowels help to define the sound and structure of a word, so you’ll want to identify them as early as possible. You should probably include at least two in your start word – probably A and E, as they are by far the most common. Depending on what happens on that first go, you’ll then want to rule out O and I soon after; U is less common. Don’t forget Y, either – it sometimes acts as a vowel, for instance in words such as GLYPH or NYMPH, which don’t contain any of the standard five vowels.
2. Play common consonants early
This is pretty obvious too, but there’s far more chance that the answer will contain a T, R or L than an X, Z or Q. Use the most common letters early and you’ll have a better chance of success.
3. Don’t repeat a letter until you need to
Repeat letters do crop up in Wordle pretty often – think the double-O in BLOOD or FLOOD, or the double L in SKILL or SHALL. They don’t always go together, either – PIXIE, which was the answer a few days ago (game #569) has two Is, and BELIE (#566) has two Es. That said, you probably want to hold off on including a repeat letter until you have a good idea that there is one. Wordle is all about information really, and guessing as many new letters as possible will generally give you more of it than repeating one of them.
4. Don’t rush!
Sometimes you’ll think you know what the answer is on the second guess and triumphantly play it… only to find that you’d forgotten another 10 possibilities, and are now staring down the barrel of a 4/6 score or worse. Take your time. Think through the options. Even use a notepad if it helps. (Or don’t bother with all that and just play as you wish, it’s your life!)
Can you cheat at Wordle?
Yes, you can cheat at Wordle. But really, you’ll be cheating yourself. Come on, it’s word game that takes about five minutes to play – is it really worth losing all your self-respect over that?
Assuming your answer to that is “yes,” then there are a few obvious ways to cheat at Wordle and ensure you keep your streak even if it’s teetering on the edge. Our Wordle cheats article goes into detail on the main methods, but in short:
Play in incognito mode. Your browser won’t update, so you can play and lose repeatedly until you get the answer right, then switch to your actual account and score a 1/6.
Use a crossword solver. These can give you options for the letters you have and help you narrow down the possibilities ahead of your guess. No more wracking your brains for a five-letter word that starts with C, ends with T and has an A in the middle.
Wordle alternatives
The success of Wordle spawned literally hundreds of Wordle alternatives and clones, ranging from straight-up rip-offs to super-smart variations that brought something new to the party.
Most share the key Wordle characteristics such as
Single daily challenge
Limited number of guesses
Information revealed slowly as the game progresses
Spoiler-free social sharing
Free online play
Those basics aside, many of the games don’t have much in common at all, so which ones you play will depend on your own interests. Here are a few of our favorites:
3.Taylordle (like Wordle but for Taylor Swift fans)
4.Semantle (like Wordle but for meanings not spellings)
5.Scholardle (like Wordle but with really obscure words)
There are also geography-themed versions, math-themed versions, soccer-themed versions, Marvel-themed versions, movie-themed versions, and many more. We’re also big fans of the x-Wordles-at-once clones, such as Duordle, Quordle and Octordle, and the battle royale-style Squabble. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites in our games like Wordle feature.
A new phishing campaign has been uncovered impersonating logistics giant DHL to try and steal Microsoft 365 credentials from victims in the education industry, experts has claimed.
Cybersecurity researchers from Armorblox recently discovered a major phishing campaign, with more than 10,000 emails sent to inboxes belonging to a “private education institution”.
The email is made to look as if it’s coming from DHL: it carries the company branding as well as tone of voice one might associate with the shipping giant. In the email, titled “DHL Shipping Document/Invoice Receipt” the recipient is informed that a customer sent a parcel to the wrong address and that the correct delivery address needs to be provided.
The email obviously comes with an attachment, conveniently titled “Shipping Document Invoice Receipt” which, if opened, looks like a blurred-out preview of a Microsoft Excel file.
Over the blurred-out document pops up a Microsoft login page, trying to trick the victims into thinking they need to log into their Microsoft 365 accounts in order to view the contents of the file. Should the victims provide the login credentials, they’d go straight to the attackers.
“The email attack used language as the main attack vector in order to bypass both Microsoft Office 365 and EOP email security controls,” Armorblox explained. “These native email security layers are able to block mass spam and phishing campaigns and known malware and bad URLs. However, this targeted email attack bypassed Microsoft email security because it did not include any bad URLs or links and included an HTML file that included a malicious phishing form.”
As the researchers said, the attackers used a valid domain which allowed them to bypass Microsoft’s email (opens in new tab) authentication checks.
The best way for businesses to protect against phishing attacks is to train their employees to spot red flags in their inboxes, such as the sender’s email address, typos and spelling errors in the email, the sense of urgency (legitimate emails will almost never require the user to react urgently), and unexpected links/attachments.
Has it ever happened to you that you’ve tried to find an important file, document, photo or anything else and you find them missing from your PC? Well, we think that all of us have gone through that at least once in our life. Accidentally deleting important files can be a frustrating and stressful experience, but fortunately, there are ways to recover them on Windows 11. The following is a step-by-step guide on how to find and restore accidentally deleted files on Windows 11. Prerequisites: You should have a recent backup of your files or file recovery software installed on your computer before proceeding with the recovery process. The deleted files should not be overwritten by new files, otherwise, the recovery will be unsuccessful. Step-by-step guide: Look for the deleted files in the Recycle Bin. If you find the files, you can restore them by right-clicking on them and selecting “Restore.”
Steps
1
Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on its icon on the desktop or by searching for it in the start menu.
If the files are not in the Recycle Bin, you can use file recovery software to scan your computer for deleted files. Some popular file recovery software options include Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and Disk Drill.
2
Download and install file recovery software on your computer.
Run the software and select the drive or partition where the deleted files were located.
Let the software scan the drive or partition for deleted files. This process may take a while depending on the size of the drive or partition and the number of deleted files.
Once the scan is complete, the software will display a list of deleted files that can be recovered.
Select the files you want to recover and click on the “Recover” button.
Choose a location to save the recovered files, and the recovery process will begin.
Conclusion: Recovering accidentally deleted files on Windows 11 is possible if the files have not been overwritten by new files. The Recycle Bin is the first place to check for deleted files, and if they are not there, file recovery software can be used to scan the computer for deleted files. It is important to have a recent backup or file recovery software installed before an accidental deletion occurs. And also It is always recommended to periodically back up your important files to avoid data loss.
Apple launched the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M2 Pro and M2 Max processors. One of the key features that the new MacBook Pro brings is Wi-Fi 6E, support, which is up to twice as fast as the previous generation. Here we explain what is Wi-Fi 6E and what it brings to laptops, smartphones and other devices What is Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E is the latest version of the Wi-Fi standard that was developed to improve the performance of wireless networks. It is an extension of the Wi-Fi 6 standard and utilises the newly available 6 GHz frequency band in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands used by previous Wi-Fi standards. What is the difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E? According to Intel, the most impactful difference is that Wi-Fi 6E devices use a dedicated 6E spectrum with up to seven additional 160 MHz channels while Wi-Fi 6 devices share the same congested spectrum—and only two 160 MHz channels—with other legacy Wi-Fi 4, 5, and 6 devices. This gives Wi-Fi 6E devices the advantage and ability to experience gigabit speeds more easily. What are the benefits of Wi-Fi 6E? One of the main advantages of Wi-Fi 6E is that it provides more bandwidth and reduces interference. With more available spectrum, Wi-Fi 6E can support more devices and handle more data-intensive applications like streaming high-definition video, gaming, and virtual reality. This is because the 6GHz band provides more channels compared to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, which means more data can be transmitted simultaneously, resulting in faster speeds, lower latency and improved capacity for large numbers of devices. Wi-Fi 6E also includes other enhancements such as improved security and power management features. For example, Wi-Fi 6E supports the latest encryption standards, such as WPA3, which provides stronger security for wireless networks. It also supports Target Wake Time (TWT), a feature that allows devices to schedule their wake-up times to conserve power and extend battery life. Another advantage of Wi-Fi 6E is that it is backward compatible with Wi-Fi 6, 5, and 4, which means that devices that support Wi-Fi 6E can connect to networks that use previous Wi-Fi standards. This makes the transition to Wi-Fi 6E easier for users and helps to ensure that devices will continue to work even if they are not updated to the latest standard. Where will Wi-Fi 6E be more useful? Generally, Wi-Fi 6E will make speed and connectivity better. Cisco, in a blog post, lists some use cases of Wi-Fi 6E. According to Cisco, Wi-Fi 6E will enable more innovative use cases, such as it can help to solve capacity problems at large and congested venues, like concert halls and stadiums. Further, high-frequency spectrum allows for ultra-low-latency and emerging data-intensive applications and services, such as telehealth. Wi-Fi 6E is able to provide reliable and consistent low-latency connectivity for critical applications, which can’t afford data delays, says Cisco in a blog post. How is Wi-Fi 6E better than Wi-Fi 6? Wi-Fi 6E is better than Wi-Fi 6 because it provides more bandwidth, reduces interference, improves security and power management, and is backward compatible with previous Wi-Fi standards. This means faster speeds, lower latency, improved capacity, and better support for data-intensive applications. Moreover, as more devices are released that support Wi-Fi 6E, the overall performance of wireless networks will improve.
One term that we often find brands highlighting about their TWS earbuds is “Noise Cancellation”. While it is an important feature as it is responsible to reduce or eliminate unwanted background noise from the audio experience. The thing is that there are different types of noise cancellation and you must have come across them while shopping for a new pair of wireless earphones. They are Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Passive Noise Cancellation (PNC) which is often referred to as regular Noise Cancellation (NC) or Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC). Wondering how the two main noise cancellations differ? Read on to know: Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Active noise cancellation (ANC) is the most advanced type of noise cancellation available in TWS earphones. It uses advanced algorithms and microphones to actively analyse and cancel out ambient noise in real-time. ANC works by creating an “anti-noise” sound wave that is the exact opposite of the background noise, effectively cancelling it out. This results in a much more immersive audio experience, with little to no background noise interfering. Passive Noise Cancellation: Passive noise cancellation is the simplest and most common type of noise cancellation in TWS earphones. It uses physical barriers, such as the earbuds themselves, to block out ambient noise. Passive noise cancellation works by creating a tight seal around the ear canal, which helps to prevent outside noise from entering the ear. The earbuds themselves also act as a physical barrier, blocking out a significant amount of noise. Environmental Noise Cancellation or AI Noise Cancellation or just Noise Cancellation, all three of them are mostly terminologies used by manufacturers and are somewhat a little tweaked version of Passive Noise Cancellation. Hybrid Noise Cancellation: Hybrid noise cancellation is a combination of both active and passive noise cancellation. TWS earphones with hybrid noise cancellation feature both ANC and passive noise cancellation technology. This allows them to effectively block out both ambient noise and external sounds, resulting in an even more immersive audio experience. Hybrid noise cancellation is considered to be the best of both worlds, as it combines the advanced technology of ANC with the simplicity of passive noise cancellation.
Last year, Twitter started showing the view count for all tweets just like people can see view counts on YouTube videos. However, the change didn’t receive a warm welcome and received harsh criticism from users and an ex-employee alike. The company CEO Elon Musk then asked Twitterati where should the “view counter” be moved. Twitter view count location change Twitter announced via a tweet that the view count feature will now be shifted from the extreme left to the right side. “Many of you didn’t like seeing view counts on the left. We heard you. View counts will now show on the right side of your Tweet, located between the Like and Share icons. Live on the web, iOS and Android coming soon!,” Twitter Support announced in a tweet.
Many of you didn’t like seeing view counts on the left. We heard you. View counts will now show on the right side o… https://t.co/jXw5jNzNL1
What is Twitter view count? Twitter view count is a little bar graph that tells the number of times a particular tweet has been seen. Users can also see the count by accessing tweet analytics. Tweets now have five options with icons: Reply, Retweet, Likes, View Count and Share. After the feature was rolled out in December, Musk said, “Twitter is much more alive than people think.”
View count feature is “depressing”, says ex-employee Soon after the launch, there was a lot of conversation around the feature and an ex-employee, who claimed that he worked on it, also chimed in saying Twitter removed the feature because it was “depressing.” Twitter’s former employee Paul Stamatiou quoted Musk’s tweet and replied that he worked on the feature in 2015, the team tested it but found out that the feature was “depressing” and wasn’t worth investing in. “I worked on this at Twitter in 2015. IIRC we tested it and most people didn’t get any views and we had to have some thresholds before showing it as ‘0 views’ was depressing. We also wanted to be accurate and not count if someone quickly scrolls past your tweet in their TL,” Stamatiou tweeted.
I worked on this at Twitter in 2015. IIRC we tested it and most people didn’t get any views and we had to have some… https://t.co/3ENtWP36OJ
He explained that the platform also explored the idea of showing view count only for ‘notable tweets’ (purportedly tweets by notable personalities) but this actually defeated the feature’s purpose, which was to let people show that they were not “Tweeting into the void”. Those with zero views on their tweets actually proved “they kinda were” [tweeting into the void]. “[It] felt like a useless vanity thing to show that wasn’t worth investing in further,” Stamatiou noted. Stamatiou essentially pointed out the stigma associated with ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ on social media platforms. Simply put, people are usually under pressure of being liked/ noticed and relate the number of views/ likes with their acceptance on social media platforms.
If people get less likes/ views, they start losing interest in using that service. This is the case with apparently all social media platforms, including Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram. It is to be noted that Instagram offers its users a way to hide likes on posts. The social media platform said that they are “making like counts private to reduce the pressure of posting to your Feed. We hope this will help people focus more on the photos and videos, rather than on how many likes a post received.”
Amazon Republic Day sale is here: 5G smartphones under Rs 30,000 to consider
Sony has launched the FE 20-70mm F4 G lens (SEL2070G) in India. This compact, lightweight, full-frame lens features a versatile 20-70 mm zoom range and a constant F4 aperture. It boasts high-quality G LensTM image, fast and accurate autofocus and a smart design for ease of use. This lens is suitable for various types of photography and videography, including vlogging, filmmaking, and capturing portraits and landscapes. Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G lens: Price and availability The FE 20-70mm F4 G lens will be available for purchase starting February 2nd, 2023, for a price of Rs 124,990 through Sony Center, Alpha Flagship stores, Sony authorized dealers, e-commerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart and major electronic stores across India. Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G lens: Specifications, features and more The FE 20-70mm F4 G lens from Sony offers an ultra-wide zoom range of 20 mm to 70 mm and a constant F4 aperture. It utilizes the latest lens design and XD Linear Motors technology to deliver high-quality images in any situation. The 20 mm end of the zoom range also enables videographers to maintain a wide angle of view when shooting in a 16:9 or 2.35:1 aspect ratio. It is ideal for photographers and videographers looking to minimize their equipment while still achieving great results. The FE 20-70mm F4 G lens offers exceptional image quality and beautiful bokeh that lives up to the G Lens standard. The lens features two AA elements, one aspherical element, three ED glass elements and one ED aspherical element for advanced correction of chromatic and spherical aberrations resulting in high optical performance throughout the zoom range. The coatings are optimized for increased resistance to flare and ghosting, ensuring extraordinary contrast and clarity. The full-frame image sensors and 9-blade circular aperture, and optimally tuned spherical aberration lead to beautiful bokeh, making this lens an excellent choice for capturing impressive and memorable imagery. The FE 20-70mm F4 G lens allows for easy manoeuvring around subjects with its short minimum focusing distance, with a minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters at the wide end and 0.25 meters at the telephoto end when using autofocus. Additionally, the lens offers a maximum magnification of 0.39x for capturing dynamic and detailed close-ups. The FE 20-70mm F4 G lens is equipped with two of Sony’s latest XD Linear Motors that provides fast, quiet, and low-vibration focus drive. The motors have improved thrust efficiency over previous models, resulting in a 60% increase in AF speed and a two times improvement in tracking performance for capturing fast-moving subjects with consistency and precision. The lens can shoot continuous stills of fast-moving subjects at up to 30 frames per second with the Alpha 1 body and can smoothly record when shooting high-frame-rate video. The FE 20-70mm F4 G lens is a compact and lightweight lens that utilizes the latest lens technology to reduce focus breathing and focus and axial shift when zooming, ensuring high-quality images are captured. Additionally, it’s designed for quiet operation when shooting movies, with advanced XD linear motors and a new aperture unit that reduces noise and vibration. It works well with Alpha series cameras’ Active Mode image stabilization, providing excellent image stabilization performance while maintaining a wide angle of view. The lens also features two high-thrust XD Linear Motors and a high-level control system for easy and accurate focus and smooth tracking of fast-moving subjects, Linear Response MF for direct and linear manual focusing and an independent aperture ring for intuitive aperture control. The FE 20-70mm F4 G lens has independent focus, zoom, and aperture rings for full control when shooting stills and maximum versatility when recording video. It also has customizable focus hold buttons and a focus mode switch for easy access and convenient control. It is compatible with circular polarising filters and includes an Iris Lock switch to prevent unwanted changes while shooting. The lens is also dust and moisture-resistant, and the front lens element features a fluorine coating to repel fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants.
Samsung has confirmed its first big event of the year – Galaxy Unpacked – for February 1. Leaks and rumours have suggested several new device launches at the event including the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra. The rumour mill has been abuzz with leaks, image renders and more. Now, SamMobile has revealed the complete specifications of the Galaxy S23 Ultra ahead of the official unveiling. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Leaked specifications According to the report, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will feature the new 200MP primary shooter with low light improvements and 10X optical zoom with OIS. Apart from that, the handset is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and it will be backed by a 5000mAh battery. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is speculated to offer up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB storage. Display-wise, the handset is likely to retain the same 6.8-inch display from Galaxy S22 Ultra with minor improvements. Additionally, it is expected to feature Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the top, HDR10+ and an under-display fingerprint scanner. Other features that are also likely to be there are Dolby Atmos with the stereo speaker, IP68 water and dust rating, wireless charging, reverse charging, etc. Devices expected to launch at Galaxy Unpacked 2023 As per reports, Samsung will announce the new Galaxy S23 series phones. Alongside that, the company is also expected to announce a new laptop under the Galaxy Book series. Most likely it will be the Galaxy Book Ultra. In addition, we may also get to see the new Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Tab S9 lineup at the event.
Last week, UK’s Royal Mail claimed that it was hit by an unspecified “cyber incident”. The British mail service was unable to dispatch items to overseas destinations due to this incident. Now, Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson has confirmed that the “ongoing disruption” at the UK postal service has been caused by a cyberattack. According to a report by TechCrunch, while responding to the questions put forward by lawmakers, Thompson told a UK parliamentary committee that Royal Mail was hit by a cyberattack. Moreover, Thompson added that the mail service believes that no customer data was compromised in the attack. However, the organisation is ready if the situation changes. As a precautionary measure, Royal Mail CEO also mentioned having notified the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office. Royal Mail cyber attack: More details Royal Mail CEO Thompson’s court session was conducted to provide evidence to lawmakers regarding the ongoing dispute with the service’s union workers. At this session, Thompson confirmed the cyberattack on Royal Mail but declined to comment on the specifics of the attack. He claimed that discussing details of the incident would be “detrimental” to the ongoing investigation. However, he mentioned that the postal service “continues to experience disruption to its international export services” after the cyberattack. How Royal Mail is fighting the cyberattack The UK postal service hasn’t confirmed when this disruption is likely to end. These disruptions were compounded by the existing “backlogs and delays that have arisen from strike action,” the company claimed. However, Thompson clarified that a “workaround” is expected to be available soon.
He said that Royal Mail is no longer able to export parcels and letters through its postal services. Thompson said that the company has been working on workarounds to get the service “up and running again.” Several questions still remain unanswered about the Royal Mail cyberattack like the nature of the attack and who was responsible for it. Multiple media reports claim that Royal Mail was hit by a ransomware attack that jeopardised the machines that printed customs labels for parcels sent to overseas destinations. Also Watch:
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