HI-FI TECH NEWS

Monday, 31 July 2023

Elon Musk Takes Product and Engineering Chief Role at X, Yaccarino to Lead All Other Divisions

X owner Elon Musk and Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino will both oversee the trust and safety team at the company formerly known as Twitter, the social media concern said on Monday.

X's product and engineering team will report to Musk, while Yaccarino will oversee all other divisions, including human resources, legal, finance, sales and operations, X said.

The trust and safety team, which is responsible for content moderation, has been the focus of some criticism of the platform after Musk acquired the company last October. Researchers have accused X of relaxing content guard rails, leading to a spike in harmful posts. The company has said the majority of content views are of "healthy" posts.

In an email to X employees on Monday, which was shared with Reuters, Yaccarino said the company is searching for a new leader for brand safety and suitability.

The previous head of brand safety, A.J. Brown, who worked on efforts to prevent advertisements from appearing next to unsuitable content, left the company last month.

Yaccarino said in the email that three X leaders will oversee different responsibilities within trust and safety, including law enforcement operations and threat disruptions.

The changes to trust and safety come after Ella Irwin resigned as head of the team in June.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company's new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Walmart Buys Out Tiger Global’s Stake in Flipkart for $1.4 Billion: Report

Walmart has paid $1.4 billion (roughly Rs. 11,520 crore) to buy out hedge fund Tiger Global's investment in e-commerce firm Flipkart, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing a letter by the hedge-fund to its investors.

A Walmart spokesperson confirmed the transaction in an emailed response to Reuters but did not comment on financial details of the deal.

The transaction will value the e-commerce firm at $35 billion (roughly Rs. 2,88,010 crore), the WSJ report said.

"We remain confident in the future of Flipkart and are even more positive about the opportunity in India today than when we first invested," the Walmart spokesperson said.

Tiger Global did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Earlier this year, the Economics Times reported that private equity firms Accel and Tiger Global, two early backers of Flipkart, were in talks to sell their remaining stake in the company to Walmart.

Tiger Global held about 4 percent of the company, according to the ET report.

Walmart acquired a majority stake of 77 percent in Flipkart for about $16 billion (roughly Rs. 1,31,662 crore) in 2018, and later that year said it could take the company public in four years.

In April last year, Reuters reported that Flipkart had internally raised its IPO valuation target by around a third to $60 billion (roughly Rs. 4,90,000 crore) - $70 billion (roughly Rs. 5,70,00 crore), and plans a US listing in 2023.

Earlier this year, Walmart confirmed that it had already paid the Indian government most of the nearly $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,300 crore) in tax owed after digital payments company PhonePe, which the US retailer owns through Flipkart, shifted its headquarters from Singapore to India.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Sunday, 30 July 2023

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price in India, Specifications Compared

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 was launched at the company's Galaxy Unpacked held in July. The smartphone, successor to last year's Galaxy Z Flip 4, is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. It is backed by a 3,700mAh battery. The South Korean tech giant hosted another Galaxy Unpacked event in February this year, where it announced the launch of the Galaxy S23 series. The lineup included Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphones. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S23 Ultra is also equipped with a customised version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

Both smartphones comes with some similarities and differences, in terms of their price and specifications. Here, we have compared the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price in India

The recently launched Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes in two variants. The base 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 99,999, whereas the 8GB RAM + 512GB storage model costs Rs. 1,09,999. The smartphone is offered in several colour variants including Blue, Cream, Graphite, Gray, Green, Lavender, Mint, and Yellow shades.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's pricing, at the time of launch, began at Rs. 1,24,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The 12GB RAM + 512GB storage model costed Rs. 1,34,999 and the 12GB RAM + 1TB storage variant was priced at Rs. 1,54,999. The smartphone was launched in Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Red, Graphite, Lime, and Sky Blue colour variants.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specifications

With a the 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,640 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex primary screen, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 sports a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED folder-shaped cover display. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra gets a 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ (3,088 x 1,440 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display. Both smartphones are powered by a custom octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

The Galaxy S23 runs Android 13 with One UI 5.1, while Galaxy Z Flip 5 runs Android 13-based OneUI 5.1.1 out-of-the-box.

On camera specifications, Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a quad rear camera setup, headlined by a 200-megapixel primary wide camera. Other sensors include a 2-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera and a10-megapixel telephoto shooter. For selfies, the smartphone sports a 12-megapixel shooter. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 carries two 12-megapixel rear camera sensors and a 10-megapixel selfie sensor.

In the battery department, the Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a 5,000mAh battery, and supports 45W wired charging and 15W Fast Wireless Charging. The Galaxy Z Flip 5, on the other hand, is backed by a 3,700mAh battery with 25W wired charging support and Fast Wireless Charging 2.0.

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Saturday, 29 July 2023

ITR Filing: How to Check IT Return Status Online

The deadline to file ITR (Income Tax Return) without any late fee is approaching closer. The last date to file ITR for assessment year 2023-24 is July 31. So far, the Income Tax Department has not announced any extension in the last date for filing ITR. One can easily file ITR online using a few simple steps. Once the ITR is filed, all taxpayers await the tax returns to be credited into their bank accounts. If you have already filed ITR, but are awaiting the amount to be refunded, we are providing here some simple steps to check the ITR status online.

The Income Tax Department has announced July 31 to be last date to file ITR. Once the process is done, and e-verification, taxpayers will receive the refund that they are eligible for in their bank accounts. To check the status of refund status, the Income Tax Department provides on online tracking facility. To check ITR refund status for individuals, one needs PAN number and the Assessment Year.

Generally, it takes around 7 to 120 days for the refund to be credited in to the account after the e-verification on the return. However, the process has become faster now, with return being returned as soon as within 2 days of the e-verification of your ITR.

How to check ITR refund status online

Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal.
Login in to user account using ID, password, date of birth and captcha.
Visit My Account section.
Here, tap on Refund/Demand status.
The screen will display assessment year, status of refund, and the mode of payment.

The Income Tax Department issues the refund either through direct credit in your provided bank account, or through a ‘Refund Cheque'. If you filed to received refund in your bank account, make sure to provide correct bank account number and IFSC code with complete address details, including the PIN code.

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Micron Executive Discusses Plans to Bolster Chip Manufacturing in India With PM Modi

Micron Technology Chief Sanjay Mehrotra called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and discussed plans to bolster the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem within India. The Micron Technology Chief met the Prime Minister in Gujarat's Gandhinagar.

He is in India to attend the three-day 'SemiconIndia 2023' conference, which kicked off here on Friday.

The conference, its second edition, organised by India Semiconductor Mission in partnership with industry and industry associations, is aimed to make India a global hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing and technology development. SemiconIndia was held in Bengaluru last year.

The theme of the Conference is ‘Catalysing India's Semiconductor Ecosystem'.

Regarding the meeting between the Micron Technology CEO and PM Modi, the Prime Minister's Office tweeted, “Mr. Sanjay Mehrotra, President and CEO of @MicronTech, met PM @narendramodi in Gandhinagar. They discussed Micron Technology's plans to bolster the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem within India.”

It is not the first time that PM Modi has met the Micron CEO. Earlier in June, when PM Modi visited the US, the two had an excellent meeting.

"I had an excellent meeting with PM Modi. I am very impressed with the vision that he has for India and the advances that India is making. We discussed a wide range of topics and we really look forward to greater opportunities in India," Mehrotra said at that time.

Micron Technology, during PM Modi's US visit last month, announced its India investment plans. Micron Technology committed that it will invest up to $825 million (roughly Rs. 6,800 crore) to build a new semiconductor assembly and test facility in India with support from the Indian government.

Micron had said it selected Gujarat's SANAND Industrial Park (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation - GIDC) due to its manufacturing infrastructure, conducive business environment and firm talent pipeline.

Meanwhile, India and the US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently on establishing the Semiconductor Supply chain during the India-USA 5th Commercial Dialogue 2023, which can help India realize its long-nurtured dream of becoming a hub for electronic goods.

The MoU seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism between the two governments on semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US's CHIPS and Science Act and India's Semiconductor Mission.

The US and China are giants in chip manufacturing. So, this pact with the US to strengthen cooperation in the semiconductor sector to facilitate commercial opportunities and the development of innovation ecosystems is likely to help India immensely.

It can help India align into a more central role in the global electronics supply chain. The crunch in semiconductors supply began during COVID-19 and went on to intensify in 2021.

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US President Said to to Sign New Order to Limit US Tech Investments in China by Mid-August

US President Joe Biden is planning to sign an executive order to limit critical US technology investments in China by mid-August, according to people familiar with the internal deliberations.

The order focuses on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. It won't affect any existing investments and will only prohibit certain transactions. Other deals will have to be disclosed to the government.

The timing for the order, slated for the second week of August, has slipped many times before, and there is no guarantee it won't be delayed again. But internal discussions have already shifted from the substance of the measures to rolling out the order and accompanying rule, said the people familiar who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The restrictions won't take effect until next year, and their scope will be laid out in a rulemaking process, involving a comment period so stakeholders can weigh in on the final version.

A spokeswoman for the National Security Council declined to comment.

The investment controls are part of a broader White House effort to limit China's capabilities to develop the next-generation technologies expected to dominate national and economic security. The effort has complicated the Biden administration's already fraught relations with China, which sees the restrictions as an effort to contain and isolate the country.

China's envoy in Washington said earlier this month that Beijing would retaliate if the US imposes new limits on technology or capital flows but didn't detail what actions the country could take.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has sought to calm Chinese anger over the curbs, saying they wouldn't significantly damage the ability to attract US investment and were narrowly tailored.

“These would not be broad controls that would affect US investment broadly in China, or in my opinion, have a fundamental impact on affecting the investment climate for China,” Yellen said in an interview with Bloomberg Television earlier in July.

Yellen emphasized the restrictions as well as existing export controls were not in retaliation for any specific actions from China or intended to curtail the country's growth.

During her visit to China earlier this month, Yellen reiterated that stance in a meeting in Beijing with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan first publicly discussed the concept in July 2021. China hawks in the US are eager for tougher and faster action. Lawmakers from both parties have also shown interest in legislating on the matte,r although a bill has not yet made it to Biden's desk.

The Senate this week passed an amendment to the national defense policy bill that would require firms to notify the government about certain investments in China and other countries of concern, although they wouldn't be subject to review or possible prohibition.

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Friday, 28 July 2023

Elon Musk Says X, Formerly Twitter, Reaches ‘New High’ With Over 540 Million Monthly Users

Elon Musk said on Friday that monthly users of social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, reached a "new high" and shared a graph that showed the latest count as over 540 million.

Musk's post on X about the user figures comes as the company goes through organisational changes and looks to boost advertising revenue which has dropped in the recent month.

It is also the latest in a series of comments from X's executives claiming strong traction in usage, after Meta Platforms launched a direct competing platform called Threads on July 5.

Twitter had 229 million monthly active users in May 2022, according to a statement made before Musk's purchase of the firm in October. Musk posted in November that X had 259.4 million daily active users.

Since taking over, Musk has swiftly moved through a number of product and organizational changes. The company rolled out the verified blue tick as a paid service and has started sharing a cut of the ad sales with select content creators on the platform.

In May, Musk named former NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino as CEO of X, signalling that ad sales were a priority even as the platform worked to increase the subscription revenue.

Musk said earlier this month that X's cash flow was negative because of a nearly 50 percent drop in advertising revenue and a heavy debt load, without offering details.

Meanwhile, Musk's decision to rebrand Twitter as X could be complicated legally: companies including Meta and Microsoft already have intellectual property rights to the same letter.

X is so widely used and cited in trademarks that it is a candidate for legal challenges - and the company formerly known as Twitter could face its own issues defending its X brand in the future.

"There's a 100 percent chance that Twitter is going to get sued over this by somebody," said trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who said he counted nearly 900 active U.S. trademark registrations that already cover the letter X in a wide range of industries.

Owners of trademarks - which protect things like brand names, logos and slogans that identify sources of goods - can claim infringement if other branding would cause consumer confusion. Remedies range from monetary damages to blocking use.

Microsoft since 2003 has owned an X trademark related to communications about its Xbox video-game system. Meta Platforms - whose Threads platform is a new Twitter rival - owns a federal trademark registered in 2019 covering a blue-and-white letter "X" for fields including software and social media.

Meta and Microsoft likely would not sue unless they feel threatened that Twitter's X encroaches on brand equity they built in the letter, Gerben said.

The three companies did not respond to requests for comment.

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