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Alibaba

Alibaba Ant Group faces tough scrutiny from Chinese regulators over monopolistic behavior

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Allegations were raised against Alibaba Ant Group as the Chinese regulators found the company adhering to monopolistic behavior. According to the Chinese regulators, the company took benefit of its power market position to exclude its rival in a morally questionable perspective. The regulators further mentioned that the recent acts of the Ant Group towards monopolistic activities also hurt consumer rights and public interest. Thus, last Saturday, the People’s Bank of China and the country’s Central Bank held a meeting with the executives of the Ant Group. The meeting was called to make them comply with anti-monopolistic scrutiny and other regulatory requirements.

Chinese regulators have ordered the company to build a rectification plan which will also include a timetable to make proper implementations on its business. The Alibaba Ant Group should focus more on credit, insurance, and wealth management services as suggested by the regulators. The company is further accused of not having a sound governance mechanism acting against the anti-monopoly rules and, often engaging in regulatory arbitrage.  

Alibaba anti-monopoly investigation 

There is a reason why the Chinese regulators all of a sudden summoned the Ant Group executives last weekend. Last month these Chinese regulators halted an amount of $37 billion which belonged to Ant Group stock debut in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The halt was over the regulatory changes and just after a few days, China announced an investigation of the leading financial giant Alibaba Group. And Group is an affiliate company of the Alibaba Group and the latter owns a 33% stake of the Ant Group.

It was only two months ago that the global investors were waiting for the world’s largest Initial Public Offering. But now the million dollars investment in this lucrative finance business is in jeopardy. The investigation followed by the new regulations forced on the company will put the expansion of this business in question. Apart from the investigation, the Chinese regulators have asked the company to return to its root business as a payments service. The basis of the investigation was anti-monopoly scrutiny.

What are the Chinese regulators up to?                

Ant Group started as a payments service for Alibaba’s e-commerce platform Taobao. Since then the company has expanded into various financial sectors by offering insurance money and investment products. Currently, the company has hundreds of millions of active users from China who use the services of Ant Group.

Alibaba
Image Source: technologyshout.com

But the Chinese regulators have demanded the Ant Group to establish a financial holding company and hold sufficient capital. They have also demanded that the company should get back to its original business and increase transaction transparency. They are also asked to prohibit unfair competition and comply with the regulatory requirements to run the business. There was another meeting earlier last week where Chinese regulators sat with the executives of Alibaba Group and five other major Chinese internet companies. And all of them are warned not to use exclusive contracts to drive out competitors, predatory pricing, and use of other tactics.

After the meeting on Saturday, Ant Group has made a statement that it will take all the necessary steps to enhance risk management and control. It will also comply with the regulatory requirements and set up a new team to make necessary rectifications. The statement further said that this rectification is an opportunity for the Ant Group to strengthen the foundation of the company.

Why did China turn against Alibaba Group?

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group is one of the richest entrepreneurs in China. He is always appreciated by the Chinese and has followers from around the world. But recently people of China are calling him names leading to a huge loss of his stature. Last month, Jack Ma accused the Chinese banks of behaving like “pawnshops” as they are only lending to those who can put up with the collateral. It seems now that his one comment had huge repercussions and it will haunt his business for some time.

After a few days, Chinese authorities forced the Ant Group to pull off what could have become the world’s largest IPO. It didn’t only stop at this as later the Chinese regulators announced the Alibaba antitrust investigation. It seems like the Chinese government is turning against all the big entrepreneurs who helped in lifting the nation’s economy.

Samsung TV Plus

Samsung TV Plus free streaming in India from 2021 is confirmed by the company

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It is great news for the Indian citizens that Samsung is making its smart TV video service free in India. The company confirmed it in a press announcement earlier this week. The Indian users of Samsung smart TV are very lucky that this OTT streaming service is finally coming to India for free. The video streaming service called Samsung TV Plus was launched in 2015.

The company launched it with very limited access. Till now, only 12 countries, namely, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US had access to the free content of Samsung TV Plus. But, with this big announcement, the free media content of Samsung TV Plus will be available in India, Mexico, Sweden, and other European countries from next year.

Samsung TV Plus Free streaming

Samsung TV Plus is a free media streaming service for both its smart TV users and galaxy phones. Yes, you heard it right; it is truly 100% free of cost. As the company declared free access to Samsung TV Plus in India, it might be a rough year for streaming services like Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, etc. The company already had a huge demand for its free video web content service summing up to 60 million Samsung smart TVs precisely.

Samsung TV Plus
Image Source: xda-developers.com

Amidst the pandemic, every streaming service has noticed the sudden demand for opening new accounts. People appreciate good web content for entertainment especially when they are confined in the home. As video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet gained millions of new users in a very short period, the market for video streaming service also accelerated. But, these services have a paid subscription package of a fixed amount depending on a monthly or yearly basis. But now that the South Korean tech giant is going for 100% free access, the consumers in India have a better choice.

The free service of Samsung TV Plus comes pre-installed in the Samsung smart TV models since 2016. So, if you are going for a new Samsung smart TV all work is done for you, and for the existing users, they have to get it via an OTA. And it is also available in a few Samsung smartphones which include Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy 20 in the US. The company says many more devices will be added in the upcoming months. But, the company didn’t mention anything regarding the availability of Samsung TV Pus for the galaxy users in India.

Samsung Smart TV Plus 

With Samsung Smart TV Plus made available to many new countries, the company has partnered with 300 broadcast networks, content platforms, and, digital creators for a better user experience. For those, who until now didn’t know anything about the Samsung Smart TV Plus, it is a free ad-supported content service exclusive to Samsung smart TV users. The greatest thing about Samsung Smart TV Plus is that it is completely free for its users. It is more like if you are buying our device we will provide you free entertainment. Although many countries are now getting access to the Samsung Smart TV Plus the number of channels may vary for different regions.

Until now, the citizens of the US got maximum channels in their Smart TV Plus, that is, a total of 120 channels. But, no matter how many channels you have access to you get a mixture of sports, news, kid’s entertainment, etc. Some of the famous channels included in this free service are ET Live, People TV, Nick Pluto TV, CBSN, ABC News Live, Cheddar, US Today, Anime All Day, Comedy Dynamics, etc. You can find many music channels too. Maybe the content is no match that of Netflix or Disney+Hotstar, but one should remember that you are getting it for free.

A message to the audience 

During the press release, Seline Sangsook Han, Senior Vice President of the Visual Business at Samsung Electronics said, TV has now become the center of entertainment from just news carrying device. With the expansion in the new markets ad collaborating with many networks and content creators, it is hopeful that Samsung Smart TV Plus will become the premium at-home destination for all its users around the world.

Huawei Chinese Company

US Lawmakers to Back Bid to Replace Chinese Telecom Equipment as Huawei and ZTE Fear Bans

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Chinese companies have been having a hard time in recent months due to several geopolitical reasons. The swam of negativity doesn’t seem to be getting better any time soon. Recently, US lawmakers said they would support a bid to ban Chinese telecom providers and opt instead for local carriers. The deal, which will be worth around $1.9 billion, or INR 14,000 crore will enable America to remove telecom equipment created by Chinese companies. In this article, we will take a look at why the government is going ahead with this, and what it means to these companies.

Huawei Chinese Company
Image Source: irishtimes.com

Ban of Chinese Equipment

The primary aim of this program is to remove all the network equipment provided by Chinese companies. The American government believes that such telecom network equipment poses a threat to national security. Sources close to the government mentioned on Sunday that this bill would be a part of the COVID relief bill. Additionally, lawmakers will also back another program worth over $3.2 billion to provide broadband services for low-income Americans. This emergency network connectivity plan will help a large section of America’s population and was first reported by Reuters.

COVID Relief Bill

The relief bill planned to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is worth around $7 billion. This INR 51,600 crore bill will offer several health and connectivity-related benefits to people. Nancy Pelosi, who serves as the House Speaker, confirmed that it would also help improve people’s access to broadband. This claim was also supported by Chuck Schumer, who serves as the Democratic Leader of the Senate. Through a joint statement, the pair noted that such a bill would help millions of families afford internet services during these trying times.

FCC to Halt Chinese Telecom Operations

The Federal Communications Commission noted in June that it was issuing threats to Chinese companies. Both ZTE and Huawei were treated as potential threats for national security. Hence, the FCC declaration bans American firms from buying equipment from these service providers. In early December, the FCC finalized the guidelines regarding how broadband carriers will treat such operators. They advised companies to rip and replace equipment bought from ZTE and Huawei. However, the companies are still awaiting funds from Congress to make the transition to local products. 

Reactions from Operators

Huawei released a statement shortly afterwards stating its disappointment with the FCC’s decision. Forcing the removal of their hardware from telecommunication networks will come as a big blow to the Chinese company. Additionally, the company said that such a move would put millions of Americans in underdeveloped rural areas at risk. The pandemic has increased the value of reliable communications, and Huawei believes that this decision by the FCC will endanger access to such communication.

However, the FCC has stressed on how it will enact a Bill that will provide better services to underprivileged Americans. The emergency broadband program will help millions of people who no longer have access to the internet due to the COVID-9 pandemic. Qualifying households will also receive a $50 monthly subsidy to help them set up and establish Internet connections.

Further Details About the Bill

As per the bill, the rip-and-replace order will apply to all service providers who have less than 10 million subscribers. However, the program will prioritise companies that have less than 2 million subscribers as per a draft fact sheet. It will also provide roughly $285 million to establish an office for minority initiatives with the National Telecommunication and Information Administration. This office will help with connecting minority communities and ensuring they remain connected to the internet.

The office will also support educational institutions and businesses that help minorities or are owned by them. The bill also includes an additional $250 million to support tele health and roughly $1 billion for a tribal connectivity program. Additionally, it features a $300 million grant program to promote rural broadband expansion programs and roughly $65 Million to help build better broadband maps.

Microsoft

Microsoft president says it has fallen victim to the SolarWinds hack

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Microsoft alerts the world as it claims to be the victim of the recent SolarWinds hack presumably by the Russian-backed hacker group. Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, said that this attack provides a moment of reckoning. With the year coming to an end, the final weeks have become more challenging due to the nation-wide cyber-attack shaking the strong security foundation of the United States. Brad further said that the recent threat shows how the cybersecurity landscape is changing and becoming more dangerous for the world. The latest cyber assault has effective both the government of the United States and many companies in the tech sector.

Possessing a threat to Microsoft 

Since the software of SolarWinds is used by many customers around the globe, the victim list is increasing every day. Microsoft has also announced that its system was exposed to the hack though the degree of casualties is not mentioned. Smith further mentioned that the act has created a serious technical vulnerability for the U.S. and it was done deliberately to advance a nation’s intelligence agency. Though Smith didn’t accuse the Russians explicitly but put clear hints and remarks.

In the blog post by Brad Smith, he has shown a map illustrating the geographical density of the customers affected by the SolarWinds software. The map has used telemetry from Microsoft’s Defender Anti-virus software to elaborate the effects of the hack. It shows the audience that the victims are scattered around the globe but the U.S. is the most affected nation. According to Microsoft, 80% of the affected customers are located in the U.S. and other victims are spotted in Canada, UK, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, Israel, and UAE.

Microsoft
Image Source: developer.microsoft.com

The SolarWinds hack

The past week newspapers have been crawling with the news of a nationwide cyber attack first spotted by the security firm FireEye. The hackers inserted the malware into the network management software used by customers around the globe. SolarWinds is the company that sells this product to the other giant tech companies and the malware was spotted when FireEye updated the software.

When investigating the attack, traces were found that several U.S. government agencies have also been compromised. When SolarWinds reported the attack, around 17,000 customers already downloaded the compromised update. After announcing the cyber attack, Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye said that “we are witnessing an attack by a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities.” Currently, the FBI and Homeland Security are investigating the matter.

Ongoing investigation 

The hackers have attacked several sectors of government from the Navy to the U.S. military along with the major companies of fortune 500. So, the investigators have to track digital footprints for all the sectors separately. On Wednesday, there was a joint statement regarding the whole-of-government-response issued by the FBI (The Federal Bureau of Investigation), CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), and ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence).

Microsoft has introduced blocking versions of SolarWinds Orion that contained the malware. Microsoft along with other tech companies has seized the control of a domain responsible for the SolarWinds breach. SolarWinds has decided not to reveal the names of the Fortune 500 companies that are affected by the breach. It will help both SolarWinds and the companies from avoiding negative publicity. And, Microsoft has urged to take stronger steps against cyber-attacks for both government and private level.

A challenging year

This year started with the global pandemic, shaking the entire social and economical wellbeing of every citizen around the world. On top of this, cyber-attacks have proven to use more novel techniques for stealing sensitive information and destroying the moral foundations of any nation. This year has also witnessed the attacks on several research institutes and companies researching COVID-19 vaccines. In March, cyberattacks increased rapidly on both private and public health networks targeting from local government to the World Health Organization.

According to Microsoft, the company has spotted three nation-state actors targeting seven prominent companies involved in the treatment of COVID-19. Amidst a global crisis, such cyber assaults are very daunting for any nation and its people. A government is supposed to protect the nation’s people, and if the government itself is under attack, soon there will big chaos.

Qualcomm

Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon 678 Processor for Mid-Range Devices

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Apple Inc recently announced that it was in the process of developing its chipsets for Apple devices. With the American tech giant on its way to usurping Qualcomm as the largest chipset manufacturer in the world, Qualcomm has come back with a new processor of its own. The company just announced and launched its newest Snapdragon 678 processor. The processor uses the 11nm process, and the company believes that the chip will be an even larger success than the Snapdragon 675. Read on to learn more about the Snapdragon 678, its features and what this means for the smartphone industry.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 Faster, and Reliable

When compared to the hugely popular Snapdragon 675, the 678 offers several prominent performance upgrades. It allows for complicated and advanced photo and video capture and enables high-speed connections. Additionally, the chipset can also revolutionize the art of gaming by enabling immersive entertainment experiences. If that wasn’t all, the chip also supports longer-lasting battery life and more reliable connections. The Kyro 460 CPU powers the chipset, allowing it to clock speeds as high as 2.2 GHz. 

Similar to the 675, the new chip also comes with an Adreno 612 GPU, allowing it to support dynamic videography and photographic capabilities. The new processor comes equipped with Qualcomm’s Spectra 250L ISP technology, enabling the capture of images at share-worthy detail and colour. The processor supports cameras up to 48MP on the back and 16MP dual ones on the front. Additionally, the processor’s capabilities also back video recording at 4K, along with other features such as slow-mo, portrait mode, and five-time optical zoom.

Qualcomm
Image Source: 9to5google.com

Other Features

  1. The Snapdragon 678 supports faster graphics rendering, drops fewer frames and can capture sharp visuals at very high framerates.
  2. Most of these features are a result of the combination of both the Kryo 460 CPU cores and Adreno 612 GPU. 
  3. Qualcomm has also worked on the processors used by top game engines, such as Unreal Engine 4, Messiah, Unity and NeoX.
  4. Along with the process comes the Snapdragon X12 LTE modem, which supports download speeds as high as 600Mbps. The modem is also good enough to power upload speeds as high as 150Mbps. 
  5. Additionally, Qualcomm’s newest modem integrates well with all major cellular modes and also supports Licensed Assisted Access.
  6. The modem’s engineering allows it to power fast connections even in areas that are congested and busy.
  7. The Snapdragon 678 SoC is an upgrade on the 675 that powers mid-range phones such as the Redmi Note 7 Pro and Vivo U20. With the new chipset, Qualcomm aims to recapture the market it lost to the Helio G chips made by MediaTek in 2020.

Changes and Upgrades

Since the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 also relies on the ARM Cortex-A76 and A-55 cores much like the 675, experts believe that the processor would have the same IPC rate. Hence, there might not be a massive jump in overall performance when compared to the 675. However, the newer processor does offer users more space and smoothness in operations. Both chips use the 11nm process, but the 678 features a 2.2GHz Kryo CPU whereas the 675 features a 2.0 GHz CPU. Hence, users can expect a smoother interface and better speeds while using apps. However, both chips utilise the same ISP and Modem, and both feature Quick Charge 4+ capabilities. The Spectra ISP enables the 678 to support Multi-Frame Noise Reduction features on its 48MP camera.  It also powers Zero Shutter Lag on either a single 25MP camera or split between two 16MP cameras.

The processor can capture 4K video at 1080p at 30FPS. Additionally, it also supports the HEVC format and can take videos at slow-motion mode at 120 FPS. The maximum resolution supported will be 2520×1080, with a 10-bit depth of colour. While smartphones in the range the chipset wishes to target seldom comes with 10-bit displays, it is comforting to know that the processor supports such a feature.

The Snapdragon 678 also supports Qualcomm’s 3rd-gen AI Engine with the help of the Hexagon 685 DSP. Hence, it is safe to say that the 678 will create small ripples in the mid-range category in 2021, if not massive shockwaves. Primarily, the new chip might help Qualcomm gain the consumers it lost to MediaTek this year.

iOS 14.3

Apple rolled out iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 with major upgrades and fixes

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Yesterday, Apple rolled out the latest software versions of iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 for all its users. There is a major upgrade for photography users as Apple adds ProRAW photography mode in iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple is already used by most of the new and experienced content creators for vibrant photography and videography. The company just gave more reasons to grab these smartphones at the earliest.

The new software is also compatible with supporting the recently launched Apple AirPods Max headphones and also for Apple Fitness+ subscription service. The latter is accessible only in a few countries. Overall, Apple has improved the former software version and made some fixes along with the new features. Let’s have a more detailed look at which users are eligible for the software update and what are the new features.

iOS 14.3, latest software update

Undoubtedly, the iOS 14.3 update is available for the entire series of iPhone 12 users along with iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and iPhone SE (2020). Apart from these users, the new update can be downloaded by iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, the first generation iPhone SE users. If you are using neither of these models, you can surely add one to your bucket list. The price is diverse for the Apple smartphones thus giving the users plenty of options.

New features in a glimpse

iOS14.3
Image Source: macrumors.com

Photography and videography

The grandest change in the new iOS 14.3 that the users are talking about is the ProRAW photography mode. Apple has revealed the news about this new photo format back in October when the company mentioned it will be available in future software updates. But, Apple also warned that each photo taken in this format will at least take up memory of 25MB. To enable the ProRAW photo format the user needs to go to the “Settings” app under the Camera section. In the Settings, one must find the “Formats” option and click it. A new option called “Apple ProRAW” will be available under the Format area once the user updates the software.

According to Apple, shooting in ProRAW has multiple advantages when it comes to noise reduction and editing. While shooting in this mode, the user will have more control over the adjustment details and have more time to tweak color and white balance. Photos taken in the ProRAW format can be edited in the Photos app. The new update also allows recording at 25fps and mirrors the front-facing camera for still photos. The last feature is available in iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

Apple TV Updates

There is an all-new Apple TV+ tab made available. This is a huge convenience for those who are a sucker for new shows and movies. The users will find it easier to watch Apple Original shows and movies. The search in Apple TV has been enhanced to save your time as you look for recent searches and show you relevant options and suggestions. These are some of the existing features in Apple TV that have been improved for a better user experience.

Apple Fitness+ Updates

Apple Fitness+ is powered by Apple Watch and is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV (from Apple Watch Series 3). This new feature helps users browse Fitness+ workouts, trainers, and personalized recommendations. There is a diverse category of workout videos from yoga to aerobic exercise that one can find in this section. Along with the workout videos and recommendations, Apple Fitness+ has exclusively curated a playlist to pump up your workout. But, as mentioned earlier it is only available in a few nations that include Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States.

AirPods Max Updates

The new AirPods Max updates in iOS 14.3 support these newly launched over-ear headphones. The audio system is improved for rich sound. Adaptive EQ is incorporated to fit the perfect sound for ear cushions personally. There is both active noise cancellation and transparency mode along with dynamic head-tracking to get the real theatre-like experience. There are many other updates in the privacy and weather section. But, many of them are only restricted to a few regions geographically.