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A new Whatsapp text bomb is making the app crash on loop

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Whatsapp has always been prey to the malicious text bombs. Many users when opening a text message or any media received from an unknown number, the app is compromised. Many times the app is crashed due to these messages the personal information of the user is at stake. Either way, this should not be taken casually especially amidst the pandemic when information theft has become very common.

One such mischievous text bomb flooded the Whatsapp yesterday resulting in crashing the app for every user who opened the chatbox. The company said that there is no solution for it right now, so the best advice is to not open any messages from an unknown number.

Whatsapp text bomb

The text bomb that is being sent to many users is a set of special characters that are randomly placed and cannot be read by the system. One cannot make any particular meaning out of it nor there exist a specific pattern. The Whatsapp can’t decipher this text hence it results in crashing the program on a never-ending loop.

What is the problem behind constant crashing?

Deccan Herald reported yesterday that Whatsapp is going through a series of attacks by the hackers simply causing the system to crash and hang. But, what seems to us as just simply crash and hang might not be that. Hackers often use these tactics to freeze the app as well as the operating system of the mobile as a whole and steal all personal data. Even if you are closing the app and then refreshing it, your phone will remain inoperable.

Investigating the origin of this text bomb, it is informed that this Whatsapp spam was created in Brazil and still exists there. A report has shown that this specific text bomb started spreading among the users in Brazil in mid-August. But, currently, it is expanding the region and reaching out to many places on a global level.

The company’s tech support and security are looking into it. Hopefully, Whatsapp will come with an effective solution at the earliest as the privacy of common people around the globe is at stake. This has also caused panic among the citizens especially the Brazilians. So, be vigilant and do not open the messages from any odd or random number.

Whatsapp

The suggestion tweets

Recently, WABetaInfo tweeted asking new suggestions for features that Whatsapp should add or modify any existing features. The tweet said to give a clear idea about the suggestion and why it is important. The suggestions asked were for both Android and iOS. A lot of people have responded to the tweet, but the majority of the response was concerning the text bomb that is causing the entire app to crash and phone as well.

A twitter account with the handle @lan_Oli_01 has responded to the tweet by sharing two screenshots of the texts that are causing the crash of the app. The screenshot clearly shows some text with no specific pattern or any specific language that can’t be read by the application. He has also tweeted that the anti-crash mechanism should be integrated into the official Whatsapp application. The modded Whatsapp version has a “Crashcode protection” and it should be added to the Whatsapp application (official) as well so that texts like this won’t freeze the app.

Such texts that were compromising the app followed by the mobile OS are known as “Binario”, “Contact Bombs”, “Trava Zap”, “Crashers”, etc. The technique behind it is very complex and every time you open Whatsapp it crashes.

Prevention vs. cure

Since there is no feasible solution to date, it’s better if we become extra careful and take prevention measures so we don’t become one of the victims. Apart from not opening any texts from an unknown number, one more solution is there that can protect us at a better level. Because sometimes we might become careless and open one such spam messages.

To prevent this, you can go to Settings followed by Privacy. After clicking Privacy, go to Groups. You will find an option “Who can add me to groups” where you need to change the preference from “Everyone” to “My Contact”. Hopefully, this will prevent you from getting bamboozled temporarily.

Airtel

Airtel launches Xstream new broadband plans with high-speed internet

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With almost no physical interaction after the outburst of the novel coronavirus in March 2020, the demand for better network connectivity has increased. From attending virtual online classes to attending business meetings, from chatting with distant family members to binge-watching in Netflix, the data usage per person has escalated rapidly. The demand for online video gaming, online education websites, etc has also increased.

With stuck in our own houses, it’s time we unleash the power of a truly digital era. So, this is a golden opportunity for large network companies to keep the existing customers and attract new customers by providing some lucrative deals.

Airtel providing unlimited data

Amidst the pandemic, every working family and student needs better network connectivity with high-speed internet and unlimited data. So, yesterday Bharti Airtel announced a series of new Airtel Xstream Bundle that will provide speed up to 1Gbps. On top of that, every plan with come with unlimited data and Airtel Xstream Android 4K TV Box.

The new normal since the pandemic started has opened the huge business potential for network companies. So, it is their responsibility to provide us with pocket-friendly packages and a better experience. Airtel is offering these packages from 7th September and once you subscribe for one of these you get access to all the OTT content. You can also attend online classes/ meetings and stream content of your own. The new Airtel Xstream Bundle looks like a wholesome package at an affordable price.

All the new broadband plans

After the new plans have been launched, all the plans now will include the Airtel Xstream box worth Rs 3,999. This eliminates the idea of having multiple smart entertaining devices in one house and this covers all your needs. This Android 4K TV Box runs in Android 9.0 OS and includes a remote that supports Google Assistant voice search. You can also have access to the apps available in the Play Store and enjoy online gaming.

Airtel Xstream
Image Source: airtel.in

The plans of Rs 499 (40 Mbps) and Rs 799 (100 Mbps) provides the Android 4K TV Box, 550 TV Channels, more than 10,000 movies, and TV series from 7 OTT apps and 5 studios. And, the next three plans of Rs 999 (200 Mbps), Rs 1,499 (300 Mbps), and Rs 3,999 (1Gbps) are provided with an additional subscription to Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and ZEE5.

Xstream Fiber vs. Jiofiber

Apart from Airtel Xstream Bundle, we also have Jiofiber service which is also very popular among us. It was only a few days ago that Reliance Jio announced the new pricing of the broadband services (JioFiber). So, after Airtel launching this exclusive new package with both high-speed connectivity and unlimited data, it is going to give a tough competition to Jio.

Jio announced the new pricing plans earlier this week with the same two goals that are, giving unlimited data to its customer with high speed. Keeping the pricing strategy at mind Jio announced about four packages, all of them with unlimited data. The package of Rs 399 and Rs 699 offers unlimited data usage with 30Mbps and 100 Mbps speed respectively. And, the other two packages of Rs 999 and Rs 1,499 includes the 4K Set Top Box and OTT apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sony LIV, etc. The company also claimed that in these packages the download speed will be the same as the upload speed. On top of that, Jio has announced a no-condition 30 days trial that will provide 150Mbps unlimited data, 4K set-top box, top ten paid OTT apps, and free calls.

Now, it is for you to decide which the best plan is for you and your family. Both companies are providing unlimited data so that solves half our problem. Rest depends on your usage activity and the purpose.

What Airtel is saying? 

Director-Homes of Bharti Airtel, Sunil Taldar said that with every passing day people are investing more time on the internet. Educational, professional, and entertainment are the three most important reasons why data usage is increasing rapidly. And, entertainment is the sector with vast opportunity as people look for a source that can provide them with the best entertainment at an affordable rate. So, Airtel is trying to make more such plans that will drive the audience towards it.

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Google urged the EU to provide flexibility while setting the Digital Rule Book

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On 3rd September 2020, Google urged the European Commission to bring flexibility to the upcoming Digital Services Act. Google further said that one single rule book is hard to fit all and thus amendments should be made accordingly. On 8th September 2020, the public consultation period on this matter ends. Google made a 135-page submission urging the European legislature to bring more clarity to the rules and regulations of the online platforms.

Why a new strategy?

On 1st July 2020, the new rules by the European Union to boost competition rolled out mostly because of losing Google’s market grip. The main reason to set a new rule book was the conclusion of multiple antitrust actions against Google proving ineffectual. The new Digital Rule Book set by the EU mainly focuses on two things- laying ground rules for data sharing and how the digital marketplace should operate.

Margrethe Vestager, digital chief of EU and top antitrust enforcer informed Reuters in June that the new rule book has been set up to prevent history from repeating itself. The nation doesn’t want to witness what happened with the Google cases and wants to boost competition at the same time. Google didn’t choose to reply in response to this statement.

Many actions have been taken on the operations of Google’s search engine, its OS on the Android mobile, and advertising business-related to anti-competitiveness. The rivals of the company have said that they are yet to see more competitors. So, in response to all these cases, the U.S. antitrust enforcers are preparing a case against Google. Moreover, the Digital Services Act of the EU can force the giant tech companies to give access to data under certain conditions to their small rival firms.

Why did Google ask for clarity and flexibility?

After the EU has decided to roll out the new set of rules, Google asked to reconsider all the facts and operations of every company being different from others. It said that though it is important to identify and put a stop to all the illegal contents, the mandating use of technology can “overblock Europeans” which is a very big negative point.

Google, DIgital rule book tech news

New rules should come with new features that will improve the current situation, filter the content judiciously, etc. The company further said that the rules should be laid out in such a manner that it will get rid of the extra burden of undue costs from European businesses. Because in the time of the pandemic, that is the least desirable thing for any nation.

Companies other than Google

But, is it only Google that has fallen victim to this unhealthy situation? The new template formed by the EU will become a very good example for other governments around the globe on how to tacitly rein in companies like Apple, Amazon, and Facebook. It seems that after Google, Amazon and Apple are next in line.

Targeting unfair contractual terms will harm Amazon if the investigation is carried out for the company against a dual role. One for the digital marketplace for its customers, and second as a competitor against other traders. Apple might also suffer antitrust investigation by the EU after Spotify has raised complaints about unfair curbs on its music streaming platform and a 30% fee for its in-app purchase system. Both Amazon and Apple declined to comment on this matter.

Imposing DSA will endanger the reputation of Facebook as the Digital Services Act focuses mainly on catching the frauds earning money through false advertisements. There are many business advertisements on the web that makes high profit by providing false information. So, it is clear that the EU Commission is hell bound to lay strict rules which will not only affect Google but the topmost companies of the 21st century to date. In response to rolling out the Digital Rule Book, a Facebook spokesman said that the company is supporting the EU for laying off “a harmonized EU framework” that will help in content regulation.

 In a nutshell, some of the biggest companies have been placed in the EU crosshair and both the offender and the defender will try their best to keep a better part of their negotiation. But, one thing is for sure that the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to file a case against Google soon.

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Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius Expects Daimler to Export Mercedes-Benz Cars from India

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India has a large and growing automobile manufacturing industry, which has in recent years showed much promise. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decline in sales for large manufacturers. However, the industry is looking for ways to grow past this slight hiccup. It might have received such an invite through the Daimler CEO’s recent statement. As per CEO Ola Kallenius’s interview with the Times of India, the auto giant is looking to source specific components exclusively from India. Here’s a look at the major highlights of the interview, and how Daimler has positioned itself as an automotive ally in the last few years.

Validation for India

India’s the automobile and manufacturing industries have grown exponentially in recent years. This move by Daimler serves as a significant validation for its growth and reliability. As per the interview, the Daimler CEO has stated that the company would use India as an exclusive base for global sourcing of specific important components and software. Furthermore, he also said that Daimler was considering plans to export cars from India on a large-scale. However, the final plans regarding these projects will depend on their economic feasibility and financial viability.

More Praise for India

Ola Kallenius also had a lot of praise and good faith for India, expressing how he was an “Indian fan”. He also described how the movement of the manufacturing of individual parts to India permanently had been a good move. As a result, the company would remain focused on making more such engineering efforts to better their production, and ally with India strategically. However, the CEO was unclear to what extent such a partnership or alliance would grow as that depends on several factors. The CEO was in Germany, unveiling a new S-Class limo while making these statements.

Ola Kallenius
Image Source: ttnews.com

Furthermore, he was also clear about how the growth of software development in India also poses favorable conditions for the expansion of such alliances. He also made it clear that expansion in India could be for more than bare vehicle engineering, but also the IT side of things. He was also quick to point out that India has been a “solid pillar of their house” for several years.

Presence in India

Daimler has two active and functioning factories in India. Their factory in Pune houses and creates Mercedes-Benz cars, while the one in Chennai churns out their Bharat Benz range of trucks. Furthermore, the company also has a large Research and Development centre based in Bangalore, which focuses on global R&D. Kallenius also stated that the export of Mercedes-Benz cars from India would serve as a purely economic decision. As a result, the project depends heavily on the economic feasibility and viability of the decision. However, Kallenius also stated that such a case had never come up till now and that he isn’t sure when such an opportunity would arise. He also reiterated that if and when they do have to make such a decision, it would rely heavily on the financial aspect of things.

Previous Plans for the Future

The German auto legend set up the factory in Chennai, which produces trucks and buses to help with serving its Latin American market from 2022.  Earlier reports had stated that shipments would start going out to Brazil, Chile, and Mexico between 2021 and 2022. The reports for the same had come in September of last year, following the Indian government’s move towards BSVI technology. Around that time, the company also stated that globally it had sold over 1.4 million vehicles which are Euro-VI, or BS-VI equivalent compliant. The company has also invested about INR 500 crores in India to localize, test, and improve its Euro-VI technology.

Two years ago, Daimler exported the GLC SUV, which is an Indian-made vehicle to the US. The company went on to mention that their Indian plant was a back-up set up to help deal with a rise in global demand for their vehicles. Furthermore, on being asked about the low sales of luxury vehicles in India, the Daimler CEO said that numbers did not do any justice to the true size of India, it’s economy and the population. He concluded by stating they had a fair market position but just had to work some things out. The analogy he employed included shaking a good ketchup bottle but having difficulty with bringing out the ketchup. It will be interesting to see whether the deal goes through after financial analysis, as it could breathe some much-needed life into India’s automobile manufacturing industry.

PUBG Mobile

Indian Government Bans Another 118 Apps Including PUBG

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The Indian government took a big decision on Wednesday by deciding to ban an additional 118 or so mobile applications, including the uber-popular video game PUBG. The move follows in the heels of an earlier decision to ban 59 Chinese applications earlier this year. All of these bans were a result of rising tensions between the two superpowers. India cited security reasons and data privacy concerns as the primary cause of the ban. Here’s a look at the impact the move will have, and what led to the government taking such drastic measures.

India Making Big Moves

Tensions had been high ever since the India-China scuffle at the Ladakh border a few months ago. These border skirmishes, coupled with the world’s resentment towards China for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, has snowballed into trade embargos and political battles around the world. Following India’s model, the US too recently banned the usage of a sleuth of Chinese applications citing security concerns. The Ministry of Information and Technology released an official statement yesterday, wherein it said that 118 apps have now been banned in India. The reason being cited that these apps were prejudicial to the integrity, security, sovereignty, and defence of the nation. As per the statement put out by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the ban falls under the purview of Section 69A of the Indian IT Act.

Major Apps to Leave India

Some of the biggest names in the list of apps now banned in India are Baidu, FaceU, WeChat, and PUBG Mobile. Several reports state that PUBG has over 33 million active users in India, meaning that this move will have a significant impact on the game. In fact, most reports state that PUBG is one of the most popular applications in India, with over 13 million users signing in every day. The Ministry noted that it frequently received complaints regarding people misusing these applications in various ways. Some of the complaints referred to the stealing or personal and private data and then selling such data to servers located outside India. The fact that such data could be mined, processed, and analyzed to harm the sovereignty of the country is what led to such drastic steps as per the statement from the Ministry. 

PUBG Mobile
Image Source: businessinsider.in

Further Notices and Suggestions

Furthermore, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs also released a statement of recommendations regarding how to block these apps. In the public domain as well, people had been asking the government to take more stringent actions to protect the private data of Indian users. Such a targeted move will therefore help put to rest worries that a large part of the demographic had regarding the safety and security of the Indian cyberspace. The government has decided to retaliate at the best time, as global superpowers unite to protect their data and frameworks from foreign assaults and attacks.

Earlier Steps

Just a few months back, in June, the Centre had banned another 59 applications, with most of them being Chinese-based on similar grounds. This list included popular apps like UC Browser and TikTok. The recent ban on an additional 118 apps will see PUBG Mobile leaving India for an indefinite period. The wildly popular shooter videogame ranks within the world’s top five most popular smartphone games and boasts of over 734 million downloads. The game, which comes under Tencent Holdings Limited’s videogame department also has a loyal fan following in India, leading to social media being flooded with memes on the ban. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi himself had referenced the game last year during a talk on exam stress. This interview after it went live led to the creation of the “Yeh PUBG-wala hai kya?” meme, which roughly translated to the PM asking a worried mother whether her son was a PUBG player.

It is quite evident that the ban on apps has a clear political agenda behind it. The very fact that the ban came after the Indian government accused China of using troops provocatively along the Pangong Lake in Ladakh is proof enough of this. As the Chinese troops had made a similar move on August 31st, the government was left seething at this provocation. However, the Indian army was able to successfully thwart both actions, preventing any damage or loss for the Indians. Recent months have witnessed several clashes and showdowns, with over 20 soldiers being martyred in the Galwan Valley in June. Political or not, there is no doubt that the banning of these apps will have a ripple in our cyberspace. It will be interesting to see whether China will retaliate in any way to these bans, as TikTok gears up to fight the US government through a civil lawsuit. 

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Apple in collaboration with Google launched COVID-19 ‘Exposure Notification Express’ via iOS 13.7

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Only after the outburst of the novel coronavirus, Apple and Google started working together to develop a contact tracing system. The system was designed in a way that new apps can be created by PHAs (Public Health Authorities) and this system will be incorporated. So, whoever downloaded and installed this app when came close to another person using the app data will automatically be transferred and saved. This helped later to get notified if the user in the past few days came in contact with a COVID-19 patient or not.

Yesterday, the two companies announced a big advancement in the existing technology by rolling out new tools. The new tools are launched to make the task for PHAs easier as they do not need to maintain their apps. Currently, the tool has been incorporated in iOS 13.7 and Google is working on the same for Android. For Android, there will be an automatically generated application that will be implemented in Android 6.0 later this month.

What is Exposure Notification Technology?

Exposure notification technology or exposure notification API is software made jointly by Google and Apple to help the PHAs incorporate it in apps. After the PHAs and other organizations built these apps with incorporated exposure notification API they can release it publicly. The general public can use these apps to stay updated about the COVID-19 cases around them and if they came in contact with any of the affected patients.

Both the companies took care of the user’s privacy and hence encrypted the transmitted Bluetooth metadata. Keeping in mind public privacy, the location information of the users is not exposed. Instead of this, the notification alert just shows a time and place where the device came in close Bluetooth range with other devices. So, if a user-tested COVID-19 positive and updated in the app only then the other users will receive notification that they came in contact with a potential COVID patient. The first version (Beta version) of this software was released in May 2020. But, now Apple has announced about the modified system which will not require creating a separate app by any PHA anymore.

contact tracing system
Image Source: appleinsider.com

No separate apps required anymore

Since changes in the software have been made, people might get a little confused. The working system of this new modified tool is different for both iOS and Android. It is a bit complex for Android and that is why it will launch later this month. So, the most striking and best improvement is that you don’t have to download and install an app on your own that is created by the PHAs to keep yourself updated.

Instead of downloading the app, you will receive notification from your local health authority then you can choose to opt-in. If you are an iOS user you have to install a provisioning profile and in case of an Android user, an auto-generated app will be installed via Google Play.

Role of PHAs

The PHAs don’t have to create apps on their own, so what they will do? They will provide Apple and Google with necessary information like contact information, proper guidance procedure, the recommendation for effected patients, precautions for those who came in contact with the virus, etc. Then the notification system can deliver it to the users helping them to take necessary steps as required.

The local health authorities are still responsible for what messages should be sent and the further steps if someone with positive COVID-test updates in the database. So, they are just relieved of developing their apps as most of the tech part is covered by Apple and Google. But, in the meantime already 20 countries around the world have developed and launched their apps.

Implementation of this new system

This new Exposure Notification Express will be first implemented by DC, Maryland, Nevada, and Virginia. Both Apple and Google are also working with the U.S. Association of Public Health Laboratories that will help the users to track even after they are traveling out of their home state. It is proven that this system has helped in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and preventing many deaths.