Rithinsai tech

Monday, April 3, 2023

Cyberabad Police Issues Notices to 11 Organisations in Probe of Data Theft of 66.9 Crore Persons

The Cyberabad police has issued notices to as many as 11 organisations, including three banks, a social media giant and an Information Technology services company, asking their representatives to appear before it in connection with a breach of data of 66.9 crore persons across the country, a senior police official said on Sunday.

The Cyberabad police on Saturday said they arrested one person, Vinay Bhardwaj, who was allegedly involved in stealing, holding and selling personal and confidential data of 66.9 crore individuals and organisations belonging to 24 states and eight metropolitan cities, maintained in 104 categories.

The accused person was found in possession of the data of students of ed-tech organisations as well as the GST details of persons and companies, and the consumer/customer data of major organisations such as road transport corporations of various states, major ecommerce portals, social media platforms and fintech companies.

The 11 organisations to whom the notices were issued include two PSU banks and one private bank, a social media giant, an IT services company, an online grocery seller, a digital payments app and an online insurance platform, police said.

The 11 organisations' representatives have been told to appear before the police during the next one week to furnish details on how the companies maintained their databases, what procedures and policies were followed in this regard and who could access the data. This could help investigators ascertain how the database was leaked and accessed by an "unauthorised" person, among other relevant details, police said.

The arrested accused was operating through a website, 'InspireWebz', at Faridabad, Haryana and selling databases to clients through cloud drive links, police said.

In March, Cyberabad Police arrested seven people of a gang who were allegedly involved in the theft and sale of sensitive data of the government and important organisations, including details of 2.55 lakh defence personnel as well as the personal and confidential data of about 16.8 crore citizens across the country.

Smartphone companies have launched many compelling devices over the first quarter of 2023. What are some of the best phones launched in 2023 you can buy today? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/IoLnWs9

Survey Shows 'High-Level' Public Support for Some Forms of Government Surveillance

A survey has shown a "high-level" of public support for certain forms of government surveillance like through CCTV cameras even as the poor and groups such as Dalits and Muslims have the "least" trust in the police.

Surveyors from NGO Common Cause and the Lokniti programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies spoke to a total of 9,779 individuals in 12 states and Union Territories before they released the "Status of Policing in India Report 2023: Surveillance and the Question of Privacy" on Friday in the national capital.

"The study also involved focus group discussions with domain experts, in-depth interviews with serving police officials, and an analysis of media coverage of surveillance-related issues," according to a statement.

The findings of the survey, according to the statement, indicate a "high-level of public support for certain forms of government surveillance, but also a lack of public awareness regarding critical issues such as the Pegasus scandal and the Puttaswamy case." While the Pegasus refers to the alleged usage of military grade spyware for surveillance, the judgment in the Puttaswamy case formally recognised right to privacy as a fundamental right.

The survey report states that the support for any form of surveillance is "directly proportional" to the respondent's socio-economic status, i.e. the richer the respondent the more the support, the survey found.

The poor, Adivasis, Dalits, and Muslims trust the police the least, it found.

Some of the key findings of the survey state that "only one in four people strongly feel that CCTVs carry a risk of illegal mass surveillance." "Nearly three out of four people strongly believe that CCTVs help monitor and reduce crimes," it said.

The survey found, according to the press statement, that about half of the respondents supported the collection of biometric details of suspects while Adivasis and Muslims were "most critical" of the police collecting biometric details of all suspects.

More than one out of two people strongly support the use of drones by the armed forces, government, and police. However, farmers and the poorest are most likely to oppose drone usage by government agencies, the survey found.

"One out of two people fully support the use of FRT (facial recognition technology) by the government, and police. People are four times more likely to strongly support the use of FRT by government agencies, compared to its use by private entities," the survey found.

Nearly two out of three respondents believe that political parties surveil citizens for electoral gains, it said.

The survey also found that large sections of the respondents feel government surveillance by CCTVs (52 percent), drones (30 percent) and FRT (25 percent), etc. to suppress protests and political movements are "justified" to a great extent.

However, it said, the respondents from Punjab are least likely to support government surveillance during protests, while those from Gujarat are most likely to support it.

Retired Uttar Pradesh Police and BSF Director General Prakash Singh said the authorisation for putting up surveillance tools should only be handled by the government.

"In India there are certain agencies that have been authorised to put people under surveillance, but the sanction must come from the Home Ministry. About one lakh sanctions for surveillance are given every year, which works out to about 250 per day. Can there be judicious application of mind with such a large number?" "There is no liability provision, if it is found that a wrong person has been put under surveillance. Due application of mind is not happening today," Singh, one of the most prominent faces who worked for police reforms in the country, said.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a hefty price tag compared to the company's 2022 flagship model. How does it fare against other high-end phones launched in 2023? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/eOnsNlh

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Elon Musk Removes Verified Check Mark From New York Times' Main Account

Twitter has removed the gold "verified" marker from the New York Times' main account, as CEO Elon Musk bashed the news organization as "propaganda" on Sunday and the platform transitioned to a paid verification scheme.

Musk took over the microblogging platform last year and made a priority of opening the "blue checkmark," indicating an authentic account, to paying subscribers.

The site announced it would start winding down "legacy" blue checkmarks from April 1.

The New York Times was among news media companies, firms and charities that had already lost their blue tick and were tagged as verified business accounts with a gold tick under Musk's new system.

To retain the gold tick after the rollout of the subscription service dubbed Twitter Blue, these groups would have to pay a monthly fee of $1,000 in the United States, and $50 for each additional affiliated account.

The New York Times said it would not pay for a verified business account and would subscribe for a blue tick only for journalists finding it essential for their reporting needs.

As of Sunday, the organization's main account, with nearly 55 million followers, had lost its gold checkmark, though affiliate accounts, such as for its travel and opinion sections, retained the ticks.

Many media groups and personalities who also announced they would not pay for Twitter Blue, including basketball star LeBron James, have retained blue or gold checkmarks on their accounts.

In the early hours of Sunday, Musk targeted the New York Times in several tweets, saying, "The real tragedy of @NYTimes is that their propaganda isn't even interesting" and calling its main feed the "equivalent of diarrhoea" and "unreadable."

According to Travis Brown, a Berlin-based software developer who tracks social-media platforms, only a few dozen accounts have so far been unverified, suspended or had profile elements removed since Saturday.

He said there had been a recent jump in the number of accounts that had made the switch from legacy to the new system -- some 60,000 in the past week -- but that they were "mostly small accounts, and very few had legacy verification."

Since its creation in 2009, the blue tick became a signature element that helped the platform become a trusted forum for newsmakers and campaigners.

But Musk and his fans said the decision of who got the coveted checkmark was made by fiat in a secretive procedure, and they called it a symbol of an unfair class system.

The changes under Musk put pressure on companies, journalists and celebrities who used Twitter as their main channel of communication and relied on the blue and gold ticks for credibility.

They also raise the spectre of imposters and jokesters paying for an officially verified, but totally fake account.

After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India commitment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/RU6FWpl

Saturday, April 1, 2023

The Best Phones Under Rs. 30,000 in India

In the Rs. 30,000 price segment, smartphone manufacturers need to cater to two types of customers, those who are upgrading from a budget smartphone, and those who simply crave more premium features but don't necessarily want to spend too much. Mid-range smartphones end up being a solid mix of performance, premium design and added features that have trickled down from the high-end segment. In 2023, we get to see some interesting new models. There's the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, which offers a 200-megapixel primary camera, an IP53 rating and 120W wired charging.

Another new entrant in this segment is the Nothing Phone 1. It recently received a big price cut, making it a very accessible device which offers quite a few premium features such as a unique design, wireless charging and an IP53 rating.

Here are Gadgets 360's picks of the top phones under Rs. 30,000 in India, in no particular order.

Phones under Rs. 30,000	Gadgets 360 rating (out of 10)	Price in India (as recommended)
iQoo Neo 7 5G	8	Rs. 29,999
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G	9	Rs. 29,999
Nothing Phone 1	8	Rs. 25,999
Oppo Reno 8 5G	8	Rs. 29,999
Poco F4 5G	8	Rs. 27,999
Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge	8	Rs. 26,999
Realme GT Master Edition	8	Rs. 25,999
OnePlus Nord 2T 5G	8	Rs. 28,999

iQoo Neo 7 5G

The iQoo Neo 7 5G gets many things right. It offers best-in-class performance with great battery life and fast charging. The big display and loud speakers also make this phone ideal for multimedia consumption. While the software has become better, there is still some room for improvement. A major plus point is that the iQoo Neo 7 5G comes with the latest software. Cameras are where the iQoo Neo 7 5G is not very versatile, and you have better options, such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, in this segment. However, if you are a gamer and have a budget of around Rs. 30,000, the iQoo Neo 7 5G can certainly be recommended.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is the top-end device in Xiaomi's Note lineup this year. Priced from Rs. 29,999, it is also the most expensive Redmi Note device till date. Thankfully it comes with good enough hardware and performance to justify that higher-than-usual price tag. It's IP53-rated for dust and water resistance, and you get a quality, adaptive 120Hz AMOLED panel with support for Dolby Vision and HDR 10 streaming content. While the phone feels high-end, it also packs enough power thanks to a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC.

Battery life with its 4,980mAh battery is quite good and charging the phone with the 120W charger takes just 25 minutes (with BoostCharge). Another highlight of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is its 200-megapixel primary camera, which lacks optical image stabilisation (OIS), but delivers quality still images in all types of lighting conditions. Software-wise, buyers will be stuck with MIUI and Android 12 out of the box. But an Android 13 update is in the works.

Nothing Phone 1

The Nothing Phone 1 may seem more about style at first but it offers balanced performance and great features to warrant its asking price. That price has now been lowered to Rs. 25,999, which is impressive given that it offers features such as wireless charging and an IP53 rating. Those upgrading from a budget smartphone will be more than happy with this, without needing to pay a premium for the added features. The Nothing Phone 1's design really stands out with its unique LED lights that are mounted under the transparent rear panel and can be controlled and customised using the phone's software.

Flashy lights and premium design aside, there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC at the helm which offers enough power for day to day tasks and some mid-level gaming. There are dual speakers and a large display which also makes it good for entertainment. Camera performance, while good in daylight, is not as impressive in low light. Battery life is a bit problematic but typically lasts a full day with casual usage.

Oppo Reno 8 5G

Those looking purely for a stylish smartphone will find Oppo's Reno 8 5G in the Shimmer Gold variant interesting. With hardware that's nearly similar to the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G, it's priced a bit higher but offers good camera performance in all types of lighting conditions. There's a 90Hz AMOLED panel which seems a bit low when compared to the competition but should be sufficient for the non-gaming audience.

At the helm is a MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC which is good for some mid-level gaming and more than sufficient for regular multi-tasking. While the software is loaded to the brim with third-party apps, these can be uninstalled, and we did not face any problems in terms of overall performance either. While the Reno 8 5G is quite slim and light, Oppo managed to make enough space for a 4,500mAh battery that can charge it pretty fast with the bundled 80W charger.

Poco F4 5G

The Poco F4 5G is a premium-looking smartphone that's also good for gaming. It's not very thick at 7.7mm and looks premium thanks to its frosted rear glass and frame. The phone also has an IP53 rating. There are stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, and the phone's 6.67-inch E4 AMOLED panel also supports Dolby Vision HDR playback in streaming apps. There's enough gaming horsepower available thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC. This makes it more than capable of handling graphics intensive games at high settings.

Poco offers a 64-megapixel camera with OIS which makes for a quality daylight shooting experience. However, low-light performance does end up falling a bit short of expectations. Battery life with the 4,500mAh battery is quite solid and charging is also pretty quick.

Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G

If you are on the lookout for a smartphone with really fast charging, the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G will not disappoint. Given that the recently launched Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G also offers 120W charging, the 11i HyperCharge 5G still makes a bit of sense for the price conscious buyer. Despite being more than a year old, it still packs a punch with its MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC, which is good for gaming and regular tasks. Unlike the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, there is also expandable storage in the hybrid dual-SIM tray.

Camera performance isn't the best in class, but the 108-megapixel primary camera is capable of good daylight image quality. Low-light performance is not bad either. The phone offers a slightly smaller 4,500mAh battery compared to the newer Note 12 Pro+ 5G, but it can charge from zero to a 100 percent in just 20 minutes.

Realme GT Master Edition

Just like the Nothing Phone 1, the Realme GT Master Edition is also a smartphone that's mainly focussed on design and mid-range performance. The base model is available at Rs. 25,999, but the one to go for is the Voyager Grey variant, which comes with more RAM and has a unique faux-leather finish that feels like a travel suitcase.

While the design is subjective, the phone surely feels unique in this finish, and there's enough performance available from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC, both for daily tasks and a bit of gaming. There's a 120Hz AMOLED display and camera performance is quite good in daylight but average in low light. The phone's 4,500mAh battery which delivers good battery life can be charged quickly using the bundled 65W charger.

OnePlus Nord 2T 5G

The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is a proper mid-range smartphone from OnePlus. It checks all the boxes when it comes to features one would expect from a mid-range device and combines it with a premium design. Just like other OnePlus smartphones, the software experience is quite good as it offers a fluid experience with minimal bloatware. The MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC ensures good software performance and can also handle games quite well.

Camera performance is also quite good. The phone features a camera setup that is similar to the Oppo Reno 8 5G and delivers equally good performance whether its daylight or low light.The Nord 2T 5G's 4,500mAh offers excellent two-day battery life with casual usage and can also charge up quickly with the bundled 65W charger. The phone has recently received the Android 13 update as well.

How does the Redmi 12 Pro+ fare against its competitor, the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G? Is it a worthy successor to the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/4m2LEwa

Elon Musk Defends Pay Model for Twitter Amid End to Free Verified Blue Ticks

Elon Musk on Friday defended his controversial pay model for Twitter, claiming that any social media platform that didn't follow suit would fail because they would be swarmed by bots.

Musk made his prediction on the eve of Twitter's April 1 ultimatum that verified accounts with the cherished blue tick that had not forked over cash would lose it.

"The fundamental challenge here is that it's (easy) to create literally 10,000 or 100,000 fake Twitter accounts using just one computer at home and with modern AI (artificial intelligence)," Musk told a question and answer session on Twitter.

"That's the reason for really pressing hard on verified where the verified requires a number from a reputable phone carrier and a credit card," Musk said.

"My prediction is that any so-called social media network that doesn't do this will fail," Musk added.

The change in system puts pressure on companies, journalists and celebrities who used Twitter as their main channel of communication and relied on the blue tick for credibility.

And it also raises the spectre of imposters and jokesters paying for an officially verified, but totally fake account.

In the US, the subscription plan, known as Twitter Blue, costs $8 (roughly Rs. 700) a month or $84 (roughly Rs. 6,900) a year, or $11 (roughly Rs. 900) a month if bought through Apple's app store.

Since its creation in 2009, the blue tick or checkmark became a signature element that helped the platform become a trusted forum for news makers and campaigners.

But Musk and his fans said the blue check was decided by fiat in a secretive procedure and called it a symbol of an unfair class system.

Opening the blue tick to paying subscribers was among the first decisions made by Musk when he took ownership of Twitter last year, but his overhaul backfired.

Within hours, Twitter was flooded by fake yet verified accounts impersonating celebrities, major companies and even Musk himself.

Musk swiftly backtracked, but many advertisers fled the site, denying Twitter a major source of income that the CEO is struggling to replace.

For now, blue checks of celebrities -- including Justin Bieber and his 113 million followers or footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and his 108 million -- are tagged on the site as "legacy" accounts.

'Will be awful'

The verified account conundrum also involves officials, charities and news media companies.

Already the White House, which will keep a special designation as a government entity, told employees it would not pay to have its staff's official Twitter profiles keep the blue tick, Axios reported.

News media companies, firms and charities already lost their blue tick and were tagged as verified business accounts under Musk's new system.

According to Twitter's website, these cost a hefty fee of $1,000 (roughly Rs. 82,200) a month in the United States, and $50 (roughly Rs. 4,100) for each additional affiliated account.

"This will be awful for those who can't afford the new fees," said Andrew Stroehlein, European Media Director of Human Rights Watch, who said his group would not pay for the privilege.

"It will damage the effectiveness of local activists, including human rights activists, who have long used Twitter for grassroots organizing," he added in a blog post.

The New York Times said it will not pay for a verified business account and that it would only subscribe for a blue tick for journalists when essential for reporting needs.

The "pay to play" verification model is also being tested by Twitter rival Facebook in Australia and New Zealand, which has also drawn major criticism.

Much is riding on Musk's ability to find a business model for Twitter.

Last week Musk put the current value of Twitter at $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1,64,600 crore), less than half the $44 billion (roughly Rs. 3,62,100 crore) he paid for the social media platform just five months ago.

The newly launched Oppo Find N2 Flip is the first foldable from the company to debut in India. But does it have what it takes to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/1Hs5Xoe

Activision Blizzard Accused of Spying on Employees, Threatening Them

Activision Blizzard violated US labour law by illegally surveilling employees during a walkout and threatening to shut down internal chat channels as a union sought to organize its workers, a federal labour agency said on Friday.

A National Labor Relations Board spokeswoman said that unless Activision settles, the agency will issue a complaint against the company involving employees of its subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment based in California and three other states.

The Communication Workers of America union (CWA) has accused the Call of Duty maker of a series of illegal labour practices at the union has sought to organize video game testers and other employees at the company and its subsidiaries.

Blizzard employees around the country staged a walkout last year to protest what they said was a lack of gender equality at the company.

Kayla Blado, a spokeswoman for the labour board, said on Friday that a regional agency official had found merit to the CWA's claim that Activision used security staff to keep tabs on workers during the walkout.

A claim that the company also broke the law by threatening to close internal Slack channels where employees frequently discussed working conditions was also found to have merit, Blado said.

An Activision spokesperson in a statement defended the company's ability to prevent "toxic workplace behaviour."

"CWA wants us to accept their... false claims, but we strongly believe employees shouldn't have to be subjected to insults and put downs for their hard work – especially on company communication platforms," the spokesperson said.

The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Activision is already facing a separate NLRB complaint issued last year claiming the company used a policy limiting what workers can post on social media to bar them from discussing working conditions. Activision has said its social media policy is lawful and does not bar employees from exercising their rights under US labour law.

Small groups of workers at Activision subsidiaries in New York and Wisconsin have voted to join the CWA in recent months, and employees in Boston are seeking to have an election. Activision has said it is considering its options in those cases.

Xbox maker Microsoft last year agreed to buy Activision for $69 billion (roughly Rs. 5,67,000 crore), a deal that has faced antitrust scrutiny from US and European regulators.

Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2n1MD38

Elon Musk Requests US Judge to End $258 Billion Dogecoin Lawsuit Against Him

Elon Musk asked a US judge on Friday to throw out a $258 billion (roughly Rs. 21,20,200 crore) racketeering lawsuit accusing him of running a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.

In an evening filing in Manhattan federal court, lawyers for Musk and his electric car company Tesla called the lawsuit by Dogecoin investors a "fanciful work of fiction" over Musk's "innocuous and often silly tweets" about Dogecoin.

The lawyers said the investors never explained how Musk intended to defraud anyone or what risks he concealed, and that his statements such as "Dogecoin Rulz" and "no highs, no lows, only Doge" were too vague to support a fraud claim.

"There is nothing unlawful about tweeting words of support for, or funny pictures about, a legitimate cryptocurrency that continues to hold a market cap of nearly $10 billion (roughly Rs. 82,200 crore)," Musk's lawyers said. "This court should put a stop to plaintiffs' fantasy and dismiss the complaint."

In a footnote, the lawyers also rejected the investors' claim that Dogecoin qualified as a security.

The investors' lawyer, Evan Spencer, said in an email: "We are more confident than ever that our case will be successful."

Investors accused Musk, the world's second-richest person according to Forbes, of deliberately driving up Dogecoin's price more than 36,000 percent over two years and then letting it crash.

They said this generated billions of dollars of profit at other Dogecoin investors' expense, even as Musk knew the currency lacked intrinsic value.

Investors also pointed to Musk's appearance on a "Weekend Update" segment of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" where, portraying a fictitious financial expert, he called Dogecoin "a hustle."

The $258 billion (roughly Rs. 21,20,200 crore) damages figure is triple the estimated decline in Dogecoin's market value in the 13 months before the lawsuit was filed.

Dogecoin Foundation, a nonprofit, is also a defendant and seeking the lawsuit's dismissal.

Musk's posts on Twitter, which he owns, have prompted multiple lawsuits.

He won a court victory on February 3 when a San Francisco jury found him not liable for tweeting in August 2018 that he had arranged financing to take Tesla private.

The case is Johnson et al v. Musk et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-05037.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/EiRAqx9