Apple MacBook Air (2018) With Retina Display, Touch ID Launched For 1199 USD: Everything You Need to Know

The new Apple MacBook Air features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD Graphics and faster system memory up to 16GB.

Apple on Monday launched an all-new MacBook Air with 13-inch Retina display, Touch ID and latest processors at a Brooklyn event here. The new MacBook Air features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD Graphics and faster system memory up to 16GB. MacBook Air also features SSDs up to 1.5TB in capacity, which are up to 60 per cent faster than the previous generation.

"The first MacBook Air revolutionised Mac with its thin wedge-shaped aluminium design. It forever changed the entire industry for portable computers and became the world's most loved notebook," said Philip Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. "Redesigning MacBook Air started with a stunning Retina display and all-day battery life, and then we added Touch ID and the Apple T2 Security Chip," he added.

The 13.3-inch Retina display has over 4 million pixels of resolution so text and images in macOS Mojave look sharp and stunning. The new MacBook Air also includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera for Group FaceTime calls with friends and family. MacBook Air now includes Touch ID -- a fingerprint sensor built right into the keyboard. It allows users to instantly unlock MacBook Air, authenticate identity and make fast and secure purchases using Apple Pay.

To support Touch ID, MacBook Air comes with the Apple T2 Security Chip, which makes the notebook more secure. MacBook Air also features the third-generation Apple-designed keyboard for more precise and responsive typing. "The speakers are 25 percent louder with two times more bass than the previous generation for more dynamic range and fuller sound," said Apple in a statement.

Apple also announced new MacBook Pro graphics options that will bring powerful Radeon Pro Vega graphics to MacBook Pro for the first time. All new Macs come with macOS Mojave, the latest version of the world's most advanced desktop operating system with new features.

iPad Pro 2018 Models With Face ID, USB Type-C, and Slimmer Bezels Launched

Apple in New York on Tuesday announced the launch of the much-awaited refresh to its iPad Pro range of premium tablets. The new iPad Pro comes in two sizes — 11-inch and 12.9-inch — with upgrades including a sleeker design, thinner bezels, no home button, support for Face ID technology with Animoji/ Memoji, 
a faster Apple A12X Bionic chip, a USB Type-C port instead of the proprietary Lightning port, and a 7-core Apple graphics chip. Notably, this is the first iOS device to sport the USB Type-C connector port, but it doesn't have a headphone jack. The Apple Pencil has also received its first upgrade since 2015 and now comes with a new design alongside wireless charging support magnetically attaching to the new iPad Pro.

iPad Pro (2018) price in India

Both the iPad Pro 11-inch and 12.9-inch variants will be sold in 64GB, 256GB, 512GB,

 and 1TB storage options. The 11-inch model starts at $799 (roughly Rs. 58,800) in the US,

 while the 12.9-inch variant gets a starting price of $999 (around Rs. 73,500). In India,

 the 11-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs. 71,900, while the bigger model will retail starting at

 Rs. 89,900. The iPad Pro pre-orders in the US start today (and 40 other countries 

and regions), on October 30, with availability from November 7. India is not amongst

 the first wave of launch countries, but instead Apple has said it will launch the tablets

 in the country "later this year".

Apple claims that it has sold 400 million iPad units to date, making it the

 “most popular tablet in the world”. The tech giant also unveiled the latest MacBook Air 

and Mac mini models at the launch event.

iPad Pro (2018) specifications and features

Called the biggest change since the original iPad, the all-new iPad Pro sports 

11-inch and 12.9-inch LCD ProMotion Liquid Retina Display panels with rounded

 corners using the pixel masking technology used in the iPhone XR. The smaller

 variant fits in the same footprint as the iPad Pro 10.5-inch model from last year.

 The new 12.9-inch model is smaller than last year's variant. They carry forward

 the same 120Hz refresh rates. Both models are about 5.9mm thick.

The all-new iPad Pro models are powered by the company's latest in-house

 Apple A12X Bionic 7nm SoC. The SoC has an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU,

 the latter offers 2x the graphics performance compared to last year's Apple A11X.

 The new SoC has more than 10 billion transistors. The iPad Pro now comes with 

up to 1TB of inbuilt storage.

For the first time on an iPad, the iPad Pro 2018 models get a neural engine in the

 A12X Bionic chip. This allows for the implementation of machine learning to help

 you access UI elements and apps in an enhanced manner.

Face ID is new to the iPad Pro series in 2018. Face ID is enabled by the TrueDepth 

camera, housed on the tablet's top bezel. Face ID brings support for Animoji and Memoji,

 and it works in both portrait and landscape mode, unlike the iPhone models. 

The iPad Pro 2018 models come with support for iPhone X-like gesture navigation,

 due to the departure of the home button. This is also the first iOS device to sport a 

USB Type-C port for charging, data transfer, and external connectivity.

The new iPad Pro models no longer ship with the 3.5mm headphone jack. 

No Type-C to 3.5mm audio dongle is bundled in the box either. Additionally,

 the iPad Pro can act as a power bank and charge your iPhone using a USB

 Type-C to Lighting cable.

There is a 12-megapixel rear camera sensor with improved True Tone LED flash

 and support for 4K video recording at 60fps on the new iPad Pro. The premium tablet

 claims to offer the same 10-hour battery life and comes with a bundled 18W power adapter.

 As for audio, the new iPad Pro models come with a four speaker setup that houses two

 woofers and two tweeters offering wider stereo sound.

iPad Pro accessories

The second-generation Apple Pencil comes with a brand new design, and now 

attaches magnetically to the new iPad Pro. It's priced in India at Rs. 10,990.

 It automatically starts charging wirelessly when connected.

A new Smart Folio folio case has also been launched that protects both the

 front and the back of the tablet.  It also provides open-to-wake and

 close-to-sleep functionality. It's priced at Rs. 7,500 and Rs. 9,900 for 

the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes respectively.

Also new is a refreshed Smart Keyboard Folio, designed to protect both the

 front and back of iPad Pro. The new folio keyboard lets you prop up the

 iPad at two different angles and just like before, it connects to the iPad 

via the Smart Connector so it doesn't require pairing or charging. It's priced at

 Rs. 15,900 and Rs. 17,900 for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes respectively.

OxygenOS 9.0.4 rolling out to OnePlus 6T with Nightscape improvements and November security patches

The OnePlus 6T just released, and we’ve already given our first impressions on it in part 1 of our review. While some of our impressions are definitely mixed, there’s one thing that’s certain – with your purchase of the phone, you’ll also be able to enjoy OnePlus’ excellent software support. The OnePlus 6T will likely be no different from previous devices from the company, and it’s already gotten its first update. OxygenOS 9.0.4 is rolling out to the OnePlus 6T now, and it brings a number of small changes.

The update (originally spotted by HDBlog) mentions a number of system changes that you’d expect to see straight after a release. With power consumption optimizations, general bug fixes, and an improved Screen Unlock, these are all things that generally get fixed after a release. Interestingly, the November 2018 security patches have also been included. 
The OnePlus 6 also just got those security patches with the release of Open Beta 6, which means that both devices have gotten the latest security patches before even Google has released them. That means that we don’t actually know what has been patched yet. Device OEMs typically get the patches a month in advance, where Google then discloses the latest vulnerabilities of which are patched in their monthly security bulletin.

Nightscape has also been a critiqued feature in that it doesn’t seem to do a whole lot. It’s an improvement, but one many could easily find simply by using manual mode on their camera. OnePlus has made some changes to the feature so it is entirely possible that it has improved quite a bit.
 It wouldn’t be the first major camera updatethat the company has released for this generation of its phones. Other changes include “Brand new navigation gestures,” although this is possibly written in error given that the quick switch gesture was already available at launch.

The update is rolling out now, but if you don’t want to wait then you can download the latest version of OxygenOS Open Beta via the Oxygen Updater application. It’ll allow you to download and flash the latest version of OxygenOS, and it doesn’t even require root. The full update ZIP comes in at 1.5GB, which you’ll have to download if you’ve made any modifications to your OnePlus 6 whatsoever. If you have, don’t forget to root your device again after.

Narendra Modi asks US companies to invest in energy, digital tech in India

He made these remarks when board members of United States India Strategic Partnership Forum comprising senior industry and business captains of the US called on him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged companies in the United States to avail business opportunities in India in new areas such as start-ups, energy, healthcare and digital technology.

He made these remarks when board members of United States India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) comprising senior industry and business captains of the US called on him,  a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

They also briefed the prime minister on the outcomes of India Leadership Summit held earlier in the day.

The business leaders appreciated the economic and regulatory reforms implemented by the government in the past four years and expressed their desire to further deepen their engagements with India to make use of the opportunities created by the rapidly growing Indian economy.

"The prime minister stated that both countries have benefitted in an unprecedented manner through economic engagement. He encouraged US companies to fully avail of the business opportunities in new areas as well, such as start-ups, energy, healthcare and digital technology, " the statement said.

Donald Trump Criticised For Decision To End Birthright Citizenship In US

Under the current laws, anyone born in the US irrespective of the nationality of parents, automatically becomes an American citizen.

President Donald Trump's decision to bring an executive order to end the right to the US citizenship for children born in the US to non-citizens has invited widespread criticism, even from his own party.

In his latest hardline immigration rhetoric ahead of the midterm congressional elections, Trump, in an interview with Axios, has said birthright citizenship "has to end" and that it would "with an executive order."

"You cannot end the birthright citizenship with an executive order," said Congressman Paul Ryan, speaker of the US House of Representatives.

"We didn't like it when (former President) Obama tried changing immigration laws via executive action, and obviously as conservatives, we believe in the Constitution," Mr Ryan told a local radio station in Lexington, Kentucky.

Under the current laws, anyone born in the US irrespective of the nationality of parents, automatically becomes an American citizen.

"It was always told to me that you needed a constitutional amendment, one amendment. You don't have to do it. Number one. Number two, you can definitely do it with an act of Congress. But now they are saying, I can do it just with an executive order," Mr Trump told Axios in an interview.

A portion of the interview was released on Tuesday. The full interview "Axios on HBO" is scheduled to be aired on Sunday.

Such a practice to give citizenship to anyone born in the US is "ridiculous", Mr Trump said.

He said that we are the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the US for 85 years with all of those benefits. "It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. And it has to end".

Mr Trump said that the effort to end this practice was in the process. "We are in the process. It'll happen with an executive order. That's what you're talking about."

According to Axios, Mr Trump said that he has run the idea of ending birthright citizenship by his counsel and plans to proceed with the highly-controversial move, which certainly will face legal challenges.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, said it would require a constitutional amendment to make necessary changes on who all can acquire citizenship.

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution affirms that, with very few exceptions, all persons born in the US are American citizens, regardless of the immigration status of their parents, said the American Immigration Council.

The Supreme Court has upheld the principle of birthright citizenship for more than a century, it said. "Birthright citizenship defines who we are as a nation and is a core part of our American heritage and history. Eliminating birthright citizenship would do nothing to solve our immigration issues," said Beth Werlin, executive director of the American Immigration Council.

"No president can change the Constitution with the stroke of a pen. The only way to eliminate birthright citizenship would be through a new Constitutional amendment," he said.

Breitbart News, however, came out in support of Trump's move. Revoking birthright citizenship would have immediate and far-reaching consequences, it said. "It would mean the children of illegal aliens, even if born in the United States, would not be bestowed US citizenship upon birth," it said.

"It would also likely deter the practice of foreigners having 'anchor babies', where they aim to give birth to children on US soil so as to obtain US citizenship for their children at birth," Breitbart said.

Vice-president Mike Pence also came out in Mr Trump's defence, saying, "The President has made clear is that we are looking at action that would reconsider birthright citizenship."

Another Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi slammed Trump for his move.
"President Trump's new claim he can unilaterally end the Constitution's guarantee of citizenship shows Republicans' spiraling desperation to distract from their assault on Medicare, Medicaid and people with pre-existing conditions," she said.

"The President does not have the power to erase parts of the Constitution, but he and the GOP Congress have spent two years trying to erase protections for people with pre-existing conditions," Ms Pelosi said. 

RRB Group D Admit Card Download Links, Instruction And Exam Rules

RRB Group D admit card is available for download on the official RRB websites

RRB Group D Admit Card 2018: RRB Group D CBT exam starts again from today. The Group D exams will be held till December 17, 2018. For selection to group D posts, candidates will have to appear in the CBT first. Those who qualify in the RRB Group D CBT will be called for a Physical Efficiency Test (PET). After PET, RRBs will hold a Document Verification round and final recruitment to Group D posts is subject to Document Verification.

The RRB Group D admit cards for exam scheduled in next four days is available for download on the official RRB website.

RRB Group D Admit Card 2018: How to download?

Step one: Go to official RRB Website . 

Step two: Click on the exam details link. 

Step three: Enter your user id and date of birth.

Step four: Submit and download your admit card. 

RRB Group D Exam 2018: Everything On Indian Railways Recruitment; Live Updates Tracker

On the day of the exam, candidates have to carry a valid photo id proof along with their RRB Group D admit card. There are certain other items which are prohibited at the RRB exam centre such as mobile phones, pager, watches, bluetooth enabled devices, calculators and metallic wears, bangles, belts, bracelets etc. 

RRBs have also repeatedly requested candidates not to apply henna on left thumb to avoid any difficulty in registration. 

RRB Group D candidates must also keep in mind that the Group D e-call letter does not have Self Declaration paragraph. The paragraph will be displayed on the computer screen before start of the exam and candidate should write the same in the space provided in the e-call letter in the exam lab only. 

For the Sake of Peace, Ayodhya Dispute Should Be Resolved Promptly – Yogi Adityanath

The UP chief minister was reacting to the apex court's decision that the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute would be decided in the first week of January by an appropriate bench.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday said the long-pending Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute should be resolved “promptly” for the sake of peace and brotherhood, a day after the Supreme Court said that the matter would not be heard before January.

“For resolving the case promptly, it would have been better if a quick hearing of the matter was held by the court for the sake of peace and brotherhood in the country,” the chief minister said.

“The issue should be settled as soon as possible as the responsibility of maintaining law and order in the state is on us. Though consensus remains the best solution, there are many other ways to thrash it out,” he said.

“If justice is given in time, it is appreciated but when delayed it is equivalent to injustice,” Adityanath tweeted.

“This possibility, however, does not seem likely as of now,” he said to a query on the sidelines of an event.

He said the matter is in the apex court but for peace and brotherhood and for honouring the beliefs of a large number of people, all alternatives need to be explored.

“The counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government had also appealed to the Supreme Court for a speedy trial in the matter,” he said.

The apex court on Monday said the course of hearings in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute will be decided in the first week of January by an appropriate bench.

This has intensified demands by RSS that the government should bring in a law allowing the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed Ayodhya site.

As many as 14 appeals have been filed against the high court judgment that the 2.77 acres of land be partitioned equally among three parties – the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

Hindus, Sikhs in Kashmir Were Safe Under Hindu Kings, But Not Today: Adityanath

"If we allow those who try to create differences among us to succeed, our situation will be one of insecurity, which is the case in Afghanistan…Hindus and Sikhs used to be an influential group in Kabul, but today there are just around 100 members of these communities left there, and their condition is also very bad"

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath said on Monday that Hindus and Sikhs in Kashmir were safe in Kashmir while it was ruled by a Hindu king, but are not anymore.

“…Jaise hi Hindu raja ka patan hua, Hinduon ka bhi patan hona shuru hogaya…Aaj wahan ki sthiti kya hai? Koi apne ko surakshit bol sakta hai? Nahi bol sakta (The downfall of Hindus began with the downfall of the Hindu king…what is the situation there today? Can anyone say they are safe? They cannot),” Indian Express quoted Adityanath as saying as Sikh Samagam organised by the UP BJP unit in Lucknow.

“Humein itihaas ke in kshanon se kuch sikhna chahiye…prerna prapta karni chahiye…Sacchai ko swikar karna chahiye, phir iske anuroop rananiti banakarke karya karna chahiye…(We should learn a lesson from these moments in history…accept the truth and accordingly chalk out a strategy).”

The UP chief minister also said that some elements were working to create differences between people. “Jab bhi hummein bhed dalne wale log safal honge to aaj hum waise hi asurakshit honge jaise Afghanistan mein sthiti hai aaj…Kabul ke andar, pehle pura Hindu Sikh prabhavi tha…Aaj matra Kabul ke andar 100 ke aspas Hindu…Sikh bache hain aur unki sthiti bhi kitni deen heen hai. (If we allow those who try to create differences among us to succeed, our situation will be one of insecurity, which is the case in Afghanistan…Hindus and Sikhs used to be an influential group in Kabul, but today there are just around 100 members of these communities left there, and their condition is also very bad).”

“Koi aisi galti na hone dein jo humein Kashmir ki tarah, Afghanistan ki tarah, Pakistan ki tarah, lagatar kosti rahe…(Mistakes should not be made that result in us blaming ourselves like in Kashmir, Afghanistan and Pakistan).”

Adityanath is well-known for making divisive and polarising statements, and his government has been accused of targeting the state’s Muslim population through police encounters and false or trumped-up cases filed under the National Security Act. He has also made the news for painting several official buildings, school buses and school bags given to children saffron, and renaming buildings, cities and airports – most recently the decision to rename Allahabad as ‘Prayagraj’.

CONFIRMED! Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal to get married on December 12 – details inside

After much wait and speculation, it is now revealed that Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal will get married on December 12, 2018, in the presence of their close friends and family members.

After their lavish engagement ceremony at Lake Como in Italy, Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal are all set to tie the knot. While the rumours surrounding their wedding date have been doing the rounds of social media for a long time now, a source has revealed that the duo is set to get married on December 12. 

The source has also revealed that the cere

monies will be performed in accordance with Indian traditions, customs and culture at the Ambani residence in Mumbai in the presence of their close friends and family members.

The Ambani and Piramal families including Isha's parents - Nita and Mukesh Ambani and Anand's parents - Swati and Ajay Piramal will also host their close friends and family members in Udaipur the weekend prior to their wedding. 

The families have reportedly partnered with artisans and craftsmen to make sure the local culture and traditions are woven well into the wedding festivities. When the duo had gotten engaged in September, the social media was abuzz with love-filled moments from their fairytale engagement and with the wedding announcement, the fans are again excited for inside photographs and videos from the lavish ceremony

On Monday, the Ambanis were photographed at the Siddhivinayak temple where they had gone to offer their daughter's wedding card and seek blessings of the almighty

With Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's wedding in November and Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' wedding sometime in December and Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal's wedding on December 14, it seems the coming two months are going to be a treat for netizens.

2019 elections will be Congress’ Waterloo if it doesn’t stand with Sabarimala devotees, says party leader K Sudhakaran

Sudhakaran's statement comes in direct conflict with the view expressed by the party's national president Rahul Gandhi who spoke for entry of all people regardless of gender at the Sabarimala temple

K Sudhakaran, Congress working president in Kerala and the party’s tallest leader in Malabar region, asked leaders and workers to make sure to align the party more closely with the cause of the devotees in the raging row over the entry of women of all ages in the Sabarimala temple. Or else, he warned, the party’s roots will be ripped apart in the state.

“We should not create opportunities for the BJP (to exploit the situation)…if we end up doing that, the next election will be a Waterloo for the Congress party. There is no question about it,” Sudhakaran said at a party programme in Kasaragod district.

Sudhakaran recently appointed the party’s working president alongside Mullappally Ramachandran who was named the Kerala Congress chief, has been the most vocal critic of the Supreme Court ruling that opened doors for women of all ages at the temple. Since 1991, women of menstruating age were barred from entering the temple. Sudhakaran, a former MP from the CPM pocket borough of Kannur, has stuck to the stand that temple traditions must be upheld and devotee sentiments protected.

“If the Congress party cannot get believers and devotees to stand alongside it, the party’s roots will get ripped apart. Kerala and its people will abandon us,” he added at the meeting.

Sudhakaran’s statement comes in direct conflict with the view expressed by the party’s national president Rahul Gandhi who spoke for entry of all people regardless of gender at the Sabarimala temple. At the same time, Gandhi admitted that the party’s Kerala unit has had to take a different stand since it was an emotional issue.

Ramesh Chennithala, former home minister and the current leader of opposition in the Kerala Assembly, told reporters that Gandhi was large-hearted and has allowed the state unit to take its own decision on the Sabarimala issue.

“We stick to the same position that we took in 2016 when the government headed by Oommen Chandy submitted the affidavit first in High Court and then in the Supreme Court. It was a position we took after careful examination. We have spoken about this to Congress national president Rahul Gandhi. He allowed us (the state unit) to respect the sentiments of the devotees and stand closely with them. There is no difference of opinion at all. It points to his (Rahul) large-heartedness that he gave the state unit the freedom to take its own stand,” Chennithala said.

Among the rank and file of the Congress party, there’s believed to be considerable heartburn regarding the stand it took on the issue. While the liberal section of the party contends that Congress must not abandon basic principles of gender equality, the conservative sections comprising leaders like Sudhakaran are apprehensive of the backlash from Hindu voters in 2019 elections if the party does not protest against the SC verdict. Even as the ruling CPM has been determined to follow the SC ruling, the BJP has taken a highly aggressive approach, launching agitations and protests on the streets. In such a scenario, the Congress leadership is keen not to be left behind.

Kamal Nath has experience, good looks; Scindia is young, dynamic: Rahul Gandhi in Madhya Pradesh

The choice between Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia is proving to be a hard one since the Congress President claims that one is “good looking” while the other is “dynamic”.

As Madhya Pradesh is set to go to polls soon, Congress President Rahul Gandhi faces a dilemma as the party's Chief  Ministerial candidate is yet to be declared. Answering the questions of reporters, Rahul Gandhi told the reason for the undue delay in the declaration. 

Stating that the state faces a choice between two senior leaders, Rahul asked the reporters why he should be the one to declare anything, as per a report by India Today. The choice between Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia is proving to be a hard one since the Congress President claims that one is “good looking” while the other is “dynamic”.

He further said that the people of the state will decide who they want as their CM rather than Gandhi making a choice for them. “Why do I have to declare? There are certain things which Kamal Nath brings to the table and there are certain things that Jyotiraditya Scindia does. Kamal Nath has experience, and good looks, while Scindia is young and dynamic,” he was quoted as saying. 

"I have to carry all these capabilities. The people of the state will decide who will be CM but why should I not use their capabilities?" Gandhi added. Commenting on the issue of giving party tickets to candidates with criminal cases against them, Gandhi said that Scindia and Nath are "here" and it "depends on their judgement". 

"For me sitting in Delhi, it's an easy decision to take. But for Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia who are here, there is a fine line that is drawn. It depends on their judgement. There are false and politically motivated cases too. But the general idea is to keep criminals out," he was quoted as saying. 

Reliance Jio average download speed doubled in January to 17 mbps: Trai

The mobile broadband speed data published by Trai shows download speed on Reliance Jio reached 17.42 mbps in January from 8.34 mbps at the end of December

The average peak download speed on Reliance Jio network more than doubled to 17.42 megabit per second (Mbps) at the end of January, according to data by telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

The monthly average mobile broadband speed published by the Trai showed that the download speed on Reliance Jio network reached 17.42 Mbps in January from 8.34 mbps at the end of December.

At this speed, a user can download a movie in less than three minutes. In the second place was Idea at 8.53 Mbps, up from 6.6 Mbps at the end of December. The download speed on Airtel network dropped slightly to 8.15 Mbps compared to 8.42 Mbps in the previous month.

Among other networks, download speed on Vodafone and BSNL also dipped marginally to 6.13 Mbps and 2.89 Mbps from 6.8 Mbps and 3.16 Mbps, respectively. The data showed an average download speed of 2.3 Mbps on Tata Docomo network.

Average download speeds of other networks were not available. Trai collects and computes the speed of mobile data from subscribers across the country with the help of My Speed application on real time basis.

Google is hosting a global contest to develop AI that’s beneficial for humanity

he company is pledging up to $25 million to groups that want to use AI to solve big problems

Some of the biggest hurdles in the field of artificial intelligence are preventing such software from developing the same intrinsic faults and biases as its human creators and using AI to solve social issues instead of simply automating tasks. Now, Google, one of the world’s leading organizations developing AI software today, is launching a global competition to help spur the development of applications and research that have positive impacts on the field and society at large.

The competition, called the AI Impact Challenge, was announced today at an event called AI for Social Good held at the company’s Sunnyvale, California office, and it’s being overseen and managed by the company’s Google.org charitable arm. Google is positioning it as a way to integrate nonprofits, universities, and other organizations not within the corporate and profit-driven world of Silicon Valley into the future-looking development of AI research and applications. The company says it will award up to $25 million to a number of grantees to “help transform the best ideas into action.” As part of the contest, Google will offer cloud resources for the projects, and it is opening applications starting today. Accepted grantees will be announced at next year’s Google I/O developer conference.

Top of mind for Google with this initiative is using AI to solve problems in areas like environmental science, health care, and wildlife conservation. Google says AI is already used to help pin down the location of whales by tracking and identifying whale sounds, which can then be used to help protect from environmental and wildlife threats. The company says AI can also be used to predict floods and also to identify areas of forest that are especially susceptible to wildfires.

Another big area for Google is eliminating biases in AI software that could replicate the blind spots and prejudices of human beings. One notable and recent example was Google admitting in January that it couldn’t find a solution to fix its photo-tagging algorithm from identifying black people in photos as gorillas, initially a product of a largely white and Asian workforce not able to foresee how its image recognition software could make such fundamental mistakes. (Google’s workforce is only 2.5 per cent black.) Instead of figure out a solution, Google simply removed the ability to search for certain primates on Google Photos. It’s those kinds of problems — the ones Google says it has trouble foreseeing and needs help solving — that the company hopes its contest can try and address.

The competition, alongside Google’s new AI for Social Good program, follows a public pledge published in early June, in which the company said it would never develop AI weaponry and that its AI research and product development would be guided by a set of ethical principles. As part of those principles, Google said it would not work on AI surveillance projects that violate “internationally accepted norms,” and that its research would follow “widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.” The company also said its AI research would primarily focus on projects that are “socially beneficial.”

In recent months, many of technology’s biggest players, Google included, have grappled with the ethics of developing technology and products that may be used by the military, or that could contribute to the development of surveillance states in the US and abroad. Many of these technologies, like facial and image recognition, involve sophisticated uses of AI. Google, in particular, has found itself embroiled by controversies around its participation with a US Department of Defense drone initiative called Project Maven, and with its secret plans to launch a search and algorithmic news product for the Chinese market.

After severe internal backlash, external criticism, and employee resignations, Google agreed to pull back from its work with Project Maven following the fulfilment of its contract. Yet Google has said it’s still actively exploring a product for the Chinese market, despite concerns it could be used to surveil Chinese citizens and tie their offline activities to their online behaviour. Google has also said it still plans to work with the military, and its controversial Google Duplex service, which uses AI to mimic a human and make calls on a user’s behalf, will begin rolling out on Pixel devices next month.

Jeff Dean, the head of the company’s Google Brain AI division and a senior research fellow, says the AI Impact Challenge is not really a reaction to the company’s more recent controversies around military and surveillance-related work. “This has been in the works for quite some time. We’ve been doing work in the search space that is socially beneficial and not directly related to commercial applications,” he told a group of reporters after the event. “It’s really important for us to show what the potential for AI and machine learning can be, and to lead by example.”

Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition, Bharat 4 Diwali Edition With Android Oreo (Go edition) Launched in India: Price, Specifications

Micromax has added two new smartphones -
Bharat 5 Infinity Edition and Bharat 4 Diwali Edition -
in its budget smartphone lineup. Ahead of the festive season,
the company has launched the two handsets running Android Oreo
(Go edition) out-of-the-box. While the Bharat 5 Infinity
Edition is already available for sale via offline stores,
the Bharat 4 Infinity Edition will be available from November 3.
Android Oreo (Go edition) aka Android Go is a trimmed down version
of Android Oreo aimed at low-cost smartphones. It essentially optimises
the latest release of Android to run smoothly on entry-level devices,
provides a rebuilt set of Google apps that use less memory, storage space,
and mobile data and features the entire catalogue of Google Play highlighting
apps specifically designed for entry-level users
Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition, Micromax Bharat 4 Diwali Edition price in India, offers
The price in India of the Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition has been set at Rs. 5,899.
The Micromax Bharat 4 Diwali Edition, on the other hand, costs Rs. 4,249.
Both the smartphones will be available for sale via brick and mortar stores.
While the Bharat 5 is available in retail stores across India, the Bharat
4 will be available from November
3.As part of the launch offer, Micromax has partnered with Jio to give 25GB of
additional data to users. Customer will get 5GB additional data benefits on a
recharge of Rs. 198/ Rs. 299 for a maximum of 5 recharges. Notably, the offer
is applicable on Micromax GO Devices and Micromax Bharat 5.Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition
specifications The dual-SIM Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition runs Android Oreo (Go edition).
It sports a 18:9 Full Vision display. Micromax has not specified which processor
powers the smartphone. However, it does say that the handset comes with 1GB of RAM.
 In terms of optics, the smartphone bears a 5-megapixel camera at the back and a
5-megapixel selfie camera.The Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage,

expandable via microSD card (up to 64GB). It has Face Unlock as well as a fingerprint sensor.
It also comes with dual VoLTE and OTG support. The company has packed a 5,000mAh battery in
the smartphone.Micromax Bharat 4 Diwali Edition specifications
The Micromax Bharat 4 Diwali Edition also runs Android Oreo (Go edition).
The smartphone sports a 5-inch display. It comes with 1GB of RAM as well.
In the camera department, the handset features a 5-megapixel sensor at the
back with flash and a 2-megapixel sensor at the front with flash.

The smartphone is equipped with 8GB of inbuilt storage, expandable
via microSD card (up to 32GB). It has a non-hybrid SIM slot but supports 4G VoLTE.
The Micromax Bharat 4 Diwali Edition is fuelled by a 2,000mAh battery.

iOS 12.1 supports dual-SIM, group FaceTime, and stops ‘fixing’ selfies

Apple just announced that it will be rolling out its iOS 12.1 update, for the iPhone and the iPad,
starting today. The update will bring important features like group FaceTime, dual-SIM support for
the new iPhones, over 70 emojis, and a fix for over-smooth selfies.
The company originally announced the group Facetime feature, supporting up to 32 people,
at its developer conference WWDC, back in June. In its latest update, the company has added more
features to Facetime. During a group call, Facetime will automatically detect the active participant
and bring them to the forefront.One can tap a specific person’s tile and bring them to center as well.
Additionally, one can start a group Facetime call directly from messages app. Apple also noted that
all Facetime calls are protected by end-to-end encryption.

The dual-sim compatibility was one of the most sought-after
features of the new iPhones. Now with the iOS 12.1 update,
the software has been upgraded to support eSIM functionality.
 This will enable consumers to use two sims without using a
physical second sim. You can verify if your carrier supports
eSIM through this list.

Apple also introduced depth control for portrait photos for
the new iPhones, at the launch. Now, with the new update,
users will be able to change the depth of field via a slider
in the live preview as well. Earlier, it was possible to control
 the depth of field only post-capture.

Emoji lovers can also rejoice as the Cupertino company is
introducing 70 emojis through this update including a freezing face,
a pleading face, lettuce, cupcakes, and an infinity symbol.

The company earlier confirmed to The Verge that it will fix
the over-smoothing effect in selfies deemed as ‘Beautygate’
by many. It said that it will tweak the algorithm for SmartHDR
to make the selfies look more natural.
You can check out the full set of features here.
Apple is expected to announce new iPad Pros and a
new MacBook Air, later today.  You can find all the
coverage about that on Plugged.

Google Pixel 3 XL bug adds side notch to the display, fix coming soon

The latest Google Pixel 3 XL bug adds a notch to the right side of the display. The problem appears if a user makes the switch to landscape mode and back.

Google Pixel 3 XL has encountered a bug that adds a second notch, as reported by UrAvgConsumer, and other Twitter and Reddit users. As per these reports, the Pixel 3 XL bug introduces a virtual bug on the right side, that appears on the top half. The Google flagship holds a notch over its display, that houses the phone’s dual cameras, as well as some sensors.

The problem was first reported by UrAvgConsumer on October 25, with a tweet that reads “So my Pixel randomly grew another notch today.” Other users made similar complaints, and in each case, the second ‘virtual’ notch seems to appear over the same region of the display. The problem has been detected after a user switches to landscape mode, and then attempts to revert back. Some users also claimed that the bug could be fixed by restarting the phone, or by altering the phone’s developer settings.

Reports from The Verge and AndroidPolice have also confirmed the presence of this Pixel 3 XL bug. When contacted by the AndroidPolice, Google responded by confirming its knowledge of the bug, and said it is working on a software update for the same.

Pixel 3 series has been involved in a spate of bugs since its launch. Most recently, the Google phones faced a photo saving bug, that would not save images shot in HDR mode. As per user reports, the bug occurs if a user takes an HDR image from the Google camera app, and switches to another app immediately after tapping on the ‘Save image’ option. Google has promised a fix for it in the weeks to come.