Six Trends Driving Near-Term Adoption of Metaverse Technologies

Six trends are driving the use of metaverse technologies today and will continue to drive its use over the next three to five years, according to Gartner, Inc.

Gartner defines a metaverse as “the next level of interaction in the virtual and physical worlds.” Metaverse technologies allow people to replicate or enhance their physical activities, by transporting or extending physical activities to a virtual world, or by transforming the physical one.

Happiest Minds Technologies collaborates with ServiceNow to accelerate digital transformation

Happiest Minds Technologies Limited recently announced that it has joined the ServiceNow Partner Program to become a Managed Service Partner (MSP) for ServiceNow, with coverage across all its focus geographies for strengthening its IT service offerings. Happiest Minds is accelerating digital transformation with the ServiceNow solution to enable ITSM, ITOM, ITAM, TPSM, HRSM, ITBM, and investments in emerging spaces like GRC, SecOps, Automation and LCAP.

Worldwide Public Cloud End-User Spending to Reach Nearly $600 Billion in 2023: Gartner

Worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow 20.7% to total $591.8 billion in 2023, up from $490.3 billion in 2022, according to the latest forecast from Gartner, Inc. This is higher than the 18.8% growth forecast for 2022.

“Current inflationary pressures and macroeconomic conditions are having a push and pull effect on cloud spending,” said Sid Nag, Vice President Analyst at Gartner. “Cloud computing will continue to be a bastion of safety and innovation, supporting growth during uncertain times due to its agile, elastic and scalable nature.

Apple says iPhone supplies hurt by anti-virus curbs in China

 BEIJING (AP) — Apple Inc. is warning customers they’ll have to wait longer to get its latest iPhone models after anti-virus restrictions were imposed on a contractor’s factory in central China.

The company announcement Sunday gave no details but said the factory operated by Foxconn in the central city of Zhengzhou is “operating at significantly reduced capacity.”

“We now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated,” the company said. “Customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products.”

MediaTek Dimensity 9200 SoC Launched, New Vivo Flagship Teased to Get This Chipset: Details

Dimensity 9200 SoC capable of supporting full-HD+ displays with a refresh rate of 240Hz.

MediaTek Dimensity 9200 SoC launched on Tuesday. It is the latest flagship 5G chipset from MediaTek that offers support for both mmWave 5G and sub-6GHz 5G networks. It is the first smartphone chipset to come equipped with an Arm Cortex X3 CPU core, as per the company. This chipset also features an Immortalis-G715 GPU with support for hardware-based ray tracing. It includes HyperEngine 6.0 Gaming Technology for a detailed and smooth gaming experience. Meanwhile, Vivo has confirmed that it'll soon launch a flagship smartphone with the new SoC.

Don’t update your Galaxy Watch 4, or you may accidentally kill it

 Updating your electronic devices to keep them running at an optimal level is important, but if you have the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, you might want to hold off on the latest firmware update. We’re specifically referring to the update bearing the number R89xXXU1GVI3, which users have reported is killing their smartwatches.

According to a report from SamMobile, users have taken to online forums and complained that both models of the Galaxy Watch 4 will not reboot at all after shutting down upon installing the R89xXXU1GVI3 update. In other words, the update wouldn’t allow the watches to restart, effectively rendering them useless.

Scientists find a surprising answer to the future of computers — paper

Technology is incredible, but oftentimes it’s not exactly environmentally friendly — at least not when it comes to disposable electronics. That’s why researchers and scientists all over the globe try to figure out ways to limit electronic waste, and this time around, they may have found an unexpected solution in … paper.

According to a recent study, making printed circuit boards (PCBs) out of paper could be the future of eco-friendly electronics. Here’s what we know about it.

Mastodon: How to sign up for the decentralised Twitter alternative

 Mastodon is one of the growing alternatives to Twitter and comes with a number of new features, along with a new approach. 

Here's the basics of Mastodon and how to sign up. (Image Source: Wikimedia, Pixabay)

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has not gone down well with some users and many are taking to its decentralised alternative called Mastodon. The open-source network has crossed one million users in the past few days, according to its lead developer and Chief Executive Officer Eugen Rochko. But to be fair, Mastodon has seen spurts such as this in the past, first in 2017, then in 2019 from India users who were unhappy with Twitter’s policy  and even back in May this year when the Musk deal was first announced.

Meanwhile, Musk had tweeted and then deleted a rather crude joke mocking Mastodon’s name. He has also tweeted about Twitter’s user base and usage is at an all-time high since the deal.  Now, whether we see an actual shift in Twitter users remains to be seen, as the new Twitter Blue subscription and verification rules are yet to come for many regions, including India. However, if you’re willing to sign up for Mastodon in the meantime and are trying to figure out how the platform works, here’s a quick guide to the same.

5 biggest ‘planet killer’ asteroids that pose a threat to our planet

 Here are five collosal "planet killer" asteroids that pose a potential threat to our planet. 

Artist's impression of a massive asteroid that orbits closer to the Sun than the Earth. (Image credit: NOIRLab)

Astronomers recently spotted three near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) hiding in the glare of the Sun. One of those asteroids is the largest “potentially hazardous” object spotted in the last three years and is a “planet killer” asteroid that could have a “devastating impact on life as we know it” and could also potentially lead to a mass extinction event.

An NEA is an asteroid whose orbit brings it within 195 million kilometres of the Sun, meaning that it can pass within 50 million kilometres of Earth’s orbit. Just like planets, these asteroids typically orbit the Sun. While most of the asteroids in the solar system are in the “main belt” between Mars and Jupiter.

Musk sparks debate on content accuracy with new vision for Twitter

 A flurry of drastic measures that Musk has taken including sacking half the staff and charging users has provided clues to how the platform will be reshaped. 

Musk also said on Sunday Twitter users engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying it as a "parody" account will be permanently suspended without a warning. (Image Source: Reuters)

Twitter Inc’s new CEO Elon Musk said on Sunday the social media platform’s mission was to become the most accurate source of information about the world, sparking debate about how it would achieve that and who determines what is accurate.

A flurry of drastic measures including sacking half the staff and charging users that Musk has taken since he took over Twitter in a $44 billion deal just about a week ago has provided some early clues to how the platform will be reshaped by the world’s richest person.

Google Maps with augmented reality navigation soon? Here’s what could change

In 2018, Google I/O gave a sneak peek of how augmented reality (AR) in Maps could look like. The new feature showed how, in future, phones could orient users using the cameras. The demo showed an advanced navigation system that could direct users and use pop-ups showing businesses and shops nearby as well. A energetic fox guide in the new maps was an added bonus.

Wall Street Journal reported that the demo is “an early version of Maps with augmented reality (AR)”. However, the new feature is not too different from the previous one Google previewed for developers in May 2018; the Maps could be seen on the lower half of the screen while the top half-navigates the real-world surroundings of the user.

New Samsung Galaxy M30 image reveals design and key features

After the Galaxy M10 (Review) and M20 (Review), it seems Samsung is readying its next Galaxy M phone. Based on what rumours have said so far, you can expect the company to announce the Galaxy M30 next. The Galaxy M30 is expected to bring a similar design language as the M20 and M10, but with a few new features to justify a higher price tag. A leaked schematic has now been spotted online, revealing what some of these new features might be.

Google Releases Chrome 72 With External Storage Support, Picture-in-Picture Mode and More

Google is rolling out the new update for its search browser, Chrome 72, with bug fixes, security updates and newer features like external storage access for Android apps including microSD cards and USB drives along with Picture in Picture (PiP) mode for Chrome sites.

With Chrome 72, Google has optimised the browser for touchscreen devices in tablet mode and added app shortcuts for Android apps that are now searchable in the launcher, the company wrote in a blog post on Saturday.
"Users can find an app shortcut by long pressing or right-clicking on an Android app," the post said.

Apple is telling developers to disclose secret screen recordings or face ‘immediate action’

Following revelations yesterday regarding the use of session replay tech among big-name travel apps that recode iPhone users’ screens, Apple is now telling developers to either remove the code responsible or disclose it to users, according to a new report from TechCrunch. The punishment for failing to do so could be as severe as having the offending app forcibly removed from the App Store.

Huawei and 5G: Decision time

As the political temperature around Huawei's role in the UK rises, mobile phone operators await a decision from the government on whether they can continue to use the Chinese giant's equipment.

They expect that ruling to come in late March or early April, when the review of the supply chain of UK telecoms networks to ensure their security and resilience is due to be published.

According to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which is leading the review, it is about far more than Huawei's role in the next generation 5G mobile networks. But that is the only issue about which the mobile operators care.