Varanasi District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra and Chief Inspector of Police Nitin Tiwari have issued a joint warrant declaring that the administrators of social media groups can be held responsible for messages sent by any of their members. This includes WhatsApp and Facebook, which are used to spread everything from jokes to political statements. Under the order, WhatsApp and Facebook group administrators must proactively refute and remove not inaccurate, defamatory, or objectionable messages. Members who post anything that qualifies as such should also be removed and reported to the police. Group admins who fail to do so may be subject to legal action.
The order states that freedom of pression must be balanced against responsibility. Admins are further instructed only to add people to WhatsApp or other social media groups if they already know them. FIRs can be filed against administrators under the IT law if they fail to perform these duties, the order adds.
While the news may be welcome to those plagued by massive WhatsApp forwarding and spam, it remains to be seen how this injunction can be implemented or what impact it will have in practice.
The latest 4G speed test results show that Jio is still ahead of the competition. According to data collected by the TRAI MySpeed app in March, Reliance Jio is again the fastest 4G mobile service provider in India, beating Vodafone, Idea, and Airtel. The average 4G download speed that Jio users achieved was 16.48 Mbps, while Idea Cellular users reported an average of 12,029 Mbps, and Airtel users got 10.439 Mbps. Vodafone users seem to be the worst off, averaging just 7,933 Mbps. However, all three posted superior upload speeds, with Idea taking first place at 6,536 Mbps, followed by Vodafone at 5.429 Mbps, Airtel at 4.455 Mbps, and finally, Jio at 3.581 Mbps.
LG G6 pre-bookings open in India have confirmed that its 2017 flagship LG G6 will launch in India on Monday. Preorders for the phone are already available. Customers looking to grab it can head to LG’s website or select offline retailers. The device will reportedly be sold for Rs. 51,990 as of April 29. SBI and HDFC cardholders who purchase their G6 before May 1 will receive a cashback bonus of Rs. 5000, while those who do so within the pre-booking period will get an additional Rs. 2000 back.
Buyers can also pick up the LG Tone Active+ HBS-A100 wireless headset at a 50 percent discount and receive six EA games, including Temple Run 2 and Spider-Man Unlimited, for free. LG’s flagship will be launched almost simultaneously with the Samsung Galaxy S8. Both phones are designed with minimalist bezels and have a screen larger than the usual 16:9.
Meanwhile, the company is also celebrating its 20th anniversary in India with a 20 percent discount on last year’s LG V20 and multiple other offers on everything from TVs to home appliances.
Samsung Pay is reportedly rolling out UPI integration. The company had previously announced that it was testing UPI integration, which now appears to be rolling out to users. Users with a compatible device will receive an update shortly, after which they can follow instructions to link their UPI IDs and pay directly from their bank accounts. Samsung Pay launched in India just a month ago but is reportedly already getting new localized features.
Samsung Pay works with NFC and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) to enable payments without a compatible Samsung phone instead of a physical card. UPI was launched last August to let people transfer money quickly using unique user IDs instead of bank codes and account numbers.
HTC Vive VR headset officially launched in IndiaHTC has formally launched its Vive headset in India, priced at a whopping Rs. 92,990. Preorders will open on April 22, and the device will be sold exclusively on Amazon India. HTC will set up physical demo stations in stores across the country to familiarize customers with the Vive. Devices will ship in a month.
HTC has two experiences for customers: Everest VR, which makes you feel like you’re climbing Mount Everest, and Richie’s Plank Experience, an 80-story balancing act. While expensive, the device will be aimed at business users, VR content developers, and end users.
Moto C and Moto C Plus appear on the certification site before launch. The rumored Moto C and Moto C Plus look set to launch soon, with details surfacing on the website of a Russian certification body. The pair will reportedly be even more affordable than the Moto E series, which is also expected to be updated soon. At least one, if not both, should support 4G and VoLTE. They may have polycarbonate bodies and entry-level specs, including 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The Moto C will likely have a 5-inch 480×854 screen, while the larger Moto C Plus may have a 720×1280 screen. They probably also have different cameras and batteries, but they should run Android 7.0.
Sony PS4 Slim game bundles appear on Amazon IndiaSony seems all set to introduce new PS4 Slim game bundles for the summer. The first includes a 1TB console and five relatively dated games: Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (consisting of the first three Uncharted games), The Last of Us Remastered, and Infamous Second Son. A second offer will give buyers an additional DualShock 4 controller for free with a 500GB PS4 Slim. Amazon has not yet announced pricing or availability, but Gadgets 360 has been informed that this bundle will cost Rs. 32,990 and go on sale within a week.
Windows 10 Gets Major Updates Twice a Year Microsoft has announced that it will release major updates to Windows 10 in March and September each year, ensuring a biannual refresh cycle. These feature releases align with Office 365 updates and simplify business deployment while providing customers with a consistent schedule between changes.
The Windows 10 Creators’ Update was released this month with several new features and UI tweaks. Later this year, Microsoft could introduce a bigger UI overhaul with its rumored Project Neon UI.
Apple Reportedly Working on AR Glasses Although leaks and rumors indicate that Apple is seriously investing in augmented reality (AR), the company seems likely to be working on its AR headset. An environmental health and safety agency report distributed to Apple employees has leaked to the media and appears to confirm the testers’ eye strain incidents.
The incidents are detailed in a larger list of potential problems that employees experience in the workplace and are worded too vaguely to be considered definitive evidence of such a product in development. As with all rumors, it can take several years for a real product to be ready, or nothing.
Ola plans to raise $100 million for further expansion. Ola intends to issue shares to raise $100 million (approximately Rs. 670 crores) to grow further and compete with US rival Uber. Ola is active in 110 Indian cities and is looking to expand further. It can also research electric cars and other technology to give it an edge. The company’s board of directors has approved the fund-raising plan. A filing with the Department of Corporate Affairs shows that the rights offering was scheduled for March 27 to strengthen the company’s financial position and drive growth. And to fund business expansion.
