WhatsApp users on Android can now pin up to three conversation threads, making them easy to access regardless of how long ago they were last active. Pinned WhatsApp chats are always visible at the top of the Chats tab. All other conversation threads are listed below the pinned one, as usual. The process is as simple as long-pressing a conversation and selecting or deselecting the displayed Pin option.
On to the other big newsmakers of the day:
The new GST regime could make smartphones and PCs more expensive Efforts to introduce GST in India continue, with the government’s GST council today to discuss the tax brackets under which different categories of products should fall. Early reports indicate that the Make in India initiative will face a setback due to tax hikes making it less attractive for companies to relocate manufacturing activities to India. In addition, regardless of where they are made, smartphones can become more expensive with an overall price increase.
The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) has expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed 18 percent tax rate on telecom services, saying the sector is already thin and the roll-out of infrastructure and development services could be affected. Computers and components could fall below 18 percent or 28 percent plates, and more clarity is needed. The fate of TVs is also uncertain, while game consoles and games could receive a small cut from the current 28.5 percent tax rate, which is not expected to affect retail prices.
Reliance Jio provides free services to colleges in Punjab. Reliance Jio has partnered with the government of Punjab to roll out free Wi-Fi access in all colleges, including ITIs, colleges, and technical colleges. Reliance Jio will set up and pay for all necessary infrastructure for operation and maintenance, and colleges only need to provide space for the equipment to be installed. “Offensive websites” are blocked on the free Jio Wi-Fi network, according to government standards.
Wannacry Continues to Spread Across India The WannaCry ransomware saga continues, with more and more Indians reporting that their computers have been attacked, despite efforts to educate people about preventative measures. At least 193 cases have been confirmed, doubling from the previous day. Those affected include individuals and small businesses. Analysts warn that the widespread piracy of Windows could mean that a large number of computers are vulnerable. The CERT-In emergency response team continues to do what it can to prevent the spread of the malware.
Meanwhile, a group of French researchers says it has found a way to decrypt files held for ransom, but only if users act quickly and don’t restart their PCs after being infected.
Karnataka Government Proud of iPhone SE Production, The Karnataka Government, welcomes the start of Apple’s Indian iPhone manufacturing operations and has pledged full support to the company. Apple said on Wednesday it had started producing a small number of iPhone SE units and would start selling them locally this month.
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 will be launched in China next week. Xiaomi has confirmed that it will unveil its Mi Max 2 on May 25. The company is teasing features, including a 6-inch screen and a 5000mAh battery. Rumors and leaks indicate that the phone will come in multiple variants, one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC with 4 GB of RAM and one with a Snapdragon 660 plus 6 GB of RAM. It may also have a metal housing and a USB Type-C port. Plans to launch the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 in India have not yet been announced.
Twitter has gone down in parts of the world. In many countries, users have been having problems with Twitter all day. The outage affects all apps and services, and several users have reported being unable to read or send tweets. Several error messages have been written, but no specific cause has yet been found. Twitter has acknowledged the issues through its official Twitter Support account.
Lava A77 Launched In India, Nubia N1 Lite Coming SoonLava has launched a new budget model, the Lava A77. It supports VoLTE and has a 4.5-inch screen of 480×800 pixels, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB storage space. It is already on sale in three colors at a surprisingly low street price of Rs. 4,999. There are 5-megapixel cameras on both the front and back, with LED flashes.
ZTE’s Nubia N1 Lite could be launched in India next Monday. The phone made its international debut at MWC 2017 with a 5.5-inch HD display and Android 6.0. It has a quad-core processor, a 3000 mAh battery, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage.
Lenovo launches new IdeaPad and Legion laptops Lenovo has unveiled a refresh of its IdeaPad lineup with new slimmer IdeaPad 720S, IdeaPad 320S, and IdeaPad 320 models, plus the powerful Legion Y920 gaming laptop and Flex 5 2-in-1. The new IdeaPad models cover a range of prices and specifications up to Intel’s 7th-generation Core family, solid-state storage, full-HD displays, backlit keyboards, and support for Windows Hello authentication. The Legion Y920 is described as VR-ready and overclockable. It has a GeForce GTX 1070 GPU and a backlit mechanical keyboard. The Flex 5 is compact, has a pivot hinge, and comes in two sizes. Pricing in India is yet to be announced, but they will be available at retail next month.
