Category: Tech

Facebook Updates its Data Transfer Tool: Know What’s New In It

Facebook likes to be in the news. As if Zuckerberg has given instruction that there should be some development coming out the company’s front every day when he wakes up. Why? See the frequency of news related to Facebook that Exhibit has covered in the last few days. A few days back, news came out associated with Metaverse and Smart Glass, on which the R&D and development team is working. But this time, it is about Facebook’s Transfer Your Information feature. Facebook has updated this feature by adding more traits. Let’s find out more about this Facebook updating its data transfer tool news from this edition of Exhibit blog. 

Facebook Data Transfer Tool

Facebook has announced that they have expanded data portability in the Transfer Your Information feature. According to the organization, this update will widen the choice of users like you to add events at other places. This update will also help users understand what sort of data gets support from the Facebook social media platform to store information on other applications, e.g., Google Calendar. In addition to this, Facebook will empower you to add filters on which data you want to transfer. And, for data transferring, Facebook has selected two new destinations, Google Calendar and Photobucket. 

What is the use of adding different data transfer destinations?

Let me help you understand this entire thing with an example. Today, it’s the 11th of August. You opened your Facebook application and found that your friend’s birthday is on the 20th of August. Now, you know that Facebook will surely send a notification. But sending a birthday wish that too through a call or message from other platforms can create a huge impact. It will look to your friend that you remembered their special dates. But, how to do that? Well, here’s what Facebook has helped you. Now, you can directly store these events to Google Calendar. You know that Google Calendar has the habit of sending alarm messages regarding events. So, it may happen that on the 20th of August, you will wake directly with that alarm message. 

Final Word

No doubt that Facebook updating its data transfer tool will enhance its functionality for sure. However, it also becomes important that one must note what steps Facebook has taken to transfer them securely. If Facebook allows transferring data with Google Calendar, will such information get shared with Google by default? Facebook has said that their development team will come forward to contribute to the open-source projects that deal in data transfer. 

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Buys Satellite Connectivity Startup Swarm Technologies

SpaceX is in the process of acquiring a satellite connectivity startup. According to a report by SpaceNews, SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, has acquired Swarm Technologies, a startup known for powering IoT services.  

Both the companies involved did not shy away from declaring how the acquisition will help them in the long run. It will give Swarm – a much younger company, the resources it needs to take on other smallsat operators, along with “synergies” that come with the company dealing in the design and launch of satellites.  

A company of only 30 employees launched a commercial mini-satellite network in February and had enough funding to roll out an array of 150 satellites.  

The deal would transfer Swarm’s control of ground and space licenses to SpaceX, as well as additional rights pending before the commission, making the startup a “direct wholly-owned subsidiary” of the larger company.  

Reports suggest that the deal was reached between the two companies on July 16, although FCC did not disclose any financial details of the transaction.  

“Swarm’s services will benefit from the better capitalization and access to resources available to SpaceX, as well as the synergies associated with acquisition by a provider of satellite design, manufacture, and launch services,” the companies said in the filing. 

“For SpaceX’s part, the company will “similarly benefit from access to the intellectual property and expertise developed by the Swarm team, as well as from adding this resourceful and effective team to SpaceX,” it further added.

 Swarm gained some attention back in 2018 when it faced a $900,000 fine from the FCC for launching its mini-satellites without any approval from the agency. The company operates more than 100 satellites for two-way, slow-speed communications for energy, transportation, and agriculture markets. 

 There’s a lot of jostling in the satellite industry, whether Orbcomm’s pending acquisition by the GI Partners or Amazon’s recent acquisition of Facebook’s satellite team. 

 However, it is unclear what acquisition of  Swarm by SpaceX means for Starlink Satellite network, which is a part of SpaceX. In the short term, Swarm CEO Sara Spangelo told TechCrunch last month that the company is “still marching” toward its goal of operating a 150-satellite constellation.

 

Spotify’s Integration With Windows 11 – A Cool Combination

Sometimes I feel like getting fed up with offensive ads provided by Spotify. As if they let you like you are somewhere deprived of so many cool things that Spotify has kept as a treasure. In the end, I felt like paying INR 1348/- for the whole year as a premium subscription. But with this announcement that Microsoft is integrating your Spotify account into it, it is like reaching the zenith of peace. Considering the workload that one faces every day, music is the only option that doesn’t allow me to get into the lethargic mode. But people like me and you will surely welcome this step by Microsoft. Let’s get more ideas related to Spotify’s integration with Windows 11 through this Exhibit blog. 

How did this news come out?

Microsoft has added a feature. You can call it a Focus Session. In this Focus Session, you can find a Pomodoro-style timer. The news related to this came out through a tweet by a Microsoft hype man Panos Panay. Panos laid out some of Microsoft’s interesting features to its new flagship product – Windows 11. Some of you may feel like you have not a single clue about this Pomodoro-style timer. But you don’t need to worry as you are on a platform that tries to make the perfect blend of lifestyle and technology. Let’s understand it with some examples later in this article. 

About Pomodoro Timer

A Pomodoro timer can help you in making yourself more productive. How? Consider that you can concentrate on your laptop for 1 hour and then you need to stretch your legs and relax your eyes. So what? Well, you will take a short break in relaxing, say about 10 minutes. But what in these 10 minutes? Well, here’s the catch. If you add a keyword like a paradise with this timer and application, it may open Spotify and let you listen to Mylo Xyloto’s album’s Paradise song. Now, that should get a big Wow! isn’t it? Well, I leave such expressions to your wisdom. But it is cool that once you take a break, Windows 11 can directly open this song for you without taking any action, not even with your voice. Well, Windows 11 has also eased the work of Cortana.

How does this Spotify’s integration work with Windows 11? 

Well, I guess the Microsoft development team has requested an API from Spotify to get access to the user’s account. Now, if you start working, a program will run in the background that will measure your work in real-time, along with the current time. Now, before running this program, Windows 11 has stored some essential keywords and activities that it has to perform in case the user, like you, takes a break or needs a distraction (if the keyword is Spotify, music, or any relevant word, it will open Spotify). 

Final Word

Microsoft! You are simply amazing. But I will like what more applications Windows 11 will integrate into it. However, as of now, there’s a thumbs up from my side for Spotify’s integration with Windows 11.

Lenovo Tab P12 Pro To Come Out With Snapdragon 855 Chipset

A month ago, Lenovo came out with Yoga Tab 13, Yoga Tab 11, and Tab 11 Plus with global availability. In a new online leak, Lenovo P12 Pro was spotted on Google Play Console. According to the listings, this successor to Tab P11 Pro is not just another budget or mid-range tablet but is a powerhouse. 

While Tab P11 Pro featured the Snapdragon 730G mid-range processor, the company is now offering a significant performance upgrade with the Snapdragon 855 chipset in the latest Lenovo Tab P12 Pro. The device also comes equipped with 8GB of RAM, yet another major upgrade from the maximum of 6GB RAM that P11 Pro offered. 

However, the device does not match the level of Lenovo Yoga Tab 13, which is equipped with the latest Snapdragon 870, but its small size would appeal to OLED fans. The tablet is expected to run Android 11, and the display resolution is noted to be 2560×1600, which is equal to a pixel density of 240 PPI. 

The console neither mentions the screen size of the tablet nor includes the image. But as rumours suggest, Tab P12 Pro looks quite similar to P11 Pro. 

Full Specification Of Lenovo Tab P12 Pro

This is pretty much everything we know about the P12 Pro currently, but we are expected to hear more about it in the upcoming weeks. 

It is also interesting to note that even though Samsung is the top Android tablet seller by market share, Lenovo is now the fastest growing Android tablet manufacturer. Lenovo saw a 67% increase in shipments compared to Q2 2020.

 

Pluto Wants To Talk With You Using Google LaMDA

I don’t surf anything on Facebook as I can’t see the frequency of poison these platforms are penetrating into Indian society. However, I have never left LinkedIn, and it has become a habit of following it like Facebook. Yesterday, I found one post where Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, shows how their new tool, LaMDA, will work. Considering what I have seen in Google I/O editions, I feel amazed with whichever product they bring every time. This Exhibit blog is for you to give you more details on this Google LaMDA tool. 

Pluto Conversing With Human

Through the video, Pichai shared the information that LaMDA is currently in the research and development stage. But, the Google team created a snippet to show this tool is working. LaMDA was acting like a dwarf planet, Pluto, where it was talking about itself. The concerned individual who was interacting with Pluto asked about the information of whether came to visit it. In reply, Pluto answered that it was New Horizon that came a few days back. This conversation can simply give some an awestruck mode. I remembered how their voice module booked a haircut with one shop. 

Working Principle of Google LaMDA tool

Many may like this part or section as it contains the granular detail of anything the Exhibit discusses. First of all, it is clear that this tool has added some essential libraries like NLP, speech recognition, apart from machine learning models. The machine learning model and the dataset help this tool grab information on any domain, in this case, Pluto. When it recognizes the words that the user has told, it stores the essential keywords and accordingly sends a reply. This process continues unless the tool gets any hint that the individual is going to stop the conversation. 

Cons of Google LaMDA tool

Well, no one will tell, but I think I got one. You will say that even Google or any Tech review firm has not come up with it. But, yes, I got one. How? Here’s it. If you watch the video, you will see that this tool, when acting like Pluto, said that New Horizon had visited it a few days back. It means this tool has no information if any extraterrestrial object went to the dwarf planet. Hence, the information on the basis of which this tool will interact can be limited if the Google team has not provided it. Therefore, it may also happen that if you are talking to the coral reefs of Thailand about the sun cream ban, it may not be able to tell anything on the issue.

Potential of Google LaMDA tool

I see one can use it anywhere and everywhere, wherever one wants to use it. Consider that the Indian railway reservation system integrates this tool. Then, you can book a ticket merely using it and without tapping on any button or options. You will only have to use your hand when you have to book your tickets. Take another instance, you are VP of sales of your organization, and your ERP cum CRM software application has Google LaMDA as one of its features. You can easily check out the potential sales and actual revenue by comparing the leads generated in any stipulated timeline. 

WBU? I Just Downloaded Windows 11 Updates

Hrithik Roshan transformed the narration of stories from ‘once upon a time’ to ‘one day’ with his Masala-type movie Bang Bang. One day comes when it becomes necessary to download some system updates. You get notifications regarding new updates that you have to download to your smartphone or laptop. You have witnessed this problem in yourself where you like to act as a bureaucrat and try to avoid and delay such essential updates. But a day comes when these updates start downloading automatically. Okay, it’s understood now that you are feeling this frustration of even listening about updates and your reaction towards them. But why is there so much talk about updates? Windows 11 has brought a new set of updates. So, if you do not have a laptop or computer with Linux or macOS, you must go through this Microsoft Windows 11 updates blog by Exhibit.

WaaS

Some of you must be thinking that I am derailing myself by delivering linguistic errors even in the headings. But that’s not true. If you are the one who has used ERP and CRM applications, you must have heard about SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS; here’s another for you – WaaS (Windows as a Service). WaaS is the core model on which Microsoft is trying to work upon to bring essential and sophisticated features in their new Windows 11. With these new updates, Windows 11 will add some more niche and security elements.

Microsoft Windows 11 Updates At a Glance

  • Additional microcodes to identify vulnerabilities or hardware issues that the CPU is facing 
  • Windows Defender Antivirus can handle more risks by mitigating the probability of attacks and deter them properly.
  • Malicious Software Removal Tool will help to detect any known infection that is created due to threat-building applications. MSRT will get new updates every month.
  • Compatibility and reliability updates will help a user like you to install applications seamlessly on your system.

Hence, cumulatively you can say that more focus is towards one core matter – security.

Patch & Release

Every second Tuesday of each month will have a Windows 11 B update that will work upon security issues and quality resolution of bugs. It will be known as Patch Tuesday. In addition to this, there will be Windows 11 C & D updates that will come on every third and fourth week. Hence, the development, support, and other concerned teams will constantly work to ensure that you get a better experience every time you think about using it.

Conclusion

If you have Windows in your system and have downloaded the latest OS – Windows 11, get ready to add the new updates. You will see the difference for sure when using the applications and other utilities provided by Windows 11.

Windows Getting Engaged With OneNote: Next Step By Microsoft

Quest is the key. Microsoft is consistently working on building better applications for users like you. Firstly Microsoft Windows 11 Update and now OneNote. And, now the time has come for OneNote. As per the current news Microsoft will integrate its OneNote application with Windows. To know more about this update, check out this Exhibit blog. 

OneNote Getting Engaged With Windows

Ohh No! There’s nothing like any social alliance about which the talk is going around. As per the latest reports and announcements that are coming out, people like you will have one OneNote application for usage and not a separate one. As per Microsoft, this integrated application will be there within the next 12 months. Hence, by 2022, you will find something more sophisticated with their Windows-loaded OneNote application. 

What is OneNote? What features does it have? 

Wait, wait, don’t throw so many bombshells of queries in one shot. Many of you who use their smartphones like EverNote as their note writing app may not know about OneNote. But, OneNote has more edges than EverNote in terms of its functionality and features. It’s for sure that this is also a note storing and writing application. However, this information gathering allows you to go for multi-user collaboration. OneNote is a component of Microsoft Office Suite. Just like EverNote, you can also share data over the network. You don’t need to save documents by clicking on the Save option or pressing the shortcut key – CTRL + S. The documents you store here at OneNote come with file extension – .one. If you have a Microsoft account, Microsoft gives the leverage to you to store data upto 5 GB through the OneDrive platform. 

What does this merger mean to you?

It means you don’t need to call upon the Competition Commission of India to investigate whether this merger is proper or not. Bad joke, isn’t it? Microsoft wanted to bring an integrated Windows-OneNote platform after it released Windows 10. But then, they dropped the plan and revived it again now. Microsoft has been upgrading its note-taking application for a very long time by enhancing its features and functionality. Microsoft has also announced that it will allow OneNote to get access to the latest Microsoft pen apart from this merger. In addition to this, the development team at Microsoft will work towards better UI layout options. With all this, there is an assurance that now users like you do not have to maintain segregated accounts and have more comfort.

Whatsapp Fires Back At Apple’s Child Safety Plan

Whatsapp’s head Will Cathcart said the company wouldn’t adopt Apple’s new Child Safety measures, meant to stop the spread of child abuse imagery. 

This comes a day after Apple confirmed plans for new software that will detect child abuse images on user’s iCloud photos. 

Whatsapp’s head says that he is “concerned” by the plans. In a Twitter thread, Will Cathcart called it an “Apple built and operated surveillance system that can be easily used to scan private content for anything they or the government decides it wants to control. He said Apple had taken the wrong path to improve its response to child sexual abuse material. 

A spokesperson for Apple has disputed these claims made by Cathcart and said that users could choose to disable iCloud Photos. Apple further noted that the system is only trained on a “known images” database provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children(NCMEC). It isn’t possible to make it work in a specific region since it is backed by iOS. 

Cathcart said that countries where iPhones are sold, would have different definitions of what is acceptable.

“Will the system be used in China?What content will they consider illegal there and how will we ever know? How will they manage requests from governments all around the world to add other types of content to the list for scanning?” asked Cathcart.

It is not surprising that Facebook has issues with Apple’s plans. Apple has previously, on different platforms, bashed Facebook over its record on Privacy, even though the social network has embraced end-to-end encryption. 

It is not just Whatsapp that has criticized Apple’s new Child Safety measure. Other people who have raised concerns include Edward Snowden, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, professors, and more. 

How Will The New Apple Tool Work?

The new tool is meant to enable parents to play a more active role in helping their children to navigate online communication. Through the software, Messages will use machine learning to analyze image attachments and determine if the content being shared is sexually explicit. 

This technology will not require Apple to access your child’s private communications since nothing is passed back to Apple’s server in the cloud. 

If a sensitive photo is discovered in the texts, it will be blocked, and a label will appear below the photo stating, “this may be sensitive.”

Read more about Apple’s New Child Safety Software here.

 

Apple’s Tool to Tackle Child Sex Abuse Cases

Coincidences matter. Coincidences do occur. And, some coincidences happened recently. Just a few days before, the Cabinet decided to extend the timeline of POCSO fast track courts. And, now Apple has decided to bring more compliance in child sex abuse regulation. Child sex abuse is one of the burning topics which has increased in current times. Just file an RTI application from the Ministry of Women & Child Development or check the National Criminal Records Bureau portal to know how many child sex abuse cases get registered in a year. Figures are disturbing. But, with this update, Apple is displaying its firm intent to mitigate such instances. Let’s know more about this news in detail from this Exhibit blog.

Apple’s Tool for Child Sex Abuse

A report is out where there is information available that Apple is working to develop a tool that can scan child sex abuse images. This report thoroughly talks about how Apple is working towards child safety and other measures that can reduce the frequency in such cases. Apple will bring this tool with its flagship OS-based products, including iOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey. Apple has also announced that they are enhancing the utility of their default message application to tackle this issue. 

How will this tool work?

If it’s about the Message app, the essential element that will help to scan such incidents through rich libraries is NLP (Natural Language Processing). Whenever any message comes, it will try to detect keywords like ‘child,’ ‘sex,’ or something quite relevant to this domain and understand what the sender or receiver tries to express. Once understood, it will send the notification for the same to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a regulatory agency in the USA. This apple tool will also scan images and comparing same with the large data set on child sex abuse. If your child thinks about seeing sensitive images, this tool has the power to send notifications to you. 

Potential of Apple’s Tool

The new Apple tool has immense potential to reduce child sex instances to a greater extent. Apple should think about collaborating with other social media messaging apps to read messages or request those app-based companies to send a red alert by using the tool without storing it somewhere (hence, it will keep privacy intact). Even in India, both MoWCD and MHA should talk about this tool that can help their law enforcement agencies catch culprits. 

Final Word

Apple has taken a giant step to bring betterment to society. It will be great to see other smartphone makers take the same type of measures by building such tools to make humanity feel safer, especially for your kids.

Virgin Galactic Reopens Ticket Sales For Trip To Space

The space tourism firm, Virgin Galactic, owned by Richard Branson, is reopening ticket sales for its SpaceShipTwo spaceplane. The company announced the deal on Thursday in its second-quarter earnings release. 

Virgin Galactic received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for a full commercial license in June this year- further paving the way for the enthusiasts to purchase a ride to space. 

Tickets are available in single-seats and multi and full-flight packages, and they will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. The starting price of the ticket is $450,000, which has been expectedly increased from the original $200,000 cost, the company had years ago. 

Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive at Galactic, said the move to reopen the sale of tickets stems from a surge in customer interest after successful space flights in May and July.

He added,

“We successfully completed two space flights from New Mexico – the latest carrying a full crew of mission specialists in the cabin and garnering an extraordinary global media and consumer response.”

“As we endeavour to bring the wonder of space to a broad global population, we are delighted to open the door to an entirely new industry and consumer experience.”

In July, owner Branson successfully travelled to the edge of space aboard SpaceShipTwo, a vehicle carrying four passengers for a few minutes of weightlessness. That mission, called Unity 22, was a vital test of the plane before Virgin sent individuals to space in 2022. 

Ticket sales for individual customers had been closed since a 2014 accident that occurred test flight. Branson instilled confidence in the paying customers by successfully going to space himself on July 11th. 

Colglazier further said that missions like the Italian Air Force would cost around $600,000 for seat-sized research payloads or professional astronaut training. Customers willing to pay will have to wait in an already long line since the company already has a backlog of some 600 ticket holders waiting to fly. Roughly 1000 customers who have placed $1000 deposits would be next in line, the company said. 

“Sales will initially open to the company’s significant list of early hand-raisers, prioritizing the spacefarer community, who, as promised, will be given the first opportunity to reserve their place in space. A follow-on priority list will be opened to customers interested in reserving future spaceflights.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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