How is NFT changing the game of art ?
NFTs have also been used in sports, in September 2019, NBA player Spencer Dinwiddie tokenized his contract so that others can invest in it.
Those who may be perplexed by the trend may wonder why so much money is being spent on products that just exist in digital form and can be accessed by anybody for free.
What has been the market’s growth?
Facebook Delays Opening of US Offices Till January 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has not just brought inconvenience to the general public but also the big corporate houses around the world. The seriousness of the disease could be acknowledged by the fact that even tech giants are compromising their work ethics so that everyone remains safe and sound.
Citing concerns over the rise in cases of the delta variant of COVID-19, Facebook has announced that it has pushed back plans for US workers to return to the office until next year.
Facebook, in a Bloomberg report, confirmed,
“Data, not dates, is what drives our approach for returning to the office. Given the recent health data showing rising Covid cases based on the Delta variant, our teams in the US will not be required to go back to the office until January 2022. We expect this to be the case for some countries outside of the US, as well. We continue to monitor the situation and work with experts to ensure our return to office plans prioritize everyone’s safety.”
A few weeks ago, Facebook was planning to reopen their offices by October with vaccination and masking. Now, with local data on infections, offices outside the US may open later this year, depending on locally.
With this revamp in the plan, Facebook has become the latest tech company to push back its return to the office until next year. Amazon announced a similar program for employees last week, and Lyft said they wouldn’t be returning to the office until Feb 2, 2022.
There were reports that Google is considering a pay cut of their employees who choose to work from home depending upon where they stay.
Motorola Edge 20 Lineup Price in India Leaked Ahead of August 17 Launch
Motorola is gearing up to introduce its Edge lineup smartphones, Motorola Edge 20 Fusion and Motorola Edge 20, in India on August 17. Recently, Lenovo-owned smartphone manufacturing company uploaded a promo page on a popular e-commerce site Flipkart, where the brand revealed a few design and spec details of the two upcoming Edge lineup smartphones.
The Flipkart teaser page reveals the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion smartphone will be powered by blazing-fast Mediatek Dimensity 800U SoC, and the Motorola Edge 20 smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. Both the smartphones will appear with stock Android 11 out of the box to provide you with an ad-free and bloatware-free experience.
The Motorola Edge 20 is advertised as India’s slimmest 5G smartphone. The Edge 20 will arrive with 8GB RAM & 128GB storage, and it is expected to be priced at ₹29,999, whereas the Edge 20 Fusion will have two variants, the one with 6GB/128GB is expected to be priced at ₹21,499, and the other 8GB/128GB model is expected to cost you ₹23,999.
The Edge 20 Fusion will flaunt a 6.70-inch screen with a 90Hz 10-bit AMOLED display. Meanwhile, the Edge 20 smartphone will sport a similar 6.70-inch screen but with an Ultra Smooth 144Hz HDR10+ AMOLED display. All the smartphones from the Edge lineup will be backed with Lenovo’s ThinkShield for a better mobile security suite.
The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion will flourish a 32MP camera for selfies and a 108MP primary camera paired with an 8MP Ultrawide + Macro Sensor at the rear. While the Motorola Edge 20 will feature a triple camera set-up at the back, a 108 MP primary camera paired up with 8MP Ultrawide + Macro Vision and 8MP 3X telephoto lens with OIS.
The Motorola Edge 20 will opt for a 4,000 mAh battery with 30W TurboPower charging support. In contrast, the Edge 20 Fusion will be packed with a 5,000 mAh battery and the same charging support as Edge 20. The Edge 20 lineup also includes one more smartphone named Edge 20 Pro, but Motorola India’s Twitter account suggests it’s not coming to India for the time being.
Apple AirPod Will Tell Whether You’re Breathing or Not
I follow the Science Monitor show that telecasts every Saturday at 2 PM. Now, some of you may not know, or some of you know who are preparing for some government exams. But, a tech nerd will ask me why am I talking about something out of the tech domain. If you want to know on which channel it comes, let me tell you a clear cut answer – RSTV (Rajya Sabha TV). Once, there came about a research that an IIT did on music’s impact on the human brain. I guess the Apple team took inspiration from it. According to Apple, their flagship product – AirPod, will help to monitor breathing rate. Now, that may look strange, but hey, why worry when Exhibit is there to unveil the mystery behind this research. Let’s know more about this new development.
I CAN BREATHE
George Floyd was not just a phenomenon. He came like that ignition engine that promoted the consolidation of human rights all around the world. And, “I can’t breathe” became the war-cry of that social movement that started last year. But, here, I want to talk about the “I can breathe” moment. The Apple research team has claimed that there’s a possibility through which they can measure your and mine respiration rate. How? Through the sound produced during the music beats or vocals during which we all breathe. Apple has come up with such results after testing it on 21 individuals by their “microphone-enabled, near-field headphones” technique.
How did they test?
During this research, the individuals got the instruction to record four one-minute audio clips. Now, to record audio clips, participants had to do them before, during, and immediately after the workout gets over. Individuals also had to go for some sort of workout for exactly nine minutes every time. This workout helped to induce huge palpitation and heavy breathing among the participants during the research. Once recorded, the pattern in the difference of sound was observed through the in-built versatile non-contact sensors (present also in Apple AirPod series). These sensors act as a breathing measurement instrument. After eliminating the acoustic distortion, researchers were able to come to a concrete conclusion.
Potential of this Apple AirPod Research
The Apple research team has clearly said that these trials were not for devising any clinical mechanism. However, the research paper can help out many in medical applications, one of which is working on cardiovascular therapy and other breathing tracking applications. But, through this Apple AirPod can create a complete revolution.
Zoom Introduces Focus Mode To Keep Students From Distractions
Since the pandemic began, schools and offices have started operating from home. Apps such as Zoom and Skype are making the most of this opportunity and coming up with new advancements, further proving that this ‘from home’ system will get mainstream.
Zoom announced some updates this week on its popular video conferencing platform. The app is rolling out a new ‘Focus’ mode meant to keep students from getting distracted while in a virtual classroom while allowing teachers to keep an eye on everyone.
When the Focus mode is activated, the other participants will not see each other during the call. The host would still have access to all the participants’ webcams. This feature is introduced so that people do not get distracted by their peers during presentations. The teacher could turn on the Focus mode while presenting and turn it off during the class discussions.
Zoom revealed the new features via a blog.
“Focus Mode allows educators to see their students’ videos, and students to see their teachers without seeing other class participants. With this feature, teachers can supervise their class, but students won’t be distracted by their peers’ video feeds or feel self-conscious about turning on their own camera. “
When the focus mode is enabled, the teacher’s video will be visible to the students and things presented on the screen and people that the host spotlights. Students can also see the names of other participants and the emoji reactions.
The feature can be enabled or locked on for accounts, groups, or individual users. After turning it on, the feature can be accessed by clicking on the More button while in a meeting.
Reasons Why Online Learning Is The Future
It’s Flexible
Using an online educational platform allows for a better balance of work and studies, so there’s no need to give anything up. It makes a work-study balance easier.
Wide Array of Programs
In the vast space of the Internet, there are infinite skills and subjects to teach and learn. From music production to Quantum Physics, online education has everything for everyone.
Easily Accessible
Online education enables you to learn or teach from any corner of the world. There is no need to commute from one place to another, and you need a stable Internet connection to commence your classes.
Cost-Effective
Unlike traditional education, online learning seems to be more cost-effective and pocket friendly. It is a convenient option with virtually endless possibilities for international students all over the world.
What Samsung Launched At The Galaxy Unpacked 2021?
The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 created sheer joy by launching the expected foldable flagship smartphones Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. Along with these two premium devices, the South Korean tech giant also launched Galaxy Buds 2, Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic at the all-virtual event. Though OnePlus tried to steal the show with a mystery announcement, it all turned out to be a promotion prank. Let’s take a quick look at the products launched at the Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event, along with their features.
Galaxy Z Fold 3:
The new Z Fold 3 brings an IPX8 rating for water resistance and S Pen stylus support for the first time. The third generation Fold features over 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate like its predecessor and an under-display front camera, making it the first phone from the house of Samsung with an under-display camera. The Z Fold 3 will go live on sale on August 27.
A 5nm Snapdragon 888 chipset powers the newly launched foldable smartphone, and it is paired with 12GB of RAM and 256/512 GB of storage. A Gorilla Glass Victus covers the back panel of the Z Fold 3, and a durable Armor Aluminum frame protects the smartphone’s body. The smartphone features a similar camera setup to its predecessor, which sounds disappointing, but the Z Fold 3 is priced at $1800 (approx. ₹1,33,525), making it $200 less costly than the initial price of Z Fold 2.
Galaxy Z Flip 3:
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 arrives with a new eye-catching design and improvements to screens. The smartphone is available in 7 colour options and shares an IPX8 rating for water resistance along with Z Fold 3. The Z Flip 3 boasts a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and on the front side, it flaunts a much larger 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display.
A 5nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 octa-core processor powers the third generation Flip with 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB of speedy UFS 3.1 storage. The foldable smartphones feature a 12MP+12MP dual-camera module along with a 10MP front camera. The ultra-wide sensor supports HDR10+, up to 8x digital zoom and video recording up to 4K at 60fps. The flip phone is also protected by Corning Gorilla GLass Victus and a durable Armor Aluminum frame. The phone is priced at $1000 (approx. ₹74,180) and will go live on sale on August 27.
Galaxy Buds 2:
The Galaxy Buds 2 are designed for a comfortable fit, which you can use all day, every day. The true-wireless earbuds that feature active noise cancelling in a smaller design offer a premium sound quality. The Galaxy Buds 2 features three microphones per bud and weighs only 5.0 grams per bud, making them the lightest TWS earphones to date. The case of the Buds 2 is very similar to the Buds Pro and even has the same battery capacity of 472 mAh. The Buds 2 arrives with an IPX2 water-splash resistant rating and dynamic two-way speakers to ensure clear and crisp sound. The Galaxy Buds 2 are priced at $150 (approx. ₹11,126) and are available in four colours, Graphite, White, Oliver Green, and Lavender.
Galaxy Watch 4 & Watch 4 Classic:
Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are Samsung’s first wearables with One UI Watch, based on Wear OS. The Watch 4 comes in two different sizes, a 44mm model boasts a 1.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, and a 40mm size model flaunts a smaller 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch4 Classic features 46mm and 42mm options with the same screen diameters as Watch 4. According to Samsung, the Watch 4 series is created keeping in mind health-conscious people, and it has plenty of features, including BioActive Sensor, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic and Light Sensor.
The Watch 4 series runs on a 5nm class 1.18GHz Samsung Exynos W920 dual-core chipset paired with 1.5GB RAM and 16GB storage. The One UI Watch wearables, based on Wear OS, is developed jointly by Google and Samsung engineers and can track more than 100 activities. The Watch 4 is available in four colour options, Black, Pink, Gold and Silver and the price for them starts from $250 (approx. ₹18,545) for Bluetooth versions and $300 (approx. ₹22,254) for LTE models. Whereas the Watch 4 Classic is available in either Black or Silver colour options, and the price for them starts from $350 (approx. ₹25,963) for Bluetooth versions and $400 (approx. ₹29,672) for LTE models.
‘Work From Home’ Google Employees To Witness Paycuts
Everything seems to have changed post-pandemic, primarily how corporations worked. Earlier, work-from-home used to be a privilege where companies would allow a particular employee to WFH if he were not fit enough to attend the office. After coronavirus hit the entire world, work-from-home became a sort of staple for all the small and big companies.
Google employees based in the same office could now witness a change in pay if they opt to work from home permanently. The company has rolled out a new internal calculator to explain potential pay cuts to employees.
The screenshots obtained by Reuters make it clear that the employees who previously commuted an hour to Google’s Manhattan offices would see their salaries slashed by 15 per cent if they chose to work from home permanently.
On the other hand, employees who lived within NYC’s five boroughs and chose to work from home permanently will not witness any cuts in their paycheque.
The screenshots also showed 5 per cent and 10 per cent differences for commuters living in Seattle, Boston, or San Francisco.
A Google spokesperson has confirmed the recent development suggesting that the company’s compensation packages “have always been determined by location.” He further added that the pay would differ from “city to city and state to state.”
Other tech majors such as Facebook and Twitter have also introduced pay cuts for remote employees choosing to work from home. Companies like Reddit and Zillow have shifted to location-based salary structures.
Jake Rosenfield, a Sociology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, said Google’s pay structure raises alarms,
“What’s clear is that Google doesn’t have to do this. Google has paid these workers at 100 percent of their prior wage by definition. So it’s not like they can’t afford to pay their workers who choose to work remotely the same they are used to receiving.”
Google, which has about 140,000 employees worldwide, took in $61.9 billion in revenue during the second quarter of this year alone.
The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Post and did not address the Stamford commuter issue in a statement to Reuters.
A Silent Future
Humans have very short memories; look around you and life will look as normal as it was ever with only one accessory added – masks. We have all also adjusted to the new ways of working and even if a third wave comes, everyone and everything is aligned. Work from home (WFH) and Zoom/video meetings have largely been pandemic products and have altered the very fabric of our working lives.
Sitting at the forefront of WFH is WeWork India. They have lots at stake with 35 office buildings in different cities in India with huge investments along with easy-to-rent and leave architecture. In his own words -Karan Virwani, Founder and CEO of WeWork “If Zoom was a pandemic child then WeWork would be a post-pandemic company for sure” and he may have just the right product for the “hybrid working models” which all the Human Resources managers today are busy pelting out.
Since we are talking about changing times – Future is Electric and Audi has just introduced the e-Tron in the ring and with that, the luxury EV Space which had Mercedes EQC and Jaguar I-pace has been completely recharged.
E-Tron with all the luxury SUV features plus a 350km [ Approx] range is what you need with a green badge, as certainly, the way we drive or drive and work is going to completely change.
On the other hand, there is the iconic Suzuki Hayabusa, which still looks almost the same as when it was launched 22 years ago, and even with a price tag of `16.5 lakhs+ had its initial 100 units sold faster than you would take a test ride. It was a technological marvel back in 1999 that transformed the motorcycling world and yes, the dimming sonorous exhaust note has definitely reminded us that it will get rather silent with EVs in the future.
But the future is always uncertain and that’s what makes life exciting. Stay safe.
OnePlus Teases With A Mystery Device Launch On The Eve Of Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event
Samsung has announced its Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event long back. The most-awaited event of 2021 will happen today, on August 11, where the South Korean tech giant will unleash Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, wearables, and a few other exciting products.
The company has created a buzz about the event and the yet-to-be-launched products, but right before the day of the Unpacked event, OnePlus USA wants to steal all the attention from Samsung, as the company teases about a new device announcement on the eve of August 11.
The official Instagram and Twitter accounts of OnePlus USA shared a teaser of an upcoming dual-screen phone along with a date, August 11. The dual-screen device featured in a teaser looks to be a foldable one and takes us back to the launch of LG’s Dual Screen smartphone LG V60.
OnePlus hasn’t announced officially any foldable device; even there are no rumours and leaks about the device shown in the teaser. All these things indirectly say it could be a concept phone. To create more drama, OnePlus USA will present the device simultaneously, at 10 AM, exactly when the Galaxy Unpacked event will inaugurate.
According to a few reports and tipsters, the dual-screen phone in a teaser is not a dual-screen phone but just two OnePlus 9 Pro phones put together, which OnePlus is teasing through a special promotion where the company might offer a buy one get one deal, as every Wednesday is OnePlus day.
OnePlus is trying its best to steal people’s attention from Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event. The phone shown in a teaser looks similar to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, and if OnePlus unleashes a foldable smartphone today evening, then it would be a memorable launch for two rivals. Let’s just hope for a great evening.