TECHNOLOGY
Clubhouse removes personal info from Afghan users' accounts
The online platform reset tens of thousands of its users' bios and photos in the Taliban-ruled country. It also made their accounts more difficult to discover in search. A spokesperson for Clubhouse told The Verge the actions didn't affect the users' followers, and all of the changes can be reversed if a user prefers.
Google is shutting down its Android Auto mobile app
Instead anyone who wants a driving-friendly interface for their Android phone should use the Google Assistant driving mode, which is available within Google Maps, or the native Android Auto interface available in select cars, reports The Verge. "For those who use them on phone experience (Android Auto mobile app), they will be transitioned to Google Assistant driving mode," Google said in a statement.
'Tetris Beat' now available on Apple Arcade
Players are tasked with rotating and dropping Tetriminos in time with the beat in Drop mode, keeping to the rhythm to build combo chains, MacRumors reported. Those who want a more casual gameplay experience can try out Tap mode, while Tetris fans who want a traditional gameplay experience can use Marathon mode, which offers a selection of soundtracks.
Tesla more than doubles its non-refundable order fee
In 2019, Tesla replaced its deposit system, when placing a new order for its vehicles, with a non-refundable order fee, reports Electrek. Instead of paying $1,000 when placing the order and having this $1,000 be applied to the total price of the vehicle the buyer pays before delivery, Tesla charged a $100 non-refundable fee when buyers placed an order.
Twitter working on rules, replay option for Spaces
According to 9To5Mac, these new features are still under development and were discovered in Twitter's code by developer and app researcher Nima Owji. More specifically, the code indicates that Twitter is adding four new options to Spaces that should give hosts more control over the room. According to Owji's findings, the company wants to provide "rules" for Spaces users, the report said.
Google Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G discontinued: Report
According to The Verge, both are currently listed on Google's online store as sold out, and remaining stock at other retailers likely won't last long. "With our current forecasts, we expect Google Store in the US to sell out of Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 in the coming weeks following the launch of Pixel 5a (5G)," a company spokesperson told the tech website.
FB 'shelved' report that made it look bad on Covid misinformation
The New York Times, which obtained a copy of the report, said that the most-viewed link in the first quarter had a headline that could promote Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. Fearing public outcry, Facebook suppressed the report. One of the headlines in a Facebook post read, "A 'healthy' doctor died two weeks after getting a COVID-19 vaccine; CDC is investigating why."
realme GT 5G impresses with strong performance, design
The realme GT 5G comes in Dashing Silver and Dashing Blue colours in 8GB+128GB storage variant, priced at Rs 37,999 along with a dual-tone leather design variant, Racing Yellow, in 12GB+256GB variant at Rs 41,999. The smartphone brand offers impressive phones, and has recently surpassed OPPO for the fourth slot with shipment growth of 175 per cent year-over-year (YoY), according to market research firm IDC.
India smartphone market to reach 173 mn shipments in 2021
More than 100 million smartphones will be shipped in H2 2021 and 5G devices will make up 19 per cent of the overall market, according to Counterpoint Research's India handset quarterly outlook. The biggest factor pushing the market could be the launch of Reliance Jio's low-cost Android phone JioPhone Next in September, which will enable migration of feature phone users to smartphones.
Google undermined 3rd-party app stores on Android platform: Report
According to The Verge, newly unredacted sections of Fortnite developer Epic's antitrust complaint against Google have revealed new details. After Google ran a 'Premier Device Programme,' the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) agreed to ship their devices without any third-party app stores preinstalled. The products that "qualified as a Premier Device would receive a 12 percent share of Google search revenue.
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