NBA: Orlando Magic rally to beat Washington Wizards

Paolo Banchero led the show in Orlando Magic's come-from-behind win over Washington Wizards in the NBA on Friday night.

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Sinner downs Alcaraz to set up Miami Open final with Medvedev

Italy's Jannik Sinner ended Carlos Alcaraz's hopes of the "Sunshine Double" and his reign as world number one. triumphing 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2 in their Miami Open semi-final on Friday.

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Hazlewood likely to miss first 7 games for RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore's fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will arrive in India from Australia by April 14 and will stay in recuperation mode for another week, which effectively rules him out for the first half of the Indian Premier League. The Australian pacer has been suffering from an Achilles heel injury and is likely to sit out of RCB's first seven games of the season, which begins on Friday.

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Elena Rybakina beats Jessica Pegula to reach Miami final

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina reached the final of the Miami Open by beating American world number three Jessica Pegula 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday.

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Boston Celtics rout Milwaukee Bucks with Jayson Tatum show

Jayson Tatum led Boston Celtics' big win over Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday with 40 points in the game, which helped his team register a 140-99 rout. The victory has also narrowed the gap at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

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Ankle injury rules out Knicks' Julius Randle for at least 2 weeks

A left ankle injury during the match against Miami Heat on Wednesday has ruled out New York Knicks' star Julius Randle for the rest of the regular NBA season. Randle's ankle will be reevaluated on April 13, while the season ends on April 9.

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Medvedev & Alcaraz beat Americans to reach Miami semis

Alcaraz crushed ninth-seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2, while Medvedev ended qualifier Christopher Eubanks' impressive run with a 6-3, 7-5 victory in their quarter-final.

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Live Cricket Score: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI

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We can win Ashes comfortably, feels England pacer Ollie Robinson

A rampant England cricket Test side has won 10 out of their last 12 matches since coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes have teamed up and their aggressive style of play dubbed 'Bazball' has been one of the highlights in the past one year. England have been unable to win the Ashes since 2015 and a got a 0-4 drubbing the last time they met Australia Down Under but pacer Ollie Robinson is confident of a turn around this time.

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FIFA Maker EA to Lay Off 6 Percent of Its Workforce, Will Incur Up to $200 Million in Related Charges

Electronic Arts said on Wednesday it would lay off about 6 percent of its workforce and reduce office space, making it the first major videogame publisher to announce job cuts.

Technology firms have led the latest round of layoffs as US companies brace for a potential economic downturn amid rising interest rates around the world.

Meta Platforms and Amazon.com announced a second round of job cuts this month. Tech layoffs hit 63,000 in the first two months of the year, according to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

EA, which had about 12,900 staff at the end of March last year, expects to incur between $170 million (roughly Rs. 1,398 crore) and $200 million (roughly Rs. 1,644 crore) in charges related to the restructuring.

"As we drive greater focus across our portfolio, we are moving away from projects that do not contribute to our strategy, reviewing our real estate footprint, and restructuring some of our teams," CEO Andrew Wilson said in a blog post.

EA, behind the "FIFA" soccer videogame franchise and "The Sims", will provide opportunities for employees to move to other projects and where that is not possible will provide severance pay and additional benefits, Wilson said.

Video game publishers are also struggling with a slowdown in player spending in the face of decades-high inflation, a change in fortunes from the meteoric growth witnessed during the pandemic.

Video game sales so far this year were flat and spending on video game content across platforms is down 2 percent, according to analytics firm Circana.

Electronic Arts lowered its annual bookings forecast in January after it delayed the release of a game based on the "Star Wars" franchise.

Newly launched Hogwarts Legacy game from Warner Bros Discovery topped the videogame sales charts in February, according to Circana.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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From Elden Ring to BGMI's ban, 2022 gave us a lot in the gaming space. We discuss it all on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Glenn Maxwell uncertain for RCB's season opener

Australian Glenn Maxwell remains uncertain for Royal Challengers Bangalore's season opener against Mumbai Indians on Sunday as the star all-rounder continues to recuperate from a leg injury. Maxwell, who broke his leg in a freak accident last November made return to international cricket earlier this month during the India-Australia ODIs but missed out the last two games.

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Jannik Sinner into Miami semis after beating Emil Ruusuvuori

Italy's Jannik Sinner eased into the semi-finals of the Miami Open after a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 win over Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori on Wednesday. The game was delayed for two hours by rain with Sinner 2-0 up in the second set but the stoppage did nothing to change the momentum of the match.

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Jrue Holiday drops 51 points to lead Milwaukee Bucks past Indiana Pacers

Jrue Holiday poured in a career-high 51 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo posted his fifth triple-double of the season to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 149-136 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in Indianapolis. Holiday became the sixth player in Bucks franchise history to record 50 points in a game. Antetokounmpo has also accomplished the feat, as has guard/forward Khris Middleton. Holiday went 20-for-30 from the field on Wednesday, also sinking 3 of 6 shot attempts from beyond the arc.

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OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G Price Tipped; Confirmed to Pack a 5,000mAh Battery

OnePlus is all set to launch the successor to Nord CE 2 Lite in India on April 4. The company has confirmed to launch the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G on the above-mentioned date. A teaser page for the phone is already live on the OnePlus India website. The site has revealed its colour variants and key specifications. Meanwhile, a reliable tipster has now tipped the expected price of the upcoming smartphone in India. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite will be powered by a Snapdragon 695 5G SoC.

Tipster Abhishek Yadav (Twitter: @yabhishekhd) has tipped that the upcoming OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G will start at Rs. 21,999 in India. However, the storage variants of the upcoming smartphone are yet to be known. It is tipped to pack 8GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage.

The company has also shared that the phone will be equipped with a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging support. Additionally, the phone will come in Pastel Lime and Chromatic Gray colour options.

A recent report also suggested the expected price of OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G in European markets. It is speculated to be priced at EUR 329 (roughly Rs. 29,000).

Meanwhile, other specifications of the phone have also been leaked. It is said to come with an LCD display with 1,800 x 2,400 pixels resolution, and a Snapdragon 695 5G SoC. The phone is tipped to feature a 108-megapixel triple rear camera setup with a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Moreover, leaked images have suggested that the phone will have a selfie camera housed in a hole-punch cutout.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G will succeed the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G that was launched in India last year. It features a 6.59-inch full-HD+ display with a dynamic refresh rate of 120Hz. The handset is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC, paired with Adreno 619 GPU and up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. 

 

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The OnePlus 11 5G was launched at the company's Cloud 11 launch event which also saw the debut of several other devices. We discuss this new handset and all of OnePlus' new hardware on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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AIFF may fine Kerala Blasters Rs 5 crore for walkout

The disciplinary committee of the All India Football Federation is likely to fine Kerala Blasters Rs 5 crore for their walkout against Bengaluru FC in the knockout game of the Indian Super League.

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Indian Premier League 2023: Eye on innovation

The Indian Premier League, with its overarching popularity since its inception in 2008, has over the last decade changed the way cricket is played . And now there’s more in the offing.

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Miami Open: Alcaraz beats Paul to set up Fritz clash

World number one Carlos Alcaraz entered the quarter-finals of the ATP Miami Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Tommy Paul on Tuesday.

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McTominay double gives Scotland famous win over Spain

Scott McTominay scored a brace as Scotland stunned Spain 2-0 in their Euro 2024 qualifier at Hampden Park on Tuesday.

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BFI contradicts HPD’s claim, will form committee to finalise selection criteria

Contrary to claims made by Indian boxing’s high-performance director (HPD) Bernard Dunne that he has done away with the selection trials and that the ‘evaluation test’ of boxers at the national camps will be the way forward, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on Tuesday informed that no such decision has been approved by its selection committee and that they would continue with the practice of holding trials, if need be.

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3rd T20I: Shepherd, Joseph take WI to series win vs SA

Riding on Romario Shepherd's late batting assault and a five-wicket haul by Alzarri Joseph, West Indies cruised to a series-clinching seven-run win against South Africa in the third Twenty20 international at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

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Dehradun cricket coach booked in sex scandal

Harendra Shah, the former coach of a top cricketer who recently represented India as part of the senior women's squad, has been booked for sexual harassment, intimidation and use of casteist slurs following a complaint by three girls training at his popular academy in Dehradun.

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Rain washes out 2nd ODI between NZ and SL

The second one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was washed out by persistent rain at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Tuesday. The washout dealt a further blow to the tourists' slender hopes of automatic qualification for this year's World Cup.

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Twitter to Limit Polls, 'For You' Recommendations' to Verified Users Starting April 15

Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday announced that only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations and also revealed the reason behind it.

Musk's tweet stated, "Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations. The is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle. Voting in polls will require verification for same reason."

Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations.

The is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle.

Voting in polls will require verification for same reason.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2023

According to him, this is the only realistic way to advance AI bot swarms taking over.

And for the same reason, voting in polls requires verifications.

This new plan will start from April 15 onwards.

Recently, Twitter announced that it will be doing away with the blue ticks for legacy verified accounts starting April 1.

The microblogging site will remove the verified check-mark status of accounts that Twitter had verified as notable before Elon Musk's takeover unless they have subscribed to Twitter Blue or the business-focused Twitter Verified Organizations plan, Variety reported.

The only individual Twitter users who will have verified blue check-marks are those paying for Twitter Blue, which in the US costs $8 per month (roughly Rs. 600) via the Web and $11 month (roughly Rs. 900) through in-app payment on iOS and Android.

Earlier, the company also announced that Twitter Blue was now available worldwide.

"On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue, "Twitter posted from its official handle. Twitter, however, has not revealed how it will deal with the accounts of people who have "notable" mentioned on it.

For companies and brands, Twitter recently introduced a gold check-mark and has shifted government accounts to a grey check-mark. As previously indicated, a subscription to the social network's new Twitter Verified Organizations program in the U.S. -- which will be the only way to keep a gold or grey check-mark badge -- will cost $1,000 per month (plus tax) and $50 per month (plus tax) for each additional affiliate subaccount.

Twitter first introduced verified accounts in 2009 to help users identify that celebrities, politicians, companies and brands, news organisations and other accounts "of public interest" were genuine and not impostor or parody accounts. The company didn't previously charge for verification.

Musk launched Twitter Blue with the check-mark badge as one of the premium perks within two weeks of the company's takeover.

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Bianca Andreescu suffers injury blow at Miami Open

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu's return to form was cut brutally short on Monday when the Canadian suffered a serious injury in her fourth round Maimi Open match against Ekaterina Alexandrova.

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Poland's Swiderski secures 1-0 win over Albania in Euro qualifiers

Poland striker Karol Swiderski secured a 1-0 win over Albania in their Euro 2024 qualifiers clash on Monday. With this win, Poland have earned their first Group E points of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

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Microsoft Issues Fix for aCropalypse Bug That Could Leak Bank Data, Medical Records from Cropped Screenshots

Microsoft has released an emergency update to Windows that fixes a privacy-threatening bug dubbed ‘aCropalypse'. This bug could potentially allow details that were cropped out of images by the Windows screenshot tool to be recovered by any user. The issue prevented information cropped out from screenshots from being removed from the source image, allowing it to be retained in the file and recovered at a later date. The details at risk could have included sensitive information like bank card details, medical records, phone numbers, as well as social security information.

First detected on Pixel smartphones and dubbed "aCropalypse", the CVE-2023-28303 vulnerability meddled with the image cropping tool on Pixel smartphones for screenshots. Researchers then found a similar flaw on the screenshot tool for Windows, after which Microsoft has issued an update for the operating system.

Microsoft has asked users to deploy the update immediately to prevent the disclosure of any personal information that could be accompanying images, according to a Bleeping Computer report.

To install the fix, Windows users need to visit the Microsoft Store and select ​Get Updates​ on the Library section located on the left of the screen. This is not the first time that such a vulnerability has been discovered on a popular and widely used tool. Previously, the Google Pixel phones had encountered a similar issue.

It is worth noting that Microsoft was quite swift in taking an action against the bug. In February, the company rolled out a major update for Windows 11, integrating the new AI-powered Bing search engine with the Windows 11 taskbar.

Making inroads in the Web3 sector, Microsoft is also testing support for a crypto wallet on its Edge browser. This wallet has been built on the Ethereum blockchain and it is expected to be a part of Edge in a future update. As part of its functionality, this digital wallet could allow users to store and hold Ether tokens and other Ethereum-based cryptocurrencies, as per the report.

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Tsitsipas beats Garin to reach last 16 at Miami Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday. Tsitsipas had 12 aces and saved three of four break points in the two-hour match.

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Twitter Source Code Partially Leaked Online via GitHub, Court Filing Shows

Some parts of Twitter's source code have been leaked and the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk is seeking information on the person responsible, a legal filing showed.

According to the filing, "various excerpts" of Twitter's source code, which is used to run the company online, were posted on Github, a Microsoft-owned platform for sharing code for software development, by a user named 'FreeSpeechEnthusiast'.

Github said it took down the code on Friday at Twitter's request.

Twitter has asked the US District Court for the Northern District of California to order Github to produce "All identifying information" associated with the 'FreeSpeechEnthusiast' user name, the March 24 filing showed.

Github did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on whether it has supplied such information. It also did not comment on how long Twitter's source code had been publicly available.

Twitter also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The news was first reported by the New York Times.

© Thomson Reuters 2023
 

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Andreescu and Sabalenka march into last 16 in Miami

Bianca Andreescu and world number two Aryna Sabalenka entered the last-16 of the Miami Open on Sunday. Andreescu and Sabalenka made to the final with straight sets victories at Hard Rock Stadium.

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Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way as Portugal hit six of the best

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his record-breaking form for Portugal as he grabbed two more goals in his country's 6-0 thrashing of Luxembourg in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Sunday, giving them a second win in four days.

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England see off Ukraine in Euro qualifying, Kazakhs stun Denmark

Harry Kane scored as England defeated Ukraine 2-0 in Euro 2024 qualifying at Wembley on Sunday. On the other hand, Denmark were defeated by Kazakhstan.

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Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets to win inaugural WPL title

Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians won the inaugural Women's Premier League title on Sunday, after registering a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in the summit clash at the Brabourne stadium. All-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt played a gritty knock of 60 not out, off 55 balls, to take Mumbai home in a tight low-scoring final against Delhi.

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In pics - South Africa record highest successful run chase in T20Is

Read more on TOI Sports

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Manu Bhaker hopes WC bronze is a sign of good days ahead

The wide smile on Manu Bhaker's face said it all. Before the 25m pistol final on Saturday here at the ISSF World Cup, and even before the rapid stage of qualification, Manu was trying her best to hide her nervousness. Her father was by her side for all this while, perhaps because he had spotted the jitters in her daughter and tried comforting with his presence.

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In Pics: Fastest centuries in IPL history

Read More on TOI Sports

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Late Joselu double helps Spain beat Norway 3-0 in Euro qualifier

Debutant Joselu scored two quick-fire goals as Spain sealed a 3-0 win over Norway in their first Euro 2024 Group A qualifier on Saturday. Spain's win was also a promising start under new manager Luis de la Fuente.

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Germany kick off Euro 2024 mission with 2-0 win over Peru

Niclas Fuellkrug scored a brace to hand Germany a 2-0 victory over Peru in a friendly on Saturday.

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Broadhead stars as Wales draw Euro 2024 qualifier with Croatia

Debutant Nathan Broadhead starred as Wales snatched a 1-1 draw in a Euro 2024 qualifier against World Cup semi-finalists Croatia in Split on Saturday.

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Andreescu stuns Sakkari to reach Miami Open third round

Canada's Bianca Andreescu defeated Greek Maria Sakkari 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to enter the Miami Open third round on Friday. Russia's Andrey Rublev survived a tough battle against American J.J. Wolf to reach the last 32.

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Live Cricket Score: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI

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IPL: Delhi Capitals bank on 'impact player' to fill Rishabh Pant void

​​​Apart from being the captain, Rishabh Pant lent balance to the Delhi Capitals squad with his wicketkeeping and batting in the middle order. The 'impact player' regulation, therefore, couldn't have been introduced at a better time for Capitals. They haven't been able to find an Indian wicketkeeper to replace Pant but the regulation to substitute players during the course of the game could be their saviour.

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Xiaomi Reports Record Drop in Q4 Revenue, Loses Indian Smartphone Market in Higher-End Devices to Samsung

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Friday reported a record drop in fourth-quarter revenue as the company weathered a slowdown in consumption and disruptions due to China's COVID-19 curbs.

Early signs suggest China's economy will only rebound slowly, as consumers remain cautious about spending money despite an easing of restrictions on domestic and international travel.

Xiaomi group president Lu Weibing, speaking on a company earnings call, said China's consumer electronics was seeing early signs of a recovery at present but "it will take time."

Year-on-year declines may continue in the first half of the year before a rebound occurs, he added.

Xiaomi's sales in the fourth quarter of 2022 reached CNY 66.05 billion (nearly Rs. 79,200 crore), down 22.8 percent from CNY 85.58 billion (nearly Rs.1,02,600 crore) a year earlier.

The numbers were slightly ahead of analyst expectations, but they mark the fourth consecutive revenue drop for the company, and its steepest on record yet.

Net income fell to CNY 1.46 billion (nearly Rs. 1,750 crore) over the period, down 67.3 percent from CNY 4.473 billion (nearly Rs.5,360 crore) a year earlier.

The company's revenue for 2022 was CNY 280.04 billion (nearly Rs. 3,35,800 crore), a drop of 14.7 percent, while net income came in at CNY 8.52 billion (nearly Rs. 10,200 crore), down 61.4 percent. Both figures fell short of analyst expectations.

Smartphone slump

Overall consumption in China dragged on most product categories in the fourth quarter, as the abrupt lifting of strict COVID-19 curbs led to a rapid spread in infections across the country.

All major smartphone brands experienced a sales slump in China over the period, based on research firm Canalys. Xiaomi, however, took the largest hit with shipments dropping 37 percent year on year, the Canalys data showed.

China's smartphone sales endured a record fall in 2022, down 14 percent to 287 million units, Canalys data shows. That marked the first time in ten years shipments fell below 300 million units.

Xiaomi is also facing headwinds in India, where it failed to notice a rising consumer preference for higher-end devices and ended up losing its position as the top-selling phone brand to South Korea's Samsung in the fourth quarter.

The company, along with its rivals, could also face new security probes from Indian authorities due to national security concerns over pre-installed apps.

India is Xiaomi's largest overseas market and world's second biggest market for smartphones.

Xiaomi is also expanding into electric vehicles. The company said on Friday that it is "on track" to reach its goal of mass producing its first cars in the first half of 2024.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a hefty price tag compared to the company's 2022 flagship model. How does it fare against other high-end phones launched in 2023? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Terraform Founder Do Kwon Charged for Forging Documents by Montenegrin Police

Montenegrin police on Friday formally charged Do Kwon, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur behind two digital currencies that lost an estimated $40 billion (nearly Rs. 3,29,500 crore) or more last year, for forging official documents after arresting him on Podgorica airport.

Do Kwon, a South Korean national, and a second suspect have been held on Thursday while trying to board a flight to Dubai at Podgorica airport.

Police said in a statement they had found forged Costa Rican passports and a separate set of Belgian passports in their luggage during the encounter.

The two suspects have also been charged before a Podgorica court with forging of official documents, it said.

"Pending completion of the (court) proceedings they will be taken to an investigative judge...for further actions according to an international (arrest) warrant," it said.

It also said that an international warrant had been issued against the two "to ensure their presence... before the Southern District Court in Seoul on suspicion of committing several criminal acts in the field of economy."

Several hours after Kwon was detained in Podgorica, the US District Court in Manhattan made public an eight-count indictment against him.

Lawyers for Kwon in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours.

Thursday's indictment charges Kwon, who co-founded Terraform Labs and developed the TerraUSD and Luna currencies, with two counts each of securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud and conspiracy.

Both currencies crashed last May, with TerraUSD's price sinking to less than one penny.

The criminal case follows related US Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges against Kwon and Terraform last month.

Kwon had been a fugitive for several months. South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for him last September.

South Korean police said on Friday the identity of the suspect arrested in Montenegro had been confirmed as Kwon after his fingerprints matched the information held by the country's National Police Agency (KNPA).

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Will crypto tax hurt the industry in India? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro+, Huawei FreeBuds 5, and TalkBand B7 With Bluetooth Calling Launched: Details

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2+, Huawei FreeBuds 5 and Huawei TalkBand B7 have been launched at the company's Spring flagship product launch conference in China. Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2+ comes with a dual heart rate and body temperature monitoring system. Its TruSeen heart rate algorithm technology is claimed to have an accuracy of 95 percent and 10 bpm after SGS testing. On the other hand, the Huawei FreeBuds 5 come with a unique Rupert Tears design with a separate sound unit, battery, and circuit board. Meanwhile, the TalkBand B7 is a two-in-one fitness tracker and Bluetooth earphone.

Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro+, Huawei FreeBuds 5 and TalkBand B7 price

The Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro+ price starts at CNY 1,499 (roughly Rs. 17,981), whereas Huawei FreeBuds 5 and TalkBand B7 come at a starting price of CNY 899 (roughly Rs. 10,784) and CNY 999 (roughly Rs. 11,983), respectively. The leather strap variant of the TalkBand B7 costs CNY 1,199 (roughly Rs. 14382).

While the Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro+ will be available for sale from April 7 in China, Huawei FreeBuds 5 and TalkBand B7 will go for sale from March 30. The FreeBuds 5 is available in Frost Silver, Ceramic White, and Coral Orange colour variants.

Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro+ specifications, features

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2+ feature a dual heart rate and body temperature monitoring system that is claimed to be 95 percent accurate. The earbuds come with 11mm dynamic drivers along with support for low frequency, HiRes, L2HC, LDAC, and HD spatial audio support. They also feature Active Noise Cancellation up to 47dB and can connect to multiple devices simultaneously.

The new earbuds from the Chinese manufacturer support HarmonyOS and Android dual ecosystem high-definition audio transmission. They have three audio modes: Concert hall, sound theatre, and movie theatre. Further, they have an IP54-rated water resistance.

Huawei FreeBuds 5 specifications, features

Huawei's FreeBuds 5 feature a unique Rupert Tears design like a hanging water droplet with a separate sound unit, battery, and circuit board. They have a semi-open Comfort Noise Reduction design and upgraded ANC 3.0. The earbuds support L2HC and LDAC, and feature 11mm driver with Sound Pressure Turbo technology that offers clear vocals.

The earbuds are claimed to offer a battery life of up to 30 hours and support 5W fast charging. It is said to offer up to 2 hours of playback with just 5 minutes of charge.

Huawei TalkBand B7 specifications, features

Huawei TalkBand B7 is launched as a successor to the TalkBand B6. It's a two-in-one fitness tracker and Bluetooth earphone with a 1.53-inch 3D curved AMOLED display. It has a titanium stainless steel unibody. The band comes with features like PPG heart-rate monitor, SpO2 sensor, menstrual cycle tracker, sleep and stress monitor, and 10 sports modes.

It is compatible with HarmonyOS 2.0+, Android 7+, and iOS 9.0 and above operating systems. Additionally, it also supports quick reply, camera, music control, and Alipay quick payment. The TalkBand B7 is powered by a 120mAh battery that can be charged via a USB type-C port. 

 

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The newly launched Oppo Find N2 Flip is the first foldable from the company to debut in India. But does it have what it takes to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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WPL: Wong, Sciver-Brunt shine as Mumbai thrash UP to reach the final

Young pacer Issy Wong (4 for 15) on Friday became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the Women's Premier League (WPL) as she fired Mumbai Indians into the final of the inaugural edition. Mumbai outclassed UP Warriorz by 72 runs in the Eliminator at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. With the big win, Mumbai set up a mouth-watering summit clash with Delhi Capitals on Sunday.

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Harry Kane breaks England all-time goal record

Star footballer Harry Kane became England’s all-time top scorer in men’s football. He overtook Wayne Rooney after he scored against Italy in a Euro 2024 qualifiers on Friday.

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Australia series defeat highlights India's WC preparations problems

Captain Rohit Sharma, following the loss to Australia at Chepauk, was quite frank in his assessment about what needs to be done going ahead if India are to win the World Cup. The skipper feels the important thing is to understand the role each player needs to play.

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Mercedes-Benz to Launch 4 New Electric Vehicles in India by Next Year

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz plans to launch four new electric vehicles in India in the next 8-12 months to accelerate its electric mobility drive, Mercedes-Benz AG Head of Region Overseas Matthias Luehrs said on Thursday.

The company expects 25 percent of its total sales in India to come from electric vehicles in India by 2027.

"We are very happy with the development of our EVs (electric vehicles) here in the Indian market with (models such as) the EQS and the EQB. We'll have four more vehicles coming in," Luehrs told reporters here in an interaction.

The company currently sells four luxury electric vehicle models — EQS, EQB, EQC and EQS AMG — in the Indian market.

On the sales expectation from the EV portfolio in India, Luehrs said, "We will have 25 percent (of total sales), that's our planning assumption, of electric vehicles in the next four years." At present, sales of EVs account for around 3 percent of the company's total sales in India.

Last year, Mercedes-Benz India posted a 41 percent growth in its total sales with a record 15,822 units as compared to 11,242 units sold a year ago. Its previous best sales were achieved in 2018 at 15,583 units.

On being asked when the new four EV models would be launched, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director & CEO Santosh Iyer said it would be in the next 8-12 months, as a combination of import of completely built units and import of completely knocked down units assembled at the company's Chakan plant.

In terms of the potential of the market here, Luehrs said, at present, India is the fifth largest market in the "overseas" region — which comprises 120 markets other than Germany, the US, UK and China — for Mercedes-Benz. South Korea, Japan, Australia and Turkey are ahead of India in the company's rankings in the overseas markets.

It might be possible for India to become the fourth in the next two years, he said when asked if India can move up the ladder.

"The factors which make us very optimistic is that we have seen a big change in the structure of customers in India," Luehrs said on company being bullish on India.

Currently, the average age of the buyers of the company's top end sedan S Class is 38 years and that of C Class model is 35 years "that's 10 years younger than 10 years ago... and we see a 15 per cent female customer share, which is 10 per cent more than 10 years ago", he said, adding that the customers in India were also very quick and keen to adopt new technologies that the company offers.

Asked if high taxation is hampering the growth of the luxury car market in India, Luehrs said, "In general, any tax that is going higher prevents from selling more cars or goods but that's the normal equation." While different markets in the globe cannot be compared as they have their own peculiarities, he said, "But obviously, if you have one market with less taxes, then you will sell more cars. That's very obvious. That's the case in the US. That's the case in Europe, that's the case in China. Therefore, obviously, if you have more taxes then the niche becomes smaller."

When asked about the impact of regulatory challenges, he said, "I can only say we (have) operated (globally) since 100 years and in all sorts of markets, and regulations go, and change up and down and sideways everywhere. Also, in Germany, also in India, in China, also in the US, and we adapt to it. That's why we are a leading luxury company in the automotive market. So we just adapt to the regulations and some regulations are more beneficial than the others."

"When a new regulation comes up in the first instance it is a new obstacle, a new challenge," he said, adding, "We manage the challenge. We have ideas how to manage that. For one or two months, obviously slowing down the process if you want to, but then afterwards, we manage, we have new suppliers, and we will manage them." On whether some more predictability would help plan business better, Luehrs said it is not unique to the Indian market but is an international topic.

"While doing business with more lead time you can adapt easier to any new regulations," he said. 

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The OnePlus 11 5G was launched at the company's Cloud 11 launch event which also saw the debut of several other devices. We discuss this new handset and all of OnePlus' new hardware on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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1.2 Crore WhatsApp Users, 17 Lakh Facebook Users Targeted in India's Massive Data Theft

A massive data breach that has implications for national security was unearthed by Cyberabad Police here, who arrested seven people of a gang allegedly involved in the theft and sale of sensitive data of the government and important organisations, including details of 2.55 lakh defence personnel as well as the personal and confidential data of about 16.8 crore citizens across the country.

The accused persons were found selling more than 140 different categories of information, which include sensitive information such as details of defence personnel and the mobile numbers of citizens and NEET students, among others, Cyberabad Police Commissioner M Stephen Raveendra told reporters here on Thursday.

Seven data brokers were arrested from Delhi, police said adding that the accused had been operating through three companies (call centres) in Noida and other places. So far it has been found that the accused sold data to at least 100 fraudsters, who used it for committing cyber crimes. Investigations are still on, police said.

Sensitive data of defence personnel containing their ranks, email ids, place of posting, was found available with the accused, Commissioner Raveendra said.

"This will have serious national security implications. The data of defence and government employees can be used for espionage; to impersonate them and commit serious offences that may jeopardise national security. We are in the process of finding out how this data got leaked and who are the insiders who are doing it," he added.

The arrested accused were selling the data through a contact details directory service provider and similar platforms, police said, adding that during the course of the investigation it was found that the accused had sold data of 50,000 citizens for as low as Rs. 2,000.

Notices will be sent to the service providers and they will be examined and legal action will be initiated against them also, police said.

"When any individual calls the toll-free numbers of service providers for any sector or category related confidential data of individuals, their query is listed and sent to that category of service providers. Then these fraudsters contact the clients and send them samples. If the client agrees to purchase, they make payment and are provided the data," police said, explaining the modus operandi.

The accused had aggregated the data leaked from different organisations and, having registered themselves as service delivery agents, sold the data to cyber criminals, police said.

DCP (Cybercrime Wing) Ritiraj said a complaint was lodged with the Cyber Crime wing of Cyberabad Police about the sale and purchase of confidential and sensitive data, even as police had also been investigating how cyber criminals were getting access to data. Police have been working on the case for the past two months.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes) Cyberabad Police Kalmeshwar Shingenavar said that during investigations it was found that private organisations are collecting data both with consent and without the knowledge of individuals. There is no data privacy or protection policy offered by most of these private organisations who possess and process the data of individuals, he said.

The accused were also found selling information in categories such as Energy and Power sector, PAN card data, Government employees, Gas and Petroleum, HNIs (High Net-worth Individuals), demat accounts, student databases, women databases, data of people who have applied for loans and insurance, and credit card and debit card holders (of private banks), WhatsApp users, Facebook users, IT organisation employees, frequent flyers etc.

The data of NEET students, with their names, mobile number and their residential address, was also found with the accused. A PAN card database containing sensitive information on the income, email ids, phone numbers, address of citizens was also found.

As many as 1.2 crore WhatsApp users and 17 lakh Facebook users had also been targeted in the data theft, police said. Police also found data pertaining to two crore students, 12 lakh CBSE Class 12 students, 40 lakh jobseekers, 1.47 crore car owners, details of 11 lakh government employees and 15 lakh IT professionals among others.

Further, a mobile number database of three crore individuals, probably leaked from telecom service providers, was also found, the Commissioner said.

The sensitive data that has been leaked can be used for unauthorised access to important organisations and institutions. The data related to PAN card can be used to commit serious financial offences. It is being used to commit a large number of cyber crimes whereby the perpetrators gain the confidence of victims by disclosing such information, police added.

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After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India commitment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Koo Updates Content Moderation Features to Block Nudity, Offensive Content

Microblogging platform Koo on Thursday announced the launch of new proactive content moderation features, geared to provide users with a safer social media experience.

The new features developed in-house are capable of proactively detecting and blocking any form of nudity or child sexual abuse materials in less than 5 seconds, labelling misinformation and hiding toxic comments and hate speech on the platform, Koo said in a release.

Twitter-rival Koo said it is committed to providing a safe and positive experience for its users, being an inclusive platform that is built with a language-first approach.

Koo, while announcing the launch of the new proactive content moderation features, said these are designed to provide a safer and more secure social media experience to users.

"In order to provide users with a wholesome community and meaningful engagement Koo has identified few areas which have a high impact on user safety that is Child Sexual Abuse Materials and Nudity, Toxic comments and hate speech, misinformation and disinformation, and impersonation and is working to actively remove their occurrence on the platform," it said.

The new features are an important step towards achieving this goal.

Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of Koo, said the platform's mission is to create a friendly social media space for healthy discussions.

"While moderation is an ongoing journey, we will always be ahead of the curve in this area with our focus on it. Our endeavour is to keep developing new systems and processes to proactively detect and remove harmful content from the platform and restrict the spread of viral misinformation. Our proactive content moderation processes are probably the best in the world," Bidawatka said.

Koo's in-house 'No Nudity Algorithm' proactively and instantaneously detects and blocks any attempt by a user to upload a picture or video containing child sexual abuse materials or nudity or sexual content. The detections and blocking happen in under 5 seconds.

Users posting sexually explicit content are immediately blocked from posting content; being discovered by other users; being featured in trending posts, or being able to engage with other users in any manner.

The safety features also actively detect, hide or remove toxic comments and hate speech in less than 10 seconds so they are not available for public viewing.

Content containing excessive blood, gore or acts of violence is overlaid with a warning for users.

Koo's in-house 'MisRep Algorithm' scans the platform for profiles who use the content or photos or videos or descriptions of well-known personalities to detect impersonated profiles and block them. On detection, the pictures and videos of well-known personalities are immediately removed from the profiles and such accounts are flagged for monitoring of bad behaviour in the future.

Koo's in-house 'Misinfo and Disinfo Algorithm' actively, and in real-time, scans all viral and reported fake news basis public and private sources of fake news, to detect and label misinformation and disinformation on a post. This minimises the spread of viral misinformation on the platform. 

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After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company's plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India commitment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Meta Says Extra Network Fees Will Not Solve EU Telecoms' Financial Problems

Meta Platforms on Thursday voiced its strongest criticism to date of a push by EU telecoms operators to get Big Tech to foot additional network costs, saying this would not solve their financial problems and also ignores tech companies' hefty investments.

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Telecom Italia and other operators have lobbied for two decades for US tech giants to contribute to 5G and broadband roll-out.

The operators say that given they account for more than half of data internet traffic, Alphabet's Google, Apple, Meta, Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft should contribute to the billions of euros in infrastructure costs.

"We recognise the financial challenges that European telecom operators now face after decades of strong performance," Kevin Salvadori, Meta's vice president for network and Bruno Cendon Martin, its director and head of reality labs wireless, wrote in a blog post.

"However, proposals by some European telecom operators to impose network fees on Content Application Providers (CAPs) such as Meta are not the solution," they said.

"Network fee proposals are built on a false premise because they do not recognise the value that CAPs create for the digital ecosystem, nor the investments we make in the infrastructure that underpins it."

Telecoms lobbying group ETNO rejected Meta's claims and pointed to the massive outlay required in coming years.

"Official figures show that EUR 174 billion (nearly Rs. 15,54,000 crore) is still required to meet Europe's network investment needs," a spokesperson said.

"Big tech should contribute to filling this gap, as their business heavily relies on the traffic carried by European networks. The average metaverse user is expected to consume up to 40 times more data than today."

Salvadori and Martin cited the tens of billions of euros Meta invests in its apps and platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Quest which in turn creates the demand that allows telecom operators to charge people for internet access.

Meta pointed to the over $880 billion (nearly Rs. 72,27,800 crore) in digital infrastructure around the globe, including about $120 billion (nearly Rs. 9,85,600 crore) a year from 2018 to 2021, which tech companies have collectively invested, saving telecom operators around $6 billion (nearly Rs. 49,280 crore) per year.

It dismissed telecoms providers' arguments that the expansion of the metaverse, shared virtual worlds accessible via the internet, would strain infrastructure capacity.

"But this is nonsense. The development of the metaverse will not require telecom operators to grow capital expenditures for greater network investment," Salvadori and Martin said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a hefty price tag compared to the company's 2022 flagship model. How does it fare against other high-end phones launched in 2023? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

 

 

 

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India will play Asia Cup matches at neutral venues: Sources

The Asia Cup 2023 is likely to be held in Pakistan, with another overseas venue to host India games.

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NBA: Nembhard helps Indiana Pacers edge Toronto Raptors

Andrew Nembhard came up with a key 3-pointer in the final minute to help the visiting Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 118-114 in a thriller on Wednesday night.

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NBA: Denver Nuggets beat Washington Wizards to consolidate top spot

The Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night consolidated their top spot in the Western Conference standings as they held off a fourth-quarter rally to hand the host Washington Wizards their fourth consecutive loss in a 118-104 decision.

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EU Proposes Rule to Let Consumers Get Worn-Out Electronics Repaired From Producers for Up to 10 Years

The European Union wants to give consumers the right to have worn-out products like washing machines and televisions repaired by producers even after the sales guarantee has expired, to cut waste and make goods last longer.

The European Commission proposed rules on Wednesday that would oblige producers to offer repairs for a product for between five and ten years after it was sold — regardless of whether or not the legal guarantee is still valid.

The rules would apply to fridges, vacuum cleaners, televisions, washing machines and other goods that are deemed "repairable" under EU law. The EU is negotiating rules that would extend the requirement to smartphones and tablets.

European consumers and businesses routinely throw away goods that could be repaired, piling up waste and tossing away parts that could be recovered and reused.

A 2020 survey on behalf of Germany's Environment Agency found that the "first-use" lifespan for products including televisions and large household appliances has decreased in recent years.

Some products were not designed to be easily repaired, while for others it was cheaper to buy a new product than repair an old one, the study found. In many cases, consumers simply replaced still-functioning goods because they wanted a newer version.

Under the EU rules, companies would have to repair a defective product for free within the two-year legal guarantee period, if the cost of repair is cheaper or equal to replacing the product.

After that date, companies must still offer repairs, either for free or for a charge. The EU also wants to launch an online service to help consumers find local repairers and thinks competition with other repairers will keep a lid on costs.

European Consumer Organisation BEUC welcomed the proposal, but said it would have made more sense to extend the legal guarantee period for long-lasting products like fridges.

The EU is negotiating a handful of policies designed to nudge companies towards making more sustainable products, and give consumers clearer information about the environmental impact of what they consume.

A second law, proposed by Brussels on Wednesday, would force companies to verify claims that their products are "green" or "eco-friendly".

EU countries and the European Parliament must negotiate and approve both laws, a process that typically takes more than a year.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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The iQoo Neo 7 packs a lot of power at an affordable price. But did the company cut the right corners to keep the price low? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Will Release Sometime in September, Venom Voice Actor Reveals

Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the much-anticipated sequel to the 2018 web-slinging odyssey, Marvel's Spider-Man, will release in September. That's according to the Venom voice actor Tony Todd, who responded to a fan sharing their excitement on Twitter. “Looks like September! Massive publicity coming in August,” he replied, asking fans to hold their breath. Todd rose to prominence in Hollywood with the Candyman series of slasher horror films, and this information was by no accounts tweeted in an official capacity. Developer Insomniac Games might very well change it, but having the detail drop from someone directly involved with the game is reassuring.

The release window puts Spider-Man 2 in a direct contest against Bethesda's upcoming space RPG Starfield, which recently got delayed to September 6. Post-credits scenes in Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales set up Venom as the new antagonist, possibly inhabited by Harry Osborn, whose presence was limited to audio logs and calls in the first game. His voice actor Scott Porter — who also played Heimdall in God of War Ragnarök — won't be returning, claiming that the studio wanted to go photo real in Spider-Man 2 and the age difference between the actor and the character posed a problem for the facial model. The studio previously recast Peter Parker's actor so it results in a youthful appearance — switching from John Bubniak to Yuri Lowenthal.

Looks like September! Massive publicity coming in august. Commercials start dropping in august so I'm told. Hold on to your … and hold breath! Gonna be necessary

— Tony Todd (@TonyTodd54) March 21, 2023

Spider-Man 2 sees Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter reprising their roles as Parker and Miles Morales, respectively, in a blockbuster epic, with the promise of new suits, villains, and a “cool dialogue technology,” as it pushes the PS5 hardware to its limits. Late last year, before even Sony confirmed a fall/ autumn release window for the same, one of the writers, Jamie Mayer, had inadvertently revealed it on their personal website. “Much of the development team” who worked on Spider-Man has returned for the sequel, including creative director Bryan Intihar and game director Ryan Smith. “We've been fortunate to work with so many incredibly talented actors in our Spider-Man games, and Tony has been such a wonderful addition to the cast,” Ryan Schneider, Head of Franchise Strategy & Studio Relations, Insomniac Games, said in a 2021 blog post.

Insomniac Games is also working on a standalone Wolverine game, with creative director Brian Horton and game director Cameron Christian leading development. Both previously led work on Spider-Man: Miles Morales. “In the vein of our Spider-Man games, our goal here is to not only respect the DNA of what makes the character so popular but also look for opportunities to make it feel fresh and truly reflect the Insomniac spirit,” Schneider said during the initial reveal. Insomniac's Spider-Men will also make an appearance in the upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie, though it's unclear how big of a role they have.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will release sometime in September, exclusively on the PS5.

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From Elden Ring to BGMI's ban, 2022 gave us a lot in the gaming space. We discuss it all on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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TikTok Never Shared US Data With Chinese Government, Says CEO Shou Zi Chew Amid Growing Security Concerns

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will tell lawmakers the Chinese-owned short video app with more than 150 million American users has never, and would never, share U.S. user data with the Chinese government amid growing U.S. national security concerns.

"TikTok has never shared, or received a request to share, U.S. user data with the Chinese government. Nor would TikTok honor such a request if one were ever made," Chew will testify on Thursday, according to written testimony posted on Tuesday by the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

He added that TikTok's parent company ByteDance is not owned or controlled by any government or state entity. "Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country," Chew will say to the committee.

TikTok's critics fear that its U.S. user data could be passed on to China's government by the app and prompted growing calls to ban the app U.S. lawmakers. Last week, TikTok said the Biden administration demanded that its Chinese owners divest their stake in the app or it could face a U.S. ban.

"Bans are only appropriate when there are no alternatives. But we do have an alternative," Chew's testimony said.

TikTok has said it has spent more than $1.5 billion (roughly Rs. 1239690 crores) on what it calls rigorous data security efforts under the name "Project Texas."

Chew said when the process is complete "all protected U.S. data will be under the protection of U.S. law and under the control of the U.S.-led security team. Under this structure, there is no way for the Chinese government to access it or compel access to it."

The company said it had started this month to delete U.S. user-protected data in data centres in Virginia and Singapore after it started routing new U.S. data to the Oracle Cloud last year. Chew's testimony said it expects this process to be completed later this year.

Chew's testimony says 60 percent of ByteDance is owned by global institutional investors including Blackrock, General Atlantic,

and Sequoia, about 20 percent by the company's founders, and about

20 percent owned by its employees "including thousands of Americans."

TikTok said on Monday that more than 150 million people in the United States use TikTok on a monthly basis after saying in 2020 that 100 million Americans used the app. Chew's testimony says the average user today is an adult well past college age.

"While users in the United States represent 10 percent of our global community, their voice accounts for 25 percent of the total views around the world," Chew's testimony says.

Chew says current versions of the app do not collect precise or approximate GPS information from U.S. users.

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The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a hefty price tag compared to the company's 2022 flagship model. How does it fare against other high-end phones launched in 2023? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In Pics: Delhi Capitals beat UP Warriorz to qualify for WPL final

Read More on TOI Sports

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NBA: Orlando Magic beat Washington Wizards 122-112

Hosts Orlando Magic dealt a blow to the visiting Washington Wizards' play-in aspirations with a 122-112 win on Tuesday night. It was an all-round impressive performance from the Orlando players, with as many as seven of them scoring at least 14 points.

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NBA: Ingram shines as New Orleans Pelicans pound San Antonio Spurs

An all-round New Orleans Pelicans registered a commanding 35 points victory at home as they routed the visiting San Antonio Spurs 119-84 on Tuesday night. With the massive win, the Pelicans also completed a four-game sweep of the season series.

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NBA: Young helps Atlanta Hawks thrash Detroit Pistons

Trae Young scored 30 points to help the Atlanta Hawks register a thumping 129-107 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

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In Pics - WPL: DC thrash MI, go on top of points table

Read more on TOI Sports

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Mbappe named new France captain after Lloris retirement

Kylian Mbappe has succeeded the retired Hugo Lloris as France captain, a source close to the team told AFP on Monday.

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NBA: Memphis Grizzlies storm back to beat Dallas Mavericks

The Memphis Grizzlies made a stunning comeback in the final quarter to beat Dallas Mavericks 112-108 at home on Monday night. Memphis, who were trailing by 13 points at the end of three quarters, outscored Dallas 29-12 in the fourth and final quarter to earn a hard-fought home win.

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NBA: Ochai Agbaji shines as Utah Jazz beat Sacramento Kings

Rookie Ochai Agbaji powered the short-handed Utah Jazz to a hard-fought 128-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night in Salt Lake City. Agbaji impressed for the Jazz and scored a career-high 27 points.

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