South Korean gaming company Krafton will relaunch the India version of its popular game – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), for mobile users. This will come in a new avatar called Battlegrounds Mobile India. Krafton has not set a timeline for the launch of the mobile multiplayer game in the country. In September last year, PUBG Mobile, which was published in India by Chinese internet giant Tencent, was banned along with other Chinese apps after a prolonged border standoff between the neighbours. Following the ban, PUBG Corp, the subsidiary of Krafton, severed…
Read MoreDay: May 7, 2021
Facebook Plans to Build a ‘Parent-Controlled’ Instagram for Children Under 13
Facebook is building a version of Instagram that will be tailored to children under the age of 13, PEOPLE confirms. “Increasingly kids are asking their parents if they can join apps that help them keep up with their friends,” a Facebook spokesperson tells PEOPLE. “Right now there aren’t many options for parents, so we’re working on building additional products — like we did with Messenger Kids — that are suitable for kids, managed by parents.” Messenger Kids debuted in late 2017 as a privacy-focused app for children, according to Tech…
Read MoreFacebook’s Trump Ban Upheld by Oversight Board for Now
Donald Trump’s ban from Facebook and Instagram has been upheld by Facebook’s Oversight Board. But it criticised the indefinite nature of the ban as beyond the scope of Facebook’s normal penalties. It has ordered Facebook to review the decision and “justify a proportionate response” that is applied to everyone, including ordinary users. The former president was banned from both sites in January following the Capitol Hill riots. The Oversight Board said the initial decision to permanently suspend Mr Trump was “indeterminate and standardless”, and that the correct response should be…
Read MoreXRSpace Headset Opens Door to New Virtual World
A new virtual reality headset designed for mobility will serve as an entry point into a new virtual world, its maker announced Tuesday. The US$599 Mova headset from XRSpace, founded by former HTC chief Peter Chou, will support 5G and be the exclusive on-ramp to Manova, a social reality platform that aims to defy the boundaries of space and time to bring people together. Users can roam Manova as full-body avatars with a user’s personal features to socialize, work and play in a number of public and private spaces, according…
Read MoreSpotify Buys Megaphone for $235 million
Swedish music streaming giant Spotify has acquired podcast advertising and publishing firm Megaphone, in a deal worth a reported $235 million. The deal will help Spotify provide targeted ads, and expand advertising monitoring tools to third-party podcast providers. The Stockholm brand’s advertising revenue will rise this quarter, executives have claimed. It is the latest in a flurry of deals made by Spotify, which is trying to boost its presence in the booming podcast industry. Since last February, when it bought Alex Blumberg’s network Gimlet Media, Spotify has bagged high-profile shows…
Read MoreIndia, UK to Ramp Up Cooperation in Science, Technology, Innovation
New Delhi: India and the UK will step up cooperation in the area of science, technology and innovation including strengthening the role of women in STEMM disciplines at schools, universities, and research institutions, the Department of Science and Technology said on Friday. The two sides will work to create an enabling environment for equal participation of women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicines) disciplines through collaboration on new initiatives like Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) project. In a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his…
Read MoreIIT Chennai Startup Builds ‘India’s First’ 3D Printed House
Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, a start-up founded by alumni of IIT Madras, has made what it says is India’s first 3D-printed house. The team printed the structure using a specialty concrete that it had developed to print large-scale 3D structures in short periods. They say the mix is based on ordinary portland cement, which has a lower water-cement ratio. Though concrete is the primary material typically used in construction projects, it cannot be recycled and requires a lot of energy to mix and transport. So, the team’s effort to use technology…
Read MoreIndian Startup Organization Proposes Regulatory Framework for Crypto
IndiaTech.org, an industry association representing India’s consumer internet startups and investors, wants to provide clear definitions for the cryptocurrency industry. On Wednesday, the association released a white paper including a policy proposal with recommendations for a regulatory framework for crypto assets and crypto exchanges in India. The proposed framework suggests to define cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) as digital assets and not currencies. “Define cryptocurrencies as digital assets and not currencies and grant them recognition as digital assets like gold, stocks, or marketable securities,” the proposal reads. The framework further recommends…
Read MoreTwitter Acquires News Startup Scroll in Push for Subscriptions
Twitter Inc said Tuesday it had bought news technology company Scroll, which it will use as part of an upcoming subscription offering. Twitter has been working to offer new types of content on its social media site, including audio and long-form content, after previously acquiring newsletter platform Revue. Scroll allows users to subscribe and read news articles from publishers including Insider, BuzzFeed and USA Today without ads. The company says publishers who work with Scroll earn more money than they would by selling advertising. The deal will help Twitter build…
Read MoreStockal Lands $3 million Funding from Aroa Ventures, others
Stockal, a platform that enables global investments for Indians, on Thursday said it has raised $3 million in funding from Aroa Ventures, Cadenza Capital Management, and others. The pre-series A round saw participation from Aroa Ventures (OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal’s family office), Cadenza Capital Management, Kristal.ai, Tracxn Labs, July Ventures, and Credence Family Office, a statement said. The company has raised $5 million in funding since its launch in January last year. “Stockal will use the funding to turbocharge its growth into new markets, starting from Indonesia in South East…
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