Former Facebook data analyst and whistleblower Sophie Zhang stated that the social media giant was selective in removing fake accounts during the 2020 Delhi elections. She had highlighted that Facebook deactivated three of four fake accounts, with the fourth one being personally handled by a member of parliament from the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). She also stated that Facebook prioritized the removal of fake accounts because India is more important to Facebook than Azerbaijan or Honduras, where she found fake news being shared on Facebook pages but the company refused…
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This time Diwali also brings JioPhone Next to the market
Sundar Pichai has announced that the JioPhone Next will be available in India before Diwali. During Alphabet’s earnings call on Wednesday, Google CEO Larry Page revealed the launch date for the entry-level smartphone. The announcement confirms the rumor that the Jio phone will be released in the country after multiple delays. Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), originally unveiled JioPhone Next at the company’s annual general meeting in June. Ambani had previously stated that the phone would be released on September 10 to coincide with the Hindu festival…
Read MoreMobility startups witness decrease in profit due to pandemic
FY21 was a nightmare for mobility startups and ride-hailing giants like Uber and Ola, as the pandemic affected their operations. While Ola has yet to file financial statistics for FY21 (or even FY20), Uber India saw a 47.3 percent reduction in operating profits during the fiscal year ended March 2021. Uber India’s operating revenue fell to Rs 370.5 crore in FY21, down from Rs 703.1 crore in FY20. During the previous fiscal year, around 81 percent of these revenues, or Rs 300 crore, were earned by Uber’s ride-hailing operation, with…
Read MoreWhatsApp iPhone to Android chat migration is now not limited to Samsung phones only
Google has announced that the chat history migration from WhatsApp iPhone to android phone feature is now accessible on all Pixel phones. The feature will be available on all new Android 12-powered smartphones. Initially, it was only accessible for Samsung devices running Android 10 or higher. Announcing the new feature, Google said in a blog, “We want to make this process easier, so with the recent Android 12 release, we added the ability to transfer all your essentials by connecting your iPhone with your new Android phone using a cable….
Read MoreMicrosoft plans to launch low-cost surface laptop
Microsoft may be contemplating a head-to-head war with Chromebooks, and its ammo may include a low-cost Surface laptop running a new, possibly stripped-down version of Windows 11 called Windows 11 SE. That SE suffix could stand for Special Edition, as it does in the case of the iPhone SE. According to a new study, the new Surface laptop will be a better option to the low-cost Chromebooks on the market. According to Windows Central, the watered-down version of Surface will be called Surface Laptop SE and will be targeted at…
Read MoreMotorola to launch Moto G200 in November
Motorola is getting ready to release another high-end smartphone soon. Following the popularity of the Edge 20 series, Motorola may finally launch the Moto G200. The smartphone’s key specifications have leaked online. The next Moto G200 is believed to include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor as well as a Full HD+ display with a refresh rate of 144HZ. The company has yet to make an official announcement, but the smartphone is likely to be the successor of the Moto G100, which has been made official in China earlier this year….
Read MoreLivspace to join unicorn club soon
Livspace, an omnichannel home interior and renovation platform, is in talks to raise new funding and it will most likely join the coveted club of unicorns soon. According to two people familiar with the details of the deal, the Bengaluru-based startup with operations in Singapore is in late-stage discussions to raise a large investment that could exceed $200 million. The additional funds arrive at a time when Livspace is betting on global expansion. It has been operating in Singapore since 2019, in addition to 13 Indian cities. Livspace had launched…
Read MoreDeHaat raises $115 million in series D round
DeHaat, an online marketplace for farm services and products, has raised $115 million in what appears to be the largest funding round in India for an Agritech startup. Belgian investment company Sofina, and Lightrock India led the company’s Series D round. Temasek joined current investors Prosus, RTP Global, Sequoia Capital India, and FMO in co-investing in the round. In January of this year, the Patna and Gurugram-based business raised $30 million in its Series C round. DeHaat provides farmers with customized inputs, guidance, financial services, and market connections for distribution….
Read MoreFemtech startup healofy making it big
Femtech startup healofy has secured $6.5 million in Series B fundraising led by Celestia Capital and current investor Omidyar Network India. Stride Ventures also provided $1 million in debt to Healofy. From preconception through early parenthood, Healofy offers counselling and assistance to pregnant women. The platform also has a marketplace where users may purchase childcare items. The software also functions as a “women’s social network” for expecting and new moms. “Across the top 20 Indian cities, one out of four women in early stages of motherhood access the Healofy app…
Read MoreFacebook acknowledges the issue over slavery posts
Apple threatened to delete the Facebook and Instagram applications from the App Store due to posts about slavery in the Middle East back in 2019. After Facebook officially said that it “prohibits human exploitation in no uncertain terms,” the Cupertino tech titan reversed its decision. After former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen disclosed records to the Securities and Exchange Commission two years ago, the topic has resurfaced (SEC). Facebook has already said that it was aware of the exploitative conditions of foreign employees and the use of Instagram to…
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