Apple is planning to sell iPhone and iPad as a hardware subscription service and it is estimated that this service may arrive next year. Apple has been emphasizing recurring subscriptions as a new revenue stream and this move will be a push in the direction of subscription services as a whole.
Google is adding appointment availability to search
When you search for a doctor or a clinic on Google, a tab will be visible to let you know when is the next available appointment. You can also click on the ‘book’ tab which will direct you to a third-party site, enabling you to make an appointment.
BYJU’S becomes the official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2022
BYJU’S, the ed-tech company announced today that BYJU’S has become the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. It is the first Indian company to associate with the FIFA World Cup. This will give BYJU’S access to the World Cup’s mark, emblem and assets to run promotions.
Spotify to rename its live audio app
Spotify is planning to rename its live audio app Greenroom as Spotify Live in order to make the app more visible. It will be moved to its main music streaming app and will allow creators to hold conversations where their subscribers can listen to it.
Google to stop selling movies and TV shows on Play app
Google is planning to add Movies and TV shows on the Google TV app and remove them from the Google Play app in May 2022. If you have already purchased content on the Play app, then you will be able to access it from the TV app.
WhatsApp rolls out emoji reactions in Android Beta
WhatsApp, the messaging application will now let its Android Beta users react to a message using an emoji reaction. On long-pressing a message, six emoji reactions will appear on the users’ screen to decide how they want to react to the message. iOS and desktop applications will be receiving a similar feature soon.
4 Easy ways to get unbanned from Omegle – 2022 Edition
If you love to chat on the platform Omegle, chances are that you may or may not have faced getting banned from it. Although the Omegle was created in 2009, by Lief K. Brooks. This web chat service allows strangers to connect and chat with each other over the web via text or video.
The service also added a video chatting feature in 2010 so that whenever people feel bored and don’t want to step out of the house for social interaction, they can choose to go online and log onto Omegle. You can connect with strangers based on your preferences and it also features a “Dorm Chat’ feature that allows students to chat with other students.
The best part about it is you get to stay anonymous! The freedom and connectivity it gives to the world creates a very high chance of users getting banned from the platform. You will meet every type of person on Omegle. Because the web service gives the whole world an arena to meet and greet, they have to place policies and chat moderators to protect the safety of its users. The platform warns the users that the moderators are not perfect so there is still a chance that you get to meet people who misbehave and the platform is not responsible for it.
If you are wondering why you may have been banned from the platform, listed below are some of the possible reasons:
1. You have been reported by another user
This reason can lead to an immediate ban on your account. Although you may have not done anything wrong or offensive, if the other person may have found you to be the slightest amount annoying and reported your account, then Omegle places a ban on you. This is one of the reasons where chances are that it was not your fault but every user has the ability to report you.
2. You drop too many people or people drop you alot
When you are matched with someone on Omegle, you as well as the other person can drop the chat immediately if you don’t find the conversation interesting or engaging enough. Now, maybe you are not being matched by the right person which tends to users frequently dropping you but if this happens too often, the result is being banned from Omegle. The company may get suspicious and takes note of this, it may also think that you are a troll which is why you may face a ban
Interestingly, it can lead to your account being banned if you drop too many people too. The service may assume that you don’t want to participate constructively in it and you are just fooling around.
3. Violating Omegle’s Terms of Use
Omegle has terms and conditions to ensure the safety of the people interacting on the platform and these terms are fairly easy to violate. While Omegle can ban is you for little mistakes like playing a copyrighted song or having a copyrighted video playing anywhere in the background. It also bans you if a moderator catches you ‘flashing’ at someone which is definitely what the platform is not meant for. Other reasons like practicing racism, abusing, spamming, etc. can also result in a ban.
We have covered the probable reasons why did Omegle ban you? Let’s move on to the ways you can use to get yourself unbanned and start chatting with the world again:
1. Wait for a few days:
After getting banned from Omegle, the easiest thing to do is wait for a couple of days. Generally, these bans last only for a few days. Also, your Internet Servicer keeps refreshing your IP Address occasionally so you can go back to chatting without any hassle or work to do.
2. Change your IP Address:
Omegle doesn’t ask you to sign-up when you enter the platform as it identifies you through your IP address. Your IP address is basically like an address of your internet, similar to a house address. So when your account is blocked, the platform blocks your IP Address. There are several simple ways to change your IP Address; using a different mobile network like a friend’s mobile network or a public WiFi. This way you can get connected from a new IP Address. You can also try unplugging your modem or resetting your router. Lastly, you can simply ask your ISP to provide you with a new IP Address.
3. Get a VPN installed:
If you want to start chatting on Omegle right now, without any delay then you should definitely go for this option. A VPN or a Virtual Private Network essentially masks your IP address and gives you the ability to choose a new one from a different region. So, when you use Omegle, it seems as if you are logging in from a new location. To Omegle, you are a new user.
To subscribe to a VPN, you need to choose a VPN service from the internet then install it on your device. After you have finished the subscription and installation part, the VPN gives you the option to choose from multiple locations. Select any one location, mostly a location near to your actual location and finally sign in to Omegle.
Not only for Omegle but also installing a VPN offers you many more features and also increases the security of your internet connection.
4. Using a Proxy Service:
Proxy services work very similarly to a VPN. A proxy service sends your traffic through a channel i.e. an intermediary server to make it seem like that IP Address belongs to you, and enables you to access Omegle.
Now that you know four very easy ways to reinstate your ban from Omegle, you can try it and start connecting with people around the world. The most important thing to remember is that Omegle uses your IP Address to identify your account so if there is a way you can change that, you can access Omegle anytime you want, even after you have been banned.
You can now create your own GIFs on Twitter for iOS
Twitter has announced that iOS users can now add GIFs to their tweets which can be captured from your camera. All you have to do is click on the camera button while composing a tweet and choose between photo, video and GIF options. After capturing a GIF of a couple of seconds, you can add it to your tweets and share.
Uber is planning to temporarily remove the fare splitting feature
Uber is temporarily removing the fare splitting feature around next month to roll out a new one in the coming months. The company is currently reworking on the feature and will be launching an improved one since the company knows it is a very popular feature.
Zomato will launch a 10-minute food delivery service
Next month, Zomato is planning to launch an ultra-fast food delivery service that will deliver food items in 10 to 15 minutes in Gurgaon. The company is also setting up warehouses and adding ‘co-working’ style cooking stations.
Russia bans Facebook and Instagram from doing business in the country
Tverskoy Court of Moscow has banned Meta and Instagram from doing any business or opening new branches in Russia. This ban was placed due to ‘extremist activities’ the company was engaging in. The ban excludes the messaging app WhatsApp.
PayPal is expanding its features for Ukrainians
PayPal is waiving off its normal transaction fees in Ukraine. Ukrainians can send or receive money from PayPal or Xoom Payments without having to pay the transaction fee. They will also be able to transfer money to Visa and Mastercard cards. Funds can also be received or sent in USD, Canadian Dollars, British pounds and Euros.
Google app android users can now delete their last 15 minutes search history
Google app launched a feature of deleting the last fifteen minutes of search history for iOS in July. Google has now started to roll out the same feature for Android users on the Google app.
Infra.Market did not disclose Rs. 224 crore income
The Income Tax Department has reported that a Pune and Thane based startup failed to report Rs. 224 crore in income. Although, the name of the startup was not disclosed, it is likely to be Infra.Market.
Messaging app Telegram’s ban has been lifted in Brazil
The supreme court of Brazil had blocked Telegram, a messaging app three days ago. The country has lifted this ban after the company made changes to avoid the spread of misinformation.
Google continues to face toxic work culture allegations
For a few years now, the tech-giant Google has been facing a lot of heat regarding sexism, racism and queer-bias faced by employees. The company tries to keep this concealed and avoid any outrage but the out-spoken employees have addressed issues time and again to make their voices heard.
Timnit Gebru was part of Google’s Ethical AI Team until the end of 2020 when the company fired her because of an email she sent to highlight that the company should increase minority hiring and pay attention to the bias in artificial intelligence. The email sent by her read, “Your life starts getting worse when you start advocating for underrepresented people. You start making the other leaders upset, there is no way more documents or more conversations will achieve anything.” The departure of Timnit Gebru raised a lot of questions and also affected the people working around her.
David W. Baker, an engineering director of Google also left the company to protest the removal of the AI researcher. She moved on to create an organization- DAIR or Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research to promote the development of AI that is socially beneficial and ethical.
Alex Hanna, who joined the tech-giant in July 2018, working as an AI Researcher also left the company in February. She was researching the real-world effects of AI technology after working as a Sociology professor. In her resignation announcement, Alex Hanna said, “But Google’s toxic problems are no mystery to anyone who’s been there for more than a few months, or who have been following the tech news with a critical eye. Many folks — especially Black women like April Curley and Timnit — have made clear just how deep the rot is in the institution. I am quitting because I’m tired.”
Alex Hanna had finally had enough when the company fired Timnit Gebru. She also mentioned that after she got fired, no one was held accountable from the Google Research Leadership which was very disturbing for Hanna. She also pointed out in her resignation announcement that before Google hired Timnit, the management has never recruited a Black woman as a research scientist.
“Your life starts getting worse when you start advocating for underrepresented people. You start making the other leaders upset, there is no way more documents or more conversations will achieve anything.”
-Timnit Gebru
The resignation of Alex Hanna has created turmoil amongst the working forces in big tech companies like Apple and Netflix. Before she left the company, there were various moments that felt like ‘signs’ or displayed that the company is moving to more unethical dimensions and that it was time to move on.
The ‘Whiteness’ Problem of Tech
“Google is not just a tech organization. Google is a white tech organization. Meta is a white tech organization,” read Alex Hanna’s Medium Post. Tech companies including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and many more are committed to protecting ‘the whiteness’, meaning to defend any action regarding their hiring process, hierarchization, and monetization.
On asking her, whether this problem can be solved, she said, “I think it really demands changing a lot of elements and the way that organizations are structured, about how they hire, about how they recruit. Those things definitely need a sea change, and those steps need to be taken.”
Google, is still a majority-male company to change the work culture which is especially degrading to women of color, there is a lot that needs to be changed. After leaving Google, she has joined Timnit Gebru at the DAIR as the director of Research. Although she expressed that there are many benefits to working in a tech giant look Google and she loved her team in the company, her experiences of racism and sexism prompted her to take the step. On the other hand, Timnit Gebru was always a strong manager and she gave Alex Hanna the opportunity to work in research that was more in the public interest and out of corporate funding.
Alex Hanna ended her Medium Post by giving a message to tech workers. It was as follows: For tech workers: continue to complain, to be a feminist ear for others, and to develop institutional analyses of your own.
Ukraine legalizes cryptocurrencies
After a month of passing a bill in the parliament to legalize cryptocurrencies, Volodymyr Zlenesky has signed a bill to establish a legal framework for operating a regulated crypto market. This decision was taken as the country has received donations worth millions of dollars to help the country amidst the war with Russia.
Shahrukh Khan and Disney+ Hotstar collaborate for a brilliant ad campaign
King Khan aka Shahrukh Khan started his journey in Bollywood a few decades ago. Time and again the ‘King of Bollywood’ has surprised us with his spectacular performance and versatility in acting. A couple of weeks ago, the actor shared the teaser of his new film Pathan which is set to release in 2023. He will be sharing the screen with actors Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.
In September 2021, the superstar also shared a teaser about a potential project with Disney Hotstar+, and on Tuesday, referencing a dialogue from his movie ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ he shared on his social media platforms, “Kuch kuch hone wala hain, OTT ki duniya mein (something is going to happen in the world of OTT).” Everyone including fans and fellow actors felt that he is announcing the launch of his new OTT app SRK+.
Fans got extremely excited about the announcement he shared with everyone. Director Anurag Kashyap revealed that he will be collaborating with the actor in this project. His friend and fellow actor, Salman Khan also re-tweeted Sharukh Khan’s tweet adding, “Aaj ki party teri taraf se (the party is on you today). Congrats on your new OTT app, SRK+.”
But after receiving a whooping response on the OTT platform launch, another social media post by the actor revealed that this was a part of Disney Hotstar’s advertising campaign. The actor collaborated with the company for an advertisement that also featured Anurag Kashyap. In the post, you can see Anurag Kashyap pitching movie ideas to Sharukh Khan but all the ideas are already available on Disney+ Hotstar. On knowing this, Salman Khan again tweeted, “Zindagi mein do cheezein kabhi underestimate mat karna- SRK and his sense of humour. SRK+ aaye an aaye, maza Bahut aaya.”
This brilliant advertisement campaign was so strategically planned that in a span of one day it captured the attention of people from all over social media.
Now you can collaborate on Google Docs to draft emails
A new feature in Google Docs has enabled an email draft template so users can collaborate and export the created draft to Gmail. The ‘ @ menu’ will allow users to add recipients and proceed to collaborate in the body of the message using comments and suggestions.
Twitter to introduce a feature similar to Instagram’s Close Friends
For around a year, Twitter has been testing a feature that will allow users to share their tweets only to a subset of people that the users can decide. This feature is similar to Instagram’s Close Friends feature and the company is calling it ‘Twitter Circle’. The intro page of the feature popped up on the screens of some users but the company said that it was because of a bug.
