As of March 31, 2021, when Apple released the iOs 14.5 beta update to its operating system, Siri no longer defaults to a female voice when using American English. Users must now choose between two male and two female voices when enabling the voice assistant. This move could be interpreted as a response to the backlash against the gender bias embodied by Siri

But how meaningful is this change really?

Siri has been criticized as embodying several facets of gender bias in artificial intelligence. Digital sociologists Yolande Strengers and Jenny Kennedy argue that Siri, along with other voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home, have been developed in order to “carry out ‘wifework’ — domestic duties that have traditionally fallen on (human) wives.”

Siri was originally only voiced as female and programmed to not only perform “wifely” duties such as checking the weather or setting a morning alarm, but also to respond flirtatiously. The use of sexualized phrases by Siri has been extensively documented by hundreds of YouTube videos with titles such as “Things You Should NEVER Ask SIRI” (which has more than 18 million views).

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In a bid to help businesses of all sizes boost productivity in the hybrid work scenario, Microsoft on Wednesday announced a new Cloud service called Windows 365 that will run in Microsoft Cloud and allow customers to set up a Cloud PC with ease.

Windows 365 is not a new operating system but a new way to experience either Windows 10 or Windows 11 in a virtual environment, that streams the full Windows experience to any device. Essentially, Windows 365 allows customers to fuse together the best of the cloud and the device itself.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said that with Windows 365, the company is creating a new category: the Cloud PC.

“Just like applications were brought to the cloud with SaaS, we are now bringing the operating system to the cloud, providing organisations with greater flexibility and a secure way to empower their workforce to be more productive and connected, regardless of location,” Nadella said during the ‘Microsoft Inspire 2021’ event.

Windows 365 will be generally available to businesses of all sizes starting on August 2.

Windows 365 is not a replacement for Azure Virtual Desktop or AVD which is the starting point that the company uses to build Windows 365.

While in AVD, you pay on a consumption basis, in Windows 365, you will pay per user per month per PC or per Cloud PC.

Jared Spataro, corporate vice president, Microsoft 365 said that hybrid work has fundamentally changed the role of technology in organisations in the pandemic.

“Cloud PC is an exciting, new category of hybrid personal computing that turns any device into a personalised, productive, and secure digital workspace,” he said.

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Twitter on Wednesday announced that it will discontinue its Fleets feature, the platform’s own version of stories that disappear after 24 hours, on August 3.

The announcement means the company will end the feature it rolled out last year to compete with the stories features available in Snapchat and Instagram, The Verge reported.

“We hoped Fleets would help more people feel comfortable joining the conversation on Twitter,” Ilya Brown, Twitter’s vice president of product, said in a statement. “But, in the time since we introduced Fleets to everyone, we haven’t seen an increase in the number of new people joining the conversation with Fleets like we hoped.”

Twitter introduced Fleets in November 2020. The feature lets Twitter users post full-screen photos, videos, reactions to tweets or plain text that disappears after 24 hours. Fleets came years after Snapchat and Facebook introduced similar options for their users.

“Fleets are mostly used by people who are already Tweeting to amplify their own Tweets and talk directly with others,” the company said. “We’ll explore more ways to address what holds people back from participating on Twitter.”

The Verge reported that Twitter’s decision to discontinue Fleets is not just an admission that the feature didn’t work, but that the company still hasn’t figured out how to get people tweeting more.

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Netflix Inc., marking its first big move beyond TV shows and films, is planning an expansion into video games and has hired a former Electronic Arts Inc. and Facebook Inc. executive to lead the effort.

Mike Verdu will join Netflix as vice president of game development, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Greg Peters, the company said on Wednesday. Verdu was previously Facebook’s vice president in charge of working with developers to bring games and other content to Oculus virtual-reality headsets.

The idea is to offer video games on Netflix’s streaming platform within the next year, according to a person familiar with the situation. The games will appear alongside current fare as a new programming genre — similar to what Netflix did with documentaries or stand-up specials. The company doesn’t currently plan to charge extra for the content, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private.

Netflix shares gained as much as 3.3% to $566 in late trading after Bloomberg reported the news. The stock had been up 1.3% this year through Wednesday’s close.

Netflix has been seeking ways to keep growing, especially in more saturated markets such as the U.S. That’s included building out its kids’ programming, opening an online shop to sell merchandise, and tapping Steven Spielberg to bring more prestigious movies to its lineup. The company remains well ahead of streaming rivals such as Disney+ or HBO Max, but it added fewer subscribers than expected in its most recently reported quarter.

ALSO READ: Spielberg to make movies for Netflix, as firm looks for quality content

Pushing into games would be one of Netflix’s boldest moves yet. In Verdu, the company has an executive who worked on popular mobile games at Electronic Arts, including titles in the Sims, Plants vs. Zombies and Star Wars franchises. He also served as chief creative officer for Zynga Inc. between 2009 and 2012.

Netflix will be building out its gaming team in the coming months, according to the person familiar with the matter. The company has already started advertising for game-development related positions on its website.

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Google has quietly ended unlimited group video calls facility for free accounts on its video calling app Meet, and the users will now get only an hour time for group calls.

According to an update on Google support page for Meet users, at 55 minutes, everyone gets a notification that the call is about to end.

“To extend the call, the host can upgrade their Google account. Otherwise, the call will end at 60 minutes,” the company said in the update.

One-on-one calls will be available for up to 24 hours and calls with three or more participants for up to 60 minutes.

However, Google Workspace individual subscribers can host one-on-one calls and group calls with three or more participants for up to 24 hours.

The company continued providing unlimited calls (up to 24 hours) in the free version of its video conferencing app called Meet till the end of June for Gmail accounts.

Google last year announced that anyone with a Google account was allowed to create free meetings with up to 100 people with no time limit in the pandemic times.

Google last month announced that its integrated communication and collaboration service Workspace is now available to everyone with a Google account.

The company’s 3 billion-plus existing users across consumer, enterprise, and education have access to the full Google Workspace experience, including Gmail, Chat, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet and more.

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Apple Inc. has asked suppliers to build as many as 90 million next-generation iPhones this year, a sharp increase from its 2020 iPhone shipments, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant has maintained a consistent level in recent years of roughly 75 million units for the initial run from a device’s launch through the end of the year. The upgraded forecast for 2021 would suggest the company anticipates its first iPhone launch since the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines will unlock additional demand. The next iPhones will be Apple’s second with 5G, a key enticement pushing users to upgrade.

This year’s update will be more incremental than last year’s iPhone 12, emphasizing processor, camera and display improvements, the people said, asking not to be named as the plans are not public. Apple is planning updates to all of the current models, spanning the 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch regular versions and the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch Pro models. The phones, codenamed D16, D17, D63, and D64, are all expected to be announced in September, earlier than last year’s October introduction partly thanks to the supply chain recovering.

At least one of the new versions will have an LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) display capable of alternating its refresh rate based on the content being shown. Apple has used this technology in the Apple Watch for several years, allowing the screen to be slower in certain situations–such as the Always On mode–to extend battery life. Oppo, OnePlus and Samsung Electronics Co. already have LTPO screens in their flagship phones. The new iPhones with LTPO displays will also use IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology for improved power efficiency and responsiveness.

While the design of the new Apple phones will remain largely unchanged, the company plans to reduce the size of the front-facing camera and face unlock sensor cutout, or notch, to better match its rivals. The company hopes to eventually remove the notch entirely in a future version of the iPhone and is likely to shrink its size further next year.

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Samsung has reportedly signed a deal with Elon Musk’s electric car maker Tesla worth $436 million to let its latest camera modules to be used in Cybertruck.

According to a report in Sam Mobile, the South Korean tech giant will supply the biggest electric car manufacturer in the US with its camera modules.

Samsung’s camera modules will be used by Tesla’s latest electric vehicle that was unveiled in November 2019, the reports claimed.

The prototype vehicle showcased on stage wasn’t equipped with conventional rearview mirrors, but instead, it used an array of cameras connected to the dashboard’s displays.

The production model shouldn’t be all that different from the original prototype and these reports further confirm that the Cybertruck will have a mirrorless design.

The partnership between the two companies isn’t new.

Earlier, Samsung has supplied Tesla with other EV-related technologies before, including batteries, and reports indicate that the new PixCell LED headlamp developed by Samsung will also be used by Tesla for its future EVs.

Tesla is believed to have close to 1 million reservations for the Cybertruck at this point.

Musk has confirmed that the Tesla Cybertruck will be equipped with a 4-wheel directional steering, resulting in a feature similar to the Hummer EV’s ‘Crab mode’.

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As 5G technology slowly but steadily spreads across the world, smartphone brand OPPO on Tuesday released its 6G strategy, saying that artificial intelligence (AI) will act as a new dimension to the next generation of communication networks, helping 6G networks self-optimise and dynamically administrate themselves.

The 6G technology will fundamentally revolutionise how AI infers, learns, interacts, and is applied, making the technology and its benefits available to all, according to a 6G white paper released by the OPPO Research Institute.

Mobile communication technology evolves in decade-long periods, and standardisation of the next generation of communication technology is expected to begin in 2025, with commercial implementation following in around 2035,” said Henry Tang, OPPO’s Chief 5G Scientist.

“Looking towards 2035, OPPO expects the number of intelligent agents in the world to far exceed the number of humans. Therefore, the next generation of communication technology, 6G, should be able to serve the needs not only of people but of all forms of intelligence and their various interactions,” he elaborated.

OPPO has established a pre-research team to conduct preliminary research on 6G service and technology requirements, key technologies and system features.

Empowered by 6G, smart devices will become important participants and users of AI, downloading and deploying AI algorithms at different application levels to create new immersive experiences while also constantly collecting data to feed more advanced AI models.

For example, in the case of autonomous vehicles, 6G networks will be able to assign the most appropriate AI algorithm and the optimal communication connection based on the location of the vehicle and the current physical environment.

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Consumer tech brand Nothing on Monday said that its first true wireless earbuds — Nothing ear (1) — will cost Rs 5,999 in India, as the wireless hearable market goes through a transformation in the country.

Available on Flipkart after its official launch globally on July 27, Nothing ear (1) features state-of-the-art Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) which uses three high definition mics to bring music, films and podcasts into sharp focus.

The London-based brand, headed by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, earlier announced the global price of the earbuds at 99 pounds.

“India is an important market for Nothing and and in partnership with Flipkart, we look forward to introducing ear (1) to Indian users at the same time as our global launch,” said Manu Sharma, Vice President and General Manager, Nothing India.

“Starting with ear (1), our products will be uniquely designed and easy to use. Above all, they will be devices we are proud to use ourselves and recommend to our friends and family,” he said in a statement.

According to the company, the true wireless earbuds will combine raw beauty and precise engineering for a pure sound experience.

“We believe the earphones market is begging for differentiation, space where we can elevate design and deliver value from day one,” according to Sharma.

The company had said that Flipkart will play an integral role in building Nothing’s presence in India and launching its highly-anticipated true wireless earbuds.

The earbuds will combine notes of transparency, iconic form and refined functionality.

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Samsung is one of the few brands that continue to sell Android operating system-based tablets in India. Fresh in the South Korean electronics maker’s tablet portfolio is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE. This tablet is a trimmed-down version of the company’s flagship Galaxy Tab S7+ (review). Though it cuts corners on several fronts, the tablet does not compromise on the core strength the company’s premium tablets stand for. That said, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is an Android OS-based tablet with access to Google Play Store and the many apps that come with it. Besides, the tablet can double up as a laptop through the integrated Samsung DeX computing platform, when paired with Samsung Book Cover keyboard (sold separately). Rounding up the package is the Samsung SPen, which is capable of doing a lot more than what a regular stylus does.

Tablets originally came to fill the gap between smartphones and laptops. While most tablets failed to justify the nomenclature, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE seems to be an outlier. Being a tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has a lightweight design and portable build. Made of metal, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE looks premium from all sides. It has a mammoth 12.4-inch TFT touch screen of 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) resolution with SPen support for handwriting, scribbling, drawing, etc. Though the screen lacks the oomph that the company’s premium tablets with super AMOLED screen of 120Hz refresh rate offer, it is a decent one for everyday use for regular chores or entertainment purposes.

Speaking of entertainment, Samsung has not just downgraded the screen but also the built-in speakers in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE. Instead of the quad-speaker set-up of the premium models, the FE model gets just two speakers. That said, the TFT screen of 60Hz refresh rate does not impact the entertainment experience as much as the muted sounding stereo speakers do. On the bright side, the speakers are tuned by AKG and support Dolby Atmos.

Coming to the utility, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is fun to use as a tablet to experience the Android apps on a bigger screen and to watch multimedia content. However, its utility goes beyond when connected with the Samsung Book Cover keyboard for the Samsung DeX computing platform. The tablet boots Android tablet user interface by default but quickly shifts to DeX if you connect the Book Cover accessory. The DeX mode can also be manually enabled from the notification settings if you want to use it without the Book Cover keyboard.

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