Invite-only audio chat app Clubhosue has struck a deal with TED to bring exclusive talks on its platform starting Monday.

The deal lets TED sell ads and sponsorships for its conversations and Clubhouse will not take any share, reports The Verge.

It’s still not clear if the chats will be available as podcasts or other on-demand recordings.

The first TED Talks room was set to arrive on Clubhouse on Monday, and additional rooms will be launched soon via TED’s Clubhouse club.

TED can now host regular Q&As and integrate audience interaction on Clubhouse.

TED has a growing podcast business, with over 1.65 million episode downloads per day.

Clubhouse is also working on its own private messaging feature, at a time when companies like Facebook and Spotify are launching a copycat service to take on Clubhouse which has grown in popularity.

The company accidentally leaked a private messaging feature called Backchannel to some users last month.

Backchannel is likely to let users chat via text instead of audio, just like WhatsApp or Telegram.

The TED partnership comes at a time when Facebook has rolled out Live Audio Rooms and podcasts on its platforms for public figures and select users in the US.

Spotify has also debuted Greenroom, its live audio Clubhouse rival.

Read Complete Article

Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp messaging app faces a European complaint after its allegedly “aggressive” roll out of new terms and services sparked outrage among consumer-rights campaigners.

The updated policy, in effect since May, remains opaque and makes it impossible for users to get a clear understanding of what consequences WhatsApp’s changes entail for their privacy, European consumer association BEUC said in a statement on Monday.

“WhatsApp has been bombarding users for months with aggressive and persistent pop-up messages to force them to accept its new terms of use and privacy policy,” Monique Goyens, director general of BEUC, said in the statement. “They’ve been telling users that their access to their app will be cut off if they do not accept the new terms” and remained “deliberately vague” about data processing.

WhatsApp announced the policy changes in January, but was forced to delay its introduction until May, because of confusion and user backlash over what data the messaging service collects and how it shares that information with parent Facebook.

Together with eight of its members, Brussels-based BEUC said it submitted a complaint with the European Commission and the European network of consumer authorities.

The filing urges regulators to open an investigation into WhatsApp’s practices and demand that the terms and services users agreed to “via the contentious practices” shouldn’t be binding on them.

Spokespeople for Facebook and WhatsApp didn’t immediately comment.

Read Complete Article

Italy continued their 34-match winning streak as it defeated England in the final of Uefa European Championship (Euro 2020) that went into a penalty shootout after a 1-1 scoreline after extra time at the Wembley Stadium in London on Monday. England missed three penalties in the shootout as Italy defeated England 3-2 in the Euro 2020 final. The loss for the home team meant their search for a second major title after their 1966 World Cup, 55 years ago, and first European title continues.

For Italy, this is their second European title after 1968 and first najor title since the 2006 World Cup win. This was their second final in the last three Euro editions. The high-octane clash between the two teams started with England taking the lead in the second minute of the game. However, the initial intensity in the English side dropped and they were not able to create many chances. In the second half, the Italians took control of the game and started threatening England’s goalpost. The breakthrough for Italy came in the 67th minute after defender Leonardo Bonucci scored from close range.

Italy’s unbeaten run continues under manager Roberto Mancini. They have been undefeated for 34 matches which goes back to September 2018. Since Mancini took over, he has turned the team around from after their low point of missing the bus for the 2018 World Cup. The Italians are a complete team now with efficiency their key feature. With the next World Cup to take place in 2022, the Italians will hope to continue their form.

For England, this is a major disappointment. They have never been this close to a title since the 1966 World Cup. In the history of the tournament, only thrice the home country has been able to win the tournament. In the Euro Cup 2016, the host France too lost the final against Portugal.

Many would argue that the team became overconfident. However, its undeniable that the team is on the rise. They reached the semi-final of the World Cup in 2018, final of Euro this year, and there is another World Cup next year. The team did not perform up to its standard in the final but the team is filled with young and exciting talents, many of whom have already shined at the club stage.

Read Complete Article

Apple is expected to release its next lineup of MacBook Pros later this year and a lot of rumours point to a fact that the infamous Touch Bar may be gotten rid of.

As per Mashable, the new MacBook Pros are said to feature a new generation of Apple Silicon processors and a shiny new design.

But one surprise rumour is that the Touch Bar is going to be replaced by a more regular row of functional keys, a change that wasn’t required in the first place.

To jog your memory a bit, the Touch Bar was first introduced to a handful of MacBook Pro models in 2016. It is an OLED touchscreen that sits just above the MacBook Pro keyboard. Its dynamic controls offer users shortcuts relevant to what content is on the most screen. It also offers quick access to system-level shortcuts.

It’s been controversial and that a bit of an understatement. While it’s not universally hated just like the butterfly keyboard appeared to be, not everyone liked it.

According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (via 9To5Mac), Apple is removing the Touch Bar from future upcoming MacBook Pro devices, despite it being the third largest use of OLED displays.

“Touch Bars continue to be the #3 application with an 18 per cent unit share and 1.2 per cent revenue share in Q1’21,” DSCC explained.

Read Complete Article

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo’s spin-off brand iQOO took a while to expand its product portfolio in India after an impressive debut with the launch of the iQOO 3 (review) in 2020. The brand’s product portfolio might still seem thin but it now has some heavy-weights in the offerings, including the recently launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 powered iQOO 7 Legend.

The smartphone has been available in India for quite some time now and I assume most people in the tech space and tech enthusiasts would already know about the good and bad that is on the platter here. For the uninitiated, here is how the iQOO 7 Legend fares in real life:

iQOO 7 Legend: Design and build:

First thing first, the BMW stripes on the white rear panel gives the iQOO 7 Legend a distinct look, away from the usual gradients common to see in smartphones these days. Other than the BMW stripes, the iQOO 7 Legend is a regular looking smartphone. It has a protruding rear camera module similar to the one seen on other Vivo phones.

The curved rear panel has a matte finish and it meets the aluminium frame giving a fine grip. The metal frame has a fine finish to it, giving this phone a neat look. On the right side, there is a volume rocker and a power button, which is textured and highlighted in blue. The bottom side has a SIM tray, USB-C port, and a speaker. Despite being a gaming smartphone first, the iQOO 7 Legend unfortunately lacks the 3.5mm jack for audio-out.

Read Complete Article

Realme has been making strides in the midrange segment, which seems to be the new battleground for smartphone brands in India. Fresh in the Chinese smartphone maker’s midrange portfolio is the Realme X7 Max 5G, which is the third smartphone it has launched in the X-series this year. Though the phone seems similar to the Realme X7 Pro 5G (review) on parameters more than one, it exudes differences both the way it looks and operates. Being a motley mix, the Realme X7 Max 5G is priced (Rs 26,999 onwards) lesser than the Pro model. Does the Realme X7 Max 5G fit the bill? Let’s find out:

Design

The Realme X7 Max 5G looks similar to most other Realme smartphones, boring that is. Realme has not brought any significant changes to its smartphone design language for about a year now and the ageing is now apparent, especially when compared to smartphones from other brands. Made mostly of plastic, the smartphone has a grainy finish on the back cover (review unit: asteroid black) that provides solid in-hand grip and aids handling. The plastic construction extends to the frame that makes the phone less durable compared to ones with metallic chassis. The Realme X7 Max 5G might not be a looker, but it is one of the few smartphones in its segment that is easy to hold and operate – thanks to its lightweight built and compact form factor. Though best operated using both hands, the phone does not feel unwieldy even after extended usage.

Read Complete Article

OnePlus will launch the Nord 2 5G in India and Europe on July 22, confirmed the Chinese smartphone maker’s co-founder Pete Lau on Thursday. Successor to the OnePlus Nord (review), the Nord 2 5G will be powered by MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI system-on-chip. According to OnePlus, this SoC is an enhanced version of the standard Dimensity 1200 designed in collaboration with MediaTek.

“The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a comprehensive upgrade from the first OnePlus Nord, from camera to performance to charging, as well as the newly AI-focused Dimensity 1200-AI SoC. We are confident that it delivers the dependable OnePlus fast and smooth experience you love, and lives up to the “Never Settle” ethos,” Pete Lau said in a blogpost.

According to MediaTek, the Dimensity 1200-AI is the first example of MediaTek’s Dimensity Open Resource Architecture initiative, optimising the Dimensity 1200 5G chipset to deliver a customised experience for OnePlus users.

In a statement released on July 7, OnePlus said the Nord 2 5G will integrate several AI-enabled advancements: AI-assisted photography for superior imaging, display enhancements for a top-ranking user experience, better response times for faster and smoother gaming, etc.

According to OnePlus, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G will use AI Photo Enhancements to recognise up to 22 different photography scenarios. Based on the scenario, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G camera is touted to automatically adjusts the color tones and contrast to capture quality frames even at night and in other low-light environments. For videos, the AI Video Enhancement feature enables live HDR effects in real time during recording. The AI-customised chipset uses DOL-HDR technology to improve image quality, adjust tuning while live recording, and enhance the color range and color accuracy of videos. 

Read Complete Article

Facebook “misplaced” guidance on an important exemption to its rules on dangerous individuals and organizations for three years, the company’s independent oversight board said on Thursday.

The board, which was created by the company to rule on a small slice of contentious content decisions, said it had overturned Facebook’s original removal of an Instagram post encouraging people to talk about the solitary confinement of Abdullah Ocalan, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

It said the content should never have been removed, but it also said that after it selected the case, Facebook found a relevant piece of its internal rules had “inadvertently not transferred” to a new review system in 2018.

This guidance made an exception to Facebook’s rules, which prohibit support or praise of individuals or organizations it designates as dangerous, to allow discussion on the conditions of confinement.

Facebook has long been under scrutiny over what is allowed on its platforms and has been criticized by the board for a lack of transparency around its rules. The board said it was “concerned” that Facebook had lost an important policy exemption for this time and that this could have led to other posts being wrongly taken down.

It said the guidance, which was not shared with Facebook’s policy team, was developed in 2017 partly in response to concerns about the conditions of Ocalan’s imprisonment.

A company spokeswoman declined to answer Reuters questions about how the policy was lost. The board said Facebook was conducting a review of how it failed to transfer the guidance but said it was not “technically feasible” to determine how many pieces of content were taken down while the guidance was not available. Facebook had restored the content before the board’s decision.

Read Complete Article

From neckband-style earphones to true wireless earbuds, Realme is one smartphone brand that has significantly expanded its audio range despite being new to the segment. Importantly, the Chinese brand has been consistently democratising premium features like active noise cancellation in its inexpensive offerings. Fresh in its line-up is the Realme Buds Q2, priced at Rs 2,499. These true wireless earbuds seem to be undersell for someone to experience active noise cancellation (ANC) for the first time without actually having to pay much. But how does the product fare in real-life scenarios? Let’s find out:Design

The Realme Buds Q2 come in active black and calm grey colour themes. Made of plastic, the active black (review unit) colour model has a matte finish with glossy film on the touch area that reflects blue hues. The earbuds are IPX5-rated for protection against water ingress. As for the earbuds’ charging case, it is a pill-shaped unit with a matte black finish. It is curved from all sides, including bottom, which makes it unstable on flat surfaces. On the positive side, the case is small and can easily fit even in the most cramped spaces like a jeans pocket, travel bag, etc. Though the case looks unimpressive due to its cheap plastic build, it covers the basics right. It features the pairing button inside the case cavity, in the available space between the buds storage-cum-charging area. Besides, there is a USB-C port on the back side and a tiny LED on the front for pairing and battery level indication.Performance

The Realme Buds Q2’s default audio output, however, gives away its entry-level roots. They sound dull and lack clarity, especially at peak volume levels. The earbuds are quite loud but you can experience their best output at a volume level below 70 per cent. To customise the earbuds’ audio profile, there is a supplementary app named Realme Link available for download on the Google Play Store for Android smartphones and Apple App Store for iPhones. The app is feature-rich and covers more than basics. Yet, do not expect the app to uplift the buds’ overall audio experience.

Read Complete Article

German audio tech company Blaupunkt on Thursday launched in India its range of smart LED TVs in partnership with the home-grown contract manufacturer Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL). The Blaupunkt smart televisions will be available in 32-inch, 42-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch screen variants, exclusively on Flipkart. The TVs will go on sale starting July 10.

“We are extremely delighted to onboard a well-loved and well-recognized Germany based consumer electronics giant Blaupunkt. With Blaupunkt’s footprint and launch of the Android TV models in India, we would continue being committed to embracing our ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ or Self-reliant India momentum. Our existing partnership with Flipkart will play a key role in taking the new generation of smart TVs to millions of its customers across the country. With this launch, we expect to gain our market share by 15% in the next 3 years,” Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO, Super Plastronics PVT LTD (SPPL) said.

The base model in the line-up is a 32-inch screen variant of HD resolution. This Android 9 TV operating system based smart TV is priced at Rs 14,999. The 32-inch model boasts stereo speakers set-up of 40W combined output, 1GB RAM and 8GB on-board storage. Next in line is a 42-inch screen model of fullHD resolution, priced at Rs 21,999. This model is also powered by Android 9 TV platform and boasts stereo speakers with a combined output of 40W, 1GB RAM and 8GB on-board storage.

The 43-inch screen model is the company’s entry-level 4K smart TV. Priced at Rs 30,999, this TV boasts quad-speakers of 50W speakers output supported by Dolby Digital Plus and DTS TruSurround. The speakers are backed by Dolby MS12 sound technology for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus. The 43-inch model boots Android 10 TV and has 2GB RAM and 8GB on-board storage.

Read Complete Article