After weeks of leaks and hype, tech giant Microsoft has officially announced the next version of its desktop operating system (OS) — Windows 11.

The new OS will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users and will start rolling out “this holiday”.

“We have simplified the design and user experience to empower your productivity and inspire your creativity. It’s modern, fresh, clean and beautiful,” Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer, Windows + Devices, said in a statement.

“From the new Start button and taskbar to each sound, font and icon, everything was done intentionally to put you in control and bring a sense of calm and ease,” Panay added.

New in Windows 11, the company is introducing Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops to provide an even more powerful way to multitask and stay on top.

These are new features designed to help users organise their windows and optimise their screen real estate.

Users can also create separate Desktops for each part of life and customise them according to their likes — imagine having a Desktop for work, gaming or school.

According to the company, Windows 11 is made for gamers as it unlocks the full potential of the system’s hardware, putting some of the latest gaming technology to work.

With a high performance NVMe SSD and the proper drivers, Windows 11 can soon load new games faster than ever thanks to a breakthrough technology called DirectStorage, which we also pioneered as part of the Xbox Velocity Architecture featured in the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series A, the company said.

The company introduced Chat from Microsoft Teams integrated into the taskbar.

With this, users can instantly connect through text, chat, voice or video with all of their personal contacts, anywhere, no matter the platform or device they’re on, across Windows, Android or iOS.

Windows 11 also gives you a more natural way to connect with friends and family through Teams, allowing users to instantly mute and unmute, or start presenting directly from the taskbar, it added.

The new Microsoft Store is rebuilt for speed and with an all-new design that is beautiful and simple to use, said the statement.

“Not only will we bring you more apps than ever before, but we’re also making all content — apps, games, shows, movies — easier to search for and discover with curated stories and collections,” the company said.

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OnePlus Co-founder Carl Pei’s new venture Nothing has partnered with Flipkart for the launch of its true wireless earbuds ‘Ear (1)’ in India.

The London-based consumer tech company hasn’t yet revealed the launch date or the specifications of the product, but only said that it would sell through Flipkart and customers would be offered no-cost EMI options and free delivery.

Nothing was set to launch its first product in June 2021, however, Pei later announced that the Nothing Ear 1 launch was delayed as a few things were yet to be finalised.

“For the upcoming launch of Ear 1, we are excited to partner with Flipkart as we mark Nothing’s entry in India.

Flipkart’s pan-India supply chain will be instrumental in reaching Nothing customers and delivering a superior end-to-end product experience, which is very important to us.” said Manu Sharma, vice president and general manager, Nothing India.

Nothing has also confirmed that the Ear 1 India launch would happen alongside the global launch.

Pei had announced the launch of his new venture in January after his exit from OnePlus in October, 2020. The company had given a brief glimpse of its upcoming true-wireless earbuds in March this year.

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Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani announced JioPhone Next, a 4G smartphone co-developed in partnership with American technology giant Google, at the RIL AGM 2021 on Thursday. He also announced a partnership with Google for the latter’s cloud services to power Jio 5G solutions. Under the Jio Platforms, Ambani said that the company is testing a full new commerce solution in partnership with social media giant Facebook, adding that it has operationalised the Jio-Azure Cloud Centres of 10-Mw capacity in partnership with Microsoft. The company also plans to expand the Jio-Azure data centres capacity and offering for small and medium businesses and start-ups in the country. Here are the details of everything Ambani announced under Jio Platforms at the Reliance Industries annual general meeting this year:JioPhone Next

Co-developed in partnership with Google, the JioPhone Next is touted as a made-for-India smartphone. Powered by an optimised version of the Android platform, especially developed for the JioPhone Next, the 4G smartphone will enable users to consume content and navigate the phone in their preferred language, deliver a great camera experience, and get the latest Android features and security updates – Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet said.

JioPhone Next will be packed with features like the Google Assistant, automatic read-aloud of screen text, language translation, smart camera with augmented reality filters, and more. It will be available in the market from the auspicious date of Ganesh Chaturthi, September 10, 2021 — Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited said. The JioPhone Next will be the most affordable 4G smartphone in India, and world, said Ambani in his address at the RIL AGM 2021.

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A multinational project, co-led by ISRO and NOAA from the US, that aims to improve the accuracy of coastal data based on satellite and land-based observations has been recently endorsed by a UN body for its use of innovative technology, and for fostering trust and collaboration among scientists.

The project is called Committee on Earth Observation SatellitesCoastal Observations, Applications, Services, and Tools (CEOS COAST). Its pilot projects are uniquely capable of using Earth Observation technologies to meet several of the 17 UN-designated sustainable development goals for the Ocean Decade initiative, NOAA said in a statement on Wednesday.

NOAA stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The themes of these projects include disaster risk reduction and coastal resilience among continental shorelines and small island nations.

“Their work will improve the way we study how the sea can affect the land, such as in large-scale flooding events, as well as how land usage affects coastal ecosystems, including but not limited to water quality issues and the root causes of coastal runoff and sediment deposits, it said.

The CEOS COAST has been working collaboratively with stakeholders in industries such as agriculture, construction, and commercial/recreational fishing to support all forms of decision makers from parents deciding which beach to take their kids to, to sailors navigating the coast, to policymakers taking action on climate change and more, the statement said.

Due to this work, the project was recently endorsed by the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) as an initial Action of the United Nation’s Ocean Decade plan that will span from 20212030, and aims to bring together governments, industry, academics, NGOs, and other stakeholders to study our oceans and develop conservation solutions, NOAA said.

CEOS COAST was recognised for its use of innovative technology, for its focus on diversity and inclusivity, and for fostering trust and collaboration between scientists and lay users of ocean knowledge, it said.

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By Sheila Dang (Reuters) – Twitter Inc said Tuesday it will seek applications from users who want to be the first to test new content subscription and ticketing features, as the social platform works to build more ways for users to earn money.

Twitter users can apply to get first access to “Super Follows,” which will let them sell exclusive content to paying subscribers, and “Ticketed Spaces,” to charge for entry into audio chat rooms they host on the platform.

Both features are part of Twitter’s plan to compete with other social media companies to attract more influential content creators by letting them earn money from fan followings.

Users must have at least 10,000 followers on Twitter to be eligible to apply for Super Follows, and at least 1,000 followers to apply for first access to Ticketed Spaces.

The company aims to select “a diverse set of voices,” from the applications, said Esther Crawford, senior product manager at Twitter.

The company will take a 3% cut of a creator’s revenue until the user hits $50,000 in earnings, after which Twitter will keep 20%, in order to help up-and-coming creators earn more money at the start, Twitter said.

Crawford added that Twitter will focus on individuals who apply for the features, but will also consider brands, publishers and nonprofit organizations which have built an audience on Twitter.

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Google faces a sweeping European Union probe into its advertising technology, a move that strikes at the heart of the tech giant’s business model. The European Commission said Tuesday its new confrontation with the Alphabet unit will focus on concerns the company may be illegally favouring its own online display advertising technologies, squeezing out rivals.

“This is probably the probe that many people were waiting for because it goes to the core of Google’s business,” said Aitor Ortiz, an analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. The biggest risk would be an order for Google to separate from or restrict its online ads operations, which “could have a significant impact on the money generated through online advertising,” he added.

It’s the first time the EU has directly examined the black-box of online advertising where Google automatically calculates and offers ad space and prices to advertisers and publishers as a user clicks on a web page. Earlier EU cases focused on shopping search ads, mobile phone ads and advertising contracts. The investigation will also check if Google unfairly blocks competitors’ access to user data and will scrutinize privacy changes to phase out some cookies and data access for advertisers.

Harder to compete

“We are concerned that Google has made it harder for rival online advertising services to compete,” Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s antitrust commissioner, said in the statement. “Online advertising services are at the heart of how Google and publishers monetize their online services.”

The latest EU case has been brewing for months. Vestager signaled in March the regulator was working on a “very large” probe into Google.

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Samsung is likely to unveil its new foldable smartphone in August, industry insiders said on Tuesday, amid its push to popularise the foldable category.

The South Korean tech giant is expected to hold its Galaxy Unpacked online event in early August to introduce the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3 before officially launching those products later that month, according to the sources.

Foreign tech reviewers have predicted that the event may take place on August 3, but the sources said it is expected to be held later than that date.

At the event, Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone vendor, is also likely to unveil the Galaxy Watch4 smartwatch and the Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds.

However, the sources said the Galaxy S21 FE smartphone will not be introduced at the event, reports Yonhap news agency.

The Galaxy S21 FE is the budget edition of the Galaxy S21 flagship smartphone released in January. The product is expected to be launched in September or October as Samsung apparently wants to focus on promoting foldable devices in the summer, according to the sources.

Nothing has been confirmed about Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphones, but tech reviewers predicted that the Galaxy Z Fold3 will feature an under display camera and support the S-Pen stylus.

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Samsung is likely to unveil its new foldable smartphone in August, industry insiders said on Tuesday, amid its push to popularise the foldable category.

The South Korean tech giant is expected to hold its Galaxy Unpacked online event in early August to introduce the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3 before officially launching those products later that month, according to the sources.

Foreign tech reviewers have predicted that the event may take place on August 3, but the sources said it is expected to be held later than that date.

At the event, Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone vendor, is also likely to unveil the Galaxy Watch4 smartwatch and the Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds.

However, the sources said the Galaxy S21 FE smartphone will not be introduced at the event, reports Yonhap news agency.

The Galaxy S21 FE is the budget edition of the Galaxy S21 flagship smartphone released in January. The product is expected to be launched in September or October as Samsung apparently wants to focus on promoting foldable devices in the summer, according to the sources.

Nothing has been confirmed about Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphones, but tech reviewers predicted that the Galaxy Z Fold3 will feature an under display camera and support the S-Pen stylus.

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Apple Inc. announced the $149.99 Studio Buds wireless earphones, the latest addition to its Beats headphones line and a strong signal for how the company divides its two competing personal-audio brands.

The Studio Buds are more affordable and compatible than Apple’s AirPods line: they charge via the more universal USB-C connector rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning and they have a dedicated Android app, making them friendlier to users outside the company’s device ecosystem. Where the AirPods line appears tailored to enhance and complement Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Macs, Beats products are pitched at the wider market with a more device-agnostic approach.

Apple has sought to make the AirPods a more premium product, adding the pricey AirPods Max over-ear headphones at the top of its range and sound enhancements like Spatial Audio to differentiate its products. Shares jumped as much as 2% Monday in New York to $129.88, the highest intraday value since May 7.

ALSO READ: iOS 15: Apple prepares iPhone’s OS for life in pandemic, and thereafter

The Beats Studio Buds include the Spatial Audio capability with Apple gear, but they also allow Android users to see exactly how much battery charge each earbud and the accompanying carry case have remaining, plus their controls can be customized to even include a Google Assistant trigger.

The minimalist design of the Studio Buds marks a change for Apple, as its wireless earbuds have so far either had a stem protruding from the bottom, as on the AirPods, or over-the-ear hooks to hold them in place during exercise, as with the Powerbeats. In testing by Bloomberg News, the contoured shape and light weight of the buds made them comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. They offer a noise canceling option, which isn’t hugely effective against loud traffic noise on the street but helps improve the user experience. Battery life is rated at 8 hours on a single charge with noise canceling turned off.

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American multinational technology company Amazon will be opening up access to Luna, its game streaming service, for all Amazon Prime members on June 21 and 22 (Amazon Prime Day).

According to The Verge, previously, for a test out of Luna, users had to request access or sign up from supported Fire TV devices. But now, for a limited time, mainland US Prime subscribers will be able to start a seven-day trial of Luna right away.

Luna is currently available on Windows PC, Mac, Fire TV, and via the web on iPhone, iPad, and select Android phones. Its regular pricing is USD 5.99 a month for access to games including ‘Control’, ‘GRID’, and ‘Metro Exodus’.

Once a user has access to a Luna account, they can pay USD 14.99 a month for the Ubisoft Plus beta channel. As per The Verge, this grants access to a big range of Ubisoft games, including the latest titles from the ‘Assassin’s Creed’, ‘FarCry’, and ‘Watch Dogs’ franchises.

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