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Author: Adriana Marais

Adriana Marais is a ReturnByte journalist with a passion for technology and world affairs. Follow her on Twitter at @adrianamarais
Apple WWDC 2023 is set to showcase an array of exciting new hardware. (Representative image) (Bloomberg) Gadgets 

Apple WWDC Glimpse: Mixed Reality Headset and 15-inch MacBook Air

Adriana Marais,

The upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2023 by Apple is generating a lot of buzz as it is expected to unveil not just software updates but also a range of thrilling new hardware. Although the event has typically centered on software releases, this year’s iteration is anticipated to be remarkable with numerous potential hardware announcements. One of the most anticipated reveals is Apple’s first foray into augmented and virtual reality with the ‘Reality Pro’ AR/VR virtual reality headset. Powered by the new xrOS operating system, this headset is expected to…

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The company is apparently talking with all of the major US carriers about a potential partnership. News 

Amazon May Be Offering Free Cell Phone Service to Prime Subscribers

Adriana Marais, , ,

Amazon is reportedly in discussions with several US-based carriers to provide a valuable benefit to its Prime subscribers: complimentary mobile phone service. Bloomberg reports that the company is exploring the possibility of offering low-cost or even free phone service, with a monthly fee of approximately $10, to its Prime customers. Amazon is said to be in talks with the three major US carriers, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, as well as the Dish Network. However, negotiations with AT&T appear to have stalled in recent weeks. It will likely take some time…

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Google has marked the latest bug in Gmail security check as the highest priority fix. (Unsplash) News 

Google Takes Action After Bug Enables Scammers to Bypass Security Checks on Gmail

Adriana Marais, ,

Gmail users must exercise caution as a recent bug has compromised account security. It is advisable to scrutinize new emails and refrain from opening suspicious ones. Google introduced verified checkmarks last month to authenticate select senders and display a blue tick next to their names. This feature serves as an added security measure, requiring senders to use robust authentication and authenticate their brand logos to display as an “avatar” in emails. Despite this, scammers have managed to bypass the Gmail security check and trick the system into recognizing their brand…

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According to the company, precise location helps Bard provide more relevant responses about restaurants near you and many other things about your area. News 

Google Enhances Accuracy of Responses with Location-Based Features on Bard

Adriana Marais,

Google has incorporated accurate location assistance into its AI chatbot Bard to offer responses that are more pertinent. Bard can start providing more relevant answers if you allow it to use the exact location of your device. You can manage your settings in location settings. Opens in a new window, Google said. According to the company, precise location helps Bardi provide more relevant answers about restaurants near you and many other things in your area. For example, if you ask Bard “What are the best restaurants near me?” It can…

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Gurman reported that Apple is testing two desktop Macs equipped with the M2 Max and ‌‌M2‌‌ Ultra chips. News 

Apple Expected To Unveil Mac Studio At WWDC 2023 On June 5

Adriana Marais, ,

Apple, the tech giant headquartered in Cupertino, is preparing to hold its Annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5th. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple may unveil its updated Mac Studio model on Monday, prior to the official announcement. On the microblogging platform Twitter Gurman explained that the new Mac in question is codenamed “J475”. The current “Mac Studio” is codenamed “J375”, indicating that the new machine is indeed the next generation of the “Mac Studio”. Earlier this week, Gurman reported that Apple is testing two desktop computers with…

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The Twitter owner on Thursday had posted: "Lil X just asked if there are police cats, since there are police dogs." (REUTERS) News 

Delhi Police and Elon Musk’s Interaction Leads to ‘Police Cats’

Adriana Marais, , ,

The Delhi Police responded with a clever answer to billionaire Elon Musk’s tweet in which he asked if “police cats” were a thing, regarding his son Lil X. This tweet has garnered amusing reactions from social media users. “Lil’ X just asked if there were any funny cats because there are snotty dogs,” the Twitter owner wrote on Thursday. While many netizens have reacted to Musk’s tweet since then, the Delhi Police’s response on Friday caught the attention of many Twitterati. Delhi Police tweeted: “Hey @elonmusk tell Lil X there…

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By 2025, Google will stop supporting Fitbit accounts. Gadgets 

Fitbit to Allow Sign-In with Google Accounts from June 6th

Adriana Marais, , ,

Google has finally announced the date for the transition of Fitbit users to Google logins, which has been anticipated for some time. On June 6th, Fitbit users will be able to log into their accounts using their Google credentials. This change was announced after Google’s acquisition of the wearable maker for $2.1 billion, and users will be able to move their Fitbit device to their Google account when the log in support arrives. During the transition, users will have the opportunity to adjust their data and manage their information from…

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Apple said it has "never worked with any government to insert a backdoor into any Apple product and never will." (REUTERS) News 

Russia Alleges US Intelligence Breached Thousands of iPhones; Apple Responds

Adriana Marais, , ,

The primary security agency of Russia has alleged that an American intelligence agency hacked numerous iPhones, including those owned by Russian citizens and individuals associated with diplomatic missions and embassies located in the nation. The statement from Russia’s Federal Security Service, better known as the FSB, was scant on detail and did not specify which US intelligence agency was behind the alleged attacks. Russia’s security agency claimed that Apple Inc., the maker of the iPhone, cooperates closely with US intelligence, particularly the National Security Agency. The statement says that the…

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Know what’s happening in the AI universe today, June 3. (Pexels) AI 

Elon Musk Responds to AI-Generated Image of Himself, UK Chancellor Considers AI Regulation, and More AI News

Adriana Marais,

Apple is gearing up to host its developer-focused event, Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023, from Monday, June 5. Similar to Google and Microsoft, there is speculation that the tech giant will unveil significant developments in artificial intelligence, although the specifics remain unknown. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has responded positively to an AI-generated image of himself as an Indian groom, which has delighted social media users. Additionally, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering the creation of an AI watchdog to monitor the emerging technology. These and other AI-related stories are…

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Google is rolling out a new viewer mode in its video communication service 'Meet', which will allow users to select "Everyone is a viewer" when creating their Calendar invite. News 

Google Introduces Viewer Mode For Google Meet in Latest Update

Adriana Marais,

Google, the tech giant, is introducing a fresh viewer mode in its video communication platform ‘Meet’. This feature will enable users to choose “Everyone is a viewer” while generating their Calendar invitation. The tech giant said in a blog post Friday about workspace updates that viewers will meet attendees who can’t share audio or video in a meeting. When using Google Meet for large meetings, designating participants as “viewers” helps reduce potential meeting distractions, such as audio glitches. In addition, this keeps the participants focused on the speaker and the…

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Apple WWDC 2023 event is expected to announce iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but before that, know what iPhone and other Apple gadget users did with the OS. (Unsplash) News 

Apple Shares Impressive Figures for iOS 16 and Beyond Ahead of WWDC 2023

Adriana Marais, , ,

Apple is gearing up for the highly anticipated tech event, WWDC 2023, which is set to commence on June 5. The event will feature the unveiling of several thrilling products, including a mixed reality headset, as well as the presentation of significant software updates such as iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, xrOS, and tvOS 17. In the lead-up to the conference, Apple has disclosed its latest adoption statistics for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, based on transactions carried out on the App Store. The stable version of iOS 16…

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CS50, an introductory course in computer science plans to use artificial intelligence to grade assignments. (Pexels) AI 

AI Assists with World’s Most Popular Online Computer Course

Adriana Marais, ,

Harvard University’s CS50, the most widely used online learning course globally, is undergoing a ChatGPT-inspired transformation. CS50, an introductory computer science course with hundreds of students on campus and more than 40,000 online, plans to use artificial intelligence to grade assignments, teach coding and customize learning cues, says its professor, David J. Malan. Allow Malan’s energetic and engaging teaching style to transform a dry beginner’s lecture on the basics of web development and software programming into an entertaining class full of interactive exercises. According to him, even with more than…

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Apple may drop support for the 'Hey Siri' trigger phrase at WWDC 2023, requiring users to only say 'Siri' to invoke the voice assistant. News 

Apple May Discontinue ‘Hey Siri’ Activation Phrase At WWDC 2023

Adriana Marais, ,

The phrase ‘Hey Siri’ was introduced by Apple in 2014 as a means to activate their virtual assistant, Siri. It has gained significant popularity over the years, largely due to its references in popular culture and the tech industry. Now, as MacRumors reports citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPhone maker may announce that it will end support for its “Hey Siri” trigger that helps summon Siri during a hands-free event at WWDC 2023. That opportunity is next week,” Gurman tweeted. . today. First announced by Gurman in November of last…

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Apple's upcoming augmented reality (AR)-- mixed reality (MR) headset will reportedly be available in six colours and two storage capacities. Gadgets 

Apple’s Mixed-Reality Headset Could Come in Six Colors and Two Storage Sizes

Adriana Marais, , ,

Reportedly, Apple’s forthcoming headset that combines augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) will be offered in two storage sizes and six different colors. The information was shared by the Twitter account @billbil_kun, which carefully leaked the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra before it was revealed earlier this year, MacRumors reports. According to the leak, the new speaker will come in black, blue, gray, green, pink and an undisclosed sixth color. It also claimed that the handset will be available in 128GB and 256GB storage capacities. According to…

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Customers at the newly inaugurated Imagine store, a leading retailer of Apple products, in Bengaluru, (PTI) Gadgets 

Apple WWDC 2023: Highlights from 1st Gen iPhone to Apple Watch

Adriana Marais, ,

The much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 (WWDC) is fast approaching, scheduled to run from June 5 to June 9. Although the event will be held virtually, a special group of developers and students will receive an exclusive invitation to Apple Park for an exceptional experience. This event has become an iconic gathering for tech enthusiasts worldwide. As we look forward to the upcoming WWDC conference, let’s take a look back at some of the greatest moments in Apple’s history, all focused on change. In June 2007, Apple made a groundbreaking…

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Microsoft’s virtual assistant, Cortana, will be discontinued as a Windows standalone app in late 2023—the Redmond-based tech giant has announced. News 

Microsoft To End Support For Cortana On Windows By late 2023

Adriana Marais,

According to an announcement by the Redmond-based tech giant, Microsoft’s virtual assistant, Cortana, will no longer be available as a standalone app for Windows after late 2023. Named after the AI assistant in Microsoft’s Halo video game series, Cortana was unveiled in 2014, almost a decade ago. However, Cortana is still available in Outlook Mobile, Teams Mobile, Microsoft Teams Screen, and Microsoft Teams Rooms, as this change only affects Cortana on Windows. “Instead of clicking the Cortana icon and launching the app to start using voice, you can now use…

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This indigenous technology can process various types of discarded Li-ion batteries, recovering more than 95 per cent of the lithium (Li), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) contents in the form of their respective oxides or carbonates with a purity of around 98 per cent News 

Nine Companies Receives Crucial Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Technology from IT Ministry, Letters of Intent Issued to Others

Adriana Marais, , ,

On Friday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology handed over economical technology for recycling lithium-ion batteries to nine recycling firms, while nine others received letters of intent at Niti Aayog. MeitY has developed this technology in collaboration with the Government of Telangana and industrial partner Greenko Energies Pvt. Ltd., as part of the Center of Excellence for Electronic Waste Management established at Center for Electronics Materials Technology (C-MET), Hyderabad. Industries and startups that have received Besa technology include Lithium-Ion Batteries Pvt Ltd, Mahalaxmi Metalalloys (India) Pvt Ltd, Nexus Renewable…

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Google has started rolling out a Image generation feature in Google Slides called 'Help Me Visualise.' This feature will help users generate backgrounds and images for their Google Slides presentation projects. News 

How To Access Google Slides’ Newly Added AI-powered Image Generation Feature

Adriana Marais, , ,

Google has recently launched a new feature in Google Slides named ‘Help Me Visualise’ that enables users to generate images. The technology company unveiled the AI-powered feature at the Google I/O 2023 event, stating that it will aid users in creating backgrounds and images for their Google Slides presentation assignments. To use this feature, Slides now displays a new Help Me Visualize side panel where users can type a prompt. The Google Workspace Labs support page notes that the “Help me visualize” prompt in Google Slides is being “gradually rolled…

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Satellites in the low-Earth orbits are in danger as the thermosphere has heated up due to multiple massive solar storm strikes. (Pixabay) Space 

Thermosphere Heating Up Due to Solar Storms, Satellites at Risk

Adriana Marais, ,

While the Earth anticipates the arrival of solar winds that could trigger a minor solar storm later today, June 3, astronomers are more alarmed by a troubling discovery. Recent research indicates that the thermosphere, a component of the upper atmosphere, has been elevated and heated up by a series of solar storms that impacted the planet in 2023. The energy transfer from these storms has caused the thermosphere to shift and become hotter, leading to potential issues for satellites in lower Earth orbits. Having no air in it basically means…

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Apple has launched a summer camp for children at its Indian stores. (Tim Cook Twitter) News 

Apple Introduces Summer Camp for Children at Indian Locations

Adriana Marais

Apple Stores in India have launched their summer camp activities under the name ‘Apple Camp.’ The program will take place at Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in New Delhi, and will provide a variety of interactive sessions for families and children. The program, which has been in operation for more than 20 years, is designed to encourage and celebrate the creativity of children. Beginning on June 10, individuals are invited to take part in a series of complimentary sessions called ‘Design Your Dream Invention on iPad.’ These sessions…

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