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Author: Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil is a ReturnByte journalist who writes about technology. Follow him on Twitter at @sanjaypatil
Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) allows Aadhaar card holders to withdraw cash by just using bank name, Aadhaar number and biometric authentication. Now, scammers are stealing fingerprint data of victims to steal up to Rs 50,000 per day. News 

Aadhaar Card Fraud Warning: Secure Your Aadhaar Card Now to Avoid This Major Scam

Sanjay Patil

Aadhaar card holders across India are taking to social media to warn citizens about a new type of scam where fraudsters can drain your bank account using a loophole in the new Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS). There is no option for OTP authentication in this scam and the scammer can steal money from your bank account simply by gaining access to your fingerprint information, knowing your Aadhaar number and the name of the bank where you have an account. To make matters worse, you don’t even get a text message…

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Jabra offers IP68 protection with these earbuds that also get noise cancellation without taking a hit on sound quality. But is it worth the money? News 

Jabra Elite Active 8: A Durable Pair of Earbuds With Impressive Audio Quality

Sanjay Patil

The Jabra Elite series has been around for years, and now we see the company showing ambition and challenging the Goliaths of the audio segment. The Elite 8 Active is a breath of fresh air in the sub-20K market, mainly because of its Active nature that helps it stand out from the competition. It has an IP rating which isn’t a big deal except in this case, Jabra has gone the extra mile to make it extra durable. But does it come at the expense of quality sound and other…

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Xiaomi is going to replace its long-running MIUI OS with a new platform called HyperOS. Here's what we know so far. News 

Xiaomi CEO Confirms Replacement of MIUI With ‘HyperOS’, Here’s What Could Be Different

Sanjay Patil,

Earlier this month, rumors surfaced suggesting that Xiaomi could eventually replace its MIUI Android operating system with a new and redesigned operating system. Well, it turns out that the speculation was correct as the company has announced the launch of a new operating system called Xiaomi HyperOS; and it is set to debut with the Xiaomi 14 series. Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s founder and CEO, confirmed the development on X (formerly Twitter). “Today is a historic moment. After years of working together, our new operating system, Xiaomi HyperOS, will make its…

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YouTube has allowed people to block ads for many years but their stance seems to be changing now forcing people to pay. News 

YouTube Requests Users to Disable Ad-Blockers or Pay for Ad-Free Content

Sanjay Patil

Over the years, YouTube has been lenient and allowed people to use ad blockers to prevent them from seeing multiple ads before the video starts. But recently the company has changed its stance on the matter, in fact for the first time users who have installed an ad blocker in their web browser will see messages telling them that ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube. When the platform detects that your browser has an ad blocker, it will display information about this pop-up and also explain why an ad…

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Online ads are delivering less bang for the click these days, so brands are giving freebies at Walmart (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg) News 

Walmart Offers Free Products as Digital Advertising Loses Its Luster

Sanjay Patil

As online advertisements become less effective, brands are resorting to a traditional marketing tactic by distributing complimentary samples at nearby supermarkets. In US stores, the companies sell everything from small peanut butters and sanitary napkins to Halloween-themed Oreos. While warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s have offered freebies for years, more and more retailers are finding that samples offer something digital marketing can’t: shoppers can try products before they buy them. After conducting a successful trial, Walmart Inc. recently announced plans to expand the samples to more than 1,000 locations.…

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Asteroid 1998 HH49 is said to be as big as the size of a building. (Pixabay) Space 

NASA Unveils Details of 600-Foot Asteroid’s Close Flyby of Earth

Sanjay Patil,

NASA has issued a recent alert regarding a massive asteroid that is set to approach Earth tomorrow. Hazards such as solar storms and asteroids are constantly emerging and posing threats to our planet. To ensure our safety, NASA diligently monitors Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and reports precise observations of their positions to the Minor Planet Center. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) then utilizes this data to determine the most likely orbit of the asteroid around the Sun. To assess the risk of impact and the asteroid’s orbit, NASA utilizes…

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eSafety Commissioner has fined X for non-disclosure on child abuse content and issued a warning to Google. (Pexels) News 

X Fined Heavily by Australia for Failing to Report Child Abuse Content

Sanjay Patil, , , ,

The Australian eSafety Commissioner has taken a major step towards combating online child sexual exploitation by imposing a penalty on X, a well-known microblogging platform supported by Elon Musk. X has been instructed to pay a fine of $610,500 AUD (approximately $384,000 USD) for its failure to furnish crucial details concerning the identification, elimination, and prevention of child sexual abuse content. Furthermore, Google has received an official caution from authorities for a comparable lack of disclosure. A call to responsibility in the digital age Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner, has…

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Elon Musk's X illegally fired an employee in retaliation for her internet posts challenging its return to office policy, the U.S. labor board alleged on Friday. News 

Ex-Employee of Musk’s X Suing for Right to Re-Enter Workplace

Sanjay Patil

(Reuters) – Elon Musk’s X illegally fired an employee in retaliation for his Internet posts questioning its return-to-work policy, the U.S. Labor Department alleged on Friday. In the complaint, the regional director of the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accused X, formerly known as Twitter, of violating a federal law that prohibits punishing employees for communicating and organizing with others about their working conditions. X did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The NLRB said the dispute began on Nov. 10, 2022, when Musk ordered workers back…

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Bluesky invites journalists for self-verification as Threads shifts away from news. (AP) News 

Bluesky Makes Major Announcement as Threads Chooses to Opt Out

Sanjay Patil

Bluesky, a social media platform backed by Jack Dorsey and with a thriving user base of 1.5 million, has made an interesting decision. They have invited journalists and news organizations to self-verify by using their websites as usernames. This move is significant, especially considering that Threads, owned by Meta, has chosen not to include news content on its platform. Bluesky has grown rapidly, attracting people with diverse interests in politics, sports and entertainment. Although the platform is still in its early stages, its goal is clear: to reach 10 million…

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The plaintiffs argue Social Media is designed to be addictive, causing depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide. (Pexels) News 

Youths Achieving Victory in Legal Battle Against Social Media Dependency

Sanjay Patil

A significant ruling in a California court has allowed minors and their parents, who are suing Meta Inc.’s Facebook and other major technology companies over their children’s addiction to social media platforms, to proceed with their lawsuits. A state judge on Friday dismissed most of the claims, but said he would allow the lawsuits to proceed based on claims that the companies were negligent — or knew that the design of their platforms would maximize use by minors and prove harmful. The plaintiffs allege that social media is designed to…

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If Psyche were mineable, its iron, nickel and gold deposits could be worth an eye-watering $10,000 quadrillion. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU) Space 

Five Facts about NASA’s Journey to an Asteroid Made of Metal

Sanjay Patil, ,

NASA is embarking on an unprecedented mission as they send a probe to explore the asteroid Psyche, which is unique in its composition of metal rather than the typical rock, ice, or gas. By studying this space oddity, scientists hope to learn more about the inner cores of rocky planets like our own – or possibly a previously unknown class of cosmic body. Here are some fun facts about the mission that started on Friday. – 10 quadrillion dollars – If Psyche could be mined, its iron, nickel, and gold…

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OnePlus had a special free deal that was picked up by few lucky people in India this week. Here are the details. News 

OnePlus Offers Free Wireless Charger and Phone Cases to Customers

Sanjay Patil

OnePlus India surprised everyone with a special discount offer where you can get a wireless charger, phone cases or other accessories for free. Yes, you read that right, the wireless chargers, which usually cost around Rs 4,000 in the country, were available this week on the OnePlus website for Rs 0. The company didn’t promote the sale offer, but few people were lucky enough to spot the free offer and get themselves a free wireless charger from OnePlus, while some were able to buy OnePlus phone cases for free. It…

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The problem affects iPhone 15 models, but it is also impacting other devices, suggesting that it's something in iOS 17 News 

iPhone Models Experiencing Unexplained Shut Down Problem – Here’s What You Should Know

Sanjay Patil,

After dealing with overheating issues with the latest iPhone 15 Pro models, Apple is reportedly facing another major problem as some iPhone users are reporting a mysterious bug that causes certain iPhone models to temporarily shut down at night. In a thread on the social networking website Reddit, a user complains that two separate iPhone alarms in his home failed. Several other users also chimed in with similar issues, and it turns out that some of the issues may be related to the iPhone turning off at night, MacRumors reported.…

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Know all about the solar storm that is about to strike the Earth today. (Pixabay) Space 

Solar Storm Alert: CIR Headed for Earth TODAY – Here’s What You Need to Know

Sanjay Patil,

In recent weeks, the Earth has experienced various effects caused by solar activities on the Sun, such as solar flare eruptions and resulting radio blackouts. However, there have been no solar storm events thus far. This is expected to change today, October 12, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that our planet will be affected by a co-rotating interaction region (CIR), which has the potential to trigger a solar storm. Learn about the potential consequences of this solar storm and the reasons behind occurrences like CIR.…

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The Bumble logo is seen on a smartphone in front of a stock graph in this illustration taken February 11, 2021. (REUTERS) News 

Woman Drugged Man During Bumble Date and Stole His iPhone 14, Gold, and Money

Sanjay Patil

According to the police, a man who went on a Bumble date was reportedly robbed of his iPhone 14, gold jewelry, and had his bank accounts emptied of ₹1.78 lakh after being drugged at his residence in DLF Phase 4. The victim, Rohit Gupta, stated in his complaint that he had connected with a woman named Sakshi, also known as Payal, through the Bumble dating app. Gupta mentioned that the woman claimed to be from Delhi and was presently residing with her aunt in Gurugram. “On October 1, he called…

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Kindle users have been asked to comply with the new changes for e-book formats which comes into effect from November this year. News 

Alert: Amazon Announces Major Change for Kindle Users Starting Next Month – Get the Details

Sanjay Patil

Amazon has sent out a warning message to its Kindle users this week about major changes that will take effect next month. The post is related to Kindle supported files that will not be available starting November 1, 2023. “This is a final reminder that on November 1, 2023, we will begin to stop sending MOBI files (.mobi, .azw, .prc) through Send to Kindle,” the Amazon mailer says. This basically means that the new changes will affect Kindle users trying to use the feature to send MOBI files via email,…

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Nothing has brought its first beta based on Android 14 for Nothing Phone 2 users. Here's what is new and how to download. News 

Phone 2 Owners Now Have Access to Nothing OS 2.5 Beta, Built on Android 14

Sanjay Patil

Nothing has finally released the first beta version of Nothing OS 2.5 based on Android 14. Touted as the most significant since Nothing OS 2.0’s debut on the Nothing Phone 2, the update includes a number of changes. These changes include an updated widget library, a customizable power button, and an updated quick settings layout for Nothing Phone 2. Here are the main changes coming to Nothing OS 2.5: First, Nothing has added the ability to hide app icons from the home screen and app drawer. The update also brings…

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Customers on Amazon spent an average of $38 during the event’s first eight hours. (AP) News 

Prime Sale Begins with Consumers Avoiding High-Priced Purchases on Amazon

Sanjay Patil,

The fall sale for Prime subscribers at Amazon.com Inc. began on Tuesday, with budget-conscious shoppers primarily purchasing affordable kitchen gadgets and clothing instead of indulging in expensive items. Customers spent an average of $38 during the first eight hours of the event, which is 2% more than the same period last year, according to Attain, a research company that collects credit card transactions. Even as shoppers save on their purchases now, Amazon tracks customers’ browsing activity so it can offer them tailored offers later in the season when they’re willing…

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AMD said on Tuesday it plans to buy an artificial intelligence startup called Nod.ai as part of an effort to bolster its software capabilities to challenge Nvidia in the market News 

AMD Sets Out To Compete With Nvidia in Artificial Intelligence Race

Sanjay Patil, ,

(Reuters) – AMD said on Tuesday it plans to buy an artificial intelligence startup called Nod.ai as part of an effort to strengthen its software capabilities. In a race to catch up with rival chipmaker Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices plans to invest heavily in critical software essential to the company’s advanced AI chips. With more than a decade of work, Nvidia has built a strong advantage in the artificial intelligence chip market through its software and software developer ecosystem. AMD has vowed to invest in and build a unified software…

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Shockingly, Former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran said that no OTP was generated or received by him during the online banking scam and even then the criminals were able to withdraw the money. (ANI) News 

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran Falls Victim to Online Banking Fraud, Loses Rs. 99999

Sanjay Patil

Former Union minister for Communications and Information Technology and current DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has made a shocking revelation that cyber criminals managed to steal Rs. 99999 from his personal savings account in Axis Bank through an online banking scam. Surprisingly, the scam was able to bypass all standard safety measures, including the absence of a One-Time Password (OTP), which is a basic security measure for online transactions. Maran has filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Wing of the Greater Chennai City Police regarding this incident. The DMK MP…

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