Redmi 14C 5G India Launch: Xiaomi sub-brand has officially announced the launch date of the Redmi 14C 5G smartphone in India as well as select global markets after launching the Redmi Note 14 series. The handset will launch in India on January 6, 2025, according to an official landing page. It will be arriving as the successor to the Redmi 13C 5G handset that debuted in the country last December in the year 2024.    Both Flipkart and Amazon have put up a microsite confirming the smartphone’s availability on the e-commerce platforms respectively. As per the microsite, the upcoming smartphone will be available in Purple with a gradient finish, Black, and Blue with star trails-like design colour options. The Redmi 14C 5G is likely to be a rebranded version of the Redmi 14R 5G, which debuted in China this September. Redmi 14C 5G Price In India And Availability (Expected) According to reports, the Redmi 14C is expected to be priced between Rs 11,000 to Rs 12,000. However, the company has not confirmed the exact details of the pricing as of now.  A live Amazon microsite for the handset hints at its eventual Amazon availability alongside the company e-store.  Redmi 14C 5G Specifications (Expected) The smartphone is anticipated to feature a 6.68-inch HD+ LCD display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, promising an immersive viewing experience. The device is expected to run on Android 14-based HyperOS, delivering a seamless and intuitive user interface.   The smartphone is expected to run on Android 14-based HyperOS, delivering a seamless and intuitive user interface. Under the hood, the phone could be powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC, paired with a robust 5,160mAh battery supporting 18W fast charging for extended usability.  On the photography front, the handset is set to sport a 50MP AI-powered main camera, complemented by a 5MP front camera for selfies. The rear camera module is a standout design element, featuring a centrally placed circular module that houses a dual-camera setup and an LED flash unit.

New Delhi: Leading music streaming platform Spotify recently found itself embroiled in controversy when some users were shocked to discover explicit pornographic videos appearing in the platform’s search results for popular artist, according to a report in The Verge. This unexpected content has sparked outrage, with many questioning the platform’s content moderation and security measures. While Spotify remains a favourite for music and podcasts, this issue raises significant concerns about user safety and the integrity of its search algorithms. A Reddit user posted a screenshot overnight showing a surprising result: a pornographic video appearing among suggested results for rapper M.I.A. Spotify’s Response: A Spotify spokesperson informed The Verge that the content was removed for violating its policies. According to Spotify’s content moderation guidelines, any material containing sexually explicit content is subject to removal from the platform. Erotic Audio and Graphic Videos: The recent Reddit posts highlight examples of explicit content on Spotify. One account, known for erotic audio for years, recently began posting sexually graphic videos. Another, with a random alphanumeric name, has been publishing explicit videos under a podcast account since mid-November. Pornographic content on Spotify isn’t new; a 2022 Vice report also revealed explicit audio and graphic playlist cover art. These audio and video files have been removed for violating Spotify’s policies. Spotify Platform: The leading music streaming platform was launched in 2008. Spotify offers listeners an unparalleled experience with access to over 100 million tracks, 6 million podcast titles, and 350,000 audiobooks. As of the third quarter of 2024 (ending September 30), its global premium subscriber base had grown to more than 252 million paying users. 

Samsung Galaxy M35 5G Discount Price In India: Samsung is offering a lucrative discount on the Samsung Galaxy M35 5G smartphone for the base 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model. However, the handset was launched in July this year. It is important to note that the handset comes in Moonlight Blue, Daybreak Blue, and Thunder Grey color options. It is available in three variants: the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model is priced at Rs 19,999, the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model costs Rs 21,499, and the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage model is available for Rs 24,499. It runs on Android 14-based One UI 6 custom skin out of the box, and the company offers four years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches with the phone. Samsung Galaxy M35 5G Discount Price In India The handset, originally priced at Rs 19,999 for the base model, is now available for Rs 14,999 on Amazon, offering a flat discount of Rs 5,000.  Samsung Galaxy M35 5G Specifications It features a 6.6-inch Full HD+ sAMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering a vibrant and smooth viewing experience with up to 1000 nits of high brightness mode.  The handset is powered by a robust 6000 mAh battery. It supports 25W wired charging for fast and efficient power replenishment. On the photography front, the handset comes with a triple camera setup which includes 50 MP main camera, an 8 MP secondary camera, and a 2 MP sensor, providing sharp and detailed photos. For selfies, the 13 MP front camera ensures clear and crisp shots.  On the security front, the phone is equipped with essential sensors, including a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyro, compass, and virtual proximity sensing for enhanced usability. Adding further, users can take advantage of the Tap & Pay feature through the Samsung Wallet, making payments quick and convenient with the Galaxy M35 5G.

New Delhi: PM Modi expressed his happiness after meeting Aravind Srinivas, the Chief Executive Officer of Perplexity AI and stated that both discussed artificial intelligence (AI), its uses and its evolution. In a social media post on X, the prime minister added, “It was great to meet you and discuss AI, its uses and its evolution.  Good to see you doing great work with @perplexity_ai. Wish you all the best for your future endeavours.”Earlier, after holding a meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Perplexity CEO Srinivas, in a post on X, stated, “Had the honour to meet Prime Minister @narendramodi ji. We had a great conversation about the potential for AI adoption in India and across the world.  Was great to meet you and discuss AI, its uses and its evolution. Good to see you doing great work with @perplexity_ai. Wish you all the best for your future endeavors. https://t.co/kD8d9LMorC — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 28, 2024 Really inspired by Modi Ji’s dedication to staying updated on the topic and his remarkable vision for the future.”San Francisco-based Perplexity is an artificial intelligence conversational AI search engine that uses large language models (LLM) to provide the response for the queries. As per the publicly available information, the company was founded in 2022 with Srinivas, Johnny Ho, Denis Yarats, and Andy Konwinski as the founders of the company. The company, as per the information provided by Srinivas on his LinkedIn profile, is backed by major names of the world such as Jeff Bezos, Elad Gil, Nat Friedman, Tobi Lutke, Jeff Dean, Susan Wojcicki, Yann LeCun, Naval Ravikant, Paul Buchheit, Andrej Karpathy, and several others.He adds that Perplexity AI has built the world’s first generally available conversational answer engine that directly answers questions about any topic, adding that the company is on a mission to build the world’s most knowledge-centric company. India, has approved an allocation of over Rs 10,300 crore for the IndiaAI Mission, marking a significant step towards bolstering India’s AI ecosystem.The IndiaAI Mission aims to build a comprehensive ecosystem that fosters AI innovation by democratising computing access, enhancing data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects, and promoting ethical AI. This substantial financial infusion, slated over the next five years, is poised to catalyse various components of the IndiaAI Mission, including pivotal initiatives like the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI. The aim of the financial outlay is to ensure a structured implementation of the IndiaAI Mission through a public-private partnership model aimed at nurturing India’s AI innovation ecosystem. This financial outlay, under the AI Mission, will fortify the IndiaAI Startup Financing mechanism, facilitating streamlined access to funding for budding AI startups and catalysing their journey from product development to commercialisation. The proposal also includes funding provisions for industry-led AI projects aimed at fostering social impact, propelling innovation and entrepreneurship.  

Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 India Launch: South Korean giant Samsung is likely to launch its next-generation smart ring, the Galaxy Ring 2, in the wearables market in the first month of the new year. Boasting advanced features and improved durability, the device is expected to debut at the Galaxy Unpacked event on January 22, 2025. Its predecessor, the original Galaxy Ring, introduced in July 2024 and launched in India in October, paved the way for this highly anticipated successor.  Samsung Galaxy Ring 2: Launch and Strategy The Galaxy Ring 2 is likely to follow a similar timeline to its predecessor, which debuted alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 at the Unpacked event. This approach underscores Samsung’s strategy of synchronizing its wearable launches with its flagship product reveals. Samsung Galaxy Ring 2: Battery Life and Durability According to reports, the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 will feature significant upgrades, including a battery life of up to seven days and more accurate health data sensors. While maintaining the titanium frame and waterproof capabilities of the original, the new smart ring is set to achieve an IP69 rating, offering superior water resistance compared to the Galaxy Ring’s IP68 certification. Samsung Galaxy Ring 2: Expanded AI Features Samsung is also expanding the size options for the Galaxy Ring 2, increasing from nine to eleven sizes to ensure a better fit for a wider range of users. Adding further, the device will come equipped with enhanced sensors and AI-driven features, making it more intuitive and versatile. However, these refreshed AI capabilities will rely on external software and processing systems due to the ring’s compact design, which limits onboard processing power. With its blend of durability, advanced health tracking, and cutting-edge AI integration, the Galaxy Ring 2 is poised to make a significant impact in the wearables market.

Atul Subhash Case: Bengaluru AI engineer Atul Subhash died by suicide earlier this month, leaving behind a 24-page note accusing his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family of extortion and harassment. Weeks after Subhash’s death, tweets shared by the Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) on X (formerly Twitter) revealed that a fellow techie had sent a suicidal message in the tech group on WhatsApp, of which he was a part, and then left the group around 12:39 AM before taking drastic action. Role Of Save Indian Family Foundation  A member of that tech group shared the message with the Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF). Despite many SIFF volunteers being awake, one member from the SIFF noticed the message at around 3:15 AM and took some time to process it before reaching out to others. Meanwhile, one of the members from the SIFF had already alerted the police. On early hours of 9th December was the saddest day for members of SIFF Many volunteers were awake. Anil Murty noticed the message from Atul Subhash at about 3:15am. He took sometime to process. Then he messaged others. pic.twitter.com/0XdtPI67IF — Save Indian Family Foundation (@realsiff) December 29, 2024 Could Bengaluru Police Had Saved His Life? The SIFF members also shared Atul Subhash’s address to ensure clarity among the volunteers, and the police arrived at his apartment. One member suggested breaking down the door at 3:47 AM. This raises the question: Could the Bengaluru police have saved Atul Subhash’s life after reaching his address? Unfortunately, the police require a valid reason to break down the door, and messages to multiple individuals could have provided that justification. One of the coordinators of Bangalore had already informed police. One member forwards the messages of Atul Subhash. pic.twitter.com/BqgTktLfvS — Save Indian Family Foundation (@realsiff) December 29, 2024 Despite the efforts of the SIFF coordinators to convince the police to break down the door, they were unsuccessful. The coordination took place over the phone, and many people were reluctant to believe the worst, especially since Atul’s car was not at the building. They assumed, “Maybe Atul is upset about something; let’s track his car.” As a result, the police delayed breaking down the door. Anil Murty posts address of Atul Subhash to create clarity among the volunteers. Police reached the house. pic.twitter.com/MuW6Vh2V95 — Save Indian Family Foundation (@realsiff) December 29, 2024 Parents Seek Atul’s Child Custody    Parents Seek Custody of Atul’s Child: Atul’s father, Pawan Modi, has filed an FIR at the Vaini police station in Samastipur, Bihar, requesting the recovery and custody of his two-year-old grandson. According to Nikita, the child is currently staying at a relative’s home in Faridabad. Note: The Zee News is not verifying its sources or taking responsibility for the tweets shared by SIFF. (Discussions on suicides can be triggering for some. But suicides are preventable. If you are looking for help, some suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-40769002 from Sanjivini (Delhi-based, 10 am – 5.30 pm) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based, 8 am – 10 pm), +91 9999666555 from Vandrevala Foundation (Mumbai-based, 24×7).

New Delhi: The Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) has batted for further calibration of Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme to make it more broad-based and impact-oriented. The industry body has made a strong pitch for incentives to promote R&D and innovation in capital-intensive electronics hardware sector during a recent interaction with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a release said on Sunday. ESC has also sought additional income tax reduction for Indian corporates spending over 3 per cent of their turnover to advance R&D and filing patents/designs in India. “In an exclusive interaction with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance recently, the…Export promotion council…Said that a well-calibrated incentive system designed to empower industry players could motivate nascent industry units to move in the R&D value chain in cutting-edge technology domains like AI, IoT, telecom, and embedded technologies in sectors like semiconductors, consumer electronics, and defence equipment,” according to a release by ESC. Implicit in ESC’s wish list is the demand for an additional 5 per cent Income Tax reduction for Indian corporates spending over three per cent of their turnover on R&D and filing patents/designs in India, it said adding this aligns with the national goal of fostering innovation, self-reliance, and global competitiveness. “By introducing tax reduction, India can create a compelling incentive for companies to prioritise R&D, leading to technological advancements, the creation of intellectual property, and a reduction in dependence on imports,” Sandeep Narula, Chairman, Global Outreach, ESC said. ESC has also pitched for further calibration of the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme to make it more broad-based and impact-oriented. The suggestions include extending the scheme’s duration for an additional 10 years, until January 1, 2035. “Given the long gestation period and complexity involved in electronics and semiconductor design, sustained support over the next decade is critical to fostering innovation, building intellectual property, and reducing reliance on imports,” it said. ESC is of the view that a long-term commitment will offer the necessary stability and confidence for companies to undertake high-risk, high-reward R&D projects. “Coupled with this, there should be a provision for the rollover of unutilised funds from the current allocation to subsequent years under the extended scheme. This will ensure optimal utilisation of resources, facilitate continuous support for ongoing projects, and maximise the impact of the scheme without leaving allocated budgets underutilised,” the release said. Gurmeet Singh, Executive Director, ESC called for additional funding to the tune of USD 20 billion under the DLI scheme to meet the rising demand for R&D in emerging quantum technologies like AI and internet products. ESC has also sought a 10-year Tax Holiday on sales of products with Intellectual Property (IP) such as patents and designs, developed through in-house R&D efforts. This, it said, would incentivise companies, particularly those not utilising the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, to invest in the creation of innovative products and technologies. “By providing tax relief on revenues generated from these IP-driven products, the government can encourage the development of proprietary technologies, foster innovation, and reduce the reliance on foreign patents or designs,” according to ESC. The industry body noted that the current level of R&D in India’s electronics sector “remains relatively modest” with “limited investments compared to global leaders”. “While India’s electronics market is significant, valued at USD 155 billion in 2022 and expected to grow to USD 300 billion by 2025- 26, its R&D expenditure in the sector is far behind its competitors. Although India’s investment in research and development has been continuously increasing over the years and more than doubled in the last 10 years … However, the country’s expenditure as a percentage of GDP remained between 0.6-0.7 per cent as against Chinas 2.4 per cent, USA 3.5 per cent and Israel 5.4 per cent,” ESC release said. 

Disney+ Hotstar Subscription Free For Airtel, Jio Users: In today’s competitive world, where people love seamless connectivity and streaming entertainment, mobile service providers like Airtel, Jio, and BSNL are offering prepaid plans that bundle high-speed data with free Disney+ Hotstar subscriptions. Whether you’re a movie enthusiast, sports fan, or TV binge-watcher, these plans offer the perfect blend of value and entertainment, delivering all-in-one convenience to suit your interests and elevate your viewing experience.   Airtel Prepaid Plans With Disney+ Hotstar  Airtel brings you prepaid plans that seamlessly blend high-speed data with uninterrupted access to Disney+ Hotstar, ensuring an entertainment-packed experience. Let’s have a quick look at the top choices- Plan Price Data Calls SMS Disney+ Hotstar ₹499 Monthly Plan ₹499 3GB per day Unlimited 100 per day 3 months free ₹869 Quarterly Plan ₹869 2GB per day Unlimited – 3 months free ₹3,359 Annual Plan ₹3,359 2.5GB per day Unlimited – 1 year free BSNL Plans With Disney+ Hotstar Premium Subscription   Plan Name Details Plan Name BSNL Superstar 300 Plan Disney+ Hotstar Premium subscription activated upon purchase Activation Login to Disney+ Hotstar using phone number and OTP Features Instant access to Hotstar’s premium content upon plan activation Jio Prepaid Plans with Disney+ Hotstar  Jio offers a range of prepaid plans tailored for both short-term and long-term users, ensuring flexibility and value. With high-speed data, unlimited calls, and exciting entertainment perks, these plans cater to diverse needs while keeping you seamlessly connected. Here are some of top 8 choices.   Plan Price Data Calls Disney+ Hotstar Description 84-Day Plan ₹949 Unlimited 5G + 2GB 4G/day Unlimited Free for 84 days Ideal for extended periods of unlimited data and entertainment. Monthly Plan ₹401 3GB per day Unlimited 1 month free Budget-friendly with ample data and one month of streaming. Quarterly Plan ₹999 1.5GB per day Unlimited 3 months free Balanced option for data and entertainment needs. Annual Plan ₹2,599 2GB per day Unlimited 1 year free A year of data and endless streaming for ultimate value.

iPhone 16 Pro Discount Price In India: Great News for iPhone Users! The Apple iPhone 16 Pro is now available at a discounted price. Apple’s flagship device has been making waves in the tech world, not just for its cutting-edge features but also for the recent price drop that has fans and tech enthusiasts buzzing. If you’ve been eyeing this premium smartphone since its launch and debating whether to make the purchase, now is the perfect time to get it.  The iPhone 16 series was launched just 3 months back and the new iPhones are selling online with huge discount offers, which is hard to believe because this has never happened. Notably, Amazon was recently selling the iPhone 16 at a slightly lower price and the iPhone 16 Pro (128 GB storage) is now listed on Vijay Sales with a flat discount offer of Rs 3,600.  iPhone 16 Pro Discount Price In India And Bank Offers  The premium smartphone debuted in India at Rs 1,19,900, while the flagship model is priced at Rs 1,16,300. Vijay Sales is offering an unconditional discount of Rs 3,600 on the flagship. Adding further, customers can avail of an extra Rs 4,000 discount using ICICI and SBI bank cards. HDFC cardholders enjoy an even better deal with a Rs 4,500 discount, effectively reducing the price to Rs 1,11,800.   iPhone 16 Pro Specifications  It features a stunning 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display, delivering exceptional clarity and vibrant visuals. It boasts a durable titanium frame with a textured matte glass back, ensuring both style and durability. An action button is included for quick access to customizable functions. Powering the device is the advanced A18 Pro chip, featuring a 6-core CPU and a 16-core Neural Engine for efficient performance and enhanced AI capabilities. The Pro camera system includes a 48MP main camera, a 48MP Ultra Wide lens, and a telephoto option, ensuring high-quality photography in all conditions. The battery supports up to 27 hours of video playback, while the USB-C port with USB 3 support allows for up to 20x faster data transfers.  The device is also water-resistant, capable of withstanding depths of up to 6 meters for 30 minutes, providing peace of mind in wet conditions. New features include the Camera Capture button, Action button, IP68 rating, USB Type-C port, MagSafe charging, and NFC.