Why Tesla has not come to India yet Lets analyze Musks Tweets

Post his meeting with PM Modi, Elon Musk said Tesla will be in India as soon as it’s humanly possible. He also laid out the prerequisites for a sustainable energy future for India. This isn’t the first time he had vaguely talked of bringing Tesla to India. Here’s a thread of all his tweets around the topic to understand what’s the bottleneck. 

Elon Musk Tesla India: The story so far

Let’s try to see it in reverse chronological order.

On June 21, 2023, as part of his 3-day maiden state visit in New York, Modi met Musk and among a wide range of topics, one of the talking points was Musk’s investment plans in India. 

Also Read: Elon Musk wants you to find your next job on Twitter as it takes on LinkedIn

Musk has proposed significant investments in the country and is confident that Tesla’s entry into India won’t take long. In his past tweets, he has revealed why it hasn’t happened yet in the first place.

Tesla will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed first to sell & service cars

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 27, 2022

Indian government wants Tesla to set up its manufacturing base locally. The company so far has Gigafactories set in Shanghai, Germany, and the US. If a Gigafactory in India becomes a reality, then that plant is likely to produce EV batteries and associated technologies. 

Still working through a lot of challenges with the government

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 12, 2022

This is a shift from Tesla’s earlier stance which was to import its cars and components to India. However, then too it would’ve had hurdles to overcome. What, you may ask? The answer is Tariffs/Taxes/Custom Duty.

Also Read: Musk meets PM Modi in New York and discusses the potential arrival of Tesla in India

For context, customs duty on EVs with a value of more than $40,000 is now 70%.

In discussions with the government of India requesting temporary relief on import penalties/restrictions until a local factory is built

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 14, 2017

So, the tentative launch timeline of Tesla in India has changed time and again.

Next year for sure

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2020

India commits to sell only electric cars by 2030. It is already the largest market for solar power. https://t.co/EGBNTPzmE5

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2017

Would love to be there this year. If not, definitely next! India

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2019

Nonetheless, things seem promising since he has been determined to expand Tesla to India for years now and the government is also welcoming of the same (with some conditions). Even Musk agrees that the government's intentions are in the best interest of the country. Let's see how things further unfold. We shall keep you posted on Tesla India news.

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Dont miss these crazy deals on the Croma Back toCampusSale

As summer vacation is over and kids are going back to school and college, Croma has brought the Back to Campus sale. This includes a wide range of products like smartphones, laptops, headphones, etc. There are exclusive vouchers and sale offers too for you to check out. For those of you interested, there are courses and EdTech platform subscriptions on offer here. We will learn about them later. But first, let’s check out the deals.

5 best Croma sale offers worth checking out 1. Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 laptop

 Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 comes powered by AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor coupled with 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD storage, and 4GB GDDR6 GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. On the front, there is a 15.6-inch 144Hz 16:9 aspect ratio display with FHD resolution. For connectivity, it has got 1 x HDMI 2.0 port and a USB-C 3.2 port among other ports.

After a 44.25% discount, you can get the Lenovo gaming laptop for ₹56,135. If you want an even better deal, there is the Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58 with Intel 12th gen i5 processor at ₹76,990 (after 49.68% off). Since this is a pricier laptop, we didn’t give it a proper mention. However, you may consider this in this Croma sale.

2. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G is the best smartphone offer on the Croma Back To Campus sale in terms of the discount offered. You are getting 53.35% off which makes the asking price ₹34,990. The phone is featuring a 6.2-inch AMOLED panel, a 32MP front camera, a 12MP+12MP+8MP triple rear camera setup, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, and a 4500mAh battery.  

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G review

3. Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus (2nd Gen) tablet

Lenovo Tab M10 FHD+ (2nd gen) offers a 1080p screen as the name suggests. This is a 10.3-inch IPS LCD panel with 330 nits of peak brightness. This is running on a Mediatek Helio P22T chipset paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. There is an 8MP camera on the back and a 5MP camera on the front. A 5000mAh battery is keeping the lights on.

You can purchase the Lenovo tablet from Croma at ₹17,094 after a 51.16% discount.

4. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 TWS

 Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 at 64% off is one of the best TWS earphones deals you can get. The current price tag (after discount) is ₹4,999. For that price, you are getting ANC, 20 hours of music playback, touch controls, Auto Switch Sync, and a compact and cute case.

5. Noise ColorFit Victor

Among the horde of smartwatches at discounts in this sale, we picked the Victor because it comes from a reputable brand, offers Bluetooth calling up to 10 days battery life claim, a squarish display with 550 nits of brightness, IP68 dust and water resistance, several sports modes and health tracking options.

Also Read: I used the Noisefit Halo for 2 weeks and here is my experience

Besides the options listed here, you can also check out around 350 laptops starting at ₹1,412/month, smartphones starting at ₹1,337/month, and earphones/headphones with up to 65% discount.

“The 'Back to Campus' campaign represents our unwavering dedication to equipping students and tech enthusiasts with the latest products and a seamless shopping experience as they embark on their new journey. We have handpicked great offers and gadgets, striving relentlessly to deliver a delightful customer experience," says a Croma representative while speaking on the sale announcement.

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Musk meets PM Modi in New York and discusses the potential arrival of Tesla in India

PM Modi is in New York for a 3-day visit and among the several imminent people he has met already, Elon Musk is the most notable. In his meeting with Modi, Musk has shown interest in investing in India and praised the prime minister’s efforts in drawing foreign investments to his country. He even revealed he is a fan of Modi. 

While that sounds positive and promising, let’s check out what he has planned for India.

Elon Musk on India’s potential for sustainable energy future

Elon Musk intends to make “significant” investments in India. He hasn’t shared any deadline but is looking for the “right time”.

He raved about India’s potential for a sustainable energy future. He says our country has all three pillars for this:

1. India is an abundant source of solar and wind energy that will be used for sustainable energy generation.

Also Read: Elon Musk wants you to find your next job on Twitter as it takes on Linkedin

2. Next, Tesla as well as the local infrastructure should be able to store and deliver it via charging stations. 

3. Finally, there must be electric vehicles that run on this sustainable energy.

Musk also points out that this is a low-cost alternative to fossil fuels. 

When can we expect Tesla in India?

Great conversation with @NarendraModi https://t.co/UYpRvNywHb

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2023

He is confident Tesla will be in India as soon as it’s humanly possible.

Also Read: Indian govt wants betting apps removed, Apple says it’s complicated

He will be visiting India next year following an invitation from Modi. 

He further talked about how the Starlink Internet can prove a boon for remote areas or rural villages where internet access may be dodgy or non-existent. 

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Exclusive: YouTube 1080P Premium feature spotted on free account

YouTube 1080P Premium Enhanced Bitrate quality setting which was previously exclusive to paying subscribers is now available for free accounts also. It was spotted on select content and seems to have been rolled out to select users only.

We first noticed the feature on a football match on Sony Liv’s YouTube channel. Among the quality settings, we saw the 1080P Premium HD option.

The same wasn’t available on several other devices/several other user accounts.

YouTube 1080P Premium on the web (Video: Croatia 0 - 0 Spain | Final | Highlights | UEFA Nations League | 19th June 2023).

This makes us believe that perhaps YouTube is gradually rolling it to all users. If this is in fact a phased release, all of us are likely to get it eventually. Or maybe this is a controlled testing of some kind. 

In any case, here’s what this feature offers:

YouTube 1080P Premium: What’s the benefit?

hey there! some vids are only eligible for an enhanced bitrate if they were only uploaded in 1080p! more info about that here: https://t.co/kVTBc8wifo

— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) June 19, 2023

1080P Premium HD was initially an iOS-only feature that too for premium subscribers. However as it was expected, the quality setting has made its way to the web also.

YouTube calls 1080P Premium “an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p,” which condenses more detail per pixel giving a crispier output. 

Note, this option appears when the videos are uploaded in 1080p quality and are heavy on detail and motion.

In its official blog post, YouTube says the 1080P Premium option won’t appear on Live Streams, Shorts, and videos uploaded at resolutions higher or lower than 1080p. 

YouTube also says that YouTube Premium users will have the content set to 1080P Premium by default. When we checked, the content we played also was automatically set to this Enhanced Bitrate option.

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CoWin breach: What sensitive data of yours may be part of this leak

CoWin data breach is in the news since yesterday and although the Govt. has brushed off the incident as not concerning, there has been a leak and the data in it is very sensitive. This includes your personal information like phone number, Aadhaar number, etc. Here, we have listed down all the data that are part of this leak:

CoWin data leak: What personal details are exposed to threat actors?

The personal information you used to sign in and book a vaccination slot through CoWin is part of the leaked database accessible through a Telegram bot. If you visit the CoWin FAQ section, you can see the following data are treated as valid ID proof for registering on the CoWin portal:

If you are 18 years or above

Aadhaar Card PAN Card Driving License Passport Voter ID (EPIC) Ration Card with Photo NPR Smart Card Unique Disability Identification Card (UDID) Pension Passbook

Also Read: Google Pay lets you activate UPI using Aadhaar: Here's how it works

If you are 12 years and above 

Aadhaar Card PAN Card Passport Ration Card with Photo Unique Disability Identification Card (UDID) Student Photo ID card

So, any of these data could be part of this leak. So far, we have heard about data like the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number, ID card details, mobile phone number, gender, date of birth, and the name of the vaccination centre, etc.

Also Read: Government refutes CoWin data leak rumours: Here's clarity on what actually happened

How does the CoWin Telegram bot work?

The bot named truecaller***** was available in a Telegram channel called Hak*****. Once you were part of this channel, you just have to enter the phone number or Aadhaar details to fetch the rest of the details about the person that is available in the leaked CoWin database.

It is not currently available since the government took it down around 9 AM yesterday.

There are several Opposition leaders which include: 1. Rajya Sabha MP & TMC Leader Derek O'Brien 2. Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram 3. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh & K.C. Venugopal@derekobrienmp @PChidambaram_IN @Jairam_Ramesh @kcvenugopalmp (2/7) pic.twitter.com/JnD5EKhPBO

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) June 12, 2023

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iPhone 15 price estimates are predictable: Here are the iPhone prices through the years

Apple iPhone 15 series could be pricier than its predecessor, as per Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. He told CNBC that the average selling price of the iPhone 15 lineup will touch $925 (~₹76,300). But that isn’t surprising considering the iPhone price trajectory over the years. What’s interesting though is he estimates there is still demand for the new iPhones.

Mr Ives tells there are about 250 million iPhones in the market waiting for an upgrade for the last 4 years. iPhone 15 lineup could satiate this demand.

The expected list of new iPhone 15 series features is also appealing like a USB-C port, a periscope lens camera on the Pro models, and perhaps Dynamic Island for all iPhone models.

Also Read: Everything we know so far about the iPhone 15 series

Apple's pricing over the years: Business as usual

Well, just in the last quarter, CIRP found the average selling price of iPhones rose to $988. The report highlights how this is against the conventional wisdom to be more value-oriented and hold back since the new iPhones will be there in a matter of few months.

Still, tempting exchange offers nudge some folks in this direction. 

The graph has been on the rise for the past several years. For instance, the ASP was $892 in the September quarter and $944 in the December quarter (source: Counterpoint Research).

Some reports suggest the overall ASP was somewhere in the $821 to $873 band in 2021 thanks to demand for iPhone 12 and 13 series.

Also Read: 5 iOS 17 features that you won’t be able to use right now

For context, the figure was only $690 in late 2015. In two years, this soured to $724. This is notable as it was in 2018 that Apple started focussing more on revenue over volume.

Now it is looking to shift to “lifetime user value,” which refers to the revenue it generates from services and not just iPhones. 

Also Read: Get iOS 17 early! Here's how to download the iOS 17 beta for free

With more new iPhones in the market, the demand for Apple Services could also rise. Ives echoes this by forecasting about $100 billion (~₹8,24,500 crore) in revenue from Apple Services which will be an impressive double-digit growth. 

These growth estimates are good for investors and the brand but it may not be for the customers who end up paying more, as they are not shelling out for just the phone now… but also for the services that come with it.

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Apple WWDC 2023 reactions on Twitter that will leave you in splits

Apple WWDC 2023 was a banger of an event. We got to see the brand’s first-gen XR headset (or spatial computer) named Vision Pro, a MacBook Air 15, M2 Ultra SoC, and yearly refresh of all major Apple software platforms like iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, Watch OS 10, etc. Now, most of these products are still far from getting a public release any time soon. So there’s time in  reviews too. In the meantime, if you want a general wind of what regular folks, as well as professionals, are feeling, here is a list of some interesting reactions to this year’s “dub-dub”. 

2023 Apple WWDC reactions: Some funny, Some to think about

Me when Apple Vision Pro drops pic.twitter.com/E0H54ZJBm5

— haider (@haiiderrrx) June 6, 2023

The reaction to the price of the Apple Vision Pro though! pic.twitter.com/5MCRhEtHMQ

— Jennifer Opal (@_jenniferopal) June 5, 2023

Zuck after a decade and $50B spent on a VR platform watching Tim Cook scoop him with the category-defining Apple Vision Pro. pic.twitter.com/oITKRmDqw0

— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) June 5, 2023

The apple vision pro saved our relationship pic.twitter.com/D8urN8Squb

— mihir (@__mihir) June 5, 2023

After buying the Apple Vision Pro pic.twitter.com/F9SNZFV7bF

— Dennis N (@DennisN) June 5, 2023

Me using the Apple Vision pro to go to Bora Bora after a long day of work pic.twitter.com/7Lw4vSqdDF

— Tony Cabrera-Steele (@_TonyCabrera) June 5, 2023

I was thinking how strict NDAs for Apple models must be only to get to know that some of these people are NOT even real?!  Yes, this is a Digital Human in Vision Pro promo. A CGI Person. I could not figure this out even after those transitions, did you? #WWDC23 #VisionPro pic.twitter.com/d8RpmvN56P

— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) June 6, 2023

Apple Products Before Price After Price pic.twitter.com/0YLktdA8TR

— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) June 6, 2023

There were zero adults in the room. pic.twitter.com/PPrWFLu2sp

— Stephen Hall (@stephenjhall) June 6, 2023

The fact that these images are real is simply astounding. Today marks a turning point for Apple. Wild goose chase. Zuck thinks he’s having a good day. Probably feeling vindicated. The harsh reality is that it’s Apple that has indicted itself. https://t.co/Nz5xUhjs2w

— Stephen Hall (@stephenjhall) June 5, 2023

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iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G launch confirmed in India, what will be its price

The iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G is all set to be revealed in India later this month. A few days back the launch was confirmed by the company itself. The device also appeared on Geekbench last month. After that the specifications and the launch timeline was also revealed ahead of launch. 

iQOO India CEO Nipun Marya in a tweet teased the launch of iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G. Hence, the colour variants and the price of the phone was teased as well. Let's have a look at what has been revealed.

Major differences between iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G vs iQOO Neo 7:

The existing iQOO Neo 7 comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC, while the upcoming iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 – so expect the Pro variant to be slightly better than the non-Pro variant in pure CPU usage, but depending on how the chip is tuned the Dimensity 8200 can also one up the Qualcomm in certain use cases, so we’ll have to see how the devices actually perform in real life, once we get our hands on them.

Colour variants of the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G

Recently the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G teaser was launched which hinted at the debut of the device in Orange colour. This phone is basically going to be the rebranded version of iQOO Neo 8 5G available in China only. 

The new #PowerToWin is soon coming your way! Can you guess the colour variant name? #iQOONeo7Pro #StayTuned #iQOO pic.twitter.com/1zccQGRW4w

— Nipun Marya (@nipunmarya) June 5, 2023

So, as of now only the Orange colour phone has been confirmed. Other colours haven't been confirmed yet. But we are hoping for some last minute surprise from iQOO when it eventually launches the Neo 7 Pro 5G in India really soon.

Also read: Forget iQOO Neo 8 Pro, Indians should be looking forward to the iQOO Neo 7 Pro

Price of the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G

According to the price of iQOO Neo 8 5G in China, we can set the price of the rebranded India version to be around ₹38,000-₹42,000. These are just speculations. We'll get to know everything by the end of this month when the device launches. 

Also Read: iQOO Neo 8 features leaked: All you need to know

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Each Apple Store in India has earned 22-25 crores in just one month

Apple opened its first ever retail store in India on 18 April – Apple BKC and Apple Saket, respectively. And reports indicate both Indian Apple Stores have become the highest revenue generating electronic stores in the country in just over a month!

According to a report by the Economic Times, the Apple stores at Mumbai and Delhi have generated ₹22-25 crores worth of business each in just over a month. That’s right, the report states that the revenue is twice as much as an average electronic store in India on non-festive timelines. 

Also read: Apple BKC: 5 key features customers can look forward to in an Apple Store

Previously, when CEO Tim Cook flew down to India to inaugurate the first ever Apple retail store in the country there were talks of how the establishment of the first retail store after 15 years would look upon the tech giant. Well, now we can say out loud that the brand has been celebrated for its brand value.

The first day, April 18 for the Mumbai store and April 20 for the Delhi store, the footfall of customers was over 6000 in each store. Apple reportedly sold over ₹10 crores worth of Apple products in each of the stores on their respective opening days.     

The deputy minister for information technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in conversation with Reuters mentioned, "I am very confident that this Apple-India partnership has a lot of headroom for investments, growth, exports and jobs - doubling and tripling over coming years," 

Also read: Apple WWDC AR teaser hints at the Reality Pro announcement: Here’s how to try it

In addition, Apple has also branched out the partnership between the tech giant and the world’s largest smartphone market, India by achieving 25% share of contribution in India’a ‘Make In India’ drive. According to India Cellular and Electronics Association data, the smartphones exported from India last year were 50% dominated by iPhones .

Moreover, Apple has established a tight grip around the Indian customers giving the brand the highest revenue generating electronic store in the country. However, an analyst that was mentioned in the ET report suggested that Apple as a brand has a higher average selling price of products and hence, that can be the reason for the brand to be the highest revenue generating store.

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Digit Back to School Guide - List of best deals and discounts for students

Student discounts are one of the best perks you can get if your college issues an official email ID along with an ID card. Everything from hardware to software can be obtained at a discount if you are a student. Heck, even Spotify offers a student discount in India. While the opinions on this matter are still divided, with some suggesting that these discounts are nothing but a way for brands to secure future customers. 

But hey, if you are getting some sweet deals on your next laptop or a discounted subscription to arguably one of the best music streaming services, who cares? After you are done using the service or have bought the thing that you wanted, you will have a fair idea of what the brand has to offer. So you will know what they bring to the table, and if it is related to tech and you are not able to figure it out, then you know whom to reach out to. Now, without wasting your time or mine, let’s dive into the world of student discounts and have a look at all the deals and offers that you can grab using just your ID card and email.

Spotify

If you are a student with a valid ID card/email ID granted by your institution, then you can easily get your hands on a subsidised subscription to Spotify. Spotify’s student plan in India costs ₹59/month. These charges are deducted from your account after you finish your first month of premium subscription, which is free. At max, you can get Spotify Premium for four years, after which you will no longer be eligible to get the service at a discounted rate, and you will either need to opt out of Premium or continue with a regular plan.

UNiDAYS

One of the most popular services used by brands across the world for student status verification is UNiDAYS. Thanks to the wide variety of clients that they have under their belt, UNiDAYS also becomes a good starting point for students to step into the world of student discounts. By verifying that you are a student, UNiDAYS opens the gates to discounts from brands like Apple, Samsung, Gaana, Saavn, and even fashion and apparel brands like H&M and Birkenstock. The signup process is super easy, and all you need is an active student ID administered by your institution. If you don’t have that, then you can also upload images of your ID card that has been issued by the institute that you are studying at, and you are set. 

A single UNiDAYS verification will open you to getting the following discounts (only tech hardware discounts listed here, for more, visit UNiDAYS) -

Microsoft

One of the biggest tech brands in the world, Microsoft, also has a lot of discounts on offer for students. A limited selection of Surface products is available at a discounted price, not only for students but also parents and educators. And, if you are lucky and your college offers you email powered by Outlook, then you can also get access to various Microsoft Office 365 as well. All you will need to do is sign in using your Microsoft account when using those services, and you should be able to use them without needing to pay anything to Mr Gates or his organisation.

Airlines

Airlines are one of the places where you can save the most money using your student ID. Most airlines these days, be they domestic or international carriers, offer tons of benefits to students, be it in terms of fare discounts or baggage allowance. Domestic carriers generally offer a 10 per cent discount on the fare and an additional allowance of 10 KG baggage, totalling the total allowance to 25 KG. For international carriers, it completely depends on the sector that you are flying and what policy the airline has in general. For example, in college, I was flying with Lufthansa and got an additional baggage allowance which included one whole extra bag, and along with that, there was a discount on the fare as well. However, keep in mind that you will need to produce a valid student ID card whenever you are checking in, despite the airline being domestic or international.

GitHub

GitHub also has a lot of benefits for students on offer. To get access to it, you will need a valid ID card along with a working student email ID. With the GitHub Student Developer Pack, you get access to a host of tools that will definitely help you get a headstart on your coding journey. The offerings include courses from Scrimba and access to assets from repositories like IconScout. There are many other things on offer, and they can be checked on the GitHub Student Developer Pack page here. 

Adobe Creative Suite

One of the essentials in any creative workflow these days is the Adobe Creative Suite. For students, Adobe offers a subscription at ₹1,596.54/mo, which is 60 per cent off their regular Creative Cloud plan. You get access to Adobe’s entire creative suite, which includes apps all the way from Premiere Pro to Adobe Aero. There are also Substance 3D apps, which include Stager, Painter, Sampler, Designer, and Modeller.

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Forget Nokia C32, heres why Redmi 12C offers better value for your money

Of late, Nokia has launched quite a few budget-friendly smartphones in the Indian market. One such Nokia phone is the Nokia C32.

The phone definitely has an amazing design and look. Looks wise it checks all the pointers, but if we focus on its price and features maybe it doesn't really make much sense. There can be better alternatives. 

Let's first have a look at the features and pricing of Nokia C32 and then look at what its alternative can be.

Also Read: Here is a comparison of the Nokia G22, Nokia C22, and Nokia C32 that launched at MWC 2023

Price and features of Nokia C32

The phone is priced at around ₹10,800 and was launched earlier this year in February. The Nokia smartphone features an IPS LCD display with 720 x 1600 pixels resolution. 

The Nokia C32 comes with a Unisoc SC9863A1 chipset and supports Android 13 OS. Talking about the RAM and storage, the phone has three variants- 64GB storage+3GB RAM, 64GB storage +4GB RAM, 128GB storage + 4GB RAM. 

The phone flaunts a double lensed rear camera- 50MP wide lens and 2MP macro lens. Except for these the phone also has a 8MP front camera. Nokia C32 is packed with a 5000 mAh battery accompanied by 10W charging support. 

This was all that the Nokia C32 offers at around ₹10,800. But now what if we get similar or even better features at a lower price than this phone? The Xiaomi Redmi 12C checks that box out. Let's have a look at what it has to offer and what’s the price. 

Pricing and specs of Xiaomi Redmi 12C

The Redmi 12C phone features the same IPS LCD display with 720 x 1650 pixels resolution. Here the chipset is different. The phone is powered by Mediatek MT6769Z Helio G85 and supports the MIUI 13 OS. 

Also read: Redmi 12C Review

Coming to the RAM and storage, the phone has five variants based on that they are- 32GB storage + 3GB RAM, 64GBstorage + 3GB RAM, 64GB storage +  4GB RAM, 128GB storage + 4GB RAM and 128GB storage + 6GB RAM.

If we talk about the camera, here the point would definitely go to Nokia and not Redmi as this phone has dual rear camera of 50MP and 0.08 MP and a 5MP front camera. Coming to the battery there isn’t any difference here with the Nokia C32. 

But whatever features mentioned here are almost similar to that of the Nokia C32. But the Xiaomi Redmi 12C is ₹8,799. So, if you are looking for an entry level phone, then you can consider the Redmi 12C instead of the Nokia phone. 

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How to verify your Aadhaar linked contact details in 3 easy steps

The Unique Identification Authority of India announced a feature which would help Indian residents to get their Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers and email IDs verified online or through mobile apps.

Aadhaar is the world's largest biometric identification system which helps Indian residents to prove their identity offline and online without always carrying around every document for proof. This identity card with a 12-digit unique ID number helps with e-governance, citizen services, banking, trading and other important activities without any hassle. 

Just the way updating your Aadhaar address is necessary, same way you should keep yourself updated as to what contact details are attached to your Aadhaar. Now, let's look into why this is important and how it functions. 

Why is verifying the Aadhaar mobile number and Email ID necessary? 

UIDAI reported that there are circumstances where the Aadhaar card holder isn't aware of which number or email ID their Aadhaar is linked to. This could be a really grave issue as there are times when you need OTPs for different purposes and it goes to the number that is linked to your Aadhaar. 

How can the Aadhaar mobile number and Email ID be verified?

UIDAI has given an official statement as to how the mobile number and Email ID can be verified. It says, “Now, with this facility, the residents can check these quite easily. The facility can be availed under ‘Verify email/mobile Number' feature on the official website or through mAadhaar App. This feature gives confirmation to residents that their email/mobile number under his/her knowledge is only seeded to respective Aadhaar.”

Step 1 - Open either mAadhaar app or log into UIDAI’s website to check your Aadhaar details

Step 2 - Find and click the ‘Verify email/mobile number’ button

Step 3 - Verify if your email or mobile number is accurately linked to your Aadhaar

In case the mobile number or the email id isn't linked then the resident gets notified and is provided with the necessary steps that are to be followed for updating their Aadhaar details. 

UIDAI has further stated, “In case the mobile number is already verified, residents will see a message like, 'the mobile number you have entered is already verified with our records', displayed on their screen. 

In case a resident does not remember the mobile number she/he has given during enrolment, she/he can check the last three digits of the mobile on Verify Aadhaar feature on MyAadhaar portal or mAadhaar app.”

 For linking or updating contact number with Aadhaar, you will have to visit your nearest Aadhar centre.

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Truecaller to offer spam protection for WhatsApp calls: Why does it matter

Meta and Truecaller are working together to prevent spam calls on WhatsApp. For those who don't know, Truecaller is a service that is used for caller identification and spam call-blocking methods. Now it’s unclear how this would work; whether spam calls will be actively blocked prior to them reaching a WhatsApp user.

Also read: No more fraud calls, thanks to TRAI’s AI-based spam call filter: How it will work

The feature is presently being evaluated in a beta setting, according to Truecaller CEO Alan Mamedi, and it will be made available globally later this month. 

In the current times wherein fraudulent calls are ever so increasing, this could be the solution WhatsApp users need. 

Also read: WhatsApp feature will let GIFs play automatically: Here’s how

Mamedi noted that the country with the largest market for the company, India, had seen an increase in spam calls made using WhatsApp. Therefore, it makes sense for Meta and Truecaller to collaborate and solve this issue before it spreads and becomes a major problem for WhatsApp users.

Incidentally, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is also working on AI-based spam call filter. However, this seems to be for regular cellular calls only.

In related news, several citizens have alleged of receiving scam calls from unknown international numbers. These come in both video and voice formats. These numbers carry country codes like Malaysia (+60), Vietnam (+84), Ethiopia (+251), Indonesia (+62), Kenya (+254), etc. 

Some spam call examples include: 

+1 (202) 972-4547 +62 838-6620-5224 +84 38 341 6618 +1 (938) 336-5344 +62 822-1897-3796 +7 903 858-27-50 +1 (812) 777-7539 +62 895-4007-39893

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New lithium reserve discovered in India: Heres how that would matter to you

Lithium, the metal that is used in batteries within your electronic gadgets to vehicles (EVs) has been discovered in India (again). The new reserve has been found in Rajasthan and is reportedly so huge that it could fulfil 80% of our lithium demand. Sounds amazing, right? Here are the discovery details and what that means for you and me.

Lithium in Rajasthan: What you need to know

A lithium reserve has been spotted in Degana, Rajasthan, as per the state government. What makes this interesting is the size of this reserve. It is reportedly way bigger than the mine in Raesi, Jammu and Kashmir, which was traced back in February. According to the Geological Survey of India (GIS), the Raesi Reserve has about 5.9 million tonnes of lithium.

The new discovery has been made particularly around Renvat Hill in Degana. Per GIS, this one has more in store and could feed 80 percent of the country’s lithium demand.

Why this Lithium discovery in Rajasthan matters to us? How it could impact the tech industry?

Lithium is a lightweight and soft metal. Its ionized form is capable of converting chemical energy into electrical energy. Due to this property, Lithium-ion is used in rechargeable batteries in mobile phones, laptops, electric vehicles, and a lot more.

Since they are efficient (more energy density than alkaline batteries) and easy to charge, recharge, and dispose of, they are the go-to solution for energy storage and are more eco-friendly than fossil fuels. 

Due to these benefits, their global demand is ever-increasing. This includes India which imports Lithium mostly from China, Vietnam and Japan. 

However, with these newly found reserves, our country could finally reduce its reliance on foreign markets for lithium. Thereby saving foreign exchange and bolstering our energy security. 

Our indigenous battery manufacturing could see a surge and tech brands could source from the local market itself. 

Well, at least that’s what we hope to see.

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Amazon Great Summer Sale deals: 5 unique and useful products under 500 incl unbelievable discounts

Amazon Great Summer Sale will end tomorrow and these are some of the useful gadgets on sale at amazing discounts. These include sub-₹500 mobile and laptop accessories and some of them are best sellers in their respective categories. So, without further ado, let’s check out these Amazon sale deals.

Accessories under ₹500 on Amazon Great Summer Sale 1. Portronics Ruffpad Re-Writable LCD Writing Pad 

This is an 8.5-inch LCD screen and stylus combo. You can use write, erase, and rewrite on the pressure-sensitive display using the stylus. Whatever you write or draw will be easily erasable using a one-button clear command. However, if you want to store or save something from erasure, you can use the Anti-Erase Lock button. These can be synced and opened on Ruffpad apps on iOS and Android phones. 

Check out the Portronics Ruffpad at ₹188 after a 76-percent discount on Amazon's Great Summer Sale.

2. Ptron Bullet Pro 36W PD Quick Car Charger

If you are looking for a car charger, the Ptron charger offers 36W of QC 3.0 and PD-compatible fast charging through 2 USB-A ports and 1 USB-C port. The company claims the charger is equipped with a smart IC chip that prevents short circuits and temperature issues. 

Check out the Ptron car charger at ₹299 after a 77-percent discount on the Great Summer Sale.

3. Striff Adjustable Laptop Tabletop Stand

You can prop up your laptop or tablet at 7 adjustable height options ranging from 2.7 inches to 6.7 inches. You can adjust as per your requirements with respect to anti-glare, comfort, and reachability. The laptop or tablet mount also offers air ventilation to dissipate heat. The thing can lift up to 25 kg. It also comes with a phone stand.

The Striff laptop stand comes at ₹299 after an 80-percent discount on the Amazon Great Summer Sale. 

4. Tygot Bluetooth Extendable Selfie Sticks

This is a 3-in-1 multi-functional selfie stick that is a wireless remote as well as a tripod stand. The selfie stick part can be used up to 15 feet in height. It weighs 113 grams only but there is no rubber grip. It also allows 360° plus 220° angular adjustment.

You can buy the Tygot selfie stick at ₹376 after a 81-percent discount.

5. WeCool Adjustable Mobile Phone Foldable Holder Stand Dock Tabletop Mount

Thanks to an aluminium alloy stalk and a heavy base, the WeCool phone holder stand claims to be adept at easily lifting a mobile phone’s heft. Its textured interiors should also facilitate the grip required to firmly hold the device. The mount can also be easily rotated at 180 degrees letting you view the phone’s screen in any orientation you feel comfortable.

The WeCool mobile phone holder stand is currently priced at ₹299 after an 80-percent discount on the Amazon sale.

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How to repair, get customer care contact and warranty info using the Right to Repair portal

Now you have the right to repair your mobile phones, electronics and other devices from third-party shops without losing your warranty. The Right to Repair portal in India was launched in December, last year. Here’s how to use this website to get the contact details of the consumer support contact details and know the warranty specifics of the product.

How to use Right to Repair Portal India

1. You can visit the Right to Repair website here. On the homepage, the various product categories covered by the Right to Repair portal in India are highlighted. These are Farming Equipment, Mobile/Electronics Displays/ data storage components, consumer durables, and automobile equipment.

2. You can either click on the brand names listed on the homepage or click on the Customer Care tab on the top menu bar and then select Mobiles, followed by the brand name.

3. Currently, for instance, Samsung has listed the Galaxy S23/S23+, Galaxy Z, and Galaxy A on this portal. 

4. Suppose, we click on the Galaxy A, and you will see clickable links for the product details and product registration details under the Basic Information section. 

Under Product Information, you can get external links to get warranty information, terms and conditions of the warranty.

There is a dedicated section showing the customer support phone number, email address and hours of operation.

Under the Service Details section, you can grab details about the Authorized Service Centers, Repair Manuals, and Recognized Multi-brand Stores/Centers.

You can also check important website links related to right-to-repair here.

At present, we see mobile phone and accessories brands like Apple, Samsung, Oppo, and BoAt. Hopefully, more brands will enlist soon.

The government believes the portal will allow the consumers “a chance to repair their products at an optimal cost instead of buying new products altogether”.

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Flipkart Big Saving Days preview: Here are the 5 best smartphone deals expected in this sale

Flipkart has announced the Big Savings Days from May 4 at 12 PM. A wide range of electronic products will be on sale. Among these, several smartphones will be at their lowest price ever. Here are some of those deals as teased by Flipkart.

5 best smartphones on sale on Flipkart Big Savings Days

1. During the Flipkart Big Savings Days, Apple iPhone 13 will be available at a crazy discount. The exact sale price isn’t revealed but you may be able to grab it for a lower price than usual. As for specs, you are getting an OLED screen, A15 Bionic chipset, 12MP+12MP cameras at the back, Face ID and iOS. 

2. If you want to buy a Samsung phone from the Flipkart sale, you can check out Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G which will be at its lowest price. Then, there is also the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 which will be up for grabs at an impressive exchange discount.

3. Google phones will also be on sale including the Pixel 6a at ₹25,999 and Pixel 7 at ₹44,999.

4. Some Xiaomi phones to watch out for during the Big Savings Days are Poco X5 Pro 5G, Poco C55, and Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G. 

Poco X5 Pro 5G will be selling for ₹20,999 (incl of offers), which is ₹2000 less than its current price.

Poco C55 can be bought from Flipkart at ₹7,999 in the Flipkart Big Savings Days sale.

Redmi Note Note 12 Pro 5G, meanwhile, will be retailing for ₹21,749 in the big Flipkart sale.

5. Realme GT Neo 3T will be coming for ₹19,999 on Flipkart during the sale days whereas its current price is ₹22,999.

Some other smartphones like the Moto e13, Infinix Hot 20 5G, Realme C55, and Realme 10 Pro+ are also previewed to be on sale from May 4 at 12 PM. 

Now, in this sale, you could grab a host of other electronics too with up to 80 percent discount. Big appliances including TVs will be up to 70 percent off.

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India builds AI tool to predict monsoons 18 months in advance: Heres how

An artificial intelligence-powered program that was recently developed could make the Indian Summer Monsoons (ISMR) more predictable up to 18 months in advance. The Ministry of Science and Technology suggests the predictor discovery algorithm (PDA), which was created using a single ocean-related variable (temperature, salinity or density), might permit expert forecasts of the ISMR in time for the creation of efficient agricultural and other economic strategies for the nation.

The widely used sea surface temperature (SST) is insufficient for the calculation of long-lead predictions of ISMR, according to researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), located in Guwahati, a self-governing unit of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). They discovered this was caused by the fact that all lead months had low prospective ISMR skill estimates generated by the predictor discovery algorithm (PDA) utilizing SST-based predictors.

Also read: Prompt engineering for AI excellence

The success of the model, according to the statement from the ministry, depended on artificial intelligence's (AI) ability to apply what it had learned through 150 years of research using 45 physical simulations of climate to data collected between 1871 and 1974. Between 1871 and 1974, these observations were made.

Devabrat Sharma (IASST), Santu Das (IASST), Subodh K. Saha (IITM), and B N Goswami (Cotton University) managed to use a machine learning-based ISMR prediction model to make 18-month lead forecasts of ISMR between 1980 and 2011 with an actual skill of 0.65 thanks to the newly discovered basis of long-lead ISMR predictability.

The ocean thermocline depth (D20) over the entire tropical belt between 1871 and 2010 was projected onto the correlation map between ISMR and D20 over the same period by the team, which included members from IASST, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and Cotton University, Guwahati. This method yields a predictor at any lead month.

Also read: Who saves the AI-makers?

According to the new formula, 18 months preceding the ISMR season, the expected ability of ISMR is at its highest (0.87, with 1.0 being the highest). The level of regularities in the yearly variability of its drivers determines the stability of the ISMR's annual variability in each lead month.

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WhatsApp rolls out new features for groups and companion devices

The most demanded feature is now available, along with a few more new features on the chat platform WhatsApp, owned by Meta. Up to five phones can each utilize the same WhatsApp account. 

Similar to how you connect WhatsApp on web browsers, tablets, and desktops, you connect every additional phone. Your messages, media, and phone conversations will all remain end-to-end encrypted since each paired phone establishes its own separate connection to WhatsApp.

Additionally, as a security measure, you will be immediately signed out of all partner devices if your main phone is dormant “for a long period." The global rollout of this update is now underway for all users. The rollout will be finished "in the upcoming weeks."

Also read: WhatsApp ‘Keep in Chat’ feature will let you bookmark messages: Here’s how

In addition, rather than having to scan a QR code, you may input your phone number on WhatsApp Web to get a one-time code that you can apply on your phone to enable device connection. Currently, this is just available on WhatsApp Web, but "more companion devices in the future" are promised.

According to reports, WhatsApp is introducing a group feature for group administrators to allow them to control how they authorize new members. It surely helps group admins make sure that only desirable individuals are added to the group.

When this feature is activated, new members must be accepted by a group admin ahead of them joining the group, regardless of whether they received a group invite link, by looking at the "Pending participants" area, claims WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp tracker.

Also read: iPhone users can make their own WhatsApp stickers now, very simple to do

When the feature is turned off, anybody is able to join a group by clicking an invite link without contacting the admin privately. According to the study, in the past, this posed a severe problem for community administrators because it may result in unwanted messages asking the administrator to be included in the subgroup that they manage.

WhatsApp is also developing a brand-new one-to-many mechanism for information dissemination dubbed "Channels" in the meantime. Users will find it simple to get helpful updates from the sources they select with the channels function. The function is currently being created and scheduled to be included in the next app version.

In order to accommodate channels, WhatsApp plans to change the Status tab to "Updates" in this portion of the app. A WhatsApp Channel is a confidential tool where users' phone numbers and other details are always kept secret.

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BenQ GW90QT monitor launches in India in 27 and 32-inches

BenQ has launched a new monitor in India — GW90QT. It comes in two sizes viz., 27-inch and 32-inch. They feature a 2k display, USB-C (TB3) 65W power delivery, speakers with noise filters, noise-cancellation microphones and an accessory monitor base cover. Scroll to find the complete details including how much it costs and where can you buy it.

BenQ GW90QT monitor features

1. Starting with the main thing about a monitor, its display: You are getting a 2K IPS 8-bit panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio, 75Hz refresh rate,1000:1 contrast ratio, 99% of sRGB coverage, 350 nits of brightness, and anti-glare, anti-flicker, and low-blue light properties. 

You can choose between various colour modes like Care mode, Coding, ePaper, Game, M-Book, Movie, Standard, and User. You can also prop this monitor horizontally or vertically. 

2. There is a 2x 2W speaker with noise filtration. This is backed by noise-cancelling microphones. If you want to listen using a headphone, there is an audio jack for that.

3. Other ports on the GW90QT includes HDMI 1.4, Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port (that supports 65W power delivery, DisplayPort Alt Mode as well as data sharing), DisplayPort out (Multi-stream transport), and 3x USB 3.2. You also get the Daisy Chain option to use several screens at a time.

4. For better cable management, BenQ has given the GC01 monitor base cover. Besides cables and accessories, you can also keep stationery items on it.

5. The monitor is rated for environmental standards such as Energy Star 8.0, TCO Certified 9.0 and EPEAT Bronze. You get up to a 3-year warranty on this BenQ monitor.

BenQ GW90QT pricing and availability

BenQ GW90QT is available on Amazon India starting at ₹26,990 for the 27-inch model. You can purchase the 32-inch model at ₹34,990.

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