Apple apologises over listening to Siri audio snippets, fires contractors who heard the recordings

Apple is one company that takes pride in upholding the privacy of users in its ecosystem. However, last month, the company was called out for eavesdropping on users' conversations. It was reported that the Apple contractors were regularly listening to confidential Siri recordings, which included drug deals and recordings of couples making love. It was done as part of their job in providing quality control, or “grading”. Now, Apple has apologised for the privacy mishaps, and said it would no longer retain audio recordings of Siri interactions.

"As a result of our review, we realise we haven't been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologise," Apple said in a statement. 

The “grading” was previously done on the basis of several factors including whether the activation of the voice assistant was deliberate or accidental. A report said that accidental activations were the main reason for the private conversations to be sent to Apple. However, the tech giant said on Wednesday, August 28 that users will be able to opt-in to allow Apple to listen to a select bunch of audio samples, which are said to be anonymised.

Apple has taken a tough stand against the contractors who are said to have listened to over 1,000 Siri recordings per shift. The company has reportedly laid off 300 contractors in Cork, Ireland. “More contractors throughout Europe may have been let go,” said a report in Engadget quoting the Guardian.

“Apple is committed to customer privacy and made the decision to suspend Siri grading while we conduct a thorough review of our processes.  We're working closely with our partners as we do this to ensure the best possible outcome for our suppliers, their employees and our customers around the world," a spokesperson for Apple was quoted as saying by the Irish Examiner.

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Fitbit announces Versa 2 smartwatch, Aria Air weighing scale, new subscription plan

American fitness technology company Fitbit made a bunch of new announcements last evening, chief amongst which was a new smartwatch. Called the Fitbit Versa 2, the company's new wearable features voice commands through Amazon Alexa and a five-day battery. Fitbit also announced Aria Air, an affordable Bluetooth-enabled weighing scale and Fitbit Premium, a paid subscription service in the Fitbit app. The Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch is priced at Rs 20,999 and the Fitbit Aria Air weighing scale costs Rs 4,999.

Fitbit Versa 2

Available globally starting September 15, the Fitbit Versa 2 is, as you might expect, a second iteration of the original Fitbit Versa that was launched last year. This year’s smartwatch is the first from Fitbit to have inbuilt support for Amazon Alexa and Fitbit Pay. It also features Sleep Score, a scoring system for your sleep quality; Smart Wake, a smart REM cycle-dependent alarm clock; Sleep Mode, a mode that prevents interruptions; and Estimated Oxygen Variation Graph, a measuring system for the variation of oxygen levels in the user’s bloodstream.

In addition, the Fitbit Versa 2’s list of features includes a faster processor, AMOLED display, always-on display mode (with 2-day battery life), automatic activity tracking, always-on heart rate monitoring, over 15 goal-based activity modes, GPS connectivity, and water resistance up to 50 metres. “Fitbit is also bringing the Spotify app experience to Versa 2, allowing Spotify Premium subscribers to control music and podcasts so you can find all-day motivation directly from your wrist,” writes Fitbit in its press release. The new smartwatch is complemented by a long list of accessories, including classic bands, sport-inspired bands, and leather/suede bands. The Fitbit Versa 2 costs Rs 20,999 in India. You can read our review of the original Fitbit Versa here.

Fitbit Aria Air

The Fitbit Aria Air is a smart weighing scale that sync data with the Fitbit app on the user’s smartphone to show activity, heart rate, sleep, nutrition, etc. Apart from recording and tracking the user’s weight, it can also calculate their BMI (body mass index). The Fitbit Aria Air is expected to go on sale for Rs 4,999 sometime towards the end of September in two colours: Black Shadow and White Shadow.

“Whether someone is looking to manage their weight, improve their fitness level, or manage a chronic condition, we’ve had a significant impact on the lives of millions of people. In fact, 73 percent of Fitbit users who set a weight loss goal reduced their weight after six months of tracking it, demonstrating the power of the Fitbit platform to help users reach their goals,” commented Fitbit Co-founder & CEO James Park in the press release.

Fitbit Premium

Fitbit Premium is a paid subscription service for users of the Fitbit app, which lets users get Fitbit’s “most personalized experience yet”. The service promises “insights from 10+ years of Fitbit data as well as academic and medical expertise to help you move more, sleep better and eat well with customized programs, advanced sleep features, personal insights, thousands of workouts, new challenges, health reports and more.” Available from next month in 17 countries across the world in English, Fitbit Premium costs $9.99 (Rs 720 approx) per month or $79.99 (Rs 5,760 approx) per year. Fitbit hasn’t mentioned in its press release whether India is one of the countries in the list.

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Fortnite’s Turbo Building Time Delay Change Rolled Back by Epic Games After Backlash

Epic Games has rolled back the time delay change to Fortnite’s Turbo Building after receiving backlash from players.

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Fortnite’s Turbo Building Time Delay Change Rolled Back by Epic Games After Backlash

Epic Games has rolled back the time delay change to Fortnite’s Turbo Building after receiving backlash from players.

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Honor 20S to launch on September 4 in China, teaser poster reveals 48MP triple camera, gradient design and more

While the Honor 20 Pro is still yet to hit the market, Honor is already preparing for the launch of the Honor 20S. The phone is now confirmed to launch in China on September 4, according to the teaser poster released by the company. The teaser shows off the phone’s design, which includes a gradient coloured, glossy back panel. Interestingly, it has a blue and white colour palette.

The Honor 20S will sport a triple camera stack on the back and there is no rear-mounted fingerprint sensor in sight, indicating that it could come with an in-display fingerprint sensor or a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Honor has already started accepting pre-orders and the phone will go on sale on September 4.

Honor has shared a link to Vmall where users can pre-register to buy the smartphone.The phone will go on sale the same day it launches at 9PM, China time. The Honor 20S was also listed on TENAA recently, and there it’s listed with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Furthermore, the TENAA listing stated the Honor 20S will have a model number of AL-AL50/TL50 and will come with a 6.26-inch full HD+ display along with a 2.6Ghz octa-core SoC and up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The spec-sheet clearly indicates the phone will be a high-end device. The triple-camera stack on the back will house a 48MP primary camera along with another 8MP shooter and a 2MP sensor alongside. On the front is a 32MP selfie camera. Lastly, the listing mentions the Honor 20S will come with a 3,650mAh battery with 20W fast charging support.

While it’s not exactly clear whether the model number listed on TENAA is indeed the Honor 20S, but based on the naming scheme, it does seem to belong to the Honor 20 series.

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Redmi Note 8, Note 8 Pro, Redmi TV, RedmiBook 14 to launch today: expected price, specifications, and more

Redmi is all set to unveil the Redmi Note 8 series along with the Redmi TV and RedmiBook 14 refresh. The smartphone manufacturer is hosting a press event today, at 2pm CST Asia (11:30am IST) in the Beijing headquarters. Redmi Note 8 lineup is expected to include the regular Note 8 and a Note 8 Pro. The latter could be company’s first 64MP camera phone. 

The launch will be livestreamed on Weibo and Xiaomi’s official website. However, taking clues from the previous events, today’s event is also expected to be in Chinese with no English translation. 

Redmi Note 8, Note 8 Pro expected specifications.

The Redmi Note 8 pro will reportedly feature a 6.53-inch full-HD+ display. It could be powered by  MediaTek Helio G90T processor, paired with up to 8GB RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. Moreover, a quad camera setup will be part of the phone as it has already been teased. The company has also said that the Redmi Note 8 will sport a 64MP primary shooter, which could be accompanied by an 8MP wide-angle lens, and a couple of 2MP sensors. The smartphone might pack a 4,500mAh battery with QuickCharge 4+ support, NFC, MIUI 10, and a 20-megapixel selfie shooter.

In contrast, the Redmi Note 8 could feature a 6.53-inch display. It is said to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset. The phone is confirmed to sport a 48MP primary camera. Other three cameras could be the same as the Pro variant. It is tipped to run MIUI 10 based on Android Pie.

According to previous reports, Redmi Note 8 Pro 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant could be priced at CNY 1,799 (roughly Rs 18,000), whereas the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model could carry a price tag of CNY 2,099 (roughly Rs. 21,000). The Redmi Note 8 might be priced at CNY 1,199 (roughly Rs. 12,000) for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant.

Redmi TV and RedmiBook 14 refresh also expected

Not much is known about the Redmi TV yet. However, one of the models could sport a 70-inch display. Other smaller display versions could also feature at the event. As per the teasers, Redmi TV is tipped to have slim bezels and possibly a pop-up camera for video calls.

RedmiBook 14 refresh is also expected to be announced at the event. It has been teased to be powered by 10th-generation Intel Core processors, thus offering a 13 percent performance upgrade over the existing version. The original RedmiBook 14 featured a 14-inch full-HD screen, Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics, and 8GB of RAM.

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Fortnite v10.20 Update Brings a Borderlands 3 Crossover Called FortniteXMayhem

Fortnite is getting a Borderlands 3 crossover with the v10.20 update. 

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