Toyota plans to make India a manufacturing hub for electric vehicle parts to meet demand there as well as for export to Japan and some ASEAN countries, a senior company executive told Reuters.
The carmaker plans to start by producing e-drives or electric powertrain parts used by different electric vehicle types, including battery EVs, plug-in hybrids and other hybrid models, Vikram Gulati, executive vice president at Toyota Kirloskar Motor said.
“The aspiration is to make India the manufacturing hub for cleaner technologies. This is about creating the building blocks,” Gulati told Reuters.
He did not name the countries in ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, that Toyota would export to.
The move follows the company’s recent announcement that it will invest Rs. 4,800 crore in India to localise the supply chain for EVs, and is also part of its broader 2050 carbon-neutrality goals.
It also comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to build EVs and their parts locally.
The bulk of the investment in India will be made by Toyota’s local unit, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP), a joint venture of Toyota Motor, Aisin Seiki and Kirloskar Systems, the company said on Saturday.
The world’s biggest carmaker said in December it plans to invest $70 billion (roughly Rs. 5,42,295 crore) to electrify its automobiles by 2030, including developing battery EVs as it plays catch-up with global automakers investing billions of dollars in the shift to cleaner vehicles.
In India, however, Toyota is more focussed on launching its hybrid models first, which it believes are better suited to the country’s aim of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and carbon emissions.
Gulati said this would also address varying consumer needs and enable “a faster transition towards an electrified future”.
Building out the supply chain early will help Toyota become competitive in terms of volume and price in India, Gulati said.
Toyota expects this to enable a “faster and smoother” shift for the Indian auto industry to electric-vehicle technology, he added.
Ethereum whales are triggering a major transfer period for Ether cryptocurrency, despite the overall crypto market currently struggling with losses. On May 11, Wednesday, Ethereum whales completed 2,956 transactions marking a five-month high. Each of these transactions valued over $1 million (roughly Rs. 7 crore). The data was collected by Santiment, a crypto analytics platform. Those crypto wallets that holds up to $10 million (roughly Rs. 77 crore) in a particular asset, or more, is considered a “whale” of that asset.
Bitcoin whales have also shown a similar sentiment, in-terms of large-scale transfers. As per Glassnode data, May 11 also made for the largest single-day transfer of BTC from whale wallets to exchanges.
Carlos Gomez, the Chief Investment Officer at the Belobaba Crypto Asset Management shared his two cents on the development.
“Generally means that a large accumulation event by whales took place and that could signal that the bottom is not too far ahead,” Gomez said.
Meanwhile, screenshots of the transfers of BTC and ETH have emerged on social media.
While BTC remains the most valued crypto asset by valuation, ETH is gearing up for a fresh revamp called the ‘Merge’.
The transformation is intended to reduce Ethereum’s power consumption by 99 percent.
At this point, the overall crypto market cap is sitting at $1.17 trillion (roughly Rs. 91,01,968 crore), as per CoinMarketCap. After March, the value of the crypto market valuation has continued to depreciate. As of March 31, the market cap of the crypto sector had risen to $2.14 trillion (roughly Rs. 1,62,77,490 crore).
Interestingly, despite the volatility, the BTC/ETH pairing has also showcased strength in recent days.
On May 6, the ETH/BTC pairing reached a three-week high according to a report by CoinTelegraph.
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Disney on Wednesday said its profit slipped in the recently ended quarter but its theme parks and streaming service Disney+ were booming.
The entertainment giant reported net income of $470 million (about Rs. 3,645 crore), just over half of the $912 million (about Rs. 7,075 crore) profit it made in the same period a year earlier.
But park attendance that had fallen due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic rebounded and Disney+ gained 7.9 million subscribers to hit 137.7 million.
When adding in subscriptions to Disney’s streaming services Hulu and ESPN+, the overall number tops 205 million.
“Our strong results in the second quarter, including fantastic performance at our domestic parks and continued growth of our streaming services once again proved that we are in a league of our own,” said Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
Chapek told analysts Disney is open to raising its streaming service subscription price in the future, but has no specific plans. Disney+ is pursuing a version of the service that would be supported by advertising, set to launch later in 2022.
Disney+ gained more subscribers than analysts had expected, in stark contrast to a dive in subscriber numbers reported by rival Netflix in the first quarter of this year.
A drop of just 200,000 users — less than 0.1 percent of the total Netflix customer base — caused shares in the Silicon Valley firm to plunge and prompted a shareholder to file a lawsuit accusing the streaming television titan of not making it clear that subscriber numbers were in peril.
“Disney+ has been taking Netflix out at the knees [in the US],” tech analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group told AFP.
“Kids have always chased their content, and for parents it has been a no-brainer to get their service.”
About half of Disney+ subscribers are families with children, executives said on the earnings call.
Disney stopped licensing its coveted content to Netflix to make it exclusive to its own streaming service, and said it planned to stick with the tactic when it comes to rivals in the market.
Parks and politics
Disney said that as its streaming television service continues to grow strongly, its resorts and parks are generally operating without any of the significant COVID-19 related restrictions on capacity that were in place last year.
The pandemic does continue to vex film and television show production, Disney said, but it has been able to release films in theatres so far this year.
“Our slate for the remainder of this year is incredibly strong,” Chapek told analysts while discussing the company’s line-up of shows for streaming and theatres.
Chapek acknowledged challenges getting Disney films released in China, saying the situation there is “very complicated” from political and business standpoints.
He said he was encouraged by the fact that a freshly released Doctor Strange film based on a Marvel comics character took in more than $500 million (about Rs. 3,877 crore) in its first week, even without being shown in China.
Disney has run into political turbulence closer to home, with the Florida governor recently signing a law that eliminates a statute that has for decades allowed the entertainment giant to act as a local government in Orlando, where it has a theme park.
The move was the latest episode in a dispute between the state’s Republican administration and Disney, after the company criticised the passage in March of a law banning school lessons on sexual orientation.
“From a financial standpoint, Disney will come out ahead with the plug pulled,” analyst Enderle said.
“It’s almost like Florida gave them a monetary favour; Disney was covering all the costs of the municipality they are in.”
The Reedy Creek Improvement District was an area created by Florida’s congress in 1967 to facilitate the construction of Disney World in Orlando.
Under that agreement, Disney runs the district as if the entertainment juggernaut were a local government, including collecting taxes and guaranteeing essential public services such as garbage collection and water treatment.
Under Florida law, if the special district is dissolved, its assets and debts would be transferred to local governments that surround the area.
“Removing district could transfer $2 billion (about Rs. 15,515 crore) debt from Disney to taxpayers,” state Democratic senator Linda Stewart warned after the bill was signed.
Google Pixel Watch debuted during the I/O 2022 consumer keynote on Wednesday as the company’s first smartwatch — quite a long time after being a part of rumour mill. The new offering comes in a circular domed design, unlike the Apple Watch that features a rectangular display, that carries rounded edges. The Pixel Watch also carries distinct colour options and a list of fitness tracking features. In addition to the Pixel Watch, Google unveiled the Pixel Buds Pro as its latest truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds — countering the likes of Apple’s AirPods Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro.
Google Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds Pro price
Google Pixel Watch price is yet to be revealed. However, Google said at the keynote that the smartwatch will be available in the US starting this fall.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro, on the other hand, are priced at $199 (roughly Rs. 15,400). The earbuds come in four distinct colours — Charcoal, Coral, Fog, and Lemongrass — and will go on pre-orders in the US starting July 21.
Details on the launch of the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro in India are yet to be revealed.
Google Pixel Watch specifications
The Google Pixel Watch runs the latest Wear OS and features the circular display with minimal bezels and a curved glass protection that brings the pebble-like domed design. It comes tactile crown — similar to Apple Watch’s Digital Crown — and has a stainless steel build. The Pixel Watch also comes with customisable, swappable wrist bands that can seamlessly attach. The watch, though, doesn’t seem to support any regular 22mm straps. It also sounds familiar if you have seen an Apple Watch that supports proprietary-style bands.
On the software side of things, Google said that the Pixel Watch runs an improved Wear OS UI with more fluid navigation and smart notifications. It makes sense for Google to deliver a distinct experience on its own device over other smartwatches, so you may notice a list of differences over other Wear OS models.
“It’s all designed to be tappable voice enabled and glanceable so you can be more present at home, at work or on the go,” said Rick Osterloh, SVP, Devices and Services at Google, during the keynote.
The Pixel Watch is also integrated with Google’s offerings including Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Wallet to deliver an enhanced experience. Google has also made the Pixel Watch as a remote for compatible smart home devices using the Home app for Wear OS. This lets you adjust your thermostat or turn on or off lights directly from your wrist.
Google has additionally integrated Fitbit within the Pixel Watch to deliver “industry-leading health and fitness experiences” out-of-the-box. Google said that the watch provides continuous heart rate and sleep tracking. Users can also see their active zone minutes when working out and track their stats and progress against different fitness goals.
The Pixel Watch also works with the Find My Device app to help users locate their misplaced Pixel phone, earbuds, or any other supported devices on a map available on their wrist.
Google Pixel Buds Pro specifications
The Google Pixel Buds Pro come with active noise cancellation (ANC) that uses a new silent seal technology that is claimed to help compensate for audio leakage and maximise the amount of noise that has been cancelled. This makes the new earbuds a significant upgrade over the existing Pixel Buds and Pixel Buds A-Series as both don’t have ANC support. The Pixel Buds Pro also include a transparency mode that helps users hear ambient sound. Later this year, Google has also promised to update the Pixel Buds Pro with spatial audio support to take on Apple’s AirPods Pro.
Google Pixel Buds Pro come with ANC and transparency mode Photo Credit: Google
Detailing ANC, Google said the earbuds carry beam forming microphones that use noise suppression algorithms trained with machine learning to suppress wind traffic and other background noise. The earbuds are also powered by a custom audio chip that is claimed to deliver power efficiency to make the hardware last for up to 11 hours of listening time or seven hours with ANC turned on.
Similar to existing Pixel Buds and other Pixel devices, the Pixel Buds Pro come with a hands-free Google Assistant experience. You can use the experience to translate in 40 languages or ask the Assistant to get walking directions, without requiring to physically use your phone.
Google has bundled the Pixel Buds Pro earbuds with a charging case that has USB Type-C for wired charging as well as Qi wireless charging. The buds also include support for multipoint connectivity to let users connect them with “compatible phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs” simultaneously and switch between audio streams while on-the-go. Users will also be able to find their Pixel Buds Pro using Find My Device in case they lose the earbud.
Connectivity-wise, the Pixel Buds Pro have Bluetooth v5.0. The earbuds can also be paired with any Bluetooth v4.0+ device, including Android and iOS devices as well as tablets and laptops.
The bundled case has IPX2 splash resistant design, while the earbuds have IPX4 sweat resistance. The earbuds also include capacitive touch sensors for tap and swipe gesture support. The charging case support sFast Charge to deliver up to one hour of listening time with five minutes of charging. It also brings a total listening time of up to 31 hours (without ANC).
Google Maps is getting an all-new experience called ‘immersive view’, to deliver an enhanced digital model of buildings and streets around the world. The new mode uses advances in computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver a rich viewing experience to users, Google said while announcing the new feature at its I/O 2022 consumer keynote on Wednesday. Google also announced the second beta of Android 13, its upcoming operating system. The company also announced updates coming to Google Workspace including automated transcriptions, portrait light, and portrait restore on Google Meet. Additionally, there were announcements related to Google Assistant, YouTube, skin tone representation, and others that you will find in detail here.
Google Maps updates
With the ‘immersive view’, Google Maps help provide the rich view of a neighborhood, landmark, restaurant, or a popular venue you search. It fuses together billions of Street View and aerial images alongside advances in computer vision and AI to provide the rich, digital model of virtual maps, the company said.
“Whether you’re traveling somewhere new or scoping out hidden local gems, immersive view will help you make the most informed decisions before you go,” Google said.
In addition to the immersive experience, the new view includes the time slider that users can use to even check out what the area looks like at different times of day and in various weather conditions. Users can also glide down to street level to look at nearby restaurants and see information such as live busyness and nearby traffic.
‘Immersive view’ uses Google Cloud to offer the digital view to users. So, it is device agnostic and can work with any phone and device, Google said. The experience has initially started rolling out in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo.
Google Maps is also expanding eco-friendly routing to more places including Europe. It was launched in the US and Canada in the recent past and has been used by people to travel 86 billion miles, saving over an estimated half a million metric tons of carbon emissions, Google claimed.
Further, Google is making its Live View available to developers through the new ARCore Geospatial API. It brings augmented reality (AR) to display arrows and directions on top of real-world viewing to help users navigate indoor areas such as airports, malls, and train stations.
Android 13 beta 2 release
Among other announcements, Google at the I/O 2022 consumer keynote announced the release of Android 13 beta 2. The update will carry a list of improvements and enhancements over the first beta release that debuted for select Pixel devices last month. Google also announced features including a unified Security & Privacy settings page, new media control featuring album’s artwork, and a new photo picture that lets users to select the exact photos and videos that they want to grant access to. Android 13 will also include optimisations for tablets, including better multitasking capabilities and features including an updated taskbar with the ability to switch the single tablet view into a split screen.
Android 13 beta 2 has been released Photo Credit: Google
Google Meet updates
Google Meet is getting the portrait restore that uses Google AI to help improve video quality and add enhancements even if a user is sitting in a dimly lit room and using an old webcam or have a poor Wi-Fi connectivity. Google said that the feature can help enhance video automatically.
In addition to the portrait restore feature, Google Meet is getting portrait light that is claimed to use machine learning to simulate studio-quality lighting in video feed. Users can also adjust the lighting position and brightness.
Google Meet is also getting de-reverberation that helps filter out echos in spaces with hard surfaces using machine learning. The company claims that the feature helps you sound “like you’re in a mic-ed up conference room…even if you’re in your basement.”
Additionally, Google Meet is getting live sharing to sync content being shared in a virtual call and allow participants to control the media. Developers can also use live sharing APIs to integrate Meet into their apps.
Google is also bringing automated transcription later this year and meeting summarisation next year to enhance conversations on Google Meet.
Google Workspace updates
Google Workspace is getting Google Meet’s automated transcriptions to help users transcribe conversations directly in their documents. Google is also extending auto-summaries to Spaces to provide a digest of long conversations. Auto-summaries were introduced on Google Docs earlier this year.
Google Workspace is getting new updates soon Photo Credit: Google
Further, Google is adding security protections that were a part of Gmail to Google Slides, Docs, and Sheets. The company claimed that these protections will help users prevent from opening documents containing phishing links and malware using automatic alerts.
Google Assistant updates
At the I/O 2022 consumer keynote, Google announced Look and Talk that is rolling out to in the US on Nest Hub Max to help people access Google Assistant without saying the “OK Google” or “Hey Google” hotword. Users will just need to look at the screen and then ask for what they need. The feature uses Face Match and Voice Match features based on machine learning and AI algorithms to recognise users and quickly enable voice interactions. Google said that the feature will be available as an opt-in offering.
Once enabled, you can use Look and Talk to interact with Google Assistant by just looking at the screen of your Nest Hub Max.
“Video from these interactions is processed entirely on-device, so it isn’t shared with Google or anyone else,” the company said.
Google also noted that the feature work across a range of skin tones and for people with diverse backgrounds.
In addition to the Look and Talk feature, Google is expanding quick phrases to Nest Hub Max to let users skip saying “Hey Google” for their most common daily tasks. This means that you will be able to turn on the lights in your room by saying, “Turn on the living room lights,” without saying the hotword first.
Google Assistant is also getting new speech and language models that can help understand the nuances of human speech — like when someone is pausing, but not finished speaking, the company said.
YouTube updates
Google at the I/O keynote announced that it is bringing auto-translated captions on YouTube to mobile users to help users view video captions in as many as 16 languages. Google is also bringing auto-translated captions to all Ukrainian YouTube content next month.
Skin tone updates
Google is releasing a new skin tone scale called the Monk Skin Tone (MST) Scale based on the research conducted by Harvard professor and sociologist Dr. Ellis Monk. This will help bring more inclusive of the spectrum of skin tones, the company said.
The new 10-shade skin tone scale will be integrated within various Google products over the coming months. Google is also releasing the scale openly to allow others in the tech industry to incorporate a vast range of skin tones into their experiences.
One of the key Google products that will start using the MST Scale will be Google Search. It will start showing users an option to help users further refine results by skin tone. Creators, brands and publishers will also be able to use an inclusive schema to label their content with attributes like skin tone, hair colour and hair texture.
Google Photos will also use the MST Scale to allow users to enhance their photos using a new set of Real Tone filters. These filters will be rolling out on Google Photos across Android, iOS, and the Web in the coming weeks.
Google Pixel 6a was launched at Google I/O — the company’s annual developer conference — on Wednesday. The smartphone is powered by the company’s in-house Tensor processor and a Titan M2 security coprocessor, paired with 6GB of RAM. The Google Pixel 6a sports a 6.1-inch display with always-on support. It is equipped with a 12.2-megapixel primary camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera, along with an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The smartphone is claimed to offer over 24 hours of battery life, and up to 72 hours backup with an included extreme battery saver mode. A more affordable model when compared to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, the Pixel 6a will also get a minimum of five years of security updates, according to Google.
Meanwhile, Google also teased the design of its upcoming Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones arriving later this year, with the next generation of its Tensor SoC, an aluminium camera module, and Android 13. The company also revealed that it is working on a Pixel branded tablet that will also be powered by Google’s processor, expected to launch in 2023.
Google Pixel 6a pricing, availability
Google Pixel 6a is priced at $449 (roughly Rs. 34,800). The smartphone will be sold in Chalk, Charcoal, and Sage colour options and will be available for pre-order in the US starting July 21, according to the company. The company is yet to announce pricing and availability for the Google Pixel 6a in other markets, including India. However, the company has confirmed that the Pixel 6a will indeed make its way to India, later this year.
Google Pixel 6a specifications
The Google Pixel 6a runs on Android 12 out-of-the-box and features a 6.1-inch full-HD+ (1,080 x 2,400 pixels) OLED display with 20:9 aspect ratio. The display also features Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and 60Hz refresh rate. It is powered by an octa-core Google Tensor SoC and a Titan M2 security coprocessor, paired with 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM.
For photos and videos, the Google Pixel 6a comes with a dual rear camera setup that includes a 12.2-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture lens, and a 12-megapixel secondary sensor with an ultra-wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture lens. For selfies and video chats, the Google Pixel 6a features an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture lens. The rear camera offers up to 4K video recording at 30fps while the front camera offers up to 1080p video recording support at 30fps.
Google Pixel 6a comes with 128GB of inbuilt storage. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light, barometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor, along with a an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication. Google has provided a 4,410mAh battery on the Pixel 6a that comes with fast charging support.
Pixel 7 series, Pixel tablet teased
At the Google I/O keynote event, the company also teased the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro — its upcoming flagship smartphones that are set to arrive later this year. The smartphones will be powered by the next generation of Google’s Tensor SoC, and will run on Android 13 out-of-the-box.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will launch later this year Photo Credit: YouTube/ Google
Google also briefly showed off the smartphone’s design, including the bar-shaped rear camera module, which will be made of aluminum, instead of glass like the current Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro models. For photos and videos, the Pixel 7 will feature a dual camera setup, while the Pixel 7 Pro will feature a triple rear camera setup.
Google also teased an Android-powered tablet which is expected in 2023 Photo Credit: YouTube/ Google
Alongside the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the company also announced that it is working on an Android-powered tablet that is expected to launch in 2023. Google’s Senior Vice President of Devices and Services Rick Osterloh revealed that the tablet will be powered by a Tensor SoC. Other details of the tablet are expected to be revealed in coming months.
Google at the I/O 2022 consumer keynote on Wednesday announced a series of updates aiming at Wear OS and Android tablets that are designed to upgrade user experiences across devices — not just limited to phones. One of the most important updates coming to Wear OS is the quick access to Emergency SOS. Google is also bringing Google Assistant support to smartwatches. Additionally, tablets based on Android are getting updated Google apps. Google separately introduced updated Google Wallet on Android to support things such as payment cards, transit and event tickets, and even student IDs.
By bringing Emergency SOS to Wear OS, Google has started allowing its users instantly contact their trusted family member or call an emergency service directly from their smartwatch. The Mountain View, California-headquartered company said that it is working with various partners to enable the new feature.
Wear OS devices are getting the Emergency SOS alert feature Photo Credit: Google
Google also talked about the Emergency Location Services (ELS) feature that is designed to help first responders to locate you when you call for help in case of a medical emergency or natural disaster. It was launched in markets including Bulgaria, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, and Spain earlier this year and is now available to more than one billion people worldwide, the company said.
In addition to ELS, Google has Early Earthquake Warnings in 25 countries that it is set to expand to “many of the remaining high-risk regions” around the world.
Further on Wear OS, Google said at the I/O 2022 that it is bringing Google Assistant to Samsung Galaxy watches. It will soon be available on the Galaxy Watch 4 series to begin with. The Google Assistant experience on Wear OS can be used for natural voice interactions and accessing features such as voice-controlled navigation or setting reminders.
At last year’s I/O keynote in May, Google announced its partnership with Samsung under which Tizen is combining with Wear OS. The company showed positivity of that move by saying that there are now three times as many active Wear OS devices as there were last year. However, exact number of active Wear OS users have not yet been revealed.
Google also revealed that new Wear OS devices are coming from Samsung, Fossil Group, Montblanc, and Mobvoi, among other players, later this year.
For tablets, Google at the I/O 2022 keynote announced that it is updating more than 20 Google apps over the next few weeks to take “full advantage” of the additional screen space. These will include YouTube Music, Google Maps, and Messages, among others.
Google also said that it was working with other apps including TikTok, Zoom, and Facebook to improve their experiences for users on Android tablets.
TikTok is getting optimised for Android tablets Photo Credit: Google
Additionally, users will be able to copy a URL or picture from their phones and paste them on your tablet.
On Android in general, Google is launching virtual cards that will be available on Chrome and at the system level to help users easily make payments, without requiring them to manually enter card details such as the CVV when checking out.
Google is also expanding Fast Pair support to more devices to let users easily set up and pair their devices. The expansion was originally limited to earbuds and recently reached Bluetooth headphones, Chromebooks, and smart TVs.
The Google Wallet app on Android is also becoming a unified platform to help people access their payment cards, transit and event tickets, boarding and loyalty passes, and student IDs. It will also be able to save virtual car keys and vaccine records as well as digital driver’s licence and official IDs. Google is essentially making its Wallet app on Android similar to Apple’s Wallet.
However, in addition to adding the new features to the Wallet app, the Android maker is working on updating its integrations with other Google apps and services. This will, for instance, allow users to view their transit card balance in Google Maps when search for directions once the card is added to the Wallet. Users will also be able to add fare to their transit card from Google Maps by tapping the card information.
Google Maps is getting a Google Wallet integration to let you add fare to your transit card seamlessly Photo Credit: Google
Google Wallet is also coming on Wear OS, with initial support for payment cards.
Alongside the Wallet updates, Google announced that it is updating Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging experience by bringing encryption to group conversations. It will be rolled out in an open beta later this year, the company said.
Google additionally announced extension of casting capabilities to devices including Chromebook and Android Auto in-car systems.
A quake of magnitude 5 shook the surface of Mars on May 4, as per a seismometer placed by NASA’s InSight lander on the planet. The seismic event has been dubbed a “monster” quake by the space agency given that it is the strongest temblor ever detected not just on Mars but also on any planet other than Earth. The red planet had previously recorded seismic events of magnitude 4.2 and magnitude 4.1 in August 2021. The space agency had found that these quakes were, in turn, five times stronger than the previous largest seismic event recorded on the planet.
The new “monster” quake occurred on 1,222nd sol (Martian day) of the lander’s mission. Since Insight landed on Mars in 2018, the planet has witnessed over 1,313 quakes. As per NASA, a magnitude 5 quake is comparable to a medium-size quake on Earth. However, the magnitude is closer to the upper limit of what the scientist expected to observe on the red planet during the mission.
The quake was detected by InSight on a “highly sensitive seismometer” which was provided by France’s Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), NASA said. The objective of the seismometer is to study the deep interior of the planet and quakes play an important role in aiding the research. As per the space agency, the seismic waves “pass through or reflect off material in Mars’ crust, mantle, and core.” In doing so, they alter and modify the parameters that can help seismologists study the composition and other features of these layers.
Speaking about the quake, Bruce Banerdt, InSight’s principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California that leads the mission, said that this was the “big one” that the team has been waiting for since they set down their seismometer in December 2018. “This quake is sure to provide a view into the planet like no other,” he said. “Scientists will be analysing this data to learn new things about Mars for years to come.”
While the quake promises the possibilities of exciting new scientific discoveries, it also comes at a time when the lander is running into some operation troubles. On May 7, InSight saw a drop in available energy below a level that caused it to slip into a safe mode. This means that the spacecraft suspends all but the most essential functions.
Last month, the seismometer placed by NASA’s InSight lander had detected two marsquakes of magnitude 4.2 and magnitude 4.1.
Apex Legends Mobile — after months of spending time in the rumour mill — gets a global launch date of May 17. It will be available on both Android and iOS. Electronic Arts’ popular battle royale game is finally getting a mobile port, over a year after pre-registration was opened for Android devices. According to Respawn, Apex Legends Mobile has been specifically designed for smartphones, and the game is said to have smartphone-friendly controls as well as optimisations which is said to make it one of the most advanced battle royale combat games available for a tablet or phone.
EA also shared a trailer for Apex Legends Mobile that features legends such as Wraith, Mirage, Caustic, and others. The Apex Legend Mobile trailer also gives us a quick look at the control layouts that have been optimised for mobile devices. Game modes such as ‘Mini-Royale’ and ‘Team Deathmatch’ can also be accessed. Apex Legends Mobile will also feature mobile-first legends that will have their own storylines.
Apex Legends Mobile requirements
Alongside, EA has shared minimum hardware requirements for both Android and iOS.
Apex Legends Mobile Android requirements
OS: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or newer
Processor: Snapdragon 435, HiSilicon Kirin 650, MediaTek Helio P20, or Exynos 7420
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 4GB free space
Notes: OpenGL 3.1 support
Apex Legends Mobile iOS requirements
OS: iOS 11 or newer
Device: iPhone 6S (A9 chip) or later
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 4GB free space
Just as on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, Apex Legends will be a free-to-play title on mobile and will include in-game purchases. Apex Legends Mobile will not feature crossplay for console or PC versions of the game — giving it a smartphone-only launch similar to BGMI and New State Mobile — though players on Android and iOS can play with each other.
According to EA’s official website, Apex Legends Mobile will feature mobile-first adaptations and innovations with new legends, maps, and gameplay, modes, progressions, and live events that constantly expand the gameplay variety to keep the experience fresh and new every season. It also mentions that you will get to choose from a growing cast of beloved legends with unique abilities and personalities to fit an array of play styles.
Legends change the game. But they can’t do it without you. Pre-register and be ready to drop in… later this month!
— Apex Legends Mobile (@PlayApexMobile) May 2, 2022
Apex Legends Mobile will reward players that have pre-registered for the game. These include the Teeth Cutter – Epic R99 Skin, Molten Earth-Epic Skin for Bloodhound, Fateful Games-Banner Frame, and On Target-Banner Pose. EA has also opened up more pre-registration rewards which include a ‘’Become Legendary Holospray” and a ‘’Sunfire Initiate – Legendary skin” for Pathfinder at 15 million and 25 million users, respectively. At the time of writing, the count was at 14 million users.
In other news, Apex Legends season 13 “Saviors” for PC and gaming consoles will kick off on Tuesday, May 10. The upcoming season will introduce a new legend, Newcastle, who is Bangalore’s long presumed dead brother. Season 13 will also give Storm Point its first-ever update. Legendary skins for Fuse and Bloodhound have also been added to the Battle Pass.
Apex Legends Mobile, meanwhile, is out May 17 on Android and iOS.
Dapper Labs, the Web 3 platform powering popular blockchain-based trading card platform NBA Top Shot, has unveiled a $725 million (roughly Rs. 5,600 crore) ecosystem fund to invest in applications and growth for its layer-1 blockchain ecosystem named Flow. The fund is the largest joint commitment made toward any blockchain ecosystem, the company said in a statement. Participants include venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz aka a16z, Coatue, CoinFund, Greenfield One, Liberty City Ventures, Digital Currency Group, and Union Square Ventures.
According to a press release, the money will be used for token grants, incubator programs, and other resources to support the “gaming, infrastructure, decentralised finance, content and creators” in the Flow ecosystem.
Today, we’re announcing a $725 Million ecosystem fund to accelerate growth across the entire Flow ecosystem
This is the largest joint fund made for ANY blockchain, available for both existing and future developers #onFlow
Announcing the raise, Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou said, “We are thrilled to see such a strong vote of confidence in the Flow ecosystem from some of the world’s leading investors in Web 3 through their commitment to this fund. With their active participation and support, the Ecosystem Fund has the opportunity to become a real game-changer for the 7,500+ strong and fast-growing developer community in the Flow ecosystem.”
Dapper Labs is the original creator of Flow, the blockchain ecosystem that powers its NBA Top Shot, NFL All Day, and UFC Strike non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles platforms. However, Flow also plays host to a variety of other projects — ranging from avatar platform Genies to kid-centric NFTs from Zigazoo — and has evolved into an open, decentralised platform for Web 3 apps.
In late 2017, the company made headlines after its first game, CryptoKitties, exploded in popularity and triggered a major congestion crisis on the Ethereum network. According to some estimates, CryptoKitties had around 1.5 million active users at its height before falling from grace and becoming inaccessible for most users due to Ethereum’s soaring transaction fees.
According to data on Flow’s official website, the network currently hosts over 1,000 active projects and 175,000 daily active users, which is still orders of magnitude lower than Ethereum and other leading Layer 1 blockchains like Solana and BNB Chain.
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