Microsoft Made A Pitch To Apple For Selling Bing
Microsoft reportedly discussed a possible sale of Bing search engine to Apple in a meeting in 2020, says a new report by news agency Bloomberg. The agreement would have made Bing the default search engine on Apple iPhone models, therefore, replacing Google, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter. Apple's top brass did not go ahead with a deal because of the money that it earns from Google. It was also concerned that Microsoft Bing may not be able to compete with Google in terms of "quality and capabilities", the report added. The talks between Apple and Microsoft were "exploratory" and never reached an advanced stage.
HP, Google Collaborate To Make Chromebooks In India
Laptop and PC manufacturing major HP has announced a collaboration with Google to make Chromebooks in India, in line with the government's Make in India initiative. This partnership is aimed at supporting the digital education ecosystem in India and helping students enhance their learning by providing affordable, safe, and high-quality computing devices to education authorities, schools, and institutions.
These Chromebook devices will be manufactured at the Flex Facility near Chennai, where HP has been producing a range of laptops and desktops since August 2020. The production of HP Chromebooks is starting from October 02 and will cater to the demand for affordable PCs in India mainly from the education sector.
Apple Job Openings In August Grow Amid India Expansion
According to London-based data analytics and consulting company GlobalData, Apple has posted a month-on-increase in job openings amid its attempt to expand in India as well as diversify its supply chain, says a report by ET Telecom. The tech giant is also apparently determined to cut production dependence on China. According to GlobalData's Business Fundamentals Analyst Sherla Sriprada, the shift from China will be underscored by the iPhone maker's plans to increase production in India in the next year years. Apple may also aim to establish India as a hub for diversification, the ET Telecom report added.
Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G India Availability
Handset maker Tecno on Friday announced the India availability date of its Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G phone. The device will be made available for buyers in India starting October 1 via e-commerce site Amazon.in for Rs 49,999. The phone is set to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Flip 5 and Moto Razr 40 Ultra, among others. The phone features a 64MP+13MP rear camera setup and a 32MP front camera system.
Noise Air Buds Pro SE Launched
Homegrown Noise expanded its TWS portfolio on Friday with the launch of Noise Air Buds Pro SE for Rs 1,699. The Noise Air Buds Pro SE can be customised and comes in a metallic finish. It also features Quad Mic ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) technology for crystal clear audio. The Noise Air Buds Pro SE goes on sale today and can be purchased from e-commerce site Flipkart and gonoise.com.
Spotify's Podcast Transcription Feature Is Here
Swedish music streaming giant Spotify is rolling out auto-generated transcripts for podcasts. According to the company, the new transcript for podcasts feature will be available for millions of podcast episodes in the next few weeks. For listeners, the text transcripts will also be time-synced, for them to visually follow along as a podcast episode progresses. The feature will be made available for both premium and free users.
CDIL's Mohali Packaging Line Push To India's Chip Advancements: MoS IT
With Continental Device India Private Limited (CDIL) becoming the first homegrown company to start production of silicon carbide devices for electric vehicles (EVs) in India, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said that Mohali is on track to become another semiconductor hub in the country. CDIL is the country's oldest semiconductor assembly and packaging firm. CDIL has just started the production of silicon carbide devices through surface mount technology (SMT) from its manufacturing plant in Mohali, the media has reported.