THEHACKCITY

Apple has made the decision to halt its highly anticipated "Project Titan," an initiative aimed at developing an electric car, as reported by Bloomberg. The company conveyed this internal announcement on Tuesday, indicating that a significant portion of the 2,000-person team involved in the project will transition their focus towards generative AI endeavors. Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, along with Kevin Lynch, a vice president overseeing the project, informed employees about the discontinuation of Project Titan, according to Bloomberg. The report further suggests that there will be layoffs, although the extent of the workforce affected remains unclear. Rumors surrounding Apple's pursuit of building its own electric vehicle have circulated for years, with recent speculation indicating ongoing efforts in the project. Wired disclosed earlier this month that Apple had logged over 45,000 miles in 2023 using its autonomous driving technology. Bloomberg, i

In an expected turn of events for Byju’s, once India’s most valuable edtech startup, a coalition of investors voted to oust its founder and CEO, Byju Raveendran, during an emergency general meeting (EGM) held on Friday. Additionally, they lodged an oppression and management suit against the company's leadership to impede a recently launched rights issue, marking a surreal moment for the company. During the EGM, which concluded earlier today, a consortium of investors, including Prosus Ventures and Peak XV Partners, opted to instigate leadership changes within the startup. As per an investor source familiar with the matter, the participating shareholders, amassing over 60% ownership in Byju’s, also endorsed the restructuring of the company's board. However, two individuals close to Byju’s have contested this ownership percentage, though no official statement has been released by either side to confirm the figures. Raveendran and other board members were notably absent from the E

Signal, the encrypted messaging service, is launching a new feature in the coming weeks: support for usernames. This beta feature allows users to establish unique usernames, enabling connections without divulging phone numbers. source: Signal Blog To create a username, navigate to your settings and select "Profile." Once you've chosen a unique username, generate a QR code or link to share with others. Recipients can connect by entering your username into the chat bar. Usernames can be changed at any time, though previous usernames may be claimed by others. Signal began testing usernames last fall. Unlike social media platforms, Signal usernames do not serve as logins or public handles. They offer a discreet means of communication without revealing personal phone numbers. While a phone number is required to register for Signal, sharing it is optional. Usernames remain private and do not appear on profiles or in chats unless shared explicitly. As Randall Sarafa, Signal'

The introduction of UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius marked a significant milestone in digital financial connectivity within the Indian Ocean Region. During a virtual event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders from both nations, the implementation of UPI was celebrated as a means of fostering closer ties between India and its neighboring countries. PM Modi emphasized the importance of these new responsibilities undertaken by UPI, highlighting India's commitment to being a reliable partner in times of need, whether in response to natural disasters, health crises, or on the international stage. Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth and Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe joined PM Modi in the ceremony, underscoring the collaborative effort to enhance digital payment systems across borders. The expansion of UPI to Sri Lanka and Mauritius not only facilitates smoother transactions for Indian travelers but also allows Mauritian travelers in India to avail thems

Messaging apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, and Signal are popular but can be a hassle to juggle. Now, WhatsApp is planning something big: letting people message you from other apps! For the past two years, WhatsApp has been working on a way for different apps to connect to it without compromising the privacy of messages. This is a big change for WhatsApp and could make messaging more competitive. The European Union told WhatsApp's parent company, Meta, to open up its service to other apps. Now, WhatsApp is explaining how it will work. Initially, you'll be able to send text messages, images, voice messages, videos, and files between two people using WhatsApp or Messenger. This won't include calls or group chats yet. Also, it's optional, so you can choose whether you want to receive messages from other apps. If you opt in, you'll see messages from other apps in a special section in your WhatsApp inbox. This keeps your privacy intact. WhatsApp won't mix these messages

Bumble, the renowned online dating and networking app, has unveiled its latest weapon in the fight against fake profiles and online scams: the Deception Detector feature, powered by artificial intelligence (AI). With a mission to safeguard its users from spam and fraudulent activities, Bumble proudly announces a significant 45 percent decrease in reported fake profiles within just two months of implementing the new tool. This move underscores Bumble's steadfast commitment to combatting misogyny, harassment, and toxicity in the digital realm, aligning with its history of pioneering AI innovations across its platform. A recent study conducted by Bumble Inc. reveals that globally, users consistently identify fake profiles and the looming threat of scams as their primary concerns in the realm of online dating. In India specifically, 29 percent of respondents prioritize the security of their personal data, while 28 percent express apprehensions about potential scams when navigating onli

The recent announcement from Meta about the impending shutdown of its Facebook Groups API has sent shockwaves through businesses and social media marketing circles. On January 23, Meta unveiled its Facebook Graph API v19.0, which included news of the deprecation of its current Facebook Groups API. Meta stated that within 90 days, the existing API, utilized by developers and businesses for scheduling posts to Facebook Groups, will be discontinued. This includes the removal of all associated Permissions and Reviewable Features. A key feature of the API was the ability for developers to privately respond within Facebook Groups. For instance, small businesses could efficiently send a single message to individuals who posted or commented in their Facebook Group using the API. However, Meta highlighted that a new feature in the v19.0 API would facilitate this without the need for the Groups API. Despite Meta's rationale, developers expressed concerns about the API shutdown's impact o

  Google is making a big move to power its European data centers with offshore wind energy. They've signed agreements to support two new wind farms off the coast of the Netherlands. This is all part of Google's plan to use clean energy for all its data center electricity needs by 2030. To make that happen, Google is adding more renewable energy, like offshore wind, to the power grids where its data centers are located. Today, Google shared the next step of this plan for Europe, adding over 700 megawatts of clean energy capacity to the grid. Most of this new energy will come from two offshore wind farms in the Netherlands, where Google has two of its 24 data centers. They've made agreements with energy companies Shell and Eneco for these wind farms. The wind farms, Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN) and Hollandse Kust West (HKW), are expected to supply around 6 percent of the Netherlands’ annual electricity consumption. HKN is already producing electricity, while HKW is set to start

 Google is introducing generative AI to Google Maps, allowing users to discover interesting places more easily. This feature uses large language models (LLM) to analyze detailed information about over 250 million places and insights from a community of 300 million contributors to offer quick suggestions for restaurants, shops, and more. Initially launching in the US, there's no specific timeline for its availability in other countries. Google aims to transform Google Maps from a navigation tool to a discovery platform for new places using its expertise in generative AI. For example, if you're in San Francisco and looking for vintage shops, you can simply ask Maps for suggestions like "places with a vintage vibe in SF." Google's AI models will analyze various factors like nearby businesses, photos, ratings, and reviews to provide trustworthy recommendations. Initially, only members of Google's Local Guides community will have access to this feature. Local Guide

  WhatsApp's locked chat feature adds an extra layer of privacy by letting users protect their personal conversations with a PIN or fingerprint. Even though WhatsApp already encrypts messages end-to-end, some users want more security for certain chats. Right now, locked chats only work on mobile devices. If you use WhatsApp on a web browser, those locked chats can be seen by anyone. WhatsApp has mentioned that locked chats don't work on desktops, but not everyone might have noticed. If you go to your account settings and scroll down, WhatsApp tells you that the chat is locked on your phone, which happens when you enable chat lock on Android or iPhone. The good news is that WhatsApp is testing locked chats for the web version, so it might be available to everyone soon.

Paytm's shares experienced another staggering 20% decline on Friday, triggering the lower circuit mechanism that temporarily halts trading, as the Indian financial services giant grapples with the repercussions of regulatory measures imposed by the central bank. Within minutes of the market opening, Paytm plummeted to 487 Indian rupees, equivalent to $5.88, marking its lowest point in 55 weeks. This decline follows a 20% drop in Paytm shares observed on Thursday. With a current market capitalization of $3.73 billion, Paytm has witnessed a staggering $2.1 billion reduction in its market capitalization over the course of just two days. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) significantly expanded its restrictions on Paytm's Payments Bank this week, which handles transactions for the financial services conglomerate, prohibiting it from offering various banking services, including the acceptance of fresh deposits and credit transactions across its services. In response, Paytm announced pl

Tensions Flare Between Byju's and Investors: Governance, Finances, and Leadership in Dispute Byju's, once India's most valuable startup, finds itself embroiled in a public dispute with some of its biggest investors. The disagreement centers around governance, financial management, and leadership. Investors, including Prosus, General Atlantic, and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, have expressed concerns about outstanding governance issues, financial mismanagement, and compliance problems. Additionally, they seek a change in leadership structure and board composition. This move marks their **third attempt** to call for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to address these concerns. Byju's, on the other hand, asserts that their shareholder agreement doesn't grant investors the right to vote on leadership changes. They also emphasize their efforts to resolve the situation, including forming a working group with investors and implementing business restructuring measures. Ad