Thursday energy is here - let's make the most of it!
Geek Gossip
#Arattai - Once the most downloaded app, Zoho’s Arattai has now dropped out of India’s top 100 downloaded apps. We doubt the app has got anything to do with it - getting social apps right is not an easy task (which makes Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook growth all the more impressive).
#LowCostMacbook - Apple is reportedly testing a low-cost Mac laptop for the first half of 2026. The laptop is said to have a lower-end LCD display and run on an A-series processor. It would compete with Chromebooks and Windows 10 devices.
#Amazon - Amazon says it has “repeatedly requested” that Perplexity stop allowing its AI browser to buy products for customers. But it has not stopped Amazon themselves from asking its customers to try their “Rufus” shopping assistant.
#SpaceDebris - Three Chinese astronauts were due to depart the Tiangong space station, reenter the atmosphere, and land in the remote desert of Inner Mongolia on Wednesday. Instead, officials ordered the crew to remain at the station while engineers investigate a potential problem with their landing craft.
Latest Updates
Maharashtra Partners With Starlink To Provide Satellite Internet Services
Mahar Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to sign a partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink. The state government has signed a letter of intent with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited. The partnership aims to provide high-speed satellite internet connectivity to government institutions, rural communities and critical public infrastructure.
US Chipmaker Nvidia Backs Indian Deep-tech Startups
Nvidia, a leading semiconductor company, has joined forces with Indian and US investors to support India's deep-tech startups, securing over $850 million in new capital commitments.
Google And Epic Games Reach Settlement
Google, a leading tech company, and Epic Games, a popular game developer, have come to an agreement to end their years-long court battle over app distribution and in-app billing services. Google will have to make changes to the Play Store, allowing alternative payment methods and third-party app stores, while Epic Games will drop its lawsuit.
IBM Lays Off Thousands Of Employees
IBM has begun notifying several thousand employees that they will be laid off, according to sources familiar with the matter. Most of those on notice will not find new positions and will leave the company.
Google's Ambitious Plan For Space-based Data Centers
Google is proposing a constellation of linked satellites in a "free-fall" formation to create a space-based data center, aiming to solve the environmental and space concerns of traditional data centers.
Changelog
Google Maps - Gemini comes to Google! You will soon be able to have hands-free, conversational driving experience with your Google Maps app through Gemini.
In Case You Missed It
🎁 We now have a dedicated page to list all events. We will be updating this page EVERY WEEK. We will of course be publishing new (and coming-soon) events in this section but for a comprehensive list of events, check the link(s) below:
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Participants in the Meta Horizon Creator Competition: Mobile Genre Showdown are challenged to build mobile-optimized worlds within the Horizon Worlds platform, emphasizing genre innovation and immersive experiences. The total prize pool is $1.5 Million. More details here.
This hackathon is your chance to take your website or app beyond borders. Use AI to translate your project into new languages and make it accessible to the world. INR 1 Lakh in cash prizes, swag boxes, and cloud credits are the prizes. Register here.
Miscellaneous
Cloud Computing Doubts
Software developer Daniel Lockyer shares a humorous article about convincing a friend that the cloud is a bad idea, highlighting security and latency concerns in cloud computing for enterprise applications.
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