Your Tech Story

Athulya

Being a cinephile with a love for all things outdoorsy, Athulya never misses a chance to chase inspiring stories or poke fun at things, even when the subject is herself. Currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, she is someone innately interested in technical and scientific research. Music reviews and op-eds define her as they allow her to explore different perspectives. Though sometimes she thinks she makes more sense playing the guitar than she does while writing.

Mercedes benz

NVIDIA and Mercedes-Benz to Team Up to Create New Platform for Vehicles

Leave a Comment / Tech News / By

There’s some good news coming for auto enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts alike. Reports have been coming out stating that Mercedes-Benz is planning on working with gaming legend Nvidia to create a state-of-the-art computing platform. This next-generation interface will help vehicles support everything from regular software updates to automated driving.  Here’s a look at what could be the next big revolution in the auto industry.

benz

New Age for Driving

The German auto industry staple recently said that it plans to release vehicles supporting this platform in 2024. It believes that by 2024, all Benz vehicles will support and have this technology, creating a new dawn for the way we drive cars. The new system will work via Nvidia’s Orin technology, which works as a system-on-a-chip device. Furthermore, the San Jose-based tech company will also use its full Drive AGX stack to develop this platform. 

The Orin first came out in December of 2019 and featured top-of-the-line specifications in all respects. It also has the power and capacity to deliver a performance that exceeds 200 trillion functions every second. Furthermore, the chip does all this, while utilising less power or battery than any technology before it, making it incredibly efficient. The chip will help develop a new system software stack that enables drivers to do everything from assisted driving and Autopilot to efficient parking, such as using Tesla’s Smart Summon function.

Benz Takes The Tesla Route

The new software system will also help users enable over-the-air updates for the vehicle software system, much like what we see in smartphones nowadays. Benz has been in the back foot for a while, trying to play catch-up to a more tech-savvy Tesla. However, with this new project, the legendary automaker wants to come out as the new tech-enabled car manufacturer. Tesla has always been superior when it comes to releasing and shipping OTA updates for their fleet of cars. This has helped them stay on top of their game, with regular updates such as Autopilot and new sensor technology. Just like how Apple and Samsung come out with new updates that help repair and rejuvenate their smartphones, Tesla has been revamping its electric vehicles through their updates.

Other Features Of The System

The new Drive System from Nvidia allows the software to track a driver’s motion, blinking, head movements, eye position, and so on. This information can then be used to calculate whether the driver is too drowsy, tired, or incapable of driving with efficiency. Once the system does this analysis, it functions as per the preferences set by the manufacturer. The system can take over and assist the driver with controlling the vehicle, or even alert the driver using warnings built into the vehicle. These visual and audio warnings will help the driver focus on the road again, and snap out of their drowsy state. Furthermore, this system can also monitor the driver’s external surroundings and environment, helping to keep the driver aware of everything happening around them. For instance, if a driver forgets to look at a cyclist approaching from behind and attempts to open the door, the system sends out a warning. As per the preferences set, it can also physically stop the door from opening, helping prevent hassles and accidents.

Major Companies Join In

Benz isn’t the only other automaker to take the plunge and start promoting an OTA system. Soon after Tesla came out with their system, GM followed suit and introduced their own OTA system. Recently, Ford too, has been coming out with their software updates, which help improve their 2020 models. The newest automaker to join in seems to be Daimler, who is set to start rolling out their own software updates and upgrades. Ola Källenius, who serves as Daimler’s CEO, stated that new upgrades would come into their cloud. Users will have the option to download such updates to improve their driving experience. The news that came out yesterday followed another critical update stating that BMW and Daimler were concluding their partnership. The legendary German automakers had announced a plan in 2019, to spend over $1 billion to improve their vehicle’s technological aspect.

The deal with BMW apparently fell through because Daimler wanted to upgrade their Mercedes vehicles quickly. The partnership with Nvidia serves as a much faster solution for the German automaker. However, we will have to see how the system designed by Nvidia turns out. When most companies are taking a probabilistic AI approach, Nvidia is focusing on neural network-enabled software. Whatever happens with the full stack system, it is quite clear that this partnership ushers in a new and exciting age for the auto industry.

spyware

Governments Using Spyware Technology to Snoop On People and Hack Their Phones

Leave a Comment / Tech News / By

Most of us have data and vital information stored online. Most of us are of the opinion that such cloud storage spaces and our phones are only ours, and hence, safe. However, around the world, we are now seeing a rise in cybercrimes. As the years roll, the number of people who find themselves under the threat of a cyberattack, spyware, or malware attack is on the rise. It isn’t just individuals who fall prey to such attacks, but countries as a whole. Several reports filed last year talking about how governments use spyware software to track their people’s movements and actions. Here’s an in-depth look at the use of spyware technology by various governmental bodies.

Whatsapp Files Suit

In October of last year, the world’s most popular messaging app Whatsapp filed a case against an Israeli tech company by the name NSO. This little known company was thought to be the one behind a well-planned and executed cyber-attacks on over 1,400 Whatsapp users. Most of the people who were attacked were human rights activists, diplomats, and journalists. 

Stephanie Kirchgaessner, who at The Guardian investigated this piece worked with Citizen Lab, a spyware tracking company in Canada. After her studies, she concluded that NSO had helped the UAE, Morocco, Mexico, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, and even Saudi Arabia. The company, however, vehemently opposed the lawsuit stating that Whatsapp was drawing false parallels. NSO argued that it licensed Pegasus, their state-of-the-art spyware only to law-enforcement agencies and government bodies. 

Spying: An International Game

The lawsuit began a new fight against unlawful and uncalled for surveillance by the State on its people. It tried to hold the global surveillance industry accountable for its actions, which are left entirely unregulated. There have been several cases before against the Israeli NSO by people who have fallen prey to their cyberattacks. However, Whatsapp was the first tech company to take the spyware firm to court. 

How Spyware Infiltrates 

The lawsuit states that NSO helps government agencies spy on residents through simple Whatsapp video calls. The scariest thing about this spyware software being that it does not require the person to attend the call to infiltrate their phone. The extremely sophisticated malware began spying even if the target missed the call, making them very dangerous. The software could intercept all forms of communication, access, and share photographs, and activate cameras and microphones without the target knowing. Furthermore, it also had the power to track locations and access different forms of data.

Who Are Their Targets

The Whatsapp lawsuit includes targets from over 20 different countries. The spyware singles out and targets religious figures, lawyers, activists, diplomats, politicians, and journalists. Also, NSO’s Pegasus could have been the software used to spy on writer Jamal Khashoggi who was killed by Saudi Arabia’s security services. His friend, Omar Abdulaziz, filed a lawsuit against the company for infecting his phone for the Saudis.

While activists have claimed that surveillance technology is taking over our lives over the years, they have had little success in implicating such firms. Also, no one has been able to come up with remedies or solutions for this problem, as such agencies keep intruding on our lives. The lawsuit filed in a District Court in California will be the first of many lawsuits against such agencies that hack our phones and enter our lives. Though NSO rejected the claims by stating their technology helps government agencies fight terrorism and violence, they will still need to prove their innocence in court. The company also claimed that using their software for any other purpose was a violation of the product contract.

Whatsapp received help from Canada’s Citizen Lab, which works out of the University of Toronto. This agency helps with tracking and identifying spyware technology users around the world. John Scott-Railton, who works as a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab, stated that such a lawsuit is unprecedented. Regarded as a milestone in the field of privacy and digital protection, this lawsuit may help other agencies to come forward with their findings. Such lawsuits will also prompt governments to enact stricter laws regarding data privacy. As we move into the future, it will be imperative that our data also enjoys the same security that our houses and other belongings do. Over time, we may witness more such allegations coming out into the public, helping countries frame their own data privacy policies. Until then, all of us will have to be careful, and try to prevent such snooping from happening to us.

Audi

Audi Established New Office In Silicon Valley For the Development of Driver Assistance Systems

Leave a Comment / Tech News / By

One of the most significant talking points in transportation for a while now has been driverless cars. However, most of the innovation has been led by fringe groups and research-based companies. There haven’t been a lot of auto-industry giants who have ventured into this field. All of that is about to change as Audi takes a dip into the area of driver assistance. Reports state that the auto-giant is setting up a new office in the heart of innovation, Silicon Valley, to aid with the development of driver assistance systems. Here’s a look at what impact the move will have on the industry, and why it is crucial.

New Office

The company has made it known that it will set up a new office called Audi Automated Driving Development Research & Development Block in San Jose. The facility will have around 60 employees, initially, and then expand again in the future. The A2D2 Block will be flexible and agile and will work towards developing new software by collaborating with startups nearby. It will focus on building production-intent applications that will help with creating smart-systems in cars.

Levels of Automation

This new research-intended office will focus on developing and advancing Level 2 systems. As per the Society of Automobile Engineers’ guidelines, Level 2 Systems are those in which at least two primary functions are automated. However, such systems still require a human driver to be present at all times to work efficiently. As per SAE standards, there are five levels of automation. At Level 4, the systems should handle all the duties, responsibilities, and functions that come with driving a car under specific conditions. At this point, it should be able to drive itself without human intervention. Stage 5 is often seen as a distant goal that the entire community is working towards and still requires a lot of research. In this last sage, cars will be able to handle all sorts of driving conditions and environments without the need of a human driver. Companies such as Aurora, Argo AI, Waymo, and Cruise are all working towards achieving Level 4 systems.

Audi’s Decision

Interestingly, Audi is focusing on creating and developing Level 2 systems, as this sets it apart from the others. In the past, the auto-giant had plans to come out with a Level 3 system, named the Traffic Jam Pilot. This application should have come out with the newest A8, that initially came out in 2017. However, the company ran into several production delays, and in May, finally decided to scrap the project. Therefore, it did not update the newest-version of the A8 with a Level 3 system. In theory, the Traffic Jam Pilot would have been able to operate on its own. While it has a human inside it, the Car would not require the driver to have his or her eyes on the road at all times. Such a system has never been practically tested on a large scale or commercially deployed.

Issues Faced By The Company

Audi had issued statements earlier this year to clarify why they were scrapping plans fr their automated system. One of the biggest concerns that they had was the large number of legal issues that could arise from their system. The legal framework regarding driverless cars is very tricky, and hence the company could have run into liability claims and other issues. Furthermore, their A8 was running through its life cycle. Therefore, the company was already pouring money into development to install and create new features. 

Hopes for America

However, the company has now turned its attention towards advancing driver assistance systems through Level 2 Systems. Audi stated that their A2D2 office would be the first to work solely on developing ADAS software and hardware for North American conditions. As North America is working hard on the advancement of such technologies, the company thought it best to set up shop here and be a part of the breakthroughs. They also get to work with leading technology startups focusing in this field and therefore attract the best talent.

This new office will help develop sensors and other systems that can improve the overall driving experience and safety. The office has also fixed sensors on the Audi Q7’s roof to collect data for their ADAS software. The system plans to drop by around 2023 to help make their cars safer and more efficient. All of their test vehicles are wrapped in QR codes, which lead to a page on automated driver assistance technologies. Furthermore, they are teaming up with a Volkswagen Group outfit named Car. Software, to build ADAS software. It will be interesting to see how far this partnership takes the future of automated driver systems.

tesla

Tesla Adds Wireless Smartphone Charger and USB-C Port to Its Model-3 Cars

Leave a Comment / Tech News / By

As per new reports, Tesla has decided to add a new wireless smartphone charger and USB-C port to its all-new Model 3 cars built in the USA. These new models are made in its Fremont factory in California. While these features were already a mainstay in the Model Y cars, Tesla has decided to add them to the Model 3 as well. Furthermore, they will also be available in the Model 3s being made in China. Here’s a look at all the updates you need to know about the new car.

Other Models              

The company’s new car, the Model Y, reached American customers in mid-March. The car came with a Qi wireless smartphone charger, whereas in Model 3, the same option came as an add-on, and not an in-built option. Also, the company recently lowered the prices for three of their cars in North America, namely the Model 3, Model X, and Model S. It also slashed prices of the Model X and Model S in China as a way to boost sales.

However, Chinese-produced Model 3 did not undergo a price reduction. Experts believe that these price cuts will prove beneficial in improving sales as the auto industry has suffered a significant downfall due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Demand for new cars witnessed a massive drop in the first quarter of this year, with most people being stuck at home. 

Flirting With Controversy

If that wasn’t enough, Tesla and its eccentric founder Elon Musk have been featuring in newspapers for all the wrong reasons in the last few weeks. Musk stirred up great controversy when he fought against and admonished the decision to shut down his factory in Alameda County. The order to cease all operations came out on March 23rd, and the company battled with officials to resume operations and keep building cars. CEO Elon Musk even threatened the officials by promising to move the factory somewhere else if they did not reverse the stay-at-home order. He also filed a lawsuit and tweeted aggressively against the decision taken by the county officials.

Model 3 and Model Y

Tesla is planning to upgrade the Model 3 vehicles by introducing features that were a mainstay in the Model Y. Both the Model 3 cars, American and Chinese-made alike, will get new wireless chargers and USB ports. Model 3 and Model Y also share similar-looking interiors, with the newer version having more cargo space and third-row seats. When the Model Y hit the market in March, experts were surprised to see that the company had added Qi wireless phone chargers to all their cars. Bryan Finnegan, who got a new Model 3 last week, confirmed that the car comes in-built with these new features. This is a rare hardware upgrade for Tesla cars, as Model 3 has not seen any such upgrades since its launch in 2017.

Current Model 3 Owners

If the current Model 3 owners or people with an older model want a wireless charger in their car, they can order it online. However, in such cases, most car owners go for the Jeda wireless charger as it is cheaper by around $25. Furthermore, this charge allows your phone to be charged while in a landscape position. Tesla offers a wireless charger for $125 upgrade, whereas Jeda Products, an aftermarket company, has the same product for $99.However, such owners cannot make use of the USB-C port as it cannot be added. The next best thing possible is to add a Jeda Model 3 USB Hub to your car, which will allow access to more ports, including a C port and storage space for Sentry Mode or Teslacam. The additional space will help clear up your center console when using all these features.

In the first quarter, the electric-car giant delivered 88,400 vehicles suffering a 21% fall when compared to the previous quarter. However, this surprised experts, as most other automakers were left with steeper declines. During this period, the company put together 103,000 electric vehicles, which was 2% lower than the previous period. These upgrades will help make the car more attractive to customers. By proving backward compatibility, Tesla is ensuring that even the older models regain interest. It will also help make their assembly more efficient by making all these standard across models. These changes will also help some of the customers they lost due to the COVID-19, and it will be interesting to see if the move leads to more orders and customers.

playstation

A Look at the New Sony PlayStation 5

Leave a Comment / Tech News / By

All the gamers around the world will finally have something to get excited about now. Sony has just released details about its new PlayStation 5, including how the console will look, and what features it will have. The newly unveiled next-gen console will feature an all-new controller named DualSense. This new controller is a huge departure for Sony, as it introduces a massive design change. They are innovating and coming out with a completely new controller design after 25 odd years. Here’s a look at the new PS5 console and its features.

Playstation
Image source: givemesport.com

Controller Design

The new controller comes with several changes and upgrades, both in terms of looks and hardware. It features a new haptic feedback, which will replace the Rumble technology, and it also comes with adaptive triggers. These new triggers will help gamers control and adjust the resistance they feel on the triggers during gameplay. The new controllers also come with a first-time integrated microphone and USB-C port. When it comes to design, the controller will feature a two-tone color scheme that resembles the PSVR. Furthermore, Sony has changed the shape of the controller, giving it a more rounded shape.

The share button has become the “create” button, which will allow players to share their gameplay content with the world. Further details regarding how this button works will be released nearer to the actual launch of the console. The PlayStation button will resemble the actual PS logo, and the triggers will get an angled design, unlike past controllers. The center-mounted touchpad, symmetrical layout, and matching analog sticks will remain in place. Another change is the position of the light bar, which has been moved to either side of the touchpad. Further details regarding the cost and color options will come out shortly.

Hardware Design

Sony also recently revealed how the console will look, and they have gone with a white-and-black design to match the controller. Like the Xbox X, the PS5 will also be a vertical machine and will come in 2 versions. One will carry a 4K Blu-ray drive, and the other is a pure Digital Edition that is a lot thinner. As the Digital Edition does not contain the drive, it should be cheaper than the 4K. However, Sony has not released information regarding the pricing yet. Sony will also release a stand that works whether you keep the console horizontally or vertically. The unit has vents to allow heat dissipation and comes with both USB-A and USB-C ports in front.

All these reveals come right after Microsoft revealed Xbox X specs in December 2019. The console will have an eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and custom AMD GPU, based on RDNA 2. These custom chips will provide a power of up to 10.28 teraflops to both the CPU and GPU.

Accessories

Additionally, accessories for the PS5 include a controller charging station, media remote, HD camera, and a Pulse 3D headset. The new HD Camera will support dual 1080p lenses, replacing the old camera that came along with the PS4. The new camera will allow gamers to stream live gameplay footage, making it easier than ever before to tape themselves playing. The new Pulse wireless headset will replace the PS Gold headset and offer support for 3D Audio. The PS5 will also come with dual noise-canceling microphones, which help gamers with in-game communication. The media remote comes with a built-in microphone that allows voice commands. The controller charging station can charge up to two controllers at the same time. However, it seems to use a separate accessory dock to connect the controllers, rather than relying on the USB-C port. However, they have not released information regarding the pricing of these components.

Other Specs

Sony will also use a proprietary SSD to boost their load times for PlayStation games, and the SSD comes with 825GB of storage. The SSD also provides a performance power of 5.5GB/s, making it super-efficient. If fans can go by Epic Game’s recent demonstration of Unreal 5, the console looks great when it comes to performance. The game reveal showed off the console’s ability for loading cinematic 8K components and dynamic lighting effects. The console also supports 4K graphics and 3D audio.

Furthermore, Sony revealed that the PS5 will support a majority of the existing 4000 PS4 titles. All the backward compatible games will run with boosted frequency on the new console. This will allow gamers to benefit from more stable frame rates and better resolution. Also, Ubisoft has announced that the new addition to the AC family, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will launch on Sony’s PlayStation 5 during the holiday season.

android

All You Need to Know About the Android 11 Update

Leave a Comment / Product, Tech tips / By

It is time for all tech geeks and enthusiasts to rejoice because Google just released the beta version of Android 11 for Pixel phones! The new Android OS comes with a sleuth of new features, revamps, and quite a few surprises. Read on to get an in-depth analysis of all the new features, how they work, and different the new OS will feel. 

Maturity Shows

Since Android is a mature OS, that has gone through various iterations, there aren’t any large missing chunks in it. That is precisely why the new update doesn’t come with massive revelations, but smaller surprises. Android and iOS already have many features in place. Rather than pick those apart, the developers have made them more intuitive and user-friendly. Therefore, the primary function of such a mature OS is not to add a lot of new features but to help manage those that exist more efficiently.

Major Changes and Additions

  1. Conversations Tab: On your notification bar, you can now see the messages from texting apps in a separate section, broken out from the rest.
  2. Priority: Users will now have the option of marking conversations as “priority.” This essentially allows such messages to bypass your Do Not Disturb mode. 
  3. Bubbles: This feature enables texting threads to pop out as little bubbles over other apps the way FB Messenger’s Chat Heads do.
  4. Notification Customisation: Users can now choose notifications to be either Alerting or Silent, giving them more power concerning how to view their information.
  5. DND: The revamped Do Not Disturb setting allows users to decide which apps and contacts can bypass their DND setting. 
  6. Quick Controls: All the media controls have become Quick settings, making it easier than ever to determine where your audio output should go.
  7. Screenshot: With the new OS, when you click a screenshot, it appears on the lower-left side of the screen, much like an iPhone.
  8. Recording: In all probability, native screen recording will become a fully-fledged feature with this new Android update.
  9. Power: The revamped power menu works like a digital wallet, powering your phone, passes, and cards on Google Pay and your smart home control.

Other changes include a Recent screen that allows you to click and share screenshots, the ability to customize your app dock, and one-time permission for location registering. Also, in case you don’t use any app for a while, all the permissions granted to it resets automatically. The new Voice Access has been upgraded to recognise screen content and generates labels for commands to improve accessibility and inclusivity.

Notifications Update

Every Android update finds some way to revamp the notifications section and make it more user-friendly. While that makes it challenging to keep up with all the settings moving around, the new layout is a lot smoother and efficient than before. For Android 11, Google has decided to abstract notification options and split them into three presets. Doing so makes notification management easier than ever before.

The new Conversations tab will allow users to clearly distinguish between messages and other notifications. Much like the interface sprouted by the FB Messenger, the Conversations preset sits atop the notification panel. They also stay separate from the rest of your notifications, which can get buried, meaning you will never lose texts again. The Bubble feature also makes it easy to draw them out and answer them immediately, by overlaying the chat thread on your app.

Furthermore, by long-pressing a notification, users can choose to set it to Alerting, Silent, or Priority. Priority messages remain in your status bar, and on your lock screen with a yellow highlight, making them prominent. The Alerting preset handles the messages just like the older version, whereas the Silent setting ensures that messages only remain at the bottom of the Conversation section.

More Granular Control

In case you are someone who quickly brushes through notifications, only to lose important messages, Google has something to help you. The new update introduces a fix that enables you to have an updated notification history. When turned on, this feature allows users to have access to a new “History” button, which brings up all notifications from the last 24 hours.

Also, users can manage their Do Not Disturb settings more precisely now. The new Settings panel allows them to set options for what apps and contacts can breach their DND settings to alert them. Therefore, through this update, Google has successfully made a ton of options more accessible to everyday users via a single long-press.

Other Changes

The new update doesn’t really change much about the Home screen. The only changes here being a dock upgrade, wherein you can replace the dock with apps the phone thinks you need. Another difference here is the Recents screen, which has a new screenshot grab button and a share sheet to send it to someone. Also, there is a Select button in the middle, which allows people to copy text with ease. 

The Android 11 update also sees Google doubling down on its permission settings. The automatic resetting of permissions of rarely used apps is a welcome move. Here again, we see Google replicating an Apple trend by incorporating the one-time permission option. Also, users have found the new Voice Access to be celebrated as it allows people to speak much more naturally than before to control their phone via voice.

Plenty Of Tweaks 

The Gboard will be updated, too, allowing users to mix and match emojis and improve its auto-fill capabilities. Other smaller tweaks include 12 new modules for Google’s Project Mainline, an improved Dark mode, new icon shapes, and resizable videos. They will also introduce tethering via USB-Ethernet, which has been missing for years.

While some of these changes might look small, for a mature OS, rearranging icons in itself can be a good change. It is these small and subtle things that make a phone more intuitive and user-friendly. Google is essentially trying to simplify Android by adding layers to its complex framework, and as of now, it looks like it’s working.