They actually did it...
Hello there,
You are reading an archive of The Tech Garamond. This issue was not published via email and was a website exclusive. This article contains tech news from 13th March to 19th March. Have a good read :)
Did Russia actually do it? Did they actually ban Instagram? Yes, they did. And it is surprising! Russia not only banned Instagram but Facebook and Twitter too. This means blocking access for over 80 million users! This is a bizarre thing to do! Let's just hope all of this comes to an end and world peace is restored.
Anyways, the tech industry stumbled upon a leak which may not be the best thing to hear. It is highly plausible that only the iPhone 14 Pro models will get the new A16 Bionic chip made by Apple and the baseline iPhone 14 will have the same chipsets as last year, A15 bionic. Another rumour suggested that the new Pro models will have more and upgraded RAM. The new RAMs will be LPDDR5 and will come with 6BG which means faster performance and more efficiency! Cool, innit? While we are talking about Apple, let’s also mention the new update Apple dropped— iOS 15.4.
This update has a ton of improvements and features. The most talked-about feature are the emojis. The 30 new emojis launched are so cool. I mean, some of them are so exclusive. I can’t even— go update your iPhone now and have a look at them. Another great feature is the MaskID. You can now unlock your iPhone while wearing your mask! It is slightly less secure but so convenient! The new iOS update also enables Universal Control on your iPhone, so that’s a huge plus point. Don’t know what universal control is? It is basically using one keyboard or mouse to control multiple devices around you. If you have your iPad and Mac side by side. If you move the cursor toward the side of the iPad you will be able to control the iPad from your Mac’s mouse! This feature is probably one of the biggest innovations of this year. Some companies may never be able to match the standard that Apple has created.
That’s enough about Apple though. Let’s head over to some news related to Google. Google is revamping. Google Classroom significantly is a tool to help students when they are working on difficult questions. Don’t get it? Let me put it into perspective — you just started off your junior year and you are taking Algebra 2 class. Your teachers assign you some homework in relation to linear equations but you have trouble solving it. So, you unknowingly answer the question incorrectly, now instead of detecting all your marks, Google will give you an option to ask for hints. If you are totally lost and way off from the right answer, the resources page will show you relevant videos on how you can learn Algebra 2. This is just not for students. When students turn the assignment back in, the teacher will be able to see how many hints each student was given and how Google’s AI has graded them. Google will also provide classroom insights on how the students performed on each question and where all the students lacked in terms of academic knowledge.
Well, this is one update from Google. Before we start exploring this update, let’s talk about YouTube Vanced. Vanced is an extremely popular third-party app that allows people to stream YouTube videos with the benefits of a premium account without paying for one. All teenagers, everyone who has ever owned an Android device has probably tried to use this app by sideloading it and streaming YouTube videos without ads and streaming music even when the screen is turned off. But unfortunately, Google just forced YouTube Vanced to shut down due to legal reasons. Google sent the team of developers a legal threat — a cease and desist letter that asked developers to stop distributing the apps and take all the download links down and remove any references to YouTube. This is a huge bummer for a lot of people who relied on this app. But on the plus side, if you have the app already installed, it should work just fine (but you won’t get new updates).
Now, let’s talk about Netflix. Netflix, after increasing its annual prices last month, is working on another feature that might be disappointing news for a huge audience. Netflix is cracking down on password sharing. Netflix clearly states that if you buy a subscription, you are only allowed to share your account with the people in the same household. However, Netflix has never been able to manage at such a micro-level. Netflix is now experimenting with a certain feature that will ask you to verify that you live in the same household. If not, your account admin will be asked to pay a certain extra fee for the number of users that do not belong in the household. Netflix is also working on additional features that will allow people to transfer their profiles from one account to another. I have been using my dad’s email ID for Netflix. If I ever decide to move out, I cannot legally use his account. I can, however, transfer my profile to a new Netflix account- preserving my watchlist, history and more!
Heading over to Instagram. Instagram is finally launching parental controls! Instagram first promised this feature in December after facing scrutiny by various organisations. This new feature will allow guardians and parents to access and control some basic settings on their child’s account. The new feature will also allow guardians to set time limits for how long the app can be used. The app will further enable parents to see who the child is following and who follows their child. Along with a sweet bonus of being notified if their child has reported a comment or an account.
Oof, that was a lot of news to absorb. This is probably the longest article I have ever written. I am not going to keep you waiting because I am sure you have other things to do. But before you leave, I would love it if you could share this article with your family and friends. And I will see you next time. Until then, make sure to update your tech devices and I will catch up with you next week.
Stressing over exams,
Tejas Tagra
6040 days old
