Technology news – Page 4

Is the auto industry finally switching to the fast lane?

Utility vehicle sales have overtaken those of cars for the first time. But the two-wheeler segment is still struggling to make a comeback. Here’s an insight into the auto industry and its challenges

India’s automobile sector, consisting of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and quadricycles, again ended the last financial year on a bleak note.

Total dispatches from factories to dealerships declined 6% to 17.53 million units, marked by diverging performances among the segments. The sector’s sales had peaked in 2018-19 when it sold 26.26 million units.

India’s two wheeler segment was the worst hit by the pandemic and it is still showing no signs of recovery. The segment reported its lowest wholesales in the last 10 years in FY22, data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers shows.

After falling almost 18% in FY20, two-wheeler sales dipped further 13% in FY21 and another 11% last fiscal to 13.47 million units, the lowest since 2011-12. Two-wheeler dispatches are currently just 64% of the 2018-19 level when the segment scaled a high of 21.18 million units.

On the other hand, the cost of ownership of passenger vehicles (PVs) and two-wheelers has also risen substantially following a surge in fuel prices, price hikes by manufacturers to cover BS-VI costs, and costlier raw materials.

Show the visuals of Honda Activa and Hero Splendour and TVS Jupiter

The transition to BS6 norms from BS4 came into effect on April 1, 2020. This pushed vehicle prices across segments as manufacturers developed new engines that met the rigorous BS6 emission rules. In the year following the introduction of BS6 engines, the price of top models like Honda Activa and Hero Splendour and TVS Jupiter became costlier by 10 to 11,000 rupees.

Meanwhile, the passenger vehicle segment put up a strong show last year, with dispatches rising 13% to 3.07 million units. This segment has recovered to 91% of FY19 level. (below gfx for this para, convert to bar graph)

But this recovery was completely led by a stupendous growth in the sales of utility vehicles, given India is in the midst of an SUV boom. Sales of utility vehicles registered a 40% jump to 1.49 million units while passenger car sales declined by 4.8% to 1.46 million units.

India’s automakers appear to have put the challenges of Covid-19 behind them as sales surpassed 2019 levels in the month of May this year for major car makers like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. (below gfx for

Two-wheeler sales remained sluggish but they benefited from some pent up demand and wedding season in the first two months of the financial year. People returning to offices and reopening of educational institutions is also helping Two-wheeler sales this year.

Anuj Sethi, Senior Director – Ratings, CRISIL says, growth momentum in PV sales will continue this year. If not for the chip shortage, sales in FY22 would’ve been higher, he said adding that chip availability is expected to improve from the second half of this year. PV sales can touch 34 lakh units, crossing FY19 record. Income levels in rural markets were impacted in last 2 years and 2W sales expected to register 5-6% growth.

While semiconductor shortage remains the major challenge for carmakers, Maruti Suzuki Chairman RC Bhargava has said the government’s plan to make six airbags mandatory in passenger vehicles from October 1 will make small cars more expensive and drive out a chunk of potential buyers.

Providing driver and front passenger airbags in all cars is already mandatory. Adding another four airbags will increase the cost by Rs 17,600, according to auto market data provider JATO Dynamics.

In some cases, the cost could be higher as companies will be required to make engineering changes to the car’s structure to accommodate the additional airbags.

Buyers of entry-level cars are much more price-sensitive compared to the bigger car segment.

Meanwhile, the government also increased the third-party (TP) motor insurance premium for various categories of vehicles with effect from June 1, which will jack up the insurance cost of cars and two-wheelers—making their on-road version more expensive.

TVS Motor Company CEO KN Radhakrishnan said this will hamper the efforts of the industry to recover.

CRISIL’s Anuj Sethi says interest rates are still attractive despite the recent repo rate hike by RBI. Further, the reliance of two-wheeler buyers on financing is also coming down. From 70% pre-pandemic, less than 50% of new two-wheelers are purchased on EMIs, he added.

On the other hand, a media report said on Thursday that India’s top listed automotive and ancillary companies have earmarked Rs 30,000 crore for capital expenditure in FY23.

Tata Motors this week signed an agreement to potentially buy Ford’s plant in Gujarat’s Sanand as it looks to ramp up its production of electric vehicles while Mahindra Group has committed Rs 15,300 crore for capex between FY22 and FY24.

Last month, market leader Maruti Suzuki had announced a new factory in Haryana, the company’s third in the state entailing a total investment of 18,000 crore rupees.

Anuj Sethi, Senior Director – Ratings, CRISIL, says FY23 capex is 30-35% higher than previous year. Driven largely by OEMs in passenger vehicle space. In 2W space, investments are being directed toward EVs

Sethi says that the order backlog for passenger vehicles caused by chip shortage last fiscal year is expected to contribute to this year’s high growth. He says the backlog could be anywhere between 4-6 lakh vehicles. But this figure could be inflated because consumers tend to make multiple bookings with different companies, and not all of it would translate into sales. Sethi believes that the actual number could be closer to 3-3.5 lakh. Nevertheless, PV sales could touch a new record this year.

Sethi also said that some amount of inventory buildup is required by dealers which could help OEMs in dispatches. The normal inventory level with dealers is about 25-30 days which has now come down to 12-15 days.

For the two-wheeler segment, although the expected 5-6% growth this fiscal is not impressive, especially coming after three years of consecutive negative growth, it would still mark the beginning of a turnaround.

The most important tech company you’ve never heard of

Top tech companies turn to a Dutch firm for ultra-advanced machines to make chips. The machines use light beams to make narrow circuits on chips – which are now the backbone of the world economy

It is Europe’s most valuable tech company. Its market cap has gone from $25 billion to $225 billion in a decade. And eight months ago, it hit a lifetime high of over $350 billion. This Dutch company made almost $20 billion in net sales and over $6 billion in profits last year.

Yet, the chances are you may not have heard about it.
The company, ASML Holdings, describes itself as the “most important tech company you’ve never heard of” and rightly so.
ASML is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chip-making equipment. It designs and manufactures lithography machines– an essential component in manufacturing microchips which go into smartphones, data centres, personal computers, laptops, cars and much more.

ASML makes lithography systems, used to create the circuitry of computer chips. Its lithography systems can be found in the factories of every major chipmaker in the world. ASML’s most advanced machines use a wavelength of light called EUV, which stands for extreme ultraviolet.
The machine uses EUV light beams, generated by lasers and focused by giant mirrors, to lay out extraordinarily narrow circuits on slabs of silicon known as wafers.

That in turn makes it possible to create faster and more powerful microprocessors, memory chips and other advanced components, which are critical for consumer electronics and military applications alike.

A lithography system projects light through a blueprint of the pattern onto a photosensitive silicon wafer. After the pattern is printed, the system moves the wafer slightly and makes another copy on the wafer.
This process is repeated until the wafer is covered in patterns, completing one layer of the wafer’s chips. To make an entire microchip, this process is repeated layer after layer, stacking the patterns to create an integrated circuit (IC).

The simplest chips have around 40 layers, while the most complex can have over 150 layers.
Only a few companies, including America’s Intel, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and Taiwan’s TSMC, are currently capable of manufacturing the most sophisticated chips. And they’ve come to depend on ASML to make them.

11,000 of its 32,000-strong workforce is engaged in Research and Development (R&D). Since 2000, ASML has rapidly taken market share from Japanese competitors Nikon and Canon, which now mainly focus on older technology. ASML controls more than 90% of the lithography market and no competitor is attempting to build an EUV system, citing high development costs.
Amid a global chip shortage, the demand for ASML’s systems is higher than its current production capacity.

Last year, it sold 42 extreme ultraviolet or EUV systems and this year it expects to ship 55 units. It is the only manufacturer of EUV systems that are used in making the world’s fastest microprocessors.
ASML says its job is to help the industry continue Moore’s Law. In 1965, Gordon Moore, one of Intel’s co-founders, observed that the number of transistors on a microchip was increasing rapidly, exponentially increasing the computing power while decreasing the cost of the chip.

Moore predicted that the number of transistors would double every year for the next decade. In 1975, he revised the prediction to every two years. His prediction has proved to be true and today’s microchips contain tens of billions of transistors.

ASML’s EUV machine pushes Moore’s Law forward and chip makers cannot produce leading-edge chips without it.
Delivering just one of these takes three Boeing 747 cargo planes, 40 freight containers and 20 trucks. The bus-sized machine comprises 100,000 parts, weighs nearly 200 tonnes and costs around $150 million. A cutting-edge chip plant needs 9-18 of these machines, which are one of the biggest capital costs for chipmakers. ASML’s next iteration of the system, known as “High NA” EUV machines, will be even larger, and cost around $300 million each.

Instagram announces new features, expands Reels duration to 90 seconds

With an aim to help creators engage more with their audience, platform Instagram has announced that it is rolling out new features, including 90 seconds Reels

With an aim to help creators engage more with their audience, the photo-sharing platform Instagram has announced that it is rolling out new features, including 90 seconds Reels.

The Meta-owned platform said that it is now extending the length of Reels up to 90 seconds, which will help users express their most authentic selves on Reels.

“You will have more time to share more about yourself, film extra behind-the-scenes clips, dig deeper into the nuances of your content, or whatever else you want to do with that extra time,” the company said in a blogpost.

Instagram also said that users can now import their own audio directly within Instagram Reels.

“Use the import audio feature to add commentary or background noise from any video that is at least five seconds long on your camera roll,” the company said.

“Make sure that you like how your voice sounds in the recording because others might use it in their reels, too!” it added.

A new feature also lets creators poll their audience on what should happen in their next video so that they can help shape the storyline themselves.

The Meta-owned platform said that it has recently launched Templates, which allows users to easily create a reel using another one as a template. It pre-loads the audio and clip placeholders, so all users have to do is add and trim their unique clips.

“We will continue to invest in building new ways for you to connect with your audience and entertain on Reels. We can’t wait to see what you come up with and the creative ways you use these new tools!” the company said.

Apple WWDC 2022: Here’s what you can expect from keynote, says report

As the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2022 is approaching, reports say that tech giant Apple’s operating systems are expected to be the centerpiece of the keynote.

As the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2022 is approaching, reports say that tech giant Apple’s operating systems are expected to be the centerpiece of the keynote.

According to TechCrunch, users are certainly going to hear the latest on iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS, as well as some wildcards like tvOS at WWDC, which is scheduled to begin on June 6.

The first look at iOS 16 will likely arrive with an early developer beta, meaning if you have an Apple dev account, you can get access, not long after the keynote.

The biggest changes are apparently in store for the lock screen, notifications, Messages and Health.

The update could bring some widgets to the real estate, by way of the “Today View”, including key bits of information like weather, calendar entries and shortcuts to favourite apps, beyond the existing camera and flashlight buttons.

The features appear to be setting the stage for a version of the iPhone 14 with the sort of always-on display currently offered on the Apple Watch and some Android handsets.

A new version of the Messages app is said to be getting more social functionality, as well as new audio message functionality. The iPhone’s Health app is also reportedly getting some new features.

iPadOS, meanwhile, could be getting multitasking improvements designed to make the tablet operating system more competitive with laptops.

That could include an improvement to the way iPads handle application windows for a more desktop-style experience that could further separate the OS fork from its mobile counterpart, the report said.

tvOS remains a big question mark, especially after the operating system got virtually no love at last year’s event.

Meanwhile, a recent report said that it is unlikely that the tech giant will announce its mixed reality headset at WWDC this year.

The WWDC will kick off on June 6 for more than 30 million Apple developers around the globe.

Throughout the week, developers will be able to connect directly with Apple engineers and designers through labs and Digital Lounges for guidance on building innovative and platform-differentiating apps and games.

Motorola unveils new smartphones in India: Check design, specs and price

The smartphone comes with 6.5-inch IPS LCD display along with 90Hz refresh rate, 16MP triple rear camera setup, 5000mAh battery and much more

Motorola on Thursday launched a new affordable smartphone “moto e32s” that comes with high refresh rate and triple camera setup for Indian consumers.

With a starting priced at Rs 8,999, the smartphone comes in two storage variants — 3GB+32GB and 4GB+64GB — and two colour options — slate gray and misty silver.

“Aimed at giving the most premium, contemporary, and durable designs in the budget segment, the moto e32s comes with a premium PMMA finish, an ultra slim and durable design with segment’s first IP52 rating,” the company said in a statement.

The smartphone comes with 6.5-inch IPS LCD display along with 90Hz refresh rate, 16MP triple rear camera setup, 5000mAh battery and much more.

The mote e32s also features class leading security features and performance with a side mounted fingerprint sensor and MediaTek’s latest octa-core processor with LPDDR4X RAM that provides exceptional performance for its segment.

The e32s also comes with segment’s best connectivity features including dual band WiFi and 2X2 MIMO for the most optimized broadband and 4G connectivity.

The company said that the newly launched smartphone will be available across retail stores through JioMart, JioMart Digital, Reliance Digital, and on Flipkart from June 6.

Google TV app is now available on Apple App Store for iPhones: Details here

Google TV app, which aggregates content recommendations from streaming services and lets users create a universal watchlist of their favorites, is now available on iOS

Google TV app, which aggregates content recommendations from streaming services and lets users create a universal watchlist of their favorites, is now available on iOS.

The tech giant said that it will replace the previous Google Play Movies and TV app in the App Store, so if users have already got that installed, they should be able to update it to the Google TV experience, reports The Verge.

The software, already available on Android, also allows users to rate what they have previously viewed to improve future recommendations.

More important for Android TV or Chromecast with Google TV owners is that users can use the Google TV app as a remote control for those devices by tapping the remote icon.

Not every major streaming service allows its content to be included in Google TV’s rows of aggregated recs, Netflix is the big holdout, the report said.

The company bowed out of Google TV integration very shortly after the release of the 2020 Chromecast, and Google has been unable to bring Netflix back into the fold ever since.

The Google TV app will also contain a library of rentals and purchases from Google.

Xiaomi OLED Vision TV review: Economical option in premium smart TV segment

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is a good screen for watching content, but look elsewhere if you need a television that doubles up as a capable monitor for use with current generation gaming consoles

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi recently launched its maiden OLED TV in India. Called the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV, the smart television is currently available in 55-inch screen size at Rs 89,999. Though cheaper than most OLED TVs from established brands such as Sony, Samsung, and LG, the Xiaomi’s TV does not cuts corners on any major features, technology or otherwise. It boasts an optical light-emitting diode-based screen panel of 4K UHD resolution with support for wide range of high dynamic range formats such as Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HDR, and HLG. The TV has eight-way speakers system with Dolby Atmos and DTS for audio experience to match the premium visual experience enabled by the OLED panel. The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV seems to be a modestly priced smart television to experience OLED difference. Is it? Let’s find out:

Starting with the design, the Xiaomi OLED Vision has a premium metallic frame neatly holding its modestly sized 55-inch screen. The screen dominates the entire front profile for distraction free viewing experience. The rear profile of the television, however, seems to be done as an afterthought. There is a huge bulge on the lower rear side of the television. Though not a visual distraction, it may make the television look odd hanging on the wall. It could be one of the reasons Xiaomi did not include gears required for wall mount set-up in the package, but legs for the table top installation. Speaking of table top installation, the legs raise the television to some extent but not enough to leave room for a soundbar to sit in front without blocking some portion of the screen.

Xiaomi OLED Vision TV – Metallic leg standComing to the screen, it is a good one for an economical OLED television. The screen is bright, vivid, and responsive. It is a delight to watch 4K content, especially HDR movies, shows and docuseries. It works so even for fast-paced content, thanks to built-in tech for motion smoothing. The TV supports IMAX Enhanced for cinematic experience, but the lack of content makes it a novelty with no actual benefit at present. The screen is good for watching content, but falls short for gaming purpose. It is a screen of 60Hz refresh rate, which is not optimal for best experience, especially for those with one of the new-gen gaming consoles such as Xbox Series X (review) and Play Station 5 (review). Besides, there is no support for adaptive sync technologies such as Nvidia G-Sync, FreeSync, VRR, etc.

ALSO READ – Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K review

Complementing the visual experience is the eight-way speaker system of 30W peak output. On paper, the peak output may seem to be on the lower side but is not. The speakers are loud and clear, and, together with Dolby Atmos and DTS, deliver wholesome audio experience.

Rounding up the package is the smooth performance and user experience. The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV boots Android 11 TV operating system with Xiaomi PatchWall loaded separately as secondary interface. The default Android interface is familiar with suggested content from apps visible on the home screen. The PatchWall is similar with regard to navigation but with better apps integration and content filters. Both the Android and PatchWall interfaces work smoothly without interruptions, slowdowns, and lags. That said, the performance is good and it translates to consistent user experience.

Xiaomi OLED Vision TV – Far-field microphone arrayThe Xiaomi OLED Vision TV comes with a petite-looking remote controller. It is a Bluetooth-enabled remote with a minimal design and hotkeys for Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, besides other buttons. The remote lacks a dedicated mute button, but a long press on volume-down mutes the audio in no time. Likewise, there is no dedicated key to go to settings directly, but a long press on the PatchWall button opens quick settings for picture, sound, input and more.

Verdict

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is an economical option in the premium OLED smart television segment. It is a good screen for watching content, but look elsewhere if you need a television that doubles up as a capable monitor for use with current generation gaming consoles. That said, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is good for most part, but not the best. Yet it makes a good buy because of its price and the features it bring to the table.

Slack launches in India, scouts for firms designing digital workplaces

A survey by Slack of over 2,000 Indian knowledge workers found 4 in 5 respondents desired flexibility, and would switch jobs if their employer didn’t provide it

American workplace collaboration platform Slack has officially launched in India. The firm said it is on a mission to help Indian companies navigate the transition to a hybrid workplace by establishing a digital headquarters (‘Digital HQ’).

Having long championed a digital-first approach to work, Slack’s leadership in the workplace collaboration space was further cemented by the rapid shift to remote work in early 2020 brought about by the pandemic. Today – as the impact of the pandemic eases and Indian companies increasingly shift to a hybrid work model – Slack is calling for leaders to be as thoughtful in designing their digital workplaces as they did in designing their physical offices before the pandemic hit.

“Adopting Slack as a Digital HQ allows Indian companies to connect their teams, tools, customers, and partners in a digital place that’s fast, flexible and inclusive for a work-from-anywhere world,” said the company. “A Digital HQ allows work to flow, breaking down communication and collaboration silos, internally and externally; automates tasks that take away time from deep, meaningful work; and enables new, flexible ways of working, striking the right balance between synchronous and asynchronous.”

In July 2021, Salesforce.com completed the acquisition of Slack Technologies, Inc. for $27.7 billion. Salesforce has had a presence in India since 2005 and today has over 6,500 employees across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

A recent study conducted by Slack involving over 2,000 Indian knowledge workers, The Reinvention of Work, found 4 in 5 respondents had a desire for flexibility, and a significant 80 per cent would seek a role elsewhere if their employer didn’t accommodate this. “Indian companies are keenly aware that the Great Resignation and the Great Relocation are very real, as employee expectations change and the war for talent heats up. Embracing Slack as their Digital HQ provides Indian knowledge workers with the ability to do their jobs from anywhere, at any time,” said the company.

For the many positives brought about by the proliferation of workplace apps that emerged as a response to the shift to remote work in 2020, there have been some challenges. In the same Slack study, Indian knowledge workers said they were wasting an average of 47 minutes a day switching between the various apps they use to do their jobs. One in five respondents said they were losing 10 hours a week – that’s nearly 10 working weeks a year. With over 2,600 app integrations, the Slack platform is purpose-built to address this loss in productivity and improve employee experience in the process.

One of India’s fastest growing internet commerce platforms, Meesho, has embraced Slack as its Digital HQ to save time, build company culture, streamline processes, and improve the way they work. “With the pivot towards remote working, multiple apps and systems were a huge hindrance to productivity and collaboration,” said Shikhar Saxena, Group Product Manager, Meesho. “We are glad to have Slack as a partner where everything happens in one channel, and what used to take a couple of days is now resolved in a matter of hours.”

Slack, which has users in over 150 countries globally, already has a significant following in India – representing one of the largest free user bases for Slack and positioned in its top 10 markets for paid teams globally.

Slack has, in fact, been operating in India for four years, establishing a product engineering team in Pune in 2018 following the company’s acquisition of Astro. The Slack India team has since grown to include a go-to-market function in the last year, and now has over 120 employees across four offices in Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurgaon. Indian companies such as Zomato, Dreamsports, Freecharge, Razorpay, and many more are relying on Slack to drive their businesses forward.

Annoyed users cancel Netflix subscriptions during password sharing test

A Netflix experiment to crack down on password sharing outside of households has left users flummoxed, forcing some of them to cancel their subscriptions

A Netflix experiment to crack down on password sharing outside of households has left users flummoxed, as the streaming giant increased subscription fees for such users, forcing some of them to cancel their subscriptions.

In March, Netflix quietly rolled out an experiment among customers in three small markets in Latin America, asking them to pay extra when sharing their account passwords outside their homes.

The streaming giant announced the new password-sharing policy in Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica.

According to global tech news site Rest of World, for some Netflix users, the price increase has been enough to convince them to cancel their accounts outright.

“Others continue to share their accounts across households without any notification of the policy change or have ignored the new rule without facing enforcement,” the report said.

Overall, the lack of clarity around how Netflix determines a “household” and the differing charges levied on different customers have left subscribers in the test confused, “risking action from consumer regulators”.

As the OTT platforms witness a surge in subscriptions amid the pandemic, the problem of password sharing has also grown and resulted in stalled user growth for several players.

The major OTT giants, including Netflix, are working relentlessly to fix the problem of password sharing.

Netflix’s terms of use have always stated that subscribers are not allowed to share accounts outside of their household, but the platform had never previously enforced extra charges for infringing the policy.

For the first time, the company is defining “household” as exclusively people a subscriber lives with, said the report.

Netflix representatives told Rest of World that it knows some subscribers understand “household” as related to immediate family but that it has always defined the term as people living in the same building.

The company said different subscribers might be paying differing charges.

Peru’s consumer rights agency, the National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi), said that the “differing charges could be considered a way of discriminating against users arbitrarily”.

Netflix saw its stock tumbling by 20 per cent after it reported a loss of 2 lakh paid subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, its first subscriber loss in over a decade.

Moreover, it forecast a global paid subscriber loss of 20 lakh for the April-June quarter (Q2).

Netflix is fast losing long-term subscribers. According to a survey report by The Information, new data show that people who have been subscribers to Netflix for more than three years accounted for 13 per cent of cancellations in the first quarter this year.