Category: Tech

The Current’s tech news keeps you upto date with news of new gadgets, tech updates, information about tech startups and technology reviews.

  • WhatsApp is cutting support for two iPhones

    WhatsApp is cutting support for two iPhones

    The meta-owned messaging platform, WhatsApp announced that it will stop functioning on some outdated iPhones in its new update. The company announced that it would stop supporting iOS 10 and iOS 11 devices later this year.

    WhatsApp has begun notifying iPhone users running iOS 10 or iOS 11 that they must update their devices in order to continue using WhatsApp beyond October 24. The iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c are the only two devices in the series which will no longer support WhatsApp after October 24.

    “After October 24, 2022, WhatsApp will no longer support this version of iOS”. To get the newest iOS version, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update,” the notification says.

    WhatsApp will continue to work for iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 users for the time being, and they will be alerted if their iPhones cease running the Meta-owned instant messaging app.

    The app already states on its Help Center page that iPhone users must be running iOS 12 or above to continue using the application. WhatsApp requires Android 4.1 or newer for Android users.

    The tech giant, Apple is anticipated to unveil iOS 16 at WWDC 2022 next month, and it will be released later this year, possibly around the time the iPhone 14 series is released.

  • Pakistan manufactured 9.72 million mobile phones in four months: Report

    Pakistan manufactured 9.72 million mobile phones in four months: Report

    Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) revealed that domestic plants produced 9.72 million mobile devices in the first four months of 2022, contrasted to 0.86 million acquired internationally.

    In April 2022, local manufacturing plants developed 2.56 million mobile devices, compared to 0.25 million imported from other countries.

    According to Brecorder, 5.69 million 2G smartphones and 4.03 million 3G and 4G phones are among the 9.72 million mobile handsets developed or assembled locally. 53 per cent of mobile devices on the Pakistan network are 3G and 4G smartphones, while 47 per cent are 2G.

    Despite the growth in local mobile phone production, Pakistan acquired $1.810 billion worth of cellphones in the first ten months of 2021-22, contrasted to $1.684 billion in the same period the previous year, a 7.43 per cent increase, as per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

    Total telecommunications imports into the country climbed by 14.05 per cent during the review period (July-April) 2021-22, rising from $2.116 billion in July-April 2020-21 to $2.413 billion in the same period last year.

    According to PTA data, the local manufacturing tendency indicates a favourable response to the PTA’s Mobile Device Manufacturing (MDM) Authorization regulatory system.

  • Most common women harassment platforms are WhatsApp, Facebook: Research

    Most common women harassment platforms are WhatsApp, Facebook: Research

    A Pakistani research-focused NGO, Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) revealed its annual report on the five-year cyber harassment helpline.

    According to the DRF, WhatsApp and Facebook were the most commonly utilised apps in Pakistan to harass women. Its helpline for combating online abuse and harassment will reach a five-year milestone this year.

    In the last five years, the online harassment helpline has received over 11,681 cases. In 2021, there were 4,441 cases received, with an average of 370 instances each month. The months of March and September saw a spike in reports, while the remainder of the year was quite constant.

    About 68 per cent of the calls were from women, 30 per cent were from males, and the remaining 2 per cent were from gender minorities. WhatsApp was the most widely mentioned platform for harassment, followed by Facebook.

    In 2021, 893 complaints were related to blackmail, and 727 incidents on the helpline involved the use of non-consensual photos, according to the research.

    Executive Director of DRF Nighat Dad stated that “the pace at which the cases of cyber harassment are increasing is alarming and must serve as a wake-up call for us to take appropriate action to make the internet a safe and equal space for everyone”.

    Pakistan’s first specialised helpline against cyber violence and harassment, the cyber-harassment helpline, was opened in December 2016. The toll-free number (0800-39393) is available Monday through Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and includes email and social media help.

    Via: Geo

  • PUBG earns $307.1 million in Q1 2022 despite going free-to-play

    PUBG earns $307.1 million in Q1 2022 despite going free-to-play

    The South Korean company behind PUBG, Krafton revealed that the PC and console version of the battle royale shooter franchise is making a lot of money despite going free-to-play in January 2022.

    According to Krafton, the game earned $307.1 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2022, up 5 per cent year over year (YoY), after being downloaded more than one billion times as of March 2021.

    Sales on PC were boosted 61 per cent YoY to $82.3 million. The surge in console sales was even higher, up 124 per cent from the previous quarter and 274 per cent on a YoY basis, though Krafton did not disclose a cash amount for the period.

    From Q4 2021 to Q4 2022, PUBG’s average monthly active users nearly tripled.

    When PUBG: Battlegrounds first arrived in early access on Steam in 2017, it was a premium title, but free-to-play battle royale games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends established that the free model can be highly profitable.

    In fact, converting PUBG: Battlegrounds to free-to-play turned out highly beneficial for Krafton. The widely played PUBG: Mobile is already free to download on iOS and Android devices.

    Electronic Arts (EA) also announced that Apex Legends, which has been out for a little over three years, crossed $2 billion in lifetime net bookings in just two weeks, While Epic raised $144 million for Ukraine aid.

  • Redmi unveils new Note 11T models with 144Hz Display, 120W charging

    Redmi unveils new Note 11T models with 144Hz Display, 120W charging

    Redmi’s President and General Manager Lu Weibing recently teased yet another future Redmi Note 11 variant. Presently, the Note 11 series offers a number of variants, still the tech giant is not done with it yet.

    The teaser graphic does not provide any features or design details, although the firm has previously hinted that the 11T phones will have a top-notch, turbo level performance. It is expected to include a number of performance-enhancing features.

    Redmi Note 11T Pro will include a 144Hz refresh rate LCD display, based on previous rumours. In China, it will be powered by MediaTek’s high-end Dimensity 8000 SoC, however, it is unclear what chipset would be used in the international or Pakistani variant. Also, the global variant will most likely have a different name.

    The Note 11T will have a 4,980 mAh battery with 67W fast charging support, while the Note 11 Pro will have a slightly smaller 4,300 mAh battery with 120W super fast charging.

    Read more: Apple may replace iPhone 14 mini with a Max model

    Redmi 11T phones will arrive in China before the worldwide market as the teasers are from China. A few months later, the Pakistani market and other countries will most certainly see an official release from the company.

  • Microsoft to add a built-in VPN in Edge browser to improve privacy

    Microsoft to add a built-in VPN in Edge browser to improve privacy

    Microsoft is adding a free built-in virtual private network (VPN) option to its Edge browser in order to boost security and privacy.

    The tech giant is presently testing the Cloudflare-powered VPN service, dubbed ‘Edge Secure Network,’ and says it will roll it out to the public as part of a security upgrade.

    When enabled, Edge Secure Network should encrypt users’ online traffic so that internet service providers are unable to acquire browsing data that you’d prefer to keep secret, such as health-related searches or merely weird questions.

    Users will be able to mask their location by browsing the web using a fake IP address, according to the new capability. Users will be able to access content that is restricted in their country, such as Netflix or Hulu shows.

    Read more: Instagram is testing ‘pin’ feature for posts

    While the functionality is still under development and not yet accessible for early testing, Microsoft has provided instructions on how people can get a sneak peek.

    This means that it will first be available through one of the Microsoft Edge Insider channels, which users may download and join here.

  • Samsung rolls out Android 12 based latest One UI 4.1

    Samsung rolls out Android 12 based latest One UI 4.1

    The Galaxy A32 5G received Android 12-based One UI 4.1 update in April, and now the LTE variants are getting Samsung’s latest custom Android interface.

    It also raises the Android security patch level for the smartphone to April 1, 2022, however, given that a few Samsung handsets have already received it, we expect the May patch to arrive soon.

    The smartphone gets a new update with firmware version A325FXXU2BVD6 that delivers a revamped UI and additional functionality.

    Read more: Samsung shipped 73.7 million cellphones in Q1 2022

    The One UI 4.1 update is already launched in several countries, and if you have not received it yet, you can manually check for it by going to Settings > Software update on your handset or wait for a few more days as Samsung takes a while to send updates to Pakistan.

  • Musk, Twitter sued by Florida pension fund to prevent acquisition

    Musk, Twitter sued by Florida pension fund to prevent acquisition

    Elon Musk and Twitter are back in the spotlight after a Florida pension fund filed a lawsuit on Friday to restrict the Tesla CEO’s $44 billion takeover of the microblogging site.

    The Orlando Police Pension Fund filed a complaint in Delaware Chancery Court, claiming that under Delaware law, Musk cannot entirely take over the company until at least 2025 unless two-thirds of the company’s shares are owned by Musk.

    Musk became an “interesting investor” when he acquired over 9 per cent of the Twitter share, according to the complaint, forcing the delay.

    According to CNN, the whole Twitter board of directors is a defendant in the case, including CEO Parag Agrawal. The current application aims to push the merger’s completion date back to at least 2025.

    The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating SpaceX’s creator for antitrust violations, which might postpone the deal’s completion.

    Musk’s initial purchase of the 9 per cent interest is being investigated by the FTC, which is questioning whether he fulfilled an antitrust filing obligation when the stocks were first purchased in April.

    Read more: Elon Musk plans to fire Twitter employees to save money

    The Republican Party strongly supports the Twitter agreement, hoping that conservatives banned from the site, such as former President Donald J Trump, will be allowed to return. Neither Twitter nor Musk has responded to the recent news.

  • Elon Musk plans to fire Twitter employees to save money

    Elon Musk plans to fire Twitter employees to save money

    Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is putting his plans into action after acquiring Twitter for $44 billion. In an attempt to obtain money for the takeover, he told banks that he wanted to cut the salaries of board members and executives and also pitched ideas for monetizing tweets.

    Musk presented the pitch to the financiers just days after making his bid on Twitter on April 14. He previously stated that if the offer was accepted, board members’ wages will be cut to zero, saving Twitter $3 million per year. It seems clear that Musk plans to lay off people to save money.

    The tech mogul also remarked that Twitter has a considerably smaller gross margin than similar sites like Facebook and Pinterest. He claimed that this freed up a lot of room for the corporation to run more cost-effectively.

    Musk detailed his ambitions to create features that will help his company generate more money from tweets that contain essential information or become viral.

    Read more: Instagram is testing ‘pin’ feature for posts

    In the near future, a fee could be charged if a third-party website quotes or incorporates a tweet from verified individuals or organisations.