Google to Ban Third-party Call Recording apps from Play Store

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April 26, 2022

Google announces it soon plans to ban all third-party call recording apps from its Play Store. This development comes after Google launches its latest Play Store Policy, which will be effective from 11th May 2022.

Call recording will be prohibited from using Google’s accessibility APIs under the new policy. The new policy would prevent developers from using the Android Accessibility API to record calls when submitting apps to the Play Store.

This effort of Google is a step towards providing better privacy for Android users by disabling Android’s accessibility APIs for non-accessibility reasons.

The changes to the Google Play Policy, first reported on Reddit by user /u/NLL-APPS, mean that developers’ access to the Accessibility API will be restricted even more. In a recent developer webinar, Google also clarified any doubt regarding the policy change.

“Apps not eligible for IsAccessibilityTool may not use the flag and must meet prominent disclosure and consent requirements. The policy mentions the policy that the Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording,” mentions the policy.

Over the last few years, Google has taken several steps to disallow call recording software to be operational for Android by restricting microphone access for call recording with the release of Android 10.

Nowadays, many smartphone manufacturing brands are already providing built-in call recording options in their smartphone that allows users to seamlessly record calls without the need for downloading suspicious third-party applications.

However, if anyone still wants to continue using third-party apps on their devices, it is possible. Users can directly download the application from the developer’s website or any other application marketplace available for Android. This is possible as Android is an open-source operating system, unlike iOS, which restricts users from installing third-party applications.

Robotaxi startup Pony.ai receives Taxi License in China

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 25, 2022

Autonomous taxi developing company Pony.ai announces that it has received a taxi license for its robotaxis in China.

This new development will now enable Pony.ai to charge fees for its autonomous taxi services in some parts of China where it has been testing its robotaxi.

Officials say that Pony.ai has been granted permission to operate 100 self-driving vehicles in the Nansha neighborhood of Guangzhou.

The episode makes Pony.ai the first company in the country to receive such a license allowing it to charge for its autonomous taxi services. This new taxi license is an addition to Pony.ai’s last year’s clearance for launching paid autonomous robotaxi service in Beijing, China.

The recent approval is a significant development compared to the previous year’s as earlier Pony.ai was only able to offer its paid services in a small and restricted area.

According to the latest plan revealed by the company, it will begin charging fees across the district’s 800 square kilometers in Nansha. Interested passengers can use Pony.ai’s official app to book and pay for rides in the company’s robotaxis.

In the initial days, Pony.ai will deploy onboard drivers in its vehicles to ensure the complete safety of passengers, but it plans to make the cars fully driverless over the coming months.

“We will expand the scale of our services, provide quality travel experiences to the public in Guangzhou, create an industry benchmark for robotaxi services and continue to lead the commercialization of robotaxis and robotrucks,” said the Co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, James Peng.

However, things did not go as per the company’s expectations in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the US said earlier this month that it would review the actions of robotaxi startup Pony.ai regarding crash reporting norms set up by the government.

Pony.ai recently decided to issue a recall for some autonomous driving system software versions in response to an October incident in California. Authorities claim that this is the first-ever autonomous driving system recall.

Flipkart acquires Full-stack eCommerce solution ANS Commerce

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 25, 2022

ECommerce giant Flipkart acquires full-stack Software as a Service solution providing company ANS Commerce.

This acquisition will allow Flipkart to further strengthen its capabilities and offerings as a part of its effort to meet the needs of India’s rapidly developing and evolving digital retail industry.

D2C (Direct to Consumer) is a booming sector in the eCommerce Industry, and Flipkart was to establish its dominance in the industry using ANS Commerce’s expertise in the Indian market as marketers seek direct contact with their customers.

Flipkart said in a statement that ANS Commerce would continue to operate as an independent eCommerce solutions platform under its current leadership team. Neither company disclosed any information regarding the valuation of this acquisition deal. However, Flipkart said that the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2022.

Ravi Iyer, Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Flipkart, said, “Our efforts focus on ensuring that businesses, including MSMEs and smaller brands, can leverage the opportunities that e-commerce offers to provide greater value and deeper experiences for Indian customers who are rapidly adopting digital commerce.”

He further added that they first associated with ANS Commerce last year when the startup participated in Flipkart’s tech startup accelerator program, Flipkart Leap, and they are delighted to welcome them to the Flipkart Group.

Gurgaon-based D2C SaaS platform provider ANS Commerce was founded by Amit Monga, Nakul Singh, Sushant Puri, and Vibhor Sahare in 2017. The startup is best known for its full-stack eCommerce software that provides end-to-end solutions, including platform support, performance marketing, marketplace management cum warehousing, and fulfillment.

ANS Commerce supports the shift to digital commerce for over 100 clients across the enterprise, mid-market, and direct-to-consumer companies in various categories.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a dramatic change in consumer behavior, and as a result, brands have also pivoted in their approach on how to engage with consumers,” said Co-founders of ANS Commerce in a joint statement.

The statement also mentioned that they are excited to be part of the Flipkart Group as they continue to assist brands in leveraging the power of technology to reach customers and create more value.

SpaceX and Amazon to Develop Commercial Space Communications for NASA

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 25, 2022

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces that it has selected Elon Musk’s Aerospace company SpaceX and technology giant Amazon to develop new commercial space communication services.

Apart from SpaceX and Amazon, NASA has also picked six more companies, including Inmarsat, SES, Telesat, and Viasat, to develop the technology as it plans to decommission its near-Earth satellite fleet over the coming years.

NASA mentioned that its Communications Services Project (CSP) funded agreements’ combined value is $278.5 million. Each organization has offered a technical method to reduce costs, expand flexibility, and improve performance for a wide range of tasks.

According to NASA, it has been investigating the viability of using commercial SATCOM networks for near-Earth operations for more than a year, and with this new development, NASA would be able to devote more time and resources to deep space exploration and science missions.

Eli Naffah, CSP Project Manager at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, said, “We are following the agency’s proven approach developed through commercial cargo and commercial crew services. By using funded Space Act Agreements, we’re able to stimulate industry to demonstrate end-to-end capability leading to operational service.”

Naffah further added that the flight demonstrations would establish several capabilities and provide operational ideas, performance validation, and acquisition models needed to plan the future acquisition of commercial services for each class of NASA missions.

According to the plan, the selected companies will complete the technology development and in-space demonstrations to showcase their proposed solution to provide mission-oriented operations by 2025.

“NASA intends to seek multiple long-term contracts to acquire services for near-Earth operations by 2030 while phasing out NASA owned and operated systems,” mentioned NASA in a press release.

Amazon acquired Leading Reselling platform GlowRoad

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 25, 2022

Global technology and eCommerce giant Amazon acquires fast-growing online reselling platform GlowRoad. Neither company provided any information regarding the valuation of this recently signed acquisition deal.

Experts suggest that this is a step by Amazon to further strengthen its offerings and capabilities to compete against similar emerging platforms like Meesho and Flipkart’s recently launched Shopsy.

According to an Amazon spokesperson, GlowRoad’s highly popular service will be enhanced by Amazon’s technology, infrastructure, and digital payment capabilities, resulting in increased efficiency and cost savings for everyone.

India is one of the largest global eCommerce consumers, and the market has witnessed tremendous growth over the last few years. The reselling sectoring in the eCommerce industry has also grown exponentially thanks to several platforms like Meesho.

Therefore to establish a presence in this domain, Amazon will use GlowRoad’s platform and improve it using its expertise to provide an unmatched shopping experience to its customers.

An Amazon spokesperson said, “Amazon continues to explore new ways to digitize India and delight customers, micro-entrepreneurs, and sellers, and bringing GlowRoad onboard is a key step in this direction.”

The spokesperson further added that Amazon and GlowRoad would work together to help innumerable creators, homemakers, students, and small business owners around the country become more entrepreneurial.

Bengaluru-based reselling platform GlowRoad was founded by Kunal Sinha, Nilesh Padariya, Nitesh Pant, Shekhar Sahu, and Sonal Verma in 2017. The company provides a smartphone app that allows online retailers and small businesses to make money by selling selected items and services through their online and offline social networks.

According to GlowRoad, it has a reseller network of 6 million+ resellers selling across 1000+ cities. To date, GlowRoad has raised more than $31 million from multiple investors like Accel, Vertex Ventures, Korea Investment Partners, CDH Investments, and others over four funding rounds.

“GlowRoad lets users resell products (from 100+ categories) directly from manufacturers and wholesalers with the power of social networks. We truly believe in the potential of Digital India, with our majority of users being homemakers from Tier II, III, and IV cities,” mentioned GlowRoad in a statement.

Accenture acquires Ergo to expand Data and AI Capabilities

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 25, 2022

Global professional services providing company Accenture announces that it has acquired Argentina-based information technology company Ergo to expand its data and artificial intelligence capabilities.

Neither company revealed any information regarding the valuation of this recently signed acquisition deal. As a part of the acquisition, Ergo’s team of 200 data experts will join Accenture Cloud First’s Data & AI division.

Accenture’s Cloud First capabilities will be expanded to support data-driven transformations for clients in the Hispanic South American market, including Argentina, Chile, and Colombia.

Global Lead for Accenture Cloud First, Karthik Narain, said, “Almost every day, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created by humans and machines across the cloud continuum at the edge, on the internet, and in data centers. Cloud is the place where all this data gains accessibility and scale. Cloud’s advanced data & AI tools empower companies to transform data into intellectual capital like never before.”

He further added that Accenture would provide more resources to help clients acquire insights into where to focus their transformation for the most value and how data may support improved decision-making during the transformation process due to its acquisition of Ergo.

Argentinian data-centered business Ergo was founded in 2004. The firm specializes in integrating data and AI across the enterprise and creates a trusted single source of insights by combining technology expertise and customer-focused advice. Ergo uses human-centric design principles to provide data solutions that help businesses make better decisions.

“Joining the Accenture Cloud First team will enable us to scale our data-led experience for major worldwide clients to achieve better business outcomes, faster – from improving how they work, how they serve customers, and how they differentiate through new products and services,” said CEO of Ergo, Ariel Güelmos.

Tesla Robotaxis to launch in 2024, says Elon Musk

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 24, 2022

CEO of Tesla Elon Musk reveals that the company plans to launch its electric Robotaxis in 2024, focusing on economic rides.

Musk said that Tesla is going to provide “by far the lowest cost per that customers have ever experienced.”

Tesla wants to begin mass production of self-driving taxis in 2024, as per news sources. This development was mentioned by Musk during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday.

According to the CEO, the car will have a lower cost per mile than a subsidized bus ticket. He believes that the unnamed robotaxi car will be a significant driver of Tesla’s growth in the end.

“We are also working on a new vehicle that I alluded to at the Giga Texas opening, which is a dedicated robotaxi. It is going to be highly optimized for autonomy – meaning it will not have steering wheels or pedals,” said Musk.

He further added that there are a few other ideas around it that he thinks are interesting, but it’s primarily tuned to reach the lowest completely considered cost per mile or kilometer when everything is taken into account.

The robotaxis will be extensively optimized for autonomy, which means it will be devoid of a steering wheel and pedals. Reports claim that the robotaxi will be powered by the same self-driving technology used in Tesla’s Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. Musk said that Tesla currently plans to unveil the robotaxi to the public by 2023 and start mass producing it in 2024.

Apart from Tesla, many other companies have begun testing fully autonomous taxis in various parts of the United States. Recently, Alphabet’s self-driving technology developing subsidiary Waymo showcased its new autonomous driving tech in the streets of San Francisco. Waymo’s new technology allows the company’s robotaxis to operate autonomously without the need for any human intervention or driver on board.

Moreover, Waymo, along with General Motors’ Cruise, also received permits to charge fares for their autonomous vehicles taxi service in California.

Porsche to accept Payments in Crypto for its Cars

By

Dipayan Mitra

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April 23, 2022

BitPay, a crypto payment service provider, announces that Porsche Towson, a Porsche dealer serving the Baltimore area in the United States, has begun taking cryptocurrency payments for their cars.

Multiple cryptocurrencies, including Shiba Inu, Dogecoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin, can now be used to purchase Porche’s sports cars.

Turn your #crypto into precious metal at Porsche Towson. Now accepting Crypto as payment for vehicle purchases. Learn more: https://t.co/g5eD13Y7tS #Porsche #crypto #bitcoin #doge #shib pic.twitter.com/Yj3yO3iIyK
— BitPay (@BitPay) April 19, 2022

Bitpay mentioned in a tweet, “Turn your #crypto into precious metal at Porsche Towson. Now accepting Crypto as payment for vehicle purchases.”

Ferdinand Porsche founded Porsche, a German premium automobile manufacturer, in 1931. The brand is best known for its high-powered sports cars that come with powerful engines and high quality.

The Porsche Towson dealership, which announced that it would accept cryptos as payments, offers a large range of Porsche automobiles, both new and used, in a variety of configurations.

Last year, Bots Inc, a Puerto Rican digital business, also enabled local dealerships to accept Dogecoin payments for pre-owned Tesla Inc vehicles.

Cryptocurrencies are gaining immense popularity across the globe for their technology and decentralized nature.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and the CEO of Tesla, recently hinted that he might integrate Dogecoin payment methods into Twitter. Musk has always been a supporter of decentralized cryptocurrencies and has earlier also accepted payments via Bitcoin for Tesla, but the service was terminated.

However, Tesla announced that it plans to accept Dogecoin at its Supercharging station located in Santa Monica, United States.

Tech Mahindra to create 1000 Jobs in the United Kingdom

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 22, 2022

Technology company Tech Mahindra announced that it plans to create over 1000 jobs in the United Kingdom and create new revenue streams.

At Tech Mahindra’s Makers Lab in Milton Keynes, the company will collaborate with a top UK academic and research institute to co-innovate.

Makers Lab is a research and development center that collaborates with companies, partner firms, research institutes, universities, and start-ups to develop solutions and services.

Tech Mahindra’s collaboration with academics and research institutes will allow the company to create more jobs and create an ecosystem of interns and scholars to push AI and Data Science advances.

This development was revealed during British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to India, where he proposed a new UK-India collaboration on artificial intelligence. The newly announced program intends to boost both countries’ innovation and economy while also leveraging the power of new technology to address global concerns.

MD and CEO of Tech Mahindra, CP Gurnani, said, “Innovations and applications of Artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly transform the productivity and create revenue streams for businesses in the UK. Tech Mahindra aims to bring out the best solutions powered by next-gen technologies for industries to solve specific challenges.”

He further added that they are also committed to investing in the areas where they do business, and programs like these help future technologists in the UK and around the world find work.
Earlier this year, Tech Mahindra partnered with conversational artificial intelligence company Yellow.ai to provide an enhanced experience to its customers. The partnership would help Tech Mahindra to transform enterprise customer experiences with conversational AI.

Mutiny raises $50 million in Series B Funding Round

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Dipayan Mitra

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April 22, 2022

Personalized advertising and marketing services providing company Mutiny raises $50 million in its recently held series B funding round led by Tiger Global and Insight Partners.

Multiple other investors such as Sequoia Capital, Cowboy Ventures, and Uncork Capital also participated in Mutiny’s latest funding round.

According to the company, it wants to use the capital to further help businesses grow their revenue using Mutiny’s solution.

Customer acquisition is a critical job involved in any business, and companies send a hefty sum of money to pool in new customers. Mutiny offers a no-code platform that integrates with the company’s existing data and website and employs artificial intelligence to provide hundreds of distinct versions of the site to various users.

Mutiny automates a company’s growth engineering efforts, allowing any company to convert marketing spending into revenue without hiring staff extensively.

Olivia Nottebohm, Chief Revenue Officer at Notion (a customer of Mutiny), said, “After seeing Mutiny increase our conversion rate from paid ads by up to 60%, we quickly expanded Mutiny to the rest of our website. Mutiny has been a great partner for Notion as we continue to grow globally.”

She further added that Mutiny had enabled Notion to increase its online spending by allowing the team to quickly create better web experiences without the need for engineers.

United States-based technology company Mutiny was founded by Jaleh Rezaei and Nikhil Mathew in 2018. The company’s no-code platform helps its clients increase their revenue by eliminating the need for hiring engineers and data scientists to build more relevant, higher-converting experiences for different customer segments.

Many industry-leading companies like Notion, Snowflake, Qualtrics, Dropbox, Carta, and Brex use Mutiny’s solution to increase their business.

Co-founder and CEO of Mutiny, Jaleh Rezaei, said, “Growing revenue from digital channels has quickly become a board-level concern for private and public companies.” He also mentioned that they are delighted to welcome the new investors, whose funds will allow them to accelerate their roadmap and make significant technological investments.