The new feature has currently been seen on the Netflix Android app, specifically, v7.6.0 build 19 34157. (Reuters)

Netflix is testing 'Random Episode' play button

1 min read . 12:33 AM IST ANI ( with inputs from ANI )

Netflix's random button lets the app play content for those who are unsure about what to watch
The button is tucked in the playback controls where a shuffle icon has the said label on it

Users would now have access to play a station based on a song, artist, era, and genre, and to hear some of Amazon Music's top global playlists on their Alexa-enabled devices. (Bloomberg)

Amazon Music's free ad-supported version goes live

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 Livemint

Customers who do not have a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited will be able to listen to the ad-supported version with Amazon Music
Separately, Amazon on Thursday also announced that it had made up with Google and would again offer YouTube on Fire TV

In addition to the app, Apple is also working on a new hardware product, known internally as 'B389'. (Reuters )

Apple working on new tracking hardware to merge Find My iPhone, Find My Friends

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 ANI ( with inputs from ANI )

The app is codenamed GreenTorch and it is currently under beta
It will be available on both iOS and macOS as a Marzipan app

The main YouTube app continues to be the way it was. There is going to be a Premium tier to it, which changes the consumer experience: Lyor Cohen, global head of music for YouTube.

YouTube Music now streaming free on smart speakers including Google Home

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 Indo Asian News Service ( with inputs from IANS )

Along with a free 30-day trial, YouTube Premium subscribers would be allowed to request specific albums, songs, artists and playlists on-demand
Subscribers would get to use other player controls like unlimited skips and song replay on smart speakers

At present, the option appears to only support two concurrent viewers, alongside the Instagram Live functionality. (AP)

Instagram testing co-watching feature on app

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 Indo Asian News Service ( with inputs from IANS )

The feature would let users watch Instagram videos together with added interactive elements of being able to see and hear their co-viewer in a minimised window
The option would start with a split-screen view, where users would be able to apply face filters and other visual tools to their personal camera feeds

According to ByteDance Director (International Public Policy) Helena Lersch, the company has a a two-step approach for content moderation. (Bloomberg)

TikTok's parent ByteDance plans $1 bn investment in India in next 3 years

2 min read . 19 Apr 2019 PTI

TikTok would also be increasing the number of employees in India to 1,000 people by the end of this year
ByteDance Director (International Public Policy) Helena Lersch said the company has been strengthening its content moderation policies over the last many months

Users will now be able to hear some of Amazon Music's top global playlists including Country Heat, Fuego Latino and more. (Reuters)

Amazon launches ad-supported music streaming service

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 IANS

This service is different from Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Prime Music
Users would now have access to play a station based on a song, artist, era, and genre

Daisy, Apple’s recycling robot, will now disassemble used iPhones returned to Best Buy in the US and KPN in the Netherlands.

Meet Daisy, the new Apple robot who can disassemble 200 iPhones per hour

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 IANS

Daisy will disassemble and recycle select used iPhones returned to Best Buy stores throughout the US
Apple also announced the opening of its 'Material Recovery Lab' dedicated to discovering future recycling processes

Launched in India in 2018, TikTok has 120 million active users in the country, most of them youngsters in small towns and cities. (Reuters)

TikTok downloads on APKMirror surge 12 times since India ban

3 min read . 05:04 AM IST Prasid Banerjee, Srishti Choudhary, Abhijit Ahaskar

According to Google Trends, interest in the search term 'TikTok download' has increased in India considerably since the ban
ByteDance plans to invest $1 billion in India over next three years, says it remains 'very optimistic' despite the TikTok ban

Facebook said the passwords were stored on internal company servers, where no outsiders could access them. (Bloomberg)

Facebook says more Instagram passwords exposed than thought

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 AP

Facebook estimates that millions of Instagram users were affected by the lapse
Facebook had inadvertently stored passwords in plain text, making it possible for its thousands of employees to search them

Amazon, Google agree to allow each other's streaming apps

1 min read . 19 Apr 2019 AFP

YouTube apps will be available on Amazon's Fire TV in the coming months
The agreement also enables Amazon Prime members streaming to Chromecast or using Android TV devices to access Amazon's video content

According to McAfee labs, software updates take up a few minutes and may not seem that important

App updates may be annoying, but are necessary

2 min read . 19 Apr 2019 Abhijit Ahaskar

The updates occur more frequently on Android compared to iOS, simply because there are more Android devices out there
Many of the updates are also rolled out to address bugs that originate due to compatibility issues with the custom user interface (UI) or version of OS

The last major change in the 2019 variant of the iPad Air is the display

New Apple iPad Air has a great display and is a decent first buy

2 min read . 19 Apr 2019 Prasid Banerjee

The new iPad Air has a few main changes—a newer and faster processor, support for the Apple Pencil and a slightly larger screen
While support for the Apple Pencil makes it better suited to a particular niche of creators, it’s worth noting that the new Air supports Apple’s first generation Pencil

Facebook is another social network where AR ad campaigns and games are generating a lot of buzz

How augmented reality is thriving on social media

3 min read . 19 Apr 2019 Abhijit Ahaskar

Brands such as Shoppers Stop and Lenskart are leveraging AR to connect with customers
YouTube, which has lot of social media elements, recently added Snapchat-like AR selfie filters for YouTube Stories

Future of the travel sector will be an era of alliances, where today’s disruptors will get disrupted, making way for a new and sustainable ecosystem.

How virtual tours will personalize vacations

6 min read . 18 Apr 2019 Rajat Mahajan & Parminder Saluja

Tech will bring destinations closer to the traveller, help them experience it before making a booking
The virtual tour replicates not just the sights, but also the sounds and smells one might experience

Earlier this month, the Madras High Court ordered a ban on TikTok. (Bloomberg)

Twitterati hail TikTok ban in India

1 min read . 18 Apr 2019 IANS

TikTok India had been on the radar for its "pornographic and inappropriate" content
TikTok claims that it has over 120 million monthly active users in India

The US remains the ‘bad bot superpower’ with over half of bad bot traffic coming from the country, according to the report. (AFP)

Bad bots originating from India see increase, says study

2 min read . 19 Apr 2019 Leslie D'Monte

Many companies use geofencing blacklists to choke off large swaths of unwanted traffic
Amazon was the source of the most global bad bot traffic at 18%, according to the report

Pete Lau on Wednesday teased the OnePlus 7 on the social media platform.

OnePlus 7 teased ahead of launch, CEO promises 'fast and smooth' experience

1 min read . 18 Apr 2019 Livemint

The new product is just beautiful - I can't wait for you to see it, Lau tweeted
The teaser video shows the silhouette of new device from the company

The Galaxy Fold’s 7.3-inch screen teased how users can juggle three apps at once and view video with more clarity. (AP)

Samsung's foldable screens fail in some early review models

3 min read . 18 Apr 2019 Bloomberg

Samsung had forecast it will produce at least 1 million foldable phones this year, a fraction of its overall shipments in 2018
Samsung and other rivals are eager to gain an edge over Apple Inc. in the $495 billion industry

Last year, the company came under fire following revelations that Cambridge Analytica obtained personal data of millions of people's Facebook profiles without their consent. (Reuters)

Facebook unintentionally uploaded email IDs of 1.5 million new users

1 min read . 18 Apr 2019 Reuters

Facebook said the contacts were not shared with anyone and the company is deleting them
Facebook has been hit by a number of privacy-related issues, including a glitch that exposed passwords of millions of users

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