IntellectBeat

Steve Wozniak, known to the world at large for being the co-founder of Apple, took to user-curated social news website Reddit on Wednesday night to answer any questions people had for him, in what is described in Internet speak as an AMA (Ask Me Anything). Among dozens of responses, Wozniak spoke highly of Apple's current CEO Tim Cook, pointing out how the company was continuing to make hardware and software that made a difference in people's lives. And in what can be construed as something Steve Jobs wasn't every forthcoming with, he also said that Cook is "acknowledging the employees of Apple... as real people". He also weighed in on FBI's war with Apple on the on-going issue of the iPhone that belonged to the San Bernardino shooter. Wozniak talked about the Soviet Union under Stalin and how the nation was perceived as "everybody is spied on, everybody is looked into, every little thing can get you secretly thrown into prison". He said he believ...

Two students were arrested for allegedly cheating e-commerce retailers, Amazon and Flipkart, by ordering electronic gadgets and replacing them with sand and returning parcels in Hyderabad, police said. On credible information Commissioner's Task Force, Central Zone Team arrested Yahiya Mohammad Ishaque and Mohammad Shahroz Ansari Wednesday, a release from Hyderabad Police said. The accused, who are relatives, hail from Gondia district of Maharashtra. From one year Ishaque, who has been residing in Golconda Hyderabad, had registered as a book seller in Amazon and was selling books online, police said. In last four months, the two accused placed online orders for electronic goods like mobile phones, laptops, cameras, DVDs etc, on Flipkart and Amazon. "According to their plan, when the representative of the firm came to deliver the booking order, Ishaque used to receive the item and his brother-in-law, Ansari, used to stay with the delivery boy outside the house," polic...

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Thursday said it will acquire Videocon Telecom's spectrum in six circles in the 1800MHz Band for a consideration of Rs. 4,428 crores. "Bharti Airtel has entered into a definitive agreement with Videocon Telecom Ltd (VTL) to acquire, at an aggregate consideration of Rs. 4,428 crores, rights to use 2x5 MHz spectrum in 1800 MHz band for six circles," the company said in a BSE filing. The six circles are Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, UP (East), UP (West) and Gujarat. The aforesaid spectrum is valid up to December 18, 2032. The closing of the transaction is subject to satisfaction of standard conditions. Reacting to the news, Bharti Airtel's shares were trading 2.89 percent higher at Rs. 349.45 on BSE. On Wednesday, Idea Cellular and Videocon Telecommunications had mutually agreed to call off their Rs. 3,310-crore spectrum deal for two telecom circles. Idea in November had announced to buy airwaves held by Videoconin these t...

Ten pigeons armed with air pollution detectors on their backs were released into the London sky on Wednesday to monitor pollution in the British capital, organisers of the initiative told AFP. Equipped with GPS devices and pollution sensors to monitor nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels, the birds dubbed the "Pigeon Air Patrol" were released from Primrose Hill, a wealthy area in north London. The data they collect can be followed on the website pigeonairpatrol.com, said Romain Lacombe, founder of the French start-up Plume Labs, who started the project with Pierre Duquesnoy of DigitasLBi. The pigeon patrol is part of a wider project by Plume Labs in which 100 Londoners equipped with detectors will monitor pollution in different parts of the capital which can be checked by fellow residents. Anyone wanting to take part can do so through a crowdfunding platform by buying a place for between £79 and £99 (100 to 126 euros, $111 to $140). On Wednesday, 60 places had already been ...

Apple recently started using Google's cloud service even as it simultaneously builds its own data centers to reduce its reliance on third-party service providers, technology news website Re/code reported, citing sources familiar with the deal. Apple currently also uses Amazon.com's and Microsoft's cloud services, but intends to end its reliance on all its rivals in the next few years, Recode said. The iPhone maker is spending between $400 million and $600 million on Google's cloud services, tech magazine CRN reported, adding that it was unclear if the range was for an annual rate or a set amount of capacity. CRN said Apple has also significantly reduced its reliance on Amazon since signing up with Google late last year. Apple, Amazon and Alphabet-owned Google could not be reached for comment outside regular US business hours. Apple said last February that it would spend a combined $3.9 billion to build three data centres in Arizona, Ireland and Denmark. The Arizon...

State-run BSNL will launch WiFi facility at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine tomorrow, its 1,000th hotspot in the country. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will launch the facility from Delhi. BSNL had planned to set up 2,500 wi-fi hotspots in 250 locations at a cost of Rs 500 crore in the current fiscal. A couple of days back, the customs department had cleared another 750 hotspots which will be set up in the next few days, according to a BSNL official. The official said the telecom company will set up as many hotspots as possible in the next 15 days to meet the target. As part of the Digital India programme, the government is working towards enabling all cities, with a population of over one million, tourist centres and religious places with wi-fi hotspots. BSNL usually provides free WiFi services for 30 minutes and after the free usage limit is exhausted, the user has to buy subscription plans which are available in various denomination.