VARINDIA IT MAGAZINE

Its been at least a decade when we first got to know Orkut as a social networking platform and it seemed that it was the next big thing or a breakthrough in the Business Platform & industry. However, in came Facebook and suppressed Orkut’s chariot of glory while becoming the social media giant it is today. That said, with people vouching to delete their Facebook accounts in the wake of the massive data breach scandal involving Cambridge Analytica, Orkut founder Orkut Buyukkokten has launched ‘Hello’ in India, which is a new social media app and a possible Facebook alternative.For the unknown, Orkut Buyukkokten is a former Google employee and the current CEO of Hello Network, who has now announced his company’s entry into the Indian market amid all the controversies surrounding the data breach scandal involving Facebook.  Built particularly for the new mobile generation, "Hello" brings people together around their interests to create positive, meaningful, authent...

This week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before members of Congress, splitting his visit into two days of questioning. There were expected queries regarding the Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal, about whether Facebook has grown too large and could be considered a monopoly, and how to better regulate the platform, as a firestorm rocks over its data privacy scandal, with pressure mounting for new regulations on social media platforms. Less expected were the weird and somewhat rambling moments throughout the combined 12 hours of testimony, as members of Congress grappled with the legitimately complicated technology they were questioning. At times, lawmakers relied on slightly clunky metaphors, revealing anecdotes, and corny jokes. The 33-year-old chief executive is expected to face a grilling before a Senate panel , and follow up with an appearance in the House of Representatives the following days. Before launching into his question, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL...

If sources are to be believed, Google is in talks with Nokia to buy the latter’s airborne broadband system. The search giant would use Nokia's technology to offer faster in-flight Wi-Fi. Nokia announced its air-to-ground connectivity network late last year with internet speeds as fast as or faster than those of the in-flight internet company Gogo. If an acquisition goes through, having its own Wi-Fi system on planes would allow Google to attract people toward its entertainment products, like YouTube or Play Music.  It will be one of the many connectivity-focused projects that Google’s parent company Alphabet is working on.... Read More

Xiaomi has opened three new smartphone manufacturing plants in India. This move is in line with its strategy to enhance the handset maker’s business in the country. The three new smartphone plants that are coming up in partnership with Foxconn will be set up in campuses in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh and a new campus in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu with a total campus area of 180 acres. Xiaomi however did not reveal its investment in the latest smartphone production units in India. The company has also stated manufacturing smartphones at its power bank plant in partnership with Hipad Technology in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The #1 smartphone company that is at present ahead of Samsung has as part of its localization strategy added its first SMT (Surface Mount Technology) plant dedicated towards local manufacturing of PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) units in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, in partnership with Foxconn..... Read More