‘Not Just Startups’ is TechPluto’s daily series that packs top startup and tech news from across the globe. The only news that makes it to ‘Not Just Startups’ series is what’s worth your time. This is where news appears before becoming a trending one.
#15
SUPER ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY DIESEL ENGINE
Continental engineers have developed a new diesel engine that produces 60% less pollution when compared to its present-day rivals. The system uses an electric design that treats the exhaust coming out of the car to control the output of pollutants. The system directly reduces CO2 by 3% and increases efficiency by 4%.
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#14
GOOGLE ENDS ADS FOR POP-UNDER PAGES
Google has come out with a change to its ads policy. From now on Google won’t display ads on the annoying pop-under windows that remain hidden under your current browser until you minimise the home browser window. Moreover, advertisers also won’t be able to purchase ads on Google as well.
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#13
WINDOWS PHONE SUPPORT NOW SIX FEET UNDER
Windows phone users won’t receive any more updates. The phones will continue to function the same however, the ability to have updates for various security and user interface issues will no longer be there. The Windows 10 phone will still see some updates however, it is clear that Microsoft has shifted its priorities somewhere else.
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#12
SPOTIFY PARTNERS WITH SONY
After signing a multi-year licensing deal with the Universal Studios in April, Spotify now has struck a deal with Sony Music Entertainment. The details of the deal are not yet out, but it is believed that Spotify is looking for releasing records this year.
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#11
MICROSOFT WORKING ON ‘ANY SURFACE’ SCREEN DEVICE
Microsoft is working on a new technology that will enable a user to operate the device through any surface not necessarily the screen of the device itself. This will give more freedom to the user once operational. The patent for it is right here.
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#10
SHAMING RANSOMWARE ‘LEAKER-LOCKER’ ON THE LOOSE
Beware! people of the internet. A new ransomware is out to prowl through your browsing history and reveal your darkest secrets to the rest of your folks. The ransomware has been found by security firm McAfee. A sly of relief is that it is only on Android for now. But if you are affected then be prepared to get shamed or framed!
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#9
FACEBOOK TO RELEASE ADS ON MESSENGER
Facebook will release the beta version of ads on the inbox of the messenger. This feature was restricted to Australia and Thailand. However, Facebook now plans to go global with it. Now the advertisers can add messenger to their marketing campaign.
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#8
X.COM BACK TO ITS CREATOR-ELON MUSK
Elon Musk has bought the x.com back from Paypal. Elon said that the purchase is not for business but purely on sentimental value. X.com was a financial services firm, a predecessor to Paypal.
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#7
PAYPAL MAKES EASY FOR MERCHANTS TO GO GLOBAL
Paypal with its partnership with Webinterpret will allow merchants to release their local version of store website in over 60 countries. Paypal is known to provide better services to its merchants. This is yet another feather to its commitments.
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#6
LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF HBO HIT SERIES-GOT
Duolingo is almost ready with its release of ‘Game of Thrones’ language course. The fans of this series would love to learn this language to enhance their experience of watching it on screen. Moreover, take the fun out into the real world as well. Duolingo has three-phase testing for releasing a new language. In this case, the phase one testing is over.
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#5
GOPRO 360 VR SOON TO BECOME REALITY
GoPro is working with some select broadcasters to bring 5k 360 VR recording technology to your home. Once operational it will record your favourite UFC fights, news coverage, and award ceremonies. As soon as GoPro Fusion camera is available for the broadcasters the viewers are in for a treat.
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#4
SAMSUNG STEALTHILY ACQUIRES TEXT-TO-SPEECH STARTUP
Samsung has silently acquired the text to speech Greek firm Innoetics for a reported sum of less than $50 million. With the current trend of smart speakers and voice generated services, Samsung has acquired the startup to make its standing strong in the market. Bixby was recently released by Samsung however, it failed due to non-compatibility issues with the English language. Samsung might be hoping to change all that as soon as possible.
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#3
$100 MILLION TOYOTA AI STARTUP FUND
Toyota is the next in line of fortune 500 companies to start a venture fund for the AI focused startups. Some of the firms already invested are Nauto, SLAMcore and Intuition Robotics (a robotic companion for the aged adults). Toyota Research Institute will also bring its expertise into this AI fund. Toyota has made this an entirely different entity separate from its core businesses.
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#2
GOOGLE’S EXCLUSIVE AI FUND
Gradient Ventures is the latest AI fund from Google to target machine learning technology. Google has not disclosed the size of the fund yet. This fund will operate as an independent unit off from the balance sheet of Google. With this third edition of yet another AI fund by Google, it is on the path to ‘AI-First’ company as envisioned by CEO, Sunder Pichai.
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#1
AMAZON’S FRESH WIN FOR INDIA
Amazon has won the approval to stock and deliver groceries in the Indian market. As of now, it was delivering groceries through its reseller partners. Its bid for Whole Foods grocery giant might come in handy to compete in India against Online Grocery startups such as BigBasket and Grofers. The US already has Amazon fresh for grocery delivery.
Data compilation by Lipin
Editing and Presentation by Prashant Sharma
News source credits:
News #15 – Source
News #14 – Source
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