Despite facing several challenges, China-based short video-sharing platform TikTok emerged as the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide for August with more than 63.3 million installs, a 1.6 per cent increase from August 2019.

The countries with the most installs of the app during this period were Indonesia at 11 per cent of its total downloads and Brazil at 9 per cent, according to a report by data analytics firm Sensor Tower.

“Our estimates include downloads for the App Store and Google Play worldwide between August 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020. Apple apps and Google pre-installed apps are excluded. We report unique installs only. Android estimates do not include third-party stores,” the analytics firm said in a statement.

A huge chunk of TikTok downloads used to come from India with the US before the ban.

Video meet app ZOOM was the second-most installed non-gaming app worldwide last month with more than 52.2 million installs, 22.2 times its downloads from August 2019.

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Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Tuesday launched in India its Redmi Smart Band at Rs 1,599. The entry-level health and fitness band is the first one under Redmi product portfolio. The Redmi Smart Band will be available starting September 9 at 1 pm through Xiaomi online portal, Amazon India, Mi Homes and Mi Studios.

“In May 2020, we had announced our aim to expand Redmi India’s portfolio in categories that not only help democratize the market, but also bring an accessible connected ecosystem for the consumers. With the launch of Redmi Smart Band, we are foraying into the wearable market with an aim to make personal fitness tracking accessible to a larger customer base. In today’s extraordinary times, it is important for one to prioritise fitness and wellness. Redmi Smart Band brings with it the functionalities to do just that by covering all possible fitness activities of an individual,” Raghu Reddy, Chief Business Officer, Mi India, said in a statement.

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PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) on Tuesday announced it had ended its ties with China’s Tencent Holdings for its PUBG MOBILE franchise in India. The move comes in the wake of the recent ban imposed on the game’s mobile version, both full and light, by the Indian government citing security concerns.

“In light of recent developments, PUBG Corporation has made the decision to no longer authorise the PUBG MOBILE franchise to Tencent Games in India. Moving forward, PUBG Corporation will take on all publishing responsibilities within the country. As the company explores ways to provide its own PUBG experience for India in the near future, it is committed to doing so by sustaining a localised and healthy gameplay environment for its fans,” PUBG Corporation said in a statement published on its web portal.

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Xiaomi spin-off smartphone brand POCO on Tuesday launched POCO M2 smartphone in India. Featuring 6GB RAM, the smartphone comes in 64GB and 128GB internal storage variants priced at Rs 10,999 and Rs 12,499, respectively. The Flipkart-exclusive smartphone will be available in slate blue, pitch black and brick red colours from September 15 at 12 noon. As part of its launch offer, consumers will get Rs 750 instant discount through ICICI (credit cards or debit card EMIs) and Federal Bank (debit cards) transactions.

“At POCO, our focus has been to democratize decision making, and stay ever evolving. The launch of POCO M2 is a step in the same direction. Running on a MediaTek Helio G80 octa-core processor, it is India’s most affordable 6GB RAM smartphone. Besides, POCO M2 offers a full HD+ display, a great camera experience along with a long lasting battery. We are delighted to bring this new smartphone for our fans and intend to capture the interest of new consumers as well,” Manmohan Chandolu, General Manager, POCO India, said in a statement.

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Zebronics is one of the Indian electronics brands that has build its name in computer peripheral segment over years. Known for its affordable audio accessories, the brand recently launched the Zeb-Juke Bar 9000 Pro Dolby soundbar with a dedicated subwoofer. Priced at Rs 13,999, the soundbar is one of the few in its segment to support Dolby Digital Plus. Moreover, it has multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth and AUX-in. On paper, the Zeb-Juke Bar 9000 Pro Dolby seems to be a go-to soundbar. Is it? Let’s find out:

The Zeb-Juke Bar 9000 Pro Dolby soundbar has a sleek build with minimal design that may complement most modern home spaces. Its overall package is 974 X 451 mm (width and height) and weighs 7 kg (2.5kg for soundbar and 4.5kg for subwoofer).

Its exterior is simple, with mostly plastic and some metal parts. The glossy plastic body may not appeal everyone, and it easily attracts smudges. Thankfully, the metal grille on the front makes up for that to some extent.

The soundbar has six-speaker set-up, and a dedicated subwoofer. The audio drivers pumps out 120 watts peak output (60 watts for subwoofer and 60 watts for the bar).

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More than 143 million malware targeted consumer smart-devices in the second quarter of 2020, mainly in the form of coronavirus-themed attacks, a new report said on Tuesday.

Among the top scams that were reported during the April-June period were free Netflix subscriptions and fraud PM CARE Fund apps.

The month of June clocked the highest detections of Windows malware with 1.5 million daily detections due to the opening up of businesses under the unlock phase.

According to researchers at cybersecurity firm Quick Heal, attackers are still using COVID-19 as bait to drop malicious payloads to consumer devices, usually in the form of phishing emails that contain infected attachments.

“In the same category, ‘Trickbot’ proved to be an active distributor for multiple malware through phishing emails,” Quick Heal’s ‘Quarterly Threat Report’ revealed.

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NLC India Ltd, a Navratna company under the Ministry of Coal, is planning to invest over Rs 43,000 crore in various power and mining projects. The new projects will add 3,920 megawatts (MW) of power, including 1,000 MW of solar, and 11.50 MTPA of mining capacity to the company.

In 2019-20, the Company added 1209 MW and 17.5 MW on June 30, 2020 and retired 400 MW to its installed capacity. With this addition and retirement, the total installed capacity has become 4661.06 MW.

The proposed new projects include a 3X800 MW power plant at Odhisha, a 2X800 MW plant thermal power plant, 2X660 MW plant at Neyveli, 1000 MW solar power project, and an 11.50 MTPA mining project at Neyveli, according to the company’s annual report.

It may be noted, the company signed a JV agreement with Coal India Ltd (CIL) to set up 5000 Mw of solar and thermal projects.

These projects are expected to commence between 2023 and 2027.

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Xiaomi on Monday introduced the Mi Horizon Edition TV series in India. Part of Mi TV 4A product portfolio, the Mi TV Horizon Edition TVs come in 32-inch and 43-inch screen variants with prices starting at Rs 13,499.

The 32-inch model will be available on September 11 while the 43-inch model will be available on September 15. Both these TVs will be available across Mi Stores, Mi Studio and select offline stores.

“With people consuming more content lately, Mi TV Horizon Edition series aims to bring in a cinema-like experience at home. With the new bezel-less design, we are confident that these TVs will enhance and enrich users’ binge-watching experience,” Eshwar Nilakantan, Category head for TV at Mi India said in a statement.

The new range is powered by ‘PatchWall’ platform, designed specifically for the Indian consumers.

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Xiaomi’s spin-off brand POCO is set to launch in India the POCO M2 on Tuesday. The Chinese smartphone brand is hosting a virtual event, which will live stream on its social media channels starting 12 noon. Third smartphone in the POCO smartphone portfolio, the POCO M2 is likely to be a budget smartphone based the POCO M2 Pro, which was launched earlier this year.

The POCO M2 will be a Flipkart-exclusive smartphone and the home-grown e-commerce platform has put up a listing page for the product with a livestream video embed. The phone’s teaser images available on Flipkart hints that it will look similar to the Redmi Note 8 Pro. Therefore, it would be yet another unoriginal offering from POCO. In retrospective, the Poco X2 was a rebranded version of the Xiaomi Redmi K30, which was not launched in India.

Similarly, the POCO M2 Pro was a rebranded version of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro.

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Facebook is reportedly testing a new feature that gives users the option to view Instagram Stories from within Facebook, thereby removing the need to manually crosspost.

To see Instagram Stories on Facebook as part of the test, people will have to link their two accounts.

Only people who follow you on Instagram will be able see your Stories on Facebook.

The change was first spotted by @ec_wife on Twitter, according to a report in The Next Web (TNW) on Friday.

Facebook later confirmed the test to social media consultant Matt Navarra.

The social media network said that the feature will not transgress user privacy as Instagram users can choose not to have their Stories visible on Facebook.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last year announced plans to integrate the messaging services of the company’s family of apps.

For example, Instagram and Facebook Messenger recently began merging their chat functionalities. It is expected that WhatsApp will also eventually be part of the integration.

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