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TecQ: Google Search, Amazon’s New Echo, Facebook Breach & More

Top tech stories of the week include Aadhaar’s effect of eKYC for Reliance Jio, Apple iPhones on sale in India. 

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TecQ is our weekly round-up of the top stories

1. ‘Let’s Google It’ – How Internet Search Changed 20 Years Back

On 27 September 2018, Google turned 20. What started as a research project, has turned into a database that covers over 90 percent of search on the internet, supporting more than 150 languages in over 190 countries.

Google has made a mark in the global arena and very few can argue over its importance in our daily lives. So much so that the word ‘Google’ has become synonymous with looking for things on the internet.

Google traces its inception to humble beginnings at a Menlo Park garage, providing search results from a server housed in Lego bricks. Read here to know all the products that Google has bought or created over the past two decades.

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2. 50 Million Users Hit by Facebook Hack: Everything You Need to Know

Social media giant Facebook said on Friday, 28 September, that 50 million (5 crore) of its user accounts have been affected by a security breach. CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s account was among those compromised, reported AP.

The company says hackers exploited the ‘View As’ feature available on the social media portal. Facebook says it has taken steps to fix the security problem and alerted law enforcement agencies. In order to keep its users accounts from getting exposed, Facebook decided to log-off over 90 million users, asking them to login again, without changing the password.

But what brought about this hack and what triggered this unexpected mishap at Facebook’s end? Read here to know everything about this latest breach.

3. Why Aadhaar Verdict on eKYC is a Big Blow to Reliance Jio & Paytm

The verdict on Aadhaar and its legalised existence was rubber-stamped by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, 26 September, but the judgment came along with few riders. The apex court has ruled that private companies cannot demand linking of Aadhaar with various accounts.

The importance of Aadhaar for e-verification (or eKYC) of users has become a routine exercise for various private entities, more so for entities like Reliance Jio and Paytm. These two companies have flourished under the current government’s Digital India movement, which has smartly allowed them to operate within the ambit of Aadhaar.

With more than 200 million users each, both Reliance Jio and Paytm have now suffered a big blow to their business models, now that the eKYC process by private companies via Aadhaar has been scrapped.

Read the story here.

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4. Apple iPhone XS & XS Max Now Available in India, But Who’s Buying?

Read the story here.

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5. Amazon Echo Dot, Echo Plus Smart Speakers First Look: What’s New

Amazon is expanding its base for Echo smart speakers in India with the latest generation Echo Dot and Echo Plus devices. These products were globally unveiled few weeks back and as promised, Amazon has been quick to bring it to our shores.

The Alexa-supported devices have been paired along with the Echo Subwoofer device and all of these are priced at Rs 4,499, Rs 14,999 and Rs 12,999 respectively. The new Echo speakers will be available from 11 October onwards in India but you can pre-order them right away.

Many folks want to know the use case for the Echo Sub, Amazon’s latest Echo product in the country. Read the story here to know more about them.

(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)

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