Bitcoin 'supercycle' sets up Q4 BTC price top as illiquid supply hits all-time high

Recent events mean that a Q4 "blow-off top" is now back on the menu as BTC price recovery clings to its 23% weekly gains.

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If you have a Bitcoin miner, turn it on

The opportunity in Bitcoin mining has never looked better, and the U.S. has the infrastructure to take the chance.

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Bitcoin for cash: Do crypto ATMs make buying BTC easier for the mainstream?

Bitcoin ATMs may make it easier for the mainstream and unbanked to access crypto, but will security risks hamper adoption?

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Bitcoin records rare 10-day winning streak as BTC price taps $42K ceiling

Daily chart data shows the strength of the current rally as a longstanding resistance level finally shows signs of falling.

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5 easy ways crypto investors can make money without needing to trade

Want to get paid to HODL? Here are five easy ways crypto investors make money without trading.

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Price analysis 7/30: BTC, ETH, BNB, ADA, XRP, DOGE, DOT, UNI, BCH, LTC

Traders expect altcoins to move higher now that Bitcoin price finally pierced the $41,000 resistance.

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Who takes gold in the crypto and blockchain Olympics?

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$25B investment firm adds 'riskier' Grayscale GBTC and ETHE for clients

Wealthfront users will now be able to have up to 10% of their portfolios composed of the Grayscale Bitcoin and Ethereum Trusts.

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A trade war misstep? China is vacating crypto battlefield to US banks

Why is China forsaking cryptocurrencies at the same time that legacy U.S. banks, long wary of crypto, appear to be discovering its virtues?

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Bitcoin accumulation accelerates among ‘whales’ and ‘fish’ with BTC rallying to $40K

"This is just on-chain sentiment, though. The big question is, how does that correlate to the price action in general?"

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Maharashtra EV policy impact: Ather 450X, 450 Plus now most affordable in Mumbai, Pune

Following two game-changing announcements – an increase in FAME-II subsidy and introduction of the revised Maharashtra EV policy 2021 – the Ather 450 Plus and Ather 450X electric scooters are now the most affordable in Maharashtra. Under the state’s reworked policy for electric vehicles, both Ather Energy e-scooters are currently eligible for the full Rs 25,000 incentive on offer for electric two-wheelers, which means the 450 Plus and 450X sport the lowest price tags across the country in the four cities in Maharashtra where Ather Energy currently has outlets – Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Nashik.

New Ather 450X price in Maharashtra

As per the reworked EV policy, Maharashtra offers an incentive of Rs 5,000 per kWh of battery capacity, with the subsidy limit for e-two-wheelers capped at Rs 10,000. However, for those who buy an e-two-wheeler till 31 December, 2021, there’s an additional ‘early bird’ subsidy of Rs 5,000 per kWh, with the total subsidy limit pegged at Rs 25,000.

Including the Rs 25,000 subsidy from the state, the ex-showroom price of the Ather 450X in Mumbai is now Rs 1,22,241, which is about Rs 5,000 lower than its price in Gujarat (which offers a flat incentive of Rs 20,000), and about Rs 10,000 lower than its price in Delhi. The new on-road price for the Ather 450X in Mumbai is Rs 1.30 lakh, which includes insurance charges, but no registration fees or road tax, as Maharashtra waives both those charges as part of its EV policy.

The 450X is Ather’s flagship scooter, which packs a 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and has a certified range of up to 116 kilometres (85 kilometres in real-world use). Its electric motor has a total output of 8.15 hp and 26 Nm of torque, which allows it to accelerate from 0-40 kph in 3.3 seconds and 0-60 kph in 6.5 seconds. Top speed for the 450X – which weighs 108 kg – is rated at 80 kph.

It also has a 7.0-inch LCD integrated into the dashboard with navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. A 10-minute fast charge blesses the 450X with a range of up to 15 kilometres.

New Ather 450 Plus price in Maharashtra

With the full Rs 25,000 subsidy accounted for, the Ather 450 Plus now costs Rs 1,03,231 in Mumbai; once again, about Rs 5,000 less than it costs in Gujarat, and over Rs 10,000 cheaper than it is in Delhi. The new on-road price for the Ather 450 Plus in Mumbai is Rs 1.10 lakh, which includes insurance charges, but no registration fees or road tax, as Maharashtra waives both those charges as part of its EV policy.

The Ather 450 Plus is like the 450X in most respects, but as it misses out on the 450X’s Performance Pack, it has a lower power output (7.3 hp and 20.5 Nm of torque), so it’s slower in the 0-40 kph (3.9 seconds) and 0-60 kph (8.29 seconds) sprints, and has a lower real-world range of 75 kilometres.

In other cities such as Pune, Nagpur and Nashik, the prices are a few hundred rupees lower than they are in Mumbai. Bear in mind that unless the duration for the ‘early bird’ incentive is further extended by the Maharashtra government, prices of both Ather e-scooters will rise by as much as Rs 15,000 at the start of 2022, so this massive reduction in prices is only temporary as things stand.

Ather Energy to discontinue buyback scheme

Ather Energy has also revealed it will end its buyback scheme on 31 July, 2021. Introduced as an initiative to win buyers’ trust at a time when Ather was fresh on the scene, the scheme promised a fixed buyback value of Rs 85,000 for the Ather 450X and Rs 70,000 for the Ather 450 Plus – as long as the scooter wasn’t more than 39 months old, and had racked up less than 30,000 kilometres. However, this scheme is now being phased out, and only those who make a purchase on or before 31 July will be eligible for this buyback scheme.

Interestingly, this move comes at a time when the Maharashtra state government is offering an additional incentive to manufacturers who provide a buyback scheme on their electric two-wheelers. As per the Maharashtra EV policy 2021, vehicle makers who offer a buyback scheme and battery warranty on their products are eligible for an incentive of Rs 12,000.

Ather Energy plans revealed

Ather Energy co-founder and CEO Tarun Mehta has previously confirmed to Tech2 that the manufacturer is now working on ramping up production capacity at its plant to 500,000 units a year by FY2023 (up from the 1.1 lakh unit capacity at present. By April 2022, Ather plans to have 500 charging points across India, and will set up shop in 50 cities, which will include several Tier-II locations. That number is set to rise to 100 cities by April 2023.

Also read: Ather Energy channels its inner Tesla, banks on Impact report to strengthen portfolio and brand

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Google Play Store to ban ‘sugar dating’ apps from the platform starting 1 September

Following a series of policy changes, Google's Android Play Store will not allow “Sugar dating” apps from 1 September. First noticed by Android Police, the sugar apps refer to the apps that allow “compensated sexual relationships”. Other changes initiated by Google include a new crackdown on inactive developer accounts.

This announcement by Google comes amidst a shutdown of online sex-related platforms owing to the introduction of the FOSTA-SESTA legislation in the US in 2018, which slashes Section 230 protections for content that “promotes or facilitates prostitution”.

“As a platform, we are always excited to support our developer partners, but we also work hard to provide a safe experience for users. We have updated our inappropriate content policy to prohibit apps that facilitate sexual acts in exchange for compensation following feedback we received from NGOs, governments, and other user advocacy groups concerned with user safety. This aligns our policies with other Google policies and industry norms", the search engine giant told Android Police.

Alongside this big change, the new policy by Google allows it to delete inactive developer accounts in case of inactivity for a year. However, the giant will allow exceptions for accounts behind apps that have more than a thousand installs or with recent in-app purchases. In case a developer hasn’t uploaded an app or signed in to the Google Play Console due in 12 months, their account might be deleted. In a video that talks about the new policy, Google assures to notify the developers of an impending deletion 60, 30, and 7 days before it takes place.

Another update in the new policy is more information on some previously announced changes by Google, on Play Store spam, and opting-out of the use of advertising IDs. The store listings are being updated and so is the promotion policy on 29 September to ban spam text and graphics in-app titles, icons and developer names, and its ads policy is being updated to reflect the advertising ID changes on 4 October.

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Twitter is testing a new 'Shop Module' feature to help users buy products from the app

Twitter is getting back into the shopping space as it has now started testing the new Shop Module feature. The feature will allow businesses to create a shopping section at the top of their profiles for people to buy products. This comes after Twitter's addition of a "Buy" button back in 2014, which was eventually dropped in 2017.

With this option, users will be able to surf through a number of products from various brands. They can further tap on a product they want to buy, to know more details and see images of the product.

The feature is currently being tested in the US with a few brands. It will also be available for iOS users who use the app in English. It is expected to reach more users in different countries soon.

Twitter, in a blog post, said, "With this pilot, we’ll get to explore how our engaged, responsive, and chatty audience reacts to products that are emotionally charged — like a new jersey from your favourite sports team — or that provide lasting impact — like a new skincare regimen. And, fundamentally, it’ll give us the chance to keep learning about which shopping experiences people prefer on Twitter".

This feature is similar to the shopping section in the Facebook app, Instagram, and even WhatsApp. The feature on both the Facebook properties allows people to explore stuff from various businesses and directly buy the desired product from the app.

This comes after a number of attempts Twitter has been making for monetisation other than ads. Recently, Twitter introduced the Twitter Blue paid subscription that charges people for access to exclusive features.

There's also the new Tip Jar feature that lets people tip other users for their tweets. This feature lets the micro-blogging site have a commission.

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Bitcoin OTC desks buzz as analyst warns big players 'want your Bitcoin'

There's no shortage of demand for Bitcoin at current prices, but volatility to the downside is back on Friday.

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Micromax IN 2b launched in India at a starting price of Rs 7,999; AirFunk 1, AirFunk 1 Pro TWS earbuds at Rs 1,299, Rs 2,499 respectively

Micromax IN 2b and AirFunk TWS earbuds debuted in India today. With these earbuds, Micromax has made its entry into the audio segment in India. The highlights of the smartphone include its 5,000 mAh battery and a dual rear camera setup. The three newly launched products will be available for purchase on Flipkart.

Micromax IN 2b, Air Funk TWS earbuds pricing, availability

The Micromax IN 2b comes in two storage variants. The 4 GB RAM + 64 GB internal storage variant is priced at Rs 7,999 and the 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 8,999. It will come in Black, Blue and Green colour variants.

The smartphone will be available for purchase on 6 August on Flipkart and the Micromax website.

Micromax AirFunk 1 is priced at Rs 1,299. It will be available in 5 colour options: black, white, blue, and purple and yellow. Micromax AirFunk 1 Pro is priced at Rs 2,499. In terms of colours, the earbuds will be available in black, white, blue, yellow and red colour options.

The earbuds will go on sale on 18 August on Flipkart.

Micromax IN 2b specifications

Micromax IN 2b features a 6.5-inch Mini drop HD+ display that offers 400 nits brightness. The smartphone runs on Stock Android 11 OS and the company promises updates for 2 years. It is powered by an ARM Cortex A75 chipset and offers up to 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage.

And here’s the price of #MicromaxIN2b!!! The 4+64GB variant is priced at ₹7,999/- and 6+64GB at ₹8,999/-. The first sale will be on 6th August on @Flipkart and https://t.co/LAoXIMfCYk. #AbIndiaChaleNonStop #NoHangPhone pic.twitter.com/vpIJh5pUd9

— IN by Micromax (@Micromax__India) July 30, 2021

As for the camera, it sports a dual rear camera setup that houses a 13 MP primary sensor and a 2 MP sensor. For selfies, it comes with a 5 MP front camera. The camera also supports FHD Video recording and comes with a Play and Pause recording feature.

In terms of battery, the smartphone is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 10 W charging.

AirFunk 1, AirFunk 1 Pro features, specifications

The TWS earbuds AirFunk 1 comes with a male/female voice change feature, smart touch controls 3D Surround Sound stereo mode, auto connectivity. In terms of battery, it offers up to 15 hours of playtime along with the charging case. The earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and an IP44 rating for dust and water resistance. Micromax AirFunk 1 comes with support for Google Assistant and Siri voice assistants.

Introducing #AirFunk1, ye thoda sa hatke hai. 😉#VoiceUltaGamePalta #AbIndiaChaleNonStop
Watch the launch event live: https://t.co/8kow8rQ89P pic.twitter.com/tc1JpkYA3w

— IN by Micromax (@Micromax__India) July 30, 2021

AirFunk 1 Pro comes with features like echo cancellation and environment noise cancellation. The earbuds are powered by Qualcomm QCC 3040 chipset with cVc 8.0 (clear voice capture) and quad microphones. As per the company, it can cancel out ambient noise up to 25 dB. It offers up to 32 hours of playtime.

Qualcomm CVC 8.0 combined with ENC in #AirFunk1Pro helps reduce the ambient noises up to 25 dB of sound. Wakayi mein, #ShorNoMore. Sirf clear baat.#AbIndiaChaleNonStop
Watch the launch event live: https://t.co/8kow8s7J1n pic.twitter.com/3e8b7hCeGs

— IN by Micromax (@Micromax__India) July 30, 2021

Both the earbuds come with mono and stereo support, smart touch controls, and voice assistant support including Siri and Google Assistant.

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Xiaomi India leads smartphone shipments in Apr-Jun, followed by Samsung: Counterpoint Research report

India's smartphone market has witnessed its highest ever shipments, with over 33 million units in the first half of 2021, reported Counterpoint Research. The report further reveals that it grew by 82 percent year-on-year. In the second quarter of 2021, Xiaomi has managed to ship most smartphone units in India with a market share of 28 percent. This was the brand's "highest-ever ASP (average selling price) in a single quarter" as Mi 11 series performed well in this quarter.

As per the report, Xiaomi was followed by Samsung with an 18 percent share. Samsung Galaxy M-series and F-series contributed to 66 percent of the shipments in this quarter. The third position was bagged by Vivo with 15 percent of the market share. The report reveals that Vivo V21 series and the iQoo 7 series were the major drivers for the brand in Q2 2021.

Chinese smartphone brand, Realme, became the fastest brand to reach 50 million cumulative smartphones in India. Going by the report, "Realme led the market in 5G smartphone shipments, capturing more than 22 percent share."

During this quarter, Apple leads the ultra-premium segment with more than 49 percent share. As per the report, iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series were star performers in Q2 2021. On the other hand, OnePlus captured the premium segment with a 34 percent share. As OnePlus reported 200 percent year-on-year growth in Q2 2021, the OnePlus 9 series was the driving factor for the brand.

As per the report, Senior Research Analyst Prachir Singh said, “Smartphone shipments witnessed low volumes during April and May. However, the market saw a pent-up demand in June as restrictions were lifted and stores started to reopen. Offline-centric brands were more affected during April and May as consumers were preferring online channels for purchases. Brands like Xiaomi and Realme were able to maintain high volumes leveraging their better online reach. Due to the multiple use-cases and functionalities, the smartphone has become an integral part of daily life and a necessity. The pent-up demand witnessed in June is a testament to that.”

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Toyota Innova Crysta prices to be hiked from 1 August: Here’s how much more you’ll have to pay

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has announced prices of the Toyota Innova Crysta will rise by two percent from 1 August. Depending on the variant, this is a Rs 33,000 to 49,000 increase in ex-showroom prices of Toyota’s hot-selling MPV. At present, prices of the Toyota Innova Crysta start from Rs 16.52 lakh and go up to Rs 24.59 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Toyota says this price hike is a measure to offset rising input costs. These costs usually include the price of raw materials, logistics and other related expenses. However, Toyota assures it has worked to lessen the impact of spiralling input costs for potential buyers.

Toyota launched the facelifted Innova Crysta in India in November last year. The MPV has been at the core of the firm's business in India, along with the Toyota Fortuner SUV, with the mechanically-related Toyota Hilux pick-up set to join the range soon.

The Toyota Innova Crysta's engines were updated to BS6-spec earlier this and those remain unchanged here. These are a 2.7-litre petrol that makes 166 hp and 245 Nm and a 2.4-litre diesel that makes 150 hp and 343 Nm with the five-speed manual gearbox (360 Nm with the six-speed auto). The petrol engine is also available with the same gearbox choices.

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Xiaomi India leads the smartphone shipments in Q2 2021, followed by Samsung: Counterpoint

India's smartphone market has witnessed its highest ever shipments, with over 33 million units in the first half of 2021, reported Counterpoint Research. The report further reveals that it grew by 82 percent year-on-year. In the second quarter of 2021, Xiaomi has managed to ship most smartphone units in India with a market share of 28 percent. This was the brand's "highest-ever ASP (average selling price) in a single quarter" as Mi 11 series performed well in this quarter.

As per the report, Xiaomi was followed by Samsung with an 18 percent share. Samsung Galaxy M-series and F-series contributed to 66 percent of the shipments in this quarter. The third position was bagged by Vivo with 15 percent of the market share. The report reveals that Vivo V21 series and the iQoo 7 series were the major drivers for the brand in Q2 2021.

Chinese smartphone brand, Realme, became the fastest brand to reach 50 million cumulative smartphones in India. Going by the report, "Realme led the market in 5G smartphone shipments, capturing more than 22 percent share."

During this quarter, Apple leads the ultra-premium segment with more than 49 percent share. As per the report, iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series were star performers in Q2 2021. On the other hand, OnePlus captured the premium segment with a 34 percent share. As OnePlus reported 200 percent year-on-year growth in Q2 2021, the OnePlus 9 series was the driving factor for the brand.

As per the report, Senior Research Analyst Prachir Singh said, “Smartphone shipments witnessed low volumes during April and May. However, the market saw a pent-up demand in June as restrictions were lifted and stores started to reopen. Offline-centric brands were more affected during April and May as consumers were preferring online channels for purchases. Brands like Xiaomi and Realme were able to maintain high volumes leveraging their better online reach. Due to the multiple use-cases and functionalities, the smartphone has become an integral part of daily life and a necessity. The pent-up demand witnessed in June is a testament to that.”

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Lenovo Legion 5 Pro gaming laptop with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics launched in India at a starting price of Rs 1,39,900

Lenovo has introduced a new gaming laptop Legion 5 Pro with up to 140 W NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics and the new-gen AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processors. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics bring 2nd Generation Ray Tracing and 3rd Generation AI Tensor Cores.

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro's NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 16 GB variant comes in Storm Grey and is priced at Rs 1,39,990 while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, 32 GB variant costs Rs 1,59,990. The laptop can be pre-ordered on Amazon and Lenovo's official websites starting from 27 July onwards. It will also be available across all offline channels in August this year.

Speaking on the launch, Dinesh Nair, Director, Consumer PCSD, Lenovo India said, “Surging PC gaming and e-sports have caused a rise in the demand for more powerful gaming machines. We have continued to build strong affinity with millions of gamers through our e-sports tournaments such as Rise of Legion and Legion of Champions, which has helped us grow our gaming community over the last 2-3 years”.

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is built on a new AMD “Zen 3” architecture that encourages competitive gaming performance with a battery life of up to 8.1 hours. It features the Lenovo Legion AI Engine for power shifting between the CPU and GPU.

It comes with a 16-inch QHD 165Hz IPS display that offers 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, up to 3 ms response time, a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio, NVIDIA G-SYNC, and AMD FreeSync support. It comes with features like 34 percent increased pixel density, Dolby Vision, VESA Display, HDR 400 support, 100 percent sRGB color accuracy, 4-zone RGB lighting, a larger touchpad, and an aluminum chassis with a fingerprint-resistant finish.

Legion 5 Pro boosts gaming performance with the graphics power of up to 140 W without thermal throttling, NVIDIA GPU, and Legion ColdFront 3.0 thermal management, which has various thermal sensors for quick heat dissipation.

Its 3D Nahimic Audio brings 360-degree audio with features including Night Mode with smart volume reduction, sound tracker, and background noise suppression. With its exclusive Sound Sharing feature, users can pair two Bluetooth headsets simultaneously. Legion also features Type-C power delivery charging, e-shutter webcam, and Lenovo Vantage software.

Lenovo will also offer Legion Ultimate Support (LUS) for guidance on hardware optimisation and software assistance. LUS helps customers learn the tips and tricks for software tuning, hardware optimisation, and overclocking. The Legion Ultimate Support can be bought separately on a yearly basis for Rs 999, and at Rs 1,999 for two years.

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Micromax IN 2b, Air Funk TWS earbuds to launch in India today at 12 pm: How to watch it live

Micromax is set to launch Micromax IN 2b in India today at 12 pm in India. The smartphone will join Micromax IN 1, Micromax IN 1b and Micromax IN Note 1. As per the Flipkart teaser, Micromax IN 2b will come with a dual rear camera setup and a 5,000 mAh battery. The company co-founder Rahul Sharma also tweeted that Micromax will also launch two new TWS earbuds called Air Funk earbuds at the event today. These earbuds will come in two different case designs and several colour options including lilac, yellow, black, red, white and so on.

Micromax IN 2b, Air Funk TWS earbuds launch: How to watch it live

The event will kick off at 12 pm today in India. You can watch the livestream on the company's social media handles. To catch the live updates, you can also tap on the livestream link embedded below.

Doston, kal hum leke aa rahey hain #MicromaxIN2b, the #NoHangPhone. Aur uske saath, we are also launching two funky new products in the audio category. Here's the first look. Join us tomorrow at 12 PM to know more.#AbIndiaChaleNonStop #ShorNoMore #voiceultagamepalta pic.twitter.com/SMaD1c3wnt

— Rahul Sharma (@rahulsharma) July 29, 2021

Micromax IN 2b expected specifications

As per the Flipkart teaser, the smartphone will feature a waterdrop notch and a dual rear camera setup. It will also sport a fingerprint sensor at the back. It is teased to come with a Mali G52 GPU that apparently delivers 30 percent better graphic performance. In terms of colours, it will be available in black, green and blue colour options.

In terms of battery, it will be equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery that, as claimed by the company, will offer up to 160 hours of music playback on a single charge, up to 20 hours of Web browsing, up to 15 hours of video streaming, and up to 50 hours of talk time on a single charge.

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Shanghai Man: Crypto recovers, disasters strike, and China’s crackdown moves to other sectors

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Bitcoin traders express mixed emotions about what’s next for BTC price

Bitcoin traders are at odds about where BTC price may head after it failed to flip the $40,000 level to support.

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Bitcoin bulls control Friday's $1.7B monthly options expiry

Bitcoin's surge above $40,000 boosted the bulls' advantage in this month's $1.7 billion options expiry.

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IMF intends to 'ramp up' digital currency monitoring

The fund will greatly expand to cover all aspects of digital currency while also working with related financial institutions.

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Mivi Collar Classic, Boat Rockerz 330 Review Snapshots: Wireless Neckband Earphones under Rs 1,500

We recently tested two affordable wireless audio products from Realme’s Dizo sub-brand. Right at the end of the piece, I’d hinted at two more comparable products in the process of being reviewed, and here they are. The Boat Rockerz 330 and Mivi Collar Classic are two extremely affordable wireless neckband earphones that look to one-up the Dizo Wireless. Both claim impressive battery life figures, among other things. Time to find out how they perform.

Mivi Collar Classic Review

Not too long ago, we reviewed the Mivi Roam 2 Bluetooth speaker and were mighty impressed with its design, build and performance. Hence, I was quite excited to try out Mivi’s wireless neckband that costs the same as the aforementioned budget speaker. The Mivi Collar Classic does have a few things going for it, but unfortunately, it did not live up to the lofty expectations set by the Roam 2.

For starters, the build quality is too plasticky for my taste and the design isn’t appealing. While one can live with that on a low-cost wireless neckband, the finish is overly patchy with a few rough edges on the battery compartment as well as the control pod, excess adhesive sticking out from near the earbuds and a few scuff marks on a brand-new product fresh out of a sealed pack. The earbuds have a magnetic lock at the back, but it doesn’t serve as an on/off switch. In hindsight, that’s not a bad thing, as the magnets are quite weak to hold the buds in place for long enough. The use of flat cables is a good choice and provides a sense of sturdiness.

The buttons on the control pod are stiffer than they need to be, but they do let you control all the key functions ranging from volume control, play/pause, jumping to next/previous track, answering/ending/rejecting calls and more. The micro-USB port is covered with a rubber flap to protect it from dust and moisture. While the company claims this neckband is dust- and sweat-resistant, there is no IP rating for this product. So, tread cautiously; a bit of sweat should be fine as they survived a couple of jogs with me, but avoid exposing them to rain and spills.

The earbuds don’t fit all that well in the ears with any of the three pairs of silicone tips (small, medium, large) bundled in the pack. They feel a bit loose, providing a below-par seal that results in poor passive noise isolation. Unlike most budget earphones, these aren’t bass-heavy, which is a good thing, but the sound signature is a bit too bright for comfort. The highs aren’t tempered all that well. They overshadow certain midrange frequencies and overly dominate the sound, causing listener fatigue. The constricted soundstage doesn’t do the audio quality any favours either. The output isn’t the loudest here, and one needs to push the volume upwards of 80 percent for normal loudness.

The Mivi Collar Classic supports SBC codecs over Bluetooth 5.0. There is no support for AAC, and expecting aptX in this budget is overly optimistic. The wireless range is neat (up to 10 metres with a clear line of sight) but drops drastically with a concrete wall in between the listener and the source device. Pairing the neckband with a phone was seamless. Call quality is average at best. It is perfectly usable for calls indoors, but the microphone picks up a lot of ambient noise when you’re on the road.

The battery life of this product is its strongest point. While I would have preferred a USB-C charging port, I am willing to overlook the presence of a micro-USB port given its sub-Rs 1,000 price tag. While it couldn’t manage the advertised 24 hours, the Mivi Collar Classic lasted a good 17 hours on a full charge, which isn’t a bad number at all. The lower number is probably because the loudness was always close to 80 percent during testing, contributing to the quicker battery drain. On the bright side, you can charge this neckband fully in under 45 minutes. The company claims ten minutes of charging gives you ten hours of play time; a claim I couldn’t verify as I accidentally ended up charging it fully instead of unplugging it after ten minutes.

The Mivi Collar Classic is priced at Rs 999 with a one-year warranty. That makes it one of the most affordable wireless neckbands around. Despite that, it would be hard to recommend the Mivi neckband given its finish and sound quality, unless you like lower bass and treble-heavy sound. There are also too many better products available for a little more money. While I appreciate the attempt on Mivi’s part to move away from the crowd of bass-heavy products, it just hasn’t managed to get the balance right with the Collar Classic. Maybe next time it will succeed in recreating the magic of the Roam 2.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Good battery life (17 hours approx.)
• Quick charging; full charge in under 45 minutes
• Low weight
• Sweat- and dust-resistant, but no IP rating

Cons:

• Sound is a bit too bright for comfort
• Plasticky build with poor finishing
• In-ear fit is a bit loose
• Micro-USB charging port
• Below-par call quality

Rating: 3/5

Price: Rs 999 

Boat Rockerz 330 Review

 

Moving on from the Mivi Collar Classic to the Boat Rockerz 330 was a refreshing change on multiple counts. To begin with, the build quality is noticeably better; not as good as that of the Dizo Wireless, but there’s not much to complain about, either. The rubberised neckband feels easier on the neck, the earbuds fit much better in the ear thanks to the fins and provide good passive noise isolation. This neckband is IPX5-rated moisture-resistant and can be worn to the gym or during a jog in a light drizzle. I did the latter, and this Boat is still afloat.

The buttons on the control pod are much softer to press; however, their placement could have been smarter. The volume up button is located below the volume down button, and out of habit, you end up lowering the volume when looking to increase it, and vice versa. The multifunction button with the company logo is located at the back of the pod. Just like on the Mivi neckband, these three buttons let you access all key functions of these wireless earphones.

The back of each earbud has a magnetic tip, and while the magnets are stronger, they don’t act as an on/off switch. Pairing this neckband with a phone over Bluetooth was a simple and effortless process. The Boat Rockerz 330 supports dual pairing, too – connecting to two devices simultaneously and switching between them. Wireless range was perfectly fine, with the neckband retaining a strong connection for up to 10 metres without any obstruction, and about half that with a concrete wall in between. These earphones support SBC and AAC codecs over Bluetooth 5.0. Strangely, the sound profile is distinctly different on both codecs.

With AAC enabled, the Rockerz 330 delivers a bass-heavy sound preferred by majority of the buyers in this segment. However, there is too much emphasis on low-end frequencies at the cost of mids. There is noticeable auditory masking in the midrange spectrum, with certain instruments and vocals bearing the brunt of the excess bass. The highs are tempered well but feel slightly inadequate to balance the bass, thus giving the sound a soft feel with low details. The soundstage, though not too expansive, is broader than that of the Mivi and is acceptable for the segment.

Though it seldom changes things for the better, I always try switching off AAC to see how different the product sounds on SBC codecs. To my surprise, switching off AAC on the Boat Rockerz 330 makes them sound significantly better. There is reduction in bass, a lot more clarity in the mids and the highs gain a bit more sparkle, too. Mind you, there is still ample bass even with AAC off, but the overall output sounds a lot more balanced. You should give it a try if you buy this product, and if you feel the need for more bass, you can always switch AAC back on from the Bluetooth settings. These earphones are loud enough at 50 percent volume; however, they tend to distort a bit at high volume upwards of 75 percent.

Call quality is quite impressive, with both parties perfectly audible to each other. It keeps most of the ambient noise in check when you’re outdoors, which is quite good for a budget neckband. Battery backup on the Rockerz 330 is stellar, with the earphones clocking close to 25 hours of play time at approximately three hours of listening per day. You do have a USB-C port here and it supports fast charging as well. The neckband can be charged fully in under 45 minutes, and ten minutes of charging gives you a little over eight hours of play time. It may be two hours short of the advertised number, but is still mighty impressive.

The Boat Rockerz 330 was launched at Rs 1,299 and now sells for Rs 1,499 with a one-year warranty. While it’s not a bad product at all for its current selling price, it would be better to drop its price by a couple of hundred rupees to steer clear of the stiff competition. Incidentally, the Rockerz 330’s prime competitor is from the same brand -- Boat Rockerz 335, which is nothing but the Rockerz 330 with support for Qualcomm’s aptX codecs and a magnetic on/off switch for just Rs 100 more, making the 330 almost redundant at a nearly-identical price.

To rock the boat further, Oppo has dropped the price of the Enco M31 neckband to Rs 1,499. In terms of pure sound quality, it is arguably the best wireless neckband under Rs 1,500, with support for Sony’s LDAC codecs and two different sound profiles. However, the battery backup is less than half that of the Rockerz 330 and 335. Choose one depending on your needs – Oppo for sound, and either of the Boats for battery backup. 

Pros:

• Above-average sound quality for the segment
• Comfortable to wear, secure in-ear fit
• Excellent battery life, upwards of 24 hours
• USB Type-C charging port; quick charge support
• Dual pairing support
• IPX5 splash-resistant
• Good call quality

Cons:

• Sounds a bit soft on AAC codecs with excessive bass
• Audio distorts at high volume
• No magnetic on/off switch
• Price could have been slightly lower

Rating: 3.8/5

Price: Rs 1,499

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Bitcoin inheritance tool to use cloud service by Russian Sberbank

A new project in Russia aims to enable secure storage of inherited digital possessions like Bitcoin using a cloud-based service of state-owned Sberbank.

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Israeli gov't seeks to track crypto holdings above $61K

Framed as a "war against black capital," Israel's Ministry of Finance estimates the new legislation could bring in $9.2 million in additional state revenues through tax.

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With billionaires launching, is it time to implement a new international space treaty?

by Ramin Skibba

Space is much busier than it used to be. Rockets are launching more and more satellites into orbit every year. SpaceX, the private company founded by Elon Musk, blasted more than 800 satellites into space in 2020 alone. Extraterrestrial tourism is about to take off, led by space barons Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson, two of whom have already taken their first private space outings. The frenetic activity of space agencies and space companies around the world will extend beyond Earth’s atmosphere, too. Within a few years, the moon will see many more landers, rovers, and even boots on the lunar ground. So will Mars and eventually, perhaps even some asteroids.

 It’s an exciting time, but also a contentious one. An arena once dominated by the U.S. and Russia has seen the arrival of China and numerous other countries, with several nations establishing both a scientific and military presence in space. A burgeoning space industry, mostly led by U.S.-based companies, is angling for opportunities to monetize Earth-observing satellites, expensive visits to the edge of space, and trips to the moon with robotic and human passengers. Space junk clutters the atmosphere. Rival countries and companies hurtle satellites through the same orbits, and they eye the same key spots on the moon where water could be harvested from ice. Anti-satellite weapons tests by China and India that have flung debris into orbit illustrate just how precarious space is.

All that is to say, things have changed considerably in the more than half century since international space diplomats hammered out the Outer Space Treaty, the agreement that continues to serve as the world’s basic framework on international space law. Before space conflicts erupt or collisions in the atmosphere make space travel unsustainable — and before pollution irreversibly tarnishes our atmosphere or other worlds — we need a new international rulebook. It’s time for the Biden administration to work with other space powers and negotiate an ambitious new space treaty for the new century.

The Outer Space Treaty was deliberately written ambiguously. It outlaws nukes and other weapons of mass destruction being deployed in space, but makes no mention of lasers, missiles, and cyber weapons. The accord appears to ban private property in space and states that no nation can claim a piece of space or lunar territory as their own, but it does not explicitly restrict the extraction of resources like water and minerals.

The Moon Agreement, which went into force in 1984, went further. It states that countries are required to inform others if they have spacecraft entering the same orbit. It declares that the exploration and use of the moon must be done for the benefit of everyone. Under the agreement, Moon explorers have to take care of the lunar environment as well. And importantly, it forbids the claiming of extraterrestrial resources as property. However, only 18 countries are party to the sweeping treaty, none of them space-faring nations.

In recent years, policies on space law have taken an industry-friendly turn, particularly in the U.S. The Obama administration signed the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015, also known as the Space Act, which, in theory, allows American companies to mine the moon and other celestial bodies however they wish and to keep the resources. Other countries, like Luxembourg, have followed suit. In 2020, the Trump administration went further, proposing the industry-friendly Artemis Accords, an attempt to further push the case for granting companies property rights in space. The accords comprised bilateral agreements with just 12 countries — notably without Russia and China, and without the involvement of the United Nations or any other international institution — putting them outside international space law. More than half a century after humans first set foot on the moon, there remains no clearly established, agreed-upon rules governing space activity.

In the absence of such a framework, the US has embraced a de facto “launch first and ask questions later” strategy. The lack of international cooperation is one reason engineers were so caught off guard in 2019, when satellites launched by SpaceX and the European Space Agency nearly crashed into one another. Experts in space law can’t even agree on major questions such as what kind of responsibility space actors have to keep space clean and uncontaminated with debris, as there’s really no framework in place.

The Biden administration has so far focused its space policy not on treaties but on “norms,” non-legally binding principles that they hope will evolve into international agreements with teeth. But it’s hard to imagine that enforceable international space policies will be adopted unless Biden explicitly and enthusiastically calls for them, while urging Russian and Chinese leaders to do the same. More likely, whatever endeavors the space industry and military decide to pursue will retroactively become policy. This is already playing out in debates about the private harvesting of resources from the moon and asteroids, the types of spacecraft companies can put in orbit, and the kinds of space and anti-satellite weapons militaries can develop.

 If we were to design a new space treaty that would preserve space primarily as a place for exploration and collaboration rather than for war and commercial gain, what would it look like? It would coordinate travel and limit traffic in busy orbits in the atmosphere while also taking steps to limit the creation of space debris. (Cleaning up the mess already clogging low-Earth orbit is another story entirely.) It would also build on the Moon Agreement, prohibiting the deployment and testing of weapons — including electronic weapons — in the atmosphere. And it would prohibit deploying and testing any weapons in space, not just on the moon or other celestial bodies. It would create an independent, international organization to review proposals for mining resources and establishing colonies on the moon, Mars, and beyond.

This sounds ambitious — and it is — but it’s achievable. The Antarctic Treaty of 1961 enshrines many of the same principles for activity on Antarctica, and it still works six decades later. Public opinion on space seems to be shifting, too, with growing calls to jettison colonialist views of space exploration in favor of more egalitarian approaches. If scientists, non-governmental groups, space environmentalists, and other stakeholders put pressure on the Biden administration, it could become politically feasible for the president to take a stand and jumpstart space diplomacy with the U.S.’s rivals. To the extent that it would help make space exploration sustainable, peaceful, and beneficial to all humanity, it would be worth the cost in political capital. We only have one atmosphere, one moon, and one night sky to cherish.

This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.

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JBL Commercial CSUM10 desktop USB microphone review: Start your podcast here

You’d think someone who literally has to dedicate an entire room to accommodating boxes upon boxes of tech gear (not counting the test cars parked outside) wouldn’t need to go out and buy their own gear. But just as the lockdown eased slightly and Amazon started delivering non-essential gear, I fished out my dusty credit card and bought Rs 25,000 worth of podcasting gear. Everything – a USB interface, a boom arm, an XLR microphone, nice monitoring headphones. The rapid output of content, however, never happened. What did happen was a massive tangle of wires across my dining table/desk, leaving little space for the occasional lockdown-experimental meal. The strangely-named JBL ‘Commercial’ CSUM10 USB microphone, however, does away with the mess.

Do you need a dedicated microphone?

Yes and no. While a high-quality microphone can add some extra radio-like crispness to your voice, it’s not entirely a given. A lot depends on your environment and your setup. The same goes for your office Zoom calls. If you’re in an echo-chamber of a room with a dog and screaming kids, your expensive microphone isn’t going to do much.

You can make do with the microphone built into your laptop, webcam or Bluetooth headset if you so choose. But you’ll need to be extra careful, stay close to the microphone and keep things quiet around your house to get decent quality. The JBL takes care of some of these issues.

An all-in-one solution

The JBL CSUM-10 is basically a microphone with a sound card built-in. It has a headphone jack and two knobs to adjust the microphone gain (sensitivity to sound) and headphone volume. The only other port is a UBS-C (yes!) that connects to your computer or other device. Then it’s simply a matter of telling your computer to use the JBL device for input and output, and you’re good to go. This lets you clean up some of the wiring that otherwise goes into multiple devices. If you’re using speakers, you don’t even need to use the headphone output.

A bonus to using a USB microphone is that they usually work with smartphones and tablets as well. The JBL was picked up immediately by my iPhone as well as Android devices, and I was able to use it with apps such as Instagram and Clubhouse. The caveat is that many of these apps aren’t designed for external microphones, so they switch to the phone’s internal microphone the moment there’s another party involved in the conversation – like a live guest or other speakers in a Clubhouse room. But that’s a software limitation. The JBL mic is blameless here.

Physically fit

The CSUM10 looks vaguely like the crowd-favourite Blue Yeti microphone, but is a lot smaller. It’s just under 7.5 inches with a 3.75-inch diameter footprint on your desk. There’s a slot for the cable to exit from behind the microphone, keeping things nice and tidy. This tiny package effectively replaced a massive lump of tech from my desk. Nothing is worth all those extra wires.

The mic is also short enough to not be in the frame if you’re using a tight shot for your content. This may be a downside, if you want a certain “look” when you’re on calls or your podcast. The unit is all-metal, and sufficiently heavy to not be easy to slap away or tip over. It’s solid and feels like quality. About the only plastic on it is in the form of the knobs, buttons and pivots for the stand.

Just the right, practical features

I’ve used a plain-Jane USB microphone before, and I missed a manual gain control to adjust how loud my voice is. Fiddling with controls on my Windows PC across app and OS settings is no fun. A simple knob does the trick, and the CSUM-10 has this. Keep in mind that this is a condenser microphone, which tends to be extremely sensitive. If the mic is a few inches away from your face, you’re unlikely to need to amp up the gain. The microphone can be mounted on a stand, but it ships with a simple desktop pedestal. Adjustment is limited to tilt in one direction. I’ve used it like this, and find it perfectly satisfactory for desktop use. Headphone output is clean and loud, and my AKG K361 monitoring headphones seem to benefit from the little extra amplification they’re receiving from the mic.

There’s also a dedicated mute button below the two knobs with an LED that turns red (from white) when the audio is muted. This is super useful, and also easy to forget (as I’ve often done). Make sure you look at the LED to ensure that you are transmitting (or not). The mute button is a dedicated hardware cut-off, and doesn’t put you on mute in Zoom or MS Teams like some of the more advanced headsets would. Your sound just goes dead.

Perhaps one of my favourite – and as yet unused – features is an extra button at the rear of the microphone body that switches the microphone from cardioid to omnidirectional pickup mode. Cardioid pickup is when the microphone picks up sound mostly from the front of the unit, and very little (if any) from the rear. This is how I use it most of the time when placed in front of me, and it works very well drowning out any keyboard clacking or mouse movement sounds from behind the microphone. Omnidirectional mode is useful if you’re conducting a table-top interview with someone, or perhaps podcasting with a guest, as sound will be picked up from all directions. Keep in mind that this is a condenser microphone, so it will pick up a lot of ambient noise as well.

Performance

The CSUM10 performs admirably in most situations. It’s easy to put to one side of your keyboard, pointed in your general direction, and have a perfectly clear conference call on whatever app you choose. Need more distance? Just add gain. However, with great power comes great responsibility, so you’ll need to turn your fan off if you don’t want the swishing of wind in your audio. Distance and gain will need experimentation in your specific circumstances. If you really want that radio voice, you’ll need to look at a dynamic microphone stuck right up to your lips, and perhaps a little processing.

During one test podcast recording, I set the gain just under the second index on the knob, and was perfectly audible, but didn’t have that extra-crispy sound I like. I’ll probably add some more gain and see how that works. The cardioid pickup pattern was wide enough in front of the microphone for it to not be finicky about where it’s placed. Dead North is ideal, but off to one side didn’t bother it too much.

An excellent, flexible starting point for audio recording

I’ve experimented with a bunch of sound recording options, from the dead-simple to the unnecessarily complicated. I’ve found the JBL CSUM10 to be an ideal solution for most people working and creating from home. It is modest in its space requirements, has an ideal set of features to make it usable on the desktop, or even in a hotel room on the go, hooked up to a smartphone. Combined with Nvidia’s Broadcast app that leverages its powerful RTX GPUs’ AI capabilities to eliminate noise and echo, the JBL CSUM10 makes me sound like I’m in a dead-silent studio, in most cases. But that setup costs significantly more than the Rs 5,299 the microphone currently costs on Amazon. I’d recommend this microphone to anyone starting off with podcasting, or wanting to add a decent, practical device for daily Zoom calls to the home office.

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Disney+ Hotstar introduces new annual plans at a starting price of Rs 499; will drop VIP plan starting September

Disney+ Hotstar has announced three new annual plans for its users in India. The three plans include Rs 499 per year for Mobile, Rs 899 per year for Super and Rs 1,499 per year for Premium. The company has announced that the new plans will roll out from 1 September. Up till now, there were two plans: Premium that is priced at Rs 1,499 per year and Rs 299 per month and VIP plan at Rs 399 per year.

The new Super plan, priced at Rs 899 per year, will give access to 2 devices simultaneously with video quality restricted to HD. On the other hand, the Rs 499 plan offers access to just one device. The Premium plan of Rs 1,499 per year remains unchanged and still offers access to 4 devices with a video quality of 4K resolution.

Starting 1 September, Disney+ Hotstar's VIP plan will be dropped. Notably, this plan offers Disney+ content and Hollywood movies in a dubbed language.

In addition to these plans, the company also announced new shows including The Empire, Human, Escaype Live, City of Dreams season 2, Criminal Justice season 3 and more.

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Jeep Meridian three-row SUV spied in India in six-seat form, launch expected in 2022

Jeep’s upcoming three-row SUV based on the Compass – rumoured to be named the Jeep Meridian – is expected to debut in India by early 2022. The new SUV will go on sale in South America first, but with the India launch not too far away, a couple of near production-ready test mules of the Jeep Meridian have now been spotted in India.

It’s clear from the spy shots that the Jeep Meridian’s face is heavily inspired by Jeep's newest offerings such as the new-gen Grand Cherokee and the Grand Wagoneer. It has the same square-jawed look with the flat, faux seven-slot grille and squared-off LED headlights. The Meridian has a more upright shape to accommodate the longer wheelbase and a noticeably extended rear overhang.

A recent set of teasers from Jeep revealed the Jeep Meridian will carry forward the same interior layout as the facelifted Compass. However, the materials and themes used will differ significantly. The pictures show the leather dash face being replaced by a suede one in the Commander, while brushed chrome finish on the Compass’ dash seems to have been replaced by rose gold highlights. Another notable change is a new steering wheel and the tan seat upholstery featuring a quilted pattern. Also seen is open-pore wood trim on the dash and door panels.

Some feature highlights visible are controls for the advanced driver assistance systems, a panoramic sunroof as well as separate climate zones for the second row. Also visible is what looks like a large foldable second-row centre armrest, for a quick conversion to a six-seater layout. Expect a separate AC blower for the last row, too, as well as USB charging ports for all passengers. These mules were configured in a six-seater captain configuration with second-row captain seats, which we expect will feature power adjustment.

Other features carried over from the 2021 Jeep Compass should be the large UConnect 5 infotainment system, the new 10.25-inch digital instrument display, auto headlights and wipers, electronic parking brake, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, eight-way adjustable front seats, an Alpine audio system, a powered tailgate, 360-degree cameras and more.

The seven-seat Jeep Meridian should get the same engine options as the Compass. The Jeep Compass is powered by a 1.4-litre petrol engine that makes 162 hp of power and 250 Nm of torque. A 2.0-litre diesel engine is also available that puts out 173 hp of power and 350 Nm of torque, coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual, this engine may be available in a higher tune in the larger SUV. The petrol gets a seven-speed DCT. The AWD system with the many off-road modes (including the hill-descent function and low range mode) should be seen here as well.

The Jeep Meridian is expected to launch in India in early 2022 and will go up against the likes of the Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner, priced at a Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh premium over equivalent Compass variants. The new SUV, codenamed the H6, will be the third of four models Jeep has planned for the Indian market, following the facelifted Jeep Compass and the locally-assembled Jeep Wrangler.

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India gives important pre-COP26 meeting in UK a miss due to 'technical difficulties'

A two-day, in-person, closed-door ministerial conference was held in London by the United Kingdom ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP26). This meeting was attended by around 50 countries' climate and environment ministers to begin talks before the important climate summit that will take place this November, in Glasgow. While 51 countries were invited to attend this primer, India was conspicuous by its absence. This comes after the country made some strong statements at the G20 meetings.

The official reason was that the minister representing India could not attend the meeting due to technical difficulties.

Gaurav Khare, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also said the government decided to skip this meeting as it had made India's stance clear during the G20 summit held on 15-16 July.

Khare said, "India attended the G20 ministerial meeting and made its stand clear. The UK climate ministerial meeting was right after that. It was being held in the middle of the Parliament session, so it was decided that this time we cannot be present physically, but we never decided not to participate."

"At an official level we wanted to participate virtually but could not because of various technical issues," he added.

A COP26 spokesperson told Bloomberg that COP26 President Alok Sharma “has constructive ongoing dialogue with his counterparts in India, having visited the country earlier this year where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

India is also the third biggest carbon emitter after China and the US. During the G20, India said developed countries should lead the way in reducing emissions, called out other countries for their carbon-neutral announcements and told them to reduce their emissions.

During the G20 Energy and Climate Joint Ministerial Meeting, Union Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh urged the G20 nations who have higher than average per capita greenhouse gas emissions to reduce them. This, he believes, will "vacate the carbon space to some extent and support the developmental aspirations of the developing nations."

The G20 was a failure in everyone's eyes, as there was no significant progress made in coming to a consensus on the wording to be used in the final climate change communique. India, Russia, China and Turkey also resisted the idea of shutting down coal power plants and fixing on a timeline to begin their phase-outs. Currently, India generates more than 40 percent of its electricity from coal.

COP26: A brief look

The UK is presiding over the meeting this year after it was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alok Sharma is heading this 197-nation summit as the President of the COP26.

"It was a hugely refreshing experience, to be sitting across the table from one another," said Sharma as he sat with the United Nations' climate chief, Patricia Espinosa, during a press conference.

"There was a sense of common endeavour and a shared desire to address the climate crisis before us", he said.

This meeting follows various natural and climate disasters that have taken place this year itself, including wildfires, heavy rains and floods, cyclones, the ocean catching on fire, droughts, etc.

Alongside the COP26 meeting, around 200 scientists from around the world are meeting online to validate the findings of the UN science report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report is supposed to be released in August and is meant to help further the decisions taken during the COP26.

According to a statement released by the British government, Sharma hoped to build common ground and "sketch the outline of the Glasgow outcome."

"The world will be watching to see whether we come together in Glasgow and do what is necessary to turn things around in this decisive decade," he added.

"The dialogue has started, (but) there is a lot of homework to be done in the next 90-something days," Espinosa said.

With input from agencies

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Record 57K BTC leave exchanges in one day dropping Bitcoin reserves to pre-crash levels

57,000 BTC leaves exchanges in a single day as demand returns with Bitcoin at the upper end of its multi-month trading corridor.

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Bitcoin Strategy ProFund aims to tackle regulatory barriers for investors

Mutual funds provider ProFund aims to enable crypto exposure for investors without actually buying Bitcoin.

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India give important pre-COP26 meeting in UK a miss due to 'technical difficulties'

A two day, in-person closed-door ministerial conference was held in London by the United Kingdom ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP26). This meeting was attended by around 50 countries' climate and environment ministers of various countries to begin talks before the important climate summit that will take place in November in Glasgow.

The UK is presiding over the meeting this year after it was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alok Sharma is be heading this 197-nation summit as the President of the COP26.

"It was a hugely refreshing experience, to be sitting across the table from one another," said Sharma as he sat along with the United Nations' climate chief, Patricia Espinosa, during a press conference.

"There was a sense of common endeavour and a shared desire to address the climate crisis before us."

This meeting is coming on the heels of various natural and climate disasters that have taken place this year itself, from wildfires, heavy rains and floods, cyclones, the ocean catching on fire, droughts, etc.

Alongside the COP26 meeting, around 200 scientists from around the world are meeting up online to validate the findings of the UN science report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report is supposed to be released in August and is supposed to help further the decisions taken during the COP26.

According to a statement released by the British government, Sharma had hoped to build common ground and "sketch the outline of the Glasgow outcome."

"The world will be watching to see whether we come together in Glasgow and do what is necessary to turn things around in this decisive decade," he added.

"The dialogue has started, (but) there is a lot of homework to be done in the next 90-something days," Espinosa said.

India gives its miss

While 51 countries were invited to attend this primer, India's presence was glaringly obvious. This comes after the country made some strong statements at the G20 meetings.

The official reason was that the minister could not attend due to technical difficulties.

Gaurav Khare, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also said that the government has decided to skip this meeting as they had made India's stance clear during the G20 summit that was held on 15-16 July.

Khare said, "India attended the G20 ministerial meeting and made its stand clear. The UK climate ministerial meeting was right after that. It was being held in the middle of the Parliament session, so it was decided that this time we cannot be present physically, but we never decided not to participate."

"At an official level we wanted to participate virtually but could not because of various technical issues," he added.

A COP26 spokesperson told Bloomberg that Sharma “has constructive ongoing dialogue with his counterparts in India, having visited the country earlier this year where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

India is also the third biggest carbon emitter after China and the US. During the G20, India stated that developed countries should lead the way in reducing emissions. We also called out other countries for their carbon neutral announcements and told them to reduce their emissions.

During the G20 Energy and Climate Joint Ministerial Meeting, the Union Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh urged the G20 nations who have higher than average per capita greenhouse gas emissions, to reduce them. This he believes will "vacate the carbon space to some extent and support the developmental aspirations of the developing nations."

The G20 was a failure in everyone's eyes as it did not make any significant progress in coming to a consensus on the wording to be used in the final climate change communique. India, Russia, China and Turkey also resisted the idea of shutting down coal power plants and fixing on a timeline to begin its phase-out. Currently, India generates more than 40 percent of its electricity from coal.

With input from agencies

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iRobot Roomba i3+ vacuum cleaner Review: The price of lazy is not cheap

“You don't need a robotic vacuum cleaner, you want one.” If any of your conversations ever went like that, it would be a very different dialogue now, post-pandemic. Nine to ten hours of office work, cooking, a zillion dishes waiting in the sink and then comes cleaning. At a time like this, a robotic vacuum cleaner like the iRobot products seemed like a really tempting option. This wasn’t exactly my situation, but lounging all day and enjoying free home-cooked food without paying a penny may have guilted me into doing my bit.

I recently took up the biggest chore of the day: cleaning. I cheated, however. My performance enhancer: an iRobot Roomba i3+ vacuum cleaner; I named her Irona. Irona was the name of a member of Richie Rich's robot household staff, one that I always dreamt of having back when I was a kid.

via GIPHY

This one doesn’t quite fight villains or turn into a helicopter, but it can communicate what it needs, acts on simple voice command, manages to keep the place squeaky-clean and takes the trash out on its own! Cool!

But, like every other cool thing, it costs a bit of money.

A giant, cleaning hockey puck

If you’ve seen one robot vacuum cleaner, you’ve seen them all. They all look the same: boring, black, round like a hockey puck, just a lot bigger and bulkier. The iRobot Roomba comes with a textured top that helps keep it scratch free and clean. Unfortunately, it only comes in black. It features three physical buttons on top: Clean, Home and Spot. The Clean button lights up in different colours while performing different tasks. While cleaning, it glows white, blue when it is returning to its docking station and red while charging. Speaking of the dock, it is a dust-collecting charging unit for this vacuum cleaner. It looks subtle, does not occupy a lot of space but definitely catches the eye. It also comes with a dust bag inside it that can hold dirt for “60 days”, depending on the amount of dirt in your house.

Flipping over the vacuum cleaner, we see a dirt compartment or “Clean Base” as the company calls it, two rubber tyres and an edge sweeping brush.

Clumsy at first, but keeps the place squeaky clean!

To be honest, the first time I used this vacuum cleaner, it was quite frustrating to watch it bump into every obstacle over and over again! It felt like a hopeless situation to me.

But, to my surprise, it learnt its way around my house after a couple of attempts. You can schedule a routine; ensure that the charging dock is plugged in at the time. I was disappointed to find that I could not mark any restricted areas or assign a name for the room while assigning a cleaning job, because the i3+ does not come with smart mapping like it's pricier siblings.

I took comfort in the fact that it does the assigned job quite efficiently. It gobbled up dust and debris, and eventually made its way around stuff effortlessly such as with tables, chairs, the bed or other obstacles. You can also choose between “One Pass”, “Two Pass” and “Automatic”, so that the i3+ cleans according to your preferences.

It even managed to pick up hair and tiny particles from carpets. If you have shedding pets, you might want to look into this more seriously. Unfortunately, it did not sense that it was about to fall down a staircase. Thus, I learned the hard way that it is really important to ensure that stairs are not on its route, unless you want to supervise your automatic cleaning robot.

The headline feature of this vacuum cleaner is its self-emptying bin. Most such products come with a tiny dust container which occasionally needs to be emptied in the middle of a job, if your house is large enough. But this one makes sure that you don't have to chaperone it; it empties itself every time it returns to its dock after finishing a cleaning job.

The i3+ is quite quiet while cleaning, but light sleepers will still notice, so avoid scheduling cleanups during bedtime. It gets noisy while emptying the bin, but that lasts about 10 seconds, so it is not much bother.

As for the battery, the company did not reveal the battery capacity, the unit did clean for about 80 minutes before it needed to charge. Notably, you cannot unplug the charging station even when the vacuum cleaner is fully charged, as the battery starts draining.

User-friendly? Yes and no

The i3+ uses a companion iRobot app compatible with both Android and iOS. The app is easy to navigate and use, but it is restricted to only one user, which was quite off-putting for me. Every time someone other than me had to give the vacuum cleaner a command, they had to use the buttons, or ask me to do it.

On the bright side, a simple "ok Google, ask Irona to start vacuuming" voice command got it going. The vacuum cleaner comes with support for Alexa and Google Assistant.

The app also shows you a map of the cleaned area and how much time it took to complete. You can schedule routines for the vacuum cleaner, and just sit back and relax!

Verdict

The iRobot Roomba i3+ is a fantastic vacuum cleaner with a user-friendly app, efficient at cleaning and isn't noisy. You can get these features in competing products, but the self-cleaning feature gives it an edge.

Should you buy it? Well, that depends on whether you really NEED a robotic vacuum cleaner. Okay, it’s the pandemic and some of us are still working from home, so you probably can make the case for it. But can you make the case for its Rs 69,999 price tag? There are much cheaper options such as the Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P at just Rs 24,999, but that needs manual cleaning of the tiny dust bin. This makes sense for most small households, but the Roomba has the edge for larger homes, where it is hands-off for the most part. We still think that it should have come with the full complement of smart mapping features, considering its prodigious price.

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