What is the worst nightmare that could happen to crypto? Experts answer

What are decentralized-tech representatives most scared of? And what are their deepest fears in the crypto space?

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Bitcoin set for record monthly close with BTC price still below 'worst case scenario'

$60,000 would be a monthly record, but longstanding analysis demands a minimum of $63,000 by the start of November.

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Bitcoin white paper turns 13 years old: The journey so far

The Bitcoin white paper only has nine pages, yet it contained enough to change the world. Here's how it came to be 13 years ago.

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6 Questions for Yoni Assia of eToro

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Americans reinvesting stimulus checks in Bitcoin made $4.5k in profit

A timely reinvestment of $3,200 worth of stimulus checks into Bitcoin would return a total profit of $4,514 (nearly 71%) by the end of October.

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Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper is now a 13-year-old teenager

Today, Bitcoin maintains a stable trading value well above $60k after experiencing a gradual appreciation of 7,749,999,900% ever since its launch.

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Latinx communities continue to rise above Bitcoin adoption obstacles

Latinx communities are driving forward adoption, as crypto is proven to meet their diverse needs in a way that traditional finance cannot.

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Bakkt stock goes parabolic, GBTC outpaces BITO ETF and Tom Brady offers 1 BTC for 600th touchdown ball: Hodler’s Digest, Oct. 24-30

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The United States will become the global crypto and blockchain leader

The United States is rapidly embracing decentralized finance, the cryptocurrency sector and the innovative industry of blockchain technology.

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The major tax myths about cryptocurrency debunked

More crypto tax enforcement is coming, and many taxpayers are complying going forward, and amending prior returns if they have something to clean up.

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7 lessons learned from building and scaling Bitcoin mining operations

Building industrial-scale BTC mining farms isn’t easy, but learning from the experience of others will help you to navigate your next moves in crypto mining.

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BTC price 'ready to rally' with Bitcoin bulls clear to charge at $85K — analysis

Current 2021 all-time highs are not on the radar for everyone as resistance, fresh market analysis shows.

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Dallas Mavericks fan wins $100k in Bitcoin at NBA shootout event

Isaiah Stone won $100,000 worth of Bitcoin in a Voyager Digital-sponsored NBA shootout event.

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Bitcoin eyes third weekly close above $60K as Ethereum fuels new altcoin market cap record

ETH hits all-time highs, giving altcoins their moment in the spotlight as Bitcoin consolidates just below its "worst case scenario" monthly close target.

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Here are some simple steps to help children with long-COVID thrive in school

Children who get COVID-19 typically recover quickly and will not require special support upon return to school.

However, some people who contract the disease experience persistent symptoms and post-viral complications.
These complications can include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, changes in taste and smell, and headaches.

This post-viral syndrome is called long-haul COVID-19, more commonly referred to as “long COVID” in the medical community.

Children who experience long COVID will need support at school. Some symptoms – such as fatigue, brain fog and memory impairment – are similar to those experienced after a concussion.

But because these symptoms are challenging to identify or to track, it can be difficult for teachers to know how to help.

We are researchers who study how schools manage concussions and the prevalence of long COVID and associated mental health outcomes. We believe strategies that schools use to support students with concussions may also help those with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms.

Kids and long COVID
Not all physical symptoms experienced after COVID-19 illness indicate long COVID. When symptoms do last more than a few weeks, a thorough medical evaluation by a pediatrician with knowledge of long COVID is recommended.

Pediatric post-COVID clinics are an excellent way to find such doctors. However, at this time, these clinics aren’t widespread in the United States.

Post-COVID complications have been reported frequently by adults. However, research on long COVID in children is scarce, with estimates of persistent symptoms varying widely.

The wide-ranging estimates likely reflect differences in how study participants were recruited, how long after having acute COVID-19 they participated in the study, the symptoms researchers assessed and other methodological differences.

School accommodations
Students who continue to experience symptoms after they’ve tested negative and been cleared to return to school should notify the school of persistent issues.
Even if the child is not officially diagnosed with long COVID, a gradual return to school and activities, as well as academic and environmental accommodations, can support children during recovery.

We recommend that parents, teachers and doctors work together to support the child’s recovery. This is what’s called collaborative care. It is helpful if a school-based professional – such as a school nurse, counselor or psychologist – serves as a central communicator.

This involves sharing accommodations with teachers, talking with doctors (with a signed release) and communicating progress back to the family.

Together, these collaborative care teams can establish temporary accommodations for the affected student, such as:

• Allow a flexible attendance schedule with rest breaks to minimize fatigue.
• Reduce physical activity and minimize exposure to overstimulating environments to prevent fatigue and headaches.
• Modify the workload. This might include, for example, removing high-stakes projects and nonessential work, providing alternate assignments and allowing the student to drop classes without penalty. Base grades on adjusted work so the child is not penalized for memory problems.
• Provide extra time to complete assignments and tests so a child with brain fog can process information.
• Develop an emotional support plan for the student to prevent anxiety and depression. This might include identifying an adult at school to talk with if the child feels overwhelmed, or providing a support group for students to discuss their experiences and recovery.
• Encourage the student to explore alternative extracurricular activities that are nonphysical and not cognitively taxing.
• We recommend that schools front-load adjustments for a student with long COVID and gradually withdraw them as the student recovers. The symptoms, recovery rate and trajectory will vary for each student.
• Therefore, a gradual and monitored return to activity is important to help ensure that symptoms don’t worsen when students engage in more activity. If symptoms do get worse, then accommodations should resume.

An evolving illness
We have much to learn about the long-term effects of COVID-19 and the prognosis for those who develop long COVID. These guidelines are based on what is known at this time and should be considered preliminary.

As COVID rates and treatments evolve, it is important for parents, educators and medical providers to continue talking with one another about persistent symptoms and effective treatments.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.

The authors of the article are Susan Davies, Professor, School Psychology, University of Dayton and Julie Walsh-Messinger, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Dayton

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Blockchain technology can make micropayments finally functional

As the use of digital wallets and cryptocurrencies becomes more abundant, new use cases for micropayments will be further explored and developed.

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Ethereum’s new all-time high prepares ETH for 'continuation to $5,000'

Analysts say multiple factors point toward ETH rallying to $5,000 and BTC is not expected to encounter significant resistance until $85,000.

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Price analysis 10/29: BTC, ETH, BNB, ADA, SOL, XRP, DOT, DOGE, SHIB, LUNA

Ethereum is outperforming Bitcoin in the short-term and the strength of ETH in its USD and BTC pair could be a sign that the entire altcoin market is on the verge of a larger rally.

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Major Russian bank explores crypto investment amid strong demand

One way or another, Russians get exposure to crypto even if they go abroad, Tinkoff Investments’ head said.

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Huobi closes crypto derivatives as part of wind-down for Chinese traders

By shutting down derivatives trading on Huobi, the company takes one more step toward closing its operations in China.

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NASA's Juno spacecraft reveals depth of Jupiter's Great Red Spot; here's all you need to know

Data obtained by the Juno spacecraft of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has revealed new facts about Jupiter recently. According to the latest research, the Great Red Spot, a circular storm that has been raging on the planet for centuries, extends into the planet itself.

According to a report in The Verge, the Great Red Spot is about 300 and 500 kilometres. While the figure seems small compared to the diameter of the circular storm, which is over 16,000 kilometres wide, if we imagine the storm on Earth, “it would extend all the way to the space station,” according to Yohai Kaspi, a Juno co-investigator at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The research has been published recently in the journal Science.

In 2011, NASA had launched its spacecraft Juno to get closer to the gas giant. It took the craft five years to reach the vicinity of the planet and insert itself into a wide orbit around it. The orbit took the spacecraft close to Jupiter every 53 days and even passed over the planet’s poles, which had never been seen before by scientists.

In January this year, NASA declared that Juno’s mission of orbiting the gas giant has been extended till September 2025.
According to data gathered by Juno passing over the Great Red Spot twice in 2019, the Great Red Spot is deep but not as much as the jet streams surrounding the storm, which extend up to 3,000 kilometres.

According to Marzia Parisi, a research scientist on the spacecraft’s team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the data reveals how much more still left to learn about Jupiter, adding that “now we have a complete three-dimensional view,” instead of the earlier 2D view from telescopes.

According to CNN, the size of the Great Red Spot is shrinking, even as the storm continues. Since 1979, the storm, which was twice the diameter of the Earth at that time, has shrunk by at least one-third.
The data gathered about Jupiter’s poles has revealed that the planet as five cyclonic storms in the shape of a pentagon at the south pole as well as eight cyclonic storms forming an octagon at the north pole.
The cyclones have remained in place as cyclones on top of each pole push back the storms trying to move towards the poles.

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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey takes jibe at Facebook after it rebrands to 'Meta'

Hours after Facebook CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company is rebranding itself as ‘Meta’, the internet, especially Twitter, was flooded with memes and jokes on Facebook’s name change. Co-founder and CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey joined the banter and took a jibe at the rebranding.

Dorsey took a dig at the name ‘meta’ after Facebook’s announcement. On his Twitter account, Dorsey tweeted the Oxford dictionary definition of the term ‘meta’, saying that it refers. He said that it refers to the conventions of its genre and it is self-referential.

https://twitter.com/jack/status/1453789734791090189?s=20

While a tweet on Dorsey’s social media platform reads, “BIG NEWS lol jk still Twitter”.

https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1453847172794003473?s=20

The post has garnered over 1.8 lakh likes and more than 27,000 retweets. Food chain McDonald's is among those who have commented on the post. McDonald’s wrote, “You never picked up your 59.6 million McNuggets”.

https://twitter.com/McDonalds/status/1453851725543137284

Popular food chain Wendy’s official Twitter handle too made fun of Facebook’s name change in a post. The tweet reads, “Changing name to meat”.

https://twitter.com/Wendys/status/1453805031463993346?t=AOxskceU33PovRwmOcyxlw&s=08

Facebook has said that the new name will be an attempt to focus on the metaverse which the company feels will be the future of social networking. Zuckerberg said that the blue app will be known as Facebook but its branding will be removed from other places such as WhatsApp and Instagram. He also added that all other apps will now function under the brand ‘Meta’ and Facebook will be one of the many different apps.

The Facebook CEO said that the word meta originates from the Greek word meaning ‘beyond’ and for him, it is a symbol of the fact that there is always more to build and a next chapter to the story. At the company’s annual Connect conference on Thursday, he said that his brand was linked to one product so tightly that it could not represent all the things they were doing today, let alone the future, hence the decision to rebrand with a different name that symbolizes the future has been taken.

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Biggest Bitcoin fund in the world could become ETF by July as GBTC nears $40B AUM

Filing to convert GBTC now is “perfect timing,” the company’s ETF head argues, but concerns remain over the overall strength of the industry.

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Australian securities regulator issues guidelines for crypto ETPs

The Australian securities regulator decided not to require crypto ETF providers to hold domestic crypto custody.

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Skoda Slavia world premiere confirmed for 18 November, midsize sedan set for India launch in early 2022

It’s official: the Skoda Slavia will make its world premiere in India on 18 November. The Skoda Slavia will be the third model to use the Volkswagen Group’s tailored-for-India MQB A0 IN platform – the first two being the Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun midsize SUVs – and is likely to be launched early in 2022. A few days ago, Skoda revealed the Slavia will measure 4,541 mm in length, 1,752 mm in width and 1,487 mm in height, making it one of the biggest sedans in its class. The Slavia’s 2,651 mm wheelbase is also among the largest in the midsize sedan segment.

The Slavia name, says Skoda, has been chosen as an ode to its past, as company founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement had marketed their own bicycles under the same name in 1896. While the company has refrained from giving too much away at this point, it says the Slavia will be ‘an elegant, powerful and safe saloon car’ that will follow in the footsteps of the bigger, more powerful and more luxurious Skoda Octavia and Skoda Superb sedans. Tech2 understands that with the Slavia, Skoda will focus equally on driving pleasure as well as rear seat comfort, with space for rear passengers being among the top priorities for the company.

Expect to see an interior similar to that of the Kushaq with several elements – such as the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system two-spoke steering wheel, a touch-sensitive climate control panel and vital control switches – to be carried over from the midsize SUV, but Skoda is likely to add some more feel-good features to the Slavia. Six airbags will be offered on the top-spec trims of the Slavia.

Just like the Kushaq, the Skoda Slavia, too, will be offered will be two turbo-petrol engine options – a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder TSI that makes 110 hp and 175 Nm of torque, and a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TSI producing 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque. A six-speed manual will be available with both engines; the 1.0 TSI will have the option of a six-speed torque convertor automatic, while the 1.5 TSI – aimed at driving enthusiasts – will be available with a seven-speed DSG automatic (with paddle shifters). There will be no diesel engine on offer, but the 1.5-litre TSI will feature active cylinder deactivation tech, which will help boost fuel efficiency.

Expect Skoda Slavia prices to range from Rs 10-17 lakh (ex-showroom), which will enable it to go head-on against the fifth-generation Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the upcoming Toyota Belta. It will also compete against its cousin from Volkswagen, which will be based on the same platform, and will be launched a little after the Slavia.

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GoPro announces firmware update for HERO10: Here's a look at the improvements it brings

GoPro has introduced a firmware update for its latest HERO10 camera. According to the company's statement, the update brings improvements to battery life and recording time. Here's a look at the details.

GoPro HERO10 gets new update

Starting with the performance, the update has introduced three new Video Performance modes to further improve the camera's capabilities, as per the use case.

The Maximum Video Performance IV mode enables maximum resolution and frame rates for high-quality images and ultra slow-motion videos. The Extended Battery IV mode is said to enable optimal use of resolution and frame rates for a longer video recording time, while maintaining battery life.

The Tripod/Stationary Video IX mode is meant for long video recording with high resolution and frame rates. This is meant for situations when the camera is still without motion and without airflow to cool the camera. One thing worth noting is the GPS and HyperSmooth video stabilisation function are both switched off when this mode is enabled.

For the third mode, GoPro says users can expect the following results, considering the temperature is 77F/25C in still situations without movement or airflow to cool the camera:

5.3K60 IV 47 percent more runtime than previous for an average of 29 minute-long clips

5.3K30 IV 11 percent more runtime than previous for an average of 44 minute-long clips

4K120 IV 52 percent more runtime than previous for an average of 26 minute-long clips

4K60 IV 154 percent more runtime than previous for an average of 63 minute-long clips

4K30 IV 35 percent more runtime than previous for an average of 50 minute-long clips

It is further suggested that a future update will allow for even longer videos in 5.3K30 and 4K30. It will also introduce 2.7K and 1080p for longer video clip recording in either Extended Battery or Maximum Video Performance modes.

The GoPro HERO10 Black firmware update will be available by the end of October, and users will be able to download it via the Quik app.

To recap, the GoPro HERO10 Black comes with a new GP2 processor, HyperSmooth 4.0 video stabilisation in all modes, water resistance, better low-light performance, and more. It is currently priced at $399.98.

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CoP26, Paris Agreement, Net zero, carbon capture: Climate Change jargon buster

Climate change this and climate change that... As world leaders prepare to meet in Glasgow, Scotland from 31 October–12 November for the COP26 Summit, there will be a lot of technical lingo being used.

In an effort to make things easier and to help you sound like an expert, here are some of the key words and phrases that will be used.

COP26

First off, let’s start with the name of the summit itself.

It stands for the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The meeting will bring together world leaders, scientists, NGOs and activists to push towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

More than 120 world leaders are expected to attend, with more than 25,000 delegates from 197 countries, in the biggest diplomatic event on British soil since World War II.

Paris Agreement

Signed in 2015, it is an international treaty that committed 195 signing nations to meeting climate targets. The main goal of the Paris agreement is to limit global heating to “well below” two degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while “pursuing efforts” to stay within the lower, safer threshold of 1.5 degree Celsius. The agreement also wants signing nations to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted on 11 December 1997 but owing to a complex ratification process, it entered into force on 16 February 2005. Currently, there are 192 parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol operationalises the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing industrialised countries and economies in transition to limit and cut greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The Kyoto Protocol only binds developed countries, and places a heavier burden on them under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”, because it recognises that they are largely responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere.

1.5 degree Celsius

What is the big deal about this 1.5 degree Celsius?

This was a goal set by the Paris Agreement to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels.

These temperature goals have their roots in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. Maintaining a 1.5 degree Celsius increase or less means a milder impact on ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as fewer extreme weather events.

Greenhouse gas emissions

No talk on climate change can be complete without the mention of greenhouse gas emissions. Basically, they are gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere. The most common greenhouse gas emission is carbon dioxide, which is primarily emitted via human activity.

Net zero emissions

This means removing as much greenhouse gas from the atmosphere as what's emitted, so the net amount added is zero.

To do this, countries and people are trying to plant more trees or restoring grasslands to soak up carbon dioxide (CO2). Dozens of countries have already pledged to achieve net zero by mid-century and there is huge pressure on countries that haven't yet to do so by COP26.

Carbon Capture

The simple way to explain this is any process being used to capture carbon dioxide before it enters the atmosphere. New technology is being created to literally suck carbon from the air.

Clean energy

Clean energy is energy that comes from natural sources or from processes that are continuously replenished. Wind and solar power are the best examples of clean or renewable energy.

Adaptation

This refers to the way humans can change their lives to better cope with the impacts of climate change. These might include building early warning systems for floods or barriers to defend against rising sea levels. In some places where rainfall is decreasing, planting drought-resistant varieties of crops can help ensure communities have enough food to eat.

Mitigation

Mitigation as the word suggests is how humans can reduce greenhouse gas emissions or remove them from the atmosphere.

Examples of mitigation would be switching from coal and gas to sources such as wind or solar power or choosing public transport over commuting in private vehicles or even expanding forest cover.

Climate finance

In 2009 at the Copenhagen COP, developing countries were promised that they would receive at least $100 billion a year in climate finance from 2020, from public and private sectors. But the 2020 target was missed, and filling the gap is high on the agenda for the talks in Glasgow.

Developing nations, particularly those in the Global South, which are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, argue that industrialised nations are historically more responsible for climate change and must do more to fund changes to help developing nations adapt.

With inputs from agencies

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Mini Electric India launch in early 2022, orders open online with booking amount set at Rs 1 lakh

After Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Jaguar, BMW is all set to become the latest luxury carmaker to launch an all-electric vehicle in India next year. Mini – which is part of the BMW Group – will see its India portfolio grow with the launch of the Mini Electric – or the Mini Cooper SE, to be precise – at the start of 2022. The three-door Mini Electric’s price is set to be announced at the start of January, and BMW Group India has commenced bookings for the all-electric hatchback online, with the booking amount set at Rs 1 lakh.

Replacing the rorty turbo-petrol engine of the standard Mini is a floor-mounted 32.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that powers an electric motor making 187 hp and 270 Nm of torque. The addition of a large battery pack means the Mini Cooper SE weighs 145 kg more than the combustion engine, and that ground clearance had to be increased by 18 mm. That said, the instant torque delivery means the Mini Cooper SE can do the 0-100 kph dash in just 7.3 seconds, and top speed is rated at 150 kph.

With a 50 kW DC fast charger, the Mini Cooper SE can regain 80 percent charge in just 35 minutes. Using an 11 kW AC wall box, the same amount of charge can be regained in in 3.5 hours. The Mini Cooper SE has a range of up to 270 kilometres on a single charge (WLTP cycle).

To differentiate it from the standard model, the Mini Cooper SE features yellow highlights on the sealed ‘grille’ and ORVM housings and funky 17-inch aero-focused wheels.

Expect the Mini Electric to cost around Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom) when it is launched early next year. At that price point, it won’t have any direct rivals whatsoever, and will most likely be the most affordable EV from a luxury carmaker in India. The EV closest to it in price terms will be the Volvo XC40 Recharge, which is also set for an early 2022 launch.

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Russian crypto market worth $500B despite bad regulation, says exec

Many crypto exchanges with Russian roots have fled the country or operate illegally, Blockchain Life's founder said.

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Snap hits 100 million monthly users in India, announces AR partnerships with Flipkart, Samsung and others

Snap Inc., which houses the social media app Snapchat, reached 100 million monthly users in India, as announced in the second edition of the ‘Snap in India’ event hosted on 27 October. While celebrating the achievement, Snap also announced strategic brand partnerships with a host of companies, including Flipkart and Zomato.

Snap CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel said the company will continue to anchor "efforts around celebrating local culture and talent," apart from providing resources and empowerment to the community of Indian creators.

Snap will partner with Flipkart to develop 'innovative AR experiences' for online shopping. This will be the first e-commerce partnership for Snap in the country, with the company’s Camera Kit being an integral part of the “Camera Storefront” of Flipkart.

The co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Snap,  Bobby Murphy, said AR is at the “core of Snapchat’s offerings in India”, adding that the company aims to partner with more local creators in the country to increase the number of “incredible experiences available to Snapchatters”.

The company is also partnering with Zomato to launch the first Snap Map in the country, which will allow users to order food from their personal map on Snapchat.

Snap is also extending its partnership with Samsung Mobiles for the company's 'Made in India' M series smartphones, with the mobile company launching a unique 'Fun Mode' to include some of Snap’s AR-powered lenses in Samsung’s native camera app.

MyGlamm and Sugar Cosmetics have adopted Snap’s AR shopping beta program to provide virtual try-on experiences to users.

Snapchat has established distribution partnerships with all the top Android Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), with a total of over 100 million devices in the country.

Snap says it has seen an increase of 70 percent in net advertisers last year, with e-commerce, FMCG, video streaming, mobile wallets, entertainment and tech OEMs being the top sectors.

In terms of content partnerships, Snap has increased local content options for the Indian community by partnering with leading channels. The company’s 'Discover' content section has over 70 local Indian channels with fitness, news, entertainment, comedy and fashion content.

For the year 2022, the company has also commissioned over 120 episodes of new content.

Mojiworks and Snap will be collaborating once again to include India-themed trivia in their hit game Trivia Party. The two had previously collaborated for a localised challenge, Dosa Dash, for Snap’s Ready Chef Go! game.

Snap launched the Creator Marketplace recently, allowing brands to connect directly with creators and pay them for production of branded content, with 100 percent of the money going to the creators. AR Lens Creators in the country are presently participating, and Snap Stars in India is set to roll out soon.

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DIZO Buds Z TWS review: Pleasant design, comfortable ergonomics and decent sound

Unpacking

The box contains:
• Charging box with earbuds
• Earbud silicone tips: M size pre-installed on earbuds; S/L sizes separate
• Type-C charging cable
• User guide/manual with warranty card

First impressions

The DIZO Buds Z review unit featured a light mint Leaf colour that is easy on the eye. Other colour options are Onyx and Pearl.

The charging case is well-designed and resembles a smooth oval pebble; it has good build quality with a brushed matte finish. With a physical size of just 6.4 x 5.1 x 2.6 cm, it’s small enough to carry around in your pocket comfortably. It flicks open easily and snaps shut reassuringly – all in a one-handed operation.

The earbuds also have an eye-catching design, with the stems coated in a piano-finish shiny reflective layer along the outer length. The makers call it a ‘Natural Light’ design that reflects light in multiple colours.

The earbuds are securely held in place inside the charging case with a reasonably strong magnetic latching system; they didn’t fall out even when held upside down and shaken vigorously.

Connectivity

The DIZO Earbuds Z offer Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. Pairing with the phone was a breeze. Flicking open the charging case activates pairing mode, and the buds were immediately detected and quickly paired with the phone. Once paired, they subsequently always connected near-instantly with the phone upon opening the charging case.

Fit

The earbuds fit surprisingly well in the ear and stay securely in place with just a little twist – this feels like good ergonomic design. With a weight of just 3.7 grams (per earbud), even with continuous usage over a couple of hours, the buds did not feel uncomfortable in the ears. Another thing we liked about the DIZO Buds Z was that the small, tapered stems do not protrude far out and look quite decent when worn. The DIZO Buds Z have a IPX4 water resistance rating, which means they should do well in sweaty conditions and survive occasional light water splashes, too.

Performance

The earbuds pack 10 mm dynamic drivers, and have a decent, balanced sound profile, with a somewhat boosted bass. While you can’t expect any audiophile quality at this price range, overall music and video playback was a largely enjoyable and immersive experience. While not tested, the ‘Game Mode’ feature claims to offer a low latency of 88ms for smooth sync and eliminating audio lag with the visuals while gaming.

The snug fit of the in-ear design also offered passive noise cancellation, and did a relatively reasonable job of blocking out ambient noises and sounds while listening to music or making calls.

The DIZO Buds Z seemed to punch above their weight when it came to call sound quality. The built-in ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) feature works well at keeping ambient sounds at bay for the person at the other end of the call. Over a series of calls (including with some who make clear their displeasure with headsets tending to make one’s voice somewhat distant, as if on speakerphone), most said voice quality was fairly clear. Reception at our end was quite clear too, on most calls. The buds work much better indoors than in noisier outdoor environments, but performed adequately outdoors, too.

The capacitive touch controls allow one to play/pause music, answer/reject/end calls with various single, double, and triple-tap combinations. This worked largely well and responsively, but with occasional hits and misses. There is no option for volume control.

Using the realme Link app (Android and iOS), the sound profile can be somewhat customised with ‘Bass Boost’, ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Bright’ EQ pre-sets. The app features a volume enhancer and options for auto-answer, touch controls, checking battery levels, and some other functions, too.

Each earbud has a rated battery capacity of 43 mAh with a claimed usage time of 4.5 hours. Together with the supplemental juice from the charging case (380 mAh), the overall claimed battery life of the DIZO Buds Z is 16 hours. Basis what we saw over the course of our usage, you could expect decent battery life up to about 60-80 percent of this, depending on your specific usage, of course.

One good feature of the DIZO Buds Z is the Type-C USB port on the charging case that supports fast charging, while also claiming a mileage of 1.5 hours of listening with just a 10-minute quick charge.

Verdict

With its overall build quality and design, comfortable earbud ergonomics and decent sound and call performance, the DIZO Buds Z certainly offer good value for their sub-2K price range.

The Dizo Buds Z were listed at Rs 1,499 on Flipkart, at the time of publication.

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Facebook isn’t the first to rebrand itself to Meta: 10 other companies that underwent a name change

Facebook ended its troubled week with an announcement — Facebook Inc., owner of the social network as well as Instagram, WhatsApp and other ventures, is changing its name to Meta Platforms.

As Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his blog post that the existing brand could not "possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future", and needed to change.

As we prepare for this name change, here’s a look at other companies who have undergone a rebranding in the recent past.

Google to Alphabet

In 2015, the internet search giant — worth more than $400 billion at the time — announced that it was changing its name to Alphabet, a technology conglomerate.

Larry Page, former chief executive, explaining the move had said: "Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies."
He explained further that the new entity would help the company take a long-term view and improve the “transparency and oversight” of its actions. The new entity, he wrote, was an “alpha-bet (Alpha is investment return over benchmark), which we strive for!”

Dunkin Donuts is now just Dunkin'

In the United States, Dunkin' Donuts has been an institution since 1950.

However, in September 2018, the American company dropped “Donuts” from its name and logo. Dunkin' Brands chief executive had said that the change in eating habits had led to the shift.

For those who are wondering, if the company still serves doughnuts — they are on the menu and the chain sells billions of them every year.

Burbn becomes Instagram

Initially, Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger named the photosharing app Burbn with a focus on location-sharing, earning points while check-ins and post-event picture sharing for iPhone users.

However, the app failed due to several complicated features. It was then tweaked and the app was finally reborn as Instagram with a focus on the photosharing aspect.

Foodiebay spits out Zomato

In 2010, a food directory came into being called Foodiebay. After two years, the company rebranded to Zomato. Currently valued at over $3 billion, Zomato recently made headlines by acquiring a stake in Uber Eats.

Odeo turns to Twitter

What Twitter was and what it's become is a wonderful journey.

The story goes that ex-Googler Evan Williams had a startup called Odeo. It was going to be a podcasting platform. Evan asked his friend, another ex-Googler named Biz Stone, to join him.

When Apple launched iTunes podcasting, and made Odeo's podcasting platform irrelevant, Evan and Biz and an Odeo employee named Jack Dorsey decided to create something called Twitter instead.

And on 21 March 2006, Dorsey sent out its first tweet, reading, "just setting up my twttr."

WWF wrestles with WWE

After a long legal battle, the world's biggest wrestling company was forced to change from WWF to WWE.

In 1994, the wildlife preservation charity insisted that the World Wrestiling Federation sign a legal document restricting its use of outside of America. However, the wrestling company ignored their agreement, which led to the legal battle and finally in 2000, Vince McMachon's company rebranded his company — World Wrestling Entertainment, and it eventually came to be known simply as WWE.

Weight Watchers to WW

Weight Watchers, a US-based company that offers weight loss and maintenance services, was founded in 1963 by New York City homemaker Jean Nidetch.

It switched to its initials in 2018 in an effort to get away from the idea that it was only a diet company, at a time when more and more people were aware that dieting wasn't healthy and that weight isn’t necessarily tied to overall wellness.

Relentless transforms to Amazon

Did you know that when you type "www.relentless.com,", it takes you to the Amazon website. This is because Bezos initially thought of naming his online book store Relentless, not Amazon. He still owns the domain name which redirects to his e-commerce behemoth.

Andersen Consulting becomes Accenture

The Fortune 500 company, Accenture, began as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firm Arthur Andersen.

However, tensions with its parent led to a legal battle that concluded with Andersen Consulting not legally able to use the name Andersen, so it rebranded to Accenture in 2001.

The move happened just as Arthur Andersen was ensnared in the Enron financial scandal.

AuctionWeb turns to eBay

Today, eBay facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website.

It was founded in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar and was initially called AuctionWeb. In September 1997, the company was rechristened as eBay after Echo Bay Technology Group, Omidyar's consulting firm.

With inputs from agencies

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Facebook changes its name to Meta: social media users react with hilarious memes

As part of a major rebrand, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company is changing its name to Meta. He made this announcement on Thursday, 28 October, giving rest to rumours about the social media giant's rebranding.

“From now on, we’re going to be the metaverse first, not Facebook first," Zuckerberg said at the company's annual Connect conference, adding that the company's brand "is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything we're doing today, let alone the future,”

Meanwhile, under the rebranding, Facebook, and its apps, including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp will keep their names. They will also be retained in a separate division from Facebook Reality Labs, where the company's virtual reality products are stored. What this means is that the social media app will continue to be known as Facebook, but the branding will be removed from WhatsApp and Instagram and other places.

From now on, all those apps will instead live under the “Meta” brand, with Facebook being just one of those many different apps.

Moreover, the news of the name change comes as just as Facebook tries to shield itself from one of its worst disasters, yet move towards its ambitions for the “metaverse” virtual reality that the tech giant sees as the next step into the future. While its vision is expanding to virtual spaces where social media users interact through digital avatars, the company confirmed that it is not changing its corporate structure.

Minutes after Facebook made the announcement, a torrent of hilarious comment began on Twitter, especially from companies, people and even the social media giant Twitter. Taking to their social media handle, Twitter mocked Facebook’s name change to Meta.

the only #META we acknowledge is this:https://t.co/HalSMZt8L5

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) October 28, 2021

Even US hamburger chain Wendy's joked about the announcement, saying “Changing name to Meat”. Moreover, Meta’s new Twitter account, which already accumulated 13.5 million followers already, replied to Wendy’s saying, “Nice to meat you, @Wendys.”

Changing name to Meat

— Meat (@Wendys) October 28, 2021

Check few of the other reactions here:

Some people thought the new name sounded like a drug.

How can you tell anyone that you're on Meta. Sounds like a drug.

— Francine Polsky Jewett (@careaware) October 28, 2021

Other users found plenty to joke about the new name, and even sounded bored about the rebranding.

Q: Why did Facebook pick 'Meta'?
A: 'Meh' was taken

— maxgoff (@maxgoff) October 28, 2021

Some users joked that people discussing Facebook's name change on Twitter was in itself "meta".

Everyone posting about Facebook on Twitter is very… meta

— John Rush 🐶🌱 (@JohnRush32) October 28, 2021

“Meta” has been a useful word and concept. I’ll miss it.

— James Gleick (@JamesGleick) October 29, 2021

VERY META pic.twitter.com/rMk7JySBrz

— beeple (@beeple) October 29, 2021

My impact. #meta pic.twitter.com/ukEoqMk8d1

— Scream (@ScreamMovies) October 28, 2021

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Facebook transforms into ‘Meta’: Why Mark Zuckerberg's decision on rebranding is a step towards the future

Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand.

The social media giant’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement on Thursday at the Facebook Connect augmented and virtual reality conference where he said his company is rebranding itself as Meta in an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future what Zuckerberg calls the metaverse.

Announcing @Meta — the Facebook company’s new name. Meta is helping to build the metaverse, a place where we’ll play and connect in 3D. Welcome to the next chapter of social connection. pic.twitter.com/ywSJPLsCoD

— Meta (@Meta) October 28, 2021

"I've been thinking a lot about our identity as we begin this next chapter. Facebook is one of the most used products in the history of the world," Zuckerberg said on Thursday. "It is an iconic social media brand, but increasingly it just doesn't encompass everything that we do.

"Today we're seen as a social media company," he added, "but in our DNA, we are a company that builds technology to connect people. And the metaverse is the next frontier just like social networking was when we got started."

Zuckerberg, who said he loved studying classics in school, said the name was inspired by the Greek word meta, which means "beyond." "For me, it symbolises that there is always more to build."

For those who still don't get it, Instagram head Adam Mosseri issued this video, explaining what the Metaverse is and what Facebook, who owns Instagram, plans to do. As he says, "the idea is to create a internet when you are not on but you in... a more immersive experience."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

What changes at Facebook?

The change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them.

For those who don't remember, it's very similar to what Google did in 2015 when they restructured its company, calling its parent firm Alphabet. That, sadly hasn't caught on.

The company also unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Thursday, replacing its thumbs-up “Like” logo with a blue infinity shape. Facebook did not announce any executive changes on Thursday. But on Zuckerberg's personal Facebook page, his job title was changed to: "Founder and CEO at Meta."

In a blog post, highlighting the change, Zuckerberg wrote that the company's structure would not change, but how it reports financial results will. "Starting with our results for the fourth quarter of 2021, we plan to report on two operating segments: Family of Apps and Reality Labs” he explained. “We also intend to start trading under the new stock ticker we have reserved, MVRS, on 1 December. Today’s announcement does not affect how we use or share data.”

Other announcements made by Meta

In addition to its name change, Meta also announced an upcoming virtual reality headset called Project Cambria, a high-end product available to be released next year at a higher price point than the $299 Quest 2 headset, the company said in a blog post.

Meta also announced the code name of its first fully AR-capable smart glasses: Project Nazare. The glasses are 'still a few years out,' the company said in a blog post and Zuckerberg noted, 'we still have a ways to go with Nazare, but we're making good progress.'

What exactly is Meta?

So, as we get used to Meta, let’s also understand what this means and why Zuckerberg chose this as the name for his company.

For tech-challenged people, the term 'metaverse' refers to digital spaces, which are made more lifelike by the use of virtual reality or augmented reality.

Zuckerberg has previously suggested the metaverse to be the future of the company, and has been talking up the metaverse since July.

The buzzy word, first coined in a dystopian novel three decades earlier, is popular in Silicon Valley and has been referenced by other tech firms such as Microsoft.

Describing his plans, Zuckerberg said he expects the metaverse to reach a billion people within the next decade. He described futuristic plans to create a digital world, in which users will feel they are with one another and have a “sense of presence” despite being far apart.

The metaverse is the next evolution of social connection. It's a collective project that will be created by people all over the world, and open to everyone. You’ll be able to socialize, learn, collaborate and play in ways that go beyond what’s possible today. pic.twitter.com/655yFRm8yZ

— Meta (@Meta) October 28, 2021

The platform would allow users to customise their avatars and digital spaces, decorating a digital office with pictures, videos and even books. The presentation imagined users inviting friends over virtually, two people attending a concert together despite being across the world from one another, and colleagues making work presentations remotely.

“When I send my parents a video with my kids, they’re going to feel like they’re right in the moment with us not peering through a little window,” he said.

A rebranding effort?

For many, the name change appears to be an attempt to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, a leaked document trove so dubbed by a consortium of news organisations that include The Associated Press.

Many of these documents, first described by former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen, have revealed how Facebook ignored or downplayed internal warnings of the negative and often harmful consequences its algorithms wreaked across the world.

The Associated Press quoted marketing consultant Laura Ries as saying, “They can't walk away from the social network with a new corporate name and talk of a future metaverse.”

She compared the name Meta to when BP rebranded to Beyond Petroleum to escape criticism that it harmed the environment.

The company has had multiple hits to its reputation — from the reports that Facebook sat on research that showed Instagram harmed teenage mental health to even withholding important information about vaccine misinformation from policymakers during the pandemic.

It was also criticised for doing very little to curb hate speech.

Some of Facebook's biggest critics seemed unimpressed. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a watchdog group focused on the company, announced that it will keep its own name.

“Changing their name doesn't change reality: Facebook is destroying our democracy and is the world's leading peddler of disinformation and hate," the group said in a statement. "Their meaningless name change should not distract from the investigation, regulation and real, independent oversight needed to hold Facebook accountable.”

The company is attempting to 'divert the conversation from their current problems onto the metaverse, which is exciting and futuristic,' Anne Olderog, a senior partner at the consulting firm Vivaldi with 20 years of brand-strategy experience, told Business Insider.

She called it a 'brilliant move' because 'truly, nobody understands' the metaverse. However, she added that the public could 'definitely see through things like that at this stage.'

“The fact that Zuckerberg has set his sights firmly on the so-called ‘metaverse’ while societies all over the world are scrambling to alleviate the myriad harms caused by his platforms just goes to show how out of touch Facebook is with real people,” Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

But that isn't stopping Zuckerberg, seemingly eager to move on to his next big thing as crisis after crisis emerges at the company he created.

With inputs from agencies

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Immersive cooling tech could help Bitcoin mining go green by 2030

Immersive cooling technology helps to increase hash rates and minimize energy output.

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Shanghai Man: Inside Blockchain Week’s private parties, Vitalik’s speech, and Gate.io climbs the ranks

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More than 40 digital currency ETFs await US regulatory approval

Competitors are quickly following suit after the first U.S.-based Bitcoin ETF debuted earlier this month.

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Crypto exchange Bitfinex testing new AML compliance tool

Launched in production in 2020, Notabene’s Travel Rule solution now processes transactions between 50 crypto exchanges.

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Amazon Prime Music is now also available in Hindi: Here's all you need to know

Amazon has introduced Hindi language support on its Prime Music app following high demand by users in India. This change is owing to the fact that Hindi songs are the most-streamed on Amazon Prime Music.

Amazon Prime Music gets support for Hindi

It is also revealed that podcast consumption in Hindi is also growing, as the app has seen a 4x growth since the launch of podcasts in April this year.

The Prime Music app in Hindi has arrived just in time for this year's festive season. The Hindi UI provides users with a selection of 75 million songs ad-free, and more than 10 million podcast episodes, unlimited offline downloads and more.

Users will be able to get access to popular songs from movies such as Shershaah and podcasts such as Kaatil Doctor, Akbar Birbal Stories, Paisa Vaisa, Khooni, and much more. All these will be available at no additional cost.

Commenting on the launch, Sahas Malhotra, Director, Amazon Prime Music said, “As our Prime member base grew in India and customers started to enjoy the Hindi experience on Prime Shopping and Prime Video apps, we started hearing more and more customers requesting to access the Prime Music app in Hindi as well. This inspired us to start working to customize the experience for our users so that they can enjoy listening to music and podcasts in the language of their choice. After all, customers are at the core of everything we do at Amazon Prime Music”.

With this, users will be able to shop, browse and watch their playlists in Hindi. This comes after the launch of the Hindi UI for Amazon India and Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Music in Hindi will be available for Android users and will eventually be rolled out to other devices, too.

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Wharton accepts crypto payments for blockchain program tuition fees

The six-week program costs $3,800 and the Ivy League university expects to attract thousands of students each year.

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Instagram makes Link stickers available to all users: Here's how you can add them to your story

Instagram's Link Stickers will now be available to all users on the social media platform, according to an announcement by the company. The feature, which allows people to include hyperlinks in their Instagram Stories in the form of stickers, was earlier limited to verified accounts and handles with a high number of followers.

The social media platform had started testing its Link Stickers feature in June this year. Taking note of several users demanding access to the the feature, Instagram said it is now making the sticker available to everyone, regardless of their number of followers.

The company said the feature was extremely useful for creators, businesses and other people in the community, who could use Link Stickers to share information and resources. However, Instagram added that accounts which violate community guidelines and repeatedly share misinformation and hate speech will lose access to the feature.

With regards to the Link Stickers feature, Instagram had said in June there were no plans to bring the feature to the main Instagram feed or to other parts of the app. The company is still maintaining this stance, according to The Verge.

The sticker has replaced the 'swipe up' feature on Instagram, which was earlier used to direct followers to external webpages from the platform. However, the company discontinued the feature, which was only available to accounts with over 10,000 followers, in August this year.

Steps to add Link Stickers in Instagram stories:
―    Upload or capture content for your Instagram story
―    Select the sticker tool on the navigation bar at the top of the screen
―    Tap the 'Link' sticker to add the link you want and tap the 'Done' option
―    Place the sticker on your Instagram story and tap on it to see colour variations of the sticker.
―    Post the story with the desired link to enable your followers to view the information you have shared

Instagram is also working on customising the stickers, so that “it’s clear what someone will see” when they tap on the link.

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Bajaj Pulsar 250 India launch highlights: Pulsar F250 and N250 revealed, priced from Rs 1.38 lakh

14:16 (IST)

All-new Bajaj Pulsar F250 and N250 launched in India, priced from Rs 1.38 lakh: Check specs, features- Technology News, Firstpost

www.firstpost.com

13:47 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250 prices

The Bajaj Pulsar N250 is priced at Rs 1.38 lakh, while the F250 costs Rs 1.40 lakh (ex-showroom).

13:45 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250 specifications

With a new tubular frame chassis, the Pulsar 250 also employs a new, oil-cooled 250 cc engine that makes 24.5 hp and 21.5 Nm of torque. It also has an LED projector headlight, a slip-and-assist clutch, a new monoshock, 300 mm front disc brake and 230 mm rear disc brake with single-channel ABS.

13:33 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar N250 and F250 revealed!

Here's your first look at the all-new Bajaj Pulsar F250 (left) and the naked N250 (right). More pictures coming shortly...

13:19 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250: The Pulsar a 'casualty' of relationship with KTM

Rajiv Bajaj says the Pulsar became a 'casualty' of Bajaj's relationship with KTM, as the company started focusing more on the development of a new range of KTM/Husqvarna motorcycles, and lost track of the Pulsar. He says the new Pulsar is at least three years late.

13:11 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250 launch: Rajiv Bajaj on stage

Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj talks about how the Pulsar was an education for everyone involved, saying "it was through the Pulsar, that we have learned everything we know."

12:55 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250 launch: It begins!

The launch of the Bajaj Pulsar 250 starts with a clip about the original Pulsar, and how it transformed the company from a mere scooter manufacturer to a maker of affordable performance motorcycles.

12:35 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250: Gotta wait a little bit more

Originally scheduled to start at 12:30 pm, the launch of the Pulsar 250 seems to be running a little behind, with the countdown timer being rest to 22 minutes. So it'll only begin closer to 1 pm. We've got to wait just a little bit longer.

12:22 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250: Watch the live stream

You can follow the launch of the Bajaj Pulsar 250 right here.

12:17 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250: What we know so far

The faired version of the new Pulsar 250 - expected to be named Pulsar 250F - gets an all-LED lighting setup, an all-digital instrument readout and clip-on handlebars. The Pulsar 250 also gets a split-seat design and a telescopic front fork, with a Nitrox monoshock at the rear.

11:45 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250 launch: Blast from the past

At the launch event of the Pulsar 250, Bajaj has lined up all key Pulsars introduced over the years, including the original that came out all the way back in 2001. Were you a fan of the OG Pulsar?

11:31 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250 launch to begin shortly

The stage is set - in less than an hour's time, we will have our first look at the all-new Bajaj Pulsar 250.

11:09 (IST)

Bajaj Pulsar 250 launch: The countdown

Hello and welcome, folks, to Tech2's live coverage of the launch of the Bajaj Pulsar 250! The event begins at 12:30 pm IST, so sit back and relax as we bring you all the updates LIVE from the launch. 

Today is the day! Bajaj is all set to lift the covers off the biggest Pulsar till date in the form of the Bajaj Pulsar 250F. In the teasers released so far, we’ve seen that the new Pulsar 250 will feature a semi-faired design and foldable fairing-mounted rear-view mirrors, quite like the Pulsar 220F model.

There will most likely be different models of the Pulsar 250 on offer, namely a semi-faired and a naked version, with the semi-faired bike shown in the video most likely to be the Pulsar 250F.

This particular variant of the Pulsar 250 gets an all-LED lighting setup - projector headlamp, some sharp-looking DRLs and a tail-lamp layout that keeps to the performance brands' lineage while featuring an all-digital instrument readout and clip-on bars. The Pulsar 250 also gets a split seat design and a telescopic front fork up front, with a gas-charged Nitrox monoshock at the rear.

The new quarter-litre Pulsar sports alloy wheels that are very similar to the design of those of the NS models, gets disc brakes on both ends and also an engine cowl for some added flair.

There's been no information shared on the engine and specs of the Pulsar 250 as yet, but we expect the new bike to feature an oil-cooled unit that also houses the company's patented variable valve actuation (VVA) technology.

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Hyundai Creta facelift: Here's your clearest look yet at the updated midsize SUV, India launch likely in 2022

The second-gen Hyundai Creta is still relatively new in the Indian market, but having made its global debut in 2019, is set for an extensive mid-cycle update, and the facelifted midsize SUV will soon make its world premiere in Indonesia. Ahead of the unveil, Hyundai Indonesia has released shadowy teasers of the 2022 Hyundai Creta facelift, which give us our clearest look yet at the face of the refreshed midsize SUV king.

There’s no missing the fact that the second-gen Creta’s design has polarised opinion, and to address that, Hyundai has made a comprehensive change to the front end of the 2022 Creta. Gone is the prominent snout and split headlight cluster, replaced by a new grille which incorporates LED daytime running lights, inspired by Hyundai’s ‘Parametric Jewel’ design philosophy. These DRLs will feature a mirror-type finish, which will make them look like they’re part of the grille when unlit; something we've seen before on the new-generation Hyundai Tucson introduced abroad. The vertically-stacked headlight clusters themselves are integrated into the front bumper.

This change itself will lend a fresh appearance to the Creta, which appears to be largely unchanged at the back in terms of design.

The interiors of the facelifted 2022 Hyundai Creta facelift won’t see any major changes, but Hyundai Indonesia has confirmed it will come with the 10.25-inch digital instrument display, something that isn’t available on the Creta in India at present, but is available with the three-row Hyundai Alcazar. Also expected to make it to the features list are 360-degree cameras and a head-up display.

When it comes to India, the Hyundai Creta facelift is expected to continue with the current set of engines: the 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol making 115 hp and 144 Nm of torque, a 1.5-litre diesel engine making 115 hp and 250 Nm of torque, and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 140 hp and 242 Nm of torque. Aside from a six-speed manual, the engines will continue to be available with a CVT automatic (1.5 petrol), six-speed torque converter automatic (1.5 diesel) and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (1.4 turbo-petrol).

The Hyundai Creta facelift is expected to be launched in India in the second half of 2022, owing to the delays caused by the global semiconductor shortage, and the fact that the current model continues to dominate sales charts. It will rival its cousin, the Kia Seltos, and will also face renewed competition from the feature-heavy MG Astor. Expect 2022 Hyundai Creta facelift prices to be about Rs 30,000 – 50,000 higher than the current Creta’s, which presently range from Rs 10.16 lakh to Rs 17.87 lakh (ex-showroom).

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Bitcoin suddenly passes $61K as a $1.7K hourly candle fuels BTC bulls

Bitcoin pulls a fresh surprise out of the hat just as opinions were beginning to flip bearish below $60,000.

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All-new Bajaj Pulsar F250 and N250 launched in India, priced from Rs 1.38 lakh: Check specs, features

Exactly two decades on since the arrival of the original Pulsar, Bajaj Auto has today launched the all-new Bajaj Pulsar F250 and N250, the biggest motorcycles yet under the Pulsar sub-brand. The Bajaj Pulsar N250 is a naked streetfighter style motorcycle that’s priced at Rs 1.38 lakh, while the semi-faired Bajaj Pulsar F250 is priced at Rs 1.40 lakh (ex-showroom).

Both new Pulsars, in Bajaj’s words, follow the ‘sculptural purity’ design principle, and giving them a stronger sense of identity is a new LED projector headlight, flanked by reverse-boomerang LED daytime running lights. Both Pulsars employ chunkier tyres (100/80 R17 at the front, 130/70 R17 at the rear), have bigger disc brakes (300 mm up front, 230 mm at the rear) with single-channel ABS.

Seat height for both the Pulsar N250 and F250 (which employ a new tubular frame) is rated at 795 mm, wheelbase is rated 1,351 mm and ground clearance is pegged at 165 mm. Fuel tank capacity is 14 litres for both bikes. Up front, both the Pulsar N250 and F250 employ a 37 mm telescopic fork, and at the back is a new monoshock. Kerb weight for the Pulsar N250 is rated at 162 kg, while the Pulsar F250 weighs 164 kg.

At the heart of both the Pulsar N250 and F250 is a new, oil-cooled, 249 cc DTS-i engine that has a peak output of 24.5 hp and 21.5 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch.

Also new on the Pulsar F250 and N250 is an ‘Infinity Display’ instrument console, which is devoid of bezels and houses a gear position indicator, a distance-to-empty readout, a range indicator and a clock. A USB mobile charging slot is located near the fuel tank flap.

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