logo
Apple faces intense WWDC pressure; Elon Musk deletes post about Trump; Chinese hackers aim for U.S. smartphones

Apple faces intense WWDC pressure; Elon Musk deletes post about Trump; Chinese hackers aim for U.S. smartphones

The Hindu7 hours ago

Apple faces intense WWDC pressure
Apple is set to host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) tonight at Silicon Valley. While the event is largely aimed at developers, the iPhone-maker generally puts out a slew of announcements and launch updates about its operating systems, device upgrades, AI enhancements, and more. However, this year will see Apple presenting its annual event under significantly more pressure, as it faces customer anger and sharp questions over the delayed deployment of all the Apple Intelligence features it promised. The elephant in the room will be Apple's inability to release the AI-enhanced Siri assistant as previously promised, and the disappointment of Apple iPhone 16 buyers who purchased the phone in order to access this.
Analysts have predicted this year's WWDC could see Apple attempting to rebuild its damaged credibility or possibly focusing on more standard updates regarding its OS. Others are expecting possible announcements about Apple integrating Google's Gemini, Perplexity, or chatbots from other companies.
Elon Musk deletes post about Trump
Elon Musk has deleted a post on his platform X (formerly Twitter) where he had accused U.S. President Donald Trump of being named in the Epstein Files. This referred to U.S. government files related to allies of Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. Musk had posted the claim on X during a highly-public feud with Trump over the latter's controversial spending bill. The post garnered millions of views and ignited a range of reactions across the political spectrum, as Musk claimed that Trump's alleged inclusion in the list was the reason it had not been made public.
However, Musk deleted the posts over the weekend. He and Trump continued to criticise each other from their respective social media platforms; Trump is an avid user and endorser of the right-wing Truth Social. The digital fight between the two billionaires also served to bring curious and amused viewers to X, with views and activity levels reportedly spiking as high-profile insults were hurled.
Chinese hackers aim for U.S. smartphones
While cybersecurity experts warn about digital attacks against the topmost layers of the U.S. government and military, one major vulnerability that is often left out of discussions is a user's everyday smartphone. In order to gain access to a victim's calls and communications, hackers no longer need to dupe users into clicking a link. Instead, Chinese hackers are reportedly targeting the smartphones of high-profile U.S. users in order to carry out espionage operations, according to multiple cybersecurity experts.
Chinese hackers have also tried to compromise phones used by U.S. President Donald Trump and JD Vance during their 2024 campaign. Just months ago, U.S. authorities warned that a large-scale Chinese hacking campaign was trying to gain access to the texts/phone conversations of an unknown number of U.S.-based users.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Apple's Next-Gen AirTag nears launch with longer range, Vision Pro Integration
Apple's Next-Gen AirTag nears launch with longer range, Vision Pro Integration

Hans India

time36 minutes ago

  • Hans India

Apple's Next-Gen AirTag nears launch with longer range, Vision Pro Integration

Apple is gearing up to launch its second-generation AirTag, according to tech insider Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman confirmed that the new AirTag is almost ready after months of development. However, he believes it's unlikely to make an appearance at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025). The updated AirTag is expected to feature three key enhancements: a second-generation ultra-wideband (UWB) chip that offers up to triple the tracking range of the current model, advanced integration with Apple's Vision Pro headset for spatial computing capabilities, and a more secure speaker to reduce misuse for stalking. Despite the major upgrades under the hood, the design of the AirTag is expected to remain unchanged from the original version introduced in April 2021. In India, the first-gen AirTag is priced at ₹3,490 for a single unit and ₹11,900 for a pack of four, available via Apple's official site. The next-gen model is expected to launch sometime in mid-2025.

Before China's rare earth curbs, India's permanent magnet imports nearly doubled in FY25
Before China's rare earth curbs, India's permanent magnet imports nearly doubled in FY25

Indian Express

time39 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Before China's rare earth curbs, India's permanent magnet imports nearly doubled in FY25

India's imports of permanent magnets—many containing rare earth elements (REEs)—nearly doubled to 53,700 tonnes in 2024-25 (FY25) from around 28,700 tonnes the year before, according to official trade data. The surge in imports, with 93 per cent coming from China, preceded Beijing's April 4 export restrictions on rare earth magnets, which have since disrupted production lines globally. In India, with just 2-3 weeks of REE magnet supply remaining, industry executives are expected to travel to China in a bid to ease the shortage, sources told The Indian Express. Consumption of permanent magnets has grown significantly in India over the last five financial years—from just 12,400 tonnes in FY21 to 28,700 tonnes in FY24, before imports surged 88 per cent to 53,700 tonnes in FY25. Despite the large jump in quantity imported in FY25, the value of imports grew by only 5 per cent to Rs 1,744 crore, which is suggestive of a decline in prices. China is the dominant supplier of permanent magnets in India, accounting for upwards of 90 per cent share. Imports from China increased by 95 per cent year-on-year to 50,000 tonnes in FY25. Permanent magnets, especially those made with REEs, are widely used in electric vehicle (EV) motors, wind turbines, aerospace, and defence. In contrast to FY25, imports in the ongoing financial year are expected to be tempered, after China imposed export restrictions on rare earth magnets and related materials from April 4, as a direct response to US imposing tariffs. In India, a supply crunch is in the making, especially for neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets used in EV motors. Over the past month or so, Indian carmakers are learnt to have used up inventories and there is likely to be a shortage going forward. 'There is only 2-3 weeks of supply left. At present, complying with China's rules seems to be the only option. There may be a delegation of industry representatives going to China to resolve the issue,' sources said. Earlier, a senior executive from the Indian car industry told The Indian Express that importers are now required to give their Chinese suppliers an undertaking that the rare earth magnets procured from that country would only be used in vehicles and not for defence or military applications. Currently, IREL (India) Ltd, a PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy, refines rare earth oxides from heavy metal ores, containing REEs like cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium. However, production is limited. Moreover, the processing of refining oxides into alloys—and then into magnets—is highly technical and virtually non-existent in India. Sources said an oxide-to-magnet plant of a subsidiary under the Midwest Group, a top natural stones player in India, is expected to get operationalised in Hyderabad in the next six months. Initially with just 500 tonnes per annum (TPA), the plant's capacity is expected to increase to 5,000 TPA by 2030. Figuring out the supply chain for rare earth ores is a key challenge, with players looking at importing ores from Sri Lanka, Mongolia, and Myanmar, sources said. Another challenge for domestic players would be to remain viable as China significantly cuts prices of rare earth magnets. For instance, while the quantity of permanent magnet imports from China increased by 95 percent y-o-y in FY25, the total value of imports increased by only 12 per cent—from Rs 1,274 crore to Rs 1,425 crore. In other words, China massively cut prices of magnets it exported to India in FY25. According to the US Geological Survey's January 2025 data, India held the world's third-largest rare earth reserves in 2024—estimated at 6.9 million tonnes— behind China (44 million tonnes) and Brazil (21 million tonnes). However, on the production front, India ranked seventh at 2,900 tonnes, well behind China (255,000 tonnes), Myanmar (43,000), the US (41,600), Australia, Nigeria, and Thailand. In the January 2024 report, India ranked fifth in reserves. The latest revision reflects reduction in other countries' estimates—Vietnam's reserves were cut from 22 million tonnes to 3.5 million, and Russia's from 10 million to 3.8 million. Over the past year, the Ministry of Mines has auctioned three rare earth blocks—one each in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. But with further exploration still required, commercial production remains a few years away. Aggam Walia is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, reporting on power, renewables, and mining. His work unpacks intricate ties between corporations, government, and policy, often relying on documents sourced via the RTI Act. Off the beat, he enjoys running through Delhi's parks and forests, walking to places, and cooking pasta. ... Read More

Apple WWDC 2025: iPhone 17 Air, iOS 26, Liquid Glass UI, Siri & AirPods get AI Boost
Apple WWDC 2025: iPhone 17 Air, iOS 26, Liquid Glass UI, Siri & AirPods get AI Boost

Hans India

timean hour ago

  • Hans India

Apple WWDC 2025: iPhone 17 Air, iOS 26, Liquid Glass UI, Siri & AirPods get AI Boost

Apple's highly anticipated WWDC 2025 event has officially begun, streaming live until June 13. This year's keynote by Tim Cook is expected to spotlight major product launches and next-gen software upgrades. Among the biggest expected announcements: iPhone 17 Air: A sleek new iteration possibly featuring an ultra-thin design. iOS 26: Apple's next mobile OS might drop support for iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max. Liquid Glass Interface: A futuristic UI refresh across Apple devices. Siri Upgrade: A smarter, more personalized Siri with better contextual awareness and deeper app integration. AirPods Update: Real-time language translation support, mirroring Google's Live Translate. The event streams live globally on YouTube, with the India telecast starting at 10:30 PM IST. Stay tuned for more real-time updates.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store