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Elon Musk introduces XChat with similar features to WhatsApp- Details

Elon Musk introduces XChat with similar features to WhatsApp- Details

Hindustan Times2 days ago

Elon Musk has introduced a new chat interface for the X app ( formerly Twitter), which will now be called XChat. The XChat is the in-app direct messaging feature, which will enable users to communicate with friends and followers seamlessly, similar to how we do on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram DMs, and others. On Sunday, Musk shared an X post revealing the XChat with advanced features such as Bitcoin-style encryption, disappearing messages, and cross-platform audio/video calls. This new DM feature could compete with several instant messaging platforms, and could also transform the way we use messaging on the platform.
Also read: Airtel introduced new OTT entertainment packs in India for prepaid users- Details
XChat is the new direct messaging DM feature of the X app with additional features. While, DM feature was already available on the platform, but Musk has planned to revamp the feature with a new version called XChat. This new DM version is currently available to a limited users for best testing and is said to roll out to everyone this week. In the X post, Musk said that XChat includes a 'whole new architecture' with 'Bitcoin-style encryption' to keep chats private. However, the encryption term is raising security concerns among users since Bitcoin is not described to be encrypted.
Also read: WhatsApp Web to bring voice and video call features soon for users - All details
As mentioned above, XChat includes WhatsApp-like features such as vanishing messages, file sharing, video and audio calling, encrypted messaging, and more. Therefore, X's DM feature is getting a significant makeover with additional features and enhanced security. This new move showcases Musk's vision to transform the X from a microblogging platform to a more versatile day-to-day usage.
Well, it's currently on beta testing, and it will soon be rolled out to X's paid subscribers. However, to use advanced XChat features, users may have to get the subscription version of the app to communicate with friends and family. As of now, it is unclear if XChat will be rolled out to free-tier users with limited features. Therefore, we may have to wait for official announcements to know how Elon Musk plans to transform the X app for everyday usage. Additionally, it will also be quite interesting to see how the new features compete with other messaging platforms that are currently running for free for the users.
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Property registration: LDA issues strict SOPs to speed up process
Property registration: LDA issues strict SOPs to speed up process

Hindustan Times

time19 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Property registration: LDA issues strict SOPs to speed up process

The Lucknow Development Authority has issued strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure that files related to freehold registry of allotted properties are processed within a fixed timeline. The move - to tackle delays in property registration and improve public service delivery - comes after LDA senior officials observed that inaction on property files were damaging the authority's image. Under the new SOPs, officers and staff handling property files have been assigned specific deadlines at every stage from the receipt of application to final registration. The officer in-charge of the property section has been made directly responsible for ensuring timely registration. Section officers have been instructed to submit weekly action reports, and any laxity in following the SOPs will invite disciplinary action. LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar confirmed that the authority has emphasised strict compliance with the SOPs to avoid backlogs and provide timely services to the public. Kumar said that the order was passed by him on May 31, 2025. Time-bound process Specific deadlines set for every stage from application submission, lease plan preparation, and site verification to payment processing and final registration ranging from same-day to 5-day limits. Applications will be uploaded into the system and shared via WhatsApp on the same day to reduce delays and improve coordination across departments. The authorities advocate and registry cell will complete scrutiny and registration quickly after receiving the final approved file, with the allottee being informed over the phone to speed up the process.

Trump is losing patience with Musk's outbursts over megabill
Trump is losing patience with Musk's outbursts over megabill

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

Trump is losing patience with Musk's outbursts over megabill

President Trump is losing patience with Elon Musk after the billionaire attacked Republicans' sprawling tax-and-spending bill. Musk is irked about Trump's decision to withdraw the nomination of a key ally to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The result is a fraying relationship between two of the world's most powerful men. A senior White House official said Trump wasn't happy about Musk's decision to lambaste his signature legislation, describing the president as confused as to why the Tesla chief executive decided to ratchet up his criticism after working so closely with the president for four months. The official said senior Trump advisers were caught off guard by Musk's latest offensive. The uneasy alliance between the two men was also strained by a recent move by the White House to nix Trump's nominee to run NASA, Jared Isaacman, according to people familiar with the matter. Musk, a close ally of Isaacman, had advocated for him to get the job. The decision infuriated Musk, who complained to associates over the weekend that he had donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help get Trump elected in last year's campaign, only to see Isaacman's nomination pulled, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. Musk's frustration over the NASA episode made him more willing to aggressively criticize the tax bill, people close to him said. Musk didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. In a series of social-media posts this week, the billionaire called the tax bill a 'disgusting abomination," and he threatened to try to oust GOP lawmakers for backing what he calls an 'abhorrent" package of deficit-fueling spending. On Wednesday afternoon, Musk launched another broadside against the legislation, demanding his over 200 million followers on X call senators and House lawmakers to 'KILL the BILL." Trump posted on Truth Social, without comment, an image of Musk's departure message from last week. Trump and Musk have often praised each other in public, with the president organizing a fawning send-off for the billionaire in the Oval Office last week as he wrapped up his work leading the Department of Government Efficiency. But the chumminess has masked flashes of skepticism and frustration from Trump and his aides in recent months, as Musk has criticized the president's trade agenda and clashed with his advisers. Asked whether Trump and Musk continue to have a strong relationship, a White House official said it is too soon to tell. The official said Trump is a forgiving person, but he doesn't forget slights like this. Even before the billionaire's ramped-up attacks on the tax bill, some Trump allies worried that Musk would feel more free to criticize the administration after he left the White House. Some administration officials encouraged lawmakers on Capitol Hill to post positive social-media posts thanking Musk for his service out of hope such praise could avoid future confrontations, according to people familiar with the effort. Musk has long harbored frustrations with the tax bill, raising concerns about provisions in the legislation that repeal tax credits for electric vehicles, people close to him said. Musk's car company, Tesla, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of electric vehicles. He is also the founder of SpaceX, which has government contracts with NASA. Isaacman has ties to SpaceX, including flying on the company's first private flight to orbit. White House officials privately dismissed Musk's criticisms, arguing that he was focused on his business interests rather than the public interest. After Trump withdrew the NASA nomination, Musk defended Isaacman in a post on X. 'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted," Musk said. Isaacman has told associates he believes Musk's departure gave the administration an opening to oust him, according to people familiar with the matter. White House officials disputed that the move was aimed at removing a Musk ally from the administration, arguing it instead stemmed from Isaacman's past donations to Democrats. Isaacman noted in a recent podcast interview that White House officials had been aware of the donations for months. Musk's moves have further complicated Republicans' narrow path to passage of the megabill, which includes tax cuts and border spending, partially offset by trims to Medicaid, clean-energy tax credits and food aid. Musk's tweets re-energized the spending hawks in the Republican Party, but it wasn't clear if it would shift the needle given Trump's strong backing of the current package. The House passed the bill last month, and now the Senate is expected to make changes, which would then need to be approved again by the House before heading to Trump's desk by a self-imposed July 4 deadline. 'This is Donald Trump's signature achievement. This is important to him. Members had better think three or four times before they decide to get in the way of this victory," said Rep. Dusty Johnson (R., S.D.), chair of the GOP Main Street Caucus. The House bill has more than $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over a decade, and administration officials are hailing it as a historic step toward fiscal responsibility. But the bill would increase budget deficits by $2.4 trillion over the period, compared with doing nothing, according to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate released Wednesday. Just six months ago, Musk's barrage of social-media posts triggered a mutiny of Republicans to kill a government spending bill right before Christmas, forcing hasty rewrites by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.). But that doesn't appear to be happening in this case—at least not yet. Trump and GOP leaders have stuck with their plan, subject to some adjustments, while cognizant of the difficult math that means even a handful of Republican defectors in the House or Senate could sink the bill, given united Democratic opposition. Johnson said Wednesday he was blindsided by Musk's criticism. He said he spoke to Musk on Monday and walked him through the savings, policy prescriptions and tax revenue that Republicans argue the bill will bring in. 'We had a great, very friendly, very fruitful conversation together," Johnson said at his weekly press conference. 'Twenty-four hours later, he does a 180 and he comes out against the bill. And it surprised me, frankly." Johnson said he called Musk on Tuesday night and hopes to talk to him on Wednesday, but Musk hasn't yet returned his call. Johnson argued Musk is 'flat wrong" in this case, adding that Trump is 'not delighted that Elon did a 180." But Johnson says he himself is 'not upset by this." Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.), one of the two House Republicans who voted against the bill in the House last month, was pleased Musk was speaking out. 'I figured he would eventually get there," said Massie, who noted the two haven't spoken on the issue. 'You don't land rockets backwards or get cars to drive themselves by ignoring the people who are lying to you." Write to Brian Schwartz at Natalie Andrews at and Olivia Beavers at

'Wanted to make flying robots, not...': Developer upset as Ukraine uses his open-source code to make deadly drones
'Wanted to make flying robots, not...': Developer upset as Ukraine uses his open-source code to make deadly drones

First Post

time2 hours ago

  • First Post

'Wanted to make flying robots, not...': Developer upset as Ukraine uses his open-source code to make deadly drones

A 20-year-old open-source code powered Ukraine's Operation Spider Web that destroyed a third of Russian bombers that were hidden miles away from Ukraine. The creators of the code expressed surprise over the matter read more As Ukraine's Operation Spider Web rocked Russia, it has been revealed that open-source software used by hobbyist drones powered the attack that wiped out a third of Russia's strategic long-range bombers. The attack that took place on Sunday afternoon was seen as one of the most daring and technically coordinated attacks in modern warfare. In broad daylight, explosions rocked air bases in Belaya, Olenya, and Ivanovo in Russia, which are hundreds of miles from Ukraine. However, the Operation , which took over a year of planning, was carried out using a nearly 20-year-old piece of open-source drone autopilot software called ArduPilot. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The original creator of ArduPilot expressed shock over the matter, recalling how the drone company just started out of a basement. 'That's ArduPilot, launched from my basement 18 years ago. Crazy,' Chris Anderson said in a comment on LinkedIn below footage of the attack. 'Just wanted to make flying robots': Anderson Anderson eventually took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and tagged his co-creators, Jordi Muñoz and Jason Short, in a post about the attack. 'Not in a million years would I have predicted this outcome. I just wanted to make flying robots,' Short said in a reply to Anderson. 'Ardupilot-powered drones just took out half the Russian strategic bomber fleet.' 18 years after @Jrdmnz @jason4short and I created ArduPilot, here it is destroying large parts of the Russian air force. Crazy — Chris Anderson (@chr1sa) June 1, 2025 ArduPilot is an open-source software system that takes its name from the Arduino hardware systems it was originally designed to work with. The work on the source code began in 2007 when Anderson launched the website and cobbled together a UAV autopilot system out of a Lego Mindstorms set. DIYdrones eventually became a home for UAV enthusiasts, and for two years, Anderson's Lego UAV took flight. According to 404 Media, Muñoz and Anderson eventually founded 3DR, an early consumer drone company, and released the earliest versions of the ArduPilot software in 2009. Despite its popularity, the software system remains free to use and can be modified for various purposes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Wow. Ardupilot powered drones just took out half the Russian strategic bomber fleet. — Jason Short (@jason4short) June 1, 2025 'ArduPilot is a trusted, versatile, and open source autopilot system supporting many vehicle types: multi-copters, traditional helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, boats, submarines, rovers, and more,' the project's website reads. 'The source code is developed by a large community of professionals and enthusiasts. New developers are always welcome!' Interestingly, the website analytics from 2023 showed that the project was very popular in both Ukraine and Russia since the start of the war.

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