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Although digital transformation has been a top priority for enterprises for years now, the pandemic actually accelerated many organizations' digital transformation efforts by creating a sense of urgency.

To help organizations accelerate their digital transformations further, Google Cloud has announced an overhaul of its 10-year-old API management platform in the form of Apigee X. The platform seamlessly weaves together the search giant's expertise in AI, security and network to help enterprises manage the assets on which their digital transformation initiatives are built.

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In a report published back in July of last year, Gartner highlighted the importance of APIs when it comes to digital transformation, saying:

“APIs have become one of the most crucial steps for enterprises to achieve digitalization. APIs are key to adopting modern architecture patterns such as microservices, EDA, serverless or hybrid/multicloud. As enterprises reopen post-COVID-19, they will have to find their own path to the new normal. The most successful will have started rescaling and reinventing themselves during the crisis, but the bulk of them will start at reopening. Rescaling and reinventing goes through a decomposition and a recomposition of their operating practices, and the role of an API platform in those activities is paramount. The more effective and extensive the API platform is, the quicker and easier rescaling and reinventing will be.”

Since APIs are used to help software communicate with other software and they allow developers to leverage data and functionality at scale, they aren't just a component in the software stack but are more like products used by developers to execute business strategies.

Apigee X

With Apigee X, customers can harness the power of Cloud CDN to maximize the availability and performance of APIs on a global scale. The platform can also be used to deploy APIs across 24 Google Cloud regions and enhance caching at over 100 locations.

As scaling API programs opens up more doors for fraudulent activity online, Apigee X offers an integrated approach for applying the company's Cloud Armor web application firewall for enhanced API security and Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) for authenticating and authorizing access. The platform also gives businesses more control over their encrypted data with CMEK while allowing them to store data in the region of their choice. Organizations can even control the network locations from which users are able to access data by using VPC Service Controls.

Increased adoption of APIs to power enterprise business-critical applications has placed growing pressure on operations and security teams to ensure they are always available, secure and performing the way they should. For this reason, Apigee X applies Google's AI and machine learning capabilities to historical API metadata to autonomously identify anomalies, predict traffic for peak seasons and ensure APIs adhere to compliance requirements.

Organizations interested in trying out Apigee X can do so for free by heading to Google's Apigee Evaluation Setup page.

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India's national capital could soon be going green with a vengeance, if we take the state government's recent updates to its Electric Vehicles (EV) policy. Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has set an ambitious 25% adoption rate for such vehicles in all new automobile purchases. 

Not surprising, given that Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the world, with India accounting for six of the top-10 such locations, as per data provided in the World Air Quality report presented by IQAir. 

While setting some stiff targets for adoption of electric vehicles, the state officials also announced that the administration was committed to phasing out the use of fossil-fuel powered vehicles and will only hire EVs from now on.

These bold initiatives are part of a new "Switch Delhi" campaign whereby the state will be raising awareness around the use of electric vehicles, but also ensure that more buyers adopt these non-polluting modes of private transport. 

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Since promoting EV purchase is not the only cog in the wheel, they also need a proper charging ecosystem and probably this is the reason that that the campaign underscores means by which such a system can be put in place. 

The official note says that residents welfare associations (RWAs), cab fleet owners, market associations, malls, cinemas and business establishments across the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi should be at the forefront of ensuring that a viable electric vehicle charging infrastructure is set up. 

Moreover, new subsidies on purchase of battery-powered two and four-wheelers have been announced in addition to relaxations in road tax and registration charges. These subsidies and benefits align with the central government’s FAME II scheme presented here:

• a subsidy of ₹5,000/kWh or up to ₹1.5 lakh for the purchase of electric four-wheelers and ₹30,000 for electric two-wheelers. It also covers other electric vehicles too, such as electric auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, electric freight vehicles, etc.
• Waiver of road tax and registration fee for all new EVs in Delhi.
• A scrappage scheme wherein EV buyers can avail additional incentives for scrapping their old ICE vehicles and buying a new EV instead has been announced in this new state EV policy

Why does Delhi need to boost EV adoption? 

With massive vehicular traffic on Delhi’s roads, successive state governments have been trying various stop-gap solutions which include an odd-even policy, whereby private vehicle owners can only drive their cars or bikes on alternative days. However, these have been short-term measures leading to public inconvenience. 

Delhi boasts of India's widest mass rapid transport system (MRTS), but these local trains are chock-a-block during peak hours and require more rakes to ferry more. Which is why electric vehicles appear to be a viable option. And the "Switch Delhi" program has come not one day too soon. 

Every year, the air quality reaches dangerous proportions and emergency measures are taken to ease the situation. However, as mentioned earlier, most of these are short-term, which is why an elaborate long-term plan to provide viable options that will reduce vehicular pollution is a welcome change. 

The federal government, in its recent budget announcement, also touched upon this topic. It announced a new framework for scrapping out vehicles that are more than 20 years old, as part of an ambitious plan to have 100% EV adoption by 2030. It also proposed increasing re-registration costs on older vehicles besides implementing a Green Tax. 

Via: TheHindu

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Rumors around a set of presumed-to-be-in-development Apple Glasses have been circulating for several years at this stage, with patents on the potential mixed-reality headset from the Cupertino tech giant dating back as far as 2015, and now a flurry of recent speculation offers a tantalizing glimpse of what could be a particularly premium device.

According to a report from The Information, Apple's forthcoming headset will feature "more than a dozen cameras [...], 8K displays and advanced technology for eye tracking".

As always, it's worth noting that these details aren't concrete or official by any stretch, with The Information citing "a person with direct knowledge of the device" as its source on these latest rumors.

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Less than 24 hours ago, we reported on speculation that the unit could land in early 2022 with LiDAR tracking and cost in the realm of $1,200 (about £900 / AU$1,600). The report from The Information, however, puts that cost at $3,000 (about £2,200 / AU$4,000) – a price point that would put it more firmly in the business and professional space than the consumer market.

Other inclusions in this new wave of speculation include a "thimble-like device" that would act as a control interface for the user, a mix of hand- and eye-tracking tech, and the ability to pass video of the real world to the user in real time (it would be like wearing nothing at all).

The eye-tracking capabilities could be used to actively render the display at lower resolutions when they enter a wearer's periphery, so as to only spend processing power on the area of the display that the viewer is focusing on at any given time.

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AR for all?

Apple Glasses (or Apple Glass, depending what rumor you read) could also sport the company's new M1 chipset, as seen in its most-recent Macs, if last month's speculation is to be believed. If you consider this along with the dual 8K displays (one for each eye), dozen cameras, and all the tracking tech, the $3,000 price tag is looking rather likely, if not conservative.

As mentioned earlier, this is all still in the realm of speculation, and with the wave of reported features, we'll have to wait to see which ones actually end up in the final unit. There are even a few different postulations over whether there will be two versions, one with a mixed-reality AR focus and another purely for VR.

As this will be Apple's first foray into the world of dedicated wearables for AR/VR, we wouldn't be surprised if the high price tag eventuated, with a more limited release targeting the specialist market in order to test the waters for potential consumer products down the line.

• How iOS 14 quietly took a big step towards the Apple Glasses

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Check out the Rivian R1T in action at the Rebelle Rally - Roadshow

Here's the story of my seven-day off-road adventure in Rivian's new electric truck.

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Your Wi-Fi router is the unsung hero holding your smart home together. From mesh to gaming to Wi-Fi 6, these are the best we've tested.

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President Joe Biden's stimulus proposal includes more money for unemployed workers.

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The disappearing messaging app also said some advertisers paused campaigns in the first two weeks of January after the deadly riot at the US Capitol.

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Once a desolate place, the smartphones under Rs 30,000 segment has recently become one of the more exciting spaces in India. Termed as the “mid-range”, this segment now has offerings from OnePlus, Samsung, Xiaomi, Google, and more recently, Realme.

With today’s launch of the Realme X7 Pro in India, the choice for a new smartphone in this price has gotten even more difficult. In true 2021 fashion, it brings 5G, a new design and some other specifications which for the first time to this price band. 

Confused between it and the OnePlus Nord or the Samsung Galaxy M51? Let’s take an objective look at their specifications and see how well they compare to each other. 

Before we start, it’s important to note that the Realme X7 Pro isn’t necessarily a successor to the Realme X3 series from last June, but the start of a new lineup of affordable flagships. It aims to be a cheaper alternative to Snapdragon 888-powered premium smartphones.

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Check out the Realme X7 Pro

Rs 29,999 on Flipkart

Available starting February 10View Deal

Processor

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

Starting with the most important aspect, the Realme X7 Pro is one of the first smartphones to opt for the Dimensity 1000 Plus chipset, which is MediaTek’s current flagship with dual 5G capabilities.

On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord opts for the tried and tested Snapdragon 765G chipset, which is amongst the most popular platforms at this price. The Galaxy M51 sits below it with the 4G-only Snapdragon 730G, which means you’re likely to feel the difference in heavier tasks like gaming.

Display

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

Here’s where the Realme X7 Pro pulls ahead, with a 6.55-inch Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 5, running at 120Hz — the cheapest phone to do so.

The OnePlus Nord is not far behind with a 6.44-inch AMOLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate and similar Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Samsung opts for a simpler 60Hz screen that spans 6.7-inches and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3+.

Camera

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Historically a strong point for Realme, the X7 Pro has a quad-camera setup with a 64MP f/1.8 primary camera (Sony IMX686), an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP macro shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. Where it tries to take a lead is the barrage of shooting modes available for photos and videos.

OnePlus has equipped the Nord with a similar quad-camera array with a 48MP shooter leading the charge, along with an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP depth sensor and a macro camera. Samsung’s approach with the M51 isn’t much different either, with a 64MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter with a larger 123-degree field of view, a 5MP macro lens and a depth sensor. 

All of them have a 32MP selfie camera.

Battery

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

Here’s where all three phones take very different paths. The Realme X7 Pro has a decent 4,500mAh battery with whopping 65W Super Dart charging, which takes only about 25 minutes for a full charge.

OnePlus’s Warp Charge 30 takes a little over an hour to refuel the 4,115mAh battery while Samsung goes for a brute force approach, housing an industry-leading 7,000mAh battery. The 25W charging takes a lot longer to do its job for obvious reasons, but you shouldn’t need to charge it frequently anyway.

Price in India

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

The Realme X7 Pro is priced at Rs 29,999 in India and comes in a sole 8GB + 128GB variant. 

The OnePlus Nord starts at Rs 27,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant and goes up to Rs 29,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant. 

The Samsung Galaxy M51 has 128GB across the board, with the 6GB model costing Rs 22,999 and the 8GB one going for Rs 24,999.

• OnePlus Nord review
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Apple's proprietary charging cables have long held a reputation for fraying easily, but the Cupertino company could finally be set to address the problem if a new patent submission is anything to go by.

The patent, first discovered by AppleInsider, sees the iPhone and Mac maker freely admit that it "is well known that bending of the cable near the termination point may cause unwanted strain on the wire connections, which may lead to cable failure."

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Apple's patent goes on to list a number of possible solutions, with most options leading back to a "Cable with Variable Stiffness." 

The proposed cable would sport a core with sections of varying thickness that would be "surrounded by an outer sleeve having a uniform thickness", as detailed in the submitted diagram below.

(Image credit: uspto.gov)

It's worth noting that the patent does not single out Lightning cables by name, meaning the submission could be in relation to a complete overhaul of the company's iPhone, iPad and Mac cables. That means we may see updated Thunderbolt 3, USB-C and MagSafe charger cables in the near future.

Of course, the submission of a patent is by no means a confirmation that Apple will indeed start producing stiffer cables, though it does suggest that the company is seriously looking into it.

• All smartphones could soon use the same charger

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Spending on cloud infrastructure services increased by nearly a third (32%) during the final quarter of last year to reach $39.9bn as customers continued to invest in Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) according to new research from Canalys.

This increase in cloud spending was driven by high demand for cloud computing services to support remote work and distance learning as well as by organizations' digital transformation efforts. Throughout the whole of last year, cloud infrastructure services spending grew by 33 percent to reach $142bn which is up from $107bn in spending during 2019.

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Research analyst at Canalys Blake Murray explained why cloud spending saw a significant increase during Q4 of 2020 in a press release, saying:

“The rate of digitalization, led by cloud, is gathering pace. Companies are now more confident about releasing budgets for business transformation. Large projects that were postponed earlier in the year are being re-prioritized, led by application modernization, SAP migrations and workplace transformation. Healthcare, financial services and pharmaceuticals are among the industries leading the way, but even those under most pressure are diverting investments to cloud, opening up new revenue streams and diversifying business models.”

AWS and Microsoft lead the way

Amazon's cloud computing division AWS retained its top spot as the leading cloud service provider in the fourth quarter of last year, accounting for 31 percent of total spend. The company also saw a resurgence in customer investment that helped fuel 28 percent year on year growth during Q4.

Meanwhile Microsoft Azure saw its growth rate increase by 50 percent to boost its market share in the global cloud services market to 20 percent. At the same time, strong demand for the software giant's other products running on Azure including Teams and Windows Virtual Desktop also increased during the pandemic.

Google Cloud was the third largest cloud service provider with a seven percent share of the global cloud services market and its business grew by 58 percent during the fourth quarter of 2020. Chinese cloud computing giant Alibaba Cloud accounted for six percent of the total market and also saw strong growth of 54 percent during Q4.

As vaccine rollouts are being delayed and many employees are still working from home, expect demand for cloud services to continue to grow in 2021.

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Via Canalys

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The Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 release dates have slipped beyond 2021, according to Activision Blizzard in its earnings call for the latest quarter. The game publisher had an otherwise strong quarterly report, dominated by Call of Duty. 

The eagerly-anticipated Overwatch and Diablo sequels were formally announced at Blizzcon 2019 as follow-ups to games that had been released years earlier: the original Overwatch came out in 2016, while Diablo 3 first launched on PC in 2012. 

Fans hoped both sequels were slated to come out in 2021, especially those who were still sore over the reveal of the mobile-only free-to-play Diablo Immortal in November 2018, which came before any news of Diablo 4.

To be fair, Blizzard hadn’t given proper release dates to either Diablo 4 or Overwatch 2, and didn’t reveal in the earnings call when they expect to release either game. The company did note that Overwatch 2 passed a major milestone in December, according to a tweet by games industry analyst @DomsPlaying, but that’s no indication of how far it is along. 

According to Niko Partners industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, though, Overwatch 2 could release in 2022:

Activision says Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 will not launch this year. Sounds like Overwatch 2 will come in 2022.February 4, 2021

While there weren’t any hints about a Diablo 4 release in the earnings call, we are still expecting Diablo Immortal to launch sometime this year – and the call did note that a new Call of Duty game is slated to come out in late 2021, Ahmad noted in another tweet. 

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Blizzcon 2021: what's coming?

The news wasn't all bad: during the quarterly earnings call, Activision Blizzard did mention that 2022 will have big launches like a new premium Call of Duty game, but will also include new remastered content the megastudio plans to unveil later this year, which Ahmad tweeted could be a Diablo 2 remaster.

This news could be revealed at the online-only Blizzcon 2021, which is being held on February 19-20 – a sort of belated announcement event after Blizzcon 2020, slated for last November, was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. We know we'll hear more about Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 at the event, including a chunky update on the latter. 

We'll have to wait to see whether the show's announcements will clarify either game's release date.

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Home-grown ISP Aussie Broadband is cutting the cost of its fastest NBN plans, meaning it now has the cheapest plans available in the top two speed tiers.

Aussie Broadband is currently offering its lightning-quick NBN 1000 plan for just AU$119 a month, making it the lowest price you’ll pay for 1Gbps broadband.

The discounted price will hold for your first six months with the service, after which it will revert back to its standard pricing of AU$149 a month. That will see you save AU$30 each month or AU$180 all up – just use the code FAST30 to redeem the offer.

If you want ludicrous download speeds for a slightly lower cost, Aussie Broadband has also slashed the price on its NBN 250 plan down to AU$99 a month, also making it the cheapest NBN plan on that tier.

As with that NBN 1000 deal, this discounted rate is available for your first six months with the provider before it bumps up to AU$129 each month. You’ll need the code FAST30 to get the discount, which will save you AU$30 each billing cycle.

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If you're considering signing up, note that NBN 1000 and 250 plans are only available on fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and a limited number of hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) NBN connections – to see if you’re eligible for these speeds, check your address on the Aussie Broadband website.

These big discounts follow Aussie Broadband recently increasing its advertised "typical evening speeds" across many of its plans. Its NBN 250 option, for example, now claims a top-speed of 248Mbps during the busy evening hours, which is significantly up from its previous 222Mbps.

The telco doesn’t provide a definitive typical evening speed on its NBN 1000 plan though, and instead offers a conservative estimate of 250Mbps. We’ve personally seen these plans reach as high as 940Mbps; Aussie's much lower estimate is likely because this tier has the most overall bandwidth, and is therefore more prone to losing some of that during the busy hours.

If you don't need ultrafast NBN, there’s some money to be saved on the telco’s NBN 100 plans as well. You can currently sign up to 100/20 broadband for AU$89 a month for the first six months, which is usually AU$99 (or AU$10 off), or increase your upload speed to a 100/40 plan for AU$89 each billing for the first half-year, usually AU$109 (an AU$20 saving).

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