Twitter, which had put on the backburner its public application process for getting the coveted 'blue tick' on the platform, has re-opened it.
Twitter has relaunched its new verification application process, beginning with six categories. And once a handle is approved, the user can sport the "blue verified badge".
The blue badge is one of the ways that help people distinguish the authenticity of accounts that are of high public interest.
“We're excited to share that starting today, we'll begin rolling out our new verification application process and reviewing public applications for verification on Twitter. Today's application rollout marks the next milestone in our plans to give more transparency, credibility, and clarity to verification on Twitter,” Twitter said in a blog post.
Over the next few weeks, everyone on Twitter will start to see the new verification application directly in the Account Settings tab.
Over the past several months, Twitter worked to bring clarity to the verification eligibility criteria and launched a new policy shaped by public feedback.
"If your application is approved, you'll see the blue badge automatically on your profile. If you think we made a mistake, reapply 30 days after receiving our decision on your application," Twitter said.
Twitter also said that it has also started enforcing that policy by automatically removing the verified badge from accounts that no longer meet the updated criteria for verification, such as those that are inactive or incomplete.
Verified accounts that repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules are subject to have the blue badge removed, it added.
Who's eligible for the blue tick and how to get it?
(Image credit: Twitter)
To qualify for verification, as we said, users must belong to one of the six categories - Government; Companies/brands/organisations; news organisations and journalists; entertainment; sports and gaming; and activists/organisers/other influential individuals.
In addition to the category-specific eligibility criteria, the user account must be complete, meaning it must have a profile name, a profile image and either a confirmed email address or phone number.
The account must also be active within the last six months and have a record of adherence to the Twitter Rules.
Once the application is submitted, the applicants can expect an emailed response within a few days, but this could take up to a few weeks depending on how many open applications are in the queue.
Twitter said that it will also introduce more categories later this year, such as those for scientists, academics, and religious leaders.
Twitter also said: "We’re also exploring improvements to the Twitter profile to allow people to better express themselves, such as through an About page."
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Xiaomi had recently launched the Mi Power Bank Boost Pro in India. However, it was introduced on the crowdfunding platform that allows Xiaomi to test waters and once the company is happy with the response that the product gets, it finally gets rolled out for the general public. The early adopters who buy products from the crowdfunding platform, get the products slightly cheaper than the actual retail price.
Similarly, the new power bank is now available for the public to purchase via eCommerce platforms like Mi.com and Flipkart apart from Xiaomi’s brick and mortar stores – Mi Homes.
Mi Power Bank Boost Pro power bank price and availability
The retail price of Mi Power Bank Boost Pro has been set at Rs. 2299 in India as compared to the actual price of Rs. 3499. Remember, the power bank was introduced on the crowdfunding platform for Rs. 1999 and hence is just Rs. 300 more. It will be available to purchase via Flipkart, Mi.com, Mi Homes and Xiaomi’s other partner retail stores starting today (May 21).
More Power, More Output and Advance 16-Layer Circuit Protection. #30000mAh Max Power. Sale starts tomorrow at 12 noon on https://t.co/D3b3Qt4Ujl, @Flipkart and Mi Home. pic.twitter.com/dRHmqbHkDgMay 20, 2021
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Mi Power Bank Boost Pro power bank features
The Mi Power Bank Boost Pro comes with a massive 30,000 mAh battery that should charge most new-age smartphones multiple times without needing to be charged. Xiaomi states that the power bank comes with an advanced 16-layer advanced protection chip that protects the power bank against physical shocks, short circuits, overheating, etc.
The portable charger features Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 and supports USB Type-C to USB Type-C (input/ output) charging and USB Type-C to Lightning port charging. When it comes to charging this power bank, the company claims that thanks to the Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 this massive capacity power bank can be juiced up in just 7.5 hours using a 24W charging brick.
In terms of output, the power bank comes with three ports – a couple of USB Type-A and one USB Type-C and can charge up to three devices at the same time. Oddly enough, there is an additional micro-USB port present that is supposed to be used to charge the power bank itself.
Talking about portability, the power bank is not light by any stretch of the imagination and weighs around 640 grams. Further, it exceeds the maximum capacity that can be taken aboard on a flight, so be mindful of that.
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Amazon's member-exclusive sale is definitely happening and, straight from the proverbial horse's mouth, Prime Day 2021 will be earlier than usual.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic put a spanner in the works last year, but Amazon Prime Day 2021 looks like it will return to its usual wintry timing, albeit in June rather than the usual July.
How to shop during Prime Day 2021
The only way to maximise your savings during the Prime Day sale is to become a Prime member. Click on the link below to sign up in the lead up to Prime Day 2021 and you'll get a 30-day free trial, plus access to a lot of other Amazon services, including Prime Video, Prime Reading and Prime Gaming (previously called Twitch) Sign up for Amazon Prime now
Amazon had previously asked its sellers (at least in the US) to submit product and discount information that they'd like to feature on the online marketplace, with a deadline of April/May 2021. That's a clear indication that the e-commerce giant was gearing up for its next big sale.
Prime Day sales are the perfect opportunity to save a packet on a whole variety of goodies – from clothing and footwear, to pantry essentials and tech. It's a great source for picking up laptops, cameras, smart home devices and so much more on the cheap. However, to shop during Prime Day, you'll need to be a Prime member.
The 2020 Prime Day sale was Amazon's third shopping event in Australia, having only arrived Down Under in 2018, three years after the sale kicked off in the US. In that short time, the retail giant has garnered a huge Prime following locally, and its Prime Day sale only keeps getting bigger.
Amazon Prime Day began in the US in 2015 as a celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary, with more deals on offer than Black Friday back then. Prime Day then quickly transformed into Amazon’s mid-year sales event where members of Amazon Prime get exclusive discounts on a wide range of items.
While it began as a one-day sale, by 2018 it has expanded to two days, and that meant that in Australia we could shop for 36 hours – i.e. until the sale ended in the US. In 2019, however, it got even bigger and Aussie shoppers were treated to a whopping 65 hours of discounts. 2020 brought 66 hours of shopping spree only because of daylight savings in October.
Why does Amazon have Prime Day? It's presented as a neat ‘thank you’ to its paying members, but one that involves giving Amazon more money and shifting a lot of stock at the same time.
Prime Day isn’t just about selling Amazon-branded products – many other brands and third-party sellers also save their best deals for Prime Day, completely aware that thousands of extra shoppers will be hitting the online store.
To make the most of Prime Day you’ll need to get yourself an Amazon Prime membership which, in Australia, will set you back just AU$6.99 a month or AU$59 a year – half the cost of the US subscription.
While you’re paying for the privilege of free, swift delivery, signing up for Prime means you’ll also have free access to Amazon’s streaming services, including Prime Video, Prime Music and Twitch. Members also get free access to Prime Reading and Prime Photos for all their ebook and storage needs.
If you'd like to know more about how a Prime membership can benefit you, head to our dedicated page on Amazon Prime in Australia where we explain it all.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2021?
While there's no official word on when exactly Prime Day 2021 will kick off in Australia – Amazon has always been quite tight-lipped about it, giving us a few weeks' notice to prepare – the tech giant has confirmed it will go ahead some time in June.
As mentioned earlier, it's usually held mid-July and kicks off on a Monday. Last year, though, the global pandemic caused some serious issues with stock and delivery, and Amazon moved the sale to October 13, which was a Tuesday.
The past year's discrepancy gives us a whole load possible dates, but we'll update this article with precise details as soon as we know more.
And even though it's not quite back to the usual schedule of mid-July, we're still expecting another whopper 65-hour sale. In the meantime, Amazon continues to offer some excellent discounts each day if you're looking for a quick bargain.
(Image credit: Amazon)
What to expect from Prime Day 2021
We’re not expecting shopping trends during Amazon Prime Day 2021 to change very much. The Nintendo Switch is still going to disappear within minutes of being discounted, and this could happen to the Switch Lite too if you aren’t quick enough. And given the stock issues plaguing the next-gen game consoles from Sony and Microsoft, we're not sure you'll be able to score a PS5 or an Xbox Series X – although we can hope.
Of course, Amazon’s Echo devices will likely be flying off the shelves like before, and we’ll still see the Paperwhite beating out the other Kindle ereaders in terms of sales. You can even expect to pocket some decent savings on Ring’s range of security devices, including the Doorbells and the cameras.
Premium headphones have been very popular on Amazon over the last couple of years and 2021 will likely see that continue, particularly for Sony and Bose headphones. With the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 one of the more expensive ANC cans on the market, Prime Day will be a great time to get a set for less, especially if Amazon offers a bigger discount than last year's AU$200 off.
With more TVs available on Amazon Australia now, we think Prime Day 2021 would be an ideal time to upgrade your home entertainment system, especially if you’re in the market for a good 4K smart telly – we've already seen Sony's TVs discounted on the site on a regular basis. It's also a great time to snap up that soundbar you've probably been eyeing.
It will also be a good time to get yourself a new fitness wearable, be it from Garmin’s very premium GPS sports watch range or more affordable options from Fitbit. Likewise, cameras and drones will see a price drop, too, so keep that credit card handy.
While Amazon has already dropped the price of Canon's first full-frame mirrorless camera to a little over AU$2,300, there's a further discount available now that brings it a couple of hundred dollars lower than the Click Frenzy sale price we saw at Ted's Cameras this May. While not the lowest price on the camera, AU$2,189 is a bargain price.
It's already the cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera on the market and an additional 30% discount makes this remarkably affordable. So if you're looking to go mirrorless, this is a good price. If you're willing to wait, then there's a good chance it will be cheaper still during Prime Day 2021.
Bose’s flagship headphones feature more levels of noise cancellation than the QuietComfort 35 II, in a sleeker design. With an over-ear fit, you’ll be able to tune out all unwanted sounds and immerse yourself in music. Even when using the headphones on a call, the noise cancellation promises you’ll hear each other clearly. Amazon has taken AU$223 off these premium cans in silver and black.
The S21 Plus is the middle child of the S21 series. It packs great performance and three camera lenses into its gorgeous new design. Though apart from its larger 6.7-inch display and bigger battery, the S21 Plus doesn’t offer many upgrades over the standard Galaxy S21. Still, this discount makes the prospect of upgrading much more tempting. Available from Amazon in black, silver and violet.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is wonderful and wacky, with inventive boss battles and satisfying puzzles. While the game isn’t incredibly challenging, it’s certainly fun to play. Amazon has just slashed the retail price by 51%, which is the lowest price we can remember seeing for the game.
What happened during Prime Day last year?
Despite last year's Amazon Prime Day deals event being pushed back to mid-October and concerns over stock and shipping during the pandemic – particularly international shipping from the US and UK – Amazon says it surpassed the previous year, selling an extra AU$3.2bn-worth of goods.
About US$10.4 billion-worth of products were sold globally, but what exactly did shoppers buy? According to Amazon – and our own data confirms this – the top selling items were Amazon's own devices: the Echo smart speakers and Kindle ereaders.
Other bestselling products included robot vacuum cleaners, noise-cancelling headphones from Bose, and Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Want to know more? Here are a few of the best tech offers we saw during the most recent Prime Day deals event.
Amazon Echo Show 8 |AU$229AU$159 on Amazon
As the middle child of the Amazon's smart displays, the Echo Show 8 proved to be a hot seller last year, thanks to a really good saving of AU$70. That made it a pretty affordable smart device that would fit into any home. Its retail price has now dropped on Amazon to AU$179, so expect it to be cheaper still this Prime Day.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 |AU$599AU$399 on Amazon
While its lowest price ever was in December 2020 at AU$359 a set, the AU$399 discount during Prime Day last year was the best we'd seen until then. So here's hoping we see an even bigger discount this time round.
Nintendo Switch + Minecraft |AU$509AU$409 on Amazon
This was a pretty good offer during Prime Day 2020, which saw you save AU$100 when you added Minecraft and the Switch console to your shopping cart. Considering the Switch usually retails for AU$447 (but can be had for AU$399), and Minecraft normally going for AU$40, this wasn't a bad buy.
Samsung T5 2TB portable SSD |AU$615AU$363.66 on Amazon
Storage solutions don't get better than this portable SSD. And while the T7 could be this year's hot buy, a 2TB storage flavour of the T5 has always been an expensive proposition... until Prime Day 2020, when the price dropped by some AU$250.
Acer Swift 3 14-inch ultrabook |AU$1,100AU$899 on Amazon
We've been big fans of the Acer Swift 3 for a couple of years and it's usually quite affordable, making it the ideal "ultrabook for the masses". With a 25% discount on Amazon during the last Prime Day, it became even more affordable.
Are Prime Day deals competitive?
Amazon has a plethora of offers on its site each day and those are usually some of the best prices you can find on consumer tech. Whether you’re after a Samsung Galaxy S21 or a Philips Hue smart lighting system, chances are you’ll get them cheaper on Amazon than any other Aussie retailer. It’s even more the case with Prime Day deals.
Leading the raft of deals during Prime Day 2021 will be Amazon’s own products, including all the Echo and Kindle products, not to mention Ring security devices. Amazon is also one of the most convenient places to score a discount on the Oculus VR headsets and, now, lay your hands on official stock of Samsung devices, Xiaomi phones, Instant Pots and Nikon photography gear.
You can easily score about 35% off on Amazon’s own devices during Prime Day which, for the rest of the year probably don’t drop more than 28% or thereabouts. If you’ve managed to score a AU$500 discount on Samsung or Huawei devices during one of Amazon’s regular deals, then it’s highly likely that the discount will be much deeper come Prime Day. It’s the perfect time to snag a Nintendo Switch or find the lowest prices on the best premium headphones – cheaper than any other retailer who will likely be scrambling to price-match.
How to shop on Prime Day in 2021
1. Check out our deals predictions and, eventually our Prime Day deals list
There are too many deals available on Prime Day. It's never a problem finding discounts, it's always an issue of figuring out what deals are worth your money. That's why we always set up a curated list during the sales marathon.
2. Amazon Prime Day has historically required being a Prime member, so be sure to have a subscription on Prime Day
Amazon started Prime Day as a clever way to drive up its Prime subscription count, and this online shopping marathon – conveniently opposite Black Friday – accomplished just that.
3. Create a wish list to curate what you want, as there will be loads of deals
You're also going to want to create a wish list ahead of time, which will let you sort out what you want and how much everything costs. This will give you a head start. You'll be able to see which deals dropped in price and which did not.
4. Snap up the best Prime Day 2021 deals before they're gone
We often find the best deals to go in a matter of minutes, at which time Amazon rolls out a waitlist for those who were just behind the curve.
In recent months, the cybersecurity firm has observed a massive uptick in threat actors abusing Microsoft and Google's infrastructure to host and send threats across Office 365, Azure, OneDrive, SharePoint, G-Suite and Firebase storage.
In 2020, over 59m malicious messages were sent from Microsoft Office 365 targeting thousands of Proofpoint's customers while more than 90m were sent or hosted by Google with 27 percent sent through the world's most popular email service, Gmail. During the first quarter of this year, the cybersecurity firm observed seven million malicious messages sent through Office 365 and 45m from Google's infrastructure.
To make matters worse, the malicious message volume from these trusted cloud services exceeded that of any botnet last year. This is because the trusted reputation of both Microsoft and Google's domains increases the likelihood that these messages will be delivered to their targets instead of being detected as malicious.
Compromise and conquer
As email recently became the top vector for ransomware once again, cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging the supply chain and partner ecosystem of organizations to compromise accounts, steal credentials and siphon funds.
According to a recent report from Proofpoint about supply chains, 98 percent of almost 3,000 organizations across the US, UK and Australia received a threat from a supplier domain during a seven-day window back in February of this year.
A singe compromised account can provide cybercriminals with a great deal of access to a company's network and over the last year, the firm has observed threat actors targeting 95 percent of the organizations it protects with cloud account compromise attempts and more than half have experienced at least one compromise. Of the organizations compromised, over 30 percent reported experiencing post-access activity such as file manipulation, email forwarding and OAuth activity.
With an organization's credentials in hand, cybercriminals can log into systems as impostors, move laterally across multiple cloud services and hybrid environments and send convincing emails while pretending to be real employees.
EVP of cybersecurity strategy at Proofpoint, Ryan Kalember provided further insight on the firm's latest findings in a blog post, saying:
“Our research clearly demonstrates that attackers are using both Microsoft and Google infrastructure to disseminate malicious messages and target people as they leverage popular cloud collaboration tools. When coupled with heightened ransomware, supply chain, and cloud account compromise, advanced people-centric email protection must remain a top priority for security leaders.”
