Welcome to another edition of the nextbigwhat’s newsletter. Grab some chai and read on!
The newsletter is designed to deliver you the gist of the important tech news and is a link-less newsletter (you don’t need to visit too many links to get to the news).
WazirX to auto-convert USDC stablecoin into BUSD, prepares to delist USDC
WazirX announced it would delist USD Coin, Pax Dollar and TrueUSD, and would auto-convert users’ existing balances on those three stablecoins into BUSD, the stablecoin developed by Binance.
The exchange detailed that it will freeze withdrawals of USDC, USDP, and TUSD after 5 PM IST on September 23, followed by delisting spot market pairs for all three stablecoins on September 26.
NPCI could delay implementation of 30% UPI market share cap rule
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has set a limit of 30% market share on UPI for any digital payments entity. The rule is set to take effect from January 2023.
NPCI is talking to the government and industry stakeholders on the implications of delaying its implementation of a market-share cap for UPI apps.
Insurtech firm Zopper secures $75 million in series C funding
Zopper, an API platform for insurance infrastructure, said it has raised $75 million in new funding led by Creaegis. ICICI Venture and Bessemer Venture Partners and Blume Ventures also participated in the funding.
For more than half a decade, Zopper built a platform for small and medium-sized businesses, helping merchants with invoicing and payments through its point-of-sale platform.
Facebook introduces Reels API allowing third-party apps to share Reels
Meta is launching a Facebook Reels API for developers to integrate into their apps. This will allow users to directly share Reels on Facebook pages from third-party apps using the “Share to Reels” feature.
If a developer integrates this feature, users can use a third-party app to post Reels and post to a page they’re an admin of.
Qualcomm modem is used by Apple’s satellite SOS in iPhone 14 series
Apple is reportedly using Qualcomm modem and its own technology to provide satellite communications Emergency SOS feature on new iPhone 14 series.
The Emergency SOS feature in iPhone 14 series uses multiple components utilising X65 modem processor. Qualcomm’s X65 modem also provides 5G for regular cellular networks.
iPhone 14 Pro users are experiencing camera issues while using third-party apps
A number of iPhone 14 Pro users are unable to take pictures and images using third-party apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. These problems include the camera shaking, rattling, and even making physical noises.
As of right now, it appears that this problem is only affecting the iPhone 14 Pro camera when it’s used in a third-party app.
Zoom is vulnerable to security threats; Govt issues advisory
Issuing an advisory, government agency CERT-In said that vulnerabilities in Zoom can allow a remote unauthenticated user to join a Zoom video meet without appearing to other participants in the joinee list.
Categorized under ‘Medium’ threat level, the vulnerabilities, CERT-In says can allow a hacker to bypass implemented security restrictions on the targeted systems.
Govt asks Google to bring stringent measures to grapple illegal lending apps
Alphabet Inc’s Google has been asked by the Indian government and the central bank to introduce more stringent checks to help curb the use of illegal digital lending applications in India.
While India’s central bank requires that any lending apps listed on app stores be backed by regulated entities, it is up to Google to enforce this and monitor compliance.
All 7 continents now have active Starlink internet, announces Elon Musk
Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Monday announced that Starlink, the satellite Internet division of his rocket company, is now active on all the continents, including Antarctica.
He also said “another batch with lasers reaches orbit” after the deployment of 54 Starlink satellites was confirmed by the company.
YouTube confirms not to show large unskippable ads anymore
Several users last week complained about seeing large unskippable ads on YouTube. The video streaming platform was testing to show up to 10 unskippable ads.
After receiving complaints and disappointments from users on Reddit and Twitter, YouTube clarified that this will not happen with all the videos and that the ads would not be very long.
Jaipur student gets Rs 38 lakh reward from Instagram for finding a bug
A student, Neeraj Sharma from Jaipur, found a bug in Instagram due to which thumbnails could be changed in any user’s account without login and password.
Sharma apprised Instagram and Facebook about this mistake and after finding it authentic, he was rewarded with Rs 38 lakh for this work.
GPU Mining No Longer Profitable After Ethereum Merge
It’s a volatile market, and there are definitely lots of groups and individuals hoping to figure out a way to Make GPU Mining Profitable Again.
As we noted in our recent GPU price check right before The Merge happened, it’s difficult to imagine any scenario in which a lot of the former mining GPUs don’t end up being sold at secondhand markets like eBay in the coming months.
Former Apple Design Boss Jony Ive: Car Buyers Will Demand The Return of Physical Buttons
The designer of the Apple iPod and iPhone says modern infotainment touchscreens can’t match the tactile feeling of physical buttons.
Sir Jony Ive – the man designed the original iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad during his 22 years as Apple design chief – has claimed new-car buyers will drive demand for physical buttons to return in automotive entertainment systems.
Kerala Man Spends Rs 40,000 On Tickets To Fly To Dubai And Purchase iPhone 14 Pro Ahead Of Indian Sale
It seems that a crazy iPhone doesn’t want to wait and travel all the way to Dubai to get a brand new iPhone 14 Pro before the official India rollout.
According to him, he has spent around Rs 40,000 on a ticket and Visa to fly to Dubai and purchase the latest iPhone 14 Pro.
Ola is likely to cut 500 jobs from software teams
Ride-hailing platform Ola is likely to lay off around 500 employees across different software verticals of ANI technologies.
Many of these employees are believed to have been working on different aspects of the Ola app. The move comes on the heels of declining sales of the Ola Electric scooter.