Chinese Forces Apple To Remove WhatsApp Application and Threads In App Store

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Apple users in Chinese will likely no longer be able to find and download WhatsApp and Threads apps from the App Store.

Apple users in Chinese will likely no longer be able to find and download WhatsApp and Threads apps from the App Store.

Apple said it had pulled the apps from its store to comply with an order it received from the Cyberspace Administration, Chinese internet regulator, citing national security concerns.

Apple explains they are obliged to follow the laws of the countries in which they operate, even when they disagree with them.

Chinese Great Firewall regulator blocks many non-domestic apps and technologies, encouraging local citizens to use VPNs if they want to access any of them.

Facebook and Instagram are the only two apps on the list, but WhatsApp and Threads are still available for download today.

The Chinese regulator's order was issued shortly before the US Senate will vote on a bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the US.

The Cyberspace Administration claims that the app is a national security issue, echoing the arguments of US lawmakers who blocked TikTok in the country.

In the current version of the US bill, ByteDance has one year to divest TikTok, or the short video sharing platform will be banned from apps stores.

The US House of Representatives is expected to pass the bill, which is part of a package also including aid to Ukraine and Israel.

President Joe Biden previously said he supported the measure and would soon sign the bill into law.

Vivo Y200i Smartphone Specifications and Prices

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Vivo officially launched its newest smartphone, namely the Vivo Y200i. This smartphone was launched after the Chinese company presented the Y200 and Y200e.

Vivo Y200i is equipped with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset combined with up to 12GB RAM and up to 512GB memory.

This cellphone has a 6.72 inch screen and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. This smartphone screen has a brightness level of 1,000 nits.

Talking about cameras, this Vivo cellphone comes with a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor. Selfie needs are provided by the 8MP front camera.

This Vivo cellphone comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C, fingerprint scanner on the side of the body, and stereo speakers. Vivo Y200i supports 5G connectivity and has received an IP64 rating.

This smartphone comes in three color choices, namely blue, black and white. There are three memories available, namely 8GB RAM/256GB ROM, 12GB RAM/256GB ROM, and 12GB RAM/512GB ROM.

To support its performance, there is a 6,000mAh capacity battery and supports 44W fast charging. This smartphone runs OriginOS 4 based on Android 14.

For now, this new Vivo device is available in China and it is not yet known when it will arrive in other countries. Regarding price, this smartphone is priced starting at 1,599 yuan or around $220 USD.

United States President Joe Biden Signs a Rule To Ban TikTok In The United States, Here's The Reason

Technology-Portfolio.Net - The United States stated that it had passed a law that could have the effect of blocking TikTok in the country.

United States President Joe Biden has reportedly approved new regulations that could threaten TikTok's presence in the country. Because, with this new regulation, the United States can block TikTok if it doesn't divest the company.

With the passing of this regulation, ByteDance as the owner of TikTok must comply with it or leave the United States.

It was stated that companies were given nine months to comply with these regulations. However, the US President is said to be able to extend this period if he sees progress being made by the company.

Responding to this regulation, TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek stated that his party plans to challenge the law in United States court.

"As we continue to oppose this unconstitutional ban, we will continue to invest and innovate to ensure TikTok remains a space for Americans from all walks of life to safely experience, find joy, and be inspired," said Alex.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew also expressed his response via a post on TikTok. He stated that this step was clearly blocking.

For your information, the US House of Representatives on April 20 2024, approved a bill that could potentially ban TikTok from being distributed in the US if they fail to divest from their parent company in China, Bytedance.

The US House of Representatives has approved the bill with a strong vote of 360 to 58. After gaining approval, this bill arrived at President Biden's desk and was signed.

This step cannot be separated from the many members of parliament from various parties - both from the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as the Biden administration - who have voiced concerns about TikTok.

The reason they use is about national security. They worry that China will force the company to share the data of its 170 million US users.

Easy Ways To Overcome Spotify Errors and Slowness On iPhone & Android

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Spotify is one of the largest music streaming applications in the world. This application offers access to tens of millions of music for free which is legal and there are also paid options.

With a very complete song collection and easy access, it's no wonder this application is so popular among music listeners.

However, there are several issues or problems that can interfere with comfort when using Spotify.

If you are experiencing problems with this application, we share several solutions so you can enjoy music on Spotify again without problems.

Close and Reopen Spotify

If the Spotify application has an error, there is the easiest way to solve it, namely by closing and reopening the Spotify application, here's how.

How to Force Close Spotify on Android

• Open Settings.
• Go to the 'Apps' menu.
• Tap 'See All Apps'.
• Search for and select the Spotify application.
• Click 'Force Stop'.
• Select 'OK' to confirm.

How to Force Close Spotify on iPhone

• Swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen and hold for a few seconds.
• Search for Spotify.
• Swipe down the Spotify preview to close the application.

Check for Spotify Updates

Some apps may not work if there are pending updates, especially more significant updates that bring major changes to how the app works.

Here is how to update apps in Google Play Store:

• Open the Google Play Store application.
• Tap your profile photo icon.
• Select 'Manage apps & devices'.
• Go to 'Updates available'.
• Scroll down and see if there is an update available for Spotify. If there is, press 'Update' next to it.
• You can also select 'Update all' to update all applications in one tap.

Ways to update apps in the Apple Store:

• Open the Apple App Store.
• Click on your profile icon photo.
• Scroll down and see if there is an update available for Spotify. If there is, press 'Update' next to it.
• You can also select 'Update all' to update all applications in one tap.

Restart Your Cellphone

When you turn off and restart your smartphone, the temporary files that have accumulated will be deleted. So, the cellphone will run more smoothly so that Spotify can run properly.

This method is one of the frequently used problem solving solutions, here's how:

How to restart Android:

• Press the Power button simultaneously, or press the Power button and Volume Up/Down simultaneously depending on your Android smartphone model.
• Tap 'Restart.

How to restart iPhone:

• Press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
• When the power menu appears, slide the slide to turn off the phone.
• When the smartphone is off, turn it back on by pressing and holding the Power button for a few seconds, until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Check Internet Connection

Another reason Spotify isn't working might be because your internet connection is having problems.

Try opening another app or website and see if everything is working properly. If nothing happens, chances are your internet is having problems.

Check If Spotify Server Has Problems

There is a possibility that the Spotify server is experiencing problems, so you cannot stream songs as usual.

If Spotify cannot be opened on another device, there is a possibility that the Spotify server has a problem.

You can also check Down Detector, a third-party website where users can report problems with many services.

Clear Spotify App Cache.

New cache data can cause problems, so it's best to clear the cache when experiencing problems with any app.

Here's how to clear cache on Spotify:

• Open the Settings application.
• Go to 'Apps'.
• Search for the Spotify app.
• Tap 'Storage and Cache'.
• Select 'Clear Cache'.

Get To Know About and Benefits Of Bulk SMS For Business

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Bulk SMS or mass messaging is the distribution of SMS messages in large quantities to be sent to many recipients. Bulk SMS is widely used by media companies, banks and other companies (for marketing and fraud control) and consumer brands for various purposes including entertainment, corporate and mobile marketing.

Considering that the current popularity of SMS may be less than that of other short messaging applications, this does not mean that its use is no longer effective for business. The reason is, using Bulk SMS has several advantages compared to other communication strategies.

Bulk SMS can reach consumers with various types of cellphones and providers. This shows that its use is not limited by distance, internet, and other things.

Every cellphone must have an SMS feature in it, so that the company can ensure that all customers can be reached, not just relying on areas that have a reliable internet network.

Bulk SMS is usually also used for information and communication between staff.

Today, a wide variety of media options are available for companies to use to get closer to their customers.

Getting to Know the Benefits and About Bulk SMS for Business

There are two types of Bulk SMS, namely Regular Bulk SMS and Premium Bulk SMS, the two types are still the most widely used by companies and are proven to provide effective results.

Regular Bulk SMS

Regular Bulk SMS is usually used to send SMS content related to promotions, information or notifications.

Partners use applications to send web-based SMS, where users can create phonebooks, create phonebook groups, send SMS and view reports in real time.

Bulk SMS Premium

Premium Bulk SMS is used to send the OTP (One Time Password) code required for the verification process.

Bulk SMS users have an application that can send messages to a server in real time which will immediately send them to the customer's telephone number.

Why You Should Use Bulk SMS

Bulk SMS is used to send urgent and confidential content, such as OTP codes. Bulk SMS service has a fast delivery process.

Software

Software is required to send and receive Bulk SMS, and various software packages are available. This software package gives users the opportunity to add as many telephone numbers as required and these telephone numbers can be managed in various ways. Most SMS software applications allow uploading a list of mobile numbers using a text file or CSV file.

Some advanced systems can automatically remove duplicate or incorrect numbers, and mobile numbers can be validated before sending messages. With enhanced software features, messages can be scheduled to be sent at specific times and/or days and bulk messages can be sent on national and international mobile networks as long as the bulk messaging software provider sends internationally.

API

Most Bulk SMS services use the following standard application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow programmers to add SMS functionality to any program:

Email

• FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
• HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
• SMPP (Peer-to-Peer Short Messaging)

Apple Will Improve AI Capabilities In iOS 18, What Has Changed?

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Apple will reportedly bring more AI features to the iPhone via iOS 18. The company plans to take several steps to implement AI features, including collaborating with other technology companies.

For your information, AI/artificial intelligence and Machine Learning are not new to the iPhone, Apple has been developing AI in the iPhone for years.

The AI features that have been embedded in the iPhone include Portrait Mode on the iPhone camera, as well as the ability to copy and paste text from photos.

Now, Apple will present more AI features in iOS 18 at the 2024 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). It is rumored that the company will take AI features to the next level by implementing generative AI features on the iPhone.

For your information, generative AI is an AI model that is trained on large volumes of data and is able to create content in response to entered commands.

Generative AI was first popularized by OpenAI through ChatGPT. Thanks to the success of ChatGPT, many technology companies are developing and implementing generative AI such as Google, Samsung, and Microsoft.

Even though Apple has not revealed its plans to introduce AI features in iOS 18, this has been seen from several leaks and a number of steps taken by the company.

One of them is that several reports show that Apple has acquired several AI startup companies, such as DarwinAI and Datakalab. Apart from that, there are several other AI implementation plans that Apple is also said to be bringing to the iPhone, here are some of them.

iOS 18 Brings Many AI Features

Apple VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi has been tasked with implementing a number of new features into iOS that are strengthened by Apple Large Language Model (LLM).

However, it is still unclear what AI features will be present in iOS 18. However, the report says Apple will bring AI improvements to the Messages and Siri applications.

According to some analysts, Apple will wait until September 2024 to announce new AI features along with the release of the iPhone 16.

As is known, Samsung and Google have provided a glimpse of how generative AI can change the way smartphones are used.

Both companies offer features that can rewrite text messages in different language styles before hitting the send button, as well as photo editing tools that can refill empty spaces in photos after moving objects.

It is possible that Apple will present an AI feature with similar capabilities in a future iOS update.

Apple Will Collaborate with Google to Present New AI Features

Apple is reportedly in talks with Google and OpenAI about using AI models to support certain future iPhone features.

This AI model will likely be used for AI features that require cloud processing.

Apple will also reportedly use its own LLM for AI processing without requiring an internet connection.

A report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple's first generative AI feature for the iPhone will be processed on the device, not in the cloud.

AI processed on the device is considered more secure and private. Because the data does not have to leave the device, but processing requires a more powerful chipset.

Based on circulating reports, Apple is said to be focusing on AI models that are run on devices locally, while looking for partners for cloud-based AI processing. Collaboration with other companies is nothing new for Apple.

For example, Google paid Apple billions of dollars to be the default search engine in the Safari browser. Apart from that, the company has also partnered with Qualcomm to bring 5G modems to the iPhone.

New Processor To Improve AI Processing

To improve AI processing, Apple is reportedly developing a processor that can improve data processing performance.

According to a report from MacRumors, a processor called A18 will be embedded in the iPhone 16 line. This processor will expand the capabilities of the Neural Engine which can help AI processing.

Siri is also predicted to be one of Apple's focuses in implementing AI features. A report from Bloomberg shows that Siri will get the latest AI-supported features.

The report cites the ability to ask Siri to create a GIF of your last five photos, and then share it.