Gadgets And Technology Daily News | 15 Jul 2023
Views (82)
Netflix Series 'Kaala Paani' Announced, Starring Ashutosh Gowariker, Mona Singh
Streaming service Netflix on Friday announced its new series 'Kaala Paani', a survival drama that marks filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker's return to acting. Set in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the series is described as "a grounded story about the fight for survival and questions audiences on how far they would go to survive", a press release stated. The cast of the series also includes Mona Singh, Amey Wagh, Sukant Goel, Arushi Sharma, Radhika Mehrotra, Vikas Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar, and Poornima Indrajith.
As an actor, Gowariker is best known for featuring alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the television series 'Circus', 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' and 'Chamatkar'. His most recent acting project was the 2016 Marathi movie 'Ventilator'. He made his directorial debut with 1993's 'Pehla Nasha' and then directed critically-acclaimed and commercially successful movies such as 'Lagaan', 'Swades' and 'Jodhaa Akbar'.
'Kaala Paani' marks the second collaboration between Netflix and Posham Pa Pictures after the 2022 film 'Jaadugar'. It comes from Sameer Saxena, who had directed "Jaadugar". He serves as showrunner and co-director on the project. Saxena has stated that 'Kaala Paani' explores a fresh and uncharted genre in Indian storytelling.
"The series is a survival drama featuring an ensemble of characters who are all trying to escape the wrath of nature, as the vast sea confines them for thousands of kilometers. In this invisible battle between humans and nature, these individuals discover that their destinies are intertwined, not just with each other, but also with the environment," he added. Tanya Bami, Series Head at Netflix India, said the streamer is always on the lookout for "fresh distinct ideas that have a wide appeal for our large audience base."
"We are extremely excited to announce 'Kaala Paani', a first-of-its-kind survival drama, with compelling characters and deeply emotional storylines. This will be our second collaboration with Posham Pa Pictures, bringing the signature style of its immensely talented creator Sameer Saxena to our members," she said. 'Kaala Paani' is co-directed by Amit Golani, who also produces alongside Saxena, Biswapati Sarkar, and Saurabh Khanna.
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, Razr 40 to Go on Sale in India During Amazon Prime Day Sale 2023: Price, Launch Offers
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Razr 40 will go on sale in India for the first time on Saturday (July 15) during the Amazon Prime Day Sale 2023. The latest clamshell foldable smartphones from Motorola run on Android 13-based MyUX out of the box and are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon SoCs. They feature 6.9-inch OLED LTPO inner panels with 144Hz refresh rate. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra packs a 3,800mAh battery with 30W wired fast charging while the Razr 40 is backed by a 4,200mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Price of the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in India is set at Rs. 89,999 for the sole 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. It comes in Infinite Black and Viva Magenta colour options. The Motorola Razr 40, on the other hand, has a price tag of Rs. 59,999 for the single 8GB RAM and 256GB storage version. It is offered in Sage Green, Summer Lilac, and Vanilla Cream colourways.
The sale of Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Motorola Razr 40 will begin at 12:01am IST on June 15 during the Amazon Prime Day Sale 2023. They will be available for purchase through the Motorola India website as well. Amazon has currently listed the Pro model with a coming soon tag. The e-commerce website is offering up to Rs. 7,000 instant discount on the purchase of Motorola Razr 40 Ultra through ICICI credit cards. SBI card users can avail of up to Rs. 6,250 instant discount as well. No-cost EMI options start at Rs. 7,500.
Both Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Razr 40 run on Android 13-based MyUX. The Ultra model has a 6.9-inch full-HD+ foldable pOLED display with 165Hz refresh rate, and up to 1,200 nits brightness. It has a 3.6-inch (1,056x1,066 pixels) pOLED outer panel with 144Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the Motorola Razr 40 features a 6.9-inch full-HD+ pOLED main display with 144Hz refresh rate and a 1.5-inch OLED outer screen.
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, whereas the Motorola Razr 40 is powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC. They have a water-resistant IP52 build.
On the rear, the Razr 40 Ultra gets a 12-megapixel primary camera with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS) accompanied by a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera with a 108-degree field of view. The Razr 40 also features a dual-camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary camera and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Both models have a 32-megapixel camera for selfies and video chats.
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is backed by a 3,800mAh battery with 30W wired fast charging and modest 5W wireless charging support. The Razr 40 is backed by a 4,200mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Oppenheimer Cast Walk Out of London Premiere in Solidarity With the Actors’ Strike
Oppenheimer's cast walked out of its London premiere late on Thursday, in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) actors' strike. While buzz for the new Christopher Nolan film was strong at Leicester Square, the possibility of a strike caused the crew to push the premiere event up by an hour, only the previous night. As the actors' union was unable to come to an equitable deal with movie studios — for proper residual payments — the strike was called upon with a 98 percent vote approval margin, causing Oppenheimer's cast to leave from the venue in order to adhere to the terms of the union.
“I think right now we are just sorting of… I hope everyone makes a fair deal and we are here to celebrate this movie,” star Emily Blunt told Deadline, during the Oppenheimer red carpet event. “And if they call it, we'll be leaving together as cast in unity with everyone… We are gonna have to. We are gonna have to. We will see what happens. Right now it's the joy to be together.” Co-star Matt Damon echoed her sentiments, adding that his and Ben Affleck's independent studio, Artists Equity, just shut down production on an undisclosed film, waiting for things to resolve between SAG-AFTRA and the studios. SAG-AFTRA is a union representing about 160,000 film and TV actors and media professionals primarily in the United States, whose leadership claims that its deal with movie studios for appropriate pay is not fair. “It's the difference between having healthcare and not for a lot of actors, and we gotta do what's right by them,” Damon said.
The last time the entertainment industry faced a double strike was in 1960, with both writers and actors voicing their concerns for appropriate payments, arising from the dawn of television. At the time, they together won residuals for repeated TV reruns and broadcast for movies and shows, in addition to welfare. Residuals payments are helpful for artists when they are in between projects. Now, in 2023, with streaming services taking the lead, companies like Netflix and Disney+ don't disclose viewing figures for their shows, essentially offering a flat rate, regardless of how much a program might surge in popularity. Making things worse is the debate about the use of AI in film production, like using apps such as ChatGPT to write full-blown movie scripts — directly affecting the jobs and livelihood of writers.
AMPTP, the organisation bargaining on behalf of major studios claimed in a statement that it presented SAG-AFTRA with a deal that promised ‘historic pay and residual increases' alongside higher caps on pension and healthcare contributions, and even a ‘groundbreaking AI proposal.' Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA's COO responded to the offer claiming that AMPTP had been devaluing the work of actors. As for the artificial intelligence proposal, it was revealed that production studios wanted to pay background performers for one day of work in exchange for the rights to their digital likeness for eternity, without compensation or further consent. The bizarre situation mirrors Black Mirror's ‘Joan is Awful' episode from season 6, where studios acquired rights to scan and use actors' digital likenesses forever.
The strikes have caused movies and TV series productions to get delayed or halted until further notice when new bargaining agreements are met. However, a report from Variety suggests that filming on the Emmy-nominated House of the Dragon will continue normally in the UK. The HBO series' cast is composed of primarily UK-based actors who do not work under America's SAG-AFTRA contracts, but rather under the British acting union Equity, whose trade laws prevent them from striking in solidarity with international unions. Equity also put out a guide for its 47,000 members, stating that performers joining the strike will have no protection against dismissal or breaking the contract. It's worth mentioning that the ongoing writers' strike had no effect on House of the Dragon's filming since scripts for season 2 were completed long before, and now creator Ryan J. Condal is strictly involved in a non-writing capacity.
Oppenheimer releases July 21 in theatres worldwide, while the second season of House of the Dragon is expected to release in 2024.
Chandrayaan-3 Landing Is Important Step for Exploration: ISRO Chief
After the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 on GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle on Friday, Director of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S Somanath said that landing is one important step for further exploration.
"Chandrayaan-3 is a very important step...Landing this time is very important. Unless you land, you cannot take samples, you cannot land human beings, and you cannot create moon bases. So, landing is one important step for further exploration," said ISRO chief S Somanath.
Chandrayaan-3 is the ISRO's follow-up attempt after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was eventually deemed to have failed its core mission objectives.
Earlier today, Chandrayaan-3 was launched on GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota as per the scheduled launch time.
The journey from Earth to the moon for the spacecraft is estimated to take about a month and the landing is expected on August 23. Upon landing, it will operate for one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days. One day on the Moon is equal to 14 days on Earth.
Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar exploration mission, will make India the fourth country after US, China, and Russia, to land its spacecraft on the surface of the moon and demonstrate the country's abilities for safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.
Chandrayaan-3 will be inserted into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory after the orbit-raising maneuvers. Covering a distance of over 3,00,000 km, it will reach the Moon in the coming weeks. Scientific instruments onboard will study the Moon's surface and enhance our knowledge.
Chandrayaan-3 is equipped with a lander, a rover and a propulsion module. It weighs around 3,900 kilograms.
Moon serves as a repository of the Earth's past and a successful lunar mission by India will help enhance life on Earth while also enabling it to explore the rest of the solar system and beyond.
Amazon Prime Day Sale 2023 Goes Live: Here's How to Avail Best Deals and Discounts
Amazon Prime Day Sale 2023 is now live for all Prime members. The ongoing Prime Day Sale 2023 from Amazon will go on for two days — July 15 and July 16, and is exclusive for Prime members. The e-commerce giant is offering huge discounts on a number of electronic products, including smartphones, laptops, TVs, home appliances as well as smart devices. With the price of iPhone 14 cut to Rs. 65,999, which can be clubbed with an additional discount on eligible SBI bank credit cards and ICICI Bank debit and credit cards, and sale offers on latest phones, the Amazon Prime Day 2023 sale event promises some of the best smartphone deals across different segments.
These discounted prices can be combined with a number of bank offers, on both credit as well as debit cards, to avail huge price cuts.
The ongoing sale will only last for 48 hours with a number of products available on discounted prices. If you are not a Prime member already, sign up for the subscription service and avail some of the best sale offers. The e-commerce website provides Amazon Prime subscription at Rs. 299 for one month. Users can also opt for a three-month subscription at Rs. 599, while they can pay Rs. 1,499 for a one-year membership. Amazon also offers a 30-day free trial for users who are creating their first Prime subscription account.
During the two-day event, we will bring some of the best offers on a wide range of products to choose from. You can also look for the best Prime Day Sale 2023 deals through teasers and posters on Amazon's website.
Apple is offering a price cut on its latest iPhone 14 smartphone during the Amazon Prime Day 2023 sale event. Interested buyers can purchase the iPhone 14 at Rs. 65,999 for the base model with 128GB storage. The phone was launched in India last year at Rs. 79,900. Users can also avail additional discount on SBI bank credit card and ICICI Bank debit and credit card transactions.
Apart from iPhone 14, a number of recently launched handsets will go on sale today and tomorrow, including the iQoo Neo 7 Pro 5G, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G, the Realme Narzo 60 5G, and the Samsung Galaxy M34 5G.
India's Skyroot Aerospace in Talks With French Firm to Launch Nanosatellites
French space sector firm Promethee on Friday said it was exploring the possibility of placing its nanosatellites in orbit using the Vikram-series of launch vehicles being developed by Indian start-up Skyroot Aerospace.
Skyroot co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana held discussions with Promethee President Olivier Piepsz on the sidelines of the official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France.
Chandana and Piepsz have decided to study the integration of Skyroot's Vikram launcher into the deployment process of the Japetus earth observation constellation, a statement by the two companies said.
Promethee is a French new-space operator of nanosatellite constellations for earth observation.
Founded in January 2020 by Piepsz and Giao-Minh Nguyen, Promethee brings together recognised experts in the fields of space, digital, and services.
In November last year, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace wrote its name in spacefaring history with the successful launch of its Vikram-S rocket, the first privately built space rocket in India, within four years of its founding.
The company, founded by young former scientists and engineers from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is now developing three variants of the Vikram series of rockets to put small satellites in orbit.
Skyroot Aerospace has been developing three variants of the Vikram rocket.
Vikram-I will be capable of carrying 480 kilograms of payload to Low Earth Orbit, Vikram-II is designed to lift off with 595 kilograms of cargo, while Vikram-III will be able to launch with 815 kg payloads to 500 km Low Inclination Orbit.
0 Likes