#NewsBytesWeeklyRecap: Vikram Lander update, Google for India, OnePlus TV, more
The third week of September was a tad quiet but did witness some interesting launches, including that of Motorola's first-ever line of TVs. Also, we got major India-specific announcements from Google and the final update on Chandrayaan-2's Vikram Lander, which ISRO had been trying to contact for the last 14 days. Let's take a look at everything that happened in technology world this week.
No communication with Vikram Lander, Orbiter healthy
After the 14-day window to establish contact with the Vikram Lander of Chandrayaan-2 ended, ISRO Chairman K Sivan confirmed that the agency couldn't get in touch with the contraption. However, he did note that the Orbiter of the mission is healthy and circling the Moon with all of its 8 instruments working properly. The Orbiter, Sivan had said, would operate for about six-seven years.
Google brings Assistant on call, AI Lab in India
Meanwhile, on September 19, Google hosted an event in India and announced an AI research lab in Bengaluru and a bunch of product updates for people in the country. This included Google Pay Business, a phone line and interpreter mode for Google Assistant, free public Wi-Fi for villages in Gujarat, Bihar, and Maharashtra, and new features for Google Lens.
Alexa launched in Hindi
Along with Google, Amazon also held an event in India and announced Hindi support for Alexa, its digital voice assistant. The company claimed that the feature would work just like English, but you'd have to enable it first from Settings. It also said that around 500 Alexa skills already work in Hindi and bilingual response capability would be available in the coming months.
OnePlus TV, OnePlus 7T, Google Pixel 4 launch date confirmed
In another big update, OnePlus confirmed an event for September 26 where we expect to see the launch of the long-awaited OnePlus TV and OnePlus 7T. But, that's not the only big thing coming. Google has also sent out invites confirming that its next flagships, the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, will launch on October 15.
Some interesting updates for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp
Facebook also introduced some interesting changes to its products. First, Instagram launched music in India and changed its policy to block posts promoting cosmetic surgeries and weight loss products. Then, WhatsApp added the option to share statuses as Facebook Stories. We also saw reports suggesting that Facebook's hardware team is working on a Portal-branded Fire TV challenger and smart AR glasses.
New smartphone launches, Motorola's new TV lineup
In the hardware segment, Motorola surprised everyone with its first-ever smart TV family ranging in sizes from 32-inches to 65-inches and offering up to 4K resolution. Additionally, a number of phones were unveiled, including Vivo Nex 3, Moto E6s, Samsung Galaxy M10s, Galaxy M30s, Nokia 7.2, and Huawei's latest flagships Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro.
