NewsBytes Briefing: Indian pathology lab exposes patient data, and more
Last night, leading Indian lab testing company Dr. Lal PathLabs was caught exposing confidential patient data through an unprotected storage bucket on Amazon Web Services. The open database had records (basic details, test information) of millions of Indians who had taken lab tests, including those for COVID-19, at PathLabs but was taken down after alarm was raised over the issue. Here are other developments.
Microsoft announces Windows store policies, hits at Apple
Microsoft announced new policies for its store on Windows and took major jabs at Apple. The company laid out 10 principles, which, among other things, say it will not block competing app stores or apps based on developers' business models or how they deliver content. It also promised to charge a reasonable fee and not block apps for their choice of payment systems.
Google Assistant getting support for third-party apps
Google has introduced a major update for Google Assistant, giving it the ability to carry out certain common tasks - like logging in meals on a fitness app or tweeting out - on select third-party apps installed on a phone. The company has also given the digital helper two new English voices, which sound much more natural than the ones currently in use.
Infosys to acquire Blue Acorn iCi
Indian IT giant Infosys announced the decision to acquire Blue Acorn iCi, an Adobe Platinum partner in the US and a provider of digital customer experience, commerce, and analytics solutions, for about Rs. 915 crore ($125 million). Infosys said that the deal will give the company access to Blue Acorn iCi's cross-technology capabilities and boost its end-to-end customer experience offerings.
Other important developments to note
Among other things, Microsoft is said to be working on a web-based version of xCloud game streaming service for iOS users. Meanwhile, Alphabet announced the successful establishment of an LTE connection from its solar-powered drone, Apple extended the free trial of TV+ until February 2021, and Google announced a feature to notify about certain sounds, like a smoke alarm.
Finally, some COVID-19-related updates
India on Thursday reported over 70,000 fresh coronavirus infections, pushing the nationwide tally past 69 lakh cases. The death toll climbed to 1,06,541 with over 900 more fatalities. For vaccine, the Indian government has started mapping out cold storage facilities for quick countrywide distribution in the coming months, while China has joined the COVAX vaccine alliance.
