Musk Star'linked' to Manipur violence? | Tech Burner running a 'scam'?

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Market Watch

??India's benchmark indices experienced a drop for the third consecutive day—Sensex was down 502.25 points and closed at 80,182.20, and the Nifty was down 137.15 points and closed at 24,198.85.

??Sectorally, all indices ended in the red except Pharma which recorded a 1% gain. The broader indices (Mid and Smallcap) shed 0.5% each.

ICYMI

????Russia has developed its own cancer vaccine, to be distributed free of charge.

???????Delhi court grants interim bail to Umar Khalid for 7 days to attend cousin's wedding.

????Kota-based JEE/NEET institutes, known for alarming suicide rates, see admissions drop by 31% in 2024.

???India's 'Laapataa Ladies' out of Oscars 2025.

????In a shocking incident, a funeral procession was held for Coimbatore Serial Blast mastermind SA Basha who was a life-term convict.

?????Trudeau to finally go? Key leader Jagmeet Singh joins calls for Trudeau’s resignation amid deputy’s exit.

?????Reports claim that Sam Altman aims to oust the group that tried to fire him from OpenAI last year.

Musk Star'linked' to Manipur violence?

A Starlink internet device was seized in Manipur from an insurgent group, sparking concerns over internet usage for militant activities.

• Despite not being licensed in India, concerns are raised over how the device was used in the region.

What was recovered? A joint operation by Indian security forces seized a Starlink satellite device from a Meitei insurgent group in Manipur, marking the first such incident.

• The device, labelled with RPF/PLA, signifies potential use by the People's Liberation Army, a banned secessionist group. The operation in Imphal East also recovered weapons including an MA4 assault rifle and grenades.

Musk responds: Elon Musk stated that Starlink operates no satellite beams over India and lacks government clearance.

What’s Starlink? Starlink uses a network of low Earth orbit satellites to provide internet service, bypassing traditional ground infrastructure like fibre optics, thus allowing widespread connectivity without extensive cable installations.

• On 17th October when the Indian government announced a win for Elon Musk's Starlink which batted for spectrum allocation in satellite broadband, X was filled with forewarnings of 'security risks'.
• People were highlighting potential national security risks, concerns about unauthorized device smuggling, and fears of foreign technological intrusion.
• The core concern is Starlink could compromise India's technological sovereignty and create backdoors for foreign surveillance or interference.
• Last month, Starlink was reportedly used by smugglers for sea navigation while smuggling $4.2 billion in methamphetamine across the border.

Previous controversies: During the Russia-Ukraine war, Elon Musk refused to allow Ukraine's use of Starlink internet services for a surprise attack on Russian forces in Crimea. This was Musk’s response ??

• Russia developed Kalinka, an advanced system to detect and neutralize Starlink satellite signals within a 15-kilometer range. The system aims to counter Starlink's critical role in Ukraine's military communications.
• Recently, Elon Musk joined a call between President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, indicating potential influence in Trump's administration. He was also present at many key events alongside Trump.

Clip du jour

Tech Burner running a 'scam'?

India's creator-led brand Layers, co-founded by Tech Burner Shlok Srivastava, enters the smartwatch market with a $1 million investment in Anarc.

TL;DR:?People are disappointed with the quality of the product because of the premium pricing and multiple false claims that the product is 'completely Made-in-India' when it uses Chinese hardware and third-party software.

• The controversy escalated when the brand sent legal notices to critics who posted negative reviews of the watch ??

What happened? Last month, multiple websites carried success stories of Anarc, Layers' new smartwatch achieving over Rs 3 crore in sales within 24 hours of launch, despite being priced higher than competitors.

Here's the reality: Recent reviews of Tech Burner's Layers Anarc Watch have highlighted several negative aspects, leading to significant controversy and claims of it being a scam.

• Made-in-India claim: Tech Burner marketed the watch by claiming it was fully made and developed in India but there are strong allegations that it is merely a rebranded product sourced from a Chinese manufacturer. It's actually an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) rebranded watch from China.

• Allegations on OS:

• Aluminum or Steel? There are conflicting statements regarding the materials used in the watch's construction. For example, one video claims the watch has a stainless steel frame, while another from the Layers team states it is made of aluminium.
• Reviewers have pointed out significant performance issues, including missing essential features like auto-brightness and a proper call interface.
• The co-founder of Capes India also called out Techburner for his exaggerated claims ??

The other side: Techburner responded to the comments with a new video, highlighting the watch's positive reviews and claiming that the negative feedback came from a small group of people. He also has quite a few supporters who think that the criticism is unfair.

What’s happening | R Ashwin Retires

Ravichandran Ashwin retires as India's second-highest Test wicket-taker with 537 wickets, trailing only Anil Kumble's 619. Here's a compilation ??

• Ashwin's Test achievements include a bowling average of 24 and 37 five-wicket hauls, making him the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests

Hi, I’m Sai Deepthi, the editor of this newsletter. I’d love to hear some feedback on the newsletter. WhatsApp me directly and tell me what you think.