QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.” ~ Albert Einstein
WHATSAPP’S NEW UPDATES MAKE STORAGE MANAGEMENT MORE EFFICIENT
THE STORY
The highly popular messaging app is testing a new Granular storage feature, allowing for more effective management of shared files and media on devices.
WHAT IS GRANULAR STORAGE?
Although currently only available to Whatsapp beta users, it’s new storage management feature will finally make it’s way to Android. Termed as ‘Granular Storage’ this feature provides extra control on data consumption and keeps space hogging files in check. Since it’s common among Whatsapp users to share bulky files, this feature makes it easy for users to identify, delete and prevent bulky files from accumulating on their devices. This would also help data intensive files to cause lags in Whatsapp.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS?
Named as ‘Storage Usage’ option in Whatsapp settings, this will list all your files and folders categorized according to their type and size. Hence, users will be able to easily identify files that take up unusual amounts of space. This is different than the current management options where users must manually look for specific files or delete entire conversations. The new options will thus help preserve important messages and files while purging out all others, without much effort.
If you have Whatsapp beta installed, all you need to do is go to Settings and you will be able to see a new option ‘Data and Storage Usage’. Once there, just click on Storage usage and you will be able to see a list of all files including text messages, images, videos, audio files and documents etc. It will take some time to then show how much space does each file type take, helping you to pinpoint space hoggers.
WHEN WILL THIS BE AVAILABLE?
While iOS users have been enjoying this feature since January, Android users might have to wait a little longer as it is currently in a beta testing phase. So in case you want to use this feature before its commercial release, you can either register for Whatsapp beta program or manually install its APK.
INDIA SAYS IT IS READY TO ADOPT ELECTRIC VEHICLES BY 2030
THE STORY
After last year’s demonetization and cash crisis, Indian government plans a nationwide cleanup of fossil fuel powered vehicles.
HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?
While adoption of electric vehicles has certainly picked up in countries such as US, UK, Australia and several European nations, it still needs more players in other regions such as Asia and South America. Despite being the world’s 5th largest automobile market, India is still largely dependant on oil powered cars. However, the highly ambitious government now plans to change all this by completely halting production for Petrol and diesel vehicles in favor of electric ones.
We certainly agree that with 21 million vehicles sold each year, a transformation like this could prove to be a monolithic task for the government. Nevertheless, with a proposed target of 2030 it might be actually possible. In his response to automobile manufacturers in the country regarding clean fuel adoption, Transport Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari said “We should move towards alternative fuel…I am going to do this, whether you like it or not, and I am not going to ask you. I will bulldoze it.”
WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR SUCH A TRANSFORMATION?
Especially after Britain announced they will ban petrol and diesel cars in the near future, it seemed inevitable that Big Oil will meet its eventual demise. However, with thriving markets such as India with a massive demand for fossil fuel powered vehicles, it almost seems impossible.
But with recently raised concerns over vehicular emission levels and several cities labeled as ‘Most Polluted’ in the world, India certainly doesn’t have much choice than to comply. Moreover, the country also imports a massive quantity of oil (more than 80% of total requirement) and spends nearly 100 billion dollars each year. This clearly shows how Indian economy actually requires such a change, despite the huge market demand for cars.
IS THE COUNTRY READY FOR THIS CHANGE?
In addition to his previous statement, Mr. Gadkari also clarified “We have seen in the past that despite the hike in taxes, demand for vehicles do not come down. This tells you something about the market for cars.” He then said that their plan to bring about the massive change is in its final stages and will be implemented soon.
This sure might sound like a great news for environmentalists, we cannot be sure on how indians will react, especially after the cash debacle last year.
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