Tech wars with China
More bans: The government has banned 47 other Chinese apps which were identical to already blocked apps like TikTok, Alibaba’s UC Browser. For example: Zili, which was the second-largest alternative to TikTok. The government is also mulling a ban on 200-plus other Chinese apps, including PubG.
Cashing in on bans: The video-sharing app Triller which had 30 million downloads within 24 hours in India after TikTok was banned. The company—backed by Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, and Eminem, is now in talks “with a very large company with many arms” to enter the Indian market in December. Hmm, who could this possibly be...
More layoffs: Huawei Technologies—now banned from all government-owned telecommunications carriers—has laid off more than half its staff in India—and cut its India revenue target for 2020 by up to 50%.
In bizarre China news: Americans in 27 states reported receiving strange packets of seeds in pouches and envelopes with Chinese lettering and the words ‘China Post.’ These are likely an e-commerce scam—where a company will send unsolicited products to a person, and then post a glowing Amazon review in their name as a certified buyer. Officials are urging people not to plant the seeds—just in case they are some bizarre invasive species.
Related read: China is taking advantage of the pandemic-triggered meltdown in the media industry around the world. Sevanti Ninan in The Telegraph explains how Beijing has been using its financial clout to buy sponsored content, invest in media companies and hire journalists around the world.
The global pandemic: the virus returns
There are now over 16 million cases in the world, and 646,000 have died. More importantly, the virus is back with a vengeance in Hong Kong, Japan and Australia—which recorded its highest number of deaths (10) in a day. And the Aussie numbers are climbing despite a two-week lockdown in Melbourne. Spain—which is recording 900-plus cases each day—still insists that the country is safe, and wants tourists to come on over.
In related news: The WHO insists that travel bans cannot continue forever: “...It is going to be almost impossible for individual countries to keep their borders shut for the foreseeable future. Economies have to open up, people have to work, trade has to resume.”
An Unlock must-read: The Atlantic explains why all this power scrubbing and cleaning by stores, theatres etc is pointless. The reason: The virus primarily spreads through close encounters with other humans and not surfaces.
Not looking to Unlock: Google which has extended its WFH option for employees until July 2021.
Latest Covid innovation: Drive-through strip clubs, “where you can order a burger and beer from your car, while performers dance with masks on behind a barricade.”
The Indian pandemic: A quick update
- India’s total is set to hit the 2 million mark in 10 days, and its numbers are growing at the fastest rate in the world.
- Quartz explains why Covid-19 could become a mass-extinction event for small and medium sized companies. Anywhere between 30‒40% of them may go under if the pandemic drags on.
- Reuters reports on the hunt for blood plasma in Assam—where the government is offering a variety of carrots to potential donors, including government jobs and housing.
- Serum Institute is under fire because its founder Cyrus Poonawalla said that the company will keep aside a special quota of vaccines for Parsis. The company now denies any such plan.
- Planes in India are flying nearly empty—with only 1.9 million passengers in June (that’s compared to 12 million in the same month last year). Indian Express explains where you can fly, and how much it will cost. In related news: Indigo just announced another round of pay cuts.
- Also feeling the pain: Swiggy which fired 350 employees—but the company promises this is the last round of layoffs for now.
- Feeling optimistic: Movie theatre owners. They are getting ready to reopen in August. Mint details the feverish Covid-safe preparations underway.
In amusing Covid-related news: Indian Express reports on bio-bubbles being readied for IPL players in UAE. “Tricky issues” being discussed: whether wives, girlfriends and children will self-isolate with the players, as well. Also, hotels:
“Look every franchise won’t be able to match up to say Mumbai Indians, who will undoubtedly have the best set-up in these trying times. They have private jets, can even take doctors from their super speciality hospital, rent out a five-star hotel. Others need to check out what’s best for them. Maybe a beach resort.”
There are bio-bubbles and Nita-Bhabhi bio-bubbles.
‘A Suitable Boy’ received unsuitable reviews
The first episode of Vikram Seth’s glorious novel finally aired in the UK. And it appears to have proved every bit as unpromising as the trailer. The Guardian and The Independent do their best to be tactful about the first BBC period drama with an all-South Asian cast. But the real problem is the Brit behind the scenes: writer Andrew Davies who has penned a “very British” version of India and Indians. The Independent politely writes:
“For all its good intentions, this is still an orange-filtered fantasy version of India, where the characters speak English with the same mannered Indian accents and nobody can do anything without a sitar twanging.”
But Indian reviewers are happily less restrained by political correctness. This is Raja Sen in Mint:
“The show feels like an amateurish stage play, a high school-quality musical minus the music… Not far removed from Apu of The Simpsons, here we have a cast of mostly talented Indian actors trying, bafflingly, to sound browner. The cadences are unforgivable as characters try to add weird Hindi-esque lilts to English sentences. In this day and age, for Indian actors to take a Peter Sellers approach for an adaptation of an Indian masterpiece is utterly confounding. Is it the BBC’s revenge on Indians for writing better English?”
Is there a greater delight than a scathingly well-written review? No.
Women execs are more profitable
A new study of listed companies in London uncovered some interesting data. The so-not-surprising bit: “In the largest 100 London-listed companies, the total number of female chief executives is the same as the number of bosses named Peter - six.” Also: 15% have no female executives at all. Well, that’s bad luck for them because the study also found this: “Listed firms where at least one-third of the bosses are women have a profit margin more than 10 times greater than those without.” Earth to investors: All-male boardrooms make less money. (BBC News)
