- 15 minutes ago
Tech transforming rural classrooms, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review & Meta India controversy | Tech Today
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:13A tech that's helping solve one of India's biggest education challenges.
00:18This week we are traveling beyond the cities to see how tech is transforming learning at
00:23Aanganbadi centers. From AI-powered lesson planning to smart assessment tools, we look
00:28at how digital platforms are helping teachers spend less time on paperwork and more time
00:33with children. Also on the show, Samsung has a brand new foldable in India and it's making
00:38a strong case for why foldables may be going mainstream soon. We review the Galaxy Fold
00:448 to find out if this is Samsung's best foldable yet. And finally, we revisit one of the biggest
00:51tech controversies in India this month. The Meta Rao sparked questions around AI, misinformation,
00:57algorithms and accountability. We cut through the noise and explain to you what happened,
01:02why it matters and what could happen next. This is the Tech Today Show. I am Cyrus and
01:07let's begin with the top tech headlines of the week.
01:15Sony has launched a 115-inch Bravia television in India, making it the largest TV the company
01:22has ever introduced here. It features Sony's new True RGB LED technology for brighter colors,
01:28deeper contrast and improved picture quality. Aimed at luxury buyers and home theater enthusiasts,
01:34it's designed to deliver a cinema-like experience at home.
01:43Google is all set to unveil the Pixel 11 next week. The smartphone is expected to feature the new
01:49Tensor G6 chip, upgraded AI-powered camera features, longer battery life and deeper Gemini integration
01:55across Android. Google is also likely to introduce improvements to image editing,
02:00live translation and on-device AI. As always, the Pixel 11 will showcase Google's latest vision
02:07for AI-first smartphones. And Uber has announced plans to deploy 1.2 lakh autonomous taxis through
02:19a massive $10 billion investment, marking one of the biggest robotaxi expansions yet. While the company
02:26says autonomous vehicles will improve safety and reduce costs, the announcement has also sparked
02:31concerns about the future of millions of professional drivers. Experts believe human drivers won't disappear
02:37overnight, but their role is likely to change as self-driving technology becomes more common.
02:50Traditional forms of education have evolved over the years. We've gone from
02:54chalkboard to computers. But that story is just not for the cities of private schools. It's also evolving here
03:00at government schools and Anganwadis here in UP, where teachers are using simple tech tools to teach kids,
03:07tools like WhatsApp and smartphones. And on the Tech Today show this week, I'm showing you that part of the
03:12story, how teachers and how education is getting closely integrated with the world of technology.
03:24Education experts often say that the first six years of a child's life are the most important for brain
03:30development. This is where language, memory, social skills and curiosity begin to take shape.
03:38For millions of Indian children, the journey starts at an Anganwadi. But many Anganwadi workers
03:44have to manage multiple responsibilities while teaching with limited learning material.
03:51Technology cannot replace a good teacher. But when it's built around the realities of rural India,
03:56it can become another tool in the classroom. Instead of requiring laptops or expensive digital
04:03infrastructure, an online platform called Rocket Learning uses something already familiar to millions
04:10of Indians – WhatsApp. Teachers receive structured lesson plans, videos, songs and classroom activities
04:19directly on their phones. The goal isn't to replace teaching. It's to make teaching easier and more engaging.
04:39It's to make teaching easier and more engaging. It's to make a teaching.
04:48One day before, we send a group modules. There are three activities that come in the way.
04:53It's our way, it's our way. It's the way we see kids. First day, we make the children come in
05:09the center.
05:09We are prepared in the centre before, so we give it to the children very good.
05:14There are three videos, and two are with our potion tracker.
05:17In the video, we tell how to do this activity.
05:21We also knew how to do it before, but now we have a way to do it.
05:25We also learn to do it well, because we do it by doing it.
05:30So the children are happy to do it.
05:42The lessons are designed specifically for young learners.
05:46There are stories, songs, visual activities, and simple games.
06:02All intended to keep children participating instead of passively listening.
06:07Rather than memorizing information, children learn by speaking, singing, identifying objects, and interfacing with one another.
06:16The technology provides the lesson, the teacher brings it to life.
06:23We are prepared for the children.
06:32There are some pamphlets.
06:34There are photos of the young learners.
06:37We show the children that they are made.
06:41They say, what is it?
06:44We tell them about it.
06:49Then they show photos that they are made from the first akshar.
06:53Look at this photo and tell them what is the first akshar.
06:57That's how the kids are doing.
06:59To hear the sound of the young people, this was an activity.
07:03So, we saw how to do it first.
07:06So, on the phone, there were different kinds of young people.
07:12Then we asked the kids to tell them what to do.
07:17So, they heard that this is a dog's voice.
07:21Then they told them that this is a dog's voice.
07:24On top of that, teachers also use apps like Potion Tracker to mark attendance,
07:30record the children's height and weight and also record everyday preschool activities.
07:35Parents are also connected to the platform.
07:38Through WhatsApp, they receive activities and updates that allow them to continue learning with their children at home.
07:45That creates something many early education programs struggle to achieve.
07:50A continuous connection between the classroom and the family.
08:18And this entire process of education is just not meant for the kids, it's also meant for the young bodies.
08:23The teachers who have to learn these carefully curated modules and then teach the kids from there.
08:29And they are also evaluated on these tests, by the way, which happen on the platform.
08:34Every lesson follows a planned learning journey.
08:37Teachers receive videos, activities and teaching material before the class begins.
08:42That gives them time to understand the lesson and then decide how they will explain it to their students.
08:55Learning is continuous for teachers as well.
09:04Rocket Learning regularly conducts assessments through the platform to evaluate how well teachers understand the curriculum and teaching methods.
09:12These aren't exams in the traditional sense.
09:15They are designed to refresh concepts, reinforce teaching practices and identify where additional support may be needed.
09:22And if the young and body teacher clears the test, they receive a certificate.
09:27The idea is simple.
09:29If teachers continue learning, children benefit too.
09:59For parents, the impact isn't measured in marks.
10:02It's measured in everyday moments.
10:06A child recognizing colors more confidently, singing a new rhyme at home, starting conversations and showing curiosity.
10:14Those small moments often become the first signs that learning is beginning to take root.
10:19If I speak more than a child, I don't speak more than a child.
10:26I don't speak more than a child.
10:28I don't speak more than a child.
10:30But like every technology initiative, this one has its challenges.
10:39Reliable internet connectivity isn't available everywhere.
10:44And some families still don't own smartphones.
10:47So digital literacy can vary between households.
10:51And no platform can replace the personal attention every child deserves.
10:56Scaling a model like this across thousands of Anganwadis also requires continuous teacher support, regular content updates and sustained engagement
11:04from parents.
11:05Technology may open the door, but it's the people on either side who determine whether learning actually happens.
11:14If we come to school, there's a lot of issues.
11:17Sometimes we need to open the attendance.
11:20Our Anganwadis Center has to open it on the portion tracker.
11:23So sometimes the house is not open.
11:26So there's a problem.
11:27There's a little issue.
11:29There's a little issue.
11:30We have to do the light.
11:32We have to do the light.
11:32We have to do the light.
11:33There's a little problem, but we don't manage it.
11:43In a world chasing the next big breakthrough, it's easy to overlook the power of simple technology.
11:50But sometimes the most impactful innovation isn't the most advanced.
11:55It's the one that quietly fits into people's everyday lives and helps them do things just a little better.
12:08So there you have it.
12:09A beautiful story on how education is evolving and how technology is an integral part of the education system.
12:15And I promise to you that I will be getting you more stories like this on the Tech Today Show.
12:20All you have to do is just stay tuned.
12:28Now it has been one crisis after another for Mehta in India over the past few days.
12:34First, Facebook mistakenly removed a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
12:40Then came an FIR against the head of Mehta India over AI-generated videos of the Prime Minister.
12:46And now, Mehta's top global executives were in New Delhi to explain how the company's AI and content moderation system
12:55actually works.
12:56In a development a few days ago, Mehta's Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan apologized to the Indian government for
13:04the erroneous removal of the Prime Minister's video.
13:07Now, the company also rejected allegations that it had accepted money to amplify content from a particular channel, calling those
13:14claims completely false.
13:16But the story is just no longer about one mistaken takedown.
13:20It's about whether social media companies should be held accountable for the content their AI systems allow to spread.
13:27Let's talk about all of this in detail and the entire controversy.
13:39The controversy began when AI-generated videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi started circulating on Facebook and Instagram.
13:47According to investigators, these videos were digitally manipulated to make it appear as though the Prime Minister had said things
13:54he never actually said.
13:56On the 31st of July, Hyderabad's Cybercrime Police registered an FIR naming Mehta India head Arun Srinivas along with several
14:04social media users and unknown persons involved in creating and spreading the videos.
14:10To be clear, investigators have not accused Mehta of creating the videos.
14:15The focus is on whether the company fulfilled its legal obligations as the platform hosting that content.
14:22Just days earlier, on the 28th of July, Facebook had mistakenly removed a genuine video posted by Prime Minister Modi's
14:30official account.
14:31Mehta restored the video within hours, admitted it was an error and later introduced additional safeguards for prominent public figures.
14:40However, it has still not publicly explained what exactly caused the removal.
14:46Was it an AI moderation system, a human reviewer or a technical glitch?
14:52That's one of the key questions the government wants answered.
14:57The government has now widened its investigation far beyond that one specific incident.
15:03Senior executives from Mehta's global policy and technical teams have been asked to explain how the company's moderation systems actually
15:11work,
15:11how it detects AI-generated misinformation and how its recommendation algorithms function and also what safeguards exist for verified public
15:21figures.
15:21Now, officials are also examining Mehta's compliance with India's intermediary rules
15:26and raising concerns about the spread of child sexual abuse material on social media platforms.
15:33All of this has brought renewed attention to something called Safe Harbour Protection.
15:38Under Indian law, social media platforms are generally protected from being held legally responsible for content posted by their users,
15:46as long as they comply with the country's intermediary rules and respond appropriately to lawful government directions.
15:53Some lawmakers have suggested that the government should examine whether Mehta continues to qualify for that protection.
16:00But as of today, Mehta has not lost its safe harbour protection and no such decision has been taken.
16:07However, the government acknowledged Mehta's apology and it's a win.
16:24The bigger question now goes well beyond Mehta.
16:30As AI-generated videos become more convincing and misinformation spreads faster than ever,
16:36governments around the world are asking whether platforms should simply host that content
16:41or whether they should be responsible for preventing it from reaching millions of people in the first place.
16:51India is now putting that question directly to one of the biggest tech companies in the world.
16:57And the answers Mehta gives over the next few days could shape how AI-generated political content is regulated on
17:05one of the world's largest digital markets.
17:08Over the coming days, Mehta's answers and the government's response could have far-reaching implications for every social media platform
17:16operating in India.
17:18So don't worry, we will continue to follow this story and closely bring you all of the key developments right
17:23here on India Today.
17:25So next story involves another headline maker and this one is special indeed.
17:44So over the years Samsung has tried to make foldables lighter, thinner and more powerful.
17:50But with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, it's trying to do something different because I feel with this one,
17:56it's trying to redefine how foldables should be.
17:59The almost passport size design feels surprisingly natural in the hand.
18:03In fact, after using it for a while, you begin to wonder why foldables weren't designed this way in the
18:09first place.
18:15But this new design, does it really solve the problem that foldables have been suffering for a while or just
18:20create new ones?
18:21Here's what we will try to find out in this review of the new Galaxy Z Fold 8.
18:26Let's go!
18:32The very first thing you will notice is how different this feels in the hand.
18:37Instead of the taller, narrower profiles that you see in conventional foldables these days,
18:41Samsung has gone with a more passport size, more wider profile for the Fold 8.
18:47And it's something that might catch up or might not.
18:51The cover display finally feels like a regular smartphone.
18:54Typing is easier, scrolling feels natural and for the first time on a fold,
18:58I found myself comfortably using the outer screen with just one hand without constantly adjusting my grip.
19:08It also weighs 201 grams, making it Samsung's lightest fold till now.
19:14Now, Samsung has also introduced what it calls Flex Titanium,
19:16adding titanium reinforcement beneath the folding display to improve durability while reducing the visibility of the crease.
19:24It's definitely an improvement.
19:27But let's be honest, the crease hasn't completely disappeared.
19:31But yes, it's relatively lesser than before.
19:34Under direct sunlight or when you are looking it at an angle, you can still spot it.
19:39You just stop noticing it after a while, but it certainly is there.
19:43And even the hinge feels kind of different compared to the Fold 7 or the 8 Ultra
19:48because those hinges are a little stiff, but this one is not as much.
19:52And because of that, it does not come with what foldables these days have, a flex mode.
19:58Because unlike the Fold 7 and the 8 Ultra, the phone does not support those half-folded laptop-style experiences.
20:04That may not matter to everyone, but it's a feature you will miss if you use your foldable for maybe
20:10hands-free video calls or even content creation.
20:12The Fold 8 comes with a 5.5-inch outer AMOLED display and also unfolds into a 7.6-inch
20:19dynamic AMOLED panel, both running 120Hz.
20:23Peak brightness touches about 3000 nits and visibility outdoors is excellent.
20:29Both displays remain bright enough even under harsh sunlight.
20:32One thing I initially wished Samsung added was an anti-reflective coating on the inner display.
20:40Interestingly, Samsung has actually introduced a new low-reflection finish this year.
20:45And while reflections are reduced compared to the older Fold models, I still found myself wanting even stronger glare reduction
20:52under very bright lighting.
20:56And the next department is where things kind of get a little interesting for this kind of a form factor.
21:01Because this new aspect ratio is fantastic for reading articles, books, browsing websites and even watching many videos with these
21:08smaller black bars.
21:10But the software ecosystem simply has not caught up.
21:17A surprising number of apps still aren't properly optimized for this new resolution for either displays.
21:23Some apps stretch awkwardly, others leave unused space and a few simply don't look like they were designed for this
21:30display.
21:31And this really isn't a Samsung fault, it's the initiative that developers will have to take up and design their
21:36applications for this kind of a resolution.
21:38Because in the future, many, many foldables are going to come with this design, maybe even Apple's next foldable.
21:45So developers need to really take that matter up, not Samsung.
21:49I mean Samsung will do its part, but developers do the most important job.
21:54Performance is something you don't need to worry about because this one is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite
21:59Gen 540 Galaxy paired with 12GB of RAM.
22:05And in day to day use, this phone absolutely flies.
22:08Apps launch instantly, gaming is smooth, animations remain fluid and where this phone truly shines is multitasking.
22:18Running multiple apps together, dragging files between windows and using other apps while watching YouTube.
22:24Everything feels effortless.
22:27And Samsung's UI is known to be great for productivity platforms, especially Samsung's foldables.
22:33And I have been trying to, you know, use multiple applications at the same time in this giant screen and
22:38haven't had that kind of a problem.
22:40So when it comes to foldables and the ecosystem that Samsung offers, I think this is as good as it
22:47gets.
22:47And now comes the disappointing part for a phone that costs 1.8 lakh rupees.
22:53This camera system is pretty underwhelming.
22:56On paper, the fold 8 gets a 50 megapixel main camera, a 50 megapixel ultra wide and a 10 megapixel
23:02selfie camera.
23:03But unlike the ultra, there is no dedicated telephoto system.
23:08Colours are nice, dynamic range is respectable, but nothing really stands out.
23:12And that's the problem.
23:14At this price, good enough isn't really that good.
23:22So if photography is really a priority for you, I would strongly, strongly recommend that you go for the older
23:28Z Fold or even the 8 Ultra because it doesn't have a strong camera game.
23:33It just doesn't.
23:35Battery life actually surprised me.
23:37Inside this one comes a 4800 mAh battery and despite the compact size, I was consistently getting around a day
23:43and a half of regular use.
23:45That's genuinely impressive.
23:47Now charging, however, feels slow.
23:50The phone supports 45 watt wired charging, but a full charge still takes close to two hours from empty.
23:58Now this is a big problem, especially when a lot of Chinese manufacturers are offering charging speeds that can charge
24:04from 0 to 100 in less than 30 minutes.
24:07And this one charging that slow for a phone this expensive could be a deal breaker for many people.
24:12So verdict time.
24:13I feel with the Fold 8, Samsung is really trying to redefine a segment, which is holdables.
24:20And I feel that this design might hit it off, but with some might not.
24:25Because the passport style design generally makes everyday use easier, but it is compact and many might not like this
24:32form factor.
24:33But I will confess performance is excellent.
24:36Battery is solid and software ecosystem still needs developers to optimize their apps.
24:41Camera really isn't the strongest suit of this phone and doesn't justify the premium pricing.
24:46And the crease, while improved, still hasn't disappeared.
24:50And yes, Samsung has taken a first step by launching this first.
24:54But again, that does not matter because Apple fans will obviously prefer that one.
24:59If you are looking for this kind of a compact form factor,
25:02and if you feel that spending almost 3 lakh rupees on a foldable phone like this doesn't justify it,
25:07then maybe you can consider the Samsung Fold 8.
25:10As we wrap up this week's show, it's worth remembering that not every tech story is about a billion dollars
25:18or AI, companies or cutting-edge devices.
25:20Sometimes it's just about a child discovering something new.
25:24A teacher finding better ways to teach and tech quietly making a difference where it matters the most.
25:31Our visit to the Angrabadi centers was a reminder that innovation isn't measured only by what's new, but by whose
25:39life it improves.
25:40Thank you for watching the Tech Today show.
25:43This is Cyrus signing off.
25:45Take care.
Comments