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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
YouTuber Kanika Devrani claims she was drugged, robbed in AC coach, netizens air safety concerns
YouTuber and travel vlogger Kanika Devrani has claimed that she was drugged and robbed while travelling on the Brahmaputra Mail from Delhi to Assam on June 26. In a viral Instagram reel captioned 'Travel safe', Devrani shared that after a blackout moment, she realised that her iPhone was missing when the train halted at New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in West Bengal. Watch here: A post shared by Kannu Priya (@kanika_devrani) The vlogger alleged that a stranger, allegedly without a ticket, entered the 2AC compartment where she was seated, spoke to several passengers while crossing the coach, and sprayed a sedative on her. Devrani also claimed that her co-passenger had a similar experience and lost his mobile phone. 'As First class AC tickets weren't available, I had booked a 2nd AC ticket from New Delhi to Guwahati on Brahmaputra Mail. I was of the opinion that it is all safe. The train had halted at New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal, I was asleep and my phone was put under the charge,' the YouTuber said on June 27, recounting the incident. 'Someone came to my berth, my phone was under my pillow, and took it. First of all, how can the Railways staff let in someone unknown without a ticket? I don't know who the person is,' Priya added. She also alleged that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) did not cooperate with her despite knowing her lost phone's location. The Find My Device app tracked her phone's live location to West Bengal's Malda. On X, she tagged @WBPolice and @malda_police on X, urging them to take action. Social media users have expressed safety concerns soon after the video came to light. 'Feeling so sad to hear that .. need to be more careful and the government should do something,' a user commented. 'Very sad to see this and thank god you're safe kanika. @ @railminindia Is it that easy that anyone can enter the 2S class without the ticket even under the supervision of your employers? This is the safety you're providing to your passengers and especially to females? You must look into this matter and take action as quickly as possible,' another person wrote.
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
Railways Reacts To YouTuber's Claim That She Was Drugged, Robbed In 2AC Coach
Indian Railways responded to shocking allegations made by Kanika Devrani, a travel vlogger, that she was drugged and robbed in a 2AC coach of the Brahmaputra Mail while travelling from Delhi to Guwahati. The incident apparently happened when the train halted at New Jalpaiguri Junction Railway Station (NJP) in West Bengal. She claimed that her co-passengers were also looted. Posting a video on Instagram, she claimed that a passenger who was in the upper seat sprayed something on her. "I couldn't sense anything". She added that she had a conversation with that man as he was asking for seat numbers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kannu Priya (@kanika_devrani) Responding to the video, Railway Seva (@RailwaySeva), wrote, "For necessary action escalated to the concerned official." What did Kanika Devrani say? In the video, labelled "Indian Railway is not safe", she claimed that a stranger without a ticket allegedly boarded the 2AC coach at New Jalpaiguri Junction Railway Station and sprayed something, knocking Devrani and another passenger unconscious. When she regained consciousness, her iPhone 15 Pro Max was missing. "As First class AC tickets weren't available, I had booked a 2nd AC ticket from New Delhi to Guwahati on Brahmaputra Mail. I was of the opinion that it is all safe. The train had halted at New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal, I was asleep and my phone was put under the charge," she said. "Someone came to my berth, my phone was under my pillow, and took it. First of all, how can the Railways staff let in someone unknown without a ticket? I don't know who the person is." Devrani used the Find My Device app to track her phone's live location, which showed it was in West Bengal's Malda. She tagged @WBPolice and @malda_police on X, urging them to take action. Kanika alleged that the police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) were uncooperative, despite knowing the phone's live location. Social media raised concerns about passenger safety The incident has raised concerns about passenger safety on trains, particularly in 2AC coaches. Many social media users have demanded better security measures, including CCTV cameras in coaches and increased patrols during unscheduled stops. "It's sad but it's hard truth of India ..very sad to listen this," one user commented on Devrani's video. Another said, "Is it that easy that anyone can enter the 2S class without the ticket even under the supervision of your employers? This is the safety you're providing to your passengers and especially to females? You must look into this matter and take action as quickly as possible."
Android Authority
25-06-2025
- Android Authority
Google's Find Hub network is unreliable, but this simple change could fix it
Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google could improve its Find Hub network by convincing users during device setup to select a more reliable, but less private, tracking option. This new setup screen rebrands the existing network options to better explain that the default option may be less reliable, while the alternative can find items anywhere. By getting more people to choose the more effective setting, Google aims to make its network a more dependable alternative to Apple's and Samsung's. If you're worried about losing an important possession, you can attach a Bluetooth tracker to it and monitor its location using an item tracking network. For Android users, the most convenient option is Google's Find Hub network, as it's built into nearly every Android device. However, the network has a major drawback: it's not as reliable as its competitors. Fortunately, Google is working on a subtle change to the setup process that could make Find Hub far more dependable. You're reading an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. Find Hub, formerly Find My Device, helps you pinpoint the location of your devices and contacts. It locates items in one of two ways: either the device reports its own location, or another nearby device in the network reports it. While smartphones and tablets can share their own location when they have an Internet connection, they must rely on the crowd-sourced network when they're offline. The same is true for Bluetooth trackers. In theory, as long as other network participants pass by your lost item, its location will be updated. Andy Walker / Android Authority Because billions of devices are on the network, location updates should be frequent. Unfortunately, our testing shows that Google's Find Hub is much less reliable than Apple or even Samsung's item tracking networks. All three crowdsource location data in very similar ways, but Google's network has one key difference. By default, Find Hub won't report a lost item's location if only a single device passes by it. The network requires multiple nearby devices to confirm a location before reporting it. While this measure helps protect against misuse by stalkers, it also makes the network less reliable for tracking items outside of high-traffic areas like airports or shopping centers. To fix this, Google could align Find Hub's default setting with Apple and Samsung's networks, but the company is hesitant to force this choice on users. Instead, Google is asking people to change the setting themselves within the Find Hub app. However, most users either don't bother changing defaults or are unaware the option exists, so the vast majority likely remain on the less effective setting. The current page for selecting Find Hub's network option Instead of hoping users find and enable Find Hub's more reliable setting, Google is now taking a more proactive approach. According to its 'Google System Services Release Notes' page, the company is rolling out an update to Google Play Services (version 25.24) that prompts users to configure Find Hub during device setup. While this new setup screen isn't widely available yet, we managed to surface it manually. The page, titled 'Find your device and help others too,' explains that 'the Find Hub network crowdsources locations from billions of Android devices… to help find lost items like phones and tags.' It presents two network options with toggles: Findable everywhere : This is the more reliable option, renamed from the existing 'with network in all areas.' : This is the more reliable option, renamed from the existing 'with network in all areas.' Findable in busy places only: This is the new name for the default setting, previously called 'with network in high-traffic areas only.' Functionally, nothing has changed besides the names and descriptions. However, the new names and descriptions could convince more people to select the more reliable option. While the old wording merely implied that the default setting was less effective in remote areas, the new phrasing makes that limitation explicit. A 'learn more' button at the bottom of the page opens a dialog to help users make a more informed choice. This dialog clarifies that the 'findable in busy places only' option 'provides additional privacy protection in remote areas.' Ultimately, presenting this choice during setup should boost adoption of Find Hub's more reliable setting, making it a more viable alternative to Samsung's SmartThings Find and Apple's Find My networks. Alongside this new setup prompt, Google is also preparing to auto-enroll more users in Find Hub. Find Hub currently activates when you add a Google Account, but evidence we uncovered in March suggests this will expand to when a user enables location access. While these newly enrolled users will default to the less reliable setting, their participation will still help grow the network, and they can always switch to the more reliable option on their own. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Lost your phone? Track, block, and recover it using these government and app tools
Jun 23, 2025 11:32 AM IST Losing a phone can disrupt daily life and raise concerns about privacy and security. Fortunately, several tools and government initiatives in India provide ways to locate, block, and recover lost or stolen mobile devices. One of the key resources available is the Sanchar Saathi portal, developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) under the Department of Telecom. This platform uses a centralised system to help track phones using their unique IMEI numbers. Here's how you can track and recover your lost phone using government and built-in device tools.(Pexels) The Sanchar Saathi portal connects users, police, cybercrime units, and telecom operators to combat mobile phone theft. Since its launch, it has blocked over three million devices and helped return more than four hundred thousand phones to their owners. To use this service, follow these steps: Obtain a duplicate SIM card from your telecom provider. File a police complaint reporting your phone as lost or stolen. Visit the Sanchar Saathi website at Select the 'Block/Stolen mobile' option. Enter your phone's IMEI number, complaint details, Aadhaar-linked address, and an alternative contact number. Submit the information. Also read: Think that new Minecraft mod is safe? It could be malware stealing your data - over 1,500 players already hit Once registered, the system immediately alerts relevant authorities and operators. If someone tries to use your lost phone, whether with the original SIM or a new one, the system triggers alerts that help trace the device. Quick reporting improves the chances of recovery before the phone changes hands or is moved out of the country. Also read: Welcomes Meta's New Policy Enabling Regulated Gaming Ads Alternative Options to Track Mobile Phones Apart from government services, smartphone manufacturers and platforms offer tools to locate lost devices: Google's Find My Device: Available as an app and website, it lets users see their registered Android devices on a map. The service allows you to ring the phone, lock it remotely, display messages on the screen, or erase data to protect your information. Available as an app and website, it lets users see their registered Android devices on a map. The service allows you to ring the phone, lock it remotely, display messages on the screen, or erase data to protect your information. Samsung's Find My Mobile: This service works similarly for Samsung devices, offering tracking, locking, and wiping options. Also read: How to easily compress data on your iPad to save storage space To use Google's Find My Device, sign in to your Google account, select your missing device, and track its location. You can play a sound to locate the phone nearby or send a lock command to secure it from unauthorised access. If necessary, you can erase the phone's data remotely to prevent misuse. Mobile finder: Google Pixel 9a LATEST price, specs and all details
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Google killed the classic 'Find your phone' tools, but don't worry, they're still alive
Google's Find My Device has evolved into the more capable Find Hub, but remnants of ancient phone-finding tools still exist. The still-live "Find your phone" Google Account settings page now recommends you "try calling your phone," which probably won't help anyone. All phone-finding tools have moved to the Find Hub, making the Find your phone page's continued existence redundant. Change can be great, especially when it's something like Google's Find My Device evolving into the increasingly capable Find Hub. But even when a service makes positive progress, you'll occasionally find head-scratching oversights or half-measures, and those can be confusing or downright misleading. That's the case with Google's latest step in migrating its former phone-finding controls to the new, comprehensive Find Hub. Google axed the long-standing method of finding a lost smartphone and ported the functionality over to the new app and web page, but the remnants of the old way remain. Somewhat amusingly, while the "Find your phone" settings page still exists, it now offers a single piece of advice: "try calling" it (Source: 9to5Google). You won't find the Find My Device app anymore, either — but it's only been rebranded to Find Hub. Starting in August 2021, a simple Google Search for "I lost my phone" led to a popup result directly from Google. As long as you performed the search while logged into your account, a single click would start your phone's ringer, helping you or whoever was nearby to find it easily. That convenient popup vanished, but the first result from the aforementioned search query was — and is — still a link to the Google Account settings page entitled "Find your phone," and containing a locator map and button to activate the ringer. Clicking that link, or selecting "Find a lost device" within account settings, lands you on the Find your Phone page. You'll be looking at a list of devices linked to your account. Previously, clicking on a device immediately gave you the option to ring or locate it. Lower on the page, you could lock it, call it, sign out of Google on it, erase it, or contact your carrier about it. In other words, you had real, actionable options. The left is from six years ago, and the right from today. Screenshots courtesy of Abner Li / 9to5Google Not anymore. The page and links to it still exist, but the only prominent action recommended is a real doozy. The options to lock, locate, or erase a phone have disappeared, replaced by a simplistic solution: "Try calling your phone." If that isn't funny enough, the page advises users who can't remember their number to "ask a friend" or "use Contacts to look it up." It then helpfully points out that the device "will need to have Hangouts or a similar service" installed — and Google Hangouts has been dead for going on three years. Of course, lost Android device tracking is far from extinct. To find a lost phone, tablet, or other device with Android's gadget-finding technology built in, visit the ever-improving Google Find Hub. Other than directing you to your carrier's contact information, it does everything the original Find your phone page could do. Thankfully, this is not a classic case of Google pulling the plug on a promising service. But it is slightly ironic. You ask one of the world's leaders in data harvesting, digital mapping, Bluetooth tracking, and software implementing where you last set down your high-tech mobile device. It replies, "I don't know, have somebody try calling it. Maybe your friend." When that doesn't work, the confusingly still-alive page does let you sign out of the device with one click. But a one-sentence explainer and a link to the Find Hub would have saved at least a few Android users some confusion.
