Nothing launches 2 new earbuds with ChatGPT integration in IndiaIANS
London-based consumer tech brand Nothing on Thursday launched two new wireless earbuds — Ear and Ear (a) in India, with ChatGPT integration to enhance overall user experience.
Ear and Ear (a) are priced at Rs 11,999 and Rs 7,999, respectively. Ear (a) will be available for purchase starting April 22 while Ear will be available starting April 29 across online and offline channels.
Ear features a transparent earbud design, while Ear (a) takes a new direction with a fresh bubble design and yellow colour.
“By integrating ChatGPT with Nothing earbuds, including the new Ear and Ear (a), and with Nothing OS (operating system), we’ve taken our first steps towards change, and there’s more to come,” Carl Pei, CEO and Co-Founder of Nothing, said in a statement.
The company said that it has integrated Nothing earbuds and its OS with ChatGPT to offer users instant access to knowledge directly from the devices they use most.
With this integration, users with the latest Nothing OS and ChatGPT installed on their Nothing phones will be able to pinch-to-speak to the AI tool directly from their earbuds, including the newly launched Ear and Ear (a).
According to the company, Ear can last up to 40.5 hours after a full charge with the charging case or 8.5 hours of non-stop playback. The earbuds also support wireless charging at 2.5 watts.
On the other hand, Ear (a) users can get up to 42.5 hours of music playback after a full charge with the charging case, the company added.
New Delhi, April 13: Elon Musk is coming to India for the first time to spend at least 48 hours in the country later this month. As all eyes are on what the billionaire would announce during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industry leaders, Tesla lovers have only one question: When will they finally be able to drive a ‘Make in India’, affordable EV?
A cheaper Model 3, which is the entry-level Tesla, can only be possible with local manufacturing of battery components and a strong EV supply system, for which Musk will surely have a substantial announcement to make during his maiden visit to the country.
Currently, Tesla prices are almost the same worldwide. The base variant of the Model 3 is priced at over $40,000 (nearly Rs 33.5 lakh).
According to senior analyst Soumen Mandal from market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research, the import duty will be eliminated by setting up local production by Tesla, thus paving the way for an affordable Tesla car.
Also, the cost reduction could be achieved if Tesla cars manufactured in the country come with fewer features compared to the ones available globally.
Mandal told IANS that certain hardware required for Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode could be eliminated and “Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) Level 2 could be included”.
Tesla can eventually produce 5 lakh electric vehicles annually that start from Rs 20 lakh in India.
To produce a Rs 20 lakh car, Tesla can also have a battery pack with a lower capacity than 50kW and the electric motors could be of lower power. The in-vehicle electronics could also be reduced with a smaller centre display.
In the new EV policy, the Indian government has cut the customs duty to 15 per cent (with certain riders) from the earlier 100 per cent on imported cars.
A minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore (about $500 million) will be required to set up the manufacturing facilities for EVs in the country.
According to industry experts, Tesla can generate at least $3.6 billion in revenue in India by 2030.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced on Friday the launch of a Manga comic titled “India Calling Me Now,” in collaboration with the publishing company Kodansha, with the aim of raising gender awareness in India and Japan simultaneously.
The comic series, published on Manga Planet India, will explore themes such as women’s education, social participation, and gender disparity, fostering discussion and enhancing understanding of gender-related issues.
SAITO Mitsunori, Chief Representative of JICA India, stated, “As collaborative publishers of Manga, a beloved cultural treasure of Japan celebrated for its captivating narratives and artistic brilliance, we seek to deepen awareness and comprehension of gender-related issues in India.”
He further emphasized, “This collaboration also plays a pivotal role in fostering cultural exchange between India and Japan, contributing to systemic change in the pursuit of gender equality.”
According to JICA, the comic series aims to engage the younger generation with its distinctive storytelling and expressive characters.
MangaFacebook/ Manga
“We aspire to address social challenges in India and around the globe through Japanese manga,” remarked KOGA Yoshiaki, India Project Director at Kodansha.
Furthermore, JICA highlighted that the comic series serves as a potent tool for promoting positive attitudes and behaviors towards gender bias, thereby fostering awareness and instigating societal transformation.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced on Friday the launch of a Manga comic titled “India Calling Me Now,” in collaboration with the publishing company Kodansha, with the aim of raising gender awareness in India and Japan simultaneously.
The comic series, published on Manga Planet India, will explore themes such as women’s education, social participation, and gender disparity, fostering discussion and enhancing understanding of gender-related issues.
SAITO Mitsunori, Chief Representative of JICA India, stated, “As collaborative publishers of Manga, a beloved cultural treasure of Japan celebrated for its captivating narratives and artistic brilliance, we seek to deepen awareness and comprehension of gender-related issues in India.”
He further emphasized, “This collaboration also plays a pivotal role in fostering cultural exchange between India and Japan, contributing to systemic change in the pursuit of gender equality.”
According to JICA, the comic series aims to engage the younger generation with its distinctive storytelling and expressive characters.
MangaFacebook/ Manga
“We aspire to address social challenges in India and around the globe through Japanese manga,” remarked KOGA Yoshiaki, India Project Director at Kodansha.
Furthermore, JICA highlighted that the comic series serves as a potent tool for promoting positive attitudes and behaviors towards gender bias, thereby fostering awareness and instigating societal transformation.
Tesla chief Elon Musk on Wednesday confirmed he’s ‘wanting ahead’ to meeting Indian PM Narendra Modi throughout his upcoming visit to the nation.
Elon Musk met PM Narendra Modi throughout his US visit. Photo Courtesy: PIB
“Looking ahead to meeting with Prime Minister @NarendraModi in India!” Musk posted on X, which can also be owned by him.
The Tesla CEO, nevertheless, didn’t reveal particulars of the visit.
Musk and Modi beforehand met in New York in June 2023.
Over the next months, Tesla has actively tried to pursue India to cut back import duties on electrical automobiles because the nation contemplated establishing a manufacturing unit.
India lately launched a revised EV coverage, slashing import tariffs from 100% to 15 p.c for sure fashions, supplied the producer commits to investing a minimal of USD 500 million and units up a producing facility.
Tesla’s entry into the Indian market coincides with a slowdown in electrical automobile demand in its major markets, particularly the United States and China.
India’s electrical automobile (EV) market is small however has proven a gentle development. Indian auto main Tata Motors dominates the market at current.
Indian PM Narendra Modi has stated a steady and peaceful relationship between India and China is not solely necessary for the two neighbouring nations, however for the complete area and world.
A file picture of Narendra Modi assembly Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo Courtesy: PIB
“For India, the relationship with China is necessary and vital,” Modi informed Newsweek.
“Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are necessary for not simply our two nations however the complete area and world,” he stated.
The relationship between India and China deteriorated in 2020 after clashes broke out between troops in Galwan Valley in the Ladakh area.
As many as 20 Indian troopers have been killed in the clashes.
The two nations have been engaged in a number of rounds of diplomatic and high-level army talks to resolve the standoff.
However, no breakthrough was reached.
“I hope and consider that via optimistic and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and army ranges, we can restore and maintain peace and tranquility in our borders,” Modi stated.
Modi feedback on India-Pakistan relationship
Commenting on India-Pakistan relationship, the Indian PM, who is eyeing to return to energy for a 3rd straight time period, stated: “I’ve congratulated the Prime Minister of Pakistan on taking on workplace. India has at all times advocated for advancing peace, safety and prosperity in our area in an environment free from terror and violence. [In relation to the imprisonment of Imran Khan], I gained’t touch upon issues inner to Pakistan.”
Following the normal polls in February, Pakistan just lately elected Shehbaz Sharif as the PM for a second time period.
Modi congratulated Sharif on his ballot victory and posted on X earlier: “Congratulations to @CMShehbaz on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
India to vote in seven phases
India will vote in seven phases from April 19, to elect a brand new Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament).
The counting of votes will happen on June 4.
The election assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his authorities try to return to energy for the third straight time period, a uncommon incident in India’s political historical past.
In 2014, Modi led his saffron celebration to energy by beating the Indian National Congress, a political outfit which sat in energy for 2 straight phrases underneath former PM Manmohan Singh.
Modi as soon as once more fashioned the authorities in 2019, marking his second straight time period as the PM of the world’s most populated nation.
A file image of Indian PM Narendra Modi interacting with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Photo Courtesy: Bill Gates X web page
Technology main Microsoft has warned that China may use Artificial Intelligence-generated content to disrupt upcoming polls in India, South Korea and the USA.
“China is utilizing pretend social media accounts to ballot voters on what divides them most to sow division and probably affect the result of the U.S. presidential election in its favour. China has additionally elevated its use of AI-generated content to additional its objectives all over the world,” Microsoft stated in its report.
Microsoft stated, moreover, North Korea has elevated its cryptocurrency heists and provide chain assaults to fund and additional its army objectives and intelligence assortment.
In his warning, Microsoft stated: “With main elections going down all over the world this 12 months, significantly in India, South Korea and the United States, we assess that China will, at a minimal, create and amplify AI-generated content to profit its pursuits.”
“Despite the possibilities of such content affecting election outcomes remaining low, China’s rising experimentation in augmenting memes, movies, and audio will seemingly proceed – and may show more practical down the road. We can anticipate to see North Korea proceed to steal cryptocurrency to fund house, missile, and nuclear packages in addition to launch supply-chain assaults on the defence sector,” the warning stated.
Microsoft claimed that China tried an AI-generated disinformation marketing campaign in the course of the Taiwan presidential polls this 12 months.
“The Taiwanese presidential election in January 2024 noticed a surge in the use of AI-generated content to increase IO operations by CCP-affiliated actors,” the warning stated.
Microsoft stated it was the primary time it registered a nation-state actor entity utilizing AI content in makes an attempt to affect a international election.
“The group we name Storm-1376, often known as Spamouflage and Dragonbridge, was probably the most prolific. For instance, on election day, it posted suspected AI-generated pretend audio of Foxconn proprietor and election candidate Terry Gou (who had bowed out of the competition in November 2023) endorsing one other candidate in the presidential race. Gou had made no such assertion. YouTube rapidly eliminated this content earlier than it reached a wider viewers,” the report stated.
“Storm-1376 has promoted a collection of AI-generated memes of Taiwan’s then-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate William Lai, and different Taiwanese officers in addition to Chinese dissidents all over the world. These have included an rising use of AI-generated TV information anchors that Storm-1376 has deployed since at the very least February 2023,” learn the warning.
New Delhi, February 22, 2024: The Times of India (TOI) proclaims the launch of the ‘India for Financial Literacy’ marketing campaign, which goals to deal with the essential subject of monetary training in India. According to a current examine by SEBI, solely 27% of India’s inhabitants is deemed financially literate, highlighting a big hole in monetary information and consciousness among the many majority.
The lack of monetary literacy challenges private monetary well-being and hinders total financial progress. TOI, in affiliation with Stockgro, a number one platform providing professional recommendation on inventory market buying and selling and investing, recognises this pressing want and goals to advertise monetary training and empower people nationwide.
Financial literacy is vital to creating knowledgeable choices about cash administration, investments, and participation within the formal monetary system. Through the ‘India for Financial Literacy’ marketing campaign, TOI goals to equip people with the required abilities and information to navigate the complexities of private finance confidently.
Prasad Sanyal, Business Head of timesofindia.com, emphasised the marketing campaign’s significance: “Financial literacy transcends mere numerical comprehension; it’s about buying the information and abilities important for making knowledgeable choices that form our monetary future. The ‘India for Financial Literacy’ initiative seeks to supply Indians with the foundational abilities wanted for monetary independence.”
The marketing campaign commenced with the profitable internet hosting of the Right To Excellence Financial Literacy Summit in New Delhi on March 4, the place distinguished authorities officers, finance specialists, and influencers convened to debate methods for enhancing monetary understanding among the many populace.
As half of the marketing campaign’s ongoing efforts, TOI has launched a devoted content material hub, providing a complete vary of assets tailor-made to reinforce monetary literacy. From articles by finance specialists to informative podcasts, panel discussions, interactive quizzes, and monetary calculators, the content material hub serves as a one-stop vacation spot for people searching for to enhance their monetary acumen.
The ‘India for Financial Literacy’ marketing campaign will proceed to evolve over the following 4 months with common updates and additions to make sure steady studying and progress alternatives for our viewers.
Our overarching objective is to empower each Indian with the information and abilities to handle their funds successfully, thereby contributing to particular person monetary well-being and total financial prosperity.
Deepfakes, ransomware identified as imminent threats for 2024 in India: ReportIANS
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes, multi-factor authentication (MFA) fatigue attacks, and complex ransomware incidents are identified as imminent threats for 2024 in India that require urgent attention, a new report said on Friday.
Looking ahead to 2024, Seqrite, the enterprise arm of global cybersecurity solutions provider Quick Heal, anticipated emerging challenges that demand vigilance and strategic preparedness.
“With the rise of AI-powered threats like BlackMamba and the prevalence of Living off the Land attacks, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) must adopt advanced evasion techniques and heightened defences to combat evolving threats effectively,” the experts said.
According to the report, the upcoming 2024 elections are poised to attract phishing attacks exploiting political interests, while supply chain vulnerabilities underscore the need for collaborative cybersecurity efforts between the public and private sectors.
Artificial intelligence (AI)IANS
Moreover, the report emphasised the importance of implementing resilient strategies to mitigate ransomware threats through practices such as regular data backups, network segmentation, and prompt isolation of affected systems.
“CISOs are encouraged to maintain vigilance regarding evolving cyber regulations and compliance standards, aligning security policies accordingly to ensure continual compliance and resilience,” the experts stated.
Further, the report highlighted the significance of embracing emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and IoT (Internet of Things), while remaining cognizant of the associated cybersecurity risks.
It also underscored the importance of fostering collaborative relationships among CISOs and security professionals to collectively enhance organisations’ cybersecurity posture and response capabilities.
Fostering economic growth in India: Flipkart empowering MSMEsIBT
The MSME sector is a vital pillar of the Indian economy, making a significant contribution to the country’s socio-economic development. With an impressive count of 6.33 crore MSMEs operating in the country, this sector is crucial for generating employment, fostering GDP growth, encouraging entrepreneurship, and driving innovation, especially in semi-urban and rural areas.
Remarkably, MSMEs account for half of India’s exports and contribute 30% to its GDP. To further boost this growth, the Ministry of MSME aims to increase their contribution to 50% by 2025. As a result, the Indian government has implemented various policies and initiatives, including credit schemes, digitalization, and e-commerce promotion, to support and facilitate the growth of MSMEs and enhance the ease of doing business.
Flipkart’s role in enabling MSMEs: Overcoming challenges
Like any other sector, MSMEs come with their own set of challenges. However, these obstacles can be overcome with the right support and technology adoption.
At Flipkart, one of the key challenges we are addressing is the need for upskilling and reskilling MSMEs. We conduct nationwide workshops and training programs, helping sellers digitize their businesses and make informed decisions based on our platform’s insights.” Rakesh Krishnan, VP and Head of Marketplace at Flipkart, shared.
Another hindrance to the growth of MSMEs is limited access to necessary infrastructure, such as logistics and warehousing networks. Flipkart’s robust supply chain solutions facilitate the seamless movement of shipments, connecting sellers, customers, and stakeholders from tier-3 cities and beyond.
Furthermore, MSMEs must embrace digital-first habits and preferences, especially in tier-2+ markets. Flipkart’s initiatives, including having vernacular content on both the website and the app, as well as the training it imparts, help empower sellers, enabling them to tap into these markets effectively.
Inspiring entrepreneurial stories
The impact of Flipkart’s expertise is evident through transformative experiences shared by entrepreneurs like Charu Gupta, founder of Saikara Collections.
Charu attests to Flipkart’s role in transcending the limitations of a small business, helping her achieve an unprecedented growth of 400%. Charu, an aspiring and independent woman, has always believed that there is no shortcut to hard work. As the founder of Saikara Collections, which deals in party supplies and home decor, the initial few years were tough to develop her business. She was working for different jobs before becoming a small business owner, but the initial step towards starting something of her own was owing to some crisis in the family.
Charu Gupta success story with FlipkartFlipkart Stories
However, with an initial capital of INR 5,000 in hand, she founded her own company. Guided by Flipkart’s insight and support from her loved ones, she transformed her small business into a thriving enterprise, and within six months, her business earned a gold tag on Flipkart.
These success stories of millions of sellers and entrepreneurs on our platform serve as a testament to the effectiveness and transformative potential of Flipkart’s initiatives in propelling the achievements of ambitious entrepreneurs, regardless of their gender, geographical location, or socio-economic background.
Embracing adaptability and unlocking growth potential
While MSMEs have immense potential, their adaptability remains crucial in overcoming future challenges. Flipkart is pivotal in assisting MSMEs by providing them with technology, accessible credit, and customer feedback.
Rakesh, a key member of Flipkart since 2013, further added that, “Our platform enables MSMEs to establish a robust digital presence, enhancing their market reach, improving operational efficiency, and reducing barriers to entry. Through initiatives like the Flipkart Samarth Program, we integrate artisans, weavers, women-led businesses, and persons with disabilities into the e-commerce ecosystem, creating a sustainable and inclusive platform for underserved communities.”
Flipkart Samarth program was launched in 2019 to democratize e-commerce through technology and build a sustainable and inclusive platform for underserved domestic communities, with a special focus on women-led enterprises and people with disabilities. Under this program, Flipkart has been working with several government entities, livelihood missions and NGO partners to onboard rural entrepreneurs from across the country. Today, Flipkart Samarth impacts over a million livelihoods by helping them adapt and leverage digital commerce.
The platform’s collaboration with banking partners also ensures financial assistance, enhancing affordability, convenience, and inclusivity for MSMEs.
Empowering MSMEs for India’s prosperous future
As India’s economy aims to reach new heights, MSMEs will play a pivotal role in driving growth, fostering innovation, and creating employment opportunities. In this regard, Flipkart has pledged to make comprehensive efforts and is dedicated to supporting the success of MSMEs to address India’s evolving business landscape.
Upcoming Big Billion Days
Flipkart Big Billion Days
Flipkart’s The Big Billion Days (TBBD) is a marquee event for India and one that sellers look forward to as it brings huge financial benefit to them and creates new growth baselines for them.
Events like TBBD allow Flipkart to scale up its impact on the ecosystem in tremendous ways; by helping seller partners create lakhs of jobs, boost Indian manufacturing, and grow local businesses. TBBD is about scale, innovating for India and creating/leaving an impact on the ecosystem. It isn’t just a sale but an annual, collaborative event that expands the Indian e-commerce market.
It allows millions of new customers to experience the benefits of e-commerce, many of them for the first time. These include offering them consistency in catalogues, prices and growth opportunities across the country. TBBD is an opportunity for thousands of sellers across India to access a customer base of millions, which allows them to grow their own businesses at a rapid pace.
