<![CDATA[India Journal - Technology]]>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 01:25:17 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Google invites startups for 3rd batch of Launchpad Accelerator India]]>Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:12:49 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/google-invites-startups-for-3rd-batch-of-launchpad-accelerator-indiaNEW DELHI - Google on Monday said it is inviting early-stage startups to apply for its third batch of Launchpad Accelerator India. Now in its second year, the programme mentors early-stage startups on various aspects of their businesses like technology, product strategy, marketing, UX/UI (user interface design or user interface engineering) and leadership.
The last date to submit applications is August 18. "Google is uniquely positioned to facilitate the Indian startup ecosystem in building scalable and globally relevant solutions, and Launchpad Accelerator India is one of the key ways in which we drive this," said Paul Ravindranath, Programme Manager, Launchpad Accelerator India.
Startups that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to solve systemic problems in India can apply.
Each class will receive mentorship and support from the best of Google in AI/ML, Cloud, UX, Android, web, product strategy and marketing. Startups will also receive Google Cloud Credits from $20,000, going up to $100,000 each.
The three-month mentorship covers all aspects of product design, business models, product credits and technology support to build for scale and go to market strategies.
At least 50 Indian start-ups have benefited from the programme till date.
]]><![CDATA[Amazon launches Marketplace Appstore in India]]>Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:08:23 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/amazon-launches-marketplace-appstore-in-indiaBENGALURU - Amazon on Monday launched its Marketplace Appstore in India, which is a platform created for sellers to discover trusted third-party applications that can help them automate, grow and manage their business. The Amazon Marketplace Appstore enables sellers to focus on their business as it reduces the time and effort they spend on finding the...
right solution for their specific needs -- be it finding a shipping provider or sales analytics tool. Sellers can search, filter and compare applications to find the solution that best suits their needs. "The platform is designed to intuitively connect the right developer with the right seller to ensure that both parties succeed," said Gopal Pillai, Vice-President, Seller Services, Amazon India. The Appstore features multiple solutions by Amazon and external developers, covering a range of functionalities and price points. Sellers can now browse and filter apps across 13 categories, including accounting and tax remittance, and inventory and order management.
With the Appstore, Amazon essentially takes the ambiguity out of third-party validation by vetting each solution provider before featuring them. 
With a few clicks, sellers can discover relevant solutions for their business, authorise data access and complete their purchase. 
"We want to become the go-to solution for sellers to access business tools for their needs and minimise the time, effort and money otherwise spent on searching and experimenting for appropriate solutions," Pillai said.
"The applications on the Amazon Marketplace Appstore have been verified and are reliable. We believe this will help both sellers and developers scale their businesses," he said.
With nearly 100 apps from across the world on the Amazon Marketplace Appstore, Indian sellers will now have easy access to more apps to help them create a better customer experience.
]]><![CDATA[Lenovo, Intel announce multi-year collaboration]]>Mon, 05 Aug 2019 17:35:38 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/lenovo-intel-announce-multi-year-collaborationSAN FRANCISCO - Intel and Lenovo on Monday announced a multi-year collaboration to accelerate convergence of high-performance computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve world's most challenging problems. Lenovo, the leading global system provider of "TOP500" supercomputers, would optimize Intel's full portfolio of HPC and AI hardware and...
software solutions to serve as the foundation for its market strategy.
"Our goal is to further accelerate innovation into the 'Exascale' era, aggressively waterfalling these solutions to scientists and businesses of all sizes to speed discovery and outcomes," Kirk Skaugen, executive vice president of Lenovo and president of Lenovo Data Center Group, said in a statement. Lenovo's Neptune liquid cooling, in combination with the 2nd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable platform, is already helping customers unlock new data insights.
Nearly 173 of the world's "TOP500" fastest supercomputers, spanning 19 markets, run on Lenovo servers. Additionally, 17 of the world's top 25 research universities rely on Lenovo infrastructure.
"Intel is laser-focused on helping our customers spur innovation and discovery through the convergence of AI with HPC," said Navin Shenoy, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group.
The collaboration plans to focus on three areas: systems and solutions, software optimization for HPC and AI convergence and ecosystem enablement.
]]><![CDATA[Flipkart launches its first 'furniture experience centre']]>Mon, 29 Jul 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/flipkart-launches-its-first-furniture-experience-centreNEW DELHI - E-commerce major Flipkart on Sunday said that it has launched its first "furniture experience centre", in Bengaluru. "In order to give a touch and feel experience to customers in an ever-growing online furniture market, Flipkart has introduced its first furniture experience centre in Bangalore," it said. The company said that it is also working with Google to enhance...
customers' overall viewing experience at these centres through integration with Google Lens. 
"Visitors at the experience centre can use their smartphone to scan the 'Flipkart Furniture' icon at the experience centres, which will then route them to the platform's furniture page, allowing them to explore the product catalogue along with their various features." The statement noted that furniture is one of the fastest growing online categories, witnessing a surge in demand from across metros along with tier-I and tier-II towns. This is majorly driven by the digitisation wave, growing income in the hands of millennials and improving real estate scenario, thereby expanding the market size for online furniture in India to $17 billion in 2018, it said.
]]><![CDATA[Tesla to soon get Netflix, YouTube streaming support: Musk]]>Mon, 29 Jul 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/tesla-to-soon-get-netflix-youtube-streaming-support-muskSAN FRANCISCO - Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that people would be soon able to stream videos on digital platforms like Netflix and YouTube in parked Tesla electric vehicles. "Ability to stream YouTube and Netflix when car is stopped coming to your Tesla soon! Has an amazingly immersive, cinematic feel due to the comfy seats & surround sound...
 audio," Musk wrote on his Twitter handle. "When full self-driving is approved by regulators, we will enable video while moving," he added. The desire to allow drivers and passengers to watch video is not a total surprise - Musk noted at E3 that the ability to watch YouTube was coming, The Verge said. Tesla has already unveiled games that drivers can play on the displays in their cars. The games also only work when the car is stationary, so that the player can use the steering wheel as a controller. On Friday, the company announced that chess game is also coming to the Tesla Arcade. But there are huge concerns that come along with such features. 
Test vehicles are required to have a driver behind the wheel to take over in case something goes wrong, and even as self-driving technology improves, it's hard to imagine that going away completely, the report said. 
In March 2017, an Uber self-driving car crashed into pedestrian in Arizona as the driver was watching The Voice on content streaming platform Hulu and lost track of the road.
]]><![CDATA[This one hacked personal data of entire Bulgarian population]]>Mon, 22 Jul 2019 22:58:52 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/this-one-hacked-personal-data-of-entire-bulgarian-populationLONDON - Call it mother of cybercrimes but a hacker has more or less broken into the entire population of Bulgaria -- hacking personal data of more than five million of the total seven million residents. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov though could not help saying Kristian Boykov is a "wizard" hacker and the country should hire similar people to work for the state.
Released after charged were downgraded, the 20-year-old Bulgarian cybersecurity worker hacked details like social security information, addresses, incomes and tax returns chiefly from the National Revenue Agency (NRA) records, npr.org reported on Sunday.
Boykov was arrested in Bulgaria's capital Sofia last week.
"Police raided his home and seized computers and mobile devices with encrypted information," said the report. Some believe Boykov is a "white hat" hacker who breaks into networks to expose vulnerabilities. "In 2017, he hacked the Bulgarian education ministry's website to expose its vulnerabilities. In a television interview, he described the work as fulfilling my civic duty," the report added. In the latest hacking, nearly every working person in Bulgaria was affected.
Initially charged with a cybercrime against critical government infrastructure, Boykov was later handed over a lesser charge of crime against information systems.
If guilty, he could still be sent to jail for three years.
According to the Bulgarian newspaper Dnevnik, Boykov had illegally accessed and downloaded data from the National Revenue Agency (NRA) systems.
His Facebook page lists his employer as TAD Group, a security firm with offices in Sofia.
"Boykov has always been ethically, professionally been loyal to his work commitments, including our clients and the entire team," the company said in a statement.
]]><![CDATA[Exercise in space keeps astronauts from fainting on Earth]]>Fri, 19 Jul 2019 18:05:06 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/exercise-in-space-keeps-astronauts-from-fainting-on-earthNEW YORK - Nearly 50 years after man's first steps on the Moon, researchers have discovered a way that may help astronauts spending prolonged time in space come back to Earth on more stable footing. Orthostatic hypotension is the technical term for a temporary drop in blood pressure when a person stands up after sitting or lying down because blood rushes to the feet, 
away from the brain. Dizziness or fainting due to changes in blood flow can occur after lengthy bed rest, among people with certain health disorders or in the case of astronauts, being in a low-gravity environment. "One of the biggest problems since the inception of the manned space program has been that astronauts have fainted when they came down to Earth. The longer the time in a gravity-free environment space, the greater the risk," said Benjamin Levine, Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in the US.
"This problem has bedeviled the space program for a long time, but this condition is something ordinary people often experience as well," he said in the paper published in the Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The study included 12 astronauts (eight men and four women, aged 43-56) who spent about six months in space. All performed individualized endurance and resistance exercise training for up to two hours daily during space flight to prevent cardiovascular, bone and muscle deconditioning. They also received a saline infusion upon landing.
The astronauts' blood pressure was recorded with every heartbeat over each 24-hour period before, during and after their time in space. The researchers found that there was minimal impact on their blood pressure during all phases of measurement and none of the astronauts in the study experienced dizziness or fainting during routine activities 24 hours after landing.
This is the first study to demonstrate that astronauts do not experience dizziness or fainting during routine activity after landing, as long as they participate in certain types of exercise training while in flight and receive IV fluids when they return to earth.
"What surprised me the most was how well the astronauts did after spending six months in space. I thought there would be frequent episodes of fainting when they returned to Earth, but they didn't have any," Levine said. "It's compelling evidence of the effectiveness of the countermeasures -- the exercise regimen and fluid replenishment," he added.
]]><![CDATA['Amazing to see women entrepreneurs in India create jobs with lowest collateral']]>Fri, 19 Jul 2019 18:01:17 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/amazing-to-see-women-entrepreneurs-in-india-create-jobs-with-lowest-collateralSINGAPORE - Fascinated by stories of entrepreneurial Indian women, Dell Technologies recently brought in a chapter of Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) to India to support women entrepreneurs by giving them access to global networks, capital source, knowledge and technology. Amit Midha, President APJ Commercial EVP, Global Digital Cities, 
Dell Technologies told IANS: "It is absolutely fantastic to see women entrepreneurs creating jobs and employment with the lowest collateral and then sustaining their businesses successfully by overcoming all kinds of challenges. Looking at this amazing quality of theirs, we want them to get a much bigger role. We also want them to get perspectives on policy, infrastructure and human connection," he added.
The penetration of smartphones in rural areas can definitely help the women entrepreneurs from tier 4 and 5 cities and villages to be a part of this transition, he added.
Dell launched DWEN Chapter in India in the first week of July to ensure smooth flow of more number of start-up success stories from the India market, Midha said on the sidelines of DWEN 2019, the 10 meeting of DWEN in Singapore recently.
Referring to India's micro-financing statistics, he said: "These stats bespeak fantastic stories of women's business spirit. With the lowest default rate, the female entrepreneurs usually pay back on time which proves how responsible they are in managing finances in India. If you lend thousand rupees to a woman in rural area, she is sure to pay it back without holding back any amount. In fact, the default rate is quite less in rural bank accounts of women than in the urban banks."
Midha also sounded positive on the stable government formation in India and said that next 10 years can be a great time for startups and business in the country.
Karen Quintos, Chief Customer Officer, Dell Technologies told IANS: "Women really want to make a difference in today's times; they want to give it back to community while doing a good business. Hence DWEN chapter has reached India to give them a well defined platform place to boost their confidence."
"Over last 10 years, we have seen how women have been wanting access to capital, technology and network and hence we are here to support them. We also want governments of different nations to understand that women entrepreneurs comprise an important segment and they should be provided with all support," she added.
Quintos also expressed her worry over safety and security of women in India, which she said, was a concern for Indian women entrepreneurs as well. "I will be in India in October and spend some time there to understand how we can help the women entrepreneurs there to resolve their challenges," she added.
Tian Beng Ng, SVP & GM, Channel - APJ, Dell Technologies, said: "Women entrepreneurs are quite important in building a country's economy. In today's time, women are starting business at exponential rates across the globe and hence we have DWEN to give them a stable platform."
"In DWEN 2019, Delhi and Bengaluru have been shortlisted among the 50 global cities in 2019 Women Entrepreneur Cities (WE Cities) Index released in Singapore; these cities have found place in the list based on their ability to foster growth for women entrepreneurs," he added.
Dell Technologies has been ranking cities since 2010 based on the impact of local policies, programmes and characteristics in addition to national laws and customs to help improve support for women entrepreneurs and the overall economy. "These 50 cities are ranked on five important characteristics, including access to capital, technology, talent, culture and markets," said Ng.
While Delhi ranked 50, Bengaluru occupied the 43rd rank in the index. "We are open to include more cities soon in the coming time depending on certain factors such as the impact of local policies, programmes and national laws and customs to help improve support for women entrepreneurs and the overall economy, said Midha.
Shedding light on the women entrepreneurship scenario in India, Sheenam Ohrie, Vice President - Dell Digital, Dell Technologies, said: "By 2025, 16 per cent of India's GDP ($3 trillion) is expected to come from the women work force."
]]><![CDATA[Cancer tissue-freezing may help patients cut treatment cost]]>Mon, 15 Jul 2019 18:30:14 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/cancer-tissue-freezing-may-help-patients-cut-treatment-costNEW YORK - Researchers have developed a new reusable device which can help women with breast cancer in lower-income countries by using carbon dioxide, a widely available and affordable gas, to power a cancer tissue-freezing probe instead of industry-standard argon. According to the study published in the journal PLOS One, the research team wanted to create a...
tissue-freezing tool that uses carbon dioxide, which is already widely available in most rural areas thanks to the popularity of carbonated drinks. "Innovation in cancer care doesn't always mean that you have to create an entirely new treatment. Sometimes it means radically innovating on proven therapies such that they're redesigned to be accessible to the majority of the world's population," said the study's first author Bailey Surtees from the Johns Hopkins University.
For the study, the research team tested their tool in three experiments to ensure it could remain cold enough in conditions similar to the human breast and successfully kill tumour tissues.
In the first experiment, the team used the tool on jars of ultrasound gel, which thermodynamically mimics human breast tissue, to determine whether it could successfully reach standard freezing temperatures killing tissues and form consistent iceballs. 
In all the trials, the device formed large enough iceballs and reached temperatures below -40 degrees Celsius, which meets standard freezing temperatures for tissue death for similar devices in the United States. For the second experiment, the team treated 9 rats with 10 mammary tumours. Afterwards, they looked at the tissues under a microscope and confirmed that the tool successfully killed 85 per cent or more tissues for all tumours.
Finally, the team tested the tool's ability to reach temperatures cold enough for tissue destruction in the normal liver of a pig, which has a temperature similar to a human breast. The device was successfully able to stay cold enough during the entire experiment to kill the target tissue.
]]><![CDATA[WhatsApp, Telegram media files could be manipulated]]>Mon, 15 Jul 2019 18:27:35 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/technology/whatsapp-telegram-media-files-could-be-manipulatedSAN FRANCISCO - If you thought instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram that provide end-to-end encryption give you rock-solid security, think again. Researchers from cyber-security firm Symantec on Monday revealed vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to manipulate the images and audio files you receive on these platforms.
The security flaw, dubbed "Media File Jacking", affected WhatsApp for Android by default, and Telegram for Android if certain features were enabled, Symantec researchers said in a blog post.
According to the researchers, WhatsApp saves files to external storage automatically, while Telegram does so when the "Save to Gallery" feature is enabled. However, neither apps have any system in place to protect users from a Media File Jacking attack, the researchers from Symantec's Modern OS Security team explained. 
Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to scam victims in various ways.
"If the security flaw is exploited, a malicious attacker could misuse and manipulate sensitive information such as personal photos and videos, corporate documents, invoices, and voice memos," wrote Software Engineer Alon Gat and Yair Amit, Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Modern OS Security, Symantec. 
Giving example of image manipulation, the researchers said a seemingly innocent, but actually malicious, app downloaded by a user could manipulate personal photos in near-real time and without the victim knowing. 
The app runs in the background and performs a "Media File Jacking attack" while the victim uses WhatsApp. It monitors for photos received through the app, identifies faces in photos, and replaces them with something else, such as other faces or objects. 
"A WhatsApp user may send a family photo to one of their contacts, but what the recipient sees is actually a modified photo. While this attack may seem trivial and just a nuisance, it shows the feasibility of manipulating images on the fly," said the blog post. 
Using the same vulnerability, the attackers could make payment manipulation, audio message spoofing or spread fake news. "In one of the most damaging Media File Jacking attacks, a malicious actor can manipulate an invoice sent by a vendor to a customer, to trick the customer into making a payment to an illegitimate account," Gat and Amit wrote.
"The Media File Jacking threat is especially concerning in light of the common perception that the new generation of IM (instant messaging) apps are immune to content manipulation and privacy risks, thanks to the utilisation of security mechanisms like end-to-end encryption," they added.
Reports in May revealed that a bug in WhatsApp's audio call feature allowed hackers to install spyware onto Android and iOS phones just by calling the target. The spyware was reportedly developed by the Israeli cyber intelligence company NSO Group.
WhatsApp had said it identified and "promptly" fixed the vulnerability that could enable an attacker to insert and execute code on mobile devices.
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